JAZ Creations

I'll be Back ......

2011-06-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

JAZ Creations will be returning shortly! Please keep an eye out for new and exciting products that are perfect for gift giving, decorating and photo props!!

I have missed all of my bloggy friends so much and I am really looking forward to catching up with you all and seeing what new and exciting things are happening with you all!

sneak peek of what is coming :

See you soon!

It's a Heat Wave!

2010-09-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

I thought this fractal was appropriate for the 100 degree weather he have had. I am really looking forward to the cool Autumn breezes just around the corner!

Stay Cool!

Cold Beet Soup! Perfect for Summer Recipe and a product review

2010-07-13T10:36:00.001-05:00

I Love summer soups, gazpacho, vichyssoise and Lithuanian cold beet soup. My husband is of Lithuanian descent and I have learned a few recipes in the years we have been married. One of my favorites is cold beet soup. Refreshing, smooth and cold, it is perfect for hot summer days.

Recently, I was contacted by CSN Stores to review a product of my choice. After several days of looking at their over 200 online stores, I chose the Top Chef 5 piece cutlery set. I was quite surprised to receive this item within days of ordering. I knew I wanted to use these knives to chop the items needed for my Cold Beet Soup.

The knives were comfortable to hold, sturdy and very sharp. They come in their own carrying case with a knife sharpener and each knife has its own plastic sleeve in addition to its own compartment in the carrying case. So Glad I chose these knives! I have wanted a really good set of knives for a while now.

On to the recipe!

Cold Beet Soup
Ingredients:
3 Red Beets - nice size
2 med cucumbers (or 1 large one)
2 green onions
2 hard boiled eggs
1 cup sour cream
4 cups buttermilk (I use low fat buttermilk)
Fresh dill
Salt

Trim ends off beets and cut into quarters, boil until tender.
*NOTE: I wait to peel the beets until after they are boiled because the skin just rubs right off after boiling.

While beets are boiling:
*Peel cucumbers and chop into small cubes

*Peel hard boiled eggs and separate whites from yolks. Chop the whites finely.

*Chop green onions and mash with egg yolks and 1/4 tsp salt to release the onion flavor.

When beets are tender, run under cold water to cool off. When beets are cool, grate them coarsely.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.

Stir until well blended.

Chill and serve with a dollop of sour cream and fresh dill.

Enjoy and Stay Cool!

Where I have been and What is coming up ...

2010-06-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

First ... What is coming up:
A Product Review!

I was recently contacted by CSN stores to review one of their products. I LOVE CSN Stores! CSN Stores has over 200 amazing online stores where you can find almost anything you need from a sofa to a suitcase, a crib or a cookie sheet! I don't know how I am going to decide what to review! Stay tuned!

Family Vacation Travel Tips (a new series)

I am so excited about this! I love to travel and I love road trips as a family. I have learned so many handy tips and tricks and would love to put them all into one place to share with you all. Packing Tips, entertainment, meals on the road and more. Yes, you can successfully have a pleasant 4,783 mile road trip with a 2 year old, a 5 year old and a 15 year old.

And ... Where I have been:

Where have I been?

I have been on a Family Road Trip Vacation! We went to Florida for 2 weeks. We WERE going to attend the grand opening of the new Harry Potter section of Universal Studios but came to our senses in the nick of time and decided to do something else. We will plan on Harry Potter in a year or two. Cannot wait! Really, if you haven't heard about it, it is quite amazing! I didn't take very many pictures like I usually do. I just wanted to relax and enjoy my family without always trying to get the perfect picture. I love vacations but I really like coming home after. Even though our closest family is 1,200 miles away, sleeping in my own bed is heavenly.

So good to be home! Also, keep an eye on Tangerine Totes for new styles, patterns and sizes!

Have a Great Summery Day!

Turkey and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2010-05-28T09:47:00.001-05:00

I have been quite the blog post slacker. I don't usually post every day but I don't like to go too long before posting something. I have been super busy sewing new totes for my new venture over at Tangerine Totes since the Grand Opening on May 5th. I have had quite a few sales and orders so my nose has been pointed down at my sewing machine for the past couple weeks! Stop by and I LOVE custom orders!!

I have been trying to cook very healthy meals for my family. Low fat, low cholesterol and for me low carb. It isn't easy but ever since I turned 44 or 45 the phrase "I am what I eat" holds true. Even in very small portions if I am not careful I gain quite a bit and it is so hard to take back off. One thing we tried was sausage stuffed portobello mushrooms. We Loved it but it was stuffed with bratwurst .. not exactly fat free. So I made my own variation using ground turkey and bruschetta.

Turkey and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portobellos

Ingredients:

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms (cleaned and de-stemed)

Olive oil

1/2 large sweet onion (optional)

1lb ground turkey

1 c Brushetta drained

2.5oz Goat Cheese

1/2 c Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350

De-stem mushrooms, chop stems and set aside

Wipethe outside of the mushroom caps with olive oil and place on a foil lined baking sheet

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet with onion, when almost completely cooked add the bruschetta and chopped stems until heated.

Drain liquid from turkey mixture and place in a bowl. Add goat cheese and mix

Spoon mixture onto the mushroom caps

Top with mozzarella cheese

Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with steamed broccoli, asparagus or green beans. So Yummy!

