Jonesy Gets Crafty

Cupcake Tier

2012-02-11T17:51:00.000-06:00

I have wanted to make one of these for ages!

You'll need:

2-3 or wooden candlestick holders
plates of various sizes or shapes
spray paint in the color of your choice
a good adhesive, such as E-600 or Amazing Goop

First off, paint your candlesticks and let them dry completely.

Turn the plate that will be your bottom tier over and glue the first candle stick on. Or you can leave this step out and go to step two.

To ensure it sticks really well, add a bit more adhesive.

Let this dry completely. Flip it over and glue the second candlestick on in the same way.

Glue the second plate on, and so forth, until the tier is as high as you want.

Puff Pastries

2012-01-28T16:55:00.001-06:00

I haven't had the chance to cook or bake in a while, and I miss it. So I spent today doing crafty things and baking.

I tried my hand at these French puff pastries. They didn't turn out bad, but they do taste really eggy. To balance that out, I whipped together some garlic and herb butter, and it makes them better. Maybe next time, I'll try with less eggs. Anyway, here is the recipe:

1 cup water
1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1 cup of eggs (4 eggs)
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup finely grated cheese (I used Gruyere)

The butter in the picture above is hiding in the blue grater.

Preheat your oven to 425 F.

In a medium pot, bring the water and butter to a simmer.

Add the flour and with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir very quickly in one direction. You'll see the dough start to form. Add the cheese and give it a good stir. Remove from heat and let it cool about 10 minutes.

Mix the eggs and salt in quickly. The dough should look slippery.

Spoon the dough into a bag and work it toward one of the corners with your hands.

Snip the corner and pipe the dough onto parchment paper. Flatten any peaks, as they may burn.

Bake for 10 minutes at 425 F, and then 18-30 at 325 F until golden brown.

Customized hand painted mugs

2012-01-28T14:58:00.000-06:00

If anyone is still keeping up with this blog, I appreciate your patience with me!

I promised to try to do a DIY each week. Last weekend, my sister got married, so I wasn't able to blog. So, I will blog about part of her wedding gift!

My brother-in-law (that still sounds so weird!) drinks a ton of coffee, and now that they got a nice Keurig coffee maker for Christmas, so does my sister! So in addition to buying them some great stuff for their new home, I made them some mugs, inspired by Red Velvet Art! (http://www.shopredvelvet.com/)

To make your own customized mugs, you will need:

Mugs, of course
a hot oven
ceramic paint- I used Folk Art Enamels for ceramics
paintbrushes

Clean and dry your mug, and then paint the design you want.. You may need to do a couple of coats. Let it dry completely for an hour (or with the Folk Art paint, you can just let it dry for 21 days).

I followed the directions on the ceramic paint, which said to put the mugs into a cold oven, turn it on for 350 F, and bake for 30 minutes.

These mugs need to be hand washed. Also, read the precautions on your paint- not all of it can come in contact with liquid or food.

Mini Bookshelf Wall Hanging

2012-01-15T17:25:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Here I am with this week's DIY!

This is a tiny and cute bookshelf hanging. Here is how I did it.

You'll need:

Paint in a color of your choice
a small wooden plaque
a miniature bookshelf (I got mine at Hobby Lobby)
wood glue
a picture hanger

Paint the plaque whatever color you want. While it's drying, glue the mini books together.

When the glue has dried, pure more glue on the bottom of the row of books and press it onto the bookshelf.

When the books have dried on the bookshelf, glue the whole thing to the plaque.

When that's dry, glue a hanger to the back. I used Amazing Goop for mine and let it dry for a couple of days.

TA-DAH!

Love is in the Air

2012-01-08T10:38:00.000-06:00

These love-based items probably fit better in a Valentine's Day post. However, my sister is getting married in a couple of weeks, so love-themed things are on my mind.

I did this for my boyfriend. It's framed in a 4" frame and took me about half an hour to stitch up. I washed and dried it so that it's not all stiff and you can't see the transfer lines. Have you tried embroidery? It's one of my very favorite things to do.

Stampy stamp stamps

2012-01-04T22:33:00.000-06:00

As promised, a DIY!

I love stamps. When I see cute ones, I buy them. I never use them. I suppose they're another one of my collections! I'd love any ideas on how to display them.

Anyhow, I also love the foam stamps you buy at craft stores. However, they don't always have the shapes I want. So I thought, " How can I make these?", and came up with a great idea! It's pretty simple, actually.

What you will need:
a sheet of craft foam- any color. I used white.
wooden blocks- I used some that were 1.5"
wood glue
templates for stamp shapes
scissors (I used embroidery scissors because I needed to make small details)

Using your templates, cut shapes out of the craft foam. Glue them onto the wooden blocks and let them dry.

Let them dry for a bit, then dip them or paint them and stamp away!

Mustaches

Acorns (I don't know why these didn't turn out better.)

Asterisks

Mushrooms (my favorite!)

2012 Day Two: Goals

2012-01-02T18:34:00.000-06:00

New Year's Resolutions are so ordinary. People always set them to lose weight or start working out or eating better, etc. I don't usually have any. However, I do this year. But I prefer to call them goals.

1. Make time for crafting weekly. I have done craft-related stuff lately, but my heart wasn't into it. I get in these moods where I just don't feel inspired or crafty. I had to do stuff for Christmas, though, so I was forced to craft. I have just been so busy that I haven't really had time to sit and create anything. I need to change that! With a new year, I've gotten a burst of creative energy and I have a lot of projects and D.I.Y. tutorials to share!

2. Make something new each week. This should keep me on my toes.

3. Blog weekly, or preferably, daily. I only feel like blogging when I've done something interesting. Maybe I should do something interesting more often! I think I will start, and stick with, some features. They may not be weekly, but they should be semi-regular. I started this with an Etsy shop of the week, and then with a blog or website of the week, but I couldn't keep the momentum up. Maybe I'll feature a band now and then, or show some pics of my apartment where I've decorated it all cute. I will definitely do tutorials, though.

4. Get my e-commerce site running. It's stocked, but it's not pretty like I want it, so it's sitting there. I wanted to get it up before Christmas, but I have been swamped at work, so I like to just come home and do something mindless. It helps keep me sane.

5. Cook more often. Along with being busy, last night was the first time I've cooked dinner in probably two months. It was fun, and it was nice to eat dinner at home with Allen. I love cooking, and I need to make time for it.

6. Learn a new skill/craft. I haven't given a lot of thought to this, but there has to be something fun I can pick up.

7. Become friends with a sewing machine. I really should use those to sew things. I bet I could come up with some kick-ass clothing designs for plus sized girls. Maybe I could even sell then online! Don't let me get ahead of myself, though...

Later, I'll post a picture of my first official project of 2012. It's very simple, and something I do all of the time, but hey, it's a project, and I had fun doing it, and it came out super cute! And tomorrow, I have a cool D.I.Y. to share!

What I've Been Doing

2012-01-01T23:19:00.001-06:00

Here are some photos of things I've done over the past few months.

And a work in progress...

Tomorrow- a new project and some goals for the year!

New Year, New Blogging!

2012-01-01T19:45:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm sorry I haven't been blogging much. With moving, the holidays, getting promoted, and then having to take on the work of two managers until the spot is filled, I haven't had time for much crafting!

I will be blogging more, hopefully, and definitely when work calms down. Promise!!

For now, I leave you with this clip, brought to you by Homespun Horror, an independent film project I joined last fall. I have a little cameo in it, too. Just look for Karma Chameleon. And I will be back later tonight with a vengeance!

What am i workin on?

2011-11-10T21:11:00.001-06:00

hmmmmmm?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Shower Day Part 2

2011-10-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

The happy couple, Samantha and Jason.

My sister pretty much rules.

Granny enjoying her food.

The other Bearded Lady and her husband, the carny ride operator.

L to R: Jason's Mom, my Dad the rousty, and my Mom the fortune teller.

Here is the awesome gift basket my sister made for me. She painted the skull and the nesting dolls. She truly is amazing.

Sam and Jason with our Grandparents

And last but not least, Sam and Jason with our Grandad, Jason's Dad (referee) and his uncle (Hawaiian shirt).

Everyone who attended enjoyed themselves and everyone was so friendly and sweet. Sam is marrying into a great family and I couldn't be happier for her and Jason. Although, Jason is surely marrying into an awesome family too... Thanks so much everyone who came!!!

Aaaaaaas promised...

2011-10-29T13:18:00.000-05:00

Okay! Here are some pics from this past weekend. I went to my family's place last Friday to start preparing for my sister's wedding shower! Here are some photos of us getting stuff ready and of the decorations!

Here are some pre-shower shots of candy, desserts, and making decorations! I'll put the finished products in the next post.

Here are some of the filled candies I made. Notice the Halls? Keepin' it classy...

My Mom, amongst others, was a HUGE help Here she is putting sticks in the brownie pops.

Here are some of the decorations. And a beer. Yes, that WAS necessary.

Here are our yummies before decorations were added.

