DIY Button Bracelets and a Giveaway Winner!

The Winner of Friday's Giveaway is Mary Brown: "I'm hooked, and I've posted!! These are so wonderful, wonderful Ruthie!!"  Congratulations hon, just email Ruthie at auntflowclothpads@gmail.com to claim your code!

Need a fun. quick, quirky craft? Use some buttons to make layered bracelets!

Remember my obsession with buttons? Well...here's something fun to do with those odd and unique ones you want to show off. This is a great craft to do with small friends too!

How to make a Layered Button Flower Bracelet

1. Pick at least two buttons (one with holes and one with a loop on the back) or a button and a bead.

2. Thread them through with hemp.

3. Measure around your wrist and tie a knot.

4. Use buttons as your would a toggle.

5. Repeat as many times as you desire!

What do you do with buttons?

Sponsor and Giveaway: Aunt Flow's Cloth Pads

Today we are tickled to introduce our newest sponsor, Aunt Flow's Cloth Pads and the creativity and hardworking hands behind the company, the lovely, humorous, and sweet Ruthie Higbee. Read her interview and I know you'll start to love her the way I do!

How did you get started?

My decision to sell cloth pads began with a simple attempt to educate myself on the vast world of modern cloth diapers. I saw the words “Mama cloth” and was bemused at imagining diapered women running around town. As I read on I learned that no, they weren't ladydiapers—they are simply reusable cloth menstrual pads. This fascinated and repulsed me, and it was simple morbid curiosity led me to want to try them out. Once I'd tried cloth pads and wasn't horrified, I was hooked and figured it would be a wonderful way to spend spare time to share this marvelous discovery with others.

The name you chose is so cute and descriptive. How did you arrive at that name?

Figuring out what to name a business, band, or child always seems so mind-numbingly difficult. It has to be absolutely perfect, and for me that usually includes a note of humor. Aunt Flow is an inoffensive humorous option, and as I was an aunt and not a mother when I started my Etsy shop, it seemed very fitting at the time. It's probably better than “Cushies for your Coochie” or “Blankets for Your Lady Parts” (thanks, Laurel!), but then again—IS IT REALLY?

For those who aren't familiar with using cloth pads, can you tell us why they are so much better than commercial menstrual products? 

According to Luna Pads website, each year in North America, 20 BILLION pads, tampons, and applicators are sent to landfills. That's a staggering amount of waste, adding up to about 16,800 pads or tampons per lifetime of each menstruating woman. Also, the bleach and processing that's used in making disposable menstrual products is seriously toxic. Women die from TSS. Even 100% cotton tampons have harmful dioxin in them, because of air and ground pollution. Protect your vajayjay, keep Tampax away-way!

Another thing to note is that periods and cramping are much lighter and extremely more pleasant when using cloth pads (or reusable menstrual cups, for that matter!) Since the cloth pads don't have the toxic chemicals that disposable ones do, women bleed less and cramp less. And seeing a bright friendly pad in your underwear is quite the boon on a menstrual day, let me tell you.

Let us not forget the cost difference, either!! Let's say that the average woman spends about $5/month on her disposable products. Over the course of 5 years, she has spent $300 to pad her trash, menstrually! If she were to take $120 and buy about 20 cloth pads, that would easily see her through 5 years of periods and beyond. I have some pads from when I first started making them 6 years ago that still look and work great, and I think they're going to make it to the decade mark, easily.

How is your business in harmony with your family life? How do you find balance?

Balance? What's that?

Well, actually--it's worked out that it's not too hard to (accidentally) find balance when it all comes down to it. I do what needs to be done with my family and make time for the things we all want and need, like eating and grocery shopping and showering, and then in the time that's left over (hello, 30 minutes before bed, I'm talking to you lovely ladies), I get to do stuff like sew or waste my time Online. Truthfully, I waste way too much of it doing unproductive things, but when I sew pads or get to work on my shop, it always feels good.

Ruthie is graciously giving away a $30 gift certificate to one lucky woman! To enter:

1. Go and "like" Aunt Flow's Facebook page here

2. Share either this post or your favorite Crunchy Cottage post on Facebook or Twitter

3. Leave a comment here when you've done it! 

The winner will be chosen via random number generator and announced in Monday's post 12:00 noon MST. 

See who the winner is!

If you're not the winner, you can use the code CRUNCHYCOTTAGEFANS in the shop to obtain to get $5 off a purchase of $20 or more until 6/30/2013!

Getting Thrifty With It: How to Thrift-Shop

My weekend haul: hand knit gloves, cloche hat, ebelskiver pan, tichel scarf,  and a basket (I collect those).

