30 November 2009

Snowflake Monday

Three of a Kind

Don't you just love four-day weekends? I finally had time to sit down long enough to write another pattern. Liked this one so much, I made three flakes of various sizes from the same pattern in one sitting!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not republish or sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

SnowMon06

Finished Size: 4 to 5.5 inches from point to point, depending upon size of hook
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or foil, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stainless steel pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Four-day Weekend Snowflake Instructions

Ch 4; join to form ring OR make magic ring. (I used the magic ring.)

Round 1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), *dc into ring, ch 1; repeat from * around 10 times for total of 12 dc; join in 3rd ch of ch 4, pull magic ring tight or nearly tight, depending upon personal preference.

Round 2: Sl st into next ch 1 space, ch 5(counts as 1 dc and ch 2), dc in same ch space (V-stitch made), ch 2, sc in next ch 1 space, ch 2, *dc into next ch 1 space, ch 2, dc in same ch 1 space (V-stitch made), ch 2, sc into next ch 1 space, ch 2; repeat from * around for a total of 6 V-stitches; join in 3rd ch of ch 5.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 2 space (top of next V-stitch), ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), dc into same ch space (V-stitch made), ch 3, sc into next sc, ch 3, *V-stitch into top of next V-stitch, ch 3, sc into next sc, ch 3; repeat from * around for a total of six V-stitches; join in 3rd ch of ch 5.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Sl st into next ch 2 space (top of next V-stitch), ch 3 (counts as dc), dc into same ch 2 space, ch 2, 2 dc into same ch 2 space (double V-stitch made), ch 5, sc into next sc, ch 5, * 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc into top of next V-stitch (double V-stitch made); ch 5, sc into next sc, ch 5; repeat from * around for a total of six double V-stitches; join in 3rd ch of ch 3.

Round 5: Sl st into next dc and into top of same double V-stitch, ch 3, dc into same double V-stitch, ch 3, [tr into same double V-stitch, ch 3] 2 times, 2 dc into same double V-stitch, ch 3, skip dc and sc into next dc, ch 5, sc into 3rd ch of ch 5, ch 3, sc into 3rd ch of next ch 5, ch 5, sc into next dc, ch 3, *2 dc into top of next double V-stitch, ch 3,[ tr into same double V-stitch, ch 3] 2 times, 2 dc into same double V-stitch, ch 3, skip dc and sc into next dc, ch 5, sc into 3rd ch of ch 5, ch 3, sc into 3rd ch of next ch 5, ch 5, sc into next dc, ch 3; repeat from * around for a total of 6 points; sl st into 3rd ch of ch 3; bind off. Weave in ends.

While making snowflakes for my special project, I often tweaked patterns to see if I could come up with something I like better. This snowflake was no exception. I also LOVE hiding Easter eggs on my website. This is one!

Four-day Weekend

Alternative Ending

Round 5: Sl st into next dc and into top of same double V-stitch, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same sp, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), 1 tr into same sp, ch 3, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), ch 1, 1 tr in same sp, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 dc into same double V-stitch, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, skip dc, sc into next dc, ch 5, sc into 3rd ch of ch 5, ch 2, 1 sc into next dc, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, * 2 dc into top of next double V-stitch, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), 1 tr into same sp, ch 3, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), ch 1, 1 tr in same sp, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 dc into same double V-stitch, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, skip dc, sc into next dc, ch 5, sc into 3rd ch of ch 5, ch 2, 1 sc into next dc, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st into 3rd ch of starting ch 3; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or foil to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or foil.

HINT: Pull all the outer chain spaces as tight as possible while pinning the first version of this snowflake to achieve the spider web-like effect.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or foil. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

27 November 2009

Friday Funny

I thought I was being so clever and creative when I hired my stuffed snow tiger to model my handmade scarves. I didn't want to spend $80 on a mannequin. Actually, I just didn't want a mannequin taking up valuable real estate at my then tiny quarters.

Now I find out what happens to stuffed snow tigers when their families no longer want them.

I discovered this gem on Regretsy.com, a very funny parody site with genuine unbelievable, incomprehensible listings from Etsy (some of which sold after being featured -- go figure), but WARNING!!! If you visit Regretsy (which I did NOT link to), please note the site has tons of stuff and language that would not be appropriate for children, and it has a bunch of stuff and language that is NSFW. I'd bookmark Regretsy if there was a squeaky clean version.

But I had to look to make sure none of my stuff is on there. Whew... close call. They have my snow tiger's long-lost cousin, but none of my Etsy creations. (HUGE sigh of relief!)

26 November 2009

I am Thankful

I could make an extraordinarily long list of all the things I am thankful for, but I'm not sure anyone would want to spend the years it would take to read all 973,678 double-sided pages or so.

So, sparing you yet another turkey shot I'm sure most everyone will be posting today, I've decided to share a few photos from one of the most recent blessings in my life.

We moved into our first home earlier this year. This is the master closet back then. It's got tons of space, much more than I've ever had before.



This is how the walk-in looked after we got somewhat moved in. (It did not take long to completely fill it!)



