Thursday, August 9, 2007
Ravelry!
I got my Ravelry invite today! I've posted some projects and I still have to fill out all the information on them. How fun! I'm so excited to join some groups and really find out what the site's all about.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tutorials Index
These are all the tutorials and patterns I have posted.
Crafts:
Cake Slice Postcards
Kanzashi (folded fabric) Flower Pin
Neck Cooler
Spiral Felt Ornaments
Hankie Tussie Mussie Pocket
Yo-yo Quilt or table runner
Ribbon Lanyard Bracelet
Ribbon Pinecone Ornament
4-H Ribbon wreath
Book Cover Postcards
Dot-to-Dot Stitch Cards to print out and sew
Chicken Scratch patterns:
Bird
Border #1
Snowflake
Rosette
Windmill and Tulips
Border #2
Butterfly
Flower
Border #3
Oak leaf and Acorn
Heart border
Straight stitch border
Home and Garden:
How to exhibit at the County Fair (crafts)
How to exhibit at the County Fair (garden produce)
Tips for making a compost pile
How to host a cookie exchange
Dog-related:
Make your own Dog Show Survival Kit
How to brush your dog's teeth
How to trim your dog's nails
Executive dog tie
Mom's 9-Way Dog Treats
Cranberry-Cinnamon Dog Treats (recipe, no tutorial)
Everything you ever wanted to know about Dog Shows (and the follow-up post)
Tracklaying for an AKC tracking trial
In the Kitchen:
101 Things to the with Egg Whites
Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage recipe
Creamy Oat Breakfast Pudding and (2 more variations)
Make your own Greek Style Yogurt
Growing Sprouts (to eat)
German Chocolate Pecan Pie (family recipe)
Biscuit Doughnuts
Wassail Bowl Punch (recipe, no tutorial)
Egg Noodles
Mocktails (non-alcoholic mixed drinks!)
All about Soy Foods
Crafts:
Cake Slice Postcards
Kanzashi (folded fabric) Flower Pin
Neck Cooler
Spiral Felt Ornaments
Hankie Tussie Mussie Pocket
Yo-yo Quilt or table runner
Ribbon Lanyard Bracelet
Ribbon Pinecone Ornament
4-H Ribbon wreath
Book Cover Postcards
Dot-to-Dot Stitch Cards to print out and sew
Chicken Scratch patterns:
Bird
Border #1
Snowflake
Rosette
Windmill and Tulips
Border #2
Butterfly
Flower
Border #3
Oak leaf and Acorn
Heart border
Straight stitch border
Home and Garden:
How to exhibit at the County Fair (crafts)
How to exhibit at the County Fair (garden produce)
Tips for making a compost pile
How to host a cookie exchange
Dog-related:
Make your own Dog Show Survival Kit
How to brush your dog's teeth
How to trim your dog's nails
Executive dog tie
Mom's 9-Way Dog Treats
Cranberry-Cinnamon Dog Treats (recipe, no tutorial)
Everything you ever wanted to know about Dog Shows (and the follow-up post)
Tracklaying for an AKC tracking trial
In the Kitchen:
101 Things to the with Egg Whites
Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage recipe
Creamy Oat Breakfast Pudding and (2 more variations)
Make your own Greek Style Yogurt
Growing Sprouts (to eat)
German Chocolate Pecan Pie (family recipe)
Biscuit Doughnuts
Wassail Bowl Punch (recipe, no tutorial)
Egg Noodles
Mocktails (non-alcoholic mixed drinks!)
All about Soy Foods
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
A-Z of me
G is for Garage Sales
My mom is a super-garage-saler! She has in her head memorized a list of things that she needs/wants and anyone she knows needs/wants and can keep an eye out for each and every item every mentioned to her. I believe I've mentioned this before in regards to the rubber duck collection. So, word to the wise, don't tell my mom you need/want/like something unless you want several! Luckily I am a collector so I love the extra set of eyes checking every garage sale for me!
I am not such a good garage-saler. I'm a looky-loo. But I often pass over things that I've expressly said I need or want. I gravitate toward the toy bins, I think out of habit since I've been garage-saling since I was wee. So in an effort to keep myself on task, I keep a list of things to look for and I read it before I go to try and remind myself.
