Saturday, December 1, 2012

New in Shop!

  Here's some pics of what's new in my Etsy shop!     
Candy Kisses Throw Pillows!


This is the back. :)

Double/Full Quilt Top *WIP not in shop yet*


Festive Fun!

Lions and Tigers and Monkeys baby quilt

Under the Sea Baby Quilt


Twin with Drape or Full no drape Irish Chain

Moda Pastel Brights Windows Quilt

Mom's Birthday Weekend Sale!

Hi everyone!
To celebrate my mom's 70th birthday December 1st, I'm offering 15% off everything in the shop!

Coupon Code: MOMSBIRFDAY
Here's some of the NEW items in store now!






Friday, November 30, 2012

Weekend Sale!

Hi everyone!
To celebrate my mom's 70th birthday December 1st, I'm offering 15% off everything in the shop!

Coupon Code: MOMSBIRFDAY
Here's some of the NEW items in store now!






Thursday, November 22, 2012

Craft Show Countdown

How did this year fly by so fast!!
Oh; where are my manners...?!?!?  Happy Thanksgiving to all my American pals! Yay! Eat, drink & be merry; I miss you all! (Sorry ...translated for my LA family, I miss all y'all!!!)

So yeah. Craft show time. The Second Annual Crafty Creations Festival. Yay. Here's hoping this year is as fun as last year! But no midnight sewing sessions for me, oh no. Not again. (Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh right say all the sewists out there.)

Here are some photos of where I'm at today and stuff I'm working on:



More later, going down to the Cave to sew!
 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Cake Batter Sugar Cookies!

YUM




I found the easiest fastest yummiest little sweet treat recipe the other day; courtesy of Sallys Baking Addiction....


 I like her title for her blog as I seem to also have a slight addiction to baking....and now sprinkles too!






 These little gems are  "Cake Batter Sugar Cookies"

They're teeny, they're tiny, they're delicious!


Recently I've noticed the trend of "cake batter" in a lot of baking recipes. And hey; who doesn't like licking the cake batter during the mixing stages right off the spoon? (Please tell me it's not just me) 

 These cookies are tiny; and rich, and buttery and yes, cake batter-delish. The only thing I had a hard time finding was the butter extract; I had to go to Bulk Barn as it was the only place I found around here that carried it.

Side note: I love the Bulk Barn. Those of us in Canada that can't find things easily like corn meal, grits, soft wheat flour, buttermilk powder, butter extract.... THEY carry these things!! Yes! 

The only thing they don't have is "Bakers Joy" spray; which I love love love and can't get in Canada. Boo-ums.

(Maybe that's what I should ask for for Christmas...a case of Bakers' Joy,  a case of Jif,  lol...oh, and a Rebel DSLR Camera, and a pony......)

But I digress.


Sally's blog is a fab resource for lots and lots of fun recipes to try; and so far I've made:
 
Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
 Now; I liked these; but I found they were  (gasp) too sweet for my taste. They involve actual cake batter in them; and next time if I were to make them I'd be sure to use semi-sweet chips - and I might use my whoopie pie pan cuz these lil fellas sure do like to spread as they bake. (Boy. Did THAT ever sound naughty!)



Birthday Cake No Yeast Cinnamon Minis
THESE were yummy. The best part? They were SO SIMPLE to make and since trying  This Recipe  
I've tried several variations including just cinnamon & sugar and butter and YUM. 
I just love using the Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (we call them Pokas in my family it's a long story) AND they were on sale last week so I grabbed a bunch. :)



So go visit Miss Sally over at her Blog; but DON'T blame me when you immediately start craving sprinkles on everything and gain 15 pounds!!


Another Side Note:


A few years ago; I invested in a KitchenAid stand mixer (The Artisan One...ooOOoo) and I absolutely love it.
It's like when you sew and you get a serger; you wonder WHAT you ever did before you had one!!!
You can whip up cookies like these in oh, 10-15 mins or so and then be eating them 10 mins later.

