Craftberry Bush

One of my favourite things about this time of year
is the ability to grow fresh herbs. I don't know what it is about the
smell of fresh herbs that sends me into a culinary frenzy.

As a young child, I remember my Grandmother asking my

brother and I to go to her garden and pick some fresh mint,

cilantro or other herbs that she would let us toss into her cooking.

But I specifically remember picking mint and dipping
it into the sugar bowl while no one was looking.
In my young mind, it was a brilliant way to make 'gum'.

Every year as we venture into the garden centre
to buy herbs and other plants, the smell of mint takes
me right back into my Grandmother's garden.

And every year, the kiddies and I pick little leaves off the plants
and rub them between our finger tips to guess their scent.
This year, we discovered a new herb; well, new to us anyway. The curry plant.

I was fascinated by its beautiful appearance and strong scent.
As we played the 'guess that herb game', our middle son said
'it smells like deviled eggs'. He was partially right as I do add a pinch of
curry powder to our deviled eggs per hubby's late Nana's recipe.

The wooden spoons as herb markers are a twist on the

traditional embossed silver spoon. I stamped them with permanent

marker ink by simply rubbing the tip of the marker over the stamp.

Speaking of permanent marker, this is how I marked them

last year. Is this not the easiest way to mark your plants?

I can't wait to start making delicious salads using my fresh herbs.

Have a beautiful day!

much love,

Don't forget to enter the
Santos Cage Doll e-course with Jennifer Rizzo.
Go here to enter.

linking to

Savvy Southern Style

Blue and White Porcelain in the Hutch

2013-05-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

We made it through Monday!

Is it just me, or are the weeks flying by?

It's hard to believe we're already in the middle of May

as it feels like it was just yesterday when I shared the

hutch all pretty and yellow.

Today, I wanted to show the hutch all dressed in blue and white.

If you're a regular to the blog, you may remember

me sharing a few of the pieces of blue and white porcelain

I have found at various thrift stores (here).

Not all the pieces I have found are authentic, but here I

show how you can achieve the look of blue Chinoiserie.

It makes me happy to see all those

pretty blue and white plates adorning our hutch.

Do you own any blue and white porcelain?

Do you display it all year round?

This is one of the plates from The Spode Blue Room collection.

A beautiful ceramic sphere from Bombay Co.

And these gorgeous vases were recent purchases.

They add such a beautiful flare to the room and I love how versatile the are.

If you follow me on FB or Instagram, you have seen me share sneak peeks to the canvas I had been working on for the summer issue of Celebrating Everyday Life. I will also be sharing some more Chinoiserie along with it. I hope you like it.

Thank you so much for visiting me today. It means so much.

much love,

Do you Instagram? Follow me at mscraftberrybush as I share my life via my iPhone.
You can also connect with me via FB, Twitter, Bloglovin and Pinterest .

Linkin to Savvy Southern Style

Happy New Week and a Peek to Some Artwork

2013-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a great weekend!

Just wanted to stop by and share a little peek on some art work I recently painted.

I'll be back tomorrow with a few updates to our home decor.

In the mean time, I hope you have a great Monday.

much love,

The Inspiration Gallery features

2013-05-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

I hope you are having a great Mother's Day weekend!

If you're looking for last minute gifts, here are some great ideas that were linked up to

The Inspiration Party...

Mother's Day Mini Album by Love Grows Wild

Mother's Day Surprise by Zu Haus at Home

Vintage Fabric Envelopes by Sugar Beans

Mother's Day Card Printable by Citruz Design

Book Planter by Twigg Studios

Button Flower Bouquet by family ever after

Teacup Candles by Life is a Party

Etched Glass Mother's Day Vase by House on the Way

Homemade Lemon Soap by A Pumpkin & a Princess

Coffee Infused Bath Salts by Kleinworth & Co.

DIY Computer Desk by Liz Marie Blog

Ombre Mint Stools by Nalles House

Ikea Bar Stools Makeover by Now at Home Mom

There are so many other beautiful projects linked up this week.
Please take a minute to visit some and leave them a kind message.

Have a beautiful day.

much love,

The Inspiration Gallery week 35

2013-05-09T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome once again to The Inspiration Gallery.

