Been a While!

It has been a long time since I have been here.  Kick up your feet, grab a beverage of your choice and stay a while!

I was busy last fall and then Blogger decided to become unhappy with the version of Internet Explorer I was using so, since I was unhappy with the way Explorer was acting, I switched to Mozilla.

Since we last had a chat we have had a new addition to the Place.

Her name is Shadie Lady a/k/a Wiggles and this pic is of her at six months and 50 pounds.  She's now seven months and weighs 60 plus pounds.  Gonna be a big little girl!!!

It's been a rough winter for me.  In November, I lost my best friend, Estelle, my own golden girl.  She was 96 years young when she traveled the rainbow bridge and I miss her!  Her wisdom and kindness were legion and the world is a lesser place without her in it.  We have had a lot of snow and ice in our area which has kept me penned up in the house for days and days at a time, which leads to depression and makes me very hard to live with....my poor DH bears the brunt...but my wiggles keeps me laughing and/or cursing at her antics.

I've tried to stay busy to help combat the depression but it doesn't always work.  Since Christmas I've made a back pack and sweater for my gson's birthday this month.  I'm also working on a jewelery box with cross stitch in the lid for my oldest gdaughter's birthday in April. I'm also knitting a baby afghan for a new grandchild.  I also completed my first fair isle project; a hat.  I need to finish the rosary I started for my youngest gdaughter's first communion in May.  All I need is chain then I'll be finished.  I'm taking a bit of a break from ornaments at this time so I can work on these projects.  But i'll get back to them as some point in time....lol

I did have one felicitous occurrence though.  At a very small local yarn shop I discovered a wonderful brand of knitting needles.  They are made by ChiaoGoo and can be viewed at this link: http://s406140097.initial-website.com/products/interchangeables.  They have several different kind of circular needles.  I prefer the "SPIN" needles.  They are interchangeables made of bamboo.  The nifty thing about them is that the cable will spin as you work on them.  All of the circular needles I have used in the past the cable connecting the two needles would get all twisted up and make knitting difficult.  These cable actually turn while you use them so they don't get all wonky.  Plus I like the way their interchangeable points work.  The connections are made of steel (I think) and are very smooth and the yarn doesn't snag on them like some of the plastic interchangeables do.  They also have a metal set of interchangeables called the Twist Red Lace needles.  I haven't tried them as they are metal tips and I don't care for metal knitting needles.  The one down side to the interchangeable needles is that they have two distinct sets.  The small set encompasses needle sizes 2 through 8 and the large set encompasses needle sizes 9 through 15.  This is due to the size of the connectors on the needle tips.  For someone who knits a LOT using many different sizes of needles they do sell these in sets with all tips, cables, connectors and a nice case.  I don't knit a LOT so I'm buying them as I need them from a source on Ebay  http://www.ebay.com/itm/ChiaoGoo-SPIN-4-Inch-10-cm-Bamboo-Interchangeable-Tips-Knitting-Needles-/330810349298?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item7dc04b47d4#ht_3500wt_619.  The service at this shop is terrific and they do not charge shipping on the needles.  I'm not buying them from my local yarn shop as they do not sell the interchangeable tips separately only in sets. 


I'm finished for now and will come back to chat when springs warms us up around here!

Craft Show

I did survive the show although I was exhausted when i got home.  I did sell 1 small ornament, 1 rattle and one jar, so the show was semi-successful.  didn't make my table fee but then from talking to other crafters neither did they.  the crowd was halfway decent but from what i saw they were buying cheap.  the lady on one side was selling those kitchen towells that have a crocheted loop to attach the hand towell to one's stove or fridge for $2.50 each or 3 for $5.  she was busy for most of the day.  the guy on the other side was selling hand woven bracelets, dog collars, leashes priced from $5 to $15 and he was relatively busy too although he said it was only a fair day for him.. there was a lot of interest and a lot of people took cards and some even gave me their email addys for a mailing list so....onward and upward...one lady invited me to attend another craft show at the Fire Museum in Cincinnati, a ladies night out type of thing with drinks and appetizers, etc. it actually sounds like it could be a fun night.   in no way am i discouraged, disappointed yes, but not discouraged.  i remember doing a spring show way back in the day with stained glass and it wasn't all that successful either so we'll head toward the  fall shows.  i always did well with them.  so i'll just consider this my maiden voyage, take a couple of weeks off, get some of my inventory  loaded onto my etsy shop and make more.....lol

 

Oh, i did buy some citrus pealers from the tupperware lady.....ROTFLMAO

A Finish and a rant....lol!!!

Today is Thursday, I think....lol!

