water fountain by summer indoor display and decoration by winter

My mom has quite a collection of pine cones from all over the country and they are all very different. I put then in her for Xmas and used poinsettias with them in the center top now I switched them out and used some small bridal rosettes. I added the metal basket and the mall bunny to give it that Easter look. and I think there is one plastic Easter egg in there too. If I see more loose while I am packing they may join this one.

Suet & Seed & Birds, Oh My!

So I made bacon a week ago for Brunch and I made Tomato sauce  a few days ago. With that in mind I now have left over fat. I never am one to waste if I can use something. I would make soap but I am not set up at my mothers to do so. This only leaves Bird Seed Suet Cakes as the alternative.

You can find directions all over the inter net for this here is one site. http://birding.about.com/od/birdfeeders/a/simplesuet.htm
 I pour off the fats into a can or sometimes even a mug that is lined with aluminum foil. this time it was a beet can I store it in the refrigerator

I melt it back to a liquid state by the double boiler method (I put the can just as it is into a pan half full of water and then heat it on medium till it is almost all liquid)

I use tongs to pick up the can and pour it in to the bowl of bird seed.

I mix them together the fat and the seed till there is no dry seed.

I then pour it into trays I used a mini cup cake wrapper and some take out containers I push it into the mold with the wooden spoon I used to mix with. 

I will place these in the refrigerator and when the cool the will be stuck together. Now this is a soft suet and is not as hard as the type you buy.

I will use an onion bag to hold the finished suet I can hook it closed and hang it from a tree or a shepherds hook. I might just give this to my niece with a hook to hang it out side her window. 

Here it is with the mini muffin bird seed suet block in the bag hung from one of the ever green out back by a window near my mothers room. Just in time for a big snow storm.

Made a rice heat pad

Rice heat pad I sewed up three sides then sewed them again to be sure they were secure then I sewed 2 in apart all the way along the peace so that they were open on one end. I poured the rice in to the different tubes that were made. I tamped the rice in tight with a chop stick.  I left 2 inches free at one end. I sewed across that end then I folded the fabric beck on itself twice like a seem and sewed it again.

this make for a very flexible heating pad. I place it in the microwave for 5 minuses for very hot and three minuets to reheat it. We wrap a hand towel around it so it is not to hot against the skin. It almost seems to be moist when it is heated. this was also stale rice so it was less wasteful then throwing the rice out.

Putting on the Ritz

 

So this is what happens when there is a 10 Cent Basket at Walmart. The cats get to play dress up. Calvin was not at all having it. Dott took this laying down.

I was surprised that Ruby let me Put the hat on her and she even gave me less of a dirty look the Her sister. I doubt you can tell but there are lights on the top of this hat.

 

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I cleaned the vanity in the main bathroom

Now in general this in and of it's self doesn't sound like a feat. "However!" I cleaned out the drawers and the medicine cabinet. The oldest expiration date was 1997. There was makeup in there from my late Grandmother my late Aunts Joan and  Aunt Marilyn. Also the top of the vanity was covered in my mothers stuff and a layer of hairspray. Now with the drawers and every thing empty she could put her things in to them.

Cat nip time

Is that a whirling dervish?

Nope it is Ruby and Dott fighting over the cat nip I sprinkled over the carpet

Ruby is looking at me and thinking  "what are you looking at"

He comes mommas boy, he heard the racket the other too were making.

He is checking out that this big deal is the two girls split up as soon as Big Boy Calvin comes.

Sniffs it

Smells GOOOOD!

For Her, For Me, and For Show "My Mothers cats"

Ruby, Calvin and Dott

Dott is the spunky one that I often refer to as my monster. She follows me around and gets into what ever I am doing.

Ruby is Fluffy and demur and tolerates humans but prefers the company of cats. she follows Calivin around and tries to get his attention.

Dott loves to get under things and into things Bags, Boxes, the Bed

Her favorite toy is the fishing pole with the Feathers on it. I hooked it up with the couch so she always has it to play with but she sometimes pulls it out and brings it to the room I am in.

Ruby Loves the fishing rod with the ball that rattles a little and likes to play when she thinks no one is looking

Ruby and Dott are sisters they play together and they bath one another and fight over the catnip too

Calvin is 13 or 14 years old "him is a good hansom Kitty."

Decorating my mothers cane for the diffrent holidays "Valintine's day"

My Mothers Cane for Valentines day

Birthday gift & Christmas gift Lady bugs

 

At my mothers request I bought some lady bug beads to make a gift for her friend Bernie.

I didn't have the energy right now to do the lamp working my self so I picked up a combination of lamp worked lady bug beads and Peruvian hand panted lady bug beads. I had all the other parts on hand already.

 

I used a large lobster claw clasp that is very secure because she has lost bracelets before. I also used two crimp beads per side to further make sure of the bracelet security. 

 

On this one I used fresh water pearls 

 

I personally prefer very simple earrings as such I made her one set that was just that.

 

these I made a little more complex with the Fresh water pearls 

B-day cake for the Hippy Rasta Girlie

 

I make home made Icing for all out Birthday cakes because all of the can stuff have Cotton seed oil in them and my daughter is allergic to eating cotton. I didn't plan of the piece sign at first But I blobbed the blackish purple in the middle with other plans then quickly decided to drag it out as a peace sign.

Making Arrows

  

I made arrows this year I bought white fletching and with a sharpy I colored them then let them dry before I attached them using the fletching jig. I made 13 I lost 2 the first time I shot them.

I am going to wrap a string around the fletching to help hold them in place  though the abuse of shooting them trough targets.

Pewter Coins for Christmas

 

These are a first run coins made as a gift for my husband I normally give them at out Baronies 12 night celebration but I can not be there with him this year so I made them, and gave them to him before Christmas this year. I made him 25

 http://www.forumancientcoins.com/Articles/greek_turtles_ancient_coins.htm

 http://www.greek-islands.us/ancient-greek-coins/aegina-coins/

I intend to clean up the mold and see how many I can make from it till it breaks. I am using a mold made from Plaster of Paris. I make Plaster Bricks about 3" X 3" then I carve them using cheep wood tools and some times a battery powered Dremel like tool that is used for glass etching engraving and manicures.

A Very Tudor Christmas at the Fort

 

The mantel was lined with the Ivy, Juniper, Blue Spruce and Holly then Pomegranates and Cloved Oranges laid about with candles in Glasses. a small Greenery sag was hung above the mirror that is in front of the candles on the wall. Mulled Wassail Cider was kept near the fire for every one to drink.

 I made the swag that hangs from the beam of the ceiling  with all the same greenery by using large, long. thick pieces of Ivy I was able to use less wire to assemble the swag.

 

I ran a wire across the door with the Ivy on it to hag the kissing ball from it.  I didn't have a willow in my yard so I used Wisteria vine for the base frame of the ball.

 

All the shelves I adorned with the greens of the season.

 

An Ivy and Juniper wreath hung on the door with some small swags on either side of the door as well. It shaped itself as a heart, I didn't do that.

 

 

A Kissing ball was hung but only not very used this time It was made of Ivy and Wisteria vine, with some brass bells in side of it.

 

The Wreath on the wall is made up of Holly, Ivy, Juniper, and Blue Spruce.

This last photo we have electric lights hooked up so we can see our cards as we play board games and games.