Friday Craft day...

I've been neglecting my crafting gene, other than knitting, so the troll through Pinterest yielded this ...

From the Etsy shop, Simple Country Burlap,
 whose owner kindly has made this lovely video..

And, I've set my mind and hear(t) to make it!  Hopefully in the next month....

Today I worked today, cleaning and resting; The war on dust is going well.
My sore crooked back has been with me since I was 26 and it's not going to ruin the rest of my life if I can help it.  I have, after all, hauled the ungrateful thing around for 50 years.

I'm also going to make three little burlap and felt pumpkins to go with the cornucopia that I made a few years ago.....  I feel that fall is coming and it can't get here a moment too soon.

This Image is from FairField World  and the pumpkins were created by Pink Lemonade – Keri Lee Sereika  Whose blog is HERE  but who has since graduated to the big leagues of LinkdIn and other social media...

Anyway.... Isn't Pinterest wonderful?

Saturday 9 will publish at midnight....

The purge continues but it's been stymied.... this is raw feed blogging....

So expect Helter Kelter from me from now on.

I have come across two rather large boxes of craft kits bought in a craft class over 20 years ago; they are too good to just re-cycle the kits.  It looks like I'm going to have to Make Them.  *%#$#@!!
Then I'll have to put the darn things up on Etsy or something.  Sheesh.  I really want DONE with most crafting, i.e. the non-big four crafts!

I want to read!

What I'm reading:

I've read about 6 books in the last four weeks.  It's been heavenly!  This book is even better than the movie, in case you were wondering.

So, that find, up at the beginning, made me a little ill.  I so want to have all that behind me.  I do not want to sell or deal with any sort of retailing at all, anymore.  I could leave them outside for the "mosquitoes", maybe?

Anyway, I.  HATE.  ROADBLOCKS.
At my age I just want to SMASH RIGHT THROUGH THEM!

At least there is hope for the few pieces of ceramics now that are out of favor but too nice to toss.  This was my work bench at 6 am this morning, as the sun came in from the east.  I'll finish them and they can become part of the Holiday junk that gets set out for the four Hols that I decorate for:  Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

This paper lantern thinga is a great idea so I'm passing it on: The images are all copyrighted but, trust me, they are easy to make and oh-so-sweet to look at.

Making Paper Lanterns from paper Doilies for your battery operated tea lights.

Music Monday: Johnny Cash, "Cry, Dry, Cry". Also, the five gallon bucket swamp cooler photo, as promised.

I can't stand what's happened to YouTube.  All the freaking ADS!  And you can't dismiss them anymore.  Like I care about Fast Food, or Cars, or TV shows with Babes who can't dress their top halves properly.  Color me, "So out of here!"


This has the best sound, remastered no doubt, so it's a little thuddy.  But I love this man's voice and the songs he created.  Enjoy it.  RIP June and Johnny





And now for something completely different:  Bee's Bucket Swamp cooler.

Bee says that it works fairly well for a small room that gets pretty warm.  She's going to make a cat toy out of the left over plastic things.  I told her that some people put ice in the water to make it even cooler.  I guess that the stuff out of the freezer can be chipped from the edges and used, too, that is if it's not already being used to thaw and water plants with.  Every drop has to count in parched California!

saturday9 and some crafting cuties from JoAnns site. NOW LINKED!

There is a button in the side bar for this lovely meme.  This is fun and reading all the answers is even more fun, so a BIG Thanks to Sam and the Elves!  Come on in and join in the fun?

 

Mine Would Be You

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!
 


Saturday 9: Mine Would Be You (recommended by Kathy W)

If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) The lyrics mention his respect for "90 proof and Marlboro Red." What was your most recent drink? When was your last cigarette?  My last drink was a little bit of Sherry two nights ago.  It's sort of a once a month indulgence.  My last cigarette was terribly memorable as it put me flat on my back, on the lawn of our nice little yard of long ago, looking up at the stars.  It was then I decided that I would not EVER have another one.
 
2)  They also reference "singing like crazy fools." What's the last song you sang?  

