Cow and Pig Designs

Nothing says the holidays like wearing a top hat!

2011-12-21T20:56:00.001-05:00

Its that time of year again..classroom parties often means making some sort of treat to share.

Snowman cake pops are on the agenda! French vanilla cake pop with a vanilla candy coating..and a rolo and a chocolate wafer finish off his sophisticated look!!

His smile is simply contagious!

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It's the holidays :)

2011-12-20T22:10:00.006-05:00

The one thing that I look forward to every year is making gingerbread houses with my boys.My second grader had a gingerbread house making party with his class so I had an opportunity to watch him and his awesome decorating skills! Every student had to bring in a box of graham crackers,a tub of icing,a plastic knife and some candy to share with the class..here is the product of his hardwork!

The front of his gingerbread kingdom..

Back of his kingdom..

The holiday season brings with it a lot of stress but please remember to take some time out to just enjoy the people that you love..

New blog features...and ongoing lifestyle changes

2011-08-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone..
After living in TX for 11 mos my boys and I have moved back to the DC area..and with the move comes a very much needed simplifying of my life. Pairing down the non-essentials and slowly building up a surplus of necessities or as some call it 'prepping'.

So I thought I'd share my new journey with everyone..and this will also serve as a journal to chronicle this amazing adventure..

I'm in need of furniture and household things so I'll be scouring the thrift stores and flea markets and finding new uses for old things..I'm excited to be blogging more and in sharing more creative things with everyone..wish me luck on my new adventure!! :)

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an apple for the teacher

2011-05-18T17:42:00.005-04:00

a sweater for it anyways :)

For teachers appreciation week everyday was a different theme..on Wednesday it was bring an apple for your teacher..so while I know that they would love an apple I thought..hmm..that seems like a momentary gift..they'd eat it and it was gone..then I remembered the apple sweater-usually wrapped around the apple so that it wouldnt get bruised while in transit in a lunch box..eureka!! so off to knit I went..

I took the photos without the apples in them..but the apples I did get fit perfectly..and who wouldnt LOVE a purple apple sweater :)

Glittered zebra resin pieces

2011-05-09T14:01:00.003-04:00

I've been playing with resin for a few years..here's some pieces I recently made..

My favorite one is the yellow glitter..it just sparkles!!

Making Easter more personal

2011-04-01T00:09:00.005-04:00

I received some stamps from Stampoutonline

and I came up with some ideas for using them and was soo excited to play with the stamps so I used what I had in my studio..and here's the fruit of my labor..

a card that I made using some eyelets and glittered butterfly cardstock..trimmed out with a scalloped edge..

a gift hang tag..I stamped onto linen textured cardstock..my current obsession..

the whole group..I also stamped the inside of a card..just to see if I liked it better stamped on the outside or on the inside..

I'm IN LOVE with these stamps and the owner Lisa is so nice to work with..her creativity is limitless..

I can't wait to come up with more ideas..

My first hot process soap adventure

2011-03-23T00:19:00.002-04:00

I normally make cold process soap..and decided to dive into some hot process soapmaking. I used my crock pot and heres what I made..

I was surprised how smooth it came out and how quick the process was..This one is scented with 'The Little Black Dress' from Aroma Haven!

Maybe now I'll have some fun doing the laundry!

2011-01-10T01:02:00.004-05:00

I have been reading for years about making your own laundry detergent.But,I always wondered..why?? When theres a LONG line of them just waiting for you to buy..but it seemed to me..just like EVERYTHING else.. that it was getting more and more expensive to just purchase them at the store..So since I already make handmade soap,why not venture into making my own laundry soap.

I seen powdered..liquid..but since I used powdered anyways THATS what I went with..and REALLY it just seemed easier to make..what I used

Some washing soda, borax and soap..in this case I used both my own handmade soap and some Zote soap.ALL of the ingredients I found in the laundry isle at my grocery store.

I used a mixture guideline of 2 parts shredded soap:1 part washing soda:1 part borax

I placed the all ingredients in a plastic zip top bag..and shook it until it all got mixed together..I then placed the mixture into a reclosable plastic tub..

Use 1Tbs of the mixture for top loading machines..and 2Tbs for regular machines..I havent ventured into vinegar rinses-thats my next journey :)

Lessons learned:
-to use a mask when mixing the powders...fly aways will get you coughing..

-meet a neighbor and give them the gift of your new laundry soap since YOU'LL make TONS
of laundry soap with just one bar and the boxes of washing soda and borax that you
bought..

-feel the sense of awesomeness as you skate right past the laundry isle since..you KNOW you dont need to lug those big bulky containers and boxes home..

*The next thing I am going to do is breakdown the cost per load..just to impress myself even more*

Because Valentines day is right around the corner

2011-01-03T22:38:00.003-05:00

I just started experimenting with making some personalized polymer clay conversation hearts since its almost THE BIG DAY!! My favorite time of year-next to Christmas of course..all of the hearts-MY FAVORITE shape! and pinky goodness as far as the eyes can see..

So what other confection is reminiscent of Valentines Day other than conversation hearts..Shane is my youngest son's name..and VIOLA!! his own personal heart was created!

I LOVE THE ZOO!

2011-01-02T02:05:00.003-05:00

I love the zoo..Everytime I go it seems like I get inspired.Whether its looking at the different shades of colors of feathers on a bird..or just hearing the questions that my boys ask me as we make our way through the different displays..I just love how their curiousity makes everything so new and exciting even if we've been there more than once.

I love ANY and ALL animals..But I HAVE to say that the alligator/crocodile display HAS to be where my love gets tested the most.WHY?? Because this is one of THE ONLY animals that can chase you in water as well as on land..theres just no where for you to hide!

But I love watching how still they can be..and how patient they are..I guess aside from being visually inspired..I can be emotionally inspired too..

My first marshmallow fondant creation..bwahahaha!

2010-11-05T23:27:00.003-04:00

I have been fascinated with the marshmallow fondant recipe..I have been DYING to try it out on something..ANYTHING!! The teacher appreciation luncheon seemed like a great chance..it was held right before Halloween..so drum roll please...

the cupcake itself is a strawberry cake..I used paste coloring for the fondant.

I CANT wait for the next project..

Glass Tile pendants make me happy!!

2010-07-25T21:38:00.003-04:00

I have a bunch of glass tile pendants that have been sitting in my studio for a few months..I have made some here and there and they just seem to keep multiplying :)!

They are strung on leather cords and the backs are sealed with resin!

Mango & Ginger soap..swirls of whirls!

2010-03-18T10:45:00.004-04:00

I have some Ginger fragrance oil that I was looking to use with something..after some consideration I was thinking-grapefruit...then the husband came up with mango & ginger.Sounded interesting enough..so here it is with some liquid soap coloring..

and since it was nice and pretty outside..I took the 'troops' outside!

turns out the husband can come up with quite the AWESOME blend!

Looks like fudge

2010-02-24T13:58:00.001-05:00

I used beer as my liquid and this is how the soap turned out..the bars seriously look like fudge..

Beer Soap is brewing..

2010-01-15T10:05:00.004-05:00

This one is scented with Sandalwood..

This one is scented with a 'manly' scent..

Birds,Birds..they are EVERYWHERE!!

2009-09-29T12:01:00.002-04:00

I have recently made some polymer clay bird pendants..

Who NEEDS a pocket ninja????

2009-07-30T22:17:00.003-04:00

Everyone!!

Who doesnt NEED a little boost of courage that fits in your pocket!!

She's swift and stealth.While staying VERY stylish :)

A little rainbow to cheer you up!

2009-06-12T14:57:00.004-04:00

I was wanting to make some cupcakes for Shane's last day of preschool.I thought about maybe some decorative topped ones but then I realized that as little as they are all they REALLY cared about what eating it..

I still wanted to make it different and unique for the kids.How about a rainbow??

My son loves colors and maybe his classmates would too.

SO what started out as this..

ended up like this..

and even the wrapper looked like a rainbow..

who would have known a little color would add such a great ending to an awesome school year..

The MANY faces of Shane

2009-06-02T15:36:00.004-04:00

Shane was selected to be a part of our Down Syndrome group's yearly calender.A professional photographer met with him to take some photos of him while at the park.She was awesome enough to let me have the photos and I soon realized that I havent made a clay photo pendant of Shane in awhile.

Here are the pendants with some of the new photos of Shane.

I use the tshirt paper transfer method to transfer the photos onto the polymer clay,it is then coated with sealer.

I ♥ them..but then again I am a little biased..

Red Currant & Thyme Tea Sugar soap

2009-04-28T17:39:00.003-04:00

I wanted to make some cold process soap with sugar in it to add some extra scrubbiness.The last 2 times I went to make soap I forgot the sugar-DUH!! I finally remembered to add it and ended up adding a BUNCH of sugar..

I was worried that the soap wouldn't set since I have been reading that some soapers have had to deal with stickiness and soft soap.Fingerscrossed when I unmolded the soap wasn't sticky or tacky at all..

The red currant & thyme tea is by far my FAVORITE scent and this bar is curing and becoming my most FAVORITE bar of soap yet...

Bath Bombs..hooray! Now,if only I took baths and NOT showers..

2009-04-15T10:43:00.003-04:00

Ryan and I made these..They are strawberry scented with a tad of pink coloring.They are HUGE and we used some almond oil.Since I dont take baths(I take showers)Ryan is the lucky user of all of them.He is an excellent guinea pig to my many trials and errors.He gives me excellent feedback from how they smell,feel and packaged.

The next thing that he wants to work on is lip balm..stay tuned..

My Oven Process fugly soap

2009-03-26T08:58:00.002-04:00

I made my usual CP recipe.I put it in the mold and thought to myself 'How about trying the Oven Process?'.Ok,sounded like a good idea.I have patience issues and with my regular CP I can put it away and not think about it.But this OP(oven process) drove me bonkers.I kept poking at it,checking on it.I wasnt sure what it was 'suppose' to do.But this is what I got..

Totally usable soap.But just not as gorgeous.I do feel bad that its was suppose to be my husbands.Its scented with his favorite-cantaloupe.I feel that I will be smoothing it out beforehand though.Poor,soap!!

Red Currant and Thyme tea soap

2009-02-19T19:42:00.002-05:00

The men in my house..meaning my hubby and 11yo LOVE this scent..it came out awesome..but maybe a little coloring to make it seem like it was 'red' currant but oh well,its still very pretty and smells AWESOME..

I made SUSHI!!

2009-02-13T13:45:00.003-05:00

I was hungry for some sushi..and I had some things in the fridge and in the pantry..so this is what I came up with ..

My Coconut Cream with olive oil chunks soap

2009-02-07T20:01:00.004-05:00

The chunks are olive oil soap chunks and I mixed it into my coconut cream soap.It looks rustic and chunky.

my flower photo transfer pendant

2009-01-08T10:41:00.003-05:00

I have been experimenting with polymer clay and LOVE to transfer my photos onto it.This is a photo that I took while on vacation back home in Hawaii.I used a sealer on the top of it to get a 'glassiness' that I like.The photo itself is set onto the polyclay so the sealer is strictly for preference and can also be left matte.

a little boy's messenger bag

2008-11-21T11:20:00.003-05:00

I made this bag out of a thrift store sweater that I paid $2.50 for.I cut it out and felted it-I tried hand felting but I wasnt getting the results that I wanted so I machine felted and it came out great..

This is the bag's new owner(my son) and my helper/model..

November's Little Black Box

2008-11-14T10:57:00.015-05:00

This was the first month that I have ordered The Little Black Box.

What is the Little Black Box??
~its a collection of samples from businesses that want exposure. There are etsy sellers,artists,photographers,sew'rs,food creators,etc.

I just received my box and boy,oh boy am I in LOVE.I received things from so many etsy sellers that I have never heard of and have fallen in love with their products.

Heres the overview:

I have received samples from:
♥215 Design

♥ Mattie Reid Chicago

♥Jaimie B Designs

♥Midnight Creations

♥Stylin Pup Pillows

♥All the Numbers Handmade

♥Sunrise beaded Jewelry

♥DG Designs

♥Kreations by Kathie

♥Glutenada

♥DAMdesigns

♥Red Marionette

♥Apple Blossom Designs

♥Shalom's Cottage Home

♥Pink Bow Bath boutique

♥Oh Lime

♥Soap Sushi

Photo pendant and bracelet set

2008-10-27T09:20:00.006-04:00

I made this pendant a few months ago.It probably is my favorite pendant that I have made yet..because it combines jewelrymaking and personalization..two things that I love. The photo came out translucent and being black and white is by far the greatest effect I have seen yet.I made it as a random gift to a friend and made a matching bracelet too.

Some fruity embroidered tea towels

2008-10-06T07:42:00.007-04:00

I made this set of embroidered tea towels for a swap that I was in.My partner was wanting a fruit theme and here they are..

The grapes were embroidered using ombre embroidery floss.I love the way that the colors changed on the grapes and it brought a different dimension to the grapes.

The cherries were the most fun to embroider.I had a blast filling in the stems and I thought I was done..then I stared at them for a bit and thought they were missing something..a pretty little leaf..I added those and then they looked complete!!

The watermelon pattern was the most time consuming due to the rind and the seed details.I HAD to fill in the peel color with the light and dark green.I had such a hard time with the seeds but I KNEW that they would just add a certain aunthenticity to the watermelon and I was glad that I figured it out since it came out great.

Here is the set all together.

This is only my 3rd embriodery project and I had so much fun.This swap has done several things for me..

~made me totally addicted to obtaining any and all embroidery floss colors that I
can find

~I have to look for and buy tea towels no matter what store I go to.I feel like I
am on a mission to find the best tea towel there is..

I look forward to trying more detailed projects and on various materials.

Baby booties

2008-09-19T20:23:00.003-04:00

Baby booties that I knitted just to see if I could..I love how the colors turned out.They were knitted in a little less than an hour and I used my good 'ole cotton yarn.

knitted cupcake

2008-09-08T17:44:00.002-04:00

This is my first knitted food product.The cupcake is probably my favorite item to craft.Whether its an embroidered image or something like this knitted one.I like the colors of this one.I am planning on making a few more with various colors.I knitted this flat than stitched the ends together.

Dishcloths & Scrubbies

2008-08-21T13:53:00.005-04:00

This is a dishcloth.I knitted it using 100% cotton yarn in yellow and the bamboo stitch.I used size 8 bamboo knitting needles.

This is a scrubbie.I knitted this out of 100% acrylic yarn.The swirl is created by the knitting.The yarn is an ombre type.Once knitted it is pulled together and secured to be sure it doesnt unravel.I chose acrylic for its scrubbie factor and it dries better than cotton would.

Bracelet of the boys

2008-07-24T18:49:00.004-04:00

I made this about 2 years ago and it was my first photo pendant jewelry.It highlights my 2 boys and is by far still my most favorite piece of jewelry.

Knitted phone cozy

2008-07-08T16:02:00.005-04:00

I knitted this phone cozy using the basic knit and purl stitches.I used Sugar 'n Cream ombre and #8 needles.

A domino pendant is born..

2008-07-07T13:30:00.004-04:00

I finally had a chance to string a domino pendant..I used seed beads in turquoise and brown.

My Little Cupcake

2008-06-30T09:58:00.004-04:00

This is my first polymer clay project.I did this for a cupcake swap.This cutie ended up being a cell phone charm.I only had white clay around so I created the cupcake then after baking it I painted it.After the paint was dry I dunked it in glaze then while wet I sprinkled some glitter on the top.I had so much fun making this that I HAD to go and buy more clay..

Some domino pendants

2008-06-10T14:45:00.010-04:00

I love how these turned out.I used several layers of varnish.I used the blank side of the domino and the flipside still has the dots of the domino on them.They will soon be some awesome pendants.

Day One

2008-05-27T11:32:00.003-04:00

My intention of starting this blog is to have a way of showing of my work and to have a way to interact with people that see my creations.I dont know how often I will be able to manage this but will do my best to stay on top of this and to update it as often as I can.

What is SmittenHeart Designs up to?? Well,I have been looking through various knitting patterns to see what I want to do next and I feel the great need to create some fuzzy creatures for Shane so here we go..

I also have been making more photo jewelry.The current project that I am working on is for a lady that works with Mario.Her mother is very old and his co-worker is the last of 5 kids to still be on earth.So I am making a pendant of the ONLY photo that exists with all 5 kids...Quite a touching piece.I hope to be able to sit with his co-worker to discuss the people in the photo.This is the first piece that I have done that features people that I have never met and that has such great history.I have had this project pending for about a month and having put jewelrymaking away to do some knitting.I realized that I should really start working on this great project and after talking about it with Mario I realized how much it would mean to the family to have this...