Sidereal Day

Stitching Away

2012-02-11T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on re-stocking my Etsy shop. My family has been keeping me pretty busy but I've managed to eek out a few things.

Like this:

red poppies

and this:

Pink Bloomers

and this one:

Yellow (with a bit of orange) poppies

One more:

Tattered Garden

I plan on re-making some of the one's that have sold, although they never come out quite the same. I also have some ideas for new things, so I had better get back to work.

Hope you are having a fabulous weekend!

Encaustic Goodness!

2012-02-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Way back in December I received this gorgeous little encaustic ornament that I won in a giveaway from Susan Najarian.

I was thrilled to get it as I have been coveting her work for a while. It arrived with a sweet little red bow at the top but I replaced it with a little black velvet and white cotton, that way it's not so much a Christmas ornament but something I can hang over my desk and enjoy year round. You can find Susan's work on Etsy, where she sells beautiful encaustic painting, and mixed media art.

Yep, it's 2012

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

And it has been for a whole month already!

I can't believe a whole month of the new year has already passed.

Last year I jumped on the new year like a crazy lady, I've decided this year that I would just sneak up on it.

This is how my work space looks right now. Actually that's only part of it but I assure you the rest of it looks the same. I'm working on getting my shop stocked back up after taking a long break from stitching over the holidays (and most of January).

See the skinny little newspaper in the top right corner of the photo? That's our tiny local paper and on the cover of the last edition was a photo of a bunch of people sledding. The city closes this one steep street in town every time we get a good amount of snow for "safety reasons" but really it's just so we can all go sledding. Anyhoo, my husband, son and I are in the group, my son thought it was really cool that we were on the front page.

I hope you are all having a great beginning to 2012!

Raffle Fundraiser for Sparrow Salvage

2011-12-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite Etsy artists, Penny of Sparrow Salvage, was in a horrible car accident about 3 weeks ago and is still on the mend in the hospital. Kindly, Fanciful Devices is raffling off this fabulous necklace to help raise money for Penny.

Click HERE for more information.

Thank you!

Go Outside

2011-12-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

We had a small outing to the nearby city of Anacortes a couple of days ago. My husband had a customer to go see so my son and I went with him to wander around. There is a great waterfront park there so even though it was grey and misting a bit we decided to go throw some rocks in the water.

We ended up meeting this guy

There is a boat launch at the end of the beach and according to one of the fishermen I talked to this seal has been a local fixture for about 15 years. He hangs around the waiting for the fishermen to come in and hand over their extra bait. You might notice that one of his eyes has been damaged, the man I spoke to said it's been that way as long as he's been around.

Yesterday was bright and sunny so we stopped on the local rainbow bridge to take a couple photos of our picturesque little town.

Picturesque right?

Here's a photo of the rainbow bridge I took a couple summers ago from a neighbors boat, it's named for it's shape, not it's color

I really is nice around here. I really should drag myself outside more often, but for today I have some embroidery to do.

Old Stock

2011-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

The other day while reorganizing my art supplies I found a small pile of bases for barrettes and a few pins.

I'm just finishing up the one with the vines, and hope to get it listed tomorrow.

They are made out of cereal boxes, it's a painstaking process that includes: cutting out the shapes, gluing the layers together, shaping, sanding, sanding some more, then the fun part - painting. They turned out to be way too labor intensive for the price I can expect to get for them so I'm not planning on making any more when I'm done with these. Hopefully I will get them all finished and listed in the shop over the next few days (probably longer)

See, cereal boxes.

Oh, and I've been working on some more embroidered brooches, like this one:

This weekend will be all about getting some of those decorations up and doing some crafts with the kiddo. I have been finding all sorts of fun crafts on Pinterest, like this one: Cinnamon ornaments

Do you have any fun weekend plans? Do you have a fun holiday craft idea?

Aaaaaaargh!

2011-11-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

Aaaaaaargh!
I'm warning you now that this is me venting.....

All the little things are adding up.

I had 2 new embroidery pieces to list today. I got some ok photos of one of them but with the second one I can't get any that aren't blurry. The screen on my digital camera is broken so I have to push buttons and just hope that it's on the right setting (it's been that way for about 2 years) so, I turn the thing on wait a few seconds, push the arrow 2 times to the left, take a bunch of photos, load them into the computer and then try again if they are all blurry. So far I've deleted and re-taken about 4 times. Add too that the dark grey day and the fact that my house tilts so my embroidery keeps rolling away, oh, and my back hurts...... I'm just about ready to throw my hands up get a glass of wine and take a bubble bath.

Instead I will power on, get the photos taken, make more stuff, start dinner, then maybe wine and bath.

Hey, I warned ya.

Handmade Heaven Giveaway

2011-11-10T20:53:00.000-08:00

Giveaway!!!

Today is the day that my orange poppy is up for grabs, along with a whole bunch of other fabulous handmade goods. If you haven't been over to the Peppermint Giveaways on Fabulous Fun Finds, now is the time because it is only going on for 2 more days. There will be one winner for each category, and that is quite a haul.

Here is the link to today's category:

http://www.fabulousfunfinds.com/2011/11/handmade-heaven-giveaway-peppermint.html

Be sure to check out the other days too, the giveaways started on Monday 11/7 and are going until Saturday 11/12.

Good Luck!

Peppermint Giveaways!

2011-11-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Starting Monday the 7th Fabulous Fun Finds Blog is having a huge giveaway.

One of my orange poppy pieces will be in the giveaway on Friday the 11th.

this one

I used my handy dandy new foil reflector for this photo

You can find more information -->Here

and you can check out all the items in the giveaway on this---> Pinterst board.

Quick Foil Photography Reflector

2011-11-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

The days are getting darker around here, so today I made myself a quick reflector out of foil to help with my product photos.

I used a small cereal box. Cut off the edge tabs just leaving the front, back and one of the sides. Coat the box with glue (spray adhesive would work but I don't have any). Lay out the foil and apply the box to the foil ( it's easier to line up the edges that way and keep it from getting wonky).

