November 2013

Posted by Valerie Earnest

It’s Mouth-Watering Wednesday, and let me tell you….this one is NOT healthy, will go straight to your hips, and will make you an addict.   But I promise- it’s worth it!

I was first introduced to Cereal Treat at my mother-in-law’s house, and the recipe was provided to me by my husband’s aunt.  You may have made a version of this yourself- but this is how we like it.  (I hope I’m not sharing any family secrets!)

I usually make it for New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl, and other times where people will be hanging around, snacking, all day or night.   

Here’s what you need:

1 large Box of Rice Chex cereal

I large Box of Golden Grahams

1 16 oz bag Slivered Almonds (optional)

2 Cups Coconut (optional)

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Karo Syrup

2 Cups Butter or Margarine

Mix cereals, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl.  Set aside. (I’m allergic to coconut so you won’t see that in my pictures.)  You’ll also notice I’m not a slave to brand names.  I don’t think it matters when your cereal is covered in buttery deliciousness.

In a saucepan, melt butter/margarine, then add sugar and Karo syrup. 

Mix together and simmer for 25 minutes.  In case you don’t know, simmering means to cook at a temperature just hot enough for tiny, rapid bubbles to escape. 

Mixture should turn a light caramel color.  

Pour over mixture in bowl and toss until cereal mix is well covered.

Lay out on cookie sheets to dry.

Place it in your favorite bowl to serve, and watch as your guests return over and over for “just one more bite”.  Delicious!

I’m linking this up to some parties this week- hope you’ll check them out too!

What’s your favorite Game Day snack?  Savory or sweet?

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Posted by Valerie Earnest

It’s Mouth-Watering Wednesday, and let me tell you….this one is NOT healthy, will go straight to your hips, and will make you an addict.   But I promise- it’s worth it!

I was first introduced to Cereal Treat at my mother-in-law’s house, and the recipe was provided to me by my husband’s aunt.  You may have made a version of this yourself- but this is how we like it.  (I hope I’m not sharing any family secrets!)

I usually make it for New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl, and other times where people will be hanging around, snacking, all day or night.   

Here’s what you need:

1 large Box of Rice Chex cereal

I large Box of Golden Grahams

1 16 oz bag Slivered Almonds (optional)

2 Cups Coconut (optional)

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Karo Syrup

2 Cups Butter or Margarine

Mix cereals, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl.  Set aside. (I’m allergic to coconut so you won’t see that in my pictures.)  You’ll also notice I’m not a slave to brand names.  I don’t think it matters when your cereal is covered in buttery deliciousness.

In a saucepan, melt butter/margarine, then add sugar and Karo syrup. 

Mix together and simmer for 25 minutes.  In case you don’t know, simmering means to cook at a temperature just hot enough for tiny, rapid bubbles to escape. 

Mixture should turn a light caramel color.  

Pour over mixture in bowl and toss until cereal mix is well covered.

Lay out on cookie sheets to dry.

Place it in your favorite bowl to serve, and watch as your guests return over and over for “just one more bite”.  Delicious!

I’m linking this up to some parties this week- hope you’ll check them out too!

What’s your favorite Game Day snack?  Savory or sweet?

Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest

It’s Mouth-Watering Wednesday, and let me tell you….this one is NOT healthy, will go straight to your hips, and will make you an addict.   But I promise- it’s worth it!

I was first introduced to Cereal Treat at my mother-in-law’s house, and the recipe was provided to me by my husband’s aunt.  You may have made a version of this yourself- but this is how we like it.  (I hope I’m not sharing any family secrets!)

I usually make it for New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl, and other times where people will be hanging around, snacking, all day or night.   

Here’s what you need:

1 large Box of Rice Chex cereal

I large Box of Golden Grahams

1 16 oz bag Slivered Almonds (optional)

2 Cups Coconut (optional)

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Karo Syrup

2 Cups Butter or Margarine

Mix cereals, coconut, and almonds in a large bowl.  Set aside. (I’m allergic to coconut so you won’t see that in my pictures.)  You’ll also notice I’m not a slave to brand names.  I don’t think it matters when your cereal is covered in buttery deliciousness.

In a saucepan, melt butter/margarine, then add sugar and Karo syrup. 

