Random Things

Someone had posted "Show me your desk" like it is....  In a Facebook group I am in. I think I win a prize for the messiest desk. 😞 It was not this bad, before! My craft room, and the basement, have been the last place to get organized. I am always trying to keep the main floor clean in case anyone comes over. (My Uncle just stops by every now and then, he doesn't even call or anything before hand... )  Anyway, I also do not have any organizing cabinets/shelves, etc...   Or any organizing skills. LoL (Sigh...) Or decorating skills, either if I'm being honest. 

My  husband bought me these cubicles for all of my fabric. Which was all in random places. One laundry basket piled up. A bag with a baby quilt/leftover fabric from that. I also have two big rubbermaid bins with fabric in them.

Well (it looks bad to me.... Maybe I need to reorganize it/fold it better), I got all the fabric out of the laundry basket and bag. My organization tactic was: Quilts I am working on, Christmas/Holiday fabric, Fabric that is a weird texture, lights, darks, batting, and on the top left, that is Eons' projects he had been working on. I still need to go through the rubbermaid bins. But, I also put one of my yarn drawer/storage bin thingies in the closet down there. So that little area is a lot less cluttered. I still have about four boxes of stuff I don't know what to do with. I am not in any groups (except on Facebook) that I would donate things to charities to any more. And I have one or two boxes full of stuff I crocheted to send to one of the charities... (Sigh.)   Also a bunch of clothes that don't fit me any more...  I need to just have a big garage sale. (But I don't want to... 😭)    I also washed a window down there. (I only have to do all the rest of them. Sighhhhh... ) I cannot do things like I used to. I get so wore out and sore and I hurt everywhere. 

This is a Zinnia that we planted from seeds. There's a bunch, along this fence. And they are all this color!! I love them so much.. That's another thing I need to "organize" make better. My flower bed. But, it's a start. Maybe next summer things will slow down around here, and I can do more things that I want to do.   

Yesterday when I was trying to find that poncho pattern, I was trying to also find the pattern for a bag I had started (because it used the bangles that I am going to use for the bag I posted yesterday, and I couldn't remember if I ever finished that bag or what I did with it....). It was one someone posted on Crochetville. I went on there and I was trying to find it but I couldn't...  And the picture I posted on my blog was Via "Buzznet" and it wouldn't load...  So I don't know what it looked like. But, I was thinking how I (kind of) miss Crochetville. I miss the Crochet-A-Longs, and the swaps....  Well, (this is the point I was trying to get to, LOL) I got an email this morning about a new crochet community! I joined it right away. And I am using the same username as I did on Crochetville. I hope it will be fun. It's by Kali from the Friendly Red Fox.  Maybe there will be some charity groups on there that I can donate some of this stuff to. 

Update: I did some more searching (via Pinterest), and I am almost positive that this is the purse!! Although it's called the Camille Purse. But, her name is Donna! I am almost positive that is it!   Maybe I will make one now. And actually finish it. I ordered a set of four bangles, so I would have enough to do it. 

I Finished My Vest

I finished my purple vest! 💜 I was worried about it fitting me right. It is actually a little bit too small. Or maybe just right. 👀 I kind of love it.

It's hard to get a good picture of it. This is the most correct on the colors of it. I think I used just over a skein? of the darker purple (Bernat Super Value 7 0z skeins, in "Mulberry"). And not the whole skein of the lighter purple (same yarn/size skein in "Lavender".) That darker shade is my favorite color of purple. 

This picture the color is way off. But, you can see how it looks, laid out flat. I used this video tutorial, it's in Spanish but there's a voiceover, which also is not the best. But you can still make out what to do. I also bought the yarn a while ago to do the colors she has (the burgundy and sage). But, I don't know if those colors would look good on me. I might still do it because I love this vest. I am still working on my Hexi With a Twist Tee. (The link for that video tutorial is the same as the one to the lighter purple yarn, above.)  But, I started a new project (sigh... just accept it Tina...). It was in my Facebook memories from two years ago and I wanted to start it that day. I said "I'm doing it. Right now." It's another video tutorial, from a crocheter I follow on Facebook. But she also has a You Tube channel. When I was crocheting my vest, I was tired one day and I started one of the pockets in the darker purple yarn. (I finished the whole pocket and almost immediately realized I'm supposed to do the lighter purple...) I just left it and stuck it in my yarn basket. Well, I am using it for the scrap yarn tote now. 

