Oz-Inspired Birthday - Yellow Brick Road Cake

What better way to present a birthday surprise or two than in the form of a cake AND what better way to present a Oz themed birthday present than in the form of the yellow brick road? "Follow the yellow brick road..." - you never know where it might lead. Plus, I like to make a statement (sometimes with glitter, glitter, and more glitter). (Yes, if you have noticed a glittery theme - you're right. I pretty much glittered everything within inches of being nothing but glitter for this collection.)

Supplies Used:
* Yellow/Gold card stock. (Two sheets - one for the base and one for the lid.)
* Craft glue
* Loose glitter - I used green.
* Spray glitter - I used gold.
* Tissue paper (red). (Just enough to make a small carnation flower.)
* Twisty Tie.
* Wide ribbon.
* Scissors.
* Printer. (Optional)

Putting It Together:
I printed a brick pattern on one side of my yellow gold card stock. I did an internet search looking for brick patterns until I found the one I liked (took a bit, but I found it). Here is the link to the one I liked and used: Click here. (You can find pretty much anything on the internet if you look hard enough and long enough.)

On the backside of each piece of  card stock - I printed a template for a cake shaped box I found on Martha Stewart's website. (Found here.) I printed one slightly smaller than the other so they would fit together top and bottom. (100% and 95% to be more precise.)

I cut out the two side, folding and assembling the top and bottom with the brick side facing out. Then I secured the ends with thin layer of craft glue and trimming lid down as preferred. I glued a medium thickness of decorated red ribbon around the bottom edge of the lid. (I didn't want it to look like a hunk of cheese - a careful task.)

Let dry.

Using the craft glue and the thin end of a a paint brush I painted the words "Follow the Yellow Brick Road..." along the top of the box, then liberally covered with green glitter, shaking off the excess. I let dry.

I took small squares of red tissue paper (of course something I already had on hand in my supply) and a twisty tie to create a little tissue paper flower, trimming off the extra bit off twisty tie wire and curling it up along the bottom to attach easier. (I wanted a flat bottom to the flower.)

I sprayed it with a touch of gold glitter to give it a mystical poppy appearance. I glued it securely to the top of the yellow brick box by the green glittered lettering. Then I let it dry. I let everything dry.

As everything is secured and let dry - it's ready to start putting everything together. Stand back and be careful - no houses are falling on this birthday creation or the birthday girl it was intended.

A Little Drawing

A little drawing I did ----

Picture Frame Thank You

Picture frame I made as a thank-you for my aunt. (She helped me every night with my hair for a 60s-70s themed show.)

I started with one cardboard/pressed paper picture frame that I gently took apart.

Then decoupaged with pictures and words cut from the program. (Seal well and let dry.)

Accented with blue glitter paint. (Then let dry.)

Using a hot glue gun, reattach front to back. Make sure to leave opening unglued. (Mark it when you take it apart of needed.)

When everything is dry and put together - add picture. (I added a  picture of her and I backstage with me in full costume.)

Jewelry Bowls

We are surrounded by things that can be given new life and made into something else. I made these jewelry themed bowls, the perfect size and theme to hold rings, other jewelry or change on your dressing table or dresser (I love little things like this).

One of the best parts - everything was from stuff I already had around the house. (And it's even recycled! How can you not love?)

This is a rather easy project that uses paper mache' techniques to create, with drying time taking up the most of the time. Just a little patience is all it takes.

Supplies
* a glass bowl or other container, any size (to use as a mold) - (for this project I used small glass bowls from our cupboard that are were about four inches across and often used for dips or fruit in out house)
* plastic wrap (to cover the mold)
* white glue or Mod Podge (something that will dry clear and secure everything together smoothly)
* old paint brush (for use with glue) - paint brushes are awesome to use with paint or decoupage
* desired paper such as magazine pictures or newsprint (I used magazine pictures of jewelry and gem stones from magazine ads)
* scissors or craft knife (as needed) 
 * OPTIONAL: desired embellishments (such as glitter, pearl wire, beads, ribbon, or whatever inspires you) and something to attach (such as the white glue from before or a hot glue gun)

(1) Start with laying plastic wrap across the bowl that you are using as a mold. This will keep the finished project and glue from sticking to the bowl. (You can use other types of plastic, but I preferred the clear plastic wrap so that I could see through as I worked.)

