Nothin Like a Little Herb and Scrapbooking!

Check out this cute little gift Crafty Cat brought to our scrapbooking get-together recently! If there's one thing scrapbookers like- it is gifts!  She brought little baggies filled with her own fresh grown dill, parsley and basil, embellished with a cute little sunflower and fibers (of course!)!! She also bought us a little paw print hole punch!! Too cute-- loved the gift Cat!

Next time you get together with friends, why not bring a little token of your appreciation? It will surely be a hit!  Make it a tradition to exchange handmade treats every few months at your craft night soiree.

Tasty Tuesday: Tuscan Sausage Stew

You'll Need: (Crafty Cat increases all of these amounts)

This is a recipe from McCormick that is relatively easy to make and oh so good.  Crafty Cat discovered it as she was looking for quick and easy meals to make.  McCormick sells small packages of pre-measured spices, with this recipe on the back.  After the first bite, Crafty Cat kept the recipe and bought full servings of all of the spices:

-1/2 tsp. fennel seed
-1 tsp. basil leaves
-1 tsp. minced garlic
-1 tsp. crushed rosemary leaves
-1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
-1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
-1 tsp. salt

-2 tbsp. olive oil
-1/4 cup red wine or water (I use wine)
-1 medium onion (I use 1 1/2 onions)
-1 can (15oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can (14 1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (I chop an extra fresh tomato)
-1 pkg (6 oz) baby spinach leaves (I load this up)
-1 1/2 pds. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

(Crafty Cat prefers one package of sweet venison sausage. Try any sausage package...it offers a richer meal than chicken.)

Directions:
1-Heat your oil on medium. Add your chicken. Stir 10-minutes until brown.
2-Remove sausage (chicken) from skillet. Cook onion & fennel seed on medium heat for 5 minutes.
3-Stir in beans, tomatoes, red wine, remaining spices, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Return sausage (chicken) to skillet.
4-Stir in spinach. Cover. Cook 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.

You can serve alone or with a side.

This is a delicious McCormick recipe!! Try it.

Craft Shopping

This is a typical day for Crafty Girl and I inside of a craft store.  We've shared our delirium before on this blog.  But, we really just can't help ourselves when we find a brand new crafty place to shop.  We seek them out when we have trips out of town.  When we get to take those trips together...it is ridiculous...bordering on embarrassing.  We forget any stress in our lives for this one hour.  Our mood changes in an instant.  We have smiles sewn on to our heads.  Immediately we get giddy, running through the aisles, looking for the clearance section, goofing around with fun things we find.  What must the other shoppers think?  How come we don't run into other people posing like this for their cameras?  Doesn't everyone feel this way in a new craft store?  Is it just us?  Send us your fun shopping pictures...CraftycatMDI@gmail.com....and tell us about your favorite stores in any part of the country and why that store is so great for crafty folk.  We can let readers know about these hotspots for their travels.

Creating Our New Header

This is the position my family is becoming accustomed to seeing me in as I look for crafty creative ways to take pictures. Our Shutterbug Sunday Photography Expert Tammy Lee Bradley said don't be afraid to go down low- and I take her advice to heart! As I was looking for creative ways to convey fall craftiness all I could think about was wood, fall colors and warmness. Crafty Cat and I want our blog header to offer you a warm welcome and it's our intention to provide you with a comforting place to visit and see beautiful creations everyday!  So, with that goal in mind I went to my supplies and filled a basket with all kinds of things that fit the definition.

Then it was time to find a location! It was too chilly to lay on my belly out on my deck so it was off to my living room floor. I rearranged my crafting items 20 times. I played with my lighting a dozen times. I shot from above, to the side, straight on- whatever I could to come up with a pretty shot.

Because my favorite crafts are scrapbooking and art journaling- photography is a big part of my world. I love it. I love taking pictures of my loved ones. I love capturing moments. I also really loved creating our blog header. I added many of our favorite items we like to use when creating our crafts. Crafty Cat and I are not afraid to take risks in our crafting- so the list of items we like is long! I even used a little symbolism- 7 is my lucky number.

Crafty Cat and I are really working hard to make this a fun place for you to come and check out our crafts, learn some tips and yet also know- you don't have to break the bank to create beautiful pieces of art. In fact- I spent $0- creating our header. I had all the items already in my craft area, the location was free (well, ok, we do have a mortgage-but you get it), even the editing system I used (Picasa) is free.

Today's crafty tip is simple. Craft with intention. Take time to think about your crafts and what they mean to you and others. If you're taking a picture think about the composition of that picture and you will capture memories of a lifetime. If you're making a crafty gift for a friend- spend extra time thinking about what your friend means to you and how you can make it special for them. Our goal is to do that for you everyday with each craft we make. We hope you like what we're doing. We want you to know- we truly appreciate you visiting our site. We also get giddy and excited when you leave us a comment. Thank you for all your support.

The Beginning

We don't pay therapists to keep the peace in our lives--- well, at least one of us doesn't! We both Do pay for art supplies... A LOT of art supplies!  From the time we met years ago, these two friends have shared laughs, tears, nerves, and optimism surrounded by a pile of crafts.  Our similarities are as vast as our differences in style.  But, we both love creating...anything. 

Crafty Cat loves antiques, victorian accents, and deep rich colors.  The cat loves traveling all over the world and looking for adventure like a single girl should...and she will spend some serious cash to get what she wants.  But, like any crafty person, Crafty Cat always likes a bargain.  Crafty girl leans toward a modern decor, but gets giddy with any chance to rehab an old free find into a fabulous keepsake.  The girl is a mom and a wife, who does NOT like to spend her cash and is always searching for a deal.

We've helped each other get better over the years, kicking up our scrapbooking a notch or two and learning how to take photos with better composition, light, and focus.  As we grew, people began to ask us to do projects for their babies, weddings, or parties.  We started to hear more and more encouragement to explore our love for crafty projects.  So, this is the beginning of our venture to give you great ideas for a crafty life and style.

Matters Of The Heart

Crafty Cat is hours away from me tending to matters of the heart- but she is also ever present in my life. I wish I could be there with her in person providing her with a smile and a laugh. I want you to know that she is a wonderful daughter, granddaughter, sister, god mother and friend. She is there when people need her the most. That’s why when you see her creations you will know they are all made with love. That’s all I had to say. It’s important for you to know.