Z-O-M-G!

... We've been busy, guys. Like.. really, really busy; both Sandy and I got real day jobs that take up a lot of our weekdays, and the weekends are full of everything we're not getting done during the week. The GOOD news is that we're still working on TPD.... which means that if you want us to make something, all you have to do is ORDER! :D

I actually just finished making some beautiful memorial charms for my ex-sister in law's family, and I've been working on simplifying the webpage order form for Awareness Bracelets! Before, I had everything separated by type and color, and pretty much just repeated every page 100 times with different colors.... which was HIGHLY annoying, and very hard to take care of from a web designer point of view. So I did away with that!! Now, there is ONE page for ALL of the bracelets, and you pick and choose from a list of pull down options and go! 1-2-3, That's enough for me!!

"Memorial Baby Charm Necklace with Birthstone"
Soon to be added to the webpage!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to rip all of the yarn out of the blanket I had been crocheting for almost 2 years, and started over again. I've added in some white, and it looks quite a bit different. Nicer, cleaner. Here's hoping it doesn't take me another 2 years to decide that I hate it, and rip it all out, and start over again. haha That's kind of the problem with me and crochet: I have finished a total of TWO projects..... ever. Everything else I've ripped out over and over and over again. I know it sounds silly, but I always find something wrong with the piece I work on. It's too small, it's too large, it doesn't look the way I wanted, it's the wrong color, or I've run out of yarn and don't have the money to get more. So.. out it comes, back into a ball of yarn to one day make something else! I tell my husband constantly that I don't really like to crochet, I just like to count things... over and over and over again. :D It's kind of nice to see the blanket progressing the way it was originally supposed to, though. And it's SOOOO warm when I'm working on it, at only 1 foot wide... I'm sure it will be *amazing* when it's finished. (I hope!)

"Crocodile Stitch Crochet Blanket"
Basically an abnormally large amount of double crochets
with a slip stitch thrown in  every once in a while for fun. 

I've also been coming up with some new jewelry pieces. I had a friend challenge me to make my own professional jewelry (after attending a Premier Jewelry function and stating "I make my own jewelry, and I could probably make MOST of this as well!")... so I'm going to give it a go! We'll see if any of it ends up for sale.... or if I just keep it in my own jewelry box of shame. haha

What have you been up to? Anything crafty to keep you entertained during the long winter months? Share your projects in the comments! I'd love to see them! :)

-Lanine

Friendship Bells

One of the things that I love doing this time of year is something called Friendship Bells. I discovered it through scouting with my daughter when she was a child in the 1990's. Women and girls around the world have collected Friendship Bells for many years. Some people have used the same type of bells since the 1960's and 1970's on their backpacks to scare away bears and mountain lions while hiking. The use of the bell is an old custom from Thailand (not to be confused with the island of Taiwan). The Thai believe the sound of the bell pleases the good spirits and brings good luck, great fortune, health, and happiness. They also believe the sound of the bell drives away the evil spirits. I discovered recently that bikers attach Guardian Angel Bells to their motorcycles to "ward off" evil spirits or to trap them inside the bell to where the constant chiming drives them insane/crazy and the evil spirit falls off. One website suggests that this is the reason there are potholes... They mount the bell as low as possible on their bikes. It is also said that when the bells are given to another person for their bike, it makes the guardian bell stronger.


In scouting we exchanged them with others troops/units or made them to give to each other for special ceremonies or events. At a camp we attended, the following ceremony was used for exchanging the bells:


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Have one bell for every person participating in the ceremony. Pick 4 people to represent the 4 directions of the compass. They will make up "the tree" that you will hang the bells on. Have them stand back to back or shoulder to shoulder to face the 4 directions of the compass. Have them extend their arms up (one arm high, one arm low) and spread their fingers wide. You will hang the bells off their fingers. If doing this with children, it's easier just to have them hold a couple of the bells in closed fists with the rest of the bells spread at their feet or in a box. Have the rest of the people make a circle around them.