See, my Granny was also very helpful!

The finished products will be in the next post!

Let's Hug!

2011-10-27T21:44:00.000-05:00

I know I promised tons of pictures from the shower, but I haven't gotten around to them yet. Instead, I've been doing this cross stitch pattern.

And if you would like to do your own, here is the pattern!

Holy Yum!

2011-10-17T19:50:00.001-05:00

Strawberry Whoopie Pies!

I'm too tired to blog much else!! They're a little brown, but don't let em fool ya! They taste like Frankenberry cereal!! If I have time, I plan to blog about wedding showers this week, leading up to Thursday, which is the last day I'll be in town before the shower! If I don't, do
not despair- I will be back next week to kill you with pictures!!

Brownie Pop Success!!

2011-10-16T19:30:00.000-05:00

The brownie pops worked great!

What you'll need:

1 box brownie mix
Wilton brownie pops silicone mold
candy melts- chocolate and white
sprinkles
lollipop sticks

First, I baked the brownies and made the pops. I had to cut a few down to make them even.

I let them cool for a couple of hours. Then I spread a little of the candy melts on the bottom of the pops to seal them.

I put these on wax paper and put them into the refrigerator to let the candy set.

Then I dipped a few into the melted candy. I covered some, and just dipped the bottom of others.

These will go into the refrigerator to set up as well. I'm really excited to make more!

Heart-Shaped Taco Pie

2011-10-16T16:29:00.000-05:00

Although my cake pop experiment didn't quite go as planned, something else did..

YUM!

I took a puff pastry sheet and cut two hearts out of it with a gigantic heart-shaped cookie cutter. I sprayed a piece of foil with some non-stick spray and put the hearts on top of it. I put a mixture of refried beans, taco meat leftover from the other night, and cheese on one half.

I put the other heart on the top and crimped the sides with a fork. I sort of over-filled, but it's okay.

I popped it in the oven for about 20 minutes. I topped it with cheese and chowed down. The ONLY thing I would change is I think I will use the lower sodium taco seasoning. With the salty pastry and the regular seasoning, the pie was a little on the salty side. But it was very, very good and I will be making more of these in the future, for sure!

You can put whatever in these. I may try a chicken pot pie kind of filling next time. You can make sweets as well!

Cake Pops Results!

2011-10-16T16:24:00.000-05:00

So, I purchased the Babycakes cake pop maker. I wouldn't necessarily give it a bad review. It just didn't work to my liking.

It's awfully cute, though!

I used the tablespoon of batter that was recommended. That overflowed and made a huge mess. You can't tell in this picture, but it did when the pops were done.

So for the next batch, I used less. Rather than nice round balls, my cake came out in sort of flying saucer or even almost stumpy mushroom shapes.

I thought I'd go ahead and try to decorate them anyway. I refrigerated them overnight, since it was like 11 pm when I got done making them. I dipped the lollipop sticks in a little bit of melted candy and stuck them in 12 balls before refrigerating the whole lot. The sticks didn't stay in the cake balls when I dipped them into the candy melts, which is what is recommended for dipping. That was AGGRAVATING. I tried icing. That only weighed the balls down and pulled them down onto the stick, where the stick was coming out of the top.

I will concede that I may not be doing this right. But I looked on several sites and I looked at several YouTube videos. Most people are making the cake balls by hand. So, I think that maybe the cake pops maker doesn't make the balls dense enough to hold the sticks. Or I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what that may be.

So as not to waste all of the cake balls, I used tongs to dip the top part into the candy melts. I melted and colored icing and drizzled it over them and use sprinkles. They didn't come out too bad.

So, the cake pop maker will be going back to the store. I was thinking of keeping it to make muffin balls and possibly cornbread bites, but if they turn out that funky shape, I don't want nothin' to do with 'em!

Next up, I will talk about the brownie pops I have started!!! Here they are, I just have to refrigerate them for a bit!

List success?

2011-10-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday. Let's see... have I accomplished anything I listed the other day?

1. Savory puff pastry pies- will be doing that tonight! I have to go to the supermarket first. I will post pictures and a recipe if they are successful!

2. Snappy hem things- not yet.

3. More whoopie pies- No.

4. Reviews on pie pop maker- Can't find any :(

5. Test candies- meh. Not feeling in the candy makin' mood. Maybe tomorrow! Ooh, and if they're good, I'll send them out to my lovely PenPal Cuppy (http://miss-cuppy.blogspot.com/)!!

6. Cake pop maker- YES!

Soooo one out of six so far. But I have been busy! I have been making a more organized game plan for the week so that preparing on Friday and Saturday for the shower won't be stressful! I still have a few things to buy and make, and I am just SO SO stoked and glad to be putting this shower on!!! Anyhow, I'll check back with myself tomorrow and see again how I'm doing on the list! Till then...

Inspiration

2011-10-13T20:51:00.001-05:00

I'm in a weird place today. I suppose it happens. I am feeling just kind weird and blah and useless. haha! No seriously. But it's cool, I know it's just kind of a funk everyone gets into. I'll be over it by tomorrow!

I am working on something pretty rad that I will share probably this weekend. It's just another embroidery, but it's cool, because I did it, and because my friend did the pattern and I am totally impressed with it.

Until then, here are some things I want to do this weekend.

1. Make some savory puff pastry pies. With taco meat and beans and cheese. Maybe some with delicious roasted veggies. And I'll be using this for inspiration:
http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/10/3-pie-inspired-pop-tart-recipes.html
HOLY YUM!!!

2. Buy some of those snappy hem things you see on TV so I can wear this REALLY cute pair of dress pants I bought that are ENTIRELY too long for me. "Regular" length. HA! On what planet??? OR maybe I just have super short legs...

3. I HAVE to make some more whoopie pies!

4. Look up some reviews on the Babycakes pie pop maker and think of some good pie fillings.

5. Do some test runs of candies I've come up with for my sister's shower. Nut filled candies, Almond Joy- style filled candies, dark chocolate cayenne candies... etc. I am thinking of possibly doing some fun mustache lollipops too. We'll see.

6. And after reading reviews, I think I will DEFINITELY purchase the Babycakes Cake Pop maker. Oh yes. Look out. I'll make you fat.

I'll let you know if I did these things or if I just laid my fat ass (and I say that with MUCH love- I'm not berating myself!!!) on the couch all weekend watching horror movies again!

Babycakes- NOOOO, I am not getting fresh with you.

2011-10-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

OHMIGOD OHMIGOD OHMIGOD!!! While perusing Kohl's a few weeks ago, I came across the Babycakes line of amazing tools to make cute tiny delicious baked goods.

There is the donut maker and the cupcake maker, neither of which call to me. I am not a donut fan and I think it's just as easy to make cupcakes in a cupcake pan as in a cupcake maker.

There is a cake pops one that I kinda wanna play with. I have not been successful in making them in the past, and maybe the cake pop one will help me. Or maybe I'll pass on that one.

BUT... I HAD to buy this one. It's a tiny whoopie pie maker!!

Ohhhh man did I have fun with this guy after dinner! It makes perfect and cute tiny whoopie pies! I am thinking you could also do pancakes in it, but I don't find pancakes to be very exciting. Don't judge me.

It came with a little metal cinnamon sprinkler, a thing to lift the cakes out, a little cooling rack, an instruction book with recipes, a NICE frosting bag and a frosting tip. It said on the box it comes with two tips, but I only got one. It's cool, I already have the tip they were adding in, I don't need another. Here is what I made, pre-assembly (of the pies, not the pie baker).

The tops are a bit brown. I will have to figure out a good cooking time. The booklet suggests 2 and a half minutes, but that is far too long!

There is another one I wanna get. It makes... PIE POPS. It has cavities for six tiny pies with holders for lollipop sticks. Now, I am not a huge sweet pie fan. But I LOVE savory ones! I am planning to buy the pie pops maker and make meat pies and bean pies and cheese pies!

If you like baking and like whoopie pies, I would recommend this gadget. It's SO awesome. I can't say that enough. It rules.

Gothy Hand

2011-10-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching is awesome. She makes the cutest patterns, and oftentimes, gives them away! I have purchased many from her, and they are totally worth the $3-$5 I have spent on each, but it's also cool when I am broke to get a free one!

Here is a cocktail napkin I did from one of her free patterns. For some reason, I just REALLY like this pattern. It's so cute!!

I like the colors I chose for it as well. I didn't want the trademark black glove and black or red nails. I can't wait to finish the napkins I bought from her. I plan to order her blue ones and black ones next!

Caramel Apple Bites

2011-10-10T19:19:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I posted a tasty treat!

I saw these beauties over on Elsie's Larson's blog, A Beautiful Mess (http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com/). Check her out, she is my flame, my muse (haha South Park reference there, sorry, couldn't help it!)! But seriously, she is VERY inspiring and I admire her ability to blog EVERY day about just whatever. I always feel like I have to have made something to blog about. Maybe I'll take a page from her blog (HA! I kill me!) and just blog about whatever I want, along with crafty and tasty goodness!! Look out.

