Thursday, June 27, 2013

New Earring Holder

I, like many people am a pinterest enthusiast, and found many Pictures of different ways to hold earrings.

So I figured I would give it a go and make something more grown up than the Claire's teeny bopper stands. For space is a precious thing.

I am horrible at taking before pictures, but basically the frame was a boring varnished mess and I sanded, primed it (very important) and then painted it my favorite color of Robin's egg blue. Found some pretty lace at local Thrift store and step 1..2..3 and this is what I have.


Rather hard to get a good picture that was all shocked with the flash, but this is what I got. I didn't realize I had so many heavy earrings.

All in all I say it cost me a bit over $5.00 with frame, paint and lace, but I love it and now have more space on my dresser.

 

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Whats Cooking in the kitchen

I wanted to show my new kitchen accessory. I love my local grocery store that has the bulk bin section, with grains and nuts and rice and really yummy yogurt covered pretezels...mmmmm

Anyway I also love that they have a bulk spice section too. I don't like spending $$.$$ on spices when they are said to only last roughly 6 months.

My mom has had the same spices in her cupboard for at least a decade, finally I tossed them for her, sshhh she still hasn't noticed.

 And I like to experiment in cooking and don't want to buy a big jar when all I need is a tsp or so, well as you can guess with all this spice purchasing I had tiny little bag filled with spices waiting to be used on a dish, probably for a few weeks cause I lost the recipe, and I had to be very careful cause I didn't want to put Chipotle Chili pepper, or garam Marsala in my Molasses cookies and Allspice in whatever else I am making, actually that might not be a bad combo.

So I was out and about one friday after taking my Bella to school and found a few yard sales, and low and behold I found an old spinney wooden spice rack, and it had all its bottles, and because it was at a yard sale the price was fabulous, a dollar. I at first thought of using it in my craft room as I had just read in my sewing magazine, but then I remembered all my sad little bags of spices and I figured I would use it as it was intended, but after a much needed makeover.

I am really bad about taking before pictures, usually cause I am so excited about starting a project that I don't want to hunt down my camera and then hunt down my battery charger. But I found a similar looking one online

 
Just mine was a bit more darker and had a lot of varnish, grease, yuck on it.
 
Well I spent 2 days sanding it, BY HAND, and after sneezing sand dust out of my nose I was down to the bare wood. (NOTE: to anyone who sands where a mask and protect glasses seriously)
 
Then already deciding to paint white I spray painted, let dry then again
(2nd NOTE: always prime pourous material, otherwise you'll be painting forever)
 
Then I took a 220 grit sand paper roughed up the lids of the bottles and using chalkboard paint painted them with 2 coats. I was so excited that the minute, okay the next day I added all my spices to there new jars and wrote on the lids with a chalk marker and lets just say, I am in love. Not all my spices fit, and I have another spice rack hanging on the wall in total I have 2 spice 'racks' one hold 9 and my new one holds 16. I am going to need a bigger kitchen soon.
 
Here is the finished product
 
 
Isn't it adorable?
 
Stats: Spice holder from yard sale $1
Paint white and chalkboard:$3.50 each
Painters Tape for lids:$2.50
Sandpaper: Already had from another project
Total: Satistifaction

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Miss Betty Singer

Say hello to Miss Betty Singer. She is a 1851-1951 centennial Singer. I call her a Betty for that was the most popular name when these particular singers where created, and well.... doesn't she look like a Betty

I got her this past weekend at a local flea market, she was a steal at $20.00 and yes she works, even though if she didn't I still would love her. I can not wait to play with her. I do plan on using her, mostly for simple little projects. My goal is to make a small quilt with her, can't you just see it a quilt made by my Betty, oh so excited

I will say that the case she was put in was not her original, it was some cheap fake wood thing that was breaking apart, cause Betty here, she is a thick lady. I threw the case out since it was falling apart and had a very strong stale cigarette smell. Can not believe I used to smoke, cause those smells gross me out


Miss Betty Singer

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Copy Cat apron

The first time I saw this apron I was in love, I loved the yellow, the way it looked more like a dress than an apron and I even loved the gray, though I am not a big fan of the yellow and gray mix.

