A Cat Sweater DIY! Refashion a Pair of Low Cut Socks! How to Dye Yarn in Your Slow Cooker! Crochet SCIENCE, a Candy Corn Rat! Craft a Neighborhood of Woodland Fairy Folk! Make a Caramel Apple Cider Float! Sew a Quilted Harvest Table Runner! PLUS . . . Recipes, Inspiration, Smiles, Memories, and More!

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I HAVE A NEW CRAFT DAILY ONLINE CLASS!

Halloween and Thanksgiving Quilt Borders from Strips of Fabric

Create festive borders for your Halloween and Thanksgiving quilts

 

 

“In Holiday Borders Using Strips with Mark Lipinski, Pt. 1, Mark Lipinski – fabric designer and quilter extraordinaire – shows you how to construct and assemble borders for two very fun quilts just in time for the holidays! Follow along as Mark demonstrates how to create festive borders for your Halloween and Thanksgiving quilts. Adopt some great seasonal ideas while getting into the quilting holiday spirit!

Included with this class are free downloadable templates available after purchase.”

CHECK IT OUT BY CLICKING HERE: 

http://craftdaily.com/p-1478-holiday-borders-using-strips-with-mark-lipinski.aspx

 

YOKE DU YOUR 

A mother took her little boy to church.
While in church the little boy said,
“Mommy, I have to pee.”

The mother said to the little boy, “It’s not
appropriate to say the word ‘pee’ in church. So, from now on whenever you have
to ‘pee’ just tell me that you have to ‘whisper’.”

The following Sunday,
the little boy went to church with his father and during the service said to his
father, “Daddy, I have to whisper.“

The father looked at him and said,
“Okay, just whisper in my ear.”

ARTspiration

Artists or art that turns me on and feeds my muse! Like it or dislike it, what about this art inspires your own art or creativity? Wes Hempel‘s, HERO COMPLEX 2. Oil on canvas. 

DESIGNspiration

Look around you. Design is everywhere! How can you incorporate the beauty that surrounds you into your art or craft?  Looking down a staircase. 

IDEA I LOVE

a

Purrrrrrrrrrrrr-fect!  Turn an old sweater  plus a tad o’ sweatered felt) into a cat head sweater affixed with a an east blanket stitch.  It’s graphic, it’s unexpected, and it’s fun!  I would love to see the cat shape in a 1980’s Bill Cosby sweater pattern!  Wouldn’t that be super-d-duper?  Here’s how to transform your boring-as-hades sweater into the cat’s meow (couldn’t help it).  Start here:

http://lalafauxbois.com/diy/cat-sweater-d-i-y/ 

IDEA I LOVE

 

Transform your old big old socks into pairs of DIY low-cut socks in a few easy steps.  Didn’t they used to call these ‘peds?’  Want to feel sexy and 50-shades of naughty?  Don’t even wear socks and go pede commando (that means a naked foot. tee hee hee).  I jest, kind of.  Anywho, here’s how you make these lil’ diy low cuts:

http://www.pearlsandscissors.com/2014/10/diy-low-cut-socks.html

YUMMY DISH!

JOSEPHINE GRESKO’S STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 medium-size cabbages, cored
• 2 pounds ground round or chuck
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped ( 1/2-inch pieces), about 1 cup
• 1 cup raw long-grain white rice (not converted rice)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound sauerkraut, from a bag, drained and rinsed
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups tomato juice

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add a cabbage. Reduce heat slightly and blanch cabbage, turning a few times, about 5 minutes, until leaves begin loosening and look translucent. With cabbage in water, use long-handled fork or tongs to pull off leaves as they loosen. Remove what’s left of cabbage and repeat with other cabbage. Don’t discard inner leaves or broken leaves. Reserve water. Let cabbage cool.

In large bowl or tub, put ground beef, onion, celery, rice, eggs, parsley flakes, garlic salt, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well with hands, adding 1/4 cup water if mixture feels “tight.”

With paring knife, trim thick cores from outer sides of cabbage leaves. Coarsely chop smaller leaves and cabbage bits; strew half in bottom of an 18-by-10-by-3-inch heavy-duty foil roasting pan.

