tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10466640022758333552024-02-07T02:45:10.304-06:00Kate's Kreative BlogCreative Projects ranging from baking to making; sewing to growing.
Giving something a new purpose in life or learning something new makes me happy.Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-68243931329228424662013-06-28T19:15:00.001-05:002013-06-28T19:15:43.422-05:00MIG Welding- not for the faint of heart...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0xkgbO1VCr_agDphpYQulCTXxnuG5RgdMqPeGg0Wh-1vtAGKrDLi9e_cpNlhsGZR1zZm-LunKlasMOBRPPcrAl5Hme9Zow8WvXGrb_Cp4DsGCGTbs0BbKA7lscAemclGzb4_CmobYVU/s500/3876935598_4d44a204bf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0xkgbO1VCr_agDphpYQulCTXxnuG5RgdMqPeGg0Wh-1vtAGKrDLi9e_cpNlhsGZR1zZm-LunKlasMOBRPPcrAl5Hme9Zow8WvXGrb_Cp4DsGCGTbs0BbKA7lscAemclGzb4_CmobYVU/s200/3876935598_4d44a204bf.jpg" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit (Flickr) - <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/neoplatonistking/">neoplatonistking</a></td></tr>
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Hi there! So, I just took another class - this time in MIG welding. It was at the same hacker space as before, but with a different instructor.<br>
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I liked him a lot, but he wanted me to just jump into welding while having 5 ft. spark arcs shoot at me, which was on top of worrying about massive amounts of heat from<br>
the welding tool and possibly getting UV sunburn on my eyeballs. Needless to say, it was a little hard for me to focus on just welding in the beginning. After all, our instructor did spend the first 30 minutes of class describing all the ways you could injure yourself during welding.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/06/mig-welding-not-for-faint-of-heart.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-30524888909484950872013-05-31T21:47:00.001-05:002013-05-31T21:49:00.315-05:00Look, I made a Bench! So this post is really just to brag about this awesome woodworking class I took in Houston, TX rather than to share any insightful tips or crafts with y'all. I've always wanted to take a woodworking class- in high school, I took sewing instead of woodshop, and in college, while I took a slew of other art classes, my schedule never lined up for me to take any of the wooden variety. <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb6Sd5xRA0DZ9vrbsHmuhNO_DwPzAc1iAOFXersYWDKI8bucnK6OSm5JGl0-ODwyjFZei6hDqDvUeUYNNFaHJgrmTdJXTmcl_Qh9cIDg5qvBTQW7ilkdRlzLm5UwSkY2oAVsRWEUfY7k/s1600/DSCI5889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRb6Sd5xRA0DZ9vrbsHmuhNO_DwPzAc1iAOFXersYWDKI8bucnK6OSm5JGl0-ODwyjFZei6hDqDvUeUYNNFaHJgrmTdJXTmcl_Qh9cIDg5qvBTQW7ilkdRlzLm5UwSkY2oAVsRWEUfY7k/s1600/DSCI5889.JPG" height="346" width="640"></a></div>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/05/look-i-made-bench.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-17801266218895389352013-05-20T21:01:00.005-05:002013-05-24T14:42:26.120-05:00How about Earring Storage? I've got you covered.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UCYDef81YtyzjMbKg2uyNjjZifKa-GkwtoP8OhcMSMVjCM_djTRs7N9frjolyji9ZqsfbS-x_1H8jeNhcA59O9T2SQbOmvkigGjmfDUvGF4bvx9mCZmpeKxD8-yzhuvqjpwH7PkcmUM/s1600/DSCI5833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UCYDef81YtyzjMbKg2uyNjjZifKa-GkwtoP8OhcMSMVjCM_djTRs7N9frjolyji9ZqsfbS-x_1H8jeNhcA59O9T2SQbOmvkigGjmfDUvGF4bvx9mCZmpeKxD8-yzhuvqjpwH7PkcmUM/s200/DSCI5833.JPG" width="150"></a> Give all your dangly earrings room to spread out with this easy to make this spinning earring caddy.<br>
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I have seen a lot of the mesh earring holders that are 1-Dimensional frames that hang on your wall; I think they are pretty neat. However, when I turned 16 and got my ears pierced, I went a little bit crazy in the earring department (<i>trying to make up for lost time or something</i>) and had a bit too many sets of earrings for a single hanging earring holder. But when I got up to three of those on my wall, it was taking up too much space. So my mom (<i>shoutout</i>!) helped me come up with a nice solution that stands about 6" tall and 7" wide and....dun dun dun....spins!<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-about-earring-storage-ive-got-you.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-64527469282657613722013-04-29T23:32:00.003-05:002013-05-24T14:32:35.046-05:00Necklace Storage Needed? Look no further. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dW9w3j9e_e4OdEDJEfg2nvqfYjM6sTrPA3GkcmE-LYcSg64pVNUiN0Mjv8E1ZMyNfEv4rHF1JzmR838EPPLRYULCp96O9wcpLYXHdjJ6aGYSW5TASNxog-u1CVAP6MmZ-nIUPbwO91U/s1600/DSCI5376_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1dW9w3j9e_e4OdEDJEfg2nvqfYjM6sTrPA3GkcmE-LYcSg64pVNUiN0Mjv8E1ZMyNfEv4rHF1JzmR838EPPLRYULCp96O9wcpLYXHdjJ6aGYSW5TASNxog-u1CVAP6MmZ-nIUPbwO91U/s1600/DSCI5376_2.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clips added around the rim of the plastic apothecary jar to hold necklaces. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCuQqIWjg_vedEqw4u752VVxCQX7J7jnTBZJ2Kk9RynX5oN7dlUX3m4BzLuVfEu_y7iicl638-4aAv_D512rFz1xKeOt9ZJzj0WH34hHcj8IpuDCXL5jCeBLzwqcxei1o4CgKpkzM9QU/s1600/DSCI5377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfCuQqIWjg_vedEqw4u752VVxCQX7J7jnTBZJ2Kk9RynX5oN7dlUX3m4BzLuVfEu_y7iicl638-4aAv_D512rFz1xKeOt9ZJzj0WH34hHcj8IpuDCXL5jCeBLzwqcxei1o4CgKpkzM9QU/s1600/DSCI5377.JPG" width="240"></a> A quick project, using a plastic apothecary jar. I'm still getting used to the new job and what I need now more than ever is better storage capabilities and organization. I went out and bought a hanging organizer (thanks Ikea!) for my closet because all my undershirts were all over the place, but I wanted to try and use something I already had for my necklaces. For all my earrings, I have a lazy susan/metal upside down organizer that works perfectly, but I was running out of space for necklaces, so I came up with this easily removable craft.<br>
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<u>Materials:</u><br>
<ul>
