Sugar Cookies & the Cricut Cake

Wednesday night after work I raced to a local store that was advertising the Expression sized Cricut Cake machine for WAY super reasonable. (I should say that I am a Cricut junkie...) So after some serious justification on my part, and a careful explanation for WHY exactly it is that I NEED yet ANOTHER machine that does essentially the SAME thing that the other two do, only a LITTLE bit different, my husband said "if you need it, then get it". I was over the moon all day long, chomping at the bit for the workday to end so I could go and get my new toy.

I haven't exactly used it yet, but I'm planning to this weekend...we're going to see how well this machine cuts sugar cookie dough and fondant. I am SO excited. I've never had especially good luck with baking sugar cookies, they are like my arch nemesis, however I need them to complete a baby shower I'm working on, so I spent some time this week doing some research. Research on HOW to determine the cookies are done BEFORE they are burned, because that is a very fine line with sugar cookies. Techniques for getting them frosted oh so perfectly, I rock a frosting bag/tips on cakes, but I haven't used Royal Icing before. Researching recipes for the best sugar cookie ever and really great icing.

So Sunday afternoon we are going to get our Cricut Cake on! I'll take some pictures and report back with my Cricut Junkie review of the Cricut Cake machine. Was it money well spent, or is it going on Craigslist?

~Steph

Googly Eyes...

I don't think that I have ever truly appreciated "googly eyes" before. Often thought of as a craft item for kids...I only used them when it came to a project dealing with kids, until now. I have spent the better part of my afternoon working on different components of a baby shower invitation. There are little critters that were made using my Cricut Expression Machine, Create a Critter Cricut cartridge, and different colors of Bazzil cardstock. Some of the little critters were given puffy paint details, some were glittered, and others were flocked, but they all were given 4mm googly eyes, and they automatically went from being cute pieces of paper to being absolutely adorable and each one has a personality, I swear.

What fun projects have you used googly eyes for? Did your project develop a personality after having the eyes applied?

Stephanie

Small Dreams?

I think not! Two years or so ago I had the option of choosing a FREE Stampin' Up! Decor Elements from their catalog at the time. I chose a medium sized, black lettered saying that says "We are too great for small dreams" because I felt if nothing else, it would encourage my kids to think big right? It stayed in the cardboard tube for far too long, and after purchasing some 8"x8" mirrors at Home Depot, I finally had an idea of where I wanted the saying to go, however we rent our house. I didn't want to put it on the actual wall, because I'd like to be able to take it with me when we move. With a new found mission, I headed to Ikea for a mirror, shelf, magnetic board, anything that suited this quote...what I found was a LOT of different choices, and I initially settled on a basic full length mirror with a pine frame, a frame I was going to have to paint. Happy with my choice I set out towards the checkout lanes, and then I seen it a bevel edged, mostly full length, decorative mirror. It was PERFECT and required NO painting...I was in LOVE! I immediately scooped up the very heavy mirror and headed for the checkout lanes.

Once I got home, I realized that the initial place I was going to put this was not going to work, it wasn't a large enough space, in all fairness it wouldn't have worked with the other mirror I had picked out either. In the process of applying the vinyl to the front of the mirror (what a pain in the neck) I determined that I really wanted it above my entertainment center, which is probably the MOST difficult place to get to in my entire house. I grabbed a kitchen chair and Jim grabbed the ladder, he made a wiser decision...and we measured the wall to find the center point. Armed with a pencil I began marking up the wall with the center point, and then the distance from the center in order to hang the brackets, and even though I did all of that...I'm pretty sure that it's still not centered on the wall, I need to break out the tape measure again. Overall though, I'm happy with the outcome.

Looking around, my living room contains a lot of black, my couch and loveseat are black, the coffee table is black, the entertainment center is black, the shelves above it are black, the picture frames are black...I need some throw pillows to add some color. I just need to figure out WHAT color :)

Etsy

I opened up an Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/shop/makinguniquememories?ref=si_shop) shop in June, and today I received my very first order! How exciting :). I decided that I would add additional products to my Etsy shop catalog. Please go and check it out. I do my best to customize/personalize each item to fit a color scheme/theme that is requested by the customer. I will be adding additional products over the next few days.

Also, in the side bar on the right of this blog is a "Like" button that will take you the the Making Unique Memories Facebook Page. Take a minute and "Like" my page :).

The first order is for a Pink Sock Rose Bouquet...with a "Cute as a Button" theme in Pink/White. I am really excited to complete this bouquet. I have made a dozen or so bouquets over the years as gifts and even for friends who paid for them, but this is my first order from a "stranger" and I am truly over the moon. I will post pictures of the finished bouquet as soon as I get it done :).

~Stephanie

Cake Pops & Rock Candy...

and Chocolate Chip cookies, oh my! Between birthday parties and baby showers the next couple of months are going to be very busy for me. In the planning process, I have come up with a really cute idea for some "cake pops" so since I've never made them before, and I have like zero experience with candy melts, I am going to make a test batch today...wish me luck! I need rock candy sticks for another event idea, and since I like to be able to customize colors to match, I thought I could make my own, I mean how hard can it be? I'll report back, they take a few days for them crystals to form.

What about the Chocolate Chip cookies, you ask? Those are just for my husband...they are his favorite and so I thought I would make him a batch :).

Pictures & Projects

I finally was able to upload a slide show to the blog :). Each one of those items was made for a customer, and apparently more boys are being born right now...each one of my creations can be completely customized to girl, boy, gender neutral, and in most cases even to fit the theme of the event!

I have a few projects coming up, and I have lots of ideas swirling around in my head, ways to tie the theme into the invitations, favors, food, decorations, etc... Because I like a "big reveal" I won't go into details about what the projects are but I will give you a few hints: "Hawaiian", "Frogs, & Snails, & Puppy Dog Tails", and "Sea Turtle". I am looking forward to adding more pictures of these projects as well as any others that come my way.

Until next time,

Stephanie

Just the Beginning...

For the last 8.5 years my husband has been encouraging me to pursue a business utilizing my creative talents. While sitting in traffic on my way home from my 8-5, and deciding that well, I'm kind of tired of traffic (read: REALLY REALLY tired of traffic) I determined that I was going to throw my hat into the ring so to speak.

My creative talents have evolved over the years and expanded into some really fun stuff like sock rose bouquets. I started my journey with scrapbooking I decided though that I would rather have the "pages" on display so I put them into picture frames. Recently I put together a wedding frame that is 24" x 36", it hangs above my sofa.

Three years ago when my sister was pregnant with my nephew I was planning her baby shower and I really wanted to make it something special and unique. I took some simple baby items like diapers, socks, bottles, bibs, etc., and turned them into diaper cakes, sock roses, even diaper animals, which were used as the centerpieces, and doubled as the very unique decorations for the shower.

Over the next few days I will be adding pictures of the different projects that I have made.

Until next time,

Steph