I'm Looking Over Some 4 Leaf Clovers... how to find a four leaf clover?

I find four leaf clovers wherever I go... so long as there's grass.

When I was younger I thought I'd try for the Guinness Book world record on clover finding...& after finding a few hundred...gave up that goal once I realized how many the winner at the time had found. I didn't want to put that much time into searching for them!

If you've never found one yourself, I have a few clover finding tips for you that just might help!

Now I can't guarantee you'll find one, but I figure it can't hurt & so far it's worked for me.

The human eye is attracted to things that are symmetrical, so we have that in our favor. Rather than looking closely at every single clover, which takes a lot of time, just 'scan' the ground for them instead.

When I'm outside playing with the kids....I'll find a nice big patch of clover in our lawn & just kneel down & scan the area for them. When I find one, it's like my eye is just drawn to a four leaf clover because of the symmetry.

I've found more 4 leaf clovers within 'patches' of clover...rather than by them self growing up in the grass... so no need to check every square inch of lawn for them. Cut to the chase & find a nice big fat patch of clover to get started.

Try to look for 4 leaf clovers on an overcast day. It's so much easier to actually see them when you don't have to squint & there aren't any hard shadows.

I find four leaf clovers more often after I've mowed the lawn too... because if the grass is short...they just seem to stand out more. When the grass is tall, I have to brush the grass out of the way with my hand to see the clover better.

After you find one you'll probably want to press it for safekeeping. You'll need to press it pretty quickly, as they start to wilt within 15 min. or so. I use my phone book...because it's thick & heavy. If I'm outside looking for a bunch, I'll take a small paperback book with me to press them as I find them...so the leaves don't get all curled up...and that saves me time running back into the house to press them in the phone book. Sometimes if I have a bunch of clovers drying in the phone book at once, I will put something heavy on top to weigh it down.

When you press your clover, be sure to spread out the leaves so they aren't overlapping each other too much.

When I find 4 leaf clovers 'away from home' I press the clover between two credit cards & stick them in my wallet for safekeeping until I get home.

I hope these tips help you & also maybe your kids to find four leaf clovers more easily. Once you find one...you might be hooked on finding more!

You might like to try crafting with resin...to preserve your clover. Check out my easy to follow resin tutorial with pictures on how to get started...simply replace the tatted butterfly with your clover! Pressed clovers hold up very well in resin. Just be sure they're completely dry. I don't use clovers that haven't dried for less than a week to ensure no moisture is left in the clover. If the idea of working with resin due to the cost to get started...or the fumes intimidates you, there are other crafts you can use your clovers in such as laminating them to turn them into a nifty bookmark...or put them in a bottle cap & use some diamond glaze to give them that glassy look & add a magnet to the back! You can add pressed clovers to your scrap booking pages too!

Can you find the 4 leaf clovers in these photos? :o)

I love it when I find a mini-bouquet of 4 leaf clovers!

Here are some freshly pressed clovers ready to be made into fabulous one of a kind jewelry!

I love the variety ...so many sizes with different shaped leaves & subtle changes in color!

If you would like one of my clover creations, I have some available in my etsy & love to do fabulous custom orders if you'd prefer I make something for you that you don't see available at the moment. I can make jewelry, key rings, zipper pulls, or cell phone charms.

I'll be listing many new clover items over the next few weeks, so check back often for something unique. Happy clover hunting & good luck!

:o)

Getting my stitch on...

I love the old Aunt Martha's embroidery patterns... simply because I can feel like I'm accomplishing something without the pressure of having to do all the work that goes into creating the pattern for myself.
The other day I worked on getting my Ohio sales taxes paid & really needed to unwind with a fun craft I could do in a few hours. From start to finish this took about 3 hours. It would've been less if I had stitched it a la 'redwork' or 'blackwork' without having to do all the color changes...but you know me... I love color!!!
This piece may be the start of a baby quilt for my new niece... we'll see if I can get the other blocks done in such a timely manner!

Comments & critiques & suggestions are all welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog & 'Happy Friday' ... be creative!

So Facebook is allowing 3rd party advertisers to use your posted images...

Isn't that special? I think it would be nice if they asked first at least! Before getting my knickers in a twist, a friend of mine shared how to 'opt out' of this.

