What I am Working on for Tuesday Dec 7

Well I just finished up this primitive winter scene on a chalk board all I have to do now is add the cording for hanging. I have a ton of fun painting with acrylic paints on the chalkboards you can find in any craft store. I start by sanding down the wooden framing on the chalkboard so that it will hold the paints and stains. In this case I just started painting free hand what I wanted and things that came to mind for a cute winter scene. I also used some glitter paints in the picture and when the scene was completely dried I added an oil base stain and took a cloth and did some wiping off the stain. I just really like the affect I got with the stain and paints in which I also did a bit of wiping off on the wooden frame to give it aged withered look just a tiny bit.

A New Cookie Recipe; Snow Melted Mud puddles

Hey to all!

I have an unusual cookie recipe for you, I just happened one day to make these by mistake and they are quite ugly looking but, oh yum!

Most of all they are easy to make... here is what you will need:

• One box of chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup of small marsh mellows
• 2 cups of chocolate Rice Crispies

about one to 2 cups of butter softened

Add your cake mix and rice crispies; add the butter,add one cup first and mix with spoon, until crumbly, and if holds it together pretty well; such as you can roll a ball then don't add the second cup, sometimes it just depends on the type of cake mix you are using, if its too crumbly then begin a bit the the second cup of softened butter and add until you can form a round ball and it all holds together is the best way I can explain this...

Now add your marsh mellows and mix again by spoon until it's all well mixed up; now to form the round balls again, they don't have to be perfectly rounded balls kind of throw together making sure the marsh mellows stay in the mix. These balls are about the size of an ice cream scoop or just a tiny bit smaller. Add the balls to a well greased cookie sheet and bake 12-14 minutes at 350; actually check on them about 10 minutes and see how they are looking they should come out like the pictures above, looking like a pile of mud with a little bit of snow in them! You want the marsh mellows to melt! so that it looks like mud and snow mixed together. You will get 24 cookies because they are so large

Let them cool good and be careful about removing them, take a spatula all the way around the outside edge to loosen as to keep them from falling apart.

The uglier they are the better! I have found they make a great gift idea for your neighbors, friends, family, they look ugly but taste good.

Sharing just bit of Winter in the Coast Range

Well last Monday I went for a ride in the my Hubby's log truck to get a peek at the beauitful winter weather we got in the coast range and thought I would share some of those photos with you . In this photo we are crossing over Mist Mountain; I just love the way the snow is on the trees, and would you believe this is a 2 lane road that is fairly busy at times.

The second picture is at the top of Mist Mountain and I just had to get a picture!

It was just a beauitful drive seeing the snow and peace and quiet that a winter storm can bring to the Oregon coastal range.

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

I wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and share one of my most favoritive videos.
I have so much to be thankful, yes even those adverse times, good times, but also thankful for little things, such as sunshine, rain or snow even and the beauty it brings.
I am thankful for my parents, husband, son, daughter and her boyfriend and the light they bring into my life.
I am thankful to be here to go through my mortal life and someday return home to my Lord and Heavenly father.
I am thankful for the gift of kindness and graditude for others and other living things, I feel so blessed.
Happy Thanksgiving, may Thanksgiving in in your heart all the year around.

What I am working on for Friday, a stuffed plush polar bear

Good Friday to all!

Today I have been busy sewing up my own idea of a polar bear, I designed the pattern this morning and cut it out and began sewing and I am almost done but not quite.

I am using some white fake fur to make the bear and filling him with fiber fill.

I have used black buttons for eyes and nose and have hand sewn them into the head.

On the one arm in front of him I have sewn part of the arm backwards as to take glitter glue and write love onto the the arm of the bear and some x's.

He is going to be about 14 inches tall and I just he was perfect for the Christmas season, I think make 2 or 1 more of him, oh yes I also added a little powdered blush to those cheeks. I should have him done tomorrow.

The Grungy Tom Turkey and His Large Pumpkin a Thanksgiving decor

This is Little Tom Turkey and is Large Pumpkin; I had lots of fun creating this Thanksgiving decor for a center on a table or sitting in a warm place.

The pumpkin and Tom are made from all cotton fall time fabrics and they are my own designs or patterns for both.