I sang, "I'll never Fall in Love Again" because it's so fun to sing.
"What do you get when you fall in love?
 You get a lot of pain and sorrow, so at least until tomorrow I'll never fall in love again."  See?  Cute.

3) Blake Shelton won a Grammy for his performance of this song. Crazy Sam won the award for "most improved bowler" when she was in third grade, and it's now in a closet somewhere. Do you have any trophies? If so, where are they?  No trophies, but I do have a referee's patch, certificate, and a shiney whistle for passing the program to become an inter-mural basketball referee in high school. 

4) Blake is currently on tour. The merchandise sold at concerts brings in big money for the artist. Do you have any tour memorabilia (like a poster or t-shirt)?  Not a one... fool that I am. 
5) In addition to The Voice, Shelton is on TV a lot with his Pizza Hut commercials. What chain restaurant is nearest your home? Do you eat there?  No, I used to like pizza, too.  Darn it.
 

6) Shelton has a million-seller CD called Cheers! It's Christmas! What's the first Christmas carol to pop into your head this hot summer Saturday?  Oh Holy Night.  It's my favorite one.
7) Shelton and Miranda Lambert were married in front of 550 guests. Do you enjoy weddings? Yes, and for that matter, I love to watch "Yes to the Dress", too.  I thought I'd be making wedding dresses for the rest of my life!
8) The wedding took place on a big Texas ranch. Have you spent much time on a farm or a ranch?  I was born on my grandparent's farm, and I grew up on my mother's little farm.
9) In 2013 he helped organize a relief benefit concert for victims of the Oklahoma tornados. Tell us about a charity you support.  One?  Ok.  Oxfam.  They are truly great as are the other 11 that we make yearly donations to and support with extra money in extra stressful times.

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend.

LINK

LINK

I put these up because they are pretty and simple to do as well.  Just a little bit of Christmas, early.  The one on the bottom also has a very cute cupcake ornament in the right corner.

Sunday: Day 11 of Challenge: Getting ready to make Prickly Pear Jelly

Happy - well mostly Happy, Adventures in Cooking.  That's my Tenth Day Happiness.

Two days ago, Friday, I picked all the prickly pears off our Opuntia cactus.   It was loaded with them! 











Yesterday I used THIS method to prepare the fruit.  DH helped me (a lot!), and we got some spines in our fingers because we didn't use the suggested leather gloves - which we didn't have; so, we just used stencil brushes (these worked great by the way) and canning tongs.   I suggest that you use the gloves, too, though.   Our hands feel like pincushions! 

Alas, the link does not go to a page that tells you how to make these.  I thought it did. Somehow they are made with THIS tool Clover makes which I remember making out of cardboard.  I'll be looking for another link to the way they are made because we all can hear Christmas hauling around yon CORNER at lightning speed, yes?!  Want more pincushions?  Go HERE  Chirpy Mouse has some lovely tutorials and I'm sure one of them will help with the pattern for these.  And here is TipNut's Blog, filled with 50 free patterns for pincushions.   

Aren't they cute! 

But, I digress... Back to the cactus adventures:

  
The tiny thorns never bothered me before but I've never done this many prickly pears at one time, either.    For some reason, these fruits are also called Tunas.  I've never heard them called that before in a whole long life of picking and eating prickly pears.  Go figure....

Last night, Saturday, I made the juice which will then be made into jelly after I strain it and cook it today.   I'll share pictures of the process on Monday.

Waste not want not!  Boy, I think I'd better get to bed!  Nighty Night!

Tuesday Tails updated ,a hummingbird, and one new plant, and Craft, too! Wolfie goes nuts at Carlsbad Beach.

My DD, Bee, sent these to me last week. Penguins, robots and little jumping spiders,with palps of wire!  I love all of them so much!  I must find those tools of mine, and the beads we bought last summer!  I really owe Elle and Bee some earrings and pronto!

I love that my kids are all crafters and gardeners, when they aren't in school.

When I visited my sister last week, I took some pictures of the hummingbird who guards her feeder.  It's an Anna's male, either new or molted.  By the ferocity with which he defends, I'd say he is a molting male.  This is the Tuesday Tails part, though there are lots and LOTS of pictures of the Torts that were taken when the girls visited.

