Friday, February 6, 2010
Many people associate depression and loneliness with humans, but other species are just as susceptible. Horses in particular often fall into depression if they do not have companion.
Companion Animals
Saturday, January 30, 2010
A hoopskirt is essential for civil war reenactment costumes and some Renaissance costumes. It can also be used to give fullness to a wedding dress. While premade hoopskirts are available, it is much more cost efficient to make your own.
Hoopskirt Making
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The health benefits of pine needle and rose hip tea are amazing. It's a great midwinter tea to keep colds and flu at bay.
Anti Cold and Flu Tea
Monday, January 25, 2010
Ok, it's been a while. After the holidays I tend to go into hibernation mode and do all the cleaning and items on my to-do list that get neglected during the busier summer months, so I basically fall off the face of the planet for a few weeks. I still managed to take a few pictures during my posting absence, however, including this shot of a flock of starlings.
December
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Craft Project
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. My family and I spent the day eating a lot of chocolate and watching the entire Die Hard series. Fun, fun, fun. Ok, this craft project is probably best done for Christmas, but is good for any time during the remainder of winter as well.
Gourd Snowmen
Friday, December 18, 2009
Craft Project
Old soup containers can be recycled to make beautiful candleholders. The holes punched in the tin exude a warm glow from the candle within.
Tin Can Luminaries
Monday, December 14, 2009
I don't know if this technically qualifies as a stir-fry, but it has a lot of the same ingredients. It's sort of like house fried rice with cream cheese. I usually make this to use up leftovers. Cream Cheese Stir Fry
Friday, December 11, 2009
Craft Project
Fleece scarves are a warm welcome on a cold winter day. These scarves can easily be made in under an hour.
Fleese Scarves
Friday, December 4, 2009
Craft Project
These garlands are made using the same technique as gum-wrapper chains. Scrap paper offers an alternative to gum wrappers, giving a wider selection of prints and colors, and does not require hours of chewing gum.
Scrap Paper Christmas Tree Garland
Thursday, December 3, 2009
When you take a brown bag lunch to work multiple days a week, you're bound to eventually come up with some creative, frightening, and even desperate concoctions. This is one of the more edible ones that I came up it. It makes a nice after lunch dessert, and sort of breaks up the monotony. Mini Pies
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
There's nothing quite like the holidays. Christmas trees, candles, holly garlands, and of course, extension cords being used well beyond their intended capacity. Here's an amusing yet truthful shot of holiday decorating.
November
Friday, November 27, 2009
Craft Project
Happy Post Thanksgiving, hope everyone enjoyed their meals. My personal weakness is Gramma's homemade stuffing. I can never get enough of it. Yum. This week's project is a candle project.
Hand-dipped Tapers
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
With the holidays beginning Thursday, there will be many get-togethers, and many people driving home afterward. Instead of adding to the dangers of the road by serving wine, try this non-alcoholic alternative.
Kid Wine: An Alternative to Alcohol
Friday, November 20, 2009
Craft Project
For some reason, we never seem to get the broomcorn harvested on time. It's always after the autumn season, when the cold wind and rain of November hint at the winter weather soon to come. This year, however, is one of the nicest Novembers I can remember; there hasn't been enough wind and rain to destroy the broomcorn this year. As such, it is perfect weather to make broom ladies. They are perhaps a bit passed the season, but as broomcorn dries naturally, they can be saved for next year just as well.
Broom Ladies
Friday, November 13, 2009
Craft Project
At the end of the season, I always like to make a few weavings out of rye or wheat. The Celts used to do this to ensure good luck for the next years harvest. Round here we just doing because it's fun.
Wheat Weaving: Heart
Friday, November 6, 2009
Craft Project
I am happy to say that I did survive Halloween in a 120-inch hoopskirt. Although, I did have to ride to the party in the back of a van as it was the only place I could fit! Here is a picture of several months worth of work, and a whole lot of fabric. Hoop Skirt
So, now that it's after Halloween, the harvest season is officially at an end. As such, I've begun my annual end of the season cleaning. (It is really quite frightening how much accumulates over a summer!) During the scouring frenzy, I came across a few old books that were in less than stellar shape, so I decided to make bags out of them, which takes us to this week's project. If you have any hardcover books lying around, these bags are a great way to put them to use, as the book covers become the bags.