I didn't even unravel it, I'm just crocheting as I go...  I need to get some handles for this, though. I might have to order them online. I used to have some a looooong time ago. I don't know what happened to them.

Last night we went to Walmart, because one of my plants (my Jade plant) fell over and a piece fell off (which I am propagating into a new plant...) It got super tall since the picture in that post... My husband said "It's too big for that pot." I didn't think so. But, we went to look for a new pot. The only other pots I have are plastic, or ones that were containers I bought the plant in from the store. This pot was the only one I (kind of-and I don't really) like... And, same with the yarn. I wanted some Red Heart Bitty Stripes Grapey. But this is all they had that I even liked (it has purple in it?) I got a couple skeins. I was trying to think what I could make with it. I will probably have to go get more of it. I should do that this weekend, before it's all gone. I was thinking about doing a poncho with it. It looks kind of "Fall" to me... And I am into making wearables lately. I was thinking about making a poncho like this one- but I didn't even post what the pattern was??? Unless it was the one in that magazine I posted. I will have to look if I have that still...  If not, I want to do a hooded poncho or a different one..

Update!! So, I went through all my magazines (OMG) and the Simply Crochet #25 issue is not the pattern I used for the poncho (It was a turtleneck poncho that I still want to make, though..) Then, I went through my folder and I found the pattern!!!! It is the Cowl Neck Poncho from the Lion Brand Yarn Company. The yarn is a bulky yarn. (Sigh....) So, I will either have to use the Bitty Stripes yarn doubled with a solid color, or make a different pattern.... with this yarn, I mean.)

Close up of the colors...

And, a picture of Eri trying to steal my crochet hook this morning. She wants to crochet. 😹 Actually, she just doesn't want me to crochet. And she wants to rub her face on my hook. 👀(Which is what she did right after I took this...) 

I have more to blog about, but I need to upload more pictures...  So I will save those for another blog post. 

Cards and Cookies

I posted about getting the birthday cake stamp. 😁🎂 I love it. I forgot I also got a blue ink pad. And I got some blue and silver and gold sequins to put inside...  

It came out perfect. (Yay....) This is before I colored it in.

I hadn't ever posted or wrote about how I did the other two shaker cards I made. So, I will try my best this time. I cut a clear cellophane bag that had some flowers in it (I think it had flowers..). Then, I wrapped it around the piece with the edges on the back. I flipped it over and put double side tape on one side. Then I folded the cellophane down. Then, I lifted the piece up and pulled it tight and did the same for the other side. Then, I cut the excess off so that I could fold the bottom and top down and taped those too. Then, I put double sided tape on the very edges all around the front of it. I put it on the desk and I took the card and laid it down on the piece (very carefully).  (Nerve wracking...)  I know that's not a very good tutorial and I'm sure there's better ones out there. But I didn't want to try and watch 80 videos to find one I liked. I didn't want the card to be too puffy to send in the mail. (Even though it still will have to be mailed in a puffy envelope..

I forgot, after I stuck the front onto the shaker part, I then cut a white piece out a little bit less than the front of the card, and stuck that over it to cover it. I'm not sure if I will also cut another piece out to cover the whole inside. I should. But, it will add more bulk to the card.

The finished card. It's just basic. But still kind of cute. I think.

Shaking it...  

That's for our (middle son's wife) daughter in law. I want to make some more birthday cards with that stamp, it's so cute..

Then, I don't know HOW I forgot. It was our middle son and daughter in law's first wedding anniversary a couple days ago!! Well, I do know how I forgot... (I have too much going on/on my mind right now).  I feel so bad I forgot. I went on Pinterest and googled anniversary cards...  This is the beginning of the card I made them...  I just punched two white and one black heart out. I held one white heart over the black one and drew the "Tux" part and cut it out. Then, I (very carefully) drew a little bow tie on black card stock and cut it out. I'm glad I bought the fine line glue. For pieces like this. 

Then, this is the white heart. I don't have an embossing folder to make it embossed. I do have an embossing (???) light box? It's not a box, it's just like this. But, I can't find my embossing tool anywhere. And I didn't feel like sitting there for hours trying to emboss a piece...  And I don't have tiny white pearls... So I looked to see what else I have that I can use...  I thought, what if I just stamped with embossing ink and powder and it would be a little bit raised up? Well.... I don't have embossing ink either. (Sigh...)

