Witch continued part two

Newest Heartfelt Creations collection - Farmer's Market

I received my new Heartfelt Creations collection last weekend and am sharing it via an unboxing in a YouTube video.  Please follow this link to my sharing of the package.

http://youtu.be/cmQlInOFlyw

I would sincerely appreciate it if you would like, share and especially subscribe to my channel.  I am truly enjoying sharing my time with you.  Thanks for watching and if you have comments or questions on the package or the video please leave them in the comments section on the video on YouTube and I will do my very best to answer the questions.  As always - thank you so much for stopping by my blog and for watching my newest sharing from Heartfelt Creations.  (I am in no way affiliated with the company and all products that I own are from my own personal purchases.)

It's incredibly hot and humid here in upstate NY and I am warm even with my air conditioners running and a nice ICE cold glass of water to drink.  I hope that where ever you are; you have a creatively inspired day! 

Two new projects using the Heartfelt Creations Peacock stamps and dies!

Hello!  Happy mid-summer!  Hope this has been a wonderful summer for you.  I've been having a fairly busy summer myself.  I have taken some time out though to work on a few projects and create a couple of videos on YouTube.  The link to the Peacock altered box and tassel is below. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to check my blog and I hope that you will follow the link to my videos.  If you appreciate the video please click the like button and share the link with your friends - if you decide to subscribe to my channel that would be truly exciting to me!  I will take the time later to upload a couple of photos of the projects.

Have a lovely day!  Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa2XGStnJdQ

Heartfelt Creations Unboxing - first time...

Mike's new book of poetry and stories

Good morning!  I hope today finds you well and happy.  Great news!  My son Mike has his new book ready to publish.  He needs some help to fund the process and is asking for our help.  Here is a link to his new Kick Starter project.  In it he's filmed a short video introduction.  I'd love and appreciate it if you could check it out and maybe add your support to his passion.  Thank you for taking the time - I know how valuable it is.  Blessings to you.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mikeford/seekers-of-the-light?ref=hero_thanks

Happy Doll Day!

Yesterday was Memorial Day - a day that we take the time to think of and thank the soldiers and families that sacrificed much to keep our nation free.  God bless them.

I spent the later part of the day doing something that I have not done in years - making a doll.  Granted it is a pretty simple doll - but I had a great time making her and was very thankful to find that the old skills are not gone - they've just been dormant.

The pattern I took inspiration from is from a Tilda's Studio book, copy right 2011 I think.  It's a pattern called cupcake angel. These type of dolls have been around a long time and similar patterns can be found all over the web.  I just happen to be a book junkie so I have had this book a few years.  Part of the reason for making this doll is that my son-in-law wants me to make physical dolls out of some of his line drawings.   Guess I need to practice a little first.  Another reason is I have way too much stuff in my stash of doll making materials and I need to use them - thus - another chapter in doll making may just start.

Here are some pictures of the making of Violet - I hope you enjoy them.  I may just do a video of my doll making process at some point - if I can figure out how to shorten the length of the video - it would be a mini series at this point - well maybe even a saga - and we don't need that.

Pattern was traced onto the muslin, sewn and then cut out
with pinking shears (aids in the release of tension on the
curved areas of the material)

turned right side out

stuffed

slit for stuffing sewn closed on the back

Don't you love this little travel sized iron?  It works very well
I'm ironing the bottom trim material for pleating

doll dress top is sea-foam green felt and the hand pleated material
is pinned on for attachment by more hand sewing

It fits

More trim and a few pearls are added for decoration

hair and face are added - she's almost there

Meet Violet - she doesn't have wings - so she's not an
Angel.

I hope you enjoyed this quick look.  Doll making is a lot of fun and you never know what you're going to get when you're finished - kind of like a box of chocolates.

Have a spectacular day!  K

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam and a Lemon Meringue Pie - Happy May!

Another post today!  (And still one more to follow - busy weekend)

This past week found me in the kitchen a couple of times.  My daughter's fiance, Calvin had a birthday last week and I offered to make his birthday "cake".  Calvin isn't really a "cake" eater so instead I made him a lemon meringue pie from scratch.  I'm getting into whole foods and doing my own making and I'm enjoying myself - kind of going back to my roots and doing things the way I used to do them many years ago.  Feels good.  Here are some pictures of the pie:

Cooking the Lemon 

added to the baked pie shell

Meringue is spread on pie

Ready to eat!

This is the recipe I used from allrecipes.com  
I forgot to add the butter - but I've never used
butter in Lemon Meringue and it came out just fine
without it.

 Earlier in the week, I made up some strawberry rhubarb jam.  I had to buy the strawberries but the good news is that they are fresh and plentiful right now.  The rhubarb I grow myself and it's looking good although it's been a very dry spring here in upstate NY.  A few pictures:

Freshly cleaned and cut fruit ready to cook.

Cooking enough to release juices

Adding sugar - I think 4 cups in my case

Continue cooking to melt sugar and juices together

See the bubbling?  That's the foam starting this needs to be skimmed off

This is what "skimmed foam" looks like - discard it

Cook a little more - keep stirring

I turn the heat of and stir in a little nutmeg, cinnamon (not shown) and
a teaspoon of my homemade vanilla

ready to refrigerate and enjoy

I'm enjoying this with my morning greek yogurt and granola - a tablespoon of this mixed in is oh so very good!

I hope that you are living a life that is full of the things that make you happy.  k