Thrifting is an art. I'm convinced.  Fortunately it's an art that's easily mastered.

I only shop at thrift stores with a vague idea of what I want to find. Then I usually find what I was looking for last time. I keep a running list in the back of my mind of things I'd like to find, and sometimes, just sometimes I find them!

Being discerning while thrifting is an important skill. If you don't look at everything with great scrutiny you'll quickly end up with a cart full of things that you won't love or use. Making a coherent home with thrifted items is also a skill, and one that I'm convinced is easy to acquire.

1. Prepare to browse. Allow yourself time. Go well-fed, and bring a water-bottle.

2. Pack up your cart and do your weeding at the end. If you wait to go back to pick up something later it might not be there.

3. Have a budget in mind. I usually make it $20. In my opinion the only time it's OK to exceed that budget is when you find that large and mind-boggling item that you never expected to thrift. That's when you spring for it.

4. Shop by section and category. Start with things that go off the shelves faster like large items, housewares, and accessories.

5. If it's worth your while, make use of discounts. Many thrift stores have coupon deals or punch cards.Also, some stores (like Savers) will give you a discount if you bring in a reasonably sized donation. I always have a bag or two of donations in my car's trunk for such occasions.

6. Visualize how this item will add to your home. Beware of acquiring projects vs. nice things. If it's a simple matter of spray-paint go for it. How will you make it your own? Can you close your eyes and see its new place in your home? If you're wondering where on earth you'll put it, move on.

7. Have fun! Try to go without kids, and maybe with a friend. Go out for a tea or ice-cream afterward!

What awesome tips do you have? Do you prefer thrift stores or garage sales?

Lessons in Soap-making

Not all lessons are as straightforward as we would like.

Oh, it wasn't making the soap. Few things are more simple. It's what happened afterward.

The soap-making day was born when I offered my friend Arianne an unused but prized antique in exchange for a homemade batch of soap (Read her post about the toy box here). In addition, I was invited to participate in the process and learn how to do it myself. (Who among us isn't a tad bit nervous when using lye for the first time?)

Arianne and I had a lovely time creating, collaborating, and confiding.

I proudly took my new soap home. Because things were busy I decided to melt the soap back down when I got home and add my scents and herbs at that time. I had some pretty silicone molds and some oil blends I was eager to try. I saw myself as a homemaking goddess, molding "pretty soaps" (objects that have enticed me since early childhood) and thereby making a lovely store for my family to use for the next year.

It was one fail after another. I have felt always blessed by the crafting gods, and I guess this was just a totally inauspicious day for them.

Placing the brand-new soap chunks in my makeshift double boiler I settled down to melt it as I would...chocolate. I stirred and stirred and stirred...and got an amazing workout for my trouble and nothing else.

The soap was completely dry. Still, I didn't give up. (I'll say that for myself.)

What I will say in the way of negative observation was that I have a habit of persisting with bad experiments. That is what happened. I ended up getting completely stressed, sacrificing valuable family time, and ruining a half-batch of soap! I was so angry, puzzled, and humiliated that I almost missed the lesson.

Lesson #1 It's our attitude that matters. It may not fix or solve our problems, but it will certainly save us from the angry mistakes that often follow. My mother was right. It is about your attitude.

When we want everything to be picture-perfect (or blog-post perfect) we miss the true picture. That picture came to me as I laughed through my tears a few hours later with my husband holding me close. I told him that I had found a blog post after all.

That is the true message I want to share. There are lots of other blogs you can visit to teach what to do to make soap. Hopefully this post teaches you what to be when you make soap.

The best part of the story is this. The crumbly dry castile soap chunks that I "ruined"  are far from useless, and they will be hereafter natural and useful constituents for laundry detergent and any other recipe that calls for grated soap.

Lesson #2 Nothing is useless when we look at it with new perspective.

What have you learned from changing your attitude?

Being a Nourished Woman-- Meditation and a Chocolate Recipe

This past week has been a challenging one for me. Physically, I've been dealing with fluctuating hormones. Emotionally, I've been on a journey from worry to a combination of sadness and relief. Spiritually I've travelled from obstinacy to faltering willingness to gratitude.

I experienced something that is very rarely talked about, something that most women don't even know happens to them. I experienced the loss of a zygote. Go ahead and google it...but it's a fertilized egg that has not yet implanted. This one never did. My body made adjustments thinking it was about to be pregnant, and then when that mystical time of reckoning came my body shed the egg in a manner somewhere between a menstrual period and an early miscarriage.

