Rad Linc Crafts

Easy Chalkboards

2012-01-18T19:28:00.000-08:00

Eric and I just got engaged recently (does 2 months still count as recent?). That being said, you'll probably see more things related to wedding stuff in Rad Linc Crafts. One of which are these little chalkboards. We plan on using these little chalkboards for a variety of things such as a fun way to do our "Save the Date" cards, also as a prop for a photo booth, and to label things for our wedding. Other uses for them might be a message board on a door, or a menu planning board. The best part about them are how easy they are to make.

Materials:

- Pre-cut wood shapes. (tho, if you want to cut your own shapes with a scrollsaw, I say do it!)

- chalkboard paint

- other paint for border (optional).

Here's how:

1. Paint chalkboard paint on the wood shapes. Let dry for a couple of hours (or an hour might be sufficient), and put on another coat. I found that using a rag, to put the coat of paint on reduces the amount of lines left by the paint brush. I think you might use a bit more paint, but I really wanted a smooth surface.

2. Once the chalkboard paint is dry, paint the borders (optional).

See, I told you it was easy. :)

Pledging Beanies. Year 2, Update 2.

2012-01-15T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hi all. Happy New Year!

It feels like so long since I've blogged (probably because it has been, sorry). But what can you do, life just gets in the way sometimes. I thought it was time for another update given that there's really only a few more weeks to go to make beanies. Unfortunately, I haven't been super productive in making beanies. About two week before Christmas, I had a total of 4 hats ready to go. Then, a friend saw two that she really liked for her grand-daughter, so I gave them to her. By Christmas, I was down to 2 hats. Since Christmas, I've done a total of 3 more hats and have another started up. So my number is 5.5 of 12 right now. Sigh.

Here are the hats the 3 hats that I've made since the last update:

On better news, yesterday my friend, Elaine, handed me a hat that she made for headhuggers. :) It's a gorgeous slouch hat that will make someone very happy and warm. A big thank you to Elaine.

Here's the hat:

Okay, to the final weeks. Let's do this!

Pledging Beanies - Year 2, Update 1

2011-12-08T21:32:00.001-08:00

I'm off to an alright start. Last week, I finished two hats, this week, I started one. So 8 days in, I'm at 2.5 of 12+ complete.

Here's the progress so far.

Hat 1. Blue and Blue Gray Acrylic Yarn with Green Loom:

Hat 2: Blue Gray Acrylic Yarn. Crocheted Slouchy Hat.

And the progress of Hat 3: Purple Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn - Red Loom

I plan to update on the blog about every week or two. However, I update the facebook page after each finished hat. I also plan on sharing occasional links on the Rad Linc Crafts facebook page.

Happy Beanie Making!

More interesting posts to come soon, promise.

Pledging Beanies, Year 2

2011-11-29T09:25:00.001-08:00

Wow, I can't believe it's already been a year since I did my "pledging beanies" campaign. Last year, I decided to make a personal goal to pledge 10 beanies for an organization called HeadHuggers. HeadHuggers is an organization run by a very nice lady, Sue Thompson, who collects handmade beanies, and distributes them to chemo patients, burn victims, or really whoever needs them. Last year, as I made the pledge, a few of my friends joined in and also volunteered to make beanies with me. My campaign goes on for a full 2 months starting December 1st all the way through to January 31st. I generally package up my hats and send them off in February.

So, in a few days, I plan to start making hats. This year, I pledge to make 12+ beanies. If you'd like to join in, all you need to do is make hats, and send them to headhuggers. You can post pictures of the hats you plan to send on the Rad Linc Crafts facebook page. I plan to post updates on the hats that we make, so I can't wait to see pictures. The beanies can be crocheted, knitted, loom knitted, or sewn.

On another notes, I think, since this is our second annual campaign for beanies, I want a new name for my pledging beanies campaign. Any thoughts on a good name?

A special thanks to those who have pledged in the past, or who have pledged this year, to make a beanies. :)

For more information about HeadHuggers, visit the HeadHuggers page: http://www.headhuggers.org/

Stocking Gift Card Holder

2011-11-17T18:58:00.001-08:00

I've kinda thought that gift cards are a bit impersonal when it comes to gift giving. However, it's very convenient, and generally well accepted, so it works. This gift card holder gives a bit of personality to the gift card you give. This holder would also work well for a small gift.

