Storing For The Winter Like A Good Little Ant!

It's October and the weather has started cool which means that some craft blogging is under way!

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited to join in on some canning.  Being one of those people that makes a B-line straight to the preserves in any country store, you can only imagine how excited I got when I received the invite!

The process of canning is not as difficult as you may think, however, it is time consuming so be sure to carve out most of the day to do it.  We decided to make Mango Chutney and Lemon Honey Apple Jam - the aroma's that filled the home were out of this world!

Chopping all the ingredients was the most time consuming but a big cup of coffee + great conversation made the time wizz by.

Ready to be cooked in the pot!

You need to sterilize your jars so heat in the dishwasher does the trick.

At the same time as the food is cooking you can boil your lids.

Look at all the juices!  It's breaking down nicely :)

The final product is so rewarding, especially after you taste how yummy it is!

Thank you Kim and Annie for an amazing weekend!  The art of canning will remain in my heart forever :)

Reflective Dog Collar

Those of you out there with black dogs can relate to how hard it is to find your pet in the dark!  Below is a picture illustrating Putter at night :)

This is why we needed a reflective collar for our little boy!

What you need:

Nylon Webbing

Reflective ribbon

Plastic or metal buckle (mine was plastic)

* I purchased everything from Fabricland and all the supplies for this project should cost you less than $10 -you should have plenty leftover as well :)

Step 1.  Measure length and sew reflective ribbon onto webbing.

Step 2.  Sew buckle on each end.

Such an easy project!!!

(Putter's signature pose "sleeping")

It needs to be worn with his other collar (what we clip his leash to) so I made his reflective collar a bit lose for comfort.

Also a great idea for any dog that goes camping, hiking or likes the outdoors!

"No Hands" Dog Leash

Hello!

It has been way too long since my last blog post!   I've had a lot of distractions over the last couple of months keeping me away from my "writes" including a new dog!   Now I know what you all must be thinking,  " she's going to do lot's of crafts related to her new puppy" and I want you all to know that you are absolutely right!  At least for the next little while hehe :)

On a recent trip to Woofstock (a local festival for dogs) I noticed they were selling running leashes for $50-$60!  There was no way I was going to pay that when I knew I could make the same thing at home for a fraction of the cost.

Materials: 

8ft Flat Nylon Webbing (found at fabric store)

Grommet

Grommet tool

2 metal hooks

1. Measure out the Nylon webbing to the length you desire- plus 4 inches for attaching hooks

2. Mark the nylon where to add the grommets - I wanted the option of mine to go across my chest and around my waist.

3.  Use the grommet tool and a hammer create the holes in the nylon for the grommets.  Do not feel intimidated doing this.  There are very easy instructions on the box of grommets :)  I also recommend doing this outside on a very hard surface like concrete.

This is what the tool looks like

These are the grommets

4.  Now sew the hooks on either end.  I used 2 rows of triple stitching (back and fourth 3 times) to secure.

And voila!  Your new hiking / running / walking leash!

Square Pouch Tutorial

Back from vacation and itching for a new project!   I decided to sew a new makeup pouch (a small enough project to use the last bit of my favourite fabric "Beach Boys".)

I found the idea on Three Bears and adjusted the measurements a bit.

1. Cut two 9' x 12' pieces of fabric

Because my fabric was so thin I decided to add interfacing to it.  It not only makes the fabric stiffer but it also becomes a sort of lining.

2.  Fold over and press 1/2 inch (this is where you will sew the zipper so make sure the folds are at the top of your fabric.

If your zipper isn't long enough (like mine)  add two folded tabs at each end.  To make these tabs fold fabric in half and press, then fold each end in 1/4' and press again.

If you have a long zipper this step is not necessary.

3. Sew on your zipper.  Look how cute those beach boys are!

4. Sew a seam at the bottom of your pouch.  This will attach the two pieces at the bottom.

5. Now open it up so the bottom seam and zipper are aligned.  Pin your sides and sew.

This next step is a bit tricky to explain.

6. Pinch the corners out and pin.

Looks like a chicken lol.

Anyway, keep pinching to the size and shape of box you would like.  Use a ruler to measure each corner.

7. Then sew each corner on all four sides.

8. Cut your corners 1/2' from seam and then turn right side out.

My new pouch!

Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta Recipe

As the weather is getting warmer, my palate is beginning to change.  As much as I love winter root vegetables, heavy stews and chilli,  I'm ready to move on to fresh and light meals!

Here's a simple pasta I whipped up last night that definitely gave me my fix!

Lemon Basil Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:

1 package of spaghetti or linguine pasta 

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1 lemon juiced

salt and pepper to taste

1 package of peeled and deveined shrimp

3-4 tablespoons butter

1-2  tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions - al dente ; drain.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and saute garlic about 1 minute.  

3. Mix in Chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.

3.  Stir in shrimp, butter and basil into the saucepan.  Cook until shrimp is pink ( 2-3 minutes). 

4. Stir in the pasta and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, until well coated.

ENJOY!

Figgy's Ofelia Dress

After running into a bit of a snag with the sleeves and not buying enough ribbon, I finally finished Ava's dress!

I picked up this adorable  Figgy's pattern at The Workroom on Queen West,  however there is a list of places you can buy from on their site.

The Pattern comes in sizes 12mo - 6y and includes designs for the dress, a shirt, and knee-length bloomers!  So cute!

This dress was a lot of fun to make and now I can't wait to see Ava in it!

Enamel Coated Glass Bottles

Here's a new way to recycle old jars and bottles!  Transform your glass containers into beautiful vases by coating them with enamel paint.


For my project I used white enamel, which shows up as different shades of green depending on the tint of the glass.

What you need:

Glass Jars

Dishwasher-safe Enamel Paint

Paint's Surface Conditioner 

The paint and Conditioner is found at most craft stores - I got mine at Michaels.  

Instructions:

1. Wash the bottle inside and out with warm soapy water and let dry. 

2. Pour in a small bit of the paint's surface conditioner - this primes the glass for the enamel.  Make sure to coat evenly and pour out excess.  Stand bottle upright and dry for an hour. (Read the label of your conditioner but mine said I had to use it within 4 hours of application)

3. Pour in enough enamel to coat the inside. Swirl around slowly making sure to coat evenly and not to miss any spots - return excess to the container for reuse. 

4. Dry bottle upside down on paper towel for 48 hours.  During the first hour, periodically wipe excess enamel from the rim with a damp cloth. 

Next time you're at a flea market (I know all the time right?), buy up some old unique jars and watch how beautiful you can make them!