Homegrown Hospitality

131 days or so...

and it will be...

CHRISTMAS.

yep...same time every year and still year, after year...after year...we all get stuck in that same rut of waiting till the last minute so on October 1st I am launching a new "Homemade For Holidays 2012" Online/PDF E-Course with a TON of ideas, projects, inspiration and recipes to hopefully get you motivated to get the holiday gifts and celebrations organized so that once December arrives, you can enjoy it...

WHAT AN IDEA!

EnJOY December !?!

Bu that is not it...not only am I doing it online for those who are miles away, I am also going to do a little "Create@HOME for the Holidays" in your home...and maybe even a few in mine creating these:

You invite your friends, clear off the dining room or patio table, I will bring the supplies and together we will create! Dates are limited for Sept. Oct. & December so if you would like more information on this, please email me at homegrown1(at) att.net and be sure to put CREATE@HOME in the subject line.

Fah..Lah..Lah..Lah..Lah...

Try it..You'll Like It.

The old me LOVED Diet Coke.

The newish me does not drink diet coke anymore, actually rarely even drinks soda (occasionally Hansen's Diet Ginger Ale or Club Soda with lots of ice and lime...mostly water and iced tea)

The old me LOVED chips and salsa....alot.

The newer me doesn't eat tortilla chips anymore, and if I do, I eat a handful and while I enjoy the crunch and the salt...the rest makes me feel crappy....

BUT

the old and new me still loves salsa and just as much as I love to eat it, I love to make it.

Here is what I use:

• 1 container of mild fresh "pico" salsa from the deli
• 1/2 - 1 jar of medium jar salsa
• 1/2 Sweet Maui Onion chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro chopped
• 1 Fuji or Gala Apple seeded and finely chopped
• 7-10 Strawberries, Mango or papaya, chopped
• 1-2 Avocados, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

 

I eat it in salads, on salads with BBQ chicken, with apples, celery, carrots (instead of chips) or just plain by itself...it is so good...and when I take it places, I always tell people to guess the secret ingredients.  They are so surprised to hear about all of the fruit.

Try it..you'll like it!

oh..and in the Fall/Winter, you can dump it in a crock pot with chicken broth, shredded chicken, celery, chili powder, cumin, garlic, green chilis, a few dashed of this and that and make Chicken Tortilla Soup!

Create Soulful Art

So..."What do you do?"

I sorta cringe and honestly, exit stage left when the conversation starts.  If I miss my exit and get caught with the "What do you do" for a living question, well, even though it is clear in my mind what I do, when I try to put it into a sentence to answer that question, it is easier to say "I make crafts".

wrong answer.

Not completely wrong, because I do, you know...make crafts, but it is so much more and as I "mature" in various ways, I am learning to give myself a tad bit more credit than just to say "I make crafts"

What I do is "create soulful art" and what that means is I create things from paper, paint, ink, batter, dough, fabric, felt, sticks, rocks, you name it..whatever my girl-macgyver mind, trailer park martha hands and God filled heart can get ahold of and in the process of turning it from one thing into another, I also incorporate a message, well, like a reminder to you, and for myself.

See, it is easier to say "I make crafts" but I will stop saying that and come up with something that won't be a paragraph long.  

Now, speaking of making things, see those letter up there in the heart? Here is how I turned them from one thing into another:

• I started with Grunge board letters (or any letters that you might already have..or hey, use grunge board sheets and a die to create your own)

• and white acrylic paint

• and, um...paint them (and then dry them)

• and then stamp them

•  and then put on your boxing gloves and punch them out..(just wanted to see if you were still reading!) no, but really, punch them out:

I know..awesome!

Here is what I used 

Paint Dabber - Snow Cap	Ranger Heat It Craft Tool	Jet Black Archival Ink	SA Classic Favorites - Borders	Grunge Board Elements
Idea-Ology Grunge Board 12 x 12

InLinkz.com

Now go create some soulful art..

Big Honkin Bookmark

I usually tear piece of paper off of the local Realtors magnetic business card/paper pad that is on the side of the refrigerator or grab a picture and use it as a book mark.

BUT...because I am in the habit of creating something every morning and because I have a big book to start reading, I figured a big book needs a big bookmark.

I was 3/4 of the way into it when I realized that I had not taken any pictures of the process, so here is a brief run down of what I did...

• sprayed ink on a 4" x 9" manila hanging tag and did not like how it looked so I covered the tag with tissue paper here and there.
• Dried it
• LIGHTLY swiped white crackle paint here and there
• Dried It
• LIGHTLY swiped more crackle paint here and there going the opposite way
• Dried it
• LIGHTLY swiped another color of crackle paint wherever and..you got it, dried it.
• Inked the edges
• Tore out a heart and adhered it to the tag
• Dried it
• Sprayed some water on the heart and rubbed off a little of the color using a paper towel.
• Dabbed a little Barn Door ink on the heart
• Dried it
• Added a little red paint to the heart with my finger
• Dried it
• Added Rock Candy Crackle to the heart...and you know, dried it.
• Inked around the edges of the heart with a Black Distress Pen, smudged it around and dried it.
• Stamped my phrase "Create a Life that Reflects your Dreams" using some stamps, and well..ink and then I dried it
• Tied a bunch of trims to the top

done.

Distress Crackle - Broken China	Distress Crackle - Picket Fence	Distress Crackle Paint - Vintage Photo	Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy	Ranger Heat It Craft Tool
Idea-Ology Paper Seasonal	Distress Ink - Barn Door	Tim Holtz Distress Markers	District Market Tissue Wrap - Terminology	Distress Ink - Walnut Stain
Idea-ology Tissue Tape Commute	Ideaology Trimmings - Seasonal	Tinsel Twine - Silver	Ideaology Paper String - Stripes	Ideaology Lavish Trimmings

InLinkz.com

Dream..Fly..Soar

It is important to Dream..and when you do...allow yourself to fly and soar.

