Merry Christmas!

Hello blog land, Crazy month!  As we wind down to the new year things start getting crazy again, Valentines day is just around the corner and I have a multitude of ideas for treat containers for Boo's classmates.  First have a gander at my projects for the month...
I decided to make tags for all our gifts rather than use store bought here are a few of my favorites:

The first has sheet music printed on silver paper with a clip art pic of Frosty, the second has the sheet music for Jingle bells printed on it with  Rudolf from Elizabeth O. Dulemba hand colored with pencils and stickles.

I made mini milk carton carriers for some of the neighbors that are always so sweet to Boo, as well as a hot cocoa kit for his coach at school.

Rather than making standard snowflakes this year I made Carolina Snowflakes.  I found the pattern on the  Extreme Cards website. Here is how I used them the windows;

I also hung varying sizes and patterns on the chandeliers with crystal icicles dangling underneath;

I also made CD case pencil cubes for  Boo's piano teacher;

And his Kindergarten teacher;

The papers are scraps from various Club Scrap kits.  The apple is a Club Scrap stencil colored with watercolor pencils, and the squirrel is from Elizabeth O. Dulemba colored with pencils.

That's all I had time to take pics of but there is more to come in the new year as my wonderful Hubby got me a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas!  Cant wait to play with it!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tootles
Crickitt

Advent Calendars

Hello Blog-Land!
I spent quite a few years while growing up in Europe and one of my favorite traditions that my family adopted were advent calendars.  This year I decided to make one for my Boo rather than buying one.  I started with an Internet search thinking of making one of these when I stumbled upon this.  This was my kind of idea, it only required things I already had!  So I have spent the last week making boxes...lot's and lot's of boxes.  72 matchboxes to be exact. Traced, cut out and put together by hand... Yes I know it would have been easier to buy matches but then what do you with the 1200 + matches? I don't have a gas stove, fireplace or heater, and the grill has an auto starter.  So rather than buy them I made them using this template. 72... yup  I enlarged the pattern slightly when I printed it out then traced onto card stock.  I was able to get 4 box bases from 1 standard 8.5 x 11.  So this is what I made with those 72 match boxes;

The paper is DCWV and white card stock stamped with snowflakes then sprayed with Glimmer mists.  I used chip board Thickers to embellish

The tops and bottoms are made from cereal box sides.  These two are for Boo's best friend and her sister. As they are not allowed lots of candy, I plan to fill them with bead jewelry and taking an idea I saw floating about on the 'Net I will be putting scraps of paper with activities for each day on them.  (Their mom approved the list.) Things like singing carols, making cookies, reading Christmas stories fun stuff like that.
Now for my Boo I chose paper from Club Scrap I have been saving this paper for just the right project as it is just lovely.

The paper is from the Gratitude kit with gold card stock for the drawers.  The Santa images are from Elizabeth O. Dulemba and the trees are stickers I bought at a stamping show embellished with rhinestones. After seeing how the other 2 looked Boo asked if his could be different so I tried several configurations before we settled upon this one.

I am so happy with how these turned out! Now all I have to do is hit the dollar store from tiny gifts for the drawers.
Tootles
Crickitt

Cake!

Well the big birthday went off with out a hitch. Last set of pics from it I promise :)
I took all the birds and piggies from this post and made cake!

The bottom tier is chocolate with cream cheese icing that I tinted green the top two are funfetti white with milk chocolate icing covered in chocolate chips.  The sling shot is softened tootsie rolls formed on a bamboo skewer, the "logs" are kit kats. I took my inspiration from here and kinda rolled with it.  I don't like the taste of fondant so I elected to just do the icing instead.  I am super pleased how it came out and Boo LOVED his cake!
Now on to Christmas prep :)
Tootles
Crickitt

Yet more Angry Bird Madness...

Still finishing up prep for the party now just a week away!  I made straw decorations by cutting scalloped circles with my Nestabilites and Big Shot with  a little mod podge to seal them

I also made food pics with stickers I found at Wallyworld.  I plan on using some as sails for boats made of  Baybell cheese. Got the idea from this post.

