Cool tags for your gifts – Easter!

 Tags or Place cards

It’s all in the technique …

 

The technique I want to show you is called “Heat embossing” and when I first became interested in papercrafts this fascinated me and still does.   The design you stamp is raised off the surface of the paper and has a glossy shine to it.   The only drawback to this method is that you do have to purchase special supplies – a heat tool, embossing powder and Perfect Medium stamping solution.

Choose your paper be it a card, tag or a design for framing.   Stamp the design using the Perfect Medium and then sprinkle embossing powder onto that. 

I used a copper color which gives it a nice antique look.   Shake off the excess powder and return it to the container for future use (don’t discard).   Then take the heat tool and heat up the powder which will transform before your eyes.    

Something that adds a dramatic look to the tags or card is taking an ink pad and going around the edge and brushing it with color.    You can see that on the lower flower tags here.   I then took a swan design and using my sewing machine slowly attached the swan to a doily – I emphasize slowly since we are working with paper and you don’t want to tear it by sewing too quickly.

You can further attach this design to a box lid or use as a place card with an added little treat for your guests adding the date and their name so they can save as a treasured keepsake.

Pretty sweet, huh?

Which type of Chocolate do you prefer – Dark or Milk Chocolate?  Vote here!

Added to the “Get your Craft On” blog linkup…Thanks!

Sweet and Simple Decorating

…..and Edible!!

These easy to make decorations will soon adorn all your baked goodies!   From cakes to cookies, cupcakes and everything in between.   You can make them well ahead of time and not worry about spoilage since they harden and last for quite a long time.   Keeping that in mind, you do have to keep the dough that you are not working with in an airtight container – the air will cause the dough to harden.   The dough you will be working with is called gum paste or candy dough and I do have a recipe to share.   I used the store-bought gum paste mix simply because I saw it at the store and bought it.   All I had to do was add water.   The dough is a tad sticky so adding confectioners (powdered) sugar as you work with it helps greatly.

The dough is easy to work with and making flowers, leaves and other designs is actually quite Fun!   I did use food coloring a little, tried pink sparkles which didn’t adhere and mixed in food color paste (the purple) to create a colored flower.   You can make your designs ahead of time and keep for future decorating when the occasion arises.   The recipe for Candy Dough contains 1 cup confectioner’s sugar, 1/2 cup cornstarch, sifted, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tablespoon unflavored gelatin and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.   Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer.  Take the mixture and wrap it in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container.   Set aside for 3 hours.   Unwrap the dough and your imagination and get creative!

I melted some chocolate and used a plastic squeeze bottle to draw designs on wax paper.   The chocolate didn’t take long to harden up.   You do have to be careful as you peel it off the wax paper since it is rather fragile.   You can combine your candy dough creations with the chocolate designs and create quite a professional finished goodie!   You can make patterns to follow cut from cardboard or draw a design on paper with pencil, cover the design with wax paper and follow along the lines with the melted chocolate.   The best part is nothing has to be perfect or identical …  just Sweet and Simple …

and Edible!!

Added this craft post to Get your Craft On linky… Thanks!

Potted Herbs as Gifts

Earlier this week I talked about my herbs which I have growing indoors and they are doing Great!   I planted them back in November so give or take 3 months and you have a good crop to harvest for spicing up your meals!   Then I got to thinking about the upcoming holidays and since I am big on homemade gifts…I thought potted herbs are the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or any Birthday!   I have recently acquired the Cricut cartridge “Freshly Picked” and haven’t had time to delve into what it can do.

What I really like about this cartridge is it’s all about Gardening…one of my favorite things in the world.   So today I took some time and made a few seed packets and little paper signs.   This is only a start … I can do so many creative things with this!

I had the herbs growing in the standard black plastic pots so I transplanted them into nicer terra-cotta pots.   You can decorate the pots any way you desire, any color and even personalize them with names, dates, etc.

Add a packet of those saved seeds you kept from your garden last year and you have a spectacular homemade gift!   You can even include some garden themed chocolates…..Yum!         Perfect!!

Press those Flowers!

~ Now is the  time to bring a little summer sunshine into your surroundings ~  and I will show you how!

With temperatures dipping well below zero and winds gusting outside with a high pitch screech and lasting echo, it’s hardly time to think hot summer days.   Let’s … for a moment … forget the current outdoor conditions and relish in the past … the hot days spent lounging poolside, gathering flowers to adorn the table and taking a few sprigs here and there and “pressing them” to save for later.   As we gaze into the fire as we sip our hot cocoa, we can envision the swaying sunflowers dancing in the breeze.     Let’s talk flowers!

Using pressed flowers is not a new idea … earlier this year I created this post and it is an easy art to conquer.   I think we simply overlook all the possibilities to save those moments of celebration.   Saving our corsages, bouquets or even a bundle of  flowers picked up from the market will extend the memory and bring joy long after the event has passed.

My stash of saved pressed foliage has a variety of flowers, ferns and even herbs that were picked and pressed in heavy phone books for several weeks to several months.   I always thought the flower had to be small and flat to press successfully, but I have had great success with bigger and thicker flowers as well.   The trick is using heavier weights and longer drying time.

