ALOHA!

Just in time for summer are these luau themed cupcake wrappers and toppers from Amanda's shop, For Love of a Cupcake. Everyone wants to imagine themselves on a Hawaiian beach during the summer, and now you can dip your feet in a kiddy pool, play a ukelele, sip a pina colada, and bite into a perfectly themed cupcake while you pretend you're in Maui. Or, roast a pig, make some poi, get some coconuts, and host a luau! These were so cute, and I love the finishing touch of raffia for a bow on the cupcake toppers.

 How about throwing a luau themed shower? Simply roll up hankies or wash clothes for the perfect party favor or decoration!

Here are a few other designs:

 A little info about Amanda and her shop, For Love of a Cupcake:

     " I currently work a full time job as an accounting assistant to the owner of a janitorial company. My hobby and passion for the past few years has been baking cupcakes. I absolutely love baking them AND eating them! I also love crafting, which goes back to when I was a pre-teen. I remember making beaded rings for school mates and friends, bracelets made of yarn, sewing pillows, you name it. I guess I lost touch with my craftiness as I became an adult…until recently, when I helped host a baby shower for my sister. My love for crafting resurfaced! What better way to show my love for cupcakes and crafting than to decorate them. :-)"

For Love of a Cupcake is sponsoring a giveaway of 12 wrappers and cupcake toppers. 

Mandatory Entry:

1) follow my blog

2) go to For Love of a Cupcake and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage AnnelynDesigns

2) go to my etsy store AnnelynDesigns and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from For Love of a Cupcake
4) create a treasury including an item from AnnelynDesigns

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Amanda's etsy store For Love of a Cupcake 

7) love my etsy store AnnelynDesigns

I will choose a winner via random.org on Wednesday, August 10, 2011. Good luck!

Accessories

Jess Made This is a shop that specializes in gift tags, cupcake toppers, and banners. Its owner, Jess, has a unique, vintage style that is obvious in her choice of colors and themes. Her designs are sweet enough to give to a child, yet chic enough to give to an adult too. Her items turn any normal bag into something extra special and personalized:

Jess sent me these whale themed tags in a slightly larger size because I wanted to play around with them. I ended up using them as thank you cards. I'm sure the smile on each whale's face brought a smile to their recipient! 

Jess is sponsoring a winner's choice giveaway of a set of gift tags or cupcake toppers. 

Mandatory Entry:

1) follow my blog

2) go to Jess Made This and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage AnnelynDesigns

2) go to my etsy store AnnelynDesigns and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from Jess Made This
4) create a treasury including an item from AnnelynDesigns

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Jess's etsy store Jess Made This 

7) love my etsy store AnnelynDesigns

8) follow Jess Made This on Twitter

I will choose a winner via random.org on Friday, August 5, 2011. Good luck!

More Cake and Cupcake Ideas!

Sandy is inspired by her Garden Center family business, and it shows! Her shop, Sandy's Cake Bling, is full of the most gorgeous sugar flowers...they look SO REAL! 

Luckily for us, since our party was an undersea theme, Sandy also makes sea shells and other undersea creatures. She sent me a huge assortment of sugar sea shells in pastel colors and white, along with coral and seahorses. I know I didn't do her work justice (just look at the picture of the cake she made!), but was still quite proud to serve this cake:

A little about Sandy and her shop, Sandy's Cake Bling:

"Sandy'sCake Bling was born out of my gardens. When I plant a seed and I water it and feed it and watch it grow, it is transformed into a beautiful flower. I treat my business the same as I form each petal or shape each shell and stand back to see what I have created and give thanks that I am able to reach many people that can also enjoy my work."

Sandy is sponsoring a giveaway of 20 assorted white fondant seashells.

Mandatory Entry:

1) follow my blog

2) go to Sandy's Cake Bling and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage AnnelynDesigns

2) go to my etsy store AnnelynDesigns and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from Sandy's Cake Bling
4) create a treasury including an item from AnnelynDesigns

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Sandy's etsy store Sandy's Cake Bling 

7) love my etsy store AnnelynDesigns

I will choose a winner via random.org on Friday, August 5, 2011. Good luck!

Decorate Your Cake and Cupcakes

I knew I wanted to make my daughter's birthday cake and cupcakes, but didn't know how to make gum paste/fondant/sugar decorations. I really like how cute all of these are, and the fact that they're edible too!


