Horse and Present cakes

I have loved cake decorating from the time I was in the sixth grade!  I try all sorts, some works and some not so much.  This time I was trying a new fondant icing.  This is a really cool marshmallow fondant that is easy to make and even easier to use.  WOW!!  I finally found something that I love to work with.  So I experimented with this cake to see how it worked before I made the horse cake for my daughter's birthday.  She turned 12 and all she talks about and wants is a horse, so being the wise "***" mom that I am I gave her a horse.  apparently she wasn't referring to the edible ones.  Anyways, she did like her cake and ate it too!  The first view looks a bit shiny and that is because it is wet.  I used a small wet paintbrush to wipe off all the extra icing sugar and so it looks a bit wet there since I took the photo just before finishing cleaning up.  I usually make may cakes late in the evening when everyone is in bed.  Partly I want it to be a surprise and partly I don't want interuptions. Once I start working I want to keep working.  This cake is one I am very pleased with.  I even shaped cheekbones and nostrils.  I covered the cake with chocolate icing first and then covered with fondant.  I found with the present cake that the fondant looked a bit bumpy and each crumb under the icing showed.  With putting icing on first it smoothed things out a lot.  I am just a little bit proud of this!!!

Iris folding ladies

Iris Folding can be so much fun!  Now that I have some pretty cool cricut cartridges to use it's even more fun. My biggest challenge when it came to iris folding was getting the openning cut nice and smooth.  Now between my gypsy and cricut I'm laughing.  I place my openning precisely on the page where I want it and cut, then make up a pattern that I want.  On the first lady I used a zigzag to place the papers, on Cinderella I formed the dress, on the next lady I used a fan pattern and on the last lady I used triangle as the fold pattern.  I actually don't fold my papers anymore since I don't like the bulk.  The only time I fold is when I make a double fold.  I find the greatest challenge is taking the pictures after to show what I've done.  These photos all fall a little flat.  hmmm, any suggestions?

sock monkey

I found this wonderful paper pack at the dollar store and it's all about the sock monkey.  I just love the papers and designs so I made a couple of cards with just that paper and a stamped sentiment.  The happy birthday one I used right away for a nephew's birthday but the other one was for a Stamp TV challenge.  I used one of their design sentiments so that it would count for "2" in the draw. The pictures do look a little washed out but the colours are actually quite bright.  It was fun randomly cutting strips of this double sided paper and just sticking them down with little thought for design.  I usually like things quite orderly so to not think it thru in advance was a bit of a stretch for me.  I also used pop up dots under the monkeys fo make them stand out a bit and sponged ink on the edge of the lable in the second card to make it stand out more.  Sponging edges is such an easy way to make things stand out a bit and make them look "more".  A card can look perfectly fine, and then you sponge around the edges and it makes the card special.  I think my challenge to me will be to make two examples to prove my point.  If you have two examples feel free to share them with links, I'd love to see them!

First post, learning curve

Never thought I'd ever be a blogger but here goes!!!!  I don't have lots to say that's probably useful, but I love to craft so I will join the billions of other crafters out there who are blogging and go ahead and blog about my stuff.  I never thought I would get into scrapbooking or cardmaking but can now be considered "hard core"  A week does not go by without me making at least one card, one page or entering one challenge.  I keep trying to win those freebies.  Who doesn't like to win?!?!  This week I found another challenge to enter at Joannasheen.com.  I love Joanna Sheen!  The contest is for "remember when,,," so I used a Gina K stamp with distressed newsprint.  I love this stamp, it's so elegant and "usuable"!  You know there are stamps you love but just aren't "usuable".  I mean how often can you use that adorable easter stamp set that you just HAD to have, or the perfectly wonderful Canadian set with the shadow moose and maple leaf stamps?  This stamp set has lots of great stamps!  (I seriously don't get paid to plug anything)  So the card I entered is one that I have sitting on my card stand right now as one of my inspiration cards because I really really like it.  The patterned paper is from K&Company Julianne specialty paper pack, the Pearls are Liquid perals platinum, the clip is stampin up, the solid cardstock is stampin up and the "newsprint" is actually a page out of my satelite tv instruction booklet the french half.  (very useful for all sorts of things)  The ink is all various stampin up, mostly chocolate chip and close to cocoa.  I bought the neutrals craft stampin spots and liberally use them on lots of my cards.  (what fun!) so all this just to show off my card and to enter Joanna Sheen challenges!  (cross my fingers, hope I win!)