About Me

My photo
PA, United States
I am a retired married mom of two grown boys & three grandchildren. I spend my free time crafting & creating new designs. Crafting is my therapy & it is a very rewarding gift.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

MY LITTLE GARDEN IN THE SUMMER TIME

Hello to all my friends. I wanted to post my little garden what it looks like so far this summer. Everything hasn't bloomed yet, but it's looking a lot better. The grass is coming in & the wisteria is nice & full, covering my arbor to the entrance of my garden. Not sure if it will bloom this year. Two years ago it was gorgeous, but my hubby trimmed it back, so last year I didn't get any flowers.
The birds love taking a bath in one of my three bird bathes & the hummingbird is around quite often, getting the nectar from the feeder.
The deer already had a little feast , they ate my marigolds & also some inpatients. I'm glad I could accommodate them, LOL.
Here are some pics so you can take a short walk through my little garden.
All are welcome.





Well, did you enjoy your short walk through my garden?
I would love to hear your comments & or suggestions of what I have done so far.

Hope you have a wonderful & blessed day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Friday, June 22, 2012

MY LITTLE GARDEN IN THE SPRING

Hey there bloggers, the weekend is here & it has been very hot in my neck of the woods.
 I know I'm a little behind & what I'm posting today is somewhat late, but I thought I would start from the beginning to tell you about my little garden.
Even though you got a sneak peak at it in my last post.
My little garden is coming along, it's a lot of work but I just take my time & work on it a little at a time.
This first pic is of my rhododendron  bush when it bloomed in the spring.
 Here is a pic of my garden in the spring when the mountain pink was getting ready to bloom.
 And here it is when it started to bloom.
 This pic & the one above is when I was re-building my rock wall.
It actually came out pretty good & the next time I post you will see what it all looks like now.
I hope you will stop back to see the outcome & please leave me a comment, the more the better.
And please be honest cause I value your opinion.
Hope you have a wonderful & blessed day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Sunday, June 17, 2012

A New Beginning

Hello to all my blogger friends.
I know that I have been MIA, but my family & I have been going through a lot the past several months.
 Today I wanted to post on my blog to let everybody know that I am going to try to get back posting.
I'm not sure if it will be a daily post, but I will post as much as my life will allow me & I'm hoping that it will be more often than less.
I hope that all the fathers out there had a wonderful Fathers Day.

 My hubby Tom & I love sitting in our Adirondack chairs around the outdoor fireplace (that's it the one with the cover on it) in the evening ,enjoying the yard & just relaxing.
And here's Tom getting ready to grill, all tools in hand. But we haven't gotten around to buying a new grill yet. So, we used the next best thing we had available our fireplace. I just lined the pan in the bottom with foil to keep it clean from grease that would drip down & used this to put the charcoal in. Then I got a wire rack that I use to cool my home baked cookies on from my kitchen, placed that on top of the rack in the fireplace which usually holds the firewood.
 Even though we didn't grill on your normal barbecue, it worked just fine. The short ribs were delicious.
Now what is that old saying, where there's a will there's a way. It sure is when you put your mind to it.
Hope you enjoyed this little tidbit.
I would love to hear your comments on our temporary  barbecue.
Thanks for stopping by &  hope you have a wonderful & blessed day.
Hugs,
Dee




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

JUST TO LET YOU KNOW

I just wanted to let you know that I am still around, but won't be posting for awhile. I am sorry that I didn't finish up my last day of hearts & valentines week. Something very upsetting happened to me & I just haven't been interested in doing anything at all.
So I hope you will be patient with me & just give me some time to get everything straighten out.
Please check back often to see if I am back posting & I can assure you when the right time comes, I will be back.
Until the next time I hope you have a creative & blessed craft day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Thursday, February 2, 2012

POP UP HEART CARD

Well here it is Thursday and tomorrow it will be the last day for the hearts & valentines week.
Yesterday the weather was beautiful, but I couldn't spend my time outside. I was at the docs office all day getting another MRI, chest xrays, blood work & seeing the doc. I had a test back in November called a PFT which stands for a pulmonary function test. I have a very bad case of asthma which I have had for several years, but with the test I was diagnosed with CO PD. So now I have to see a pulmonary doc & he will probably put me on more meds. I'm a mess. The MRI was to see why I am in so much pain with my back after having 3 back surgeries in 2 years.
Anyway, enough about me. Today I wanted to show you a pop up birthday card that I made.. This card  would also be a great idea for valentines day. My friends birthday is in February so I thought it would be appropriate to make a card with hearts.


