Friday

Friday and Saturday

/ Jodi / 61 Comments

Image result for friday and saturday

Hi Friends,

I have been blogging daily here at TheCreativeLifeinBetween.com since May 18, 2014.

A post every day for close to four years – sharing and “cherishing the moments.”

Posts with photography, poetry, stories, musings, recipes, watercolors, arts and crafts – all the “stuff” I love to do “in between.”

I feel so honored to have 4,000+ people following along here with me, and I greatly appreciate those who take the time to write notes and comments that encourage me so immensely.

It is becoming a bit of a challenge to blog every day, so I am going to allow myself a bit of a break and take Fridays and Saturdays off from posting.   I will continue on Sundays through Thursdays.

I hope this will keep my content fresh and my passion engaged.

So Happy Friday!
Cherish the Moments….
Know I’ll be cherishing mine immensely with my granddaughter, and I’ll be back Sunday!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

In Love

/ Jodi / 36 Comments
pink-orange-gold-abstract-watercolor-with-hearts-11x14-on-300-lb-arches-cold-press

Pink Orange & Gold Abstract Watercolor with Hearts 11×14 on 300 lb Arches Cold Press

In love with…

Pink and orange and gold
and dots and lines
and hearts and swirls.

In love with…

Fridays with my little C
and smiles and snuggles
and happy times.

Happy Friday!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Abstract Watercolor done using:  Opera Pink, Quinacridone Rose, Cadmium Orange, Dr. Ph. Martin’s Iridescent Copper Plate Gold, and Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleedproof White, Salt, Twine, and Black Micron Pen.

McKinneyX2Designs

Friday Night is Pizza Night

/ Jodi / 49 Comments

pizza 2

Friday night is often pizza night at our house, and although we often order in, sometimes we make our own homemade pizza.  It really is a fun way to get the whole gang engaged in the kitchen, and allows everyone to make their pizza just they way they like it.

pizza 1

This is a great, quick and easy fool-proof recipe for dough that you can top with any toppings you like.  It can be made ahead or right when you are ready to eat.

pizza3

One of my favorites is to spread roasted garlic on the dough, top with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and fresh tomatoes.  Sometimes simple is the best.

Other times, we spread with tomato sauce and top with pepperoni, crispy crumbled bacon, sauteed onions and peppers, mushrooms, banana pepper rings, and/or black olives.

The only rule is the cheese MUST be fresh sliced mozzarella – no pre-packaged, shredded cheese allowed.  There simply is no comparison.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Homemade Quick & Easy Pizza Crust

Ingredients:pizza 1

  • 1 (.25 oz) pkg active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 cup warm water (approx. 110 degrees F)
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp corn meal

Directions:

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Let stand 10 min.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and oil.  Combine well by kneading until smooth.  Let set for at least 5 min., or up to several hours.

If you have let the dough rise, punch down.  Stretch and toss or roll dough out onto baking stone or pizza dish sprinkled with corn meal.

Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated 450 degree F oven over for 15 -20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Feeling Grape!

/ Jodi / 62 Comments
Watercolor Grapes

Watercolor Grapes – 5×7 140lb Arches Cold Press

Happy Friday!

Are you feeling Grape?!

For my #WorldWatercolorMonth painting today, I’ve painted a loose, juicy bunch of grapes.

I love painting wet-in-wet and watching the colors flow.  It was fun to paint circles of water, drop paint in, and let the paint do its thing.  I toyed with adding some definition with a Micron pen or another wash of watercolor to the grapes, but then decided to just let them be loose and simple and be their own grape selves!

Hope you have a Grape Friday!  (maybe with a few fermented ones involved in your evening hours!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

P.S.   I had this post scheduled before hearing the horrific news last evening of yet another horrific, deadly terrorist attack in France.  Though my heart is heavy with grief for this kind of ugliness in our world, I also hope we can focus on the goodness… the beauty… the kindness… and the love that outweighs this ugliness a trillion-fold.

Cherish the moments friends.  Cherish the moments.

Nothing is Ordinary

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

celebrate today and everyday watercolor leaf card nothing is ordinary

Celebrate Today….  and EVERYday!
Happy Friday my LifeinBetween Friends!

Last night, Hubby and I went to John’s Bar for our usual Thursday night date.  We had a couple drinks and dinner and were home in time to watch the Steelers football game.  After playing a little fetch with Mr. Charlie outside, I realized I didn’t have a post for today.  Of course I was looking forward to today being Friday (though this week sure did fly!), and I wondered what I wanted to say for a Happy Friday message…

While in the office for some meetings this morning, I noticed some beautiful new watercolor prints that were hanging on the wall that were added during a recent remodel, and I fell in love with them.  They were extremely simple, yet so mesmerizing and delicate and impactful.

I thought to myself, “I could do that!”

Well – it wasn’t as easy as I thought…..

As many of my fellow watercolor artist friends out there know, restraint is key, yet often oh-so-hard to achieve – especially for us beginners.

But I literally only spent about 10 minutes start to finish on this card, and I kinda like how it turned out.  I free formed the leaf with watercolor and brush, splattered a few fall-colored splashes, and then stamped the sentiment on top.