Before I start into my rant...I'd like to share a picture of my latest finish.  It's a picture I started a couple of years ago and have only worked on it between all the gkids' stockings.  I finally finished it and am pleased to show the end result hanging on my wall (this makes four cross stitch pictures that are actually hanging in my home...lol....the other umpteen hundred are scattered to the four winds...).  This piece was Designed and published by the Solaria Gallery http://www.solaria-gallery.com/.  Thank you Stoyanka Ivanova for a lovely design to work. The first time I saw the design I knew I had to stitch it!

We know I am many things but a photographer, I am not and never claimed to be.  This was the best picture I could come up with and still there is a spot of light flash glare...Cris, where are you when i need ya...oh yeah, in Nashville....lol.  anyway, here it is and many thanks to Barbara for the matting and framing.

OK, now to my rant....lol....would you recognize my blog if I weren't ranting about something????  Probably not.  I am two days out from a craft show and am still trying to get things together....sigh.  My inventory,  is completed, priced and packed.  I still have to make a bow to put on the diaper cake and determine a price but that SHOULD be easy, right?  I'm still working on getting my displays finished and all the paraphernalia needed to put the table together collected.  Fortunately, I still have a lot of things from my past craft show days still around and have resurrected it.  I still have to unpack the little Christmas Tree to use for display purposes.  Don't know how well Christmas Tree Ornaments are going to go over in March, but here's hoping.

I have about 30 ornaments, 9 ort/snack/you name it jars and a diaper cake.  Hopefully it will be enough to make a pleasing display.  The weather has been really crappy but on Saturday it is supposed to be in the 50's and sunny so hopefully it will entice people to come out to shop and buy.  I'm told there will be 114 crafters at this show so hopefully there will be a lot of crafter friends and family coming.  It is a short show, only four hours, but hopefully it will be a fun one.  I'm looking forward to meeting and talking with a  lot of people and hopefully will sell some.  But if nothing else it will be a rehearsal for the fall shows and I'll know what to change or refine.

Wish me good weather and lots of luck!



Craft Show insanity!!

31 days to go before my first craft show in about 13 years and I'm going nuts!  I was working on an ornament the other day and my husband came up behind me and asked: "How's the sweatshop coming?"  Well, as he always says i don't have a sense of humor, I was not amused...sorta...lol.  Here I am 31 days out and only have about 20 ornaments to actually sell and about another half dozen samples, BUT it's coming along.  i still have to dig out all my craft show paraphernalia and see what else i need to get together but I'll do that LATER...lol...probably two days before the show....sigh.....do you get the impression I'm procrastinating  a little bit.  But i really need to get up an inventory, like right now!!!

I have only taken a few minutes to update my blog now because I want to show off a couple of items I'm making for the show.

 




This first picture is of jars I'm making.  They can be put to many uses.  Put a snack in them  to keep on your desk for quick energy; collect your orts; use the top as a pin cushion; put your small tools and/or threads in them for when you're traveling, put anything in them you wish for a bright splash of color anywhere you need it.  These are half pint jelly jars but the lids can be put on larger jars as they are standard size lids/seals.

These darling baby rattles  (don't make any noise and certainly are not toys and should not be given to small children to play with) worked up so cute and I'm absolutely thrilled with the way they turned out.  these two are gender specific but i will be making some non-gender specific.   My first thought when i created the first one was that it would be cute in a centerpiece for a baby shower.  They can also be used to decorate the bow on any baby gift and can later then be used as baby's first Christmas ornament.  I you don't want to use it as an ornament, simply clip the hanging loop and use it as you wish.  It would look darling on a book case as a memento.   Anybody have any other ideas on uses for these two items, I'd be happy to hear them.

I'm also going to make a diaper cake to sell at the show.  Something like this one, only not as elaborate as this was made for my daughter's baby shower and was specific to her and her baby.

 I used the embroidered panels as quilt blocks for the baby's first christmas gift.  I'll also include a baby rattle ornament to use for the top layer instead of a bottle.

Christmas Past!

Thankfully, Christmas is over with.  All the ornaments have been sent to new homes.  At this time, I can post pics of a few more that were waiting to go to their new homes.

I have decided to try to get into some craft shows in the fall of 2013, featuring ornaments, eggs and boxes.  To that end, I went to Michaels day before yesterday and bought two 3.5 ft high christmas trees to use as displays and some christmas ribbon.  Went to Hancocks yesterday and bought 7 yards of fabric (6 of which were on sale 70% off) plus i bought more ribbon at 70% off.    The last was the most scrumptious silver brocade I think I have ever seen.  It was originally $19.99 per yard but I had a 50% off coupon,  Yay!!!  I know it will make some absolutely GORGEOUS ornaments or eggs.  Yeah, I've decided to branch out into eggs also....lol!!  Birth Announcement Ornamanets and Eggs, Baby's first Christmas Ornamanets and Eggs, WeddingOrnamanets and  Eggs, Graduation Ornamanets and Eggs.  You name it!  I'll figure it out.  Be sure to check out the birth announcement ornament of my newest grandson.  His picture is on the front and his name and birth information is on the back. 