I hope you enjoyed seeing this card. It sure was fun making it.
So, until the next time, I hope you have a creative & blessed craft day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

VALENTINES DAY BAGS

Hello everyone and how are you doing today. Yesterday the weather was pretty nice here in the low 50's, but today we are having showers. I wish all winter the weather would be mild, but February & March are always the worst.
Today I wanted to show you the little tote bags that I made for my grandchildren. I purchase them at AC Moore and to decorate them I used Stickles Glitter Glue. I love this glitter glue because it dries quickly and when it dries the glitter doesn't fall off, so there is no glitter mess. Stickles  glitter glue is also great for card making & scrap booking, I use it all the time.
This is a quick and easy way to embellish something.
Hope you enjoyed this craft project and will try it.
So until the next time, have a creative & blessed craft day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

RIBBON BOW HEART WREATH

 Today  is our second day of hearts & valentines week. This project is all about ribbons & bows. An easy craft to  make & doesn't take much time at all
Supplies Needed:
What you will need is a 12''  heart shape straw wreath & I left the plastic wrap on so the straw didn't fall off.
Then I used just about 25 yards of 2 1/2'' wide  mesh ribbon which I purchased at ACMoore.
But you could use any type of ribbon you prefer.
Some thin wire for the bows & a piece of thicker wire to make a hanger
To attach the bows some u shape pins.
A small amount of lace, I used what I had laying around.
And last some self sticking felt hearts


Instructions:
First you take a piece of the thicker wire, wrap it around the center top of the heart & twist into a loop to make a hanger
To make the bows cut an 18'' length of ribbon, make your basic bow which is 2 loops. Mine was about a 2 1/2'' loop each, which would measure to a finish 5'' wide bow.
Then take some wire & wrap around the center of the bow to hold it together.
Start placing  your finish bows holding them on with the u shape pin, putting them close to each other until the whole front of the wreath is full.
Then I cut a few 4'' pieces of lace, folded them in have & tucked  a few randomly around the wreath in the middle of the bow & secured with a pin.
And lastly I put the self sticking hearts on to the bows randomly around the heart.
You are finished

I hope you enjoyed this project & maybe make one for yourself.
I would love to see what you come up with.
So until the next time have a creative & blessed craft day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Monday, January 30, 2012

FOUR TIER CROCHET HEARTS

Good morning to everyone. Here it is almost the end of January and in my mind I am thinking that we are getting closer to spring, with warmer weather. So far it has been a calm winter, but we still have to go through February & March. Who knows how much snow we will get then.

This week  is all about hearts & valentines day.
All week I will be posting a variety of crafts, not just crochet.
So this week my handmade crafts should interest just about everyone.

For the first project I crocheted 4 hearts with a front & back. Then put a little polyfil inside of each one, sewed them together in a tier fashion.
Since it's for valentines week I did them in red & silver yarn. But you could do the hearts in any color yarn to match your decor & leave them up year round. This is a great accent for a country decor, too. They can be hung on a door or in just about any room in your home.

