tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64679030945390517312024-02-20T19:59:07.744-05:00Cynicism and ButterfliesLeah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-24002328060854823012022-05-09T09:00:00.001-04:002022-05-09T09:00:00.169-04:00A "Rainbow" Baby Quilt<p style="text-align: center;"> I made this quilt for a friend's baby. While I am all for full-on rainbows in the brightest shades possible, my friend prefers more muted/earth tones, so I chose a more natural rainbow color scheme for this quilt.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEzLnkiCu72zanGmV8tiwGw6SoLnU9UBVuswGOlgH5wbPJe4bR2PZi4fZ5W3zhOeSUGHznAaK3RCKVnj7RMCgYxJUioAPBUSpo8P5EkatSuULu8W2nrKdjvWbsHHX-SnZU6lyfOFhF06k2n7frW7ssa9mIelNLLcsYCXUiI6pwmb-FxQrhQuxy43_R=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEzLnkiCu72zanGmV8tiwGw6SoLnU9UBVuswGOlgH5wbPJe4bR2PZi4fZ5W3zhOeSUGHznAaK3RCKVnj7RMCgYxJUioAPBUSpo8P5EkatSuULu8W2nrKdjvWbsHHX-SnZU6lyfOFhF06k2n7frW7ssa9mIelNLLcsYCXUiI6pwmb-FxQrhQuxy43_R=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-arO_Jbi3gE3PSRx5Zgqxnx7rlallqplZItN8R03QGFglWbpsPjsALVSOMe_S3RuVjlDqiqrdst7oKaW_4ZSb2xFud-dQb3YZrMcjzPdyFl88racDtWZW2H1qdGPP7icIUpOfeY-us0g8ZDnR3gAKuvDYimwE1WcmEtu1nRLB5YXSyl0k7dVGj7eE=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-arO_Jbi3gE3PSRx5Zgqxnx7rlallqplZItN8R03QGFglWbpsPjsALVSOMe_S3RuVjlDqiqrdst7oKaW_4ZSb2xFud-dQb3YZrMcjzPdyFl88racDtWZW2H1qdGPP7icIUpOfeY-us0g8ZDnR3gAKuvDYimwE1WcmEtu1nRLB5YXSyl0k7dVGj7eE=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSq1X_P4kOkoRY_qgmKmQf1L-sF1bGU3k-Jw4h3j9AU1u45U7zif1HqPtwJnGshTXLSEIIbTTm1MPiuY9LQbpBe3_II0obsefUfcAgHGRyJlJeRkD1OyUtW-2lld4gpLlB5exaJUhdQH16hirUaAs8OLwpQXRPYiec8C84kTVdvnffuuvrAGdm9nMs=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSq1X_P4kOkoRY_qgmKmQf1L-sF1bGU3k-Jw4h3j9AU1u45U7zif1HqPtwJnGshTXLSEIIbTTm1MPiuY9LQbpBe3_II0obsefUfcAgHGRyJlJeRkD1OyUtW-2lld4gpLlB5exaJUhdQH16hirUaAs8OLwpQXRPYiec8C84kTVdvnffuuvrAGdm9nMs=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I chose this turquoise spatter fabric for the backing before I knew the baby's name, but it turns out it's perfect! Her name is Robin!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbhHkabtKTcg4THiERwZcb16VsDppoc-YsTfcEj5VcFwSWa734bojYgRw2SKssowRJUuQiCVp51-cDNvQ0FrHs9u62exfTZDPaPLUjQeffvNEFf_IxubWTSJMJjLmte-0IclwCFA8gBYiOEkVnMk8tozyT6tpF9FNSHwfXcW5mRHEs7f5HHkFQu3RU=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbhHkabtKTcg4THiERwZcb16VsDppoc-YsTfcEj5VcFwSWa734bojYgRw2SKssowRJUuQiCVp51-cDNvQ0FrHs9u62exfTZDPaPLUjQeffvNEFf_IxubWTSJMJjLmte-0IclwCFA8gBYiOEkVnMk8tozyT6tpF9FNSHwfXcW5mRHEs7f5HHkFQu3RU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and HSTs,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-66730346006110579292022-04-25T09:00:00.001-04:002022-04-25T09:00:00.166-04:00Halloween 2020<p style="text-align: center;"> Have you read any of The Princess in Black books by Shannon Hale?</p><p style="text-align: center;">If you haven't, I cannot recommend them highly enough. While they are technically aimed at elementary-aged readers, they are great books for everyone. (I started reading them before I even had kids.)</p><p style="text-align: center;">For Halloween (in 2020, yep, that long ago), Jo really wanted to be the Princess in Black, so it was only natural to dress Micah as her fellow superhero, the Goat Avenger!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMkVcqayOR8mWu5TSydky4xnz3CRAXHa2wk_n2Fj57a90plRGqaGKUVQerKMKzWZ1VapJAtC3wL3DL_WDHD4a-mgXtSkjuDwpu8j6fzUg6nFXjI_b-tt94eBecaHW_5m35zAHXbe5uF6rLCNSTFpZi8ED0cJJB8rod8KQzjX9xqlOe6l2wjTL_2-aM=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMkVcqayOR8mWu5TSydky4xnz3CRAXHa2wk_n2Fj57a90plRGqaGKUVQerKMKzWZ1VapJAtC3wL3DL_WDHD4a-mgXtSkjuDwpu8j6fzUg6nFXjI_b-tt94eBecaHW_5m35zAHXbe5uF6rLCNSTFpZi8ED0cJJB8rod8KQzjX9xqlOe6l2wjTL_2-aM=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jo's costume consisted of: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- black rain boots, black leggings, and black gloves (already had)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- black skirt (bought for the occasion)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- black shirt (bought for this, then painted with the magnolia flower)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- a black cape (I was going to make one, but then Dollar Tree had them and that's way easier)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- a black mask (I sewed hers from 2 layers of felt and a strip of elastic)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">- and a sparkly tiara (found one on Amazon for $5, the Dollar Tree ones seem to be meant for doll heads).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLOvkomxSxramZFDQ6G1S_UdVwAv-0jqaZNgwbUluxwhqL7sry8hkokC252aOF3bE6iAOmeppgq_clTX9OwqAXR_W7iLp4fZm2DN22P1RztOeqCS-jZe64dSr-4ng4s9Ih8wca2gEeDmpUmdBFTRuLFeoQCK7uKd7ehJxWjvFP_ZhpRTXY68jRJk6Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgLOvkomxSxramZFDQ6G1S_UdVwAv-0jqaZNgwbUluxwhqL7sry8hkokC252aOF3bE6iAOmeppgq_clTX9OwqAXR_W7iLp4fZm2DN22P1RztOeqCS-jZe64dSr-4ng4s9Ih8wca2gEeDmpUmdBFTRuLFeoQCK7uKd7ehJxWjvFP_ZhpRTXY68jRJk6Q=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Micah's costume was actually more complicated, although the result is still simplified from the Goat Avenger's costume in the books. I chose a yellow shirt and jeans that he already had, and just had him wear his sneakers instead of boots (his current rain boots have cherries on them). We skipped the suspenders, gloves, and staff. And the rest I made.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The mask is from the same basic pattern as Jo's (a pattern I made by drawing a rough shape on paper, pressing it on Jo's face, then making changes, pressing it to her face again, etc. until she was sick of it.) just in brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rather than sew in burlap, I chose a basic brown knit for the rest of the accessories. The cape is very basic - I just traced Jo's. The belt - which is not super visible in any of these pictures - is just a doubled over strip of the same brown knit, with little cow bells (goat bells, really) stitched to it - fastened with hook-and-loop. It was super adorable for that night, and was immediately hidden the next day because that's annoying.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">His hat was the hardest part and definitely the part I'm proudest of. I had to find a way to insert both goat ears and horns, and while Micah's goat ears stick out sideways more than the Goat Avenger's, I still think it looks pretty cute.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPwnVhO7T-i9RGO2xIW9N-vFvDkeTvPKFjn6zTCT8cj8yyPvHkNb-h6cazWtycJrFOh02hvWi1t6ityZbbDzAK9HAkb5wrwNAgJOKXn2XydtM6nu8FkOLt0ay1u7pN5pIqc7-vmhSVsdd2I3uS8WomNHh3v-WBC-prh-_Og3aBbScYSU7NuWqu7hdH=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPwnVhO7T-i9RGO2xIW9N-vFvDkeTvPKFjn6zTCT8cj8yyPvHkNb-h6cazWtycJrFOh02hvWi1t6ityZbbDzAK9HAkb5wrwNAgJOKXn2XydtM6nu8FkOLt0ay1u7pN5pIqc7-vmhSVsdd2I3uS8WomNHh3v-WBC-prh-_Og3aBbScYSU7NuWqu7hdH=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWa04fj7IcpahS1zMc9VPU3ppI4aJUdg5mMuPc0yFhRCV_8h3qYfaenSUtk6ZCKiHxQeGNU7FjtTCkNhWoLNctWDhuEU_jZOdaDXJzfItnNk8luKwY6dD4MV7l88a5_lfaukCMcd9HZ8zS6h8yyhxNQLue2yexNJ1TyZwwCrAEdmqlYcyenESCbP5a=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWa04fj7IcpahS1zMc9VPU3ppI4aJUdg5mMuPc0yFhRCV_8h3qYfaenSUtk6ZCKiHxQeGNU7FjtTCkNhWoLNctWDhuEU_jZOdaDXJzfItnNk8luKwY6dD4MV7l88a5_lfaukCMcd9HZ8zS6h8yyhxNQLue2yexNJ1TyZwwCrAEdmqlYcyenESCbP5a=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jo's ninja moves are so fast they're just a blur.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdc1HV2BN6_yurZq2ijFGROPNGiP9puQHjMTtU0S8dXOKc3AEkAzofU6lXUs6UJRlklGwcRMxfU3B_lNZPN4YjtGgwBLJ5p_slWzYJIu5TW6jGMdAzXQUGTzn6EpI6U1zEMO-mEB-UCi0F4DwqHPQiazItDZxTcWrpKE1MFdVoXXxsqtBjciAzudGo=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdc1HV2BN6_yurZq2ijFGROPNGiP9puQHjMTtU0S8dXOKc3AEkAzofU6lXUs6UJRlklGwcRMxfU3B_lNZPN4YjtGgwBLJ5p_slWzYJIu5TW6jGMdAzXQUGTzn6EpI6U1zEMO-mEB-UCi0F4DwqHPQiazItDZxTcWrpKE1MFdVoXXxsqtBjciAzudGo=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"BEHAVE, BEAST!"</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbX5h5BK2bDDzwx6T5SyOSsyfOSzzNdU0ilA6j2B56Pa7jnz5gQU5zvg_MrBQq5t5FfzOZ7DCwUDXRlGgnAihmobiCUeJjOvgnlOJaPXXKlW8m04uBOBgvHo2_rAvc7xligVdCSltEiJ4-fCPjS8x5VqyoY3gXvk8gnSd3u62f0S1YzFIiLyuvtHM=s3676" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3676" data-original-width="2542" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbX5h5BK2bDDzwx6T5SyOSsyfOSzzNdU0ilA6j2B56Pa7jnz5gQU5zvg_MrBQq5t5FfzOZ7DCwUDXRlGgnAihmobiCUeJjOvgnlOJaPXXKlW8m04uBOBgvHo2_rAvc7xligVdCSltEiJ4-fCPjS8x5VqyoY3gXvk8gnSd3u62f0S1YzFIiLyuvtHM=w442-h640" width="442" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Goats,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">LeahJoy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-38882526711824505922022-04-18T09:00:00.001-04:002022-04-18T09:00:00.186-04:00Christmas 2021<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Season's Greetings! (Not sure which season, but sure.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I recently shared our family ornament from 2020, and here's the one we made for 2021:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibKi9uFyGkRJELzYbS9fzoqiRYoDulM7KjTsqgKDNU9cO1YDtnV8i4kN6pYYoMjBWaxYWacqzUW9sjY6NczX30Wdzi4_cNeoThlXJmwT-25nI8y30LPxq5e4-s3meKsN0D3r1tgkj0b94F2FYOwTmyz7LTcB70vbo52us4FUQqkjoVeNqu1MjyRC-l=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibKi9uFyGkRJELzYbS9fzoqiRYoDulM7KjTsqgKDNU9cO1YDtnV8i4kN6pYYoMjBWaxYWacqzUW9sjY6NczX30Wdzi4_cNeoThlXJmwT-25nI8y30LPxq5e4-s3meKsN0D3r1tgkj0b94F2FYOwTmyz7LTcB70vbo52us4FUQqkjoVeNqu1MjyRC-l=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jo and Micah both got really involved in helping with this one. I cut the wire and counted out the correct number of wooden beads, and they both strung all the beads on. Then I shaped them into wreaths and the kids did most of the painting. Once everything dried, Jo helped with the ribbons, cutting the ends where they were too long. It's fun to see them be able to be more involved as they get older.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Micah is <i>obsessed</i> with Star Wars this year. He has now seen some of the Lego Star Wars cartoons, but he was obsessed when all he had was the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/36314577">Star Wars Block book</a>. He absolutely loves BB-8, or, as he calls him, Baby 8. I commissioned Caleb's sister to crochet one from a cute pattern we found, and it turned out fabulous - only at least 8" tall - a bit too big for a tree ornament! But perfect for a stuffed "animal". Micah loves to carry around his "ornament Baby-8" and love on him. And I stitched this up in a couple days to serve as his actual tree ornament from the year:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglFBRsppi_5WJjq4js8XNHgx1k50ol_PyKenFafTPPE3XdbYvlYIim_Z2RoA30VsFuRvbC-aCILmHv25_gY8A_UZTmnoarrvBz1VN0A6SKi8hOGt77bV5EFhPrb5b30Usf9N0s8p6RGTljaeB3g8VAPXJoRCOavjpYh-LZoQMOVbyInEnMXy95Bcry=s2990" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2990" data-original-width="2075" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglFBRsppi_5WJjq4js8XNHgx1k50ol_PyKenFafTPPE3XdbYvlYIim_Z2RoA30VsFuRvbC-aCILmHv25_gY8A_UZTmnoarrvBz1VN0A6SKi8hOGt77bV5EFhPrb5b30Usf9N0s8p6RGTljaeB3g8VAPXJoRCOavjpYh-LZoQMOVbyInEnMXy95Bcry=w444-h640" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/569577785/tiny-bb-8-star-wars-cross-stitch-pattern">BrunoBearCrossStitch</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am particularly proud of Jo's ornament this year. She has been into fairies and magic all year, so making a little fairy made sense. I found some reference images on Pinterest/Etsy, but didn't love any of them as they were - bits and pieces of them needed to be mixed together. (See: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/942630562/hydrangea-flower-fairy-ornament-wooden">idea 1</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1101997860/custom-lavender-sugar-plum-ballerina">idea 2</a>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/26740191518688521/">idea 3</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had a craft weekend event at church, and just brought most of my craft supplies - embroidery floss, pipe cleaners, ribbon, hot glue, glitter, etc. I also had purchased several fake flowers from the dollar store just for this project - the blue petals with the darker edges came that way, which was super nice! From Hobby Lobby, I had purchased a set of <a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Wood-Crafting/Unfinished-Wood/Round-Doll-Pins-With-Tapered-End/p/23699">wood doll pins</a> and these <a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Beads-Jewelry/Charms-Pendants/Charms/Ombre-Wing-Charms/p/80978519">amazing wings</a> (they really make the project that much better!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took several hours to make this, just playing around, and I am so happy with how she turned out! My sister made the fairy wand, which completes her perfectly!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHIjRXu30oTobmL5RykAl677dcB4sV7riEAOQFuEu_iY1DLpN4mTPKQdMDSdqHCgIMZzaEKVGZfKjZ1a3PgbUsewZqEgvP4w0pipSr0wZa2GAVcqdcgKEL_FF56O8n_golVn-Yh-uj-ScCtsVe_IXpZ9BItW8jw06mXi052QDhtgDvxn9-lbcULShg=s2336" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="1726" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHIjRXu30oTobmL5RykAl677dcB4sV7riEAOQFuEu_iY1DLpN4mTPKQdMDSdqHCgIMZzaEKVGZfKjZ1a3PgbUsewZqEgvP4w0pipSr0wZa2GAVcqdcgKEL_FF56O8n_golVn-Yh-uj-ScCtsVe_IXpZ9BItW8jw06mXi052QDhtgDvxn9-lbcULShg=w472-h640" width="472" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Glitter,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div><p></p>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-13964571821337426632022-04-11T09:00:00.011-04:002022-04-11T09:00:00.170-04:00Quarantine Hobby #2: Cross-Stitch<p style="text-align: center;"> When I started to realize quarantine was going to last 'a bit' longer than 2 weeks, I decided to try my hand at cross-stitching. Turns out, I <i>love</i> it. Most people seem to find coloring soothing and relaxing, but it just stresses me out. (Are my marker lines straight? Does this look right? Is this the right color?) My hand ends up clenched around my marker while my shoulders are hunched over so I can focus even harder. Not very relaxing. Cross-stitch is to me what I imagine coloring is to, well, normal people.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Today I'm going to blast you with pictures of the projects I've made since I started (not all of them) because this is my blog and I can. You don't have to look.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I began with several kits from Hobby Lobby, but once I decided that yes, this is the hobby for me, I began purchasing digital patterns from Etsy. This was my first Etsy pattern. (All links to patterns/shops under each picture.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMG2PeZnm0FTx-mXKCgrE4IWhIXSFnD9Sf6rKOYGkXihYMd5_T8ngZANiED_BYhiUURfiXWH7PW9bJ-rGYxNVgRhYYSG2bAKWAqWbKbj9c2Fxw8UcP8K-Aoute8mZrQl2kScth5YAhpPfUWXpQr51OyVqGopxH65aoEypLUG_8jUKo1oVp2Umh2mMA=s3435" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3435" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMG2PeZnm0FTx-mXKCgrE4IWhIXSFnD9Sf6rKOYGkXihYMd5_T8ngZANiED_BYhiUURfiXWH7PW9bJ-rGYxNVgRhYYSG2bAKWAqWbKbj9c2Fxw8UcP8K-Aoute8mZrQl2kScth5YAhpPfUWXpQr51OyVqGopxH65aoEypLUG_8jUKo1oVp2Umh2mMA=w566-h640" width="566" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/557100433/pdf-only-try-to-not-murder-anyone-today">JackTheStitcher</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This next one was a Christmas gift for my sister. I chose a blue/teal/green color scheme instead of the original because it fits her taste better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_w8I913rUpUroiDCPBhcaYp37tdrJZJssmEdPpC9mRzua0ZeY_Lzf20iDe2izdGkcguBD-qwutAPdwmq3txyNOdam41NgONZIEU7nHnhgxcqf4_Q4LKSOAiPWKoQP4F_7sAnPSmKBDWIwFrO7wYbdYXmUcKTsJWlAu1AWPWZ5Rfm-nyNT-vgfl344=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_w8I913rUpUroiDCPBhcaYp37tdrJZJssmEdPpC9mRzua0ZeY_Lzf20iDe2izdGkcguBD-qwutAPdwmq3txyNOdam41NgONZIEU7nHnhgxcqf4_Q4LKSOAiPWKoQP4F_7sAnPSmKBDWIwFrO7wYbdYXmUcKTsJWlAu1AWPWZ5Rfm-nyNT-vgfl344=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/794896754/cross-stitch-pattern-books-sweet-books">AlitonEmbroidery</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was a gift for my mom. I didn't want to buy new floss, and the colors in the original pattern were a little more fluorescent that my mom prefers, but I think I went too dark. She says she loves it, but then again, she's my mom - what else is she going to say?