Beauty Night

I decided to do something nice for myself tonight. I haven't been feeling that pretty lately. My skin has been breaking out like a fifteen year old (and that's pretty bad when your almost 30!!), and my skin has been so dry from the winter that I look like I have 90 year old lady hands...so, tonight I used a clay face mask (for the second time this week) and I did my nails! I came across a cute design a few months ago that I couldn't get out of my head. You can find the tutorial here. I like my version better though...


Cute, yes? SUPER easy. I used O.P.I in "Aphrodite's Pink Nightie" for the base (two generous coats), and Sinful Colors Nail Art in "Bad Chick" for the dots. Of course I applied Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails clear coat over the top so it would last a little longer!
This week I also made some Christmas presents for my family, but that will have to wait to be posted until after the parties this weekend!

What a Cold Day

We had (and are still having) our first real snow of the season! I would love to say I hate the snow, but that's only true when I'm driving in it...I think the snow is beautiful. Especially the snow of an evening snowstorm still untouched by footprints and snow plows! Very peaceful. So, with snowy days come (naturally) craft days. Here's what I did today...


These bracelets remind me of something you would see on a yogi (not during a yoga session, of course!). They are made of braided cord, wooden beads on the right and metal painted beads on the left, and finished off with button toggles. I added a charm that says "hand made with love" for what turned out as a very pretty touch. I found the tutorial here...but didn't want to use leather....but, thankfully I'm a craft supply hoarder and had everything I needed on hand..including animal friendly cord.

I found this post about sleeping with a sock bun in your hair to get gorgeous waves for an easy, no fuss do. But my hair is not quite long enough for a sock bun...plus I was impatient and wanted a faster way of doing it...this is what I thought of...but I didn't think about taking a picture of the finished product before I took the next picture, so my cute curls became a frizzy mess once I came back in!

This is the kind of snow I was talking about in the beginning of this post. It's a heavy snow that muffles any sound that may be out there...not that there were many cars out tonight...everyone is tucked safely away in their nice warm homes, dreading the drive into work in the morning. (I don't work though, so I won't have to worry about it!) It was such a peaceful, calming moment that I didn't want to come back in! Unfortunately, my camera was getting wet, so I had to come back in...but I will be making another trip outside very shortly to enjoy the peace, sans camera, of course.

And to warm up, I made a nice steaming hot pot of coffee...the nectar of the gods.

Happy Accidents

I got some very cute metal coin purse frames a few weeks ago. They are all different colors! So, I wanted to do something cute with them! My first project turned out cute...but the bottom of the bag was too fat, and I thought it looked a little strange.


But I did learn a new technique for a flat bottom.




I really like the way it turned out! So, I thought I'd modify the original pattern and make the bottom a little less bulky. But, I messed it up! I didn't cut the fabric with enough seam allowance, so when I sewed the body together, the frame didn't fit. I was UPSET. I just wasted 45 minutes of my time drawing, cutting, and sewing, only for it to not work out?? But, as I was looking at my failed project with disgust, a new vision showed itself! It wasn't a failure! It was a happy accident! An accidental new design!



I'm really pleased with the way it turned out! Now, I just have to draw up a new pattern (there were two flaps...the other one was tucked into the body, adding unwanted bulk). Hopefully it will turn out the way I want it when I go to sew it on purpose! It is lined, and it has the same flat bottom that the bulkier purse has! I love the colorful button on the front!

Comfort Project

I have had a highly stressful two weeks. I don't really want to go into detail, but I've reached my breaking point, and something's gotta give. I decided I needed to do a comfort project. Something that is warm, beautiful, and relatively quick to finish. I haven't knit in a while, and decided I could use some new accessories. So, I decided on this pattern. It's called Spatterdash.
Here is the yarn I purchased for it:

The yarn is made by Cascade Yarns and is their merino superwash wool/mulberry silk blend. Yes, it's machine washable! I've come to the conclusion over the years that if it's not machine washable (whether it be clothes or dishes) that I don't want it. This yarn is knit on size 1 (eek!) needles. I've never used needles this small, so it should be interesting! Wish me luck!

Today

I was going to post a tutorial on how to make plarn today. For those of you who don't know, plarn is "plastic yarn" made from cut up plastic bags. Unfortunately, I am running out of time today. I have to go to work and I don't have enough time to make the plarn and take pics AND post them. So, that will be a project for another day. Maybe tomorrow between organizing my space and working on things for my etsy I can squeeze in a quick tutorial!
So, here are a few things I may try tomorrow..
underwear
ruffled pillow
fabric birds

I also have to work on my halloween costume. You can find a hint of what I'm going to be HERE. I know you're not going to guess just from this pattern, because I'm only using it as a rough outline for what I'll be doing..

Mom's Mashed Potatoes

Wow! The new blog is starting to feel more like home and less like a new blog! I’ve added some links to the site for your enjoyment! In honor of this homey feeling, I have a very special post for you! Every Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family dinner, my mother always asks us what we (my brother and I) want her to make for dinner. Every time it’s the same two answers…mashed potatoes and potatoes au gratin. So, I’ve decided to share the mashed potatoes recipe with you because they make me feel warm and cuddly on the inside, and I would love for you to have that same feeling! So, here is the recipe! If you do make them, please leave a message on this post and let me know how they turned out! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Garlic (lots & lots! Mom uses a couple tablespoons of the canned garlic, but I used about 5-8 chopped cloves of fresh garlic…whichever you prefer or have handy!)

