Something new...

Kind of...I keep journals and draw but not like this!

I started with ths old drawing book I had laying around. I figured it was time to put it to use! well, at least start to! I will decorate the cover when I finish the book. 

I am a notebook, journal, drawing book collector! lol i have so many and will not use one until i know what i want to do with it. So sometimes they sit on the shelf for a LONG time! lol

Anyway, this one has been chosen to become my art journal.

Now don't laugh...lol Go ahead laugh I did! This is my attempt at an art journal! I would say mixed media because i have used a couple different mediums but not to the extent that i have seen. 

I found i have a hard time making an art journal THICK. I like to see what I can do with little supplies. Do not get me wrong I have plenty to work with. But I do not combine mediums together, so this is new to me.

I have done pencil, pen and ink, colored pencil, water color, acrylic, etc but never on one piece of paper. Well I start in pencil then ink it and sometimes color it but never with a mixture of mediums. i will do all my coloring in one medium.

Here I did water color, colored pencil and plain inking, as well as some drawing techniques. I hand drew it all no stencils. I like to keep my art journals to basics I guess I am old fashioned! lol

I decorated the first page with all things I like! A silky soft banner! I love nature so trees and flowers are a given. I used a vine because my ideas sometimes grow wildly out of control! lol the Letter B for Brenda, the brick wall for strength, celtic knotwork a passion and i'm a bit Irish, Tiger, dragon and Wolf tribal art and the little demon leading on following the stone trail. 

We all get carried away and that is what the little demon symbolizes! I got so lost creating this I spent hours planning and creating this and actually forgot about everything else...My husband called me to dinner, thank goodness it was his night to cook!

Would love to hear your thoughts on this!

Love Jewelry...

Bracelets!

I love to bead! Creating jewlery is fun and rewarding, you have a beautiful piece of wearable art, or a great gift to bestow on someone.

I find beading relaxing and a great creative outlet for me. I really need to make time to do it more often.

I love this double strand beauty! Glass seed beads, silver charms, swarvoski flowers!

These are all glass beads and cats eyes to boot, a beautiful shimmer that follows you when the light hits.

Under the sea! All glass beads, Love the fish!

Blue and green glass beads with tri flower spacers.

Green glass cats eye beads with dragonfly spacers, and clear seed beads.

All glass beads like the rest large seed beads, filligree flower spacers bauble spacers and the ever beautiful moonstone beads.

Last but not least! double strand Green glass seed beads with flat celtic floral spacers with Swarvoski cube crystals.

Glass Embellishments...

Glass Baubles...

These work up quick and use your scraps. They are simple to make! Simple rule why buy something if you can make it yourself...unless you are in a pinch with time constraints and such.

All you have to do is fiqure out what part of the paper you want magnified and glue the glass bauble in place. Set aside to dry and trim around the edge once dry.

Or you can use solid color papers and stamp an image to magnify. Here I used my inkadinkadoo inches stamp set.

I love to use these on all my projects. Great for mixed media as well. I even use them in crochet pieces I create.

 
They are great in the large size baubles as well! I love to use these as flower centers. Make a ton and keep them on hand!

Dust Bunny?

Not the ones you dread to find!

These are the cute little guys, you want to cuddle. 

This is the little guy my other little sister requested! She loved him!

My two younger sisters are twins and both have now received one of their requests! I have six more kids to go through and a few adults then back for round two! It's a good thing I love to crochet!

One eyed monster...

Sy Clops!

As a request by one of my little sisters I made this little guy! I have been really getting into making these little guys! No matter what matter of animal or beast they may be.

I just Love this guy and so did my little sis! 

I now have a list of items to create from all the kids in the family! and there are eight of them, and some have listed a few animals/beasts each I will post them as I get them created It will take some time to make the patterns though. 

I am so excited to get started! 

Fortune...

Fortune Cookie!

What does your fortune say? 

So stinking cute! I Love these cute cookies! They are great as a favor for a dinner party, or just a gift, or add to a childs play food area. Love them!

Let me know what you think!

Coasters

Great gift for any occasion!

