Christmas Treat Bags

The other day I ended up making around 70 of these fun little treat bags.  In a prior post, I had started this project, by stamping the "VERY MERRY Christmas" from the Stampin' Up set "It's a Wrap Holidays".  I only got about 60 candies stamped and wrapped before running out of candy.  The project was put on hold for over a week, until I could make a Costco run and get the huge bag of Hershey's Nuggets. 
Once I had more "nuggets", I began stamping and wrapped a ton more!  To make the use of "It's a Wrap Holidays" easier, I stamped onto address labels and then peeled to stick to each candy.  After finishing the candies, I worked at getting four into each of the small Stampin' Up treat bags, and then worked on stamping "Joy at Christmas" from the SU set "Perfect Punches".  I also punched a background for each stamped image.  I used  the 1 3/4" and 2" scallop circle punches. 
For the wrap across the tops, I cut a 3" by 6" strip of cardstock, punched the bottom of each with Martha Stewart's snowflake border punch, then folded in half and stapled once in the center.  I made sure to staple backwards so that I could "hide" the staple edges with the scallop medallions I had made.  I love how these turned out!  For colors, I used several greens and reds (both SU and other brands).  ~Hoppy crafting!!!

Very Merry Chocolate!

I've been crazy-busy (with nearly 50 kinders!), and have been working a TON!  It has been report card season, and I've been burning the midnight oil at school (Not joking! Some nights I've been there til 8pm!), while doing some crazy projects for my kinders.  I've had limited scrap time, but have been making a few projects, just haven't had time to post.  I don't know about you all, but (just between us, wink, wink), I still have NOT finished my Christmas cards!!! (GASP!)  I have a weekend coming, and I must become a Christmas card mass-production specialist!!! 
Anyways, on to my newest glimmer of craftiness!  I bought a cute set of stamps from Stampin' Up, called "It's a Wrap Holidays".  Wellllll.......long story short, a light bulb clicked on (Okay, it was more like fireworks going off in my head...in a "hey, Genius, why haven't you realized this?" sort of way, but  I digress...).  I looked at my stamp set, and realized that it should fit on address labels!!! YESSSSSS!!! No cutting!  No gluing!  No swearing!  So, I got out my Avery Address labels (30 on a page.  # 48260 for all you tech-savvy crafting gurus), and started stamping away with the stamp that says "VERY MERRY Christmas". 
I stamped labels in Cranberry Crisp, Real Red, Cherry Cobbler, Glorious Green, Wild Wasabi, and Garden Green, then I found what was left of the bag of Hershey's Nuggets and wrapped 60 of these darlings!  I originally bought a bag of Hershey's Miniatures, which subsequently got eaten by a madman and two weenie-wolves, but they are just a little bit the wrong size (too long).   I need to get back to stamping and back to the store!  I intend on distributing the contraband sharing the chocolate goodies as a holiday treat with my co-workers next week!  Nothing says Christmas, like chocolate!  ~Hoppy Crafting!!!

Birthday Surprises!

Today is my birthday, and I felt very special on this day!  Not only did I have many friends wishing me happy birthday, sending cards and other goodies my way, as well as my students being super excited that yes, their teacher has birthdays, too, but I had some other amazing things happen.  I first noticed something was up, when I walked out my front door this morning to find a green blinged envelope and cupcakes with flowers and numbers heading down my walkway!  The special card told me that I would be receiving quite a few surprises today! 

Each of the gorgeously decorated flowers had a number and a "reason why I am wonderful, exceptional, and so very loved" from my very special friend, Brenda!  I am SO lucky to have such an amazing and thoughtful friend!  She managed to get so many people at my school to randomly deliver and/or "hide" cupcakes in my classroom at random times, that my students and I had to keep our eyes sharp for the next arrival!  Each time we re-entered the room, I would hear shouts of  "I see another cupcake!" or "there it is!".  It was almost a game of "Where's Waldo"! 

