Wee Little Spring Basket For Easter -Instructions

Happy Spring everyone! As promised the recipe how to's for my Wee Little Spring Basket.

This isn't a traditional tutorial with all the photos but more of all the instructions and supplies needed to make your own.

Let's get started! Yippee are you skipping with glee?

Here is what you will need:

• Sm. Peet pots from your local nursery or garden shop
• Robin Egg blue crepe paper Opaque Shrink Plastic
• Mocha Brown Chalk Ink
• Layers of Color Vintage Rose and Acanthus Leaves Stamp Set
• Silver German Scrap
• Teal blue Binding tape
• 5 in. your favorite robin egg blue wired ribbon
• Embossed wallpaper
• Robin Egg blue paint
• Brown paint
• Teal blue watercolor pencil or other coloring medium
• Glue
• teal glitter glue
• sm. hole puncher
• Something for the handle-I used bark covered wire- I know way cool stuff!

Step1: You will want to stamp image onto shrink plastic with brown chalk ink. At this step you could also color in the image as you please. I just left it plain-jane. Then shrink according to shrink plastic directions.

Step2: Using your embossed wallpaper cover the peet pot. Do this to your liking. I lined mine up at the top and then wrapped the paper around the pot, glued it. Then I took scissors and cut slits around the bottom and folded tabs towards the middle of bottom and glued down.

Step3: Make a paint wash by using a small amount of paint and double or triple the amount of water. Paint evenly over pot, then with paper towel dab off the excess so that the paint stays in the crevices but not on the raised portions. Let dry. Do the same with a wee bit of brown paint but, water down even more, so it is more like a stain. Repeat process to your liking.

Step4: Make bottom of pot by taking several layers of crepe paper(I used 5) and cut a circle at least 3/4 in. larger than the pot bottom. Staple together then make small cuts all around the outside of your pot. glue to the bottom. Ruffle and poof to your liking.

Step5: Make a rosette from your ribbon by pulling one side of ribbon wire tight, then glue seam to fully encircle. Glue shrink plastic roses to ribbon

Step6: Attach your German scrap trim to the top edge of pot and punch holes for handle.

Step7: Make a fringe fan with crepe paper and glue to the inside of pot where you want your rosette to go. Attach cut out of colored and glittered Acanthus Leaves on the diagonal as a back drop to your Rose vignette.

Step 8: Glue Rose vignette to front of your pot. Next attach handle and tie with binding tape.

Voila a wonderful Wee Little Spring basket to fill with goodies to give to a friend or to celebrate Easter!

Girlhood Tidbit #13 Christmas Time Treat

During the holidays it is fun to remember our friends by giving them a little something special. Nothing say special more than homemade right? I think so that is why I made Candied Citrus Peel candy this year. My friend Laura makes this wonderful Christmas time treat and shares this delectible delight with her friends and family. What a sweet idea. I love sharing recipes with my friends don't you? When I tried her candied orange peel I thought I had died and gone to sugar plum heaven, it was such perfection.

This year we have been eating by the box full, Little Cuties, which are a seedless Tangerines, ooohhh are they good. My children kept leaving their peels around and so I got the idea to actually save them and then use them to make this sweet treat. I had to improvise a bit because Laura just told me how she made it, I didn't really have a recipe. But no biggy because it is super easy. This is my version from my memory. Thanks so much Laura!

Candied Citrus Peels

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice (optional)

Citrus Peels- Orange, Tangerine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lime you choose. How about a variety? Wouldn't that be wonderful!!

Incorporate together in a sauce pan on the stove.

Slice orange peel in long strips and place in sugar mixture once sugar is dissolved.

Simmer on low until white part of peel starts to turn translucent. Remove your pieces from the syrup and into a shallow dish of plain white sugar. Turn gently and coat each piece and then lay on a cooling rack to dry. Then package in cello bags and fun ribbon. Yum.

I also bottle up the remaining syrup in pretty glass pitchers to use in tea as a sweetner. It is delicious in Double Bergamot tea, which happens to be one of my favorites. This makes a wonderful hostess gift around the hoidays paired together with the Candied Citrus Peels.

