Red Clay Voting

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Please come vote for my entry here!  

THANK YOU!

Easiest Star Wars Cupcake Toppers

What is it about Star Wars that makes little boys (and girls) go nuts?  My eight year old knows more about Star Wars than anyone I know.  So for his birthday last week, of course he wanted Star Wars cupcakes.  At first he requested that I use frosting to create Yoda, Obi, etc. on the top of each cupcake.  That was quickly vetoed (not only am I on bed rest for this pregnancy, but there's no way on earth I was going to do that!).  This is what I came up with:

Blue for the good guys

Red for the bad guys

Seriously, these were so easy to make!  I grabbed two packs of Star Wars stickers from Target (24 stickers in each pack), then stuck two matching stickers together with a toothpick in the middle.  The kids loved them and they only took a few minutes to make!

I'm linking up to:
Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap Up Party

Red Clay

Have you heard of Red Clay yet?  If not, I'm sure that you will soon!  This is probably one of the coolest ideas I've seen for the creative world.  The idea came from founder, Abigail Kiefer, who just happens to be one of my childhood friends.  Of Red Clay, Abby says, "Red Clay stages challenges to solicit designs from the design community at large.  Each challenge sets design parameters by selecting a sustainable material, such as organic cotton, and identifies a provocative theme.  Red Clay searches out up and coming designers to contribute, giving them a platform on which to build their portfolio."

Not only is this a place for us to share our creative designs, it's also a place where we have the opportunity to vote on which designs we want to see produced.  The top ten designs receive a monetary prize, but even better than that, your design will be PRODUCED and SOLD, through Red Clay.  How cool is that?!

The first design challenge has already begun--Let Summer Shine In: The Textile Challenge.  There are already some amazing ideas out there.  I love that the only guideline given is the fabric.  You can literally create with any color that you can imagine.  Red Clay encourages you to think outside the box.  This is so much more than just a summer pillow design: Bags, ottomans, picnic blankets, wall decor, table settings!  If you can imagine it, they can make it!

I am definitely not a graphic designer, but more of a hands on person.  The design submissions don't have to be created on a computer.  Feel free to draw your idea, take a picture, then submit that.  The most important things right now is that the current design challenge ends at 6PM PST April 22, 2011.  The voting period ends Sunday May 1.

This is an amazing opportunity.  Where else can you design something in your own home, knowing that there's a possibility it will be produced and sold around the country?  Go visit Red Clay now!

Rainbow Cake

Remember this, last year's attempt at a rainbow cake for St. Patrick's Day? What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment--I had to try a rainbow cake again this year.  I know what you're thinking... But it worked!  I went smaller, lots smaller this year.  Let me show you.

I only used one box of white cake mix.  I just divided it into six bowls, used food coloring to create six different colors, then poured them carefully into the bundt cake pan.  I started with the red, then poured the orange on top of that, then the yellow on top of that, etc.  I wasn't sure if I'd end up with a big brown mess, but as you can see, it worked wonderfully!  So simple, so fun.

St. Patty's Day Centerpiece Tutorial (Kid-Friendly!)

This is one of the cheapest and easiest projects I've ever done.  I am a leader for my daughter's Frontier Girls troop--We have six girls ages 4-6.  I did this project with all the girls on Monday afternoon and it went fabulously.  I was a little worried about Mod Podging with six wee ones, but they did a fantastic job, which emphasized to me how simple this project really is.

Want to know the best part?  Each centerpiece costs under $2!  All of the supplies (except for the Mod Podge) were purchased at our local Dollar Tree.

SUPPLIES

-Small square candle holder

-Scented tea candle

-Green decorative glass

-St. Patrick's Day Napkins

-Mod Podge  (Not pictured)

-Foam brushes (Not pictured, but available at the Dollar Store)

-Scissors (Not pictured)

Unfold a napkin.  Use your scissors to cut out two of the green squares with clovers inside.

Mod Podge a clover square to two opposite sides of the candle holder.

Fill the candle holder with the green class about 2/3 full.  Place the tea candle into the center of the candle holder.  (You can kind of twist it down into the green glass a little bit.)

Enjoy!

I'm currently working on a Home/Life Organization Binder.  It's nearing completion, so I hope to have photos up soon.

Also coming soon... A Spring Wreath! 

Clovers

I love St. Patrick's Day.  Maybe it's the Irish in me or maybe it's just another excuse to celebrate and decorate... Whatever the reason, I'm excited for the 17th!  Last year, I snagged a couple of wood clovers from Goodwill.  Each one cost me under a dollar.  I finally got around to Mod Podging them last week.

Later this week, I'll have a tutorial for a kid-friendly St. Patrick's Day centerpiece, made completely from Dollar Store supplies and costing less than $2!

Valentine's Day Tic Tac Toe

I have to say that I'm really quite pleased with how this turned out.  It was inspired by my daughter's love for Tic Tac Toe.  Actually, it was mostly her idea.  I just took care of the details.  This is a fantastic craft for kids, as my daughter (5 years old) was able to share in the work and do a lot by herself.

This was so easy to make.  I simply cut a heart template out of construction paper, then used it to cut 10 red hearts and 10 white hearts.  (Even though there are only 9 hearts on the board at a time, you want to be sure that each color has enough to win!)  I put two hearts together, used a hot glue gun to glue almost all the way around the inside edge, filled the hearts (through the unglued opening) with pinto beans (my daughter did all of the filling), then used the glue gun to seal the hearts.  Voila!

Next I cut a big heart out of pink fleece.  I chose fleece because it doesn't fray and I wanted to create a no-sew project.  Before you cut the heart, lay your bean bag hearts on top of the fabric to ensure that your game board heart will be big enough.  I cut four pieces of ribbon, pinned them to the heart in the shape of a Tic Tac Toe grid, then used the hot glue gun to glue them in place.  That's it!

The best part?  The game board ties up around the bean bags, creating its own storage space.  What more could you ask for?

Finally.

It's been a while!  I apologize for my long absence in crafting and posting; I have spent the last months experiencing all of the joys that a first trimester of pregnancy can bring.  It was rough, but I am finally regaining some of my energy and trying to find the floor in my craft room again (kids...).  I have a fantastic Valentine's Day craft in the works and will hopefully finish it by tomorrow.  Thanks for sticking with me!

Emily