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkMt_SBVzEE6eBJ7a9a_kBaWJo1ZpwWRRlJ4LMpjOxzMRh6R-BZFhwkCDhBivzgIB_MEiL1SLDgzmuDrFZhBX6aqGZekgZDbe2onlGMgQfQ7yv0lvG7miVPXagVaU6UugYBHv2dr6twFJM-SGBgJLVB8uhKCYXuMUh9SJsSkXoMFoxpa862GqPKrry=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkMt_SBVzEE6eBJ7a9a_kBaWJo1ZpwWRRlJ4LMpjOxzMRh6R-BZFhwkCDhBivzgIB_MEiL1SLDgzmuDrFZhBX6aqGZekgZDbe2onlGMgQfQ7yv0lvG7miVPXagVaU6UugYBHv2dr6twFJM-SGBgJLVB8uhKCYXuMUh9SJsSkXoMFoxpa862GqPKrry=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/749194801/first-i-drink-the-coffee-cross-stitch">AlitonEmbroidery</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">I also decided to give blackwork a try. Blackwork is cross-stitch's fancy cousin, and turns out, I also love blackwork! This was a gift for my sister-in-law. I used DMC 121 - Delft blue variegated floss, avoiding the extremely pale sections of floss.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2wCBDxGBzUMfJ_gavIejDy-EliuifKIdkH64l2icAuTIViAaBAnNz1OTkSk_TZd7Mi6cT8fIxYkCYmJztlp77NFvgPqdbkOTfwL43kxvvfyAPWyz8ZrTL1u7_h0X8glR8QRaaIMa_QGWP8ihRFE2bn7TnfFLFnNfBYDTsgLt_xTHR037m647CWd2c=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2wCBDxGBzUMfJ_gavIejDy-EliuifKIdkH64l2icAuTIViAaBAnNz1OTkSk_TZd7Mi6cT8fIxYkCYmJztlp77NFvgPqdbkOTfwL43kxvvfyAPWyz8ZrTL1u7_h0X8glR8QRaaIMa_QGWP8ihRFE2bn7TnfFLFnNfBYDTsgLt_xTHR037m647CWd2c=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiU-HI3K2jx7jl737OMjnhTouptCscYsKuw1cJQJr3vfiD7cAqkwYQKgByDpOT3Llz9SYuigagfdXP2Iw0kj3x7NkeGkzXkVGFR5is7jKDyzfeDaw104RQk-h9B82j_LE60yxrg-rT01hb-v2d7fJK80BdgEiho00rVcwl9kQPbGF4WrCA7OgXgqa7=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiU-HI3K2jx7jl737OMjnhTouptCscYsKuw1cJQJr3vfiD7cAqkwYQKgByDpOT3Llz9SYuigagfdXP2Iw0kj3x7NkeGkzXkVGFR5is7jKDyzfeDaw104RQk-h9B82j_LE60yxrg-rT01hb-v2d7fJK80BdgEiho00rVcwl9kQPbGF4WrCA7OgXgqa7=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7VICxBrX9M5MiNq7O8iAuWHMiFp_IAtyENzDTnZpfQH59xMN9k3TPeh6fNRmdxIFNRBhCoERzbTHfKuY5JMvcc3uh1ANfls2txyy0Z_as4KHLEHn65qV1vq-jWJG0qXFLT97bhbFJ-sV2HE8vkIWr0rjC1lV5CTiltPu0yISLed9W9aUCzusrYY7H=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7VICxBrX9M5MiNq7O8iAuWHMiFp_IAtyENzDTnZpfQH59xMN9k3TPeh6fNRmdxIFNRBhCoERzbTHfKuY5JMvcc3uh1ANfls2txyy0Z_as4KHLEHn65qV1vq-jWJG0qXFLT97bhbFJ-sV2HE8vkIWr0rjC1lV5CTiltPu0yISLed9W9aUCzusrYY7H=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/762377260/michigan-blackwork-pattern-michigan">PeppermintPurple</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">This one was a gift for a Lord of the Rings loving friend. I actually bought all the colors recommended in the pattern for this one, because it was about 20 different shades of green, and I didn't know if I'd get the subtle changes right trying to pick them out myself.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDUZC2l8CwQXnkd06h8PDvquHHADRI5R0GLRYxpmPNoyvW1-7rF17wEifML7CsHG4zgyF-hXNwNWvwQCna-IsD1MrWu0hjdtbOyC50flarEDkBDSoZYcEWdLUGgMel4ZS3pLW9MFS-a4g5pkd7m5A2UYWrhBbKlXUdyMPcLnlYF7GkJLJba5q9p5nD=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDUZC2l8CwQXnkd06h8PDvquHHADRI5R0GLRYxpmPNoyvW1-7rF17wEifML7CsHG4zgyF-hXNwNWvwQCna-IsD1MrWu0hjdtbOyC50flarEDkBDSoZYcEWdLUGgMel4ZS3pLW9MFS-a4g5pkd7m5A2UYWrhBbKlXUdyMPcLnlYF7GkJLJba5q9p5nD=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/870673661/theres-some-good-in-this-world-jrr">AvocadoStitchery</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">This next one was just for me! I loved doing blackwork so much, I decided to try another pattern from Peppermint Purple.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFtXlobRqiCdbK0tJj6zgCYIWJIRREvvqcyyjvIXbAutHmFGKDMPwCmHRscjZQs8_b8bmqiHgp8LdzhkPaTAkw9_f_diE4q4fUNB5mC42ai2Zxzl3nKENYLwM52Jx4xo7TtKSbmm-A89NT2QtpQkP1msUK-tV8DY3Xln_P9IysjBAv7J8y_A9IM5mb=s4032"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFtXlobRqiCdbK0tJj6zgCYIWJIRREvvqcyyjvIXbAutHmFGKDMPwCmHRscjZQs8_b8bmqiHgp8LdzhkPaTAkw9_f_diE4q4fUNB5mC42ai2Zxzl3nKENYLwM52Jx4xo7TtKSbmm-A89NT2QtpQkP1msUK-tV8DY3Xln_P9IysjBAv7J8y_A9IM5mb=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIaJ9qyrFHHZI7SppHZAB5URXYtQdquMs7QloUaZ3rZmevzuwtYszHFoK87UiBAbGV1uauz2EJwzyfQjN45cs0SlmV_44sMz6fonWrn97t7-Ei4O0Zyj56V4LB5G41m-svy517Z28ANd_JZet1Vd7Q5RBdakwAqkeg9r2hyZwySGAs1w3UF5sOAgHx=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIaJ9qyrFHHZI7SppHZAB5URXYtQdquMs7QloUaZ3rZmevzuwtYszHFoK87UiBAbGV1uauz2EJwzyfQjN45cs0SlmV_44sMz6fonWrn97t7-Ei4O0Zyj56V4LB5G41m-svy517Z28ANd_JZet1Vd7Q5RBdakwAqkeg9r2hyZwySGAs1w3UF5sOAgHx=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgECHTB1KV5IefzdGeh2NW_Pq7-bMIszQ97MmicWvjMNHEGHGBv_80OJnacksLKgVRDDGWanEq28UAfUuVwJrSLJF4lTbQt1Ylv3ORDEMHNGR9WlSo9h78w6v5FLW90ChAn6nxya8OdICoMa4OzwBMcAqXqTZ4YXx56JPaCsOrYPJqCNzVoLB9QNOwf=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgECHTB1KV5IefzdGeh2NW_Pq7-bMIszQ97MmicWvjMNHEGHGBv_80OJnacksLKgVRDDGWanEq28UAfUuVwJrSLJF4lTbQt1Ylv3ORDEMHNGR9WlSo9h78w6v5FLW90ChAn6nxya8OdICoMa4OzwBMcAqXqTZ4YXx56JPaCsOrYPJqCNzVoLB9QNOwf=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCSat2cQ6OwvEfvQwPrp4pnyF-od0tjvGuPAdI88vGiyWiKjN_NyjuU-N0s7XKqXPZJdi2bZpu63zkj3BZK3KI1pHvX39oYPIfLmMa5IMUp40tcLN7xFWeAw5D4vWr3ti7SLOrsoXoCvSwvaXWNmOKsrRkW3E3IVOaW-REgcfVlfwuKRt16aQFpzH7=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCSat2cQ6OwvEfvQwPrp4pnyF-od0tjvGuPAdI88vGiyWiKjN_NyjuU-N0s7XKqXPZJdi2bZpu63zkj3BZK3KI1pHvX39oYPIfLmMa5IMUp40tcLN7xFWeAw5D4vWr3ti7SLOrsoXoCvSwvaXWNmOKsrRkW3E3IVOaW-REgcfVlfwuKRt16aQFpzH7=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/675160655/rainbow-blackwork-pattern-blackwork">PeppermintPurple</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">This was a gift for a friend who loves F. Scott Fitzgerald.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq25pj4MaNHo1eGWZvDyXMy6l7MYXSIl1nXVSiroARxJNO_PffYfVIhxElYIKfQ7cbMA1TUGcYfsWFmxYYWZy6VnXciCBibxjr7IqN18v2nIRNQFzOIX6LNzjbt9xXQlaDvDwXIbt7Iek8Ttavvj9mVOA2KMafGqB69VqgxV-D3Duwhxr8qGUBuuDn=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgq25pj4MaNHo1eGWZvDyXMy6l7MYXSIl1nXVSiroARxJNO_PffYfVIhxElYIKfQ7cbMA1TUGcYfsWFmxYYWZy6VnXciCBibxjr7IqN18v2nIRNQFzOIX6LNzjbt9xXQlaDvDwXIbt7Iek8Ttavvj9mVOA2KMafGqB69VqgxV-D3Duwhxr8qGUBuuDn=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.dmc.com/us/spring-wreath-by-victoria-marcasciano-pattern-9005756.html">Wreath pattern (free)</a> - text is self-drafted</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is another Peppermint Purple blackwork pattern I made just for me. (I'm thinking of a blackwork gallery wall somewhere in my house.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRKTF1Y3h9D4uJaCPSxwPp-I6uj7caofORRoaZndkgoY36U5Q8FboeLhW03v8ih9mAHw1Qt3j4ceimRSthNwpU8doiWFWNBCTvHfbydDDpAjfxSoquLKK7iCBpdprX0r3qsRYPfwzEueaDO2f3qE1vCJJkN3SLn7b6nV9h8-GbCpD61mRQJUxQjATc=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRKTF1Y3h9D4uJaCPSxwPp-I6uj7caofORRoaZndkgoY36U5Q8FboeLhW03v8ih9mAHw1Qt3j4ceimRSthNwpU8doiWFWNBCTvHfbydDDpAjfxSoquLKK7iCBpdprX0r3qsRYPfwzEueaDO2f3qE1vCJJkN3SLn7b6nV9h8-GbCpD61mRQJUxQjATc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/747472904/blackwork-embroidery-rainbow-quilt">PeppermintPurple</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This next one was for my mom and is certainly the most complicated (and maybe also the coolest).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPHr1a3Y2-2HQY71T_mUkfWXuYkY2cf-SJGAO5yoq5XIPH0qkEfXcwksdGSk29a8-Ct7YsK1oIMseCmilmuSqtasDG10kfhQg9HD3qZa271FbLMU3xY5h27GAp1gQLans8vbQRq4qVn_cvMa_M_cyLxeh3SyTzSt3-fnkf8PjE3qWmyLuI2XkGU5uD=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPHr1a3Y2-2HQY71T_mUkfWXuYkY2cf-SJGAO5yoq5XIPH0qkEfXcwksdGSk29a8-Ct7YsK1oIMseCmilmuSqtasDG10kfhQg9HD3qZa271FbLMU3xY5h27GAp1gQLans8vbQRq4qVn_cvMa_M_cyLxeh3SyTzSt3-fnkf8PjE3qWmyLuI2XkGU5uD=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before backstitching (outlining)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrsURlAb4Ga5mHT5Pk2kpVHhWcQgr2Bsrumf2qlORIG2DA2zTACWeHrOtYbACq80ap8ysLnZS-bR1LlGhMdVveLEgrDrzl2plmffBys-VbBLbTM4RM-aETvnAnuP50nBCpzA-pr4M4Bn1CjWGl3HYKvAaNKzeMdjRa1HlAhQCt2DraCSztddM_NcHZ=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrsURlAb4Ga5mHT5Pk2kpVHhWcQgr2Bsrumf2qlORIG2DA2zTACWeHrOtYbACq80ap8ysLnZS-bR1LlGhMdVveLEgrDrzl2plmffBys-VbBLbTM4RM-aETvnAnuP50nBCpzA-pr4M4Bn1CjWGl3HYKvAaNKzeMdjRa1HlAhQCt2DraCSztddM_NcHZ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After backstitching</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8qquvco5_0mpeqCdSbZ-xjx6qqgZfWsBCAfun_IYR4ej5AF19RgmN7Ax8rkGZk-NrqotqWBOn5eN8i_5o8C7PHhp80R6kZ_Hh9xU-Rn1yFlKtn84hh9gqLafNFbb_L1PWbf9OS2nxkhiWNWXicWws5yRVmk_38jTw-x8amaSHAFSmgddjxGbp0zgM=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8qquvco5_0mpeqCdSbZ-xjx6qqgZfWsBCAfun_IYR4ej5AF19RgmN7Ax8rkGZk-NrqotqWBOn5eN8i_5o8C7PHhp80R6kZ_Hh9xU-Rn1yFlKtn84hh9gqLafNFbb_L1PWbf9OS2nxkhiWNWXicWws5yRVmk_38jTw-x8amaSHAFSmgddjxGbp0zgM=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/802822988/windmill-tulips-cross-stitch-pattern">MaddisonPatterns</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For my sloth-loving friend:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6t9yiN03W1ItMibHXaTZP4XjrtePAp4FINBmdELKV0yMI8ZuWBANbPU3hiNtbXeZRiySB4MtwO7y6N8wRRCzaylKjsXxxgv25OgJ_M3odH5Ph-c9spTEVdVHZDIipuWQralN3N2K2bIWr13PFkRNwBeLpLj4Ws9TMHkLICZGalQ6f4Hiwowow7MkT=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6t9yiN03W1ItMibHXaTZP4XjrtePAp4FINBmdELKV0yMI8ZuWBANbPU3hiNtbXeZRiySB4MtwO7y6N8wRRCzaylKjsXxxgv25OgJ_M3odH5Ph-c9spTEVdVHZDIipuWQralN3N2K2bIWr13PFkRNwBeLpLj4Ws9TMHkLICZGalQ6f4Hiwowow7MkT=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/675593224/modern-cross-stitch-pattern-sloth-cross">StitchingLand</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I really need to start remembering to take pictures <i>after</i> I've ironed and framed the projects. Here's another one with my hoop creases all over it. :) This was a gift for my sister-in-law.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXYmTxnunURY44tX3BJraGysTZW8P5ASITQ7PwuQtxufN-ApHTnzrnfxZ6kYcQW-dBrif1na9sVOcwb2HCoIrN7gNjDjU9g7xQkTQdLjsl4CmyQb4QlEzdc2uKzXazZ8koy0-GJ_WtWlrd4MQFE2s1vmFfnCoQ6p0HU03sYsY9roCLy16DfTiCpBvc=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXYmTxnunURY44tX3BJraGysTZW8P5ASITQ7PwuQtxufN-ApHTnzrnfxZ6kYcQW-dBrif1na9sVOcwb2HCoIrN7gNjDjU9g7xQkTQdLjsl4CmyQb4QlEzdc2uKzXazZ8koy0-GJ_WtWlrd4MQFE2s1vmFfnCoQ6p0HU03sYsY9roCLy16DfTiCpBvc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/961206643/modern-cross-stitch-pattern-sea-cross">StitchingLand</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;">For a friend, but I might need to make one for myself, too. :)</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUKMkJYt05I-tjYO7LzhmhJGrtjbgEOopF1YBnnbIdrkolRNdxks8iOQjnpZCrtFwJGv3UsLVrC7izMxftQyOne28WGATYRlIq_zUCJoJOitTM6GXmKeqxcO4NE2Al3rhXX1PUCxH_V4emopO1SK8WWpvkfDqCd9KmpQRkoQ59DbxzDz4g2oRAisE1=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUKMkJYt05I-tjYO7LzhmhJGrtjbgEOopF1YBnnbIdrkolRNdxks8iOQjnpZCrtFwJGv3UsLVrC7izMxftQyOne28WGATYRlIq_zUCJoJOitTM6GXmKeqxcO4NE2Al3rhXX1PUCxH_V4emopO1SK8WWpvkfDqCd9KmpQRkoQ59DbxzDz4g2oRAisE1=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/705094592/crippling-anxiety-is-my-cardio-cross">AlitonEmbroidery</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And finally, this beautiful set of blackwork teacups for my sister. (The original pattern had steam coming off the top, but I left that out.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9AJZ7NGCnBOT95GhuYSqb1VKy1T0H6jLBqNSZANA12J9Vt_RUsLP2Uelmtj5B_UWEMYCRiNnPxj0RDN5ePDNvG7e3Vx2Q6dziJNmvBtVldrOOoGW3m5136STErs8WK5oNF7lUakeOcwAlGVvMWNUXOsHcDrZ53PcceerMgrzvpkodG10pWwSEK3_p=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9AJZ7NGCnBOT95GhuYSqb1VKy1T0H6jLBqNSZANA12J9Vt_RUsLP2Uelmtj5B_UWEMYCRiNnPxj0RDN5ePDNvG7e3Vx2Q6dziJNmvBtVldrOOoGW3m5136STErs8WK5oNF7lUakeOcwAlGVvMWNUXOsHcDrZ53PcceerMgrzvpkodG10pWwSEK3_p=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/596739320/blackwork-teacups-pattern-blackwork-tea">PeppermintPurple</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">Well, that's certainly not all the projects I've made, but probably just over half. (I forgot to take pictures of the rest!) I really really love cross-stitching - and finding cool patterns on Etsy, although I currently have about 12 I've purchased that I still have to make, so....</p><p style="text-align: center;">Love and Blackwork,</p><p style="text-align: center;">LeahJoy</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">P.S. Bonus project - not specifically cross-stitch, but cross-stitch's other cousin, chain stitching - I made this pillow for my friends who love Downton Abbey. This is their favorite quote and they said they really wanted a pillow with this quote on it, but for some reason, the Downton Abbey merchandising department didn't want to put this quote on <i>anything</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFwr9eltoRyUT-HPE1P8-Oxh0QEArz45e72uFz3NLvMzghfg_h0CbnkwHQ24L-G_34VbB0AWksbP7YyotbrYugmdtWghBBvDAfs4Zp8-wRt1vkUymzCFEedHs-p1yMx1Kxf7w5U3ee-akMM5PUR_K2pG1IdLqp-oRpvjtQL8as96IfLBt1kIHeIkQA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFwr9eltoRyUT-HPE1P8-Oxh0QEArz45e72uFz3NLvMzghfg_h0CbnkwHQ24L-G_34VbB0AWksbP7YyotbrYugmdtWghBBvDAfs4Zp8-wRt1vkUymzCFEedHs-p1yMx1Kxf7w5U3ee-akMM5PUR_K2pG1IdLqp-oRpvjtQL8as96IfLBt1kIHeIkQA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self-drafted pattern</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-1497815849764105042022-03-28T09:00:00.006-04:002022-03-28T09:00:00.164-04:00Quarantine Hobby #1: Watercolor<p style="text-align: center;">It's March 2020. I've just heard the news that everything is going to be shut down for "two weeks to slow the spread". (HAH.) On my weekly grocery trip, I decide to cruise the craft aisles at Meijer for anything to help keep the kids occupied - and maybe myself. Stickers? Yes. Crayola ColorWonder books? Throw 'em in the cart. Clearance watercolor kits? I've never tried that before, sure sounds good.</p><p style="text-align: center;">After watching a few YouTube tutorials of how to get started, these were some of my first "pieces". (That's too fine a word for what I do!)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB2Ifk490B4ebXGwZxCXr23jsSBqz9g2IwP3MFZDcDH1gwXgGCHajRF_LIVCubMO5hvK9tOaiF5igIekTH4yFbo9P8eQii5jOBJvVnhMheMtvBYNg6RgquhpBTsWwfoj75NOV5FQNsGupA2y1NG04hlPQALLWEoZyQ5wa7vwr-oXC1R1GwFEjHOEBp=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhB2Ifk490B4ebXGwZxCXr23jsSBqz9g2IwP3MFZDcDH1gwXgGCHajRF_LIVCubMO5hvK9tOaiF5igIekTH4yFbo9P8eQii5jOBJvVnhMheMtvBYNg6RgquhpBTsWwfoj75NOV5FQNsGupA2y1NG04hlPQALLWEoZyQ5wa7vwr-oXC1R1GwFEjHOEBp=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Turns out the paper and brushes you use have a bigger impact on your final outcome than your paints do, so after realizing I like painting with watercolors (and that the paper and brushes that came with the paints were crap), I invested $15 in a good brush, and bought some slightly better watercolor paper at Hobby Lobby.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's my next set. I decided to make bookmarks because it's a small, unintimidating canvas. (Plus I got to use my laminator! So fun!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7kPAi8FgJAaAJ86mxJa6ADBio7e-TmKGR4qylA16fLuVUYwudsT660scAIn7H1ICZAV-DVGGy5Q-jGWdvSA_TtdslvsxjN13IF7D5VvSe7JrqZ-jTBaWMJs7vRV6ldn20r3IMks-F852xm4jeBqf02IKwNF7NN_tUD4RWyF8KFG1RY-PKVYhGiP11=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7kPAi8FgJAaAJ86mxJa6ADBio7e-TmKGR4qylA16fLuVUYwudsT660scAIn7H1ICZAV-DVGGy5Q-jGWdvSA_TtdslvsxjN13IF7D5VvSe7JrqZ-jTBaWMJs7vRV6ldn20r3IMks-F852xm4jeBqf02IKwNF7NN_tUD4RWyF8KFG1RY-PKVYhGiP11=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When shopping for watercolor paper, I had picked up a 4x6 pad of the same paper, so I tried making notecards.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3ac5tkfAdzMN6ALx_17q7Sh9U26laLCMbQgAYg6bIHQjSBTFXt-W-KOUo3OOYuS1T__FesCUWuFNzEPrVKV7H_LFMGw3-5I3XG5F2ylQTJJ5CrxSsuIGCL8MrBH_czygoRfnvhOrHLAmacUsgwN-AOo0SbIDnIy6NQAu_LycoLN29r_1XFjzVlngq=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3ac5tkfAdzMN6ALx_17q7Sh9U26laLCMbQgAYg6bIHQjSBTFXt-W-KOUo3OOYuS1T__FesCUWuFNzEPrVKV7H_LFMGw3-5I3XG5F2ylQTJJ5CrxSsuIGCL8MrBH_czygoRfnvhOrHLAmacUsgwN-AOo0SbIDnIy6NQAu_LycoLN29r_1XFjzVlngq=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Turns out, I really like this! (And they make great gifts.) (Although I now prefer to work on 12x12 paper and cut it down to size - I can get 6 cards and 2 bookmarks from a page that size and it's more cost-effective.