Pie, mmmm

We have a potluck with two other families tonight, with copious amounts of seafood (mussels/shrimps), steaks, ribs, roasted veggies, rice dishes, on and on.  We are responsible for one pie, ribs, pizza for the kids, and caesar salad.  I am also going to be bringing a surprise appetizer of Cod Tongues (an east coast fav, hoping it’ll be loved as much as I do.  Plus, I just wanna see their faces when I tell them what it is).

I’ve got the pie done.  Thanks, Martha, for the recipe.  Lemon Meringue Pie:

More work than Apple, Rhubarb, or Pecan, but TOTALLY worth it.

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Low grade, fever, do nothing day.

Well, my Liam has a low grade fever, since last night.  Thankfully, as I write this he is doing a bit better and was chipper by supper time, but it was a bit of a bust of a day.  Pretty much just sat on the chesterfield with him.  He sorta’ whimpers if you stray far.  No house chores, no excursions with the 3 kids for swimming.  Pretty low key.  

At one point, Liam dozed off on the chesterfield for 45 minutes.  Put some laundry on & did a quick escaping craft (for sanity sake).

I did quite a bit of surfing today and came across this, tiny Purse by GEETA SUGGS on Crafty Engineer, which I came across while on Card of the Week.

So for my quick break, I worked on the tiny purse.  I only changed it up a bit, smaller, so it would fit the new S.U. Punch Curly Punch.  Oh yes, & I added a velcro “snap” so it would open & close easier.

PP:  Urban Garden, Night of Navy CS, Diamond Sticker, Ribbon from the scrapbookingplace.com, Curly Punch.

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Feist, on Sesame Street.

For those with little children, or those who are young at heart. Here’s Feist on Sesame Street.

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Trying to Organize the Craft Studio

Okay, I can NOT believe I am showing these pictures, but it’s a bit of therapy for me for others who really want to be organized but are in the same boat I am. Little time & do with what you have for now.

This is my corner in the basement. You will see boxes under my table, (exercise stuff, winter coats, um letters, well junk). We moved a 18 months ago, still haven’t gone through everything. Sigh. I am to the left of the furnace. Not quite inspiring, but it’s my space. Someday it’ll have walls, ceiling, non-cement floor. But that’ll be a while off. So in the mean time, I am in the midst of organizing my studio by the furnace. Baby steps. Can’t believe I’m posting this mess …

Here are some towel racks from IKEA, sweedish for cheap. I have seen many other crafters use this & liked the idea. I don’t pull out the serger or sewing machine this time of year all that much. I’m more an autumn/winter sewer.

The stamps, I keep by “group” in these wire baskets from Loblaws. They were $5 each. It adds up. I find it works well for me as when I want to make a card I just grab for the sentiments basket or the flowers basket or whatever. (Shapes, Christmas, Animals, Christian, Kids …. you get the idea) This works well for me especially when the kids are involved “what do you want to do ‘sports card or flower card’, just hall down the basket”

Under one of my tables, I keep this roll of paper for messes. Works for me. Also great at making home stamped wrapping paper. (IKEA)

Stampin Up has the Ink pad caddy & the tool caddy I raided from my kitchen (pampered chef).

This little Card Stock Swatch was a gift years ago from Marlayne. LOVE IT & I just add to it when new IN Colours come out.

In the White Ikea Drawers I keep embellishments & tools, whatever. This old Coffee sampler box fit things nice & it fit inside the IKEA Drawer.

Here are those FAB IKEA Drawers again, shallow, but deep. The kinda’ look like medical drawers, but I like ’em.

These are those Towel racks from IKEA. They were in the Kitchen dept, but fit Punches wonderfully.

More IKEA kitchen stuff. Spice Rack & it’s magnetized to the Knife Rack holder, I believe.

These file folders started the whole organization kick for me. Found ’em at Staples. They’re great because you can save your bitty bits of paper too.

My little workspace, actually that looks pretty tidy.

Keep the Sharp stuff Tucked away. Little fingers about ya know.

Made my J.O.Y. cross stitch frame a few months ago. Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Tough at times to teach to my kids & I need daily reminders too.

Okay, inks, refillers kept high (did I mention my kids & their friends like to craft too?). Kept in a potting container for gardening.

Hi, honey! He doesn’t even question when I walk around with my camera in hand anymore.

Some of those spice containers (magnetic) from IKEA, holds quite a bit actually.

I put this curtain up because I couldn’t stand looking at the mess. Not the best idea, but was faster to sew and was inexpensive, beside it matches the pink insulation. (did I mention walls would be nice?)

Behind the right curtain …. eeeeeee scary.

Behind the left curtain:

(left curtain) there is ribbon, chipboard, embossing, and some machines.

