Digital Cake Crafting

Emergency Chocolate Frame

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Wow I haven't blogged in a while. Between being on vacation last week, filling Etsy orders from when I was gone, trying to add more items to my Etsy shop, and not doing any crafts worth blogging about, my blog has been way too quiet. I have finally had time to put together a couple crafts so I'm back for a while! Also, my Shout Out Sunday is on hold again since it's not really fair to my readers to not get any original content and just get posts to other crafts. Next week the Shout Outs will return!

While trying to come up with a gift idea for my friend's birthday, I thought a Chocolate Gift Basket would be awesome! Who doesn't love chocolate? Usually we get each other cupcake items, but I decided to mix it up and stick with chocolate this time around. I'll post the entire gift basket later, but I'll show you one of the quick crafts I added to the basket.

For one of the items in the gift basket, I knew I had to make this little Emergency Chocolate sign. It was super simple to put together and very inexpensive.

Of course I found this idea on Pinterest (pinned to the original source HERE - where you can also buy one if you don't have the time or energy to make your own). This project is simple, cute, and makes a great inexpensive gift and will probably get a good laugh.

For this project you need:

Picture frame with glass (mine is for a 4x6 photo, check that the chocolate bar will fit)

Paint (optional - for the frame) - I used Craft Smart Acrylic Paint Espresso Color

Hershey bar (standard size)

Kraft paper or cute brown scrapbook paper

Printer (or you can use vinyl and apply directly to glass)

Remove glass and backing from frame, and use sandpaper before painting

I purchased an unfinished photo frame and gave it a light sanding so the paint would adhere better. If you are reusing a frame, make sure you remove all of the paint and give it a really good sanding so the paint won't flake off. Apply a few coats of paint; I did three coats of craft paint.

Paint your frame. Optional next step to distress your frame if that's the aesthetic you're going for. I wanted a rich chocolate color for the frame so I didn't distress it.

Print out your sign; I used Photoshop to create this sign and printed it on kraft paper. Cut sign to fit paper opening.

Insert chocolate bar. Just lay it on top of the glass where you want it. You can stick it to the paper, but I wanted it to be loose so it can actually be eaten. Lay paper with your saying over the chocolate bar (make sure both are right-side-up).

My chocolate bar just fit perfectly in my 4x6 frame, but a little bit of the little end flaps stuck out. You can fuss with it to make sure they are hidden, but after realizing I couldn't put the back on correctly I was frustrated.

After replacing the back of the frame I realized the chocolate bar was too thick for the frame to close correctly with the clasps. Determined to make this work, I used clear packing tape to seal the entire back of the frame. Not the most beautiful solution, but it worked and nobody will be staring at the back anyway unless they are trying to get the chocolate out. I would suggest instead of using a standard photo frame to use a shadow box so it will close properly.

Super easy, super cute, and inexpensive! Keep your eyes peeled for when I post the rest of the Chocolate Gift Basket!

Shout Out Sunday 7

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:49:00 +0000

Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

Yikes, how has yet another week passed?! This year is flying by! Although I haven't had time to write a tutorial about it, I have made a couple more Nuka Cola bottles inspired by the video game Fallout and took a few progress photos along the way so I can make a mini-tutorial. My favorite part of making these bottles is creating the faux grunge and distressed scratches. I'll have to do a full tutorial sometime, but I have been getting prepares for a Las Vegas trip to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday so I have been busy busy! Forgive me for the blog being so quite!

Back to the Shout Outs:

How to Upholster Barstools by The Shabby Nest

There are so many reasons I love this project! I love the fabric selected, the wear on the original barstools, and the tutorial makes it seem so simple to do! I love projects that reuse old furniture or items to give them a new life instead of tossing them out and buying something new. Great project!

Refrigerator Airplane Banner by BasicGrey

I can hardly stand the cuteness of these little airplanes! And the PARTY bunting and pokadot clouds are just way too awesome! I love everything about this and although I won't be sticking magnets on our stainless steel fridge, I really want to make one of these and put it in a frame on the wall! Way too cute and the tutorial is easy to follow!

DIY Bottle Lamp {inspired by Pottery Barn} by What Hopes & Dreams are Made Of

I love this and if you look at the bottom of the post, she altered it by making the jug look like mercury glass! I love both options, but I am drawn to the simplicity of the photo above. I have a jug just like this, but I don't think I am brave enough to drill glass yet. I love how this one turned out and the lamp shade fits the jug perfectly!

DIY Copy Cat- Pottery Barn Clock by Kara Paslay Designs

I love this clock and think it looks way cooler than the original Pottery Barn one! I absolutely love the split in the wood disc and how between 6-8 it looks darker to give it more of a rustic feel! The tutorial looks very easy to follow, I just need to find my own wood disc with a split in it so I can make my own!

Crochet Hearts by Little Rays of Sunshine

I have never tried to crochet and it really intimidates me, but these are way too cute and have a huge variety of different uses. I love the idea of using them for Valentine's Day decor or adding them to hats or barrettes. These are just way too cute!

As always, make sure you visit the original blogs and show them some love!

Shout Out Sunday 6

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

For the beginning of February, this week's Shout Outs are inspired by Valentine's Day! I don't usually decorate for Valentine's Day but I love to see all of the fun projects created by others.

Sorry my blog has been so quiet; I haven't accomplished much this week since my friend was having her wedding reception so I was busy baking all week! I used up the rest of my Frozen Cookie Dough, made some s'mores marshmallow bites, some semi-homemade cappuccino brownies and cake batter blondies, and ate way too much of them!

DIY: Valentine Paper Roll Owls by Happy Clippings

These owls are way too cute, and I love that they can be made out of a recycled/upcycled paper tube! I really want to make some for myself, they're so so cute!

Felt Heart Tutorial by Hubby Made Me

These are so so so cute! Since I just got my very first sewing machine, this is going to be one of my first projects after getting the hang of sewing. These are just way too cute and I love the colors/textures she used! Love these!

Valentine Cupcake Candy Jars by Thrifty and Thriving

This is a great tutorial and these would make an adorable gift jars for a birthday gift! I think cupcakes are cute and tutorial makes these jars look easy!

Paper Hearts and Burlap by Artsy VaVa

I love burlap and these are so cute! I want to try making these but fray the burlap! These would be super cute for birthday decor! Love these!

Glitter Chalk Valentines by The Scrap Shoppe

Ooo these are so cute and they have a free printable! I love Valentines that aren't candy and would love to make these if I had kids! I might need to make something similar to hand out for Halloween next year! I bet I could find a cute Halloween mold.

As always, be sure to visit their blogs and leave comments telling them you like their projects! What fun things have you been working on for Valentine's Day?

Shout Out Sunday 5

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

For the beginning of February, this week's Shout Outs are inspired by Valentine's Day! I don't usually decorate for Valentine's Day but I love to see all of the fun projects created by others. Usually I only link up 5 projects a week, but I have found some really amazing Valentine's Day inspired projects and I want to feature them all before Valentine's Day, so this week and next week will have a few extra projects linked up!

