LollyChops

Happy Hello!

Hello everyone!  I just wanted to take a minute to say hi (HI!!!) and let you all know that I am doing pretty good!  I have managed to tear myself away from the computer for two whole weeks and it's been wonderful!  I am taking this recovery thing pretty seriously so bear with me while I take another week to get back to normal (well.... as normal as I'll ever be anyway)!

My email looks like an episode from a new show I just made up called "When Craft Bees Attack" so bear with me there too.  I'll need to don my bee suit and dive in before the swarm takes over the craft room!

I miss you all tons and cannot wait to get back into the swing of things!

More HUGS than you can stand!

P.S.  THANKS for ALL of the well wishes! 

P.S.S.  MomChops was not able to tackle my email.  She's having knee replacement surgery this Thursday and has had a lot going on to get ready for that!

O.M.T.  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Cupcake Week :: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a cloud?

For the last cupcake week post I would like to share a simple / silly little cuppy I made using my mad needle felting skillz (they are really not all that mad... there mostly sad... but that's ok).

I corralled a leftover never finished or shared project from BTBW (big time bunny week) as a sacrificial craft element for this project.  I started on a felt bunny pin cushion and I just ran out of time/steam (that was a crazy week for sure).  So I grabbed that bunny bottom and turned him into a cupcake bottom for my needle felted top!  I'll run you through the amazing transformation (get ready to oohhh and ahhh) and then wrap up Cupcake Week with a final amazing recipe from LFM!

 
Here you have a mound of felt roving atop a bunny base.
I used my leftover roving from my Wool Pets Bunny Kit (you can see it HERE).


I started poking away at it to see if I could get the swirls of cupcake frosting happening.
poke
poke
poke
poke
ouch
poke
poke


It's (poke) starting (poke) to (poke) take (ouch) shape.


I even attempted to make a little dollop top.
(which looks rather cloud like if you ask me).


..and here we have store bought cuppy saddling up to needle felted cuppy.
She's short and sweet and he's tall unfinished and hammiesome.
She let him borrow some of her sprinkles.
Cause she's nice like that.

I had so much fun experimenting with PhotoShop brushes that I decided to make a rabid pack of .png files from those cupcakes for you to play with as well (you can use them as digi scrapbook elements too).  These resize and print perfectly (with no crazy fuzzies like the brushes...  which I WILL get worked out)!



Download the .png files HERE (they are in a .zip file)!

Also...  do not forget to head on over to LFM's for the grand finale of grand finales in cupcake land!  Think ooey gooey cinnamony goodness!

Don't forget to download all of the recipe cards from LFM's!



Special thanks to La Fuji Mama for being my cohort this week!  I had such a good time sharing everything with you!  Thanks so much for hanging out.  I'll be gone all of next week recovering from the surgery!  MomChops is officially trained on responding to email to be sure to leave her LOADS of comments to reply to!

Giant CUPPY HUGS!



P.S.  If you are interested in finding out how things went with me and GallyChops head on over to Fuji's tomorrow to get the scoop!

Cupcake Week :: One onesie and the brush off test!

Can you believe this is the next to the last day of Cupcake Week?  I am astonished it's gone by so fast!  I hope you guys have been having as much fun as LFM and I have been!  I know we were giggling like crazy women just planning this thing out...  I think our hubs wanted to lock both of us up (which would have been fine with us as long as she has access to a kitchen and I have access to a JoAnn's, Michael's and a Hobby Lobby (that would have been some prison right???).  You guys can come too if you want ok!

So today I am taking the CheaterChops route.  I am going to use the Cupcake patterns I shared on Tuesday (you can see them HERE) and show you how I made a cute little onesie for LFM's baby gurl (and then I have one more surprise way down at the bottom)!

But first...it's time for some onesie funsies (holey corn dogs batman)!

I did a little tutorial on the wonder that is Wonder Under a while back.
You can see it HERE.
I used it again (from the world's oldest roll of the stuff - courtesy of MomChops)


I picked some pretty pink fabrics and got everything all ironed and cut out
(this time I managed NOT to iron the wonder under to my ironing board)


...and like magic the cupcake pieces jumped on to the little Onesie
and effortlessly sewed themselves on.
The End.