Okay, now that I've gotten that verbal diarrhea out of the way.....

Caramel Apple Bites!!
You'll need:

2 large apples (I used Golden Delicious)
3 and a half or so caramel apple wrappers (these things are a little tricky to work with. They're super stretchy and easy to get all over the place. Sigh.)
scissors or a knife to cut the wrappers
wax or parchment paper
tooth picks
chocolate to drizzle
nuts or something to sprinkle

And, apparently, a Crispin hard apple cider in case you get thirsty...

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (this is not in Elsie's instructions, I don't think, but do it, cause I said to). Cut the apple into quarters and using a melon baller, scoop out balls of apple.

Cut the caramel wrapper into small pieces. I tried doing this with a knife but it did not work. I ended up using scissors. Put the pieces over the apple balls. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the caramel is starting to melt. You don't want it to melt all the way, though. That happened on a few of mine. They should look like this when they come out of the oven:

Stick a toothpick in each... and now comes the messy fun part. Drizzle chocolate over the pieces and sprinkle them with nuts, sprinkles, candy bits, etc. I used nuts. I shoulda done my Halloween sprinkles! Ah well, I suppose that's a good excuse to do more!!

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Eat em up. Fast. Because the acid from the apple's insides will melt the caramel off.

2011-10-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have been working on a lot of projects. My sister and future brother-in-law's wedding shower is coming up and I've been working on decorations for that. I can't really do pics now, because she may see, and also, it's a constant work in progress. I'll be sure to post plenty of pics at the shower, though!

I have done a few more cocktail napkins from Sublime Stitching!

Sadly, our boss at work is moving to another department. She is the best boss I have ever had. I will miss her, but I am happy for her, because she's been offered a good opportunity. Here is a cross stitch I have done for her. I see that it's crooked, yes, and that TEARS me up, but what can I do about it really? It's already all stitched up and put in there... maybe she won't notice or care that it's crooked! It's cute anyway.

And here is a gift for my sister and her fiance, all framed up and pretty!

I've been experimenting with knitting bows. I like these!

I think I'll take a break from crafting and work on these thank you cards for the shower!

2011-10-04T16:49:00.000-05:00

I am glad to get back into stitching after having settled into our move and taking time out for myself!

2011-09-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

Busy busy, as usual around here! I need to write a letter, get my newer items photographed, apply for a booth at an Eco Art fest, frame the last of my Lady Gaga stuff for the benefit for Equality Texas that's the week after next, print and mail invitations to my sister's wedding shower, get a frame for a custom piece I've done, and pack to get ready to go see my parents, and I think that's it. Whew.

Here's the last onesie I did last week. I think it's so cute.

Look at these classy bespectacled ladies!

And here is a custom piece I did. I hope I can find a hoop it will fit in. I think I stitched it way too low :(

Okay, I'm off to do three jillion things!

New Work

2011-09-16T20:19:00.002-05:00

Okay, as promised, here is some stuff I have been working on. Three onesies and a name tag for my desk at work using the Sublime Stitching Epic Alphabet! The onesies need ironing, yes. And I have one more to share later, but it's in TERRRIBLE need of ironing!

More to come! Please stay tuned.

Chicken Scallopini

2011-09-13T20:04:00.004-05:00

I promise I have at least three new things to show you that are craft-related! I just need to iron them first! And they are MUCH better that those Jordnots I butchered!

In the meantime, here is another delicious dinner that I made. I had to take a picture with my iPhone fast before my stomach took over and made me eat it up!

Chicken Scallopini

Keep in mind that this is not a super saucy dish. The amount of sauce this made was enough for me and Allen to enjoy, and since the sauce is pretty bold, it's best if you don't have a ton anyway!

1 clove garlic, pressed or just smashed
1/4 cup margarine (I didn't even use this much, maybe 1/8 cup)
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut very thin (I'm lucky enough to have a supermarket that already does that for me nearby!)
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp lemon juice (I found this to be a bit tart- maybe 1 or 1.5 tbsp)
1/4 cup white wine
pasta (as much as you want- I did two handfuls of whole wheat spaghetti noodles to keep it simple)

In a small bowl, mix the butter and garlic. Set aside. Place flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chicken breast through. Melt the butter and garlic in a pan. Put your pasta on to cook. Cook the chicken on each side for about 6-8 minutes. I sprayed with Pam a little of the way through to make sure it didn't stick too badly. Remove the chicken and set it on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In the pan, stir the mushrooms, lemon juice, and white wine and scrape up all the burned bits from the pan. Simmer them together for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a little more margarine if you think you need to.

Drain your pasta and put some on a plate or in a bowl. Put the chicken breasts on top and top off with the sauce. Yum!

Two very easy and delicious dinners

2011-09-12T19:48:00.002-05:00

I would like to discuss two very delicious and very easy dinners that I have nommed on the past two nights.

The first is a very easy chicken teriyaki meal. I usually make my own sauce, but I was feeling very lazy and had a lot to do. So, I went to my local supermarket and picked up the following:

a Simply Asia Ginger Teriyaki sauce packet
chicken breast
Annie Chung's vegetable and pork potstickers
a bag of stir fry vegetables that contains water chestnuts, mushrooms, some funky delicious flat mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and a bunch of other goodies!

I marinated the chicken in the sauce for about half an hour. Pour into into a pan and saute about 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and saute another 5-7. Serve over rice. I boiled the potstickers to avoid pan frying them, as I wanted to keep it healthier. It seriously was just as good as anything I'd get in a restaurant. I am a HUGE HUGE fan of these sauce packets and shall stock up when I get paid again!

Okay, the second dinner I did was an easy chicken parmesan.

Parmesan Crusted Shake n Bake
Thinly sliced chicken breast
whole wheat spaghetti
pasta sauce
shredded pizza cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, asiago)

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Put your chicken breasts in a bag with the Shake N Bake and shake it up really good (one at a time, please.) Bake the chicken for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil water for your pasta and cook that up. When the chicken is done, the pasta should also be. But keep an eye on the pasta and don't let it get too mushy.

Take the chicken out of the oven and put some pasta sauce and cheese on. Put it back in and bake for about 5 minutes. Put the pasta on a plate or in a bowl and put some sauce and cheese on it. Top it off with your chicken breasts!

I'm every so sorry that I did not get pics of this food. I ate it entirely too fast.

Jordnots

2011-09-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

Jordnots. As Mollie Johanson described them, "Sort of like a nesting doll, but not." It's Swedish for "peanuts"

Mollie has a cute set of them in her Etsy shop. I am crazy about hoarding her patterns, and rarely use them. That's ridiculous, right? So I thought I'd start using them! I did two Jordnots.

This one did not turn out so well. For some reason, I cannot manage to trace a straight freakin line. Grrr. But the little guy in the middle is cute, no?

This one is a little better.

Acorn Head

2011-09-08T19:02:00.000-05:00

Being sick can make you very productive. I think the smoke from the wildfires is getting to me.

This is a Cate Anevski pattern. Check her patterns out!! http://www.etsy.com/shop/cateanevski
Tomorrow- Jordnots by Molly Johansson. I'll explain.

Cauliflower Gorgonzola Soup

2011-09-05T17:11:00.000-05:00

Seems this blog is becoming more cooking and less crafting, eh? Nah. I'm working on some cute onesies that I'll show you soon!

Today, it was 87 degrees. Downright chilly, so I thought I'd make some soup to keep me warm.

Okay. Not really. 87 is still pretty warm, but it's about 20 degrees cooler than it has been the past couple of weeks, so I'm not complaining! I decided I wanted some kind of soup for my lunch this week, so I whipped up this amazing soup! I love creamy soups, especially potato, and this is about as close to potato as you can get, without adding all the starch!

Cauliflower Gorgonzola soup

(Photo courtesy of splendora.com)

1/2 head of cauliflower, crumbled up
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp margarine
1 cup veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup heavy creme (I used half and half)
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup gorgonzola (or bleu if you'd rather) cheese
1 strip of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional. I have never used bacon, but actually may next time!)

Pour your olive oil into a sauce pan and add onion, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Saute on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and margarine and lower the heat to low. Sautee this for about 3 more minutes, making sure the onion does not burn. If it starts to look burny, go ahead and stop.

Add the veggie broth and cream. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and pour into a food processor/blender. Add gorgonzola and blend until smooth. Afterwards, you can add a little more gorgonzola. I put about 1/4 of a cup more in and just stirred it until it was melted. Garnish with bacon and a little more gorgonzola if you'd like.

This soup can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but I guarantee it won't last that long. I wouldn't keep it for more than like 5 days, though. I had some for a week once and it started to smell kinda funky.

Rabbit food

2011-09-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

I have a dear, dear friend called Elizabeth, who is obsessed with salad. I wish I were. I like a good salad, but when I make one at home, they rarely go well. I always find the bagged salads very bitter. I don't like to buy all of the stuff separately, because I am the only one who would eat it, and probably only a few times a week, so most of it would go bad and have to be thrown away. And I hate throwing food out.