Book Bags
October
Friday, October 30, 2009
Craft Project
Happy Halloween! This week's project is a quick and easy way to spice up some glassware for any Halloween parties that might be occurring tomorrow night.
Toll Painted Glasses
Friday, October 23, 2009
Craft Project
This week will be my last weekend at the farm market. It's both sad and exciting at the same time. Sad that it's over, but exciting in the fact that the winter rest is coming on. This week's craft is a ghost made of cheese cloth and muslin. They hold their shape when they are covered with a simple paper mache paste. This is a great project to do with kids.
Paper Mache Ghosts
Friday, October 16, 2009
Craft Project
For years my sister has had her bedroom roof covered in glow-in-the dark stars. They eventually gave me the idea for this project, a glow in the dark witch silhouetted against the moon. It's a pretty timeless Halloween symbol, and not really time consuming to make (which is great for a busy autumn schedule).
Glow-in-the dark Witch
Friday, October 9, 2009
Craft Project
"There are 3 things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin." Familiar words to anyone who like Charlie Brown. Earlier this week we broke out the Halloween movies starting with Hocus Pocus, the greatest Halloween movie ever filmed (which we have watched over a hundred times!), followed by the second greatest Halloween movie: Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.
No one is ever too old to enjoy Charlie Brown; it's good, clean Halloween fun at its finest. Its only drawback is that it lasts less than a half an hour. This week's craft project is a wreath featuring the peanuts gang, so even after the movie is over, Linus can continue searching for the Great Pumpkin.
Charlie Brown Great Pumpkin Wreath
Friday, October 2, 2009
Craft Project
October!! My favorite month of the year. There are so many wonderful things in October: the harvest, brightly colored leaves, corn shocks, pumpkins, apple cider, grape juice and of course HALLOWEEN! My brother's costume is still inching its way along, almost exactly as we weave about an inch a day on it. I also found something very interesting about patterns; they aren't the size they say they are. The civil war costume I've been making was supposed to be a size 10, but I just finished it and I think it's closer to a size 6 now. I had originally intended to rent it out, but now that it's several sizes smaller, I think I'll just wear it myself for Halloween. It will be the same era as my brother's costume so we'll make a good pair for the holiday. All I have to do now is make the hoop skirt and it'll be set. I'll have to rummage through the barn and see what I can find strong enough to support the weight of the fabric. I've just learned that civil war skirts really did have a whole lot of heavy fabric!
Now onto this week's craft project. We've been eating a lot of sweet corn lately, tis the season after all, and we never let the husks go to waste. Either we feed them to the grateful cows who are always happy to receive a treat, or I make them into cornhusk dolls and put them on the wreaths I take to the market. They're loads of fun as husks are easy to work with and they're a great way to recycle the husks from some night's dinner. Cornhusk Dolls
September
Friday, September 25, 2009
Craft Project
As the grapes are getting ripe, I thought this would be a good time put on a recipe for homemade grape juice. Granted it's not really a "craft project," but it's still a do-it-yourself sort of thing. And it sure tastes good!
Making Your Own Grape Juice
Friday, September 18, 2009
Craft Project
This week I decided that it is definitely never too early to start making a Halloween costume. At this rate, I'll be lucky if my family's costumes are done by Halloween, let alone anyone else's. Weaving is a slow business to begin with, but it seems to get even slower when I'm never there to push the shuttle through the strings. And as for the civil war gown, sewing with a pattern is certainly a new experience. There are a lot of pieces that I'm not sure are entirely necessary, but I'm committed to sewing my first pattern exactly as it is. Next time, I'll rework to my liking.
