Cake in a jar!

Yeppers! You did read that right ...

Cake in a Jar!

This is a little piece of 'military me' coming out as I have had this idea/recipe for a while that I found on the www but never had the guts to give it a go. Sending home baked goodies to DH and his friends is not the easiest challenge with trying to keep it fresh for weeks.  So 4 weeks ago I gave this a try, left my baked cake in a jar on the floor of the car to roll around, spend some time in the hot sun and then 4 weeks later, cracked it open ... and ate it! ... Surprisingly it tasted good, great even as it was chocolate with choc chips and all chocolate is GOOD!  

The challenge this week over at City Crafter Challenge Blog is Dress Up a Jar and knowing a very special Navy friend who is having a Birthday next week, I thought this the perfect time to make his Birthday cake with this new nifty recipe idea!  He is also due to ship out the day after, so a touch of home I thought would be nice for the occasion this year.  He is a single boy too, so it is nice to be able to fuss over him and he secretly likes to stick it to hubby and the other boys that he too 'is loved' lol.

DH is also home this weekend for a huge 64 hours!!! so I also get the bonus of sending it back with hubby in his bag so I don't have to pay for postage (shipping kills the pocket) and the added knowledge that it will get to him in one piece and on time before he ships out. 

I decided to make up his own special party bag with 'fairy hat' included for the special Birthday Boy and I have made up a few (store brought)  little pirate bags for his mates so they can join in on the fun too and help him celebrate!

The image on the jar is from The Paper Shelter called Birthday Cupcake and I have used the pre-colored version and some dimensional magic.  To jazz up the jar a little I added some bling stars around the top of the jar lid and being 'male' I thought it would be best to include a spoon with it and have attached this with ribbon that is threaded through 2 buttons (the lid has a slight dip in the middle and it needed 2) and I have hot glue gunned it into place.

Hope you like what you see and  thank you for dropping by !

***EDIT*** As I have received quite a few 'how to' comments and emails.  For anyone interested in the Cake in a Jar recipe from my post this post, stay posted for this Wednesday (15th June 2011) for a Tutorial here and on The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog.

 

I found lots of challenges for this little creation - With fathers day in Europe happening there is plenty of masculine ones out at the moment and it is also combined with a Happy Birthday ....so sorry it is a long list today!

Huge thanks as always to the  Feline Playful Girls as they do make finding challenges just so EASY! 

City Crafter - Dress up a jar (-) ***EDIT*** Made Spotlight Artist

Deep Ocean Challenges - Anything goes optional sea image (it is for a Navy boy and that is somewhat sea related)

The Stamping Boutique - Men Only (ok ... Chris is a man but he is more a big kid :)

Try it on Tuesday - Weird & wonderful - It is something very different to the normal and it's chocolate cake, chocolate = wonderful (-) 

Bows and Berries - Masculine(-)
The Paper Shelter - Celebrate (1/3 & TPS image)

Craft Your Passion - Anything goes (-)

Creative Stamp Friends - Gift package (-)

Incy Wincy - Tic Tac Toe -  Pearls or gems (stars on jar lip), Ribbon (tied to hold spoon), Button (tied with ribbon to hold spoon) (-)

Ohh La La - Happy Birthday (-)

There's Magic In The Air - Masculine (-)

Woodware USA - Masculine (1/2)

Aly's Sunday Challenge - Cupcakes (1/1)

Creative Inspirations - Dad or special male (1/1) 

Stampin' Sisters in Christ -  Something new - technique ect - This is a new idea, gift and recipe (-)

Drunken Stampers - Birthday (-)

Stamp Man - Boys & Men (1/1 altered item entry)

Stamp Something - Use a dig (- & GDT)
Do You Stack Up - Birthday (1/3)
Moving Along With The Times - Anything but a card (1/3)
The Rubber Cafe - Make a gift (1/1)
Some Odd Girl - Masculine (-)
Crafts And Me - Stamp Something (-)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Feathered Friends GDT with Paper Crafting Journey

Thursday - nearly the weekend!

And I am back this fortnight GDT-ing along with the talented girls at

PaperCrafting Journey 

And this weeks challenge is ....

Our Feathered Friends!

 I must send out a great BIG THANK YOU to the girls at 

PaperCrafting Journey for having me the past two challenges and for making my 

time with them so much fun! I really had a ball, thank you!

I also have to send out a thank you to Stef at

Glitterbabe Greetings for the Fancy Chick image I have used today!  

And while we are chatting about my card let's have a peaksie where I went with this challenge!

