I made some really delicious cookies and I want to share. Baking and working with chocolate is something I like doing.
Here’s how to make peanut butter chocolate oat cookies
Ingredients
1. Cocoa powder 2. All purpose flour 3. Baking soda 4. Almond milk (it gives the cookies a nice taste) 5. Peanut butter 6. 1 large egg 7. Sugar 8. Oats
Preparation
1. In a large bowl, add 3 cooking spoons all purpose flour and 2½ cooking spoons of cocoa powder, 2 cooking spoons of sugar and 1 table spoon of baking soda.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg, peanut butter and almond milk. Just enough almond milk. Your dough should be thick.. Not too thick.
3. Add the whisked egg, peanut butter and almond milk into the flour and cocoa mix.
4. Add the oats (any amount you want)
5. Mix them together with a spatula or cooking spoon and leave to set for 25 minutes. Lets all the ingredients get in there.
6. Get your oven tray and coat it with butter and place parchment paper on it. Parchment paper will prevent your cookies from sticking to the tray.
7. Scoop and arrange your cookies on the tray.
8. Preheat the oven at 250°
9. Then oven for about 10 minutes. This is if you want your cookies to be chewy.
Yes it is, my store is now live. I have been planning this for a long while. I have had some enquiries about selling my art and finally it’s here! Digital download art prints are here and they are ready to find a new home Learn more about digital downloadable art prints.
Available are my art prints of my original watercolor, acrylic paintings.
My art is specifically tailored for people looking for vivid and astounding art for their homes, living space or little corner for an affordable price.
One thing I love about the art made is their openness. I work with the principle hope and this can be easily seen. They are enthralling, distinctive and Invoke optimism.
Draw your visitors with these eye-catching prints. Shop Now!
Downloadable art prints are a thing. If you didn’t know, I’m telling you now. It’s like having the art print of your favourite artist or a painting you felt drawn to and love. They carry the same benefits as normal posted art prints have, and even more.
Downloadable art prints which can most times be tagged printable are placed on an artist’s website or the artist’s online store and people who love their art can purchase and download the digital file format of their art.
Benefits of downloadable art prints
1. They are instant
Once you purchase the print, a message automatically pops showing you a botton to click and download. Rather than wait weeks and even months to get what you paid for, you have it with you immediately you purchase it, then you can send it to your local printer.
2. You can be flexible with it
Once you purchase this print, you have the option to print it on anything you want, so far it’s according to the artist’s terms of purchase. You can print it on any paper you want, frame it and give your corner or space a spark of art!
3. They are affordable
Art prints are affordable. Art prints are less expensive than the artist original. If you plan on just decorating your home, then art prints might be the way to go. Art prints are scanned originals of the artist.
Places to purchase art prints
1. Check out the Hopeasfro prints store! If you love colourful, modern nature art, animals and flowers, this is the right place. Traditional watercolor and acrylic paintings. Our prints are high quality, a mix of the minimal and vivid.
2. Online store like Amazon, Ebay, paper collective, Etsy and many more.
3. An artist’s store Most artists sell prints of their art. It’s a way for their fans or people who love their art to still have it, even when the original has been sold.
Thanks for reading.
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While choosing a career and degree, let’s look at things differently. Choosing based on skills is the norm but it’s more than that.
On this post, it will be on purpose and more on choosing a career for yourself. These are my opinions. I will be suggesting better ways to choose a career or degree by looking at ‘skills’ differently.
Finding your purpose according to the Christian faith is easy. It’s been stated out already what the purpose of we humans, why are we on earth? What am I here to do? It’s simply serving God and serve man (neighbour) according to the ways of God (how He would like you too). Ecclesiastics 12:13, Jeremiah 29:11
Choosing a career through skills
Now the issue is (not really a problem anyway) how are your skills and talents going to be used to make a living. That brings us to choosing a career. The well-known way of choosing a career these days is by your skills, what easily comes to a person. This doesn’t always include what that person will like to do. Yes, someone who is a good photographer might actually enjoy photography but another person, say, Toni, Toni is being told to study culinary arts because she’s really good at cooking and learning new cuisines. Although Toni will be really good at it and make a wonderful chef, that’s not what Toni will love doing, she wants to be involved in her community through being a social worker. However, because she loves cooking and probably isn’t too good in psychology, she’s being pushed to something she has a chance of being good at but not actually liking.
