Something warm for breakfast...

With Winter just around the corner I long for warmth, especially when it comes to eating. My belly prefers a warm breakfast during cold seasons. My current favourite: Porridge. And here's how I'm cooking it...

You need:
1/4 C porridge oats
1/4 C rolled whole oats
1/2 C almond milk
1 C water
1 pinch of salt

Depending on how much time you have to prepare breakfast you can either make this porridge right in the morning or the evening before.

If you would like to cook it right in the morning...
- combine oats, milk and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil
- let simmer for 10 minutes while stirring, after 8:30-9 minutes, add the pinch of salt
- set aside and let sit there for another 5 minutes before serving

If you would like to cook the porridge the evening before...
- combine oats, milk and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil
- let simmer for 3 minutes while stirring, add a pinch of salt after about 1:30-2 minutes
- set aside and let sit there until the next morning (don't forget to put the lid on)
- simply reheat in the microwave the next morning (you might need to add a bit water)

You can either eat the plain porridge as it is or you can add some toppings. I love to add a bit of maple syrup plus chopped nuts. Self-made apple sauce also tastes great.


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Yours
Uta

Crochet Bunting (Granny Style)

Hello ladies,

how are things these afternoon?

Here's yet another crochet creation I'd like to show you. I made this one for Kristin as well. It's been her birthday a couple of days ago so I thought a crochet bunting might be a fun idea.

Yours
Uta

Cushion Cover

Hello Ladies,

I'm currently facing an extremely rainy Sunday what makes the weather occur even colder than it actually is. Not that nice but a good excuse to spend the whole day on the couch with lots of tea, a bunch of magazines, a good book and something to hook :)

Apart from that, I've got something to share with you today, another crochet creation. This time it's a cushion cover I made for my friend Kristin.
The yarn is Schachenmayr Catania which is 100% cotton. I hooked it with a 4mm hook. All five buttons are made of maplewood. And the final result will fit a 40 x 40 cm cushion.

So how has your weekend been so far?


Yours
Uta

Tea and Cookies

Hello Ladies,

November is a strange time. It's sort of in-between Fall and Christmas season not really belonging to either of the two. But nevertheless, Christmas is not too far away. While walking through the streets downtown this morning, I realized they are already setting up the Christmas Market. Now that's definitely a sign, Christmas is approaching with great strides. So why not getting into the mood by baking some cookies and having a nice tea :)

So far, I baked three kinds of cookies.

And while having a cup of tea yesterday, I thought why not hooking a really simple Christmas-themed mug cozy.

So did you start to prepare for Christmas yet? Any cookie baking? Decorating? Crafting?

Have a cozy Friday, everyone, it's time to ring in the weekend!


Yours
Uta

Christmas Tree Miniature Bunting

Hey ladies,

how are Christmas preparations coming along?
A couple of weeks ago I started to craft new ornaments for my tiny Christmas tree. My small evergreen (yes, it is plastic but still it looks darn realistic) is just about 50 cm so every ornament needs to be pretty small.
Over at pinterest I found a couple of pins that showed wonderful Christmas tree buntings. An absolutely lovely idea! So I made one for my Christmas tree as well - of course extra small.
Every piece of cardboard on which I drew the letters is just 1,5 x 1,5 cm. Can't wait to finally see it hanging on my tree this year :)

How are you decorating your tree this Christmas season? Are you more into natural decorations or do you prefer for example baubles?

Have wonderful day!

Yours
Uta

Faux Fircones made of Felt

Hey ladies,

sorry for blogging so little lately. I've been working on a lot of things, most of them presents so I can't showcase them up here right away. Well, anyways. Who of you knows the magazine Mollie Makes? I'm quite sure, the British people among us do for sure. There's also a German edition. I myself came across this wonderful crafting magazine thanks to my friend Kristin. She let me take a peek in a couple of Mollie Makes issues she had at home during one of my visits to Berlin this year. So for the last couple of months, I've been buying Mollie Makes regularly. I'm also thinking about subscribing but haven't decided on that one yet.
In one of the Mollie Makes issues - I think it was the one that came out in July 2014 - there were instructions on how to make faux felt fircones. I instantly fell in love with them and a couple of days ago I finally found the time to make some myself. Definitely easy to make but one should be careful with the hot glue gun, I almost burned myself a couple of times.

Warm greetings from Kassel, I hope there's sunshine wherever you are!

Yours
Uta

Fröbelsterne Made In Berlin

Last weekend I visited Kristin in Berlin. We spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning crafting Fröbelsterne. I actually don't know whether there's a real English translation for Fröbelstern. I couldn't find one so. Well, yes, we definitely had a great time and wanted to share some of the results with you!

I hope you guys had a great weekend as well!

Yours
Uta

Easy Fall-inspired Gift Wrap

I just quickly wanted to share with you some easy-peasy Fall-inspired gift wrap I came up with a couple of days ago. It consists of simple brown paper warp with a pressed leaf glued to it.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend so far!
Yesterday was quite a busy day for me. After lots of housework in the AM, I headed downtown for a 3,5h Pilates workshop around noon. I barely had time to shower and to change when back home around 5PM. Up next was a colleagues 50th birthday party. We all stayed late. Extremely tired I returned back home around 1:30 AM, flew through the bathroom and hopped into my bed as fast as I could. I'm still a bit tired so today's going to be a rather relaxed day.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!


Yours
Uta

Self-Made Pencil Case

This project is definitely pinterest - I just can't find the pin anymore ;)

Well, anyways. I made a pencil case!

I used cotton fabric from IKEA and a 20cm plastic zipper. Very easy to sew, even for someone like me who's not that experianced when it comes to sewing :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Yours

Uta

Halloween Decor: Mini Crochet Pumpkin

Hey All!

The last project is online! I know you already missed some crocheting in this Halloween crafting project series so here we go!
This one is quick and easy to hook. You can vary the size of your pumpkin very easily by choosing a different kind of yarn or by adjusting the hook size.

You need

• Orange yarn (e.g. Wollbutt Acrylic Yarn, 3mm hook recommended)
• Green yarn (e.g. Wollbutt Acrylic Yarn, 3mm hook recommended)
• Crochet hook (e.g. 3mm)
• Scissors
• Needles

Instructions

Basics: Begin every row with 1 CH and close every row with 1 ST. Z means you have to hook two SC into one stitch, A means, you  have to hook one SC into two stitches.

R1: 6 SC [6]
R2: 6x Z [12]
R3: 6x (Z, 1 SC) [18]
R4: Z, 3x SC, Z, 4x SC, Z, 3x SC, Z, 4x SC [22]
R5: Z, 4x SC, Z, 5x SC, Z, 4x SC, Z, 5x SC [26]
R6: 26x SC [26]
R7: 26x SC [26]
R8: 26x SC [26]
R9: 2x SC, A, 5x SC, A, 4x SC, A, 5x SC, A, 2x SC [22]
R10: 4x SC, A, 3x SC, A, 4x SC, A, 3x SC, A [18]
R11: 6x (A, 1 SC)  [12]
R12: 6x A [6]

You should start stuffing the little pumpkin around Row 10.
After you finished Row 12, cut the yarn leaving a thread of about minimum 30 cm. Now get a needle and close the pumpkin.

Where you just closed the pumpkin is the bottom. Use the same needle and stitch through the pumpkin right in the middle from the bottom to the top. Repeat 5 times and make sure to pull the thread real tight. Sew in the thread.

Afterwards, knot two strings of green yarn to the top of the pumpkin, braid them for about 1 cm, make a knot and cut the yarn.

Done!

Happy Hookin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Ouija Board

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick word on ouija boards before I begin with the actual crafting instructions...

Well, ouija boards do have a certain reputation. They are said to be dangerous for those using them. From my point of view - and this is really just my very own opinion - they fall into the same category as tarot cards and other tools used for divination. You need to handle them with care and a good portion of common sense is also recommended.

Alright, time to get crafty!

You need

• Cardboard in a color of your choice (maybe something dark like brown or black)
• An ouija board printable from the internet
• A stencil for the planchette (feel free to use mine)
• Siccors
• Glue
• Pencil
• Ruler

Step 1:
Print and cut out an ouija board picture and glue it on a piece of cardboard that is slightly bigger than the ouija board picture. I added about 1 cm on all sides for example.

