Scrapbook Collage & Color Inspiration

This is a painted collage I have in progress called Little One. I first painted the background surface. Then the canvas has vintage images of birds and flowers from scrap book papers which I have painted over in parts after gluing them down. I also used a little gold leaf in the inside of the flowers. I painted the stem the bird is on and the leaf. I stamped here and there. I also used some spray ink for a vintage feel. I am not sure that I am completely done. I am considering coll-aging images to the sides. I know four people having babies and I am trying to put together some crafty gifts. This is done on a 6x6 canvas. Honestly this is a project anyone can do. Finding images at craft stores on paper or card stock is so easy these days. One of my favorites K & Company has come out with a whole line of nature inspired goodies in their Flora & Fauna Collection.  You know they had me once I saw their bird nests. More baby love for Little One's coming soon. I am inspired to find some fabrics in this palette chart I made shown above to make some burping cloths.
Do you enjoy hand crafting gifts for baby showers? What is your favorite thing to make? 

Oatmeal Cookies & A Spot of Tea

Yes, I am sharing my story and version of these oatmeal cookies pictured above. I honestly was looking for a simple Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. But, everyone wants to put fruit and nuts in them. Granted I love pecans but did my pantry have any? No! Since my little one who is not so little any more she is 8yr old had yesterday off of school we decided to have a pj baking party! These cookies pictured are the outcome. 

The recipe I used was my version of  trying the one listed below by the Barefoot Contessa. I guess I could say thank goodness I didn't have pecans because with kids do you really have time to toast nuts? I usually have Sammie help me grab everything we need and plunk it on the clean table and we begin. I help Sammie measure out all the dry ingredients. Then we measure in a bowl all *wet ingredients IE the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla. She loves cracking eggs and has gotten quite good at it. Mix it together, cookie sheet, bake and of course taste! Tasting is the best part!

I have to say this isn't quite the Quaker Oats Recipe I have and there are only a few differences. #1 being less brown sugar and what I think that does is creates a firmer cookie. Crisp on the outside and firmer in the inside. A great dunking Oatmeal Cookie. So maybe a spot of tea or coffee, your favorite book and you'll have the perfect recipe. Oh, back to what I did. Literally cut the recipe in half, no nuts or raisins. That is it! Definitely worth trying, but I think I will stick to my good old fashion Quaker Oats Recipe next time! * minus the nutmeg that is! When I come up with my favorite version I promise to post it in the recipes. Hey, nothing wrong with any excuse to make cookies right?

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies via Food networks by Barefoot Contessa *recipe I altered.

Quaker Oats Best Oatmeal Cookie

Do you have a favorite Oatmeal Cookie Recipe? Where did you get it from?

Source: flickr.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Triple Lemon Blueberry Cake

Here is a super delicious looking Triple Lemon Blueberry cake! It may be too soon to think Easter but spring and my birthday are right around the corner. Lemon is one of my favorite cakes in the spring it is always so refreshing. Well to get your hands on this sweet lemony recipe just hop on over to Sweetapolita.
If I hadn't of come down with a cold this is what I would be baking right this minute! If you try it before me let me know how you liked the recipe.

Source: laughing-lemon.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Well speaking of lemons I just love this photograph. It has me wanting to plant a lemon tree only problem is it gets too cold in the winter. Just enough for an occasional snow to fall but not stay on the ground and the cold lasts long enough to freeze a lemon tree. If I lived west of here I would be outside planting that tree right now!  Could that be lemon jelly in the jars? Lemon Love!

Source: weheartit.com via Jenn on Pinterest

Since Lemons and Spring are synonymous to me I had to share I am loving yellow for color inspiration right now! Plus it is a cheery color and I could use a little of that right now.

 

Source: ariisxa.tumblr.com via Vivien on Pinterest

But my all time favorite yellow is buttercup yellow. A shade lighter than these dreamy looking flower heads.
If you haven't visited my other blog lately it has a face lift. So I hope you can pop over for a visit I have photographs I have been altering while learning Photo Shop and a collage from the beach posted over there. I promise to share some beach photos here real soon too. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday and week ahead. What is your favorite lemon cake recipe?  What is your favorite shade of yellow? I would love to know~

Pesto Pasta

Image via Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet

via

Hi Friends! This is a fresh and easy Pesto Pasta Recipe I wanted to share with you it was so easy and delicious. Plus the recipe has a little twist of adding lemon to it. It simply gives it a refreshing and light quality that was not over powering but just right! I think you'll love it! I meant to post it this past Sunday but we went to the beach before it rained. With a week of rain and cold weather impending how could we resist a mini jaunt to one of my favorite places. I have some photographs to share with you soon! So without further adieu here is the recipe! I hope you try it & be sure and let me know if you like it. Light and just right for spring~

What are your favorite spring dishes?

Lighter Pesto Pasta

This recipe makes 3/4 cup. I doubled it and had left over which I used as a tapenade. 

3 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves ( two ounces total)

3 tbsp. walnut pieces

3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

coarse salt and ground pepper

3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor combine basil, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons water: season with salt and pepper. Puree until a paste forms

2. with motor running add olive oil in a thin stream . Process until smooth, about 1minute

There you go it's that simple, quick and easy~

Cook noodles whole wheat or regular spaghetti to box directions. Add in prepared pesto, stir and serve with a green salad and your favorite beverage. This recipe I didn't alter at all, except for my ending. It was from Martha Stewart 's Every Day Foods App. 

  

Will you be my Valentine?

