~Homemade Recipes & A Giveaway!~

I've been itching to alter this lovely little journal I found...The problem? I don't really need another journal...And I've had a burning desire for a new recipe book...One that was a more artistic/exciting version of what I currently have...Yet I couldn't find one that made me smile...There was only one way to go forth...



What do you think? It may not be the most practical recipe book...In fact, it's probably not one that will step foot inside my kitchen...Can you imagine tomato sauce on this lil' treasure?

So even though it's not going to get used on a daily basis, it's a perfect way for me to store my recpies in a more artistic and expressive way...As a keepsake of sorts :) to be passed down...
I have so many recipes that have been bethroned down from family members...I figure they deserve to be treated like the gems they are...

{Besides, I have a copy of all the recipes I use daily in a more functional (and seriously boring & plain) binder...}

So this is the perfect opprotunity (and excuse) to get creative!



I wanted the book to be shabby since I will be pasting original recipes (handwritten by my great grandmother) into the book. Most of the papers have developed an antiuqe-ness to them and would look awfully strange in a more modern book...And the fact that I love all things shabby, has had absolutely NO influence on the look whatsoever....lol
I think you all know me better than that :)



So I started with this little darling journal and it was an awful shade of blue, so after seven coats of gesso and paint, lots of distressing, and some texturizing...I finally achieved the look I was after...Then I added some sweet toppings and handmade trinkets in one of my fave color combinations (peach, cream, taupe, white)....So yummy!



I used a beautiful new Sparkler by Webster's Pages and dipped it in chunky, vintage glitter...Just below the peach sparkler is a rose sparkler from the same Webster's Pages collection (painted white and glittered)...



This is where i got to have some fun with my new stash of fabrics and yummy Spellbinders dies...
I diecut 2 tag shapes from the Grommet Tags die set by Spellbinders out of white and peach fabric, followed by the same die-cut shapes out of adhesive-backed foam...I simply exposed the sticky side of the foam and glued down the matching fabric tag...I love doing this for three reasons:

1. It's super easy and there is NO mess involved since the adhesive is already there for you,
2. It helps to stop the fabric from fraying at the edges, and
3. It gives your beautiful little fabric shapes more stability and some fun dimension :)


I added in a handmade heart button which I attached using lovely, rustic twine and I accented the center of the heart with rhinestone link from an old necklace found during my last flea market adventure...

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!

Do you want to create your very own recipe book? Or perhaps a few shabby cards? If you like the materials I've used to create this little project...Here's your chance to win them!

I've assembled a little kit of homemade goodies and treasured findings...







Just leave a comment below sharing one of your fave recipes with me! Or if you can find a link to your fave recipe online, you can share that with me too! I plan to create a section in my new book entitled 'recipes from the kitchen of...' and I'm asking that all my friends share their fave recipes with me :)

I will be randomly drawing a winner from all the comments left here on Wednesday at 12 p.m. Central Time. That will give you a couple of days to join in! I'll be posting the winner Wednesday afternoon so be sure to check back!

Hope you'll play along and I can't wait to add your recipe to my lil book!

*Ivana*

13 comments

  1. LOL, I see what you mean: this little recipe book is just almost too pretty to use;) But it's such a gorgeous creation! Really love the soft and shabby chic feel to it and the beautiful sheet of burlap. And that is such an amazing giveaway...I bet the winner of it will be really excited:) Actually I don't cook that often, but I do love my grandma's apple pie recipe:)

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  2. Hi Ivana , just stumbled across your blog you are so talented i love the subtle use of tones and colors and everything in this recipe booklet! i am not a crafter but i would love to make something like this someday :)
    here is a link to a very easy recipe hope you like it! http://lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com/2011/05/slice-and-bake-shortbread-pregnancy.html

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  3. Ivana what an absolutely gorgeous recipe book. I would be afraid to use it. What a precious giveaway. My favorite recipe is my grandma's chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. She made the best and everything was from scratch. {{{HUGS}}}

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  4. I am always inspired by your blog and love your creations. So much so that I am passing on an award to you. I hope you'll come by and check it out.

    http://lilsweetpeasplace.blogspot.com/

    Hugs,
    Kristin

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  5. That is simply divine and will be stunning as a 'Pass Me Down' recipe book, just need to make a box to keep it dust free, love it!!
    Have a simple but delish recipe for you::
    Tennis biscuits, caramel, cream(whipped) and peppermint choc.
    Method: Start with the biscuits and layer with caramel, then cream, then grated cho, then another layer untill all finished.
    The quantity depends on how many people you want to make for, so just adapt, it really is lovely, easy and always a winner, enjoy!!
    lotsa luv

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  6. Beautiful and Elegant! I love your projects! One of my favorite comfort foods is Twice Baked Potatoes. Here is a recipe I found online: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/07/twice_baked_pot/


    YUMMY!

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  7. This is just gorgeous! I sighed out loud when I saw it. Like you said, this would be fantastic for passed down family recipes. What an awesome idea! A recipe that we really enjoy is Chicken Marsala. I have tried a few and this one is by far my favorite, but you have to use Lombardo wine, it really makes all the difference. Thank you so much for the fabulous chance to win this gorgeous kit!

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  8. Hi Ivana, I loooove your blog. You are so talented and I love the off the page projects you do - especially this recipe book! It's gorgeous!
    My family heritage is Scottish, and my nana used to make scottish lollies for me as a kid all the time. They are soooo sugary so I'm amazed that at 30, I haven't had any teeth pulled! I haven't made them in ages, but your recipe book made me think of them straight away and I might give them a go today! Although nan, and my mum, never used a recipe so here's what I remember:

    Put about half a store bought jar of golden syrup, and a quarter cup of sugar in a saucepan. Heat and stir till a thin liquid. Mix in and stir without stopping a mixture of cocoa and powdered milk until it's a think liquid. Pour onto a plate and put in the freezer. Check every 5 mins and when it's the consistency of, say, blue-tak, take out and roll the mixture into little balls. Coat in coconut and put in the fridge and wait until they are hard.

    Certainly an aquired taste, and for those with a sweet tooth!

    Hugs
    Michelle (Australia!)

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  9. Ivana, your recipe book is gorgeous!! I love how you gave instructions on how you made it. I just received my Webster's warehouse box full of goodies and now I have a way to use them:) I will e-mail you one of my favorite dessert recipes. What a lovely treasure you have created to pass down!

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  10. Gorgeous! Don't know why, but this didn't show up until Wed on my blog updates or when I tried to click on your blog title, from Blogger dashboard. Anyway, this is a perfect book to pass on. I would love to make one for my daughter. It looks like a perfect wedding gift too. I really don't cook, but I always make chocolate pie for the holidays, {{{it's really hard}}}.

    CHOCOLATE PIE:
    Take the large box of Jello Chocolate pudding mix, (it must be the COOKING type, NOT instant). The directions are on the box, follow them exactly. You can use 2% milk with no problem. Then I pour the pudding mixture into a graham cracker, Oreo cookie, or shortbread crust. Sometimes I get fancy and use a frozen pie crust and bake that first. Chill the pie. Serve with whipped cream. You will have extra pudding, but a small box won't be enough. You can fill the small box pie with whipped cream if you want.

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  11. Wow! This is so beautiful! Perfectly put together!

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  12. This has to be the most beautiful project I have ever seen. It is absolutely stunning Ivana. Thanks for the inspiration and I have something for you Ivana on my blog.

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