Makers Gonna Make...

 

I bought some stationery a while ago at Goodwill. I thought it was kind of "Fall" ish, and I have been using it to write letters recently. Well this morning I was thinking if I had any stickers or anything to make the envelope "matching". Then I thought, "What about that leaf/ivy stamp I've had FOREVER?"... And I made a "matching" envelope..

A close-up. I was thinking to just do the ivy, then I thought, "Oh yeah! I could color 'behind' the ivy a tannish color"..  I think it turned out cool. I'll probably do a few more of these.

This is the stamp. It's one of the very first stamps I ever got. I've only used it a few times, ever. Sometimes it pays to think. 😝

I've been wanting to stamp the cowboy boot stamp, since I got it. But then (because it's Pumpkin Spice season, maybe?) I thought, "What about a Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Cup card?"...  I got out my coffee cup stamps and pumpkin stamp, too. This stamp, on the wood part, is black and red. But, I thought, "What if I use a brown ink stamp, and colored it in orange?" 😁☕

I kind of wanted to put the pumpkin ON the coffee cup, where the band is. But, it looks too big...  Hmmm...  (UGH....)  I will try and figure something out. I wonder what ever happened to these napkins I had? (The pumpkin napkins, of course..) I wish I still had them, it would be perfect to make an envelope for the card I come up with for these stamps.. I highly doubt the dollar store where we live now has ANY good napkins. Either one. There's two. And I really highly doubt my husband wants to go to a bunch of dollar stores today. On his one day off....   😞

And my first stamp of the cowboy boots. I don't know what colors I will color it in. Probably red for the star, since the bandana paper is red. And probably brownish for the boots.

I'm glad I took a picture of my clean desk, because it's getting messed up again.... 😭

Did you know that today is National Coloring Day?  And National Rubber Stamp Day is September 26th. I will have to participate then. I did color the coffee cup stamp, and I am working on the pumpkin now...   For some reason, I am craving a Pumpkin Spice Latte...  😁 Pumpkin Spice Day is October 1st. I think it's whatever day you want it to be.. My son bought some Pumpkin Spice ground coffee, my husband found in the cabinet the other day. Maybe I will go make some and color some more. Here's a simple recipe for a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte. I haven't tried it but maybe I will.

Yesterday was International Crochet Day. I didn't know, Thank God for Facebook... 😏  I wasn't really thinking about crocheting. But...

Then I saw a cute Halloween Ghost Heart Ornament pattern in the Halloween CAL I am in. Well, I guess I'm "in" it, now... Since I actually crocheted a thing from it. I don't really like any of the other patterns, though. But I thought this one was cute. I did the flower purple, because I don't have any "orange" crochet thread (unbelievably, with all the thread I got from my Aunt's Estate Sale). I have some "light coral"? I had to use to embroider the mouth. I don't have any ghost, or Halloween buttons. So.. This is what I have. I have NO idea what I'm going to do with this now, though.... (Sigh.)  I guess I'll have to find somewhere to hang it. So, I got two birds with one stone. International Crochet Day and a CAL. Hee hee..... 

My Purple People Eater is in Time Out for now. 

I also baked some muffins yesterday morning... Banana Chocolate Chip.  

This is my cowboy boots stamp I had ordered. 😁

It looks brand new! I was surprised. I got it off eBay. This is the card I saw on Pinterest, that I want to try and copy. But with "Happy Birthday" instead of "Hello Friend". I was thinking about trying to start the card yesterday, But I baked and crocheted instead. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I was working on my Purple People Eater....  After all it took to sit down and crochet, I did the second foot wrong. 😭 I do not understand the instructions. Maybe it would help if I only worked on one project at a time. 

See? The back of the foot is sticking out the front. Ughhhhhhhh....   I got disgusted and put it away for now.   

My cowboy boots stamp is scheduled for "early" delivery (even though I don't know why it would take almost a month to get here in the first place, it's not coming here from Australia or across the world..). It should be here in three days. Even though it originally said it would be here tomorrow, I got another email saying the 11th. Whatever. It's better than the 23rd. 

Yesterday, I was waiting for my husband to get ready (we were going to go to Walmart for a few things), and I was like, "I'm just going to clean the glass on the hutch"...  

