My First Guest Blogger: Lina a.k.a. Sourkraut of the Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen blog

I am excited to announce that I am now going to have guest blogger features from time to time by crafty friends and bloggers I admire! I was drawn to Lina a.k.a. Sourkraut of the Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen blog for both her wit and innovative projects (check this one out - amazing!) along with her droolworthy recipes on her blog! Lina also does the 365/Photo a Day project and I admire her photographic eye (this one is my favorite). So without further ado, I present to you my new blogger friend Lina and her Glühwein Chocolate Cupcakes with Lebkuchen hearts!

I only recently discovered The Swell Life but I remember that I was immediately drawn in by Alexa's funky style and gorgeous photography. On top of that she comes up with some great projects and shares my avid love for Halloween. Her blog is everything I aspire for mine to one day be, even if I have a bit of a way to go before I get there. That's why I was happily surprised when she asked me to do a guest post. That and because I am, admittedly, a little weird. My own blog is a bizarre mix of sewing and crafting projects, experimental cupcake recipes, and my attempts at creating beautiful photographs as I chronicle my year-long project to take a photo every day. It's nice to find a blog friend out there whose interests are as varied as my own.

My inspiration comes from a variety of sources including my German heritage, inexplicable love of English food and culture, and hundreds of other brilliant bloggers out there who share their projects and ideas. While I initially started my blog thinking I’d simply copy others’ work and give them credit to help pass those great ideas along, I’ve found that the process of blogging has been a great way to get my creative juices flowing as well. With the encouragement of other bloggers I’m gradually coming into my own and have developed my own voice, my own style, and my own sense of what makes a good recipe or a good craft. It’s been a wonderful process and now that I have this guest post opportunity I’m happier than ever to be part of the blogging community.

I’ll admit that, like Alexa, I found myself in a bit of a slump after the excitement of the Halloween season was over. I wasn’t ready to let go of the spooky and kooky projects I had bookmarked and in the works. I certainly wasn’t ready for the Christmas displays to go up in the stores and Christmas music to start blasting the very day after Halloween but there they were. It wasn’t until Alexa made her guest post offer and the wheels started churning in my head that I started to get excited about the advent of the Christmas season. Christmas is probably the time of year I'm most in touch with my German heritage as my mother made sure to include a lot of German holiday traditions as I grew up. I've chosen to keep most of those traditions now that I'm an adult and live on my own, especially the ones involving food. Christmas wouldn't be complete for me without a marzipan pig for good luck in the upcoming year, citrus-y Lebkuchen cookies, and Gebrannte Mandeln (toasted sugar almonds) threatening to shatter my teeth. What better way to share one of those traditions than by putting a modern twist on it to entice you non-Germans out there to give it a try? After much deliberation I finally settled on something I figured would have universal appeal: cupcakes and booze.


Glühwein is a hot mulled wine, perfect for warming the bones during the chilly Christmas season and even better for helping to cope with the stress of the season and visits with the family. I whipped up my first batch last week and found it to be remarkably easy but I know in the past I’ve seen it sold in stores this time of year, so if you can’t wait an hour to start drinking you have that option. The recipe I chose infuses a lot of orange flavor into the red wine with the usual mulling spices and generous amounts of sugar. It is, as you can imagine, delicious on its own but even better in a cupcake. I began with a rich chocolate cake, stewed a variety of frozen berries in some Glühwein and mixed with chocolate for the filling, and topped the cupcake with a Glühwein chocolate ganache. Decadent? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely!


In an effort to impress you all I garnished the cupcakes with some traditional Lebkuchen hearts with homemade candied citrus peel, spices, honey, and almonds. Nice, sweet messages like, "Ich liebe dich" (I love you) or Schatzi (darling) are usually written across the middle and I made a few like that, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to pick on my brother so I also made some just for him. "Dummkopf" (stupidhead) and "Dumpfbacke" (dimwit) hearts have been reserved in his name. The best part is you can get as creative and rude as you want with your custom messages depending on what sort of relationship you have with your family members.

I hope you give these a try and enjoy them as much as I did. Thanks to Alexa for letting me take over her blog for a day and introduce my brand of weirdness to a new audience!

Frohe Weihnachten!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe from Cupcake Project

– 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
– 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 cup butter
– 1 1/2 cups white sugar
– 2 eggs
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)
– 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 19 cupcake wells with paper liners.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs and extracts.
5. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Be careful to not overfill.
7. Bake at 350 F for twenty minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched. Let cool in pan on wire rack for ten minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely on rack.