The list changes but right it now looks like this:
Cute socks and or baby clothes to make sock dogs out of
Boxes to mail things off in
Baskets
Fabric/linens
Stationery/stickers
Kids books to make greetings cards with (I cut the pictures out)
Dog supplies (new in package to offer to the Corgi-Aid auction)
Vintage cookbook-vegetable themed to house my fruit/vegetable sticker collection
Cookie/dessert cookbooks for my swap pal
Copper/tin molds for my swap pal
My little ponies/other 80's toys to sell on ebay ( a terrible habit of mine is picking these up but then never putting them up on ebay)
Small paint brushes
Craft supplies (yarn, felt, glitter, vintage chenille stems, patterns)
Of course, I usually end up with about 90% things that aren't on the list at all. :)
My mom is a super-garage-saler! She has in her head memorized a list of things that she needs/wants and anyone she knows needs/wants and can keep an eye out for each and every item every mentioned to her. I believe I've mentioned this before in regards to the rubber duck collection. So, word to the wise, don't tell my mom you need/want/like something unless you want several! Luckily I am a collector so I love the extra set of eyes checking every garage sale for me!
I am not such a good garage-saler. I'm a looky-loo. But I often pass over things that I've expressly said I need or want. I gravitate toward the toy bins, I think out of habit since I've been garage-saling since I was wee. So in an effort to keep myself on task, I keep a list of things to look for and I read it before I go to try and remind myself.
The list changes but right it now looks like this:
Cute socks and or baby clothes to make sock dogs out of
Boxes to mail things off in
Baskets
Fabric/linens
Stationery/stickers
Kids books to make greetings cards with (I cut the pictures out)
Dog supplies (new in package to offer to the Corgi-Aid auction)
Vintage cookbook-vegetable themed to house my fruit/vegetable sticker collection
Cookie/dessert cookbooks for my swap pal
Copper/tin molds for my swap pal
My little ponies/other 80's toys to sell on ebay ( a terrible habit of mine is picking these up but then never putting them up on ebay)
Small paint brushes
Craft supplies (yarn, felt, glitter, vintage chenille stems, patterns)
Of course, I usually end up with about 90% things that aren't on the list at all. :)
Monday, August 6, 2007
A-Z of me
F is for Farm Life
For the last half of my childhood, I lived on a farm. We moved the summer after third grade and I was sure I would miss my friends terribly. I did for about a week after the move. But I soon got used to the solitude and I'm sure that's when most of my crafty talents were formed, forced to entertain myself and unable to run to the store to pick up doll clothes or candy or hair accessories, my mom and I made them. I also developed a deeper understanding of animals, plants, nature, reproduction, breeds of cattle, sheep sheering, chicken dressing, the life cycle of dragonflies, and small engine repair than I'm sure I would have in the city. One of my friends always says if she were stranded on a dessert island, she would be lucky to have me there because I could definitely keep us alive, fed, clothed, warm and dry. I could probably even entertain us for a little while.
Farm facts:
Muscovy ducks are mean.
Dogs love to eat the pieces of horse hooves that the farrier shaves off.
A farrier is the person who trims and shoes horses' feet.
Both male and female cows have horns. Unless they are polled or hornless breed. Or have been dehorned.
Jacob sheep can have up to six horns! Usually 2 or 4 though.
Oxen are really just adult cattle trained to drive, not a specific breed or species.
When driving horses or oxen, Gee means turn right and haw means turn left.
Brown eggs are no more or less nutritious than white eggs. It is deterimned by the breed of chicken that laid them and most commercial poultry farms have White Leghorns which lay white eggs. But often hobby farms have more exciting varieties such as Bardrocks, Rhode Island Reds, Turkens, Wyandottes or my favorite, little Cochens, all of which lay various colors of eggs.
Araucanas can lay pink, blue, green, yellow, brown or speckled eggs!
For the last half of my childhood, I lived on a farm. We moved the summer after third grade and I was sure I would miss my friends terribly. I did for about a week after the move. But I soon got used to the solitude and I'm sure that's when most of my crafty talents were formed, forced to entertain myself and unable to run to the store to pick up doll clothes or candy or hair accessories, my mom and I made them. I also developed a deeper understanding of animals, plants, nature, reproduction, breeds of cattle, sheep sheering, chicken dressing, the life cycle of dragonflies, and small engine repair than I'm sure I would have in the city. One of my friends always says if she were stranded on a dessert island, she would be lucky to have me there because I could definitely keep us alive, fed, clothed, warm and dry. I could probably even entertain us for a little while.
Farm facts:
Muscovy ducks are mean.
Dogs love to eat the pieces of horse hooves that the farrier shaves off.
A farrier is the person who trims and shoes horses' feet.
Both male and female cows have horns. Unless they are polled or hornless breed. Or have been dehorned.
