one of the cool kids....

I am not a techie type person so when blogger changed the format, I was not happy because it meant that I had to learn new techie stuff that I didn't really care about.  So...I basically just kept doing the same things unless I ran into a problem posting, then I would go out and google it and come back to finish the post.

That being said, the other day I was searching for one of my own crochet tutorial/patterns for a friend so I went into my labels in blogger.  BTW, I hate the new label system...and the new color system for the fonts...blah, blah, blah.

ANYWAY, as I was skimming for the tutorial, I noticed this huge number to the right of the page.  I drifted down and noticed that the number was the amount of "views" that a particular post had received.  (no, I had never noticed it before...) The number was over 29,000.   I thought it was wrong because I don't get many comments.  I mean, how can you get THAT many views and not many comments, unless it is a cruddy post?  Then I saw what it was a realized it was correct.....and that I had that many views NOT because of my savvy writing skills or witty banter (ahem...) but because of pinterest.

My canape knife tutorial.  



To top it off, someone "out there" gave it a +1....okay.  I had to look that up too so off to google I go.  (I am so behind the times.)  Basically it says getting a plus one is a big deal. Sadly, I wouldn't even know how to give someone a "+1" if my life depended on it.

Okay, so I went back to the tutorial/pattern I was looking for so I could print it off... and guess what?  It had over 24,000 views.  It was for my  itty bitty kitty.  Who knew?



Considering most of my posts have something like 6 views, I thought this was pretty neat.   Wow, now I know how the cool kids feel.

ironcraft

This week's challenge was to make something from any of the past challenges.....so I picked the "stay warm" challenge since I missed it back in January.

I made a scarf for someone who doesn't read my blog (fingers crossed)....I hope she likes it.



I think it will look lovely on her.

I also made this cowl for someone who DOES read my blog....hoping she hasn't in a while though...

Thankfully, Kaela was home to model it for me!

wrap it up...ironcraft #50

This week's ironcraft challenge is all about gift wrap.

There once was a time when I was all about wrapping. I enjoyed it so much that I would wrap everyone's gifts. I did all sorts of creative things. I even had a place I bought special ribbons, and each year, I had a different theme.

Now? Not so much.

When holiday bags came into vogue, my gift wrapping mojo left me, never to return. After all, it was so much EASIER!

But yesterday, with gift in hand, I stepped up to the challenge.

Here is the result. It is actually prettier in person but you get the idea. The Santa ornament is tied on with red floss so you can't see it.


Who knows.....maybe this will inspire me to start wrapping gifts again.....

or maybe I'll just have a glass of this....

and call it a day!

ironcraft photography drama

This week's ironcraft challenge was "Something for the kids."

My daughter's art teacher is pregnant and due SOON. She is decorating her baby's nursery in The Very Hungry Caterpillar theme.

I made her this Very Hungry Caterpillar set that dolly is modeling:



okay, so its too big for a doll...getting a good photo was hard (I suck)...I decided to try again and pulled it all up around the baby doll.....


And now it looks like the doll was EATEN by the very hungry caterpillar! haha!

when I pulled the cocoon off, the baby fell out EXACTLY like this....


she must have been flipping for joy that she wasn't actually eaten!!!!

Ironcraft and Dessert of the Month

This week's challenge at ironcraft was to make something for the table...as in the Thanksgiving or other holiday table.
I combined that with Dean's dessert of the month. He had wanted me to make some dumplings he saw in a Williams-Sonoma catalog.

So...I got the recipe and made them:

They are called Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Dumplings and are wonderful! If you want to try them out yourself, here is the link to the recipe.

We all thought they were a bit too salty so I'm am cutting the salt in half when I make them for Christmas dinner....but oh my gosh they are good..especially with the whipped cream and caramel sauce on top!

Spookify Me Saturday

This week's ironcraft challenge was "imaginary friends."
In keeping with Halloween, I used a sweater that had seen better days and made
Gunter a little friend he could hang out with while passing out candy.

Here is Frankie:



Here they are watching Gnomeo and Juliet together!


Gunter got so exited, he jumped up on the chest to get a better view....


Later, I overheard Gunter and Frankie discussing Halloween.
Gunter told Frankie (quite proudly) that he was going to be Owl-man.
Frankie said, "I'm going as myself, I'm already a monster!"

Spookify Me Saturday

This week's ironcraft challenge was to make something spooky for Halloween.

I saw a perfect tree shaped branch in the yard so I made it into a scary little tree:

I love what you can do with paint, glitter, and glue.

Spookify Me Saturday

This week for ironcraft, we were supposed to do something crafty with bottles or jars. I decided to do something that I could use for October's Spookify Me Saturday posts.

I found a neat bottle and added the spooky label (from Dollar Tree) and then Dean and I took turns burning candles all over it.


Why did we do that?

Because all we could find were drip less candles. I eventually went to a local party store to find Halloween candles that actually drip.

Here it is on the mantel with some other decorations

adds just the right touch of spooky to the mantel.

ironcraft #35

For this week's challenge, we had to create something using an old book.

I'd seen this tutorial last year and had wanted to try it ever since.


