A Little Irish Lass is Born

Recently I was commissioned by a certain watch connoisseur to make a baby ensemble for his family member who was expecting a girl. She arrived 6 weeks ago! Bouncing, healthy and gorgeous!!!

Okay so I'm a little late but I had extremely good excuses and I think I'm forgiven.


This is a vintage Annie's Attic pattern that I've always loved.




My very first granddaughter has one in pink stored away now for her future children. It is a BUNTING & BONNET made of a very soft cream baby yarn.

I changed the bonnet design a little. I didn't like the pom pom in the pattern so simply wove the ribbon along the long rectangle edge rather than sew it together and pulled it drawstring style to create a rounded back to the bonnet. Much cuter!



And from this awesome crochet pattern book titled Adorable Crochet for Babies and Toddlers by Lesley Stanfield I then embarked on making this gorgeous Traditional Smock dress.









Again I changed the pattern a bit. For one thing, good luck finding the discontinued yarn the pattern called for. After much searching and then waiting for it to cross over the sea I obtained a 1 pound cone of very fine 90% wool and 10% nylon waxed yarn that is washable.



I then held my breath as I tested the gauge and it matched! The sleeves didn't look long enough so more rows were added for good measure.



Now I love crafts of any kind and dabble in lots of them but sewing isn't among my favorites. My sewing machine has very few miles on it. So I had never smocked anything before in my entire life. It took about an hour of experimenting to get it down pat. Then it was a breeze! (Save yourself that hour and follow the instructions.)




Since the dress is made of wool and the babe is a girl this adorable Little Bo Peep with her Sheep gift box was the perfect choice to make this ensemble complete!

I'm finishing up a little pair of socks and tying up a special gift for Mommy to enjoy herself and this package goes out in the mail on Monday!

And you've got to check out the huge selection of fabulous watches
being offered by this blessed baby's awesome male role model!!!


Read my Blog Mini Series and
Enter my drawing to win an authentic Rockford Red Heel Sock Monkey!!!
You have until Dec 20th and then a second chance to win on Dec 31st

I've dug up a gem while blog surfing!

A "gem" is something that catches my eye, intrigues me and just, just ....floats mah boat!

You see I'm entering into a New Season in My Life and while I'm figuring out where it's taking me I've decided, for one thing, to begin to indulge myself, to find new things to get wrapped up in and rediscover old pastimes long abandoned as well. Like reading a good book.

Being a devout "list maker" I made myself a list with this decision and at the very top I listed "Find the hottest newest novel on the shelves and devour it." And while casually blog surfing for something else entirely I came across a blog, Chocolate Daydreams by Suzanne V. Reese who is the author of a book coming out December 11, 2008 titled "Where Hearts Prosper".

Not only have I just checked off #1 on my New Season In My Life List but in her blog she is also challenging anyone in a contest to promote this novel for her and well, being a promoter I've risen to the challenge. To me this is like waving a red cape at a bull. The prize drawing being a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

So here it is, her official request: On December 11, 2008, from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm mountain standard time purchase Where Hearts Prosper from Amazon or if you can't buy it in that hour then sometime that day.

Current Mountain Standard Time

The reason being that The Powers That Be at Amazon.com command that an authors book sell 500 copies within the first hour of being out in order for an author to be ranked among the coveted Top 50.

So, will you join me in discovering THIS hot off the presses new novel in a splurge of self indulgence?

"I would sock monkey person but I don't have the time to INDULGE MYSELF to read a novel!"

Your excuses:

"I have small children who love to metal detect sharp objects and play with them if I don't stare at them every minute of every day."

My response: While they are distracted by the metal objects quickly turn the clock back one hour and then trick them into going to bed early. This will work for several nights. Trust me on this one. In an extreme emergency do what Mad TV says and give them Nyquil for dinner.

"I have bills therefore I work and the boss makes me do the work of 3 people therefore I am too tired to eat let alone indulge myself with a novel."

