Quick and Delicious Thanksgiving Recipes!

My newest recipes this week are:
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Squash Casserole...
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Use three medium to large squash...your choice, I used 2 butternut and 1 acorn squash...cut open and de-seed...place flesh side down into a baking dish and add water just enough to cover edge of flesh, bake it at 425 degree fahrenheit until it is fork tender on the thickest part, then let it cool just enough to touch it without getting your fingers burned and then scrape out all the good stuff tossing out the outer skin.

In a large bowl add cinnamon, nutmeg, dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts and margarine and sugar to suit your taste..soo easy...just takes a bit to cook the squash...You can also put in a baking dish and cover with mini marshmallows and bake until toasty brown then serve..yummm!
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Easy Cranberry Relish/Sauce...
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Mix together (to taste) four cans of whole berry cranberry sauce, cinnamon, ground clove, nutmeg, walnuts and grated orange rind (optional) together in a large saucepan until ingredients have melded and are bubbling hot (stir frequently over med. heat)...store in fridge to cool and serve...stays good up to five days...a great make ahead dish! Or you can also freeze it for up to a month.
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Berry Fluff...
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Easiest Desert EVER!!! Great for the weight watching crowd too....

In a large bowl break up a large angel food cake into bite sized pieces, mix in berries of your choice, and fold in whipped topping (I used light) and layer into a pan or serve straight from the bowl...(NOTE: does NOT make a good make ahead recipe as it soaks up the juices and gets soggy)...takes 10 minutes to make and tastes heavenly!!
Have a Great Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Christmas Give Away!!

What a week it has been...the weather has been gorgeous (for fall) with no snow in the forecast yet :) So I have taken advantage of this weather and taken my dogs on many walks as well as started my Christmas craft projects...I would love to know what everyone else is doing...what craft do you want to share with everyone? I've been making my jewelry as usual...but this time around I am thinking of making some Christmas Luminaries...very simple to create and I can show you how (though I don't have a camera ready for you tube) I do have flickr and can do a step by step process which will follow very soon :) probably within the next week or two...so keep your eyes peeled for it... This past week I also went to my first craft Bazaar...at my Mother in law's apartments...it was great fun and I met a lot of talented crafters and was invited to share a booth at our local flea market...in time for the holiday season...not sure yet about doing it...as it sounds a bit out of my budget right now...but it sounds like it would be great fun. I've also created my first business cards and flyers which I am sooo excited about!!! I can't wait to post them...I feel so official now...LOL....(please pardon the adhd)...I look forward to posting any requests you may have...drop me, or Julie or Randomosity a line and let us know what you want to learn about...we have paper crafts, jewelry, ornaments, recipes, and so much more we can share....or if you have a craft to share post it and see it published here :) We are going to also be running a Christmas Give Away...so send in your best craft idea post...the best craft idea post wins homemade bath scrub of your choice of scent, and a bracelet and earring set (perfect for wearing or gifting - colors and clasps are my choice of color based on availability of findings)

...winner will be announced on December 15th!! Share your love of crafts and post your idea in the comment section below so I can see it and be sure to include your e-mail address for notification purposes should you be our winner of our first ever Give Away!!! Good luck to you all!!

Paper Crafting with Purpose: Give Away!

Paper Crafting with Purpose: Give Away!: I really love it when PDub gives away things on her blog. Let's try a little experiment here on mine. I can tell you absolutely that I fin...

Paper Crafting with Purpose: Key To My Heart Banner

Paper Crafting with Purpose: Key To My Heart Banner: Was it three years ago that CTMH had as its National Scrapbooking Month collection the Key To My Heart papers and stamps? I think so. Which ...

Doggie Fashions! on the cheap!

