Black and Green Mermaid Necklace

It's a special time of year - a time of year were it is not only acceptable to play dress up in public, it is rather expected and celebrated. For me - I love playing dress up and embrace pretty much any reason to do so. It also means this girl needs a new costume and all the trimmings (yes, any reason for a new outfit is a good one) and I have been working on the pieces that will make my whole costume complete and will be sharing the process.

I needed a new necklace for to go with my new outfit and decided to use a mermaid charm that I had gotten a few years ago at the Renaissance Faire a few years ago, some green seed beads (yes, the beads from  that package I picked up at the dollar store just keep showing up), and black wire and jewelery making bits.

Oz-Inspired Birthday - Putting It All Together

"Follow the yellow brick road..." to a birthday surprise to even the big girls.


Gathering the Goodies:
* The Yellow Brick Road cake box.
* Yellow tissue paper (I cut in triangles to better fit in my box).
* Ruby Slipper Earrings.
* Oz Bottle Necklace - full of bits of the Emerald City's magic.
* A triangle that fits into the top of the cake box from the card stock (where I wrote my birthday message).
* The Lolly Pop Guild Cake Pop.

Together at Last:
I wrapped the bits of treasures in pieces of yellow tissue paper and placed them carefully inside the tissue paper lined yellow brick road box. Then placed the card on the top then topped it off with the lid.

I left the box with it's goodies at my friend's house before she was out of bed (I was on my way to work). It wasn't too long before I got a text to what she had woken up to.

It doesn't take much to make a person feel special once in awhile - too often we forget that. Do something special for someone - you'll be glad you took the time.

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.

Oz-Inspired Birthday - Lollypop Guild Cake Pop

"We represent the lolly pop guild---" What's a birthday without a bit of birthday cake?

Using one of the Cake Pops I had made I secured it in plastic wrap then colorful tissue paper to give a festive appearance.

Oz-Inspired Birthday --- Bottle Of Oz

As I continued through my path to bringing a special friend a special bit of "The Wizard of Oz" for her very special birthday - I wanted to give her a piece of the Emerald City to carry with her (and not just as earrings). (And glitter is the way to a girl's heart - at least some of them. It makes the day better. It puts a smile on a girl's face. It sparkles and it shines and lets it be okay.)

I made her a bottle necklace full of bits of Oz. (Magic pieces of sparkling green bits.)



 
Supplies:
* Small glass bottle (from my stash of little glass bottles).
* Chord
* Craft glue
* Loose glitter - I used a fine silver glitter for the lettering and larger flakes of green glitter for inside the bottle.
*Paper or whatever to protect the work area.

I attached the chord to the bottle with a secure knot. Then using the end of a paint brush, I carefully painted the letters "O" and "Z" down the front to spell "OZ," then sprinkled liberally with the loose fine silver glitter. Then let dry. (Completely!)

I made a thick layer of glue to the top of the lid then covered the glue with a thick layer of the silver glitter to match the letters. Then I let dry. Shake off the excess glitter.

After the glue on the glittered letters and top dries - I filled with the inside with loose green glitter.

Celebrate the little bit of Oz and the Emerald City in all of us!

A Friend's Oz-Inspired Birthday --- Dorothy's Slippers

I have a long time friend who LOVES the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and so as she turns a fairly important number this year I wanted to do something special for her. It started with a pair of ruby slipper earrings.

There are few things that can make a girl smile faster than glitter or a a favorite childhood memory - so the best birthday is something that combines the two. (Glitter is the theme with pretty much every aspect of this "Wizard of Oz" themed present.)



Part I: The Ruby Slipper Earrings

I gathered my supplies:
* A pair of plastic Barbie doll size shoes (the color didn't matter because I knew they would be covered - if you can't tell in the picture, mine where pink). (I had a heck of a time finding an inexpensive pair and ended up buying a plastic fashion doll [off brand Barbie] at a dollar store that had a dress and shoes with her. I set the doll aside for a project to be determined later.)
* A set of silver earring hooks.(Or whatever color you prefer - gold, silver, black...)
* Two silver eye pins.
* Silver open jump rings.
* Red seed beads. (Exactly the ones used in many projects before.)
* Red Glitter - loose fine glitter (I bought mine in a package of assorted colors.)
* Spray Adhesive (I used Elmer's spray adhesive - Craft Bond - and I got carded for buying it.)
* A sharp needle - thick enough to create a hole to put the jump rings through.
* Jewelry making pliers. (Mine has wire cutters as a part of them.) (And any other jewelry making supplies that you might need or have on hand.)
* (Optional) straight pins with a round head
* (Optional) Craft glue - the use as touch ups for glitter as needed.
* Paper or anything else needed to protect work area and catch glitter when shaking. 



Now to start:

Pierce a hole in the top back of each show with the needle. Make sure the hole is big enough for the jump ring to go through. (Better to find this out BEFORE you have it covered with glue and glitter.)

Using the straight pins - I held the shoes up and sprayed them well with the the adhesive then covered them liberally with red glitter, shaking off the excess glitter as I went. Let dry completely (the spray adhesive I used was really tacky as it started to dry and I had glitter attached to my finger nails for a few days after no matter how I washed my hands - good thing the red glitter went with my black nail polish). After they dry you might want to touch up a few spots with the craft glue and more red glue.

Using the eye pins and the red seed beads, I created the dangles that would will attach the the earring hooks to the shoes. (I could have used another color for the beads, but I liked the red with the red.) I made the dangles the same length.

Once the shoes were dry, I attached the jump rings through the holes made before they were glittered and then carefully attached the shoes to the red beaded dangles. I hung them up to make sure everything was set before packing them.

Sometimes there really is no place like home.

Cake Pops! First Try

My sister is getting married (and ignoring the fact that she is being a bridezilla) she decided she wanted cake pops for her wedding favors. After a discussion with my Mom, I decided to to try to make some myself. And using a pineapple cake - I did.

Crumbled pineapple cake

With cream cheese icing added - rolled into balls

Sticks added - dipped in colored white chocolate - some with sprinkles.

Some dipped in colored white chocolate and some with milk chocolate.

And they are yum!