Pt.4 Winter gifts 10 DIY's

Not your average box of cookies found here. They average from a few hours to a dedicated day of creating.  

Gift #1

 For the Outdoorsy recipient, Make them a Dog Back Pack! Dogs can carry up to 25% of their weight in a pack. Things like their ball/Frisbee. Water, treats and food as well as collapsible containers. Moose is big enough to even carry my water and mini first aid kit with his own supplies. Pricing all the pieces needed if buying all new as well as velcro instead of zippers, I came to a total of $15. If you happen to have a few like new hunting vests or can ask around for a few, this would make the project cost half as much as well as visual enhancing!

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=309913.0

Moose will be receiving one in neon orange being he's a large animal whose color easily makes him mistaken for a deer to a less responsible & eager Hunter.  Neon orange would also be great for those joggers and walkers. 

Gift #2 & 3

Do you knit?  I don't... sadly I just do not have the patience. But if you do, why not knit up a trendy Scull cap! I've shared with you *over Here* how to make one from a sweater and ball cap visor for us non knitters. This was in 2010 and it still looks great after multiple wash & dries! 

Over at Amanda Knits, she graciously shares her knitting pattern for this "code 88" scull cap! perfect for a wide variety of recipients and in one comment, it was said to take just 5 hours to knit. Perfect for that Ice Fisherman, Hunter, Teen and father! Heck, even the women of the house could enjoy one of these for a jaunt to the chicken house, a walk on the trails or for the lazy winter hair days doing outside chores..

http://amandaknits.com/download/code88hata.pdf

Gift #4

On the subject of outdoor wear, here's something for the younger Boys and girls! Another Upcycle sweater DIY gift:

Via Skip to my Lou

Gift #5

It's One for the birds! The more grown up version of the birdseed pine cone feeder. Detailed tutorial shared by Stephanie Lynn. Complete with inspiration for various shapes other then a "do nut" wreath. Time to eye those never used jello molds and decorative tins. Remember~ Package & presentation! That ribbon makes this go from ordinary "Oh thanks" to "This is so cute!".Homemade with pro results. Your local fabric stores should have some major sales going on right now so go browse for the perfect cloth to make your "ribbon hang ties". Nothing cutesy like child style graphics. Take inspiration from this cute flannel plaid print.

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/11/how-to-make-homemade-birdseed-wreath.html

Gift #6
This next one can be customized between adult or child use. Use multi fabrics or coordinate colors to their interests. Perfect for lounging outdoors under a tree reading or watching the kids play. Easy enough to throw in the trunk for use at a park, camping, out on the lake, sleep overs and so on down the list. Double use being perfect for indoor lounging. This is a bit more time dedication but makes a great way to use up the leftover fabric pile or those too small pairs of jeans you have yet to rid yourself of. Use your imagination for fabric upcycle! If giving to a child, this would be nice combined with a book either in a series they enjoy already or introduce them to a new one. 

The DIY Jelly Roll Floor pillow:

http://www.shelterness.com/amazing-diy-jelly-roll-floor-pillows/

If gifting a book{s}, why not wrap them up with a natural twist? Brown craft paper or brown bag for the wrapping. A sweet stamped gift tag with a sprig of cypress, pine or other winter greenery. The extra effort will not go unnoticed :

Gift #7
More simple sewing? Have problems cutting things straight? Then THIS may be a great way to give a sewn gift without doubt. Bandanna square blanket! There are so many colors and designs to use Go explore the accessory aisle for inspiration. Have a look online for even more styles. As created by Deco Allure, shared on her site complete with a mini how to:

Photo via Deco Allure

Gift #8
Have a garden lover? Maybe give a touch of Curb appeal to a smaller space outdoors? I've already began looking through my garage PVC pipe extras for one of these. Spray paint for the finish in a bright or mute color. This one below with complete tutorial, was made with Copper. If you can afford to splurge on copper for gift use, you are in for a major grateful recipient. Enlarge the pieces for a pathway walk through or make small for Rose bushes. Wonderful DIY and inspiration via Fine Gardening:

