Where have all the fantasy books gone

A couple of years ago I found Goodreads.com.  A lovely site that allows me to track the many books I read.  Over the past two years I have read around 100 books each year.  I am a bit of an addict when it comes to reading.  The problem I have had lately is I love fantasy books.  And by fantasy I mean wizards, magic, and evil sorcerer's.  When I query for fantasy all I get are Paranormal Romance and Young Adult.  They didn't even have young adult fantasy when I was that age.  Now I love a good PR just like everyone else (just finished Lover Reborn) but I can't live off candy alone.  I need MEAT.  So to all you fantasy novelist out there keep writing the hearty stuff.  I truly appreciate it.

Cute owl nail design

While wandering the intewebs in search of fun stuff to pin I came across this fingernail tutorial for owls.  I adore owls (in case you haven't noticed) and thought I would share it.

This comes from the blog FlauntMe.  A cute site for beauty reviews etc.  I don't actually have any fingernails so I can't try this myself.  But for those who can, enjoy.

Blodeuwedd the Owl Cross Stitch Pattern.

I was wandering the wonderful web and came across the most AMAZING cross stitch pattern for an owl.  It is the Blodeuwedd the Owl pattern by Celtic Art Studios.   They also have Tshirts, jewelry, and hangings.  It is a great site to wander around on.

Since I found the cross stitch pattern and I adore owls I thought I would post some nice links to other fun owl cross stitch patterns.

So here are some of my favorites.

• Birth record cross stitch
• NewYorkNeddleworks two owls on a branch, from Etsy
• A sweet little heart owl from Sew Jenaissance on Etsy
• Jiffy Pattern Abstract Owl

So have fun stitching some nifty cool owls.

Recycled Easter

It's Easter time so the stores are full of pre-made baskets and individually wrapped candy and of course the plastic grass filler.  So I thought I would put in a few Easter ideas that were environmentally friendly in honor of Easter and Earth Day in the same month.

To make some eggs:

Tie Dye Egg Instructions from Country Woman Magazine

1. Check the tie label to make sure it’s silk. Remove the lining, cut it into strips and set aside.
2. Cut a piece of colored silk tie fabric large enough to fit around the entire egg.
3. Wet the silk with cold water and wrap tightly around the egg, with the right side of the fabric facing the egg. Twist the ends tightly so the fabric is touching the entire surface of the egg. Wrap thread around each end and knot to hold the fabric in place.
4. Wrap the lining strips around the entire egg. Hold them in place by wrapping and tying thread around the egg.
5. After wrapping several eggs, place them in a single layer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Place in ice water until completely cooled.
6. Remove lining and silk fabric.

Now the basket:

• Shredded paper can be used in place of the plastic grass, it can also be formed into a basket.  I found a handy tutorial for this project at The Junk Wave
• Shoe boxes or oatmeal containers that you cover with paper can make cute baskets.

Some gifts for the basket:

• Cute little bunny sachets from recycled fabric scraps: Bunny Sachets
• From all those magnets you get on the yellow pages and business cards can be turned into egg magnets with an egg punch, or if you have bunny punches those would work too.  Just punch out the magnet and cover with leftover scrap booking paper or magazine pages.  Craftside has a nice description.
• Take your old recycled clothes and turn them into stuffed critters.  A tutorial for a t-shirt bunny can be found at Chez Beeper Bebe.

Don't forget the chocolate (you have of course heard the latest news that chocolate helps you lose weight, don't know if true but I'm going with it.).

• Cadbury Eggheads are box less so less waste.
• Give preference to local and organic options.
• Natural Candy Store has a lot of eco-friendly candies.

Once Easter is over don't forget to reuse what you can for next year for other crafts.  This is our only planet, please take care of it.

It's bugaggeddon out there.

Even though it is March the June bugs are out.  Last night I couldn't go in from my front porch because it was COVERED in bugs.  Tried to take a pic but came out all fuzzy.  The cats are playing with the bugs, the dogs are eating them and getting sick.  I just love spring.  But the azaleas, dogwoods, and wisteria are blooming all over the place so it is lovely.

Recycle Bookmarks

I am an avid reader and I mostly get my books from the Library.  It is sacrilegious to bend the pages of another's book so I tend to have bookmarks stashed in various locations.  You can buy some very nice bookmarks or just use an old piece of paper but I like to make mine out of recycled materials.  So to do this project you need a Cuttlebug (my newest toy) or other embossing machine, some old drink cans, and a source of artwork (I am using an old calender).  Unpacking can be fun with assistance.

So once you have your items together it is time to get started.  1st you take the time to remove the cat from the bag and convince him sitting on the calender you want to cut up is not a good idea.  Take your picture source and cut to the size you find works best, one good example is 1.5" by 6".  My size varies depending on what I put on the bookmark and the picture involved.  I use old cardboard from my canned drink boxes on the back of the bookmark to provide stiffness.  Decoupage the picture you like onto the cardboard with something like Mod Podge, also cover the outside to provide some stability.

To create the metal embellishments cut the can with a pair of old scissors in the shape you desire.  Then run the metal through your embossing machine.  You can also use die cuts to create shapes if you don't want to freehand it.  The metal can be colored with alcohol inks or permanent markers to create some detail.  I use inks to give the overall piece a bit of color and then fill in the embossed areas with color using pens.  Using either glue or grommets attach the metal embellishment to the bookmark.  Punch a hole for your ribbon.  You can use yarn, string, etc and embellish with beads if you like.  Once you are done let it dry and you now have a unique bookmark.

If you do not want to embellish your bookmark you can simply take a picture you like and cut it to twice the width of the desired bookmark.  Fold the picture in half and glue the two portions together. It is recommended you wipe of excess glue and then place a book or such on top to make it dry flat.  Once done use contact paper on either side to seal the bookmark.  Punch a hole and decorate.

Other sources for recycled bookmark ideas:

• rectangular paint chips by howaboutorange
• old fabric
• old library cards
• magazines, by weaving
• ticket stubs
• leftovers from your scrapbooking adventures.
• maps of places you have been
• and best of all sections from your children's artwork.
• seeded bookmarks

So create your own bookmark and save the pages from bending.



Adventures in Amigurumi

I recently discovered the wonderful world of Amigurumi.  There are the cutest little critters out there.  So my plan it to try some of these.  I have watched a few videos on YouTube, one from WireMySoul who had a nice little tutorial on the basic stitches and what they are.  I find I learn better from viewing, I have a book but trying to figure out from just a book drawings can be hard.  Wandering the web there are tons of free patterns out there you can find that are simple and can be used to learn.  Below are a couple of patterns I would like to try.  We shall see how my versions turn out.

Gnome Pattern











Owl Pattern