tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64970628463641207092024-02-08T01:27:33.281-05:00Life in a Gilded BottleHi, I'm Jeannie and this is my life. Sometimes I'll talk about my kids, sometimes my husband, or friends. Sometimes I'll talk about my big passion, bellydance. Then again, I might share one of my original crochet or knitting patterns or talk about another big passion of mine: environmentalism. You never know. :) Stop by when you can; I'll try to have something interesting for you.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-66480294496789874052014-11-26T23:07:00.002-05:002014-11-26T23:07:47.591-05:00Things I've made in the last week or so.I've been running over with creative energy and making project after project. Here are a few I wanted to share. :)<br />
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I'm attending a get-together in which we are making Pagan prayer beads. So, I made three different sets as demos, make with three different techniques.<br />
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Knotted cord:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaJuFhOhe_7nar8lw6f9o_yFsoE7UfeqpUOIO4lPIG3JVYheA77vKATBbsny-rAxZ_CTLJrMmTckfdbti1a8ptL_xJJ6-gPvL79BKG1xj9zYLNgvoY3FgVe877L-Zqe5wtXuCf-zqHmY/s1600/13+Moons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaJuFhOhe_7nar8lw6f9o_yFsoE7UfeqpUOIO4lPIG3JVYheA77vKATBbsny-rAxZ_CTLJrMmTckfdbti1a8ptL_xJJ6-gPvL79BKG1xj9zYLNgvoY3FgVe877L-Zqe5wtXuCf-zqHmY/s1600/13+Moons.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Flexible beading wire (can be worn as a necklace):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JBfKvrJEUKwFzrClL0qpSs8UUKnxF2SWq-NU5Fxi0NAoT8g_AQ7VLNZac6dZDyeX2geW8OMv-AIq6S6Hllsu8rlufiY3LAzWqL074hzyzimyNYsV2n_VzzsYWEKZD9WGn8OXm0nTrp8/s1600/prayer+beads+white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JBfKvrJEUKwFzrClL0qpSs8UUKnxF2SWq-NU5Fxi0NAoT8g_AQ7VLNZac6dZDyeX2geW8OMv-AIq6S6Hllsu8rlufiY3LAzWqL074hzyzimyNYsV2n_VzzsYWEKZD9WGn8OXm0nTrp8/s1600/prayer+beads+white.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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And beaded wire stations (can be worn as a bracelet):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Gtv_S2FapOcIrfvn-NnzRuvX9_JHutFiBEXKOsc94P-zp0Vby9T6038_Y1iLiKYqHRsa6miMoWZV7pR0mhxvdoPG6IpztEtfHa7LW_Iw2h8N4N1-eOpqMoyXUNEHRKMV6GFKKJzb0d0/s1600/prayer+beads+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Gtv_S2FapOcIrfvn-NnzRuvX9_JHutFiBEXKOsc94P-zp0Vby9T6038_Y1iLiKYqHRsa6miMoWZV7pR0mhxvdoPG6IpztEtfHa7LW_Iw2h8N4N1-eOpqMoyXUNEHRKMV6GFKKJzb0d0/s1600/prayer+beads+3.jpg" height="297" width="320" /></a></div>
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I also made a tree of life pendant with unakite chips:</div>
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The kids and I also made handmade paper this weekend!</div>
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It's been fun!! </div>
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<br />Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-14846774592802164572014-07-22T21:34:00.002-04:002014-07-22T21:34:23.241-04:00My first hand-carved stamp!I think all stampers and papercraft enthusiasts dream of crafting their own tools or supplies to meet their exact needs. To this end, I've been looking into stamp carving lately. There are so many beautiful stamps to carve and so much inspiration! From fine art stamps to homey folk art stamps, from kitschy stamps to modern pop art stamps, really you can create whatever your heart desires and your hands stay steady for!<br />
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Well, tonight after my workout, I got inspired to make an owl stamp. I saw <a href="http://www.darbysmart.com/projects/block-printing-starter-set#opi1426737946" target="_blank">this example</a> over at <a href="http://www.darbysmart.com/" target="_blank">Darby Smart</a>. So, I went looking for some clip art and found <a href="http://www.serendipitystamps.com/product/015HDCL.html" target="_blank">this little guy</a>. He's a die, and he's now on my wishlist... because he's gorgeous.<br />
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Anywho, this is what I made:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBz5uKdvZ7dtMEaitR9ZNXVASQ2_C4fWnYWiMKu1dsMmCaAagLJZlHjBuCT-cqpveYpbp6kLR_zXg0Kg_soVvp2O9j9EQdw6XJCgPr1l2mSZ7ZXOOeTV8_bzgsK9qhQ5slaVSnXAPgbw/s1600/My+owl+stamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBz5uKdvZ7dtMEaitR9ZNXVASQ2_C4fWnYWiMKu1dsMmCaAagLJZlHjBuCT-cqpveYpbp6kLR_zXg0Kg_soVvp2O9j9EQdw6XJCgPr1l2mSZ7ZXOOeTV8_bzgsK9qhQ5slaVSnXAPgbw/s1600/My+owl+stamp.jpg" height="321" width="400" /> </a></div>
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I'm really happy with how he turned out!! And, it's a big stamp, about four inches tall, so high impact, baby! Not bad for my first time!</div>
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BB!</div>
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~Jeannie </div>
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<br />Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-43686666549234182772014-06-28T19:03:00.005-04:002014-06-28T19:03:57.014-04:00Simple Sympathy card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn3zZigW-paAPnBeMrbvfmfTpTvqP7QK6a_OzVJeOv7rKD1GD21HeF4lRUcw559OaObQq2SVyP7rP3qq80vczJ0ljxcoKUS4j9zsrdXLtASI4MFqVYC05TVPJwUCyQQM3p8RDiiCWMNU/s1600/IMAG1691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyn3zZigW-paAPnBeMrbvfmfTpTvqP7QK6a_OzVJeOv7rKD1GD21HeF4lRUcw559OaObQq2SVyP7rP3qq80vczJ0ljxcoKUS4j9zsrdXLtASI4MFqVYC05TVPJwUCyQQM3p8RDiiCWMNU/s1600/IMAG1691.jpg" height="400" width="292" /></a></div>
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This is a simple sympathy card I made for a co-worker who's mother recently passed away. Clear embossing ink with clear embossing powder for the wood-grain background; gold washi tape for the border; gold embossing powder on the sentiment; all on kraft paper. My co-worker is a man, and I knew a simpler card would be more effective for him. I'm happy with how it turned out.</div>
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I will be submitting this to the<a href="http://casology.blogspot.com/2014/06/week-101-wood.html" target="_blank"> CAS*ology Week 101: Wood challenge.</a> Thank you for looking!</div>
<br />Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-2941093138957299372014-05-11T11:25:00.002-04:002014-05-11T11:37:19.256-04:00Recent Cards and a Happy Mother's Day!Hey there! I wanted to share a few cards I've made recently and perhaps enter them into some contests. I'll list the contests for each card at the end. :) First cards made for Mom and Grandmas (or Mema's in our house!) for Mother's Day! I've been sitting on a the two butterfly cards for a while. I got inspired to make them, but didn't want to let it slip too early in case someone took a peek at my blog. Usually, I make a card and post it the same day, but these needed to be kept under wraps! LOL Without further ado...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60apHjMGXatBjkODJmjpWDRDG4u90pFUYerBbfunBY2I2VfXhWGUJG_2qUCBWInD11HnFskvDQdY2jVCdvB8GcHipbD7xZVJz9aVn5hR8VzQON4jjirC7xkyfADLKbpFv9QRZtOkMXmI/s1600/IMAG1587.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60apHjMGXatBjkODJmjpWDRDG4u90pFUYerBbfunBY2I2VfXhWGUJG_2qUCBWInD11HnFskvDQdY2jVCdvB8GcHipbD7xZVJz9aVn5hR8VzQON4jjirC7xkyfADLKbpFv9QRZtOkMXmI/s1600/IMAG1587.jpg" height="180" width="320" /> </a></div>
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These cards were made for my Mom and my Mother-in-law. I love making more than one card on a theme, but using different papers and placement to make it unique. In case you can't tell, I'm also big on decorating the envelopes. These are probably the most decorated envelopes I've made so far. They are colorful and make me happy. I hope they make the recipients happy, too!! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrRzA38RzxI4I2DHvjVz8aynZgKBt5EyUcRj-6g_VqJTiMgFLOZBbxHhcTro_kLNhmF-VAKECuD3rL2ZQjCisxG6xwHEjlmHatoWNkrjkmumBVeCbDi3KELrPfVPI6y3V8eMjpipj31A/s1600/IMAG1586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrRzA38RzxI4I2DHvjVz8aynZgKBt5EyUcRj-6g_VqJTiMgFLOZBbxHhcTro_kLNhmF-VAKECuD3rL2ZQjCisxG6xwHEjlmHatoWNkrjkmumBVeCbDi3KELrPfVPI6y3V8eMjpipj31A/s1600/IMAG1586.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's a closer look at the one I sent to my Mom. I hope she loves it almost as much as I love her. It would be weird for her to love a card as much as I love her, because, you know, she's my Mom and I love her an awful lot... ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqOP34t1So3wysckROnvtWOtYKaIgN-pZjVd4nCXS-Bj-amFIUiWl1x3tdOpRut-GdtC3yjzKRiTsTKGZPHoxaSpk4TaDkEpeq2TKRQEfyxuR5oFz3l_9swGtFXkp0cEEiU2cSh-A1Ls/s1600/IMAG1589+Obscured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqOP34t1So3wysckROnvtWOtYKaIgN-pZjVd4nCXS-Bj-amFIUiWl1x3tdOpRut-GdtC3yjzKRiTsTKGZPHoxaSpk4TaDkEpeq2TKRQEfyxuR5oFz3l_9swGtFXkp0cEEiU2cSh-A1Ls/s1600/IMAG1589+Obscured.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></div>
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The envelopes going to my Mom, with the addresses obscured for privacy purposes. I really should have thought of that before I addressed them! Oh, well, MS Paint to the rescue! </div>
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You've already seen the butterfly card, so let's see the card that went in the envelope on the right...</div>
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Well, you can't see that exact card. I sealed that baby up before I thought to take a picture. However, here is a sister card I made for my husband's Granny. Again, similar materials and theme, but slightly different in how they are used and where. You'll get the idea though:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CSqrwvqvJJLCfUHYpsWQQTQOLE4liiXJ8HEbBIDDmRDTZHkFWTaXevyKEf6zJmpsLuQjdz4tkPqboGTrfD9eewh6U1DtP0ssvZCJ1_SOjWsZxm3ydnj7RpNdkBOySyDoCuaBzWrqkMQ/s1600/IMAG1601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CSqrwvqvJJLCfUHYpsWQQTQOLE4liiXJ8HEbBIDDmRDTZHkFWTaXevyKEf6zJmpsLuQjdz4tkPqboGTrfD9eewh6U1DtP0ssvZCJ1_SOjWsZxm3ydnj7RpNdkBOySyDoCuaBzWrqkMQ/s1600/IMAG1601.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a></div>
This was my first time making every single bit of the card, including the base and envelope, myself. I'm so happy with how it turned out and I love the surprise of the patterned paper on the inside of the envelope. I hope the colors aren't too bright for Granny. My youngest picked the polka-dotted flower for it. :)<br />
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Can I just take a moment here and reflect on my all-consuming love of brads and flowers? I only just discovered them (I'm not a scrapper) and when I did, it was like a lightning bolt out of the blue! So many avenues for colors, form, texture, and dimension! Be still my crafter's heart!<br />
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Ok, back to the card...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxbFWus2RQpFNatwqaryBMymvbjtagflBOfIe1MKyKoFXhVPdis57PH6xcwuF-g7sVzWUT6DBmeV2TOUwPR6ZNlGYRQF_Z8K3G_1SOvOv0fGekZkMWED5WqSr2dQItcZaJ8l3yKb5vdA/s1600/IMAG1602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxbFWus2RQpFNatwqaryBMymvbjtagflBOfIe1MKyKoFXhVPdis57PH6xcwuF-g7sVzWUT6DBmeV2TOUwPR6ZNlGYRQF_Z8K3G_1SOvOv0fGekZkMWED5WqSr2dQItcZaJ8l3yKb5vdA/s1600/IMAG1602.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here, you can just barely see the shimmery embossing powder I used on the sentiment. It's a clear powder, showing the ink through, but adding an almost opalescent, glittery finish to the stamp. I'm really happy with it and can see using that powder A LOT in the future! Especially on wintery cards.</div>
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On the inside of these cards, I placed a rectangle of coordinating orange paper to write our greetings on, but I didn't get a picture of that. I really like how these turned out, and personally, I love the intense, juicy colors! They make me think of fruity tropical drinks! </div>
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This last card is a "just because" card. I saw a sketch somewhere and got inspired, so I whipped up a card. I'm very happy with it's muted colors and light-hearted theme. I think I know who this is going to (a certain bike-loving friend), but we'll see! :D </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngM3SOarW38zkqfNdMlRMb0fQcizPOLweR0EwRlIOFJu3SE18DuE5_tpXLRxquMSJ2QpwdDyaIyNWKI6q5HaCFnOMBcsErTzaSksqUBhfV-1_guBUcAigE5XMYhUoxyErnwVXgDTVSXE/s1600/4card2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngM3SOarW38zkqfNdMlRMb0fQcizPOLweR0EwRlIOFJu3SE18DuE5_tpXLRxquMSJ2QpwdDyaIyNWKI6q5HaCFnOMBcsErTzaSksqUBhfV-1_guBUcAigE5XMYhUoxyErnwVXgDTVSXE/s1600/4card2.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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This was my first time using<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095JF7T6/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1" target="_blank"> the adhesive lace I found on Amazon</a>, and I couldn't be happier with the results! It's just a touch, but it adds a lot to the card in my opinion. To me, this is just a straight-up fun card. I went with a very simple envelope on this one: I simply glued the three heart shapes I punched from the card onto the lower left-hand corner on the front of the envelope. Nothing crazy, but I think it looks sweet. </div>
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I'm getting a lot of cards sitting in my workspace, so I may have to take a page from <a href="http://www.damasklove.com/" target="_blank">Damask Love </a>and start letting friends browse through and take some home when they come over. In that regard, Ive started working toward making card sets to give as gifts. I made a set of note-cards for my sister-in-law as a thank you for bringing me a rose from a recent plant sale, and I really like how they and the giftbox turned out... However, I didn't have time to photograph them before I gifted them. BUT, I've got two more sets in the works and I promise to take pics and post on those!</div>
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Ok, onto the challenges!</div>
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I'm going to enter all three (four?) cards into the <a href="http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/2014/05/sunday-stamper-week-307-lily-pink.html" target="_blank"> Lily The Pink Challenge for Ink on my Fingers</a> as they all have pink in them. Maybe I'm a little girly? Who knew? LOL!</div>