Girl Time Tidbit #11- Our Mother's Day Tea

Centerpiece of our round table

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
1Peter3:3-4

My daughter deciding how things would look best

My younger daughter and I have been busy planning for our traditional Mother-Daughter Tea at our Church. This is a wonderful celebration of womanhood and motherhood, it is something we look forward to every year. This year I have decided it is time to give the responsibility to my 11 year old daughter. So this year she is in charge of the table decorations and favors. I was really excited when she said yes with such enthusiasm! I have enjoyed training her and making suggestions along the way, but ultimately the final result has been hers.

The first step is to decide on a budget and color theme
She was given $25.00 as her budget. She came up with the idea of using some pretty paper products that we already had. By doing this she saved money on her budget and was able to utilize that money for something else, goodies for the favors. The paper products also became our color theme.

Step two: Designing a center piece for the table
We started gathering things that we have in our home already and that fit with our color theme of light pink, raspberry pink, apple green and bright white. We pulled out antique linens, silk flowers, a small porcelain tea pot, ceramic bunny vase, crystal votive and tea light candles, picture frames, a tea book and milk glass along with everyday white tea cups and saucer. We will also used a sign I made for my daughter's room because I used the same napkins. I love the verse from above which is also on the sign. It is what we strive for in our home for our children. Let the fun begin! Here is what she came up with: isn't it just lovely!

Step three: The Favors
She wanted the favors to be unique and pretty but was limited by her 25$ budget. So I asked her if she would like to use some die cut paper purses that I had in my stash and wouldn't you know we had exactly eight in just the right colors, isn't the Lord gracious! She was able to find some cute sticky notes and pens at the Dollar Store, and we got fun tea and chocolate to go with it.

Favors were the purses, aren't they cute!

I am looking forward to sitting at my daughter's lovely table. It will be so wonderful to hear the other ladies encouraging her and giving her accolades on her efforts. I love watching the Lord's providence working out details blessing her efforts as we both yield to His gentle guidance.

Post event: We had a lovely time! My daughter was praised for her creativity and for the care she took in creating a table. What fills my heart to over flowing is the love and kindness ladies young and old showed her as they noticed how she placed things and what she brought to the table and how economical she was. They were so thrilled to see the tradition being passed down.

Remembrance Press The Girlhood Home Companion & Girlhood Tidbit #10

Girlhood is a precious time. It is a time of learning, growing, and loving. It is when you learn skills and womanly arts. It is the time to grow in your faith as a cherished creature of God's workmanship. It is a time to build loving relationships with your family and a time to discover the Godly character within yourself.

Sometimes in this world we live in it is difficult to find just the right thing to support this kind of thinking. I longed for something like this and the Lord was faithful! I would like to suggest a wonderful publication to enhance this journey for mothers, daughters, and grandmothers. It is a publication that gently sweetens this precious time like honey in a cup of tea. It is called The Girlhood Home Companion. And it is exactly that, a companion.

This self published magazine by Remembrance Press and Jill Novak was just the kind of thing I was looking for that would grow the heart of my daughters and encourage them in their pursuit of godliness, purity, and womanly arts.

I love sitting down for "girl time" with my girls sipping tea and reading or doing hand work as we learn more about each other. It has been a favorite in our household. I hope you will drop in for a visit to Remembrance Press and The Girlhood Home Companion you will leave feeling that the heart of your special girl has been refreshed, renewed and blessed.

G is for...Gingerbread & Girlhood Tidbits #8

Our two little cottages aren't they inviting?

I thought I would share the latest happenings in my cozy little home by the sea! We have been baking treats, and building gingerbread houses! This year we made two. One for our family to eventually eat and one to give away. Grandma gets the second one this year. What a great time we had, even mywonderful husband got into the spirit of things and helped. He is really good at the construction part and the patience part!

Here are some tips to remember if you decide to try it.

Tip #1:We took two days to build ours, I was glad we didn't rush it. This gave us really solid gingerbread cottages to decorate too.