Well, onto this week's craft project. The gourds are getting nice and ripe, in fact we've harvested a few already. A lot of people who purchase them ask what to do with them after the season is over. There are two answers. They can either be fed to a local band of ravenous cows who will happily devour every squash, pumpkin, and gourd they can get their teeth onto, or the gourds can be dried. This week's project involves making birdhouses from dried gourds.
Gourd Birdhouses
Friday, September 11, 2009
Craft Project
Well, this week I learned that it is possible to weave without a loom. I just tied two board above and below a windowsill and voila! an instant weaving loom. I'm using it to weave my brother's Halloween costume. Never too early to start. I usually make costumes for rental in October, so my own family's costumes have to be done earlier. I also decided to make this week, my first week sewing with a pattern. I usually make own patterns to sew from scratch, but this week I was in Jo-Anne fabrics (my favorite store in the world) and they were having a pattern sale. I'm a sucker for any type of period garb, so when I saw a pattern for a full-hooped civil war era gown, I couldn't resist. If nothing else, I just want to experiment and see what it's like to work with a premade pattern. It should be fun.
Now onto this week's craft project. We have loads of wild catnip growing in the cow pasture. My cats love rolling in it, so I thought I'd make a few sachets they could play with in the house. If nothing else, it'll give them something to do when they get cabin fever this winter. They're quick and easy to make and will bring new life to almost any cat. Catnip Sachets
Friday, September 4, 2009
Craft Project
Well, it's Labor Day weekend, the official end of summer, though I have a feeling it won't actually feel like the end of summer for quite some time. A cooler summer usually means a very nice fall. The Ring of Fire is this weekend too, so we'll all be heading up to my grandmother's to watch it. We live right next door to her, but her house is higher up on the hill, so there's a clear view of the lake from her house. This year, however, the corn across the road is extra tall due to all the rain. Not sure how much of the ring we'll be able to see this year.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Craft Project
Well, it's Labor Day weekend, the official end of summer, though I have a feeling it won't actually feel like the end of summer for quite some time. A cooler summer usually means a very nice fall. The Ring of Fire is this weekend too, so we'll all be heading up to my grandmother's to watch it. We live right next door to her, but her house is higher up on the hill, so there's a clear view of the lake from her house. This year, however, the corn across the road is extra tall due to all the rain. Not sure how much of the ring we'll be able to see this year.
Labor Day is usually the last big summer picnic for people, so this week's project is something to do with all those extra shells if you happen to have clams this holiday. Clamshells make great tea lights. The shells are thick and sturdy and they usually sit well all by themselves. If they're made with beeswax, they'll usually burn 10-20 minutes depending on the size of the shells. Clamshell Tea Lights
August
Monday, August 31, 2009
Ok, got all the bugs worked out of the system. Making a Dream Catcher now has pictures. Hopefully there won't be any more image issues, but never can tell.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Craft Project
Today was the Granger Homestead old fashion fun day, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. It was basically a steady rain, so about 1:00 many of us packed up and went home to dry off. I guess Mother Nature wanted to prove she still has dominion over us humans. It was pretty cool seeing so many people walking around in their period costumes though. Someone even had hammer dulcimers to make music. If only the sun had been shining! Oh well, we can't control the weather.
The wild turkey was actually pretty good eating. There was a little bruising, but most of the meat was fine. It tastes different than farm raised turkey. It was dryer meat (just the way I like it), and was sort a mix between turkey and roast beef as far as taste. My grandmother said she once cooked a wild goose that tasted just like roast beef, strangely enough.
Well, due to getting ready for the double weekend, I didn't have time to post a craft project on Friday, so I'll post it here. Having gotten lots of beautiful feathers from the unfortunate accident with the turkey, I've been making dream catchers all week; so naturally, this week's project is a dream catcher.
Once again, I'm having image upload problems, so for now it's just the text. The web weaving is a bit tricky the first time or two, but once you get the hang of it, it falls into a sort of relaxing rhythm until you can practically make them with your eyes closed. Ok, maybe not with your eyes closed, but you get the idea; once you get the knack, it all falls into place.
