happy holidays

from our studio to yours
we wish you a wonderful
holiday season



may you always have
health
happiness
and lots of glitter!

stitchies

i have been sewing and embroidering like crazy lately
little hand-stitched trinkets, fabric collages, tiny embroidered samplers

i have also officially caught the knitting bug
as the needles click and clack and the fiber eye-candy stream and wind its way across my lap
i wonder why i waited so long to learn



but i digress...I wanted to share one of the many projects flying around my studio
these small little stitched beauties are quick and so satisfying



our studio has many images available in our Stitchies Kit
the images are printed on 100% cotton muslin and it sews beautifully
click here to check out our Stitchies Kits - SILLY BIRD and SMARTY PANTS



I start by peeling the protective backing from the fabric, then cut up some images
some I cut like little pillows/sachets, while others I cut after stitching close to the contours of the image

I hand-sew little embellishments or decorative stitches/embroidery
then whip it through the sewing machine, leaving a small opening for stuffing

stuffing the stitchies - be creative!
stuff with fragrant herbs/dried potpourri for sachets (I did one with lavender from my garden and its YUMMY!)
stuff with catnip for a truly unique cat toy - my studio kitties love 'em and I am doing this as gifts for all of my cat-lover friends this holiday

other ideas: use in fabric collages, add a small found object base to your stitchie, hang your stitchie as an ornament or angel



sew the opening closed - TA DA! you now have a bunch of adorable stitchies to enjoy

holiday home

i invite you to take a peak
some glimpses of our holiday home

living room - woodsy greens, browns and rustic reds

our cabinet of curiousities contains all sorts of odd stuff


rustic twig easels and art by friends
the little altered book was done by Pamela Huntington - love it!


we collect old Boy Scout stuff - books, silverware, etc
little boys' toys - the scout canteen was my father-in-law's and the toy truck was my hubby's


eye-spy a silly photo
a few years ago we were the Fonz & Pinky Tuscadero for halloween
it cracks me up so i keep it around


my mother made this santa when i was just a baby - it gives me comfort and memories of christmas past

dining room - creams, soft blues and greens, silver

vintage suitcases, found nests, old cloches and glass glitter objects
aaaaah and my favorite part of my dining room - the natural light - it simply glows during the day


blown-glass birdie nesting in a centerpiece


my goodie shelf - its large, vintage milky blue and I love it
everything from paintings to old books to milkglass to jumbo shell buttons to garden statuary to mercury glass to shells & rocks finds it way here - whatever inspires me with its shape or color or special memory gets tucked into the mix





this past summer i created an assortment of tiny bottled terrariums and enjoyed watching them flourish
they are very easy to care for - every 3 weeks or so they need a little dribble of water then they are sealed back up

kitchen - vintage brights - cherry red, aqua, black

old dollies dressed up for christmas


old-fashioned popcorn and cranberry garland for our birdtree
we have started a tradition of creating a tree outside for the birds - seed ornaments, popcorn/cran garland, peanut butter & seed stuffed pinecones




love vintage stuff with a "creep factor" - wanna cookie? - ho ho ho






our doggie area by the backdoor
old children's chairs fashioned into feeding bowls, aprons, stockings and my collection of vintage doggie figurines




did i mention i like creepy-vintage? this guy fits the bill - his eyes and buttons light up with an eery glow

give thanks

happy Thanksgiving to you and yours

20% OFF SALE at NavelJelly Studios

We are holding our first ever SALE - 20 % off any item in Our Junk Shoppe

Check out our NEW STUFF page for all sorts of brand new goodies!

***20% OFF JUNK SHOPPE ITEMS***



BEADS & BUTTONS, FABRIC & FIBER, METAL & SUCH



OLD BOTTLES, RELIGIOUS, TAGS & CHARMS, VINTAGE PHOTOS



MINIATURES, GAME PIECES & CARDS, ART DOLL PARTS



GLASS & CERAMIC, WEIRD & WONDERFUL

HOLIDAYS, VINTAGE PAPER, VINTAGE BOOKS & BOXES



GRAMMIE'S JEWELRY, WOOD BITS & BITTIES, ELECTRONICA

We are jam-packed with art goodies so don't miss out on this special. Stock up your studio or buy some unique things for gift giving!

**20 % off is for junk shoppe items only. Please mention the code SALE in your comments when submitting your order. Discount will be applied once order is confirmed/processed. Sale good thru 11/30/09**

***************************************************************

ART IN THE ROUGH ~ ART RETREAT FOR WOMEN
August 13 - 16, 2010
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

simple magic

Autumn has been magical
as I begin nesting for the winter
immersing myself in simple pleasures

Toasty warm home
Catching up on reading
Fresh, crisp apples
Sudoku contests with my hubby
Baking pies
Doggie walks to the woods
Cuddling under a fuzzy blankie
Pot Roasts, Chowders, Stews
Creating gifts
Leaf pile jumps
Sewing
Cold noses
Trying new art techniques

enjoying every single, simple second of it

passing the torch

For years I have been the "Chutney Queen" at our Thanksgiving, going overboard with the relish trays and homemade chutneys & pickles...



This year I have passed the torch to my sister who is excited to try some new recipes
For last year's post and chutney recipes click here

So I am now in charge of desserts - I will miss my bubbling chutneys on the stove but look forward to adding my own twist to the dessert line-up

we will have the old favorites of Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Cream Pie, an assortment of Sweet Breads ( I LOVE baking bread :)
plus 3 new additions that I am ultra-excited to try:

Plum Cobbler

1/2 cup sugar, divided
4 cups plums, pitted/sliced
1 cup flour, divided
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar



Preheat oven 425 degrees. Reserve 1 Tbsp sugar. In a medium bowl, mix remaining sugar, plums, 2 Tbsp flour and spices; pour into an 8inch cake pan. Combine and mix remaining flour, reserved sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and cut into flour mixture, mixing until moistened. Spoon eight mounds of dough on top of the plum mixture. Sprinkle brown sugar over dough. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until plum mixture bubbles/thickens and topping browns. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.
~ old Maine recipe

Mrs. Salter's Peanut Butter Pie
This looks ultra easy and my Dad just adores peanut butter pie so I wanted to surprise him with it...click here for the recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Indian Pudding
I am most excited about making this one as I haven't had Indian Pudding since I was a child and I loved it - traditionally this is made in a double-boiler and baked but I thought this crockpot version sounded interesting...it is either going to be the hit of the dessert table or my biggest disaster. we shall see...



3 cups milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
2/3 cup chopped raisins (optional)

Lightly grease crockpot. Preheat on high for 20 minutes. Meanwhile bring milk, cornmeal and salt to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, molasses, butter and spices. Gradually beat in hot cornmeal mixture; whisk until smooth. Stir in raisins. Pour into crock and cook on Low 6-8 hrs or High 2-3 hrs. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
~ courtesy Food.com

autumn on the farm

crunch underfoot


wise, old trees


raspberry canes aflame in color


willow light


plump wax-black berries


queen anne has lost her lace


golden sedum


winter rye glowing green


humble beauty


strawberries running


serene


seeds float ethereal


rusty elegance


miss geranium shows her rosy underskirts


sepia softness


flown the coop


hide n seek sunlight


twig trappings


twisted


left behind