So what’s all the buzz about? This little bee is the perfect way to add some pop to your party!

Candy pops are easy to make and more importantly easy to eat! To make one of these delicious DIY desserts, all you need is marshmallows, pretzels (for wings), candy melts, candy eyes and lollipop sticks.

Great for a Garden Party, Bee Birthday or Little Bee Baby Shower, you can display your delicious treats in a flower pot (with a hidden styrofoam block) or in a wooden box filled with grass. This little dessert can’t bee beat!

You’ll need:

For the Fudge base:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• dash salt
• 2 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
• 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon curd
• 1 1/2 cup of miniatures marshmallows

For the Garnish:

• 1 cup lemon curd
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Then Click HERE for the instructions

The preparations started the night before.  My daughter was just ending her Kindergarten school year and has been very excited about writing.  She left a note for the fairies by one of the many fairy houses in our backyard to “leave a sign that they were here to visit” and invited them to her party tomorrow.  The fairies really did come to visit because when she checked the fairy house first thing in the morning, fairy dust was sprinkled at each fairy house in our yard with a few “gems” or polished glass stones.  She sure anticipated her party after school!

I made the headbands for each girl that attended the party using small silk flowers, ribbon and a butterfly and I found the package of headbands at the dollar store.

Her guests were welcomed into the yard by a “Welcome to the Enchanted Fairy Garden” sign and a fairy house.

I made placemats for the girls out of white card stock with their name, butterfly stickers and a fairy quote “Like fairy dust gleams on butterfly wings, little girl dreams are made of magical things”.  At the end of the party I put the placemat and menu in their goodie bag so they could bring them home.

The menu for the fairy tea party was as follows:

Tea Sandwiches

Flower Power Grilled Cheese

Butterfly Egg Salad Sandwich

Ham & Cheese Snail Pinwheels

Raisin Bread with Cream Cheese and Sliced Apple

Sliced Banana and Nutella Spread on Crackers

Fresh Fruit Fairy Wands

Desserts

Chocolate Dipped Fairy Berries

Rainbow Petits Fours

Magical Dragonfly Cupcakes

Beverages

Peach Herbal Tea

Pink Lemonade

I served proper English style tea for the girls using a herbal peach tea.  All of the girls were willing to at least try it.  I think it is important to try new things and it was ok if they didn’t care for it, we then served pink lemonade.

I thought this menu catered to most kid’s and I avoided peanut butter in case of food allergies.  The biggest hit was the butterfly shaped grilled cheese sandwiches.  I had the bread cut, buttered and the sandwiches prepared ahead of time.  As I prepared the three tiered server, I put them on a hot griddle, flipped them and they were ready to serve.

The fresh fruit fairy wands were made using wooden skewers.

The dragonfly cupcakes really turned out beautiful.  I dipped pretzels in melted blue chocolate wafers and pieced them together on wax paper.  They perfectly stayed together to adorn the top of the cupcake.  The devils food cupcakes were iced with pink cream cheese frosting.

Desserts are served!  The petit fours were easily made using frozen pound cake cut into squares and dipped in different melting chocolates.  These could be made a couple days in advance and kept in the fridge.

We played two games at the fairy tea party.

The first was an egg hunt in our yard and throughout the garden.  The plastic eggs were filled with small items that the girls will use to build fairy houses to take home.  Some items included, glass stones, buttons, pinecones, sea shells, etc.  The winner had found the most eggs.

The second game was played in between courses.  I filled a tray with “tea party” items and covered it with a table cloth.  Once I removed the cover, I explained the items to the girls and they had one minute to look things over.  I then covered the tray and gave them paper to list out as many items as they could remember.  For young writers, they did a great job!

After the girls finished up their dessert, I cleared the table to work on building a take-home fairy house.  I found these little odd shaped boxes that I thought would be perfect to decorate.  Prior to the party, my daughter and I filled a box with some natural items, clippings from the boxwood bushes, dried pressed flowers, sticks, pinecones and small stones.  I purchased a small bag of moss, seashells and glass stones from the dollar store.  Just a few paper plates with glue and the girls were ready to decorate their fairy houses.  The houses are perfect to be kept in a dry place outside like a covered porch.

