Failure...

Take two....posting from my phone didn't work...not sure why.  The text didn't show up. I posted pictures of my two Singer style boxes...or puzzle boxes they are called now...I aquired one yesterday when I went and picked up my birthday present from my husband that I picked out.  An ad on Craigslist.  I will show and tell later. Perhaps I should wait until my birthday.  One of the attachment boxes was thrown in with what I bought even though it doesn't go with the birthday item.  The worse for wear box on the left I had.  My plan is to make one good one out of the two.  The second picture is of some of the attachments sitting in Evaporust, a wonderful product I wish I would have know about a long time ago. I will leave them in there until tomorrow most likely. The stuff's awesome! I wish our sewing things made today were so fancy.  These must have been so beautiful to open up brand new!

A New Favorite

I found these lurking at the neighborhood Walgreens. There are multiple uses for Twizzlers super long nibs candy.....besides snacking....and a woman with braces isn't supposed to be snacking on these anyway. But hey ...I manage. They also make great bookmarks ; )

Color Chart Maker for Knitting

I used a website today called Tricksy Knitter to create a knitting/tunisian crochet color chart....it was a little wearing on my patience because it will draw so freely that I kept making mistakes and having to correct them, which I'm sure was something I was doing wrong..once you click the cell once it keeps painting so to speak...all in all though, it was a clever free tool to use and I am so glad I ran across it! Thanks Tricksy Knitter!  Give it a try!

Missouri State at Tricksy Knitter

Happy Friday!

I am making these tags for my advent mittens that are not up yet....yes I am slow that way.  My projects tend to spread out for years it seems....the mittens were made last year and this year the number tags for them.  Pictures to follow later of the completed calendar.  I covered the wooden tags I found at Jo Ann fabrics with some stash I had ...a modge podged linen look on the front, a glued red felt on the back.  I rubber stamped them with silver snowflakes and green numbers and am in the process of gluing silver pipe cleaners around the edge....oh and I did add the rivets...And as to the date on my photos...the camera will not let me change the year for some reason.  some day I will think I took the picture in 2005!

A poor shot of all my little tags!  But now for the gem of Friday...a creepy Santa once again from St. Charles Missouri...they definitely outdid themselves!

While this Santa has hands this time, he has his helpers complete with tools....check out the guy in the left corner with the hammer...I don't like that look in his eye!  Santa looks like a jolly guy, I'm just not sure about those helpers...Happy Friday to all and to all a great day!

Back just in the "Nick" of time...

St. Charles, Mo., a photo by meanmomk on Flickr.

I haven't been blogging for nearly a year...time flies when your having fun. It's what they say anyway. I'm going to try to get back in the swing of it and just in time for creepy Santa fun.
This older gentleman was hanging out in St. Charles Missouri with his crusty carolers...hey wait...where are Santas hands?!..call the police!...or just give him some hooks. He might want to use them.....mwaa haa haaaa!

Getting Spooled Up

Recently I was making yards and yards of i-cord...long knitted cord made on 2 needles that can get so boring after awhile one puts it aside and starts wondering if there is an easier way.  Isn't that the bane of our society?...constantly looking for a faster easier way?  I started looking at Knitting Nancies or spool knitting dolls on the internet.  Can't believe I don't own one...hence an excuse to go shopping.  Of course I didn't just want any ol' Knitting Nancy....I wanted "the cutest" spool doll....and I found it!

I ordered this little Djeco french knitting doll from Moolka , a European toy store here in the states.   Besides having all kinds of cute things making me wish I still had little ones, I think they are just about the only store in the US that carries this little french knitter.  It was reasonably priced and shipped quickly.  

Here is what you get when you open up the box.  The OH SO CUTE knitting doll, 3 colors of yarn and the instruction book...very neatly packaged.

We've had some snow days this week so what else can one do but play with knitting toys.  You wrap the yarn around each prong and use her scepter (not pictured but stores in the hole between her hands) to take the loops off her four pronged crown.  

Here is the cord she created....a nice sturdy cord.  I was thoroughly delighted with this toy...big boys have their toys and so do big girls!  It is well made and creates a nice end product.  While I do think I can pump out the i-cord quicker with my two needles watching TV,  this Djeco french knitting doll is a too fun to resist!

Vintage Ornament Wreath

Today I was going to start my annual Christmas cookie bake-arama...instead I made a wreath.  I've had these glass ornaments...all vintage..some Shiny Brite, some not.... for a few weeks.  I got them at an estate sale on one Friday jaunt.  This was a fun and fast (relatively speaking) craft.  There are several tutorials on the web but it's basically cover a foam wreath with tinsel garland and go to town with a glue gun.  There is really no wrong on a project like this.  So now having finished my wreath I'm going to get going on those cookies!

Advent Mittens

Right now I am busy knitting little mittens....again...last year I was making them for an ornament swap...this year as an advent calendar...what?  it's already December you (and I) say?...I am well aware but I believe it's better to get it finished late than not to finish...so I have 12 of the little mittens completed and have 12 more to go...I have been knitting one a day although it's probably time to double up.  By the time 2 of my girls get home from school, they should be up..I hope.  I always have good intentions.  Pattern comes from this source, an easy knit if you like to use multiple sticks!..or should I say DPN's. I will post my progress...

Ornament Exchange

For the past three years now I have participated in a Christmas ornament exchange.   It's fun for me, it forces me to use some creativity.  This is the first year that I did not use a pattern already written.  Yes I could start working on the idea in January but it's oh so fun to procrastinate and panic and wait until the last month or so....and finish them the afternoon of the party!..Here is how I came up with my idea.

