Freebie Friday

It's Friday again, woot, woot!  This weekend is J's birthday.  I'm not sue what we're doing yet, but I'm sure it will be fun.  

I can't really complain about this week, I've enjoyed beaded out on the deck almost every day.  I have given silk dying a go and come up with some good results.  Side note, I have some new silk to show off, but you'll have to wait until next week for that.  It's been a pretty stress free week.  Now let's just hope this laid back vibe continues.

But let's get to our freebie for the week.  I'm sorry I forgot to list one last week, I was getting ready for that show that never happened, sad face.  This week I've got some cool little 3-D paper orbs called dragon eggs.   

This download includes seven page elements and four quick pages.  And the best part is when you use your My Memories software, you can fully customize these guys. 

And don't forget, you can use my promo code, STMMMS11215, to get $10 off the My Memories Software and then an additional $10 off any purchase in the store. That's a pretty cool deal. The My Memories folks have some really great scrapbooking things. And even if you don't scrapbook, the software and extras are really awesome. I don't scrapbook, but I love the software to make interesting blog post pictures. I even used it to make some labels for my homemade granola bars, so J wouldn't have to guess flavors anymore. Just use STMMMS11215 to get the discounts.

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Don't forget I'm having an etsy sale to help me buy a new battery powered cash register.  You could get 25% off your purchase by using coupon code MAYFLOWERS.  That includes clearance and patterns.  So stop by my etsy store and save today.    

Enjoying the Weather

It is finally nice here in WI.  This past Monday, we had a freeze warning, a freakin' freeze warning, and now it's 80°.  Our weather is strange here in the Midwest.   But I've been enjoying the warmer weather.  I've been beading on the deck almost every night.

It's so nice to work on beady goodness while also enjoying the outside.  We live right by one of the conservatories here in Madison, so our back yard is full of bird songs and little critters.  It's a nice little get away.

I usually sit out here with an Arnold Palmer (half tea, half lemonade).  The dog lays in the sun and keeps me company until J gets home from work.

It also gives me time to practice taking pictures.  And look at that cute little camera strap I made myself.  I made that about an hour before we left for Brookfield zoo.  Hey I figured if I had to carry a large camera around with me I should probably be comfortable.

You can also see a little pug being sneaky on the chair in the background.  She loves to sit up on the chairs with us and she will either jump up there herself or beg one of us to put her up there.

And of course with the warmer weather comes the ice cream.  This is a sundae I got from Babcock the other day.  Oh how amazing it was.  Mint ripple ice cream, hot fudge, pecans, whip cream, and a cherry.  Delish.

So that's how I've been enjoying this wonderful weather.  What has everyone else been doing?  Is the weather as nice where you are as it is here?

My First Silk Dying Experience

I've been thinking for a long time that I've wanted to try silk dying.  One of the main reasons I bought the serger was to make my own silk ribbons.  I've had some success with using old silk ties and shirts, but I was limited to the colors those items were.  My plan was to dye the silk myself.  And I finally got the nerve to try it.

I ordered five acid dyes.  Now I know acid dyes sounds scary, but all that means is you need to add vinegar or citric acid to the dye water.  Think Easter eggs.

I gathered all my supplies; vinegar, dyes, little containers to mix the dye in, a pot, and some water.  Except for the dyes (and the silk), you'll have everything else in your kitchen.  Now remember that you want dedicated tools for this, so use containers and a pot you won't use for food.  When we got our new pots and pans, I kept the old ones for DIY projects.  Projects like this.

I was using the free silk scarf they sent me with my first order.  I didn't want to screw up on the couple yards of silk I had bought.  I figured my free gift was a good place to start.

The silk went into the pot with enough water to cover it and a 1/2 cup of vinegar.  I then brought that up to 185°F (85°C).  Little bubbles were forming on the sides and bottom of the pan, but it wasn't boiling.  I would use a kitchen thermometer to make sure it's hot enough if you try this.