It appeared that the girls enjoyed their afternoon together and we were thankful for them coming to our fairy tea party.  The goodie bags included a book on Fairy Houses and a fairy book mark - perfectly matching the Fairy Tea Party theme.

]]> http://sydssweetshoppe.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/welcome/ Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:11:12 +0000 Syds Sweet Shoppe http://sydssweetshoppe.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/welcome/ Welcome to my new blog for my business Syd’s Sweet Shoppe! I hope you enjoy looking at all my creative cupcakes to come! If you want, you can subscribe to my blog to get an email whenever I post a new post! You can also go to my Facebook page and “like” that too! Here’s the link: 0Syd’s Sweet Shoppe! Thank you so much!!

Download and print out the colorful Kids Are The Best Garland that I made. The template is for personal use only – for terms and conditions of use go to About. Cut out the template and make two holes in the top part of every letter card. Use ribbon or string to hang the letters in order and display it. Have fun!

Anna

Aside from figuring out what gifts to give, what should you wear to all these celebrations? Itty Bitty has a few looks to keep you feeling & (most importantly) looking cool in the summer heat. Take a peek at these outfit ideas for the graduation ceremony & after party. Whether you’re sitting in the crowd cheering on a family member or making an appearance while the party is in full swing, you’ll be sure to look fabulous.

Tips:

-At the Ceremony: Always have a travel tissue pack on hand, you never know who or when the waterworks will hit.

-At the After Party: Disposable cameras are a great novelty. Pass it around! Let it leave your sight for a bit & see what develops.

You’ve seen our positively purdy Prom fashions, now take a gander at our Grad wear. Carson is looking classy in her cap & gown. She’s shared her high school graduation photo (in the white gown) & is showing her Appalachian State pride when she graduated from college. Kathleen picked a photo of her standing in front of Riley Art & Design Hall at the University of Notre Dame. And who could resist cap-tassel mustaches?!

Happy Graduation!

~ Kathleen ~

Today I wanted to share a glimpse of the beautiful baby shower my Mother threw for me this past weekend! (June 2nd, 2013)

With the help of my sister and mother-in-law, she turned this lovely patio into a little Baby Shower paradise! I was so happy to be able to celebrate outside in the sunshine with our huge party of friends and family who came baring oh so many gifts for our little one! It was truly a downpour of a Baby Shower, with 60 + people in attendance we were given all that we could possibly need for this baby and, well, much much more! (We will literally not have to spend a dime out of our own pockets on little Roman for what seems like quite a while.)

Most of my friends felt that such a large party must be quite overwhelming, and yes, opening gifts in front of that many people for that long isn’t the most comfortable experience, and making sure to spend time talking to each guest leaves you with little time to eat and relax, but it was quite an exciting affair, full of joy, and we are so very grateful to have been the recipients of such generosity. I’ve been to some small, intimate showers that were really wonderful, but now I can say that I fully support the big shower bash as well! (With living away from home, and having a very busy summer this year, we simply didn’t have the extra weekend to split up our family or friends into multiple showers.)

As far as the details… my fabulous mother made that fabulous cake, and decorated my Aunt Sharon’s famous carrot cake with that adorable surfing baby scene (my husband and his family are surfers.) She even made those little elephants out of fondent! We had a onesie painting station set up in a lovely little gazebo which gave guests (especially the kids) a fun little activity to entertain themselves with. There was also a mimosa station, a candy station for filling up those adorable blue mason jar party favors, and a baby picture table full of adorable snapshots of our childhoods to help guests guess at what little Roman will look like! As usual, I wish I took more pictures. We even brought our nice camera to be sure to capture the day, but of course forgot all about it in the midst of all the excitement! Luckily some friends snapped some photos for Instagram and I have plenty of lovely shots to help remember that special day!

