100% wool
Hollow Book Box With A Combination Lock
Got something to hide? Do ya? (;
Try a hollow book stash box!
And then… put a “tamper evident” lock on your stash box! That’s what I did recently with this large Star Wars book. I hollowed it out by hand, detailed and glued the inside and added rings to attach a small combination lock. It may not be super strongly secure but if somebody tried to open it it wouldn’t be as easy as flipping it right open. This particular hollow book was a birthday gift and the gift-giver with the idea just wanted the gift recipient to have an extra road block in between them and the other gifts that were to be gifted inside!
Colorful Wool Keychains
Simple and fun. I made over 150 of them for marketing purposes!
Copper Metal Sculpture: Blue Octopus
I created another octopus sculpture out of copper metal. It is the 2nd octopus I have created and I believe it to be an improvement over the last. The outside has a blue patina and is carefully sealed with wax to preserve the color. Currently this piece is available for sale in my Etsy shop.
Tool Love : Handmade Scissors
Last year, my best friend introduced me to these scissors. http://www.ernestwright.co.uk/
I thought they were really cool….
Then she bought me a pair as a special gift! I proudly own the paper cutting scissors.
They go perfectly with my Etsy shop, as I cut a lot of paper for the bottom stash spot liners in my hollow book boxes, as well as thank you cards and shipping labels. I’m pretty good at keeping things for a long time and I’m for sure aiming to make these scissors be no exception to that. I’m making sure to only cut paper with them!
Handmade Copper Metal Garden Art : Orchid Planter Pots
A few years back (2007) I created an orchid planter pot out of copper tube, copper sheet and wire because I desired a beautiful and super functional new pot for one of my dendrobium orchids. It needed to drain fully between watering since orchids are epiphytes. I used the first planter pot that I created for a good 2 years. My orchid was very healthy and re-flowered during its time in the pot. I got many compliments from those who saw it. In all this time I still have not found any other orchid pots made like this either! This design is so unique! Since that first pot I have created many more of these one of a kind handmade orchid pots. I can make them in many sizes, with or without leaf details. Another really awesome thing about them is that you can pull them apart in places to make them taller or smoosh it down to make it shorter. The copper wire is wound around throughout the coils to help keep the substrate contained. They are designed to be used with a substrate like coconut husk and rocks.
I really do love making these orchid pots, as well as all of the other copper sculpture that I do, because it’s so different from the other forms of art that I do.. I like variety! My brain really likes engineering and problem solving ways of achieving the desired end results. The tools I use are pretty simple – a torch with a flexible tube, mapp gas, copper to copper soldering sticks, pliers, heavy duty scissors, tube cutter, and rocks or bricks for heat protection.
If you are interested in getting one of my handmade copper orchid planter pots for yourself or a friend… Check the copper metal sculpture section in Etsy shop for availability! Or email me – GingerHalverson at Gmail.
Project: Mushrooms From A Box! Day 1
I’ve officially started my oyster mushroom kit! It’s from here if you’re really curious. Nowhere on that website or on the box does it say to soak the bag for 24 hours after cutting slits in the side but that’s exactly what the directions inside the box said. So I did that…. I cut a ~ 3×5 X in the bag and submerged it in cold tap water for a WHOLE DAY. *thumb twirls*
Since these photos, I drained the water and put the bag back into the box which I then just placed on the kitchen counter top. I can’t wait until I see some stuff growing and wonder if it’s good growth or bad growth. It all looks so interesting to me. When I feel the layer of white mycelium that has already grown inside the bag it feels kinda like salamander skin or something.
Would you touch it? o.O
Awesome Recent Etsy Finds #3
One should not underestimate the importance of good spices and the knowledge to use them! This kit is on my wish list for sure and would be a great gift for any chef… even if you think they ‘have it all’ – I bet they wouldn’t mind trying out something new or receiving more of a favorite! Do you know what Tabil is?? Lime Fresco Salt? Sounds exciting ^_^
This scarf sold already, of course, but.. WOW…. This lady really knows what she is doing and comes out with so many amazing scarves! This one just particularly blows my mind!
These make my toes wiggle, wishing they were mine!
The enormous size and colors immediately drew me in. I always pack too much when I’m going on a small trip – “.. what if I get dirty in this, what if I want to work on that project?..” – and this bag looks like it could hold it all. Then look at that strap! Sturdy and with a leather feather detail hanging down. Wow. And a lot of people still don’t use Etsy to buy beautiful handmade items, umm, why??
I would totally snuggle up to it, too.
When I was young, ~ 10 years old, I got my first guinea pig — “Squeeky”! I loved him so much and have had guinea pigs since and have overall always had a soft spot for these little “squeaking monkey rats”. So when I found LalisLittleWorldOn‘s shop on Etsy I instantly fell in love! I wish I did THIS with my guinea pig.
