Iron Crafter (Day #6, Yup it counts for tomorrow!)

Am I worthy to be called an IRON CRAFTER?  We will soon find out!  Here is my submission for the Iron Crafter competition hosted by Firelies and Jellybeans!

Organizational Corkboard/ Chalkboard

To make this project I started with a 2' 3" fiberboard house cutout that I bought a year ago at Michaels.  I have been waiting for an excuse to make something with it so this challenge was perfect!  I painted it with black chalkboard paint, giving it 4 coats for full coverage.

When the paint was dry I then measured and cut scrapbook paper to the appropriate size to cover the roof.  I then glued the paper and continued to decoupage with Mod Podge.

While the glue was drying I got my roll of corkboard and cut 3 rectangles to make 2 windows and a door.

Once the shapes were cut I painted them red with a sponge brush to match the roof.

I then painted words to spell F-A-M-I-L-Y and repainted some wood stickers that I had to create some silhouettes.  I glued together all of the components and added a knob, a hinge to hold my chalk and some hooks to hold keys.  I now have a very functional orgainzational tool for the kitchen (not to mention pretty decoration!)  So here is the finished project!

Wish me luck in the Iron Crafter Challenge!

I am sharing with

Love,

Pinkapotamus

Crafting Challenges (Day #5)

By nature I have found that I am a competitive person (mostly with myself).  This was something that I did not know about me until I began running about 2 years ago.  At my first race, I remember being sooo nervous that I had to use the bathroom at least 3 times before the race even began.  I finished the 5K in 24:30 and came in 7th for my age.  That was good.. but I knew that I could do better so I trained harder for my next race and came in at the same time in a much bigger race.  By the time I got to my 3rd race I had come in 2nd!  By my fourth I took 1st!  After that I decided that it was time to work on a much bigger goal, so for my 31st birthday I signed up for a 1/2 marathon.  I know what you are thinking .. this chick is crazy and I agree that I had the same thoughts but I just kept training until I could run the full 13.1 miles on hills in any weather.  Then in May the big day came and I killed my practice times by a full 15 minutes and came in at 1 hour 48 minutes! Woot!

Now in crafting its Race Day.   My current challenges are as follows:

1.  Create a worthy submission for the Iron Crafter Challenge at Fireflies and Jelly Beans.  (I have my idea!)
2.  Make a tricycle diaper cake for a shower gift.
3.  Design a communion centerpiece and party favors for the cutest baby I know.
4.  Create a shower gift for my neighbors first Granddaughter (I have the best neighbors EVER!)
5. Make my daughter a dress and a nightgown for her 8th birthday!

I finished one of my challenges.  I have been invited to the Baby Shower for my neighbors granddaughter.. since she has forbidden me to spend any money on a gift I had to dig into my stock and pull out a project.  Here is a tutorial on how to make a Butterfly memo board!  Hope you like it!

First I started with the memo board. It is a plain one with an unfinished wood frame.  I painted mine pink.

Then I used a cereal box to make myself a template of butterflies in different sizes.  I cut them out of scrapbook paper (doublesided).

I picked out the letters in my case.. Kailey Madison and then folded each of the butterflies so that they would look like they were in flight.  I added glue to the letters and pasted them onto the board. 

Voila!  Baby shower gift made from items I had kicking around the house.  Sometimes being a craft hoarder really pays off!

Wish me luck in my upcoming challenges.

Love,

Pinkapotamus

To Craft Show or Not to Craft Show (Day #4)

Crafters Wanted.  That's what the ad in the local paper said.  Now the big question is to Craft Show or Not to Craft Show! 

My biggest concerns:

1. Am I ready for a craft show?

2. Do I have enough stuff made?

3. What if NO ONE buys ANYTHING?

4. Is my crafting GOOD enough for the high end Bergen County town of Allendale?

Last October I was all signed up to do a craft show.. but I think that fate was trying to tell me something!  The first day of the show was cancelled due to rain and then the day of the makeup show was scheduled for the day that I was leaving for Florida with my family (craft show or Mickey.. who would you chose?). 

At the present time, I have all of the projects that I made last year which includes about 20 scrapbooked picture frames and 20 of my mirrored minions. 

The present craft show is only $50 (which I think I can swing) for a small table and it is in October so that means that I would have plenty of time to add to my stash of crafts. 

Since I am totally undecided I think that I need to seek crafting counsel.  Let me know what you think.. I am open to suggestions!

Here is also today's craft reveal.. sorry to say it is yet another Owl.. this time my owl friend has ventured out in the snow and make friends with the local snowmen!  Hope you like it.. (btw I did tell you that I obsess, right?)

Love,

Pinkapotamus!

