Happy Halloween!

Two-legged or four-legged, hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!

More Artisan Interviews from Craft Cafe!

Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Fran Lay from Fran's Homemade Wonders

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Laura Roberts from Peachies Pasttime

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Lisa Boland from Lisa Boland Jewelry Designs

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Anita Beeghley from Faux Sweet Diva & My Crafty Addictions

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Michele Wolfe from Aphrodite's Attique (That's me!)

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Sara Kamla from The Sticky Wrapper

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Craft Cafe Artisan Interview - Meet Barbarah Robertson from Dragonfly Arts Pottery

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On Fire for Handmade Featured Artisan - Linda Searcy Jewelry Designs

This weeks Featured Artisan for
Share the Love, Blogger's Unite is

Linda Searcy Jewelry Designs.

Classical and Contemporary jewelry
with a Hint of Nature!

You can Find Linda Searcy Jewelry Designs on:

Craft Cafe  
Pinterest  
Facebook  
Luulla

Grab the code for your blog HERE

Are you On Fire for Handmade? http://onfireforhandmade.com

Going to the Dogs - Crunchy Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Cookies!

It's always dog treat season at my house (can't resist those puppy dog eyes, lol) and right now it's pumpkin season, too...and digestion-soothing pumpkin makes a great dog treat ingredient. These easy-to-make cookies will be a treat for your pup's tummy in more ways than one!

Hey guys, I think I've got her now!

CRUNCHY PUMPKIN-PEANUT BUTTER DOG COOKIES

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin (plain, no spices)
1 cup hot water

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Add peanut butter, pumpkin and water and mix together until it forms a doughy ball.

A doughy ball

Turn out dough on well-floured surface and knead about 10 times, adding extra flour if necessary. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut with your choice of cookie cutter. (Or roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and flatten with a fork.)

Place with sides touching on lightly greased cookie sheet, and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool as much the dogs will let you! For a super crunchy cookie, cool the cookies in the turned-off oven, with the door slightly open.

MOM! They're cool enough!

I used a 1-3/4 shot glass as a cutter and got 90 (7-1/2 dozen) cookies. Recipe yield will depend on size of the cutter and thickness of dough. Recipe can easily be halved or doubled.

Big bag o' cookies!

Store in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for about 2 weeks, but probably won't be around that long!

At last...COOKIES!!

Little Meat Hand Pies - A Recipe for Humans!

Yes, I do cook for myself sometimes, lol, and these are an easy lunch or dinner - great for chilly autumn days!

Cooling...

Little Meat Hand Pies

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1/2 lb. ground beef
12 oz. jar beef gravy
12 oz. bag mixed vegetables
Bake and serve crescent roll dough (will need 4 cans for entire recipe yield)

Cut a slit in the veggie bag and microwave on high for 4 minutes, drain excess water.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces.

Combine ground beef, veggies, and about 1/2 the gravy (3/4 cup) in medium size bowl. (You want everything to be coated in gravy, but not too wet a mixture.) Season to taste with onion powder, garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper. (Sorry, I hardly ever measure spices, I just give it a few shakes of each and taste test.)

Seperate crescent rolls - you'll use 2 triangles for each pie. Place a big heaping tablespoon of filling on one triangle. Cover with a 2nd triangle. Pinch around edges to seal. (I tear off the long, unfilled "tails" of the dough and use the pieces to help cover and seal the longest side.) Use a spatula to transfer pies to an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Cool to touch and eat - no fork required!

Recipe will yield 16 pies - 2 to 4 pies per serving, depending on your appetite. (If you don't need to make all 16 at once, leftover filling can be refrigerated - and is also great served over rice with remaining gravy!)

Variations: Use shredded chicken and chopped broccoli with chicken gravy, or diced ham and chopped spinach with alfredo sauce!

Aw, c'mon Mom, share!

One for the Kitties - Super Simple Cat Toy

Well, the dogs have had their days, so it's time to show a little love to the furry purries out there! This is the quickest, easiest cat toy you'll ever find - and you probably have everything you need to make it right on hand!

What you'll need:

1 lonely-only sock (you know, the one the dryer ate the mate to)
1 plastic grocery bag
1 tablespoon catnip (optional - some cats just aren't into it)

(Yes, that IS catnip, lol)

Cut a piece out of the plastic bag (about 1/4 to 1/2 the bag, depending on how big you want the toy to be) and stuff it into the toe of the sock. This gives it that nice "crinkly" sound that cats love. Add the catnip (if using) and shake it up a little to spread the catnip throughout.