Mix together and simmer for 25 minutes.  In case you don’t know, simmering means to cook at a temperature just hot enough for tiny, rapid bubbles to escape. 

Mixture should turn a light caramel color.  

Pour over mixture in bowl and toss until cereal mix is well covered.

Lay out on cookie sheets to dry.

Place it in your favorite bowl to serve, and watch as your guests return over and over for “just one more bite”.  Delicious!

I’m linking this up to some parties this week- hope you’ll check them out too!

What’s your favorite Game Day snack?  Savory or sweet?

Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest

Hey everyone!  Today we get to do something we don’t usually do here at Occasionally Crafty– host a link party!



We’re teaming up with Diana from The Girl Creative and Melanie from Reasons to Skip the Housework as a guest co-host of The Weekend Creative!


So, if you’ve got an awesome project you’ve been working on, link it up here and you’ll be seen on 3 different blogs!  That’s a huge plus for you!


Visit some other links and leave them some comment love– because who wants to party alone?  No one!


Remember to link back here, The Girl Creative, or Reasons to Skip the Housework to be featured!  And the more people who link up, the more exposure you get– so feel free to share, share, share!
Connect with us! You can find us here:
Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest

Hey everyone!  Today we get to do something we don’t usually do here at Occasionally Crafty– host a link party!



We’re teaming up with Diana from The Girl Creative and Melanie from Reasons to Skip the Housework as a guest co-host of The Weekend Creative!


So, if you’ve got an awesome project you’ve been working on, link it up here and you’ll be seen on 3 different blogs!  That’s a huge plus for you!


Visit some other links and leave them some comment love– because who wants to party alone?  No one!


Remember to link back here, The Girl Creative, or Reasons to Skip the Housework to be featured!  And the more people who link up, the more exposure you get– so feel free to share, share, share!
Connect with us! You can find us here:
Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest This was originally created for a guest post at Crafting and Creativity!
Today’s project was inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest.  (You can follow me here:)
Edited:  I want to add this button that My Marbles created:  Isn’t it awesome?  I hope to be able to use it more often:

Edited*** This button clock was made by Mason Bee, and is just one of her many beautiful creations!

I haven’t seen a tutorial to make this particular kind of clock, but using instructions I found across the web, it was easy to adapt for a fabric clock.

Materials needed:

1 embroidery hoop (mine was about 7 inches) Sturdy fabric of choice- I used burlap, but you could use anything 12 cute buttons Embroidery Thread to match your buttons Hot glue (optional) Scissors 3/8 in or smaller Clock Movement Kit- about $7 at any craft store, or cheaper with a coupon! Here’s how I made mine: First, I cut my burlap to fit my embroidery hoop, leaving enough fabric to stretch it taut on all sides.  You may have to double layer your fabric, depending on how thin it is.  You need something sturdy, and you don’t want anything see-through.  I placed it in the hoop and pulled it tight on the front and back. Then, I laid out where I wanted my buttons to go and marked them with a water-soluble pen. Next, I found the center of my button circle and marked it.  This is where you will assemble your clock movement kit. Now, mine didn’t come with any directions, so I had to do some searching to find out how to put it together.  Mine was an Artminds brand, but it is pretty standard.  Here’s how it goes together:

source

Take all the clock parts out of the package and disassemble anything that is put together. 1.  Cut a small slit in your fabric- enough to push the arm of the big black movement piece together.  The rubber washer goes on the back- between the black box and your fabric. 2.  Slide brass washer (circle) over the shaft 3.  Attach the hex nut (the other larger brass pice)- screw it tight to the fabric 4.  Gently but firmly press the hour hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 5.  Gently but firmly press the minute hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 6.  Gently screw minute hand nut (small brass circle) in place 7.  Gently but firmly press your minute hand onto the shaft. Once my movement kit was attached, I hot glued it to the back of the fabric for extra stability. Next, I hot-glued my buttons in place- just a tiny dot.  This isn’t necessary, but it saves me a lot of time in the next step. I hand-sewed my buttons to the fabric using two strands of embroidery thread.  I think I made three or four stitches per button.  Just make sure they’re on good! All that’s left is making it look pretty.  Carefully trim the excess fabric away from your hoop.  I basically put my scissors flush with the hoop, then cut all the way around.  I sealed the ends by drawing a thin line of hot glue across the cut edge.  This keeps it secure and keeps it from fraying. That’s it- pop a battery into the movement kit and you’ve got a cute (and functional) clock for your craft room, or anywhere else you need a little cuteness.  Can you imagine the possibilities with all the cute buttons out there? I’m linking this up to:

Pin It Now!

