Easy Hershey's Treats

This salty and sweet Halloween/Fall treat is sure to please even the toughest crowd. These would be perfect for parties, potluck desserts, teacher gifts, etc! This fun recipe only has a few ingredients, so it's fast and easy!

 

 

Let's Get Started!

 

 

Ingredients

• Circle or square-shaped pretzels
• Hershey's Kisses Hugs
• candy corn or Reece's Pieces or M&M's (all work really well)

Instructions

 

1. Preheat oven to 250F degrees.

 

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Align pretzels on the sheet. Unwrap Hugs and place one on each pretzel. 

 

3. Stick in the oven until the hug begins to melt down (these took about 4 minutes; it depends on your oven).

 

4. While the Hugs are melting in the oven, get your candy ready because you will have to move fast once the pretzels are out of the oven.

 

5. Remove pretzel hugs from oven, quickly and gently press your choice of candy down on each one. The Hug should flatten out when you press the candy on it. If it is not flattening out, place the pretzel hugs back in the oven for 30 more seconds.

 

6. Let the pretzel hugs cool completely and let the chocolate set for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

 

*Store your treats in the refrigerator!*

 

 

 

These goodies can be made using regular Milk Chocolate Hershey Kisses, Dark Chocolate Kisses,  Carmel Kisses or try them with the new Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses! DELISH!

 

You can also adapt these treats for other holidays:

 

Use Peppermint Kisses for Christmas time with Green M&M's

Use Hugs Kisses for Valentine's Day with Pink or Red M&M's

Use Dark Chocolate Kisses and Jelly Beans for Easter

 

We'd love to see your version of this yummy treat!

Comment and leave us a photo!

 

Crafting Around the World

Making "stuff" is a universal language, lets take a second and learn how to say "I Love to Create" in several different languages!
 

 

 

German:

Ich liebe zum Handwerk!

 

Spanish:

Me encanta crear!

 Romanian:

I dragoste pentru a crea!

 

Danish:
Jeg elsker at lave!

Italian
Mi piace creare!

 

So much fun! Comment below and tell us how you say:

 "I Love to Create!"

Etsy Spotlight Shop #5: AnnsHerbals

Looking for natural, organic bath and body products? Well, AnnsHerbals is the place to shop!

Her lip gloss works amazingly well, and her soaps are fantastic!

I myself, purchase my these wonderful bath and body products. I love them and I know you will to!

 

 

"...specifically made for sensitive skin. I use only organic plant oils and pure essential oils..."

 

Ann has a variety of items from body butters, and vegan soaps, to herbals and lotion bars.

 

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/annsherbals?

 I spoke with Ann and asked her a few questions so that you can get to know a little more about her natural bath and body items, and a deeper inside look to her shop.

 

What do you love about making bath and body products?

 

Ann:

The process of creating something from scratch with whole natural ingredients is always so exciting. Finding the right combination of oils and herbs and then seeing them work so well together is amazing. Also to hear from customers how well my products work is the greatest pleasure. It never gets old and I can't imagine doing anything else. My love and fascination with nature is my true inspiration and keeps me going.

 

How many products to you make a day?

 

Ann:

I try to concentrate on one product at a time. Usually when I finish one I find I am low on another, that keeps me continuously creating. I am also always looking at something new to add to the product line. Right now I am working on a formulation for a natural deodorant. Chemical free is a top priority along with attention to sensitive skin. Getting the formulation right takes time and patience so any new projects are worked on when time allows. I completed a baby soap but it is in the testing process right now, if all goes well, I hope to have it out by years end. I'm also bringing back my oatmeal spice soap, I just need to get the scent of spice to where I want it. Natural spices are a challenge to get noticed in a soap. It's all a creative process, the joining of art and science.

 

What makes your shop different for other bath and body shops?

 

Ann:

My products are different from most in that they are specifically made for sensitive skin. I use only organic plant oils and pure essential oils that are processed with the steam distillation method. This method is least invasive and uses no harsh chemicals in the extraction process. I also use herbs for any coloring I may put in my soaps, no artificial colors. I look at my products with a very back to basics approach, less is more and from nature is best for our bodies. I have sensitive skin so everything I make has to satisfy my sensitive skin.

