Crafts after BC is good for the soul

spar2

I just had to post this picture, the rain knocked the iris off the stalk so it bloomed out in the vase in my kitchen window and just a few weeks ago looking out was so bleak but look how all this rain has greened everything up, it is looking beautiful out here in the woods.  love it.

spar2

Our church is going to have a huge garage sale so will be on the look out for any kind of stuff to use for art.  I am working on a windchime with a slice of a tree trunk ( a small limb)  Tom drilled the holes but I am having a hard time coming up with what to put in the middle to go through the other beads.  Beads and a metal ball are vertical but got to come up with something special that will make a noise horizonally.   Am I making sense? Maybe a piece of copper tubing or something like that.  Am in the process of making a patriotic necklace.  Sending little Hannah my white fuzzy hat and in the process of making a navy blue one for a friend.  I have so many projects going on, can't even keep up with them myself.

Hope all is good with everyone.

JO, I love all the iris's and tulips also I just wished they stayed bloomed out all summer.  I will have to take a picture of my snap dragon I planted last year and they made it through the winter and are all bloomed out and beatiful.  My DH is outside now planting ground cover over the septic tank.  We had to have an arerobic system put in and the dirt area is huge so hopefully the ground cover will work.

Have a great day.

would love to see pictures of BinVa's windchimes she is making.

I need more ideas.

lvtwoqlt

Spar, a couple of years ago at Church VBS, we made wind chimes out of metal electrical condudit cut to various lengths and holes drilled at one end to thread the fishing line through to make the chimes. The striker mechanasm was a large metal nut and a piece of plastic lid threaded on the fishing line for the wind to catch and move the nut to hit the chimes. The top was made out of large bedpost knobs (pineapple shaped) from the furniture factories and we screwed small eyelets in the bottom of the knob to hang the pipes and strikers on and one in the top to hang it on. It makes an unusal sound. All of my chime pieces hang vertically in a circle with the striker in the middle.

Sheila

sunkistmi

Hi Spar,

I know I said I was going to lay down but had to check my other favorite threads.  I saw windchimes somewhere made out of old silverwear.  The person drilled small holes in the handles and hung them with clear thread or fishing line.  They made a beautiful sound.  I bought a bunch at an estate sale long time ago to make several but they are still laying in the box.  It seems like they were mismatched which made them really interesting.  Just a thought.

Blessings,

Wendy

sahalie

You all are moving at a rapid speed on this fun thread.  I have so many pages to catch up looking and reading.  I also love iris'sssss.   Great picture and your property looks beautiful.

All the windchimes described sound fantastic.  So unique.  

One craft I want to share with you guys is the cutest crocheted cup cozy I used at a friends house.  Jazz if you are reading this I haven't had a moment in time to begin crocheting.  One of these days.  I'l find the cup cozy to show everyone.

While at a friends house she pulls out these cutest little coats for our cups. 

shannon56

All of you have inspired me to complete a number of partial projects.  I have a quilted table runner in progress, material for 3 or 4 more quiltes, a beaded necklace (finished that on Monday), and some other odds and ends.  My DIL was given 2 bc bracelets by a co-worker of which one was for me.  I bought similar beads yesterday and am going to make both of us coordinating necklaces.  I spent way too much money yesterday but it's all for my sanity.  When I get some more stuff done I'll post some pictures.

Wendy -- we don't live too far apart, maybe we can get together sometime.

Deb-from-OH -- I lived in Loveland for 8 yrs (1987 - 1995) near the intersection of Branch Hill - Guinea Pike and Wards Corner.  We really miss the Cinci area.

arnie

Good mornin'  

sahalie...  Saw the pic of the cup cozy and smiled...I made a bunch of them for Christmas mugs that I gave the family for Christmas as a little extra.  It was fun making them in the Christmas colors and so easy to whip up.  Wish I would've taken a pic now...

Spar... My mom passed away over 18 years ago...every spring I look forward to seeing the irises she gave me... That pic is beautiful!

Anonymous

Good morning sister makers of beauty. 

Shannon, I would love to see pictures of your table runner when you get it finished.  Beading seems to be the new trend.  I've even seen magazines for it now.

Arnie, do you have the pattern you could send for the cup cozies?

Sahalie, the cup cozy is adorable.  I've never seen one before.  Too cute!

Well, coffee is ready and I'm still half asleep.  I'll be back in a bit.

Anonymous

I just wanted to post a picture of my latest craft project.  This is not one I have made yet..

arnie

Always...simply beautiful

For coffee cup cozies go to:  www.instuctables.com/id/crocheted-coffe-mug-cozy/-109k-

I actually didn't use a pattern for mine...sat down one night and just played with it.  I even did the handle.  I'll sit down one of these days and do another one and write down the pattern as I go.

spar2

lvtwoqlt, that windchime sound really unique and doable.  I do have one with silverware for the noise maker, it is posted somewhere on this thread.

