Spring Flowers....cupcake style!

As cupcake month comes to a close, I wanted to share a few more Etsy Artists' scrumptious creations as well as a recipe that will make you rush into the kitchen to start baking! These beautiful spring flowers will tempt your eyes and your taste buds. Make them with different colors for a Spring Garden Party!

You will Need:
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4 serving size) Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1 (8 ounce) tub Whipped Topping, thawed
Few drops food coloring, any color
24 marshmallows
24 Miniature Marshmallows
1/4 cup colored sugar or colored sprinkles

Cooking Directions :
Prepare and bake cake mix as directed on package for 24 cupcakes; cool completely. Pierce cupcakes with wooden skewer or large fork at 1/4-inch intervals. Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Spoon 2 tsp. of the gelatin over each cupcake. Refrigerate 3 hours.
Tint whipped topping with food coloring; spread about 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping onto each cupcake.
Cut each large marshmallow crosswise into five pieces with clean kitchen scissors to resemble flower petals. Arrange five of the petals in flower shape on top of each cupcake; place a miniature marshmallow in center of each group of petals. Sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp. colored sugar. Store in refrigerator.

Yield: 24 servings

These yummies will be going to my daughter's class this morning! Have fun!

As promised, I am sharing another edition of Cupcake Crafters. Please be forewarned, you may have the impulse for something sweet and cakelike if reading on an empty stomach!

Sweet Southern Design

http://www.sweetsoutherndesign.etsy.com/

With such an array of colorful yummy treats, Sweet Southern Design will WOW you with a collection of beautiful hair goodies fit for a princess. You'll find hair candy for all ages of little girls that are well made with love and quality.

This precious cupcake bow is made of 1.5" brown grosgrain ribbon and has a jumbo discit featuring a cupcake with 'cutie' in the middle. Measures 4.5" wide, is sealed to prevent fraying, and is attached to a french clip. It is currently on sale, so be the first to give it a home!

SWEET! This adorable key fob will have you driving to the bakery for scrumptious icing covered confections.

These are perfect to loop around your wrist or stroller handle to keep them close, and they also won't get lost in the bottom of your purse!

For many more beautiful handcrafted bows and goodies, please visit http://www.sweetsoutherndesign.etsy.com/ !

My Little Lady

http://www.mylittlelady.etsy.com/

This is a shop that makes me wish my little one had hair! You can tell while browsing this gorgeous shop with amazing pictures that each hair yummy is made with care and a great attention to detail.

I had SO many favorites but had to choose just a couple to show. The color combination of this cupcake band is also super trendy and would match many outfits.

I also have a true fondness for hot pink combined with zebra prints- and it's hot in girl's clothing this spring.

For a headband for your lil' princess,please stop on over to http://www.mylittlelady.etsy.com/ and try to choose just one:)

Honeybee's Creations

http://www.honeybee69.etsy.com/
Would'nt your little tea party hostess be suprised with this set of cupcakes? Cradled in a cupcake tin, this beautifully made yummy set will provide hours of make believe fun. They all have heart buttons sewn on the tops. They are filled with polybeads on the bottom, so they sit nicely, with fiberfill on the top so they are soft. The tin measures 10 1/2 inches by 7 1/2 inches/ Each cupcake is 3 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches tall and would make a wonderful addition to any little one's kitchen! For more kitchen additions and beautiful handmades, please visit http://www.honeybee69.etsy.com/ and browse to your hearts content!

Creations By Charity

http://www.creationsbycharity.etsy.com/

Tasty, whimsical, and imaginative are only a few of the words that crossed my mind when I came across Creations by Charity. Everything is made with such care! The choices are endless and will truly make your little lady feel like a princess.

This is such a sweet little cupcake- the pink ribbon is also accented with glitter and would look super sweet in your gorgeous girl's hair. There are so many delicious things to browse in this store, so please go take a peek!

