Cottage Craftroom Party APRIL

Joining in on the craft party today, I always have a ton of projects going on, but this week I seem to be in the middle of all of them. But....as a textile artist, I am sooo excited about the relaunch of one of my favorite fabrics, Barefoot Roses ~ now renamed Barefoot Roses Legacy I thought I would share some of my past creations with it. Of course I did load right back up once this yummy print from Tanya Whalen became available last week....At the moment it is available online thru www.fatquartershop.com and www.shabbyfabrics.com. I am sure it will probably be available in stores soon too!

It's back!!

A few of my past creations with this gorgeous fabric~

hope you enjoyed--join us for the party too with your latest endeavor!

What's cookin in the cottage kitchen April

I have to apologize, I have really neglected my blog recently. With a day job and juggling my website business that has been really busy the last 3 months, I had to prioritize...so the blog was one of those low on the list. And I miss these fun parties....so when this party happened by I thought I would share a dessert recipe I did for Easter. I had to borrow Martha Stewart's picture since I didn't take one of my own. I used a pink bucket with pink and purple tulips and a kids shovel. My granddaughters thought nana was crazy serving "dirt" for dessert, but soon found out it was really yummy. My recipe is a lower fat version, the original uses regular oreo cookies.

Dirt

Ingredients

• 1 package Chocolate graham cracker
• 8 ounces lite cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 packages  vanilla instant pudding
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups cups milk
• 12-ounce carton frozen Lite whipped topping, thawed
• Candy, for decorating

Directions

1. If using a flowerpot with a drainage hole, reserve 1 cracker to place over hole to prevent leaking. Place remaining crackers in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture resembles dirt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter, and stir until creamy. Set aside.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together instant-pudding mixes and milk; stir until well blended. Using a rubber spatula, fold pudding mixture into cream-cheese mixture. Fold in whipped cream.
4. In a flowerpot or bucket alternate layers of cookie "dirt" and pudding mixture, starting and ending with cookie "dirt." Chill at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with gummy worms and silk flowers

~2012 Spring Art Challenge~

Officially open now

stop by and read all about the challenge~

you have until June 1st to complete it too

click on the pic to get to the page of info

Cottage Garden Party~March

I had full intentions of sharing a seed starting method I use this month. I am fully a week behind this mid March project. I use a very frugal method these days with egg cartons on the window sill, and usually just a few tomato and sweet pepper plants. But I have not always used this method.

my greenhouse 2002

There was a time when I was really into greenhouse growing. I mean BIG TIME. I grew all my own flowers and veggies from seeds and cuttings. I took 2 years of greenhouse practices classes at our local community college...I was really really into it. I found some old pics, not very good, back then I was just learning to use a digital camera and had no idea how to correctly edit. I thought I would share a few of them since I was not ready with the frugal egg crate method...and we no longer live at the house with the greenhouse....Oh I still love to cottage garden, but I was pretty burned out when we sold that house. It truly was a lot of work. I had started my online textile art business and having both passions was just too much.

My only regrets are I wish I could have picked up that house and moved it to the little town we live in now. It was a lovely cottage style with lace curtains and floral wallpaper. When we moved my husband politely asked me if I would cut down on all the lace and florals in the new house......




join us for the party!