Dolls Get Cold Too You Know

I made these blankets for the twins' American Girl dolls from scraps left over from their own quilts I made posted here and here.  Seriously- from scraps!I didn't even have enough fabric to back them so I had to use fabric from my stash.Each blanket is 17 inches square and took just a few minutes to make (OK maybe more than a few).   No batting or quilting involved.  Really they are just like an empty pillow case sewn shut.  But the twins live in Georgia where it doesn't get that cold so the dolls really should be fine.  Diana 

Better Apple Pie

Apple pies are so "american".  And I have been trying different recipes for years, trying to find one I liked.  My problem? I find baked apples to be rather boring.  No matter how tart the apples start out, once you bake them in a pie, they lose the pucker factor.  So sad.  But after a trip to our farmer's market where I was seduced by plumb tart locally grown blueberries, my husband suggested I combine the granny smith apples I had in the fridge with the berries to make a small pie.  Sure, sounds doable.  I even found a recipe that gave me a jumping off point.Basically all you have to do is add a handful of blueberies to your fav apple pie recipe and viola- an apple pie that taste tart enough to please anyone!  No too sweet and boring beige filling here.  Pilled high berries and apples look pretty with a flaky lattice crust.  So next time you make your apple pie, throw in a handful of blueberries and taste the difference!  Diana

Moody Cookies

Happy or sad, you decide......that was the message these cookies attempted to teach my husband's Sunday School class of 7 year olds!We all have seen the funny little face that when flipped one way shows a happy face but turned upside down shows a frowny one.  We thought it would make more of a impression on the children if that same face was done on a sugar cookie.  It made a great take home treat and hopefully taught a valuable lesson.  We are responsible for our own attitude, happy or grumpy......which is much easier when you are eating a cookie!  Diana

How to Remove Acrylic Paint From Fabric

Eli's Pack Meeting this month provided the Cub Scouts with an opportunity to freezer paper stencil their names on the back of a scout shirt.  Eli brought a friend with him and while I was ironing on his stencil my extremely self-sufficient son started applying paint to his shirt.  Wonderful, right?? Wrong!  He went to town before I had a chance to iron on the freezer paper resulting in a big blob of blue paint slightly above where his left kidney is. It resembled one of those ink blot tests...

Anywho, it dried overnight, and I thought it would be his new pajama shirt.  Until, I did a little research and found a way to remove the paint (at least most of it).  Yippee! The pictures show a little bit of residue still on the shirt.  I think it is because he was really liberal with his paint application.  I wish I would have thought to take a before picture, but I seriously thought it was a lost cause.  Once I redid his name, it really isn't noticeable at all.

1. Put something (cardboard or old absorbent rag) under the layer of fabric to prevent bleeding.
2. Soak, I mean really soak the fabric and paint in rubbing alcohol.  I used 70% because that is what I had on hand.
3. Scrap off as much of the paint as you can with the dull side of a butter knife.  Reapply rubbing alcohol as needed to keep the fabric really soggy.  Keep scraping until you can't scrape anymore residue off.  At this point you will still be able to see a lot of the color.  My hopes weren't very high at this point, but keep going-it works!
4. Use a strong soap and scrub the life out of the fabric.  I used my favorite soap, Hogwash (my children have this soap to thank for their lives). 
5. Send the fabric through the cold wash cycle. 

A Perfect Day

Well, it was actually two perfect days.

First we spent a day out at the cabin. 

Abby brought her bow and practiced her aim.   Can we say Hunger Games......  We worked hard on cutting and nailing up the pine boards we are putting on the walls and ceiling.  Us girls take a break and head to the nearby Amish market for some fresh fry pies and old fashion soda.  The Friendly Meadow Market has the best sandwiches and treats and the owners are always happy to chat. 

That night and this morning Ron worked on the mustang and today we got it registered in preparation for it's first road trip. 

After running some errands, and straightening up the house, I took this picture of the path through the woods on my way up to the barnyard.  Ron said he saw some wild turkeys with their chicks so I was off to find them and get a shot, if I could find them. 

I finally found them in the pasture and just as I took aim, the chicks flew for the safety of the nearby berry patch.

It was to the edge of the pasture next and a picture of our neighboring farmer's cornfield. 

