Creating Me

Candy Corn Treat Bag

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Anita

It’s not quite here yet, but I love Fall ~ the beautiful colors, caramel apples, candy corn, and after Summer in Alabama, the cooler temperatures are so welcome!

These crochet Candy Corn Treat Bags are just so cute! I found this great pattern on the Repeat Crafter Me blog. It is a super easy pattern and works up quickly. Fill these bags with candy corn (I suggest putting it in a cellophane bag first), attach a cute little tag, and you have a special treat for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, or anyone else who might need a little “happy”.

I decided to make the drawstring by making a simple chain about 12 inches long. Other than that, I followed the wonderful instructions as written. These great bags don’t use much yarn, so you can make several using one skein of each color.

Fall is just around the corner! Grab your crochet hook and get started…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Fall, Gifts | 1 Comment

A New Cart for My Kitchen

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Anita

Not really a crafty post, but I am so excited about this new cart in my kitchen! It’s the little things… 🙂

I have a countertop convection/toaster oven that I just love. The problem? It’s a countertop oven! It was taking up way too much space and since we won’t be remodeling our kitchen anytime soon, I had to come up with some way to get that counter space back!

We are lucky enough to have a Nadeau furniture store nearby. They have wonderful, unique, and affordable pieces. I found this great cart that works perfectly at the end of the kitchen island and my little oven just fits.

I found this cute wire basket at Hobby Lobby for 50% off to hold some of my (and my husband’s) cookbooks.

Oh, and my most favorite thing about this cart? The top is actually a serving tray!! How fun is that?!?!

I still have dreams of a remodeled kitchen, but at least now I have my counter space back…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Decor, Organization | 1 Comment

Storing Twine

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Anita

I‘ve seen different ways to store all those pretty colors of twine, but this one seems to work best for me. It’s really inexpensive and looks cute on your craft room shelf.

Pick up some clothespins from Target or Walmart ~ you may even be able to find them at the dollar store! Wrap your twine around the clothespin, being careful to not go too far down. You want to make sure you can still pinch it open. Slip the end of your twine into the clip end of the clothespin and you’re good to go.

The fun part is finding your favorite jar, bowl, or basket to put all your twine in. Here’s what I store mine in. This bowl is bigger than it appears in the picture ~ I may have a little problem with saying “no” to new colors 😉

This would also work for embroidery floss or thin ribbons. I love storage solutions that double as craft room decor!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Celebrate with Cake

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Anita

My husband’s birthday was a few days ago and I made him his favorite birthday cake ~ Angel Food with Homemade Peach Icing. The recipe for the icing can be found on this post. I have to admit that I used a box mix for the cake. It’s just too easy and it still tastes delicious!

Stampin’ Up has the perfect stamp set, Big Day, that I used to make his birthday card ~ the sentiment couldn’t be better 🙂 Here’s the card…

I put 3 of the stamps together on my acrylic block and stamped them with brown ink on white card stock. I used Copic markers to color the image, trimmed it, and layered it onto green card stock. I attached a piece of patterned paper to green card stock and wrapped it with twine tied in a bow. This piece is attached to a turquoise card. The stamped piece is attached with pop dots.

The perfect card to go with his perfect cake ~ I even colored the icing on the cake in a yummy peachy color! I think he liked the card as much as he liked his cake…

Well, almost 😉

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Recipe Notebook and Easy Peach Icing Recipe

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Anita

I wanted a place that would give me easy access to the everyday recipes that I use all the time. You know, those staple recipes you use every couple of weeks for dinner or your very favorite dessert recipes. Rather than using a recipe box, I decided to alter a simple spiral notebook and write my faves in there. I know there are all kinds of apps to do this, but sometimes I just want something pretty to hold in my hands 🙂

I found my notebook at Target. It is just a simple spiral notebook with a couple of dividers. I use the first section for Main Dishes; the other 2 are for Sides and Sweets. It’s a great time to find the perfect notebook with all the school supplies on the shelves ~ you might even find a sale!

First I stamped the mixer and utensils on a white card stock panel and colored them with my Copic markers. The stamps are from A Muse Studio. I added “recipes” with stickers, but you could easily stamp the word instead. I then distressed the entire panel with brown ink, adding more to the edges. I covered the entire front of the notebook with brown striped paper. Then I attached a panel of green patterned paper and brown polka dot paper on top of that. The stamped piece is layered onto the brown polka dot paper. I tied a green corduroy button with brown embroidery floss and attached that along with another button to the bottom right corner. I also added patterned paper to the back of the notebook just to give it a finished look. Add a few pieces of ribbon knotted onto the spiral and you have a cute way to organize those favorite recipes!

Here’s a simple icing recipe that my husband always requests for his birthday. I put it on Angel Food cake and it is amazing!

Peach Icing

1 stick butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar (or more if needed)
1 small ripe peach, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 Tbsp milk, if needed

Cream butter with your mixer until smooth. Add about 1/4 of the powdered sugar and mix well. Add 1/2 of the peaches and the vanilla, mixing well. Continue to mix in powdered sugar and peaches until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency, adding a little milk if needed.

Just yummy! You can change the fruit to strawberries or raspberries. Or leave out the fruit and add some unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate icing. Or make it chocolate-raspberry! Or leave out the fruit and add another teaspoon of vanilla for some amazing vanilla icing…use your imagination and just enjoy!!!

