If there is one thing Teresa loves more than red, it’s glitter! So, in honor of her upcoming birthday {I think she’s going to be 25…something like that, right, T? }, I made her a special sign for her studio:

I found the perfect candy-apple red spray paint and gave the frame a makeover. Then, I used my Silhouette cutter to make a stencil, which I then painted in white acrylic on black matte board.

Sure, I could’ve just cut the letters from white vinyl and been done, but there’s something so authentic and organic and lifelike about seeing brushstrokes within the letters! They just make a work of art seem more like, well, a work of art.

Then, I added the finishing touch: GLITTER. Red glitter. And lots of it!

To say Teresa loved this would be putting it lightly. She immediately shared the above image on Facebook and Instagram and people started demanding to know where she had gotten it.

Though I intended this to be a one-of-a-kind, Teresa has not only given me her blessing to make replicas, she’s downright encouraged it. {I guess when you love glitter like she does, you figure there can never be too much of it in the world!}

So…BIG NEWS!

I will be making more of these in the weeks to come and you can get one of your own!! The color of the frame and glitter can be customized to suit your tastes {everyone has “their” color, right?!}. Each one will be individually handmade and cost $35 plus shipping.

For those who live in the Edmond/OKC area, we can arrange pick-up or delivery {for an extra fee} of your art. For those of you outside OK, I am researching shipping options to keep these as cost-effective for the buyer as possible. I hope to update this post soon with approximate shipping charges.

If you would like to purchase your own, feel free to leave me a comment on this post or email me privately.

I mentioned in this post that I love making books for other artists. Some times, other artists are even willing to trade their art for mine. Win-win!

Abi and I were meeting up to do a photoshoot for BodSchool, my personal training business. She takes incredible photos and I wanted to bring a thank you gift that I could give her until I was able to make her official sketchbook.

In college, I purchased a book that teaches how to bind books without any glue. As you can imagine, that makes the process much quicker, as you don’t have to wait for anything to dry!

I had some burlap scraps another friend had given me and decided that would be the perfect material to try something new.

I chose to make a “quarto” sized book (a fourth of a page) from 8.5 x 11 paper. The final size was roughly 4.25″ wide x 5.5″ tall…a great little book for stuffing in a purse or camera bag!

I burned the edges of the burlap to give it a more finished look (and also in hopes it would keep it from fraying so badly). Have you ever smelled burnt burlap?! Eww.

Since Abi loves green, I chose olive-colored paper for the pages. It also looks really great with the earthy burlap, don’t you think?

The stitching I chose was Long Stitch/Link Stitch. The sections are sewn together so the stitches are exposed on the spine like this:

I really like how you could see the stitches if you knew to look for them, but that the twine also blended in nicely with the burlap.

This was a really fast book the make. The thing that took the longest was learning the new stitch, but even that went quickly once I got the hang of it.

Abi, thank you again for being willing to trade art! I love making unique things for unique girls like you!

If you want to make some impressive-looking cookies without slaving away in the kitchen all day, here’s an idea for you!

First, you’ll need the cookies themselves. Cut your cookie dough using either a circle-shaped or flower-shaped cutter and bake according to the directions.

Next, grab a bag of miniature marshmallows and some colored sugar. Place the sugar (I used orange, yellow, and hot pink) in shallow bowls. Grab a scissors and cut each mini marshmallow diagonally, allowing the cut side to land in the bowl of sugar.

The sticky side that is exposed from the cutting will get covered in sugar (though you may have to dab each one in the sugar a little bit to make sure they get as covered as possible.

Each marshmallow half becomes a ‘petal’ and how many you need will depend on the size of your cookies.

Next, frost your cookies one at a time. I used royal icing for these particular ones and did the outline/flooding method.

Once you have a cookie covered in icing, start sticking on the marshmallow petals. I like to begin around the outside edge and work my way towards the middle, but you might find a different method you like better. Feel free to experiment! This is supposed to be fun!

Repeat the process, one cookie at a time, until your batch is complete. Arrange on a pretty platter and prepare to awe your friends!

Another idea for decorating cookies, is to use nuts. I had some extra sugar cookies, but no more marshmallows, so I scoured my cupboards to see what I could find. The result: slivered almonds and candy-coated sunflower seeds (from a local bulk candy shop).

For these cookies, I covered the tops in a dark chocolate ganache instead of icing. I then placed the almond “petals” around the outer edge and filled in the center space with the seeds.

Decorating cookies couldn’t be easier! People will tell you how beautiful they are and you will know how simple they really are to put together!

I’ve been wanting to design a book like this for a long time (several years, if I’m being honest) and a couple weeks ago I decided to just bite the bullet and make it.

Besides, I had this amazing retro paper that needed a purpose! I couldn’t just leave it sitting in the shoebox for too long! It was created for something greater (much like all of us!)

And though the cover was fairly basic, the book’s insides were anything but.

In fact, this adorable book measures just 4.675″ square when folded. However, once its contents are allowed to unravel, the book measures an impressive 36″ from tip to tip.

