make it give it

Chocolate Cinnamon Icey Yum!

2012-02-07T11:53:00.000-08:00

I have some really good 'foodie' friends who I love to sit and gab and eat and cook with and I had a chance to visit with one of them for a bit over the weekend. As soon as I sat down at her table she plopped a Food Network magazine in front of me that I immediately started skimming through. Perfect for Valentine's Day, it was the chocolate issue filled with various and sundry recipes containing ~ of course ~ chocolate; an exciting mix of sweet and savory (soooo want to try making mole some day) to choose from and all relatively easy.

Towards the back there was a quick little receipt for chocolate ice cubes which sounded yummy and I thought I'd give them a try. Can I just tell you? They're soooooooooo good! Not just for a backwards chocolate milk either. They'd be perfect in an iced coffee, smashed up and topped with slightly sweet whipped cream or just eaten alone like a little mini fudgesicle. Flavor them with orange, almond, raspberry, mint or....rose water. Hello!

Here's my version of the recipe found in the magazine:

1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp (heaping) cocoa powder
3 tbsp cinnamon sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Heat first five ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps

Turn off heat and remove vanilla bean. Add chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted. You'll have approximately 2 cups of liquid.

Pour into ice cube tray and gently tap out any bubbles.

Don't throw out the extra chocolate you may have left over! Add it to your morning coffee ~ yum!

Once the cubes are frozen, put them into a pretty glass and add milk.

Don't be shy now. Drink it down and savor each swallow!

If you don't do dairy, I'm sure that coconut milk, fresh nut milk or soy milk would sub out just fine (especially the coconut...smacking lips over here). Also, try changing the water for rose flower or orange blossom water or a strongly brewed chai tea. Or throw them in a martini glass with a splash of good vodka! See what I mean? Perfect for Valentine's Day. Get crazy and let me know what you try...

I'm excited to tell my friend about how these turned out. In addition to sending me home with a little bag of chocolate chips for this recipe, I also left with a paper sack of meyer lemons from her miniature tree and a half dozen freshly laid eggs courtesy of Gru, Miranda and Gertrude. Thank you ladies!

Pin It

Drop Cloth Valentines

2012-01-25T08:59:00.001-08:00

I've got two chairs in my living room that I really love and that desperately need to be reupholstered and as I don't know the first thing about upholstery and being that I don't have the dollars for the high price of having it done professionally, I got the bright idea to make up some slip covers for them using painters drop cloths. There are tutorials out there for the process, and you don't need to be an incredible sewer to make one; you do, however, need to possess the patience of Job! After much pinning and trimming, cutting and ripping, fitting and refitting; mine ended up in the trash, sent off in irritated silence. I was only happy that I hadn't spent lots of money on some gorgeous material for the job.

Needless to say, I still had about 3/4 of a yard of the drop cloth left over which I've held onto for crafting of some sort and it really came in handy for these little Valentines Day conversation hearts. Wanna make some? Here's what you'll need:

scrap fabric
paints (doesn't need to be specifically for fabric; I used acrylic)
stamps
dried lavender
essential oil (I used sweet orange)
embroidery floss
heart cookie cutter or other template
small funnel or demitasse spoon

Aren't they cute? And they smell wonderful! I mixed several drops of sweet orange essential oil into the lavender before I spooned it into the hearts. Be sure to pack it in pretty tight before you stitch the heart closed. I put one in my purse to keep it smelling sweet and they'd be a perfect little gift for your special valentine! Or....you could get crazy and make something a little bigger like the ones I made below also using up my left over drop cloth.

Get crazy girl....homemade valentines are the best!

Pin It

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

2012-01-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

As I get closer to opening up an online storefront, I'm thinking more and more about how I'm going to send out my products. I'm a firm believer of, "it's all in the packaging" and since i've been known to make a purchase based on how it's packaged and because I've been totally thrilled with receiving a gift that's wrapped in some clever way, this is kind of a big deal. I do have a few ideas rolling around in my head and I've been totally inspired by what I've seen on Pinterest; even created a board for it. Just take a look...

little glassine bags from oh, hello friend

magazine page turned gift bag from zakka life

brown kraft paper and doilies from callaloo soup

printed linen from design sponge

Aren't these super cute ideas? My head starts swimming when I think about how to put it all together. Have you ever been thrilled by the packaging of something you've received? Kind of like a cake that so pretty you don't want to cut into it, ya know?

Hang In There Beautiful!

2012-01-13T17:31:00.001-08:00

I know I'm not the only crafter out there who's heard about the wonders of chalk paint though I might be one of them who's a bit behind in trying it. I first read about it over at Miss Mustard Seed while drooling over her gorgeous creations and now I'm seeing blog posts pop up about making your own. Crazy. Anyway, I have a neighbor who has some great distressed pieces of furniture and I had told her about the paint a while back and don't you know that a couple of weeks ago I was at her house and she'd redone a gorgeous cabinet with it going from black to a French blue and it looked terrific!

She used the Annie Sloan brand of paint which seems to be fairly popular and I found a store that carries it just up the street from me ~ woo hoo! So I hooked myself up with a sample pot of a color called Provence and a tin of the dark wax (thought I bought the clear...oh well).

And what do I choose as my first piece to distress? The very humble though ever resourceful....clothes hanger. Silly, I know, but I was totally inspired by this photo from Pinterest which originated from a blog called Finally White.

I love the sturdiness of wooden hangers and it's mostly what I use for the clothes in our closet and I happened to have some extras to play around with. The first three I made were done with acrylic paint; an ivory base topped with lilac, and it was a pretty straight forward process.

I lightly sanded the hanger first then put on two coats of ivory paint, let it dry, then two coats of lilac paint

Used a sanding block for this and there's no right or wrong way to the distressing. I just wanted to be sure to see some of the ivory and some of the wood.

I used individual clear stamps that get put onto a clear acrylic block and I had to be sure to put them on backwards since I flipped it over to stamp the word. Then I let the ink dry before I rubbed in a light coat of the dark wax so that the letters wouldn't bleed.

I'm soooo happy with the finished product! And I love the idea of finding a fun little word on my hanger when I'm getting ready for the day. Frou Frou indeed!

Pin It

New Year...New Projects...New Possibilities...

2012-01-03T10:50:00.001-08:00

It seems like the older I get, the faster the years go by. I think it's because I pretty much hit the ground running each morning and before I know it, the day is done, it's time for bed and on to the next day. So it's no surprise that, kitchen calendar notwithstanding, the new year is upon me and I'm faced with looking ahead at new projects and new possibilities.

First things first, I've updated the look of my blog ~ it was time for a change and one of the things I really want to do this year is open an online store so this was kind of in preparation for that and I'm thinking of changing the name of my blog which is driving me crazy because it has to be just right you know?

I'm excited though! Excited about working on all the projects swirling around in my head, about finally listening to ~ and doing something about ~ the many dear family and friends who've encouraged me to sell my work. Excited about making a space for myself and discovering more about Annalea this year; of letting go...letting in...going deeper. And sometimes, for me, it's easier to do that when I've got a new little pretty to wear.

Hello jewelry and fabric stash. Hello Pinterest inspiration. Hello new necklace!

I had the chain, the fabric, the burlap (don't toss those scraps yet) and the cool button. I actually stitched the chain to the back of the fabric flower which I sandwiched together by sewing the button on first. Each circle is two layers with the one on top being slightly smaller than the one underneath. The last circle was put on with fabri-tac after I attached the chain to hide the stitches and give it a clean look. A toggle clasp in the back finishes it off.

Love love love it! Quick to make, pretty to look at and the perfect "just because" gift for a friend.

Flying Home at Christmas

2011-12-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas. Sometimes, I'm sad to see it over with and other times I wish it lasted all year; I want the lights always up and the living room lit with nothing but our tree. So pretty. I know it's really a celebration of our Savior's birth and, sadly, I'll admit to overlooking that at times and getting caught up in the shopping and spending and baking and preparing. Add to that how much crafting I've been doing lately and well....I think you get the idea.

One of the things I haven't yet tried is working with embroidery hoops as a medium for art. It's so clever, all that can be done with them from just covering them with different fabrics and using them as wall art like this from Desire To Inspire

to embellishing the fabric you choose like this hoop from Under the Sycamore...

or using it as a frame for special pictures like Danielle from Take Heart...

So I knew that I wanted to make something and I already had all the supplies I needed but this was one of those projects that you don't necessarily have a clear idea about ~ at least, not when it comes to the finished product ~ just one that you keep working on and playing with; adding to and taking away from and no one in particular that you set out making it for. I just kept playing and stamping and cutting and embroidering and before I knew it, it started taking shape. I didn't want the stitching on the back to be visible so I cut out a circle of burlap to cover it up which worked out well.

Christmas morning, after all the excitement at our house had died down and the boys were happily playing with their gifts, I received a call from my mom letting me know that my cousin Helene, who'd been diagnosed with leukemia about three months ago, had passed away at about 2 that morning. Over the last week, she'd contracted pneumonia and with a severely weekend immune system and other complications, her body just started shutting down. It was a terrible shock for all of us. In spite of the loss, however, my aunt Karel (Helene's mom) still wanted us all to get together for Christmas because she felt that's what Helene would have wanted since it was her favorite holiday and she'd spent the last few weeks preparing for it.

After we hung up, I looked down at this little project I'd been working on for the last couples of days and knew immediately who it was for and why I'd been prompted to make it. That's so God, you know? I stamped the date on the back, wrapped it up and presented it to my aunt yesterday. Something to look at and know that even though her daughter isn't here with us now, she's flown home...home to Jesus. She's good now.

Godspeed, Beb. I love you...

Red Velvet Snowballs

2011-12-19T16:16:00.001-08:00

There's one kind of Christmas cookie that I MUST have every year. One of those, "....it's not Christmas unless..." kind of cookies. You know what I mean. For me it's the snowball also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies and Russian Tea Cakes. My mom used to have this little hard plastic box filled with Betty Crocker Recipe cards. Anyone remember those? I can still see the card for the colored sugar coated Russian Tea Cakes...green, purple and red. Magical to my 8-year-old eyes. I'm not sure when my mom started making them covered in powdered sugar but that's what she's done for years and it's how I make them and they are my favorite and my best.

The recipe is pretty basic and you can find it all over the web and as a rule I prefer the original taste of the crumbly, buttery shortbread gems but this year, what with all the hullabaloo over all things red velvet, I decided to glam mine up a bit.

Here's what I used:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar plus extra for rolling
1 tsp almond extract
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp red food coloring
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Mix in the almond extract, food coloring and cocoa powder. Once incorporated, add the flour and pecans.

Roll into generous 1-inch balls and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then, while still warm, roll into powdered sugar.

Personally, I like to roll mine twice because the first sugaring kind of melts around the warm cookie and the powdery look is lost. Watch out for little hands sneaking cookies when you're not looking (or when you're busy taking pictures for your blog).

And expect sprinkles of white all over your clothes - it's one of the perks! They also make it impossible for others not to know what you've been up to in the kitchen .

Aren't they pretty though? Love the dark red against the white and just a hint of chocolate in each gorgeous bite. They're perfect to give to your neighbors this Christmas.