Sauce Neapolitan Style! (Day #3)

 I love summer.. but summer needs its own kind of food.  Summer feels light and refreshing so I plan my menus around that feeling.  My son, Sean Parker (aka my little chef) and I got ready to make dinner and made this simple and  oh soo yummy Neapolitan style sauce.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 - 35oz cans of crushed tomatoes with basil (I love Tuttorosso)

1 onion

1 shallot

2 cloves garlic

handful of fresh basil from my garden

3 TBLS canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

First chop the onion and saute with a little salt over medium heat in canola oil.   Then chop the shallot and garlic and lightly saute. 

Add in the two cans of crushed tomatoes and stir.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Add the chopped basil.

Let simmer for atleast 20 minutes.. if you have time let it cook longer it just makes the flavors better!

We love to add salad to everything and the more stuff from the garden the better!

So here is how the whole meal came together.. salad, bread and sauce over gnocchi topped with parmesan and fresh basil!  Delicious!

Once we were done with this meal there was enough sauce leftover to make some french bread pizzas for lunch and another pasta dish with green olives added in!  Try and enjoy!

Here is my craft reveal for the day!  This project has been rolling around in my brain for weeks.  Originally I pictured it as a different project entirely but I am really Happy with the results!  I call it "Fairy Laundry".  Hope you like it! 

Sorry about the pic quality the kids have been hijacking my camera lately and have REALLY messed it up!

Love,

Pinkapotamus

My first blog hop at Hoo Are You!

This is my first experience with the blog hop and  as I am new to blogging in general  it looked like fun so I thought that while I wasn't sleeping.. I would give it a try so here goes!

http://nightowlcrafting.blogspot.com/   (like I said I am new at this and could not get the button to load into the blog.. but i will figure it out for next time!
1. Do you sing in the shower or car when no one else is listening?

I sing in the shower, in the car, in the yard, in the store.  No matter where I go I am always singing to the kids just for fun.. and btw I am not a very good singer but have learned not to care!

2. Do you have a nickname you go by now or growing up?
My name is Amie so there is not much that you can do with that .. but when I was a kid my best friend's mom used to call me AMIE KADIDLERHOPPER!  I thought it was great!

3. Do you speak another language?
No second languages here.. but maybe someday I will learn as I do homework with the kids.. one can only hope!

4. Where is you favorite vacation spot?
I love to be anywhere that there is a beach and I can trap my husband with the kids ALONE and without a phone!  My favorite beach is Hilton Head, SC.

5. What do you cook the most for dinner?
I cook chicken dishes the most for dinner.  We make it into a variety of things like tacos, soup.. we like to mix it up a lot so there isn't much that we repeat all the time!

Hope you enjoyed getting to know me too!

Girls Craft Night (Day #2)

Tonight my in-laws came over for coffee and pastries and of course to visit with the grandkids.  Now don't anyone panic.. in-law is not a BAD word in my house.  My mother in-law is a wonderful woman who shares my love of all things handmade.  She is super talented when it comes to the art of jewelry making and knitting.  She never ceases to amaze me when she takes something as simple as a ball of yarn and creates anything from blankets to full dresses.  Never having had the ability to knit or crochet it is one art that leaves me in awe! 

Now my mother in-law never leaves the house unprepared for any situation in which boredom may occur .. so after my little guys went to bed she pulled several containers of beads, wire and jewelry crafting paraphanalia from "Nanny's Magic Bag O' Crafts".    She and my little lovey Cassandra then started a beading hoe down! 

They got right into crafting some serious looking whirl a ma bobs (which are swirling beads that hand from the ceiling) and my mother in-law gave me a wonderful idea for my next project!

As I am always one to jump right into a crafting party.. I got started.. immediately!  My Mother in-law loved my owl picture (see 2 am crafting for full details and pics) and thought that it would be a cute idea to follow my owl friend through the seasons!

(This is me and my girl being hard core crafters!)

Here in the lovely state of NJ today it was very rainy, so I thought why not have my girl owl's little brother jump in the puddles?  So here he is!  I hope you like him because I LOVE him!

Have some fun puddle stomping when you get the chance and of course don't forget your umbrella and rain boots!

Love,

Pinkaptoamus

I Confess! (Day #1)

I have a confession to make.. I am a craft hoarder!  There I said it.  Ahhh, now I feel better.  I have found that I cannot resist the temptation to purchase large quantities of craft supplies when the crafting bugs attacks.  I have spent an exorbatant amount of money on countless products (most of which I have not finished or am in the process of working on).. but time is against me.  I have three kids, a house to clean, laundry that threatens to drown me on a daily basis, not to mention a job (part-time), children who are ALWAYS hungry and a husband who Needs me!  Oh and I almost forgot.. time to myself.. which includes hours running so that I can breathe better (asthma sufferer).   So needless to say I must begin to make some of the crafting paraphanalia that I have purchased in the past into something wonderful!  From today on I am going to try (please forgive me if a day slips away) as best as I can to make SOMETHING everyday!  There may be alot of times that the same media is reused in a different way.. because I also obsess on one item for a time until I find something else that I fall in love with and have a million ideas for. 
At the end of 1 year from now.. I will host a giveaway of some of the favorite items.. (please note that this is me being hopeful that I will gain some new followers in the next year who will be interested in a giveway with my items!).
Here are some pics to illustrate my level of hoarding and the unveiling of my newest project aka.. Day #1 Project!