Working out your design and what you intend to create using your pressed flowers should be fun and care taken to handle the flowers carefully since they are now rather fragile.   Tweezers are ideal for handling and if petals or stems break off, you can glue right back into place.   The recommended glue to use for placement and also sealing is a product called Mod Podge.   It can be found at craft stores – most supermarkets also carry this product.

A favorite design I enjoy is using the flowers on cards for special occasions and special people.   There are many ways to use your precious flowers and there is no limit on what your imagination can create.

As you browse through the gardening catalogs on these cold snowy days, envision the colorful, fragrant fields of flowers you can grow or better yet… Jump in the car and head to the store for a bundle of beauty!   Enjoy them now and save some for later!

Crafting a Business

I purchased this book several months ago and read it rather quickly.   I Love It!   Not because of the information it contains, but the strong feeling I get when I see what these women have accomplished.   The book portrays 28 successful small business owners who strive for more … who have a calling to unleash their passion and they are doing just that.   The book does not give detailed information on” how to” but rather it profiles these 28 women and gives a brief description of them, their business and dreams.

It held my interest and still does (as I sit here flipping through the pages again).   I listed a few of the businesses featured so you can get a feel for what I am talking about.   They went beyond selling to their friends and/or just an online community … they focused on the bigger picture.   Creating a Big small business and I find it very inspiring.

Sisters on the Fly – www.sistersonthefly.com

Tiddlywinks & Scallywags – www.britkid.com 

Amy Butler Design – www.amybutlerdesign.com

Found Cat Studio – www.annacorbastudio.com

Lucinda Rooney – www.lucindarooney.com

Confetti Cakes – www.confetticakes.com

Warm Biscuit – www.warmbiscuit.com

The deep meaning that I find in this book is this – you can create a craft business and sell your products on-line or at craft shows or even a storefront, but.   The” but” is what captivates me.   Each and every one of these individuals aimed high.   You have to take your mind and put it into focus … focus on where you are going, live and act like you are already there and you will be before you know it.   Go after the big picture!   These brilliant ladies did it and they are telling their story!

Crafts, Crafts, Crafts

Crafts!!  What an exciting topic and such fun!   I love creating with my sewing machine or my Cricut machine (paper crafts) or just gathering flowers and twigs from the yard and putting together a masterpiece.   Nature has so much to offer the creative personality from painting to photography to simply gathering flowers from the garden and arranging in a wreath or displaying in a gourd vase grown and harvested right next to those flowers!   Over the years I have crafted soaps, candles, candies, pillows and quilts, woodburned designs and accumulated many books for ideas and inspiration.

Some people are blessed with the ability to turn basic materials into works of art in the matter of seconds.   I am not that gifted – at times it will take hours or days to create that look I am seeking.   Always in search ….. I spend plenty of time thinking of crafts!

You could say I become obsessed when I find a crafty interest that appeals to me.  This past year with the discovery of the Cricuit machine, a paper cutting device, I have amassed quite a collection of tools and products and spend hours designing.   I now have 2 Cricuit machines along with a Gypsy, stamps, papers and embossing powders to artfully craft for days!

Embossing, decorating a surface with a raised design, is a technique that amazes me and adds a professional touch to all your decorations.    You can dry emboss or use powders for a glossy raised effect on your image.   Dry embossing can be achieved by hand with a stencil and stylus or you can use a machine designed for this purpose – I have a Sizzix Texture Boutique.   You can enhance your cardmaking or scrapbooking designs with embossed backgrounds or design your die cut images with this technique.   Embossing with powders is a bit more involved and the procedure calls for stamping an image with a medium and then sprinkling embossing powder over this and heating with a heat gun to achieve a raised glossy outcome.

Once you start discovering the products available in the scrapbooking market, you are sure to find yourself wandering for hours pondering all the stickers, embellishments, punches, glues, papers and so much more!   There are magazines and clubs devoted exclusively to this craft and Expos are held all over the country offering classes and demonstrations of new products and techniques.  You can definitely save yourself money by creating your own cards and party decorations and they will be more personalized.   Even if you don’t have or want to invest in all the fancy machines and pricey embellishments, you can start with a pair of scissors, markers or paint along with your imagination and I bet you can create some outstanding works of art!

 

FIVE Winners!

I had so much fun making these labels and really like how they look so I decided to have five winners instead of  just one!   Thank you to everyone that left a comment – I sincerely appreciate your time and kind words.   The winners are -

Cheryl Delaney - Barbra – Jenn Tidwell - Kathleen and Rebecca!

All you have to do is send your mailing address to mailbox@therunninggarlic.com and I will send your packette along to you!

Thanks again to everyone!

Create Tradition Today!

Most of us grow up and follow certain traditions or rituals together as a family.   It may be the Christmas cookies we bake or the weekly visit to Grandma’s house – whatever it may be, it has deep meaning and purpose.   Traditions are the cement that unifies a family and bonds the members together from generation to generation.

As technology expands and life becomes more computerized, we speed along with the daily trends and rush to keep up.   A lot of tradition and family togetherness is becoming lost in the ever increasing wires that whirl throughout the airwaves.   Older generations are jumping aboard and staying connected with the younger generations who are miles ahead in the electronic world of today.

