Giveaway...A 5 x 7 Kliban Cat birthday card

inside greeting..from a cool group of cats

You just never know what you will come across when cleaning out a very messy craft room. I forgot a lot of what I have collected over the years. In my digging this afternoon I came across 6 new. (but old) Kliban cat birthday cards that I bought in a small gift store in Vermont many years ago. If you love the Kliban cat and would like 1 card with no envelope (or at least for the moment I haven't come across the envelope). Leave a comment and a card may find its way to your mailbox. In your comment leave an email address or a blog address that I can contact you if your name is drawn.

Elaine

Seaside Library Ladies Dime novels for women

I did a google search to find out more about this publication. Here are some of the sites about the publisher and his brother, Norman.
George Munro Seaside Library publisher (1877-1893?)
http://http://punchincanada.blogspot.com/2008/08/rivals-from-nova-scotia.html
http://http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~poindexterfamily/ChristinesPages/Dimers3.html

I came across this fragile copy of Seaside Library...Jane Eyre. This was one of the old magazines that I bought at a library sale several years back for 10 cents each. I have several different copies of the Seaside Library magazines that I bought that day.
Elaine

P.S..when I find my stack of all of the books I bought at the library sale I will have a give away of one of the old fragile magazines.

First Smash Book pages

I haven't had any desire to be creative and create art in quite sometime. Don't know why, but the creative juices just weren't flowing. Last year I bought the original size Smash book and also a 12 x 12 inch Smash book but I never did a thing with them.
The other day I posted that I was going to convert a blank Paula Deen cookbook binder into a Smash book.  This binder is the exact size of the new binder Smash books that you can add pages to.
Well, truth be told...this morning I cut some scrapbook papers, got out the Mod Podge and I did cover the front and back cover of that Paula Deen binder ring binder. I haven't finished but I will post pictures when I do finish decorating the covers. At least that is a start.

Anyway, getting back to creating some Smash book pages..I decided that the first Smash book that I bought last year in Michael's when they first came out I would dedicated to 2013. Since it is still January, I decided  my first 2 page spread would be Disney. I enjoyed my quick Florida trip earlier in the month. I started by covering 2 pages in the book with Disney scrapbook paper. I then cut a few photos, brochures and added stickers and other embellishments. (calendar page, tickets, sunglasses) to use on my Disney trip pages. On the dollar bill I wrote..You need lots of these. :-)

                                                                      left side of page

 

 right side of page

This 2 page spread is a start for my 2013 Smash Book. I will probably do a page on my rescued kittens, our 45th anniversary, our son's 40th birthday, and who knows what else.
I need to count the number of pages in the Smash book so I will know how many pages I will have for each month.
Elaine

Make your own Art Journal/Smash book

I do have 2 sizes of store bought Smash books, but I have yet to put anything into them. Yesterday while in my craft room I came across a few ring binder Paula Deen recipe keeper binders that I bought in Michael's on a clearance rack. I think I paid $2 for each book that I bought.  After looking at it, I thought...why not alter the cover and make an Art Journal. There are new Smash books for sale now that have the ring binders, and I like them a lot better.

This week has been busy and I haven't had time to select my papers to recover the outside of the binder.

Below is the inside before altering. The binder came with some 4 x 6 clear page protectors for recipe cards, but they are also the perfect size to insert photos and much more. The page protectors (4 X 6) with the black outlines I bought in Michaels for 50% off along with a package of kraft paper envelopes. I am going to make my book pages from thin cardboard from the backs of scrapbook paper stacks or cereal boxes. Reuse and Recycle as much as I can.

Will add more  photos as I work on the journal.

So far we haven't had any luck getting her to go into the havaheart trap. Wish me luck on that. I have to get her to the vets as I can't keep taking in her kittens.

Here are a few photos of the 2 newest kittens I adopted from the stray mom cat.

  peeking at me thru the peep hole in the cat tunnel.

