Jewelry & Crafts

Po’ Girl Christmas

REPOST FROM CHRISTMAS 2014-LAST CHRISTMAS IN MY HOME WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS-BECAUSE I’M LAZY NOW-IT’S MY THING.

Sorry that I have been so lazy about posting anything of substance for a while now.  The very reason for this blog was to share things I have learned living on the cheap all of my life.

Christmas was great this year, had some family and friends over for Christmas Eve this year and went to one of my son’s homes on Christmas Day for “Dinner with the Cratchits” complete with plum pudding from England and some kind of “Hot Gin Punch a la Cratchit” which I blame for the enormous group hug before I left for the night.  I didn’t try any but brought some with me to try when I got home.  I never drink and drive.

Lighting of the Plum Pudding!
Lighting of the Plum Pudding!

I lost one of my cousins a few days before Christmas this year.  I am posting a picture with her from Christmas of 1957.

From far left, Aunt Ruth, sister Gail, cousin Thelma, Bro Bryan, Me, cousin Brenda, Front Bros Bob & Don
From far left, Aunt Ruth, sister Gail, cousin Thelma, Bro Bryan, Me, cousin Brenda, Front Bros Bob & Don

Some of my family now live in the Upper Peninsula. My cousin Thelma passed this year after suffering for many years with Alzheimer’s and my sister Gail passed right after Christmas last year from esophageal cancer. Christmas 1957 was the last Christmas for my Aunt Ruth who passed approximately six months later from Colon Cancer.  Moral:  Enjoy every Christmas like it’s your last.

2014DecMiscChristmas 085

I saw this idea at a diner in Marshall Mi before the holidays. They had placed a loved ones picture in one of the wreaths to honor them and so I placed a picture of my sister to honor her because she always loved Christmas so much and this was our first Christmas without her.

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2014 Casa Po’ Girl Christmas décor.

Wanted to add more to the usual lights and garland I place in my flower boxes each year so I found these gift boxes at the dollar store and inserted some wire to attach them.  The soil was not yet frozen, so this was possible.  The following is a little walk through of what I did to achieve this:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Finally broke down and made a Santa doll with the pattern I purchased many years ago.  Also used some of my odds & ends to make some “baby” crafts.

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I will not post actual pictures of the parties out of respect for others privacy. A few shots of some of the cookies that I and others made this year. One of my sons went all out this year and for the first time made cookies. All kinds of them. I think the Ninja sugar cookies got him started, but we really loved the melt in your mouth eggnog cookies!  I have to say I have eaten so many of these I have actually felt very sick so that’s it for me.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Collage

One of my favorite things in the whole world is collage!  I love making them with canvas, papers, paints, stamps, ink, and whatever strikes my fancy.  I also love creating various photo collages.  It’s much less messy!

Collage started with various papers and photos.
Paint & Paper
Ghost in Garden
Fabric Collage
Fabric Collage 2
Created by layering individual flowers with various effects on the computer.

Creating a WordPress gallery collage with macro shots of old family jewelry.

Daily Prompt: Overview of Some Crafts I Do

 

Please enjoy an over view of some of the various crafts I have fooled around with. I plan on doing a separate post with an over-view of fabric art projects.

I used to watch those Quilting Arts programs on PBS for years which gave me so many ideas to play with. Working in mixed media was making me such a pack rat because there are so many ways to repurpose items and just another way to recycle. Since I’ve temporarily moved to an apartment I had to downsize but decided to start selling more of my art or finished pieces because I created but then didn’t want to part with most of my creations unless they were gifts. I would rather make space for more things to create with than to keep holding on to that which is finished, done, over, unless I’m really in love with it.
God bless!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Still Blurry

As stated in my previous post, the last number of years have all been a blur.

I have never been so disorganized and out of touch and this is such a bad time to be this way.  I am now in the process of cleaning everything out and packing as I go along, expecting to be moving before the end of the year.  Certainly before winter sets in again.

I wanted to share some of the projects I have been working on sporadically since sometime last year as well as other odds and ends.  This blog may be a blur as well.


I have been working on multiple projects on canvas with various mediums, sewing with fabrics, actually made some bead jewelry with supplies purchased years ago and tried my hand with polymer clay.

 

Click on thumbnails for full size.

The following are various sewing projects.

1980’s silk pants being upcycled to scarf. Love the images on them!


Very pleased with my second attempt at polymer clay jewelry! This was after I burnt a batch in an old toaster oven with messed up thermostat.


A couple of craft type projects.

Not going to miss the frost on my windows, no matter how beautiful it is.
Not going to miss frost on my windows, no matter how beautiful it is.

I’m going to end this blur of a post with a question.

What color is this dress?

My mother made this back in the 1960's.
My mother made this back in the 1960’s.

Po’ Girl Christmas

Sorry that I have been so lazy about posting anything of substance for a while now.  The very reason for this blog was to share things I have learned living on the cheap all of my life.

Christmas was great this year, had some family and friends over for Christmas Eve this year and went to one of my son’s homes on Christmas Day for “Dinner with the Cratchits” complete with plum pudding from England and some kind of “Hot Gin Punch a la Cratchit” which I blame for the enormous group hug before I left for the night.  I didn’t try any but brought some with me to try when I got home.  I never drink and drive.

Lighting of the Plum Pudding!
Lighting of the Plum Pudding!

I lost one of my cousins a few days before Christmas this year.  I am posting a picture with her from Christmas of 1957.