I mixed up the dyes in little plastic containers that I picked up at the dollar store while I waited for the water to get up to temp. I used a 1/2 teaspoon of dye to 1/2 cup of hot water.

I then turned off the heat and added the dyes.  Now I knew I had made a mistake with the dark navy instantly.  I added too much of it and I should have added it last.  But this was my first time, so I learned a very important lesson for the next time I did this.

Once the dye was added I let everything come back down to room temperature.  So I put a lid on it and let it cool down gradually.

 
While I waited for it to cool I relaxed on the deck with some beading and one of these bad boys.  Nothing is quite as refreshing on a hot day then a nice cold cider.  The instructions said it would take about 30 minutes to cool down, but it took quite a bit longer.  That's why I was enjoying the nice (okay, almost too hot) weather we're finally having.

Once the water was back down to around room temperature, I rinsed the silk in water that was the same temp as in the pot.  I rinsed the silk until it ran clear and then put it on the porch to dry.

And here is what I had once it had dried.  Like I said, way too much navy, but it's still really pretty.  Next time I'll do the light colors first and then add a small amount of dark last.

It's still pretty and does have some spots where the navy didn't take it over.  Overall I'm pretty happy with my first attempt at silk dying.

I employed my model to show off the scarf, but she seemed quite bored with the process.  Maybe it was because I took this picture before I went to work this morning and she was still sleepy.  Or she was just bored by my antics.

So that was my first silk dying experience.  It wasn't perfect, but I learned a lot and I think my scarf turned out okay.  Now to mix up some more dyes and cut up some silk and make some actual silk ribbons.  Wish me luck

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Also I'm having a sale in my etsy store for the rest of the month of May.  I need to buy a new cash register for my art shows because my old power supply is dead.  So I've decided to buy one of those battery operated cash register instead of dropping another $150+ on a new power supply.  So if you stop by my etsy store and use coupon code MAYFLOWERS you can get 25% off your entire order.  That includes clearance and patterns.  Help me reach my goal by my next art show!!!  
 

First Art Show of The Year (and also a coupon code)

This past weekend was my first art show of the year, well it was supposed to be my first one.  I was going to try out my new setup and my new promo items.  I was hoping to make enough money to buy a new battery operated cash register   I had big plans.

This is as far as I got....

The wind was so bad that they canceled the show.  Now I was happy they canceled the show and they planned on refunding us our money, but I was also sad they canceled the show because I had big plans for it.

But my stuff only made it out of the car and then it almost blew away.

The blankets are because on top of gale force winds, it was also pretty damn cold.  I think the high for the day was only 53°.  I was not looking forward to the day.

But after numerous canopies either blew over or fell down, they called it off.  So I guess I get to wait until the next show to try out all my new things.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate.  

And because I'm still pouting about not having a show this past weekend, I'm having another etsy sale. If you use coupon code MAYFLOWERS, you can get 25% off your entire order, including patterns and clearance items.  Help me reach my goal and get that new cash register before my next show.

New Cuff Pattern

So since I have transferred all my patterns on etsy over to digital downloads, I've been thinking about all those patterns I made but never beaded up.  I have hundreds of patterns I've made, but never done anything with.  I sorta got distracted when I picked up bead embroidery.  Those patterns were just forgotten.

But I've decided to go through them and try to bead up as many as possible so I can get them posted as patterns ASAP.  I mean, I put a lot of work into them, I might as well share them.  

This is the first one I finished up, a breast cancer awareness ribbon on a colorful background.  

You can check out this pattern HERE in my etsy store.  I'm also planning on listing the finished cuff as well if it does not sell at my show this weekend.  So if you would be more interested in a finished cuff, I'll have that listed soon.  

Now I'm off to get ready for that art show this Saturday.  If you are in the Madison area it is at Elver Park, Saturday, May 11.  I'll be there 10:00am to 3:00pm.  You should stop down and say hi and pick up the perfect last minute mother's day gift.