Front

Back- see?  No red cap

New Plant:

This is a new succulent that I found in a planting in front of a commercial building.  It was in the ground in front of some Aeonium Giganta.   I suspect that this is nothing more than a heat stressed ground cover that covers most of the freeway hills.  I think it's called something like "ice plant" though why it is I have NO idea.  Lol! 


Oh, I almost forgot.  JoAnn's had a MONSTER sale this week, and I bagged some flannel for leisure pants to go with my spent t-shirts (you know- those shirts that have spills on them that can't be seen in public) as tops for after hour sprawls in front of the TV.  They were selling sewing notions for 70% off, too, so I bagged a few.

I've got lots and lots of old T-shirts. 

Well, there you are.  There is only one thing left.  A picture of a tiny tort, eating his first rose.  There will be lots and LOTS of Tort pix next week, catching you all up on the veritable Filmfest that the visit of out of town tort enthusiasts created when they were here.

For fans of the Wolfie

Wolfie went just a little wild on the beach a few weeks ago.  He loves the beach!  See the insanity in his eyes?

Good night.  Have a great week.  Since this is created ahead of time, I'll have to catch you all up again later in the week.

Tuesday wanderings and trying to settle a bit.

On Karen's Blog, Living in My Valley, she has a link to a tutorial for some truly gorgeous paper roses.  They look like David Austin's!  And are made from re-cycled stuff.

The paper roses from this site look like Hybrid Teas.  Emmalee Elizabeth has made a wonderful tutorial, too.  If you like all roses, these two tutorials are a couple of the best.

I  think I'll go make something lovely for a song.  Hopefully, just being able to hand these beautiful things to random people, here and there, will help to heal their hearts.   

Wolfie report:  He is doing well.  His meds are stepped down to almost nothing, and I think he will be doing well, though he is still "iffy" about jumping up, even into a big comfy chair.  We think things will work out.

Knitting Report:  The mitts are done.

Knitting them has helped my sanity, though I did eat an awful lot of sweet stuff today.  I'll have to get a grip by tomorrow.  I want to send these out with some bee'swax hearts, and start on Elle's sweater fronts, and the Manly Sweater, too.

Good night sweet friends.  I hope that you and yours are safe and out of the bad weather, and bad news.  Wishing you the blessing of peace.....

Music Monday- The Empress - Ancient Future + ducktape clutch for whatever....

From the album called, "Music from the Tealands."  I was given this CD by my kids who know that music makes my heart feel SOOOO much better.  It's better than any Booze!

And another treat, so you can explore more of where the kids are going with the new technologies! This is long but very entertaining! 



This cute duck tape video just makes me very happy.  Part of it is the happy music - I don't give a flip that it's repeating in an endless loop as it's akin to watching a kitten video over and over. And, part of it is that the little kid making the tutorial is really adorable!  The dialog is precious!  If you like kids, you'll love this one.
Kara, I put it in the Pink Files Folder. lol

Enjoy!  I am still smiling all over my face!

Making lip balm

The wax crafting iron became useful for another craft, making chocolate lip balm.   It was a happy thing to do after a day at fitness, and before my body reacted to all the heavy lifting.
These first two pictures show what I made last week, and it came out as hard as a candle!

Melting down a tablespoon of beeswax, a teaspoon of coconut oil and four Ghirardelli chocolate chips.
I'm being brand specific because these chips are huge compared to others. I put the contents of a geltab of vitamin E oil in it, as per The Formula Book.

The chocolate "candle"!  Stick a wick in it!

So, I put my chemist's hat on, and reformulated.  I dug out the cake of too hard wax, and remelted it in the only tiny can I had left, as the remake was obviously going to be too much for the original tiny tin.

I  had enough of the new formula to fill the original tin, plus another very small recycled metal container.  My final formula was the original mix with an iced teaspoonful of Grape seed oil, a little bit more than a teaspoon of the coco butter, remelted. 

The new formula smells really nice, is very yummy and smooth on the lips, with just the right amount of pick up (out of the tin) with a fingertip.

So, readers, you can put that old iron to use other than as a doorstop.