Step 2:
Cut out a planchette and decorate it with some mystic symbols if you like.

planchette stencil

Et voilà:

Happy Craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Paper Chains

Chains are an essential part of every Halloween decoration. Here's a quick, easy and budget-friendly version made from toilet paper rolls!

You need:

• Toilet paper rolls
• Scissors and/or a cutter
• Cutting mat 
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Tape

Instructions:

Et Voilà, a paper chain:

If you want to add some color, feel free to paint it.


Happy craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Bottled Potions

Hey Fellow Witches!

Today we are brewing potions **insert evil witch laughter right here** !

You need:

• Glass bottles (this is the point were cleaning glass jars and glass bottles and keeping them for a little while instead of throwing them away comes in handy)
• Food coloring and/or ink in different colors
• Water
• Tags (there are thousands of free printables on the web)
• Small pieces of fabric
• Rustic looking yarn
• Glue

Step 1:
Make sure your glass bottles are clean and remove any remainig labels.

Step 2:
Mix a certain amount of water with a few drops of food coloring or ink of your choice and fill it into the bottle.

Step 3: 
Close the bottle. Put a small piece of fabric over the cap and secure with yarn.

Step 4:
Add a tag. You could glue it onto the bottle, attach it with some yarn, ....

Happy Craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Bunting

A bunting is a must, therefore we're crafting one today!

You need:

• Black cardboard
• Pencil
• Silver or goldden ball pen
• Punch pliers
• Scissors
• Yarn of your choice
• A bunting stencil (feel free to use mine)

Stencil for Bunting

Step 1:
Cut out a certain number of equally sized buntings from the black cardboard.
My bunting says "Happy Samhain", which requires 12 buntings, "Happy Halloween" on the other side requires 14. So whatever you like to write on your bunting, simply count the letters.

Step 2:
Punch two holes into each bunting - one in the upper left corner, one in the upper right corner.

Step 3:
Use the ball pens to draw big sized letters onto the buntings, one per bunting.

Step 4:
Use the yarn to join the buntings.

And that's it!

Happy craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Books

Hey All,

yesterday with made some Paper Lanterns, today we are turning ordinary books into magical ones!
Again, this project falls into the category quick & easy as well as low budget friendly.

You need:

• A book of your choice
• Paper (I recommend brown wrapping paper or something similar)
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Crayons, fountain pen or whatever painting/writing equipment you prefer

Step 1:
Measure the book you are going to use or even better its paper cover in case it has one (like mine, pretty handy), transfer to a sheet of paper and cut it out.

Step 2: 
Decorate the paper you just cut out. To do so I used a fountain pen with black ink and some crayons.

Step 3:
Wrap the paper around the book and you're done!

Happy Craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Halloween Decor: Paper Lanterns

Hey Crafting Pals,

October is here, Halloween is near! So over the next 7 days I'm going to post different Halloween crafting projects. Let's start with project #1 right away: Paper Lanterns!

You need:

• One sheet of orange paper per lantern
• A computer or something similar with a properly working internet connection and a printer connected to it
• A cutter and I also recommend a cutting board or mat
• Transparent tape
• Small LED lights

Step 1:
Turn on your computer/laptop/tablet/whatever, go online, search for nice Halloween stencils and print them on the top of your orange paper sheets (one per sheet)

Step 2:
Cut or rip the paper sheets in half

Step 3:
Cut out the different shapes

Step 4:
Now tape the paper sheets back together along the shorter sides

Now all you have to do is put a little light inside.
BUT: As a daughter of full-time firefighter I highly recommend NOT to use any sort of candle here! Paper is easily inflammable and this paper lantern construction is quite unstable. My tip therefore is to invest in LED lights. I used little LED lights from IKEA, SOLVINDEN they are called. I think three of those tiny lights are $5 in the US and about 3€ in Germany. Quite affordable and definitely a good investment.

Oh, and I almost forgot - TAAADAAAAAA:

Happy Craftin'!

Yours
Uta

Just poppin' in...

... to let you know I'm still alive !!!

Life has been quite busy for me lately. One of my projects at work is making me work too many extra hours, is keeping my mind too occupied and is causing too much stress to handle at the moment. Plus in my case continuous stress frequently leads to migraine attacks now and then, such fun.

Aside from that, I sort of just realized Christmas is not too far away, so I'm currently hooking, crafting and knooking a couple of presents I can't show you until the end of the year.

So please be patient with me for another couple of day. I have a thrifty Halloween crafting series coming up starting October 1st so stay tuned :)


Yours
Uta

A Beanie for Fall

Fall is just around the corner so it's time to stock up on cute accessories that are keeping you warm! Therefore I decided to make my last crochet project a nice and simply crochet beanie. I think it took me about three days to finish it hooking up to two hours every evening.

The wool I used is Schachenmayr Cotton Bamboo Batik. Consisting of 50% cotton and 50% viscose it's super soft and also nice to hook.

Yours
Uta

Happy Fall Y'All!

For me the beginning of september marks the return of autumn! (not just meteorologically ;) ) So yesterday it was high time to finish my Fall Bucket List 2014. I don't have as much on my list as last year. But it's still enough to do. For all of you who can't decipher my handwriting, here's what's on my list:

Fall Bucket List 2014

fly a kite

corn maze!

make peach liqueur

wander through the woods

bake pumpkin cookies

go on a fall picnic

visit a pumpkin patch

fall playlist!

drive home for halloween

knit christmas presents

make a fall simmer pot

start a christmas cake

Harry Potter marathon + Dead Poets Society

Enjoy Cozy Evenings With A Book In My Hands And My Dog Next To Me

So despite of the things on my list, I think I'll sneak in some points of Uta's marvellous Autumn Bucket List in my this year's fall season :) It's the best season of the year and there's so much to enjoy! So

Happy fall y'all!

Adding a bit of colour to boring white envelops

Alright, this is a very quick tutorial on how to add a bit of colour to boring white envelops. I came up with this one yesterday evening and thought it would be worth sharing.

You need:

• water colours
• brushes
• water
• envelops (preferable in white)
• small pieces of an IKEA drawer mat
• scissors 

Cut the drawer mat into small stripes and brush some water colour on it (shouldn't be too watery):

Press the drawer mat stripe onto the envelop:

And carefully remove it again - voilà:

Be sure to let the envelops dry properly before using them!


Happy Crafting'!

Yours
Uta

What I've been baking lately

Hi ladies,

this post is going to be a short summary of a couple of dishes I tried over the last couple of day.

1. I made two batches of granola. The one on the left is apple cinnamon, the one on the right is chocolate amaranth. Both are more or less improvised.

2. These are my first ever self-made seitan sausages! A bit nasty when preparing, because the gluten makes the whole stuff extremely sticky. But they taste pretty good! The recipe is from one of my most favourite vegan cook books Vegan lecker, lecker (lecker is the German word for yummy).

3. This is a whole-grain bread, basically made using a Demeter bread baking mix which is organic. Had the first slices of it this morning for breakfast, definitely yummy!

Well, so besides all that baking I was also busy ringing in Autumn here in my little rental. Just a few minutes ago I hung up the last window decor.
Apart from that I caught myself spending a lot of time at Pottermore lately. Do you guys know Pottermore? It's the official Harry Potter website. After registration you will be sorted into one of the four houses (I ended up in Hufflepuff by the way). Then you can start brewing potions, practice spells and whatnot. Pretty addictive, I have to warn you ;) And just in case, someone of you has already registered there, I'm SnitchEcho11986, feel free to connect with me over at Pottermore.

Alright, that's it for today. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Yours
Uta

Napkin Decoupage

These little tins are my first ever decoupaged things :)

I made the tins out of two cardboard rolls to which I glued a round piece of white cardboard for the bottom part. I then took some napkin glue and attached granny square patterned napkin pieces. Easy-peasy.

That's the result:

Not sure what to use them for, though....


Yours
Uta

Autumn Branches

I came across some DIY Autumn branches made of wire and paper over at pinterest a couple of months ago and I thought that's something that could also be made with wire and felt. That's the result:

And here's the tutorial :)

Well, first of all, get you hands on some nice Autumn coloured felt leafs. I made mine using some handicraft felt and my Sizzix Big Shot. Afterwards, cut the leafs in shape as shown in the picture below.

Now cut some pieces of wire into shape and bend as desired.

Last but not least, hot-glue the leafs onto the wire...

...and you're done!

See, totally easy :)

Happy Craftin'!

Yours

Uta