More Papertrey Fun

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This week's Make It Monday challenge from Papertrey Ink

was to use the Frosted Image technique.

This is the little lovely that I created for my

Send Love Today assignment.

Papertrey Ink also has a Blog Hop contest going on today.

The challenge is to create something with inspiration from

this photo.

This is my creation for the Operation Write Home basket.

Have a great week!

Zucchini Treats - Cookies

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Zucchini is one of my favorite crops from the garden

because of all of the ways it can be used in the kitchen.

Fortunately, the plants are fabulous producers and every year

I just can't wait to harvest them.

My favorite way to cook with zucchini is to use it

in baking.  When grated, it makes for a lovely moist base

for cookies.  I picked up this recipe years ago and modified it

to my liking - lots of healthy goodies. 

You can't feel guilty about eating these lovelies.

Some might even call it a breakfast cookie.

Zucchini cookies are a favorite of our youngest grand-daughter who

squirrels them away in her cheeks just to make sure

her daddy doesn't take them away before she's finished!

Zucchini Cookies


1 cup butter (room-temp)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 large eggs (room-temp)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

2 cups all-purpose flour (You could mix whole wheat flour with regular flour for an even more healthy treat.)

1 ½ cups rolled oats

¼ cup ground flaxseed (optional)

¼ cup chia seed (optional)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup mini-chocolate chips

½ cup raisins

1 cup shredded coconut



Preheat oven to 350deg. Cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, oats, seed, baking powder, cinnamon, salt), then add to the zucchini mixture. Stir in the goodies (nuts, choc. chips, raisins, coconut); you can add whatever goodies you like such as other dried fruit or nuts). Drop by tablespoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden brown. The cookies will have a cake-like texture and store well in an airtight container or frozen for future enjoyment.


 
What are your favorite ways to cook with zucchini?  I have a dozen sitting in my harvesting basket just ready to bring pleasure.
 

Hurry Up and Wait

Pin It Blogging today from my phone. How cool is that?! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks :)

Since living in the Pacific Northwest I've learned the lesson of patience while driving. There are many opportunities to learn this lesson - the wait lines for the ferries, while waiting for the various draw bridges to close, or even while waiting for a metro bus or lite-rail. Here we are today waiting yet again on the Hood Canal Bridge while a submarine passes by. I no longer am flustered by the extra 30 - 60 minutes added to my travel schedule. I relish it! I carry a set of knitting needles and a bottle of water & treats for Maggie, and then sit back and enjoy the view. Where else can you watch the sunset over the snowcapped Olympic mountains while a US naval submarine provides a glorious show?

Getting In The Game

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This month's Blog Hop Challenge over at Papertrey Ink is to create something
using this photo as a source of inspiration.

I love aqua and orange together.

In fact, the grandkids room is decorated using this color scheme.

Here's my entry for the Blog Hop Challenge.

Papertrey Ink Stamp Set: Think Big Favorites #1
Vintage buttons also from Papertrey Ink.

Fingers crossed - hope I win!

Another Make-It-Monday Challenge

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This week's Make It Monday Challenge from Papertrey Ink is to

make a card using the Poloroid Masking Technique.

I had never used this technique before but really like how

it comes out on a plain white card.

Here are two versions of my take using the Poloroid Masking Technique.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Colour My World

Pin It After the Pink Polka Dot Bonanza (here), I took a weekend to clean up my studio.  Boy, did it need it!  There were pink polka dots everywhere!  Hanging from the ceiling lamp.  Draped over the peek-a-boo cabinet.  Stuffed into drawers.  Even swinging from Maggie's tail.  Eloise loved her Big Box of Treasures.  We were able to Skype with her (I love Skype) while she opened the package.  The look on her face with each item - simply priceless! She carries around her Eloise doll and I hear the ruffled knapsack was a lifesaver on the plane.  She moves into her new room in about two weeks.  Can't wait to see pictures of her with all of her goodies.

The past few weeks have been filled with more sewing projects for my mother's birthday and father's day.  Thankfully, my sewing machine has been a sweet dream - not fussing at all (all you sewers out there know what I mean). I hope to post some photos and a couple of tutorials this coming week.  This weekend, I'm taking a little time away from my sewing machine to join in on all of the fun over at Papertrey Ink. 

