Crafters- What are you making???

[Scrambled Egg]

I've been making apple butter and have several jars of that in the freezer (easy crock pot recipe - no actual canning required - although I have done that in years past & made salsa). Also several crocheted afghans and I was thinking about chicken bread dough ornaments for my co-workers. These would be great for a scout troop (speaking from years of experience as a girl scout troop leader!). Ann Clark makes big cookie cutters in the chicken and rooster shape for about 4 dollars a piece --course cookies would be good too!! The ornaments can be painted and shellaced. One year I made lots of co-worker ornaments out of what are called gourd eggs (found them on ebay) painted them, shellaced them and put a teeny eye hook in the top with some super glue to hold it and put a twisted, beaded homeade hook on them --cute! I did some wolfpack & tarheel themed ones too, those went over well. I Have also made what seemed like zillions of those beaded spider ornaments that marymaxim.com sells and printed those "legend of the christmas spider" tales to attach to them --they went over great and people still talk about putting them in their trees every year. Needless to say, I love to craft!!

 

[blossom hen]

I'm probably making cakes and candies. Not been feeling too well and have let it get too late to do anything very elaborate. In the past I've made handmade cards; baskets of various jams, jellies and breads; crocheted hats and mittens; wall clocks; beaded jewelry. Made santas and snowmen one year out of bowling pins. ChickieDee, kids could do that. Our alley sells the used pins for $1 each. Snowman, spray it all white, then let the kids paint on the features.. You can paint a scarf around the "neck" or use strips of wool and tie one on - probably easier for the kids. The santas are a little more complex.


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[Marlinchaser]

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have you done the pinecone with PB and bird seed, mom gets something and it doesn't go to waste. And its easy we did them to be ornaments on the tree then hung outside for the birds when the tree comes down(ours never went on tree or at night the dog would have ate it)

 

[Marlinchaser]

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Hey dont bad mouth MissPrissy she actually does her own crafts and cooking Could you immagine what she could do with a staff to do all her work?? She couldn't squeeze it into an hour show.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've always used a hammer to open black walnuts.

 

[Marlinchaser]

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do you just let them dry out first, wait till green fall off?

 

[MissPrissy]

You are all nuts! LOL Thank you for the kindness you show me.

The only thing I wish I had or was like Martha Stewart is her finances. LOL I think the days of her oringinality are over. She pays people to think up things for her these days. But there is one thing she used to make that I thought was one of the best ideas. She used to put together shoes care kits and emeergency kits to kep in your car for gifts. I love those ideas but have not copied them - yet. LOL

For the black walnuts this is what we do-

When they fall out of the tree we use our feet in old shows when we walk past the barn to go out to the poultry barn and roll the hard inner nut out of the green hull. Don't touch them without gloves you will have black stains that have to wear off. hence 'black walnut' as a color of wood stain.

We leave those on the ground for a couple of days to cure.

Then we use a nut gatherer thingy and pick them up.

We dump them on some wire frames my husband made so that they can dry and cure.

http://www.bigredcouch.com/journal/archives/2007/10/black-walnuts.html

You can read my blog post about the black walnuts and see the photos.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Scrambled Egg, are you going to the craft fair towards the end of the month? Southernchick will be there selling her soaps. I plan to go, and it would be nice to meet you both and get some Christmas shopping done at the same time.

 

[Marlinchaser]

MissPrissy Just read blog about walnuts, and totally agree with you about pecan tree we had two when in SC never weighed them but had 5 gallon buckets full everyyear, and everyone that came to visit took a bag full home with them and we never ran out. Now have this walnut tree denting the car and making a mess in the yard.

 

[hoosierhen]

Homemade gifts are the best! I love to get consumables-food, soap, candles etc.. Things I can use, enjoy, and not have to dust all year! Blankets and ornaments are good too! (which is what we're making here as gifts.) Also, for my sister and her husband, and my brother and his wife- I am fixing each couple a meal of their choice- A romantic dinner for 2, or a picnic/tailgate basket. I will fix what they want when they want it. I will either cook it at their house, or fix it and deliver it. I love to cook, so it will be fun!