Tip #2:We used edible frosting from the grocery store for sticking on the decorations. This was much quicker and easier for the chilren to use, plus we can eat it when we are ready to.

Tip #3: We used something pretty for presentation. At our house it is my grandmother's milk glass cake pedastal.

Tip #4: Have fun and enjoy the process!

Who is that behind the cottage, a little elf perhaps?

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy

Bundled up Snowmen out of gumballs~I have clever kids!

Many hands make light work...and yummy gingerbread cottages!

Welcome Home!

Girl Time Tidbit # 7 Gingerbread Cottage of Faith~Quote and Notes

Lil' Spice Pin

"Building your faith is necessary in order to know God and have a relationship with Him. And you need to know God in order that you may recognize and reap the blessings that He wishes to decorate your life with. Building your faith can take hard work, it may take longer than you expected and may be filled with life’s frustrations. These are necessary in order to know the blessings of God. It is important to experience the hardships, difficulties and disappointments of life, so that you may know and recognize the sweetness of God’s blessings. God loves to decorate your life with promises and the blessings of friendship, family, work, and school. He will bless you with the beauty and creativity of nature and His workmanship that you see in others. You serve a creative God, one who delights in blessing those who love and serve Him. Remember, life’s blessings are not a reflection of who we are to God, but of who God is.

So, as you grown in wisdom and understanding, no matter how young or old you are, God will use it to build relationships, character and faith, so that some day you will have a house filled with the riches and blessings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is this faith and character that will prove to be sweeter and out last any earthly gingerbread cottage!"

~Heather Wombacher

From: The Gingerbread Cottage of Faith

For those of you who listened to me today on the internet with Jill Novak on Girlhood Talks, thank you- what a privilege to share my heart with you all, it was wonderful. ( I'm really glad you hung in there with me even though we got disconnected.) I was so excited to talk to you today that I forgot I had made up a study sheet and so I will post that link below for you to download. I humbly ask that you please use for your personal use only, thanks.

Here is the link enjoy!http://www.camerahunter.org/webinarstudentnotes.pdf

Girl Time Tidbit #6- Harvest Time Cider

I wanted to share a harvest season recipe that can be used right through Thanksgiving or until you bring out the Egg Nog. I have given this recipe to my daughters to put into their very own recipe notebooks. What is a recipe notebook you ask? There is an article in the latest Girlhood Home Companion click here to go to The Patchwork Heart, Co. find out more about this. This can be any kind of note book, but of course, we have made ours special by creating a unique cover and then using that theme design throughout the rest of the notebook. We collect recipes, projects and tips that sound wonderful to us and put them into our notebook.

I started these when the girls were around 9 or 10 as they developed an interest in cooking and baking. We started with baking skills since making treats is so much fun especially since you get to lick the beater on the Kitchenaid mixer. We then moved into other cooking, for example, dishes for everyday meals. Now we are into meal preparation. It has been such a joy to watch my youngest, especially, enjoy this skill and learn it well.

From our home to yours here is our wonderful recipe for:

Harvest Time Cider

Apple juice or Apple cider whichever you prefer
Good Earth brand Tea or other cinnamon flavored tea
1 Whole orange- sliced in rings

In a sauce pot combine 1 cup of cider for every person you will be serving and 2 tea bags, for every 4 servings. If you are making 8 servings then use 4 tea bags and so on. Bring to a simmer until tea has seeped 3-5 min. Then slice up your orange into rings and add to your cider and heat through. We like this cider hot but you can also serve it cold. However, you must heat all ingredients together first and then chill and serve. Cuddle up by the fire and enjoy!

Girl Time Tidbit #5 Making A Doll's House

This summer I have had the great pleasure of watching myself create as a little girl. What do I mean by that? Keep reading and it will become clear. My daughter was inspired by a book I had purchased for summer reading. A Doll's House by Rumber Godden, this book was the inspiration for a great adventure: she began the wonderful project of building her own doll house.