Tom looks quite pleased with himself and the pumpkin he has discovered for the holidays. Both Tom and the Pumpkin are filled with beans and fiber fill and I have attached tom with quilting thread to the pumpkin. Tom is 12 inches long the pumpkin is 24 inches around and 18 inches tall.

I have stained Tom with a special oil based stain to get look I wanted and I only did a bit of the pumpkin and I think it turned pretty well; but then that's what I like about using different stains you just never know what you can come up with when working with a pumpkin and a turkey.

I rubbed the stain onto both items and used a warm rag to help blend just touch. Tom has button eyes and there is raffia tied around his neck. I filled them with beans a bit to gift some weight and so that they will stay put and not run on you. It took me a few days to complete them both but I wanted to take a jump back into Thanksgiving being that it is just right around the bend and I will be adding these two to the Art fire store tomorrow.

What I am Working on for Monday, box Christmas Tree Ornaments

For this Monday I am still working on Ornaments for the tree but a bit different; when I was a young girl Santa Claus would bring jewelry for us girls and stick on the tree in small decorative boxes and so I thought I would shard this idea with you.

What you will need are some cute paper boxes that can be bought a any craft store; I just happened to find a couple of stars and an oval box so it can be whatever you would like to do up for the tree.

I am decoupaging the boxes with some neat looking scrap book paper and choose a type of news print but you can use old wrapping paper or some other scrap book paper that you prefer. So I am tearing the paper and dipping it into the Hodge Podge that I have thinned just a little; about a teaspoon of water was added and I have formed the strips of paper over the boxes letting them dry quite well over night.

Then I got out my wood stain and rubbed it on the boxes so that they will look old and of course aged. I don't have the pictures of me using a hole punch for the tops so the I can pull the ribbon I will be using through to tie onto the Christmas tree when it comes time.

In each box add either some cotton for foam and place ear rings, rings or other trinkets into the box and add a small tag with the person's name so that they can find their gift on the tree at Christmas time. I forgot to mention I also added a bit of glue glitter to the boxes let that dry then add the stain and wipe of with an old rag.

What I am Working on for Thrus, Wooden Christmas Ornament's

Happy Veteran's day to all, and Thank you to all those who serve and have served !

I am once again busy creating some holiday items; I have been working on some Christmas ornament's. These are quite simple and fun to make, and any craft store will carry the pre-made wooden pieces. I had some holiday craft paper to use for the little round bulb; what I did was trace around the bulb first and cut it out and decoupage to the wooden bulb. Next I sanded the little bear and added a oil based stain and painted the facial features with acrylic paints. I also stained the bulb first let it dry for a day then painted a few trees and some snow for a cute simple scene.

I need to note; that the bear and bulb are separate pieces that I have hot glued together. The finishing touches are some gold ribbon for the the bear and some jute so that the ornament can be hung on the tree. Yes I am trying to give the ornament's a bit of that old look by using stain. In this next one I used wrapping paper and I used a gray acrylic paint for staining. So far it is coming out just the way I want it ; I sanded the bulb down just a bit to get the paint to give it an old look and I will do the same for the bear which I will stain a black being that black bears are found lots around Oregon. I will be adding these to one of my two stores Esty or Artfire, but I also wanted to share how to make them so that you all can get a bit crafty for the holidays with me.

What I am working for Monday After Nov 8th

Howdy to everyone! well Halloween just seemed to fly right by without a second thought, hard to believe its November and Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks; so I have decided to have free shipping in my art fire store here http://www.artfire.com/users/49stocker
This will go on the entire month of November, in the mean while I am working on this cute gingerbread doll that I will have completed in a few more days and I will add to the art fire store. I am also going to be doing some shows starting November 27Th and I will give more details about that a little later on. I am making the gingerbread doll from some great off brown felt, I have also designed a rick-wrack stitch around the arms and legs using my great sewing machine. The outfit will be a cute dark red Christmas dress with pantaloons and a bow for this doll.
Once again I went to the talking tombstones and had a wonderful time learning about those who traveled to Astoria Oregon and learned what life was like way back when here are a few photos of that adventure.


I love when the local people dress in costume and tell about a certain person, here in this photo I learned about a young woman in love and having some riches but falling ill to a disease. The gentleman below is the first car dealership that came to Astoria Oregon, and amazing enough the whole town of Astoria burned long ago. While he was trying to save the building where he had cars the fire depart was attempting to stop the burning of Astoria by using dynamite and so when the fire department attempted to blow up his building he got up on the roof and began shooting at the fire department with a shot gun, what an interesting story! He chased the firemen away but the fire left the dynamite and so he blew up the house that was next to him!