Sunday Crafting

Three Days of rain (yay!) just doesn't leave good light for photos... but here are a couple Valentine Wreaths I've made and one that is still a work in progress.  Make the photo big unless Google has decided to be stingy with that little trick.... hehehe

Left to right...Barbed Wire and my Hand's Down favorite, then there is the Lace on a wire with dried roses from my old garden, and
A Straw form with questionable ornamentation.  I'll be thinking about that last one for awhile as I'm not sure what to do with it really.

I also go two new silicone molds and made some beeswax pours:

I'll be making some wax forms and some jewelry with these.  I'm also going to be finding out how to make the molds themselves, because I want bases.

I really need to knit some sweaters and mitts and a new pair of socks.  And clean up the two studio areas but what the hell.  Life is too freaking short for me to finish everything I've got going so I'm not saving the best for last.

Also, the stash is well beyond life expectancy -  SABLE.  You knitters know about that acronym.  We started that one, I do believe.  *snickers*  Mine is not as big as Mochi Mochi's Mom in law's, where the link above goes.  Mostly this is because I have neither an attic, nor a basement nor do I have a handy, and empty,  five car garage.  Otherwise.. hummmm?

I don't feel half bad anymore!  Thank you! Mochi Mochi!

I have to stay away from political crap.. Tuesday Tails.. something cute.

This morning I almost fainted when my heart went crazy after I read Dana Siegelman's appeal for her Dad.  So I did what I could and just went and made these little heart things for seamstresses and beaders:

If I know you bead or sew, and I have your address, beware!

The ones in the cup are done, the ones around the edge just need to be trimmed and smoothed. I like this tiny craft and have ordered two other molds from THIS Etsy Shop. I also like  THIS one that I just found.

Tuesday Tails is a picture of a peekaboo owl.  That's a rock in front so I'm guessing the species is a Burrowing Owl.  Well, the rock, and that it looks like a Burrowing Owl.

Music Monday- Roberta Flack, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and Bee's Waxswax Heartscraft

This is such a beautiful song.  I love this recording where Roberta Flack plays the piano accompaniment to her voice.  She is an amazing performer.




And now, as promised, the update on the beeswax buttons for hand sewing and beading...

The set up for melting and pouring...and waiting, waiting, waiting for the wax to melt on the Low setting on the iron.

Big background photo shows the set up and tools used
Top right shows the wax melting in the chili can
Bottom right is the cooling forms.  You have to let them cool about twenty minutes before un-molding.

 The pictures are sort of self explanatory but being me, I've set about explaining it all.

Top left is a stabbing tool for testing cakes and baked potatoes but I used it to float wax on the bottom of the flat undecorated form.
Top right shows the un-molded Heart shaped silicon (blue thing)
The two on the bottom corners show the bottom and top of the connected pieces, trimmed.  

This was very fun to do, but I'll warn you to keep the iron setting as low as possible, Be patient and not walk away from the wax on the iron, and remember that everything is very hot.  The wax will stick to your skin like glue if you spill it on you, making for almost instant 3rd degree burns. The silicone mold is the one I bought some time ago from Miniature Sweet, a beautiful Etsy Shop.

I didn't sleep all night, took a long nap today and didn't start the angora hat.  But I will start it soon.  The weather is FREEZING!  I can't believe that the warnings of this that came out of Scripp's Institute of Oceanography in the early 1970s were ignored.  Now we are in it, and it's going to hurt.  My advice, learn to swim, but also, buy a full wet suit meant for the arctic. Oh yes, and watch for flying debris when the poles flip.  The last was a joke.

Sewing, when I get the Nina back, will commence in style.  DH snagged two lovely Simplicity patterns for 99¢ each for me this morning.  I couldn't be happier if I were twins.  1714, for the starfish and the nesting pincushions, and  the one I've been after forever, 2921.  There are a few others but I'm trying to stop buying anymore garment patterns.

Cheerio!  Head's up!  Go have some fun crafting. It's good for what ails you, though it doesn't solve the great question of why we are here, it does adds color and meaning to the journey.  It also keeps you off those mean streets and out of the bars.
 

