Saturday, March 24, 2012

Vintage Fabric

One of my most favorite collections to see, are vintage fabric collectios...old tea towels, doillies, furniture arm covers, tablecloths, feedsacks...well you get the idea!
 Recently I was browsing in my fave local thrift shop, and I found a few pieces to sweet to pass up...
so I purchased a few pieces, I wanted them all...but I had to pick just a few.
Above are two table cloths, I love the colors, the blue-green border looks to be older than the yellow, but both are fabulous!
I can't wait to grow my newest collection!

July 4th Banner Project

I bought a few July 4th embellishments last year, put them away, and came across them a few days ago. I got them out, thinking since I missed Valentines almost althogether this year, maybe I would get an early start on a 4th red, white, and blue project...then I began to dig thru my fabric stash for something unrelated, and decided to make a July 4th banner out of fabric scraps I have collected.
 For the base I have used a red burlap looking fabric, originally a tablecloth I found on sale at Walmart. I painted off white onto the red fabric, and then painted "Happy 4th"...

I used various red, white, and blue fabrics gathered and sewn on to the top as trim...
I just freehanded the letters, with blue paint, and then went ober the blue with a clear "Stickles", to add a little shine; then I used a light grey Copic marker to create a shadow effect for depth, although I dont think you can see that in this picture.

Here is a little cloth flower I made from the tablecloth fabric, vintage button, and gingham ribbon...I also made a variety of sizes of these flowers in several fabrics, I think I will layer some for effect.

I will post more pix when I am finished with it, probably later tonight!



Take me out to the ballgame....

The ballpark opening day was wonderful! This is Franks first time to play ball, and he had a great time...he got a walk to 1st base, then stole all the way to home! Way to go!
 A confession: out of 6 boys, Frank is the only one to play baseball. All of the others couldn't play because I had to work 12 hour shift work, it was just impossible to get them to practices or games. You know you just do what you have to do...I dont think they hold it against me.
 Frank was just thrilled with the whole process, the uniform, the parking, the long wait at the concession stand, the heat and sweat...and I am so proud for him!
Franks first time up to bat.

Frank with his oldest brother, Nick, who (along with Danielle and Autumn below) came out to see Franks
first game.


A very happy little boy, eating pizza after a well played game!



Batter UP!

Today is Opening Day at our local ballpark, and my son Frank (9) will be playing his first ever "real" baseball game! I am very excited for Frank, he wanted to play last year but we missed the sign-up date...Frank attends St. Anthonys in Beaumont, and doesn't go to school where we live, so we did get any notice about the sign-up. He was so disappointed, and I felt a major "Fail" as a parent...so this year I hope it turns out a very positive experience for him.
 We are off to the game, so I am taking pix while we are there, and will post a few of the sites when we get home this afternoon!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Spring Break!

Today was our first day back in the grind after spring break, gosh it was hard to get up this morning! I actually just did whatever I wanted during the break, a little crafting, a little studying, a little cooking...haha you get the idea.
 My cooking involved my special lasagna recipe...a longtime family fave. I had not cooked it in so long, I was afraid it wouldn't turn out. But it was wonderfully decadent!
 I wish I had taken a picture of it...but I will pass along my recipe. It contains some shortcuts, because with a big family I don't have time to simmer sauces all day!

Paula's Lasagna

1 lb ground round
2 large containers of large curd cottage cheese
1 large package of Philadelphia cream cheese
1 large spaghetti sauce, Traditional Prego
1/2 onion diced
1/2 bell pepper diced
1 large container Parmesan cheese
2 medium packets grated Mozzarella Cheese
1 large brick of Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
2 packages of Dream Fields lasagna noodles

Makes 2 pans of lasagna...I use pans approx 11x9   Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Put water on to boil in very large pot (for noodles)..
2. While waiting for water to boil, brown ground meat with onions and bell peppers
3. When meat done, pour in Prego sauce and turn off heat
4. In a separate bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, the cottage cheese, and the Philadelphia cream cheese, stir until completely mixed...some people add Italian seasonings in here also
5. By this time you should be able to add noodles to boiling water, note: you don't have to boil the noodles long, just a few minutes until partially done, noodles should get soft enough to bend down into water, but still too tough to eat right then (they finish cooking in the oven)
6. While noodles are cooking, ladle in a thin layer of sauce into bottom of both pans...
7. Place 3 noodles across bottom of both pans
8. Layer on 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture into each pan, on top of the noodles
9. Then place another layer of noodles, followed by a covering of the sliced Mozzarella cheese
10. Layer noodles on top of the cheese, then spoon a generous portion of the spaghetti sauce over the entire pan, followed by another layer of noodles...
11. Spoon on remaining sauce and top with shredded Mozzarella cheese
12. Cover with tin foil and bake at 325 or 350 degrees about 45 min to 1 hour.