I love this event because its a bit of history in my own community that I learn about.

A New Fall Time Rag Cloth doll, Amber the Sweets

Well its storming this morning like crazy here on the Oregon coast, so I am sitting and drinking some hot blueberry tea and talking about the latest doll I just finished.
This is Amber the Sweets, and she is from a pattern that I designed, she is 16 inches long and I have made the body from drill fabric and stained it with my special stain and baked her in the oven at 200 degrees.
I then painted the facial features with acrylic paints and the design of the facial features are my own.
Now the dress is not stained and is a cute Fall time cotton fabric with sun flowers, crows, cats, and a house on it. I also did a fancy stitch on the dress to make a rick rack design around the bottom and sleeves of the dress using a off white cotton thread. The hair of the doll is an orange yarn and I have made loops and sewn them to the head of the doll using a heavy quilting thread. I will be adding to the art fire store Wend morning bright and early. This morning I have to get those Halloween decorations down before this wind blows everything away, I hope you all are staying nice and warm on this start of November 1st.

A Halloween pudding pie to share on the ghoulish Holiday

I came up with a ghoulish pudding pie to share with all of you this Halloween Holiday; the pie is very easy to make and be done in a few hours.
What you will need:
2 boxes of vanilla pudding not instant but stove top pudding
2 boxes of chocolate pudding again not instant but the kind you make on the stove
1 gram cracker pie crust
1 can of whip cream
1 cup of crushed Oreo cookies
1 jar of orange jell ice cream topping
1 bag of Halloween candy your choice but it should be candy corn or similar
Begin with the chocolate pudding cook it according to the box directions, then as it has cooled a little add to the crust, but only about half because you can get 2 small pies from this recipe; Let it set up a little before starting the vanilla, then cook the vanilla up also following the instructions on the box, now let cool just a little and add about 2 tablespoons of the orange topping and mix until the pudding turns a bit orange. Now put the pie in the refrigerator, let the pies set up and cool down.
Once the pies or pie is cool top with the Oreo cookies, and the orange topping making any design you like; on the outer edge add the caned whip cream and add to the center, finally add your candy and place back in the fridge.

Free Halloween craft idea how to dress up a chalk board

This is a simple project and easy to create; What I am using is a 12x9 craft chalk board that you can find just about in any craft store. Then take some sand paper and sand down the wooden top and bottom until you can see some wood grain showing up and the chalk board looking older and used. Before I sanded I took a black marker and wrote a short saying onto the wood then sanded making the ink also disappear in to the grain. Now you can stain the chalkboard with a wood stain and use some crackle, or use an acrylic paint as I did.


Next look for some cardboard, such as poster board, a left over pizza box is what I used for creating the little mummy. The head is 4 inches long and 3 inches wide; but you can design the head the way you want I just went drawing freehand and idea I wanted for the head and make your hand simple! because you will be using hot glue for the quilting batting and fabric, and cheese cloth. Lay the head onto some quilting batting and cut the batting out larger than the head, you will also want to be sure do this for the fabric also so that you can glue the fabric down tightly and have no loose ends.


Before I started to finish, I took the cut out pieces of cardboard shapes and just laid them onto the chalkboard to get an idea of how I wanted it to look.



As you can see with the one hand I am doing and how I am adding the batting to the head. One more note; when you cut out the face(head) go ahead and paint it with acrylic paints and let it dry over night before adding the batting and fabric to the cardboard or you will have a mess with the facial features being marred up with trying to glue.


After your head is dry, begin to hot glue the back of the cardboard and pulling tight sightly. Begin cutting strips of cloth cheese to wrap around the head and hands also using dabs of hot glue to hold in place.






This is how it show appear, but use your imagination to it fullest, also you can drill 2 small holes at the top chalkboard and add wire, rope, twine, or jute, even Halloween fabric, add jute or fabric and tack with a tack and tie chalk into the jute, wire, fabric and you will have a very spooky message board for Halloween there is lots you can do with this project to make it your own just experiment as much with it as you like. The project takes about 2 days to complete.