Shammon can't wait to see pics of your crafts.

Sahalie, I too just love iris's, I have all colors, purple, yellow, rootbeer, lavender. Did you catch my snapdragons on the mountain thread?

I have been up all night could not sleep so finally got up and made jewery.  I will post a picture.

Love the cup cozy, they are well....cozy, I can see sitting on the porch on a cold morning with my coffee in a cup cozy.

Jaz, are those Christmas ornaments, quilted?  They are beautiful.  How do you make them

Stella, go ahead and post a picture of your yard ornaments that you have made and painted.

the blue one is for Tom's mom, the coral one is for my mom, the pink with a mulicolor braclet is for sweet pea, the muticolor nectlace is for Olivia, and a friend asked me last night to make her a pink and black one and a green one so those 2 are for her.  all I had in black was little square beads, but it turned out ok.

I am feeling really queasy, going to have breakfast and coffee, then have to drive to Norman to take care of some business.  Hope I can stay awake.  Have a blessed day everyone.

lvtwoqlt

I have in my office this morning a beautiful boquet of yo-yo flowers for my grandmothers birthday on the 22nd. My grandmother gave me and my mother the love of sewing and quilting. So for her 95th birthday we created 95 yo-yo's, hot glued them to the center of silk daisies, and glued a colorful pom-pom in the center of each yo-yo. My sister and I finished the arrangement last night and my mom is coming by my office today to pick them up. we are using the arrangement at the mother-daughter garden party at church Saturday for one of the table decorations.

The ornament that jaz posted is a fabric project. The fabric is cut in squares and folded a certain way to make a triangle with the raw edge at the bottom of the triangle. then the pieces are pinned on the styrofoam ball covering the head of the pins. It is covered in halves with ribbons covering the remaining raw edges of the fabric. I have seen my grandmother make them, I haven't tried them myself but it is an easy project. You can also make it with pieces of grosgrain or satin ribbon.

Sheila

Anonymous

Wow!  Just unbelievable...

Anonymous

Spar, the jewelry is beautiful.  You have a wonderful sense of color. 

sahalie

Spar.  Shining beautiful necklaces you have made. 

Making them and watching them come together must be so much fun. 

Arnie.  What fun you must have had making those adorable cup cozy's.  Will you make more? 

Jazzy.  I love those quilt piece ornaments.  My computer teacher used to make those for Christmas gifts for the tree.  They were always made out of Holiday fabrics and so pretty.

The cup cozy really caught my eye.  First I have to get busy with the squares then maybe tackle a cup cozette.

I know you all will love this one.  This is a facsimile of a wreath I saw at one of our clients homes.  Brilliant or what.

It's NUTS.  Nutty NUTS.  All in a wreath for those pesky but cute squirrels who try to steal all the adorable birdies food.  I'm going to make one of these and will take a photo.

Until then.  Don't you love it.

hollyann

Hi I love this thread!   I love to crochet and cross stitch..i just signed up on photobucket so when I get some pics downloaded on the big computer (I'm on my laptop rightnow) I will post them....I crochet mostly baby booties, doilies and Christmas ornaments........I ross stitch whatever hits my fancy.......

AnnaM

Here's a little folkarty scene:

and its partner:

AnnaM

My mini version of the Jane Stickle quilt (aka "Dear Jane"):

AnnaM

I made this quilt in 2003 and my daughter fell in love with it, so I made one very much like it for her wedding. I posted a picture of that one a while back.

AnnaM

This was my entry in a challenge; one had to make a quilt with just two colors (unlimited number of shades of those two colors):

I like to insert irregularities into my work. This particular quilt has one that is quite obvious - note the churn dash (name of quilt block) on the bottom left; I used the leafy background as opposed to the solid so the churn dash melts into the background. I like to place an off color or an error somewhere into each of my quilts. The one I am working on right now (Bears Paw) has at least 11 errors worked in, all of them whimsical.

AnnaM

Here's another little pair:

and

AnnaM

and this one is the size of a postcard:

Sorry to post so many at once, but I just downloaded my memory card and thought I'd share.

sahalie

Anna.  You are so talented.  I know the time it takes to quilt.  I admire you and your beautiful work.  I wish I had the energy to make one for our wedding person in the family.  I love that you incorporate little surprises in your quilts.  I'm speechless at your talent.   Your family is so very lucky.  You are one busy girl.  

Holly.  Hop on board.  Share your wares and crafts.  Even describing them is fun to read about.

sahalie

Share them ALL Anna.  They are breath taking.  I hope you have put together a portfolio for yourself of all your quilts.  Your talent and eye for colors is to the moon fantastic.

Sewing and creating is a true happiness.

spar2

Sahalie, how cool are those pin cushions with storage, love them

Anna, you have so much talent that it gives me goosebumps. They are all so unique and beautiful. also you can never post too much

Welcome Holly, hope to see your many crafts you have made.

