Working on getting everything ready for a shop update next Tuesday, August 3. Travel Journal Kits, vintage paper sets (including maps!), and embellishments. Stay tuned! :)
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Working on getting everything ready for a shop update next Tuesday, August 3. Travel Journal Kits, vintage paper sets (including maps!), and embellishments. Stay tuned! :)
Food: Snickerdoodles
Snickerdoodles
1� cups sugar
� cup butter, softened
� cup shortening
2 large eggs
2� cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
� tsp. salt
� cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In large bowl, beat 1� cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Shape dough into 1�-inch balls. In small bowl, mix � cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. On a greased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment paper), place balls 2 inches apart.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
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Monday Faves
Thank you so much for all the fabulous comments about what you'd like to see in a shop update! I am putting together a travel album kit and am super excited to get it into the shop. I will be emailing one of the commenters about receiving a paper scrap pack. Thank you again for your input! :) As I said before, hoping to get the shop updated by the end of this week or early next week.
A fun and random assortment of faves today :) Enjoy! :)
1. Frolic Miniature Cathedral Window Pincushion by warmnfuzzies
2. Shakespearean Paper Garland of Hearts by bookity
3. Summer Pink Flowers Bag by marbled
4. Mini Scrap Pack by brionesandco
5. Strawberry Fields Vintage Fabric from eagerhands
6. Stunning Slip-on Indian Leather Beaded Shoes by anotherseason
7. Scrap Pack by brionesandco
A fun and random assortment of faves today :) Enjoy! :)1. Frolic Miniature Cathedral Window Pincushion by warmnfuzzies
2. Shakespearean Paper Garland of Hearts by bookity
3. Summer Pink Flowers Bag by marbled
4. Mini Scrap Pack by brionesandco
5. Strawberry Fields Vintage Fabric from eagerhands
6. Stunning Slip-on Indian Leather Beaded Shoes by anotherseason
7. Scrap Pack by brionesandco
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Shop Update Planning...Extra Ideas and a Giveaway?
Working on a much-needed shop update right now :) Planning is in the middle-late stage and now just getting all of my supplies together. Hoping to have the shop updated by late next week or early the week after :)Anything in particular you would like to see in my shop? Certain types of art journals? Kits? Supplies? I'd love to hear from you! :) Leave a comment below with an idea and I may just pick a lucky winner this Saturday night to receive a Mini Found Paper Scrap Pack. :)
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Super late recipe post today... but just in time for a midnight snack maybe? :)Mini Cheesecakes
1-12 oz. pkg. vanilla wafers
2-8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
� cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-21 oz. can cherry pie filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Crush vanilla wafers and distribute evenly into each muffin cup. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each paper cup with this mixture, almost to the top.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top each with cherry pie filling. Enjoy!
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Tuesday Tutorial: Fabric Covered Matchbook Mini Album
I had so much fun making and developing these cute little mini albums/journals. Made from a file folder, these little albums are similar to matchbook notepads, just a lot bigger. You can make three albums from one file folder, so it's easy to make a bunch at one time. These would be perfect for jotting a note and sending to a friend or loved one, or for making a super short album.Want to make your own?
Supplies:
+ One regular size file folder
+ Paper for inside pages
+ Fabric scrap (at least 5.75" x 8.5")
+ Button, needle and thread (optional, purely your preference if you would like a button embellishment on the front)
+ Stapler
+ Spray adhesive
+ Library card or credit card (to smooth out fabric)
+ Rotary Cutter, ruler and cutting mat
Begin by cutting off the tab part of the file folder so that the folder is 7"x11.75" (closed). See picture below.
Next, open the file folder and cut 6" off of the right side, so you will have one piece that is 6" x 11.75" with no creases, and another piece that is 8" x 11.75" with a crease on one edge (this was the middle of the file folder, where it folds). Set aside the 6" x 11.75" piece (you can use this later to make another album).
Now, cut the file folder again, along the long side, so that you have two pieces. One piece will be 5.5" x 8" and the other will be 6.25" x 8". Cut the larger piece again so that you have two pieces that are both 5.5" x 8" (see pictures below). You can set one piece aside here also, so you can make another album with this piece later on.First cut:
Second Cut:
Now, trim your "inside pages" to 5" x 6.5". I used three sheets of paper.
Now it's time to adhere the fabric to the file folder. This will be the album cover. Put down some newspaper to protect your working surface and make sure you are in a well-ventilated area (or outside). Using the same method as was used in this tutorial, adhere the fabric to the file folder.
Trim off the excess fabric.
Using a bone folder or end of a pen, make a score 3.5" from the edge of the album cover, down the middle of the long side (see picture).
Next, trim off 1/2" from the short side of the album cover, on the OPPOSITE side from the crease.
Now, line up the pages to the crease on the inside of the album cover.
Holding the pages in place, use a stapler to staple the pages along the crease.
