Mountain Laurel Blooming

           The Mountain Laurel 

         has been admired for its 

           beauty, resilience, and 

        its symbolic connection to 

         love, purity, and strength.
 

Coffee with Emily Carr

Emily Carr 1871 - 1945

"It was not handling of paint but handling of thoughts which overwhelmed me. Trying to get around this problem, I took always in my sketch-sack a little note book. When I had discovered my subject, I sat before it, asking myself these questions, What attracted you to this particular subject? Why do you want to paint it? What is its core, the thing you are trying to express?

Clearly, and in as few words as possible, I had answered these questions from myself to myself, wording them in my little note book, presenting essentials only, discarding everything of minor importance....This saying in words as well as in colour and form gave me double approach."

Hundreds and Thousands is the record of the life, work and thoughts of a great individualist, an extraordinary woman.

Read her bio here 

Chunky DIY Spiral Planner

Another DIY skinny planner, but CHUNKY! Got carried away adding loads of inserts!

Measures 5" x 8.5" with a laminated cover. Spiral bound using The Cinch. A cheerful, undated/perpetual planner:)

Created weekly and monthly templates printed onto colored cardstock and added folders to store papers.

Each month is separated with a colorful, plastic tabbed blank index card.  Lots pockets and sticker elements.

Additional papers and cut-a-parts used are from Echo Park Scrapbook Pad Collections.

View a short video flip through below 

Skinny DIY Spiral Planner

Fun DIY project! Spiral bound planner using The Cinch and measures 5" x 8.5". A happy, undated/perpetual planner with a laminated cover:)

Created weekly and monthly templates and printed onto colored cardstock with additional folders for notes.

Included tabs for each month along with lots of flips, flaps, pockets and sticker elements.

For added interest, colorful paper clips were used to include cut-a-parts from Echo Park Scrapbook Pad Collections.

View a short video flip through below 

Forest Gnome...Tree Stump Dweller

More Whimsy!
 

Slot & Tab Binding Book

Simple technique called 'Slot & Tab Binding' does not require any glue or stitching. Stumbled upon this technique here. Measures: 4"W x 5.5"H x 1"thick

Used double sided scrapbook/cardstock for the cover. For the pages I used single sided scrapbook paper. Rounded the corners of the pages with my Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper. Images on the paper create interest and the white back sides leave plenty of space for notes or journaling. Lies flat for easy writing.

You can view a quick flip-thru below.

National Dandelion Day

 Make a wish! For the magic to be at its best you must blow all the seeds off with one breath!

Each time you wish upon a dandelion you are sending anywhere from 54 to 172 seeds into the air.

It is said that the 3 phases of a dandelion represent the sun, moon and stars. The yellow flower represents the sun, the white puff ball represents the moon and the dispersing seeds represent the stars.

  May all your wishes come true!

 

Love this little 4”x 6” Dandelion Book I made entitled ‘the Story’. You can read about the materials used and construction of the book here in a previous post.

View a short flip thru below.

Signs of Spring

At the end of winter, there is a season in which we are daily expecting spring, and finally a day when it arrives.

            Heny David Thoreau

                — Journal, 8 March 1853
 

Honeycomb Notebook

This sweet little 3.5 inch Honeycomb notebook was bound using my Cinch Bookbinder. I cut the hexagon shapes using my Cricut Explore 3 Craft Cutting Machine.

Added a few chipboard accents to the cover from the Carta Bella Honey Bee Collection.

A simple little notebook, but oh so cute! 

 

Upcycled Mini Notebook

Cut the cover for this upcycled mini notebook from a card board box. The pages are from plain brown kraft paper. 

The flowers were cut from a variety of colored cardstock using my Cricut Explore 3 and then mod podged to the surface.

I bound the little notebook using The Cinch bookbinding machine. It measures 3"W x 2.5"H. 

Another fun little crafty project! 

Mini Cinch Egg-Shape Notebooks

 These little Egg-Shaped Notebooks measure 2.25" x 3" and 3.5" x 4.5". All the oval shapes were cut using my Cricut; covers from double-sided scrapbook paper and pastel cardstock for the pages. Used The Cinch to bind the books. 

 

 

 

 

The basket was made with a 12" x 12" double sided scrapbook paper following this origami folding technique here.

Here's a tutorial for the cute little origami rabbit.

 

Spring & Farm Fresh

Cute little mini notebooks bound using The Cinch.

Echo Park Papers were used for both.

The flip up Spring Theme notebook measures 3" x 4".

The side flip mini notebook also bound using The Cinch and themed Farm Fresh is 3 inches square.

 

 

I can't stop! I enjoy constructing these little mini cinch bound notebooks. 