<li>apothecary jar OR another type of wide lipped jar (made of or any hard surface)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Picture hanging clips (mine are from the Ikea wire picture hanging kit- <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/hang-kids-art-on-a-curtain-rod-92852" target="_blank">as seen here</a>) or any type of clip that won't slip off of the lip of your container- Jumbo colored clothes pins or wooden clothes pins would work well if you have a larger jar. </li></ul><a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/04/necklace-storage-needed-look-no-further.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-64884846453975294052013-03-23T11:37:00.001-05:002013-03-23T11:47:29.959-05:00Herbed Bath Salts<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXoUmVfdzoric7gjh2Jn87OryUO12jcGit67hrH6pDWoDNp_fwMnS4HdUXfqYa2F9uJgsnvoizZoyEuBAaTNstQlgZ2Kc4FnsDj-ir90gASQiKK2rkZnHO2tKxXnGtt1WJt_vi8QBTyo/s1600/DSCI5829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnXoUmVfdzoric7gjh2Jn87OryUO12jcGit67hrH6pDWoDNp_fwMnS4HdUXfqYa2F9uJgsnvoizZoyEuBAaTNstQlgZ2Kc4FnsDj-ir90gASQiKK2rkZnHO2tKxXnGtt1WJt_vi8QBTyo/s320/DSCI5829.JPG" width="222"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiced bath salts</td></tr>
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Hello again! I'm going to share another project I worked on during my crafter's break. The last few months for me (as well as for a lot of you, I'm sure) have been somewhat chaotic in my life. I am in the middle of switching jobs and wanted to give a token of my thanks to the lovely ladies I have been working with since I got to Texas.<br>
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Since I work at a spice store (and I love a good bath soak), I got interested in making bath salts for my coworkers. I had all the spices I needed for this project on hand already, but I did need to pick up a few extra things at the store- unscented Epsom salts and powdered milk aren't things I normally keep on hand in my pantry/house. However, they were fairly inexpensive and added a little bit of extra spa-luxury to the bath tea's I made. Spring break might be over, but you can still relax and enjoy!<br>
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<u>Materials:</u><br>
<ul>
<li>Epsom salts (1/2 c.)</li>
<li>salt (1/2 c.)</li>
<li>powdered milk (1.5 c)</li>
<li>baking soda (1/8 c)</li>
<li>corn starch (2 tbs)</li>
<li>spices (cracked rosemary and lavender (1/8 c. each); cinnamon (1 Tbl.) and vanilla bean)</li>
<li>muslin/silk draw string bags </li>
<li>glass or plastic containers (optional)</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/03/herbed-bath-salts.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-79818347314244399222013-03-10T20:24:00.001-05:002013-03-23T11:47:36.545-05:00Crockpot Chicken Stock This week is spring break in Texas <i>(also known as SpRrianNnnNnngggG BreEaaakkKkkk for those still in college)</i>. I am not going anywhere exciting this year, so instead I am going to try and have a "crafter's-break" instead; do a craft once a day or so and hopefully document it here. Please chime in if you have any good ideas for quick crafts that I can try!<br>
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I see food as craft, so for today's post, I made chicken stock. Luckily, it was very hands off after the initial chopping of the vegetables and putting them in the crockpot, so I had time to make baklava, fix lunch, clean, and do some laundry while I was waiting for the stock to be done.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJoD9moW7STBgcm4es09gbVd0FraYE8LQcYha1u7PZY80dZCq1Vx6H1s8sUVlP4XAmOS2MepSKfRE5VJzNuYDvw3GI1xJarkYqBT0qyWq6EIBJfSCkxCsFmh_VWPS83HOGejx-WxkoZ4/s1600/DSCI5780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJoD9moW7STBgcm4es09gbVd0FraYE8LQcYha1u7PZY80dZCq1Vx6H1s8sUVlP4XAmOS2MepSKfRE5VJzNuYDvw3GI1xJarkYqBT0qyWq6EIBJfSCkxCsFmh_VWPS83HOGejx-WxkoZ4/s200/DSCI5780.JPG" width="200"></a> <b> To make a stock, you need only four simple categories of ingredients: a carcass, vegetables, herbs, and water.</b> There are some traditional ingredients (carrots, onions, celery), but I often use whatever I have on hand (in this case, fennel stalks, asparagus ends, and braising green stems). Each stock turns out tasting a bit differently this way, which I like.<br>
After the stock was finished, I let it cool then poured it into muffin pans and popped them in the freezer for perfectly portioned (2/3 c.) chicken stock popsicles to use in future recipes. <br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/03/crockpot-chicken-stock.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-75596068652597014242013-03-04T14:20:00.000-06:002013-03-23T11:50:57.296-05:00Scrapbooking Demo- easy double page spread In high school, I was forced to scrap book as part of a team bonding for, of all things, volleyball. It was something I dreaded doing as I have never been much of a girly girl (<i>as I wrongfully assumed all scrapbookers must be</i>.)<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQ4rFWK0p3IMKJ7CwA32bMuwaEiWndWsX7Z4gaflYU80otV3oV1ihHVL4ovgEU1c92_miTE7zjBfRJ2GIF-wmMyO7HGbJ_EuKKbp9qZUD8pSDxrNVLnYackAkx6pWXxHIx9yiwNcXoc4/s1600/DSCI5718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQ4rFWK0p3IMKJ7CwA32bMuwaEiWndWsX7Z4gaflYU80otV3oV1ihHVL4ovgEU1c92_miTE7zjBfRJ2GIF-wmMyO7HGbJ_EuKKbp9qZUD8pSDxrNVLnYackAkx6pWXxHIx9yiwNcXoc4/s400/DSCI5718.JPG" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished scrapbook 2-page spread</td></tr>
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However, once I actually started scrapbooking, I realized it was something I could really get into. After all, I love stickers, bright colors, and organizing information. I did two more forced scrapbooks during high school and a couple of scrapbooky things during college, but didn't have time for more than that.<br>
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Now that I have left college however, I find myself with all sorts of paper junk that I collected over the four years I was there. I sorted it all by year, month, then event and began the process of making scrapbooks for each year I was in college. I finished my freshman year and thought I would share my process for making a scrapbooked double page spread, my way (aka re-purposing leftover pieces of paper and having a unified color theme to create a cohesive look and feel to the pages).<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/03/scrapbooking-demo-easy-double-page.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-88040420118349405482013-02-07T15:25:00.000-06:002013-02-07T15:26:13.183-06:00Crafter's Block Yes, much like writer's block syndrome, I currently have crafter's block.<br>