Gift #9

Another WOW factor DIY on a budget for something Extraordinary.. Make a bench from 2 dining chairs! Perfect for the porch to encourage no shoes or boots in the house. Put in a foyer, out by the garden, in the house or bedrooms. This one looks easy enough with a *tutorial by An Oregon Cottage*

This one with a back seems more to my taste & use. My favorite hence far, *MakandJill* but no tutorial.

http://www.makandjill.com/blog/2011/6/15/antibes-green-garden-bench.html

 I did find a slew of various DIY dining chair bench tutorials through *Scrap Hacker.* A trip to the second hand stores or other resourceful spots for a few old dining chairs will range as little as free up to $15 per chair. Personally, I would never go higher then that and even then it better be drool factor worthy used dining chairs.

Part 4 of this series will end with one of my top favorite DIY gifts. Small enough to tag along on your hikes and car rides. Creative & Pretty enough to indulge your admiration for old book covers. Start searching for those local used Book sales such as the ones held by your local library. This one is a must on my DIY list.
Gift #10

http://cosmocricket.typepad.com/cosmo_cricket/2012/05/diy-activity-book-fabric-giveaway.html

I picture this one with many creative possibilities. Shown here as a sketch book kit, it  can easily be  transformed into a child's travel coloring kit. A "secret Journal" stash or car ride crossword puzzle purse.

This one one you DO judge a book by it's cover.

Sincere gratitude to *Cosmo Cricket for sharing the Tutorial.*:

 Now I'm off for a little R&R before I belly up the sewing table.
Keep watching for Part 5 of the Gift DIY series. A little bit of everything with plenty more kick.

Sweet Winter Dreams,

~Tammie

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Winecap Mushroom Harvesting

After a disappointment in amount of the last fruiting, a month or so ago. The Winecap Mushrooms came back in quantity! I shifted around some of their wood chip bedding which seems to have rejuvenated them.

Wine caps taste better then a Portabello in my opinion. The heads can get huge but the mid size- think sand dollar- have the heaviest flavor. Large ones are GREAT for making sandwiches. As for the stems, they are rather chewy. DON"T discard them.  Dry the stems either in the oven at the lowest setting, in mine thats at 170 degrees F with the door propped open overnight, by laying them out on a cookie cooling rack. My dehydrator broke and I have yet to get that far on the list of must haves. A new Food processor is the next purchase. THEN a dehydrator.

Once the stems are dried, you can either grind them before storing OR leave them for grinding later before use. They are superb for using in your soup stocks, dried seasoning mix or in the meatloaf's/ hamburgers. I'm sure you will come up with plenty more ideas on how to use the stems for added flavoring..

I love their flavor as well as how easy they are to grow. Truly, their maintenance is about involving as watering a flower bed during growth. 

I HIGHLY suggest, once again, get yours through *Field &Forest Mushrooms*. I bought mine through them and have experienced no problems. they are a great resource and you get great product. 

I'll have a new video series coming next Spring where we delve & adventure into things such as backyard mushroom growing as well as some road trip escapes.

I gathered a big basket full tonight which I shared 1/3 with Mr.& Mrs. J . Plenty more to harvest this week.

Once I dry my mushrooms in the oven, I use a Seal a meal Vac system to store them. That way no chance of moisture will get in to spoil them.

I'm still roasting peppers & tomatoes while delving into the canning of the sauce/ spread. The goal is to have at least 20 pints made for the Pantry. At least 5 jars for the gift baskets. Gotta run! I can smell the "charred" pepper skins already.

Wishing you all...