(I could make all sorts of analogies here about “don’t judge a book by its cover” and all that, but I think you guys get the gist without me having to dumb it down for ya.)

The “book” has 16 panels (6 squares, 10 triangle halves) which could be used for a mini-scrapbooking project…photos in the squares, writing and ticket stubs and other ephemera. Or, it could become a canvas for writing, painting, collage, etc.

Once the book is full, the tie closures can be turned into a hanger, if you’d like to display the book’s contents. Think what a great gift this would be for someone you love!

The possibilities for this book are endless, and I’m excited that I FINALLY got around to making it. It went together fairly quickly and I hope to make more projects like this in the future.

In the meantime, if you have fallen in love with Ziggy Zaggy, I’m selling it! Click here for details.

First one to call dibs and send their payment will be the proud owner of this newest creation from Z as in Zebra!

The covers were made from .5″ foam core board wrapped in textured scrapbooking paper (to imitate a leather suitcase). I made a nylon strap to represent the straps folks put around their luggage to keep it from bursting open–”gangly winch-’em-uppers” as my dad calls them Travel stickers were placed on the covers to give it the old-timey travel trunk look.

One of the requirements of every assignment was that we include a colophon which listed the date and the materials used in the project. What better place to include the info than on the luggage tag?

The strap is even fully functional!

With the Venetian Blind binding, two cords run through the covers and every page…much like, well, Venetian blinds. I clamped eyelets around each hole in my pages so the canvas wouldn’t ravel. The cords were made of seine twine (tough stuff often used in sailing.)

Each page was cut from canvas and hand-stitched around the edges to prevent fraying. Photos I had taken while traveling were then printed onto ink-jet fabric transfers and ironed on to the fabric pages.

The Brooklyn Bridge and the St. Louis Arch were there…

Adjoining pages were held together using small silver rings.

From European sights to New York City architecture…

to the courthouse in my hometown (Minden, NE) and the Roman Colosseum…

to the Statue of Liberty to Monas in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Tower of Pisa and an Balinese infinity pool were all represented as well.

Though not a technique that is perfect for just any use, the Venetian Blind binding was a great way to show off some of my travel photography.

To start, I found several inexpensive albums that held at least two hundred 4×6 photos. Needless to say, I snatched them up!

After disassembling them and peeling off their original covers, I covered each album based on Sarah’s preferences. She had come to my studio the week prior, and can I just say that it made this project go SO smoothly. She knew exactly which materials I would be using for the covers and had a lot of input regarding the final product. I love knowing my clients will be totally satisfied!

For the Clarks, I covered their album in my Red Velvet paper and used black facing pages.

Half-inch white satin ribbon closure ties were added.

Metal letters were affixed to the front cover using ruby gemstone brads.

I kept the original spine from the album (complete with bow), as it gave the album an elegant touch.

For Kerr family #1, I was told to stick to very natural textures and colors. I used a natural brown distressed paper for the cover.

I used white marquee letters to spell out “Kerr” on the front cover.

Half-inch brown satin ribbons served as tie closures.

This geometric leaf pattern was used as the inside paste pages.

This book style was different from Album 1, in that the paste pages were attached directly to the first page of photos.

With clear sleeves and space to write in memories or captions, I was thrilled with how this album turned out.

Next, was Kristen’s book. Sarah’s sister Kristen loves childlike, playful patterns, so this brightly colored polka dot paper was perfect for her!

Inside paste papers were a shockingly neon green!

I removed the bow from the original spine…

and instead added a “K” brad.

On the cover, I used neon green marquee letters to spell out Kristen’s name.

Sarah brought me a swatch of fabric to use for her mom’s book. It was this amazing textured paisley. Since the fabric was a bit stretchy, I wasn’t sure how well it would work as a cover. I’m happy to report that it turned out great!

I added 5/8″ black satin ribbons as tie closures

and used black Canson paper for the paste pages.

Black letter brads spelled out the family name.

Book #5 was for Sarah’s sister-in-law. Sarah chose an olive green fabric with chocolate brown polka dots for the cover.

To balance the black photo pages, I used black paper for the inside pastes.

Half-inch brown satin ribbons functioned as tie closures.

A label holder held in place by peridot gemstone brads showcased the family name.

I kept the original spine, complete with bow, as it gave a nice flourish to an otherwise simple design.

Book #6 was for Sarah’s other Sher sister. Sarah chose this purple and turquoise flocked paper from my supply inventory. ((Digging through piles of supplies with a client is the most fun part about a studio visit!!))

To balance the black photo pages, I used black Canson paper as the paste pages.

I removed the bow from the original spine and replaced it with a black satin ribbon with amethyst brads and slide-on letters.

Silver letters beautifully spell out the family name.

Sarah, thank you for asking me to make these albums for your family! I hope they enjoy filling them with photos for years to come!

***

I wanted to make some cute “sweetheart-type” cupcakes, and I figured Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp cupcakes might be the perfect opportunity! I started by getting out my super-cute pink-zebra-print cupcake liners that my best friends got me for my birthday.