The best part is, dream catchers aren't just a myth, they actually work. I never have bad dreams when there's a dream catcher hanging over my bed. So while I very much apologize to the poor turkey, I do thank her for the supper and the beautiful feathers. Making a Dream Catcher
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Coincidences have an odd way of occurring sometimes. My cousin had a baby at the end of last week, and it's tradition that I usually make a dream catcher when a new baby is born. As I missed the last two additions to the family, I thought I'd make dream catchers for them as well. So I was planning three dream catchers this week. The only problem was, my supply of nice feathers has dwindled to almost nothing, as I haven't yet taken my autumn forest walk to collect more. Well, as coincidence would have it, I hit a turkey on the way home from Amanda's this evening. (Of course, of all days, I had to hit it the one time I borrowed my sister's car, but luckily, she's currently visiting England, so there's not much she can do about it right now.) So, having never done a wild turkey before, the first thing I did was call my grandmother who gave me all the information I needed. After dunking it in boiling water, the feathers came out fine. Then, despite the fact that the meat was a bit bruised from the accident, Gramma gave my brother and I a lesson on how to clean a turkey. It's sort of like gutting a deer, only in smaller form. So we'll find out tomorrow if the turkey is still good, but in any event, there are plenty of beautiful feathers for dream catchers.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Craft Project
Wow, is it Friday already? Holy moley, tempus fugit (time flies). Well, this week I noticed that the lavender was on its last legs, so I thought it was time to snatch some before it all withered away for the year. As such, this week's craft project is a lavender bottle. They smell great anywhere whether it's hanging in a doorway, or tucked into a drawer to give clothes that fresh lavendery scent. These little things are so quick and easy to make, that constructing them soon becomes addicting! I apologize for the pics being a little fuzzy, but it was a bit of a challenge to take photographs with one hand and weave with the other.
Lavender Bottles
Monday, August 17, 2009
Ok, computer's all fixed, there are now images of Dyed Queen Anne's Lace Nice hot day again. Not so good on the humans, but great for the flowers. Got my last batch of sunflowers to pop. Took less than a week, I think it's some kind of record.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Ok, still no pictures of the dyed Queen Anne's Lace, but I'm running a computer cleaning now, so I'll see if it'll allow me to upload the pictures tomorrow.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Craft Project
Queen Anne's Lace, also known as Wild Carrot, must have one of the longest blooming seasons of any flower in the blossoming world. It's a familiar summer sight, as the large, white blossom line the road sides and glow amidst the open meadows of the cow pasture. The best part about it, however, (aside from the fact that it makes great filler in bouquets when you're in a pinch for flowers) is that it can be dyed almost as easily as yarn, and with a lot less mess. I don't think there are many kids around here who haven't dyed Queen Anne's Lace at least once. It's a summer pastime my neighbor showed me when I was about 5 years old. I've been doing it every summer since. Queen Anne's Lace can be dyed any color of the rainbow with a little food coloring and bit of patients. And no matter how many times a person tries this, it never gets old. It remains just as magical as it was the first time. So here is this week's project, a wreath made of rainbow colored Queen Anne's Lace. I'm having a slight issue with the pictures tonight, so hopefully by tomorrow, I'll have images of the dyed lace. In the meantime, here's the project without the pics.
Dying Queen Anne's Lace
Thursday, August 13, 2009
According to Greek mythology, the winter months were created when Persephone, the daughter of the harvest Goddess, was taken into the earth by Hades. Eventually, Persephone was returned to her mother, but only on the condition that she split her time between the world above and the world below. She was to spend six months above earth with her mother, and six months below earth with Hades. The Greeks believed that during those six months, the harvest Goddess, Demeter, was sad at her daughter's absence and thus everything went into hibernation, bringing us the winter months.
Personally, I think the winter months were created to prevent people from killing themselves, or least going insane as they tried to multitask. The summer months seem made specifically for the sole purpose of multitasking around here. As I sit here typing this at 2:00 in the morning (when I would probably be better off in bed, but unfortunately am a bit of an insomniac), I'm recounting the set of multitasking I just completed and thanking the universe that there do exist winter months.
