The Smiling Sparrow

It's About Twine!

2012-01-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

I have long had a love of all types of ribbon, twine, string—you name it, if I can tie it, I love it. So it's no surprise that I am completely crushing on all of the amazing colors of baker's twine out there. I'm always looking at things to use it with (grab some of your own at www.thetwinery.com).

I picked up this cool tag-maker a while back and today I decided to give it a whirl. Very easy to use—basically cut out the paper the right size and shape with provided template, pop it in the little frame, and then stick it in this hand-held device, squeeze a bit, and voila! A tiny hole-punch later, and that's it!

TIP: These little tags are a great way to utilize scrap paper, or re-purpose those mis-matched colored envelopes laying around. And how cute would it be to make these out of photographs? I made a vellum one that made me think of layering them. The possibilities are endless.

These little tags are oh-so-sweet for that little gift, and a little baker's twine makes it even sweeter! And let me tell ya, you could make a bazillion of these for next to nothing! Love that!

Cheers!

Be Very Afraid...

2011-10-27T13:47:00.001-04:00

With Halloween only a few days away, I thought it would be a good idea to post our recent Halloween invitation, along with a "how I did it."
First, I found these oh-so-cute miniature coffins at the craft store which got my wheels turning. Surely I could make use of these, right?

After loading a bunch into the cart and the four boys in tow and the littlest ones pulling anything sparkly off of the racks and shelves (which, at the craft store, is half of the inventory), I was off to find something that could go inside these little guys, and decide that some little rubber skeletons would do the trick.

Next step was rubbing on a quick wash of brown paint (any kind of paint or stain will do the trick, even ordinary house paint would do), just enough to age it some, and give it a more "spooky" look. I decided it needed a punch of color inside, so opted to paint the one side of the interior red.

I designed an "All Hallow's Eve" invitation, printed them on parchment paper, then trimmed, rolled and tied them with narrow red ribbon.

I felt that the skeleton needed a little something else, so I cut some scraps of cheesecloth and wrapped him up, mummy-like. For this step, I enlisted the help of my "assistants."

For the final touch, I designed and printed some "tags" for the outside, burned the edges a bit to give them a scary, "aged" look, and affixed them with a skull-and-crossbones wax seal, that yes, believe it or not, I already had (kid's pirate party a few years back... you get the idea.)

And... voila! Here's the final, oh-so-creepy, "All Hallow's Eve" invitation... (insert evil laugh here)...

Till next time...
Cheers!

It's a Wrap!

2011-06-15T21:31:00.000-04:00

We got a chance today to see the car wrap we designed for our client, Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates, so I thought I'd share some pictures. A very fun project, and certainly something that is getting a lot of attention around the town of Gettysburg! If you're in the area, you might just see the Tooth Fairy driving this cool new ride!

Cheers!

Spring is Popping!

2011-04-23T22:23:00.000-04:00

I've been collecting all sorts of fun and creative blog ideas to share, and I thought for the first one it would be fun and timely to share a spring idea for Cakepops.

Several months back I became addicted to making these, after I came across Bakarella's fantastic blog, and they're "popping up" everywhere (sorry, couldn't resist). Even saw some at Starbucks the other day! So, I'll share a quick rundown of how I make these cuties, if you'd like to give it a go. Not hard at all, and a fun thing to do with the kiddos, too. I especially love decorating them, making all sorts of "almost too adorable to eat" scrumptious bites. You can find all sorts of sprinkles and sanding sugars at the craft store (like the ones I used above for the chickie and the egg).

Here's what you'll need (this makes about 36 Cakepops, and they're good for up to two weeks at room temperature, although they usually disappear before that):
1 prepared cake (make from scratch, or grab a mix of whatever flavor strikes your fancy)
1 container of prepared frosting (make from scratch if you'd like, but you can usually get a container for about a buck, and you'll only be using about a 1/2 cup of it, so I've found it's usually not worth making an entire batch from scratch).
Melting wafers candy coating (one bag will be enough for one batch, unless you want to do some different colors.) You can find them at most arts & crafts stores, or anywhere they sell cake decorating supplies.
Lollipop sticks (I like the 6" size)
Treat bags/twist ties/ribbon/sprinkles/edible glitter (all optional) It's nice to use the treat bags and twist ties if you'll be transporting them, or if you'd like to give them as favors).