Can you below we are in week 35?

We are so thankful you choose to link up with us week after week.

May is here and I wanted to make a little May desktop calendar for you. Hope you like it. I thought it would be fun to make one for you every month, what do you think?

I shared a little peek into my sketchbook and updated you on our little Pemberley and her babies.

And last but not least, please don't forget to enter the Santos Cage Doll e-course giveaway by Jennifer Rizzo. Go here to enter now.

Cinnamon Chex Treats

Duluth Trading Co giveaway

Silhouette Portrait giveaway

15 Teacher Appreciation Gifts

Nursery Printables

25+ Must Try Lemon & Key Lime Recipes

And now that you've seen what we've been up to,
we can't wait to see what you've been doing.

A Peek into my Sketchbook

2013-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

As I grow and life writes little bits of its wisdom in my soul, I have an increasing

awareness of the small things. Things that would not

merit my attention in the past are now magnified by their beauty.

Like the minute details of the Grape Hyacinth;

such a tiny flower with such giant beauty.

Every little bud individually adorning the stem in what

seems like a gradual wash of colour. Such gorgeous work of art

contained in the smallest little canvas for the world to see.

Thank you for allowing me to share my sketchbook with you.

See you tonight at The Inspiration Gallery. Have a beautiful day!

much love,

Santos Cage Doll and e-Course Giveaway

2013-05-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't she beautiful? My dear friend Jennifer Rizzo made her.

Originally loved for centuries for religious reasons, Santos dolls

are now also loved for their artistic beauty. With their increase in popularity,

they have become highly coveted by artisan doll collectors.

Jennifer is teaching an in depth e-course on how

to make them. From assembly, to sculpting, to painting

them. You can go here for additional details.

And guess what? Jennifer was nice enough to offer
one of you the opportunity to win a spot in her course!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post, and for an

extra entry, Pin it and let me know via a separate comment.

I will announce the lucky winner on Wednesday, May 15.

Have a great day and Good luck!

much love,

Free Desktop Watercolor Calendar - CORRECTED

2013-05-07T05:00:00.000-04:00

I did a little watercoloring this weekend in addition to A LOT of acrylic work. You can see a little sneak peek of what I'm working on via Instagram (mscraftberrybush).

I wanted to make some Mother's Day printables for you, but have yet to figure out the best way to scan the watercolors and not lose their true consistency. So instead, I hope you like one of these desktop calendars I made for your personal use.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'll be back tomorrow with a really great giveaway, so make sure you check in.

In the mean time, have a wonderful day!

much love,

Fulfilled

2013-05-06T05:00:00.000-04:00

To be honest, I don't have much to say and yet my heart feels full. Not over anything grand or extraordinary, but fulfilled with life, family and the amount of love that surrounds me.

We watched in amazement as Pemberley's little babies hatched. Weak and weary, yet strong enough to break through into the world. Their little bodies naked and fragile, solely relying on the care of their parents, who are diligently prepared to feed them as soon as they enter the world. The kiddies named the chicks Eeny, Meeny, Miny and....Joe, which I thought was so funny.

Pemberley watches as the last of her babies is born

And the proud dad (Pemberton), handsome and strong

guards his babies as momma goes and gets some food.

They alternate this duty in perfect harmony.

This weekend, I took it all in. The smells, the sounds, the

sights, the beauty of life. It was all around me and I felt fulfilled.

I am not without faults, problems or worries.

I am imperfect, but I am beyond blessed.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by.

I hope you have a beautiful day.

much love,

ps. do you Instagram? There are many things I share there throughout the week which don't make it to the blog. I invite you to click on the Instagram button in the "Follow Me" section in the top right of my site and feel free to follow along as I share life from my iPhone (mscraftberrybush)

The Inspiration Gallery features

2013-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

I hope your weekend is off to a great start! Have you had a chance to link up or check out this week's Inspiration Gallery going on right now?

Before you look through the beautiful inspiration below, I invite you to check out the live video stream and pre-recordings of Pemberley the Robin (right sidebar). Her babies began to hatch today and we have recordings of the hatching and first feeding!

Here are but a few of the inspirational projects this week...

