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Cabin Fever Creation

March 3, 2010 - by squareonebeads

I live in Wisconsin.  It is February.  We have gotten 14″ of snow this month.  I am going stir crazy like the roaming gnome in the Travelocity commercials.  My backyard has looked like this for far, far, far to long.

I need flowers, I need grass, I need leaves, I need color.  I need Spring!

Try as I might I have been unable to control the weather with my mind.  So to get the color I am so desperately craving I turned to my bead boxes.  As usual, they did not disappoint.

I found a copper cuff I forgot I had and decided the warmth of copper was exactly what I needed.  Copper is often underrated as a jewelry metal because it is ‘cheap’.  That is very unfortunate because while yes, it is relatively inexpensive compared to silver and gold.  It has a warm beautiful glow that silver and gold just can’t compete with and that is one reason I really love to use it.

I went into my next box and found my stash of  Czech glass flowers and leaves, exactly what I needed.  I grabbed my copper head pins and away I went.  The result was a pretty spring bracelet with a lovely warm copper band.

It’s not warm weather but it’s still very nice. :)

And this isn’t something I created but my Angora rabbit Pearl had four kits on the 19th so here is a gratuitous bunny picture taken today for you, because after all – what is more spring-like than bunnies?

What Love Creates

February 14, 2010 - by squareonebeads

My Father-in-Law Paul is 84, smart, sassy as all get out, and I just adore him. He’s also not in the greatest of health. He had a heart issue a couple years ago caused by him out living one of his heart valve replacements from a heart attack over 20 years ago. It was replaced and he’s recovering, but he is in his 80′s so he’s not recovering as fast as he did when he had the original replacements done which frustrates him to no end because he’s a stubborn old man who won’t admit that 20yrs makes a difference in that sort of thing.

Anyway, to make a long story short (too late, I know, I’m sorry).  My Father-In-Law has lost a lot of weight over the past couple of years and is always cold.  He bundles up in sweaters and keeps his dog on his lap but he only has a maltese so its not a very useful animal as far as warmth (or anything else IMNSHO) goes.

Visiting him this Christmas gave me an idea.  It is so hard to buy a present for someone that age.  There is so little that Paul needs or wants that we end up getting him the same gift certificate for the movie theater or play house every year.  This year however, I was watching him rub his legs trying to get them warm when I realized that he could really use an afghan, and as I had just learned to knit it would be the perfect gift because he would really appreciate something that had been made just for him.

So I found a pattern, consulted with my husband on color (he thought the afghan was a great idea) and here is the work in progress.

It’s a simple basket weave pattern using three shades of blue and will be about 5ft long, 4ft wide.  So far, its only about 2ft long so I’ve got a ways to go, but then it is also only February so I’ve also got time :) .

I feel pretty safe posting this online since while Paul does own a computer and does go online he really only goes to Matchbox and Hotwheels websites.  Heck, he only ever checks his email once a year.  LOL  However, if he does happen to stumble upon this blog post – Merry Christmas Paul Hertziger.  I love you, you stubborn old man!

Heather Hertziger blogs from her home in Watertown Wisconsin.  You can read more about her life here, and see some more of her work here, and here.

Christmas Frustration leads to Creation.

December 31, 2009 - by squareonebeads

As my family gets older it gets increasingly harder to figure out what to give them for Christmas. My parents are at the age where they have everything they need, and my sister is at the stage where her apartment is just to small to hold much. I’m sure you’ve all been there with me.

This year I managed to figure out something for my parents but my sister was still problematic. I had her Amazon list but everything on it was so practical and BORING! Stainless steel bowls, really? That’s the sort of thing you get your second cousin twice removed for a wedding gift because you have to buy a gift but don’t really know them. Same thing with the spatulas, wire whisk and assorted other cooking utensils on her list, boooring! On the other hand, if she’s not using them for cooking, I don’t want to know about it.

So she and I were talking one day and she was rummaging thru her knitting case trying to find a set of needles. They were all just laying at the bottom of her bag in a mess that looked more like a game of pick up sticks than a set of knitting needles. Inspiration struck and the idea of her Christmas gift came into place. I got her this bag in pink.  Then I got her a three ring binder with cd pockets to hold her circular and double point needles.  Then, I got out my sewing machine and made this -

The pocked depths are 12″, 9″, 6″, and 4″.  She can put needles up to 15″ long in the top row.  There is a flap that folds in so that when the case is rolled up the items don’t fall out.

Here it is with the flap down.

And here it is all rolled up.

I am very pleased with how it turned out.  I may have to make one for myself.  :) My sister loved her gift, especially the needle roll.  She was very touched that I had made it, and as a fellow crafter appreciated all the work that went into it.   As an artist, her appreciation meant the world to me as I am sure you can all understand.

The only problem is, I scored so well on her gift this year what the heck am I going to give her for next Christmas?  LOL

Heather blogs from her home in Watertown, Wisconsin.  If you would like to read more of her ramblings you can see them here.  And if you want to see some of her work for sale you can see her Etsy and Artfire stores.

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