In my daily Bible reading about a month before the exchange, I was reading about angels...ding..."I'll make an angel"... so I did a little digging for angel inspiration on cyberspace...came across this link...love this idea
I decided to apply it to my angel idea....but wait..I needed a typewriter.

 This little gem was waiting for me at an estate sale with my name on it...I was almost in a panic though because we had all thrown out our typewriters long ago...what would we ever need those old things for right? This lovely little Royal 50's typewriter looked as if it was never used.  Still had the book and a working ribbon..we even found a spare ribbon at the same sale. Those angels were destined to be!

 Using vintage cotton/linen from another sale I cut my fabric to 8 1/2 x 11 and ironed it to a piece of freezer paper...the waxy side stick to the fabric.  It was then easy to insert the fabric into the typewriter and type inside my angel bodies traced on the fabric.  I chose different verses in the book of Luke where the angels were announcing Christ's birth to the shepherds...

 Then also using Donna's idea, I stamped on their bodies around the type.  I tried to use silver metallic but it came out kind of grey...still looked good though.

 For my angels body backing I decided to die some cream colored wool with Kool-aid...another new experience for me ...fun and funky...I just sprinkled it on the fabric being careful not to really mix it so it would be random and let it simmer until soaked in.

 Here are my pieces of fabric...I forgot one the pieced was a blue...the one on the right..I used the cream pieces however with the red and turquoise.

 I used heat n bond light to bond the bodies together and then sewed around the bodies with a decorative stitch like Donna did on her advent ornaments.    They got wool roving hair and wings tied on with wool yarn.  I did not want to give them faces....I wanted the focus to be on hair and wings....I liked the red hair and when I make more I will give them the red...

 This is the blondie...she has a treble clef stamped on her body.

And this is the sassy red angel....she has the word "behold" stamped on her body.

Ralphie the Poodle learns to fetch the paper

This has been summer project at our house...teaching Ralphie the poodle to fetch the daily newspaper. Youngest princess took on the slow task patiently...middle princess also helped when she was at home. He has progressed nicely, although it will still take constant practice. We do this before the teen trainer takes off for school..it's hard to get him over the fact that he is not going to school also. Meaty bones have been given out for each paper brought into the house...also one for the moral support poodle Roxie. Today was the first day that he picked up the paper without too much prodding!

A milestone for Ralphie the poodle! These moments in life should be celebrated with a video.....enjoy.

Come into the garden.....

It's a hot and muggy day......

Ahhhh...Summer

It really feels like summer...it's hot, humid, and there have been some great thunderstorms!...all that makes for some good produce!...at my house, the raspberries are coming in....ahhhh summer!

Prom was this past Saturday...middle princess was lovely in her kicky prom dress reminiscent to me of Betsy Johnson styling. The shoes were blue leopard to match the blue leopard underskirt of the dress. I edited the photo on Picnik ...using only the basic software. Very easy and satisfying results!

Spring

Is it really you?Till Lilacs fill rooms with heady scent.....

And lambs shed coats of woolly warmth....

When seedlings burst out seeking sun....

Till Fat Bob basks in a daffodil jungle....

Then, will I know it's you.

Give It Up!

Sometimes it's nice to just stretch out on the floor....stretch those discs...have a good snooze....

Here is what happens if you EVER try to do it at our house.....give it up right?

How to Embarrass Your Teen Part Two

Once again Speed returns to the call of duty....after a long sabbatical...the helmet was lost for awhile...I can't imagine that it would have been accidentally thrown it in the trash misplaced but never fear there is always a wife in the shadows to make sure Speed has his equipment.....

Yes, he is back again for the Speed Racer teen driving school....helmet in hand, teen in tow, eyes will roll....

It's all in good fun....remember it is a parental right to embarrass your teen!

Old Man Cat Gets a Sweater

Here is the old man cat Brother modeling his hand knit sweater that was commissioned for him...youngest princess was insistent that he needed one, it being so cold here in Misery, I mean Missouri....he quite likes it and was freely posing for pictures the day I finished knitting it.
He took a stroll to the water bowl and then promptly laid down for a cat nap....I think he was feeling quite dapper! The pattern was very straightforward and the ribbing design helped to hide those pot belly issues...what do you expect when all you do is nap?!

What else is there to do when it's cold?

I'm already tired of being cold...this is not a good sign. I have been knitting my little slow fingers off since Christmas because of the frigid temps here...although it has warmed up a little this week, I have not...Here is a partial knitting report....

Old man cat is cold and irritated by the hat he's modeling...youngest daughter thought he needed a cat sweater....so that is what I am working on right now...a baby blue was requested...I am not sure how he will receive this! I am making it in Lion Brand cotton ease...this is a yarn that I think washes and wears very well. The pattern can be found at:

http://www.christinelandry.com/?cat=7

It is ribbed and the version I will make has sleeves....yes chuckle here...I think it's a riot...I'm not sure Brother will.

Santa will be CREEPING at a store near you....

Here are some more Santa sightings...these were taken from a local gift shop window...all this creepiness in one window...imagine!

If you want to get'm out of bed in the morning just set this guy up on the nightstand...."he sees you when your sleeping"....

" Oh little Timmy, let me give you a nice piece of candy...step over to my sleigh...."

This one is life size....."Step over here little Kathy, sit on Santa's lap...now watch the clock...you are getting sleepy...sleepy....just sit back against my nice fluffy beard and you'll be lost forever...mwaaa haaa haa!"