Seriously, are you as amazed by these projects as I am?! Get ready to drool!

Recycled wood sign via Making Home Base

Butter dish makeover via Clean and Scentsible

VIntage desk chair makeover via Liz Marie Blog

Repurposed dresser to tool chest via The Golden Sycamore

Living room tour, mixing vintage with new via Number Fifty-Three

DIY paper flowers via A Pumpkin and a Princess

Champagne and gold girls dresser via Primitive and Proper

DIY stenciled magnetic frame via The Golden Sycamore

Craft room reveal via Now at Home Mom

Key lime pie cookie cups via Shaken Together

Split stump side table via The Wood Grain Cottage

French farmhouse numbered napkins via Confessions of a Plate Addict

Thank you all so so much for sharing your talent with us! And for more features, be sure to check out the Inspiration Gallery Pinterest Board!

Have a great rest of the weekend and remember to check back in on Pemberley and her babies!

much love,

The Inspiration Gallery week 34

2013-05-02T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello again! I hope you've had a great day. It has been another busy week here at the Craftberry Bush household. If you have visited this week, you'll know we have been broadcasting the daily comings and goings of our house guest who built her nest on our front door wreath (you can read about it here). While nothing monumental has occured as yet, we expect the eggs will hatch in the next couple of days, so please feel free to watch a LIVE video stream or view some of the pre-recordings found on my right sidebar. The experience has been so magnificent and inspiring that I decided to paint a portrait or our Robin, 'Pemberley'. This week, I also shared a delicious healthy alternative to flour tortillas made from Quinoa and Brown Rice Flour. Yum.

Taryn and her hubby worked around the clock, and though it was hard work, it was worth it. Just look at those gorgeous flagstones in her new backyard, which Taryn was nice enough to give us a full tutorial on how they did it. She is not only working hard in her backyard, but they are also in the process of redoing their kitchen and this week she shared some beautiful inspiration. As soon as I'm done typing, I will be 'pinning' away. She also shared these delicious turkey and hummus wraps...yummy.

Jaime has been a busy bee living life and continuing to work on a major home project. All while working a full time job and trying to get everything ready before the baby arrives. While Jaime loves crafting and blogging, her family priorities come first and we LOVE and respect her for making that a priority. You can keep up with Jaime's doings via Instagram.

So now that you're all caught up with what we've been up to, we can't wait to hear what you've been doing.

A Peek into my Sketchbook - Watercolor Painting

2013-05-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I hope you have been keeping well.

Have you had a chance to meet Pemberley?

Isn't she the most darling little thing?

I am completely smitten with her and amazed

with the tenderness and patience of Motherhood.

I was so inspired by our little Pemberley that I decided to paint

her portrait. While I should probably clean my palette, I love

seeing smudges of paint over it (it makes me feel like a real artist).

My brushes are also well "loved"

While watching Pemberley this week, I discovered her partner is always close by. He comes and perches on the nest to keep guard, allowing her to take a few minutes rest.

I have always been amazed at the way nature plays out and witnessing it first hand is truly a blessing. While we unfortunately experienced a minor technical glitch on Wednesday (the laptop we're using to live stream Pemberley continuously over-heated and shutdown),We are back up and running for now. Just press play on the video screen to the right and stay for a while.

The Earth has music for those who listen. How true.

Thank you so much for taking time to visit. If this is your first time here and you like what you see, I would love for you to join my creative team by subscribing, or keep in touch via FB, Instagram, Pinterest or via Bloglovin.

Have a beautiful day!

much love,

ps - we've read the gestation period ranges from 9 to 14 days, so the babies could arrive as early as Friday. Please come back to experience nature via the live stream, or the pre-recordings found in the right sidebar of my site.

A ROBIN'S DIARY - a live video stream of a Robin's nest.

2013-04-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Meet Pemberley
(photo via)

This is the story of a little American Robin named Pemberley. It was early Spring and time to look for a perfect home for her and her soon to be new family. After looking high and low, far and wide, Pemberley could not find her perfect home. That was until she spotted our wreath hanging outside our front doors.

