My First Books, LOL

Not quite what you were expecting, LOL!! I thought I designed my first book in 2000 as a gift to Brooke Tucker. She came to our studio to give one of her wonderful workshops and I thought she might like a mini book about Victoria B.C. including antique postcards.

It turned out I had made books a few years before. It was surprising to find mom had saved these small books, I found these when I was going though her things after she passed away last year. I made these books in Regina Sask., when I was eight years old. While trying to figure out how old I was when I made these books for mom, I discovered after looking at the Birthday Cake page it says Jeanie 8. Don't think I would put a picture of me jumping in a book nowadays, lol, but I was pleased to see I had added a doll.

Mini Hugs, Jean

Kit, Kat and Basement Mosaic

Last night I took this close up of our cat Smokey just as he turned around on my lap to look up at me. Was he ever surprised! Hard to tell he is thirteen, he still looks and acts young. Maybe he is getting older if he let me take his photo, lol, he has always been totally camera shy.

The next two photos are of our basement where I store old, vintage cooking utensils and odd pots. The doors shown go into our larder. I painted the old concrete walls years ago and still enjoy them. I loved the way the rocks were showing in the concrete so I enhanced them. The other area is one basement entrance way that I fixed up years ago too, painted the floor, walls and made a mosaic out of broken tiles and ceramics then added odds and ends I have bought through the years for a rustic look, very little cost and it was so much fun. The water fountain does work but it is more useful as a table. We sort out all of our recycling in that room on the other side where there is also a heat pump.

The middle photo is a new Toddler kit I have recently designed to go with the mothers Vintage apron I showed in a previous post. I called it Ginger Spice Apron and it is available from my web site or eBay store. I had fun putting it on an antique paper doll in a paint program. Thought the kit really looked like a Victorian Swim Set. I have shown how I made the vintage, rustic hanger on my tutorial photo blog.

Free Printable Valentine Cards, B.C.Winter Olympics, My Mom's Cookie Recipe, New Kits

First I would like to thank all of my followers, such an inspiration visiting your blogs and knowing you care if I'm here. My apologies for not listing in Dec., we went on a wonderful three week, four continental cruise. We visited Italy, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Morocco, Canary Islands, Brazil, Barbados and Dominica and then home from Florida on time to celebrate Christmas. Everywhere we visited was so special, took so many photos that I hope to share.

It is very exciting here in BC as the 2010 Winter Olympics is starting in Vancouver today. I live in Victoria which is really close. I wish I had tickets but it is great to watch it on TV. Right now I'm watching the Torch Relay as it makes it's way to Vancouver. As the Poppytalk blog mentioned "Go Canada Go"!

I'm offer free Valentine Printable postcards and cards shown above, the first should print in one twelfth & quarter scale and the second set of images is larger. There are beautiful cards from a lovely postcard album from 1910 I bought last year and couldn't resist sharing them.

The next three photos I've shown above are new kits I'm offering through my eBay store and my website http://jdayminis.com  January and Feburary are my favorite design months as my mini business is often slower but that hasn't happened this year. To make more time in my day we've started waking up earlier and going for walk, it has worked well.

One kit shown above is called Newborn Queen of Heart's Baby. One customer mentioned she was going to use it for an Alice on Wonderland scene which I thought was a terrific idea.
I designed it using images from my vintage childrens Queen of Heart's book.

The apron kit is called Vintage Ginger Spice Apron. I have inherited many beautiful vintage aprons my grandmother and mother used to wear. I wanted this to look like an old apron from the 20's to 50's. I designed the gores and square bodice with a bias tape look as was used in so many of the designs or that era.

Today was my mother's Birthday and I miss her since she passed away. I've been thinking of how she really gave me a love for baking. She always said she loved blending the butter and sugar by hand and I do too. In memory of mom, I thought I would share her favorite cookie recipe that I enjoy making too. Since I need a gluten free diet, I just substitute for the 3C flour...rice flour and tapioca flour. The blended raisins really help to hold the gluten free cookies together. It is a lovely moist recipe.

Mom's Raisin Cookies

Blend with a spoon: 1 Cup butter and 1½ C. white sugar until smooth

Blend in a blender until the raisins are pretty well liquified:
2 eggs
3 T. milk
1 C. raisins

add: 1½ t. soda
1½ t.cream of tartar
½ t. salt
1 t. vanilla
3 C. flour

Spoon onto baking sheet and bake until golden brown and still moist. Bake at 350° for 8-10 min. or 325° in a convection oven. I like to add 1 C. chocolate chips, nuts or raisins or all.

All the best,
Mini Hugs, Jean