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In the hopes to get my crafty self motivated as well as to actually write a post, I have decided to let you in on the secret of which blogs I read to inspire and motivate my crafting-self. I know none of these crafter's personally, but they each have a style that speaks to me; if we are lucky, they will speak to you as well. So here goes:<br>
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<b>For Clothing and Accessories:</b><br>
I love looking at the new creations from the blog <b><a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/" target="_blank">Made By Rae (http//.www.made-by-rae.com)</a></b>. Rae is a sewing pattern maker who posts about her creations. She has the most adorable children's patterns that are also very wearable (at least I'm guessing, since her own kids wear them!)<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqte5L00ELcWwsLxwgXGb8WEKhS8i_lvwQG4iSHuPxnQ1lX7JzrEVYi-50AUX4ZecMuyF5eaHcVb0P_nSlefkFZq7-hJlW75CA_t8tfpx9xdBI66kIdejNfbjpjZhiiT7rAQzYhyZOvmE/s1600/DSCI2390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqte5L00ELcWwsLxwgXGb8WEKhS8i_lvwQG4iSHuPxnQ1lX7JzrEVYi-50AUX4ZecMuyF5eaHcVb0P_nSlefkFZq7-hJlW75CA_t8tfpx9xdBI66kIdejNfbjpjZhiiT7rAQzYhyZOvmE/s200/DSCI2390.JPG" width="165"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A purse I made w/a Rae pattern</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>One of the neat things about her blog is that she encourages reader feedback through pictures of what they have made with the patterns she sells and gives away. These pictures are then posted to a flickr.com page so that everyone who is looking to use/buy one of her patterns has the advice and modifications of everyone else who has made that pattern. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>She occasionally gives away<a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2009/02/free-buttercup-bag-sewing-pattern/" target="_blank"> free patterns, for personal use (in this case, it is a purse)</a>. I made my own version of this using some leftover material and it turned out great! </li>
</ul>
For when I want to feel girlie, I head to <b><a href="http://psimadethis.com/" target="_blank">P.S. I made this (http://psimadethis.com/)</a></b>. This one is pretty famous and honestly, most of the time this blog is too trendy for me fashion-wise, but I appreciate how she re-purposes everyday items into a higher fashion calling.<br>
<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/02/crafters-block.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-32609810231156560592013-01-13T21:34:00.002-06:002013-01-13T21:50:36.791-06:00A-Door-Aborable Wreath: Tech Edition, Part 2 Hello again! Just wanted to give the second half of the LED jingle bells wreath project. The <a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/01/another-door-aborable-wreath-tech.html" target="_blank">first half of the project</a> covered the creation of the wreath itself, using cardboard, a craft knife, glue, and a few other materials. The video is the conclusion of the second part of the wreath project: adding song and lights!<br>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/56TDeYT6t0M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Though I liked the wreath when I first made it, it is much more interesting now that my brother incorporated LED lights and an arduino code to make it play "Jingle Bells." To <b>get the code</b> he wrote as well as some <b>read through instructions </b>on how to get started, <b><a href="https://github.com/christophergoldsberry/Wreath" target="_blank">click here.</a></b> Some basic info on the project, in his words:<br>
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<i>"To make a similar project, on your breadboard, wire two LEDs in series on each Arduino out pin called in the "LED PIN" array, and include a 330 Ohm resistor on each pin circuit to ensure that you stay under the maximum current draw for each pin. The piezobuzzer is wired as usual, and the pushbutton has a pull up resistor to prevent any erroneous 'low' signals. "</i><br>
<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-door-aborable-wreath-tech-edition.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-79463017250146569982013-01-04T11:56:00.000-06:002013-01-26T11:17:09.578-06:00A-Door-Aborable Wreath: Tech Edition, Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2joZ97nhrFxE_Iitol0-2COkYag34j-I3IYG0HOvXlNc10CiN4aT7mlkoNzoKbnhKP0xQ1A0IK5qpRBHYu_QCL2y_H7AD2njO5ChbFOKGvdj-q9u8PqTaw3bvxE4DgKTrpXwnJPZD_Q/s1600/DSCI5268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR2joZ97nhrFxE_Iitol0-2COkYag34j-I3IYG0HOvXlNc10CiN4aT7mlkoNzoKbnhKP0xQ1A0IK5qpRBHYu_QCL2y_H7AD2njO5ChbFOKGvdj-q9u8PqTaw3bvxE4DgKTrpXwnJPZD_Q/s200/DSCI5268.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
I know it has been a while since I've written a post (the combination of being in my best friend's wedding and the holidays), but I have another - perhaps now less timely- Christmas wreath project. This project is unique in that my brother and I collaborated on the design and implementation of the wreath. I also knew that I wanted to use cardboard in some way because I have a bunch of it at my house from work and it is a cheap material to work with. <i>This post will just describe making the cardboard wreath. <a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-door-aborable-wreath-tech-edition.html" target="_blank">The next post will cover how to install LED lights and set up the arduino code to play Christmas music. </a></i><br>
<br>
<b><u>Materials:</u></b><br>
<ul>
<li> cardboard, lots of cardboard</li>
<li>wood or white glue (Elmer's or other brand)</li>
<li>An exacto knife or a box cutter</li>
<li>marker or pen</li>
<li>surface to cut on (one that you don't mind getting scratched up or marked on) </li>
<li><i>(optional) </i>acrylic paint (red, green, white)</li>
</ul>
<b><u>How To:</u></b><br>
<br>
1. The basic plan was to create a wreath of interlocking triangles. So, the first step was to cut out a bunch of similarly sized triangles in three different sizes. (I needed about 60-75 total for the project)<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5P-xX6AOjXJN1IFDpGCjRE9UkUV3nillYfLOotJDyfwC-MkKWeq9X6oGKi1YKPw5Cf6Co-yKP3-9dS6Brh3qhBuyvpM8vKUe8hk79TGGVsUHzegfrAE9ENUb9SkEpR07jxof6jeoseE/s1600/DSCI5234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5P-xX6AOjXJN1IFDpGCjRE9UkUV3nillYfLOotJDyfwC-MkKWeq9X6oGKi1YKPw5Cf6Co-yKP3-9dS6Brh3qhBuyvpM8vKUe8hk79TGGVsUHzegfrAE9ENUb9SkEpR07jxof6jeoseE/s640/DSCI5234.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangles- so many to cut out. Get a cushy exacto knife or your hand is gonna kill you afterward</td></tr>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2013/01/another-door-aborable-wreath-tech.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-64721534758453389042012-12-02T15:58:00.001-06:002013-01-13T20:47:53.750-06:00An A-Door-able Wreath<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8s31EwWcmUDNkh-_pc1DGvXoOWhfGzyqJHZ5vzZdRURBNg61YRX_dPIuifxAqPA4KK1hsO9gxM0HcOfP44QR5hEKIOm7YQAuCyCX1TuppifZhGglCRbmH5Vxu8ugC75GDGnxqcPoW_mQ/s1600/DSCI5223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8s31EwWcmUDNkh-_pc1DGvXoOWhfGzyqJHZ5vzZdRURBNg61YRX_dPIuifxAqPA4KK1hsO9gxM0HcOfP44QR5hEKIOm7YQAuCyCX1TuppifZhGglCRbmH5Vxu8ugC75GDGnxqcPoW_mQ/s320/DSCI5223.JPG" width="240"></a></div>