Stuffed Sock

Tie a tight knot in the sock, as close to the "ball" as possible.

Done!

At this point, you have several options - you can leave the top of the sock attached as a "handle" so you can dangle it for your kitty; you can cut the top off close to the knot so your cat can play with it alone; or you can cut the top off and tie (tightly) a piece of string, yarn, or elastic around the base of the knot at the top of the ball to hang it from a doorknob. Any way you do it, your cat will love it - and you!

(Note - the pics are not exactly actual size, the toy is about 1-1/2 inches across and 2-1/2 inches long, including the knot, using 1/4 of the bag.)

On Fire For Handmade Featured Artisan - Melissa's Jewelry and Gems

Featured Artisan on

Share the Love

Blogger's Unite

The Featured Artisan this week for Share the Love... Blogger's Unite is Melissa Ruede - Melissa's Jewelry and Gems!

Melissa is married, a mother of two children, ages 7 and 3. She is also a part time nurse, as well as being an avid gemstone collector, and jewelry maker.  She has some Beautiful Creations in her Shop.

Stop by Melissa's Shops to see all of her Beautiful Creations!

You can Find Melissa's Jewelry and Gems on:

Etsy

Facebook

Blog

Twitter

It's a Doggy Treat Day...Again!

Yeah, yeah, I know, my pups are spoiled rotten....but how can you turn down faces like this? They're just so appreciative, lol!

Are they done yet?

Today's flavor is ham and cheese - a crunchy doggy version of one of my favorite sandwiches - and with these around, I don't have to share my sandwich...although I usually do!

Try them out on your 4-leggers....

Mixing it up...

Ham and Cheese Dog Biscuits

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 60 minutes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup dry milk
1/3 cup oil or butter/margerine
1-1/4 cup hot water
1 jar ham baby food
1 cup grated cheese (I used colby/jack, but any kind will work)

Combine ingredients to make stiff dough. Turn out dough on well-floured surface and knead 8 or 10 times, adding extra flour if necessary. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut with your choice of cookie cutter. (No cookie cutter? You can also roll out the dough and use a knife or pizza cutter to cut it into squares.) Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cool completely and store in an airtight container. Will keep for about 1 week (2 weeks if refrigerated)...if the dogs don't eat them sooner!

Ready for the oven...

Recipe yield will depend on what size cookie cutter you use - I use a 2-1/2 inch round, and get about 48 biscuits per batch.

Sparrow, Spooge, and Jones say "Hope your doggers enjoy them as much as we do!"

Nom, nom, nom...yummy!

On Fire for Handmade Great Finds

This week's Great Finds theme is Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness - and my rose pink scarf is a featured item!

Please take a few minutes to check out all the beautiful pink creations, and vote for your favorite...hope it's mine! :-) (You don't have to sign up, sign in, or register for anything to vote.)

It's I Love Yarn Day!

The Craft Yarn Council of America has declared Otober 12 as "I Love Yarn" Day...although in my case it might be more accurate to call it I Love/Hate Yarn Day! Yarn and I have a "tangled" relationship - if yarn was a man, I would constantly be changing my Facebook status between "in a relationship" and "single", lol.

Don't get me wrong, I DO love yarn in all its myriad colors, weights, and textures...I love all the things you can do with yarn; from the obvious (crochet, knitting, weaving) to the not-so-obvious (a replacement for string, instead of ribbon for gift wrapping, making nifty little pom-poms)...turn me loose in the yarn department of any store and I can guarantee I'll spend way beyond my budget, usually with no specific projects in mind, just because I can't resist the color or the "feel" of it.

Chair full of ongoing projects

But there are also lots of times when I HATE yarn...when it seems to have a mind of its own and decides it just isn't going to cooperate! How does a brand new skein manage to tangle itself up inside its deepest, darkest regions? Why is the end of a pull skein so totally invisible and elusive? How in the world can I store all this yarn and have a vague idea of what I have on hand? Why does the strand I want elude my hook when all the others I don't want are leaping up to be grabbed? If I had a dime for every minute I spend untangling snarls and rewinding the loose, loopy ends of skeins into balls, I could pay off the mortgage on my house, lol! And never mind the traditional image of cats and yarn...dogs are just as talented when it comes to creating a mess - and they always want to snuggle (or make me get up to let them outside) when I'm in the middle of counting a pattern!

