Steampunk goggles

One of the kids wanted a pair of steampunk style goggles for a costume. So we grabbed mason jar lids, a blue plastic container lids, some scrap leather, threas and scrap pieces of rabbit fur we had and here is his creation. Forget rose colored glasses, go for the blue haze of steeampunk style :-)

Ostrich egg necklace

11 of us got together and decided to scramble an ostrich egg. 1 ostrich egg + 1 chicken egg fed 11 hungry people easily.Since I could not bring myself to just toss the shell of the ostrich egg I decided to make them the focal point of a few necklaces.Here are 2 of the necklaces that were made. Below is a picture of the ostich egg and the chicken egg in a 14" cast iron pan.

T-shirt scarf

I have made many of these before but decided to get pictures of ones I intend to sell. The ones I have made for us, family and friends have been very well loved. They are like snowflakes, no two are alike. Many have panels from the Relay for Life, and some of the money I make from these scarves I plan on donating to the cause. I also let others know that if you have your own t-shirts and want one please contact me and I will do custom work.

Road Map Earrings

I wanted a cool pair of earrings but did not want to buy them. So I found a pair of earring posts in an old jewelry box, a coffee can lid, a ceral box and an old road map. I just cut the shapes out of the plastic coffee can lid and poked small holes in one end. I happen to have a small leather punch I used to make the holes, but a needle would work too. I used a glue stick and after I cut the cerael box and road map the same shapes I glued then together. You only need to put the road map on one side since the black plasic will cover the backside. I then put it all on the earring posts and there you have it. I have also used soda bottles, CD cases, snow pan sleds (I used a scroll saw to cut that, going slowly and spraying the material often to reduce the friction and heat). They will  not hold up in the rain but if you sealed them or used all plastic they will outlast us.

Slinky's new dog sled

Last year we recieved a phone call while on vacation. Our wiener dog Slinky had jumped off a bed, he has always been a daredevil, and after 8 hours he could no longer use his back legs. To make a long story shorter he is a HAPPY, engergetic dog that has no idea his back end no longer functions. He will play fetch for hours, play with the big dogs, take on raccoons in his yard, chase the cat, sleep in bed with us, use ramps, etc etc etc. He has a custom made wheel chair with interchangable wheels and drag bags, these are arms and legs cut from old clothing with leg holes cut into them and to hold his legs up, many with padding for his butt, HE LOVES TO RUN!!!!! He also has many ramps through out the house and outside so he can get up and down the steps to follow us around.
He wanted to go outside but I did not want him to drag his legs in the snow, so I grabbed a 1 gallon milk jug we had just finished and my scissors. With a few holes punched in it on the sides and some t-shirt string, he now has a custom sled that works great. Watch him go!!!!!!There will no stopping him this winter.

Dog fur scarf

Keisha showed me how to spin wool. I didn't have any wool, so I put the word out to friends that I needed some dog fur from a long haired, large dog. Sure enough I had some offers. This scarf was made from the late Dozer, a New Finland, he was HUGE. Mike made me a drop spindle with a drum stick and wooden disc was was suppose to be the bottom of a pine needle basket. We found the carders at the local thrift store, Once complete and many soaks in luke warm soapy water and drying in the sun you can no longer small the dog. Plus I have found thru a little bit of research that dog fur is suppose to be about 60% warmer then sheeps wool. There are many videos on the web that will show you how to use a drop spindle and I am sure the local dog groomer might be able to help you with getting the fur, or just ask your friends.

Shirley Wood - antique dress form

Meet Shirley Wood, so named because she Shirley Wood if she could, named by our dear friend Tyler. The dress form underneath is an antique, that has seen better days. So we picked up a styrofoam head at a local thrift store after Halloween so it was super cheap and I painted her up. She wears a wig a friend gave us after he was done using it and the earrings are clip on ones made with a plastic binder cover and a coffee can lid. We change her clothes with the season and many think she is real at first. Also, the dress form was a gift from an old neighbor that was a clothing designer who was moving and could not take it with her. It was a thank you for being there for her when she needed me.

