Taste the Rainbow

This blog post is an explosion of flavor, color and Pinterestness.  Yup, that's right . . . I'm talking RAINBOW CAKE.  So. Intense.  

I combined a few pins to make a treat for a friend's birthday.  I made the experiment a family activity and it was actually a lot of fun.  

To start, I just used a Pillsbury white cake mix.  Even though I usually use egg whites for white cake, I used whole eggs since we were dying the batter anyway.  I also added a capful (about 1 teaspoon) of almond extract.  That is the secret to amazing white cake.  A little goes a long way!

Once the mix was well, mixed, we divided it into four parts.  We dyed ours red, yellow, green and blue. My kiddo really liked mixing the colors in.

Time to pour into the containers.  I wanted to make a "cupcake in a jar" for my friend, so we poured the batter into two jars: one for my friend and one for the kiddo.   No need to buy new jars, by the way . . . the jar I used was actually a parmesan cheese jar!  Obviously, I washed it out thoroughly and painted the lid (see below).  The kiddo's was a jelly jar.  

We did a few spoonfuls of each color in each jar until it was to the halfway point.

We set the jars on a cookie sheet and popped them in the oven for about 15 minutes.  We had lots of leftover batter so we did some cupcakes, too.

Once the jars were out of the oven and cooled, I had to pull some excess cake off the top to make room for frosting.  Check out this link for an awesome buttercream frosting recipe coupled with a recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars that will change your life.  When I say change your life, I mean that you will eat these bars nonstop and eventually contract Wilford Brimley-style Diabeetus.

Don't forget to add 1/2 a teaspoon of almond extract to the frosting!

Sprinkles make everything better.  Even Diabeetus.

On to the crafty portion of this project . . . 

I painted the lid with Krylon paint in Turquoise.  They have these new cute little cans called Short Cuts.  That way, you can get whatever crazy colors you want without having to get a huge can (that I never finish off).  I then wet embossed the top with a "Happy Birthday" stamp and red embossing glitter.  I never use loose glitter . . . too dang messy!  You get the same effect with embossing glitter but with less mess.

I glitter embossed a chipboard "K" too (the first letter of my friend's name).

Now, to the FAIL portion of this blog . . . 

I froze the cupcakes so I could give some to another friend for her b-day.  I had seen some rainbow frosting on Pinterest and thought I would try it.  (Looking at the pin again, I wonder why in the heck I wanted to do it!)  So, I followed the instructions and . . . the frosting looked gross.  I have a problem when there is so much dye in frosting that it stains your teeth . . . no one wants ROYGBIV teeth.  So, I squeezed all of the frosting out of the bag and back into the bowl of white frosting.  To salvage it, I folded it in, trying to make the color lighter.  As you can see from the picture above, it didn't.  Yuck.  Oh well.  You can't win them all.  

HodgePodge Sneak Peek!

Well, it's that time of year again . . . craft fair time!  

This year will be my second year with a booth at HodgePodge, my hometown's craft fair.  Last year was my first time and I learned a lot.  I did reasonably well and made a pretty good profit.  I'm super excited for this year since I have a lot of new items I didn't have last time.  I'll actually have lots of jewelry this year: book spine bracelets (which I came up with AFTER HodgePodge last year), book themed pendants and charm bracelets made from book pages.  For this post, I think I'll just show off purses.  I'll post pics of my jewelry soon!

Last week I purchased a special purse hanger on eBay (for $35!).  Check out how cute (and please try to ignore my mess on the table)!

It only holds 10 purses, so I'll have to find other ways to display them.  Speaking of purses, I already have two made especially for the fair.  I wanted to have a better selection of classics this year, so I'm not posting these on Etsy.  Here is an exclusive sneak peek!

I made this brooch inspired button for the purse closure.  The image was cut from the book and I coated it in some sealer.

Yes, that is Alice in Wonderland fabric!  It's covered in the original John Tenniel illustrations--love it!

Here is a shabby chic "Pride and Prejudice."  The book cover was faded and had spots but I think that only adds to the charm.

A similar brooch-like button for this purse, again made from a book illustration.  It's purty.  ; )  Right now I'm working on a "Wizard of Oz" book clutch that is very different from the classic style of these two.  Imagine if Tim Burton had directed the adaptation and you'll have an idea of the style.  I'm very excited to show it off . . . which I will in a couple of days when it's done!

Embellished Scrabble Pendants: Another 5 x 5 Craft

Sorry about the delay in this post . . . I realize my imaginary 'Scrabble Week' ended a week ago (I'm sure all of you have been waiting for the conclusion with bated breath). I got a bad virus and so I've been out of commission. So, here's the finale . . .