Then fold over the edges and glue in place.

Ta da, a quick and easy reflector.

If you do an Internet search there are a variety of opinions on what side of the foil to use, and some people say you should crumple the foil first.....whatever, this works for me.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off today, and I don't mean that's my Halloween costume. I have sooo much to do today. Yesterday we coffee dyed strips of cotton and made a little fabric spider for a mummy costume .

awwww

Today I need to finish the costume, catch up on school, package and mail some orders, and go trick or treating. That's what I get for procrastinating. I better get to it!

Hope you have a treat filled holiday!

Just Working

2011-10-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

There are simply not enough hours in the day.

I have been working my little butt off....more accurately my butt is probably growing from all the hours I'm spending sitting on the couch watching shows while I stitch.

On the plus side I have been getting a few new items listed in my shop.

Blue

Orange

Look what I received in the mail a couple days ago

I made a couple of custom embroidery pieces for a customer up in Canada and she sent me these lovely cards she made because they reminded her of them. How nice is that!

Well, back to work.

Addicted to Pinterest

2011-10-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Pinterest? I hadn't until about a month ago when I noticed a few views in my Etsy shop stats coming from there. At first when I went to check it out I didn't really get it, and wasn't too impressed. After looking around the site a bit more I have since changed my tune, and made my own account.

If you haven't heard of it, basically it's a virtual pin board for...whatever. You can set up categories to suit your own interests, for example a few of mine are: Dream Home, DIY, What to Wear, and Sweet. You can browse and follow other peoples boards for more ideas and inspiration. One of the things I like about it is that when you click on the photo, or a link next to the photo it takes you to the original source, so due credit is given (that's how it's supposed to work anyway).

I have to be careful not to get sucked in, it's easy to loose an hour just browsing.

One idea I found on there that I hope to try out this week is this:

Fabric Covered Mat

Do you have a Pinterest? What are some of your favorites?

Pumpkin Shopping

2011-10-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Gordon Skagit Farm is one of my favorite places to visit in the fall.

We stopped by yesterday on our way back from town and it was the perfect time to go, the weather was chilly but not too cold and it wasn't too crowded (on weekends the place is packed, and I'm not a fan of crowds).

They really go all out with the displays and there are so many different pumpkin varieties to choose from. Looking through the photos I took I'm noticing that they really don't do justice to the variety of pumpkins and squash they had available.

Besides pumpkins, squash and apples they sell local honey, apple cider and gorgeous dried flower swags and wreaths.

We picked a bunch of yummy Jonagold apples. Great for pie!

I wanted to take that fabulous huge pumpkin painting home with me

We will definitely be stopping by there again soon. You can never have too many pumpkins right?

I'm totally inspired by all the Halloweeney autumn goodness.

Stopping by this place every October has become a tradition for us.

What are your favorite fall activities?

Fun Mail

2011-09-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail yesterday. Actually it arrived last week, I just couldn't seem to get to my PO box before the dang office closed until yesterday.

So anyway, Look what I got in the mail yesterday!

My own Embroidery Saint Print made by Holly at Sweetheartville.

How cool is that!

(please ignore the sad ficus in the background)

I won it over on Heather's blog Audrey Eclectic Folk Art. If you haven't been by there, you really should take the time to check it out. It is her birthday month and she has been having drawings every week in celebration. If you hurry you can get in on the last drawing for an original sketch. As much as I want to I haven't entered any more of the drawings, having won once it would make me feel totally greedy.

On another note, check out these wee little rag roses I've been stitching away on.

I plan to put them into some embroidery pieces.

Now, hop on over to enter Heather's Drawing!

Working Weekend

2011-09-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Do you have any fabulous weekend plans?

I'm going to be having a working weekend.

We started home school on the 6th and being the unorganized person that I am we have gotten a little behind with work. Maybe if we had a schedule, and some lists, ya lists.

Ha.

My brother gave me these fabulous little antique pharmaceutical bottles and I've been trying to decide what to do with them for months. I finally have an idea.

I'll let you know how it turns out.

Some music to listen to while working:

or maybe a video, right now I'm watching season 2 of Warehouse 13.

With only a little summer sun left at our disposal we will have to fit in some outdoor fun as well.

Have a really lovely weekend!

Ahhhh Camping

2011-09-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

We went camping this weekend, it was our first camping trip with our son's Cub Scout group. He had a ton of fun, the people are really nice, they planned lots of games and activities all with a space theme. Some nice people came with big fancy telescopes so we could see the moon up close plus some binary stars and a cluster, it was pretty cool.

Really I'm not a big fan of camping. I don't like coming home covered with mosquito bites, sleep deprived, the packing, unpacking and extra laundry. It was all for the little one, being home schooled we need too find other ways to get him some social interaction (the idea that home schooled kids end up socially stunted is a fallacy, but that's another blog post.) and as I said he had a blast!

It's not without it's good points too though, I do love a good campfire, hot cocoa, s'mores, nature (minus the mosquitoes) and watching the fog roll off the lake in the morning with the sunrise.

How was your weekend?

Woot!

2011-08-30T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my shop views were WAY above what they normally are, I was confused.

I found out today that one of my items was included in the Etsy Finds e-mail. I'm thrilled thrilled thrilled to be included!

This is the item they included, and it sold! Yay!

Click HERE to see the Etsy Finds list.

Blackberry Dye

2011-08-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can dye fabrics naturally with things like turmeric, acorns, and blackberries? I have been dying with tea and coffee for a while, but this is my first try with other items. There are a ton of great resources online, I found a great list of plants n such all separated into color categories.

This little batch of pinky purple fabrics I dyed with blackberries. There may be a better way to do it, but I get bored reading lots of instructions, so I just improvised.

I added to a large pot about one cup of blackberries with about 2 cups of water and 2 Tablespoons of salt

let it boil for a while

smooshed up the berries a bit

added the fabric

simmered for while

let it sit overnight

rinsed with water and vinegar

let dry

Fabulous!