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When I brother asked me to create a wreath for the door of our apartment, I'll admit, I sort of panicked. Not because it was such an extreme request, but because I realized that Christmas is real and truly on it's way and I have gotten almost no shopping done for family and friends. So instead of solving that problem, I took my brother up on his challenge and decided to make a wreath for our door (yes, the old standby of productive procrastination).<br>
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For some reason, I felt the need to use ribbon in this project. After buying the ribbon, I had no real idea of how to attach it or how to make a ribbon wreath. So, while walking around the store, I bought a set of fancy pearled topped pins, figuring I might be able to wrap the ribbon around itself and pin it to keep it together.<br>
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When I got home, I checked pinterest to see if I could find any good ideas, but none of them really spoke to me (they were either too girly or not fancy enough.) So I thought about my original plan, and came up with this easy 2 hr. wreath:<br>
<br>
<b><u>Materials:</u></b><br>
<ul>
<li>Extruded Styrofoam ring (mine was about 12" across)</li>
<li>2 different colors of 2.5" ribbon </li>
<li>2 or more different colors of 1/4" ribbon (I had 4 - yay for 50 cent ribbon spools at Michaels)</li>
<li>Sewing scissors (believe me, using regular scissors on this project would have been ridiculous)</li>
<li>Straight pins</li>
<li>Tape (optional)</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br>
<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-door-able-wreath.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-56397118403803317342012-11-12T22:57:00.000-06:002013-01-13T20:48:20.144-06:00Picture Hanging Trick<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERc5fvN3m4OXcGYLFAG-29-RMf04AvLiI05WaOE6LPe_mlNNvmG21IpRVJ9PY3OV7Ail8lIQkMl2c2zCS40TfY0relSabGDtiePcg-KV9iupiuphJN7tZpGbwu5AifRdozx0eMNUv0Bk/s1600/DSCI5159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERc5fvN3m4OXcGYLFAG-29-RMf04AvLiI05WaOE6LPe_mlNNvmG21IpRVJ9PY3OV7Ail8lIQkMl2c2zCS40TfY0relSabGDtiePcg-KV9iupiuphJN7tZpGbwu5AifRdozx0eMNUv0Bk/s200/DSCI5159.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
Our living room walls are incredibly bare; it is sad. To make up for the fact that we have no art that matches the look of our living room, I came up with the idea of hanging 5 monochromatic canvases I spray painted blue. I have 2 canvases of one size and and 3 of the other (odd numbers look better, but 3 wasn't quite enough and 5 of the same size was too big.) For visual interest, 2 are flipped vertical while the others remain horizontal. I worked all this out by laying them out on the living room floor and trying several different configurations until I found this one.<br>
<br>
And I will be honest, I hate hanging pictures. Especially when I have to do math or use a ruler- two things that aren't hard by themselves, but when combined with my brain making things overly complicated, become impossible to use when hanging frames. But, I still like to have beautifully straight pictures that are exactly as far away from each other as I want. So I came up with an alternative method that my brain understands better. <br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/11/picture-hanging-trick.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-38447286227347891582012-10-27T21:38:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:49:17.016-05:00Quick Tip- Sauce PortioningWhether it is from homemade sauce or jars of store-bought sauce, I always have leftovers. Since they don't last that long, even in the fridge, I always freeze my sauces. But it can be messy to get sauce into sandwich bags, so I use this trick that I borrowed from my days working at a Bakery and filling bags with icing - shout out to <a href="http://www.bobbicakes4u.com/" target="_blank">Bobbicakes</a>!<br />
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<ol>
<li>Place a sandwich bag inside of a wide-mouth mug or cup. Make sure that the top of the bag folds over to the outside of the cup. </li>
<li>Place a funnel inside the cup and pour in the sauce (if you are super confident about pouring, you can skip the funnel part.) If any lumps stop up the funnel, shake it gently from side to side until the clog clears. </li>
<li>Once all the sauce is poured into the bag, zip the bag closed. Then remove the bag from the cup. Mess free sauce portioning!</li>
</ol>
Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-25753484907048091452012-10-17T22:12:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:49:17.014-05:00A Pumpkin Pake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin Cuppake with a little bit of whipped cream on the side, sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon</td></tr>
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<i> Well, technically, they are pumpkin cuppakes- cupcakes wrapped in little pieces of pie dough instead of the usual paper wrapper. Fair warning, this recipe makes for one heck of an awesome carb-filled biteful. </i><br>