Stewed Berry Truffle Filling
– 1 1/2 cups berries (I used a mixture of frozen cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
– 1/2 cup Glühwein (recipe can be found on my blog)
– 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
– 1/8 cup heavy cream

1. Heat the berries and Glühwein in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove berries from saucepan with a slotted spoon and pulse for a few seconds in a blender until large pieces are chopped up.
3. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream just until it simmers (in the microwave or in a saucepan) and pour over chocolate. Let sit one minute and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
4. Pour berries into chocolate and stir until combined.
5. Using the cone method, fill each cupcake with chocolate berry filling.

Glühwein Chocolate Ganache

Adapted from Cupcake Project

– 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
– 1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter
– 1/3 cup Glühwein

1. Place the chocolate, cream, and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave for 10 seconds and then remove and stir.
3. Repeat step 2 until the chocolate is all melted.
4. Slowly pour in the wine and mix thoroughly.
5. Place in the refrigerator or let sit at room temperature until it hardens enough to pipe or spread.

Thanks Lina for sharing your wonderful cupcake project Lina and for being my first guest blogger here at The Swell Life!!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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Christmas Gift DIY: Photo Lightbox

I love, love, love taking photos with my iPhone using my Hipstamatic App. I have several different photography apps, but it is by far my favorite. You can make lots of cool old looking Holga/Instamatic-type prints using it.

I wanted to actually get one of my photos off the phone and onto the wall! I used an inexpensive wall box, vellum, my printer, and a candle to make this take shape. It turned out really cool and makes a perfect holiday personalized gift to give!! Here's how you can make your own!

Christmas Gift DIY: Photo Lightbox

What you need:

– Wall shadow box (mine was 6x6 and purchased in a set at Target on clearance! Only $3!)

– Hipstamatic photo with black frame edge (you can use another square photo if you don't have a Hipstamatic photo)

– Vellum paper
– The Perfect Printing Pouch (seriously recommended)
– Double sided tape or tape runner for vellum
– Ruler
– Xacto knife
– Cutting Mat
– Photo processing program like Photoshop (you could also use iPhoto)
– Inkjet printer
– tealight (for safety reasons, you could use a battery operated one)

Instructions:

1. Measure your shadow box.


2. Open up your Hipstamatic image in Photoshop or other photo processing program you can use to adjust sizes. Fit photo to the size of your box (my document size was 6"x6".)


3. Since you're going to be printing on vellum, it is helpful to use the Perfect Printing Pouch to prepare the paper. Basically, it gives the vellum a powder-like coating that makes the ink on the inkjet printer stick to the vellum. A lot of people have trouble with ink rubbing off or not drying completely and this does the trick! Of course, you can print on vellum without coating it first, but I didn't want to risk it (and I bought this pouch like 4 years ago and have never used it, so I thought I would give it a go!)


4. Use the vellum tape to go around edge on back of image.

5. Use ruler and Xacto knife to cut out image. Apply image to surface and press into place.

6. I then added a tea light and it was complete! The finish without the light behind it is a little dull as you can see in the photo above (this is the nature of vellum), but it would still make a cool accent piece. Without the light inside it and with the overhead light on, you can notice the Hipstamatic number markings on the frame.

Here's another photo of it finished.

And, a close-up.

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

P.S. I added this to the following linky parties!

Five Fab Friday Finds: Stocking Stuffer Edition

I'm back with Five Fab Friday finds and I'm focusing this time around on all things perfect for stuffing your stocking! First off, turn ordinary objects into your mini best friends with these Inanimate stickers by Worldwide Fred available at Fred Flare!


If you want to wow your loved one, fill their stocking with this unique TTV Viewfinder handcast resin bangle by Bethtastic. Absolutely amazing!


For the iPhone addict in your life, these app magnets via Urban Outfitters are just ticket!


This magnetic wristband from Uncommon Goods is the perfect gift for that crafty guy or gal in your life!


I'm a sucker for handmade soaps and these rainbow soap pops from SoapyLove get my approval!

Hope you enjoyed these finds! I'll be back next week with another round of goodies!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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Silvia's Chalkboard Necklace

My friend Silvia is so talented! She's evolved her Etsy shop over this past year more into what she's passionate about and I'm so proud of her for that. She's focusing more on her zines and unique handmade items that she really passionately puts time and effort into.