Today I colored my Fancy Chick with my Derwent water color pencils as they needed a workout it has been that long since I picked them up.  I added lots of layers and textures with the use of 3 DP's, some twine and ribbon.  For some strange reason I don't have a great stash of green ribbon so to make things match I got out my alcohol inks (Jaquard Pinata lime green), diluted and stained my once old stashed white ribbon and twine! Love how the two both match perfectly on the card.  I also had a play with some new beads and made a gorgeous 'posh pin' and the feathers and flowers are also from a recent shopping adventure!

This weeks challenge at PaperCrafting Journey is also being sponsored by the lovey Stef at Glitterbabe Greetings.

There is an awesome prize up for grabs this week so please stop by the PaperCrafting Journey blog for all the details and to check out the amazing inspiration the team has for you this week!

Thank you for dropping in on me,

and I hope you will join us this week and take up the challenge!

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:
* PaperCrafting Journey - Our Feathered Friends (1/?)
Card Cupids - More than 3 layers  (-)
Scrappy Frogs - Birthdays (2/3)
Drunken Stampers - Birthdays (-)
Digistamps 4 Joy - Wings (-)
Tuesday Throwdown - Animals (-)
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes (-)
Stamp & Fun = Creativity - Friends (-)
- - - - - - - - -

Resize a Digital Image in Word

 How to resize a digital image in 
Microsoft Word (2007)

1.Insert your picture into you software program – I am using Microsoft Word 2007 and for this tutorial I am using the verse from The Crafty Pad Designs - Butterfly and Verse set.

2. Place the mouse cursor over the picture and right click.  This will bring up a side toolbar as shown in picture 1.  Click on the ‘SIZE’ option as red circle highlighted in picture 1.

3. This will then display the formatting toolbox as shown in picture 2.  I have red circle highlighted two import aspects to keep in mind at the point.

3.a  The top circle is where you change the size of the image.  Left mouse ‘click’ in the measurement section and re-enter the size of the image you would like or use the up and down arrow at the end of the box.  You can choose to change the height or the width or the image by editing the relevant selection.

3.b. The second important factor to keep in mind is to ensure the ‘Lock Aspect Ratio’ box is ticked (red circle highlighted in picture 2).  Having this ticked ensures that your image will be enlarged or reduced as per the proportions of the original image. With this boxed checked you will only need to change one of the size amounts as the other will adjust automatically accordingly to keep the image within its original proportions.  Having this box unchecked could result a distorted image.

3. As you can see in picture 3, I need my image to be 7cm high. With the new adjusted size proportions I have now checked my project and it will still comfortably fit width ways on my project.  If it did not fit width ways on my project I would then edit the width to the maximum that I can fit; this in turn would lower the height but I know my image would fit comfortably and still look great.

You should now have your image at the size you require for your project and can go am play!

 

***EDIT*** With the problems of late with bad bad Mr Blogger I only just released this scheduled post did not post :( You can also find a reference to this at
The Crafty Pad Challenge Blog
along with several other handy tutorials on techniques, crafting tips & cheats and how to's.

Don't be shy pop over and have a peak!

Technically a fail

I was a girl on a mission last night!

Yesterday I spotted this weeks challenge over at Sugar Creek Hollow that is paper flowers, vintage lace and bling - the combination alone is hard to resist not playing with! but I new it would fit perfectly for my mums birthday card for the 24th of this month!

I started this one while the kids where still up and dug out some of my lace and got to coffee staining it so it would be dry by the time they hit the sack.  I picked all my papers, cardstock and 'blingy' things and drew up my sketch .... Here's were I 'technically' went wrong :(

My original papers were PINK! This was meant to be PINK and CHOC CREAM for my mums favorite colors but I just could not resist playing with my new Prima Paper that was staring me in the face just siting on my desk!  These papers I had set aside for the challenge over at Cupcake Inspirations as I thought they would work well with the blues and the butterflies alike their inspiration pic and they also have a GDT call this week and I am hoping for a spot*fingers crossed*, so I made a slight detour in plans as it seemed to be shining the light in the direction I was meant to be going in!

  In reflection, this is really my style of crafting to a tee, as I really let my mood craft me by picking the papers and the sentiment(s) by what I am feeling at the time and while the original thought was perfect for mum I have not yet truly 'worked the details' of her card (She is my mum so it has to be special, it has to be planned and it usually should be 'in the works' for weeks!) 

My mum has been ogling Emilie's flower from her artist board I made on her every visit so I knew that was a must for her card, but while being 'brain elsewhere crafting' while chatting to Ben on the phone tonight I put together the blue paper flower from my scrap pile and I think that is were it all went down hill as I touched the 'blue' lol.