For those of you who remember my first foray into baking a pake- <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1046664002275833355#editor/target=post;postID=4805950088501548674" target="_blank">it was a blueberry pie with a sour cream cake, aka a blueberry pake</a>- I did it for the sake of Drop Dead Diva. They now have a recipe on their site for those wishing to make a pake, but all the ingredients are canned or come from a box (lame!) So, I set out to make another wonderful pake, this time with fall flavors in mind. My dad and mom came to visit last weekend, so I made these treats in my dad's honor since he loves pumpkin pie. And as much as I rag on the Lifetime recipe for not being "from scratch." I am not a total glutton for punishment, so I did use store bought pie dough and store bought canned pumpkin (if you want to make your own, feel free- I've done it in the past and it is delicious, if time consuming.)<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/10/a-pumpkin-pake.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-6282241047101343322012-10-06T21:54:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:50:57.294-05:00Make A Card- Halloween Edition<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZNRq9sU-gjxv40qvuKLM8fFHA3XgmLL3Wv-rFGPY-FRsTaciIdhmsCBX5v6iFLJ2I78s5CfHNMlNNB9fIW7owQoKryGUNtvMP-vwNc0xKviuJrR_Qmab3WPSZ1t8gt3-A6gduu7Wrhc/s1600/DSCI5077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZNRq9sU-gjxv40qvuKLM8fFHA3XgmLL3Wv-rFGPY-FRsTaciIdhmsCBX5v6iFLJ2I78s5CfHNMlNNB9fIW7owQoKryGUNtvMP-vwNc0xKviuJrR_Qmab3WPSZ1t8gt3-A6gduu7Wrhc/s640/DSCI5077.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished card- pumpkin patch</td></tr>
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Now, obviously, I am a bit early for Halloween, but when you send people things in the mail, you have to be ready earlier than the actual holiday. And when you make them yourself, it is even earlier, so I am actually on schedule this year to send them to people during the correct holiday (versus normal when I send Christmas cards as New Year's cards- whoops.)<br>
Cards still take me a long time to make, mostly because I am a perfectionist and I like to do as many of the pieces as I can by hand. However, I have shortened my hour per card standard a bit by using repetitive shapes and rifts off the same card style.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/10/make-card-halloween-edition.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-54334452741032867662012-09-27T20:32:00.001-05:002013-03-23T11:48:46.206-05:00A Sour Attempt At Pickling<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWPyKS-Lq7zcE7S__8eAXN2jZ8STc6TZma44AmUw_J9sBio-LXb9fbxeFzKdkBc5aMqM7DzHnTEpWf1YHBjFA2-BjMjv3pE_kPlHOdaYDLfUaLmlIwsD8Bd4f3z-vyiswmzoBs_Scot4/s1600/DSCI3562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixWPyKS-Lq7zcE7S__8eAXN2jZ8STc6TZma44AmUw_J9sBio-LXb9fbxeFzKdkBc5aMqM7DzHnTEpWf1YHBjFA2-BjMjv3pE_kPlHOdaYDLfUaLmlIwsD8Bd4f3z-vyiswmzoBs_Scot4/s320/DSCI3562.JPG" width="320"></a> Puns aside though, this was a colossal disaster: please in no way follow any of my instructions to make this or your hopes for pickles will turn into salty seas of sadness.<br>
My brother subscribes to get a farmer's basket every other month with various vegetables (I call it Hippy Harvest); a few weeks ago we got a few pickling cucumbers from the farmer's basket. Now, I love pickles. LOVE THEM. I used to be the kid who would buy a cup of frozen pickle juice for 50 cents while at the skating rink- Or, if I was feeling incredibly wasteful with my allowance, I would get an entire giant pickle. And while I can't quite stomach that much acid at a time any more, there is nothing I like better than sneaking a little crunchy pickle snack into my day.<br>
So, I thought, I should make my own pickles! What a grand adventure it will be- battling all the possibly dangerous bacteria floating around in home canned pickles (well, so say the critics). And of course, should I go with the classic kosher pickle recipe, using lacto-fermentation (mostly salt) or the modern stand-by (mostly vinegar.) Since I have had so many vinegar pickles, I decided to go with salted pickles. The theory is that as the brine increases in it's fermenting, the salty cucumbers will excrete salt in the form of a sour, tanginess. Or something more scientific than that. So the longer you leave the good bacteria to do it's thing, the more sour your pickles become. And they continue to ferment until they are eaten and "go bad."<br>
But for some reason, I didn't actually try to follow the recipe that the video pickle-guys used. Instead, I used a recipe from a random cookbook. And while I am sure the recipe was great, I apparently can't convert a recipe for one large crock into the three jars I ended up using. Instead of splitting the mixture between the three jars adn then adding water (as the directions for the crock recipe said to), I added all the salt mixture to one jar and then made a new batch. the amount of salt I used was a bit extreme (1/3 cup for the big jar and another 1/3 cup split between the smaller jars); this is expesially ridiculous when you look at the measurements from the first video (1 tablespoon per jar.) Yikes! As soon as I tried them, I winced in salt-shock and I was still tasting salt in my mouth hours after I tested them. I should have just put the slices over my eyes and called it quits for the day.<br>
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I found a couple of really good videos explaining the process, which I will post below:<br>
<h2 id="watch-headline-title">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy4PEn2fdIQ&feature=related" target="_blank"><span class=" " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="How to Make Dill Pickles with Lacto-Fermentation">How to Make Dill Pickles with Lacto-Fermentation </span></a></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4WGrHQ8AhM&feature=related" target="_blank"><span class=" " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="How to Make Fermented Dill Pickles">How to Make Fermented Dill Pickles </span></a></span></h2>
<h1 id="watch-headline-title">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class=" " dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="How to Make Fermented Dill Pickles"></span></span></span></h1><a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-sour-attempt-at-pickling.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-29478971058486445452012-09-11T17:03:00.001-05:002012-10-06T20:19:19.872-05:00Plant Buckets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tT2Qg2ybXQgG0WRL_61MfTpOm32gHz4i7pnZ4t9KESG69CxQslagiLoiWw5JcvL4Zq0jHQStkfo71iQ8DxHoUTug9xpwStI22KTbVRmp6TyfkNzasGi4aAmJdYlQYZbQK7OnP0Ou-mQ/s1600/DSCI3564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6tT2Qg2ybXQgG0WRL_61MfTpOm32gHz4i7pnZ4t9KESG69CxQslagiLoiWw5JcvL4Zq0jHQStkfo71iQ8DxHoUTug9xpwStI22KTbVRmp6TyfkNzasGi4aAmJdYlQYZbQK7OnP0Ou-mQ/s640/DSCI3564.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product- I actually have 7 hanging on the balcony railing, but it was hard to get a shot wide enough to show it</td></tr>