PB Inspired Love Wall Plaque by Remodelando la Casa

This is another one of those projects where I like the copy-cat more than the original! I like the letters better and the the pop of red is perfect! This project is wonderful and I think she did a beautiful job! Check out her Valentine's Day mantle too!

Valentine Wreath by Kaminski's Creations

I love Valentine's Day decorations that are black! I think black is really bold and gives it a modern touch and a great way to break up all of the overpowering pink and red that surround Valentine's Day. I love the chunky black frame and the heart is way too cute! This would actually look great hanging up all year round!

LEGO Accessory Valentine Tutorial by Chez Beeper Bebe

I love love love this and if I had kids they would totally be handing these out! I love Legos and think this is the cutest Valentine's I've ever seen. I'm really tempted to make some for myself! These would also make really cute party favors for a kid's party.

Vintage Valentine's Day Wreath by Gallamore West

I am a total sucker for anything burlap, but I absolutely love this wreath! I love the little touches of the keys, thread spools and think the heart is an adorable addition. The layering just looks awesome too! Love!

Valentine candy corn mason jar gift by Shaken Together

I love this so much! I love the mason jar, the kraft paper tag, and I love corny cheesy lines! The Valentine's Day themed candy corn looks cute too! This is just so wonderful that I kinda want to make it for myself!

Quick Valentine's Day Garland by vixenMade

I love quick projects and I love the look of baker's twine! If I decorated for Valentine's Day, this would definitely be strung across our fireplace mantle. I think this would look amazing with some additional white decor to really make the red and pink garland pop! I love it!

Peek-a-Boo Valentines by Simply Creating Home

This is a wonderful tutorial and these would be so cute to hand out! I like that this has nearly endless options and is inexpensive to make! I'm going to hang on to this tutorial for making other small treats for other Holidays or party favors!

Valentine Treat Boxes by Alderberry Hill

I am totally smitten with these boxes. I love kraft paper and the addition of the button and twine has me in love! I think the little typewriter that says "you're just my type" is way too cute and I love the little envelopes with hearts. This is another cute little tutorial that I'll save for other Holidays or party favors because these are just way too cute that I have to find some excuse to make them!

Repurpose a Wreath by Life in My Empty Nest

I love that she repurposed a Christmas wreath and a Christmas ornament, and I think the red and white berries with the bird and heart make amazing Valentine's Day decor! Heck, I would have this thing hanging in my house all year long! I love the way this turned out and that it was such a simple project.

Felt Heart Valentine Trees by LollyJane

These little trees are cute and another project that looks like it would be relatively simple! She is making me fall in love with these little felt trees! I love projects that keep a single color to make a bold statement, but it would also be fun to try this with alternating heart colors to give it more of a layered or ombre effect. This is a great tutorial and makes super cute decor!

As always, please make sure you check out the bloggers' original posts and tell them how much you love their projects!

Please also check out Bloggers Against Drunk Drivers:

join Bloggers Against Drunk Drivers

Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 06:12:00 +0000

My crock pot and rice cooker are my favorite small appliances we have. I love them even more than my coffee maker, which really means a lot coming from this coffee addict! I have an inexpensive crock pot, and it works fine for all of my recipes, but my rice cooker is AMAZING. We have the Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 Fuzzy Logic:

You might think I am out of my mind for spending over $100 on a rice cooker, and when I first bought it I would have agreed with you, but it's been about 5 years since we first got the rice cooker and it was worth every single penny we spent. It's amazing because the "Fuzzy Logic" doesn't just time the rice to tell you when it's done, it cooks it to perfection every single time. We didn't eat a lot of rice before we had this, but now it's so easy to make and really easy to clean up afterwards and is perfect every time. No more rice sticking to the pan! I seriously LOVE this thing. Anyway, back to the recipe.

I love recipes where I get to use both my crock pot and rice cooker, and this is one of those recipes! The original recipe is from Daydream Kitchen and I mostly followed the recipe, but next time I will use a little less soy because it tasted a little rich to me.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag.

Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side.

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken.

Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.

Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

The recipe was super easy and overall was a success! I added some chopped green onions to the top since we had some on hand. I'll definitely be making this again soon. Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think!

This post contains affiliate and/or referral links. However, ALL opinions and recommendations are my own and are not affected by the use of these links.

50 Sucks

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:12:00 +0000

Today is my mom's 50th birthday! Happy birthday mom! Along with fixing the Children's Book eReader Cover I made (revised post coming soon) and getting her a real gift, I HAD to do something Over-The-Hill as an extra little gift. Since her coworkers at the time threw her an Over the Hill black birthday party for her 30th (ouch!), I didn't want to be too mean about it, so I stuck with something a little more cheesy and fun. I made a gift basket of 50 suckers that says "50 sucks" (50 sucks = 50 suckers... get it?? I've had to explain it way too many times... maybe it's way too cheesy for most "normal" people to get it).

One thing you should know about me is that I'm kind of a procrastinator, especially when it comes to birthday gifts and cards. It's not that I don't care, or don't remember birthdays, it's that I always seem to lose track of time and not realize that the week has gone by so fast.

This project was planned MONTHS ago... so you would think that I would have had it done at least a week ago, right? Nope, I finished it today during lunch.. after buying the suckers at Fred Meyer on my way to work this morning. I had been thinking of this project for a long time, but I kept forgetting to buy the suckers so I never bothered putting the rest of it together since it's easier to do it all at once.

I also have to apologize for my super horrible pictures that are even worse than normal. In my rush to get this done and trying to not be late for work or miss my entire lunch break, I didn't grab a real camera to take any photos. I just used my really awful old phone that I need to upgrade. So, I apologize for the horrible photos, but this project is pretty simple.

Materials needed:
Basket, box, or bucket
Cardstock
Bamboo Skewer (one)
Styrofoam to fit your basket/box/bucket
Tissue paper trimmed to size
50 suckers (I suggest using different types to give more variety and pick something tasty!)

I found a sparkly green gift box during the after Christmas sales (see! I really did plan this out!) so it was really inexpensive and I liked all the glitter. I purchased some styrofoam similar to this at the craft store:

I used a block 15/16" thick x 5-7/8" x 11-7/8". I would suggest using something a little thicker if you can find it, but the material was great and really easy to push the sucker sticks in to! The width was pretty close to matching the box, but I had to trim it down. I used my trusty Xacto knife and made a HUGE mess cutting this down to size. Make sure you measure twice, cut once, and have your entire work space lined with newspaper that you can throw away. This stuff gets everywhere! Since the box was tapered, I didn't need to stuff the bottom of the box full of foam but depending on your box you might need to stuff the bottom.

I designed up a "50 sucks" sign using Photoshop and gave it a nice thick black border. I printed the sign on hot pink cardstock and cut it out with my Xacto knife.

I thought this project needed even more glitter, so I used some glitter craft paint to the "50 sucks" sign!