It turned out pretty well for my first attempt. I think I'll add a spider or two near it for Halloween.

Ironcraft challenge

This week's challenge was UFO's.
Not the flying saucer kind....the crafty kind...an unfinished object!..anyone who is into crafts has UFO's lurking about.

I had a few little things but decided to finish my BIG summer project....the pet beds Kaela and I make for the local animal shelter.
We had them all cut out so when I saw this challenge, I knew it was the perfect choice.
The best part is that we made 24 in all! Some are REALLY large, some are teeny....most are in the middle somewhere. We did make 1 triangular shaped one....perfect for a kitty cage.



Last year when we dropped them off, the volunteers at the shelter requested some large dog beds. With the poor economy, people are having to leave their larger pets....they just can't afford to keep them any longer.
Each time we go, we cry.....it just breaks my heart...the sheer amount of these unhomed animals is overwhelming.

If you want to make or take pet beds to your local shelter, I urge you to do so.
Not even a feral or stray animal wants to lay on the hard ground. They always seek out something soft....especially when cold weather sets in. I use old scraps of fabric or go to the thrift shop and buy old sheets for 50 cents each. If you buy quilt batting with coupons, it isn't so expensive.

If you choose to make extra large dog beds, I suggest you make a giant pillow case and put 2 old pillows in it. They are easier to wash this way AND cheaper. I do this with my own dogs....when I buy new pillows for the family, I rotate the pillows into the dog beds.....and the dog's old pillows go to the shelter...win/win all the way around!

Now with all these pet beds made, We'll have the time to make the toys we made last year....tug toys and kitty sticks with feathers make for happy fur babies!

Ironcraft #32

This week's challenge has to do with summer. Now there are lots of things that have to do with summer....but the VERY first thing I thought of was "frog skin rugs."

WEIRD...I KNOW...But when you live in the south, you see lots of frogs and lots of toads.
Big toads, little toads...tree frogs, water frogs....the list goes on.

Inevitably, you see a lot of DEAD frogs too...many the victim of crossing a street.

So, my creation for this week's challenge is this little ditty:

Barnaby Toad

Barnaby Toad
Was crossing the road
A crown upon his head
One little slip, one little trip
And he knew he would be dead...

Barnaby Toad
While crossing the road
Tried to catch a bug
With a frown, he landed down
And turned into a toad skin rug!

Poor, poor Barnaby...we see a lot of them after the rain...

Ironcraft #30 "Hot"

For this week's ironcraft challenge I made a sarong to match an existing bathing suit.

I had already purchased some material that matched (back in MAY) but it sat on my sewing table while I did other things.

Thanks to this challenge, I got busy and crocheted a trim and made the sarong....which matched the bathing suit quite well.




Then I got carried away because the sarong turned out so well...so I made a top.
It isn't complete though....not enough time.
I have to add ties which will improve the look under the bust line....the edges stick out in the photo.


close up of the crocheted trim I made.


no more over sized t shirts for me :-)

Ironcraft # 29

This week's ironcraft challenge was to make something using buttons.

I went through my buttons and when I saw this little triangular shaped one, I knew I was going to make an owl.
It didn't take long. I just crocheted the background and then added the features using vintage buttons.

I wired the little owl to the twig (after baking it a bit to kill any wee critters....) and then added the flower and leaves. I finished it with a sprinkling of white glitter to give it a bit of sparkle.



After making the owl, I decided to try making a button fairy. I had wanted to make a water sprite to fit this month's YOE theme.


I found a lovely zeigfeld girl for the torso and went from there, then wired the buttons so they would hold their curve...
Here is my inspiration for the fins. I used wine bottle foil for them...and some glitter. I originally had them curled but decided I liked them better wavy.

Canape' knife tutorial...

This week's challenge was to reuse something you would usually throw away....which gave me the perfect excuse to use some old wine corks I'd been saving.

I had several old canapé knives that had torn up and faded handles. I was planning on ditching them too.

Instead, I took a mallet to one of them and cracked the rest of the handle off. ( I didn't want to bust them all until I knew this would work.)


Next, I pried the little bits from the edge using some pliers.

Once I got it clean, this little round part just slipped off...and conveniently left a little half inch tip.


I made a slit in the end of the cork and then simply shoved the little tip end into it. The beauty of cork is that it closes back on itself.
The fit was super tight so I decided not to use anything to hold it in place. I can always add it later if I need it.


The first one turned out so well, that I went ahead and made the rest of them...all 6!






Now all you need is my cheese ball recipe to go with them:

This stuff is awesome....people always ask me to bring it to parties.

Ingredients:

1 dry package Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
2 packages softened cream cheese
Spice Islands Herbed Pepper Blend*

Directions:

Mix the first 2 ingredients together and form into a ball. Place in the refrigerator to harden up a bit....about an hour.
Pour a few tablespoons of pepper blend into a small dish. Then roll your cheese ball into the spice blend until it is totally covered.
Refrigerate until serving. I serve this with crackers and/or veggies....

You can also halve this recipe. It is WONDERFUL in place of mayo on sandwiches.

