It’s never too late

  I’ve had this frame that I bought four years ago.  I got it when a store was closing and selling inventory and displays.  It has a track where price boards or pictures slide down.  I have moved it from one room to another, never finding anything to fit in it.  I’ve had some ideas yet nothing worked.  I was looking at it the other day, and came up with an idea for my craft area.   I’ll show you the before pictures to see if you can figure it out.

  The picture on the left is the frame.  The picture on the right is foam core board and, now if I tell you, you are going to figure it out. Take some time to think about it;  I’ll wait. ……………… Did anyone guess?  Of course, you did.  It is a roll of cork.  

  I made a cork board.  I cut the foam core board to slide down the track, and I bought a roll of 12 x 24 cork.  My opening is 12 x 18 so I trimmed the bottom of the cork to fit and glued it to the foam core board after the board was placed in the frame. The frame cost $5.00, foam core board $1.00 at Dollar Tree, and the cork was $1.19 at Jo Ann’s after coupon.   I’m going to paint it someday, but it works for now.  Stop back on Monday  to see what I did with my scraps of foam core board. 

Breakfast Anyone?

  Yesterday I said I had a recipe.  When I started to think about it, I wondered if it was a recipe or just a suggestion.  Either way, here it is.  This all started on Friday morning.  I had just got the girls off to school and had sat down.  I turned on the TV to see if there was anything worth watching.  I flipped to HSN.  A woman was demonstrating a cake pop or brownie maker.  She told me that you can use any of your favorite batters such as muffins, pancakes, or even eggs.  WELLLLL I had got  one of these cake pop makers at Wal-Mart a couple years ago.  You know how it is.  You think you need something and then it just stays in the box.  Anyway, I was laying in bed on Saturday morning, and I knew I was making pancakes and sausage for breakfast.  I had an idea.  Why couldn’t  I make my sausage(I use the microwave sausage links) and cut them into bite size pieces and put them with the pancake batter and finally get my cake pop maker out of the box.
  My pancake mix is from scratch.  I got this great recipe from my mother-in-law who got it from some woman she looked after years ago.  It makes a big batch. You could just a box mix too.   I had the pancakes on Saturday and then I used what was left for my idea on Sunday after church.  Here is how I made them.  I made the sausage links according to the box.  I cut them into bite size pieces.  The instructions that came with my cake pop maker states to use 2 teaspoons of batter.  I placed  one teaspoon of the pancake batter, one of the sausage pieces, and then the other teaspoon of pancake batter.  I closed the lid and cooked for 6 minutes, according to the cake pop instructions.  This is how they turned out.
 
  Serve them with a little butter and syrup, delicious. The only bad thing is that it only makes 6 at a time.  I’m planning more batters for next time.
  On a side note, I did not tell you the names of the kittens from Super Cat Sunday.  The adorable kittens are Thrift on the left and Ed on the right.

SUPER CAT SUNDAY

    This post title should read “Two heads are better than one.”   Abbie saw this yesterday and called me over.  I had to take a picture knowing it would be good for today.  Check back tomorrow, I’ll have a recipe to share with you.  Have a GREAT day!!

Flower Bouquet Thank You Card

   Here is the card I promised yesterday.  It is a simple card to make.  I just stamped the flowers to the right and bottom in colors that matched the paper making sure some of the stamps overlapped   I then stamped the sentiment in black ink to make it pop.  The inside read, “for your kindness.”  Sorry, if the picture isn’t the greatest.  I haven’t made a light box yet and am still experimenting and learning lighting.

All supplies Close To My Heart
paper:  White Daisy and Sophia(retired)
ink: Cotton Candy, Sunset, Blush, and Black
stamps: Hooray Bouquet and  A Little Everything(retired)

Rock It Out

  Good morning everyone.  Pare’ and Abbie have started school so it’s VERY QUIET around here.  I have filled my time with making more cards.  Today’s card is a birthday card.    