Ewwwwwwwww.....  Can you see why I wanted to clean it? That's from years and years of smoking. I doubt it was ever cleaned (the glass, I mean). I don't know, maybe it was. I still need to do the inside of the glass, too. Which reminds me, we were going to get Murphy's Oil Soap.  I always forget something when I go to the store. LoL... 

Halloween Gnome Luminary

I went upstairs today and while I was up there, I thought "I should see if I can find some peach and grey yarn for that gnome..." After taking the whole yarn bin down and fixing it so it wasn't leaning and making the drawers impossible to close (ugghhhh..), I found the peach yarn in a bag somewhere else. I did find the grey yarn in the bottom bin, though. 😁 Then I thought I would work on it...  I made a cup of tea and tried to relax... 

Then I fnished it. Woo Hoo. I used the Gnome Luminary Crochet Pattern, but I did it in "Halloween" colors.

The side. That's the yarn I bought wanting to make something "Halloweeny" with. I still have almost the whole skein left, too. I don't know what else to make with it, except maybe a Gnome Scarf. Incidentally it is by the same person who created this gnome luminary.. I really like this one SewCraftyMom did.

And yesterday, I finished the yellow hat. These will go in the chemo hat pile for next time I go up to the hospital. The one on the left is the Basic Turban Crochet Pattern. The yellow one is the Delaney Hat. Which is no longer available online. 😞 That's one of those times where I was glad I printed the pattern out. (We usually don't have any printer ink-story of our lives..)   I was trying to work on my Purple People Eater doll, the other day. Well, I got the heel part done. Then I sat down to work on it some more a couple days ago, and I noticed the heel is on backwards. 😕  Uggghhh... (That was when I decided to do the Halloween Gnome Luminary.)  

I did decorate a little, for autumn. (See my autumn table runner? 😁I got a napkin holder last year, too. I'll have to take pictures of more things..)   

Well my husband got home from work early and I think we are going to go grocery shopping in a bit so I better go get ready. I want to get some Halloween candy to put in the Halloween Gnome jar. 😁

Bathroom Stuff...

Uggghhh..... Where do I even begin? (And I did not have to do any of this work-thank God, or I would be back in the hospital..) My husband tore the shower out of the basement bathroom. We have a "Michigan Basement", in case you couldn't tell... One of those rocks fell out of the wall and the side of the shower was bulging out. My husband fixed it, and went and got a shop vac and vacuumed behind the rock wall and the retaining wall? (The cement wall that makes up the basement.) The people who lived in this house before us had cats (we do, too, but..) and they would come down in the basement (to catch mice, no doubt- we have had a mouse problem here since we moved in-although it is getting a lot better). Well there was a hole up on the drywall (I don't even know...) The cats would get in there, in the crawl space, and go back there and pee. There was dirt I don't even know how high up. My husband vacuumed out I don't know how much of it, and mixed up some cement and put it on top of the remaining dirt. 🤷 We had used the shop vac (which broke since) and vacuumed, and mopped with ZEP. Well my husband poured the last of it on the remaining dirt in there, and it doesn't smell any more. There was just a whiff of it when it was humid, or once in a while..

What a mess... Then he had to put the shower back in. This is the lovely shower. 🙄 There isn't even a shower head. This shower was soooo dirty when we moved in. Dirt, leaves... I don't even know. We never use it, but I still cleaned it because... Ewww

I took this picture a while ago-you can see the different colored dry wall. That top piece wasn't even there, and that's where the cats were getting in. It's all unfinished and I hate it.

So, don't ask me why I crocheted a toilet paper cover for this bathroom... 😂 This is my Victorian Rose TP Cover pattern. I used a G hook, and I actually had to rip it all out and use an H hook, and it worked perfect. 

I texted my husband, "Now we really need to finish the basement bathroom, I decorated". 😂 I think I've lost my mind..  I forgot about this one I made!  The one here, would go better with the very first bathroom shower curtain/reason I made one to begin with. (? I don't know what I just said..?) I am going to try and find a picture of that bathroom, and the original one...