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I even got conscripted to make some bookmarks for my cousin's wedding favors!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHxG9xhOGSn5BE7Nr9N2zbXzSZ8f-XxED6Sgch6P7lBBeuHJ3ai8tctNPgdcrNtZVNDFAnMP5fcmkb301u1ML_S_8lDgjoeXOJuXWBQxvgw0Z2cNHkqelRgxZAV7j3lmAYkcW9C-h3IWm8ZjU9MCAZ4LKuf2BY5B0a5W1anF4I25iRSTa5NGvbfV61=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2173" data-original-width="4032" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHxG9xhOGSn5BE7Nr9N2zbXzSZ8f-XxED6Sgch6P7lBBeuHJ3ai8tctNPgdcrNtZVNDFAnMP5fcmkb301u1ML_S_8lDgjoeXOJuXWBQxvgw0Z2cNHkqelRgxZAV7j3lmAYkcW9C-h3IWm8ZjU9MCAZ4LKuf2BY5B0a5W1anF4I25iRSTa5NGvbfV61=w640-h344" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2XfWPrM-0az2LH55lrtEV3KXq-eTyt-SPsIksI8UN663XSnB0oYyfYcWTYbc4VZhGPf6LvhKVjf3D7815LlCLEutuqMqYEwlhlsJ7dLTqFCnioGxjn8Zjmeg0PUj0yWOPqtQh0QJ0HiL4g0Ohv6F-KuJUc4K-W7nbl5vgwi-6bh4kA8ARuCJ6J2yx=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1921" data-original-width="4032" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2XfWPrM-0az2LH55lrtEV3KXq-eTyt-SPsIksI8UN663XSnB0oYyfYcWTYbc4VZhGPf6LvhKVjf3D7815LlCLEutuqMqYEwlhlsJ7dLTqFCnioGxjn8Zjmeg0PUj0yWOPqtQh0QJ0HiL4g0Ohv6F-KuJUc4K-W7nbl5vgwi-6bh4kA8ARuCJ6J2yx=w640-h304" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mostly, I just have fun browsing Pinterest for fun ideas and then trying them out. I've recently discovered using skinny washi tape as a resist method. (So many fun ideas with that!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3WOCXI5cXc0ntK-Mp4e1P8gS90-eAU1t2My4Dkgy-DMySdYgw6tOa_ARtj9kBLNcrlOnqen7EPFDO8knj2ACttr9XeEgo1Kp2gCCepeal2kUt8PXf1N7gu_cAgXeJAXKpG7053p-zSm2VFTPw1w1hDrAt0sbyN7dqj6_oXlFF38SkuQAzRv3kRimj=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3WOCXI5cXc0ntK-Mp4e1P8gS90-eAU1t2My4Dkgy-DMySdYgw6tOa_ARtj9kBLNcrlOnqen7EPFDO8knj2ACttr9XeEgo1Kp2gCCepeal2kUt8PXf1N7gu_cAgXeJAXKpG7053p-zSm2VFTPw1w1hDrAt0sbyN7dqj6_oXlFF38SkuQAzRv3kRimj=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I really enjoy painting with watercolors. I will most likely never be up to painting anything realistic looking, and I don't even know that I <i>want</i> to, but it's very relaxing to just play with the paint!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Washi Tape,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-47336011245567463302022-03-21T09:00:00.001-04:002022-03-21T09:00:00.183-04:00Christmas 2020 - yep<p style="text-align: center;">Okay, we all already know I was quite far behind in this blog, so enough ado already about how late this post is.</p><p style="text-align: center;">For Christmas 2020, Jo and I made little bells for our <i>en masse</i> ornament. (See previous years posts here: <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2020/05/christmas-2019-ornaments.html">2019</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2020/05/christmas-2018-yep-ornaments.html">2018</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2020/04/christmas-2017-ornaments.html">2017</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2017/03/christmas-ornaments-2016.html">2016</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2015/12/ornaments-2015.html">2015</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2013/12/ornaments-2013.html">2013</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2013/01/star-ornament.html">2012</a> <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2011/12/sequined-flower-ornaments.html">2011</a>)</p><p style="text-align: center;">We used small wooden dollhouse <a href="https://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Wood-Crafting/Unfinished-Wood/Wood-Flower-Pots---Small/p/23070" target="_blank">flower pots</a> from Hobby Lobby that we painted in all different patterns. After they dried, we strung a jingle bell on the inside and tied a cute bow around the hanging ribbon.</p><p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnbYJOJlb-dIQpDgvWjxUDZVorLE22rPKGs2xN5w6C4ylwbcsARZSgkAtJYv6ewcd7U2D58bQpi_QtB9rit1Tret0mVh_TWtgruJVMhbU0fPs5FDGrVKyf5sS1VSEhv39tW0u_jWLDkFsDVGznRBEwK_TzQBSfQTx5IOQH4Cq9M1fiDr9AfawpES7D=s2623" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2623" data-original-width="1573" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnbYJOJlb-dIQpDgvWjxUDZVorLE22rPKGs2xN5w6C4ylwbcsARZSgkAtJYv6ewcd7U2D58bQpi_QtB9rit1Tret0mVh_TWtgruJVMhbU0fPs5FDGrVKyf5sS1VSEhv39tW0u_jWLDkFsDVGznRBEwK_TzQBSfQTx5IOQH4Cq9M1fiDr9AfawpES7D=w384-h640" width="384" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">Jo was super into The Princess in Black in 2020, so I painted this ball ornament to be like Princess Magnolia on one side and The Princess in Black on the other side. My sister made the tiara - and it rotates with the ball ornament.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP9p95kSOZRmUdcvoAnrmbKwNL-se0B0H-GhDxtf3G1EyoWNqj3rB_Qx8SupEUQ7wVjQHfQwozRl4TTFa40woO6GLad0hxvenV45ieGFD7UOqMlK-sqIwcUiWWRCCIRryOaHDrAy9ahVc_H6eu6g6XUNPsIyUWLU6s8wR0O8XNd4AR2bRHRVPs_M2O=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgP9p95kSOZRmUdcvoAnrmbKwNL-se0B0H-GhDxtf3G1EyoWNqj3rB_Qx8SupEUQ7wVjQHfQwozRl4TTFa40woO6GLad0hxvenV45ieGFD7UOqMlK-sqIwcUiWWRCCIRryOaHDrAy9ahVc_H6eu6g6XUNPsIyUWLU6s8wR0O8XNd4AR2bRHRVPs_M2O=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW6oiTnCsdgpIc4TaO2CtBkbA0CJS97mrEi9SsxFWe6F3CFQvMeT__Hlhfu30rXa2LzDedyF6puwo5K4DeT6QvbEc6yrOvPThwpElHoLw1qlj_JNVDxNJX6mBkIRKChgVOOkBf2TP2c4I4YWoidgEvWDMWnzwJyVvceleZ2VlioNGdhdU6lyaDUnAu=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW6oiTnCsdgpIc4TaO2CtBkbA0CJS97mrEi9SsxFWe6F3CFQvMeT__Hlhfu30rXa2LzDedyF6puwo5K4DeT6QvbEc6yrOvPThwpElHoLw1qlj_JNVDxNJX6mBkIRKChgVOOkBf2TP2c4I4YWoidgEvWDMWnzwJyVvceleZ2VlioNGdhdU6lyaDUnAu=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">For Micah, I picked up a package of tiny bottle brush trees from the dollar store, along with a construction vehicle also from the dollar store. A little bit of hot glue, some Epsom salts and glitter later, and we have this snowy ornament:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjppxwc0tJuWOo7l5-2lwnf8AtanjiJzuAvhmaZ4iYsRZ9iFpc5z3upxPCDQ_VqboweNjGTybQFDOUqwSKic8RRJaVUtpaql0rrlRDcCh3K-tZu8PWrxJeDmk7bnC7maJ-aS-DBP822eI-z5c3k1diHgLmpwF2WYAxM0eaXRBBe89aro696MJmgb9Ao=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjppxwc0tJuWOo7l5-2lwnf8AtanjiJzuAvhmaZ4iYsRZ9iFpc5z3upxPCDQ_VqboweNjGTybQFDOUqwSKic8RRJaVUtpaql0rrlRDcCh3K-tZu8PWrxJeDmk7bnC7maJ-aS-DBP822eI-z5c3k1diHgLmpwF2WYAxM0eaXRBBe89aro696MJmgb9Ao=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Lights,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div><p></p>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-90023028646741624802022-03-14T09:00:00.002-04:002022-03-14T09:00:00.167-04:00A Few Birthday Cakes<p style="text-align: center;">Here are a few of my favorite cakes I've made over the last year and a half. The first is Jo's 5th birthday cake. Her birthday is always around Thanksgiving, so it's tricky to throw her a birthday party. For her 5th birthday, we tacked her celebration onto Thanksgiving, so she got two "birthday parties", one with each side of the family. I used my 6" cake pans (that I purchased for Pete and Chloe's <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2020/06/wedding-cake-part-2.html">wedding cake</a>) and made two small 2-layer cakes.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2bj8TMqXRyquKBqEjLDoTkobzN90PpbnAfcWotSqUU9NOKhqTJX_plZTqHmKELDy3TqceN5_1kv_nLoN99l8nFf99Ho4AdrH-GQPIiNa2T3iMCsjiuIPShCTfzZ8_gLMpPO4qLUOTIuNDuyj-ccih2fYdi0Ue1Jh9dNlyT8mZZ80g8VlIFaaQVuZE=s2382" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1749" data-original-width="2382" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2bj8TMqXRyquKBqEjLDoTkobzN90PpbnAfcWotSqUU9NOKhqTJX_plZTqHmKELDy3TqceN5_1kv_nLoN99l8nFf99Ho4AdrH-GQPIiNa2T3iMCsjiuIPShCTfzZ8_gLMpPO4qLUOTIuNDuyj-ccih2fYdi0Ue1Jh9dNlyT8mZZ80g8VlIFaaQVuZE=w640-h470" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFHTFocJDrqoLWnXq_CTclbjgrVl7JPY45F-ccay9wRbF1vNxFn2sccZ7Y0Ily9r7tN7kHml5cdj-jID-V5K6i6ea1knqjRug-9CtFX0Zbi0Qq9kMazlhcnP-5bS_j_KVtbB4eqqWlDFHdSA2Z86nP764WoZzUquR_PeEO9mkbCyW7Vgl4M4LypOWn=s3024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="2989" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFHTFocJDrqoLWnXq_CTclbjgrVl7JPY45F-ccay9wRbF1vNxFn2sccZ7Y0Ily9r7tN7kHml5cdj-jID-V5K6i6ea1knqjRug-9CtFX0Zbi0Qq9kMazlhcnP-5bS_j_KVtbB4eqqWlDFHdSA2Z86nP764WoZzUquR_PeEO9mkbCyW7Vgl4M4LypOWn=w632-h640" width="632" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My family always gets my decorating experiments. I kind of like this one!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Micah's 3rd birthday cake was a construction cake, because this boy loves all things "twucks".<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2y5ZJbKEhM7GrEZ2Fn4l-xqseQ-ZCX5TpW5BBek1Iqyb5gwVneKHTa8y1ZpFx1ytWZRVW602Tdwbd0i47Tmwoqu8aS5XBWNxorJ3PyhMeUb1y5FZowBzS6Mvrg9wxdzRDZTdYUW0dFmXaXYG8sKdA8WSzlzb_hS1WKVy-Tqzb1QJEN60uH3OoWY1S=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2y5ZJbKEhM7GrEZ2Fn4l-xqseQ-ZCX5TpW5BBek1Iqyb5gwVneKHTa8y1ZpFx1ytWZRVW602Tdwbd0i47Tmwoqu8aS5XBWNxorJ3PyhMeUb1y5FZowBzS6Mvrg9wxdzRDZTdYUW0dFmXaXYG8sKdA8WSzlzb_hS1WKVy-Tqzb1QJEN60uH3OoWY1S=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was a very different style for me to try, but I had fun with it!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8FLW02BAxspQ0PMpe_FXPRMKBsZRRBR3FjX9-koaTOvFzxXBowpjsMgVyYWEfjQp4_z3cp2ZWEo9qszuToQvqIeciyC4UWS1kRJYjzq4wTfk2MRvD62ZiBQYUtFjHIIvAhTuQC171-0UgY0Cn-M62XoBi-ib1X_-wTQzuXT3Aq_TGWvMMkTQjX0oq=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8FLW02BAxspQ0PMpe_FXPRMKBsZRRBR3FjX9-koaTOvFzxXBowpjsMgVyYWEfjQp4_z3cp2ZWEo9qszuToQvqIeciyC4UWS1kRJYjzq4wTfk2MRvD62ZiBQYUtFjHIIvAhTuQC171-0UgY0Cn-M62XoBi-ib1X_-wTQzuXT3Aq_TGWvMMkTQjX0oq=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3h1eddAEEPB8LYTNmjwrOuh3zh2HGiGAoIcHMvanyemAi1CBGZr5t9FzblMGe8hmE89ZUQetjuAIYIZczVxCNwt1HLxrV46lA8vNrei0uF0xmw6xwq_GrPRJ7T8qUp4TSr7aC4hSvm0mkphhISq8buot25VOp9qbW1yIJYooh-SozHAwUVlxKt8jV=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3h1eddAEEPB8LYTNmjwrOuh3zh2HGiGAoIcHMvanyemAi1CBGZr5t9FzblMGe8hmE89ZUQetjuAIYIZczVxCNwt1HLxrV46lA8vNrei0uF0xmw6xwq_GrPRJ7T8qUp4TSr7aC4hSvm0mkphhISq8buot25VOp9qbW1yIJYooh-SozHAwUVlxKt8jV=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit to my friend Jenny</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;">In 2021, my sister had her golden birthday - she turned 23 on the 23rd! I made her a golden chocolate cake!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKE4KNdBJfqBy_wX3dW6EB7eL0aMLAvr9ahGnQ8b3S9HocdRe6RAaeAB8MHkCKwE4w08EY72UqEkonlDCEkkVQC-qFupoEBN9_QHhX4INSgwN1wwfqAQ_YjC4RnQNrZ7vP_ztvLCJSFqQe84wwAtCNPSdrjXUL2HQ1cG9eQNLFgFmmhQNb27j6lfDI=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKE4KNdBJfqBy_wX3dW6EB7eL0aMLAvr9ahGnQ8b3S9HocdRe6RAaeAB8MHkCKwE4w08EY72UqEkonlDCEkkVQC-qFupoEBN9_QHhX4INSgwN1wwfqAQ_YjC4RnQNrZ7vP_ztvLCJSFqQe84wwAtCNPSdrjXUL2HQ1cG9eQNLFgFmmhQNb27j6lfDI=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I tried my first ever drip cake, which was a bit less successful than I was hoping for. To get a nice gold drip, you can either drip white chocolate ganache and then paint it (which sounded like waaaaay too much work) or make a gold drip out of luster dust and vodka (the alcohol evaporates off). I chose the luster dust/vodka method, but my mixture was too liquidy, so it dripped much faster than expected.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I made the number cake toppers out of a gold glitter foam sheet from Hobby Lobby and some toothpicks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used lots of gluten-free chocolate candies, some of which I cut and/or painted with more luster dust. I purchased several kinds of gold sprinkles as well, and made chocolate bark with gold accents to decorate the back of the cake. (Unfortunately, I either used too much chocolate bark, or gluten-free cake isn't as sturdy as regular cake - or both? - and the cake started to fall apart on the party day. Thankfully, broken cake still tastes good!)</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhASU6La60O9cuKie53OfjWfwyKI1-zNt5L3I6EHk4zwhDt6AHedEbduYw8MOdGuteYQCv1Al8FrmhEyqA-VVUgZYba6TXVTicyE8cJDJWRdCnNU3qCMZGTo_XsnEwfNZs-kGTshpssUysoWm82f6uDgiygv28aUQdeoFPBJ-m8pzKxlf52Gi5PbBze=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhASU6La60O9cuKie53OfjWfwyKI1-zNt5L3I6EHk4zwhDt6AHedEbduYw8MOdGuteYQCv1Al8FrmhEyqA-VVUgZYba6TXVTicyE8cJDJWRdCnNU3qCMZGTo_XsnEwfNZs-kGTshpssUysoWm82f6uDgiygv28aUQdeoFPBJ-m8pzKxlf52Gi5PbBze=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Sprinkles,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-39243036452929991562022-02-28T09:00:00.007-05:002022-02-28T09:00:00.203-05:00Lemon Cake<p style="text-align: center;"> It's my favorite cake flavor.</p><p style="text-align: center;">My only problem? Every recipe I tried was never as good as the way my mom made it - out of a box! Don't get me wrong, box mixes are great. (I'm looking at you, gluten-free brownie mix from ALDI.) But homemade lemon cake should taste better than a box mix!</p><p style="text-align: center;">So I got down to work to make the perfect lemon cake.</p><p style="text-align: center;">(Spoiler alert: I did!)</p><p style="text-align: center;">I chose 4 lemon cake recipes - all of which had marked differences - made them all, and then had a sampling party with some highly critical taste testers (AKA my family). I took notes, made more cake, took more notes, made more cake, etc. until finally:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEdLeGzpmBIC94gez9g4mktXp6VaCWf1jTSTt8ihf_hOINd6_3wFBW7l2fFoNiBEORXGDrvkmj3HWDQo4pPuKRIHEKEiUupC8UF2MOvKmNdRd-GPzU_Fn7q-gbl5OUBE5nysgy0DvMrZdLtPs8oSamr-CL6OoPh9Kqm3zp4C7zm8b3vabPyhNvNxxD=s4048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEdLeGzpmBIC94gez9g4mktXp6VaCWf1jTSTt8ihf_hOINd6_3wFBW7l2fFoNiBEORXGDrvkmj3HWDQo4pPuKRIHEKEiUupC8UF2MOvKmNdRd-GPzU_Fn7q-gbl5OUBE5nysgy0DvMrZdLtPs8oSamr-CL6OoPh9Kqm3zp4C7zm8b3vabPyhNvNxxD=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Moist, flavorful, and the perfect texture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you like a lemon cake with just a hint of lemon flavor, this is <i>not</i> the cake for you. This lemon flavor is strong enough to punch you in the nose and taste buds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, in case you don't live close enough to order from my bakery, or just want to make it yourself, here's the recipe:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cream together:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 cup oil*</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>3 eggs</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 tsp lemon extract</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Zest of 2 lemons</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>Juice of 2 lemons + whole milk to 1 1/3 cups</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a separate bowl, whisk together:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>2 cups sugar</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>2 cups flour</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 tsp baking powder</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1/2 tsp baking soda</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 tsp salt</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Add to oil mixture and mix to combine. Pour into two 8-9" baking pans and bake at 325(F) for 25-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Rotate the pans halfway through if your oven bakes unevenly like mine.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">* Use a mild flavored oil like canola, <i>not</i> olive! (I made <i>that</i> mistake for you.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCG-KIRJcWCS-59w2IGBT-r9h9AgVQNJFZjVw0b8DA3oQKkrLtShTUzwvDdPCu5R3QL32-9T4q1II5q37rXezSsXT9yD6EsyjvI3NZyU-jRPC6dOwJR6ZMkRbkEZPxClmSf5zQjIgZREv7XQieCPaMsSdSGC7MZRxZfR2RpsaCzcuqznrJcgNTPHJV=s4048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCG-KIRJcWCS-59w2IGBT-r9h9AgVQNJFZjVw0b8DA3oQKkrLtShTUzwvDdPCu5R3QL32-9T4q1II5q37rXezSsXT9yD6EsyjvI3NZyU-jRPC6dOwJR6ZMkRbkEZPxClmSf5zQjIgZREv7XQieCPaMsSdSGC7MZRxZfR2RpsaCzcuqznrJcgNTPHJV=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For the frosting:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cream <b>2 sticks butter</b> in a stand mixer, then add the following ingredients, switching between dry and wet ingredients as necessary:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>7 cups powdered sugar </b>(add 1 cup at a time)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>juice and zest of 1 lemon</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1 generous tsp lemon extract*</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>1-2 drops yellow gel food coloring </b>(optional)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">*I like a very strong lemon flavor. If you don't, begin with less lemon extract and work your way up to your desired flavor.