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The Mother's Day butterfly card(s) will be entered into the <a href="http://sketchsaturday.blogspot.com/2014/05/week-309-with-simon-says-stamp.html" target="_blank">Week #309 with Simon Says Stamp! for Sketch Saturday.</a> Dang, it would be amazing to win that one... They will also be going into <a href="http://thestampingboutiquechallengeblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/challenge-15-mom.html" target="_blank">the Challenge #16 Mom challenge for The Stamping Boutique</a>. I'd enter the tropical-colored card in that, too, but it doesn't actually say anything about Mother's Day on the front and I don't want to push it. :) I'll also submit them to the <a href="http://papertakeweekly.blogspot.com/2014/05/anything-goes.html" target="_blank">Anything Goes Challenge from Papertake Weekly Challenge</a>. There are a TON of cards already entered, but it's really fun to see what everyone else comes up with and to participate.</div>
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The last card, the "Ticket to Happiness" card, will be entered in the <a href="http://stampinfortheweekend.blogspot.com/2014/05/photo-inspiration.html" target="_blank">Photo Inspiration Challenge for Stampin' for the Weekend</a>. The colors just happen to be perfect! How lucky!</div>
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Wish me luck and we'll talk soon!</div>
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BB!</div>
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~Jeannie</div>
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Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-84976882785944733462014-04-20T12:17:00.000-04:002014-04-20T12:17:15.469-04:00Card making and entering my first sketch challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, my most recent obsession has been card making. I love it because it lets me use so many of my crafty/artsy interests in on place, plus I get to give my projects away, which is my favorite reason to make anything. I wish I'd been taking pictures of all the cards I've been making to send out, but usually I make a card for a specific purpose then immediately send or give it to the person it was made for. I'll try to be better about that so I can share my work here. I can definitely promise to share the cards I made for Mother's Day after those cards have been given. I'm pretty proud of them.</div>
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Well, as you can imagine <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> and the internet in general has become my best friend, giving me inspiration and instruction. I'll list a few of my favorite blogs at the end of this post so maybe you can get some inspiration, too. :) I'll also list my Pinterest board and my paper crafts board in case you'd like to follow my exploits.</div>
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All that being said, I've been watching some card making challenges recently and really loving seeing how all these designers interpret a given sketch. Then, I came across this challenge: <a href="http://retrosketches.blogspot.com/2014/04/retrosketches-111.html" target="_blank">Retrosketches Challenge #111</a>. When I saw it, I immediately thought to myself, "I could totally do that! I could do that right now!" And, I did!</div>
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This is what I came up with.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh4cbYPQ-eMVPZGvWQvfPMfpmqgBxcz9bFW7OMM6k27CqeHEaygXwGkGsiKLL1zgwPbGwTQ9skus3Y21pHSuTwkVVekdiFf-opXu-OSbrwyqGoGBUeWBpcIb3F_xwP9pc6dU7U9B1RD8/s1600/Friendship+card+2.jpg" height="320" width="293" /></div>
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I'm really happy with it. As you can see, instead of a ribbon from the sketch, I used washi tape and instead of a button, I used a flower attached with a brad. I added embossing to the sentiment and a few rhinestones because most things are better with rhinestones. I didn't brush all the stray embossing powder off the card because I liked that it gave it a bit of a vintage/worn/imperfect look. I thought it was interesting, so I left it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRSw1trcNytOAawsbwrt_WT0JpJY8hCTPe96TLG1giZIht1t39BITmS2slzPuLupAj6wgBUR_EuYVwm05-UmMNo7cL87RMHRxCso7TA0agBuVZAdLCcsw28Fki7F5z-bOmhTx1RmQ4Zk/s1600/Friendship+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRSw1trcNytOAawsbwrt_WT0JpJY8hCTPe96TLG1giZIht1t39BITmS2slzPuLupAj6wgBUR_EuYVwm05-UmMNo7cL87RMHRxCso7TA0agBuVZAdLCcsw28Fki7F5z-bOmhTx1RmQ4Zk/s1600/Friendship+card.jpg" height="400" width="303" /> </a></div>
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I left the inside blank because I like writing my own personal messages. I also stamped the enveloped with a simple floral stamp to add a little something. </div>
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I'm going to enter this in the challenge. I hope to at least get a little constructive criticism. Wish me luck!!</div>
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Here are those links I promised:</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pretywtch/" target="_blank">My Pinterest</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pretywtch/paper-crafts/" target="_blank">My Pinterest Paper Crafts Board</a></div>
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<a href="http://retrosketches.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Retro Sketches</a> - I really like their sketches!</div>
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<a href="http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/" target="_blank"> Jennifer McGuire</a> - so! much! to! love!!</div>
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<a href="http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/" target="_blank">Splitcoaststampers</a> - check out their tutorials!</div>
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<a href="http://www.damasklove.com/" target="_blank">Damask Love</a> - literally everything she makes is gorgeous, elegant, and fun!</div>
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<a href="http://www.omiyageblogs.ca/" target="_blank">Omiyage Blogs</a> - fun with paper and washi tape!</div>
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<a href="http://www2.fiskars.com/Crafting/Projects/Cards" target="_blank">Fiskers</a> - great ideas using their products</div>
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<br />Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-9598445675073399332013-08-29T18:53:00.002-04:002013-08-29T18:53:38.340-04:00My first WhimseyBox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9aZhYpFX_lGe9AJr9e8Ju8-dSkdMLopAqL6MSTE-79Z4JK_q8jq2sCTce76bq0oWM_bqqvSlqYpX5alw1ZeXh_v_3qjb3c6DJRkyiLeSYN3uCBKGXJJzcoBmd0YFxOOztlhmrpzIQfY/s1600/IMAG0931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK9aZhYpFX_lGe9AJr9e8Ju8-dSkdMLopAqL6MSTE-79Z4JK_q8jq2sCTce76bq0oWM_bqqvSlqYpX5alw1ZeXh_v_3qjb3c6DJRkyiLeSYN3uCBKGXJJzcoBmd0YFxOOztlhmrpzIQfY/s320/IMAG0931.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today, I received my first <a href="https://whimseybox.com/?r=eukyn241" target="_blank">Whimseybox</a>. And, oh, what a glorious day it is! I can't wait to tell you all about it!!</div>
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First, let me explain a little bit about what Whimseybox is. It's a website that's a combination of fantastic DIY projects that are totally <a href="http://pinterest.com/pretywtch/boards/" target="_blank">Pinnable</a>, a shop to buy supplies to make the projects they feature, a blog and community to gab, gawk, and gush all things crafty, and (best of all!!) a subscription service which sends a lovely Whimseybox straight to your address. This is perfect for people who want to create, but can't find the time to gather inspiration, instructions, and supplies all in one place. Whimseybox takes care of all of it for you.</div>
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Now, what is a Whimseybox? It's awesome, that's what it is. Inside you will find everything you need to make a cool project. In my first box, I got everything I needed (except scissors, but hey, what crafter doesn't have scissors?!) to make two fantastic bracelets. It was packed so prettily, too. I wish I would have been a tad less excited, because I would like to show you a picture of what it looked like before I dug in. Suffice it to say, I felt like I was opening a gift. Everything inside was wrapped in mint tissue paper and crinkly kraft paper shred, all tied up with a mint satin ribbon. Love!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0_pPoH0onkRNCZndgOVFjAXuuMeFsAjc6aSq4x5grBT93L1plrnK70hr9Cxv-Wd3y5PEqvtntMoALt5TNhCDinQ4vXULIm3ganosIVNsoKxFosyI4eWdOvo55e92XiivclHmjyJkkqs/s1600/IMAG0932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0_pPoH0onkRNCZndgOVFjAXuuMeFsAjc6aSq4x5grBT93L1plrnK70hr9Cxv-Wd3y5PEqvtntMoALt5TNhCDinQ4vXULIm3ganosIVNsoKxFosyI4eWdOvo55e92XiivclHmjyJkkqs/s320/IMAG0932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The re-usable box really is a great feature. It's sturdy and you can close it completely. I love that I could take this on a road trip and have everything I need to complete a fun project, with quality materials, right at my fingers tips. The box is good for storage, but also doubles as a clean work surface and would be prefect for re-using to mail gifts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8lzonywF1KLhB5lX-oEzMpc82nf-0zkBm0gT9auA8ESKfVQJ3m88ip3JMf0V-isN5BQFGYke_k9guIK-KYIDNX43ft04LjsXjs7TrKs7-5Ug4UdgI2-wrB9kBmh9OT7AVy6qo5R-0IE/s1600/IMAG0934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8lzonywF1KLhB5lX-oEzMpc82nf-0zkBm0gT9auA8ESKfVQJ3m88ip3JMf0V-isN5BQFGYke_k9guIK-KYIDNX43ft04LjsXjs7TrKs7-5Ug4UdgI2-wrB9kBmh9OT7AVy6qo5R-0IE/s320/IMAG0934.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Above you'll see the contents of the box (oh, and the bracelet I made draped over the clipboard): mini clipboard, two binder clips, a needle (stuck to the mini clip board with that cute swatch of washi tape), two colors of leather cord, two sweet buttons, 6/0 beads in clear with silver centers, thread, and cement. They also included three really great pencils printed with three crafty saying: DIY4LIFE, MAKERS GONNA MAKE, and STOP PINNING. START MAKING (this one also happens to be their motto, and I love it! Who hasn't gotten stuck on Pinterest, drolling over projects that you'd love to make if only you could tear yourself away from Pinterest?) I want to mention that all the supplies are high quality and full-sized. No trying to squeeze a tiny dab of glue out of a miniscule plastic pouch because they gave you the exact two drops of glue the instructions call for or trying to complete your project only to find out you lack one inch of thread. With a little more cord and a few buttons, I have enough supplies to make another bracelet or two besides the second they sent me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT58FW4e2tN-h0OQpyHzLGnDOA7LdJEOs4CUe3sZzIMKV-R5oMhZNUgktHRpvNQ49XNISxG_3krq3cMm1RCNFTlUaoIbyUN2xmCa3_PeP-IdXIMHvbA-xZhlbsHagh8wfZKwkq6gZqmg/s1600/IMAG0935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjT58FW4e2tN-h0OQpyHzLGnDOA7LdJEOs4CUe3sZzIMKV-R5oMhZNUgktHRpvNQ49XNISxG_3krq3cMm1RCNFTlUaoIbyUN2xmCa3_PeP-IdXIMHvbA-xZhlbsHagh8wfZKwkq6gZqmg/s320/IMAG0935.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Isn't this pretty? It's the art print for this month, and they include one in each Whimseybox. On it is printed this: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheErR7XZ_k0YXPezuJrC3q3AuT5tYgzITJErWSpf5DiFIZ1xb_Eux53Y_s7i7iXbet9AsPJYCLFPgmzN61DUh-RyVSmWrpMFNT9st5_rETHJVu8fwRsuvUV7jFi1d6Kf5ARlMfKdeatw/s1600/IMAG0936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheErR7XZ_k0YXPezuJrC3q3AuT5tYgzITJErWSpf5DiFIZ1xb_Eux53Y_s7i7iXbet9AsPJYCLFPgmzN61DUh-RyVSmWrpMFNT9st5_rETHJVu8fwRsuvUV7jFi1d6Kf5ARlMfKdeatw/s320/IMAG0936.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Full-color, pictorial instructions for making the project in the box. These directions were fantastic: clear and concise. I stepped through the directions and successfully completed a style of beading I'd never even thought to try before. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZmWM79TijAu3j019EkcUrx_L18-qCJhcgQbQBE3oZ2A099Jw68uMU7YYG1rVJlxzuaOXHrENON8kGrn51-ka2QFTzsi1jQao-E3JjG7zCFXn1ig3OmXLWa4MYF5o5LH1ewr-qc5_sAo/s1600/IMAG0940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZmWM79TijAu3j019EkcUrx_L18-qCJhcgQbQBE3oZ2A099Jw68uMU7YYG1rVJlxzuaOXHrENON8kGrn51-ka2QFTzsi1jQao-E3JjG7zCFXn1ig3OmXLWa4MYF5o5LH1ewr-qc5_sAo/s640/IMAG0940.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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See what I made? It's a beaded wrap bracelet, and I'm so happy with it! I made it in about an hour, and I have enough materials to make another. After I finished making my first bracelet, I packed everything back into the box. Now, everything I need for a fun, satisfying project is ready when I have a bit of time to dedicate to it. I'm already looking forward to next month's box and I think I know a few people who will be getting a gift subscription for the holidays!<br />
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Think you're too busy to create? Think you can't figure out how to make it look like the picture? Think interpreting long lists of obscure supplies is too much trouble? Then, check out Whimseybox. They make creating easy and fun. I'm hooked!!<br />
<br />Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-8014850863719359372013-07-31T20:38:00.000-04:002013-07-31T20:38:05.929-04:00Watercolor postcards<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbNFuQZb4aPCH67g6cPYtdX8UxVmrftfvWXqvtCf94TmH2O_AXU92V9jUrDZ2iaWHzNycHKMrLpbF9W08xKlnN56YRZUVd7-jcJ_31RVVC6yuD0DxLazgdEXvmFJS64cg34VOIW2cAgs/s1600/IMAG0849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbNFuQZb4aPCH67g6cPYtdX8UxVmrftfvWXqvtCf94TmH2O_AXU92V9jUrDZ2iaWHzNycHKMrLpbF9W08xKlnN56YRZUVd7-jcJ_31RVVC6yuD0DxLazgdEXvmFJS64cg34VOIW2cAgs/s640/IMAG0849.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Watercolor Postcards</span></td></tr>
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Heya! So, today I want to talk about watercolors. Watercolor painting
is one of the trickiest art forms to master, yet it also incredibly
delicate, beautiful, and satisfying. It requires restraint, patience, a high degree of skill, and the ability to see what your going to paint before you lay the color down.<br />
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Needless to say, I haven't come anywhere close to mastering it yet.<br />
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However, playing and practicing are good ways to dabble and learn! To
that end, I started casually painting 4" x 6" postcards. The cards I
found are great because the size isn't
intimidating, they are quality paper, and all the postcardy goodness is
printed on the back for you already. Plus, they size is great for framing, so whoever is lucky enough to receive one of these little beauties can frame it if they'd like.<br />