I love these! The colors are bright and springy! The pattern is simple but dainty. Perfect little coaster/mat for under your mug/glass.

I love to gift these for any occasion! We all can use coasters, although I do like to know the rooms color scheme before hand or at least their favorite colors! 

Caserole...

Italian Caserole

Ingredients

1 8oz pkg. sweet italian sausage

8 green onions sliced

2 zucchini diced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 7oz jar roasted red peppers drained and chopped

1 16oz italian bread loaf cut into 1 inch cubes

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

Directions

remove and discard casings from sausage. Cook in large skillet, stirring til crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain

Add green onions, and next three ingredients to skillet. saute 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in roasted red peppers. drain and cool.

Spread half of bread cubes in lightly greased 13 by 9 pan top with half of the sausage mixture and cheese. Repeat layer once more.

whisk together eggs and milk. Pour over the mixture in pan. Cover and chill 2-4 hours.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until bubbly and hot.

Envelope...

My newest pattern unfolds...

Well, I hope not! I secured it together rather well! lol  This is the project that, that little white heart was created for! 

Remember this little guy!

Here is the next part of the project! Can you tell where this is going? 

I just stitched that little guy right into the center of the envelope!

My envelope is complete, well except for the goodies to put inside! Mail needs some content a little note, crochet flower, stickers, baubles whatever will fit! 

This would be awesome on a tag, card or layout! A cute little gift! The true meaning of Happy Mail! lol

Crochet tiny hearts

Little Hearts!

I needed a little something...a filler for a flower arrangement/spray, so these fit the bill being on the smaller size, a cute to boot!

I have a lot of this velour yarn!  trying to use it where I can.

I made one in white for another project I am in the process of creating! I'm glad i did at least you can see the stitches!

Spinach Lasagna...

Homemade Spinach Lasagna...Kind of!

Ingredients

1 6oz pkg. fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed

1/3 cup pesto sauce

1 15oz jar Alfredo sauce

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 25oz pkg. frozen cheese filled ravioli do not thaw

1 cup shredded cheese I use taco blend

garnishes- chopped basil, paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

chop spinach and toss with pesto.

combine alfredo sauce and vegetable broth. spoon 1/3 of mixture about 1/2 cup into a lightly greased 2.2 qt baking dish.

top with half of the spinach mixture. arrange half of ravioli in single layer over spinach mixture. repeat layers once. Top with remaining alfredo mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.

remove from oven, and sprinkle with shredded cheese. 

Bake for 5 minutes or til hot and bubbly.

Garnish if desired

Flower Center...

Crochet Flower Centers

A close up of the centers I crocheted.

These are great to add to the center of your flowers. You can make them in any colors and they work up quickly! I make these with scrap pieces of yarns and store them in a jar.

Anytime I need a center I grab one and get on with my project.

5 Petal Flower

Flowers!

I love flowers! I get carried away whenever I make these they work up quick and are great for all kinds of projects. 

I love to make these in different sizes and layer them to create fuller flowers.

You can add stamens, bling, buttons, baubles you name it to the centers to change the look.

Made with a superchunky soft mint green yarn.

Made with jute/ twine.

Made with my tiger striped thin soft yarn.

Floppy Flower

Loopy/Floppy Flowers

Sorry about the blurriness of the red flowers. They look the same as the blue. I crocheted these soft beauties with velour thread. 

You could block these if you wanted to but it does take the softness away and kind of makes them crunchy...for lack of better word! lol

I rather the freeform look, seems more natural, and organic. Love these on layouts and cards.

Quick Crochet Bunny

A look at the cute little guys I made.

I know Easter is over, but spring is just beginning! a time when all the bunnies came out to eat our flowers! lol Them and the deer. Rabbits are a sign of spring so I figured one more bunny project wouldn't hurt!

It is still a little chilly here so I am still crocheting. a bunch of projects in the works. 

These came out so stinkin cute! They are all made with yarn no cotton balls or pom poms. Just one hundred percent crochet! Love them.

These are cute to add to your projects or use as a magnet on your fridge.