Enjoy!

This post is linked to:

A Day of Congratulations !!

2010-05-18T17:14:00.000-05:00

Today is a day for Congratulations!

Congratulations to Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for having such an Awesome blog!!

Congratulations to all the winners of Funky Junks 2000 Follower event!! Did YOU Win?? Find out here!!

Special Congratulations to Heather, from Pixie Dust

She was the winner of the Handmade Tote from Tangerine Totes!

Congratulations to John and Sherry of Young House Love on the birth of their BEAUTIFUL baby girl Clara!

She is precious as can be!

Announcing ......

2010-05-05T14:26:00.001-05:00

Today is the Official Launch of my new venture and blog!

What perfect timing to launch Tangerine Totes with the milestone of my dear friend Donna at Funky Junk Interiors and her 2000th Follower!

Donna is having a party!

So head on over for the party and check out

And stay Tuned for new items, styles and fabric choices! And of course, custom orders are available! SPECIAL! Now through the end of May, all purses and Totes in my etsy shop are $25!

Sneak Peek at what's coming this week!

2010-05-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

My new venture!

The perfect sized tote!

Perfect Purse, Diaper bag and Camera bag!

Watch for the Grand Opening and Giveaway announcement later this week!

Head on over and take a look!

Funky Inspirations

2010-04-30T16:48:00.001-05:00

What a fun and Wonderful linky party to join!

Maggie over at The White Farmhouse is hosting a linky party for bloggers to Thank a fellow blogger for inspiring them!

I would like to thank Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for inspiring me! I was brand new to blogging last fall and didn't really know where to start.

Donna was having one of her Saturday Night Specials and that weekend she decided it was "Anything goes" How lucky was I?! I had Fractal art on my blog. It didn't fall into crafty, DIY home redecorating. Not by what I had seen others post about. So I never participated. But ... Anything Goes means ANYTHING! So I linked up my artwork. Next thing I knew Donna featured one of my pieces WOW! I was so honored and excited!

Donna became my very first follower and I am so grateful for our blog friendship. Her style and her creations are like she is in my head!

I Absolutely LOVE Donna's style. It is so much like mine and the first thing that drew me to her blog was her entryway. She had linked it up to another blog and I followed it back to her place. This is what I saw .... WOW! This looks just like my entryway and exactly how I pictured it in my head how I wanted it! Donna already did it!

This fireplace is similar to what I want to do to ours. Not exactly and ours is so much different, but the stone concept is just what I want for our fireplace. How amazing is this?

Donna recently participated in So You Think You Can Decorate and created these amazing entries!

Just look at these stairs! I am drooling!

And THIS, Wow!

And ... and ... faint .... this window screen

How could I NOT be inspired by Donna! Funky Junk Interiors is a daily read of mine.

Thank you Donna for inspiring me and for being a wonderful blog friend. I hope to one day meet you in person and I look forward to your inspiration.

Choose What You Like! - A Super GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-04-26T13:27:00.005-05:00

What an exciting giveaway! I was recently contacted by CSN Stores and they asked if I would host a giveaway for them! How cool is that?! CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find tv stands, furniture, toys, home decor, and so much more!

CSN Stores has offered a $40 Gift Certificate to use at ANY, yes any, one of their online stores ... that is over 200 stores! While I was looking around I saw a lot of items with free shipping too!! Can't beat that! That is like someone handing you $40 and saying "Tell me what you want and I will bring it to you!"

Here are a couple items I really liked and would choose if I were the winner.
From Cookware.com
Le Creuset Stoneware 10.5" x 7" Baking Dish in Caribbean with FREE 7" x 5" Bonus Dish for $35.95 - free shipping

Le Creuset 9" Square Baking Dish with Bonus 5" Baking Dish in Kiwi for $34.95

From Allmodern.com

Cotton Tale Poppy Pillow Pack for $36.00

Or how cute is this???!

Cotton Tale Lizzie Pillow Pack for $36.00

Or this Awesome wine cooler!! You could even use this as a vase! Sunflowers would look great in this don't you think?

From RacksandStands.com

Certified International Regency Ivory Wine Cooler on sale for $24.10 - free shipping

This also comes in Brown and Gold for $30.00 and free shipping.

How to enter this awesome giveaway:

Leave a comment here on this post. That's it! Easy peasy and you're in!

For extra chances:

*Follow my blog over to the right. You never know what I am going to post about next! Leave an additional comment. If you are already a follower leave a comment saying you are for an additional entry.

*Mention this giveaway with a link back to it on your blog - Leave a comment here that you did.

*Twitter or Facebook about it and leave a comment here for each.

**Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents and please be sure your email address is in your post if I am not able to find your email by clicking on your name. So make sure your profile is public. If I cannot contact you I will need to pick another name.

Entries will close at 8pm CST Sunday May 2nd and the winner will be chosen (by random.org) and contacted Monday, May 3rd.

Good Luck!!!

** I am not a compensated host for this giveaway .. I am a willing host and I am doing this because I just LOVE giveaways and cannot wait to see who wins!