So.... I just used a light grey marker. That's the stamp I used. It didn't emboss very well. 

But, I still think it came out pretty good. I had to glue the "Happy Anniversary" stamp back on to the wood part. Hold it forever. Wait for it to dry....  I messed up on the first one I did. (I printed Happy Anniversary out on the computer-which also is a pain because I have to restart the computer, turn the printer off and on again, just to get it to print...)  Jeez everything is a pain around here. I had an edging punch I used to make the scalloped "lace" white part.  

When a nice card costs $8 at Meijers, it's kind of worth it to make your own cards now....   (Especially if you don't have to buy any new tools to make it.) Everything is getting ridiculous now. Don't get me started on how much Red Heart yarn costs now. 😡

~Anyway~ I know I posted about the Butterscotch Cookies I make, before. This is my "recipe". LoL  I just was writing it down fast when I was talking to someone on the phone (I am pretty sure it was my Grandma.... I thought it was my mom, but she said she doesn't have that recipe....)  

It made almost three pans (dozens) of cookies. Minus two. The third pan had ten cookies.

I put a cup of butterscotch chips in the dough, though. I'm not sure how many it would make, if the chips weren't in. My husband said he might like these better than chocolate chip cookies.

I have more to blog about but that's enough pictures for one day. 

 

Boring Post About Food and Windows and Rain

I made some homemade granola last week. I was sick of just oatmeal or eggs...  I know I could go to the store and buy some. But by the time I got ready, and went to the store, my granola was already done... This is long gone and we have since bought some at the store. But, I will probably end up making it again. It's not hard. The only thing I would probably do different is make the "granola" clump together better. The recipe I used was on Tiktok, it was just oats, honey, and vanilla and coconut oil. Which, we don't have any coconut oil: so I just used more honey. 

I also made some more Cheesy Italian Flatbread the other night. I used to make this more, when they kids were all still at home. I also didn't have my pizza pan (we left it for our son..), so I used my new cookie sheet. 

It turned out good. This would be good with soup, too. 

I also made Garlic Spinach and Feta Spaghetti. But I don't have Feta. So I just threw some shredded mozzarella and a little cheddar too. The recipe is on this page, you have to scroll down a little to find it. I had a big bag of spinach, plus a carton we had bought and I wanted to use it up. 

Saturday was a little bit hectic for me. First thing when I got up, my husband said that Eri got outside. He got her but she was mad at him. I actually don't think I found out until after I had opened this window... She was acting weird and wouldn't stop meowing...  I opened the window a little to let some fresh air in. I had never opened this window yet. I was sitting at the computer and I kept looking at the window thinking, "Something isn't right...." Then I looked up and noticed the top had slid down. 

So I looked all over the house to find something to put in the bottom window (every time I tried to push the top up, it would slide back down-I tried several times and I hurt from my surgery...) So I found this 2x4 in the fire pit and I cleaned it up. What a pain.  Then I stuck a towel in the top part. Until my husband got home from work. 

Look at her, trying to figure out how she can get out of the window! Brat...  

I think she wants to go outside and hunt chipmunks... This was her a couple weeks ago. 

(I didn't know until yesterday that the windows are supposed to slide down they do that so you can clean them without going outside... 🙄 None of the other ones slide down like that though.) 

Anyway. I had already planned to go visit my uncle, so I left. Well while I was there, it started to rain and thunder. I had already been there a while (thinking, "Jaxson is probably freaking out..." He's terrified of thunder. (I call him Thunder Jaxson- like Thunder Jack from Snow Dogs..)  We played backgammon (at least six games). My uncle said his butt hurt, (sorry, TMI) and he was getting tired. He started to get up (he's supposed to wait for the nurse to help him move to the wheelchair), and no one was there, so I helped him into the chair. After we got him over to another chair (the patients all sit in one big room with a TV, so the nurse can watch them all..), I said I was going to go. By then, it was POURING rain!! I didn't realize it was raining so hard. I was soaking wet by the time I got to my car. I parked on the road, and it was a small creek going through the side of the road (and under my car)...  I didn't want to drive in it. I probably shouldn't have. But I just wanted to go home. It was torrential rain and I was hydroplaning in some spots. And people were STILL tailgating me!! I HATE that. But I made it back home. Soon as I got in and changed my clothes, and sat down; I looked at the window and said "Oh, I guess I'm glad I put a towel in the window."  