I try not to feature hair candy from different shops in the same post, but these talented Cafemom Etsy Moms each offer something a bit different from eachother. Thankyou for taking the time to read about these wonderful women and their craft. Time for a Springtime cupcake and a cup of coffee! Please have a wonderful day:)

Simple Pleasures

As I sit here sharing lunch with my little girl I am reminded of all of the little pleasures that life has to offer. I just recently lost a friend in a car accident and attended the funeral with a heavy heart. His young widow was full of grace and poise- very hard to sustain in such a situation. She has three boys for whom she is a rock. Sitting in the church listening to his handsome , strong boys read poems and tell stories, the memories came flooding back-I was in her same situation 4 years ago. I was a young widow with a 5 yr old. I had also lost my husband in a car accident. It was almost too much to bear.
Moving on thru that time in my life and watching my friend's boys tell stories of their beloved Dad Shawn was such a strong reminder to stop and enjoy the little things that seem unimportant at the time. Rejoice in those bedtime snuggles. Let the dishes go and have tickle fights with your kids. Kiss your spouse slowly and tell them you love them- every day. For these are the things that they remember.
As a feeling of warmth and love washed over me I decided to run with it and make cupcakes- yes, you knew I'd work that theme into this post- with my two year old. Hah! What an adventure and a huge mess! But what fun we had. There was icing on her bald little head, and batter on the floor. My little love had so much fun that she needed a bath and a nice long nap. I need some coffee and a cupcake. No naps for this mama!
Need something to do with the kids this weekend? Make a memory and try these- A bit healthier , but oh so yummy!

APPLE BANANA CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
2 apples - peeled, cored and shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Grease and flour 24 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and buttermilk. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Fold in the mashed bananas and shredded apples. Fill each muffin cup half full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

I didn't have the time to make the icing too, so we drizzled cream cheese icing over the top. YUM!
Looking for cupcakes with a few less calories? I just added this fridge magnet to my store http://www.halfpintboling.etsy.com/ - and it won't add width to the hips! It can be personalized with your name, your kid's names. or anything that strikes your fancy. SWEET!

I have some MORE- yes more- cupcake crafters to share with you today! Their stores are full of beautiful hand-crafted items that will wow your senses!

RKDSIGN88 CUTE AND FUN ARTS

http://www.rkdsign88.etsy.com/

Perfect for a young ladies bedroom or for anyone who is a cupcake enthusiast, "My Lovely Cupcake" is a joyous expression of sweetness! This is a print from an original painting. It is a 5"x7" including the 1/4" white border around the picture. It is signed & titled by this amazing artist. She uses high quality Epson matte paper & archival ink, and also prints & hand cuts all of her work. So it is truly handmade by the artist!

Aren't these cupcake gift tags yummy and adorable? This Cupcakes Gift Tag Set is a PDF File. You can print this as many times as you need!*** Right now, the artist is having a Special offer, buy one get one FREE of "Gift Tags Set" Printable PDF of your choice from her shop! It includes 6 of 2”x4” tags or 6 of 2”x2” folded cards, and features 3 cupcakes design. She includes an instructional sheet too. If you need something special to add to a gift or maybe a thankyou for a customer, these cards are perfect. Please stop in for a visit- her designs are a treasure of sweet hand crafted goodies!

SMOX Unique Children's Items

http://www.smox.etsy.com/

My little one loves to paint or create with anything that seems to make a gigantic mess. I hate stripping her down to a diaper, because our old cabin can get drafty. I found something beautiful and practical that will protect her clothing! SMOX! When I'm shopping for my girlies clothes, I want clothes that are hardy and will last awhile, or at least until they outgrow them. Especially in today's economy, keeping costly kids clothes looking good for as long as possible is a good investment. This beautiful SMOX is available in your choice of sizes in pink, adorned with the cutest little cupcake, lined with pale pink flannel, and bound with pale blue. All seams are double sewn for durability. SMOX are eating aprons originally designed over 20 years ago. Quality and durability- you can't go wrong! Please make a visit to http://www.smox.etsy.com/ and shop all of the beautiful choices. She has something for everyone's taste!

SHELLEYBEANS BOWTIQUE

http://www.shelleybeansbowtique.etsy.com/ue.etsy.com/
For handmade bows with an amazing attention to detail with high quality materials, this Boutique is the place to shop! My little one does'nt have hair yet, but when she does, I'll be purchasing this cupcake print pinwheel bow! The bow artist will also custom make your bows to your specifications. Upon request, alligator pinch clips can be semi-lined with coordinating grosgrain and a non-slip strip for extra grip on super-fine hair at no additional charge. These bows look especially sweet on babies when added to a headband! Bows come professionally packaged on bow cards and carefully wrapped in tissue, perfect for gift giving!