The fabrics in the photo are (from left to right) cotton, raw silk and linen.

Have you used natural items to dye?

What did you use and how did it turn out?

Etsy Teams

2011-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

I joined an Etsy team! It's the Treasury Challenge Non Team.....so I guess it's not really a team....but it is a team...whatever. Each week the winner of the previous week gets to pick one of their own items as the inspiration item.

This week it's these cute little hand knitted baby socks.

This week is my first week to participate, I made This treasury:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/NzUyMTY3M3w2Mjc2NzgxNjU/autumn-nesting

It's nice but I'm showing the one below, because I think theirs is better. =)

If you are interested in participating, you can find out how here:

http://treasurychallengenonteam.blogspot.com/

'GoldiSocks and the Three Bears' by tylerja

This team is "just right"....join the fun!treasurychallengenonteam.blogspot.com/

Nesting Bowls - Creamy Milk ... sheilasart $70.00	Sweet Souls Sister Bears - s... weelittlepigs $319.00	Hand knitted baby socks /Aut... eljuks $10.00	Flame Cherry Wooden Spoon burlchaser $40.00
Little Mustard Tank with Lin... joretta $48.00	Wool Acorns, 6 Handmade Neel... Fairyfolk $12.00	California King Toddler/Baby... MustardSeedPro... $75.00	Vintage Rustic Yellow Child&... Thebeezkneezvi... $15.00
Miniature Terrarium Farmhous... iktomi $20.00	Vintage 1960s Wooded Legs Mu... kanomtuay $34.00	v i n t a g e mohair teddy b... buffalowinter $345.00	Antique Vintage wooden Baby ... Yesterdayand2d... $46.00
Primitive Doll Bed for Barbi... QuarterCreek $39.99	Golden Yellow Felt Bow Barre... KamiMono $6.00	Bear Roley Poley Animal ArksAndAnimals $4.95	fall foliage - fuzzy tan fel... thefuzzymonkey $18.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Blackberries!

2011-08-23T18:06:00.001-07:00

The blackberries are ripe.

We picked a ton of them today.

We are freezing most of them so there will be a plenty of blackberry pies, jam and scones all winter. I clean them and then lay them out on a cookie sheet to dry. If you freeze them on the cookie sheet before transferring them to containers they won't stick together.

Do you have any favorite berry recipes?

Yum!

Another

2011-08-20T21:00:00.001-07:00

Embroidery

More Embroidery

2011-07-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

I have been working my poor fingers to the bone. Here are the latest fruits of my labor.

Orange Poppies

I kind of want to keep this one for myself

Midnight Garden

Soon I will have to find some time to enjoy summer vacation.

I hope, whatever season you are in, you are enjoying it.

I'll Wait Treasury

2011-07-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

'I'll Wait' by Sidereal

I'll Wait fine art photo... barbraziemerph... $45.00	The Cutty Sark, Miniature Te... Microshipwrigh... $220.00	Shelf City No. 263 TheOakLeaves $55.00	Message In A Bottle - Love ... periwinkleprin... $14.00
Custom Made Romantic Lace C... twoknit $125.00	heirloom-- victorian locket ... OpulentOdditie... $98.00	Nautical Sailor Jerry Anchor... AmbivalentReli... $12.00	Vintage Alarm Clock housewarming10... $38.00
100 Wedding Hearts - Favors... sofiart $110.00	Vintage Globe Fully Rotating... nowvintage $38.00	Starry Eyes - A Stargazers n... SundustStudio $27.00	Lighthouse vlad $50.00
Persistent Wanderlust, Free ... happygolicky $70.00	Little Book, Vintage Brown L... TeoStudio $45.00	Anchor Necklace-small ArtemisiaAteli... $50.00	Message in a Bottle Treasure... PhotoArTImager... $35.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Keeping Busy

2011-06-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Once again I've been a neglectful blogger. I could say I will try to be better about it but it probably won't change so I won't say it.

I've been busy stitching.

Pale Bouquet Pin

Forget Me Not Pin

Poppies Pin

Random Stuff for a Sunday post

2011-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was behind this guy on the road home yesterday, a common occurrence here among the farmland. Not too close please.

Barrettes 4 Sale

2011-06-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've been listing some barrettes in my Etsy shop. I got this idea to make barrettes a couple of years ago and ended up with a pile of them.

They are made from layers of cereal boxes that are glued together, shaped, sanded, topped with watercolor paper, painted, and sealed.

It is a tedious process and I have no desire to make more of them. I had some of them listed in my shop but let them all expire.

I am re-listing my existing supply (except for the ones I want for myself) and have lowered the price to hopefully move them to new homes, then I can concentrate on my current interests....painting and embroidery.

Gnome Missing!!!

2011-05-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Was it theft, or maybe he just decided to do some world traveling?

(click on the image to enlarge)

Cannon Beach Ahhhhhhh

2011-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

We just got back from 2 days in beautiful Cannon Beach, Oregon.
It's amazing how rejuvenating just a couple days of vacation can be.

It was sunny and warm and wonderful.

We walked on the beach

Built Sandcastles

Then stomped on them.

Ate good food, and rested.

How would you like live in a house with your own little path straight to the beach.

Beautiful!

(This is not where we stayed, it was just down the beach a bit from our beautiful hotel)

I can't tell you how badly I needed this trip. It was such a great way to shake off the winter blues.

Happy Floss Day!

2011-05-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Happy day after my birthday to me! I had a mellow birthday this year. I prefer it that way, just spending the day with my family and a nice dinner with some cake. So what if I ate 3 pieces it's my birthday and I'll do what I want!

Besides eating cake I stopped at the fabric store to get some more embroidery floss, it was all 50% off because the store is moving and I went a little crazy. I don't think it's all going to fit in my case, it may be time to get another.

Today I plan to finish up the hoop for this little piece so I can get it into my Etsy shop. I should probably do some more too so I can get rid of some of my floss.

Cleaning with Baking Soda

2011-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know how awesome baking soda is? It has tons of uses besides baking.