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As I was working on these, I thought others might like to play around, too. I find watercolors a little scary, but with this little tutorial, maybe it won't seem so scary for others anymore! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtJxjWlDJA-9dbgYseCd9xwckWDPNXqLGiiqNA2Z0F0MR_kMqulNVWdtgZT8uml6OBInBJJY3d_6P5_aelvrvysRHiQVbEwv2Cx1KROzwTosbWP8ki6f5EE_f_xASjZ824Rum9VtnQZw/s1600/IMAG0807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtJxjWlDJA-9dbgYseCd9xwckWDPNXqLGiiqNA2Z0F0MR_kMqulNVWdtgZT8uml6OBInBJJY3d_6P5_aelvrvysRHiQVbEwv2Cx1KROzwTosbWP8ki6f5EE_f_xASjZ824Rum9VtnQZw/s320/IMAG0807.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024MVL3W/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Strathmore Watercolor Postcards, 4" x 6"</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst7XWhi1m_u3X8EK7TRsoCO57TwJoJ5-fzri8Wu2K-ZoDDe2wshH1jBZK2Vhbuh5yKKfQLMc-amRHxCf9JWqQIF1XPclYXFOWC5UCOsBaCgauaCi5phqweILVUTU1Kr_e47RNqZelsoE/s1600/IMAG0809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgst7XWhi1m_u3X8EK7TRsoCO57TwJoJ5-fzri8Wu2K-ZoDDe2wshH1jBZK2Vhbuh5yKKfQLMc-amRHxCf9JWqQIF1XPclYXFOWC5UCOsBaCgauaCi5phqweILVUTU1Kr_e47RNqZelsoE/s320/IMAG0809.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back, and front.</td></tr>
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So, let's get some materials together!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024MVL3W/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">4" x 6" watercolor postcards</a><br />
Watercolor paints - I show two travel palettes,<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OVG40E/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank"> this is the bigger one</a>. You can also use tubes of paint.<br />
A palette or plate to mix and thin your paint on<br />
Various brushes<br />
Water<br />
Masking tape<br />
Paper towels and/or a towel<br />
Salt-optional<br />
Masking fluid-optional, b sure you have an old brush to use with this. It can ruin a brush if you don't clean it out completely.<br />
Sharpie, ultra fine-optional<br />
Pencil-optional<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH5QYgrD7Lnk7lW3-N-y6X2G4ES_ZdLg9UaSQUGnezSke7Wy2mJUhtBmaFkTiPGj2VTPDM83QakVW5vndlTZI2NTK2cU1-boXGhZ6drk_6704rfGA-sDQo2xw1kxeswUPML0lHCn9xxs/s1600/IMAG0817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH5QYgrD7Lnk7lW3-N-y6X2G4ES_ZdLg9UaSQUGnezSke7Wy2mJUhtBmaFkTiPGj2VTPDM83QakVW5vndlTZI2NTK2cU1-boXGhZ6drk_6704rfGA-sDQo2xw1kxeswUPML0lHCn9xxs/s640/IMAG0817.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Materials, baby!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9pWbN4lvbq5IUhAbjWnlb0_0hn74enROrN6f83VqdUjYt9Go6IswmLIvZdUsYNXN3VFvBcLj9G5zWlwxiX9vFaTslnAqbWqDyQb8Z1b9evZ4HaLPD6HH70oYMRWnGw1vHBlRCNQ6SDw/s1600/IMAG0826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp9pWbN4lvbq5IUhAbjWnlb0_0hn74enROrN6f83VqdUjYt9Go6IswmLIvZdUsYNXN3VFvBcLj9G5zWlwxiX9vFaTslnAqbWqDyQb8Z1b9evZ4HaLPD6HH70oYMRWnGw1vHBlRCNQ6SDw/s400/IMAG0826.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masking fluid and an old, cheap brush to apply it with.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bnlJ-jyEGGr_35xSZrl7v-_yrADdyTJvt25N-6ZVgNmnm-vCfOv9xM0kMeVW7HUotUtreDaHP0xO4eFLSCYIZdvIvSi-CEvUFbrtbUwyZxVRKfwTB2oGxKRx98PRcxfpD75FFCsWedk/s1600/IMAG0811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bnlJ-jyEGGr_35xSZrl7v-_yrADdyTJvt25N-6ZVgNmnm-vCfOv9xM0kMeVW7HUotUtreDaHP0xO4eFLSCYIZdvIvSi-CEvUFbrtbUwyZxVRKfwTB2oGxKRx98PRcxfpD75FFCsWedk/s320/IMAG0811.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAId5P8BS1pIywA0lkDL_zqWGUu_2fQHtBEzI4nEmPBElJH3VUXJvLuZ6QPGJp00xNcKtuVujKSpKGd0-e1D3AGJB4LKNqHb8hYLyMuWJRszcL24qujslWp7CelEk92o3VvqZiLkR5fE/s1600/IMAG0810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAId5P8BS1pIywA0lkDL_zqWGUu_2fQHtBEzI4nEmPBElJH3VUXJvLuZ6QPGJp00xNcKtuVujKSpKGd0-e1D3AGJB4LKNqHb8hYLyMuWJRszcL24qujslWp7CelEk92o3VvqZiLkR5fE/s320/IMAG0810.jpg" width="180" /></a> The next step was to open a file in Microsoft Publisher and find a page size for a 4" x 6" postcard. I decided on the portrait orientation so I could print out these little <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calavera" target="_blank">calaveras</a> I drew and scanned a couple of years ago. Any free line art would work for this as well! There are some great line drawings online of just about any subject you want to paint. Google is your friend in this case! However, if you'd rather just draw free-hand directly onto the cards, that works, too. In fact, that's what I did with the Henna Sunrise card shown at the bottom of the page. I'll touch on that process in a bit. Don't worry, it's not hard.<br />
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Ok, so you're ready to print. Go for it! Once you've printed your image, it's time to get your workspace ready to go. Everything needs to be within easy reach. Use the masking tape to fix your postcard to your working surface. Be careful to make this neat as it will eventually make an unpainted frame around your work. Good lighting is important, too. If you can get natural light, awesome! If not, whatever you feel with comfortable works, too. Just make sure you can see where you're putting paint, and can accurately see the colors your using.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMHdsR_PJIAF6_1FaKfAftAHs5q-xvkqJmAzavLTtyszOXBsPeTsam23HdxJJPImP17zOlDF6nfDY-mZyurU2amHbTd2tXjL9400IHW_jc9evSbY5Vlg7KJCJZlAyu57ZlBHIY9Qteuw/s1600/IMAG0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigMHdsR_PJIAF6_1FaKfAftAHs5q-xvkqJmAzavLTtyszOXBsPeTsam23HdxJJPImP17zOlDF6nfDY-mZyurU2amHbTd2tXjL9400IHW_jc9evSbY5Vlg7KJCJZlAyu57ZlBHIY9Qteuw/s400/IMAG0821.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I work at my computer desk. It's the only place I can call my own with two kids in the house! LOL</td></tr>
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If you want to use masking fluid, this is a good time to save any spaces you want to keep white. In this example, I masked several places on the face and in the background area. Paint it on with an old brush and be patient! It's stinky. It can be a bit of a pain. But, it creates a really neat effect, so I hope you'll give it a try. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rYrpmBWeNCh5TYg5gJ5VmieWJbO-dhbk56ZQ6Unt9D69RtOVgWRI7sMLH5ImSpVlrWVHpCz_rxsh0dZhH3MFVGdGXHqvvnQuLF3AmGr5T6gKSY-jcRCKf05WI4FRBHd3WImIN8xwx5I/s1600/IMAG0818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-rYrpmBWeNCh5TYg5gJ5VmieWJbO-dhbk56ZQ6Unt9D69RtOVgWRI7sMLH5ImSpVlrWVHpCz_rxsh0dZhH3MFVGdGXHqvvnQuLF3AmGr5T6gKSY-jcRCKf05WI4FRBHd3WImIN8xwx5I/s320/IMAG0818.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taped down, ready to add masking fluid or paint.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jxILnp-VnQZZQyDabqoXVhqBdB2FJ1T6MUCOD_KMnKL2kXkzSDDE6bO667QhlZl2yseTPphyR2ze1FEQ1JhmZpJglnGkgKihSEUVsY9rJVV5X1TiYj9oAlzSTykmh104ciBw9_RN_rU/s1600/IMAG0828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jxILnp-VnQZZQyDabqoXVhqBdB2FJ1T6MUCOD_KMnKL2kXkzSDDE6bO667QhlZl2yseTPphyR2ze1FEQ1JhmZpJglnGkgKihSEUVsY9rJVV5X1TiYj9oAlzSTykmh104ciBw9_RN_rU/s320/IMAG0828.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can just barely see the masking fluid on the surface.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When you're happy with your masking, LET IT DRY completely. Don't rush this. Go get an iced tea and give it a few minutes. It will be worth it.<br />
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You're ready to paint! I'm not here to dictate how you color your card or try to teach you to use watercolors. <a href="http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolor-tutorials.htm" target="_blank">There are some fantastic watercolor tutorials out there that will help you much more than I can.</a> However, I encourage you to play! Try covering an area with water, then dabbing some paint into it. Try blending two colors together this way. Use highly-concentrated color, use very thin color, drawing thin lines or create big blobs of color. Be realistic or crazy. Whatever you do, try to have fun and enjoy it. Reminder: watercolor dries lighter than it looks when applied. Keep this in mind when adding very light colors. In my painting, the "whites" of the eyes are painted a light blue, but it dried so light that, next to the intense colors of the irises, it looks a bit washed-out.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjjODYk0dO1XBcxUU3lU7ycWuYwMGxI5TR1ywL103exbwzkT0Z4vYU-XG0qo0NMzYKokZ9oPV3T8iHH_T8Kc5G3ajQPBMQ_N5BvueYfGipw6JbcoqwaiyR8do-AhfFDYwSE4oojTm4U4/s1600/IMAG0829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjjODYk0dO1XBcxUU3lU7ycWuYwMGxI5TR1ywL103exbwzkT0Z4vYU-XG0qo0NMzYKokZ9oPV3T8iHH_T8Kc5G3ajQPBMQ_N5BvueYfGipw6JbcoqwaiyR8do-AhfFDYwSE4oojTm4U4/s320/IMAG0829.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting some color laid down!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW4e2fqb1OgjaPXpS5JWGWAbDyPmBVFCRdMaN6uqRvPTypfgEFyhgekL5DvMqsH4Ywij1nBbykF-14KognqeCIhRFOM8itZ_Id3AeQ63WbNFXRZsDSiDgibP2zpsJ6pOuwHtOTlCt1oU/s1600/IMAG0831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW4e2fqb1OgjaPXpS5JWGWAbDyPmBVFCRdMaN6uqRvPTypfgEFyhgekL5DvMqsH4Ywij1nBbykF-14KognqeCIhRFOM8itZ_Id3AeQ63WbNFXRZsDSiDgibP2zpsJ6pOuwHtOTlCt1oU/s320/IMAG0831.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dabbing color into a wash of water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHfbnA7ga_KgCE081g3q_prlgj31lsppo9RnLTEWljomo-HJpIfaZpnWF4_GP1yLfEvhzzbYHgs6Q4ey2ORV81gR8vWwrVyEXYE63Gb-F09_FRSRfl3Y19mMtf4KS4qnU1YN82qTyC_s/s1600/IMAG0833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVHfbnA7ga_KgCE081g3q_prlgj31lsppo9RnLTEWljomo-HJpIfaZpnWF4_GP1yLfEvhzzbYHgs6Q4ey2ORV81gR8vWwrVyEXYE63Gb-F09_FRSRfl3Y19mMtf4KS4qnU1YN82qTyC_s/s320/IMAG0833.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thrown down some salt!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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If you want to create a cool effect,<a href="http://www.watercolorpainting.com/watercolorpainting/salt.htm" target="_blank"> regular table salt is a great way to go</a>. While an area is still wet, sprinkle some salt down. It will push and pull the paint and create a snowflake or crackle texture. Carefully brush off the salt before it's completely dry, being sure to not smear the damp paint. If you let the salt dry onto the paint, it may not brush off completely. However, I've found this leaves a subtle sparkle, which I don't mind at all. In this example, I used salt in the enter of the eye to add a little variation, while the two previous cards got salt on the background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fPhbgM00sCisD25yaH8jruKFrDrfP2aRqP5d1Gey3vzIvRKXEEXsou3gusmK1qtD5UCWXy08Mna2S-4HUeL2QhgoTrXQ1wQEqvpkTzhHv4ukUl7belSWmDe9Cb6aZ92WVGqLobikpys/s1600/IMAG0840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fPhbgM00sCisD25yaH8jruKFrDrfP2aRqP5d1Gey3vzIvRKXEEXsou3gusmK1qtD5UCWXy08Mna2S-4HUeL2QhgoTrXQ1wQEqvpkTzhHv4ukUl7belSWmDe9Cb6aZ92WVGqLobikpys/s640/IMAG0840.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fPhbgM00sCisD25yaH8jruKFrDrfP2aRqP5d1Gey3vzIvRKXEEXsou3gusmK1qtD5UCWXy08Mna2S-4HUeL2QhgoTrXQ1wQEqvpkTzhHv4ukUl7belSWmDe9Cb6aZ92WVGqLobikpys/s1600/IMAG0840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt textures, close-up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok, done painting? Let that baby dry completely! If you're feeling a bit impatient, a blow dryer on low will help you along. Once it's completely dry, gently peel off the masking tape. Then, run your finger over the masking fluid and it will peel right off, revealing gleaming white paper beneath!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDkAZLWo6p3h_9MsvxTUwogCfqvNxtm3e3Ku1vsw6DlXKltKUyhYdl_KGfv-hkwvtb0NQAx6snR6PjCDny7NxL0CY_BJ9m3aypOIMRTgKrmPa1i2yUSC_r4Uo74G9oWoai9L38tqPOQk/s1600/IMAG0836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDkAZLWo6p3h_9MsvxTUwogCfqvNxtm3e3Ku1vsw6DlXKltKUyhYdl_KGfv-hkwvtb0NQAx6snR6PjCDny7NxL0CY_BJ9m3aypOIMRTgKrmPa1i2yUSC_r4Uo74G9oWoai9L38tqPOQk/s400/IMAG0836.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A matched set!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfxMvZdx80x0JwQ1eGNYcNtMqHumtYdt3BC6fcaIoEGfq5JMk9rOifB9Cd16SBtv-l1oshBWYrJZ-Li3aQR__iDGN5LLjPt2BYD8jyOAA7iqc7CQ7gBKKZPDCNcUeYMWKSA336RfR29U/s1600/IMAG0834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfxMvZdx80x0JwQ1eGNYcNtMqHumtYdt3BC6fcaIoEGfq5JMk9rOifB9Cd16SBtv-l1oshBWYrJZ-Li3aQR__iDGN5LLjPt2BYD8jyOAA7iqc7CQ7gBKKZPDCNcUeYMWKSA336RfR29U/s400/IMAG0834.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila!!</td></tr>
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The final step is to sign the front and add some info to the back of the card with your Sharpie, so your recipient knows the name of their beautiful artwork! I also add the date and the medium, but feel free to add whatever information you want. You're ready to mail or frame your art work!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8Q-PO5NbmVFH6EatABqWVK6L8MV9wRX6YbSB47VYzn2zZ6POidzWEck1rEbbP953j2951B8x4XruaWE9nMCRFiM4aJYk-dVRoTFgiY5kuIPaEVZ9xpzt21OGDvI9zaIH0tbnj-Ga2-s/s1600/IMAG0842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8Q-PO5NbmVFH6EatABqWVK6L8MV9wRX6YbSB47VYzn2zZ6POidzWEck1rEbbP953j2951B8x4XruaWE9nMCRFiM4aJYk-dVRoTFgiY5kuIPaEVZ9xpzt21OGDvI9zaIH0tbnj-Ga2-s/s400/IMAG0842.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back of the completed card with painting title, date, and medium. I think this adds a nice handmade touch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I promised to talk about hand-drawing your line art, and I keep my promises so here goes. The card shown below was created before I got my lovely postcards. I cut out the size I wanted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bee-Paper-Watercolor-9-Inch-12-Inch/dp/B004KPLLF4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1375316478&sr=8-4&keywords=watercolor+paper" target="_blank">regular watercolor paper</a>, taped it down like the card above, and got to drawing. I free handed a <a href="http://www.hennapage.com/henna/what/lineart/" target="_blank">henna</a>-inspired sunrise in pencil. Then, I painted it and let it dry completely. After it was dry, I removed the tape and outlined it with my Sharpie, adding a few more details here and there. I like how it turned out. :) Because it wasn't on postcard paper, I used a ruler to add the postcard lines on the back. Don't forget to sign your original artwork!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrQWKB6yCybTszfs7om2NBE_hj524nXHL_LBS-WrF9pDMs2Y2EIkuCExST5siR3PcxcMqfrusZBg5SC14nMhGVci6JTItvyI8DVnVq6kCqeEepVR1AjTbfHZ7kjOisJ_f2ZPyiW2_Rgo/s1600/IMAG0850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrQWKB6yCybTszfs7om2NBE_hj524nXHL_LBS-WrF9pDMs2Y2EIkuCExST5siR3PcxcMqfrusZBg5SC14nMhGVci6JTItvyI8DVnVq6kCqeEepVR1AjTbfHZ7kjOisJ_f2ZPyiW2_Rgo/s640/IMAG0850.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henna Sunrise</td></tr>
