Somethings Old, New, Green, Redo!

Sunday, November 5, 2023

October "Flew" a Mind Meander

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Wow, October came and flew out the window with all the witches and goblins.

I've neglected the blogs---but golly, OCTOBER was busy.

First, I have to be very careful of my shoulder...the cortisone has worn off and each day is good or bad, or really awful, depending on how the crabby shoulder feels about doing anything. Flinging totes and racking leaves, pulling weeds are all on the NOT REALLY list. I try, and then give up quickly.

My Gardening has been limited. The vegetable garden NEVER got fully planted, and the corn, beans, peas, pumpkins, squash we planted, didn't produce for us. TWO beans---out of 4 packages.

Yikes, the worst year ever. Peppers were okay, we did have fresh broccoli, chard, and tomatoes,

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The last of our tomatoes...ripening in the window.

and fresh cucumbers all summer and into Fall.

The garden still needs to be emptied and tilled, which is this weekend's project.

Late in October I finally cleared the flower bed by the pond and got new mulch to protect the plants for winter, that was my Spring clean-up. We did get all the bushes trimmed and many branches cut down and dealt with. Hubby has really had to crank as these are the things I usually do.

Socially we had a fish boil, and three family events in October

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Here are Cupcakes decorated as a family project before a Sunday dinner!

... and we saw a play, and had dinner out four times with friends. That's actually a lot for us. I do get out with a friend to do some 'thrifting' or a fun event during the day, usually once a week, too. Hubby bowls and has breakfast out twice a week and runs errands with a friend.

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Seriously what is more fun then family!

I usually plan an activity when everyone comes---we decorated red velvet cupcakes for Halloween. Lots of fun!

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My Grand, her grandmother from the Phillipines..we are the same age and have lots of fun together!

In October, our only grand, turned 11, I can't believe that she is already a young lady. Time certainly flies the older you get.

I also did four Mather Institute projects which I will share more in a post. I had to go out and buy an iron to set the dyes we used for projects.

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The Bulk of my time in October, I spent on listings for my Etsy shop, over 134 different items. So, Figure a minimum of 8 photos each or 1,072 or more photos, all edited and information researched to verify age, condition, price and more. That is a my own personal record. Goal is 8 more totes or another 75 items for November, which ever comes first. I will be listing some wonderful handmade vintage mold and tart tins Christmas items this coming week.

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Treasures from all different times.

My mom's and my own stashes!

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Some of these are already gone...but you can visit my Etsy shop in the right column.

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And SALES were very good for me in October, with new items always generating interest in everything.

I did get through over 15 totes of vintage items, family linens and my own craft stashes to get all those new items listed. I'm over the ache of letting things go, it is time to wean and find homes for all the wonderful items my family and myself have collected. I also made several delivery trips to Goodwill and another favorite thrift store with donations. Use it, sell it, or LOSE IT...is the motto now!

We are still dealing with the fruit-basket-upset since the February flood. But, we managed to get all the saved totes out of the garage and, and the tent taken down after emptying and gone through, though some totes/boxes are still on the back porch. More of everything will have to be dealt with this month.

Doll wise---I attended the October Windy City Doll meeting and had a great time at that. The dolls are happily content to live in their houses and not pester me too much about getting out, for the moment!

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Our only home decorating for Fall was the buffet, and a few floral arrangements in the house.

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I've been terrible about sharing--but there has always been a stack of something somewhere in some state of disrepair or cleaning that screwed any photo taking. Who needs photos of chaos...when you are living in it.

I attempted to have little spots of normalcy with seasonal touches.

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It's surprising how well the oranges/reds work with all my blue and white!

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My herbs are now in the kitchen

Last week we brought the outside in...and my house plants have moved back inside the house, just in the knick of time. The huge Hibiscus plant was wheeled into our temp controlled garage...it's too heavy to lift at this point, and we have a grow light on a timer hooked up with it. I have three Mandillas that need to have new hanging pots---which will be a project this coming week, I will share.

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Mandillas---set in those clear bowls that will become hangers/Cross your fingers? The did get a bit of nipped from frost I think, I hope they recover.