The styrofoam block doesn't look pretty, so I trimmed down some hot pink tissue paper and lined the top of the styrofoam, leaving a little bit poking out the sides to give the suckers a border and more of a separation between the box and the suckers.

After lining the styrofoam with tissue paper, I began poking in the suckers (after counting twice to make sure I had exactly 50!). One thing I had noticed when poking in the suckers is that if I didn't use a steady hand, I would puncture the styrofoam and the sucker would go too far down. I would suggest trying to find styrofoam a little thicker or just stuffing under the styrofoam so the sucker can't go down any further. I had to be careful to make sure they didn't all puncture the styrofoam and it actually created a nice effect with the different heights.

After putting the suckers in, I attached the "50 sucks" to a bamboo skewer by using regular gift wrap tape and taping the skewer to the back side. I forgot to take a picture of the back. It doesn't look too pretty, so you could be creative and sandwich the skewer in between two pieces of paper if people will be seeing this from the back.

So what do you think (aside from the awful picture quality)? My mom loved it, so that's all that really matters, but I would love to see if you have made your own! I think this would be great for any birthday, but is especially fun for milestone birthdays and an easy gift to give for someone you don't know too well.

This post contains affiliate and/or referral links. However, ALL opinions and recommendations are my own and are not affected by the use of these links.

Shout Out Sunday 4

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Wow I can't believe it's already the 4th edition of my weekly Shout Out! Time really does fly when you're having fun. I've been really busy this last week working on adding more items to my Etsy shop so I haven't been blogging much, but enough about me, let's get to my favorite projects this week!

Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

Distressed Crackled Vintage Map by Crafts By Amanda

This is one of my favorite wall art projects I've seen in a long time! I love the distressed detail, especially the crackle with the stain. I love old vintage maps and I have a perfect spot on my wall for one... when I finally get the time to put one together. I'll have to give this tutorial a shot when I finally come across the perfect map! I love the way this looks.

Easy Valentine's Day Glitter Sign by Lolly Jane

This is a great Valentine's Day project! I love the simplicity and how it's so easy to do but makes a bold statement! The pink and white are really cute together and I think every Holiday needs a little more glitter!

Cupcake Stand by Wesens Art

This project uses cardboard and a self-adhesive film, but this would also be easy to make out of scrap cardboard and scrapbook paper! I've seen similar displays for sale in the store, but I love to create my own things instead of buying, so this would be perfect! Great idea and they are so cute!

A Little Corner Facelift by The Velvet Door

Love love love this! I'm a huge fan of deer decor and I want to have my own faux deer mount in my home someday. I agree that the deer looks a little (okay maybe a lot) scary before the paint job, but I think the silver with the white frame on the gray wall backdrop looks amazing. This is another one of my absolute favorites that I want to copy some day, as soon as I can find my own scary faux deer mount to paint!

Trashy Trunk to Classy Chic by Ava Blake Creations

I have a new-found trunk fetish thanks to Pinterest and projects like these. I love everything about this trunk and think she really did an amazing job! The distressing looks great and the graphics are perfect! I love that it was a piece of junk before and now it would look amazing in any home.

As always, I urge you to visit their blogs and tell them you like their projects! Bloggers love comments, especially if it's telling them how awesome they are!

Children's Book eReader Cover

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:00:00 +0000

I’m going through a crafting phase of upcycling old books, especially children’s books. I love the nostalgia of looking through all of the books I read as a kid. I’ve been making envelopes and then making confetti with the leftover parts of the pages, but haven’t found a use for the covers yet. I had an idea to make an eReader cover, and after finding a tutorial on Instructables (click to go to tutorial) I decided to give it a shot.

I have a cover for my Kindle, but my mom just purchased her Nook not too long ago and needs a nice durable cover for traveling. Since she has the Nook at her house, I called and got dimensions of the Nook and then sat down to make the cover. I made a template of the Nook's dimensions out of an old cereal box to help me with placement within the book.

Image showing inside of eReader Cover - felt on both sides, 45 degree corners, and white elastic to hold the eReader

I read through the tutorial and then followed it as best as I could remember. I used a cereal box wrapped in felt as the padding on both sides, trimmed the corners at 45 degrees, and added the elastic at about an inch from each corner.

Side view of the eReader cover - it's a little bulky looking

When it’s closed, it looks a little bulky. With the Nook inside, it looks even more bulky and just doesn't quite look right. Another problem with this is that the elastic corners that are supposed to hold the Nook in place don’t fit. The Nook simple touch, or whatever version it is, has very rounded corners with a radius larger than I anticipated.

Front view of the eReader cover without the elastic closed

Sorry, I don’t have any photos of the Nook inside the case because I was frustrated and left it at my mom’s. I also just quickly took photos before I headed out the door, so these aren't the best photos.

Next time I make one of these I’ll be sure to have the real Nook next to me so I can make sure it will actually fit. I’ll also only put the thick padding on one side or hollow out one side so it will fit better.

It looks super cute.. when the Nook isn’t inside. I’ll post a better tutorial if I make another one, but if you want to make your own then follow the original tutorial and you should do fine. I would also recommend not using a book with such a small binding and it should help with the bulkiness.

I might make another eReader Cover that addresses the problems I came across with the first one, but I'm trying to think of other ideas to reuse the book covers. I'm thinking of trying to make a clutch or purse!

What do you think? Should I give it another shot or try to find a different use for the book covers?

I'm linking up here: Be Different Act Normal, Young and Crafty, Setting for Four, Tatertots and Jello, 504 Main, Petals to Picots, Alderberry Hill

Shout Out Sunday 3

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Week three of my new blog feature! Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

Anthropologie DIY Ruffled Lamp by Mom Advice

I love that this is more rustic looking than the Anthropologie lamp. I like the larger ruffles and how it looks like it has more fraying. The Anthro lamp looks to fussy to me, and this one looks awesome and would look great with some rustic decor.

Custom Confetti Cards by Aunt Peaches

Use a CD envelope with a viewing window to make a card where the confetti moved around over the picture. I love this idea, and since my mom's birthday is coming up, I might need to give this a try! I don't have any CD envelopes, but I'm sure I can find something around here.. if I can find the time. I love this idea, and the cards with photos are way too cute!

Edible Sugar Lip Scrub on How Does She

Homemade, all natural with simple ingredients, and with natural fruit dyes, what's not to love?! My lips are in really rough shape due to the cold weather, so I need to give this a try. She makes it look so easy and has excellent results!

Dollhouse Sneak Peak by Todd Lindsey

I am so in love with how this looks and I would love to have one of my own! The attention to detail is amazing and I am seriously in love with this. If I had a kid, they would totally have something like this. Since I don't have any kids, I think the kid in me needs something like this or that I need to make one for when my niece visits.

Simple Wire Wrapped Pendant Tutorial by Inspiration Cafe

I have just started getting into jewelry making. Okay, so the extent of my jewelry making has pretty much just been making Scrabble Tile necklaces, but I'm trying to expand my jewelry making skills and try new projects. This tutorial is easy to follow and I love how the final necklace has a nice clean and modern look. I like jewelry that makes a bold statement but doesn't have a whole lot going on (Less is More!), and this turquoise pendant is perfect!

