Crafts to try

Well, I know I said my list might change but I didn't think I would change it that much.

First of all, I never found the time to paint an Easter decoration for my front door. Actually, I haven't had a lot of time for any art. I did make some cute pillows (shown in my previous post) but I don't know where to put them yet.

As for April, I still have time to make that moss wreath but I'm low on cash and low on time to get to the craft store. I'm going to try.

My daughter has decided she doesn't want a daybed made from old doors; she wants a bunkbed playhouse that she saw in a popular, high-priced catalog. So, her daddy and I are going to try to build one ourselves. But that craft project is scheduled for August so we have the summer to work on that.

I've been very inspired lately and really hope that I can use my summer vacation to jump start my projects more than ever and build a nice emergency fund for my family and then begin paying off debt and saving for college. I feel like God has been giving me a bigger voice in my art and craft ideas recently and I'm really excited about being out of school soon so I can have more time to get some of these things going.

Just keep crafting!

It's craft time again! Pillows!

For this craft, I used some leftover fabric from a vintage pillowcase that I had used to make my daughter a top. It was just enough for two pillows. I used plain white cotton on the front so I could paint something cute on it.

If you have a sewing machine, this is simple. Cut the fabric to the same size with right sides facing. Using just a running stitch on your machine, stitch all the way around but leave a hole large enough for you to stuff the pillow. I like to use my back stitch in the corners just for extra reinforcement.

Turn the pillow form right side out and begin to stuff with polyfil. I stuffed mine pretty firm but still soft and squishy. Not lumpy.

Using a needle and thread, whipstitch the hole and tie off.

You could certainly stop here but I like to add a little whimsy and personality. I used acrylic paints in red, pumpkin orange, and bright blue to add flowers to the white fabric. These are the colors in the vintage fabric that's on the back. Then, I let it dry just a little and used a black paint with a writing tip to outline my flowers. Wonderful way to perk up your sunroom, porch swing, or patio. Just be sure if you use these outside that you bring them in during inclement weather and keep out of direct sunlight as that will fade the fabric and the paint.

It's Crescent Rolls for dinner!

OK, so I have not had time to do any crafts lately but hopefully soon. I did not meet my goal of making an Easter painting for my front door but maybe I can by Sunday.

I did, however, resist the temptation to order out for dinner and cooked what I had available. So...crescent rolls with a twist.

First, I cooked some cheese pizza crescent rolls for the little ones. Spread the rolls out flat in a pan and bake according to directions. I took them out about 4 minutes before the oven beeped to add the marinara sauce and pizza blend shredded cheese. Then, stuck it back in the oven until the timer went off. Actually, I had to leave it in for a couple extra minutes to melt the cheese completely. I would have added a little garlic but the little ones don't like that as much as I do. Still, it was pretty good.

Then, I made some giant pigs in a blanket. Simply wrap half a hot dog in the crescent roll and bake according to directions. I did have to cook these for a few extra minutes also to get the dough cooked all the way around the "pig".

Simple Friday night, stay at home dinner that made everyone happy.

Count your blessings!

Jen

New crafts I want to try before the end of 2011

I know it's odd to make a list like this but there are some things I want to try before the end of this year. And by making a list, I hold myself accountable and will remind myself to make the craft and post it here.

By the end of...

March - make an Easter canvas for my front door. (OK, not really a new craft, but something I need to do.)

April - make a moss wreath (saw a cute one in the shape of letters for your last name)

May - homemade facial cleanser

June - poolside table made from the wood I found at the lake

July - driftwood shelves

August - make a daybed for Jessalyn out of doors (hopefully I can find some cheap at a yard sale)

September - big rug made from old blue jeans (saw this on a Disney show my daughter watches)

October - painted plates to hang on the wall

November - banana pudding cupcakes

December - make Archer's tee shirt quilt (not a new craft but something I definitely need to get started on)

OK, so there's the list. It might change a little. I'll post as I complete and I may not complete them in this particular order. Those are just my personal deadlines.

I need to doodle!

I haven't doodled in a while. I miss it. I love to just sit and doodle, draw swirlies and flowers, hearts, anything. It seems to calm me down when I'm stressed. But lately, I've been too stressed and have been too busy to take time to doodle.

I think I'll go do that now. Enjoy some of my past doodles!

Easy Casserole dinner

OK, so my life is about to go into overdrive. Two boys playing rec league basketball, and both have already started their baseball seasons too! My poor daughter doesn't have time for activities but she'll be in softball soon. Which isn't going to leave a lot of time for dinner preparation. And with all these admission fees and gas prices, I can't afford to feed my family of 5 from a drive-thru every night.

So, I'm starting my Sunday cooking days again, where I cook the main meat to be used for the week. All I have to do is prepare a side or two and heat the meat in the microwave.

Tonight, I threw together this easy chicken enchilada casserole.

Ingredients: cooked chicken (I used 4 big chicken breasts), sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, salsa, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or taco shells (I had taco shells on hand), and fresh cilantro (love this stuff).

Step one: Cook the chicken. I broiled mine for 10 mins. on each side with some garlic and pepper. Cut into cubes.

Step two: Mix soup, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2-1 cup shredded cheese and a couple tablespoons of cilantro with the chicken.

Step three: Crush taco shells in the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer with the chicken mixture. Top with salsa (as much as you like). Sprinkle with more cheese. Top with more crushed taco shells. Sprinkle with a little more cheese and fresh cilantro.

Step four: Bake to melt cheese and brown the chips. I got distracted and burnt mine just a little but I picked off the really burnt chips. It was really good. I froze some in small containers for my husband and I to grab for work lunches.

Buen provecho!

Bible verse paintings

For this art project, I used an old Bible from when I was a child. I tried to find one at the local thrift store but couldn't. I'm sure if I'd kept looking for a few days or tried another store, I might have found one but I was really anxious to paint this. And I didn't want a new Bible - I wanted old, yellowed pages and highlighted passages.

Supplies: a Bible (old or new), acrylic paint, canvas - flat or wrapped, glue, paintbrushes, old toothbrush, paint pens or permanent marker

Step one: Paint the canvas a solid color. I like using black as my background color. While paint is drying, measure your pages. For a larger canvas, you may have to use 4 Bible pages and you may have to tear them or burn the edges to get them to fit. Measure and lay out before you glue. For smaller canvas, you could use just one Bible page.

Step two: Glue the pages to the canvas. Use a paintbrush to smooth out the air bubbles, although I like having the added texture of a few wrinkles and air bubbles but that's just me.

Step three: Choose the verse you want to paint on the canvas around the image and write it down on paper. I like to choose a verse directly from one of the pages that I used on the canvas but you don't have to.

Step four: Paint a cross or an appropriate image in the middle of the canvas. For example, I recently painted one with the verse "A friend loveth at all times" and I painted a heart instead of a cross. While that image dries, use a contrasting color to add detail to the edge of the canvas. Just broad, uneven strokes - this is supposed to look "messy" and "folk-ish". Let dry.

Step five: Using a paint pen or permanent marker (I like using black), write the verse around the image in the middle. Don't forget to put the reference somewhere so you'll know where the verse came from. Let dry.

Step six: Using two or three colors, including black and white, splatter the paint on the entire painting. An old toothbrush works great or a dry brush with rough bristles. Let dry.

Step seven: Sign your painting. If using flat canvas, you can hot glue ribbon or scrap fabric with rough edges to the back for hanging. You could also add a few strips that have been knotted to one of the corners.

Estimated cost: under $10