Dear Blog

 If at first you don't succeed__try again. Need to put some clothes on her and she is about to lose her hair. That's my sisters wig!

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Dear Blog

I came across a video https://www.callmegrandma.com/how-to-make-a-doll-thats-a-life-size-version-of-your-child/ and decided I needed to make an adult size rag doll. To do this I had to convince my seventy-five year old sister to get down on the floor; I needed to trace around her body for a pattern. How she would get up we will worry about later (wish we had taken a video of her rolling over to sofa to pull herself up--without my help).

OMG, I will need to update the pattern! Found and SUBSCRIBED to the best link ever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=789lPgFLkJY&list=PLA205BC46D72EEB58&index=2&t=6s. She has died a death by scissors and gone on to doll heaven.

Dear Blog

 

What's new? My sister and I set up a booth in an Antique store for six months but made just enough to pay for the rental. The shop was half an hour from where we live, gas was high, so we closed shop. Nothing ventured "nothing learned". Ouch, what to do with left-over inventory?

 

 

 

 

 

I now have the burnt up laser machine in my garage, thanks to my little brother. He is going to get it up and running so my sister and I will have a new toy to play with. 

Owing to the weather (it has been a long, but mild winter) we have slacked off going to Makerspace until Spring. Missing our Makerspace buddies---who take the time to humor us with our never ending questions.

Today I made my first curved facemask!

You can download the tutorial and pattern here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPOVb--3l1U

What Worked For Me

The hardware on my antique chest was in bad need of cleaning. After going online and trying three different solutions, this is what worked for me:

A mixture of baking soda and lemon juice.  I used about one half box of baking soda and added lemon juice until the mix was about the texture of honey. I made enough to cover all my hardware and soaked overnight. The next day I just rinsed, washed in soapy water, using a sponge, and rinsed again. Easy--no toothbrush, no scrubbing .

What didn't work as well:

1. Soaking in coke overnight.

2. Soaking in a mixture of flour, white cider, and salt overnight. I made more of the above-mentioned lemon juice/baking soda mixture (enough to completely cover all the handles).

This as a picture of mixture #2 above:

They came out pretty good!

Sanding done:

Now I am off to Google for some advice on choice of stain...

Behind Schedule!

Oh golly! I do love the Internet. BUT...in seeing a link on "How To Convert VHS Tapes to DVD", I had to purchase a screen capture device. Spent a couple of months converting my tapes to my computer. I am in process of restoring this old chest and catching up with our gardening. I know--excuses, excuses!

Another Garage Sale Goodie

One just can't pass up a chair priced at only one dollar. I sanded and painted this rusty metal chair for our grand girls (in case Mom ever has a need for them to sit for a bit). How silly, right???

OK, So Now I Love Mailboxes

Rather than purchase yet another mailbox, I found this one while dismantling our barn and gave it a once over...

Two more barn finds...This one holds my table paper napkins:

This one for garden gloves:

And a work in progress--my one dollar garage sale find. It is gigantic. I sanded it to the bare metal and have since given it a primer coat. I am trying to figure out what to use it for before I give it the final paint job. Maybe a table doubling as a storage container? Umm, what would I store in it? It is 24" high, 15 inches in depth, 10 inches wide. Any suggestlons would be really, really, appreciated:

One cannot have too many mailboxes (lol).

For the Hats and Mittens

I picked up what looked like a bin for potatoes at a yard sale for one dollar. I painted it and use it for storing our hats and mittens. This summer it will hold our work/garden gloves.

Front View

Inside Cover

Outside Cover

Left Side

Right Side

Found a Use for Cardboard Barrel

First, I drink way too much pop. But, having said that, I finally came across a solution for storing my empties. What was an old cardboard barrel is now my "Bottle Drop".

Jelly Cupboard Makeover

This is one of my favorite kitchen pieces, but I had to give it a facelift--the paint was constantly peeling off (probably lead paint).

 
 Being as I watch Shark Tank on TV, I had to have this spice rack to go inside my jelly cupboard.
 

Our LaPotta Chair

It's been so long since my last post I wasn't even sure what my sign in name was. Thankfully, it came up automatically. My DH had to have his kidney removed December 2011--he had a tumor and there was a 90% chance it was cancer. He decided he had to go straight ahead and was prepared for whatever. Since we have no bathroom downstairs, it was my desire to get in touch with the Lions Club for a thunder mug. Nope! The old guy didn't want a used one (nor to purchase a new one). "wouldn't need it, he could stay upstairs and convalesce if need be".


Now, to make a short story long--there is more. In an earlier post I think I wrote about my garage sale chairs, both before and after. Didn't I find another of the exact same chairs in November. I had the seat ready to reupholster to match the other four chairs, but decided it would make a great diy temporary LaPotta chair. You know who said he would never sit on it, but had to be involved in it's creation.

It turned out the tumor was benign, he was only in the hospital four days. Doesn't have to go for a check up for one year, with no further treatments. And, was up and down stairs same day he came home. He says maybe we should keep the LaPotta and rent it out--that's not going to happen (lol). Thank you God and Dr. Rashid!

This makes for a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Garage Sale Find

I was tired of using fold up card table chairs around my table. I found these four chairs at a garage sale, reupholstered the seats, walla--four new kitchen chairs.