I found it on Pinterest and I pinned it planning on making it myself, I figure the best way to learn to sew is to challenge myself, but also to repurpose and make old new again, so I already decided to reuse a mans tuxedo style frill shirt if I found one at a local thrift shop. Just another thing to look for on those fun treasure/thrift store hunts.

Here is a photo of the apron from Anthropologie,



And here is my copycat version using a mans button up shirt


I am very proud of my apron, so proud that I don't want to use it to cook for I don't want it to get dirty. I didn't take any pictures or write down what I did but its pretty simple and will give a tutorial for anyone who wants to know my version. I also plan on making another anthropologie apron here in a few weeks, after I make a few dresses for my Bella, for it is spring and her 2013 wardrobe is very bare.

Stats:
Mans shirt at thrift shop $2 after 50% sale
1.5 yrds Yellow Fabric $3.75 after 50% off coupon
2 pkgs Light gray bias tape $2.90 after 40% off sale
Total cost: $8.65
Cost of Anthropologie apron: $32.00
Savings: $23.35
The extreme pleasure and joy of making something pretty: Priceless

Sunday, January 27, 2013

I am still here

I am not much of a blogger, though in my head I am.

For a few months now I have not been very active in my crafting, sad to say, and even sadder to realize, recieved some unwanted news a few months back after being extremely hopful and it put me in  a spiral of sorts and left me not wanting to do much, until recently, well since christmas time.

Christmas time luckily snapped me out of my funk enough to make a large order of pajamas and a dress for my little one, and now I am happy to say that I have an abundance of projects on either knitting needle, sewing machine, and luckily emboridery hoop.


Here are a few pictures of a little tea party I through for my baby and older niece. I mostly wanted to play with my dishes and having a tea party seemed the best way to go.




The part that tickles me the most is that everything is either Thrift store or yard sale. I love it!!


Will work on being a better blogger, right now need to down some Nyqil for nasty flu bug I recieved from little people.

Happy crafting everyone

Monday, August 20, 2012

What I have been up to

I am really bad about blogging, I have many things to write about and post but time gets away from me and I leave it for another day, which in turn this time turns into a month and a half.

But I have a good excuse, my beautiful little girl turned 6 on Friday and I have been spending the better part of July and August frantically finishing her presents.

I had this idea to fill a picnic basket to the brim with felt food. I had seen some from Pinterest, and I thought how cute, and I started off like a rocket, with a couple of slices of bread, some eggs and pancakes, but then I moved on to another gift that wasn't technically from me, but I was informed I was going to do. And since it wasn't really my plan I was hesitant and unethusiatic about it, so of course I messed up a bit on it and decided to wait until the night before her birthday to fix and finally add buttonholes, which I had yet to do, but I went for it and the giftee was happy with it as was the reciepent
here a few before and after shots of what I am talking about



A nurses smock turned into another dress for my Bella, however like I said this wasn't from me, this was from Grandma. I all worked out and I am not afraid of buttonholes now, which is good for upcoming pajama sewing.

As you may or may not see, my Bella is wearing another handmade gift around her neck, it is her very own shawl, the http://www.petitepurls.com/Winter12/winter2012_p_princess.html
except I didn't do the crown stitch I just did a garter stitch, my yarn wasn't be helpful.

So onto homemade gift #3 her felt food, I found many tutorials online, but I mostly just saw the pictures and went from there, pretty self explantory. I must say I had just as much fun making these as my Bella will have fun playing with them.