You can actually layer the items in any manner you wish...Sometimes if your noodles are really cooked to the point of being done, the lasagna will have alot of liquid...but that's ok, just let it sit about 30min and it will firm up some...oh and lasagna is always better the next day!

This will serve about 10 - 12 people, generous portions


I also completed a banner project....in an earlier post, I showed you painted burlap banner pieces with light blue fabric flowers....

I re-worked the paint and covered up most of the stamping,(the stamping just didnt come out well) And here is the finished project:




Basically, all the materials were up-cycled! The burlap fabric was a scrap from a furniture store display; the ribbon left over from a baby shower project; the paint was so old, I had to thin it with  water; the blue flowered material was a shirt I picked up for 2 dollars at a thrift store; and the buttons are vintage, they came from my grandmothers stash!

I cut the burlap pieces, dry brushed them with off-white paint (this took several coats to get a good coverage, because the fabric soaked up the paint), stamped small images using the tourquise blue acrylic paint rather than ink...I then freehand painted on the letters J-O-Y.





I sewed the ruffles on the top witha simple running stitch, and trimmed edges with pinking shears, so the edges would be aligned...the fabric flowers were made by folding and small scrap into a pie shape and cutting the edges off in a rounded shape, when opened up you should roughly have a cirle...then gathering the middle with needle and thread, secure with the buttons for center...oh and I did use a light green fabric circle under the flower as an accent, with a little tourquise ribbon accent as a "leaf".


I was afraid the burlap would ravel too much if I made holes to string the banner onto the ribbon...so I stitched the ribbon across the banner pieces with a simple whip stitch.




I gave the sweet spring-y JOY banner to a young friend that likes to craft also!

I had a lovely visit with my grandchildren also during spring break...check out this picture of my grandson, Tristan...living simply,  playing with his uncles boot box! Yes, that is Tristan laying in the box, just a talkin to himself and playing!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A few pictures of my family...


My son, Joseph (left), and Brandon (who should be son he is over here so much lol)



Our youngest in the red shirt, Frank (9)...he has no idea his brother, Evan (13) is behind him...haha


This is my lovely Mom, with two goofy boys (Joe and Evan) trying to ruin my shot!

Banners, etc...

These are a few of my most recent projects...



This small banner is very inspirational, assemblage mostly although I did make fabric flowers and folded pinwheel. It has a cute wire hanger. The back pieces are Graphic 45 I think.


This my current project, the burlap banner pieces I cut out of a up-cycled piece of fabric from a local furniture store display. I have painted the burlap, and now I am making fabric flowers, and letters to stitch on.




This "LOVE" banner is done with up-cycled fabric from the furniture store display, stitched on to basic cotton banners I purchased pre-made online. The natural twill ribbon the banners are strung on were salvaged packaging ties from a rug my mother bought. 



On this banner, I stamped old fashioned writing on the background of the plain cotton banners with black ink. The letters were cut from up-cycled fabric, and old buttons, fabric linen flowers and vintage ribbon were used for trimming.

In one of the pix you can see outside what a gloomy day it is here in Texas...this picture was taken about noon on March 11, 2012. We need the rain, as we have been in a drought, but a little sunshine would be nice! However, the birds are singing and tweeting away, enjoying their nest building...


A "Welcome Baby" card I made with My Minds Eye products...





A few more past projects



This banner was created for my precious grandson, Tristan. I used Cosmo Cricket, and October Afternoon products on this banner, and the large letters were felt, puchased from sale bin at Michaels so long ago to be used on a school poster, but I dont know the brand.




Here, showing my design process, I choose papers and items I find attractive, then begin piecing, and cutting (things get a bit messy), and trying different layouts...this progect was basically assemblage, I did create some paper flowers, etc...The products were October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket, and Theresa Collins I believe.



This is the finished product, a banner for Tristans mother, Allison.



This banner was made for Kara, my second sond girlfriend. I used My Minds Eye products mostly, the pix didnt come out very well...it looks very dull and dark, but really it is very dramatic, deep reds and glitter, on cream background.


Creative Projects

Well it is cold and rainy here...typical Southeast Texas weather! i have been very busy lately with school, mine and the boys. I have a presentation coming up soon, and Evan has a science fair project due soon also...and since we are on spring break, we will be working on them this week.
 I am posting a few of my past projects. I had a great time making them and thought I woud share...

This is a card I made with Pink Persimmon stamps, the little girl and boy , and the banner.


This card also was made with Pink Persimmon stamps.


Both of the above cards were Fathers day cards for my two oldest sons, they are basically assemblage using various products, I think mostly from Jenni Bowlin...

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...