Origami Basket Filled With Mini Notebooks

Another origami basket, but this one I made slightly smaller by using an 11" square piece of double sided scrapbook paper from Bunnies & Baskets Collection from Echo Park. 

The mini cinch notebooks measure 2 inches square. Made the covers by using papers from the same paper collection and added pastel colored, lined index cards cut to size.

OMG! I think they are just adorable, nestled together in this sweet little pastel plaid, spring basket!

You can find a tutorial here for the origami basket. 

Bitty Bricolage

bricolage noun

bri·​co·​lage ˌbrē-kō-ˈläzh 

constructed using whatever materials happen to be available

 

Constructed these bitty bricolage junk journals using materials from my paper stash and imagine they could be referred to as bricolage.

 

A word I recently learned and rather like the sound of it :)

 

So... these are Bitty Bricolage Journals that measure 2.5" x 3.5". 

 

Bitty Cinch Notebooks just waiting for personal expression by incorporating layers, textures, fabrics, scraps and embellishments!

Betty Crocker Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Yum! Chocolate lover's delight!

This recipe was from my Betty Crocker cookbook. A 1974 paperback issue that has been much used, well thumbed, tattered and taped.

 

 

 

 

Many versions of this recipe online, including video tutorials and ingredients necessary to bake this scrumptious cake.

AKA known as Chocolate Cobbler or Lava Cake.

So Easy!  This recipe actually makes its own fudgy chocolate sauce! Just serve warm and add whipped topping or your favorite ice cream. So delicious!

Origami Spring Basket

I discovered an easy to follow video tutorial to construct this sweet origami basket demonstrated by Easy Origami and Crafts. 

Used a 12 x 12  sheet of double sided scrapbook paper from an Echo Park collection entitled 'My Favorite Spring' to fold the origami basket. Any size square sheet of paper may be used.

Papers from the same collection were used to make covers for my mini 2.5" x 3.5" cinch notebooks. For the pages I used pastel, lined index cards cut to size. 

So cute! A basket full of minis! 

 Happy Spring!

Irish Pan Haggerty

So delicious and so simple! I never made an Irish Pan Haggerty dish. This showed up in my YouTube feed and it looked tasty and easy to make. I followed the video here but made a few changes because I didn't have the exact items mentioned in the recipe. No Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, I had Red Idaho and left them unpeeled.

Some recipes throw in bacon, didn't have any so used a jar of mushrooms I had. As directed in the recipe, I used shredded cheddar and also sprinkled grated parmesan on each layer. Lastly, in addition to the butter the recipe called for, I melted 2 more tablespoons and lightly drizzled the top before putting it into the oven. 

There are many variations to this recipe and often they start out prepping the food in the pan on top of the stove, then into the oven to grill for the last several minutes. This recipe appealed to me because it was a "one pan meal"! Love Easy Peasy!

Layered everything in my 10" Lodge Iron Skillet and popped it into the oven at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Amazingly tasty for so few ingredients!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day! 

The Birds and The Bugs

More Mini Cinch Notebooks bound using the ... what else but the Mini Cinch!

Papers used were from Echo Park and Graphic 45.

If interested you can view a short video flip through below.

Thanks for visiting!

                                        Music: Traces of Tomorrow / Citizen Music

March ~ National Crafting Month

It's National Crafting Month! Not that I need a reason to craft:) Crafted a few more mini books using The Cinch Binder.

Circular (3.5") and Clam Seashell Books (3.5" x 4" and 2.5" x 3") used my Cricut to cut out the shapes onto a variety of solid colored cardstock papers.

The 4" Chunky Notebooks I used Echo Park Papers; 6"x6" Pad called Plan On It and a 12" x12" Carta Bella Pad called Farmhouse Summer. Included in each are lined index cards cut to size, variety of solid color papers and added Pockets, Tags, Tabs and stickers.

Happy Crafting! 

3 Inch Square 'One Page Wonder' Mini Album

Fun & simple little 3 inch square crafty mini album with a 70's vibe. Used one 12" x 12" scrapbook paper from an Echo Park Pad (I'd Rather Be Crafting) scored vertically at 3", 6" & 9". Then turn your paper once and cut 3 inch strips. Then fold your strips on the score lines. I followed this tutorial here.

I've made similar 3 inch square 'one page wonder' mini albums in the past (can see them here) by folding a whole sheet of 12" x 12". This is the same concept, but I believe cutting the 3" strips removes some of the bulk you get when you fold the whole sheet. 

Made tags from colored cardstock, adhered stickers, added pockets & more tags from the pad.

For the pretty olive green closure I used chiffon curly ribbon from my stash. 

View a short video flip thru below

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

 https://uppbeat.io/t/hartzmann/green-clouds 

License code: XSNHR7ZEPVSZ8MIL