FairyFace Designs giveaway.........

http://fairyfacedesigns.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-big-scrappy-giveaway.html?showComment=1304086828604#c870542166401854326


Check it out!!  I would love to win!  Part of that is because I don't have any of my fabrics here with me!  I let the movers pack all that up!  I suppose part of that decision was also attributed to my mom and hubby saying "you don't need to take all that" but now that we are here and Geoff is still unemployed buying fabrics isn't in the cards and I really don't have much to do!!  The reason I haven't blogged in awhile is that I have been working on a very long term project.  Ive been building a garden out back.  I, as usual, bit off more then I could chew and am planting over 48 different edible plants!  I love it though!!  Ill post pics and blog more soon!

Don't forget to check out FairyFacedesigns!  I love her stuff!!!  :)

Not all projects are a success........

Today I set out to do some glass etching.  Something I have wanted to do for a very long time.  My husband bought some glass etching cream about 8yrs ago but Im pretty sure that the bottle was never even opened.  A friend of mine has done some beautiful work with etching cream so she has inspired me to try my own project.  I found this really cute bottle on sale at Joann Fabric SS

I found a really nice butterfly/celtic knot design

Isn't it pretty??  Unfortunatly it presented a challenge.  Think about it.  Cutting it out on the vinyl was a nightmare!  But I got it cut out.  and applied the cream to the vinyl and glass....

It looks as if its doing something right?  Yea, NO!  Its not!  Oh well, that just means I can try again tomorrow!  I did get something done today.  I have been having some skin issues.  Very dry cracked and painful skin and yesterday I was checking the GNOWFLGLINS.com site and they had something about how to prevent dry skin.  They were talking about a product called a hard lotion bar by MadeOn.  I had vaguely heard of a lotion bar but really hadn't thought much of it till I saw this.  (Truly God stepping in to help) I am so cheap....or maybe I just like having new projects.  Anyway, its made out of Beeswax, Coconut oil, and Shea Butter and as I was at the health food store today picking up some flour I grabbed some beeswax.  I had forgotten what the other ingredient was but wasn't worried since I figured I wouldn't be able to get to making it till tomorrow.  However, I found a few minutes to melt down a bar of beeswax (I think they call them pestles) and throw in some coconut oil but thats all it was cause thats all I had.

 I love it though.  So far my hands feel great and I can tell that there is a protective barrier over them.  We will see how my hands do in a week and if they are improving I am going to make a couple of these bars (and I may actually add the third ingredient which probably doesn't matter a whole heck of a lot) and gift one to my brother who also has a huge problem with dry cracking skin. Did you know that beeswax is considered a perfect product?  Its all natural and nutrient rich and has many uses from making lotions, soaps, hair products, wood conditioner, candles, the list goes on and on and on.  Coconut oil is considered a superfood and can be used for lotions, baked goods, again the list goes on. Well, its past time for bed.  Happy Hobbying...

Sourdough Nutella Ring...

1st attempt: Well, its not pretty but it tastes pretty good.

I love to cook and bake and create with food.  I also love learning about food and learning new ways to make things healthier for my family.  I was introduced to GNOWFLIGNS.com by a friend of mine who shares the same interests as I do in the category of healthy foods.  While it is not new ideas on food it certainly is interesting.  I love knowing that these methods have been used to prepare food since before Jesus walked the earth! Sourdough is one of the eCourses that they teach on the site and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning all the eCourse has to offer.  One of my favorite sourdough recipes that they teach about is called Bucket Bread or No-knead dough or 5 min artisan bread.  You essentially make a bucket of bread dough and then you can make what ever you want with it.  I ran across a recipe for Artisan Nutella Ring in the Cooking Club of America Magazine and thought it would be perfectly adaptable to the GNOWFLIGNS way of doing Bucket Bread.  My Grandmother loves Nutella and since she is visiting I thought I would make her a special breakfast treat.  My 1st attempt (seen above) is not what I served my Grandmother but an attempt to see if it would indeed taste as good as it sounds.  For some reason, though,  my dough did not rise as well as it should have.  I also wasn't thinking and used butter instead of egg to brown the top so I have a layer of butter topped with a layer of egg which is topped with a layer of sugar.  Over all it tastes pretty good (if I hadn't ran out of Whole Wheat Pastry flour and had to substitute Spelt I am sure it would have an even better uniform taste.)  I plan to try it again as I have plenty of dough.  I just put a loaf of dough out to rise so we will see how well it does and if it doesn't rise then I will need to figure out what I need to do to get it to rise, either start over or possibly add more Sourdough Starter.  Time will only tell!

My youngest, not only disregarding my request to get off the table but enjoying the Nutella Ring.

Ill see if I can create a recipe section and ad the Nutella Ring recipe.  For the bucket bread at its highest health properties please check out GNOWFLIGNS.com eCourse on Sourdough.  I doubt you will be disappointed!  Happy Hobbying.

I am a collector....

I am a collector of hobbies. I actually consider it an addiction. As a stay at home mom you would think that I have all the time in the world to learn new crafts and hobbies but alas, I do not! But, I do try. I try hard. So in an attempt to bring organization to my world and to also enjoy all the things I learn on a daily basis I am creating this blog. We will see how it goes. It will most likely be a slow process but I hope that I can collect all the great things I have learned and found on and off the net and put them in one place.

There is a forum on this site that Id like to use as a suggestion box or Q&A. If your reading this and you think there is something that may interest me or you are interested in but haven't had the time to learn about it, start a thread. HOWEVER, I do not appreciate spams. Be kind.

I will start to upload some pictures of what I have done so far and links to things that I have come across. Things that I believe are interesting. From cooking to pyrography from gardening to sewing lets see what we can compile. Happy hobbying.