Gradient Layer Cake

I made this cake for a surprise baby shower for one of the moms on my son's baseball team. I made it rather quickly so I didn't go to measures I normally would to make a smooth icing layer.

First, I used two boxes of Betty Crocker white cake mix and instead of using oil, I used applesauce (it makes the cake really moist). Next, I divided the mix by into six containers. Then I dyed them all different shades of blue. See the Tie-dye cake tutorial for directions.

I like to use the gel food coloring because it doesn't make the batter runny.
Note: I used regular blue food coloring for the darkest blue and I used a few drops into the one next to it.

I used my judgement when color each container of icing. I gradually lightened as I went.  The lightest color had a small hint of blue, but not enough to show up in pictures.

Not pictured is the of white buttercream frosting that was colored to match each batter container. I thought it would be cool if the icing was the same color as the layers.

I used a 9-inch round cake pan and baked each color for ten minutes. This took the longest because I only have one 9-inch cake pan.  Note: butter and flour the pan before you put the batter in or the cake mix with stick to the pan and it can break when you pull it out.

I didn't wait for the layers to cool like I normally would. I flipped the pan upside down onto my cooling rack and it popped right out. I don't recommend this, as it could have been a disaster.

Once one layer cooled to touch, I would ice it with the matching color of frosting. Then I added another layer, and continued for six layers. Once the cake was together, I needed to do a crumb layer and put it in the fridge/freezer to chill so when it's time to decorate it would be smooth.  Obviously I didn't do this. I actually decorated the cake at the baby shower, and finished right before the mom-to-be walked in.

I wanted the cake tto match napkins for the shower.

I used sugar sheets to make the circles.

I did the best in the time I had and I feel a little ashamed of the sloppiness.

 To make the circles, I used the inside of my icing tip to cut out the circle shape out of the sugar paper.

I knew I wanted the cake to match the napkins, but I also wanted it to be baseball related so I used my blue Food Writer pen and made stitches.

For the name I used piping gel, which I dyed with food coloring. It was my first time to use the piping gel, so my ratio of food coloring wasn't quite where it needed to be in order for it turn out as dark as I wanted. We live, we learn.

All in all, I am fairly happy with the turn out and I plan to make another one in the future.

Aren't the gradient layers lovely?

Enjoy!

xx Tyna xx

Tie-Dye Birthday Cake

Welcome to Tyna's Tie-Dye Cake Tutorial. 

Enjoy!

So, I made a tie-dye cake for my friend, Lindsey's, 30th birthday.

I got the idea from Bird on a Cage. It was pretty cool, so I tried it. I will cut into it tomorrow and post an update of the inside, but here is what I have so far. *Updated with photo

I used:
Betty Crocker Super Moist Vanilla Cake x 2
Betty CrockerGel Food Coloring (Neon)
McCormick Assorted, Blue Food Coloring
CakeMate Squeeze Icing, Classic Colors Blue
Instead of oil I used Mott's applesauce. Used the called for amount 1/3 cup.
Egg Whites
Whipped Vanilla Frosting

Divide the batter into equal parts.

Add color to the batter.

Layer colors with 1/2 cup scoops one on top of the other. Repeat until gone.

(Very pleasing to the eye.)

To make a star-burst design use a toothpick and run it from the center out.

To make a flower design: 

Run a toothpick from the outside toward the center. Once in the center, make a circle.

When the cake is baked, cut off the top to make it level and munch the yumminess or make cake balls.

(The rainbow mess)

Ice it all over. A crumb layer isn't necessary.

I forgot to take a photo but on the top of the icing, but I made rings of each gel food coloring (lighest to darkest). I tried to do the same on the sides, but it came out clumpy, but the final product was still a success. 

I used a new paintbrush and made swipes from the center to the edge and then edge to the center, alternating between the two so it would look different.

(Note: make sure to wipe the brush after each swipe.
 Once I was done, I used the bottom edge of the gel coloring and made a spiral, starting from the center and working my way out.)

Then, I created a star-burst using the bottom edge of the gel.

I did the same thing on the sides.

And this is the final product.

*UPDATE*

The inside

xx

Tyna

The Man Fort

My boychild has complained a lot that we do not have trees for a clubhouse, so for Christmas I made him a fort, which he deemed the "Man Fort."

I found a cool tutorial here and then I made changes to make it my own.

Because I have a boy, I figured it needed to be sturdier than the one dowel rod through the center, so I added two dowel rods along the sides.

All the holes lined up, but when I added all the dowel rods, one leg would not touch the ground. I pouted for a day and then bought four more "legs" and started over. The same thing happened. I was at a loss and without my Dad or Grandpa around to tell me what I am doing wrong, I had to do some major problem solving that lead to the front legs being shorter than the back. For some reason this worked and it doesn't wobble anymore.

