Resolutions of 09 & things to come 2010

I like to look back and see what I have accomplished for the passed year as I prepare to move forward into the next. I managed to do 7 of my 10. I think that is pretty good. I keep the file on my flash drive so it has less of a chance of catching something and dieing. I am still working on my list for this coming year. But I do have a list of projects you will be seeing in Jan.

2009

1. Get into my armor and to fighter practice (I am 36 and haven't fought since I was 21)

*2. get to SCA meeting at the new group where I live now

*3. get to dance practice and learn to dance.

4. Exercise besides the fighter practice

*5. Make more Garb for my Daughter

*6. Join the Ymca for my daughter and me (hubby has the school gym)

7. make enough money selling crafts so I do not have to find a job in the new town we live in.

*8. Pack a bento box every day for my daughter so she will eat lunch. She is allergic to almost everything on the menu at school and dislikes the rest or is sick of eating the same two things) I already crafted this resolution and posted it so that's out. I made her a skull and cross bones bag for her lunch.

*9.reconnect with old friends and distant family on face book.

*10.reduce my carbon foot print.

Jan 2010 Crafts To Come.

1.Yarn project bag, With matching tea wallet, and cup cover.

2.Fighting banners for Baronies of the Midlands.

3.More wash clothes

4.Face scrubbies.

5.A Photo shopped Canvas Gift.

6.Leather bound note book.

7.Book marks.

That is all I know that I am doing there will be more but this is on my list of stuff to do.

Happy New Years Every One!

Rocky Road Brownie Cake

This is my creation I make Browies from a mix from Aldies I always add a pack of instant pudding for each box of mix. I also don't use water I use milk instead. I would normally have added a little more milk to offset the added dry pudding mix. But this time I used two boxes of Brownie mix and pudding mix & added a bag of marshmallows, a can of walnuts, and a bag of chocolate chunks. The results Turned out to be a OMG Rocky Road Brownie Cake. You have to use a fork with it and you have to eat it in small pieces because it is so sweet. But is it so worth it.I used the normal amount of eggs, Two per box. and it called for 1/2 cup of water per box so use that amount in milk. It is a little like "Smores Gone Wild" I think I'll have to come up with that one next.

Mid West Snow

Being from New York & New Jersey I had a predetermined idea of what snow looked like. When I would go into Christmas stores with my mother I would look and the Fake snow and say " wow mom this stuff look so fake snow doesn't look like that"
Well now I know that snow can look like the stuff they sell and sold in the bags. Here are the photos. the snow falls in puffs of round white Styrofoam looking balls and long double spiked clear flakes. I and yes it is snow not ice.

Loud scarf loud hat Loud girl

Hey look There she is getting ready to leave for her friends house. And My DH got her to smile for the camera. She is so pretty when she smiles. And she is sporting a new hair color it is an ash brown.

more samples of new pattern

While the artist is working out the kinks in her pattern to get it to look the way she intended it to. Here are two more samples based on the revisions. The first one is a straight up sample with an error on my part which is why they edge is not perfectly straight. the second one is an adaptaion of the pattern in which I do another two rows then at the end I go all around the piece to give it a finished look as a wash cloth. Also with the solid color yarn you can see the pattern better. I really do like this pattern and I like the Author's version of the Popcorn stitch, because I don't have to remove my needle from the work to finish that stitch. I think that, I would like to, figure out how to do this pattern so that the popcorn stitches are in a different color. so don't think this is over yet. and when she is done with the pattern as a whole I will be doing a scarf and I will post it here too.

my second ever stab at a crochet pattern

This is a sample of the crochet pattern that I volunteered to test.This is only the 2nd pattern that I have worked from. I really love this pattern. As soon as the author has up the link to where you can buy it, I will put it up. It is a scarf. Here the sample is about 5" square. Working from a pattern made me have to count which made me pay better attention to what I was doing. As a result I think this piece came out better then most of my pieces with out patterns.
I did choose to use a cotton because I knew it would only be a swatch size and would make a good face cloth.

Head Band

I found this fun yarn that I used of a stocking exchange. well just to be safe I bought four skeins of it (it was only $1 for each) but it turned out I only need one skein per stocking so I had two left over. I used one and made this head band this is very me.

Angel Necklace and earings.

I made a couple of sets like this the one set that had Blue Chezck glass was also the one I use real fresh water pearls with that one went to my Grand Mother in Law. The rest were done with the Purple Chezck glass and Glass pearls. But they were cute both ways.

The perfect gift for a crafter

My husband got me a metal pair of scissors because I can't find mine since we moved. My son in he smart alek ways got me a pack of 8 scissors. they are both awesome. the metal ones are for fabric only and every one in the house knows and respects the scissors or the wrath of mom shall fall upon them. And I am always complaining that I can't find scissors (because my DD walked off with them again).

Take out cup cozy

This is a take out cup cozy. it works better then a cardboard one they give you and it is fun funky colors. I was trying out a pattern because I am working on learning to read crochet patterns.

Magnetic book marks

These are magnetic book marks that I made for a Christmas swap. She liked Illumination and wanted book marks so I made these with her in mind. I used my son for the stuff I got so I had more for him under the tree.

