I am having so much fun with my new Taylored Expressions stamps set. This set is called "Sew Happy." I used these three sewing notions stamps and a bit of lace and ribbon for a very simple card that, I hope, will appeal to my needlewomen friends.
There really isn't much to tell about the card. The salmon colored cardstock is from Stampin' Up! and the designer/patterened paper is from October Afternoon. This dp stack is called "The Thrift Shop." I love the lacey look of the paper and the color is lovely.
For this card all I had to do was color the little stamped images with copic markers, use my small circle and hexagon nestabilities dies to cut them out, apply the lace and ribbon to the card. attach a few colored jewels to the pin heads and then using pop dots dimension foam dots I adhired the circles to the card.
My sewing room is calling me with some unfinished projects, but I'm having a hard time pulling myself away from my stamp studio. I am thoroughly enjoying the Taylored Expressions stamps. They are my first and they're great!
I have some new sewing and also new knitting stamp sets from Taylored Expressions and have been having just the best time this weekend stamping. I'm getting this card which I'm titling "Sew Happy!" posted in time for this past week's Mojo Monday layout sketch challenge. Below is Julee's sketch #173 for this week and I thought this let lent itself well to the layout. With my new stamps I also bought some new designer paper. These papers are from the Cosmo Cricket stack called "Material Girl and Garden Variety". If you follow my blog regularly you might remember that I mentioned I used Cosmo Cricket fabric for the pillow cases. They have wonderful fabric and paper designers. With all of the images from the new stamp sets I've stamped and colored I should be able to produce a lot of cards this week.
***** Disclaimer: Tango the cat thinks I made these for him. He is sadly mistaken!! *****
My husband and I have been complaining about our pillows and their lack of substance for the longest time. FINALLY, rather than complaining more, we bought some extra large, super fluffly, down pillows. Sigh......so comfortable! However, there was a slight problem. These pillows were so lofty and big that regular and even king-sized pillowcases didn't fit properly. What to do? Make my own custom pillowcases to fit, of course! I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Pillow cases sew together in a jiffy and give the bed a whole fresh new look.
A few months ago I had purchased a few yards each of three different cotton fabrics in Andover's Cosmo Cricket line's Early Bird collection. I mixed and matched the trim facing on the pillow cases with coordinating fabrics to tie the theme together. By the way, any of my papercrafting friends will recognize the Cosmo Cricket fabric from their line of paper craft products and designer papers. I'm glad that I have a sufficient amount of fabric left to make an apron and also a little girl's sundress too! Isn't it a sweet print? In my notions stash I happen to have coordinating piping to add to the seam line where the facings attached. So each set of cases coordinate but are also different. I don't know why it hadn't occured to me to freshen up the look of the bedroom and bed linens with colorful cotton fabrics that are so abundant these days. It was an easy solution to the "too large pillow" problem for standard cases, and also a great way to add a fresh new look to the bedroom.
Ever since I bought my e-reader (I have a Kobo) I cannot be found without it in my hand and reading. I've always enjoyed reading but for a variety of personal reasons that I won't go into at the moment, I didn't finish as many books as I'd start. Well, this has changed! I've been devouring books and thoroughly enjoying it.
When I read a post my friend Jovi posted about this challenge on her blog, I knew that this was a challenge I'd like to attempt too. I don't know if I'll reach my 100 or more book goal by the end of the year, but it is going to be a lot of fun reading as many books as I can. So with this post I'm announcing my goal to read 100+ books by the end of 2011.
Would you like to participate in this challenge? Here is the scoop about the 100 books in a year reading challenge. Hop on over to Book Chick City’s reading challenge for fun!
The rules are simple: • Read 100 books by 31st December 2011 • Only print books & ebooks count – (no audiobooks) • Any genre counts! • Twitter tag: #100booksinayear • You can join along anytime
I will continue to post my monthly book reviews as I have in the past. As well, I'm adding this ticker to my sidebar to track my progress:
If this challenge is one you'd like to participate in too, just click this link to Book Chick Cityor the button in the sidebar for more details.
