Thank you, thank you and a Wedding

THANK YOU #1: I want to thank all of you who took the time to leave words of encouragement over my joy at being chosen to be part of the Say It With Letters design team. Your words mean so much to me! I hope you've had a chance to visit Deb's blog and see the wonderful work of the other design team members. I am so honored to be counted in with this group of talented women. New things will be popping up in the SIWL Etsy store soon  and next week I will be able to share my first project with you. I'm having so much fun!!

THANK YOU #2:  Everyone was so helpful in voting for the "knob" choice for my repurposed glass jar. Some of you were very firm in your choice and I considered all of your suggestions. I was leaning toward the glass knob and then I read my friend Meri Wiley's comment, "It depends on what the purpose of the jar is going to be, I guess. Personally, I like them both and can't really pick between them." The purpose of the jar...Aha! I wanted to use this wonderful jar as the storage for all of my beautiful bits and bobs of lace. When I placed the lace into the jar the choice became very clear to me...

The flower is the perfect knob I think.

The Wedding:

David & I are just back from a trip to Wilmington, North Carolina where we attended the wedding of the daughter of very dear friends.

We had a wonderful, relaxing trip. The photo below is the view from our hotel room. We had perfect weather while we were there.

That solitary figure is David soaking up the sun. I can't spend a lot of time in the sun because I burn to a crisp while he could stay on the beach for hours.

All of the festivities took place at a beach house that the bride and groom rented for family and friends.

After everyone left town, we were able to spend a day with our friends (the parents of the bride) before we all left to go home.

David and Gary got some fishing in...

Style setters...no?

My sweet friend Sims.

 Of course we didn't manage to get any photos of the 4 of us together!

OK-I'm off to get caught up on my blog reading and working on 4 different crafty projects.
I'm trying to limit my on-line time so I can get some crafting done in preparation
for the upcoming craft fair.

XOXO
Joyce



Some exciting news!

I've been keeping a secret...

for a while now...

I couldn't talk about it or blog about it...

but now.... I don't have to keep it a secret any longer!



I've been asked to be a member of the

Say It With Letters

design team....

excuse me just a moment...

YIPEE SKIPEE!

I just need to catch my breath!

I have loved using Say It With Letters shapes and letters for years,

and have featured some of the things I've made right here on my blog.

(Can you tell that I really love the birdhouse theme?)

In 2009, Deb Damboise (the owner and all 'round sweetie of SIWL)

 asked if I would do one project as a guest designer.

I was so nervous about which shape or letters she would send...

when the package came I was delighted to see that it was a fun, fat pumpkin.

This is what I came up with...

On one side was a vintage-y looking pumpkin and on the back side....

a whimsical, funny guy...with braces! (I do work for an orthodontist in real life)
I wrote a tutorial about this project here.

So now I'm waiting for my first assignment...

nervous again but so excited to be a part of this amazing team

of talented women.

Please take time to visit the Say it With Letters blog here...

and the Etsy Store...

You will be inspired!

xoxo

Joyce
Note: I am posting this while on vacation...oh the beauty of being able to create these posts ahead. I will be back next week!

Please help me decide...

Do you remember this bargain I found at the thrift store?

Well, I painted the lid a gloss black and added a flower drawer pull from Anthropologie which I already had

Then I saw this drawer pull at Joann's and loved it, too!

So which one do you think?

Ceramic flower or crystal knob?

Thanks for your help!

xoxo

Joyce

Don't forget PJ's giveaway here



An amazing opportunity for a wonderful gift from a generous friend!

