A B and C

January snuck in..no big fanfare..just a nice easy start..i like that..this month I was tempted by two projects..that I just had to try.
The company Brackish Bow Ties..makes beautiful feather Bow ties..u just love them..they are however a bit out of my price range..so I set out to see if i can recreate it..the pictures are below..i know that if I do again I need more feathers..so I can choose what ones I want..i need to back with heavy black interfacing..not felt..and i need to brush on glue in thin layers...it really came out ok..and not bad for a first attempt.

Kelley and Michael got us a book of mug cakes for Christmas. .so we had to try them..we made an ameretto mug cake..for mug cakes you use a self rising flour..and limited ingredients. .and nd it makes two cakes..in the microwave..it wasn't bad!. The texture was good. .but it needed more ameretto. .i need to make another..it's fast and easy

Popovers

As a post xmas gift ..Michael got me a popover pan...I know what a silly thing to want right?.well since tat and family took me to the cliff house in sf ..i have had a craving for popovers... Have you had a popover? It's like a crunchy /chewy mix between a muffin and a croissant. .light and airy..and very yummy..
On pintrest there were a dozen different recipies...but david recommend watching the Alton brown episode...all in all it came out..ok...i have the mini popover pan and should have adjusted the cooking time a bit (a bit too brown. .but still tasty) .
Michael and i ate every single one ..with unsweetened pumpkin butter..
.I also was working on designs for a t shirt..so I pulled out my watercolors..i haven't painted in ages..

Something old something new

There is a bit of disaster at my house..my new kitty (we haven't had her a year yet..she's new)..loves that I have craft stuff all over.she drags cones of yarn from room to room At this moment bags of glass balls and boxes of yarn.
I was gifted a lot of assorted yarn as part of various people I know destashing (if you didn't know.. a stash for fiber folk is keeping yarn till you find a use for it..as compared with buying for a specific project).
Part of the disaster..or i guess it's a delima (disaster is the state of the apt) is that I have too many things I want to make this year..and for a change i have materials on hand to do them.
I am gonna dust off my blogspot ..the goal for 2015..TWO new things a month..a new recipie,pattern,or project. .i have a pintrest board with ideas to try..but among thing I want to try are

..Weekly photo sets..
I did photo of the day for a few years and it became a chore. .so our goal is weekly photo sets (with a theme)

..hand knit socks..
I have made in ornament socks..and have tried several times with others..i have yarn for it..just need to do it..

..finish 3 WIPS.. (work in progress )
I have an afgan,and pop top purse,and na a garter stitch shawl..all need to be finished at some point

..cold process soap. .
I learned hot pricess,time to try another method

..make fudge..
I have disaster after disaster in candy making on my own. .i can figure it out..

..Paint/Draw..
I haven't painted drawn in ages..I need to practice..

And to round it out..
I am collecting recipes for a potluck cookbook.. (hint i would love for everyone to share! )

I think 24 projects isn't too much..and very doable. .With that. .I challenge everone who reads this to try ONE new thing a month ..a new recipie..start a new project..pull out a craft you love to do..Make 2015 about moving forward!

..Cheers..

Delayed entry!

Oh gosh its been months since I have posted
I worked all summer in doilys..time consuming and pretty...i found an appriciation for it as an art form. It was the show of skill for decades!

the Doily

I will admit it ..I am old fashioned and thus I have a soft spot for purely decorative needlework.Michael has been watching a lot of HGTV shows lately..and all that anyone wants lately is "clean and modern"...seems like the 80's all over again...I am a fondness for sheer curtains,tablecloths, and doilies ...I mean the point of these were to protect for furniture from scratching (and dust) and to show off the skills needed to create the intricate patterns...

the tan doily was actually from a book last holiday that made the work into art ( the doily being glued to canvas after it was done..and this  was a lot of fun to work on ( Michael started one also )..it does require a bit of Patience as every row changes ..but really its a repeat of the same thing ..and crochet thread leave a welt on your finger ...this was in bigger thread ..but I have worked with smaller and the big thread went fast ..I thought it turned out pretty nice !

and a starfish dishcloth/potholder..I love to make dishcloths they are fun and fast and the thick soft cotton is always nice after working on thinner yarn/thread..this was one of the free patterns that Lilly cotton put out each week.

I still have a shawl and pop top bag in progress ..but needed a change of pace ! ...

What 6 months can do

Well its been a half a year since I started this blog to show my goal of a new project a week ..this was inspired my Tats photo a day, Alex and Cori's blogs..in the meantime, Cori has moved, Alex has moved ( or actually she is moving today).. tat had to give up her facebook due to nasty hackers..and My hubby lost his job.whew ..all the changes are enough to wear me out  ....

so about 27 weeks late I had 39 completed projects ..including a few recipes , several unfinished Items, and lots of inspiration and ideas...

thank you to anyone who has followed along, I appreciate the feedback and support

so this week i took 3 days of vacation( plus weekend and holiday!)  and got a few things finished

Michael  and I went to Michael's on my bday and we saw Christmas yarn! ..we bought some of it and a pattern for Christmas dishcloths ( the pattern was free )..I mad one to get Michael excited about helping me make so early Xmas gifts...it was fairly easy..and even so I got so involved in watching TV I missed a picot stitch!  

I finished the 2nd panel of pop top purse #2..well almost finished ...look closely and you will see about 2 inches on the side not done ..i ran out of the black cording I need to complete...so next visit to wally world I can get it ..

I also found a fun Japanese pattern for a scarf that i wanted to try ..Michael had gotten me the yarn a year ago and I just now found the right project for it ! ..it has funny dangling puff stitches on the side that give it weight and movement ....

well my friends that is all I have for this week ..

something old something new

My latest Project was a new concept on an old request from Becca..

Years ago ( and here she would stress  MANY YEARS)

she asked me to make some painted panels for her to quilt .

The panels themselves appeared and disappeared for years ..

I knew what I wanted to paint ..just never got around to it ..

Since She has been so close and we have been walking several time a week,

 she again URGED me to finish this projects ..so finally ....two of the four panels

Sadly I have not painted much of the last few years ..but the didn't turn out too bad ....

After making the Fasciatior hat ..

I thought I would try and make a full size version ....

Becca had given me some grey wool.......and it seemed a good fit

I was working without a pattern and trying to gauge shrink during the hand felting process.

.and the brim is too wide to be a bowler ..but it is an attractive hat!

I had enough of the grey wool left and I had a heavy shawl pattern I was wanting to try

and I was noting similar shawls of the BBC production of  "larkrise to candelford"...

it is a huge yarn eater ....using 2 1/2 skeins of the red heart wool ! ....

its almost done, I am still working on the edging ..

but all the pics came out fuzzy and I was playing with the setting on my camera ..

but I am sure you get the gist ...

This week I said goodbye to my dear friend Alex ...

who got a wonderful opportunity in AZ....

I will miss being able to have coffee and visit face to face ,

but this is a great chance for Her to pursue a goal she set for herself .

Alex is an amazing cook, and is talented in so many areas, A real artist!..

Here are Alex,Michael,Tat and I

Alex gave me an early birthday present, beautifully wrapped in wonderful paper...a Tiffany coloring book and a hand glazed tile "coaster"....

that's all the projects for this week..I hope all of you take a moment to give your Friends and family hugs and tell them how much you appreciate them, in life people may leave ..to move across states or leave forever..but do let them know, before they are gone, what they mean to you ..

cheers!