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Vintagey "Chocolate" and Rose Egg

Of course it’s no secret that I love chocolate, and this time of year, chocolate eggs abound. This one is not edible but still delicious I think!

For this project you will need:

• 6” plastic egg
• Tissue paper ( not fancy, whatever comes in a bag when you buy something at the store)
• Mod Podge
• Acrylic craft paints ( I used a dark umber and Martha Stewart Glitter paint in “Brownstone”
• Embellishments ( I used a scrapbook border by K&Co )

I first shared this technique in this post: Twine and Tissue Paper Egg. Tear your tissue paper into small pieces, apply to your egg using Mod Podge. Cover all over and let dry. Then paint with you choice of colors.

I like the unevenness and texture of the tissue paper. I applied one coat of the plain acrylic paint and three of the glitter paint.

Once my paint was dry, I applied a decorative scrapbook border and sealed it with some more Mod Podge.

I had some paper roses in my embellishment stash and decided to hot glue those to the top of my egg at an angle.

While I was waiting for my Mod Podged border to dry, I  cut a length of  crepe paper streamer ( a roll from the $1 goes a long way!), folded it in half then in half again and cut strips of it and plopped them in an ice cream dish I found at Crate and Barrel for $1.95.

Sharing At:
Alderberry Hill: Make The Scene Monday
homework: The Inspiration Board 
The Well Crafted Home

Double Layer Chocolate St. Patrick's Day Bark

Top o the mornin’ to you. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We’re just celebrating quietly at home. Since College Boy’s home for Spring Break, I’m making a big dinner including “drunken” pot roast, slow cooked all day in Guinness.

For dessert, I decided to make some “Leprechaun Bark”. I loved the one that Leigh Anne from Your Home Based Mom shared at a previous link party and have seen variations around the web. Here’s my version. For this you will need:

• White chocolate candy melts and/or white chocolate chips
• Dark chocolate candy melts and/or white chocolate chips
• Almonds ( I roughly chopped whole unsalted almonds)
• Green M&Ms
• Wilton Edible Gold Stars ( cake decorating section of craft store)
• Wilton Color Mist, gold ( cake decorating section of craft store)
• Green Gel / paste food coloring. I used Wilton

Melt your white chocolate. You can do this using a double boiler method or in the microwave. You’ll notice I didn’t include amounts…I just kind of eyeballed my measurements.

Once your white chocolate is melted, tint with food coloring. You could also add some mint flavoring here if you want. Spread on parchment lined cookie sheet; sprinkle with some of the chopped almonds. Stick sheet in freezer. Press almonds down with the back of a spoon.

While this is setting up, melt your dark chocolate, add in remaining almonds, remove sheet from freezer, spread dark chocolate layer.

Just try to get it to cover your green layer. Then sprinkle with green M&Ms ( I bought mine at The Sweet Factory store at the mall so I would get only the amount I’d need).  Sprinkle on gold stars, put back in freezer for about 30 min until set.

Lightly spray the color mist…just enough to get a light coat and shimmer. Let dry then cut or break to size.

BFF Open House Link Party #96 and Last Week's Features

It's time again already for another party! As I mentioned last week, starting with this week's soiree, I'm going to combine features from the prior week's party into one post. You all are making it harder and harder to highlight just a few things because there is so much talent shared each week. Here are just a few ideas: 

From a cute new blog called I Dig Pinterest and I Did It Too, blogger Christine shared these super cute Easter egg candlesticks. 

As someone who loves neutrals, I couldn't resist these cotton tailed bunny napkins from Natalie at Sophisticated Yellow

A yarn wreath is still on my craft bucket list. Check out this beautiful Spring wreath with burlap flowers from Life On Lakeshore Drive

Since St. Patrick's Day is this weekend my chocolate feature was obvious. I'm not sure there would be any of this Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark leftover for any Leprechauns at my house. Visit Leigh Anne at Your Home Based Mom for the how tos. 

Now let's get to this week's party. If you're new, following isn't required but I love to follow back and meet new bloggers. Thanks to everyone who links up each week. Don't forget to share the bloggy love. Who doesn't love comments? Happy Weekend everyone. It will indeed be one here. College Boy comes home tomorrow for Spring Break. So excited! 

Silver and Navy Sympathy Card

I feel like I’ve had to make too many Sympathy cards lately. Not loving that. But I did need to make one more so here ‘tis and sharing how I did it. 

