Abundant Blessings

New Adventure

2010-05-23T20:32:00.004-04:00

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. If anyone is interested in following the adventure of starting a business from the ground up, here is the link to the blog which I have put together.

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

2010-02-27T12:10:00.009-05:00

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

2010-02-23T22:03:00.008-05:00

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

2010-02-23T09:29:00.009-05:00

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

2009-07-21T18:49:00.013-04:00

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

2009-07-19T22:53:00.017-04:00

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

2009-06-16T20:36:00.047-04:00

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.

New Project For My Family: To Help Those Fighting Leukemia

2009-05-23T21:41:00.007-04:00

It has been awhile since I put anything on my blog. I have sat at my computer a few times trying to write and the words just would not come. Even the last post I did for Pink Saturday I had to force myself to do. See, In April my Nana went home to be with the Lord, and I was out of state for about a month spending time with my family. I could have written while I was out of state but as I said before, the words just would not come. I wrote about my Nana back in March, here is a link if you would like to read it. My Nana was an amazing lady and I will miss her all my days and my children (one who just turned 17) are incredibly fortunate to have had their Great-Grandmother as a regular part of their life, oh how blessed we have been. I mentioned back in March that part of the legacy my Nana left was a legacy of hope, more specifically, hope for Glory. As a symbol of that hope, her family, almost 30 of us, wore bright yellow to her funeral, it was a sight to behold.

A while after we arrived home from being out of state and doing the funeral, my daughter asked me if there was anything we could do to help people who were fighting Leukemia, like Nana died from. My daughter is 13, she loves crafting and creating (gee I wonder where she gets that?), she loves planning and organizing, and she loves blogging (she has her own crafting blog here). So, here is what she came up with to honor Nana's memory: She started a ministry called "Ellen's Hope" and a blog for you all to follow the progress of her projects. She wants to do ongoing projects to help those fighting leukemia, but she wants the projects to be able to change. For example; right now, for her first project, she has a goal of putting together 50 gift baskets for Leukemia patients (25 for adults, 25 for children), to be delivered to the cancer floors of local hospitals. However, once that project is completed, she wants to have the flexibility to do something different, maybe a yard sale to send money for leukemia research, maybe a bake sale, etc. So, on her blog you can follow all of the details of what we are currently doing. I say "we" because "we", the whole family, are helping with these projects.

We will be adding to the "Ellen's Hope" blog regularly so please check back often. If you would like to participate in any way, please get in touch with us through the contact information either on this blog or the "Ellen's Hope" blog. If you would like to participate, we are currently looking for donations for the baskets. Attention crafters: This may be a great way to get your items into people's hands. We don't mind if your labels include your contact information.

Pink Saturday!

2009-05-09T07:04:00.003-04:00

Here it is Pink Saturday once again. I thought for this weeks pink it would be fun to see what pinks my hands touch in the course of an average day. These are a few items which I lay my hands on daily.

First, I have a sweet basket pin cushion which is one of my latest thrift store finds. I have needed a new pin cushion and spotted this one at the thrift store for under $1.00. Next to the pin cushion is a cone of pink yarn which I took from my stock of weaving yarns. It's a pretty shade of pink and has been used in baby blankets, purses, and other items. These two items are sitting on a Math Teachers Manual. I am a homeschooling mom and therefore this pink item is truly a part of my every day life. See, pink truly is everywhere and you don't have to look to far to find it. What pink is a part of your everyday life?

Swedish Tomte

2009-03-16T17:26:00.061-04:00

Here are some photos of some of my past and current work.

Candle Dipping Swedish Girl (SOLD)

Fishing Tomte (permanently attached to base). (SOLD)
Approx 5" tall.

Swedish / Tomte girl with mixing bowl. (permanently attached to base)
Approx 5" tall.
(SOLD)

Swedish / Tomte Girl with broom. (Removable from stand). Approx 5" tall. (SOLD)

Tomte with bundle of wood. (SOLD)

Swedish / Tomte girl cooking on fire
Approx. 5" tall. (SOLD)
Tomte with ax. (SOLD)

Swedish / Tomte girl with basket of traditional Swedish breads including Cardamon braid and Limpa. (SOLD)

Also, here is a photo of two I recently did for a special order. They are male nurses and were ordered by a male nurse to add to his collection.

