the long lost cross...

So, last year for my 40th birthday some friends got together and gave me a gift certificate for a local bead store.
I bought all kinds of goodies including one large off white cross with dark specks and marbling.
It was going to be my newest cross-craft creation.  I had previously used my scrapbooking rub-ons on a flat piece of pink turquoise.  I love the way it turned out!  I also added a few rhinestones.
I am not happy with the overall necklace, but I can change that.

I digress.

Back to the cross.  I envisioned some shabby chic rub-ons and some more rhinestones, of course.
I loaded all my crafting supplies up to take to Ruidoso for the summer where I was hoping the mountain air would inspire me.

At last I felt inspired, got out my jewelry making lot and... no cross!  What??
What could I have done with it??

I searched in every nook and cranny possible.  No cross.   *grrrr*

So fast forward to yesterday.  I bought a new shirt for the rodeo that had some bling.  Notice I said some.  It needed more.  So I get out the Hot Fix Setter and... what???!!??  My cross!  In the box I keep the extra rhinestones in!
Ugh!

So today's project:  Create the Cross-Craft Cross (no alliteration intended, I promise!)
An hour later or so...
Here it is!
I am really happy with the way it turned out!

Now all that's left is to figure out what to wear it on!! I used the shepherds hook so it will be interchangeable.
I have some flat pillow rectangle beads I may try to make a necklace with... not sure yet.  Have to sit back and wait for creativity to strike again. 

Let's just hope it's not another year later!

The quickest pillow case ever!

So, I procrastinated enough in the past week and waited until literally the last hour to make this before I ran out the door!

This is a smaller version of the standard pillow cases I usually make.   This is a 12" x 16" case.  

This pillow is for a dear friend who will go in for a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in the next two weeks.

Turns out, I selected the perfect size!  I chose it because they are going out of town for the surgery and I thought that this pillow would be easier to take than a larger, standard pillow.   This is exactly what her list of items to bring had on it!

 A close up of the speediest applique job ever!

 ...and probably not the best.

Ribbon trim with pink rhinestones.

Applique initial with bling.

The pillow in it's case.

The embellishment are sort of one sided as all of my pillows are.

The fabric goes all the way around, the large rick-rack goes all the way around as  does the tan ribbon that serves to hide the divide the floral fabric from the pillow case.  The back side is left free of applique or rhinestones for comfort.

I truly hope she enjoys it and it brings her comfort through out her courageous battle!  <3

This is the little curch at Picacho, NM.

 It's a tiny little chrch in the tiny community along the Rio Hondo.  It was settled between 1867-68 by settlers who came from the Rio Grande Valley and wanted a good place for their cattle.  It sits at the base of Picacho Peak. 

 It is Our Lady of Purification Catholic Church and Cemetery.

Wednesday Night Chinese

Tonight was Chinese...but it wasn't take out.

We ate in and had dumplings,

friend rice, and chicken, mushrooms and broccoli in willow sauce.

I was a little bit of a cheater cook. 

We found these Tai Pei dumplings in the freezer section... Yum-O!

Then I made the other two dishes....

Thanks to my uncle who gave me these oriental dishes way back when.  

He passed away around 1994 and I think of him each time I use them.  

I love special dishes!

some ideas are better off staying in my head...

I have been working on a new jacket that is a light grey wool with a nice red pin stripe.  The pattern calls for a small ruffle that goes around the collar and down one side of the front placket.  Cute, I think and decide it would be nice to use the red from the pin stripe.
Oooh and how nice would it be to use a light organdy as a contrast to the medium weight wool...

Oooh and I could save time and effort and use a red organdy ribbon....

So.  I buy a spool of ribbon, break out the needle and thread and create the ruffle. 
I add it to the jacket.

And it looks awful.   Ok, not just awful, but really horrible.   What was I thinking!

The red turned out way brighter and way to... well, clown-like.   I looked liked all I needed was a big red nose and big red shoes... well, you get the picture.

Actually, you don't get a picture.  It was just that bad.

So I ripped it out and redid the collar with no ruffle and we are way better off already.

I think it was a combination of the contrast of texture and the contrast of color.  OH, who cares! It was hideous!

I am thinking now that maybe a 1/8" velvet ribbon in a cranberry red around the edge of the collar would be nice...  I am not on a velvet kick though despite the velvet on the previous jacket collar and despite what you are thinking!

The jacket is 98% done and I hope to work on the matching pencil skirt some tonight.
I've got a vision of a smart looking suit.  
I've always wanted a suit....

Taco Soup Recipe

I had a few people ask what I put in my taco soup so here's the recipe.
It was basically like other's 'dump' recipe where you use canned goods....

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1/4 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
15 oz chicken stock/broth
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can corn

Brown beef or turkey in the soup pot over medium heat (drain if needed).  Add diced onion, seasoning packet and tomatoes.  Simmer over medium heat for a few minutes. Rinse kidney beans and drain the corn.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover and simmer on low until ready to eat. 

To serve:   Add a 2 tablespoons of white Mexican crumbling cheese (Cacique) to the bowl.  Add soup.  Top with any of these - little shredded Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, sliced avocados, crumbled tortilla chips, or more!


It's really good the second day once it has sat in the fridge over night!!

Sipcy Vegetable Cheese Soup

This is my version of the cheesy vegetable soup I had at Side Oats Cafe & Bakery in Menard, TX.

It'is very thick and rich!


1/2 med. yellow onion (diced)
2-3 large carrots (diced)
4-5 mushrooms (diced)
small crown of broccoli (roughly chopped)
2 C chicken stock
5 T butter
4 T flour
12 oz Mexican Velveeta (cubed)
3 1/2 C milk
1-2 T chili powder
1-2 t cayenne powder
salt & pepper to taste


In a large sauce pot melt 2 T butter over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Add diced carrot and all of the chicken stock.  Add chicken stock if it does not cover the carrots and onions completely.  Simmer until carrots are tender.  Stir in mushrooms.  Lay broccoli on top and cover to steam.  When the broccoli is just tender remove pot from heat.

In a large soup pot melt remaining 3 T of butter and add 4 T of flour.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.   Add milk.  Slowly bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring until it comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and continue to stir.  As mixture begins to thicken, stir in cubed cheese until melted.  Gently stir in vegetables.  Add chili, cayenne and salt & pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and let it stand to thicken before serving.

sew day.. uh, I mean, snow day!

My snow day, or I think I should really say ice day, was a huge sew day!
I already had the pattern cut for Butterick B5500 so I hit the ground running this AM... and...

I finished it! All in one day.
Ok, well actually it is 98% finished.  A little hand work is still needed and I need some advice:

Here's the nearly finished jacket.   Just loved the tucked detail on the sleeves:

It's hard to tell in the picture, since it just looks like two lines of stitching, but it's really tucked fabric.
And here's the part I need your opinion on:
I have some velvet ribbon to use... do I

A)

add it to the collar?  There would be about 1/8 of an inch reveal of the collar showing...

or
B)

add it to the front down the area where the buttons would be....  If I do this I envision adding fancy buttons for looks and then using hooks and eyes to close the jacket, which I will probably never wear closed.

I won't sway your opinion by giving you my gut thought, which was not my original thought...

I will tell you that I actually have a longer velvet ribbon that is 1/2 as wide and is the same royal blue that is in the details.   I thought about adding that around the bottom edge about 2" up and then to the sleeves about an inch above the tuck detail...

*too many decisions*!!!
So I will go to bed and sleep on it and await your opinions.