Dictionary Page Garland

2011-12-13T17:17:00.001-08:00

I've kind of been on a roll lately making ornaments for our tree which I'm glad about because I was having a bit of a dry season the last couple of months. Enter my wonderful old dictionary with pages and pages (literally) of availability for every idea I've had. I don't even think I've gone through 3/4 of it yet because it's so huge! Couple that with the repeated raiding of my linen closet and tearing up sheets, quilts and pillow cases for my crafting pleasure. I tell you what...nothing releases tension like ripping up fabric! Except maybe breaking dishes. I'll have to try that sometime.

I wanted to make a garland for our tree (which I don't actually have just yet) and I wanted it to be lonnnnggg because I hate that when I buy it, it mostly comes in 6 ft increments then there's always a gap or I always run out because I didn't buy enough. This year my decorations are cream and silver and vintage-y so off to the linen closet I went and found an old, dark cream, twin-sized sheet that I promptly started ripping up into 3-inch wide strips then started tearing pages out of my dictionary and cutting those into 1/5-inch wide strips that I crumpled up before I flattened them out (I like the look plus it makes them softer and more malleable).

I put a strip of hot glue halfway down one side then halfway down the opposite side then laid it down the center of my fabric strip (note: if there are images on one side of your page and you don't want them to show, just make sure that this is the side you put the glue on).

I wanted something on top that would pop so decided on some thin, shear black ribbon.

Originally thought of making a ruffle but ended up pleating as I went along; much easier imho.

I just kept going and stopped at 19.8 feet. Our tree will be about 6 feet and I want the garland to be generous. I have enough supplies left over to go longer if I need to.

It turned out pretty and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the tree with my other ornaments and lots of white lights! This would also be pretty as ribbon for a gift wrapped in brown kraft paper. Ahhhhh.....

Have you ever made a garland for your Christmas tree? What materials did you use?

Over The Moon!

2011-12-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

Okay...so i'm totally excited! My most favorite store in Belmont Shore ~ Blue Windows ~ has taken some ornaments I made on consignment! How cool is that?!? I went in today to take some pics of the display; it looks so pretty.

I've been shopping here for over 12 years; I'm so in love with it. It's one of those stores that you can always find the perfect gift in....always. And at Christmas time they put out the greatest ornaments; different...artisan...vintage...classy. I'd made the angel wings and little rosette wreaths and I thought, "What the heck! I'm going to take these in and see if the owner would be interested in them." Why not, right? You only live once and I'm so done with holding back because of whatever reason(s) I tell myself. The worst she could say is "no." And you know what....she didn't.

In fact, when she called me to talk about having them in the store, she said that the rosette ornaments looked familiar to her and had I just made some for a Christmas dinner at a church? Well, indeed I had ~ the same dinner she'd attended! Crazy right? That's so God! Anyway, I don't know if they'll sell. Naturally, I hope they do but I'm just over the moon that something I made is IN. A. STORE. Woo Hoo! And hey, if you live in Long Beach or nearby, pop on into the store to check it out along with my little pretties. I just know they'd look great on your tree.

Sophisticated Salt Dough

2011-12-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

I can totally remember being a kid and making salt dough ornaments at Christmas time. Snowmen, hearts, stars all painted and glittered, albeit a bit lumpy, hanging heavy on the tree. Fun.

Thirty plus years later, they're still fun to make and can have a more sophisticated look. Enter Pinterest....my newest and best love. Yours too? It's okay ~ I understand. I was inspired by these from Even Cleavland

and these from Marley and Lockyer (actually of white clay)

I love how elegant these ornaments look especially knowing that they come together with the most humble of ingredients: salt, flour and water.

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup table salt
1/2 cup warm water

I put the dough hook onto my kitchen aid, put in all the ingredients and let it go for about 8 minutes. A bit of scraping and repositioning was needed in the process. You could mix it all by hand too; just make sure it's nice and smooth and everything's well incorporated before you start rolling, stamping and cutting.

I'm doing my tree in silver and cream this year and I love the script stamp M&L used. Found one a Michael's for 50% off along with a pretty leaf and some silver ink.

I rolled out, stamped and cut the dough directly onto my silpat because I didn't want to move them once they were ready to go into the oven. Also, stamp before you cut so as not to flatten your desired shape.

I used a straw to make the holes but a bamboo skewer would work just as well. When everything was ready, I gently slid the silpat onto a cookie sheet and popped it into a 200 degree oven for about 4 hours, essentially drying them out. They'll continue to harden up over time and you can embellish them further. I rubbed some of the silver ink I used for the stamps onto the outsides and backs of my ornaments and then made ties out of torn strips of muslin. I hung them on a little felt tree that I have and I'll keep them there until we get our big tree in a couple of weeks.

These would be great tags to embellish a gift with or make a dozen and give them to a friend who likes a vintage shabby feel to her ornaments.

Favors Favors Everywhere!

2011-12-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't posted in over two months! It's not like I haven't been crafting ~ clearly (see above) ~ it's just a whirlwind of stuff that's been going on in my life which would require time, snacks and copious amounts of wine to tell you about so instead I'll just show you some pics of the favors I've been working on. Remember my last post where I showed you the ideas I'd come up with for our church's annual Women's Christmas Dinner? You all liked the ornament which ended up getting the most votes by the ladies putting this shindig together and I became a paper pleating, fabric rose making and glittering machine. 260 of these little babies! Fortunately, I had lots of great help which made the jump in number (an extra 100) easier to swallow.

The dinner was last night and the sanctuary looked lovely decked out in "rustic royalty": gold, burlap, red and creamy muslin. Every plate was home to a favor for each of the ladies who attended and I secretly watched several of them pick theirs up and 'ooooo' and 'ahhhhh' over them. Smile.

The jury's still out on whether or not I'll do this again next year but for now, I'm done and I can focus on decorating my own home for Christmas. Believe it or not, I'm making some of these for our tree too. They are pretty and versatile when it comes to color, fabric and ribbon.

What's Your Favor Fancy?

2011-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

This year I was asked to head up the Favor Committee for our church's annual Women's Christmas Dinner. I was super excited and gladly accepted (in June!) and at the same time have been somewhat stressed out trying to come up with some ideas which I'll be presenting today. A think ahead planner I am not ~ I fall more into the the big time procrastinator category. Am I preachin' to the choir here? Anyone?

There's a bit of criteria I had to follow in deciding what to make: easy, relatively quick and no more than $1 per person. With the pages from a big, old dictionary for inspiration, I started trolling the internet for ideas and finally came up with three:

I had my own criteria in coming up with ideas: I didn't want this to be a favor that accidentally gets left on the table (know what I'm sayin? i've done it myself') and I wanted to present three items with different feels ~ something that could be used seasonally (the decoration), something that could be used throughout the year (the clothespins) and something that could be used that night (the little cone which will be filled with miniature shortbread cookies).

Which of the three favors do you fancy? Would you forget any of them? Are there favors that you've gotten at past functions that you've really loved?

Pin It

This Is What I Did Today

2011-09-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

There are days when I wake up in the morning thinking about cooking. Kind of a "hmmm....what would be fun to make today?" thought. Sometimes it's cookies or a simple cake. Sometimes a portabella and bechamel lasagana, a light and airy pavlova or fresh peach jam.

Today, it was mayonnaise. Not very elegant, I get it. But WOW! Creamy, tangy and a deep rich color - not the creamy white from the market. This is a rich and pale chartreuse because of the extra virgin olive oil that gets slowly poured in towards the end.

There are tons of recipes out there for mayonnaise made with evoo, but they're all pretty similar. Actually, I got inspired to make my own because I was watching Ina Garten ~ that sweet Contessa ~ make some on her show. She added fresh basil to hers (uber yum!) which I really wanted to do but I was fresh out. It was still delicious though and I slathered it on some soft sourdough bread and made a really good sandwich for my lunch today.

After that I played around with an idea for a favor for our church's Ladies Christmas dinner. I'm the captain of that committee so... I came up with these which I like because they're useful you know; not just for that evening or the holiday season but something they can use throughout the year.

I still need to come up with a couple more ideas though so please feel free to throw some my way. Criteria: INEXPENSIVE ~ not more than $1 per person and we'll have about 150 ladies; also quick and relatively easy.

Have you ever received a favor at a church function?
What did you like about it? Did you use it or get rid of
it that night by leaving it at your table (not judging).

Sugar High!

2011-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, one of my best friends and I attended an event we'd been anticipating since the day we signed up for it (about 6 months ago!) ~ Blog Sugar! Dreamed up by Rachel Reeves and still in it's first blush, Blog Sugar was a night of getting together with other bloggers to meet, talk shop, tell their story, learn from one another and generally just enjoy the company and I loved how everyone just seemed to connect. I guess that happens when you have something in common with the person you're talking to but all of the women we met were just really giving of themselves and down-to-earth.

Wonderful guest speakers shared about how they started out and what "a day in the life" of their blogs and/or business look like. I got to learn from Maggie, Sarah and Lindsey and came away with golden nuggets from each of them. And our table? Oh my gosh! Talent Talent Talent! And openness, warmth, encouragement....well, not from the table of course; from the amazing women who shared it with me: Sharone, Nish, Elizabeth, Chelsea, Lauren, Angela, Sarah and Lisa. Check out their blogs. You'll end up wanting to spend all day with these gals. Serious!

So...my thoughts are still sparkling from everything I learned yesterday. I feel renewed and energized as a blogger, a woman, a friend. My hat goes off to everyone who gave of themselves to make this event happen and I can hardly wait until next year!

Pup Love

2011-09-24T12:16:00.001-07:00

Ahhhh....puppy love; it's the sweetest kind. And if you have a little four legged black-nosed baby at your house like we do then you know the feeling and, on occasion, you may find yourself wanting to spoil said puppy. Why not do it with homemade treats?

I like making my own because then I know what's in them and can control amounts and ingredients. There's nothing in these treats that you couldn't eat yourself though I'd trade one for a chocolate chip cookie any day of the week. Lucy seems to like them though and will run through her repertoire of tricks to get some.

Peanut Butter Bacon Treats

1/4 cup bacon drippings
3 tablespoons ground flax seed
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup beef or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a mixer or by hand, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.

Roll to 1/4" thick and either slice into small shapes with a pizza wheel or cut out with a small cookie cutter. I used a 1" heart shape.

And it always helps to have an assistant...

This one recipe made a lot of treats. 87 to be exact which is a lot more than you'd get at your local pet store and a lot less expensive. And I pretty much used up every last bit of dough.

Bake for 25 minutes rotating cookie sheets half way through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and store in a mason jar or whatever you have on hand.

They were a big hit with our Lu Lu Bird and she gobbled down three in short order.

Be sure to save those pan drippings the next time you fry up some bacon and if you're not a bacon eater, I'm sure you could substitute with extra virgin olive or coconut oil. These treats freeze beautifully and are the perfect gift for the dog lovers on your holiday list. Woof!

Pin It

Upcycled Grocery Bag

2011-09-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

This past August, the city we live in stopped allowing stores to use plastic grocery bags effectively forcing it's inhabitants to go green whenever they shop and while most of these stores sell reusable bags to hold your purchases it's a quick process to make several of your own to use instead.

