Wood Floors finally done

It's taken us a while, but my husband and I have finally finished our wood floors. We've done a guest room, family room, and now the living room. He did the gluing and tapping into place, I laid out the pieces and sawed the end pieces to fit. Not bad for a retired couple!
We put the living room back together just in time for company! You can't believe the mess we had; well, maybe you can! Our two cats thought we had piled up all the furniture just for them to play on!
The rug under the coffee table is really thick and our one cat won't step on it. She uses the chairs and sofa to get around the room. Really funny to watch.

By the way, don't forget to come see us if you're in the Reno area June 24-26th. It's the Quilting, Stitches & Crafts Expo in Reno at the Grand Sierra Resort! We are booth 924-925!

Hope to see you soon!

Patti

Time for more free images

Okay everyone, I haven't forgotten you!

One image is more patriotic in general, and the other one is celebrating the 4th of July.

These make great postcards to send to our soldiers, active or retired!

Have fun,

Patti

Frugal Gardening - Seed Mats

May was a strange month this year. The weather was outright schizophrenic. Our annual garden is usually well on its way by this time, but the cool spring had moments of winter bluster. Twice in April and twice in May we had hail. Hail. Certainly not a four letter word you expect to attach to the mildest season in sunny California! I kept hesitating to dig in transplants until early May thanks to the fickleness of overnight temperature which doggedly hung in the low 40’s with the occasional crunch into the 30’s, nearly 20 degrees colder than average. However, while I wrangled with indecision, I did stumble across an interesting what if I try … I lost track of the original source, but there are several web sources that cover this idea … for making your own seed mats.

This simple brainstorm functions like those garden flower strips in a roll for the weekend gardener sold by big box stores or mail order house. Equally distanced seeds would reduce the thinning typical after sprinkling/casting to spread dastardly teeny tiny seeds. Gardening addicts know the ones I speak of … lettuce and carrots are the most maddening, invariably falling and germinating in frustrating clusters where handfuls of sprouts are wasted during back-breaking thinning for a single plant to achieve full growth. Using thin paper with water soluble glue to space those luscious future greens looked like a golden opportunity! I was excited. While watching evening TV with the hubby and babbling enthusiastically about reducing the dreaded thinning process, I measured off a 2-inch grid sheet for a pattern, marked thin paper towels, dotted with white glue and placed teeny tiny seeds with a toothpick. My ever-supportive mate smiled, nodded and made approving noises.

A Flexagon Initiation

A flex-uh whut?! Heheh! welcome to a new toy that knows no age! While I was cleaning up taxes earlier this month, I was distracted by following a couple of links on U-tube to a folded paper creation called a flexagon. I have a weakness for folded paper thingies and found myself sucked glassy-eyed toward this new attraction like a moth to the flame. However, priorities prevailed at that moment and I bookmarked sites for later exploration. Today I had slotted a couple of hours for playtime and all too easily gave up much more after downloading a basic software for creating a flexagon with my own images. And I’m going to share this new little addiction without any apology!

First, a smidgen of history for those who like to know everything about a new thingy (I had to find out!), although this devious paper contraption has been around for some time, messing with minds of all ages. Although I imagine that this construction has been discovered by many and likely several times over, the established story is that in 1939 a graduate student in England, Arthur Stone, trimmed his American paper to fit his English binder. Keenly sharp in mathematics, he began doodling and folding these scrap paper strips, forming a “flexible hexagon”, or, as it was soon named, the “flexagon”. Evidently he quite happily spread the infection of this mysterious paper invention that could flex to expose faces previously hidden. Historically much of the investigations into addictive variations … caution: there are MANY! … revolved within the circles of mathematically bent adults for several decades until it broke out and into the hands of the young and restless.

Relax, I’m going to woo your interest with the classic flexagon, and this is a hexaflexagon also known as a tri-hexaflexagon because of the three faces and hexagonal shape. While I’m playing with creating a line framework in my draw software (yep, I have it that bad!), here are two flexagons generated with a free plug-in software I found in my online research. If you’d like to mess with this yourself … it’s surprisingly easy if you have a decent photo software … here’s the url and instructions for use: Foto-TriHexaFlexagon. I would recommend printing the whole website page for reference while setting up this simple software for the first time. Or you can simply play with ones I’m giving you!

Below is the very first flexagon piece I eagerly generated, a “what if I try” of photos of spring flowers from my garden … bright Dutch iris and alyssum. Follow the images and you’ll quickly be flexing your own flexagon. Click on the image below for the largest possible image … right click to copy and paste into your photo software to save and print. I would recommend printing on legal size paper if you can (I use 24lb), to maximize size for better folding and flexing. You can go into your printer’s Properties to select Legal and Landscape orientation to successfully print the image … for most printers you can also adjust the size percentage if necessary up to 13 inches in width for maximum size. This creates a completed flexagon of about 4 inches across.