Amanda's real estate is as busy as the farm this time of the year, so I'm spending a fair bit of time helping out there as well. Then once I'm back home, it's chore time, followed by flower cutting. I was lucky enough to get out of the fields before the bats came out tonight. I don't really have a problem with bats, but I don't particularly like being hit by them either. Once the flowers were picked, the real multitasking began. As I sat there stripping flowers, I also had a set of pictures printing, a batch of soap cooking on one burner and a pot of candle wax on another. The result was an odd mix of cinnamon and eucalyptus scents filling the air. A rather interesting smell to say the least.
Monday, August 10, 2009
And so it begins. Last night was the first big sunflower picking of the year. Our living room was bedecked in funeral parlor style as piles of flowers covered every available space. Of course we can't just bunch them into bouquets, we have to strip off all the leaves first. That's the part where a nice long movie like Lord of the Rings or Ben-hur comes in handy. If you can watch a movie, it kind of breaks up the monotony of pulling leaves off the stems one by one. We were up until 2:00 in the morning stripping leaves last night. But hey, looks like we'll have plenty of bouquets to put on the stand this week.
This year the flowers are at optimum picking height; about waist high. Some years they end up six feet tall with stems like tree trunks. We fondly (or perhaps rather unfondly) refer to those patches as Mirkwood. Even worse, however, are the very dry years when we end up with dwarfed flowers. It's never fun picking flowers less than knee high!
Per usual, even though we staggered the plantings by several weeks, there appear to be four patches all coming on at the same time. I guess that's to be expected, they generally do that every year. The weather is usually the cause. All rain one minute and all sun the next tends to stunt one patch and start another off like a rocket. Oh well, there's not much prettier than a patch of sunflowers all blooming at once, even if it does make for an exhausting lot of work.
While I was out amidst the yellow heads unfurling their golden petals to the sky, I couldn't resist popping off a few heads for my pan of silica crystal. Sunflowers keep their color when dried and their chunky bodies make them loads of fun to work with on wreaths. And unlike the fresh flowers, dried heads don't make you all sticky!
Drying Flowers in Silica
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A country farm is without question the greatest place in the world for a crafter to live. Perhaps being a country girl myself makes me a bit biased, but for the crafter, there does seem to be a certain advantage to living in the backwoods of the world. What we can't grow ourselves, we can find readily available in nature or at the very least, buried somewhere in the deep recesses of the barn.
Using these resources, the country crafter can make practically anything from baskets and fabric dyes to knitting needles and musical instruments. (Yes, even a guitar can be made by a desperate 16-year-old with some abatibi board and a lot of duct tape.) The best thing about crafting for a hobby is that it's always there waiting. A person can begin a project, leave it for weeks or months, and then suddenly re-immerse themselves in the project once more. The craft project is always ready to be called upon, when the time is right.
On the subject of time and crafts, I've finally gotten around to fixing this websight. I've been meaning to do so for quite sometime, but haven't had the chance. Life happens after all. I know the same five crafting how-to's have been there for weeks, so my hope now is to try and make time to post a new one every Friday. But as the saying goes, the best laid plans of men and mice go shortly awry; we'll see what happens.
~The Woodland Elf
August
Monday, August 31, 2009
Ok, got all the bugs worked out of the system. Making a Dream Catcher now has pictures. Hopefully there won't be any more image issues, but never can tell.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Craft Project
Today was the Granger Homestead old fashion fun day, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. It was basically a steady rain, so about 1:00 many of us packed up and went home to dry off. I guess Mother Nature wanted to prove she still has dominion over us humans. It was pretty cool seeing so many people walking around in their period costumes though. Someone even had hammer dulcimers to make music. If only the sun had been shining! Oh well, we can't control the weather.
The wild turkey was actually pretty good eating. There was a little bruising, but most of the meat was fine. It tastes different than farm raised turkey. It was dryer meat (just the way I like it), and was sort a mix between turkey and roast beef as far as taste. My grandmother said she once cooked a wild goose that tasted just like roast beef, strangely enough.
