Craftside

Chrysanthemum salad recipe from the book Christmas on the Farm

No, there are no chrysanthemums in this salad; the name comes from the fun way you cut an orange and serve the salad. It sounded so cool I just had to try this orange cutting technique from the book Christmas on the Farm: A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife. You may be asking yourself, "Christmas on the Farm, it's August!" Well, as we creatives know, it's never too soon to start thinking about the holidays. And the stores would agree. I was in one of the big box craft stores yesterday and the Christmas stuff was out! So not to be out done, leave your answer to the question,

"Have you started thinking about the holidays yet?"

by midnight, August 10th, 2011 and you could be the proud new owner of a copy of Christmas on the Farm: A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife.

I didn't have an orange around but I do have a lemon tree so I went out back 40 feet and picked one.

Following the directions in Christmas on the Farm: A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife, I cut thin strips in the lemon 3/4 of the way down. Well, mine might have been a bit more, I would go not quite as far next time. Here it is still with the lemon in the peel. I then pulled the center out. I grabbed a flower from the yard just to take a pretty picture as I don't have the salad fixin's around, but what I was thinking I could do was put lemon sorbet in it. Then again, it's morning, and if I did that then it would mean I would then have to eat the sorbet, and not that I'm beyond eating dessert first, but I shouldn't be spoiling my lunch as Mom would say! :)

 

Click on this page from Christmas on the Farm: A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife for the full chrysanthemum salad recipe and directions on how to carve up an orange into a chrysanthemum-shaped serving dish.

Christmas on the Farm:

A Collection of Favorite Recipes, Stories, Gift Ideas, and Decorating Tips from The Farmer's Wife

by

Lela Nargi

Christmas was the be-all, end-all celebration on the farm. Pages and pages on the topic appeared in The Farmer’s Wife, and these pages weren’t just about food—although recipes for all the various components of parties and holiday gift baskets certainly abounded.

 

The magazine’s experts expounded on the best and latest ways to decorate home, tree, and parcels and to create homemade gifts for family and friends, as well as games to be played to capture the spirit of the season. In short, The Farmer’s Wife presented its own opinion—both grand and humble, broad and minute, and always, always bearing in mind the idea of community among its readers—about the ways in which Christmas should be celebrated.

 

You’ll find in this book a smattering of that opinion. Here are recipes to see you through the entire Christmas season; gift ideas guaranteed to get your creative juices flowing; tips for decking your halls; and even a few stories to delight both the young and the young at heart.

Editor Lela Nargi is the author of Around the Table: Women on Food, Cooking, Nourishment, Love . . . and the Mothers Who Dished It Up for Them and several other Farmer’s Wife cookbooks. Visit her online at www.lelanargi.com or lelanarginews.blogspot.com.

 

Stacked fishbowl calla lily flower arrangement from the book One-of-a-Kind Handmade Weddings Easy-to-Make Projects for Stylish, Unforgettable Details

I thought I'd wrap up this craftastic week with a fun stacked fishbowl calla lily flower arrangement idea from the book One-of-a-Kind Handmade Weddings: Easy-to-Make Projects for Stylish, Unforgettable Details.

Click on this page from  One-of-a-Kind Handmade Weddings to read about this stacked fishbowl calla lily flower arrangement. I really think there are a whole bunch of possibilities here for filling these bowls with all sorts of things!

One-of-a-Kind Handmade Weddings:

Easy-to-Make Projects for Stylish, Unforgettable Details

By 

Laura Maffeo 

Colleen Mullaney

One-of-a-Kind Handmade Weddings is filled with ideas to inspire today's bride-to-be. The book is filled with extra-special touches that will quickly and easily personalize any event—whether it's in a ballroom or at the beach. Centerpieces in bloom, candlelit walkways, perfect accessories for flower girls and groom, a memory scrapbook, table lanterns, a fishbowl of wishes, and save-the-dates—these are just a few of the many decorative details. There are a wide range of projects and additional design ideas for the planning, ceremony, and celebration. Readers can choose from among the easy step-by-step projects—or look for inspiration in the photo gallery of design ideas to create their own signature style.

Laura Maffeo has worked as a stylist for Martha Stewart Weddings, Home, Seventeen, Family Circle Home Crafts, and Everyday with Rachel Ray. She is the author of Girls' Night in: Fabulous Ideas for Evenings with Friends (Ryland Peters & Small, 2006).

Colleen Mullaney was formerly editor-in-chief of Jo-Ann magazine, Family Circle Homecrafts, and FTD in Bloom. She is the author of Faux Fabulous Florals (Sixth & Spring, 2004), Punch: Celebrations in a Bowl (Chronicle, 2005), and It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere: The Global Guide to Fabulous Cocktails (Sixth & Spring, 2008).

