Homemade...

 

Encouraged by a neighbor I joined her in taking rug hooking classes.  This is the first rug I made using strips of old wool and new.  The design is an old pattern which I changed in only small ways by making the chicken a RI Red and the flag the state flag of RI.   It is a fun way to recycle old woolen clothes...some of these strips used to be old mini-skirts...

Hand Made

My days of "made by hand" have been few and far between recently. I could have posted a picture of my new house which wasn't hand made by me but was built by my daughter's husband. Everything I own that has been hand made has been packed away in boxes for months now and nothing new has been done recently. I thought of taking a picture of a lovely quilt that I have with me, which was made by my grandmother many years ago but haven't even got a camera right now that will take a good photo of it.

I always hesitate (just a little) to label my digital collage/montage work as "handmade" but in fact, they are. I choose the layers, the colours and I decide how to "tweak" each layer in Photoshop. In the case of the piece above and many others that I do, I also took the photograph that was used. This is just one in a series that I've been working on, using a black and white photograph and blending or digitally painting, a solid colour into the photograph and then adding collage layers. (The lower half was originally a field of pumpkins).

Homemade

Homemade.
I love things that are homemade.
I love making things with my own hands - sewing, quilting, hand embroidering, crocheting, knitting, painting, and cooking. I love to keep my hands busy at all times.

It's just that lately I haven't found time to do some of these things that I love so much. Busyness has claimed way too much of my time. I'm sure of it. Busyness claimed my time this week, too. Between the busyness and the holiday preparations and a moody computer this afternoon, I hate to admit that I had to grab this shot from my archives.

However, while I was browsing through my older photos, it gave me the chance to look at the things I miss having time for. I haven't actually "made" anything other than photos and homemade cooking for quite a long time now. Too long.

I just placed an order for some new drawing and illustration supplies today and my girls are really needing some new pajama pants from the fabric I bought last winter. I think that tomorrow I'll grab my yarn basket and get myself busy again. There is really nothing like having yarn in your hands while you watch a crackling fire and wind down the evenings.

I'm really glad I had the chance this evening to think about putting the ol' priority list back in balance!

homemade

i had planned to do something homemade over these four days, but it never seemed to come together like i planned. all i did homemade this weekend was cook snack foods for the football game on friday and chicken and rice soup tonight. and somehow, i didn't think of taking pictures of them.

i even went to michael's today to look for a craft to work on...and bought felt to make some stockings for our household...but it got too dark to photograph the supplies. so...that leaves me with this.

i didn't take the shot at home, but but the editing is entirely homemade. what you see here is the processing of this shot. the hose pipe was cloned out of the shot, colors were tweaked and layers of texture were added. it's not sewn, cooked, painted or otherwise crafted, but it's made by my hands.

Handmade

A perfectly designed turquoise and silver tree.

Made all the better by lovingly designed paper ornaments.

Perfection is boring, anyway.

Sock Monkeys

Three little homemade sock monkeys jumping on the bed....

I'd say these are kin to the Smurfs! :)

They are so cute I bet they make you smile!

@ Heartfelt and Homemade

Homemade Secret

I added a bit of butterscotch intant pudding to my organic pumpkin pie...shhhhh...don't tell.

Home Made

Squeaking in with this one...an aromatic holiday project my daughter and I made together. Cloves and oranges. See the smiley face on the one on the right? I love having a crafty girl!

handmade dolls

The terms homemade and handmade can conjure up different meanings for people. I think some people think of homemade as being something made because you are too poor to buy 'store bought' but handmade is seen as something made with a lot of time and love put into it, finely crafted and of superior quality. In my family, handmade is very prevalent, especially at this time of year (Santa's workshop is in full swing). Since I've been at my parents home a lot over the holiday, everywhere I look there is evidence of handmade and it is hard to choose what to speak of without going on and on. But I narrowed it down to some of the dolls that my mom has made over the years. This image of Taylor pulling her little handmade wagon filled with handmade dolls (she called them "all my Susans") up the driveway was the first that came to mind, and then there were the 3 little kittens my mom made for Taylor's 3rd birthday, and the paper mache head dolls that are dressed to the nines, and the little wooden wagon, and the child's shaker bench my brother made.... oh there is so so much more. I am blessed to have parents that taught me to appreciate handmade. I am lucky to have a dad that can make anything I ask for - from blacksmithed hooks to fancy corner cabinets and to have a mom that can sew and paint and create anything better than you could possibly buy. Handmade - to me these are items to be cherished - never cast down as replaceable.

