On finding the time....

 Lately, I'm feeling increasingly frustrated by a lack of time - a lack of time to do the stuff I want to do and the stuff I need to do. As I write this between classes, dishes sit dirty and piled on the counter, there is an essay to compose and a dog who needs a walk and some laundry that needs washing. There are shifts to work later in the week and a pile of wool that I want to knit or crochet, and the web projects I want to work on. Did I mention I want to learn to play the banjo and open my own Etsy shop? How about a those darns projects I've pinned to Pinterest (oh pinterest....perhaps not the most constructive use of my time). So many ideas!

This doesn't even cover the people in my life. Would love to spend an entire day with the husband that doesn't involve running countless errands. I'd love to spend more time with family but there just seems to be a complete lack of time available. I just need to somehow find some kind of appropriate balance...learn how to work more effectively and get my stuff organized. Any ideas????

Love, Bean

Happy Handmade Halloween!

  Here it is...the final installment of a Handmade Halloween. This was, perhaps, my favourite craft this year. It was easy to do, took very little time and few materials and turned out pretty darn cool. I found this idea on  abeautifulmess.com, one of my most favourite websites ever. All you need is construction paper, scissors, tape and a bat shape stencil and you are ready to go. I chose to stick my bat cutouts on the window, but you could also create a really neat bat mobile if you so desire. Easy peasy, right?

At the risk of sounding slightly cheesy.....have a spooktacular Halloween!


Love, Bean

Handmade Halloween - Part II

Here is another way to add some handmade to your Halloween. Not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I am a big fan of mason jars and the colour orange -so when I found this idea online, I was pumped my friend. The inspiration comes from celebrations.com. They call them Mason Jar Luminaries, which sounds way fancier than mason jar pumpkiny things....but whatever. Again, a really simple and easy craft to do. Instead of using tissue paper, I used transparent ribbon (leftovers from the Halloween wreath..)to wrap around the jar. A little black construction paper and a glue gun and you have yourself a mason jar pumpkiny thing! Pop a battery operated candle in there, and you are good to go.

Stay tuned for Part III tomorrow....just in time for Halloween!
Love, Bean

A Handmade Halloween

Wowza,

It's been awhile. A loooooooooooooong while. Things have been very crazy here, leaving not too much time to update the blog. Plus, besides the odd granny square or two, I have been very uncrafty for the past little while. Halloween, however, has put me back in the DIY spirit (ha ha...spirit...get it?). I have three spooky DIY projects to share with you - just in time for All Hallow's Eve. The first? A very cool feather boa Halloween wreath. This was inspired by a project I saw on a Christmas decorating show featuring my favourite, Sarah Richardson (for you non-Canadians...Google her...she rocks!). It's very simple, requires few supplies, and takes less than 10 minutes to complete. All you need is a wreath form (or really any solid circular item), a feather boa and some ribbon to complete the look. Wrap the feather boa around the wreath form, hang with a bow and...ta da...you have a very creepy Halloween wreath ready to hang!

Stay tuned for part II tomorrow.....

Love, Bean

Strawberry Picking....

My sister and I have always wanted to make our own jam. After many years of trying, we finally were able to get it together and make our own jam from the strawberries that we picked. I will admit, we wimped out and made freezer jam but it is jam nonetheless.

I found some "sweet" printable jam jar labels (you can find them here).



 I also decided to add some fabric tops using some extra material I had on hand. Ta da! Homemade Jam people!
                               
Love, Bean

Don't Be Shy....

Did you know that it is OFFICIALLY  world wide knit in public day? That's right friends, time to get out those needles! Look for Knit in Public events (or KIPS) in your community or host one yourself. What a grrrrreat idea! For more information check out: http://www.wwkipday.com/.

Love, Bean

New Friend

Picked up our new friend in Montreal this weekend (that is very far from where we live!). This sweet girl is named Ruby.

Sewing for Lazy Gals....

Maybe it's the influence of the instant gratification based society we live in, but I like me a nice,quick sewing project that doesn't involve a lot of steps and reading of instructions. As such, anything that involves sewing in a straight line and can be completed in about an hour is right up my alley. Recently, my sister needed some curtains for her apartment, so I whipped out my trusty singer feather weight and got to work. Sewed three edges and then folded the top over to create a pocket to stick the tension rod in. Thankfully, my singer cooperated and an hour later the curtains were a hangin'. Now I'm on the hunt for some more quick and dirty sewing projects. Any ideas?

Love, Bean

DIY Mason Jar Candles

I am a big fan of both Mason Jars and Candles. On my rainy day off, I decided it was high time to combine these two interests and make some Mason Jar candles. Having never made my own candles before, I was a little apprehensive, especially as I am one of the world's clumsiest human beings. With visions of third degree candle wax burns dancing in my head, I started the process. I began by sticking wicks in the jars with tacky wax and securing it in place with BBQ skewers (those things can be used for anything!). I then melted the wax in a microwave safe bowl and added some fragrance ( I chose vanilla). Next, I carefully (emphasis on carefully) poured the wax into the jar using a measuring cup. I have to say, despite a few minor setbacks ( some spills and the whole why is the wax yellow dilemma ) it was both easy AND injury free. Sweet! I'm pretty pleased with the results too!

