Coffee Filter Roses

I found instructions on making these and I just have to share, takes some practice but they are so pretty

The way actual flowers are made is pretty widely known, and needs no real explanation. The biggest change I've made is using coffee fiters as base material. I've been using both bleached and unbleached fliters, and while the former are best for delicate, pastel colors, the latter are perfect for achieving a kind of a vintage look.

 First, we take a filter, and cut a circle in it, then make a spiral cut in it. The resulting strip of paper should be between 1 and 1,5 centimeters wide, but don't worry about it too much, even if it turns out to be uneven or egg-shaped.
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The filter needs to be sprinkled with water in order to make the colors blend easier. You can use Glimmer Mist instead of water to get a pearlescent finish from the start.


Next, we color the filter with inks of all kinds, Distress Ink reinkers, even watercolor paint. To apply these, I use blending tools, making interesting patterns and stains.


We have to dry the filter later - either with a heater, or, like me, leaving it on a radiator.

We start forming the flower with the outer part of the spiral. I achieve best results using tweezers, grabbing from below. Once we have our spiral tightly wound up, we make it a little loose and shape it until we like he way our flower looks like (the center should be pretty tight, while the outer part can be pretty loose).

Sorry for the dirty fingers, but it's hard to get the ink off after making a few dozen flowers. ;)
Now, all we have to do is glue the flower - a hot glue gun works best - by putting a small amount of glue on the underside, covering it with the end of the spiral, applying a little pressure and waiting for the glue to cool.

Finally, we get a lovely flower, and the best thing is that it can be made in less time than reading this tutorial.

Chakra Cleansing Process and How It Works?

Cleansing Process and How It Works?
Cleansing Process happens when you are receptive to Cosmic Energy. You have to open yourself as much as you can to
absorb IT.

Let go of your Ego and absorb Cosmic Energy.

When Cosmic Energy flows in you, IT starts to cleanse the negativity found in your seven bodies, that is, your
physical body and your six subtle bodies.

The Cleansing Process is painful but that pain will not be for long. As soon as the Cleansing Process ends, the pain
ends too.

In return, many illnesses will disappear.


If you have been created and sustained by Cosmic Energy, then why not accepting IT?

IT is the sustainer and savior of LIFE. Open yourself to absorb more and more Cosmic Energy.
Here, meditation techniques help you a lot. Regular practice of meditation techniques creates a vacuum in you where
Cosmic Energy flows.

When Cosmic Energy flows, the 'Cleansing Process' is activated. Then, negativity starts dissolving progressively and
many changes will be there within you. You will be changing for the best.
Negativity is accumulated by thoughts and emotions that have been there for many past lives and present one. If you
have more thoughts and emotions, negativity increases accordingly.

With the increase of negativity, there is an increase, too, in sufferings. Only the total acceptance of the
'Cleansing Process', that negativity can be dissolved.

When the 'Cleansing Process' is on, many changes will happen to your seven bodies. You do not have to struggle with
the process. You just have to let it do its work. Allow it to purify you and this will help you to progress further
on the path to TRUTH.

By practicing Meditation Techniques regularly, it means that you are working on yourself and thus activating the
'Cleansing Process'.

Meditation means your own availability for the 'Cleansing Process'.

Meditation concerns you rather than religion. It is all about knowing and understanding yourself - your own being.
In fact, when you are absorbing more and more energy with greater intensity, you are coming nearer to your pure
nature.

With great determination, keep on digging profoundly within you until you reach your Pure State. It is same as the
wind which is blowing towards you, and you are walking just in front of it without any fear. You do not have to
worry about your physical body; you just need to know who you are, this is your goal.

Fear also will disappear if you are determined. You will find yourself more and more powerful, even more powerful
than the wind, more powerful than the Energy flow itself. But you need to continue on this path till you reach your
own Source

Last night I sat outside gazing at the "blue" full moon and did a healing protection spell

I blessed a glass jar with a blue ribbon tied around it for healing waters to be drank this month, I left it sit under the moon light for the remainder of the night.

I felt very calm and relaxed and drank wine and had a couple cookies and shared with mother nature

I feel it will be a good september!

 

The moon tonight
sings another song
Tonight the moon,
cries another tear,
Tonight the moon,
tells another story...

There she is, up in the darkness,
sorrowful witness of human madness,
hanging amidst nothingness,
part of my nothingess.

The moon is inside me tonight,
the candle I lit for the souls lost,
the forgiveness I gave to the unforgivable,
the white blessing I blessed life with.

She is there, a pale but yet shiny moon,
for life goes on, and love goes on,
for the sake of the tomorrow,
for the need to believe in one moon!