Will you be my Valentine?
Originally uploaded by jrpinky_boi

I remember loving Valentines Day and especially paper dolls when I was a child. One of my favorite Illustration artists as a child was Joan Walsh Anglund. One of my contacts on Flickr shared this Paper doll by Joan. I am inspired to make a little illustration of my own for Valentines Day after seeing this. There are some contemporary Illustrators that remind me of her such as Suzanne of Gorjuss. You can see some of her work on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorjussart/sets/72157623632806210/ or via her blog http://www.gorjuss.co.uk/blog/ and web site to get to know more about her. Honestly How could you not be Little Emily's Valentine!
Do you have any favorite illustrators you are enjoying for Valentines? Who are you asking to be your Valentine?

Love is In the Air

via How About Orange

Love is in the air. Yes, Love sweet love and it is only February 10th. The countdown to creative goodness continues with hearts. A simple yet heartfelt tutorial from How About Orange. I think after reading her other tutorial on stiffening fabric I may have to run to my nearest store and purchase some fabric stiffener for some of the sweetest and newly inspired projects and then.....

 via Just Lilla

 Here is a simple and lovely lavender heart filled tutorial . So easy to do in the next few days for a quick and heartfelt project to give your sweet dears.

 Smile Monsters

 Oh, and my love drinks coffee every morning on the way to work. This would be perfect for him but, shh don't say a thing! & you know how smitten I am with burlap right now! Hm mm, maybe I'll be making one of these for myself. You can find her coffee sleeve tutorial right here! Don't worry I will be sending more love your way! I have a new recipe I tested out it is so easy and good I promise you'll love it!
What kind of lovely projects are you enjoying?

Valentines Hearts

I crafted several different hearts. Ones with felt and paper, ribbon and lace. Ones with burlap, paper, felt and little bits of this and that. Then I made felt ones where I embroidered with the sewing machine and added ribbon and these cute little scrap book angels I found. I making a few cards and I promise to share those with you. I am not the best at paper crafts but I love them still the same! It can be so much fun.
No super bowl Sunday for me! Just a girly day full of pedicures and then crafting. Yes, you have to love the spring air that is upon us our toes bursting to toss the tennis shoes for flip flops. Sammie picked this mermaid blue and we had to match. I love when she lets me pamper her sometimes. She isn't the most girly, girl I have raised. But, she is starting to love learning to cook and bake.  Or....Hm mm, could it be the end results?

Any how. What are you crafting these days? Do you have any special plans for Valentine's Day? Or do you just plan a nice dinner at home with something sweet after? Like me. I would love to know~

Valentines Day Heart Banner Pillow

Dairy of a Quilter

I came across this tutorial for using scraps to make a heart banner pillow and if you sew who doesn't have scraps right! Or if you sew and you don't have any scraps laying around you know you'll use any excuse to find more cute fabrics.  It is so cute and simple I just had to share this tutorial with you. You can find the tutorial right here at Ucreate where Amy had a creative guest post. For me I think I am going to use this idea and spin a twist on it for a baby pillow and make a matching baby quilt. Hope I am not being to ambitious with all my spring to dos but, I know three ladies having babies right now and think since they know if its a boy or girl I can find some left over fabrics to tie into their themes. I promise to share when complete. And I can't wait to share the wedding banner I just did. I am just having to add the ribbon on once I find the right color & then I can share some photographs with you.
What type of projects are you working on? Do you enjoy making home decor projects?

Valentines Heart "Felt Gift Card Holder"

I thought I would share with you one of the first of a few Valentine's Hearts gift card holders I am making. I used felt material for these but any material could work. I have left the top open to add a gift card in. These are super simple to make. You could even sew these by hand if you wish. No pattern is necessary.
Just cut your hearts to the size you would like. First cut out one of the heart, then a second one was cut out slightly bigger with pinking sheers I sewed the two together using an embroidery heart stitch. It also would be cute in a zig zag stitch. I decided to put a bow and a button on this one. I have a couple more to share in the next few days. Hope you enjoyed a little gift card inspiration for your Valentine's Day~
If you would like a template with instructions, I can make one for you. Just leave me a comment and I will create it and let you know when its done.  * make sure you leave a way to connect via email or your name is linked to your email
Do you like creating little gifts or cards for Valentine's Day?

Wedding Banners and Bird Garland

image via Renee Anne s @ Etsy

I saw this image when I was searching for wedding banners and this shop owner had this bird garland for sale. Here is the image she had to sell her garland. So I was just swooning over how she marketed it~
How could I not share? She sells artwork, reproduction prints and recycled paper goods. She has the sweetest bird watercolors.
I have to say I am smitten with the Etsy sellers* wedding banners creativity and banner choices. It almost makes me just want to buy one, but hey what fun would that be? 

So my search continued and of course the Knotty Bride had some DIY links to help spin my wheels even more!

Then of course Martha Stewart has her Wedding DIY with templates for projects. Alright I don't need this sign for the wedding I am helping with but,  I had to share. How cute is that?!!

Now my head is spinning with Wedding Banner Ideas and Inspiration! So when I get to crafting my wedding banner for my daughter I promise to post what I created and hope it is at least half as good! Still deciding on paper, fabric, felt and what ribbons. Just married, love birds, true love, Mr. and Mrs., forever, love, amore..... you get the idea.  Well I can't wait until the wedding is over and we are looking at the pictures with the banners in it! But until then the planning, creating and DIY will continue~
Have you ever made a wedding banner? What is your favorite saying for a wedding banner?