I have been having such fun making children's toys and accessories. This crayon holder roll-up caddy was a snap to make and isn't it cute? It holds a 16 count box of large toddler sized crayons, but you could also make it to hold the smaller, regular sized crayons too.
Just slip a crayon in each slot of the holder and roll it up.
Tie the ribbons and it is ready to throw in the diaper bag, purse or napsack. The holder holds the crayons so they won't slip and it is portable to carry with you into restaurants, waiting areas or even in the car. No worry that a box will spill. Plus...it is cute! I think these would be fun birthday party favors or as a gift with a large pad of newsprint paper or coloring book.
Want to make one (or two or three...)? Here you go: Crayon Holder Roll-up Supplies: Two 22" by 6 1/2" lengths of fabric for the front and back of the holder Two 22" by 3 1/2" lengths of fabric for the pocket to hold the crayons Trim to edge the pocket (I used rick rack) 24 inches of Ribbon cut in half for the ties Interfacing (optional) Step #1: Apply interfacing and then stitch the rick rack trim to the top edge of one of the pocket pieces (the 22" X 3 1/2" piece).
Step 2: With right sides together stitch the pocket lining (the second piece of 22" X 3 1/2" rectangle) using the trim stitching line as your stitch guide. Stitch only the top trimmed edge and turn and press carefully. You now have your trimmed pocket.
Step 3: Apply interfacing to the wrong side of 22" X 6 1/2" fabric. On the right side of this piece of the 22" X 6 1/2" fabric length, align the pocket to the bottom edge. Pin and baste the bottom and side edges. You are now ready to mark the crayon holder slots so be sure you've aligned and basted well. Step #4: Using a chalk line, pins and ruler, carefully measure and mark the stitching lines for the divider. I marked my dividers at one and one eighth inches apart. This allows for a snug fit of the crayon so that they won't fall out but not so snug that little hands can't pull them out. Be sure to leave space at each end for your 1/2" seam allowance as well as 1" space so that a crayon won't be at the very edge. Step #5: Once you've carefully measured, marked and stitched your crayon holder lines through the pocket a inside lining it is time to place and stitch the ribbon ties to the side seam of the holder. Tack the ribbon in the center of one side.
Step #6: Next, with right sides together pin the remaining 22" X 6 1/2" fabric to the holder, carefully aligning the edges. You may want to temporarily tape or pin the free ends of the ribbon to keep them out of the seamlines.
Stitch all the way around your crayon pocket holder leaving an approximate 3" opening at the bottom edge to turn it rightside out. Finish your seam lines and I suggest reinforcing the corners with a couple of stitches in the corners. Step #7: Turn your crayon holder rightside out. Press firmly. Slipstitch the bottom opening closed and topstitch 1/4" around the perimeter of the pouch.
YOU'RE FINISHED! Grab a box of crayolas and fill the slots with crayons.
To roll up the holder start from the outside edge to the right and roll toward the ribbon ties that are on the left.
Tie up a pretty bow around the crayon holder and you've completed your Crayon Holder Roll-up! Easy peasy!
There are a number of tutorials for similar crayon holders on the internet. This is one I put together using my own method. I am happy to share my method with you free of charge. If you do make one, I just ask you link back to my blog where you've found it and be sure to show me photos of yours!
I'm having such a good time relearning the glitter and stencil technique. I've been going through my brass stencils after making the bicycle glitter card the other day (if you missed it you can see it by scrolling down a few posts or HERE. )
This card uses a cute and very fancy cupcake stencil made by DREAMWEAVERS Stencils. The process for glittering that I used is the same as the bicycle card. This is such a fun process. I decided to go ahead, while I had all of my glitter and supplies out, to make 8 cupcake image pieces so they will all be ready to mount to a card layout in the future since the glittering process is what takes the longest.
Above is a closeup photo of the cupcakes. This card is very feminine but depending upon your card layout and what colors of cupcake "paper" you make you could easily make this into a guy's card too without so much ruffles, ribbon and eyelet.
The sentiment stamp, Have your cupcake and eat it too!, is from a very old set titled "Sweet Delights - Have your Cupcake" and was made by Sherry Graves company called INKSPIRATIONS. Sadly for those of us who bought up Sherry's stamps as fast as she could create them, Sherry is no longer making stamps.
