Sandwich Cookies

Also known as "Wow, I have a lot of Jams stored away in my cabinets. No wonder there's not room for anything else!" Cookies.
I'm planning to meet with many different people this weekend, and share cookies with them of course! So I made a big batch of dough, three sicks of butter! Other than cinnamon I left the cookies pretty basic, no need to have too many competing flavors! My shape of choice today was round, I actually used a jam jar lid, it was a perfect size. I recently bought some sets of little tiny cookie cutters that are perfect for this purpose!
The key here is counting, One wants to have an even number of top cookies and bottom cookies! I tried to split each tray evenly to keep things right.

Put a nice layer of jam on a solid cookie (The weird looking tray side, not the nice top!) and stick a decorative top cookie on it. Simple, easy, done! Unless you make really chunky jams, and it's hard to spread them evenly... Colorado Cherry, and Palisade Peach Cookies. A perfect way to eat local fruit in the winter.
One could also make chocolate cookies, or use nutella inside, or a ground nut filling... Lots of choices! Just be sure you make a big batch, you will want to have plenty to share.

Treasury Bug

I've been bit, I'm working on treasuries for every one of my Etsy teams... First up is the Upcyclers! Eco-friendly picks for spring.

And a Victorian theme for the SteampunkFactory Team.

Darn It All!

Back in December, while preparing for finals, one of my Professors raged into class. She spouted a few things about the administration and meetings, then turned to me (I was knitting along naturally, as I always do in class.) "Can you fix a sweater?!" It so happens that I am experienced with darning, but even if I had no clue I would have said yes to avoid total meltdown! Her favorite sweater had fallen into the maw of her beloved dog, and was short a good bit of bottom hem, the cuff of one sleeve, even a button and the appropriate button hole.

I couldn't find quite the right color yarn, but a tweedy shetland of a similar color value was deemed the closest match. After many hours with size 2 dpns. and a darning needle the sweater is back in wearable condition. All that is left is to use a felting needle to secure frayed edges. I recommend that any knit lover learn to darn, it's not difficult and it saves a cherished garment. Imagine if you hand knit a sweater and this happened! I find myself darning socks regularly, as I have yet to learn how to walk without dragging my feet ...

I go by the old slogan, "Make do and Mend" to save all kinds of old clothing!

Snow Day!

The storm blew in last night, turning green lawn and 60F days into this overnight. The transformation of winter's touch. So I'm spending the day with ginger black tea and preparing for a trek to the post office. I'm not one to let 10 inches of snow keep me from going about my day!
What is your favorite Snow Day activity?

Vintage Patterns

I just received a smorgasbord of vintage patterns from a crafty friends with crafty family. Patterns from the early 50s up to the late 70s in all their flimsy tissue paper glory! The oldest ones are of course in a single size, seems this relative was a "size 11, bust 30" which is quite small for me. Fortunately I have done resizing before,and if ever I use these they would be transferred to sturdier paper first anyway.

There were several gems with "New Look" waist and full full skirts. Those of us who are bottom heavy like when the measurements say "hips - free". Perhaps I will never have the pert hair and brilliant red lipstick, but I intend to rock these dresses in style!
But not every thing can be a hit. As the patterns get newer there are two changes. Naturally the fashions, most of which I find somewhat less flattering. I mean, the bride's maid dresses should make them look like shapeless drab things, but that effect only works if the bride is wearing something less tent-like.
The second change in these patterns, is that home seamstresses became less bold. Many of the 70s patterns advertise "Only 2 main pieces!" (There are patterns from the 50's touting simplicity as well, but to a lesser extent) Unisex shapeless vest? Check. Pom-pom trim? Yep. Painfully fluorescent fabrics? Oh my. Item that is unflattering in order to avoid making closures? Facepalm...
In defense of the decades, the 50s had some truly ridiculous knitting patterns, and the 70s had more useable items. Except for the crocheted bell bottoms and granny square dress... What vintage styles inspire you the most?

Finds - Imbolc and Brigid

In the coming week we will be celebrating Imbolc, or Candlemas as it's known to Christians. A celebration of the mid point of winter, the goddess Brigid and her Christian continuation St Brigid, and a time to light fires in the darkness.
Brigid to the Celts was a mother goddess, and a triple goddess at that. A deity of fire her dominion was the fire of the hearth, the fire of the smiths' forge and the metaphorical inspiration fires of the bard. She was a goddess of the sun then, warmth and light here on earth. Beautiful art and card by EmilyBalivet.


Her celebration comes with lots of candles, fire goddess' love candles. In the legends of St. Brigid, she is a nurse maid to the future savior, and she rescues a young Jesus wearing a circlet of candles to light their way. (Never mind that the sainted woman was born some 500 years after Christ, there were angels involved!) Wonderful embroidered alter cloth from Rainfeather13. Embroidery is also associated with the goddess, who carries with her a bag of embroidery supplies.

During Imbolc it is traditional to make a Brigid's cross. The old style are made of reeds or straw and have three sides to represent the three aspects. The Celts also simply liked things in threes! With the advent of Christianity in the isles the crosses morphed to have four sides. Either way, one makes a new cross to hang in the house for protection, and burns the one you have had hanging the entire last year. Marvelous shining silver pendant from AFMetalsmith, who perhaps receives some of the smiths' fiery inspiration.

This is also the time of year when cows and ewes are giving birth, and milk returns to the diet. In a sparse winter milk and cheese would be a lifesaving boon. The birth of new animals is also a promise of a plentiful season ahead, and a welcome sign that spring is coming. Milk and Honey bath powder from YarrowStalkHerbals to renew yourself!

Whether she is a fertile goddess of the hearth, or a saintly virgin healer, Brigid offers protection, inspiration, healing, renewal and the promise of spring to come. She is a patron of housekeeping and writers, a protector of lawfulness and woman's rights. Here in the beautiful snow covered winter she is said to be sleeping, waiting for the strengthening sun to awaken her and her mantle of green. Gorgeous print by MythWeaver with more information about Imbolc.

While I love the gray winter days, and the sparse trees, I have been flipping thru seed catalogs and plotting my garden. The dark months are still here, but there is a promise of spring just around the corner!

Tree Necklace

I've been on a tree kick for a while now, carrying a little nature with me everywhere. My great inspiration has been trees, my favorite finds as well. A friend gave me a tree pendant for my birthday in the fall, I've worn it so much already that the cord is getting thin. I'd been looking to expand my collection of trees. My search has yielded ones that are too big, too heavy, too small, not interesting and then... perfect! But oh, so so expensive.

So the next step for this Craft Bitch is always to just make the damn thing myself. I dug out the bead box and the wire. This is why we can never get rid of supplies, we might need them someday! I shaped the big ring around a spool of thread and started twisting beads on with a very fine wire.
Seed beads are really tiny, word to the wise. I continued my seasonal theme (never too much of a good thing, right?) and made sections of branches with different colors. Spring is the pale buds and pink and lavender flowers. Summer is shimmering green. Autumn a flush of bright reds and yellows.

And winter is the plain silver wires as bare branches. It's always fun to step away from our favorite and most skillful crafts and do some experimenting. My respect for jewelers is reaffirmed, and my desire to shop for more beads has returned as well! I am tempted to make more of these, and perhaps in different colors for different outfits. (Even druids have fashion sense after all).

How have you pushed yourself into new forms of creativity?