Well, my friend gave me tons of good salad ideas. I tried one at her house that was amazing and I had to try it on my own. I tried it, minus a few ingredients, for a potluck at work and it was gone in a flash! Because it's REALLY good! I asked for more recipes, and if she doesn't start her salad blog soon, I am going to just put her recipes on here!

I took one of hers that I found VERY appetizing and I kind of made it my own. Now, since this is a salad, it's hard to measure the ingredients. The one I made today is not the one I took to the pot luck. I just ate it for lunch. Here is the recipe, and it makes a nice side salad. Probably double the recipe if you want to eat it as a meal. Or maybe double all except for the meat, maybe 8 oz at the most. The pic below is before I put the vinaigrette on.

Grilled Steak Salad with Gorgonzola and Blueberries

about 4-6 oz lean beef (I use the already cut up stew beef and cut it into strips)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 glove garlic
1 tbsp vinaigrette (I used pomegranate hibiscus vinaigrette)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
a dash of sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp roasted and salted sunflower seeds (out of the shell, of course!)

Mix the above ingredients and marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes. This is not a super juice marinade.

Grill the steak, or pan fry. I used my George Foreman grill. One of the best things I've ever purchased.

Make a bed of fresh greens. I used spinach, romaine, some kind of purple stuff, and arugula. Put your steak on the bed and add blueberries and gorgonzola (or bleu cheese if you'd rather). Garnish with sunflower seeds. Toss with a vinaigrette of your choice and enjoy!

Embroiderer on Fire

2011-09-03T21:52:00.000-05:00

I have been super busy making more things for the shop! Here are some things I've been working on!

Here are a couple of bibs:

And here are some onesies!

I haven't washed this last one, so you can still see the lines. I never stay within the lines! ;)

Anyhow, these will be up on my website, which will be up and running, hopefully, soon!

Enchilada Goodness

2011-09-03T08:17:00.000-05:00

I love enchiladas. They are one of my very, very favorite foods. I'm not a huge fan of meat in my enchiladas, either. Just the cheese. Cheese, sauce, and onions. YUM.

I used to make the most ABYSMAL enchiladas. All burnt and not melty, but greasy. They fell apart while baking. So sad. I tried a few times and gave up. Then, I just started thinking about my enchiladas when I ordered any at a restaurant. What was I doing differently?

One trick I figured out is to heat the tortillas up for about 15 seconds in the microwave and then sauce them a little before you fill them. Another trick is to put the filling on one side, and then roll. I was putting filling in the middle.

I learned to bake them in a pool of enchilada sauce, and put a little sauce on top before I bake. I bake them for about ten minutes and then I put cheese and more sauce on. Then they go in for 5 more minutes. When I take them out, they look like this.

Fantastic. The toothpicks, by the way, are so that I can tell mine apart from Allen's. I put shredded chicken in his and onions and cheese in mine. And while they're not quite as good as the ones you get in a restaurant, they're damned close!

Candy, candy, candy, I can't let you go...

2011-08-31T20:55:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is my filled candy tutorial!

You will need a filled candy mold tray (or any other shape of deep tray you wanna try), a small paint brush that has not been in paint, a melty chocolate that will harden when cooled, such as the Wilton Candy Melts or some chocolate/almond/vanilla bark, your choice of filling (today, used Nutella and hazelnuts, not pictured, because I decided upon them after taking this photo and I too lazy to retake the pic), and some sort of bag from which to squeeze the melted chocolate. I used a pastry bag and an icing tip, but you could also use a sandwich bag with a tiny piece of a bottom corner snipped off.

I melted the candy and put it into the bag. A good trick for this is to put the icing tip into the pastry bag , fold the tip once against the bag, and put the bag into a tall glass. Fold the top of the bag over the top of the glass. This helps keep the bag in place while you it. If you're just using a sandwich bag, put the bag into the glass, open it, and fold its top over the glass top. Don't overfill the bag. You only need a little chocolate.

If you look here, you can see the icing tip in the bottom of the glass. It's folded against the bag so that the chocolate won't drip out immediately.

Squeeze a small dollop into each mold cavity.

Using your paint brush, brush the chocolate up the side of each cavity all the way up to the top. When all are filled and brushed, lift the mold and look under it to make sure you didn't make any "bald" spots while brushing up. The entire cavity should be well covered. Put this into the refrigerator.

When the first part has hardened, prepare your filling. I just melted chocolate chips and poured pecan pieces in, then mixed. I would suggest putting this filling in another pastry bag to make it easier to control. Add the filling to the cooled mold, but be sure not to fill it all the way. We still need room for the bottom layer of chocolate! As you can see, I kinda got carried away on a couple before the chocolate went on.

Once all cavities are filled, pipe on your last layer of chocolate. Sorry, I don't have a picture of this. Put them into the refrigerator again to harden.

The peanut butter ones I made were FANTASTIC! These were also good. On a side note, I think the candy melts taste better than the almond bark. But that's just my humble opinion.

This is Halloween (kinda early, isn't it?)

2011-08-31T05:43:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed all of the amazing Halloween stuff already out at some of the major craft stores?! JoAnn Fabrics has tons, already on sale!! I had to
control myself. I got orange and black sprinkles for cupcakes or brownie pops and a skull candy mold. At Michael's, I got 2 ice cube trays that I've already bragged about. There is a baking pan in the shape of tombstones that I want as well. I have a coupon so I may get it. I also hear that Party City may have some cool stuff as well.

While perusing those aisles, I also got inspired in the general baking/candy sections of both stores. I bought a candy mold to make cute filled candies! I tried it out last night and success!!! I made some delicious peanut butter filled candies! I will post a tutorial and a picture later today. I've been brainstorming all kinds of fillings!

I will return to Michael's today and get a couple of packs of the white candy melts to decorate my new creations, and maybe see if those little candy decorating bags are useful!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dangit, I love Halloween!

2011-08-30T15:35:00.000-05:00

I found these bad boys for $1.99 each at Michael's Craft Store. I have one already, for which I paid $10 at some fancy stupid store.

Now I have three. One for soap making and two for candy making. And I paid MUCH less for the new ones. So, suck it, Z Gallerie!!

Greeky Goodness

2011-08-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

While I'm on here, I thought I'd share my dinner with you from last night!

Chicken Pita

1 piece pita bread (or a pita pocket)
as much chicken breast as you want to put in
Spinach
salt
pepper
onion powder
onion
cucumber
Tzadziki sauce (I've been seeing the Cedar's brand all over the place lately!)

Basically, I cut up probably about 4 oz of chicken and tossed it in salt, freshly ground pepper, a little olive oil, and onion powder. I sauteed that until it was done. I popped the pita in the microwave for 30 seconds and sliced up a little cucumber and onion. I spread an INSANE amount, I'll admit, of Tzadziki sauce on the pita. I put down a couple of handfuls of spinach and then layered the onion, cucumber, and chicken. I folded the pita and nommed down!

Key Lime Cupcakes

2011-08-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I made amazing tacos. There's not really a recipe, I just made them with McCormick taco mix and ground beef. I heated the shells to make them crispy and added copious amounts of cheese, sour cream, and black olives. I also had a margarita. And then got the biggest hankerin to make
margarita cupcakes.

But hold up. I only make cupcakes for work or parties, because Allen and I will likely ever only eat a couple ourselves. And I can't put alcohol in cupcakes I take to work. I could get fired, and it's just not worth it.

So, I made Key Lime Cupcakes!

The frosting made just enough for 11 cupcakes. I was afraid if I tried to pipe it on, I may not have enough. So, sorry they're not all pretty! But they sure taste fantastic! But you know what's next. The recipe!

Key Lime Cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting (makes about 10)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1.5 tsp lime zest
1 cup soy (or regular) milk
1/4 cup canola oil (I actually left this out by accident and they came out just fine!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, beat lime juice, zest, milk, canola oil, sugar, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (that's one stick.)
1.5 tsp lime zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tbsp soy (or regular) milk

Beat the first four ingredients until creamy. Add powdered sugar, lime juice and milk until the frosting is the desired consistency.

Out with the old and in with the new!

2011-08-27T14:45:00.001-05:00

I am deleting my old Facebook account and creating a new for my Etsy and my website, which is currently under construction!

If you are on my Facebook page, the new profile is here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stitch-and-Famous-Handmade/165721970171795

Blog combination and gluten free baking

2011-08-17T19:52:00.046-05:00

I have come to a decision to combine my cooking and craft blogs right here into this one! I sporadically update both, so maybe combining them will keep everyone interested!!

So, as my first official combining post, I will post a recipe from my newest baking experiment- gluten-free baking!