These little cupcake toppers from Artisan Cake Company are so adorable! They were so cute that I didn't want to use them....but what else would I do with a dozen fondant sea animals? LOL. Fondant usually tastes terrible, but these actually tasted pretty good...kind of like bubblegum. The combination of colors matched our theme perfectly too:

Elizabeth's most popular items have to be her Angry Birds figures, but she makes plenty of others too. She is truly talented and I'm sure she could make anything you'd like. Be sure to check out her shop, Artisan Cake Company.

I wasn't sure what kind of cake topper I wanted to use, but then I saw the "smash cake" options made by Natalia at Crumby Art. Her Finding Nemo and Little Mermaid designs really caught my eye, but I thought, no...stick to the theme! I received 1 6" cake topper and 12 cupcake toppers to review. They came in the sweetest colors and matched my banner design perfectly. The flat cupcake toppers certainly made them easier to eat!

Here's a little info about Natalia and her shop, Crumby Art:
     "My name is Natalia, and I have been in the Sugar Art business for almost 4 years. I have a background in art and illustration, and a love of playdoh, so all of that just kind of transferred over when I discovered fondant!  I am completely self taught, and am very blessed for the success I've had with Crumby Art. I work out of a small studio in Milwaukee, WI, where I also create one of a kind cakes for all occassions locally. I always tell my customers that anything is possible, because it is!
     I really enjoy and always welcome custom orders, but I'd have to say I enjoy orders for children the most. Maybe it's because I have 4 of my own (ages 2-8) and I think that helps me really understand what a parent is looking for to surprise their little one. All of my creations are completely edible, hand cut, hand painted, and hand molded. I do not use any stamps, transfers, or molds. I am also very excited to announce that at the end of this month I will be adding my own custom designed Cupcake Wrappers!"


Natalia is sponsoring a giveaway of the winner's choice of either 1 dozen custom Cupcake toppers or one 8" custom cake topper!

Mandatory Entry:
1) follow my blog

2) go to Crumby Art and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage AnnelynDesigns

2) go to my etsy store AnnelynDesigns and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from Crumby Art
4) create a treasury including an item from AnnelynDesigns

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Natalia's etsy store Crumby Art

7) love my etsy store AnnelynDesigns

I will choose a winner via random.org on Friday, August 5, 2011. Good luck!

Pick a Theme!

Every party should have a theme! 
One of the themes we chose was "Undersea". I love the look of baby sea animals, and the pastel colors they come in are so sweet.


Kayla's shop, The Paige Spot offers lots of themes to choose from. She also makes favor boxes and hang tags to match. Some are quite unique so you can be sure you won't attend another party like yours:

These cupcake toppers are SO cute! The little sea animals are so adorable with their little bows and come in pretty pinks, purples, and blues. These paper cupcake toppers are great too because they're made out of sturdy card stock and can be saved to put into a scrapbook later on. I just cut off the toothpicks and saved one of each design.

 

Make sure to check out Kayla's shop, The Paige Spot!

Next, find a banner! Melissa, from Delicious Paper Design, makes some really cute ones in a variety of themes:

I enjoyed conversing with Melissa throughout this process. She is so sweet and accommodating, which really makes a difference when you're looking for something personalized. The banners that I received are so pretty! The papers are almost iridescent, making the pastels perfect for a little girl's party. I received 2 banners, one that says "Happy Birthday" and a second that has a variety of sea animals on it that can be used as a second banner or hung on a high chair.

Melissa is offering a giveaway of one of her name banners from any collection in her store, Delicious Paper Design.


Mandatory Entry:

1) follow my blog
2) go to Melissa's Etsy store "Delicious Paper Design" and comment about your favorite item

Extra Entries:
1) like my fanpage "AnnelynDesigns"

2) go to my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns" and comment about your favorite item
3) create a treasury including an item from "Delicious Paper Design"
4) create a treasury including an item from "AnnelynDesigns"

5) go to one of my sponsor's stores (buttons on the left hand column) and tell me your favorite item

6) love Melissa's etsy store "Delicious Paper Design"
7) love my etsy store "AnnelynDesigns"

I will choose a winner via random.org on Friday, August 5, 2011. Good luck!