A couple of days ago I was sitting at my computer, pinning my little heart out, (oh how I love Pinterest...) when I came across this great tutorial from Between The Lines for a grocery bag made out of an old t-shirt.

We have LOTS of old t-shirts at our house so I rummaged around and found one to use. The fabric of this particular shirt is on the thin side and I think a thicker one would definitely produce a stronger bag for things like produce and eggs and such. Mine would be fine for bread, lettuce, paper towels...things that are on the lighter side.

The directions are pretty straight forward and there's even tutorial links for French and box seams if you're not sure how to do one or both (like me).

I also really like that slits are cut vertically which was SO much easier to do than making horizontal cuts like some others I've seen.

To reinforce the handles a bit I added some ruffles using a few strips of unbleached muslin I had on hand.

Kind of looks like a tank top. Actually, without closing up the bottom it would be cute to wear over a swim suit. Go rummaging through your drawer and pull out some of those t-shirts you don't wear anymore but have been holding on to for some reason. Save one or two for fabric flowers and then transform the others into grocery bags to keep in the car with you. If your city stops using plastic grocery bags, you'll be ready!

Pin It

Sensational Soft Scrub....Homemade

2011-07-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

I think it's amazing that cleaning products can be made at home; not only are they less expensive in the long run, you also know what's going in them so they're healthier for your family and wonderfully green to boot!

My most recent love is this homemade soft scrub. I'm telling you it works AMAZINGLY and smells wonderful. Antibacterial due to the tea tree and lavender essential oils and whitening because of the baking soda - no need for ajax or comet with bleach ever again.

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap (I used peppermint)
10 drops tea tree oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

In a large bowl, mix together the soda, castile soap, oils and water

The consistency will be like glossy cream cheese frosting. Once combined, add the vinegar. It will bubble up as it reacts with the soda - not to worry. Just make sure you don't add it until after you've mixed up the other ingredients or you'll get sludge and you want frosting.

Once everything is all mixed together, pour the scrub into a container. I used a wide-mouth mason jar and it's easy for me to get my hand through the opening. I just scoop it out and put on my sponge as needed. Another possibility is to use an empty squeeze bottle as your container. And if it gets a bit dry, just add a little water and shake it up.

It's silly...how excited I am about this stuff but I just think it's incredible. It's worked great on everything I've used it on so far: sinks, tubs, stove tops, toilets....I'm tellin' you! It's now a staple for me when I clean along with the all-purpose spray you see next to it in the picture below.

For that you'll need:

1/4 cup lemon juice (pulp and seeds strained out)
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup water
tea tree oil (optional)
lavender essential oil (optional)
1 tsp castile soap (optional)

While the oils and soap are optional here, I like to add them because it cuts the smell of the vinegar and adds antibacterial properties. Works great on counters, cabinets floors, trash cans; basically, wherever you'd use a store bought product.

Use these for yourself or give them as a hostess or housewarming gift with some natural sponges or cotton cleaning towels. Cute labels can be found here and more recipes here. My next endeavor? Liquid laundry soap and felted dryer balls!

Pin It

Lavender Vanilla Soda

2011-07-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

As much as I love love love to get crafty, I'm a foodie from the top of my head to the tips of my painted little toes, and when I stumble on something new, clever, delicious....I get practically giddy with excitement. Such was the case yesterday when I had my first sip of lavender soda.

In a word, it was...enchanting; not too sweet with just a hint of dusty herbaceousness on the tongue; delicate nasturtium petals floating around amongst the bubbles. I was instantly taken and new I wanted to try recreating it at home.

I figured it was just a matter of a flavored simple syrup which I made using filtered water, organic sugar and food-grade lavender bruised a bit with the back of knife to release the oils.

I changed it up and added a couple of vanilla beans when making the syrup and then strained it all through a fine mesh sieve and set it aside to cool to room temp.

Once it was ready, I put a couple of tablespoons in glass with lots of ice, and finished it off with a generous splash of San Pellegrino and the tops of a few fresh lavender flowers.

Can you imagine serving glasses of this at a bridal or baby shower? Or just hanging out with the girls having snacks and chatting it up? I love that I know what's in it and I can control the sweetness. Plus...my boys really like it and think it's fun to drink out of fancy glasses.

The perfect summer elixir to make and give!

Pin It

Fluffy Fabric Poms

2011-06-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

There's this pricey little boutique in our neighborhood. You know the kind; the one you stand in front of and look longingly through the window at all the loveliness displayed before you; knowing that there's no way you can afford the $340 sandals winking at you from their lofty perch even if you went without your daily coffee for the next 10 months which, let's get real here, is so not going to happen. I actually bought a couple of things there when I was in the black (eons ago) but now that I'm mostly in the red, it's just window shopping for me.

Yesterday, I decided to go in and browse and my eye was caught by several super cute fabric pom poms here and there throughout the store; attached to a leather clutch, a long chain necklace, pinned to a sweater.

$25! Not kidding.

And of course, my crafty mind immediately said, "I can make this!" and that's what I did as soon as I got home.

Here's what you'll need:

self healing mat
rotary cutter
acryllic ruler
coordinating fabric (2-3)
ribbon, cording, lace for the tie (get creative)
beads (optional)

Gather your fabrics together. I went with three but you could use two or even just one depending on what you're thinking to use the pom for. The one's at the store were solid jewel tones - deep red and orange mixed together. Pretty.

Then start cutting. Obviously, I didn't have a tape measure with me so I just guess-timated. The first pom I made had uniform fabric strips of 1" x 7" which turned out big and flouncy and the second was 1" x 6".

I didn't count how many strips I made of each but, obviously, the more you have the fuller your pom. You could even have more of one color and less of others; they'd just be accents. Once everything is cut to your liking, lay them out in the order you want on top of whatever you're going to use to tie your pom together.

Tie it up nice and tight and then just start fluffing it out and twisting and turning until it's just the way you like it. I added beads to the end of my string just to pretty it up and you can use any type of fabric you have on hand from your stash. 7/8" ribbon would be a pretty accent. Not completely sure about burlap even though I have some 1" x 5" strips waiting for me on the counter; I think it might fray too much.

Put one on top of a package, embellish a piece of jewelry, tie it to a belt. Lots of fun possibilities! Oh! I almost forgot. My cost? $0!!!

French Market Bag

2011-05-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Since I've never been to France I can't really claim that this is the kind of bag the French actually use when they do their marketing but the saying on the outside is in French so there it is.

If your not familiar with the Graphics Fairy yet, you really out to head on over - she's got over 2,000 free images to download and if you're a fan of all things vintage/victorian you're bound to find something you'll love to use on a project.

I got inspired to make this bag from this tutorial over at Creative Cain Cabin. It's fairly simple and while not completely detailed you shouldn't have any trouble following along, even if you're new to the sewing arena. The inside fabric was from an old duvet that I had and the outside was in the upholstery section of Fabric Barn (only $3.50/yd!) so this cost me about $4 to make.

I'm still toying with the idea of adding a blanket stitch to the top hem.... what d'ya think?

Love it though. It would make a great hostess or housewarming gift but I think this will stay with me. Can't wait to take it to the Farmer's Market this Sunday. Yeah!

Elegant Pedestal

2011-04-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at what can be found through thrifting and then turned into something one might find in a fancy boutique either to purchase or as part of a display. Pedestal serving pieces are some of my favorites; they're not only easy to make ~ they can be done inexpensively and are completely customizable like this one I made a while back.

I got inspired by this post over at The Speckled Dog and really liked the wood pieces as a medium. Aren't they sweet?

So, a few weeks ago I was browsing at my local Salvation Army specifically looking for wood pieces and came across this tarnished silver candle stick and wooden plate. 30% off of everything too so these two pieces just cost me $3.20!

So, not my original plan but I really liked the idea of putting silver and wood together; kinda Colonial America.

Not that I'm versed in Colonial American decor or anything but when I put it together I wasn't as WOWED as I thought I'd be so, as any self-respecting crafter would do, I got out my paints and glue and sanding blocks and set to work.

First a creamy yellow all around. Then a creamy white. Then sanding (Hey - don't knock the emery board. It worked great. Very coarse and bendy) and gluing.

I brushed on and lightly wiped off some metallic silver paint and then put on a coat of satin interior varnish.

I like it much better this way. I have some pine cones that I'm going to do up with silver paint for Christmas (I know, I know. Just thinking ahead) but you could do just about anything with it. I went back to the S.A. last week to see if they had any more candlesticks and wooden plates and, of course, they were out. But I'm still on the look out cause I love the way it turned out and definitely want to make several more!

Makes a great gift for your friends who like things with a shabby and vintage feel! Oooo...or to hold candles or pearls or shells or dainty cookies dusted with powdered sugar.

Don't get me started!

Pin It

A bit of lace and fabric to adorn my wrist

2011-04-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

I've no idea what hit me yesterday but I came down with a cold hard and fast. Aches, fever, chills...the whole shebang! Needless to say I spent most of the day in bed convalescing with lots of hot tea, pain relievers and my favorite heating pad. By noon I was bored and restless and started in on one of my favorite past times...surfing craft blogs (what else?) and got inspired to make a cuff bracelet.

I don't really have a tutorial for you but if you go to Vintiquities Workshop you'll see one along with my inspiration. Once you get going on these, it's hard to stop cause you can just keep adding and layering and embellishing to your hearts content.

I used fabrics I had on hand which included a cloth napkin, gauze lining and, of all things, a cloth diaper! Craze, I know, but it's sturdy and super soft! I added some beads and pieces of a doily and blanket stitched all around the edges. I love it. It probably looks a little bridal but since my husband often refers to me as his beautiful bride....I suppose that's okay. It's definitely girly and feminine and makes me feel a bit like Marie Antoinette. She would have totally been down with this.

Eggcellent Message

2011-04-22T14:54:00.001-07:00

I can't remember the last time that I colored Easter eggs but I found myself completely inspired by this post over at Poppy Talk and thought I'd give it a try plus, this is something I try to do each Christmas ~ to give my kids something that I've made for them ~ so I plunged right in.

First, a little things about blowing out the innards of an egg: push pins work great for making the holes (a little something more to hold onto than a plain needle) and the yolks come out more easily when the eggs are room temp and you've loosened up the yolk (I used a small cable hook for this process).

Once I blew them out and then rinsed them, I dried them out in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes, got out some long bamboo skewers and stood them in my fruit bowl which became a great place to set them once I'd painted them. A good drying spot.

Then I just got a little creative and followed the directions at Poppy Talk. I switched from graph paper to tissue paper cause it was what I had on hand plus it's easy to roll and bendable.

Super cute though, right? The kids will like them - especially the cracking open part so don't get too attached to your artwork. Happy Easter! He Is Risen!!!

Blackberry Cardamom Pavlova

2011-04-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....Pavlova. A crispy, creamy, fruity marvel of sweetness; elegant and beautiful as the famous ballerina it was named after and surprisingly simple to make. Just a couple of hours (needed for the meringues to bake) and a few simple ingredients and everyone who tastes it will bow down before you in gratitude. Plus, it would be gorgeous for Easter.