I have a friend who found out a while back that she is allergic to gluten. SO MANY things have gluten in them. Boo! So she had to make a serious lifestyle change. We just started getting together for craft dates, and since we both love cupcakes, I thought I'd try to make some gluten free ones. They do make mixes for gf cupcakes, which I have used for another friend that also is allergic to gluten. However, I like a challenge and I like to brag that I make stuff from scratch, so I wanted to try my hand at gluten-free baking. Aaaaand my first cupcakes turned out great!! I was sorta scurrrred that they would come out wrong.

They didn't. They were amazing, my gluten allergic friend loved them and took some home, and my friend who is not allergic to gluten said they were better than those she's had from the gluten free mix you can buy in stores. That made me very happy!

The batter is very thick and almost stretchy, but that's okay. Also, I filled the cups up a little too much (as per usual!!).

Here is what they look liked baked and unfrosted. The consistency was almost like a brownie, but not quite as dense. And yes, they are on my dryer. My kitchen is tiny, okay?

The vegan icing was runny, and I will do regular buttercream from now on.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Icing
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

3/4 rounded cup sorghum flour

3/4 rounded cup potato starch, cornstarch or tapioca starch

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup warm coffee (not too hot or it will make the potato starch gluey)

1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer beaten with 1/4 cup warm water

3 tablespoons light olive oil

2 teaspoons bourbon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon light tasting rice vinegar

Whisk the dry ingredients together. Combine the wet ingredients and incorporate into the dry. Using an electric mixer, mix the batter until it is no longer clumpy. If the batter starts to climb the beaters, just lift them a little to get the batter back down with the rest.

Using an ice cream scoop (that's what I do, anyhow), fill the cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way. Bake in the oven for 15-22 minutes (my gas oven took 22 minutes). Immediately transfer to a wire cooling rack, as the cupcakes may get soggy if they are left in the pan too long.

For the icing:

2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar

2-3 tablespoons Spectrum Organic Shortening or vegan margarine

2-4 ounces cold coffee, as needed

1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla

Starting with the least amount of liquid, beat the sugar to incorporate the shortening, coffee and vanilla. if you need more liquid, add a small amount at a time. beat for two minutes or so until smooth.

If you need to stiffen the frosting, add a little more confectioner's sugar. Chill in the refrigerator about an hour before using. When you add it to the cupcakes, it may be a little drippy, but it will dry and hasn't seemed to soak into the cupcakes. It turned out pretty good.

Ode to Mother Gem

2011-08-15T18:49:00.000-05:00

I made this cross stitch pattern...

... as an ode to this amazing woman.

Cause that's how we go out.

Not lame, very cool cross stitchin

2011-08-14T18:08:00.000-05:00

I got the coolest book!

As you can see, it is "Very cool" and "Not lame". True, true.

I made this from it!

An awesome tiny shark. I do not know what I'm going to do with him, but he's awfully cute!

Born this Way

2011-08-09T15:14:00.001-05:00

Here is the latest installment of my Lady Gaga collection.

The mermaids were a request from a friend. I wanted to put a unicorn but couldn't manage it, so the mermaids were thus... born.

Here is the fourth and I think final piece. I may do more, I dunno.

What I've been up to besides packing and unpacking

2011-07-21T11:17:00.000-05:00

Okay! We're all moved and now crafty stuff is once again on my mind! Here are some things I've finished recently!

This is my very late stitchalong from Feeling Stitchy and Cate Anevski. I was too late to submit it, which sucks, because everyone who did so got a free pattern from her. What?? Ah well. Amps the Wondercat likes it.

This will go in my new kitchen somewhere. I have very little wall space to hang things that isn't already taken up, but I'm sure I can find a space.

And here is the first Lady Gaga cross stitch I've done. I'm doing a few, plus other crafty stuff I'll post, for a Gaga themed benefit a friend of mine is throwing. I'll post more details later.

Say Hello to my Lil Friend!!

2011-06-05T21:10:00.001-05:00

I purchased this pretty Cuisinart 4-cup processor to assist me in my yummy food making. I haven't used it yet, but I think i'll
be very happy with it!!

Sea Monster

2011-06-04T12:26:00.000-05:00

Looking for a refreshing and not really strong summer cocktail? The cute lil lady over at Sweet Toothed shows us how to make this Sea Monster drink! And it's fantastic. I'm drinking one now. It's REALLY hot in Austin, and this is super refreshing! I think my favorite part is the ginger beer! (For those of you unaware, Ginger Beer is non alcoholic. It's KIND of like Ginger Ale, only much, much better.)

Pic courtesy of Sweet Toothed

http://sweetoothed.com/

Pour 1 ounce spiced rum (I used Sailor Jerry) over ice cubes in a glass. Add 3 ounces grapefruit juice, stir and add 2 ounces ginger beer (I used Maine Root because it's the absolute best!) and top with 1/2 ounce grenadine.

Working on lots of stuffffff

2011-06-02T20:35:00.000-05:00

1. A Mouth Parade embroidery. This is coming along SUPER slow, but I will post a photo when I'm done. It's the stitchalong over at the Feeling Stitchy blog.

2. MOVING! Yay! We're in the process of moving. Well, we will be moving July 1st, but I do not procrastinate. So most of my crafty stuff is already packed.

3. Working out a better blog schedule. I have some features I want to add but I need more stability as to when to post each feature.

4. Ecommerce site. I am in the process of making my own website to sell my stuff on! It's in the works and may take a while sooooo......

Anyhow, lots of things are in the works, and while my blogging may be super sporadic, one day I will be back blogging like normal again!

Let's Craft Talk

2011-05-19T20:59:00.002-05:00

Leslie Hall is my hero.

k

Work through the pain.

I'm not modest.

2011-05-18T20:47:00.002-05:00

Inspired by a cross stitch I saw on http://www.feelingstitchy.com/

A (kind of) fat/health rant

2011-05-18T12:49:00.001-05:00

I don't rant often here, so cut me some slack on this one...

So, I'm trying this better healthier greener living thing. The green stuff I had covered, but healthy, not so much. I don't eat that badly but i'm sure I could make changes and cut backs. So, I'm trying for the 29887545788th time to cut out sodas. So far, so good. Day three and I don't want one! Plus, I'm eating even healthier (which is so much easier to do with all the yummy summer fruit!) and I've found a new liking for working out. I did 3 miles in 30 minutes on the elliptical on Monday, weights yesterday, and I plan to do 3 miles again today! I've also rediscovered my passion for the challenge of cooking healthy alternatives to the unhealthy stuff I crave!!

(cue rant...)
Please understand that my goal is not to get "skinny", but healthy. I am happy with myself I'm pretty fat-positive. I think we have the wrong idea when it comes to beauty and health regarding body size. There is nothing wrong with being thin, but I don't think it's something a naturally more filled out person, like myself, should aspire to. Some people are naturally thin and some, like me, are built like Russian gymnasts. I'm naturalky more muscular, and I may never be thin like I was when I was a starving teen, but I can strive to eat better and work out without it becoming an unhealthy obsession. An by the way, just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are healthy, just like being chunky or big doesn't always mean you are unhealthy. I have great blood pressure and a good cholesterol level, for instance.

I also get aggravated at fat-positive women who shun diets and excersise because they think it's being done to lose weight. There is nothing wrong with wanting to live a healthy lifestyle. Again, as long as it's being done for the right reasons. Let's NOT strive to lose half our body weight for some dude/girl, or some silly outfit or event, and instead focus on getting healthy so we can live past 55. And let's not revoke fat-positive cards because someone wants to live healthy. Sound good?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Catching up- Blog of the Week

2011-05-17T22:26:00.000-05:00

I follow TONS and tons of blog, many of them food blogs. I just ran across this ditty a few weeks ago.

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/

Joy writes the best little blurbs and has great recipes on her page. The photos are also awesome. She inspires me daily to not be bashful about being silly on my blog and to make delicious food.

Yummmmm! I want all of the above.

She also has a recipe index on her blog, so if you're just looking for something new to make, check her out!

Catching up! Etsy Shop of the Week!

2011-05-17T22:21:00.000-05:00

Needles and Pins!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/katiekutthroat?ref=seller_info

Katie Kutthroat will rock your face off with her unconventional cross stitch patterns and already done cross stitch projects!

I've only purchased the Beer Me pattern from her and I've not stitched it yet, but I plan to purchase more, of course. I'm her friend on Flickr and she's super nice as well. So, check her out sometime!

The Story of Spordically Blogging Jonesy

2011-05-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been neglecting the blog again. I've just been really busy and lazy. How can I be both at the same time? Busy with family visiting, friend baby shower stuff making, getting a healthy lifestyle on track, and lazy about getting online.

I cross stitched something super rad and am working on a stitchalong from Feeling Stitchy (http://www.feelingstitchy.com/). I'll post pictures of both soon. If you are reading, thank you for sticking with me through my flakiness.

Weird Science (ooh!)

2011-05-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

I have been on an experimental kick lately. My friend called me a mad scientist on Facebook, and I think that I like that description.

First, came the salted caramel cupcakes. A little too messy and sweet for my personal taste, but everyone else seemed to like them.

Next came avocado banana bread bites with drizzled chocolate. Piece of cake and way yum.