When I started thinking about the cake for the party I found many ideas on the Internet but was not really excited about the prospect of doing it myself.  A trip to the local store bakery and in between the price and the blank look on the ladies face when I handed her the pictures of what I wanted... *SIGH* Last year I didn't pay attention to that look thinking that if I gave them pictures that they wouldn't have any issues... I was wrong had to re-decorate the cake an hour before the party.  As this year we have a tight deadline to get ready for the party in the morning I am electing to do the cake  myself...  To that end I found this cake and chose it as my inspiration. Problem... I have NEVER done anything with fondant!  As the pigs and birds are very basic shapes I plunged in by trying to make the figures in Play-doh first. I wont show you my attempts it wasn't pretty. I finally broke down and bought some colored fondant and a box of white as well.

 Keep in mind I have never done this before ...

I had many issues with that crown... but I am not changing it...OK so I added candy to look like jewels...

Any way I think the pigs turned out pretty well but the birds...

                                                               I LOVE these birds!!!!! 

They were fussy, annoying, frustrating,

But oh so fun to make!

I plan on making a nest and T.N.T. crate from tootsie rolls as well .

OK I think that's all for now I will post pics of the finished cake and party in a week or so...

Tootles

Crickitt

Angry Bird Madness: Day 3 Zombie Birds!

Crazy week lost track of posting. 
Any how as I tried to think of designs for treat bags I kept drawing a blank.  I kind of liked the idea of using these bird faces on bags from the dollar store. But as I don't really need that many paper bags running around my dear hubby suggested more paper mache. That led to these...

ZOMBIE BIRDS!!!!!!!!

These little birds started off like the pinata but with some further research and trial and error I used forms to make the features.

Amazing what you can use leftover plastic eggs for...

Red Bird

White Bird

I hot glued the eggs to the basic forms then covered with white craft paper for my paint base.

from left Red, Yellow, Black, Blue, and White

I used acrylic poster paint with black sharpie marker for outlines.  I cut a hole on the back of each and sprayed the insides and outsides of each with sealant. I made feathers and tails out of cardboard sandwiched between construction paper.  Eyebrows are construction paper adhered to plastic and suspended in place with plastic strips.

 After finishing the initial birds I did a final count on invites and found I needed more birds so I added a pig and The Mighty Eagle for my Boo.  I plan on adding a bit of hemp cord to each as a handle.

These guys were so much fun to make! I hope the kids have as much fun with them as I have.

Tootles

Crickitt

Angry Bird Madness: Day 2 The Minions

Hello Blog land!
Who has piggie minions?  I DO!

Made in the same fashion as the pinata just with small balloons.

I used the inside of a paper towel roll for noses and ears. Hot glued them on then covered and painted.

I used my printer to print the eyes  then cut them out a sharpie and scrapbook paper scraps for all the other details.  These guys are going to be placed on a structure  made of boxes and the children at the party will take turns throwing balls at them to knock them off. I though of doing a sling shot but as the average age of the kids attending is 4 not thinking its a good idea.

That's all for today,

Tootles

Crickitt

Angry Bird Madness: Day 1 The Piggy Pinata

Hello all welcome to day 1 of my insane party prep.  I am a Virgo so there fore I am a planner... (and I'm OCD and occasionally ADD at the same time) so I decided to get an early start on my baby Boo's birthday party.  I started with the mandatory pinata.  Having never made a pinata before I googled and You tubed for days and finally found the courage to try and make one. I found this pinata maker and got lots of tips.  I started with a base of a punch ball

this was stage one, many layers later I covered the whole form with white craft paper as a base for the crepe paper layer

I used cardboard as the base for the ears and snout then a small balloon form cut in half for the eyes

I hot glued the eyes on then covered the whole structure with strips of crepe paper using good old Elmer's glue.

this is about half done I fringed the paper by hand and put it on in about 12 inch strips.

I glued on paper for the mouth eyes and eyebrows and a crown that I have since decorated with plastic gems and glimmer mists.  The crown covers the hole for the candy.  I plan to load this guy up with eggs filled with candy stickers and toys.  'Cause we all know that the king pig eats the most eggs! :)
Day 2 will involve minions... Hee hee hee
See you then
Tootles
Crickitt