So, this holiday season, instead of putting anything and everything she makes into her shop (seriously, listing and photography for a lot of items is a major chore), she's just listing this adorable and innovative chalkboard necklace. I've seen it and it is seriously fab. I think as artists we get so overwhelmed why what we can make to sell that we sometimes forget to keep it simple. Not just in handmade goods but in other creative ventures like blogging. I think if we focus on making things unique and heartfelt, we will have so much more success than if we focus on quantity without direction. I don't know if I'm making a lot of sense. I just like the idea of getting back to basics and thinking smart with intention.

So hop on over to her shop and check out the chalkboard necklace for yourself and add it to your holiday wish list. She's offering free shipping and it comes with a chalk pencil all inside a gold pillowbox ready for gifting!

I think I may just have to get one for myself!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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Just my Type Pillow

During a recent craft store visit to Michaels, I came upon an amazing discovery...giant diecut 12x12 scrapbook pages in laser cut numbers, letters, and mod designs. It was love at first sight!

Diecuts make great stencils to play with on a variety of different surfaces. I decided to use my type diecut with my favorite fabric sprays and canvas fabric for a totally bright and grungy looking pillow that makes a statement!

What you need:
– 12x12 diecut (there are a slew of cool ones by KI Memories!)
– Tulip® Fabric Spray Paint (I used red, orange, pink, yellow, and black)
– 1/2 yard white canvas fabric
– polyester fiber filling
– 12 x 12 piece of pattern (to trace around)
– surface cover or trash bags
– fabric scissors
– sewing machine
– black thread
– needle
– straight pins
– fabric marking pencil or pen
– iron and ironing board

Instructions:
Before you begin: Wash fabric to remove sizing. Also, prepare your work area for spraying. Use a large table or outdoor area.

2. Using fabric marking pencil, trace around 12x12 piece of paper. Move paper over and repeat.


3. Cut around traced lines with scissors.


4. Lay diecut on top of fabric.


5. Using Fabric Spray Paints, spritz and spray over top of diecut as desired. The more you spray, the darker the areas will become. Pressing pump halfway will produce a splatter effect. A full pump produces a spray mist. Remove diecut and spray even more color in areas you desire (shown).


6. Your finished design will look something like this. Spray on fabric as desired. For best results, let fabric sit for 72 hours before you wash it. I personally didn't do this (I washed mine after 4 hours) and the colors still came out vibrant.


7. Iron both pieces of fabric Next, flip the two pieces inside out and pin together around edges.


7. Sew around edge of pillow. I used a zigzag stitch, but it may have been better to do a straight stitch.


8. Leave an opening of about 2 inches. Now turn the pillow right side out.


9. Stuff the pillow using fiber fill and shape as you go.


9. Using needle and thread sew up opening and you are finished!

Here's the other side of the pillow. It has a more concentrated spray look. Also I laid the diecut down again and sprayed and it created a slightly offset registration look (think when you read the comics and the printed colors don't quite line up). I like both sides for different reasons. That's the fun of the sprays...they are definitely fun to play and experiment with!!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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9 DIY Font Wall Art Ideas

I have to admit something: I LOVE FONTS! I guess being a graphic designer has a little to do with that. I'm always scoping out typeography posters online, vintage distressed signage, and cool magazine layouts using fonts in an unusual way.

One thing I've been noticing a lot of late are simple font posters in the vein of "Keep Calm and Carry On". A super simple typed sentiment that a lot of places online are fetching for a pretty penny. The thing about it is that most people can make these posters themselves if they just were given the idea and know how. That's why I decided to bring you 9 different ways to make DIY wall art out of fonts! I kept them super simple and accessible...something you can do in less than thirty minutes and print out and frame.

And now with the holidays coming on, Font art is the perfect customizable gift for your family and friends! Hope you enjoy and are inspired by the ideas.

Before you begin
Before you start any of these project, it is helpful if you already have a copy of Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. Adobe also has a less expensive version of Photoshop called Photoshop Elements. These programs will make it much easier to achieve positive results; however it's not to say you couldn't get the same results from a word processing program like Word. It just may take a bit more time troubleshooting to figure out the setup.

Any of these projects can be printed to larger poster print sizes. You may just have to stop by your local printshop or copy center to have it done for a small price. You might also consider printing it to a wide format printer if you want it larger than a traditional 11x17 size. Talk to the printshop about specifics if you have printing issues/concerns.

Also, I suggest that if you're not already familiar with kerning, leading, and tracking, that you do a bit of homework. This can step up your typeography knowledge and ultimately help you achieve better results in creating your own font wall art!