Another Sunday with a hodpodge of unrelated projects, but they're all wonderful and I hope you visit each one of their blogs and give them some love. Thanks for stopping by!

Upcycled Envelopes

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:31:00 +0000

Things have been pretty quiet around the blog since I've been working on trying to get more items listed in my Etsy shop. I'm trying to expand on my existing categories so I have more items that are similar and have been focusing mostly on adding more Scrabble items and more Upcycled Envelopes from used books. I have a fun new Scrabble project I've been working on that I'll share after I finish it (I need to find one more specific item to finish it up). The past few days I have been focusing on making some new envelopes by using my Martha Stewart Scoring board:

I seriously love this thing. It's easier and quicker for me to use than tracing a template because I can cut the paper to size, score it, cut the corners, fold it, glue it, and I'm done. I also love that I can use it to make a nice clean fold line instead of having to score the paper with an Xacto knife and worrying about cutting too deep and cutting the paper in half. I have gotten so much use out of this, especially after using it to hand make all of my wedding invitation envelopes and using it to fold my homemade wedding invitations in half. The best part of hand making my wedding invitation envelopes was that I could print the address directly on the 8.5" x 11" paper (blue paper to match my wedding colors) instead of having to hand write each address or use labels.

But back to my more recent envelope activity:

I found a Taylor Swift Fearless Sheet Music song book for Piano, Vocal, and Guitar at the thrift store that I thought would make great envelopes! The song book includes the following songs: Fearless, Fifteen, Love Story, Hey Stephen, White Horse, You Belong With Me, Breathe, Tell Me Why, You're Not Sorry, The Way I Loved You, Forever & Always, The Best Day, and Change. Not only are these great for any Taylor Swift fan, but a lot of her songs are love songs so a lot of the lyrics on the envelopes have sweet little lyrics and would be awesome for love notes, a Valentine's Day card, or anniversary card.

Thanks to the large size pages in the book, I was able to make the same size envelopes that I used for my wedding invitations, which fit an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper folded in half perfectly with a little extra wiggle room for adding embellishments to the card.

To make these envelopes, I trimmed all of the pages to 8.5" x 8.5" squares. Hang on to the little extra bit that still has music on it; you don't want to throw this away and waste paper!

Fold according to the directions on the Martha Stewart Scoring Board by using the 45 degree piece (at 3" and 3-5/8"), trim the little corners off using scissors, then fold at the score lines.

What I love using to fold is a bone folder. If you haven't used a bone folder before, it is awesome because it helps you get the nice crisp folds and creases. It helps so you don't have to use your fingernails and it makes a nice clean line. I found mine at the craft store after much searching and odd looks from the employees that have never heard of such a thing, but here's one on Amazon that is just like the one I used for making these envelopes and all of my wedding invitations and envelopes:

After folding at the score lines, close the bottom flap to the sides by using either double-stick tape or a glue stick. I just used a plain 'ol inexpensive Avery Permanent Glue Stick (the kind your kids probably have laying around) and it worked great. To close the top part of the envelope, you can use the same glue stick, a wax seal (would look awesome!), double-stick tape, a sticker, or really anything you want.

The finished envelopes are about 4.75" x 6" on the outside. I like that the scoring board makes the music at a 45 degree angle to the envelope so it's not running from left to right on the page. I think it makes the envelopes look more fun and adds more variety and interest to the envelopes. Let me know if you make some of your own sheet music envelopes, I would love to see them! Want to buy these Taylor Swift music envelopes? I have 40 available in my Etsy shop, in listings of 10 envelopes per listing. I made 49 total out of the one song book, so I'm keeping 9 for myself so I can send some fun letters! I'm pretty sure you can send these through the mail due to what I've read online, but I'm going to have to try it out for myself before I can say for sure.

With the leftover parts of the paper, I created some 1-1/2" scalloped circle punched confetti. I hate wasting paper, especially something that I know could be used by someone else, and I think these would look amazing at a wedding for part of table decor, or to make into gift tags, or really anything that is music-related. I listed them in my Etsy shop since I don't have a use for them, so I'm hoping they find a new home with someone that has a fun plan for them!

I also created some upcycled envelopes out of a book of Disney's The Little Mermaid. When I was little, The Little Mermaid was my all-time favorite movie (probably because I'm a redhead). I had fun looking through the book again since it's been so long since I've watched the movie.

I made these the same as the directions above, using my scoring board, except I used smaller paper since the book was smaller. I started with pages of the book cut down to 5.5" x 5.5" and scored at the 2" and 2.5" marks using the 45 degree insert (not sure of the technical term, but the piece that came with the scoring board).

These are so fun and I really want to keep them for myself!! The envelopes are 2.75" x 3.75" measured on the outside, so they are probably a little too small for sending through the mail, but they would make cute envelopes to add notes to or Valentine's.

I was able to make 22 envelopes out of the book I used and I'm selling them in sets of 10 in my Etsy shop. I wasn't paying close enough attention when I was making two of the envelopes because they are somehow about 1/8" larger than the others, so I'll probably be keeping those two for myself! I'm not sure what I'll do with them, but I'm excited for the possibilities.

I also made some 1.5" scalloped confetti punches for these, but a lot of the confetti was wording from the book. I like that it has snippets of the book so you can read a few words here and there and a few character faces and some colors from the book from abstract shapes.

I have a few more Disney books that I'm going to use to make envelopes and confetti, but I probably won't write yet another upcycled envelope post, so if you want to see what I've been up to with my envelope designs, pop in to my Etsy shop once in a while and see the unique new designs I'm working on!

Have you used this scoring board? Have you ever made anything except for envelopes and folded cards? I would love to find new ways to use the Martha Stewart Scoring Board so I can make fun new projects!

I'm linking up my Little Mermaid envelopes here: Alderberry Hill, The DIY Dreamer, 504 Main, Petals to Picots, Be Different Act Normal

Shout Out Sunday 2

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Week two of my new blog feature! Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

Here is a list of my favorites this week:

ANTIQUE French Pharmacy Sign made from Scraps and Iron on Paper by Art is Beauty

I love antique signs and even more than antique signs, I love the idea of being able to make my own at a fraction of the price!

Stained US Map by The Happier Homemaker

I love this and want to make one myself! I stumbled across these a few months ago and have been wanting to make one ever since. I might make a world map instead, but I love this.

Jumbo 28" Doughnut Pillow by Somewhat Quirky

I WILL be making this as soon as I get used to my sewing machine. I am so in love with it! It will probably end up being a cat pillow in our house, but I will love it even covered in cat fur!

DIY Anthropologie-Style Confetti Vases by Hi Sugarplum

I have seen similar projects around, but I thought "meh" until I saw these - I love the shape of the vase and it makes me really want to make some of these now. The little ball at the end is just so much more fun than the standard glasses that I've seen. I must keep my eyes peeled for unique shaped vases at the Thrift Store so I can try this!