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A double dracena/pony tail was happy on the front porch, and now shares the windows with my Ivy tree.

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Gnomes seem to not want to leave anything alone.

No apologies, they are from my Scandinavian heritage...so I just have to let them do

what they want to do. LOL!

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Waxing the counters is a seasonal chore...!

I never managed Spring cleaning with the mess in my shoulder, so I'm concentrating on a good clean now everywhere. We've had more electrical work done this last month, and now realize as seniors, we may have to have help with more regular things around the house and yard. We are hosting Thanksgiving, but not Christmas. And, I will be scaling back both holidays in order to deal more of the down-sizing project.

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The angle of the sun changes so this time of year, and my wood tones seem to come to life. I appreciate the sun now when it isn't so blistering hot.

So, that is the plan for November, and I promise to share!

Sending wishes that you all are Healthy and Happy, and please keep my blog and our journey in mind, as I try and do a few posts here and there.

Starting November cleaning in the kitchen...NOW!

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I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi

Friday, October 20, 2023

A NEW experience, Mather Institute Art kits and program for Seniors.

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I got this Fun box of goodies in the Mail....

https://oldnewgreenredoblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-new-experience-mather-institute-art.html

A few weeks ago, I received my Mather Institute free craft box for online fibre craft class for seniors in Illinois. In the sandwich bags are three colors of very potent dyes, which I have re-bagged. Included was, some drawn and detailed instruction sheets as well as a bit of history on the seven techniques we will do, once a week. Also included were a little spray bottle, gloves, steaming bag, and lots more we will use another day.

Mather also has a facebook group for all the participants to share their projects, and every project is so different!

The box contents doesn't look terribly exciting, but I will show each of the techniques, processes, my successes and failures as we go along.

The technique today was Shibori, a Japanese technique usually done in one color by folding and dipping edges of your folded shape to produce a unique design. Like tie-dye, no pieces will ever be alike.

Here's a directions sheet, we had 2 styles shown to us today, I chose the other which was basically folding your fabrics into tiny packages and dipping the corners.

The instruction package also includes some fun ideas and history of other fibre techniques. The moderator/instructor on the Zoom meeting or video if you choose is excellent, and we were able to ask live questions in the Zoom meeting. Currently they have 2000 people taking this class in three sections. Not everyone participates, but it is interesting to meet others in the smaller sub groups---3-5...people.

This is the large piece of cotton included in the kit.

I cheated a bit and double dipped here and there...After the dyeing process, you basically cook the fabric in the microwave for 2 minutes, twice with a rest of 1 min in between.

I think I misunderstood the directions and added water to my first bag which cause a lot of muddling. I didn't do it on the others and those have colors much brighter.

This is an old linen napkin from the 50's with a blue border that has a spot on it...I presoaked this in water and vinegar for 10 minutes, squeezed out the excess and it was ready for dyeing. All natural fabrics, yarns, threads take the dyes better.

The fabric included in the kit was a large square of Cotton with finished edges. Here you can see I triangle folded and then folded all the corners in, here the dyes are quite bright, but this is the one I added water to and it really bled into each color.

Something really important when doing a huge group project is realizing, not everything is going to go perfect. This week I chose not to see the video before the meeting, and then I was scrambling to follow, plus I did this in my kitchen which I was concerned in messing with all this potent dye.

The Middle piece is one of the long silk scarves included in the kit. I wanted a Fall combo, so I double dipped lots of yellow then blue and red....to get orange and green.

We are going to do a weaving project, so I quick did some bundles of cotton string.

Exciting to peek in the bag out of the microwave....wow, the steam got the camera...

Sandi, slow down...I felt like a kid on Christmas...

Ooooh, look at those bright colors on another linen piece, some really messed up antique fabric square I had---I plan to cut into strip for weaving.

Here is some the pieces I did today, all with done with just five 1/4 tsp. of dyes, vinegar, and lots of water and a bit of mess...perfect way to spend on a miserable Fall day. The bright colored piece at the right was an old placemat woven in Denmark with threads woven in from the 1950's. So, a dye job is a great way to SAVE it...!

Online, I got to meet with other seniors...see their projects and find out things we have in common.