19 inch Fall Time Primitive Rag Cloth Doll

I just finished new pattern and rag cloth doll for the Fall Season; this is Miss Primitive Fall Time. I sat down a few days back and designed a new cloth doll pattern this one is 19 inches in long and the body is designed from cotton Osnaburg. I have stained the body and all the clothing in my special staining sauce and baked it all in my oven at 200 degrees then I hand painted the face and legs, shoes using acrylic paints took some light weight sand paper and and sanded the entire doll, the last step was to roll everything in cinnamon. So the entire doll looks quite aged. Her hair was a purple bumble yarn that I also stained and dried in my oven; her clothing is fall cotton fabrics. I have hand sewn the hair, arms and legs on using a very heavy quilting thread. The nose of the doll is done with a black embroidery thread using just a single strand. I will be adding her to the art fire store Monday but for now I just wanted to talk about the new pattern and design of doll that I came up with; a quick note I did exaggerate her hands just to give the doll a different look. I plan on making more of these cute fall time dolls and I am working on a design for some Christmas dolls. Later next week I will have another free fun craft project to share with everyone and I will show how I made one of my witch dolls the week after so I have lots planed for the rest of October along with decorating my yard and getting for for Halloween I may have a free giveaway thinking about it for now.

Fall Time Sweet Treat Carmel Apple Bake Recipe

I just had to share this sweet treat for fall time, there in the picture I have just about completed this treat. This is simple and hardly takes any time. So here are the items you will need:
9x12 baking pan greased
2-3 apples, these can be red or granny smith, etc. You can peel the apples and slice them, personally I like to slice the red apples thinly and leave the peel.
2 cups of flour
2 cups of oat meal
1 jar of Carmel sauce
1 1/4 cups of butter softened
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of crushed peanuts (optional)
First step mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, peanuts and butter all together and then press a little over half of the mixture into the the pan. Do this when the mixture is kind of crumbly and sticks together. Now bake about 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and begin the second part of the recipe.
Place your sliced apples in on top of the baked portion now begin making the Carmel part of this recipe.

You can go 2 different ways buy the Carmel candies and melt them and pour over the apples or you can buy a jar of Carmel sauce and add 3 tablespoons of flour and mix well then pour over the apples in the the pan.
Finally sprinkle over the remaining flour mixture and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.



What I love about this recipe is how you can change it but the use of different apples, nuts, you could add raisins you can use your own Carmel sauce recipe or make it simple by just adding flour to thicken the sauce. So have fun doing up this sweet treat.

Halloween Craft foam pin project, free easy craft project

Well it's October! and I did up an idea for an easy Halloween pin to share with all of you. This one is so easy it's scary.
What you will need:
green craft foam
small (2) detail paint brushes
red acrylic paint
green acrylic paint
black acrylic paint
brown acrylic paint
gray acrylic paint
Yellow acrylic paint
water
paper towels
scissors
small amount of black yarn
a small torn piece of Halloween cotton fabric
pencil
hot glue gun
empty craft pin ( I found these by the package at Joann's in the jewelry making section)


the first step is designing the shape; I did free hand but you may want to first take a pencil and piece of paper and sit down and draw out a 2 inch head that looks like Frankenstein in then transfer it to the craft foam to cut out. Your Jewelry pin should be about 2 inches or a little less and I found these in Joann's in the area for Jewelry making.
Also on the piece of paper decide how you want the facial features, now once again I just did mine free hand but you may desire to use more thought and be more creative than I did. You will want a couple of small detail brushes and towels and water to clean the brushes off as you change from one paint to another. What I did was to take the end of the paint brush dip in into the the yellow and apply it to the foam to get a nice round eye shape and I used a large paint end to do this; then I added some scares, a nose in green, freckles, mouth using black and red, gray for the little plugs on the side of his head. Next you will want to take some black yard about 5-8 strands; knot them together and hot glue the yard to the head then trim with scissors . There are lots of different kinds of yard so its up to you in my case I had some fancy decorative yarn that I used. Now take that strip of cotton Halloween fabric and tie it into a bow and hot glue it the the chin of the foam then trim off the access. Now your last step will be glue to the pin with a high temp glue and I also want to mention when you are done painting the face let it sit and dry for a few hours before adding the hair and these last steps otherwise you will have a mess on your hands with the facial features marring as you try to finish.