Need to know info for Gardeners

2010-04-20T09:54:00.003-05:00

A few days ago I was planting hydrangeas in front of my house. I hope they grow. I just LOVE hydrangeas! While planting I saw these funny looking beetle type things ... they looked like a lady bug mated with a rolly polly. There were several on my front walk. What were they???

I also have a garden in the back yard with a beautiful rose bush. It has aphids :( It does every year but it still blooms so beautifully.

So I went to my local gardening stores with a photo of this weird looking bug. One store said "We don't know what it is but we know mulch" they recommended I kill it with the aphid killer they gave me. The other store said "Oh that is a grub. Kill it with triazicide".

So I went home with my pesticides ready to have a beautiful, pest free garden. When I arrived home I decided to go out and get my mail and have another look at these strange creatures.

This is what I found:

I found Lady Bugs by the weird looking bugs. So, I went inside and did a little more research and found out that the strange looking bug was a Lady Beetle Pupae! I was so excited! They are all over my front walk. Aren't they supposed to be lucky? That is what I heard.

While researching I saw what a Lady Beetle Larva looks like and while I was catching the lady bugs to relocate them to my aphid infested rose bush I saw a larva crawling around! How lucky am I to see these 3 stages of a lady bug all in one spot. So I caught the larva also and put it on my rosebush.

I carefully gathered up the mature lady bugs, not wanting to disturb the pupae, and took them to the back yard to my rose bush. We have some extremely happy Lady Bugs and a soon to be happier rose bush.

So, if you see something strange and it looks like a rolly polly mated with a lady bug DO NOT KILL ANY of THEM! It is a Lady Bug pupae that is very beneficial to your garden!

I went back to the 2 garden stores (that did not know what a lady bug pupae was) took them this photo page I made just for them:

Now they know what it is and won't tell their customers to use a pesticide on it.

More photos I took yesterday:

This one is fresh out of the pupae stage. Notice the dull spots, bubbles and the lighter colored shell? I am guessing the spots get darker and the shell gets darker with age.

I returned all the pesticides. The bugs that were weird are what I needed for the aphids on my roses.

Have a Wonderful Spring Day!

Another cardboard post coming soon.

Interrupted by Life

2010-04-14T07:42:00.000-05:00

Ok ... so, I really did intend to take a picture every day. I was interrupted by life. It always happens. I take on several projects; have so many ideas in my head that I try to work through and getting ready for a garage sale this weekend. I have too many irons in the fire.

Then I get a call... my oldest son (21) is in the hospital with an infection in his leg, near his knee. He may need surgery.

With all these important things going on the last thing I want to do is something that I really don't like, having my picture taken. Even if I am the one who takes the picture.

Look for a new cardboard craft post in the next day or so. I love cardboard.

Have a great day! See you soon!

365 Days of 46

2010-04-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

Today I turn 46. I am now on the down slope to 50! I have decided to bring myself out of denial and embrace my age and every single wrinkle that I have so gracefully earned.

You know who else turns 46 today? Russell Crowe

We have the same furrowed brow ... I'll bet he earned his too. Although, I would guess that he earned his playing roles and I earned mine in real life.

The title of this post is 365 days of 46. I plan to take a self portrait every day for the next year. Why? Well, because I turn 46 today. I have been in denial of my age for many years. I feel like I am in my 30's, then I pass a mirror and am slapped back into reality and say to myself "oh, yeah .. that's right". I also HATE having my picture taken. I thought it would be fun to take a different picture with different perspective every day. I will not have a separate post for each one; I will just have it over on the side and will change it every day. This will be a challenge!

Here is Day 1 of 365 (I put a little vintage tone on it for effect. ;) )

Enjoy Today ... it is BEAUTIFUL!

Welcome Spring! Really?

2010-03-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Spring. All the new leaves and blooms .. everything looks so fresh and beautiful. It really is my favorite time of year. The trees have been in bloom here in North Texas for about 2 weeks now. On Friday I decided to go for a walk and take some pictures of the beautiful spring flowers.

Here is what I found Friday morning:
(Be sure to read on toward the end where I share what I found this morning outside my front door)

And this is what I woke up to this morning ...

and ...

Aprox. 4-6 inches of snow and it is still snowing ...

Happy Spring!!

Oh Happy Day

2010-03-10T14:57:00.001-06:00

In honor of the beautiful weather and something warm for my blog friend Ann from Ann's Snap Edit & Scrap blog, here is a warm, sunny fractal I created March 5th of last year.

I have also added it to my etsy shop.

Enjoy the warmth, Spring is almost here!

Coming soon ....

2010-03-07T09:55:00.001-06:00

Coming soon to my etsy shop ....

Frosted 11x14 print

And

Melody of Love 11x14 Print

** Mattes are for display only and not included.

These 11x14 prints are printed on high quality, photographic paper with a longevity of up to 200 years.

Keep an eye out for them!

A New Giveaway ~ Art for your home!

2010-03-05T21:37:00.004-06:00

Welcome to everyone stopping by from Donna's place at Funky Junk Interiors! I am so happy to be sponsoring this giveaway during SNS #20!

I have taken 10 prints out of my etsy shop to offer in this giveaway.

