Skeleton Shadow box with light

 I created this lighted Halloween shadow box using a couple Southern Ridge Trading Company products. I can not wait for Halloween to use it!

I used the window shadow box kit and these awesome creeper hands
I painted both with gesso, then with black and white acrylic paints. I distressed all the paper and chipboard pieces with TH distress inks in Black Soot and Vintage Photo. Everything else was from my large collection of unused die cuts.
I used a piece of opaque plastic in this, but Vellum would work great also.

I have more ideas for this Window Shadow Box Kit so there will most likely be another one of these in the near future.

Thanks so much for having a look!

Erin :)

 When I make them again I'll take some better photo's.

Vanilla Cupcakes stuffed with Duche De Leche, topped with vanilla buttercream and a dark chocolate glaze!

I promised that if the boys all gave these cupcakes a thumbs up, I would post the recipe. They definitely got the thumbs up! 

Ingredients

1 cake mix 

1 can dulce de leche from eagle brand

1 cup of softened salt free butter

1/2 cup of shortening 

3 1/2 cups sifted icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla 

3-4 tbs cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup dark chocolate 

1 tbs oil 

So here's how I made them:

1 box of white cake mix - (you could use any type)

Make the cupcakes according to the package directions and bake.

I got 18 cupcakes from one box of mix and I baked them for exactly 17 minutes

While the cupcakes are baking:

Take the can of dulce de leche and add it to a small saucepan on Medium high heat. Bring to a boil stirring often (this can burn fast DO NOT WALK AWAY), once boiling stir constantly for 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Pour the thickened sauce into a glass bowl to refrigerate until cool or at least room temperature. 

Once the cupcakes are done, put them on a baking rack to completely cool.

(This is pretty easy isn't it!?)

Icing:

To make the icing, place the butter and the shortening into a mixing bowl. Beat it scraping down the sides every once in a while, until its light in color (almost white) and it's fluffy. Add your sifted, or at the very least, whisked, icing sugar and salt, mix for an additional 5 minutes. Now with the mixer still on, add the vanilla and cream a little at a time until mixed in and fluffy. If you want a thicker icing don't add as much cream, if you want it thinner add more. 

So now that the dulce de leche and the cupcakes are cooled, you are ready to go!

Use a straw/ apple corer/ spoon... whatever ya got, to hollow out a little bit of the center of the cupcakes. You want to be able to fit about a tbs of caramel in there. I used a plastic baggy with the tip cut off to fill them with. If you have a piping bag that would be good too ( or a spoon! Just get it in there!!)

Put the icing in a piping bag or plastic baggy and cover the cupcake tops with icing. A spatula/spoon will work here as well.

Last Step!

Put the chocolate and oil into a small microwavable bowl. Put it in for 40 seconds, stir, then 15 to 20 second intervals until melted, using a spoon drizzle over the tops of the cupcakes. It will harden in a few minutes.

Thats it!

Let me know if you give them a try and how you liked them.

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi Everyone! 

I've got another Mini album to share with you. This one was made using the" Immortal Love" paper stack by DCWV. I loved it so much it was hard to find just the right project for it. Guess that's why it took me upwards of three years to use it lol! Anyway, here it is...

The paper flowers used on the cover and throughout the album are from
Southern Ridge Trading Company.
I used my silhouette to create the heart. It has 3 layers, and all have been popped up to make it stand out.

 The metal filigree is from Sacrafters, I've added a flat-back bead to the centre.

A belly band created to hold some of the photo mats. That paper is GORGEOUS!!

I made the flowers from some lace I had.

Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions of comments please leave them down below :)

Paper poppy tutorial

Hi! Here's a tutorial on how to make your own little poppy flowers. I LOVE making my own embellishments. Its fun, saves a whole lotta money AND you can make them any colour you like!  I hope you'll give it a try too.

Quick and Easy Mini Album Tutorial

I just completed my FIRST tutorial and its currently uploading to YouTube. I'm feeling brave lol!
The tutorial is for this cute little Mini Album.

The covers are 9 by 5 and the paper pack I used was Bundle of Joy by Echo Park.

Here are the measurements:

Interior pages: using a 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper. Score at 4 1/2 and 9 turn the paper to the short side and score at the 8 inch mark making a half inch for the binding.

Fold the 1/2 inch binding back and forth. With the binding to your left bend the small flap up and the large flap down. If your planning on rounding corners do so now. Then glue the small flap on both ends to make the small pocket. Turn the paper over. For the page with the flap cut from the bottom of the binding up to the 4 1/2 mark, this makes your flap for the three photo mats. To make the pocket  just glue down the binding and along the bottom to create the large pocket.

To mat the pages; cut from patterned paper

small pocket 1 3/4 by 7 3/4

behind pocket 2 1/2 by 7 3/4

large photo mats and large pocket 4 1/4 by 7 3/4

Large tags are 7 1/2 by 3 3/4 mat is 7 1/4 by 3 1/2 

Small tags are 3 1/4 by 4 1/2 mat is 3 by 4 1/4 

I'd love it if you would subscribe and leave a comment. 

Thanks for stopping by, Erin

Here's the video tutorial!

Year 1 with the Silhouette Cameo

After a full year I am still loving my Silhouette Cameo. I thought the novelty would have worn off by now but in truth, I love it more everyday! It amazes me how easy it is to use and the variety of projects I can do. Here are some of my projects from the last year.

I did this one in about an hour and costed under $20 dollars to make. 