Tea wallet

For a Christmas exchange I did I made this tea wallet it is designed to use to carrie tea with you. I used the knot work because she likes Celtic knot work.

earings

I made two sets like this one for my mother in law for Christmas and one for a swap. I really like the Angles. It even turned out that they matched a sweater she got from her mom. Oh and she loves Christmas jewelry.

Loud hat to match the scarf. and a cool necklace

I Finished the Loud hat to match the scarf. here it is on the DD. she look thrilled. She doesn't feel well and was willing to pose but not willing to look happy about posing.

While I have this photo up look at the cool necklace she is wearing she made it out of duct tape. She is too cool.

water bottle carrier

I made this water bottle carrier for my DD. Because of its use I used cheep yarn from Wal-Mart which I almost never do. I do however buy cotton yarn there for wash clothes but that also has to do this color selection as much as price.

Christmas Presents

Well I can't take credit for this one. My husband made this for me as a Christmas gift. I have wanted one since I saw this saying on Chrafters.org. It is cross stitched and he used metal floss for the word glitter. It is so cool it looks like a mutly colored glitter. and he even matted and framed it. while he was setting up the Wii after we opened all the gifts I was putting the nail in the wall to hang this . it is on my wall of quotes right at a level I can see it when I craft in that corner.

Christmas Presents

Some Christmas Presents. Now that gifts have been safely delivered I can put photos up her.
this is Bill and he is holding his gift it is a bible cover. I used printable fabric and put photos of his whole family living and dead.
I then ironed Plastic over it and I used a black piping to trim it out I used a button with a triscal on it that was gold in color, and red ribbon for the closer. I also added some ribbons to the top to help mark pages because the ones that come in the bibles are never enough. Triskal is a symble that can be used to symoblise the trinidy, red for the blood of Christ. the part facing us in this photo is the inside and the back inside are persons who are dearly departed his first wife is parents his nephew and his friend who was his second wife's husband before he passed away. I hear I did good.

More photos of the resin casting

I used scissors while they were soft cured to trip the Flash away from the pieces that I acidently over filled in the molds. when they are hard cured I can file them some too. I love the metal flower one and the cake decoration one. My DD's favorite one is the big beads and the humming bird and the Hello kitty.

Resin casting for the first time

I kept seeing resin casting on Craftsters.org and I finally decided to bravely try it. I wanted to find a way to make lots of gifts for me DD friends that didn't cost an arm and a leg but were as nice as stuff you could buy in the store.
I didn't quite mix up enough resin to fill all the the mold. We added glitter to most of the molds some times the glitter made it so you couldn't see the item in the mold . I also had some pieces that had big air pockets.
But here is what I learned in the next batch I will pour a tiny bit of resin in the mold then add the item then add a little more resin then add the glitter and see how that goes.
Out of the 17 pieces I cast,10 came out close to or as good as I hoped. and since this was a first attempt thats not bad I still have most of the unmixed resin. Wich costs roughly $11.95 but of course I used a 40% off coupon and the mold was $8.99 but of course I used a 40% off coupon on that too. I had the wire that I used for the bales so this is not an expensive project. I added jump rings to the finished items. they take 24 hrs to soft cure(can be taken out of mold but you might leave finger prints if not careful and 72 to hard cure. Now I need to find some more things to fit in the mold.

A Loud Hat

So I have been working on a hat to match the loud scarf I made for My DD. But I messed up and made it way to small. I just finished a new one. I am now out of the main Yarn that I used for these projects. I am fulling the other hat right now and Will post Pics of it when it is dry.

A hat to Go with the scarf

I am working on the beret hat for my DD it will match the scarf I just finished for her. The only difference is it wont have the furry yarn in it.
I was instructed to start from the head band out, then in, so when I get the the center I can just cinch it together. Here is the start of it.
In order to make this I needed stitch counters. I made some real quick with a two piece strawberry bead and a head pin that has a large decoration on the end. I will be putting these on to a hanging earring so that they will close and lock in place, but will open for movement as the project progresses. However I didn't have any on hand, so that will wait till I go to the store. I add one stitch as I go around at each of the the stitch counters. I will show you the progress as I go.

I found another quote I like

Sucess is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm "- Winston Churchill

scarf finished

I Have finished the funky scarf for my DD. I wanted to sew it into a tube, but she said no & that if she wants it skinny she will fold it. She has been pestering me to start her hat so I am. It will be the first hat I crochet. I have been giver the advice to start at the hat band then work my way out then bact to the center top so I can just cinch it at the end I wonder if I should add frindge to the scarf. hmmm.

Decorating for the Holidays

I have started my decoration for the Holidays. First thing was to start to take the Fall decorations doe. The pumking are in the compost heap , the witches are back in the basement Halloween bin. but My DH and I thought the Bone fence was a keeper. so far I have hung colored lights on it I still have to un-dig the Bows and garland to go with it. also after looking at it while driving up we unplunged the fence lights so only the colored lights can be seen till I get the garland and bow up. The area below the mushroom is were my gnome you to sit. "Stay tuned More Holiday decoration to come"