burger cake

well sliders to be exact. didn’t know what to make for my hubbie’s birthday cake. really wanted to do an old pickup truck, he’s always talking about owning one. but i just didn’t have time.  sliders and fries just came to mind.

burger buns are cupcakes covered in fondant, patties were brownies,condiments were mix of icing and fondant.  i used sugar cookie dough for the fries.  took me a few attempts as the dough kept getting bigger in the oven.  really had to make thin cookies to make the right proportioned fry (almost threw them all against the wall).

 

t was a hit.  first time my son ate a ‘burger’… and he wouldn’t even try his fish cake.

tshirt yarn accessories…

  

market day! a day for our entrepreneurial 3rd graders to pimp their goods and services after their unit of study on commerce.  my son started off wanting to bake cookies, then sell his personal drawings.  then he switched to hand decorated pencils.  clearly, he was all over the place.

so after a discussion on identifying his target consumer, competition, and access to materials, he decided to make upcycled jewelry that would appeal to both the boys and the girls.

i suggested making tshirt yarn as we had a pile of shirts that the kids have outgrown and were too stained to donate.

he watched this helpful video:

materials needed:

tshirts

rotary fabric cutter

ruler

cutting board

sewing machine (optional)

my daughter taught him how to braid and although it was tough for him at first, he became a braiding machine after a few tries.

after an afternoon of family crafting, like our own little factory, we helped him make a bunch of necklaces and bracelets.  i did find that sewing the ends together with a piece of scrap fabric wrapped around the ends ensured a more secure connection.

my alter ego…

introducing crafty girl….with her handy dandy glue gun of course.

i’m just addicted to photoshop’s pen tool and now i love to draw using it…can’t stop playing with it!!!!!

 

coach gift

we adore the parents that volunteer to coach.  basketball happens to be my favorite sport to watch my son play.

this past christmas he received 2 different over-the-door basketball hoops.  one is in our kitchen and he is constantly throwing the ball from all over the kitchen.  he loves it.  so i thought it would make a fun gift from the team.

i purchased 2 nerf hoops from amazon, http://www.amazon.com/RJ-Quality-Products-Nerfoop-Basketball/dp/B004FX7IS0/ref=sr_1_sc_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1364070760&sr=8-3-spell&keywords=ner+basketball+hoop for $11.00 each, free shipping (which is what i love about amazon.com).  but i have seen them significantly cheaper at target when they have them in stock.

using the backboard as a template, i created our own backboards with images of our coaches, which i altered on photoshop.  the hoop comes with the plastic hardware to hook it over the door and to install the included hoop and net.  i used recycled cardboard, red craft paint, spray adhesive to attach their images and then an exacto knife to cut out the holes for the hardware.

needless to say, my son had a blast throwing balls at his coaches’ faces before we presented them at the end-of-season party.  hope they hang them in their own offices, makes for a great stress-relieving activity!

welcome to atlanta

one of our teachers just moved to atlanta from up north and enjoys spending her weekends exploring the city with her fiance.  she also loves to check out new restaurants.

so for her birthday, i thought it would be sweet for the class to share their favorite places to eat and play.  now, these are 8/9 year olds so their places were a touch limited.  a few said wal-mart and i just couldn’t include that.  luckily, they shared more than one place.

i found a city map online and using the pen tool in photoshop, my new addiction, i created a graphic map of atlanta. played with the colors and then added their favorite places.

now she has a personalized modern map of atlanta that will always remind her of her first all boys class- and they are a cute bunch.