Postcard Swap

This is a postcard I drew for a swap on swap-bot. It is a companion swap to one they did a couple of weeks ago with a Valentine's day theme. I forgot to take a picture, but it included a large heart and it called for using pink and/or red in addition to the traditional black and white.


The rules for this postcard said that it had to use only black and white and that it was for March. Since I had just finished the Valentine's one it seemed reasonable to make this one with a shamrock for St. Patrick's day. As a rule I really like the plain black and white, but after adding pink to the other I had an urge to use green for this one, but I followed the rules.
The funny thing is that just by random chance in assigning partners, this one is going to the same person who got the other one. Hope she likes it.

Mosaic Monday

I have noticed that several blogs participate in something called Mosaic Monday. I have no idea if this is something formal, but I thought I would try it. Since the February theme for my year-long attempt to get ahead of Christmas is felt, I thought I would share some of my favorite felt images from flickr.



1. Leaf Felt Barrette 2. An Army of Hearts 3. Emily 4. Miniature Felt Dollhouse 5. Magical Red and Orange Felt Mushroom 6. Chocolate and Banana Felt Tart 7. Felt Flower Brooch 8. Treasure Reef 9. Bunnies Everywhere 10. Felt Village 11. Pink Scotty 12. feltybracelet 13. Felt Drops Necklace 14. Anabolas luziernagosas 15. Little Mushroom (necklace for kids) 16. Regenbogen

Now some of these are things that people make by forming the item as they felt the fibers. I have no plan of doing this at this time, but isn't it wonderful what they are making. The felt I am using is pre-made sheets. Craft felt. The cheap, non-wool type. But I am happy with how things are coming out and will share them with you soon.

Who Wants Dessert?

We came home from eating out and my son asked if anyone wanted dessert. He had been very interested in having one of the desserts at the restaurant, but we were all too full. By the time we made it home things had settled a bit and he offered to fix dessert for all of us. I was the only one who took him up on it, because I like to encourage him and because I didn't expect anything like this:


He calls it a mud slider and even though I've seen the name on menus I don't think I've ever had one so I don't know if that is what one really looks like, but isn't it beautiful? I was sure impressed. And it was tasty, too.
Of course, he wanted to pose with his creation. Isn't he handsome? Not that I'm biased or anything.

Gilroy Garlic Chicken

I am getting ready to send out some recipes for a swap I am in over at swap-bot. The swap is for five recipes on recipe cards to two different people. One of the recipes I'm including is for Gilroy Garlic Chicken. It is a recipe my daughter brought home from high school a few years ago. Her Western Civilization teacher, Mr. Franklin, gave this recipe to all his students. We love it. Hope you will, too.

Gilroy Garlic Chicken
4 chicken breasts (cut to bite size)
1 WHOLE garlic bulb (diced)
Oil (olive oil or peanut oil)
2-3 tablespoons white vinegar
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons honey

(if possible use a large enamel frying pan)

1. Brown chicken in oil (3-4 minutes on high).
2. Push the chicken to the edge of the pan and introduce all ingredients -- let the liquids get friendly and then combine with the chicken.
3. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes.

VOILA!

We don't have an enamel pan and it always comes out great, but I include Mr. Franklin's instruction in case you have such a pan. Also, I would use the 3 tablespoons measure for the last three ingredients whenever possible because the sauce is so tasty.

Hooray!

My daughter just received her college diploma in the mail. The pomp and circumstance of graduating mid-year can be pretty overwhelming, I know, but the important thing is that she graduated magna cum laude. Clever girl. And hard working. Just the sort of person who would make an excellent employee. Hint.

It Wasn't Even My Favorite Quilt

Sunday, my mother, my aunt and I went to a quilt show. They had some truly beautiful quilts. Others were just interesting. Two of them did nothing for me at all.
One of the interesting quilts had been done by a Polish quilter who was inspired by a wall in a city that had been repeatedly covered with handbills. As I recall, the colors were mostly grays with some muted colors and the design/pattern of it was made by the words on the handbills. It was not something I would want to have in my home, but it did have its own beauty and I am glad I got to see it. As I was leaving the show, I was thinking of how I could use some of the ideas in the quilts I saw as elements or inspirations for some of the things I like to make. This was not one of the quilts I was thinking about.

That night, I was cutting something out of my church's bulletin, when all of the little graphic bits in it reminded me of the handbills quilt (I have no idea what its real name is, sorry) and I thought it would be interesting to make an ATC out of them. This is the result.

Weird

A few months ago my doctor told me that I was officially in menopause, Hooray!

Lately, I have been having trouble remembering where the "." is as I type,

Coincidence? I think not,

Five Petal Flowers

January was my month for flowers and I had planned to post this before the end of that month, but clearly I did not. Nevertheless, here they are now in February/felt month. They are pretty much just a variation on my six-petal flowers. The three on the right have slightly more pointed petals. I like to think they are star-shaped (humor me). The variation for them is at the end.

Five Petal Flowers
you will need:
worsted weight yarn in three colors: A, B and C
an "H" hook

round 1: with color A and using a magic ring, chain 1 (doesn't count as 1st single crochet) 10 single crochet in ring; slip stitch in 1st single crochet. Tighten ring. Fasten off color A.

round 2: attach color B in any single crochet; chain 1; 2 single crochet in same stitch and in each stitch around; slip stitch in top of 1st single crochet. Fasten off color B. (20 single crochet)

round 3: attach color C in 2nd single crochet of any single crochet pair; chain 1; 1 long single crochet (insert hook into single crochet of round 1, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through both loops on hook. Long single crochet made); (half double crochet in next stitch; 3 double crochet in next stitch; half double crochet in next stitch; long single crochet over next stitch) 5 times except instead of last long single crochet, sli stitch in top of 1st long single crochet. Fasten off. Work ends in. (5 petals made)

Star Variation
same as five petal flowers, except in round 3 where you would make the 3 double crochets in one stitch, make 1 double crochet, 1 treble crochet, 1 double crochet.