Wizard's Inkwell by Michelle Ink Designs
Wizard's Inkwell design by Michelle Ink Designs.
Distributed by Stitching Pretty Presents.
http://members.aol.com/micheleink/StitchingPrettyPresents-current.htm
Thursday 22 November 2007
WIP - Wizard's Inkwell
Wizard's Inkwell by Michelle Ink Designs
Wizard's Inkwell design by Michelle Ink Designs.
Distributed by Stitching Pretty Presents.
http://members.aol.com/micheleink/StitchingPrettyPresents-current.htm
Monday 19 November 2007
Tales of a Lapsed Soap Maker Part 2
Its just like riding a bike - it all comes back so easily.
Woke up all congested this morning - felt like I was trying to breathe underwater with tight bands around my chest. All eased shortly after getting up and inhaling some eucalyptus. Still feel like my head is stuffed with cotton wool.
Its weird I feel like I have an abundance of energy and I feel really restless, but then I fall over in exhaustion a short while later.
poor Paul - I've exhausted him and he's still sleeping.
Anyway woke up four hours ago, checked some emails and did the nose and chest clearing thing and then I made a second batch of soap.
One for the vegetarians.
Christmas Forest Soap
250gm Palm Oil
250gm Rice Bran Oil
250gm Coconut Oil
130gm Olive Oil
100gm Cocoa Butter
20gm Castor Oil
139gm lye
205ml water
30 ml Brambleberry Christmas Forest fragrance oil
1 tablespoon French Green Clay
1/8 teaspoon Chromium green oxide
As per usual, chop and mix oils and butters and set over a warm heat to melt. after melted pop into a water bath to cool down the mix. Soaping is best done when both oils and the lye mix are about 40-45 degrees Celsius in temperature.
Mixed the lye and water in a water bath in front of an open window - you do not want to ever inhale lye fumes. Bad things!
Mixed the green clay in with the oils. This clay is more gray then green - so I chucked in a touch of chromium green oxide (mineral colourant). Its still going to be a grey green - but hopefully turn out a more like a mossy green.
Added the lye solution to the oils and clay. Hit it with the stick blender until it came to trace (gained the consistency of a pouring custard). Added in the fragrance. Stirred with a spatula and then began pouring.
Worked like a dream. Just poured perfectly and consistently throughout the whole process. I have 20 little bars of perfect uniformity and all perfectly poured.
And then I buggered up the tops when I wrapped the glad wrap over the top. Oh well.
Anyone got a good method for putting glad wrap over liquids without it creating that crumpled look?
Anyway - I cleaned all that away, pulled out my baking stuff, made a loaf of gluten-free bread from a never-before-tried recipe. That is proofing now.
Cleaned all that stuff away set off the dishwasher, came and sat by the computer again.
Whoops there goes the bell for the bread. Off to pop that in the oven for 40 mins. Time for a nap I think - I'm exhausted again. The smell of the newly-baked bread will hopefully be yummy enough to wake up Paul nicely ....
Hugs all!
Woke up all congested this morning - felt like I was trying to breathe underwater with tight bands around my chest. All eased shortly after getting up and inhaling some eucalyptus. Still feel like my head is stuffed with cotton wool.
Its weird I feel like I have an abundance of energy and I feel really restless, but then I fall over in exhaustion a short while later.
poor Paul - I've exhausted him and he's still sleeping.
Anyway woke up four hours ago, checked some emails and did the nose and chest clearing thing and then I made a second batch of soap.
One for the vegetarians.
Christmas Forest Soap
250gm Palm Oil
250gm Rice Bran Oil
250gm Coconut Oil
130gm Olive Oil
100gm Cocoa Butter
20gm Castor Oil
139gm lye
205ml water
30 ml Brambleberry Christmas Forest fragrance oil
1 tablespoon French Green Clay
1/8 teaspoon Chromium green oxide
As per usual, chop and mix oils and butters and set over a warm heat to melt. after melted pop into a water bath to cool down the mix. Soaping is best done when both oils and the lye mix are about 40-45 degrees Celsius in temperature.