Also, my dress is from Anthropologie, empire waist maxis work so well on pregnant bodies!

I must say, receiving all those baby gifts made it all feel so much more real. In only 2 months this little guy will be here, wearing these onesies, cuddling in these blankets, playing with these toys…  I just can’t wait!

Today I wanted to share a glimpse of the beautiful baby shower my Mother threw for me this past weekend! (June 2nd, 2013)

With the help of my sister and mother-in-law, she turned this lovely patio into a little Baby Shower paradise! I was so happy to be able to celebrate outside in the sunshine with our huge party of friends and family who came baring oh so many gifts for our little one! It was truly a downpour of a Baby Shower, with 60 + people in attendance we were given all that we could possibly need for this baby and, well, much much more! (We will literally not have to spend a dime out of our own pockets on little Roman for what seems like quite a while.)

Most of my friends felt that such a large party must be quite overwhelming, and yes, opening gifts in front of that many people for that long isn’t the most comfortable experience, and making sure to spend time talking to each guest leaves you with little time to eat and relax, but it was quite an exciting affair, full of joy, and we are so very grateful to have been the recipients of such generosity. I’ve been to some small, intimate showers that were really wonderful, but now I can say that I fully support the big shower bash as well! (With living away from home, and having a very busy summer this year, we simply didn’t have the extra weekend to split up our family or friends into multiple showers.)

As far as the details… my fabulous mother made that fabulous cake, and decorated my Aunt Sharon’s famous carrot cake with that adorable surfing baby scene (my husband and his family are surfers.) She even made those little elephants out of fondent! We had a onesie painting station set up in a lovely little gazebo which gave guests (especially the kids) a fun little activity to entertain themselves with. There was also a mimosa station, a candy station for filling up those adorable blue mason jar party favors, and a baby picture table full of adorable snapshots of our childhoods to help guests guess at what little Roman will look like! As usual, I wish I took more pictures. We even brought our nice camera to be sure to capture the day, but of course forgot all about it in the midst of all the excitement! Luckily some friends snapped some photos for Instagram and I have plenty of lovely shots to help remember that special day!

Also, my dress is from Anthropologie, empire waist maxis work so well on pregnant bodies!

I must say, receiving all those baby gifts made it all feel so much more real. In only 2 months this little guy will be here, wearing these onesies, cuddling in these blankets, playing with these toys…  I just can’t wait!

How to Have a Stress-Free Party:

1. Plan Your Menu

It’s NOT a party for you if you’re chained to your kitchen. Make sure you serve options that don’t involve you slaving over a hot stove while guests are enjoying themselves. I found the Crock Pot is the perfect solution for this. Cook something ahead of time that only requires assembly (like putting hot meat on sandwiches, scooping out hearty pasta dishes, etc). I recommend Beef Dip Sandwiches because they are delicious, easy and make a great presentation.

Your guests will need munchies. Make-ahead plates that you can assemble prior to guests arriving is the way to go. Dump some chips, buy some dips, and be done with it. Instant fancy factor? Cheese and crackers. Trader Joe’s has wonderful and inexpensive cheese/salami options that you can pair with any of their crackers. Just pop out and stylishly arrange a selection and enjoy!

2. Get the Best Deal on Drinks. I have searched high and low for the best deals on alcohol and I have to say, look no further than Total Wine & More. They consistently have the cheapest and widest selection of drinkable wines and liquor. (Be sure to get a cart and bring a partner because those boxes get heavy).

3. Set the Table Scene - Use things from around your house. Vases, knick-knacks, mirrors and other things you already have can add some funky decor without investing in something you’ll only use one evening. A must? Candles. Let the soft glow of the light do the work.

More on this later because this girl loves to throw a party!

• We can’t get over the weather here: not having to worry about rain (see last year’s party) we were 100% of an outdoor party!
• Love the KidSpace Museum – a science-based children’s museum so I included a DIY lava lamp project for the kids to take part in. Bonus is that it can be considered their “goody bag”.  Smart, huh?
• Bouncy houses, it’s not a SoCal party without one.
• Love all the great fresh produce and Asian/Mexican/Mediterranean food so I was inspired to host an actual everyone-can-be-seated-dinner-party.