T shirt crocheted basket

We decided to do a few craft shows and needed something to hold our recycled business cards in. The cards are made from printing on the back of cereal boxes then cut out. The basket was made by cutting some t-shirts into long strips and making a t-shirt yard, then following the crochet pattern for any heavy weight basket. I just wing mine, after crocheting for most of my life I find it easier to make up my own patterns. This basket turned out to be about 12" in diameter and stood about 8" tall, I rolled down the edge about 2" so the basket would hold its shape better. Worked out very well, and had a slouchy look to it. It is holding up great and when it gets dirty it just gets tossed into the wash,like any dirty t-shirt

Storage bench

We decided we wanted bench style seating at our dining table. With us everything is about multi purpose function. We found 2 old, stained, unloved, stoage boxes at the local flea market and got them both for $10. Mike added feet with some old lumber we had laying around, stained them with a free sample can of ebony stain, then put a clear coat of polyurethane on. The outcome is amazing. He even left the old ropes that were attached to the sides, makes it super easy to move around. Also the top comes off to allow for perfect storage. It matches our dining table perfectly, like a they were made for each other :-)

T shirt carpet runner

We needed a runner carpet for our entry. With wintertime, rocks, salt, dirt etc get drug into the house. I had LOTS of black. white and grey t-shirts that were given to me so I cut them apart into strips then crocheted them back together to make this durable carpet runner. The overall length is about 7 feet and the width is about 3 feet. It has worked for many winters and when it gets dirty we just wash like any old t-shirt. It also helps keep your feet warm when you take your boots off.

Wine box Guitar

Mike was given a wine box and the creation started. He cut 2 weiner dogs on the front, we have 2, used misc pieces and part, and old guitar neck. The sound is awesome and looks even more amazing. Except for the strings it is completely made with recycled materials.

Handmade pirate costume

We went to a pirate themed murder mystery party and we needed costumes. I was a standard pirate and Mike was the Innkeeper. So I went online and did  little research and here is the outcomes. My hat was made following this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvopk72Bx3Y&feature=plcp&noredirect=1 I made it from an old pair of suede pants a friend gave me, The rest of the leg parts are being used in a pair of boots. The top is an old top I had for years that needed a purpose. The corset I also used the link for, however after the first attempt I kind of winged the rest, oh that fabric was from another project. The pants came from my jobs lost and found. If you forget your stuff you have 90 days to call us. If you don't, well some of it comes to me :-) The boots are my Burningman boots that I have worn there for about 5 seasons, originally bought at the thrift store. The necklace I made from some cording, I had acquired someplace and a beautiful stone, once again found laying around. It is amazing what you see laying around when you really look. The pouch I made from scraps pieces of suede and some suede I had left over from who knows what LOL.

Mike wanted a large apron, so I grabbed a white sheet I got free from a hotels stained sheet give away LOL The vest was one my grandma crocheted YEARS ago in NJ. The pouch, yes same scrap suede pieces. Now the gun is most amazing. Mike grabbed a few pieces of wood, black electrical tape and a long funnel and turned it into this LOL The swords are both from cardboard, electrical tape and duct tape.

Recycled cast iron bathtub garden

This bathtub was on Craigslist for free, with some fire damage. We pull up to an empty lot except for this tub. There a very bad fire in the Lake Tahoe area called the Angora fire, very sad man made fire that burnt entire neighborhoods. This tub was the last thing left in a house that was burnt to the ground. The fire burned so hot it melted the enamel off the cast iron. The grid pattern on the bottom of the tub was where the rubber mat melted into the enamel. According to the original owner of the tub it was install about 2 years before the fire. It was VERY heavy, good thing we have a 78 Datsun that is low to the ground.

Now it contains our chocolate mint and spearmint garden. Anyone who has had any sort of mint know it can take over everything very quickly. All the mint and dirt came from a friends garden and compost. All summer I dry the mint in a large stainless steel bowl, store it in an vintage canister and use it to make mint tea all winter. Everyone seems to love the tea it makes and always asks for more.  If I can, I will acquire 10 more cast iron tubs for more gardens. They are self contained and you can always paint the outside of it to your liking:-)

Log footstool

We needed a footstool, but of course everything we saw was just not right. So we had an awesome log, that I stained a dark walnut. Oh I also made sure it did nto have bugs and was a good piece of wood before I started. The up is covered with some free ulphostery fabric that I had left over from another project. Inside for cushion if a small round old pillow that needed to be recovered. The edging is done with some faux suede, of course from another project LOL I did have to buy the tacks to hold the edging on. Total cost was about $8 for the upholstery tacks

Recycled cast iron bath tub

 This is what the tub looked like after we picked it up. Actually it looks better in this picture, we had already scraped tons of paint off of it. It did have 3 of the orignal feet, a shower ring and shower head set up.

This is the bath tub after its face lift. After a good scraping Mike painted the outside of the tub and the 3 egs. Can't 

Recycled cast iron bath tub

 This is bathtub shortly after we picked it up for $75, we had already scraped off alot of the old paint. It also came with the shower ring and ceiling hangers and shower head setup, we did need to buy the faucet.