When closed, the edge of your album will now look like this:
Now you need to put three staples along the short crease. Be careful to staple it close enough to the edge so that your pages don't get caught in the staples. Almost finished! :)
If desired, it's now time to sew the button onto the front cover. I made four pin pricks as a guide to where the button should be sewn on.
And now you're finished! Voil�! A Fabric Covered Matchbook Mini Album!
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Monday Faves: Picnic
A picnic-ey theme for some faves today. We love packing up a picnic and heading to the park - so much fun. :)
Do you like to picnic? What type of food do you like to take along on a picnic?
1. Vintage Picnic Set in a Ball from winkinpossum
2. Vintage Picnic Flash Cards by elles
3. Picnic Basket by BasketAesthetics
4. Vintage Flower Power Sour Cream Glasses from winkinpossum
5. Upcycled Vintage Picnic Blanket from SewnNatural
6. Sweet Meadow no.1 by soradesigns
7. Patchwork Handbag by hoganfe
8. Picnics and Tailgate Parties Cookbook from BeggarsPouch
9. Lunch Time Napkins by ASboutique
Do you like to picnic? What type of food do you like to take along on a picnic?
1. Vintage Picnic Set in a Ball from winkinpossum2. Vintage Picnic Flash Cards by elles
3. Picnic Basket by BasketAesthetics
4. Vintage Flower Power Sour Cream Glasses from winkinpossum
5. Upcycled Vintage Picnic Blanket from SewnNatural
6. Sweet Meadow no.1 by soradesigns
7. Patchwork Handbag by hoganfe
8. Picnics and Tailgate Parties Cookbook from BeggarsPouch
9. Lunch Time Napkins by ASboutique
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I love summer.
This was most of my dinner last night ;) All fresh berries: strawberrries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Mmm... I love fresh summer produce :) Yay for berries!
What's your favorite fresh produce?
Have a fabulous weekend :)
What's your favorite fresh produce?
Have a fabulous weekend :)Views:
Guest Feature: Gadanke
Today please welcome Katie from Gadanke. Upon visiting her shop, I immediately fell in love with all of her beautiful, detailed journals (we all know how much I adore journals!). I love featuring different shops and blogs and love learning more about the artists behind shops and blogs! Don't forget to check out the coupon code at the end of the post for a sweet discount to her fabulous online shop. Enjoy! :)
1. Tell us about yourself. Gosh - I'm so used to telling people, "I'm an American living in Berlin, Germany, and my house is 480 square feet. The kitchen is 36." But that's not me at the moment! My husband and I are spending the summer in the US. We live in a house made out of recycled tires. We ride our bikes just about anywhere we can, fly small airplanes, eat our vegetables, and have an enormous passion for seizing life.2. How long have you been creating things and what inspired you to begin creating things? My favorite subjects in elementary school were art and English. I was hooked to Girl Scouting - probably because of the crafts. And all of that has stuck with me; I taught art, creative writing, and pottery at Girl Scout camp for years. I'm still a writing and crafting Girl Scout!
3. What is your shop name and what do you sell? My shop name is Gadanke. Gadanke is a handmade, writing prompt journal shop. My journals are filled with inspiring and unique writing prompts, European and American papers, embellishments, and pockets to help you document life. Create the type of journal you'll treasure - whether it's about you, where you live, your vacation, or someone you love.
4. How long have you been selling online? I opened an etsy shop last summer. It was one week before I took my flight exam to be a pilot and two weeks before my husband and I moved to Germany. I was so excited and moved by this project that I just had to go for it. The timing was awful. But in my heart, I felt like I have never felt about a creative project. After wonderful feedback, I opened Gadanke in April.
5. Describe your creative process: How, when, materials, etc. I'm passionate about the environment, so I think it makes sense to use recycled materials in my journal products. As we document life, I believe with all my heart that we should also be preserving it.
6. Do you promote your shop? How? Everything is growing organically right now. People are enjoying my products, gifting them, and really just spreading the word. It's been such a blessing.
7. Do you sell your items anywhere else (such as boutiques, craft fairs, etc)? Where? I meet with my first boutique on the 29th!
8. What keeps your creative juices flowing? How or what are you inspired by? I love to walk. If given the choice in Berlin between the subway and walking to German class, I'll walk. It's so inspirational and comforting to walk. My best ideas always come when I am moving in the fresh air. My poor classmates were so confused. I'm pretty sure they were whispering when the weather was below freezing and I was walking almost two miles to class. "Is she really American? I've seen movies of Americans. And they're not like Katie... Not at all like Katie..."
Of course, I also had a classmate ask me in German, "Is your wedding ring from Tiffany's?!" (She's just seen Sex in the City in Russian.)
9. When you hit a creative wall (not feeling like creating, or what to create, etc) how do you get your creative juices flowing again? Boy I don't think I've run into this problem... and that's probably because of the constant changes in my life. It's probably not practical for me to suggest, "Move abroad!" when you feel creatively stuck. But you could change something in your routine. I'll give myself little challenges like not buying clothes or learning to cook so I can express myself in new ways. Then when I turn to something like my blog or Gadanke, my mind is bursting with all the new things I am experiencing.
