November Cupkins Link Party!

As Cupkins drew nearer and nearer this month I became more and more anxious and overwhelmed.  While I LOVE Cupkins, and cupcakes and muffins in general - you all know how busy and crazy my life is right now, I was panicked about WHAT to bake, and WHEN to bake it!  I had no time to plan or test bake, and I was stressing out about the whole thing!

That's when I realized that has the holidays get closer - we all feel these same frantic feelings at one point or another - so for my sake, and yours, I took a deep breath - and decided to keep it simple.  And you know what?  Sometimes simple IS better - because these mini cupcakes are divine... and so easy!  They're small, so you can squeeze one or two in even if you're full from Turkey Day dinner, and they are simple and quick to make - so you can spend the rest of Thanksgiving worrying about the turkey and the sweet potatoes!

Oh, and forgive the dark photos... we had to make a run to take some food to friends in the hospital and I lost my light.  C'est la vie.

Spiced Pumpkin Mini Cupcakes

I was inspired by these darling little mini cupcake wrappers by Wilton.  So much pumpkin-y cuteness!

Combine a box of yellow cake mix, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of canned pumpkin, 4 eggs, and 1/2 tsp each of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon in a standing mixer.  Fill baking cups 2/3 full with cupcake mixture and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (keep a close eye on them - mini cupcakes especially burn on the bottoms very easily if they are left in too long!)

Remove from oven and allow to cool...

While the cupcakes are cooling, whip up some cream cheese frosting.  Mix 1 stick of butter and 1 block of cream cheese until combined, then add 4 cups of powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Add in 2 tbsp of vanilla extract and mix well.  Then pipe or spread onto cupcakes...

After piping, I added just a sprinkle of orange sugar to decorate...

Yum!  Delicious!  Enjoy!

Now head over to Meg's place to check out her yummy looking Apple Pie Muffins... mmmm................

Now it's time for you to share YOUR Thanksgiving cupcake and muffin ideas!  Leave a link to your recipes, decorating tips, and more!  We'd love to salivate over your creations, too!  The link party will stay open until 11:59PM on Tuesday - so link up and tell your friends!

Get Ready for November Cupkins!

Can you believe how fast the month of October is flying by?  It's incredible!  It's time already to start thinking about and planning for November Cupkins... and Meg and I want YOU to join our Cupkins linkup party! 

Our November edition of Cupkins and the link party will take place on Monday November 8th and our theme is, of course, Thanksgiving!  We want to see your cupcake and/or muffin recipes, decorating ideas, and tips!

November's link party will be hosted right here on Ready, Set, Craft!  So get your ideas together, get baking, and link up here on Monday November 8th!

To see previous Cupkins post click HERE, and to view last month's link party head HERE.

Happy Baking! 

Week in Review

Each weekend in my Week in Review post I share with you some of my favorite crafty links I've come across during the week, from all over the blogosphere.  Enjoy!

 

I just adore this Ribbon Rose Ring at Craftster via Craft Gossip. 

So pretty - wouldn't these make lovely gifts for the Holidays?

 

This is an adorable pillow case dress for Halloween from Sugar Bee.  It would look darling layered over a long-sleeve tee and with a black cardigan and tights to go out trick or treating in!

I fell in love with these booties when I first saw them over at Rachel's blog.  HipKnitIzed provides the full tutorial - and it really does look like a quick and easy project!  I'm thinking these would be lovely Christmas gifts for all the little babies in my life!

And finally, not so much a project but I just LOVED Censational Girl's post on Holiday Housekeeping this week.  Some great times and ideas for getting organized for the holiday season.  Be sure to check it out!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Sick Day - Halloween Reruns

Happy Thursday, folks!  How are you?  I've succombed to my first bug of the fall season and have been under the weather the past couple of days.  I've got a busy weekend coming up and an easier busier few weeks ahead so I'm taking some time to just REST. 

In light of that, here are a few Halloween reruns from last year to tide you over until I'm back on my feet again.  Until then, take care of yourselves and stay healthy!