After cutting the image from the background paper, fold the strip of triangles in half along the long horizontal middle line carefully aligning the open edges. Use a glue stick on the smaller side, folding and smoothing to keep it flat as it dries. Gluing the sides together will leave two white triangles exposed at each end, soon to be the connecting tabs to the completed flexagon. Allowing time for the glue to dry, pre-crease firmly along all marked lines and be sure to crease each line in BOTH directions as this will ease the first time flexing through the faces of the flexagon (say that out loud quickly!). The image below shows the glued strip kinked from creased folds.


Make a mountain fold (crease pops upward) along the black line shown above … tucking the left end underneath to match the image below. Notice that the photo triangles are matching across the fold of the left side and top.


Make a valley fold (crease pushes downward) along the black line … folding the right end over to form the shape below.

The photo image matches now with the exception of the last triangle, pinned with my finger. To complete a flexing hexagon, slip the mismatched triangle underneath — below left. Flip the flexagon over and the white ends are now next to each other, one extending outside the hexagonal shape — below right. Take this extended tab and fold it over to meet the other tab, white face to white face. Glue these two areas together, only allowing glue on the white backs; don’t let glue touch other areas or the flexagon will not flex properly. Note to parents and teachers: kids under 9 years are going to need supervision for clean edges, crisp folds and glue in all the right places.


























Allow time to dry — oh, hard to wait! Pick up the hexagon and notice which lines from the center are open layers, not the smooth drawn lines. Pop these layered edges into mountain creases, pushing the hexagon into a tri-fold as shown — above right. These mountain folds will begin to open as the outside edges press downward. The first time these stiff edges are flexed, the tips at the center may need coaxing apart … this is why you did all the pre-creasing! As the center edges flex outward, a new face pops upward — below left. Repeat the same pinch ‘n flex to expose the third side of a two-sided hexagon. Come on, is this cool or what!










Ah, but wait! turn the flexagon over and the reverse side will show a face inverted … namely, what was on the outside corners of an original face is now at the center —below. Technically there are SIX faces; the original three, plus those three in flexed or inverted arrangement. Go on, play with it and find 'em all!

I’m handing off the second flexagon variation below because I couldn’t stop at just one (did I mention these silly things are addictive?). The second flexagon piece features fossil faces; ammonite chambers, suture pattern of an ammonite, and a seastar. This one should appeal to the guys, sons and grandsons, more than the floral variation. It is easy enough for a five year old to play with and charming enough to suck in an adult. And then, AND THEN you’ll start wondering about new combinations ….. maybe even coloring your own doodles ….. hmmm.

Sunday Breakfast, Post-Tax!

Yesterday, day three in a row, was spent wrestling and finally wrapping up income tax. Ugh. There are few words that I should put into print that describe my feelings about dealing with this annual ordeal of fact-gathering and paper-picking. Present day has eased some of the frustration with somewhat user-friendly software plus filing via email and electronic signatures. Thanks to pdf files, actual paperwork is near archaic unless you enjoy finding a home for an insanely thick wad of complete forms for posterity (over a hundred pages!). Normally I would gleefully shove my information at a generously paid CPA, but the recession has pressed frugality. However, now that I have won, Won, WON! over Schedule C’s, wrought refund wonders with education and medical deductions, dealt with a mutual fund closing … I was looking forward to a new although gloomy, rainy Sunday (this is April??) with a guilt-free desire to celebrate with a leisure Sunday Breakfast.

The unusually cool weather invoked thoughts of hearty pancakes and there’s a favorite recipe I’ve tweaked over the years. My only child was a fussy eater when quite young and never liked mush, or any squishy, soft foods including bananas. Go figure. The only way to pry hearty goodness into her was to fry pancakes and offer lite syrup or chopped fruit as toppings. This recipe has morphed considerably from the original off the side of an oatmeal box, evolving into a sweet disguise of oats, yogurt, eggs and whole grain as I played with each “what it I try” in substituting ingredients. Remember, don’t mention the word healthy to youngsters if you want them to eat these solid pancakes — if they balk at the homeliness of these earthy flapjacks, make them half-size and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the cakes before flipping. Call the mini version Pancake Cookies and their interest will shift quickly! Psst, leftover mini cakes are even good cold as a finger-food snack.


OATMEAL BANANA PANCAKES

1 cup non-fat yogurt
1 cup milk
1-1/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 eggs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium banana, roughly mashed
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the yogurt with the milk in a glass mixing bowl, warming in the microwave about 90 seconds, stirring at about 45 seconds. Stir in oatmeal until well coated and let sit about 10 to 15 minutes to soften. Add the brown sugar and mix well, breaking up any lumps. Stir in eggs, oil and banana until blended. Mix well the flour, soda , salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl before stirring into the wet ingredients until just blended.



Preheat lightly greased griddle or large skillet to medium heat. When hot, plop and spread the thick batter by quarter cup measure — a gravy ladle is my favorite. Watch the pancakes as you may have to reduce heat to medium-low to prevent scorching before the center is cooked as extra sugar from the fruit makes this a concern, but still worth the effort. Cook until the edges look DRY and the underside is golden, before flipping to cook until baked through. This recipe produces about 15 pancakes, give or take a dribble. Leftovers can be wrapped into the refrigerator and gently heated on small plate about 30 seconds in the microwave for a quick Monday launch.

