Hats For Heroes

I came across a site that I would like to encourage all my readers to visit and, hopefully, contribute. It's called Hats For Heroes, and this pic is the first of many hats I will be contributing. The site has many patterns you can use to make a hat donation. Crochet, Knit or Sew a hat for one of our soldiers, and don't forget to tell your friends, too.

I made this hat with the green KK knitting loom. It was quick and simple. I used a double strand of worsted weight yarn.

E-wrap and knit-off 20 rows.

Attach first row to coordinating pegs over row 20. (This step is optional.)

Continue wrapping and knitting-off for 25 more rows.

Use gathering method to bind off.

Voila! Your hat is ready to donate.

Sweeper Sense

I recently bought the Pledge Pet Hair Sweeper (can't actually remember the exact name). I really love it, as I have 2 kittens, one cat, and 2 dogs (all of whom do plenty of shedding). The only negative feelings I had toward it were price related. Well, that was before I used it, I didn't feel quite so negative once I saw how fantastic it was.

Today, it became completely full and, therefore, unusable. It is designed to be thrown away, and you are supposed to go buy a new one. I don't think so. Its inner workings were still in plenty good condition. So, I opted to find a way to re-use it.

The first pic is the cut I made with a kitchen knife. The second pic is after pulling out contents, close up with masking tape.

The sweeper is back on active duty, doing a great job!

My Kitties ARE my babies...

I recently had the good fortune of stumbling across Joy's Hope, a very crafty place. While there, I found this great tutorial for a "crinkly" baby toy.

Well, I don't have any babies, but I whipped one up, with one minor adjustment...I added a dash of catnip inside the cellophane! Yes, it is for my kitties...because, after all, my kitties ARE my babies. They love the noise! Been batting it around for hours.

So, drop by Joy's Hope and check out this great tutorial. It's a great gift for "fidgeters", and "felines".

What I've Learned.....

I've been experimenting with the frosted ornaments from the previous post, and I have learned quite a bit. When Danny made his, he just dipped and let cool...dipped and let cool. I found that if you fill the ornament with water, the process happens much faster, and the end result is much smoother and prettier.

And, then...I used crayons, just like with my candle globes, and sure enough... that looks good, too.	I also tried to carve a design in the wax, after dipping. I like the result. I used the engraving bit on my Dremel rotary tool.	I even used some rubber bands and dipped the ornament a couple more times to cover them. I think I like this one best.

I am completely inspired, and am probably about to
go over the deep end with these ornaments.
If you don't hear from me.....
send out a search party. :)

Danny's Frosted Ornaments

In the world of crafting, Christmas is looming closer. We need to get started on this year's "Handmade Holiday" projects. So, I found myself surfing for ideas, and wound up at Daily Danny.

I LOVE his ideas! The pic shows his "frosted ornaments" using, you guessed it, melted wax. What fun!

I left him a comment, suggesting he use the embellishment technique I use on my candle globes. I'm going to try it...let you know.

Nursing Bracelet Update

In my last post, I told you about nursing bracelets, and where to learn how to make them. Then...over the weekend, I went out to try and pick up the supplies to make one, as I have a friend who is pregnant. Well, I gotta tell you, beads with numbers on them are not very easy to find. I did find them online, but they were $.55 a piece!!!

So, here's an idea. I bought inexpensive wood beads, and then broke out my woodburner and put numbers on them, myself. I think this bracelet looks great and, what's more, it's even more "handmade".

Great Little Invention

Well, I guess, since I haven't had a child young enough to be nursing in...a LONG time, I am apparently out of the loop. I was surfing the internet this morning and found myself following a google adsense ad about "nursing bracelets". I had never heard of such a thing and, clicked the ad to satisfy my curiosity. What a wonderful creation!

It's a bracelet that helps you keep track of when you last fed your baby and what side he/she last nursed on. I was excited by the idea, but seriously put off by the price tag. Well, I've got to tell you, it was very difficult to find anyone willing to share a "how-to" for this crafty bit of practicality.

I know what you're thinking...it doesn't look that hard, who needs instructions? And, you'd be right, I'm sure you could figure it out, but it never hurts to get a head start from seeing how someone else did it, first.

So, hear is a quickie tutorial from Nanny Goat.

By-Gone Tutorial Brought Back For Correction

You might remember me pointing you to my tutorial for these beautiful candle globes over at Craft Tutorials. I also have an instructional video for them HERE. (If you watch this video, click away the ads, they are blocking the wording.) However, when I made those tutorials, it turns out, I was doing the "drip lines" the hard way. So, I thought I would tell you how I did it on a new one I made today. This globe got its layers of pink via my heat gun and 3 crayons. Just unwrap the crayons about 2/3 down and hold above the candle globe. Making sure you are pointing the heat gun at the crayon and not the candle globe, melt crayon so that drips fall onto the outside of the globe. When you have dripped the amount of color you want, let the globe cool. Once everything is cool, turn your heat gun on and remelt the drips so that they run, being careful not to hold the heat on any one spot too long. The colors mix together and, unlike before, they fuse into the globe instead of just laying on top. It's much faster than a drip candle, and I think it looks fabulous!

Buck Stops Here

My oldest daughter's boyfriend asked me to make him a gun rack with the Browning Buck Logo on it. Thought I would practice on this key chain size version. I thought it came out pretty well. What do you think?

Having So Much Fun Being Obsessed

I'm totally in love with my new ring! Better than that, I made it myself! Yup...with my scroll saw. Temporarily addicted, hope my readers can put up with my obsession.