Since rhubarb is naturally sour, I started by sprinkling sugar on it to cut some of the tartness.

While that was settling, I creamed together the butter and sugar, later adding the wet and dry ingredients.

Then, I folded the rhubarb into the batter.

While the cupcakes baked, I warmed up some strawberry jelly in a small skillet.

Once that was ready…

…I brushed the melted jelly onto the baked cupcakes.

Next, I took some gorgeous strawberries and slice them into quarters.

Each cupcake was topped with two quarters of strawberry and brushed with a little more strawberry jelly.

As a group, they looked amazing together.

And even cuter on my little Wilton cupcake stand.

Wouldn’t these just be precious as a Valentine’s Day treat?

Okay, so it’s a Reading Rainbow, not an Eating Rainbow, but I couldn’t resist…I had to get your attention somehow!

This is one of the first cakes I made in my Wilton decorating class. The pattern was cheesy, but we all had to do the rainbow, and man, did we get GOOD at making stars!

I also like the zig-zag technique we used for making the clouds. I’m still waiting for a chance to use that technique again! I knew I would be giving this cake away after class, so I put my friend’s name on it in case she would try to re-gift it. Ha! It was also a good opportunity to practice writing in dots (writing with icing is still one area where I’d like to get more practice.)

This was also before I learned the importance of photographing your cakes from all different angles. Live and learn, right?

***

I absolutely love to host parties. One of my favorite parts of entertaining is the food (surprised?) and how it is displayed.

A couple weeks ago, I was rifling through my scrapbook paper stash when I was struck with an idea…why not wrap cardboard circles with patterned paper and use them as platters?! Not being the kind of person who sits on an idea for too long without taking action, I grabbed a cake circle, a pair of scissors, and a roll of tape. I cut tabs and taped them down, working my way around the entire circle.

Voilà! A unique platter!

The circle I made fit perfectly on the glass pedestal cake stand I received as a wedding shower gift from two of my best friends.

Complete with lid:

Once you have a really cute place to store your cupcakes, you have to make your cupcakes! I chose Recipe #2 (Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes) from the book I’m working through (Cupcakes Galore). Here they are, fresh out of the oven:

Once they cooled completely, I cored each cupcake and added a dollop of chocolate fudge pudding.

Here’s the whole batch, cored and filled. In every dozen, there tends to be at least one REALLY crummy-looking cupcake…one that’s usually destined for the early taste-test. Can you tell which one it is in this batch?

Yup, you guessed it. Top row, third from the left. The runt of the batch, and his cupcake top crumbled in the coring process. But…it can be fixed!! Here’s a quick and easy way to give even the ugliest cupcakes a quick face-lift: whipped cream and cocoa powder!

First, to minimize mess, place a cookie sheet (preferably one with a lip) underneath your cooling rack. The cookie sheet will catch any cocoa powder that falls over the edges of the cupcakes.

Next, give each cupcake a squirt of whipped cream. Next time, I’m going to try a dollop of Cool Whip, rather than the aerosol stuff.

Pour a bit of cocoa powder into a sifter or strainer (shown three photos up), and tap it lightly over each cupcake to give them a nice dusting of cocoa.

YUM.

Next, take some tantalizing photos of your cupcake creation.

Then reunite him with his friends and display the group on the fancy cupcake platter you made earlier:

Warning: These cupcakes taste as rich as they look. You’ll be hard pressed to find a friend who can indulge in more than one. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing.

As I work my way through all 113 recipes in the book Cupcakes Galore, I am skipping around a bit to keep things interesting. There is a chapter in the back of the book called “Cupcakes Plus.” To quote the author, “So I have decided to stick with my original idea of the cupcake [...]. My two basic criteria were (1) the cupcakes all need to be made with some sort of cake batter (to be defined); and (2) they could be made in a cupcake tin–either with or without a paper, mini, regular, or jumbo. I have added an extra section entitled “Cupcakes Plus” for those “cupcakes” that may or may not specifically fit those criteria but that can be made in a cupcake tin and/or served in a cupcake paper and that could pass for a cupcake with a little imagination.”

To that end, I began this section of the book by trying my hand at making a half-batch of the Dessert Rose cupcakes. You start with melted dark chocolate (combined with butter) and a prepared muffin tin:

After the chocolate and butter are melted together, you add powdered sugar to create a “cocoa coating”. Then, you add cornflakes or the cereal of your choice. I used cornflakes since I had some on hand from when I made chicken leg cupcakes. You stir everything together and plop into muffin papers.

After the Dessert Roses have had a chance to chill in the fridge, it’s time to EAT them!! If you’ve ever made “Puppy Chow” from Chex cereal, these have a similar taste, sans the peanut butter (which you could add to this recipe if you wanted to). These can also be made with any type of chocolate: dark, milk, or white. YUM!

These are a great little snack to whip up for those days when you’re craving something chocolatey. My husband loved them and made me promise not to give them all away!