Don't expect these to be the perfect-pour, pretty pancake of the white flour fame.


These pancakes are tender, so don't rush flippin' the cakes lest you tear the undercooked batter. Little ol' impatient me invariably messes up the first three in the pan. And watch the pancakes as they will darken if unattended (note a couple of deeply colored samples on the back plate below — they're still tasty with syrup!)

And here we are with a bit of fresh fruit, complete with hot coffee in a favorite mug and a well-earned chaser of the Sunday funnies. Oh yeaaaah. Perfect Sunday morning.

Mothers Day Postcard

This image would make a great

fabric postcard for Mom. I hope

you enjoy it!

Patti

Giving Birth

Patti and I sure had ambitious intentions when we set up the blog in late January to stay on top of fresh updates, but February darn well scuttled away from us. It was one of those months that we thought we had a handle on planned events, save the handle snapped off and we were both scrabbling after March in the blink of an eye. I don’t think I have to mention the little things in life that can abruptly collect into a flock and swoop all at once. Just catch a read of Patti’s misadventures below … it’s silly but I swear that appliances conspire to retire all at once! For me, February was a couple of shows, a healthy bite of family distraction, and a creative gestation that required prompt birth.

Heavens, no, I’m not rushing into actual motherhood again at my age, thank goodness! The development I’m about to muse over is a new tool and the journey from idea to physical form. For a couple of years I’ve been selling a set of round discs with open notched edges as a simple cord maker, kitted by a gal living in the Bay area here in California. I really liked the disc tool for braiding bead strands but my wandering mind found the basic cord it allowed too limiting. Certainly there were a fair number of ways to arrange threads from ribbons to fine thread, metallic cords combined with bouclé threads, fabric strips, and that didn’t count the combination of bead strands with soft goods, but I kept thinking that there could be a single tool that would accommodate multiple braids that were not complicated to follow.

Then there was the discovery of a foam square plate last fall and the outright cool flat braids that was possible with that portable tool, but (now you knew there was another but coming, didn’t you?) those snug foam slits didn’t allow playing with textural threads or beads. Well, not without frizzing both the threads and your humor! The braids from the foam plate was quite firm but I was hoping for something pleasantly even and able to mold flat curves for sewn embellishment. And I believe those addicted to the handarts indulge in them because they really enjoy the full process so why not find a reasonable tool design for smooth technique. What to do? Uh huh, here it comes … what if I try a merge of needful qualities?

A scribbled sketch on a yellow pad plus a conversation with Edward, my handy-in-the-workshop mate, netted me a square plate of chipboard with open slots for experimental play. The hybrid worked precisely as I anticipated but the rough edges of the board wasn’t very kind to fragile goods and the time it took to hand cut a single plate was not cost effective for production. This prodded me into surfing the local sources and a few web sources for estimates in die-cutting different materials, such as chipboard or clear acrylic. The chipboard was quite inexpensive but, as you can see in the picture, not terribly attractive as the common color is a gray shade of kraft brown. Simply lovely! However, once past a particular thickness, the alternative choice of clear acrylic must be laser cut lest it crack or even shatter under a die press, so now the cost took a lively jump. Kind of like a drop of water in a hot frying pan. In order to have “picture pretty” and “silky to use”, both attributes needed a hitch of cost in time and hulking machinery. I took the plunge in mid-February with a small virgin run of 50 count, which nearly sold out with a debut at a relatively slow local show. Ever seen a middle-aged woman do a Snoopy dance? Uh, wait, maybe you don’t want to think about that too hard!

Now we are in mid-March with a new batch of plates under the laser, due to arrive in a few days. There were some small concerns with the initial run that were addressed in this new batch that prompted a small cost increase. A few additional slots were plotted into the sides to allow more potential in playing with kumihimo braids as there are many available books detailing more, MORE braiding stuff. It makes sense to tweak it fully early in the game! While I’m waiting for the shipment to arrive, I’ll be updating the plate image in the folded instruction pamphlet that goes with plate + bobbins + weight clip + ties. The ten page pamphlet covers three braid variations and helpful hints in using and traveling with the Braid Maid™. What’s in that name? … I wanted something that stuck in memory (rhyming truly helps), a Google-unique in search, and it is a tool that serves to keep those threads in the right place. No matter where, no matter when.

Here is an image of braiding playtime in ribbon, vintage seam binding, boucle threads, and satin cords in both flat eight strand braids and a chubby round K.I.S.S. braid. The expansive possibilities in trimming art-to-wear clothing, sweaters, ornaments, paperwork such as scrapbooking and decoupage, jewelry, and … and … well, I haven’t started on the beady potential yet. Or wire or chain or fabric strips or bias tape or metallic ribbon or twisted paper and, well, you gotta figure, there is always more. Do stay tuned.