Hope you enjoyed this first project of the week. Stop by tomorrow to see what is next.
Until the next time hope you have a creative & blessed craft day.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hugs, Dee

Friday, January 27, 2012

HAT & SCARF SET

WOW, I can't believe it is Friday already & another cloudy rainy day here in PA. So, you know what that means that its a great day to just stay inside & do some crafting.
I love the warm weather when I can be outside & play in my garden, but the only problem with that is I don't get any crafting done.
See the only good part of the winter for me is that I stay inside & work on my crafts. I hate the cold weather, but that's me.
Well enough about me & the weather.
I had extra skeins of the variegated yarn from when I made the hooded scarf, so I thought I would make a beanie hat & a scarf to go with it.
A nice set to wear together or to wear just one piece at a time.
I love the way the yarn looks with a zig zag effect. It's so much fun to use variegated yarn, you never know what type of look you will get & it's always a surprise.
Well, that's it for this week & I will be back on Monday with a new project.
Thanks for stopping by & until the next time, I hope you have a creative & blessed weekend.
Hugs, Dee

Thursday, January 26, 2012

JUST SO DAPPER HAT

Here it is another day gone by. I was so busy yesterday with my hubby. Both of us had to go thru some testing at the docs office & it was an all day thing. The weather is cloudy today & I don't plan on leaving this house, so I can get some things done.
I know that this hat is the same pattern that I did the other day, just in a different color. Isn't it amazing though how just by using a different color yarn the whole look changes?
When I got done crocheting this one & looked at it, I just thought it looked so dapper as the men would say back in the 20's & 30's.
To give it a little color or to dress it up, just add a flower or a pin & you are set to go.
I hope you enjoyed seeing this hat in a different color.
Thanks for stopping by & until the next time, hope you have a creative & blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

CHILD HOODED SCARF

Well here it is Wednesday already, boy where does the time go. Yesterday the weather here was just beautiful, sunny & warm. Today though it is cold, cloudy with some rain. I guess yesterday was just a tease, LOL. I know I have said this before, but oh how I can't wait for spring to come.
Today, I thought I would post this hooded scarf that I made for my granddaughter.
Of course I had to make it in pink & purple, since they are  her favorite colors.
This pattern I crocheted in no time. A good project for a weekend or even in the car.

This pic here is the top of the hat where the tassel is. Just wanted to explain that, cause this pic might be a little confusing.  Hope you enjoyed this crochet project today.
Thanks for stopping by & until the next time, I hope you have a creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

WIDE WARM HEADBAND

And a good morning to all my craft friends. The weather here yesterday was terrible, with rain all day & when I woke up this morning some of the snow washed away.
 So, I stayed in  yesterday & worked on a craft project that I am trying to finish up. Then did some more crocheting.
This crochet project was a quickie one, but whomever wears it will be toasty warm.
Its a nice wide band, so besides keeping your ears covered, the headband keeps most of your head warm, too.
The headband is a great change instead of wearing a hat.
Something to wear to the store or on a bad hair day, lol. But also it would be good for all of you that like to ski or just play in the snow.
I love it & know that I will get a lot of use out of it this winter.
If anybody would like to have one, I also make them to sell. Just let me know. They can be done in just about any color.


That is all for today. I hope you enjoyed this project. Thanks for stopping by & until the next time, have a creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Monday, January 23, 2012

ENTRELAC CROCHET THROW

Good morning & how was everybodys weekend? We had around 8'' of snow  on Saturday & last night we had a little dusting with some freezing rain. It still doesn't look very good out there right now.

Yesterday I made a bowl of Cole slaw & a chocolate fudge swirl cake. My son Steven with his wife Basia & baby Darek stopped by after church,  just in time to lick the bowl & utensils, LOL.

Since the weather doesn't look that great outside, I am just staying in & going to try to work on a couple craft projects I started. Then maybe later this afternoon I might have to babysit Darek for a few hours.

So, let me explain about this throw that I made last week.
It is called the Entrelac crochet. Its a version of the Tunisian crochet, except the difference is that you interlock the stitches with the next block. You start  with a chain of 21 & make 2 connecting blocks, which is explained in the first video. Then you crochet more blocks connecting each new block to first 2 blocks. Each time you go around you end up with more & more blocks. It will make more sense to you after you watch the video.
If you would like to learn this technique like I did, go to Google & type in entrelac crochet. Look for the U-tube videos, there are 15 & then a couple more to show how to finish it.
Its easier than it looks. I used skeins of yarn that I had extra from other projects, so I made this in Burgundy & white with a dark blue border.
When Steven saw this he wanted to know where the checkers were, so we could play a game. Wise guy.


