New Adventure

My family has set out for a new adventure, we are starting two businesses. I have mentioned in a prior post how I am starting a business and have promised that I would share details when I am able. Well, we have now taken the first steps. I am still not able at this time to disclose the details of our products but in time I promise I will.

They Are Calling It The Storm of The Century......I Tend To Agree

Would you like to see a frightening amount of snow? Take a look at these photos, taken outside my house today. Funny thing is.....4 days ago, we could see the ground.

This first one is of my daughter standing at our open front door. My daughter is 14 years old and as you can see, the snow if up to her hip. And... it's a step down outside that door.

Here's a photo of our barn....

Here's the same barn without the snow.

Our Garage

Our House

Pet Peeve: Expensive Craft Supplies

It is my belief that crafting does not have to be an expensive undertaking. So, because I have a pet peeve about expensive craft supplies, most of the handmade items you'll find on this blog were done using found materials. There are so many great materials which can be had for small money, with which you can make some really great items. Just start looking at the things you come across in your travels in new ways. Once you begin doing this on a regular basis you'll be amazed at the quantity (and quality) of the materials you'll have to work with. I recently came across some old wooden game pieces which my daughter and I made into these necklaces. We simply cut out some petals from pretty papers, glued them on and sealed the pieces with polyurethane. Then we drilled a hole in the wood and with black wire we made the little hanger loop part. The cording is leather. These and others are being added to the shop.
Why not see what you can come up with using found materials, your pocketbook will thank you.

Long Time...No Post

Hi everyone. I know... I know... it has been eons since I have added anything to my blog. I send out a big heartfelt apology to any of you who follow my blog. So much has gone on here and there is so much to fill you in on that I don't even know where to start.

In many ways, this past year has been very difficult, in other ways, things have been very exciting. As I mentioned in prior posts, we lost my Nana last year, that, along with a few other things, have made for some serious crying time and I can't even begin to tell you how they have set me back emotionally. I also may have mentioned before that our house is for sale. It has been for sale for what seems like forever. We could not have put our house on the market at a more difficult time (historically) to sell a house. However, as many of you who have read my book ("The Humidity Makes My Hair Frizz and It's Really Starting To Stink In Here") know, I have walked a similar path with the Lord in the past and I know His timing in all of this is and will be perfect.

On the exciting end of things. I am in the process of starting a business. I'm talking, a real big undertaking, not just little old me selling the things I make here in my studio (not that doing that isn't exciting for me too). I wish that I could spill the beans and tell you all about it but I can't... just yet. I am in the process of writing a patent to have a product protected and I am also in the process of having my logo and company name trademarked. It is all so very exciting and scary at the same time and is certainly venturing into unchartered territory for this woman.

So...I would appreciate if you all would send up a big prayer for me and this big adventure I'm on. And I promise I will share all the details with you as soon as I am able. I will also post in the next few days some of the latest things my family has been working on. We are working on updating the store as well. Thanks for your continued interest in our things.
Blessings,
Shelley

My Son's Latest Work

My son has been working on carving bread boards lately. Here are some photos of a few of his most recent pieces. This first one is incredibly beautiful, it is made of Teak. It was carved using a Travisher, Spokeshave and Gouges.
If you are interested in purchasing any of his work you can find it here.

In one of these photos the bread board is sitting on a chair seat. The chair is a hand made Windsor Chair which Forest also made.





Here's another bread board, this one is made of pine. (Following 2 photos are of the same bread board)

How to Make Inside Out S'mores

We have just returned from a week at my mom's house. While we were there we celebrated my mom's birthday with a campfire. Due to one item, this campfire was one to remember. Knowing how crazy my mom is about marshmallows, we just knew we had to buy her these:






Now these may look in the photo like just a regular bag of marshmallows but they are not, here is a photo to show you the comparison of a regular marshmallow to these babies.





Let me tell you, these are huge! The kids had to use two hands to eat them and what a mess.
We did come across one problem with them. They are too big for the crackers for making S'mores. So we got creative and made Inside-Out S'mores. We made a hole in the marshmallow (not all the way through) and put the crackers and the chocolate right inside the marshmallow, then roasted them. Spur of the moment creativity....genius!

These should be illegal. Due to the chocolate being heated while the marshmallow is roasting, these were ridiculously gooey and delicious. They were definitely a hit with the kids (and the adults). So if you see these super sized marshmallows in the store be sure to pick them up for some added "wow" value at your next campfire. And be sure to have a hose ready for hosing down the sticky kids.

Tutorial: Make a Jenga Block Keychain

Follow this easy tutorial to make one of these great keychains, which you can personalize with your own images.

Materials:

• Old Jenga Blocks or other similar sized pieces of scrap wood sanded smooth

• Papers/Images or your choice

• Cording for knot at top

• 1 Keychain ring per keychain

• Drill bit (similar width to the cording), and drill

• Glue

• Woodburning tool

• Sharp scissors

• Sharp pointy object like an awl (I use a metal cake tester)

• X-acto knife (optional)

• Some kind of sealant, I used a glossy, quick dry, polyurethane

First drill a hole in the block (I placed mine approx 1/2" from the top). Drill straight through till the bit comes out the other side of the block. Be sure to do your drilling on a scrap piece of wood.
Next, take some glue and spread it lightly on one side of the block. Place the block (the glue side) on your paper or image. You can hold the paper up to the window or other light source to see through the paper to find the best placement on the paper. Once the block is placed exactly where you want it, press down firmly on the paper and smooth it out completely. Then cut the excess paper from around the block. You can use either a sharp pair of scissors or an x-acto knife to do this, whichever you prefer. I also experimented with cutting out the paper before gluing it down and it worked equally well. Do this step which ever way you find most convenient.



















Now take your cording and thread it through the keychain ring , then tie a square knot in it. If you don't know how to tie a square knot, here are the steps: Take the cord and take the right cord end and place it under the cord on the left. Then take the left cord and pulling it up behind the right cord, place it up and over the right cord. Pull it tight so the loop at the top is not very big. Then you are going to repeat this process but in reverse. You take the left cord and place it under the right cord. Then take the right cord and pulling it up and behind the left cord, place it up and over the left cord. Then pull the ends so the knot is fairly snug.

Now, take the knot you just made and hold it on top of your block of wood. Then let the ends of the cord hang down the sides and over the drilled holes. Cut the ends of the cord so they hang down just a bit below the hole. You are going to be stuffing the ends of the cords into the holes.

Take some glue and put it in the hole on one side of the block. Then take your knotted cord and holding it in place on the block, use your pointy object to force one end of the cord into the hole. I find this works best if you start with the very end of the cord and just keep pushing it in firmly. Then flip the block over and repeat on the other side. Remember to add more glue to the other side.

Then, using your woodburner, write whatever words you choose on the reverse side. I did some for gifts and wrote the recipients name. I finished the keychains with two coats of glossy, quick drying polyurethane.

That's all there is too it. Have fun.

If you don't want to make your own, you can find these keychains in our store....here.