I was asked recently “How has social media changed the way I communicate?”   I have to say it has changed my communications drastically; in a good way, but also in a way that may leave future generations wondering about days long ago and only having the computer to flip on for answers.   The diaries, recipe books and homespun crafts of yester year are disappearing as the new world of technology makes its mark.   This realization hit home now that the 2 kids are off at college – I have considerably more time to reflect.   What memories will they always hold dear to them?   Will they carry on tradition to their children?   In a 100 years will the future generations even know I existed?   Sobering thoughts indeed, but will they? 

As I was working on my latest creation, I decided each child will receive one of these Recipe books as a Christmas gift and I will send them recipes throughout the year.

I also plan to start one of my own.   I can add cookies, cakes along with my healthy gardening dishes and this will serve as my link to my future family.    They can experience life in the past through my writings and shared thoughts.   Some time ago I wrote this Grow a Garden piece for my website and it reinforces the thoughts of leaving something for future generations.   Now is the time to start (if we haven’t already), a time to create tradition and leave it for future generations so they can experience life as we lived it.

Create Tradition Today!   Share yourself with the future.

Fall Colors in Full Swing and New Linky!

The yellow, orange and red leaves are definitely making a statement this fall and it seemed like it happened overnight!  

Now with these high winds we have been experiencing the last 2 days the leaves are flying all over … we will have quite a lot of leaves to mulch up and add to the compost and layer over the gardens.   All of the garlic has been planted for the 2011 harvest – 5 different varieties this year.   Two softnecks Chet’s Italian and Inchelium Red and three hardneck Chrysalis Purple, Chesnok Red and Persian Star.   The hardneck have a larger clove and are easier to work with but the storing time is not as long as the softnecks.

Here is a picture of the famous Garlic Cake I had posted about previously.   It was quite involved to make and has a rather unique taste – you can definitely taste the garlic!   I will share the recipe once I add it to a recipe site since the format for recipes is all laid out and posting on the blog doesn’t flow as well.   I may join another recipe site I spotted “Just a Pinch” and see how user friendly they are.   If anyone has experience and a preference in regard to recipe sites, please do share!   I did take some awesome pictures of the roasted garlic and that is the flavor of the cake … a deep smokey flavor.

I also planted some Ginseng seed I received from Seed Savers Exchange.   I had ordered them last year and recently received them since they ship for fall planting.   I did order a book on ginseng planting and will be reading up on it – since we have quite a few acres of forest I figured it would be an ideal plant to grow.   I  have heard that ginseng farming is popular down south in our area – wild ginseng grows and the market price is quite hefty.   It will be interesting to see how successful I am with this – it takes several years and the root is what gets harvested.

I decided to use Sarge as my mascot or avatar for promoting the Linkys I create on my website.   He looks so content and cute!   A linky is a tool that enables many people to share something from different sites all in one area.   This newest linky I set up allows readers to click on different pictures and go to various shops on the internet.   If you create something handmade and it fits the theme I create (Party Items this month), by all means feel free to add your listing.   The holiday season is upon us and the fun has just begun!!!

Zucchini Basil Muffins and Gourds

First I have to share this recipe I made today with zucchini and basil since soon our gardens will be overflowing with both!   I also experimented last night when baking chicken breast (bone in, skin on) and I am impressed with the results.   I baked the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees for a little over an hour – the chicken breasts were rather large.   I took fresh basil leaves and covered the top and also put some under the skin next to the meat – the finished flavor was fresh and I will definitely cook this way again!   Now on to the Muffin recipe – Zucchini Basil Muffins -

Grate 3 cups of fresh zucchini and combine with 2/3 cup melted butter along with a 1 cup of chopped basil.   Combine 1 1/3 cup sugar, 2 eggs (I used 1 egg and substituted 1 TB flaxseed with 3 TB water for the other egg) and 2 teaspns. vanilla.   Add all together.   Mix 2 teaspns. baking soda with 3 cups flour, 2 teaspns. cinnamon and 1/2 teaspn. nutmeg.   Stir into the zucchini mixture and add 1 cup chopped walnuts.   Bake 20-25 minutes – Yum!

I finished up 2 different gourd vases for my sister this past week and they were very easy.   Basically I just added a light coat of stain to darken them up a bit and a coat of polyacrylic (varnish) to seal them.   The smaller vase I did woodburn a few flowers as a design but I have to say the gourd’s own design is enough.  

Closeup of the gourd

Smaller gourd vase with woodburned flowers

The taller gourd vase with homegrown flowers added (broomcorn and lavender)

These gourds were from my harvest last year and were ready to craft with a while back but I just now finished them up.   I have more gourds to design and also have Apple, Bottle and what I call Champagne Bottle (the tall gourd shown) planted in the garden this year and already vining out all over!

I am in my glory today since I received my new Provocraft Gypsy!!!

 …. I am so excited!   I charged the battery and added a recent update, the Photo application.    I now have to link my cartridges and start learning!   I did create another blog, RunningGarlicDesigns, and I will be using that to show my different craft creations.   What Fun!!!