Yesterday I used it to clean the coffee stains off my white mugs. I have these heavy truck stop style coffee mugs, I love the weight and feel of them but they tend to stain.

All you do is pour a little baking soda into the bottom of the mug, maybe a teaspoon or so.

Add just a tiny bit of water, just enough to make it a paste. Stick your fingers in there and scrub.

See, almost as good as new.

I love finding new ways to clean my home without all the nasty chemicals.

Do you have any natural cleaning tips?

Finished Blouse

2011-05-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

I have so many unfinished projects lying around it's not funny. On my grand, plodding quest to finish some of my said projects I finished one....yay, ONE!

I made this tunic blouse around about 2 years ago. Sunday I finally sat down to get it completed. All that was to be done was the collar, I wanted to do some embroidery around the neck before tacking it down so I sat and looked at it, picked some embroidery floss, then changed my mind about the design and chose some different floss. That went on for some time till I finally just went with a white on white design. Truthfully, I don't really like how the shoulders fit but am too lazy to take out the french seams to re-do them so I kept the design fairly simple. I like how it came out, it will be a nice cover in the warmer months (all 2 of them).

Okie Dokie, On to the next project.

Cabin Fever

2011-04-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have horrible cabin fever. Every year around January....February, March and April I get sick of Washington State. The grey grey days with just a tease of sunshine every once in a while. This year spring is slow to start again, it's beautiful and sunny today as was yesterday but we had snow nearby just last week. Bleh. I long for summer weather, skimpy clothing, sandals, picnics and other outdoor activities.

How is the weather in your area?

On another note but still having to do with cabins, I found this listing on Craigslist for a rental house on beautiful San Juan island:

800 sq.ft. (feels bigger on the inside, sort of like the Tardis) newer cabin in the middle of the island. Quiet, and sunny, this one bedroom cabin offers parking for 2 cars (or 6 Smart cars or 5 Smarts cars and one motorcycle/scooter or 1 really big truck/2 Smart cars or 1 boat and 1 car/truck and a scooter AND a bicycle - the possibilities are endless!) propane fireplace/heating (a real one, not one of those HeatSurge Amish plug-in fireplace things) , newer gas range (perfect for stir-fry - veggie OR meat!)) and lots of windows to let the sun shine in and birds fly into. Native front lawn abuts the woods (great for Sasquatch watching from your front porch) and small raised garden (3x6-ish) is already planted for spring. Separate storage unit (6x12-ish) for boxes, bikes or even small boats. Fresh artesian well provides the best island water you've ever tasted and awwwsome water pressure. Water and sewer is included in the price of rent (that'll save you what, $200/mo. - can you believe it?). No dogs, but small domesticated cats (no, a housebroken ocelot does not qualify) are negotiable. 1 year lease @$850/month.

Even though we are not looking to move at the moment, and its quite small and out of the way (browsing rentals is a hobby of mine) I almost want to live here just because of their add.

Sleepy Sunday

2011-03-27T17:26:00.001-07:00

unproductive

Baby trashes bar in Las Palmas

2011-03-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Too Funny!

I found this on A Cup Of Jo this morning and just had to share. It's by a Swedish director Johannes Nyholm and is definitely worth watching.

Embroidery

2011-03-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Hi!

Black Cross

Red Cross

I posted a couple of new embroidery pieces in my Etsy shop today. They are both simple cross patterns. I know it's been done before, and I'm sure it will be done again, but it's a symbol I've been drawn too for some time.

I purchased this necklace when I was about 19 years old (ahem, some time ago). I wore it almost every day for years. I still wear it, just not as much.
Most people recognize it to be a Swiss Cross, although the symbol has been around much longer than that, also the Swiss Cross is white with a red background, not red or black.

Here is a link to what Wikipedia has to say about the cross.

This month I'm trying to make my Etsy shop a priority as I've been quite neglectful, so... off I go to make more stuff.

Happy Wednesday!

OWOH 2011 Winner!

2011-02-18T14:02:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone that took the time to stop by for the OWOH event!

I used a random number generator yesterday to pick a winner for my embroidered butterfly and the winner is:

Palma!

This is her blog----->http://athena-myfirstbloggy.blogspot.com/

Time to go enjoy a the beautiful sunshine we have today while it's still around.

February 14

2011-02-14T14:41:00.001-08:00

OWOH 2011!

2011-01-30T22:47:00.001-08:00

Welcome!

Wow, has it already been a year since last years OWOH? I'm so happy to be able to take part again this year, how could I not since sadly it is the last one.

My name is Lynn and I live in NW Washington with my husband and son. Most of my time is taken up by homeschooling and attempting to (unsuccessfully) maintain my home. More than occasionally I will let the dirty dishes and laundry sit undone so I can do things like paint, embroider, sew, or some other crafty/artistic endeavor, or just sit and read blogs or watch movies. More than not I'm drawn to things a little rough around the edges and a bit dark.

My Giveaway for this event is this small hand embroidered butterfly that I made. (about 3 inches across)

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post.

You don't have to be taking part in OWOH to enter, but you must have a blog.

Also I will need a way to contact you if you win =)

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by, I can't wait to do some blog hopping myself.

For a list of other bloggers taking part in this event click ->HERE.

Also I'd like to say a special thanks to Lisa Swifka for once again putting together this event, what a huge undertaking it must be!

Do stop by again sometime.

Plowing Forward

2011-01-14T16:09:00.001-08:00

The plan for the start of year was to hit the ground running, I was optimistic, it was GOING to happen! So far.......not so much. We started off the year by passing around a cold, now recovered. Still I can't seem to get motivated. The inspiration is there, I've even written down a few ideas for new embroidery projects and paintings, I just can't seem to get past looking at my supplies and sorting out the bits that I need to get started.

I did do one creative project, I made my husband a rustic little book for his birthday.

Just a little something for when inspiration strikes, a thought, small sketch, or poem.

