Baby Noah - Not a Baby Now

A very Wonderful, healthy, and happy 2 1/2 year old.  Our first great-grandson.

Ready for Creating

It is not that I have had no urge to create....I seem to be always creating something in my head.

My husband is in home Hospice care and I am his main caregiver. Sometimes there is very little
time for anything else.  A week or so ago we both had a couple of very good days so I actually made
something.   I really want to try to share it with my crafting friends.


                                           Jewelry Display Tutorial

I had an old picture frame that was still in good condition...I took it apart and cleaned it.

I then cut a piece of black ( partial net and partial solid striped) fabric  to fit the backing board.
I allowed  about 3/4 inch on all sides of cut faric. If you look close at edge of picture on Right you
will see one staple on black fabric.  I had to use one on the opposite side also...because I only have
two hands to hold it in place while I attach it.

Then out comes "old faithfull"  otherwise known as  my hot glue gun.  Had to work in small sections
or the glue would harden before I could attach the fabric.  Look at the bottom left where fabric has
not been glued to board and you will see what I meant by stripes. The light stripe, of course, is the net.

When all the glue was dry, I reassembled the frame and fasten the backing board with the metal
tabs on the back of frame. Ready to put my display together.

This is just perfect for these  pairs of earrings that I will add to my Etsy shop.  As I list them, I will
take them from the display and pre-package them.  I also plan to use this idea at craft shows.

This was fun to do so I will start looking for something else to do as a tutorial .

Thanks for visiting and please come back .

Birthday Cake WOW

Last night  my husband and I had dinner with our  daughter
and her husband to celebrate his birthday.  The dinner was great!
It was topped off with the very best cake I have ever eaten!
Of course it was home made.Daughter did the double chocolate
cake and SIL made home made cream cheese frosting, WOW !
Did I mention that my son-in-law is a fantastic cook.  We never
know what delights he is going to prepare for us to eat.

Ok, back to the purpose of this blog...crafting and creating.

I have really been on a creative streak lately.  Most of the
items will end up as gifts or in my shop on Etsy.

Pictured is one that I am having trouble getting rid of.
I worked on it for 2 weeks , putting it together and
taking it apart, rearranging the beads and taking it apart
again. It is 43 inches around , no need for a clasp.I used
lavender/purple ice flake Quartz  and chip rainbow Fluorite
as the main beads and filled in with tiny,tiny purple seed
beads. And just for fun I threw in a bit larger glass seed
bead that is lined with lavender/purple.  It took me so long
to create this long necklace,that I feel as if it is a member of the
family.   What to do?  What to do?

Happy 70th Birthday, dear Hubby

It is very hard to believe my wonderful,sweet,loving husband is 70 yrs old today !

We got married shortly after he turned 21. Nine months and 21 days later we had

our son who looks like his Dad just opened his mouth and he jumped out.

Then 4 1/2 years later we had a darling little girl.

I am very lucky to have been married to him for the last 48 + years.

We have had quite an adventure through this life together and it has

been amazing.

Hubby is now in Home Hospice care and we are just thankful for each day

that we have to share with each other. He continues to advise me on all of

my craft projects. If it does not meet with his approval, then it is not shown.

He is very talented and on his good days he still plays the keyboard or guitar

and sings. Sometimes we even take part in the yard concerts at our daughters'

next door. Tonight she is making him a cake...I did not know there were

that many candles in this town.

Patchwork Jewelry

When I was just a little girl, many,many,many year ago...I fell in love with colors. Any and all

colors. Then as I learned in school that a color is not just "one color". It is made up of many

tones, shades and hues. That just really cemented my love affair with colors.

I was introduced to patchwork quilting by Granny. She let me help her choose and arrange

the different colored scraps of fabric that she used in her beautiful patchwork quilts.After I

helped her set up the quilting frame and attach the first layer of the quilt to it, she let me

select scraps to use for doll clothes. My workshop was under the tent made by the

frame and backing of the quilt that she and Mama were working on. I spent many hours

under the quilt tent cutting, hand sewing and putting together those wonderful colors for my

favorite dolls.

So,you ask, what does that have to do with jewelry? Just hang with me and I will tell you.

Recently I was looking through my "misfit" beads hoping that I would find just the right

one for a focal bead. Of course, you know what misfit beads are. They are the ones that no

longer have partners . Not even another one to make matching earrings. As I "played" with

my poor lonley "misfits", I was reminded of Granny's wonderful and colorful patchwork quilts.

