Archive for August, 2010

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A super simple and yummy tasting “Chewy Chocolate-y Chip Cookie”


2010
08.27

Posted in OLIVE KIDS!, Olive Food & Recipes!, Olive Juice Studio, Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts | 4 Comments »

This a great recipe to make with your kiddos, scouts, etc..!

Whip up a batch as an afterschool snack, a quick dessert  or for when you have unexpected company! 

(Disclaimer: Hey Kids!  Please NEVER EVER EVER use an oven without adult supervision! Make sure an adult is able to help you in the kitchen before starting this recipe! )

I can’t take  credit for this recipe because this has been around for years.  In fact, I think I got the original recipe from the back of a cake mix box. Over the years, I have tweaked it a bit.  This is the recipe I use…

Ingredients:

1 Chocolate Cake Mix – any brand will work! (I used Duncan Hines German Chocolate for the cookies above!  You can also use any cake flavor to make these cookies…think of the endless possibilities!)

1/2 cup oil (whatever you normally bake with – I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil – mild flavor)

2 eggs

Optional Ingredients:

If you want to give these cookies some extra Ooomph!  try adding some of the following:

1/2 c. chocolate  chips (or peanut butter, butterscotch, raspberry, white chocolate, etc.)

1/2 c. coconut

1/2 c. oatmeal

1/2 c. Cheerios

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 cup crushed mints, candy cane, toffee, etc

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, oil and eggs together with a large spoon.  If adding any of the optional ingredients, stir those in once the dough has been mixed.  Form balls with small handfuls of dough and place a few inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Slightly flatten the cookie with your palm or by making crisscrosses with a fork on the top of each cookie.  Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes.  If you like a chewier cookie check the cookie after baking for 8-9 minutes.  If you prefer a crunchier cookie check the cookie at 10 minutes -if not crunchy enough bake for another 1-2 minutes.

Optional:

Drizzle melted chocolate on the top (I didn’t do this for the cookies in the photograph above but it does make for a supreme cookie!)

If you’ve used a similar recipe you’d like to share please email it to me by using the form above or leave it in the comment section!  Make sure to include your blog URL if you have one!!

Have a sweet day!

xKim

5 comments

“FOR THE BIRDS” ….A Kid-Friendly Craft!


2010
08.26

Tags: , ,
Posted in OLIVE KIDS!, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts, Repurposed | 5 Comments »

Hi Everyone!!  I know some of you were following me and/or at least reading my blog when it was being hosted on Blogger.  On my old blog I used to post a weekly crafty tip ranging from being green/recycling/repurposing, using a product in a different way, recipes for craft products, etc.  Everyone seemed to really like the tips and as soon as I can figure out how to get my sidebars to work right in WordPress I will probably add this section again.  ANYWAY, one of the tips I shared earlier this spring was called “For the Birds.”   At the time, it didn’t include any photos just a quick blurb on how you can share some of your paper scraps and other household things with your winged friends to help them when building nests.  This project is perfect for the spring – not really sure if they birds will make use of it during the end of summer/fall months but I had everything ready (I’ve been collecting for the past month or so) so I thought I’d post it anyway…!

If you have a clothes dryer, you have lint and probably LOTS of it that I bet you toss in the trash can…

If you’re a crafter, I bet you have LOTS of paper scraps that are too small to keep so you toss those in the trash can…

If you get LOTS of junk  mail and are into shredding your mail I bet you have LOTS of shredded paper that you toss in the trash can or recycling bin….

If you’re a crafter and use fibers/strings/ribbons, etc.., I can guarantee you have little bits and pieces that are really worthless so you either throw them  in a jar or toss those in your trash can….

If you’re a seamstress and/or do a lot of things with fabric you probably have TONS of fabric scraps that get tossed in the trash can…

If you brush or comb your hair I bet you’re constantly pulling your hair out of the bristles and tossing it in the trash can…

I’m sure I could think of many more things to add to this list!  Here’s a photo of some of the “stuff” I would typically toss in the trash that I have collected over the past month or so to give to the birds! (Like I said this is perfect for springtime when the birds are nesting and looking to build a nest for their eggs)

A mesh bag from fresh produce works wonderfully for collecting your winged friend’s nest making goodies… The red mesh bag I used is from some Clementines we had earlier this summer. I  collect all of the lint in a plastic shopping bag I have hanging in my laundry room. I’m constantly doing laundry so collecting a bag of lint happens pretty quickly around here! Once I have collected a 1/2 of a bag or so I transfer it to the mesh adding bits and pieces of the things above - I keep a bag in my craft room too that is  just for the birds now that I know how much they love to add these things to their nests! 

(Please don’t add things like Easter grass (the plastic kind) or any other things that could cause harm to a bird or nature.)

Once the bag is full, tie the top shut with a piece of string or ribbon and hang it from a tree in your yard.  In the spring,  it’s so much fun watching  the birds pick through the mesh grabbing pieces of the lint, ribbon, fabric scraps, etc.,  to add to their nests!  You’ll  be surprised at how many birds this will attract and how often you will be refilling the bag! 