I found the sweet cupcake ribbon on little spools at Michaels. The border punch is the eyelet scallop punch made by Martha Stewart. The Designer paper is from K & Company.
If you have brass stencils sitting around in your craft drawer that you haven't used in a while, I urge you to give this technique a try. It is a fun change from using them only with embossing paste or dry embossing. If I can manage it ("IF" because I'm not the greatest with a camera), I'm going to try to do a short video tutorial on the glittering process using a small stencil so if my instructions and description of the process aren't clear. You can read those instructions here.
Well...if I were to be perfectly honest, now that we've had snow I really wouldn't mind if that was all for this winter. But since I live in Canada, I know we are in for months of more snow. sigh..........
This fun stamp is from a Stampin' Up! set titled, Big on Christmas. I've had the set for years and it had never felt ink on it so I decided to make some thank you notecards to send out and use the snowman image.
It is a simple card and I used up some bits I'd had left in the scrap bin from Christmas cards, such as the glitter snowflakes I'd punched using a Martha Stewart snowflake punch. The cardbase was one I'd previous embossed with my Cuttlebug and snowflake embossing folder. The blue background mat happened to be a small scrap in my bin too, so it was fun to put this together quickly using up some pieces. In fact, I had enough left overs to make several of this card in the same colors and design. Until next time... Cheers! Jennifer
Happy New Year! A whole new year is ahead of us with exciting possibilities and I can't help but be curious what 2011 will bring. Do you write down resolutions you resolve to accomplish in the new year? I don't write mine down, but I do make a mental list of things I hope to do new or do differently or more efficiently.
One resolution I plan to do is send lots and lots of snail mail this year. Whether it is for a birthday, thinking of you, simpathy or just to say hi, I plan to keep in touch with my family and friends in a more tactile way than merely the internet. This is my first birthday card for 2011. January and February birthdays are plentiful so had better get started!
Have you ever tried ultra fine glitter on sticky paper and using a brass stencil for the design? In a nutshell, this is how I created this bicycle birthday card. Card Ingredients: Dreamweaver Bicycle Stencil Glitter Glitz glitter in Real Red, Chromium, NST Copper, Blueberry, Licorice, Pine Forest PK Glitz Sticky paper Preprinted happy birthday grosgrain ribbon K&Company Designer Paper The process is a bit time consuming but a lot of fun to do. Actually, I find it relaxing. You don't want to rush. First cut a piece of the sticky paper the size of your stencil. Remove the printed film from one side of the sticky paper and stick the sticky side to the stencil. (Note: The other side of the paper is white and has no adhesive.)
Once your sticky paper is on the back of your stencil you'll work from the outside toward the inside of the stencil filling in colors as you work. The glitter sticks immediately to the open spaces of the stencil so you must be very careful to work in small areas at a time to fill in just the color you want and changing to another color as needed. I use white coffee filters under the various colors to catch, hold and return excess to the jars.
The little scoop spoons are excellent for scooping a small amount of glitter and then use the brush to brush off the excess.
Once you've covered the entire area of the stencil carefully peel the sticky paper off your stencil. Using clear crystal glitter, pour it over the entire area of your paper. This will create the background. Don't worry about pouring it over the colors you've already painstakingly put in the stencil areas. The glitter stuck immediately and you can't cover it up. Only the open areas of the stencil will grab the background crystal glitter.
Now once you've removed the sticky paper and glittered the background you'll find the lightweight paper image will roll up, so take your favorite adhesive and adhere the back of the stenciled area to a plain piece of lightweight cardstock. You've now created your glittered stenciled image and are ready to put it together on the card.
I thoroughly enjoy using the beautiful Dreamweaver stencils with this glitter process. Of course I love to use embossing paste as well as dry embossing with the stencils too. I find this glittered technique adds a whole new look to working with stencils.
