Wednesday, December 5, 2018

Milk Cap Christmas Tree

This is a crazy little take on milk for Santa's cookies. I made it for my kitchen Christmas mantle using the Ideaology Milk Caps and various Ideaology Christmas Adornments.
 One of my favorite things about this piece is the metal frame. I learned this technique from Paula Cheney. I started with the frame from the large Framed Panel, and covered it Ranger Foil Tape Sheets 6x12".
I cut one 6x12 piece into four 1.5" pieces and then trimmed them down to the size of each side of the frame. You will want to miter the corners as seen below.
 Then you peel off the backing and carefully apply the foil to the frame.
 Wrap the excess around to the back.
 Work the foil onto the frame using your fingers and a bone folder to adhere it into the little nooks and crannies.
Once the entire frame is covered you want to rub Distress Crayons onto the frame so that it goes into all the depressions.
Once the frame is completed, I covered the panel with a piece of the Christmas Text paper and then adhered the metal frame. Once the frame is firmly adhered, it gives you the border, so I started to arrange the milk caps in the shape of a tree. While doing so I decided which milk caps I wanted to feature with a special vintage item. Of course the Merry Christmas Milk was my first choice!
I tried to vary the sizes, along with Ideaology Christmas Tokens and Pinecones.  For an added Christmasy touch, I cut the fasteners off the Jingle Brads and adhered the jingles to the tops of the tokens.
 Make sure that you layer the milk caps as well. Some will cover parts of the milk caps underneath. I also added dimensional adhesive to some of the Milk Caps for even more interest.
 I also chose the Chocolate Milk cap to represent the trunk of the tree.  The Christmas Word Band was added at the bottom to anchor the piece.  You might be able to see that I cut the rings off the pinecones, added a little Glossy Accents and then dipped them in Distress Rock Candy Glitter.
Once everything was in place, I punched a few circles and masked the milk caps I wanted to cover with the glass pieces. Then I sprayed the entire piece with Distress Resist Spray and dusted it with Distress Rock Candy Glitter.
One really fun item that was actually the inspiration for this piece, is the inclusion of these vintage phoropter lenses used by opthamologists to find your eye glass prescriptions.  I thought it was a fun way to highlight a few of the milk caps as well as adding some dimension and sparkle. I attached these to the milk caps that I masked off when I glittered the piece.
 I got several of these vintage phoropter lenses from the Tim Holtz Vintage Stash Sale he had at the Carson Original Stamp Show Stampers Anonymous booth in July and November.
 I was trying to figure out what to do with them and then this Milk Cap Christmas Tree idea popped into my head, so I ran into my studio to see if they fit over the Milk Caps. Yay! They did!
 And a really fun thing about them is that they have numbers on the silver tabs, and they vary in thickness, just like glasses.
 I hope this project inspires you to get out those Milk Caps and make something fun and festive with them. It doesn't have to be a tree, it could be a wreath or  a candy cane or a bell or something else you dream up.
 And I hope you give Paula's metallic foiled frame technique a try. The foil is incredibly forgiving and once you actually get started it is fun and simple. I'm definitely doing this technique again!
Thinking ahead for Santa, we know he loves cookies with milk, so share a link or recipe in the comments for one of your favorite cookies.
I love all kinds of cookies, but this is one of my favorites.  I'm not a huge gingersnap person, but a lady named Donna Godfrey shared this recipe in an email newsletter way back before the invention of blogs. I have several fabulous recipes from her that have become go-to's over the years.  This is one of my favorite fall/winter recipes.  I hope you enjoy them!
World's Best Gingersnaps

Tami

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14 comments:

scrappergirl56 said...

What a fabulous way to use the Milk Caps...and the Foiled frame...a definite try in my book...
Cookies, cookies, cookies...never met a cookie I didn't like...LOL. I used to make dozens and dozens of cookies at Christmas...but Snickerdoodles I only made at Christmas for some odd reason and they are my all time favorites...but I have not made them in so many years, I could not find my recipe to share...oh well, saved you from gaining a couple of pounds that way...LOL...thanks for the give-a-way.