Cinnamon Spice Dough Valentine's "cookies" {non-edible and calorie free!} by Shaken Together

I need to find time to make these because they are way too cute! Apparently they don't take long to make, so I need to just set aside time to actually do it. I want to make them into little ornaments, so I can either hang them or use them as gift tags for little Valentine's gifts for my coworkers and family members. Way too cute!

Which are your favorites? Be sure to show their blog some love and leave them some comments!

If you want to see some of my other favorite projects I come across during the week, be sure to follow me on Pinterest where I Pin all of the awesome projects I come across.

Sheet Music Envelopes & Confetti

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:36:00 +0000

On Sunday, I spent my evening working on making envelopes out of a Sheet Music magazine for Standard Piano/Guitar from October 1987. I was hoping to find some real vintage sheet music, but this was the closest I could find.

The magazine features these songs: Elmer's Tune, Frenesi, I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You, Perfidia, Racing With The Moon, Stompin' At The Savoy, Maria Elena, You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You.

I don't have a photo tutorial because these were pretty straightforward to construct, although a little time consuming. I cut the pages down to size and used my Martha Stewart Scoring Board for directions to make the envelopes.

What I really like about these envelopes is that portions of the lyrics are included with the music notes, so it really makes them unique and can be a fun conversation starter.

Do you like my envelopes but don't have time to make your own? I have them for sale in my Etsy shop.

The sheet music envelopes are a little larger than standard 4-bar envelopes (not sure how it ended up 1/2" wider than 4-bar envelopes, I think the scoring board has an error

Photo with a paper on the inside of the envelope so you can see the envelope detail. I like the little triangle bit that sticks up!

A handful of the envelopes. Love these!

Open envelope without paper inside.

The music sheets were about 8" x 10" but I only needed a square 7.5" x 7.5" to make the envelopes, so there was a strip of sheet music leftover of about 2.5" wide that I couldn't just throw away. I hate throwing away, or even recycling, anything that I know I can find a future use for. I'm a bit of a hoarder, but on a very smaller scale. More of a controlled hoarder that doesn't actually hoard much, but hates throwing anything out.

Instead of hanging onto the scrap paper until I find a use for it (or more than likely recycle it after I realize I have a huge heap of scrap paper that I'll never use), I grabbed my 1.5" scallop punch and made a handful of large confetti.

I love the way these turned out, especially since some of them have words and some are just music notes. These would look great as Valentine's Day decor, or as part of a Wedding Decor, or really anything with a vintage flair.

Confetti next to a quarter for size comparison.

Do you like my large confetti but don't have time or the materials to make your own? I have them for sale in my Etsy shop.

My next project is going to be to make some envelopes (and maybe confetti punches with scraps) out of old children's books that I have collecting dust (mostly Dr. Seuss and Golden Books). They are well-loved and really need to be upcycled or thrown away. Keep an eye on my Etsy shop for more upcycled envelopes! I'm excited for the endless possibilities!

I'm hoping to find a lot of well-loved children's books at garage sales this summer. You know the ones.. they have a few pages where the kid scribbled on them or have some ripped pages, but for some reason they just can't be thrown away (not dissing on the people selling these at a garage sale - I hate throwing away things that can be salvaged too!). These would be ideal for my projects because they don't have many other uses before they are just thrown in the trash.

I'm linked up here (be sure to check out their projects and all of the other projects linked up!):
The DIY Dreamer, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Craftberry Bush, Design Dining and Diapers, Finding Fabulous, 504 Main, The Shabby Nest

Shout Out Sunday - A New Feature

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

I'm starting a new blog feature! Inspired by other crafty blogs that host link parties and share other blogger’s work, I’m going to be sharing some of my favorite crafts and recipes featured by other bloggers (and give them a Shout Out!). Every Sunday, I will round up a handful of my favorite blog posts that I’ve come across and share them with you, my awesome readers. Want to be featured? Send me a message with your blog link and as long as there's something inspiring, I’ll pick out a favorite post to feature!

Eventually I would like to add a theme to each Sunday’s post, but for now I’m going to get the ball rolling with a handful of my favorite random posts! Click the image or caption to go to the original blog post.

Owl Figurines Makeover from Sarah SaturDIY

What I love most about this is that it inspires me to go to the thrift store, find the some cute figures with the funkiest paint colors, and spray paint them a uniform color to give them an amazing transformation. I like the idea of making everything a uniform color to give it a nice clean look (I may try this with White spray paint!).

Valentine Glitter Mason Jar Tutorial by Tatertots & Jello

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, this is a project on my radar. I love Mason Jar projects and any excuse to add sparkle to projects with glitter. I may try this with a spray glitter (Krylon makes some I've used once before on a Wreath) and apply to the outside of a Mason Jar.

Reversible Block Letters by Eyes on the Source

I love this and that it's dual-purpose! I don't like having to store all my Christmas décor, so this would be a perfect alternative! I'll be keeping this project in mind so hopefully I can find time to make some of my own Reversible Block Letters.

Embarassingly Easy Christmas Garlands by Clever Nest

I love these stars and they would be great for on a fireplace mantle or other decorating - not just for Christmas! I'm really getting into rustic decor so I think I could make some of these and get away with displaying them all year!

Wall Mounted Advent Calendar by The DIY Dreamer

I just love everything about this and I want one for all year round! This is my favorite advent calendar I've seen and I seriously LOVE this! ... did I mention I love this project? I'm hoping I'll find time to make one for next year.

Do these projects inspire you as much as they inspire me? I've added them all to my growing to-do list!

Newborn Subway Art

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

One of my cousins just had her first baby, so I put together a quick Subway Art canvas for them for Christmas! This is a great project and is relatively quick to put together. The most time consuming part is the graphic design and making everything fit on your paper size.

Below is a quick tutorial, but it's really a simple project so I'll show the steps via photos.

For this project, you'll need:

ModPodge of your choice (I used matte)
Brush for ModPodge
Canvas of your size (I used 8x10, which is convenient for printing on a home printer)
Printer (laser jet works best, ink jet is okay and what I used, but let the page sit for a while before ModPodging to help prevent ink smear)
Photoshop or other Computer Program to design subway art (or contact me in my Etsy shop and I can create a custom design for you - see here)
Paper cutter (I used an Xacto knife for a precise cut - and managed to leave my finger intact this time)
Baby stats of your choice: Name, Birth Date, Birth Time, Length, Weight, Hair Color, Eye Color, Birth Location (City and/or Hospital) and you could add a Photo or a Custom Quote (such as "Gift from God", "Sweet Baby", "Baby Boy", Future Cougar, Etc.)

Paper trimmed to size and everything ready to go

Add a layer of ModPodge to your canvas - try to make as even as possible to avoid bubbles

Add your printed sheet on the wet ModPodge on your canvas, apply another layer of ModPodge over the entire paper. Be careful to not smear the ink! If you go over the paper too much, the ink will start to smear (if you used an inkjet printer)

Let your canvas dry and you're done!