It is Christmas eve and suddenly you realize that you've forgotten to get a gift. Or perhaps, as in my husband's case, he realized he needed a little gift for his staff so he said to me, "Hey Skippy! (yes, he calls me 'Skippy') Can you make me TWENTY gift card holders? I want to give my staff Tim Horton's gift cards." "But of course, my dear," I replied. "I'll just whip them up between the sewing and baking I've got going on right now!" **please note sarcasm**
OK, I did agree to make gift card holders for him and this twist bottom version was actually quite simple to do. If you are able to view Splitcoast Stamper's website, you can see the tutorial HERE for this Slit Latch Gift Card Holder by Jane Matsumoto. Jane's instructions are easy to follow and I whipped up 20 of these Slit Latch Gift Card holders in just a few short hours. (seriously, that wasn't long considering there were 20 to make).
The card is held closed by the "slit latch" design in the bottom (positioned between the Merry Christmas stamp. (I used Papertrey Inc. sentiment stamp). On the inside to hold the gift card I used a Stampin' Up! Slit Punch. I'm not sure if Stampin' Up! still carries this punch. It is from several years back but one that comes in handy for a lot of fun projects.
The fun "Coal again?!" stamp is a 2005 Fluffles Stocking stamp made by Stampabilities. I colored with Copic markers and then added stickles for lots of glitz on the pine branch. The designer paper is from Bo Bunny and the card stock is a bright light green from Stampin' Up!
Whew! I *think* I'm ready for Christmas now....that is as soon as I finish some last minute baking.
Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request by Mitch Albom
Goodreads Review: In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds--two men, two faiths, two communities--that will inspire readers everywhere. Albom's first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Have a Little Faith begins with an unusual request: an eighty-two-year-old rabbi from Albom's old hometown asks him to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith he'd left years ago. Meanwhile, closer to his current home, Albom becomes involved with a Detroit pastor--a reformed drug dealer and convict--who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.
My thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed Have a Little Faith. So much so, I couldn't put it down. First of all, and the story aside, I enjoy Mitch Albom's style of writing. Whether it is one of his works of fiction, like The 5 People You Meet in Heaven or For One More Dayor his non-fiction, like Tuesdays with Morrie or his latest, Have a Little Faith, Albom's voice is as though he is sitting across from you as a dear friend who has come for a visit and tells you a story, always with a message that won't leave you immediately. You'll find yourself thinking about the characters, the events that take place, the setting and always, how would you respond to the events or situation. I highly recommend Have a Little Faith.
Here is a video interview with Mitch Albom to pique your interest:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
GOODREADS Review: A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality tale of an old and bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption over the course of a Christmas Eve night. If the experience doesn't change Scrooge's ways, he will end up walking the Earth forever being nothing but an invisible and lonely ghost, like his deceased friend Jacob Marley. Mr. Scrooge is a financier/moneychanger who has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth. He holds anything other than money in contempt, including friendship, love, and the Christmas season.
My thoughts: A Christmas Carol is a Christmas tradition. I never tire of reading it and discover something new in the characters with each reading. I love this story this year, last year and I know I will rate it high in the future. A true classic.
My thoughts: I've always enjoyed Richard Paul Evans' Christmas stories. They are romantic and sweet and a nice holiday easy-read. However, this was not the case this time with Promise Me. I tried to give this two stars and perhaps I should since I did read the whole book. Generally I'd have stopped much sooner. The story was intriguing at first and I didn't mind the time travel aspect. However, it turned bizarre and quite frankly, distasteful to me with the relationship Beth developes with her future son-in-law. The final scene and end of the story I found to be contradictory to Beth's search for the love she deserved in her husband. I never felt a connection between her and her husband, only that he loved her but no indication that it was returned. There are so many inconsistancies and what I found rather bizarre in her relationship that I just can't give this book more than one star. I really wanted to like this unusual story, but as I turned the last page all I felt was disappointment.
I see the ratings for Promise Me all over the place with many giving it 5 stars down to my 1 star. I guess this is a case of personal taste and preference.
Everyone has a special cookie or sweet that they look forward to during special holidays. At Christmas time one cookie that I look forward to making is German Springerle Cookies. They are a beautiful white biscuit embossed by using a special carved rolling pin that impresses the design onto the dough. You make them at least a month in advance of when you want to eat them because saved in a cookie tin, the flavor of the anise oil and seed enhances. In doing a bit of research on the cookie's history I learned that name Springerle comes from an old German dialect and means "little knight" or "jumping horse." Historians trace these cookies back to the Julfest, a midwinter celebration of pagan Germanic tribes. These cookies are white, flavored with anise oil and seeds and are made with a very simple egg, flour and sugar dough.