While Pemberley was in the midst of building her nest, we had contemplated moving the nest to a nearby area, but refrained for fear she would abandon the nest. She had after all began building the nest in our primary entrance to our home, but we thankfully have a double door entrance and Pemberley was considerate enough to have built her nest on the stationary door.

As time progressed, Pemberley became accustomed to us coming and going, but we felt that as her gestation period got closer, we did not want to interrupt her and have been using our back door to come in and out of the house.

Seeing our children's excitement over our new visitor and her clutch, we decided to hang a small (non-intrusive) camera in the wreath to capture and live stream one of life's little miracles as Pemberley and her new baby chicks enter the world. We hope you will join us each day as together we follow along in the diary of a bird named Pemberley.

A little background

The wreath prior to her building a nest
(perhaps she was attracted to the faux nest I had used to decorate?)

Photo of the first day we spotted the nest being built (photo taken April 13th via iPhone)

Progression of eggs laid. The first egg was laid April 20th, the second on April 21st. We missed the third egg but Robins lay their eggs one day apart. Finally her clutch was complete with her fourth egg laid on April 23rd.

Which brings us to today. We have the camera set-up to live stream as much of Pemberley's happenings everyday for the next several weeks. The eggs hatching...feedings...learning to fly. We hope to capture as much of it as possible, so please make sure you tune in daily to watch and spread the word so others can watch along and experience nature from a bird's eye view.

We estimate the eggs are not due to hatch for several days, but you can watch as Pemberley guards over her nest, lovingly flipping her eggs with her beak to ensure the eggs temperature is even throughout and the little ones hatch full of health. Nature is truly amazing.

much love,

Quinoa and Brown Rice Flour Tortillas

2013-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

We had beautiful weather here and enjoyed every minute of it.

Quinoa has become quite popular over the last couple of years because of it's nutritional values and high protein contents. I made some delicious clean tortillas using Quinoa and brown rice flour last week and want to share this super easy recipe with you.

Quinoa and Brown Rice Tortillas

2 cups of Quinoa flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1 1/2 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon of olive oil

- Mix all of the ingredients and knead until you have a smooth dough
- Separate into approximately 8 small balls
- If you have a tortilla press (doesn't everyone?), use press to make tortillas as usual (as I do not have a press, I lined a cutting board with plastic, placed the dough ball on it and 'sandwiched' it with another piece of plastic on top, using a pan to press tortilla)
- Place tortilla on non stick pan and cook for about a minute per side.

These tortillas taste so good, it's hard to believe they are healthy and loaded with nutritional value. Enjoy them with chicken as a wrap or eat them as a snack with hummus or guacamole...yum.

Thank you so much for dropping by; I hope you have a great day!

much love,

The Inspiration Gallery features

2013-04-27T09:27:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

We're expecting great weather here in Toronto, meaning Spring cleaning is in my

future. But not before I share some of these beautiful DIY's that were linked up.

French Nesting Table Makeover by Dirt Stains and Paint

Desk Makeover by Painted Therapy

Upcycled Table Project by Vintage Mellie

Bathroom Reveal by Citruz Design

Twig Sunburst Wreath by Wood Grain Cottage

DIY Garden Gate by Confessions of a DIYer

Plaid Dresser Makeover by Sunflower Hugs

Pottery Barn Knock Off Table by Wood Grain Cottage

DIY Towel Rack by My Fabuless Life

Wood Planked Headboard by Boxy Colonial

Anthropologie Knock Off Bracelets by Made In A Day

Picture Frame Pin Cushion by Low Grows Wild

Nursery Reveal by Lacquer and Linen

The Inspiration Gallery 33

2013-04-25T19:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to The Inspiration Gallery!

I hope you had a great week.

A little photography

Mother's day tea bag butterfly tag

Blue porcelain collection in the making

SNAP Conference

Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting

Going green with laundry

Jaime is still recovering from her trip to SNAP, but you can connect with her via

Twitter - FB -Pinterest

Blue and White Porcelain (?)

2013-04-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on Instagram or FB, you may have seen a few of these pieces before. It's my newest obsession, but one I unfortunately do not know much about (hence the question mark on the title of this post).

But what I do know is that collecting these beautiful blue and white porcelain pieces has become a thrilling venture.