I plan on making more, I have more bread to finish, and pancakes, and I have to stuff and ice some donuts, but I am happy with what I was able to get done. For Christmas I am hoping to have turned an old $5 desk into a little kitchenette, wish me luck. I was even more surprised at how much my 10 yr old little niece was enjoying the felt food, I have a feeling she maybe getting a box for christmas.

So I have been a very busy girl, and I have several yard sale items to share but will leave it for another post.

Happy Crafting to all.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Logical thinking

The weather here as been hot as everywhere else, and its the yicky, sticky, sweaty hot that makes you not want to do anything but lay in front of the fan and not turn into a puddle. So for the most part I am not making much, no dresses no nothing.

Turning on my iron is not what I want. Sitting down is not even fun when you stick to the chair.

So what is the best thing to do in the heat, well for me it was baking, (did I mention I am a bit crazy in my thinking)  and baking the one thing that I have been wanting to bake for over 4 years and that is bread. I made bread once and it was hard as a brick and did not taste very good, so the other day I said screw it and I started the process of making Challah bread and let me tell you the satisifaction of watching simple ingredients like flour and yeast become this thing that you can eat, it was different then making dinner or a dessert, it was so rewarding that I danced with my Bella over the rise of my dough, and I had a good laugh with my mom at the fact that I had just made bread, I concered my fear of yeast and I made bread, by hand no machine and it tasted good.

The smell was enough to say I must continue making bread, and it put so many ideas in my head of gifts to give to friends and family, and of desserts and breakfasts' to make, and the one thought in my head was "Holla, I made Challah"




So to everyone out there I hope there are little things, and big things that you finally say I am going to do it and you do and you are proud not because you did it perfect, cause trust me I didn't but that you quite telling yourself you couldn't and faced failure and you learned something new, and you danced a bit, even if in your heart.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Happy Thrifting

What is a better way to celebrate the birthday of our wonderful country then to go on a yard sale/thrift store spree and find a bunch of wonderful things to take home, well I tell ya that is exactly what I did and it was a wonderful time.

On Saturday morning we ventured out and first headed to a family friends yard sale where I saw with great delight and in very good condition an old-fashion and literally old Apple corer and peeler. Luckily I got the family friend discount of $7 dollars and I snatched that baby up and am soon putting it to use making  apple pies. (I totally spaced takeing picture, which annoys me cause I took a picture of something else and my new apple peeler was right behind me)

We ventured some more and found lots of wonderful little things, and I even got to chit chat with a wonderful lady who makes a living doing mosiac art pieces and she complamented me on the dress my daughter was wearing, that of course I had sewed myself. I love crafty conversations with people.


After the last few yard sales where I scored on fabric, (no pictures for they are in the wash) my daughter and I could not longer handle the muggy heat, and let me tell you that is all we have been getting this summer, and it is horrible, I could not live in Florida or Arizona. We headed to a few thrift stores, and I am so happy to show a few things I lucked out on.

                                  

Yes patterns, mostly from the '70's and a few from the late 60's, and all children patterns. There was a lady who after seeing me go through the whole filing cabinet wanted a chance to scour through herself. They were 5 for a $1 and I got roughly $7 dollars worth, but I have 3 ultimate favorites


Unfortunately they are sized 4, but I am hoping to figure out how to size them up a bit for my Bella, Here a are a few close ups




I have gone through and luckily these 3 all have there pattern pieces, and so do the few I have checked in the basket. Its plain to see I will be extremely busy for a long time, which I have found I prefer.

Friday night to help relax and get ready for a day of treasure hunting we went and saw the new Pixar film Brave



 and I got to tell ya, I loved it, we where laughing so hard my stomach hurt and I even cried a bit in the end. My daughter and niece said it was better then Tangled, which I did not agree, but I thought was as good as Tangled then again I like any movie where the only way to solve a problem with a little needle and thread, and of course loving your mother. Don't want to be a spoiler alert so I will stop right there.

So to sum things up had a pretty good weekend with my girl, and will now be spending the next 2 days working on her surprise 4th of July dress, any reason to make a dress for my baby is a good reason.