Mixed the lye and water in a water bath in front of an open window - you do not want to ever inhale lye fumes. Bad things!
Mixed the green clay in with the oils. This clay is more gray then green - so I chucked in a touch of chromium green oxide (mineral colourant). Its still going to be a grey green - but hopefully turn out a more like a mossy green.
Added the lye solution to the oils and clay. Hit it with the stick blender until it came to trace (gained the consistency of a pouring custard). Added in the fragrance. Stirred with a spatula and then began pouring.
Worked like a dream. Just poured perfectly and consistently throughout the whole process. I have 20 little bars of perfect uniformity and all perfectly poured.
And then I buggered up the tops when I wrapped the glad wrap over the top. Oh well.
Anyone got a good method for putting glad wrap over liquids without it creating that crumpled look?
Anyway - I cleaned all that away, pulled out my baking stuff, made a loaf of gluten-free bread from a never-before-tried recipe. That is proofing now.
Cleaned all that stuff away set off the dishwasher, came and sat by the computer again.
Whoops there goes the bell for the bread. Off to pop that in the oven for 40 mins. Time for a nap I think - I'm exhausted again. The smell of the newly-baked bread will hopefully be yummy enough to wake up Paul nicely ....
Hugs all!
Sunday 18 November 2007
Mel's Sunday Update
Well stitching wise I got in about five hours on Friday while watching the cricket with a head cold. However its for a present so I can't show the pic here - even if there was enough progress for a pic.
Had a heck of a week this week. Lots of stress. Paul was over every single night until Thursday. And then was back again yesterday. I've been helping him write job applications and supporting him in getting a new job.
Most days on the train I spent supporting and encouraging my old workfriend Alison who started a new job this week.
And at the beginning of the week I was up from 3am keeping an eye on an email group where the owner had diaappeared without a trace. As this was attached to the group owners shop and shop purchases were not being sent out or communication being returned - well you can see why a few people on the group got a little agitated.
I help the group together as best I could until the owner came back late Thursday. The same owner sent me an email this morning saying:
"I am back and I hope to be able to moderate the group. If you want to stay on as the Accidental Moderator, then I would love to have you, but on the other hand if you don't then I'll be fine with that too."
Am I right to feel slighted by that? I kept her bloody group from descending into civil war and outright name calling but its all OK now because she's back and she doesn't give two hoots if I stay or if I go? Her whole attitude is a bit cavalier considering she's been ignoring her shop and her group for over a month!
Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight!
At work I had many challenges including one of my staff who came back from leave on Wednesday and then promptly put in a grievance against me because by 10:30am I hadn't walked over to her cubicle and asked how her holiday was.
On Thursday I had a meeting with same staff member as I had with all my other staff while she was away. We are down on staffing levels so I have re-prioritised every body's working loads to just the high priority stuff and I'm allowing some of the other processes we do fall away until we recruit more staff. Most staff were fine - but this one was hostile from the outset - calling me names, being derogatory about my age and even insinuated that my mother worked at McDonalds ... WTF ?????
Thursday I came home and collapsed. Woke up Friday morning with a head cold. Spent Friday on the lounge watching the cricket sleeping and a little stitching.
Saturday I felt a bit better, made some soap, went out with Paul and walked along the beach and ended up serendipitously watching a local percussion band The Rhythm Hunters. They teach drumming too - might be interesting to go along for a class or two.
Last night I ate a lovely yummy salad plate put together by Paul - slept on the lounge until put to bed and cuddled by Paul. Woke up this morning with snot oozing everywhere. Too hot. Should be illegal to have a head cold in summer.
I feel rotten - I'm off back to bed.
Had a heck of a week this week. Lots of stress. Paul was over every single night until Thursday. And then was back again yesterday. I've been helping him write job applications and supporting him in getting a new job.
Most days on the train I spent supporting and encouraging my old workfriend Alison who started a new job this week.