A certain YouTuber Millennium gamma addressed this on her channel and made a point which I agree on, which is, selecting a career you’ll be happy in, even though you do not have the skills at that moment. Through tutoring and staying motivated, you’ll be able to learn.
That’s good, but, what are really skills? We can look at skills in a general broad sense as like Toni’s, a culinary skill, but let’s break down what a culinary skill is and we will actually find out that Toni has the skill for being a social worker. To be good at cooking (I know this isn’t all that culinary entails but we concentrate on Toni’s aspect of being a great cook) 1. Organization 2. Time management 3. Attention to detail 4. Patience 5. Selective and divided attention 6. Problem-solving as well as loves to see an end product.
As we can see here, these are some of the major skills a social worker possess. Toni has a chance of being a social worker and doing well at it. Now she needs to improve in numeracy, teamwork, administrating and communicating (if she isn’t good at these already).
Your choices don’t have to be based on just one broad skill. Break it down and see what you really can do.
Raster and vector are the two digital graphic files. They are different and are used based on specific projects.
On this post, I will be going over the two digital graphic files, raster and vector. Digital graphics come in two forms, as a vector image or a raster image.
How raster images are made
Raster images/ graphics are made up of pixels. These are tiny little squares that all come together to make up an image. For example, digital photos. Our digital photos are made up of tiny pixels. The more the pixels, the more detailing. That’s why in mobile phone adverts they talk about the cameras able to take pictures in so and so amount of megapixels. Think of raster images like jigsaw puzzles. When viewed from a distance, it’s a whole one picture but when you zoom in, the image is made up of little pieces that you’ve fit together.
How vector images are made
Vector images are made of curves and shapes that can be scaled larger or smaller, so to do this, they are based on mathematical calculations.
OK, now what??
Just like jigsaw puzzles, when zoomed into raster graphics, you see those tiny squares, also when raster images are enlarged they become pixelized. That’s why raster programs are used when there is a specific size
First frame: when raster image is enlarged. Second frame: when vector image is enlarged.
With vector graphics on the other hand, the artist or graphic designer is able to scale the image large, without affecting the quality of the image. With vector image, they cannot be pixelized. That is why graphics such as logos are done using vector programs, because, logos are not used in a particular size. Logos can be on letter heads, that is, they are printed on paper (most times at a little corner), they can also be on a company’s website and other places. In other words, there is a need to reduce and increase the size of this graphic (in this case, a logo) depending on where it is used on.
You are probably thinking, well, I’ll just use vector programs then, but, raster programs have their benefits too. Raster images usually contain more details, with this, raster programs are best for artworks with lots of blending of colours involved and for editing photos. This is because each pixel is able to be modified.
Graphic designers and illustrators that want the benefits of raster programs have to work with the right canvas size. As a graphic designer that specialises in bookcover designing, I size my canvas according to the size of the book and cover to be in pixels. This way I am sure of the image quality when it’s eventually in hard copy.
To calculate in pixels, consider what ppi the image would be printed out in, say 300ppi (most printers only accept this) and you want the image to cover 8 inches of space in width, the width in pixels will be 300 × 8, that is 2400 pixels. Your canvas width should be at least, 2400 pixels or over, if it’s less, your image might come out pixelized if it has to cover 8 inches.
Graphics that can be made using raster programs
1. Detailed illustrations
2. Editing digital photographs 3. Graphics with specified image sizes
Common raster image formats include: Paint brush (pcx), Windows Bitmap (BMP), Graphics Interchange format (GIF), Portable Network Graphic (png), Adobe Photoshop (psd), Tag interleave format (TIFF), Corel Photo paint (CPT), Joint Photographics experts group (JPEG).
This is a work of fiction. However, it shows in some detail the maiden speech delivered by Nigeria’s then prime minister, when Nigeria was admitted into the UN.
The event of the week was still fresh. Plastic flags cut in square shapes hung green white green from street light poles and the many story buildings encompassing different flats around our city. Nigeria was just seven days old, a young country ‘beaming with hope’, yes hope, and I knew my father was right.
Today, Nigeria accepted the UNs invitation for membership. Tunde, Obi and I chose to watch it at the viewing centre, it was better there. Although I didn’t speak much, it was fun to watch the political debates amongst other viewers. Unless it grew into something else, we will silently leave, after sipping the last of our soft drinks and returning it to the crate. That was how it was at the viewing centre, you are exposed to conflicting opinions to weigh in. Sometimes you could be included in such debates but if you do not have the strength for arguments, you straight up tell the debater you do not want in or continue with head nods while going back to the television screen.
