Friday, November 15, 2013

Skillshare: Classes in Fashion and Design!!



Something new to me in the crafting world recently is a website called Skillshare. This is a website that offers classes from professionals in many different fields for very affordable prices. There are fashion and style classes, photography, business... any thing you can imagine!


I found a great course in Embroidered accessories from P.S I Made This. It's a shop that is owned by Erica Domesek, a design guru whose been on shows like The Today Show, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray to name a few.  On Skillshare she is offering a basic jewelry making class with a focus on Embroidery. I am a beginner when it come to jewelry, and to embroidery, so it was lucky that Erica gave very detailed step by step instructions in written and video format, often including outside resources for those of us that would like any further instructions.

In this part of the three step video, she is showing how to seal off the threads by using clear nail polish. You can get a sense of what the necklace is going to look like by seeing one of the five tassels we will be making:

I'm so excited to finish the project. It's going to be beautiful... and, better than that, it will be unique. Here is here finished necklace, along with some of the few supplies she needs to make her projects:

Gotta love the use of turquoise!


I'm not finished with the class yet. But, as soon as I am, I will show you what I created! I am really interested in the idea of embroidered jewelry. It has the feeling of something out of western Native American style decorations, but there is so much else that it could be. Something that Erica mentions in her instructional video is that creating a mood board and doing a lot of research beforehand in a great way to prepare for the project. I agree with that, in fact I use Pinterest in that way when I am working on ideas for a holiday. Erica encourages not just a virtual mood board, but even one in your space as well. 

Something else about Skillshare that I think is fantastic is that if you are a creator of products, whether they are crafts, designs, apps... you can become a teacher on Skillshare and earn up to 85% of the the profits from your course. To begin with, a teacher submits a proposal with direction videos, an outline of the course and the resources needed. This is then reviewed by the site. Once your class is going, they give you all kinds of ideas on how to market your class to reach it's full potential! This isn't a type of class environment where you are removed from your students either; you can interact with them, give feedback, start discussions... it is a great format. I know that as a crafting blogger, there are plenty of tutorials that I give out on an almost weekly basis that I could use as an alternative way of making some extra money. I can picture Holiday craft tutorials being a success. 

I definitely recommend giving Skillshare a try, whether it is as a teacher, as a student, or both. There is a such a great variety of topics to learn... with teachers who are professionals in their fields. Who knows? That could be you!





Sunday, November 10, 2013

A Marvelous Mess

Thanks for joining the party!

Here is my fave from last week:

Faux Stitched Pillow from Burton Avenue
Adorable!!!

Now on to the party!

Friday, November 8, 2013

Best Thanksgiving Rolls



Here is a great recipe for homemade Thanksgiving rolls.....

Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fine salt
Vegetable oil, as needed
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the milk, 3 tablespoons butter, and sugar. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and cool to about 110 degrees F. Scatter the yeast over the surface of the liquid and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and set aside.
Pour the milk and yeast mixture into the bowl of flour and mix until a soft, ragged mixture is formed. Transfer the flour mixture to a well-floured work surface and knead by hand until a soft, elastic dough is formed, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot, until puffed and doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Transfer the dough to the work surface and, using your hands, gently flatten into a disc. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Using your hands, round each dough piece into a ball.
Butter a buttered 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish. Place the balls of dough, seam side-down, in 3 rows of 4 each. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot until they've risen almost to the top of the baking dish, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and liberally brush the rolls with it. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool slightly. Transfer the rolls to a cooling rack to cool completely before serving.
Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved




Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Fabric Thanksgiving Turkey Pillow Tutorial


I made a fun little pillow for Thanksgiving yesterday. 

What do you think?



Pretty easy to do!

You just need:

Pillow fabric
Felt (red and oragne)
 Patterned fabric
Burlap
Hot Glue
Heat and Bond

~Take your felt and patterned fabric and trim out feather shapes. Make a couple smaller than the rest.
~Make an oval shape out of burlap for the birds body and then trim the head and neck as one piece.
~Use the patterned fabric for a triangle shaped beak. 
~Take some red felt to make the wattle for the turkey.
~Using a piece of felt the same size as the body shape, cut out some scalloped lines of felt to place over the body, making them smaller and smaller.
~Take some time to put the pieces together without glueing them; just put them in place and see how it will look.
~Use the heat and bond to glue the fabric feathers to the pillowcase first, in a fan shape.
~Use hot glue to stick the felt feathers in between them. Biggest shapes in the middle working down to the smaller feathers on the side.
~Glue the body over the feathers.
~Glue the head and neck shape over the body. Then glue the scalloped pieces onto the body, trimming them to fit to either side of the neck.
~Use heat and bond to glue the beak down. 
~Glue the wattle over the beak. 

Ta daa!

I shared this post with the following parties:

Skip To My Lou
thehappierhomemaker.com
Making the World Cuter
The Weekly Creative
The Shabby NestSkip To My Lou

Sunday, November 3, 2013

A Marvelous Mess and Natural Thanksgiving Centerpieces


Thanks for joining me for my party!

I'm sad to say my Boston Terrier did not win the costume contest....... and I cry FOWL. Actually, I cry Reptile.....as it was a Lizard dressed as King Arthur who won first place. Boooooo. ;-)

I just got back from a family party where I was asked to make some impromptu centerpieces at the last moment.....here is what I came up with using what I could find in nature, in the garden, and in the house. These kind of centerpieces could easily be used for your Thanksgiving table and they took me about 20 minutes to make. 
~This one is just wetland grasses and cat tails tied with burlap, rose hips in ironstone pitchers, and a quickly made grapevine wreath to help hold the grasses together. 