I also had to share my absolute favorite bow in this sweet lil' Bowtique! As you can tell, animal prints are a fave in our household. This mixture of pink and zebra has me wanting to make outfits in these colors by the dozen. Beautiful! The quality and attention to detail is quite obvious in this gorgeous creation.
For more beautiful hair candy,please visit http://www.shelleybeansbowtique.etsy.com/. Be careful, you'll want one of each!

Have a wonderful day and please remember to make some memories with your loved ones today! Amber

Black Frosting? Ewww....

My little one recently celebrated her 2nd birthday! She is growing so fast-too fast! She had no problems tearing into her yummy gooey cupcakes. She did'nt even care that I had painstakingly decided on a princess pink icing with beautiful black music notes and guitars, wishing her a "Happy Birthday to our Rockin' baby girl. She is a music lover- it's in her blood. With Daddy being an amazing bass player and Mommy singing lead vocals in a band, big black music notes lovingly placed in the pink icing were a given. Do you have any idea what happens when you eat black icing? Yep, you guessed it, green poo. In fact, everyone that had eaten a beautiful cupcake had green poo issues. Yes, pretty disgusting, but pretty funny. The moral of this story? No matter how yummy, no matter how enticing, don't eat the black icing! You have been forewarned!
For cupcakes that will not turn anything green, check out some of the goodies that I have recently added to my etsy shop at http://www.halfpintboling.etsy.com/ .


































All month long I am featuring some of my favorite cupcakes from amazing etsy crafters. They are also fellow Cafemoms. If you are in search of beautiful handmade goods lovingly made by some amazing women, use the "Cafemom" search tag to browse pages of beautiful goodies!



Lil' Inker
http://www.lilinker.etsy.com/


Want to share a calorie free chocolate cupcake with someone you love? Check out this scrumptious creation from Lil' Inker. It is a super modern color combo of soft blue and chocolate. This card features textured and embossed papers and beautiful ribbon. Inside is embellished as well with a white on chocolate die cut space to leave your greeting. Inside is also stamped "Happy Birthday" and numbers can be added if it's a special birthday.

Want to see more? For beautiful quality cards at a price that will make your purse smile, visit http://www.lilinker.etsy.com/. Or visit her gallery http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=182632 and blog: http://lilinker.blogspot.com/



Ae baby
http://www.aebaby.etsy.com/
Pink. Sweet. Warm. Oh so soft! This adorable strawberry cupcake blanket will keep your little one cozy and warm. It is a medium-weight blanket and has very soft white minkee dot frosting and a pink chenille bottom, and the reverse is a large scale flannel polka dot. A strawberry sits atop and is embroidered swirls of darker pink embellishment and sprinkles. The main blanket body measures 26" x 30". It perfectly wraps a newborn baby or is a great lap blanket for an older child. A truly unique blanket either for your little one or as a gift! It is available with matching accessories (bibs, burp cloths, booties...)to make a one of a kind shower gift set.
For many original hand sewn beauties, please visit http://www.aebaby.etsy.com/ and enjoy!!

More cupcake crafters to come, so stay tuned for some yummy treats that won't stretch your waistband! Have a whimsical day!

My Lil' Cupcake

One of the reasons that I enjoy designing children's clothes is making them for my own girls. My daughter is no stranger to the camera. She sees that flash and starts working that camera! This was the first time she modeled for me. At 1 year old, she kept me laughing all day long. Now 2, we have more fun than you can imagine. The camera loves her too!

Half-Pint Creations will be adding new spring and summer hat designs in the next week or so, with my lil' cupcake modeling. Stay tuned!
For the last few weeks I have been featuring some of my fellow Cafemom Etsy team members who have some amazing cupcake designs. These ladies are creative and work super hard at their craft. Please search "cafemom" on etsy when browsing for some beautifully hand crafted items from some very talented business women. Here are two more cupcake creators that have tickled my sweet tooth!

COZY CABIN CREATIONS
http://www.cozycabinmom.etsy.com/

When you think of pillowcase dresses, the name that automatically pops into mind is Cozy! She has a special dress for every little girl. The colors, fabrics, and sizes are a delicious array of choices that make it difficult to choose just one!