From far left, Aunt Ruth, sister Gail, cousin Thelma, Bro Bryan, Me, cousin Brenda, Front Bros Bob & Don
From far left, Aunt Ruth, sister Gail, cousin Thelma, Bro Bryan, Me, cousin Brenda, Front Bros Bob & Don

Some of my family now live in the Upper Peninsula. My cousin Thelma passed this year after suffering for many years with Alzheimer’s and my sister Gail passed right after Christmas last year from esophageal cancer. Christmas 1957 was the last Christmas for my Aunt Ruth who passed approximately six months later from Colon Cancer.  Moral:  Enjoy every Christmas like it’s your last.

2014DecMiscChristmas 085

I saw this idea at a diner in Marshall Mi before the holidays. They had placed a loved ones picture in one of the wreaths to honor them and so I placed a picture of my sister to honor her because she always loved Christmas so much and this was our first Christmas without her.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

2014 Casa Po’ Girl Christmas décor.

Wanted to add more to the usual lights and garland I place in my flower boxes each year so I found these gift boxes at the dollar store and inserted some wire to attach them.  The soil was not yet frozen, so this was possible.  The following is a little walk through of what I did to achieve this:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Finally broke down and made a Santa doll with the pattern I purchased many years ago.  Also used some of my odds & ends to make some “baby” crafts.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I will not post actual pictures of the parties out of respect for others privacy. A few shots of some of the cookies that I and others made this year. One of my sons went all out this year and for the first time made cookies. All kinds of them. I think the Ninja sugar cookies got him started, but we really loved the melt in your mouth eggnog cookies!  I have to say I have eaten so many of these I have actually felt very sick so that’s it for me.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Writing Challenge: My Lost Art of Basket Weaving

Many years ago I used to love creating warp weave, yarn wrapped baskets, bowls, vases, etc.  My best-selling were the ones I trimmed in feathers.  They were really popular back in the 70’s, early 80’s at school bazaars or local craft shows.  I always worked in earth tones or fall like colors that were popular at the time.  They are still the colors I like to work with the best in all mediums.

Right after my divorce I worked a lot of hours and most all of any art or crafting I once did fell by the wayside to the pure exhaustion that became my daily life.  On weekends, or Sunday, I caught up with my children, people and chores that I didn’t get to during my work week.  Many of my work weeks were 6 days so on my Sundays off I tried to take my kids somewhere, run my errands, etc.

My actual lost art was that of living like a human being was created to live, so other than the fact that I can’t afford my balloon mortgage payments due in a few months and will be losing my home, I may actually begin to begin again now that I am finally retired by forces too numerous to mention.  Cleaning out my only sister’s apartment after she recently passed, I found a number of baskets I had given her years ago.  I still have yarns and basket supplies boxed up.  I pulled a dish out that I had been working on probably 30 years ago.  I just may finish it with some feathers when I done.

This gives me the inspiration to finish it so I can not only post the finished basket, but I will also post some how-to information on the instructables.com website when I start my next one.

Work in progress.
various baskets

 

Waiting 4 Spring!

First attempt to refinish table
French toast with Pecan cinnamon bread
Early peas
Turkey, brocolli & Lowfat Alfredo sauce
After the Crucifixion in Lenawee County
Fall motif made with glass plate, silk flowers and tissue paper
Honorable Mention in Spring art show 2012
Whole wheat pasta and some kind of homemade sauce
Early spring rose branches
Spring rain
Misty winter morning
First violets
Baptism of my great nephew
Spring walk
One of many Instructables in 2012 posted on Instructables.com
Photo transfer on white Organza
Black-eyed Susans
Fresh produce
Bread n’ wine
Monarch on my Butterfly Bush
Lace backed collage of my German ancestors
Broken toilet handle spring 2012
printing on used dryer sheets
Lovely Daylilies
Finally spring
Neighborhood pool
First peony
Apron and wine sack
Bottle & stamp necklace
Accent transfer and thread painted, unfinished
Patching up jeans
Short cape soon to be on etsy
Various types of fabric jewelry
Asian theme apron
Tea stained apron
First try at matching pot holders
Crazy skull heads from air clay
Second attempt with fall decor
Apple from the cider mill
Carrot and squash soup with turkey on whole wheat & avocado
Crappachino
Cozy teatime
Team Robin for Robin Roberts of Good Morning America
Winter sunshine
Fall picture transfered to muslin, lined with lace pieces and puff painted
Fall 2012
Fall leaves
Christmas valance from scrap fabrics
Found my dollar store elf sneaking wine again
Hollowed out fruit with allspice for natural holiday air freshener
Neighbor gave me the cutest miniature gingerbread house
Everyone has a cousin Eddie

Weekly Photo Challenge: My 2012 in Pictures

Po’ Girl’s Christmas Ideas

You don’t have to purchase special Christmas decor for the mantle or buffet. I usually try to set up a centerpiece of some kind so I can place some of the smaller gifts around it in a decorative fashion. Looks all Christmassy until the gifts are given out, then who cares?  This is great to do if you don’t want to go to the trouble, expense or have the room for a full size tree.

Upcycled Jeans and Other Sewing Projects

Decided to use the leftover top of my old jeans that were left over from my garden jean cap that I previously made and posted the instructions on the instructables.com web site.

I was able to make a purse and a pillow.  I posted the instructions on how these were made on the Instructables web site if you wish further information on how to make these items.  Please feel free to play with any of the ideas on this site and be as creative as you wish.

I am also posting the pictures of an apron that I enhanced with leftover fabric that was purchased and a craft store on clearance for $1.75.  I was also able to make a matching wine sack and plan on using it for a gift after adding a bottle of wine from a local winery.

 

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