Celebrating our 45 th wedding anniversary today

How time flies. How can it be that Tom and I were married on that long ago sunny, but cold day in 1968. Just doesn't seem possible. Today it is also sunny and cold. Many times we had snow or blizzards on our anniversary, so was glad that didn't happen this year.
Since today there will be a Patriots football playoff game, Tom and I went out for dinner last night. I chose Pa Raffa's Italian restaurant, in the north end of New Bedford. Pa Raffa's has wonderful food and they have the best antipasto. Tom isn't big on salad. I ordered the regular sized antipasto, and that size can feed four it is really big. The lighting wasn't the best so the photo is dark. (after playing around with the phone today I found my that the camera on my phone has a flash.) So, now I know. :-)
I'm still learning to use my new cell phone that I got the other day. The new cell phone is very different than my old basic cell phone. I guess I need to ask a little kid how all the features work. :-) I hate reading instruction books. :-(

There is always lots to take home for another meal. The salad fills me up so instead of big meal, I ordered a hot veal parmesan sub. Yummy!!!
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Elaine

Blackberry Jam

Yesterday while I was out grocery shopping I saw really nice looking containers of blackberries and they were on sale for $2.99. I have been wanting to try making blackberry jam. I decided I would buy the berries and make some blackberry jam. I didn't know how many berries it would take to get 5 cups of puree/mashed berries, and so I bought a flat of 8- 12 ounce containers.
I did a google search for a Blackberry Jam recipe as I had never made Blackberry jam before. There are lots of recipes on the internet.
Click here for the recipe I used for my Blackberry Jam recipe
4- 12 ounce containers make a batch
This morning I decided I would make the jam. I washed and drained 4 of the containers of berries and let them dry. I then put the berries into an 6 quart heavy Dutch oven and mashed them with my potato masher. I don't care for big seeds in my jam so I took out my old Foley food mill and ground up the berries.         sterilized jars, covers and lids
 
live and learn....stained fingers and hand..should have used disposable gloves when scrapping puree from food mill and removing seeds
5 cups of blackberry puree after putting fruit thru food mill.
5 cups  blackberry puree and juice of 1 strained fresh lemon in a 6 quart heavy pan
1 package of Sure Jell pectin
adding mix of 1/4 cup sugar and box of Sure Jell pectin
brought to a rolling boil
adding the rest of the sugar (6  3/4 cups) to the puree
continued boiling puree for 1 minute after puree comes back up to a full rolling boil. Test jam to see if it is jelled by dripping some onto a chilled dish. It should drip very slowly off of a spoon and not run on the cold plate.
remove pan of jam from heat and skim foam from cooked jam
sterilized jars, covers and lids
filling sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Place filled and sealed jars in a boiling hot water water bath for 10 minutes.
finished batch...13- 4 ounce jars and 3....8- ounce jars
I will have some of my jam on my toast in the morning.
 I have enough berries to make another batch tomorrow.
Elaine

Magical getaway to Orlando, Florida Disney Disney Parks

Cinderella's castle at night. The lights changed colors..beautiful

daytime
It was so nice to getaway for a few days ( Saturday thru Tuesday) to Orlando,Florida to Disney World. I had been watching the weather before we left and the forecast looked like we would have a lot of rain. Thankfully the reports were wrong and we had beautiful warm, sunny days. Monday late afternoon we had a few brief showers, but we were eating dinner when most of the showers occurred. Our flights to and from Florida on Jet Blue were great and we arrived ahead of schedule both ways.
We stayed at All Sports Resort on Disney property, so we didn't have to rent a car, as we were able to use the bus services to and from the parks.
Huge star in front of registration building.
display huge luggage at front of building

On the way to the park the first day we saw a large flock of Sandhill cranes. Beautiful! I so enjoy seeing all the beautiful birds in Florida.
At all the parks we were delighted to see that all the Christmas lights and decorations were still up. So beautiful during the day, but spectacular at night.
I will keeping adding  photos as I get them downloaded.

 
fireworks with Cinderella's castle in the background

Cinderella


Brave princess Merida
Aurora
Disney Movers and Shakers  Night Parade


We saw the Electrical Parade, but I didn't get photo's as we were eating supper in a restaurant at the time of the parade.
Epcot
illuminations

 
Hollywood Studio's


Rock n Roller Coaster ride featuring Aerosmith
 
Buzz Lightyear ride



I can't believe that I did all the roller coaster and thrill rides (Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain and The Tower of Terror)...what can I say about the Tower of Terror other than everyone's hair lifted straight off their scalp and you came off of your seat by 6 inches. Holey Moley!!!!
I took lots of pictures and I haven't had time to download them all from my camera.
Elaine