Paisley Romance | Released at the May Quilt Market

My most recent fabric collection made its debut at the May 2013 Quilt Market.  Studio e made a lovely banner featuring the collection.  It was on display in their booth and is shown at right.   Paisley Romance is scheduled to ship in October so you are sure to be ready for Valentine and anytime romance.  The collection is full of loose watercolor-style roses, paisley, polkadots and gingham.  The is nothing overtly Valentine about it so it is ideal for bridal showers, weddings or to just spread some love.   I've shared a few of my favorite patterns below.  You can view the full collection here.                                                                                                                                          "Studio e" produces 100% cotton, premium quality fabrics in 43"/44" widths.  Your local quilt store can order them through Checker Distributors.  Checker does not sell directly to the consumer but you can view the fabrics on their site.  Although the fabrics are not scheduled for shipment until July 2013, your local shop can pre-order here.   

Free Project

12 Creative Ways to Hang a Banner

Before we can get to the myriad ways to hang a banner we'll need to start with the surface material. I use a medium-to-heavy weight Roclon sold by the yard. Roclon has a fine texture weave that doesn't interfere with detailed painting the way a coarse "floorcloth" canvas might. The only drawback is that it does have a linty surface which shows up in detailed paintings. I have found that using Primocoat™ hardens the lint and allows me to sand it away using a fine sanding pad.  This results in a beautifully prepared surface ready for any type of medium. I wouldn't use Roclon without the base that Primocoat™ provides. Once primed, Roclon is a terrific surface that doesn't curl or fray the way some canvas is apt to do. Because the canvas readily absorbs the primer, a single coat is adequate.  

You can cut out your finished banner shape before you begin or wait until everything is complete before trimming.  I prefer to paint my design first so I can adjust the final parameters if needed. If you are not a painter you can wet mount fabric or other materials to the banner using the method shown here.

You'll notice in the images to follow that I usually emboss the tabs or flap to add interest.  You can create this effect using the method shown here.

Once the banner design is complete, refer to the following suggestions to select the manner of display, then trim as desired and apply a finish to both sides to prevent curling.

1 Folded Pocket   The simplest and quickest method for hanging a banner ia a straight rod pocket secured with two rows of 1/4" Double-stick Craft Tape.  Plan extra length when cutting the banner to allow material for the pocket. Place the tape on the back side along the upper edge of the banner.  Remove the protective red liner from the tape and fold the top of the banner over allowing adequate room for a rod plus the tape. This method is invisible from the front.  Gluing a pocket is not recommended because it is difficult to create a consistent pocket as the glue will travel when the layers are pressed together.

2 Folded and Machine-Stitched Pocket   I suggest stitching the pocket prior to painting the banner.  Once painted, the material is significantly stiffer and can be difficult to manage.  I have a Pfaff machine and had no trouble sewing through two painted layers although the stiffness of the painted canvas made it awkward to handle.  I double-stitched the pocket (two rows of stitching 1/4" apart) for extra strength because the banner is to be used outdoors.

3  Folded with a Decoratively Hand-Stitched Pocket   This should be done after the banner is finished so no paint or mediums get on the stitching. Fold the top of the banner over allowing adequate room for a rod as well as the stitching.  Temporarily hold it in place with tape so that it doesn't shift while you are working. Use embroidery floss or yarn and a decorative stitch.  Tip: once you have selected the embroidery stitch that you would like to use you can pre-pierce the layers with a pointy tool to facilitate passage of the needle.  

4 Embossed Moulding  This application works well when you didn't allow extra canvas for tabs or a pocket.  Choose a moulding thick enough to accept the small nails used for a sawtooth hanger.  Cut the moulding to the width of the canvas.  Then, simply align the top of the canvas with the upper edge of the moulding and secure with Clearly Elegant Stenciling Gel.  The gel is preferred because, unlike glue, it is an acrylic polymer, which bonds with the paint (assuming you used acrylic products).  Alternatively, the layers can be secured with 1/4" Double-stick Craft Tape; however, the tape is more conspicuous than the gel.  Attach the sawtooth hanger on the back and it's ready to hang.

