Make Your Own Paper Jack-o-Lanterns!

As promised...


If you'd like to view the instruction full-size, just click on the image.

Paper Lanterns Become Jack-o-Lanterns

I was trying to come up with an idea to decorate my little house for Halloween. I had seen these Jack-o-Lantern paper lanterns on the Net somewhere but I couldn't recall where. Since I couldn't remember where to get them, I just made my own.

I made a bunch of them and then hung them from the mini-lites I keep up in my sunporch year round. (At Christmas I hang ornaments from the min-lites and the rest of the year they simply light up the gorgeous Tibetan Prayer Flags that Mom made me.)

A closer view of them. When I walked out front to take this picture some of the neighborhood rug rats where playing by my place. One of the cool critters said my Jack-o-Lanterns were "cool"!

I really enjoyed making these guys.

Each face is different.

This is my traditional looking Jack.

Another traditional guy.

Pucca-inspired!

The last one.

I wish I had more of them. I actually bought up all of the orange paper lanterns that Michael's had in stock.

A lot of crafty bloggers can figure out how to make these just by looking at them. To others, some instructions may help. So hang tight, I'll post a simple tutorial in a day or two. Promise.

Kicking around town

There's a reason why New Brunswick is called Canada's "Picture Province".

Happily I had an en extra few days off work this week and could bum around with my Canon PowerShot SX10IS.

Autumn is a season that just can't compare to any other. It doesn't last long, and it changes daily. Here in Fredericton, the City of the Stately Elms, we have trees galore. That of course means brilliant colours wherever you look.

Make Your Own Microwave Popcorn

Okay, so we’ve been duped.

How many times have you scoured the ingredient list of various microwave popcorn packages in a near dubious attempt to find a vegan brand?

Of course couple this with your concerns about various health issues surrounding the oil in those pre-made microwave popcorn bags and you have a big ol’ situation on your hands. And really all you wanted was an easy way to make a healthy and yummy snack.

Personally I have used a hot-air popper for a while, but I must admit I’m not a real fan. Even after letting the motor warm up for a few minutes I find the finished product is a squishy and slightly moist popcorn.

But now take a look at this. The gang at Apartment Therapy have done a little research. Did you know that all you need to make microwave popcorn is a small paper bag and ¼ cup of popcorn kernels? That’s right. No oil. May I repeat that? No oil.

I've made popcorn with this method several times now and haven’t had a problem. It’s delicious. I add melted Earth Balance “butter” after it’s done popping.

Of course I stand within 8’ feet of the microwave so I can turn it off as soon as the popping slows down (I don’t wait until it really slows down as I’m sure it would burn). It only takes about 1.25 minutes in my particular microwave.

I close the paper bag with a double fold and one small piece of Scotch tape (I can’t imagine using a staple in the microwave oven.)

Although I’ve had nothing but success, I don’t know about fire safety with this. So, use at your own risk. Stay close by to shut off the microwave quickly if required.

Also, don't be sucked into buying an expensive brand of popcorn for this. I bought the absouletly I could find and it still turned out a zillion times better than Mr. Orville's finest.

Canadian Vegan Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving in Canada is a few weeks earlier than in the US. Last Monday was our Thanksgiving Day.

Duncan and I headed to Mom and Dad's.

As soon as we got there Rocky plunked himself in front of Duncan for kisses and scratches.

The view from Mom and Dad's balcony. Check out the long, crisp shadows.

Although the guys ate meat, Mom made the most incredible vegan meal for us:

* Carrots

* Peas

* Broccoli 

* Roasted Potatoes

* Squash

* Gravy

* Vegan Veggie Loaf (from a recipe in Veg News published last year). The recipe takes a few hours to prepare but it is probably the most savory entree I've ever had.

Leaves, pine cones and Ganesh made an appearance: as the tables centerpiece. 

Mom hand cut paper leaves to use as place markers!

Great meal, great times. 

Thanks Mom. I love you!

Lisa's Garden Again

Even when fall rolls in Lisa's garden is still a visual masterpiece. 

Here Maizie, the York, Jake, Shepherd and Bug, the Terrier scurry, run, roll and play about as I snapped a few photos yesterday.

09-09-09

Well the summer came and went and now the trees in New Brunswick are beginning to look like a painted postcard.

Because the nicest weather of the summer was reserved for the last few weeks of August and early September, I ended up doing scant little in the way of crafting and cooking. When the weather is beautiful, I practically live outdoors in my little Jeep.

I didn’t want to leave my blog without a creative update for as long as I have. So, I’ll share a few recent photographs. After all, photography is yet another of my loves.

First up in this cool shot of our beautiful moon. Although there is no man in it, no flag and I doubt sincerely that it is made of cheese, with the zoom on my Canon Powershot XS10 IS, you can see a hell of a lot of detail. 

I took this photo from my front porch. No tripod, just had held. How cool is that? I shrunk this photo down for fast web loading, but the original is chock full of craters and shadows.

Last week, I made a conscious decisions to take a few photographs to document 09-09-09. 

Where else would I go to do that than the open, airy fields of the local CFIA farm in Fredericton.

This first shot was actually taken I think two days before 09-09-09. I loved the dual-coloured ground, the bales of hay, the wispy clouds on the canvas of a bright, blue sky.

