Baking season, I love you.

andreelise.design — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 23:03:55 +0000

Hello! It’s been a while since I posted, and the last time we were in the middle of a HUGE move back to our hometown of Ottawa. We are back now… it’s been about 2 weeks and we’re happy about it M has started work and I’m looking for work.. in my free time, I dabble in the things I love most. Zoe, knitting, baking and shopping!? (I need to furnish AND decorate my new house after all).

Anyway, we got here around Halloween time, and although we didn’t go out, we did carve pumpkins! YAY! no photos though, fail on my part. With pumpkins around comes baking, and I’m happy to say I (for the first time) peeled and boiled pumpkins to make purée to be used in recipes (yay!) While I was peeling them, I thought countless times how bad I felt for my mother who peeled and cut 5 BIG pumpkins every year to make pies after halloween festivities. I promise to not complain when I start doing them for our kids, HA!

Today, I made delicious (looking) chocolate-chip pumpkin muffins. They JUST came out of the oven and I can’t wait to taste them… yumm….but it’s dinner soon so I have to wait at least until dessert comes around!

Here’s the recipe, it’s based on 2 different blogs and I made a few changes they are noted in BOLD in the recipe below.

Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

(Source: Adapted from Heather Drive / Things I love)

Ingredients:

- 1 cup canned pumpkin / fresh pumpkin puree

- 1/2 cup applesauce (no sugar added/ unsweetened)

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend

- 3 tbsp Splenda

- 1/2 cup water

- 2 eggs

- 1 2/3 cups flour

- 1/2 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tbsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

- 1/4 tsp. ginger

- 1/4 tsp. cloves

- 1/2 tsp. salt

-1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or you can whisk by hand), mix together the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, water and eggs and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients (including chocolate chips)

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well to combine. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips (optional).
4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the pumpkin muffins comes out clean.

Makes 12 (for me.. the other says 16)

Try them, I dare you!

Holy packing!

andreelise.design — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:22:59 +0000

Hello!

So we’ve started our packing process and it’s going fairly well… other than all the stressed involved!

The other day.. I packed ALL my yarn and OMG I’m not lying, the box is 3X3X3feet (huge!) and it was FULLLLL of yarn. I even missed some and had to stuff it in my OTHER huge box filled with scrapbook and other craft materials. Also, I haven’t even packed my beading gear. MY GOD.

On a more positive note.. we are moving back and I will have a craftroom! YAY I am the luckiest crafter bride EVER! Thank you my love.

Will post photos of our mess soon.

New blog design!

andreelise.design — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:38:28 +0000

Hello!

I have decided to switch to a general ALD blog where I can put EVERYTHING on It’ll be linked from my business website and will showcase all that I’m up to, whether it be crafts, jewelry, photography or design! Exciting!

I’m still trying to figure out how to use wordpress vs. blogger but I’m getting there! It seems I can do way more, but we’ll see… I may end up going back to blogger!

Wish me luck!
Andrée-Lise

New project – Sweater for Zoe :D

andreelise.design — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:35:33 +0000

On another note… this weekend was a cold one – even in the middle of August! I made our baby girl Zoe a little green sweater with beautiful flowers and a pretty pink button. I made it based on a pattern off the Lion Brand Yarn website with Lion Brand Yarn – Wool-Ease Chunky in Citron and Scarlet

Here it is! No pics of flowers yet but they’re on… I will take pics soon

Maya’s pink and grey sweater

andreelise.design — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:18:00 +0000

I finished the dress for Maya the other day (previous post) and decided I would make her a matching sweater. Mostly because I found this pattern I wanted to try and who doesn’t need a sweater!?

So the pattern is called – Bombay Love and it’s found on Ravelry for free here.

I made it with Bernat Satin and Patons Silk Bamboo yarn. The only problem with this combination is that it doesn’t have the same care instructions.. so it’ll have to be washed by hand and laid flat to dry instead of machine washed!

It’s SOOO cute. I still have to make a tie, which I will make from this pattern. I didn’t really like the tie that the Bombay Love had for the type of sweater I wanted for Maya. I was looking for something more ‘formal’ and this new one fit the bill!