At first, I began to hear hammering and pounding and all sorts of sound coming from the back porch. I realized that it was my daughter and when asked what she needed a saw for she sweetly replied," Well, to cut the eves for the roof to my doll house." To which I casually answered," Oh but of course, wait...WHAT?"

So, using the time tested tactic of diverting to a higher authority, I sent her on to her Dad, obviously. Tools of that nature are his and permission must come from the top. Being a clever man and knowing his daughter very well, he had the good sense to urge her to unite her efforts and use a much better material for doll houses...cardboard boxes, what a brilliant man!

It was a hard sell, but she complied after working pretty hard and conning her littlest brother into helping, like any good Fore-woman will do, to hold the board she was trying to saw. Finally, she decided that maybe cardboard would be a better option and really, it had already been two days and not much progress had been made on this wonderful design.

That's when it happened for me. Sometimes we forget the simple joys of our childhood. Our memories are clouded with the worry and obligations of adulthood. Then when you least expect it, a memory is triggered and you transport to the recesses of your mind to a place of joy and creativity.

There I was on my four poster bed with scissors, tape, crayons, material scraps, and found treasures, creating and sewing. The autumn sun streaming in the upstairs window of my pink carpeted room. There in that place, wonderful things were imagined and all things were possible. And yes... I was making a doll house!

Mine was smaller in scale and used only one shoebox. I created mine with the opening up so that you looked down into the rooms from the ceiling. I made little towels for the bathroom and use tinfoil for the mirror. There were curtains on every window and a golden bead for the front door handle. I used matchboxes for drawers and spools with a cardboard cut circle glued on top for the kitchen table. It even had a table cloth on it where acorn cap bowls were the table setting. In the living room there were rugs on the floor and chairs made from bottle caps and twisted wire. There was even a fireplace in the corner, which looked more like a bonfire pit than a fireplace, how sweet.

What wonderful things to remember.

I love to see the Lord bring me full circle in that way. Often it happens when I am too serious about things. If you know me well, you know I love a good surprise and this is one that caught me off guard. It warms my insides and makes me smile really big, to know that my daughter is experiencing that wonderful time of life, just like I did, called girlhood.

Father in Heaven, thank you that I have eyes to see your lessons for me. I am so grateful for the pleasures you brought to me as a child. Thank you for reminding me of my girlhood and all its sweetness.

You are a wonder to me Lord, Amen

A is for Apples~Girl Time Tidbit #5

It has been a bumper crop for apples this year...for everyone around me! This year we were busy making apple everything, quite exciting! I know I have written it before but I just love the feeling of seeing something from planting, to harvesting, to producing it into something for my family, there is an organic element to it that is spiritual and very fullfilling to me!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-12

The kids and I have made chunky cinnamon applesauce, carmel apple butter, and lots of dried apples for snacking on. This year we bought 2 dehydrators at Goodwill for $10.00 and have enjoyed this new part of our harvesting routine. In past years I have just canned everything. But this had been a wonderful change. Never forget you are the apple of His eye!

Girl Time Tidbit #4

I just enjoyed the most pleasant afternoon with my daughter today! I thought what we did today was a good Mother/Daughter project and so of course, I have put it into the Girl Time Tidbit category!

Today, I taught my daughter to can homemade, sweet, raspberry jam! We picked the berries from our garden this year because we have an abundance of them this season. Then we wash them, and lay them on a cookie sheet and separate them to freeze. We store them in a freezer bag and just keep adding to them until we have enough for jam. We were able to make two batches today! 14 jars of ruby red goodness. We have vowed to have buttered toast with jam for breakfast tomorrow morning!

Here is the recipe~ pretty traditional~ Make sure you follow all canning directions correctly so that your jam will stay fresh and yummy for the months ahead. Here is a great resource for canning and preserving

4 c. crushed berries

6 1/2 c. sugar

1 pkg. of pectin (we use Certo liquid pectin)

This will make 7 cups

This is so yummy and tastes just like summer! Have fun!

Girl Time Tidbit #3

Well, I have promised a project to do together to enhance your Girl Time so here it is: "The Cozy Candle Lamp Shade." In our Girl Time spot on the table is a candle that we like to burn for its scent and also that warm and cozy glow that it gives to the room. My daughter and I thought that it would be fun to have a paper shade to go on our lamp to change with the seasons.

