Dream Weaver: Too hot to craft.....

Dream Weaver: Too hot to craft.....: "I am sitting here in the air conditioning, all I did was to work-out this morning. That's one thing I dont want to stop the routine. The w..."

Too hot to craft.....

I am sitting here in the air conditioning, all I did was to work-out this morning.  That's one thing I dont want to stop the routine.  The windows in the exercise room face the pool and no doubt there was only 2 or 3 people at the pool.  I am glad the exercise room is very comfortable.  From there I go right home...it's a very short walk, I would say 4 buildings  from my apartment which is great. 

I called my mom who lives in Florida and had a nice chat with her.  My other sister lives there also about 5 miles from my mom.   I try to talk with my mom to see how she's doing and how the weather's doing which....she reported that their weather it's not as bad as in the midwest.  She lives right on the bay and she gets the breeze from the water which is nice.  I havn't been there since last year and my family are scattered about....I have a sister and brother in chgo, and a sister in calif.   I just visited my sister in chgo because my sister from california flew in and we had a nice visit.  I took a train which is nice.  It takes about 3 hours by train for me but I take my reading material and the trip really goes fast.

I am kinda lost as far as crafts this summer....I have brain fog lately and I haven't done any crafts since Easter.  I love crafts and thoroughly enjoy recycling materials that I can do things from them but the ideas are not coming forth.  Maybe in a month I will get the momentum.  I am trying to think what I did last year and what crafts I did during the summer.  All I know is I did alot of fall crafts last year because I just love autumn and the air is so fresh and crisp.   I can open my windows and get fresh air finally. I think everyone will so glad when this summer will come to a end with this unusual heat in many areas in this country.

Well....that's it for now, I would like to post beautiful nature pictures that I have collected which is another thing I love to do.....whatever I see art especially nature its  just captivates me.

 

Weave Dreamer: Weave Dreamer: Cool Matching Desk Organizers

Weave Dreamer: Weave Dreamer: Cool Matching Desk Organizers: "Weave Dreamer: Cool Matching Desk Organizers : 'The other day i had a great idea to do a craft with some of my file folders that I was not u..."

Weave Dreamer: Cool Matching Desk Organizers

Weave Dreamer: Cool Matching Desk Organizers: "The other day i had a great idea to do a craft with some of my file folders that I was not using. I love colorful folders, don't you..."

Cool Matching Desk Organizers

The other day i had a great idea to do a craft with some of my file folders that I was not using. I love colorful folders, don't you. So, I made desk organizers. The holder was used out of one of folders. I had two folders of the same pattern. The older folder I used to cover a tea box and a powder drink container that I cut 2" inches off from the top. I hot glued pieces of the folder material on the tea box on all sides very carefully. For the powder drink container, I did the same with the hot glue.

I posted some of the steps involved to do a holder using a colorful file folder. Its not really hard to do.  After the first one, you get the hang of it.  The only thing, it can only hold your papers, articles, clips, etc.  It's not strong enough to hold magazines.  But it's handy for my recipes and clips from my magazines.

Weave Dreamer: Tie-Dyed Luminaries

ic, containerWeave Dreamer: Tie-Dyed Luminaries: "The tie-dyed mania has made a comeback. More craft sites that I belong to have some pretty amazing things they are doing with tie-dye. I..."

Weave Dreamer: Tie-Dyed Luminaries

Weave Dreamer: Tie-Dyed Luminaries: "The tie-dyed mania has made a comeback. More craft sites that I belong to have some pretty amazing things they are doing with tie-dye. I..."

Tie-Dyed Luminaries

The tie-dyed mania has made a comeback. More craft sites that I belong to have some pretty amazing things they are doing with tie-dye. I did some really cool luminaries using cotton fabric and using colored markers. I did different patterns on the cotton fabric and just slightly dipped in water and the colors seeped throughout the material. For each luminary I used strips of fabric and wrapped them around the cylinder. It gave it more dimension and the die-tyed effect was more visible. I used Aileen's tacky glue. I added tea lights that you can buy any craft store or candle section at any store.

When not using for a luminaries, what a great idea to hold pens, pencils and your art supplies. What a great idea for a teen birthday. Serve the utensils in these cool tye-dyed containers. These are made out powder drink containers. I cut the shorter ones by using a ruler, cut about 1.2" off the top and a straight edge or scissor.

Weave Dreamer: My Spice Rack

Weave Dreamer: My Spice Rack: "I needed a spice rack desperately with the spices I have, the top of my stove didn't have a square inch left. I thought with all my cardboa..."