Salt (for while the potatoes boil…potatoes absorb the salt in the water they are cooked in…not after you add it. Also a few tablespoons)

Butter (about half a stick)

Heavy whipping cream (not a lot…just a few drops while you’re mashing the potatoes)

Sour cream (about half a 16oz container)

Potatoes (enough to almost fill the pot after they are cut)

Directions:

Wash, peel, and cut the potatoes into small pieces (about 1-2 inches a piece). Put the cut potato pieces in a large pot and put enough water to cover the pieces. Add garlic and salt and boil the potatoes until soft. (Test with a fork to make sure that they are soft).

(washed and cut potatoes...I decided to leave the skins on these ones for a little pop of color and some added nutrients!)

Once potatoes are soft, drain the water (do not rinse) and put the pieces back in the pot. Turn on the heat and stir them over the heat for about a minute or so—no longer or they will burn. This is to dry the remaining water off the potatoes.

Time to mash the potatoes! Add a half a stick of butter cut into small-ish pieces. Using a hand potato masher, start mashing, adding a tiny bit of heavy whipping cream while you mash to soften them up. Once the potatoes are mashed, add about half a 16oz tub of sour cream and stir in. Once you add the sour cream, grab a spoon and dig in! NOM NOM!

Tee Shirt Totes

I had my very first craft show a few weeks ago. It didn't go so well. In fact, I didn't sell anything. But, in the shows defense, it was freezing, windy, and I didn't really have that much product. I had set up what little I did have in my friend's booth, and she didn't do well either. I know it's not the product, it was just the circumstance. It was certainly a learning experience. I know that my product is worth sticking with it. So, here was my process in producing a dozen bags in only a few days.


I started by ironing all my fabric...including the tee shirts....and hung them on hangers (from my chin-up bar).

Next, I matched the lining fabric with the tee material I wanted it to go with, cut up all the pieces, and put THOSE together.



Finally, I sewed all the pieces together and did some minor finishing. They turned out pretty awesome. In a few days, you will see them available in my Etsy store!

Vegetarian Sloppy Joes and Kitty Feeding Frenzy

Last night was a strange night. There was a mood floating around the house that affected myself, my roommate, and our herd of cats. It wasn't a bad mood...just a mood...that made us all crazy. I couldn't stop giggling over the smallest things, and my cat Flow kept zooming around the house banking off walls, furniture, and us. Eventually, we all got hungry. Yes, I was hungry enough to cook something...it only took about 10 minutes in prep work though, so it was easy and I didn't expend a lot of effort. It was well worth it though. Last night I made Vegetarian Sloppy Joes. I used the recipe at this site, but instead of a pound of ground beef, I used Morning Star Farms Recipe Crumbles, and instead of a green pepper, I used a yellow bell pepper. It was delicious.


I started by "browning" the crumbles, onion, and bell pepper...just like you would ground beef. No need to thaw...I just pulled the bag right out of the freezer, put it straight into the skillet, and heated it till it was hot. If you do try this recipe, make sure to stir the crumble often, because they tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. After they were hot, I added the ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, and mustard.

Here is the end result. Don't they look FABULOUS?? They were pretty amazing. They tasted like sloppy joes. The only difference between these and joes made from meat was a slight texture thing. But that didn't really bother me. And the cheese is vegetarian as well...I checked the ingredients and there weren't any animal products in it. I must say, pre-packaged vegetarian food has come a LONG way in the last 10 years. I remember my very first experiences with vegetarian cheese or meat products. The cheese tasted like poop (yes, poop..) and "meat" patties were like cardboard in the shape of a burger. Now it's pretty darn amazing.

Ok, enough with my veg-friendly non-rant rant. Back to the subject of my crazy cats. I decided it was a good night to give them a treat (because I'm crazy after all), so I gave them canned food. They love the stuff. I made sure to call them all into the kitchen before I even opened the cans because I secretly get a kick out of their reactions. With five cats, it's hard to hear anything over the meows when they're all excited. Plus, it's hard to move when they're all circling your feet. I didn't think about that part. But in the end, it all worked out and everyone was happy. I was able to snap a photo:


See how Anna has her own dish? (In case you don't know who Anna is, she's the one with her own dish.) She had the same amount on her plate as all the others, so two servings for JUST her. AND she finished first and tried to steal from her neighbor's dish. Which prompted this photo:

We had to lock her in my roommate's room until the other cats were finished. I felt bad, because I'm sure she doesn't remember the treat, just the fact that I picked her up and threw her on the bed while the other cats got a treat....

Welcome!

Welcome to the new and improved Twisted Stitches! This blog is going to be about more than crafts. This blog is about my life (which happens to consist of mainly crafts!). My goal is to share myself with you inside and out. Here, I'll be documenting my day (and I'll try to do it everyday, but no promises that it will be done everyday) with pictures, recipes, and tutorials....not to mention my hopes, dreams, fears, failures, and accomplishments. If you want to look at the old blog (and I don't know why you would, because this blog is SO much better), you can find it here. Thank You for looking! Until next time!