This is the pirate wall hanging that I made last night!  Don't you just love the ocean background?
Hope you've enjoyed this view into my organized chaos.
Love,
Pinkapotamus

2am Crafting Session

I think that I may need an intervention!  It's 2 am and when everyone else in my house is sleeping I am sitting at the kitchen table working on my latest creation.  I nursed 3 children for atleast 1 year each and have never fully recovered my good sleeping patterns.  I figure that the only way I can get anything done is when then house is quiet and no one is asking me for ANYTHING!
But I digress.. so this has been on my mind for quite awhile.  I love the look of the owl pictures but can't bring myself to buy one.  So I did what any crafty woman would do.. I decided to make one using one of my favoirtie media the 12" x 12" wood square.  So here is my very first tutorial for my 2 loyal fans! (Thanks Linda and Carolyn!)

The first thing that I do is start to paint the wood box.. because there is so much space this can take awhile. 

While the paint is drying between layers I cut out the shape of the images I am going to use, in this case, tree, flowers and owl.  (And of course while waiting for the paint to dry I am also folding laundry and emptying the dishwasher!) 

I paint the sky and then the grass so that the grass literally meets the sky. 

Once those elements are dry it is time to decoupage!  I glue the back of the cutouts and smooth them so that there are no wrinkles.  Then I decoupage over the top with Mod Podge and allow to dry.   Repeat this step several times. 

Then it is time to add a little dimension.  I love buttons and ribbon so I add both!  Put it all together and what have you got a really cute wall hanging or picture to stand on a table or shelf!  Hope my first tutorial was fun and helpful!

Love
Pinkapotamus

pinkapotamus.blogspot.com
pinkapotamus.etsy.com

I LOVE Cake!!

When my husband and I first met 11 years ago I swear that i was totally unprepared for REAL life. I had no cooking or cleaning abilities. I truly believed that soup came from a can and cake came from a box. After many years and many miserably failed attempts at cooking (mostly in the first 4 years of our relationship) things have changed dramatically.

Our daughter was born when I was 23 and I decided that if I was going to be a stay at home mom.. I was going to be a rock star at it! I got many cooking lessons on the weekends (from my awesome hubby) and slowly but surely my skills improved.. now I feel like an expert.. people ask ME for recipes!

One of our favorite recipes is yellow cake from scratch! No hydrogenated oils or corn syrup here! Here is the recipe along with some variations to really mix it up!

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 small round pans, two large round pans or one 1/4 sheet pan

2. Cream together softened butter and sugar. Incorporate eggs one at a time (I like to leave mine on the counter to get to room temperature before I use them.. makes the cake moister)

3. Add in vanilla (even if you forget the vanilla it is still super yummy!)

4. In separate bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt until combined

5. Mix in flour and milk into the wet ingredients starting and ending with flour

6. Pour into greased pans

7. Bake for 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. This varies depending on the amount of cake pans used and your oven

We love to take this cake and eat it right out of the pans.. but we have also made some slamming cakes with it too! Here are some examples:

1. Make chocolate icing (from scratch of coure) and top with sprinkles

2. Make vanilla pudding to put between the layers. Add strawberries. Top with homemade whipped cream and blueberries for a light cake

3. This is my rock star cake.. very impressive! Make whipped cream into the consistency of butter. Put aside. Then make chocolate ganache out of chocolate chips and half and half. Let the ganache cool. Layer the cake with the whipped cream in the middle and on top. The take the cooled ganache and pour over the top. It will look like a boston cream pie but tastes like it came from the bakery!

Love
Pinkapotamus

Meet Pinkapotamus!

Welcome to Pinkapotamus!
The name of my blog came from a name that I call my kids. When my daughter who is now 7 was 2 she would wear nothing but pink.. I would call her my little Pinkapotamus. The name then evolved into one for all of my kids (there are 3 now) when they were dirty at the end of the day.. then they were known as my Stinkapotamuses! From both names came one of our favorite songs that we sing ALL the time!

She (or he depending on who we are singing about) is a pinkapotamus

Cute from top to bottomus

Gotta a toosh you just can't miss

Cause he's (or she's) a Pinkapotamus!

It also works for the Stinkapotamus name!

She's a stinkapotamus

Stinks from top to bottomus

Gotta a toosh you just can miss

Cause she's a stinkapotamus!

Since then I have also named my Etsy store where I display mirrors that I have made for my kids and other people's kids of the same name! pinkapotamus.etsy.com. If you get a chance.. check it and say hello!

More tomorrow! Hopefully something a little fun!

Love always

AmieAnn

Pinkapotamus!