Business Page on Facebook

I am now slowly getting my business page for my Etsy shop set up on Facebook. If you would like to get updates on New listings in my shop, please feel free to become a fan (using the button top right) and you will receive updates whenever I list something new. If you are not a member of Facebook, it is pretty easy to sign up.

Or if you prefer, I am considering making up a newsletter to mail out to those who wish to receive one. As I do not always write about it here on my blog, that may be easier for you. Just send me a convo through my Etsy store, or leave me a message here on my blog, and we will figure out something!

Have a Happy Hallowe'en! Blessings to you all!

A chair built out of Rocks, Yard Art

My husband has recently been doing work for a farmer, and when the job was done there were a number of very large rocks. He asked the farmer if he could have them and brought them home. This is what he made out of them. Pretty cool, eh?

Wood chip carvings

I have been practicing more with my carving. Here is a cute little choir angel. I need to definately work on the face and spacing. Not too bad though!



Once again, it is not really chip carving, as I am still doing more line carving than chipping.

Simple, yet elegant lines.

Danish Pickled Cucumbers

Danish Pickled Cucumbers

Peel, slice in half, remove seeds from cucumbers.

Lay the slices in a bucket layers with pickling salt (cucumber, pickling salt, cucumber, salt etc)

Place a weighted plate over top and let sit overnight.

Next morning, drain and cook in a large pot with a mixture of 1:1 ratio sugar and water. Make sure that the sugar and water covers the cucumbers. Add one vanilla bean and a bag of pickling spices suspended in the mixture.

Bring to a boil, simmer until they are tender with a bit of a crunch left over.

Bottle in sterilized jars, adding little pieces of the vanilla bean to each jar.

Do Not Can these pickles. Just let them sit at least a month before trying them.

My Christmas Wish List Part 3!

JeanPaul by Fluur

Lemon Lush Single Use Shower Cubes by bovinebubbles

Shawl Pin - Wooden Garden by Arly

The Bluest Blue Bangle by PrairieBlossoms

All handmade, available on Etsy!

Organic Catnip toys

Recently I have been making lots of these little pillows with upcycled fabrics and organic catnip I grew in my own flower bed this summer. Cats love this potent, fresh dried catnip! They are available in my shop on Etsy now.

Weekend Sale Deals!

I am offering free shipping to Canada and the USA on most of my inventory in my shop!

Sweet Pickled Beets

Sweet Pickled Beets

Cook beets until tender (about an hour, or 1/2 hour in pressure cooker)

Peel and slice thin

Bottle in sterilized hot jars up to where the neck is, or about 1 inch below rim

Add sugar to top of jar

Pour in a mixture of 1:1 ratio water and vinegar to 1 inch below rim.

Put on the lids and screw tops and let sit at least a month before you try them.

My Christmas Wish List, part 2

All I want for Christmas is......

Large Wet Bag in Entertaining Elephants by paisleybaby

Holiday Gift Potholders by deersprite

Sodalite Infinity Drop Wirewrapped Keyring Keychain by rozzie

Handwoven Recycled Denim Rug by fiveforty

Bamboo Storm Windchimes

Bamboo Storm Windchimes

How I love the mellow sound of bamboo windchimes! It reminds me of sitting by the sea shore, listening to the birds and the gentle sounds of the waves lapping on the shore.

This set of natural coloured bamboo (not stained) and the teardrop shaped marbled black and white polymer clay windcatcher dangling from the bottom is now available in my shop. I call them Storm chimes because of when the wind really picks up, just as a nice storm is brewing you can really hear them chiming.

Bamboo Storm Windchimes

Original Artwork by Bruno Benatti

I love browsing Etsy for new shops and this one really caught my eye.

Bruno has a very interesting painting technique he calls the Upset Technique. Please visit his shop for more information about this style.

This one in particular caught my eye.

IL PAVONE - THE PEACOCK Original Art Painting - Upset Technique

Isn't it gorgeous?