Mine's the red one top left. They didn't have the Pink in the Artisan.
( If you don't have one, and you bake a lot; I'd say....do it. Go for it. Yes, it's a lot BUT - if you're going to use it all the time well then that justifies it. And; oftentimes you can find refurbished ones that are a fraction of the price; or even big box retailers have pretty good sales from time to time....anyway...this isn't an ad for KitchenAid. Sorry. I just love mine!)

This recipe is courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction Blog;

Cake Batter Sugar Cookies
makes  24 adorable cookies - triple this for more people; these cookies are tiny and will go fast!!!
  • 4 tbsp (1/4 cup) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
    1 large egg yolk
  • 1/2 tsp butter extract
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup colorful sprinkles
  • 1/4 cup sprinkles, for rolling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat.  Set aside. Pour 1/4 cup sprinkles onto a plate to use for rolling.  Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment.  Beat in egg yolk, butter extract, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour, and mix until a dough forms.  Dough will be thick. Gently mix in sprinkles.
Roll dough in teaspoon size balls.  Make sure that the balls are tall, rather than wide.  The taller the cookie dough ball, the thicker the cookie will be.  Roll the dough balls into the reserved sprinkles and bake for 9-10 minutes. Watch them closely at the 9 minute mark to assure they do not brown.
Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a cookie rack to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Finish it Up Friday Returns!

With my full time job and trying to keep the house walkthrough-worthy (we're selling it) it's been hard to get a lot of sewing time in...but here is my finish for this week!

Very Scary Halloween Patchwork Lap quilt!
I've had some of this skeleton & pumpkin print kicking around for awhile. 
I knew I wanted to make a Halloween quilt, because last year with the door opening & closing I froze my bum off waiting for the wee ghouls & goblins to arrive!
 
Vibrant oranges, greys, black and whites with a pop of purple here & there. That's the sun dappling the fabric; it's not that bright around the edges.

Very scary Halloweeny prints! Ghosts...bats...cats...eeeek!

All black back and scary black and white stripes for binding.....







And also, here's a sneak peek at some Christmas-Gifts-To-Be....

Yes! A Thomas the Tank pooshy pillow!




Quite a few WIPS on the go; a bunch of custom orders for the holiday season and some personal projects in there too.
Visit my Shop for more, including the Halloween Quilt!



Monday, October 1, 2012

Hearty Beefy Onion Soup

I must be really attuned to my Inner Furry Woodland Creature Instincts. That's gotta be it.

Why else as soon as Fall hits do I have this incredible urge to gather & preserve food for the winter?
So yeah, that must be it.

Last week was the Gumbo this week it's Soup. Warning; there may be more posts to come.....:)

This recipe is yummy, smells great whilst cooking, and is unbelievably easy. And especially take advantage of your local farmer's markets as fall staples are SUPER cheap right now. Perfect for chopping and preserving/freezing.

You'll need.: Large stockpot with lid, sharp knife, cutting board.

4-5 large shallots
4-5 large onions
1-2 red onion
2 containers beef stock (I used Campbell's reduced Sodium)
4-5 big ol' carrots
5 celery branches
Black pepper, hot sauce, garlic (all to taste)
Burnt Caramel sauce
cooking sherry
1/4 cup butter
3 tsp brown sugar (if you want more of a savoury soup, omit the sugar, but I like the layer of flavour.)
Prep:
Have all onions chopped in 'rings' about 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch wide.
Shallots chopped in rings 1/4 inch.
Chunky cut your carrots & celery.

Over medium-high heat, melt your butter. Add your shallots & onions, stir, put on lid. Reduce heat to medium if it starts to burn.
After about 5 mins, stirring occasionally, add a few dashes of caramel sauce, a good sousing of the sherry, and the sugar. Stir well, add lid. Watch and stir occasionally.

