Easter 2011

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p.s.  I'll be taking a blog hiatus for a bit.  I'll catch you up when I return.  Enjoy your holiday!

Happy Easter,

The Price You Pay

I've been saving plastic grocery bags for about 2 years now.  My purpose was to make plarn, but I never got around to it.  What's the purpose of saving/recycling/repurposing if you never do anything with it?  Sounds a bit like hoarding to me, so this weekend I started sorting bags, cutting strips, and making plarn.  There's a greater chance of me finishing the plarn projects once the prep work is done.  :-)

No, I don't eat that many eggs.  Those cartons have been saved by others and given to me to pass on to my friend M who raises chickens. 

Happy Crafting,

YES

Every day I look at these afro twists, tempted to take just one twist out until they're all out.  The timing isn't right right now so I must be patient.  I will admit that I've taken out a couple of twists for my hair's own good.  Look at what I discovered tonight.  This baby twist was sprayed with a homemade moisturizer and a small dab of shea butter.  Now I really want to take these out!  *sitting on my hands, fighting the urge*

Iron Deficiency Anemia

This has been one of my biggest battles for a while now.  Usually doctors would ask if I was vegetarian, and the answer is no although I don't eat huge quantities of meat.

Our dear friend Ashley and a group of nursing students have put together this really interesting video on combating iron deficiency anemia.  Not only is it informative, BUT, if you watch it from beginning to end, her group has the chance to receive extra credit!  Come on, help a sister out.  :-)





Just in case you have to go to the actual YouTube link to be counted, here's the link or just click on the "You Tube" icon in the right corner of this video.

Happy Learning,

62

tornadoes in my state this weekend. Nothing like this since 1984.

We felt the hot winds, saw the trees bending like never before, and yet by the grace of God the tornadoes bypassed our city and hit cities nearby instead. I am saddened by those lives lost, but yet in awe of what really is the mercy of God. Case in point: A friend of a friend was unlocking the door to her home, turned around and was staring into the tornado. So what was the miracle? The tornado picked up off the ground, went over her house and touched down elsewhere. Only God can do a thing like that.

Please Be Safe,

Where There's a Will, There's a Way: Home Decorating Project + {Tutorial}

A little while ago I promised you an easy peasy tutorial and I must keep my word.

Now let me back up a minute.  In an effort to pull my house together, I'm working on small projects that just need to be finished or just displayed properly to truly make this house a home.  Am I the only one with framed pictures still not hung?  Case in point:  Remember I moved my chiminea from the back foyer to my dining area?  Then I moved a wall hanging from that same foyer also to my dining area?  I wanted to cover up that dreadful hole for the piping to connect to the chimney for the wood burning stove that I neither have nor want.  I tried several things to hang this piece and finally it's up.

 

Wall Hanging Tutorial:

Supplies
Embroidered cloth
Fabric
Thread
Batting
Artist canvas
Staple gun
Picture hanging materials of your choice

Directions:

1. Wash and iron embroidered cloth.
2. Attach embroidered cloth to the center of a piece of fabric that measures approximately 1- 1 1/2 inches wider that your canvas frame.  I machine-stitched my embroidered cloth to the black linen and then I tacked the top edges of the crocheted edgings to the linen, both using nylon transparent thread.
3. Staple the batting around the front of the frame.  Be sure to pad the edges of the frame as well.
4. Staple the fabric over the batting onto the canvas frame.
5. Attach the picture hanging materials of your choice, depending on how you will hang this piece. (i.e. sawtooth hook, Command strips)
6. Enjoy!

p.s.  My embroidered cloth was handmade by the grandmother of a student from a few years ago.  Her grandmother lives in Mexico, makes these linens and sales them in the U.S.

p.s.s.  I hope everyone is safe from all these tornadoes and storms coming through.  Three tornadoes came through N.C. today.

Be Safe & Happy Crafting,

My Spring (part 2)

Last weekend I captured a few spring images and I didn't go very far from home...literally to the edge of the driveway and near the foundation of my home.  There are so many small details in your own yard that perhaps go overlooked day in and day out.  My task is to capture them, thereby making the truly ordinary interesting.  I hope I've achieved that.  Here are some of those images.

 

Happy Spring,

I Won! Yo Gané

I entered a blog giveaway and won a set of 3 handmade cards from Larissa of mmmcrafts. The cards arrived today. They're so pretty that I can't even open them yet. Check out Larissa's blog. There's some great craft action going on over there.

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This is the set I won.

Would it be too terrible to send myself one of these birthday cards? LOL

Happy Crafting,

A Bonafide Daddy's Girl

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It's true.  I don't deny that I'm a "Daddy's Girl."  This evening a major feat was tackled - I got my taxes done.  Yippee!  I n-e-v-e-r wait this late, but since the government decided not to shut down last weekend, I decided to do my part and hurriedly got my information in before the deadline.  (Just kidding.  I would have done my part anyways, being a good citizen and all.)

Anyways, after we left the accountant's office (this was an out-of-town trip), my dad took me to Wal-Mart to look for piping.  And he didn't complain or anything.  No, I still walked out of Wally World without the piping, but I was impressed that they still had a fabric and crafts center and some piping to choose from.  Instead, I decided to purchase some cotton fabric in the color I wanted and I will try to make my own "makeshift" piping, seeing that I don't have any cotton cord.  I also found one other item for my small quilt-like project.

Armed with Easter candy for the kiddos, a new accountant with an appreciation for the arts and crafts (yes, he even told me some places to shop for unique fabrics because of the diverse population in that city), and a Daddy with a listening ear, I feel truly blessed.

p.s.  On a side note, I'm really itching to take these afro twists out.  They have been a major time saver, but I miss my own hair texture, so I will persevere through the end of the month.  Then, out they go.  It will have been 2 1/2 months.  :-)

Happy Crafting,

Thrifted Find

My mom and I went out yesterday. All I wanted was a box of copy paper and some turquoise or teal piping. What I came back with was the box of copy paper and this thrifted find for under $9.

I know some of you would want this as is, but I want to spice them up a bit.  Maybe just a simple vinyl decal or something.

Happy Thrifting,

Trying Something New

Let's just say that I have an even greater appreciation for quilters.  I am not a quilter, but I couldn't stand wasting the fabric bundles I found at a craft store last year.  It was what they labeled as an "ethnic" package for $4.  There were about 6 or 7 sets, but only 2 sets are what I consider "ethnic".  Anyways I put those two sets together to come up with this small top.

What I learned is this: 

• Everyone who cuts fabric shouldn't.  Somebody didn't cut on the grain so I had to re-cut every.single.square.  It really made a difference because of all those different patterns.
• Perfect seams matter.  They need to match up on the horizontal rows and vertical columns.
• Seam rippers are handy tools, even though I despise them so.  Self explanatory.

You'll have to wait until I'm done to see what I'm making.  Don't worry; it won't be forever.  I was just so glad to touch fabric and my sewing machine tonight.  It felt like we had undergone a temporary separation.  Excuse me while I wipe my tears of joy!

  

Happy Crafting,

In Progress

Every now and then I pick up this project.  I love how the yarn cake fits so neatly in my Japanese yarn cozy.  I love the colors of these Harmony wood needles - they're interchangeable.  Yay!  And love how this Noro yarn seemed so scratchy at first and now it has grown on me.  Looking forward to whatever comes from this discontinued line.  Yep, still stash bustin'.

Happy Crafting,

Opal Twist Durango

We're having an event at work tonight and there will be a raffling of prizes.  This year I donated a crocheted hat.  Still using up yarn stash in the process.

Happy Crafting and Happy April Fool's Day!