The Sweetest of Dreams,

~Tammie

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New Garden residents & Zentangle treasure

I'm back & finally settled into routine after the moving trip of my little brother & sister in law. Some of my plants were dead but thankfully nothing like it was when I left The Captain in charge of the seedlings a few years ago. The mass of my herbs are dead with a few holding on. Hopefully by planting them yesterday, they will be rejuvenated and thrive. The garden, as I have mentioned before, has been mulched with wood chips. The fight of the weeds is in yet another year of experimentation. I know, your thinking that whole nitrogen robbing thought as many do when I mention the wood chips. Have a look at this site which is my reason to give it a go*.

I left a few spots bare for the purpose of direct seeding, leaving FAR less space which will need my attention. The spot closest to you in the picture, with the 2x4 barrier is the flower space, just in front of the Potter Shed.

Speaking of the Potter Shed, have I mentioned a Robin built her nest in there on the Garden hoe? Oh yes, I believe I had mentioned it just recently. For 2 days after the nest was spotted, we had rain & cold. Surely the Robin would not lay her eggs in that short of a time... But I was wrong. So ALL work on the Potter shed roof and door as well as the painting of the interior has been put on hold long enough for Mother Robin to raise her chicks.

As you can see, she is rather protective and watchful over the Potter shed. There simply is not a solution I can deal with that would prevent me from disrupting her off the nest. I take breaks from the garden every 30 minutes to ensure she can get back in there as well as when I see she comes back with worms hanging from her beak, I leave the area so she can feed the babes. I had hoped she would become accustom to my presence and not be such a nervous Nelly every time I would be working in the garden. Instead she yells at me from every fence corner to the shed rooftop, flitting between the Bentwood arbor and the expanse of the wide open grass just beyond the pickets. Silly Bird. Or is it more like silly human...

Mama Robin is perched on the middle temporary roof beam, above, on the Potter shed I made.

Another new Garden resident is this little songstress who has belted out such charming calls, I can not help but hope he or she stays. I have seen it coming & going from the shabby coffee can house as well as bring what I can only guess is a mate. I'm not too knowledgeable on bird species but from what I was able to find as a possible match, this may be a Winter Wren ,{correct me if I'm wrong. I truly would like to know the variety}. For Winter Wrens, In their life, they have just one mate. The male finds nest locations and the female will choose amongst them her preference. I saw her visiting this nest last Sunday. I'm not sure if she has chosen it or not but this other bird has been bringing little twigs to insert into the hole. At times, it becomes comical watching it try to fit them in through the hole when the only obvious solution is to NOT clench it the beak sideways.

Before I go, I must share a most treasured gift I have received. My Mother in law has been enjoying the hobby of what is called Zentangle. Panda quickly picked up the art herself and both have been enjoying workshops and time together with this new passion. Now, I must explain WHY this gift is even more special. On this very shelf, I desired something of my 3 wee ones to be framed. I thought I might take them out & do a photo session for the perfect shot to be framed & placed in this very spot. Then, to my astonishment, I opened this Mother's Day gift and could not have been happier. It is the PERFECT piece to go in the spot I had long contemplated filling. I will treasure this for a lifetime.

Obviously, It is a tracing of each child's hand and filled with the art of Zentangle. You may wonder, What exactly is Zentangle? This site**link will be far more helpful then I could explain.

Be sure to have a look around the site linked above. Zentangle is such a beautiful form of ink work. I for one, could never sit still long enough to produce such pieces.

As you can also see from the photo, my Rugosa Roses are in bloom. I am not able to identify it's exact variety name but they are a hybrid. A mix of Rugosa with another Rose Variety, the parent for it's multi petal form. Which ever variety it may be, it has a scent I wish I could fill the air with all day long. Thankfully, they are a continuous bloom rose I can enjoy up into the Fall.

There is mention of Rain in the forecast for Wednesday so I have been rushing about to get so much done after being away for so long. Yet I feel I am running out of things I can do by myself. I can only recruit The Captain on the weekends for jobs that need more muscle then I can provide. I do believe I am hitting a lull in my daily amusements. 