When I went back for the 09-09-09 shots I concentrated on a foreground shot of this plant.

Then I played with the colour a bit and came up with this version (and a slightly different angle). In this one I attempted to show the impending frost-like conditions against a background of the fading of the richness of summer.

And finally a view of a few of the barns as the sun began to fall as dusk approached.

As much as I adore sewing, jewellery making and other crafts. If I could only have one creative outlet, I would have to choose photography.

The long, hot days of August.

Summer seems to be in full swing here in New Brunswick. Yes, it is especially late this year, but at least it is here. The weather has been exceedingly hot and humid. Last week I believe it was around 42 with the Humidex. To all of my blog pals in the South, that probably doesn’t seem to bad, but to us Eastern Canadians, it’s brutal.

Because the weather was so warm (not that I’m complaining), we ended up doing a lot of nothing inside our air conditioned home: I made lots of salads, we drank S. Pellagrino water, watched a Johnny Depp movie (The Legend of Sleepy Hallow) and of course I made stuff.

I started work on this necklace a few days ago. Duncan had the A/C on full and the volume on the TV to match. So I threw on my headphone and listened to Jane Siberry on my iPod as I did the wire work.


I had purchased the peridot AB Swarovski a few months back. I had every intension of making the necklace back then. But the actual design eluded me until this past weekend.

During the heat wave I also made a few pair of earrings for Maddy and also for my work pal, Lainey. I didn’t think to photograph them before I gave them away of course. Sometimes I am so daft. I did remember to get a photo of the earrings I made for my friend Tanda. Believe it or not, her eyes are almost the sae colour as the crystal.


I ordered some Maine sea glass pendants and hemp twine to make simple necklaces for me, my pals' birthdays, and maybe one or two for my Etsy shoppe. I’ll post photos when I have them made. I’m still trying to find the right clasp for the necklaces.


And although I’d made a smaller one in the past, last week I finished my Martha piggy bank. This guy is huge. I’d never get him full of change, so I’ll probably have to come up with some other use for him. To give you an idea of how large Mr. Pigglesworth is, I think he could hold bout 2 litres of water.

Last weeks events included a free outdoor concert Fredericton’s own Hot Toddy. I really love their music but was disappointed by the very quiet level of the volume. I’m not sure if this was done on purpose as it’s an acoustic group, or if it was an oversight. Either way, I found it difficult to get into it and ended up leaving a bit early.

On Sunday night we went to see another Classic Movies Under the Stars. This time, James Bond in "Thunderball" was the great drawing card. There were so many spectators at the event. It was as packed as an outdoor event can be.

Duncan and I had some good laughs over the campy special effects and dialogue. Duncan was actually laughing so hard at one of Bond’s lines, “I think I grew six inches.” I ended up laughing at his laughter.

But the big boo of the night was that it started to rain and we all had to run away like little lemmings.

I guess we’ll have to rent the movie now.

This Past Week

Hey Kittens,

Sorry to be AWOL for a week. But you know it is summer, right?

Crafting gets a little less attention when I can take the top off my Jeep and cruize around aimlessly or sit out back with a frosty drink.

This week I made a batch of vegan chocolate cupcakes with vegan buttercream frosting. They didn't last even 18 hours! Pretty good in a house full of (other than me) omnivoires.

I also had to sit and watch paint dry. Literally. I'm on a board of directors for a memorial. This weekend we had to complete a two-part finishing process for the floor. So after a couple of the boys painted it, we took turns watching it while it dried to ensure everyone stayed off. It was a lot of fun. Yup.

And then there was the two hour dentist appointment, always the type of thing that brings happiness to my week. Just joking. I actually adore my dentist and his team. They are the closest thing to painless dentistry around. He's turned this absolute chicken into a mere freidy-cat.

We went to a free concert in the park. It was a local ban playing stuff from Bob Seger, The Eagles, Elton John and the likes.

The music appealed to a broad range of people: little chillin' danced in front of the stage, and we even ran into my seventy-something nextdoor neighbour and her new boyfriend (she likes him so much she almost blushes when she talks about him).

Vegan Chick Noodle Soup

My BFF Lisa is very sick with a bad flu right now.

I feel so bad for her because she is exhausted and has to care for three dogs.

She said she doesn't have an appetite, but it's so important to get some good nutrition in our bodies when we feel so tired and sick.

So I made her this vegan chicken noodle soup. It's a truncated version of the Skinny Bitch recipe. I left out the 'shrooms, curry, bay leaf and a few other non-essentials and I added turmeric.

I also added extra salt so Lisa will get thirsty and drink more liquids. Sneaky, no?

If you'd like to make the Skinny Bitch Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, the recipe is here.

The Arka Teks & a Giveaway!

I just got back from doing a photo shoot of a new Fredericton techno group.

They are totally on the rise: as of writing this, The Arka Teks are in the top 10 for Canada's most subscribed group on You Tube this week.

Will you subscribe to them and help make them #1?

If you do, leave me a comment on the blog or send me an email and I'll enter you in a draw to win a copy of 30 Minute Vegan. (I have one copy to give away).

Drawing will be July 31st.