Pour reserved cabbage water over sauerkraut in a colander to rinse more, if you like. Drain well. Strew half the kraut over cabbage in pan. Pour in half the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.

For rolls, Mrs. Gresko shapes about 1/4 cup meat into a sausage (not too tight) for a large leaf, less for a smaller leaf. She uses her hand as a cup to shape rolls, with curved side of leaf facing her palm and core end toward her wrist. She puts filling on the bottom of the leaf, and folds the bottom over the filling, pressing in. Then she folds in the sides, pressing and rolling, but not too tight, not worrying if a leaf breaks. Filled leaves are placed seam-side down in pan, in even rows, 5 or 6 across, making 25 to 28 rolls.

Strew remaining chopped cabbage (chop any unused leaves) and sauerkraut over the rolls. Top with remaining crushed tomatoes and tomato juice. Salt and pepper generously. Rinse crushed tomato can with about 1/2 can water. Pour water over top; don’t worry about mixing it.

Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake in 325-degree oven 1 hour. Check after 30 minutes to be sure it’s bubbling. If not, turn oven to 350 degrees. After 1 hour, reduce temperature to 250 degrees. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer, until rolls are tender and meat and rice fully cooked (cut open a roll to check).

Serves 8 to 10.

READ MORE, CLICK HERE:  http://www.post-gazette.com/food/2009/10/01/Cabbage-Roll-Queen-of-Southwestern-Pennsylvania-is-prepared-for-Pig-Fest/stories/200910010317

 

GARDENspiration

Tom Coward has regenerated the kitchen garden at Gravetye Manor, in West Sussex

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardenstovisit/11151592/The-great-tradition-of-kitchen-gardens.html

IDEA I LOVE

This is something I could totally get into!  Slow cooking some lamb without actually having to butcher the schweet little thing!   Of course, my mind is going a million miles an hour….if you can dye yarn in a slow cooker, then why couldn’t I dye sheets of wool for penny rugs, wool appliqué, or rug hooking?  I have a feeling my Crock Pot is in for  more regular workout.   Just wait until Mr. Electric digs in for a sneak taste of red spaghetti!  LOL Baaaaaaaa!  Start here:

http://www.creativegreenliving.com/2013/02/dye-yarn-in-your-slow-cooker.html 

BREAD!

APPLE FRITTER PULL APART BREAD

 

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Grands refrigerated biscuits (buttermilk, original, or honey butter all work well)
• Filling:
• granny smith apples, very finely diced
• lemon juice
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• ground nutmeg
• ground allspice
• Glaze:
• powdered sugar
• half and half
• vanilla

FOR THE FULL RECIPE, CLICK HERE: http://hostthetoast.com/apple-fritter-pull-apart-bread/

 

BREATHLESS INSPIRATION

Artist, Carol Milne, is a glass artist who knits with glass.  Pretty cool, huh?  Here’s a link to where I found these inspirational images, http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/10/artist-carol-milne-knits-with-glass/     And here’s a link to the artist’s online GALLERY.

 

IF YOU HAVEN’T SUBSCRIBED TO THIS BLOG: 

For well over 2 years, I have been posting up to 20 links per day or every other day, on the Mark Lipinski’s Fan Page on Facebook. Of course, in Facebook’s never ending quest to make lots of money, Facebook seems to have abandoned their mission of a real social networking site and it has become more about Facebook revenue.

Several months ago, Facebook, without warning, had implemented a new business model. As a result, the vast majority of “LIKErs” who have been faithful readers of this Fan Page have been blocked from receiving my posts, time and time again, from getting all or a few of the postings onto their timeline feed.

The reason is, Facebook would like pages like, Mark Lipinski’s Fan Page, to pay money every day, and on every post, in order to advertise and lure readers like you, onto the Fan Page.

With out “BOOSTING” a post, only about 5% of people who clicked LIKE on the Fan Page are actually seeing anything I post — and it could be random – sometimes you get a post, and sometimes not. Basically, it sucks for all of us. I am finding that we are all better served if I posted my tips, ideas, links, and jokes, etc. to my blog. You can subscribe to my blog (only if you wan to) and get an email each time I post a grouping of ideas, links, etc.