 

How did you get your start on etsy.com?

Ann:
I had been in a partnership with my son Ryan up until 2012, he introduced me to Etsy. It seemed like a great fit and Etsy buyes are the best! A few of my products, due to their name and/or tags, cannot be listed on Etsy per Etsy's policies so I have found a new home for them at annsherbals.com. These products are my ditch the itch soap and simple no pimple soap.. I didn't want to give them up, they work so well, so I found a new home for them along with some other new products. Feel free to check them out.

 

Visit Ann's shop and take a look around! She has so many wonderful items to choose from, including gift packs!

 

Favorite some items, favorite her shop, and maybe do a little shopping.

I am not lying when I say her products are and work great!



 



Coffee Filter Flowers

So last night I was browsing around looking for some crafts, and came across a coffee filter tutorial. They are amazing! Although I didn't come up with the idea, I had to share this tutorial! It's a fun project for you and your kids, with items you can find lying around the house.

First, you and your children can add some color with art materials. Markers, watercolors, pretty much anything that you can find to give it some color.
Choose colors to go with the season, holiday, or occasion that you will be using them for.

 

Next Spray them with a water from a spray bottle to give it a distressed look. Let them dry. Drying them in the sun will dry the filters fast, and give them a nice wrinkled crispiness.

 

Now the final stages to create your flowers.

 

Three Easy Steps to Make Coffee Filter Flowers:
1. Use at least three coffee filters, but you can use more if you want bigger, fuller flowers.
2. Trim coffee filters so that you have three different sizes-think big, medium, small. Fold the flowers in half and then fold in half again to create a triangular shape. Cut in a scalloped design along the edge.
3. Layer the filters by size, starting with small, medium, large and with your fingers, grab the filters in the middle and pinch all the layers together. Then fluff and arrange your layers until you are happy with your flower!

To hold the layers together you can either add tape to the middle part that you pinched or you can put a staple through it.

 

Experiment by cutting them different ways,

coloring them with different techniques; such as only around the edges, blotchy spots, mixing colors.

 

There is a variety of ideas that you can try with these pretty little flowers!

I myself think they would look pretty on gift bags! I might be making a few for Christmas gifts....

Make some yourself and show them off! If your kids are getting in your hair,
sit them down with some markers, and tell them to go crazy!
Get your 1st step done while you are catching up on cooking, cleaning or even relaxing!
We would love to see the different designs that you can come up with!

Etsy Spotlight Shop #5: Conversation Glass

This day and age everyone is trying to do their part to protect the earth and this fantastic Etsy shop is doing just that...one bottle at a time!

 

 Conversation Glass is a shop that specializes in taking used bottles and making them into useful and super cool conversation pieces for your home.

 

Check out this amazing shop and help the earth by purchasing some of their unique glassware. Everything in their shop would make fantastic earth-friendly gifts!

 

 

 

www.etsy.com/shop/ConversationGlass

 



I talked to Matt and Gracie of Conversation Glass, here's what they had to say:

What do you love about working with recycled glass?

Matt & Gracie:
Glass has taught us patience. You can't rush glass - it simply won't sand to smoothness any faster than at its own pace. The sanding process is slow and requires great care. And since we aren't a very patient family, we've had to learn to be more so! With that being said, it's simply beautiful. And it feels so good to take something that was discarded and breathe new life into it.  


How many items to do you make in a day?
 
Matt & Gracie:
Our space is limited, so we generally batch our tasks. We just don't have the space for an "assembly line" process that would allow us to go from start to finish smoothly. It can feel like pre-Industrial Revolution in our living room!
Some days we gather and clean bottles, some days we cut them, and other days we sand our glasses. The final step is to ship our goodies to our happy shoppers. So it's tough to estimate how many pieces we can make in a day. In the past we filled a large order of over 100 glasses in a week or so...But we can probably do better than that now...