From that it was a natural progression for me to want to create Patchwork Jewelry.

In the above picture of the patchwork bracelet, you can see that the colors have been

arranged to compliment the other ones. Just as Granny did with strips of one color, I

have tied my beads together with one color ( orange ) of seed beads.

I am happy. The "misfits" are happy and are all clamoring to be made into Patchwork

Jewelry for my Etsy shop.

Another Great-grandson....Conner

Yes, it is true that I have not been able to blog for sometime....but dear friends, I have been busy!

My first great-grandson was 2 on Dec. 1, 2010. Updates will follow at a later date.

And now for the second one. His name is Conner. He was born on Mar. 28, 2011. He weighed

8lbs 15oz and was 21 1/2 inches long. He looks just like a little foot ball player. I have not seen him yet,but we have lots and lots of pictures.

I have been able to reopen my Etsy shop and am developing a new line of jewelry..."Patchwork Jewelry" . Right now I only have 2 bracelets in the shop that are Patchwork. They are pictured here in the Etsy mini. Bet you can guess which ones they are.

IS COOKING REALLY CRAFTING ?

I love to craft more than almost anything else in the world.


I hate to cook more than almost anything else in the world.

So how was it that I just finished making 18 pints of pear
perserves. Not only did that involve cooking, I had to harvest
the pears from a tree older than me. Then I had to wash them,
peel them, slice them up, wash them again, put them in a large
bowl, layer of sliced pears,layer of sugar,etc over and over until
the bowl was almost to the top. Covered the bowl and let it sit over
night. Next day I used the biggest heavest pot and lid that I had.
Put all the pears in pot, turned it on medium.(No water added because
the sugar had pulled a lot of water out of pears and that was all the
liquid that was needed.

After they came to a boil, I turned them down to simmer, left the
pot lid slightly adjar so that steam would excape and to keep pot
from running over. They cooked most of day with me stirring them about
every thirty minutes or so. DO NOT let them scorch ! UGH !

When they had reduced down to about 1/2 half of what was in the pot,
I started taste-testing. Water has turned into pear syrup and it should
be about as thick a pancake syrup, if not add more sugar ,1-2 cups.
Cook somemore. I like for syrup to get a little thicker and sticky.
When syrup and pears got just like I like them, I turned burner off and
let things cool for a bit so that I could touch pot with potholder.

Some of the perserves, I put in BALL MASON CANNING JARS following their
instructions. Some I put in freezer containers (yes you can freeze Pear
preserves) let them cool a bit, then into fridge and from there they will
go into freezer, if we don't eat them first.

I think that really was crafting don't you?

AM I AWAKE YET ?

....I think I am awake but not for sure.

I am not complaining (really I am not) but it seems as if
Thursdays have turned into Mondays. Mondays, however, are
not so bad. Have to be up by 7am because my hubby's Hospice
RN's regular day to see him is now on Thursday and she is
here by 8:30am. Of course she comes any time we need her,
but Thursday is the day he really gets a good exam and the
day when she checks his meds for refills and to see if there
is any equipment he needs.

After that, usually between 10 - 2 , the nursing assistant comes
and that is 5 days a week. She helps him with baths, getting dressed,
makes his bed and cleans his room. And the three things that as a
caregive confined to a wheelchair are almost impossible for me to do.
Sweeping/moping, washing dishes ( try being short and reaching over
the sink while seated in a wheelchair ), and then there is the job of
getting the laundry out of a top loading washer. Do you have any idea
just how much we appreciate Anette, our CNA ?

Just now the Hospice Chaplain came and he is with my hubby now.
Hubby always enjoys his visits and always seems to have a bit
better attitude after Chaplain Scott's visit....Hubby asleep ...
Chaplain Scott visited with me and now I feel better.

So what to do with rest of this Thursday turned into Monday ?

Think I will do what Hubby wants and craft something.

Oh did I mention that my daughter slipped in bathtub last night
and pop a rib. Doctor said there is really nothing he can do .
It will heal in time...just rest and Aleve...but right now it is
just pain.

Prayers please for Hubby,daughter and the rest of this family.

O.K., I have had my pity-party....I will get to crafting.

Please don't forget to check out my shop on Etsy.

http://www.jonwen45.etsy.com