Snow Ice Cream

Hope all of you in the southern US are enjoying the snow. We're mostly enjoying it from the window since the little ones have the sniffy noses, although we did tromp around a bit.

If you still have any clean snow in your yard, you may want to try snow ice cream. My sister blogged about this during the Christmas blizzard, and I thought I would second that. My mom made this for us when we were kids, and as I am typing this I'm wondering how a person would learn such things before the internet.

But, I digress. I don't have a formal recipe, although I found one here. I worked it out through trial and error, so here's my best guess: Collect a medium size mixing bowl full of fresh, clean snow. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 TBSP of vanilla, and stir. Then add milk until you have the right consistency, about 1 cup. It's best to just eat it up right away, I think.



On a side note, my camera decided to only focus on things really close for awhile, which is why all the pictures are blurry. This happened during Christmas as well. After a time, and certainly not by my efforts, it just went back to normal. Anybody know why?

Sketch-wallet Pattern

I mentioned this sketchbook wallet last August (has it been that long?) and thought it would be a good-organizy-New-Year's pattern. So here I've put together a quick tutorial for this little sketch wallet. It's a simple little pattern I fit all on one page - isn't that tidy? Click the pattern image at the bottom of the post to download it.

I got these swell moleskine books to start the year fresh. They are a standard size (5.25 x 8.25 in.) and my wallet is intended to fit with this size. Although, it could be easily adapted for a different size.

Really, I only use this when I leave the house. At home I like to keep my book free of constraints. I've made a bunch of these organizers, and each version gets simpler. I don't want my book to be too laden with supplies - it makes it feel to complicated, you know? I think a sketch book should be easy and inviting. So hopefully, this wallet will keep you supplied without weighing you down.

In the Studio Again

January is traditionally time to organize my studio, so I've done it once again. No pictures of perfectly folded fabric for you this time, but a little fun nonetheless.

This year, I'm planning to slow down a bit and enjoy myself more. Once again my studio organizing is reflecting this shift, I think, because I'm shifting a little more towards painting again. Watercolors, not oils, because I still have little ones about.

In fact, the other day, after painting awhile I was tickled to see a big blob of cadmium dark on my shirt. Paint clothes! Granted, the paint spatter was from trying to paint with a baby on my hip, but it's been ages since I've had paint clothes, so I'll take what I can get.

Handmade Olympics

I'm about a week late learning about the Handmade Olympics sponsored by rikrak. What a fun idea! Check it out. Nominations are open now, voting will be in a few weeks.

Crayons

We wilsons have been fluey all week, which is kind of a bummer since John is still on vacation, But I have to admit, life is a little easier when the girls ask to go to bed and sleep extra long.

I've been doing a little playing with crayons for an upcoming spoonflower design challenge. This one requires you to use only crayons and not edit it digitally - I know it's hard to resist, but I made it work. This is on my desktop now. Check it out in repeat here or grab it and put it on your desktop. ;)

Happy New Year!

I'm a little late with my new year's post - but I was busy having fun with my family, so I think I'm exempt.

I wanted to take a look back at the last three months, at my attempt to balance designing and art making with being a full time mom. I originally though I would end up with a list of rules or a magic slogan that would help me manage my time perfectly.You probably already know there is no such thing.

But I did look back at the year and realized I'm actually doing a lot more designing than it feels like sometimes. I designed more than 10 patterns this year, some that I really adore.

Besides that, I had a baby this year! And I have spent every single day with my two precious girls.

I'm a really lucky woman.

So my new year's resolution?
I'm going to enjoy it all. I'm not going to put as much pressure on myself to design/blog/sell so intensely. I definitely plan to make fewer patterns this year, but hopefully they will be better for it. I also plan to just enjoy being at home a little more. Make more food from scratch, sit and color with my girls more, hang out with John. Just enjoy it.

Thanks to all of you who have been so encouraging to me this year. I love hearing your thoughts in comments, seeing your turtles and snack bags, and getting emails from new friends. I wish I had better words for saying, "Thank you," but right now this is all I've got. Thank you!

How are you making the new year better?

Sharing Fun

Thanks everyone for sharing your projects in the wewilsons flickr pool! It is really exciting for me to see other people actually using my patterns. Please keep it up. I'd love to see some of those crocodiles!

Check out Art Nest. She reviewed the flip doll pattern and made this beautiful Bunny and Fox (also in the Flickr pool). And I love this sweet red polka-dot turtle by Anna. I'm glad to see other people like colorful animals!

Crazy Amazing Banana Chocolate Waffles

A little Christmas Eve fun. Crispy outside, soft inside, crazy good. I think they're yummy plain, but butter and maple syrup are good, too. I started from this recipe. Below is my version.

John is spending the day in the garage finishing the girls' Christmas gift, so I'm making christmas-y crafts and waffles inside with L. Who knew being a mom at Christmas would be as much fun as being a kid?

Banana Chocolate Waffles
1 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking cocoa
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 cup banana, mashed
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips

Blend flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and sugar together; set aside. Beat egg yolks and milk together; add flour mixture, stirring until just blended. Fold in banana and melted butter; mix well.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and peaks form; gently fold into batter. Add chocolate chips to taste (I made these a second time, and realized I originally told you to put in way too much chocolate - wishful thinking, I guess!). Bake on a waffle iron until the steam stops (or almost stops if you're a little impatient).

Sweater Stockings

I realized this year we only had three stockings. I thought for sure I had four, but it turns out not. I had lofty visions of patchwork stockings using this really pretty fabric that was my grandmother's. But, that's really not the kind of project you take on a week before Christmas.

Sweater stockings, on the other hand, are a great last minute project! These were so easy, and I thought I was brilliant for thinking of it - until I saw it on Martha Stewart. Ah well.

I had hoped to find some Bridget Jones style sweaters with intarsia reindeer, but Goodwill was lacking in last minute Christmas sweaters. I did find an XL cabled sweater, and a fair isle snowflake sweater. I was able to get 2 stockings from each one. It took longer to cut them out than it did to sew them. I just scissor-traced (yeah, I just made that up) around an old stocking. I used the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater for the cuff so, there was no hemming or anything, just sewed around the edges and added a yarn loop for hanging.

Christmas Bread

I am making a second batch of this incredible bread today. I was making some as gifts, and then John and I ended up eating too much - so now I have to make more. I chose this recipe because it's Christmas-y, and new, and I had all the ingredients... who knew it was going to be the most wonderful bread I've ever made. That's probably because of the buckets of butter and eggs in it, but that's what makes it Christmas bread, I suppose.

Traditionally, it's made with a cross on top, which I didn't do because I've been wanting to make gift bread this way for as long as I've had this bread cookbook. You tie the loaf with a brown paper ribbon before the second rise, and then replace it with a real ribbon after it's baked.


After looking online at other Christmas Bread recipes, I realized this version is maybe a little simpler than most. Here it is, with my changes in the loaf style:

Christopsomo (or Greek Christmas Bread)

blend:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water

Combine:
1/2 cup scalded and cooled milk
1 cup butter
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons crushed anise
1 tsp salt

Add yeast mixture and gradually add 6-7 cups unsifted flour.
Knead for 10 minutes on floured board
Let rise 2 hours or until double.

Punch down and divide into 6 small balls. Brush butter around outside, and tie each ball with a strip of brown paper (the same width as your ribbon - for small loaves like mine use a skinny ribbon) and place on greased baking sheets. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled. Bake 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Serve warm, or toasted with honey.