Easy Craft Supply Present




Craft Studio

 
Copy this?
As I was strolling along, rolling along, that is, I saw a product that could easily and cheaply be duplicated.


Unpaid advertising?
Okay, I am giving credit where credit is due. I was in a Walmart Super Center and this is a Simplicity product that costs $8. So, I have advertised. Really, I am presenting this as something you can do for a little child for Christmas. I took three examples of color combinations to a pattern cabinet and took a picture to show you. The end ones are turned around to give you a better idea of color combinations.

Craft and sewing scraps
Now, let's consider how you can make this at home from scraps. If you are frugal like me, you save two inches of ribbon or lace for use in other projects. (that one googly eye!)

The jar
The jar can be replaced by a plastic jar you wash out after the product is used--mayonaisse and peanut butter come to mind. The jar on the shelf is larger than a quart. But, even a small, plastic peanut butter jar would work for lesser supplies.

Contents
The jar contained ribbon, felt stickers, pom poms, and all sorts of items I don't remember. There was a chunky plastic bracelet in at least one of the jars. I have barrettes like I decorated many years ago. (Remember the bows that were wired onto barrettes, They had many loops on each barrette.) If you notice, the jars on the shelf are color coordinated. That is not necessary. But, it works if you want to do so.

Glue
I suppose you can choose what best suits the child, the craft supplies, and the mother of the child. Maybe washable glue would be best. An older child who owned a glue little, cheap, cool glue gun might just use it for this jar of crafts.

May birthdays for girls
Both my granddaughters have birthdays in May. They will be ten- and four-years-old. I think I will copy this idea for each of them. As I find bits of ribbon or appliques, I will stash them in one of my canvass bags to sort into jars for each of the girls.

April birthday for a boy
For the younger grandson's birthday in April.  I might make one for him, too. I have some elephants, camo things, brown ribbon, green ribbon. So, he might just make a collage instead of jewelry. The boy will be six. Maybe collecting plastic bugs from yard sales will work for him. Of course, I will let serendipity and synchronicity guide me.

February birthday
If you can think of anything that would work on this order for a sixteen-year-old boy, clue me in. Since I get all the markers he and his sister need for school, and crafts are probably not his thing right now, I just cannot thing of anything. Since I am giving him a camera for Christmas (bought for less than $20--one of my deals), he will only get a bathrobe. The robe was $70 and I paid $10.

Camera for his sister (I digress)
With my Office Max cartridge and toner recycling, her $100+ camera will be less that $10. Still, they will be informed that this is a combination Christmas/birthday present. They just cannot expect this caliber of gift (camera) from me on future gift-giving occassions. The ten-year-old will get a box of summer clothes bought on sale ($1-$3), used, and free-to-me items. My daughter won't need to buy many summer clothes!

Your turn
Kind of glue? Idea for sixteen-year-old boy jar? Confess! You have a ton of scraps, right?

Mrs. Santa, crochet, bags, and nail clippers

For Amelia

Project

I crochet this doll blanket for my g-daughter in spare moments in the car or in any waiting room. If I get this finished on time, then I will start an Auburn doll/bear/dog blanket in blue and orange for my grandson's stuffed animals. The pink blanket needs about four more rounds, a round of single crochet and a shell stitch around the edge. It is cheap acrylic yarn--sturdy.

Child's play

When I was eight-years-old, I learned to crochet in 4-H. I suppose now-a-days little girls don't want to learn this art.

My skill level--very low

I can crochet a chain stitch, single crochet, double crochet, and triple crochet--that's it. Ooops, shell stitch and picot, too. For a blanket I just make a granny square until it is large enough for a baby blanket (3 ft) or a doll blanket (18 inches). Both are made for gifts.

This blanket will only be about 12" because it is a tiny doll, second hand, that I am giving her. Mainly, I am tired of crocheting.

My daughter would beg me to make one for her little friend every time she was invited to a birthday party.

