{14 Days of Valentines} Day Two: "Cup"-Cake Stands

     I love making cupcakes and a few Valentine's Days ago, my best friend and I perfected our recipe. We were the perfect Lucy and Ethel, thinking we were going to sell our beautiful and delicious cupcakes!  Every time I make the cupcakes, sweet funny memories flood back.  There was the day we put the stick of butter in the mixer with the wrapper still on, and didn't realize it until we tried piping the icing through a paper clogged tip.  And the time we bought a stand mixer and I got the bowl off balance.  Batter went flying all over her kitchen and we laughed until we cried.  After a long night of baking and assembling, we were so exhausted we just gave them away to people we loved!  She was on the board of a women's job ministry so she took them to the ladies there.  I took some to school to share with my co-workers.  Turns out, it was a lot more fun to give them away and share some love that day.
     Unfortunately, my friend had to fight a battle with cancer.  She won by gaining eternity a little over a year ago.  I miss her so, but telling our stories brings me joy.  She would love this post because it includes our cupcake recipe and a creative display piece to go along with them.

     First you need to make some awesomely delicious Valentine's cupcakes to be shared with those you love.

     Next, you will want a pretty way to show them off.  I am so excited about this project, because what I pictured in my mind actually turned out like I hoped!  And it was super quick and easy.

 I found these metal trays at Hobby Lobby and loved the doily look of them.  

 They were perfect for Valentine's cupcakes, but I wanted to tier them.  That's when it hit me... a "cup"-cake stand!  I could use cups to tier the trays!

My friend Cyndy at The Creativity Exchange did something with melamine serving pieces that I thought could be adapted for my project.

Next, I got these cute little cups and my E6000 glue.

I flipped them over, and ran a line of glue around the bottom of the cup.  Then I centered it on the bottom of the tray and pushed it down.  The glue adheres better if you have it on both pieces, so after I pushed it down, I pulled it right back off. 

Then I had a guide to run another fine line on the tray, like this-

I let the glue sit for 2 minutes with the pieces still apart, then squished the cup and tray back together.  I decided to keep these two pieces as stand-alones that can be stacked which allows for more flexibility!

The hardest part came when the instructions on the glue said to let them dry for 24-72 hours.  You mean leave them alone? Verrrry difficult.

But I did, and yes, it was worth it, don't you think?

Thanks Tori for this pretty picture! I know you'll be taking some amazing ones in Madagascar very soon!

Have a cupcake, share a cupcake, and remember you are loved.

He makes beautiful things!
Y.