(2) Start layering the paper with glue inside the mold, using the paint brush to spread the white glue or Mod Podge evenly across the pages. Using the glass and clear to position the images on the outside of the creation. Build this up to desired thickness placing multiple layers of paper and glue. I positioned the inside with images like the outside to create a design. Using the paint brush with glue make sure there is a nice smooth layer of glue or Mod Podge to secure the outside edges and give a smooth outer layer. (You don't have to worry about the edges being uneven that an be taken care of later after everything is dry.)

(3) Let dry.

(4) Once the bowls are more set up you can remove from the mold and gently peel off the plastic wrap. Let dry completely.

(5) Apply more layers of white glue or Mod Podge as needed to seal securely. Spread glue on the outside to secure and seal outside edge.

DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LIBERALLY USE YOUR WHITE GLUE OR MOD PODGE TO REALLY SECURE AND SEAL EVERYTHING INTO ON PIECE.

(6) Trim edges with craft knife or scissors for a lean edge.
 Let dry completely.

(7) One everything is COMPLETELY DRY embellish edge as desired. In this case I used a white glue around the edge then dipped in colored glitter for a couple then pearl wire attached with a hot glue gun. (You could leave plain or embellish with whatever you have on hand such as ribbon beads old jewelry pieces or whatever else.)

Great for gifts or to catch your bits and pieces around the house. The options are endless - you an use any size bowl, attach a few together, add legs or another base. Experiment. Decorate. Share. Enjoy. And never forget to let your imagination run wild!

Decoupaged Elvis Picture Frame

I LOVE Elvis! For those who know me well, this is not a big surprise. I have a nice collection of Elvis memorabilia, but as with any collector they always have room for more. My love of Elvis reaches far before I can remember into early elementary school. No is one really sure how it started, it just did and it stuck. All these years later and it's still stuck... which led me to decoupage this pressed cardboard/paper picture frame with Elvis images.

Doing a project a project like this an be done with a thinned out white glue (the kind that dries clear) or a Mod Podge and an old paint brush. I have both on hand.

1) I started with one picture frame. (This holds a 3 1/2  5 inch picture.) I have a small stash of the that I picked up in a craft section. They have different shaped openings but for this project I liked the star. I then removed the plastic photo cover from the inside. (This keeps the paint off of it.)

2) I then gently seperated the front from the back. This is totally optional. They were glued together to start, but I figured it would be easier for what I was doing.

3) I collected my Elvis images cut from a magazine and laid them out to work.

4) I then went to work on decoupaging my images in a collage on the front of the picture frame, layering it securely between layers of thinned glue and Mod Podge. (My Mod Podge is running low so I stretched it with some thin white glue, but I made sure the top layers were all Mod Podge.) You want to make sure the keep everything nice and smooth, the edges sealed nicely under the glue or Mod Podge (or whatever else you have on hand.) Don;t be afraid to use enough layers that it is nice and thick and white. It will dry clear and you want to sealed in.

5) Let dry completely.

6) I then re-glued the front to the back, making sure to leave the opening at the top to insert the picture. (I have a few ideas for what might go inside it.)

Yes, I am an unapologetic Elvis-loving freak and I love every minute of it. And I really do not care that some people might not find it "cool" or whatever else. I say, embrace who you are and love what you love. Life is more fun that way.

Embellished Compact

I love all sorts of forms of creativity and arts, including theater. I have been active in theater, on and off stage, for years. For a recent show, I needed a personal prop that was fitting for my character. One option was a plastic compact that was difficult to use with my gloves and not very cute. So, what's a theater bug to do? Embellish a plain one herself, of course.