Well, due to getting ready for the double weekend, I didn't have time to post a craft project on Friday, so I'll post it here. Having gotten lots of beautiful feathers from the unfortunate accident with the turkey, I've been making dream catchers all week; so naturally, this week's project is a dream catcher.
Once again, I'm having image upload problems, so for now it's just the text. The web weaving is a bit tricky the first time or two, but once you get the hang of it, it falls into a sort of relaxing rhythm until you can practically make them with your eyes closed. Ok, maybe not with your eyes closed, but you get the idea; once you get the knack, it all falls into place.
The best part is, dream catchers aren't just a myth, they actually work. I never have bad dreams when there's a dream catcher hanging over my bed. So while I very much apologize to the poor turkey, I do thank her for the supper and the beautiful feathers. Making a Dream Catcher
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Coincidences have an odd way of occurring sometimes. My cousin had a baby at the end of last week, and it's tradition that I usually make a dream catcher when a new baby is born. As I missed the last two additions to the family, I thought I'd make dream catchers for them as well. So I was planning three dream catchers this week. The only problem was, my supply of nice feathers has dwindled to almost nothing, as I haven't yet taken my autumn forest walk to collect more. Well, as coincidence would have it, I hit a turkey on the way home from Amanda's this evening. (Of course, of all days, I had to hit it the one time I borrowed my sister's car, but luckily, she's currently visiting England, so there's not much she can do about it right now.) So, having never done a wild turkey before, the first thing I did was call my grandmother who gave me all the information I needed. After dunking it in boiling water, the feathers came out fine. Then, despite the fact that the meat was a bit bruised from the accident, Gramma gave my brother and I a lesson on how to clean a turkey. It's sort of like gutting a deer, only in smaller form. So we'll find out tomorrow if the turkey is still good, but in any event, there are plenty of beautiful feathers for dream catchers.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Craft Project
Wow, is it Friday already? Holy moley, tempus fugit (time flies). Well, this week I noticed that the lavender was on its last legs, so I thought it was time to snatch some before it all withered away for the year. As such, this week's craft project is a lavender bottle. They smell great anywhere whether it's hanging in a doorway, or tucked into a drawer to give clothes that fresh lavendery scent. These little things are so quick and easy to make, that constructing them soon becomes addicting! I apologize for the pics being a little fuzzy, but it was a bit of a challenge to take photographs with one hand and weave with the other.
Lavender Bottles
Monday, August 17, 2009
Ok, computer's all fixed, there are now images of Dyed Queen Anne's Lace Nice hot day again. Not so good on the humans, but great for the flowers. Got my last batch of sunflowers to pop. Took less than a week, I think it's some kind of record.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Ok, still no pictures of the dyed Queen Anne's Lace, but I'm running a computer cleaning now, so I'll see if it'll allow me to upload the pictures tomorrow.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Craft Project
Queen Anne's Lace, also known as Wild Carrot, must have one of the longest blooming seasons of any flower in the blossoming world. It's a familiar summer sight, as the large, white blossom line the road sides and glow amidst the open meadows of the cow pasture. The best part about it, however, (aside from the fact that it makes great filler in bouquets when you're in a pinch for flowers) is that it can be dyed almost as easily as yarn, and with a lot less mess. I don't think there are many kids around here who haven't dyed Queen Anne's Lace at least once. It's a summer pastime my neighbor showed me when I was about 5 years old. I've been doing it every summer since. Queen Anne's Lace can be dyed any color of the rainbow with a little food coloring and bit of patients. And no matter how many times a person tries this, it never gets old. It remains just as magical as it was the first time. So here is this week's project, a wreath made of rainbow colored Queen Anne's Lace. I'm having a slight issue with the pictures tonight, so hopefully by tomorrow, I'll have images of the dyed lace. In the meantime, here's the project without the pics.