Something Special Sunday: Crafty Ideas For A Back Yard Bash

Today's cold and rainy weather has me dreaming of the sunshine and heat awaiting us this summer (hopefully.....you better cooperate Mother N!). One of the best ways to spend these lovely, sunshiney days is a good old fashioned backyard BBQ. Here are some great ideas for adding a crafty touch to your next backyard party or BBQ. Enjoy!

Pop Can Lanterns from Dollar Store Crafts 

BBQ sign found on ETSY

Bunting found on ETSY

Terra Cotta Cloche found on Craftgawker

Homemade Bubbles from the lovely blog Rust and Sunshine 

Love, Bean

Today's Crafty Adventure : DIY Yarn Wrapped Bracelet

     Got left over yarn that you don't know what to do with? Use your old yarn scraps to jazz up an old bracelet. Simply wrap yarn around the bracelet, ensuring the bracelet is completely covered. To change colour, tie the yarn ends together so that the knot is hidden on the inside of the bracelet and keep on wrapping! A brand new bracelet in a couple of easy peasy steps!

It's Hip To Be Square.....

Hello! We have been enjoying beautiful weather here as of late and I have been spending my time enjoying it (yay!) or working inside and missing it (boo). As such, my crafty blogging has taken a backseat. But I'm back with some crochet goodness. Thought I would share my progress and here it is. Finally, conquered the granny square. Boo yah grandma!

P.S.- Follow me on Instagram (jess_bean8)!

Fun Fridays: The Many Applications of Kool Aid (Part III)

It's finally Friday and finally time for the final installment of The Many Applications of Kool Aid Part III. We've made lipgloss, we've made some super awesome playdough and now we are going to use Kool Aid to...........dye wool!

I first found this idea on the awesomeness that is craftgawker. There are many tutorials for dyeing wool with kool aid all over the web. It's pretty basic though. First unwind a ball of wool  (I used 100 percent cotton). Next, heat a cup of water in a saucepan. Add one packet of Kool Aid in your colour of choice (I went with Cherry). Take your ball of wool and put it in the pot, rolling it around so that it absorbs the colour. Leave the wool in for about five minutes then take it out and rinse under cool water.

To create a neat effect, repeat this process using another colour of Kool Aid ( I chose purple). After rinsing, squeeze excess water out of the wool and allow to dry for two to three days. Ta da! Your very own, completely unique hand dyed wool! What can't Kool Aid do? 

Love, Bean

Crochet Love

      A beauty from elycia 

                                           Amazing afghan from better together photography



                                               My favourite from according to matt

Mother of pearl! I wish I could crochet like this! Some crochet love to brighten your Wednesday...

Love, Bean

Progress....

Hi Friends, 
It's been awhile since I have posted anything....because I have been too busy crocheting like a crazy woman! No...that's not true, but I have been continuing to perfect my skills and thought I would share my progress with you. Drum roll please.....

So....it's not perfect. A little lumpy around the edges;a little less than square but after the granny half circle experience I'm pretty proud of this here granny square. 


In other news: special thanks to Yadira from Yadira's Crafty Adventures for awarding me a Liebster Award for blogs under 200 followers. Yadira is amazingly crafty....you can check out (and purchase) the cool things she creates on her Etsy shop by clicking here. Thanks Yadira!

                                                 
Love, Bean

Off Da Chain: My Misadventures with Crochet (Or How I Spent Most of My Saturday...)

Hi friends,

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! I know I have not been as faithful lately with my blogging, but I thought I would give a quick update on my current crafty project. Inspired by all the sweet granny square crochet afghans I have seen popping up all over the interweb, I was determined to teach myself how to crochet. I thought to myself "hey lady, you have a few extra hours this morning, why NOT learn to crochet?". I'm pretty convincing, so I decided to give it a go. How hard could it be right?................................................................................



Really, really really really hard, I soon found out! My hands just don't work like that!!! I watched countless youtube videos in which several very nice ladies effortless created chains and double crochets and, um, other stuff. Time and time again I would attempt to reproduce their results and I would fail miserably. My best attempt produce a sad and pathetic granny half circle. Blast!

Take heart friends! I refuse to give up this battle. Normally, I am not this tenacious and would usually throw the project in the closet in a fit of rage, but I vow that I will learn to crochet damnit! I will make granny squares like a true granny. I will succeed and when I do, I will post a picture of said granny square. It will be magnificent.

Note: Sorry for the lack of visuals....I figured you really weren't interested in pictures of a mangled granny square and me with a defeated and frustrated expression on my face. Stay tuned for the real deal!
Love, Bean

Fun Friday: When Good Crafts Go Bad...

I stumbled upon this website (www.craftfail.com) and llloooooooooooooveeed it! I can't count the number of times I have tried to follow crafting instructions and ended up with an epic fail - especially with any kind of cupcake/cookie decorating. I seriously suck at that (thus the eventual smart decision to not make my own cupcakes for my wedding). Anyhoo, I recommed checking out this fun website. Stay tuned next Friday for Part III of The Many Applications of Kool Aid.



Love, Bean

Fun Fridays: The Many Applications of Kool Aid (Part II)

So you have made it through another week and are ready to learn yet another crazy thing you can do with Kool Aid. Today's project: Super Awesome Scented Playdough. A wonderful lady I work with makes this playdough all the time and the kids love it! I found a recipe here and decided to whip up a bunch. Warning: wear gloves unless you want Kool Aid coloured skin!

Love, Bean