I will finish the tie and post the photos soon!

***

Here are the photos! I still have to make the tie.. but am deciding if I actually DO want to make it.

Grandmaman Shawl

andreelise.design — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:51:00 +0000

Hello!

I have photos of my grandmaman’s new shawl (which is as of today, on route to Timmins!).

Here they are:

Summer Knitting (continued)

andreelise.design — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:40:00 +0000

Welll summer is sadly almost over.. well not quite but it’s mid-August! ahhhh

Work has been very slow so I’ve been filling up my time by knitting and crocheting up a storm! My cousin and his wife received their baby items and LOVED them (which makes me ever so happy because I love creating).

Since then, I have been busy creating a comfy shawl for my grandmother who is in the hospital at the moment. I used Loops and Threads yarn and created a very quick and easy shawl to keep her warm. I am sending it to her today, hope she loves it!

On my crochet hook right now is a cute little pink sweater to match a cute little party dress I made for my step-sister’s new bundle of joy, Maya. She will join this world at the end of November and they are very excited! So why not create a wonderful handknit/crocheted wardrobe!

Here are some photos of my items so far

It is called: Party Dress and is for 6-9month old babies!

Here is the pattern: http://crochettogo.blogspot.com/2010/07/party-dress.html

It crocheted it up very quickly – only took a couple days! I still have to work on my crocheting in the round without having a noticeable ‘seam’, but I think it looks great!

Sweater pic to come

Summer Knitting!

andreelise.design — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Wow I haven’t posted in a really long time… BUT I have gotten back to doing some summer knitting I made my new second cousin some new baby digs (hopefully they don’t see this causeee they haven’t received it yet!)

His name is Félix and he is the cutest little baby boy I’ve seen in a while (and maybe because he’s my cousin’s kid? who knows!)

He was born June 16th 2010 and aaaaaaw he makes me want my own baby. And I know that when we do find out we’re pregnant… I’ll go into full blown nesting mode and make our baby a FULL wardrobe as soon as we found out.
ANYWAY! I got obsessed with making baby items – mostly because they’re so cute AND they take no time at all to make. I made him some booties, thumb less mittens and 2 hats. 1 was made out of 100% organic cotton and the other with baby synthetic yarn.

Here’s a photo of his new digs.

Love it!

Also.. I realized I could actually follow a pattern and make stuff other than scarves.. so I attempted to learn how to knit cables. AND, it actually is SO easy… which is surprising because I had this huge fear for years about attempting anything out of my comfort zone. I guess it’s a lesson learned: try new things and it may just turn out good
So this is my current project – a Quick Cabled Cowl I’m making it with Linen Wool Ease yarn by Lion Brand and it’s knitting up fairly quickly.

Here’s a photo of my current project

and a link to the pattern: http://rareknits.blogspot.com/2009/09/summer-knitting-quick-cowlgaiterneck.html

New business

andreelise.design — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:45:00 +0000

I’ve started my own business which is SO exciting.. www.andreelise.ca/design

I mostly make crystal jewelry but have been known to offer some graphic design services as well!

it’s fun.. I like it I’ve had 9 orders so far and it’s going very well cept for some of the products having broken and I had to repair them. I don’t mind tho.

I recently went back home to Ottawa for my cousin’s wedding and brought with me my whole stock of rings and sold a bunch on site and delivered custom orders I had received from family members for the wedding. I made quite a bit and I am so proud of myself.

Here’s a sample photo:

that’s one I made for my cousin Anik – she LOVED it and I am so pleased.

Will update on my status… but I am loving it so far – next step I would like is to take a course and get into it more seriously

Andrée-Lise

Jewelry Making

andreelise.design — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 18:16:00 +0000

Wow, X-mas time has already arrived and… well it’s time again to make presents for people!! 1st of all, I love making them, and 2nd of all, it’s way cheaper than buying everything and 3rd, people LOVE home-made gifts.. so I hope!

I’ve been making some beaded knitted bracelets and also some button necklaces! They are beautiful and I hope everyone likes them… will post photos soon