It's Pink Saturday Again!

2009-03-14T01:00:00.011-04:00

Once again it's time for another edition of Pink Saturday. For this week's edition I have a couple of lovely pinks for you. The first is a quilt I made for my daughter. Her bedroom is a loft above our kitchen and it is all pink. She has pink cabinets, pink bow borders and pink walls. She loves pink and this is the quilt I made for her bed.

This next photo is of one of my daughters and believe it or not, it was taken just last week on Cape Cod in MA. We had a beautiful fairly warm day in the midst of snowing and cold and took the opportunity to head to the ocean while we were at my mom's. We have been studying oceans and were at the point of studying shells so we were looking for a chance to collect some, and boy did we, we came home loaded down. I love this photo, don't you think even the water looks pink?

By the way, the lovely lady in this photo is participating in Pink Saturday this week on her very own blog. She is very excited and would love for you all to drop by at
www.crittersncrafts.blogspot.com

Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for organizing Pink Saturday for us all.

Blank Journals

2009-03-12T20:20:00.014-04:00

To make these great little journals I first took a paper bag and permanently adhered two layers together to make a nice heavy material for the cover. I then took the image portion of a soda carton and included it on the cover (same images appear on both the front and back covers of the journal). On the inside I included two signatures with a total of 40 double sided pages. Some of the pages are red to match the colors of the cover and ribbon. On a couple of the pages I added a few of the images and words from the soda carton.
These are perfect for little notes or dropping in your purse for when you need to jot something down.
Please keep in mind, this journal was made from repurposed materials. Please don't expect it to be without imperfections, that is the beauty of repurposed materials. For example, if you look at the image which shows the inside back cover you can see the neat wrinkled effect created by the paper bag which was used to fashion the cover, the wrinkling is part of the fun. So, although I would never use anything in my creating which was obviously stained etc, many of my materials did have a prior life.

Handmade Blank Journal from Vintage Book Cover

2009-03-09T21:37:00.007-04:00

I made the outside of this journal from the cover of a book called "Do You Love Someone?" The journal is a pretty pinkish color and closes with a corded tie. Inside you'll find 28 cream colored pages with deckle cut edges. You'll also find some stitched fabric pockets to hold notes and keepsakes. I also included some of the little images from the original book on the corners of a few of the pages.

Faith for Today, Hope for Tomorrow

2009-03-09T16:42:00.008-04:00

I was traveling recently to visit my Grandmother who is fighting leukemia at 83 years of age. As I was driving, I was listening to a recording of a friend of ours, he had given a talk on the subject of hope. It seems when hope is mentioned in scripture is it referring to things in the future. But when faith is mentioned it is referring to things of the present.

2 Corinthians 5:7
"For we walk by faith and not by sight."

2 Timothy 4:7
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

His talk got me thinking about my Grandmother, my Great-Grandmother and my Mother.
My Great-Grandmother was a Swedish immigrant who after moving to America as a young woman, never returned to her homeland. She never saw her mother or most of her family again. Times were so different then with no telephones, email or webcams and communication was done primarily through letter writing. My family has many of the letters which my Great-Grandmother wrote home to Sweden and they have been translated from Swedish. In those letters is expressed the heartbreak of homesickness and longing. Buried in one of those letters is one line which still resounds in my heart many years after first reading them. I am paraphrasing that line here because I would have to go through every letter to find the exact line but it says something like this "if not for the hope of Glory, I would not be able to endure the heartache of missing you all".
And suddenly it struck me. That is just the legacy my Great-Grandmother and in turn my Grandmother and my Mother have tried to instill in us all, faith and hope. They have instilled in us a faith in God, a faith which helps get us through today and the trials of life. But in addition to faith they have tried to point us towards hope, hope for Eternity, hope for Glory, hope for tomorrow. What a beautiful legacy to leave those you love. In the end, isn't what really matters knowing that your loved ones know the Lord and Savior Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior? I know it is for me. I only hope I can leave a legacy of faith and hope for my children. I am so grateful that three very special ladies loved me enough to pass on that legacy to me. Thank you Ma, I can't wait to meet you in Glory, and Thank you Nana and Thank you Mom. I love you with all my heart.