I have been crocheting some. And I have my daughter-in-law's birthday card started, too. (I got the stamp for her card on Saturday, too.)

This is it, so far. I thought I had posted more about how I made the Christmas shaker snow globe card I did for them in 2024. But I can't find it anywhere on here. I will have to google it I guess. I was upset because the bottom part of the snow globe is a tiny bit crooked. I was going to redo the whole thing but I decided not to. I will probably work on it today. So I can send it out to her. Her birthday is less than three weeks away. 

 

Christmas In July

These are the Santa/Christmas buttons I posted about getting at Walmart. I got two packages of them. 

I was trying to think of something else to put on there. And I remembered the "snowflakes" I have in my card making stuff...  

I got my sewing needle and thread and my hot glue gun out, and I finished the snow globe ornament. I think it's pretty cute. It's for our (middle son) daughter in law. She loves snow globes and she collects them. Side note, her birthday is next month and I have a birthday card planned to make her. I ordered a "birthday cake" rubber stamp online. It's supposed to get here tomorrow. 

Up close...

I want to crochet one for our tree, too. I was thinking about making the bigger one so the Santa button would fit on it.

And, I finished crocheting and sewing the Red Truck Card Holder/Ornament together.🛻 I put my old library card in it for the picture. 😜The front of it looks lopsided, and so does the window. 😔Ughhh. I wanted to post pictures of all the things I have bought so far for Christmas. But I haven't taken any pictures of it all yet.  I wanted to crochet these last year and I never got around to it. So I'm glad I did for Christmas In July this year. 😁🎅🎄With one day to spare. LoL.

Oh!! I am so happy. Or should I say, "I'm sew happy"? 😁My husband fixed my sewing machine last night! I had put it back together wrong. Now I can sew again. Yayyyyyyy!!!

Cards and Kitties

My last post was about the tote bag I was sewing....  Well I took my machine apart and cleaned it and now it won't sew at all!!! UGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!! It's practically brand new!! WTF??  I hate sewing machines.  The only thing nice I have left to say is that at least I have lots of other hobbies. 

I have been making a lot of cards, lately. Well, I've only made three. But for me that's a lot, lately. This is one I saw on Pinterest. I have that Gibson Girl stamp and I was searching for ideas of birthday cards to make with my stamp. 

I wanted to use the pink and black leopard "skin" paper I have. But I didn't even have a whole sheet left, only scraps. It still worked!! I LOOOOOOVE this card.  I hope the person I send it to loves it too. She likes "girl" things. I can't remember what it's called.... Julia Nutting? And other "girl" things, too. 

Here is the side view, it's 3D.  I put pop dots on the Gibson Girl square to make it stand out a little. My husband said he wants one of them for his birthday. 👀I said "I will have to see if there's a Gibson Guy stamp". LoL

Here's another card I did, for a girl who is turning 15 and loves "ocean" things. I went to see what "ocean" stamps I have....  I printed out the saying..  I finished the card. Then I thought "It needs some bubbles!" I was sending a scrunchie too so I wasn't worried about how bulky the card was...

These are stamps I'm pretty sure I bought when we lived in Colorado. Incidentally, both of the birthday cards/people I made them for, are the same birthday! 

This is the beginnings of the other card I did. I saw a card on Pinterest. I wanted some bigger yarn balls than the stamp I have. So I thought "What if I just punched a circle, and drew the yarn on and colored it in?" 

Here's the yarn balls. I wasn't too impressed. 

Then I was trying to think how to do the "buttons".... I thought about my smaller circle punch. Then I thought "How could I make the holes?" Duhhhh...  Get an actual buttons and needle and poke it through the paper. 

Makers Gonna Make. 😁

Here's the finished card. I really did not like my yarn balls. But, I think it looks all right. I printed the "knitting" paper out. And I typed up "Keep Calm and Cast On" and then I stamped the yarn on top...  This is for my pen pal in the UK who also knits. When it costs $7.99 for a card at the store... (Unless you go to the dollar twenty five plus store..) This card making thing is starting to pay off. I still have one more card I want to make for our daughter-in-law whose birthday is also this month. I just ordered a stamp to make it. 