This is another thing I crocheted for the basement bathroom, when our middle son and his (now) wife came out two summers ago. I didn't know if we would have to use the downstairs bathroom, or not.... It's a Q-tip holder.  Maybe I will just go get some paint and start painting in there. I hate it so much. I don't even know what to do with this under the staircase.. Maybe my husband could put some drywall up there at least.  This house is 125 years old. I guess I should be "happy" there's an extra bathroom downstairs. 

Birthday Card Paper

This is the bandana paper I got at Hobby Lobby. And I got some "flannel" paper, too.  I have some ideas pinned on Pinterest, but I don't think I can share them here because of copyright issues...  I'm still waiting for my cowboy boots stamp. I only ordered it two days ago.  But it says it won't get here until the middle of September. I got the flannel paper to make a "shirt" card for my husband. And some tape runner refills. I'm stuck in between "I want to buy a bunch of stuff", and "I have too much crap!"  I walk around with things in the store and talk myself out of buying them and then go put them back. LoL...  

I am still not feeling great and think today will be another crochet day. I tried to do that yesterday. But, I had to go to the store and get milk. I said "I'm going to get a coffee"... 

So I did. I was going to get milk there, too. (The Dunkin Donuts is in a gas station.) But, they didn't have whole milk! Ughhh... So I had to go to Dollar General.  I finally got back home. Have to let the dogs out. Made something to eat because I was hungry! Finally get all my stuff to sit down and crochet (it's like 1 pm at this point..?) Eri starts meowing upstairs. UGGGHHHHH... She is so weird and such a diva. She won't come downstairs after Elsie is out of her kennel. She has not liked Elsie from day one when we brought her home. She likes Jaxson okay. I don't know...  And, it's weird. Because I have let Elsie upstairs and they will both lay on the bed together. (But, if Elsie gets too close, Eri will start growling and run away sometimes.) Anyway, she starts meowing because she wants someone up there with her. "Well come downstairs, then!".... So I go upstairs (I took my crocheting and I was going to do it up there...) and there's cat puke on my bed. UGGGGGGHHHHHHHH. So I have to strip the bed and take everything downstairs and wash it. Take the clothes out of the washer and hang up what I don't want put in the dryer....   Can anything just be simple around here? Then I finally sat down and crocheted my Purple People Eater for a while.  I finished the big toe and one leg is completely done. And I started the second leg. I'm just going to lock myself away, and crochet today. (All the animals would be outside my door whining or meowing or scratching at the door, though.)  

Today is one of my Grandma's birthdays (in heaven). She would have been 103 today! She used to call me on my birthday and sing the whole happy birthday song to me. I wish I could call her in heaven and sing happy birthday to her. Even though I can't sing. 😂

Halloween Stuff...

I forgot that I finished this card. I was watching a replay of a 'Live' YouTube video and just grabbed it and started putting it together..  

You can kind of see it better in this picture. I inked all around the orange piece. 🤷 I don't know. That's what I got...  😂

And, I finished the hat on the Gnome Luminary Halloween version. I need to go upstairs and find some peach yarn, and grey; to do the nose and beard. I need to finish my UFO's!! Because I have more things I want to crochet. 😭 My husband said "It's too early to decorate for Halloween, it's only August." So he didn't get my decorations down out of the garage yet. I still have other things (pumpkins, gnomes, etc.. ) that are just "fall" decorations. 

Yesterday, (long story short) I found out that our son doesn't even want a traditional cake for his birthday. He wants a cheesecake. Nooooooo...  I literally ordered a stamp (cowboy boots) and went and got paper ("bandana" paper) to make a card to "match" his birthday cake. They had a cowboy boots (and hat) stamp at Hobby Lobby- I could have gotten it there. And, it's only $2.49. 🙄(Oh well- I kind of like the stamp I ordered, better; anyway.) And looked for napkins. But I didn't find any that I wanted. I'm probably going to have to order those online. 😡   Makes me wonder if I should even bother trying so hard...  Well I am just going to go forward with what I was going to do. I guess. I can do card stuff with the leftover napkins, if I order them.

