Ipad Cool Enough To Eat

My friend asked me if I could make this cake for her wedding anniversary.  I looked at the link, groaned, then said, "I can give it my best effort."  I took all three Wilton cake decorating classes as a way to get out of the house after my Eli boy was born.  One lesson was on how to make a fondant cake.  That was the last fondant cake I ever made :0)  To say the least, I was a little worried if I could do it. 

I had seen a recipe for marshmallow fondant floating around all of the recipe sites.  After finding this tutorial, I decided to try it.  I have to say it was VERY successful.  My big argument against fondant (that it tastes terrible) has been dispelled!!!!  It is also rather cheep, coming in at $4 a cake to frost!  How 'bout them apples, I mean cakes :0)

I covered the cake with buttercream frosting, then rolled gray fondant, then with the rectangles that made the screen.  I used my icing coloring paste as paint and painted on the background.  The darker colors I used straight paste, the lighter, I mixed the paste with water.  I actually really enjoyed this part.

Dare I say that while I was making one, I might as well make two!?!  I baked the cake in a cookie sheet, intending to cut in half and stack one side on the other.  My cake ended up too thick to stack, so I had two cakes instead of one.  Surprise!  Can't waste a whole cake, right?  So I decided I would deem one, the good cake, the other the ugly step-child.  OK, a bit harsh, but one would be the owner of all the good app buttons, the other, all the less-than-good app buttons. 

To be totally truthful, my buttons all left much to be desired.  I don't care.  By the time I finished these cakes I had invested over 7 hours of my day (between children's demands for diaper changes, friends, and what seemed like constant snack requests).  I decided the buttons were fine.  Probably the worst thing about the whole day....

As the beautiful master piece/cake walked out the door, and this was what I ended up with.  My floor is covered in powdered sugar.  It was worth it, but did I mention that I went to the midnight show last night, getting home and in bed around 3:30am?  Ugh.  Where is the broom?

This project was linked up:

http://lifeaslori.blogspot.com/

I've Got a Date Tonight!!!!

The night has ARRIVED!!!  My blessed date with Edward Cullen (ssssh, don't tell Scott :0)

Movie night with the girls!!!

So excited.  Pulled my Obsessive Cullen Disorder T-Shirt out of the closet and realized that, in a maddened frenzy, I cut off the collar last time I wore it-don't ask, guess I haven't worn a regular t-shirt in a while.  Long story short, I needed to repair my half-finished remodel...and quick!

I cut 2.5" off the bottom, sewed it to the neck, then shirred it with elastic thread.  I did 4 rows, tried it on and hated it.  OH NO!!!  Cut two off...better.  Trying it on again I realized that the sleeves were as bothersome as the collar.  Cut them off, 2", shirred the outer edge of those.  Tried it on, still too long!  No problem.  Cut the armpit in, stitched it a little higher....Vwalah!!!

Oh, and threw that piece I cut off the collar on as a little ruffle to accent my fictional leading man.

I haven't done the picture-of-myself-in-the-mirror thing for like 20 years :0)

I threw this picture in too 'cause I couldn't figure out which one I look better in :0)

Now, keys...got em'....money for POPCORN...Score...crafts to do while waiting in line....where's a bag.....  And OUTA HERE!!!!

Camper's Love From Home

My baby girl is 12 and gets to go to girl's camp for the first time ever!!!  I am totally thrilled for her, she...is a little less thrilled.  For months she has broken down in tear at the thought of leaving mommy for a whole week.  We finally calmed her down at the thought of calling whenever she was the least bit sad.  Unfortunately, there is not any cell reception in the campground they are going to. 

The camp leaders encouraged us to write letters from home.  I thought, knowing it will be the longest week of her life, I would give her little packages to open along the days.  Hopefully it won't make her more homesick :0)  I am sure she, being the rule follower in the family, can be trusted to open the correct package on the specified day.  Eli would have them all open the very first minute at camp, then run off to play, never once thinking about his dear old mommy.

Did I mention she leaves tomorrow?  Yes, that is why I am up at midnight wrapping surprises I have known would need my attention for months.  I am sure I could have made it cutesy had I started earlier, but that mattereth not!  I got 'er done!  Here are the rather lame things I came up with in a 15 min. trip to walmart.