All in all, it turned out just fine. It took one and a half days of cooking and baking but it was all worth it when my daughter told me, “Mom, you make the best parties!”

My first birthday chocolate cake –  frosted with extra dark chocolate. And  Mini coconut cupcakes with buttercream frosting.

Note the large jar of sangria = party fun for the parents!

The menu included: pulled pork (spicy or regular) with peking buns topped with quick pickled cucumbers and kimchi, sesame noodles, Asian coleslaw, crudite with regular hummus or sriracha hummus, fruit platter, and birthday treats.  Drinks included: lemonade and sangria.

Are those mini yellow chairs not the cutest things?

Doesn’t this floral arrangement just scream, let’s get this party started?!

Lava lamp lab: cooking oil, water, beautiful shaped bottles, food dye and Alkaseltzer tablets = great science project!

There are way too many bouncy houses for a parent to choose from. It’s ridiculous. Any color, character or shape. I actually wanted to get the Hello Kitty one but it didn’t have the best window- you NEED to be able to see what’s going on when you host 4-5 year olds.

A little ol’ sidewalk chalk can be just as entertaining as a big ol’ bouncy house.

Photo credit: Majority taken by Sara Kim.

Bring the tropics to your yard with a budget-friendly Hawaiian luau party. Make it extra special with these affordable decorations and accessories, including grass skirts, totem poles, tropical flowers and more. Aloha!

Give Luau Party Favors

Help guests get into the mood. Decorate inexpensive flip-flops by attaching faux tropical flowers to the thong with hot glue. Have the footwear ready for partygoers to slip on when they arrive.

Keep Cocktails Cool

Insulate bottles and cans with grass skirt–inspired drink cozies using these simple instructions:

YOU’LL NEED (FOR 2 COOZIES):

• Tape measure
• Scissors
• 9″ x 12″ sheet brightly colored craft foam
• Glue gun

1. Measure circumference of can or bottle (if you don’t have a tape measure, wrap a piece of thread around it, then measure thread with a ruler).
2. Cut craft foam into two rectangles, ¼” longer than circumference by 3″ wide.
3. To make cozy resemble a grass skirt, cut fringe along entire length of rectangle, leaving a piece about ½” wide at each end to make it easier to glue together. Don’t worry if fringe isn’t uniform.
4. Trim edges of fringe unevenly to give a more grass-like appearance. Cut some ends straight and others on an angle.
5. Wrap craft foam to form a cylinder, overlapping ends ¼”, and secure with glue. Allow glue to dry completely before sliding cozy around can or bottle.

Dress Your Fence

Create a vibrant backdrop by hanging paper flowers in lush tropical colors using these simple instructions:

YOU’LL NEED (FOR 1 FLOWER):

• Scissors
• 4 to 6 brightly colored 9″ x 12″ envelopes (available at office-supply stores)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Standard-size hole punch
• Double-sided tape
• Monofilament

1. Cut flaps off all envelopes.
2. Lay one envelope flat so that shorter side is parallel to edge of table and open end is away from you. Use a ruler to find midpoint of top edge (open end) and of each long (12″) edge; mark with a pencil. Draw an arc connecting each side dot to dot at top. Cut along lines. Shape should now resemble a pointy petal. Using this envelope as your template, cut three to five additional envelopes (in same color) into petal shapes.
3. Use punch to make holes at midpoint of bottom (closed) edge of each envelope.
4. Attach envelopes to one another by placing an envelope on a flat surface, petals pointing away from you. Position a 2″ to 3″ piece of double-sided tape parallel to edge nearest you, but not obstructing hole. Stack a second envelope on top, lining up edges of petals. Repeat until all envelopes are taped together in a stack, with petals facing same direction.
5. Thread a 5″ to 6″ piece of monofilament through holes and tie loosely in a knot. Trim excess.
6. Gently pull first and last envelope in opposite directions to form a circle. Use tape to secure first and last envelopes together.
7. Punch hole in top of a petal and string with monofilament to hang.