Nothing is ordinary.

Every leaf…
every watercolor painting…
every day….
every person….
has something special about it.
Embrace it, friends.
Cherish the moments!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Paper Smooches Pretty Phrases Stamp & Stazon Ink
M Graham Watercolors in Sap Green, Quinacridone Red, Nickel Quinacridone Gold
Arches 140lb Coldpress Watercolor Paper
StampinUp Very Vanilla Cardstock

Hello There in Watercolor Bokeh

/ Jodi / 18 Comments

hello there bokeh 1

Hello There Friends!  It’s Friday!  Thanks for visiting today.

For this week’s Friday card, I had fun experimenting with an abstract watercolor and bokeh technique Diane Dimich featured recently here. 

For the blues/greens, I mixed some stamp reinkers with water, and I used some watercolor paint for the red/oranges – just to try a couple different ways.  Once I decided on my color palettes, I brushed my watercolor paper with some clear, clean water using a water brush, then began randomly dabbing the colors all over covering the entire surface.

watercolor bokeh 2

Once it dried, I daubed white inked circles in multiple layers overlapping from a template I created using a piece of acetate cut with the Stampinup Circle Framelits to give the bokeh effect I love so much in photography.

watercolor bokeh 3

Once I was pleased with the effect, I mounted it onto cardstock with a white border, stamped the Hello There greeting in black and embellished with a few simple rhinestone gems.

hello there bokeh 1

I haven’t finished the rest of the painted sheets yet.   I think I will save them for when I need a particular card that I can add just the right greeting and message to.

So here’s to Friday, the weekend, creativity, sharing, and all the wonderful things to enjoy at life in between.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cheers! It’s Friday!

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

happy hour cheers

CHEERS!  It’s Friday!  Another week flew by, and it’s the Yippee Skippee Weekend again!

I’m sure hoping it’s a summertime weather weekend.  These silly Fall-like temperatures need to go away and come back another day – much later in the year.

For my Friday card this week, I had fun with StampinUp’s Happy Hour Stamp Set making fun looking cocktails and thinking festively of celebrating time with family and friends.  The “Cheers” is embossed in silver, and I thought the silver ribbon added just what it needed.

Hope your weekend brings lots of things to cheer or “cheers” about!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Hello Friday!

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

Blended Bloom Hi There in Yello and Denim

HELLLLOOOO Friday! Always happy to see you!  And especially this Friday, because tomorrow is Girlfriend Camp (GFC) with a few of my favorite “girls” coming to the house.  I guess thinking of GFC got me in a crafty mood (though I probably should have been cleaning or cooking for the girls this week!)  I thought a sunny hello with a yellow and orange SU Blended Blossom and a denim bow was fun, and liked how this card turned out.

Since I was feeling “crafty” – I have a “Three-fer” this week on my usual Friday card posting.

hello

This card was a fun new technique to try for my stamping and crafting friends.  I first sponged some pink and blue and brown on whisper white card stock.  Then I chose a fun chevron embossing folder, which I spritzed with water (on the side that does not have the print of the name on it), pressed my sponged paper in – ink against water – briefly – then dried to give this fun effect.  I then layered it on with complimentary colored card stock, added my favorite “Hello” stamp from my StampinUp “Hi There” set by inking with Versamark and then embossing in gold.  Finished it off with a bow of soft twine and a couple sparkly sequins.

Whats Your Type and Just Sayin

This third one was totally just winged out of trying some new stamps.  I got the Stampinup What’s Your Line and Just Sayin sets, so just started goofing around here.  I stamped some of the random shapes in Crisp Cantaloupe, Pear Pizazz and Crumb Cake inks (are you hungry now?) on SU Watercolor paper (I have to say – I was trying to just use some cheaper stuff I had and can’t believe the difference in quality!).  I then spritzed it all with water and put some coarse sea salt on top while it dried.  I then embossed the Hey There in Gold on translucent parchment and again embellished with some soft twine – the thinner this time and gold sequins with a dab of crystal effects.  Layered it up and even put a strip of the water color paper on the inside.  I kind like it.  It is a softer style.

Just for fun – which one do you like best?  No right answer – just curious…

And just havin’ fun….

at Life in Between.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Hello Friday!

/ Jodi / 5 Comments

 

pleasant poppies hi there hello
I’ve always loved bright orange poppies.

It’s so sad that they are only around for about two weeks of the whole entire year, but boy they sure do make their statement when they are here.

Though they are done for the year, I was inspired by a great stamper (and friend) who made a beautiful card recently using the SU Pleasant Poppies stamp – Cindy Brumbaugh at CindyLeeBeeDesigns.

For this card, I also used a fun watercolor and sea salt technique I learned from Patty Bennett (and her dad 🙂 ).

I finished it with one of my favorite new sentiment stamp sets – SU Hi There – for a cheery Hello.

Hello Friday!

Glad you are here, because you are bringing with you some of our favorite peeps to spend some time with us.

Your room is ready, Joyce and Rob.

See you soon Gary and Cindy and Jack and Kathleen!

Happy weekend all!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi