Silk Tie Dyed Eggs!!

When you think you have decorated Easter eggs every way possible . . .

When you have dyed, tie-dyed, stenciled, colored, sticker-ed, waxed, and crackled . . .

When you think there cannot possibly be another way to embellish the "incredible, edible egg," never fear, some brilliantly creative person with think of a new way!!

This year, we tried "silk tie" dying our eggs.

We found our instructions here.

It was a good bit of work, what with the snipping of the old silk ties, wrapping the eggs, tying the silk on tight so the dye would transfer (note to self:  next year use rubber bands!!), wrapping each egg in its own white cotton pouch, wrapping again, and boiling in water and a bit of vinegar.

But oh the fun of unwrapping each little surprise package and discovering how the pattern had transferred from the soft silk of the tie to the hard, smooth egg shell.

Delightful Easter fun.  Go figure . . . this year there really was something new under the sun.  At least to me!!

Of Beads, Hemp, and Jack Sparrow

Saturday morning I thrifted a cute unbleached linen blouse.

Saturday noon I decided the blouse needed a new necklace to go with it.

Saturday afternoon I picked up a box of mixed wood and bone beads and hemp cord at Hobby Lobby.

Saturday night, after completing dinner, cleaning up dinner, monitoring showers/baths, setting out clothes for Sunday, administering night-time prayers, hugs, and kisses, I finally got to start on my necklace, which of course was intended to be worn to church the next morning.

Love, love this beautiful collection of the wood and bone beads, mixed in with some odd beads of my own, collected from who knows where.

I started at 10:30 p.m. and invited along Johnny Depp in his current incarnation as Jack Sparrow, to give me some company and keep an eye on the progress.

Surrounded by all those interesting beads and the earthy black hemp twine, I felt as if I had perhaps found my new calling as a jewelry artist, complete with darling little tins of different beads, a set of intricate hand tools---pliers, crimpers, cutters, tweezers, and a small soldering gun.

Never mind that I was just stringing beads onto twine.  The imagination of what could be has always been much more alluring than the reality of what is.  ::sigh::

When I plunked myself down at 10:30 p.m., my initial thought was, "How long could this possibly take?"  By 2:30 a.m. I knew that it actually could take exactly 4 hours to sort beads into appropriate patterns, string beads and knot string.

This may or may not have anything to do with the distraction of encouraging Jack Sparrow in his quest to once again be in possession of his Black Pearl.

I also realized at 2:30 a.m. that as fun as beading is, I do not have a new career in such laid out ahead of me.    

And, also, that should I ever be so unfortunate as to wind up a stowaway on a pirate ship,  Jack Sparrow would be an endlessly entertaining captain.

Craft Guilt

I'm going to have to admit something right here and now in Blogland that's not going to be popular and that I'm not proud of.  

I do not like children's crafts.

There it is right out there.  

I get why they're important.  But in this one year, Youngest Daughter has brought home the Eiffel Tower made out of straws, a giant tissue paper flower the size of a large lampshade, Rapunzel's entire castle, complete with a blonde braid, and a Jack who can (by pulling a cord) climb the beanstalk and visit the giant.  Those are just the few I can remember.  And the deal is . . . what to do with them!!

So, I am very pleased to say that Youngest Daughter has brought home a craft that I adore and plan to keep.  My guilt at secretly crushing the 125 plastic straws and the accompanying blue painter's tape is now assuaged.

This is a craft that works for me.  And here is why:

*  The craft has a sentimental element.  I'm pretty sure that the foam base of this little bird is cut in the shape of Youngest Daughter's hand, so I have a forever memory of the sweet and tiny size of her hand.  I do have a tender spot for any crafts memorializing tiny hands, feet, or fingerprints.  ::sigh::

*  The craft includes something natural.  I don't mind a craft that has a little bit of nature in it (hence my disdain of the plastic straws and painter's tape!).  Small stones, twigs, and shells are delightful.  I'm pretty sure that under the bright red, orange and brown, those feathers really did use to belong to a chicken somewhere.

*  The craft is useful.  Who couldn't use a clever way to keep their recipes up and out of the olive oil . . . or flour . . . or melted white chocolate.  My recipe cards and recipe books are a testimony to the fact that I've needed this craft around my kitchen for about 20 years.

So, yes, all in all a very enjoyable craft.  And it certainly comforts my heart to be able to say so.