Click on SETTINGS up at the top where you see the log out link. Select PRIVACY. Then select NEWS FEED & WALL. Next select the tab that reads FACEBOOK ADS. There is a drop down box, select NO ONE. Then save your changes. Pass it on to your facebook friends...so they can protect their images as well.

I've been keeping my facebook page private...for only friends & family ...so I don't feel comfortable sharing everything...especially if it's used in third party advertising... How tacky?

I'd be interested in hearing from y'all what you think of this facebook feature...and whether or not you think it's a good thing.

:o)

If you want homebaked goodies...but don't have the time...

...how about checking out 'Tea and Sweets' Etsy shop for some wonderful yummy goodness?

In reading Carrie's shop announcement...you know she's making great stuff that's going to taste as good as your grandma's & also be much healthier for you than prepackaged stuff from the local grocery store!

"No artificial flavors

No artificial trans fats

No artificial dyes

No high-fructose corn syrup

Just tastes better, And better for you...."

Her profile shares her inspiration, education, & experience...as well as showing that she puts her heart into her food craft.

She is a wife...we all know that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

She is a mom... all I can think is what a lucky kid to have a mom who bakes goodies like these!
She is a nurse with a background in food science/nutrition!

These are some of the photos of Carrie's creations which make me drool like Pavlov's dog...

Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies:

slice of pink...cherry dessert bars:

snickerdoodle muffins:

Sugared Pumpkin Muffins:

"I have put my heart and passion into these desserts, using only the finest ingredients, never skimping on quality."

You are surely guaranteed a quality product you're going to thoroughly enjoy when you purchase something from Tea and Sweets!

:o)

Giving Away Cupcakes...

I made 3 batches of these last night for our church's annual bazaar/yard sale. If you're in Germantown, Ohio... swing on by the State Road United Methodist church & grab one before they run out!
I have a few leftover for the hubby & kids...because it wouldn't be fair to them to give them all away! The kids are behaving like total angels for me too...knowing there is a cupcake in their future!
I'm not above bribery for good behavior! ...whatever works!

:o)

Sunny Days on the Farm... wheeee! Pony!

The other day was a storybook perfect summer day with sunshine, puffy clouds, and a warm gentle breeze.
I couldn't resist taking photos of the neighbor's baby ponies frolicking in the pasture. This one stopped to check me out...probably looking for a sugar cube or something sweet. Next time I won't go empty handed!
I'll be using my sweet pony photos in new resin pieces for this fall...so if you love horses or know of a horse lover, come back in August to check them out!

:o)

Big Bubble Fun! ...and a 'bubble stuff' review by isewcute

I can't remember to be sure...but believe we bought the bubble wand & pan in the $1 crack aisle at Target....really that aisle is so dangerous...because it's full of cheap fun stuff.

Of course the wand only lasted a few short days before the kids broke it...so have discovered that you can take a pizza pan & an old wire coat hanger & fashion a virtually indestructable bubble wand...that is if you don't mind having your kiddos play with an old coat hanger!

(I highly recommend 100% parental supervision)

The bubble stuff we used to make these huge bubbles was made with "Dawn" brand dish detergent ...a real generous squirt... and enough water to fill the pan.

Some folks do movie reviews...I wish someone did bubble stuff reviews...after dropping a pretty penny on many brands that didn't live up to our hopes & dreams.

Here is my personal bubble stuff review:

The homemade stuff mentioned above works great...risk is the little kids could have bubbles pop in their face & get the soap in their eyes... outside it wasn't a problem for us...but in the bathtub, we prefer a commerical brand.

Miracle Bubbles... sucks ...pardon my french... but we've never had a bottle not worth just dumping down the drain.

Most generic brand bubble stuff we've used has been a let-down too.

Gazillion Bubbles... our brand of choice at the moment... the bubbles are long lasting ...and have that 'rainbow' effect in them....you can buy it in huge bottles for under $10 at Target...but stock up while summer is here....because it's not in stores once it's sold out for the season! We need to stock up...which is why I used handmade bubble stuff for the big big bubbles!

soap + water + sunny day = big fun!

:o)

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2009

I made my first trifle ...but decided to leave out the cake and have it on the side...so it wouldn't get mushy. This is also sugar free...