If you don’t have any mesh bags you can also use chicken wire rolled into a cylinder or you can fill a bird feeder with the items too.  If you don’t mind the mess, you can also just toss the lint and other miscellaneous scraps into your yard – personally, I prefer the bag because it’s neater and much more fun watching the birds pick through it!

I hope you enjoyed this very simple and super green project!

Olive helping my winged friends, don’t you?

xKim

2 comments

“Lovely” Vintage Tag


2010
08.24

Posted in Ephemera, Funky, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Random Posts | 2 Comments »

Another vintage looking tag perfect for gift giving or sending to someone you care about in place of a standard card.  :-)

2 comments

Creative Ideas….Wall Art


2010
08.24

Posted in Funky, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Random Posts | 2 Comments »

Just another little wall hanging – sorry the photo seems a bit light – the “creative ideas” sign in the middle is metal with a very shiny surface which kept causing a reflection.

5 comments

Dear Provo Craft,


2010
08.23

Posted in Random Posts | 5 Comments »

I just thought you would like to know what happens AFTER CHA in homes with young children…

Look what I found on my camera this morning…

Do you recognize these glasses? 

The future generation of Cricut.  Be afraid…. 

EEEEEEEEEK!!!!! 

I about dropped my cup of coffee when I found this mug shot!  What a  surprise and to tell you the truth I’m not sure when this happened.. I’m not sure what IT is…and I’m not sure I want to know! LOL! 

Olive a fun surprise on a Monday morning, don’t you? *wink*

xKim

Okay I have to admit…. the IT=my eight year old son.

1 Comment

“Do What You Love, Love What You Do” Tag


2010
08.23

Posted in Chipboard, Ephemera, Funky, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Tags & Wall Art, Tim Holtz ink, Vintage | 1 Comment »

  

 

This tag was made using a medium sized manilla tag found at your local office supply store.  I inked it using Tim Holtz Distress Inks and added a few clear and olive green colored dew drops to the corners.  The butterflies are some chipboard stickers I picked up at Joanns earlier this summer. The quote is from K&Co and the black is torn black tulle layered and knotted to give fullness. Super simple – to0k just minutes to make but will definitely give the next card, layout or even a gift that extra special touch!

I hope you enjoyed!

xKim

No Comments

“Beauty Queen” Wall Decor


2010
08.23

Tags:
Posted in Chipboard, Ephemera, Funky, Funny, Humor, Humorous, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts, Tags & Wall Art, Vintage | No Comments »

                                                                                                                                        

Hey Beauty Queens!  How about a stylin’ piece of art to hang somewhere special in your home or office to remind you or someone you love that “you are all that AND a bag of chips!” 

This door hanger/wall art was just wayyyyy too much fun to make and is the perfect accessory for you or any fashionista in your life!  The base is a  turquoise chipboard from the DCWV chipboard pack which I believe is 4″x6″. I added a torn piece of ledger paper by Paper Studio that was distressed and the edges were rolled and curled a bit to the top of the chipboard  The tag is made from a box of tags I had picked up at Office Max – manilla in color (medium size) – I covered it with a piece of music sheet print scrapbook paper by Paper Studio (this can be found at Hobby Lobby).  The awesome and sassy beauty queen is from Etcetera – Dimensional Ephemera and the stamped lingerie is from Clear Art Stamps.  The awesome felt rose is something I picked up at Hobby Lobby a couple of summers ago but I have seen them in their since then in different colors and styles.  A bit of ribbon scraps, a pink heart topped straight pin, some turquoise blue clear beads and some clear Stickles added to the bra, garter and shoe, along with the tiara, banner and shoes on the beauty queen give just enough sparkle to give it a vintagy feel.  I think the black lace gives this Beauty Queen a bit of a ”risque” look, wouldn’t you agree?!  I love how it turned out and have it hanging in my studio because a girl can dream, right? *wink*

Olive sassy and funky crafts, don’t you?

xKim

4 comments

Vintage Bridal Shower/Wedding Tag


2010
08.22

Posted in Ephemera, Funky, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts, Stickles, Tags & Wall Art, Vintage | 4 Comments »

Many of us are probably inundated with weddings, bridal showers, etc from summer to fall leaving us scratching our heads on what to make or give for a gift.  Try whipping up a tag like this to add to your gift or slip it  into an envelope with a gift card!

Here’s an adorable tag I whipped up this weekend using a bridal shower card from 1931 as the inspiration.  It’s funny because all of the items I used to make this tag were things that were sitting on my desk waiting to be sorted through.  If you haven’t been following my blog over the past month I have been REALLY busy cleaning, painting, switching rooms and organizing my craft space.  Oh, I’m far from being done but I’m getting closer each day!  :-)  I’m at the point where I can find a lot of my things for the first time so I can’t help but stop for a spell to craft something up!

The tag I used is a premade chipboard piece I’ve had in my stash for a long time and was one of those things still sitting on my desk so I decided to do something with it.  The card I used fell out of a box and was sitting on my desk so I challenged myself into making a cute tag with these items.  The sticker is from ___ (I’ll add that later because I can’t remember!)

