A series called, "What's in the pile to the right?"

In an effort to make sure I keep my creative juices going, clean up my messes and rediscover all my cool friend gifts, I am beginning this series called, "What's in the pile to the right?"

Right next to my desk that is...

And here are today's finds:

An etching from my friend Dianna LaFerry, who has many wonderful creative talents- which can be seen here on her Etsy shop.

 To complete my fascination with siamese twins (more on that later), I received this amazing set of buttons for my birthday.  I think that someone made this from polymer clay which is pretty impressive.

That's it!

What is on your pile to the right?

Optical Extreme Focus Destimulator

Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Some of us have to work in noisy and difficult environments and there are certain seasons that call for extreme methods of working.  AB works in a vibrant tax firm and sits in a space that is less than optimal for focussed work.  SO, this year he is going in with reinforcements.

He now has a pair of noise canceling headphones which upon several trials have worked well for his ability to focus on getting the job done.  There is just one problem...they work a little too well. When he tried them on at home, it must have taken me a solid minute of gesturing madly to get his attention.

That and several work related moments of missed info have created the need for this device!

The Optical Extreme Focus Destimulator (O.E.F.D for short)

Items needed include: String of LED Christmas lights, a twist knob, Altoids container, wire nuts, wire stripper, electrical tape, 9 volt battery and harness.

AB began by drilling a hole in his Altoids tin, in order to place his twist knob.  He happened to have the perfect (and hand-turned, by himself- I might add) wooden knob from another project. This item fit over the twist knob perfectly.

 Inside the Altoid tin there was a bit of connecting to be done. The strand of LED lights came in from the back side. At this point he had trimmed the lights down to just 5 or so, he didn't want the whole length of lighting on his desk at work.  One wire from the knob connects to the battery harness and one wire from the lights connects to the battery harness.  Then the wires from the knob and light that haven't been connected are attached and covered with a wire nut.  All of this fits nicely inside the Altoid Tin.

 And thus you have a device that when twisted, will flash- getting the attention of one very focussed tax preparer.

ForgETSY me not!

Red Wool Scarf with Heart Pin Closures

Well, I've done it again, I am posting a couple of items to Etsy! I can't wait to make more items and get them going.  A goal for each week is one item.  I may never sleep again, and my dog may never forgive me, but this is necessary for good mental health.  Please check things out and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Up-cycled Sweater and Leather Belt Tote

Pink Ruffle Scarf with Wood Turned Pin

I anticipate more scarves and felted bags.  Be sure to check them out and keep your eyes open via Facebook and Twitter for updates.
Thanks!

Not quite a Charlie Biscuit...

Recently at one of my favorite local treasure shops, as I checked out I was asked if I had a dog.  I smiled and said yes.  The woman working there encouraged me to please bring the dog next time and she handed me two small plastic bags with small treats she called "Charlie Biscuits."  They appeared to be handmade and were very simple in appearance.

I promptly took these items home and shared them with Marcel and found that he was very responsive. I had my fantastic finds for the day and he had discovered a new treat.  It was this moment that encouraged me to try and make dog treats at home.  

I used:

*two over-ripe bananas

*2 cups whole wheat flour

*1tsp of salt

*water to bind (wheat flour will usually require about a 25% more than white flour)

I mixed the items together in a bowl and then prepped my work surface with flour.  Buddha oversaw the whole process and reminded me to be patient and prepare these items with love.  The dough was rolled out and I used a round cookie cutter to press out my shapes.  I also used my tea infuser as a smaller circle cutter. These biscuits were laid out on a baking sheet and cooked for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

They came out well and we have one pretty satisfied dog!

Marcel says "Bon Appetit!"  The next time around, I will use carrots, a fave.  I have been keeping this batch in the fridge since they don't have preservatives and the bananas could cause some molding. Good luck with your Charlie Biscuits. 

Just what is felt, anyway?

You know sometimes we ask ourselves these deep philosophical questions to find that we were thinking too deeply in the first place.  Can you really feel, if you have never felt?
And just what is felt, anyway?

Felt is basically shrunken wool.  Wool can be shrunken if it is aggressed; don't make a sheep mad, instead, all you need to do is wash wool to shrink it.  Most of us do this to our favorite sweaters by accident.  Others of us do it on purpose- I have come to terms with this need and find that experimenting with scarf structures allows me to play with felt in a way that nourishes my creativity.  I also use my handy machine knitter to go tandem with the felt scarves, because it is sad to hand knit something only to shrink it to half its size.  It is a bit more gratifying to machine knit (still by hand) and then shrink it down.  The other joy in this process is that it is quite a bit warmer than a standard knit scarf.  If you live in the cold tundra like I do, you will appreciate this extra warmth.

The form of the scarves is another thing that remains a process for me.  I prefer that the scarf suit the wearer, so each is adjustable having only one button and multiple places to connect and attach the button within the structure of the knit scarf.

Organizing with ease

There comes a time at least once a year, when you look around at your home and you say to yourself, "Who accumulated all of these things?" and "I wish I could find..."  That occurred this weekend here at the homestead and some of the things we have been talking about doing, got done.

One of the things that we recently saw at a dear friend's house has been an item we've been searching for.  Our friend was using an old bill stabber as a way to collect all the receipts that she and her husband accumulate in a month.  You know think back to an old diner where you paid the bill at the register and after handing over your bill and paying, the person behind the counter stabbed the check onto a stack. This glorious item had to be ours, only after many trips to the thrift store and resale shops I had no luck coming up with one.  We consistently find wadded up receipts after they have journeyed through the washer and dryer in a pocket.  This little do-hicky was going to be our new best friend.

But low and behold, it never turned up, so the Mr. had the brilliant idea to use what we have and the essence of what this blog is founded on.  He asked politely for a knitting needle- and in a matter of mere moments, he returned with our new organizational strategy tool.

Mimi's Knittervention

So a good friend of mine has been on a knitting rampage.

Rampages are often caused by: *super wooly-fuzzy yarns
                                                   *extra stress in life
                                                   *searching for a sense of completion
                                                   *mantra of knit one, purl one...
                                                   *having someone whom you want to wrap in your handmade goods
                                                   *and many other possible options.
Mimi's rampage is a good one, brought on by a new nephew due in the mid part of the summer.  Her drive to completion is solely based on her need to wrap this kid in the cutest things she can.  This little one will be the first gentlemanly bundle the family has seen and this likely means he will get away with all sorts of things outside of Mimi's yarn stash.

After an extreme day of knitting, this was Mimi's reward:

Now, certainly people have children all the time these days, so what is so fantastic about anyone knitting a baby blanket?  You have asked this of the wrong person.

The history of this particular knit blanket is special due to all the stories that occur in the presence of its making.  Likewise the task of knitting itself has a long and colorful history.  I mean- think about this, who just figured out that you can play with sticks and string and come out with cloth.  This was a skill developed over centuries with implications in fashion, design, history, social status, gender...it is loaded.  And to think Mimi is JUST knitting a blanket.  No let's think about this more, she is providing this kiddo with a wrap, a cloak, a device for protection.  This is an age old concept, we must protect our young and provide them with devices that will do the same.  Sure, we can head to the mall or baby gap and purchase a blanket, but Mimi's hands have touched every single part of this one.  So it is special.  There is value in this skill of providing.

Now, I hear that this blanket is growing- there will certainly be more pictures to follow.  Additionally I know that Mimi will be DIY-ing other items for this nephew in the months to come.