I had no idea what I was doing, as is how I approach most of my projects. With supplies in hand and a bee in my bonnet I jumped in feet first. I watched a couple videos on making books, got a bit frustrated along the way, but I like the way it turned out.

He seemed to like it too.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

Today's project is to fix the chaos that comes in a new box of crayons.

Now that it is done the year can start fresh.

May it be a fabulous 2011 for all of you!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

What's In A Name

2010-12-06T12:54:00.000-08:00

I made a new banner with a phonetic spelling of my blog name (one for my Etsy too) I also made a picture for the link on my side bar that takes you to the definition for the word Sidereal, there is even a neat little speaker to click for the pronunciation. I have been meaning to do this for some time but just kept putting it off until a dear blog friend, Jaime sent me an e-mail telling me she had looked it up in the dictionary, and it reminded me to get it done. She also had a good tip to remember the how it's pronounced, it sounds like ethereal. Thanks Jaime =)
I had a hard time choosing a name, second guessing, finding one I like, having it be taken bla bla bla, anyway I found the word Sidereal in the dictionary and liked it. I realized at the time it might not be the most memorable, and that most people (unless your a astronomy buff) wouldn't know what it meant but I went with it anyway, I've thought about changing it but I'm over a year in so I'm gonna keep it plus dang it I like it. I've always had a thing for stars...the kind in the sky, not the screen.

Also, I made a pillow out of a t-shirt my little one grew out of.

Homemade Laundry Soap

2010-12-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

I've been making my own powdered laundry soap for almost a year now. I happened across a blog (I don't remember which one at this point) that had a recipe for homemade liquid laundry soap. It sounded like a good idea to me because my son has very sensitive skin, I like the idea of knowing the ingredients in the products I use and gosh dang it, it's really cheap and I'm super frugal. The recipe for the liquid version was a little too involved for me so I searched around and found a recipe for powdered laundry soap. It's very simple and quick to make.

Here is how I make it:

2 4.5oz bars Ivory Soap

1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Not baking soda)

1 Cup 20 Mule Team Borax

First Grate the 2 bars of Ivory into a bowl, the smaller side of the grater works best since we are trying to make a powder. Some people use Ivory flakes but I haven't tried it.

Break up the grated soap a little more squishing it through your fingers, we want it to be as small as possible.

Then add in the Borax and Washing soda and stir stir stir.

For a normal size load add 1 tablespoon of soap, more for larger loads less for smaller. This amount does about 45 normal size loads.

Thats it, easy peasy.

Side notes:

~You can use other soaps, but from what I've read you need to be careful of the oil content, you don't want to add a bunch of oils to your laundry soap.

~I usually wear some kind of face cover when I'm making a batch because it makes me sneezy and it cant be good to be inhaling a bunch of it.

~This is where I found my recipe---> http://diynatural.com, they also did the math on the price difference. $$$

~When I buy my bars of Ivory I open them up before I store them, so when I get around to grating them they are a bit more dry and that makes it easier.

~This does not suds up in your washer, suds do not = clean.

A Deer a Doe

2010-09-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the rock face just outside our back window this morning, and noticed a visitor.

How about a closer look...

It's always a pleasure to have a visit from a doe and her family. The family moved on before I could get to my camera.

Have a lovely weekend!

Pencil Sculpture by Dalton Ghetti

2010-09-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Seriously Amazing sculptures made by Dalton Ghetti

Have you seen these before? Apparently his artwork has been in the public eye for sometime.

I came across one of his sculptures on craftgawker this morning, posted by ink&vineleaves

Here is a neat little article about him from the New York Times that was written back in 2007

Fall Treasury Fun

2010-09-06T17:40:00.000-07:00

I've had the treasury bug lately...it's all about comfort and Autumn

'Autumn Nesting' by Sidereal

RAINY DAY - Canvas Prin... topix $135	Chocolate Peanut Butter... crescentMoonBa... $10.99	BROWNE VELVET Organic C... katherynmd $12.95	Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin V... whitemagic $16.95
Sunny Side Up handmade ... naturesblessin... $85	custom embroidered pers... ChezSucreChez $18	Handspun/Tailspun Yarn knoxfarmfiber $25	Dried Orange UNISEX Soc... RGsocks $37
PUMPKIN VANILLA CUPCAKE... IndigoFragranc... $2.39	iLE AiYE Exclusive rang... ileaiye $275	Oval Orange Mixed Berry... SilknLightsdes... $52	Needle Felted Wool Soft... McBrideHouse $70
wellness blend herbal t... twigandleafbot... $10	Amber Honey natural col... swanmountainso... $6	dark willow - ever wond... pixxxiepieandp... $11	Red Wine Tea - ALL ORGA... sageandmage $12

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

'Rustic Comfort' by Sidereal

Leaves Falling On Barns... EmiJoy $10	Pontalba Pantaloons... ... bayousalvage $75	Violin wildh $25	Handmade Rustic Distres... tinahdee $22
Primitive Iron Candleho... baconsquarefar... $34	SALE - Honey Buttered T... sosaecaetano $25	BARN MOUSE 7x5 Watercol... lulabies $7	Mason Jar Votive Lanter... PigeonToeCeram... $30
SALE-Bee Perfume Oil wiggleperfume $9	Pickled Beets ALTeReD C... pickledbeetscl... $35	Make a Wish- 16x20 Meta... NoStoneTurned $38	Fine Silver and Leather... JMWSilver $59
ohio sunset. freelittlespir... $15	Oatmeal Milk and Honey ... swanmountainso... $6	Mason Jar Solar Lights,... treasureagain $23	Natural Wood Handle Han... MoontreeForge $31.95

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

That time already?!?!

2010-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Summer started late this year with a really grey June, and already school is sneaking up on us.

I don't have an exact date yet but it's somewhere around 4 weeks from now.

This will be our second year using the K12 program (online home school), we used it for kindergarten and really enjoyed it.

It's a lot of fun to get the school supplies. We got 2 big boxes from UPS, inside those boxes were a bunch of smaller boxes.

The little one helped me open them so that we could discover all the goodies together, and it's a good size pile of goodies this year.