I went back to the doctor yesterday (because they told me to come back if "this" thing happened, which it has been happening but it's been almost ten months and....) So, I went. 🙄 She made it even worse!!!!!  Seriously? And if it keeps happening, call and ask for the doctor. Maybe she can do another surgery. Uh. NO. We can't even afford the last few surgeries, CT scans, MRIs....  Ugh.

So, today I guess should just be a Crochet Day. Maybe I can finish some of my UFO's. 

~Purple People Eater

~Strawberry Tea Cozy

~Halloween Gnome Luminary

I can't believe I only have three projects I'm working on. Oh, there's my Delaney Hat. That's going to be a "Car Project", for if I am too early for an appointment, or we're going on a "long boring drive"/Road Trip. So it doesn't actually count as a project- project. 😜 It's going to be a Chemo Hat for the Infusion Center. Next time I go there. 

Cowboy Up!

I wasn't even going to do anything this year for my son and husband's birthday, this year. (They have the same birthday.)   Last year I just baked a plain chocolate rectangle cake, and wrote happy birthday on it. My husband hasn't done anything for me for my birthday lately, either. If you have to ask if I want something, then just forget it... 😡   But, I was thinking "What does he like?" (Our son..) Um, cowboy boots and hats, lately. It's funny. Because when he was little, I crocheted him a "Clint Eastwood" poncho, and got him some cowboy boots and a hat. I don't actually remember if someone gave us the cowboy boots and they were our older son's, before him? Or if we bought the boots, somewhere? (I think they were our older son's- didn't want his little brother to have "his" poncho- even though he didn't hardly wear it..) Fourth picture down is the Eastwoodly Poncho. (I had been going through my drawer to see if I had anything to decorate with, since I took all my strawberry stuff down, and I found the cowboy boot potholder I had gotten from someone in a swap or an RAOK a long time ago..)  I have been looking for ideas for a cowboy birthday online...

I'm going to do this cake. I have a few decorated ones pinned, too. You would think this was for a five year old's birthday, not 23 year old.. 🙅 Oh well. I don't know how many more years I will do a birthday cake for him, so...  There's also these cowboy hats ? They're not cookies..  Chocolate covered potato chips and rolos..  I also ordered a cowboy boots rubber stamp to make a birthday card for him. I'm mostly doing it for our son. Although my husband likes cowboy boots, too. 

Flannel Frenzy

We have been under a Flannel Advisory yesterday and today. 😄

Naturally; I stayed inside, and made some "flannel" cards...

                                                         

I finished this one first. I used what "flannel" looking paper I have. These are all Pinterest inspired. I might add more to this one. The left top corner space is empty. I am using what I have. I want more craft supplies. But I have SO much crap!! 

I had bought the 70's green cardstock a while ago, when we lived at our old house there was a Goodwill down the road. I almost didn't buy it but I said "What the heck? It's only $2.." These colors might not go together. But I was using what I have. And, I think it looks a little like Halloween colors.. 

This one did not turn out as great as I hoped...  I just was trying to go off a picture and use what I have. I found the "How've you bean?" sentiment printed out in my drawer. I said "That's perfect". It BARELY fit. It almost looks Valentine's Day-ish. I had been wanting to do crafts, for a while. I guess I did today. 

And, I am wearing a flannel shirt, too. 😂

Halloween Project

I have been searching for the perfect Halloween pattern to make with my new yarn I got.. (Sigh). I could not find anything I liked. I didn't want a hat. Maybe a scarf. But for one night? I already have a Halloween table runner (I just need to find it and block it!) I finally just decided to do another gnome luminary jar, but make it a Halloween gnome..  It doesn't look very epic so far. Especially with my pencil jar in it. Maybe it will look cute when it's done. I'm thinking about doing lime green for the hat. And maybe a light grey for the beard. 😀  I spent most of the day trying to find a pattern in a magazine to crochet. Then I fell asleep for a half an hour. Then I searched online.

I took all my strawberry decorations down and put them away. 😢 I am going to decorate for Halloween. I don't care that it's still August. I just need my husband to get the box out decorations down from the shelf in the garage, for me. 😁👻💀

Going to crochet some more before the day is gone.... No I haven't finished the strawberry tea cozy or the Purple People Eater yet... (Sigh...)