Well this is my project for today. I hope you enjoyed this & will leave me your comments about this pattern.
Thanks for stopping by & hope that you have a wonderful & creative craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Friday, January 20, 2012

RED HOT BRIM HAT

Good morning to all my crafty friends. Its been so cold here in PA & we are supposed to be getting snow tonight, which I do not want. Give me warm weather any day, these old bones just can't take the cold anymore. Oh, how I wish I was in my 20&30's again.
Anyway, this is a very stylish brim hat that I made, don't you think so too?
Very quick and easy, works up in an evening while watching TV.
I have 2 of these hats that I wear all the time, one in black & the other in a dark blue.
So, this time I made this hat in hot red.
Whomever wears this hat, she will sure stand out in a crowd. She will be a red hot mama.
When I wear my hats, I add a pin to the front to give it even more style.
So, until the next time, I hope Y'all have a wonderful weekend & I will be back on Monday with something new.
Thanks for stopping by & I hope you have a
creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Thursday, January 19, 2012

BABY BLANKET

Good afternoon to everyone. Its been so cold here, but a great time to crochet blankets.
This is a baby blanket that I made for my grandson. Its called the Mile a Minute pattern.
You crochet in strips, then sew the strips together.
It works up very easy & quickly. Something that you can do when waiting in the car for the kids to get out of school or even when sitting in the doctors waiting room.
It's an on the go project.

If you have any questions about this pattern, please feel free to ask me.
Thanks so much for stopping by & until the next time.
Have a wonderful & Blessed day.
Hugs, Dee

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

CROCHETED MITTENS

Good morning, I hope your evening was better than mine. We just got done eating dinner, which I made a nice big pot of beef  stew always good on a cold day.
Then we heard this very loud boom & our house shook a little. The power went out and there we sat in darkness. I didn't know if something exploded or someone  hit a pole with their car.
We looked outside, but couldn't see anything only darkness. I called 911 & told the trooper what had happen. The next thing I knew there were emergency & a fire truck in our development. A lot of neighbors were out in the street, because we all heard the same thing & didn't know what was going on.
Come to find out a transformer had blown & that was the loud boom we heard.
So Met Ed came & had to check all the 25 transformers in our development. The first one he checked got the power back on for only a couple seconds, then boom another loud noise. Thank goodness he wasn't hurt. But finally after checking all of them we got our power back on in less than 2 hours.
Boy what an evening, so worried we would be without electric and being so cold here.
The Lord was there to help us once again.

Anyway, didn't have much time to do anything, so I crocheted these mittens. Something you can do in a couple of hours. If anybody would like the pattern, please let me know and I will give it to you.
Sorry, that the pic is somewhat blurry. Hope you can get the idea.
Until the next time, hope you have a wonderful & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

ANOTHER CROCHET VISOR CAP

Hello to all my crafty blog friends.
The weather here today in PA is rain all day, after last night with snow & freezing rain. Thank goodness it warmed up a bit & now is just rain. I know I said this before, but I can't wait till spring.
I hope where you live the weather is much better than here in PA.

Today I an posting another visor cap that I crocheted for my daughter-in-laws little cousin in pink.
I just wanted to show you how different the same pattern can look in a different color.
Wouldn't it be interesting to crochet this hat in a variegated yarn? How cool that would be.

If you have any questions about this pattern please do not hesitate to ask me.
Hope you have a creative & Blessed day
Hugs, Dee

Monday, January 16, 2012

WOOL STRAWBERRY CANDLE MAT

Good morning, I wasn't feeling well over the weekend & was in bed with what I don't know. I'm feeling a little better today, but still not up to par.
I hope your weekend was a great one. Its been so cold here in PA, can't even get warm inside my home. Spring isn't coming fast enough for me.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy an candle mat that I made from wool.
This was an easy project to do while watching TV. After all the pieces are cutout, you only have to applique them down with embroidery floss.
If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to ask me.