I wish.

I nearly had a sewing machine thrown out of the window incident.
...but we'll save that story for the "LollyChops Fun with Sewing Machine Angst" week.
ok?

So...  my next bit involves PhotoShop.  I decided to try my hand at making some little cupcake photoshop brushes and I need those of you out there who have PhotoShop to help me test them out.  I think they still need some tweaking...  but once I get this down...  WATCH OUT (and I am totally not kidding)!  I am going to go into a PhotoShop brush making frenzy for sure (I see Hamie and Hank brushes in your future girls).

You can download the Cupcake Brushes HERE (try right clicking and then saving to your desktop). 
...and you can see a little tutorial on how to install them HERE.
...and you can send me lots of HUGS anytime you want ok?!
 ...and don't forget to go check out my cohort in cupcake craziness (A.K.A. the mob boss of Fuji's Cupcake Emporium ) LFM.

Here is a little sneak of the recipe card for today!



Cupcake Squeezers (and thank goodness that was a short post cause you guys have got to be getting tired of me HUGS),



P.S.  Tomorrow it's farewell to ole GallyChops.  He's had a good run but it's time for him to head off to that place where little Gally's go.  Thanks so much for all of your wonderful emails and cards!  You guys ROCK the craft universe!

P.S.S.  Can you please let me know what you think of the CupCake PhotoShop brushes when you get a chance.  I am dying to see how they work.  I think I need to tweak the crispness and saturation a bit...  your feedback is invaluable!

Oh gosh....  O.M.T. (so much for this being a short post).  You must go check out the cute cupcake embroidery / everything pattern available at Petit Debutant (available HERE) AND go check out the massive Cupcake Party Planning that's going on over at Ready, Set, Craft! (start HERE)  WOW!!!  I want to be Joanne's niece!

Cupcake Week :: Shrinky Dinks & Tags!

 

When deciding on what I wanted to share this week tags were most definitely at the top of the list!  But I knew I could not just do tags!  That would be totally boring (Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz).  So...a while back I ordered some shrinky sheets from Dick Blick (you can see the ones I ordered HERE)... and I decided to do a tag/shrinky dink combo for Cupcake Week (whew...  world's most boring download and print post narrowly escaped)!

Let's dive right in (frosting first!!!)!

I made these tags to work with a Marvy pink scallop punch.
(like so many tags that I have come before )
Do you sense a theme here?

Am I getting boring?????
OMGoose.

You can use these tags to decorate packages...
Wait... haven't we seen that package before...

With a different tag?????

G.A.S.P.

BUSTED!
(only I removed the orange ribbon and the "L" tag).
Quiet down folks...  I am going green here.
Recycling is IN!
Right?

...and you can also use the tags with store bought cupcakes
See how they make them look almost homemade???
Almost.
(if you squint)

Now for the shrinky dinks!
I had never made shrinky dinks before and it takes a little more practice than I was expecting.
I wanted to share my trials with you in case you decide to give this a try.
I hope this prevents you from making as many mistakes as I did!

I bought the shrink sheets that you can run through an ink jet printer.
I got clear and white (resource HERE).
These are the clear ones.

I found that you cannot punch larger shapes very easily with these sheets.
They are just too thick.
The 1 inch circle punch seemed work just fine though.
I found that laying them on chip board was much better than parchment or vellum.
They tell you not to cook them directly on metal.


You cover them with vellum to help keep the curling to a minimum.
I baked mine at 300 F for 3 minutes and 30 seconds (exactly).


I burned the tar out of the first batch I made.
I had the oven too hot and parchment was not a good bottom for the pan.


The second batch did not cook long enough so they were still really curly on the edges.
But the third batch was just right (kinda like the 3 bears).

You can see how much these shrunk and how totally adorable they are!
They are like shrinky sprinkles!

I also did an experiment where I inked the edges of one of the shrinky punch shapes before I baked them and they came out pretty nice
(the inked one is on the left).

You can get the templates for the smaller 1 inch circle punches and the tags that work with the Marvy pink scallop punch below!

