Craft Party 2013

The 4th Annual Etsy Craft Party is coming right up! This is a global event where crafty folks all over the world come together to learn, create, and have a good time. I am working behind the scenes with my Etsy Dallas team and CityCraft to make sure that our event totally rocks. 

I have been working on the Photo Booth. My favorite part of every party! This is a picture I shared on Instagram of the banner. I cut out letters from some old "How to Paint" books that my Mom gave me from the days when my parents had a frame shop and art studio. You'll have to come to our party to see what it spells, or I guess, you will have to wait for the after-party photos if you are just too far away to attend.

These pennant flags are photo props that I made from vintage fabric, eco-felt, and yarn. I hope they add a touch of retro fun to our photo booth.

I am filled with anticipation for our Craft Party especially the excitement of meeting new people, good times with old friends, and the crafts! How about you? Will you be attending a Craft Party in your neighborhood?

A Roller Skating Birthday! Let's Derby On!

My soon-to-be 9 year old has decided she wants to her next birthday to be at the local roller skating rink! Oh yeah, I am beyond thrilled! As you probably already know, I do indeed love my roller skates, and she is finally at an age where I think she and her friends will really enjoy this kind of a party. 

The best part about planning a 9 year old's party is she can help! So we searched the inter-webs and came up with some fun touches for her party on wheels.

Yarn Pom Pom Cake Bunting Garland by JillMadeThis

Isn't this Pom Pom Garland from JillMadeThis adorable. The pom poms remind me of the ones we used to wear on our skates back in the day, and I think we're going to do our part to bring that trend back starting with these...

Roller Skate PomPoms from Amazon

A pair for each guest to attach to their own skates? Y-E-S! 

Vintage Roller Skate Necklace from HeyYoYo on Etsy

We adore these necklaces from HeyYoYo. They would make a fun addition to the goody bags.

Roller Skate Rubber Stamp by CupCakeTree

And oh, the things we could do with this rubber stamp from CupCakeTree...invitations, thank you notes, and the goody bags too!

Wood Cutouts by TexasArtCraft

We are planning to have few of the guests over after the rink to sleep over. These wood cutouts would be fun to paint as a craft before bedtime.

And this just sums it all up...

 

Keep Calm and Derby On Print by PosterPop

Happy Birthday to my little RollerGirl! Thanks for always making your Momma so very proud. Can't wait to Derby On with you!

Make Your Own Candy Cake

Oh, how my kids LOVE candy! To them, nothing's better than a cake made entirely out of candy. Lots and lots of candy.

A good friend of mine has been paying big bucks for these, and they are always the hit of the party. My kids and I decided to figure out how to make these ourselves. They are so simple and lots of fun!

Here's how you can make one too.

You will need:

1 5 inch Florist Foam Circle

2 Layer Cake Pans (I used 8 inch and 10 inch circle pans)

14 inch Cardboard Cake Circle

Hot Glue Gun

Hot Glue Sticks

E 6000 Adhesive Glue

Several Large Bags of Individually Wrapped Candies

Step 1:

Run a bead of E6000 glue along the upper rim of the largest cake pan. Glue it to the cardboard cake circle. Do this on the smaller cake pan also, and stack them.

Step 2:

Use the E6000 to glue the Floral Foam to the top. This will be your base for your candy. Let this dry for about 30 minutes.

Step 3:

Hot glue pieces of candy to the cake pans and foam.

See, how easy is that!

I have seen these made with a styrofoam base, but we all know how bad that is for the environment, and it sometimes tears when the kids pull the candy off. So I decided to use real cake pans so that we could use the base over and over again. We did use florist foam for the top layer so that we could stick lollipops or candles on the top. You could also use boxes for your base depending upon the shape that you want.

Hope you enjoy making your own candy cake.