I purchased the phrase from the silhouette store, then cut it out onto vinyl (It used maybe a dollar or two's worth). The shadow box was from Winners($7), the battery operated lights were on sale for $8 and the tinsel was .79 cents. The only other items used were a piece of thick cardstock and glue dots to place the lights onto. This was a quick and easy project and would make an awesome gift.

These 3D letters are a fun home decor project also. A few pieces of paper, some flowers and silver trim and you have a great piece to stand on a shelf or hang on the wall.

A mobile made with paper, lace and tulle. A LOT of tulle!!! I made this for my great niece who was born this summer. I had a hard time photographing it ( this was the best I could do). It took days for me to make, but the end resault was worth it. 

A couple of thermos mugs for my husband and his hunting buddy. I found an image of the dear online, cut it out with vinyl and added their names. A 15 minute project.

And finally a luminary. I made 70 of these for a wedding this pasted summer. I found some ideas online, then took some of those ideas and put them together using the designer edition of the silouette studio software. After cutting them out, I added velum on the inside and placed a battery opererated tealight inside. So cute, easy and cheap to make.



So those are just some of the projects I did with my cameo this past year. I look forward to making and sharing many more in the year coming up. Thanks for looking, Erin

Love/Valentine not so mini, mini

This is a BIG mini! I followed a tutorial from Anna's paper creations (who is completely awesome by the way :) You can find Anna here http://www.annespapercreations.com/ and here https://www.youtube.com/user/xannero1 This album has 5 "sets" of pages. Each page has between 7 and 9 places for photos and/or journalling. It also has 6 double sided tags, in the top loading pockets. That's somewhere around 50 spots! I didn't really believe it, I counted it repeatedly lol.

The daisy's on the cover  are from http://southernchipboard.blogspot.ca/ check them out. 

I just love this paper pack "Love Me" from My Minds Eye.

. That's probably why I had the 2 of the 12 by 12 and one 6 by 6! Maybe a little overboard!!

I have a quick flip through video you can watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afyP0VfOOio  If you'd like to make your own album please check out Anna she has a great, easy to follow tutorial.

Octobers here, yay! One of my favourite times of year is fall not only because of the beautiful colours of change but it gets cool enough to start cooking comfort meals in the kitchen again. AND Halloween, I love Halloween!! I love decorating and making scary foods to eat and scaring the kids lol I know I can't help myself. Nothing makes me happier than hearing how scary our yard is or when a child is standing on the street too afraid to make it up our driveway to the porch. They usually send a parent or a willing sibling to come fetch their candies. Although if they don't, I usually run down (I use the word run loosely here) lol to give them the candy.

Anyway...here are some Halloween projects I've been working on in the past month or so.


This is going to be my my Halloween, table centrepiece. I used a bunch of cut files with my silhouette cameo ( the hat, bats, tree and the word wicked. Also a chipboard spider web from Southern Ridge Trading Co. I had a bunch of bendy wire in my drawer and attached the bats with it.

The bow, I made with some ribbon I bought at a antique store. I love doing little projects like this one, there just fun. 




I also made this banner.




I was in Michaels a while back when they were selling off large rolls of burlap ribbon. I think I paid $2.50 for 25 feet of it. Even though it was ridiculously inexpensive I wasn't going to buy it.


My friend :) convinced me to buy it anyway...INSTIGATOR!



Anyway I did find a use for it, and I'm quite happy that I have it now. I'm still not sure what to do with the other 20 feet of it. lol Have any ideas? Let me know. That's all I have at the moment. Thanks for looking, Erin

Once Upon a Time Mini

 I finally used the Once upon a time paper stack from DCWV. Apparently that was hard for me because I've had it sitting in my stash for about 3 years. Probably time I used it huh?!  

The outside covers measure 8 1/4 x 5 1/4.

I decided to try out a paper bag album. Its the first I've made and I kinda like it. I watched a zillion tutorials and then set out to make one.

There are 5 double sided pages, they are approximately 7 1/4 by 5.

 Each page has a pocket with a double sided tag inside. 

 I didn't embellish the pages or tags. I thought the paper was so pretty as was. Most pages have glitter right in them. 
 

I also made 5  little pockets on the side of the pages. each one holds a tag or a photo mat, whichever you choose to use it as.

And lastly I bound this one with my Bind-it-all. We had a love/hate relationship but now we're friends :P  Hope you like it, thanks for looking, Erin

Halloween Mini Album

I finished this album the other night. I LOVE it!! I used the Teresa Collins paper pack, called Masquerade Party. I ran out of those so I had to use a few sheets of "stash" paper for the covers and one flip out.

This one will be for sale in my Etsy shop - soon, I hope!

The chipboard covers measure 9 by 5. I've used the card stock elements from the paper pack with some prima flowers.The frame on the front is open so a photo can be slipped in behind. I also have 3 metal pumpkins, hanging from chains on the spine.






Inside cover is a small envelope with some of the cut aparts inside.

Each set of pages has flip outs and a magnetic closure. 

Most elements have been left open so as to slip photos or keepsakes in behind it.

 There is surprising amount of space for photos and journalling in this little album. 44 spots not counting the covers.

The inside pages and flip outs measure from the smallest- 4 1/2 x 3 to the largest - 3 3/4 x 8 1/2

Thats It! Thanks for looking, Erin

First Blog Post :)

Hi,
 I know its about time I got this Blog going. Its been a work in progress for several weeks now. I will use it to share what I'm making, selling or find interesting. I hope you enjoy having a look at my creations. If you have any questions or comments please leave them down below. Thanks for looking!
Erin