After about ten minutes, add the celery and carrots, again stir well. Add in the pepper, garlic, and a dash or two of hotsauce, stir well. Replace lid. If you haven't yet, reduce heat to medium.

After veggies have turned 'bright' (after about ten mins) add the stock; stirring well.





Bring it to a boil, with the lid on, and then let it simmer for a few hours. 

Before serving, reheat to medium & stir; the butter may be separated but as you reheat and stir it will go back 'in' to the soup. Serve with crusty bread!


Yes, it's THAT good!













Wednesday, September 26, 2012

HappyThyroid Soup

...........Or, as I like to call it ""What was in the Cupboard and about to Expire Gumbo"


In any case; after my radiation thing to work on my Graves' Disease, I am now one of the millions of folks struggling to live day to day with an underactive thyroid gland; I'm now Hypothryoid.

And what fun, as the medications have to be adjusted so your mood swings are legend, your hands shake, your hair falls out, alternating sweating like a pig or freezing like an iceberg....oh and the weight gain, and don't forget the lethargy & depression.....oh yeah. It's got it all.

BUT there's hope and that's the main thing. Time. Proper care. Good diet. Right levels of Meds.



There's a lot of great books out there about hypo/hyper thyroidism , and  a few deal with the weight issues. This soup is by no means a doctor okayed thing or anythhing; but I went by the guidelines in Mary Shomon's book; "The Thyroid Diet" about foods to try, foods to avoid.

 And it's yummy. Like, really yummy. And good for you. So here's the basic recipe. I think you could add whatever you wanted really, and simmer it, and it'd be awesome. But this is my version. 


As per David's request; The HappyThyroid Soup.


 1. Diced Carrots, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Celery, garlic - a lot, like 2-3 cups
Cut up Okra 1 Package
1 can Garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup soy beans
2 containers (6-8 cups) sodium/salt reduced chicken stock
1 lg can chopped tomatoes
1 cup basmati rice (or more)
3 cups water (maybe)
3 handfuls fresh spinach
peppercorns - 15 or so
garlic powder - lots
turmeric - lots like 3 tsp
chili powder 3 tsp
ancho chili powder 2 tsp
dash or 5 of hot sauce >> I like it spicy so I add more
black pepper lots
bay leaves - 2

In a big ol' stock pot, and I do mean big - heat some olive oil and saute the items in row #1
Add in Okra, saute a bit longer, a minute or two, stir lots
Add beans, tomatoes and stock
Stir well. Let this cook for a minute on medium heat
Add everything else except for rice, bring heat up to med-high
stir often, bring to boil
add rice and water, stir
add all spices to taste, keep tasting, add more 
reduce to simmer, cover

You could add more veggies if you like, whatever you have on hand. Remove from heat. 

You'll probably want to add more water as you reheat and use . Serve and eat it with whole grain crusty bread. It's yummy.
Did I mention that yet? It's yummy.

I'm freezing well over half of it in ziploc baggies. Ejnoy!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Chilly Mornings

This morning I went outside to enjoy the morning sunshine and have my coffee on the front porch;  and it was actually CHILLY!!!!
Uh Oh.
The End of Summer is Coming! I love summer. I love warm. I love the sun.  But after years of working/living in the southern US and following summer around; I did really miss the fall.
I love the colours and smells and feel of Fall; October has always sorta been my favourite month, with July a close second.

So let's see here. What's new and exciting....OH...I know....a few days ago in a clearance section of a local shop, I found a Whoopie Pie baking pan. YAY.
This is exciting news because I made some last year at Christmas time and they kinda spread in wacky shapes without the containing pan.....they were still quite yummy though.

BUT THEN I came across the NEW Donut Baking Pan...and I'm SUPER excited to try this bad boy out...."Michael's" store link  and even though it only does six at a time ...well... can't wait. There's THIS one recipe....   

Can't wait. After work I think........