Jacob sheep can have up to six horns! Usually 2 or 4 though.
Oxen are really just adult cattle trained to drive, not a specific breed or species.
When driving horses or oxen, Gee means turn right and haw means turn left.
Brown eggs are no more or less nutritious than white eggs. It is deterimned by the breed of chicken that laid them and most commercial poultry farms have White Leghorns which lay white eggs. But often hobby farms have more exciting varieties such as Bardrocks, Rhode Island Reds, Turkens, Wyandottes or my favorite, little Cochens, all of which lay various colors of eggs.
Araucanas can lay pink, blue, green, yellow, brown or speckled eggs!
Pay It Forward Swap
I got in on the Pay It Forward Swap over at Sunny's Morning's Light blog. If you'd like in on the PIF action too, here's how it works!
"I will send a handmade gift to the first three (3) people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."
So I will email the first three people to comment to this post, get your personal info and mail you out something peachy! But only if you do the same. :)
"I will send a handmade gift to the first three (3) people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog."
So I will email the first three people to comment to this post, get your personal info and mail you out something peachy! But only if you do the same. :)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
A-Z of me
E is for Email
I will tell you an embarrassing story now. Embarrassing like ripping the crotch of my sweat pants in 2nd grade. Embarrassing like not knowing how to fill out a traveler's check in high school on a trip and having to go back the next day and SIGN each one I had paid for something with. Embarrassing like when your mule poops in the ring during a show. But worse, because this story is about work!
My work email was taking forever to delete emails! I mean 20-30 seconds EACH. So I wrote to the appropriate people who sent down a nice guy to install the latest email program. But it didn't help so I wrote again. Again the nice guy came down, this time he emptied my trash and fixed the problem. I told him he really should have just called and yelled at me and told me what to do and not to waste their time but he's too nice a guy for that. So now I feel like a complete boob. I guess I'm just not as computer-y as I think I am.
Now that I see people are doing such fun swaps on Ravelry, I'm getting antsy and checking their antsy checker every day or so. Only 597 people in front of me!! Surely it can't be long now! :)
I will tell you an embarrassing story now. Embarrassing like ripping the crotch of my sweat pants in 2nd grade. Embarrassing like not knowing how to fill out a traveler's check in high school on a trip and having to go back the next day and SIGN each one I had paid for something with. Embarrassing like when your mule poops in the ring during a show. But worse, because this story is about work!
My work email was taking forever to delete emails! I mean 20-30 seconds EACH. So I wrote to the appropriate people who sent down a nice guy to install the latest email program. But it didn't help so I wrote again. Again the nice guy came down, this time he emptied my trash and fixed the problem. I told him he really should have just called and yelled at me and told me what to do and not to waste their time but he's too nice a guy for that. So now I feel like a complete boob. I guess I'm just not as computer-y as I think I am.
Now that I see people are doing such fun swaps on Ravelry, I'm getting antsy and checking their antsy checker every day or so. Only 597 people in front of me!! Surely it can't be long now! :)
Saturday, August 4, 2007
A-Z of me
D is for Dolls
I never liked dolls as a child. And my mother could not have been more disappointed. She loves dolls, baby dolls, toddler dolls, all sorts of dolls. But not me. I would occasionally dress up my Kermit the Frog puppet and did force myself to dabble in doll-clothes-making for my miniature horse hobby (miniature horses need miniature riders in appropriate showring attire) but I can honestly say I never played baby doll like most little girls do. If I did ever "play" with dolls, it was more of a companion relationship, choosing outfits and accessories, pretending to go on adventures.
These dolls are Fisher Price My Friend Jenny dolls. One is from my childhood, one I got on ebay along with LOTS of patterns for clothes for her. Now that I'm an adult, I play with dolls. Ok, I don't play with them. I make clothes for them. They're like little canvases for clothing design and millinery, SO much faster and simpler than making clothes for myself! I can make them whole new outfits in an evening. Change them for the seasons, holidays, on a whim! They have a vintage fridge and sink. They're the perfect size to make cute little polymer clay food for, too. And I'm sure it warms my mom's heart to see me dressing up my dolls!
I never liked dolls as a child. And my mother could not have been more disappointed. She loves dolls, baby dolls, toddler dolls, all sorts of dolls. But not me. I would occasionally dress up my Kermit the Frog puppet and did force myself to dabble in doll-clothes-making for my miniature horse hobby (miniature horses need miniature riders in appropriate showring attire) but I can honestly say I never played baby doll like most little girls do. If I did ever "play" with dolls, it was more of a companion relationship, choosing outfits and accessories, pretending to go on adventures.