Monday

card says: Because your tent will start smelling like a "Barrel Of Monkeys" with a personal note on the back.

Tuesday 

Tuesday's package was inspired by the lovely siblings.  This rather lame Diego game has a puzzle, rummy, and checkers and was only $2!!!  Emmalee has an absolute obsession-from her first blink in the morning to the very last before exhaustion at the end of the day, she begs for "Gego."  The flarp for Eli is self explanatory given his stinky musical arrangements Madison is bound to miss, NOT!

Wednesday

Because Madison is soooooo afraid she will be totally sick of her friends by the first hour I threw this "slapper" and the silly string (I am sure I will hear about this one) in for Wednesday. 

Thursday

Some candy to pull her through the last full day at camp.  I threw in some "nerdy"pictures of mom and dad.  That should hold her.

Then there was the letter they asked for.  I am sure they only wanted one letter, but everyone wrote something.  I have no clue what they wrote.  Hopefully it is good for the girl.  I threw in some pictures of "her" triplets and their big sister, since it will be the longest she has been away from the babies since they came home from the hospital, and since she will probably miss them more than her own siblings.   Threw in our most recent family pictures also.  Emmalee even added a special masterpiece to add to the family collection :0)

My biggest hope is that this will all help my girl to make it through her first time away from home, and not make her more homesick.  I know she will have a total blast if she lets it happen. 

Princess in the Kitchen Invites

I took the easy way out this time with our Princess in the Kitchen invites.  I grabbed some wooden spoons that came in 4 packs at the dollar store and tied them up with ribbon.  Then I wrapped the invitation (which I lazily printed out) around the handle, and tied the whole thing to a crown I nabbed from the $1 section at Target back in January.  Ta-Dah!!!

Done.  There, wasn't that easy!  Now to finish our play kitchens. 

Here is where we started yesterday, updates coming soon.

And my very happy helper....Birthday girl Emmalee.  It may take me a little longer if she keeps helping ;0)

Emmie's Birthday Dress

I made this Birthday Outfit for my Emmers (Emmalee).  She turned 2 last weekend.  We were in St. George, Utah visiting Great Grandma for the celebration.  She caught sight of these stairs while sight seeing.  I saw a photo op and had to pounce.  (p.s. that squint in Emmie's eyes is her photo face, not the sun  lol)

Look at those stairs.  What two year old could resist!?!

I made the petti skirt out of somewhere near 80 yards of fabric.  I had bottom fluff, but was so afraid I didn't have enough, I had to leave it off for the time being.  I actually made the yolk yellow, but you can't see it.  It is under the overskirt I had to try.  I have been dreaming this one up for ages and finally put it to fabric.  The pink overskirt is separate, and worked so well, I am certain I will have to make more.  Then the petti skirt is so much more useful.

It was starting to get a little hot, thus the rosy cheeks.  Here is my dolly is making is her picture-taking face again.  She is not in pain, that is just what she does when she sees the camera come out.  Nice, huh?

I fought for a long time over what to put on the shirt.  Finally Madison suggested a party hat and I really thing it turned out cute.  I couldn't decide on the fuzzy accents, but finally used eyelash yard, made a pompom for the top, and hand sewed it on loosely for the bottom.  Couldn't have been cuter!

Here is our whole group, Emmers, Dad, Great Grandma, Eli, Me (suddenly feeling short), and Madison.  What a lovely day for pictures :0}

This outfit was linked up:

I "Felt" Like Maken' Cake- Part 2

Feel like some frosting???  I love it!  This was totally fun...time consuming...but worth the time!

I will show you a basic way to attach the frosting using a twisted pattern, then a couple ways I tried to mimic what I do on real cakes. 

I cut felt, doubled over, to 3/4"  I cut long strips, not measuring or anything.  I can only say you want it long, so you don't have to splice it in the middle of the frosting.  Some strips I cut from scrap felt left over from Halloween, some the whole 60" length of the fabric off the bolt.

I layered 2 or 3 strips of felt for each row of frosting.  Later I figured out if you are going to use 2 strips, cut them 1/2" wide.  If you are using 3-cut them 3/4" wide.  You can play with the size and number to your own preference.  Stitch down the middle.  I used the longest stitch length I had, just to pin the two pieces together and to create a middle.

