Burrow House

craft swap: june edition

We were supposed to meet in May, but we just couldn't get there.

(start with a piece of 4 x 4 plywood, and sketch whatever it is you want to make)

Swap is tonight.

(drill holes the same diameter as your jigsaw blade at all the end points)

In fact, this post is on a delay, so I should be starting on my first beer right about....now.

(carefully connect the dots)

It may take me a couple before I'm able to let this guy go.

(prime)

I love him.

(add corner brackets at the base to act as a support)

He's the rooster I'll never have.

(paint whatever colors strike your fancy)

By the way, have I mentioned that I'll be getting chicks next spring?

(seal with polyurethane. Twice.)

I hope he likes his new home.

(decide more than 3 hours before you are giving him away if you are going to attach him to a stand or not because the polyurethane won't have time to dry. ahem.)

Fly away my fine feathered friend.  You may have a brother in my immediate future.

craft swap: february edition

So, last night was our craft swap.  And, again, it was goooood!

First, I'll share what I did.

I made Scrabble pieces into necklaces.  Full disclosure, I had seen my niece wearing one a couple of months ago, and I just knew that I had to make them.

They were remarkably simple.  I found tiny little screws with a loop on the top at a local jewelry supply store.  After I perfected making a lead-hole into the Scrabble piece without splitting it in half, I inserted the screw, added a jump ring, and then attached it to a chain.  

I thought they turned out really well, considering jewelry is not my medium.  Although, I'm not really sure what my medium IS.

There were some great things last night.

These gift bags that Kelly made out of newspapers and magazines are really clever.  I will be making more to use after these are gone.

Suzanne made Kusudama balls.  And wrote a Haiku.

I think she folded close to 500 pieces of paper to make this craft.  They are spectacular.

Rosalie made fish brooches out of coffee bags.  Yes coffee bags.  And they are delightful.

YES, I said.  Coffee bags!

Marcia is one of the most organized women I have ever known in my life.  We tease her about it, and she TRIES to help us.  Or me.  She made these great organizers.  It is a clip-board, with a cork pad, and a key hook.  It's so darn cute, that I may even try to get organized!

Brenda made these great polymer based mosaic necklaces. 

Which came in an origami box that she made.  Nifty, huh?

Lisa did monogrammed glass trays, that she made using an etching cream.  I love monogrammed glass. I have lots of ideas where to use this one!

It was incredibly hard to tear into the packaging that Erin made.  But I managed.

And sure was glad I did.  A Gocco'd-then-appliqued Moleskine journal and pencil pouch were waiting inside.

With, you guessed it, Ticonderogas and a Pink Pearl.

With this swap over, we're already looking ahead to our next swap in May.  It's going to be a doozy.  To shake things up a bit, we'll be making one important piece based on a questionnaire that the to-be recipient has filled out anonymously.  Then we'll have to guess who we created the piece for.  You know, just to see how well we know each other.  Or not.

And here's a little something that's moving me.  Although, I prefer the studio version, the lyrics are phenomenal.

kids artist trading card swap; mission accomplished

I had given her scads of mediums to work with.  Gorgeous buttons, ribbons, acrylics, watercolors, watercolor pencils, oil pastels, semi-hard pastels, fabric, piles of tissue paper in every imaginable color.  

She took one look at my folder of scrap-booking paper, and it was love at first sight.  The watery paper in particular.  I watched as her mind clicked into place.  Water=fish.

After drawing them on the backside of the paper, she meticulously cut them out.  "Because," she said, "the lips are the most important part."  Then, their little brad eyes went in. I loved watching the progression of the fish, from the first one she did and cut out, to the last.

Then, she discovered my pop-ups.  "Look Mama, it looks like they are swimming!"

She's awfully proud of these.  And I'm awfully inspired by her.  See all the other budding artists work here.

I hope I have that same confidence Wednesday night at the Ladies Arty Crafty Swap!  (be sure to check in on Thursday for pics of the goods!)

And here's what is moving me today!  (Yep, water is the theme today!)

kids artist trading card swap

So, Blair and Erin have gotten together and concocted an artist trading card swap for kids.  Absolutely brilliant, I say!  The concept is a huge hit in my house, and I wanted to share.

photo by Blair

For details, check here...

photo by Erin

and here.

After reading all the particulars, you can sign up for your child (ages 4 and up, please) by emailing [email protected].  All entries must be received by this Friday, February 6.

Aren't these trading cards done by Blair's and Erin's chilluns just spectacular?  Can't wait to see what all the young folk come up with.  Here's to giving the stage to the next generation!  Well, for a bit anyway.  At some point we want it back.

a yankee swap

So.  We had our yankee swap last night at Erin's house. (thanks Erin!!!)  And MAN was it amazing.