Because of the principles taught in the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility and the wonders of muscle testing I was able to pinpoint what I would have just thought was "my mind being jumpy." Previously in my life I had a doctor do his best to convince me that my early miscarriage experience was a figment of my imagination.

That was a damaging experience. In general, as women absorb and accept the messages that they and their reproductive system lack intuition, that they are fanciful, and that they "can't know" what is going on in their own bodies it becomes part of the web of insecurity and emotional illiteracy of our mainstream birth and motherhood culture.

My affirmations came to me after some meditation.

I affirm that...

I am a sacred vessel ordained to motherhood before the foundation of the world.

Each and every cell of my body is imbued with power and light and responds instantly to His Holy Word.

My courage outweighs my fear. My fear makes my courage more meaningful.

My beauty and magnificence in motherhood is not diminished by worldly views of my appearance.

He will never leave me comfortless.

That my Heavenly parents' plan for me is marvelous, desirable, and complete.

Genesis 30:22 "And God remembered Rachel."

It was in this time of need that I was inspired to try drinking a red raspberry leaf infusion. Despite being totally convinced of the amazing healing and toning properties of red raspberry leaf up until this week I had not found a palatable way to drink it.

My friend Natalie gave me a great suggestion and even furnished me with the tea bags to try it out. Here is the recipe that erased my worry lines, eased my pain, and nourished me far more deeply than I thought one cup of tea could.

Nourished Woman Choco-Latte

1 Yogi "Mother-to-Be" tea bag (herbal infusion)
1 Yogi or Traditional Medicinals "Red Raspberry Leaf" tea bag (herbal infusion)
8-10 oz boiling filtered or alkaline water
1/4 Cup dark chocolate almond milk (I used Pure Almond in Dark Chocolate by Silk)

That's it. No sugar. It's creamy, fragrant, cleansing/toning, and nourishing.

Try it! Let me know what you think. I want this recipe to change the life of any woman who needs it to!

Our Violet Vale

Whenever we're about to mow the green I mourn just a little. Our grass is so much more than just a lawn. It's our "bit of earth." 

This year our front and back "meadows" yielded a wealth of violets. When we first moved to this cottage I had never had violets growing in my yard before. I found a little patch near the house and I carefully and tenderly cultivated them with pride. 

Now I know, they are considered weeds in this area. So, I set out to find something useful to do with them. 

Since violets are completely edible it's wasn't difficult.

So one day, in the midst of sporadic April showers my little one and I ventured into the meadow to collect the little amethyst jewels. 

Shoeless, with just a bowl and an umbrella we had a true frolic.

Violet Jelly

4 Cups Violet Blossoms (destemmed, no chemicals!)

4 Cups Boiling Water (filtered or distilled)

1/2 Cup well-strained lemon juice 

6-7 Cups Sugar

1 Box (2 pouches) Certo liquid pectin

1. Pour the boiling water over the blossoms in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Let steep overnight. 
2. Prepare 7 jelly jars and lids
3. In a non-reactive stock pot combing infusion, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add the pectin. Skim foam. Bring back to a boil and keep at boil for another 2 minutes.
5. Using a canning funnel fill your hot jars and seal. Process additionally in a water bath if you desire. 

For more complete canning directions refer to the post I used as a reference here. 

These are a wonderful housewarming gift or tea-time treat. Use within year and store sensibly. 

Getting Thrifty With It--Making Gloves by Hand (Ha!)

I have...shaply hands. My fingers are long, rather thin, and my hand is...not one size fits all. Consequently buying gloves at the big box stores has always been a challenge. One day last week I was looking at a simple pair of polarfleece gloves I've had for about eight years. They're pilled, ratty, and ready to retire. But they fit so well, I decided that they should have second life as a pattern!

Gloves...are both more complex and simple than I supposed. I used a simple, miniscule blanket stitch and in about four hours...I had a glove.

When I tried it on I tried not to be disappointed. It was huge. I must have made an error in the difference in fabric and/or in my seam allowence.

I was disappointed, but it dissolved into pride when my husband tried it on and it fit him perfectly. Well then! I suppose he has gloves for his caroling costume!

What's the most meticulous project you've ever done?

The Easter Dress

When I was pregnant, I knew several weeks before the ultrasound that I was having a girl. I came out of my 12 week stupor and dove into projects. Remember the car seat? The closet?

Well, one of the projects I started at the time was to cut some nice thick muslin into what I hoped was the right shape for a little dress. The pieces were then put in a plastic bag and forgotten in the depths of my sewing dresser. Well, a couple of weeks ago I dug the pattern out, and decided to roll up my sleeves and try to make it work.

It did! I had some fabric in a lovely aqua that is perfect to go with the blonde, blue-eyed complexion. I wanted simple, but undoubtedly fluffy. Here's what I got.