You can be the "the caller" or choose another person to do it.

The caller says "Bells to the North" and the person who is facing North, bows and straightens up.
The caller says "Bells to the South" and the person who is facing South, bows and straightens up.
The caller says "Bells to the East" and the person who is facing East, bows and straightens up.
The caller says "Bells to the West" and the person who is facing West, bows and straightens up.
The caller says "Bells to the Ladies/Girls/People" or whatever Group its is that you have and the people encircling "the tree" come up and take ONE bell.

This is best done at the end of the meeting or camping trip so there are less lost bells and less noise.

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Of course, if you are going to make a hobby of it, you will need a bell cord to put them on. The easiest way to do it is to get a metal shower curtain hook and macrame cord using a square knot.

Here is what mine looked like after a few years, of course it's much larger now.





I made a video for YouTube the other night while making Friendship Bells for a scouting troop. The bells I made were approximately two and a half inches long. Click on this link to see the YouTube video: Friendship Bells

Yes, this means we will be adding assorted bells to the store for additions to the Awareness Bracelets and Book Thongs. Right now I have jingle bells and assorted Holiday (shaped) Bells. My next project involves getting them photographed and added to the shop. If, and that's a BIG *if*, I can find a supplier, we will add the larger brass and silver colored bells as well as the Guardian/Angel biker bells too.


Have a great weekend! Don't forget to join our blog here and our Facebook page as well as our Twitter page to keep up-to-date! You never know where we will be posting a flash sale or a contest.

Hello again. :)

So, it's been a while since either of us has posted here! What with all of the various holidays, webpage adjustments, and life happenings... well, it's been a little busy. But, Happy New Year! Time to start prioritizing, and working on new things.

For those of you who know me in person, you know that my son was born with a defect of his left ear called Microtia-Atresia. For those who don't know us, then I'll explain just a little bit about it. Basically, his ear didn't form all of the way. So, while he has an inner ear, an ear drum, and even a little bit of a folded up ear on the outside... he's missing all of the parts in between. Since his right ear works perfectly fine, this isn't a completely end-of-the-world type disability.... but it does have its problems (like unilateral hearing loss, for one. haha). I don't like to go on and on about it and my son functions as if it doesn't even exist. Of course... he's only 4, so he hasn't quite gotten to the mean teasing stage found in most schools.

So, long story short, I read a publication that I get through the mail every month called "Hands and Voices Communicator". It's kind of a little newsletter for members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in my area. It's cool... but usually there's not a lot in there that applies to me and my family. This month though, there happened to be a cool little article about Microtia-Atresia, and falling through the medical "cracks". Yes! Finally, connection! Someone else, in WRITING, actively talking about it! AND she had a Facebook group! Yes! So I joined, and was immediately welcomed, and given advice... and have tons and tons of articles to read through just waiting for me in the group... all within the first 24 hours. Awesome. :)

By now, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you all of this (other than: Just because I can! muaha!). Well, that's the cool part. There's a lady in the group that is selling Swarovski Crystal support bracelets in order to make money to adopt a child who has Microtia-Atresia. (If I could find her info, I'd give it to you... if anyone knows her info... let me know!!!) She has a GREAT cause... and if I had money to send her, I would totally do it.

However.... this got me to thinking. While MA is not exactly a Common birth defect... it IS known. And there's only the one single lady out there making support/awareness jewelry for it... and I can't even FIND her outside of a couple people mentioning her goods. There's no color code, there's no ribbon, there's not even a recognized symbol for the disorder (other than the ear, since that is what is most often affected)! So, now I want to make some. I don't wear bracelets, and I rarely wear necklaces (I'm a tshirt and jeans kind of girl. Most of my jewelry doesn't go well with that kind of wardrobe. :)) But this one? Yeah....

This one I'd wear.


Interested in joining the group? See: Microtia-and-Atresia-Support-Group