Teeny tiny pumpkin shrinky dink charms (full post here)



Cupcake Halloween costumes via Food Network Magazine (full post here)

Quick and easy Halloween Goody Bags (full post here)

What Halloween goodies have you been crafting up?

Week in Review

Each weekend in my Week in Review post I share with you some of my favorite crafty links I've come across during the week, from all over the blogosphere.  This week there were three that stood out to me - enjoy!

Easy Paper Cupcake Stands at Bird Crafts.  You know I'll be trying these!

Delicious looking Homemade Chicken Soup at The Creative Place.  Yum!

Push Pins with a whole lotta bling at A Pretty Cool Life.  Love all these colors!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Halloween Crafts for Kids

My latest article "Halloween Crafts for Kids" is up today over at Babble.com - head HERE to check it out, and be sure to spend some time getting crafty with YOUR kids this Halloween!

October Cupkins: Candy Corn Cupcakes!

It's the first Monday of the month (how did it get to be October already?!) and it's time for October's edition of Cupkins, and our first-ever Cupkins link party!  Woohoo!  I can't wait to see all of your creations!  This month's theme is Halloween, and Meg and I have each created some spooky cupcakes to share with you!  Check out my Candy Corn Cupcakes below, then head over to MegaCrafty to see Meg's Cauldron Cupcakes, and link up YOUR Halloween themed cupcake and muffin recipes, decorating ideas, etc.  Enjoy!





To make Candy Corn Cupcakes, bake a batch of your favorite flavor of cupcake.  I chose chocolate for mine, and used an abridged box mix (combine dry contents of box mix + 1 cup water + 3 eggs + 1 stick of melted butter) for consistency.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15 minutes.  (You can't see very clearly, but even my cupcake liners have candy corn on them!)

Whip up some vanilla frosting (recipe here) and use a 2D tip on a large piping bag to frost.  Starting on the outside edge, pipe two swirls of frosting, one directly on top of the other, leaving a hole in the center.  Fill hole with as much candy corn as you can!

 Add orange and yellow sprinkles for the perfect finish, and enjoy!

    

Happy Halloween!

Week in Review

Each weekend in my Week in Review post I share with you some of my favorite crafty links I've come across during the week, from all over the blogosphere.  Enjoy!

Coffee Bag Rugs at Maiden Jane and icraft at Bee Wise Bags

Polymer Clay Leaves at MegaCrafty

Newspaper Chains at Maya Made

Paper Towel Flower tutorial at Design by Night

Fall Table Runner at Make It and Love It

Have a lovely, crafty weekend!

(kind of weak) Month in Review: September

Usually when I put together month-in-review posts, I'm amazed at how much crafting has taken place during the month - even when it seemed like not much at the time.  September was busy - I came off a bit of a summer blogging hiatus - so when it came to putting together this month's review I was excited to see what I'd accomplished.  Well, folks - it's not a lot!  Not compared to other months at least!  Ah well, sometimes there's lots of time to craft and sometimes there isn't - guess this just wasn't my month!

Here's a recap, nonetheless, of a few projects from Ready, Set, Craft! during the month of September:

There was a lot of baby stuff going on, from cards to baby bibs to packaging.  Oh, and a great guest post for a diaper wet bag by Arwen!

There was some card marking this month.  I've loved all of my stamping workshops and togethers over the past month.  Thanks to hostesses Sue and Lindsey, and to everyone who came out to stamp a stacks and workshops.  So much fun!

There was a special box for a special little guy...

And of course a month can't go by on Ready, Set, Craft! without some cupcakes!  We celebrated the 1st Anniversary of the Cupkins project and I made some Michigan State football themed cupcakes!

For more info on any of these projects (and more!) head to the September archives... --------------------->

What about you, reader?  How has your crafty mojo been lately?  Was September a productive month for you?  Or are you ready to start fresh in October?

Halloween Project Ideas

I've got Halloween on the brain!  I'm working on my next kids craft article for Babble.com and all kinds of projects and gifts for my home and friends.  Here are a few clever Halloween projects from around the web that I've found inspiring...