My response: Have a friend take a full body photo of you in your work clothing and then surf the net for a good deal on getting that photo turned into a lifesized cardboard cutout display JUST like they have at the video stores as movie displays. If you really want to trip your boss out get three of them made to make him think you literally cloned yourself in your loyalty to the company. Put it at your work station then spend your shift playing hookie hookie. At home, in bed reading "Where Hearts Prosper".

"I cannot afford a new novel."

My response: Oh but you can afford that gallon of milk and that toilet paper in your bathroom can't you? Do you not know that a brief yet totally safe escape from reality for a few hours is worth it's weight in gold? I mean, the alternative here is to get hooked on drugs. This is a safety issue. It will keep you from cracking up. (Which just explained the New Season of My Life I already mentioned above.)

Is your mind still resisting this call

to indulge???

Let me up the ante! If you purchase this novel in the hour specified on Dec 11th I'll enter your name 5 extra times into my second sock monkey giveaway drawing being held on Dec. 31st.

And after you read the book you then have until Jan. 30, 2009 to write a review and post it onto your blog to enter into her second contest also for a $25 Amazon Gift Card prize drawing.

Then she is going to decide who laughed, cried and bled the most while promoting her book to the utmost and award that entrant a $100 Amazon Gift Card. The deadline for this is also Jan. 30th.

In my dreams I'll write something worth being put into print someday so this contest happens to be a learning experience as well.

DON'T FORGET WHILE YOU ARE HERE TO GO TO THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF THIS BLOG TO ENTER TO WIN A GENUINE ROCKFORD RED HEEL SOCK MONKEY. I'M GIVING AWAY TWO OF THEM! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. DRAWING DATES: DEC 20 & 31, 2008

Sassy Apron Giveaway

Retrosexual: the woman who ignores feminism in favor of old fashioned values. Even 1950's values. She's a little burlesque and a little Betty Crocker.

This blog post is about a few retrosexual items being given away!

On Elaine's blog My Life as a SAHM
I just learned about another giveaway to share!

Jody has a Sassy Apron Giveaway going over on her Fab Food Friday blog. It's really easy to enter to win! And get over there quick! The drawing is on Monday, Dec. 8th, 2008

Sassy Apron Shop on Etsy



And while you're here don't forget to enter to win my genuine Rockford Red Heel Sock Monkey giveaways on my eBay blog, Off With Her Head. Drawing dates are Dec 20th and Dec 31st for those.

The Making of a Sock Monkey

EASY TO ENTER SOCK MONKEY GIVEAWAY
Drawing dates: Dec 20 & 31, 2008

At my other blog on eBay Off With Her Head (I'm mypinkmimosa over there) I'm publishing a blog style soap opera titled "As the Blog Churns" over the Christmas holiday season.

Warning: a droll sense of humor is required to follow along.



At the end of each scene there are 25 Ebay seller's store listings and if you'd like you can enter my drawing to win one of two authentic Rockford Red Heel SOCK MONKEYS in my December giveaway by simply checking out just 5 of those lovely featured listings and emailing me at astheblogchurns@peoplepc.com to tell me WHO is selling those 5 items you looked at. Limit One entry per soap opera scene.

AND there is a second BONUS drawing. If you happen to purchase any item from anyone among the Who's Who on Ebay Sellers (who are the characters in the soap) you are entered into a 2nd sock monkey giveaway with no limit to the amount of entries for this drawing. Every single purchase is an entry. Again, just email me to let me know.

The drawings will be held on Dec 20th and Dec 31st, 2008

AND NOW, this blog is about those very two SOCK MONKEYS that will be given away and how they come to exist. First, I know an eBay seller, whiteshastadaisy, who sells authentic Rockford Red Heel Socks and bought a pack of two pairs from her. She's so nice she threw in an extra pair of minature socks so I get to make one for my Christmas tree too! Thanks so much whiteshastadaisy!



The package came with free instructions to make the sock monkeys or a sock elephant. For the drawing I'm turning these socks into MONKEYS. Come back to this blog to see every step as I bring these two dolls to life. Ohhhh, I feel just like Gepetto!

Avoid the Christmas rush!

Solicity Sock Monkey's Who's Who on eBay Directory

Happy Happy Birthday

To my darling husband of 13 years
Eddie
and to my dear cousin
Richard!

New Use for an Old Suitcase

This is a small size white vintage Samsonite Travel Case that I'm transforming into a Picnic Case.

First I selected a vintage Children's Book and cut out the pictures in it. I LOVE these pictures because they take me back to my own childhood. I so relate to the characters from the movie "Now And Then".

With MOD PODGE Gloss-Lustre by Plaid decoupage glue and a sponge type paintbrush I then began arranging the pictures onto the suitcase. Work around the edge first then towards the center. I partially glued some pictures on to decide whether to put the next picture under or over that one as I went along.

On one side I arranged the pictures to see them upright when the case is laid flat and on the other side I arranged them to be seen upright as the case is being carried.


Then when it' was completely covered I applied the first layer of sealant still using the MOD PODGE glue for that as well. The first coat is still tacky. When it's dry I'll add 3 to 4 more coats drying each layer to seal it well then I'll lightly sand the project to buff it with fine sandpaper.

So while it's drying I found this red checkered fabric and I'm debating on how to turn it into the picnic tablecloth. I may hand embroider a design onto white muslin to add to it. Some red rickrack would be a nice touch too.

The inside is slightly musty so I have bleached the inside and crumpled newspaper in it for a few days to absorb any remaining odor. I've removed the inside liner to replace it with a corresponding fabric that I've yet to pick out.



Finally I'll shop for some retro style plastic dishes to fill the case for this summer picnicking.

This is a fun recycling project sure to receive plenty of use!

Isn't it adorable?

Annual Town Yard Sale in Ripley, West Virginia

Ripley's On Sale-Believe It or Not!-Jackson County Courthouse Lawn

Every Year on the Friday and Saturday before Memorial Day

Where: Ripley, WV - West Virginia

Two day event that begins tomorrow - May 23 + 24, 2008

At the courthouse lawn you can obtain a free map to locate every yard sale in the town participating in this event.

Be sure to check out my favorite vendor
who will be set up in the courthouse lawn:

Common Cents Consignments of Spencer, WV

View Larger Map

Recycling a Men's Shirt into a 4th of July Dishtowel

This was a very easy project. I just used my trusty rotary cutter and cutting board to slice this never worn men's Americana shirt into 8x15" pieces and sewed them to flour sackcloth pieces that I tea stained and for a finishing touch trimmed them with some red rick rack. Voila! New upscaled dishtowels for the 4th of July.

I *Heart* Mom in Chenille

These are the pillow slips I'm still working on for my daughters.



The yellow one is all finished except for finishing the corded edging.



It took a lot of experimenting to make this very good handmade imitation of manufactured chenille fabric using my own designs.

All for a Pound of Wool

Miss Bunny Foo Foo

My family tells me that I have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) so this is a confession of sorts. It all began when I started seeing those adorable miniature needle felted critters on Ebay. After a few months the curiosity got the best of me and I ordered online all the makings to try out this craft.

And here came a box filled with various colors of wool roving, a needle felting prickly needle, a rectangle of foam and a single sheet of paper containing all there is to know about poking such needle into such roving without stabbing oneself in the process thanks to the foam. It was all exhorbantly expensive. To date I have yet to produce one needle felted critter.

And thus, my addiction to wool was born.

This new love led me next to going all over town to buy up men's old wool suit jackets to cut them into strips to try my hand at hand hooking primitive style rugs. This led to my buying an overhead projector, hooking frames in various sizes (lap held and on stands), a rug hook, dyes, baskets to hang this stash of wool across our ceiling beam on hooks..... need I say more? UFO's (Unfinished Objects) in progress from this endeavor: a squirrel scene rug.

