Art Table creation!

Felting Fun at Summer Camp

Murder Myster SAL

I just got my batts for a Murder Mystery SAL from Desert Garden Farms. Each batt is a character and comes with a clue! Oh spinning and murder...my two favorite things!

Hooded Scarf

I finished my first real fiber -> yarn -> finished object project! I feel like a hooded scarf lends itself so well to theatrics. hence, the photos!

 

I purchased this lovely hand dyed merino from GreenwoodFiberworks on etsy. I spun each up separately and plied them together to get this...

 

Then I knit up this fun hooded scarf. 

   

I think it will be perfect to wear in the cooler spring weather and unexpected rain showers!

Cake in a Cup!

Prize Alpaca

My prize from the Sleeping Beauty SAL arrived today. It's some lovely and oh so soft alpaca! I've never spun straight alpaca before (only mixed into batts), so I think I'm going to use it to experiment and make a lovely luxurious yarn!

Spin A Long

 I've finished the yarn from my very first Spin A Long. So far it's been great fun and a wonderful source of inspiration. The SAL is Sleeping Beauty inspired. I got the Merryweather blue fairy batt. Here's my final yarn!

 

Simple Winter Squash

There is something so satisfying about a simple meal, something that honors the season and fills the belly in a wholesome way. I love squash as a one-dish naturally "pre-packed" food. (That thick rind does amazing thing in the way of natural food storage!) It's delicious, nutritious, and the perfect food to stock up on in the fall and eat all winter long. I like to keep an assortment of acorn, delicata, butternut, and more on hand. As a bonus you can use them to decorate in the fall and eat them when you're done!

Super Simple Winter Squash Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut squash in half and scoop out insides (you can even save the seeds and bake them as an added snack.)
3. Place halves on a baking sheet.
3. Add 1 Tablespoon butter to each half. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft.

Recycled Crayons Tutorial

I love making recycled crayons! They a great way to use up those little broken crayon nubs that no one wants to color with. Recycled crayons are perfect for making texture rubbing art and are fun eco-friendly party favors. They would also make lovely homegrown activity for the "kid's table" at your next family function. Just cover the table in butcher paper and put one of these at each place setting!

How to make recycled melty crayons:

1. Peel the paper off of old broken crayons (this is a great kid project). We collect these broken bits in a bag as we find them. When we have a nice selection, we get cooking!

2. Find a mold. I use a star shaped silicon cupcake pan. This makes is easy to remove the crayons and gives them a fun shape! You can also use a normal cupcake pan carefully lined with tin foil. (If you are not lining your pan you need to dedicate it to crayon making, as it will be very hard to get clean enough to use for cooking again!)

3. Fill your molds. You may wan to group colors together (different shades of green, pink and purple, or primary colors). You can also fill at random for crazy combination. I like to over-fill my molds a bit as the crayons will meld down as they bake.

4. Bake your crayons at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until they are completely melted. (Enjoy the unique and strangely pleasant smell of crayons baking.)

5. Let them cool completely.

6.  De-mold your crayons. If using a soft pan, you can carefully pop them out. If using a tin foil liner, peel off the foil.

 

Check out your local thrift store for great deals on fun mold shapes! Personally, I'm partial to the star. You can get several colors by rubbing it flat, or you can get more precise by just using one of the points.

Gingerbread Houses

Here's a little leftover holiday magic as you get ready for the new year! (Who doesn't love an artfully arranged candy buffet?)

         

Gingerbread houses make a great party activity (for adults too)! It gives everyone a change to get creative in a very forgiving medium. If working with a younger crowd, you may want to build the houses ahead of time. When the frosting has had plenty of time to dry, you don't have to worry about not-so-gentle-fingers knocking down the house. You won't believe the creativity that these little structures unleash or the stories that get told while hands are busy. (Make sure you buy twice as much candy as you think you'll need. Eating it is half the fun!)

Dried Apples

 

I must confess, I'm having a love affair with my Nesco American Harvest food dehydrator! It's been a long standing affair (we're going on 12 years together)!


There is simply something so satisfying about taking produce at the height of the season and storing it away for the winter. Or, at least, that's always my plan. Usually my dehydrated treats get eaten less than a week after completion. But, who can argue with a snack that's healthy, homemade, and so easy to pack in lunches? Here is the jar of apples that I just finished from the last of this year's apple crop. I picked these Honey Crisp apples up during what will likely be one of our last farmer's market visits before they close for the season. These apples were huge! Luckily, they were also extraordinarily delicious, and will continue to be delicious until the last carefully preserved slice is snuck out of the jar.

Fresh off the Drum Carder

I call this one "80s Dance Party"! It's sparkly bright pink wool topped with tons of silk noil. Yum, fiber eye candy!