Posted by Laura McBride

 
Alright fellow readers, I have to admit something to you. One thing that kinda bugs me about the blogging world is that it is very easy to get caught up in what I call the blogging race. You feel like you have to keep up with what everyone else is doing, and what they are doing seems SO perfect.  They’re doing Halloween crafts when you’re still celebrating the 4th of July.  Their recipes always look and turn out amazingly, and they have 10,000 followers supporting them all the way. 

Well, my sister and I really feel that we are just ordinary, stay- at- home moms who love to craft, and we use the blog as a way of sharing that with you. When Valerie asked me if I wanted to join her she emphasized that I should only create things that I want to create and share, not to make something just to make it. I always keep that in mind when selecting my projects.

SOOOO… I really wanted to make a Thanksgiving centerpiece for the adult’s table. I mean, we spent so much time on the kid’s table that ours just couldn’t be plain! While wandering through Hobby Lobby looking for butcher paper and plastic wine glasses, I found this tree form that immediately screamed centerpiece to me.

Sorry, the picture’s a little crooked

I knew right away that I wanted to add felt rosettes all around the top and then do something (i hadn’t figured it out just yet) with the bottom. 

I quickly got to work cutting out what seemed like a million rosettes, rolling them, gluing them together, and then I was ready to plaster them allover the tree top. I got the first few on and was super pleased with how it was turning out until….

I didn’t have enough rosettes! And what’s worse, I got that felt in Korea so I wasn’t going to be able to just buy some more. I had a complete mental block on the whole thing so I decided to work on the other part of the adult’s table. 

This one was so simple that I could just get it done and get back to the centerpiece. At least, I thought it was simple.

I picked up 8 candles from the dollar store to spell the word THANKFUL with some easy paper cutouts. I measured and cut 8 rectangles to make the bands to go around the candles, and then went to pick a font for my letters. Now, you have to know that I have hundreds of fonts that I have downloaded onto my computer. While scrolling through my choices I saw a nice bold font. I thought to myself, ‘Hey! This font has some cool designs on the insides of the letters. I haven’t been able to use it before and this will be the perfect project for it!’  I typed up the word THANKFUL, cut it out on some cute paper, and upon peeling it off of the mat it dawned on me what sort of design was really inside the letters.

 

Ummm….  yes, I am THANKFUL that I live in Colorado, but not THAT kind of thankful! Ack! I had completely failed on my two thanksgiving projects! My husband even joked about keeping the marijuana/weed letters as a way of welcoming Valerie’s family to Colorado, but I knew they had to go.

So what does a true crafter do? Give up? I certainly wanted to. Time is a crunching and I had just wasted a whole day, and a lot of materials. So I drove over to Michael’s for some more hot glue sticks and inspiration. Nothing. I came home still not sure what to do. The next day I pored over my felt stash and decided to add a few more colors and hope to keep the same color scheme and idea. I didn’t want to use different textures of felt, but it wasn’t going to happen any other way.

How do you think she turned out?

 

So this post isn’t completely depressing, I’ll give you a little tutorial if you want to make something similar.  First, cut out 3 inch circles of your desired fabric, and cut a spiral into them.

Roll them up starting with the smallest point, and use a hot glue gun on the bottom to hold it all together. It turns out I need about 75 of these, instead of the original 36.
 

Then just hot glue them all over your styrofoam ball.  I just put them on in whatever way pleased me, added some scrapbooking pearl stickers, painted the bottom with acrylic paint, and added a bow. I think it will compliment our Thanksgiving dinner spread nicely!

Oh, and I did come back and finish those candles with a ‘simpler’ font.