Ingredients:

sugar free angel food cake

sugar free cool whip

strawberries ...sliced

blueberries

simply layer fruit n' cool whip in your pretty dish...keeping the layers flat & going all the way to the edge...so your layers won't run together & stay pretty. You may add the cake (sliced into 1-1.5" cubes) as a center layer... if you don't mind it getting a little mushy from the fruit! This would also look very pretty as individual parfaits in champagne flutes!

Super yummy..super easy! Happy Independence Day everybody!

Tie Dying is easier than I thought with tulip one step dye! How to make a tie dye 'V' pattern by isewcute!

This is the third tutorial in my short series of 'how to tie dye'...so if you're new to this type of craft, please start with the first tutorial on how to make a spiral pattern. It shows how I set up my workstation outside as well as lists all the items you need to create fun tie dye shirts!

In all 3 tutorials...you'll learn how to do all of these shirt patterns shown here!

This tutorial shows how I made a 'V' tie dye pattern using tulip brand one step dye for tie dying.

First, prepare your shirt in the soda ash & water mix & let it set for about 20 min...following the manufacturers instructions. Then wring out your shirt & lay it flat on your protected work area...smoothing out the wrinkles.

Next, you fold your shirt in half lengthwise...as shown here...lining up the shoulder seams.

Then take a pencil (I used a basic #2 pencil to make my pattern) ...draw a curve line from the shoulder down to the middle of the shirt...or wherever you want your 'V' pattern to end.

Next, you begin to make little 'accordian' folds in your fabric while keeping your pencil line as straight as possible...same step as on making the 'heart' pattern.


Then you wrap a rubber band around the shirt over the top of the pencil line. You can add as many rubberbands as you like for as many color breaks as you desire.

Add your colors by either dying in between the rubberbands...or overlapping the dye so the colors run together ...to blend them more. On this shirt I used a limited color palette of blue, turquoise, and green.

On this one I used many colors starting with a dab of black at the collar, then blue, more black, pink, fuschia, purple, black, blue, yellow, pink, fuschia, purple, & black. I left the bottom end of the shirt loose to let the colors bleed together more.

After your colors are added...place the dyed shirt in a plastic bag so the dye can really bond with the fabric for a few hours. I let them sit overnight.

When the dye is set...rinse your shirt, remove the bands, then rinse again until the water is clear. Launder your shirt with a little mild detergent in a cold water setting, dry, wear & love that you made it yourself!

I hope you enjoyed this series of 'how to' tutorials! For more great craft ideas check out:

http://www.craftster.org/ ...a wonderful handmade community featuring crafts of all kinds

http://www.ilovetocreate.com/ ...where I first got the crafting bug to work on these great tie dye creations!

:o)

Tie Dying is easier than I thought with tulip one step dye! How to make a heart pattern by isewcute!

You're not going to believe how easy it is to do this tie dye pattern! Isn't it cute? This one is going to my new niece....yay! I'm an aunt 'again'.

Follow the instructions on getting ready to tie dye in my first tutorial 'how to make a spiral'

Soak your shirt in the soda ash & water mixture as per the instructions on your brand....I used tulip brand & tulip one-step dyes...which can be found at your local craft shop.

Wring out your shirt & then spread it out on your protected work area...smoothing out all the wrinkles.


Fold your shirt in half lengthwise...lining up the shoulder seams like this...
& then draw 'half a heart' with your pencil.
(I just used a reg. #2 pencil...nothing fancy...it's not permanent & will wash out)


Then to make the pattern you start to fold your shirt like an accordian...making sure to keep the pencil line fairly straight...

Once your shirt is completely folded...slip a rubber band onto the end...covering up the pencil line. You can add as many rubber bands behind that one for as many color changes as you would like defined.

For my example I selected 3 colors: pink, fuschia or red, & purple ...and added the color in between the rubberbands so that the colors would not bleed together too much. If you overlap the colors...your results will have less white & more color blending.

When the dye was added I put the shirt in a plastic bag...let it sit for a few hours to set the color really well & then rinsed the shirt...removed the bands...rinsed again until water was clear. Laundered in cold water with only a bit of mild detergent & dried!

I can't wait to send this to a sweet babygirl!

Have fun & don't be afraid of experimenting! Remember that crafting is supposed to be fun!

Next pattern in this series of 3 tie dye tutorials will be 'how to do a 'v' pattern'

:o)