Happy Crafting everyone and Happy 4th of July*

*(Please be safe out there)

Sunday, June 24, 2012

All is well that ends well

I finished my quilt, I cannot believe I did it, I am so freaking stoked about it that I just wanted to hop in my car drive the 200 miles to my Aunt Judy's house (she is the one who taught me) and squeal   "look, look what me and my sewing machine made" however I can not so I will happily squeal here.



Look, look what I made, yay me.

Happy crafting everyone

Thursday, June 21, 2012

I just can't seem to stop myself

I just can't seem to stop myself from crafting, everyone who knows me knows I love to make things, its what I do, its how I relax and take my mind off of the burdens of life for a moment or more, and I have found yet another craft, of course for my Bella to fall in love with doing along with about a million other things in progress.



Like the moms before me who have created such wonderful projects this is to become a Birthday/Christmas gift, whenever I complete it of course for my Bella. Not just the pizza but a whole bunch of play food.

So once again to everyone, Happy Crafting

P.S. I watched a tutorial on Youtube on how to make the pizza, I think it was Lilybean.com

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

I think I'm getting the hang of this

I am no professional, and it wouldn't take long to look at the things I made and find about a million errors, but who cares I am loving my sewing machine and the things that we make together, here is a new little dress for my Bella, its her Father's Day dress, its only called that cause I made it and Father's day was coming up. It could have been easily her Friday dress.


she knows how to strick a diva pose

I found the tutorial via pinterest. I love that website, everything I make I find from there, plus the wonderful bloggers who creat such wonderful projects, this is the blog for this pattern http://thisismeinspired.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/recital-dress-tutorial.html the only thing I did diffrent was the strap placements, I think it would have bugged her and she wouldn't want to wear it as much. What I love about the dress and what my Bella loves about the dress is that it is twirly, and every girl loves a twirly dress

Every mother wants to hear right when they are done with sewing their daughter a dress is, "I want to try it on, I want to sleep in it, can I wear it tomorrow too" So who cares about errors, it passed the one test it needed too, and I thinkg I got an A. Happy Crafting!


(Oh and regarding my horrific lawn and the apparent lack of mowing, we have been getting rain for weeks now with only a moment of sunshine. So please ignore the jungle that is growing around our house as soon as the sun is out for more then a moment we will be attacking it. Happens every year)