Working on a new Project, Halloween Wall Hanging Quilt

Well I thought it was time to start a new wall hanging quilt for Halloween. So I have been busy creating a cute Halloween scene that can be hung out for the up coming season. I will have it done I am hoping next Friday and it in my art fire store.
The scene is about being in a haunted cemetery, the first point the the old fence and gate door and into the cemetery one goes to find some ghost floating about. I am using cotton quilting fabrics, broad cloth muslin, cheese cloth to create this quilt. I am not using any patterns but just an idea in my head. I am whacking out the pieces by hand and using some really cute fabric that I bought just a few days ago.
In the scene there is a dog dressed as a mummy, Dracula, flying little witch, and some owls and pumpkins; I better mention the tombstones and ghosts once more.
What will be interesting about this quilt is that I plan on making or placing some buttons onto the quilt and adding floss to the ghosts so that they will be removable from the quilt. I plan on doing the sewing on my machine using the blanket stitch around each item I have put in place on the quilt. I will back the quilt with some warm and natural and flannel, maybe cut some bamboo and wire to make it a nice wall hanging.

Almost forgot the Recipe for the Strawberry Mango bread

I almost forgot to share the recipe for the strawberry mango quick bread that I talked about so here it is:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 of mango juice
• frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 table spoon of baking powder
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of melted butter
• 1/3 cup of milk or cream
• 1 egg slightly beaten

In a bowl add the mango juice, sugar and strawberries and with a fork mash the strawberries in the mixture; add the the milk and slightly beaten egg, also the melted butter. In another bowl add the flour and baking powder, I did not add the salt but you should add 1/2 tsp. of salt, I don't because I am not allowed the salt. Now add the moist mixture to the dry and mix up using a large spoon. Add the mixture to well greased bread pans and bake at 400 degrees until the tooth pick comes out clean. You can add other items such as walnuts, or try with blue berries, coconut.

I was also busy making a couple of small fall time baskets yesterday these are small ones big enough to throw some holiday candy into them for friends or for company. I used just cotton fabrics and some special cording and of course thread! I will be adding to the art fire store in a few days

A Pair of Proud Parents, our son the football player

Today I am wandering away from crafting just for a bit; I just had to talk about this weekend and my son's football game and him. My was it an exciting game! Those boys won 36-0 and did they deserve it! They all played so well and so hard, they all are turning out to be a good team.
My son plays outside line backer and it seems to be a good spot for him. Friday he got 3 sacks and 5 big stops but the best was yet to come. Near the end of the game he intercepted the quarterback of the other team and ran for 80 yards and the final touch down! So today I just wanted to share with you all how proud we are of him way to go! my wonderful son!

The Little Old chicken Maiden, a 15 inch primitive rag cloth doll

Well did I have fun creating this primitive rag cloth doll; this is Little Old Chicken Maiden. She is 15 inches long and has been stained with my own personal stain, but I have also rubbed some cinnamon into her. I made her from muslin and filled her with fiber fill, and oh yes the pattern is my own design from which I can create all kinds of different dolls from this single pattern. I have also taken some light weigh sand paper to her to help with that aging process.



Her clothing is cotton fabrics, I have also stained them, did notice the shirt? I had this cute fabric left over and it just made a very cute shirt for her and the design, helped me name her. The chicken she is holding is also muslin and stained and its legs are from my very own bamboo tree in my back yard. I am still busy creating and making items for my art fire store; I hope you will come and visit and see all the new things I have been making, some things will be familiar and there are items in my store that I have not talked about so come on in and see what all is new ( I have not added the doll above as of yet but in a few days I will be)
http://www.artfire.com/users/49stocker

15 inch Halloween rag cloth doll witch, Maggie the Ugly Maiden

Meet Maggie the Ugly Maiden; she is one of my many witches I can create with a very simple pattern that I have designed.
Maggie is basic and in October I will show you all how to make her for Halloween.
I had some great cotton blend summer fabric to use for making her body, I love this green and I think I bought it a few years back in Joann's fabric store.
As usual I have filled the body with fiber fill and painted the facial expression with acrylic paints, I added a powder blush to the cheeks. The dress and bloomers are cotton Halloween fabrics and her hat and shoes are a black felt. The hair is a heavy duty polyester thread that I have sewn through the head and knotted tightly.