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9RIQ4XdV-uOLygHdk1XFitJcIlRz8kml1iAky0mrqRYJervYKCT32I4WuMtwUaXHG3TkRZWkWypwUJ4CSUYnV_fzOGHSjZiEZ66hhypocIl0b2BeUuf3XNWdVTSyaUDOw7F-cyCkdN4EClLJKC7dJDnQpKbA-e76UfDd8QZZ9OfpBvzt2kHrDn-4d=s4048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9RIQ4XdV-uOLygHdk1XFitJcIlRz8kml1iAky0mrqRYJervYKCT32I4WuMtwUaXHG3TkRZWkWypwUJ4CSUYnV_fzOGHSjZiEZ66hhypocIl0b2BeUuf3XNWdVTSyaUDOw7F-cyCkdN4EClLJKC7dJDnQpKbA-e76UfDd8QZZ9OfpBvzt2kHrDn-4d=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzsqvtNrjcUHWf34ICGvvsx7ftzpvFZTVDkk2QkrGBNsflee8_exK0M1ciHvvgD0x3cnvv1wcUL4rfWByMAbtGod7KtR064C5MoIYQcRQY0QKGEs15_hflZw8a621qyq2ial1YDsczIDjYpDyyNxoOi-Pdu__6wyCezQLQORsv3VfSNfbD0-jmjf-P=s4048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzsqvtNrjcUHWf34ICGvvsx7ftzpvFZTVDkk2QkrGBNsflee8_exK0M1ciHvvgD0x3cnvv1wcUL4rfWByMAbtGod7KtR064C5MoIYQcRQY0QKGEs15_hflZw8a621qyq2ial1YDsczIDjYpDyyNxoOi-Pdu__6wyCezQLQORsv3VfSNfbD0-jmjf-P=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes I try new cake decorating ideas. Sometimes they are less pretty than others. (But still delicious.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Lemons,<br />Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-68948286913422502732022-02-14T12:00:00.003-05:002022-02-14T12:00:00.182-05:00Little Free Library<p style="text-align: center;">For quite some time, I'd been wanting to build a <a href="https://littlefreelibrary.org/" target="_blank">Little Free Library</a> for our yard. Especially at the beginning of quarantine, when the libraries were closed for some time, I thought it would be a helpful service for the neighborhood. Of course, by the time I got one up, the libraries were open again, but now I'm prepared. :)</p><p style="text-align: center;">I found this cabinet on craigslist, and while I loved the basic shape, it needed to be a bit deeper. My brother-in-law helped me make the necessary adjustments. By which I mean, he did all of the hard work, and I sanded and painted.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUVihkhkyJNuStGCghYbvY49NiSNuH-dLVpwiuk0eYrR1O7noavlzTdzISlGW66smOUCcyVZzj2SklvniLoc1XAlabn1dTfkitdloYci35tgN2IRskF7p-WYSjhvJeOaPPGPt6g6ABnZsqFhf84K38mRFtumzUE4-AqXVh83JnLhkp7rG-TV3vTR2F=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUVihkhkyJNuStGCghYbvY49NiSNuH-dLVpwiuk0eYrR1O7noavlzTdzISlGW66smOUCcyVZzj2SklvniLoc1XAlabn1dTfkitdloYci35tgN2IRskF7p-WYSjhvJeOaPPGPt6g6ABnZsqFhf84K38mRFtumzUE4-AqXVh83JnLhkp7rG-TV3vTR2F=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We used some old sign boards from my dad's real estate business (they get new signs every time they change their name - and they change their name a lot). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHO4aoDcrB3gqLX2VlVOD1J5daLarJAt16NiJOqXRX-Lc7KYkbyIop9SCc__mFM4JtQKaimvvC2d3VrS2-3inGfBc1E6yscslEBnKDwJ_ir32CaE6C8lGs8Ma5BN3ri1OJMgTqNlc9ZnMhJ1eypd0ZeXeZFbLqOYKIrMLilid6yCn5CLCM1KwE-QMw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHO4aoDcrB3gqLX2VlVOD1J5daLarJAt16NiJOqXRX-Lc7KYkbyIop9SCc__mFM4JtQKaimvvC2d3VrS2-3inGfBc1E6yscslEBnKDwJ_ir32CaE6C8lGs8Ma5BN3ri1OJMgTqNlc9ZnMhJ1eypd0ZeXeZFbLqOYKIrMLilid6yCn5CLCM1KwE-QMw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ4yXnrAX1S7-aVFgE5pzCae2H5zpAZUuZIslIzKhsw-541WMBthLjHXvt356sxBUCOS94Q78Y37Qo_4sgOtyKCrPQDc3-BKh8oYWMyen4k-SNVeQ-oatdhiNtjkIhWaKDQox1F0-0V49N8ACb8EuDzvVWtRIhwcO89bRSSUA9-Nb117wYG-zRLUHi=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ4yXnrAX1S7-aVFgE5pzCae2H5zpAZUuZIslIzKhsw-541WMBthLjHXvt356sxBUCOS94Q78Y37Qo_4sgOtyKCrPQDc3-BKh8oYWMyen4k-SNVeQ-oatdhiNtjkIhWaKDQox1F0-0V49N8ACb8EuDzvVWtRIhwcO89bRSSUA9-Nb117wYG-zRLUHi=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My dad had some metallic blue oil-based paint lying around, which he gave me. I kind of regret using this paint as oil-based paint is awful to clean up, and the inside of the library STILL stinks of it a year and a half later. But it is pretty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilwYetu_KcZrQKRvi7KtzPeIsaRRrepZ6uP7yZtALRlcmi5IciHiVHmB_9ghsX6BwWx0CUGm3Yu4CaRnvdsvQwoomxw3y59MwItTBEGserKDhQjD0fmyX-w_R1prqCvJ4dKysK7W9o6I5wE5mGhHi9UQECNiZBUwG4zSbLDpLpTbSPj_k059-W1B4b=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilwYetu_KcZrQKRvi7KtzPeIsaRRrepZ6uP7yZtALRlcmi5IciHiVHmB_9ghsX6BwWx0CUGm3Yu4CaRnvdsvQwoomxw3y59MwItTBEGserKDhQjD0fmyX-w_R1prqCvJ4dKysK7W9o6I5wE5mGhHi9UQECNiZBUwG4zSbLDpLpTbSPj_k059-W1B4b=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQaPfaztZ6D0nswdOh670boq95_AG_A1EdLC2X1CyKaqw6NSvvelKddxP8R18hLG-6eYQQC-nh0CBZBNROniuhUq0DZStO3WXbcAh27atHd6pZgrahQ-dhFQ0LzmEEj3xiickEHoJNpQ3Hb8C4s5qIAdoJXhOXZ2-eqbvhOxMzm9p-pcv0E2DQBhuJ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQaPfaztZ6D0nswdOh670boq95_AG_A1EdLC2X1CyKaqw6NSvvelKddxP8R18hLG-6eYQQC-nh0CBZBNROniuhUq0DZStO3WXbcAh27atHd6pZgrahQ-dhFQ0LzmEEj3xiickEHoJNpQ3Hb8C4s5qIAdoJXhOXZ2-eqbvhOxMzm9p-pcv0E2DQBhuJ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA8yqwM5tTbki6w2VuGug21pcADGAy1McU5aD1eDDFlPhE_Ba_yrIrEi99W7LzUsX9XgPBgKnsYGeRApLbAQJkJ0QPP4bCqMKdZRP5FAcxuXnXVYk3BIyhQxPoOgiv1puGf3q7ake92SD1CUjoEPgfl2Lr4uRAjzN5_R7K1071wITmOFFAgJmq-a5s=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA8yqwM5tTbki6w2VuGug21pcADGAy1McU5aD1eDDFlPhE_Ba_yrIrEi99W7LzUsX9XgPBgKnsYGeRApLbAQJkJ0QPP4bCqMKdZRP5FAcxuXnXVYk3BIyhQxPoOgiv1puGf3q7ake92SD1CUjoEPgfl2Lr4uRAjzN5_R7K1071wITmOFFAgJmq-a5s=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This past summer, Jo had a lot of fun running around our yard taking pictures. She took both of these artistic shots of our library.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivgz9_PtRrYfK5XHwBmvFnDKxiXBxgc5APLc6rCePyuEV-F4ZrvPc57gSxQsphO991GaQg6Bn79aF5u4JOkGBAYWT_P80iFEXHFpnxW994lzUc9wxm-DOFnfcVJ-ZAA1KdWTN1PUilxTeX-_DC9XeQNc4C8iWF00q5SvndfhAfkuZmjfHHnW6V_eCv=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivgz9_PtRrYfK5XHwBmvFnDKxiXBxgc5APLc6rCePyuEV-F4ZrvPc57gSxQsphO991GaQg6Bn79aF5u4JOkGBAYWT_P80iFEXHFpnxW994lzUc9wxm-DOFnfcVJ-ZAA1KdWTN1PUilxTeX-_DC9XeQNc4C8iWF00q5SvndfhAfkuZmjfHHnW6V_eCv=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixjuSue3UdLnGKM1kA6aq3eGb0HTBzooMsy65fW-moDwF906uGdv5ag20_zQGPgOQouY8BNIlUGKWVsiA3c8j-nihTD-BQUB9JzJi0-yCtCviqH7FX5XvkH1mYD7N5cGvnvpRp17t0NZ4r6whK9sGhwXSJFikQF5qlxbKPZs61m0lvHnbwK0ldFSTH=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixjuSue3UdLnGKM1kA6aq3eGb0HTBzooMsy65fW-moDwF906uGdv5ag20_zQGPgOQouY8BNIlUGKWVsiA3c8j-nihTD-BQUB9JzJi0-yCtCviqH7FX5XvkH1mYD7N5cGvnvpRp17t0NZ4r6whK9sGhwXSJFikQF5qlxbKPZs61m0lvHnbwK0ldFSTH=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Books,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-44636168371053543162022-01-31T12:00:00.004-05:002022-01-31T12:00:00.169-05:00Spring Wreath<p style="text-align: center;">I've been working on my interchangeable felt wreath for years. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Here's the set of decorations I made for Spring. These are definitely my favorite from the whole set.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi08nWio4h5u7rRs6IIBVVEdlIw_rvxYL1E1pQs1lb0VLGXXG91K4COXGwdCFVRCShRlGaypzTy1Yxqua4d1UMvlNBm58NagkC0eNw3G0kH9VC7ZDoFP3TyWh2N-8_0Im2dod66nf3bC_HfcS5iFe1eZGaQ_YqeXsD6J2ZTzg5ahefJmf9-JEaxh84z=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi08nWio4h5u7rRs6IIBVVEdlIw_rvxYL1E1pQs1lb0VLGXXG91K4COXGwdCFVRCShRlGaypzTy1Yxqua4d1UMvlNBm58NagkC0eNw3G0kH9VC7ZDoFP3TyWh2N-8_0Im2dod66nf3bC_HfcS5iFe1eZGaQ_YqeXsD6J2ZTzg5ahefJmf9-JEaxh84z=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;">I was inspired by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/27670713@N08/5594776725/" target="_blank">this picture</a>, but I wanted a bit more variation in rose style. I used three <a href="https://www.howjoyful.com/felt-roses/" target="_blank">different</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=XKQD0i6ZjO4" target="_blank">tutorials</a>. (<a href="http://www.artecomquiane.com/2015/02/presilha-de-flores-de-feltro-passo-passo.html" target="_blank">This one</a> is in Portuguese, but the pictures are very helpful.) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqEYU8Qd72W94TVszi7xia3r88h953orPKWyq6TrCwgA3i2o5m5YI-aiaCck3jlon0GFlD-sslz9ZUyP21Y0t640DvmK0igdC0CJ4NPnRSgn2COKnBaaPTvBs-lRARYGD3X3_EvLUYaXhy-yRUcGNtmHE4XJVfQZF9bzXqECtcEY-IHtEdyGSzY931=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqEYU8Qd72W94TVszi7xia3r88h953orPKWyq6TrCwgA3i2o5m5YI-aiaCck3jlon0GFlD-sslz9ZUyP21Y0t640DvmK0igdC0CJ4NPnRSgn2COKnBaaPTvBs-lRARYGD3X3_EvLUYaXhy-yRUcGNtmHE4XJVfQZF9bzXqECtcEY-IHtEdyGSzY931=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivQ3jTVazS5oaqEmhuF2iblhwTccXHlHQgzY3uxABllAdZiif-faaxbt0-BoDrJKase7t96bDcCIHnwdUAxJR-d0AySVIqMRqXetH4giGDCTqjHuZoacecaEvW5a-Bu4QMjmLrImfdprrhXbdJEPZYrnbYX7N_AOxcIsknTf2yiYaZ0HdOSeDN6eav=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivQ3jTVazS5oaqEmhuF2iblhwTccXHlHQgzY3uxABllAdZiif-faaxbt0-BoDrJKase7t96bDcCIHnwdUAxJR-d0AySVIqMRqXetH4giGDCTqjHuZoacecaEvW5a-Bu4QMjmLrImfdprrhXbdJEPZYrnbYX7N_AOxcIsknTf2yiYaZ0HdOSeDN6eav=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWgzqvpKYCwvCamHX5LFwE__mRP_CY2uG9Q6BHlmQFNwVUuimYiFeh0s4YOsGXboZIrl1Wxzq0lQp2fmW3_g0oOSvcY8raqJTKsrMOm1zy4rlcnuJZnjTJ_SpnjYEAhhEwwNW9gGWuoJJQEAzW7c2YnWLby21dDTozPfuPNxKfOt3FYW1U-zt2BO81=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWgzqvpKYCwvCamHX5LFwE__mRP_CY2uG9Q6BHlmQFNwVUuimYiFeh0s4YOsGXboZIrl1Wxzq0lQp2fmW3_g0oOSvcY8raqJTKsrMOm1zy4rlcnuJZnjTJ_SpnjYEAhhEwwNW9gGWuoJJQEAzW7c2YnWLby21dDTozPfuPNxKfOt3FYW1U-zt2BO81=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Roses,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-3768230090194578812022-01-17T12:00:00.001-05:002022-01-17T13:04:00.483-05:00Yes, It's Been a Year and a Half, but I Get Reminders on My Phone Now So Maybe it Won't Happen Again?<p style="text-align: center;"> Life happens, right? 2020 hit hard. Since I'm a stay-at-home Mom, you might think I wasn't really affected too much. After all, it's right there in my title: stay at home. Except, I <strike>like</strike> liked to take my kids places a couple times a week where someone else planned the activity and I just got to enjoy being with my kids. We went to storytime at the library every week. Caleb had just bought us a membership to the children's museum. We went grocery shopping all together, which totally counts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizGUF20lNHdy4Lb074s52PV5abu1MBey88EPo-Fk-uRZzukHLuH6NRZDLQ1Tgv6iw1gYVUsJD8z-HI_GOB1aCVwRu0Fms673a-OdCBWqxb2DfMN-RhWuH6H4w_xfdFA03NOjwL3bfy1tiqAXVgh-9T_K8opM1KAOa0zoK7B3Wq80FnnqOhuMaas1pW=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizGUF20lNHdy4Lb074s52PV5abu1MBey88EPo-Fk-uRZzukHLuH6NRZDLQ1Tgv6iw1gYVUsJD8z-HI_GOB1aCVwRu0Fms673a-OdCBWqxb2DfMN-RhWuH6H4w_xfdFA03NOjwL3bfy1tiqAXVgh-9T_K8opM1KAOa0zoK7B3Wq80FnnqOhuMaas1pW=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid150qm4IsoXYEwgNrOaiKUe6YHhhd1GP4fPgy3DmHOOxW9ycz8YqbSx-ON3cm7yA4Rs6k5UhXl9WCTKrZdfEjRhxenROpFGg0tlT0myURNPi2Cv0J_59blVsSM-I_GOsG842dt-fdj-CBbSZcGkBVbEO57uYxGi6QBUqvk8-PfsM1ZjtssRpEut77=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4048" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEid150qm4IsoXYEwgNrOaiKUe6YHhhd1GP4fPgy3DmHOOxW9ycz8YqbSx-ON3cm7yA4Rs6k5UhXl9WCTKrZdfEjRhxenROpFGg0tlT0myURNPi2Cv0J_59blVsSM-I_GOsG842dt-fdj-CBbSZcGkBVbEO57uYxGi6QBUqvk8-PfsM1ZjtssRpEut77=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And then, suddenly, all of that stopped. I was not prepared. I like to be prepared. And it was only supposed to be two weeks. (HAH!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After falling over and reeling a bit, I came up with some plans. Not all of them worked so well, but one of them was this ABC craft for Jo. I tried to include Micah, but he wasn't super interested. Over a few months, she put together these crafts I prepared. Most of the ideas were from <a href="https://crystalandcomp.com/letter-of-the-week-crafts-for-preschoolers/">this page</a>, but for a few of the letters, I liked other options better. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had them as a border in our dining area for a good portion of the year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQb05Z7PsNZO3fKG4JhPJXsnMyTWGTu_8Q-JBTeFhbMeqMieOtcNwHEO497B9SX56g4iYU5UOAGqqyq5qp6qi8T3OKMF051PzkIrYTKvOQ5DckfvLqGhRoe5sMecueCScE3nNG9CzuVJ3_xnflZ0o1PEc7l0zh50LSon24LnLmJmXAg-z0nyz3ET90=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQb05Z7PsNZO3fKG4JhPJXsnMyTWGTu_8Q-JBTeFhbMeqMieOtcNwHEO497B9SX56g4iYU5UOAGqqyq5qp6qi8T3OKMF051PzkIrYTKvOQ5DckfvLqGhRoe5sMecueCScE3nNG9CzuVJ3_xnflZ0o1PEc7l0zh50LSon24LnLmJmXAg-z0nyz3ET90=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7j0cDe_aIgSdndne3ty6J900QT2jcAZcWj45tCnUEaXMQTIJELWyWqeQnb6hPOGsuQmLsqKbN2ieJbAUfyEZPV6x_XCjF4fY-HRtB1IMVFJmHYu8QXVOb1Xpeij2s3HLZkqzE-uabRkTDWkG87up2GlQHxNKQx6Zqw8x2YB_3c0mAtO6ryBb6t5OU=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7j0cDe_aIgSdndne3ty6J900QT2jcAZcWj45tCnUEaXMQTIJELWyWqeQnb6hPOGsuQmLsqKbN2ieJbAUfyEZPV6x_XCjF4fY-HRtB1IMVFJmHYu8QXVOb1Xpeij2s3HLZkqzE-uabRkTDWkG87up2GlQHxNKQx6Zqw8x2YB_3c0mAtO6ryBb6t5OU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I think N is for Night might be one of my favorites she did. She had a blast painting it and got very creative. Jo splattered some blue paint over the page because "it's a rainy night".</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxswP6VcgJDbYyVzv18gIg9aBUpTP-TshXWNlZyZf6PZp71Ld-TKiS4vVy9VYJFRzVcXSDuIoyO0M8nX3RWyCA5rAyJ73Ulux5be_TA5JTIt7sAPMX8-KHEJg1Vgdr1gDSF2aZ6QY_NEA_IcC9dDZ24YxgeX8BMcbM8P2w0Hzt55VmIuf3QNvoUxrV=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxswP6VcgJDbYyVzv18gIg9aBUpTP-TshXWNlZyZf6PZp71Ld-TKiS4vVy9VYJFRzVcXSDuIoyO0M8nX3RWyCA5rAyJ73Ulux5be_TA5JTIt7sAPMX8-KHEJg1Vgdr1gDSF2aZ6QY_NEA_IcC9dDZ24YxgeX8BMcbM8P2w0Hzt55VmIuf3QNvoUxrV=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I took up cross-stitching, which I kind of fell in love with. Here's my first project - a good reminder for every day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuejexwux3ACw1G4uQrqQ4x5EPclBtaRGmTQZ-KXxrUVtU4e7BwE38eJ135IGRX6vL7xdrGe36CQuB_K1LEio_96UV5jj8Gk8fNnEQA-mjSAMT9Pg1eiypMcnbRIHPZK1XthZ12c2coy5UWIHUCULn1D1RR4B6SWafEYXVSqT7-ij_oPZ_BH5hzf_w=s3435" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3435" data-original-width="3036" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuejexwux3ACw1G4uQrqQ4x5EPclBtaRGmTQZ-KXxrUVtU4e7BwE38eJ135IGRX6vL7xdrGe36CQuB_K1LEio_96UV5jj8Gk8fNnEQA-mjSAMT9Pg1eiypMcnbRIHPZK1XthZ12c2coy5UWIHUCULn1D1RR4B6SWafEYXVSqT7-ij_oPZ_BH5hzf_w=w566-h640" width="566" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pattern from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/JackTheStitcher">Etsy</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also took up watercolors (I found a cheap set at Meijer) and I'm having a lot of fun with that. I created a painting board for myself, so I can paint at the table if I want, and then move the painting off the table without disturbing it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKa5--caAikiGgt0TGA_GJoWhOWHutOKk1HmNV1Sq6ROeAfv8h30-O6SByHwqOWpBgS761j2Z27aOiN-djk0nC7zUAYuKvlgvmL5GREQT2-RqkhdvLIsMAMIZtFHPSgDBDcPrZ_LQPycBEGZGl6d6ht9o7nYdpz0NtiXzVzmkeQ8q1976SP9qz5R3R=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKa5--caAikiGgt0TGA_GJoWhOWHutOKk1HmNV1Sq6ROeAfv8h30-O6SByHwqOWpBgS761j2Z27aOiN-djk0nC7zUAYuKvlgvmL5GREQT2-RqkhdvLIsMAMIZtFHPSgDBDcPrZ_LQPycBEGZGl6d6ht9o7nYdpz0NtiXzVzmkeQ8q1976SP9qz5R3R=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I sanded, stained, and sealed a pine board from Lowe's, then added two handles on each side to make it easier to carry. A year and a half later (with lots of use), it's still in perfect condition.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilbCbhWGYEtiRFLeom4uRLUiZX_EcaY8mjEvtWgB8W_E-4W7IiIB3J4vOR51NXqOEUHn0P4WvaFRToXqSjgKVobaWCuSsJAHtaHiGIy2YewbZUdSoGv9sZq312cnXsPo0Wshy4Ngc5b9loW0zAb5mz2rP-x6msT0SrF3LoTXydsKBlX2HQ7mh85gNR=s4048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilbCbhWGYEtiRFLeom4uRLUiZX_EcaY8mjEvtWgB8W_E-4W7IiIB3J4vOR51NXqOEUHn0P4WvaFRToXqSjgKVobaWCuSsJAHtaHiGIy2YewbZUdSoGv9sZq312cnXsPo0Wshy4Ngc5b9loW0zAb5mz2rP-x6msT0SrF3LoTXydsKBlX2HQ7mh85gNR=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These were some of my first painting attempts. I've improved so much since then (more on that later), so it's fun to look back on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lots more has happened since then, and you can actually look forward to reading more about that because I've set reminders on my phone to write. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love and Sunshine,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leah Joy</div>Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17755390049203205785noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-50388207391398882492020-06-22T09:00:00.000-04:002020-06-22T09:00:06.660-04:00Wedding Cake Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last week, I shared this picture of my sister's wedding cake before I brought it to the church.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvNeAXJZVmviSaquCev9jzloEEr1ITwXINfce5tWhhFguCLmqubWa4yy862VxsN6crUjT98XaO9HGv8-krqpAAoK7vWaYxgO4360pRDYiFPw_AgreLARuyjaW9ItzPe3G_AB6hQbPgWI/s1600/IMG_20191220_154736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBvNeAXJZVmviSaquCev9jzloEEr1ITwXINfce5tWhhFguCLmqubWa4yy862VxsN6crUjT98XaO9HGv8-krqpAAoK7vWaYxgO4360pRDYiFPw_AgreLARuyjaW9ItzPe3G_AB6hQbPgWI/s640/IMG_20191220_154736.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here are the pictures of the cake once I got it onto the cake plate at the church. I added more roses around the bottom and had a piping bag filled with chocolate buttercream to fill in any areas that needed it. Three angles below:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrE4d52KacrGh943kP9ToI3ZYBl_TAwxiqWaaw-Q62mS7Nap5TnM5jF8BR1vtr1BMYkz0rkIwyzaH4oeo4vc2bRydqET60FTM7N4rq5vNpzfK7-pNODbUU26eoRw_fPNsMWZ5rzwVVh4/s1600/IMG_20191221_100953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCrE4d52KacrGh943kP9ToI3ZYBl_TAwxiqWaaw-Q62mS7Nap5TnM5jF8BR1vtr1BMYkz0rkIwyzaH4oeo4vc2bRydqET60FTM7N4rq5vNpzfK7-pNODbUU26eoRw_fPNsMWZ5rzwVVh4/s640/IMG_20191221_100953.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhU-YVd6l2yNHGWmB_9enIASnpwFdE46qpkrLbfc4wPQzaRQJFu67jSt2iNPZFqI8bKLRett4XyB_d-muqa662u8bPm5EvYCGMJ63JbLvaGHQGWPuJEUvIstMtU4L4SvPdiBjaDinKYU/s1600/IMG_20191221_100959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhU-YVd6l2yNHGWmB_9enIASnpwFdE46qpkrLbfc4wPQzaRQJFu67jSt2iNPZFqI8bKLRett4XyB_d-muqa662u8bPm5EvYCGMJ63JbLvaGHQGWPuJEUvIstMtU4L4SvPdiBjaDinKYU/s640/IMG_20191221_100959.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIh08PGBIghz6xipbRPxP1vxIscVaemALEdA6Vpuvyb1McHvyu1HgiHTXr7rCaz_kAqASpcgpta81zMuKp-3rslcGsIr0mBV4MqLfLVBmwPhkj4f6cY4olkBr2SZnObZxyjDE6ogZFK8/s1600/IMG_20191221_101005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIh08PGBIghz6xipbRPxP1vxIscVaemALEdA6Vpuvyb1McHvyu1HgiHTXr7rCaz_kAqASpcgpta81zMuKp-3rslcGsIr0mBV4MqLfLVBmwPhkj4f6cY4olkBr2SZnObZxyjDE6ogZFK8/s640/IMG_20191221_101005.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This following photo is from <a href="https://www.ahrensphotostudio.com/" target="_blank">their wedding photographer</a>:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGab8JqVw2wJFtfLs6ca1RehW7AU7pA7Ef8wiHY1eRWQxG0IKRM5Wyib4lLOxQB0zrcHYcw6b-V1zItUTDJ45LLhh5XhLJsDOs-x2euiUykIwGdQr9zXLms00z1bygj2JQdC5U6GGCFM/s1600/1+%252838%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGab8JqVw2wJFtfLs6ca1RehW7AU7pA7Ef8wiHY1eRWQxG0IKRM5Wyib4lLOxQB0zrcHYcw6b-V1zItUTDJ45LLhh5XhLJsDOs-x2euiUykIwGdQr9zXLms00z1bygj2JQdC5U6GGCFM/s640/1+%252838%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.ahrensphotostudio.com/" target="_blank">Ahrens Photo Studio</a></td></tr>
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Love and Cake,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-54918693387995913202020-06-15T09:00:00.000-04:002020-06-15T09:00:09.141-04:00Modeling Chocolate Roses: Wedding Cake Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
After much discussion and pondering of cake toppers (probably more on my part than on theirs), my sister, her fiance, and I decided on modeling chocolate roses for the top of their wedding cake. Lots of practice ensued. I also purchased luster dust in silver and blue (their wedding colors), and later some gold, too. To start, I made a partial batch of modeling chocolate each of white chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate colored blue. I then tested the silver and blue luster dust on all the colors, using two techniques (dry dusting or making a paint with lemon extract).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6Kb_iYeNAyM-yJC4WMCm4FoZbKvQGilmYyhyphenhyphenTwPosqmCT4N1pgde9F2rmK3SGDZRvbOlB3S0svEudtNWSsE0U7xFvxMAOlACL0HoP89CXG8p7A-fJ8vriPf3IcO-nQP5FLOhJc-hCZw/s1600/IMG_20191013_193428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1563" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6Kb_iYeNAyM-yJC4WMCm4FoZbKvQGilmYyhyphenhyphenTwPosqmCT4N1pgde9F2rmK3SGDZRvbOlB3S0svEudtNWSsE0U7xFvxMAOlACL0HoP89CXG8p7A-fJ8vriPf3IcO-nQP5FLOhJc-hCZw/s640/IMG_20191013_193428.jpg" width="624" /></a></div>
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Blue on silver felt like too much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKQegkandOzQ5KuFWlQwJInjZOdRXK0KZqTM3Kuh4k7UcZerY-n-Q1aCifF2JEW_mBqr_yRKFrzbHJj3YqLOnL2PGvqFAAt9vZ9aOuDz18D40qqKhpTQlj3ovHwLqcCe3sPJRAqs_4uY/s1600/IMG_20191013_193456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="1600" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIKQegkandOzQ5KuFWlQwJInjZOdRXK0KZqTM3Kuh4k7UcZerY-n-Q1aCifF2JEW_mBqr_yRKFrzbHJj3YqLOnL2PGvqFAAt9vZ9aOuDz18D40qqKhpTQlj3ovHwLqcCe3sPJRAqs_4uY/s640/IMG_20191013_193456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Silver on the blue was pretty, but we decided it wasn't quite what they wanted on their wedding cake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRr5smO-gp_GGIdVj3eJr-axjpOJy2FYxBpwt1p_665pefr_7Dm2XLF0BhhRkxm3NImhpWfLaU_o0ijRus0XHYIVzcNhSHb6HH26eJIxUhyLe1_aeyiwJhcIYYAZdF2PGc5_FNzgK8LPg/s1600/IMG_20191013_193451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="1363" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRr5smO-gp_GGIdVj3eJr-axjpOJy2FYxBpwt1p_665pefr_7Dm2XLF0BhhRkxm3NImhpWfLaU_o0ijRus0XHYIVzcNhSHb6HH26eJIxUhyLe1_aeyiwJhcIYYAZdF2PGc5_FNzgK8LPg/s640/IMG_20191013_193451.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
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I discovered dark modeling chocolate is much stiffer and harder to work with, so this looks rather chunky.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibYUDAa5fMrU_hc6XacUm44K2fet_SDD0a7JCjRa_e6R0vEY2lB4IEM4cAspB1k52tWofi6FfklC1q7HwfekMLorwb2s9e_2YflvwLQvs3mDTTtsauop-SkqpZ8PPprvtU20AX3e6VZ0/s1600/IMG_20191013_201901_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1564" data-original-width="1600" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhibYUDAa5fMrU_hc6XacUm44K2fet_SDD0a7JCjRa_e6R0vEY2lB4IEM4cAspB1k52tWofi6FfklC1q7HwfekMLorwb2s9e_2YflvwLQvs3mDTTtsauop-SkqpZ8PPprvtU20AX3e6VZ0/s640/IMG_20191013_201901_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started running out of practice roses, so I had to start using multiple colors on each one. The painted luster dust was too bold.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvZAnyE9ZFUwIsfZ0b_mFRn5I3joZ9Lyzy7pM-IRyQ9Pa1l3LcBphayZQ4aNnR_xPYLhY2o9jbN9MrHQx8zLtb-ngiqswrT9EbeNWgWaAa7IkD4ZDRw_ZIm3_OnqLik-mWqeuEdNP6WQ/s1600/IMG_20191013_193441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1353" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrvZAnyE9ZFUwIsfZ0b_mFRn5I3joZ9Lyzy7pM-IRyQ9Pa1l3LcBphayZQ4aNnR_xPYLhY2o9jbN9MrHQx8zLtb-ngiqswrT9EbeNWgWaAa7IkD4ZDRw_ZIm3_OnqLik-mWqeuEdNP6WQ/s640/IMG_20191013_193441.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
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Brushing looked better, but made the dark chocolate look a little dirty.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlcXnjpurs_5zUQo5laGG2D5t6aa4DW3FnJ8Oi5kz2bFBSe5F1IZsipUjvDprZ3z62HjAS2UwCRhUiMzXG8JGnPwXBL_1E03RIcWwD3_M9lZLTkS6x7BISVnvur58qrBw40g69Fopb6g/s1600/IMG_20191013_193415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1571" data-original-width="1600" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlcXnjpurs_5zUQo5laGG2D5t6aa4DW3FnJ8Oi5kz2bFBSe5F1IZsipUjvDprZ3z62HjAS2UwCRhUiMzXG8JGnPwXBL_1E03RIcWwD3_M9lZLTkS6x7BISVnvur58qrBw40g69Fopb6g/s640/IMG_20191013_193415.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Yep, painted is too bold for this cake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGgEhL5UbXn9Dpz_lAfwSwIepQhf-RiXqagvj_ysnd2JG9fZ8wmwEk1LLHkQdzbDZTAwOIKw8h2QL-XPfAF2qJzimttnHNVaenNbepU1rhv3KqBKQtbIH_yX6conxDIsNY0bIzdDPCNY/s1600/IMG_20191013_193420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="1600" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCGgEhL5UbXn9Dpz_lAfwSwIepQhf-RiXqagvj_ysnd2JG9fZ8wmwEk1LLHkQdzbDZTAwOIKw8h2QL-XPfAF2qJzimttnHNVaenNbepU1rhv3KqBKQtbIH_yX6conxDIsNY0bIzdDPCNY/s640/IMG_20191013_193420.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And then: stunning.</div>
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All the above roses I made completely by hand, free-forming each petal using only piping tips (as cutters) and a spoon to thin out the petal edges. About a month or two before the wedding, I was gifted a fondant rose cutter set. The friends who gave this to me had no idea I was making roses for my sister's wedding cake; they just thought, "Hey, Leah likes to decorate cake." Well, it ended up being perfect. I have <i>very</i> warm hands,which makes working with modeling chocolate difficult. The less I had to touch it, the better.</div>
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Look how much nicer the roses looked once I started using the cutter:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGoyDLjlZyTsZS0NGTOHAdrbiiDtWw8gSaOlmfuf_T3QI4_FBQ1fNNobYKw5dEFEhl7O3mn3DgUkTPbsMk0gReRf09BsFg8wiYGd4nv6utbjiB44jHUbljo2LmTeQp2lH5u36AKYXUEE/s1600/IMG_20191202_150243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGoyDLjlZyTsZS0NGTOHAdrbiiDtWw8gSaOlmfuf_T3QI4_FBQ1fNNobYKw5dEFEhl7O3mn3DgUkTPbsMk0gReRf09BsFg8wiYGd4nv6utbjiB44jHUbljo2LmTeQp2lH5u36AKYXUEE/s640/IMG_20191202_150243.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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All the petals still had to be thinned out by hand, but I actually started using the handle of a paint brush (which I greased a little with coconut oil to prevent sticking).</div>
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I made white, milk, and dark modeling chocolate and made dozens of these flowers in the weeks before the wedding (because they can be stored for a few weeks). Here they are on top of the cake before I brought it to the church:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPubn3HIywMdkxr2Wz0k8N9lfVircpTd_rIA7n1deDKHEtKPikqWt-4e3MsqOvz0R6-PL-OEK9TT686oDazKZ3wVHtv8H5u-Tycic-5GR8Q8PUqwyV0NvP-PTPOUq2OC4Vzh0GIK6hbo/s1600/IMG_20191220_154736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPubn3HIywMdkxr2Wz0k8N9lfVircpTd_rIA7n1deDKHEtKPikqWt-4e3MsqOvz0R6-PL-OEK9TT686oDazKZ3wVHtv8H5u-Tycic-5GR8Q8PUqwyV0NvP-PTPOUq2OC4Vzh0GIK6hbo/s640/IMG_20191220_154736.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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See more next week!</div>
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Love and Chocolate,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
<br />Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-34696583634135929762020-06-08T09:00:00.000-04:002020-06-08T09:00:02.105-04:00Delft Tulip Table Runner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Get ready for a lot of pictures, because this is another one of my Top 10 all-time crafts. This was my wedding gift for my sister and her husband. Chloe appreciates Delft and tulips as much as (if not more than) I do, so this was the perfect thing to make for her and her husband.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cr7o-aNWiypaMgg95ei38YFXGFQUk9bVjfC4-8fmlfUOarYpDQvcoBvVBLPWo1x5hzhNUVW_Vii8Xvf96ZmJGwcIWOQvuvZM_zC6y22OJtxyjZmWHw4_dDAWSvHUSq_AkXgEFWZS95M/s1600/IMG_20191130_110736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Cr7o-aNWiypaMgg95ei38YFXGFQUk9bVjfC4-8fmlfUOarYpDQvcoBvVBLPWo1x5hzhNUVW_Vii8Xvf96ZmJGwcIWOQvuvZM_zC6y22OJtxyjZmWHw4_dDAWSvHUSq_AkXgEFWZS95M/s640/IMG_20191130_110736.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After several hours of research on Pinterest, I decided I really liked <a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/58/49/41/584941e3b8f8e3fae6c9c46ad806e91b.jpg" target="_blank">this quilt</a>, but there was no link to a pattern, just the picture. So again, I spent a long time doing math and more math, etc. I made a sample patch out of scrap fabric:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rGHkdnwFTy0JgAfJFlgHkshp66vcFsNMySerS_9zGPiLV1vc5xk4Z1tbqvfI79m1dz2nYKxQCgV57WajabyEsBDZrzG1f2HxuH3TSVIkFdQrqXr7k0bxjnmROfBxzvfeNicWSuBOO0E/s1600/IMG_20190924_221238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rGHkdnwFTy0JgAfJFlgHkshp66vcFsNMySerS_9zGPiLV1vc5xk4Z1tbqvfI79m1dz2nYKxQCgV57WajabyEsBDZrzG1f2HxuH3TSVIkFdQrqXr7k0bxjnmROfBxzvfeNicWSuBOO0E/s640/IMG_20190924_221238.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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After a few more tweaks, I made several tulip patches and moved them around until I was happy with it. (Yep, that's my basement floor and my bare feet.) (And yes, there are a few extra tulip patches - Chloe, you'll probably be getting some matching potholders one of these years.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3VdK0jTQyDFj-v1yE4SE9CNgDMwPbAZ2RSWcdY-IQhNGtBbvYKZLU4Eqs1ukQSLvV5QzhUzW-2SQd-7rp0Z892A8Y8jq4et4d4R6iuVewwKs1bIktR3xgFPd8dUVBUO_rucGsZyN6c0/s1600/IMG_20191011_154559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3VdK0jTQyDFj-v1yE4SE9CNgDMwPbAZ2RSWcdY-IQhNGtBbvYKZLU4Eqs1ukQSLvV5QzhUzW-2SQd-7rp0Z892A8Y8jq4et4d4R6iuVewwKs1bIktR3xgFPd8dUVBUO_rucGsZyN6c0/s640/IMG_20191011_154559.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I added some spacers in the plain white cotton, and also a border.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-Q4Yd3tTNBbx8Yxpn9Rjco3eeI41L6l8DhmMvFSjY_ALFnrZP8e321LuBnAwVrP8JWL1cMgckQf2pQli_EmCA3ygLH_Sv17yku4J9n8_XKqKWet7gbQaO4q-RDMhW4YdWyiaMzvuixQ/s1600/IMG_20191013_165531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-Q4Yd3tTNBbx8Yxpn9Rjco3eeI41L6l8DhmMvFSjY_ALFnrZP8e321LuBnAwVrP8JWL1cMgckQf2pQli_EmCA3ygLH_Sv17yku4J9n8_XKqKWet7gbQaO4q-RDMhW4YdWyiaMzvuixQ/s640/IMG_20191013_165531.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I quilted vertically on both sides of each row of tulips, and horizontally just above and below each tulip. I bound the quilt using the same fabric I used for the quilt back.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSZEamDozjQ2eLtjuInWG4SsRy9wQqGcXCqQ08eAp0Pe6lLWA3yc_-B3g3_y85xGhc3mux3PzOqEVIC7M-MqHPRwCqYtp7pMGEP3V3R1aWdoQa1-Usi6TlWmurm1x_8PlcGyZ7l3HwiQ/s1600/IMG_20191130_110814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="685" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSZEamDozjQ2eLtjuInWG4SsRy9wQqGcXCqQ08eAp0Pe6lLWA3yc_-B3g3_y85xGhc3mux3PzOqEVIC7M-MqHPRwCqYtp7pMGEP3V3R1aWdoQa1-Usi6TlWmurm1x_8PlcGyZ7l3HwiQ/s640/IMG_20191130_110814.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uIBnCkf440Gz2reDUngmyK8Oku7gkiZd3dvBuUnHAo4o9XvI1k_VgHBHdBf-7alEmhIlKOs6XVjQfwnVW2u1wT5uBLO9SR3orZC2Bm61EX3vXoL2XfmFvaCaDTImqmX4OoI_Frust4I/s1600/IMG_20191130_110844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="748" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uIBnCkf440Gz2reDUngmyK8Oku7gkiZd3dvBuUnHAo4o9XvI1k_VgHBHdBf-7alEmhIlKOs6XVjQfwnVW2u1wT5uBLO9SR3orZC2Bm61EX3vXoL2XfmFvaCaDTImqmX4OoI_Frust4I/s640/IMG_20191130_110844.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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I found this AMAZING Delft tile fabric at Field's Fabrics. It was like $16/yard, but I found a remnant for about a $1, and got enough pieces with 'fussy cutting' to make a big difference in this table runner. You can see it below in the many pictures. :) (#sorrynotsorry)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACETPvHCAwgAOUdOWqPmcH-6eS-aPff0wsmoMbwUUbGVU16AuO7VGPiktBT0iK6rG3MpZrh3QbaZMzSMYdgS-6LIKQsUNBHbvqGO67TK6dkXZXBdO34yWYvRzRRYshxK_HmW9vLYVFeg/s1600/IMG_20191130_110745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACETPvHCAwgAOUdOWqPmcH-6eS-aPff0wsmoMbwUUbGVU16AuO7VGPiktBT0iK6rG3MpZrh3QbaZMzSMYdgS-6LIKQsUNBHbvqGO67TK6dkXZXBdO34yWYvRzRRYshxK_HmW9vLYVFeg/s640/IMG_20191130_110745.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjT6OUNvS7DPCBq5bHcSZDsxTcVyNsKbZi9Ai-PG1sXUbZOnEvrdp5fUtk-Ivfdp0_RcYI2oigkNVBphMMVLMtdfXREztJ87DjomlPJ6FnxPSp-Rt0Safj7Q4WC9sPYub0rgyi1y-2mA/s1600/IMG_20191130_110832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCjT6OUNvS7DPCBq5bHcSZDsxTcVyNsKbZi9Ai-PG1sXUbZOnEvrdp5fUtk-Ivfdp0_RcYI2oigkNVBphMMVLMtdfXREztJ87DjomlPJ6FnxPSp-Rt0Safj7Q4WC9sPYub0rgyi1y-2mA/s640/IMG_20191130_110832.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem3S7V-rBX7DOCIdgfo36NlQCdE0QHKBE5ERjO2P9k3p9kkqNpYFyBPIpXqG1RehzJv7xmrPLKCSaz1jiqcD_ex4UwwH0NB59fGng4tzPrmzqT10ZSo83ZHGzzq6AdweFfrfI2YNFMiU/s1600/IMG_20191130_110820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem3S7V-rBX7DOCIdgfo36NlQCdE0QHKBE5ERjO2P9k3p9kkqNpYFyBPIpXqG1RehzJv7xmrPLKCSaz1jiqcD_ex4UwwH0NB59fGng4tzPrmzqT10ZSo83ZHGzzq6AdweFfrfI2YNFMiU/s640/IMG_20191130_110820.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC8wfTCE3jkHX8SizM2z6_kTWbiZL5DtV5MNynUjU4en-LMj2waK3_0l1ZAXb9deS658Ql0s_1Br21u_MBeEd7FfMC1o2L-9I4SxKjjwHCaDW1UnYBuAXbCR70BafhWhE6sLA_2Rgf-U/s1600/IMG_20191130_110824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirC8wfTCE3jkHX8SizM2z6_kTWbiZL5DtV5MNynUjU4en-LMj2waK3_0l1ZAXb9deS658Ql0s_1Br21u_MBeEd7FfMC1o2L-9I4SxKjjwHCaDW1UnYBuAXbCR70BafhWhE6sLA_2Rgf-U/s640/IMG_20191130_110824.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UWFV9_VvJEY2HWfDo2yVZgfiqIuaFHkKI73F1FzMX3IZbcPKKcNGqlGuXGNh_qhebTfG2IElIG2Jvkm5MVzbNYst1ASaNRxZXhhaORAhwqo9MMc0U42OklwlKf32OKGGKpg8ZWAcW_4/s1600/IMG_20191130_110749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-UWFV9_VvJEY2HWfDo2yVZgfiqIuaFHkKI73F1FzMX3IZbcPKKcNGqlGuXGNh_qhebTfG2IElIG2Jvkm5MVzbNYst1ASaNRxZXhhaORAhwqo9MMc0U42OklwlKf32OKGGKpg8ZWAcW_4/s640/IMG_20191130_110749.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru_FScgyttz7z2WGr0pf-iZdqWqk1ub0h77MWtWEjMEJsxrKq3ytVRJCStxa8Xc1pBKxQIIV1hZw2bwRGDhz4cG6JOvzXvXdf7uVlupFcXJOz40xle8SQHMo5OVEHPFFhaXP9EEw5uJQ/s1600/IMG_20191130_110850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru_FScgyttz7z2WGr0pf-iZdqWqk1ub0h77MWtWEjMEJsxrKq3ytVRJCStxa8Xc1pBKxQIIV1hZw2bwRGDhz4cG6JOvzXvXdf7uVlupFcXJOz40xle8SQHMo5OVEHPFFhaXP9EEw5uJQ/s640/IMG_20191130_110850.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And yeah, let's just repeat this picture because IT'S SO PRETTY!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2ZxnHskWjzWdWMagEPmwBzfuPGg4xhB8xiMmffq1fZYCoqB1HrRAB7l5jEAoaSK7FSXKZzGX_aNKRKUDBzEOIIHEDLQfGepsgLvlTYxuNxreE2fPwptiZZfmRUF6Xlr9nWVPefIe-cg/s1600/IMG_20191130_110814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="685" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2ZxnHskWjzWdWMagEPmwBzfuPGg4xhB8xiMmffq1fZYCoqB1HrRAB7l5jEAoaSK7FSXKZzGX_aNKRKUDBzEOIIHEDLQfGepsgLvlTYxuNxreE2fPwptiZZfmRUF6Xlr9nWVPefIe-cg/s640/IMG_20191130_110814.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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Love and Tulips,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-64230633658027373762020-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:002020-06-01T09:00:10.609-04:00Some Recent Crafts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
These are unrelated projects, but both too small of projects to merit their own post.</div>
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While at Meijer sometime last year, we walked past the hair things, and Jo asked if we could purchase some hair bows for her. I looked at the price, and thought, "I could make those from my scrap fabric and they would be cheaper, cuter, and sturdier." Some of the ones below will end up being gifts for others, but here's my first batch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR-06LDbh5EEN_AtqQZGN29AgxrRRXjDTgI6olbBZ4yUHw9pr2TuqOB_yv8agyncmx0HF6RSrvYOgVOd7rZKdvJKMBtwq2PpqgroP9RS9QonB93SuGvSZ3ZLyfj8c9z6WoGETX8CbTIk/s1600/IMG_20191130_105913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR-06LDbh5EEN_AtqQZGN29AgxrRRXjDTgI6olbBZ4yUHw9pr2TuqOB_yv8agyncmx0HF6RSrvYOgVOd7rZKdvJKMBtwq2PpqgroP9RS9QonB93SuGvSZ3ZLyfj8c9z6WoGETX8CbTIk/s640/IMG_20191130_105913.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used <a href="https://blog.treasurie.com/diy-how-to-make-fabric-bows/" target="_blank">this pattern</a>. They're super easy and simple to make. I chose to sew the bows onto an alligator clip instead of gluing them, because I feel like it's sturdier.</div>
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Another project I made was these mugs for my sister and her fiance (now husband). They are both huge book nerds and have (or almost have) degrees in English. Pete is working as a book agent, and Chloe aspires to be an editor. Because they are so bookish, I chose to make them bookish couples mugs. The first says, "Once upon a time..." and the second reads, "...and they lived happily ever after." On the handle is their wedding date.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4yNLxJv4m_f2KFuddJdikBzkvaYIYOL0U5ItKEqNPuiXVy-nKawET5fnlJyd3-_ToFohvZYgqUPNc7aBtT90ICkcdgLKbl5zDRmmM1NtOIcXnvjuS8zqo8CMhhsaXhwzZotageSmDhc/s1600/IMG_20191130_110026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ4yNLxJv4m_f2KFuddJdikBzkvaYIYOL0U5ItKEqNPuiXVy-nKawET5fnlJyd3-_ToFohvZYgqUPNc7aBtT90ICkcdgLKbl5zDRmmM1NtOIcXnvjuS8zqo8CMhhsaXhwzZotageSmDhc/s640/IMG_20191130_110026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipID_GNv9WIw3FbI0QhLhfSp9Ur4HYxu-Xit3hDlRro0zI67pr__rp07JCupQv9upuYckVCcC1iC0kMKTNeocsMooxXqThO0QQei1bt9XBvA5iOwESmn_FwdpAMhUwUF-Q5FQonVs8Qr8/s1600/IMG_20191130_110037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipID_GNv9WIw3FbI0QhLhfSp9Ur4HYxu-Xit3hDlRro0zI67pr__rp07JCupQv9upuYckVCcC1iC0kMKTNeocsMooxXqThO0QQei1bt9XBvA5iOwESmn_FwdpAMhUwUF-Q5FQonVs8Qr8/s640/IMG_20191130_110037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATc8ZYAB1jPmhwmRQAOEAaKvRsvwcsKESIhFQzoYr7PzWK092-MKq24PAY7mtsfgX0dCQpirq_H5E7cvlatrl-jM0UzBBpzOOgnyzxNSOx-YdTXZ1pj7rDY6pfIqR1bHZdyMnWy8Qzmo/s1600/IMG_20191130_110045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATc8ZYAB1jPmhwmRQAOEAaKvRsvwcsKESIhFQzoYr7PzWK092-MKq24PAY7mtsfgX0dCQpirq_H5E7cvlatrl-jM0UzBBpzOOgnyzxNSOx-YdTXZ1pj7rDY6pfIqR1bHZdyMnWy8Qzmo/s640/IMG_20191130_110045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRLdU12FB55LZRwSRKSJvXZkmEpOQKEeKoeLO6cW6N9jrad3vUqDw9khyhTP4Ki_QP8jcZPrOcsPI9p6gP6MAt-xInTw6qJmA7HNBqlXUle_pOHuSFD2PllFwcNwIwcBr93rhJgTeLZw/s1600/IMG_20191130_110052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRLdU12FB55LZRwSRKSJvXZkmEpOQKEeKoeLO6cW6N9jrad3vUqDw9khyhTP4Ki_QP8jcZPrOcsPI9p6gP6MAt-xInTw6qJmA7HNBqlXUle_pOHuSFD2PllFwcNwIwcBr93rhJgTeLZw/s640/IMG_20191130_110052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I used my Pebeo porcelain pen for the words, but I also recently purchased a jar of Pebeo porcelain paint in gold, and it was fun to add details with that.</div>
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Love and Crafts,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-82542312663612629552020-05-28T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-28T09:00:03.267-04:00GALAXY HIPPO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is more recent than many of the items I've posted recently and will share in the next few weeks, but I just couldn't wait to share it any longer!</div>
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HGTV Handmade released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l61hKhjfqc" target="_blank">this video by Meg Allan Cole</a> several years ago, and I admired it because it used a canvas in a way I hadn't ever considered. The clean black and white look is fine if that's your style, but I like a little more color. I thought, "It kind of looks like a constellation; why not make it on a galaxy?" Of course, I'd never painted a galaxy before, so I did lots of research on that, and here's my first ever galaxy painting:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyryCyVDV1w8TBdEBXGSDgVJ4tuWt1WG7HFSAa7qdUX8FjPYN2ZyMij9VgG9SRvLs2vgy1N4LBSibUlu3TCKcIwshyphenhyphenZsQK2FqJU34riy_6Lyl7KCUS1O8PXtZ6Pc3Q3xFeIs-FazJ7lDU/s1600/IMG_20200320_125328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyryCyVDV1w8TBdEBXGSDgVJ4tuWt1WG7HFSAa7qdUX8FjPYN2ZyMij9VgG9SRvLs2vgy1N4LBSibUlu3TCKcIwshyphenhyphenZsQK2FqJU34riy_6Lyl7KCUS1O8PXtZ6Pc3Q3xFeIs-FazJ7lDU/s640/IMG_20200320_125328.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It was <i>so</i> much fun to paint, and it's really not very hard. It takes patience and a lot of layers, but it's a very forgiving craft.</div>
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Next, I spent a few hours adapting a picture of a hippo to make it 'geometric', and here's the final result:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiJvAfUp1l60dugTREmI4iDlgT3yir3uVgc25V4il-YuVnCzmwhTIuV15YvHZT6sTPkz-Eus87aEiBcczWX-KLnXQVVOWW54-kojf1VXIyF0BFghes_z-3gxp20vA4xQNpT3Qanwfm6A/s1600/IMG_20200328_212652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiJvAfUp1l60dugTREmI4iDlgT3yir3uVgc25V4il-YuVnCzmwhTIuV15YvHZT6sTPkz-Eus87aEiBcczWX-KLnXQVVOWW54-kojf1VXIyF0BFghes_z-3gxp20vA4xQNpT3Qanwfm6A/s640/IMG_20200328_212652.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I LOVE IT SO MUCH!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprkwH0MUXLN_MyVXghA4ZdeVigm3qsdn0JLy6-toIt_2HW4158LVHlm6H4LDH-PSOBdxjnbQLiAFvcPOiVbV5SJoyaDaqF-jQnQHZNbr3dsXFF00Lpf0rahFssSGqpUuBXRebTr_0TZ0/s1600/IMG_20200328_212659.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprkwH0MUXLN_MyVXghA4ZdeVigm3qsdn0JLy6-toIt_2HW4158LVHlm6H4LDH-PSOBdxjnbQLiAFvcPOiVbV5SJoyaDaqF-jQnQHZNbr3dsXFF00Lpf0rahFssSGqpUuBXRebTr_0TZ0/s640/IMG_20200328_212659.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This goes straight into my Top 10 favorite things I've ever made.</div>
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Love and Hippos,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-13248742058343394852020-05-25T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-25T09:00:03.588-04:00Christmas 2019 Round-Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Okay, final Christmas post for a while. Here's a round-up of some of the other gifts I made for Christmas 2019.</div>
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I made a few sets of <a href="http://www.buttonsandbutterflies.com/2013/10/quilted-leaf-potholders-tutorial.html" target="_blank">leaf potholders</a>. I love <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2018/10/final-christmas-2017-round-up.html" target="_blank">this craft</a> - it's fun and they turn out so cool looking!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XoMbDOGC8WUUqWyWghyphenhyphenRaizVxhdVlNLVKnU3ZTbVds1DCPCEImd3gtQOEeJdVD6QVSF-sF8w7-naRHVWvQB2Jzz7QZYhyphenhyphenaSGJ3ypsNFkd7GQ8XEX2qLTgLFkAofb5e12ec0fmiD-R9w/s1600/IMG_20191130_110239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XoMbDOGC8WUUqWyWghyphenhyphenRaizVxhdVlNLVKnU3ZTbVds1DCPCEImd3gtQOEeJdVD6QVSF-sF8w7-naRHVWvQB2Jzz7QZYhyphenhyphenaSGJ3ypsNFkd7GQ8XEX2qLTgLFkAofb5e12ec0fmiD-R9w/s640/IMG_20191130_110239.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSPBxL4YNY15jF0b_8oYfZFLRiPqsAK3Q1W0-rsQ_IuZevoL8VDDjcuIvEL1gMk2xm8xxkWY61_R7p8VpyUXub8PIGwpcLGxfLM2OEhyphenhyphenwT0tO6flQBcoEeWLBaXcuXD7vgXvVSG3eloA/s1600/IMG_20191130_110249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSPBxL4YNY15jF0b_8oYfZFLRiPqsAK3Q1W0-rsQ_IuZevoL8VDDjcuIvEL1gMk2xm8xxkWY61_R7p8VpyUXub8PIGwpcLGxfLM2OEhyphenhyphenwT0tO6flQBcoEeWLBaXcuXD7vgXvVSG3eloA/s640/IMG_20191130_110249.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I also did some knitting and crocheting for my best friends:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xknlh34vXcI_fT-c3eoYHOSJbqK94l94JYLkqnLncnQisVKGQ3ptFfuzHA5FDUHop5ulTxa2ZUIB8SkvTV3h2dJEujXvfci1X0UQwYuozGuNN293IjqjK7lPpybuhIU3R_J3AWDI7GU/s1600/IMG_20191130_110334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Xknlh34vXcI_fT-c3eoYHOSJbqK94l94JYLkqnLncnQisVKGQ3ptFfuzHA5FDUHop5ulTxa2ZUIB8SkvTV3h2dJEujXvfci1X0UQwYuozGuNN293IjqjK7lPpybuhIU3R_J3AWDI7GU/s640/IMG_20191130_110334.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We purchased an used children's tool bench for the kids for Christmas, so I sewed them each a tool belt to wear. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHGpoHNlHKi4gBKA_XjZujrrI5T1aVEmCtZRzWwTCvghETDdRh2zMmGEYqLhqH7gDeuvxZ4Qv_Doj6AJAkq8UGiqhG8YwDHP8gT872AKP0FALh7yA6XfX3Rzen1uqeT9WfOLbVQ4tKyI/s1600/IMG_20191130_110149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHGpoHNlHKi4gBKA_XjZujrrI5T1aVEmCtZRzWwTCvghETDdRh2zMmGEYqLhqH7gDeuvxZ4Qv_Doj6AJAkq8UGiqhG8YwDHP8gT872AKP0FALh7yA6XfX3Rzen1uqeT9WfOLbVQ4tKyI/s640/IMG_20191130_110149.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL39FxdUpI17lLf1MYwq6lEx_3sK11VjGfp5B5F4HKE4dXGKB0gzg8F_KyGkwKwC8KKxE2Ty4rcV1cXIO_waXDf2hVNrNFWq4GEcPbMIordSocHKv1QMoDGjuLpddf101LuI6ndTaGHe8/s1600/IMG_20191130_110159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL39FxdUpI17lLf1MYwq6lEx_3sK11VjGfp5B5F4HKE4dXGKB0gzg8F_KyGkwKwC8KKxE2Ty4rcV1cXIO_waXDf2hVNrNFWq4GEcPbMIordSocHKv1QMoDGjuLpddf101LuI6ndTaGHe8/s640/IMG_20191130_110159.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now on to something less Christmassy. :)</div>
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Love and Velcro,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-86381638231892520582020-05-21T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-18T16:09:39.122-04:00Christmas 2019: Jewelry Boxes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Every Christmas, I make a gift for my aunties (and some of the other women in my life). This year, I decided to make little jewelry boxes from bangle bracelets. (<a href="https://damasklove.com/clay-wood-bracelet-jewelry-boxes/" target="_blank">Idea here.</a>)</div>
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Because I wanted to make so many of these, I actually purchased the bracelets in bulk from Etsy. I stained some of them, using a bit of leftover stain my dad was throwing away because it was old and chunky. The others I painted with gold acrylic paint. I think the stained ones look prettier. </div>
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I made lids from Sculpey clay, and I had a blast designing all the different lids. These ones were my favorites:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3xBnst9w2Z54_Uv89oJU3MZx7FG6Q-AGZcI8RwsqRRU6P-EqHc9ht9vQ-Ma84jlYCZP4ImQC4lvlPBK4OCXZ_sj2TEpH103SLDxocBgGRkLTnuWGUxdsGW5bbO1VZrF4-7hY4xGXEJM/s1600/IMG_20191130_110452.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3xBnst9w2Z54_Uv89oJU3MZx7FG6Q-AGZcI8RwsqRRU6P-EqHc9ht9vQ-Ma84jlYCZP4ImQC4lvlPBK4OCXZ_sj2TEpH103SLDxocBgGRkLTnuWGUxdsGW5bbO1VZrF4-7hY4xGXEJM/s640/IMG_20191130_110452.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The handles are just little balls of leftover clay. I left some of them unpainted, but the ones that were a real mish-mash of colors, I painted gold.</div>
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I also made discs of clay for the bottoms of the containers. Everything got sealed with Sculpey sealer. (I actually tried using a clear gloss spray sealant, but it started eating away at the clay. Yikes!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoDLe6coQFX1CCLg5CwFuCzQsRLLxKHrv02FlvLLvLEk6TN7S1zg1fLeXJkfeFURxsbLBwM0Qwy_v86iBLdg9-oDsmP1ta0_PsO2RuzSDFuAT0LmVFs35RrVojVBmMI3yehi3qZtalTQ/s1600/IMG_20191130_110532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoDLe6coQFX1CCLg5CwFuCzQsRLLxKHrv02FlvLLvLEk6TN7S1zg1fLeXJkfeFURxsbLBwM0Qwy_v86iBLdg9-oDsmP1ta0_PsO2RuzSDFuAT0LmVFs35RrVojVBmMI3yehi3qZtalTQ/s640/IMG_20191130_110532.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, I cut two discs of green felt for each box, one as a no-scratch pad on the bottom, and one inside the box to make it soft.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9N62Q4-ptGRkYBOHnmQiOmjTP1lXr3SkvsOa3fTPa63eS-KMdmPBSjZqFTHHmQRz-JR1PBYcCF-sOit4xxGQDOK6lp35nbn3u1AvzBVUWwZtpqL_hdGjxDjdrdQccj5xzYkdetyfAjI/s1600/IMG_20191130_110514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9N62Q4-ptGRkYBOHnmQiOmjTP1lXr3SkvsOa3fTPa63eS-KMdmPBSjZqFTHHmQRz-JR1PBYcCF-sOit4xxGQDOK6lp35nbn3u1AvzBVUWwZtpqL_hdGjxDjdrdQccj5xzYkdetyfAjI/s640/IMG_20191130_110514.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm really pleased with how these turned out. They took a lot of work, but were a fairly inexpensive craft overall.</div>
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Love and Glaze,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-52839437125538316272020-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-18T09:00:00.371-04:00Christmas 2019 Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hey, look - I've finally caught up to the most recent Christmas!</div>