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

I am still here

Wow, I am really bad about blogging. I have a reason, I have been somewhat busy with weddings, traveling, knitting for babies, birthdays, graduations, attempting to garden and lots of sewing. Since my last post I have been loving my new sewing machine, Rose, yes I named my sewing machine, and let me tell you we have been busy. Here is a quick update of all that Rose and I have been doing. One of my many cousins was getting married, on Mother's Day weekend. So I wanted to make my Bella a dress and so I went straight to my ever growing fabric pile and grabbed the fabric I have been wanting to make a dress out of since I got it last year, and I had the perfect pattern for it. I was taking my time and not expecting much, but then like in a blink of an eye I was done, and I was very happy with the results. In case you didn't see it. Doesn't my little beauty look wonderful. The shoes where a splurge, but a happy splurge, she loved them and has been walking in them since we got them. Then next I came across a wonderful lady in florida doing a bit of crafting charity, and I couldn't say no. She was asking the online community to make pillowcase dresses for girls in Africa, when she told me the story behind it, young girls in Africa have no real options for clothing, their families could buy them but the cost of clothes is the same about of what food cost them for a whole month, and with that being said, food in a belly is the more important of the 2,and being a mother who is making her daughter clothes for the pure enjoyment and not out of neccessaity I couldn't refuse, and I signed up to make as many dresses in 2 months as I could. Luckily I had a few pillowcase dresses on hand, and a lot of bedding so I went to work on cutting a lot of sheets into large pillowcases and after 2 months was proud to be done with 14, 7 for the little girls and 7 for the taller girls, and I must say it was great breaking in my new sewing machin with such good karma. That was pretty much 2 months of work right there, along with my knitting which I have no pictures to post. 4 of my cousins were all expecting babies around the same time, 2 have had theirs and 2 are still in the oven. I love to knit for babies and I must be honest, girls are more fun, they have more options, and when babies are born in the summer well wool is not the best of options. So I have come to the last week of what has been happening around here, and that is my beautiful Bella graduated from Kindergarten, and I must admit I feel silly about getting emotional about this but I have been very emotional. On Thursday she graduated and as I saw my little girl standing on the stage singing the song she has been practicing for 2 months, so proud I was and as I looked at her, the past 6 years flashed in my mind. The ultrasound, the day of her birth, all the little milestones that have happened up to this point and I cried like a baby, if your a parent you know, and if your not yet a parent, you will know and it will be one of the most happiest cries you've ever had. So enough of all that, this is a crafting blog so lets talk crafting. I asked my Bella if she would like me to make her a dress for her graduation, and she said yes, (I love that) and rather then attempt at reducing the size of my fabric stash I went to a repurposing project. When we attended my cousins wedding, which was an out of town event, we went to as many Thrift stores as possible, cause that is how we roll yo, and way and I found a skirt right before leaving and I thought that it would make a cute dress, and I was right. It was very easy and was done within a night, I didn't take pictures of the process but you can kinda tell what I did. The patterned portion and the black on the bottom are the skirt, the black in the center and the straps are what I added, she loved it cause it was twirly, the little cardigan was found the weekend prior at a yard sale, I love it when things like that happen. She was the Bella of the ball, I mean graduation and I was very happy she liked it. She wore it a few days later to her graduation dinner, of all the places she chose to eat, Olive Garden was the place to be, I can only assume it was for the bread sticks, she ate 4. and yesterday I finished yet another Bella related project, what can I say she is my muse, and after much realization I need to practice shirring, was happy with the results. I found the tutorial via Pinterest, I am in love with Pinterest, it is by far the one website I can not go long without out viewing, and here is the blog, crafterhours.blogspot.com I want to make another Romper but first I have to get better at shirring, I ended up cutting a piece of elastic to her waist measuremetns minus half an inch and sewed it around the waist, for without it kept falling down and looked like she was wearing a sack, and will increase the top portion a bit more. So I am off to sew more things, I have a few finished knitting things I may share but those are for another day. I am hoping to attempt to post blogs a bit more often, so to whoever may read this, Happy crafting

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

New member of the family

This Sunday is my birthday, and I will be 29.

There are a lot of people that say once you turn 21 there is no real joy in celebrating birthdays. 30 is considered a horror, for you have all these ideas of where one should be when they are 30. 40 is too far off to even think about at this point. So it seems that birthdays should be just a child's party and adults don't get the fun from them anymore, well I have to say, wrong.

I love being an adult on my birthdays, and even though I am some what fearful of my next birthday turning the big 30. What I love is that I am at the point of I know what I like and what I want, and even though I don't expect a large showering of gifts from family and friends, I can shower myself with gifts. Its the one time of year where there are no real rules on how celebrate being you. So I went out and purchased the one thing I wanted for my birthday.

Introducing my new family member



for the past 2 years I have been sewing with my mothers old sewing machine, of which I named Daisy, she was from 1972 and has orange and yellow flowers. Now Daisy will still be used from time to time, and actually I am a little nervous to use my new machine, but now I have 2 girls at my ready and I am one happy birthday girl.

Hopefully I will get some sewing done, but at the moment I am in knitter mode, I have several cousins all having babies, and some have chosen not to know the sex, which is so unfair to the knitters in the world. So I must be ready to cast on once the wee little ones have arrived.

Happy Crafting everybody

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

All snuggled in love


A few weeks ago I planned on making my Bella some Jammies using Butterick pattern B4910, which is the cutest and most comfy looking jammies for little girls, I plan on making several of theses jammies for many years to come. Any who, I planned on making my Bella some jammies for Valentines day, found some really cute flannel on sale at Joann's and purchased weeks before V day, washed and pressed fabric, then I spaced it, kept telling myself oh I need to do that, but I have time. Well I had time, and it got a way from me.

So yesterday morning, as soon as my Bella was on the bus, ran to the store to get dinner, came home and started working at said jammies and I have learned many things.
1. Do not wait till the day of to make someone jammies, duh!
2. Do not try to sew while suffering from a headache
3. Do not try to talk on the phone while cutting fabric
4. Do not cut the sleeves first

So has you may have guessed I did all these things yesterday, and by doing so, I messed up slightly by cutting the sleeves into the fabric which messed up cutting the back on the fold. Luckily I am feeling more confident in my sewing that I just cut the back into 2 pieces and sewed it up the middle. I also made the largest size, 8, and my Bella is just now getting into a 6, but I really want her to be able to wear it for a long time, I just love the fabric. I will be making 2 more pairs in the weeks to come (fabric already purchased washed and pressed) and hopefully I will have learned from my mistakes. So here it is my Bella modeling her new Valentines day Jammies.




The bottoms are also a part of her present but they are just a pair of adult jammies purchased at a thrift store I sized down to fit her.

Hope everyone had a great V day and spent it with the one, or ones you love.

Also I wanted to share my other crochet items I am very happy with







The top is a rose necklace I just love, and the others are hair clips one set with butterflys the other bows, they are so cute, fast and easy to make. I can not wait to make more in so many more colors.

The butterflys I found on pinterest (great site) and the bows Ravelry. I take no credit in making the pattern, just in loving them.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Falling in love, again.

I have fallen in love, again. With crochet.

My first steps into the crafting world was when I was 14 and my Aunt taught me how to crochet, she only new of a few stitches and couldn't read a pattern to save her life, but all the same I was happy to learn.

For many years after the only thing I did was make afghans to fit a giant, all in single crochet, I didn't even have to look at what I was doing I could just go, but then I got bored with it, tried several times to read a pattern all to no avail, so I stopped, entered into young adulthood not thinking twice about it, then I had a baby, wanted to make her things, but I only knew crochet, so I tried again, and it was okay, it was familiar but it didn't have the look of what I wanted, plus I was using Red Heart Supersaver, and the end look just wasn't pretty for me. So I learned to knit, started going to the local yarn shop and found wool, and cotton, and many other actual fibers and truth be told I became a yarn snob. I denied it of course. I feel in love with knitting and dropped crochet like a hot potato.

Years passed and didn't even think of crochet, almost detested it for some reason, then I walked into my local yarn shop, and the owner asked me if I knew how to crochet, I said yes (I had through knitting, learned how to read a crochet pattern and became quite good at crocheting even though I didn't care for it) and was asked to become a instructor, I taught a few classes, and switched yarn shops, but all the while secretly not wanting to teach crochet, but then at the start of the new year, wanting to make some quick projects, I made a few hot pads and doilies. It was fun, wonderful in fact, so then I moved onto some projects for the Yarn store, and made a few samples, and I realized how much fun it was to crochet, I was actually looking for crochet projects on Ravelry, and now I am spending my days knitting, sewing (am currently learning how to do that) and crocheting. I have a large selection of Crochet Thread I have gathered at Thrift stores and Yard Sales and am making many things and loving every minute of it. I purchased yarn yesterday and plan on make a granny square blanket, one of I am sure to be many.

What I love about falling back in love with crochet is I already know how to do it, and because of that I can jump right into the deep end and have all sorts of fun with it without many road blocks that learning a new craft can bring. So I share with you one of my new labors of love with my newly found love of the craft Crochet.