These dolls are Fisher Price My Friend Jenny dolls. One is from my childhood, one I got on ebay along with LOTS of patterns for clothes for her. Now that I'm an adult, I play with dolls. Ok, I don't play with them. I make clothes for them. They're like little canvases for clothing design and millinery, SO much faster and simpler than making clothes for myself! I can make them whole new outfits in an evening. Change them for the seasons, holidays, on a whim! They have a vintage fridge and sink. They're the perfect size to make cute little polymer clay food for, too. And I'm sure it warms my mom's heart to see me dressing up my dolls!
Friday, August 3, 2007
A-Z of me
C is for Cel Phone.
As in, I do not own a cel phone. Neither does my husband, Mike. I can't imagine someone needing to talk to me so badly they can't leave me a message and wait for me to get to my home or work phone. I don't want to be instantly accessible. And I don't necessarily want the ability to instantly access anyone else anytime I want. I like my time in the car to be time in the car and my time at the bank to be time at the bank. Waiting in line at a restaurant can bring about interesting people-watching opportunity or maybe a creative streak will blossom while grocery shopping. But if you're on the phone, otherwise occupied, you could miss out. And for what? I bet 90% or more of cel phone conversations are mostly pointless, just time-fillers, wasted speech. I have never liked to talk on the phone at all, so that might be filtering into my thoughts on cel phones. I prefer in person or written communication. The phone is awkward to me, disconnected and uncomfortable. My husband and I started out in a long distance relationship and we spent some time on the phone but I never really developed a fondness for it.
This week, I have been fighting off a bug that is going around the office. I'm not sick, but I feel very weak and tired. I thought it might be an iron issue but supplements haven't cleared up the lightheaded, cloudy feeling so I think it's the office illness. I missed my last swim lesson because I couldn't get up the strength to change into my bathing suit, let alone swim several laps last night. So this weekend will be a recuperating weekend, full of fluids, pajamas all day and movies with the husband.
As in, I do not own a cel phone. Neither does my husband, Mike. I can't imagine someone needing to talk to me so badly they can't leave me a message and wait for me to get to my home or work phone. I don't want to be instantly accessible. And I don't necessarily want the ability to instantly access anyone else anytime I want. I like my time in the car to be time in the car and my time at the bank to be time at the bank. Waiting in line at a restaurant can bring about interesting people-watching opportunity or maybe a creative streak will blossom while grocery shopping. But if you're on the phone, otherwise occupied, you could miss out. And for what? I bet 90% or more of cel phone conversations are mostly pointless, just time-fillers, wasted speech. I have never liked to talk on the phone at all, so that might be filtering into my thoughts on cel phones. I prefer in person or written communication. The phone is awkward to me, disconnected and uncomfortable. My husband and I started out in a long distance relationship and we spent some time on the phone but I never really developed a fondness for it.
This week, I have been fighting off a bug that is going around the office. I'm not sick, but I feel very weak and tired. I thought it might be an iron issue but supplements haven't cleared up the lightheaded, cloudy feeling so I think it's the office illness. I missed my last swim lesson because I couldn't get up the strength to change into my bathing suit, let alone swim several laps last night. So this weekend will be a recuperating weekend, full of fluids, pajamas all day and movies with the husband.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
A is for Arms
Another lovely idea from another lovely blogger, Bella Dia. For the month of August, she is typing up a post each day to correspond with a letter of the alphabet. And she's invited us to join along. I am one day late so I will be doing A and B today.
A is for Arms
If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is see a doctor about having my arms done. I have hideous upper arm flab. And now it hangs down more like saggy old-lady skin than just being chubby baby-arms. When I look at my arms, I see two different people. On top, a strong bicep, muscular and firm. And then underneath, a remnant of who I used to be, stretch marks and saggy flesh. I'd love to wear sleeveless shirts at the gym or a cute sleeveless summer dress! My arms are strong and useful but I can't say I am very happy with them.