Organic Catnip Pillow

New in my shop on Etsy!

Organic Catnip Pillow




My cats were asking me for a new catnip toy, so I took some adorable penguin fabric I had stashed away, and made this cute little pillow. It was such a hit with them that I decided to list on one Etsy and see if anyone else's little furbaby would like it.


































I also have a variety of the catnip Christmas stockings in various colours available. Adorable gifts for your kittens from Santa Claws!

Zuchinni Relish

Zuchinni Relish

10 cups zuchinni
4 cups of onions
5 Tbs pickling salt
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 1/4 cups vinegar
3 cups sugar
3 - 4 cloves garlic
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbs celery seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper

Grind zuchinni, onions and salt and let sit overnight. Drain and rinse twice in cold water to remove the salt.

Grind red and green peppers together. Add to zuchinni with remaining ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes.

Seal in sterilized jars. Can about 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 5 - 6 half-Litres (pints)

My Christmas Wish List!

My Christmas Wish List!

I have fallen in love with the idea of buying handmade as often as possible. There are so many reasons why; such as supporting my local businesses, the local economy, and best of all, knowing that it has been made with love and care. Plus, you pretty much know what it is made of!

All of these lovely items are handmade, available on Etsy.

Bombs Away Bath Bombs

Unique Creations by RayneeDeigh

Porcelain Pottery Vase with Carbon Trap Shino

Willow Tree Designs by Adornyourself

Shawl in Alabaster

elan knits originals and vintage patterns by Elanknits

Black and White Lampwork Beaded Pen SRA

Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads and Beaded Jewelry by Gillianbeads

Stay tuned for more wonderful creations as we get closer to Christmas!

Thanksgiving Treats

Here are the pies I baked for the family Thanksgiving dinner.

Sour Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, and some Peach Turnovers for ourselves.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A day early, but since I will not be home tomorrow I wanted to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Here is my present to you. My favourite Thanksgiving creations by some fellow Etsians.

Thanksgiving greeting Card by Stuffbysteph

Roasted Pumpkin Earrings by Nancywallisdesigns

Fall Leaves Coffee Coaster by Snapstreet

Woodynev Woodwork, Handcrafted wooden items on Etsy

Woodynev Woodwork, Handcrafted wooden items.

Now I am quite partial to wood in general, as it is a completely natural material, however I can almost feel the life in these wood creations just from the pictures. Imagine, working with natural fibers such as cotton, wool or bamboo with a real wood crochet hook. The warmth of the wood in your hands as you lovingly create a hat for your baby, or a lap blanket for your mother to keep her warm in the winter.






If you love wood as much as I do, check out Neville's shop on Etsy.

Weekend Deals on Etsy.com

Weekend Deals on Etsy.com

Here is a list of some awesome sales happening this weekend on Etsy!


Jewelz Creatives
Canadian Thanksgiving BOGO sale,
Buy One, get One Free!
(free item equal or lesser value)
Sale runs until Monday October 13th midnight.
Refunds made through paypal.

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Times and Chimes
For our very first Estyversary this Sunday,
we are offering 25% off all items before shipping.
Refunds will be made via paypal.
The sale will be for the whole weekend.

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emmarts
The exciting scent of originals!
Free shipping
October 9th, 10th, 11th, 2009
when entering WEEKEND DEALS at checkout!
(refund via paypal)
*** except items which have already free shipping

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String Me Along
Jewelry Boutique
Free shipping

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Paisley Baby
Handcrafted bags and baby accessories
Free shipping on bibs, pouches and wet bags

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MAMOM
Hand Dyed for You
Free shipping

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Bovine Bubbles and Hogwash Ltd
This Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend,
(Until Sunday October 11th at midnight)
we are giving you our thanks and offering half price shipping.
Just mention "gobble" at checkout for refund via paypal.

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The Art of Zen.......Crochet
Take advantage of our "weekend deal"!
Half price shipping on all sales from Saturday October 10 to Monday October 12!