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I hope you enjoyed this little post. And, I really hope it inspires you to try something new! If you decide to try making your own, please leave me a comment and let me know! I'd love to know how it goes for you!<br />
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BB!<br />
~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-31638219191252251262013-04-12T00:06:00.000-04:002013-04-12T00:06:30.146-04:00Make your own bookplates!Wow, has it REALLY been that long since I posted last. Yikes. A lot has changed since then: my husband and I both got great new jobs, we bought our first house, and life has been hectic and wonderful in the meantime. The kids are GREAT!! and life is good. :) Oh, and we welcomed a dog and cat into our home.<br />
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I wanted to start posting again because I'm going through a really creative time, and I'm constantly wanting to make something new. With the advent of <a href="http://pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>and my discovery of <a href="http://craftgawker.com/" target="_blank">Craftgawker</a>, I'm finding more and more inspiration. I just wanted to start using my blog again to document some of the fun. :)<br />
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So, what have I been up to? The first craft I want to share is an idea for bookplates.<br />
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<br />
I adore bookplates, mostly because I adore books! While at the store recently looking for labels to use to print my own bookplates, I found<a href="http://www.avery.com/avery/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=8760827eace3a210VgnVCM1000002118140aRCRD" target="_blank"> these fantastic labels by Avery</a>. These are perfect not only because they are an ideal size, but because you can pull them off the backing to package them as individual bookplates. You can box these up instead of giving a sheet of labels. They come apart very easily and they look pretty danged professional, too, if you ask me. :)<br />
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As you can see from my photos, you can use any artwork you'd like (I just picked a couple of coordinating pictures from Publisher that I liked in the first two, and an image from a website I love and wanted to advertise in the second) then personalize it to your needs. Some have the intended owner's name, some have blank lines to write on. Microsoft Publisher makes it easy because it already has the template for the Avery labels available. You just customize and print! You get 8 bookplates per page. Can you imagine all your kids' books with these in there? You could even customize it to look like a library check out list and have your kids sign when they complete a book. What a cute way to save those memories!<br />
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Now, you may be curious about the third picture. I'm a member of a website called <a href="http://bookcrossing.com/">Bookcrossing.com</a>, which encourages people to share books and track where the books end up by registering their books with the site, adding the tracking number to the book on a label (like mine), and sending it off into the wild. Check them out if you're interested. I think it's a really fun idea, and I just released my first 3 books! I can't wait to see where their travels take them!<br />
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I hope you like the bookplate idea. If you try it, let me know! <a href="http://pinterest.com/pretywtch/" target="_blank">I'm on Pinterest</a> and would love to see what you come up with! See you with another episode in my crafting adventure soon!Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-7348296509361520752009-12-03T08:16:00.000-05:002009-12-03T08:16:24.974-05:00Can you help?Hey there, <br />
<br />
As some of you may know, my neighbors were robbed yesterday. The jerk took their computer, their camera, the kids' Wii and all accessories and games, and, worst of all in my opinion, the Christmas gifts for the kids. Check out this <a href="http://www2.wjbf.com/jbf/news/state_regional/south_carolina/article/family_has_thousands_stolen_in_christmas_gifts/42606/">news article</a> for more info.<br />
<br />
What gets me is that they knew they were taking gifts for children when they stole that stuff. You don't pick up a brand-new-in-the-box toy and not realize that it's meant for a child. I don't know if they are going to sell it or give it to their own kids, but either way, it's just despicable. The neighbor kids and my kids play together, and it just broke my heart when I heard about what happened. Their youngest daughter was with them when they found the back window shattered and the door wide open. She was terrified. I've rarely seen a child that upset.<br />
<br />
I want to help them, in any way we can. My husband, Jason, already got them a computer through work. It's not new, but it's theirs to keep and will get them through until they can get something better, if they'd like. I'm going to pick up a gift for each of the kids, but one gift isn't enough. If anyone out there wants to donate a gift card or a toy for the kids, please contact me. Anything at all is accepted and so greatly appreciated. Just drop me a line.<br />
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Those of you who know me know my family has been struggling the last two years. I've been out of work and Christmas's have been lean. We're struggling with two cars that are on their last legs and just trying to make it. We know how this family feels. Their story is very much like ours. I know how devastated I would be if this happened to us, and it just tears me up. To know the kids are going to be so sad, that the youngest will wonder why Santa didn't come this year... it just kills me. Please, if you are able, even a $20 gift card will go a long way. Let me know and you can be Santa this year.<br />
<br />
BB<br />
~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-45754419259054028632009-11-18T09:14:00.001-05:002009-11-18T09:15:31.032-05:00Something Corwin said that I want to share...My sons (ages 8 and 2, to be 9 and 3 next month. :O!!!!!!!!) and I were watching <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone</i> yesterday and the scene where Hagrid gives Dudley a tail was playing. Xay asked why Dudley was jumping around when Hagrid zapped him. I explained that it must have hurt. However, Corwin turned around and said, “No! Harry scared the worm out of his pocket!” Clearly, that is what happened. All this time I thought Dudley was growing a pig’s tail, when really, he was harboring a worm in his pocket.<br />
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I thought this was hilarious and completely plausible. Good job, Diddy!!Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-33023456881821625332009-11-17T21:54:00.000-05:002009-11-17T21:54:26.858-05:00Hard life lessons.My oldest son, Xay, and I were hanging out in downtown Augusta this past Saturday and we were ardently looking for a place to have lunch as it was 3PM and we hadn't eaten. As we were passing Metro Coffee House, an older man came up to me and asked if we could spare any money. I always feel terrible in these situations because a) I don't carry cash and can't help this person (and I seriously would if I carried cash; just giving it all away though I haven't worked in over two years) and b) I don't carry cash for just this reason and I'm secretly relieved because these situations make me a tad frightened. Especially with my kids in tow. I explained that I didn't have any cash on me and the man then asked if I could buy him a cup of coffee on my credit card. I thought this was incredibly ballsy and in a flat tone, I explained that I was most concerned with feeding my son at the moment. It was at that point that I went from sympathetic to irritated.<br />
<br />
However, I could see that Xay was pretty affected. He asked what that man had asked me, and when I explained, Xay asked why he would do that. <br />
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I said, "He's homeless, honey." <br />
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I don't think Xay thought that homeless people were in our town or that they could look pretty much like anyone else on the street. I explained that I didn't have any cash to give the man. He was pretty shocked and saddened by seeing someone who was hungry enough to beg on a public street in broad daylight. The irony of us sitting in a restaurant (granted a BIG treat for us!) eating after the encounter was not lost on me. I was feeling cynical and upset myself, but I was trying to have a good day with Xay, too.<br />
<br />
After we were seated and our Cokes* came, Xay asked if we could go home afterward and he could get some of his allowance money from his bank to give to the man. I said we'd talk about it. And, if he was serious about it, I would have gladly let him do whatever he was moved to do. I want to encourage both of my kids to be compassionate. After a few silent moments, Xay then announces that he doesn't think he can eat his whole lunch. Moments before he was starving; I knew where this as going.<br />
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"You eat until you are full, ok? Then, if there is anything left over and you want to give it away, we'll box it up and you can give it to that man if he'll take it, ok?" He beamed and my heart melted. <br />
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I could tell he was really serious about this and was genuinely concerned for this man. I felt so jaded and cynical because I don't like to give homeless people money for all the worst reasons: what if they just use it for alcohol or drugs? (So what if they do? It's the act of compassion, with no strings attached, that I should be striving for.) What if they think it's not enough and they try to mug me? (A genuine concern, especially when my kids are with me. Then again, I don't go into scary places with my kids.) Mostly, I'd rather do something tangible for someone in need rather than throw money at it.<br />
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So, I decided I would have half my sandwich and cheese fries boxed up for the man. That half would go to waste if it were just me eating it, and this would put it to good use. We added the celery that came with Xay's wings, three wet wipes Xay didn't use, and got a to-go Coke for him. Xay was so excited about giving this man a warm meal that he couldn't get out of there fast enough. <br />
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We left, and looked for the man where we left him. I was feeling happy, though a bit nervous, too. I didn't know what to expect of his reaction. We didn't find him for about a half hour; we were wandering around downtown doing our thing and suddenly there he was. <br />
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I said, "Xay, is that him?" <br />
<br />
Xay nearly ran into traffic to get to him. He was giddy! I was (and am) so proud of him.<br />
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Then, everything sort of fell apart. As we were walking across the street to give this man the food we carried all over downtown for him, he walked up to three people leaving a sidewalk cafe and asked if he could have the leftover beer they were walking away from. He was trying to make a quick getaway with an open container when we walked up to him. <br />
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"We got you some lunch," I said as I handed him the to-go box. Xay stood next to me, practically bouncing, with a huge, hopeful smile plastered on his face.<br />
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The man mumbled, "Okay," snatched the box, then quickly walked away. No thank-yous, no smile, no nothing. Like we were handing out unwanted fliers on the street. Xay stood there looking from him to me, with this confused and stunned look on his face. He was so hurt.<br />
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"Mom, what happened?"<br />
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I didn't know what to say. So, I put my arm around him and told him that some people, no matter their living situation, don't know how to be polite or say thank-you, but that once he got to eat the food, even if he didn't think of us, he would be glad to have that and that Xay had given that to him. <br />
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We walked along in silence for a little bit after that. I could tell that Xay was thinking about it alot. I was angry at that man: he was rude and pushy when he forced his way into our afternoon asking scary, inconvenient questions, then when we try to rise to the occasion and do the hard thing, he brushed past us, grabbing the food we were trying to offer in love and leaving without so much as a hint of thanks. Most of all, he hurt my kid's feelings when he was trying to hard to do something good for someone, to make someone happy, to feed someone who was hungry.<br />
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All I could say was, "Honey, what you did was wonderful, compassionate thing to do. His reaction didn't matter, and a thank you would have just been a bonus. You can't let that get in the way of you doing good; you can't let it make you hard-hearted to those in need. You gave a hungry person food. There's nothing in the world better then that." He nodded, and said I was right. I hope he believes it. <br />
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My sons make me want to be better, they help me BE better. I hope this doesn't make Xay hesitate to help others. I've emailed a local soup kitchen to see if Xay and I can volunteer. I think he would like that, and it would do him good to see people who sincerely appreciate what you are doing for them. I'll keep you posted.<br />
<br />
BB<br />
~Jeannie<br />
<br />
*Yes, I had a Coke. My third since giving up sodas weeks ago. I don't feel bad.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-25054606238532767142009-11-12T08:23:00.000-05:002009-11-12T08:23:47.613-05:00My Chili RecipeI <i>love</i> to cook, and especially to bake. I really wish I would have paid attention to my Mom and Dad all those years they told me to pay attention in the kitchen because I'd know so much more, including family recipes and techniques. I'm lucky that I'm still able to learn them from my parents when I'm with them. This stubbornness (ie "I can read. All I have to do is read the recipe." What a little jerk I was! And foolish, too.) lead me to leave home with very little kitchen expertise and a sadly lacking imagination for menu planning. I still struggle with figuring out a menu for my family that is consistently satisfying to them yet varied enough for me and isn't boring to prepare. <br />