The winner will receive an 11x14 Fractal Art Digital Print (a $30.00 value). Below are the 10 images you have to choose from. Just choose which one you would like to receive if you are the winner, head back to Funky Junk Interiors and leave a comment telling us which one you choose and your email address (if it is not in your profile or blog).

**Matte is for display only and is not included.

Choice #1 - Abalone in the Moonlight

Choice #2 - Birth of Tomorrow

Choice #3 - Camille

Choice #4 - Early Autumn Frost

Choice #5 - Lavender Fondly

Choice #6 - Miahmia

Choice #7 - Repreive II

Choice #8 - Summer Breezes - received "Honorable Mention in the Benoit Mandelbrot Fractal Art Contest 2007 - International

Choice # 9 - Science

Choice #10 - Summer by the Sea

Don't forget to return to

to enter your choice for a chance to win!

If you would like to keep up with what is happening here, please feel free to follow me!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

A Warm Escape

2010-02-08T10:48:00.001-06:00

In an attempt to find some warmth and with half the county under several feet of snow, I thought I would post some photos I took while in a warm, tropical place. I could really use some warmth right about now. This time of year gives me a chill right down to my bones.

I am really looking forward to our next trip to Florida,

and so are my boys.

Enjoy and Stay Warm!!

I LOVE Cardboard ... a tutorial

2010-01-22T09:00:00.010-06:00

How to make art from cardboard

A few years ago, I made a wall hanging for my husband for Valentine's Day.

So sorry for the awful pics. The natural lighting in my house is just horrible.

This same year I made a cardboard Valentine for my son's teacher. It was a single square of cardboard and had a picture of a Victorian woman on it.

Materials needed:

Cardboard
Brown paper grocery bag
Cereal box cardboard for stencil
Pencil
Scissors
Glue gun
Ribbon
Card stock (optional for behind photo)
Paint
Photo
Brads

To start, find a good sturdy piece of cardboard that has the zig zag (that's what I call it) center.

Start peeling away one side of the smooth covering. You can take as little or as much as you'd like. The above example has most of the covering peeled off and the one I made while creating this tutorial I left more of the smooth covering on.

Set the cardboard piece aside.

Now take a firm piece of cardboard (like from a cereal box). Draw a flower to use as a stencil for your brown paper bag flowers. Cut the flower out.

Trace the on the brown paper bag. Make several because you will use 2 for each flower and you can always store the extras away for another project.

After the flowers are cut out, crumple them up in your hand. Make them quite crinkled up.

Open them back up and flatten them.

Now, take some paint and just wipe the flowers and the cardboard with paint. For this craft I used green, white and blue to match what I am going to do with the guest room.

After you have painted the paper flowers, grab some brads and put 2 flower layers together to make 1 flower.

Now it is time to assemble your creation. With some ribbon and a glue gun arrange the flowers where you would like them and glue them to the base.

Take ribbon and glue to the back to use for hanging on the wall.

Now add your picture!

I would love to see your cardboard projects!

This post is linked to:

Have Fun!

The Watchers

2010-01-20T16:35:00.000-06:00

Sneak Peek at what is coming this Week!

2010-01-17T21:00:00.004-06:00

New Fractal Art

crop of "Watchers"

Also coming this week .... a tutorial on what you can do with cardboard and brown paper grocery bags!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by during Funky Junk's SNS and giveaway for the 1000 Follower Event! Please continue to check out Funky Junk daily as the party continues all week long!

See you later this week!

It's a Party!!

2010-01-15T21:20:00.003-06:00

It's a Party! and I am Sponsoring a Giveaway!

Hi Everyone! My blog friend Donna is having a 1000 Followers PARTY! I am so excited to be a part of this event and share a bit more about me.

For those who are visiting me for the first time, my name is Christine and I am married to a wonderful husband who supports my craft supply addictions. Bless his heart! I am also the mother of 3 boys (1 is not pictured as he has grown up and is now on his own).

The name JAZ Creations comes from the first initial of each of my boys and I also wanted the name to incorporate anything I do or create. My main passion for the past couple years is digital art. I started digital scrapbooking a few years ago and learned many techniques. While searching through a digital scrapbooking forum, I came across the word "fractal". I had no idea what this was and decided to search. The fractal images that came up in the search were so breathtaking that I knew I had to learn more.

That was February of 2007.

I knew digital art was for me, especially fractal art, when one of my first pieces Summer Breezes received 'honorable mention' in a 2007 international art contest.

In 2009, Aubergine was chosen to be in the 2010 Fractal Universe Calendar for the month of March.

This calendar is sold in the US and Canada and online.

All of my artwork is available as prints in my Etsy Shop JAZCreations. Take a look around! There are several different pieces available. My Etsy Shop includes prints that are ready to ship; however, orders may be places for any images seen. I am always available to answer any questions!

My artwork can be seen here Fractal Art .

This includes artwork that is not in my Etsy Shop but is available to order.

I am working on new fractal art pieces so keep an eye out for them!

In addition to digital art, I have an addiction to crafts, yarns, fabrics and paints. My Mother was quite crafty and taught me at a very young age how to knit and sew. Look for more crafty posts in the future!

Now let's return to the Party!!!

