Blogville-Tutorials

I love making things.
There are so many sites out there that offer tutorials. One great site is Totally Tutorials. Here

Totally Tutorials

A Directory of Craft Tutorials, How-Tos, Patterns, Recipes, And More. Submit Your Own Blog Tutorial

Tons of stuff to make for kids... BUT WAIT there are other fun things too like::::::::

Recipe - How to Make Sushi

It would be fun to get the whole family involved in this one.!

Make Your Own Sushi! Recipe at Shrimp Salad Circus
"Alright - so welcome to one of my fave things I've ever made - sushi! It's not a quick process, and it can be intimidating, so I think a lot of people are wary to try it themselves. Fear not, dear Shrimps - it's a ton of fun, and you can have the biggest sushi dinner you've ever seen for only a few bucks. about making things for kids... but there really is a whole lot more like:



OR:

Tutorial - How to Plant a Basket of Grass Centerpiece

Here's a great idea and maybe just enough time left before Easter.

It's Time to Plant! Tutorial at Just a Thought
"If I want to have a beautiful, green, fresh centerpiece for Easter... now is the time...




Or:

Recipe - How to Make Easy Scrumptious Chocolate Treats

Chocolate, nuts and cornflakes...How could it be anything but delicious?

Easy Scrumptious Chocolate Treats Recipe at Visart-Dali
"You can make them for St. Valentine for your love ones. I think it's the most easiest, fastest and tastiest chocolate treat I have aver tasted at my whole life, and I am a chocoholic, believe me.




OR:

Tutorial - How to Make Newspaper or Book Page Flowers

Couldn't be an easier way to embellish something! Very cute!

Newspaper Flowers Tutorial at Made By Stephie
"I am really loving all of the projects made out of books. I am also in love with all of the cute flowers made out of fabric/felt. I wanted to do something to combine the two and this is what I came up with..."

Wednesday Wisdom

I remember when I first heard this.... in the late '80's.
still true today.
A lady I visit died yesterday... and This Came to Mind.
...begin with the end in mind.... what will they say about me?

a quick, sweet, (thrifty) Gift for Someone Special

So you know someone that is having a birthday. They aren't really a BIG gift person.. but you'd like to show your appreciation (I'm thinking co-worker, VT person, teacher, neighbor etc).
Find little glass plates. Find short glass candle sticks or even glass cups or bowls. They can be hiding around your house in the back of a cupboard... china closet... even an old box of glass stuff you never unpacked. You can also do it the easy way like I did, and find them at a garage sale for a quarter.
Mix and Match
set them on top of each other, upside down etc.
Try them out to see what looks best
Ah, that's a nice touch.
Using E6000 glue, run a bead around the 'base' . Glue it to the top. Let it sit for a day.

You then have a pretty showcase for a fun cupcake or muffin or tower of cookies.
again, taking the easy way out, I bought cupcakes. (would have looked better with a large Costco muffin!)
Although this is a nice small glass and the cupcake looks nice.
But I went with the round plate and put 3 cupcakes! and, um YES that cellophane has hearts on it. (it's all I had.. and after it is ripped off, no one will notice! I hope!)

Look What I'm Making

For some reason I've been stuck on making flowers lately.
This is my first pattern and 'style' I have been working on.
There are many tutorials around here, This is the one I found most useful.

You cut out graduated circles of satin, or organza or netting or any light weight synthetic materials. MANY circles, big and medium and small, and extra small
Then you singe the edges. Each color and type of fabric burns differently. THAT'S the cool part of this project, nothing ever comes out exact!!!
You use a candle (with a high enough flame) and just pass the edges around the flame, just barely to singe the edge being careful not to set the whole circle on fire....... tricky but for the pyromaniac in you...... a real thrill!!!

You set the different circles on top of one another ... and sometimes even mixing fabrics.
Tack it in the middle using various beads or buttons or even bits of yarn and you have beautiful flowers.
OH and I forgot to take a picture of this... after you tack all the circles together, and sew (or glue) on the buttons or beads, -----you cut a little circle of felt to glue on the back of the flower for a little bit of added weight. AND V-I-O-L-A
Pretty Flowers for pins, or headbands, or decorations, or gift toppers ... or ANYTHING else creative you can come up with!!!
This blue fabric is beautiful but... just a little too heavy to 'burn/singe' just right!So the black netting helps to even the weight.
On the green ones, I used a light weight acetate circle with green organza circles
The center of this one is an old earing!
These purple ones curled up the nicest... You just have to play with the scraps of fabric to see how they burn~ burn baby burn

You can put the flower (glue it on) and give it to your FAVORITE VT companion of all time- for her birthday (happy birthday Megan!) so she and her little girl can be twins!

Food Fun Friday-Pasta e Fagioli

This is is Winter Food. And there's nothing I like more on a cold rainy day than

STOUP

That's right folks, its not stew and not soup but a mix of them both.
and BOY oh BOY was it yummmmmmy!!!

this made a lot too! I found it here.

Pasta e Fagioli - The differences: I used ground Turkey,
I still have the question of why the vinegar???

But whatever, it was DELICIOUS-NESS
my tummy is full and warm mmm enjoy


Pasta e Fagioli
1 pound hamburger
1 onion-diced
2 celery stalks-chopped
2 garlic cloves-minced
1 cup of carrots (I always just have the baby carrots on hand)-slice them into thin strips
2 14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 15 ounce can kidney beans
1 15 ounce can great norther beans
2 cups of V-8 juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound of ditali pasta

Brown the hamburger, then drain. Saute with hamburger onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for about 10 minutes. Then add tomatoes, V-8, vinegar, and beans (in their juices). Let simmer for about an hour. In a separate pot cook the pasta for only about 5 minutes-until still crunchy. Then add to the soup. It will cook the rest of the way in the soup-only about 10 minutes is needed. Serve and enjoy!

Blogville- not martha

This is a trip down memory lane for me. This is the first blog I ever ran across. I was hunting for some costumes I was designing... (there was not a costume one found here!!! don't know how it turned up on the search engine).. but I digress. It was 2003 and I found this funky blog written by a young gal named Megan in Palo Alto. I recognized so many of the things she was talking about locally....
And she was always bringing up good articles to read and interesting information and finding sites that answered questions that you've always had...... anyway She moved to Seattle.... and Here I am too... and she is STILL young and funky and can always steer you toward interesting things.
She loves Halloween.
I don't follow her, but check her out every once and a while.
right now she is in Paris, oh lalaShe's also won awards with her blog.
Have I mentioned that she is young and sometimes pretty funky.

And she knits!

Wednesday Wisdom