In 4-H I made a beanie. It is somewhere around here! I don't like increasing and decreasing, but I can do it. It is impossible for me to make anything that calls for going back and forth--sad sight. Scarves are out. I have absolutely zero desire to make an afghan from little granny squares.

Yeah, I know I am not Mrs. Claus, but she must be just as busy.

The yarn bag

The bag is one from my bag stash. It is roomy enough for two skeins of yarn. I pulled them out for this picture. Otherwise, they are further down in the bag. Did you see the pair of nail clippers attached to the handle, just to the right of the white skein? Nail clippers don't poke or cut on their own. Plus, a chain through the hole in the clippers keeps them from getting lost, and they are always at the top of the bag.

Your turn

Are you giving crocheted items as gifts? How skilled are you? Blankets are my "specialty." (actually, the only thing I crochet) What is your specialty?

So sad; computer woes

I may be a few days getting the computer fixed. I'll be back soon. Just read the old articles.

Hen to Door Delivery

Hen to Door

The girls never cease to amaze and amuse me. It seems I will now receive "hen to door" delivery. When milk was delivered fresh to the doorstep, cows could not do this well.

As you may remember, since the murder of a Chessie by a raccoon, I now bring my three remaining hens into the house in a 24" cage each night.

This morning, I set the cage right outside the door as usual, allowing them to exit the cage when they wanted to. All three immediately left.

And then
A few minutes later, I heard a little noise. Figuring a hen had not left the porch, I just hoped she did not poop. Finally, after the incessant, shuffling, scratching, and general disturbance that I could not figure out, I peeked out the door curtain. HA!

Louise was in the cage, furiously scratching, walking, sitting, scratching, and walking around. OVER. AND. OVER. This paper was perfectly smooth after they flew out of the cage. It had a few feathers and a bit of poop, but nothing was shredded or even wrinkled, and the bottom was completely covered. I wondered if she would lay an egg when I saw her apparent nest-making activities.

She did.
I heard her fly out and looked out the door curtain. Surprise! Because of knee/leg pain, I just bent over and took the one picture instead of moving the cage to snap the photo at a better angle.

I know hens will sometimes choose their own place to lay eggs. Sometimes, they will lay eggs under bushes. But, it appears that since they have laid in one place for a year, that they now are identifying my home as their home.  Sweet hens...sigh.



New, make-do spatula: cost is free

By the way, I made the potholder

Where is a clean spatula when you need it?

Have you ever needed a spatula when baking and there was not a clean one in sight? Did your old one bite the dust and you have not found one you like or cannot afford to buy a new spatula? It's happened to me, and it is soooo annoying to have to wash one RIGHT NOW.  When my last spatula finally started corroding, it took me months to find this new replacement in the picture.

Light bulb moment
One day, I took the plastic lid from a large container of oats and thought the plastic should have further use. This reuse took me all of ten seconds to figure out. I took a pair of scissors and fashioned a "new spatula" from the lid. I keep several of these in a drawer for backup even though I do own two spatulas.



Kitchen scissors do the job



The whole lid from the large oatmeal box is cut into a shape that is not quite a symmetrical curve. It still works just fine.

Spatula in use

My hand looks funny at the angle at which I took the picture of my "spatula" in action. It is hard for me to hold the camera AND take a picture. I almost dropped the camera into the bowl. See how clean it gets the bowl?

To use the make-do spatula, you put your thumb on one side and hand on the other. Press your thumb slightly until the plastic just barely gives. Then, it will be slightly bowed and sturdy enough to scrape the bowl with cake dough or get the last of the pasta salad from a dish.

Mayonaisse jar scraper?
Sorry, this will not reach into mayonaisse jar!

Which lid to use
I purchase too many items, unfortunately, that have similar type lids. Any of them could be cut to form a spatula when desperate. Think: raisins, yogurt, oats, cottage cheese....the list goes on.

Your turn
Please tell me I am not the only owner of two spatulas who finds them both dirty when a spatula is the needed utensil of the moment! Aaaargh! Maddening! Don't you love "light bulb" moments?

