Letters from camp guest post at Design Dazzle

Today I am hanging out as a camp counselor at Design Dazzle's 4th summer camp series.

You can get this free letter from camp printable.

Find me here.

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Gold glitter stag head tutorial guest post

Today, I'm guest posting at Joyful Home and Life and sharing 

this super fun Gold Glitter Stag Head with full tutorial.

Come visit me!

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Photo Christmas cards with Minted

One of my most favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas cards. It's the one time of year that I race my husband to the mailbox.
Last week I spent the whole week focusing on tips on how to write the perfect Christmas letter everyone on your list would enjoy reading, and today, I want to share with you a fantastic company that you can order your Christmas cards from.
When we receive cards, a few cards stand out from the rest,  and those are usually cards by Minted.
You can tell just by the paper that they use. This is a stack of 50 Minted cards up next to a stack of 50 of their competitors.

I spent some time browsing the Minted site,  and while I really couldn't find a single card I didn't like {honest} I did find some cards that I wanted to share with you that stood out from the rest.
If you don't want to write a lengthy Christmas letter,  but still want to include a few of life's details, this year in review card is perfect for that!
Bonus, you don't need a fancy family portrait for this one. And believe me, if your recipients receive this fun card,  they won't even notice your mug isn't on it!

If you really want to splurge,  I love these year in review holiday mini books. These mini books are 7 pages of pictures and text  for you to include the highlights of your families year.

For the newlyweds,  these merry and married holiday cards are super fun

and for those with a newborn not so silent nights is a fun way to introduce your little one to the world.

I love the simplicity {and the shape} of this seasonal sprinkle card
 
and speaking of shapes,  check out this Noel holiday card ornament!

I love this photo collage card that allows you to use a lot of photos without making it feel too busy.

It's hard to pick a favorite, but if I had to choose just one,  I would probably pick the elegant peace holiday card. The shape is unlike anything you can get at those other places and I'm a big fan of the design's simplicity.

One thing that I found while browsing the Minted site is that it is so easy to use! You can easily change the shape of the cards with a click

And change the font colors in a snap

The versatility of what is available makes it so that you won't be  sending out the exact same card as everyone else. And believe me, when all the cards are lined up on the mantle or on the fridge, you notice if you have more than one card that is the same!
Want to know something else that is cool? Minted will print your recipients addresses on your holiday cards for no additional fee. That's one more thing you can check off your long list of things to do!

So what are you waiting for?
Go order your holiday cards! this is a sponsored post by Minted all opinions are 100% mine. I really do love them!

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Apple Chutney recipe

Part of the reason why I love blogs and blogging is that you get to meet people from all over the world and you get to learn all kinds of new things.

Today, as part of my small blogger guest series

I am excited to introduce to you Jude from the other side of the pond as they say.

Jude can normally be found blogging at Cocojude

but today, she is here showing us how to make an apple chutney.

My name is Jude and I live in Brighton, South East England.  

I enjoy all sorts of craft, and tend to dabble! 

 Each year, I have got into a routine of making apple chutney, which I then palm off to as many people as I can. The reason for this is that my grandma has a very old apple tree in her back garden. Most years it produces masses of cooking apples. Last year there were no apples at all, probably down to all the rain we had in the UK, but this year the tree was back on form. So when we went home the other week, I came back with a huge bag full to make apple chutney. I have been waiting for a full day to tackle the job properly, as it involves a lot of peeling and chopping and mess!

  Ingredients (This makes around 10 jars of chutney)

• 1.5 kg cooking apples
• 500 g onions
• 500 g sultanas
• 750 g demerara sugar
• 500 ml cider vinegar/white wine vinegar
• zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 1 small chilli
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground all spice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 pepper corns
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds

Recipe

1. Wash, peel, core and chop the apples into fairly small chunks.
2. Peel and chop the onions.
3. Measure out and then add all the ingredients into a big pan and bring to the boil slowly. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Simmer gently until thick, stirring occasionally. The chutney is done when you can drag a spoon along the top and it leaves a track mark. It should take over an hour.

Pour into sterilized jars while both chutney and jars are still hot, and seal.

To sterilize the jars 

 Preheat oven to around 130 degrees

 Wash out the jars with liquid and water, then rinse them in really, really hot clean water. 

Put the jars on a baking tray in the oven for around 15-20 minutes, until the water has dried off. I put the lids through the same process. The chutney stores for years, and is best when you leave it for a few months. It is really good with sausages and cheeses like cheddar.

Oh my goodness, doesn't that look fantastic!

If you are looking for a hostess gift or a holiday gift for your neighbors, I think this would fit the bill!

Thanks Jude for sharing.

Please head over and see what other things Jude is doing on her blog.

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Junk mail into a landscape canvas guest post by My Creative Chaotic Life

I am a huge fan of mixed media pieces and I love using what I have on hand to create art.

Which is why I am so excited today to introduce you to my guest blogger Nikki today from My Creative Chaotic Life as part of my small blogger guest post series.  Nikki is going to show us how to take junk mail and turn it into a landscape portrait.  Pretty cool right?!