Cupcake Week - Think Pink Tags
Download the PDF HERE

AND

One Inch Cupcake Circles
Download the PDF HERE
Note:  I crammed as many cupcake circles on one page as I could (in order to reduce waste as much as possible).  Those shinky sheets are eggspensive!

AND...(but wait there's MORE???)

Don't forget to head on over to my Cupcake Week Co-Host (La Fuji Mama) to check out the recipe for today (it's her own invention and totally amazing!!!).  Shirley Temple Cupcakes cooked in a glass mug (they really do look like Shirley Temples)!!!  She's a crafty cooking geeneous.  I swears!

You can get a sneaky peak at the recipe card to my right but you have to head on over to Fuji's Cupcake Emporium to learn how to make them and get the real recipe card!

You know you wanna collect all these recipe cards don't cha???

So that's all I gots for today!  Tomorrow I am going to share a cute little cupcake onesie made using the embroidery patterns from yesterday!  

Cutsie Cupcake HUGS (I think my blog is waving the pink flag of surrender over here)!  It's never seen this much pink before it's whole life.  Ever.  Whew.

P.S.  HUGS x 1,000,000,000,000 = more hugs than you can stand (honest)!

Cupcake Week :: Super Sweet Embroidery

The cupcake week fun continues today with some super sweet embroidery patterns just for you!  Since I have not been myself these past few weeks and barely crafting at all La Fuji Mama (co-host extraordinaire) graciously volunteered to make up a little something with some of the patterns!

I have a quick and simple share of her completely adorable cupcake tea towel and some patterns for you to make them all for your very own selves...  BUT first... a silly little RonChops story.

A Study in the HUBS Cupcake Eating Habits - by LollyChops
When I was getting ready for this week and working on my download and print freebies I... ummmm.... asked RonChops to go to the store to buy me some store bought cupcakes (hanging head in shame)!  All I can do now is blame it on GallyChops!!!!  He's being such a trouper lately!  I have not been doing much cooking of regular foods much less a boat load of cupcakes (I left that daunting task to La Fuji Mama and her hips (cause you know that where cupcakes go when they die right....straight to the hips... which is why you must always eat two...  cause you do not want to look all lopsided now do you????)).

So once RonChops got the little package of cupcakes home, he innocently asked me how many I needed for my photos (this dude loves him some sweets).  Once he was given the all clear he dived right in!  It's been a while since we had cupcakes and I had forgotten how he eats them.

He splits them in half.

Eats the top first.
...and follows up with the bottom and a milk chaser.

I asked him why he did it this way in-between fits of laughter.

Come to find out it's very scientific...
...very serious.

It's to avoid the frosting on the nose problem.
(did you even know this was a problem???)

The things I learn about my Hubs....  randomly.
(that pic up there is him modeling his very serious cupcake division method)
(I think he has some totally cute arms)
(shhhh....  don't tell him I said that ok)

So back to the cupcake embroidery patterns (which is really what it's all about you know)!  LFM busted out this totally cute tea towel from the patterns and sent it to me to share with you!  See that lovely cupcake posing with her tea towel?  That's the delicious fella from yesterday.  I think she may have already eaten his twin by the time this picture was taken (remember girls...  eat your cupcakes in twos (thats our new mantra))!!!

I placed the patterns on the PDF's in three ways.  Completely together, just tops and just bottoms (you will see what I am talking about below).

I hope you enjoy these little patterns (and I would especially love to see what you make from them...hint hint hint)!
 

CCW - Embroidery Patterns 1
Download the PDF HERE
 
 
CCW - Embroidery Patterns 2
Download the PDF HERE


CCW - Embroidery Patterns 3
Download the PDF HERE

AND...  there is always more with LollyChops (I am such a windbag...I swears)!
 
La Fuji Mama has a recipe for KILLER savory cupcakes today!  Potato Focaccia Cupcakes (with a "frosting" that's made from a dip recipe my gramma gave me when I was 15)!
 

Super cupcake HUGS!



LC Update:  I found out late yesterday that they have to move my surgery to Friday instead of today.  So sad.  I guess GallyChops has a few more good times left in him after all.

HUGS and thanks for the well wishes everyone!  xoxoxoxoxoxoxo