If you're not familiar with how a yankee swap works, it goes a little something like this.  Each of the 7 of us drew a number to set the order of the gift opening.  #1 then selects a wrapped present from the pile.  #2 can then either select a wrapped present, or steal the gift from #1.  #3 can then select a wrapped present, or steal the gift from #1 or #2.  And so on.  If your gift is in fact stolen, then you get to take a fresh prezzie.  So, technically, the higher the #, the better.  

There were 7 of us, so when I saw that I was 6th to draw I was thrilled.  I was gunning for Erin's craft sight un-seen, because she had already told me that I was going to love it more than anyone else.  But she had also already threatened me.  Good-naturedly, of course!  But hey!  If Erin had already lost her chance to claim her own goods, well, who could blame me?

And then she drew the last draw.  The jig was up.

There was a bit of thievery going on, but in the end, not by whom I thought.

The first package chosen was, of all coincidences, Erin's.

Lisa knew she was in trouble, but Marcia took mercy on her and opened a fresh gift.  And got these.

Suzanne knitted this beautiful alpaca cowl, and these mitts.  Yum!  Okay, things just got hard.

Since we're all still playing nice here, Suzanne took a fresh prezzie.

And opened this painting from Rosalie.  But, still playing nice, Rosalie chose the present that Brenda had made.

And out came this.

Amazing mosaic. This photo doesn't do the colors justice.

Brenda was up next, and stole this.

So Suzanne picked a fresh present.

It's a vintage suitcase that Marcia picked up at a local antique mall and covered in illustrations from a vintage book.

It just gets harder and harder.  But it's my turn.  AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!  I CAN'T TAKE THE PRESSURE!!! I know Erin is right behind me.  Waiting.  And I stole...

Rosalie's painting from Brenda, who then stole...

Erin's quilt from Lisa.  Who then picked the present that I came with.

I named it the blister-maker.  Seriously.

And then there was Erin.  And she did something that I did not expect her to do.  She let Brenda keep the quilt by taking the last. present. left.

How cool is that!  A tiered dessert plate that Lisa made.  From a birch log.  

So, my friends, this ends another chapter of As the Swap Turns.  Until next time...

status update

My Internet is down. Again. Posting from my iPhone.

Project for tonight's swap is DONE! I can't believe it, really. CRAZY to take on a project this detailed, I was. My fingers are blistered. My eyes are bloodshot. I spent 10 hours yesterday just "finishing" it. It was more than half done as of yesterday morning.

But I love it. I feel somewhat as if I've given birth to this creation. But, like giving birth, I won't be doing it again any time soon!

Photos to follow when Internet capabilities return.

the best laid plans

I had big ideas of compiling a shoppers guide of things made by people I know and admire.  Of COURSE that hasn't happened!  And now here we are, Christmas right around the corner. 

I'm certainly not ready.  We have 9 houseguests coming, and I haven't even finished decorating!  Much less finished my shopping!

There are more important things pressing.  Like our big Christmas Craft Swap coming up on Thursday. Rather than doing one thing for each person attending, we do just one big thing.  I'll be posting photos of all, along with a tut of my own.

I also need to post a tut of what I sent Beth for our swap a couple of months ago.  I LOVE these guys!  I totally flubbed the color choice for Beth, but I gave her my blessing to re-paint him.

One of these days I'm going to get around to making some of these for myself!  Well, AND posting the tut.

Until then, check this out.  Make sure the sound is on.  Haul in a couple of kids to watch with you.

i heart charlotte

Sweet, sweet Charlotte.  This darling parcel showed up out of the clear blue in the post a couple of weeks ago (yes, we all know how I've been about posting lately!  Thanks for the reminder!).

And, well, cute little parcels from across oceans are nothing short of THRILLING!

Well, to be completely fair, pretty much ALL parcels are thrilling!  But when you open them and pull out a crisp white bundle, OH!  It just doesn't get any better!

I CAN'T TAKE THE SUSPENSE!!!

HOW we love Putamayo 'round here!  I've been meaning to pick up New Orleans for ages!  And the groove mix, well, AWESOME!

Then this came out of the package.  It's a little Moleskine!  Oh, how I love Moleskines!  I could just sit and fondle the pages for hours.  They feel like stationary that my Grandmother used to use.  So crisp and satiny. Almost velum-like, but more forgiving.  Sigh. Oh. Sorry for the daydream there.

Where was I?  Oh right!  Then THESE came out!

Of all the gorgeous things, she sent a set of her own notecards!  I can't believe how beautiful they are.  The colours are so vibrant, they are like candy for your eyes.

I HAVE to show you each of them.

Um, the blur on this one is all about ME!

Can you believe those colours!  They are fantastic!

And lastly, (well, in real life, it was the first thing I grabbed out of the parcel!)