Anyway, in honor of ILY Day, I made an attempt to organize some of my "stock on hand". I can't remember if we got this handy-dandy over the door hanger from the dollar store or Walmart, but since my daughter moved out and no longer needs it for her shoes, I snagged it off her door and repurposed it for my own use! It works so well for the skeins, I want to get another for finished projects; the pockets are a perfect size for hats, scarves, and other small-ish items.

Hey, this works!

What's YOUR relationship with yarn?

Coming soon - other storage ideas, and how to keep those balls of yarn from running away when you're trying to use them!

Interview!

Thank you, Laura Simmons, for featuring me on your Handmade Craft Items blog...give it a read and find out how I do the things I do!

Something New!

Softly scented sachets are perfect for stocking stuffers and small gifts for all the ladies on your list, or as a sweet final touch to a larger gift of clothing, lingerie, or linens! Get them here!

Craft Cafe Contest!

Contest now open! Win a goodie box full of fabulous prizes from the talented folks at Craft Cafe! Click here to enter!

On Fire For Handmade Featured Artisan - Shade Tree Studio

Shade Tree Studio -
Share the Love Featured Artisan

Shade Tree Studio has beautiful Vintage Style Jewelry Creations that are beautiful works of Art!  Handmade jewelry: vintage style bracelets, artisan etched metal cuffs, one of a kind necklaces, pocket watches, vintage style rings, and glamorous earrings. Many have been etched, enameled, and aged by hand with artisan patinas; creating the feel and look of a treasured vintage heirloom. A Must Have for Every Jewelry Box!

You can find Shade Tree Studio on:
Etsy
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Wanelo

Pay It/Craft It Forward

My friend Laura over at Peachies Pasttime reminded me about this yesterday....it's a fun way to spread some love and get a little gift for yourself!

Here's how it works - the first 5 crafters to comment below will get a surprise gift from me within the next three months....BUT, you have to repost this (on your blog, your FB fan page, your website, wherever) so that you can gift to five people, too. Tis better to give than to receive...and now you can do both!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Cooler temperatures always bring on a frenzy of crocheting (keeps my hands warm, lol)...with cozy and fashionable results!

Whether you're a guy or a gal, there's a style for you...

Keep warm this winter with a hand-crocheted hat from Aphrodite's Attique!

It's Doggy Treat Day!

Fall was in the air today, and it felt like a good time to fire up the oven...but rather than baking a high-calorie concoction to add heft to my hips, I made oatmeal-peanut butter cookies for the 4-leggers - although they smell so good I'm tempted to eat them myself! These are super simple to make, and my dogs LOVE them...when these are "in stock", Sparrow sits and stare pointedly at the treat bag (maybe willing it to fall off the shelf?) while Jones and Spooge stare pointedly at me..."Mom? Mom? Hey, Mom, there's cookies...cookies over there, Mom...Mom, did you forget? there's cookies...cookies, Mom....

All done and cooling

Want to give your fur-babies a treat? Here's the recipe -

EASY OATMEAL-PEANUT BUTTER DOG COOKIES

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 40 minutes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-1/4 cup hot water

Combine ingredients to make stiff dough. Turn out dough on well-floured surface (dough is sticky) and knead 8 or 10 times, adding extra flour if necessary. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut with your choice of cookie cutter. (No cookie cutter? You can also roll the dough into 1-inch balls, and flatten with a fork, like "traditional" peanut butter cookies.) Place on lightly greased cookie sheet, and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely (if the dogs will let you) and store in an airtight container. Will keep for about 2 weeks, but will probably be eaten before that!

Rolling them out

Recipe yield will depend on what size cookie cutter you use - I use heart-shaped cutters, a large one about 2 inches across and a smaller one about 1 inch across, and get about 4-1/2 dozen large cookies and 3-1/2 dozen small cookies per batch. Recipe can easily be halved or doubled.

MOM'S GOT COOKIES!!!

Leave a comment below and let me know how your pups like them!

Now on Craft Cafe - Artisan Interviews!

Craft Cafe Artisan Chat - Meet Peggy Garr from Artistic Creations

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Craft Cafe Artisan Chat - Meet Heidi Nutzman from Liquorish Bake Shop

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Craft Cafe Artisan Chat - Meet Jennifer DeHerrera from Dollipop Cosmetics

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Craft Cafe Artisan Chat - Meet Anne K. Mulligan from Flotsam & Whimsy

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Craft Cafe Artisan Chat - Meet Lindsey Bricker from Sugar Sugar Scrub

Here we go...

Well, let's get this show on the road... !