Halloween Fun!

I hope everyone had fun on Halloween despite the fact that it was on a Monday. We made the best of it and took the kids to a local church who had "Trunk or Treats" with free food and bounce houses....the kids had a blast plus it was free!lol  We did a lot of our Halloween festivities on Saturday at my sisters house who had so much goodies and treats for us....and I loved her Halloween decor! Now that Halloween is over.....I am moving on to the next holiday that is just around the corner...Christmas! I know I didn't mention Thanksgiving....but because I like to have the house festive with Christmas decor before Thanksgiving......the couple of weeks will be dedicated to Christmas decor madness my husband calls craziness......My husband thinks I'm crazy because I put it up so earl.lol It takes me a week to finish...I just figure why not enjoy it longer!lol....ok...I'm crazy.lol Not to mention between now and then I have to throw a "Ben10" Birthday party for my son who is turning 5! Yay!.....I'm exhausted just thinking about it.lol Well...here are a few pictures of the costumes I created and some goodies I made for the Halloween fun!

I added the Ruff collar this year.

No...my bum is not that big....I had a hoop skirt on!hahaha!

There is nothing more rewarding than someone so excited to be a Power Ranger! When he was putting the costume on he was making sound effects like he was transforming.lol I never realized how hard it was to find the white ranger helmet! I could buy one on EBAY for over $200.00! Yikes!!! I was glad I was able to make one because he would have been so disappointed! How? Old pair of sunglassed, foam board, gold paper, LOTS and lots of duct tape!hahaha!

Fin the Human from Adventure Time! This was super easy to make....all I used was inexpensive felt.

This is the wig that her mother and I made!

Rapunzel dress.....the look on her face when she put the dress on was priceless! She loved it so much she never wanted to take it off....unless she was eating a Popsicle or pudding.lol!

My purple spooky eyeball monster cupcakes!

My spooky ghost cupcakes...which were super simple to make!

Fall is here!

This my favorite time of year! I love how nature just changes right before your eyes....and I love the colors of fall...so rich and inviting. This is also a super busy time of year for me....making costumes for my two boys....*clearing throat* and myself.lol This year I got a great opportunity to make a Rapunzel dress for a little girl named Ava! I am super excited about this because it is such a fresh change from making boy costumes.lol I enjoy all the frills and ribbons! This weekend I was busy making cakes for 2 occasions....one a Grandfather who is a hunting enthusiast and my nephew who is crazy about anything Mario! I do love a challenge....and when I do cakes because each one is unique....it is always different and such a learning experience.

I enjoyed making this deer head! All the skills I learned from sculpture class started to came back.lol

Because of the Fall season...I wanted to incorporate the colors on the cake by adding leveas made out of MMFondant.

I covered horns in white chocolate.yummmm.lol But I wouldn't eat it because I had to construct them out of wire and duct tape.lol

Everything else on the cake is edible though.lol  This is an ultimate chocolate cake....with fudge filling...and home made chocolate icing.

This one is for my nephew....and his reaction to the cake made all the work worth it!

I constructed all the characters from rice crispy treats then covered them in MMFondant!

His favorite character is Yoshi....and he was super excited to eat his head!lol

I am also super excited to share the costumes I am working on.....I will share that on my next blog!

Hamburger cake!

Hello blog world! Summer is here and it's hotter than a......well you get the picture it is HOT!lol I've been busy doing the mommy thing and just trying to keep sane while I have my 4 and 6 year old boys at home with me 24-7! I love them to death but sometimes high energy from morning till the time they hit the sack is exhausting!lol This weekend my neighborhood is having a block party and I thought what a perfect opportunity to make a hamburger cake! I made it out of triple chocolate cake and vanilla butter creme and MM fondant. Just like every cake I do, because it is a custom cake, each one is different and is a learning experience. I originally wanted to do an open face burger but with time constraint I had to settle for a regular burger. It was a little disappointing since I took such care in making the tomatoes, onion and pickles but say la vie...I'm still very happy with the outcome.

Hamburger cake!

Sesame seeds I cut out with a petal icing tip.

Ketchup and mustard is melted MM fondant....which is great because once it dries it's hard like regular fondant!

Mmmm.....makes me want a burger!lol A happy accident with my simple syrup...looks like grease dripping from a burger.

Summer cake!