Hi there guys! I'm Nikki, and I take 

inspiration from the chaos of my everyday life and create ART! 

And how do I go about doing that? Well, let me show you how I turn this:

plus this:

into this!

 

 I have a series of canvases I have been creating that uses my junk mail and turns it into landscapes of the area I live, and I was asked to share with all of you how I do just that! So, sit back and enjoy the process!!!

 Of course, the first step in anything is to create a background. I used acrylic paint to make the background sky and clouds. BUT, the grass needed more texture and depth than I could get with paint. Instead I found a piece of a credit card application and added some paint using a template to add shadows and interest. I also added some different shades of green using misting sprays.

Once the paper was dried I crinkled it up to add more texture and used Golden acrylic medium to glue it to my canvas. 

You can see that there are a few different layers of greens to help add to the piece. I did the same thing using grey to add some boulders to the base of my garden.

 As you can see in the photo, the garden is surrounded by pine trees. Looking for a way to create the texture of the pines I used some corrugated cardboard, removed one of the paper covers and colored it using some glimmer mist and glimmer glaze paints. 

 

 Once the paint was dry I used more of my acrylic medium to adhere them to my canvas, using bits of cardboard as well for the trunks when needed. 

 The focal point to this garden is the butterfly house, and I really wanted it to stand out, and how better to make something stand out, than to make it literally stand out? I used a catalog printed on newsprint to fold the butterfly house. 

I first added gesso to the piece to add some strength and a wood grain texture to the paper. Finally, I added bits of cardboard to create the roof. 

Once my butterfly house was completed I used acrylic paint to add the decoration and glued it down to anchor my garden bed.

 

 Finally, I needed to add in some of the more airy plants to help tie the garden all together. To achieve this I used some pages from a plant catalog. 

I tore the pages into loosely shaped 'fingered' shrubs. Once the pieces were torn I added them to the canvas, being careful to arrange them in a way that they had depth and interest.

  The final step? Sit back and enjoy your creation! I hope you enjoy seeing the process behind creating these textured up-cycled pieces. To see more of my creations check out my blog "My Creative Chaotic Life". Would you like to see my art pieces I have for sale? Check out my Etsy Shop : Creating Amidst Chaos In the meantime, I hope you can find a way to create from your chaos! 

Thanks Nikki!  I am seriously inspired!  I can't wait to start digging through my recycling bin!

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Wardrobe basics for the modern woman

I want to welcome Glitter in the Grey today as part of Holy Craft's small guest blogger series.
I love having the opportunity to introduce my readers to some of the "smaller" blogs that are just now getting started.  But believe me, they will be big one day, and you will be the first on the bus!

If you are a small blogger {with less than 500 followers}
and want an opportunity to be featured, please e-mail me at rachelteodoro@yahoo.com



Props to Rachel for reaching out and helping newbie and small-time bloggers! My name is Morgann, I'm a {native} Seattle-area style blogger and have been at it for six months. I've worked in the fashion industry from retail to wholesale to brand management pretty much my entire life and it's thrilling to be able to get paid for my passion (I currently rep CAbi & have a closet audit business). The focus of my blog, Glitter In The Grey, is to highlight casual chic looks for the modern woman (and do it on a budget). 

This modern woman is generally 30-60, has kids (or doesn't), and has an interest in her personal style. She probably dresses pretty casual but wants to look great, and often times is so busy caring for her career or others in her life, she ends up last on the list. My goal is to change all that, to help you 'Rock what you've got', and look great in order to feel great. It's not hard, it just takes a little practice on hair/makeup/wardrobe basics. Today I'm going to talk about wardrobe basics. You can find lists of 'must-haves' you need to have in your closet just about everywhere. Fashion mags, TV segments, bloggers, Pinterest, pretty much everyone has a list. I tend not to agree with everyone else...and not surprisingly, you probably don't either. I think depending on where you are in your career, life, locale, etc...the must-have list will vary greatly. It's fall, so this list is more specific to cooler weather, but most of these items can work year round, especially if you have an office environment.

- Knit blazer – Something soft and comfy that feels like a sweatshirt or sweater but looks polished like a blazer. In a neutral color (black and charcoal are easy choices) that will work year round and match everything.

- Heavy weight black leggings - (CAbi makes the best ones) to layer under tunics and dresses.

- Skinny jeans – (dark washes are most flattering and work year round) Find a pair with stretch so they’re not uncomfortable and not too tight so you don’t feel like you have to wear a long top with them every time.

- Short sleeve drapey tees - Whatever colors float your boat. I favor black, white, greys, and stripes. They’re so easy to layer with jackets or sweaters, partially tuck into jeans or pants, tuck all the way into pencil skirts, or wear loose over leggings or skinnies.

