Tuesday, May 31, 2011

My first Apron!

My first time to make and apron and I'm totally delighted with how it turned out.   I mentioned in a previous post that I'd stopped in at a small quilt shop near me --- well I hate going in little stores (where I'm pretty much the only customer) without buying a little something.......so I bought this McCalls Pattern for a few dollars.
I recently found this cute cherry material at Walmart (one of their bundle packs on clearance) and thought it would make a really cute apron -- and I was right!
If you've been reading my blog long you've discovered that I am one of those people who can't follow a pattern or recipe to a "t" --- I simply MUST change something about it to make it mine.  Well it happened again --- I added some appliqued cherries to one pocket (free pattern here), changed the straps to ribbon (saved me sewing them and it came in the material pack from Walmart), and bought my binding rather than making it! 
Here's a closer view of the pocket
 Here's a view of the back -- I lined it in white material
Here's what happens when I try to take pictures of my projects out on the deck:
Maybe Oreo was planning on baking today and wanted a new apron to wear?!
This post linked to:
Handmade Tuesdays
Take A Look Tuesday
Whatever You Want Wednesday 
Strut Your Stuff

Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!

 "And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me."
~Lee Greenwood

Hoping to spend part of my day eating, relaxing, and visiting with friends on our newly furnished deck.
Thought I'd share the patriotic pretzels I did up (not sure they'll be any left to share with our friends today when my husband and daughter are through snitching them!)-- so simple and easy to make, and yet delicious too!
Dip your pretzel sticks in melted white almond bark and sprinkle with red and blue sprinkles!
This post linked to:
Sweet Treats Thursday

Friday, May 27, 2011

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

A good friend of ours got us on to making smoothies and we've been experimenting with different varieties.
Being that it's strawberry season we decided to make a strawberry/banana combination.
Here's what I put in it:
  • Strawberries (frozen ones work best as they make the drink thicker and cold) I do thaw mine up just a bit to make it easier on the blender
  • Bananas
  • Plain Yogurt
  • A little sugar (or honey if you prefer less fattening)
  • A few ice cubes
Throw it all in the blender and blend and then enjoy this cool refreshing drink on a hot summer day!
There are all kinds of variations using any fruit you can think of (I did one with blueberries and some fresh mango a few weeks back). I've also seen where you can use juice in it - I'd  probably leave out the yogurt in those ones.  Just experiment around and see what kind of delicious concoctions you come up with!
This post linked to:
Sweet Treats Thursday
Fun With Food Friday
Sweets for A Saturday
Recipe Round Up

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Gathered Clutch

This was one of my favorite on-line tutorials --- and once you make the first one and figure out how to do it -- you can whip these up pretty fast! Here's a view of the insides and their lining.
Want to make a few of your own --- click here for a great picture tutorial!
This post linked to:
Strut Your Stuff
Thrilling Thursday

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Purse #1

Finally finished up a purse that I've been working on for two weeks.  Not that it takes that long to make it.....just have so many other duties that call my name.
Anyway -- I used the tutorial from My Patchwork..... though I altered it a bit.  My squares are not charm size (5 inches) but rather 4 inches.  I didn't want to make a tote, but a purse.
I also added pockets all around the interior (an idea I picked up from the homemade purses at a local quilt shop)....kind of like a purse organizer only you can't take them out!
Here's a view of the inside
I turned the purse inside out so you can get a better view of the pockets
Fits lip gloss, hand lotion, my keys, and pens...
...or perhaps hand sanitizer, a cell phone, my sun-glass clip and gum!
The pockets are a great way to keep all those little things in your purse from disappearing just when you need them most!
Oh I almost forgot the button....
Fabric covered button thanks to the 2 packs (with 3 button in each) of "Make to Match Buttons" I picked up in the Michael's clearance aisle.
BTW- Now I remember why I don't make/buy too many gifts ahead of time and "stockpile" them....a friend stopped by just after I finished this on Monday -- she liked it and guess what --- I sent it home with her! So purse #1 is already given away - so much for making Christmas gifts ahead of time!
 This post linked to:
Whatever You Want Wedensday

Monday, May 23, 2011

Ice Cream Cone

A little while back we were eating sugar cones for dessert.  My 8 yr. old daughter "disappeared" for a bit and then returned with the above card.  She'd gotten the bright idea to use the cone wrapper as a template and make an ice cream cone card out of it.  I did not help her at all, in fact I didn't even know what she was doing till she "reappeared."  I thought it turned out so pretty and wanted to share the templates I made for the cone (and also a scoop of  ice cream template).
You can use this template two ways:
1. Cut out the sugar cone and fold in half using the cone as a card (as my daughter did)
2. Cut out the sugar cone/fold in half/glue down the right side and use it as a pocket for the tag (illustration below)
Either way it makes a fun summer card and I'm glad my daughter thought of it!
This post linked to:
Craft Catwalk
Made With Love Monday
Whatever You Want Wednesday