Then, I tried snickerdoodle cupcakes. They were a great success and to date, I think a favorite. They're simple, yet so good.

I tried peanut butter and chocolate whoopie pies with both cake mix and my own mix. My own mix works better, by the way. It doesn't fluff up too much and doesn't rise as much as regular cake mix.

I made meringue cookies and they were really good! I think next time I'll put lemon in them. Sorry for the bad pic, they were really pretty!

I did some strawberry cupcakes with chocolate icing. I made them pretty and then decided to ruin them by putting strawberry slices on the night before I served them. EPIC FAIL. This photo is from before they went to mush.

I made my mom some cookies for mothers day with Heath toffee bits in them. They came out so hard they could break your teeth. Another fail. Boo!

So, out of... 7 new things I've tried (the avocado bread I've done but not in the tiny brownie bite pan and not drizzled with chocolate), only two have been a complete failure. I consider this a success, and therefore, I am encouraged to sally forth and try even more yummy stuff!

So, I've learned a few lessons over the past few months on making tasty treats.
-Caramel inside cake makes it really good, but too sweet for me and way messy.
-Banana avocado bites and snickerdoodle cupcakes are some of my favorite things to bake and to eat.
- Whoopie pies are more popular with my from-scratch mix and buttercream icing is much easier to make than I thought.
-Meringue cookies are easier to make than I thought, too, and it's really fun to whip those egg whites and sugar into little peaks!
- Don't put strawberry slices on anything the night before you serve it. Probably best to put them on right before serving.
- Heath bits in cookies will not yield soft cookies. At least not in the quantity of Heath I put in the dough.
-I love experimenting and am surprisingly undaunted by little snafus!

Blog of the Week

2011-05-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

Another new feature! I'm gonna mix these up, my posts won't be, of course, all blog features, but I do want to try some out!

Today, I want to share the blog "Turning over a new LEAF". It's my friends' blog about their new Nissan Leaf, which is a 100% electric car.

http://www.canxas.com/leaf/may5.html

Isn't it cute??

I don't know a lot about the Leaf, but I'm sure to be gettin skooled reading his blog. I can't wait to read more!

Two shirts!

2011-05-05T20:57:00.000-05:00

This one was inspired by Seibei.com. It was the first time I've used the freezer paper stencil method and fabric spray paint. I got a little anxious and forgot to put newspaper between the top and bottom layers of the shirt on the top part. I quickly shoved something in there and the "i like" sort of ran together. I used a white paint pen to try to separate the letters. So, I learned a few things.

The next one was inspired by Hilah from Hilah Cooking (http://hilahcooking.com). She had an event called "Mouth Party" and for some reason, I thought that was really funny. So I made a shirt that says Mouth Party and has mouths. Because everyday for me is a Mouth Party. I used the freezer paper stencil method again (my new favorite thing ever) and some fabric paint, and I printed some mouths out on iron-on transfer paper and ironed them on.

I can't wait to try these out on me!

Some other things I've been working on

2011-05-04T20:58:00.000-05:00

This is from Subversive Cross Stitch. www.subversivecrossstitch.com

And an adorable flower from Cate Anevski! Get it here:
http://cateanevski.typepad.com/cateanevski/

I'm super inspired lately, mostly with cross stitching, so I'll be posting more soon!

Etsy Shop of the Week

2011-05-04T10:19:00.004-05:00

Here's one of the new features I'd like to try- Etsy Shop of the Week!

The first of many I'd like to feature is Andwabisabi. Grace Kim has come uo with THE cutest cross stitch designs! I've purchased several to make gifts.

You can find her here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/andwabisabi?ref=pr_shop

If you like cross stitching, or know someone who does, you really should see this shop!

Sorry...

2011-05-04T07:45:00.002-05:00

Hi, all. I know I've been kinda quiet in the blog world of late. I'm researching and looking at maybe adding some new features to mix it up here a little. I tried a music thing and thought of doing a DIY feature, but i'd like to add a couple more. Maybe a featured blog of the week? I'd like to get more followers as well. Soooo please bear with me, especially if my posts seem a little random! Also, i'll be blogging about my camping trip soon, so stay tuned!

Oh! Here's some new hair!

New Cross Stitch

2011-04-28T20:14:00.001-05:00

That is all.

Keep Calm and Marry On!

2011-04-27T08:05:00.001-05:00

While I am sitting here, drying off from my shower, my gas soaked clothes in the wash (mishap at the Tigermart), rather than pout, I should blog!

I don't know why, but I like weddings. I'm not the marrying type, and if I ever did get married, I would not have a huge production. Just close friends and family and mostly a DIY kind of thing. My sister is getting married in January and I cannot wait!

Speaking of weddings, I'm sure everyone knows about the Royal Wedding. It's Friday, if I'm not mistaken. I won't be watching, because I'm sure it's terribly boring to watch on TV, and I do have to work, but something about it makes me happy. The media frenzy is so happy and abuzz, and it's a nice
change from the usual coverage of bloodbaths in other countries. I think it's cool how the people of England are so excited and are coming together to watch from afar. I don't think anything could bring our country together like that in such a positive way for such a joyful event. Maybe we need a Royal Family! (uhhhh scratch that.)

So, while I will not be watching, or buying memorabilia (although I did see a DELICIOUS looking cake all decorated with William and Kate's portrait at HEB that I'd like to bite), I'll be thinking about the Royal Wedding all day on Friday. I hope they have a happy life together. And if you are watching the wedding, zap the couple with mind powers of happiness and love. Or something.

Napkins!

2011-04-23T20:35:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are the napkins I made. I've only made two so far. My fingers are tired!

I think it may be harder than I thought to sell Allen on these. He said "They look like those fancy restaurant napkins that don't absorb anything!" I kinda took that as a compliment...

Good smellin feet (and probaby TMI)

2011-04-23T17:09:00.000-05:00

Everyone who knows me knows I do not wear socks in the summer. Actually, I don't wear socks about 90% of the time because it's always hot here.

Anyone who doesn't wear socks or knows someone who doesn't wear socks knows that not wearing socks makes your feet REALLY reek, especially if you wear the same shoes with no socks all the time. I get home from work and poor Allen has to put up with my smelly feet when I take my shoes off. Ewww.

I tried washing them, but I'm kinda lazy and being sort of chubby doesn't make it easy to heft my legs and feet up into the sink. Plus, then water gets all over the place. I don't want to waste a ton of water putting my feet in the tub to wash them. Plus, again, I'm lazy and would like something I could do in like 30 seconds. So I was thinking about some antibacterial wipes or something that I could just quickly wipe my feet with. Ones that smell good are sort of pricey and not many come in a pack and if I use them a few times a day, I'm gonna be throwing a ton of them, plus money, in the trash.

So, I racked my brain trying to remember my boss's recipe for reusable baby wipes. I remembered she used tea tree oil, and then I kind of made up the rest from there. This foot spray is inexpensive and I can just wipe my feet off with a rag after using it. Here's how I did it!

- spray bottle (mine only holds 8 oz, so adjust accordingly if you're using a bigger bottle)
- 2 tbsp Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille Peppermint Soap (I LOVE this stuff!)
- 2 drops Tea Tree Oil (this stuff is SUPER strong and does not smell good, so use it sparingly. You may only need 1 drop for a small bottle like this.)
- 1 cup water

Put into a spray bottle and shake well. Spray onto your feet and wipe off with a rag! My feet feel really nice after using it. The peppermint cools them off and makes them smell nice. They feel super clean and soft. The tea tree oil acts as an antiseptic so that the odor isn't just masked. You can also add a little olive oil, but I forgot to! This stuff doesn't dry my feet out so maybe it's not necessary. And it's super quick!

Baby stuff and more

2011-04-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

Here's what I've been busy at work on:

A dear friend of mine is having a baby soon, and she wanted some small pillow letters spelling the baby's name out. They went easier than I thought and look better than I expected! I think she'll love them.

I am thinking of throwing some more stuff in, like a couple of embroidered bibs and maybe a onesie for her to grow into. I'd feel bad just giving her the letters.

I've also been working on some napkins. Since I do them by hand, they're taking a little longer than if I had a sewing machine, but I'll show you the finished products soon!

Lookit me!

2011-04-20T13:41:00.002-05:00

Already putting one of my resolutions to use- the cloth napkin.

Yes, yes, that IS a plastic bag you se there. To my defense, some asshole stole my lunch AND bag the other day, i've used this same bag the past three days. I still need to replace my lunch bag :(

Gettin all Earthy up in Here

2011-04-19T12:36:00.004-05:00

So many blogs I read have been focusing on Earth Day lately. It's a good thing. And it's got me a-thinkin'...

I do what I can to not screw up the planet. I recycle damned near everything (thanks, single-stream recycling program!). I eat organically when I can and don't eat a ton of meat. I don't drive my car unnecessarily (like to the mailbox or dumpster and back) and I don't top off my gas tank. I have even FINALLY remembered to always take my reusable grocery bags when I go shopping anywhere. But could I be doing more without going overboard and getting ridiculous?