On the sewing front...keeping the house tidy for showings etc has been a challenge on its' own. Yes, the townhouse is STILL up for sale, a steal really,  but as everyone reminds me, this is not a good time to be trying to sell. But I have faith. This has been a happy home for years and a small family or a couple starting out would be PERFECT for it.....and I happen to know you can fit a LOT of stuff in the basement....laugh.
But I can't start any big projects really, well I could, but I'd have to clean up after every time..eeeeesh.

So I starting working on small things, bits and pieces of scrap blocks, as I noticed that the THREE mini bins I had were completely overflowing and out of hand getting quite full and in need of some trimming. I've got a few finished and will be working along on those. Plus too I have some blue and white Irish Chain blocks to assemble;  and various other little projects to work on. I *really* want to make some of these Sprocket Pillows from the FABULOUS Cluck Cluck Sew  ,  one of my all time fav blog reads.

Okay. Time to go get ready for work! Enjoy your day...it's a beauty out there!!!


Friday, July 27, 2012

Uh Oh.... Summer is Half Over!

Annnnnnnnnnnnnd THAT means....Time to start thinking about your Christmas order!

Wonderbunnie Designs are now starting to take orders for Christmas tree skirts, Quilts as gifts/custom orders, tablerunners and more.

Custom Halloween costumes can also be ordered now! Cut off date for Halloween custom orders is SEPTEMBER 10th.

Please read the "Custom" page for more details before you email to request a quilt (so you have an idea about the size,) take a look at my Etsy shop to get an idea or design in mind,  and we'll go from there!

Enjoy the rest of the summer folks, and play safe!

Monday, July 9, 2012

It rains, and then pours

Well Hi!
**This was a draft I had saved and forgot to post from June 9th**

It's been a bit since I've last posted; let me tell ya; when it rains, it POURS. 
Life can get away from you sometimes, and even with the best of intentions all my fav and wonderful crafty things have to get put down and put away.
SO let's see: After the HBBA (Home Based Business Association - GREAT group) Home & Health show in May; I needed to step back for a bit from sewing. A little too much for too long. 

THEN... I got a NEW job! Yay! Full time, the only downer was it's a 40 min commute; but...recently I was transferred BACK to my area and now my commute is FIVE (count 'em) FIVE minutes. YAY! And I'm really enjoying it. Won't say the name, but it's a Canadian retailer and successful and so far, I'm having fun.

The big kicker is, our house is up for sale; and so sewing like I tend to do - looks rather like a tornado of thread and fabric and needles etc landed in the Quilt Cave - isn't really possible at this time.

But I did finish off a lil' giftie for one of my Best Pals Ever...A super cute Kitty Cat Quilt to thank her for being one of the Best Pals Ever.


Currently working on a King Size (UGH) Irish Chain for my Dad; they're getting married this weekend ...wait...scratch that...in 5 hours....June 9th and so um, they'll get their quilt later in the week. Heh. Or now, since it's July....mmmm soon. Ish.

So much like yours, I'm sure, life is Good...but busy. And that's okay. Keeps me outta trouble. 

But there's some WIPS down in the Cave...I can hear them once again startin' to call my name....mostly thought I have to go clean.....

So there's the update! 

 Here are some completely non-quilt related pics; our small town has a local fair that comes once a year and it is a much awaited for event for the under 12 set. Heck. Who am I kidding...who doesn't love a good fair?!





Everything is Not Always Perfect in Blogland

Doesn't it seem sometimes that everything in Blogland is perfect?

Everyone's baking wonderful things, their pics look like they are from a glossy magazine. Stuff you make looks like it came from a box. Cuz....it did. Everyone's feeding their kids wonderful organic meals they whipped up from a local wonderful organic market, and you just shopped at your local Freshmart. And don't get me started on the perfect lines and seams of quilting and clothing and super cute accessories these incredibly talented ladies just finished whilst their children played quietly under a table nearby.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm all for empowerment and the first to shout YOU GO GIRL!!!  And these amazing women are inspiring and I love them all and can't wait to see what they come up with next.