But, the very best part for me is always the note.  I love to see someone's handwriting.  The lettering.  The paper they choose. It's such a tangible token of someone's thoughts and energy.

Thank you SO MUCH Charlotte! Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Well met, indeed!

i'm baaaaackkkk!!!

Wow!  Hi guys!  What a hiatus it's been!  So, what's new?  Cool!  Wait, where have I been?  Well, our internet went down for almost 2 weeks.  And instead of sitting around twiddling my thumbs, I picked up the Twilight books and read them all.  Twice.  Then it was the crazy preparations for Thanksgiving, and WHEW.  Hard to get back in the saddle!  

But, I do have lots of stuff to share.  Today, the long overdue CRAFT SWAP PICS...from like 3 weeks ago!

Brenda made these awesome earrings.  Are they cute or what!  Have I mentioned how much I love that we have 2 women in our group that make jewelry professionally.

Let me tell you how much I've been using the apron Laura made!  I don't think I splattered myself once during Turkey Day cooking!  THAT'S a first!  She took a black fabric square and ribbon, and stitched it on a canvas apron.  She used a Q-tip dipped in bleach to create the design.

Darn shot is blurry!  Erin made these trash bags for our automobiles (Can't say that word without "sixteen candles" popping into my head.  Thanks Long Duk).  Obviously, they are the cutest fabric ever, but what you can't really see is the unrealistically adorable button that she made to pin ON the garbage holder.  And of course, our Craft Swap group is all about the presentation...

Lisa made these decoupage panels.  The news clippings are from papers around the world, talking about the state of the US, our wars, and world reaction to them.  I love it.

Marcia made these notebooks.  She quartered a ream of printer paper, bundled them, covered them with photos that she has shot (printed on cardstock), and then bound them with homemade paper.

Suzanne made these earrings.  Have I mentioned lately how much I love having people who make jewelry for a living in our group?

Rosalie made these tiny paintings.  I love her use of paper.  This one is a list of things that were running through her head, superimposed on itself over and over, and then sealed.  Another thought is written in the little "book" that is riveted to the front of the painting.

My craft is actually not my favorite ever, although I LOVE my presentation!  HA!  I made bookmarks, and then "wrapped" them in a book.

I used a large pendant glass bead for the base of each,

and smaller beads for the base.  I used ribbons for the bodies of some...

And I macramed the others.  I love bookmarks of all sorts.  These took a bit of work.  I think what I didn't like so much about them is that they look like they were less work than they actually were.  

Up tomorrow (HA!) the FABULOUS parcel that showed up unexpectedly from Charlotte.  I LOVE it!

manna from menna

A cold front moved through last night.  It's chilly.  It's damp.  And it's cloudy.  Now, I'm not one for melancholy, but my piggies are crying, "I'm cold!"

I came home from errands, and this was sitting on my porch.

Any time "lovely" is next to my name, well, it just makes a little ray of sunshine.  Especially on a cloudy day.

And this parcel had been travellin'!

From here.

Oh.  What a beautiful sight!

And this was the first thing I pulled out.  I LOVE cuffs.  LOVE, I say.  This will not be leaving my wrist any time soon.  LOVE it.

This was the second thing I pulled out of my parcel.  At which point I let out a rather large guffaw.  His name is Thal.  He is my special pet.

Thal is short for Thalassophobia.  Thalassophobia is the fear of the ocean.  HA!

Just as my day was getting sunnier and sunnier, THIS came out of the parcel.  Oh joy!  A hottie!  Now, you may not realize this, but Burrow House is a big ol' drafty place.  In fact, early on in the renovation process, our shoes would freeze to the floor in the front hall when it was particularly cold outside.  Really.  That is not a joke.

This beautifully made hottie cover is BY FAR the coolest hottie cover I have EVER seen. (inside view)

The backside of this beautifully made hottie cover.

The equally amazing creator of this beautiful hottie cover.

Now, hotties aren't super easy to come by 'round here.  And spectacularly beautiful hottie covers are few and far between!

But, ironically, I was going to go on a quest for hotties this week.  My kids BEG for hotties.  And we've been quite suddenly thrown into hottie season.

I immediately took this.

And I did this.

And now I'm sitting like this.  Oh.  There are going to be some fights in my house for this thing.

Just a little slice of heaven.  Manna, I say.  Thanks Beth.  I can't express just how perfect that parcel was!  And I SERIOUSLY think you should put some hottie covers on Etsy.

addendum:  some of you may recognize this blanket that Erin made.  Yep.  It's mine. My fav, in fact. Now it has a friend.

(note:  Elsie just woke up from her nap and took the hottie away from me.  It's on.)

(second note:  Lily just got home from her squash lesson, spied the hottie from across the crowded room, and took it.  Now it's REALLY on.)