So until the next time, I hope you have a creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Friday, January 13, 2012

BRIMMING WITH FUN CAP

Here it is Friday already and I thought I would do another hat design.
This pattern from Red Heart and it is an open weave design with a cable look.
You make the cable look by crocheting around the post from the previous row.
I crocheted this hat in less than 2 hours, a very easy pattern to understand yet looks more involved.

If you haven't done so already, checkout the free patterns on red heart.com. There are a lot of fun ones to do.


I hope where you live is a lot warmer than here & already I can't wait for spring.
Thank goodness for crochet, it makes my winter days a lot warmer.
Hope your day is a great one & productive.
So, until the next post, have a creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Thursday, January 12, 2012

TOOTH FAIRY PILLOW

WOW!!! Thursday already, where has the week gone. Its amazing when you are busy crafting, how fast the days go by.

Today I wanted to post a little Tooth Fairy Pillow which I designed for my oldest granddaughter Lilyana. She recently turned 6 years old on Christmas Day.
In Sept. Lilyana started kindergarten and is doing very well, but shes at that age where the baby teeth start to come out.
So, she had said to me, Na Na I have 2 loose teeth and I am worried about putting them under my pillow for the tooth fairy when the teeth fall out. I asked her why and she said that my little sister Sophia might take them, too cute.
So, I said that I would make her something to put the teeth in and I came up with this design.

The tooth on the front of the pillow is a pocket to put her teeth in.

Well needless to say both teeth fell out and the tooth fairy left her some money.
Now, Lilyana is patiently waiting for more teeth to become loose.
I also used purple princess material for the pillow, because its her favorite.
If you look close at the tooth pocket you will see a little mouth where I sewed 2 teeth for her smile.

Hope you enjoyed this craft idea.
Until the next time, I hope you have a creative & Blessed crafty day.
Hugs, Dee

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CROCHET HAT

Well here we are in the middle of the week & been busy crocheting.
Yesterday, I got a pattern from  Loop Leigh Loops.
I joined Hooked on Hookin which is on Facebook & got the pattern which Nancy had posted.

This pattern is easy & works up quickly.
I wanted to give it a try last night & it was done in no time.
I want to make two hats for both my little granddaughters & one is done so far.
I have to pickup more yarn at AC Moore when I go out in a different color, so each girl has their very own.
Now I will have to find a cute hat pattern for my grandson.
I just can't make something for one grandchild, I always want to make for all three.
That was a fun hat to crochet.
I hope you have enjoyed it, so until the next time.
Have a creative & Blessed craft day.
Hugs, Dee

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

CROCHET VISOR CAP

Good morning,

Today I am posting a hat that I crocheted for my new daughter-in-law. She has this pretty blue suede coat that I love on her, so I wanted to make a hat to go with it.

The pattern that I used if from Red heart called a Visor Cap. The yarn that I used is Red hearts super saver in Windsor blue. This is a  darker  blue than how it looks in the pic, it has to be the lighting when I took it why it looks lighter in color.
It has a band across the front & to each side of the band you crochet what looks to resemble buttons.

This pattern works up very easy & quickly. Then before you know it you have a nice warm but stylish hat to wear, don't you think so?

What kinds of hats have you done, because I would surely like to see your work. Post me a pic or leave a comment here and please tell me what you think about this hat.
So until the next time, I hope you get a lot of crocheting done I'm surely going to try to.
Have a wonderful & Blessed day.
Hugs, Dee

Monday, January 9, 2012

The All Seasons Wristers

Happy Monday,

I hope everybodys weekend was a great one, mine was pretty quiet.
Saturday, we had gorgeous weather, warmer than usual & not bitter cold like it has been.
 I spent some time crocheting, its always so relaxing to me.
How many crocheters do I have out there & what have you been crocheting?

