Monday, April 25, 2011

Bird Nests



Don't know what to do with those leftover Peeps--what leftover Peeps, you say? Whether they're a favorite around your house and the first candy gobbled up or the last piece eaten, this kid-friendly recipe will make them even more popular.

2) 10 oz. packages of white baking chips
1) 10 oz. package of pretzel sticks
1) package of candy eggs (I used Peanut butter M and M's)
25 Peep candy birds

Melt the baking chips. Set aside 1/2 cup. Stir pretzel sticks into chocolate until well coated.

Scoop 25 nests onto waxed paper; use two forks to arrange coated pretzels into a 3 inch circle. Dip a Peep candy bird into melted chocolate and place onto each nest. Use melted chocolate to attach candy eggs.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Meet the Eggbert Family


Meet my little egg family the Eggberts--Roger, Bunny, Violet and baby Arley. A friend of mine came up with their surname.  :)  Aren't they an enjoyable addition to your Easter decorations?  And so fun to make--a little paint, some wooden cut-outs along with a bit of time and patience. VoilĂ !  Look what you have created. 

Paint list

  1. Pink Angel
  2. Wicker White
  3. Salem Blue
  4. Cophen Blue
  5. Black
  6. Yellow
  7. Barn Red 
  8. Floating medium

Start with the blank wooden pieces and base them with the white paint.



Finished Eggbert family.


Roger: Use Pink Angel for his nose and cheeks.  Then use a fine brush and with Black outline the shaded area on both cheeks and edges of the egg (can also use an extra-fine sharpie marker), also a couple of black lines for cracks.   I also used some floating medium with my blue and shaded the edges of the egg, where I was going to place his mouth, his eyebrows and the cracks.  Allow everything to dry in between steps.

I used Cophen Blue, Black, and Wicker White for the eyes.  Paint the eyebrows with Black using a fine paint brush.

Base his shirt with the pink angel. Base his tie with Seamist.  Base his shoes with Yellow.  The cross hatches (checkers) on his shirt are done with the Barn Red and white. Use the Barny Red to shade around his tie and around the edges of his shirt.  With black and a fine-tipped brush paint the collar and outline his tie.  I used the Pink Angel and the Yellow and painted small flowers in his tie, but you could decorate it any way you wanted. 

His shoes are Yellow and the soles are white.  With the fine-tipped brush and black draw the lines for the tennis shoe.



Bunny:  Base her ribbon in Yellow. I painted small blue hearts on the bow and outlined in black with a fine-tipped brush.  Her hair is Pink Angel and her curls are outlined with black and that handy fine-tipped brush.  :)

I would have to say her eyes are the easiest of all since they are closed.  Give her some eyelashes and again I used some blue mixed with floating medium on the edges of the egg where I placed the mouth, eyes and any cracks.  Her cheeks are based in Pink Angel, same as her lips.  She is a girl, give her kissable lips.

Her apron tie is Yellow and the apron itself is Salem blue and shaded with Cophen Blue thinned with floating medium.  The edge is Yellow and it's decorated with White dots.

Her socks are White with a ruffle on the top and her shoes are black with a blue bow.  I used white to outline and separate the shoes.


Violet:  Her bow is based in Pink Angel shaded with Barn Red mixed with floating medium.  It's decorated with small Yellow flowers with White centers.  She has Yellow curls outlined in black.   Again you will need your fine-tipped brush to outline the curls and bow.

I used Cophen Blue, Black, and Wicker White for the eyes.  Paint the eyebrows with Black using a fine paint brush.   I used some blue mixed with floating medium on the edges of the egg where I placed the mouth, eyes and any cracks.  Her cheeks are based in Pink Angel, same as her lips.  Another girl--so another set of kissable lips.

Her apron tie is Pink Angel and the apron itself is Yellow.  It is decorated with small White flowers with pink centers.  I also dropped a tiny splash of color right behind each flower with the Pink Angel thinned with floating medium.  The edge is Pink Angel.  And again everything is outlined with black and your fine-tipped brush.


Her socks are Yellow with a ruffle on the top and her shoes are based with Pink Angel.  Outline the little strap on with your black paint.



And last but not least--Arley:  He is the least complicated.  I used Cophen Blue, Black, and Wicker White for the eyes.  Paint the eyebrows with Black using a fine paint brush.   I used some blue mixed with floating medium on the edges of the egg where I placed the mouth, eyes and any cracks.   Base his ribbon in Yellow. It's decorated with small White flowers. And voilĂ --your done!  Your very own Eggbert family (your whatever you want to call them).





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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Peter Rabbit

Easter ranks right up there as a favorite holiday for me.  I love the candy giving and egg hunting, the cute stuffed bunnies. All the frilly-little dresses and cute suits to dress the little ones up, etc. but I especially love the decorations.  Here is a little wooden rabbit that I painted.

Paint list:

  1. Pink Angel
  2. Wicker White
  3. Cinnamon
  4. Thunder Blue
  5. Black
  6. Sunny Yellow
  7. Spring Rose
  8. Tangerine
  9. Light Lavender
  10. Purple
  11. Hunter Green

Materials list:
Wooden pieces cut to size (I'll try to add the template at a later time)
Ribbon of choice (to tie around neck--not pictured)
Sharpie marker (black)
pencil
glue gun
one 1"x1" hearts (mouth)
one 5/16" button (for nose)
paint brushes





 
Base wooden pieces with main colors
  1. Paint the following pieces and allow to dry before adding a second coat.  
  2. Rabbit body, hands, feet and nose--Wicker White.  Nose--black.  Basket--Cinnamon.  Decorate the eggs as you wish.  I used Sunny Yellow, Spring Rose, Tangerine, Light Lavender, Purple, Hunter Green and Wicker White.   
  3. Paint the checks Pink Angel. Also use the Pink Angel for the ears.  Use a fine brush and with Black outline both the ears and cheeks (can also use an extra-fine sharpie marker), also cross-hatch a few Black lines on both the ears and cheeks to shadow.
  4. You can paint the eyes or just use two small wooden buttons (same as the nose) for the eyes.  Paint the eyebrows with Black using a fine paint brush.  I used Thunder Blue, Black, and Wicker White for the eyes.
  5. Use a black sharpie marker for the detail around the edge of the rabbit body, hands and feet or a fine paint brush and black. Your choice.  I used the paint brush and Black paint.

After everything is dry...


Glue the whiskers in place.


Secure the nose and mouth.


With hot glue, secure the basket to the body and the afix the hands to the basket.  Glue the body to the feet. 
Tie a cute bow around his neck, which I forgot to do before I took these pictures!  :)

Monday, April 4, 2011

Easy Tomato Basil Pizza


Ingredients:
one ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch)
1/2 cup Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme
1 tomato, thinly sliced
basil
red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees


Spread pizza crust with cooking creme;


Top with tomatoes, basil and red pepper flakes.


Sprinkle with cheese.  Place crust directly on middle oven rack.


Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cheese is melted.



Giveaway Winners

The winner of the GIVEAWAY! Ribbon Flower Pin and $10 gift card is Amanda Mizen.

 And the winner of the "Giveaway" Curling Iron Holder and $10 gift card is Shannon Johnson.


I will send out the prizes this week.  This was my first giveaway and I just want to thank everyone who participated! 

Friday, April 1, 2011

The Blog Guidebook, FREE signup



I just came across a really great opportunity that I had to share with everyone. The Blog Guidebook is allowing blogs to sign up FREE!  To get your blog listed in the Blog Guidebook click HERE. What a wonderful way to get exposure for your blog. I signed up! So go check them out!