He Haw! Craft Class is Back in Session!

Tuesday mornings have become quite creative this year. From 9 a.m. to noon, the Milwaukee Rec Department's craft class is back in session with a new leader. Sandy is a retired art teacher and full of ideas and has a lot of patience!

We started this semester making coil baskets - something I had already discovered; however she showed us how to use clothesline instead of recycled plastic bags. It is much easier. I made a lovely small basket in the first class and sent it to my cousin in New York. No photo unfortunately; but I'm making another one - much larger and will add a photo once it is completed.  UPDATE!  It's finished and is already being put to use!

My "project" basket!

Next up was book making. This was quite interesting. After learning the basics we each made one. We'll be doing more complex book making and I plan on making mine cloth covered.

Mine is bottom right

Today we planned to continue book making, but Sandy suggested we try watercolor painting first to use for decorating the new books. We had so much fun painting we didn't get any further. I must say this was a huge surprise for me. I've never had much imagination and painting is something that makes me nervous - but Sandy showed us several techniques and was very encouraging. After playing around with the techniques, including table salt; I did three - here are the results.

My very first watercolor - not sure what it is, but I did shake table salt on it so it has some texture!

Thought about a photo I took at sunset recently for inspiration!

Sandy encouraged me to try this one - I do like it and may try more butterflies.

Weekly Photo Assignments (1 - 4)

My favorite website for photography is Digital Photography School. The moderators took a break last fall to upgrade the website and have just recently started the weekly assignments again. I enjoy participating - even though I never win. These are my 2014 entries so far.

Assignment 1 |Seasons : Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall - Show us what it is where you are.

Frozen Hudson River

Assignment 2 | New Beginnings : Something you're starting this year? Quitting coffee? Starting Yoga?

My new beginning is to be more resourceful. This gift basket, made by me, was created by using recycled plastic grocery bags and yarn.

Assignment 3 | Angles: 90° 180° -- Show us an interesting photograph with an angle.

Crayon Color Wheel

Assignment 04 | 2014 - Water - Fluid, Frozen, Splashing or Soaked… Show us an interesting photo of water.

Water - Wisconsin Style

Deserted Island Book List

If they were going to be stranded on a deserted island and were allowed to bring a few books with them, this is a list the book club members came up with.  (Not in any special order)

What books would you add to the list?

The Color Purple 
by Alice Walker 

The Stand 
by Stephen King

Shogun: A Novel of Japan 
by James Clavell 

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea 
by Sebastian Junger

My Antonia 
by Willa Cather 

Life of Pi 
by Yann Martel 

Speak, Memory 
by Vladimir Nabokov 

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America 
by Erik Larson 

The House of Mirth 
by Edith Wharton

The Language of Flowers 
by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Beast in the Garden: The True Story of a Predator's Deadly Return to Suburban America 
by David Baron 

War and Peace 
by Leo Tolstoy

To Kill a Mockingbird 
by Harper Lee 

On the Origin of Species 
by Charles Darwin 

The Bible

The Passage (The Passage, #1) 
by Justin Cronin 

The Power of One 
by Bryce Courtenay 

Foundation (Series)
by Isaac Asimov 

East of Eden 
by John Steinbeck 

A Clockwork Orange 
by Anthony Burgess 

The Night Circus 
by Erin Morgenstern 

The Secret Garden 
by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

The Giver (The Giver Quartet, #1) 
by Lois Lowry 

Pride and Prejudice 
by Jane Austen

Harry Potter (Series) 
by J.K. Rowling

The Thirteenth Tale 
by Diane Setterfield 

"Start spreading the news..."

An interesting four days were spent in New York with my cousin Judy. Her Manhattan apartment is very comfortable and she is a wonderful, gracious hostess. We ate dinner in her apartment every night but one; and enjoyed afternoon tea or evening hot chocolate. Lots of conversation about everything from the photos we were sorting through and memories they brought back, to current events; movies and books.

Judy and I traveled through the city by subway and bus. Having never been on a subway before I was quite excited to try out this transportation. It was amazingly easy, especially having her to guide me. You've got to be quick though - those doors close quickly and the seats fill up fast!

We saw an afternoon matinee of "Cinderella" on Broadway. The staging was fantastic and the music was beautiful. We went to a show in Greenwich Village that was thoroughly entertaining; especially the guy in the bathtub! We shopped for groceries at a local store; and visited a larger market. The Manhattan Fruit Exchange has more fresh fruits and vegetables than I've seen in any of our summer farmer's markets. We toured the New York Stock Exchange and a couple of churches near ground zero. On the last day we visited Chinatown and for dinner had Chinese dumplings; hot & sour soup; beef & broccoli and sweet & sour chicken...very tasty!  

A few surprises...

• REAL Christmas trees are abundant in New York. I was amazed by how many "real" Christmas trees were on the sidewalks waiting for the sanitation department to pick up.
• There are a LOT of dogs in New York. I never went outside without seeing someone walking one. For the most part the owners clean up after them; at least I didn't step in anything.
• GREEN plants outdoors in January - even in freezing temperatures.  Not everything dies off in New York. I saw many green plants outdoors; even a flowering plant!  Must be the extreme humidity or something.
• The HUDSON River does freeze afterall.
• HORNS are made to be heard.  New Yorkers like to honk!

Coil Basket Using Recycled Grocery Bags

I'm starting my third coil basket, and have taken photos along the way.  I will add a photo of this finished basket when completed.

Flatten plastic grocery bag with handles to left

Fold up once

Fold up second time - set aside

Cut about 3 yards of yarn; thread and tie on needle

Slide 2-3 inches of opposite end of yarn (tail) into bottom of plastic bag

Roll bottom of bag and hold bag and tail of yarn with left hand

Begin wrapping yarn with right hand clockwise around bottom of bag covering bag and tail; keep yarn close together wrapping with moderate tension (not too tight nor too loose)

Wrap until it measures length of thumb

Fold wrapped end under to form bottom loop of coil

Pinch end next to most recent wrap and begin wrapping together; overlap a little and make sure this is tight.  If end pops out - redo.  This loop will be center bottom of basket.

Continue wrapping until length of thumbnail; fold under again

Make first stitch by bringing needle from back to front through the bottom circle.

Wrap bag only five times and make another stitch from back to front in same bottom circle

Continue pattern of wrapping bag 5 times and stitching once until you've created a complete coil

To add new yarn, thread another 3 yards and tie needle.  On other end (tail) place about 2-3 inches of new tail next to old tail

old tail and new tail

Continue pattern with new yarn of wrapping bag 5 times and stitching once holding the bag and both tails with left hand.  A piece of masking tape may be used to hold tails to bag if needed.

Once first coil is completed, continue wrapping 5 times, but make stitch into coil directly below last wrap.  This will allow coil to grow.

Time to add a new bag when nearing handles of old bag

Flatten bag with handles to left

Fold up once

Fold up second time an make a slit about a thumb's length up from bottom; half way through

New bag is slit half way through; about a thumb's length from bottom

Open up once and find slit

Insert old handles from underneath through slit

Pull new handles through old handles

Pull through, but keep a little loose to avoid a thick area of bag

Masking tape helps keep the new handles from sticking out as you continue

The finished basket filled with baby books; shoes and socks ready for gifting!