Here is a link to the tutorial on how you can create a reminder like the one I made (scroll down once you get to the page)

Enjoy your flight!

Hello Friday

I am happy to be typing this because my NEW COMPUTER is very fussy today..therefore, I am sharing a few things and then giving my computer the day off...

Picked the first of what looks to be about 7,000 or so

did a little early morning creative play

and off to finish these for my bro-in-laws big 40 beer party tomorrow...

Happy Friday!

Trailer Park Martha Creative Caserole

I could have gone out and just bought a wood frame. 

It would have been quick, easy and probably cheap but really

1. I have blank frames...in turquoise
2. I have more art/paint/ink supplies than the average bear
3. I do not like shopping
4. If I went to Target to get a little frame, chances are I would have spent over $200.00.  (Well, I could have bought socks, too..hmmm...Maybe I will hit Target later this morning...)

Anyways, one of my most favorite things to do is to create something out of nothing..Well, "not out of nothing" but from the stuff I already have lying around, you know, like a casserole. 

This is what I call "Trailer Park Martha" because it means that you & I can create something just as wonderful as her (Martha) without going to buy 5-7 new supplies.

So, back to the wooden frame...

A few weeks ago I picked up a 4-pack of sea-glass colored frames for...well, not really for anything, but I liked the colors, I liked the price and well, I was a Target.  Isn't that what you are supposed to do when you are in Target?  Pick up random-un-planned un-listed things and pile them in your cart?

anyways...yesterday I grabbed the frame, some supplies and started to layer....(take out the backing and the glass first)

Start by lightly swiping a paintbrush with Glue-N-Seal on it around all the top and side edges of the frame.  Don't cover all of the areas..just "dry-brush" it on.  You want to have some thicker and thinner areas (Take a closer look at the photo below)

Then dry it a little..not completely, just almost dry...

then spray a little color wash on it here and there..
and dry it....almost all the way...
Then with more Dry-n-Seal on your brush, lightly swipe/drag  it over all of the areas that you just dried
and then dry a bit again..

Then, again LIGHTLY swipping/dragging your brush, apply some crackle paint here and there. The reason I say "lightly swipe" is because if you notice in the photo below, the brush will skip and swipe leaving what looks similar to woodgrain...

go on, try it.

Lightly dry the crackle and then grab a paper towel and do this:

1. Spray on more color wash
2. Gently but quickly wipe it off in a downward motion

check it out...whhhooooooo!!!  Wood grain....

Now after you stop smiling and saying "Oh my gosh", continue the steps and layers until you have gotten the look you want.  I actually like a bit of the turquoise popping out.  It looks like old barn wood...love.

Once the front and sides are done and dried, do the same thing on the back of the frame, dry completely, give it one more light coat of Glue-N-Seal to seal it all up and whala...a woodgrain frame to frame something.

oh, and I adhered a little metal plate that reads "Possibility Begins With Imagination"....

Go take your imagination and make a creative casserole with the things you already have...

Here are the products I used:

InLinkz.com

Ask & Listen

Good Morning...here is another great excerpt from the book "Only You Can Be You" 

I know so many women right now, including myself, that are in that "Am I doing what I am supposed to be doing" stage of life.  We spend more time questioning ourselves instead of questioning the one who designed us...

duh.

For me, the thing I most often forget is to ask HIM and then listen...actually, I do ask (once in awhile) and then try to figure the answer out myself.

duh, again. (Insert throwing myself under the dang bus again..)

IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. We need to ask HIM...and as it reads in "OYCBY" (on page 94 if you have the book)

Now, based on that phrase, I am going to go create something....be back later! 

Up to Something & On the Road....

I have NOT been a good blogger this summer and I apologize, but while I have been working, living and doing new things, our garden is going crazy...

I have been working like one of Santa's elf's getting boxes packed and off to Chicago for CHA with things like this:

and this

and this...

but I will not be in Chicago because in just a few hours, along with this stuff

we will officially be on vacation, so that means that the blog is going to be quiet for a week....

While I am gone, please consider checking this stuff out:

• Courtney's new book is coming out in just a few weeks...and if you have not read the first one, A Sweethaven's Summer, um, you should...and it is only $.99 to download...
• There are NEW Brave Girl Camp dates up for this year and I am almost brave enough to decide on a date...yikes! oh, and Soul Restoration registration is open and class starts in a few week...and it is oh so good....
• My new doodle class is open and ready for you to get your doodle on.  You can read more about the class here and you can go over here to sign up and doodle!
• Speaking of doodles, here is a doodle that I just posted on Facebook and want to share here, because I know you go to Target...and Michael's...and there are LOTS of little toes that need warmth...and for a $1.00...shoot....

• To learn more about Joy Jars, go here
• To Learn more about The Jessie Rees Foundation, go here
• Become a FB Fan of the Jessie Rees Foundation 

okay my friends...This is farewell for a week

Aloha.

The Little Things...

I find great happiness in little things like tearing little strips of muslin fabric and placing grungeboard stars on them..

and then spraying it with Butterscotch color wash and a little water 

and then drying it...

and then flipping the stars off (no, not with your middle finger!) of the fabric and gasping outloud at how cute it looks...

and then hanging it on little metal hangers to look at..

meanwhile,  trying to decide

1. What I am going to do with my little handmade patterned fabric strips
2. How many colors and shapes I can do this with...

The possibilities, as they say, are endless....

Sizzix Movers & Shapers Magnetic Die Set 2PK - Mini Old Glory

Idea-Ology Grunge Board 12 x 12

Adirondack Color Wash Butterscotch

Idea-Ology Hanger Clips

InLinkz.com