Quick kitchen refresh

As an avid baker it's great fun to hang out in the kitchen crafting while a pie bakes. 

My new Great Big, Wonderful World collection of crafting dies have just released from Spellbinders giving me the perfect excuse to do just that!

This is such a busy week it was heavenly to simply play.
I allowed myself half an hour to give the kitchen a face lift.

With just that sliver of time, I wiped down the countertops and cabinets, cut the paper and decorated the storage jars. After the flurry of Christmas baking, this was my perfect little half hour holiday!

I designed this die with a banner that can be left blank for flexibility.
Little did I know how perfectly it would work as a label in my kitchen.

I love using things in unexpected ways; it cheers me up to make my whole home a canvas.
And it makes my thrifty soul joyful when a few scraps and my trusty opaque white UniBall Signs pen can give the kitchen a mini-makeover!

For the sugar storage jar I happened to have half a gatefold-style greeting card left over.  This one is from my Sweet Christmas collection.

So I turned it into a label. Why not?

I always feel free to combine different dies. Mix and match is my style.

As a celiac baker, I'm loving this little project. 

The pretty labels will keep my kitchen both organized and creative. 

And that makes me so happy!

This blog post is part of a Spellbinders blog hop.
You can see more at the next blog on the hop by clicking here.
Or visit Spellbinders Paper Arts to shop all my current die cut collections.

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

The most beautiful book

As a lettering fanatic, I was completely blown away when I got to see the St. John's Bible recently.

It's the first completely hand written, illustrated Bible in more than 500 years and wow! What a beautiful book, wonderful beyond imagining.

My photos can't possibly capture it but I had to try.

The main body of the text is very old style lettering, similar to what you'd expect in a historic manuscript but the words are modern and the art and calligraphic are are very contemporary. Capital letters sprinkled throughout are fabulous and the colors really pop.

Hours raced by unnoticed as we paged through the seven books that measure about 2' tall and 3'wide when opened. 

Close up, you can see the amazing amount of detailed painted and gold leafed into the book. 

What a labor of love, and master calligrapher Donald Jackson, formerly chief calligrapher for Queen Elizabeth, did an incredible job with his team.

If you'd like to see this for yourself, you can find more information here.

Seeing the most beautiful book in the world was on my bucket list for years and

I can promise you will not be disappointed.

Every pen stroke, every detail are just beautiful, with care lavished on even the tiniest bits.

I hope you have the opportunity to see the most beautiful book. 

Its words of life and truth are life changing and the calligraphy and illustrations in this copy of the Bible are wonderful beyond description.

Autumn

One of the joys of living in our beautiful valley is the change of seasons, bringing inspiration and connecting creatives.

Every autumn we celebrate with a trip to Eddie Gordon's pumpkin farm, where we load up on pumpkins, apple cider and perhaps best of all, eye candy to inspire fresh art.

Eddie is a gifted artist himself and it shows up in his displays as well as his paintings.

Happy autumn!

Let's Make Tea Advent Calendars

I love Christmas, but only when it's home made. 

My family doesn't spend much on gifts but when it comes to something made with love- well, that's a sure way to my heart. Here's a peek at an easy, budget friendly gift you can make for friends and family this holiday season. 

This year I'm all about making tea themed advent calendars for my friends (and myself, too!) using my new Cuppa Coffee, Cuppa Tea and Sweet Christmas collections of crafting dies from Spellbinders Paper Arts.

I love quick projects and this one is so easy you can make something similar in minutes. 

No need for specific directions; just make it your own. Using paper cups makes it so simple.

I went to a restaurant supply and bought a package of the same type cups and lids you get at a coffee stand. Then I used a piece of lightweight paper to make a pattern, copying the shape of the cup. 

Use that pattern to cut paper you like, then glue it to the cup.

Cut tags and decorations, add to your cup, embellish with ribbon, inks and paper in any way that pleases you. You'll want to number your cups from 1-24 or 25, depending on how you like to celebrate Christmas. 

Tuck a tea bag into each cup and label the variety on the hang tag or back of the cup. It's fun to use different types of tea, and I like to add a scripture or thought for the day and give myself a few minutes of quiet to anticipate the holiday quietly as I sip.

You might have noticed I used completely different themes for my decorations. You can almost always do this without hesitation and come up with a unified look because simply using the same strong color scheme carries it off.

This blog post is part of a creative blog hop by Spellbinders Paper Arts. 

You can see all the posts if you like by clicking here here.

Hiking the Pacific Northwest

"Real life," said Hans Christian Anderson, "is the best fairy tale."

He was right, wasn't he?

Yesterday I hiked Artist Point at Mount Baker, right near home. We are on that lovely cusp between summer and autumn, when nature is at its vibrant best.

Blueberries were everywhere and I ate them by the handful as we climbed the very steep shale to the top of Table Mountain, then descended toward the Chain Lakes.

Wishing you fresh air and brisk breezes as autumn arrives.