June Daley

January 4, 2009

A sweet puppy

My first born turned ten a few days ago and oh how she wants a puppy. Unfortunately, Mom and Dad aren’t ready to add the live kind to our household just yet so a sugary one had to suffice. Around here, as I’ve mentioned before, a homemade cake happens for every birthday in the shape of whatever the birthday child dreams up (that’s within reason…this isn’t Ace of Cakes.) Sometimes, I’ll surf the Internet for inspiration and other times I’ll just wing it. This time I was winging it.

Here’s a very easy cake pattern if by chance there’s a puppy lover with a birthday at your house. I used two cake mixes …one filled the 10 inch cake pan and the other filled a 9 inch with batter left over (the leftover made extra cupcakes.) A furry cake is pretty easy to decorate since the icing doesn’t need to be all perfect. I gobbed it on and swirled it this way and that to get the furry doggie effect. I used a lighter color of the fur icing to make the snout area and then used pink icing for the collar. The dogs eyes and nose (nose cut into proper shape) are peppermint patties. White chocolate chips decorate the collar. Finally, I did some very basic piping with black and white icing, but candy (licorice, etc) would also work to get a similar effect.

It’s officially birthday season around here, so they’ll be two more kids cakes happening between now and March. I’m not sure what shape those will take on yet…but I’ll keep ya posted.

Filed Under: baking, kids

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January 1, 2009

New threads

I feel like I’m waking from a long, dreamy nap…you know the kind that makes you question where you are, what happened and what time is it already?! The past week flew by like that. Actually, I’d say right after Thanksgiving things were on fast forward and haven’t stopped since. Our family had a great time celebrating the holidays with friends and family. The above was one of my favorite gifts. A very modest, beginner-style sewing machine. Perfect for someone who said to her helpful mom…“You mean thread comes down from the top AND up from the bottom?! At the same time! WOW.” And that would not be my daughter talking to me, but me talking to my mom who guided me through my very first sewing project.

disclaimer: I did have a Holly Hobbie toy sewing machine way back when, but that couldn’t really be classified as sewing could it?

So from a “Pattern for Dummies” with Mom standing by, I made this table runner for the dining room. It even has a fancy navy cord detail on the edges that is hard to fully appreciate in this photo. Trust me it’s there and I have to say I’m pretty proud to have managed this.

After the runner, the sewing bug officially took hold. A day or two later, I wandered into the fabric section at IKEA and fell in love with this fabric. And like many of my project ideas, I couldn’t sleep until I had whipped up two valances for my office with a touch of vintage brown seam binding. This project was a little bumpy with no pattern or Mom to guide me, but I’m getting better.

Two no sew projects (my specialty) also happened over the last week. First, I decided to cover my drafting table chair. I used my fancy upholstery tool a.k.a.flat head screw driver to shove fabric into the crack between cushion and rim.

This actually was a piece of cake. That fabric is wedged in really tight and is nice and smooth all around. Now I’ve got a spiffy “new” chair for a new year of art.

Finally, Modge Podge and leftover fabric scraps transformed my office switch plates. Another easy, inexpensive, satisfying kind of project. So besides the usual holiday stuff, you’ve caught a glimpse of the threads I’ve been working on here. Time to flip on 2009. Happy New Year to you!

Filed Under: decorating, projects, sewing

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December 23, 2008

A virtual Christmas card from us to you…

open to…

Finally, I got all of the printed versions in the mail yesterday. I still have a few hand delivers that are awaiting a tray of cookies to go with. This card idea came to me after finding yet another vintage Scrabble game (favorite) at a holiday flea market. At home, as I stared at and moved around those gorgeous wooden letters, I saw XMAS. When I discovered that I could fit MERRY XMAS on the wood rack, I completely geeked out and went at it with full force. Using a Photoshop trick or two, I turned our family into scrabble tiles adding a point value to correspond to ages. (okay one age is slightly questionable…I wanted to see who was paying attention ; )

With several design projects happily at the printer, cards mailed and presents wrapped, I’ve officially put myself on vacation. My hubbie and I purchased a rug pad for my office rug, installed badly needed new blinds and completed little odd ball fixes around the house that have been crying out for attention for many, many months. Projects that give me tremendous JOY now that they are done. Me and my little cooks are planning to heat up the kitchen with cookies and a feast for Thursday. We have family coming into town for Christmas day and several days after so we’re looking forward to entertaining and enjoying our time together.

I’m taking some time away from here, but I’ll be back after the new year. ‘Til then happy, safe and cozy holidays to you along with lots of PEACE, HOPE, LOVE and JOY.

Filed Under: about me mostly, family, graphic design

December 16, 2008

Eye candy

I managed to hold myself back and only produce six varieties this year…that being from top left, peppermint crunch, bear claws, caramel swirl pretzel rods, toffee bars, monogrammed chocolate D’s and chocolate covered Oreos. yummmmm…

These little chocolates were new for me this year. I was at the counter, ready to purchase all of my candy making supplies, when I spotted the monogram candy molds. I’m a sucker (catch that candy pun?!) for type so the D mold quickly found itself in my cart. The helpful candy lady, sensing my enthusiasm about the prospect of making initial chocolates, pointed out the little foil wrappers in aisle three. She explained how to wrap the hardened chocolate and then lightly rub the front of the candy to make the D show through the foil. How cool is that?

Dare I say, I got a bit carried away? Although easy enough to make, wrapping all of these little guys took some time. I caught my hubby rolling his eyes once or twice at my idea of “scaled back” candy making. Worth it in the end, the red foil D’s were the perfect bits of sparkle to pull the whole candy box presentation together.

Here’s a peek into one of the final boxes for friends, family and teachers. Next week cookies. Let’s wait until January to talk about the gym.

Filed Under: baking

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December 11, 2008

Mixing it up

These days things are definitely mixed up around here with the normal design/illustration work, family life and a roaring-down-the-highway holiday fast approaching. Is Christmas really only two weeks away?! I remember as a kid when that seemed like forever. Now I’d give anything to sneak a few more present wrapping, candy making, cookie baking, card addressing, gift crafting days in between now and then. In the midst of the holiday happenings, I have five pieces in this show including the one on the above flyer over the words “Opening Night”.

Here’s another piece in the Mixed show. For my latest series, I’ve been adding my spin to old fashioned sayings the first being “If the Shoe Fits” and now “All of Your Eggs”. I’ve always thought there was a lot of wisdom connected with the eggs in a basket phrase on so many different levels. Whether it be about finances or compartmentalizing one’s self. Both are stifling and even downright risky. If all energy is concentrated in a single area what happens if that one area doesn’t hatch? The egg out of the basket is the one that is hatching wings and will soon be flying. It’s about mixing it up—mediawise and otherwise.

Note: “All of Your Eggs” will be available as a print in my Etsy store later today.

Filed Under: fine art

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December 9, 2008

The one

Every year, we go through the routine. They all look rather similar, but that never stops us. We have to spend ridiculous amounts of time searching for the one.

Every year, five different perspectives of “perfect tree” wander around the tree farm or in this year’s case the tree lot. We take our time debating which tree deserves a shot at being our Christmas tree. The height, prickle factor, branch sturdiness, shape, price (hello recession), bare spots, trunk posture and overall ‘look’ are all factors that go into this monumental decision. Does it matter that much? After the decorations, don’t they all kind of look…well…the same?

maybe. However it just wouldn’t be Christmas without the evergreen ritual and getting to finally say, “That’s our tree.” And if we’re all still speaking after the annual outing, even better.

Filed Under: family, fine art

4 Comments