Light Up the Night

Cover recycled glass jars with colorful corrugated cardboard to make tiki-themed lanterns with these simple instructions:

YOU’LL NEED:

• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Fine-gauge wire (such as florist’s wire)
• Clean glass jars in various sizes
• Needle-nose pliers
• 12″ x 16″ sheets colored corrugated paper (available atamazon.com)
• X-acto knife
• Glue gun
• Tea lights

FOR WIRE HANGERS

1. Cut a 1′ to 2′ length of wire, depending on size of jar.
2. Leaving a tail of 4″ to 5″, wrap wire around top of jar several times. Twist long end and tail together, then arch long end over top of jar.
3. Secure end by slipping it between jar and wrapped wire. Adjust to desired length; twist closed.
4. Use pliers to crimp twisted wires into place, then use scissors to snip any excess wire.

FOR LANTERN COVERS

1. Measure height and circumference of each jar.
2. Cut sheet of corrugated paper that is 1″ wider than jar, so that corrugated ridges are vertical (1 sheet yields 1 to 3 lanterns, depending on jar size).
3. Lay paper flat and use X-acto knife to cut out simple shapes, like crescents, triangles or squiggly lines. The holes will allow light to shine through, overlapping 1″.
4. Wrap cover around jar and glue ends together.
5. Place each tea light in a lantern and hang.

Set the Scene

Wow your guests with totem poles and vases you make yourself. Make them yourself with these simple instructions:

Use a totem vase or small totem pole to accent a buffet, and a large totem pole to decorate the patio. The poles require something inside to help hold them in place—depending on the size, it could be a can of soup or a gallon of paint.

YOU’LL NEED:

• Measuring tape
• Can (to serve as base)
• Scissors
• Roll of brown corrugated wrapping (available at papermart.com and uline.com)
• Pencil
• X-acto knife
• Red cellophane or foil wrapping paper
• Glue gun

FOR TOTEM POLE

1. Measure circumference and height of can you plan to use as a weight, then cut pieces of corrugated wrapping that are 2″ wider and 12″ to 30″ taller than can (depending on how tall you wish to make totem). Be sure to cut wrapping so ridges run vertically.
2. Lay cut piece of wrapping on a flat surface, ridge side down. Draw a simple face (eyes and mouth only), centering it between left and right edges of wrapping; cut out with X-acto knife.
3. To make a red lining, measure from left edge of corrugated wrap to left edge of face and cut piece of cellophane or foil to that size. Measure from right edge of corrugated wrap to right edge of face and cut a second piece of cellophane or foil to that size. Glue in place. (There’s no need to line back of face.)
4. Turn corrugated wrap over so ridges face up. Decorate face with pieces of corrugated wrapping. Cut a nose and eyebrows, and make a geometric band around top and bottom. Vary direction of ridges as you cut out pieces—some vertical, others horizontal; cut some on a diagonal to add a sculptural look. Use glue gun to attach details to totem.
5. Wrap decorated corrugated wrapping around can and glue ends together so they overlap 2″.

FOR TOTEM VASE

1. Choose a clean, empty can in any size you want. Cut a piece of corrugated wrapping that fits can’s circumference and height. Be sure to cut wrapping so that ridges run vertically.
2. Lay cut piece of wrapping on a flat surface, ridges facing up. Cut eyes, nose, mouth and eyebrows out of another piece of corrugated wrapping and glue in place.
3. Glue corrugated wrap to can, wrapping it around so ends meet but do not overlap.

Go Low

No luau party is complete without a limbo contest. Pick up an inexpensive bamboo pole at a hardware store and set aside your prettiest lei to crown the winner in true tropical fashion.