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Fried Bread

So I'm wondering how many of you have ever heard of Fried Bread?  NOT Navajo Fry Bread like you'd make for tacos (I love that too), but Fried Bread. I'd never heard of it till I moved to the South 6 years ago, and I'd never made it or tried till just last night! Some friends of our picked fresh strawberries last week and kept talking about eating them for supper on top of Fry Bread.  Well, we weren't able to go strawberry picking till yesterday morning, and you can guess what I kept thinking about as I sliced up those fresh strawberries and sprinkled a little sugar over them....Fried Bread.
Now I'm hooked -- I even think it's better than the usual Strawberry Shortcake -- and it's definitely easier and faster to make!  I'm thinking it would be good with other topping too --- really almost rather have it than my usual pancake recipe! I looked it up online and only found one recipe for it, and I tweaked that a little and came up with the following:
Fried  Bread
 1 cup flour
1 cup Bisquick
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T. sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
Mix all ingredient together in bowl
Melt some butter in your skillet
Pour 1/2 cup of batter into skillet (more if you want it bigger, less if you want it smaller)
Fry till light brown on each side
Top with strawberries/cool whip 
ENJOY!
Yes it really is as light and fluffy as it appears!
BTW- I tried them this morning as pancakes and there's no looking back! Absolutely the best tasting "pancake" ever -- it literally melted in my mouth.
This post linked to:
Sweets for a Saturday
Fun With Food Friday
Strut Your Stuff 
Sweet Treats Thursday 
Recipe Round Up

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Mother's Day Cards

I don't think I shared the cards I did for Mother's Day.  This year I made them all alike to save time brainstorming up new designs.  For the background I cut strips of paper and them embossed them.  The "I love you Mom" tag came from Happy Birds Crafting Haven that I linked to in one of my Walks Around Blog Land.  The flower is a free digi from Beccy's Place, that I colored and glittered and adhered with a piece of pink ribbon underneath.  I twirled some green strips of paper and glued them behind the flower too.
This post linked to:
Whatever You Want Wednesday

Monday, May 16, 2011

Side Step Card

First time to do a side step card....here's a great tutorial on it if you're interested.  Here's another view from above so you can see inside the steps
Supplies used:
This post is linked to:

Craft Catwalk
Making Monday Marvelous
Whatever You Want Wednesday 

    Wednesday, May 11, 2011

    May Bulletin Board

    Here's the bulletin board decoration for the month of May.  As you probably figured -- I did it in a teacup theme to go along with my Mother's Day program.  This is the fastest and simplest one I've done (SO MANY other things to do - just couldn't take lots of time on it).  I actually used stickers on something!!!  That's something I rarely do -- simply because once you use them they're gone --- I tend to shy away from buying them and put my money into things I can use over and over again.  This time it paid me to have a few pretty flower stickers on hand though -- made the whole project take less than 10 minutes start to finish! Simple and Easy!

    More Cupcake Cards

    Remember the above card I made to go with the Dollar General cupcake stuff?  Well, I made a whole set of little cupcake cards as part of a Mother's Day gift to a lady here whose "adopted" us as kids/grandkids.  She's told me several times "I don't want you to buy me stuff, but since you won't listen... what I'd really like is some of your homemade cards as a gift!"
    I made her six little cards and included them in her Mother's Day gift bag -- she loved them!
    For the above three I added candles to the top -- below you'll see strawberries. 
    Supplies used:
    • Misc. paper scraps 
      • I don't think I cut up any new paper at all -- just used scraps from my paper scrap basket
    •  Paper Crimper
    • Beads
      • glued them on 3 cards for "sprinkles" on the icing
    • Glitter
    • Ribbon
    • Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft)
    • Liquid Applique
    • Template from Inspired and Unscripted
    I also included three little cupcake shaped birthday sentiments just in case she wanted to glue them in a card or two. 
    This post linked to:
    Whatever You Want Wednesday

    Monday, May 9, 2011

    Mother's Day Tea Favors

    Thought I'd show you the little "tea treats" I made up for the mothers of our church for Mother's Day. I got the little cup template here....I re-sized it to fit my needs.  The flowers are from Heartfelt Creations - the Posie set -- with glitter in the middle! I stapled some tea bags to the back of the cup.
    The cupcakes were decorated with two toned icing.
    Here they are 30 some of them - 1/2 blue...1/2 pink
    Thought I'd share a picture of the decorating I did for the front of the church
    I decorated the tree with teacups and teabags
    This post linked to:

    Thursday, May 5, 2011

    Cupcakes

    Have you seen the cute cupcake stuff they have at Dollar General? They have tea towel, pot holders, recipe cards, note books (several styles), tablecloth, placemats, recipe holders, and trinket boxes all in a cupcake theme.  They're so bright and cheerful I just couldn't resist picking up a couple things to give as gifts.
    While I was at it I decided to make a cupcake shaped card to go along with the gifts.
    The template for this cupcake came from Inspired and Unscripted -- aren't they just adorable?
    I also found a cute cupcake shaped sentiment (from Bits of Paper) that I used in one of the cards.
    Other supplies used:
    • Paper Crimper
      • for cupcake wrapper
    • Glitter
    • Strawberry template
    • Brown ribbon
    • Liquid Aplique
    • Pink Cardstock
    • Misc. Paper Scraps from my scrap bin
    This post linked to:
    Strut Your Stuff
    Thrilling Thursday

    Wednesday, May 4, 2011

    Plant Picks

    I like to give little thank you gifts to the ladies who help me feed guest speakers at our church.  This time I chose to give most of them a floral thank you (three of "my ladies" don't do flowers so they got something else)....and included a plant pick in each one.
    I made the picks using the Flora Grande Stamp Set from Heartfelt Creations and for the centers I used some Posy Center Stamps I found in the sale bin (two sets for less than one set cost!) at the Allentown Convention. They are from Outlines Rubber Stamp Co.
    Here's a closer view of my flower picks so you can see the details a little better.
    Stamped on floral paper with Versa Mark and embossed with pink/white/blue/gold embossing powder. The ladies seemed to like them -- and I had fun making them up.
     Here are a few pics from the Outlines Rubber Stamps Booth to show you how they used the Posy Centers and their flowers too!
    This post linked to:
    Ten Buck Tuesday