If you wish to order an ornament, an egg or a box, please leave a comment to that effect.

Now I must hie me away to the phone to make some calls to craft show contact people and then must put all my ornament paraphenalis away in the cart santa brought me for organizing this new and ever growing stash!  Did we ever talk about STASH!!!   Yes, I know we did....lol.  Thanks to Santa this stash will be organized from the get go!!!

I plan to reorganize this blog also so check back to see any changes.  I also plan on posting pics of some eggs in the not too distant future.

Christmas Busyness!

Here is it almost December and I am immersed in Christmas!

My kitchen table is piled high with Christmas stuff!  I'm wrapping presents and making ornaments and wrapping ornaments.....lol. 

Remember a while back we talked about Kimekomi ornaments and  Stash!!! 

Well, I'm in love with the Kimekomi method of making ornaments and have made something like 24 ornaments since October 17.....and still have more to make....

Now as to stash!  When I first started with the Kimekomi ornaments, I had a small art bin that held, four 3 inch balls, 6 spools of ribbon, three or four fat quarters and not much else.  Things do seem to change rapidly in my stash world....sigh.  In roughly six weeks, I still have the orignal art bin, a plastic box  from my Grab and Go with fabric in it, several manila envelopes with fabric in them, two boxes with 4 inch balls in them, a revolving desk top organizer for tools, markers, etc.,  half a dozen colors of rat tail cord wrapped around toilet paper cores,  an empty dog food can, an empty instant coffee jar, and a lid from a Wendy's 99 cent frosty and it's growing exponentially.  However, I have decided to organize my stash from the get-go this time.  In fact when my husband asked what I wanted for Christmas I told him I wanted one of these http://www.joann.com/storage-cart-with-8-drawers-multi-16-25-x14-5-x39-75-/zprd_11362498a/.  It should hold considerable stash for a while to come.....I hope!

Anyway, here are a few of the ornaments I've made so far.

Well, it's getting late or maybe early...lol....as it's 7:20 a.m. and I've been up for three hours and I must get back to my ornaments.  Hope your holidays are grand!

Christmas is coming!

It's been a while since I posted anything, way back to June to be exact.

Although I haven't posted anything I've been very busy.  I'm working on a christmas stocking and have been since March and I'm almost done.  Also been working on a quilt, which is also almost done.

The subject today is Christmas ornaments!   For years I've drooled over the beaded and sequined ornament kits sold at Herrschner's like this one http://www.herrschners.com/zoomimage.aspx?pid=105185 , but have never gotten around to buying and making one.  Just could never decide which one to spend the money on and other crafts have ever been in the forefront.  A while back I stumbled onto this site: http://ornamentdesigns.com/ .

As I surfed through Alyx' pages I started drooling again...lol! And I went shopping for supplies!  Picked up most of the supplies needed but then I wondered if my fingers would hold up to that kind of dexterity...I'm getting slightly arthritic in the fingers and just don't always have the fine motor control like I used to.....something like I don't have the eyes I used to have either.....using a magnifying glass for my cross stitch work is getting close to being the norm these days instead of just a now and then thing....sigh.

Anyway, while surfing on Alyx' site, I came across the Kimekomi section and before I knew it I was ordering a book about it from the library. I've always wanted to make ornaments and have been looking for the best method (for me to do that is) and I think I've found it.  The more I read the more I liked what I read.....so I took the plunge and went shopping AGAIN!  

The method is called Kimekomi, pronounced key-may-ko-mee, and I've fallen in love with it!  I've done a couple of the simple designs that were in the book and thought, Hey!  This is kinda fun.  So I started thinking about making ornaments for my gkids instead of buying them.  Used to be I bought them Hallmark ornaments but that's outside my budget these days and I've never really been happy with some of the ornaments I purchased elsewhere so I thought ok, I'll make some Kimekomi ornaments that fit the gkids' interests.

Here is my first completed ornament, the design of which was in the book.  Needs vast improvement on skills but I will get better!


This is using a 3" ball. 

So since I wasn't completely disappointed I went on to think out my own design and here are front and back pics of that ornament!

 This is using a four inch ball.  Still not perfect, but I shall persevere!