What makes your shop different than other shops that use recycled glass as a medium?

Matt & Gracie:
I can't speak for other shops, and frankly, I'm thrilled that there are others out there upcycling bottles! As for us, we're an entirely family-run cottage business. We work entirely out of our home, and manage every bit of that business while juggling family life and a full time job. I work from home with Conversation Glass while Gracie works as a veterinary technician.
We're passionate about doing something good for our planet and minimizing the negative impact on our world. We may not make a huge impact, but every bottle we turn into something cool is a bottle kept from a landfill. Our daughter is learning what it means to make something with her own two hands and that a business can and SHOULD have a conscience. I think that makes us unique. That's a pretty awesome legacy to have. 

How did you get your start on etsy.com?

Matt & Gracie:
Etsy is awesome! It allows us the flexibility to be creative and market our glassware and home goods to a wide audience of those looking for something more unique than goods found in a huge box store. A friend of ours who was already selling her jewelry on Etsy suggested we try our hand at the online marketplace. Voila! Conversation Glass was born!
Since that start, we've met amazing buyers from all over the world and made quite a few friends in other sellers, too. 

 

Drop by their shop and check it out!

Save the earth and buy a gift while you're there!

Candy Corn Cookies

"A  Betty Crocker  Recipe, these gorgeous Halloween creations have a slight citrus undertone..."

 

So I saw these cookies, and just had to blog about them! I think they are so cool looking; and perfect for the season!

What's so neat about them, is that you can add paper lollipop sticks while baking them, and turn them into cookie pops!

 

 

And of course I wouldn't stop there! Decorate them by putting a clear baggie at the top, tie it shut with some, orange, black, green, or purple twine, and dangle little creepy crawlies from them! 

Now those would make great little Halloween treats to pass out at parties, work, school, wherever! Both kids and adults would love these!

 

Active Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
Grated peel of 1 medium orange (1 to 2 tablespoons)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon orange gel food color
1/8 teaspoon yellow gel food color
Coarse sugar, if desired

Directions:
1. In large bowl, beat butter, powdered sugar, egg and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.

2. Divide dough into thirds. Tint one portion orange and one portion yellow; leave remaining portion plain. Flatten each portion into a round. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 20 minutes.

3. On separate sheets of lightly floured waxed paper, roll each portion of dough into 12x9-inch rectangle. Place orange rectangle on top of yellow rectangle, using waxed paper ends to help flip dough over. Top with plain dough rectangle. Starting on a long side, and using waxed paper as an aid, roll dough into a log. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour.

4. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

5. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Tips

• For a fun look, turn these into lollipop cookies. Before baking, place paper lollipop sticks on cookie sheet, and lay bottom of each dough slice on top of a stick. Bake as directed in recipe.
• When grating the orange, be careful to avoid the pith – the soft white layer between the peel and the fruit – it can be bitter.

Makes 42 dozen cookies

I can not wait till my boys are a little older so I can host little parties for them and their friends!

Try these out, and send us a picture! We'd love to see how yours came out!



Yummy Fall Secret Starbucks Menu

There is nothing better on a cool crisp morning than a warm or cold (I'm weird that way) drink from Starbucks. Here is a list of secret menu items that are sure to make fall taste yummy!

 

 

Cake Batter Frappuccino

You can lick the edges of the cup afterwards too. The Cake Batter Frappuccino is a vanilla frap with both vanilla bean and almond flavoring.

 

 

Chocolate Cream Frapuccino

Chocolate syrup and chocolate flavoring. Lots and Lots of chocolate! Do not underestimate the amount of chocolate in this frozen blended coffee. Only for the true chocolate lover die hard.
 

 

Biscotti Frapuccino

Buy a biscotti and ask the barista to blend it up with any flavor of frapuccino. It blends into tiny cookie chunks that add a delicious little crunch to your frozen coffee.

 

Chocolate Pumpkin

Order a pumpkin spice latte with chocolate syrup for a drink that tastes like pumpkin chocolate chip bread. It also tastes great in it's Frappuchino form!

