Stationery Obsessions.

Have you seen the new shop from A Beautiful Mess? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't waiting for this. The happy mail subscription looks so fun! Jenni and I have our own version of happy mail, so far consisting of shared recipes, but who knows, maybe we could be convinced to start sending pretty paper-y things to others. 

I have a few things I always keep around in my crafty space. Currently, it's a second bedroom we use for music and crafty things, but that will be changing shortly. (Did I mention I'm moving one province closer to my creative sister Jenni? Details soon!) I'm excited to set up a new creative space for paper crafts. 

A good roll of string is always useful. Tying bows, stringing packets of paper together, and collecting bundles of flowers are in the realm of this essential's repertoire. 

I use washi tape like it's going out of style. (Is it? I hope not). I have collected a few from Etsy, from craft stores, and as gifts. Those pretty patterned tapes are a trend I will gladly buy into for quite some time. 

What do I do with all that washi tape? Glad you asked. 

My creative outlet lately has been paper crafts. There's always an occasion for a card, and washi tape comes in handy for these constantly. 

Here, I used it to create a faux banner on the front of the card. The washi tape holds a mystery name in place, while the drawn-on string hoists it high. 

I'm all about layers. This teal washi tape gives a nice solid layer to the busy chevron background. And is that old-fashioned camera stamp not the cutest? I got a lovely set of tiny stamps from The Regional Assembly of Text that have also come in handy. 

Layers of stamps, paper, and washi tape. This combination makes this creator happy. 

Do you have any washi tape or other paper craft obsessions? 

Autumn Pear + Ginger Jam with Cinnamon

I've finally embraced all things autumn just in time for everything to change to holiday mode...but our house has been filled with spicy scents and warm food. And I may be a bit late on the preserve season, but I've been making big batches of anything and everything lately. I don't generally can things (yet), but when I do have a bigger-than-a-postage-stamp kitchen, I plan to. Until then, I'm ok to stick to freezer preserves and this is a great jam to can or throw into the freezer for later.

Now, I don't know if this was all that much cheaper than buying a jar of jam in the store, but I'm sure it could be if you put effort into finding a good price on pears. I happen to live down the road from a Safeway and don't often have a car to drive elsewhere, so sometimes buying expensive is my only choice! I'm ok with that, though, because this was tastier than any pre-canned item I could have bought. In fact, I may have eaten a little by the spoonful. So warm, so spicy, so sweet, so delicious. 

Autumn Pear + Ginger Jam

with Cinnamon

adapted slightly from A Baker's House

3 lbs pears, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 8-10)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 cup brown or golden sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon

In a large pot or crockpot combine the pears, ginger, sugar lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the jam for 15-20 minutes until thickened (If using a slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours). Mash with potato masher or puree with immersion blender for a smoother texture. If the mixture looks thin, keep in mind that it will thicken upon cooling. 

Using a ladle, spoon into 3 small jars leaving 1/4"head room, cover and place in the freezer. (Or eat a jar by the spoonful!)

A New Gardener

I wouldn't saw I'm an avid gardener. But if my mom passed on one thing to me (or twenty), it would be the love for growing things. 

This year, I did a little 'apartment' gardening. I grew one pot of various herbs, a giant pot of cherry tomatoes, and a few flower pots. 

It's a little bittersweet to rip out all these plants at the end of the year. The ones I've struggled to keep from dying for the four and a half months that growing season is. But, I got a tiny little harvest, and I'm here to share my successes! And a few of the failures too. 

I tried to keep all the tags in the pots when I planted them, because that's way more helpful to remember my favourites at the end of the season. Of course, I lost all the flower tags, but the herb pot tags stayed put! Here's how growing went:

1. Lemon Cherry Tomatoes: If you want a super sweet and delicious fast growing tomato, go for this one! They turn a beautiful golden colour, and literally taste like candy. I was a little lenient in my watering diligence, but overall, it was a healthy plant, and got me about 20-30 tiny, sweet tomatoes.

2. Mint and Basil: Both grew really well beside each other in a pot! I used the basil the most, picking it as I needed for pesto, seasoning, and baking. Both of these grew back really quickly after being picked. 

3. Dill and Cilantro: I love both of these herbs, and they grew super quickly. And super tall! I first used these herbs early in the year, and they died shortly after. But were nice while they lasted! 

4. Rosemary: My lovely little rosemary plant also didn't really grow, but it was sparingly used. And stayed alive! 

 5. Lavender: I saw this at the greenhouse and decided to try and grow it, inspired by Jenni (It was one of her wedding flowers! So pretty). I'm sorry to report that it didn't really grow...at all. But it stayed alive!

As much as I don't remember which blooms I half-kept alive this year, I do know that my dusty miller leafy green flourished! I had it in two different pots, and it always looked healthy. This pretty leaf was in my wedding bouquet last year, so I was happy to see it grow well. Jenni, maybe lavender will grow for you instead?

