Valentine's Day Sewing Tutorial

Valentine's Day is next weekend and if you're like me, you might be thinking of adding a little color and creativity to your home to help put you in the holiday mood.

Here's an easy way to make some "magical" pillowcases with seemingly seamless seams.

And, if I can do this, you can do it too.

If you'd like to see how  to do it, just click the video below. And, if you do make them, please drop a comment in the  comment section because I'd love to hear about your experience.

Writerly Wednesday

 

With the new year underway, I thought what better time than to set a few goals? And, I thought it would be more fun if I connected with other like-minded folk who enjoy fiction, fantasy and maybe even a little fun too.

So, I thought I’d start a Writerly Wednesday blog where I could list upcoming competitions for writers and illustrators and perhaps some mentoring opportunities.

And I wanted to begin with Brenda Drake’s competition. If you’ve never heard of Pitch Wars or PitMad, check it out here: Pitch Wars and if you’ve never heard of Brenda Drake you can read more about her here:  Pitch Wars » Brenda Drake

Years ago, I competed in Pitch Wars and was lucky enough to win a mentorship. It was a fantastic opportunity and an even better journey on my path to publication. Now, I’m not saying that I sold that particular book…yet…but it definitely helped me take my manuscript to the next level.

So, if you’re looking for a little help with your creativity, Pitch Wars might just be perfect for you. And, if you’re simply looking for some like-minded friends or building your network in the writing community, this is a great place to begin.

And if you have any questions about my experience through the Pitch Wars process, please list them in the comment section below.

Let’s all work together to make this a better, more creative, year for everyone.

 

SISTERS

           

We wanted to see if we could find something fun to do during lockdown. 

Something we hadn't done for decades... If you're interested, click the link below and check out what we've been doing.

Valentine's Hearts and Danish Origami Adorn my Valentine's Day Trees

Why should Christmas have all the fun? I'm a true Tree Hugger. So, I like to make my own trees for the holidays and that includes Halloween and Valentine's Day. But then you still have to decorate them. And I love to make my own homemade decorations for the holidays. Maybe it's because I love to add my own touches to the tree or maybe it's because I'm cheap ;D but I like to make my own ornaments and I always have. From the time I was a little girl and would string popcorn and cranberries  to make my own garland to now. 

Anyway, if you are interested in making your own holiday hearts, just click on the link below to see how to do it. And, if you do, please share a comment below because I'd love to hear what you thought of this craft. And I think we should all spread a little love around - especially with Valentine's Day just around the corner. 

The Goonies and a Weekend at the Oregon Coast

Have you ever gone to the Oregon coast? Would you like to visit the Pacific Northwest? Did you watch The Goonies back in the 1980's? 

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you might enjoy taking this Virtual Trip to the Beach.

Simply click on the movie below and travel with me. 

Valentine's Day Trees and Stitching

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, so of  course, I decided to make some Valentine's Day Trees, modeled after some Tulle Christmas Trees I'd made before.

Valentine's Day Inspiration Tree

Here was a two shades of pink tree I made one year. And here's a green version.

Another  previous tree I used for inspiration

These were super simple tabletop trees I made one year and I thought why not make a bigger and better set of Valentine's Day trees? So I did. If you'd like to see how I did it, just click on the link below and  watch the short video.

Plus, my sister and I used to cross-stitch and embroider so we decided to take  it up again and I thought I'd share a few stitching craft ideas I have with you all. So if you like to stitch or  create, you might want to click the link below to see what else I'm planning.

DIY Valentine's Day Striped Cake with Chocolate Drips

Would you like to make an EZ homemade cake  for Valentine's  Day? Well, I wanted to make a Striped, Chocolate Drip Cake and my last chocolate drip seized up when I poured it on the cold cake. But, since then, I've learned a couple tricks. If you'd like to see how I did it, click the link below and watch the short video. 

If you've made striped cakes, share your link in the comments, I'd love to get some new ideas and share some creative cooking.

DIY Valentine's Day Decorations to spread a little LOVE around

If you're interested in spreading a little love around your house, with inexpensive and EZ crafts, here are a few ideas on how you can do it. 

If  you can hold  a  paintbrush in your hand, and use a  cookie cutter, you can stencil some cute patterns on your towels, dishcloths and even shirts. And  if you can cross-stitch, you can make simple pillows  and  patterns to spruce up your house. Just  click on the video below to see how I do it. 

Valentine's Day Crafts - What the World Needs Now

2020 was a  difficult year in so many ways but now, with it behind us, I want to focus on What the World Needs Now -  Love,  Healing and Health. I hope you all will have a healthy and happy 2021 and I thought I'd share a few short little crafts I've been working on.

5 EZ Tips to keep your home feeling like the holidays

What tips are included in this video clip:

1) How to make an Oregano/Rosemary Wreath to keep your home filled with pleasant scents;

2) How to make Beet Leaf Soup, a betacyanin filled soup that fights cancer, plus multiple vitamins and Omega3s;

3) DIY Homemade Bone Broth,

4) How to make refrigerator pickled beets;

5) DIY Homemade Chocolate Mint Tea.  

Let me know if you like these crafts, recipes, etc. 