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Feel free to comment with your own shop and sale!

Mustard Corn Relish

Mustard Corn Relish

6 cups cooked corn
4 medium onions
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 Tbs salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs dry mustard
1 Tbs celer seed
1/2 tsp turmeric

Combine corn, onions and vinegar in a large pot. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and sugar.

In a small bowl blend together the flour, mustard, celery seed and turmeric. Wet, then thin with vinegar. Add to the vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes.

Seal in sterilized jars. Can for 10 minutes.

Makes approximately 3 - 4 litres (quarts)

Canadian Thanksgiving BOGO sale!

I have decided to have a special sale for Thanksgiving. Buy One, Get One free!

Lots of wonderful handmade gifts for the holidays :) Pop by my shop and see what I have for you and your loved ones :)

Wood chip carving

Here are some of my recent wood chip carvings. As you can see, I like to do simple yet elegant lines.

Pickles and Relishes

Sweet pickled beets made Saturday






















































Mustard Corn Relish made on Sunday
















































Yummy goodness for winter!

Sweet Pickled Beets

Yesterday was the day for pickling all of those lovely Free beets I had received on Wednesday. But first though, I had to drive into town to get vinigar. Apparently the last of mine was used to clean the coffee maker and when I had picked up the 2 dozen 1 litre/quart jars on Friday I should have remembered the vinigar. Oh well. It turned out fine since I decided to do a little roadside stand and farmer's market shopping too.

At one stand I bought a bunch of red potatoes, peppers, red onions, 2 types of squash, a cantelope and a mystery melon. Then I went to an apple orchard and bought a gallon of macintosh apples, 5 pounds of gala apples, 5 dozen corn, and some lovely unpasturized honey.

Next I went to Tillsonburg and visited the farmer's market there and met up with a person I know from work. He has a farm and amazingly did not lose all of his tomatoes to the late blight. I managed to get a couple boxes of tomatoes (about half a bushel) and some green beans. He said he will bring the rest of my tomatoes and half a bushel of peppers to my work on Friday.

Then I hit a sale at the mall and bought myself two pairs of good runners for work and for hiking at home. I also went grocery shopping. Needless to say, my car was FULL. After I got home my son helped me put things away and I started the process of making my sweet pickled beets.

I put 2 large pots and my huge canner on the stovetop full of beets and hot water, and brought them to a boil. I cooked them for an hour since they are very large beets. Once the two smaller pots were done cooking, I refilled them and cooked the rest of the beets. By the time I peeled and sliced those, the ones in the canner were done cooking and I was able to empty that pot, and get it cleaned out for the clean water and the actual canning process.

By the time I was finished I had 25 quarts/litres of pickles and my husband, son and his friend were almost finished husking the corn for me to start cooking.

At the end of my day I had managed to make all the beets, cook and slice off the kernals of corn, and have 20 two-cup bags of corn in the freezer, plus 12 cups for the mustard corn relish I plan on making today. I also have enough left over to make a corn chowder on Tuesday.

Fall harvest time

My favourite time of year, autumn. The gorgeous colours of the leaves, the cool crisp nights just perfect for sleeping and best of all the bounty from the garden. I have a huge supply of onions and leeks, the zuchinni are almost done, plus the volunteer squash are just about ready to be harvested.

My dear husband brought home a huge box of beets last night. One of our favourite local farmers we get our eggs from gave them to us. I know what I am doing this weekend, making sweet beet pickles! We still have not gotten our tomatoes and peppers. It seems that I am not the only one to have had a very poor crop of tomatoes due to late blight. Hopefully while I am busy cooking, peeling, slicing and canning beets he will be out searching for enough tomatoes to put in the freezer for winter. We need about 2 bushels. It may take a few stops at local farms to find enough. Mind you, we prefer the roma tomatoes as they are nice and meaty.

I also have to make some zuchinni relish and see if there is any raspberries left for me from the birds and wasps.