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Ok, for those of you that read my blog (or know me), you know what an avid gardener I am. One of the sadder parts about leaving home was not having access to garden spaces at my parents house. And with how stuffed my car was, I couldn't even fit my miniature pepper plant or my - admittedly large- aloe plant on my trip to Houston.<br>
Living in a second floor apartment now, I only have access to two tiny balconies (ok, technically one since the other is my brother's.) But I can't live without plants either. So I decided to maximize space by hanging the plants instead of clustering them on the floor of the balcony. This isn't necessarily a novel concept, but I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on a fancy pantsy "do-it-yourself kit" when I know I could do it myself.<br>
I went to Tuesday Morning and happened to find these little buckets for $1.50 each. They are a great size to start off with for what I needed at the time, but I will probably have to expand as the plants grow. Cooking is really important to my brother and herbs are great plants to start out with as I get used to growing in this new climate (so tropical- I want a citrus tree!)<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/09/plant-buckets.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-33696125524187181232012-08-29T21:47:00.000-05:002012-09-11T23:27:22.658-05:00Curtain Drama, Part 2Hello again,<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjjdo3s0VCEw6KzrQYBamGrS-0mFeLjG2sU4Euua4zvo9aHdW-aTsnXUKyTetW4motUmVdp-tOYaCg3IEcIgr7hiPoimpdsx_H8LOrwzWiASC8tXhYazAXeUZSPZmbZCdnay04USA9LA/s1600/curtain+measurements.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjjdo3s0VCEw6KzrQYBamGrS-0mFeLjG2sU4Euua4zvo9aHdW-aTsnXUKyTetW4motUmVdp-tOYaCg3IEcIgr7hiPoimpdsx_H8LOrwzWiASC8tXhYazAXeUZSPZmbZCdnay04USA9LA/s320/curtain+measurements.tiff" width="230"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measurements (1.5 X length; add 6" to height)</td></tr>
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I just finished the curtains for my room. This project was full of decisions, starting with whether or not I wanted to buy commercially made curtains or make my own. The window in my new bedroom is rather large (74"x 60"), which means usually means expensive. An added challenge was the amount of light being let through at all times- my room was as almost as bright during the day as at night- which was the whole reason I thought of doing curtains. I needed to make sure I got black out material to solve this problem.<br>
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After looking at multiple stores to curtains, I decided to make my own. All the ones I saw were either too childish (bright colors, sheer, glitter) or too grown up (boring colors, muted tones). I really needed something in between, so onward and upward to the fabric store. I went to Jo-Ann's, and though I will be the first to admit they aren't my favorite craft store, they did have a home decor section with blackout curtain material. The Hobby Lobby across the street did not (...I miss you hancock fabric).<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0B0gmdx15FO_BMvnWGhNQ3X9fwTP10hdwGaknaFlDuBF41uEDCROPCEXZNFK0Ef0Q4Yt_ZHNWezGVmL7NyHXjnnrjATF1h_Ky5f82mrIaPxxS6yfl_CpmljTS0ADF9aVLwEG8uttCQ8/s1600/DSCI3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0B0gmdx15FO_BMvnWGhNQ3X9fwTP10hdwGaknaFlDuBF41uEDCROPCEXZNFK0Ef0Q4Yt_ZHNWezGVmL7NyHXjnnrjATF1h_Ky5f82mrIaPxxS6yfl_CpmljTS0ADF9aVLwEG8uttCQ8/s640/DSCI3510.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blackout fabric: middle seam Make sure so sew both sides of the seam (1/8") so that one side doesn't flap open</td></tr>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/08/curtain-drama-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-30718640345179942172012-08-27T14:11:00.005-05:002012-10-10T15:40:15.918-05:00Curtain Drama, Part 1 I desperately need curtains in my bedroom. After being attacked by something (eww, creepy bugs that bit my face) on our family reunion in upstate NY, I threw out my face sleeping mask. When I moved to Houston, I realized how much light came into my room at night, but couldn't bring myself to buy another mask just in case it happened again (eww, creepy bugs that bit my face). Curtains were the answer!<br>
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The story of how I finally got my curtains will be in the next part post. This is the story of how I made my curtain rod. After wandering around Home Depot for almost 2 hours, I was emotionally exhausted. Who knew putting up curtains and a shelf in my closet would be so draining? All the curtain rods for a window my size were ridiculously expensive ($27-$32) and I would still have to buy curtains to put on these rods. The tension rods, while cheaper, wouldn't be able to hold up the amount/weight of fabric that my curtains were sure to have being blackout style. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0x3208I1aLXEHvTtfXyoRSl_oIeTvB29keEI0H9j4VmitMbygFC1go43Gqi5vqKB1gxo-or8_tBhAJCrg6UCK-4834DZ0WpnIRargRPGeJKfBPol4TuOIZ1n4E1dh7kZnlL5IqUYeOw/s1600/DSCI3521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0x3208I1aLXEHvTtfXyoRSl_oIeTvB29keEI0H9j4VmitMbygFC1go43Gqi5vqKB1gxo-or8_tBhAJCrg6UCK-4834DZ0WpnIRargRPGeJKfBPol4TuOIZ1n4E1dh7kZnlL5IqUYeOw/s640/DSCI3521.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curtain Rod assembly, once complete: Closet rod + U conduit clamp + screws + end caps + spraypaint</td></tr>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/08/curtain-drama-part-1.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-34083065757570218682012-08-24T00:42:00.004-05:002012-09-12T15:24:50.839-05:00Measure Twice, Cut Once Ah yes, the age old adage: measure twice, cut once. Meaning that if you take proper time to figure out what you are going to do with a project before jumping in willy nilly, you (hopefully) won't have to do it over again. But I have never been one to listen to tried and true wisdom and In dislike tedious calculations (I'd rather eyeball it- which made my decision not to pursue architecture fairly obvious.) So, instead I ended up having to do much more trouble shooting with these three projects than I would have if I had just measured and thought about what I was doing before I started sewing.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt6ah_XL9adeXMxaJxG-wglcJsLXiqK0xRfep4TF194_tQodDnTOR11gyJMmaPTNZKto5FNtVVGJDXdrrWRtURXX8KVNo1jdz2qX6lpdecwNiDRX7IP3Lqxb84mfmYjEnqiwHOMhxci8/s1600/DSCI3497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt6ah_XL9adeXMxaJxG-wglcJsLXiqK0xRfep4TF194_tQodDnTOR11gyJMmaPTNZKto5FNtVVGJDXdrrWRtURXX8KVNo1jdz2qX6lpdecwNiDRX7IP3Lqxb84mfmYjEnqiwHOMhxci8/s640/DSCI3497.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished product: 2 metal slats that make up the tiers, covered in a fabric sleeve to keep shoes from falling through</td></tr>