Dying Queen Anne's Lace
Thursday, August 13, 2009
According to Greek mythology, the winter months were created when Persephone, the daughter of the harvest Goddess, was taken into the earth by Hades. Eventually, Persephone was returned to her mother, but only on the condition that she split her time between the world above and the world below. She was to spend six months above earth with her mother, and six months below earth with Hades. The Greeks believed that during those six months, the harvest Goddess, Demeter, was sad at her daughter's absence and thus everything went into hibernation, bringing us the winter months.
Personally, I think the winter months were created to prevent people from killing themselves, or least going insane as they tried to multitask. The summer months seem made specifically for the sole purpose of multitasking around here. As I sit here typing this at 2:00 in the morning (when I would probably be better off in bed, but unfortunately am a bit of an insomniac), I'm recounting the set of multitasking I just completed and thanking the universe that there do exist winter months.
Amanda's real estate is as busy as the farm this time of the year, so I'm spending a fair bit of time helping out there as well. Then once I'm back home, it's chore time, followed by flower cutting. I was lucky enough to get out of the fields before the bats came out tonight. I don't really have a problem with bats, but I don't particularly like being hit by them either. Once the flowers were picked, the real multitasking began. As I sat there stripping flowers, I also had a set of pictures printing, a batch of soap cooking on one burner and a pot of candle wax on another. The result was an odd mix of cinnamon and eucalyptus scents filling the air. A rather interesting smell to say the least.
Monday, August 10, 2009
And so it begins. Last night was the first big sunflower picking of the year. Our living room was bedecked in funeral parlor style as piles of flowers covered every available space. Of course we can't just bunch them into bouquets, we have to strip off all the leaves first. That's the part where a nice long movie like Lord of the Rings or Ben-hur comes in handy. If you can watch a movie, it kind of breaks up the monotony of pulling leaves off the stems one by one. We were up until 2:00 in the morning stripping leaves last night. But hey, looks like we'll have plenty of bouquets to put on the stand this week.
This year the flowers are at optimum picking height; about waist high. Some years they end up six feet tall with stems like tree trunks. We fondly (or perhaps rather unfondly) refer to those patches as Mirkwood. Even worse, however, are the very dry years when we end up with dwarfed flowers. It's never fun picking flowers less than knee high!
Per usual, even though we staggered the plantings by several weeks, there appear to be four patches all coming on at the same time. I guess that's to be expected, they generally do that every year. The weather is usually the cause. All rain one minute and all sun the next tends to stunt one patch and start another off like a rocket. Oh well, there's not much prettier than a patch of sunflowers all blooming at once, even if it does make for an exhausting lot of work.
While I was out amidst the yellow heads unfurling their golden petals to the sky, I couldn't resist popping off a few heads for my pan of silica crystal. Sunflowers keep their color when dried and their chunky bodies make them loads of fun to work with on wreaths. And unlike the fresh flowers, dried heads don't make you all sticky!
Drying Flowers in Silica
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A country farm is without question the greatest place in the world for a crafter to live. Perhaps being a country girl myself makes me a bit biased, but for the crafter, there does seem to be a certain advantage to living in the backwoods of the world. What we can't grow ourselves, we can find readily available in nature or at the very least, buried somewhere in the deep recesses of the barn.
Using these resources, the country crafter can make practically anything from baskets and fabric dyes to knitting needles and musical instruments. (Yes, even a guitar can be made by a desperate 16-year-old with some abatibi board and a lot of duct tape.) The best thing about crafting for a hobby is that it's always there waiting. A person can begin a project, leave it for weeks or months, and then suddenly re-immerse themselves in the project once more. The craft project is always ready to be called upon, when the time is right.
On the subject of time and crafts, I've finally gotten around to fixing this websight. I've been meaning to do so for quite sometime, but haven't had the chance. Life happens after all. I know the same five crafting how-to's have been there for weeks, so my hope now is to try and make time to post a new one every Friday. But as the saying goes, the best laid plans of men and mice go shortly awry; we'll see what happens.
~The Woodland Elf
