Just a quick pciture to show my "boy" themed tea light birthday cake. I did a little sliver key, the little ones that come with the kids diary (although it doesn't show up that great in the angle I took the photo) and a button. It's so hard trying to come up with stuff for boys..or masculine type do-dads!

Tea Light Birthday Cake

This was really fun to make. My sister sent me a picture of a couple she made and they really inspired me! I only had to wait until I could find the tea lights on the cheap. I checked all the local craft stores and they were pretty expensive.  I went to the Dollar Store and I found a 3-pack!! This was a few weeks ago and I only picked up two packs (dummy). I wish I had grabbed the lot, cause I love making these little cuties.

The first one took me a long time because I had to get the measurements just right with the scallop circles. I cut two 2 in scalloped circles on my Shilouette. I took one of the circles and folded it in half , and then in half again. I then snipped the point with scissors to make the hole for the flame. I inked the circle before I put it over the flame and gave it a good rub down to make the crease around the top part of the cake.I glued ric-rack to the bottom along with the other scalloped circle. The roses are mini paper ones that I inked with the same ink as the scalloped circles. The butterfly I punched from white card stock and inked with same ink. The banner I printed out in lollipop font size 11 on my printer and inked with the same color.  Now to make a boyish one....

Paper Lunch Sack Album-- Boy oh Boy What Fun!

 

 

 

 



I just can't get enough of the paper lunch sack albums! It's a blah canvas waiting to be tunred into something awesome! I sewed diffrent size paper into this one..lined paper and patterned paper. I even did a flip page. Now, on my next one I'll have to add a pocket page for tags!

Simple Scrapbook Pages Contiued..

Who doesn't LOVE scrapbook paper right? I do have quite a lot of it..I especially will buy it if it's masculine or boy themed. I find that kind of stuff is few and far between. Most of the time I like to buy my paper based on the photos or the story I want to tell. I went on an extended scrapping weekend and found, that it forced me to use the paper I had on hand, and not over think a layout. For me it's about the story I want to relay rather than the photos or the stuff I put on my layout. Sometimes I do have just one great photo I want to scrap or  really cool supplies I want to use. But the majority of the time I want to tell the story of what was going on. For this layout I ended up cutting up two pieces of patterned paper and using letter stickers for the title. One of the patterned papers had large alphabet letters and the other had coordinating designs. Kind of a vintage circus feel. I think it was perfect for our favorite vintage candy store we love to visit!  

Simple Scrapbook Pages Using Your Stash

 

 

I'm coming to realise that I am a pretty simple scrapbooker and crafter.

I love simple clean lines most of the time. It's what appeals to me and what I am drawn to. I also think that in my quest for the inexpensive I try and make good use of my supplies and the stuff that I already have. I'm always trying to re purpose and see if something can be used in a different way. For this layout I wanted to capture the quietness of my son playing. I couldn't find the right red patterned paper so I ended up using a sewn calender page I had in my stash. I covered up the days of the week with strips of paper at the top. The star (with the button on top of it) was from a Heidi Swap sequenced pack I had gotten, I just turned it over and used the non-sequence side. I also roughed up the photos by using a sanding block and "scratching" along the photos edges. I always love the feel of old vintage :) So, here's to using your stash and old stuff made new again!  

 

 



Chocolate Bird Nests



This is such a fun and easy treat to make with the kids. Although there will be lots of licking of chocolate fingers in the process! Start off by covering a cookie sheet or counter top with wax paper. Put one 12 oz bag of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 min, then 10 seconds thereafter until chips are melted. Be sure to stir in between the 10 second intervals and not over cook. The chips will get clumpy if you over cook them. Stir in the Chinese chow mien noodles and mix until coated with the chocolate. Depending on how chocolaty you want your noodles will determine the amount of noodles you add in. Start off with fewer noodles than you think, because you can always add in more if you don't want the nests too chocolaty. Once you have the noodles all coated scoop out some from your bowl and mold into a mount on the wax paper. I use a big kitchen silver tablespoon, but the kids love using their fingers of course! Once you have the mound, take the tip of the spoon and tap it in the middle to make the nest center. Then take candy robins eggs and place in center while the chocolate is still wet. Let stand overnight or for several hours until the chocolate is "dry".  I place one nest in a clear plastic bag, tie with ribbon and give to my kids teachers for a Easter treat. This year I'm going to include a tag that says "Happy Easter~From Our Nest to Yours"..enjoy!

Homemade Coffee Syrup Pumpkin & Caramel

I love, love, love coffee. I am a fu-fu type of girl..i love it sweet, flavorful and milky.
I REALLY miss the Pumpkin Spice Latte and the Creme Brule at Starbucks. So sad that I will have to wait until next fall/winter to enjoy them again. I searched the net for recipes and then came up with a mixture of several to fit my cravings. Here is what i like best..
Add to a saucepan:
3 C Water
2C Turbano Sugar (sugar in the raw)
Bring to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved.
Add in:
4 Cinnamon Sticks
1-2 T Whole Cloves
1 Small Piece of Peeled Ginger Root or 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1 T Ground Nutmeg
Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat pour mixture over a metal screen strainer (or strainer with extra small holes)  Let cool. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.
Hints..if you boil it for too long it will become a little bitter.
If you want Pumpkin flavor add in 2-4T Canned Pumpkin
(or for extra sweetness Pumpkin Pie Filling)
The Pumpkin will make the mixture slightly thicker with a tiny bit of texture. If you want a totally smooth mixture blend the mixture in the blender for a few seconds.
I also LOVE caramel. I make this recipe and store it in the fridge. I scoop a big helping when I want some in my coffee or put a bit in the microwave to melt it and drizzle on top of my whip cream.
Add to microwave safe bowl:
1/2 C Butter
1 C Sugar
1C Brown Sugar
1 C Karo Syrup
1 C Sweetened Condensed Milk
Microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 3 more minutes.
Pour into an airtight container. Let cool, store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!