It can not get any easier than this! A co-worker told me about this recipe a couple days ago and since I have family here from out of town, I thought it would be a good time to make it. YUM! Too easy, took about 5 minutes, and so delicious!
Note: You only add the crushed pineapple to the cake mix. No eggs, water, or anything else the box tells you to add. Images are from my Christmas Kitchen clipart set which can be found at Etsy!
For the past year I've been making it a point to experiment in my sewing studio. I've been trying new types of projects, using new supplies, and new tools. I've also been trying new techniques using the supplies and tools I already have. It's been quite a learning experience too. Lately I decided to try my hand at free motion machine quilting. Why oh why did I not do this sooner? It really didn't take much practice and I have discovered that there is no rhyme or reason. You can't really make a mistake when you are making a bunch of squigglies! When combining free motion quilting with my decorative machine stitching, I was able to do the quilting on this Halloween table runner in less than 30 minutes! If I had hand quilted like I normally do, it would have taken me several hours which would have been spread out over a few nights. No more hand quilting for me! The Halloween table runner, which can also be a wall hanging (with my additional instructions included in the pattern) was my first "real" project I quilted using this method. I just listed this pattern, along with other fun Halloween projects at my Etsy Shop and Craftsy Shop.
One thing about my job at the Animal Clinic/Wildlife Rehab center is that you never know what you are going to see from day to day. Today was one of those cute moments. During our surgery time they had to take an x-ray of an extremely wild and aggressive (very large) dog. In the meantime there was this cute black and white dog waiting for his anesthesia. Since the shepherd was not being very nice, the techs thought it was a good idea to take this cutie-pie to a safe area. Instead of putting him back in a cage, they brought him up to us. While we were working on surgery charts, Tonto decided he wanted to make himself comfy on one of our chairs, but there was no chair available. No to worry, there was an easy solution. He just jumped up onto the chair behind Lisa (dark haired receptionist who is now sitting in a different chair) and continued to nudge her until she moved. He is now comfy and happy!
It's time for another favorite! This time I'm introducing you to rosin paper. This is the handiest of stuff to have around and it's soooo cheap! We buy a 36" x 140' roll for around $12 at the home stores. The first time I ever used it was when Brian and I were building a desk and we wanted the top to be curved instead of your typical rectangle. We used this for the pattern. We used it after that to cover a floor when we were remodeling and painting. Since then, I've discovered how nice it is to have in the craft and sewing studio. I keep a roll of it behind my door so it's always handy. It's good for the obvious such as covering my craft table while painting. It's also great for designing patterns. Right now I'm making some Christmas stockings and aprons, and it's great for making the paper patterns. If you've never seen what I'm talking about, you can find lots of images HERE.
I need a 12 step program for designing mug rugs and mini quilts. Seriously, I can't stop making them! In the photo above is just a sampling of them. There are more, but I gave them away to family and friends. There are also about a dozen that are fused to the background fabric and just waiting for some stitching. These are so quick and easy to make, and experimenting with colors and embellishments is a blast! Right now I have the mug rug patterns (PDF format) priced at $2.50 at my Craftsy shop.
There was a time when I bought cookie sheets for baking cookies. Not anymore! A few years ago I bought cookie sheets to keep in my sewing studio and they are the handiest of things to have! They are great when you are cutting out projects, and they make the best drying spots too. When I'm making things like Christmas ornaments, I never make just one or two, I make lots! This way I can lay them all out on cookie sheets and keep them in a safe place while glue or paint are drying. I find them indispensable for my applique work, especially when I want to take my cutting into another room! Are there any non-conventional items you use in your creative space?