Thanks stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Gifts, Organization, Recipes | 8 Comments

“Stuff” Binder

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Anita

We have so much “stuff” coming up in the next few months that my brain is having a hard time keeping up with schedules, to dos, and crafty ideas popping into my head! Things like traveling to conferences with my hubby, the wedding of my oldest goddaughter, Christmas shopping and crafting, and traveling for the holidays ~ not to mention just the day to day “stuff”!! I know your life is just as crazy!!!!

So I decided to try to get a little organized. I’m a list maker ~ there is something so satisfying in being able to cross off a completed task. And, of course, a simple notebook just won’t do 🙂

I found this pretty, coral-colored, mini binder at Target along with plastic divider tabs, and paper to fit. Although it was a great color, it needed a little “something”. After a bit of stamping and some patterned paper, this is the result…

The fun letters are from an alphabet set by Technique Tuesday. The flower stamp and the punches to match are from Stampin’ Up. I stamped the flower twice in coral ink and once in turquoise ink, then punched out each section and layered them together. “Stuff” is stamped in coral ink on white card stock and then the edges of the panel are sponged with the same ink. I cut the chevron paper to fit inside the pocket on the front of the binder, attached a strip of polka dot paper, and then attached the stamped images. Slip the finished piece into the pocket and you have a cute binder to help you stay organized!

Now, if I can just remember to write everything down…

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Gifts, Organization | Leave a comment

Happy Birthday

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Anita

Celebrating birthdays is alway so much fun. I love giving handcrafted gifts and, of course, a special birthday card is a must! It’s one of my life’s little joys to make special cards for special people 🙂

This card was super easy to make ~ just my style 😉 I chose bright colors for a Summer birthday, but you could easily change the color scheme for your special birthday person.

I chose 4 different patterned papers and cut them into banners of different lengths. The green banner is a little wider than the other three. I layered them onto a turquoise card stock panel and attached a strip of patterned paper over the top. Then the panel is attached to an orange card.

“Happy Birthday” is a stamp from Stampin’ Up. I stamped it with orange ink on white card stock and then punched it out with the oval punch which is also from Stampin’ Up. The image is attached to the card with pop dots.

It’s a clean and simple card that I hope will make the birthday girl or guy feel special!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Altered Mason Jars

Posted on August 11, 2015 by Anita

I love mason jars! There is so much you can do with them and they can be decorated to fit into almost any decor. I made these as a centerpiece for a baby shower for a special little girl and her Momma a couple of years ago. Now I use them when I decorate my mantle for Spring.

You can find the link to making the muslin flowers on my Muslin Flower Jelly Jar post. I attached a strip of burlap around the jars, then glued the flowers in place over the seam. I tied a pink ribbon bow around the top. I opted to add the silver band to the jars, but of course you can leave that off. Now fill them with your favorite flowers, branches, or even a candle!

These are so versatile ~ simply change the color of the ribbon and button to match your decor or the season. You could even use velcro to attach the button to make changing it out super easy. And the ribbon is just tied on ~ no glue involved :). Such a fun and inexpensive way to add a little charm to your home.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Decor, Gifts | 2 Comments

Happy Retirement

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Anita

A good friend of ours was beginning the next chapter of his life ~ retirement!! Of course he needed a special card to celebrate this momentous occasion 🙂 Here’s the fun card I made for him…

This is an old stamp from Visual Image Printing ~ not sure the company is even around any more. The “Happy Retirement” stamp, square lattice embossing folder, and word label punch are all from Stampin’ Up. The dot embossing folder is from Cuttlebug. The 3 1/2-inch circle punch is from Marvy Unchida.

Stamp the image with black ink on white card stock, color with Copic markers, and punch with the circle punch. Emboss a panel of green card stock with the square lattice folder and attach it to a white card. Emboss a strip of blue card stock with the dot folder and attach it to the card. Attach the stamped image with with pop dots. Stamp the sentiment with green ink on white card stock, punch it out with the label punch, and attach it to the card with pop dots. You could easily change the sentiment to make this card for another occasion.

Just a simple little card to congratulate our friend on moving on to a less (or maybe more) hectic life as he enjoys his retirement!

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

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Waffle Crochet Dishcloths

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Anita

Do you end up with a lot of leftover yarn from your projects and you just don’t know what to do with it? Yeah, me too! It’s not enough for a big project and too much to just throw away. I had some leftover cotton worsted weight yarn from making market bags and was searching for something to do with it. I found this great pattern for these Crochet Waffle Dishcloths on Ravelry. Ravelry is a wonderful site with all kinds crochet and knit patterns, many of them are free! Lots of inspiration on this site!

These work up super fast and are so easy to make. You can whip up several in an evening watching your favorite movie.

I followed the pattern as written so the dishcloths are about 7 x 7 inches square. There are easy to follow instructions on how to increase the pattern if you would like your dishcloths to be larger.

These would make cute hostess gifts rolled and tied with a little twine. Or even though the pattern calls them dishcloths, I think they could make great face cloths since they are crocheted with cotton yarn. Pair them with your favorite facial cleanser (or body wash) for an inexpensive gift. I’m thinking I may add them into the boxes for Operation Christmas Child this year.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Posted in Crochet, Gifts | 1 Comment