 

Halloween Is Coming

 

I don't know why, but I wanted to buy some "Halloween" variegated yarn. I don't have a pattern in mind to use it for. And, I can't find a pattern I would like to use for... But, I thought this had "Halloween" colors in it. They only had this one skein, though. 😞 So, what can you make for Halloween with one skein of variegated yarn? I am not on Ravelry any more. So I have to rely on the internet...  There is a 2025 Halloween Crochet Along over at Underground Crafter's blog. I don't really like the first pattern. This is the Seventh Annual CAL. You can look through previous CALs, too.  I kind of like this cowl. Or, I was thinking I could just crochet a pumpkin with it?  I still have to finish my Purple People Eater. I was having a really hard time wrapping my head around how to do the "fingers". I finally figured it out. But I haven't finished them. I have one more finger on the first arm. Then I have to do the other arm, and the legs... And everything else. Sigh...

This is a card layout I haven't finished... I had the orange "Happy Halloween" piece of cardstock in my scrap paper bag, and I thought "I should see if I have a punch for this....  And I wanted to do scrap strips.. I don't know how this will end up. I am realllllllllyyyyyyyy hating the post office. I can't even send a CARD now, that isn't completely flat. No gems, no puffy dots, nothing... Or it will cost $5. Or more. They suck the life out of you. Mailing fun things in the mail is NOT FUN any more!! The prices keep going up, but the service keeps going down. 😡

I don't even know if I will decorate for Halloween this year. I didn't last year, because of chemo and radiation and not feeling good.... I did decorate the year before that. But I didn't hand out any candy. The last time I handed out candy (or tried), I only got like one or two kids. All our kids are grown. And where we live is not easy to just get to off the road for trick or treaters. 

Grandma's Hutch

I was wrapping Christmas presents the other day, because we were going to go to my step mom's and get my Grandma's hutch. Long story...  I wasn't supposed to get it until she passed away. (?) But, she has decided to sell the house, and move to another state to be close to her brother who is going to help her. I was taking the presents over there because I thought it might be the last time we would see her. 

Anyway, I finally have a "safe" place to put all my things my Grandma gave me. Without worrying about them getting knocked off and broken by the cats, or someone who lives here. Not naming any names, but it's not me..   Everything but the tea cups on top shelf are what my Grandma gave me. The little jam jar (?) on the top middle, my step mom gave me yesterday. It was my Grandma's, too. It's from Japan. I think it's a jam jar.  I thought it was a sugar bowl at first. But the spoon is more like a ladle. I'm going to have to google it. 

I miss my Grandma, and being in my Dad's house brought up a lot of emotions. Mostly sad. Everyone is leaving..😭 If my step mom does sell the house (there is another problem, with the drainage field... that has to be fixed before the house can be closed on) she said she is bringing the trundle bed and we can come visit her.  I know my husband will never want to go visit her. I would. But...  It's just sad...  Every time my Dad would take my brother and me over to Grandma's house it was the best day ever. I loved my Grandma. She always made sure we had lots to eat and treats and she always had little presents for us. But mostly she made us feel so loved.  I was trying to find a good poem online...

Grandma's House

Poet: Catherine Pulsifer, © 2018

Grandma's house is filled with love,
A cozy place from up above.
It's a world where I'm always carefree,
And Grandma makes sure there're special treats for me.

My secrets are all safe at her side,
Where I can relax and don't have to hide.
Her face lights up when I arrive,
Always happy to see me so full of pride.

She listens to my stories and tales,
We laugh together and share our own fails.
What happens at Grandma's will forever stay,
Thank you for being the bestest in all ways!

 

It's Christmas In August

I don't believe this, but I was wrapping Christmas presents this morning! They were presents I have had for a couple of years... Long story. Really long story. But it felt weird wrapping Christmas presents in August. Eri was "helping" me. 😂 See her paw? "That one is my favorite. It needs a bow."  And, I found a stocking stuffer I forgot to put in with our middle sons' presents last Christmas. So, technically, I am started on this Christmas. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I kind of missed Christmas in July, except for making one card. So... It's Christmas in August. 😝

Scrunchies

This is actually a three year old project. It was in my memories today. But I don't think I've ever posted about it..  And, quite frankly, I don't know why I even crocheted these. My hair has not been long in years...  😐  I don't know. Maybe I was going to send them to Pine Ridge. But, I am also not on Ravelry any more. I am sick of their BS. So, I guess I'm not in the group to send things there. I could still send them, if I can find the address. Or I can sell them at a garage sale.  