1. First create a template of the size of stocking you will be using.

2. Fold a bit of fabric, right side together

3. Trace your template onto the folded fabric and pin fabric together.

4. Cut the folded fabric.

5. You should now have two pieces of stocking shaped fabrics with right sides facing together, and pinned. Fold down (into the wrong side) the top of each fabric by about half an inch and pin (see image).

6. For each fabric, sew down the folded top.

7. If you've unpinned the fabrics, pin them back right side together.

8. Sew around the stocking.

9. Turn the stocking right side out.

10. Put your gift card or small gift in, and give it away. :)

Quilted Christmas Card

2011-11-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

For me, this is the time of year when I finally decide on what I actually want to do for Christmas cards. Here is an easy homemade card to sew up.

What you need:

- felt

- ribbon

- fabric

- tape (I used painters tape, but masking tape would work well too. Not sure about scotch tape.)

- card stock

How to:

1. Cut a felt triangle, it doesn't have to be perfect, but make sure it fits the envelop you want to use, if you plan to place it in an envelop.

2. Cut a fabric triangle about a half inch larger (all around) than the felt. Place felt on top of the wrong side of the fabric.

3. Starting with the corners, fold fabric over the felt. Tape down the corners with a small bit of tape. Try not to tape on to the other side of the felt. Fold in the edges.

4. Cut some card stock roughly larger than the size of the triangle. You can cut it the size of the felt, but I found that it was difficult to sew it in place.

5. Sew the card stock onto the back of the fabric/felt triangle. On the very top corner, stick a ribbon loop in before sewing.

6. Trim the card stock to the size of the triangle.

7. Glue a piece of ribbon around the card to cover the sew line.

8. That's it. You can write your message on the card stock and send it away.

Happy Holiday Crafting!

Candy Lei

2011-10-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

These leis are great as gifts for graduations, weddings, birthdays, or really whatever occasion. What is nice about this kind of lei is that you can put anything you want in them, as long as their small and lightweight.

What you need:

- cellophane
- items to put in the lei (I've put in candy, little bubble bottles, small matchbox cars, and for adults: small bottles of liquor).
- curling ribbon
- (optional) ribbon for aesthetics -- perhaps school colors if this lei is for a graduation

Here's what you do:

1. Cut cellophane to about 6 inches x 6 feet (this size can vary depending on the item you're putting in the lei, and the length of lei you want to have.) A good test is to roll the cellophane around the fattest item, and make sure it holds in place and doesn't slip out.

If you don't want to cut a really long piece of cellophane, you can use 2 pieces of cellophane with the ends overlapping. If you do it this way tho, it's a bit trickier to roll, and you need to make sure the overlapping pieces are between items (this is where you would tie the ribbon).

2. With your cellophane laid out, arrange the items you want to use along the center of the cellophane. You can add a ribbon (optional ribbon) along the length of the cellophane to add to the aesthetics. Lay out the items with a few inches in between. If you're using relatively heavy items, you may want to distribute the weight more throughout the lei.

3. Carefully roll the cellophane and items so you have a tube of items.

4. Cut several pieces of curling ribbon and use a piece to tie around the cellophane tubes between the items. I like to start in the center and work my way out. Use a double knot to ensure that the ribbon stays in place. Once all of the ribbons are tied on and your items are secure, you can curl the ribbons.

5. You're almost done. The last thing you need to do is tie the ends together. Hold both ends together where the ribbons are tied on, and tie on one more ribbon to hold them together. Again, use a double knot here to make sure it stays in place. Curl the ribbon for looks.

You're done. Your recipient will love the lei and it's contents. :)

Here is one made with small liquor bottles for my cousin's birthday

Happy Lei Making!

Wine Glass Coasters

2011-09-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

September is National Sewing Month. For the last day of the month, I thought I should post a sewing project. (just barely made it -- Thank goodness I'm in PST) So here goes.

These are sewn wine glass coasters. This is a perfect project for some coordinating fat quarters.