Now I just need to figure out where to put all this stuff.

Oh, and make the most of the last 4 weeks of summer vacation.

Orange Koi

2010-08-02T15:11:00.001-07:00

a new painting in my Etsy

Rag Rug Experiment

2010-08-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

So, the other day I got a bee in my bonnet to weave a rag rug. I don't know what came over me, the only weaving I've ever done was on one of these as a kid.

I cut up a bunch of strips of felted sweaters, 2 pairs of old jeans, and some brown cords that had a hole in em.

I don't have a loom, so I stitched the strips together and wound them around an old wood frame.

To push the rows nice and tight I used the bamboo handle of my son's butterfly net.

The edges turned out a bit wonky and it is defiantly on the rustic side, but I like how it came out. It's nice and thick and soft under the feet.

After I give my hands a little break I think i'd like to make a white and cream one for my bathroom.

Boogie

2010-07-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I was listening to the radio, they were talking about their favorite summer concerts and it reminded me of this video, it makes me smile so I figured I'd share.

Break time!

2010-06-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

We are all done with kindergarten. YAY! Actually we finished last Friday.

In January we decided to take our little one out of the public school and start homeschooling, I'm very glad we did and will be doing it again for first grade. We have since found a few home school groups in our area that have regular activities and play times, and our little one loves it.

It is not always easy or fun, there were even a couple days where I just couldn't do it so we decided to take the day off. Anyway, kindergarten is done and I am happy to have the summer off for a much needed break.

Hi again Bloo!

Remedy for the Grey

2010-05-31T10:37:00.001-07:00

The weather here has been grey and dreary and drizzly and bleh. It feels more like fall but without the urge to nest and get ready for winter.

The result of all this dreary grey is that I can't seem to get enough color, and have been looking around on Etsy to fill the color void (usually I'm drawn to black and greys). Here are a few of my favorites.

Heaven Photograph

Butterfly

Portuguese Tile Earrings

Crossover Halter

Luminary Print

In The Bedroom

2010-05-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

That is not my bedroom.

Our bedroom is not quite so elaborate, more on the utilitarian side of things.

Recently I got it in my head to remedy that. New soft sheets and pillows, a fluffy down comforter with a duvet, a feather bed topper, and maybe even a new mattress...mmmmm

Also I'm making a quilt. I'm not a quilter, measuring and being precise makes my brain feel squeezed, so there will be as little measuring as possible. I found an awesome deal on blue cotton velvet at denverfabrics.com, it wasn't exactly the blue I wanted so I dyed it navy blue along with some soft cotton fabric. They came out just beautiful.

(The photo doesn't really do it justice)

I will combine the navy blue with black and charcoal grey and do lots of embroidery, etc. Then piece it all together. I'm not sure how it will come out in the end but I would like it to have a Gothic/fantasy feel to it. somewhere in between the photo at the top and this

Gothic & Fantasy but light and airy as well....hmmmmm

I'll post my progress.

Perseverance

2010-05-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

I have this weird little children's book of poetry that I have saved from my childhood. It's called Goops And How To Be Them - A Manual of Manners for Polite Infants. It was written in 1900 and covers all sorts of subjects from table manners to gentleness.

This is one of the poems from that for whatever reason stuck in my head

I am a good beginner.

I have lots of unfinished projects, fun ones and necessary ones, things that I've started and things that I want to start. Too many as a matter of fact, so many so that I'm getting bogged down and not getting any of them done. So, to remedy that I have set a goal for myself. I have started a list, (currently an unfinished list of unfinished projects) and plan to have most of them done by the time we start 1st grade (home school) on September 7th. I'm not going to say all, I don't want to be unrealistic and set myself up for failure, but I tend to do better with a deadline so, September 7th it is!

Maybe you can relate?

Another Fab Giveaway!

2010-05-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've found another great giveaway so am doing yet another "hey look at this great giveaway" post.

Click on over to January Wish to read the interview and enter for a chance to win these fabulous items from The Morbid The Merrier:

Do take a few minutes to check out January Wish's lovely blog, and artwork too.

Irontastic

2010-05-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

I hate to spend money on things like irons, when I go shopping for one I want the $100 iron, but always by the $30 one.

Well, Bitter Betty is having a giveaway for one of those fancy shmancy irons and I'm posting here for an extra chance to win. Maybe if I win I'll buy a tiara to wear while I do my pressing.

She has way more info about said iron over on her blog.

Dyeing Projects

2010-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rit has made a new color chart system with tons of color recipes to choose from, and I have a pile of things waiting to be dyed.

Most of my clothes are black, when I do buy things with color I prefer jewel/earth tones, but have a hard time finding those colors, so dying is a great option. It's always a bit of a gamble, and sometimes things have to be dyed more than once to get just the right shade, but it's fun to experiment.

Some time I would like to try some natural dyes like onion skins and the like (I have used tea) but for today it will be Rit.

Do you ever dye? What do you use?

I just wish the colors had names and not numbers....maybe I'll name them myself.

Time to go break out the dye tub. I'll let you know how it goes.

4 Oh!

2010-05-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me!

Yesterday I turned 40. I am way more comfortable with the idea of being 40 than I thought I would be...who knew.

It was a really nice day. I'm not into having a big party for my Birthday, I much prefer just a quiet dinner with my family so that's what we did. We went to a little pub in town with a nice view of the channel.

We had some seafood.

Then came home and had some chocolate cake and ice cream.

Also my husband made this sweet recording of our son for me.

Perfect.

Breathe

2010-05-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

my theme song as of late

Mad Tea Party 2010

2010-04-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! A Fanciful Twist is hosting the annual Mad Tea Party.

I have been visiting all these Fabulous parties she throws for a few years, but haven't taken part in any. I signed up for the Halloween party but had to drop out, partly due to procrastination but mostly because we ended up moving right in the middle of it.

So, I'm putting this post up as a public proclamation that I will be joining in on the Mad Tea Party 2010 (barring any unforeseen circumstances). Maybe that will stave off the procrastination bug.