My favourite bloom was this little guy. Name that flower? Mom?

How does your garden grow?

 Hope you all are having a wonderful thanksgiving weekend! 

Embroidered House Project + Pattern

Hey guys, I'm so excited to be posting this little DIY project with you! I've been happily planning and embroidering for the past few weeks in order to share this with you today. Lately, I've been so inspired by scandinavian folk design that a few of my paintings and drawings are filled with tiny little red cottages. Aren't they the cutest things? And since I started to paint them, I've been dreaming up other ways to incorporate them into our home (especially since my husband is Finnish- it only makes sense, right?). 

Embroidery has always been close to my heart. I first learned how to stitch from our amazing mom who is an expert when it comes to stitching of all kinds. I remember Kristen and I making our first embroidery projects on lazy summer afternoons- our days were always filled with carefree crafting during summer break! I'm sure mom was just trying to find ways to keep us busy, but learning from her instilled the love I have now for the simple task of creating a picture using only a needle and thread. There's something so essential to this art form. I feel as though it connects me to the women of the past, those who wove tapestries or worked on their children's clothing in craft circles. And if you've never tried any sort of needlework, I highly recommend starting with embroidery! It's so very simple, relaxing and can be done anywhere. So without further ado...

You will need:

-Pattern Print Out (link below)

-Fabric (any solid coloured cotton will do).

-Measuring tape

-Scissors

-Transfer Paper

(If you don't happen to have vintage hand-me-down paper from your grandmother...try looking at a fabric store. It'll probably cost more than 49 cents, but shouldn't be too pricey!)

-Embroidery Floss in the colours you like. 

I chose a deep red, light grey, brown and white. Embroidery floss is one of my favourite things to buy. There are so many colours and each one goes for about 40 cents! I buy mine from Michaels. 

-Embroidery Needles 

These needles have an end that are more blunt than regular sewing needles, which is great for not poking your fingers! If you don't have embroidery needles, you can use regular ones, but you may want to don a thimble!

-A Small Embroidery Hoop, such as this one. 

Embroidery hoops often run rampant at thrift stores and I pick up a few every time I go to have on hand. 

If you decide to make something out of your embroidery, you'll want to think about how the end product will look. I chose to make a pillow, but you can also use this pattern and make it into anything you like, such as a wall hanging or felt coaster! If you choose to make the pillow, you'll want to cut your piece of fabric 1" larger than the dimensions of the pillow you're choosing to cover (I won't be explaining the pattern to my pillow, but I found a good tutorial here).

Begin by lining up the transfer paper (coloured side down) and the pattern on your piece of fabric. Make sure your transfer paper is facing the right way by testing it out on a scrap piece of fabric first. I also used painter's tape to secure it so it wouldn't move on me! This tape can be found at any local hardware or art supply store. Once everything is in place, you can begin to carefully trace the lines onto your fabric. Don't mind my gnarly grandma hands... thanks mom. 

Once your pattern is transferred, you're ready to begin sewing! Line up your hoop around the pattern and make sure to tighten into place. The fabric should be fairly taught, but not so tight that it stretches and skews the pattern. Once your hoop's on, you can choose your first colour to start- this is where your artistic license comes in :)

I'm no expert in stitching (yet!) and there are SO many stitches to learn! I plan on learning and practicing some new ones over the next while, but I used three really basic stitches for my project. If you haven't learned any embroidery stitches before, I suggest taking some time to learn and practice a few stitches before getting started. Here are some tutorials for the stitches I was using: 

split stitch

back stitch

satin stitch

Once you have the hang of it, it's easy to just start filling in the lines! So turn on your favourite show, make a cuppa tea, hunker down for the evening and start sewing! Below are some shots of my finished product- I think if I were to do it again, I'd blow up the pattern to make a larger house, but I'm still happy with the end result. I have to admit, I'm a little nervous to be posting a shot of my living room, as it's a work in progress, but at least it's clean and I've now added one more detail to beautify it! Also below is the link to download the pattern. Happy Stitching! 

Snippets of Decorating and Organization.

Happy Wednesday! Hope everyone had a good long weekend. And learnt a little about Queen Victoria from our previous post! I know many are busy this time of year. The sun is coming out (finally!) and warmer weather means many of us not only have inside spaces to take care of, but also outdoor spaces! I plan on planting a few pots of flowers and veggies very soon!

 Busy Schedules often means not being home as often as I'd like. This is when I'm thankful for a small space that doesn't need nearly as much upkeep as a house! I love our little place. When I am home, here are some of the things that have been going on lately. 

We are hanging frames this week! We do have some things on our walls, but we've been talking about doing a frame collage since I moved in...9 months ago...Yikes. Stay tuned for a post on the process!