Towards the end of our day, I had almost 30 cupcakes with flowers, and it was time to share the cupcakes with my kinders!  They had been "tortured" and "starved for sugar" all day (according to them), and were thrilled that I shared!  (As if I could, or would, eat over 30 cupcakes myself!)  :o) 

Though I LOVED each thoughtful gift, and more than a few made me giggle and almost cry, here are some of my favorite "reasons" on the flowers:  Craft Cave; You love when I sing Disney songs; You can hold it together in front of 25+ midgets; you shake the minds of our future serial murderers; you make amazing fudge (almost as good as Martha, haha!); you nearly always have green toe nails; frogs; you are unbelievably patient; you never give store-bought cards; your cellphone "ribbits"; you're always willing to hear your friends vent...no matter what you have on your plate; you make me feel sane when the rest of the world thinks I am crazy;  and,  you are a craft queen!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Princess Birthday Cake

I made this princess birthday cake for Miss Mackinzie, at the request of her grandmother.  The cake is an 11x15 sheet cake.  I frosted the entire cake in blue, then used a toothpick to free-hand the castle design.  Once I was satisfied with the look, I used dark pink to outline the castle, then light pink and purple to fill in the castle.  When I was finished, I added some flowers climbing up the castle and around the archway, as well as adding some clouds and the traditional "Happy Birthday" phrasing.  I also added Mackinzie's name over the drawbridge.  ~Hoppy Crafting! 

Cake Balls!

Chocolate Cake Balls with peppermint drizzle



Yes, you read the title right!  Thanks to my friend, Margaret, I have found a new recipe: Cake Balls!!!  I'm not lying when I tell you that Margaret's balls saved me a few days ago when I was having an extra rough day with the kindergartners!!!  They were totally wound up and challenging my last nerves.  Margaret surprised me with a bag of balls, and I survived the day by eating almost every single one!  THANK YOU, MARGARET!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!!! 



Crumbled white cake



If you're in a pinch and need something easy, THIS is it!  Here's the basic recipe:



*Bake any flavor of cake mix & allow to cool.

*Crumble up the entire cake in a bowl.

*Add around 3/4 cup of frosting (I used Betty Crocker vanilla, but you could make your own). 

*Here's the fun part----Use your hands to mix/mush the cake and frosting together so it's evenly distributed.

Ready for the freezer!

*Once all the cake and frosting are mixed, start rolling balls from the mixture (I made balls between a nickel & quarter circumference).

*Lay balls on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. 

*Freeze balls for approximately 20 minutes.

*Melt cocoa candy melts in microwave, per instructions on bag (I used Wilton Candy Melts and it took around 2 min.)

*Use fork or candy dipping tools to help coat balls and set back on parchment/wax paper to set.





Dipping in chocolate!

You are done!!! :o)  I told you it was easy!!!  If you want an extra fancy look, drizzle cake balls with a contrasting color of candy melt or add sprinkles while it's still wet!  I found peppermint/candy cane candy melts, and drizzled over some of mine! 

These are great to package up and give to friends or family!  I found that one cake mix made approximately 60-70 balls (depending on the size).  This is also a great activity to do with your children! They would LOVE the messy-squishy part!  ~Hoppy Crafting!!!

Ah, Fudge!

I FINALLY got to some holiday candy-making and baking yesterday!  I made three batches of fudge: two chocolate, and one butterscotch.  SO easy to make, but just one of those things that takes time.  I don't know about you, but time is always a struggle!  I'm finally off for our school's Christmas (YES, I said CHRISTMAS) Break, and have been running around here like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to finish things up.  Santa has the workshop all bedazzled with ribbon, bows, scissors, paper, and tape. (NO MORE GLITTER ALLOWED!!!)
Somehow this season, I've become a personal shopper for several friends and family, as well. Probably because I can usually find some of the best deals around....and let's face it, most husbands (and non-scrap-a-holics) don't even think to use coupons (GASP!!!!)!   Note to self: charge people next year! I'm done making MULTIPLE trips to stores, and am just going to focus now on getting my own stuff done.
Since I'm just finishing packaging up my fudge....I think I'll sit back and enjoy a piece before I ship it all out of my house!  Merry Christmas & Hoppy Crafting!!! :o)