Seeing as these are only a recently 'new make' for me and I have not fully experimented around with them yet I decided to try 'bling-ing' the flower up by adding some clear glitter flecks and I think it looks spectacular and gives the flower a whole new feel yet again.  The center is a bead from my stash of loved things and the heart pins I made as well from my over supply of beads.  I have mounted this flower on a few different mediums of late and I have been dying to try its look on some wood fiber shavings, and with the distressing natural color scheme I thought this was the perfect time to give it a try.

 

As always I had planned on decorating the inside but after the color mix up on the front and the realization that this card was going to my stash pile and not to my mum, I last minute decided to go with adding a tea bag pocket instead of the planned bookmark.

Again I have been playing with Ginger's House sentiments; this one is called wishes, and the list is still long with favorites to still work though - she adds a new one daily so I have honestly confessed to myself that the list will forever be incomplete and I will always have a reason to craft her words :))

Even though technically in my book I have failed my mission tonight in making mums birthday card, I think I still pulled off a beautiful card as I now have another one in my stash that I don't want to part with so in all, it's not that much a failure!

Thank you for dropping by !

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:
Sugar Creek Hollow - Paper flowers, vintage lace and bling
Cupcake Inspirations - Inspiration pic - I used the 'butterfly' theme, the blue(s) in the flowers and the 'bling' (- & GDT)*** EDIT Made Top 3 and GDT***
Everybody Art - Distress 
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes (-)
Paper Sundaes - Sentiment from the heart (1/3 & C10)
Frosted Designs -  Celebrate friends (-)
Stamp Something - Use a digi (-)
Crafty Sentiments Designs - Neutral colors (1/1)
Deep Ocean Challenge - Anything goes (-)

- - - - - - - - - -

Chloe's Brag Board

Yes my second post for the day! Woo Hoo!

And they would have been spaced more if Mr Blogger was playing nice! But he is not letting my upload any photos! Hope Mr Blogger is playing nice for everyone else. 

So onto Chloe's brag artist board.  I am kinda a girl that likes things to match but Chloe is not quite the shabby vintage chic, she is more a shabby modern chic and she likes her bling and her sparkle (don't all girls lol) so as Chloe's board is going on the wall near Emilie's I wanted to have the same style but spruce it up a little. 

For Chloe's I kept the same handmade flower design but I added a some funky pink and purple feathers, some sparkly metal like lace, some buttons and of course some bling.  It still matches nicely against Emilies but has that more modern hip chic feel as well.

So here is Chloe's brag board.

 

This is all three of the kids boards along the entry hall.

I have to also give a plug for Fab 'n' Funky Challenges today as they are having a DT and GDT call at the moment and I would just love love love to GDT along with them.  All the DT do such an amazing job with their creations each week and their challenges are always inspiring to play along with.  Why don't you pop over yourself and have a peaksie :)) For a fast track you can just click HERE.

Thank you for dropping by !

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:

Mark's Finest Papers - 3d Flowers(-)

One Stop Craft - Texture (-)

Pixie Dust Studio - Create all your own embellishments (-)

Shelly's Images - Seeing Spots (-) Ribbon and spots on buttons

Divas By Design - Florals - DP and the flower (1/2)

Fab 'n' Funky - Whatever (1/1 & C10 & GDT)

- - - - - - - - - -

The Gambler - Dylan's Brag Artist Board

Morning all :)

You may remember a few days ago from a piece of wood I made an artwork display board for Little Miss Emilie (you can find it HERE if you would like to have a peak).  Today I have the one I made for Master Dylan to share with you.

Male and boy things can be so hard to embellish but I really enjoyed searching out things for Dylan's board.  I decided to go with a gambler, card and sheriff theme as I am always telling him "You never count your money when your sitting at the table" a line from the song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers you can here it HERE.  I picked the mini playing cards and the fake badges up from my local 2 dollar shop and the poker chips are from an old board game of my brothers that are missing pieces and now just collecting dust in the garage waiting for a use by me the hoarder lol

Anyway ... Here is Dylan's board :))

I have a few of these to now make for Christmas pressies for my nieces and nephews and I can not wait to get started on them.  I actually had a few cool brain waves for the boys as well! Guess you will have to check this space out latter for a few more ideas :))
Thank you for dropping by !

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:

Sentimental Sundays - Inspired by a song - The Gambler Kenny Rogers (-)

One Stop Craft - Texture (-)

ABC Challenge - V is for Variety - 3 types of embellishments - cards, badges and poker chips (C5)

Freshly Brewed - Masculine (3/5)

Simon Says Stamp - Fathers Day / For a male (-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Seeing Stripes with The Crafty Pad!