< a href="http://snowcatcher.smugmug.com/photos/722903515_i6kh7-M.jpg">

We had to take everything out of all the closets, remove the hardware that came with the house, and patch the holes left in the walls after some loud surgery.



My husband helped his stepdad install the new cabinetry. The two of them increased the value of our home in a day!



And now I have more shelf space than I've ever had in my life! It's almost like having a new home all over again. I don't have to live out of boxes anymore, and I get to organize everything. I feel as if I'm unpacking all over again, but once we get everything put away, The Lizard will be able to find all his bike tools and parts, and I'll know where to find all my craft stuff, all my photography stuff and all my clothes!

24 November 2009

Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

I recently participated in my first-ever ornament swap, hosted by Lisa's Chaos. This is what I created and mailed off:
(See, Alyeska? I really can part with one of my tiny bears if I make it knowing I'm giving it away!)

And this is what I received in return. My exchange partner, Robinella at Not a Stepford Wife, actually put some homework into creating her lovely ornament, and she painted two of my original snowflake designs onto a glass ornament!!! Isn't it simply gorgeous?!?
This swap was a fun thing to do. Meeting people all over the world who have the same interests, dreams and hopes is a miracle, something that didn't happen so easily 20 years ago. Blogging has opened so many doors for me, and I'm just getting started!

I've enjoyed "meeting" both Lisa and Robinella, and I've enjoyed "meeting" so many readers from all over the globe. What a wonderful way to start off the Christmas season!

23 November 2009

Free at Last!

Guess what I have in my hot little hands!!! Two DVDs of more than 600 retouched Makeover Madness photos! Actually, they are not in my hands... they are in the DVD drive and being uploaded for printing as I type.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

I thought I'd finish the retouching Friday night. But with just 14 photos left to go, I could no longer keep my eyes open. I retired for the night unfinished.

Because I thought I was so close to done, I splurged Saturday morning and shot the sunrise for the first time in what feels like forever. Jackpot, too. I could not have picked a more perfect sunrise or location to shoot. Watch for Wordless Wednesday.

When I got back home, My Dear Lizard wanted to go on a bike ride, being as the weather was so perfect. So off we went, me wasting a good three hours when I could have been retouching. But I had only 14 photos left to go. I could afford such luxury. I was one happy camper. Or maybe I should say happy cyclist...

About 5 p.m., I picked up where I'd left off on the retouching and finished at 6:08. You should have seen my happy dance!

But then a couple of hours later as I was building the slide shows I make for each girl, I found another folder of photos. One more girl. And of course, it would have to be the one who needed the most retouching. My heart sank.

I finally finished the last round of retouching (and this time I did make sure no other untouched folders were lurking in the dark recesses of my hard drive) at 11:38 p.m. I slept through the sunrise Sunday morning, sang a duet in church, served in the nursery of my new ward for the first time, then made sugarless maple pumpkin muffin crowns for the women I visit teach, went visiting teaching, and picked up the slide show project once again after dinner. I really, really, really wanted to be done last night. I had planned to do another snowflake pattern today.

But it was not to be. Once again, I had to go to bed before I finished because I could no longer keep my eyes open, and I had to get up in time to be at work today.

At 6:10 this morning, I finished the last of the slideshows, got everything backed up in three different locations and then burned DVDs, still making it to work on time! Now I just have to order the pictures and schedule the scrapbooking party for all my volunteers to assemble the photos into albums and fill the gift bags, and the residential treatment center will be getting Santa early!

It feels SO good to be done!!!

20 November 2009

Time for Me to Fly

I'm going almost wordless once again. Because it's been one of those weeks...

19 November 2009

Eye Candy

I'm almost done with my retouching project, and then I get to go back to a normal life. Until then, here we go again... Today's installment is the result of my playing around with various Photoshop filter and plug-in combinations following a trip to Moab last Thanksgiving.* I have no monetary interest in Photoshop or any filters or plug-ins and am not being compensated for mentioning them; I just love manipulating photos and sharing what I've done.

17 November 2009

Eye Candy

Still plugging away on my retouching project, so you have to put up with just a wee bit more photography...

Today's installment is a study of contrast in texture.


16 November 2009

100!

I've cycled 100 miles in a day. They call that a Century Ride.

I've crocheted 100 (or more) teddy bears and 100 (or more) snowflakes in the last 13 months. I've held a $100 bill in my hands, and even better, I've deposited one in my savings. Several times, I'm very proud to report!

I've done 100 situps at a time. I've shot 100 photos in an hour. Several times. I've climbed 60 flights of stairs more than 100 times in the last two years, and I've done more than 100 flights of stairs in a day 16 times since I began climbing stairs.

And now I've done 100 blahg posts!

To think that back in June, I was terrified I might not have enough creative ideas to fill a blahg. I procrastinated starting my blahg for nearly two years because I was so apprehensive of adding one more thing to my already full plate.

I wanted this post to be special, so I was really hoping I might photograph something spectacular over the weekend. We had 13 inches of snow in our second significant accumulation of the season, and my photo excursions did not disappoint!

This is one very happy Century Blahg Post!

