That sounds delicious! I definitely need to try this.

Thanks! It is a leather strap.  I used the Lumiere paints by Jacquard.  They can be used on all types of fabrics and specifically list leather.  They also make non-metallic paints if you don't want a sheen.  I heat set the paint with a cotton strip in between the strap and iron.

This was a belated birthday present for the boyfriend.  He's a fan of H. P. Lovecraft and requested a cthulu inspired guitar strap a few months ago. The paint was rather thin and took many coats to cover the background.


The colors in these pictures are closer to life.  A couple of detail shots:




He also asked for an eight-bit guitar strap, but I was late in finishing this one, so, if he's lucky, he'll get that one for christmas.

Thanks everyone!

Thanks! I've already written something else since I put it up a few hours ago.

The boyfriend brought home a giant whiteboard when his company moved to a new location a few weeks ago.  It was the kind that took up a whole wall.  He wanted to cut it up into several smaller boards, and generous boy that he is, said that I could also have a section.  I wanted a literary icon to go with my library and what's more iconic than Holmes?  I added a cheap frame to make it look more like an old fashioned cameo and to make it easier to hang.  I love how this turned out.


The board measures about 15" x 19".

My boy cut his portions into a whale, an octopus, an elephant and a music note.  The octopus, which was the second coolest, after mine of course, was sadly broken.  The boyfriend despairs, but I think it's fixable.  Everything was cut out using a jigsaw.  His boards are currently unfinished, so I don't have pictures of those just yet.

I recently started watching Bitchin' Kitchen on the Cooking Channel and I'd been drooling over the recipes.  Last night I finally tried one and, oh man, it tastes as good as it looks...ok, so my picture isn't very pretty, but I don't have the patience to make a plate look nice when I could be eating.


It's an easy recipe and it doesn't take long to whip everything up either.  Here's the link if anyone is interested http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/panko-shrimp-with-strawberry-aioli-recipe/index.html
I bought smaller shrimps that were on sale and I didn't have the Japanese mayo, so I subbed in light regular mayo and a bit of lemon juice.  It was still scrumptious.  I'll definitely need to make extra next time.

It was so good that I can't wait to try another recipe from Nadia G.  I think I'll try her Chicken and Banana Curry tonight.

That looks amazing.  I wouldn't have the courage to tackle a project like that.

This dish is so delicious and easy to make that I had to share.  I know scallops can be intimidating because they're very easy to overcook, but the result is worth the risk.  This may not be the most attractive photo, but I'm not a great photographer.  Trust me, the dish is mouthwatering.



Ingredients:

5-6 large sliced mushrooms
¼ cup butter or margarine (I used a light spread)
1 tbsp minced onion
3 cloves minced garlic (my family likes garlic, so I usually add more than most people)
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup cheap white wine (I used an Aldi Riesling)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1-2 pounds frozen scallops (Aldi again)
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice


Start by sautéing the mushrooms in a little oil.  While the mushrooms are cooking, melt the butter in another pan on med-high heat and add the onions, garlic and flour. 
Add the browned mushrooms, wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the pan with butter, onions and flour.  Reduce the heat on the sauce to low while the scallops cook.  The lush in me says to add a touch more wine...if the sauce seems too thick, of course. 
Sautee the scallops on medium heat in the pan that previously held the mushrooms.  If using bay scallops, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.  For sea scallops, cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. 
Drain any excess water from the scallops and add them to the sauce. 
It's best to serve immediately, but if necessary you can let the dish simmer a couple of minutes until you're ready to eat.  Don't let it sit too long as the scallops may overcook.

Serves 4
Using these ingredients, this dish comes in at 280 calories per serving

Oooh.. I covet.