Tasty Easter Topiary

Source: dimpleprints.com via Tanya on Pinterest

This was one of those projects that appears easier than it is. Actually it is not that difficult, it just becomes time consuming and a little frustrating as you try to fill in all of the spaces while keeping everything in-line.

The best thing about this project was that I got almost everything from the Dollar Store! I found a wooden pot in the craft section that I spray-painted a hot pink and used for the base. I then filled the pot with modelling clay to add weight and stability. Once all of the chocolate eggs are attached it is actually quite heavy, if you do not add the extra weight to the base it will likely tip over. Before the clay dried I inserted the dowel that I had painted green, then covered with straw Easter grass. 

I covered the styrofoam ball in crepe paper (tissue paper could also be used) as I could not find tulle as suggested in the original tutorial from Disney Family Fun. I think the tulle would have looked better, but I was not able to find any in our limited selection of craft and fabric stores. Once covered I started the pain staking process of attaching all of the chocolate eggs. I had wanted to make 2 topiaries, and had two bases ready, but after it took me six bags of chocolate eggs to complete one I decided to stop there.

I was a little skeptical that I could insert a toothpick into each egg without breaking it or breaking the egg, but it surprisingly worked well. I ended up breaking my toothpicks in half to make it a little easier sticking them in the styrofoam. And after some trial and error found it best to start at the middle (largest) part of the ball and work in lines going around the circumference.

In the end the only things I did not buy from the Dollar Store was the spray-paint and the chocolate eggs. They did have the eggs but I was not as fond of the colours.

Not bad for a first try, I think with a little more practise (and patience) I could get it to fill in better. I am thinking of making a gumdrop topiary next year. Though I like the idea of the individually wrapped chocolate eggs I think the gumdrops will be easier and fill in nicer….I just need to find a way to keep the cat from getting into them.

Irish Cupcakes

This has to be one of my favourite pins! These cupcakes were such a great hit at my St. Patty's Day party that people were still talking about them days latter.



Source: browneyedbaker.com via Tanya on Pinterest

This was just a random pin since I like liquor and and love cupcakes so how could it go wrong? I actually hadn't planned on making them (at least not this year) but when my guest bringing dessert call in sick I quickly remembered this little gem. And I am glad I did.

For ease and time I did skip the Irish whiskey chocolate ganache. Which I think may make them a better cupcake. The original post on BrownEyedBaker  did say that they could be a little boozy, but without the ganache I didn't find this at all. The Irish Cream icing was fantastic with just the right flavor of Baileys, though if I remember correctly I may have had a few sips by then and added a little extra. And the cake is a wonderful rich chocolate that does not taste like Guinness at all. Though I will admit that I feel more Irish just knowing it was in there.

I did not get a final results picture as I was making them last-minute and did not have the time before guest arrived, and they did not last long enough to get a picture when I thought about it latter.

Pin Me!

I have been wanting to make this Martha Stewart craft for years. But every year I seem to remember it on March 16th and it is too late to find everything I need. However this year through the magic of Pintrest (OK, I know that is probably going a little far) I finally remembered to get everything to make these little shamrocks in time after pinning the tutorial a month before....well kind of.



Source: marthastewart.com via Tanya on Pinterest

I happened to pick up fabric floral wire that was on clearance when I bought my wooden basket at Michael's for my St. Patty's Day Kiss container. Since I did not have any green fabric on hand I set off to Walmart to find some. Luckily I was able to find a few squares I liked in the quilting fabric section. Though when I got it home I realised that I had enough to make a whole field of shamrocks. I did forget to look for liquid starch, but after a quick google search I found a homemade recipe that works just as well.

So I had everything ready to go...then kind of forgot about it again. So once again on March 16th I remembered this craft. The difference this time was that I had the materials needed on hand, so I set to work. They are actually very quick and easy to make, thought I would recommend sharper scissors than the ones I used, and quickly had a nice little pile of shamrocks ready. I grouped them into little bunches for each pin, at the same time realising that I did not have any pins. And since we were having people over for St. Patty's day I did not have time to run out and get any. So I guess I will have to wait another year to wear my shamrock pin on St. Patty's day.

They did not go to waste as I did use the little bunches as decorations around the house.

I am thinking next year I may use my leftover fabric to make a pot of shamrocks as a centre piece. Hopefully I remember.

Kiss Me

I love St. Patty's Day. Living in Atlantic Canada I find that by mid March you really need a break from all of the cold, snow, and overall blah-ness that takes over this time of year. And there is nothing better than one day where everything is green (a colour that you haven't seen in nature for at least 5 months), you venture outside the warmth of your home (or invite long lost summer friends in) and you just let loose.

So it was this love of a day in the middle of March that finally gave me the initiative to follow-through on one of my many pins on Pintrest.

One of my very first pins was this cute project from Anna and Blue paperie and it seemed like the perfect thing to try.
I already had green sparkles from glittering skulls at Halloween (my #1 favourite celebration) and had enough craft paint around the house I was sure I could come up with the right colour green, Of course I was not able to find a perfect little container like the one in the picture. So the search was on with me eventually settling on a little wood basket from Michael's.

So after painting the basket green, spraying with glue, covering it with sparkles (and myself, my basement and my cat), I sprayed with glue again to make sure the sparkles stayed on (and act as a top coat). So needless to say at this point I had green sparkle hands that would take days to become completely clean, but the little basket was looking darn cute.

I ended up creating my own kiss me label on round Avery labels, as my printer was running low on ink and printed with lines in the green. I punched out the scalloped circle from a scrap of paper I had then attached the label in the centre. But I have to say I like the one from Anna and Blue Paperie better. Maybe I will change this before I use it again next year.

I did fill it was chocolate kisses as in the picture above, but they were all gone by the time I got around to taking the picture.