Squirrel Picnic

Handmade with Love and Stuff


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The EZ Cube: Great Gift Idea for Artists, Photographers, and Crafters

EZ Cube SetupSoon after starting this blog, I realized that it would be worthwhile to invest in a photography system to give photographs of my creations a more professional look. While visiting my parents last October, I was working on the Toddler Turkey Hat, and my mom allowed me to use her EZ Cube, essentially a light tent, to photograph my process shots. I was amazed at how the photographs came out, especially since I only had my camera phone at the time. Continue reading


Welcome to Paperland: Live Wallpaper for Android Makes Me Smile

I want to live in Paperland. It’s the only place in the world where you can see rainbows at night, where there are never any traffic accidents and it can snow nonstop but never collect on the road.

This animated wallpaper app offers tons of customizable options, from themes to weather to the number of birds in the sky. With Paperland Pro you can even opt for a Christmas theme where all the trees are decorated with lights, and Santa and his reindeer regularly fly by. It offers a moment of serenity every time you turn on your phone.


Great Packing Idea from Mom

When sending out Christmas packages to your grown children this year, instead of using bubble wrap, use their old stuffed animals. As a friend of mine mentioned, it’s an eco-friendly way to tell your children, “It’s time for you to get your junk out of my house. Mom wants a craft room!”

Mom's Packing Tip


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Thankful for Pizza

My husband and I made our very first turkey pizza a decade ago, when we both had to work on Thanksgiving day and didn’t have time to make the traditional dinner. Since then, it’s become a beloved tradition we sometimes honor on the day after Thanksgiving to make use of leftovers. I’m quite certain your family will love it too… at least more than turkey noodle soup!

Start by spreading gravy over a pre-baked pizza crust (we usually use Boboli). Add a layer of stuffing on top of the gravy. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese next, and cover with shredded turkey. Consider adding a drizzle of additional gravy, some corn niblets, cranberry sauce, or whatever sounds good to you. We used to start with a layer of mashed potatoes, but it makes the pizza really heavy and doesn’t add much flavor—but if you’ve got some killer mashed potatoes, go ahead and give it a try! Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is completely done and the cheese is melted.

If pizza’s on your list of things you’re thankful for, you must try this one. It probably won’t be as pretty as your Thanksgiving day spread, but I’m willing to bet it’ll be just as tasty.