A Gallery of Geeky Cakes

Today is my sisters' and my birthday (we are triplets), which means...CAKE!!! For the past couple of years, I've had tons of fun making some cute and geeky cakes for the occasion. While I'm by no means a cake-decorating expert or perfectionist, I have lots of fun with it. Here are the ones I made this year and last year.

Hunger Games mockingjay

Doctor Who TARDIS

Hobbit hole

Wreck-It Ralph Sugar Rush

 

And these are the cakes my sisters made for me—

Valentine hearts

Les Miserable 'red and black' cake, complete with graham cracker barricade (which was added after the first picture was taken, by the way)

Make Stuff!

Happy New Year everybody! I can't believe it is 2013. The past year just flew right by. Of course this is the time when people make resolutions for the coming year. I've decided that I will make and record some creative goals for myself to accomplish in the next 12 months, in the hopes that having a set list will give me some focus and accountability to those goals.

I came up with a few crafty things that I want to get done this year, ranging from simple crafty things I've always wanted to do, to more business and career-oriented resolutions. Some of these include...

-Blog!
-Make a quilt
-Learn to crochet
-Get my scrapbook up to date
-Reopen and maintain my Etsy shop
-Build a portfolio for pattern design and licensing illustration

I also came up with these additional goals for myself. Maybe these are too broad to really be called goals, but they are things that I need to improve upon that will enable me to accomplish the things I set out to do.

1. Start stuff: No more "I will get to that...one day." I just need to figure out what I want to do and do it already. Make a list of specific tasks or projects and a timetable in which to get them done. Set a schedule for blogging. Start checking off projects from my ever-growing Pinterest board of things I want to try. To steal the words from Nike, "Just do it!" And then see item 2—

2. Finish stuff: In a recent cleaning session of my craft area, there were so many unfinished projects that I simply had to declare crafting "bankruptcy" on them all and throw them out. I have dragged out a knitted sweater for years because I would start it, put it away, start again weeks (or months) later, and on and on. My lack of focus is ridiculous sometimes. It needs to stop.

3. Use stuff: This kind of goes along with the previous two items as well. In addition to all the unfinished projects I have lying around are lots of unused misc materials for projects envisioned, but never begun. Bins of yarns. Boxes of fabric. Colored pencils and paint tubes coming out my ears. I think a lot of crafters like me are hoarders, too, which doesn't help. You save every jar, button, ribbon, cardboard tube, and scrap of paper because you know you can use it one day, and then go splurge at the craft store for more stuff to add to the collection. This year, I have decided to save space and money and clean out the craft supplies by putting them to good use.

4. Last of all, and most importantly,

MAKE STUFF!!!

A Very Merry Harry Potter Christmas, Pt. II

Here are a few more Harry Potter–themed ornaments that I used in my Christmas decor this year. These three ornaments were created with the help of my sister, Dani. Click on the titles for a link to the PDF tutorials.

Glowing Remembralls

Hogwarts Letters

Golden Snitches

It's a Very Merry Harry Potter Christmas! Pt. I

It's that time of year. The holidays are in full swing, and I couldn't be more excited. This week, I am taking advantage of some time off to get into the Christmas spirit and decorate my house. My family likes to choose a different theme from year to year. Usually it's a color scheme—silver and gold, red and white, etc—but this year we were inspired by Harry Potter. Anyone who knows my sisters and me knows that we are huge fans of the series, and we have been having tons of fun thinking of different ways we can incorporate it into our holiday decor. Below are a couple of ornaments we came up with. Click on the links to download a tutorial pdf.

Professor Umbridge Cat Plate Ornament

These were inspired by the cat plates that the evil Professor Umbridge has hanging in her office in The Order of the Phoenix. Pretty little patterns and cats—what's not to love? I think these would also make great magnets.

Weasley Monogram Sweater

This is a miniature replica of the monogram sweater Mrs. Weasley knits for Harry. It is similar to the doll sweaters I have made in the past. 

Up next... remembralls, Hogwarts letters, and golden snitches!

Photo Album: Keene Pumpkin Festival 2012

Frosty the Gourdman

Happy October!

A couple of years ago, my sister Dani and I created a graphic novel called Frosty the Gourdman. It's a Halloween story that is both scary and sweet. Since it's launch, each October we have offered free online access to the complete story over at www.frostythegourdman.com. Head over to the site to read the comic, buy a digital or print copy of the book, and check out some other fun extras.

Miniature S'mores

I don't know what it is, but I am fascinated by items in miniature form. Things just seem a bit more charming and fun when they've been scaled down in size. So when I spotted a box of bite-sized graham cracker squares in the grocery store the other day, I of course thought, "Omigoshthesewouldmakethecutestlittlesmores..." So I made some. And they were yummy.

Materials:
-Honey Maid Lil' Squares graham crackers
-Hershey's Drops candies
-mini marshmallows
-toothpicks
-tealight*
(*It goes without saying that you should be cautious with an open flame, especially with all those sugary, and very flammable, marshmallows around.)

I stuck a mini marshmallow on the end of a toothpick and roasted it over a tealight. Because the chocolate candies are rounded, it helps to hold it over the flame for a second or two to melt it a little so it sticks to the graham cracker more securely. An added bonus about these little guys is that you can make and eat several without feeling like you're overdoing it. Usually with normal-size s'mores, I can only make one or two before I am overwhelmed with sugariness.

Have fun!