Friday Flickr Inspiration: ~~ Tilda ~~ Tone Finnager

Tone Finnanger is the designer and owner of the brand Tilda. She grew up in Oslo, the capital of Norway. If you don't own these books, they are awesome and full of great eye candy! There are so many sweet ideas in these books. I have the ones she has printed in English and I wish she would print them all! These are pictures from the book to give you an idea of her work:Crafters inspired by Tilda on Flickr:

mormor

cuddlyangel

vacskamati4

katerinaverden

countrykitty

Tea on Tuesday: Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 eggs
* 1-1/4 cups boiling water
* 1 cup rolled oats
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 recipe Broiled Nut Topping

Directions:
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan; set pan aside. In small bowl pour boiling water over oats. Stir until combined; let stand 20 minutes. In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and oatmeal mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan; cool on wire rack at least 1 hour more.

4. Transfer cake to a baking sheet. Spread Broiled Nut Topping over warm cake. Broil about 4 inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Makes 12 servings

Broiled Nut Topping: In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter and 2 tablespoons half-and-half, light cream, or milk. Cook and stir until butter melts. Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts and 1/3 cup flaked coconut.

~~yummy recipe and photo from: BHG~~

Friday Flickr Inspiration: Hand-Embroidery Tea Towels

sarachung

BigB

jrcraft

barncat1

ColonialStitcher

ZhadSquad

ColonialStitcher

CornflowerCreations

VeryPrettyThings

Tea on Tuesday: Lemon Curd Muffins

Ingredients:
* 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1/4 cup cooking oil
* 2/3 cup purchased lemon curd
* 2 tablespoons toasted coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Grease six popover pans and line with paper bake cups; set aside. Stir together the all-purpose flour, sugar, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients; set aside.

2. Combine the egg, milk, and oil in a small mixing bowl. Add egg mixture all at once to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

3. Spoon half of the batter into prepared popover pans (two rounded tablespoons in each popover pan). Spoon two rounded teaspoons of the lemon curd on top of the batter in each pan. (There will be some remaining lemon curd for topping). Spoon remaining batter into popover pans filling each pan two-thirds full.

4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in popover pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans. Top with remaining lemon curd and toasted coconut. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 6 popovers.

To make in Muffin Cups: Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside. Prepare muffin batter as above. Spoon half of the batter into prepared muffin cups (a rounded tablespoon in each muffin cup). Spoon a rounded teaspoon of the lemon curd on top of the batter in each cup. (There will be some remaining lemon curd for topping). Spoon remaining batter into muffin cups, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake and cool as directed. Makes 12 muffins.

~~ yummy recipe and photo from: Better Homes & Gardens ~~

~~ VALENTINE'S DAY GETAWAY ~~

I hope you had a sweet Valentine's Day! We spent the weekend in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN. A nice little getaway! Actually we were so sick of snow we had to go somewhere free of it! LOL. It appeared they did get a tiny bit, but believe me, nothing like we've gotten here in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. I hope to get our travel blog updated this week with the pictures we took, but until then, here's a few photos:Yes they still have a few Christmas decorations/lights still up for their Winterfest.

Blowing flurries in Gatlinburg.

Smoky Mountains roads closed from Gatlinburg to Cherokee because of snow in the mountains.

Ice hanging from the rocks on the Parkway between Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg.

Snow days...are crafting days!

Ok, enough already! I am soooo tired of snow! I spent the last 5 days snowed in with Mr. PrimRoseHill and yesterday we were getting snippy. ;) Thank goodness I made it into work today. {whew!} I like snow, really I do, but we had a major snowstorm the weekend of my birthday (Dec 18th) and couldn't get out for days. Then we had rain, rain, and more rain...and thought the creek across the road was going to be in our yard if it didn't quit. THEN we had more snow last Friday (8") and I get up to go to work yesterday and guess what? It's pouring SNOW and SLEET! So there's about 3" on top of the snow from the weekend. Oh yes, did I mention that the weather guys are saying we're in for a MAJOR SNOW STORM Friday? Really now. I think we've had enough. My biggest complaint is that I'm using up my "vacation days" because I can't make it into work. Which then means I'll be extra-cranky this summer when I'm having to work instead of taking those fun vacation days running to craft shows and all.

So I did lounge around the house for days on end I admit ;) but I did get a few crafts done too. I've been making more "mannequin ladies" for my etsy shop and thought I'd share a few pics here. Hopefully I will get them loaded up today. IF I can quit Farmville long enough...LOL...sadly I have become one of those dreadful Farmville addicts. :)

So my first "lady" is a wonderful indigo/turquoise blue! It was really heard to capture her blue batik fabric. I attached her to a keepsake box. I thought she would make a cute pinkeep and the box could be used for notions. OR these ladies can be used for jewelry holders too:

For my prim lovers, I think this one will be going in my Country-Fried Primitives shoppe. She is made with cranberry & spice tan ticking fabric and has a hand-stitched gingerbread man with candies apron. She would make an adorable pinkeep with her button necklace and spool base, but I think she would be cute sitting in a prim kitchen too:

And you know how I love pink roses, so this is just like one I made for my dear friend Helen who LOVES anything with pink roses. She has pearl trim "shawl" and pearl button at her waist:

So I almost forgot to share with you these stockings I did for one of my favorite eBay buyers. She emailed me about doing a custom order for her after she bought a few of my stockings I had for sale before Christmas. Her friend, who is a big prim-lover, fell in love with her prim punch needle stockings I had made and so she contacted me about making two for her friend. What a thoughtful friend! I really enjoyed making these. They coordinate beautifully with the same blue background and cranberry red in the punch needle:

And it's time already for St. Patty Days items! Ok, well time for me to be making them. And here's my first shamrock I hope to be posting right after Valentine's Day on eBay:

So I haven't totally wasted my snow days I guess. :) But really, enough snow! Hope you're having a warm and SUNNY day in your part of the world.

Hugs,
Sheri