10. What goals do you have for your shop? I am going to make Gadanke a business capable of sustaining myself and my husband while he goes to school. He has one more year in electrical engineering. In my heart, I know I can do this if I work one step at a time.
11. What advice would you give to someone who is new to selling online? It is okay to be afraid. But be aware of those fears, and do your best to fight them. Our fears are like these little evil gremlins. They'll latch on wherever you let them. Sometimes resisting them is the hardest part of starting a creative business.
+++
Recap
Shop: Gadanke
Blog: Making This Home
COUPON CODE:
Right now, Gadanke is offering a 10% discount to their online shop. Enter coupon code LOVECREATING at checkout. Hurry! Discount ends Monday, July 19!
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Food: Homemade Pizzas
Our new faves are BBQ chicken pizza, Italian sausage with garlic (and sometimes pineapple) pizza, and fresh basil and garlic with spinach and feta pizza. Mmmm! :)
1-12" pre-made pizza crust (you could make your own, I just prefer the store bought :))
� cup regular BBQ sauce (or more, depending on taste)
1 small red onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I use leftover rotisserie chicken sometimes!)
� cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
� cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a medium bowl, mix together red onion, green onions, and chicken and set aside. In a small bowl, mix Monterrey Jack and shredded cheddar and set aside. Spread BBQ sauce evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle onion and chicken mixture over BBQ sauce and then top with cheese mixture. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
Fresh Basil, Spinach and Feta Cheese Pizza
1-12" pre-made pizza crust
� cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
� cup extra virgin olive oil
1� cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and chopped
� cup Feta cheese
In a small bowl, mix together fresh basil, minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Spread evenly over pizza crust. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over pizza. Top with spinach leaves and Feta cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Italian Sausage Pizza
1-12" pre-made pizza crust
�-� cup pizza sauce (depending on taste)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
� lb. Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
� cup pinapple chunks (optional)
Spread pizza sauce evenly over crust. Sprinkle with minced garlic. Top with cooked Italian sausage (and pineapple, if desired) and sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over pizza. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.
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Tuesday Tutorial: Sleeping- Door Handle Pillow
After being inspired by seeing some hand-made stamped pillow cases in a real estate magazine (they said "Zzzzz"), and thinking about those hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs, I thought it would be fun to make a cute pillow to hang on a door to somehow say "Shhh! Sleeping". These cuties would be a great house-warming gift for someone to use on their guest bedroom door, or for a little one's door :) I made a printable template and included it at the bottom of this post with a bunch of different sayings - from "Zzz..." to "Shh...Sleeping" :)Supplies:
- Two 5" fabric squares (I used white flannel)
- One 4.25" decorative fabric square (I used a flowery pattern)
- One 3.25" white fabric square (this will be the one you embroider words onto)
- 9" of coordinating decorative ribbon
- Embroidery floss (coordinating with your decorative fabric)
- Water soluble pen
- Stuffing (like Poly-fil fiberfill)
- Sewing pins
- Sewing needle
- Sewing machine, scissors
- Printer, to print out pattern (see end of post) - or you can hand-write your own
First, print out the sayings (see end of post), and cut out desired saying. Place under your 3.25" square and trace words with water soluble pen.
Next, begin embroidering the words with your coordinating embroidery floss. I used a french knot for the ellipses - check out a how-to video here. Then spritz a little water to dissolve the water soluble pen.
Now, position the embroidered square onto the middle of decorative fabric square and pin in place.
Using the sewing machine, sew a zigzag stitch around the perimeter of the white fabric square.
Pin this square to one of the 5" fabric squares (how you just pinned the white embroidered square on the decorative fabric). Sew another zigzag stitch around the perimeter of the decorative fabric. This will be the front of the pillow.
To make sure your ribbon handle is big enough to go around your door knob, make a loop and see how big the loop needs to be to slide easily on your door knob. Pin it at the bottom where the loop is the right size.
Now, pin the loop onto the front of the pillow you have just sewn (see picture below) - make sure it is in the middle of the top edge.
Pin the other 5" fabric square on top so you have a sandwich. The front of the pillow is on the bottom, right side facing up, then the ribbon loop, then the 5" fabric square (if you are using decorative fabric for this square also, face the right side down). Pin two pins at the bottom about 1" apart. When sewing, you will leave this part open so we can flip the sandwich and stuff the stuffing in.
Sew a straight stitch around the perimeter of the sandwich with a 1/4" seam allowance. Leave the 1" opening where the two pins along the bottom are. Be sure to back-stitch several times to reinforce the seams of the opening.Now flip the sandwich inside out! Stuff with stuffing, and then do a whip stitch (check out a tutorial here) to finish it.
Voil�! A fun little pillow to hang on the doorknob to let others know you or a little one are sleeping. :)
To print: Click on the image, right click to save, then print. :)Views:
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