Materials:
- fabric square (8"x 8") (This worked for all but one of my wine glasses - for that one, I could have used a 9"x9" square).

Here's how to make them:

1. Fold the diagonal with the wrong side out.
2. Sew mostly around the diagonal, leaving a small opening in the middle of one of the sides. (I find it makes a more perfect straight edge when your opening is in the middle.
3. Turn it inside out (or right-side out), using a pen or a dowel of some sort to make crisp corners.
4. Iron the triangular piece.
5. Sew a line along the long diagonal edge.
6. Fold the 2 corners up to make a square. If necessary, you can iron it down like this.
7. Sew around the square.

That's it. Your coaster is complete. Remember to make coordinating fat quarters in a set, rather than the same fabric. That way, it can work as a marker too (so you know which wine glass is yours).

Angry Birds Pinata

2011-09-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Last week, a group of us submitted a pinata to a pinata contest at work. We created an angry bird from the popular video game, "Angry Birds". An entry to the contest included a pinata kit containing a bag of flour, crepe paper, ribbon and a balloon. I didn't get a chance to take pictures as we made the pinata, but here are some pictures of our bird and our setup.

It took us about 4 lunch sessions to finish the bird.
First session: Blowing up the balloon, making the paper mache paste (2 parts flour: 3 parts water), and covering up the balloon with paste and newspaper. We let that dry til our next session. I'm not sure how long it actually took to dry, maybe a day?

Second session: We got to pop the balloon (which made the best sound ever as the balloon separated from the dried up newspaper mache form. We began cutting the crepe paper in strips (about 6 in), and cutting slits in them. Attaching the crepe paper moved fast and easily, because we attached three crepe paper strips together before attaching them onto the bird. We also attached the beak and covered it with smoother uncut yellow crepe paper.

Third session: We continued covering the bird with red and white crepe paper. We also rolled up some crepe paper and taped it and glued it up on top (also where the balloon hole was). This formed the top feathers of the bird. We cut some white and black felt make the eyes and eyebrows. It was mostly complete at this point.

Fourth session: We used black foam for the tail, made a small slit in the back, to fit it in. Lastly, we put together some props for our display. We included a nest with some wooden eggs painted gold and some crocheted angry birds and pigs.

We had completed our pinata, and now awaited its judgement. We left our display and came back an hour later, where the public voting box was opened so we could cast our votes. To our dismay, three of our golden eggs were gone. We had no clue where they went, til someone told us that a blue jay had actually swooped down and stolen the eggs. We did notice a blue jay in the nearby trees screaming at us while we investigated the disappearance of our eggs... now we know why. Ironically, s/he was quite angry at us. I guess it tried to get the largest egg as well, but couldn't carry it away. Hope it's not trying to hatch them.

Anyway, we walked away with the People's Choice Award, T-shirts, a gift certificate, and best of all bragging rights and one heck of a story to tell. The competition was fierce and the experience was fun. Here are pictures of the other entries.

Thanks to the Hispanic Leadership Committee for hosting the pinata contest, and a special thanks to my team members who did an absolutely amazing job with the pinata.

For more information about making your own pinata check this site out: http://www.chevroncars.com/learn/fun-games/how-to-make-pinata

Wire Rose Ring

2011-09-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last year, I went to the NM Balloon Fiesta. While there, I had the chance to check out a few of the art and crafts booths around town (and in Santa Fe). We had loads of fun, and got tons of ideas. One of the things we saw were wire rose rings, similar to this. Well for one reason or another, I didn't buy one. When I came back, I had wished I had bought one. Anyway, decided to try to figure out how to make it myself. This site helped a good deal: http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/rose-wire-ring

So, what you need:
- craft wire (they come in great colors) about 9 or so inches (you can trim it later if you want)
- a rod about the size of the ring you want to make. A highligher or glue-stick works well. If you have a ring mandrel, that would be even better.

Here's how to:

1. Wrap the wire around the rod so it completes two revolutions around.
2. Where the loose wires meet, wrap wire over each other, so they interlocks.
3. Taking one wire at a time, slowly wrap the wire around the other the interlocks on a clockwise turn. Do only a half turn at a time, then repeat to the other wire. After the rose is as large as you want it (maybe a full revolution for each wire), each wire should be on opposite sides of the ring.

