Ok....i am getting ready for a craft show at my local high school. I love sellin my work there...everyone is so nice and it supports the school my children go to.
Here's the problem...
I am the world's best procrastinator!!!
I have known about this show since last October...yep...LAST October...and i do NOT have very many projects finished! It is now the end of July...which only leaves me 3 months to get a good stash ready. I swear i can only do my best work under pressure....or at least that's what i like to tell myself!! Hee hee!
So.....i went thrifting again yesterday...and let me tell you...someone is out there "stealing" all my wool! How am i gonna hook if i don't have any wool?? Hee hee!
I did find a nice little stash...1 blazer and 5 pants.
I still have to cut it up and "wash" it....and then decide if i want to dye some or leave it until the right project comes along....hmmmmm!
I found a little step stool a few weeks ago and i just knew it would be adorable if i painted it and upholstered the top with a hooking. Now i have never done this before so there are no guarantees on how it will turn out, but you have to learn by trying ..right??
Here is the design i decided on...
I have already started hookin it and am loving it already!!
My son says it looks like a 3-headed alien....that little stinker!
He is my biggest critic..and you know kids..they love to be honest!!
I find it hard to decide on what colors as i go along...and seem to pull out as many "noodles" as i hook! Oh well...i'm just a beginner.
Oh...and i forgot to post a picture of the wool i dyed with the orange kool-aid....it didn't turn out so well...so i took the wool out of the bath and added red and yellow food coloring til it looked good to me...then put the wool back in.
My camera just doesn't do it justice....so i guess you will just have to take my word for it!! LOL
I am very happy...and it will make a beautiful fall hooking i'm sure.
It's time to go hook some more...my fingers are twitching!!
Until next time,
Tonia
I know that this blog is supposed to be about my journey thru the crafting world, but i found the best tip ever yesterday and just had to share!!
I grabbed this book....
"EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE'S GREATEST TIPS"
Written by: Mary Hunt.
First...wonderful book! Full of great tips
Second....this is my fave...
When washing a pan or casserole dish that has baked "crud" all over it...don't worry about wasting tons of time scrubbing....just fill the pan with warm water and place a used fabric softener sheet in the water....then just sit back, sip on a glass of iced tea and wait..for about an hour...and presto...the "crud" will just wipe right out!!
It really did work!! I even have photos to prove it:
This is my pan with cooked on hamburger grease...gross!! And not to mention a pain in the keester to scrub...right? Not anymore!!
Can you believe it??? Look at that shine!!
Now think of all the projects you can start instead of spending so much time scrubbing!!
Here are some peeks of my next project......
I'm dying some wool using orange kool-aid mix...sounds funny, but it really works...and there are no harmful fumes or chemicals to worry about. Safe for the little ones to help me...that is my son's little hand helping push down the wool.
I can already tell though that i am going to have to make a 2nd attempt using more kool-aid. I'm trying to dye over the grey and the darker tan to see what happens, but even the cream color didn't take very well. I love to experiment to see what colors i can create, they make such interesting rugs!!
That's it for now...make sure to come back and visit soon so you can see what i eventually create using this!!
Until next time,
Tonia
Okay....maybe not "quite" a farmer...but look at what i harvested from my garden so far....
These made two quarts of kosher dill pickles and two bags of beans for the freezer. Trust me this is just the beginning! Plenty of beans and pickle cukes still growing...and don't get me started on my tomatoes!! WOW!! I also have some broccoli and zuchini and yellow squash to watch grow.
I would love to have a small farm one day with a huge garden, some chickens, a clothesline...and of course my little shop surrounded by beautiful flower and herb gardens!! Oh heaven, i would never leave!!
In order to get all that, i need to keep crafting and here are my latest creations!!
This is a table runner that i hooked using wool. It is the first piece i have hooked using my new hookers frame i found while antiquing in Allen, Mi. You can not even imagine my excitement when i found it....actually, i almost tripped on it!
It was on the floor of a cute little shop, and after flipping the tag i just had to have it!!
Here is a closer look at the tan sheep....because isn't there always one "sheep" who stands out in a crowd?? Hee hee!!
The other day my little man came thrifting with me and we had a wonderful time!! I miss having my "alone" time with him since he is now in school....so i took full advantage of the day!!
While out we found this tray...not really old, but i knew i had to have it...and of course he agreed!!
I didn't know what i was going to do with it until i was lying in bed that night and a light bulb went off! ( isn't that when all good ideas seem to come...right before you drift off??)
I painted it with brown chalkboard paint, made some burlap roses, and doodled with some chalk.....and whallla!!
What a cute little sign to put out while at the craft shows!! And i can erase it and put special messages like
"welcome"
or
"thank you"
or
"sale today"
Here is a close up pic of the burlap roses:
Actually, one is made with tea dyed muslin, but aren't they just the cutest!!?? I love how they turned out!! If i had a better camera, you could tell there is a button glued to the center of the biggest one, just to add a little something extra, of course!!
Well, that is all for now, but i am getting the supplies together for the next project....so i am off!!
Thanks for stopping by!!
Until next time.....
Tonia
As promised...i am posting "How to make a hand pump from an antique mason jar"!!
So easy....and actually pretty quick too!
Here's what ya need to get started:
1. Antique mason jar..I used the small one..pint size i believe?
2. New pump..i couldn't find one so i bought some hand soap and removed the pump from that!
3. Needle nose pliers
4. Sharpie marker
5. Hammer
6. Large nail...preferably one with a large head...easier to hit!
7. Glue gun
First things first..remove the lid from the jar! LOL
Then, make a mark in the center of the lid with your marker..
Take the nail and hammer and make a hole in the center of your mark...make sure it goes thru.
It should look like this.....
Now being very careful...remove the ceramic from the underside of the lid with the pliers...this is the most difficult part. I take mine outside and keep it away from your face!! When its removed, it should look like this....
Don't you just love my towel??? Hee hee!
Using your pliers, and working from the underside of the lid, pull on the edges of the hole you created to make it bigger...sounds hard but this metal is so easy to bend!! As the hole gets bigger, use the needle nose pliers to push into the hole and wiggle it around...this will give you a smoother edge!
Keep doing this until the hole is big enough to push the hand pump through....
Now i use a glue gun, but you can use whatever waterproof glue you like, and i glued the pump in place from the top and bottom....just to make sure it doesn't come loose...nothing worse than a wiggly hand pump!!
I used a glue gun because if anything happens to the pump, which we know they can stop working properly, you can peel the glue from a glue gun off pretty easily if need be, where as some of the other glues are permanent...the choice is up to you!
Now all you have to do is fill your jar with the soap of your choice and put the lid back on....Whallllllllla!!! You have a new countrified hand soap dispenser...and it was hand made by you!!!
I hope you are inspired by this quick and easy craft to come of with more original ideas for your antique mason jars!! I would love to make a hanging light to put over my kitchen sink....what do you think???
Thanks for stopping by!!
Please come again!
Tonia