And at the beginning of the week I was up from 3am keeping an eye on an email group where the owner had diaappeared without a trace. As this was attached to the group owners shop and shop purchases were not being sent out or communication being returned - well you can see why a few people on the group got a little agitated.
I help the group together as best I could until the owner came back late Thursday. The same owner sent me an email this morning saying:
"I am back and I hope to be able to moderate the group. If you want to stay on as the Accidental Moderator, then I would love to have you, but on the other hand if you don't then I'll be fine with that too."
Am I right to feel slighted by that? I kept her bloody group from descending into civil war and outright name calling but its all OK now because she's back and she doesn't give two hoots if I stay or if I go? Her whole attitude is a bit cavalier considering she's been ignoring her shop and her group for over a month!
Maybe I'm just too tired to think straight!
At work I had many challenges including one of my staff who came back from leave on Wednesday and then promptly put in a grievance against me because by 10:30am I hadn't walked over to her cubicle and asked how her holiday was.
On Thursday I had a meeting with same staff member as I had with all my other staff while she was away. We are down on staffing levels so I have re-prioritised every body's working loads to just the high priority stuff and I'm allowing some of the other processes we do fall away until we recruit more staff. Most staff were fine - but this one was hostile from the outset - calling me names, being derogatory about my age and even insinuated that my mother worked at McDonalds ... WTF ?????
Thursday I came home and collapsed. Woke up Friday morning with a head cold. Spent Friday on the lounge watching the cricket sleeping and a little stitching.
Saturday I felt a bit better, made some soap, went out with Paul and walked along the beach and ended up serendipitously watching a local percussion band The Rhythm Hunters. They teach drumming too - might be interesting to go along for a class or two.
Last night I ate a lovely yummy salad plate put together by Paul - slept on the lounge until put to bed and cuddled by Paul. Woke up this morning with snot oozing everywhere. Too hot. Should be illegal to have a head cold in summer.
I feel rotten - I'm off back to bed.
Christmas Presents - HELP !!!!!
OK all,
I need help with getting ready some Xmas presents ......
So could each of you please fill in the following info. Please be aware this does not necessarily mean you will get all or indeed anything from this list (or anything from me at all) .... depends on time, health and finances.
And yes I know it would have helped if I had gotten my slugbutt into gear months ago!
Do you use bar soap or do you prefer liquid soaps and detergents?
Do you take Baths or are you a shower person?
Do you take bubble baths?
Do you use lip balm? Flavoured?
Do you indulge in massages?
What is your favourite type of chocolate? White, milk, dark, how dark can you get?
What is your favourite colour to display in your bathroom?
What is your favourite colour to display in your bedroom?
What scents do you like? Warm/cool? Woody/herby/oriental/spicy/sensual/citrus/floral?
What sort of cross stitch stash do you most like receiving at Xmas? floss/charts/fabric/kits?
Thanks all
This is all just food for thought for me - and I've opened this up to my network so that we can all see other people's responses in case it gives anyone else any ideas ..... feel free to PM me privately instead if you wish.
I need help with getting ready some Xmas presents ......
So could each of you please fill in the following info. Please be aware this does not necessarily mean you will get all or indeed anything from this list (or anything from me at all) .... depends on time, health and finances.
And yes I know it would have helped if I had gotten my slugbutt into gear months ago!
Do you use bar soap or do you prefer liquid soaps and detergents?
Do you take Baths or are you a shower person?
Do you take bubble baths?
Do you use lip balm? Flavoured?
Do you indulge in massages?
What is your favourite type of chocolate? White, milk, dark, how dark can you get?
What is your favourite colour to display in your bathroom?
What is your favourite colour to display in your bedroom?
What scents do you like? Warm/cool? Woody/herby/oriental/spicy/sensual/citrus/floral?
What sort of cross stitch stash do you most like receiving at Xmas? floss/charts/fabric/kits?
Thanks all
This is all just food for thought for me - and I've opened this up to my network so that we can all see other people's responses in case it gives anyone else any ideas ..... feel free to PM me privately instead if you wish.
