Knitting Christmas Gifts

To say I'm late to the "making gifts for Christmas" party is an understatement.  I'm really attending the after party at this point.   Over the weekend I sat down with by knitting needles and began to get to work.  I started with a pair of mittens for my daughter's American Girl doll.  And yes, I've shared about these mittens two other times (here and here) but it's such a great pattern.  They're quick to make and use barely any yarn.  What's not to love?

Anyone else making Christmas gifts this year?  Please share.  Feel free to add a link to your projects in the comments if you want.

Last, check back tomorrow for a fun giveaway I have planned.

Candy Wrapper Origami

 Origami windmill made from a Tootsie Roll Pop wrapper.

Do you still have candy leftover from Halloween?  If so, you might want to save a few of those wrappers to make some fun origami pieces.  Over at Origami Resource Center they've created  a round up of different things to fold with various candy wrappers.  My personal favorite is the heart ring folded from a Starburst wrapper.  Click here to see more ideas from Origami Resource Center.

Pretty Paper Eyelashes

images via Paperself

Have you ever heard of paper eyelashes before?  I just recently discovered them and was intrigued by the accessory.  They come in all kinds of shapes: flowers, butterflies, and even streetscapes.  Of course when I saw the paper lashes, my first thought was, "how to make them?". So I did a little online research and low and behold, I found a craft tutorial for paper eyelashes on Cut Out + Keep.  Now the question is where to wear them?

What do you think of the paper eyelashes?  Have you worn them before?

Crafting with Acrylic Scraps

Do friends and family ever give you random things to make stuff with?  Every so often someone will offer me something they found in their attic or that they plan on recycling.  I've been offered everything from incense holders to lab supplies.  Recently my brother gave me a box of acrylic scraps from the sign shop he works at.  It was a bunch of random shapes that were mainly the pieces cut out from the inside of letters such as "O" and "D".  I decided to use the scraps to make some decorative art (pictured above).  They're just the right size to display on a shelf or use as a paperweight. 

Here's how I made them:

Above are few acrylic pieces that my brother gave me.  Most of the acrylic is clear but it also comes in other colors.  If you happen to have a local sign shop, see if they have any acrylic scraps they can give you.  Otherwise, you can buy acrylic sheets for crafting.  You will probably have to cut it yourself.

Supplies:

Clear acrylic plastic
Black Elmer's painters pen
Gold metallic paint
Foam brush
Felt
Scissors
Glue
Rubber stamps - *optional
StazOn ink pad - *optional

All the paint is applied to the back of the plastic.  Because of this, all words have to be written backwards. 

With a painter's pen, draw out your choice of word or image backwards on the acrylic.  

Once the black paint is completely dry, paint three layers of gold paint over it.  Let the paint dry between each layer.

Cut out a piece of felt and glue it to the back of the gold.  Let dry.

When you flip over your piece, it should look like the picture above.  I also experimented with rubber stamps for this project.  For the bottom piece, I stamped it instead of using the painter's pen.  The rest of the steps were all the same.

Glue Made from Styrofoam

If you're curious like me, than you probably have a few questions about Glu6.  For example, how did someone come up with the idea to transform Styrofoam into glue?   How is it made?  And, does it work?  To answer the first question, the company Nine Lives Products came up with the idea by trying to solve a very important problem, "recycling Styrofoam waste".  As to how it's made, I don't really know.  There is a little blurb on the Nine Lives site that says the Styrofoam is dissolved with natural ingredients.  When it dissolves, it turns into a goop.  From that point, I couldn't tell you what they do with it.  But what I can answer is, "does it work?".

Nine Lives sent me two of their products, the non toxic craft paste and Glu6 original.  I tested out both products to see how they held up.  Here's what I discovered:

The first product I tested out was the non-toxic craft paste.  The craft paste is designed for porous and semi-porous products.  I used it to glue everything on the card above except the pom pom.  

Pluses:

The texture of the glue

Did not saturate the paper like some liquid glues do

Paper stayed in place when drying, did not slide around

Paper dried flat - some times you get puckering with liquid glues

Good for the environment

Minuses:

Strong orange scent - I'm very sensitive to smells

Even though it's recommended for children I think it would be too messy for younger kids in the classroom.   It's not water soluble so it's harder to clean off than other glues.  If there was a glue stick version of this, I would recommend the product for younger children.

The second glue I tested out was the Glu6 original.  This glue is designed for non porous products.  I decided to test out gluing various items to a plastic cup.  The objects used for the glue test were: a metal letter, a button with a rough surface, and a plastic clothespin with a flat surface.  

Pluses:

All products bonded to the plastic cup after ten minutes.  It is recommend that the glue sets up for 24-48 hours. 

Dries clear

Good alternative to using an extra-strength glue.  The Glu6 is a medium bonding glue.