Lavender Heart Sets

2009-03-09T09:11:00.023-04:00

Still Praying for Rain

2009-02-27T19:29:00.005-05:00

In one of my prior posts I shared how I was praying for rain and someone shared a song with me in regard to that post. I wanted to share that song with you. Here is a link to "Let it Rain" by Michael W. Smith.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qttxhgc8d9E
I hope you enjoy.

My House is For Sale

2009-02-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

For anyone interested in a great place to live in the country, our house is for sale. I have set up a blog to show pictures of it. I am working on taking the pictures and getting the descriptions on the blog so please be patient with me as I get that done. Thanks. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Here is the link to the blog.
http://greatplaceforsale.blogspot.com/

New Crafting Blog for Young Girls

2009-02-15T18:51:00.004-05:00

If any of you have daughters who are into crafting you may want to have them check out a new blog. My 13 year old daughter has created a blog geared towards girls who are into creating and who are crazy about critters. She already has some great tutorials on there and has already taken pictures for more posts. She is very excited about it and would love to have some comments and / or followers. We promise you it will be a safe and wholesome place for your young ladies to visit on the web. Thanks for checking it out for her.
http://www.crittersncrafts.blogspot.com/

Pink Saturday - Valentines Day

2009-02-14T08:18:00.001-05:00

Last week, when I was uploading pictures from my camera for Pink Saturday, I came across a photo and knew it had to be the next Pink Saturday picture. This is my daughter at a recent church sledding party. It's funny how on the day of the sledding party, I hadn't even noticed all the pink but when I saw the picture it was all I could see. How's that for Pink, one of my little valentines in all her pretty pink.
Happy Pink Saturday!
Happy Valentines Day!

Let it Rain!!

2009-02-07T15:02:00.013-05:00

Ask the Lord for rain in the time of the latter rain.

The Lord will make flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.
Zechariah 10:1

I am not sure why but I feel the Lord has asked me to pray for rain. And although I may never totally understand why He wants me to pray for rain, I know I will be blessed by the obedience of doing so. So I am praying. I also have been studying rain as it appears throughout scripture and I thought I would share some of my observations with you.

I see two types of physical rain in scripture. There is the type of rain which can be a scary, flooding, destroying, downpour, an example of which we see in Genesis with the Noah flood. The other type of rain is a sweet rain, a rain which nourishes a dry and thirsty ground, an example of this can be seen in 1 Kings. In Verse 18:1 of 1 Kings it says

"And it came to pass after many days that the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, "Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth."

Then in verse 41 it says

"Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain."

This was the end of a drought. These people were happy to see the rain finally come.
Now, the other type of rain I see in scripture is not physical but is used for the sake of analogy.
We see examples of this many times throughout scripture, here are a few examples:

Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow (or unplowed, unproductive) ground
For it is time to seek the Lord,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12

I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing;
and I will cause showers to come down in their season;
there shall be showers of blessing.
Ezekiel 34:26

There are many more verses where things like righteousness and blessings are said to "shower" down. Now the question which came to my mind while I was studying is this: Why did the Lord use the comparison of rain in these instances? I think it is because He wants us to know that the righteousness and the blessings which He will shower down are going to be abundant. Not only will they be abundant but they are going to be refreshing as well, like rain is to a dry, parched and thirsty ground.

So when storm clouds come, they don't necessarily mean dark days ahead. As the above verse from Zechariah says, flashing clouds, which we often think of as frightening, also come before blessing and refreshment. If there are dark clouds in your life right now, don't despair. Thank the Lord for the clouds and get on your knees and let's pray together for rain.

Pink Saturday

2009-02-07T08:25:00.016-05:00

It's that time again, it's Pink Saturday.

I have to tell you how much my girls love Pink Saturday.
So, for this weeks edition of pink, I let them be in control. Actually, my oldest daughter says she always wants to choose the pink. So here's what they chose for this week:
This is a hair clip that my daughter made

And this is a photo of my other daughter in the outfit I put together for her for a Christmas gift. I mentioned this skirt in a prior post, I made it for her from a curtain and a sheet. (I didn't make the top).

If you want to see more lovely pinkness, head on over to How Sweet the Sound to get the links to all those who have participated in this week's Pink Saturday. Thanks Beverly.

Happy Pink Saturday everyone!