Saturday 17 November 2007
Tales of a Lapsed Soap Maker Part 1
Soap making 101 - never make soap without following two rules:
Do not make soap when you are under the weather
Do not use unusual ingredients without referring back to your journal for the last time you made soap with them
I thought I was feeling a little better today - so I thought had better make that batch of soap I've been meaning too for Christmas presents ....
Rosewood & Amber Soap
250gm lard
250gm Tallow
250gm Coconut Oil
235 gm Olive Oil
210gm water
140gm lye
15 gm Caster oil
20g gm Rosewood essential oil
10 gm amber fragrance oil
1 tablespoon of French Pink Clay
Melted the fats and oils together, mixed in the clay. All looking good so far. Left that to cool and mixed the lye and water. Started to mix the scents. Now I haven't touched these essential oils and fragrance oils for over a year as I haven't really been concentrating on this hobby. And I have a head cold - I can't determine if these are OK or if they have lost their potency - or worse if the amber fragrance oil has "turned" and now smells crappy.
Oh well mix up the blend anyway - oh crap I forgot the amber fragrance oil is a dark dark syrupy brown. Oh I hope it doesn't discolour the pink into some unappealing brown like the fragrance did to the green I chose last year!
OK mixed the lye solution into the fats and started stirring! Brilliant! Working perfectly !!!! Came to trace nicely. Has the consistency of a thin pouring custard - just perfect for the intricate moulds I had prepared! Then I added the scent blend.
Technical tern "Ricing"
Ricing is when some combination during the soap making process acts as a catalyst and creates a hot of chemical energy in a short period of time which greatly speeds up the setting or saponification process. Put simply the mixture goes from thin puring custard into lumpy mashed potatoes.
I managed to pour into three guest0-sized soap moulds before the whole pot seized. Lumpy mashed potatoes? I could replicate the mashed potato scene out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind !!!
Oh well mooshed the stuff into the rest of the moulds as best I could. Covered with glad wrap , wrapped the lot in a towel and hoped for the best.
4 hours later: Paul walks in and says - what is that sublime smell! Oh that is gorgeous! Do you have some already made I could use right now !!!!!
OK I know there was nothing wrong with the fragrance oils and the ricing didn't adversely affect the scent either! Phew!
18 hours later: Soaps have cooled and hardened, so time to put them them into the freezer to help pop them out of their moulds. Still look mostly pink. In fact the main concern from the ricing is that there are air bubbles everywhere - oh well.
Lessons for the lapsed soaper:
* Do not soap with a head cold
* Do not use fragrances without checking your notes from last time
* Always have a large box mould on hand and ready so next time it rices you can just moosh it into one large mould and cut it up and smooth it off later!
Do not make soap when you are under the weather
Do not use unusual ingredients without referring back to your journal for the last time you made soap with them
I thought I was feeling a little better today - so I thought had better make that batch of soap I've been meaning too for Christmas presents ....
Rosewood & Amber Soap
250gm lard
250gm Tallow
250gm Coconut Oil
235 gm Olive Oil
210gm water
140gm lye
15 gm Caster oil
20g gm Rosewood essential oil
10 gm amber fragrance oil
1 tablespoon of French Pink Clay
Melted the fats and oils together, mixed in the clay. All looking good so far. Left that to cool and mixed the lye and water. Started to mix the scents. Now I haven't touched these essential oils and fragrance oils for over a year as I haven't really been concentrating on this hobby. And I have a head cold - I can't determine if these are OK or if they have lost their potency - or worse if the amber fragrance oil has "turned" and now smells crappy.
Oh well mix up the blend anyway - oh crap I forgot the amber fragrance oil is a dark dark syrupy brown. Oh I hope it doesn't discolour the pink into some unappealing brown like the fragrance did to the green I chose last year!
OK mixed the lye solution into the fats and started stirring! Brilliant! Working perfectly !!!! Came to trace nicely. Has the consistency of a thin pouring custard - just perfect for the intricate moulds I had prepared! Then I added the scent blend.