- Knit fit & flare dress – I have a black one from Target (as seen above, which set me back $29) that is incredible. You can layer shirts, sweaters, blazers over the top, leggings underneath; it’s a workhorse item that can be worn 10 different ways. It's also important to mention that this type of dress isn't "dressy". It can be, but why not wear a dress from day to day? Paired back to more casual jewelry and shoes, it looks perfectly natural.

Speaking of jewelry - Statement jewelry – I like bold necklaces as they dress up any outfit. Big earrings work as well, as does an armload of bangles.

- Booties – Probably my #1 item this time of year. They look fabulous with leggings, any type of jeans, as well as with skirts and casual dresses. Black, or beige-neutral are my faves. You can get flat ones, ones with a stacked 2″ heel, even high heels!

- A great coat – Face it, even if you're on a budget, spending more on this item is recommended. We wear them 8 months out of the year, and oftentimes they completely cover up our outfits. Make this your statement. It’s a great way to add a pop of color or interest to your closet since a lot of what we wear in the NW is pretty neutral. J.Crew makes amazing winter coats that look just as great with a cocktail dress as they do with skinny jeans at your kid’s soccer game (unless the weather is like it was this past weekend...blech!). Then it's North Face all the way.

Do you feel inspired? The main part of my closet audit business is to help women "Shop their closets". After editing what they don't need any longer, I try to help them pick out new combos based on what they have already, and usually give them a small list of what they need to purchase. Do you have any of the above items? Inspired to buy any of them? I'd love to hear what you think (or what are your must-haves??) Please comment!

I'm doing a sister post to this one on Glitter in the Grey today with links to shop in all categories, plus my tips on chic (& cheap!) accessories to spice up your look. Thank you so much Rachel for having me today.  Keeping Seattle chic,  xo Morgann

Oh my goodness!  So many great suggestions! I actually have a lot of those items in my closet already and am inspired to create some new looks with them. Thanks for dropping in Morgann! Please take some time to go visit Glitter in the Grey and follow along. You won't be disappointed!

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T-shirt quilt and pillow tutorial from Sweet Boater Chick

Having just finished my fourth half marathon yesterday

{phew, more on that later!}

and having been a sorority girl in college,

I have my fair share of t-shirts I don't have enough days in the year to wear!

I know many of you have seen the t-shirt quilts and maybe some of you have been tempted to make them.

I'm happy to have Carolyn from Sweet Boater Chick as a guest post as part of my small blog guest post series to explain the process of making a t-shirt quilt and a pillow.

Hi I'm Carolyn and I blog over at Sweet Boater Chick.  On my blog I share many quilts and projects that I put together along with family events and fun times with my two nephews.   And if you were wondering, the name of my blog comes from my love of white water kayaking.

One type of quilt that I tend to be asked to make for friends and family is the t-shirt quilt.  This is one of the quilts that I have created with the method I am going to share with you today.  It is created with all different race t-shirts.

I am going to share my method of making this quilt, but this time I am going to make a pillow.  You will need;

1 or more t-shirts
lightweight or sheer weight fusible interfacing
cotton fabric for sashing and the back of the pillow
plain white fabric for the back between the layers
cotton batting

To start the project you want to do a rough cut of the t-shirt, leaving a large amount around the design so you can trim to the size you need later.  Next decide your layout if you are using more than one t-shirt.  (It is the same if you are working on a quilt)

Take one of the t-shirt pieces and fusible interfacing to the back, make sure not to press directly on the design from the front, I always press the interfacing on t-shirts from the back.  The interfacing makes the t-shirt more stable and easier to work with.  After adding the interfacing trim the t-shirt to the size you need for your design.  I usually do this in steps, all interfacing then all trimming.

Once it is trimmed I add my sashing.  The pink is cut 2 inches wide and the blue is cut 2.5 inches.  It is easy to add width to your pieces with the sashings.  Press the seams away from the t-shirt, this will make it easy to secure it to your backing later.  Put each t-shirt and sashing block on 100% cotton batting, baste it with pins, and trim around it.

The next step is to quilt the t-shirt.  I know that there is no back yet, but this makes it a lot easier when making a quilt.  I did free motion squiggles on the t-shirt, around the outside of the design on the yellow and just squiggles on the white smaller t-shirts pieces.  I then sewed the pink and blue together using a half inch seam allowance.  

The half inch is important for pressing the seams open, which you want to do when sewing the t-shirt blocks together.

Next, add the white backing to cover the batting.  Stitch in the ditch between the t-shirt and sashing in the blocks to secure the backing.  On the edges, I serge or zigzag the layers together and now it is all ready to add the pillow back.

I did a simple envelope closure on this pillow, the two sections of the closure overlap 3 inches.

Flip it right side you, stuff it with a pillow form (or in my case a quilt that I folded up), and ta-da you have a fun t-shirt pillow.  (I took off the pink because I decided it was too long).  I can see this fun pillow on the spare bed for when my nephew, Matt, stays over.  He loves all things space.  

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and stop over to see the other projects I have on my blog.
Thank you so much Rachel for the opportunity to guest post here on your blog!

Isn't that fun?!

Go spend some time over on Carolyn's blog and be inspired!

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