I AM NOT shutting down Mark Lipinski’s Fan Page on Facebook and you are welcome to follow me there, too. What I am doing is putting everything that used to be on the Fan Page individually onto my blog, AND there will be a daily link to the idea blog on the Fan Page, just as there were multiple links to the various blogs that I’ve always linked to in the past. It’s not that different, really. It will save me a lot of time, and guarantee those who want to see the creative posts will actually get to see them. And Facebookers, will STILL have to click on “GET NOTIFICATIONS” in your Facebook Settings if they want to see what I post on Facebook (sometimes that works, but not all of the time).

Actually, my new model gives you at least TWO ways to get all of the ideas, etc. PLUS you can PIN them and they will be TAGGED so you can find them again in the search bar even years later. – through the FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and YOUR CHOICE (not mandatory) to subscribe to the blog and get email postings that way.

 

SO DRINK, CHUG-A-LUG CHUG-A-LUG 

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER FLOATS

INGREDIENTS

• vanilla or caramel ice cream
• Apple Cider
• Ginger Ale
• Caramel sauce

FOR THE FULL RECIPE VISIT:   http://www.neighborfoodblog.com/2014/09/caramel-apple-cider-floats.html

 

WORDS TO LIVE BY

 

IDEA I LOVE

I am the understudy for Disney’s Fantasia Hippo!  I’m as big as all outdoors yet one little mouse can have me on a chair, screaming for smelling salts (vapors, you know).  Yet, although I get the free willies, I couldn’t resist this little candy corn mouse, named SCIENCE.  I even found the cartoon that stars SCIENCE.  Boy, they sure don’t make cartoons like they used to.  I rather miss characters being crushed by anvils, flattened behind opening doors, and beaten to a pulp (i.e. Popeye).  It doesn’t matter if you know SCIENCE or not, this tricolor mouse is a perfect crochet project  for Halloween season! Here’s the pattern:

http://www.popsdemilk.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Candy-Corn-Rat-Pattern.pdf 

Meet Science the candy corn rat at around the 8:43 mark in the video….

MEMBA?

1970, The Rapper by THE JAGGERZ (from my hometown, Pittsburgh)

 

IDEA I LOVE!

Woodland Fairy Folk make my putter flutter! Now is the perfect time to find all that you need to in your yard or along a woodsy trail to create a crowd of fairies.  I love the idea.  Take a look at the inspiration:

http://twigandtoadstool.blogspot.ca/2010/08/woodland-fairy-folk.html

 

 

And now a word from our sponsor . . .

 

DESSERT!

APPLE PIE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

yellow cake mix
eggs
apple juice
apple flavored light Yoplait yogurt
ground cinnamon
apple pie filling

FOR THE FULL RECIPE VISIT:   http://www.iheartnaptime.net/apple-pie-cupcakes/

 

PATCHWORK, BABY!

 

The table topper is OK, I guess. I am partial to the autumn palette and a Log Cabin block is always an easy and mindless way to spend your patchwork time — most especially if you find you way in a creative slump.   What really caught my eye is the Hall China Company, Autumn Leaf design in the photo.  I’ve been collecting this stuff for years! I even belong to the (are you ready?  Depends adjusted?) The National Autumn Leaf Collectors Club.  Here’s how you make the table runner, too:

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/quilt-patterns/table-runners/harvest-table 

 

The SLOW STITCHING MOVEMENT Webinar is now ON DEMAND!

At last! The much talked about SLOW STITCHING MOVEMENT webinar is now available ON DEMAND for download directly to your computer. This is a recording of the record-breaking webinar hosted by Mark Lipinski in June. Here is the link:

SHOEspiration

Shoe designer, Dan Sullivan, has focused on one particular long-suffering star of the nativity: the camel.

MUST HAVE

The “Blokket” features two phrases, “goodbye phone, hello world,” or “my phone is off for you.” This cell signal-blocking pouch works as a courtesy gesture to let those around you know you value their company more than your mobile.

Perfect for: Anyone who needs a gentle reminder to put their handset down and engage with the real world

Cost: $29.95

 

A New Article! 

KNITTING!  CROCHET!  CROSS STITCH!  NEEDLEPOINT!  RUG HOOKING! TATTING! MACRAME! WEAVING! QUILTING!

 READ

Your Daily Process Writing and Slow Stitching.  A Response.

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