 

About the Southrn Girls

Hi everyone! This Gina from SouthrnWildflower, and I'm going to tell you about my friend Jamie's etsy shop from MoseyRoseDesigns

 

Jamie's shop is filled with a variety of all beautifully handmade items; from wreaths and jewelry, to gifts for baby! When I say beautifully made, I am telling you from my own personal experience! I purchased a custom wreath from Jamie myself; and you wouldn't believe the hard work and details that Jamie put into her work of art! I was amazed! I told her what I wanted, and she definitely worked her magic!

 

 

Jamie's shop is perfect to find a unique gift for any occasion! Holidays, new baby, house warming, birthday; you name it!

 

Visit Jamie to browse her shop, favorite some items, and maybe get some gift shopping done! Or even treat yourself with a new wreath for the upcoming holidays!

You will blown out of your socks!

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoseyRoseDesigns

 

About the Southern Girls

So we've featured some of our favorite shops on Etsy and I think it's about time to introduce you to our shops!

 

I'm Jamie from MoseyRoseDesigns and I'm going to tell you about my friend Gina's Etsy shop called SouthrnWildFlower!

Her shop is full of fantastic gift tags for every occasion! Use these tags on wedding favors, baby shower favors, wine bottles, birthday gifts, gifts for the teacher, etc.

The possibilities are endless. If you have a custom request,

 she's always willing to do her best to make it happen.

 

She has some amazing colors backgrounds to choose from for her tags and she features some cute little mason jar labels too! Stop by and give her some some love! Favorite some of her items and maybe do a little shopping!

 www.etsy.com/shop/SouthrnWildFlower

Free Fall Printable Craft

I love fall for many reasons and most of them are listed here on this awesome fall printable. Just print, cut to size and frame. Display on your mantle, hang on a wall or use as a table centerpiece.

Make a framed print for a friend, add into a gift basket with fall fruits and you have the perfect gift for fall. These would make great gifts for neighbors. The best part about it is that you can get a frame at the Dollar Tree for just $1.

Click here to get this printable:

http://myblessedlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/printable-2.jpeg

Rice Crispy Treat Pumpkins!

Hosting a Halloween party? Well here are the cutest party favors, that everyone will love! Rice crispy treat pumpkins. With only a few ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create these awesome little treats!

Being a mama of two little ones, I know how much my children love being a part of mama's crafts; especially if it involves sweets! 
A fun way to have your kids help, is by letting them draw Jack-O-Lantern faces on the pumpkins with black decorating Icing in a tube! They'll love it, and so will everyone that receives one!

Ingredients:
1 Stick Butter
2 (10 oz). Packages Marshmallows
12 C. Rice Crispy Cereal
1 tsp. Yellow Food Color
1/4 tsp. Red Food Color
Green Decorating Icing in Tube
Black Decorating Icing in Tube
Decorating Tips
Tootsie Rolls

Preparation:
In a pot on low heat melt the butter then stir the marshmallows in until they have dissolved.
Next, add the food coloring into the mixture and stir until the mixture is a uniform orange color.
Add Rice Crispy cereal to the mix and stir them until they are completely coated in our marshmallow, food coloring mix.
Shape the mixture into into balls either your hands or a spoon.
Place the balls in the refrigerator and leave there until is has become completely chilled and is formed.
Once firm, using the black and green icing, decorate your pumpkins with leaves and add a tootsie roll as your stem.

Try it out, and be sure to show us your crafty little pumpkin treats!

Etsy Spotlight Shop #4: The Fuzzy Stitch

With the cool fall weather coming upon us, and winter around the corner, nothing is better than getting all bundled up! That is why you have to check out The Fuzzy Stitch! From hats, and ruffle scarfs to boot cuffs and flats! Made for both adults and babies!

Each item is hand crocheted & customizable!

 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheFuzzyStitch

 

 

Owning a crochet hat, scarf, or a pair boot cuffs is a must have for the upcoming season!