Here's what you'll do:
1.) Crumble the cake into a large bowl. I just break it into chunks and then crumble with my mixer. You want it to be like breadcrumbs, or close to it.
2.) Add about a 1/2 cup of the frosting. I have found that chocolate cake with chocolate frosting is usually the favorite, but red velvet cake mixed with cream cheese frosting is, well, YUM!
3.) Once you've mixed it, it should be about the consistency of cookie dough. Not too sticky, but enough that if you pinch it you'll find it sticks together nicely.
4.) Roll into ping-pong size balls (I use a 1-1/2" cookie dough scooper to make them even) or shape into whatever shape you'd like. Stick into fridge for about 5-10 minutes. (I put mine in a wax-paper lined baking pan).
5.) Melt the wafers in the microwave (I find that about 2 minutes on 50% power works well.) Remove from microwave and stir till all the wafers are melted. Make sure to use a small, but deep bowl—you'll want the balls to be submerged in the melted candy coating when you get to that. I like to use small glass mason jars.
6.) Dip the end of lollipop stick into the melted candy coating about 1/4" and then insert into the balls, about halfway. This will make sure that they stay put.
7.) Stick them all back into the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from fridge (I usually take about 6 or so out at a time and leave the rest in the fridge so they stay cool.)
8.) Dip them into the melted candy coating (straight down, straight back up). Let the extra chocolate drip off (I give them a gentle tap on the edge of the bowl). Flip them upright, add any sprinkles or decoration before coating starts to harden, and Insert them into a styrofoam block to completely harden (but you could use a bowl of sugar, or rice, or even a cardboard box that you've pierced with holes prior). If you want to, you can just place them onto wax paper (if you don't care if they're a "perfect ball.") They're usually completely hardened within 10 minutes or so.

And to top things off, if you're taking them to a party, or just want to use them as a centerpiece:
1.) Stick some styrofoam (or floral foam) down into a container till it's snug. Don't worry how it looks—you won't see it after you're finished.
2.) Arrange the Cakepops as you would a flower arrangement...start in the center and keep poking them into the styrofoam. (For the one shown below, I used a small metal bucket from the $1 bin at Target.)
3.) Once you're happy with how they're arranged, using a pair of scissors, poke in some tissue shred in and around the container base, all around the Cakepops. When you're finished sticking the shred in, give it a little "haircut," to even out the shred.

Tah dah! There you have it. They make great party favors, and your guests will oooh and aaah over how yummy (and cute) they are!

Till next time...

Cheers!

So... Why the Smiling Sparrow?

2011-04-04T02:09:00.000-04:00

Welcome! I'm Shannon Elliott. I'm a busy work-at-home graphic designer/crafter/artist, mommy of four busy boys, organization fanatic, coffee and red wine lover, planner of parties, baker of creative goodies, and decorating enthusiast. The Smiling Sparrow is the blog companion to Elliott Design Group, my graphic design and creative marketing firm. I'm thrilled to use this as a place to offer and exchange ideas, share information, and really let the most creative part of me shine through.

You might be wondering why I chose the name "Smiling Sparrow" for my blog. Well, there are a few reasons, actually. I was looking for something that would mean something to me—something I could relate to—so I decided on the Sparrow. She may be small, but she is mighty—which got me thinking about my design business—how, like the Sparrow, my business may be small, but I don't have to have the loudest voice in order to be heard. It really is her slightness in size that gives her advantages. The Sparrow is ever vigilant in her goals, always productive, and teaches us to use our creativity, productivity and friendliness to get the most out of life. She's a smart one, that little Sparrow.

And why an orange Sparrow? Well, that's not so symbolic— I just love orange. When I started my design business almost ten years ago, I designed my logo in orange, painted the wall in my office orange, bought orange file folders, an orange desk lamp—well, you get the idea. So, naturally I felt it only appropriate for orange to somehow be incorporated in the name of my blog.

So, look around and check things out. I'd love for you to subscribe, "bookmark me," or link to my blog if you see something you'd like to share. Check back often to find lots of great ideas, tutorials, designerly talk, party planning ideas, and anything else creative or fun that I think might be worth sharing!

Cheers!