2009 Christmas Challenge

2009-02-04T07:58:00.013-05:00

Here it is February already, the second month of the 2009 Christmas Challenge. If you haven't yet signed up for the challenge, you can read all about it here. Be sure to leave a comment either here or on the original post if you would like to participate.

The challenge goal for January was to write up your list and get one gift taken care of. How did you all do with January's goal? I have my list done and have made some little items to give to some of the ladies on my list. I would so much like to have started with the gifts for those who are difficult to shop or make for, but I haven't figured out yet what I am doing for them. So until I come up with something, I will work on other things.

Anyone have anything done which they would like to post a link to? Any ideas you'd like to share? I have found some great ideas which I may work into my plans check out some of these:

For those of you who are into jewelry making, here are some great instruction for earrings.

http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/janeaustenearrings/ss/122407.htm

http://jewelrymaking.about.com/library/bl052400.htm

And this link will bring you to a list of jewelry instruction for everything from bracelets to earrings, to necklaces and on and on.
http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/jewelrydesigning/u/Projects.htm

And how about some aprons for the cooks on your list? Here is a list of 50 (yes 50) free apron patterns and tutorials.
http://tipnut.com/free-apron-patterns-tutorials/
There are some really pretty aprons on the list, here is a picture of just one of them.

And I think I may make these pretty skirts for my girls. They will love them.
Excellent instruction included.

Well, there's some eye candy to help get your creative juices flowing. Remember, one gift taken care of in February, that's all. You can do it. Come November, you'll be so happy you did.

It's Pink Saturday Again

2009-01-17T07:59:00.015-05:00

Wow, did Pink Saturday arrive again quickly. Thank you Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting this for all of us. For this weeks pink it's time for a walk down memory lane. This is my daughter wearing my 1984 prom gown with her pink boa. I know, I know, my age is showing but I just couldn't resist sharing this with you all.
I hope you enjoy.
Happy Pink Saturday.

Handmade Valentines: A Tutorial

2009-01-10T11:08:00.021-05:00

In my post on how to make Christmas cards (Making Gift Cards: A Tutorial), I mentioned I would later do a post on the Valentines cards we make, so here it is.
Let me start by saying, I know those little valentines which are sold in all the stores are very inexpensive. Some of you may be saying you can't be bothered making something when you can get those so cheap, and I do have years like that as well. However, if you are looking for something a bit more creative this year, and with a touch of recycling thrown in, this may be just what you are looking for.

When I first started making the gift cards which I showed in my prior post, I didn't know what to do with the cards which looked like this:

You know the ones, they have one big huge critter or cuddly animal on the front. They are adorable but they really can't be folded to create the other types of gift cards which I make. I set them aside and saved them till I eventually came up with the idea of valentines. If you do not have little children at home, you may not have many of these cards coming to your house, but if word gets out that you are using old greeting cards for crafting, you will get plenty passed on to you.

The first step is to remove the part of the image which you want to use.

Then using an exacto knife or very sharp scissors like fingernail scissors, cut out the part of the image you want to put the heart under. Like this:

Then glue in place any hearts or other pieces you want to add.
Here's the part where you have to use your imagination just a bit. I went to the store to purchase lollipops to make these to show you and can you believe, I couldn't find any except a bag which had about a million in it. Usually I purchase the regular old fashioned type of lollipops because I like the colors and how they look but the round "dum dum" type would work just as well. After leaving the store frustrated and without lollipops, I "created" one for the purpose of this tutorial. I used a plastic stick and a round, green, circle of paper, just pretend it's a lollipop.
Carefully cut little slits in the image with your sharp scissors, then slide the lollipop in. You may have to put a piece of tape over the stick on the back to keep it from sliding out. That's it, sign the back and have the kids hand them out.

If you have to do cards for an entire classroom of children this might not be a feasable option. In that case, your children could just give these out to the grandparents and other special people in their lives. We homeschool so we don't have to do tons of valentines and this works for us.

