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Friday, September 17, 2010

Cleome Flowers


                                                              CLEOME  FLOWER

This beautuful flower is know to have grown on the plantation of Thomas Jefferson.  It is also know as,  Spider Flower.  It is a delicate lavender, pink and white in color.  It can grow up to 5 foot, but mine usually grows about 4 feet and is in part shade.  You can winter sow them or plant in early spring.  Once you get a start, you can let them self sow.  They bloom for a long time in the summer.. 

I have already collected some seed and would like to share them with other gardeners.  I am offering them for $1.00, plus a stamped, self addressed envelope.  You will get about 100 seeds.  Supplies are limited, so please email me first.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Tissue Flowers

These facial tissue flowers make up quickly, and look soft and silky in a vase. Use 2 ply tissues and the color of your choice.  I used white here because that's the color I had on hand.  They look pretty alone, but you can use an opitional felt leaf glued to the back.  Your imagination can go wild making these things but they are so much fun, and make quick flowers for any room of the house.




                                          
                                                    Some materials you will need



You will need 2 ply facial tissue, thin wire, floral stem, floral tape, glue gun, sicissors and Opitional green felt for leaves if you decide to use them. 

Step one:  Take a tissue and fold it acordian style.







Step 2  Fold the folded tissue in half.



Step 3,  Cut half folded tissue in a V shape on each side, being careful not to cut all the way through the tissue fold.


Step 4, Cut a piece of thin wire, and wrap tightly around the V cut.   Leave a long tail on the wire to wrap around the floral stem later.


Step 5,  Next, cut the other end of the tissue in order to seperate the petals.


Step 6, Now, gently pull the tissue plies apart.


Step 7,  After you gently pull apart all the tissue, fluff gently upward, and presto!  Your flower is now ready to attach to the floral stem. You can now glue the opitional green felt leaf to the flower, or proceed to wrap the thin wire around the floral stem.  Make a loop on the end of the floral stem after you wrap the thin wire to it.  This helps the flower to stay in place. Then continue to wrap wire around the stem.  You can cover the thin wire and floral stem with floral tape for a uniform look.



You can add two or three flowers together to make a pretty arrangement.  


Step 8,  Place flower arrangement into a pretty vase.  I set mine on my bedroom night stand.



I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Pickled Peppers



These pickled peppers are quick and easy to make.  They will be ready to eat in about 3 weeks. They are fantastic to serve with Mexican food, over greens, or pasta.

You will need the following ingredients: 1 and 3/4 cups of vinagar,   3/4 cups of water,  1 teaspoon pickling salt,  several green peppers and one red pepper for color..  You can grow your own peppers or buy them in the supermarket.  You will need a measuring cup, sauce pan, teaspoon, clean quart mason glass jar with lid or a washed, glass pickle or jelly jar will do.


 Mix vinagar and water into sauce pan and heat untill it starts to steam but do not boil.


Pack green peppers into the jar.  Cut a couple slices of the red pepper and insert into the jar for color and eye appeal .



     
Add teaspoon of pickling salt in the top of the jar.  Do not use table salt, because  the iodine in the salt will darken the peppers.



   
Pour the heated vinagar and water mixture over the peppers into the jar. Then screw the lid tightly on the jar.  Turn upside down a couple of times to distribute the salt.


   Peppers will last at least a year on the shelf.  Refridgerate after opening.       Enjoy!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Crafty Keepsake

I made one of these pocket prayer books for each of my children and a few friends.  Just a little something to remember me by.  Its a good way to recycle  old greeting cards. You will also need, blank paper, ribbon, glue gun, stapler, paper cutter, ruler and some short prayers of your choice, for this project.





I use the Word program with a setting of three columns per page  to write the prayers.  Write them to fit a small folded piece of greeting card, about 2 and 1/4 X 3 and 1/4 in size.

Using a paper cutter, cut the prayers out to be folded in half.
Fit the prayers together and fold in half.  Next cut your greeting card portion large enough to fit the folded prayers into.

Next staple the prayers inside the cover.




Next cut a piece of ribbon long enough to fit along the back to cover the staples and to bring inside the book to use for a book marker. Glue along the back ridge using a glue gun.



Press glued ribbon to back fold, covering the staples.  Pull ribbon to center of book for a book marker.





If you have a long double page prayer put it as the center page.  If you have another double page prayer, you can use a glue stick to glue it into the back of the pages.

Make a practice book, then make several to give to special people in your life.  Below are some I have made.

Enjoy!