Vlogmas Day 24 - A Family Wish From Mine to You and Yours

Thanks for following  me through the 24 Days of Vlogmas! I really enjoyed sharing the lead-up to Christmas with you all. I hope you'll continue to visit my Blog and  YouTube and  Subscribe to my channel as I'm looking forward to much better things in 2021!

Vlogmas Day 23 - Christmas Birthday Cake

If you've ever wanted to make a Striped Cake, Watch this video to see how it's done.

Merry Christmas! and Happy Birthday!

Vlogmas Day 22 -Everyone Deserves a Second Chance - This is A Do-Over

Vlogmas - Day 21 - Cookie Fail

Everything in life doesn't always turn out the way you'd hope...or even the way you expect. This was one of those times for me. 

These cookies turned out pretty bad...seriously. And, if you watch this short video, I'm hoping you might smile or perhaps even laugh.

But no matter what, I want to wish you a happy holiday season!

Vlogmas Day 20 More Remodeling and Homemade Wildlife Treats and Potpourri

Vlogmas Day 19 - How To Make A DIY Holiday Centerpiece from Garden Greens

Vlogmas Day 18 - Christmas Cookies and handmade Christmas Cards

Vlogmas Day 17 Scary UFOs and Christmas

Vlogmas Day 16 - Sonic the Hedgehog Christmas Stocking and Gnome Dogs

Vlogmas - Day 15 - Pomanders - the scents of the Holidays

Vlogmas Day 14 - Danish Christmas Stars and Advent Updates

Vlogmas Day 13 Updates on Remodeling and Gnome Shirts

Vlogmas Day 12 Remodeling at the Holidays

Vlogmas Day 11 - Danish Holiday Hearts

VLOGMAS Day 10 - Christmas Chaos

Vlogmas Day 9 - Little Library and Christmas Decorations

PUPPY POST - Vlogmas Day 8

 

Siberian huskies are the cutest puppies ever - aren't they? What do you think? Or do you have a favorite pet puppy?

Well, I think Sofi and  Mila are adogable ;D that's why I have to make Christmas stockings for all the pets I love.

And, on Vlogmas  Day 1 I made stockings  for Sofi and  Freya but they were identical and I wanted  to put their names on their socks  so I did. 

I stenciled their names on each of their stockings and if you'd like to see how I did it, check out my Youtube Vlogmas post for Day 8.

And, if you make stockings for your pets, tell me all about it in the comments below.

Happy Hound Days!

Vlogmas Day 7 - Danish Gløgg or Hot Spiced Wine for the Holidays

 

If you'd like the recipe and instructions  on how to make your own perfect cup of Christmas Cheer for the  holidays, check out my YouTube Video here. 

But, let me tell you a little bit about Gløgg. 

Gløgg is commonly served in Scandinavia to celebrate St. Lucia's  Day on December 13th and then around the Christmas  holiday. It means to "mull". And although the word looks like it  would rhyme with our traditional Egg Nog, it doesn't. It sounds more like Gluck than Glog. 

Anyway, none of that  really matters because it simply tastes wonderful and might be the reason behind the age-old saying that "Christmas is the  most wonderful time of the year!" ;D And the impetus behind the Danish word Hyggelig which represents the  word for cozy and content rolled together into one word. 

Anyway, if  you try your hand at this Danish Drink, please let me know what you think of it. 

Mario and Luigi Gingerbread House And Gingerbread People -VLOGMAS Day VI

Christmas Quilt for VLOGMAS Day V

 Maybe I should call this a Thanksgiving Quilt because I'm like a kid. I couldn't wait for Christmas to gift this to my sister. I could barely wait to tell her I was making it for her. And, if you take a  peek down in the right-hand corner you can see a cross-stitched Christmas stocking that I gifted to my girls. I have the worst time keeping secrets or holding back on gifts. I just love to see the expressions on peoples' faces when they open their presents - and right now, I think we could all use a little more early Christmas joy. Anyway, I had  to get a little help from my friends on picking out the pattern to use. So THANKS  to everyone who voted on my poll post. This turned out better because of  all the input I received from everyone. I'm a  novice quilter and as you can see, this is a super simple quilt but I'm hoping it will brighten up a spot in my sister's house over the holidays. 

And, if you would like to see my quilting process, check out my YouTube video here on how  I  made this  quilt for my sister. And, while you're over there,  check out some of my other Christmas  projects on my VLOGMAS list. 

If you've been quilting, please share some of your projects with me in the  comment section below. 

https://youtu.be/lu06g3Kbj3Q

VLOGMAS - Day IV - Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes

 I'm currently on a gnome kick. So, I wanted to make some shirts with gnomes but I was a little worried about whether or not the paint would bleed all over the fabric. So, I decided to do a test run with one.

I bought the shirt at JoAnn Craft and Fabric and I had to buy some fabric paint too. I bought the Scribbles Paint, which was super cheap - just the way I like my crafting.

Then I sketched some little wee folk on the plain white tee shirt and went to town painting away.

If  you'd  like  to see more about this  project, check out my video here. 

And, if you're interested in Vlogmas or any Christmasy Crafting, Baking or Making, check out my other  Youtube videos.  

