Happy Papa's Day

I have been seeing these floating around Pinterest for awhile.

So I made my own version

You will need:

1. A frame with matting, I used one that I had bought @ Michael's for $5. This frame came with a 5x7 mat .

2. various scrapbooking papers in colors of  your choice.. I used 4 different papers from the same scrap pad so they coordinated.

3. Glue

4. Stickers

First I  decided on what paper to use

Then I traced

Lily was having a off picture day!

Then I cut

Then I  (Lily) added their names on the thumb using rub on letters

Then I glued the hands on top of one another largest to smallest. I  also glued the background paper to the back of the mat from the picture frame. Then glued the hands on top of the mat.

Then I added more lettering

{ I find with the rub on letters, it is better to cut them out. I was rubbing them when they were on the sheets and letters I didn't want were rubbing off making a mess!}

And here is the finished product

All Framed up

and only one boo-boo!

Doesn't quite fit! Oh well!

Happy Fathers day crafting to you all in Blogland

~Bianca

Oh yea, you still have time to enter a comment on the Guest post blog on Bles-id for summer scarves..

Contest ends Thursday

Guest Blog Post on Bles-id !

Hey guys and gals, I have been given the great privilege of having a guest blog post by the dazzling, magnificent, radiant Julia at Bles-id

So if you feel like checking it out head on over!

Here is a little sneak peak...

If you like what you see leave a comment and be enter in a drawing for ????

( cant tell ya, gotta go check it out! )

Thanks and hope you like!

Bianca

Adventures in Canning

A few summers back  a friend gave me a jar of her strawberry freezer jam. We ( OK maybe I ) quickly gobbled it up and requested that if she could spare and extra jar we would love it! She did us the honor of giving us two more jars , which we again devoured. So the next year she invited me over to show me how to make it. It is the quickest and easiest recipe.  If you don't end up giving all  your jars to friends and family one flat of fresh yummy strawberries you might be able to keep  your fridge full for the year. Here is a recipe for freezer jam, I just use the one on the box of pectin which is pretty much that same as this.

So this year after making my freezer jam, I thought to myself.."self, how hard it is to make other canned goodies" I love jardiniere ( spicy pickled cauliflower) of course we are always out of pickles and apricot jam runs out as often as the strawberry. I ventured over to amazon to look at books and found two I thought would work

1. Canning for a new Generation

2. Put 'em up

Both of these books offer great recipes. The canning for the new generation goes by seasons so you know what to look for at the market and what will be truly fresh. And I think the Put 'em up book has very straight forward easy classic recipes.

The adventure begins...Off to the farmers market with the kids..

also got a few must haves... kettle corn, pistachios , strawberries, cherries

I see jardiniere, dilly beans and pickles !

Note to readers, The books mention a few supplies for canning you might need. I was being defiant and decided I could make due with what I have... NOT a good choice when dealing with boiling hotness.. I do recommend going out and buying

1. the canning kit that comes with the special tongs for lifting said hotness out the the boiling hotness!

2. canning pot.. so much easier I promise!!

After a few hours here Is what I ended up with

Jardiniere.. The books did not mention when you could start eating your yummies, I waited a few days to let the flavors set in. This batch is a little sweeter than I like , so I have decided I will be adding some spicyness to it next time. But it is way yummy!

1. Dilly Beans.. I don't think I have had the pleasure of eating these, but they sounded so good so I had to try.

2. Pickled Asparagus.. also never have tried but looking forward to it.

3. Spicy Carrots..had to try this for my friend Sarah who eats these like candy!

Any my lovely's..I am going to wait at least a week to try these. There are so many spices in there that I know need time to blend.. I and crossing my fingers that these are going to be as good as I think they are!

 Apricot vanilla Preserves...This was the only one of the recipes that I could taste while I was cooking it. Love at first taste. I only made three jars and have already used one and am half way through two!

Here is a little sample of what you can do with apricot jam

 Crispy Apricot pork chops, I got the recipe for Martha's Great food fast,

but I found a similar recipe Here.

I  would  love to know if any of you experienced canners or even beginning canners have any recipes you think I should try. I think I am in this for the long run as they say. I really love the idea of being able to do this myself. I only wish I had enough garden space to grow all these fruits and veggies myself!

thanks for stoppin By..