~This is an antique wire egg basket with dried up lavender and rose hips, and a burlap ribbon.


~And, this one is a squash with the top taken off and used as a vase for some rose hips. Burlap was wrapped around the base of the rose hips to keep with the theme and make it prettier. There is also some teeny grapevine curlicues around the middle. 

See? 
Very simple. 

And, I got lots of compliments!

Here is my favorite from last weeks party:
Cider Glazed Butternut Squash from Gluten Free From A-Z

Now on to the party!



I shared this post at the following link parties:
Between Naps on the Porch
Link Party Palooza

By Stephanie Lynn
Making the World Cuter
Skip To My Lou
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
The Weekly Creative
The Shabby Nest

Thursday, October 31, 2013

My Boston's Boston Red Sox



Chloe, my tenacious Boston Terrier is entered into a costume contest and I really want her to win. 
Winning could mean a lot of doggy toys for this girl:


She's dressed up as Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz! Except, on her shirt, it says "Big Puppy"instead of Big Papi and it has the number 34 on it. 


Thanks in advance for voting!


The Weekly Creative
The Shabby Nest

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Rocket Mass Stoves And Permaculture!

This post was sponsored by Woodburningstoves2.com. All opinions are my own and it is all written in my own words.

It's that time of year!
Time to get those heaters going in your house.
For those with wood heat it means you've spent all year getting ready for this; splitting and stacking, drying and hauling wood to your cellar to use. Then you'll have to repeat the process over and over again all winter long. Some houses can use up to 8 cords of wood! That is huge amount. That is a lot of trees, a lot of smoke, and for most conventional stoves..... a lot of wasted heat!

What if you could have a stove that could use only an 1/8th of the wood and cause barely any pollution?

That would be called a Rocket Mass Heater.
Look at this beautiful one:

Rocket Mass Heaters are very different from an everyday stove: the wood stands vertically, the fire burns horizontally, and the heat from one fire can last for so much longer! Here is how they work:

These heaters work so well, some people have reported warming their houses on only the fallen branches on their lawn!!

I lived for almost 5 years in a one room rough made building, much like a yurt but made out of wood, that only had a wood stove as a source of heat. And, it was such a hassle. I love a wood fire and sitting all snuggly by it..... but having to get up at three in the morning because the fire's out and the house is in the 40's..........not cool. We used so much wood and got not a lot of heat out of the process. If only we'd had one of these Rocket Mass Heaters!

For more information on how a Rocket Mass Heater works, including videos and more images, 

Another great site where you can get information on Rocket Heaters and on cool topics like Permaculutre......with everything from aquaponics, earthworking, and homesteading is 

The evil mastermind behind these sites is Paul Wheaton, a permaculture guru from Montana and a wearer of the awesomest Steampunk Hat in history. Here he is on the cover of the Missoula Independent:


And HERE IS THE HAT:

How cool is that. 
Totally Steampunk. 

You can find Paul Wheaton here:
Pinterest
 You Tube

Monday, October 28, 2013

Best Bike Storage

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own and written in my own words. 

Many thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the Steampunk bike image!

Where do you store your bike? 

Bicycles can be such a pain to park or store because they are so large and heavy and their shape, while very reasonable while riding, is not very easy to handle when your feet are on the ground. If you own a business that encourages it's employees to conserve gas and get healthy by biking, you're going to need Cycle Shelters for those bikes to park. 

I'm a big fan of this particular bike shelter. It's super curly! Not only does it do the job well, but it imitates the shape of a bike in many ways and makes an artful and purposeful impact. Looking at that shelter, you would know just what it was for, and also be reminded of the beauty of bikes!


Bike shelters don't have to be an eyesore. They can be a lovely addition to the landscape. This one has alpine style that I think would blend in really well with a building of similar style.


Ultimately, what you choose for a bike shelter has to fit your needs. It has to be able to contain the right number of bikes as well and cover them from the weather. It has to be accessible and easy to use and, if you are hoping for style..... you've really got to find one that matches the looks of the buildings around it. 

There are bike shelters that are just simple metal frames with plastic roofs, aluminum sided ones, wood and aluminum, modern styles, new age styles, classic and antique styles. The question is, which one the right fit for you? I feel that having a bike shelter is not only a very polite amenity for a business to offer but also one that shows how much that business appreciates it's workers and is encouraging it's employees to be healthy.  

An Anchr Giveaway!


Have you heard of Anchr.co??

I just found out about it today AND they are having a big giveaway. 
That is the awesome-sauce right there.

Anchr.co is a community for asking and answering visual questions on all the topics you're interested in! For instance, I put this question up about Chloe's new Boston Red Sox costume:

And I asked the question... "Should this Boston win?"
Then, anyone can vote on the picture. Yes or No. You can also make a collage with choices on the pictures, for instance, "Which costume should win?" with 3 pictures. 
Right now, it's 50/50 even on Chloe. :-)

So, it a fun social site and it's a great new way to advertise your products and posts as well!!!

Here is the giveaway information. All you have to do to win 1 of 5 $50 Amazon Gift Cards is:

*Sign up for a new account at http://www.anchr.co and earn 25 Anchr points (so easy to do, just post, vote, and comment) by Nov. 20th at 5pm Pacific Time, when the drawing happens.

You can also win if someone you INVITE wins!!! 1 $50 Amazon Gift Card for each invited person that wins (up to 5 total):

*Invite friends to win (once you have set up an Anchr account) using this link: https://www.anchr.co/settings/?tab=friends

If you want to learn more about the giveaway, go to their tumblr: 
http://anchrco.tumblr.com/

So, go ahead, get to it!!

Don't forget to find me on there: