What Is It?

Making cookies for Lowell this year reminded me of when I was a little girl and all of the pretend recipes I put together by the age of five. My mom would pull out a pink and white mixing bowl and let me create my own special recipes using whatever ingredients I could find in the cupboard or fridge. I would mix eggs, ketsup, mustard, flour, etc. until it became too disgusting to look at, or too hard to stir. She would always ask "What is it?" and I would have fun making up an answer for her. This was our little secret, because my dad would have had a fit knowing food was going to waste.

By the time I was in the third grade I was responsible for making most of our meals. Frying pork chops, making meatloafs, baking roasts, etc. So cooking became more of a chore to me than doing something fun. I am going to try and change that mentality this year, enjoy a few new recipe books and get a little more creative in the kitchen.

Last Minute Presents for Holiday Cheer

This past summer I started these cute little name blocks for both my grandaughters. Today I put the finishing acrylic spray on them so I can get them wrapped and under the tree. Those who don't know me would say it's ironic that the first items I made would be one of the last items I complete to put under the tree. Those who do would say, "Oh no, she's always been a procrastinator!"

I can't help but feel its a good omen that something I completed out of the love I have for my grandaughters has developed into a business for this other wise unemployed gramma as well!

Gramma's DIVA BLOCKS

Thank God for my CRICUT machine. I spend hours choosing and cutting just the right paper for each project!

My alphabet blocks and papers are laid out so I can visualize how the finished set is going to come together. This step reminds me so much of all the patchwork quilts I have made and how I lay out the fabrics in much the same way.

Organic Alphabet Blocks. The block is made from 1 3/4" Poplar wood and is left natural. I add decorative papers and shapes then I finish off with upper and lower case alphabet letters. Next comes several layers of MOD PODGE glue...

Special Order blocks created from the same papers. I painted these blocks instead of leaving them natural...

The finished blocks are coated with several coats of MOD PODGE glue and then sprayed with an acrylic spray. It can take as long as 6 hours to complete one set of blocks from start to finish.

Blogging, Crafting, and Paying Bills...

Just finished reading the book BLOGGING FOR BLISS by Tera Frey, and I couldn't wait to sit down at my computer and start reading all of the great blogs she highlighted there! What a great inspiration this book turned out to be, and I am even thinking of taking some classes this winter to get my certification in web design, just because it has been such a challenge for me to figure out how to create my own attractive web site to show and sell my art and being the starving artist that I am it is impossible to even think about spending the kind of money it takes to get a site done professionally.

Oh well, I am looking forward to getting my business going this coming year and devoting more time to my own blog. I do all types of arts and crafts but I am currently working alot with scrap papers. More about that in an upcoming blog! If anyone has good advice for this newbie please feel free to leave a comment, your help would be much appreciated!