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One of the first recipes I came up with was what would later be known as my Sweet Chili. I've given it out to a few people, usually after they've eaten it and been convinced that chili can be sweet, not just savory or spicy. Lately, I've taken to sharing it online or giving it out on a nice recipe card in swaps. I've been really honored to have gotten some very kind and enthusiastic feedback on my chili and I love to share. So, I thought I'd share the recipe here, too.<br />
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Jeannie’s Sweet Chili.<br />
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1 bottle of V8 (I use the medium-sized bottle, and I usually get one fortified with calcium or antioxidants)<br />
1 can each of mild chili beans, light kidney beans, dark kidney beans, great northern beans, black beans<br />
1.5 pounds of hamburger or ground turkey (they both taste GREAT!) Or soy crumbles.<br />
1 family-sized boil-in-bag brown rice<br />
Chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, season salt, sugar<br />
<br />
Brown the meat with a few dashes of garlic and onion powders, just to make the kitchen smell fantastic and get you in the mood to cook. While that is cooking, open all cans of beans. Once meat is cooked through, drain thoroughly (I even wipe out the pan to remove as much residual fat as possible), return to pot and heat.<br />
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Add V8. <br />
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Empty all beans EXCEPT the chili beans, into a colander and rinse with cool water until it runs clear. Add all beans to the pot. Marvel at how pretty all those beans look together. <br />
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Cook boil-in-bag rice per manufacturer’s directions (I cook mine in the microwave for ten minutes in a micro-safe bowl, covered in water). <br />
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Bringing the chili to a simmer, add enough chili powder to cover the surface of the chili in a dry layer (you want enough chili powder to make it taste like chili and not tomato soup). Stir. Add garlic and onion powders to taste. If you feel it needs more salt, use season salt so you get less sodium and more flavor. Stir in about a 3/4 cup sugar until it is dissolved. Taste often to be sure it’s just how you like it. <br />
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Stir in hot cooked rice, heat to steaming and serve. <br />
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My family gets two meals and leftovers out of this recipe, so I’d estimate that it would serve 8 comfortably.<br />
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Notes: I make this chili because my family loves it and my husband just recently started eating veggies. So, with the V8 and a glass of milk, I could be sure he was getting a complete meal in a bowl, with lots of fiber and protein to boot. However, I’d make this a bit differently if I were making it exactly how I like it: I’d add a can of crushed tomatoes, saute a large onion and a few mild peppers with the meat, and serve it with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheese on top with a <b>slice of wheat bread smeared with peanut butter</b>. Everyone thinks I’m crazy to suggest peanut butter bread with chili, but I promise that if you try it, you’ll <i>love</i> it! Just dip it in the chili, and give it a shot; you’ll be amazed at how yummy it is! <br />
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If you don’t want to add the rice directly to the pot, it makes a nice presentation to allow the rice to sit in a bowl to cool for a few minutes and become a bit sticky. Then, use an ice cream scoop to place a rice ball in the middle of each bowl of chili. If you like a spicier chili, get hot chili beans, and add more chili powder or a few spicy peppers to the browning meat.<br />
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Yum!! I hope you enjoy it! I just wish I could make it for you!<br />
<br />
BB!<br />
~Jeannie<br />
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Please note, I'm sharing this because I love giving. So please, if you make this and someone asks for the recipe, it would be very cool of you to call it "Jeannie's Sweet Chili." It took years for me to get this consistent and yummy, and I'm very proud of my little recipe, so giving me credit or directing curious recipe-seekers here would be kind, cool, and appreciated. :)Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-21687661127898337732009-10-22T09:14:00.000-04:002009-10-22T09:14:56.474-04:00Something Xay said today that I want to preserve....This morning, while driving to school, Xay and I noticed a flock of small black birds flying over the trees. They weren't in formation, and it seemed like they had just been spooked and flew up in a cloud. <br />
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Xay said, "Hey, did you see that?" <br />
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I told him I had.<br />
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He then said, "They looked like a thumbprint."<br />
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It was a singularly poetic statement, and for a moment, I was speechless. He's an amazing child.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-23402593198496987612009-10-04T10:05:00.004-04:002009-11-06T13:41:17.724-05:00Who Alchemy is hosting in 2010Alchemy is very excited to be hosting four amazing artists in workshop next year! Save the dates:<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">March 20</span>: <a href="http://www.azizaraks.net/"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Aziza Nawal!</span></a><br />
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Have you met Aziza Nawal? Alchemy calls her "The Chuck Norris of Bellydance"! Incredible precision and a playful attitude combine to make her dynamite on stage! Her drum solos are killer.<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">June 26: <a href="http://www.amberetta.com/">Amberetta!</a></span><br />
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With grace and poise, Amberetta makes every movement onstage look effortless. Known for her flawless double swords, she infuses a strength into every piece and works tirelessly to inspire her students and fellows dancers.<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">Third Quarter: <a href="http://www.ariellah.com/">Ariellah</a> and the Sideshow Tour!</span><br />
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The Sideshow Tour will not only feature the incomparable Ariellah, but also the evocative <a href="http://www.bellygroove.com/">Frederique</a>, and couture clothier <a href="http://www.blacklotusclothing.com/">Black Lotus</a> who helps Ariellah fashion her signature looks.<br />
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Here is a look at Ariellah, spellbinding the audience with her dark themes, intense emotion, and impeccable technique.<br />
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And, here find Frederique, with a vintage feminine beauty that defies categorization.<br />
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Ariellah is currently out of the country, but when she returns, we will announce a firm date for this amazing tour! Alchemy is so excited to be bringing Ariellah to the CSRA for the first time. Not only do we greatly admire her and her work, but we know she is a real favorite in our community.<br />
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<span style="font-weight:bold;">December 4:<a href="http://amanijabril.com/"> Amani Jabril!</a></span><br />
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Amani is a highly educated dancer who has immersed herself in world dance. As an artist, she combines a high standard of technique with a deep knowledge of cultural nuance and a smoldering sensuality. She's fun and her love of dance creates an atmosphere where learning is easy and the student comes away with more than just a few new moves.<br />
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Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to leave comments here! As always, you can also check out Alchemy for up-to-the-minute info! We have a <a href="http://www.alchemydance.com/">website</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/alchemydance">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alchemy/41372465813">Facebook</a> (see the sidebar to the right) and <a href="http://thesouthernoasis.tribe.net/">tribe</a>!<br />
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BB! And here's to an exciting 2010!!<br />
~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-61979808780231629662009-10-01T08:52:00.003-04:002009-10-01T12:26:49.178-04:00Busy, busy!Just a little update:<br /><br />I've been making <span style="font-style:italic;">alot</span> of "stuff" lately. I hate to use such a non-specific word, but there's such a wide variety that I can't be more specific without an exhaustive list. My costume for <a href="http://www.alchemydance.com/event.shtml">Southern Mirage</a> this weekend is DONE! W00t!! I'll post pics when I can.<br /><br />I've also completed all the projects for this month's HPKCHC assignments that I wanted to hand in. Yay!<br /><br />Also, Alchemy got some AMAZING news recently regarding an artist we will be hosting in 2010. We are so excited, but we want to hold the announcement until this weekend when we will have a big reveal at the show. I'm overjoyed that we are hosting this artist because I've admired their work for a very long time and to be a part of bringing them to the CSRA for the first time is an amazing opportunity that I feel so grateful to be a part of.<br /><br />I've got to share a wonderful video about one amazing dancer:<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jJ6vJlM5B7w&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jJ6vJlM5B7w&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />And, no, that's not a hint about the paragraph above! lol Ok, that's all for now. :)Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-48260721425501786162009-09-24T19:38:00.003-04:002009-09-24T22:13:14.084-04:00On my mindSo, we've been working hard in our house to be healthier. Part of that, for me, means I'm back to the water-almost-exclusively plan. For two weeks I drink nothing but water, with milk for cereal, and then after two weeks I will occasionally have something else to drink, if I want it. I do this for a couple of reasons: No one in the world needs all the extra calories we take in when we drink sodas, sweet tea or even juices everyday. You also get nutrients from tea and juices, but the sugar gain outweighs the benefits and most of us don't drink just a serving (1/2 cup). Juice packs alot of calories, but you don't get the benefit of the fiber you get when you have a the whole fruit or vegetable. I'm not saying juice is evil, I just prefer to eat a whole fruit/veg and have a glass of water with it. Plus, I'm fuller, longer, and with good stuff. Another reason I, in particular, need to drink as much water as I can is that I am a kidney stone breeder. It's been years (knock wood!!!) since I've passed a stone, and even longer since it's landed me in the hospital, but I can tell you that it is, by far, the worst pain I've ever felt, and I've had two babies. Naturally. I'd rather have a baby than pass a kidney stone. And, since no one knows what my stones are made of, I don't know what to avoid. Better safe than sorry. After two weeks, I'll add hot teas, especially green, back into the mix because I tend to put less sugar in hot tea than cold, sweet tea, and I'm always happy with one cup, whereas I can drink gallons of sweet tea in a day. I've done it.<br /><br />During these two weeks, I'm not going to change anything else in my diet. I don't like to break my neck and try to change everything at once. I feel that it sets me up for failure. So, I do steps, changing habits and thought patterns gradually, one at a time, building on success and gaining momentum.<br /><br />Another change I've been working on for a while now is eating fish. Note, that doesn't say eating MORE fish, just eating fish. I've never enjoyed fish, but I want to learn to if nothing else for the health benefits. I started eating some non-vegetarian sushi a couple of years ago, but I hardly count that as it's a very small amount of fish. Recently, I tried some tilapia while out with friends, and I was blown away with how wonderful it was. Mari loves fish and spent some time as a pescetarian , so she's always encouraging me to give fish another shot. I decided that it was time for me to be a grown up and give fish a chance. So far, I've ordered fish twice while out to eat, and I've made fish twice here at home this week. Once it was for dinner and once for lunch. Granted, none of these small forays are perfect, but I've enjoyed every single occasion. Today, I had a Lean Cuisine Parmesan-crusted fish meal for lunch, and I finished it wishing I had a freezer packed with it. It was just amazingly tasty, and the flavor of the fish wasn't drowned out by something else! I actually liked the fish!!! I've got more fish in the freezer, and I'm so encouraged that I may have a tilapia filet for lunch tomorrow. <br /><br />So, we're eating healthier (lots and lots of veggies! very lean meat! no added oils or fats! FISH! water, water, water!) and we're exercising more. All in all, it's a good thing and I love that Jason is on the bandwagon, too. It's so much easier to make these changes when you're not the only person in the house making them or when you don't have to make a meal for them and meal for yourself.