Pink Saturday

2009-01-10T01:41:00.000-05:00

I have joined Pink Saturday (organized by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound). The idea is for me to do a post with a pink theme on Saturdays. Initially I thought this would just be a fun thing to participate in, I then realized what a challenge this is going to be. Not that it will not be fun as well, it will just be fun in a challenging sort of way. Here's where the challenge comes in; my house is pink deprived. No, really. I am talking, the absence of pink. A big pink void. As I look around my house, almost everything is in earthtones, browns, creams, whites, etc., so this should be interesting. So here is my pink for this, my very first Pink Saturday:

My daughter and I found this apron at the thrift store a couple months ago. Isn't it the most amazing thing? Don't you dream of a slower time when even aprons were made to be works of art?
As you can see by the photo, I did find something pink, ok, so maybe there isn't a total absence, just a shortage. I'll have to work on that.

Handmade Christmas Gifts

2008-12-31T23:19:00.011-05:00

As promised here are some photos of some of the things I made for Christmas gifts this year.

These are pins which I made for a few of the ladies on my gift list.

Here is the set of garden markers which I made for my brother. I trekked to our creek through 2 feet of snow and stood in the icy water (after breaking through the ice on the edge) with my boots on to get these rocks. My brother has been gardening with his daughter who is a Veggie Tales fan so I included the characters on the markers. After I painted them I sprayed them with polyurethane. The only one I wasn't completely happy with was the "peas" one because I think it sort of looks like a pepper. I included with this gift a number of garden related items, gloves, clippers etc.

This is the Bible cover I made for my husband. I made it from black leather which I had been given.

Other gifts I made this year:

Handwoven scarf for my mom woven from llama fleece which I spun.
Notecards made with some adorable images I found in an old book.
Skirt for my daughter made from a gorgeous curtain I purchased at the thrift store and a pink sheet. The skirt is very much princess attire.
Button flower hair clips for the little girls on my list.

I've Been Busy With This

2008-12-31T22:55:00.009-05:00

We are home now after being away with family for the holidays. We had a wonderful holiday but it is always nice to return home. If you are wondering what I have been so busy doing that I have had no time to give to my blog well here is what has been taking all my time.
We found this great dollhouse on Craigslist for our girls for Christmas. It was a fraction of the original price and was brand new in the box. When we began putting it together we realized that one of the 24 sheets of wooden punched pieces was missing. In fairness to the people I purchased it from, I do think it was missing originally from the factory. In a panic, thinking I had wasted my money, I looked for the address of the company to call and see if I could purchase just one sheet. Well let me tell you, God is good because it turns out the factory is only 1 hour from us and when I called they said the sheet of parts was only $6.00. Then, when giving me directions, they tell me to watch for the sign that says "craft factory outlet". So was this my lucky day or what, only $6.00 AND I get to pick it up at a "craft factory outlet". Well that was all my kids and I had to hear, so off we went. After purchasing our sheet of parts, and of course many other items which we "had" to have, we came home to put together our dollhouse. So that is where I have been. As you can see from the photos, we are not done with it. Actually we have a long way to go but we are having soooo much fun.

What To Do With a Diaper Wipes Container... And My Husband Thought This Was Just Trash!

2008-12-21T17:56:00.018-05:00

"Here honey, would you drop this in the trash?" My husband said as he handed me this.....
As the words registered in my mind, that other part of my mind, the creative, convoluted, misunderstood part was in other places. After all, this is a perfectly good plastic container.

"It's such a nice plastic container." My husband teased as he saw that scary look on my face, the look that says, "I'm going to do something with this and you're going to have to get excited about what I make when you get home from work."

He gets frightened by that look.

But, surely there must be something to do with this if it is just going to fill up some landfill I thought. I'm not talking about the obvious things like remove the cover and use it for a pencil container because after all how many pencil holders does one family need? I'm talking about something creative and fun to make and well, something like this...
It's a little gadget case/purse and I really did make it out of the diaper wipes container. O.k, here comes the apology, I'm sorry I have no photos of the process. I really had no idea what I was doing and wasn't even sure it was going to work. However, I will be making another one and I will photograph the process then. Here is a basic overview. I took the container, cut off part of the top of the container until it was the height I wanted. I threw out the cover and the top of the container which I cut off. On the outside of the container I used fabric which I wove on my loom but was leftover from a previous failed project. Then I took a fleecy fabric repurposed from the inside of an old coat and lined the inside of the container with it.I folded the lining fabric over the top rim of the container and blanket stitched it to the other fabric. The cover was made out of cardboard covered with more of the handwoven material and lined with the same lining material as the container. I then blanket stitched around the inside of the lid lining. I attached the lid to the container with a cord so when it is opened it doesn't get lost. A button holds it closed and a long shoulder strap was added for carrying. This case is perfect for when you only want to have a few items with you. My daughter says it is perfect for yard saling (great minds think alike). It's great for carrying around your spending money, your cell phone and keeping your hands free.
As you can see there is room for the phone, credit cards or cash and keys and probably a lipstick or other item or two. Here's a few more photos:

Isn't it cute? I do think if you are going to use this idea you should be sure to use as much repurposed materials as possible, that is the whole idea isn't it? I hope this inspires you too create something out of found materials too.