This is one of the projects I did, a pattern from  Lion Brand. They are called ALL SEASON WRISTERS , crocheted with sock yarn. These are a nice weight fingerless glove to keep your hands warm, but leaving your fingers free.
My oldest son has a car repair shop & my daughter-in-law works in the office. So when its cold she can wear these & still be able to access the computer.
Yet they are still warm enough to wear outside.
She loves the color of purple so I used a variegated yarn with purple tones in it.
I just might make a pair for myself to wear in my craft room when its chilly, since we have been trying to keep the thermostat down in our home.

Hope you like this idea & maybe give it a try. If you do not crochet & would like a pair, just send me an email. I then can let you know how to get a pair from me.
Until next time, may you have a wonderful crafty day & a Blessed one.

Hugs, Dee

Friday, January 6, 2012

Hand Painted Lighted Potpourri Glass Jar

Hello there to all my crafty friends,

Today I decided to post a hand painted glass jar that I did as a gift for my very dear friend.

I have made & sold several of these in a medium size like this one & also a larger size, too.
If you need a gift or just one for yourself, email me & I can let you know what the price would be.




The flowers were done in yellow, purple, pink & white.
I used  Folk Art enamel paints from Plaid. This paint is so easy to use & dries quickly.
When done painting, you just put it in an oven to finish, this way it can be washed & the paint won't come off.

Inside the jar, I put potpourri & mini clear lights with a crocheted doily to cover top of jar.
Then accented with a strip of fabric for the bow.

The warmth from the mini lights brings out the fragrance of the potpourri.
This makes a great accent to any room & a nice little night light , too.
You can use any scent potpourri or essential oil you like.

I hope you enjoyed this idea.
Until the next time, hope you have a wonderful & Blessed day.
Hugs,
Dee

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Wedding Card With Butterflies

Good evening blog friends,

Comments Please, it would help me in future posts on what you would like to see here.

Today, I thought I'd post a pic of the wedding card I made for my son & daughter-in-law.
Since part of the theme was butterflies, I wanted to incorporate them in the design.


I used  scraps of one color print, one color solid & an off white card stock for the back ground.
Using my Cricut Expression, I used the following carts;
Sentimentals cart for the butterflies,
Happily Ever After cart for this saying &
Sweethearts cart for Hugs & Kisses
& Mr & Mrs.

This card came together very quick & easy.

Tomorrow I will be posting something completely different.
Hope you will stop by to see & leave your comments & or questions for me.

So, until the next time Happy Crafting & hope that you had a wonderful & Blessed day.

Hugs, Dee


Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Bird Cages To Hold The Wedding Gift Cards

Hello again & how are your crafty days going so far?

This post is about the  metal bird cages that the bride wanted to use  for any wedding card gifts that the happy couple received at the reception.

Basia told me that each cage would have a name on the front, so the guests would know that they could put their card gifts inside.

So, I had the idea to quill the letters to spell out the words.

Used a cream colored card stock from Bazzil for base of the tag.
This I used Martha Stewart's butterfly border punch around the edges.
Cut a slightly smaller tag in a bright mango color to use as the contrasting base for the quilled letters.


The smaller cage says WISHES & the larger cage says CARDS.

Then I added ribbons & bows that I made, then finished it with a few butterflies, since they were part of the wedding theme.
Also used Stickles Diamond to accent the quilled letters.

I think they came out really nice. What do you think about this idea?

This first pic was taken right after I finished them & before they left for the reception venue.


This pic was taken at the reception.
I hope Y'all enjoyed this idea & how they turned out.
I look forward to all your comments, so please leave as many as you like.
I will also answer any questions that you might have for me.
Keep on crafting, believe me it keeps you busy & you will always make something that you will be proud of.
If you have done an idea like this or quilled something for a wedding, I would love to see your pics.

Until next time, I hope that you always have a wonderful & Blessed day.

Hugs, Dee

CC glitter