New terrarium for the coffee table! You better believe those are some more fake blooms. I can't stop!

Okay friends, I have been searching for a better way to store and use cosmetics. This is the latest attempt at organization. I like the idea of open storage, but I want something neat and tidy. I have seen ideas such as this wood block, and have previously used a cosmetics roll like this that I made.

What has worked for you? Let me know!

I organized our open shelving a while ago, and so far these chalkboard labeled baskets have worked really well for me. And yes, swiffers and lightbulbs should get stored together. 

Nothing too exciting going on around here, but I've got project ideas for decorating and organization all the time. Now just to get to them!

What's your week bringing you?

Kristen

DIY Birdhouse with Homemade Bird Seed (plus Giveaway Winner!)

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag..." remember this song from Mary Poppins? I always liked that poor old bird lady who sang it. Sure, she may have been a bit odd, but who isn't? Recently, I was looking out of my house, listening to the busy whir of cars and realized that I have not once seen a bird outside of my window! I'm not a huge bird lover or anything, but I do highly appreciate the sound of chirping birds in the springtime. Today's DIY is the hopeful cure to one of the city dweller's problems. And not only is it cute, it's not a time-consuming craft. You could probably finish this one in 20-30 minutes. Let's get started, shall we?

You will need a few simple supplies for the birdhouse:

-It would be so impressive to make your own, but I found my birdhouse at our local craft store, Michaels. 

-acrylic paint (I chose a lovely teal colour, which happens to be close to a robin's egg blue!)

-gold foil or something of the like to decorate the roof. You could also use wood veneer to make shingles. 

-paintbrush

-glue or acrylic medium

This part is simple enough. Start off by painting the house, adding your own unique touches as you go. I chose to paint a white rim around the hole of the house! 

Once dry, add your roof. I chose a gold transfer foil...but unfortunately the transfer part wasn't working so well on the wood, so I ended up using acrylic medium to adhere the paper. You could use anything you like to create a roof- paint, wood, cork...etc.

Ooooh so shiny. Maybe this will draw the birds to me (and hopefully not just black birds). If you live in a rainy climate like I do, it might be good to add a coating of some kind to protect it from rain, but I'm just going to hang it underneath a protective balcony :). Ok, onto the bird seed!

You could just buy seed for your birds, but often the mixes aren't catered to specific birds and include a ingredients that may attract unwanted species. Also, who wants to buy when you can make?? Here are some supplies you'll need to make the seed. Depending on which birds you want to attract, you'll want to select a few to make a custom blend! 

-unsalted peanuts. DO NOT use salted or dry roasted. Peanuts attract greenfinches, house sparrows. Crush them up and you'll attract robins and wrens!

-sunflower seeds. Generally, attract a variety.

-steel cut oatmeal (never cook it!)

-millet to attract house sparrows

-berries

-popped popcorn

-nyger seeds to attract goldfinch

-old bread/croutons for sparrows

-wheat & barley grains for pigeons, doves, and pheasants

-split peas, beans, dried rice and lentils for larger species

-flaked maze to attract black birds (but do you really want to? really??)

Once you have your ingredients chosen, time to start mixing! 

Now that looks like a feathered friend feast! If you want more ideas on ways to attract birds (such as making bird seed cakes, suet and more), visit this site for some great tips on feeding specific birds.

Happy bird watching! 

-Jenni

p.s. We have our giveaway winner! Congratulations to Melanie Rempel on winning the necklace! We'll be sending you an email soon to confirm your address. 

Newlywed Nesting: Seasonal Decor

As Jenni and I are both newly married, these past few months we've been able to settle into our homes with those men we now call husbands. With our newest feature, newlywed nesting, we hope to show you a little of the creative projects we are working on in our respective homes.

Jordon and I live in a small basement suite. It's cozy, it's really nice, but it doesn't have too many windows. Just another reason to get more creative with my decor to make it feel cheery, even without the sun streaming in. 

I've decided there are a few places in our house that I like to change seasonally, these are two of them.

First, is my little glass covered terrarium. This was something we used during our wedding as we had a plethora of succulents as additions to our day. Now, it sits on our coffee table. I like to change its contents seasonally to reflect what's going on out of doors. So far, I've had red berries, some pebbles, and now these lovely everlasting flowers. Yes, they are fake. But what better way to preserve florals in a sun-less plaace?

Second, I like to change our clipboards in our living room. Yes, framed art is changeable, but who really takes the time to change it? I don't. Clipboards are so easy. I've had some prints and pieces from people I know, but currently they are images gathered from many places. I like the springy, muted colours they are representing currently. 

And yes, more fake flowers. I really do prefer real blooms, they make their way into these vases occasionally!

Just a few small things I like to do to give our home some reflections of the seasons. Do you decorate seasonally? 

Don't forget to enter our giveaway here! Closes Monday!

Kristen