Oh Where, Oh Where Has The Blog Author Gone....

2008-12-20T17:39:00.008-05:00

Wow, the Christmas season sure is flying by. Being without power for 4 days really put me behind on everything it seems. I am just beginning to feel like I am getting caught up. Yes, I know, I have totally neglected my blog. But the time has been well spent I promise. See, I have been busy with creating and finishing up the gifts which we are giving for Christmas. Creating always (o.k, almost always) makes me smile so I guess that is time well spent. I can't really show you the things I have been working on because someone might see their gift, but I will be sure to photograph them to show you all later. I can show you a fabulous find which I came across while Christmas shopping, I was tickled about finding these.

I absolutely love them. Actually I loved them so much I bought 14 of them! Boy am I a sucker for a good deal or what? They are metal, well made, and they were marked down from $1.99 to $ .79, I mean really, could you have passed them up? I couldn't. I wanted to have a number of them for our home, for my children's ornament collections, and I also wanted to tie a few onto gifts. See, there is a reason for my madness.

But It Sure Is Pretty

2008-12-14T21:16:00.007-05:00

The pictures just don't do it justice!!

Here are a few pictures I took of the ice storm that recently hit the northeast. In the photo on the right everything is covered equally as much as the pine branch is in the photo on the left. You really should click on the pine branch photo to really see what this was like, it's amazing. The photo on the right is of our road. We were without power from Thursday night till Sunday night. For washing, we hauled water from the creek to heat on our antique cookstove , we also used creekwater to flush the toilet. We chopped ice from the pond to fill the fridge and kept the fire burning round the clock for warmth. It sure has been an adventure. I took a few pictures but you just can't capture the beauty of everything being covered in ice the way it looks in real life.

Another "green" purse, this one made from plastic grocery bags.

2008-12-11T19:47:00.009-05:00

Here's another purse made from one of the pieces I posted in a previous post. This one is made from woven plastic grocery bags. I figure if you're going to make a purse from plastic bags you might as well go all the way and make the entire thing from repurposed material, so this entire bag is made from found materials except for the magnetic closure. I made the interior of the bag (the navy blue) out of the fabric from a curtain I purchased at the thrift store. The other fabric (blue print) is leftover from another project and we found it originally at a yard sale. Then I made the exterior of the purse from plastic grocery bags which I wove on my loom. This bag was great fun to make and unlike the grapevines the grocery bags actually went through my sewing machine just fine. I should apply to be on the testing team for some sewing machine company for what I subject my machine to (and my loom for that matter).

"Green" Purses

2008-12-09T18:23:00.009-05:00

I recently posted pictures of three items I wove on my loom. Here is a photo of the first purse I have completed using one of those woven pieces. This was more work than I expected but was great fun to create. I just listed it in my etsy shop.

This was made using an old men's suit coat for the main bag part of the purse, then I used the mat I wove of grapevines as a cover for the bag. Deciding how to attach the mat to the bag took some figuring. I decided on stitching with a heavy upholstery thread in several places on the mat and through the bag. I also did this in many places along the top of the mat under the fold over part of the bag. Then I thought the ends of the grapevines might get too sharp as they dry thoroughly or might even snag clothing so I folded fabric and hand stiched it in a fold over the ends as you can see in the second picture. This had to be done by hand because the grapevines could not go through the sewing machine. I then added a vintage button to either side because, after all, I never can resist vintage buttons.

Why I'm Thankful for Emu's - Do you have Rosacea?

2008-11-24T13:47:00.019-05:00

First I want to say, I make no money from promoting this product, nor am I a friend or family member of anyone from the company.