4. Wrap the end of the wire around one side of the ring and try to hide the end so it does not scratch you. Do the same on the other side of the ring with the other wire.

That's it. :) Try incorporating beads to add to the design.

White Wine Sangria

2011-09-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

This is a nice drink to enjoy on a warm summer evening. I've tried white wine sangria before, tho this is the first time I decided to try making my own. Strangely, I've never liked the white wine sangria's that I've tasted in the past. And I never understood why, because I do like some white wines, and I do like fruit... so what the heck! Anyway, I decided to make my own, with things I liked. So, I used a white wine that I like and fruits that I liked. Turns out, I do like white wine sangria. :)

Here's the recipe:

2 lbs cut up fruits (I chose: white peaches, tangerine, and strawberries. You can choose pretty much whatever you want.)
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup triple sec
1 bottle of dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc. You can choose what you like).

How to make the sangria.

1. In a pitcher, add the fruits, and mix in the sugar, pressing on the fruit lightly.
2. Add triple sec and mix.
3. Wait 15 minutes
4. Add white wine, and refrigerate from a few hours to a day.
5. Enjoy!

Multicolored Crayons

2011-09-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Years ago, on accident, I made some of these multicolored crayons. I accidentally left a couple of crayons out in the sun, and when I got to them, they were soft, so I kinda squished them together and brought them inside. I twisted the crayons and shaped them into sticks before they hardened back up, and thus a multicolored crayon.

This time around, I made them on purpose.

What you need:
- broken crayons
- silicon ice mold, or a old mini muffin pan. (I haven't tried lining with cupcake paper. I got my mold from ikea)

Here's what you do:

1. If the crayons aren't peeled and broken, do so. This is a good way to get more life out those tiny crayon pieces, or just go to Target or Walmart during back to school shopping and get a new package for super cheap.
2. Place the crayons in the ice mold (don't overflow or it might pour out when it melts).
3. Put out in the sun (or if it's not a super super hot day, try in your car, just be sure to put the mold a flat, leveled surface or the melted crayon wax may drip out.) It'll still need to be somewhat warm so that enough heat is around to soften the crayons.

4. Once the crayons have melted together, pull them out of the heat and bring them inside and allow the crayons to harden mostly.

5. Flip the tray over to some newspaper or something. Using the silicone, you can use the other side to push out the crayon. If you have trouble, try putting the tray into a shallow pan of hot water for a few seconds. Make sure the water doesn't hit the top of the tray, you just want to get the outer walls of the cups to heat up and release the wax crayons, it shouldn't take long.

That's it. Once they've cooled and hardened, you can use them as any other crayon. This also makes great stocking stuffers for kids, just package them in a clear bag and put a ribbon around.

Today Makes 3 Years! Wow!

2011-08-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

Wow. Today makes 3 years of blogging crafts. Crazy how time goes, isn't it. For Rad Linc Craft's 3 Year Blogoversary, I thought I'd make a quick posts of blogs or sites that I've run across that have inspired me. The full list is way to large to include, but here are some of my faves.

Craft
Make
Craftster
CraftGossip
Crochet Pattern Central
Crafty Pod
Dabbled
Chica And Jo
TotallyTutorials
Dollar Store Crafts
WolfDreamer

I'm sure I'm missing tons of great stuff out there. What are some of your favorites?

Winner announced: July's Giveaway, Part Two

2011-08-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

Awesome... so it's time to announce a new winner. The prize for this giveaway is a Zoo Amigurumi book called "A Zoo For You", featuring 11 zoo animals to learn to crochet.

I, again, listed the names of the previous giveaway's entries followed by this giveaway's entries, and used random.org to pick the winning number.

And the winning number is 1. Congratulations to Emily. :-) Get your crochet hooks ready. ;)

Emily, I'll ship the book to you in the next few days. :)

Thanks to all that has entered. I hope to have another giveaway soon, just not sure when or what quite yet.