5 Decorative Flap  Trim the upper edge of the banner as desired. Be sure and decoratively finish the top part of the back side of the material as this will be visible.  Fold the flap to the front and secure using one of the pocket techniques described above or secure with brads.  To use brads you will need to punch a hole through both the layers of the canvas with a spring punch and mat.  Insert the brads through all layers and spread the extensions to secure.

6 Straps and Slots This is another clever way to hang a banner when you didn't allow extra canvas for tabs or a pocket.  Use Clearly Elegant Stenciling Gel to mount a strip of roclon to the back of the canvas along the upper edge of the banner for added stability where the slots will be cut.

 Decide the size and number of straps you will use and decorate these as desired. Create slots that are slightly wider than the straps you will use. For the example shown I decided on five straps (an odd number is more pleasing than an even number).  Use the spring punch and mat to establish the ends of the slots.  This will give the slots nice rounded ends.  Use a sharp craft knife to cut away the the section between each pair of holes.  Pass the straps through the slots, fold ends to the back and secure with brads as shown.  Alternatively, fold the ends to the back and (permanently) secure with Clearly Elegant Stenciling Gel or (temporarily) secure with hook and loop closures.

7 Tabs and Brads Cut the top of the banner into tabs, the size or shape can vary to suit your taste.  Execute a decorative treatment on the back of the tabs if you want to fold them to the front as I usually do.  To use brads you will need to punch a hole through both the layers of the canvas with a spring punch and mat.  Insert the brads through all layers and spread the extensions to secure.

8 Interwoven Tabs Cut tabs as described above making them a little longer than you might if you were just folding them over.  On the body of the banner mark the placement for two horizontal slits that align with each tab.  Each tab will pass through the upper slit to the back of the banner then return to the front of the banner through the lower slit.  These slits can be as far apart as you wish.  The ones shown here are about an inch apart, creating the illusion of a 1" band spanning the banner.  Cut (slightly wider than the tab) through the banner at each slit.  

Variations to this treatment could include a series of slits so the tabs weave through the banner several times.  Another alternative is to forgo brads and use the tabs themselves to lock everything in place.  To do this, cut the ends of the tabs as half-moons that are larger than the shaft of the tab (they will look like tall mushrooms). Fold the sides of the moons in to pass the tabs through the slits then flatten to keep them from pulling back through the slits.

9 Detached Tabs  These tabs are cut from a separate piece of roclon.  Here I show them as side tabs used to connect a banner to a tabletop stand.  The banner is actually hung using a simple folded pocket secured with Double-stick Craft Tape.  The tabs are then secured through all layer with custom painted brads If used at the top, the tabs are another way to display a banner that may be too short to cut attached tabs or fold a pocket.  These pre-cut tabs are sold here.

10  Hook and Loop Sticky-back hook and loop dots come in handy when you want to change your banner often and want to prevent breaking the extensions on your brads by repeated bending to and fro.  Brads can be used in a decorative fashion in conjunction with hook and loop dots.  To do this, punch holes and pass the brads through the tabs only (not through the body of the banner).  Use the dots to secure the tabs.  This way you can open the tabs to change the banner without removing the brads.

11  Alternating Tabs I developed this application for a stencil display that is viewed from both sides. The upper edge of the canvas is evenly divided and cut to create tabs long enough to pass up and around a pole then secure on opposite sides with hook and loop fasteners. For example, if you have seven tabs the odd tabs (1, 3, 5, 7) fasten on side A while the even tabs (2, 4, 6) fasten on side B. Neither side of the display appears to be the "back" resulting in a two-sided banner.

12  Grommets Use a Grommet Kit to pierce the canvas and insert brass grommets across the upper edge of the banner.  This style can be tied in place or hung with "s" hooks.

13 (bonus tip!)  Take the easy way out Purchase a precut banner; you'll find several styles here,  along with a coordinating hanger here.

You can view many of the banners referenced in this post at Artisan Life & Style.