This commonly used technique was thought to originate in China but was actually original to the Middle East in the 9th century, where cobalt-blue pigments were excavated from Iran and then imported to China. Original antique pieces are special but very pricey. Fortunately, the look of blue-and-white china is easy to come by these days, thus providing you with the 'look' for less.

I have yet to research my findings, but as

long as I achieve the 'look', I am happy with them.

I love the versatility of these vases and plates and look forward to incorporating them into my summer decor. As a matter of fact, I am working on a piece for the Summer issue of Celebrating Everyday Life and can't wait for you guys to see it!

What do you know about blue and white porcelain? Is blue and white transferware also considered blue porcelain? I would love to hear what you know and have you share your knowledge with me...:) Can't wait to hear what you have to say.

Wishing you a beautiful day.

Follow me on BLOGLOVIN and stay connected via

fb, Instagram, pinterest and GOOGLE+

Mother's Day Butterfly Tea Bag Tag

2013-04-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I hope your week is off to a great start.

I have been feeling a little under the weather of late and in a bit of a 'blah' mood.

But sometimes the only way to get out of those moods is to force yourself
to make something, even if it's a little something. Don't you think?

A few weeks ago, I spotted the sweetest little butterfly tea bags here
and immediately fell in love with them. What's not to love?

I knew I had to make some and wouldn't stop thinking about
them until I did. So I dusted my awesome Cricut machine
(which I don't use nearly as much as I should) and got to work.

Materials:

thick paper

butterfly punch/cricut machine/butterfly print out

tea bags

glue

scissors

Instructions:

1. Choose paper - I used watercolor paper using this technique

2. Use your Cricut , butterfly punch or print these from the Graphics Fairy and cut out

3. Cut a pair and place back to back

4. Fold in the middle and cut a small slit just past half way point of butterfly

5. Apply glue to the underside of both

6. Place string from teabag onto butterfly

7. Place other butterfly cutout on top to 'sandwich' string

Easy, right?

And so beautiful for a Mother's Day tea or for a little girl's tea party!

I just love how magical they look perched on the
teacup and am so glad I took the time to make them.

Have you ever had a craft or project that you just had to make?

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today.

Have a beautiful day!

much love,

I also wanted to let you know Jennifer Carroll has a
great promotion just in time to celebrate Mother's Day!

The magazine is now available to view on your computer
and iPad, and will also be able to read it on Android devices in May!

CLICK HERE to order your copy now.

Happy New Week

2013-04-22T06:30:00.000-04:00

Happy new week my sweet friends.

much love,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin,

and stay connected via

Instagram, facebook, GOOGLE+ and pinterest

The Inspiration Gallery features

2013-04-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to show this week's features as they are all gorgeous! But don't take my word for it, take a look for yourself. And while visiting, show these ladies some love by leaving a message or becoming a follower.

Shelf Styling by Shabby Love

Spring Vignettes by The Fancy Shack

Kitchen Update by Dirt Stains and Paint

Hand Carved Wall Art by Lily Pad Cottage

Union Jack Coffee Table by The Vintage State

Painted Ladder by Sew a Fine Seam

Vintage Chippy Teacup Votive by Just a Smidgen

Milk Painted Table by Daisy Mae Belle

Duck Cloth Spring Wreath by Made in a Day

Easy Strawberry Pie by Love of Family and Home

There are so many other beautiful projects linked up, so please make sure you go and check them out HERE.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and share your weekend with us!

Have a great rest of the week!

much love,

The Inspiration Gallery week 32

2013-04-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I'm flying solo this week as both Taryn and Jaime are in Utah attending SNAP. I would have loved to meet up with them and so many other amazing ladies but sometimes you have to make hard, but right choices for you and your family. So having said that, let's have our own party and inspire each other by linking up your amazing projects!

Easy Sugar Lemon Face Scrub

Giant Clam Bowl DIY

Some Roses

Beautiful Quote Cart

Turning laundry into a children's activity

DYI drum shade pendant light

Chocolate peanut butter recipes

So my lovely friends, what have you been up to?

Thursday love...

2013-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Have a beautiful day !

See you tonight at The Inspiration Gallery..xo