I am pleased to offer the following 2 choices for this giveaway:

1) A set of 10 Fractal Art note cards with 5 different designs

2) A set of 10 Fractal Art note cards with the image "Melody of Love"

Each set of notecards includes 10 envelopes.

Be sure to return to:

To enter your chance to win!

Have fun at the party and thanks for coming my way.

If you'd like to keep on top of my newest creations, feel free to follow me!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon!

Glass Painting with Delta Permenamel Glass Paint

2010-01-12T10:07:00.000-06:00

Years ago, when I had more time for DIY and being creative, I purchased Delta PermEnamel™ Glass Paints. I had some plain wine glasses that I wanted to spruce up. I get so many compliments on these wine glasses that I thought I would share them with you.

I don't have step by step pictures because I made these years ago. The directions are very easy to follow and the results are fantastic!

Apply the paint to the outside of the glass following the steps on the packaging.

The finished product is durable and permanent. It is important that you hand wash the glasses as the dishwasher will remove some of the paint.

I used these wine glasses on my Thanksgiving Dinner table. I loved all the rich golds and blues and how the blue/red grapes on the wine glasses tied in with the blues in the dinnerware.

I also painted some fun Champagne glasses with a tropical color scheme.

Be creative. Add polka dots and swirls and layered stripes.

Paint the bottom of the glasses layering so the design shows through. Here I painted the yellow dots first then painted the aqua over the dots then sealed it.

You can also paint plates, cups, bowls, etc.

You can purchase Delta Permenamel glass paints at Michael's. I have not personally looked to make sure they have it but their website says they do.

Have Fun!

Easy Christmas Light Storage

2010-01-04T13:15:00.002-06:00

This post might be too late for those who take their Christmas decorations down right after Christmas. For those who wait until the New Year here is a super way to store your Christmas tree lights. I don't remember if I actually had this great idea a couple years ago or if I saw it somewhere but I am sharing it with you all.

Save the cardboard tubes that your wrapping paper comes on. They are the perfect size to hold 1 strand of Christmas tree lights. No more tangled mess next holiday season.

Cut a slit in each end of the tube to hold the plug end and the light end of each strand.

Start by securing the plug (or other end whichever you prefer) end to one end of the tube and start winding the lights around the tube to the other end and secure the other end of the light strand in the slit on the end of the tube.

Your lights are now neat and easily stored upright until next year!

This post was linked to Trash to Treasure Tuesday

Have Fun!

Reflecting on 2009

2009-12-31T17:20:00.002-06:00

Today I am reflecting on 2009 and what changes I have made for the better. I won't be reflecting on the problems or bad times. That would serve no real purpose. I will, however, remember the bad times and problems as to not make the same mistakes.

2009 was filled with Family, Travel, Changes, Learning, Growth, Health, Friendships - Old and New, Career Changes and Farewells.

Family - We traveled to where our family is this year, Florida, Maine and Michigan. What fun times! I don't think I will cram those 3 trips into one summer again anytime soon though and boy did we have a nightmare flying to Maine this year! Sheeesh!

Travel - see above

Changes - This whole year was filled with changes! I changed jobs, changed some decor in the house, changed mortgage providers and insurance companies. I changed my artwork website to a blog so I could add more crafts and DIY projects.

Learning - By making changes that improve my life, I am learning to be a better person. I took a weekend Photography Seminar with Rocky Mountain School of Photography and participated in the World Wide Photo walk. Just need to find my notes so I can remember what I was learned.

Growth - My 10 year old grew 5 inches this past year! Wow! Now his voice is changing. Too much growth if you ask me. Next thing you know he will be asking for the car keys.

Health - I took steps this past year to become healthier. I have lost and kept off 10 pounds. I am eating healthier and drinking my water. I also started including exercise.

Friendships - Old and New - I reconnected with my very best friend in the whole world. She is my person. I missed her so much and am so grateful we are back in touch. New friendships made while trying to get this blog up and running and new friends at work.

Career Changes - well, I quit one job and took another that better fits my needs. One with less hours and enough flexibility to spend time with my boys and be here if they need me.

Farewells - While quitting my job I had to say goodbye to the little munchkins I was caring for. It was so hard to say goodbye, but I was ready. I am now in retail part time at a job that I had 5 years ago. Loved it then, Love it now.

I also said goodbye to my personalized coaster business. It was time. If the tumbled marble hadn't gone off the market at Lowes and Home Depot I would probably still be saying "One more Year".

Now it is time to say goodbye to 2009. While it was a year filled with many wonderful things, I am looking forward to 2010 and many more wonderful things.

See you in the New Year!

Easy Rum Balls

2009-12-11T09:50:00.001-06:00

Quick, Super Easy Holiday Treat Recipe! I Love these Rum balls!

Easy Rum Balls

Ingredients:

1 (11oz) pkg. Vanilla Wafers (most pkgs are now 12 oz, just use a very small tad more rum ;) )

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c chopped pecans (optional) I do not use these

1/4 t salt

1/2 c Cocoa Powder

1/2 c Rum or Bourbon

3T lt corn syrup

plus extra powdered sugar in small bowl or plate

Instructions:

Blend wafers into fine crumbs. Pour into bowl. Add 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, nuts, salt and cocoa to crumbs. Mix well. Add Rum or Bourbon and corn syrup. Stir with fork until moist. Mix with hands until completely combined. Shape into balls then roll in powdered sugar. Store in covered container.

