Cardmaking: Cupcake Birthday Cards, First Cards of 2018

I've been easing back into the creative world with the New Year, but January always starts off fast with several birthdays, including a big one for my son later this month. 

The first card  is for a couple whose birthdays are a day apart, so I made them a joint card with one birthday cupcake for each.  The other is for my brother in law and the colors and style worked for him so easy peasy. 

I stashbusted my paper supplies and used one sheet each of :

• Flocked damask paper
• Acetate sheet with gold script
• Antique gold glitter paper
• Gold and white foiled paper
• Black cardstock, matte and metallic

Along with:

• Foam dots 
• Self adhesive acrylic rhinestones
• Coordinating washi tape

I was a Girl Scout so "make new friends but keep the old" is a thing with me and that applies to tools too, so for this one I used my "old" Cricut Expression I've had for years (while I've acquired other machines) but it still works like a charm and I bought those cartridges for a reason! I used an image from the Damask Decor cartridge. Not going to lie , I dream about a black Cricut Explore Air 2 machine (hear that Cricut people...just sayin') . 

I cut the base layer cupcake in black matte and the top in the white and gold foil paper . I like layering images using foam dots, and offsetting them slightly for depth. 

While the images were cutting, I cut my panel layers, and layered as shown: 

Once my panel was finished I attached it to the card base which I'd cut from metallic black cardstock , and then attached the cupcakes, finishing with a self adhesive gold dot. 

The second card followed a similar process, I just changed up the paper combo a bit. 

BFF Open House Link Party Happy 2018 !

Welcome to the first BFF Link Party of 2018! Hope everyone had a safe, happy and healthy holiday season. We enjoyed having our son home for an extended break and now everyone's back to their routine.  

Let's start the year off right with some creative inspiration! 

This is a big organizing week, and who doesn't need a calendar? Lindsay from Simply September has got you covered with a slew of downloadable, printable calendars!

This is also the time of year for goal setting whether that's blog related, general life related or for a specific project. Planners are everywhere in every style and 3 Winks Design also has some great strategies for getting started on 2018 Goal Setting. 

If you're thinking about tackling a BIG project this year like a room makeover or a house makeover, then Karianne from Thistlewood Farms has you covered because she did a TON of then in 2017 and has her top 10 to share. 

Whatever you're planning for 2018, I look forward to seeing your creativity! Let's see what everyone's been up to so far ( me...not so much!). 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

2018 Word of The Year: Open

For 2017, I didn't do a word of the year. I generally don't do resolutions and 2018 won't be an exception, but in the past few years, I have done a word of the year so I have something to focus on and remind myself of a commitment I made at the start of the year, even when sometimes falling short of the intent. Maybe since I didn't have a word, that's why I felt adrift in 2017? Who knows.

At any rate, I did decide on a word for 2018 and that word is :

For me this means being open to new things...possibilities, opportunities, new people / places / things. I tend to be a creature of habit, don't love change and have a tendency to stay in my comfort zone. But this year I want to be more open...more spontaenous, risk more, not have it all laid out before I start. Oh boy! 

Anyone else have a word or a phrase of the year they want to share? 

BFF Open House Link Party : Farewell 2017

Hard to believe that we are at the end of 2017, but here we are. Thank you all, old friends and new, who have made coming to my little party a part of your weekly activities. I truly enjoy seeing all of your inspiration and creativity and appreciate you taking the time to share it here. 

Wishing all of you, my wonderful "Chocaholic" followers, health, happiness, and continued creativity in 2018! 

Whether you're going out or staying in, here are some ideas from last week's party that are perfect for New Year's Eve! 

Let's start with this festive Creamy Apply Mocktail (non-alcoholic) from Play Dates and Parties! Whether the adults don't drink or you want something kid-friendly, it's perfect. 

If you are looking for an adult beverage , Leslie's also got you covered with this Peppermint Mochatini cocktail and this

that Craft Beering shared on Leslie's blog. 

Of course you can't have cocktails ( or mocktails) without appetizers. These oney Sriracha Kabobs from Looney For Food look delicious. 

Ask Dr. Ho shared a recipe for a tasty Mushroom Herbed Cheese Bruschetta. 

And Baked Brie is always a great appetizer. This one from All That's Jas topped with nuts and cranberries looks spectacular.  

Whatever you're doing this NYE, stay safe and have fun! Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week. 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Handmade Gifts: Leather Earring Ensemble

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is getting some rest now that the chaos is over! Sharing a project  I couldn't share before Christmas since it was a gift for my Mom.  She is what my son calls a "stylish Grandma" and loves to be fully accessorized and coordinated. 

I was busy in my workshop so didn't take a lot of pictures along the way. You never know where you will find supplies. I'd gone w/ my husband to a place he wanted to go, and lo and behold they had bags of leather scraps they were giving away for FREE! He mentioned to the guy working there "she's a crafter" to which the kind man said "oh then take two" so I have two bags of amazing leather scraps. 

I trimmed two pieces into leaf shapes for the earrings,  gold leafed 1/2 of each, punched a small hole at the top and added a strand of beads .

I used the beads from the same package ( a bead mix I picked up at Shipwreck Beads) (one of my favorite bead places in the world) to make the coordinating bracelet and pendant.  The bracelet is strung on Stretchy Cord. 

My habit of  "stash collecting" (aka picking things up with no particular project in mind) paid off because I had this antique gold pendant base in my jewelry making supplies and added more beads from the same collection to it along with pieces of coordinating chain. 

