Home made pasta (lasagna noodles)

For Christmas, Dave & I bought ourselves a pasta machine.  Today we tried making lasagna noodles.

Lasagna noodles drying.

Dave baked the lasagna in his Big Green Egg, so it had a smokey flavour.

I cannot believe how delicious fresh pasta tastes.  It sure makes a difference, and it cooks faster. 

There was so much pasta left, I made fresh spaghetti for tomorrow.

What if? 1000 piece puzzles

I have always enjoyed doing puzzles.  A few years ago while shopping with my sons at their favourite hobby store (J & J Collectibles  http://www.jjcards.com/shop/). I was looking at their huge selection of puzzles.  I was looking for something at least with 1000 pieces and came across this series.  They are made by Ravensburger, which means very good quality pieces.  What you see on the box is not what the puzzle will look like inside.  It usually has the same characters, but in different poses, could be a different background.  I love them because it is always a surprise.  I won't spoil the surprise by showing  my progress.  If you want to see it finished google images of What If Puzzles No 7.  There are 11 in the series so far.  I think I'm missing 3 or 4 of them.

I'm a Harry Potter Fan

I was at Costco tonight and couldn't resist buying the new Harry Potter Colouring Book.  I'm a huge fan of the books (read them several times) and it has scenes from all the movies.  Maybe this weekend I will have time to do some crafts.

Teaching the Art of Cross Stitch

I LOVE introducing people to the art of Cross Stitch.

Sarah (my youngest son Jordyn's girlfriend) LOVES the video game Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time.  I found a free chart on line of the 3 Spiritual Stones (part of a huge design).  I asked if she wanted to try cross stitching it or if she wanted me to do it for her.  She decided to try stitching it herself.  She is stitching the 3 small parts first to practice before stitching the large project.  

Here are the 3 projects so far.  She completed the Goron's Ruby in 1 1/2 days (first time ever stitching).  She surprised me by backstitching (with no lessons).  I am very proud of her.

Second one took a week.

Third one also about a week and counting ... She would stitch more but is job searching.

Tonight she asked me to help her design a smaller Zelda project for her sister's birthday January 20th. I think she is "hooked" on cross stitch... She also knits and crochets.  I told my son, she is definitely a "keeper"!!

Strawberry Bunny update #2

During the Tuesday Night Stitchers Club at my LNS (Stitcher's Place) I added the beads to Just Nan's Strawberry Bunny.  I just have the backstitching around the outside of the bunny and then I can sew it together.  Here is my updated photo.  I'm stitching mine on 28ct white evenweave.

Calendar for my desk

I found a colouring calendar for my desk at work.  I work as a dispatcher/customer service for a photocopy company.  It is stressful dealing with customers.  I thought this type of calendar would be helpful dealing with difficult customers.  :)

This is my first page I used my highlighter markers.  

Being creative every day

2016 you will see other hobbies on my blog.  I don't have time to cross stitch every day/night because I have lots of other creative things I like to do.  This will give me more things to blog about.

Adult Colouring Books

I didn't jump on the colouring bandwagon.  I have always loved colouring... As a child, then as a teen with my younger sisters and kids I babysat, later as a mom when my sons were young.  I bought myself 2 new colouring books for Christmas from the artist Johanna Basford.

In the Lost Ocean the artist has drawn items for you to look & find amongst the pages.

I will choose random pages to colour in this book.  I decided to colour the turtle page first because we have a pet turtle.

The Secret Garden, the pages are larger.  I decided that I will colour the pages in order in this book. 

I have started the first page (there are 20 drawings in this book).