What I've been working on...

Ok, so after the skirt I made earlier this week, I decided to take a little break from sewing, and work on some other projects. Here's a bit of what I've been working on:


I just finished crocheting this beanie :) Love it! It was a really simple pattern that I got for free from Lion Brand Yarn. Took me just a few hours; I worked on it a little bit last night and finished up this afternoon. Nice!

{P.S. I look like a dork. I know. I can't help it! This is what I get when I take a self portrait :}

This is a project that I started. I saw a tutorial on turning scrapbook paper into fabric pillows, using a lightbox and tracing {obviously I don't have a lightbox. I taped it all to the window and traced away!}.  

 I've gotten to the point where my tracing is done, but now I have decisions to make on how to finish the pillows. This is only 12x12 square, which I think would make smallish pillows, so I think I'm going to have to relearn how to quilt and add a border all the way around to make it bigger before I make it into a pillow...more to come later!


 This necklace is made out of magazine paper, rolled into beads. I tried to find colors from the magazine in similar shades, and settled on the yellow/orange tones. I actually like it a lot, and it didn't take me that long to make it, either. I just strung it on a piece of yarn, so it's not going to last forever, but, hey! I'm alright with that. This magazine would have ended up in the recycling anyways :)

One more project I'm working on is a waste basket made from magazine pages...I don't have a picture since I'm in the very early stages, but here's a link to where I got the inspiration.  Because there aren't instructions on how exactly she made the basket, I'm kind of making it up as I go along. I'm not quite sure I like where it is going...it might just turn into something else. It is taking me a long time, and I'm not quite sure I have the patience.

My Grapefruit Essential Oil experiment is coming along. The grapefruit peels are drying; it is taking a while, but that is to be expected. Every once in a while I get a whiff of grapefruit somewhere in the house and it makes me smile; I know where that's coming from! :)

Oh, did I mention that I won two different giveaways? Last week I entered a bunch of giveaways for fun, and I actually won. Twice! I never win anything! The first thing that I won was a sample of Shaklee Basic H2, which is an organic super cleaning concentrate. I won it in a giveaway from Someone's Gotta Pay.

From the packaging: "Inside this tiny capsule is enough power to make a whole bottle of all-purpose super cleaner and another bottle of glass cleaner-16 earth-loving ounces each." Basically you use 2 drops mixed with 16 oz of water for glass cleaner, and the rest of the little bottle (about 1/4 tsp) with 16 oz for the multi-purpose cleaner. I have to admit I haven't tried it yet, because I don't have spray bottles, but I'm looking forward to trying it out.

The second giveaway was from one of my favorite crafting sites: Chica and Jo. They were doing an Earth Day giveaway, and I was one of the winners! I got this awesome sketchbook and journal :) They make me happy!

Don't mind the mess all around. My desk is driving me nuts and I'll get to it soon.

So, about the sketchbook. From the packaging:
"The Sketchbook is made from 100% post consumer recycled paper. 100% Made in the USA
The Cover is 100% recycled board covered with 100% recycled post-consumer recycled paper stock, dyed with vegetable based ink.
The Paper is 100% post-consumer, acid-free, Process Chlorine Free paper stock. Printed with vegetable -based inks and bound utilizing environmentally friendlier adhesives.
The Rest: The outer elastic closure is covered with 100% organic cotton. Inside, the ribbon bookmark is made of 100% organic cotton. The band wrapping the book is made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper stock, printed with vegetable-based inks.

How cool is that? I'm really excited to get to use these. I haven't had a journal in FOREVER!!! I guess my blog has been like my journal. But now maybe I'll actually write some of my more private thoughts down, since I have such a convenient place to put them :)

Well, that's about all. Matt is taking a double-time shift tonight, so, after getting off work at 3 pm this afternoon and working out, he's catching a bit of sleep before he has to go back to work at 11pm (until 7am). I don't think I'll be able to stay up the whole time tonight, but I'll stay up late so I can be on at least a similar schedule.

I'll have to do a garden update, but I don't have pictures yet. Maybe I'll take them tomorrow. My transplanted strawberry bed is doing great, the watermelon/cantelopes finally sprouted and are doing well; the zucchini/squash are doing fantastic. I've harvested radishes already, and boy were they yummy! A lot of my other stuff has sprouted. The beans and peas are growing nicely. I'll definitely take pictures tomorrow and show you all.

Thanks for reading!

~Pam