Meringues
2 large egg whites at room temp
8 tbsp sugar, divided
3/4 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp rose flower water

Preheat oven to 275 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form and, with mixer running, slowly add 6 tbsp sugar. Whisk together remaining 2 tbsp sugar, cornstarch and cardamom. Slowly add this mixture to the egg whites and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in rose flower water. Spoon mixture onto parchment lined sheet in small rounds and use the back of a spoon to make indentations in the center of the mounds.

Bake for about 20 minutes, meringues should be dry to the touch. Turn off the oven and prop door open slightly with the handle of a wooden spoon. Let the meringues cool in the oven for an hour.

They smell heavenly at this point...like flowery, spicy, marshmallows. While the meringues are baking you can make the Sabayon which is delicious and has a definite champagne taste. Even if you don't make the meringues make this sauce and serve it over fresh berries. OMG....soooo good!

Lemon-Champagne Sabayon
6 large egg yolks
5 tbsp sugar
2 tsps lemon zest
pinch of salt
3/4 cup Prosecco

Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to really release the oils and make the sugar fragrant. In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, lemon sugar and salt until well blended.

Gradually whisk in Presecco and place bowl over gently boiling water making sure to not let the bowl touch the water (think double boiler).

Constantly whisk until thickened which takes about 4 minutes (instant read thermometer will register 170F).

Place bowl into larger bowl of ice water and whisk until cool (about 5 minutes).

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp rose flower water

With a mixer beat cream, sugar, vanilla and rose flower water until soft peaks form (save some of this for your coffee. it's delish!)

To assemble the Pavlova, put a small dollop of whipped cream on the center of your plate. Place a meringue on top of the cream and gently press it into the cream to anchor it. Spoon more whipped cream into the center of the meringue and top with fresh blackberries (a heaping 1/4 cup). Spoon a generous amount of Sabayon over the berries and letting it pool around the base of the Pavlova.

Eat with eyes closed in rapturous delight.

Wood Ring Refashion

2011-03-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have an absolute favorite store. One that I love anything that anyone gets me from it because I love everything in it! It's called Blue Windows ~ great name ~ and I've been a loyal customer for over 11 years now. There's a little bit of everything there: jewelry, candles, serving dishes, picture frames, clothing...all with a shabby, artisan flair and it smells soooo good when you walk in.

When I was pregnant with my first son I bought the first piece of nursery furniture there; a tall distressed dresser, and my kitchen/craft table is also off their floor. And if you've visited our marriage blog in the past, you may have noticed the matching cross bracelets that Michael and I wore in the blog header pic - also from Blue Windows. Okay...you get the idea.

This past Christmas, my daughter gave me a gift certificate to said store and I just got around to using it today which is an unheard of feat for me as my normal M.O. is to redeem certificates or gift cards like, the same day I get them. Anyway, look at this pretty little bauble I got today,

Isn't it pretty? Love it and love the way it looks with my dark nail polish. And how 'bout the little box? Very sweet. Oh...that's Popeye (aka Pops, Poppy, the Pie, Popsicle, etc. ad infinitum) in the background. So, it's just a fun little piece to wear around whether I'm dressed up or down - it works. Buuuutttt....being a crafty girl and being that I wear lots of white gold/silver, I thought it needed a bit of snazzing up so I tipped the edges in a little metallic silver paint and I got this...

Love it! And if you ever find yourself in Long Beach, CA (or if you want to get me a present...jk...sort of) you really should visit Blue Windows. I just know that you'll love it as much as I do!

Salted Nutella Croissants

2011-03-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Chocolate

Bread

Salt

Need I say more? These are so yummy you won't believe it and even better - they're super easy to whip up. Nutella has become a staple in our house of late and I absolutely love chocolate croissants so combining the two was just a matter of time for me.

There's lots of recipes floating around that use store bought puff pastry as a quick way to make sweet and savory croissants but there's not much to it; here's what I used:

Nutella, naturally
1 sheet of Puff Pastry, bought at Trader Joe's
1 egg, beaten
Pink Crystal Salt, in a grinder also from Traders

I put a little flour on my board and rolled out the pastry about an inch out on each side then cut it into thirds, those thirds in half then the halves on the diagonal to make 12 small triangles.

I topped each triangle with about a teaspoon of Nutella at the bottom.

Then I rolled them up into little croissants - they're so cute - and brushed them with beaten egg.

A few grinds of pink salt to get some chunky crystals on the tops.

Then just baked them at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Glorious, hazelnutty, chocolatey, buttery bready, slightly salty deliciousness....

You could probably eat all of these on your own but....be a lovey and invite someone special over to share them with because they're that special. And so are you!!!

Baby! Baby! Baby!

2011-03-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

When I first learned how to quilt ~ gosh, about 18 years ago now ~ I pretty much kept my projects to quilts for babies for the mere fact that they don't take too long to make. Of course, that only works if the quilt you start on doesn't end up as a w.i.p. that you don't get around to finishing for 3 years. yeah, i've done that.

This quilt, though, I finished in less than a week which is still a surprise to me because it's not my usual m.o. (see above). I wanted to make something special to give as a gift for the mom-to-be and got inspired by this little quilt over at The Purl Bee.

Isn't it so cute? And relatively easy too (directions are on the site) but a little more time consuming than I wanted. I played around with the design in my mind and changed things up a bit. I wanted to use material that I already had and liked the idea and ease of a "rag" quilt. I decided on ovals instead of circles for the mere fact that I had four sizes of them from my creative memories stuff; necessity being the mother of invention and all.

Once I cut the ovals and laid them out on the muslin, it was pretty quick to put it all together, even the quilting, which I do by hand, didn't take too long.

I'm really happy with it and can hardly wait to see it laying over a new little baby. Plus, I kinda forgot how nice it is to just sit quietly and sew; very relaxing in a little house on the prairie-ish sort of way. Reminded me of a friend who always says that it's fun do a little hand work once in a while.

She's right.

Coffee Meant Just For You

2011-02-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

I know...I know....there's a ton of coffee cozies floatin' around out there and you might be thinking, "another one?" Please indulge me here.

They're all super cute right? Knitted, felted, embroidered, sewn, embellished...you name it. What I haven't seen though are cozies personalized with the favorite coffee drink of the coffee drinker. Sooooo, I thought I'd give that a try and it's easy to do with iron-on transfer paper that you can run through your printer.

I happen to always order a "grande split drip in a vente double cup" that's a medium half regular half decaf coffee in a large cup because I like lots of half n half in mine so I need the extra room in my cup. Yes, I'm one of those high maintenance coffee orderers. The truth is out.

I used the tutorial from House On Hill Road which was very user friendly and just adjusted it to include the text on the fabric. I used Publisher for my text; just remember to mirror your image before you print it out onto the transfer paper (which is kind of pricey at about $10 for 3 sheets).

front

back

another example of personalization

What's great about these is that you can make 3 or 4 of them using a couple of fat quarters (which are often on sale at Joanne's) some buttons, elastics, and quilt batting (I love Natural Wonder). A sewing machine is quicker but not necessary so don't stress it if you don't have one.

Enjoy your coffee and be fancy at your favorite coffee house with some bling around your cup that's meant just for you!

Sunglass Sass

2011-01-18T12:19:00.001-08:00

I've noticed that lots of ladies, especially busy moms, are always digging in their purse for things like lip gloss, gum, tissues, their ever elusive keys, legos (that would be me), sunglasses..... I'm really bad about keeping mine in a case and so they either end up at the bottom of my purse somewhere or flopping off the top of my head and landing on the ground. I don't like those neoprene cords that hold glasses around the neck either ~ so not sexy.

I think a bit of Sunglass Sass is what's needed to keep sunglasses accessible and of course, it should be something cute so....a fabric flower, a bit of ribbon, some strong magnets and you're all set to create something sweet and functional to add to your wardrobe.

oh yes! You can knit or crochet a flower too!

Here's my material list:

fabric strip(s)
fabri-tac glue
decorative buttons for flower (optional)
a bit of ribbon
liquid fusion glue
really strong magnets (i got mine here)
a larger, coordinating button for the back
scissors

Make yourself a fabric flower (or knit one).

Embellish your finished flower with a pretty button (optional) and a bit of ribbon. The ribbon will become the holder for your sunglasses.

Loop the ribbon and attach it to the back of your flower using the liquid fusion or whichever strong glue you like. Add your magnets to the ribbon and also to the button you'll use for the back of your flower.

Admire your work and make some more because they're super easy...

Always know where your sunglasses are and have a cute accessory too!

Definite sass!!!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

2010-12-24T17:36:00.000-08:00

At my house, Christmas day is Christmas Eve. We're a blended family and so our children from my husband's first marriage spend the night (on Christmas Eve eve) and in the morning ~ which was today ~ there's about 12 minutes of wrapping paper carnage as all 5 of our kids open gifts. It's been a relaxing day as the kids have played with their gifts and Michael and I have rested, finally, after a crazy three days of last minute crunch time (which I vow NOT to do next year) of shopping, creating and preparing for today.

What with January right around the corner, I was online today looking at many of the craft blogs I follow to get ideas for the months ahead in the new year but pretty much everything is still holiday-themed so I guess I'll have to wait a bit. One of my close friends and I have decided to get together a couple of times per month all year starting next month to make gifts for next Christmas. We both want to be prepared and would love to have a Christmas where every gift we give is one that we've made. Kind of like these trees pictured above.

I was inspired by the cuh-YEW-tist Christmas trees made using crepe paper over at Creative Chaos and remembered that I had a few rolls of the delicate crinkly stuff in the back of a cabinet - red, green and white....perfect holiday colors - and knew I had to try some for myself. PLUS, I had the added bonus of staying within my budget which was, namely, NO budget to spend on holiday decor.

First, Karin over at Creative Chaos made this beauty:

And she took her inspiration from Cindy over at JunqueArt who made this sweet tree...

Both sites have great tutorials and since I didn't really put one together just refer to them if you want to make 1...or 10; which is completely do-able because once I made one I ended up making 7 of them! Seriously, once you get going it's hard to stop. They're fun!

A few things of note from my experience with making these. If you go with making a ruffle with the crepe paper using your sewing machine, keep in mind that crepe is über delicate and tears easily so pulling it along the thread to ruffle it up takes a light touch. It's probably better to take a needle and thread and do a big running stitch along the edge (aha! note to self for next time).

I didn't have any cones so I made them myself with copy paper and then just trimmed the base to get the height I wanted. I secured them mostly with tape and sometimes with a staple or two. 12x12 scrapbook paper is stronger and makes a firmer cone.

With the ruffled tree, I made strips of the ruffle and then used a hot glue gun to attach them to the cone starting at the base and working my way up (I'm assuming I don't need to tell you that glue guns are HOT, hence the name). Also, wire ribbon is totally easy to make ruffles with (because the wire acts as the thread to pull) which I did for one of the trees.

First I made the ruffled tree. I inked the edges and hot glued on silver beads that I had. Then I made the pleated tree using Cindy's directions and embellished it with silver ink and teal glitter,

I made two more; one using wired ribbon that I ruffled and one using crepe paper that I cut into strips and then sewed on the machine three strips at a time. I hot glued them on and then cut them into various lengths to make it look "leafy".

After that, I wanted to use paper from my old dictionary so I tore out pages and cut them into strips which I sewed together on the machine along with some ribbon that I had on hand.