Notes:

To substitute rum extract, add 1 T extract plus milk or water to make 1/2 c.

Enjoy!!

New Item?

2009-12-08T16:15:00.001-06:00

I find it increasingly difficult to think of something for my Grandmother. She is 91, lives in a small condo and really doesn't need or have room for anything. Last year I made a photo book for her at Shutterfly. Photobooks are always a hit but I like to combine a couples years of pictures so the next one is not until next year or the year after.

A couple years ago I had this great craft idea in my head. I started collecting supplies for it for when I had the time. I now have the time so I made this desk clock. My Grandmother's favorite color is blue and it is small enough that she can put it just about anywhere!

I plan on making several of these desk clocks with different themes and putting them in my Etsy shop!

Birth of Tomorrow

2009-12-07T05:53:00.003-06:00

I am Sponsoring a Giveaway!!!

2009-12-05T08:08:00.003-06:00

Hey Everyone! I am sponsoring a giveaway over at Donna's place, Funky Junk Interiors

I am giving away a set of 10 Fractal Art Notecards!

Stop on over and enter to win!!

If you are interested in purchasing a set of these notecards you can send me an email

Good Luck everyone and have fun at

Holiday Picture Frame Ornament

2009-12-04T16:43:00.005-06:00

This is a SUPER cute way to display holiday pictures! Makes the PERFECT Grandparents gift too! You can either hang them on your tree or make several and display them as a collage on your wall.

Supplies needed:

Candle ring (I used a 4.25" candle ring, measuring the inside of the ring frame)

Photo of your choice

scissors

chip board (for circle template, I find this easier to use than try to trace the candle ring directly onto the photo)

Glue gun

ribbon

First I pick out the candle ring I want to use, keeping in mind the size of picture that needs to fill the opening

Then I turn the Candle Ring over and measure its opening, this will tell me what size picture I need

My candle ring was 4.25" in diameter. I chose my photo(s) and sized them to 4.25" square then printed on plain paper to test the size before printing on my photo paper.

Too much of the white edge was showing on the inside so I increased the size to 4.4" I then printed the photo(s) on photo paper and made a template out of chipboard to the size of the candle ring and then used the template to cut our the photo(s). Take care to center the template on the photo or you will get a white edge on one side or more. You should really only be cutting off the 4 corners.

It is ok to have a little bit of white edge as this will be covered by the base of the candle ring.

Once you have the pictures cut out you can now glue them to the base of the candle ring. Leave a space at the very top to tie your ribbon on the base for hanging. I used hot glue but you can use any other means of attachment that works for you.

*** Please note attach your ribbon before glueing if you are going to glue around the whole ring!

Finally, tie a ribbon onto the base to hang your new picture ornament!

This post linked to:

she's having a give away!

Have Fun!!

Getting into the Holiday Spirit

2009-12-02T13:35:00.004-06:00

To get into the Holiday Spirit I decorate. I spend a couple weeks decorating. I have a few areas in my home where I can display an arrangement of decorations and Holiday items. I didn't have them before. Everything had to be out of the reach of little hands. Just wanted to share some pictures of the display on my front entryway stand.

I also started wrapping gifts and putting them under the tree. I Love the look of a Christmas tree with lots of wrapped presents underneath!

What do you do to get inot the Holiday Spirit?

Abalone in the Moonlight

2009-12-01T15:05:00.001-06:00

Vintage Frame Wreath

2009-11-30T15:31:00.004-06:00

About 20 years ago my Grandmother gave me a set of wooden, oval antique frames. They sat in my garage for 20 years until I figured out how to use them. Recently, I saw an article at BHG.com on decorating empty frames. For the holidays, I have temporarily attached red/cream/gold berry sprays to the frames and added a gold shimmer bow. Eventually I will paint the frames to match my antique guest room that will be getting a complete makeover this spring, but for now the frames are adding to my holiday decorations!

This post linked to:

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving ....

2009-11-28T08:18:00.001-06:00

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had.

I am so thankful for so many things. I am thankful that we were all together this year. Thankful we are all so healthy (aside from the high blood pressure and high cholesterol).

I am also thankful that I have more time now to spend on making things, crafting, sewing, knitting, creating my artwork and posting about it here!

And so VERY Thankful for all the new blog friends I am making! It warms my heart! I don't know why I didn't start this sooner!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Easy Festive Decorating

2009-11-28T07:29:00.004-06:00

A super easy way to add pizazz to your holiday entertaining area is to hang outdoor icecycle lights indoors!

(pardon the darker pictures but a flash would have ruined the lights)

My counters are quite dark and I had this idea a few years ago when I hosted a baby shower. There were over 40 people and I needed a way to light up the area where all the food was. I took one strand of our outside icycle lights that we hang along our eaves outside and some 3M Command hooks (my favorite) for holding wires and ran the hooks along the underside on the cupboards and strungs the lights along the hooks.

I leave the lights up year round and use them for Christmas parties, birthday parties, etc.

