Mom's for Blogs

 

What is the Mommy Blogger Scholarship Program?

   This is an annual scholarship program that was designed for moms that need assistance starting their first blog and moms whom already have a blog, but need help taking it to the next level. The scholarship is funded by Influenced Media, LLC, the owner and operator of this program. We also plan to offer blogging training programs for moms in the future.

   A scholarship for a blog, would be awesome! Not only would you have funding to better your blog but the opportunity for outreach is wonderful not everyday does that happen. I would love for any growing blog to receive this even better to see what is done from start to finish. How someone could grow something they have nourished would be an great thing to watch.

   I'm very thankful any form of community outreach for some that wouldn't normally have the chance to imagine such a thing. There are still are truly wonderful things in this world.

For more information on the program you can find it here

  

Little Picasso's

Another hot day in central MO, I believe we all could use a little reprieve from this scorching heat. My kids are desperate to play outside but the weather just isn't cool enough for it. I love crafting with my kids, watching them try to figure what they think looks best. My only problem when they are finished I never know where to put them, the fridge is always over flowing. So I found a way to display them. Do you have a blank wall in your kitchen/living area? Is it just crying out for a little color, well here is a perfect thing just for it.

I plan to get a vinyl decal that says "Every child is an Artist"

Here is how to make this, you just may have all the supplies on hand.

 

 Clothespins, acrylic paint, ribbon, twine and embellishments.

I used rainbow colors to keep both my kiddies happy. The choices are endless, you could even let the kids chose what colors and how to decorate them. It's so easy! You can replenish the art work with new whenever it gets to heavy. Ours started sagging, my daughter decided to fill it up as fast as possible.
Happy creating.

Embroidery

     Recently I have been getting into hand embroidery mainly because I don't have the funds to get an embroidery machine. I come across projects from time to time that rrequire hand stitching. I came across the below photo and thought it fit perfectly into my life situation at the moment and I need to give myself a reminder. What better than a pillow something I'd use and see everyday. So I got to work.

   First I loaded the photo and enlarged it to a 8x10 in my printers settings, printed it in color. Then I needed to transfer it to my chosen fabric. I chose a 100% broad cloth for the cream,brick red color, I got about 1/2 yard each washed and dried them before I got started. Since I thought the tag needed a string, I went to the by the yard trimmings and purchased one yard of a 100% braided flat rope. I didn't wash since I only tend t spot clean only once the pillow was complete.
   To transfer I taped the 8x10 I printed out onto the window and then took my cream, taped that as well then with a washable transfer pencil, got all the details I wanted.
    I should make myself a light box, I came across an idea on pinterest.com. You basically use a long flat clear storage container then place plugged in Christmas lights inside, you have an instant light box.
   
 Then I hand embroidered this, to learn I had picked up an embroidery book at my library that helped me learn some new stitches and practice my old ones I vaguely remembered. I just kept going using colors I thought stood out the best.
   I judged off a pillow I already had then add 1/2 for outside seam allowances. I prepared the front and back of the pieces with 1/4 allowance, ironed flat.
   I used a fusible web on the back of 100% dark brown that I had at home, I didn't apply this until I embroidered all of it first. Hand stitching the rope for the tag in to place I had the most fun with, I wanted to use the entire yard I had gotten because I didn't believe I would have a use for leftovers.
   I finished it up and was so happy with the outcome I haven't set it out to use yet. Eventually I will find it a home but it will most likely be where little fingers can not find it.

Repurpose

Lately we have been cutting back to save up for our new home, and I still love to craft but am trying to find creative ways to do so without spending gobs of money. I was given this screen.

 I just knew I could turn into something cool, My husband and I's 8 year anniversary is coming up and I thought I could make something for us this time. Only problem I had was that the screen has a tear in it, so I found myself a pair of my dh's electrical scissors and cut a heart which just so happens to be directly in the center of the screen.

 I didn't want to through the piece I cut out cause of course I intended on finding a place for it as decor. Waste not what not and all that. This screen had such as awseome age I decided not to do anything to it except put a clear coat on after I was all done.

 I cut a J and S from cardboard, I wanted to do a void of out first name initials I did not tape them down just put them where I wanted to have the letter and sprayed white spray paint. It is so hot and humid here that the paint dried in minutes.

 I had these laying around so that is what I used for the color and I liked the simpleness of it.

Here is the finished result, I used the heart that was cut out to embellish 2 sides along with some lace I had.

Adventures in bump cake making

     So to start this all off I thought I would post my first adventure in make a bump cake. The new baby shower craze for a mommy to be. My sister has requested a bump cake for her shower and I eagerly jumped at the chance to dust of my baking skills and give this a try.

     I surfed the world wide web for any information I could find about fondant to gnache filling. The results were endless and I finally had to sit down figure out want I ultimately wanted with my sisters shower colors in mind. Here is a rough sketch of want i wanted it to look like.....the shower colors are purple and turquoise with peacock accents. I plan to use the flower with the feathers on the cake but that could change.
    I guess with anything you start at the beginning, I decided I wasn't going to use a homemade cake I hadn't tried it before and didn't want to run the chance of a mistake with this cake. So I found a way to enhance a box cake mix using a recipe found here. Basically I doubled the oil, added an egg, reduced the water to 1 cup and a box of coordinating instant pudding.

   So I gathered my supplies box cake mix (I recommend a name brand) I used glass pyrex large bowl for the belly, small cups for the breasts, and a 9x13 glass pan. My belly will be white filled with mocha gnacha filling and base will be chocolate. Follow all directions for mixing, grease and flour your pans this is necsssary to ensure the cake releases from the pans to take them out. There is a trick instead of using flour, save a small amount of your cake mix instead.
 Fill the bowls 3/4 for the way full, the belly will take the longest to cook just watch your time and oven for done ness it should not jiggle, it will have a nice golden brown peak. Let the pans cool completely on the counter. After they are cool removed carefully onto your cake board and level edges. I add some strips of wax paper underneath the edges of the cake to protect my board.

If you notice the bread it is a trick I picked up that helps keep your cake moist if you need to let it sit on the counter for any length of time, it works well on over baked cookies.

After you level you can now assemble you cake and dry ice. My bump has been skewered in half to add my mocha gnache filling here is the recipe for it here. I then filled my cake replaced the top layer and finished dry icing the cake so it could rest overnight and decorate it the following evening. I did had a hershey kiss for the belly button, I allowed the thin coat of icing to dry before I placed a light wrapping to protect for odors.

After resting for awhile I prepped my area I would be working on the fun part. Decorating with fondant which I made several days ago following this here. 

     The next evening I pulled out my cake and got to work, since I was a little flustered getting started I didn't capture start to finish decorating. This was my first time fully decorating a cake with fondant I did have some problems in the beginning with the fondant sticking until my mother in law showed me a pastry trick. Use a tea towel roll the fondant out on it then it will not stick, it worked perfectly. Here is a picture of the finished project.

 I did have some cracks but I covered them the best I could with flowers or swirls. To get the shimmer I used pearl crystal dust.

My beautiful sister and her bump cake,she loved it! I was happy with the end result and I can't wait to work with fondant again.