With the strips, I made another ruffled tree and another pleated tree then just tore up strips and decoupaged another. I embellished with yarn, paper roses and lots and lots of glitter!

These, I gave to my cousin (hi Roshi!) along with a homemade body scrub and a big bag of chocolate peppermint pinwheel cookies - she loved it all!

So....my last post of the year for holiday gifts to make and give. Now, on to new creative endeavors for 2011!

Merry Christmas!!!

It's All About The Kids!

2010-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

I love making Christmas ornaments featuring my kids in some way....a hand print, a picture, their artwork.......they themselves give off so much joy and excitement during this time of year and, for me, doing this is a way to hold onto that preciousness. I've made ornaments my sister-in-law and given them to her as a gift for the past several years and she loves it!

There were lots of great ideas this year that I came across on One Pretty Thing ~ one of my favorite sites ~ so finding inspiration was easy.

As is usual for me, I started out with one idea and ended up changing it about 5 times! I knew that I wanted to use pictures of the boys which I Christmased-up over at Picnik (love!), printed out onto iron-on transfer paper and then affixed to some unbleached muslin. I'd actually knitted three squares in different colors intending to stitch the pictures onto them and then make little ornaments from those, but after I did one I changed my mind; it's cute and I kept it but wasn't in love with it, you know. Since there wasn't going to be the originally intended commonality amongst them now, I ended up making them all different.

Daniel's (original idea)...

Evan's...

Jack's...

Jack's is probably my favorite. I stitched his photo and different kinds of ribbon to two layers of quilt batting (Warm & Natural, my favorite). I got the idea from this post by Annalea Hart (i know, i know....someone with my same first name who also happens to craft!!!) over at Our Hartbeat who made these wonderful pillows...

I ended up doing something similar with Jack's ornament - super cute!

Love the ribbon (I definitely want to incorporate this again into some future craft project) and I know my s-i-l will love adding all three Christmas ornaments to her growing collection!

Happy Christmas!!!

Upscaled Ornaments

2010-12-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I find myself extremely short on funds this holiday season and when it came to decorating my tree, I had to work with what I had but I didn't want to use the same ornaments I've been using for the last 6+ years. What's a girl to do?

Repurpose of course!!! I had some of those glass balls hanging around that I think most of us have; you know, stragglers that have never matched your theme but you just didn't feel right about throwing out. Since I was going with a sort of shabby-mercury glass-silver theme, I decided to play with what embellishments I had on hand.

My biggest and best has been an old out-dated dictionary. I've used it for several projects lately (posts on those upcoming) and am loving it!

I tore out several pages and then tore them into pieces, got out my trusty jar of Mod Podge (gloss luster) and got to work.

Be prepared to get glue everywhere not to mention carpal tunnel in your thumb! I didn't decoupage the ornaments all the way to the top because I new that I wanted to put silver glitter there. After I got all the pieces I on the bulb, I smoothed it out all over and then sprinkled it with clear glitter. Then I inverted them onto the handles of several wooden spoons (hey - I did say that I used what I had on hand) and set them to dry completely.

Once they were dry to the touch, I painted some more Mod Podge on the top and sprinkled them with silver glitter. I put the little pronged holders back on and put them back in their boxes to dry. Love them!

They turned out to be just what I wanted and they look so pretty on our tree! Made these and gave them to myself! It is Christmas, after all....

Pin It

Starbucks Love

2010-11-27T18:19:00.000-08:00

If you know me then you know that I'm a Starbucks junkie so I was super excited to see this craft come up over on the Echos of Laughter blog and I had to try it. I'm not going to put up a tutorial for this because if you've ever scrapbooked you can totally do this and besides, there's a bit of a tutorial over on the E.O.L. blog. I'll just give you a pictorial of what I did. The only difference is that I used a vente cup (large) instead of a tall (small) and I didn't add photos as I decided to turn mine into a little book of holiday cookie recipes. Really, you could put whatever you wanted in it ~ breaking down a Christmas poem or story on each page would be cute too ~ but what better to go with a cup of coffee or tea then a delicious cookie!

This would make a great gift along with a Starbucks gift card or any one from any coffee house or the favorite of the gift recipient as you could do this with a cup from Pete's, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, It's A Grind, etc.

This would be a terrific holiday gift for your child's teacher!

Orange Studded Cranberry Chutney

2010-11-14T06:35:00.001-08:00

Let's face it, one of the best parts of the holidays is the food. Treasured recipes are pulled out and dishes that only get served once a year begin to grace our tables deepen memories. It's like that in my family and with Thanksgiving right around the corner, my mom and I are already planning the menu and making sure it includes many of our favorites. One of those is my Cranberry Chutney.

I can't exactly remember when I started making it but I think the idea of something different began when I heard that vacuum pack slurrrrrp of canned cranberries (you know what I'm talking about) for about the 20th time and decided then and there that something tastier was in order for next year.

This chutney is SO pretty (much more so than the can-shaped store bought kind) and SO good you'll want to make it every year when cranberries are in season. And...it makes the perfect hostess gift! So does the Banana Chutney which I posted about earlier.

Orange Studded Cranberry Chutney
(adapted from The Herbal Pantry, by Emelie Tolley & Christ Mead)

6 cups cranberries (two bags from the market. a bit of overage here which is fine)
1.5 cups unrefined sugar
1 orange, unpeeled, chopped and seeded
1 cup orange juice
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
3 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
2 vanilla bean pods, split

Place all the ingredients except 2 tablespoons of the sage in a non-aluminum pan and cook over medium low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Increase the heat and boil until the berries pop and the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoons of sage. Remove vanilla beans and ladle chutney into sterilized jars. Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly. This chutney can be refrigerated for up to 6 months. To store for up to one year, process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place.

If you're not familiar with canning, head to your local library or bookstore - there are great how-to books out there and, of course, the internet is filled with easy to follow instructions.

This chutney gets better after it sits for a week or two which is why I made mine now for Thanksgiving. And I love love love it on a turkey and stuffing sandwich with lots of mayonnaise and coarse salt. YUM! Annnnnd....it's scrumptious as a topping for cheesecake! Promise!

Make it. Give it. And be sure to keep some for yourself!

Banana Chutney Brilliance

2010-11-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, there's no other way to describe a food accept to use the word "Brilliant!" That's what this chutney is...pure brilliance in a jar. It completely hits your tongue running and sends it's warm curry and piquant vinegar flavors all through your mouth and up into the nose.

I know, bananas in a chutney seems an oddity but they so work and their smooth texture really adds to the overall consistency.

If you've never canned anything before, not to worry. There are about a bazillion books out there on how to do it not to mention many websites for the same. I do recommend some kind of canner though; mine uses steam and after I wash everything in hot soapy water, I sterilize my jars in a 250 degree oven (start cold) for 30 minutes and my lids on the stove. There are, of course, alternative ways to sterilize.

Brilliant Banana Chutney
(adapted from The Herbal Pantry, by Emelie Tolley & Christ Mead)

2 cups onion, chopped
1 pound pitted dates, chopped
7 ripe bananas
3 cups unrefined sugar
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup crystallized ginger
1.5 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
2 whole vanilla beans

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy non-aluminum saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat then simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Spoon into half-pint jars (I used 12 ounce jars), seal and store in the refrigerator (I processed these in my steam canner for 15 minutes).

A jar of this accompanied by a sweet little spoon would make the perfect holiday gift for anyone who appreciates good food and interesting accompaniments to go with it. I think it would also be an elegant addition to a cheese tray (think white cheddar, brie, and herbed goat) or a generous dollop served alongside a pork tenderloin.

Say "Yum!"

Fat Quarter Fun!

2010-11-06T17:37:00.001-07:00

I love when I can take just a little bit of nothing and turn it into something cute and serviceable which is exactly what I did by starting with a couple of fat quarters and a great pattern by We Wilsons which I purchased in their Etsy store for the low price of $7 (totally worth it when you figure in all of the gifts you'll be able to make by using it) and ended up with this cute little purse.

Let me go on the record by saying that I am neither a fancy or very experienced sewer and my machine is uber basic so this is a great pattern for someone who may find themselves in the same boat but who wants to make a quick gift for their daughter, a neighbor or themselves (a girl's gotta have a purse after all).

A fat quarter (a piece of fabric measuring 18" x 22") can be found at just about any fabric/craft/quilting store and even on line. They can range from under $1 to over $6 depending on the fabric or designer. Joanne's often has them on sale for $.99 which is the perfect time to pick up several. Honestly, for $10 you can get enough fabric for five of these little purses which is a bargain in my book.

The tutorial/pattern is very easy to follow. I chose black and white for my outer fabric and hot pink for my liner.

I also didn't have a sliding belt buckle and so cut the handle short and used big black buttons to secure the strap to the D-rings.

And just before I took all these pics, I added some beads to the zipper just to pretty it up further.

What I love about this purse is that once you make it one time and get the gist of it down you could embellish it so many different ways. Have fun and whip up some of these for Christmas gifts. You could get really crazy make a matching coin purse or cel phone holder or key chain...Get the idea?

PURSE-uation

2010-10-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me and you knit or crochet, you have a respectable yarn stash and a handful (or more) of UFOs floating around in your house somewhere. Admittedly, I have several ~ skeins and UFOs ~ and here's one of them... My first knitted and felted purse.

You probably won't believe me (well....maybe you would) but I've had the purple yarn since I lived in Chicago more than 15 years ago! It's a mohair, silk and wool blend that I bought for a lace wrap that got destroyed by my cat and my dog during one of their epic games of chase when I was about 3/4 of the way through it. Remarkably, they survived...

Anyway, about 3 years ago I decided to try felting and thought I'd make a simple purse using the left over yarn from the wrap so I found this pattern which seemed fairly simple and gave it a whirl. Here's a pic of the inspiration design.

Simple right? I knew I wouldn't have enough of the purple (a blend from Brown Sheep Co. ~ Prairie Silks) so I went through my stash and found a bit more (a lama and wool blend from Cascade) and a bit ribbony frou frou stuff that needed to be used up.

Long story short, it's finally finished! And while a seasoned felter and sewer would have achieved a more polished, I'm pretty satisfied with my first attempt. I would like to try knitting and felting a purse again though I know for sure that I won't use a pattern with handles like these - too easy to get stretched out. In fact, I reinforced these with something called Peltex that I got at Joanne's which still didn't give me the firmness I was looking for but was probably better than my 'Mother of Invention' original idea of using a wooden straight-edged ruler on each side (I lined it after all so no one would have actually seen them).

I found some pretty fabric to line it with which was actually pretty simple (drop in and hem stitch) except that the handles got a bit tricky...

and then used up the fabric flowers I made a few weeks back to embellish the front...

Et voila! I know that I'm all about making things and giving them to other people but I think I'm going to keep this for myself. Mostly because of how parts of it came together and also because the gals I have in mind to give it to wouldn't use it on the grounds of not wanting it to get messed up. So, we'll see...the jury's still out for now. It's roomy though...and soft...and the colors are delicious!

Have you tried your hand at felting?

