Abby is 4

Well it's happened, as it always does, my youngest is another year older. For her birthday party we had a Butterfly Birthday Party.
The invites were lollipop butterflies that I printed the info onto and cut out using my Silhouette. Each one included the kids names too but I left them off of these ones. Then added a lollipop, easy peasy!

Funny story, I shopped all year for butterflies knowing I would never find any in stores in December and wherever we put them when I brought them home in April we could not find them in December. So sure enough I was out shopping for butterflies on Dec. 16th. And I bought every butterfly the dollar stores had.
We have a real tree every year, love the smell, and decorated it with butterflies.

We made a butterfly mobile by wrapping the little girls' hula hoop with yellow crepe/streamer paper. Then we put a hook up in the middle of the ceiling and used 3 feather boas to hang it up. The little hanging butterflies were from the dollar store. This was my Kaylee's favorite decoration. She could not believe it was made from their hula hoop.

We had dress-up wings for all the kids. I had only bought wings for the girls but the boys all asked where theirs were, so I was able to round up some more. I don't know whether they just wanted to be a part of the theme or to be kind to Abby but they really got involved too.

We made chocolate cupcakes with white icing that we dyed pink, purple and blue.

The butterflies on top were made using wax melts or candy melts from the Bulk Barn. You put a handful of melts into a zip top plastic bag.

Place the bag into a bowl of hot water.

Once they've melted, you snip the tip off of the corner of one bag. Be ready to start right away as the melts will be runny. I printed off a sheet of butterflies that I wanted to outline. Then I cut a sheet of waxed paper about 8 1/2" x 11" and creased it down the middle. Then put your waxed paper over your printed page of butterflies and start tracing the butterflies with your icing. It helps to have a 2nd set of hands at this stage to hold your waxed paper flat. Also another tip I learned is to start at the top butterfly and work your way down or you could end up with icing on your sleeves :).

A sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" cardstock will support your waxed paper and your butterflies when you are done. You also need to crease it down the middle too. It is a good idea to tape your waxed paper to your cardstock at the edges so that your waxed paper doesn't roll up at the sides.

 

 

Into the freezer they go for at least 3 minutes. You'll need to prop up the sides with something, butter, ice cube trays, whatever else you have in the freezer. And you know they are done when they peel easily away from the waxed paper.

Then just place on the top of your iced cupcakes.



I used my Silhouette to make the 3D butterfly tube holder party favors. I put a tube of Lypsol (chapstick) into each. The little girls made the clothespin butterfly favors. They colored the clothespins and then filled a small plastic bag with gummy butterflies and treats. The clothespin clips in the middle of the plastic bag and a pipe cleaner makes some antennae.



Some dollar store plates, napkins and cups round out the table decorations.



Yay 4!

All Good Things

Well we've made it. Our last challenge of the year for Crafting With Dragonflies and we're asking you to make a tag or tags. Perfect time of year don't you think? It's also my last challenge as a Dragonfly. I will miss the girls very much as we are all friends but I have got to spend some time on my scrapbooking. Course this time of year I'm busy planning a couple of birthday parties. One for my Abby and one for Jesus very shortly afterwards. Our sponsors this fortnight are QKR Stampede and Sassy Studio Designs.
I made a bottle tag using a Silhouette cut file cut from double sided cardstock. I printed my sentiment and image out on white cardstock and colored her using my Prismacolor pencils. I had to add some tights because most of Lindsay's Sassy girls wouldn't last 2 minutes in a Canadian Winter, lol, this one is called Santa Pin-Up. Some DecoArt Snow Writer was added to her fur for texture and dimension. I thought the sentiment worked well considering both the wine and the image ;)

I don't often talk about our weather because I know there are so many Canadian stereotypes out there that we all live in igloos and such but last Friday morning our school buses didn't run because of extreme windchill temperatures of below -40 Celsius. We were even -45 one morning with the wind chill. And do you know people were still out Christmas shopping that Saturday in droves? I guess the urge to cross some items off the list this busy time of year beat out the urge to hibernate. And we're in another extreme wind chill warning for tonight and tomorrow morning. Sure hope the girls can go to school, we get cabin fever pretty easily these days stuck at home and inside. Although I always make sure to save a few 'snow day' projects for just such occasions. Take care all and stay warm (if you're in this part of the World)!
I would like to share at:
Drunken Stampers Santa Claus, closes Dec. 13,
Totally Papercrafts anything Christmas but a card, closes Dec. 13,
Perfectly Rustics Christmas gift, closes Dec. 15,
Aud Sentiments tags with a sentiment, closes Dec. 17,
Kitty Bee Designs Christmas, closes Dec. 20,
Parade Your Crafts Christmas projects, closes Dec. 22