A quick, easy way to brighten up your entertaining areas.

This post is linked to:

Enjoy!

Closing off a Room without closing it up ....

2009-11-21T15:32:00.009-06:00

Recently, I redecorated our "front room". That is what we call it, "Front Room". What it actually is is the formal dining room turned into a game/toy room turned into a mini-living room for our 7 and 10 year old boys.

I am a very visual person and really need to see the big picture in my head before I make the move to do something.

My problem with this room was:

1. My boys spent most of their time in there.
2. They are boys and really don't have neatness on the top of their list.
3. This room is the first room people see when they walk into our home. The same home with 2 boys who have better things to do than pick up after themselves.

What I wanted was a room where my boys could be comfy, relax, do homework and play games and at the same time I wanted people to enter my home and not want to turn back around.

Here is a before picture and as you can see there is a large arched entry:

The room itself is quite small to begin with and I wanted to somehow close off the room, seperate it in a way from the outside world. I had thoughts of French doors, sliding doors and just could not think of what to do. One day I was picking up my son from his friends house and I saw, in their dining room they had a curtain as an accent on the edge of the wall. There was my vision. I now knew what I was going to do with the wide open archway to seperate the "Front Room" from the entryway.

I will get into the rest of the redo for this room in later posts. This post is about the curtain, the archway and how I accomplished it without nails.

Here is the after from the same view:

I am also making over my kitchen and used the curtains from the kitchen to make the archway partition. I cut the curtain to fit the arch.

I didn't want nails so I had to figure out how I was going to get the curtains the way I wanted them without using nails.

More after pics:

notice the beach painting on the wall that I posted yesterday?

Closeups:

To attach the curtains to the top of the arch I purchased some foam board from the local craft store. It is flexible yet sturdy so it would mold with the curve of the arch. I cut it to 3" wide and measured the archway to include the curve. I cut 3 pieces of foam board, 1 for the center and 2 equal length pieces for either side. I then made a casing from some muslin that I had enclosing the foam board and also creating a base for the valance. The valance was to hide the hardware I was going to use in the center and to create the illusion of the curtains being able to move across the archway.

I used 3M Command mini hooks and attached them to the underside of the muslin covered foam board by cutting a slit in the muslin so the hook would attach to the foam board.

To attach the muslin covered foamboard valance to the archway I used 3m Command picture hanging strips! It is like an adhesive, velcro picture hanger! They hold up to 30lbs each.

I just attached them along the arch and the other side of the valance measuring equally.

To hang the curtains I used cafe hooks to clip to the curtain then hung the hook part of the clip from the hook part of the 3m hook on the valance.

Now our mini-family room is semi closed off yet still open and airy because I used a sheer curtain.

This post is shared with:

Enjoy!

One of My Favorites ....

2009-11-20T09:39:00.007-06:00

While I am still working on getting everything moved and updated here on this blog I thought I would post one of my favorite digital paintings. The original photo I took while on vacation in Florida. I love how the painting turned out and had it printed 20x30 and have it framed in our mini-family room. The mini-family room will be featured here soon as a "before/after", once I finish a few details and take pictures so stay tuned!

And another:

Enjoy!

What is a Fractal?

2009-10-30T07:55:00.004-05:00

I am often asked "What is a fractal?" or "What is Fractal Art?"

fractal (n) A geometric pattern that is repeated at ever smaller scales to produce irregular shapes and surfaces that cannot be represented solely by classical Euclidean geometry (the geometry of circles, squares, triangles, etc., we learned in high school). Fractals are used especially in computer modeling of irregular patterns and structures in nature. [French, from Latin fractus, past participle of frangere, to break.]

Fractal Art * is created on a computer using specialized mathematical formulas. Every element of my work – shape, color, texture, and lighting – is controlled by these mathematical formulas, and I, in turn, control the formulas by manipulating their parameters.
Each image is a collage of many layers that are merged together to create the final work, then printed on photographic paper.

*This description is quoted from Fractal Artist - Janet Parke. My instructor and inspiration.

What Mothers Do ....

2009-10-20T13:18:00.005-05:00

We live near a farm. The farm has a few cows and I just love looking at them. I stopped one day to take pictures of the calves and one of the Moms did not like me getting too close so she walked right up to me and kept her eye on me the whole time. I love this shot of her.
This Mother was protecting her young ..... it is what Mothers do ...

My son asked me to go on an overnight field trip ... these days won't last very long at all, soon he will be out with friends avoiding me while he grows into a fine young man, so I agreed and will be out having a fun filled 3 days with over 100 5th graders! Taking my ear plugs and my ibuprofen!

It is what Mothers do ....

Cheers!!

Soups On!!!

2009-10-18T11:43:00.003-05:00

You know that meaty ham bone you have in your freezer? The one left over from your Easter Ham back in April? Yeah, that one .... well, it has been 6 months and is now time to use that ham bone!! Time to make some Navy Bean Soup!

Fall is such soup weather! My Mom would make this wonderful Navy Bean Soup with the ham bone! So simple and so Yummy!