Drum Carder Cleaning

 

I'd been having trouble getting my drum carder clean, I mean really clean, as in "card a black batt and then a white batt" clean. No matter how diligently and carefully I used my doffer brush, there were always some pesky fibers that just stay put, only to show themselves on my next batt! Then, I realized that the solution was right in front of me! I have this nifty little dog grooming brush that I used to smoosh down the fibers as I card. This lets me really pack my batts full. (Tip: splurge on the expensive dog brush. I tried using a cheap one at first, and the little bristles started popping off into my batts! It will end up costing you less than most of your other fiber tools anyway!)
  

This little brush makes a perfect drum cleaning tool. Just brush up using a flicking motion. This gently digs deep into the tines and pulls out stubborn fibers. If it doesn't flick them out completely, it will certainly loosen them enough so that your doffer brush can easily pick them up. No more drum carder cleaning frustration! Happy carding!

Collection Gallery Inspiration

Here is another "Collection Gallery", a pleasing arrangement of small items that make a big impact. This one is unified by frame color (black, collected from vintage and discount stores) and content (botanical drawings). (Yes, it's probably hung a little too high over the sofa, buts that's a project for another day!)

      

I've always loved Victorian style scientific and botanical drawings. However, they can be monsterously expensive! I found this delightful book on Ebay  for about $10 plus shipping and used my favorite pages to fill the frames. 

      

Cost of Project: $79.00 (I paid more for the frames and book for this collection gallery)

Time Needed: 2 hours (plus shopping for frames and content)

***Side note: Yes, I too love my blue vintage sofa! I looked for years to find one that was in my price range and didn't require reupholstering as all of those tucks and tufts make it too difficult for a do-it-yourselfer. The secret? Keep trolling Craigslist and take care of your Karma!***

Hallway Gallery

     Owr new house has a very unsightly breaker box in the hall that I've been meaning to disguise for some time. Of course, decorating an entire hall on a budget can be difficult. My favorite solution? The local thrift store! I purchased several mismatched frames in brown wood. (I even got most of them on clearance! Check with your thrift store. Most do deals for certain colored tags every day.)You can mix sizes and textures, but you want to have something unifying, like the color, to keep the display from being too busy. I already have a botanical drawing display in black frames above our couch, which I'm quite pleased with.
     When you're looking for frames, you can go for empty ones or nice frames with questionable "art" inside that can be easily replaced. Don't forget to check the hanging mechanism of the frame to a make sure it's sturdy. Table top frames can be hung with the addition of picture wire. If your frame has a hanging mechanism and a table top stand, you may need to remove the stand for it to sit flush against the wall. You can usually pull the stand off with a pair of pliers.
     Next, fill your frames. Look for unusual (and inexpensive) items that you find beautiful. I used some family snapshots, laser cut paper keys (usually used for scrapbooking or collage), and some pages of beautiful script from an old German book. I further united the collection by keeping the color scheme in neutrals and green.
     Next, determine your layout. Do this on the floor before you start putting holes in the wall! You want to make sure that your display is balanced in size, color, and contents. Now, you're ready to hang and enjoy!

    

     
     So, what happened to that unsightly breaker box? It's hidden behind the four-paneled key picture. Voila!


Total cost of Project: $16.95
Time needed: 2 hours (plus frame shopping)

Fresh off the Spinning Wheel

        

Recent fiber fun including a mohair, wool, and lamb locks novelty yarn, a 2-ply BFL and merino mix, an assortment of samples, and one of my new favorites, a wool and mohair blend with eco-felt fish "swimming" in the yarn! Enjoy your Black Friday bargain hunting. (Personally, I'm stocking up on fiber!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. May you share a special meal with meaningful people, and take a moment to remember all that you have been blessed with on this day. May your meal nourish your body and warm your heart.

It's the simple things that matter most, and I am thankful.

Turtle Pretzels

  These are the perfect sweet treat to please visiting friends and relatives while you wait for the turkey! They are easy enough for kids to help, and are done in a jiffy so you can get back to enjoying your guests. (You'll want to make twice as many was you think you'll need, these puppies disappear quickly!)
 Enjoy!


Turtle Pretzels
Pretzels (small twists or checkers)
Rolo candies (The holiday Rolos are out this time of year. However, if you go over one aisle to the candy area, they are much cheaper. You'll be taking off the cute foils off anyway!)
Whole Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet and spread pretzels evenly across it.
Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo.
Bake for 4-5 minutes until the candies are slightly soft.
Press a pecan onto each candy to squish it into the pretzel.
Let cool on the pan (you can even pop them in the fridge) and enjoy!

I hope these bring you many sweet holiday memories!