New projects coming soon. Stay tuned. :)

Unicorn Amigurumi: It's just Despicable.

2011-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

I created this pattern a few months ago. Fair warning tho, this is my very first pattern, and I've only made one unicorn. But, I think it turned out pretty well... so I'm sharing it. (I'm quite proud of it!!!! )

Let me know if there are any mistakes and I can correct them.

A few quick notes:

* #sc + inc means sc in the next # sc’s, then 2 sc in the next sc * repeat all the way around.
* #sc + dec means sc in the next # sc’s, then skip one sc, and sc in the next sc * repeat all the way around.

Body

use white yarn. Periodically stuff with polyfill.
1. 5 sc in a magic ring
2. 2 sc per stitch
3. 1 sc + inc
4. 2 sc + inc
5. 3 sc + inc
6. 4 sc + inc
7. 5 sc + inc
8. 6 sc + inc
9. 7 sc + inc
10. 8 sc + inc
11-30. 1 sc per stitch
31. 8 sc + dec
32. 7 sc + dec
33. 6 sc + dec
34. 5 sc + dec
35. 4 sc + dec
36. 3 sc + dec
37. 2 sc + dec
38. 1 sc + dec
39 … decs until the hole is closed.

Leg (make 4)

in pink yarn:
1. 5 sc in magic ring
2. 2 sc per stitch
3. 1 sc + inc
4-7. 1 per stitch (on 4th row, backloops only)
switch to white yarn:
8-12. 1 per stitch
13. 6 dc, 1 sc, 1ss , finish off.
Stuff with polyfill before attaching

Head

use white yarn. Periodically stuff with polyfill.
1. 5 sc in magic ring
2. 2 sc per stitch
3. 1 sc + inc
4. 2 sc + inc
5. 1 sc per stitch
6. 3 sc + inc
7. 1 sc per stitch
8. 4 sc + inc
9-11. 1 sc per stitch
12. 5 sc + inc
13-15. 1 sc per stitch
switch to grey yarn.
16. 5 sc + dec
17. 4 sc + dec
18. 3 sc + dec
19. 2 sc + dec
20. 1 sc + dec
21... dec until the hole is closed

Ears (make 2)

use white yarn.
1. 4 sc in magic loop
2. 1 sc + inc
3-6. 1 per stitch
finish off leaving tail for sewing.

Neck

use white yarn.
1. Chain 15, join into a ring with ss.
2. 4 sc + inc
3. 10 dc, 10 sc, finish off with ss.
stuff with a bit of polyfill between attaching the head and the body.

Horn

use yellow yarn.
1. ch 2, 4sc into 1st ch, link back to 1st sc with ss.
2. 1 sc + inc
3. 2 sc + inc
4-8. 1 sc per stitch
finish off.
stuff with polyfill before attaching.

Eyeball (make 2)

use white yarn. Stuff with polyfill before closing.
1. 3 sc in magic ring
2. 2 sc in each
3. 1 sc in each
4... dec until the hole is closed
use black yarn.
make a french knot for the pupil.

Assembly:

Sew legs to the body, the dc’s of the leg is the outside side of the leg.
Sew the neck to the body. The dc’s of the neck will attach to the top of the body.
Begin attaching small side of head to the body. Half way through, stuff the neck with polyfill.
Sew bottom together when attaching ears to head
Sew to attach horn to head.
Sew to attach eyes to head.
Embroider a line between the white and grey yarn of the head using the pink yarn.
Attach pink yarn for the tail and for the mane of the unicorn.
Use pink felt for inside of ears and for tongue. For the tongue, I cut out a pill shape (like the tongue shape folded over), sewed it in on the fold line, add some glue and fold.

More pictures:

Enjoy ! :) I'd love to see the creations if you guys follow this pattern. Feel free to post it on the flickr site.

Please do not reprint this pattern on your site or any other page. Feel free to link to this page. :)

Random Portland Street Art

2011-08-10T23:29:00.000-07:00

Portland seems to be a very artistic place. While I walked around the downtown area, there was art everywhere. Anyway, I took more pictures. :)

BTW, the free rail zone is just freaking awesome. Kudos to Portland for having such a great rail system. It got me where I wanted to go effectively and efficiently.

Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, OR

2011-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I went to Portland on a business trip. This was my first ever trip to Portland, so I tried to make the most of my short time there. Luckily, I didn't have to go far to see some pretty awesome art. Art work was scattered around the downtown area. Also, I gotta thank my twitter friend and fellow crafter @SisterDiane (check out her awesome blog too) who followed thru with some awesome suggestions of crafty places to go. I couldn't go to all of them, but I was able to go to the Museum of Contemporary Craft.

The Museum of Contemporary Craft is a nice 2 story museum located in downtown Portland. While I was there, the exhibit was "Laurie Herrick: Weaving Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow." It was an amazing exhibit. Laurie Herrick taught weaving for Oregon College of Arts and Crafts. The exhibit was a collection of her work, as well as a contemporary perspective of 5 artists' interpretation of her patterns through a variety of new mediums. There's also a table of all sorts of mediums that people are invited to try weaving on cardboard looms.

I took pictures. :)

This one had incredible texture.

I love this pattern. So simple and yet, not.

Here's the cardboard looms where you can try your hand at weaving.

Woven clothes.

Here's a closeup shot of one of them. I like how the colors mix.

I like this one too. :)

Here's a closeup.

This one was eye catching. Very dimensional.

Anyway, if you're in the Portland area, you should totally check out the Museum of Contemporary Craft. The admission is only $3 and you can go through the whole place with a leisurely pace in about an hour. There's also a store where you can buy things from local crafters.

Summer Harvest: Freezing Green Beans

2011-08-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, your summer harvest is going well, and you're loaded with so many green beans and tomatoes that you don't know what to do with them. :) If that's not the case, it's okay because this preservation technique will work with store bought (or farmers market bought) beans as well.

What you need:

Green beans
Salt
Sauce pan
Water
Ice
Freezer bags

Here's what you do:

1. Boil water and season with salt. This increases the boiling point of the water so the temps can get just a bit hotter.

2. While water is coming to a boil, prepare the green beans. I generally cut of the ends, and then cut them into sizes that will fit in the bags and wash them.

3. Prepare ice water in a bowl.

4. Now we'll do what's called blanching. I generally do this in small batches because I never think to use a large pan. You just want to make sure you don't over crowd the beans in the pan, as that will change the temp of the water, and make it not as efficient in blanching. I also do things in small batches because it's much easier to not over-blanch them when you only deal with small batches.

4a. So, to blanch the beans, put the beans (in small batches) into the boiling water. I stir a bit to make sure the beans have evenly spread in the water.

4b. Keep the beans in for 3 minutes.

4c. After 3 minutes, take the beans out of the boiling water, and quickly submerge them into the ice water. Keep them there for several minutes til they are no longer warm. This basically shocks the bean and stops the cooking. It's how you get the nice bright green color in frozen beans.

5. Remove the beans from the ice water, and dry them. You can now stick them in freezer bags and put them in the freezer ready for use at a future date.

Now on Facebook!!!

2011-08-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

Some exciting news. Rad Linc Crafts now has it's own Facebook page. If you enjoy this blog, please "like" the page on Facebook. You can do so by clicking "like" below. Thanks very much.

Winner announced: July's Giveaway, Part One

2011-08-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

Happy August, peeps! I can't believe how fast this past month, let alone the past 7 months have gone. As the last month lies behind us, so does part one of July's giveaway. However, don't forget about part two of July's giveaway: the Zoo Amigurumi book. Those of you who have entered in the Tea wallet giveaway have been automatically entered to win the Zoo Amigurumi book. You can improve your chances by entering again thru the Zoo Amigurumi Giveaway post (giving you 2 chances for the book).

Okay, so for starters, I listed all the names of the previous (nylon flower book) giveaway, and then listed the names of all that entered in this giveaway, and put numbers by each name. Then, I used random.org to pick the winner. Here's the list of names, and the screen scrape of the randomizer.

Congratulations to JennieVTurner, who has won the tea bag wallet and the $10 giftcard. Yay! Enjoy the wallet and giftcard. Please comment on this page with the same google profile that you used to enter. Include your email address or twitter, or some way I can contact you to get your mailing information. I can remove the comment afterwards. Thanks.

