Thrift Store Junk

Thrift Store goodies. I wanted to add a little yellow to my kitchen decor, an apron, a plate, and rosebud salt and pepper shakers should do the trick. ( well, maybe I need a few more things, but its a start)

pincushion doll

My Mom had a treasure trove of doll heads and a couple of pairs of legs, they were unpainted and she had never gotten around to making them into pincushion dolls. Last Sun. she gave them to me and I have hadso much FUN, painting, and stuffing and dressing these dolls. I still have a few more to do , but here are the ones that I have competed so far. They are totally hand sewn, because I love to craft in the evening while watching TV.

stuffed dolls

I have been busy, busy, busy! I try to keep busy in the winter months, The weather outside keeps me indoors and I quickly get bored with just cooking and cleaning. So to keep busy I get sewing and crafting. I would still rather be at the beach, but my projects help keep me sane. (and that is debatable) I hope you enjoy seeing what I have been up to.
Large, med. and small dolls, they all have flat bottoms so they can stand up, the smallest dolls are filled with lavender, so that they may be tucked into a drawer to keep it smelling fresh. Their happy little faces make me smile.

black and white bag

My sewing room is not quite finished being organized, but I could not stand it any longer, I needed a sewing fix. I feel better now that I have created something. WHew, I feel like I need a cigarette, and I don,t even smoke. (I hope you get my drift)

stuffed doggies

Crafty little doggie project

hankie doll greeting card

I felt inspired the other day to find a use for some of my hankies. I created these stand up paper doll cards ,they were fun to make and now I just need to put them in an envelope and send them to friends. I found this quilt idea in a magazine, I want to make a hankie quilt as soon as I get finished organizing all my crafty sewing stuff in my new room.

night light

Aint she sweet. I bought this night light at a craft sale, she is made out of an old salt shaker. I just love her!

sewing room

I cant wait to get this room done so that I can go in there and PLAY!!

January Blaaaa
It is hard for me to keep my spirits up and be enthusiastic about anything at this time of year. BUT I am trying to keep busy and make the best of it. I have been cleaning out a small room off my kitchen that was a catchall for junk, gym bags, pop cases, over sized pots, dog food, and a ton of other stuff. The first thing that I did was find a home for all the STUFF, and moved in a table and an big cupboard for my fabric. I think that I am finally getting organized.

Christmas Ideas

I am posting this recipe because it is yummy, easy and will look great done up all Martha Stewartish to give as a Christmas gift. I will be giving these to friends and family this year, along with homemade fudge, and a few other treats from my kitchen.

Fregolata Cookie recipe

^{COOKIE CRUMBLES (FREGOLATA)}

Makes 12 servings

This recipe is adapted from Lidia's Italy.

2 tablespoons soft butter for the pans 6 ounces (about 1 ¼ cups) whole unblanched almonds, toasted

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt 3 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more if needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Assemble two springform pans and butter the bottom discs and about an inch up the sides.

Set aside 2 or 3 whole almonds. Chop the rest coarsely into chunks the size of chocolate chips. Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a mixing bowl, and toss in the chopped almonds.

Beat the yolks together briefly. Drizzle over the dry ingredients. Toss with a fork to blend. Drizzle the cream over by the tablespoonful, tossing and stirring to moisten the nut mixture evenly. It should be crumbly but not floury. Add a small amount more cream if necessary.

Pour half of the crumb mixture into each buttered cake pan. Spread and press the crumbs down lightly in an even, thick layer, covering the bottom of the pan.

Bake about 25 minutes or until the cookie rounds are nicely browned and starting to shrink from the sides of the pan.

Cool, then remove the springform sides and bottom disc.

To serve, set the fregolata in front of your guests on the table with one of the reserved whole almonds underneath it. Smack the fregolata in the center with the back of a spoon.

PER SERVING: 244 calories; 5 g protein; 28 g carbohydrates; 2 g fiber; 13 g fat (4 g saturated); 66 mg cholesterol; 54 mg sodium

Pink poodle fabric apron

I am digging through my craft piles and finding more treasures that need a home. I think an apron, some cookie cutters, a great cookie recipe, and a couple of wooden spoons all placed in a big vintage bowl, would make a welcome gift for someone special. ( I would love a gift like that if Santa is reading this blog))

sock and glove stuffies

OOoohhh did I have fun making these little stuffies, from plush gloves and socks. I made a pile of them because the are so cute. Now I must find homes for them. My favorite is the tiny monkey made from a baby sock. The dog and cat are made from gloves. Very easy and fun to make!

tea cosy

I made this pretty little tea cosy. I think it will be a nice Christmas gift for someone. I could put it in a basket with some fancy teas, and some home-made shortbread cookies and it will be a great gift from my homemade heart.

Depression glass

I found a spot for my depression glass, I think I need a China cabinet.

Mitts in the window

This is not a great pic, but this is a bunch of mitten shapes that I cut out of felted sweaters, I embroidered designs on them (hard to see ,but they are there), and hung them like a garland in the window.

dog clothes

Layla Modeling
Her wool coat(100% felted wool)
And her flannel night gown( for those chilly nights)

This is Layla. (naked)

Doggie dress

I have become a doggie dresser, This is a before and after picture of my daughters Christmas dress (circa 1989) now made into a dress for her dog. I tried it on my dog, Abby, just to see how it looks, but it is for Layla, the new Boston Terrier puppy. Layla is my daughters dog, she had a Boston when she was growing up, she LOVED that dog, he was a great dog, he let her dress him in baby clothes, stayed in the doll buggy as long as she wanted, and went to bed with her every night. So now that she is out on her own, it is no wonder why shewould buy a Boston pup.

shelves

OK, I found a spot for my glass, now where do I move all this stuff too?????

This is depression glass that I just bought at an auction last week-end . I always wanted some, and now I finally have some! Now were do I put it???????

make-over doors

I don't know if yellow is the right color, but here is a make-over on old doors. We knocked a hole in the wall and I will now have a little computer, sitting room.

doors

Before

After

vintage lady lamp makeover

I have been so busy this fall, that means all work no play. Today I made time to play and here are the results. I had purchased this lady lamp , then stripped her down (ooh that sounds dirty doesn't it). I used a vintage night gown for the satin dress, and just happened to have a vintage hat the exact same color. I made her a shawl with lace from the nightie. And I gave her a necklace of pearls. She is ready to go to the ball, or to sit on a dresser in my extra bedroom.