 

How to sculpt and paint a pansy from the new book Amazing Clay Flowers: Creating Realistic Flowers and Floral Arrangements

I bet if you didn't see the word "Clay" in the title of Amazing Clay Flowers you would think they were real! With the amazingly detailed photo tutorials in this book you too can make blossoms this pretty. Scroll down to get a sneak peek on how to sculpt and paint clay pansies from the soon-to-be-released:

Amazing Clay Flowers:

Creating Realistic Flowers and Floral Arrangements

By

Noriko Kawaguchi

This book provides complete instruction for creating stunning life-like flowers in clay as well as ideas for creating beautiful and long-lasting floral arrangements. 22 unique flower and arrangement projects are divided into seasonal sections, Spring, Autumn, Winter, and Summer, followed by themed projects including bouquets and accessories. The book shows beautiful photography of each arrangement and then offers complete, photographic, step-by-step instruction for each. The amazing projects are full of intricate details and provide both inspiration for polymer clay and mixed-media artists as well as complete instruction.

Noriko Kawaguchi is a native of Tokyo, Japan.  Her love of clay sculpting and other crafts began when she lived overseas with her husband who was posted abroad for work. While living in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and London she studied a variety of arts and crafts. Currently, she teaches and exhibits internationally. She has authored a number of books about clay sculpting published in Japan.

Click on these images from Amazing Clay Flowers to enlarge and see how to sculpt a pansy.

This last page on how to make a clay pansy from Amazing Clay Flowers shows you how to paint the details.

Happy bloomin'  sculpting!

Sneak Peek into Nature Inspired: Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage

This book will be out in September but I really have nature on the brain because I have been doing tons of work in the yard, everything from mowing the lawn to rooting clippings of new plants to go in the yard.

Nature Inspired
Mixed-Media Techniques for Gathering, Sketching, Painting, Journaling, and Assemblage
By
Tracie Lyn Huskamp

A lovely nature-inspired art and journaling book featuring the distinctive artwork, projects, journal pages, and unique techniques of artist Tracie Lyn Huskamp.

Along with hints and tips for photographing nature, collecting, and preserving natural elements, the book discusses ways to capture moments and create memories through simple sketches from photographs, painting on fabric, creating journals and journal art, as well as with shadowbox assemblages to display and highlight particular found objects. The artist will share handwritten notes, drawings, poetry, and detailed techniques.

Tracie Lyn Huskamp works as a freelance Product Designer/Illustrator creating mass-market products. A number of her designs have sold in retail stores such as Wal-Mart, Hobby Lobby, Michaels Crafts, Lowe's Hardware, and Walgreen Drugs. One of her products was featured on the television show, Extreme Home Makeover. Tracie's mixed media work has received both regional and national recognition. Her art has appeared on the cover of Somerset Studios, along with feature articles in Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, Stampington's premier issues of Artful Blogger, Life Images, and the Quilting Arts Gifts special publication, and she is a contributor to several Quarry books. She has also participated as a workshop instructor at some of the most popular art and fiber retreats and conferences around the country, including Artfest, ArtFiberfest, Art Unraveled, Art and Soul, and the International Quilt Festival. Visit her blog at http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com

So I felt the best place to start was with this project:

Is is a Gathering Journal.

 

There are pages that tell you how to do it all from making the covers to tips on gathering flowers and leaves but the one part that looked really interesting was this section on Creating a window for pressed botanicals:

 

Today's question is an easy one, after all it is Friday!

What is your favorite plant or flower?

As a thanks for answering you are entered to win a free book.

Have a great weekend!

"C" is for CHA- Sweater Surgery Warm and Fuzzy Flowers from recycled wool sweaters

Do these little bloomin' beauties make you crave spring? Well if you are somewhere cold I hope they do! They are warm and fuzzy 'cause they are made from recycled wool sweaters!

I will be at CHA hosting a Make and Take and book signing from 10:00-12:00 on Sunday in the Quayside Publishing Group's Booth #2552 to promote my book:

Sweater Surgery
How to Make New Things from Old Sweaters

By yours truly,

Stefanie Girard

Contemporary crafters are thriving on personalizing, modifying, and altering fashion as not only hobbies but as a lifestyle.

Why repurpose your sweaters? Because you can't buy sweater fabric by the yard. Sweaters get damaged or go out of style but we still love the prints, colors, and textures. You don't have time to knit it from scratch. It's ecologically correct. And most of all--it's fun!

Sweater Surgery shows you how to upcycle all your slightly worn, slightly damaged, or plain old out-of-style sweaters into fabulous new items for your wardrobe and your home. Readers learn how to choose, cut, restitch, felt, and embellish old sweater fabric, transforming it into beautiful handbags, mittens, scarves, hats, hoodies, skirts, jewelry, soft toys, pillows, and more!

Complete instructions for 27 projects, plus a huge gallery of exciting ideas for further inspiration.

I have a degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute and worked as a set decorator and prop master for 10 years in the entertainment industry. I have produced, written scripts and edited Web content for television shows and have been covering these creative topics for HGTV, DIY Network and Lifetime TV. I have designed and written directions for over 400 craft projects for clients.

But if you can't make it to CHA here are the patterns for you:

 

Click on image to download and print.

To see pictures from last year's CHA, click on the link below or to the right. And for more
Sweater Surgery projects and patterns hit those links!

On to today's question, "If you make flowers, what do you like to make them out of. If you don't make flowers but grow them or buy real ones, what is your favorite? And why?"

I'm not quite sure if pussy willows are a flower but they are my favorite! I love to craft with the little soft buds.

And my namesake, which my grandmother used to call me, Stephanotis.

Happy Inauguration Day!