Thanks to all that has entered this giveaway. Again, don't forget about the next giveaway. :) There's still time to enter. Just visit the giveaway post and make a comment. :)

Cooling off with Neck Coolers

2011-07-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

These little things really do help cool you off on hot days. I made them on a couple of 100+ degree days to see how well they may work. I was pleasantly surprised by how fast it helped cool you off. It does take a bit of time to activate the beads. Okay, so let's get you cool.

What you need:
- Aqua-Gems (liquid marbles) or Water Beads for Plants
- fabric (about 4 inches wide and from selvage to selvage).

First, a bit about those aqua beads. These little beads, that are probably about 1/16th of an inch in diameter, grows to be 1/2" when activated with water. It takes a couple of hours for the bead to take in the water to grow to it's largest size. If I remember correctly, it took a couple of days for the bead to go from 1/2 " to it's original tiny size. This little package sold for about $4 at Joann's and a gallon of full size beads. Here are some pictures of the beads from when I first put them in the water, somewhere halfway through, and full size.

Here's how to make the neck cooler:

1. Start by adding some aqua gems into a bowl of water. Over-estimate a bit because it does take some time to fully activate.

2. While the beads are activating, cut a piece of fabric from selvage to selvage in a 4 inch strip.

3. Fold the fabric in half with right sides together, so you have a long thin 2 inch strip.

4. With fabric folded, sew along the long side where the edges meet, about 1/4" from the edge. (Tip: do a reverse - forward sew on the ends to help secure the ends for the next step)

5. Turn the strip inside out (or right-side out). This will take a bit of time.

6. Fold and mark the strip in half and sew a line right through. I suggest you fold that the first long sew line is in the middle of the strip, not on either edge.

7. Dry the aqua gems so it doesn't wet the fabric. Put about 20 -25 beads in the tube. Sew another line to close those beads in. Do this 2 more times on this side of the tube. Do this 3 times on the other side of the tube. You should have something like this now (red line is the middle).

8. Now all you have to do is clean up the ends. I cut the ends in a diagonal, folded it in, and sewn. If it's easier, you can make this a straight fold. Or even easier yet, and especially if it's just for use around the house, just leave the ends undone.

Stay Cool! :)

Zoo Amigurumi Book Giveaway

2011-07-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Woohoo, I just got this giveaway book in the mail today.

The second giveaway of July is this Zoo Amigurmi Book called, "A Zoo For You: 11 Animals to Crochet" by Cindy Harris. This fits quite nicely to what has captured my interest this year. I've really gotten into making amigurumis recently, and want to share that interest with you by setting up this giveaway.

This book has 11 animals of easy difficulty. It doesn't really have many pages and images of instructions, but what it has is pretty concise. To be truthful, I haven't yet tried making one of these animals. Maybe I'll make it a crochet-a-long one of these days. From what I've seen tho, the instructions are easy to read and follow. So far my favorites and the ones that I will probably try first are the giraffe, lion, and elephant followed by the tiger and hippo ( okay, I know I just named off about half the animals in the book... but, they're so cute). Don't forget that these would make great Christmas presents... and it's about time to start thinking about that sorta stuff.

Okay, so same rules apply as before.

To enter, make a comment on this page.
The contest will run from now til August 15th 11:59pm.
Also, if you've entered in the last giveaway (tea bag wallet + giftcard giveaway) as well as this giveaway, that gives you one chance to win the tea bag wallet + giftcard and two chances to win this book.

Okay, so good luck. I hope to include the unicorn amigurumi soon.

:)

Plugged Watermelon

2011-07-08T19:04:00.000-07:00

It definitely feels like summer out there. We tried this a few weekends ago when it started getting warm outside. A plugged watermelon is basically a spiked watermelon. Choose an alcohol, and marinate the watermelon with it. I found this idea perusing thru my copy of "The Joys of Cooking."

Here's what you need:

- watermelon
- liquor (we used bacardi white rum)

It's pretty simple to do, and quite tasty, but it does take some patience.