Not just one cool product (prints) but TWO! Lavender sachets!
Owl switch plate cover. Sign me up.
I also learned about the existance of narwhals this week. They are whales with HORNS like UNICORNS! It lead me to find this necklace that I think is super cute to end this episode of recent favorites 😉
Spring Cleaning : BODY!
90 day personal health challenge! : Day 6
Howdy do! I’m really excited for spring so I’m getting a jump start on getting in shape for the spring/summer season when I can’t hide behind layers of clothing. I will call it my ’90 day personal health challenge!’, because I think it will take about 90 days for me to look and feel optimal. Almost a week ago already I stopped eating most ‘junk’ food (no more cookies, a weakness of mine!), stopped eating for emotional reasons or more than is necessary AND I started exercising EVERY DAY. So far this week I have walked/jogged a few miles, rode bike for over an hour, vacuumed and mopped the whole house, and started doing some pilates! I just found POP Pilates on youtube and I really like her down-to-earth yet always bubbly-happy kind of style. Today I’ve done my best so far to do this whole video and I think if you have any inkling to try it, you should too!
* Pop Pilates : Muffin Top Meltdown
If you’re interested in other types of workouts check out this big list of videos that I found that is sure to please. How about some zumba?
* Online Workout Videos
What do I actually eat, you might ask? Smoothies! They are my go-to food. I use soy milk, bananas, fruit, flax seeds and spinach most commonly. I can tweak the amounts and kinds of ingredients that I add to make it taste a little bit different every time.
I love smoothies. They are fast, fresh, tasty, and especially easy for my body to digest. Another go-to food for me that is like a major comfort food is apples, natural peanut butter, raisins and flax seeds. I like to consume a lot of flax seeds. They are so healthy and tasty too. When I want something hot and soothing I go for steamed vegetables or vegetable soup (sometimes with potatoes or rice). My favorite vegetable right now is broccoli with a little bit of soy sauce, black pepper and cayenne pepper to kick it up. Mmm! Right now I am completely avoiding any dairy/animal foods or complex carbohydrates like processed bread because I know that they really slow down my digestion and just don’t contain as much positive nutritional content per calorie consumed as other food choices I have. When I eat like this I feel very light and have great spurts of energy. Eating is a simple task when I’m near home or well prepared with a lunch box full of whole fruits, veggies and nuts. I’m not tempted to stray from my diet plan and with each passing day I feel better than the last because my “I can do this because I AM doing this” / self control confidence continues to rise.
Weee!
I do drink coffee. Almost every day, usually not long after I get out of bed. Usually I’ll just drink one 8oz cup, sometimes I’ll drink another one in the afternoon. My favorite part about is the flavor, second is the caffeine energy. I have read somewhere too that it helps boost your metabolism for the entire day so that’s good! However, I do know that coffee does have some negative attributes… so.. I also drink a couple cups of tea throughout the day. Green tea and pu-erh are my favorites. I do not regularly sweeten any of my drinks. Soda is right out!
Another awesome thing that I drink regularly (that nobody else that I know does! absolutely nobody else! @ this current time) is raw apple cidar vinegar – aka “ACV”, diluted in water. I just glug about a tablespoon into a cup and fill the rest up with cool water. My water bottle usually has this mixture in it. Ideally I drink just 1 glass of water/ACV per day when I’m just maintaining. However, during times that I’ve had a sinus infection I drink the ACV water 3-4 times throughout the day each day and I swear that it cures me. Last year I was suffering for about a month and a half from a sinus infection (antibiotics didn’t cure it, it came back!) but then I started really dosing myself with ACV and getting plenty of moisture in my sinuses and it went away naturally within about 5 days. This year when it was really dry I had one for only about a week and cured it with my natural remedies – ACV, moisture and sea salt rinses. Other than that I did not get the common cold or flu this year – Horray!
I am still in the beginning stages of my personal 90 day challenge so I still need to outline my goals, think up some rewards I can give myself for reaching them, and continue researching the most healthy/positive methods I should use to reach my goals so that I stay healthy the entire time.
Are you ready for some spring cleaning too? I challenge you!
Ook the Needle Felted Snowy Owl
I designed a new needle felted owl…. a snowy owl!
Or rather.. “inspired by a snowy owl”. He’s not bright white but more of a light grey, his beak and feet are gold instead of black… and he has ears and “hair”. But WHATEVER. He’s adorable!
Kind of like Hedwig from Harry Potter! If you’re into that kinda thing, check out this site that I was reading that tells all about Hedwig. It says that one snowy owl, “Gizmo”, played all the main parts but that he had two other snowy owl stunt doubles.. “Ook” and “Sprout”. The name Ook is way too cute and perfect so I’m borrowing it for this owl! I always name the original design.
I wish he would fly a valentine card to my friend in MN for me. One can dream!