Sugar Paste Flower Spray Display

I bet you didn't know this about me: I know how to make sugar paste flower sprays, like this one:

Actual size left rose: 3/4"

Yepp, this is made by me. Every bud, petal, flower and leaf is hand made with sugar paste and individually colored/painted. I admit it, I don't make many of them, but it's great to know I have the skills!

Sugar paste sprays are very fragile, especially the flowers as the petals are very delicate and thin. I wanted to display a spray in my working space, but it would surely need some protection (think kittens and kids)! I couldn't find any suitable in the stores, so I decided to make one myself.


I took a sturdy paper box, cut a window which I covered with acetat from the back and covered the box with pretty papers, lace and embellishments. And voila! A nice box which, in theory, would protect my precious flower spray from damage.

Papers: MME. Leaves: Prima. Pearl spray & flower: unknown. Lace: Authentic, from my grand ma's

The truth?
The display is still sitting on top of my shelf.

It hung over my desk, but when I cought Mercedes, the kitten, jumping for it to get the moving pearl spray and the flower, I removed it. She was so close to getting there, and if she had succeeded, she would have torn the entire box down. And there would be no sugar spray left.

Don't you love your pets?

Hush, don't tell my hubby!

• That I have spent to much on scrapping?
  No, I've been good so far this year (remember, as I have a "Shopping Free 2013" I have only allowed myself to buy four collections)
• That I have spent too much time scrapping?
  No, I haven't. And as our living room is just besides my scrap space, he knows what I'm doing
• That I have a lover?
  No, I don't have one. And I don't think I can handle one either *lol*

So what is my secret?



Flower: Petaloo. Pebble: Prima. Butterfly: Maya Road (?)
Twine: The Twinery. Trim & washi: unknown
 

I have started some secret savings. If I do what I have planned, there should be enough money in the end of the year to go on a small vacation or something else fun.

Here is the deal: you start at Week 1 by saving a dollar (or an Euro, or any other amount depending on the currency where you live.) Week2 you save two dollars, week 3 three dollars etc etc. It should give you about $1500 by the end of the year if you manage to keep up. I have been good so far in 2013 :-)

I needed a box for my secret savings, and I had a container I wanted to use. You may have seen those often used for smoothies, juices etc, the ones with a hole at the top of the bubble shaped lid? I had one which had contained berries so it was easy to clean. But how on earth do you cover such a shape with paper? Then it stroke me: Washi tape!!! And how easy was that! I don't mind that the final surface has some wrinkles, I think it adds a nice structure in fact. I added a flower and an old butterfly I have had around for ages, a ribbon, some twine and a cute pebble, and voila!

I have no idea which manufactorers these washi come from. I have gotten some here,
bought some there and they have all come without packaging indicating origin.

I don't think neither kids or husband will ever look at the inside of this container, as they are used to me having decorated (uninteresting) stuff in my scrap place. And I have made sure it is placed on a shelf the curious kitten can't reach.

Do you ever do secret savings? For indulging yourself or sharing with the rest of the family?

What's for dinner? - Meal planner

Some time last spring I got tired of always rushing dinner cooking. I was fed up of never knowing what to make, and the food we made was boring. So we did something about it. My FIL feed the kids when they come home from school, so they weren't exactly starving when it was dinner time, either.

I started to cook everything from scratch (well, uhm, I don't hunt or have chicken in the garden so I don't grow it myself, except some veggies during summer), which mean basicly every dinner is made from fresh veggies and herbs, and preferably fresh meat and fish, too. Home made food tasts so much better - and the kids love it, too.

Decoreted front page containing last week's dinners

Usually I spend about an hour to cook dinner. The kids do homework while they wait for it to get ready. As I work full time, and hubby often work the late shift in his store, I need to plan the dinners so I don't have to go grocery shopping every day. Honestly, I think the dinner planning saves us both time, and money, in the long run - and the food is probably much healthier, too.

I have had grocery lists, and recipes, all over, and I wanted to get more organized. I found a cheap binder at a local store, with room for an insert at the front, and I made myself a dinner planner:




Binder with fron page insert.
Patterned papers, cut outs etc: Michele Singh for CSI (CSI coordinates #38)


As you see the front is covered, so I don't have to worry about stains on my pretty front insert (unless somebody (like me) spoil 1/3 gallon of milk on top of it). I also sewed a plastic pocket onto the insert, so I can replace the week menus easily.

I use simple plastic protectors for my recipes - since they are in a binder they are easy to move backwards during the week.

And the hubby? He's all happy! Some weeks he has plenty of time off, and he's then the one in charge of both dinner planning and grocery shopping :-)


How do you organize your cooking?

Decorated notebook

My mum asked me if I could pimp up the book she uses in her summer recidence - a large notebook where visitirs can write a note when they leave.

I promised her I would, but I admit I was surprised when it was a blue canvas book - the color would limit me, unless I wanted to paint it. The book layed on my desk for weeks - I had no idea where to start and what to do.

Then I saw these fabolous decorated calendars at Kasia's blog in November - she was one of my fellow DTers at Cardabilities - I new exactly what to do: I pulled out some papers and stuff I had laying around, and just did it when I finally had the inpiration last week). It was actually quite easy - it was just a matter of having the right idea on how to start.

Patterned papers, doilies & trim: Unknown. Rubon house: Maya Road
Pearls: Prima. Birds flash card: October Aftenoon. Alpha: Fancy Pants

Do you ever have projects laying on your desk, not knowing where to start?