A to Z Challenge Reflections for 2018

Wow, what a ride April was! I actually managed to do all 26 posts and on time non the less! Haven't gotten the shirt yet, (as pictured above) but I think I should! 

I will start by saying that I've put together a few events in person and I can't imagine trying to put something like this together, something of this scope and all on the Internet! The A to Z team did a great job, as usual and I commend them! 

This was my first start for blogging A to Z in April, two with another blog. One I finished and one I almost finished, so when I decided to do it this year I had a some experience as to what I should do to make it a success at least in my mind. I jumped in but with some planning. I did my research and wrote and scheduled posts at least a week in advance just in case something came up. That taught me a valuable lesson, planning is everything and I'll continue to do that in the future, see you can teach old dogs new tricks!

I had blogged on reusing/upcycling and I used the "craft" category for most of it because I think that is almost were it fit in. Although I would consider the ideas as crafty, the category may have not resonated with others. If I were to do this again, I'd do something more out of the box...maybe.

I can say I found lots of new blogs to read! I need to update my reading list on the blog so that hopefully I'll introduce someone else to these great reads. After all that's what it's really all about right? I learned about Hungarian folktales from The Multicolored Diary and saw lots of wonderful craft and vintage ideas too. So many ideas and so much to read, I'll be following up with all of the ideas this summer during the "road trip", too.

To everyone that stopped by, THANKS and I hope that you had as much fun as I did with the A to Z Challenge. This was my attempt to get back in to blogging and I think it will encourage me to keep on track and continue to share our stories! Have a great summer and I'll talk to you soon.

Week 44 Year of Projects

The weather has been so nice this week, that I've been working outside until late after work so that doesn't leave much time for crochet. But I do have a finish on a special request.

A while back I had finally finished up a set of play vegetables. One of them was a beet.

My daughter and her best friend who are vegan immediately requested a beet pillow! I've got a couple of other items on the hooks but then I heard that Jessie is opening a vegan store! I was inspired to go ahead and start those pillows! It took me a bit to get the right shape. I was trying to start at the bottom  like I had done with the turnip and beet above but I just couldn't get a shape I was happy with. So I switched to the top and it finally came together! Now I just have to duplicate it again. I think I'll write it down this time so I can make more in the future for the shop, along with some other vegetables. 

The really fun, cosmic alignment part is that while I was working on these secretly of course, They were supposed to be a surprise for them. Jessie sent me a message and said she had finally come up with a name for the store... Up_Beet Market! So now I really have to get this out to her before the store opens! 

It's raining and the lighting is horrible but I just had to share these..lol

I think they'll love it, now I just have to dive back in and get the second one completed. Working with the bulky yarn is a work out, at least I'm getting some exercise today!

I've got a couple more layers on my rainbow ripple and a couple of squares joined on the peach blossom blanket. no pictures but hopefully a finish or almost finish for next week.

Be sure to check out the other Yoppers on Ravelry or join us each Sunday for updates.

Bookish Tuesday- Hold Back the Dark

Kay Hooper's Hold Back The Dark is number 18 in the Bishop/SCU series and it was wonderful until it wasn't. I'm a fan of Kay Hooper and have read all of her books and the Bishop Novels are seriously my favorites. Kay Hooper lives in North Carolina as do I and many of her books are located in the western part of the state, imaginary towns but they have the feel of the area. The Bishop novels can be read as stand alone but to get a full understanding you'll want to start at the beginning. The author does include a great appendix that gives information on the characters and their abilities which helps but to really understand some of the issues you'll need to start from scratch.

Hold Back The Dark starts out with a bang, almost a literal bang, and ends with a thud. Another hundred pages wouldn't have hurt either. We're introduced to a great new cast of characters and brought up to date on our old favorites, then the story really gets good or gruesome, depending on your point of view and then it's over. Just like that, it leaves you wondering how many pages were cut and why. It doesn't have a cliffhanger, there is a conclusion and a set up for the next part of the series but nonetheless it wasn't as satisfying as a normal Kay Hooper novel.


The basis of the story is that something horrific is happening in the town of Prosperity, that results in an all out call for help from a mysterious source to psychic all over the United States. Bishop and his team, plus new characters are responding to the call. Once they arrive there are quickly a series of murders. done by the most unlikely of killers. Tragedy strikes in the small town, one after the other and the team has to move quickly before the town is taken over and the evil escapes.

I'm hoping that there are new books in the works with more details and that the new characters are brought back for more cases. It's worth the read if you're a Kay Hooper fan but as a stand alone, not so much.

Zipping it up with Z

It's Monday again, the last day of April and this is my last installment of the A to Z Challenge for 2018! I'm so excited that I made it and that you have followed along! Today we're talking DIY Zipper Crafts to close out the month.

That's right zippers aren't just for jeans anymore. They make seriously cute jewelry! Broaches and Bracelets and pendants too! Check out these ideas and see what else you can think of to reuse those connectors for!

Let's start with something for the guys, or girls ties aren't just a man's domain anymore, thanks to the 80's I wore my fair share. This zipper Bow Tie tutorial breaks it all down step by step so you can create one of your own in just a zip!