<br /><br />Now, I don't know if this is related, and if it is, I don't know how, but along with this is an urge to travel. One of my life goals is to live in another country before I die, and maybe even live my life out in another country. I love my country, please don't mistake me, but I also love my world and I've seen far to little of it. Though I feel I have an open and accepting mind, I know there are ideas, people, places out there that I cannot even imagine, and I want to experience that. I want to be immersed in other languages and be forced to learn them in order to survive. I want to live in a bustling Japanese city, a sedate and beautiful Austrian town, on a deep green hillside in Ireland, on the edge of a vast rainforest, within sight of the Egyptian desert, in the Outback, Morocco to Moscow, Paris to the Pacific Northwest, Tehran to Tahiti... I want to live anywhere I can because I want to be a citizen of the world. I think when I work toward making my body healthier, my view is always on the whole and how the systems work with each other, so perhaps it's natural that my thoughts and view would turn outward to see how our world is a reflection of my body. As above, so below, ya know? <br /><br />So, I sit here and my feet are eager to be off. I want to travel, and I want my children to travel. I want them to see the world, to love it and want to protect it. I hope they will learn to value people (including themselves) for what they are: fallible, imperfect, ultimately lovable, full of grace and worthy of redemption. I hope they will see that different ideas, ideologies, religions, viewpoints, voices, are not only ok, but absolutely necessary. Most of all, I want them to see nature, and feel the full force of Nature, to feel small next to a redwood, and huge when an ant crawls up their shoe, to know they are nothing special, but everything that is amazing. I want them to be filled with pride and humility, and I know that traveling can give that to you. It's a subtle mix, to be sure.Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-64982965300410422692009-09-18T21:23:00.001-04:002009-09-18T21:24:46.773-04:00On the horizon...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuOmM64IjW88Mz9VTYFHWAM9BuzDtEVl7u9urjdiSq6Urpuj4snBVAALL5_5Cwyf8p6TNKxmH05bXarfSxKzKRq1PfJZelMrg5IcpotiZXDcaVoQc_ePuhv1dDInCSJrtYMueBj9-NA8/s1600-h/SM+09+Poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinuOmM64IjW88Mz9VTYFHWAM9BuzDtEVl7u9urjdiSq6Urpuj4snBVAALL5_5Cwyf8p6TNKxmH05bXarfSxKzKRq1PfJZelMrg5IcpotiZXDcaVoQc_ePuhv1dDInCSJrtYMueBj9-NA8/s320/SM+09+Poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382983290233941618" /></a>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-52091915102052761692009-09-16T12:35:00.000-04:002009-09-16T12:36:11.629-04:00Swap, swap, swap.It's no secret, I love swapping. I love giving, and receiving ain't too bad, either. I like to blog about the packages I send out so that I can later tell my partner what my thought process was. This is my latest package sent out for the Reducio Sock Swap (Round 7), and the theme was "Aboard the Hogwart's Express!" I decided I wanted to do a traveling/back-to-school slant to this, so I collected items to that end. Here's the whole shebang!:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsznga1xUAmDCYFTuU2Ax4qAB3MBgQ_43bsEfzMCSLWCYTPEvEYZAN4vuTWFnaTJKiIKuIWDU7EM1FwaVdqgPrf9rqmyOIDzwJzfESq96PKyddzdfkmvX3GwZqXfKWV1htJ7yeqW5ZWw/s1600-h/DSCF1112.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsznga1xUAmDCYFTuU2Ax4qAB3MBgQ_43bsEfzMCSLWCYTPEvEYZAN4vuTWFnaTJKiIKuIWDU7EM1FwaVdqgPrf9rqmyOIDzwJzfESq96PKyddzdfkmvX3GwZqXfKWV1htJ7yeqW5ZWw/s320/DSCF1112.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382100986301853042" /></a><br /><br />On the travel side, I sent travel playing cards in a case, travel stickers, travel-themed stitch-markers (which I made), a magic towel (no traveler, or hitch-hiker should be without one!), suckers and a luggage tag in the shape of a frog, which is one animal students are allowed to bring to Hogwart's. <br /><br />On the back-to-school side, I sent hand sanitizer, recycled pencils, a highlighter, a Sharpie, a calendar, a pencil case, tic-tacs (the her House colors, and no one should go to school with bad breath!), feet-shaped paper clips (good for the travel theme, too), and a few patterns, because we are always looking to learn somethign new. :)<br /><br />Of course, we always include two hand-made fiber items. This time I sent this little knit bag that I improvised from my Virtue Bookmark pattern:<br /><br />The back, plain stockinette:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94pwpR5o5J3C0Ah_vUseImArkF42UqggWtFvgwEP1IuNotPYpRBY6bDzt21ISoVa_eumfhSgDp4K7ZAA_GrFNnVLv2rzaeq4CoGSyIrpjjDghvXJpm83YOYo3ptRjvw7O0kULhGjXn5k/s1600-h/DSCF1122.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 241px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94pwpR5o5J3C0Ah_vUseImArkF42UqggWtFvgwEP1IuNotPYpRBY6bDzt21ISoVa_eumfhSgDp4K7ZAA_GrFNnVLv2rzaeq4CoGSyIrpjjDghvXJpm83YOYo3ptRjvw7O0kULhGjXn5k/s320/DSCF1122.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382101294828039778" /></a><br /><br />The front. See that tiny cable?!? I could die! :D :<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQXbKs6ZyRnXsYdHaOsVgM5_MnPhqfGnBngcY-hzNcTCTGIcGJcwNN_N00johRuIHSPfydyf4Km3JQvRb2qj7FWww1sCpoQCd4ROEbSfWdeiGrYDENSswRRBdNLz3iXlKsoxXJSXTrtY/s1600-h/DSCF1117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoQXbKs6ZyRnXsYdHaOsVgM5_MnPhqfGnBngcY-hzNcTCTGIcGJcwNN_N00johRuIHSPfydyf4Km3JQvRb2qj7FWww1sCpoQCd4ROEbSfWdeiGrYDENSswRRBdNLz3iXlKsoxXJSXTrtY/s320/DSCF1117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382101236701984594" /></a><br /><br />After I made thi bag, I showed it to Xay and his response was, "That looks great! You must be Reducioing again!" LOL I love that he has been drawn into my fandom. :D<br /><br />And, this little, tiny sock, which is all stripey! I love tiny stitched things!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOh1XpJ1uDNrkD7n7Jk5oXBC8EXsJzfRJgMt8L4G3LzT6C9duV_3zCnFOH2euX4bTM4O-mrJQpM4wXZ2piXOSFfgBo2hxLCVwwKomtiwp0jcOS8qk1qFKy44lgJxhO1wUSMZPhTNc65w/s1600-h/DSCF1115.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOh1XpJ1uDNrkD7n7Jk5oXBC8EXsJzfRJgMt8L4G3LzT6C9duV_3zCnFOH2euX4bTM4O-mrJQpM4wXZ2piXOSFfgBo2hxLCVwwKomtiwp0jcOS8qk1qFKy44lgJxhO1wUSMZPhTNc65w/s320/DSCF1115.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382101058981903906" /></a><br /><br />I sent the package off with a note from my spoilee's Aunt Clara, the Pretty Witch. I gave no other clue as to who I am, but I figure that's a pretty big one considering my Rav name is pretywtch. :) I really hope she enjoys it because I was VERY lucky to get one of my fave Rav people as my partner! I can't wait to see what she thinks! :D<br /><br />BB!<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-67696551818490726712009-09-15T11:08:00.005-04:002009-09-15T12:20:28.054-04:00Random thoughts.I haven't blogged in a while, at least, not a blog that contain my thoughts and doings. I'm not sure why that is, other than the hermity feeling I get at this time of the year and when I'm at home alot. I find that the more I'm at home, the more I want to be at home and I start to get in a place where I hate the thought of leaving the house. I just become a homebody in the truest sense and I want to dig in with my family close around me. I've been like that lately, and coupled with that is a drive to create! create! create! Hence all the patterns I've been posting. :) So, I've been very active, but not out and about alot.<br /><br />The past Saturday I finally found the gumption to work on a costume for an upcoming show. I'll reveal more of that later, but I'll say this: it's for Southern Mirage, in which we are hosting Mira Betz. This is our first themed show, but I certainly don't see it being our last. The theme is fairy tales, so all the performances are created with that in mind and the performers seem to really be enjoying having a framework to drape their ideas on. I love working with a theme, so I'm glad to know this is fun for others, too. I have tons of interesting ideas for themes, so we'll see about using those when the time comes. <br /><br />Speaking of costumes, Xay is having a hard time figuring out what he wants to be for Hallowe'en. It's a struggle for us every year to find something he wants to be that is possible for me to make without pulling my hair out. I need to figure something out for Corwin, too... Sigh. I've got some old costumes of Xay that might work for Corwin, I've just got to pull them out and try them on. I always get that "hand-me-down" guilt, though. I never want Corwin to think he is an afterthought or doesn't deserve something new. When he's old enough to voice what he wants to be, then we'll start worrying about making new stuff for him. For now, I hate waste and excess, so it's reuse, reuse, reuse!<br /><br />I'm probably going to wear the same costume for trick-or-treat that I'll be using for Southern Mirage. Doesn't that sound intriguing? Will you be looking for a bellydancer on the streets this year? lol Well, it won't be me. I don't dress like a typical bellydancer even when I am dancing and I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those cheap polyester things the costume stores pass for bellydancer in a bag. And, with this outfit, you probably wouldn't even recognize it as a bellydance costume. I tend to look at costuming more from a theater aspect than from a bellydance aspect. We try to incorporate items that would make it as bellydance, but we're not in any way restricted by bellydance. It's nice working with a troupe that appreciates your visions and gets excited enough to not only work on them with you, but bring in ideas and viewpoints you would have never even dreamed of. This number is a good example of an idea that really is a conglomeration of our ideas. Mari provided the character, Brandi provided the song, and I provided the style. It's a total mash-up, but I think we are going to pull it off nicely. In other words, I'm very lucky to be in Alchemy. :)<br /><br />Personally, I've been looking to live more simply. I've been cooking alot, which is wonderful because I absolutely adore cooking and baking. I'm glad it's getting cooler so I can bake more. By cooking more and more myself, I'm able to control a bit more what my family eats. For example, Jason is eating two vegetables with every evening meal now, which is a complete 180 from this time last year when he ate vegetables maybe twice a week. He's been a real trooper, making a valiant and concerted effort to eat healthier and he says he's getting to where it's easier. I've discovered that frozen veggies in the steamer bags work best for us. They taste great, are easy, and are the healthiest way to eat cooked veg, so it's a real win-win. I've also been using leaner meats, and lots and lots of whole grain in everything from steamer rice to snack crackers. I'm trying to pack it in everywhere so that we feel fuller faster and eat less. <br /><br />A while back we got a Wii Fit, just in time for my gym membership to expire. I enjoy it, for the most part, but it's kinda boring and the fact that you can't queue up forms in yoga just kills me. You spend twice as much time getting to and from the forms as you do actually in the pose. I can't wait for the new version to come out, which is supposed to allow you to queue. But, it does have some fun games, and it's gotten my whole family thinking about fitness and what it really means to be healthy. Jason and I want to make sure the boys exercise regularly, so it's a habit for life. This is one good way to make it fun, and they can do it even when it's raining outside. :)<br /><br />Another development on the fitness front is that we got a used recumbent exercise bike from craigslist for a mere $45. It's not perfect, but it works well for us, and I can't tell you how awesome it is to be able to go upstairs and get a workout in. I prefer an elliptical or treadmill, but I'm no snob. It's also very quiet, so even if one of us is sleeping, the other can work out. I'm really grateful for it. :) Also, taking a shower in your own bath after a workout and not an impersonal, slightly creepy gym shower? Rock.<br /><br />Because I can't not talk about fiber stuff: I've got two more for-sale patterns in the works right now. They are a coordinated set for cooler weather and soon they will be ready to go out to testers. I hope I can find testers for these. They aren't traditional, though I think they are cute. Obviously. ;) I designed them with a neo-Victorian, steampunky feel to them, so they are a little edgy. But, like anything, you could easily adapt it with simple color choices. Also, for one, I'll have four variations and two lengths which build on one another and you can mix and match, so you can really make it your own. I think they are unisex designs, too. Fun and funky, but functional, too. I hope they are successful! I'll be sure to post here when they are available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop. Can you tell I'm working hard to try to contribute to my family while not having a job? It's very hard, but I'm really working at it. I love being home with the kids and getting to work at something I really love, but we need to eat, too. <br /><br />I'm frantically working on holiday/birthday/new baby gifts and will update when I get some of those done. I'm also working on my first cardigans, one in knit and one in crochet. These will be for myself because I can justify buying $15 in yarn for a sweater more than $30 for a new sweater. Plus, to say I made a sweater? Very, very cool. I'm super intimidated, though. I get nervous with big projects because I'm afraid I'm going to screw it up, then all the time, effort and love will be for nothing. This is a huge fear for me: wasted time and effort. Why? Granted, I'll learn something either way, but to do all that work and have nothing to show for it is really discouraging for me.<br /><br />More on the bellydance front: I've been disgusted with bellydance and the bellydance community as a whole lately. There is so much cattiness and just plain mean-spiritedness in the bellydance community, and it's infecting the Augusta scene like a canker. Part of this is because the number of bellydance troupes and soloists in our small area has exploded lately, outnumbering almost all other dancers and companies combined. That seems like a good thing, and in some ways, it really is. In another way, local festivals are glutted with bellydance artists, and I feel like the public will soon be saturated. Also, with so many dancers and so little market, there is alot of backstabbing, gossiping, undercutting both financially and of reputations. <br /><br />Being that Alchemy was one of the first troupes in this area and the very first Fusion troupe, we're proud that we've paved the way for others to get together and express themselves and push the envelope in dance here in the CSRA. However, being first also paints a big ole target on your backs, sometimes with your own students. We've always tried to be as professional as possible and as generous as we can be with anyone and everyone. We've also worked to invite other dancers to our shows, events, and stage, sometimes giving up stage time at festivals and shows in order to give other dancers a time to shine. <br /><br />Now, that's not to make us sound like we are the mother Theresas of the CSRA bellydance scene. We've made our mistakes, trusted the wrong people, given too much or not enough, but we've always tried really hard and we've had no one at all to turn to for advice or leadership. We produced our first show with in six months of forming Alchemy, and pulled it off on a shoestring budget and no experience. That show celebrated it's fifth year this past June. So, we've had some successes, too.