Grahamy Love

2010-10-15T11:42:00.001-07:00

I was at TJ's yesterday looking at the cookies I'd put in my basket for the boys' lunches and thought I'd just make some instead so I put them back and started thinking about graham crackers. Mmmmm....we all love them and since I've been in a cooking and crafting phase and because I've never made them before I was instantly on a mission.

So I went to Whole Foods to look for graham flour (which they had, Bob's Red Mill) because, hello...graham crackers right? Then I came home and started looking for recipes and guess what? Only one of them even used graham flour which I thought was odd but who am I to judge?

So, that's the one I went with and you can find it here. I just made a couple of tweeks because that's what I do and they worked because they're practically gone already so....

I used 5 tablespoons of honey (raw orange blossom)
seeds from two vanilla beans instead of extract
all dark brown sugar (packed)
vanilla sugar to sprinkle on the tops
and ~ a heart-shaped cookie cutter for loviness

Make these and give them to your family because you love them. Make s'mores from them or ice cream sandwhiches, or dip half of them in chocolate or eat them with some sharp white cheddar (don't knock this....sweet and savory is a divine combination) or stack them up and put them in a clear treat bag tied with kitchen twine for a new neighbor or a favorite teacher.

These are for me...

Clothespin Couture

2010-10-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for fun ways to dress things up whether it's the top of a package, a note card or even the front of my refrigerator. Enter once again, the humble little clothespin. You can paint them, draw on them, cover them with glitter or your favorite scrapbook papers. Even embellish them with beads, ribbon (3/8" ribbon is the perfect width), buttons, brads and fabric flowers.

I first saw these over at One Pretty Thing, one of my fav sites to get inspired by, and thought I'd give them a try. I went by this tutorial and this one though there are several out there that are equally good. Once you get it down, it goes pretty quick and I will also just say that once I figured out the measurements (which I pretty much just eyeballed), I used my paper cutter instead of an exacto blade because it goes much quicker ~ trust me on this ~ and is just as clean on the edges.

Have fun with them! Get crazy! Put some magnets on the backs of some of them. You'll be surprised at how many you can make in just a couple of hours and they're great as stocking stuffers, bundled up and given to teachers, even used as 'To:/From:' tags on Christmas gifts.

Embroidery Hoop Glam

2010-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

I love how some of the most simple items can be turned into something glam and gorgeous with just a bit of glitter and glue. Take, for example, the humble embroidery hoop and clothespin. I saw this sweet fall wreath over at Budget Wise Home and fell in love with it's simplicity.

Seriously, who would have imagined something like this from cardboard, clothespins and an embroidery hoop with some wood stain and a bit of satin ribbon to snazzy it up? So....I started thinking about all of the clothespins that I have left over from another project (to be revealed at a later date) and an embroidery hoop and cardboard and realized I had the beginnings of my own wreath and since Christmas will be here before we know it (YIKES!) I started playing around with that in mind. And, the great thing about this project is that it's amazingly inexpensive to make and, except for the clothespins which can be picked up for just a couple of dollars, you probably already have everything you'll need on hand.

Here's what I used:

Mod Podge
Liquid Fusion
2 sheets of scrapbook paper (1 12-inch piece is enough if you just want one color)
Martha Stewart glitter (aquamarine crystal and white gold)
Cardboard
Craft Smart acrylic paint in ivory
8-inch wooden embroidery hoop (the inside piece)
Exacto knife
Charcoal gray ink pad
Ribbon (optional)
Glittered snowflake cookie cutters (optional)

Just follow these instructions, they're the ones I used and they're really straight forward and easy to follow. I have no idea why I chose these colors because I have absolutely nothing in my house that coordinates with them; I did, however, have all of the embellishments for them so there it is. I'm sure you've been in the same place before....

I cut out my cardboard circle and painted it ivory.

Then I covered the embroidery hoop with Mod Podge inside and out and sprinkled glitter all over it which gets a bit messy and leaves you looking like Sparkle Shimmer Barbie! When both were dry, I fit the cardboard over the hoop.

Then I just started working on the clothespins. I covered most of them with papers (just on the front side) which I inked all around the edges for a distressed look and some with glitter (with the glittered clothespins, I first covered them with paper then a coat of Mod Podge and then I dipped them in the glitter). I ended up using 61 but you might use less depending on how close together you want yours to be.

When all of the cardboard was covered I added knotted bits of silver ribbon, edges burned to stop fraying and distress, and two glitter-covered snowflake cookie cutters that I had left over from something else I was playing with.

Once everything was in place, I used the Liquid Fusion to glue down the snowflakes and then each clothespin and I'd like to paint the back of each pin with some silver paint and give them a coat of Mod Podge for protection. I still have to look for some ribbon to hang it with ~ don't have the perfect one right now.

What a way to glam up the holiday though, right? Love it!

Pin It

Terra Cotta Transformation

2010-10-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for serving dishes: round, oval, deep shallow, large, small, tiered...you name it. And I think it's awesome that there are so many different mediums out there that can be used to create some incredible pieces that can be customized any way you wish.

I was at Michael's over the weekend and picked up a terra cotta pot and saucer to try my hand at making a tiered serving dish and am loving the results! I'm sure you've seen several examples of these on other blogs and I really want to encourage you to make one for yourself or as a gift for a dear friend. Plus, you can seriously make one for pennies on the dollar and when you consider the high price tags on tableware; well....it just makes sense to whip something up.

Here's what I used:

terra cotta pot and saucer (whichever size appeals to you)
two colors of acrylic paint (I used craft smart aqua and robins egg blue)
valspar decorative effects weathered crackle glaze (not necessary, I just wanted the look)
three fabric roses (fabric and sheer silver ribbon mixed together)
snow flake cookie cutter covered with Mod Podge and silver glitter
satin varnish
liquid fusion
double stick tape

I new that I was going to be using the crackle glaze on this so I first painted the pot and saucer in my base color (aqua) and gave it a chance to dry.

Next I covered both pieces with a single coat of the crackle glaze medium. The directions say to let it dry for 1-5 hours before putting on the second color. I waited an hour (a word of caution here, when applying the second color, don't go over sections as the top color will start to clump).

Once both pieces were dry, I covered them with a coat of interior satin varnish (you could use a gloss or matte finish, whichever you like) then used the liquid fusion to adhere the base of the pot to the base of the saucer. E600 probably would have been best but I didn't have any and didn't want to wait to get some. I know you know what I mean!

Let that sit overnight with a big fat dictionary weighting it down.

This morning, it was a matter of embellishing which is what it's all about, right? So I made a few fabric roses using what I learned from this tutorial and adding shear silver ribbon as part of my fabric. I also thought it needed something glittery so I put a snowflake on it that I'd made using an old cookie cutter, Mod Podge and silver glitter. Actually, this was the first embellishment I put on then realized it needed something more so I added the flowers...

Then, because I have LOTS of that silver ribbon, I added some to the base of the saucer using double stick tape...

Obviously, this little treasure can't get wet so be sure to keep this in mind when you're thinking of how it's going to be used.

I really love the way it turned out though. I can picture it holding creamy white pillared candles, coarse sugar-dusted shortbread cookies, or as a base for some vintage looking glass-domed decor! Love love love how one gift can be used so many ways!

Fabulous Flower Magnets

2010-09-30T15:03:00.001-07:00

I've finally gotten on the fabric flower bandwagon. I don't know why it's taken me so long - guess I thought they'd be too involved and they really aren't. I found a great tutorial here then started tearing and twisting and gluing (used dabs of Fabri-tac for this) and before I knew it, I had my own little garden of loveliness.

But then I didn't know what to do with them then....I remembered some plain magnets I'd gotten from the $1 bin at Michael's a while back (same day I bought the coasters) and thought I'd upcycle those using the flowers.

I covered both sides with paper so looked at my flowers and then chose accordingly (the paper on the far right).

Traced the magnet onto the back of the paper ~ yeah...just enough!

Got out glue (nothing special here) and a sanding block...

Glued on the paper, let it dry for about 10 minutes then sanded and inked the edges on both sides.

I chose one of the white flowers I made to top this magnet and glued it (used Liquid Fusion, one of my new favorite adhesives) down along with a dark grayish/purple pearl in the center. When it was mostly dry, I varnished the edges and sprinkled a bit of clear glitter around the exposed background.

I'm really happy with the way they turned out and they're substantial which I like too. While these did stick to my refrigerator, I went ahead and added a few super strong magnets to the back. Why not, right? Plus, I get really bugged when my magnets fall off the fridge or only hold one flimsy sheet of paper. Not these babies!

Cute hostess gift and excellent for teacher appreciation week or for a friend who needs a bit of a 'pic-me-up'.

Halloween Countdown Calendar

2010-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you're familiar with Teresa McFayden then you'll already know that she's an uh-MAY-zingly crafty gal whose projects are filled with romance, whimsy, glitter and vintage love. One of her most searched for projects is her incredible cookie sheet advent calendar which was my inspiration for this Halloween project/gift. I'm giving this to my sister-in-law as she LOVES Halloween decor and because I didn't get her a present for her birthday last month (she sheepishly admits). I know she'll love it and my lateness will be forgiven.

This project is really straight forward so I don't have much of a tutorial. Teresa does and you can use that. All I did was to pick up an inexpensive cookie sheet from my local discount grocery store (actually, I got five because they were only a couple of dollars and because I'm anticipating making some for Christmas gifts).

Then I went to Michael's and selected several sheets of stickers that I liked to use as embellishments along with a couple of sheets of scrapbook paper for my background. I prepared my cookie sheet with some black and silver paint which I put on before I put my papers on.

One thing I did do which made my life a bit easier was to pick up a package of wooden chips in various sizes from Michael's and used those to put my embellishments on and sometimes put the dates on. I also used glitter and Mod Podge and various number sticker and rub-ons that I already had on hand.

Oh, and I put some super strong magnets on the back that I got online from a place called K&J Magnetics. And then you just store the finished numbers on the back of the cookie sheet and bring them to the front each day as needed.

Isn't it cute though? Really, you could embellish these however you want and they'll be terrific! Happy crafting!

Linking to...

Blue Cricket Design
Someday Crafts
Trendy Treehouse
My Backyard Eden

Very Vanilla Extract

2010-09-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, I was browsing around on One Pretty Thing ~ one of my favorite sites for hand made gift ideas ~ when I came across an idea for homemade vanilla extract. YUM! I love to bake and have several foodie friends who I know would love this and since the holidays are fast approaching and you need time to make this, I thought I'd start now.

The original site is here and I loved that she linked to sources on where to buy things like vanilla beans and bottles to put the finished product in (even has some cute labels that are free to print) and included recipes for vanilla sugar and spiced nuts using both the sugar and the extract. Also, there are a lot of vanilla extract recipes on the net if you want to experiment. Here's what I did...

I found a place on ebay ~ Vanilla Products USA ~ that has great prices on the beans. I got a pound of extract grade Bourbon vanilla beans grown in Papua New Guinea for $19.95 plus 10 free extract grade Tahitian vanilla beans. Shipping was $5. I got the vodka from Trader Joe's (you don't need a top shelf brand for making extract unless you want to use it) for $10.99, approximately 52 oz in a bottle which is enough for two large Mason jars (24oz each then extra to top off the jars).