Update: Look at my additional health warning in the comment section!

My Black Friday and Little Plastic Farm Animals

It was a cold and rainy day....really, it was. So, even if I were going to stay up and get trampled at Walmart at midnight or stand in line for a 5 am deal, the weather would have dampened (pun intended) my enthusiasm.

My goal: to buy two cameras for grandchildren using no money, just my recycling of cartridges at Office Max. I was tempted to buy both of them a $49 camera. But, I hated the alkaline, rechargeable batteries in my first digital. So, I just bought the gdaughter one with Lithium Ion. Okay, maybe you will have to spend a little money for a fabulous gift.

Last year, I bought a $189 camera for $22, using the Office Max Recycling dollars I accumulated.  At first, the camera was regular price. Then it went on sale. Finally, I purchased it. Then it went down in price. So, they refunded my money and resold it to me....voila! $22 for a final price. The HP sd card, 4 GB, was $10 at Big Lots. This was a camera for me.

I was deliriously happy with the OM camera and now must wait to buy one for her big brother. Hers could be any color, but his must be black or silver...you know--manly-ish. Okay, I did ignore the help of a salesclerk who told me he loved his blue camera when he was in high school.

Maybe you can get credit for recycling cartridges and toner at Office Max. I used this credit for acquiring all the school supplies for my grandchildren.

Caveat: OM changes the rules, so read carefully. They are convoluted, and most OM customer service folk get it wrong!

Then, I went to every store in town, looking for a $1 item--tiny farm animals. The chicken would be about 1/2" tall, the dog was a bit taller, and the horse maybe almost 2" tall. Then I put a request on a local, free site, not freecycle. People started telling me my grandchildren would swallow them, choke on them. Then, other people started telling off the "warner." BIG hullabaloo. Still, no farm animals!

Does anyone remember these? Only one store out of 12 where I went had them, but they were sold out. When I stand face-to-face with a clerk and describe the size of the animals, eager clerks exclaim and lead me to six inch cows that are as fat as my fist. One led me to a farm set with a huge barn. I said, "SMALL bag of animals and maybe a fence!" No, I don't say that to them. I say it in my head! These are seasonal employees, sometimes teens with first job. Sigh...sigh....they are so proud of themselves that I hate to burst their bubble.

Now, I have resorted to asking any acquaintance I see if their grandchildren have any lying around and are old enough to have lost interest. That ploy is not working.

Now, it is a bright and sunny day....aaaahh, much better. I am still short one camera and tiny farm animals. The camera is covered. Got any ideas for farm animals? I went to thrift stores. One had sold a bag of said animals just before I walked in. NOT!

This one little cloud hangs in my Christmas sky.

Thanksgiving Dinner Venue!




What's On 2nd--Antiques, Art, Postcards, and Curios

 Yes, this antique and collectible shop was where I enjoyed a delicious meal and conversation. Steve, one of the owner,s is in the picture above. Okay, I did not take the first picture and cannot change the size, so it can just cover my words! Okay, here goes.



Mike, the other owner,standing near the meal on the counter and on the table in front of her. She brought the turkey, WONDERFUL! I have no idea what the triangles are in this picture or how they got there.



Joseph, a guest



Elvis bathroom



Belt buckles

 Below the counter are postcards--hands, leaves, boats, flowers, any category you can imagine--Steve has it.

Postcards

More postcards, but two pictures don't show his whole inventory of postcards. I bought an early twentieth century postcard of the Brooklyn Bridge for a gift.


Another view. See? More postcards. It was difficult to take pictures with so many lights and glare.



Two Santas

 The white Santa has a list with two items: lights and snacks. Santa is promoting smoking? We have come a long way.

                                                                                   

What's On Second promotes artists. This is from an opening last week.



Artist's rendering of the shop. These are posters hanging on the wall.

 I have lots more pictures, but I don't want to bore you! It was great to browse before and after the meal. Some things caught my eye as I ate. I hope you had as wonderful a day as I.