Happy to say that she loved all the pieces! 

Christmas Doodles

I've mentioned before that coloring is not as relaxing to me as doodling so I've been busy doodling this December. Practicing my video skills to improve upon in the New Year! 

BFF Open House Link Party

Home stretch friends! Christmas is four days away. Are you presents all wrapped ( not quite). Are your cookies baked (not yet). Do you have last minute crafts you're making? (maybe). Tell me I'm not alone! 

There were some fun ideas shared at last week's party. Let's have a look at a few. 

Loving this frosted Christmas tablescape from The Red Painted Cottage. Whether you live in a snowy place or not, it's a great way to bring the outside in or bring some winter to your table. 

Simply September shared her gorgeous holiday pillow covers and the easy tutorial to make them. I used a similar tutorial to make pillow covers this year and was kicking myself for not doing this sooner! You can whip these up last minute or make a gift ( or pin for next year). 

Anyone else find men's ideas a challenge? Grandma's House DIY has you covered with a DIY Men's Gift Basket. 

Finally, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without chocolate and mint right? Mrs. Kringle's Kitchen shared these fab cookies! 

OK let's see what everyone's been up to this week!

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

TagMania! Gift Tags Gone Wild

Every year I make gifts of gift tags. They're something everyone can use, easy to mail since I have friends all over,  and a great way for me to use up scraps.  I love seeing these small bits come together and never really have a plan.  So far I've made 9 sets between Christmas and Hanukkah lol. I think I have a problem!

There is the traditional collection with lots of red and green ( or burgundy and cream) with some splashes of black that remind me of Santa's suit.  This year, I added tiny jingle bells to some of them. 

But since not everyone decorates in traditional colors, there are the contemporary sets with lots of bright colors and silver and gold. 

They're easy to package as gifts. Perfect for girlfriend or hostess gifts. 

They're perfect for when you find a bag of last year's tags and ribbon you saved because you're a maker and you re-invent things. 

They're great for when you saved a branch from the greens you cut from your yard to add to your Christmas decor and you get an aha moment and make a wall hanging in 5 minutes and you get to give your husband that look that says "you doubted me ? " 

OK my name is Carol and I think I may have a slight tag problem.

BFF Open House Link Party

Yikes! How is it Friday Eve again already? Excited to have my son home from Grad School for the holidays. Already baked the first two dozen of several more dozen cookies to follow. 

Here are some great ideas it's not too late to whip up or pin for next year. 

Love these rustic and rusty ornaments from Artsy Va Va! Great additions to your tree or to make as gifts. Would you guess they aren't metal?!

Vintage holiday decorations are so special. Whether they've been handed down from older family members or found while thrifting, I think there's something so special about preserving them. My Thrift Store Addiction has some gorgeous ideas. 

Christmas cards are starting to roll in and Repurpose and Upcycle has a wonderful way to display them.

Finally, with my young man home for a couple of weeks, I see making these in my immediate future. From Craft Beering, Stout Walnut Brownies. YUM! 

Now, let's see what everyone's been up to this week! 

   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Christmas Bucket List: Gingerbread House From Scratch

Something that's been on my Christmas Bucket List forever has been to make a gingerbread house from scratch. Why? Who knows. That's how I roll ( pun intended). 

I've had fun decorating the pre-made kits before but I just had this need to make one from start to finish. It was MUCH easier than I thought. If you can bake a cookie, you can bake a gingerbread house. 

Supplies: 

• Template
• Gingerbread Cookie Dough
• Royal Icing
• Piping Bags / Tips
• Whatever you want to use to decorate your house. I used candy wafers. 

I started by finding a template. I used the one found here: 

https://tikkido.com/node/906

And of course you need dough. I used this recipe which I doubled  :

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-house-recipe-1963254

Here's how it went: 

I followed the recipe instructions and used a heavy hand on the spices. The dough was crumbly at first but quickly creamed up . 

Roll out your dough ( I don't know why it looks so dark in this picture) and then cut your pieces using the template. I rolled out thick pieces  for sturdy construction!

Bake per recipe and don't worry about flaws in your dough because that's what icing's for!

After all my pieces were baked, I let them cool for several hours. I made my royal icing ( per directions on meringue powder container) very thick. I wanted it to be able to support the front/back and sides and I could always thin it with a little water. Success! It stood up from the first two corners. 

I went around the sides inside and out with a good amount of icing. I also decided that I wanted to decorate the roof before I put it on. I planned on letting the pieces sit overnight so that the house would be very solid once I put the roof on. 

I decided to keep things simple since I was still unsure whether this was all going to come together. I did a diamond pattern with the icing, and I'd baked buttons from scrap dough which I topped with candy melts as shown. 

The roof pieces went on and the whole thing didn't cave in! Happy dance ensued ( away from the gingerbread house so I didn't accidentally smash it). 

While looking for ideas for my house, I saw that some bakers made little gingerbread vignettes. With some dough leftover, I thought I'd give this a shot as well so my house has a tree next to it. 

Place a glob of royal icing on your base, let set until firm but not hard, and then stand your tree up. I'm thinking next year I may do a few of these in lieu of a house. Or in addition to. OK let's be honest...definitely in addition to. 

I also made a door and a doormat and using more of the cookie buttons made a couple of wreaths. I used royal icing to attach which is what I also used to attach the candy melt decorations. 

All those years of being too intimidated to try this? Gone. So glad I did it. You never know until you try right?