FULL MOON CHANT
Mystical moon so full and bright
Goddess so pure and ivory white
cast down to me/us your light from above
charging my/our spirit with perfect Love.

A Moon Chant
by: WT Falls
Moon Mother, full and bright,
bless me on this esbat night
And by Your will, Your wax and wane,
grant the favour that I name
Moon Goddess of the sea
show to me my destiny
By your will, the ebbing tide
guide me to the Other Side
Moon Mother Bast, so bright,
guide me with your silvery light,
And by your love's soft sweet refrain,
unite me with my mate again
Moon Goddess in the sky,
watch o'er us with your silvery eye
And as you shine so high above
Protect us with your eternal love!

Clone of a Cinnabon

Clone of a Cinnabon

By: Marsha Fernandez 
"You have got to try these. The first time I made them, I thought of how much money I could save by making my own!"
Ingredients
 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
 2 eggs, room temperature
 1/3 cup margarine, melted
 4 1/2 cups bread flour
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/2 cup white sugar
 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
 
 1 cup brown sugar, packed
 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
 1/3 cup butter, softened
 
 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
 1/4 cup butter, softened
 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/8 teaspoon salt


 Directions
1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Apple Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Pies tend to get all the glory at Thanksgiving and believe me, I’ve got nothing against a good pie. But why not mix it up a little? Offer an alternative for your cake-loving guests? These cupcakes would be ideal. A nice balance of sweet and spice, and the frosting, oh the frosting! I browsed a lot of frosting recipes before settling on this one from Cupcake Project and the combination was perfect. In my oh-so-very scientific poll, even those who usually skip frosting gave this one a favorable rating. If you’re a frosting lover…heaven.

You can make the slow cooker apple butter also on my blog here.  If you simply can’t wait, store bought apple butter (check your jams & jellies section) should work just fine.

Apple Butter Cupcakes
Yield: 12 Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup apple butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.
2. Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and beat until well combined.
4. Stir in dry ingredients, then apple butter.
5. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool before frosting.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2-3 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth and uniform.
2. Add cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter

 

My poor Crock-Pot. Sitting neglected up in a cupboard for years at a time without so much as a glance. For all the time I spend stressing about what’s for dinner, you’d think it would have a prominent place on my countertop. I finally pulled it down a few weeks back and it hasn’t seen the cupboard since. I can’t keep it clean long enough to put it away!
Anyway, on to the real topic of this post, and that is apple butter. Mmm…apple butter. It’s delicious on toast, biscuits, pancakes, or a spoon. Not only is it easy to make your own apple butter, but there’s an added bonus: it will make your house smell amazing. Forget the candles and potpourri. While it’s cooking you should go outside, just so you can come back in and experience the full effect.

You can use just about any kind of apples for this recipe. Jonagold apples were the star of my batch, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or a combination of these will work well. This recipe was tested using a small (2.5 quart) slow cooker, it could easily be doubled if you are using one with a larger capacity. I used a blender to achieve a smoother texture after cooking.
If planning to store your apple butter or use as a gift, you may wish to can it in a boiling water bath.    Without canning, keep refrigerated and use within a month or two.
Slow Cooker Apple Butter

Ingredients:
6 apples
1 1/2 cups apple cider (or apple juice)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Peel, core and chop apples, add to slow cooker.
2. Add cider/juice, sugar and spices.
3. Cook on high until bubbly.
4. Reduce heat to low and cook 6-8 hours, stirring every hour. When done, the apple butter will have thickened and be a deep brown color.
5. For a smoother texture, blend to break down any remaining chunks of apple.
You know what’s even better than apple butter? Apple Butter Cupcakes of course!

25 REALLY CLEVER IDEAS

Strawberry Tip

Hull using a regular straw

 

Use a walnut to cover scratches

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

 

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40 (also works on walls).

 

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard – store bedlinen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match. . . Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone / iPod in a bowl – the concave shape amplifies the music. . . Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags. . . Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily – who knew?! . . Attach a velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys. . . Look up! Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor. . . Gotcha! Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose. . . Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid. . . For those who can’t stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet. . . Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins (and tweezers and clippers) behind a vanity door . . A tip for holiday packing. Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel! . . A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant. . . Bread tags make the perfect-sized cord labels. . . Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids to eat. Definitely doing this! . . Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff. . . Brilliant space-saver: install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles. Genius! . . Win friends at breakfast with this heart-shaped egg tutorial. Aww shucks! . . Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila – you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream. . . Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief. . . Gutter garden: Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering. . . Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.