What's In Your Recipe Box?

Do you have a recipe box? Are you digital or analog or both?

I am both, but I turn to my paper recipes the vast majority of the time. 

 I recently made this canvas box using some Dard Hunter 

craftsman style stencils. Since they are all food items it fits. 

Everything else in my house has a canvas bin it seemed time for one in the kitchen.

Look closer & you see my strange categories. Brussel sprouts, 

Eggplant, Polenta, Asian, Quinoa. It works for me however at times I can't 

remember which category a certain recipe was filed  under. 

Do I need to cross reference? I think not. 

 

Canvas Creations Continue

It's been awhile. Long grey fall in Northern Michigan. 

Good time to get back in the studio and start painting, stenciling, sewing and sharing. 

Wanted a new vessel to hold all the paper recycling in the dining room.

Working bigger was one of my thoughts & this fit the bill. 

Thinking about a series of nesting bins in a larger size. What do you think?

Been talking to a local business about having some of my things in their store.

That resulted in developing a box to hold knitting patterns, cataloges, & magazines.

Below is the prototype.

 

First step is always deciding what color to mix and paint the background.  

Then create a pattern to get the dimensions I want. 

I'll be honest. I agonize over what images to add, what colors to use, when to stop!  

Do I match the edges or do a random pattern?

 

 Matching is more challenging and time consuming, but I like the outcome.

 

 

 

  Adding lids to most of my boxes makes them feel more substantial.

The little bag I use to hold my cloths pins (one of my favorite tools) is a

favorite & I've decided to make several more. They will be added to my Etsy shop soon.  

 

Here is current version  ready to be stitched.

The other piece of the puzzle is to organize my patterns

 and get more detailed in my directions so I don't have to reinvent the wheel 

when I haven't done one in awhile. 

Remembering to label EVERYTHING is a goal. Once you get lots of pieces of fabric for several projects it can get dicey. Clothespins, a fine tip sharpie and masking tape are my friends. 

C is for Canvas #AtoZChallenge

Canvas is my main medium these days. It's sturdy, has nice texture, 

& accepts everything I throw at it without complaint. 

I buy yards of it at a time since fabric vessels have taken over the studio.

It starts with brushing water on the fabric. Then acrylic paint I mix to the color of my choice. I add dabs of other color to get a mottled look. More water to blend.

Next it's decision time. What stencils from hand cut pile to use? As well as what colors.

This can keep me up at night or wake me up early. No joke.

 Each piece gets a fabric back & Pelon heavy interfacing between the layers for rigidity. 

Carpentry with fabric is how I categorize my creations. 

There is the occasional soft project. 

Thanks for following along on this month long adventure.