Long time no blog.....I have been busy making gum paste orchids and other flowers that I like to keep on hand. This week I was inspired by a friend who had a request for a flip flop cake. I thought what a great idea for summer time! The possibilities are endless with this cake....it can be customized by the choice of colors and changing the print on the flip flop. She loves zebra print and it is so popular right now I thought what a great idea to incorporate it in the cake! I chose bright summer colors and made a pair of gum paste sunglasses that was super fun to make! I wanted to add a tropical flair so I added a gum paste orchid in a yellow and pink color that I think added that special touch. I'm Looking forward to more cake creations!

Gumpaste sun glasses

Vanilla cake with buttercre and MMfondant.

Hand paintes gumpaste orchid.

Flip flop cake!

Fairy Birthday!

I had a wonderful Mother's day weekend and I hope you did too! There is nothing like spending time with family and friends! I wanted to share with you the cake I created for my adorable niece Rosabel who had her first birthday this weekend!  I created her a fairy theme cake!

My two cute nieces, Rosabel and Brenna! I have two boys so it's great to have them for my girly fix.lol

The Birthday Girl!!

Fairy theme cake.....The snail and fairy I created out of a small doll and a snail I found and femo clay. I wanted her to have a 1st Birthday keepsake.

Gumpaste roses with pearl sparkle.....perfect for Rosabel!

My cake adventures!

BUZZZZZ!....That's the sound of my mind right now and I haven't even drank my morning coffee!lol  It's going a million miles a minute on all these ideas for cakes! I think I have rekindled  the passion I once had with cake decorating....but to be able to take it to the next level with fondant is amazing! I would call it my new medium to use in my artistic expression. I am also currently working on my own designs for fondant molds. I treat each cake like art...I want it to be unique and different and put my own artistic stamp on it. I'm really excited about the cake I'm working on currently...it's a cake for my niece's first birthday....a fairy theme cake! How appropriate for a sweet cutie pie!  I will keep you posted on cakes and will post more pictures. Wish me luck!

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing and MMFondant.

Beer cake with beer, yes beer!lol and buttercream icing with MMFondant.

This my first attemp at a fondant cake! So fun!

Love my little Hoppy.lol

I hope everyone had a great weekend....ours was busy as usual. The weather has seemed to warm up a little so my boys have been enjoying more outdoor activities. After finishing my dining room project I have changed my focus once again. I have decided to sell cakes. I was a cake decorator for 9 years before I stopped to stay home and raise my 2 boys. Now that they are getting a little more independent, I feel I have a little more freedom. I am in the process of creating 5 flavors that I will offer and tried one of them this weekend....Mocha cake! I t was yummy!!!....If you are a coffee lover you will love this cake....the smell alone was so enticing.....of course I had a few slices, had to sample it.lol I would like a larger variety of decor to offer so I am currently creating gum paste flowers and remember those flower candies that we used to fight over as a kid that they used to decorate cakes? Yeah those.lol  I will post a couple of cakes I have done and will be posting more along the way. Wish me luck on this new venture!

I did this for my son who loves Pokemon.

This was an order for a Holiday theme party.

This was an order for a special birthday....I used molded chocolate for the decorations

This was a Christening cake I did for my nephew.

I have to warn you.....these following pictures were taken when I first started doing cakes.....at that time I don't think they even had digital photography....man I feel old.lol! I tried to salvage the pictures but they are still a blur...but here they are anyway. I also had to do everything in butter creme......there was no fondant available. I had to find ways to get creative for those 3d cakes.

Batman cake

Beer Bottle and mug cake.

 Christening Cake

Airbrush of the Birthday girl.

 Horse Cake

 These became popular during the Kentucky Derby season....I guess like the Superbowl parties but horses.lol

 Power Puff Girls

Airbrush Wizard of Oz cake for a big Wizard of Oz collector.

Boho chic!

Since Summer will soon be approaching, I have been thinking abut how I can refresh my wardrobe from last summer without having to spend too much. I've been really into Boho-chic. I guess you could say it's an updated version of the 60's and 70's. I've been looking for that perfect (for me) hobo bag. I admit I love designer handbags, but they just don't have the look I was going for. So yesterday i decided to use some left over fabric I had from my dining room make over. The fabric that I love with the birds on them....so with some frustration, big mess and staying up all night a little patience...this is what I came up with! A bag big enough for all my junk!

I used a large piece of coral I purchased years ago to use as a decorative weight, I finally found the perfect project for it! I know it's not perfect....but it is for me :o)

Dining Room Makeover!

