Testing, testing...

Is this thing on???

Wow! Crazy times happening in the silence of this blog! Jewelry orders are picking up so I've been happily working away in the studio! I will be posting pictures and some other exciting developments soon!

Those of you with children in school/college, I hope your summer break is kicking off to be a fun filled one!

Cabochon Destash!

Hey there!  I have been going through my cabs and even surprised myself how many I've accumulated.  As painful as it may be for me to turn loose of these beauties, it is not fair to them to keep them locked up in a box. *sniff*  They deserve to be put to good use!  I purchased these when we were doing all wire wrapping and our product line has taken a fun detour to Silver and Metalsmithing!  They are beveled rather than domed and work well for wire wrapping.


They have all been hand cut and cabbed by fellow wire wrapping lapidarist Marie Frazier of Superior Agates.  She does a great job with quality stones and achieves a nice high polish!  Lots of fun free-form shapes to let your muse run wild with!


$5 each plus $2 shipping (combined shipping allowed)


To claim, simply comment "Mine" on the pic in the folder and I will send you a PM with a total and PayPal information.


Feel free to share the link to all your wire wrapping friends.


Thanks for looking!


(click on images to be taken to the Facebook Folder to comment)

DIY Liquid Fabric Softener Update

I finally made it to the store for some conditioner to make the Liquid Fabric Softener I had posted the recipe for the other day.  I found some FABULOUS smelling VO5 conditioner on sale at the grocery store (75 cents each!) and rushed right home to make a batch!  It turned out awesome...I am going to go try it out on my hubby's gunky work clothes! hehe

Here is the updated DIY Liquid Fabric Softener blog post link.  Be sure to let me know how it works for YOU!

DIY Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

Ingredients:
½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOTE: this is NOT baking soda)
¼ cup Kosher Salt
½ cup citric acid (or 4 packets unsweetened lemon aide drink mix... like Kool Aid)

Directions:
Mix everything together.
Use 1 Tablespoon per load.
Store in a Ziploc freezer bag.

If you can't find Citric Acid locally can be purchased online here.
A 5 lb container will set you up for a good long while!  Plus, it comes in handy during cold season!  If you do it for colds, remember to get some Citrus Bioflavanoids to take with it so it doesn't flush through your system.
Enjoy!

DIY Tub & Shower Magic

Ingredients:
• 24 oz. spray bottle
• 12 oz. of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
• 12 oz. White Vinegar

Directions:
Heat the vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into squirt bottle. Then add the Dawn soap. Put the lid on and gently shake to mix. Spray on Tub and Shower and wash clean. Tough scum may need to sit 1 hour and then rinse.

This stuff is amazing!  It works VERY well on dirt, grime and soap scum.

I used the ultra concentrated Dawn that I found at Sam's Club...not sure if it makes a difference from the original or not.

DIY Wrinkle Release Spray

Empty spray bottle (I used my empty Downy Wrinkle Release bottle)
1/4 fabric softener...
Fill the rest of the bottle up with water.

Yep, I paid $6 for that bottle.  LOL

DIY Liquid Fabric Softener

Yeild:
About half a gallon

Ingredients:
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups hair conditioner (I found some AWESOME smelling VO5 conditioner on sale for 75 cents. I, therefore, did not need the essential oils for fragrance)
• ½ cup baking soda
• Essential oils for fragrance

Directions:

1. Mix water, baking soda, and hair conditioner in a 1 gallon container (NOTE:  I used a 12 quart utility tub and it barely contained the fizzing that resulted by adding the vinegar. I poured it into an empty fabric softener bottle after the fizzing settled down.); stir. Do not shake it; it will cause foaming. Slowly add vinegar it will begin to fizz. For fragrance add Essential oils.

2. Use ¼ cup in the rinse cycle or spritz it on a wash cloth and throw in dryer. Fabric softener can also be put in a Downy ball. Shake before using to make sure baking soda hasn’t settled at the bottom of container. Baking soda can be left out of the recipe.

