China Silk Painting

Silk China Painting is a free style art form, very relaxing project, it can't be messed up.

Supplies:
100 % silk scarf (Jo Ann's or Amazon on line carry the scarfs )
Dye-na-flow paints made by Jacquard are sold on Amazon.com also
Spray bottle filled with water
Small child rubber bands
7 Styrofoam cups
Tray to catch drips
Rubber gloves optional
Iron


Grab a dime size piece of material, twist, place rubber band around it. Pick 7 spots on the scarf, and repeat 6 more times make sure to stagger the positions on the scarf for a more natural effect.

Place the rubber banded  buttons of material on top of a Styrofoam  cu which has been inverted upside down. One cup per button. Arrange on a tray, to catch paint, and water because it will flow.

Place a drop of the color yellow on the tip of the button of material, allow to dry for 15 minutes or use a blow dryer to speed up the process. When applying the next color leave a space of white between the 2 colors.

To achieve a softer looking flower spray water on the edges of the flowers. The colors chosen on some of the flowers were red, orange, blue, and purple. You want the colors to fall in the valleys of the cups. The buttons on top of the cups make this work. Place the color green in the valley of the cloth, and again spray water to give the greenery a softer look.

Here is a group of happy painters : )

Baby Shower Ideas

I have 2 wonderful nieces that are expecting babies at relatively the same time. Since we didn't know the sex of the babies I was looking for a theme that would incorporate both a girl, and a boy. I stayed with yellow, green, blue, red for the color palette. I decided to go with a jungle animal theme.

I made 2 diaper cakes for each of the nieces using animals that I had sewn, or purchased. Walmart carries  cute cloth rattles.

Made onesies  sugar cookies : )

Sunny yellow with happy poka dots.

I also to decided to make cupcakes instead of a big huge cake. My thinking was the left overs would be easier to store. I put a small 6 inch cake on top for the theme of the baby shower. Carrot cake with cream  cheese frosting, covered with homemade fondant.

The characters are made from the fondant, it is difficult to work with next time I will use sugar paste. My niece Summer was still expecting, so I made her holding her big tummy. Tammy had delivered her son by the time of the baby shower.

Food was set up cafeteria style.

The happy mothers : )

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are so good when they are warm, right out of the oven. The smell  that fills the air is so comforting on a cold morning like today.
 The recipe for the dough will be sticky.When rolling the dough I recommend using a steel dough cutter, or metal spatula for lifting the dough from the counter. I also recommend a tin pan for baking the rolls it helps to keep the dough from getting too crispy. Flour brands do make a difference, when I bake with inferior brands I am always disappointed, I highly recommend  King Arthur Four.

Ingredients:
1 cup milk scalded
1/2  cup shortening
1 cup water
1 1/2  tablespoon yeast
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1  1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
5 1/2 bread flour
Filling
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon
Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter soften
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1  tablespoon milk

In a small pan scald 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup shortening. It  should be warm to the touch, the shortening will not melt all the way, it  will just start to melt. Remove from stove.

In one bowl add 1/2 cup of warm water, 1 1/2 tablespoon yeast, mix well set to the side. Then in the other bowl beat 2 eggs, there's 2 reasons I do that. 1 is to make sure the egg is good, 2 is to make sure I don't  put the egg shell into the recipe : )

Pour the warm milk mixture, with the eggs, and yeast  mixture, to this also add  1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt,  and  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg mix well. Then add 5 1/2 cups bread flour beat till smooth. The dough will start to climb the dough hook, the consistency will be sticky.  Remove the dough, place in a greased bowl.

Take your hand, lift edges  into the center until dough resembles picture, this helps the dough roll out more even later in the process.

Before placing the plastic wrap spray it with Pam nonstick, this helps the plastic wrap from sticking to the  dough. Let rise till doubled about 2 hours.

To make filling place 1 cup brown sugar, 4 teaspoons cinnamon in small bowl mix well set to the side.

Roll dough out on well floured surface.

Roll out 13 x 28 inches. Spread melted butter on the dough.

Sprinkle brown sugar , and cinnamon topping.

Roll into tube shape using the dough cutter, or spatula if you don't own a dough cutter.

Cover with plastic wrap let rise till doubled.

After dough rises, brush tops with melted butter before placing in oven to bake. preheat oven to 325 degrees, and bake for 25 minutes or until  slightly golden like in photo.

To make cheese cream topping place  1/2 cup soften butter, 8 oz  cream cheese, mix well until fluffy. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 cups of powdered sugar. Blend the powdered sugar slowly because it will make a mess other wise.Add 1 tablespoon of milk.

Spread over the rolls, and enjoy : )

Infant Crochet Sandals

Here's a quick easy infant crochet sandal pattern. It's only for babies that are not walking yet. They attach around the ankle, and over the middle toe. I used a cream cotton yarn for the light color part, and a fingerling weight yarn for the flowers, and a large plastic bead for the flower centers.

Supplies
1 skein cotton yarn
1/4 skein fingerling yarn
2 large eye plastic beads
Large eye needle
Crochet hook size g

 Chain 21, connect with slip stitch. Chain 3 that is the first double crochet. do 5 more double crochet in each corresponding chain.

Flip over do 3 chain crochet in the first chain hole, this will be the first double crochet, do 4 double crochets in the next chain holes.

 Flip over again, chain 3 which will become the first double crochet. Do 3 more double crochet in next 3 chain holes. At the end of the row chain 5, this will be where the baby toe fits. Slip stitch to the end of the row, bind off.

Using fingerling yarn,  make the flower by watching flower tutorial

attach large bead with yarn and sew onto middle of sandal. 

There she is tugging at her crochet sandals. 

Felt Knitted Cupcakes Pincushiions

Today I felt inspired to go into my happy place by making some thing cute...  There's a lot of drama going on out there in our world, the war of negative words , and thoughts. Therefore I choose not to participate. I will be grateful, and see God bigger than the woes, and surround my self with as much beauty as I can.

Supplies:
Size G crochet hook
1 skein tan, pink or your color choice yarn
Assorted glass beads
Yarn scraps
Felt squares in brown, yellow, pink or white
Beading needle
Thread in matching colors, or clear thread
Small pom poms in red color
Scissors
Size 2 double pointed knitting needles

Cut felt in half long length wise.

I used my yarn scraps to fill the center, you can also use fiber filling.

Fold in half, roll the strip in a staggered motion, so the top is elevated. It should look like a miniature hill. Attach the second strip on to the first and continue rolling. See picture.

Tack the felted cupcake by sewing a stitch to secure it.

The bottom of the cupcake will be uneven trim off about 1 inch to level the cupcake flat.

The bottom looks like this after it has been trimmed even.

To make the knitted cupcake paper. Cast on 40 stitches onto 4 double pointed needles, placing 10 stitches on each needle. Connect stitches into the round to make one continued row.
Row 1: k2, p2 until cup measures 1 1/2 inches. Bind off, and prepare to make bottom.

To make bottom of cupcake cup.This part will be crocheted. Chain 4 slip stitch to connect. Add 3 chains this will be the first double crochet. Row 1:    12 double crochet will be done in the donut hole. Row 2  double crochet in every single double crochet from previous row. The circle should lay flat, as in picture.
Leave a 8 inch tail of yarn so to be able to sew the circle onto the knitted  cup part.

Sew beads randomly with thread.

Finished felt knitted cupcake pincushion, my granddaughters like to add these tasty treats to the rest of their felt food collection.