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What Was I Thinking!!

 I have been at this a long time! 20 years in fact. I have had a lot of fun over the years and had my share of recognition when this medium ...

Showing posts with label try something new. Show all posts
Showing posts with label try something new. Show all posts

I Got The Tie Dye Bug!

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I am a tie dye junkie, most of my clothes are tie dyed, and it is rare that I don't leave the house with at least one thing tie dyed on my body.

Back in the spring, we (me, my daughter, her bestie and daughter) tried 'staining' as tie dye. Using all the things that stain your clothes as the dye, ya know, coffee, red wine, mustard. It was a fun experiment, and the result were interesting. I think it would have been better if we would have let it sit several days, instead of an hour :)

A few weeks ago, my daughter hit me up, she had bought some liquid rit dye, and was going to re do her stained shirt. EXCITING!! We then devised a plan based on our limited knowledge of tie dying and the experiences we had had with rit dye. 
1. use vinegar and water to wet the shirt
2. rubber band it
3. dye it
4. let it set a week
5. rinse, wash, wear

Her shirt turned out awesome!


Well now I caught the bug. I used liquid rit, soaked shirts in salt water (which i have now found out doesn't work with rit) and set the color with vinegar water, that does work!

I didn't document my first process with rit, so I did it again with two shirts so I can do a comparison when my professional dyes come next week. Yes! I jumped in with both feet, and I am going to start tie dying!!!

This is my first attempt. This is a rayon type fabric? was done with rit dye, soaked in vinegar water, and let set for 1 week before rinsing - SLAY!

This is a cotton dress, done in salt water, and let set for 4 days, washed and dried. Pretty, but not as bold as I wanted. 


Here is one of my favorite shirts, stained of course. Gauze material. Soaked in salt water and rubber banded randomly. 




here is another fav shirt, of course coffee stained.... I did the crinkle style on this one. 


both shirts, crinkle on left, random on right


I put a rack over a plastic bowl and used squirt bottles to apply the dye. This way, I could pour the dye down the sink, and not make such a mess. 




welcome to the house of a creative! we have no shame in our creating game, and use the whole house :)



i learned my lesson from the last tie dye session and i hung these two shirts in the shower to air for a week before rinsing. The first time I did it, I had them on racks on the shower floor, but due to all the salt, there was tons of rust, and it ruined the racks. Now we wait a week!


Thanks Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! 


Tune in again next week for the reveal and the final vinegar setting process!!!

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

March - Make It Month! Butternut Squash Soup


March is National Craft Month, why can't cooking be your craft?!? That is what I am doing today on this rainy Saturday

One of the Dr's at work was going on about a soup she had made, and told me about it because it was a vegan recipe.  It sounded delish, and I couldn't wait to try it. Her soup was apple, butternut squash, sweet potato and veggie broth. I took it up a notch. 

I started with what she used, and I added garlic, green onions (not that big sweet onion) celery, ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon and pepper. I opted out adding salt due to the sodium content of the veggie broth. 



Chop 2 green onion


Squash and mince 2 cloves of garlci


Chop 2 stalks of celery


Peel, core and chunk up an apple (this is a gala)


Peel and chunk a sweet potato


Peel, core and chunk a butternut squash


1 Tablespoon tiki masala curry powder


1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Mince 1 Tablespoon garlic



Throw it all in your crock pot with 3 cups of veggie stock and set it to high
Let it go for about 4 - 5 hours. Now if you have an immersible blender, it would work great for this, and make it wonderfully smooth. I used a potato masher, and got an amazing texture for this soup.


It just all fell apart from cooking in the crock pot all day. I really just stirred it a few times for this amazing, hearty, stew like soup.
Sprinkled with hemp seeds and a fat slice of bread for dunking. 

Man what a great bowl of soup!!!!!

And as always, Be peaceful, Be kind. 
Remember to explore, create, dream, imagine and discover!

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

On a Copper Kick with Rings & Things

Since becoming a Blog Partner with Rings & Things, I have had the oppurtuinity to try so many new and exciting products. It has allowed me to try things I never would have before and has also got me hooked on a few things that I can not live with out.

One of them is copper.

I have been on a copper kick and I don't see it ending soon :)

This last go round along with my order to Rings & Things, I also able to add a few items to the list 'gratis' for being a Blog Partner. So what did I choose??

Copper :) I chose several different copper beads to use as accents with my new summer pieces. To me, copper is a great accent to summer. It is warm and inviting, the way it tarnish's it has an old friend feel - a comfort to me.

Here are some things accented with those great copper beads!

Sesame jasper slabs, accented with Czech crystals and 26-823 Bead, Copper Plated, Triangle Heishi (Copper Plated) * I love these Heishi beads, the go with any design. The copper plating most likely will prevent them from tarnishing to quickly and keep them bright. A great accent to the dark faceted crystals.


Dyed crazy lace agate, carnelian and quartz with 49-954-05-AC Bead, Cast, Flower, 5mm (Antiqued Copper Plated) * accents. Here is the SQUEEEEE for me - can you see the little copper bicones? (26-814-13 Bead, Copper, Bicone, 3mm (Copper) *) Next to the toggle? OMG they are the coolest thing ever! I love them. Can you get them faceted? I would have no need for swarovski crystals again!


Here is some fun with the triangle heishi beads and the bicones. Want a bead cap? Need a bead cap? Don't have a bead cap? Create the illusion of a bead cap by stacking these little beauties on your bead! They make the perfect accent to these earrings!





Not only has Rings & Things encouraged me to work with and try new products - they also entice me with things like this - Seriously!!!



I can't stand it!!! I am counting down the days when they will be in town for the bead tour. I can't wait to see this stuff up close and personal. I'll have my camera and will take lots of pics! Stay tuned kids there is so much more coming!!


*FTC compliance disclosure: the '*' items mentioned in this post credited to Rings & ThingsBlog Partner Program. These items are for review or design purposes. Find out more about the Rings & Things Blog Partner Program were provided as a promotional gift as part of the
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