Okay, I am so excited...it appears I have learned a new craft and have to tell someone......I just made Chewy (our chihuahua/poodle mix dog) two winter coats with no sew web and hot glue... they are in the washer right now...we'll see they hold together LOL....the pics are above :).  What led me to try this was that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't find a pattern on-line and needed a no-sew pattern......so I made my own pattern from memory......seeing them in the stores.....(well winter overcoats would be more fitting to go over his sweatshirts)...... gonna make him a couple sweaters too for around the house :)   Old sweaters and sweat shirts come in real handy when making a shirt for a small dog.....the sleeves are already half the pattern hence half the battle is already won ;)   They say necessity is the mother of creativity (or how does that go? mother of invention?...scratching my head..hahaha) can't think of it.....just sitting here reflecting on what I have accomplished eating my eggs and drinking my coffee so not quite awake fully......all I had going today was fixing a girl at work's necklace for her and cleaning the kitchen...or so I thought...LOL......gonna have pork chops with fried green tomatoes for dinner :)  Which reminds me: by the way...discovered a great recipe for pickled green tomatoes yesterday...here it is...simple, simple, simple: I used my left over juice from my bread and butter pickles and put sliced tomatoes (quartered, whatever) and slices of onions in and am letting them sit...tried one this morning and they taste awesome...gonna wait a couple more days to let the juices really soak in :) Anyways a little off subject, sorry...I will definitely be posting the pics of the sweatshirt and coat I made and patterns and instructions for everyone for free :)  To a wonderful Creativity filled day to everyone!!!

Home Sweet Home: Garden Ornaments Just in case you have been wond...

Home Sweet Home: Garden Ornaments
Just in case you have been wond...: Garden Ornaments Just in case you have been wondering what I have been getting up to over the summer months I thought I would share with ...

Western Couture

Okay, I have to say...I still cannot believe my hands created this...I absolutely love how this necklace turned out and can't wait to wear it around for a bit before selling it...
Western Couture

Ivory Silk Dupioni Wedding gown

My gown I never wore...and can no longer fit into...need to sell it so 600.00 obo

Ivory Silk Dupioni Wedding gown

Etnahs Designs: D.I.Y Mondays: 'P.S.- I Made This' Upholstry Trim...

Etnahs Designs: D.I.Y Mondays: 'P.S.- I Made This' Upholstry Trim...: "There are tons of ideas in this book 'P.S.---I Made This' I saw it the other day at the book store and wanted to pick it up but did some inv..."

Etnahs Designs: D.I.Y Monday: Glass Jar Moroccan Lanterns

Found a great site for creative ideas...check out these Moroccan Lanterns made from glass food jars...what a creative re-use for them...LOVE THIS!!!
Etnahs Designs: D.I.Y Monday: Glass Jar Moroccan Lanterns: "I saw this and plotzed! How cute are these? On one of my favorite blogs Design*Sponge has the best ideas and D.I.Y. tutorials. Here are th..."

A Big Thanks

I just want to take a minute out of my busy day to thank everyone who visits my site :)  I appreciate it very much and a special thanks to those of you who join my fan club...it means a lot to me...Now all I need is a few more contributors with great ideas to keep this site up and driving on...got some great craft genes in you...let me know your e-mail address and details about what craft genre you work in and I will send an invitation to you once I've seen a glimpse of what you can do...Serious inquiries only please as contributor space is limited :)  No strings attached...you will not receive unwanted mail/spam/etc...I just don't have that kind of time on my hands..LOL...Now let's have some fun...and share some ideas here :)

Sassy Savvy Gal: Biltmore Inspirations - Ground Floor Opportunity!

Sassy Savvy Gal: Biltmore Inspirations - Ground Floor Opportunity!: "I have never been a huge fan of home party plans but one finally got me!!!! It's called Biltmore Inspirations. Since I just visited there ..."

japanese_garden_british_columbia-1600x1200 poster from Zazzle.com

Beautiful is all I can say about this poster from a co-zazzler...you have to check it out...especially if you love fall colors!



japanese_garden_british_columbia-1600x1200 poster from Zazzle.com

Romantic Roses Monogram postage from Zazzle.com

I am so excited to be creating on my zazzle account again...I finally have some inspiration again...just this morning I went out into my garden and drew some morning glories...one of my favorite vining flowers...so easy to grow and so pretty...I just might get back into drawing again...until I can post an item with the new drawing/mixed media morning glories I created...please enjoy my other postage and items I've created just for brides and their wedding day...here is one of my favorite postage stamps I've created...with the help of http://www.thegraphicsfairy.com for some of my background designs (this being one of them)
Romantic Roses Monogram postage from Zazzle.com

Smell my Feet! from Zazzle.com

I just adore my puppy and created this awesome pet t at my zazzle store front with him in mind...Loving Halloween doesn't hurt either :) I hope you will visit and give me your thoughts on it...I am also starting to create more for Christmas this year on both of my zazzle store fronts...so you must visit to see what I come up with...and let me know what I can create just for you...see you there!!