I am guilty of using those horrible plastic grocery bags, even though I also use the reusable ones, because I need them for my bathroom garbage can. And I also use them to clean out our cats' litter box. I wonder if there's a way to stop using those, a greener way to clean out the litter pan that doesn't involve lugging it to a dumpster, because that's not going to happen. It's huge and way too heavy. And that's gross. Maybe some biodegradable bags to put it all in? Do they make those? Why yes. Yes, they do. And you can get them in different sizes online or at Whole Foods! Whaaaa?

How about all the aluminum foil I throw away, or parchment paper, when I bake or cook in the oven? I've found silicone baking mats will do the trick here, and they're reusable, of course! On my list of things to eventually buy they go!

And the produce bags when I buy fruits and vegetables? Bye bye. You can get reusable ones online at reuseit.com or some grocery stores carry them. I'm testing some soon and will more than likely blog about how awesome they are.

Paper towels. I use SO many of these. I cover my food with them when cooking in the microwave. I use them as napkins. I use them to clean. Couldn't there be a better solution other than using some nasty old rags? What do you think?! I will be testing some of these as well. They're called Skoy cloths.

And here's a tutorial for making your own napkins!

http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/how-to/how-to-make-your-own-cloth-napkins-with-zero-sewing-skills-062513

It may sound crazy and extreme that I am going to try all of the above, but I think I can drastically reduce our garbage output, as well as save on garbage bags and help not kill Earth, with just a little more effort on my part. I really can't bitch about waste when I'm contributing, you know??

So, wish me luck on my further attempts to waste less and reuse more! And I challenge everyone else to do the same! If you do and you read this, let me know how you're doing on your quest to waste less!

PS- I promise to make a crafty post soon!

I Wish it Didn't have to End!

2011-04-18T13:15:00.002-05:00

Happy Tuesday! Did everyone have a good weekend?

I had a great weekend with my family back in Coldspring. We arrived late Friday and spent the day Saturday getting ready for the party!

There was a bigger turn-out than expected and we actually ran out of food for the late-comers! But everyone had a great time.

Yummmmmmm!

I played bartender for a little while.

My sister and her fiance.

The band.

Sunday was sort of lazy. I took some pics of my dad's and grandad's cute little gardens, but my camera ran out of power!! Oh no!

Then it was lunch at my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and a short jaunt to a little antique store!

My dad also loves El Burrito...

I plan to return in May, since a friend of mine is having a baby shower in Houston. I plan to hit up a few antique shops again! I need some cuter dishes.

Have a lovely day!

Listening to: "The Lonely Little Thrift Store"- Jonathan Richman

Jonesy gets her Groove Back

2011-04-14T22:04:00.001-05:00

Lately, I have felt a little uninspired and uncreative. I had a craft night for a benefit I'm helping with later this year, and I did make some cute bows (can't show them now, they're supposed to be a surprise), but other than that, I haven't really been doing anything crafty. When I pick up something for embroidery, I find I'll do it for like 5 minutes and then get bored with it. NOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Last night, I was really down about this. So, I decided to do something about it! I picked up a short embroidery project and set my mind to finishing it. I thought, if I just worked past the point where I said, "Meh, next," then I could get back into it. And it worked!

I stitched up this little lady by Cate Anevski. I love her creepy-cute illustrations! This one is currently residing at my desk at work, and it makes me happy every time I look at it! I think part of my problem is that I have SO many things I want to try, I get overwhelmed and when I step back, I step too far back and just sort of get out of it. Or maybe it's just one of those things that I'll do like a maniac for a while, stop for a little bit, and then get right back into it. That's been the pattern so far.

I think of all the stuff I do, embroidery and cross stitch are what I'm best at. That and making bows. They're also my favorite things to do. I think if I just focus on those and not worry about a million other things I want to pick up right now, I'll be able to get back into the swing of things.

We're moving into a bigger apartment later this year. It will give me more of a chance to decorate and I'm thinking of stitching up a few of Cate's flowers for the bathroom. That's the only room in the house that's not got at least a few of my stitchy projects. I also would like to stitch some guest towels for the second bathroom, and some new tea towels for the kitchen. So maybe that'll help me get back into the swing of things, too- focus on stuff for the house!

Well, the hour is growing late, and I should probably get some rest. I have a full day of work tomorrow and then a 3.5 hour drive back home, and then a crazy weekend ahead.

Dining al Fresco

2011-04-13T13:47:00.002-05:00

I love eating outside on beautiful days. Too often, it's too hot in Texas for me to sit outside and eat. Right now, I'm enjoying the relatively mild weather while I still can!

The break room at work is mildly depressing. People are always either complaining about work or fighting with someone on the phone, or gossipping. I don't need that negative energy, and I find that a nice lunch outside recharges me anyway!

Here's a clearing behind our building that looks like it may be my new lunch spot.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Photos courtesy of me and weheartit.

Food is amazing.

2011-04-12T20:42:00.001-05:00

Ooohhh, looky at what I made for dinner tonight! Chicken enchiladas with rice! I made the rice from scratch! I was so proud, it turned out really good. I've never really been very good at cooking rice, but this stuff turned out really nice! Yay me! This really belongs on my cooking blog, but whatever.

Inside these bad boys is shredded lean chicken meat mixed with some spices. Before you judge, it LOOKS like more cheese than it is, due to the fact that it melted in with the enchilada sauce. That's just how I like it. I really only used one serving of low fat Mexican cheese on each pair of enchiladas. So, it's healthy. That is, until I add a little sour cream with mine...

And now, I get to eat this amazing treat Adios!

Whoopie Pies!

2011-04-12T13:28:00.003-05:00

I am totally obsessed with these guys right now.

I made some chocolate peanut butter ones recently and they were delicious!!

I just need to practice making them prettier, maybe a little less bulky and piping the icing in the middle rather than glopping it on!

I'd like to try a lot of different flavors- banana nut with vanilla filling, plain vanilla with chocolate filling, strawberry with chocolate filling, Chocolate with mint filling and vanilla with strawberry filling. Oh, and carrot cake, of course, with nuts and raisins and cream cheese buttercream filling! I'll make them all from scratch, of course! I wonder what other combinations I can come up with...?

Gardening

2011-04-11T18:04:00.004-05:00

One thing I am not too happy about when it comes to apartment living is not being able to have a garden.

I love growing herbs and vegetables. It's nice to be able to pick stuff, take it directly to the kitchen, and use it! I've grown basil, mint, jalapenos, cucumbers, strawberries, lavender, oregano, and tons of other things quite successfully in the ground. I tried growing them in pots without much luck here at my apartment.

But EVERYONE seems to be growing gardens this year, and I'd like to try again as well. Maybe I'll try a Topsy Turvy, or something like this:

http://www.instructables.com/id/VERTICAL-VEGETABLES-quotGrow-upquot-in-a-smal/step1/Materials-needed/?f=m

My dad and grandad have started small gardens. My grandparents used to have a huge one, but it's harder for them to tend a huge one now. So my grandad made a smaller one with tomatoes, pepper plants, eggplant, and a few others. My dad's got about the same, and I'm really excited to see their progress when I visit this weekend! I'll post photos!

(Photos from WeHeartIt.com)

Testing

2011-04-11T15:41:00.001-05:00

Just testing the app. And now, something awesome.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Glenn Dr,Round Rock,United States

Worst Blogger Ever!

2011-04-11T15:37:00.001-05:00

But that will soon change. I found a blog app for my phone so LOOK OUT! I'll be a bloggin fool!

I also make the foods!

2011-03-29T20:20:00.003-05:00

I haven't been making many crafty things lately, but that will be changing soon. In the meantime, you can check out what I've been cooking/baking on my other blog:

http://jigsawjonescooks.blogspot.com/

Fun with Iron On Pens!

2011-03-10T21:20:00.000-06:00

My colored iron on pens from Sublime Stitching (www.sublimestitching.com) came in!

Aww! Some of the transfers came out AMAZINGLY and the others, not so much, but I think it gives it a nice touch to have some of them fainter than others!

More fun with felt!

2011-03-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

Operation: Planet Repopulation

2011-03-07T18:15:00.002-06:00

Between friends, friends' relatives and people at work, people I know are repopulating the Earth like it's Battlestar Galactica up in this mug. So, with the help of ReviDevi, Aimee Ray's Doodle Stitching- The Motif Collection, Sublime Stitching's Baby Bib Kit and Aronzo Aranzi's Baby Stuff, I've made loads of super cute baby stuff people can ooh and ahh over almost as much as the baby.

Bibs!

Wash Cloths!

Onesies!

And one of my own design for a friend's cousin:

I'm working on bags as well to give the mommies to be their gifts in. I'll post those when they're done as well!

Aranzi Aronzo are my heroes!

2011-02-19T09:41:00.000-06:00

I love cute stuff. I love to make it and look at it and talk about it and blog about it. I even love to eat cute food. Except for sushi. But, I digress...