I am sure it will not take long for me to find something to get into, being I flit amongst my interests like a field of flowers to a butterfly.. For the time being, I wish you the best of...

Sweetest Dreams,

~Tammie

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Solar pit greenhouse update and tea samples

I swore this day was never going to come. But here I am feeling rather satisfied with myself. Or rather I should say, The Captain, for all his hard labor of love which was put into getting things to this point. Poor guy has concrete burn on his fingertips from not wearing the plastic gloves I insisted he wear under his work pair. He learned after the first time and did finally succumb to my mothering ways. I bandaged up his fingertips after applying Kim's Extra moisturizing lotion all over his hands. (The main ingredient is Aloe Vera).

His hands were so dry and sore, he was amazed there was no "burn" like the other lotions I have put on him. Duh! It's all natural you silly boy! Why do you think Frog lets me put it on her eczema without a fuss?

Anyway, all 4 walls are finished! We have 1 more sunny day which is Monday so I need to get the big window section cleaned up and secure so I can start assembling the A frame roof. Or as The Captain likes to call it, "The bomb shelter"...

He always jokes that when we sell we could advertise it as a solar pit greenhouse -slash- Bomb shelter. I of course do not bother pointing out how that was not possible as one but instead just laugh at his goober comments. He tries. He really does. But I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Example being he suggested we use "tar" to coat the inside of my pit greenhouse( he was thinking waterproofer and heat absorber) since I mentioned painting the North wall black... he was confused by my disgusted look and I had to explain why.

Now as to Tea Samples. I need 4 participants who would be willing to allow me to mail out a few samples of our tea blends next month. We have just 2 tried and true as of this posting but I am working on another for mid day enjoyment so it may be 3 kinds of which I would send 2 samples, each variety. (Enough for 2 cups of tea.) So "Sweet Dreams" blend and the "Panda's Belly" would be a part of the samples for now.

Our Sweet dreams loose Tisane

I need HONEST opinion input. Others who are willing to share what their taste buds speak while sipping them. What comes to mind and if/ how it makes you feel. Your input will help produce a well rounded tea. I have a neighbor friend who is my willing guinea pig but more opinions would be so much better.

These would be loose teas (Tisanes), pre measured into a glassine envelope so all that is needed will be a tea ball or such for preparation. Brewing instructions will be included along with ingredient list and a little info I collected on them. FYI- the Sweet Dreams does not include Chamomile so those with a sensitivity to the plant due to allergies can enjoy a relaxing cup as well as the colicky baby or infant).

My sewing machine is down so I have some tinkering to do before I can finish up a few things. Actually it has been down for a week. I do believe someone small must have played with a few dials and ran the machine. I have thread which just today have successfully removed from the gutting's. Now I am playing with dials to get it back to where it will run smoothly.

So many delays have been in my life as of late. In the end I get over it and move on.

So those who would like to test out the teas, please leave your interest in a comment. I will let Frog pick out 4 if there is more of which show interest.

Speaking of who... Someone just woke up and wants to cuddle so I bid you....

Sweet dreams,

~Tammie

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Spring heat has the Unusual Farmchick at play!

Weekend Tidbits:
Baby chicks could care less for the silkie hen. They care for themselves very well and free range between the chicken pen and our garden. Still small enough to fit through the fence holes. They stay close between the two, but I have to admit I like hearing their little talk of peeps as they scratch for bugs while I am in the garden.

These two almost pullets are inseparable. They sleep together, eat together, drink together.
Now I just need a Delware roo to breed with this gal and bring back my population of Delawares. I am hoping by next year to have around 10 Delaware hens from a pairing. And more chicks to start selling on the local craigslist.

Little man's Teeter totter/see saw is finished with it's second layer of cement. Yes, you are seeing it right. Someone must have played around the tire while still wet and it has cemented crooked- plus the top board will not fit now...Why? Why does this always seem to happen? I knew I should have put that board in place while it was wet...But I was afraid the kids would try it out before fully dry. Double jeopardy gets me every time. I will see what I can do to make it work, if not then it will be back to the beginning...