This is a very easy project and was fun to design! I'm hoping my cousin loved it and I really want to make some more, but I'll have to wait until I get a request for a custom order, or until someone else close to me has a baby. I think making one for a girl and adding a layer of glitter with pink and purple text would be way too adorable! If you want to create your own custom Subway Art but don't want to design the layout yourself, see my Etsy shop where you can order your own custom design!

I'm Linking up here, be sure to check out all the great projects linked up:
One Artsy Mama, Morenas Corner, Five Days Five Ways, Somewhat Simple, Be Different Act Normal, Its So Very Cheri, Alderberry Hill

Gingerbread Play-doh

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:24:00 +0000

I saw this link on Pinterest for Gingerbread play-doh and thought my niece and my friend's kid would both love it! My niece loves her play kitchen, so I thought making some gingerbread cookie dough would be a fun addition to it.

This play-doh smells heavenly and I love knowing exactly what is in it and that it's completely non-toxic.

Original recipe from Sweet Sugarbelle, with my revisions below:

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (original recipe called for 2, but I didn't want it too oily)
1 cup water
1 tsp orange extract (optional, but I added it)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan whisk together dry ingredients. Next mix in the water, oil, and orange extract and stir until a thick batter is formed. Cook the mixture over low/medium heat until a thick dough forms. Turn out onto parchment paper and knead until smooth. Makes about 2 cups of dough.

Add dry ingredients together in a medium bowl

Whisk dry ingredients

This is a great option for those of you that are busy busy around the holidays but have a few extra moments ahead of time, even months ahead of time. I had about a month before Christmas, so I whisked together the dry ingredients and waited until right before Christmas to add the wet ingredients. I added the dry ingredients to a Mason jar with a lid, wrote on the jar with a Sharpie the wet ingredients, and set it aside until a few days before I was to gift it. You could also give this as a gift and let the gift receiver add the wet ingredients (also include instructions of course).

Dry mix ready to sit in the cupboard for a month.

I don't have any photos of the cooking process (I didn't want to burn the dough), but it was fairly simple. Be sure to not overcook it or it might dry out.

Play-doh after cooking and kneading is ready to gift! This is a photo of half the dough.

Add the play-doh to a Mason Jar, or a Ziploc or Glad container works great. Add a cute label, tie a Gingerbread cookie cutter to the jar, and it's ready to be gifted!

I'm linking up at these great blogs: Young and Crafty

New Years Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 22:12:00 +0000

I don't typically make New Years Resolutions. It's so easy to fail at the resolution and then the pressure of the "New Years Resolution" just makes it feel so much worse if/when you do fail. I don't need the added stress! Of course I could just not fail at the resolution, but my track record with resolutions isn't so great.

This year I'm making Goals instead of Resolutions. Goals are attainable, especially since I can make a list of steps to achieve the goals. I'm still working on my goals list, but here's what I've got so far (in no particular order):

Write 2 blog posts a week minimum, but aim for 3. Definitely doable, and if I have a busy week I can write them all in one day (notice I said how many blog posts, not how many days a week I need to blog - big difference!). Having a blog is really helping me keep organized and on track to finish up those projects I usually let sit in a box to collect dust until I finally throw them out.
Read and connect with at least 2 different bloggers a week. I love reading what other craft blogs and food blogs are up to, but I need to remember to stay connected and comment on the posts that I enjoy so much so the blogger knows that I'm enjoying reading their blog! I love all the blogs I follow and read, but sometimes I never get around to writing a comment. I know comments mean a lot to me, so I assume others love them as well!
List at least 5 new things in the Etsy shop a month. Also doable, and I'm hoping to go above and beyond to expand my shop, but having a small goal of 5 makes it attainable.
~~Be more organized.~~ That's way to open-ended, how about to keep my desk organized and clean and put everything away after each project. Baby steps.
Organize my shelving. I really need some new stack-able storage containers so I can put more stuff on my shelves in an organized fashion instead of shoving it where I can find room.
Participate in a craft show. This is a huge one, and something I'm super excited for if I can pull it off. I've never participated in a craft show, but I love going to them and I think having a booth would be tons of fun and a way to meet more local artists and crafters.
This is more personal and unrelated, but to start reading more, maybe aim for 1 book a month. I need to remember to schedule in some "me" time so I don't get burned out on my Blogging and Etsying and Crafting. I do enjoy crafting and it's relaxing and enjoyable, but sometimes I need to step back and take a break or I'll get burned out.

I think I'll continue adding to the list as I realize more goals that I should have.

Those all seem pretty doable! Here's to a great and productive 2013!

I also have some semi-goals, such as getting a newer phone (ugh mine is the worst!), eating healthier (who doesn't have this resolution?), and earning enough in my Etsy shop to pay for a fancy new camera so I can take better photos of my products (a girl can dream, right?).

What about you? What are some of your 2013 goals or resolutions?

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 05:53:00 +0000

Are you sick of all my cookie recipes yet? I hope not, because I still have a few more for you! Around the Holidays I tend to focus on making cookies, especially drop cookies since I bring cookie plates to parties and like to gift out cookie plates or bags of cookies to friends and family.

I was searching for a recipe for Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal cookies and I stumbled upon this recipe for Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies. I thought I would use this recipe, add some white chocolate chips, and hopefully have an amazing cookie. Although I left out the white chocolate in the end, these cookies are still tasty and a refreshing change from the mint chocolate and peanut butter cookies I've been making.

I didn't have a zester when I made this recipe, so instead I use a mini cheese grater to get the zest off of citrus and it seems to work just fine. I actually like that I get larger pieces of the zest since it gives the cookies a unique appearance.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla, orange zest and orange extract.

Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into the butter mixture.

Stir in the oats and cranberries.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

After adding all of the ingredients, the dough already tasted too sweet to add the white chocolate chips. If you're going to add white chocolate to your recipe, I would suggest to reduce the amount of sugar and reduce the amount of orange extract and zest because otherwise you might have too many strong flavors. I'll continue to search for a cranberry white chocolate oatmeal recipe, but this cranberry orange cookie recipe is tasty and I recommend giving it a try to add to your cookie assortment!

My cookies don't look as pretty as those featured on Allrecipes, but they did turn out tasty!

Twitter For Dummies?

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 00:50:00 +0000

I seriously don’t understand Twitter. I have an account, I’m following crafty people that interest me (and following those that follow me), but I just don’t quite get it.

I’ve read this guide and it’s still completely over my head. I think I’ll need to do quite a bit more research so I’m not only tweeting my blog posts and Etsy listings because that would get boring pretty quick for my followers. I'm sure people don't care when I'm eating a PB & J Sandwich and they want to hear about more than just my blog posts and Etsy listings, but I'm not quite sure what to write, what to share, and what to ReTweet.

I also don't understand hashtags and how it's different than just writing regular words. Replying vs. ReTweeting is a mystery to me and I'm probably making myself look like a complete n00b.

