Country Chatter & Calico Kitten Designs
are excited to present
Country Chatter Newsletter
Recipes and Crafts
August, 2008
 Issue #3
 

Welcome to Country Chatter
 

I want to welcome all the new people to my little newsletter.  The newsletter is just my way of sharing my part of the world with everyone, and helping people with their businesses and hoping to make the world just a little bit better for a couple minutes, to bring a laugh or a smile to your face and just a way of saying thanks. This is the third issue of the Recipes and Crafts, if there are any recipes that you would like, please email the kittens and they will look for them and feature them here.

     

 

Girlfriend Wisdom

Growing a Life is like Making a Beautiful Quilt

Every project needs a plan.  If the project is a quilt, we  consider its purpose.  Is it a gift, who will receive the gift, what colors are just fright for the project, would flowers be the right subject matter, or are little red fire trucks more appropriate.  All good things to think about before starting the quilt.  The project needs a plan.
Now apply those questions to your own life.  What is your current life project?  Let's call it a Growth Plan.  What is your current desire for growth?  Your very own unique project with all of its elements specific to you.  What do you need to accomplish your project?
A quilt needs a pattern, fabric, tools like scissors, and probably a timeline to meet the date of that special giving event.  Work your personal Growth Plan backwards.  Put the date on the calendar when you would like to finish your plan.  What knowledge do you need to accomplish that plan.  Find a mentor, who has accomplished a plan in the same subject matter as yours.  Study their process.  Adjust it to fit your own.  What tools will you need : make a list and schedule it on your calendar to fit your timeline.  If it doesn't work within your timeline, adjust your date.

GIRLFRIEND WISDOM: Enjoy the process, celebrate your mini-accomplishments, patience really is a virtue that brings true happiness.

 

   

Cowboy Burgers

2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 onions, thinly sliced, separated into rings
8 hamburger patties (1/4 lb. each)
3 Tbsp. A1 Original Steak Sauce
2 tomatoes, sliced
8 hamburger buns, partially split
8 KRAFT singles

Preheat grill to medium heat.  Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat.  Add onions: cook 5 minutes, stirring frequency.  Cover with lid.  Simmer 20 minutes or until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, grill patties 5 minutes on each side or until medium doneness.  Stir steak sauce into onion mixture.

Place 1 tomato slice and burger on bottom half of each bun; cover with 1 Single, 3 Tbsp. of the onion mixture and top of bun.

            

 

 

Pan-seared Steaks with Mushroom Gravy

1lb. boneless beef sirloin steak - cut into 4 portions
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushroom
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup Swanson Beef Broth

Season steaks.  Cook steaks in large nonstick skillet to desired doneness, turning once.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Heat butter in pan drippings.  Add mushrooms and cook until tender and liquid evaporates.  Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Gradually stir in broth.  Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens.  Serve mushroom gravy with steaks.
 
              

The kittens are always looking for new recipes, and if you would like to have one in the newsletter, you can email them to admin@calicokittendesigns.com.  If you have a website, we will be more than happy to include that, too.  Bandit says if you want to send him some samples, he will not say no !!!!!
All of these recipes will be on the website, so if you want to print them out, they are set up in the newsletter that all you have to do is copy and print.

 

Craft Projects
 

Pick of the Patch Favor Box
 

Supplies:
  • Paper Mache Box 3”X3”
  • Black Cardstock
  • Burlap
  • Jute or Raffia
  • Frances Meyer Oak Leaf Sticker
  • Assorted Buttons
  • Colored thread
  • Glue, 3D Foam Adhesive Dots

Instructions:
 

  1. Cut a 1”x 12” strip of the black cardstock using the deckle-edge scissors. Glue around the outside of the box. Cut a 1”x 12” strip of burlap, fray, and glue to the black cardstock strip.
  2. Cut a 3”x3” square in black cardstock using the deckle scissors and glue to the top of the box. Cut a 3”x3” square from burlap, fray and glue to the cardstock square.
  3. Place foam dots to the bottom of the oak leaf sticker and adhere to the top of the burlap square. Tie thread through assorted buttons and adhere to the top of the box. Tie a bow using jute or raffia and glue to the top of the box.

 

Happy-Friendly Scarecrow Hat
Supplies:
  • 12”-16” Straw Hat
  • Two 1/2” black buttons
  • Three 1/2” white buttons
  • Bandana
  • Scribbles Fabric Paint - red and black
  • 6” Straw Hat
  • Raffia and Stuffing (fiberfill)
  • Fabric scraps for overalls - nose, cheeks and patches
  • Burlap fabric - 1/2 yard
Instructions:
Cut a circle out of burlap to cover crown of hat. Check for position of mouth and paint mouth onto burlap with black scribbles. When dry, glue the burlap over crown of hat. Glue on button eyes and fabric patches for cheeks and nose triangle. Glue raffia on top of head part, letting it hang down on sides and front of head. Cut about a 5” wide rectangle from bandana. Fold lengthwise and glue edges together. Stuff with filler and glue onto hat, centering under face curving along hat brim to resemble arms. Glue tufts of raffia into ends of arm pieces. Cut a square from bandana to be glued on for shirt. Cut square of fabric for overall front and glue on over shirt. Cut straps and add to overalls. Glue buttons onto straps and paint stitching lines with scribbles. Add raffia tufts where needed to look like straw stuffing. Cut 6” hat in half. Glue in place on head. Add squares of scrap fabric for patches where desired. Extra buttons may also be added.

 

           







Pattern







 

Flower Pot Scarecrow
 

Materials Needed:
- 3 1/2” clay pot
- Acrylic paint: White, Brite Red, Liberty Blue, Midnight Blue
- Brushes: #8 flat and #2 long liner
- Strip of thin denim fabric: 9 1/2” x 2”
- Strip of red checked fabric: 7 1/2” x 2”
- 1” button
- Jute twine: about 3 yards
- Raffia: about 100 pieces, 2” long
- Polyfil: fist size piece
- Ultimate Craft marker: Black, fine
- Pink chalk, rouge, or lipstick to rosy cheeks
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Osnaberg fabric (or use muslin) - 10" circle, cut with pinking shears if possible
- Use any size clay pot and adjust accordingly!
 

Instructions

1. Paint pot white, 2 coats; let dry between coats. Paint flared part of pot and about half way up with Liberty Blue. May need second coat of blue. Paint red checks over the white that remains, to match fabric. Also paint a small bib and straps over shoulders with blue. When dry, add details of overalls with Midnight Blue.

2. Lay strips of fabric in front of you and glue several pieces of 2” raffia on each end of each piece. Then roll each into a tube and glue edges. Cut small pieces of jute and tie a piece close to each end.

3. Take about a one yard piece of jute and tie the center of it around the center of the denim piece to form legs. Tie a knot in the jute about an inch up from the legs and string the ends through the button, then through the hole in the pot from the inside. Tie around the center of the arm piece. Poke a hole in the center of the fabric circle and push the ends of the jute up through it. Now wrap the handful of Polyfil around the jute just below the fabric. Wrap the fabric down over the Polyfil, and tie another piece of jute around to form a ball. Pull edges out about an inch from the jute. Push head down to rest on top of the pot. You may want to put a bit of glue on just to hold in place. Adjust the gathers in the ball so the face part is mostly flat.

4. Mark the face on with the Ultimate Marker. Add blush to the cheeks; glue bits of raffia on for hair. These pieces should radiate out from where the jute hanger comes out. Trim hair to suit you, and ENJOY!
 


Calico Kitten Designs wants to be your place to find everything that you need to make your life just a little bit
more easy for you.  The kittens want to make it the place that you look for recipes (check out all the wonderful new recipes that have been added), patterns for crafts, a newsletter to bring you a laugh or too, links to your favorite websites, and if you would like to look at some of my crafts and order, thank you.

Bear is in charge of link exchanges and was wondering if anyone would like to exchange links with Calico Kitten Designs.
You can get in touch with him at admin@calicokittendesigns.com and he will be more than happy to sent you ours.

Next month, there will be more Fall and Halloween projects.  This my favorite time of the year and can not wait to decorate my house for Halloween, lights, pumpkins, black cats, witches and of course white ghosts.

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I hope that you have made it down to this little part, I love talking about Arizona,
sharing this state with everyone. 

I want to share a part of my world with everyone and doing this newsletter
is my way of thanking everyone for being a friend. 
Say a prayer for our Armed Forces and pray that they will be home soon.

Count your blessings, hug your family and friends,
thanks for being a part of Country Chatter

 

Please sign our guestbook, so we knew you were here

 

Country Chatter
Cindy Kingren
623-210-3511
(after 4 pm - pacific time)
 dacarebear@yahoo.com
you can reach the kittens at
admin@calicokittendesigns.com