Miracles of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is coming and a Hanukkah party with a scavenger hunt is going on now to get everyone in the mood. There are wonderful prizes and great creations waiting to be discovered. There are 37 shops taking part in the party. Check it out! Look for the menorahs in the shops and win prizes! Go to http://etsychai.blogspot.com/2009/11/miracles-of-hanukkah-promotion-sales.html and click on the links. Get your Christmas, ahem, Hanukkah shopping list done with wonderful gifts....and have a jelly doughnut while you're there. L'Chiaim!

Unpaper Napkins

Having done away with paper napkins in my home years ago, I was happy to find people who embrace the idea of unpaper napkins. When I did it, I was considered a firebrand, one of those long-haired hippie folks. The first time I made cloth napkins, I just grabbed some fabric from my sewing closet, a pair of pinking shears, and cut some squares. Imagine my surprise when I found the way Etsians do napkins! I've made some cute ones but check these out! Here's some examples: Jazz Brunch Cotton Napkins by ME2Designs I love the colors in this fabric. It makes me think of New Orleans and Sunday brunch. Set of four cloth Hanukkah dinner napkins -AprilAdelsonDesigns Sweet napkins just right for potato latkes or jelly doughnuts! Owls and Trees Fabric Napkins from thepurpleoctopus The colors are so vivid, absolutely lovely. They would look great on a Thanksgiving table. I am so glad people are using cloth instead of buying paper. It saves so much money, not to mention trees. We all have to do our part, but these Etsians show how doing our part can be done so beautifully!

Tin Can Flowers Tutorial

I have the hardest time growing flowers in my yard. Maybe it's the trees. I have lots of oak trees, big beautiful oak trees, that give shade and protect the house from the wind. The down side is there is a lot of shade, the ground is acidic, and the soil is poor. I've tried lots of plants, killed them really, no matter how much organic matter or water they get, they still die, so I got very excited when I found this book, Decorating Inside and Out from Leisure Arts, about tin can flowers. It is perfect for the recycler in me. I made them. They look whimsical and cute. All you need are tin and aluminum cans, tin snips, wire, paint, a hammer, 1 nail and paint. Here's how I did it: Save your cans and the lids. You can use any size. Remove the labels. Wash them well, but be careful and watch for sharp edges. Cut the cans from the end to the center using your tin snips. Curl the strips down so they form petals. Next, cut leaves from aluminum cans. Now's the time you need the hammer and nail. With you nail, put 2 holes into the end of the leaves and 2 holes in the center of each flower. Now, take your project outside or somewhere where it is safe to paint. Don't forget to wear a mask so you don't breathe in paint. I paint the centers first. For these flowers, I painted the centers black. When the centers were dry, I covered them and then painted the petals. Then I painted the leaves green. Here's what the flower looks like when the paint is dry. Now, take some wire (green Floral Wire is the best) and run the wire through the holes punched in the leaves and the flowers in the pattern that pleases you best. Now your flowering tin can vine is ready for the fence or anywhere you want some color. Just think, flowers that don't have to be watered, won't die, and will stay blooming right through the winter!

Winding Yarn

I found this Royal Yarn Winder in my travels and I started to think about yarn. I know so little about yarn. I used to knit and crochet but my knowledge of yarn was limited to what I found at Woolworth's. Nowadays, there are so many different yarns made of so many different materials. What I see at Michael's or JoAnne's is nothing compared to some of the incredible yarns available on Etsy. One seller, MishMashYarns, sells recycled yarns rescued from sweaters destined for the dump. The yarn is outrageously beautiful. Another seller, Lollyarn, pulls, cards, dyes, and spins the fibers by hand...from her own Angora rabbits. The colors of the yarns are scrumptious. Then, there is Liberty Fiber who creates hand dyed yarns, rovings, and wool yardage. The work is amazing! Who knew? Lollyarn's creation LibertyFiber's yarn

Amelia Earhart

What happened to Amelia Earhart was one of the great mysteries of the last century. A daring, brave, and beautiful woman, she was greatly admired by many and still is today. The new movie about her starring Hilary Swank and Richard Gere celebrates her life and brings her story back into the public eye. With that said, you'll can just imagine the excitement I felt when I found this sweet vintage Amelia Earhart train case. Until that moment, I didn't even know Amelia Earhart had a line of luggage. No mirror or key, but it still is in very good condition. Just sweet!