Our version here is used over a wine goblet and a very sweet size to have on your Girl Time Table! Here is how to make one for yourself:

This project is to be used

ONLY WITH A TEA LIGHT CANDLE!!!!

1. Take a wine goblet (I have found inexpensive ones at the dollar store) and place your tea light candle inside at the bottom, trim the wick to 1/4 in so the flame is not too high.


2. Now you are going to print out the pattern found on the website below. This website http://www.warner-criv.com/tools/lampbuilder.aspx allows you to put in your goblet dimensions and it will calculate and draw up a pattern for you according to your goblet size. If you would like a round shade like ours make sure to put in 1 side. I think this is a great little gadget! Thanks Warner Stained Glass!
   
3. Cut out your pattern, trace and cut shade out. Then decorate to your liking. You can simply use beautiful papers(as we did), or get really fancy and add lace and trims, buttons, even some antique costume jewelry for a little bling! Use your imagination and make it to match your decor. Or follow our example, made with two kinds of patterned color paper in pink and ivory and a heart graphic cut from some old wall paper.


4. Using double stick tape or glue, adhere edges together and place the shade on the goblet. The top of the shade should be slightly smaller so that your shade will not slip over the goblet but just rest on top. To light the tea light make sure you remove the paper shade first and then light the candle.

Now you will have that cozy warm feeling when you spend your Girl Time together. I hope that you will enjoy each other as you do this project. My daughter decorated this lamp shade-didn't she do a great job!

The Joy of Being a Girl

This past week has been an amazing journey-a real testament to the Lord! The Lord place in my heart the idea for a class about purity and teaching my girls character about 9 yrs. ago. So, with my oldest daughter, I taught a class at church called Girls Going for GOD. This experience laid the foundation for me to give the class I just taught this week called The Joy of Being a Girl-Growing in Character as a Daughter of the King! Little did I know of the blessings in store for me! We had 16 girls 5 teen helpers and 4 Queens(all of them grew up in the Great Depression) along with my team of 3. My teen helpers each had a group and lead discussion time. Our Queens shared their life stories, pearls of wisdom and God's love with us. ALL the girls loved this. Then of course we crafted something that went along with my teaching time and the lesson for the day. I spoke on: Being God's treasure, Wisdom, Character, Obedience and Purity in mind, heart, and spirit.

The word that keeps coming to my lips is DELIGHT! I cannot even put into words all the blessings that I received from this group. What amazes me is the amount of work that went into a class like this. My team was tireless and talented- I could not have pulled it off without them. The best part was having confidence to know the jobs would be fulfilled and that I could really count on them. For that I am grateful, it freed me up to do what I love, to teach and do art and crafts with the girls! Phew! was I tired but my spirit was always filled to overflowing at the end of the day. Isn't it always like that with the work of the Lord. He never promised us it would be easy but He did say the burdens would be light and our paths and purposes would be straight! AND when we follow Him we are blessed beyond measure!

The last day we had a wonderful luncheon and one of the 9 yr. olds spontaneously got up and asked if she could play a song on the piano for us. It threw me a bit and I almost didn't allow her to do it. I didn't want to squelch her desire or talent so I said she could. She bravely walked up and sat down and share her gift of music with us. I couldn't believe it, the song was just perfect for the occasion-I loved it as did all the other ladies in the room. What a treat!

We had also wanted the girls to take away a physical reminder of our time together so I made them pearl charms for purity and a key charm for obedience. So as part of our program I presented them each with a charm. Then I prayed over them and opened it up for whoever felt comfortable praying. Little by little moms shared and then...these sweet tender-hearted girls started to pray for us in thanksgiving and praise for being able to take this class and for their own moms and teachers, even my own daughter prayed for me! It just took my breath away and of course made me tear up as only a mother will do! See what I mean?! Total DELIGHT!

