Crochet an Age Before Beauty Blanket! Piece a Bette’s Bouquet Quilt! Sew a Zippered Triangle Pouch! DIY Gingerbread Birdhouse! Woodgrain a Free Motion Quilt! DIY a Fabric Covered Box! Leather and Wood Covered Notebooks! Organize Your Threads with Animals! Embroider a Heart Locket! Make a Private Movie Theater! PLUS . . . Recipes, Inspiration, Smiles, Memories, and More!

YOKE DU YOUR

Two men are meeting on the street
“It was very cold this morning”
“How cold was it?”
“I do not exactly, but I saw a lawyer
with his hands in his own pockets.”

 

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? Morning Terrace by Hugh Steers, painted in oil in 1991. 

 

 

DESIGNspiration

Look around you. Design is everywhere! How can you incorporate the beauty that surrounds you into your art or craft?  In Ahmedabad, India, schoolchildren attend a yoga session at a camp in the western Indian city. Photo: Amit Dave

 

IDEA I LOVE

I love the combo of embroidery, jewelry and photography.  What a sweet way to create a family heirloom (put mom and dad’s pic in the locket), or celebrate your love for your sweetie pie for all the ages (yeah, someone will probably end up finding it in an archeological dig in 4345.  Here’s how you make the locket:

 http://www.thesurznickcommonroom.com/2014/11/embroidered-heart-locket.html

IDEA I LOVE

If you have a gazillion skeins of floss this idea might not be the most practical, but if you’re just using a few floss colors then why not make a bunch of these cute animal thread organizers?  Hozabout you create your own animals?  Here’s how:

 http://www.highwallsblog.com/2013/10/diy-animal-thread-organisers/

 

YUMMY DISH!

ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

 

INGREDIENTS:

red bell peppers
olive oil
white onion
cloves of garlic
diced tomatoes
cayenne pepper
cream (optional)
salt and pepper

FOR THE FULL RECIPE, CLICK HERE: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/12/roasted-red-pepper-tomato-soup.html

 

IDEA I LOVE

 

Wow, I may need a few of these wood and leather-covered journals for my stash.  I think they are amazing in design and you could paint or embroider or even wood burn on the wooden covers.  What are you waiting for, cupcake?  Start tanning some hides!  Here’s how you make your own leather and wood covered notebook:

 http://www.papernstitchblog.com/2015/01/07/how-to-make-leather-and-wood-covered-notebooks/

 

 OMG!

I just love this random art on a beach, made for no other reason but for the creator’s creative process. 

SO DRINK, CHUG-A-LUG CHUG-A-LUG 

CINNABON COCKTAIL

 

Ingredients:

• Fireball Whiskey
• Cream Soda

For the Full Recipe Click Here:  http://www.fireballdrinks.com/cinnabon-drink/

 

IF YOU HAVEN’T SUBSCRIBED TO THIS BLOG YET:

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 Pageon 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.

 

BREATHLESS INSPIRATION!

Album and Postcards from Nowhere series by Nik Muniz, which the artist obsessively collected vintage photographs and postcards and then shredded and collaged these highly intimate relics to create bold new imagery magnified to a staggering scale.

IDEA I LOVE

I just wanted to through in this simple wood grain, free motion quilt tutorial for you.  Imagine making a strip quilt or even a Chinese Coins quilt, and ‘wood graining” each rectangular section to mimic a fabric wooden wall.  Cool.   Learn the technique here:

http://theinboxjaunt.com/2014/11/18/woodgrain-a-free-motion-quilt-tutorial/

WORDS TO LIVE BY

 

SPEND NEXT WEEKEND WITH ME!

Join the Sew Inspired Quilt Shop and Studio in January 2015  for entertaining lectures and workshop with Mark Lipinski!

Friday, January 16, 6:00 PM. 

Lecture: A Bull in a China Shop.  Tickets on sale now; seating limited.

 The above photos are from Empire Quilters in New York City

Saturday, January 17,  9:00 AM until 5:00 PM

    Workshop: Mark’s Stars and Stripes Quilt of Valor. Now enrolling.

 

FREE lecture Saturday evening:  The Slow Stitching Movement!

 

Register for both lecture and workshop

Sew Inspired Quilt Shop and Studio
8 Wilcox Street Simsbury, CT 06070
(860) 651-8885
http://www.sewinspiredquilts.com/index.htm

 

IDEA I LOVE

 

Oh, how I love this little birdseed birdhouse.  Of course, I ‘d have to invest in guards, armed with BB guns, to keep the squirrels and bears and bay so my fine feathered friends could actually get a bite of the edible mansion.  These are not so easy, or expensive to make, you know.  And wouldn’t these be terrific to sell at a a craft fair (read my book review on the 2015 Crafter’s Market here for some help).  Here’s how you make this schweet DIY gingerbread birdhouse:

http://rebeccasbirdgardensblog.blogspot.ca/2014/12/diy-gingerbread-birdhouse.html

MAN CAN LIVE BY BREAD ALONE!