Most of the recipes I found called for 3 vanilla beans per cup of vodka (or rum or bourbon, etc.). I want a deep, rich vanilla extract so doubled this - 6 beans per cup. I split 4 of the beans (per jar) down the center keeping them in tact by starting my cut about 3/4" from the top of the bean then finished with 10 uncut beans in the jar.

I filled the washed Mason jars with vodka and put the lids on them which I sterilized in boiling water for about 5 minutes.

I also made some using Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum because I had a bottle of it in my cupboard that we'll probably never drink. For that, I just opened the bottle and dropped the beans in. I think this extract will have a very interesting flavor!

Now....I wait. I'm storing the jars in my pantry and will give them a shake from time-to-time. Come December, it should be perfect. I'll be making vanilla sugar as well (stay tuned for that post) but so far, all of the recipes I've found say two weeks. I'll start it in November cause I'm a rebel and what's the point of making it if the flavor is only subtle?

These will make great gifts and a lot of them too! I'll be sure to post about the finished product so make sure you check back!

Linking to:

Today's Creative Blog
All Thingz Related
Twee Poppets

Halloween Coasters

2010-09-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

One of the cool things I love about Michael's is their discount bins; it's usually a great place to find items that you can play around with and end up with something really great.

Take these very vanilla coasters....

Only $1 and just begging to be fancied up and since I'm on a vintage Halloween kick right now, I thought it would be great to pick some images that I really liked, cut them to size and adhere them with Mod Podge (great stuff!). There's no real tutorial for this but you get the idea.

Aren't they sweet? I put some self-adhesive cork on the back (which you can find at Target in the contact paper section) and then took a sanding block to the edges to give them a bit of a distressed look which I emphasized with some ink. A couple of coats of Mod Podge on the image and a bit of clear glitter in some strategic places (unfortunately it doesn't show up on the photos) completed them.

Can't you just picture them underneath some creepy Halloween cocktail or a steaming mug of mulled apple cider? In fact, they'd be cute stacked up and tied with big fat ribbon and a sweet hand-stamped tag. I'm already picturing Christmas and Valentine coasters....

Vintage Halloween

2010-09-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the look of vintage decor ~ especially around the holidays ~ and thought I'd try my hand at a little something as Halloween is right around the corner and because a good friend of mine has a big Halloween bash every year and goes all out in her decorations. This will be for her!

A couple of months ago, my local Tall Mouse craft store was going out of business and I found a frame there for a couple of dollars; one of those brown paper ones that are just begging to be altered in some way. Originally, I was going to do something with all of the Starbucks cards I've collected but they're all still sitting in my drawer waiting for a different rainy day.

First thing I did was to go through all of the scrapbook papers I have and select some that looked somewhat vintage and would be appropriate for Halloween (colors and such). Then I cut them into squares and followed that up by painting the outside edges and inside of the frame bronze.

Once I had all of my squares cut and the paint had dried, I started decoupaging them onto my prepared frame using Mod Podge. Any finish will work but I used gloss-lustre to glue down and to cover the entire frame (twice) when I finished with the squares.

After all of my squares were in place, I went over them with some brown ink (color used was Close to Cocoa), gave that a couple minutes to dry and then put on my two coats of Mod Podge. Then I added some book binding tape from 7gypsies that I've had forEVer all around the edge (with just a bit to spare - woo hoo!)

When I finished that, I went trolling around on Google for vintage Halloween images and found an adorable one of some little trick-or-treaters. I saved the image and fussed around with it at Picnik until I had it just right. Then I printed it out, trimmed it down and adhered it to a background that I put in the center of the frame (used one of the papers I'd chosen for my little squares), Mod Podged the heck out of it and sprinkled a bit of clear glitter over the image. Et Voila!

Then I thought it needed a little something more so I added a bit of black ribbon.

Then I was happy with it and I know my friend will enjoy it!

I'm SO Making This!

2010-07-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

So I just saw this adorable idea at Style Me Pretty while surfing around this morning. Isn't it adorable?!? I've seen these mugs at Anthropologie ~ I even have a couple of them ~ but never thought to use them for anything but a beverage.

Just love the shabby vintage look of it all and I know at least a dozen gals that would adore this as a gift - I know I would!

A little idea to make note of when you want to give something to bring out a sweet smile in a friend.

Father's Day Fun!

2010-06-21T16:05:00.001-07:00

I don't know why but arts and crafts that feature the hands of children really speak to me. Maybe because their hands change so much through the years and we (I) always want to hold on to them as long as possible!

I found some great Father's Day craft ideas over at Roots and Wings Co and this particular one really stood out to me. You can find the tutorial here which is the one I used except that I incorporated the saying and positioning of the hands from a different project they did into my finished product.

Here's what I did!

First, I got my supplies together:

12x16 blank canvas (this is what I had on hand)

acrylic paints (I used black and ivory) and Mod Podge (I used gloss lustre)

coordinating craft papers. I used what I had on hand but since I wanted to have the option of hanging it with the pics that will eventually be hung on the wall in my hallway, I stuck with black and gray.

After that, I used a sponge brush to paint my canvas. I just used one coat and let some of the white show through to give it a kind of distressed look.

While I waited for that to dry, I found some cute fonts over here and played around a bit until I found something I really liked then printed out my saying.

Once I had that, I turned it over and covered the back of the written part with pencil so that I could make my transfer.

Then I positioned the paper onto my canvas (pencil covered side down) and transferred the wording to the canvas by tracing over the letters. Don't worry if some of the pencil marks (that aren't the letters) come off onto the canvas. You can erase them off later.

Take your time so that you get a good transferred image as this will make it easier to paint. I was actually surprised at how good this method works!

Once that's done, take a small brush and, using your chosen color, carefully paint over the letters. This is tedious and takes a bit of time. Don't rush!

Once that was done, I got out some dark gray ink and went over all the edges of the canvas just to give it a little something extra and I also inked the edges of the hands I'd cut out as well. After that, I figured out the placement of the hands (which you actually want to do before you transfer your saying on) and used Mod Podge to adhere them. I wrote each boys name and the year onto the corresponding hand (except for Jack's which I had to do on the outside since his paper was black) and then I put a couple of coats of Mod Podge over everything and let it dry.

And there you have it! A sweet Father's Day gift that any dad will love!

From Blank to Beautiful

2010-05-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love love love when I find a blog or web site with great ideas and great tutorials. Lulu's Tiles has a great idea using a canvas and stamps to make some quick wall or table art - it's her Luck of the Irish tutorial and you should totally check it out.

Since I had some canvases that I've had for years (literally) I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to use them. However, you'll notice that mine came out quite different than her original idea but it was a good jumping off point for me and, as often happens in the world of crafts, things just sort of morphed from there. Here's what i did:

Two 8"x8" blank canvases
Assorted acrylic paints
Assorted foam stamps
Foam brushes
Valspar clear gloss (spray)

Here's my canvas. The original tutorial used 8"x10" though you could use any size ~ 8"x8" just happened to be what I had on hand.

Then I gave it some color...

Then some more color...

Then I used my foam stamps to put the letters and filigree shapes on. This is as close as I got to the original tutorial and I still didn't measure - just eyeballed it. Also, I misspelled imagine on purpose as this particular canvas was for my friend Angela ~ i'm angie ~ and there's a story that goes with it.

I finished it off with 2 coats (drying time in between) of the Valspar clear gloss spray to protect and shine it up a bit. The "joy" canvas was what came after ~ I ended up giving it to my cousin for her birthday that same night as I used all her favorite colors.

Blank canvases can be prettied up so easily. Give it a try and have some fun!

Embellished Onesie

2010-03-25T10:33:00.001-07:00

I love seeing babies in onesies. When my boys were little they wore them all the time and my youngest, two-and-a-half, always has one under his jammies or his t-shirt. The cool thing is that they don't have to be just plain white - they can be embellished just about any way you want and I love to add my own spin to them.

Plus, they make terrific baby shower gifts because you can really customize them and when the mom-to-be opens your present, you'll see her eyes totally light up at the cuteness she's holding in her hands.

Materials Needed

One package onesies (I like to use organic cotton but it isn't necessary also, sizes ranging from birth to 9 months for variety)
Embroidery floss
Iron on transfer paper that can be run through your printer (I've found this a Michael's and Staples)
Image of choice (if you're using one you found on the internet, be sure it's royalty free)
Embroidery needle(s)

Directions

Pre-wash and dry the onesies
Select your image and print it onto the iron-on transfer paper according to the directions on the package (be sure to print it in reverse or it will iron on backwards; can't tell you how many times I've done this. Also, you may want to print out more than one image on a piece of iron-on paper just for efficiency sake and also because it's kind of pricey).
Once your image is printed, trim it with sharp scissors and iron it on according to the directions on the package. Allow it to cool.
Select the color of embroidery floss you want to use (I love what Stacey and Clinton of What Not To Wear say when people complain that a chosen color doesn't match the outfit, "....it doesn't match, it goes!"). Don't get too hung up on the color, after all, babies look cute in pretty much anything.
Using a blanket stitch, outline the cuffs and collar of the onesie. Here's how to do this stitch if you're not familiar with it (courtesy of knittingdaily.com)

Now, sit back and admire your handiwork. Put it on your own little cherub or sweetly package up a variety of them and give them to a new mommie. By the way, these wash up and dry beautifully. You may want to turn them inside out but it really isn't necessary.

Cute! Cute!

Valentine Candy Carrier

2010-02-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

I love finding fun ways to present Valentine candy to friends and family and this year I came across a real gem. Seriously - how cute is this? A 4-pack of Starbucks Frappacino altered to a little Valentine candy carrier. I found the directions for this over at Nancy Riley's site stampinat6213 which you'll want to check out as she is one clever gal.

You could easily make several of these in just a few hours as the directions are really simple. You just need one of these...

along with one 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper in the color/design of your choice and some embellishments. I used what I had on hand and since I made this for my step-son and step-daughter who are 17 and 20, respectively, I didn't want it to look to pink or to cutesy.

Just empty out the bottles, remove the labels (these came off easily) and wash them being sure that they dry real well. The directions for the cuts that Nancy gives are perfect. Don't worry about the 'DP' and the 'CS' - as far as I can tell, those are part of the names of the paper and don't have anything to do with how to make these.

I didn't have any double stick tape so I used modpodge instead to adhere my paper and it worked fine. Also, I would have preferred glue dots to adhere the ribbons but, as I was out of those too, I used a few strategically placed drops of a clear liquid glue.

Didn't have any spray paint either so I brushed the lids with red acrylic paint but because it was so thin I had to put on about 5 coats to get the coverage I wanted and, after they were dry and I'd put on my embellishment, I coated them all with more modpodge that has a gloss luster finish. Spray paint may have been better for a cleaner look but it wasn't necessary.

Next came the fun part of filling up the bottles with various candies and I made sure to use some of their favorites...

I put them back in the carrier, tied a bit of ribbon around the handle and there you have it! A simple, cute and fun Valentine gift sure to please everyone on your list. This would also be perfect for teachers, neighbors, co-workers....well, you get the idea. Have fun!