Homemade Piecrust

Homemade Piecrust
I was raised with everything homemade
my mom wouldn't have to say
one word to me if I bought a piecrust
I would automatically give myself a guilt trip
I am so lucky to have been taught this by my mom
everyone always enjoys a good pie
especially when it is homemade with LOVE.

I made these...just this week

a scarf and fingerless gloves

created from recycled goodwill sweaters

~~

the whole story is over here

Home Made

made with love.
devoured with delight.

simple, nutritious, filling.
and best of all,
a doddle to make.

(don't use a can. follow a made-from-scratch-recipe and taste the difference.)

Home Made

We were responsible for placemats this year. And my kids had a lot of ideas! We decided to trace their hands and let them decorate them into turkeys. My oldest wanted to play a game during dinner, so we came up with questions that we wrote on each placemat after they were all gussied up. I'll post the placemats on my blog, if you'd like to see them. Happy Thanksgiving Day everyone! I hope that you all are very happy!
I am very thankful for this project. This has become such a wonderful and inviting area!

Latest Unfinished Project

I'm always starting projects. I start them, then get distracted, then think of some other project I've got to do. I'm incorrigible.

homemade

the best things i've ever made.

Soups On

What is it about the comfort of a hot bowl of home made soup that almost everyone can appreciate? I made Easy Cheesy Broccoli soup a few weeks back and thankfully froze some for a cold rainy day! Recipe here because I like to share - soup & calories :)

home made hand made

I love embroidery. I also love what I think about.....imagining ladies through the ages sitting with a round hoop and material, creating.

The same technique.

Years old.

Carving of Canmore!

This is a Carving I made for my husband of our favorite

vacationing spot. It is about 35 minutes outside of Banff, Canada.

We have made many trips in our little Hyundai Accent

up into the mountains. My favorite thing in the Quaint little town

is the little White Church  on Main Street.

The little Motel off to the side is where we always stay and in behind

there you are at one of the main rivers that are usually filled with Mallard Ducks.

On three sides of you is the mountains! It is so beautiful and less of a tourist trap as Banff.

So I made this for my husband for his birthday one year.

Our Special Place!

Handmade Look a likes

My beautiful girls, well actually one is meant to be me and the other my very talented friend Chris who made these for me.  It was my 4oth birthday and she spent days and weeks and hours making us.  She is the one with the red hair, even though her hair isn't really red its more an auburn, and I'm the long haired blonde.  I haven't had long hair for an eon now.  She has put freckles on my nose and made herself with slightly darker skin, she's quite olive skinned and I am the fairer one.  We have sexy pantaloons on and we even have tatoo's something we always wanted to get but never would.  I have a tulip on my wrist, hidden just under the sleeve and a heart on my bottom.  Chris has a heart and a rose on her bottom. I was amazed and so touched when I opened this present.  To think that someone would spend so much time making something so special for me, my love language is quality time so this was the very most special thing anyone could give me.

Home Made by Me

I picked this topic as I know so many of you ladies are so very talented and I thought it would be a cool way of show casing the beautiful things that are crafted with our hands and our imaginations. I personally believe I am only good at 2 things…. Photography and Cooking, so combining these 2 things is quiet enjoyable for me. I am currently in the process of putting together a family recipe book. This book is a works in progress and every time I cook a family recipe I take photos and add it to the book. When completed I will print a number of copies for this book, some to be stored away for my children and my niece so our traditions can be carried on to the next generation. I thought I’d share 2 very simple recipes even for the non cook which are great for entertaining.

PIZZA PINWHEELS

Ingredients:

2 sheets of ready made Puff Pastry
100 - 200 grams of Shredded Ham
Cream Cheese Spread
Pizza Sauce
100 -200 grams grated tasty Cheese
1 egg (beaten)

Method:

1. Spread thawed pastry with cream cheese mixture.
2. Lightly cover with pizza sauce.
3. Sprinkle shredded ham and grated cheese over top.
4. Roll the sheet of pastry up
5. Cut roll of pastry at half inch intervals
6. Place on baking tray
7. Glaze with beaten egg mixture. Bake for 10 minutes in hot oven 200 Celsius (400F) until golden in colour.

MINI QUICHES

Ingredients:

Short Crust Pastry
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
4 eggs
tablespoon flour
sprinkle nutmeg
Cheese
And any combination of:
Ham or Bacon
Sautéed onion
Tomato
Zucchini
Mushroom

Method:

1. Grease pie, lasagna dish or muffin pan for mini quiches
2. Line pan with short crust pastry
3. Beat eggs milk and cream together
4. Add flour and nutmeg
5. Sprinkle bottom of pan with cheese and desired toppings
6. Pour over egg mixture
7. Bake in moderate over 180 Celsius (350F) until golden on top (about 20 minutes)