Good for the environment

Minuses:

Strong orange scent

For the first couple minutes the objects need to dry flat or they move around.

Overall, I had a good experience working with the Glu6 products.  I'm sure I'll be using and experimenting with them in future craft projects. Plus, I like that the company is local (located in the Bay Area, CA).  

If you would like to learn more about Glu6, visit their official site here.  

Last but not least, I have a sale code for you. You can get 25% off  your Glu6 purchase by using the code:  Fall2013 

Halloween Costumes and Candy Land

Today I'm letting out a giant sigh of relief (or maybe exhaustion) because all the Halloween costumes are made and all my "big" projects are finished. Woo-hoo!

Last week was the end stretch of the craziness and one of my last projects was putting together this Frodo costume.  Here's a little break down of how I made/assembled this costume.

Pants - $3 at the thrift store - hemmed them to make them hobbit length

Vest - $2 thrift store find

Cloak - $10 of fabric to sew the cloak.  This could have been cheaper if I used felt but instead I went with a faux suede fabric.  I used this tutorial to sew the cloak, click here.

White shirt - free via our closet

Ring - free - part of the the LOTR Risk Game

Pin for Cloak - free - I used a lizard pin I had.  I know it's not the elvish leaf pin but it looked like something you would find in Middle-earth. 

Last week I mentioned that I was prepping  a giant Candy Land game for our school carnival.  I decided to dress up as gingerbread woman to go with the Candy Land theme.   I found the idea for this costume via Living Lucurto.  Details for making the costume can be found on the Chocolate Cake Moments blog.

Sadly, this is the only picture I have of the Candy Land game.  I was so busy getting everything ready that I neglected to take a picture. You can see a little bit of the chalk game board in the background along with the giant lollipops. 

Okay, that's all I've got.  How about you? What are you doing for Halloween?  Did you make your costume?  Please share.

American Girl Doll Birthday Party

Last week I mentioned I was planning an American Girl Doll birthday party so I thought I would share a few pictures with all of you.

If you keep up with this blog, you know I have a very talented Aunt Susan who makes all the cakes for my children's birthdays.  I had her make a mini cake for the dolls as well.  All the girls loved this and were excited about having a piece of cake for their dolls.  I found some mini plastic forks at Daiso for the dolls to eat with.

If you're familiar with American Girl dolls, you know you can get matching outfits for them.  It was by chance that I discovered  Kohl's also sells matching outfits for a more reasonable price. I purchased this set for $31.  The jacket in the picture is the American Girl doll brand.

For the party I made a life size doll box that the girls could get into it and have their picture taken.  I found the idea at Coolest Homemade Costumes.  The doll box was actually pretty simple to make. There was no paint involved, the secret is wrapping paper and duct tape.

Yes, that's heart shaped California Rolls!  My mother-in-law made them for the party.  I decided to serve finger food for lunch.  I thought it went well with the theme, tiny food for tiny dolls.

I wasn't too impressed with the games I was finding so I came up with this version of the memory game.  Here's the how to:

American Girl Doll Memory Game:

1.  Copy and print image above so it fits on a 8 1/2 x 11 in paper.  Print and cut out circles. 

2.  Adhere circles to bottom of chocolate kisses.  You will need one standard size bag.

3.  Place all kisses in a grid shape. 

4.  Taking turns, have one child look at the bottom of the two kisses to find a match.  If they get a match, they get to keep the kisses and try a second time.

5.  Continue to take turns trying to find matches until all the kisses are gone.

*  I recommend announcing in the beginning of the game that they can not eat the candy until later. 

So that's what I was up to last week.  If all goes well, next week I'll be sharing some pictures of the oversized Candy Land game I'm making.

Crafting Outside the Blog

Even though I went missing on the blog last week, I was doing a ton of crafting.  But before I get into that, let me tell you what I'm doing this week.  You can find me over at Cut Out + Keep sharing craft tutorials each day.  There's also a small interview on the site if you want to learn more about me. 

Now about last week....

Last week I made over 500 Shrinky Dink beads for a women's retreat I attended last weekend.  The bracelets we made were inspired by this tutorial by Cathe Holden.

I was also prepping for a photo shoot for my next book with Chronicle Books.  Since I can't tell you about the book yet, let me share a link to Chronicle Books where you can find all kinds of awesome crafty books.  Or, take advantage of the Chronicle Books app to make your own Grumpy Cat Photobomb.

Since I still had to cook dinner through all this madness, I turned to my trusty slow cooker and made this recipe from Budget Bytes.  This also happens to be my new favorite food blog.  I can't wait to try out the naan recipe!

Now if you would excuse me, I have an American Girl Doll birthday party to plan along with an oversized Candy Land game to make for this year's Halloween carnival.  For real.

