tie bracelet

Every time I wear one of these bracelets everyone who sees them makes a comment or wants to know where to buy them.  I only have 2 so far so I need to get more bracelet blanks and make some for an upcoming show.
Here's what you need
1 metal bracelet blank, these are 11/2" aluminum from Oriental trading
Leather strip or grosgrain ribbon  as long as the bracelet and about 1" wide
Craft glue and contact cement
Wire for adding beads
Old jewelry, buttons, beads
Old tie
Make a paper template of the bracelet 1" wider and longer than the blank
I went about 9" from the point of the tie and cut a piece the length of the template, I am going to use the pointed end of the tie to make a little gift bag.
Remove any stitching and lining, press.  Cut out your template
Lay the fabric over the front side bracelet and start gluing on the inside,on each end, miter corners and glue each side, press firmly and use clothes pins to hold the tie fabric in place.  I used Tacky glue for this step.

While the glue is drying decide how you want to embellish the front.  Fro the red and blue bracelet I wired 3 beads from an old necklace onto thin wire and just wrapped the wire with the beads around the front, be sure to secure the wire on the back side.  For the brown and blue tie I used a charm, two broken earrings and a wire piece I had in my stash.  I glue all these pieces together. let them dry then glued to the bracelet.  Finish with the leather or ribbon ans lining on the inside to cover up all the raw edges.  Be sure to let every step dry completely before moving on to the next step.  Let the finished bracelet dry for 24 hours before wearing.

spring fever

Spring fever has hit hard around here and I'm anxious to get seeds started, pull out the spring/summer decor and put on some shorts.  Unfortunately Mother Nature is not letting go of this winter.  My friend Becky taught me how to make news paper planting boxes for starting my seeds.  It's free, green and recycled, right up my alley.
Take a double piece of news paper, fold that together then fold it in half, you'll have 4 layers of paper.  Fold each side up about 3-4" and crease.  At each corner push in the corner to form a 45 degree angle, staple this together, repeat for each side.  This is harder to write than it is to actually do, once you've done one they go together really fast.  Make them fit in standard flats, fill with potting soil and plant your seeds.  When you are ready to plant, you can throw the pot in the compost pile or just plant it into the ground. We did several dozen in a little more than an hour.

citrus cleaner

I'm always on the look out for greener ways to do household chores.  Ask anyone who knows me well and they will tell you I DON'T LIKE TO CLEAN!!!!  I do however want a reasonably clean and tidy home, so you do what you gotta do.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.

Start with a gallon milk jug and throw in any citrus peels, sour oranges etc covering with white vinegar.  In a short time you'll have a gallon of wonderful smelling citrus cleaner.  Add a few drops of tea tree oil if you want it to be antimicrobial. I let the full jug sit for 2 weeks then I strained out 2C into a spray bottle to use for cleaning and filled the jug back up with more vinegar.  As we collect more citrus scraps, left over lemon or lime after you squeeze them, orange peels, grapefruit rinds, cut them up small enough to fit in the jug and top with more vinegar.  When the fruit looses it's color, toss the spent fruit on your compost pile and start a new batch.  This cleaner is especially good on wood furniture, counters and greasy surfaces, not so great on windows.

Satin skin dusting powder

I was talking to my 20 something neighbor the other day and she had no idea what dusting powder was.  I think it's time for that to change.  We had made  the powder for VCB when we began but had dropped it the first year for lack of sales.  I love it and have several friends and family members who feel the same, so I have continued to make it.  Dusting powder is a light and refreshing finish to your bathing routine.  Any where skin rubs on skin like under your breasts or the joints of your legs is the perfect place for a light puff of powder.  It is really wonderful in the sweat filled summer but I use it all year round.
The recipe is an equal mix of corn starch, arrowroot and baking soda with just a light touch of scented oil.  Mix it together and place in a pretty container.  I use a cheese shaker from the dollar store.  The puff in this picture is just 3 layers of fleece left from a baby blanket  project cut into a circle, sewn right sides together, leaving a small part unsewn for turning and  and turned right side out .  I glued the open part with fabric glue held in place with clothes pins until dry.  I've also used faux lambs wool made the same way for puffs.  I'm sending this combo to a magazine for consideration to be published, I'll let you know how that turns out.