 

 

The Fuzzy Stitch:

"I always take my time with each individual order to maintain high quality standards "

 

Check out what The Fuzzy Stitch has to say:

What do you love about crocheting?

The Fuzzy Stitch:
 What I love most about crocheting is making things come to life. I've never been good at the classic arts - drawing, painting, etc - but I can see something or think of an idea for a hat or stuffed animal or scarf or blanket, and make it happen! For me, it's a big expression of my creativity and a great way to use my hands. I also love that there's always something new for me to try - a new technique, a new article of clothing, a new animal or character to bring to life in a hat.


How many items do you crochet in a day?

The Fuzzy Stitch:
That depends. I'm a stay at home mom, so the cooperation of my 2 year old plays a big role. Some days I'll make as many as 4-5 hats or scarves. On days where she has dance class or play dates and/or I have school (I'm also a graduate student), maybe just 1 item. If I'm trying something new or working on a stuffed animal, I may not even finish the day with a finished product in my hands.

What makes your shop different for other crochet shops?

The Fuzzy Stitch:
I think the thing that makes my shop different is that my inventory is very customer based. Friends or past customers will come to me with an idea "Hey, have you ever thought about doing superhero hats?" or "I need a gift for my friend who's son is turning 2, mom and dad like x,y,z" and you get new lines in the shop - like our batman and green lantern hats, and our new aviator hat. I really love getting input and ideas from people and really bringing it all to life and creating items that are truly what people are looking for. Sometimes someone will suggest something off hand to me at a craft fair, and, like this winter and our new line for women, it will turn into a whole new line of items.


How did you get your start on etsy.com?

The Fuzzy Stitch:
I first created my Etsy right before my daughter was born 2 years ago. At that time I was mostly working off of Facebook, so I never really put a lot of time into my shop. Then about a year ago, a friend of mine was telling me about her shop and I decided to make a go of it with my shop, and I've been really involved on Etsy and loved it since!

Stop by to browse around this great shop! It's a perfect shop to find something for yourself or even someone else! Don't wait till its too cold....Everything in this shop would make FANTASTIC gifts!

Recycled Cupcake/Plant Picks

My kids go through "fruit snacks" like water and this fun craft uses boxes you're sure to have around the house!

What you need:

Boxes with fun characters (fruit snacks, Gushers, Mac&Cheese, boxes toys came in, etc)

Clear packing tape

Scissors

Toothpicks or Small Skewers

First, cut out the character you want to use. I am using some Minions from the back of a Gusher's fruit snack package. Cute huh?

 

So cut them all out and tidy up the edges.

 

Next you'll need to lay out a piece of clear packing tape (sticky side up) and make the piece long enough to fold over to cover your recycled picture.

 

 

Place your cardboard cut out face down on the tape. Add skewer or toothpick to the back and then fold over the remaining tape. Press down firmly and make sure tape adheres. At this point you should have a piece of cardboard that is fully covered with tape on both sides.

 

Once that's complete, cut them out from the tape so you have individual picks. These are so much fun to make and require things you probably already have around the house.

 

You could use these as plant stakes, cupcake toppers, package decorations or add fruit to the bottom of the skewer for a fun afternoon snack!

 

This craft would be great for wording too. Just print out what you need to say on regular copy paper like "Get Well" or "Happy Birthday." Then use the steps above and add to a potted plant for a gift!

 

 

 

Show us how crafty you can be using this method to

create your own cupcake toppers, plant picks, or package decorations!







Fall Pumpkin Centerpiece

The fall season is upon us! Pretty fall colors, cool weather, and pumpkins! Every store I go to right now, has pumpkins! If your like me, you'll want to buy some; just because its fall! Well if you do go ahead and buy some, and don't know what to do with them, here is a great idea that will get everyone into the fall spirit.

 

Pumpkin Centerpieces!

 

A very simple, creative, and beautiful decoration!