I am posting some pictures, but not of the girls to protect them, but of our crafts and the thank-you art I made for my helpers Enjoy! 1. The top of the box decoration 2. Yummy craft supplies 3. My sweet daughter's box 4. Thank you gift for my team mates 5. over sized bookmarks for teen thank yous!

Summer is A-Coming!

Can you smell the summer season coming? It smells to me like dirt and fertilizer and flowers and herbs too. Speaking of herbs June is a wonderful time to plant lavender and I have just the kit to inspire you mothers and daughters to get your hands dirty! Go to my website The Patchwork Heart, Co. and featured this month is my The Loveliness of Lavender Kit! It has all you need to start your own lavender plant, as well as, make a luscious silk lavender sachet together. What a wonderful way to kick off summer fun than to work side by side doing this project together!

Girl Time Tidbit #2

#2. Get your daughter involved!

Have her be in charge of gathering the materials for your craft, setting up the table, or making the tea! Let her set things up. This allows her freedom to begin to set her eye for decorating her home and practicing the gifts of hospitality. What a simple and delightful way to try new arrangements. Remember we don't always get it right the first time, so gently (if at all) guide your daughter as she learns these new skills!

At our table we usually have a pretty table cloth, lace doily with a candle lamp(this is a large candle with a shade for the top, ours is clear glass). My daughter also likes to be in charge of making the "tea tray" which she lovingly decorates with a doily, our tea cups, sugar bowl and teaspoons. I love watching her to see what she comes up with. My heart swells with joy to see her sense of hospitality and attention to detail blossoming forth. I could have told her to do all these things, but now, I get to praise her efforts! This is a wonderful and eternal way to bless her. This is a large part of "Girl Time" in our household. Intentionally making time to praise my daughters and teach them something in the process!

Next time I will share how to make a special tea light for your table!

Girl Time Tidbit #1

I have two daughters, one has left the nest and is in college, the other still at home :o) The younger one and I enjoy what we call "Girl Time". I don't know how we coined the name. I think it was to deter any brothers from wanting to be in on the action... anyway, I thought I would start sharing some of the things that we do together. I will share "Girl Time Tidbits" and projects too. My hope is that it will encourage you or spark your creativity to start a "Girl Time" in your own home with your daughters.

Building healthy mother/daughter relationships is a heartfelt desire of mine actually, all relationships among women are; in friendship, as mentors, family relations. I also have a great love for the womanly arts of sewing, hand work, crafts, writing, hospitality, cooking and caring for my family. I want to share the things of my heart with my girls so I started spending special time with them, talking, sharing and having tea with them. What fun this has been! The wonderful by-product of this is that my daughters have also grown to love this time and lovingly share their hearts with me!

"Girl Time Tidbit #1"

One of the great things we decided was to make up a special place where we would have "Girl Time". For us this is the living room our nicest room. We sit by the front window at an antique table that I inherited from my paternal grandmother. She is who my younger daughter is named after. This table is extra special for me because there are many wonderful memories associated with it. Recipes I wrote down as my Mimi (my grandmother's nickname) dictated them, heartfelt talks, card games, I would eat fresh raspberries and milk with a sprinkle of sugar on them, that my Papa had picked from his garden that very morning. I even learned to crochet at this table.

This is our "Girl Time" spot

This special spot doesn't have to be fussy make it suit your style and decore! I have created it so that it can stay that way all the time. If you don't have a space to do this in, not a problem you can creat a "Girl Time" box (a plastic tub with lid or wicker basket) and put your special things in it. Then when you want to have "Girl Time" have your daugther get it out and set out your sweet smelling candle and special table cloth, tea cups and devotions or projects. When you are done it can go back in the plastic tub and back into it's storage spot.

We have made our spot inviting and special with candle and special books on poetry, our bibles, devotionals and our Girlhood Home Companion publications and a basket filled with our stitching and handiwork. There are many days that I long to just sit and spend time with my growing girl. The time is short make it count even if it is lots of small times they will add up to big memories and cozy feelings of love. I would love to hear your "Girl Time Tidbits", tales and memories, so please leave a comment.

This is some of our favorite tea!