I am just an extremely happy customer and would like to pass on some help that was passed on to me.
See, I have rosacea. REALLY BAD.
I had worst rosacea than just about anyone I had ever seen. It was like a mask on my entire face and my whole face was raised and red and dry, with peeling, sores , and on and on. It was absolutely horrible. I wish I had a before photo. It got to the point I didn't want to go out because everyone who saw me asked, "what is wrong with your face?" One day we went to buy a new vehicle. The man that owned the place said

"I don't mean to pry but is that rosacea you're dealing with?".

He told me he had really bad rosacea , but looking at him, I couldn't see a trace of it.
Up to this point, I had tried some different all natural / herbal things because that is normally the first route I try for any healing and normally have great success but not this time. Also, the doctor had given me some prescriptions to antibiotic creams which I never filled because I just couldn't see putting antibiotics on my face every single day...... forever. I also had cut chocolate out of my diet (thank you God it wasn't the chocolate), and had tried cutting some other things out of my diet. Nothing helped. So this man tells me he tried lots of things also and he prefers natural things (same here) and he gave me the name of this cream.

It is from Vermont Prime Emu Producers www.vtemu.com
They have many products but if you are dealing with rosacea you specifically want the one called Blemish Control.
I am here to tell you this cream is AMAZING.
I not only don't have any sign of rosacea but my skin is nicer than it has EVER been, and there is nothing in the ingredients that I can't pronounce. It at first seems a bit pricy but it really does last as long as they say (and I'm using it on my entire face). I would say it ends up working out to around $10.00 per month which to me is a small price to pay for my self confidence which had sunk to an all time low. The product says to give it a few weeks to work, and although I did see an improvement in that time, it took me longer to get to the point my skin is at now, and it has maintained. I have an occasional small break out (pimple) but nothing like before. I have found that after you get things under control, if you skip a day from time to time it is fine. I first purchased the smaller size to try it out but have since ordered the larger size. If they ever go out of business, I am going to have to get myself some emu's.
Thank you Vermont Prime Emu Producers!!!

Just Couldn't Wait to Post These

2008-11-23T13:10:00.007-05:00

Aren't these cute. They aren't quite done yet but I thought I'd show you them now. The angel still needs her wings and the shepherd his staff and the kings their gifts. They will probably end up for sale once the manger is made and the other details are done but I'm not sure yet, I'm tempted to keep them.

Look What I Made

2008-11-22T19:10:00.011-05:00

Look what I took off my loom yesterday. What are they you ask? Well, they are woven newspaper, woven plastic bags and woven grapevine. I know, I know, you are right now asking yourself why on earth anyone would weave such materials but it was just one of those days when anything that came through my door was bound to be, well, bound in my warp threads. Currently they are in the form and size of approximately a place mat but I will be making them into pocketbooks. I will post the pictures of them here when they are done.

Making Gift Tags: A Tutorial

2008-11-19T21:21:00.014-05:00

Make these pretty enclosure cards/gift tags for next to nothing.

It has always bothered me the amount of money that is spent on greeting cards just to have them dropped in the trash. So, about 2 or 3 times a year my daughters and I take out all our greeting cards and sit and make tons of enclosure cards, reusing greeting cards which we have been given. Here is a tutorial on the method we use to do this. I hope you enjoy.

First, greeting cards are often made of beautiful papers, which if purchased in the craft store, would cost lots of money. Here is just a sample of some of the papers I have saved from my greeting cards. Some of the papers come from the sheer lining which is glued inside the actual card, some comes from the back of the card, you just never know what you'll find. I sit (usually while I watch a movie) and cut all the usable part off a stack of cards and throw away the rest. I have a small paper cutter which makes this job quick and easy. Be sure to look at the space on the back of the card, sometimes there is a little picture or writing on the back but the space above or below it may be nice usable paper. If there is writing on one side of the card it is o.k., you can just use that piece to glue onto another.Here is a picture of some of the adorable images I have saved from some cards. You are going to begin looking at the cards you receive in a whole new way. Each card is full of potential for these cards as well as other crafting opportunities. On the back of the two cards in the photo, you can see there are two little images. Many cards have these on the back. These are great for creating with also. I spend time (while watching movies) cutting images out and I have a good collection going of them at all times. You will need nice sharp scissors which are good for cutting detail work to do the cutting of the images. Keep them in a baggie and you'll be ready to make cards at any time. In the following pictures you will see the little snowman and the pine cone in the above picture used on cards.
Here is another item you'll need to make these cards, however, I can't remember what they are called. They are little squares of foam which are sticky on both sides. I purchase them at Walmart and they are in the section with the mirrors. I cut them up into itsy bitsy (I mean, really small) squares for use on the cards. Because I cut them up so small, one package lasts me quite a while. You will also need glue.