Panda's Peace sign greens are growing great. We are putting a mesculan lettuce seed in the background if I do not find a red lettuce tomorrow to plant in it.

What a mess I left! I have sunburn on my sunburn and just did not have it in me to clean up after planting everything into the garden....

The Garden pond is set up for future inhabitants and the sound is just wonderful to hear while around the Hill top garden. The solar fountain we purchased must be returned. It will work for under 5 seconds before no more water flow. You can hear the engine running, but no water flowing out the top. I brought up the electrical one and have an extension cord lying across the yard, from the house, so0 we have water being pumped. The kids brought back some blue gill babies after fishing with Daddy.

Panda planted her garden full of Heirloom tomatoes. Her sugar pea's have grown to about 3 inches.

The Fairy/toad log is home to a tree frog and a garter snake.
The Yarrow patch is bigger beautiful as the logs front lawn!

The Kits are beginning to grow fur!

So now that it will cool down some, i need to get covers for the plants. Things were getting too leggy under the grow lights and had to be hardened off and planted. They could not wait and I would never of had enough containers for transplanting 6 flats of cell tray seedlings.
I still have Rattlesnake pole beans, sunflowers, bush beans, bush squash, more herbs, and of course the 4 blueberry bushes which should arrive in the next 24 hours.
Think I may be a bit over Zealous in the garden this year? Nah... What excess is planted of veggies and fruits will supply the Produce stand. Money which will buy the new camera or help in cost of a new computer.
Now if I could just get a back hoe to help in the solar pit...
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

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Put some magic back in the garden!

Try some unusual ways to grow your garden this year. Think about what you have seed for and what you may need for interesting views for the visits in the garden.

How about adding some different colored lettuce in a wide open tub or kiddie pool. Make designs such as a peace symbol (That was Panda's request) or like this "aww" inspiring spiral:
Now think about what climbing veggies or fruits you are going to grow. climbing beans? Cucumbers? Squash? or maybe even some small melons?
I have drooled after the Bean arch I have seen over at Pile o' Melay's for some time now, as many others have. I am using some of the extra fencing we have left from the old animal pen to do just.
Grow some climbing garden food plants over arches. Here is a great pic showing cucumbers at an early stage to give you a better view on how to make one yourself(a pic off the net- not mine):
It does not have to stop there. You could do tepee designs or border a few sides of the large garden with walls of climbing plants.
do not stick to the ordinary straight rows and poles for your garden this year. Get creative and add some interest that wow your friends and family. gardening is an art form in itself. Why not add more interesting forms to it?
My baby brother Army and his Fiance Ms. marine are moving into their first house together down in Texas. So excited to hear she is into gardening and they are interested in my kind of lifestyle. I am putting together some seeds out of my stash to send down to them for their first garden. Along with some printouts of pictures/how to's on some of the things I write about here on my blog such as this one to inspire their creativity. Of course...what is a package from his big sister without some homebaked goodies... I miss that big goober and wish so much he was closer. Maybe Ms. Marine would nudge him north? But of course she has family down there so I would understand if not.
The zipline is up and has enteratined almost every child in our 'hood. The solar pit has still not been dug but I did get all the lumber and such for it's top portion. The tobacco has been seeded. The spanish peanuts and collard seeds are on their way and will be started indoors as soon as they arrive. The 4 lemon and 1 lime dwarf tree will not be shipped out till mid April.
Lil Man's birthday is the 4th so I making him the see saw I posted a few back. Almost done with it. The tiller is acting up and Tractor boy has been so kind trying to figure out what is going on with it.
we are planting more ginger in window box's and i picked up some ale yeast for making ginger ale from scratch.
Rain keeps coming so I guess I best catch up on the indoor chores and activities.
Sweet dreams,
~Tammie

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