My Spice Rack

I needed a spice rack desperately with the spices I have, the top of my stove didn't have a square inch left. I thought with all my cardboard I keep and the corrugated cardboard is very sturdy for alot of crafts. Whenever I get small appliances I fold the boxes and store them.

This was a 8 plus hour project with all measuring, cutting, painting.....well you can imagine. The cardboard strips were all different sizes. My kitchen is red and black so I sponge painted red in some places and painted plain red on the front strips. Believe it or not, I still have more spices in my cupboard but for now I will enjoy my spice rack and whenever I cook, all I have to do is pick up my spice rack and put it on my counter and use my spices.

Weave Dreamer: Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart

Weave Dreamer: Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart: "I made this dessert yesterday and it looked as it tasted 'decadent and sinful'. I collect recipes and subscribe to cooking magazines. I de..."

Mixed Berry Pretzel Tart

I made this dessert yesterday and it looked as it tasted "decadent and sinful".  I collect recipes and subscribe to cooking magazines.  I decided to do a holiday dish for the weekend.  For those of you that love fruit, especially stawberries and blueberries, this dessert combines both.  I am posting the dessert and posting the picture because once you see it I'm sure it would beckon you to make it.

MIXED-BERRY PRETZEL TART

Crust

2 cups crushed pretzels
3 tablespoons sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
7 ounces plain Greek yogurt (not fat-free)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3-oz. packages strawberry gelatin
1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened sliced strawberries
1 16-oz. package frozen unsweetened blueberries
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation

1. Make crust: Preheat oven to 400ºF; mist a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place crushed pretzels in bowl of a food processor. Add sugar and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press pretzel mixture into baking dish and bake for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

2. Make filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Fold in yogurt and vanilla. Spread over cooled pretzel crust, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

3. In a large bowl, dissolve both packages of gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Let cool until mixture begins to get syrupy, about 15 minutes. Stir in strawberries and blueberries and pour over cream cheese layer. Chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

4. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Cut tart into squares and serve with whipped cream.

Weave Dreamer: Cardboard Vase

Weave Dreamer: Cardboard Vase: "This vase I made out of corrugated cardboard last fall. I am especially proud of this one. I rolled a big piece of corrugated into a hexago..."

Cardboard Vase

This vase I made out of corrugated cardboard last fall.  I am especially proud of this one. I rolled a big piece of corrugated into a hexagon shape and hot glued the vertical seams from the bottom to the top.  I made a flap at the bottom and folded in,  I sponge-painted with fall colors and splattered autumn glitter around the vase. 

I went out to the craft store and bought the prettiest fall stems to fall into the vase.  This craft I submitted to one of my favorites websites and they published it.  That was exciting to me.  

Weave Dreamer: Colorful Mosaic Vase

Weave Dreamer: Colorful Mosaic Vase: "Because of the fact I am into recycling I keep materials such as cardboard, plastic containers and such under my cabinets. I am so luck..."

Colorful Mosaic Vase

Because of the fact I am into recycling I keep materials such as cardboard, plastic containers and such under my cabinets.  I am so lucky I had those Topicana orange juice bottles because I loved the shape of them and used one for the mosaic vase.  I got busy one morning cutting up several sheets of pastel paper in different shapes and sizes.  I had my Mod Podge and small stones that I weighed down the plastic bottle.  I layed down some newspaper and layed down the pieces of paper.   Working with one side at a time, I spread the Mod Podge, layed the pieces of paper in random order until the side is covered.  Go over with another layer of Mod Podge.

I continued with the same pattern on all sides with the paper and the Mod Podge. When all sides are covered with the Mod Podge, let the vase dry.  Put colorful silk flowers into the vase.  Everyday I look at it and I am so thrilled that I did that and I look at it for a long time.  I can change the flowers at any time.

Weave Dreamer: Weaved Wastebasket

Weave Dreamer: Weaved Wastebasket: "This is first time I ever try to weave and I tell you it was error and trial. It was very hard for the paper strips to lay straight when..."

Weaved Wastebasket

This is first time I ever try to weave and I tell you it was error and trial.  It was very hard for the paper strips to lay straight when I started to weave. I have so many magazines I like to refer to them from time to time.  I had them in them in holders that I made myself from cereal boxes that I did last spring.  Believe it or not, that wastebasket only took less 2 magazine (less than that).  What I did was, take every page of the magazine....then fold in 1/2" creases all the length of the page till I had one complete strip.  I make sure all the pages were colorful as I went through the magazine.  As I approach the end of the page, I folded in the raw edge in....and hide it underneath the already folded end.  This project took about 3-4 days to complete, of course with the needy breaks.  I didn't have a wastebasket in one of my rooms and now, I have a very colorful one.