While searching for wild raspberries, I saw this firefly resting on a leaf. 

Then it was on to our secret place in the cool woods to rest a moment on the log. 

Finally a ripe berry, and a reminder to order edible gold spray paint.  I am going to spray berries and plop them on everything. 

The beehives are full of sweet golden honey and we will soon harvest this season's crop. 

On my way back to the house I take this picture of the barnyard.  The grass is looking brown from the lack of rain, so I will be watering the garden tomorrow.   But for now I have cookies to decorate for my husband's Sunday School class and dinner to make.  We have chocolate pie is in the fridge to look forward to for dessert.  Yes, a perfect couple of days.  Diana

Little Trouble Maker Card

Look at this little trouble maker.  It is just the right card for a little guy who has a bundle of energy and always seems to be into something!Diana

Wedding Cake Card

Unusual colors for a wedding card but I like it!And it is simple and elegant.  Diana

Primary Children's Father's Day Craft

It is so hard to find a craft that ages 3 to 11 year olds can do for Father's Day.  I hope this one will work out OK.It is a simple matchbook design that wraps around a blow pop.  The dimensions are 2 inches by 6 inches.  Score at 1/2 inch, 2   3/4 inch. and 3  3/4 inch.  Punch a hole in the one inch center section.  The bear is from Doodlecharms by Cricut.

Here is a side view.  The face is drawn by hand and will be so cute when the kids do it!  Diana

Sweets For Dad

This year's Father's Day candy bar for the guys at our church are done!  I used Give a Hoot Cricut cartridge to make the funny little squirrel.These are passed out to all the men over 18 years and always are a big hit.  I do 50 and my friend does 50.  Can't wait to see what she has done!  Diana

Including the Kitchen Sink

Thought I would update you all on the progress out at the cabin.  We spent 2 days tiling the counter and back splash and installing the sink and drain.You can't imagine how excited I was to turn on the faucet and have water come out!

Here is an in-progress pic.  The tile was on but the grout wasn't. 

This is what it looks like with all my stuff.  I still have to put on drawer pulls and of course the flooring and kick boards!  I am also going to cover the fridge and microwave area with a curtain.  But it is so nice to be able to rinse out things in a sink. 

 I really need to scrub out the sink (second hand).  I didn't have any cleanser at the cabin so that will have to wait for our next trip out there.  I must make a list of all the items I will need!  Diana

Super Hero Capes

How to entertain three very active little boys?  Help them burn off that energy with some super hero capes and masks!The designs are machine embroidery so other than changing thread, they couldn't be easier.

Check out the cute alphabet from Planet Applique. 

Even the mask is done in the hoop from Planet Applique.

Now the boys can run to their hearts content and keep the earth safe from evil.  Diana

Superbear!!!

One last bear.....and he is special, very special.He is a super hero!

Cape and all.

He is so cuddlely and sweet and he can save the world.  Perfect.  Diana

Vintage Dishcloths

I am not a big fan of handwashing dishes, in fact, I try to fit EVERYTHING into the dishwasher!  If my dishwasher is broke I am devastated.  As in fall on the ground and cry like a baby from the stress of putting myself through handwashing pots and pans.  Yuck.  But, it wasn't pratical to put a dishwaher in our tiny cabin's almost completed kitchen so.........I will be washing dishes.  I am trying to ease myself into the unpleasant task which lies ahead by making lots of pretties for the job.  That includes these sweet dishcloths I crocheted!

 I mean, I almost feel like a princess to be able to used something as frilly as these beauties.  Aqua and red......LOVE IT!!!!!!

 And this one in lime green and lilac is a dream........no ugly dishrag for me! 

Now I just need a pretty container for my dishsoap and I will almost enjoy this chore.........   Not really, but at least I will have something to distract me.    Diana

Grizzly Bear

I made another bear!  This one was created using really long fur that had black tips.  He reminds me of a grizzly bear but much more lovable.He is fully jointed and I shaved the fur off for his paw pads and muzzle.

He has very tiny eyes that are close set and his nose is enormous!  It gives him personality!  Now I'll be vacuuming for days to get all the fur off my carpet, couch, clothes........  Diana