Does anyone have any tips on how I can make sure I’m using Twitter effectively and not boring all of my followers?

Follow me here, I’ll be sure to follow you back!

Home is Wherever Mom is - Wall Plaque

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 04:48:00 +0000

I saw a print (I believe on Etsy.. but I didn't bookmark it so I can't find it now) that had a quote that said "Home is Where Mom Is" and I thought it would be great to make a wall plaque with that saying to gift to my mom! Instead I made it say "wherever" mom is because I like how it looked better.

This is a quickie tutorial since it's mostly self-explanatory, but let me know if you have any questions! I'm hoping to make another since I'm not 100% happy with how this turned out (it just didn't quite match my vision).

Items needed:

-Wooden Plaque (purchased at craft store)

-Craft Paint

-Paint Brush

-Sharpie

-Printer for lettering (or you can freehand)

-Wood stain for distressing (or darker paint - or omit this step)

Find a wooden plaque at the craft store. Sand the rough edges if you want, for a more finished look.

Sorry for the super fuzzy photo. I took 3 photos of this step and this image was still the best! Add two to three coats of acrylic craft paint (or your paint of choice) to the wood, allowing adequate drying time in between each layer of paint.

If you're going to trace the quote, print it out to size and then use a pencil or ballpoint pen to trace the quote. Make sure to press hard enough so you dent the wood.

Freehand the quote, or trace your dents from the pencil trace, by using a sharpie and a steady hand. I went over the quote twice to make it a little more bold.

Add lines (faux stitching) around the edge to help define the edge and give it a little more homemade feeling.

Use your wood stain or dark brown paint and give it some distressed paint marks. You may want to use the original paint color to lightly go over the font also, so it all blends in. Bonus points if you use sand paper to add to the aging, but I didn't have time so I used paint to make the sharpie look like it was fading.

Either leave the plaque as-is to set on a shelf or add a hanger to the back.

I actually like it a little better before the last step (my attempt at aging), but I was going for a more vintage look and it didn't quite get there. Hopefully I'll find time to try this again and make it match my original vision.

Let me know if you have made something similar with this quote! I think it's an adorable quote and would look cute on any mom's wall!

Dark Chocolate Mint Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:35:00 +0000

Yep, another cookie recipe! This is another good one though, especially if you like mint and dark chocolate.

Since I live near Tacoma, I'm lucky enough to have access to the Brown and Haley Factory Outlet, which has discounted Almond Roca (all flavors!) and Factory Seconds. Around the holidays I get really excited for the factory seconds because they cost a lot less than the regular Roca and it's just a cosmetic flaw that makes them sell for a reduced price. Usually it's a wrapper mishap, but if I just take off all the wrappers then put them in a different bag or bowl then they're ready for consuming and I've saved a couple bucks!

I wasn't planning on going to the outlet this year since I was planning on doing tons of cookie baking to gift and didn't think that the extra candy was necessary, but my coworker went and brought back a pack of these:

These are Dark Chocolate Peppermint Chunks. Chunks may not sound appealing, but my coworker let us try them and they are delicious! I love mint and chocolate, so I had to go to the outlet during my lunch break and pick some up. At 75 cents a pack, I had to pick up 3 packs and I'll probably stop by next week and get some more!

The first thing that came to mind for me was to use a Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (this is the recipe I used, but any recipe will do) and use the peppermint chunks instead of chocolate chips. I followed my usual Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe except added some green food coloring to the batch to clue everyone in that it's mint flavored instead of tricking them into eating mint (it's hard to believe, but some people actually don't like mint!). In addition to the food coloring, I added some green sugar sprinkles to the batch to add flecks of dark green. The green food coloring probably isn't necessary if you're only making one batch, but since I was putting these on a cookie plate I thought it was important so people know what to expect.

I had considered adding more peppermint or mint extract, but in the end I'm glad I didn't because these have just a sweet hint of mint instead of being overpowering. I think it is the perfect balance as-is, but if you like super minty stuff you can add a little extract.

I also added the chunks to the mixer, which broke the chips down a little bit into smaller pieces. I think next time I will also chop up some of the chunks so there are more chips per bite.

Half of these cookies were put in the freezer for baking up later (see my tips on freezing cookie dough) so the above picture is the dough balls getting ready for the freezer - don't stick your cookies this close to bake!

If I make these again, I'll try chopping up the chunks into smaller bits but other than that I like the recipe as-is!

What would you do with Dark Chocolate Peppermint Chunks? These are so tasty that I'm going to need to find some other ways to use them!

Peanut Butter Heath Bar Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 14:30:00 +0000

I love peanut butter and I love Heath bars, so when I saw this recipe on the bag of Heath Toffee Bits, I HAD to make it!

The recipe is from the back of the bag, and the only thing I changed was to use butter instead of shortening (I might love butter more than Paula Deen!) and to put the entire package of Heath bits inside of the cookies instead of sprinkling some on top (half were going in the freezer and I didn't want the toffee bits to fall off when frozen). I also made a double batch and only used one bag of Heath Toffee Bits and I think it was the perfect amount, but you can't really go wrong with adding more Heath toffee bits!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (or shortening per original recipe)

3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract (try making your own!)

1 egg

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/3 cups (8-oz pkg) HEATH Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits, divided

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended.

Add egg; beat until just blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in separate bowl; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Stir in 1 cup toffee bits; reserve remainder for topping (or just dump the entire bag into the mix).

These are really tasty and were pretty easy to make! I love the flavor combination of the peanut butter and the Toffee bits and chocolate of the Heath bits.

Check out some of the other yummy Cookie recipes I've posted recently: Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies, 3 Chip cookies (White, Milk and Dark Chocolate), Mint Chocolate Cookies and read my tips on how to freeze cookie dough so you can make double batches and keep half of the dough in the freezer!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 05:50:00 +0000

Okay, here it is, the recipe for my absolute hands-down favorite cookie of all time: Oatmeal Butterscotch. Between my dad and me, I think we can polish off an entire batch of these in just a few days. Heck, I could probably do it myself! Since they have oatmeal, that makes them semi-healthy, right? Let me just pretend for a little while...

The original recipe is from Quaker's recipe found on the top of their oatmeal canister for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin cookies. My variations on the recipe are included below.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tbsp butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla (try making your own)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Quicker Quaker Oats or 3 cups Old-Fashioned Quaker oats, uncooked

1/2 or 1 full 12-oz bag Butterscotch Morsels (depending on your taste – I always make a double batch and use one whole bag, which is essentially 1/2 bag for a single batch)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Stir in oats and butterscotch morsels; mix well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottom is barely golden brown. (do not overcook)

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

These cookies taste best if they’re just a hair under cooked so they’re super soft; be careful to not overcook them or they get really crunchy and a little dry.

