OWLEX - Lens Buddy Photo Prop

Here it is, the long awaited tutorial! How to make your very own Lens Buddy Photo Prop!

The whole idea behind this photo prop is to grab your child's attention, or anyone else that may be in the picture! While making your lens buddy use bright and fun colors, the more attention it gets the better!

What you will need:
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
2 black beads
6 pieces of felt 6X6 inch minimum (Colors used: Red, Pink, Orange, Light Blue, Yellow, White)
A Navy Blue or Black fine point sharpie
6X6 inch piece of cardboard OR a scrunchine (see below)


To secure your lens buddy to your lens you need to:
A. Hot Glue the body portion to cardboard cut to fit your lens
     (Pro: it will sit up straight and be easy to see)
B. Make the body out of a 90's style hair scrunchie
     (Pro: Easily removed from lens to lens)

Step 1: Print out template on 8 1/2 X 11 paper stretched to fit the page
    (NOTE: after printing measure lens, if the template is not large enough to give you 1/2 inch of body around your lens then you need to enlarge the template and reprint. If you're having trouble email me and I will send you the PDF version)

Step 2: Cut out template and trace shapes on to your felt
Step 3: Cut out all of the felt pieces
    (NOTE: If you are using a cardboard backer cut it out with 1/2 inch clearance to fit around your lens.)
Step 4: Begin gluing your pieces together starting with the body felt to the card board
    (NOTE: Once the glue is dry on the body portion (cardboard and felt) measure it again to make sure it fits your lens before adding any other pieces)
Step 5: Now glue Eye 2 to Eye 1, Eye 3 to Eye 2 and glue black beads to EYE 3 for the pupils
Step 6: Begin gluing all of the pieces to the body starting with the Eyes, Wings, Feet, Nose and finally Belly (Make sure you leave the feet exposed under the belly)
    (NOTE: DO NOT glue any pieces overlapping the center cut-out of the body or you will have trouble attaching and removing the prop)
Step 7: Final touches!! Use sharpie permanent marker to draw on feather details on the wings and belly

Congratulations! Now it's time to start snapping those photos!



The Template:
Blogger, for some reason, will not allow me to attach a PDF so if you have trouble printing the JPEG please email me and I'll send you the PDF)

I have written directly on the template to try and help you see how the whole thing fits together.
This is a rough template, hand drawn so please excuse the mess.

When you download the template you will need to print is to 8 1/2 X 11 to be actual size but this is a creative project, make it your own and make it bigger or emphasize the eyes and wings.

Have fun with it!!

If you have questions about the project please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

 

Enjoy!! 

Tiramisu Cupcakes

 

 

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
3 Eggs, room temp
2 1/4 Cup Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/8 teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup Whole Milk, room temp
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 single serve packet of instant coffee

Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 muffin pans with liners.

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, use a whisk to fluff and combine dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl combined milk and vanilla extract.

Back to your sugar and egg mixture, mixing on a low speed add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, after combined add 1/2 of the milk mixture and alternate dry and wet ingredients until all are combined. Do not over mix/beat, after each addition mix until just incorporated.

Fill all cupcake liners 1/3 full with batter.
Mix instant coffee into remaining batter, continue to fill the cupcake liners with an additional 1/3. Each liner should be 2/3 full.
Bake cupcakes about 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then move to wire rack to cool completely.
 

 

Filling:
1 (8oz.) container Mascarpone Cheese
1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua

In a mixing bowl combined ingredients, beat until smooth, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Soaking the Cake!
1/2 Cup (or more) strong Brewed Coffee, cooled

After cupcakes have cooled, core the cupcakes (about 1/2 the depth of each cupcake, to allow for filling) also, use a toothpick or skewer to poke several holes through-out the cupcakes. Using a spoon or turkey baster sprinkle each cupcake with the brewed coffee. Each cupcake should get a tablespoon or more of the coffee, depending on how moist you like your Tiramisu.
 

Frosting:
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar
2 tablespoons Kahlua

In a medium mixing bowl beat ingredients until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/2 Cup of the frosting into the refrigerated Filling mixture.
Fill a piping bag with the Filling mixture and fill the core of each cupcake.
Fill a piping bag with the Frosting and pipe soft swirls on top of each cupcake.

Garnish:
2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Square

Using a sifter dust each cupcake with cocoa powder. Use a grater to add soft chocolate shavings on top of each cupcake.

Enjoy!!