Resources
Roclon by-the-yard
Precut Banners
Primocoat
Double-stick Craft Tape
Clearly Elegant Stenciling Gel
Spring Punch and Mat
Custom Brad Kit
Banner Hangers and Accessories
Grommet Kit

Protect your Original Content with Copyscape

Have you ever wondered if the content you read online is original?  What if one of your  readers or customers found the same text presented verbatim on another site? This could raise questions as to who produced the original content.  Perhaps you write informative posts or detailed tutorials and want to make sure they have not been plagiarized elsewhere.  

You can search for like materials on the web using copyscape.  Simply go to copyscape and, in the search box provided, paste the url for the content you wish to search.  Copyscape will return results of content that is duplicated elsewhere on the web.  
When searching for specific content such as a blog post, click on the post title for the post-specific URL rather than inputting the home page address.  Copyscape will return the top results with links to the pages where the same content has been found.  If you find that your content has been plagiarized you can then take steps to have it removed from the offending site and preserve the originality of your website or blog.

Transylvanian Sausage Soup

This soup is rich in flavor and oh-so-easy.  Once you brown the bacon and saute the onion and garlic it can all be thrown in a crock pot or finished in the same pot you used for browning.  Just be sure and use a large pot from the start so there is room for the remaining ingredients.

When working on this recipe I experimented with different brands of bacon thinking perhaps any bacon would do.  But it was not so. I found that cheap or bargain brands do not impart flavor and leave the soup lacking.  Choose a quality or local brand if you can.  Peppered bacon adds a bite if you like a little spice. I prefer to use thick-sliced because it holds up better in the soup.

The unusual ingredients like cinnamon and raisins might seem a bit odd in a soup but don't skip them. They are key to creating the complex flavor profile that makes this soup such a hit!

Ingredients

• ½ # Bacon 
• 1 lg. sweet onion; chopped
• 3 cloves garlic; crushed
• 2# Cabbage; cut into 1” pieces
• 1T Smoked Paprika
• Black Pepper to taste
• 28 oz. Petite dice tomatoes
• 14 oz. Tomato Sauce
• 48 oz. Chicken broth
• 1/2c. golden raisins
• 3” cinnamon stick
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 pkg. (1#) Kielbasa; sliced

Method

1. Fry the bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is browned--it doesn't need to be super-crisp.  Add the onion and garlic; sauté until lightly browned.  
2. Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer on low until cabbage is tender.  Or, place all in a crock pot to simmer.

The soup is even better after being refrigerated and reheated as this allows the flavors to meld.

La Boulangerie Marie, Cedar City, Utah

It is always a pleasure to find fresh food, made from scratch.  On a journey that took us through Utah we discovered a small restaurant/bakery featuring French fare.  Upon entering we received a friendly greeting and were quickly offered a seat.  It was a Sunday and so the featured menu was brunch served from eleven to three.  We were presented with fresh, hot wheat rolls (sourdough was also available) that were delicious.  The coffee, served in petite cups, was as smooth as silk and our cups were continually refreshed.  

Fred | Baker

The brunch menu was a set price and offered soup or salad as a starter followed by several selections for the main course.   We could choose from a variety of savory crepes.  Other choices included quiche, pain perdue (French bread pudding) and eggs benedict.  We selected the seafood crepe and eggs benedict.  Each were accompanied by pomme duchesse (French-style piped potatoes) and garnished with fresh fruit.  Both were excellent.

Roger | Owner

To finish the meal we had our choice of desserts.  We selected a chocolate eclair and lemon tart.  One of the things we we love about French pastries is that they are not excessively sweet.  The flavor of the ingredients shine without being overshadowed by superfluous sugar.  Both of our choices met our expectations and were enjoyed with more coffee! 

Less than a year old La Boulangerie Marie is rapidly gaining traction in the local area.  The restaurant provides baked goods for other local eateries and is preparing to expand their baking hours to meet the growing demand.  In addition to the Sunday brunch that we had the opportunity to enjoy they also offer breakfast and lunch specials throughout the week.

Located at 255 N. Main Street, La Boulangerie Marie can be hard to spot when approaching from the south.  The building sets at at an angle.   The side of the building faces the street with the restaurant entrance (seen at left) located at the north end.  Ph: 435.233.8466

Dividing Blogger Pages into Top Tabs and Side Links

Yes, it can be done!  It took me a while to discover the work-around and it is actually very simple.  All the wisdom of the web (even blogger help) said it couldn't be done. Your pages were either top tabs or side links but not both.  It takes a little back-and-forth, working between the layout widgets and pages, but is very easy to do.  Let's get started!