Technical tern "Ricing"
Ricing is when some combination during the soap making process acts as a catalyst and creates a hot of chemical energy in a short period of time which greatly speeds up the setting or saponification process. Put simply the mixture goes from thin puring custard into lumpy mashed potatoes.
I managed to pour into three guest0-sized soap moulds before the whole pot seized. Lumpy mashed potatoes? I could replicate the mashed potato scene out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind !!!
Oh well mooshed the stuff into the rest of the moulds as best I could. Covered with glad wrap , wrapped the lot in a towel and hoped for the best.
4 hours later: Paul walks in and says - what is that sublime smell! Oh that is gorgeous! Do you have some already made I could use right now !!!!!
OK I know there was nothing wrong with the fragrance oils and the ricing didn't adversely affect the scent either! Phew!
18 hours later: Soaps have cooled and hardened, so time to put them them into the freezer to help pop them out of their moulds. Still look mostly pink. In fact the main concern from the ricing is that there are air bubbles everywhere - oh well.
Lessons for the lapsed soaper:
* Do not soap with a head cold
* Do not use fragrances without checking your notes from last time
* Always have a large box mould on hand and ready so next time it rices you can just moosh it into one large mould and cut it up and smooth it off later!
Monday 12 November 2007
Mel's Sunday Update on Monday
Afternoon all,
I'm "doing a Karen" and writing my weekly update in my lunch break at work :) :)
Not much stitching to report this week - I've been struggling with Hilary's cats and am about to give up on them in disgust - they're so small and yet they are becoming a BAP !!! No end progress worthy of a photo.
Just so I had *something* to report this week, here's an update on CherryTree Designs Fire Dragon.
I completed Water Dragon from beginning to end in three days of train travel. This time I've taken over two weeks and I still haven't finished the outline stitching.
I think stitching-wise I'm having trouble adjusting to Daylight savings hours and I've had social going out nights at least two or three times a week so I'm pretty much exhausted the rest of the time. That side of it is only going to get worse as we get closer to the present-giving-silly-season so its a good thing I decided against any last-minute stitched gifts this year.
Stash-wise is a whole 'nother ball game! did lots and lots of stashing last week!
First there were the RAKs from Claire and Denise and Mariann (and a late notification of the RAK from Debbie).
And after all of that goodness - I received two presents that I ordered for myself.
The first is the Fall Collaboration Pack from Dinky Dyes, Polstitches, Carrie's Creations, Ozark Sampler, Jayne's Attic and Kiwi Illusions. This pack contained three pieces of hand dyed fabric, lots of hand dyed threads and many many charts to use these wonderful items on .... do click on the 2272x1704 at the bottom of the picture to bring this up big so you can see allll the glory of this pack !!!!
The second stashing was from Silkweaver. Silkweaver had a grab bag sale on over Halloween. I bought two small packages intending one for mum. Later that night I was speaking to mum on the phone, only to ind that with her new-found Internet shopping skills she had already ordered a package for herself. So woe is me! I was *forced* to keep both packages .....
I can see some of these going back out as Xmas gifties .....
Hope everyone else is having a good week :) :)
Wednesday 7 November 2007
BAPXS Competition
Morning - I'm not sure either of you received this email - so many of them have bounced back at me over the past few days .....
I'm putting this as a priovate blog so I can include the attachment ....
Thanks
Mel.
Morning Tracy and Marc,
OK I think plenty of time has passed - more than enough to gather in the last of the entries to this competition. We ended up with 16 entries.
Tracy, thank you so much for your gorgeous design to be sent out to all of the entrants. When your PDF is ready, do you want me to send you the list of email addresses or do you want to send me the PDF and I'll forward it on? I'm happy with either decision from you.
Marc, I've listed all the entries on the attached document without names. If one entry strikes *you* are being a winner - by *your* definition - whatever appeals to you, then let me know and I will inform that person that they have won a printed chart pack of their choice from you. Or again, I can simply send you their email address and you can offer the prize directly yourself.
I'm happy either way.
I will wait until I hear from both of you before I attach the names and put this document on the BAPXS List for all to see.