Plan Your Luau Party Well

• Stay safe. Keep a fire extinguisher easily accessible. With lanterns, tiki torches and candles all lighting up your party, it’s crucial to have this tool on hand just in case.
• Cover up. Give your patio umbrella a tropical upgrade by purchasing a thatch cover ($40; target.com).
• Get greenery. Generate an island feel in your yard with inexpensive plants. Ferns, palms and tiger lilies placed in brightly colored pots add lushness to the scene.
• Ice it. Ice sculptures up the wow factor. Use tiki mask–shaped molds (Easter Island Tiki Head candle mold, $7; spiritcrafts.net) that have been frozen overnight.
• Perfume the air. Scented candles are a great way to evoke your party’s spirit. Coconut, lime and sea-air aromas work well.

Get the Hawaiian Look

Check out these sites for more affordable accessories for your luau party:

• orientaltrading.com
• centurynovelty.com
• tikimaster.com

Bridal Shower Invitations

Having a bridal shower? Take a look at these simple and chic bridal shower invitations by your favorite design shop.

What’s great about these invitations is that you can customize them to fit any theme or event. You can customize these bridal shower invitations by requesting specific colors and fonts.

Also, right now, the bridal shower invitations are selling for just $10. Don’t spend a ton of money on your bridal shower when the wedding is just around the corner.

To get your hands on these Bridal Shower invitations, simply visit our online shop. For more designs by Te Amo Charlie, visit us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Carefully cut slivers off the corks. Paint and stamp different designs. Add a small hook as in photo. Use a large piece of wire to attach onto individual wine glasses.

photo via

Wishing wells have fast become a popular trend for engaged couples, many of whom believe that a pretty little bird-cage at their reception is the extent of this!

But at Wedding Gifts Direct, we offer more than just the opportunity to receive money donations from your guests as their gift.

Many guests, especially those who are more traditional, don’t feel it is personal enough to just give a couple money donations. They’d prefer to buy you blenders and toasters, and copious amounts tea cups! So to make them more comfortable with doing so, WGD offers numerous types of money donations that can be personalised to the couples needs.

For example – Honeymoon wishing wells, mortgage/home renovation wishing wells, garden wishing wells, car wishing wells, adopt an animal wishing wells and SO many more!

These personalised wishing wells can be added to your registry lists with varying donation amounts which you choose. It gives the guest a better understanding of what the money donations will be used for, and suddenly they can see you sipping cocktails on your honeymoon by the pool in Fiji, hammering away at new floor boards in your home or even nurturing your adopted Sloth in Central America!

The best thing about these wishing wells personalised or not, is that you can add them to your registry list in combination with tangible gifts! If you are in fact desperate for a new toaster, or perhaps a magical KitchenAid, you can add all of these items to your list with your wishing wells. So those super stubborn relatives – Great Aunt Maude – have the opportunity to make a donation to your wishing well, and buy you that all important kitchen appliance.

And to top it all off, Wishing Wells are a FREE* service offered to those couples who have already registered their Wedding Gift Registry with us.

Create your FREE gift registry here today to take advantage of this month’s great FREE gifts!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup Grapeseed oil
1 cup chopped onion
6 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 28-ounce peeled tomatoes

Arugula leaves (optional)
18 Rolls split horizontally (Wheat optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

3. Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

4. Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. Cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

Behind the Scenes with Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden from Miriam Bennett on Vimeo.

Pre-order the new album and support their kickstarter project at the same time.

1 Record / 9 Films / 8 Filmmakers / 7 Cities

Check out the Behind the Scenes on the making of “Hangover” Directed by Jessie English. Join the party at KateTuckerandtheSonsofSweden.com

Click HERE for instructions – is this finally a fool proof method? Let us know in the comments.

Miniature Scene in a cup

I love this project! I always loved making dioramas in school and instead of using a shoe box this craft has morphed into a miniature world caught in a cup. This project can be altered in a number of ways to make Large miniature worlds caught under glass for elaborate centerpieces or into a more kid friendly version using adapted materials.

Check out the photographs on here and my pintrest boards for examples of the scenes.

A word of warning, this project does need drying time.