The glue didn't have quite the lay I wanted, but it shouldn't read from stage and I might try another to give a different appearance.

I started with an old, empty compact that would otherwise have been thrown out. I washed the remnants of  face powder from the compact and let it thoroughly.

Using my beloved low temp hot glue, I made a raised design on the top of the compact and let cool completely. (Don't worry about the colors, just the raised design.)

With a can of gold metallic spray paint I thoroughly painted both the top and bottom outside of the compact, using more than one coat. Make sure to get the edges, hinges, and clasp. You don't want the under color to show through when it's closed. Let paint dry COMPLETELY.

I decorated the inside for my own benefit, because it won't show onstage. For the inside I decorated a circle of paper with the characters initials and colors being used in the costume. I attached this to a cut out piece of cardboard, cut the same size to fit in the powder place. Secure inside with hot glue (or any other glue). I used the piece of cardboard and hot glue for the inside instead of just decoupaging straight to the metal because I wanted a flat appearance instead of the lines int he metal. 

Using what I hand, I sealed the paper inside with a clear top coat nail polish I already had. It sealed the paper/cardboard base and gave a clear finished looked to it.

It's ready to go.

Scissors

It may seem like something minor, but I have found it important to mark my scissors. The sewing scissors are marked with an initial and sometimes a 's', especially if they are ones that will be traveling with me and my sewing machine (like to the theater). The non-sewing scissors, usually ones that have been demoted from sewing scissors are usually marked with a 'NS' or 'non-sewing'  or 'paper only' on the handle with a black magic marker. It's important to keep your sewing scissors separate from your paper and other scissors, as paper can dull your sewing scissors. Trust me, when I say you will be glad you've marked them to keep track of what they are or are not to be used for.

Mother's Day Envelope Book with Cards

Celebrations, holidays, special events, and just everyday happenings send me to constantly find new inspiration. Mother's Day is no exception. If anything, there is something about Mother's Day that raises that stakes to make it more meaningful. Flowers are overrated sometimes and my mother tends to kill houseplants. Candy is fine for those that like it, but she's not a big candy person either. Plus, candy and flowers don't last. I, of course, wanted something different.

I starter with cards for my mother and grandmother - a multiple folded card spanning four generations of the women in my family; that included a young pictures of me, my mother, my grandmother, and my great grandmother (entirely maternal lines) with a short poem I wrote. The initial idea from something from Martha Stewart's Family Tree cards. I made one for each my mother and grandmother.

For my mother I wanted to make a non-traditional scrap book type thing. (Last year I made her a mini book full of quotes about mothers and motherhood with a clay rose.) I got inspired when I found a new twist on an envelope scrapbook. Admittedly, I often come across projects that I have already done or taught, but this one gave me a few ideas. (Check out a Flip Flop Envelope Book here.)

I decided to use six envelopes I had on hand left from Christmas cards, figuring one pocket for each one of my mother's five kids and one overall pocket. I looked at using more traditional scrap book paper, but decided against it. I stuffed the pockets with a card inspired from the four generation  card above, but created one for each pocket, each one fitting the theme of the pocket. I embellished each card with various pictures takes over the years with poems and quotes about mothers, Mothers Day, and motherhood.

Attach end to end by flap, making sure not to seal top. Making one long strip.

I made a sturdier and rectangular shaped top flap with a piece of card stock cut to fit over the triangular flap. Then  secured.

Using jewel inspired magazine cut outs I decorated the exterior of the long strip of envelops. I kept this decorative, but rather simple.

I then decorated the inside with more collaged pieces cut from magazines and mixed with a picture and name for each pocket. (I used pictures here form when we were all younger, including a picture with all five us for the top one.)

I then turned to folding and decorating my cards (made from half a sheet of card stock folded accordion style into four equal sections.)  for each pocket with pictures, poems, quotes, and other bits.

I stuffed each pocket, including a printed history of Mothers Day in the top pocket. (With room left for cards or more in each one.)

Folded closed and ready to go. Happy Mothers Day!