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I made both of our <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2017/03/christmas-ornaments-2016.html" target="_blank">kids' ornaments</a> this year. Jo is still a Daniel Tiger fan, so this year I improved on last year's design. I ordered a photo print (just from Meijer photo) of Daniel Tiger, then cut it out in a circle. I made a disc of Sculpey clay just slightly larger, poked a hole for a hanger, then baked it. I secured everything together with Mod Podge. Much cuter (and less creepy) than last year's!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMylwOFD-QsVXf6wGOE6-95-wVw_8u_Z8ajegYZ0nWybyl1_vPqddcqZfaMVsIAu2sqxWJ0WFNtxdOcVpE-FcQbm3YgYUA1iI-vgaNJ10_BCRMJ6pEUV73C4zjetm6eygxLhwXDm65Jo/s1600/IMG_20191224_140351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMylwOFD-QsVXf6wGOE6-95-wVw_8u_Z8ajegYZ0nWybyl1_vPqddcqZfaMVsIAu2sqxWJ0WFNtxdOcVpE-FcQbm3YgYUA1iI-vgaNJ10_BCRMJ6pEUV73C4zjetm6eygxLhwXDm65Jo/s640/IMG_20191224_140351.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Micah loves cars and trucks ("vroom vroom!"), so I embroidered him this adorable felt car.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XO5EM397g2GyiboVg4l8-Y5TtJC9iqUzihz1_Ja0qqv0iZVb6QNlIL9RJQE6sToMobjREi2T-qy_J269JRqYkcRy_3nk0pnU7f39zU0OyYPoBo4FiJET2Sj9Q2zPOjqxCaaSd9_JVxA/s1600/IMG_20191224_140345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1XO5EM397g2GyiboVg4l8-Y5TtJC9iqUzihz1_Ja0qqv0iZVb6QNlIL9RJQE6sToMobjREi2T-qy_J269JRqYkcRy_3nk0pnU7f39zU0OyYPoBo4FiJET2Sj9Q2zPOjqxCaaSd9_JVxA/s640/IMG_20191224_140345.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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For our <i>en</i> <i>masse</i> ornament this year, I got Jo involved. I put together Christmas tree bases with yarn, painted popsicle sticks, and wooden stars. Then, over several weeks, we would sit down with a bunch of fun craft supplies and she'd decorate the trees. I helped with some of the gluing, but everything got put right where she wanted. (With the exception of the one on the top right below - that one was my idea.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIxqW-ar5zv1TNi7ETIwpZIMXZzGen9jYI2NZKlSBp0LE7EILizRQasgjZ8awG09ymYly9E_yc_7tzmGj3C2NGAK5Mva5kPGA3DQJG_XOLnuxds2HPqgsBPxf6OGvDnTBz_K62LdHfyo/s1600/IMG_20200417_105537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIxqW-ar5zv1TNi7ETIwpZIMXZzGen9jYI2NZKlSBp0LE7EILizRQasgjZ8awG09ymYly9E_yc_7tzmGj3C2NGAK5Mva5kPGA3DQJG_XOLnuxds2HPqgsBPxf6OGvDnTBz_K62LdHfyo/s640/IMG_20200417_105537.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Why, yes, my four-year-old <i>does</i> know the correct order for the rainbow - and will correct you if you say it wrong. :)</div>
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Love and Sequins,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-9077952583949838152020-05-11T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-11T09:00:05.478-04:00Christmas 2018 (yep) Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For Christmas 2018, I didn't make quite as many gift as I usually do, and those I did make were mostly 'spa' type gift (bath salts, sugar scrubs, etc.) - nice gifts, but not worth photographing and documenting. I did, however, make this awesome sweatshirt for my sister. I'm super proud of it, because I did that all with freezer paper stencils I cut out by hand!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5le4jRQJkuHaubx8JYgzT4Q13KImuFIZHa4BMgG_0UoBuqYLjhCtuSgVP0jMvUDLYD1Cc9FMVmRT6FwGz7Msua43JXMrHHOUwXrQ2OAWCb43E_93sndTAH-EYfzVttmgF3-54eQH19o/s1600/IMG_20181222_133914716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5le4jRQJkuHaubx8JYgzT4Q13KImuFIZHa4BMgG_0UoBuqYLjhCtuSgVP0jMvUDLYD1Cc9FMVmRT6FwGz7Msua43JXMrHHOUwXrQ2OAWCb43E_93sndTAH-EYfzVttmgF3-54eQH19o/s640/IMG_20181222_133914716.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I usually apply fabric paint with a brush or sponge, but this time, I chose to use fabric spray paint for more even coverage, and it was very worth it! It looks professional, in my unbiased opinion! :)</div>
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I also made the <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2015/12/ornaments-2015.html" target="_blank">mass ornament</a>. This year I went very simple and classic. I made these in a variety of Christmassy color combinations.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8WLqJcqCjQXzCtP990ubYV7j2wAj8-dmiO_MCyBK5QnvNXG2vCyoJN5yCXOPXLm3xwZeeEXMIgakphviWWeygLnUNXXbcn27HUulxeOpd47pAuFIjnxI_x8KHcXReXzj0xPSV_LhdLY/s1600/IMG_20200417_105456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="1600" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8WLqJcqCjQXzCtP990ubYV7j2wAj8-dmiO_MCyBK5QnvNXG2vCyoJN5yCXOPXLm3xwZeeEXMIgakphviWWeygLnUNXXbcn27HUulxeOpd47pAuFIjnxI_x8KHcXReXzj0xPSV_LhdLY/s640/IMG_20200417_105456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As this was Micah's first Christmas, I decided to stick with the idea we did for <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2017/03/christmas-ornaments-2016.html" target="_blank">Jo's first Christmas ornament</a> and choose something Delft. I picked up this adorable bell ornament at a shop in Holland, MI.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQcCHqRjypLtiIv2hizyAl9-prlX1Liofl3Pzdd6KEo6gvl5xJsNNpCziB-vpUNxNij90Ykdtls5eJ8qlTazX9KnXw65H461Nq17wNlEkkmU5pefUorZfW0DUrgNoOTOjQXJ8Eq72gRE/s1600/IMG_20200417_105129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQcCHqRjypLtiIv2hizyAl9-prlX1Liofl3Pzdd6KEo6gvl5xJsNNpCziB-vpUNxNij90Ykdtls5eJ8qlTazX9KnXw65H461Nq17wNlEkkmU5pefUorZfW0DUrgNoOTOjQXJ8Eq72gRE/s640/IMG_20200417_105129.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUN7FV4zbCBPzKVEoLnLorZbRtVORLAUspSZODLb0O_kIK1b5MDme5Ld1f4Agar1zYVtx-wXCDr5lOVgqWQmh7v-Rj8Kga7K-KNRYphqm6PxpLSoa67OhPgOMBzPqhPVoa_sQvGCelJY/s1600/IMG_20200417_105138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUN7FV4zbCBPzKVEoLnLorZbRtVORLAUspSZODLb0O_kIK1b5MDme5Ld1f4Agar1zYVtx-wXCDr5lOVgqWQmh7v-Rj8Kga7K-KNRYphqm6PxpLSoa67OhPgOMBzPqhPVoa_sQvGCelJY/s640/IMG_20200417_105138.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Jo was very into Daniel Tiger in 2018, so I really wanted to make a DT ornament for her. (Yep, that's what we call him around here.) I printed out a full-color picture of him, cut out just his face (and ears), and Mod Podged it into a clear plastic ball ornament. Once that was dry, I covered the inside of the ornament with red paint. The <i>idea </i>was that this would be a simple way to make a cute Daniel Tiger ornament. The result?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2QVh7ZJSpu_3IHZG5FMv621R-JjP7UCo6ESiXGETedUQJUb7kvmtqMj3gN2-wKLOBEnK2ovjM1m9oo6_Tp0N4NVlbDB6K_rEFkradYd0bfvEfVTo3JJJomNGz33aT8GRhWe4rIONyTA/s1600/IMG_20200417_105204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2QVh7ZJSpu_3IHZG5FMv621R-JjP7UCo6ESiXGETedUQJUb7kvmtqMj3gN2-wKLOBEnK2ovjM1m9oo6_Tp0N4NVlbDB6K_rEFkradYd0bfvEfVTo3JJJomNGz33aT8GRhWe4rIONyTA/s640/IMG_20200417_105204.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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It's not terrible, but apparently I didn't apply the Mod Podge as thoroughly as I thought, because the red paint started to leak in around the edges of Daniel's face. Oh well. Jo loved it. :)</div>
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Love and Mod Podge,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-40739725805527114232020-05-04T09:00:00.000-04:002020-05-04T09:00:07.120-04:00Interchangeable Wreath: Fall and Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This project has been quite literally <i>years</i> in the making. I think I may have actually started this when we still lived at our apartment in 2012, or maybe that's just when I started planning it.</div>
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The idea is that instead of storing seasonal wreaths, I only have to store seasonal wreath accessories. The wreath base is wrapped in a neutral grey yarn, and all the accessories are on alligator clips so they're easily added or removed.</div>
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Here's the summery wreath decorations I made first: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDeqKStWSD_ajIVEXYzg9sU_vX0OVlKg9LM69lklun3Rd6ewYzRm_LNeMfa6sl6NfloY4-bPx6I1hlfyasR7DVRT816aUl96eu6vBl11GXJukrYh62lVAxVMta57q_SPGEksXI-5SoA0/s1600/IMG_5178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDeqKStWSD_ajIVEXYzg9sU_vX0OVlKg9LM69lklun3Rd6ewYzRm_LNeMfa6sl6NfloY4-bPx6I1hlfyasR7DVRT816aUl96eu6vBl11GXJukrYh62lVAxVMta57q_SPGEksXI-5SoA0/s640/IMG_5178.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've since made a fall set of decorations:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjK3Wg0J-flg58TdDW_w8ziEW39y1ODPkSfYTzcrGPCsdJcB1fBzlnqa1j-5_bGtWkdZQAMO23WvpZVo_VcPrA93lY6YaM67dkuud9GDd1Oj6lRWvq44cVSP3VeXZrqWkirlAcOtRNZc/s1600/IMG_9195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBjK3Wg0J-flg58TdDW_w8ziEW39y1ODPkSfYTzcrGPCsdJcB1fBzlnqa1j-5_bGtWkdZQAMO23WvpZVo_VcPrA93lY6YaM67dkuud9GDd1Oj6lRWvq44cVSP3VeXZrqWkirlAcOtRNZc/s640/IMG_9195.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurvM976zn1MgOSdfQqKd03Pyl5kTxctpsbL74e4kw8D7Ap7mkHMjTmrUTHfS1u7Cjg2bkGo10NdcCMRWc_NmtWeoCCKAYSZ2t7hvU0uT2XdhLlfx4QyACRYA_NDG6U5qtXrbftLpChd4/s1600/IMG_9197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiurvM976zn1MgOSdfQqKd03Pyl5kTxctpsbL74e4kw8D7Ap7mkHMjTmrUTHfS1u7Cjg2bkGo10NdcCMRWc_NmtWeoCCKAYSZ2t7hvU0uT2XdhLlfx4QyACRYA_NDG6U5qtXrbftLpChd4/s640/IMG_9197.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjot3BDJyoE5wylwF5-YZvZEQesGGq2wa_iXBYf2owv8IHf7B4e-Fm-UFHixReNQx5FbDBJEErQkzruntrkIm1g1EI21eBhI6VB-FgWrmAvRiuih0ssBhTh35xjg6A9AxEZl7fapjfNI/s1600/IMG_9199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjot3BDJyoE5wylwF5-YZvZEQesGGq2wa_iXBYf2owv8IHf7B4e-Fm-UFHixReNQx5FbDBJEErQkzruntrkIm1g1EI21eBhI6VB-FgWrmAvRiuih0ssBhTh35xjg6A9AxEZl7fapjfNI/s640/IMG_9199.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a set for Christmas!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaePhhiBmQ4dzcWLFxNq3asOQ9k08GCzMVB_VwOXD_A0cJyN8KncFgNhXEWfF9oQW8jaHvVKPZ4dR7br4unM5McfgMZacbWivjsgxN-OwIYtJ2svgGb2WlmKOjx4IOW_5069dT-IyupE/s1600/IMG_9466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaePhhiBmQ4dzcWLFxNq3asOQ9k08GCzMVB_VwOXD_A0cJyN8KncFgNhXEWfF9oQW8jaHvVKPZ4dR7br4unM5McfgMZacbWivjsgxN-OwIYtJ2svgGb2WlmKOjx4IOW_5069dT-IyupE/s640/IMG_9466.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also have a winter and spring set done, but don't have pictures of those yet, so those will be shared at a later date. (Probably in like 3 years.)</div>
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Love and Felt,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-38397450310339629172020-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:002020-04-27T09:00:15.700-04:00Christmas 2017 Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Aren't these snowmen adorable?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaPZLdCSTDR5P9pJtmswy5Oope6amwBgI34I_VIi3kViDQuxxPfLAfWaGWIG-N7hLZ7VgN018D2-uM_c3vXrFVInGWKQAMzqll-KCJm-HyZ_aOKI7Z_PCoRIkKjILEXnvq2sSsOc-DBw/s1600/IMG_9420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqaPZLdCSTDR5P9pJtmswy5Oope6amwBgI34I_VIi3kViDQuxxPfLAfWaGWIG-N7hLZ7VgN018D2-uM_c3vXrFVInGWKQAMzqll-KCJm-HyZ_aOKI7Z_PCoRIkKjILEXnvq2sSsOc-DBw/s640/IMG_9420.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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These were the ones I made <i><a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2015/12/ornaments-2015.html" target="_blank">en masse</a></i> to gift to friends and family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXfiyQJPWxGGeB6WN5sSv38BoWBWDHGwuigM3RrKGSkpaaUrYXrzt5rIHgbGLsHhfMgWnEEZg-21_1CMYPGUBbSK2CcRAuOG51QdVRg81eTM-3b9-_bhO4WryPjdNPFsJg1EzT9AgJMs/s1600/IMG_9419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXfiyQJPWxGGeB6WN5sSv38BoWBWDHGwuigM3RrKGSkpaaUrYXrzt5rIHgbGLsHhfMgWnEEZg-21_1CMYPGUBbSK2CcRAuOG51QdVRg81eTM-3b9-_bhO4WryPjdNPFsJg1EzT9AgJMs/s640/IMG_9419.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this is the one I made for Jo for 2017. I purchased a clear plastic ball ornament and filled it with Mod Podge inside for the red glitter to stick to. I first drew Elmo's face with Sharpie and then painted over it with acrylic paint. I sealed the face with more Mod Podge.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPn95xcaSC8idOID8lkO2b53ke_vAqgAQRgBKgmH-0DoZ5esCu5fHk43EJI3GSvYlEGwXr19PHYHztwhMRAlpxto1LT6uBvW6jAiwUYguFBgPvmF7vjtwxJ7LUt-HJ-CS6PjGNcbhr1qM/s1600/IMG_9441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPn95xcaSC8idOID8lkO2b53ke_vAqgAQRgBKgmH-0DoZ5esCu5fHk43EJI3GSvYlEGwXr19PHYHztwhMRAlpxto1LT6uBvW6jAiwUYguFBgPvmF7vjtwxJ7LUt-HJ-CS6PjGNcbhr1qM/s640/IMG_9441.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Jo <i>loved</i> this ornament. She would carry it around with her and read books to it. (This is why I made it with a plastic ornament, not glass!)</div>
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Love and Paint,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-30984545805355133352020-04-23T09:00:00.000-04:002020-04-23T09:00:05.881-04:00Christmas 2017 (cringe) Round-Up Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here are few more photos I've been hanging on to for far too long.</div>
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I made some <a href="https://abeautifulmess.com/2014/11/marbled-clay-ring-dish.html" target="_blank">marbled clay dishes</a> with Sculpey clay. Once they were baked, I used gold acrylic paint to 'gild' the edges. I glazed them with Sculpey's satin glaze.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZetfOCr3CjcjX_CKUNbeEeutCuBFSUHac2zESoHYqlwS3XbqadSJZOlrv2KCstLyqkKnGXQEJYdXmPYw1JmVrBNEsqU1W1_Wtgayn2lKL1UW9jg-tb1ARBq9cvtBG484_BIUww4eydz8/s1600/IMG_9412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZetfOCr3CjcjX_CKUNbeEeutCuBFSUHac2zESoHYqlwS3XbqadSJZOlrv2KCstLyqkKnGXQEJYdXmPYw1JmVrBNEsqU1W1_Wtgayn2lKL1UW9jg-tb1ARBq9cvtBG484_BIUww4eydz8/s640/IMG_9412.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPdci6ACEEdYw_OLR-wcZWYpPVkvGzwT9tIr_OXpwXDgMjozjrQ9FT9aIcL9xEiNy0N2HKAMamPJjENqE8Y-d7Px4TdxNAzWm_U2uLzEv2yowtxw7cW0dMrQwlRKr2i25iUXwo80Uv-8/s1600/IMG_9409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPdci6ACEEdYw_OLR-wcZWYpPVkvGzwT9tIr_OXpwXDgMjozjrQ9FT9aIcL9xEiNy0N2HKAMamPJjENqE8Y-d7Px4TdxNAzWm_U2uLzEv2yowtxw7cW0dMrQwlRKr2i25iUXwo80Uv-8/s640/IMG_9409.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also made these super-easy mountain range <a href="https://sugarandcloth.com/diy-mini-mountain-photo-holders/" target="_blank">photo holders</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYVqKwIiGSoxHHjoMMZYS4Z9yZ4bvCCBN8NYinTmGR_F2OmZUYtmcWWit2BuuhA_NnkxGzG1UoAQStt5YCOS8l9vsCXd_m1BT3yEdRYnyvkDJzu5Ho7Kq9Ep-AbEfwbWDowMElurmd3o/s1600/IMG_9417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYVqKwIiGSoxHHjoMMZYS4Z9yZ4bvCCBN8NYinTmGR_F2OmZUYtmcWWit2BuuhA_NnkxGzG1UoAQStt5YCOS8l9vsCXd_m1BT3yEdRYnyvkDJzu5Ho7Kq9Ep-AbEfwbWDowMElurmd3o/s640/IMG_9417.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AOIUe3E5ZPCHGkcQQ8TB2-gQYXvXAtoQvDb6xOBEHmCszJOl_QFhdJf05ksXN2Lk2d19yfeItnsPuDw9AX8qmvW2uGFCSDtp_d6rhaqGAyLDGEml6NFUhJoj-_MaEizKTJHAlmRpwHA/s1600/IMG_9414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2AOIUe3E5ZPCHGkcQQ8TB2-gQYXvXAtoQvDb6xOBEHmCszJOl_QFhdJf05ksXN2Lk2d19yfeItnsPuDw9AX8qmvW2uGFCSDtp_d6rhaqGAyLDGEml6NFUhJoj-_MaEizKTJHAlmRpwHA/s640/IMG_9414.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I tried my hand at <a href="https://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/use-nail-polish-to-create-marbled-votives" target="_blank">water marbling</a>, a notoriously temperamental craft. I made some little votive holders. They're okay; not my favorite craft I've ever done, certainly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRQdauFeBjP1o4WdmfWqEdfrqekA7cg29eTRpLsJWk6Usea-41VDR_JggR7-P9tgRdNJh-yxF1nY303pDJaBtlte0DrwOSoPHuoH1L_gdWDTr2GojGK9HpIpappDyivtOI2-00t1oyRk/s1600/IMG_9462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRQdauFeBjP1o4WdmfWqEdfrqekA7cg29eTRpLsJWk6Usea-41VDR_JggR7-P9tgRdNJh-yxF1nY303pDJaBtlte0DrwOSoPHuoH1L_gdWDTr2GojGK9HpIpappDyivtOI2-00t1oyRk/s640/IMG_9462.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Finally, one of my favorite projects was this peace wreath. I got the pattern from <a href="https://betzwhite.com/2013/09/felt-peace-wreath-tutorial.html?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=Social" target="_blank">Betz White</a>. I ended up making six of these, five for gifts and one to keep. The original had little blue pom-poms all over it like berries - they looked super cute, but I couldn't find any pom-poms small enough, so I left them off. I also simplified the embroidery on the dove, adding just gold stars instead of the foliage.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioP-eSdYgvpB4CQWIuEhD81dwupm6CvLQ7UV2RloCn3iQyKdS9f2qMRs-zB-PJPGqk64jijAnitpP5a840XVgZUFGKhAvQsvL-7h7x0b85EFDm8bq8MPOxywkNVuXKxGzbBfGwbKEnuU/s1600/IMG_9431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhioP-eSdYgvpB4CQWIuEhD81dwupm6CvLQ7UV2RloCn3iQyKdS9f2qMRs-zB-PJPGqk64jijAnitpP5a840XVgZUFGKhAvQsvL-7h7x0b85EFDm8bq8MPOxywkNVuXKxGzbBfGwbKEnuU/s640/IMG_9431.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnoPcZ6hnVsVAQW7RSELGuyoLtWXUKG7CV9JCFAW-0pBrUnbjNQGxsK5lnCGB66mY4b8fWbJpfjt-K-rXA6yQNJ-ZFHVVDREmrfnhkC6uYfC8lwEbQydhRNW5fYC-XGJUFQht7Ziz6XY/s1600/IMG_9430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnoPcZ6hnVsVAQW7RSELGuyoLtWXUKG7CV9JCFAW-0pBrUnbjNQGxsK5lnCGB66mY4b8fWbJpfjt-K-rXA6yQNJ-ZFHVVDREmrfnhkC6uYfC8lwEbQydhRNW5fYC-XGJUFQht7Ziz6XY/s640/IMG_9430.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I've got one more post from Christmas 2017, then I think I can finally get a little less behind.</div>