Materials:

• Plastic Clear cups of desired size (or any clear glass or plastic cup or bowl)
• 527 Glue (or other glue that bonds to glass)
• Piece of thick paper(or saucer, dish, or other flat surface to use as a base)
• Scissors or craft blade
• pencil or chalk
• Miniatures of your choosing
• Decorative materials: glitter, scrapbooking gems, stickers, etc

HOW TO:

As always prep your workspace to protect your table.

1. Turn your cup upside down and center it on your choice of base. Lightly trace the opening or otherwise mark the base to know the space you have to work in.
2. Now that you know the space you have to work in it’s time to have fun! Decide where you want your miniatures placed within their tiny world. This is also the time to decorate the base (example: Flaked glittered floor to mimic snow or sand for ocean scenes)
3. Once the base has been properly decorated and your placement is decided it’s time to glue! Apply a small amount of the 527 glue to the base of each miniature and place them in their spots.
4. Allow some drying time for the miniatures. I usually wait about an hour and do the next step carefully
5. Time to attach the bubble to this world. Carefully apply 527 glue to the rim of your cup. (careful how you tilt the cup, the glue will run quickly and can leave a cloudy smudge when wiped off.) When you have applied glue to the entire rim slowly and carefully lower the cup around the scene you glued down.
6. Let the glue dry at least 12 hours.
7. Once the glue is dry (you can remove the excess paper from the base cutting close around the rim of the cup if you used thick paper) you can decorate the exterior of the cup however you would like. I recommend adding glitter around the base of the scene to cover where the paper meets the cup, but adding gems to the top is also adorable!

A few Quick tips:

1. You can find miniatures all over, but I recommend the toy section at dollar stores. Hot-wheels, cake-toppers, small play sets, broken jewelry, miniature bottle brush trees all look adorable in cup scenes. You can browse some of the miniatures I offer at the link below:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Sugarbirdholiday?section_id=12771018

2. Make sure the miniatures you choose aren’t too heavy if you choose a thick paper base. Always make sure the miniatures can stand on their own (at least until the glue bonds!)

These fits need to stand the check of time as you can use it in various situations. You will not have a difficulty when you store for a single. Again in the olden times, you can find shoulder pads, massive buttons and baggy skirts. These days, you can select from intricate particulars, excellent cuts and diverse colors. With ladies gown satisfies, you can certainly define your character with no really heading over and above your ease and comfort zone. With this kind of outfits, you can be modern and conservative at the very same time. There are a lot of situations in which you can dress in suits.

If you are invited for a luncheon or afternoon get-jointly, this is fairly best if you want to costume to impress. There are heaps of motives to personal this go well with. In situation, there are occasions, then you will not have problem in what to use. Remember that suits are not just for the business office. You can definitely put on a females satisfies even exterior the corporate setting. You certainly make transitions from working day to night dress in.

You can get girls costume suits from any classic keep and on the web clothes store. If you locate a keep that offers you all the time with excellent clothes, most almost certainly you can switch to them for perfect gown match. The most crucial issue is the simple fact that it matches properly. If you are first time purchaser of this go well with, you want to be outfitted with information to have a successful purchase. There are some trendy choices nowadays that can very last for years to appear. The determination is yours if you are arranging to purchase more than 1. There are a lot of trend designers who generate and design and style a women dress suit. Some of them are really expensive while other people are low-cost. This is all dependent on materials.

There are broad collections of mature females dresses in industry. Females are just like good wine. As they get more mature, more experienced, and more gorgeous, their inner lady seems to obtain a feeling of confident self-confidence, introduced on by the a long time of expertise in daily life. As women get older their perception of trend looks to mature along with them.

We have to get treatment on particular details even though getting experienced women attire. We want to preserve in brain the fact that as we get older some component of our human body tends to surrender to gravity. We need to choose dresses with excellent help to our physique. Entire evening dress, or white tie, the most official civilian gown code, particularly in the United Kingdom. An night gown, the regular experienced girl attire for black tie activities.

