Saturday, April 30, 2011

First Communion Cookies


Continuing on with the sacrament cookie motif ;)... (Remember the confirmation cookies earlier this week?  These are for the same sweet family.)


I was really looking forward to making these cookies again.  The last time I made them was for kiddo's First Communion....FOUR years ago.

{That picture on the left is one of my favorites ever.  Rockin' the powder blue suit, yo. Maybe we can find a blue tux for prom in a few years.}

OK...thanks for letting me reminisce.

These cookies start out with the perfect cutter I love this cutter...it's pricey because it's copper, but so worth it.


For the cookies, you'll need:
  • chalice and host cookies
  • royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Regal Purple and Leaf Green
  • disposable icing bags
  • squeeze bottles
  • decorating tips (#1 & #2) and couplers
  • gold luster dust
  • vodka (yep.)
  • small paintbrush

With a #2 tip, outline the chalice.


With another #2 tip, outline the host.

Thin the white & gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.


Fill in the chalice with the thinned gold icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.


Fill in the host with the thinned  white icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Let dry at least one hour.


Add the detail with the reserved white and gold piping icing.

Let dry overnight, or at least 6 hours.


Get out your luster dust supplies:  Luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (a good excuse to always have vodka in the house).

This is "Golden Charm" luster dust.  I LOVE it and bought it at a little shop in Houston.  Can't seem to find it online, but any gold luster dust will do.


Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.)  Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you.  A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot.  (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)


Then, with #1 tips, add the grapes and leaf/stem detail.




All ready for First Communion!

Meet the CopyKate!



Impersonators Simon Watkinson as Prince William, left, and Jodie Bredo as Kate Middleton in wedding attire. They do photo shoots and attend corporate events and are in huge demand these days.


The lookalikes are charging up to £1,000 a day for work.


Mr Watkinson, 29, is originally from Adelaide, Australia but lives in London, working as a civil engineer.


Jodie Bredo was a personal assistant hailing from Chelmsford. She had been a Kate lookalike for two years and went 'full time' just a couple of months back.


Simon and Jodie Bredo are not the only ones. There are others like Andy Walker and Kate Bevan who too enjoy their 'celebrity' status.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Happy Birthday Card to Wrap Up a Fun Week


What a week it has been!  The only think that could possibly top Cricut's 5th Birthday Party and release of the Expression 2 was a Royal Wedding!  I may need the weekend to recover from this fun, fun week.  I thought I would wrap up the week with a fun birthday card.


The card was created using Imaginesce cardstock and chipboard stickers, the I-Top tool, Stampin' Up stamps, and a Stampin' Up punch.   I really like the bright and festive look of this card.  The cake and present chipboard stickers really pop off of the brown cardstock on the cover, but then I took the card to the next step.  I added a stamped and punch tag, color coordinating flowers, and an I-Top brad. 


I like the fold of the card.  Begin with a 12" strip of cardstock.  Fold the cardstock in half.  Then fold the top half of the card in half again, folding back toward the fold.  You will create an uneven Z fold.  You then attach a small rectangle to the top half of the card.  The photo above shows this fold far better than I could possibly explain it to you.


The top of the card pulls to the left to open.  Inside the card I stamped Happy Birthday again and left plenty of space to write a personalized message.

Great Britain - Royal Wedding 2011: Prince William, Kate Married on Youtube









Prince William kisses her bride Kate Middleton while thousands of people watching in front of Buckingham palace. Video courtesy of Livestream.


Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING


Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

On Friday, 29 April 2011, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey, at 11:00 am BST (UTC+1). William, who is second in the line of succession to Elizabeth II, first met Middleton in 2001, while both were students at the University of St Andrews. Their engagement, which began on 20 October 2010, was announced on 16 November 2010.

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

Photos : Kate and William ROYAL WEDDING

William and Kate Middleton Wedding Pictures