I have only tried this recipe in the freezer once and they didn't turn out as well as freshly made dough since they didn't spread as well and the bottom cooked a little too fast compared to the rest of the cookie. I’m doing another trial run of freezing this cookie dough (see my tutorial on freezing cookie dough) but when I bake them, I will let them thaw out a few minutes before cooking to see if that helps. I think it must be the oatmeal in the dough that makes it different from other dough I have put in the freezer.

UPDATE: I let the dough thaw about 3-5 minutes prior to baking and squished it down a little and they baked up perfectly, see below photo.

Let me know if you try this recipe and if you love these cookies as much as I do!

3-Chip Cookies (Milk, White and Dark)

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:40:00 +0000

Although I am doing more than just baking the past couple weeks, my blog has turned into mostly recipes because the crafting I’m doing is mostly for Christmas gifts and I don’t want to ruin the surprise for the gift receiver! Or they have been big fat craft fails… which I may or may not be brave enough to share. After Christmas I should have a plethora of new craft posts, so just hold tight until then and try some new recipes!

Here’s another cookie recipe that I made and plopped into my freezer so it’s ready for baking right before Christmas! See my post about freezing drop cookies.

This is my first time making this recipe, and although they are good, it’s not a new favorite but with a few noted modifications I think it could be excellent. See below for my twist on this Recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (consider reducing to 1 or 3/4 cup – see my note below)

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar (consider reducing to 1 or 3/4 cup – see my note below)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Milk Chocolate Morsels

1 cup NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate Morsels (Or Semi-sweet)

1 cup NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy.

Beat in eggs and vanilla extract.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in morsels.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Overall I love the white and dark chocolate combination, but this cookie is super super sweet. I’ll try this recipe again, but try to half the amount of sugar in it to see if I like it better and maybe omit the milk chocolate to only use white and dark and have a 2-chip cookie. If you like super sweet cookies, try the recipe as-is, but if you don’t like your cookies overly sweet then try to half the amount of sugar to see how it turns out. Let me know if you try this recipe and what your thoughts are. Do you like your cookies overly sweet or did you reduce the amount of sugar?

Be sure to also check out my recipe for Mint Chocolate Cookies that are one of my new favorites!

Mint Chocolate Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:43:00 +0000

These mint chocolate cookies are so easy and delicious! I love them!

The original recipe comes from Mint Chocolate Delights from Nestle via Very Best Baking. I followed the recipe except used only Green Mint Chips from Guittard (since they were less expensive than the Nestle brand and they have only the mint and no dark chocolate morsels) and used about 12 ounces instead of 10 ounces. This recipe is one of my favorites and it freezes great so it can be made ahead of time then popped in the oven right before serving (see my tutorial on freezing cookie dough HERE)!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 10-oz or 12-oz pkg. Mint Morsels (or Dark Chocolate & Mint)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in morsels.

Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Be careful to not over bake.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yummmm! I could eat the entire batch of these things myself! Mint chocolate is my favorite flavor combinations. Do you have any mint chocolate recipes you have tried? I would love to see them; comment to share your recipes!

Freezing Cookie Dough for Baking

noreply@blogger.com (Kristi L (Digital Cake)) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:32:00 +0000

I love baking for the Holidays. Well, I love baking in general, but I love that the Holidays give me an excuse to do tons of baking. What I don't love is the stressful marathon baking that seems to happen every year to get everything done on time. Between the mixing, baking, sorting, and decorating I usually get burned out about halfway through my baking and just want to be done.

This year I'm going to start early to help alleviate some of the stress. I'm not a fan of freezing baked cookies because something about it just doesn't seem right to me. Cookies are meant to be freshly baked (and preferably still warm from the oven)! Instead of baking then freezing cookies, I'll be mixing up the dough then freezing the dough so it is ready to be placed on the cookie sheet then popped in the oven.

I've tried freezing the dough once before with excellent results. The best part is you can keep some frozen for yourself then cook up half a dozen at a time to avoid being tempted to eat the entire batch in one sitting (not that I've ever done that...).

For this tutorial (if you can even call it that), I'm using this recipe for Mint Chocolate Cookies, but any drop cookie recipe should work.

A tablespoon cookie scoop is ideal for this method. You can roll the balls of dough with your hands, but getting a cookie scoop is going to save you tons of time and it is pretty much life-changing if you do a lot of baking. I don't know how I survived without one before.

This is similar to the cookie scoop I use for all of my cookies (1 Tablespoon). It's the perfect size for a normal cookie, but you could get a larger scoop if you want jumbo cookies.

Items needed:
Cookie scoop (optional - you can use your hands to roll cookie balls)
Wax paper (optional - you can use just a nonstick cookie sheet)
Cookie sheets (nonstick or use wax paper)
Gallon Freezer ziploc bag(s)
Sharpie marker
Cookie recipe & ingredients
Freezer with enough space to put your cookie sheets

I suggest putting a layer of wax paper down on your cookie sheets before adding the dough. This step is optional, but some of the more gooey cookie dough might stick to your pans and using wax paper will save you an extra step of washing the pans between each batch of freezing.

Prepare your cookie dough like normal. Preheat oven only if you're going to make yourself a batch for sampling. Quality control is very important, you might need to make a half dozen or so just to make sure it tastes okay ;)

Use your scoop to put the cookie dough balls on the wax paper or your cookie sheet. Make sure they aren't touching or they will stick together and might be hard to take apart.

Fill your cookie sheet(s) to use up all the dough.

Place cookie sheet(s) in the freezer for about an hour, or until dough is no longer sticky. Note: if you're like me and forget them in there for 2-3 hours, don't panic; the dough will still be OK.

After your dough is put in the freezer, it's a great opportunity to do all your dishes, bake up any sampler cookies, and possibly start the second batch of dough if you're doing more than one recipe. Definitely use this time to prepare your ziploc bag for putting the dough balls in.

Take your ziploc bag(s) and sharpie pen. Write the cookie name, date, cooking temperature and original cooking time on the bag. For one single batch of cookies, you'll only need one bag and for a double batch you may be able to squeeze them all in one bag, but it might be a tight fit.

For cooking time for the frozen cookie dough, you may need to add an extra 2-3 minutes onto the regular cooking time, but it might not always be the case, so I like to note the original cooking time on the ziploc bag and just remember to check the first batch when baking and add a couple minutes if I need to.

After about an hour, take the cookie sheets out of the freezer (use potholders so you don't freeze your fingers off) and put the frozen cookie dough balls into the prepared gallon ziploc bag. Put the bag back in the freezer and you're done!

Cookie sheet without using wax paper - lots of dough stuck to the sheet that I'll have to clean off

When you're ready to cook the dough, place the frozen balls on an ungreased nonstick cookie sheet (unless your recipe states otherwise). Use the original temperature called for in the recipe and start with the original cook time, but you may need to add an extra 2-3 minutes to the cook time. Different recipes may be unique and may cook differently when frozen, but this will give you a good guideline to get started on freezing cookie dough.

This works great for impromptu visits from family or friends, last-minute parties, or for when you really want a couple cookies but don't want to bake up a whole batch.