NOTE:  I use vinegar in the fabric softener compartment in the summer time...It does not linger in the clothes.  Leaves them nice and fresh!  So, don't worry about the vinegar -- it will be juuuuuust fine!  In fact, there is no vinegar smell what-so-ever to the batch I made.  ;)

UPDATE (2/13/12):
Here are a couple of pics of my personal experience of making a batch using this recipe.
See commentary below the pictures.
ENJOY! :)

I finally made it to the store for some conditioner to make the DIY Liquid Fabric Softener!

I am glad I used a larger container to mix this in than the instructions called for - this was barely big enough by the time it finished fizzing!!!

This is a 12 qt tub and it tried to overflow. The liquid itself doesn't fill it up but the fizzing from adding the vinegar sure does!  Be sure to add the vinegar SLOWLY or it will erupt in a fizzing frenzy and leave your whole area smelling laundry day fresh!  LOL

You can see here, behind the conditioner bottles, that the fizzing has subsided and fills less than half the tub now.

These are the conditioners I snagged at Reasor's (one bottle per batch of fabric softener) - 4 for $3 (75 cents each). I used the Shae Cashmere (far left) and it smells FABULOUS!!!!

Thanks to Szarka for providing the screen capture!

DIY Laundry Detergent (powdered)

HE washer friendly:

76 oz. Box Borax
55 oz. Box Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
4 lb. box baking soda
2 small cont. of oxy clean (or generic form)
3 bars Fels-naptha soap (grate this up real fine. I then put it in my food processor with the blade in)

Mix it all up and you’re done. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I use 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on how big of a load I have) in the tub (HE washer) first then the clothes and start the washer.

Note: I’ve seen recipes that say you can use any kind of bar soap you want if you don’t use the Fels-naptha bar soap. But I used the Fels-naptha when I made mine...smells nice and clean!

For those of you with sensitive skin, this should be friendly!

You can buy all of the ingredients form Reasor's there are a few Wal-mart stores that carry everything, but not all of them do.

I have read where some people are putting essential oils in for fragrance. But I haven't tried that yet.  I would imagine it is easier to add it to your liquid fabric softener (DIY recipe).

DIY off topic meanderings...

I thought it would be fun to share some DIY house wifey things with you all so you can enjoy them too!  I will post each one separately.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
Liquid Fabric Softener
Wrinkle Release Spray
Tub & Shower Magic (or anything else around the house that is being stubborn to clean)

I just added Dishwasher Detergent too if you'd like to give that a go! :)

What has Kat been up to lately??

Don't pay the ransom!  I promise I am alive and still kick'n!  This has been quite a super busy past couple of months for me!  New thrills of adventure with exciting things happening and a bit of bittersweet agony of defeat (elbow, actually LOL)!  We've been working on our jewelry then while having fun skating with the grandsons I manage to fall and fracture my left arm.  Ever try making jewelry with a fractured arm?  Don't try it, it is NOT pleasant!  So, in the time of my healing and basically jewelry hiatus, I took on planning an arts and crafts event for our Friends of the Library (that I am the Vice President of)!  I had to have something to keep me busy while I heal, right?!  Well, I sure picked a doozie!  In fact, even the name is appropriate "Whale of a Tale" Arts and Crafts Sale...Ironic, huh?  LOL!  Little did I realize what a monstrosity of coordination it would entail.  But, with the insight of being a vendor in 50+ events, I think we have about every base covered with a few items added to the list for the NEXT event.  I was able to take our experience as vendors and add to the planning and coordination of our event!  How thrilling to come to realize that my previous experience has helped support a fundraising opportunity for our local library!  The next event planning will be even better because with the groundwork being laid with this one, we will be able to delegate to other board members -- now THAT will be AWESOME!  I have found that people enjoy being involved, the are just waiting for the opportunity to help!


So, if you are in the Claremore/Tulsa area this Saturday, October 15th, and would like to support local handcrafters, come on out and join us!  We would LOVE to be graced with your bright shining faces!