Well, THAT Was Fun (Plus Class Information)...

Well, if you know...you know. This is how I spent Monday, preparing to get to the hospital at 7:45 Tuesday morning. Good times. Actually, I was out cold for most of the morning.

In the interest of avoiding "TMI", I'll forego the details. What I'll say is that I got a perfectly clean bill of health. Came home with Handsome as my chauffeur and spent the rest of the day doing mostly nothing. 

My deep apologies for not sharing something creative, but I can't show what I haven't got. I did hoop up more natural linen fabric, so I can make two more sheepy pendants for my shop, but didn't have the clarity nor concentration to start making perfect, little French knots. 

I think Handsome wants me to run errands with him this morning. He needs to get some new dress slacks for his concerts - and sadly to wear to a funeral of a dear friend next week who passed away in Florida. I'll take him to the airport next Monday. I'll stay home with the my canine and feline girls to keep the home fires burning.

When we get back home, I'll start on the sheep, hoping to finish them today or tomorrow and then get them listed.

There's been some interest in learning this alcohol ink egg coloring technique, so I'm planning to do a  FREE Facebook live class on Saturday morning.

If you're interested, please comment letting me know. Participants will need to purchase their own alcohol inks. Hobby Lobby, Joann's, and Michaels all have them, so hopefully you can pick some up. Here's the full supply list:

Alcohol Ink Assortment - in the stamping section of the stores

1 or 2 sheets of felt (will be cut into smaller squares)

White plastic  eggs (white works best. Must be plastic)

99% isopropyl alcohol - small bottle is fine (I got mine at Walmart)

plastic table cloth or something non-porous to protect your work surface

disposable plastic gloves to protect your hands - you'll want more than a few pairs. I bought a whole box at Walmart. 

Plan to wear a smock or an old shirt if you tend to be messy. The ink won't come out of anything you get it on.

Lastly, you'll need a non-alcohol sealer for your eggs. Sarah suggested Krylon™ Kamar Varnish, which you can get at Hobby Lobby or Walmart. This is what it looks like to help you find it.

I'm planning the class for 10:30 am Central Time (US), Saturday, March 16, 2024, so you'll need to find out what time that might be for your time zone. I'll save the video to Facebook so those who can't make it can view it later. If you are unable to get your supplies by the class, don't worry, you can pick them up later (or order from Amazon) to make your eggs another time. I'm doing the class now in case you'd like to have them to add to your Easter decorations this year.

I hope you'll join me in my studio on Saturday morning! I can't wait to share this technique with you!

March Craft Day Project...

Our project this month was themed for Easter. We created alcohol ink-dyed Easter eggs! These were done with plastic eggs and all of us really dug into this project. All these eggs are mine...cute story to follow...but everyone's eggs were vibrant and beautiful using this process. I'll get back to my story after sharing a couple more photos.

Sara (on the right) was our project leader this month. She's a friend of Marie's from church, and this lady is multi-talented. She also knows how to make baskets (perhaps a project for another time), and is an avid quilter. We have lots to chat about when we're together.

The eggs in containers that you see in the foreground were examples that Sarah brought with her for inspiration. Even Adrienne's son got involved with this craft!

As I said, plastic eggs worked best for this project so that the inks could flow on the surface of the eggs. We also tried "dyeable eggs" from Hobby Lobby, but they have a matte finish and the inks just soaked into those. We set all those aside for another time.

Our group was smaller this time. Linda K, Nancy, Adrienne, Sara, Marie and I were the crafters this month. Debbie, Linda P., and Kim had other commitments. 

Now for my story...When I got home, Handsome was waiting to see what I'd created this month. I showed the eggs to him and he loved them. We have a friend who plays in the Fond du Lac Band with him, and lately this friend has brought eggs from their chickens to give to us. They're delicious and greatly appreciated.

Handsome thought it would be nice if I could do a dozen of these eggs that he could give to our friend at tonight's rehearsal. I said I'd love to do it, but I'd only picked up plastic eggs from Hobby Lobby on my way home, having plans to purchase the inks from Amazon (where they were considerably less expensive). I told him eight colors at Hobby Lobby were nearly $25, while the inks at Amazon came in a package of twenty four colors for the same price as HobLob's eight. Even so, he wanted me to do the eggs, so he drove me back to the town so I could purchase the rest of what I'd need to make more eggs. 

As we were driving, I texted the ladies in Portage to tell them we were on our way back to the craft store to buy supplies - and it was Handsome's idea! Linda K. and I have been friends for nearly fifty years. She commented "this is a first for those two!". She's right. Usually he's trying to talk me out of craft supplies, and this time, he was actually driving me to get more. It was a day to write down in my diary. lol

Anyway, I dyed Easter eggs for our musician friend, and also for my girlfriend/boss at work. I had shown her what we were working on and she loved them so much I decided to surprise her with a dozen, too. She was mentioning that she hadn't crafted in so long, she couldn't remember the last time, so I invited her to join us some time. She's going to go with me next month, so I'll get photos and introduce her to you in April.

I'm sure by now you can tell just how enthused we all were with this month's craft. I'm definitely going to make more, and I'm going to experiment with some other ways to use the alcohol ink. If you haven't tried it but are intrigued, maybe I'll do a live video to share the technique. Let me know if you'd be interested in participating. It could be fun!