Often used Embossing powders. Yes, they are in Pizza containers. Dollar Store, inexpensive.

Attempt at organization:

That’s it. This is where I hang out in my spare time in the house, have fun on my own or with the kids. Until the time when we can take a weekend or two & go though the rec in the rec room it’ll probably stay as is. It may be messy, but it’s my little mess that the kids & I can have fun paper crafting, sewing and creating.

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All things are possible.

This week our home has hosted the C.E.F. (Evangelical Backyard Bible Camp). It’s a wonderful program where Evangelical Missionaries (teenagers camp counsellors) come & run a day camp (couple of hours in the afternoon) for you & your neighbours. I wasn’t sure how many children we’d have coming, but thanks to the prayers of many, we have a good turn out. The teens are full of energy & play games, tell stories, sing songs, you name it.

I am responsible for providing snacks and a yard. We used the front yard & that’s how we picked up some more kids in the neighbourhood, as they were interested in what was going on. Oh, yes, I am also responsible for providing a basement in case of rain. Guess what the weather was in the second half of the camp, lol. Baking buns each day & cutting up some fruit & veggies & other various snacks … not much investment for a whole lot of fun.

So really, I personally, haven’t had to “do” anything, besides provide the snacks and give the boys a drive to their next camp. (Marshall and Alex do 3 camps each day. I believe we were the 6th week!) It’s been fun & the boys have been wonderful, so I made up a thank you card for them, letting them know they are appreciated with their hand in making this possible.

On the inside is a book mark. The Cork Paper is from Karen Foster. (I love that PP, in that it is actually cork, not a look alike print). CS: Close to Cocoa, Apple Cidar (I believe PP from S.U. Autumn Mini cat ’07) The Stamp is from S.U. retired set: “Little Inspirations”, Copper antique brads. I just used a Coluzzle to cut parallel lines in the card to slide in the book mark.

Here’s a close up of the Book Mark. I’m not sure where I got the green paper, but it’s almost like a mulberry paper it’s so thick.

With 2 days left of the camp, please pray for relief from rain, at least on the last day, as one of the neighbours offered to make home made ice cream & with 11-15 kids, I’d like to enjoy it outside. 🙂 As I type this, Liam is snoozing upstairs & the camp is rockin’ in the rec room down stairs.

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F.I.L. talkin’ ’bout his farm.

My father in law, Albert, is a sweet, soft spoken, kind man.  When we visited Mike’s family, we stopped out at the farm to visit with his Mom & Dad’s several times.  

Albert is a retired farmer and still rents out the land, so the house is surrounded by great green fields & a big red barn off in the distance … I see where Margaret Wise Brown was given her inspiration!

A few years ago, they put on a big extension onto the 100 year old farm home, new big kitchen, family room, & a huge wrapped porch at the back.  Yes, this is years after all six kids have left.  

Albert still loves to sit on the wee front porch.  You can see all the combines, tractors & wagons etc that ‘zip’ by this busy time of year.  This summer, I had the privilege to sit out front and chat with him.  He was talking about how the pear and apple trees have grown & the condition of the wheat & soy crops this year.  He just lights up when he speaks about his farm.  I love it and we love him.

Here’s a quick scrapbook layout of my dear F.I.L.

Here’s the left page:

Here’s the facing right page:

 

So Swirly S.U. Jumbo Wheel Stamp, River Rock Ink, Chocolate Chip Ink, PP:  My Mind’s Eye Bohemia Backyard “My Journey” Brocade/Brown, Chocolate Chip CS, Mustard/Brown CS (unknown), Nestability Scalloped Circle, Dimensionals, Martha Stewart Pearl Stickers.

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DH’s Surprise Project.

My Dear Hubbie’s project from his Make Magazine was a bit of a surprise to me. “You need a Light Tent for taking pictures”.

I may have grumbled a few times how “it’s a rainy day & I wanted to take a picture of a craft project & it just doesn’t look great with my flash”. I guess he was listening & saw this project & decided to give it a go.

Here are the directions by Bill Huber & Kevin Criscione that DH went by to build the Light Tent frame including the costs of the material.

Here are some handy tips by Kevin Criscione showing the results of using different Apertures, Shutter Speeds, Film Speeds, Backgrounds, Set Up, and other such details.

My littlest one, Liam is sick as a dog with some kind of flu he’s had for the last couple of days. (How do you get a 2 year old to get his fingers out of his mouth … sigh). Emma is with the neighbour girls since her sleep over & Malcolm is a bit lost with his best buddy off on a 10 day camping trip. So on this overcast sorta’ yucky day, Dad came to the rescue … “Malcolm, I need your help to build something for Mummy”.