Here is the process I use.

I take a card and first decide how I am going to use it. I will be using the bottom piece of this card for the main part of the card which I am going to make. I will be throwing away the top piece and I will be cutting out the flowers on the middle piece for adding to the card which I am going to make. Sometimes the flowers or other images which I will add come from other cards, however, in this example, all of the images are from the same card.

Here is the bottom piece folded into the main enclosure card and the flowers which I want are cut from the middle piece. I then take some of my little tiny squares of sticky sided foam and put them on the back of some of the images which I cut out. You only need a couple on the back of each one depending on the size.

Here is the card with the flowers in place. The second image is taken from an angle so you can see the three dimentional effect created by the foam squares. I do not use the foam squares on all of the added images. In this example only two of the three flowers were raised.

You may notice in the pictures that the edge of my cards are finished with a decorative edge. I do this with a deckle paper cutter but you can also use fancy cut scissors.

Here are a few images of a Christmas card I did. In the first picture note that the image with the bird is almost the entire front of one card. The little separate piece of holly is from another card. See how an image you may think will look funny when folded actually looks very nice. Further below are some more samples.

Here you can see some of the finished cards I have made for Christmas, they are complete with their ribbons. If you look closely you can see that the three across the top do not have any added image, they are just mounted on heavier paper and then the ribbon was added. Also, if you look at the two cards in the middle and at the right end of the top row you can see they are from the same card. The top right card has an image of some people decorating a tree, I cut off the top of the image and used it for the card at the center top. For the card on the far right end, the carolers were added and are raised. For the card with the pine cone, here is a picture of the individual elements before assembly (aren't they pretty?). Another thing I do with these cards sometimes is water down some glue and paint it lightly on certain places and sprinkle with glitter. Here is a photo of the cards I have ready for this coming Christmas. I also try to keep an ongoing stash of cards going for all other occasions. If you want to see something I came up with for children's valentine cards, please watch here for another upcoming tutorial. I hope you enjoy making these cards as much as my girls and I do. Happy Crafting, Shelley

What are we making?

2008-11-19T19:58:00.001-05:00

This picture is of some of our church family sewing parachutes for Voice of the Martyrs.

Does anyone own this cat?

2008-11-15T19:21:00.002-05:00

This is my daughter holding the latest addition to our family (I supose), who has been affectionately named "Lily". She seems to have been dropped off by someone who found our rural road and knew my daughter would love her to pieces. She is very sweet and after all...what's one more?

The Hospitality of Home Church

2008-11-14T22:04:00.010-05:00

The Hospitality of Home Church

by Shelley Howland
So you want to home church but you don't know where to begin. You don't know how others are doing this, you've never been to another home church and hospitality creates stress for you. The Hospitality of Home Church will walk you through some of the details. Intended as a sort of handbook for homechurching women, you will gain insights into topics such as: how to set up seating, what to do with the children (and the pets), how to make unleavened bread and how to truly have your heart focused on the Lord and those in your gathering so all will be blessed. Includes many crowd pleasing recipes as well as recipes for unleavened bread. 74 pages.
Available in our store (see link in side bar).

The Humidity Makes My Hair Frizz

2008-10-25T12:52:00.008-04:00

Now Available!

The Humidity Makes My Hair Frizz

and It's Really Starting to Stink in Here!

Lessons on Giving God Control of Your Life. By Shelley Howland

Shelley's new book with the funny title is now available. Gain new insights into how God is in control of all things as you read about one average Christian family's journey through trials. You will laugh and cry your way through this parallel to the story of Noah as you learn to give God control of those areas which you have been holding back from Him. Eleven self paced lessons with study questions at the end of each chapter. 56 pages.
Available in our store.
This book also available in quantity at discounted prices.

Here's a few comments from some readers:

"God has used your study to help me realize I was holding onto something He wanted me to let go."

"You mention how God places things in your path to remind you of His presence. Your study has done that for me."