I decided on my card color combo in a backwards kind of way.  I received a bunch of supplies for a sponsored campaign last year (David Tutera Celebrate) which included some decorative phrase stickers like the one I chose as the focal for my card . Then I went to my scrapbook paper and picked a coordinating blue and white paper  (DCWV Tradewinds Stack) to use. Picked a couple more pre-cut pieces from my Celebrate stash. Supplies used:

• 5x7 silver card
• Pre-embossed grey panel
• Pre-embossed silver panel
• Smpathy focal sticker
• White Border
• Decorative paper

I cut the printed paper to 4.5x5.5, the embossed silver panel to 3x5 and the white border to 5 inches and layered them as shown:

.

Then I mounted the Sympathy focal to a piece of the grey embossed paper, layered onto a scrap of the patterned paper and layered once more on grey paper. Wrapped black and white baker’s twine around this before adding to the card using foam dots.

Finished off by adding a couple of fabric flowers ( Prima) .

I know a card won’t make up for the loss but hope that the receiver feels the love put into it.

Sharing At: 

Semi-Homemade Mom

Easter / Spring Decor: Real Eggshells Under Glass

Today was one of those days when a project just clicked for me. It started at breakfast when I remembered to save some eggshells. I keep meaning to try blowing some eggs out, but don't remember until usually right after I crack them into a bowl. Even though I forgot AGAIN, this time I decided to keep them broken just as they were and use them in this little Easter / Springtime vignette.

For this project you will need:

• Egg shells ( I used the shells from 2 eggs)
• Cheese cloche ( I found mine on a “Goodwill Thrift Hunting” trip)
• Craft paints ( I used Martha Stewart Feldspar and Smoky Quartz Glitter)
• “Nest materials” I used bark covered wire, coffee filters, and shredded crepe streamers)
• Decorative paper to coordinate w/ your paints

Here are the basics of my project before I started. I painted the wood cheese board and the outside of the egg shells  with the Feldspar. While that was drying, I cut out a circle of decorative paper the same size as my board (I had this Japanese washi paper in my stash) and then tore around the edges. Once the paint was dry, I used Mod Podge to apply the paper to the wood.

While the MP was drying, I “speckled” my egg shells using the Smoky Quartz glitter paint. Just kind of glop it on until your satisfied.

I also went around the edge of the wood board with the Smoky Quartz.

While everything was drying I made my nest. I used bark covered wire I found in the floral section at Michaels and just kind of made a free form nest by loosely wrapping in in circles until I was satisfied then twisting the ends together.

I tore the centers from two natural coffee filters, scrunched them then tucked them into the “nest”. I also wanted some type of grass but didn’t have any and was too lazy to go outside and dig up moss. I grabbed a roll of crepe paper streamer from my stash, pulled out a length I didn’t measure, folded it and cut in strips. Crumpled then uncrumpled it. Now it’s time to assemble everything!

I placed some of my streamer grass on the board then placed the nest in the center and added a couple of my painted egg shells. Positioned the others, and added some more crepe grass and then put the lid on. I didn’t glue it down so I’ll disassemble the whole thing when I put it away and if the eggs survive storage they do. If they don’t, they’ll be quick to re-create next year.

I added some bits of jute twine in the middle because birds use whatever they find to build nests right?

I didn’t want to paint the top of the cloche but I felt it needed a little something so I covered a small manila tag with a scrao of leftover washi and kraft papers, added an eyelet and a butterfly charm. Tied the tag to the top of the cloche with plain cotton baker’s twine.

The funniest thing about this is Mr. C didn’t even bat an eye when he saw the eggshells drying by the sink after breakfast. You know how there's a meme "You know you're a crafter when..." We may need to start a new meme called “You know you’re married to a crafter when…”

Sharing At: 

The DIY Showoff

homework
Someday Crafts

BFF Open House Link Party 95!

Happy Friday Eve friends and fellow chocoholics! Welcome to another party . Number 95! One quick announcement. Starting next week, I'm going to combine the features with the party. So instead of posting features each Monday as I have been, they'll be at the top of the party on "Friday Eve". Easy Peasy. 

While following isn't a requirement, it's appreciated. That way I can keep up with your great blogs outside the party since I'll follow you back.  Now, party on!