Sweet Sugar 'Shroomies: The Tutorial

Here is a sweet little craft that was the brainstrom of Michelle at Green Kitchen and myself while we were getting ready to mold sugar skulls.

We were recalling the peekaboo Easter eggs made of sugar

were made of the same stuff and Michelle had an old candle form

and said: "I want to make peekaboo sugar mushrooms".

Well, I went home and decided I could put them together using regular dishes as molds.

And here is the tutorial so you can too!

Sugar 'Shroomies:

supplies:

white sugar

meringue powder

spray on color

powdered sugar

food color

(all non grocery items can be found where they sell cake decorating supplies)

Tools:

fork

various cups bowls and glasses

spoon

plate or stiff card board to invert and use as a base

icing bag or plastic bag with a small hole in one corner

No one step of this is very time consuming but the drying times are not to be trifled with.

Allow yourself enough time and plan ahead, setting timers and whatnot to ensure maximum success.

Even in those circumstances keep a sense of humor,

because the failure rate was about 50/50, for me, with the stems.

 step1: mix up sugar, meringue and water in a 1 cup sugar to 1 tsp each of meringue powder and water.

mash around with a fork until it resembles damp sand.

Step 2: Press into molds. Compacting as tightly as possible with palm of your hand.

I used a votive holder, a coffee cup and a half cup jam jar and a shot glass for stem molds.

I use a shallow bowl, a teacup, and small champagne glasses for the tops.

Step 3 : Cover mold with plate or heavy card board then invert.

step 4: Carefully remove mold and let dry for 2- 2 1/2 hours for stems.

Caps are done and should now be left somewhere safe to cure for 12 hours or so.

Step 5 Recover the semi dry sugar stem form with it's original mold and flip back over. Larger stems are the only ones with room to be hollowed out effectively.

 

Step 6: Hollow out larger stem pieces. Leave a half inch wall of sugar. Let dry for another half an hour then remove par of the wall for a peekaboo door. Leave in the cup to dry overnight.

 

Step 7:Match up your stems and caps.

 

Step 8: Mix up Royal Icing. ( Recipe here.)

 

step 9:  Color you Mushroom caps. Used spray food coloring for red and cocoa powder brushed on with a pastry brush for brown.

Now use icing to glue a small picture on the inside if you like. Use icing to glue cap to stem and stem to a base made of cardboard. Colored icing makes cute grass and flowers when piped from a pastry bag or plastic bag with a small hole in one corner. Pipe spots on a red cap.

Have Fun!!! Send pictures!!!

Love, Betty

Jawa Doll with Real Eye Light Action

Way,  way, back  I disclosed my love of Star Wars in a meme-ish 6 Things About Me post.

 

Then last year we had a runaway sleeper  holiday hit by making the very adorable Stuffed Bantha as age appropriate stocking stuffies for the two young men in my family.

 This year my sister and I decided that Jawa dolls with light up led eyes would be a nice  way to revisit our  former glory.

And we are happy to share our pattern with you.

Click here to Download PDF pattern and instructions.
Click here to order super cool LED light sewing kit from SternLabs.
and click here to see that adorable Bantha pattern.

Many thanks to George Lucas and many hopes that he won't make me take this pattern down since Jawas are truly his creation and this is just a humble fans homage.

Stay tuned tomorrow for another tutorial!

Fortunately, Unfortunately

Do you remember that kids' story Fortunately ? It was this huge see-saw of a picture book where things were good, and then went horribly wrong.  That pretty much describes this years tree hunt.

Fortunately, we were on our way to our annual super fun tree hunt.
Unfortunately, we were in a serious car accident.
Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Unfortunately, the car wasn't going anywhere, we were on a busy scary hiway, and we had the dog with us.
Fortunately, my sister was meeting us nearby and could pick me and the dog and the boy up so I could go with her husband to get our other car, and boy could get lunch and hang out with his cousins.

Unfortunately, the Holiday Parade was that day, and traffic was insane.
Fortunately, we made it back to my car and put the dog safely and happily in the house.
(Dogs who already hate the car, really hate to be in accidents. He's all A-OK except the stress.)