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I have lots of fun projects to tackle now that I am living in Houston, Texas. So, first things first: make sense of my shoes. My brother gave me a shoe rack with 3 tiers a while ago, however, whenever I used it, my shoes would always fall through. Basically, it is missing the middle metal rung on each tier (no idea what happened to them...) When I moved, it got taken apart and it was the perfect opportunity for me to fix the problem. My solution? Making sleeves out of fabric (I was thinking of wrapping paper at first, but I didn't go for that as I had more fabric and no wrapping paper). It probably would have worked fairly well with the paper, but fabric will stand the test of time for sure.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDRW6D7xTMdTPze_0M6RPao7XAh6VxyiYE1FmBHZOv990QAoNxYtiw1-Lq75YFt71jI56HBATTh-Zs6Pd89RrUrpgu8DEOKVf0bLhhHaIrdHkMM75b8Ru1B87ETfmEgNR3nNoDMZ5fc/s1600/DSCI3496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDRW6D7xTMdTPze_0M6RPao7XAh6VxyiYE1FmBHZOv990QAoNxYtiw1-Lq75YFt71jI56HBATTh-Zs6Pd89RrUrpgu8DEOKVf0bLhhHaIrdHkMM75b8Ru1B87ETfmEgNR3nNoDMZ5fc/s320/DSCI3496.JPG" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks classier with fabric sleeves</td></tr>
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This, of course, should have been an easy problem. You have a length/width of fabric and you measure around the bars. I could have wrapped a piece of string around this and measured. Easy right? But I didn't do it that way. Instead, I tried to use a length of fabric I had left over from a previous project, thinking that sewing the ends together I would have plenty of room. Not so much. However, I carried on, squeezing it over the rungs/tiers and making the next two sleeves. Unfortunately, when I went to screw in the second set of screws, I had a bit of a problem on my hands. The material was too tight on one end (yes, on all three of the pieces.)<br>
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So I had to take it apart and sew on a scrap length of fabric to make it fit. Not my most stellar craft moment, for sure. After that, they fit. Thank goodness.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/08/measure-twice-cut-once.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-64940103279927462362012-08-05T00:02:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:49:17.020-05:00Avacado Ice Cream? Ok, when I saw this <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/avocado-ice-cream-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">recipe on Alton Brown's website</a> and had to try it. After all, I absolutely love avacados- a well made guac is where it's at, but avacados are at their finest plain with just a bit of salt. The texture thing can be a big issue for some people, but it doesn't bother me at all. And they have a good amount of fat (one day it's "good" and the next its back on the "no no" list), which makes them a perfect ingredient for ice cream.<br>
Yes, ice cream!<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCA0D82FP4CAJl6R5PGKw0Ex1cOKQyZV2KD0g3wYcXbCQ-nD3CMUR0kwd9rtUtqaQSdPGmkBWODoBJ4F-qzY1RKunAphss6Fsau2N_ikLZDw8pVH2-LPI3SvZ8kSleJeJVDLOWGWCXs0/s1600/DSCI2351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaCA0D82FP4CAJl6R5PGKw0Ex1cOKQyZV2KD0g3wYcXbCQ-nD3CMUR0kwd9rtUtqaQSdPGmkBWODoBJ4F-qzY1RKunAphss6Fsau2N_ikLZDw8pVH2-LPI3SvZ8kSleJeJVDLOWGWCXs0/s640/DSCI2351.JPG" width="640"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready to use my Kitchen Aid ice cream attachment; reading the instructions and assembling</td></tr>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/08/avacado-ice-cream.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-48059500885015486742012-07-10T22:50:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:49:17.017-05:00A Blueberry Pake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the last month or so, I finally decided to move to Houston, TX (shout out to my brother Chris!) So I have been thoroughly busy deciding what to take instead of making anything new. However, I had the day off on the fourth of July and I wanted to bake! I wanted something "American" - and I had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqEeP1acj4Y" target="_blank">a lot of blueberries</a> just waiting to go bad before I could eat them all- so I immediately thought of making blueberry pie. I mentioned this idea to my boyfriend, who said, "oh I hate pie, I like cake better" and that blueberry pie dream was killed. Of course, I never really love fruit pies myself and I know how much work they take (hello lattice crust: my worst nightmare), so I wasn't entirely mad at my BF for pointing his preference out.<br>
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But what else could I make?<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeh1G8AAMVPublXYM2UpZXRlbtTIsGH1EBMbjBH63cnFF0vMWCPAztWcZ2l4078SCbCufF-pmdVyvSC3u5RazZbOKqIMbeiL5YAwMA4rstoa59rUqzvx4I8zoV7i0zo9kA5x9uEVz7pQ/s1600/DSCI3214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeh1G8AAMVPublXYM2UpZXRlbtTIsGH1EBMbjBH63cnFF0vMWCPAztWcZ2l4078SCbCufF-pmdVyvSC3u5RazZbOKqIMbeiL5YAwMA4rstoa59rUqzvx4I8zoV7i0zo9kA5x9uEVz7pQ/s640/DSCI3214.JPG" width="640"></a>Of course, of course! <span style="font-size: large;">A Pake!</span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7aiLIWzsH_T9hm42KMLn41axfbaMTFMlQLij-DOZvtsDoahDLmMGt85CeQEtzvwEHLP1s8wTnPU-xnfK2-kHXDizucIjD3xPvMoDQUV_DCJzhdlcE7BWleZ7_NEtqvW-zY3WWQKNXMw/s1600/DSCI3209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7aiLIWzsH_T9hm42KMLn41axfbaMTFMlQLij-DOZvtsDoahDLmMGt85CeQEtzvwEHLP1s8wTnPU-xnfK2-kHXDizucIjD3xPvMoDQUV_DCJzhdlcE7BWleZ7_NEtqvW-zY3WWQKNXMw/s320/DSCI3209.JPG" width="320"></a></div>
If anyone else out there is addicted to Drop Dead Diva, they will immediately know what I am talking about since Stacy's Pakery has been in the plot-line for the show for a while now. For all those others though, a pake is a pie recipe mixed with a cake recipe. If you <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=pake&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a" target="_blank">search for "pake" on google</a>, you will get a fully made pie inside of a cake (aka too much work). Instead, my pake has a pie crust and the bottom half is fruit filling; the top half is a sour cream cake. Goodbye need for a lattice top.<br>