Fig. 1

In the dashboard select "layout" from the column on the left [Fig. 1].  

You are going to add two widgets. Add the "pages" widget at the top (between the header and blog posts sections). This will become your top tabs. In the sidebar add the "links" widget.

Fig. 2

Create the pages for both areas via the pages link on blogger the dashboard [Fig. 2]. Select "show as top tabs" in the drop down menu.

Go back to the layout [Fig. 1] and select "edit" in the lower right corner of the pages widget.   Now you need to configure your page list.  Under "Pages to show" click the checkbox beside each page that you want to appear in the top tabs.  

Under "Page order" drag and drop to sort the pages in the order you wish them to appear in the top tabs section.   

For the pages you will use as side links make sure the "Pages to show" box is unchecked so these are hidden.  Click "save".  

Return to the pages link [Fig. 2].  Here you will now find your pages that show in the top tabs separated from the hidden pages.  If you don't see the "hidden pages" group scroll down.  You'll find them below the tabs group.  Under the hidden page that you want to display as a sidebar link select "view".  This will open the page in a new window and you can highlight and copy the URL.  For convenience I suggest copying each of the URLs that you will be linking and paste them into a temporary text file so you can add them all to the widget at once.  

Return the the layout [Fig. 1], and select the links widget in the sidebar to configure your links list.  Give the widget a title and select the sorting method.  Paste the URL for the first link in the "New site URL" field.  Name the link with the text you want to see in place of the URL.  Click "Add Link"  Repeat this process until all of your hidden pages have been added to the links list.  Click "Save".  Your links can be further sorted by using multiple links gadgets with different titles.

I have used this process here: ArtisanLifeAndStyle.com  The top tabs are displayed using the "Pages" widget".  "Meet our Artisans" are the hidden pages listed using the "Links" widget.

Upcycle Jars with a Stenciled Chalkboard Label

Some products come in the cutest jars and bottles so I hate to discard them. When it comes to labeling I often write directly on the jar with a sharpie.  It's convenient and easy to remove but, depending on the contents, can be hard to see (not to mention less than attractive) so I decided to create a label stencil.  The stencil includes eight silhouettes in a variety of shapes and sizes (some with trims!) so you should be able to find the right fit for your jar of choice; you can also mask or repeat a section to create additional sizes.  All eight labels can be used both vertically and horizontally.

Prepare the Jar(s)

Begin by thoroughly cleaning the jar and removing all labels and residue.  To do this soak the jar in hot water to soften the paper.  Most labels will remove easily when soaked.  For stubborn labels I use a flat razor blade to scrape the label off the jar.  Residual adhesive comes of easily with a touch of mineral spirits on a paper towel.  Once the jar has been stripped wash it in hot, soapy water, rinse and allow it  to dry.

I usually just "eyeball" the placement for the label.  This works fine for onesies but if you are creating several matching jars you may want to measure and mark the placement so that it is consistent.

Square Jars Find the center of the jar and mark a vertical center line on the glass with a water-soluble pencil.  "Square" jars typically have rounded corners, which can make finding the center difficult because you have no hard edge from which to measure.  To overcome this obstacle set the jar on a cutting mat with a printed grid. Visually center the jar on the grid and use the printed lines to help find the center of the jar.

You can make sure your line is perfectly vertical by placing the jar on your work surface then stand a triangle on the work surface and hold it against the jar to draw the center line with the water-soluble pencil.     

Cylindrical Jars Cylindrical jars do not need to be measured because the label can be placed anywhere on the jar.  Check the jar for manufacturing seams (ridges in the glass) and position these at the sides so your label remains smooth.  Draw a vertical line using a triangle and water soluble pencil as described above.

Stenciling the Jar(s)

Select the label shape that best suits the jar and position it on the surface.  Align the stencil with the vertical center line marked on the glass. You can use a stencil adhesive to keep it in place or secure it with tape.  I prefer tape--less mess. To facilitate removal create a tab on the tape by folding over the end.

In order for the chalk paint to bond with the glass you need to start with a layer of Primocoat. Tip: Avoid wasting your time and materials using the chalkboard paint without the Primocoat as the chalkboard paint used alone will scratch off the glass.  Primocoat will also allow you to create an opaque undercoat for the chalkboard paint, which is fairly transparent. Primocoat is available in black or white. 

 If you want the traditional black chalkboard look then use black.  If you prefer a chalkboard in a lighter color then use white.  Use a dry sponge wedge to pounce the Primocoat over the opening in the stencil.  To do this, touch the sponge into the Primocoat.  Tap the sponge on your palette to remove excess.  It is important that the sponge be mostly dry so the Primocoat does not bleed under the stencil. Begin in the center of the opening so there is less paint when you approach the edge of the stencil. Use your fingers to press the stencil firmly against the glass to seal the edges as you pounce over the stencil.  Primocoat bonds securely with a variety of surfaces including stencils.  Do not allow it to cure on the stencil or you may not be able remove it.  As soon as you have finished with the Primocoat clean the stencil with hot water before continuing.  Tip: The primocoat can be removed more easily if you have a barrier coat of regular acrylic paint already on the stencil.  This is a fancy way of saying "use a dirty stencil".  The layer of paint keeps the Primocoat from coming in contact with the stencil.

One layer of Primocoat

Three layers of Primocoat

Realign the stencil over the Primocoat and, in the same manner, paint the label with chalkboard paint (for black chalkboards) or the desired color followed by clear chalkboard coating for any other color.  Allow the paint to cure 24 hours before writing on your labels.

Lightly sand the label (if necessary) so that it is smooth and wipe away any sanding dust.  Condition the chalkboard surface (to eliminate ghosting and facilitate cleaning) by rubbing the entire label with the side of a piece of chalk.  Wipe away the chalk dust with a dry cloth or chalkboard eraser.

Writing on the Labels

For more precise writing I use a chalk pencil, which can be sharpened to a point.  Regular chalk is much too bulky for use on small labels but is fine in a larger space.  

The Quick & Easy Method Dampen the label with water.  Then write as desired using the chalk pencil.  Functional and done in seconds.  Convenient for jars where the contents are frequently changing.

The Creative Method Layout the label design on tracing paper.  Transfer the layout using white graphite paper and a ball-tipped stylus. Dampen the label with water.  Then  trace over the layout  using the chalk pencil.   Functional, takes a few minutes but is pretty too!  Worthwhile for jars where the contents remain the same.

To create the label shown I traced inside of the label template to establish the boundary on my tracing paper.  I then sketched the focal word "Flour" and added a few flourishes.

I use two flour jars, one for all purpose and the other for high gluten, aka bread flour.  So at the top of the label I added a section for this information.  I used "high gluten" rather than "bread" on the jar because it uses about the same space as "all purpose" and created a more consistent look between the labels.  I then wrote "all natural" at the bottom to add a hand-script font for interest.  Lastly, I filled in the negative space with lines and tapped dots at each end of the lines.  If you are not comfortable sketching your label fonts you can find myriad choices on free font sites like dafont.com  

For bright white text the label must be damp.

This sure beats my previous method of identifying my flour, which was cotton string with colored tips--red for AP and blue for bread.  It worked for me but only I knew the code.  This is much better.    

Supplies
This tutorial includes links for the items needed throughout the text.  If you are just getting started and don't have most of these supplies on hand you might want our chalkboard label starter kit. 







Chalkboard Label Starter Kit 

• ST-125 Label Silhouettes stencil
• 1 water soluble pencil (may be white or black)
• 1 chalk pencil 
• 1 sharpener
• a small piece of white transfer paper 
• 2 sponge wedges
• 2 oz. Black Primocoat  
• 2 oz. black chalkboard paint   
• As a bonus you get the flour label pattern used for this tutorial  

Stencil only  If you already have the basic supplies you can get the flour label pattern along with the purchase of the  ST-125 Label Silhouettes stencil if you ask for it when ordering the stencil.  Use the comment field upon checkout or follow your order with an email letting me know you want the label pattern included.