Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Who's that Masked Woman?


Hero or Villon 


Most days it is hard to say...
but to today
I can't worry about it...
I am 
off and away!

I have to
Turn Up the Heat 


The studio was a bit chilly this morning.
More than a hot cup of coffee and my slippers can fix.

The wood-stove usually keeps the WHOLE house warm
but we keep my studio door closed at night.
First thing in the morning 
it can be rather cold in my poor lonely studio.

And I am impatient today.
I turned on my mighty little heater
to take the chill out of the room.

I need to get rolling, 
I don't have much time to spare.
There are only a few day left till the fall bazaar.
And there is still so much to do.

However,
 I do have some gourds close to being finished,
they are

Painted and Signed


and even dated 
2012

They are almost ready to sell.
I just need to put on the final sealer then give them some

Tags


I am sure I need to put new tags on all the older gourd ornaments as well.
Over the years, I have stolen tags to put on pieces I have sold online.
Hey, you gotta do what ya gotta do!
Not to mention after being stored away for so long, I am sure they have faded or bent.
Thank goodness,
I have a few already made up.
Woo hoo,
I am grateful for that,
I would really be running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
I am sure I will have to print a few more up.
But this should get me started.
It has been a while since I have done a craft show
so I am a little nervous.
But I think it will be like riding a bike.
You don't really forget.

Recycled Bags


I have several recycled horse feed bags finished that I will be taking to the bazaar to sell.
This is a new item for 
Green Gourd Creations
 I haven't even listed them on my 
Greengourd Etsy shop.
I am excited to see how well they do.
I have pulled together a rather eclectic assortment of pieces for this show.

I have been off the Green Gourd grid for a while.
I have mostly been focusing on homeschooling and all things practical for the Marchitelli house.

Like...

Holy Crab!


What happened to my kitchen?

We ran out of dishwashing soap
and I wasn't about to use all my Dr. Bronner's soap to wash these babies by hand!

It's time for some kitchen concoctions.
(Some of the big pots are actually from the concoctions)

Homemade Liquid Dishwasher Soap


I don't know if I have shared this recipe or not 
but just in case I haven't here ya go:

Ingredients
1 c. baking soda
1 c. borax powder
1 c. water
3 drops of citrus essential oils
(I usually double this)

Mix baking soda and borax in bowl or bucket.
Add water and essential oil and mix thoroughly with a spoon.

Put into container and shake before using.

I use tea tree oil instead of the citrus.
(mainly because it is the one essential oil I ALWAYS have on hand)

If the dishes start looking cloudy (which they usually do).
I will use white vinegar along with the soap or use alone without dishes.

There is another recipe I use sometimes ...
with my Dr. Bronners, lemon juice, vinegar and essential oils.
Which recipe I use has everything to do with what I have in the house at the time.
Lemon Juice is one of those things that I don't always have on hand when I need it.
But I always have baking soda and borax.

Laundry Soap


While we were making up a batch of dishwasher soap we decided that we might as well make up a batch of laundry soap before we run out of that also.

I will give you that recipe to:
Ingredients
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha 
(you can usually find this in the laundry isle of most stores)
1/2 c. washing soda
1/2 c. borax powder

Grate Fels Naptha and put in pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat till it melts.  Add soda and borax, stirring till dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups of hot water into bucket.  Add soap mixture and stir.
Now add add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.

Let sit for 24 hours and it will gel. 

 Just because I have been focusing on homebody kinds of things...
doesn't mean I have been completely neglecting my creative side.
I wonder sometimes though if my knitting is truly creative or more compulsive.
Either way..." If I'm sittin' , I'm knittin"

My knitting bug has left me with quite the collection of 

Loose Ends


Literally!
I might just be able to pull a couple goodies out this box!
We'll see.
I am not going to kill myself trying to put new pieces together.
If I can then I absolutely will try 
but I don't want to be exhausted going into this day.
It will be a LONG day I am sure.

Bill has also been busy cleaning up a few of his older pieces and even a few of his newer ones.
I think we will have enough to make it worth our while.
But even if our table looks bare.
I am happy just to have my creative juices flowing again
and putting myself back out there.

Now that I am starting to feeling better...
maybe, I can do better!

I think my excitement is starting to outweigh my nerves.

PS...


not really "EARLY"
they must have run out of other stickers!
But I did VOTE!

Now will all this hateful rhetoric please 
STOP!

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