Pass the Zoloft...

It's that time of year again folks. The Holiday frenzy has ended. The New Years hangover has hopefully worn off. The fist pumping vigour felt January 1st has perhaps turned more into a half assed high five to the world. The days are getting longer, but not quickly enough, and the snowfall I was so gleeful about a month ago now makes me scowl at the sky.
I, like many people at this time of year, am feeling a bit SADsy. I know I have been spouting Revolution and the like. I would be a big fat liar however if I didn't admit for the past couple of weeks my Revolution has been less about setting fire to life, and more about sitting on the couch in my undies, with a can of frosting watching Ice Road Truckers. 
About as pretty as it sounds.
What's a girl to do? Having twin three year olds rules out liquor in the afternoon, or anytime really. Eat away the blues? Well, frosting aside, I have no desire to be crane lifted out of this house come Easter.
No my friends, I have discovered that a sure fire cure for a head in the oven afternoon is having yourself a Crafternoon. Just you and a glue gun against the world. My last post addressed my abundance of supplies, and I basically called myself out online to do something productive with them. So, I shall put the frosting down, put on some pants and steer my big rig down the road of "crafting your way to mental health blvd".


The first instalment of Crafternoon - Make your own cake stand. 
A brilliant way to marry a love of cake and vintage dishes. 


Firstly - get collecting. Yard sales, church bazaars, Value Village...all great places to grab some pretty plates.

You will also need a piece that will serve as the stand portion of the cake stand. I love little ice cream cups, they are sturdy and as you can see affordable.

Next get yourself some good sturdy glue. I have done this project with Crazy Glue, but find it hard to put enough on the rim to make it work. And inevitably I end up gluing my fingers to something. I really like this Elmer's Fix All. It goes on nice and thick and dries quickly.

Pick a plate and a stand and get started!

Line the bottom of the ice cream glass with a thick line of glue.

Turn the plate over and position the glass bottom in the middle of the plate. Once lined up press firmly. Note, you might be tempted to place the plate on the glass instead for lining up purposes. Don't. Trust me, it is much harder to line up and you end up with a cake stand that needs more cupcakes on one side to stay upright. No one likes that.

Hold in position for a minute or so, then run a damp rag around the edges wiping away any excess glue.

Place a book on top of glass to add a bit of pressure to the dry time. Leave drying for a few hours. I usually leave it overnight to be safe.

Although not necessary to the project, I like to find cheese plates with domes at flea markets and second hand shops. Repurpose the wooden part, pop the dome on your newly cemented cake plate and voila! Your very own fancy pants cake holder. Well done you!


(please note: these need to be cleaned carefully by hand...not really dishwasher safe).

Some other finished plates...

If you find you are laying around stuck for inspiration I highly recommend  looking to other crafty peoples, online or in books, to nudge you out of it. This segues nicely into another regular post I plan on featuring "Girl Crush". There are so many talented, resourceful, crafty, insanely creative ladies out there, once you start looking around it's hard to stop.

The first lady I am featuring in Girl Crush is none other than Amy Sedaris. Of course she is. Actress, craftress, hostess extraordinaire.

If I had this gals talent I would burn my own. I picked up her latest book 

"Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People", and it has made my month. So inspiring!

Especially for those of us on a budget, or stuck on what we should do with our left over

crab claws. Full of recipes, tidbits of crafting wisdom one might not necessarily think of... “Nothing ruins a lazy afternoon of crafting quite like being struck by a cottonmouth snake. Be sure to line the baseboards of your craft room with professional grade snake snares.” Brilliant, it is a delight from cover to cover.

She is definitely the lady I will be looking to for guidance when trying to clear out excess crafty supplies. And she inspired me to make cake plates, I hope I can do the same for you.

Happy gluing! 

xo