Unfortunately, it's 30 minutes back to the rest of the family and now MY husband is at the tow yard in a different location, different town.
Fortunately, we have two cars, so we divide and conquer.
Unfortunately, everyone is very low on fuel.
Fortunately, we pick up family members, find gas stations and head up the hill.

Unfortunately, Sister's car breaks down on winding one lane mountain road and is not drive-able and must be towed. And she and her husband have all the kids.
Fortunately, we were right behind them and took the kids back to our place so we could wait to find out where they would be towed.

Unfortunately, it looked like it would be expensive. And we still had no trees.
Fortunately, it was free if they were towed back toward our house, to our favorite local mechanic.

Unfortunately, no rental cars until the next day means they are stranded.
Fortunately, that meant a sleepover... with cocktails.

Unfortunately, that meant after a trip to the drugstore, sister Sarah had to leave her contacts in saline solution in little pudding dishes and we are pretty sure the cats drank one of them.
Fortunately, she was fine with one and we got the rental car and it was upgraded to a hybrid and we were on our way to the tree hunt.

Unfortunately, it started to rain.
Fortunately, we were beyond caring.

Fashion Friday: Sweet Clementine Fascinator (with Tutorial)

I love clementines.

We eat about a net full a week.

You used to be able to get them in a box

but now they always seem to come in a large red plastic net.

Hmmm... not so VERY eco-friendly.

Come On Kids, Let's Upcycle.

 

Here's how to make a dashing winter fascinator!

Remove Clementines from net.

Gather your other supplies:

 a stiffened felt snowflake, 
(mine was from the dollar store, but you can make a greener one from felt, hand cut and stiffened yourself.) 
a felt heart, (cut myself) and a hairpin.

Cut two slits in the center of the heart and insert the hair pin like shown

Cut both ends off the net and slit the tube so you have a large rectangle of net. Then fold that in half the long way so you have a long skinny rectangle of net.

Gather the raw edges together like above. Your netting should be a semi circle.

Glue the heart to the under side of the netting so that the pin faces the back ( flat) part of the netting semi circle. Use hot glue and make sure all the gathers are adhered to the heart and that the pin on the underside can still open and close.

Adding more hot glue strategically to the back side of the snowflake so that it won't show apply the net and pin piece.

Ooooh! Smashing!

Good Intentions Mean Nothing If You Don't Post.

It's kind of crazy how much I'm thinking about blogging when I'm not doing it. Everyday I get started on some project and I let myself get carried away because I want it to be good enough to blog about.

That is one thing I really like about blogging. I think it makes me take extra steps to get things the way I want to see them. But sometimes those extra steps are just what bogs you (meaning  me) down and the project goes for some time... semi finished and in the way.

Well, anyway, that is what has been going on around here. I keep meaning to post Grand Tutorials for Projects of Great Importance... and finding myself not up to the Challenge. (The early dark is really bad for photography too, is also on my blog absentee excuse list.)

it kind of looks real, in a papery kind of way

So, Today I share: My Crepe Paper Amaryllis. This is my first from-scratch /self-designed crepe paper flower, that I made with techniques  I learned At The Castle In The Air  in Berkeley (4th Street) at a class taught by Anadamai Arnold and Aimee Baldwin. (It was what I did with my sisters in lieu of a Birthday Bash. Guinness Milkshakes afterward, an excellent night to be sure!)

These babies aren't just flamboyant holiday decoration, they solve an ongoing problem. The spot where they are placed can't support real plants. They All Die There. And I have other plants that survive so, it's not  me. Not 'mostly me', in any case.

So all that said,  I have some lovely tutorials to post as soon as I finish them up. Trees Made from Books, My World Famous Biscotti,  Houses Made Of Sugar, and How to Glorify Rescued Ribbons...And How to Trap Tiny Humans In Christmas Ornaments.

Hmmm, I better go get something Finished.

Crammed To The Brim With Holiday Spirit,
Betty

PS: Did you find the Snow Baby Box Tutorial at the Castle Blog? Another item on the Crafty To Do List.

PPS: I HAVE been staying on top of the wrapping. and I simply couldn't be more full of myself about it.