And so yesterday I totally outdid myself in the OCD department. I literally went to a rabbit show in my quest to buy an English angora rabbit to begin getting my wool straight from a source and sunk a great deal of something called a tax incentive into it.

The Poser ------>

The breeder I came to buy from I was told had already left and so I ended up buying a French angora rabbit that wasn't even for sale and had just won Best of Show for more smackers than I'd planned to spend but it's all good. And of course I had to immediately, still at the show, invest in a transporting cage, water bottle, floor mat, feeding dispenser, etc. And swing by the feed store on the way home for it's special diet needs.

French angoras are easier to care for than English was the general consensus among breeders at the show. Upon further study I see that neither one are a stroll through the park to tend to but luckily we are a family of serious animal adoration and love and .... by the way Kady Jo I hereby bequeath the majority of this bunny care onto you.

Please note: I am NOT endorsing this behavior. If you have any touch of OCD at all please seek professional help.

So yes, already madly in love with Miss Bunny Foo Foo (not her registered name of course) which is a good thing as she has an expected life span of nearly a decade I am literally drooling over her soft white fur already anxiously awaiting for it to shed meaning that it's ready to hand pluck for harvesting. This occurs 3 times a year so I'm told and by the end of the year I should have one pound of angora wool roving. Meaning, I must get a mate for Foofers to have more wool!

Pink Eye

Did I mention that I happen to be 500 plus miles from home right now? That I came here by pubic transportation and will now probably end up renting a car to get home or have to pay to fly Foo Foo there?

I wonder if anyone has ever won a social security check based upon mental disability by having the caseworker read ones blog?

Our Pledge to Our Readers

Okay upon studying other people's craft blogs we hereby pledge to:

1. Never spam you to death!
2. Leave out the boring details of our personal lives. (ie - what we had for breakfast)
3. And nevah evah send our posse out to hunt you down.

Flower Pounding a Mother's Day Gift

We are still perfecting the technique of flower pounding here. When the fabric gets wet the colors bleed. Since vinegar doesn't work to set it and it's too late to pre-treat the fabric like another advised to do we are going to try painting over the design with a clear fabric medium and if that fails we'll simply make a Mother's Day card instead of a pillow so the finished item won't ever need to even be laundered.

Anyhow we're using violets and the wild strawberries little yellow flowers for our project. We ripped a white sheet into squares to fit a 14" pillow form.

You simply lay the whole flowers or individual petals down into any design you like face up onto tape then turn that over and tape it where you want to pound it into the fabric. Turn the fabric over and pound with a rubber mallet or hammer or a judge's gavel like we did until you get the result you want. Peel off the tape and scrape off any bits of flowers remaining with a butter knife, credit card or your fingernail.

We used the entire yellow flowers and single violet petals to spell out "MOM".

We'll post pictures of the end result.





And meanwhile we have several other craft projects in the works. I found an outdated sweatshirt still brightly colored with a cute transfer on it and turned it into this pillow.




The design reads:

Potion of
Wine & Roses
for Love

Take three roses: white, pink and red.
Wear them next to your heart for three days.
Steep them in wine for three days more
and strain the wine into a goblet
and give it to your hearts desire.
When he drinks, he will be forever yours.
Ancient Love Potion

We don't believe in potions and spells of course but it's an amusing thought.

To make this pillow I simply cut a square adding enough length around the design for the fringe edging. I sewed it right sides out around the design leaving room to cut the fringe. We even used a rotatary cutter to dice the remainder of the sweatshirt to use as the stuffing and only had to use a very small amount of fiberfill to make it fluffy enough and finished sewing it closed. The last step was to cut the fringe.

Voila! It was just too easy and everyone here is fighting over it.

It's soft and the perfect size for traveling. It fits behind the back for just the right amount of support. It would make another great Mother's Day gift. And besides all these usefullnesses (is that a word?) it's just too cute.