Scrappy days

Day 7 living without

With the rain about today it was a good day to stay in doors and work with fabric. I did hand embroidery, finishing up a tea towel. This chicky has had a few changes and now I think the finished item looks very nice using up a scrap piece of fabric I brought a while back in a sale. The purple flowers on the fabric go well with the embroidery. The tea towel is a basic cheap one from our cheap stores. I already have a stash of these so I'm using up what I have.

I also got into the bag of old clothes I have and cut them down. Some I cut down so I can make rag rugs at a later date.

This is a no spend day.

How to prepare fabric to make crochet rag rugs:

The first step is to get your fabric and tear them into strips about 1/2 inch is good. Make sure you cut off all the seams and then cut a nick into the fabric then pull to tear into strips.

To join your strips in a no sew method, fold the top of the strip over and cut a little slit into the fabric. Do this both ends of your strip of fabric.

Your next step is to join the strips of fabric. Where you made the slit into the fabric poke one strip ( strip a) through a second strip of fabric (strip b)  then take the end of strip a back into the slit of strip a, this will forma  loop.

Pull strip a through until a knot forms between strip a and strip b and continue to add fabric strips this way. You will end up with a long length of various fabric joined together.

Then roll the fabric length up into a ball and use this ball of fabric as you would a ball of yarn.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Day 6: Living without.

Another nice day, but the temperature is expected to drop. 

I spent the day working on some hand painted letter sets and making up junk journals. For the junk journals they are good to write in, paint in and such, when you don't want to buy a notebook. I’m trying to organise my paper stash and use some of it up.

I’ve also been cleaning out some of the garden pots as a few of the plants need pulling out and cutting back now that it is coming into winter.

This is a no spend day.

Home tip:

Dried bay leaves in kitchen drawers and pantry will discourage insects. Renew the leaves when they lose their aroma.

Frugal recipe:

Cream of soup mix:

2 cups powdered milk

2/3 cups corn starch

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon thyme

To use- mix 1/2 cup mix with 1 1/2 cup water ( Or milk for creamier version)in small saucepan - bring to boil. Stir in choice of: Potato dried or cooked, celery, or mushroom cheddar cheese- 1 cup.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Ordinary beauty

Day 5 of living without

A nice day today, cool but not too cold for this time of year. Though the nights are coolish.

We had to do a grocery top up and I needed to buy some craft glue as I ran out. Usually I buy enough, I generally need around two or three glue sticks and one bottle of glue which I have. The sticks will last me for while. 

Craft supply: Spent $4.00

Natural beauty product:

A very light and gentle moisturiser suitable for all skin types

40 ml (1 1/2  fl oz) rosewater (from the chemist)

30 ml (1 fl oz) glycerine

10 ml (1/2 fl oz) apricot kernel oil

Combine the ingredients in an amber-coloured glass bottle and a very tight-fitting lid, and shake well. Use as you would with regular moisturiser.  

As with all products always test a small patch of skin for reactions and keep away from eyes.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Little pleasures

Day 4 of living without

This is a no spend day

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”

― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

Sweet things

Day 3 of living without

It was a dreary day today, so a good day to be indoors.  There was some baking to be done, simple classic cupcakes. A recipe online supplied the ingredients list although this one seemed a little heavy and not very sweet. The icing made it sweet. 

The icing was made by sifting icing sugar and cocoa powder together into a medium bowl. Butter and milk was added. Then it was all mixed until the ingredients were combined. Then the icing was spread over the cupcakes.  For the topping we used crushed nuts on one batch of cupcakes and coconut on the other batch.

This is a no spend day.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Home Comforts

Day 2 of living without

The weather is starting to become more and more chilly. Which means it's that time of year for sniffles and snuffles. So we all turned up at our local medical centre for our flu shots, we received a free cap and water bottle. 

Meanwhile I've finally managed to sort out my bedroom, clear away the clutter and organise things I want to keep to see if I can find some way of making something useful out of them. There are some old clothes I'm going to cut up and make up into rag rugs for the ugly fabric.  I'll cut the nice fabric up into charm squares for other projects. 

Oregano:

(Origanum vulgar)

A simple and frugal home remedy when you’re suffering from cold or flu is to steep oregano in a pot of water and inhale the vapours, which are antibacterial, antiviral and decongesting. This immunity-enchancing herb also settles digestion and prevents bloating. Of course always see your doctor first.

Dinner today was a cheap meal of pasta in a bowl using items from the pantry.  Carbonara sauce is cheap to buy and easier to make as well.

Carbonara sauce:

Step 1: Heat a large frypan over high heat. Add oil, butter, onion, bacon, and mushrooms. Cook stir for 5 minutes until bacon is crips and mushroom is tender.
Step 2: Add pure cream. Bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir the sauce through cooked pasta and add grated cheese over top. Season with salt and pepper.

 “I have done quite a lot of canning of what is left of the fruit and vegetables, and for the winter I think I shall make a quilt to keep from getting lonesome, for some of the women around here are real interested in quilting again.”

- Minnesota woman writing to her friend in 1931.

(From American Quilts: Cloth and comfort. Roderick Kiracofe.)

This is a no spend day.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

all together

DAY 1

The baby being held was 13 pounds when born.

It is day one of the year without challenge and I had a no spend day. A family member on Facebook posted this photograph of my Mum's family - these are her father and her brothers and sisters. My mum is sitting in the front in the middle. Yes we are aboriginal descent in our family and it shows most in mum's mother, the eldest sister who is taking the photograph, my mum, and the boy in the middle at the back standing next to his father. His father, my grandfather, raised nine children. He worked all his life in a small town and was at one point the gent who collected rubbish and cleaned out the old thunder boxes. They weren't rich and lived with what they had, there was a lot of hand me downs. You can see in the back the old house they had and the verandahs covered with hessian bags. The boys used to sleep out there!

The Aunt who I am living with and helping out, is in the front on the right of my mum. And the Aunt who lives across the road wasn't born yet. They used to tell her when she looked at this picture and asked where she was, they said: "You were hiding under the house." *smile*

Dinner today was a choppy salad.  This is a good way to chop up your tomatoes and cucumbers and onions to use them up. We added it with a patty burger from the freezer. Along with a bit of bread and butter. Nothing fancy. Think I should've buttered that bread better.

I'm also going through my stash and cleaning. Also doing an embroidery tea towel using a design I drew up.

Today is a no spend day.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Living without - Year Challenge

A Year Without…

The main part of this year long challenge is all about going a year without the usual over spending and splurges on unnecessary items. It’s about feeding myself from the grocery shopping brought fortnightly and using up what is in the pantry and freezer. It is about using up and making do with the stockpile of crafting essentials I have instead of nipping down to the shops to buy something new. 

Part of this challenge to stop buying completely any books, little thrift store items, clothing (including shoes) and live from the items I do have. When it comes to shoes and clothes I have enough in my wardrobes and drawers to last at least one year and hopefully enough so nothing needs replacing.

I have enough books in my stash so there will be NO other books purchased for the year challenge.

The challenge will also encompass using up craft items. I plan to work towards a Hope Chest of sorts, a little old fashioned idea, but it will give me inspiration of making useful and pretty items for my own home. Of course this will include a gift cupboard as well.

I will be keeping my Etsy shop going to hopefully generate funds to put into savings. Each listing is .20 cents and I have enough in my bank card to put up a new listing as needed.  I’ll add one new listing a week.

I have snail mail to send out, the cost of a small letter is usually around $2.75 and I’ve enough in my savings tin to send out letters once a month. I haven’t joined any new craft swaps but if I do the ones I will join in will be in Australia only and the cost can be taken out of the savings tin to send.

There will be no take aways, soft drinks or *gasps* chocolate. Although I live with two others and generally other family members pitch in to buy a take away meal which is when I will allow myself a take away.

I have the cost of a car now and will alot a budget for petrol which will be a necessary spend.

House expenses such as electricity, phone and internet won't be added to this challenge as I will only be going with the money I receive in my hand and budget from that. House expenses are three ways for the people living in the house and we all pitch in with that as needed so I count it as invisible money I don't have. This will be the same for groceries, but I will keep a offline list to see how we are spending as I am not very keen on writing about home expenses for all and sundry to read. Clear as mud? Okay.

This hopefully explains the year long challenge of going without. I’m still working things out but having the main idea written down will help figure the process out for me. So this begins the challenge.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Autumn mix

We've had some nice weather of late, a little on the chilly side with breezy winds but it is nice weather to enjoy.  

I've been pulling apart dried flowers I've been drying to make potpourri mixes and these will be added to sachets eventually. The thing about drying flowers using the air dry method is that means your flowers won't rot if you place them fresh into a mixture - it's best to dry them and then make up the potpourri mix you want to try. Still, air drying flowers this way means they do fade in colour and look a  little dusty so you can add a handful of rosebuds, dried chamomile flowers, and Nasturtiums to improve the colour and text of the mixture. Pick the flowers in summer and dry them in the oven, dehydrator, or in sand mixed with laundry borax. This will mean the colours won't fade and the petals will appear fresher. 

