making jewelry

I spent a week being sick and the last two weeks getting over it.  This past weekend I slept 30 hours!!  I was not able to function.  I woke up on Sunday t go to church but moved so slow I only made it to the last hour, came home and changed back into my pajamas and slept some more.  I am feeling a bit better after that sleep fest but still need more, especially with the way they're working me at work.  They have me working in the warehouse and my boss basically told me today that my job is shifting to be a warehouse worker.  I am not cut out for that anymore.  I've got carpal tunnel from all the pulling I'm doing.  

Anyway, that week/end I was sick, I didn't hardly sleep.  That weekend was the worst of it and I decided to make jewelry to keep my mind off my troubled body.  I ended up making 14 pairs of earrings and 7 necklaces.  That Sunday was our anniversary so to show him I love him, I took a shower and got dressed in something other than pajamas...clothes I would be willing to be seen in outside the home...we didn't go anywhere...but I was dressed, clean and my hair was combed.  That took a lot of effort.  

Here's the original 5 necklaces I made.

Then a shot with all 7 (though you can barely see the white one on the outer edge.

And most of the earrings.

They were fun to make and helped to keep my mind off my sickness.  I was surprised by how much I got done with my brain being turned off.  I already had all the beads and findings so I didn't have to leave the house to make anything...bonus!

A brightened day

I have been reminded of a simple pleasure of life...receiving a package or envelope from a friend.  As a child, I eagerly awaited letters from my friends I had moved away from...but time passed and we drifted apart.  Letter have been a thing of the past.  But through Flickr and Instagram I have connected with some old-fashioned pen pals.  

I am trying to get better about writing to those who mean the most to me (I have sent out a few but still working on everyone else).  I never have anything interesting to say, it seems so it's easy to not write.  With Facebook, emails, phones, texts (none of which I am good at using) letters seem less about keeping in touch and more about an old-fashioned simple pleasure.  So, family and friends, know I have a goal of writing to each of you at least once this year...even though I have nothing interesting to pass along.  Hopefully it will brighten your day as it has mine!

Spring?

There is no time to really blog but just wanted to post a few little surprises I found on Saturday when I went to dump some things in the compost bin.  

Christmas drawing

There was no money for Christmas this year so I wanted to draw a portrait.  I scoured my files and found this one.  But it's from when he was still wearing glasses so I decided to leave them off in the drawing.  I printed it off in black and white to make it easier to see the shadows and highlights.   

It was the quickest portrait I've ever done.  I worked on it on three separate days, that's it!  I finished roughing in both faces and the hands before calling it a night.

 The next day, I had jury duty so I took it with me and worked on smoothing out the shading and started filling in the black of the shirts.

I finished it the day before Christmas Eve which was the last chance I would have had to work on it.  Whew!  I bought the frame at Goodwill some months back.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I loved it and it went to good use.  

I messed up on Adam's right eye.  I tried to fix it several times but it just wasn't having any of it.  Seems I always mess up an eye on these portraits.  He said he couldn't see it, even after I pointed it out.  But the rest of the face, I like.

And for me, I think it turned out well too.  But for some reason, I put this dark shadow under my hin, on my neck.  I have no idea why I put it there. :o\

 I am pretty proud of the hands.  I find hands even harder than faces.  I still need work on eyes and hair to make it look more professional.. Perhaps that will come with time.    Anyway, for now, I am happy with this one. :o)

Laundry

It was time to do laundry but I was out of detergent.  Time to make some more.  

To make it, I mix 1 1/2 cups of washing soda, 1 1/2 cups of Borax and 1 grated soap.  I've been using Dr. Brommer's lavender soap. 

 The best thing I ever discovered for laundry was a wash board.  I can't believe these things ever went out of use.  They make removing stains easier than I have ever found.  This shirt below had a black streak of grease from one edge of the sleeve to the other.  10-15 minutes of soaping and scrubbing and the stain was gone as if it never happened.

Before:

After:

A cake

 Work has been pretty rough lately.  Our new area manager is the kind of guy who watches security footage to find something wrong so he can write you up...and fire you if he doesn't like you.  Which is exactly what he did to my supervisor I have had for the entire almost 10 years I have worked for this company.  We got a new building manager a few months ago and he was really fighting for us, finally getting supplies we had been lacking but the area manager refused to get us.  The area manager didn't want to hear anything the building manager had to say and would yell at him to shut up and do what he says because he's the boss.  So the building manager is gone now. :o(  Things look bleak at the building now.  I don't know why I haven't been written up yet.  I am sure it will happen though.  So for the building manager's last day, I made this cake.

The flags I actually made for Adam's birthday cake for his party with his friends.  That was supposed to be yesterday but things didn't work out so there was no cake...but I have the flags and bunting for future birthday parties.  

This is bad lighting, but here they are.

Winter warmth

Some years ago, I tried making a coat for Jack but it fit so horribly, even though I used a pattern, that I gave up.  I used the same pattern and made one for the dogs.  It fit just as horribly.  So I drafted my own pattern, slowly, as I went along.  They are identical except that Gretel's covers her chest and stomach but Hansel's only covers his chest.  Can't cover a male dogs stomach and keep a clean coat.  I had to patch Hansel's right away after he gnawed on it.  Then the next day, he destroyed his.  *SIGH*  A waste of a weekend day!  Gretel still has hers but he takes it off of her.  Grrr!  He is such a menace.  But I still think they are really cute coats.