1. Go Grunge
There are a slew of grunge and graffiti style type faces out there complete with drips, spray paint effects, and distressed characters. They look great on their own or jumbled and tilted on top of each other. Mix and match letters and numbers for a textured effect. I chose to do initials in the example above.

2. Fancy Font Flip
At first glance, the image above just looks really decorative and cool in a Rorschach test kinda way. If you take another look, you will notice that I flipped and mirror my name side by side. It's a fun way to use the loops and swirls of cursive typeface (this one was downloaded for free and is called Mutlu Ornamental) to create custom art. If you stare at it long enough, you may even find shapes or images in it that you didn't know was there just like a Rorschach test!

3. For Repeat's Sake
Repetition also makes a strong statement on a wall. Any word, phrase, or series of letters or numbers will be sure to catch the eye. I chose to run the type off the edges of the frame and also embed a not too secret message as well. Actually, the heart for this one was a dingbat font I downloaded called Heart Things 3. There are enormous variety of wingding-like fonts online as well that can be used in wall art projects. I found a slew on www.dafont.com.

4. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Take a page from the glossy magazine sitting on your coffee table, and place your type over top of a photo. A quote or phrase that captures the mood of the photo can be a way to add more life/meaning to that image. And though it appears I spent a lot of time editing this photo (burning the edges/saturating it, etc.), I didn't. This photo was taken and processed using my iPhone. I'm all about doing it the easy way!! You can also take this look off the wall and it would make a great printed invite, cover to a photo book, etc. The possibilities are endless.

5. It's a Colorful Life
Enlarge a phrase/quote/name using your favorite font and set it in a bright colorful palette of colors! It adds a playful touch to your wall art and will make a cheerful accent! This treatment particular looks good on a white or black background. If you're not sure what color combos work best together, the web site Kuler has great color palettes to get you inspired and think outside your normal color box!

6. Tis a Font to be Simple
Follow the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep it simple stupid) and use a tried and true font that looks good everytime (my suggestion is Helvetica Bold or Garamond Bold that I used above). Type out your favorite phrase or saying, then right or left justify it. It lets your phrase take center stage and make a powerful statement. Leave it simple in black and white or do as I did and type it on a solid colored background. Sometimes simple really is better.

7. Get Googly
I'm a sucker for googly eyes. It immediately gives inanimate objects personality, so why not try it on a font? Heehee. This would make an adorable accent to a child's room or really anywhere if you embrace kitschy, cute stuff as much as I do. By the way, the font used here is Cooper Standard. You can even purchase multiple paper maché letters from your local craft store, paint, then add the googly eyes in a grouping on the wall. What a fun way to spell out a name!

8. Fontapalooza
If you are a bit of a fontaholic, then this wall art is for you! You simply take the same letter over and over, changing up the font for each one. I chose one letter to be a focal point as you can see, then arranged all the other letters in different sizes and shapes around it. This would make a great personalized gift for just about anyone, especially that hard to buy for person!!

9. Breaking up is not that hard to do
Break up a word (set in an visually interesting font) into a couple different lines to make a interesting statement. In this one, I took a line from a classic Beatles tune, set it in "Circus" font, and finished off the saying in a simple San Serif.

Hope this inspires you to make your own font wall art. Now you can make your own art that's totally your "type"!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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A few tutorials I'm loving!!

Thought I would share with you some tutorials I've seen lately that I just love!! I love the innovation of these and I think you will too! This pom pom trim pillow above is from Punk Mom. Of course I love it cause it's bright!!


This crepe paper ruffle canvas by Stephanie Lynn is so creative, simple, and beautiful.


This modern ornament tree centerpiece from the Hostess Blog makes me drool.


These graphic soaps from the Ruffled Blog are so easy and fantastic! I love the packaging too! What an inexpensive way to make customized soaps for everyone on your list!!


These plates from A Merry Mishap so easy to do and look store-bought! What a great idea!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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Wednesday is Lensday: Snapshots from my Week

Here's a few quick Hipstamatic iPhoneography photos from my week. Man, I love that app! The button photo above was taken at craft night at my friend Patty's house. I couldn't resist!


I'm so emo.


A look into my shower. I swear it isn't as dirty as the photo makes it look!


Christmas balls reflection while at Sephora in JCPenney.


My bedroom window. I don't ever really open the shade. Everyone could see in from the courtyard!


Someone around Fresno does all these great painted windows. I think they freehand it. I think it's a special talent.


My beautiful friend Pattie a.k.a. Pattiewack.


Lanterns at the Iron Bird Cafe.


And I can't leave out Pixie!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

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