Organizing Sheets in PDF form

From JJ loves Handmade

I figured out how to make pdfs. I've posted these two files in my other blog in mdi files . Here, they are in pdf forms. The first one is a Don't Forget List . Print it out on A4 size paper , on both sides. Then fold it into a booklet ( fold over in half, then in half again ). I find this organizing sheet very handy as I can jot down my grocery list on one page, things to google list on another, etc... I just clip it onto my journal with my pen.

From JJ loves Handmade

The second one is a Crafts Project Sheet. You can mark down who the project is made for, when it started/ended, what materials are used, the costs + steps. You can also record down if the project is your own original or from a magazine , where you can jot down the magazine's issue and page number for further reference.

Transferring Dress-making Patterns

With double-side sticky tape and carbon papers, you can make yourself a large sheet of transfer paper. I transfer my patterns onto brown packing paper, like those use in the post office. They are in extra large size and sturdy to be be chalked over when weighted on top of fabric. What I also like is that I can let my kids draw all over them before using it. It's a treat to draw on triple XL paper instead of the ordinary A4 sizes.

To make one, first you decide on the size. I lay the carbon paper out on my crafts table to see how many sheets is needed to fit the width of the table. Then stick double-sided tape on one edge of the carbon papers. The last piece is left as is, without any tape on. Stick them together to form a row. Continue to make several of these rows until you get the desired length. My sheet's length is as long as the patterns sheet. Then using double-sided tape, stick the rows side-by-side to form a large sheet.

You'll end up with blue fingers and one large sheet of carbon paper which should last for a long time. To store , just fold it up and place it inside a ziploc bag.

Daiso Bag Idea

This is similar to sewing bags from tea towels. I found these banners at Daiso. I like the bold Japanese prints but don't know where I could hang them in my house. Since they were all about the same size, I thought maybe I can sew them into a bag then I can bring them with me everywhere.

The blue/cream print is a banner for restaurants that sell sake. The print on the right is a proverb, which says " Fall down seven times ; Get back up eight times." Hence, the message here is : To be an unsuccumbing drunk ... Nah, more of "Don't forget to have a good time even when times are trying."

Making this bag is quite straight-forward. For the lining, I pinned the banner onto the lining fabric and cut it out in the same dimension.

Boost your Immunity...

... with phytochemicals. Doesn't this look lovely ? So colorful, a feast to the eyes. It's got pineapple, green apple, carrot, tomatoes , and bok choy. There's also ginger, parsley, and lycium Chinese mill ( a kind of dried red berry that will take 3 whole paragraphs just to describe all the health benefits of this fruit. ) Three glasses of this a day, and your immunity system should be in tip-top condition.

Now, try to remember this photo after you've blended the drink, because the aftermath looks HORRIBLE !! A greenish brown sludge that makes ' plop, plop, plop' sounds when poured out of the jug.

It is rather difficult to get the family members to drink it or just merely, walk near it. The taste is okay actually, it's the vomitty texture that's the problem.

Rice Cooker Cheesecake

The recipe was originally from a shopping channel... can't find it now that I'm going to blog about it... It calls for 3 x250 gms of cream cheese. However, I am making just a tiny cheesecake to tame the sweet tooth, so I one thirded the recipe and upped the sweetness level. ( My recipe differs from the original , because ... because I enjoy deviating from recipes . It's more fun this way. Really. )

So, into the blender I threw the followings :

- one block of cream cheese ( 250 gms )
- one egg
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp condensed milk
- a little wedge of lime juice
- few drops of vanilla essence
- 1 over flowing teaspoon of corn flour
- a pinch of salt

Blend until smooth, pour into a cake pan that fits inside the rice cooker. Wrap aluminium foil all around. Drop into rice cooker that's filled with 1.5 cups of water. Set timer to 40 mins. Leave inside rice cooker for an hour with the power off. Take out, cool, refridgerate.

What I like about this cake is that you don't have to deal with the buttery digestive biscuit crust. That just gets in the way when all you want is a taste of the rich and the creamy in the cheese cake.

Felt Toys : Cosmetics Set

Recently, I bought a Japanese crafts book ( ISBN978-4-8347-2818-7 ) that is all about making felt toys for kids. My younger daughter was mesmerized with this set of make-up toys :

I decided to change the color scheme because , well, just look at it ! How many levels of pinkness are there ? I sewed up the powder puff set first :

Notice that I've sewn the mirror upside-down. Things like this happens when you watch TV and sew at the same time. I'm just glad I didn't sew my fingers onto it too. While Little J was going ga-gas over her new toy, I thought it would be quite fun if I add a new one every night. When she wakes up in the morning, there will be a little anticipation about what is in the box, followed by a happy surprise. We should all wake up that way, don't you think ? The next morning she woke up and found ...

Two bottles of nail polish !
Following morning ...

Eye shadow ! ( This one is my design. )

... and the next : Pink Blush !!

And , the finale , lipsticks.

Wet Painting

On days when the kids are home, I try to have an activity in store for them. When they ask, " What are we doing today, Mom?" , I'll just pull that activity out and entertainment is served. Last week, we did wet painting.

You'll need to soak several sheets of thick painting paper in the bathtub for about 3-4 minutes. Wipe off excess water so that it does not leave a pool of water on the table. ( You may want to cover the table with plastic sheetings / shower curtains to protect the surface. ) Then hand the kids paintbrushes , poster paint and a bucket of water to wash the paintbrushes. After that , let them experiment. When the paint touches the wet paper , it'll spread as it mixes with the water. My kids usually goes quiet as they watch the paint run across the paper.