  I haven’t been making cards much this summer, enjoying time with the girls.  I don’t know about you, but I often have times when no ideas come to me.  These times are usually when I don’t craft.  When I start crafting the ideas start coming, and this has been the case lately so check back tomorrow for another card.
Supplies:                                                                                                                                             shimmer trim:  silver Close To My Heart
ink: Black Close To My Heart
cardstock: Black and Petal(retired) Close To My Heart
pattern paper: other
Cricut cartridge: Nifty Fifties

Sympathy Card

  As I said in an earlier post, I have been making cards lately.  Today’s card is a sympathy card. Unfortunately, everyone needs one from time to time.  You can make a handmade one to show someone just how much you care. 

All supplies Close To My Heart
paper:  Avonlea(retired) 
cardstock: Chocolate, Avonlea Green(retired), and Avonlea Teal(retired)
ink: Pacifica
stamp:  Card Chatter-Sympathy
cricut cartridges:  Art Philosophy and Artiste

SUPER CAT SUNDAY

  It’s time for another picture of one of our cats.  This week is one of  mine, and he is actually a kitten.  He is a brother of Abbie’s kitten, Sokka.  She was my very first Super Cat Sunday post.  Abbie  lost Sokka to a terrible accident which I won’t get into.  My kitten’s name is Thrift.  I just love his peach cheeks.  You can’t tell from the picture, but he is about as round as he is long, just adorable. 

  He didn’t want to stay still for the picture.  Here is his close up.  

Number, What Number?

   Good day everyone.  I’ve been making cards lately, and here is one I made yesterday. 
  Supplies:
cardstock: Close To My Heart—Cranberry, Black, and White Daisy
stamps:  Close To My Heart—Just a Number and Diverse Backgrounds(retired)
ink: Close To My Heart--Black
Cricut cartridge:  Nifty Fifties

A Thank You

  Here is a little thank you card and matching envelope I made.  It is 3x3 card, and because of its small size, it is perfect for using those scraps pieces. I added glitter gel to the flowers.  I’m not sure if it shows up well in photo. 


All supplies Close To My Heart:
  ink: cotton candy
paper: Chantilly and Sweet Leaf cardstock
stamps: Happy Autumn and Perfect Fit-Thanksgiving
embellishment:  pink glitter gel

SUPER CAT SUNDAY

   This is another of Abbie’s cats.  This is McCoy, and he is a little over a year old.  We came home on Friday, and Abbie couldn’t find him.  He spends his time in Abbie’s room, and we couldn’t understand where he could be.  Abbie then said, “Found him.” 

  He found the deer head that is on her wall.  Don’t ask why there’s a deer head.  When you have a husband that hunts, he thinks that deer heads should be on every wall.  We are taking it down today because we don’t want it to come down and break anything. 

A Quick Card

  If you are anything like me, you will remember a birthday a month in advance and completely forget the week of someone’s birthday.  Today’s card is for times like this when you have to get a card in the mail in a matter of minutes.  This card was inspired by the below image.  I had been working on cards for a possible workshop and saw this image on the paper that I used to cover my table.  The part that caught my eye was the birthday sentiment stamped over the cluster of flowers.  I decided I had to make a card using these stamps like this. 

  I didn’t time myself, but I’m pretty sure it probably only took me less than ten minutes.  I stamped the flowers and then stamped the sentiment over the flowers.  I  cut two strips of Cotton Candy cardstock  at 1/4” by 5 1/2”  and cut one strip of Twilight cardstock at 1/2” by 5 1/2”.   I used the grid paper in the picture above to position the strips evenly and glued them down.

  Here is the finished card.  Simple and quick with plenty of time to get in the mail when you need to FAST. 
All Supplies Close To My Heart
inks and cardstock:  Cotton Candy and Twilight
stamps:  Card Chatter-Birthday and Happy Autumn

I don't have anything new to post.  Abbie  has an eye doctor's appointment today, and then we are going back to school shopping.  I don't want to think about school; I love having my kids home with me.  Pare' is a senior, and I'm so not ready for that.  Have a great day and don't forget to check back in on Sunday for Super Cat Sunday.