Via Artz Creations-  Super simple- Super Cute and they come in a wide range of colors

Here's another Bow .. for your hair this time. 

Simona Tela added a few beads and created a work of art

These bracelets are totally wearable Art and can include all parts of  jeans and tees.

Downloadable Tutorial at Cloth Paper Scissors

How about a these flowers done by Pretty Little Somethings that could be added to a pin, hair piece or any other type of craft as an embelishment

Maya Road created these trees as well as a wreath more info is available on her blog

And since it is spring let's zip up the A to Z Challenge with this dragonfly tutorial that would be great to do as a craft with little ones

via Help me Rhonda

Well it's surely been fun on my side! I hope that everyone reading picked up at least one new idea about upcycling and that it keeps a couple of items from clogging up the dump! I've visited blogs and ready stories, learned about new places and ideas and generally had a great time! Be sure to check out the master list and the daily letter lists to find something new to you. You might just find your new favorite blogs, hopefully one of those could be mine. 

If you are new to my blog I normally talk about Crafting, Upcycling, Farm life and Books, you are more than welcome to stop by anytime. Thanks for visiting with me this month and have a Crafty Year!

Week 44 Year of Project Post

Just a Quick check in for the Year of Projects,

I've finally gotten a couple of squares joined on the Peach Blossom Blanket. I'm doing the Celtic Lace join by Cypress Textiles. I was happy with the original squares and I was planning a Lacey boarder but this is even better. Here's some progress.

It's going to need a bit more blocking after this .. It's another 4 rounds to the original squares so it will be a bit bigger than I had originally planed but that's another plus too.

Made some progress on the rainbow ripple too

I think I have the repeats worked out to get the size I want hopefully I'll see a finish quickly.

It's been a busy week, spring is finally here so I've made a bit of Jam to celebrate..lol

I've also had a bunch of projects sitting around waiting for me to get around to them, one of them was a vintage bird feeder out of a sugar bowl that I had picked up at a thrift shop a couple of weeks ago.

The birds have enjoyed it and it's a nice addition to my patio garden. And I'm glad to move it into the done column.

I've also managed to put together a couple of "wreaths", one for my door and one for a friend. The one for my door was from a wooden frame I had been holding on to for a while.  A little paint and a bow and it's ready to go.

The second is for a friend, a rag wreath, I'll be making some more of these, it was actually fun and I love the way it looks. I think it would be a great add to my Etsy store. Just in time for the Holidays.

I'm hoping to have a bit more Crochet time in the next coupe of weeks. I fell off of my cold sheep wagon and picked up a couple of Lion Brand Mandala Baby Cakes at Walmart for 3.97. I had been seeing people posting that they were getting them even cheaper than that and I never go into Walmart, but I had to go by today so I ran into them so I caved. I've been really good so a small stumble isn't too bad. 

Monday is the last day of the A to Z Challenge and I've been ahead of the process this time. I've enjoyed it but I'm glad to see the end of it too. Plus I picked up way to many ideas! 

If you're interested in more posts from the Yopers check them out on Ravelry!

Y? Because the A to Z Challenge is Almost Over

Yardsticks were once a very popular type of advertising. It was a simple product, something everyone had in their home, easy to brand and an item in demand. My Grandmother had a couple I remember one from the feed store, another from the fabric store of course and a few others. Along with the folding ones, carpenter rulers I think they are called, that my grandfather kept in the barn. Now you see them at Lowes and other hardware type stores, Most fabric stores have closed and no one is giving them away any more. But if you run across any vintage ones be sure to jump on them. The prices are climbing and there is a limited supply of the antiques after all.

So once you have these sturdy everyday items what in the world do you do with them?

Why decorate of course!

I've seen these Stars and Trees at Christmas time, (also made from Tobacco sticks)

Find this easy to follow how to at Organized Clutter 

They are wood so it only stands to reason that they would make a interesting veneer for table tops.

via Blue Star Antiques

Mandi at Save it for a Rainy Day gives us the details on how to create this yardstick Coat rack

 

And my favorite is using them on stair risers. I'm totally in love with this idea!

Doesn't just scream farm house?

If all you run across is pieces, never fear there are ideas for those too! Key chains and drawer pulls or even jewelry. Everything that is old will be new again or so they say.. I'm closing out this week and looking forward to Monday and Z! Besure to join me as I zip up the 2018 A to Z Challenge in style

xylophone for chickens

Since you guys have been such good sports, and hung in there for all of these posts, I thought I would use X for something fun! We have chickens and they are pretty smart when they want to be. So we've been working with them, trying to teach them new things. They are seriously food oriented..so they are enjoying the process too. I've seen some videos about keeping chickens entertained when they are "cooped" up. We try to let them free range as much as possible but we can't always supervise them so they do spend more time that they care for in the runs.

So I give you a short video for your entertainment of my chickens using their upcycled Xylophone..lol

Thanks for taking this crazy A to Z journey with me and I hope that you hang around after also!

You never know what will pop up..lol