We need to wear attire with a basic style. Vintage variations are referred to as classic simply because they continue being in fashion 12 months following calendar year. Simply because they seem excellent on so a lot of bodies! lady dress, lady dress

DESCRIPTION TAG:
Anniversaries are the best way for humans to celebrate. Whether it’s your Birthday or Marriage Date,
We bring to you parties with exclusive & innovative Anniversary Ideas.

LIST OF ANNIVERSARY IDEAS
KIDS BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY IDEAS BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS
AIRPLANE Party Recreate your wedding Nite menu Retro Party
FAIRY TALE PARTY Relive Your First Date Color Party
ALPHABETS PARTY Arrange for a photo shoot Gifts that give you back
ANIMAL PARTY Do something nEw Beach Party
BALLET PARTY Get Crafty Golf Party Drinks Party
BOOK PARTY Give Thoughtful Gifts Midnight in Paris
BALLOON PARTY Match your gift with the Year
Rock Star Party
BEACH PARTY Special Romantic Dinner
BALOON PARTY Tailormade ambience at home Roman Holiday
CHNIESE PARTY Just Be Together Movie Mania
CALENDER PARTY Traditional Family gathering Bollywood Theme
FOOD PARTY A Beach Date Hollywood Theme
DOLL PARTY Halloween
DANCE PARTY Party with Friends Poker Party
FAIRY PARTY Religious ceremony Dirty Party
SNACKS PARTY Candle Light Dinner Candle Party
FIFTIES PARTY A Long Drive Masquerede Party
Fruit Party Black & White Party
Finding Nemo Party Retro romance Romantic Party
Fish Party Filmy Style Office Theme
Fun Party Reviving Honeymoon
Cake Party Yacht Special Easter Party
Love in the air
Egyptian Party Pool party party
Ice Cream party Get wet party
Karaoke Party
Lego Party
Lion King Party
HAPPY PARTY
FANCY DRESS’
For more Birth anniversary ideas visit http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/party_ideas.html
For gifting great birthday gifts to a kid click here (internal link)
For more exciting Marriage Anniversary Ideas http://www.moneycrashers.com/romantic-wedding-anniversary-ideas-for-couples-cheap-fun-unique/
For gifting great wedding anniversary gifts to your partner click here (internal link)
For more cool birthday anniversary ideas click http://www.punchbowl.com/party-ideas/adult-birthday
For gifting great wedding Birthday gifts to your friend click here (internal link)

To share your own anniversary Idea mail us at anniversary ideas@ fundooparties.com. If your idea is cool enough you also stand a chance to win gift vouchers. For information you can connect with us at our Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter & Pinterest page.

Our much-awaited Care Bears party arrived at last! We’re so glad our efforts paid off; the decor looked gorgeous! This party was designed for a special friend who wanted the theme to revolve around the Care Bears. Here are the photos, starting off with the card banner that we hung from the curtain pole. The sparkly lights were already set in place by my friend’s dad, and they set off the banner perfectly!

We hung bunches of helium-filled balloons on both sides of the banner, and one balloon from each chair back. It looked super cheerful.

Care Bears Banner

Here are the party hats for the kids, topped with curly ribbon and finished off with sparkly ribbon to tie under the chin.

Care Bear Hats

One of the cutest decorations of the evening, the big rainbow on the wall! Here’s the tutorial we followed to make this: http://intermissions.typepad.com/snapshots/2008/08/rainbow-art-project-for-kids.html
It was easy to make but quite time-consuming. We think it was worth it, though!

Rainbow Wall Decor

3D Cardboard Centerpieces

The favor bags, filled with all sorts of sweet goodies..

Care Bear Favor Bags

Disposable glasses for the kids, decorated with Care Bear stickers punched out with a scallop punch.

Care Bears Stickers

The cake-cutting ceremony. A very happy birthday to Saad, the star of the evening!

Party Guests

Care Bear items can be ordered at our Etsy shop here, or on our Facebook page here.