 

 

Supplies:

• Pumpkin
• Flowers, sprigs of bittersweet, leaf stems, and twigs
• Metal soup can or similar container
• Sharp knife
• Large spoon for scooping out seeds
• If you'd like to paint your pumpkin, grab some paints and brushes! (paint your pumpkin after you carve and clean it) 

OR refer to our Pumpkin Craft Countdown, and decorate your pumpkin before adding your flowers! http://southerngirlsgetcrafty.blogspot.com/2013/09/pumpkin-craft-countdown.html

                                                                        Instructions::

1. In the top of the pumpkin, use a sharp knife to carve a hole a bit bigger in diameter than the metal can.
2. Discard the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and insides with a large spoon.
3. Wedge the can (or container) into the pumpkin. Fill the container with water, about 3/4 full.
4. Arrange the flowers, leaf sprigs, and berries in your hand. Cut off all stems to an even length and insert the stems into the water container.
5. Tip: Keep water filled on a daily basis and remove and replace any wilted blooms.

 

Beautiful!

Decorate your very own pumpkin centerpiece and share it with us!

We would love to see how it turned out!

Etsy Spotlight Shop #3: Minime4u

Our next Spotlight shop is truly unique and so very cool! Ever wanted to see your face on top of your birthday cake, wedding cake, etc?

This place can do it for you and wow they really do look like little "Mini-Me's." Specializing in cake toppers and charactures this shop is perfect for the person who craves something different!

Take a look at their shop, the craftmaship is amazing!

This is an example of one of Minime4u's charactures. WOW! Will and Kate look amazing!

 

www.etsy.com/shop/minime4u

 

 

Get to know all about Minime4u from Harrison, the mastermind behind this unique shop!


Harrison:

 

We have a team of 50 artists create personalized figures and sell our products worldwide over the internet. our official website is www.minime4u.com

Also we run another site which offers personalized illustration caricatures that also unique and personalized. Our characture website is: www.cartoonme4u.com

What do you love about creating pieces of art and what do you use to make the cake toppers?
Harrison:
We use clay for creating wedding cake toppers, after we finalize it, it will become solid and can last for over 30 years at least.
 
How many cake toppers/charactures do you do in a day?
Harrison:
We have a team of 50 artists create about 40-60 toppers a day. It is fully handmade and each topper takes approximately 40 hours to complete.

What makes your cake toppers different from others?
Harrison:
Our cake toppers are fully handmade and personalized. They are created from customer's photo and they reach up to 80% in similarity. We also can build your pets into 3D figure as well.

How did you get your start on Etsy?

Harrison:
We recently opened our shop on Etsy.com and still finding our way to grow the business on Etsy.



 

This shop is perfect for the person who has everything, who wouldn't want their very own Mini-Me!

 

Go check out their shop and follow our blog for more

 Etsy Spotlight Shops!

Pumpkin Craft Countdown

I'm a sucker for all things Halloween and decorating pumpkins is certainly one of them! Such fun to set up a display of unique and decorated pumpkins, and the kids love to help!

I have compiled my TOP 5 pumpkin craft decorating ideas (NO Carving Needed) so that you and your family can create together. You can even get the "fake" pumpkins made of styrofoam from your local craft store like Hobby Lobby. Since it's "fake" you can reuse them next year!

This first idea is as simple as it comes. I love the colors against the orange pumpkin and several of these in a grouping would be beautiful.

#5

Little Ribbon Wonders



What you need:

Pumpkin (real or fake)

Ribbon in Halloween Colors (black, zigzag, polka dot, orange, etc)

Hot Glue or Elmer's Glue

**If you want to be less crafty, just grab some cool Washi tape, it will adhere right to the pumpkin! This would be great for younger kids**

 

Crafting these pumpkins is super easy! Just glue the ribbon to them!

 

 

#4

Classic Black and Orange

What you need:

Pumpkin (real or fake)

Black Thumb Tacks

Stencil (if desired)

 

I love the simplicity of the design of this pumpkin! It looks so elegant!

Use the thumbtacks to make your design by simply pushing them into the

pumpkin, what could be easier? Spell out a name, or a Spooky word!

Get Creative with this one, the possibilites are endless.