My Favorite Navy Bean Soup

1lb dried navy beans

1 meaty ham bone

2-3 cups chopped celery

2-3 cups shredded (grated) carrots

1 onion chopped (or shredded with carrot in food processor)

1 TBSP dried parsley

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp tobasco sauce (I use cayenne pepper if I am out of tobasco)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Sort and wash beans -

Add 6 cups water and soak beans overnight or 8 hours (I always forget to do this before I go to bed so I ended up simmering the beans per package instructions, takes about 2 - 2 1/2 hours)

Drain beans, add ham bone and cover with water

Cover, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour

Add remaining ingredients, simmer 1 hour until beans are tender

Remove bone

Chop ham and return meat to soup

Enjoy!!

I serve this with a good beer bread .. super easy, heavy bread that only takes 1 hour and no yeast!

"Follow Me" Giveaway Winner!!!

2009-10-16T15:30:00.006-05:00

My boys just drew the winners name! Congratulations to Starla!!

Starla, please email me at JAZCreations at gmail . com with shipping instructions!

And because I am brand new and didn't have any followers I decided (secretly) to also send a boxed set of notecards to my very first follower! Congratulations to Donna from:

Thank you again!

Featured! and a "Follow Me" Giveaway!

2009-10-13T09:07:00.009-05:00

I will be drawing the winning "Follower" at 3:30pm CST today ( Friday Oct 16) from the list of followers to the right as of 3pm CST today!

Wow! How excited was I this morning to see I was featured by :

I am brand spankin' new to blogging so this was a treat! I am so new that I don't have any followers yet so I thought what a great reason to have my first giveaway! Notecards!

I will send to one of my new followers a box of 10 Fractal Art Notecards:

included are 2 notecards of each image (1 to send to someone and one to keep ;) ) and 10 envelopes

To enter:
1) become a follower of JAZ Creations Blog and
2) post a comment that you were here!

A winner will be randomly picked and announced here on Friday, Oct 16!!!
(winners from US and Canada only)

I have fun things planned for this blog! Thanks for visiting!!

Summer by the Sea

2009-10-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

What I will miss ....

2009-09-30T16:48:00.001-05:00

I will miss making the personalized marble coasters. After 4 years I cannot find the marble anywhere.

It started with soccer coaches gifts .....

Then expanded to other decorative coasters .....

And having a set of my coaster in a home that was redone on Extreme Makeover Home Edition:

More Coaches gifts, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey ..... I could match any jersey color ... add all the players names ... I will miss this.

Photo Coasters ....

I have 2 craft fairs coming up that I will sell what I have left. Snowman sets, frog sets, card suit sets I will post pictures of what I will have at the craft fairs later this week or next.

If you are visiting me ... let me know! Leave a comment!

Frosted

2009-09-21T12:19:00.004-05:00

Portland Headlight

2009-09-20T09:06:00.005-05:00

Maine Shore

2009-09-20T09:05:00.004-05:00

Portland Headlight

2009-09-20T08:57:00.003-05:00

Watercolor Daydreams

2009-09-20T08:22:00.002-05:00

Miahmia

2009-09-20T08:20:00.002-05:00

Sophia's Garden

2009-09-18T13:48:00.005-05:00

Mod Pink

2009-09-18T13:47:00.004-05:00

Melody of Love

2009-09-18T13:43:00.004-05:00

Summer Breezes

2009-09-18T13:41:00.005-05:00

Summer Breezes received "Honorable Mention" in the 2007 Benoit Mandelbrot International Fractal Art Contest

Aubergine

2009-09-18T13:35:00.006-05:00

Aubergine is published in the 2010 Fractal Universe Calendar, March

Is it the End of Photo Coasters?

2008-12-14T13:01:00.001-06:00

I sure hope not! I have had to make Photo Coasters unavailable for an unknown period of time. I hand pick all of the marble tiles I use for the coasters and I am extremely picky about the ones I choose to use for photo coasters. I have one last order to fill and went to my supplier to purchase more marble. I was quite distressed to find that there were no marble tiles available! I was informed that they will be no longer carrying the marble I use for my coasters. I drove to another store a few towns away that still had some on hand and I found enough to fill this last photo coaster order and some to fill hand painted orders and coaches gift orders.

I was informed that after the first of the year they will be getting a new marble to replce the one I use. Hopefully it will be light and smooth. Bit for the time being, photo coasters are not available.

Happy Holidays to All!

Holiday Gifts!

2008-11-12T09:26:00.001-06:00

With Christmas only 6 weeks away, time really flies this time of year! Seems like as soon as Halloween is over in a blink of an eye it is Christmas.

The deadline for ordering coasters for Christmas is December 1st.

Coasters make great gifts! Photo Coasters for the Grandparents, Monogram coasters for your co-workers and friends, pointsettia coasters make great hostess gifts when going to a holiday party or get together.

The wonderful thing about creating custom items is, if you don't see what you want or what you have in mind, just ask!! I am looking for new designs all the time!

Christine

365 days of photos

2008-10-29T14:32:00.009-05:00

So I did intend to take a picture every day. I do not like it so I chose to stop. Here are my 3 photos. Enjoy!

Contact info

2008-10-03T07:58:00.004-05:00

To inquire about purchasing prints or notecards or anything else seen here, please email Christine at JAZCreations@gmail.com