A melodious tune began to play out of the speakers and almost immediately, the chatter around subsided. We saw the different faces of plenipotentiaries from different countries and the camera zoomed in on Nigerian delegates and the Prime minister Tafawa Balewa. It was quite nice to see the confidence oozing from them. We were shown how Tafawa Balewa walked onto the podium to give his speech, the maiden speech.
Just then, a waiter came up to fumble with the antennas of the television in search of a better picture. It was taking too long and rumbles from the crowd began. “just leave it that way” a man from the crowd called out. It was quite evident that there wasn’t any better way but I applauded his efforts. The waiter gently let go of the antennas and went to his position, at the back of the counter.
The Nigerian prime minister began by greeting other leaders and telling them of how Nigeria was greatful to be considered — even though majority of Nigerians didn’t seem to care much really.
Tafawa spoke on many things with conscious care of moulding Nigeria’s image to the World. The prime minister spoke on Nigeria’s willingness to remain friendly to all nations, its non-interest to expand its territory, how proud to be a member of the commonwealth; Nigeria emphasised its unwillingness to have anything to do with power blocs and lastly its desire for the UN to act on the Republic of Congo urgently. It was quite a speech, but it leaves me asking questions.
Is Nigeria really non-alliance to neither the West or East? Because it seemed quite evidently she was dancing to the tune of her colonial masters. And again, she was just seven days old, were these words really true, was the Nigerian government being pragmatic?
Will we be able to sort out our ethnic differences or turn out like Congo? I sit weighing these things, in between Tunde and Obi, their eyes glued to the television screen cheering on with the crowd.
Painting and art, in general, is all about bringing your creativity out (in this case, on a picture). Although people are born with the natural talent of drawing & painting, I believe everyone can learn to draw, paint and make art. If you are one of both, I’m here to give you a startup on digital painting.
Since you have decided to go digital, there are few things that differ from traditional painting in a digital painting.
Illustrations by hopeasfro
Notice it’s digital ‘painting’. This is a branch of digital art. In this post, however, I’ll refer to it as digital art. Note, I mean digital painting – as digital art can also refer to image editing which we aren’t talking about here.
When I started digital art, I had no idea what to do with the instruments I was given on the digital art app. I didn’t really know how to use layers or the brushes; changing brush shapes, maintaining art quality, e.t.c. nothing and that affected my work in the beginning.
In this post, I will be discussing on the colour scheme, canvas size, brushes, layers, art quality.
Colour scheme: This is referred to the different shades of a colour. This can be divided into colour terms such as tint, hue, tone and shade.
Colour Scheme
Now, some artists tend to use just any colours on their artwork. There are colours together which are not always to be so. There’s a very informative post I think you should view on the colour scheme. see here.
However, you are the artist, be free. It’s your art.
Now ‘choosing colours’ has been settled, we move to the digital in full.
Canvases: Most, if not all digital painting apps allow you to choose the size of the canvas and also a background colour for your artwork (I.e canvas colour). These are two major things to note on your canvas.
– canvas size: Some people tend to use too small or too big canvas sizes. You should choose your canvas size depending on your audience. How would they view it?
For example, my audience can be my Instagram followers. If I choose screen size as the size of my canvas when it’s time to post it, it’s going to be cropped or if I try to edit it to show in full, there would be white spaces as Instagram photo size is 1080px – 1080px. The canvas size was too big (the height was longer than 1080px).
Also, if my canvas size is too small, it will not only be hard for me to zoom in and add more detail while drawing, uploading it, the picture will expand and that won’t be good quality. It will be blurry.
– Background colour: Just as a warm colour tends to look cool when put between cool colours, it is the same for colours on a light or dark background.
With a light background, you tend to see bright colours too bright and vice versa, thus might not use them and pick something darker instead.
Sometimes it’s best to use a neutral colour like grey as a background colour. Some people are good in choosing colours no matter what background anyway.
It’s up to you. Brushes: This is something for a different post. It is too bulky, so here’s a link to something useful Brush sets and uses. Yes, it shows brushes accustomed to Autodesk but, you pretty see similar brushes in other painting apps.
Layers: As a digital artist, it’s best you learn to start sketching in layers. For example, drawing a landscape, with grasses and trees and a house close by. The lawn and trees can be on one layer and the house on another.
The houses were on one layer and the trees on another layer.