<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/07/blueberry-pake.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-36387120249993409692012-06-15T23:03:00.000-05:002013-03-23T11:50:57.292-05:00Steampunk Jewelry, Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEgDpLuFeogJKYXYz4GS6L5gxzfkYCR5-xP0AiRPJf-ZrxAXODVef5gTFgwnByE2OF5tanObta7_5D9UiHZuh3-joZq903oyd-jZUna1Je0DYCbqTvMWCe5tGZgfeRcIzRlbCtHzU8kI/s1600/DSC04506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEgDpLuFeogJKYXYz4GS6L5gxzfkYCR5-xP0AiRPJf-ZrxAXODVef5gTFgwnByE2OF5tanObta7_5D9UiHZuh3-joZq903oyd-jZUna1Je0DYCbqTvMWCe5tGZgfeRcIzRlbCtHzU8kI/s640/DSC04506.JPG" width="640"></a></div>
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My friend Courtney reminded me today that I haven't posted anything new here for almost a month. Mainly, this is because I haven't had any new crafts to post about because I have been working so hard on getting ready for my first show at <a href="http://www.soonercon.com/" target="_blank">Soonercon</a> (a comic convention in Oklahoma). I was making pendants (<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/03/steampunk-jewelry.html" target="_blank">refer back to my first post about this topic</a>) and my life exploded steampunk.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYUTLxvljHz_Ofwwv-j1CPFgcNTUA6mUvU3Z_c_rvjhjZ9LQpql1RViuKE8wtjzRR9Xn5eik6VVBlccoOmYC2bNg_HUo1rJHYazo3ZCbFQicJ3jKQ8qxelIG1cTXT2x6GMGTX9mJMftA/s1600/DSC04445_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYUTLxvljHz_Ofwwv-j1CPFgcNTUA6mUvU3Z_c_rvjhjZ9LQpql1RViuKE8wtjzRR9Xn5eik6VVBlccoOmYC2bNg_HUo1rJHYazo3ZCbFQicJ3jKQ8qxelIG1cTXT2x6GMGTX9mJMftA/s200/DSC04445_2.JPG" width="143"></a><br>
Everyone in my family kind of jumped on board, from helping me take apart watches to coming up with new things to make steampunk-esque. My grandfather had a huge collection of keys, including some awesome skeleton keys, so those began to feature prominently in my work. <br>
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Today was the first day of the convention and it was an interesting experience (<i>shout out to: the guy who bought my very first piece; the girl who picked out my mother's favorite; and the little girl who loved the shiny, bling-ed out keys- thanks!</i>) I will be putting up a page devoted to my work, so check back later for more on that.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/06/steampunk-jewelry-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-7069375615663847142012-05-22T13:49:00.002-05:002012-10-27T21:38:43.125-05:00Get Organized This is a project we've needed for quite some time: Cleaning up the workbench. Usually, it's such a mess that you really can't find anything you need in order for it to be productive. So over time, it gets used less and less because it isn't easily accessible and you can't ever find the tool you are looking for. My dad is a bit of a tool hoarder (sorry dad, the truth had to come out sometime)- even if it is rusty or doesn't work well, it is kept just in case "it could be of use someday" <br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just look at the amount of tape I used to make all these labels! (To the left of the storage bin)</td></tr>
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He already has one storage bin for small pokey things (nails, screws, molly bolts, washers, etc.), but he still had more, overflowing from recycled butter tub containers. And, they were all mixed together, which just killed my OCD side. So when I saw another clear plastic storage bin at a garage sale, I jumped on it like there was no tomorrow. I gave it to him for Christmas- he wasn't as humored as I was. He put it in the garage, on top of the workbench on its side and eventually piled stuff on top of it rather than actually using it. I hinted that perhaps we should clean the workbench after the drawer planter project, but he was decidedly ignoring my pleas.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSzfzd28hAjcOv1F7-k5seOoARMsfVj1OeuKuON1tPk0wPaM75NxMxkmYdi6MSMKPYfNhmfTinzQ2t-C2llVsnZMNilmaq10g5UZRcnMf3jG4gmOfDK5XCKuTOnTJbwrENdKvNDnCLdw/s1600/DSCI3066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSzfzd28hAjcOv1F7-k5seOoARMsfVj1OeuKuON1tPk0wPaM75NxMxkmYdi6MSMKPYfNhmfTinzQ2t-C2llVsnZMNilmaq10g5UZRcnMf3jG4gmOfDK5XCKuTOnTJbwrENdKvNDnCLdw/s200/DSCI3066.JPG" width="200"></a><br>
Of course, I couldn't just leave it like that! So I busted out my favorite tool, the label maker, and went to work. We still have 50x the amount of tools we need, but on the special occasion that I am looking for a brayer, a cordless drill, and a level, I have 3 of each to pick from, which makes me happy.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/05/get-organized.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1046664002275833355.post-19419052118658059562012-05-18T13:26:00.000-05:002012-10-06T21:56:55.242-05:00Garden Tripods<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Yes, yes, yes. I will admit, I am on a bit of a gardening craft kick right now. I'm sure it will end soon, with the full heat of an Oklahoma summer looming. Blech. 100+ degree weather is not the best environment for plants. </div>
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Which means I <i>must</i> get it out all now, right? This week, I made an easy garden tripod with just 3 simple materials (plus a pair of scissors)! Awesome, right? But I can't take any of the credit. I actually found great instructions to the project online, <a href="http://www.organicgardening.com/learn-and-grow/simple-bamboo-trellis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. Anyway, it was a snap to put together these bamboo poles. The only adjustment I made was cutting down the bamboo to fit the needs of a small climbing vine rather than using an entire length of bamboo for each leg. This also allowed me to be able to make more support structures for the vines. So let's grab some leftover bamboo and get climbing.<br>
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<a href="http://kate-kreate.blogspot.com/2012/05/garden-tripods.html#more">Read more »</a>Kate Kreate Kards and other Kuriositieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11892028290785605182noreply@blogger.com0