On My Nightstand

Reading one of Haruki Murakami's books has been on my to-do list for a while now.    Haruki is a famous Japanese author who has won numerous awards.  In fact, there has been talk that he's the favorite for this years Nobel Prize in Literature.  I wanted to read a book that reflected what he is best known for, surrealism. So after a little research, I chose Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End of The World is written as two parallel narratives (Hard-Boiled Wonderland) and (The End of the World).  Hard-Boiled Wonderland is narrated by a split brained data processor who faces the end of the world.  The End of The World is narrated by an outsider who is adapting to a new town that is surrounded by a large wall.  In this new town he's given the job of "dream reader".

I'm about two-thirds through this book and have been really enjoying it.

Have any of you read this book?  Did you like it?

I'm always on the lookout for unique reads for my children (you know, something other than Diary of a Wimpy Kid). I was familiar with the Moomin comics but I didn't realize there was also a novel series. So when I stumbled upon the Moomin series by Tove Jansson at the book store, I decided to give it a try.

Comet in Moominland introduces you to the Moomin family.  In this book you follow the adventures of Moomintroll and his friend Sniff.  I just started reading this to my children (ages 7 & 10) and they both seem to like it. 

So that's what I'm reading.  How about you?  Any recommendations for me or the kids?

DIY Gemstone Rubber Stamps

This DIY stamp project was inspired by an unusual item, packaging for a chocolate candy mold.  On the packaging I spotted a teeny-tiny gemstone which reminded me of a rubber stamp.  Since I had all the supplies, I decided to make gemstone stamp (pictured above).  This stamp would be good for gift wrap, cards, etc.  Tutorial below.

Supplies
Tracing Paper
Pencil
Speedball Speedy Carve block - you could also use a white eraser
Speedball Lino Cutter
Stamp pad
E6000 Glue
Wood block

 1. Click on image, right click, save, and print image.

 2.  Trace printed image with tracing paper and pencil.  Place tracing paper on stamp and transfer image to stamp.

3.  With lino cutter, carve out where pencil marks on the stamp.  Once carved test it out with the stamp pad.  If you see some edges that need to be cleaned up, you can shape it more with the lino cutter.

4. With E6000 glue, adhere the stamp to the back of a wood block.

My Milk Toof Book 2

My children and I have been waiting patiently for the new My Milk Toof book to come out and it's finally available!  My Milk tooth is about the adventures of two mischievous and curious teeth (Ickle and Lardee). You can't help but fall in love with these fun characters after peeking into their daily lives.  The book is written by Inhae Lee and it's a photo comic book.  Inhae also shares many of the photo comics on her blog, My Milk Toof. You'll find the book is very similar to the stories on her site.

I've also written about the first book here if you would like to check it out.

 

Promo video animated and directed by Inhae Lee

Craft: Washi Tape Paper Lantern

Guess what, I actually have a craft tutorial for you guys today!  I can't even remember the last time I posted one of my own craft tutorials.  All I know is that it's far overdue.  So without further ado, here's the project.

With just a little washi tape you can add a contemporary new look to paper lanterns. Make them to add a little ambiance to your room or hang them up for a party.  By mixing and matching different prints you can tailor the lanterns to your own tastes.

Supplies:
3 1/2-by-6 in office paper
Scissors
Washi tape - I recommend a thicker washi tape that's more opaque.
Elmer's tape runner
Electric tea light

1.  Cover one side of paper with washi tape.

2.  Add trim with washi tape (blue and purple stripes).

3.  Fold paper in half and cut into the center of each piece of tape and between each piece of tape (you're using the tape as your cutting guide).  Cut all the way up to the border (blue piece of tape).

4.  Unfold.  With tape runner, place a strip of tape on the right edge of the lantern.  Bend into a cylinder and seal shut by overlapping both ends.

Add an electric tea light and you're all set. 

Origami Nail Polish

Well here's something fun and new, origami nail polish bottles.  They were designed by Leyla Torres, author of the blog  Origami Spirit.  You can find the tutorial to make the nail polish bottles on her site, (click here).  Besides their cute aesthetic, these nail polish bottles open up to reveal a nail polish brush.  The cap even slides on top of the bottle!

Pictured above are a couple bottles I folded.  They're very easy to fold but take a little time since there are two pieces.  Once you have the steps memorized, I'm sure you could whip them up in no time. 

Gummy Fun

Not too long ago I picked up the book Gummy Fun at Kinokuniya in San Jose. I've always wanted to try making my own gummy candy and this book looked like it had some good and unique recipes to help me get started.   I also liked the cute pictures in the book (I'm a sucker for cute pictures).  Below are a few photos of the inside of Gummy Fun.

Demonstrates how to make depression molds.

Cute illustrations I was talking about.

Coffee and milk tea gummies.  Yes, please.