Here's how to do it:

1. Cut a small hole on the top of the watermelon. You'll want your melon to stand on it's own, so how ever it's doing so when it's on the table, cut on the top of that. It's also easiest to cut a triangle, angling the inserted knife into the triangle, so you can take the "plug" off the melon.

2. Take the plug off the melon, and put it aside.

3. *Pour liquor into the hole made by the plug. Add enough liquor to go to the top of the hole. Wait for it to seep in. * Repeat between the *s as often as it takes til the liquor just doesn't seep in anymore. It also helps to use a skewer to make a few holes thru the melon, but don't go overboard... a couple of well selected stabs and you will see the liquor seep in just a bit more.

4. Between pours, let the watermelon stay in the fridge for at least 8 hours... 24 hours is best (and you can add more booze if you want). You can add the plug back when you no longer can put any liquor in.

5. To serve, you can cut up the watermelon into slices, cubes, or use a melon baller, and enjoy. You can also use this in mixed drinks and the likes.

:) This is great for summer bbq's, but you might want to bring something else out for the kids. :)

Giveaway: - July 2011 - Part 1 Tea Bag Wallet and $10

2011-07-02T11:00:00.000-07:00

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all that has entered!

Alright, so I think I mentioned back in March that I'd have another giveaway during the month of July. Well, surprisingly so, July has come in a flash! I've been thinking about what I want to give you guys for awhile now... finally decided on doing two small giveaways this month. The first will go from July 2nd, (today) until July 31st. The second will go from July 15th until August 15th. I'll also be implementing the new rules for Rad Linc Craft giveaways. So, the way it's going to work is, anyone that entered in on the last giveaway (last March), will be automatically entered into this giveaway. If you enter this giveaway again, you'll have two entries. Then if you enter the second July giveaway, you'll have two entries on that one as well. Okie dokie? Email me if you have questions: (ftcanon AT gmail DOT com)

Alright, so the prize for today's giveaway...

A tea bag wallet. :-) You'll get the one pictured below. See the tutorial here. This wallet is slightly different, in that I use an elastic band that stretches around the entire wallet instead of a ribbon and button. I find it easier to use this way.

[Updated prize:]
And lastly... I'm including a $10 giftcard to Joann's. :)

The giveaway ends July 31, 2011 at 11:59am and the winner will be notified soon after.

To enter, just make a comment on this page. Please also leave some way for me to contact you (i.e. email address, twitter name). If not, make sure you come back to the site to see if you've won. Winners will have a month to claim the prize before a new winner is chosen.

Good Luck!!!

P.S. I haven't decided on what the next giveaway will be so stay tuned.

Fleece Basket Woven Pet Bed

2011-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

I made this bed for my sister's cat a few months ago.... It's a nice dense bed that is made of rope and excess fleece strips.

Here's what you need:
- Rope,... I used a 3/8" size rope bundle (not sure what the length was).
- lots of fleece strips.
- a crochet hook helps to push the fleece strip thru holes.

Here's what to do:

1. Start off by wrapping the rope with one end of fleece starting about 4 inches from the end of the rope, wrapping towards the end of the rope. When you reach the end, fold the end piece over towards the already wrapped area and wrap both ropes together a couple of times around.

2. Roll the wrapped rope around and wrap again by inserting the fleece strip into the circle formed by the fold and wrapping in around the rope. Wrap around the rope once, and then thru a hole in the previous row (first few times it will be the circle formed by the fold) and around the rope once. Continue in this manner going around forming a disc. You may need to wrap thru the same hole twice.

3. When you reach the size of the bottom of the bed that you desire, you'll continue to wrap the next rows as usual, but you will wrap the rope in the position just above the previous row (basically, building upwards instead out outwards). Continue wrapping til you reach your desired height (or you run out or rope).

4. To end, continue wrapping the fleece around the top row til you reach the end of the fleece strip, then just thread the fleece around til you've hidden all the of the fleece.

Notes:
Changing fleece strips - To change fleece strips, just wrap the end of the 1st fleece strip along with the rope with the new fleece strip.

Unfortunately, my sister's cat was too big for the bed. Maybe it can be a fleece fruit basket instead. (kidding)