I busted out my Aranzi Aronzo "The Cuter Book" last night to make some cute little felties. Here are the fru-eets, a couple quite literally, of my labor.

Here is my less than normal looking monkey. I do not know what happened here. I think he's cute but he looks a little deformed. That's okay. Deformed monkeys need love, too. I think I need to get some sharper scissors. My felt scissors are wearing dull and it's harder to cut small things and cut into crevasses, such as a monkey's armpit. He looks less deformed if you're looking at him straight on, though.

Here is my tiny strawberry and apple. I'm thinking of making more to sew onto barrettes.

Happy Valentine's Day...way late.

2011-02-19T09:40:00.000-06:00

Here is what I made Allen for Valentine's Day. It was honestly a rush job. I had planned to work on it over the weekend but things came up. So I framed it in a crazy hurry. Ugh. But I think the cross stitch itself is mighty cute! It's a Jigsaw Jones original.

2011-02-05T17:24:00.000-06:00

I've been doing a lot of doodling and not enough stitching!

I'll be doing a series of these and selling them on my website and on Etsy.

2011-02-04T20:10:00.000-06:00

Sorry to be so short of words lately. I've been battling the flu and also very busy between making cute stuff! I am finally launching my own website! It's not fully functional, but I will let you know when it is. It's going to be a lot of work, but I think it will be worth it!

And bows!

2011-01-29T14:48:00.000-06:00

And rings!

2011-01-29T14:39:00.001-06:00

Photos by Allen Herman

Soapy love!

2011-01-29T14:08:00.001-06:00

I have been making tons of soap. Wanna see?

All photos by Allen Herman.

Weird...

2011-01-25T21:27:00.000-06:00

I stitched this up over the past week! I like it, but it's uneven, and that makes me a little sad. I need to fix the pattern.

Inspired by Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog.

How I spent my Saturday night...

2011-01-23T20:56:00.000-06:00

New items in my shop!

2011-01-17T21:10:00.000-06:00

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JigsawJones

Bows galore

2011-01-14T21:13:00.001-06:00

Making more bows for the shop!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/JigsawJones

Accessories

2011-01-13T21:18:00.000-06:00

When I get better photos, these will be posted in my Etsy shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JigsawJones

Elephant!

2011-01-12T21:42:00.000-06:00

2011-01-09T21:15:00.002-06:00

Crystal Falls Soap Company

2011-01-09T17:19:00.000-06:00

I just made a small order for more soap supplies and I plan to get back into the soap-making thing. I think the thing that messed me up was that the supplies I have previously purchased were not of good quality. The colors bled and the soap left a funky feel after use. I got stuff from Brambleberry this time (www.brambleberry.com) and I am hoping that the good supplies will re-charge my passion for making soap.

In the meantime, I would like to direct anyone who's paying attention to Crystal Falls Soap Company. My good friends/second family there in Leander, TX make some REALLY nice handmade organic cold process soap that smells LOVELY. They've just started their website and gave me and Allen a bunch of samples. I don't usually use bar soap, but theirs is really nice, and I keep a bar on my sink to give my bathroom a nice smell (and to use, of course!) You can find them at http://www.crystalfallssoap.com/.

Just wanted to plug them. Coming, up, I have a very exciting announcement.

Felt is fun!

2011-01-09T13:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! Here's what I've been up to...

2010-12-31T23:05:00.000-06:00

I wouldn't say it's my best work, especially the one I did there in the middle, but I think it's still pretty cute!

Did this for a cute little Bella! It's on a long sleeved pink shirt.

Embroidered tote for my Austin "Momma".

For my sassy lil Mexican friend Liz. Subversive Cross Stitch pattern.

For my mom's Dad's girlfriend. From an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my camping friend Haylan, made from a WildOlive pattern.

For Jessica from Cate Anevski patterns.

For my onigiri loving friend from an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my Mammy loving friend from vintage tea towel patterns.

For my chefy friend Rebecca. I copied this, I admit it, from a friend on Flickr.

Another one for Bella. I think it's an Aimee Ray pattern, but I can't remember.

For my owl loving friend from an Andwabisabi pattern.

For my feminist friend from a Radical Cross Stitch pattern.

For my skull and pink loving friend, on the dreaded black aida cloth. Another Andwabisabi pattern.

And for my whale loving friend. I can't remember where I got the pattern.

There are more I still can't post just yet...but will soon!

For the above patterns and other cute ones:
http://cthulhucrochet.blogspot.com/
http://radicalcrossstitch.com/
www.subversivecrossstitch.com
http://cateanevski.typepad.com/cateanevski/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/wildolive
http://www.etsy.com/shop/andwabisabi?ref=top_trail

Too tired to write much...

2010-12-14T23:28:00.000-06:00

...so I'll just say this. I've been stitching my fingers to the bone. I had to get busy on a pretty sizeable Etsy order. And it was all custom! It was fun, I'm really happy to have done it. Here are the froo-eets of my labor!

This is what I have been working on almost non-stop while at home since Saturday! I would love to post more of what I've been doing, but November and December are always a quiet blogging period, as I can't post pics of presents! Soon, my darlings. Soon...

2010-11-28T19:52:00.001-06:00

I should apologize for my sporadic blogging. BUT, it's not as if many people read this anyway. I'm not being negative, it's just the truth! I do want to say that I hope anyone reading this had a good Thanksgiving. We had a blast. I didn't take pictures like I thought I would, but there was TONS of food and about 13 of us at dinner. I made a pretty cheese ball, the first I've ever made, and it was a hit. Friends showed up and left here and there, and it was nice to spend the holiday with them. We played a game called Apples to Apples, which is tons of fun and you should totally buy it and play it. Actually, once you know the rules, you could easily make the game at home. I don't want to go into it here, but it's basically a word association game. I love games, and I don't get to play them enough, because we never have people over, because our apartment is TINY and there's not room.

So anyway, the reason it's so sporadic of late is, again, because I don't have anything I can post yet, at least that I've made, because if someone on my gift list DOES happen to wander over here, they'd have the surprise ruined! RUUUUINNNNNNED! And I don't want that.

I can say that I purchased a Japanese embroidery book in pdf format for $5 on Etsy:

And OMIGOSH OMIGOSH OMIGOSH it has the cutest tiny patterns in there!!! I'm using some to embroider baby socks to see if it's hard to do, and if it's not, to see if they'll sell at Moxie. I think they will. I looked briefly through the PDF yesterday, because I had a lot of other stuff to do and didn't have time to really peruse it, and oh my Lord and butter, those patterns are some of the cutest ever. I can't wait to try them out! I want to embroider the whole book and just hang it up somewhere!

I love giving embroidery to hang to my friends, and I always see it hanging, but I'm not sure how much more they want, you know? Like, my sister has three that I know she loves, but does she want more? My friend Rebecca also has three, but would SHE like some more? I don't know the answer to that question, and if I ask, they may not want to hurt my feelings. Well, my sister may, she's brutally honest (which I love and wish I could be), but anyway.... sooo I've been looking at other things I can make with embroidery on them, and this book also has some cute cute ideas for that! So, my Christmas list has changed up a little, and I may be keeping some of the stuff I've done for myself and redoing gifts from this book.

There. How's THAT for a new blog entry? Not a ton of pictures, and a nice little blurb. I promise, to myself and to anyone who may be reading, to try to blog more in the upcoming weeks leading up to Christmas. I may try a few new things, like a music day, or a funny youtube day, or a day of pictures of stuff I like to fill in the gaps until I can show off my Xmas wares.

Fit to Pop

2010-11-15T19:15:00.000-06:00

One thing about Handmade Xmas- I can't post anything about what I'm making until after Christmas. I have made four things that are awesome, and I have SO SO many ideas for more stuff, and I feel like I'm gonna pop because I have to keep them all secret! AGH!

Ah well. At least maybe there's stuff for Moxie that I can post, if I have time between gifts. And Thanksgiving is coming up, so maybe I can post some pics of the delicious food I'm going to make!

I do want to say that I found the COOLEST iPhone app for a cross stitcher. It's called "Minipop." It's basically a bunch of cartoony pixelated illustrations of pop stars, movie stars, and TV show characters, and they're perfect for charting up for cross stitch projects. I already have some ideas for friends!

I just had to get that out. That's all for now!

More fun stuff and some excitement

2010-11-13T12:21:00.000-06:00

My friend pointed me to the coolest blog!!

http://cthulhucrochet.blogspot.com/

Full of geeky scifi crafts! Now, if I could just figure out how to crochet those animals using a knitting loom... probably not possible. Boo. Because I can't crochet. I don't have the patience.

BUT I digress. I have been working on some awesome Xmas presents. I can't post them, in case one of the people for whom I'm making them visits the blog, but I'll post them after Christmas. I've also been working on more bibs for Moxie. Here is the last one I did:

I have three more drawn out to do, and then I'm going to do 5 more onesies, and then I'm done with Moxie stuff until after Xmas. Whew.