Cheesy chicken and broccoli

There are many recipes for this on the internet but I wanted something a little healthier so i started making it my own.  It makes plenty for leftovers or to share.

21/2C cooked whole grain pasta, I used penne
1# cooked chicken cut into cubes
1C chicken broth
1C low fat milk
1C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2C Parmesan
1# broccoli florets
2T butter and flour
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Melt the butter and cook the four for 1 minute
Add broth and milk and cook on low until it begins to thicken, add cheese, if it is too thick add a little more broth
Add the chicken and broccoli and heat through.  It's good at this point but you could put it into a greased baking dish and add the following topping.
1C panko bread crumbs
1T melted butter
1/4C Parmesan
Mix it all together and sprinkle over

 dish
broil until the topping is golden

DIY room deodrizer

i am always looking for ways to make our home greener, but I still want it to look clean and smell great.  Face it the bathroom can be stinky.  Store bought room deodorizers are full of nasty chemicals none should be breathing.  This one is a baking soda mixed with essential oils and flower petals.  Put it in a pretty open jar and enjoy the soft scent.  You can cover the top of the jar with a circle of paper with holes poked in it or just leave it open.  For an extra power boost when you need it add 1T of the powder before you add the petals to a 4-6 ounce spray bottle and fill with water, shake well.
I made this as a submission to Green Craft magazine so I prettied up the containers with strips of a pretty napkin glued on and cut into a circle for the canning jar.  I added a slat dough tag with the word fresh on it tied with cord for a little decoration.

arm kniting

The only thing I have ever knitted was a scarf for a boyfriend back in high school so I was surprised at my self how much I wanted to make this chunky scarf.  There are dozens of videos on the web that can show you how to do it, the one I used came form Michaels .  I still had to have my friend Kathy come to show me how to do it correctly.  It's soft and very warm, perfect for our never ending winter.

bedroom redo part three

With just a couple of small tweaks to go the master bedroom is finished.  I love how it turned from dark, heavy and cave like to light, bright and calm.  Total cost was $384.00, a lot more money than I usually spend on a room.  I bought two bed sets, the red for fall and winter and a spring and summer set I'll show later, new window treatments, block out shades and paint.  Everything else I had or made.

lamp upcycle

I had picked up this crystal lamp for $2.50 at a rummage sale earlier this summer thinking it would make a great totem or birdbath base.    As I was looking in my stash piles for accessories for the bed room I decided with a little work this lamp would be perfect for my side of the bed.  I had everything on hand so my cost was just what I paid for the lamp.  My idea of a bargain.

The brass finish at the base was tarnished and pitted so I added a couple of coats of black paint.  I used a makeup sponge to give it a more textured look.

Ugly lamp shade beginnings, I just pulled this layer off.

Still ugly

I added strips from muslin, antique satin and sheer fabrics.  I just kept winding it around the shade, tying on as I came to the end of a piece of fabric.

bed room redo part 2

The master bed room is all most finished.  Painting, trim and cleaning are done.  Window shades and sheers are up.  The color called honey has really brightened up the room and I love the shades that just push or pull to make them go up and down, so mush better than cords.

It's still a work in progress, but adding the final touches shouldn't take too long.  I have everything here except the valances and they should be delivered this week.

easy as pie cake

I made this yummy chocolate cake for company last week, everyone loved it.
Put 4C of mini marshmallows or cut up regular size in a greased 9X13 pan.  Make a chocolate cake mix according to the box directions.  Spoon on a can of pie filling, I used cherry, and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.  When cool serve with whip cream or Cool Whip.  You can make this with whatever kind of cake and pie filling you want.  Try spice cake with apple filling or yellow cake with blueberry.  Not low calorie or low carb, but a nice treat.

suprise

I had potted this amaryllis right before Christmas and kept it in our cool hallway until a couple of weeks ago. When we left to go visit my parents this weekend it was still in tight bud.  When we got home Sunday imagine my surprise to see this beautiful plant in full bloom.  There are four huge pink fading to white flowers on the stalk.  A little taste of spring right in my kitchen.