These are my scrunchies I finished. I posted the link for the pattern a while back, I will have to link it again here. The purple one I sent with the "ocean" card posted above. Her favorite color is purple, too. I did the blue one for me. I want a purple one, too. I haven't worn it yet. It's really "big" for a scrunchie. Scrunchie Pattern.

And last but not least, here's a picture of Eri. Six years ago today I brought her home from the family that was fostering her, until she got adopted. 😻This was how tiny she was!

Today is my last day of radiation. I don't know what the next steps will be. I don't want to go through chemo again. 😢 I just got my port out less than a year ago. 

I have been working on my granny vest, I am on the "neck" portion of the vest. I need to get a bag together to put in my car for when I get to appointments early and have to wait. I can't believe I don't have one in my car already.   

~Until Next Time~

 

Christmas In July

This is another bag I have been working on. But sewing... We had done a "Class" in my Quilts of Valor group I was in. I kept thinking "Where are the instructions for that bag?" Well, I found them. But all it was is this picture and cut pieces of thermolam out so big to bring to class. 🙄That does not help me. I can't remember sh*t anymore. Moving 800 times, chemo brain, 8 million other things on my mind right now..... So I watched some you tube videos and some tik toks......  (To confuse myself even more, LoL). I have been mostly going off of this one, though.

I just started to sew it

And I laid out the thermolam piece and put the piece I was sewing together, on top of it...  

This is the first piece, done. 

Well, actually. This is it done. And pinned to the thermolam. 

And, I somehow finished the second side, too. I got the bottom pieces all cut and layered, too. I was sewing this for someone for their birthday. But. I should have started it months ago.... I am getting so overwhelmed. I miss my quilt group!! I don't want to join a new one here. 😩

I had to bring the thermolam upstairs and clean the table off and lay it out up here. To cut it big enough. My husband put a light downstairs so I can see better. But the space down there is not very big for quilting...   In my quilt group, we had huge tables to lay out our fabric...  Sigh...

My husband and I went to Frankenmuth for our anniversary for dinner. We had reservations at Zehnder's. It was our 34th anniversary. 

Of course we went to Bronner's.... I meant to edit the picture to crop the guy out on the left...  Oops. I got an ornament for our middle son. That says "Plumbers go with the flow". And I got an ornament for our youngest son about mowing lawns... I will have to take pictures of them. I was happy I got started on my Christmas shopping, but I actually got started back in May! I think that's a record. Unless I went right after Christmas and got something on sale.. We went in May and I went on a Gnome Hunt. I will have to upload pictures of that someday..

On the way to Frankenmuth, I wanted to bring a project to crochet in the car. Then I thought, "What about that snowglobe ornament I just printed out?" So, I combined a Road Trip Crochet Project with Christmas in July!  Hee hee.  

I actually finished it, too. But, I forgot to bring a yarn needle (and scissors!). So I couldn't weave in the ends. (I did that yesterday when my husband took me to my radiologist appointment, though...) And on the way home, we stopped at Walmart for a couple things. And I bought some Santa buttons. To sew on to it. I will have to take a picture of those. The cashier said "Christmas!? Already?" Like it was a bad thing. Lol. I said "It's Christmas in July". She said "That's crazy".  Yes. Maybe for some people...  Not for crazy crocheters though!! We get out Christmas projects started early.  Anyways, This snowglobe ornament is from Repeat Crafter Me.  And, I started a Red Truck Ornament, too! These are both projects I had wanted to do last Christmas but I never got to..  The snowglobe is for my (middle son) daughter in law, and the Red truck is for our youngest son. Although I don't know if he is still into red truck things..... His truck has been a big headache, and is all tore apart in his driveway. (He is borrowing our truck for now...) So I don't know if he would like it. 👀 I finally started a Christmas in July project, though, yay...  I want to do another snowglobe for our tree, too. 

The day after my husband and mine's (how do you say that?) anniversary, I made some chocolate covered strawberries. I had some leftover chocolate which I didn't want to just waste... I was trying to think what else I could cover in chocolate. Then I said "Oh! What about peanuts!?" Duh...   I haven't made chocolate covered strawberries in a while.