For this potpourri I used a mix of zinnias, marigolds, nasturtiums, curry plant leaves, roses, geranumum flowers and leaves, dried orange slices, dried apple slices, rosemary, mint and lemon balm, parsley leaves, whatever the summer garden spared to make up this Autumn mix. I also added a couple drops of rose oil. I'll display this pretty in mix in an open bowl or jar to let it sent the room.

Later on I'll put this mix in a blender to chop it down finely and then add it to sachets so I don't waste anything.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Chicky chics

It's no secret I like to do the crayon tinting technique. A couple of dollars will buy a small packet of Crayola crayons and before you know it there's hours of fun to be had. Usually with crayon tinting technique most people embroider the design once finished.  I'm trying a new idea where you don't have to embroider the design. The finished item still works out to look very pretty.

Method:

1: Transfer your design onto your chosen item. For this sample I used some plastic bag holders. To transfer the design I always trace the image onto tracing paper. Then turn the design over to the back and retrace with a hot iron embroidery transfer pencil. When you turn your design over this will mean the design transfers onto your item the right way. 

2: To do crayon tinting I gave a lesson: here. The technique is very simple, just colour in the design with the crayons. If you want a deep colour, colour in, then iron off the wax build up of crayon and colour in again. The design above is coloured in once only. 

3: Then with a thick laundry marker pen trace around the finished coloured image. The laundry marker pen won't wash out.

4: Set the design with an iron, making sure to place paper over the design to pick up the wax crayon and not ruin your iron. This is completely washable, although the design may fade over time. If you want the colour to stay as is a bush over with a medium used to mix with paint to paint on fabric will make sure the design doesn't fade.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Plain and Fancy

After the heavy rains we had from Cyclone Debbie up North, the cooler weather came in and we've been having some blustery days. The change of season is definitely here now bringing in Autumn. 

With the changes, I've dusted off my blog and added a simpler layout theme.

I've been puttering around the house using up my stash and trying not to buy anything new. I've also been going through a lot of my boxes which are packed up and seeing what I want to keep for when I move into my own place. I think the hardest things to decided if I want to keep them or not is books. I have a lot of craft books and other books I like to use. Although some I never actually make any of the items from or read much, they are just there for mostly inspiration. 

A long time ago my Aunt, who I live with, gave me a large tin full of old buttons. Some of the buttons are fancy and some of them are plain. Most don't like the plain buttons but I find uses for them.

I've been using the plain buttons on vintage hanky sachets and storing them in amongst linens. The hankies were given to me, or I found them at the thrift store in packets which were about 50 cents! The ribbon also came from my stash. I used potpourri from flowers and herbs from the container pots, so these make really sweet, vintage and frugal items. They also would make a nice gift. 

To make:

1: I use the whole hanky as I can't bring my self to cut them up. 

2: Then I fold them so they look like an envelope. 

3: Then on the back where the flaps are folded I slip stitch along the flaps to sew them down. 

4: On the front I sew a couple of buttons and add a ribbon bow.

I'm sure there is an easy way to make these without sewing, but that is how I do them.

We made these cheesy crackers to see how they were, ours were a little soft after cooking but still tasted fine. The recipe didn't use many ingredients and yet they were still tasty.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

March days

The weather has changed here to bring in Autumn. There have been some storms about which will likely bring in the cooler weather, I don't know about anyone else but I'm looking forward to Winter. The rain has been good for the container pots.

While it has been raining I've been working on new items for an April market stall. Tea towels, of course, and some more other items to sell as well.

In February the Toowoomba Simple Living group held it's first work shop for the year. We were shown how to make pineapple jam, very sweet but yummy.

I came home with a few goodies from the swap table, including an Aloe Vera plant. The Aloe Vera came in handy as I got sunburnt at the Cabarlah Markets. I had an interesting day and will likely do another stall at the markets as well.

I hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.

Market days

I've been playing with my scrap stash to prepare for the markets. Rag rugs and hand painted potholders with fabric appliqué getting ready to be made up for the stall - And a couple for a swap. My store Hilda and Lillian will be at the Cabarlah markets on the 26th February, 2017.

Hope everyone is having a good day or evening where ever you are.