Ghost Chili

One of my favorite recipes to have at my Halloween Parties is Ghost Chili. I got the original recipe from a friend and then changed some things here and there over the years. One of the things I love about this recipe is that the longer it sits, the better it tastes, so if you make it the day before, all you have to do is warm it up and the flavors are perfect.

Ghost Chili

Ingredients

1 lb chicken
1 drained can garbanzo beans
2 cans of diced green chili
2 large cans of white hominy
4 teaspoons of chicken broth paste
Half a diced onion
2 crushed/dice cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of chili powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
6 oz shredded white cheddar cheese
Cubed block of cream cheese

Directions

Sautee garlic and onion with a little bit of olive oil or butter until the onion is turning golden brown. Add the liquid from the hominy cans and broth paste. Simmer on low, adding in spices (cumin, chili powder and cayenne). Once it starts to dissolve, add in all cans of beans and chili. Add in cubed chicken, shredded cheese, cubed cream cheese. Keep on low, stirring occasionally for one-two hours. If you choose to eat it the next day, you can also put it in a crock pot and let it sit on "warm" throughout the day. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do and Happy Halloween!

Super Craft Saturday, I Can Do All Things

I was asked to teach a craft for a 'super Saturday' activity at our church this weekend. It was my first time teaching in this type of setting. I made the example about a month ago to put on display and we had twenty-eight that had signed up. It was a little crazy at times but it was a lot of fun. I would definitely be up for doing it again.

The wooden tile was approximately 16"x16" and the vinyl saying was purchased from silhouette store (for personal use only, so each one was purchased individually) if anyone would like to do it. We glued a ribbon around the edge. Found the correct placement for the vinyl, marked it with a pencil, peeled, applied, pressed, peeled, whala! For the most part, the craft was fairly straight forward. The only tricky part was application since the piece was so big and unforgiving. Luckily, all came out successfully.

These stands came from Amazon and seemed to hold it quite well. I think once my piano is cleared from Holiday decor, that is where I'd like to display my finished piece.

There definitely is a trick to peeling it off just right.

Holiday Paper Banners

We made these simple banners during a crafting Saturday activity. They are pretty simple to make, you just want to make sure you have a good show to watch because they can be time consuming.

What you need:

Craft Glue

Scissors

12 Feet of Twine or Desired String

4-5 pieces of 12x12 scrap book papers

Banner Template printed on card stock

Link to PDF Download for Banner Template

I recommend making a stencil with the banner template and tracing it onto the back of the paper. I found that it goes quicker if you trace the template and then cut 2-3 pieces at a time. You're going to want to fold the papers in half and glue together with the string running down the middle.

Good luck! I'd love to see what you create! If you upload a picture, tag me (@rainydaycraftess) on Instagram!

How to Cut and Apply Heat Transfer Vinyl

Design

Create your design in your studio software.

Once it is completed, you want to select your image and flip it horizontally.

You can print multiple designs at once, it's easier to weed if you draw a cut line between the images.

When you go to print (on a Silhouette) it worked well for me to:
Choose Heat Transfer Material-Smooth
Print with the blade at a 3 (I like it to be this high and I find it doesn't cut too deep),
Speed 10
Thickness 6

I haven't done glitter but online I saw that you want to choose:
Choose Heat Transfer Material-Smooth
Print with the blade at a 3-4,
Speed 5
Thickness 33

Place you vinyl down with the plastic side on the sticky part of your cutting mat, vinyl side up.

Cut.

Weed.

Iron:

Make sure there is no water in your iron to create steam. Heat your iron to 300-325 degrees, partway between the cotton and wool setting.

Lay a protector down on your surface. I used a large square trivet with a towel on top. place your fabric on top. If it's a humid day, you are going to want to iron any extra out of your material first.

Lay your vinyl face down on your fabric, using a measuring tape and or folding the fabric in the middle help with even placement.

Place your heat press transfer sheet (Teflon sheet or thin towel) over the top of the vinyl place on fabric.

Hold your iron down, pressing hard into the fabric on each section for 15-20 seconds. If you hear a crinkling of the plastic the vinyl is attach to, you know you are pressing for too long. You want to be able to pull up the plastic, without pulling the vinyl up. The vinyl should be adhering into the fibers of the fabric, which can be difficult to tell.

Care of heat transfer vinyl fabrics:

Don't wash within 24 hours
Wash cold inside out
Hang dry or tumble dry-low
A lot of sites say do not use fabric softeners as well
Do not iron or dry clean

Scrabble Tile Decor Prices

Prices:

To order wood, a kit or a completed set, please email angebendixsen@gmail.com or direct message rainydaycraftess on Instagram.

Just the Wood:

Feeling adventurous and just need the wood? Selection of Oak or Fir, Blocks are roughly 3"x3" and .33" thick, not sanded. .50 a piece.

Pre-Assembled:

A good way to save money if you've got a little extra time or like having ownership over the crafting side of it.  Each piece which includes a block (not sanded) and a vinyl cut letter w/number is $1 (doesn't include transfer tape to cut down on your cost but the vinyl should be easy to peel and stick). 

Specify white or black vinyl.

Completed Set:

As seen below, $2 a block that is sanded, with vinyl already attached. Specify white or black vinyl.

*Just as a disclosure, the wood is reclaimed railroad wood and so it will not be cut completely even, it's based on the pieces that come when we order it and each piece is unique in and of itself. Also, the blocks of wood, whether just the wood, pre-assembled or completed, do not come with hanging hardware.  I have used the Velcro removable mounting circles along with a level and a measuring tape and have been happy with the results. It's a non-permanent and cost-efficient way to go.