Thoughts of a Grasshopper

Ha!  I found a draft of a post from 2016 that I never posted.   My niece is having a baby in April and they had a shower for her today.  They are a couple of thousand miles away from us but we wanted to send a gift.  When we learned she was expecting, I told her I would make a quilt for her baby and this is it! I really like the material.  The main images are from the book "Guess How Much I Love You."  I thought this book might be special to her, although I wasn't sure because it came out a couple of years before she was born and it was popular in the elementary school in Virginia and in New Mexico.  I took that as a good sign it was known on the east and west coast.  Some day I'll have to share a list of popular books that my husband is surprised I didn't read and I was surprised by what he hasn't read.  I figure it must be because we grew up on opposite sides of the country. It is a nice blanket and she was happy with it. ...

A friend invited everyone over to make candles at her house.  I was excited to go and do something new.  When I walked into the dining room I saw their table filled with different colored chunks of wax. They have a dozen molds.  It was an afterthought to snap a picture after others had already started. We started by dropping the wick through a hole in the bottom of the mold and inserting a rubber "chocolate chip" in keep the wick secure.  I had already trimmed the wick by the rubber piece before I took the picture. We then tied it around a metal rod to keep the wick tight and in the center of the mold. Then we put some black putty on the bottom that held the "chocolate chip" in and kept any wax from leaking out. We filled our mold with wax chunks. They had clear wax that we could tint with a waxy color and they had about 30 different scents to choose from.  The wax was heated to 160 degrees.  I used vanilla in all 3 of my candles. ...

I forgot to share the wall hanging I put together for November.  It seemed appropriate for Thanksgiving Day.  I really like the braided border on the top and bottom of the wall hanging. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

When my mother-in-law moved into her apartment she decided to donate these items because she didn't have room for them in her new place. The items were tarnished and I thought it would take a lot of effort to get them clean. I wish I took pictures of the actual procedure but I did take before and after pictures. I used 9x13 pans and a regular pot that I was heating water in. I lined all of the pans with aluminum foil, shiny side up.  I even lined one of the pots that I boiled water in to clean smaller pieces in. Whatever container you use, adjust the measurement based on the amount of water you use. 1T baking soda 1T salt 2C very hot water (I boiled mine) Stir to combine and put your silver pieces in.  The silver needs to be touching the aluminum foil for this to work. Rinse well to prevent pitting and dry with a towel. The picture above and below were taken after they were cleaned.  I have to say that the dirtier pieces caused the water to smell but i...

Another card I saw on Pinterest.  I didn't go to the site because it is simple enough that a picture will do.  I think it is a classy card for the Wise Men.  The site attached to the picture belonged to Jennifer Brum. Stamps:  Wise Men from Afar Ink:  VersaMark CS:  Basic Black, WW, Gold Foil Misc.: Gold embossing powder

The color isn't the best on this photo.  I saved a card VERY similar to this several years ago on Pinterest and I finally made it.  I'm working on using up some old Christmas designer series paper.  Stamps:  Bells and Boughs, Greetings of the Season CS:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, DP, Silver Glitter Paper Ink:  Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler Embossing Folders: Stripes, Designer Frames

A rather simple looking card, but then the birth of our Savior was simple as well.  The base for this card is white.  I covered the base with the gold.  To cut the Night of Navy cardstock, mark the left side at 1/4" and 3/4".  On the right, mark at 3-1/2".  Most measure from the top down, I measured from the bottom up for that measurement.  I wanted more of the gold paper to show.  The bottom right corner I made a mark at 1/4". On the inside I gold embossed the star and stamped the sentiment in black. Stamps: Wise Men from Afar CS: WW, Gold, Night of Navy Ink: VersaMark, Tuxedo Black Markers: Pink Pirouette, Hello Honey, Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, Delightful Dijon, Marina Mist Embossing Powder: White, Gold

I needed a quick thank you card.  This turned out to not be as quick with the fussy cutting of the flower and leaves.  A nice card for this time of year.  I really like the wood textures DP.  My mantle is so full with fall decorations it was hard to find a spot with enough room for this card. haha Stamps:  Painted Harvest CS: Old Olive, Crushed Curry, Very Vanilla, Wood Textures DP Ink: Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, Cajun Craze

I'm not one to use pillow boxes but I loved that the paper for the box because it was embossed.  It made for a lovely backing on the card below.  I always need thank you cards in the fall and was delighted to be able to use the kit for the that.