B is for Books
I am very much a non-fiction girls these days. I can sit with a book of lovely pictures of craft projects for hours. I have LOTS and I borrow a lot from the library. But on occasion I just want to lounge in bed and read a book and drink cocoa. But I don't want to start a new book every time I get this whim because it only happens maybe once a month. For this purpose I keep around a pile of books that I am constantly in the process of reading. When I finish them, they stay in the stack and I start them all over again. They are familiar and safe. Not very daring of me, is it? And I'm sure not what a lot of readers would enjoy, always reading the same pages, but it makes me comfortable to tuck in with a book I could practically read with my eyes closed. My bedside list consists of:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
The Hallmark Book of Holidays (a non-fiction book, I know, but I love turning to the month that it happens to be and reading about the traditions that belong to each holiday)
1984 by George Orwell
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
A is for Arms
If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is see a doctor about having my arms done. I have hideous upper arm flab. And now it hangs down more like saggy old-lady skin than just being chubby baby-arms. When I look at my arms, I see two different people. On top, a strong bicep, muscular and firm. And then underneath, a remnant of who I used to be, stretch marks and saggy flesh. I'd love to wear sleeveless shirts at the gym or a cute sleeveless summer dress! My arms are strong and useful but I can't say I am very happy with them.
B is for Books
I am very much a non-fiction girls these days. I can sit with a book of lovely pictures of craft projects for hours. I have LOTS and I borrow a lot from the library. But on occasion I just want to lounge in bed and read a book and drink cocoa. But I don't want to start a new book every time I get this whim because it only happens maybe once a month. For this purpose I keep around a pile of books that I am constantly in the process of reading. When I finish them, they stay in the stack and I start them all over again. They are familiar and safe. Not very daring of me, is it? And I'm sure not what a lot of readers would enjoy, always reading the same pages, but it makes me comfortable to tuck in with a book I could practically read with my eyes closed. My bedside list consists of:
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sybil by Flora Rheta Schreiber
The Hallmark Book of Holidays (a non-fiction book, I know, but I love turning to the month that it happens to be and reading about the traditions that belong to each holiday)
1984 by George Orwell
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
A Challenge
Morning's Light and her pal Nicole challenged each other to complete three lingering projects by August 31. She extended the challenge to her readers. I was inspired and have taken up the challenge!
Challenge: August Clean Sweep {projects}
1-Finish my jean skirt that has been sitting on top of my craft shelves since last summer as a pair of jeans opened at the seams. Won't it be nice to have a new jean skirt just in time for fall?
2-Replace my ducks at work with something new. The ducks were fun but they've been there over a year and I need something new and fresh. *
3-Go through my closet and get rid of clothes that don't fit. I have TOO many clothes and so many of them are now too large and I'll never wear them. But I keep them around "in case I need a shirt to paint in" or "to wear to bed when it's chilly" but I have more than enough clothes that fit for those things! So out with the old! My closets are overflowing because I didn't follow the rule that when you buy an article of clothing you then have to give one up. I just kept piling them up!
* The story with the ducks (which you can see in the above picture): I have a ducky bathroom. So I kept my eye out at garage sales for ducks. And my mom kept her eye open too. My mom is a super-garage-saler so she would find BAGS of ducks and still has several for me each time we visit. So I had boxes of ducks in my basement, ducks that wouldn't fit in the bathroom. I took them to work, on a whim, and people either liked them and thought they were whimsical or hated them and thought they were tacky. I liked them but it's time to move on. Anyone have ideas? I'm thinking if I keep my eye open for cute 40's planters, I'll have enough by the end of August! You know, donkeys pulling carts, bunnies with flowers, pastel lambs.
Challenge: August Clean Sweep {projects}
1-Finish my jean skirt that has been sitting on top of my craft shelves since last summer as a pair of jeans opened at the seams. Won't it be nice to have a new jean skirt just in time for fall?
2-Replace my ducks at work with something new. The ducks were fun but they've been there over a year and I need something new and fresh. *
3-Go through my closet and get rid of clothes that don't fit. I have TOO many clothes and so many of them are now too large and I'll never wear them. But I keep them around "in case I need a shirt to paint in" or "to wear to bed when it's chilly" but I have more than enough clothes that fit for those things! So out with the old! My closets are overflowing because I didn't follow the rule that when you buy an article of clothing you then have to give one up. I just kept piling them up!
* The story with the ducks (which you can see in the above picture): I have a ducky bathroom. So I kept my eye out at garage sales for ducks. And my mom kept her eye open too. My mom is a super-garage-saler so she would find BAGS of ducks and still has several for me each time we visit. So I had boxes of ducks in my basement, ducks that wouldn't fit in the bathroom. I took them to work, on a whim, and people either liked them and thought they were whimsical or hated them and thought they were tacky. I liked them but it's time to move on. Anyone have ideas? I'm thinking if I keep my eye open for cute 40's planters, I'll have enough by the end of August! You know, donkeys pulling carts, bunnies with flowers, pastel lambs.
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