Log cabin dreams

I have been sketching and collecting log cabin ideas since I was a little girl.  I hope to some day build a log cabin, but until then I will continue my dreaming, sketching & sharing some of my ideas…

I really like the idea of incorporating hollowed out trees on the inside of the house.  I came across these photos that have a similar feel for what I envision (work/design by Whole Trees Architecture & Construction):

Here is another image along the same lines, though I’d want it to be a little more on the rustic side:

How fun would this bed be in a loft?

Crafting fun… jewelry!

This summer I decided to try out jewelry making & have been really enjoying it thus far!  I think I’ve gotten earrings down…(here area  few examples, though I’ve given a number to friends/family that I sadly didn’t take photos of)

This weekend I decided to try making wrapped stone necklaces & pendants.  I got the idea from a craft show.  The necklaces & earrings that a woman had for sale I decided were much too expensive & I thought “hey, I can do that!”… so I did!

I bought the supplies at Michaels & collected some stones from the beach:

(note: 24 gauge wire thread really works best, as it is very malleable)

Here are some of the necklaces & pendants I made.  I had the suggestion (from my father) to get a tumbler to smooth out the stones, so I may look into it.  I really like the almost primitive look of the stones, metal & leather together, though.

The stone on the left in the bottom photo is actually a piece of fossil I collected & you can see little shells in it!

I already sold the red necklace to a friend, so I am now thinking of making a bunch & possibly selling them at the local Farmer’s Market or craft shows… Need to think of a fun name, though.  Any suggestions?

Bed idea…zzzzz….

I came across this image a few months ago & didn’t have anywhere to post it…now I do!  What a great idea- stacking wood under your bed…hmmm or is the wood a bed frame?  Either way, I think it’s pretty fun & funky!

I think that this would be a great pillow to put on this fun & funky bed, don’t you think?  The pillow looks pretty easy to make…maybe it will be my next crafting project!

Local Spotlight…some amazing stonework

So I was browsing Facebook albums & saw some photos of work that a friend of mine did out at a house in VT.  From the photos it’s obvious that he’s a pretty skilled mason, so I had to share some of his work with you…Beer from a stone- how cool is that?!  According to him, the beer is kept at earth temperature in a 10 ft deep cystern/pit in the flour garden!  I soooo want this in my backyard some day….some day…

Always start your morning with a good breakfast!

I saw this breakfast idea on MarthaStewart.com & looks pretty good, don’t you think?  Granola + yogurt is my daily morning breakfast & occasionally I will add fruit (whatever is in season).  This parfait looks like it has Kix cereal in it, too- what a fun idea to add a little crunch!

Another fun crafting project…recycled, too!

Materials:

Half gallon milk or juice carton with plastic cap, rinsed

Scissors

Paper towels

Tape

Wallet Template

Ballpoint pen

Ruler

Craft knife (optional)

Butter knife

Instructions:

Cut open the carton so it lies flat, as shown; put aside the cap for now. Dry the inside with the paper towels. Tape the template on top of the carton so that the top circle lines up with the spout. Mark the outline of the template with a ballpoint pen. Using firm pressure, trace the lower circle and the dotted lines of the template so that they transfer to the carton. (This will score the lines for easier folding.) A ruler will help you mark the straight lines. Cut out the shape from the carton.

Use scissors to cut out the lower circle as marked. (Tip: To make cutting out the circle easier, first make an X with a craft knife.) Use a ruler and a butter knife to further score the fold lines.

Following the fold lines you marked, create an accordion fold on each side of the wallet.

Tightly squeeze the accordion folds. Fold the top flap down, pushing the spout through the hole. Screw on the cap to keep the flap in place.

For the video on how to do it, check out:

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/carton-wallet-675068/

School is in the air…

While I don’t necessarily feel like summer is over yet, I am seeing back-to-school sales and posts everywhere. As a kid, I can remember a sense of dread and excitement with every new school year. While graduate school is a different cup of tea (in comparison to youngsters going back to school), I still get a little excited & find myself wanting to buy random school supplies.  Browsing around some of my favorite various websites I discovered a few crafting ideas.  Am I too old to put a felt cover over my accounting books?

Materials:

Felt

Ruler

Scissors

Pins

Embroidery thread and needle

Button (optional)

Self-adhesive Velcro dot (optional)

Instructions:

To make a cover, open your chosen book and measure the width and height. Add one inch to each measurement and cut out a piece of felt with those dimensions. For the inside flaps, cut two additional pieces of felt the same height as the main piece and two-thirds the width of the closed book’s front cover.
Lay an inside flap on top of each end of the main piece and pin the flaps and the main piece together. With embroidery thread, sew a running stitch about 1/4 inch to 3/8 inch from the edge around the entire border.
If you like, add one of these extras: 

Notebook pocket: Before attaching the inside flaps, cut a piece of felt that’s 1 1/2 inches wider and 1/2 inch shorter than your notepad. Sew it in the center of what will be the front cover of the book. 

Faux button closure: Before attaching the inside flaps, cut a strap that’s 1 1/2 inches wide and as long as the width of an inside flap. Sandwich the strap between the back flap and the cover and pin it in place, then sew around the entire edge of the cover, as noted above. With scissors, round the end of the strap and sew on a button. Affix a self-adhesive Velcro dot to the strap and the front of the cover. 

Penholder: After the cover is finished and on the book, cut a 1 3/4-inch square out of felt. With the book cIosed, lay the square over a pen on the book’s spine and pin it in place. Take the cover off the book, then sew on the square.

Hello friends!

Welcome to my blog!  So why am I blogging you ask?  Well, I feel like Facebook is a great way to keep in touch/be nosy, but has become less personal and not really a place to share certain finds/ideas/suggestions.  Instead of sending out mass emails or posting things that not everyone would necessarily care about, I’ve decided to give blogging a try.  We’ll see how it goes!  Please let me know if you have any suggestions, requests, comments, etc!

Do you like the background?  I’ve played around with a number of the various & assorted background options, trying to choose the best & most “readable” background, so let me know if you agree!  I’ll probably change it around a little per season, though.  Any suggestions for various categories?  I’ll try to mainly post about things that I actually know about & find interesting…

Note: I won’t be posting anything super personal or diary-like here.  I’m going to stick to mainly suggestions, fun finds, pretty things, recipes, etc (see ‘categories’ on the right of the blog screen).  So if you want to chat or have any questions for me, please send me an email or call me!

Thanks for reading & please visit often- I’ll try to post daily/weekly!