Thank you both soooo much for your generosity in this !!!! You are both truly awesome wonderful people !!!!!!
Regards
Mel.
I'm putting this as a priovate blog so I can include the attachment ....
Thanks
Mel.
Morning Tracy and Marc,
OK I think plenty of time has passed - more than enough to gather in the last of the entries to this competition. We ended up with 16 entries.
Tracy, thank you so much for your gorgeous design to be sent out to all of the entrants. When your PDF is ready, do you want me to send you the list of email addresses or do you want to send me the PDF and I'll forward it on? I'm happy with either decision from you.
Marc, I've listed all the entries on the attached document without names. If one entry strikes *you* are being a winner - by *your* definition - whatever appeals to you, then let me know and I will inform that person that they have won a printed chart pack of their choice from you. Or again, I can simply send you their email address and you can offer the prize directly yourself.
I'm happy either way.
I will wait until I hear from both of you before I attach the names and put this document on the BAPXS List for all to see.
Thank you both soooo much for your generosity in this !!!! You are both truly awesome wonderful people !!!!!!
Regards
Mel.
Mel....
I wish I had a freebie design ready to go.... I got nothing at this time.... Not sure if I could get one ready in time.... I wouldn't want to rush and have something NOT good and professional...BUT if you should offer a "Prize" to one winner of the "contest" I'd be more than happy to offer a chartpack of a design of mine currently in release. It would be the winners choice. I would rather, in this case, send them a printed chartpack itself.
Up to you... Let me know if yes or no. AND if "NO" then not to worry, my feelings would not be hurt.
Huggles
Marc
--
Hugs
Mel (aka The Minion)
http://gothtigger.multiply.com/
"I am patient with stupidity, but not with those who are proud of it.." Edith Sitwell
Sunday 4 November 2007
My new favourite thing
Georgette!
Click on the name above to see a great music video on YouTube. I've been humming this ditty all day.
From the website: The new Tullycraft album 'Every Scene Needs A Center' officially comes out tomorrow on Magic Marker Records. Today we have a video for the album track, Georgette Plays A Goth. It's about a waitress who occasionally shows up to her posh restaurant shift dressed as a goth. It was illustrated and animated by George Pfromm II. Enjoy!
Click on the name above to see a great music video on YouTube. I've been humming this ditty all day.
From the website: The new Tullycraft album 'Every Scene Needs A Center' officially comes out tomorrow on Magic Marker Records. Today we have a video for the album track, Georgette Plays A Goth. It's about a waitress who occasionally shows up to her posh restaurant shift dressed as a goth. It was illustrated and animated by George Pfromm II. Enjoy!
Mel's Sunday Non-Update
No stitching this week !! None nil nada zip zero ......
We hit daylight savings last Sunday so I spent all week getting up one hour earlier than my already ridiculous getting up time in the mornings. So I slept every evening on the way home.
I attempted to work on CherryTree's Fire Dragon but when you spend nearly an hour and half redoing the same 10 backstitches and still not getting them right - you read the rest of the mornings that week. Will attempt it again next week.
Mon, Wed, Fri nights and Saturday all day I had social commitments and Tuesday and Thursday I did the domestics like wash up, iron and remind the cat who I was and yes I really did belong there !!!
Highlight of the week was visiting Lothario yesterday afternoon.
So nothing done on the BAPs front. I've decided to forgo all further present stitching for the year. I just can't get anything else stitched and finished and posted in time - so no stitching gifts for Xmas guys and girls !!!
Going to spend this coming week getting Hilary's Cats done and that is all my obligation stitching completed for the year then!
PIc today is main street of Gosford. I took this while waiting outside the train station to collect Paul at 5:30pm last night. Isn't it a dirty depressing main street!
Saturday 3 November 2007
Lothario
3 November 2007.
Alison despairs that she can't seem to feed him up - but he looks so much better. Very sleek and healthy.
This is the little black stray I was feeding and Alison and Jane have now adopted.
OK this album has morphed into being photos of all of the Compston household :)