Nancy said...

I love the milk cap tree, what a great Christmas kitchen decor piece! I have two favorite Christmas cookie recipes that I make every year, Snowballs (Butterball Cookies) and almond roca cookies. They are real family favorites; my children renamed the butterball cookies because they look like snowballs and I only make them at Christmastime!

Berit Rosenfeldt said...

In denmark we have some cookies called vanilla rings, it is my all time favorite.... Love your work <3

Anonymous said...

Love the project. Will have to think other shapes.favorite cookie is grandma's molasses cookies.

Inkqueen said...

You are an inspiration!!! I am going to use the frame technique on a large frame foe a jewelry Christmas tree I have "planning" on doing for a year or so. I think this is the year!!! I am over the moon with the idea. Thank You. As for my favorite cookie.....there is a tiny restaurant by the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Jacobs Lake Inn that is Famous for their cookies. My fav are the Lemon Zucchini and Most FAV is their German Chocolate Cookie

Kim Piwo said...

Love the idea with the milk caps...I’m definitely into the trees made from items this year! I love these peanut butter no bake cookies that my friend Ronda makes at her Christmas party every year. It’s the only time I get them! Here is the Pinterest link. https://www.geniuskitchen.com/amp/recipe/peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies-129040

ann barnes said...

I am sold on this foiled frame technique, it looks amazing, and what an incredible way to showcase your milk cap tree (which was a genius idea...btw)
I do believe I have some of the milk caps in my stash and a wreath may be in order! Your ideas always excite my creative thinking, and this one is definitely worth manipulating! xx
Oh and my favorite Christmas cookie is chocolate crinkles ( the powdered sugar is always a sure givesaway that you’ve stolen on from the tray, but oh so worth it!) the recipe I’ve come to love is actually from one of my kids William Sonoma cookbooks: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chocolate-crinkle-cookies.html
Definitely worth a try!

Marilyn Shannon said...

This is adorable. Love cookies but I think my favorite treat this time of year is peanut butter fudge!

nancyburke said...

To be completely honest, I’ve never used those distress crayons, but now I think I must buy some! I LOVE how you used them on the foiled frame! This is such a gorgeous piece! And my fave Christmas cookie recipe doesn’t have a link- it’s an old fashioned rolled sugar cookie recipe from my grandmothers cookbook dated 1966. :)

Carol said...

When Tim released the milk caps, I couldn't wait to get my hands on them...and I'm still hoarding them! They bring back such wonderful childhood memories of a move from a small town in Kansas to Lincoln, Nebraska when I was 5. We arrived late on a Friday night and the next morning, Bill, our Milkman arrived with gallon bottles of cream top whole milk and complementary ice cream. He became part of the family...so, as a Christmas fanatic, this is a great idea! Thanks for the idea and the tutorial, love that, too. My favorite cookies are Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cookies. Butter, pecans, flour and powdered sugar, very rich, and you can't eat just one.

Judy B said...

What a fun project with the milk caps and that awesome frame. My favorite cookie to make at Christmas would be pecan sandies. Super easy to make, 3 ingredients and roll in powdered sugar. For some reason I only make them at Christmas, that way they remain special.

Amy B. said...

I just adore this design. Such a unique and fun way to use your milk caps. I too, have hoarded milk caps from Tim Holtz for a bit now. Might be time to try my hand at a holiday design!! Thank you for sharing your process.

My favorite cookie at the holidays is a Snickerdoodle. My food allergy forced an alteration to the recipe, but fortunately, gluten free flours have come a long way!
Here is my favorite
https://mygluten-freekitchen.com/snickerdoodles-gluten-free/

Teri said...

I really love this! Now I need to save my milk caps. Lol

Ldybg93 said...

Such a great project! My favorite Christmas cookies are pignoli (pine nut) cookies. Here's a link to one that's closest to my grandmother's recipe: https://www.rachaelray.com/recipes/pignoli-cookies/

They are decadent and wonderful. We always added just 5 pine nuts to the top which made them look something like a sand dollar. Delicious and lovely too! Thanks for the chance to win.