My Favorite Things

  Today’s project combines many of my favorite things into one.  First, I love thrift store shopping and that is where I got the box. Second, I love industrial office supplies,  hence the box again.  Third, I love finding new recipes and am always needing a place to put them.  Fourth, I love crafting, and this box uses supplies from my craft area. 

                 the box closed                                  the box opened

  The box even came with a set of two tabbed divider cards.   A set of A-Z, I can use later, and a set of blank.  These are the ones that I’ll  use to make my categories for my recipes.

  I cut out the chalkboard frame with my cricut using the Artiste cartridge.  I wrote “Recipes” on the frame with a chalk marker.  I resisted the urge to make dot letters.  My kids don’t like them, but I love them.  Hey, I just realized if had used them; it would have been another of my favorite things.  Maybe I’ll change it when they’re not looking. 

 

  In under five minutes, I have a new organizer for my kitchen.  Since this is a recipe box, I’ll include a recipe at the bottom of this post.  It is a recipe I adapted from another recipe because Abbie didn’t really like the original.

All Supplies Close To My Heart

12 x 12 Chalkboard Sheet

Chalk Marker

Cheese Danish

You will need: 1 (8oz.) tube of crescent dough, 4 oz. softened cream cheese, and 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar.  You will also need an additional 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 2 tsp. milk for the icing.

  Unroll 4 of the crescent dough triangles and press them into a lightly greased 8x8 pan.  Seal the perforating edges to make a continuous sheet of dough.  Mix the softened cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar and spread on top of the dough.  Unroll the remaining 4 triangles and spread on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the crescent dough is lightly golden brown.  While the danish is baking, mix the confectioners’ sugar and milk and drizzle on danish after it has cooled for a few minutes.

A Birthday Card

   I was at my friend Miriam’s house shortly after mother’s day and saw a store bought card that she had received.  I was inspired to make a card similar to it.  I don’t have that particular card anymore, but I made this card for my good friend, Cheryl, who, I know, liked the first one I made.

All supplies from Close To My Heart
Stamps:  Hoppy Easter(bird) and Card Chatter-Birthday
Paper:  Chantilly
Inks:  Ruby and Twilight
Embellishments:  Chantilly textiles(bow)

Keeping the Calm

Monday   August 5, 2013
  The KEEP CALM decor is very popular right now, and I wanted to make one for my craft area.
  
I’ll show you how I made it.  I found this .25 8x10 picture frame at one of my favorite thrift stores.  Sorry for the glare.      

After I sanded it, I mixed white acrylic paint with my Close To My Heart pacifica reinker.  Sorry, I don’t have a ratio, I just poured in some paint and added about 15 to 20 drops of reinker.  You can use more or less to achieve your desired color. 
 
I then painted three coats of the paint.  I stored the extra paint in a plastic container to use again for another project.  Check back later to find out what.  For the background paper, I used a paper from Close To My Heart’s retired Elemental paper packs.  One of all time favorite paper pack.  I cut the letters and crown from pacifica cardstock with the Artiste Cricut cartridge.  Both are from Close To My Heart.  The letters are cut at 1 1/2 inches and the small letters are cut at 1 inch.  The crown is cut at 1 1/4 inches.  I glued the cardstock letters onto the patterned paper, eyeballing the center, with a glue pen.  I like how it turned out.  I might make some of these for gifts.  Pare’ has already requested one.

SUPER CAT SUNDAY

   I’ve decided for my Sunday posts to have a picture of one of our  cats.  Pare’ came up with the title of the post. This is Abbie’s kitten Sokka.  She is around nine weeks old. She is white with blonde spots that sometimes look grey.  She has a black nose, blacked tipped ears, and a grey tail.  She is one of six. Here she is taking a nap on Abbie’s bed.

Early one morning.

As it is summer vacation, my girls were sleeping and I decided I would do a quick little project.  Abbie had given me this old hamper and it had sitting in the living room for a few days.  I started to think what I could do with it.  I remembered this fabric left over from a mother’s day gift I made last year. I didn’t have enough fabric to make a liner of one fabric, so I made rectangles of the two fabrics and stitched the rectangles together.  I added a band around the top and  made places for the handles.  It can easily be removed for cleaning.    

This is what it looks like finished.    
I plan on using it for gift wrap rolls or fabric in my craft area. On a side note,  I also promise not all pictures will be taken on my front porch.