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Love and Sculpey,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-81037496133150582942020-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:002020-04-20T09:00:06.602-04:00Christmas 2017 (cringe) Round-Up Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Not sure why I've been holding on to these pictures so long. Here are a few things I made like 2.5 years ago.</div>
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This is a tote bag that I sewed myself, then made a freezer paper stencil to add the Luke's logo from Gilmore Girls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaFPYe6rPJk6jtn70RhGTCeaWXGDRTFLeeC3_6yXv4JMyMeTaJq6JfBnBrsQDK_qfcDYz6kyX_01gYsE61hLcDMaUU2SGS2MOISWd-hzslpf6kWofklLEKgMxieIQOjZE6ev6USWL2bY/s1600/IMG_9398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaFPYe6rPJk6jtn70RhGTCeaWXGDRTFLeeC3_6yXv4JMyMeTaJq6JfBnBrsQDK_qfcDYz6kyX_01gYsE61hLcDMaUU2SGS2MOISWd-hzslpf6kWofklLEKgMxieIQOjZE6ev6USWL2bY/s640/IMG_9398.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvM8KTiLDAkrwzsIOzSwAaBMl639-kdOcx_R6hw8WP7GjTw_h2P6Zl641Ykbsk0Y8HnE52ggysUfWFVAlMz1-mVd85YLkBT8EeKnUhnzRwmSsprB-bTLLPk3ZiTyfU7luLOoC3RK90gQ/s1600/IMG_9403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvM8KTiLDAkrwzsIOzSwAaBMl639-kdOcx_R6hw8WP7GjTw_h2P6Zl641Ykbsk0Y8HnE52ggysUfWFVAlMz1-mVd85YLkBT8EeKnUhnzRwmSsprB-bTLLPk3ZiTyfU7luLOoC3RK90gQ/s640/IMG_9403.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's fully lined and has an inside pocket!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJRHjISGJCOeZ-hC_d3MF2ZwrGDaKXe5YEGpEgHcWilJ-poazvJ3nCKxiplHY2hPkXDUShVhPulYJdsM0ZgdW-iMbcWZeFngAVAY2kFFDVuuRkvCAjSRaagDIXvjs1cAnLpQZCsODFTo/s1600/IMG_9405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJRHjISGJCOeZ-hC_d3MF2ZwrGDaKXe5YEGpEgHcWilJ-poazvJ3nCKxiplHY2hPkXDUShVhPulYJdsM0ZgdW-iMbcWZeFngAVAY2kFFDVuuRkvCAjSRaagDIXvjs1cAnLpQZCsODFTo/s640/IMG_9405.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I also made another bow clutch (<a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2016/01/hand-sewn-christmas-presents-day-4.html" target="_blank">see first one here</a>).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OWp-R5-R6Xu9r4JWkP7gJNF6mrFBV4QcgCT9xs8eN_PO0QgGr40tkZh3nMvpI6Ert-pUtiL7AupMCEd-riQQsuzMKEihtdku638ng007NMjmyhqjwfK99a8hzXs-uq8ol_nURRHPL9s/s1600/IMG_9408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OWp-R5-R6Xu9r4JWkP7gJNF6mrFBV4QcgCT9xs8eN_PO0QgGr40tkZh3nMvpI6Ert-pUtiL7AupMCEd-riQQsuzMKEihtdku638ng007NMjmyhqjwfK99a8hzXs-uq8ol_nURRHPL9s/s320/IMG_9408.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I made a couple dozen of these fun zipper pouches to share with all the women in my life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPAMuJhSyhwaE0f-RUJJbcdyCtdNkk2KlFXtlzSlRxBfM-Fhr2jgje8wAZnnvV4wR_qJzb3GOM0WgER4qm0GbL4JJJoOjfAdSQO23kVBHsXLe-xckNZnaAuaIXh_HQ28Y_Zj6W8G3aLE/s1600/IMG_9423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPAMuJhSyhwaE0f-RUJJbcdyCtdNkk2KlFXtlzSlRxBfM-Fhr2jgje8wAZnnvV4wR_qJzb3GOM0WgER4qm0GbL4JJJoOjfAdSQO23kVBHsXLe-xckNZnaAuaIXh_HQ28Y_Zj6W8G3aLE/s640/IMG_9423.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I stitched these little kitten magnets. How cute are they?! (<a href="https://swoodsonsays.com/free-cat-sewing-pattern/" target="_blank">Original pattern here</a>; I added a magnet and used blanket stitch along the sides instead of running stitch.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLIN-SPlYz9Qe_CxF2MmNliKYrrYwUxFhuRab45ouYr6aMCq4zhk49xKsD4tCh5id5a2nk7eESSAWBWr-OHdTmqsdYCSFV5T2fgVYh0gFQ3UOgg7iaLsCOhXjuH57IDu2EdqBq4oQRJg/s1600/IMG_9443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLIN-SPlYz9Qe_CxF2MmNliKYrrYwUxFhuRab45ouYr6aMCq4zhk49xKsD4tCh5id5a2nk7eESSAWBWr-OHdTmqsdYCSFV5T2fgVYh0gFQ3UOgg7iaLsCOhXjuH57IDu2EdqBq4oQRJg/s640/IMG_9443.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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And a <a href="http://cynicism-and-butterflies.blogspot.com/2017/06/hand-sewn-owl-magnets.html" target="_blank">few more owls</a>...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmbl87_drSsKmkb-9-Mu3zRbkHBsCtUyoa9JbPDB7ZH45MUEhBgnNsj2sgpj-BFhPqxu5aurXCifph6lS06boojqHebXcSEa0Odeh37WiIu_9yIiMCOqVd99KPygMDuWo1uvkkgPNehY/s1600/IMG_9446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmbl87_drSsKmkb-9-Mu3zRbkHBsCtUyoa9JbPDB7ZH45MUEhBgnNsj2sgpj-BFhPqxu5aurXCifph6lS06boojqHebXcSEa0Odeh37WiIu_9yIiMCOqVd99KPygMDuWo1uvkkgPNehY/s640/IMG_9446.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Love and Embroidery,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467903094539051731.post-27830313341685087342020-04-16T11:34:00.000-04:002020-04-16T11:45:00.268-04:00Life Update: 4/16/2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well hello to anyone still out there.</div>
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I promise, though it has been nearly a year, that I have <i>not</i> forgotten about this blog. Life is ... crazy. I have a lot to catch up on, so let's just jump right in.</div>
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I believe the last thing I updated you on was Micah's 1st birthday, and a bit of our new house (that we've now been in for 2.5 years). </div>
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Let's see, my sister got engaged, and I was recruited to make their wedding cake. As her intended has Celiac disease, I needed to practice a lot of gluten-free baking; get ready for lots of cake pictures. :)</div>
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This was for Pete's birthday in September. (Pete being Chloe's now-husband.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-i2axCaCSLwSVvVx5ksCRNOdtN_NGRPxJinpgOGIS_-X907y5b__hWB5h9EpzLgGHySkpLnCzfb2lphOhv8l_bCX9qlj340GdnQQ5SAKHe59n1EDcrFjj13KJ5freF3KTZrf5qMu0uo/s1600/IMG_20190910_182324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-i2axCaCSLwSVvVx5ksCRNOdtN_NGRPxJinpgOGIS_-X907y5b__hWB5h9EpzLgGHySkpLnCzfb2lphOhv8l_bCX9qlj340GdnQQ5SAKHe59n1EDcrFjj13KJ5freF3KTZrf5qMu0uo/s640/IMG_20190910_182324.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was practicing my gluten-free chocolate cake recipe, but also a smooth frosting technique.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSajFBYDEpN42hgTJSRw3BO6cbbp91TtXucnC8xsYGMEnbaqc2yNUdrCPLmn8x0caBLxRwN_jNN_9WC2kTAnr4yR1vwRYVZ9VKgulpl8oMaDhOTzic8I3gDy1oHGOQW7zDbk7XmggciLI/s1600/IMG_20190910_182329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSajFBYDEpN42hgTJSRw3BO6cbbp91TtXucnC8xsYGMEnbaqc2yNUdrCPLmn8x0caBLxRwN_jNN_9WC2kTAnr4yR1vwRYVZ9VKgulpl8oMaDhOTzic8I3gDy1oHGOQW7zDbk7XmggciLI/s640/IMG_20190910_182329.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In November, I purchased some 6" cake pans because I thought a 4-layer 6" cake looks more elegant than a 2-layer 9" cake.</div>
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I loaded this practice one up with practice truffles.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ujeDKJJEJcUWS2rAnjTxb9u2B5088BsYxYbx4qsh0C1ip0YNT81_pjJAt66W1jfQeyOA68kbcBd53Qha7lJAr29B9kKv7T9BRdUjij6Jmy-6GHJep_QNWPknVAHTYqKc3W43jhZ50ws/s1600/IMG_20191115_132000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ujeDKJJEJcUWS2rAnjTxb9u2B5088BsYxYbx4qsh0C1ip0YNT81_pjJAt66W1jfQeyOA68kbcBd53Qha7lJAr29B9kKv7T9BRdUjij6Jmy-6GHJep_QNWPknVAHTYqKc3W43jhZ50ws/s640/IMG_20191115_132000.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Jo turned 4 over Thanksgiving weekend. With everything going on (the wedding was near Christmas), we gave her two tiny celebrations tacked on to each family Thanksgiving. I made her two 2-layer 6" cakes, one for each side of the family.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw2IiPfOmmKETKHhNWtRrqlCwawH_UTbtwroOfXJZfG5AkAhgXPFNaezQbhV1HsWMSH6CelGJMLfIK1sGUzlWDH-AoApmvYrExQqnBgQieq5sfkDbU2F65D-aWsiNbIzQpUJu0g7nIw8/s1600/IMG_20191129_124650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMw2IiPfOmmKETKHhNWtRrqlCwawH_UTbtwroOfXJZfG5AkAhgXPFNaezQbhV1HsWMSH6CelGJMLfIK1sGUzlWDH-AoApmvYrExQqnBgQieq5sfkDbU2F65D-aWsiNbIzQpUJu0g7nIw8/s640/IMG_20191129_124650.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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In early December, Jo got to be the Christmas star in our church's preschool Christmas program.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjhMay5QGWJnrmpcJEpID4Yjzcx0o8Sl61KJh6Gj6bw9reRnsV1ITZEZYHFcQgjXDwahmQNa1qGJ4Q1NYwhyfQPVxkcQ4FbUeYhyr_r9TQarEpSzAzDss-oRAJBXgpzHiTqnmai17Jb4/s1600/IMG_4682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjhMay5QGWJnrmpcJEpID4Yjzcx0o8Sl61KJh6Gj6bw9reRnsV1ITZEZYHFcQgjXDwahmQNa1qGJ4Q1NYwhyfQPVxkcQ4FbUeYhyr_r9TQarEpSzAzDss-oRAJBXgpzHiTqnmai17Jb4/s640/IMG_4682.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My sister and Pete got married just before Christmas. Here's a picture of Chloe and me. I dyed my dress!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdpsKUwR3cOg_vRqjNCHwPOfx3B6BKgTk7ky-KRCGXSEX0oVDOYZnyzrKeDgGbOlbo2RlageUPQx4Jj2ordTY8vbsELKjPlBJCj6D3PpkLC6hPIG3J4X5cLTzzR92d5m1-89BA0v2mZw/s1600/1+%2528125%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdpsKUwR3cOg_vRqjNCHwPOfx3B6BKgTk7ky-KRCGXSEX0oVDOYZnyzrKeDgGbOlbo2RlageUPQx4Jj2ordTY8vbsELKjPlBJCj6D3PpkLC6hPIG3J4X5cLTzzR92d5m1-89BA0v2mZw/s640/1+%2528125%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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(Don't worry, I'll show pictures of the cake in a later post!)</div>
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For Valentine's Day, I had fun getting creative.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmdGbaDJlogP43bvKDWDTFzHpkK-HcN68qibxKGxrGwedDTpgln0JwH-D3iALwXDhnyNo5o-rBeWHPwPi3KOVYQiosuIaPVulUUajLRF6-Zk8v0WFW7y6i5rpfQT-ar5xVtRzkedDoYU/s1600/IMG_20200213_222641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmdGbaDJlogP43bvKDWDTFzHpkK-HcN68qibxKGxrGwedDTpgln0JwH-D3iALwXDhnyNo5o-rBeWHPwPi3KOVYQiosuIaPVulUUajLRF6-Zk8v0WFW7y6i5rpfQT-ar5xVtRzkedDoYU/s640/IMG_20200213_222641.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is from a tutorial by Lauren Fairweather. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNsHWsg6dpw&t=165s" target="_blank">Link here.</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHc0hHgRqCDq8KoCRTOeY5GieqcSRRYsM8JyKvWpyG1RdjCU2yY0m2UZuHYZ4AnhqdDVUhdT43yN2bscdO_heELlAqS9Wqx7RVaf0C3eRy_jlSLhXk7-Jn4KDW101VNZRfa9xyO1nTmA/s1600/IMG_20200213_222644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1600" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHc0hHgRqCDq8KoCRTOeY5GieqcSRRYsM8JyKvWpyG1RdjCU2yY0m2UZuHYZ4AnhqdDVUhdT43yN2bscdO_heELlAqS9Wqx7RVaf0C3eRy_jlSLhXk7-Jn4KDW101VNZRfa9xyO1nTmA/s640/IMG_20200213_222644.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOZJHc4t394gk21uLjjfjZaeGIp0uYbuCXBzqX20aLQnYoz_Jk_bxqSH215Tky7S4OgazH_Q1mtXI1zLVxv1dnLjyKdxrcgGwKmZo8Fr280KQk8Pk-Fc75SwhRYzCETtuo-bwFllEs8A/s1600/IMG_20200213_222646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOZJHc4t394gk21uLjjfjZaeGIp0uYbuCXBzqX20aLQnYoz_Jk_bxqSH215Tky7S4OgazH_Q1mtXI1zLVxv1dnLjyKdxrcgGwKmZo8Fr280KQk8Pk-Fc75SwhRYzCETtuo-bwFllEs8A/s640/IMG_20200213_222646.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For my mom's birthday, I made a gluten-free cake, but I also made a stabilized whipped cream for the filling, instead of buttercream.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtxl4fxvSpx9qvI-gI2nBw5-XQ7vGTn_pKquvkXhkx8if4nd4C8M59kqFINWGoxQobUIDmFKjR1CovbSUeSeNYKTwHqDyz5G0VA1YEytol9i_lUsH_gFCAqqCTz_0lnOs5JRV37DOhI0/s1600/IMG_20200223_120922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtxl4fxvSpx9qvI-gI2nBw5-XQ7vGTn_pKquvkXhkx8if4nd4C8M59kqFINWGoxQobUIDmFKjR1CovbSUeSeNYKTwHqDyz5G0VA1YEytol9i_lUsH_gFCAqqCTz_0lnOs5JRV37DOhI0/s640/IMG_20200223_120922.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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(The whipped cream was stabilized with gelatin.)</div>
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Then Micah turned 2.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibr4EcW1x5Lx1-bKFA6ZuVRJu78RCXxDVNmeWZcF096Q9CNWTx-mRXlHH4_wSYT4NamQ0OfrsqIIUleL_hW1vbiNTd3Y_F7rstAB9GkgCzHFBzl9mGd-WvS4afMqoJWE8u0lFxjHNIZk/s1600/IMG_20200307_112655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgibr4EcW1x5Lx1-bKFA6ZuVRJu78RCXxDVNmeWZcF096Q9CNWTx-mRXlHH4_wSYT4NamQ0OfrsqIIUleL_hW1vbiNTd3Y_F7rstAB9GkgCzHFBzl9mGd-WvS4afMqoJWE8u0lFxjHNIZk/s640/IMG_20200307_112655.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And basically since then, we've been in Quarantine.</div>
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This has been a challenge, even though I'm a stay-at-home mom, because we did go a lot of places before. I mean, I can't even take my kids grocery shopping right now. So, I've been trying to maintain a few regular rhythms, since we all function better with a schedule.</div>
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1. Having crafts prepared for Jo. We're working through the alphabet with these fun crafts put together by <a href="https://crystalandcomp.com/letter-of-the-week-crafts-for-preschoolers/" target="_blank">Crystal & Co</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqvAs9kPjeqS6IZtzBUjBm3JZtWz9GF5GK3Ky6g5dseqi2cv0V_yyTleOFZh_bM9lwa338zQqXs5NnhyphenhyphenFlIyBWqKkyDpr5Z94o5yFHhf2fSSDVmPt15hMurFjPQ-wfzy3tIohutZETyA/s1600/IMG_20200326_132900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpqvAs9kPjeqS6IZtzBUjBm3JZtWz9GF5GK3Ky6g5dseqi2cv0V_yyTleOFZh_bM9lwa338zQqXs5NnhyphenhyphenFlIyBWqKkyDpr5Z94o5yFHhf2fSSDVmPt15hMurFjPQ-wfzy3tIohutZETyA/s640/IMG_20200326_132900.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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2. The kids have room time every morning. Not sure what room time is? Check out <a href="https://www.babywisemom.com/independent-playtime/" target="_blank">the Babywise Mom blog</a>.</div>
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3. Caleb has been working from home, so we've been working at creating healthy boundaries so we don't kill each other. :)</div>
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4. I have a stash of craft supplies (both for me and more kid-friendly ones), and I also went to Dollar Tree and picked up sticker books and coloring books. I save these for 'emergencies', AKA when the kids are whining and bored because they have toys to play with that they don't want to play with and I just need them to be quiet for a half hour.</div>
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5. Caleb signed up for Minno for a month. This is a Christian video platform. We usually keep screen time for the kids very minimal; Jo gets 5 minutes to play an iPad game before bed (if she's obeyed during the day) and we'll throw on an episode of Daniel Tiger or something a couple times a week. But during this time, we've upped that to nearly once a day. I do not feel the slightest bit of guilt about this.</div>
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6. The weather has been very bipolar lately, but when it's appropriate to do so, I toss the kids in the backyard. It's fenced in, and they play very nicely together back there (almost all the time). This provides healthy play for them, and a healthy break for me!</div>
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So that's an update for now. I have several other posts planned and photographed, so it's just a matter of writing them, which I should have some time to do this week. I'll get them scheduled to appear in the next weeks and months.</div>
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And yes, there's a lot of catching up to do on various crafts and other projects. I think I still have stuff from Christmas 2018 to post. Oh dear.</div>
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Love and Belated Updates,</div>
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Leah Joy</div>
Leah Chttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01792950470579306623noreply@blogger.com0