~ Bianca

Artsy Fartsy

I have a confession to make.. growing up I never considered my self an artsy person. That was my sisters roll, she was the one who you could always find coloring at family functions and I was always the one you would find hiding in a bedroom watching MTV..  Not to many art works on the wall growing up were mine. It wasn't until I was looking to change jobs, or should I say find a new job because I hated the one I was at, that I realized how much I loved art, creating art, and crafting.

I had been working at a microbiology laboratory , the craziest of crazy places for me to have had a job for so long. I have great respect for science and scientist, but this job was BORING. But hey It paid the bills, payed for me to move out of my moms house, buy my own car etc etc. .. I also had a boss with so many personalities that I lost count. I needed out! So I started taking classes at the JC. Interior Design was what I thought might be a good career change. After taking a Period and Contemporary Furniture class where the teacher made us draw the furniture I decided I needed to take a drawing class.And the rest is history as they say.. My art has definitely not led  to me paying the bills, in fact I know I spend way to much on supplies but it has led to new friendships and higher learning.

I guess that was a pretty long intro to what I was planning on showing in this blog, but I didn't want to be like here ya go take a look at me!! But here ya go take a look at this.. LOL

This is from my first semester in ceramics. I was inspired by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

These guys are from last fall. Still taking ceramics.. I am trying to work out a deal to get my own pottery wheel, but It hasn't happened yet! I have a newly acquired obsession with all things school related , such as paper airplanes, pencils, paper. ( more examples to come!)

This is from an old picture of my grandpa that I found.  His nickname for me was Bonkers, I never quite figured out why or how he started calling me that but I think it is so fitting for me today! I water colored this one. I have yet to try oil painting ,but of the couple mediums I have tried watercolor is my favorite.

this one is a linoleum block print. I carved the finger print out of a piece of linoleum and printed it  ( kind of like a stamp just a little more complicated)

Here is a tutorial from YouTube if you are interested

This one is really recent. I saw something similar in Pottery Barn and they wanted like $300 smackers.. Ahh yeah..NO thanks.. I painted the 3 canvases with chalk board paint and drew the bike on with a charcoal pencil. It is very whimsical I say.. right after I hung it my brother in law asked me why the pedals look like golf clubs..now that is  all I can see when I look at it!

What inspired you to create?

~Bianca

All things Green

Well Friends , I am falling a bit behind... I have not finished my march craft project yet, and it is weighing heavily on me! My problem has been that I am trying to get my booty back into shape and my new work out regime is  getting in the way of my crafting. I am trying to work on a solution, like getting up an hour earlier , but I do so love me sleep and this has yet to happen! So that is where things are for me right now. I don't really like to talk about weight loss, diets, and exercise because I don't want to jinks myself, but  I have lost 15 lbs so far, so I guess the exercising instead of crafting has a little bit a good trade off. I still have a way to go until I am at my "goal weight", but lets just hope I can stay on this path.

So here is to all things that I am behind on.. I should have had this post done for St. Patties day but ..you know the story!

I went to my favorite pickin place before St. Patties day and had green on the mind. Here are some of my quirky finds..

I guess this green dish is probably an ashtray, I just thought it was cute and bubbly and of course the color.. Also I got the stars on one of my adventure to Berkeley ( my favorite city) If you have not been to Ohmega Salvage you should totally go. Just saying super funess.

Green Books to go with the green theme.. Look and see the Practical Methods of Speech book was written by me..Just Kidding but same last name!!

I have no idea what these green glass globe things are. They have a lip like a glass bottle but with the rounded bottom they can stand?? Just thought they were quirky enough that I had to buy!

Added some of my Christmas people who have been hanging around and a couple of my shoe forms and a little this and that and here is what ya get..

Had to make some green pillows for the occasion.. Well this is about as springy as I can get. I don't do flower prints... This guy is actually made from a wool sweater I bought at old navy about 13 yrs ago.. I have been saving it for something good and I think I found it.

This guy is made from some fabric I bought soo long ago and scraps from the wool sweater. Ive seen this cross emblem around in different blogs and magazines.. I think it works..

Here they are all together. My store bought beauties and my homemade goodies..

I promise you will be seeing that March craft soon.

 I forgot to mention there is another factor that has been making it difficult to craft..

Lily

Swing Batter..



And Chaseroo.. Baseball season has come!!

Your truly who is working on catching up ~ Bianca