Second Sunday Post

It's late, I'm tired but can't sleep.  So you are my victims audience!

Making  beeswax hearts for the C team members requires a heat source.  So, DH set up his old iron ( that he used for waxing his skis, and his surf board) and put it upside down (and inside) a re-purposed metal frame for a wire colander, which is now deployed to the re-cycled metals bin. I've braced the frame up with house rocks, set the temp for warm, and will plug it in tomorrow.

Setting things up ahead of time seems to motivate me to get out of bed and get at it!  For instance, if I don't set up a sewing project at night, I'll never get to it.  This could be latent depression, or just that it's more comfortable in bed playing free cell on the netbook than it is to be up, gathering junk together for a project

I got a list of average -or maybe industry standard temperatures for home irons vs various fabrics from  HERE

Linen: 230 °C (445 °F)

Triacetate: 200 °C (390 °F) (do they even make this stuff anymore?)

Cotton: 204 °C (400 °F)

Viscose: 190 °C (375 °F) ( best known in it's Challis incarnation)

Wool: 148 °C (300 °F) ( we all know and love this fiber- not that most of us would be into ironing it.)

Polyester: 148 °C (300 °F) (Those Gawd Awful Double knits! Gah!)

Silk: 148 °C (300 °F)

Acetate: 143 °C (290 °F)

Acrylic: 135 °C (275 °F)

Lycra/Spandex: 135 °C (275 °F)

Nylon: 135 °C (275 °F) 

Since beeswax melts at 145°F and discolors above 186°F , I have to try, usually, a rheostat for safety.  Happily, the iron has a "warm" setting.  This is much lower than the silk , Acrylic or the Nylon fabric settings.

I'll add pictures, of the whole project, in a separate post on Monday.

Excavation Report:  I still have not found the tools, but I have found this tiny quilt project kit, which I will now put on the "to make list".  I was going to make it for the SR.  It's small, adorable and in keeping with my wish to work on small projects this year, as well as utilize or get rid of things.  I've had it since the early 1990s.  It's well aged, wouldn't you say?

By the way, Does anyone have a good recipe for white fudge other than Divinity, and not having peanuts in it?  I want to make some and all I could find is Divinity.  Is it really that good?

Sunday Matinee, Thankful Thursdays, knitting blah blah, duct tape phone case site

Picture from IMDb

The film called "Oranges and Sunshine" is a screen adaptation of the book by Margaret
Humphreys.  I warn you, it's not for the faint of heart.    One of the most haunting things about this terrible thing is that it was not ended until sometime in the 1970's.  Such medieval practices are appalling!   So, as I say, be warned that it will upset you.

Blog Changes:  I've added Thankful Thursdays , from Black Tag Diaries, to the side bar.  I used this one because it's seems more like it's for everyone, and it is a nice thing to do throughout the year.

I'm not very vocal, here, about my "Leadings"(as Quakers call them) but I do give daily thanks for my good fortune and life lessons.  You know the ones; they are those things that have toughened you up but have not killed you spiritually or otherwise.  Also this site didn't seem to be selling anything.  Some other link-ups out there (for blogs) had so many ad links that I thought, "no thank you" to them.  But this one, like Friday fill-ins, is pleasantly ecumenical and ad-free.

Crafting with natural stuff:  In comments, Helen from Golden Apples blog was saying that the Liquid Amber trees were called Gum trees where she lives.   Here is a SITE  called Village Garden Web, that tells what several of their members have found to make out of the pods as far as crafting. 

Progress on the Pink Stardust:  I was part way through the ribbing for the left front, using the same ball in which I found a knot, and I found ANOTHER knot in the yarn.  Mon Dieu!  So, I won't use this yarn again, and I'll now rewind each ball just before using it.

Happier news: I've found, on Ravelry, a very good forum (in the "Patterns" group) on how to read charts for knitting those flat parts of  "in-the-round" sweaters.  I guess Manly/Beastly has a chance of getting knit all the way past cummerbund length after all! 

Last, but not least, is a fun thing I found on the web: LINKIE to fabric lined duct tape cell phone cover. I liked this one best because it has a soft lining of flannel instead of just the tape..