Here is the bathtub afterwards and installed in the bathroom. Mike painted the outside and the 3 legs. Can't even tell it has a cinderblock foot lol. We did not have to paint the inside, it only had a very small amount of rust. To finish out this picture the lower part of the wall is a solid oak door that we found, on top of the door it thin brick, just because we loved the look of it. I am 5'10"and can fit in this tub, the water stays hot for  long time and afterwards if you do not drain the tub until the water cools it will also warm up the bath room . As I also have said we are huge recyclers and also use the tub water to fill at least 1/2 the washer. You are washing dirty clothes with soap anyway. We also leave the water in the tub so it can put some moisture in the air. Tahoe is SUPER DRY!!!!!

Recycled earrings

All of these earrings are made with recycled materials. I have use, coffee can plastic lids, binder covers, atlas paper, milk jugs, scrap suede, CD covers etc. No pair are the same. No one every seems to know that they are all recycled materials. I even made clip on earrings, with all the metal coming from thrift stores or self made with scrap wire.

Custom vanity

We found this awesome piece in a local used furniture store for $75. After a little paint job with a white glue crackle effect and the lamp shade from a floor lamp for the sink, it fit right in. After painting the piece with a dark blue and letting it dry completely, a coat of Elmers glue was used thenan off white paint as the glue was still tacky. As the glue and paint dries it crackles the top white paint to expose the dark blue underneath. I then used a marine varnish to help anique and waterproof the piece. Since we used a lamp shade for the sink regular plumbing would not work but we found that hardward for a bar sink did. We were worried the shade would be to thin but it has last for 2 years now without a chip. We also built a box to hold the faucet higher then the sink. This piece is being used on a daily basis and is holding up extremely well. The entire piece cost about $150, which is not bad since a basin sink alone cost more then that.

Recyled road maps

We had an old road map of CA and an old pic frame laying around. So I decided to make flowers. The background is tissue paper glued to cardboard. Then I outlined the flower I wanted to make on the map with black marker, cut each piece out. This the the worst part, you have to build the picture from the background up. I have made a few of these so far and find that glue sticks or good old fashioned white glue works perfectly on these. Do your home town and enjoy!

55gal indoor water garden

This is our indoor water garden. The 55 gallon fish tank started out as a regular fishtank that was filled with fish. We found it thru word of mouth and got it for free, fish and all, as long as we emptied and transported it. So we did, about a year later a fish was added and within 2 weeks we lost the entire tank to Ick. I was determined to find a more useful purpose for this tank. So after a massive cleaning with soap, water and a brush I attepted a dirt garden. At first this were great but then the rollie pollie  war began, that I lost. So after scrubbing the tank again I decided on an edible water garden. The floats are made with foam we had from a project with nylon window screen sewed to it. The bridge in the tank was left over after our red earred slider outgrew it and the submersable pump was given to us by a friend. Added on floats are mung bean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts and lettuce. In the glass jars I have green onions re-growing. The onion and mung bean actually grew faster then we could use, I now make sure I grow less at a time but in stages, so we continually have fresh things coming out of the garden. I add sea kelp to the water about once a week and the plants seem to love it.

Suede Boots

I wanted a pair of soft soled boots. So I went to the local Flea market, where I knew there was a lady who sold suede. After a $32 purchase and some creative pattern making here is what I came up with. The bottoms are made from a left over piece of heavy leather I have had for years. The rest is from the suede I purchased, not including the 2 mini purses and sones steampunk aviator goggles. The pattern is winged for the most part, I just tried things until I found a setup I liked :-) The one thing I would change with the way the soles are sewn to the uppers. The sinew will wear threw quickly and an in search of a better, recycled bottom.

Vertical coffee can garden

I wanted an herb garden but really didn't have alot of room. So Mike screwed some or our coffee cans, we LOVE coffee, to our fence and drilled holed in the bottom for drainage. We started to get plants but since we started this project late in the year the snow hit before the plants could be used :-( In the spring we have a planter that will sit below this area so the run off from the verical garden will water a flower garden below it. We are also going to add many more of these in the spring to the fence.

Handsewn Wool boots

I thought I would start this blog with my lastest creation. These boots have the soles of the water shoes I wore this past summer and the uppers are made from a wool/ flannel lined hood that came off a winter cloak. The cloak was SOOO heavy and when I cut the gathering at the neck line out we had a big enough piece or wool/ flannel lined fabric that was now use it as a blanket on our large couch. It is so warm and toasty I decided to use the hood for the main part of the uppers on my boots. The rest of the fabric was some scrap gray canvas I had left over from another project. I only wished I had left part of the neoprene water shoe upper on. It would have been easier to attach and I think the fit of the soles out have been better. I will remember this for the next pair I already have in mind!!!