Here's a photo of one of the recipes I  tested out.  I made my gummy candy with canned peaches.

For the gummies, I used a silicone heart mold I found at Daiso for $1.50.  One batch ended up filling up the heart molds perfectly.  I should also point out the recipes make tiny batches.  The gummy hearts don't taste like the gummies you would find in the candy aisle.  They're less sweet and the texture is more like thick jello. 

Overall I like the book.  My only complaints are that it never states how long it takes to make the gummies.  The directions only say to "set up at room temperature". The gummy hearts I made took an hour to set up.  There's also no mention of how long the gummy treats will stay fresh or if they need to be refrigerated.  But knowing my family, that's not really a problem.  I'll be lucky if the gummy hearts last an hour in our house.

Have you ever made your own gummy treats?  Have any good recipes to share?

Washi Tape Label Maker

Have you seen this washi tape label maker?! I just discovered it and I love everything most things about it.  First the obvious, it can print on washi tape.  Two, it looks just like a little vintage suitcase. Cute. However, I don't care for the price ($100 on Etsy).  Also, you can only use the Coharu brand washi tape with it.  What do you think about it?  Would you buy one?  What would you use it for?

Examples of fonts and images it prints on the tape.

Origami Totoro Finger Puppets

Have you seen the animated film My Neighbor Totoro?  The film is about two sisters (Satsuki and Mei) who move to the countryside.  There they discover their new neighbor is a forest spirit called Totoro who can only be seen by children.  The film is directed my the famous director,animator and manga artist, Hayao Miyazaki (who just recently announced his retirement, BTW) . The film has been around for awhile, 1988 to be exact.

Promotional poster for the movie My Neighbor Totoro

During the summer my children watched this movie for the first time and they absolutely loved it.  That inspired me to see if there were any directions to make an origami Totoro.  I actually found quite a few but I chose this one to share because it's very easy to make and it's a puppet.  It's very similar to folding an origami cup. 

 

For the grey Totoro I used 6-by-6 in/15-by-15 cm paper.  For the little blue guy I used 3-by-3 in/7.5-by-7.5 cm paper.

Kracie DIY Mini Cake Kit

Do you remember the easy bake oven? Kracie kits are kind of like that only you don't have to wait an hour for your food to cook under a light bulb.  Instead all you need is a microwave and a little water.  It's basically a little cake kit that any child could make with a little supervision. I discovered the kit at the Japanese market and decided to test it out.  Below I'm going to share how my daughter and I made the cake.  The directions were written in Japanese but I had my Grandmother translate them for me. 

This is what the box looks like.  Kracie has a variety of different kits you can get from mini doughnuts to candy hamburgers.  I purchased my kit at Mitsuwa in San Jose, CA for $4.99.  You can also purchase them at Amazon, here. 

1.  Large Cake Mix
2.  Vanilla Frosting
3.  Cooking Tray - The tray is cut into three pieces: strawberry jelly mold, circle cake molds, and triangle    measuring cup.
4.  Small Cake Mix
5.  Strawberry jelly mix
6.  Frosting piping bag
7.  Strawberry frosting
8.  Candy for decorating
9.  Mixing spoon

1.  The large cake mix (yellow) is placed in the large circle. Using the triangle measuring cup, use three scoops of water.

2.  Add the small cake mix (orange) to the small circle.  Using the triangle measuring cup, use two scoops of water.

3.  Pound tray to get out any air bubbles.  Microwave for sixty seconds.  Let cool for two minutes.  Carefully take out cakes.

Here's what the cakes look like after they're cooked in the microwave. I think we forgot to get out the air bubbles, oops.

4.  When the cakes are cooling make the strawberry jellies.  Mix the red packet with one triangle of water.  Pour mix into strawberry mold.  Let set up at room temperature.  By the time we finished frosting the cake, they had set up.

5.  Mix vanilla frosting packet (blue) with two triangle scoops of water.  Frost large cake first.  Stack small cake on top of large cake and frost that cake as well.

6.  Mix strawberry frosting packet (pink) with one triangle scoop of water.  Place strawberry frosting in piping bag.  Cut the corner of the bag and decorate the cake.

7. Last decorate the cake with the strawberry jellies and the candy.

So you're probably wondering what the cake tasted like? It pretty much tastes like a box mix cake.  The frosting tasted more like pudding to me.  As for the those little candy balls, the brown ones tasted like coffee and the yellow ones tasted like banana.

The cake took us about a half hour to make, granted I was taking pictures too.  I let my daughter do most of the work.  I could see this used for a special play date or a tea party.  I'm actually planning an American Girl Doll themed birthday party and think this might make a cute birthday cake for the dolls.

Curious, have any of you tried these Kracie sets?  How about an Easy-Bake oven?  Show of hands, who had one as a child?  I had one but I only go to use it about three times (not by choice).