<br /><br />However, it's so sad to see people you've mentored go off and start running your name through the mud. To clap while the same people who trampled on your feelings are dancing, because it's the right thing to do, then turn around and find out they were rolling their eyes and making loud, snide comments about you while you were dancing. We work hard, every day, to try to bring our dance community together. I mean, really REALLY hard. If it were all about us, why would we ever share the stage with anyone?! We would produce shows that were JUST US or just our students, showcasing our choreographies, costuming, and storylines. We certainly wouldn't share coveted prime-time spots on the main stage at local festivals. We can easily fill a half hour with just Alchemy, but we invite students to dance with us, or other local dancers. Sometimes, even not-so-local dancers. Creating a happy, supportive, loving community that is trying to elevate bellydance and dancers is one of our main goals, and it says so in our charter. I'm not talking about style choices here, or how someone portrays bellydance to the public. We don't have, and wouldn't never want, control of that. What I'm talking about here is simple respect and consideration for those others in your community who are giving you time and space to dance, who are teaching you and giving you 110% every week, creating dynamic, fun and interesting choreographies for you to dance that are on the cutting edge of what bellydance is today. Alchemy tries really hard to consider and respect those around us, even sharing our stage with the very people who have raked our names through the mud and hurt us so deeply, with such malice and intent to hurt, that sometimes we wonder when we'll ever get over it. Don't worry, we are getting over it, and it gets easier every day.<br /><br />All THAT being said, the living simply trickles down to my dance as well. I said to Mari and Brandi the other day that I'd rather love dance in obscurity than hate it in the spotlight. Though dance is an amazing gift I get to cherish every day, and sometimes share with others, if it's not bringing me joy, I can't do. No won't, because it's not a choice. I CANNOT do it. I'm not getting paid for this, all of our shows and workshop weekends serve only to fund the next one so at least it's not coming out of our pockets. Dance doesn't feed my children or pay for my husband's retirement fund. Therefore, if I'm not happy while dancing, I'm not getting anything out of it, and doing something you once loved that now brings up painful memories and feelings becomes obligation and tedium and torture. So, I'm getting back to basics. Alchemy, too. We're going to get back to the things about dance that we love and that makes us want to dance forever. That may mean less shows and workshops weekend produced by Alchemy. It may mean letting certain connections and commitments go. It may mean only dancing on stage once in a while, but making that once in a while so polished, so entertaining, unexpected, and innovative that the audience is left wide-eyed and breathless. We can do that, you know. Just lately, we've lost sight of why or how. I will have that back.<br /><br />Ok, this has gotten long, and if you've stuck with me this far, I thank you for your kind attention. :) Leave me a comment, ok? I love hearing from you, especially YOU. I don't write this blog as an exercise in vanity or even to journal my life. I write this in order to reach out and connect to other people, to share my trials and insights. I've recently discovered that I've got alot of love and I struggle every day to give it all away. In alot of ways that has made me vulnerable and the hurts sometimes make me hard-shelled, but I working on that. Stick with me, ok? And let me know you're out there. I'm straining to hear the whisper in the dark.<br /><br />BB<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-48409314019518881312009-09-10T08:54:00.006-04:002009-09-10T09:21:07.994-04:00GALAXY!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_7fWIDfBIJi5-T6s90ScmwFmcqRdYyzA80zQ_nIZ7RVI1wXhltUYL9Np8oUIqGhxHH1ewImKCvRm-Bazt7QiTgKTXT7G18OGguDTwfAhxyEANEJNFHre1FuZj2RmmjUjVrdp8i20lA/s1600-h/New+Galaxy+Main+Pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU_7fWIDfBIJi5-T6s90ScmwFmcqRdYyzA80zQ_nIZ7RVI1wXhltUYL9Np8oUIqGhxHH1ewImKCvRm-Bazt7QiTgKTXT7G18OGguDTwfAhxyEANEJNFHre1FuZj2RmmjUjVrdp8i20lA/s320/New+Galaxy+Main+Pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379822031924370994" /></a><br /><br />I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet: I put my first for-sale pattern up on Ravelry! It's called Galaxy (pictured above), and it started out as a dishcloth, then I decided to add a tawashi option... then five variations grew out of the original pattern... then I realized it would work well for blankets, afghan blocks, hats and bags. I really love how versatile it is. :) The pattern is pretty clever, too, if I do say so myself. :)<br /><br />I've had a few sales, which is really exciting and gratifying for a new designer. I've had patterns up on Ralvery for a while, all of which are also listed on this blog, but this is the first pattern that I've put out there for sale. This has been a big year for me on the fiber arts front as I also had my first pattern accepted for publication in June. Sometimes, I can't believe it! Here's a pic of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-green-bean">the Green Bean</a>, the pattern that will be published in a book of original patterns next year:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ty_Q-x8sfe_VtoSU62laDOR0UsNB0_G0B7eJUMO7lehrqkyE62UoGJxY7sKli06nY7DbVwszO-O0mCrI6YdSgBnQXe6tAnx2NAXG6pQCsnkfA6NLaGRRIYPbGQO7sjmQmtlwKNnSCog/s1600-h/GreenBeanFinal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ty_Q-x8sfe_VtoSU62laDOR0UsNB0_G0B7eJUMO7lehrqkyE62UoGJxY7sKli06nY7DbVwszO-O0mCrI6YdSgBnQXe6tAnx2NAXG6pQCsnkfA6NLaGRRIYPbGQO7sjmQmtlwKNnSCog/s320/GreenBeanFinal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379823394292416322" /></a><br /><br />You can find the link for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/galaxy-3">Galaxy on Ravelry here</a>.<br /><br />You can also find the pattern for sale on <a href="http://pretywtch.etsy.com/">my Etsy page</a>.<br /><br />I feel lucky to have great friends and people who inspire me in my life. Friends like Donna, a fellow fiber artist, who always has a kind word of encouragement. Inspiring people like Jennifer who moved me to share my designs with her unabashed and generous nature. Of course, I also love and thank my husband and kids for putting up with my obsessive stitching, my talking about things they don't really get (crochet, knitting, yarn), and all the yarn laying around that you CANNOT TOUCH BECAUSE I'M DESIGNING WITH THAT! lol<br /><br />YAY!! :D:D:DJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-48081627189832728012009-08-31T08:54:00.000-04:002009-08-31T08:56:12.921-04:00Sun and Moon Earrings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDRKmaNZzcBW5iO2dWc6riS5ynF6x-6T6Y3Szf37_pwnG7_YifcLZKrutfuUVxcOqZkg7tH0hWl6Eg5dvRj25by-STwcvLyaeIQ_aK7KroLBviw5UVhWBEzr1_2p3MxdxCmTB_elSNqg/s1600-h/Sun+Moon+Earrings+2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDRKmaNZzcBW5iO2dWc6riS5ynF6x-6T6Y3Szf37_pwnG7_YifcLZKrutfuUVxcOqZkg7tH0hWl6Eg5dvRj25by-STwcvLyaeIQ_aK7KroLBviw5UVhWBEzr1_2p3MxdxCmTB_elSNqg/s320/Sun+Moon+Earrings+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376110809404999522" /></a><br /> <br />Sun and Moon Earrings<br />These are the notes I took for a friend, not a true pattern, so please bear with me and PLEASE feel free to ask questions!<br /><br />They are really pretty simple and once you get the thread onto the earring, it’s not much different than any other crochet. I used two hoops of different metal-tone, with the silver being slightly larger due to the optical illusion of size given to the Sun earring with the stitches being outside the circle. The Moon would seem puny in comparison.<br /><br />You’ll work with the right side facing you, even when you turn the work, it just seems to work out like that. I used a size B hook and size 5 crochet thread. Make a slip stich just like you always would but with a tail at least two inches long, then slip the hook inside the circle and under to catch the thread around the earring. Pull up a loop, catch the thread and pull through to make the first single crochet stitch.(You’re sort of treating the earring like it’s your foundation chain, and you’re making a row of single crochet on it.) Continue in this way until you have the desired umber of stitches. (There may be another or better way to do this. This is what I stumbled on in my experimenting and it works, so I keep using it. :))<br /><br />For the Sun, I used 40 stitches, but any number divisible by five works; I’ve used this pattern with as few as 15 stitches and as many as 180. It always looks great. :) You want to use enough stitches that they are close on the earring, but not so many that the stitches on top are curving around themselves. After you get your first row onto the earring, ch one and turn then begin this pattern going back the other way: sc, dc, tc, dc, sc. Don’t be afraid to pull your stitches tight. If you allow the second dc and sc to go loose, you don’t get that nice bump on the surface. Once you get to the end, break thread, pull through the last loop and tie this end to the beginning tail. Snip close and superglue the knot for security.<br /><br />For the Moon, you are going to begin the same way, only you don’t want enough stitches to cover the earring. I made enough to cover half the hoop in the same manner as the Sun. When you get to the end, turn work (do not ch 1 before turning, this creates a little bump in the end where you want it to be smooth), sk next st and sl st for the next four stitches. From here you will sc decr across until the last four or three stitches, depending on how many you have at the end. When you get to the end of that row, repeat it one more time. Your stitches will be very tight and you’ll want to begin moving them to the side of the hoop and finally toward the inside. Once you complete the third row, finish off and weave in ends. Slide the stitches to the inside of the hoop (this is easiest if you bunch them up first), then slide one end all the way to the top of the hoop and spread the rest out along the hoop to create the crescent shape. The thread will be taut. Try to get the stitches spaced evenly and the shape of the Moon will follow. Be sure to superglue your knots for security once you’re happy with the shape.<br />Please don’t sell this pattern or products made from this pattern, or redistribute this pattern. Thanks!<br /><br />BB and thank you!! <br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-18163660954049082992009-08-15T17:02:00.006-04:002009-08-17T07:07:52.580-04:00Oh, No! Streelers!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/2895354397_29042596e2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 448px; height: 320px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/2895354397_29042596e2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here's a free pattern for all you HP hookers out there. By that, of course, I mean Harry Potter fanatics that also crochet. :) I developed and debuted this pattern on my group on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/harrys-happy-hookers">Harry's Happy Hookers</a>. It's for a <a href="http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Streeler">Streeler</a>, which is a magical creature from the world of Harry Potter. Check out the links for more info.<br /><br />On to the pattern!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Oh, No! Streelers! </span><br /><br />Streelers are giant magical snails from the world of Harry Potter. They have many unique properties that make them interesting, but their color-changing nature is what makes them fun to stitch up!<br /><br />Materials List: <br /> as many scraps of variegated WW yarn as you can get your hands on and want to change through during the project. (I used four different colors for the dark Streeler and three for the light), <br /> a G hook, <br /> some stuffing, <br /> eyes of your choice (optional, I didn’t use any in my sample), <br /> a tapestry/wool/darning needle <br /><br />Note: I don’t usually join rounds, so work in a spiral unless otherwise noted. A stitch marker is helpful to mark the 1st st in each row, so you know when to stop.<br /><br />With color A: <br />Row 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. (6) <br />Row 2: 2 sc {aka sc incr} in each st, around (12) <br />Row 3: (sc incr in next st, 1sc) around (18) <br />Row 4: (sc incr in next st, 2 sc) 5 times, then sc and dc in same stitch, dc, tc (24) <br /><br />After Row 4:<br /> <br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0344.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0344.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />* * From here you will begin to work in rows back and forth, as with a flat piece <br />Row 5-8: sc in every stitch (24), ch 1 at end of row, turn (after row 6, I changed to a new yarn) <br /><br />After Row 8, the other side is completely open, with no spiraling back or anything:<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0345.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0345.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />From the open side, after Row 8:<br /> <br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0346.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0346.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />* * From here, you will being to work in a spiral again, moving from this outside edge, toward the center. <br />Row 9: ch 4, dc, dc, sc around (24) <br /><br />The beginning of Row 10, to start decr, you place your hook in the top of the ch 4 and just continue in a spiral:<br /> <br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0347.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0347.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Row 10: (sc decr, 2 sc) around (18) <br />Row 11: (sc decr, 1 sc) around (12) <br />Row 12: sc decr around (6) <br />Break yarn with a tail long enough to weave through the last six stitches to pull tight. Weave in ends or pull to middle and lightly stuff the first piece, just enough to give it shape, but not distend it or cause the stitches to stretch and show the stuffing.<br /><br />Complete, first side:<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0349.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0349.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Complete, other side:<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0350.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0350.