But sometimes, when you're tired, and frustrated, you get a bit worn down about how Perfect things are. Or, you think, Should be.

Well... they aren't always. And that's OKAY!

Here's some of my less than perfect latests.... lol. I thought I'd share.


Pink Lemonade Cake

Sorry; no pic avail. I just couldn't do it.

Oftentimes as I'm looking up a new recipe I will read the comments posted about said recipe for others' tips and tricks. And sometimes; I'll find one or two recipes for the same item which combined, not only make sense but work together to make the final product simply amazing.
Sometimes though; that doesn't quite work out as planned.  And sometimes, if you don't read BOTH recipes completely through there can be DISTASROUS (albeit hilarious) results.

(Don't get me wrong. I absolutely ABHOR wasting food. Especially expensive and essential things like, butter, eggs, vanilla and other specialty things required for baking. Up here, butter is around 4.50 a lb, eggs about 3.00 and vanilla 3.00 for the small flask. So you can see, when I mess up a recipe it can be pricey. )

So back in May, a co-worker brought in a magazine with some recipes in it she thought I'd enjoy. One in particular; Pink Lemonade Cake. I'd never heard of such a thing! How yummy! I love Pink, I love Lemonade, and I love CAKE! So it seemed like a win-win.

Well I don't like to use boxed mixes when I make cakes. Or anything. I find that usually all I can taste are the chemicals. The first recipe was mostly premade preboxed. So ... I googled Pink Lemonade Cake and found a few other recipes; some for scratch some for boxed. Now; I'm a baker. I know that you can't just willy nilly substitute ingredients; that will Not Work. So I'm usually pretty careful.

So I find two recipes I think gel pretty well. I go thru it all, making my cake. Layers bake, batter looks good, smells good as it's baking. But then, it takes a little too long to bake. The middle is still far too gooey; the edges are already browned. Hmm. I let it cook for a few more mins; but the gooey middle is STILL not hardening. By now, the edges have completely browned and pulled away from the sides and are on the verge of burning.
I lower the heat; and leave it for a few more minutes. By now the cake layers that are supposed to be done after 25 mins have now been in for 50. Oh yeah. Well, I thought; wouldn't be the first time I 'rounded' the edges with a knife start on to get rid of the overdoneness.

I pull out the layers. I lay them on the racks to cool; and start on the frosting. Which again, usually comes together quite easily; I don't understand why this frosting is so runny and gross.

Well; about an hour later, cakes are cooled. Frosting is still a bit runny. I frost both layers and sprinkle what I THINK is rock sugar across the layer. Leftover sugar from Christmas cookies, you know. In the unmarked bag. Of COURSE it's sugar.

I finish icing the cake. I even add some "sugar" on the top to make it pretty. I leave it out for a minute; go answer the phone. I come back; the cake is a Leaning towers and is  oozing sideways off the plate. ?????

I am stumped. Wha????

I look between the layers and notice the icing looks weird, kinda 'foamy'. Hmm.

I cut a nice sized piece, and go head into the living room to enjoy my new cake.

Two seconds later I'm head over the sink; spitting out said cake into the sink.

Yeah.
Number One: That WAS NOT SUGAR. << Leftover sugar my bum. It was SALT Kosher SALT that was the leftover that didn't fit into the box when I refilled the box. It was cutting thru the icing and frothing it. Breaking it down.

Number Two: The cake was still not quite cooked all the way through.IT was sludgey and tasted of flour.The exterior however was overdone and solid. It was awful. This cake could not have tasted less like cake if I'd tried.

Number Three: When combining recipes; read the ENTIRE recipe CAREFULLY all the way though. To the end. Then re-read it. Because then you might catch the fact that ONE recipe calls for POWDERED lemonade and one calls for LIQUID concentrate lemonade. So not adjusting the liquids and the flour percentage....or the eggs, arggggh. Yeah. So....yeah. Disaster. Not to mention the complete lack of taste.