 

I guess I wanted to share all this with you because even us bloggers fail. I am human and still want to craft for you if you’ll let me 🙂

 
 

 
Connect with us! You can find us here:
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Posted by Valerie Earnest This was originally created for a guest post at Crafting and Creativity!
Today’s project was inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest.  (You can follow me here:)
Edited:  I want to add this button that My Marbles created:  Isn’t it awesome?  I hope to be able to use it more often:

Edited*** This button clock was made by Mason Bee, and is just one of her many beautiful creations!

I haven’t seen a tutorial to make this particular kind of clock, but using instructions I found across the web, it was easy to adapt for a fabric clock.

Materials needed:

1 embroidery hoop (mine was about 7 inches) Sturdy fabric of choice- I used burlap, but you could use anything 12 cute buttons Embroidery Thread to match your buttons Hot glue (optional) Scissors 3/8 in or smaller Clock Movement Kit- about $7 at any craft store, or cheaper with a coupon! Here’s how I made mine: First, I cut my burlap to fit my embroidery hoop, leaving enough fabric to stretch it taut on all sides.  You may have to double layer your fabric, depending on how thin it is.  You need something sturdy, and you don’t want anything see-through.  I placed it in the hoop and pulled it tight on the front and back. Then, I laid out where I wanted my buttons to go and marked them with a water-soluble pen. Next, I found the center of my button circle and marked it.  This is where you will assemble your clock movement kit. Now, mine didn’t come with any directions, so I had to do some searching to find out how to put it together.  Mine was an Artminds brand, but it is pretty standard.  Here’s how it goes together:

source

Take all the clock parts out of the package and disassemble anything that is put together. 1.  Cut a small slit in your fabric- enough to push the arm of the big black movement piece together.  The rubber washer goes on the back- between the black box and your fabric. 2.  Slide brass washer (circle) over the shaft 3.  Attach the hex nut (the other larger brass pice)- screw it tight to the fabric 4.  Gently but firmly press the hour hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 5.  Gently but firmly press the minute hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 6.  Gently screw minute hand nut (small brass circle) in place 7.  Gently but firmly press your minute hand onto the shaft. Once my movement kit was attached, I hot glued it to the back of the fabric for extra stability. Next, I hot-glued my buttons in place- just a tiny dot.  This isn’t necessary, but it saves me a lot of time in the next step. I hand-sewed my buttons to the fabric using two strands of embroidery thread.  I think I made three or four stitches per button.  Just make sure they’re on good! All that’s left is making it look pretty.  Carefully trim the excess fabric away from your hoop.  I basically put my scissors flush with the hoop, then cut all the way around.  I sealed the ends by drawing a thin line of hot glue across the cut edge.  This keeps it secure and keeps it from fraying. That’s it- pop a battery into the movement kit and you’ve got a cute (and functional) clock for your craft room, or anywhere else you need a little cuteness.  Can you imagine the possibilities with all the cute buttons out there? I’m linking this up to:

Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest This was originally created for a guest post at Crafting and Creativity!
Today’s project was inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest.  (You can follow me here:)
Edited:  I want to add this button that My Marbles created:  Isn’t it awesome?  I hope to be able to use it more often:

Edited*** This button clock was made by Mason Bee, and is just one of her many beautiful creations!

I haven’t seen a tutorial to make this particular kind of clock, but using instructions I found across the web, it was easy to adapt for a fabric clock.

Materials needed:

1 embroidery hoop (mine was about 7 inches) Sturdy fabric of choice- I used burlap, but you could use anything 12 cute buttons Embroidery Thread to match your buttons Hot glue (optional) Scissors 3/8 in or smaller Clock Movement Kit- about $7 at any craft store, or cheaper with a coupon! Here’s how I made mine: First, I cut my burlap to fit my embroidery hoop, leaving enough fabric to stretch it taut on all sides.  You may have to double layer your fabric, depending on how thin it is.  You need something sturdy, and you don’t want anything see-through.  I placed it in the hoop and pulled it tight on the front and back. Then, I laid out where I wanted my buttons to go and marked them with a water-soluble pen. Next, I found the center of my button circle and marked it.  This is where you will assemble your clock movement kit. Now, mine didn’t come with any directions, so I had to do some searching to find out how to put it together.  Mine was an Artminds brand, but it is pretty standard.  Here’s how it goes together:

source

Take all the clock parts out of the package and disassemble anything that is put together. 1.  Cut a small slit in your fabric- enough to push the arm of the big black movement piece together.  The rubber washer goes on the back- between the black box and your fabric. 2.  Slide brass washer (circle) over the shaft 3.  Attach the hex nut (the other larger brass pice)- screw it tight to the fabric 4.  Gently but firmly press the hour hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 5.  Gently but firmly press the minute hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 6.  Gently screw minute hand nut (small brass circle) in place 7.  Gently but firmly press your minute hand onto the shaft. Once my movement kit was attached, I hot glued it to the back of the fabric for extra stability. Next, I hot-glued my buttons in place- just a tiny dot.  This isn’t necessary, but it saves me a lot of time in the next step. I hand-sewed my buttons to the fabric using two strands of embroidery thread.  I think I made three or four stitches per button.  Just make sure they’re on good! All that’s left is making it look pretty.  Carefully trim the excess fabric away from your hoop.  I basically put my scissors flush with the hoop, then cut all the way around.  I sealed the ends by drawing a thin line of hot glue across the cut edge.  This keeps it secure and keeps it from fraying. That’s it- pop a battery into the movement kit and you’ve got a cute (and functional) clock for your craft room, or anywhere else you need a little cuteness.  Can you imagine the possibilities with all the cute buttons out there? I’m linking this up to:

Pin It Now!

Posted by Valerie Earnest This was originally created for a guest post at Crafting and Creativity!
Today’s project was inspired by this picture I found on Pinterest.  (You can follow me here:)
Edited:  I want to add this button that My Marbles created:  Isn’t it awesome?  I hope to be able to use it more often:

Edited*** This button clock was made by Mason Bee, and is just one of her many beautiful creations!

I haven’t seen a tutorial to make this particular kind of clock, but using instructions I found across the web, it was easy to adapt for a fabric clock.

Materials needed:

1 embroidery hoop (mine was about 7 inches) Sturdy fabric of choice- I used burlap, but you could use anything 12 cute buttons Embroidery Thread to match your buttons Hot glue (optional) Scissors 3/8 in or smaller Clock Movement Kit- about $7 at any craft store, or cheaper with a coupon! Here’s how I made mine: First, I cut my burlap to fit my embroidery hoop, leaving enough fabric to stretch it taut on all sides.  You may have to double layer your fabric, depending on how thin it is.  You need something sturdy, and you don’t want anything see-through.  I placed it in the hoop and pulled it tight on the front and back. Then, I laid out where I wanted my buttons to go and marked them with a water-soluble pen. Next, I found the center of my button circle and marked it.  This is where you will assemble your clock movement kit. Now, mine didn’t come with any directions, so I had to do some searching to find out how to put it together.  Mine was an Artminds brand, but it is pretty standard.  Here’s how it goes together:

source

Take all the clock parts out of the package and disassemble anything that is put together. 1.  Cut a small slit in your fabric- enough to push the arm of the big black movement piece together.  The rubber washer goes on the back- between the black box and your fabric. 2.  Slide brass washer (circle) over the shaft 3.  Attach the hex nut (the other larger brass pice)- screw it tight to the fabric 4.  Gently but firmly press the hour hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 5.  Gently but firmly press the minute hand onto the shaft at the 12:00 position. 6.  Gently screw minute hand nut (small brass circle) in place 7.  Gently but firmly press your minute hand onto the shaft. Once my movement kit was attached, I hot glued it to the back of the fabric for extra stability. Next, I hot-glued my buttons in place- just a tiny dot.  This isn’t necessary, but it saves me a lot of time in the next step. I hand-sewed my buttons to the fabric using two strands of embroidery thread.  I think I made three or four stitches per button.  Just make sure they’re on good! All that’s left is making it look pretty.  Carefully trim the excess fabric away from your hoop.  I basically put my scissors flush with the hoop, then cut all the way around.  I sealed the ends by drawing a thin line of hot glue across the cut edge.  This keeps it secure and keeps it from fraying. That’s it- pop a battery into the movement kit and you’ve got a cute (and functional) clock for your craft room, or anywhere else you need a little cuteness.  Can you imagine the possibilities with all the cute buttons out there? I’m linking this up to:

Pin It Now!