 Smell my Feet! from Zazzle.com

Three Sisters Marketplace - Shops

Three Sisters Marketplace - Shops: "Check out this incredible Shop at Three Sisters' Marketplace! See this artisan's crafts for sale online and also their local classes, workshops and events."

Sold

I am so excited, I just sold my favorite necklace set this weekend....had a great time with my nieces at my yardsale and at the sleepover....(just wish I could have sold all my necklace sets)...made gingerbread cookies, devilsfood cookies...(all out of box cake mixes!)  just find Betty Crocker gingerbread cake mix in your favorite grocery store and follow the directions for cookies...it works on all box cakes...I also added a little oil for softness of the cookies...they turned out great...and made a ton of zucchini bread, scones, and muffins for sale...and did quite well though the rain tried to shut me down.. :) and my nieces helped me make some wonderful bath and body scrubs...none of these sold though...but they turned out great and I am thinking of selling them on my website....http://oddsandendsboutique.com... what do you think...they are all natural ingredients...and I may even share with you how to make them, if you are good...LOL...look for these recipes and more to come soon...until then...just wanted to share my week with you all...have a great week ahead!

SaveTheDate postage from Zazzle.com

SaveTheDate postage from Zazzle.com

Elegant Oval Save the Date postcard from Zazzle.com

Elegant Oval Save the Date postcard from Zazzle.com

A little paper crafting with purpose

For years I have been a paper crafter. It might be in my blood - my Gramma made my dad a scrapbook for his 40th birthday (31 years ago). For many years, I was strictly a scrapbooker. Now I'm vying for a title as queen of the mini albums and work to repurpose all things I find. I take inspiration from other bloggers (and have been known to iron together plastic bags to make "paper" and thoroughly wash aluminum can lids to make interesting tags on projects).

For the next couple of months, I am going to be finding new purpose for lots of items I've collected (tea boxes and tins, chipboard backings to pads of paper, gift boxes) and the papers that have been around much too long with my love for them keeping me from using them. I will be crafting up a storm to create items for a fundraiser for Operation Smile. Can't wait to show you what I'm going to create!

Here's something I created already. Hope you like it!

This card features embossing technique (the dotted background), inking (to make the card "sorbet" color as a base around the dots), hand stitching (in "tulip" embroidery floss around the stars) and 3D elements with the letters of the word "teach" popped. The ribbon keeps this card closed, but then it opens as a standard side-fold card. As it measures 6x6 inches and was going to be hand-delivered, I made the envelope out of a coordinating piece of patterned paper. This was a thank-you card for pre-school teachers for my son, so I made an insert piece of coordinating paper for the children to sign so they wouldn't have difficulty writing over the "bumpy" side of the card, and then I adhered it after all the children had signed it. Made three for each teacher, and all the families loved it and each teacher said it was spectacular.

Candy Cane Collection: Bead on Linen with leather strap bage

Candy Cane Collection: Bead on Linen with leather strap bage: "Bead on Linen with leather strap bage , a photo by Candy Cane Accessories on Flickr."

Candy Cane Collection: Tie Dye Handbag

Candy Cane Collection: Tie Dye Handbag: "Tie Dye Handbag , a photo by Candy Cane Accessories on Flickr."

Passionate about Crafts: Posting your ideas here!

Passionate about Crafts: Posting your ideas here!: "Here at my new blog I want to spotlight other amazing crafters...it doesn't matter what craft you love doing...send me your idea(s) to previ..."