Gorgeous Valentine Earrings From Paper Mache

2010-02-01T21:41:00.000-08:00

Years ago, (like 15 years ago) my dad - who's quite creative - showed me how to make beads out of paper. I remember thinking this was pretty cool and I think I made a few but that was the extent of it. So here we are now and I'm finding that paper beads are showing up on lots of craft and jewelry blogs; kind of like leggings and long sweaters making a come back right now. Hello 1980's!

Anywho, I was visiting several of the blogs I like recently and I came across the paper mache earrings over at Infarrantly Creative. Wow - she has some great ideas on her site and the tutorial for these earrings is very clear and easy to follow. Since I've been playing with making paper beads lately (more on this in a future post) I knew I had to try her spin on them.

A couple of things from my experience with the process:

She doesn't give a measurement for the water. My 'it has to come out perfect' OCD kicked in here so I checked the comments section to see if anyone else had mentioned this (no one had) and I even contemplated emailing her. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and I just followed the directions. Note: the amount doesn't matter as long as it's enough to hold a packed cup of newspaper. So, I probably used about 1 3/4 cup.

The ink from the paper came off onto my fork, tongs and stainless steel All Clad pot (obviously, I don't have designated craft cookware yet). Not to worry, it all came off with minimal scrubbing.

One packed cup of newspaper makes a lot of beads; 30-40 depending on how big you make them which makes this an uber economical craft. It was going to the bead store that increased the expense.

But aren't they cute...

I'm having a Valentine Cookie Exchange Party this coming Sunday and guess what the ladies are getting as a favor? A little Valentine bling to take home with their cookies!

Awesome Giveaway Over At Tatertots and Jello!

2010-02-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

The wonderfully delicious blog Tatertots and Jello is hosting an awesome giveaway today and I highly suggest you jump on over to enter. This is for a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to Lisa Leonard Designs. Lisa is the creator of the sweet little necklace pictured above and every piece she makes is hand-cut, hammered, antiqued and polished sterling silver!

Even if I don't win, I might just have to get myself one of these beauties...I'm thinking that an "m + a" would be pretty cute!

Altered Composition Book

2010-01-27T10:19:00.000-08:00

Making an altered composition book to give as a gift to those who love to journal, doodle or jot down a quick note is a fun, quick and extremely creative way to get your craft on. It's relatively inexpensive and can be heavily embellished or streamline and simple. The one pictured above is my most recent endeavor which I'm really excited to give to a dear friend of mine and I know she's going to love it!

The basic supplies are really simple to gather and if you don't already have them, you can get hooked up at your favorite craft store (hello Michael's!). You'll just need a composition book (totally stock up on these at Target during 'Back To School' sales - you can usually pick up two for $.99 which is a great bargain) and 4 sheets of coordinating scrapbook paper. You can use the 8.5x11 size sheets but I prefer the 12x12 because you have extra to use in embellishing. I used Mod Podge as my glue though you can use whatever you have on hand - just make sure it dries clear and give a strong bond.

Determine which papers you want to use where, measure the height and width of your book and make your cuts. It's pretty important to be exact here so don't assume that measurements for each front/back/inside covers will be the same and don't 'eyeball' it or you'll either come up short and be able to see the cover of the book or you'll find yourself doing a lot of trimming.

I use a corner cutter on one side of my paper to match up with the corners of the comp book. If you're going to embellish your pages with anything that will go through your paper or need to be taken around to the back of it (like brads or ribbon), it's best to do this before you adhere your paper to the book - you'll have a cleaner and smoother look to your finished product. Before adhering would also be the time to ink the edges of your paper if you're wanting to do that as well.

I've seen some of these notebooks where only the front and back outside covers have been altered which I really dislike. Your book will look so much better if you alter the inside covers as well plus doing so gives you more space to play! Get creative! Add ribbon, brads, initials, poetry...you can really do so much!

Inside front cover...

Inside back cover...

Back cover...

You can really personalize this for the one you're giving it to - and don't forget those cute mini composition books too! They're great to use for all of the left over scraps you have from your larger book and they make perfect stocking stuffers too!

Framed Heart Valentine

2010-01-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

Another sweet Valentine's Day project found over at Tatertots and Jello, a wonderful blog full of great projects and ideas. Click here for the details on how to make this for yourself to V-day up your place or to give to friend festooned with curls of ribbon.

I used a frame that I already had and scrapbook paper that I'd recently purchased for another project I'm working on. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter that I had to trace my design and I can tell you, the finished product came out about twice the size but that's just me wanting the heart to look just so. Definitely take the time to let it dry before you put it in the frame or your marbles will drop off (guess how I know this?)

Isn't it cute though? I definitely want to try it with the Xs and Os as on the T&J site. Also, while I really like how the clear marbles pick up the color of the paper used, I'd like to see the heart done in red marbles on pink paper or on something black and white or the letters done in black marbles on red or pink paper ~ Ooo La La!

Coconut Oil Deodorant

2010-01-20T13:00:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love handmade spa and beauty products; making my own face masks and body scrubs....it's fun, wonderfully economical and I love the herbal smells that fill my bathroom and shower when I use them. There's also the added benefit of actually knowing what the ingredients are that I'm putting onto my skin and since I've heard a lot about the aluminium salts used in many antiperspirants (to block the pores so you don't perspire) can get into breast tissue and has a potential link with breast cancer. This, in my opinion, makes the use of a natural deodorant even more appealing.

Knowing this, I've tried several over the counter natural deodorants (won't name any names here) that haven't worked for me at all ~ not as far as odor is concerned anyway and who wants to be dry but still smell? "Not I," said the Little Red Hen.

Okay, segue into my journey with raw foods (more about that in a future blog) and using coconut oil in my diet for it's many health benefits and I find that it's also used as a beauty product and.....as an ingredient in natural deodorant which you can easily make yourself.

There are recipes all over the net for making this but the recipe is generally the same all around:

4-5 tablespoons of melted virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder (I use cornstarch)

Mix everything together (it will have the consistency of thin pancake batter) and pour it into a re-purposed deodorant container or into a small lidded jar. That's all there is to it! Just be sure to keep your deodorant in the refrigerator if you use your old container as I did. When I'm going to need it, after I shower for example, I simply take it out before I get in so that it softens up a bit and goes on easily (be sure to put it back into the refrigerator when you're done). You could also just keep it in a jar in your bathroom, scoop out a small amount when you want to use it and rub it onto your armpits.

A couple of things to note:

* you may need to rub it in a bit before you get dressed
* a bit of white may get on your clothes if you don't rub it in
* this deodorant works so wonderfully that you can easily go longer than a day without using more. I know this may gross you out but it's totally true.
* it smells WONDERFUL! I remember having my husband smell me several times throughout the day when I first started using it - I was SO amazed by it!

Add a pretty label to your container and make some for yourself to feel pretty and healthy and make some for your friends who will be just as amazed as you are by how well it works!

Sparkling Heart Necklace

2010-01-18T11:45:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day is less than a month away and the net is abounding with the sweetest ideas for something homemade to give. In fact, I haven't purchased a Valentine gift or card in years because, in my opinion, there's something sacred about making a gift for your Valentine that has always held with me and this year is no different.

So in browsing around One Pretty Thing which is one of the best sites for craft ideas, I found this lovely idea from Muffin Tin Mom. I've never worked with clay before and after this craft I'm not really sure why. It's actually really fun and easy and, as noted on MTM's site, is also something fun to do with your children!

So, as noted in the directions here, I went to Michael's and picked up some of the clay that was on sale. They didn't have any cream or white so I was forced to get some that was colored. Not really what I wanted to do but this worked out fine in the end. I picked up some very fine glitter in the Martha Stewart ($4.99) section and an 18-inch silver chain ($2.99) in the jewelry section. I also went ahead and purchased the fondant heart cutters because I didn't have anything small enough. These were $2.99 though I'm sure you could easily free form these or use a cutter from home if you already have one.

I also opted not to purchase a metal/plastic/acrylic roller; being that they were $10 and this was my first time working with clay - I figured I'd just use my regular old wooden rolling pin which worked fine and I also used items from my sewing box to help me along. Seriously, it's often about what you already have on hand.

So, just follow the directions from MTM which are really straight forward. I didn't use any paints which, of course you could do on yours. You'll also see that I put my hole in a different place and made my way into a bit of beading. I also added a bit of ribbon which is a sweet touch. Seriously though, these are inexpensive to make and don't you know your female Valentine friends would just gush over receiving one from you!

Elegant Tile Coasters

2010-01-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

Countless moisture rings on various tables I've owned can attest to the fact that I've never owned a set of coasters nor have I been very bothered by the rings. I sure like the idea of coasters though and when I saw the lovely handmade sets over at The Graphics Fairy and Calamity Anne's Adventures, I knew I had to try them out.

They were a bit messy to make (much transfer medium on my fingers) but well worth it - they're gorgeous and would make a delightful hostess or houswarming gift tied with some gorgeous ribbon and paired with a good bottle of wine or the mixings for a cooling mohito (yum!) or Bombay Saphire and tonic (my favorite!). Directions to make these are here and here so I won't post them though I will tell you how it worked out for me.

First, I used all of the same supplies except that the Lowes I went to for tumbled marble coasters/tiles didn't have any so I used porcelain that was made to look like tumbled marble and they were $.38 a piece - not bad.

Royalty free images aboud so get to searching though I will give this word of caution: it can get time consuming because there are SO many out there and if you're anything like me, you can spend many happy hours looking at all of them. Here's a pic of my letters soaking in the water:

Taking the paper backing off takes more time than the original directions led me to believe. I did some of it on a cutting board, some back in the bowl of water and yet more under running water. Then, though this wasn't in the original directions, I blotted the wet transfer before I put more glaze on it and set it on the tile. Also, even though I'd measured and cut the paper to fit the tiles, I still had to do a bit of trimming up afterward. And after removing the paper from the first transfer and having to trim it up after I'd put it on the tile with more of the glaze, I realized that it was much less messy to do this before adhearing it.

The cork went on easily too. I purchased the smallest roll from Michael's at a cost of $7.99 but which I'll get quite a few sets out of and, I'm sure, will be able to use for future projects as well. All in all, this was a really easy and fun project. I will absolutely be giving a set to several friends and my S-I-L's because I know they'll absolutely love them!

I love this project because it was only took a couple of hours (not including the 1-2 day drying time when you're finished) and you can really play with the images and fonts that you use. I was thinking that images of birds, vintage shoes (really want to try this), flourished hearts, single words could all be used - get creative!

2010-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

For some time now I've been toying with the thought of starting a blog to share handmade gift ideas with anyone out there who may be looking for them. I find myself browsing the internet often and there are some amazingly creative people out there with fabulous ideas that are actually quite easy to do and sure to elicit much gushing excitement from the recipient.

Seriously though, how fun is it to give something that you've made to someone and they hold it in their hands and look at you and say, "You made this? It's gorgeous! I can't believe you made this!" And if you're at a baby or bridal shower, everyone who brought gifts from a store is a little envious of the precious hand embellished onesies, luxurious hand-knit scarf or glittering lavender sugar scrub that you made yourself; beautifully packaged and humbly presented.

So come along as I share my own ideas and ideas of others (all credit given to the originator, of course) that I'll make and give my take on as I share handmade gift ideas for holidays, particular events and special people (even the furry kind) in your life.