Kim Kasch - YouTube

And, if you have any questions, comments or helpful tips, please share them in the comments. 

Happy Gnome Hunting!

Christmas Gnomes Come for a Visit

 I'm sure you've heard of Elves, but what about Nisse, or Gnomes?

Well, if you've never met one of these cheery little guys, here's an easy way to help bring them into your house for the holidays.

It's a simple craft you can do with your kids or grandkids and what could be more fun that creating your own little helpers to have around the house at Christmas?

If you'd like  to see how to make these little fellows, just click on my YouTube link and watch the short little video.

And, if you do make a few of these  little wee folk, please  let me know because I'd love to see what you did with these little people. 

Christmas Advent Calendars - An Age Old Tradition

 In the United States, we've seen advent calendars before but these aren't your typical American Advent Calendars. These are European Advent Calendars or Danish Designs to be exact. 

My Mother-in-Law started me  out on this tradition many years ago and it's one of the things I appreciate the most about her. She brought a wonderful holiday tradition into our house and we still practice it about 40 years later. 

These are cross-stitched, sewed, or even appliqued designs she perfected as presents for each of us. The kids grew up loving this tradition and they still open the presents every morning during the 24 days of Christmas. 

If you'd like to hear more about this Scandinavian tradition, just click on my Youtube Link and read - or watch - all about it :D

And, if you have an Advent Calendar, share your comments in the box below. I'd love to hear how you celebrate Christmas. 

VLOGMAS 2020!

 Welcome to Vlogmas 2020!

If you haven't heard about Vlogmas, let me tell you a little bit about it...

Vlogmas is a way to celebrate the 25 days until Christmas, with Video blogs every day. It's sort of like an elongated version of the 12 Days of Christmas but instead of a song, this is a video celebration of the  build up to Christmas.

So, after that longwinded explanation, here's my first-ever Vlogmas post: just click here

https://youtu.be/f9vCaehsh00

An Attitude of Gratitude

It's really easy this year to be discouraged, frustrated and angry but at this time of the year it's important to remember all the things we still have to be thankful for. So take a moment ...

And think of all the big and small blessings you have in your life then nurture that attitude of gratitude. It's like watering a garden, with a little effort you'll see beautiful things start to grow.

And always remember to smile.

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving filled with great food and family. And even if you can't all be together, take time to talk, laugh and remember to nurture an attitude of gratitude. 

THANKFUL THOUGHTS

 Hope is  like a flower

It begins in a small, tentative way...

Then it starts to bud

After a bit, it begins to peek out and show itself

Then it opens up to the world

And with hope, you can't stop it from growing

It soars for the sky and stars . . . 

So, remember to be hopeful and nourish your thankful thoughts

Makeup for Older Women

#DIY Dragon Jack-O-Lantern for Halloween

 

Have you ever wanted to have a pet dragon? Well, this is one EZ way to do it. Simply create your own.

And it's super simple to do.

First, you need to try to pick out a pumpkin that vaguely has  the shape of a dragon head.

After you've selected a pumpkin, start drawing, painting or cutting out the face you envision.

After you've painted/colored or cut the design you want, you begin assembling some thumbtacks to give it the impression of having scales. (I've done this on a previous blogpost for Dragon Eggs).

Then you insert your wings. (If you want to see how I did it, watch this one minute Youtube video)

And in the end, you'll have a fun fairytale character to display in your yard or on your porch.

And, if you make a dragon jack-o-lantern, please let  me know because I'd love to see it. 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

#DIY - Bake a Fun Halloween Cake

With an October birthday, I wanted to make my son a fun Halloween themed birthday cake. So, I pulled out some white chocolate to make some ghosts and tombstones for the top and then I made some black and orange buttercream frosting and went to work - well of course I had to bake some cakes first.

I baked four 6" wide and 2" tall cakes - I cake was a fail so this is three of those cakes stacked one on top of the  other. 

Then I did a crumb coating on the cakes and...well, if you want to see how I did it,  check out my YouTube video on the process:

And, let  me know if you have any questions or ideas about how I could have done a better job because I'm not a professional baker but I sure love to make treats, snacks and fun eats :D

Plus, here are a few photos that aren't on my Youtube channel:

Because One Cake is Never Enough

And two cakes does not a meal make :D

Luke was a good sport humoring his old Mom :D

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
 

Haunted Halloween Gingerbread House

I decorated this little Haunted Halloween House by myself, when usually I have my daughter and daughter-in-law help me. It turned out sort of cute but it wasn't easy. Now I have a lot more respect for those people on Halloween Wars.

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy this little Trader Joes Haunted House Chocolate Kit but, if you do, you should understand that you might need a little help - at least putting it together. Because you have to hold it until the frosting sets enough to keep the sides from falling down.

But, if you're interested and want to see how I did it, please watch this very short video clip (and if you want my buttercream frosting recipe - you'll want to grab a pencil and jot it down when I talk about the frosting that comes inside the kit).

CRAZY VIDEO OF ME DECORATING THIS HOUSE

If you do make your own Haunted Halloween House, please share a  picture because I'd  love to see it.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!