Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Hunger Game Birthday Invitation

HUNGER GAME INVITATIONS

 Makenna is having a Hunger Game Tribute training birthday party! Say that three times fast.

Step 1: I used PowerPoint to type up the invite, played with the fonts, bold, arrow clipart, and lines. I outlined the invite with a black frame. 

Step 2: Print in black the invitations.  Then realize I forgot the address! Redesign the invite and account for enough room to now mount the yellow invite to black paper to hide the mistake side without the address.  Flipped those sheets over and printed a correct version. 

Paper buying tip: I purchased paper in Yellow and glitter/gloss black from Hobby Lobby. Not on sale and .59cents a sheet and I was thinkin this is not a perfect situation.  Add the mistake of missing address and the need for more black paper had me exploring inexpensive solutions. So here is the tip… Tuesday Morning. I discovered they sell crafts and scrapbook paper and not by the sheet. They sell the bundles of paper that look like the wholesale package of one color that stores like Hobby Lobby unwrap and slide into the trays for .59 cents each. All bargain stores are a hit or miss but in this case I was flexible and lucky to find a yellow orange package and a pearlescent black for $1.99 a package (8.5 x 11). $4.00 for 25 sheets of each color… SCORE!

Step 3: Cut out the invites.  I line up the black frame under the guide of the paper cutter and get a near perfect yellow border around the black and reliable size for the envelope. 
 
Step 4: Black glitter paper medallion for the top of the invite. 
I imagine if you don’t have a cutting tool you could buy stickers, print the logo on the invitation, or print it on contrasting paper and cut it out by hand or with a circle punch.  I used my Silhouette Studio software and paint as follows:  

If you don’t have a cutting tool you could buy stickers, print the logo on the invitation, or print it on contrasting paper and cut it out by hand or with a circle punch.  I used my Silhouette Studio software and paint as follows:  
  • Copied and pasted from a random website the logo into Microsoft Paint.  Save the image as a .bmp.  Note I was not too worried about blurry or anything as I only wanted the outline.
  • Silhouette Studio open the image and select Trace > Select Trace Area option TRACE (traces every line) I learned how to do this at:
    http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=4882
  • Right click on traced image.  Select Release Compound Path. Select and delete all inside lines and shapes until I had the outline I wanted. 
  • Cut one inch sizes across a single sheet of the Black paper.
We glued the logo to each invite with a ball point glue pen.  We used photo squares to mount the yellow to the black background. I didn’t use glue because the mistake printing on the back bled and made a mess with the glue.

Next Project: The goody bag contents





Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie


Mint chocolate chip cookie

I struggled with this one.   I started with a delicious looking pin for cookies made from http://tidymom.net/2011/mint-chocolate-chip-cookies

They included crème de menthe chips and a simple combination of instant ingredients. I am well know to honor the art of “Magic” food.   This fit the bill.

Magic = Simple combinations of ingredients (preferable 3 or less) that I almost can’t fail with. 

The bummer was I couldn’t find mint extract or the chips. I fear these are holiday type ingredients. I even tried Tony’s meats where more quality and specialized ingredients can usually be found but no luck. 

I pressed on!  I wanted to make these cookies…  I failed mightily with a homemade extract of peppermint oil and vodka mixed with everything except the crème de menthe chips. It was not minty enough and the color I used barely registered in the cookie.  So… after finally finding the mint extract at the craft store in the baking isle I tried a new version that Kaden really liked. Here it is and it the cookie pictured above. I think it is yummy with vanilla ice cream.


I use this base for lemon cookies, chocolate, strawberry cookies, etc. I prefer to find the mix with the flavor and keep it simple but in this case I went with white cake and added the prescribed mint portion from the previous recipe.

1 Duncan Hines White cake mix
2 eggs
½ cup of oil
½ teaspoon mint extract
Green food coloring ( I used wayyyy too much and they are a bit hulk looking)
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips 

In large missing bowl cream the eggs, oil, food coloring, and extract. Add cake mix and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips (use any flavor of chip you like).

Drop by tablespoons full onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

FYI: I can’t wait until I find the mint chips they will be especially delicious.