Sunday, May 1, 2011

Week In Review & Game Plan

That's right, I've created a genuine game plan! With the exception of those manic moments in life and time when inspiration blossom, blooms, and shoves its bosom in my face, I'm not that creative. Well, perhaps that isn't true. My mind is a wonderfully warped place and I can take nearly anything and make it into something else. However, there are always pitfalls and road blocks in my path to creative nirvana.

One day at a time.

Thus, my game plan. I've been attempting (low though the evidence supports the statement) to post on a daily or near-daily basis. It bummed me out. So... I'll be posting twice a week instead. A collection of my days' events and small conquests.

I think, this way, my freedom to play and create will relax and come out more often to play. Good times, yeah? Yeah.

Okay. So this past week I've been in the kitchen every day. I've made well over 10 dozen cookies, mostly chocolate chip, for several functions. Better than the cookies, though, were the apple-strawberry cupcakes with strawberry (and strawberry-chocolate) buttercream icing...

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And the first successful chocolate layer cake I've ever made. It looked even better in person. I need better picture-taking skills!

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Especially since my camera ATE some of my pictures! I had taken pictures of the beginning's of this weeks' craft, as well as one my girls did, but they're not on the camera or the computer or... anywhere. *sigh* Oh well. You can get the idea well enough anyway.

Step One: Visit the dollar store and buy a few frames. Check the back of them to find, or not find, a hanging hook. Decide whether you would like to hang your finished project from a hook or a ribbon. Or, get a hoot and have the option to still use a ribbon. Back up plans are nice.

I forgot to check for a hook so I got to play with ideas until I found a solution. Oh well, necessity is the mother of all invention!

Step Two: Buy (or if you're super spiffy, make) a wooden letter and paint it the color you desire. Take your frame apart and paint it the same color as your letter. Let them dry.

Step Three: Bend the supports on the back of the frame so they lay flat against the back of the frame, unseen from the front. Use a strong glue (craft glue, gorilla glue, hot glue, super glue - any should do the trick) and run a thin line all around the inside of the frame so that once the glass is replaced it will lay over top of the glue. Just don't use too much or the glue will smoosh out everywhere. Let the glue dry completely.

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Step Four: Turn your frame over right side up. Get your glue again. Apply appropriate amount to the un-painted back side of your letter. Center the letter and gently press against the glass front. Let it dry.

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Step Five: You can be done. If you bought a frame with a hanger piece, just use that. But like I mentioned, I forgot that step so I had to get creative. I was making these for my daughters so I used their favorite colors - pink and purple. I cut up a piece of ribbon, glued about 3 inches of it down either side of the frame, and let it dry completely. Then I hung it up. Yay!

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Step Six: Enjoy!

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This week is going to include: a surprise cake for my sister's boyfriend (Happy Birthday, Jimmy!), a cookie cake for Jimmy, and white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. Additionally, I'm going to start working on cake pops and decorations for an upcoming wedding shower. I'm pretty pumped about the possibilities of ideas here.

I'm aiming, for my contributions, to work SUPER cheap but still produce cute, fresh ideas of worth. Here's hoping!

And I haven't forgotten my antique furniture! My dad is currently building a new porch/deck on the back of our house so I'm waiting until he has time to help me, so I don't mess things up and destroy the beauty of that furniture!

Finally, the two rooms (the room of disaster, semi-repaired and the other spare in the house) still need touch up work and a complete re-do. It'll all be done as soon as time allows for it to all take place. Being busy makes me happy. What makes your day?

4 comments:

  1. I can't believe you said you were not creative. Do you know yourself? LOL You're probably the most creative person I know.

    Those letters are adorable! And that chocolate cake looks delicious. I'm so jealous!

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  2. I second the creativity statement.

    The letters look great. And I'm hungry now. LOL

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  3. We should do a collaboration project when my back isn't flaring up so much! It would be fun to see each other and to do stuff and to wow all of our readers ;)

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