CHALLENGE #1: Create something drawing inspiration from this photo.

Here's my interpretation of the picture.  The vibrant gradient colours had the biggest impact on me. Using colours from my ink stash as closely matched as possible to the photo, I inked a simple Papertrey Ink white card using Flower Fusions stamp set.  Each flower was finished with a simple button.  A butterfly was added as a detail just as the butterfly coat hooks are in the photo. 

Challenge #2:  Make-It-Monday Reverse Masking

A colorful and whimsical potpouri of flowers with a small wishful sentiment tag.
Papertrey Ink Stamp Sets:  Flower Fusion #1 and #4 and Tag-Its

Reverse masking was applied to the large "Flower" and one of the smaller flowers.

A few extras for the Operations Write Home basket.

Now - back to my sewing machine!  Hope your world is colored with bright cheery fun this weekend.

P.S.  Check back later in the week.  More new things coming to my Etsy store Otter Hill Designs.  Shop for charity - all profit is donated to World Vision to support women across the world.



A Pink Polka Dot Bonanza

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It's been a busy, busy week in my studio!  A few postings ago, I shared with you my grand-daughter's request for lots of pillows for her new big girl bed.  Maggie and I camped out in my studio and kept my sewing machine humming. 

Pillow #1 is a simple square pillow made with the yummiest, butter-soft chenille fabric and pom-pom trim.  I think it may just replace Eloise's "bah" (security blanket that she carries to bed).

Inspired by the ruffles in the Gussy Sews collection, pillow #2 was made with baby-soft flannel with a ruffle inset.  It was trimmed off with pink daisy chain and a few buttons.

During our visit to see Eloise, my husband took her on a discovery walk where she found a pretty pink camellia that had just fallen from its bush.  She brought it home and her Zeke showed her how to keep it fresh in a bowl of water.  When she asked for pillows, I immediately knew that I had to make a pillow with a big pink camellia flower on it.  I have been waiting for a reason to make it ever since I saw the original tutorial posted by Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew.

I couldn't stop with just pillows for Eloise's bed.  She asked for "other things" to put on it too.  What could be better than a doll made in Eloise's image?  Using the pattern from my new Fleecie Dolls book (see this posting), Maggie and I stitched up a Little Miss Eloise doll.  I wonder what she'll call her?

Maggie (middle) spread out across the floor. 
She's claiming the left-over fleece for her own pillow.

There was one other specific item on Eloise's wish list - a little light.  She explained to me that her room is very dark at night and she doesn't like it (Daddy, if you're reading this - take note.)  I just happened to have a night light that would fit the bill.  From the left-over fabric from the camellia pillow and the pom-pom trim came a pretty pink polka-dot night light and a  matching lamp shade too!

I thought her new room is going to need a few personal touches - like a banner for above her bed and a special photo of Eloise with her Zeke and Daddy, and a whimsical wreath for her door.  No mistaking whose room it belongs to! 

One last thing for the little princess.  She will be heading soon across the country to a new home on the East Coast.  What would be better than to have a special goodie bag to make the airplane ride more fun?!  I fell in love with the little ruffled knapsack made by Marie at Not Very Domestic.  I really loved the ruffles, but wanted a bag with a lining so I modified the Beach Bag pattern by Martha Stewart.  I took the liberty of filling the ruffled bag with tons of toys, activities and treats for the plane.  Didn't this turn out so cute?

My mother has put in her order for a ruffled ditty bag too!  In fact, upon seeing the pink polka-dot bonanza, my mom said she was changing her name to "Eloise" - too funny!

As Eloise's pile of loot continued to grow, I became more and more excited - the simple thought of the expression on her face when she opens her box of treasure.  My creativity was running amuck sparking the flame for the next project.  My husband commented on how this experience is the perfect analogy to describe how Our Lord must delight in fulfilling our requests. 

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you;

seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.

- Luke 11:9

And so I say to you, be like a little 3-year old and ask Our Lord for pillows, lots of pillows, or whatever you are desiring.  You may be surprised one day to see that He has fulfilled your requests beyond your wildest expectations.  Don't be afraid to ask.

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