You may see extra hands in the photos. At one point we had several of the neighbour kids checking out what was going on & could they help too. LOL

“Son, this is a LEVEL, it is VERY important, next to your measure tape.” (A father son moment only to be surpassed by ‘lessons on how to shave’ no doubt)

“Son, THIS is a drill, come give it a go” (I didn’t take a picture of Malcolm doing it on his own, because frankly I was too nervous he would loose a finger & I wanted to be at the ready for triage)

Then he filed it, painted it, glued it, and assembled it, with optional legs to adjust the height.

Here’s part of my “studio” in the basement (see the furnace in the background & unfinished walls? At least it’s MY space). Anyhow, DH assembled the frame & put it in my studio & then it was my turn. How do you photograph a light table? LOL!

He left 3 screws in the top to hold back drops & I put large eyelets in some bristol board (left over from the kids science fair project). My appologies, I just noticed that the photo below is not quite in focus. I’ll work on that LOL, not much use having blurry things well lit.

DH said he bought me some lights, but I couldn’t find where he put them. (He has taken the older two to the movies to see “Journey to the Centre of the Universe in 3D“).

I just used the light from my crafting table that I had bought at IKEA to see how it worked.

I have always have a few sewing projects on the go, so as sewers know, you always have a stash of fabric hanging around in rubbermade containers, that you got on sale & will use for some project, not sure what yet. This Chiffon has almost a metalic Golden quality to it. That oughta’ mimic sunlight!

Hmmm something to photograph. That’s not like me I haven’t crafted anything … hmmm how ’bout the eyelets, hammer, & setter, that’ll do! It’s a bit yellow, but I could photoshop it or try different lamps or a different fabric tent. I like it though.

Thanks, my LOVE! You’re the best! Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain. It’ll always be sunny in the craft studio!

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Facing the fears of using bright colours

I am so neutral it is rediculous.  PP I’ve only recently embraced, but still comforted by the Earthly colours.   I truly realized that when Kristina had a Colour Inspiration with Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie & choice of Summer Sun or Green Galore, with Black, not white to offset.  AHHHHHH more non-Earth Elements colours, why can everyone else seem to make it go together? 

Enough!   I am trying to go out of my comfort zone more & more, so I challenged myself, do a rainbow.  I saw an example in Memory (Scrapbooking) Makers in the August 2008 magazine.  The layout was by Kristin Hayne & it was on pg 26 called ‘my life as a virgo’.  I wish I could show it to you the page was COVERED with buttons ribbon, flowers, embellishments all in a ROYGBIV frame.  

I thought I’d like to try that kind of idea of encorporating all the colours with the colourful photos I took of DH, Emma, Malcolm, & Liam on the Carousel at Storybook Gardens in London on the family vacation a few weeks ago.

Well there’s still plenty of white, and no PP, but I got all the colours in!

The “pattern” for the leaves on the flower is just the reverse of the oval punch, that I placed & then just pierced around.  I sponged the purple around the outside of the title & the flower with Purple Stazon.  

S.U. CS Paper Used:  Real Red, Only Orange, Summer Sun, Garden Green, Tempting Turquoise, Elegant Eggplant.  Oval Punch, Stazon Purple Ink, Buttons, Green Cross Stitch Floss, Dazzlin’ Diamonds Glue for buttons, Paper Piercer.

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We’re Back!

We’re Back!  That was a crazy fun week of vacation!  Did the Southern Ontario jaunt to visit DH’s family (many drove/flew in so we got to see most of ’em).  Hit Grand Bend Beaches, London’s Story Book Garden’s, a little Fishing Pond in Strathroy, African Lion Safari, the CN Tower, (DH’s) Family gatheringS, tractor rides on Grandpa’s Old Oliver Tractor, and just going most of the time.  What Fun.  Need to vacuum the sand out of the car (and find the car under all the wrappings, juice boxes, colourings, kids activity books … ya know.   Kinda’ sad I didn’t get to hook up with some of my old T.O. buddies, but alas, it was a whirl wind tour.

Going to take it easy today, hit the grocery store & car wash & that’s about it, we got in REALLY late last night/this morning & I’m kinda’ slow.  

Vacations are great, but it’s also great not to have to come back & rush into anything.

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Splish, Splash, Summer Pools

This was taken a few days ago, when the weather was a bit hotter.  According to our children, “everyone else has a pool: they have a big pool, or a small pool, but a pool, CAN WE HAVE A POOL???!?”.  We bought a 6 month pass for the city pools & have been grateful guests at our neighbours’ pools too.

Malcolm’s hand stands have greatly improved, as have Emma’s dives.  Liam is less terrified of the water too.

Stamp Sets: Make A Wish (S.U.), Bold Brights Embossing Powder (S.U. retired), Pumpkin Pie S.U. Makers, American Crafts Celebration PP, dimensionals, & some fairly serious scissor time.

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