Milkweed

Happy Earth Day! A few weeks ago I read an earth day article (I would link to it, but I have no idea where I saw it) about the decline of monarch butterflies. It suggested planting milkweed because the larvae eat only milkweed and then talked about the different milkweed varieties and where they grew. I finally decided where I would plant my monarch habitat and bought some seeds yesterday. You should plant some too, there are several milkweed varieties so you can find the right one for your area! Save the monarchs!

Yesterday was an online seed buying day, I also bought some creeping thyme for ground cover (I am slowly reducing the mowing area in my yard) and am trying again with the luffa. Once the seeds arrive I will be soaking the seeds then planting them in different soil; the last bunch of seeds I planted never germinated and the soil started to mold. It was horrible, but all of these new seeds are going to do awesome!

Dying Eggs with Shaving Cream

I really really like dying eggs! Every year before Easter I have a little egg dying party. Last year I tried a tie-dye/marble dying technique and it was a success so I did it again this year and I'm going to show you how to do it too!

Tie-dye or Marbled Eggs Tutorial
Materials:
   Eggs
   Vinegar
   Cooking Pot, Bowl/Plate, Kitchen things...
   Shaving Cream (foamy shaving cream not shave gel)
   Food Coloring

How To:
1. Cook the Eggs! I recommend boiling them, but you can try bake them too.
2. Vinegar Dip! Make a water and vinegar bath for the eggs and let them sit for a few minutes. If you don't treat the eggs with vinegar they will not pickup color very well.
Note: You can add vinegar to your cooking water and skip step two!
3. The Coloring Part!
          A. In a bowl or on a plate spray some shaving cream.
          B. Add drops of food coloring.
          C. Mix it up a little.
          D. Add an egg and cover it with the colored shaving cream.
          E. Let the colored shaving cream covered egg sit for a few minutes.
          F. Wash off the eggs and admire your lovely eggs!
Note: This can get pretty messy. The food coloring will dye your hands too so wear disposable gloves if you don't want pink and blue hands.

Trivet Winner

The winner of the wooden trivet I made for my 5th blogiversary giveaway is Danielle!

Congratulations Danielle! I have a few more of these bamboo trivets that need decorating and my friend hasn't asked for her wood burner back so you may see another wood burned trivet post in the future. That is if I ever finish my knitting!

Still Knitting Zelda

I'm still knitting the Zelda slip! My plan was to finish by now, but the length isn't matching what it is suppose to be and I am adding many more rows than the pattern suggests.

The new goal is to finish this week (or next)! This picture is from Monday, so it may be obtainable! I can't put this project into hibernation like the skirt I started last year and I must finish it soon so I can work on more projects from my DIY books and complete all my 2014 craft resolutions!

Weaving

Working on another project from one of my DIY books! This weekend I pulled out 101 Things for the Housewife to Do 1949 by Lillie B. and Arthur C. Horth to find something to make. Most of the projects are fixing things around the house (repairing appliances, mending clothing, etc...), but there are a few crafty things it has quick instructions for, one of them being weaving.

I pulled out an old bead weaving loom and am using leftover project yarn on this little project. It is turning out okay, I think I cut the fringe too short, but I may be making this a bracelet so it is probably fine. I don't have any design plans, I'm just making it up as I go; hopefully I like it once it is complete!

Downtown Things

I started a new photo challenge, letters of the alphabet, a few weeks ago and started taking photo walks to look for letters. Here are a few non-alphabetic pictures I took while wandering downtown Nampa and Boise. I need to go out again soon to find more letters!

vicious monster. spring pumpkins. blurry tracks. vandal advertising.

Wood Blogiversary

Yesterday was my blogiversary! I've been blogging for five years! Traditionally, the fifth anniversary is the wood anniversary so I am giving away this wood burned trivet to one lucky reader!

This trivet is an Ikea Trendig 2013 and is made of bamboo. I used a wood burner and drew on circles/bubbles.

To win this trivet all you have to do is:

1. Leave a comment below by Sunday April 13th.

2. Wait. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator and will be announced Tuesday April 15th. 

Good Luck!

It's Spring! The Garlic and Rhubarb Are Growing!

The garlic I planted in October for my Dracula Craft Book Club craft is growing! And they are getting TALL (all except one slow sprouter)! And I didn't kill the rhubarb I moved into the raised bed! Two of the three bulb bits have sprouted, don't think the third one will. Here they are growing:

In other gardening news: I bought some flower bulbs the other day so I will be growing a little cut flower garden! Once they get planted and start growing I'll share pictures. I am having some seed starting trouble again; the luffa and tomato seeds I decided to plant a few weeks ago haven't germinated. They aren't rotting, so that's good. Next year I need to remember to soak the seeds!

Zelda Slip WIP

I'm working on another project from one of my craft/diy books! This is a 1920's inspired slip dress from Nikol Lohr's Naughty Needles called Zelda.

It has a fun lace panel down the center front and I decided to knit it in the round instead of two pieces so I wouldn't make them different lengths. I hope to finish by the end of next week, not sure if that goal is too optimistic.

Handmade Envelopes

I finally finished Anna Karenina and I finally figured out what to make for my Craft Book Club project. These handmade envelopes and cards are part of a little letter writing kit I am putting together.

The next Craft Book Club book is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum! I am planning on making a small terrarium diorama with a Tin Man toy I have and will share it with you in April!