 

 

#3

Coloriffic Crayon Pumpkins

What you need:

Pumpkin (real or fake)

Old Broken Crayons (with the paper removed)

Hair Dryer

 

This pumpkin craft is perfect for the kids to help out! Cover your work

surface with newspaper before melting your crayons for easy clean up.

Simply place broken crayons on top of the pumpkin in a

random color pattern. Turn on the hairdryer and get melting! It takes

a few minutes to warm up the wax but WOW! How cool are these?

Great way to clean out that old crayon bucket!

Let wax cool, then display!

 

 

#2

Glow Baby, Glow

What you need:

Pumpkin (real or fake)

Glow-in-the-Dark Paint

Paint Brush

 

I love this glowing pumpkin! How cool would it be to make a family

of these glowing guys?! This is a fun one for the kids too, just pencil draw

his eyes and mouth and have the kids paint him!

Be careful not to paint the areas for his eyes and mouth!

I might be doing this one this year!

 

 

 

#1

What you need:

Heirloom Pumpkin Paradise

Heirloom White Pumpkin (real or fake)

Silver or Gold thumb tacks

 

I think I love this so much for it's simplicity! And, of course,

for the lovely white pumpkin! The white pumpkins remind me of Cinderella!

Wouldn't this pumpkin be a lovely centerpiece? Add a gourd, some small orange

pumpkins and display on top of a cake stand! You could use this from Halloween

straight through to Thanksgiving! Thus why it's my #1 Pumpkin Craft! 

 

 

What are your favorite pumpkin crafts?

Share with us in the comment section!

 



Spotty Dotty Cake!

This is so neat, and I can't wait to try it myself! It is called a Spotty Dotty Cake. Now with the 2 little ones running around, I just have to find the time to do it... I love baking! Especially trying out fun baking ideas like this.

I have done cake balls, which take a lot of time, but are super cute and fun to do. My specialty is my German chocolate cake! Yum yum! However that takes a lot of dedication. I actually need someone to watch the kids for the whole day to make it. So it has been a while...

But check this out!

I am dying to try it and it is so much more simple than it looks.

Directions::

Bake small various colored cake balls. After they are finished, place in white cake mix and bake as directed! The outcome is beautiful!!

And Voila! A Spotty Dotty Cake!!!

Let us know if you make it. We would love to see the outcome!

Etsy Spotlight Shop #2: Krafty Mama Boutique

Now here is a shop that goes beyond the basics of painting. Sarah from Krafty Mama Boutique paints a variety of items from glassware and kids décor, to birdhouses and shoes. As Sarah says " If you imagine it, I'll paint it! "

You can see the amazing detail that Sara puts into her paintings. She is definitely talented! From portraits and sports logos, to children book characters. You can find a gift at Krafty Mama Boutique for just about anybody!

With Christmas and holidays around the corner, stop by Krafty Mama Boutique. You may be able to find that unique gift that you have been looking for!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/kraftymamaboutique

I spoke with Sarah and got some of the insights::

What do you love about painting?

Sarah: Krafty Mama Boutique
I love painting and making beautiful for pieces that are unique and custom to customers personality. painting is very therapeutic for me and allows me to retreat and relax.

How many glasses do you paint a day?

Sarah: Krafty Mama Boutique
I paint anywhere from 4-12 glasses a day

What makes your painted glasses different from others?


Sarah: Krafty Mama Boutique
My glasses are different from others, I use quality paint that finishes smooth like a decal. It's funny watching the public at shows look at my glasses, everyone thinks the image is a decal. My glasses are completely hand painted, I do not use stencils.
My motto is "your imagination is my creation" because I can paint and idea you may have on glassware!

How did you get your start on Etsy.com?

Sarah: Krafty Mama Boutique
I got my start on etsy nearly 1 year ago, I started out with crafts show pieces and glassware but my glassware took off almost immediately. I love how easy Etsy is to use and how simple to see stats on my business and what areas I need to improve.

Stop by this amazing shop and show her some love! Follow our blog for more Etsy.com SPOTLIGHT SHOPS!