How To Use A Pressure Cooker Safely

I enjoy reading the blog ..Chicken In The Road every chance I get. I really was interested in this mornings blog about how to use a pressure cooker safely. I remember my mom using a pressure cooker all the time in the kitchen as i was growing up.  So grab a cuppa tea and take a minute to go read Suzanne's article and then stay to browse her wonderful stories and recipe sections.. The article can be found  HERE >>>>>>>  

Spring Awakening Line Of Jewelry

I have been watching my Babylon 5 dvds today and working on a few new designs that will for a group I call "Spring Awakening" .The black bead is hematite and i called it "Persophone Awakes"  It calls to me of spring breaking thru the dark and starting to blossom forth........ The white is a pearl and represents Aphrodite. I haven't named the necklace yet for it ...I need better pics of it tomorrow .All three designs will be up for sale soon as I get better pictures of them next day or so. Have to work tomorrow ..blah !

Then here is the 3rd design in the new line......   I havent named it yet either . It has freshwater pearls all in the design.

How to Make A Snow Globe

I was awake early this morning so I thought I might actually get a chance to read some of my fav blogs. I ran across this neat idea for Xmas or anytime. I am thinking Halloween esp....... it is How To Make A Snow Globe and is at http://www.thediydish.com/2010/12/how-to-make-a-snow-globe-day-10/   

I have added it to my ever growing book of projects I want to try out :) Last night i watched a movie and unraveled some old sweaters so I can use the yarn to make a couple of winter hats and fingerless gloves.

I ordered 2 used ..rug hooking books this week from Amazon. That is one of my new projects to learn for the coming year. That and actually figure out the whole "how to knit" thing . I have a dvd called "Art Of Knitting For Kids " that i plan to use to learn with .:)

Cloth Purses .........

Ooopps........Forgot to show the small cloth purses I am making. They are made just like the casserole pads and then i fold them over and handstitch them shut on part of the  sides...add a few buttons and a loop for a closure ....I like this fabric. I had gotten a yard of it at Hancock Fabric when they had 50% off the xmas fabric few weeks ago.I really was looking for a xmas fabric with cats but they didnt have any this year.These will be gifts and then i plan to make more after first of year to barter with ..

Casserole Pad Holders and Small Cloth Purses

I really like this lighthouse fabric that i had leftover from making the pillows . It was just enough for two nice size casserole hot pads. I made the binding to go around the edges . I have been making these while  I watch xmas movies. One just cant have Xmas without watching "Santa and The Three Bears" and "Scrooged" and "Flintstone's Christmas Carol" now can they :)

Fleece Leg Bandages ...

Only a couple new items to show off this week. I havent had a very productive week I am afraid . I have to wear a "boot" on my foot for an injury and it wears me out time i get in from work:( I did however make a stock of my own fleece wraps for my foot . I had some fleece leftover from another project to use. It is a "Polar" fleece which is thick and will hold really well.I cut it 6 inches wide and the fleece was about a yard and half long.

Kitty Cat Bullentin Board .....

I needed a bullentin board to keep track of all my "notes to self".........so i took some                  cat fabric i really liked and a big piece of styrofoam i had saved . I simply folded the fabric around the board and sewed it tight to itself . One could also have used the fabric mod podge . I didnt have any and we are in middle of snowstorm ...... i sewed it instead. I also took a pair of sleeves from a shirt i hemmed for a neighbor and turned into arm warmers. Back to working on projects today :) I like this bullentin board so much that i need to see if i have fabric to make a second one. I have one more big piece of foam still

My first xmas owl necklace ((sold))

I am going to be making several more of this fun owls.this was the first one :)

I originally laid out the red yarn to tat quilted potholders with this after ..........instead i created this   charming fella for a Yule ( xmas ) necklace .....he is up for sale also.19.99 if anyone is interested .(( sold )) I crocheted the circle body.then wirewrapped the circle piece and added malachite beads for the eyes ....his ears and beak are faux leather ...

Pumpkin Butter ......soon to be at least :)

Soon to be turned into pumpkin butter ...........  I was given a stack of pie pumpkins that were left over from  decorations last week  .....I plan on roasting them and then cooking down into yummy pumpkin butter .......

Horse Hunt Quilt........after holidays ..........

Here is another AFTER the holidays project ....I have about yard and half of this really nice tapestry  fabric of a horse and hound hunt scene . I plan to turn it into a smaller quilt to lay on back of the couch ...........I think it will be really elegant when i have it finished. I enjoy creating     small quilts from tapestry and upholstery fabrics. I will make panels with the fabric instead of blocks ......

From this to that

Took me about 3 weeks to make this king size t-shirt quilt for a friend . Came out rather nice . It started as the red strip with the white border :)   I love making lapquilts esp.......

Projects for after the holidays

I got latch hook canvas .......enough to make 3 sturdy rag hooked rugs with........I cut it so I would have 2 to go under my ironwork chairs that i love so much .. they will just fit under the chairs. Then a longer piece for a rug for my bedroom floor . I decided to have 3 of them going at one time. That way as i cut my tub of small scrap up...... I can go ahead and use it  in the designs. I havent decided      if I am doing stripes or colors just blending into different shade...or actually drawing a design on the canvas .. I have so many ideas running thru my head for rag rugs made this way. I probaly am going to buy more canvas so i can have 5 or 6 going at one time. I have all hardwood floors and this is an affordable way for me to have cool rugs for the house. Fabric scrap will cost nothing as I have a huge plastic storage tub of scraps that are maybe 6 or 8 in square  and perfect for this project. I will use a strip 1 inch by 6 inches to hook with ................. This will more than likely be an AFTER the holidays project though... Still have xmas gifts to make over next few weeks

Sunday Afternoon At Home ........

Added sun evening .........as you can see the sweaters were just too pretty to throw away cause they had holes in them.I now have 2 more pairs of arm warmers for this winter :)

My "tangled up" necklace sold ...wasnt for sale but sold it anyway :) Sooooooo.....I made myself another one. This one isnt as chaotic as the first one ...but i still like it . I had a reindeer pin that I added to this design. Then i am working on more arm warmers that i repurpose from old sweaters......

"Tangled Up At Xmas " wire and bead necklace design .......

Christmas ?? Not always a good time of year for myself among others, This year I thought i might create a necklace design that reflects my feelings of being "all tangled up" at Christmas time. This design isnt the cute and cuddly style ...which I sometimes do enjoy wearing  ........but a design I can wear when i feel all confused ....and i made matchiung earrings :)

T-Shirt Quilt ...Round 2 .....It is coming along nicely now

It is right at king size and coming along nicely ........still have t-shirt blocks to put fusing on and the edge binding. I am trying to decide what to have the back from ..I would like to use that heavy Artic fleece maybe .......will see .:) The t-shirt blocks haven't been sewn on yet either. Have to decide how to lay them out first .

T-Shirt Quilt ...Round 1 .....

This is an interesting project to work on.. I am using the fusible interfacing to stiffen the t-shirt pieces and then I make the hem binding that I handsew around each t-shirt block. This makes them very sturdy so the quilt will really last . I bought 6 yds of white cotton and that is what the hem binding is being made with . I use the iron and fold each side in under and iron..then fold over once more and iron. Alot cheaper to make your own binding for your projects.Plus you get binding the color of what you need :)  To the right and left of the quilt will be reg looking quilt blocks of the crimson and white .

Here is little closer up of how I am doing the blocks. You can see where i have ironed the fusible interfacing to back of the t-shirt block.. then i take the hem binding and place the block inside of the binding .then i simply handstitch the binding to the block. You can use your sewing machine to stitch the binding.......but i prefer the handstitched look. Once i get all the blocks done up..then i will decide how they are to be placed on the quilt and then handstitch them again..

Tis That Time Of The Year Again ...... Quilt Time

Cold weather is here so it is time to work on quilts . So i packed away the beading stuff for a couple of weeks so I can work on  a T-shirt quilt I am doing for a friend.I had never made one with t-shirts before so it required a bit of reading.....  secret is to use the ironable craft fusing and create a back for the   t-shirt piece ........then I am going to be bit different and add edge binding around all the shirt pieces.. .then handstitch to top of the actual quilt. This will create a very strong and durable item.. Tonight i just worked on cutting all the strips that I will turn into edge binding ..I got 6 yds of a white cotton to start with.. This will be an interesting project .....

Arm Warmers From Sweaters

Since I used the actual sleeves from the sweaters for legwarmers.....i then took the body of the sweater and turned into 2 pairs of arm warmers. I used a button to create the thumb hole .

This was my fav blue chenille sweater.......

It had gotten treadbare in parts and a stain on the collar i couldnt get out.........so it was time to recycle it into legwarmers and armwarmers . The purple sweater was in the same shape........actually i have 2 more sweaters i need to recycle also.....HMM?????  doesnt leave me but 2 sweaters if i do though ..Oh well ..I can always wear shirtshirts .....I will decide after I finish these all up.
That temp of 39 degree when I woke up this morning has me thinking "snuggly warmth" I also wear arm warmers in the winter, When i am working on jewelry designs I dont always like to wear bulky clothes........so I can wear a t-shirt and then slip my arm warmers on with them and I will stay nice and warm.
I have found out if I dont keep my joints all warm I will regret it .Which reminds me.I have to run to Save A Lot today and see if they have arnica flowers in the Mexican cooking section . If not I will have to order some online . I read an article on how Emu oil is to be really good on joint pain .It is rather pricey but I may get a small bottle if i can find it affordable and try it out .

The printed faux leather was a small handbag that I wore completely out. I was able to salvage these 2 pieces from it. I will turn into small pouches to carry cell phones in .