Hello blog...I have sooo missed you!lol I know it's been so long since I've posted but I have been trying to finish some projects at home and trying to get over a cold that has lasted over 2 weeks! I hate getting sick! You know how it goes, if one gets it, it's like the domino effect.lol Well enough of that, I'm so excited to share that I have finally finished my dining room project! I started with tackling the light fixture.......

As you can see...I was so excited to see what the shade I found would look like......then remembered...oh! I should take a before pic!lol

 See what a little can of spray paint can do! I knew that the glass shades just would not go with what I wanted to accomplish....so I purchased some Krylon White gloss....then distresses the paint a little after it dried. I then sealed it with a clear acrylic gloss. I also changed the shades with something much cleaner in design. I was very pleased with the outcome (my husband was too since I didn't have to buy a new chandelier.lol!

And all it took was a few hours! I always do my painting when the weather is nicer and warmer outside, it seems to help in a quicker drying process.

In the same time I was doing the mini projects I was trying to finish my focal wall. I decided to make a big mistake do a stencil on the focal wall of a quatrefoil pattern. It lasted longer than I thought...and didn't help any that I was sick as a dog. I painted the wall gray and used an iridescent acrylic paint to do the pattern in so when the light hit it a certain way it would sparkle! I love how it turned out but there were a lot of boo boo's.lol

I now have more love for freehand! The thing with the stencil is if it's off by just even a centimeter...it turn into an inch at the end! I want to share the ugly truth to show that it's only paint and it can be fixed as best as possible.

I was also inspired by this fabric that I just fell in love with. I decided to make a quick framed art with the fabric. You could also do this with any fabric that you love when decorating....it's an easy solution to wall art!

I just love the colors and the birds. It also adds a bit of chinoiserie which I think goes well with the quatrefoil fabric.

I wanted to place the fabric somewhere else in the room to make it cohesive...I made a lamp! This is a very easy project and fun too! I took an old lamp shade I had and made a template.....

I just placed a piece of paper over the metal frame and made an indentation so I knew what size to cut the fabric. I place it over the piece of fabric and cut 8 pieces that would connect like a puzzle.

Cut the excess fabric after it's all glued.

I used a glue gun to attach it to the old shade right over the existing fabric.....just make sure that when you do each panel that you smooth it out so there are no wrinkles. I work my way from the top to the bottom.....makes it much easier because glue gun dries fast. I used some trim to cover the seams. I purchased a brass lamp base from the Thrift store for $5.99....and used Krylon black gloss paint. I had to rewire the lamp...but that is super easy! You could purchase lamp kits from Lowe's or use an existing one from an old lamp like I did......

I love that when the light is on the picture of the bird just glows.

 I also recovered the original dining chairs with the quatrefoil fabric. If you have chairs like mine they are the simplest to recover. All you have to do is unscrew the seats from under which are usually attached by 4 screws. Place the seat top side down on the fabric you want to use (make sure you fold it over to give allowance for the foam) and cut it out. Use this as your template for cutting out the other fabric you need for the other chairs. All you need is a heavy duty staple gun! 

Start by placing staples on the top....1&2.....then 3&4..........5&6.....7&8......you get the idea (always pulling tight). I place them about an inch apart....then just work your way out....always in that pattern. When you get to the corners just pull it tight and tuck and staple the excess fabric.

This is the original fabric it had....

If you have an existing cover on....I just removed it and used it as a template.

So after all that.....here is the before.......

Sorry all I had was a Christmas pic.lol But you get the idea......

If you have ever considered doing a room make over, go for it! The simplest changes makes a big difference and you could accomplish anything even on a small budget! Little tip on saving money on paint.....Sometimes paint can cost up to $30 a gallon! What I do is I go to the clearance section of the paint....I check it once a week and they always seem to have a neutral color on clearance....they sell them for $5 a gallon! I just get all the neutrals.....as much as I would need for a room.....then choose a color from the templates......I go about 3 shades darker from the color I want. Purchase the sample for $2.95 and just mix it with the gallon.....I seem to always get close to the color I want. If it's too dark...just add more white, If you want it darker add some more color. I'm not too picky when it comes to the shade so this works for my cheap self.lol Remember....It is always better to have paint left over for those touch ups in the future! Here is how it turned out! I can't wait to have a party! :o)

See how I covered up my boo boo's.....shhhh..... ;o)

The Picture in the white frame was a needle point my late aunt made....I knew this was the perfect place for it :o) The brass tree is something my mother had and kept for years....I love it so much, it brings memories of the home I grew up in.