I sewed the fabric where it would slide over all the dowel rods. It can only be removed by taking the whole fort apart, but it is doable in the event it needs to go in the wash.

 I also added a solid back and a front flap so he could be enclosed and have the privacy a clubhouse would give him.

xx

Tyna

The Super Awesome Fun Show

My son loves puppets. We went to a local shop in town and they had a puppet theater for $85. I can't bring myself to pay for something that is so cheaply made, so I decided to make him one for Christmas.

I bought some wood. It was about $26 for the press board. I don't have dimensions because it's another thing I have just worked through.

I used a drill and cut a hole into the press board and then cut out a rectangle. Then, I cut a 2x4 in to smaller pieces and used them for legs to make it sturdy. I made cutouts in the center of the legs so the press board would fit into it snug. 

My first attempt at painting it was unsuccessful. I used Krylon primer and blue spray paint. It sucked. I was feeling down because no matter how many tutorials I read about spray paint I cannot do it.

I was at Walmart talking to a guy in the paint section when a helpful man that worked for Krylon walked up to me and started to give me well needed advice. 

I ended up going with a latex based paint.

My sister-in-law used her Cricut to cut out the lettering for me.

I used a dowel rod to hang the curtain and small hooks to hold it up. 

I think I may eventually add some chalkboard paint on the bottom so he can add showtimes.

xx

Tyna

The boychilds Raving Rabbid Costume

My son is a genius... the kid can convince me to make anything. I would never go through this much trouble to make something for anyone other than him.

Back in July,  he and I were cruising around as we normally do on Saturdays and he said, "Mommy, I've decided what I want to be for Halloween and it's going to take a long time to make so I wanted to tell you now." 

Our conversation goes on and he tells me he wants to be a Raving Rabbid. "A Raving Rabbid? How am I going to make that?" He replied, "You'll figure it out, I believe in you!"

Those were the words that got me, "I BELIEVE IN YOU!" I couldn't let him down and I didn't. I worked on it until the Saturday before Halloween. 

I completed it and I must say that it is one of my finest accomplishments. 

Let's note that I didn't start on it until late August: 1: because I am a slacker. 2: because I had no idea how the hell I was going to complete this task.

 I new I was going to paper mache the head, because it seemed easier that way.

I started with one of those giant popper balloons that have a rubberband on it because they are round and not egg shaped. I used a flour and water mixture for glue and then cut the strips of newspaper to dip into it. It came out lumpy and not smooth like I wanted. :(

I cut ears and teeth out of a cereal box and attached them with masking tape.

Using a felt like material,  I added a two layers to the body and didn't sew it closed so I could stuff it later. 

It was longer than needed because I needed it that way so I could attach legs.

I measured out the size I needed for the legs.
(This is where the directions trail off for a while, obviously I was just trying to figure out what to do next)

Partially stuffed belly and detachable gloved arms. 

 When I was at the fabric store having a meltdown about the texture of my mask, an older lady told me to use liquid starch from the laundry section and follow the directions for paper mache. I did several layers with newspaper with liquid starch-- it came out perfectly smooth.  (Thank you random lady who listened to my problems.)

At first I was going to spray paint the mask white, but I was worried about fumes so I only sprayed the ears and teeth white.

Once the spray paint dried, it was a different shade than the body, so I decided to cover the face with the same fabric using a spray adhesive. The front was perfect, but the back looked a bit like puzzle pieces or, if you prefer, Frankenstein.

 The eyes are a bouncy ball from the dollar store that I  cut in half, spray painted white and glued to the head.

 My son asked for red eyes, so I painted them on with acrylic paints.

 I added tulle to inside of the head for the mouth.

 I stuffed the belly and attached the velcro on the back for closure. The bottom I left open so I could attach the legs.

 Added lips.

At last minute the boychild decided that his Raving Rabbid needed to be from this specific game.

So let me get this straight... he wants a costume for his costume? WOW! The words "I BELIEVE IN YOU" started to echo.

 I used a faux leather to make the eye patch and belt, then I used a strip of red fabric for a bandana, whicht I glued together on the backside.

 I cut a two pirate hat shapes out of a cardboard box, as well as small sides to secure it together.  

I spray painted the eye patch black.

 here is the paper mache pirate hat and the completed belt.

 Once it dried, I spray painted it black and free handed the pirate rabbid and crossbones with white acrylic paint. I added a fabric tongue to the tulle.

You can see how large the head is in comparison to my kid.

                                                         

I got lazy toward the end of this, and decided not to attach the legs to the body. I actually attached them with large safety pins to his jeans. The bottom of the feet were made of what I will is likely vinyl tablecloth material.

With the legs being detachable, bathroom emergencies were not a big deal and saved me a lot of additional time.

When he was trick or treatin', kids recognized him as a Rabbid and that made him very happy.

I received a ton of thank you's and hugs from a very grateful little boy.

xx

Tyna