ORANGE DREAMSICLE BREAD

 

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• vegetable oil
• eggs
• milk
• sugar
• orange juice
• orange extract
• flour
• salt
• baking powder
• Orange Food Coloring (optional)

Cream Cheese Filling

• cream cheese, softened
• sugar
• eggs
• flour

Cream Frosting

• butter, softened
• powdered sugar
• Orange extract
• heavy whipping cream

 

 FOR THE FULL RECIPES, CLICK THE LINKS: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/11/orange-dreamsicle-bread/

MEMBA?

Barbie shoes.  Apparently, here’s where all of those lost shoes ended up . . . .

 

And now a word from our sponsor . . .

 

COOKIES!

DEEP DISH CHOCOLATE SKILLET COOKIE

 

Ingredients: 

• whole wheat pastry flour
•  all purpose flour
• baking soda
•  brown sugar
• ]raw cane sugar
• egg
• vanilla extract
• unsalted butter, melted & cooled (or olive oil)
• dark chocolate chips
• Sea salt to taste

Directions:   http://thenutritiouskitchen.com/deep-dish-chocolate-chip-skillet-cookie/

 

 

JUST BECAUSE I SWOON (no pattern)

This is ‘Dandelion’ that hangs in the corridor of Embroidery Guild Victoria

IDEA I LOVE!

OK, I need a zippered triangle pouch (just kidding, my mother was a kangaroo so I’ve seen more pouches than any half-Polish half-Kangaroo human needs to see).  No, really, these are really cute.  I’m not sure what you might store in one, or need it for, but they sure look fun to make.  Take a look:

http://aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2014/12/triangle-pouch/ 

BE DAZZLED!

Boris Le Beau Tourmaline Cabochon Diamond Gold Brooch, $4,400

 

PATCHWORK, BABY!

But it IS!  It IS called BETTE’S BOUQUET .  This Susan Emory quilt design can be found on the Michael Miller website.  Here’s the pattern instructions:

download instructions

SHOEspiration

 CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA, JENNIFER LINEN SPRING 2015, $925.00

 

 

WHAT I LOVE

I have always liked little boxes.  Really, I do and I find myself buying them and hoarding them whenever I can find them.  Here’s a tutorial for making your own fabric covered box.  I would love to see one of yinz (my Pittsburgh dialect) heavily embellish said fabric box with beads and embroidery.  Now, THAT’S art!  Start here:

http://artgalleryfabrics.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/fat-quarter-gang-boucherouite-blush-box-by-i-heart-linen.html 

DIDJAMISS? 

Check it out here:  https://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/book-review-saturday-january-10-2015/

WHAT I LOVE

This is called the AGE BEFORE BEAUTY blanket.  It’s a beginner’s crochet project and you’ll only need some yarn and a  4.5mm crochet hook.   Here’s the pattern:

 http://meetmeatmikes.com/make-this-an-age-before-beauty-blanket/

DESSERT!

CHURRO CHEESECAKE

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 

Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Vanilla
egg
Sugar
ground cinnamon

FOR THE FULL RECIPE, CLICK HERE:  http://www.ohbiteit.com/2012/11/churro-cheesecake.html

 

SLOW STITCHING

Surface designer, author (Intentional Printing: Simple Techniques for Inspired Fabric Art) , teacher, and fabric designer (Red Rooster Fabrics), Lynn Krawczyk, talks about her Slow Stitching Journey in a new podcast on The Slow Stitching Movement website. Find her podcast here: http://www.slowstitching.com/podcasts.html

 The Slow Stitching Movement Podcast’s are sponsored by Aurifil and GloriousColor.com

Then visit The Slow Stitching Movement blog . . . . 

 Guest Blogger, Kit Dunmore 

The Biggest Problem With Slow Stitching Is The Time Involved.  Or Is It?

READ THE BLOG POST HERE

IDEA I LOVE

Unless you have a  wicked case of claustrophobia, you’re going to love this cheap-to-make private tablet or smart phone movie theater!  I can’t wait to give this a try!  Mr. Electric won’t believe my ingenuity!  Start here:

 http://technabob.com/blog/2014/01/02/private-movie-theater/

---

---

If you’re liking this blog Please tell your friends about it!

I’d really appreciate it!  xoxom

Just cut and paste this into an email or post on your Facebook and Twitter pages:  

I LOVE this blog and think you will, too! Check it out:  https://marklipinskisblog.wordpress.com

---

About these ads