* if you can't find this particular blend, you can make your own using cracked black pepper, garlic, italian seasonings and salt. Just be sure to TASTE the seasoning to get a good balance.

Ironcraft #27 and dessert of the month: Cheesecake Tarts!

This week's challenge was to make something patriotic....with starts and stripes.

Well, I decided to go a different route and made a little tart for Dean's dessert of the month club....and they were quite a hit!
Here is what I did

Ingredients:

1. 18 pre-made graham cracker tart shells
2. 2 blocks cream cheese
3. 1 can sweetened condensed milk
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla
5. 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (or ReaLemon)
6. 1/4 cup strawberry jam
7. 2 cups mixed, cleaned and hulled berries.  Any kind
8. sugar (optional)*
9. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

*Put your berries in a bowl and then sprinkle them with about 2-3 tablespoons regular sugar and put in frig.*

Arrange your tart shells on a pan that you can fit in the refrigerator.

Blend cream cheese on high until light, smooth and creamy, add sweetened condensed milk and beat again.  Add vanilla and lemon juice, blend.  Get all lumps out.  
Take a cookie scoop and put 1 scoop of the cream cheese mixture into each tart shell. Jiggle the mixture to smooth it out.  You can use the back of a small spoon to make the center a bit concave if you want.  It holds the berries better that way.


If you are serving immediately, go to the next step.  If not, put in frig or freezer until serving.

When serving:
Strain the berries and fill the little tart shells with them, carefully piling them up a bit. You may have a little bit leftover....eat it!

**Now, take the strawberry jam and heat it for about 30 seconds in the microwave.
Remove and stir in the lemon juice. Mix well.  (This is also optional)

Gently drizzle the jam mixture over the berries....this will act as a binder once it cools.


Place in the frig for a bit to set the jam or eat right away. 

Before serving, add a tiny dollop of cool whip and a cutesy cupcake topper!


Then step back and watch your son toss the topper into the trash and shove the entire tart in his mouth in 2 bites!

It makes me so happy when I make stuff up on the fly and everyone loves it!!!!

Baby Jesus ROCKS! ...ironcraft challenge #26

This week's challenge is to make a "camp craft."

Instead of the regular camp crafts, I thought of Baby Jesus Pebbles because we planned on doing them at VBS but time didn't allow it.




If you want to read about how they got started, here is the link.

I think this is a perfect camp craft because you can find rocks just about everywhere...and you don't need paint brushes, just fingers or paint pens.

Here is what you'll need and how to do it.

pretty rocks, slightly flat ones are best
fingers
white and peachy acrylic paints (or paint pens)
black sharpies
baby wipes for your fingers

First, lay out your rocks and find the best side to face up. The rocks used in the tutorial are from a bag of decorative rocks I had in my stash and they are teeny weeny.



Using your index finger and white paint, carefully paint an oval on the front of the rock, let dry.



Once dry, dab your fingertip into peachy paint and make a small oval about 1/3 of the way from the top of the rock...this is your face. Let dry.



Once dry, take your black sharpie and make a line around the edge of the peach, ending with a curly q for hair.



Draw on features



Now outline the body....go just inside the edge of the white paint for this.



Draw 2 slanted lines and one angled line...this is your swaddling cloth



At this point, you are done. If you'd like, flip the rock over and put a Bible verse on the back, like the portion of Isaiah 9:6 which reads "unto us a child is born...."


Our church youth will be making about 300 of these to pass out this holiday season.

bugs n stuff...

This month's YOE theme is ladybugs. Oh my goodness, I had such difficulty! I don't know why but everything I thought of failed......except for these 2:





This week, I'm too busy to do ironcraft so I'll show what I made for last week's challenge...we had to make something crafty for the dad's out there. The thought of making something "crafty" for Dean was laughable....except where food is concerned. I made a set of 6 spice rubs for him for when he smokes or grills outside....which he does almost every weekend in the summer.

I also surprised him with a strawberry-rhubarb crisp...he loved it! I found the recipe HERE.
I had a bit more rhubarb than called for in the recipe so I bumped everything else up a bit to compensate. (I also didn't have rolled oats so I just used the regular oats I use in cookie recipes. ) I can't tell you if it was good.....I don't eat rhubarb...but everyone else loved it.

ironcraft #23

For this week's iron craft, we were supposed to make something using a map. I happened to have some map fabric in my stash so I made some litter bags for Dean's car.

To make them, I made a large pocket and added some ribbon and D rings to them to attach them to the seats.



The one I made for the front seat, just has a short loop of ribbon since it doesn't have to go around a headrest.


To keep the bags from collapsing, I laminated 2 sheets of plastic laminate together. (11X17 size)
Then I just shoved that in with the liner...right inside the bag. That way, nothing gross will hit the fabric....even if it does, everything is washable.

BTW, I used some doggie bags as the liner (they come in a roll and attach to your leash for when you walk Fido and he does his business....yeah...those bags.) I think any of type of plastic bag would work though, just cut off the handle part.

If you are sure nothing gross will go into the litter bag, you don't even need a liner....but I'm not going to chance it...