Made anything interesting lately? (DIY projects, cooking, crafts, art, construction etc.) > Likes and Comments

I just realized I didn't recreate this thread after archiving the old one!

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Any creative folks out there? What have you made recently?

Building, baking, painting, crafting... anything creative counts!

Include pics if you can! (How to)

Here is a little painting I made as a thank you gift... it happens you know the recipient, it's Jennifer! This is her cat Rocket.

Gertie! You're so talented! What a beautiful painting for such a pretty cat!

Thank you! Isn't he handsome! You should see the photo it was based on, very cute!

That's really beautiful!

That looks really good!

That looks awesome!

Thanks everyone! I'm thinking I'll make more of these down the road, it was fun. I also made one of a dog (someone who donated to a fundraiser I had for a foster cat) and a little rock, which was really hard to do because of the size and rough surface. Next time I'll put down a layer of gesso first!

I made frozen dog treats by blending plain yogurt, blueberries, a banana and peanut butter in a food processor, then freezing in an ice cube tray. I know frozen treats are usually for summer but the dog in the apartment above me is deaf and blind and can only eat certain foods. I also made some for Eli [another neighbor's dog] and his new "little sister" Zoey, and of course some for Miss Daisy!

Gertie wrote: "Here is a little painting I made as a thank you gift... it happens you know the recipient, it's Jennifer! This is her cat Rocket.

"

You really are talented, Gertie! Very nice work!

Thank you!

Also that's so cute about the pupsicles.

We're doing a bake and crafts raffle at work tomorrow. It's too ameteurish to raffle off but it gave me the idea to crochet something again, and this project popped up on Pinterest:



As usual, I baked. The maple-walnut pie came out horribly burned even though I realized the temp in the recipe was too high and turned it down. But the chocolate cake came out acceptable and the oatmeal cookies were divine.

Here's the wretched pie.

Oh man what a waste! Did you end up keeping it and just eating the unburnt parts yourself? Maple walnut sounds amazing.

Exactly what I was thinking Gertie just eat around the bad, it sounds wonderful!

Gertie wrote: "Oh man what a waste! Did you end up keeping it and just eating the unburnt parts yourself? Maple walnut sounds amazing."

It's delicious once I peel off the burned part, so yes, I am persisting...

I was so surprised to receive the gift Gertie made of Rocket. It's one of my favorite pictures . I need to share it. And will.

Fishface wrote: "Gertie wrote: "Oh man what a waste! Did you end up keeping it and just eating the unburnt parts yourself? Maple walnut sounds amazing."

It's delicious once I peel off the burned part, so yes, I am..."

Maple Walnut does sound nice. I would have eaten your pie, I don't care if it was burnt.

Jennifer wrote: "I was so surprised to receive the gift Gertie made of Rocket. It's one of my favorite pictures . I need to share it. And will."

She beat you to it and shared it on post #2 above.

Hahaha Jennifer is faster when it comes to reading books but I'm quick with the photos.

I think I mentioned making cork Snowman Refrigerator Magnets a year or two ago, for the craft bazaar. Well, I am doing it again. All I have left to do is glue on the faces and the magnets.

Finished a daisy square afghan for myself and I picked up enough yarn to do a couple more for charity.

The afghan looks good Farmer, good job!

Farmer wrote: "Finished a daisy square afghan for myself and I picked up enough yarn to do a couple more for charity.

"

Beautiful!

Farmer, your afghan is gorgeous!

I made an eyeball cake for the boss's birthday which lands just before Halloween:

Farmer wrote: "Finished a daisy square afghan for myself and I picked up enough yarn to do a couple more for charity.

"

Nice!

Oh, and I made 2 costumes for our office party on Thursday.





Because everyone in our building had to get trained on a new questionnaire called the MichiCANS, our team decided to go to the Halloween dressed as that. I pinned a cardboard outline of Michigan on the back of each of these can costumes and called it good. I have to say they look really lame lol.

Fishface, the cake is gnarly! Love it! The costumes look cool. I'm sure it turned out great.

The cake looks awesome and the costumes look pretty cool too.

My next project is based on just having read Some Unknown Person. At one point, our heroine (based on the real-life Starr Faithfull) raids the icebox and adds "turnips with cinnamon" to her plate. I looked it up and quickly found a recipe for mashed boiled turnip with apples and cinnamon added. Sounds really interesting.

Have you made the dish ? It sounds interesting for sure...

The most crafty thing I will be doing is wrapping Christmas presents.

I did make Cherry Margaritas last night as a test for Christmas day. They were successful.

Jennifer wrote: "Have you made the dish ? It sounds interesting for sure..."

Saving it for the weekend. I still have another week of not being allowed solid food. The real challenge has been figuring out how to eat high-protein meals to promote healing following dental surgery --- I'm not allowed to chew anything. I did succeed in making a tofu-based chocolate pie that takes a whole block of tofu, 10 oz melted chocolate chips, and 1/2 C each chocolate almond milk and almond butter. I just twirled it all in a blender, poured it into a chocolate graham-cracker crust and chilled it overnight. It's awfully sweet but definitely packed with protein.

The turnip-and-apple casserole just went in the oven. In an hour we will know the truth.

I am deciding on what cookies to make for Christmas to give to neighbors. I bought the local hot chocolate brand to include. I am also going to make caramel sauce to give to a few people.

The casserole was actually pretty good. I ate almost half of it in one sitting. I think next time I might add another apple. As it is I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon where the recipe only called for a pinch.

In case you dare, here's the recipe for turnips with cinnamon:

1 lb of turnip or rutabaga, reduced to matchsticks for quicker cooking
2 Tbsps cream or milk (I used Country Crock Plant Cream)
3 firm baking apples
1/4 C packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping: 1/3 C each flour and packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsps butter or margerine

Boil the turnips in salted water until tender. Drain and mash with cream first, then the cinnamon & brown sugar. Set aside. Peel, core and slice the apples. In a sprayed 8"x8" baking dish, layer 1/3 of the turnip, 1/2 the apples, 1/3 of the turnip, remaining apples and remaining turnip in that order. At this point you can refrigerate it all until you're ready to bake. When that time arrives, blend the topping ingredients until crumbly and deploy on the top of the casserole. Bung into a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for an hour.

Nancy wrote: "I am deciding on what cookies to make for Christmas to give to neighbors. I bought the local hot chocolate brand to include. I am also going to make caramel sauce to give to a few people."

Yum!!!

I made a new cookie recently, and liked them enough to make twice.

Basically ift combined recipes for Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cakes - cinnamon and pecans and walnuts, then they get a swirl of caramel buttercream and a pecan on top. Really good. Got good feedback on them so I will probably continue to make them.

Gertie wrote: "I made a new cookie recently, and liked them enough to make twice.

Basically ift combined recipes for Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cakes - cinnamon and pecans and walnuts, then they get a..."

They sound yummy!

Working on two embroidery projects. Monogramming two kitchen dish towels for some people.

I am going to make gluten free oatmeal w/ cranberries cookies for my son as part of his Christmas gifts .

Gertie wrote: "I made a new cookie recently, and liked them enough to make twice.

Basically ift combined recipes for Russian tea cakes and Mexican wedding cakes - cinnamon and pecans and walnuts, then they get a..."

Recipe???

I was quite pleased with the chocolate pie I made when I was not allowed to eat solid food for 2 weeks but required high protein after dental surgery. I started with a ready-made chocolate graham-cracker-crust pie shell. In the blender I put a whole block of silken tofu, 1/2 C each of almond butter and chocolate almond milk, and a 10-oz bag of melted chocolate chips -- instead of calling them "plant based" they are now calling them "allergen-free" which is the point as far as I'm concerned. Twirl until smoothly combined, pour into the pie shell and chill for 24 hours. Really nothing to it, and there's enough protein in each piece to sink a battleship.

Fishface wrote: "I was quite pleased with the chocolate pie I made when I was not allowed to eat solid food for 2 weeks but required high protein after dental surgery. I started with a ready-made chocolate graham-c..."

Did you come up the recipe? Glad it came out!

I am making something new. Instead of apple pie and apple fritter cake. It’s in the oven now.

I did do some crafty gifts for two people. I embroidered monogramed dish towels.

Nancy wrote: "Did you come up the recipe?"

Found it on Pinterest and modified it very, very slightly.

Working on an all natural pain salve to help with my arthritic knees.

Nancy wrote: "I am making something new. Instead of apple pie and apple fritter cake. It’s in the oven now."

Well what is it!?!?

Fishface wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I am making something new. Instead of apple pie and apple fritter cake. It’s in the oven now."

Well what is it!?!?"

Apparantly I can’t type a sentence (or autocorrect strikes again!). Instead of apple pie I made an apple fritter cake.