Coffee filter cobwebs at MegaSpooky

Halloween drinks at Celebrations

Halloween Trick or Treat Wreath at Craft-O-Maniac

Pumpkin Balloons by Martha

Halloween Spooky Swirl Vase at The Swell Life

Have a neat Halloween project to share?  Leave us a link in the comments!  And don't forget that our Halloween edition of Cupkins is coming up on Monday - get planning and baking and get ready to join our link party!

Summer in Review: What my blog friends have been up to!

If you didn't catch my "Summer in Review:  Ready, Set, Craft!" post be sure to check it out here, I took a little look back at the crafty things I accomplished this summer - which turned out to be a lot more than I realized!  Now that summer is over I'm getting back into the swing of all things blog-related, and catching up with all my blog friends and seeing what they've been up to.

I've said it once, and I will say it again, I am constantly inspired by all of the crafty women I've met through blogging - it's hands down been the best part of thie experience.  Check out what some of my favorite crafty bloggers (and friends!) have been up to this summer - you'll be inspired too!

angelina la dawn tomato is special to me because she was a real life friend before she was a blog friend.  Now that she lives states away from me - her blog is a great way for me to keep up with her - plus she has such wonderful taste and is always sharing innovative and creative projects.  Check out her Fabric covered button earrings...

and this is how she decorated her living room wall - she created Contact paper wallpaper!  Amazing!

And I know I've featured this Recovered chair before - but I just love the colors and patterns she chose!

Sarah over at Auburn Street and I met through blogging and our mutual friend (above!) and even managed to get a puppy playdate in for our pups while she lived here in Grand Rapids.  This summer she packed up and moved to Chicago - what an exciting place to be!  Before she left though, I was excited to stop in and support her at her first craft show here in town, Bizzarre Bazaar.  She makes the most wonderfully repurposed envelopes and stationary...

She's in the midst of getting her apartment set up, and improvsed this Chalkboard calendar.  So clever!

Gabrielle at i craft at Bee Wise Bags is such an inspiration to me as a crafter and businesswoman.  I'm amazed at how much she juggles!  I just love these fabric Hair clips...

and she spent a lot of summer getting her garden ready for a Garden tour - and boy did it look spectacular!

Lollychops has been a favorite crafty blogger of mine since I first discovered the world of blogging.  Her projects are always so detailed and thought out, and so well done.  I'm absolutely in love with these Necklaces she's been making lately...

and check out this Messenger bag using stencils.  Sooooo pretty!

Abby over at Steinway Street was also a real friend before we started blogging - she and I spent a summer together at Interlochen Arts Camp back in high school - where we were the coolest campers, ever!  It's true!  I know I posted her Coffee filter wreath from the beginning of summer before, but I just love it!

I about died when I saw these Rock monsters!  They are so ridiculously cute!  Take a peak at Abby's post about them to see what she ended up doing with them - so cool!

My favorite knitter Marie has had a busy (and stressful!) summer, but I always love checking in with her over at Permission to Unwind.  She always shares such beautiful photos of the projects she's working on.  I wish I had half the knitting talent and mojo that she has!

Jane at Maiden Jane is my go to blogger for all things sewing related.  I just love all of her totes - she and her daughter are so creative and talented.  Check out this Placemat bag for example...

and you know I love her Oversized beach totes.  This polka dotted one is so fun!

My Cupkins cohort Meg at MegaCrafty has been busy as well.  I was absolutely amazed by her glass etching projects this summer.  Check out this Etched glass vase/candle holder.  So beautiful!

And she had a wonderful to make a "Scrapbox" for her husband - a runner - to commerarate all of his races.  It was such a neat idea - I love the way it turned out.  What a great gift!

Oh, and if you haven't been over to her Halloween blog, MegaSpooky, yet - you must.  Meg is crazy for Halloween and has amazing ideas, decorations and projects.  Head over there to get inspired!

So tell me - what have YOU been up to this summer?  Leave a link to your favorite project!  Happy Friday!