I will finish it!!

I have been working like crazy to get my "30 year" blanket done....ok I have not been working on it for 30 years, but my good friend has dubbed it that because she thinks it is going to take that long for me to finish it.  So far I have only been working on it for about 5 years.

It is in the final stages.  All the crocheting is done, all ends are tied in, the fabric backing is attached around the edges.  The only thing left to do is tack all the flowers to the backing fabric.  Piece of cake right?  After only three rows my fingers were killing me and I had to take a break.

I will finish this project!  Just not today...maybe tomorrow.

Peace Rocks!

What could make a lady happier than a bunch of peace rocks?  They just put a smile on my face!

Materials used:
Plain old rocks found on the beach.
Acrylic Paint
Lacquer

A Little Piece of the Beach

Last weekend, despite an on and off rain sprinkle, my pittbull Kane and I ventured to the beach in search of smooth rocks.  We choose a beach that is close to home, yet usually empty.  Kane does not play nice with other dogs, so we have to find places where there are no doggy friends.

We had a great time, collecting rocks, playing catch and taking videos.

The Beach Rock Mat

Supplies:

Smooth Rocks, about the same size.

Rubber Door Mat, I used this.

E6000 Glue

Directions:

Frolic on the beach and gather rocks, lots of them.  On the backside of the mat, layout all the rocks so that they fit nicely and are space the way you like.  Starting at a corner, apply glue to the bottom of the rock, secure to mat.  Make sure to have a window open, unless you want to get high while you craft.  Continue till all rocks are glued to mat.  Let dry and enjoy!





Petal Posy Trivets

These Petal Posy Trivets have been all over the Internet...it seems that everyone is making them, but that doesn't mean I can't try them as well.  I followed the pattern from Crochet Todays July/August 2011 issue.

The pattern is well written, but be careful to read thru the directions before charging away.  There is a little bit of back and forth in the pattern when following the pattern for the large posy, some rows follow rows in the small posy. 

Not sure why I get the gaps, perhaps I need to shape them more.

The small "Posy" was super easy and I completed it in a flash.

Yarn used was good old Peaches and Creme Cotton and Lily Sugar'n Cream.



Trial and Error

The adventures of Crayola Air Dry Clay......

There are lots of options when it comes to clay.  The key is finding the right type for your project.  I have experimented with lots of homemade clay, mainly the kind you use to make Christmas ornaments with.  But I wanted a more "clay" like product that did not cost me too much to play with.  So for less than $10 I tried the Crayola Air Dry Clay.

New desk accessories was the goal.  Working with the clay is easy.  It is soft and molds well.  Slightly sticking if rolled directly onto a countertop, a layer of plastic or freezer paper would be helpful.  Accepts paints remarkably. 

Once dry, will take a few days to fully dry, it is slightly fragile.  I had to take extra care in areas where the clay was thinner.  It also shrinks as it dries, which can be a problem.  One of the folds of the pink container cracked as it dried.  As you will notice the center of the purple flower also broke in half with only slight pressure as I was gluing it in.

For the right kind of project, I can see the Crayola Air Dry Clay working well.  And althougth these containers didn't come out exactly as planned, they are still fabulous.  They were a good learning project.



* Crayola did not ask me or pay me anything to write about their product.