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Complete, from the bottom, shows opening:<br /> <br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0351.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0351.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><br />With Color B (or C if you changed colors halfway through the first piece): Ch 2, in 2nd st from hook, 6 sc (again no joining, just spirals for me) (6) <br />Row 1: (sc incr, 1 sc) around (9) <br />Row 2-12: sc around (9) <br />It is easiest to stuff this as you go along, but remember to not stuff too tightly. <br />Row 13: (sc incr, 2 sc) around (12) <br />Row 14: (sc incr, sc) around (18) <br />Row 15: sc around (18) <br />Row 16: (sc decr, sc) around (12) If you are using safety eyes, place them now. Don’t forget to stuff! <br />Row 17: sc decr around (6) <br />Break yarn, leaving a long enough tail to weave through last six st and pull tightly to close. Weave in ends.<br /> <br />Both pieces, with ends woven in and stuffed.<br /><br /> <a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0372.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0372.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Next, we will start putting the pieces together. First, sew the shell onto the back of the body, like this: <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0373.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0373.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Continue sewing around the shell. When you get to the head, you will bend the head back, creating a curve in the body, and sew a little higher up on the shell to pull the head up. <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0375.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0375.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />When you’re done sewing it on, it should look like this: <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0377.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0377.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Next, we are going to add a foot to our little guy. With your final color of yarn, you will pick up stitches along the bottom of the body. To determine where to pick up stitches, turn your toy over and find the center line of stitches; you will pick up stitches on either side of that line. To find where to start from the top, count down four rows from the first increase row in the head. <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0378.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0378.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />You will sc 9 stitches onto the body, going toward the tail, ch one, then sc 9 on the outside line of stitches, moving back toward the head. Ch 1, turn work. Working back along this line of stitches, work 2 hdc in each st, including the ch 1 in the middle. Here is how it looks once you are finished picking up stitches and ready to start with the hdc: <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0380.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0380.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />And here it is once you are finished with the foot, from the bottom: <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0381.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0381.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Here’s our little guy so far! <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0383.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0383.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />One last step and he’s (or she’s) complete! Taking a piece of scrap yarn, ch 10 and tie of, clipping the ends close to the knots. Then, thread your hook between two stitches on the top of the head: <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0384.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0384.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Use your hook to thread that chain through the top of the head to make his little antennae.<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0385.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0385.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /> <br />Finished! These little guys are so quick and fun! The bottom Streeler is made with sc around the foot. It’s up to you; both will make it stand. <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/?action=view¤t=IMG_0386.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/IMG_0386.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> <br /><br />Please note: I am in no way affiliated with JK Rowling or the world of Harry Potter (thought I wish I were!), and I am not profiting from this pattern, so please be kind and don’t use this pattern to sell, especially under the name of Streelers. Feel free to share this pattern, but link to my blog or <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oh-no-streelers">the pattern card on Ravelry</a>. <br /><br />Thank you and Enjoy!<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-62723417201674255952009-08-13T12:52:00.003-04:002009-08-13T16:03:41.152-04:00Dishcloth Swap!I know, I know... Seems like I'm all about the swap lately. Well, get used to it! lol To me there's just something wonderful and amazing about the communal exchange of friendship inherent in a gift swap of any sort. I really think, even beyond the greed, that this connection to another person obtained through gift giving, is what makes Christmas an exciting wonderful time, even if you're not Christian. I, for one, absolutely LOVE giving gifts, and it's my favorite part of the holidays. I like seeing people get excited. :)<br /><br />So, I recently signed up for three more swaps groups on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knit--crochet-dishcloth-swap">Knit & Crochet Dishcloth Swap</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/ten-dollar-swap">Ten Dollar Swap</a>, and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/12-dancing-dishcloths">12 Dancing Dishcloths</a>. These are small exchanges, nothing extravagant, which means I get to be really creative on a budget, which is one thing I'm really good at. (For reference, see my mostly handmade bellydance wardrobe, ie <a href="http://gildedbottle.blogspot.com/2008/08/wanna-see-some-pics.html">the vest with the feather collar</a> featured a while back.) And, I just sent out my first package for the first of these groups on Monday. It was for the Knit & Crochet Dishcloth Swap, and the overall theme was animals. We were asked to send our spoilee two dishcloths (knitted or crocheted, your choice) featuring animals. <br /><br />Well, y'all know me, that's not quite enough of a theme, so when my spoilee suggested she likes sea creatures, I hit on the idea of doing a beachy package. <br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2274.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2274.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2275.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2275.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Here's what I sent:<br /><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pretywtch/dots-little-ditty-bag">A "seaweed" project bag</a>. I make these ALL the time, and I love them for small project bags. They are perfect for making dishcloths on the go because the strap fits easly around your wrist and you can literally stitch anywhere, anytime. It keeps everything nice and neat, and because this one can hold two balls of kitchen cotton, you can work on something a little more complex, if you'd like. I used a sueded yarn, in a nice sage, which not only matched the theme (seaweedy, yes?) but I thought it might be a color she'd enjoy as she likes pale, earthy colors. I wish I had a better pic; here it is with everything in it, ready to be sent on it's way:<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2285.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2285.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Attached to that, you can see a little <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pretywtch/little-sea-anemone-pin">"Sea Anemone Pin"</a> I made. I am obsessed with fiber flowers and flower pins lately, so I knew I'd want to make one for my spoilee. This little pin can be used anywhere: hats, jackets, bags, scarves, shawls, anywhere! This picture above shows the color a bit better.<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2277.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2277.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />Of course, I made two animal-themed dishcloths. One is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pretywtch/starfish">Sandy the Starfish</a>, made in an ecru cotton to mimic a starfish lying in the sand. The other is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/pretywtch/dolly-the-dolphin-dishcloth">Daphne the Dolphin</a>, swimming through deep blue waves. Sand and sea... a little surf and turf, yes? ;) I couldn't find any projects in crochet that I felt really worked with the theme I was going for, so I knitted the cloths. It's been quite a while since I knitted anything, and it was so fun! I flew through these so much faster than I expected to. I think crochet has given me alot more fiber confidence, so my knitting is benefiting, too. Here are the cloths, up close:<br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2282.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2282.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://s434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/?action=view¤t=DSCF2280.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq63/pretywtch/Fiber%20Arts/Dishcloth%20Swap/DSCF2280.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />You can see on each one that I also made some stitch markers to go with them. There are two blue starfish and two green dolphins. Also included was a little clip-on calendar featuring beach scenes, some treats for my spoilees boys, and a card to explain it all. Fate put me together with the same person I got to spoil for the <a href="http://gildedbottle.blogspot.com/2009/07/reducio-swap-round-6-spoiler-alert.html">Reducio Sock Swap</a> last time, and it was nice to get to send her things that weren't HP themed, but that I thought she might still enjoy. She has two boys, like I do, though both of mine are December babies. May/December friendship? LOL I hope she enjoys everything as much as I've enjoyed making it for her!<br /><br />BB!<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-930394147832667672009-08-07T12:29:00.008-04:002009-08-07T13:56:39.970-04:00The Southern Mirage is Coming!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVz81k39PxanUTB6f2nyP5lm9C16-9q26q4HhU7t78QUsQgrQSXLXX47Hl3poZ4jpxE5rtwWRDCgxiLA24xZj6MJyPZW2HlQqQV0qg0XpohjbNTRTiczczzt5iiN3dYf1wnN_gbT82Ug/s1600-h/SM+09+Flyer+JPEG.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVz81k39PxanUTB6f2nyP5lm9C16-9q26q4HhU7t78QUsQgrQSXLXX47Hl3poZ4jpxE5rtwWRDCgxiLA24xZj6MJyPZW2HlQqQV0qg0XpohjbNTRTiczczzt5iiN3dYf1wnN_gbT82Ug/s320/SM+09+Flyer+JPEG.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367259915729611186" border="0" /></a><br />Alchemy Middle Eastern Dance Troupe is proud to present the second annual Southern Mirage!<br /><br />October 3rd and 4th, 2009; save the date!<br /><br />We are thrilled to be featuring MIRA BETZ in a two-day workshop extravaganza and our in our gala show on Saturday evening. Please see our website for more information: <a href="http://www.alchemydance.com/" title="www.alchemydance.com">www.alchemydance.com</a> or go directly to our registration page: <a href="http://southernmirage2009.eventbrite.com/" title="southernmirage2009.eventbrite.com/.">southernmirage2009.eventbrite.com/.</a> If you would like to know more about Mira, please check out her website: <a href="http://www.miramania.com/" title="www.miramania.com/">www.miramania.com/</a> or tribe: <a href="http://tribes.tribe.net/mirabetz." title="tribes.tribe.net/mirabetz.">tribes.tribe.net/mirabetz.</a> If you don't know Mira, trust us, you WANT to know Mira! A beautiful performer who dances with the soul of tradition while flirting with the spirit of innovation, Mira emphasizes technique and form outside of the restrictions of style and genre, making her an invaluable teacher and artist whose experience benefits everyone she touches.<br /><br /><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/diWbuuYgonA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/diWbuuYgonA&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br />This year the theme is the misty realm of fairy tales, showcasing everything from the cute to the creepy, from the beautiful to the bizarre. Enter a land of Other with us. If you would like to participate in Alchemy's first fully-themed show, please contact Jeannie at troupe@alchemydance.com for more information.<br /><br />Venue Locations<br /><br />Workshops will be held at:<br />The Augusta Ballet School<br />2941 Walton Way<br />Augusta, GA 30909<br /><br />Gala show will be at:<br />Le Chat Noir<br />304 8th Street<br />Augusta, GA 30901<br /><br />Recommended Accommodations:<br />Quality Inn<br /><a href="http://www.qualityinn.com/hotel-augusta-georgia-GA312?promo=gglocal" title="www.qualityinn.com/hotel-au...gia-GA312">www.qualityinn.com/hotel-au...gia-GA312</a><br />1455 Walton Way<br />Augusta, GA 30901<br />Please note, we do not have any discounts available with this hotel. However, it is centrally located to the workshops and the show venue. The usual rate is great, they offer a free continental breakfast, and we house our instructors there when needed. So, in short, we think you'll like it! :)<br /><br />Local Airport:<br />Augusta Regional Airport<br /><a href="http://ags.skyharbors.com/" title="ags.skyharbors.com/">ags.skyharbors.com/</a><br /><br />Questions? Concerns? Please see our tribe, <a href="http://thesouthernoasis.tribe.net/" title="thesouthernoasis.tribe.net/">thesouthernoasis.tribe.net/</a> or email us at troupe@alchemydance.com.<br /><br />BB!<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6497062846364120709.post-20733249924235555722009-08-02T16:25:00.002-04:002009-08-02T16:28:31.248-04:00TTMT - Talk to Me TuesdaySo, for those of you who don't know, Talk to Me Tuesday is an idea in which you post a vlog, or video blog, on Tuesdays. I've seen it on crafting blogs, so that may be where the phenomenon ends. But, I really like the idea, and I'm thinking of trying it if not this week then maybe next. Sometimes I may include tutorials for crafting, or maybe just some finished projects. Other times I might talk about what my dance troupe is up to or include a mini-bellydance lesson. We'll see how it goes. ::fingers crossed::<br /><br />BB!<br />~JeannieJeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13275953753853234826noreply@blogger.com1