Now I just need to find that &@!# Muse that has been hiding from me lately.

So, click on over to A Fanciful Twist and Join the party =)

I've been Uninspired

2010-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted much lately (not that I post on any regular basis). I haven't been inspired, no posting, no painting, no embroidery, nothing past what's necessary. I get rather blue from time to time and this has been one of those times. I'm working my way out of it.

On a happier note, I did have a nice pick me up this week. I was featured in 2 lovely treasuries this week and one of them made it to the Front Page. I have been in a treasury that was featured on the FP once before, but that was as an extra

Yay!

Naturally Beautiful

Artists Working From Nature

Time Flies

2010-03-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

My baby boy turned 6 on Monday. They always say "it goes by so fast". They say it because it's true.

The contrast of feelings is interesting to me, I'm so proud of him, and love to watch his personality develop, it makes me happy to see him learning, and changing. At the same time, it breaks my heart that he's growing up, and before I know it he will be a teenager. He won't want my kisses and hugs so much ....SOB! I really did tear up writing that bit.

So, all I can do is treasure every moment..... and take lots of pictures.

Check out this one, it's his daddy.

His daddy isn't really bow legged, or have big red eyes that take up 80 percent of his head....but I imagine you probably guessed that.

Ramble On - I Made My Very First Treasury

2010-03-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=122083

Moving my needles

2010-03-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last year I made a quilt for the first time. I never made a quilt before, but I decided I needed one for all the picnics I plan to take (more on that later). It was fun, more fun than I thought it would be. Still, I don't think I will ever progress out of the crazy quilt stage for I hate to measure and be precise.

Anyhoo, I decided to do a little embroidery on the quilt. Just a little initial here, and a bug there. I hadn't done any needlework for quite some time, but once I got started I couldn't seem to stop. It went from a simple lady bug on the corner of a quilt square to wall hangings and then cuff bracelets. I'm having a lot of fun.

All of my most recent projects have been inspired by gifts from my fabulous parents (hmmm, seems to be a theme lately).

First, these beautiful gloves that my mom bought on the Champs Elysees, on a trip to Paris with my dad some time around 1958. On a side note, she came home from Europe with child... my eldest brother....ahhh Paris.

and the result:

and

Second, this lovely barrette that my father bought for me around 1987 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He said he walked around town all day trying to find just the right gift. I think he did a great job, I love it and still wear it often.

I'm not completely finished with this one

I'm partial to a black background, can you tell.

Third, the fabric from this apron. It was my grandmothers. I can picture her wearing it, some time in the 40's making bread in her sweet little kitchen back in Minnesota...brrrrrr...she probably spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking just to stay warm. =)

I like how this came out, but I may give it another try.

I need to get back to painting some time soon, but for whatever reason I'm currently paralyzed by the blank page...all the more reason to just get painting...maybe after one more embroidery project.

The Family of Man

2010-03-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

I love this book

It was gifted to me by my parents. Every time I open it I find something new.

The Family of Man is the book from The photographic exhibition created by Edward Steichen for the Museum of Modern art in 1955

It contains photos that run the gambit of life, from birth to death, relationships, heartache, daily worship, trials and tribulations, and exaltation.

Love

Babies

Loneliness

Dreamers

Joy

They used 503 photographs from 68 countries by 273 men and women, professionals and amateurs.

It's a beautiful book full of life and emotion

Simple Things

2010-03-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Some days it's the simple things that make me smile.

Like daffodils on my sink

The bubbles created when refilling my dish soap

And making chocolate chip banana muffins with my little one

Serious Yum

Happy Tuesday!

Holy Cow that's a lot of Geese!

2010-03-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

It's Snow Goose season here in the Skagit Valley. Every year they stop by here on their way to wherever they are going and hang out for a while. There are a few places here they like to congregate, some of them are have been set up as wildlife preserves, and others are farms. I went to see them with my parents a few years ago, it is impressive to see the sheer numbers but most of the time they are just sitting around, eating worms, doing goose type stuff.

I'm not much of a bird watcher, but can appreciate a pretty bird when I see it.

So, yesterday we had to run an errand that took us right by the wildlife sanctuary and happened to be passing by right when the WHOLE flock took flight. I have to emphasize here that it is A LOT of snow geese. Luckily I happened to have my camera with me (I'm trying to get into the habit of taking it everywhere). This is one of those things that is amazing to see in person, and a bit hard to capture on a little point and shoot camera, but I did get a couple acceptable shots

I put this one up just to show the sheer number of birds, I couldn't get them all in the frame. I did manage to get my husbands finger though. If you look closely there are a few people out in the field right under the birds (maybe why they took off) It would be an amazing vantage point but way more likely to get pooped on than from our view from the car.

They flew right over our car and landed in a field on the other side of the road...just to give me a nice shot with the sunset in the background.

Also, my prize arrived from the OWOH event. I won a lovely ATC made by Rein at Stamping Rika. Thank you Rein!

Totus Mel Necklace Giveaway

2010-02-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

This morning on Twitter I came across a giveaway for one of Totus Mel's fab necklaces.

She makes the most amazing tatted treasures.

Check it out here on Fire and Ice's Blog.

Breathing Space

2010-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

Just Past Pull & Be Damned is a little beach we like to visit. It's usually quiet, this weekend we were the only ones there.

At home I find it's hard to relax most of the time, it's difficult to sit still without thinking about something that needs to be done.

Here, we get a little reprieve from household duties.

There are interesting creatures to be found.

Treasures to collect.

And little boys can throw sticks and stones with reckless abandon.

Duffy's Birthday

2010-02-18T15:03:00.001-08:00

Today is my friends birthday. Do you have one of those friends that is more like family than a friend, one of the first people you call when something exciting happens, someone who you can call in an emergency and you know they wouldn't give it a second thought before coming to your aid. She is all those things and more, and I hope her day is great!

Also I hope she likes what I made for her.

Happy Birthday Duffy!