I have spoken many times on this blog about the friendships that I've made through blogging. I have sort of a blog bucket list....a hope to be able to meet, in person, some of those women who I've come to know and care for through this crazy "hobby/obsession". One of the women who I hope to meet...maybe this year, is PJ Johnston of Seens From the Back of My Eyelids. PJ is one of the most humorous, kind-hearted and generous women I've come to know and respect. If you read her blog, and I hope you do, you know that she is often a "seed planter". She plants seeds of thought that you carry around in your head until they take root and grow. (She sometimes also plants the tune of a long-forgotten ditty that you can't get out of your head all day no matter how hard you try!) She has been a wonderfully supportive friend throughout my trials this year and I am deeply grateful.
In July, PJ's brother Henry, lost everything to a fire. She wrote about it on her blog, here, and suggested ways her readers might be able to help. Maybe you said a prayer, maybe you sent a gift card or maybe this is the first you're hearing about Henry. The response was overwhelming and now she would like to say thank you with a random drawing. You only need to hop on over to her blog, leave a comment and sign on as a follower. Oh, and if want to read some really good, common sense advice for kids, read her "Letters to My Kids" posts. There is a link to the archives of these posts at the bottom of her blog. I've copied and sent many of these to my kids. So...enough from me, here are the details for PJ's giveaway!


On next Wednesday evening, September 7th, PJ will have the computer randomly select three names from her Wednesday blogpost this week.

The first name selected will win a $100 e-certificate to Amazon.com.

The second name selected will win a $75 e-certificate to Amazon.com.

The third name selected will win a $50 e-certificate to Amazon.com.

All you have to do to enter my drawing is be a follower, leave a comment and MAKE SURE THERE IS A LINK TO YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT. Easy peasy, right?

Before the end of the day on Thursday, September 8th, PJ will contact the winners and before the end of the day on Friday, September 9th, she will have the e-certificates sent from Amazon to the winners.

xoxo

Joyce

Some Deliciousness for Today and a New Magazine!

My blogging friend Kathy at Katie Did Stitches wrote a blog post yesterday about picking peaches....and not just any peaches, but Red Haven peaches...and making peach pie. Her post made my mouth water for peach pie and then I remembered,

"I'm not a pie person."

 I love to eat pie but pie crust intimidates the heck out of me.

 I need to get over that and just practice, practice, practice making pie crust...but in the meantime, I decided to make one of my favorite recipes for Peach Crumble. This recipe came to me by way of my sister Barb, who originally made it with rhubarb. It's good made with rhubarb but that isn't going to fly with David so you can substitute apples or peaches. (I know he has diabetes but the Educational Counselor he's meeting with on Monday said not to worry about diet until they met...this may his last hurrah)

This is my original recipe card, written when I was about 25 years old...the stains are so interesting and there's a certain crispness to the card. (Oh what would the health department say?)

 I had Red Haven peaches from our local farm so I thought I'd use them before they got too ripe.

I agree with Katie, the Red Haven's are the best. When you just eat one out of hand, you literally have to stand over the sink because they are so juicy.

See how juicy this peach is....oh yum!

 While I'm writing this post, I can smell the finished crumble from here.

The recipe calls for brown sugar and I prefer the dark brown sugar...I think it gives a richness to the dish.

This is what the crumbs look like before going into the oven. Can you have too many crumbs...I don't think so. In crumb-speak, I always feel that the more the merrier!

Completely cover the peaches with crumbs....reserving one last spoonful to eat while no one is looking.

Bake it for 40 minutes and take it out when it's nice and bubbly and brown on the top.

Now, you can pair this with good vanilla ice cream or whipped cream but I like mine naked and warm. I think I'll go downstairs now and have a little scoop while I read this.....

It just came in the mail today. 

 I will pour over it while sitting on the deck eating warm peach crumble...m-m-m-m-m-m!



Barb's and my recipe for Peach Crumble

• 3 C sliced peaches (or rhubarb or apples)
• 3/4 C sugar (I always use less, especially when the peaches are so ripe)
• scant 1/4 C water (more or less depending on the juiciness of the fruit)

Mix together and pour into a baking dish

In a bowl,combine

• 1 C brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1 1/4 C flour
• 1/2 C cold butter, cut into small pieces

Mix together using a pastry blender (I use my fingers) and sprinkle over top of peaches.