Sunday Evening again! 

and the weekend is about to wrap up:(

Don't frown! Instead, take the challenge and get creative with

The Crafty Pad this week and show us some ...

STRIPES

This week I have been playing with The Crafty Pad Designs Fathers Day Rosette digital image! I would have to say this image is the most versatile image in all my stash! You can do so much with it! If you're not in the 'Fathers Day' mood but have another round sentiment in mind it is so easy to mask over and pop the new one in place and still have the ribbon tail! .  You can make actual ribbon rosettes following this tutorial here made by Debbie, (I used the 2nd rosette in her tutorial today).  You can make rosettes to embellish your cards and projects with and for that extra special KaZing add a safety pin behind it so it can be worn by the lucky recipient as well!

I love images that can be used in a variety of ways, I always feel I am getting more 'bang for my buck' and you sure do with this little beauty!  And if your in a hurry there is a pre-colored and non colored image! Now you can't get any better that that!. 

So... wanna see my ribbon rosette creation this week that I cooked up with some STRIPES?

 

There is not 'much' to this card as the embellishments kind of say it all.  I added a touch of distressing to the whole card and layers with some inks, the star is an embossing stencil that I cut out and then inked up.  The pin prick swirl under the sentiment from Gingers House has been done by free hand and highlighted with some green pearls. The green stripe ribbon is from a blog candy I won and the brown stitching one is from my fav stash.  The red gathered ribbon is from my new things and the paper is from the no other pretty pretty Prima! (So LOVE their paper)!

The Crafty Pad Challenge always has a fab sponsor,

And this week it is ....

The lovely folks from Letraset and The Crafty Pad Designs (3 x digi images)

So come along and have a craft with us this week! 

As you can see there is a great prize up for grabs and like they say .... 

you got to be in it to win it!

Thanks for dropping in on me today and I hope you join us in the challenge.

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:

* The Crafty Pad - Stripes (1/-)

Craft Your Days Away - Fathers Day/Special Man (-)
Designed 2 Delight - Masculine card no flowers (2/3)
ECP Challenges - For Dad (-)
Fussy and Fancy - For a male (-)
Simply Create - Fathers Day (-)
The Stamp Man - Boyz to men (1/1)
Stamp Something - Use a digi (- & GDT)
Aud Sentiments - For a male (-) 

Pixie Dust Studio - Make your own embellishments (-)

Some Odd Girl - Masculine (-)

Crafting For All Seasons - Fathers Day (-)

Freshly Brewed - Its a guy thing (2/5)

The Paper Shelter - Glad for Dad (2/3) 

Scrapbook Sisters - A Mans World (-)

Simon Says Stamp - For a male (-)

Tuesday Throwdown - DIY Embellishments (-)

- - - - - - - - - - - -

GDT Father Day/Card 4 Dad with Creative Inspirations

Some Sunday Madness 

from my desk with a ....

GDT post with 

Creative Inspirations!

The very gorgeous girls from Creative Inspirations 

have graciously allowed me to play along with them this week in their

Fathers Day or a Card for Dad Challenge

And I had so much fun playing along with them creating this card for Ben!

Today I have used 2 digital images - The ribbon rosette is from The Crafty Pad Designs - Fathers Day Rosette and the muscle car is a freebie I picked up from Cartoon Car Art. For the muscle car I have popped it up with some foam tape to lift it out and on the top layer added a coat of dimensional magic - I love the gloss sheen finish on it! I added some brown twine, pearls and ribbon from my old stash and some new buttons I could not resist buying.  

The Creative Inspiration Team and I would love for you to play along with us this week!

And there is not ONE but TWO great prizes up for grabs!

Simon Says and Sentiments 4You!

Check out the Creative Inspiration Blog for all the goodie details and to play along!

Thank you for dropping in on me,

and I hope you will join us this week and take up the challenge!

Challenges this creation is entering with the help of the Feline Playful Girls:
* Creative Inspirations - Fathers day / Card for Dad
Craft Your Days Away - Fathers Day/Special Man (-)
Designed 2 Delight - Masculine card no flowers (1/3)
ECP Challenges - For Dad (-)
Fussy and Fancy - For a male (-)
Simply Create - Fathers Day (-)
Stamp Something - Use a digi (- & GDT)
Stamping For The Weekend - Blue, buttons & Bling (1/1)
Aud Sentiments - For a male (-)
Some Odd Girl - Masculine (-)
Crafting For All Seasons - Fathers Day (-)

Freshly Brewed - Its a guy thing (1/5) 

The Paper Shelter - Glad for Dad (1/3)

Scrapbook Sisters - A Mans World (-)

Simon Says Stamp - For a male (-)

Sisterhood of Crafters - Buttons (1/3)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -