Coffee Filter Wreath Tutorial

I found this on a craft blog, so i can take no credit for the idea, but as soon as i saw it, i knew i wanted to try it. I already have a wreath in my living room that i made from book pages with my friend over at pocketful of whimsy and so this wreath will go perfectly off to the side of it!

I have definitely had quite a love for DIY wreaths. So easy and acheivable but looks so cool!

So enjoy the tutorial and maybe you can try it!!

Coffee filters (2 packs of 100 @ $1 each) = $2
Foam wreath = around $6 depending on size
hot glue gun
small piece of ribbon for hanging and a pin

1.Grab your foam wreath form, and fold your coffee filter in half once, and then in half again, glue it flat to the wreath on the side that will eventually sit on the wall.

My mum bought me this foam wreath at michaels, as i cant find wreath forms in the city i live. Hobby lobby is another one, or even keep your eye out in a thrift store.

Coffee filters from dollar store... good and cheap... make sure you get the ones with a flat bottom and wavy tops so you get the effect right

fold once in half and then in half again

Glue flat to what will be the back of your wreath.

It should look like this at the back of your wreath

3. Now flip over your wreath so that you can start filling in what will be the front part. Make sure you glue the coffee filters really close together and overlapping to make sure it looks filled out and the whole foam is covered

4. For the coffee filters that are going on the front side of the wreath, you need to fold once in half, then in half again, then fold the tip over, and glue on the tip, so that when you glue it to the foam it will stand up away from it.

Example here : Just keep in gluing anf gluing until it is completely covered. You may need to push the filters back into each other, to create a nice round inside.

5. AND HERE IT IS! crumby photo i know, but it looks rocking in real life! i cant wait to hang it!

I find that because of the filters it won't hang without pinning a little loop of ribbon on the back, and then i just put a little tack in the wall. Its light enough that you dont need to use chunky nails or anything!

IF YOU GIVE THIS A TRY, POST A LINK TO THE PHOTOS!

Prairie Wedding

In 2008 i was assistant leader of a summer missions program called street invaders, and i had a young woman called Meagan on my team (she was awesome) and i got to do her wedding last year, which helps to build up my portfolio before i launch my photography company onces my residency comes through, and one of her bridemaids was called Kari Lynn, and she asked me to do her wedding too!

I can never pass up the opportunity to do a wedding, as it really helps to show people what i can do, and i love that i can build up a portfolio before i start officially as a business.

The wedding was March of this year, and i wanted to share with you a few shots from this beautiful prairie wedding!

Thanks Kari Lynn and Steve for choosing me, and you look awesome in the photos!

One of my favourite parts of any wedding is watching the dads face when he sees his daughter all ready in her dress, and when he walks her down the aisle... its a beautiful moment

the exchanging of rings

This bride loves colour, her bridesmaid dresses were the rocking-est i had seen with them all in different colours! so we had to take advantage of the orange and yellow arches that decorated a shop building nearby

I have so many of these shots, it was hard for me to stop taking photos, because they looked so beautiful with the big train line in the background

I had to highlight and give a huge shout out to my love, the husband. He was my second shooter for the day, and he does a great job at it too! plus he;s pretty handsome, and i just had to get a photo if him looking all photographer like! :)

The most delicious, fool proof lemon cake

I cannot take credit for this recipe, but i had to showcase it! It is the most delicious cake i have ever made and tasted! It really is foolproof if you follow the directions. So moist!

The recipe is from Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa. If you want to find her recipe, you will find many other good ones. I really am not that great of a cook, or baker... cupcakes is pretty much the only thing i can pull off well, but when i love something, i love it, and this i love!

Here are the ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (i have used normal salt before and it works fine)
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon veg oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (so im usually one for cutting corners, and i always have lemon juice in the fridge that i buy from the store, but nothing beats fresh lemons for this recipe)

For the glaze
1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

So i remembered to take pictures just after i added dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Writing in pink are my suggestions from making it ALOT!

DIRECTIONS

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl.

3. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated.

must make sure oil is really well mixed in

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

5. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

6. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.

7. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.


8. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

I pour a certain amount over to begin with and then use a pastry brush to make sure even coverage. I like all the sides to be coated in this lemon icing goodness! 

And here it is!!! The best cake ever!

UP :: Friend Photo shoot

I had to add this to my snaps here on the blog. Its from last summer, but i just love it, and i hope i get to do this theme again!!

Monique from pocketful of whimsy is the beautiful lady in the shoot, and "the tall one" as she affectiontely refers to him as is her husband! Makes a photo shoot easy to make beautiful!

