DIY Geometric Necklace

Am I the only one OBSESSED with geometric jewelry lately? Give me all of it! The only problem is that I'm a poor high school student who isn't willing to pay more than 5 dollars for any jewelry and all my cheap jewelry places haven't seemed to catch on to the trend yet. So when I saw a couple similar ideas on pinterest and got really excited!

Materials:

• 32 Gauge jewelry wire (needs to be thin to fit through the holes twice!)
• Glass Bugle Beads (the size you use depends on how big you want your finished project to be. For my hexagon I used size three)
• Fine Chain or a pre-made jewelry chain (If you make your own chain you will also need clasps)
• Jewelry pliers
• Jump rings (optional)

Mandatory awkward "holding the materials" picture.

Thread six bugle beads onto a six-inch piece of wire. Thread the wire back through the first two beads; pull tight. Shape into the shape of a hexagon and trim the extra wire.

Open a link in the end of the chain and either attach a jump ring and attach that to the hexagon in between beads or attach the chain directly. Close the link. 

Find a necklace close to the length you want your necklace to be and use it to measure your chain. Open up a link at that length and attach it the same as the first side to the opposite side of the hexagon. 

measure half-way down the chain, open the link, and add a clasp. 

Voila! You're done!

Now admire how cute it is and how fabulous you look, darling. The amazing thing is that just by buying the materials for one necklace you have enough to make DOZENS more! I'm talking Christmas gifts, wedding gifts, birthday presents, small hoard for yourself, anything! And you can use a similar directions to make any shape you want. Play around, have fun, be creative! I even did some in 3D, the possibilities are endless!

I Need Thee Every Hour

Golf Cake

Snickers Cake

Shower Curtain Skirt

Snowman Sugar cookies

January is kind of a wierd time for making desserts. It's too late for Christmas but too early for Valentines, so what do you do? The only thing in January is the cold!  But then it hit me, snowmen! Perfect! These taste AMAZING!

Snowman Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie

Adapted from In Katrinas Kitchen

1 C butter, softened	1 C white sugar
1 t vanilla	* 1/2 t almond extract
1 egg	2 t baking powder
3 C flour

Cream the butter and sugar until it is smooth, then add the extracts and egg. In another bowl mix baking powder and flour and slowly add to the wet ingredients. If it becomes too stiff, finish kneading by hand. Take a portion of the dough and roll it on the counter about 1/4 inch thick. Take two round cookie or buiscut cutters, one slightly larger than the other, and cut out the dough. Place one of each on the baking pan, squish them together slightly, and smooth the dough in between making sure that they are firmly connected. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

*The almond is optional, if you prefer a different taste then experiment with different flavors like lemon or orange.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 oz) pkg. Cream Cheese (not softened)	1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/2 t vanilla	4 C powdered sugar
Milk as needed

Place the chilled cream cheese in the bowl of your mixer and cream it until it is smooth. Add the butter and beat for an additional minute. Add the vanilla extract, then the powdered sugar slowly. Pour in milk until it has reached your desired consistency. You don't want it to be goopy. 

To assemble: Take a cooled cookie and a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip. With a small star tip pipe a scarf. Add sprinkles for eyes and a nose and you're finished!

Rasperries and Cream Cake

This summer, being too young for a real job ands desperate for money I started a little cake business in my neighborhood. This was my first job. I make it all up and looked at it and realized that it looked TERRIBLE! I was horrified. Even when my mom came in the room she told me to redo it. I had one hour left, so I speedily whipped up another one and I think it turned out beautifully! If you're ever wondering how to make a cake look pretty just google the cake you're wanting to make and someone will have already done it for you! :)

Raspberries and Cream Cake

White Cake

1 box white cake mix	2 eggs
1/3 C oil	3/4 C milk
3/4 C sour cream	2 t vanilla

 Mix all ingredients until well combined. Pour into 3- 9 inch cake pans and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees until it is light brown and springs back at your touch.

Raspberry Cream Filling

2 C whipped cream	1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla	About 1 C fresh raspberries,  washed and dried

Chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes. Whip the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until peaks start to form, then toss in the raspberries. Mix until stiff peaks form and raspberries are broken up. 

Note: If you desire more raspberry flavor, add some raspberry jam!

Lemon Buttercream

1/2 C butter	1/2 C shortening
1 t vanilla	4 C powdered sugar
2-4 T fresh squeezed lemon juice	Zest of one lemon

Cream butter and shortening for 1 minute. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Instead of milk, use lemon juice until you have reached your desired consistency, and add the zest of one lemon.

To Assemble: Take one layer of cake and place on a cake board. Spoon 1/2 of the cream on the layer and spread evenly. Add the second layer and repeat until they are all used up. Frost the cake with lemon buttercream. The Raspberry cream will mix with the frosting on the sides giving it a pretty pink color. If you desire, pipe rosettes on the top border, and a shell border on the bottom. Top with fresh fruit and you're done! Enjoy!

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