This helps the artist to be able to work on the background which is the lawn and not affect the house. Also in case of a mistake or change of mind, the artist can erase, draw, change on a layer without affecting the sketch on another layer. Altogether, the layer combines to make a picture with trees and a house close by.
– know your way around: Now, say making another layer (layer 2), if you sketch on layer 2, and decide to go back to sketch on layer 1, your sketch won’t be seen where the sketch of layer 2 lays.
The layer with the pale blue is on the first layer and the sketch using brown is on the second layer. You see, the blue isn’t visible where the sketch on the second layer is.
Art quality: I think maintaining art quality is what you learn over time. Apart from making sure the canvas is the right size so it doesn’t get blurry, I found out that using the smudge tool over and over an area doesn’t bring out a sharp blending.
Also getting the right image format is important. By saving your digital art in png or tiff, you are able to resave, share and edit without your picture losing some of its quality. If saved as Jpg, editing and saving your work again, your digital art will lose some of its quality. However, some drawing apps automatically so you need not worry.
Thirdly, I have learnt to use tools that give me the effect I want and not over manipulate to try to get it using a wrong brush. In conclusion, master your brushes, pencils and tools (multiply, overlay and the rest) in general.
Do you have questions?
I will love to answer,
Leave a comment!
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This book opened my eyes to things I did not know was going on. I knew lots of terrible things happened in IDP camps like rape, hunger and neglect by people and the government. But, organized child trafficking?
Here’s the back story, the novel by Edify Yakusak tells the story of two kids, Kim and Jugu. Both happily lived with their parents, well for Kim not so much. There is a kind of restricted relationship with Kim and her stepfather due to her will to hate him, one reason is that she just couldn’t call him dad, not after she did with her first one. Perhaps, his nature was too good to be true and the normal thing is to make him earn a good place in her life complex with loopholes and daggers flying around — I mean, you can’t just give him the benefit of calling you ‘child’ just like that? However, all these pre-teen rantata comes to a halt when their lives turn around, their little town situated in Jos is attacked by religious fanatics.
Mother, father, children are separated. Kim has to fend for her 2-year-old brother Jugu while hiding away from attackers. Mafeng the mother finds herself in the hospital but will not be allowed to get out easily, while Kim and Jugu find themselves in an internally Displaced Camp, nothing else could go wrong… wrong they thought. They soon find out that the camp is just a front for illegal and obscure activities.
Some of my favourite scenes in this novel are Mafeng and her husband, Samuel, also Kim and Juju’s escape. The imagery is so concrete and you could imagine the scenery, maybe it helps that I have visited Jos Town, the setting of this novel.
Overall, the book highlights some of the critical issues in society, religious crisis, security issues, government neglect of responsibilities, corrupt government officials, it highlighted overlooked crimes on Internally Displaced Persons, human greed and Child trafficking.
The book gets light-hearted once in a while but still keeps you on your toes. Nice read from Edify Yakusak and a debut. I will rate it a 7/10.
I have just read the journey of the Israelites to the promised land, Canaan, from Exodus to Joshua. It was quite surprising to learn the Israelites, that just came out from Egypt decided to turn to idol-worshipping when they hadn’t heard anything from Moses since he went up the mountain. They saw the water part ways for them to pass during the chase from Egypt, they saw manna from heaven, not to mention the wonders performed by God through Moses in Egypt.
It was quite surprising to learn the Israelites, that just came out from Egypt decided to turn to idol-worshipping when they hadn’t heard anything from Moses since he went up the mountain.
It quite the same today. Sometimes we tend to forget, to forget that moment you saw or heard someone get healed by the name of Jesus. You might forget when the Holy Spirit revealed something awesome to you or warned you about something that, eventually played out and you were safe because you heeded His voice. Sometimes those sneaky questions come up in your head and even though you could have an answer to it—with all your experiences, you loose words. These things make the culture you left behind more compelling. It might have been the culture you grew up with or the one you found growing up before, you came into Christ.
Not only yours but other people’s testimonies of what God has done. What that person and name Jesus, did for them.
I think this is a major reason to have a gratitude journal or book, or a category on your phone’s notepad for testimonies. Not only yours but other people’s testimonies of what God has done. What that person and name Jesus, did for them. Also praying to get closer and be more aware and conscious of the Holy Spirit because He answers those questions but, you might not be listening. Because, perhaps, you’re panicking like ‘why does this keep popping up in my head😩?’
So remember all the things, perhaps, keep a journal!