Enjoy a little snap from the past! Makes me even more eager for summer to arrive here in the Prairies!

There is nothing quite like finding a bench that just happens to have been thrown into the water... makes for a very cool photo shoot session!

Love it!

What a crazy two weeks!

So i am about one step away from a sweet craft tutorial, but these last two weeks have been crazy!!

My mother in law called me and said "when it rains it pours", sometimes that just is the case, or at least it feels like everything comes at once.

Sadly tuesday apil 5th, my husbands great uncle passed away after battling the awful disease of ALS (Lou gehrings). I met him only once but for my mother in law and my husband and his brothers it was a hard blow to the family. I can see he was well loved in this family, but not only that was a creative man that used what he had to live life to the fullest!

Gary Hyland is his name! Maybe you have seen him in the poetry section, or maybe you studied his poetry at school. maybe even if you live in Saskatchewan, you have been the the FESTIVAL OF WORDS, which uncle gary founded, along with being one of the biggest influences of moose jaw becoming a cultual city in canada.

There are so many accolades that i could list off, but the most important accolade of all was his role of husband, father, grandfather and uncle. It truly was a celebration of his life last week.

Here is one if the lines from his poems that was read at his funeral

"And then, having lived life full tilt and loved it enormously, I will be gone."
-- Gary Hyland, Love of Mirrors
____________________________________________________________________________

Then after been back home for just a day, Monday morning we were told the sad news that my husbands Grandpa had passed away as well, so up to moose jaw again we drove. So life has been quite crazy and filled with reminiscing aswell as sadness. But we know God has granted both these men peace.

We will remember Grandpa and celebrate his life this saturday!

this was at our wedding... so thankful he got to be there (nearly two years ago)

Guest Post on My Sister's Closet

I got the chance to guest post my ten things i love on blog of My Sister's closet, that is a store in Estevan that sells high quality second hand clothes and handmade jewellery. She happens to be one of my favourite people too. Jordyn rocks, and is super creative and talented, and humble, and she is one of those friends i can learn a lot from. She has good character and i pretty much love her!

So head over to her site, look through it and you will probs see some things you love! click on link above!

I will have to get her to guest blog soon here on 12stone dance!

Myself and Jordyn in our "fancy pants" for Grad blessing at our church

Breaking plates to make one of a kind necklaces together! it was very fun and stress relieving!

The beauty of a sister

"The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble."  

~quote by Clara Ortega

I love this quote. Especially because for the majority of our lives my sister was the calm, laid back child. Myself, on the other hand was the high maintenance, 'hear my opinion', crazy child. 

But i remember one situation where i truly saw the love of my sister, even though the situation was one that i would prefer to forget.

We were both at one of our first parties in canada, and lets just say this was before i got my life together... i had heard someone saying something about a friend that was there, and as i said, im the 'opinionated' sister out of the both of us. Sooo, i obviously felt it necessary to say to this guy "thats totally rude of you to say that, what do you know?"

Well turns out this was not the best guy to stand up too, before i knew it two of his sidekick girl mates pounced on me, dropped me to the floor, one sat on my back pulling my hair, while the other hit me in the head over and over... not one of my finest moments, i know. but i was young...ish!

I was laying there just trying to cover my face (obviously didnt want mum and dad to see any signs of what i had gotten into, which i guess now with this post she will know - oh dear). 

Now pause the story for a moment, because then comes my sisters side of the story, i was been pounced on at the top of the stairs of where this party was, and my sister had approached the bottom of the stairs after hearing someone was getting  beat up, she obviously didnt know it was me at the time. She told me that the first thing she recognised was the person laying on the floor (ME) had one shoe on, and she said she quickly realised it was my shoe.

Back into my story, i hear "GET OFF MY SISTER" in her southern english accent. She ran up the stairs, pulled the two girls off of me, and got me out of there. 

Now we are three years apart. She has always been the younger sister and her quiet shy demeanor stated that younger sister mentality.

Thats why i love this quote. It should read "even the quietest and least opinionated of younger sisters will turn into a LION when her sister is in trouble!".\

This may not be a picture of beautified sisterly love, but it ones i remember just for that reason.

When i was back in england for my uncles funeral a couple years ago, my sister and i had some one on one time while i photographed her. Yes, i'm biased, but she is beautiful, inside and out. I love that i have a sister, and i love that i have a sister that takes after my dad. I see my dads amazing sense of humour, his sensitivity, and his laid back nature in my sister and i love it!

so short story made long,  here are some photos of my beautiful sister!