Before I place my cookies on the buttered parchment paper before baking I sprinkle the buttered parchment paper-lined baking sheet with anise seed. This way, there is a slight addition of the anise seed to the cookie as well. The original recipe didn't call for the seed but I like just a touch and since it is on the bottom of the cookie it doesn't interfere with the design on top. In my family my husband and one of my sons really like these and now Springerle Cookies have become a holiday tradition to have at least a few to share. Both times my son was deployed to Iraq I made sure that in his Christmas goodie boxes these cookies were included. They travel well. The are hard on the outside and soft inside. And best of all, they improve with age.
Here is the recipe I use. If you don't have the detailed rolling pin, don't worry. You can cut them into rectangle with a knife after you've rolled the dough.
Prepare baking sheets with buttered parchment paper. Avoid using insulated cookie sheets as they will cause the springerle cookies to brown during baking. These cookies should remain white and only the bottom will brown very slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs on high speed of your electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar, butter and baking powder and beat at high speed for 15 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. (And YES I said 15 minutes! This is a time I'm ever so grateful for having a stand mixer that I can turn on and let run.)
Now add the anise oil and flour, just mixing the flour until the dough holds together in a ball.
On a lightly floured board, knead the dough a few times (the dough will be sticky at first so knead in just enough flour to make it manageable.
Roll out the dough with a standard rolling pin, into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Do NOT roll any thinner than 1/2 inch. This is important!
Next lightly flour your springerle special rolling pin and roll slowly and firmly over the dough to make a clear design impression. DO NOT roll it back and forth. You just want to impress the image into the top of the dough. Using a sharp knife cut the cookies apart and trim off the outside edges. Roll out scraps of dough in the same manner as before. BE SURE TO FLOUR THE ROLLING PIN AND BOARD BEFORE EACH PRESSING. THIS WILL INSURE THE DOUGH WILL NOT STICK.
Place cookies on your prepared baking sheets. Let the cookies stand, uncovered, overnight to dry. DRYING PRESERVES THE IMAGE DURING BAKING. I put my sheets in the refrigerator overnight to dry. This keeps unwelcomed fingers and perhaps a paw print or two away from cookies.
The next day PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Bake one baking sheet at a time. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until slightly golden on the bottoms, but still white on top. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks until cooled. (let the cookies stand overnight to completely dry before storing.
Storage: Keep cookies in a tight container for 2 or 3 weeks before using to achieve the best flavor.
The number of cookies yielded will depend upon the size and thickness of your Springerle cookies. I usually get two cookie sheets full.
What fun for me and I hope for you too, was the Sew Mama Sew Holiday giveaway! I had so much fun exploring other blogs, signing on to follow many new blogs, and seeing the fabulous creativity from all around the world.
And also a real treat for me was to read the 145 comments left by all of you lovely people around the world. I was touched by the responses to my one simple question which was, "why would you like to win the Alice Tote?" I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every comment and was glad that I could use the random number generator to choose the winner.
So without any more chit chat, because I know you want to know who was the winning number, I shall announce that MELISSA was the winner of my Alice Tote bag. I've contacted Melissa and her tote will be on its way to her Monday morning.
Again, many thanks to everyone who took the time to look at my blog and leave a comment.
I am having so much fun with my new Taylored Expressions stamps set. This set is called "Sew Happy." I used these three sewing notions stamps and a bit of lace and ribbon for a very simple card that, I hope, will appeal to my needlewomen friends.
There really isn't much to tell about the card. The salmon colored cardstock is from Stampin' Up! and the designer/patterened paper is from October Afternoon. This dp stack is called "The Thrift Shop." I love the lacey look of the paper and the color is lovely.
My sewing room is calling me with some unfinished projects, but I'm having a hard time pulling myself away from my stamp studio. I am thoroughly enjoying the Taylored Expressions stamps. They are my first and they're great!