Now you are ready to start.  I am showing you on a cake I made with no bottom plate.  I normally hold the bottom plate on and stitch it to the cake at the same time I stitch the frosting on.  If you don't want to do it that way, you can either sew the plate on first, then go around, or sew on the frosting and then the plate.  Your choice :0)

I fold the end of the frosting strip in half, pinch together and stick your needle through all layers.  Now stitch that to the cake.  As a real cake decorator, they teach you that there is a front and a back to a cake.  I use the seam in the side wall to be the back.  Start stitching the frosting there.  This next picture shows from the middle of the frosting string.  It is all the same, whether at the first blop of frosting or a blop in the middle.

Before I start messing with the fabric, I get the needle where it needs to be on the cake.  I poke in, just below the starting point, then come out over 1-1 1/2" and up just a little from the bottom.  Pull the needle through so you are ready to sew when you have the frosting blop in place.

At the risk of loosing you, I do not use the felt the way it lies. Like in the picture above, I use the middle of the two layers as the front and back. If the strip is laying on the table(left hand in the picture), you are looking at the stitching.  If you treat these like the top and bottom, your frosting will not shape right and go flat.  You need to stick your thumb in between the two flaps of felt(right hand in the picture) and use that inside part as the outside. If you don't understand what in the world I am trying to say, just disregard and it will be OK. I think the felt looks more natural and is more likely to go where you want it to go if you can make the inside the outside, but either way works. Sorry for the confusion.

You want to grab the frosting down farther then the actual spot on the cake your needle came out.  If you are doing your blops 1" apart, you need to grab your felt 1 1/2" down.  You will squish it up, scrunching it into a fuller shape each time.  Divide the frosting with your thumb in the middle of the four flaps (again, not in the flaps that show the stitching, in between the flaps that do not ;0).  That center line will be the center of the back of the frosting when you twist it.  Each section is twisted one half turn.  

 

I folded one side under.  Next, finish turning the felt so the flaps are all facing front.  Now scrunch in to get the desired fullness. 

When you have everything just where you want it, stick your needle in the top of the frosting, right through the middle of all four layers, and come out the bottom.  I then poke the needle back in the cake at the bottom, coming out straight up, about 1/2" directly above where you inserted the needle.  Pull the needle through and the thread tight. 

Now, take the needle, don't go through the felt, just go into the bottom of the cake and come out 1/2" directly above it again.  The thread will wrap tightly around the outside of the frosting this time, pulling it all in tightly. 

 This last time, insert needle in the bottom of the cake like the two times before, but instead of coming out above, push the needle through 1-1 1/2' to the side, and about 1/2" from the bottom.  Then you get to do it all again!!!  In the end of each frosting blop, the thread will have gone through all layers, through the cake, outside the felt, through the cake, outside the felt, into the cake bottom, then out over just far enough to start all over again!  Got it!?!  Let's move on! 

The picture above is of frosting using 3 pieces of felt.  That is why there are so many layers.  The bottom of this cake, I did not turn the felt.  I just bunched it up and stitched it in place, bunch, stitch, bunch, stitch.  The top frosting is twisted-twist, bunch, stitch, twist, bunch, stitch.  You can see how it has a slight wave to it. 

Above is my all time favorite frosting border-a swirly kind of twist.  It looks way better on real cakes and can be done much tighter, but I was happy with how this one turned out.  Below, in these three pictures (same cake) I did the same twist, but it was much harder.  Yikes.  I liked how it came out, but I really couldn't get a good picture of it.  Sorry.  I took like 10 and these were the best I got.  I think the fuzzy felt and the fact it is all white throws the camera off so I can't show much detail. 

These two show a squiggly thing I did on top.  I really liked the way this design turned out.  It makes the cakes more fondant like, rounded at the top edge.  I plan to add flowers or strawberries in part 3 :0)

So hopefully that gets your mind going on different ways to decorate your felt cakes.  I will try a part 3 before Sat. to show what I come up with in the way of flowers and strawberries.  My disclaimer is that I am not a professional and have made nothing felt food-ish before.  If you would like to know how to do it more professionally, check out Bugga Bugs, American Felt and Craft, Sweetie Pie Bakery or simply search google for felt food/felt cake patterns.  Happy Fake Baking!