Ultimate Bacon Buttie

So if you haven't been to the "about" section you may not know that i am from england originally, but for those of you that are my canadian/american friends i will explain a few words that i use.


Now this may not be a craft, but it certainly is an art-form to a great british sandwich


"Buttie" is quite simply just a bun used to make a sandwich.
"Beetroot" just another name for beets.


I absolutely love english bacon, but living in a small prairie city its not available here so i have to make do with canadian bacon, although i still do enjoy it.


Here is how to make a delicious english bacon buttie.


1. Grab some delicious buns, nice and soft. I love these local buns from estevan from the carlyle bakers

oh my gosh so yummy!

2. Get your bacon nice and crispy, if you prefer it softer than go for it, its your sandwich after all!
3. Now butter up your buns really good, you want the butter to melt into the buns and the bacon as soon as that hot bacon hits the bread!
4. Make sure you have some delicious pickled sliced beetroots in the fridge! This is what clenches the amazingness of this sandwich! beets and bacon are like best friends

you wouldnt believe how happy i was when i found that i could still have beetroot with my bacon

5. Now layer your bacon on the bun, then lay 2/3 beetroot slices on top. 

6. Squirt either ketchup or Hp brown sauce on, or if your like a true brit, BOTH!! adds more punch of flavour! Dont forget the salt and pepper (no one told you this would be healthy eh?)

AND THERE IT IS, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BACON SANDWICH THAT YOU WILL EVER TASTE! Oh my gosh, im going to go make one now to munch on! Little reminder of england for me while the husband is away.

A little of the deets

A little of the deets

Most people that knew me before i moved to Canada, will know that i have never really been crafty, or into DIY projects. I was creative but in the way where i took a notebook sat in a corner and wrote poem after poem.

Then i found my crafting soulmate... Mo from pocketful of whimsy

me and mo at my bridal shower!

my husband and I last year bought the house literally right next door!

We swap craft ideas we have seen, blog links, fallen in love with "under the sycamore" by ashley ann together, thrifted together, and love target and hobby lobby.

Its like God had a plan when we met...hahaha, yes he had a plan.

So seeing her blog away her creativity made me want to catalogue my own crafting adventures, my love for photography and have a place to share it too.

i like a diy or craft i can do within a reasonable amount of time, if it takes more than one sitting to do it, i usually find it sits for weeks until i find the passion to pick it up again.

someone once told me that they thought crafting was just not important to life. Well to me its not just about the craft. Having a craft girls night, or hanging out with Mo develops a relationship. We have talked about God, our lives, our relationships over a craft. We have laughed and when life got tough, especially during the last few months there have been tears over a craft.

i have made new friends through it, explored the creativity that God has placed in everyone of us, and learnt to see that we don't always need new things. There is a simple delight in the restoration of an old chair, and simply saving money can be a joy.

Go visit resist the flu to explore one of our dear friends initiatives to resist the urge to splurge.

My creativity has been used to save and see the potential in something someone else may label as junk!

So my response to the opinion that crafting is not important... i disagree! It has served me well so far, so i think ill keep going!

Heres a little catch up so you can know me a little...

There is me, Dani, a english girl that is living life in the Saskatchewan prairies.

I am often asked why i moved here, and its quite simple, my parents moved here for my dads job when i was 21 and my younger sister and i tagged along as i had no real direction in my life. People then ask "why did you stay, when you parents moved onto the Alberta".
(mother and I)




Mother, sister, daddykins & moi

the sister and I

Well i found the two most important loves of my life. Firstly the prairies were where God brought me back to him and i discovered what the real Jesus was all about. Not the sunday school jesus, or the church jesus, but the real jesus who craved to love me and have relationship with me.

thats a blurry me jumping like crazy at one of my first experiences in my sask church

He then blessed me with the second love of my life, my knight in shining armour "the husband".

april 6th 2008 he proposed, and on april 25th 2009 we were man and wife...wohoo

We found out we were pregnant in july of 2010 with our first baby, but unfortunately that october we miscarried, (i will fill you in one day as it has a lot to do with the name of the blog).

we named our heaven baby Joshua Matthew Gallipeau. we are so honoured we got to be part of creating him and know we will see him one day.

After three months of what was probably the saddest and most grievous time of our lives we became pregnant with baby number two. We like to refer to him/her as chicken legs, as our first ultrasound baby already had long legs that kinda looked like a rotisserie chicken :)

So thats pretty much the deets on where we are at right now!! Just incase you wanted to know :)