OWOH Winners

2010-02-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

The One World One Heart event has once again come to an end. Thank you so much to all of you who entered my drawing.
I flung all the names into the magical random number generator this morning and out popped

Prpldy

and

Susan

Thanks again,
Have a great day!

My Valentine

2010-02-14T12:52:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines day everyone!

This is a Valentine my Hubby made for me

He has a quirky sense of humor. He really is a sweetie.....really!

A Day For Visiting Family

2010-02-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Last week my family took a trip over to Port Townsend, Wa to visit one of my brothers. It's a fun little town to visit, if you are ever in NW Washington it's worth a side trip.

Port Townsend is full of artists, and my brother is one of them. He has always had an interest in archeology, and has found his own little niche. He specialises in antique bottles. Most of what he finds come from digging up old outhouses. It may sound gross, but it's not....really! What he is looking for is anything from the early 1900's or earlier. At that time all the garbage went down the hole in the outhouse. So much time has passed that by now it's all just dirt. Along with the bottles he finds all sorts of bits of dolls,toys,pipes,various household items, guns (someone got away with something) and pieces of broken china and pottery. He saves all these little bits and bobs to make mosaics.

His work has a ton of personality, from the simple designs like this girl on the moon
(sorry, I didn't get a good close up of the little doll)

To this skull and bones.

Notice all the little details, the fork in the eye, the little doll ear on the left the horse teeth, and he's smoking a pipe.

Some day I hope to help broaden his market but for now his stuff is for sale around Port Townsend in the coffee shops and gallerys.

After touring his work we had a lovely breakfast and a walk on the beach where we found 2 of these large red jelly fish.

Homeward bound.

One World One Heart Giveaway

2010-01-25T18:20:00.000-08:00

One World One Heart is the brainchild of A Whimsical Bohemian. The idea is to bring blogger's together, and maybe find a kindred spirit or two, or three. I was part of OWOH last year too, at the time I was brand new to blogging, by new I mean I had only been doing it for like 2 or 3 days...seriously. I found quite a few blogs during that event that I still follow.

I could have sworn though that this one didn't start until the 28th, so I am running fast to catch up to the magic carpet...wait for me!!!!!

This year my giveaway is going to be one of my shaded path prints. For every 100 people that enter I will add another print.

If you are so inclined you can pick a different print from my Etsy shop, but this is not about sending people to my shop, it's about blogging, so if ya don't wanna ya don't hafta!

To Enter:

Just leave a comment on this post =) easy as pie.

Be sure that I have some way to contact you if you win.

Winners will be announced on the 15th of February.

Anyone who has a blog is welcome to enter.

Last time I checked there were 500+ taking part in this event and I'm sure many more to join.

If you would like to check out some of the other blogs taking part, click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ho Ho Home Schooling

2010-01-25T15:02:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday was akin to Christmas (too cheesy? sorry). We got 2 large boxes delivered to our doorstep. In each of those boxes were smaller boxes, all filled with a bevy of school supplies. Text books, fiction, practice paper, shapes, white boards, a blow up globe etc etc. Everything you could need to teach a kindergarten student Math, Phonics, Language Arts and Science.
Yes, I do realize that it's January and the school season started several months ago. You see we sent our little one off to kindergarten with all the other kids at the start. He was very excited to go, and we were excited for him. At first he was very happy to be there but it didn't take very long for it to deteriorate. He's a bright, spirited little boy with lots of energy...not a teachers easiest kind of student. He wasn't good at sitting still, had trouble with disturbing the other students while they were doing their work, and would throw a fit at least once a week. In our local school system it's a 6 1/2 hour day for kindergarten. The teacher did the best she could with him (as far as I know anyway), but she and the principal both said he was immature and hinted that he should do kindergarten again. So, instead of waiting out the school year to see how things progress, watching the little light in my child grow dimmer day by day, we decided to take a different approach.

Technically what we are doing is not called home school. It is actually an online charter school through the state of Washington where kids can do everything at home, and meet periodically with one of their credited teachers to check progress and such. He can move at his own pace. The state of Washington requires a person to be certified to home school, which I am not (yet) and this offers me a way around that. Also the curriculum is all set up for you, the web site has each day's work laid out for you. You can do more if you want, move ahead, or take more time. They have a set amount of time that is required but it's flexible and you can schedule days off for vacation and such.

One common question we get when we tell people that we are teaching our child at home is "but what about his socialization?" As far as the social aspect of this goes there are at least 3 home school groups in our area, plus the charter school has a long list of people using the program that you can schedule field trips with, or co-op teaching, or whatever. Plus sports, art, music classes. There are plenty of ways to give a home school child socialization.

We haven't been at it long, but so far everyone is happy and we like the program. If any of you are interested in trying it for yourself, you can find information here ---> www.k12.com. It's available in states other than Washington.

Wow, I'm not usually so wordy.

The Front Page of Etsy....almost

2010-01-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

I had a big spike on views and hearts for my Etsy shop on Friday and couldn't figure out why...It's taken me 2 days to figure out that I may have been on the front page, yay! I found a treasury in the Vault that had one of my embroidery pieces as an alternative. I'm guessing that it must have been on the front page for at least a few minutes, to explain the hearts and views.
Yippie, even being an alternative on the front page is a hoot!

I couldn't seem to get a screen shot with the whole Treasury in the picture. To see the whole page follow this link ----->The Vault

Adornment for Tarts Raffle!

2010-01-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Choklit Chanteuse is having a raffle to celebrate her one-hundredth blog post! First prize is is a bracelet made by Totus Mel,

and with enough entries she will offer up gift certificates to use at her beautiful Etsy shop

------->Click Here<------ to find out more. There are only a couple of days left, so don't wait.

The Loo

2010-01-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

An embroidery for the bathroom, doesn't everyone need an embroidery for the bathroom?

For sale in my shop

Great Way To Start The Day

2010-01-15T10:01:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to find I was in a beautiful new treasury, that and some coffee makes a great start to the day!

Beautiful!