Play dough cookies

Just try and tell me that these aren't the prettiest cookies eVeR! I was looking for a recipe to make regular play dough for the kids and ran into this and they looked oh so pretty online that I printed it off and let it collect dust for awhile. Well, lo and behold, they are not only pretty BUT they taste pretty good too. I attribute that to the tad of cream cheese that's in the recipe. Click here for the recipe.

GO DIMENSIONAL Card Class

Here is the card class that I'll be teaching in January 2011.

Add some life to your cards by having them stand on their own. Techniques you will learn are window fold technique, scoring to create dimension, accordion flowers, glassy accents, and much more. Each of the cards will fit into an A2 envelope and then pop open to stand on it's own. These work GREAT as birthday cards and get well cards for people to display on their tables.

Cost: $20 class and materials

Extra packet: $12 (will ship for additional $5)

Locations & Dates: Roberts craft stores

• Jordan Landing, Friday, January 14th--7-9pm
• Clinton--Saturday, January 15--noon-2pm
• Sandy--Friday, January 21--7-9pm
• South Jordan--Saturday, January 22--10am-12 noon

Card 1--Birthday card. Wet embossing on the red tag that pops out when you open the card. Learn how to do the window fold technique around the present.

Card 2: Thanks so Much. An easel card that stands open to show the sentiment. Using glossy accents on the flower for dimension.

Card 3: For You card. Accordion card and accordion flowers. Learn how to score, cut and fold to create this unique stand alone card with great flowers that can be used anywhere.

Card 4: Birthday card. Learn how to put an insert in the box that will pop up when you pull the ribbon with a hidden message to display while it's open.

The Best Hair Gel!!!

So....I have 2 little boys that have hair that sticks up pretty good..if that's the look you're going for. One of the boys has really wirey hair and some good cowlicks! I have tried a vast quantity of different hair gels. But guys and girls! I have found the answer! See below. It's awesome. No hairspray needed, it makes their hair stay through and throughout the day regardless of the activity! I don't use a ton on the 1 year old but enough to hold that hair up in the front and down in the back. Seriously, go get this stuff. You can find it at your local grocery store/Target/Walmart etc. It was only $5.99. BUT make sure you get exactly what is below. Yellow tube, silver top, spiking glue. The Got 2 be Glued brand has a ton of products!

Cards

Here is a card that I really love. It's not THAT difficult, just somewhat time consuming. I think the hardest part is the scalloped curved edge that is so pretty!

Quilt Block of the Month

I have found a quilt store that does a quilt block of the month for the whole year and then at the end you purchase the fabric for the sashing, borders and backing and sew the rest together and it's done! I like doing quilts this way IF I like the fabric and design. It teaches me new techniques or ways to put blocks together. I REALLY like this fabric line (don't know it off the top of my head) and love the colors. I'm going to make a king out of it for my bedroom. It's a good way to make a quilt because you do minimal every month then the quilt is half done by the end of the year and it's a matter of 10 hours max to put it together....well and then the quilting, whatever route you decide to go there. If you're interested, most cities have a quilt store that does something similar. It cost me $30 for the year for all the material and patterns for 12 different quilt squares.

Purses II

Round 2 on purses for me. These are a little more user friendly because the top is larger, it can fit a notebook and the lining is super stiff (2 layers of fleece interfacing and 1 layer of interfacing) so it can stand up on it's own. Again...so fun! The pattern came with an embellishment such as a fabric rose, tie, rick rack etc....which I mean to put on...we'll see if it happens. Feels like it's already done.

Amy Butler Etc

So...I've heard Amy Butler's name thrown around and finally checked her out...thanks to Amber's idea to make a purse from her website....here are a few things that I found that I need for my list of things to make.

Baby ring stacker--so cute!!!

Cool Purse

Pillows--I really need some color in my family room...perfect and somewhat inexpensive way to do it!

Girl Skirt--If only I had a girl!!!

Women's Shirt--If I made it would I actually wear it....??

Skirt--You could find some really awesome fabric...but I don't LOVE cotton skirts...

Purses

So I've had a LOT of fun lately making purses. They are pretty easy and quick and somewhat inexpensive for a craft project. Here are the latest. More coming soon (when I get pictures taken!) I made these with my sister and mom, so one for each of us! I think one of my favorite things is buying pretty fabric. For the pattern go here!

I love the opposite direction of these stripes.

Painted Pepper Grinder

So I'm not much of a painter, or haven't lately, but this is definitely an easy to easy medium craft. Just takes a wooden pepper grinder, sand paper and acrylic paint. I found this idea here and made it for a decent amount less and the exact colors I wanted for my sister's kitchen.

Pepper Grinder: I found one at Orson Gygi in SLC for $16 for a 12" one. Didn't have much luck at Bed Bath and Beyond and a few other places I tried. Well, I found them but they were upwards of $30 or so.

Scuff up pepper grinder with sand paper. I didn't do this and paid for it by doing TONS of coats of paint.

Decide on your color and pattern. I painted 3 at a time, basically so the wet paint was painted next to the wood or dry paint.

For the roses I painted red circles, used a really small brush to draw the black swirl on. In hind sight, I wish I'd made the roses a bit bigger to make it easier, but I like it just fine. For the leaves I painted in a light green and shaded one side with a darker green.

Everything else I just freehanded and made it work as I went along. Have fun being creative!

I don't love the top...I think it kinda looks like a lady bug...or maybe spilled pepper :)

I had LOTS of fun doing this project! I plan to make more for gifts...

Dolphin Cake

This is Jess's creation and I am so thankful to her for her ideas and help! Just wanted to share with ya'll.

The 3 year old was having an ocean birthday party and requested a dolphin cake. After searching and trying to decide how to make it we (Jess and I) decided to make a dolphin tummy down in the water. Then as she was brilliantly thinking...she decided to spice it up a bit and THIS is what we got. It turned out fabulous. Point being...it just takes a little creative thought, and guts to try something that may completely flop.
Jess bought plexi-glass and a plastic blind twisty thing that we cut. We super super glued with some magic stuff the plexi-glass together as seen below. We used a hot torch thing to bend the plexi-glass after it had dried over night. Wala!

Jess determined the curve of the dolphin for the tummy to place on the plexi-glass and secured it with butter cream frosting, yum!

We secured the plexi-glass to cardboard covered with tissue paper, with fish stickers in the "ocean" and then cellophane on top with frosting.

Now the creative part (as if none of this has been so far :) Jess used rice krispy treats smashed really hard together to shape the tail that the cake body was resting on, the dolphin nose and top fin. We made fins for the side but they didn't stay on. At 5 minutes after the party was supposed to begin we figured out the magical way to attach them but decided not to stress about it for a 3 year old's party. We should've gotten a dowel and made fresh rice krispy treats. Formed one fin on the side, put the dowel through and formed the other one. What I learned about shaping rice krispies for cakes is you have to MASH the rice krispies really hard together or they won't hold firm. Don't worry we did it right.

FROSTING RECIPE: We used Wilton's buttercream frosting for this (click on the link). Jess recommends that you use all butter and skip the Crisco for better tasting frosting. Meringue powder also gives the frosting a better consistency over whipped egg whites.

CAKE RECIPE: It's all about the Funfetti Cake mix and adding a cup of sour cream to make it extra moist! But truly, when it's for little kiddoes, it just needs to look cool, they don't care about taste so much.