My nine month "Survivorship" appointment yesterday: My doctor said all my tests (CT scan, blood work, and colonoscopy) all came back normal, no signs of anything to be worried about and I am "cancer free".

Tea Time

Look at what my pen pal from the UK sent me!!!😱😱😱 I could not, and I still can't, believe it.  I almost started to cry. Two boxes of tea (but the Cumbrian Tea is two boxes by itself, so it's more like three boxes!), wool yarn, fabric with black crows (or Ravens?) on it, a beer coaster, all kind of little papers about the UK, and a geocaching "swag". I have not geocached, ever. But I have been on the website for four years. I just have never done it. I didn't really know how/what you're supposed to do. (I've been watching videos about it, though.) I am blown away by this package. 

The cats were so excited, too. 😻  It cost 19 pounds to send the whole package, here. I tried to send her four tea bags, in a manilla envelope, earlier;  and they wanted to charge me $22!!! I HATE the post office here. I said, "Do you know how many BOXES of tea I could buy, for $22??" Ugh...  Anyway, I love this package! She has been my pen pal for ten years and she is such a good pal. I could almost buy a plane ticket to the UK for what they want to charge me to ship something there. 

I went to World Market yesterday with my husband, and I got this mug for my tea. They say on TikTok to "get your favorite tea mug", when you are making a cup of tea. So this will be my tea mug. This holds two "cups". I measured the water this morning..   So far, my favorite tea is Yorkshire Tea. I like Tetley too. I like the Cumbrian Tea, but Yorkshire is my fave. I think I have enough tea for a Boston Tea Party. 😝   

Today is the nine month anniversary (?) of my surgery. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with the doctor (surgeon). For "Survivorship Care".  I had a bunch of other appointments earlier this month. So far (as far as I can see?) everything looks normal...  I am still a little worried, though. 

Strawberry Summer Still Going.....

Yesterday, I just was fed up with this tea cozy sitting there, not done...  I've been trying to finish projects I have started. Sigh...  This one is the biggest pain, too. The tea cozy part was actually easy. Once I figured out how to do it, and wrote it all down. The eighty flowers, and now the strawberries...  🥴 I have probably five more of the strawberries to crochet. I have all the flowers done.

Theres' just eight million ends to weave in, and sew two flowers together (three times)...  Which, I did all of that too. I took a picture of the two flowers sewn together but it is such a pain trying to upload pictures..  And, technically (I did the math while I was taking a shower this morning 😂) there was only 36 ends to weave in. But, it felt like 8 million.

I had been going through pictures on my phone, and found this. I don't even remember where I found this. Either Instagram or Pinterest.  That's the strawberry pattern I'm using. And I just chained 14 and didn't make a loop with it... Ugh.. Maybe someday I will get it all together. I can't remember what flower pattern I used. I need to get them all together for future reference. Even though I doubt I will ever make another one of these. It's too much of a pain! This is where I found the original tea cozy, although I just used the chart to get started. I had to basically wing the rest. I cannot find, or remember what the flower pattern I used was. ETA: I looked on Pinterest, and found one that looked like the one I crocheted (which is on Instagram 🙄): Crochet Daisy Pattern.  ETA: I am almost positive this is the actual flower pattern I used. It was in my emails (I send myself patterns so I can find them later...)

I just wanted to crochet one day, and I don't even know...  I just grabbed a ball of red cotton and green cotton out of the bag I have down here, and crocheted a strawberry hot pad for my kitchen. I used this YouTube pattern.  I crocheted a small strawberry keychain once that looks like this. I didn't take a picture of it though, I don't think.  I also don't know if I am going to do a strawberry chair cozy...  I hardly ever sit outside. And if I do, there's a place to put my drink and my phone.

I took a picture of how much this plant has grown since I repotted it. It just took off! And, a piece broke off so you know I couldn't throw it away... It's rooting with another piece of a different plant.