Ig-Nobel Awards, Saturday Komeekz, Saturday Sky, and my very appropriate Horoscope!

Updated to include this because it's truly hilarious:

I'm adding this since I tracked down the REAL web page it all came from:

Linkie to Improbable Research Blog Ig Nobel Winners for 2012

And Now for:

Saturday Sky..

Taken today at about 3:30 Pm. 
OMG, we are turning into Florida!

It's hot and it's humid.  77º at night feels like 89º but it's actually getting over 90º during the day.  No one likes it, even the fire bugs, who have stayed out of the picture and we all hope they continue to do so! 

Wolfie thinks that he has to lick himself constantly even though he gets benadryl twice a day, and he got a cortisone shot two days ago from his vet.  We think he was raised with Cats because he's always licked himself like they do, and he pays no attention to them at all while out walking or visiting their "homes".  That's not normal dog behavior.

Also, this is when I wish we really had put a pool in the side yard.  Actually it's not too late to do that.  Thinking about it.......

Saturday Komeekz ....

Dear little Danae.  You have GOT to love this strange little Grrrrl. 

 My horoscope for today talks about crafting, or at least creativity:

"Your creative mind is abuzz.  You'll allow yourself to wander to some extent, but you know it's only a matter of time before you must rein yourself in and get some work done."

This is the latest project in "Knitting Avoidance".  Yes, I KNOW that I must Knit all those things but look what came in the mail!

From Hong Kong, an amazing bit of silicone stuffffff!

It got here really quickly, too!  3 t0 5 weeks turned out to be only about 8 days.  Lovely!

Beautiful mold for forming bee's wax for Seamstresses

DH is building a stand for wax melting apparatus from an old steam iron, complete with a rheostat (Very Urban Ghetto) and the steel stand from an old screened sifter.  As soon as the weather cools off outside, and we can breathe well again (and we snag a small pan from the local Sally's) we will be in business.

Ceramics goes on as usual.  We've fired two loads Green ware and one of  Glaze.  I can't wait to see the glaze.  If that plate turns out well, I'll show you guys what it looks like.   Well, I'll show you anyway!

Fall Colors!

Heehee.  From Trescony Garden Plot

Enjoy life!  Taking it one day at a time really helps.  Drink your water!  I'll do the same!

Wolfie's new T, India's Barefoot College and other fun stuff.

We've had a wonderful visit with our daughters, lots of chats, crafting, and we missed the record breaking heat in our own end of Cali.  The big surprise is that all the plant life made it!  Close, but they made it!


Wee Wolfie pulled out a stitch (which left him with 13) so we went to PetSmart and bought him a T shirt, luckily, on deep discount - Those little devils can be pricey! .  This occurred after we dashed around, going to thrift stores and many big retailers to try to find an 18 month old's little T.  Where do people buy baby shirts nowadays?  At one time, I made T shirts for everyone, and still have some fabric that has the words "Double Trouble" knit into the fabric.  That was for the Twins. lol

 We think his little T is SO cute that I'll make him more, silk screen designs just for him. 

Looky Looky!

India's Barefoot College

Lordy this is GREAT STUFF!  Sierra Magazine had an article on this in their new FALL ISSUE 

There are things like this going on in the world.  I hope that Multi Nationals don't try to stop them.  I'd like to see them try it!!  The last resource disaster for them was an uprising over people being fined for collecting rain water from their roofs in South America.  Bechtel also got it's hands slapped!  Power to the People!

Now, crafting... Bee and I made sock monkey's for the little girls... and Bee made two for DH and I. 

The pattern

Roland in front, Rapunzel in back of him
and the two unnamed ones in back.
I made the big one on the left and Bee the really cool one on the right.

And you should see this Pink Fire hydrant:

It looks a little peachy but the DDs declared it to be pink, and I concur.
It's one of a kind.  You have to love Santa Cruz.

Here, at last, some gorgeous orchids from the Farmer's Market in Monterey:

Look at the prices... Amazing

Tomorrow, more from the Monterey Aquarium, and lot's more craft chat.  I didn't get the knitting out of the van yet.  I'm sort of too hot to think about it right now.  I'll get to it.