How did I make it?

All I did was add the card to the front of the tag and added Stardust Stickles to the pink ribbon and blue flowers on the card to add  a bit of vintage bling.  The green frame is from a Making Memories set I’ve had for a few years that I also added Stickles too. The ribbon is an off-white ruffled piece that I glued with a hot glue gun to the bottom front of the tag.  The flower is from Prima.  I bent the petals a bit and glued ‘er down!  A light yellow/green satin piece of ribbon was added to the tag to hang and sha-bam!  A super cute and super simple vintage tag!

I hope you like it!

xKim

3 comments

“LUCKY” Fabric Tag


2010
08.22

Posted in Ephemera, Funky, Grunge, Hearts, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts, Tags & Wall Art, Tim Holtz ink | 3 Comments »

I need some good luck to come my way so when I stumbled upon this Jenni Bowlin “LUCKY”  BINGO tag I was completely drawn to it!  I rummaged through my stash and found this awesome fabric tag with a black damask print.  It’s another one of those things I have no clue where it came from but finally put it to good use!  The envelope and card was a set of Valentine’s Day cards I picked up at Target a few years ago for 90% off  – very vintage and funky l0oking!  The envelope was inked a bit with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.  The flower was made by fan folding (or some people call it accordian folding) a piece of 4″x6″ tulle paper.  I glued the edges and then added the silver button to the center.  I then gave the flower a coat of spray adhesive and sprinkled clear fine glitter and tapped off the excess.  The edges of the flower were crinkled a bit and a black tulle bow was tied and the ends frayed – I then used my hot glue gun to add the flower to the top of the bow.

The heart was made by using a wooden heart cutout for the base.  I then just rummaged around in my craft stash until I found a bunch of broken jewlery pieces and mismatched buttons, beads and silk roses.  I then covered the entire front of the wooden heart with Beacons 3-in-1 glue and started adding the items until the whole thing was covered.  Once dry I applied a topcoat of Mod Podge to seal it.

The ribbon at the bottom was made by first attaching the leopard print ribbon and then a strip of black pom pom fringe underneath.  I attached the beaded heart to the edge of the ribbon and card  at the very end and added a piece of black ribbon scrap to the top of the tag.  This tag looks adorable pretty much anywhere and I just love the way it turned out!

I hope you like it and are inspired to start using up some of those extra..THINGS in your craft stash!

Olive a funky craft idea, don’t you?

xKim

3 comments

“Creativity” Wall Decor


2010
08.22

Posted in Ephemera, Funky, Olive Juice Studio, Olive Juice Studio Inspirations(Gallery), Project Tutorials/Instructions, Random Posts, Tags & Wall Art | 3 Comments »

 

How about whipping up some funky and fresh. edgy yet classy wall decor for your crafty space as a reminder that being creative is a  lifelong process of learning and sharing what you know!

I was feel creative this weekend (oh yeahhhhhh!!!) and since I’ve been tearing up my craft space  and reorganizing I’ve found humungo-bungo (like that word?  I just made it up because there’s no other way to identify with all of the STUFF I have found while cleaning house…..!) amounts of …THINGS…..Just stuff that I have held onto for whatever reason.  I have sooo many…THINGS…I’ve decided to put these items to good  use and just started playing!  So far, I have several different chipboard based plaques/tags/wall decor that can be used to hang from a door knob, a handle on a cabinet or even to hang on a bulletin board, wall.  You can also use them as quick and easy gifts to give for birthdays, or what-have-you.  Some of the smaller tags are a bit bulky but make adorable “extras” to add to a gift or gift bag.  Place them anywhere in your home or office that you think deserves a burst of color and creativity!

The quote reads:

“Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are

located in the same individual.”

-Arthur Koestler

How did I made it? 

The base, the teal color is  a piece of chipboard scrap measuring approximatley 7″x9″.  It’s a sample piece of chipboard given to me at a trade show a few years back so honestly I don’t remember who makes it but any brand or even a cereal box doubled up would work beautifully - you could always paint, ink or cover the chipboard with a piece of paper too. If you look closely you can see a piece of olive/celery green – this is a piece of paper I cut just big enough to provide a slight border around the black frames.  The  flowers and leaves are a mixture of felt and chipboard pieces from 7 gypsy that I’ve had in my stash for about two years. The frame was made by stacking two different sized/patterend black frames and adhering  them together with double sided tape.  The buttons are just some glittered ones I had in my button stash that added a bit of sparkle to the plaque.  The quote was actually something I picked up from CHA a couple of years ago from a make and take that I never used but held onto.  It seemed like the perfect fit for this so I used it.  The pink ribbon is again, just some regular satin ribbon in my stash.  I applied a piece of double side tape to the top and bottom and then just added the ribbon to the top of the tape scrunching and bunching it as I attached it to give a ruffled appearance.  The black ribbon is some scrap that I had also from Hobby Lobby – I glued it with my hot glue gun to the back of the chipboard.

Olive crafts that use up stash!

xKim

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