Hopefully later this week I will show you the few pieces of jelewry that I have made with my crochet.

Am wishing everyone a happy week of love, whether it be a partner, a child, friend or just the love of life. Happy Valentines day

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The snow has landed



It was bound to happen eventually, snow has landed in Northern Idaho. The last few winters have been pretty bare, and not complaining, but there is a sense of comfort in snow, as long as you don't have to drive in it, I find that is the number one reason people hate snow.

It gives me a sense of comfort and home, for when the snow is falling that is when you stay home, and eat, drink and cozy up to all things warm. I am planning on make a few warm treats, chocolate chip cookies, blueberry pie/cobbler and a big pot of chili with cornbread with butter and honey. So let the snow fall, as long as I have all the comforts of home.



Another thing I am loving about the snow is I am stuck home, and there for have no reason not to be working on all the projects I have piling up in my head, and I have one finished project to share. It is the Libby Top from Craftinessisnotoptional.com





Here is my Bella cheesing at the camera she was very excited about her new shirt, and even asked to wear it to school, a mother loves to hear these things. It was pretty simple to make, and for me that is saying something. I love Jess' blog, she is quickly becoming the sewing teacher I have so longed for, and now that this one is under my belt, I have many more projects in the works, currently a womans blouse to be a dress for Bella, and of course the Junebug dress from Jess' blog, which is going to be Bella's dress for an upcoming family memebers wedding in May. So to everyone, whether you are burried under feets of snow, or enjoying some sun, I wish you happy crafting

Monday, January 2, 2012

Welcome 2012

The beginning of a new year, I still am in a bit of a shock that it is 2012, last year went by in a blink. Hopefully time will slow down a bit. Probably not.

So the number one thing everyone is doing right now is thinking about what they want to do this year, what they want to accomplish, who they want to be, or not be, and for the crafters in us, what we want to make.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do make Crafting Resolutions, those are always fun.

Sarah's Crafting Resolutions for 2012

1.As always, finish what I start.

2.Make more things for the house

3.Make more things for friends/family

4.Wear what I make

5.Stop procrastinating

Simple enough but we will see what happens in a year.

So far I have been productive, but then, it is only day 2 of the new year. I have fallen for a fun craft that I am quite surprised about. Doilies. I am mesmerized by the simplicity of them, especially the vintage looking ones.
I have been grabbing all the crochet cotton I could find at yard sales and thrift stores and am hoping to have a nice little pile here soon of finished coasters, table runners, hot pads and potholders.



So to everyone I hope 2012 is a prosperous year and that all your crafting endeavours are victorious.

Any Resolutions you'd like to share?

Thursday, December 8, 2011

12

I have been a very busy crafter, and not necessarily by choice.

Back in October my Aunt asked me to knit her 12 mittens, very basic, easy mittens. (She taught me to crochet when I was 14, and I have yet to teach her to knit) So being a good niece I accepted, also she said she would pay me, and this time of year money is always accepted. She was very precise in what colors she wanted. Navy Blue, and Orange. Odd colors, unless you live in Boise, Idaho, which my Aunt does. Those are the colors of Boise State University

So I went to work on them and finished the first pair in just 2 days, then I did what any crafter does, I procrastinated. It was October, Christmas was so far away right? Not so true when you have 11 mittens to finish, plus start work on your own Christmas gifts. And I am not the kind of crafter that likes to start to many projects, I like to start 1 maybe 2 and finish before I work on anything else.

So I finally ordered myself to sit and knit, you'd think I would relish at the chance to just sit and knit all day, but for whatever reason I wasn't all that amped up to do so, why? maybe cause it was not a knit I actually wanted to do, maybe it just got tedious, or the more likely reason, once given a task of knitting, I started thinking of all the other things I wanted to knit. But luckily I completed all 12 mittens, took there pictures and sent them on to there merry little way, and am oh so very glad to be rid of them. I told my Aunt that I would probably not be able to make mittens for a whole year, which isn't true. I started a pair for my Bella who keeps bugging me to finish, love it, and a pair for her teacher as a Christmas gift.