When just a Scrabble tile isn't enough, here are some examples of how I "gussied" them up to make them special.

I glued this miniature bird to the top of the tile with E-6000 and glued the bail slightly to the side to give the bird some room. You could also use a pinch bail on a corner, making it hang on the diagonal. I got the bird at Hobby Lobby in the miniatures section; it was in a set of 12, all for $2.50! Can't beat that! They all have flat bottoms because they are meant to be glued to a dollhouse anyway.

Next, you can make your Scrabble tile more interesting by adding a dangly charm to the bottom. Simply make a hole towards the bottom of the tile (I used a paper piercer and some pressure: that's all you need since the wood is so soft).

If your charm doesn't have a jump ring already, add one.

Simply pull the jump ring through the hole and close the ring with small pliers. There you go! A nice personalized tile.

Finally, resin flowers. Be sure you use EXTRA small flowers so they can be glued to the tile without blocking the letter. Use E-6000 to adhere these cute flowers. (I purchased these from EverLuxe and Pretty Lovelies on Etsy)

I just recently got some flexible cane decorations that would be super cute on a Scrabble tile. I can't show you since I made some for some friends and I don't want to spoil it. Here's the listing for a sneak peek. Simply slice with an X-acto knife and glue to your heart's content. There are hundreds of varieties of this cane clay on Etsy and they are very affordable.

Antique Button Jewelry: A 5x5 craft

Last year at HodgePodge (a craft fair where I had a booth), I found a great booth filled with all sorts of antique goodies. My favorite haul I got from the booth was a handful of antique buttons: 4 for $7. I used the green one on a purse but the other three have been sitting in a drawer for months. I'm trying to make the buttons on my purses extra special and none of these buttons really "fit" with any of the purses I've made recently. Then, I got the idea to make jewelry out of them.

Button jewelry is extremely easy and cheap to make, thus qualifying it as a 5 x 5 craft. If you have $5 and 5 minutes, you can make one of these easily! Now, obviously some of these things I already had, such as the E-6000. This project can still be quite affordable if you buy in bulk on Etsy or use coupons. For example, if you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, they have a 40% off coupon every other week. I was able to get 2 bails and a chain necklace for under $3. Also, the buttons don't have to be "antique" . . . there are lots of gorgeous buttons at your local craft store or maybe even at the bottom of your sewing box. You never know!

BUTTON NECKLACE

What you'll need:

Button

E-6000 (or other jewelry adhesive)

pendant bail

necklace chain

toenail clippers

Yes, toenail clippers. Believe it or not, these are a very important tools to have in your stash. I suggest you get a pair just for crafting since they have so many uses. Plus it's kinda gross to use your bathroom clippers on a craft!

Learning moment! These three objects are called "bails." A bail is a loop connected to a larger piece of metal you glue to the back of a piece of jewelry in order to make it a pendant. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. From left to right, I got each one from 1. I Want Supplies on Etsy (50 for $7.50) 2. Michael's (3 for $2-$3) 3. Hobby Lobby (2 for $2.47). Do not confuse glue-on bails with pinch bails, which are meant to be "pinched" through the object, which isn't a great idea with antique buttons.

1. Clip the loop off the back of your button with the clippers. This may take a few snips, but it will come off. Once it's off, use the file on the clippers to wear down any jagged edges left over. It doesn't have to look perfect, it just has to be comfortable to wear.

2. Arg! Out of focus alert! Sorry about that. The next step is to add glue to your bail and simply stick it to the back of the button. I think I was afraid of the glue drying so I just snapped the shot as fast as possible.

3. Allow your button and bail to set. I usually give it at least 24 hours before I touch it. Depending on the shape of your button and bail, laying it flat on a surface to dry might not be the best idea. As you can see with the black button, the loop of the bail is flush with the front of the button. If this is the case, take a clothespin and pinch the button. This way, the button and bail can dry without you having to worry about it falling apart.

And there you have it, finished button necklaces!

The hot pink button I got was curved so I thought it was the perfect shape to make a cocktail ring. It's just as easy to make a button ring as it is a necklace.

BUTTON RING

What you'll need:

Button

Ring base (I prefer adjustable, personally. I ordered mine from this shop on Etsy; 2 for $2.50)

E-6000 or other jewelry adhesive

toenail clippers

1. See step one for the necklaces.

2. Add a dab of glue to the ring base. Carefully place the button on top. Turn upside down and allow to dry button side down.

Ta-dah! 24 hours later you have a fabulous new ring!

Questions? Comments? Feel free to comment on this post or convo me through my shop. Happy crafting! : )