More on the Mather Institute in the future. TOMORROW we will see the final results! Such a fun way to spend an hour and a half.

By all means, search SHIBORI dyeing and take a looksee at all the fabulous ways you can use this EASY technique. So this is the perfect

OLD, NEW, GREEN, REDO project!

Happy Crafting!

Have you tried a new craft lately,

Please SHARE!

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I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Inspire Me Tuesday

Sandi

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Halloween at our Haunted Mansion.

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We still aren't in full house-living mode, with so many totes and seasonal items displaced. I have only utilized what I have found so far...well, maybe next year?

Thursday I had my monthly doll club meeting, and this is the meeting where everyone goes nuts and brings 3 or more dolls to display in some spooktacular settings. This year was no different. I imagine there were more than 90 dolls at this meeting.

My dolls' seasonal is all messed up, too. I knew where I had one small box full of costumes, and I knew where this doll was and her fantastic dress. I paired her Venetian Muse gown, sans the crazy headpiece, and added a Vampire cape....her accessories are for the Halloween masked Ball, and of course a spare bottle of blood, just in case pickings were slim at the ball.

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Madam Venetian Muse said, "My Dearone, this bottle is near empty, would you like to step into my carriage and I'll whisk you away to my Chateau for a nightcap?!"

Mrrr aaaa HAahaHA-ha-Ha......!

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Another member's Fabulous Barbie House redone into a Haunted Mansion or Hotel....! all the rooms were full of spooky things and dolls!

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Of course the Bride of Frankenstein is leading the gals outside!'

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Costumes varied from Barbie Western, to classic, to Skellies!

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Another cute scene were the little kiddies...out for

Trick or Treating!

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How about Mattel's big American Girls ready for banging on doors for Treats and

SWEETS!

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I took Venetian Muse home and she almost looks like she is casting a spell on the toadstool.

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She is so over-the-top dramatic in black and white!

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At home, my Venetian Muse had to land on the Buffet.

Who could forget that rattling bass voice of Lurch?

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One of the fun things we did at the meeting was make this fabulous Vellum backdrop...some glue and paste as our craft host cut all the paper on a Circuit machine.

Helen BC is still center stage, but is joined with my artisan gourd cat...so cute.

My mom's antique copper coffee pot, some toadstools, Lurch's bell pull. Who could forget that rattling bass voice of Lurch?

"You Rang.....!"

I had fun with this, and moved it around until I thought it was done.

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Decorating differently each year is sometimes quite organic and always changing as the season goes along. Remove and add and it will be a quick change to Thanksgiving in a few weeks.

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My monster $Store Spider is just the right touch, they had been destined for the lamp post outside...but the weather has been too cruddy to work outside.

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Sitting on a artisan pumpkin, HelenBC is perfect for the season

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And the handmade backdrop is spooky for the setting!

This is all I will be doing for Halloween!

Hope you are having a

SPOOKTACULAR

Halloween SEASON!

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I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

Sandi

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Look who just FLEW in on her BROOM: The Witch on my Buffet

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The Witch on my Buffet!

Hi! This year has been disruptive, hectic, and intense. I've been unable to do much gardening, we are surrounded with totes and bins that still need to be dealt with, the house is a fright (having nothing to do with Halloween) and that may be for another two months.

Yesterday a package arrived of a 'great buy'; a doll I didn't even know was being made. One of my favorite actresses, Helena Bonham Carter, arrived a Mattel doll made for the Harry Potter series. Her character is Bellatrix LeStrange...the insane and dangerous witch vilan-ess.

Apparently she was at her best in the HPotter film, dark, daring, crazy, the perfect part for her. (I confess I fell asleep in the first movie, and haven't seen any of the others) But, the dolls from this series are so interesting. All are fully articulated and actually look like the actors themselves. I love the white bits in her fluffy signature ringlet hair.

Mattel outdid themselves, she is gorgeous. I adjusted her skirt, sheathed her wand, and let her visually cast magic on my buffet which is the only spot really decorated for Fall in our disaster home.

I just had to share, that I'm decorating a bit, but not really, except for the lovely Witch on my Buffet.

I may have to see that second HP movie!

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I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!

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