Goodbye, farewell, and I will never see you again :)


Now on the day that I finished I was so over joyed to be able to start work on my Christmas gifts, then I get a phone call, my niece asked me to make her cousin some Barbie clothes for her birthday, which is this Saturday. I was tired and didn't feel like making anything for anybody else, other then my loved ones. But when a family member, especially a young one asks for a handmade gift how could I say no, so I stayed up late last night and made a dress, shirt, and skirt.

Now as happy as I am that my family looks to me as there go to crafter, I am sorry to have to say, I am closed until after the New Year. Then I have baby knits and sewing to do, for I have 4 cousins all expecting in 2012.

I hope you all are having a great crafting year, and wishing you speedy hands. Anyone received special request from family and friends?

Monday, November 14, 2011

In Rememberance

It's been a pretty sad week here. Last Monday my sweet grumpy Simone left us.

Animals are awesome creatures in there own right, we get so used to having them around that when they are truly gone, we didn't realize how special or great it was having them there, in the background of our lives.

Here are a few little stories of my Simone I would like to share with you.

She was born on June 4Th when I was 14, so 1997. She was the first cat whose birthday I actually knew, I got her from my aunt's cat, when she was just a month old. She was Siamese.

She was so tiny that I would put her in my overall front pocket and she would fall asleep. I stopped when she peed, lol.

I had never seen a female cat in heat before, and when it was time to get her fixed, she was in full blown heat, and I found it quite odd. I learned a lesson, get a cat fixed before she goes into heat, cause she turns into a mean thing.

My sixteenth birthday my mom got me a bouquet of red roses, and I dried them and had them in a vase in my room, I woke up to my Simone chopping the heads off of each rose, so again, never get a cat fixed when she goes in heat.

I moved to Oregon when I was 20 and found it was better if Simone stayed with my mom, for she had lived there for 6 years and I didn't want her to get lost, she had always been an outdoor/indoor cat.

when I moved back with my infant daughter, I was worried about how Simone would act, like I said she turned kinda mean, but she was a real trouper, letting my daughter pet her, and carry her around the house in many uncomfortable positions, all the while with her grumpy face.

She always slept on the back of the couch, like she was going to lay eggs or something, and when she wanted food or to be petted she would be nice until she got what she wanted.

These last few months I had a feeling something was wrong, she lost a lot of weight, and was barely eating, sleeping next to the litter box, and peeing on the rug when she couldn't make it. It got really bad when she would come sleep in my bed or on my footstool, as if she were saying her goodbyes by being nice.

Her final night she slept have the night with me, and the other half with my mom, as if she where saying her goodbyes. Then the next morning, she slipped out the front door while feeding the other cats a can of cat food, and never to be one who liked being outside, nor being out all night, especially when its cold, she never returned. I figured it was kidney failure, I had a cat pass away from that when I was 18, at the time not knowing how serious Kidney failure is for cats.

It kinda hasn't sunk in that she is gone, I am crying a bit for the first time writing this post, it hits home the most when its feeding time and she is not there trying to stake her claim at the food dish, or when I walk down the hall and I don't see her on my bed,(where she spent the last 2 months sleeping) or on the back of the couch. She was a mean grumpy little thing, but she was a good cat and spent her last weeks giving us the affection she so rarely gave, by just being closer to us. I have only lost a handful of animals in my life, and it never gets easier. They are members of our family, little creatures that allow us to love in a way that we wish we could with humans. The creatures that depend on us for the comforts of life, and return that with there constant being of being fluffy and cute and always loyal, even if they are a grump.

So to you my Simone, thank you for being the cat you where, the house will not be the same without your grumpy little face. You are in the list of awesome family cats I have owned and you can never be replaced.