No surprise, among her many creations, she has a "Tutti Fruitti Cupcake Cutie" that will tempt your eyes and your taste buds. For cuteness, quality and more choices than you can imagine, make a visit to http://www.cozycabinmom.etsy.com/ and browse to your hearts content!

ANITA'S SWEET TREAT YOUR BODY BATH AND BODY PRODUCTS
http://www.anitacraftycreations.etsy.com/

By first look, you would think that you are in a bakery filled with the most scrumptious desserts that you could possibly imagine. You start to salivate as you "smell" the sweet treats- each more enticing than the last. These treats are for body as well as the soul.

Bath Bomb cupcakes are a combination of a 2oz bath bomb on the bottom and whipped bubble icing on the top. The fragrances are yummy! You can either drop the whole Bomb in and crumble the icing under running water for bubbles OR you can take the top off and enjoy just the Bomb! Either way it makes bath time a blast! They will arrive to you packaged in mini cello bags in a cupcake box container to keep it protected on it's journey to you! For many endless choices of calorie free confections, you need visit this amazing store. Remember: don't eat the soap!! You will actually hear your skin say "Ahhhhh...."!

More Cupcake crafters are coming- take a peek often. Have a wonderful friday!

MMmmmm.. yes more icing, please!

Ginger can smell the cupcakes baking in the oven of our cozy little cabin. She prays that her faithful partner in crime- her very own toddler- will drop pieces of her vanilla cupcake for her to "clean up". This is the life of our golden retriever. Hugs, kisses, and crumbs. Hmmm.. cupcakes or doggie chow, is there a choice?

I have been a busy lil' cupcake designer this week- buttons, magnets, and a couple sweet outfits. I have to make them in sizes that do not fit my little one or I'm inclined to add them to her wardrobe:) I am listing these creations today, so head on over and check out the cupcake sweetness at http://www.halfpintboling.etsy.com/ .

Made with one of the most beautiful Amy Butler fabrics- she is an immensely talented designer- the colors shout spring!

Another outfit being listed this morning is also a collaboration of designer fabrics in luscious spring colors. How exciting to be bathed in yards and yards of bright and beautiful fabrics with too many ideas of what to make next!

For many more yummy cake creations, hop on over and savor the sweetness!

It is now my pleasure to move on to another installment of some of my favorite cupcake creations from wonderful etsy designers. Their creativity and dedication to their craft is obvious in the beauty of their products.

ABIGAIL'S BOUTIQUE DESIGNS

http://www.basketsofbeauty.etsy.com/

Scrumptious and yummy treats for the body and soul! In this wonderful store you will find the best for you and your little princess all in one spot. With Abigail's Boutique Designs offering clothing, accessories, and gifts your are sure to find something you will adore. All goodies are handmade with love and with attention to detail. Whatever you do, don't eat the soap! This confection is simply beautiful. Needing some pampering? What better way to welcome warm weather than with the refreshing scents of caribbean coconut drizzled with a smooth vanilla bean topping. This deliciously luxurious soap is made to order. This is a wonderful bar your body will love. It is beautifully scented, & mild enough for the whole family. (even the dog) YUMMO!

Please stop on over to Abigail's Boutique Creations at http://www.basketsofbeauty.etsy.com/ for a visit. You deserve some pampering!

ROCKERCHIC

http://www.rockerchic.etsy.com/
Colorful, fun, funky, and fabulous! Browsing thru Rockerchic's amazing shop is a treat for the senses. The colors invoke feelings of happiness- making anyone who enters want to party like a rock star!

This ADORABLE kawaii cupcake is backed with heart shaped cupcake sprinkles and neon green glitter! It's sure to be a conversation starter! It measures 1.5 X 1 inch. It has been lovingly finished with a dremel and sealed twice front and back with sealant. It includes the ball chain or your choice of a variety of colored silk cords.

I also had to show these awesome chocolate drop earrings! They are one of my absolute favorites in her store. I can see my toddler trying to lick my earrings all day long- A small price to pay for these gorgeous droplets!

To pacify your inner rock star, please party on over and visit http://www.rockerchic.etsy.com/ . I dare you to try and choose a favorite and leave her scrumptious shop empty handed!

Please stay tuned for more fabulous etsy crafters- I will be featuring them all month long! Have a whimsical weekend! Time to make the cupcakes!