Bake at 350-degrees for 40 minutes.

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or iced tea and a new magazine!

xoxo

Joyce

Good-bye and good luck to our friend Michele

A few weeks ago, our little crafting group got together to bid farewell to our dear friend Michele. She and her husband will be moving to Virginia as soon as their new house is built....actually, they will be living in a rented property until that time. We are sorry to see her leave us but I know that I, for one, will be visiting her as she will not be too far from one of our kids.....and she will be in an area where there are lots and lots of antiquey places to explore. Anyway....we had one of our fun brunches because our get-togethers must always include food in addition to craftiness.

The table was set using my pink Depression luncheon plates..

 I made each of us a candy cup using coffee filters and yogurt cups...

and a place card using a vintage image from Besottment by Paper Relics using a Graphics Fairy image.

Of course Michele also had a pink sequined crown to wear....

We dined on egg casserole, croissants and a beautiful fruit tray that Mimi brought

and for dessert, because we were also celebrating Michele's Birthday, chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting

We agreed that we would each make Michele a badge, no larger than 8X8-inches with a Friendship theme, in our own style. We don't ever want her to forget us.

Michele K made a vintegy banner, so like her. The little card with the 5 chicks represents us...clever girl that Michele K!

(click on picture to enlarge)

The badge came in this chipboard box

Mimi used fabric to make her badge...so like her. The strawberry fabric square was made using fabric Michele had given Mimi that had been her Mother's. She also attached one of her charms and even a clip earring. Clever girl that Mimi!

Mimi also made Michele a cute card....

Bethanie wasn't able to complete her badge in time for the party and will send it along to Michele.

(Mimi and Bethanie)

As usual, I couldn't even decide on what my style is because I like so many different things. There was only one thing I could do and that was to make a 2-sided badge utilizing both of my styles....
Funky (this one is all digital using steampunk images from The Sum of All Crafts.

 Valerie has great images (not just steampunk) for you to use in your crafting.
Everything is layered digitally (even the polka dot background paper) except the gears (from Tim Holtz) and the flower (made using sewing pattern tissue)
So that's one style I love, but there's another, very different style, too. The reverse side of the badge looks like this...

Yes, that's right...a little Ann Estelle from Mary Engelbreit's drawing board!
I'll show you in my next post how I put this badge together. Michele, in true Michele style...made each one of us a little gift also.

We had a good time together like always....we laughed and we cried and no one wanted to say good-bye at the end.
We will miss Michele.
We met while both working part-time at a local scrapbook store (now out of business) We would craft together at the store and chatter away about all kinds of things. We took classes together at Stamp Fanci and had lots of fun. I will miss our impulsive trips to Michael's and Joann's or the Butler scrapbook store. I couldn't have gotten through some of my darkest hours without your support and strong words when I needed them.
Take time to explore your new area and then get the guest room ready for me!

On a personal note: It's been a tense week for us at 9010.

David has been sick for almost 2 weeks and he's been going through some tests and scans to try to find the cause. As of last night we finally have some answers....not necessarily ones we would have liked but ones that can be managed at least.

David has shingles which I'm sure you know are very painful and if that alone isn't enough to deal with...he has also been diagnosed with diabetes. His blood sugar was extremely high on his blood work.

He now has meds for both (oral medication for the diabetes) and we are awaiting return phone calls to schedule appointments with a Nutritionist to learn about diet and a Diabetes Educator to learn about checking his blood twice a day. Ah, the rewards of aging. As I said, we are grateful to know what we're dealing with and we certainly recognize that it could have been a lot worse. We are again reminded that the keys to healthy living are in our hands and we need to take better care of the bodies that God gave us.
This is the first I'm mentioning this on my blog. If you could just say a little prayer that David has some relief from pain and an easy adjustment to all that we must learn to do, I would be so grateful.

Be back soon with the tutorial~
xoxo
Joyce