3 Flower Preservation Methods: Air drying, Silica Crystal, and Pressing

I use a lot of dried flowers in my crafts and basically the 3 easiest ways to preserve them are by air drying, silica crystals, or pressing. Air drying is by far the easiest. Just tie a string 'round the flowers and hang 'em to dry. Silica crystals are cool because they preserve the original shape and color for the most part. Plus the silica crystals can be reused again and again. (An alternative, but similar method to silica is to put the flowers in a pan of sand and bake them on low for about 20 minutes. It sucks the moisture right out of them). And of course pressing is an irreplaceable method to obtain preserved flowers suitable for note cards or other projects requiring flat blossoms.

Treat Allergies and Asthma by Burning Beeswax Candes

I've been making beeswax candles for quite a few years now using wax from my own hive (read how I caught my wild swarm here) and those of other local area beekeepers. I've always loved the fact that beeswax is such an eco-friendly and renewable resource. (The wax comes from the leftover cappings after honey is removed from the combs.) Once in a while I'll add eco-friendly candle dyes to it, but I never scent it as beeswax has its pleasant honey scent. It now seems that scent can do more than just give the house a pleasant aroma.

Someone at the market recently told me about an article she'd read explaining how burning 100% pure local beeswax can ease seasonal allergies and asthma. It works in much the same way as eating local honey. The small bit of pollen in the beeswax help introduce it to the body in tiny amounts allowing the body to build up a tolerance for it. She was nice enough to send me the article which you can read here: Beeswax Candles and Allergies: An Effective Solution

One more reason to love beeswax candles!

Is is Too Early for Halloween?

I know it's still September, but does that mean it's too early for Halloween soaps? I sure hope not, because I'm having way too much fun making these to stop now.

I found some new molds made of that flexible silicon stuff I am SO in love with (it's so much easier than trying to work with plastic molds) and they are just right for the upcoming season. Plus I also had a request again for the "spider soaps" I made last year in October, so I figured as long as I was doing spider soaps, I might as well do Jack-o-lantern soaps as well. The two kinds together having a rather charming, albeit slightly creepy (we have the spiders to thank for that) effect.

We also started harvesting our Jack-be-little gourds and all the various hybrids with different names, (but which look quite similar to Jack-be-littles making it easier to simply refer to them all as "Jacks"). So I will be bringing my flowered gourds to Canandaigua this weekend if I have enough time to finish them between now and then. I know several people have been looking for them. So wish me time (I need it more than luck at the moment!)

Cookie Cutter Reversed Image Card

Was just kind of in a cardmaking mood, so here's another card. This one uses a cookie cutter cut out, and a little piece of cardstock on the inside to make what's cut out on the top, pop up on the inside.

Write in Ron Paul!

I've had a bumper sticker for Ron Paul on my car since well before the primaries, and almost everyone who's seen it has told me they're Ron Paul fans as well. But a few weeks ago at the market, one person (who also was a Ron Paul fan himself) tried to convince me that by voting for Ron Paul, I was actually voting for Obama. I greatly disagree. By voting for Ron Paul, I am voting for neither Obama nor Romney.
Romney and Obama are just classic cookie cutter politicians doing what classic cookie cutter politicians do best: giving us more of the same. People can't keep voting for the same old democratic and republican candidates and expect new results. As Einstein said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting new results." Is Ron Paul going to win? No, probably not because too many people are afraid to vote for him, but if everyone who actually believes in real change plucked up the courage to write in his name, the message would be loud and clear: We're sick of politics as usual and we want a change!

People say it will never happen, and as long as no one takes the initiative, they're right. Nothing will change unless people make it change. We'd still be drinking overtaxed tea if the Boston Tea Party hadn't jumped on the ship and dumped the goods overboard. And we'll still be stuck with the same old candidates if no one ever has the guts to vote for someone new; to vote for a real change. It'd be a message that we're tired of the same old thing, and it'd be a message to all those people who are too scared to "rebel." To the people who vote blindly following any candidate who has the democrat/republican label. Some people are just afraid to make a stand unless they see others doing it first. If we get enough people to write in Ron Paul, they will see it. They'll see that there is a chance for a new party, a chance for real change. And if we get enough people to write in Ron Paul, maybe we'll actually get to have a third party on that ticket next election!
For the most part, people vote AGAINST someone instead of FOR someone. I'm hearing a lot more people talking about getting Obama out than getting Romney in. People seem to be more concerned with voting against Obama than for Romney. Wouldn't it be nice to actually vote FOR someone for once, rather than just trying to vote against someone? I'm writing in Ron Paul because I believe in real change. I want another choice, not just the same old republican/democrat politics as usual. Writing in Ron Paul is the biggest message a person can send.

Sure we might end up with Obama for another 4 years, but I really don't think Romney is some magic man that can totally turn this mess around either. And at least I will have voted for what I really believe in. Change, Revolution, Ron Paul.

Feeling Groovy Card

I was just having some fun with this card. I had some really small pieces of incense leftover that were way too small to be of any use to burn, so I figured, why not use 'em on a hippie-themed card. It also let me use up some leftover flowered cardstock that was small to use for much of anything, but still too cool to throw out.

Record Breaker

Well I broke my record this weekend at the Canandaigua Farmers' Market. I was out of flowers by 8:32 in the morning, making it the fastest I've ever sold out. Granted I only had 12 bouquets, but as the market opens at 8:30, seemed like they were gone in the blink of an eye. Any day you can sell out two minutes after the market opens is a good day!

This coming weekend I may be a bit short on flowers as I'm right in between patches, but in two or three weeks I think I should be back on schedule with sunflowers at least. The oncoming patch was supposed to have started blooming last week, but considering how strange the weather had been this year, I've pretty much given up trying to accurately deduce the time that the flowers will bloom. I just know I won't have too many this week and probably not too many next week either, but hopefully a large burst coming on the week after. I guess only the weather will tell...

How to Dye Queen Anne's Lace with Food Coloring

Well it's Queen's Anne's Lace season (a.k.a wild carrot), so I've been dying some as usual. There really is something that's almost magical about watching those pristine white flowers slowly take on the vibrant colors of the food coloring they're immersed in. It's a great country pastime, and it's so easy anyone can do it. The shorter the stem, the quicker it takes up the dye. And once the flowers are dyed, they can be dried for brightly colored craft projects!