I regarded the mess on the plate for a minute; desperately racking my brain to see if there way ANY WAY to fix this horror before me.

The entire thing, I am not proud to say, was upended, still warm, into the green bin out back.

So....lesson learned.
Read recipes carefully.
Things Are Not Always Perfect In Blogland.

This whole thing as I've said, happened a good two months ago. It's taken me this long to reattempt baking and to post about it. LOL. Actually it's also been so ridiculously hot there's been no COOKING let alone baking. Lots of grilling, and boiling, and stove top frying. Lol.

I did redeem myself with some much needed Cinnamon Buns - also by breaking my No Box Mix rule - but this one is TOTALLY worth it. SO YUMMY!!!!!

I hope this made you smile on a sunny monday, enjoy whatever endeavors you undertake today!

I'm going to catch up on some much needed cleaning up down in the Quilt Cave.



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

A Sailin' We Shall Go...

I live in SW Ontario and our Fabric shoppes are few and far between. In our town we have a tiny but sturdy small shop, that's been in the fabric biz forever. And they're great. But sometimes, you just need something different.

Nearby is the wonderful Lens Mills; it's about a half hour, and it has a HUGE selection of any kind of fabric you could ever want or need. It's crowded, and dusty, and the lighting is terrible, but it's so much fun so poke about and the women you meet in the aisles and get to chatting with (you  know how that goes...you're wandering, mumbling to yourself, then suddenly, eyes are caught, smiles shared, conversations start)

And one day: I found THIS:

The most ADORABLE lightweight cotton print: Sailboats on a white or pink or blue background, and the caption reads: "Little Boats Should Keep Near Shore - Benjamin Franklin" 


I fell in love. And I also found a great co-ordinating mixer fabric that reminded me of water and sky,  a bright red to complement, with borders of a nautical rope & wheel print. I adore this quilt, but it's available in my Etsy shop for you!

Perfect for a twin bed, or a lap throw....or even, on your boat!





This post is part of the WIP Wednesday Link Party!
WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Sooo tired!

What a fun day!

The HBBA Show at the Timken Centre in St.Thomas was a happy day. I finished and displayed lots and lots of quilts, and met lots and lots of wonderful folks today! (And, re-met several people I hadn't seen in YEARS!) All in all, a great day. But I'm exhausted, and soon off to bed.

Today I heard a lot of people comment on how beautiful the quilts are, and how they wish they could find the time to quilt. I would smile and reply, Find the Time! It's so worth it. It really is. But...I also warned people...it's addictive! (It's not a hoard of fabric. It's a stash.Really. And I need it all.)  I love to quilt. Even when it's the most frustrating ... I love it. It's so peaceful, and I can focus on creating order out of chaos, one block at a time.:) So I say, Do it! Find the time, and face the challenge. You'll be so glad you did.

And if we were chatting today at my booth : YES I can do a Scooby-Doo quilt....YES I Can (hopefully) repair the quilts that I was asked about, but we'll have to see the state of affairs first....and  ..oh yes...I will be glad to make T-shirt memory quilts .....oh and to do the grunt work on the piecing together of the cut out blocks for the lady whose daughter is going away to school.

Some photos from today:
Adorable (if I do say so) Twin sized Sailboat Quilt

"Little Boats Should Keep Near Shore" a quote on the fabric by Benjamin Franklin

"Fairies in the Window" Lap/Toddler Quilt
Upclose view of the Fairies in the Window

Upclose view of the Fairies in the Window

Twin Sized Checkerboard Quilt

Vintage Look scrappy Baby Quilt

Superhero Baby Quilt!

Ooh La La Baby Quilt

"A Walk in The Woods" Lap sized Stepping Stones quilt

Have a great night, and enjoy Sunday!

Best,
Shannyn