13 November 2009

Fingerprint Friday

This year's handmade scarves are beginning to roll in...

I do several charity projects throughout the year, but the one at Christmas-time always takes the biggest bite out of my time. But I could never do this project alone. Each year, this particular project demonstrates the amazing generosity of my friends and co-workers.

For about six or seven years now, a bunch of my co-workers and friends have been spending a Saturday or Sunday, usually in November, at a residential treatment center for high-risk teenage girls. My friends and co-workers do the girls' makeup and hair, and then one of my co-workers uses boas, fake furs, jewelry and other fun props to model the girls while I shoot glamor-type portraits. The girls are all showered with attention as we try to bring out the best in them. We call it Makeover Madness.

I then retouch and print the portraits, and then a HUGE group of my friends and co-workers helps assemble the photos into albums we sprinkle with motivational quotes. We stick the albums into gift bags (which are donated and recycled by all kinds of folks) filled with all kinds of gifts (again donated by all kinds of folks). Then a group of us plays Santa and delivers the bags out to the girls in December.

Each girl gets a handmade scarf made by one of my friends or co-workers. I can't even begin to tell you how many people have learned how to knit or crochet specifically for this project. Some of them don't make anything the entire rest of the year. They do just this. They do it for me, because I ask for help, and they do it because it makes them feel good inside.

For hopefully obvious reasons, I can't share pictures of the girls or give any details at all about the bonding I witness each year as we do this. The expressions on the girls' faces when they dive into their bags, hungrily looking for those photo albums, and then their expressions when they see they really can be beautiful are so worth every ounce of time, energy and sacrifice it takes to do this year after year. The girls excitedly share their photos with each other and with their staff. We always include extra photos they can give away as Christmas (or other) gifts. (Yes, we respect the beliefs of those who don't celebrate Christmas.)

I'm very grateful to be allowed to share my talents, and I'm so grateful for my friends and co-workers. I'm grateful we were able to pull it off once again this year, even though this year has been a financial struggle for so many.

***
Steven Curtis Chapman sings:

I can see the fingerprints of God
When I look at you
I can see the fingerprints of God
And I know its true
You're a masterpiece
That all creation quietly applauds
And you're covered with
The fingerprints of God

PamperingBeki challenges bloggers each Friday to discover, recognize and see God's fingerprints and share them with the rest of the world. See instructions to join in here. Also check the other blogs linked there to see more great Fingerprints!

Friday Funny

Good thing I wasn't sipping water when I watched this one. My computer would have been all wet!

And here is the link in case you can't view it above.

12 November 2009

Eye Candy

This was the original photo.

This is the same photo after running it through a kaliedoscope filter in Photoshop.

* I have no monetary interest in Photoshop and am not being compensated for mentioning it; I just love using the program, I love sharing my experience with it, and I am very busy with other projects right now and don't have time to write about anything else.

10 November 2009

Eye Candy

Yet another digital quilt. This one is comprised of sunrise and sunset shots during my first year of owning a DSLR camera (a Nikon D300).

* I have no monetary interest in Photoshop and am not being compensated for mentioning it; I just love using the program, I love sharing my experience with it, and I am very busy with other projects right now and don't have time to write about anything else.

09 November 2009

Snowflake Monday


Have you ever finished what you thought was a perfect flake, only to have rusty blemishes marring it when you remove the pins?

Three of my flakes have suffered that fate in the last month.

The first thing I learned is it's okay to throw out ten-year-old pins and buy a new box. And then I learned white fingernail polish has just the right magic to fix a faulty flake.

I suppose typewriter correction fluid or bleach might work, too. But I've not tried them. I did dab a few snowflakes with fingernail polish, and I'm completely satisfied with the results.


Because I didn't want to share just a tip on how to fix a defective flake, I decided to quickly jot down yet one more pattern. Makes a nice (and much-needed) break from zapping zits on teenagers, which is what I'll be doing with Photoshop during most of my spare time for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes I think I'd rather be crocheting!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but please do not sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 4 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 11 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or foil, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Rust Spot Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc into ring; sl st in 1st sc.

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in same sc, *ch 8, skip 1 sc, sc in next sc; repeat from * around for a total of 6 chain loops, ending with ch 8, join in first sc of round; bind off.

Round 3: Join in top of any ch 8 loop, sc in same loop, *ch 13, sl st in 10th ch from hook, ch 3, sc in next chain loop; repeat from * around, ending with sl st in first sc of round.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: *4 sc across next ch 3, sc into ch 10 loop, ch 5, sc into same loop, ch 7, sc into same loop, ch 9, sc into same loop, ch 11, sc into same loop, ch 9, sc into same loop, ch 7, sc into same loop, ch 5, sc into same loop, 4 sc across next ch 3p repeat from * around, ending with sl st in first sc of round, bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

06 November 2009

Friday Funny

You probably need to know I'm a stairclimbing enthusiast to understand why I find this so enjoyable.


Here is a link if, like me, you are unable to see embedded videos.

05 November 2009

Eye Candy

My latest digital quilt, with fabric I want to quilt with for real...

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