Jaz, thanks for the compliments of the necklaces.  I do love making them.  After 30 something hours of no sleep, soon as I got home, had not even had lunch or spoke to DH, just went straight to bed. got up in time for survivor. 

Today, between appts.  I went to hobby lobby and bought some real jade beads and some copper beads so am thinking of something along those lines.  I tried to talk my mom out of a jade necklace and she said no so I thought well, I can make my own.

got some pretty yarn to knit some baby blankets, got 2 new babies coming up, actually 3 but already gave gift to one of them.

This is such a wonderful thread.  Just love seeing what everyone does and Sahalie, will have to make the squirrls their own special wreath so they will quit eating my bird seed, sometimes the sqirrils hang upside down to get at the seeds.  My baby ducks are growing faster everyday, I have to hold each one close to my heart everyday.  I talk to them probably every couple of hours when I am home.

Have a wonderful evening all.

lvtwoqlt

The quilts are gorgeous!

Speaking of squirrels, (nothing to do with crafting but funny) my father has a squirrel feeder that holds the ear of dry corn. Last year, the ears of corn kept disappearing after he would screw the ear on the feeder. Dad started watching from the front window and saw the squirrel was unscrewing the ear of corn and running away with it. He fixed that squirrel, he put a 3 inch drywall screw through the base of the platform replacing the 1 inch screw (that only had 1/2 inch showing). Then he watched from the window again. He saw that squirrel come to the feeder, twist the ear of corn a little bit and pull but the cob didn't move. He tried twisting it some more and pulling again but it still didn't move. Dad hasn't lost an ear since then. Dad 1 - Squirrel 0.

Sheila

spar2

That is hilarious, they are smart little creatures. 

Hope everyone is doing great and having a good day.  I am going to go eat lunch and be back later.

sahalie

Fun story Sheila.   Squirrels are so out there.  I really love watching them and all their ingenuity to get to the "food" source.  They sure are relentless and cute.  I buy bags of walnuts, crack them and toss them out under the pine trees for them to find.  They have to get the nut out of the shell so it gives them something to do to get to the food.  Their little hands, paws, whatever have finite fingers, are so cute and agile.

Where is SPAR?  Are you sleeping in crafts girl or busy with your baby ducklings?

I just read back a bit.  You had a couple appts.?   Is everything OK I hope!  Please check in when you have a minute.

I also saw something about the use of buttons.  When all ideas are exhausted, put a boat load of all shapes, sizes and colors of buttons in an old jar with lid and set out on a table for viewing pleasure.  Make sure a lid is on it so little ones don't get a hold of one thinking it's for the mouth.

OR *

Make a necklace !

IN CASE I DON'T GET THE CHANCE TO GIVE YOU EACH THIS WISH I WILL GIVE IT TODAY.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOTHER'S THAT GRACE THIS EARTH THAT SEND LOVE * GIVE LOVE *  TEACH LOVE * TO ALL THE CHILDREN WE HAVE HAD, ARE TO HAVE AND THOSE THAT HAVE COME INTO OUR LIVES. 

WITH LOVE * SAHALIE

spar2

I am here Sahalie and all appts good.  I am "normal" except eyes.  Nurse will call me after that is set up.  thank you so much for mother day wishes.  I also am sending them out to all of you.  I got the most beautiful heartfelt card from my son today.  I always have a happy day when I receive anything from him.  My heart just overflows so much with love for my kids and grandkids that sometimes a tear escapes.

Sahalie, i love that button necklace and that is a great idea, you could even use those glass pin cushions you posted earlier to fill with buttons.

I can't believe it my mom agreed to go to church with us Sunday and then out to eat.

Sahalie, do you have a walnut tree?  I would really like to plant one.  I wonder is they are self pollinating like the cherry tree we just ordered.

Alwayshope, my ray of jaz, hope you are having a good day of fun things. Missing you.

sahalie

There you are  :  )  Smile.

I am so happy to read your appt.s went great.  Now the eyes need a check.  Mine too.

Thank you for the Tulips.  Beautiful.  We are in a heat spell the rest of the week so in our dried out state and the Santa Barbara fires already and water rationing I got everything watered early.

One trick is to mow lawns higher in the hot times.  You guys probably already know that.

As for walnut trees.  There used to be orchards full of them here in CA.  They are a beautiful majestic tree with gnarls and wide limbs but they are a very dirty tree.  The fleshy green husks over the walnuts fall to the ground and are all yucky inside.  Kind of like when an Oak Tree drops it's Oak balls during the season.  Not so many walnut trees here on the coast area any more.  They are all over in the central valley area with pecan orchards.  Mostly fruit trees here and a trillion vineyards. 

How about some Walnut Royal's for the kidlets.