Hmmm...I think she likes it!

You can't see the skirt too well in the pictures (it's hard to get an excited two-year-old not to twirl while you take a picture!). It's a simple bubble skirt. The sleeves are like no sleeve pattern that I've ever seen before, but...they work!

The pinafore practically needs a post all its own! It's a repurposed vintage pillowcase that was given to my mother. This particular set had stains that I could not remove, so I cut them down and made this! And, oh my!

Wreathed in Spring

I've been diligently trimming our grapevines in our garden. Now the sunshine can reach the daffodils and wildflower seeds (and weeds) trying hard to grow.

But...grapevines, you know if you've ever tangled with them, are messy. What looks compact on the vine looks like a mess on your green.

The dead growth went straight to the dead wood spot, but the vines which had been a live part of the vine a few moments ago were still supple, sweet, and easy to work with. There in the intermittent spring-shine Evelyn and I played and made.

Grapevine wreaths are surprisingly easy to make. You make a circular loop, then intertwine more and more vines until it's the size and thickness you want.

In one delightful hour I made three wreaths while Evelyn picked violets and collected rocks. Now the wreaths hang in our home, reminding us that nature is wound all around us.

Note: wreaths is the plural of the noun wreath. Wreathes is the verb. Did you know that?

Felted Easter Egg Maracas

It's that time of year when chicks are beginning to hatch, people are beginning to buy copious amounts of sugary candies, and eggs and flowers take a front seat in decor.

From my last few posts you may have noticed that I'm extremely fond of spring and flowers. I also love eggs.

Well, I love birth. Several of my friends have given birth in the past few weeks (Congratulations!), and Evelyn has insisted on watching this video as many times as she can.



Wet felting is a forgiving, tactile craft that is fun to do on a warm spring day with the windows flung open. So, that's what we did!

We added dried beans, quinoa, and rice to plastic eggs (the kind without ventilation holes) and sealed the seam with tape.

Chatting, watching the babies play with each other and the scraps of wool, my friend Shannon and I loosely wound roving around the eggs. Then we used felting needles to evenly distribute the wool, close gaps, and make it a little more sturdy against the slippery plastic.

At the sink we used soap, hot water, and a gentle hand to begin the wet-felting process. Cupping the egg to protect the wool we submerged the eggs, drizzled soap on them and used small circular movements to shrink  the wool.

When the wool was mostly felted, we rinsed the eggs in very cold water to shock the wool, shrinking it further.

Maracas, Easter eggs, and play food...they'll have many wonderful uses over time. Perhaps colored wool? Or dip-dye in Kool-Aid like a real Easter egg?

What crafts have you done this Spring/Easter season?

Getting Thrifty With It--An Easy Ball for Baby

In the middle of crazy, remember to be creative. Even the smallest contributions of creativity to the mix of your day can remind you of why the life you live is important.

Ever since I learned to knit four years ago, it is unusual to see me watching a movie or show without busy hands. I just can't seem to keep still! Here is what I made while watching Emma last week.

Armed with a scrap of fabric, scissors, half an embellished wool sweater, needle, and thread I discovered, in that moment how to make a wool ball.

Want to know a secret? It's really easy!

If you want to make one, fold a scrap of fabric in half then trim until it resembles a slightly rounded triangle. (When you open the fold it should be a pointed oval. Cut out as many of these as you can. I used eight for my ball. How many you need will depend on the width of the shapes. The size will be determined by the width and height of your shape. Experiment!

Each piece is sewn to another (right sides together) until they're all joined. I did mine by hand, but of course you can use a sewing machine. Leave a few inches unsewn, so that you can turn it right side out. Then it's ready to stuff.

If you want, you can put a jingle bell or plastic easter egg with rice inside to make it more entertaining for baby. Just stuff yarn, scraps, stuffing, or loose wool around it and sew up the gap as invisibly as you can. Remember, that baby isn't going to judge you on your craftmanship. Just enjoy the creative process!

I garuntee that every time you see your creation being played with it will brighten your day.

Do you keep your hands busy when watching TV?

Gardening My Soul

It feels so wonderful to dig in the fresh dirt in the sunshine!

I love playing with Evelyn, blowing bubbles, blowing kisses...

I love sifting through the dirt. On the surface it looks so barren, but when I look closely it's teeming with plant and animal life: worms, wolf spiders, roly-polies, sprouts.

Something in my soul is cleansed when I pull out a great stubborn Virginia Creeper root. It's cathartic right the way down.

As I smooth the flower beds into neat rows, I dream of the bounty of color and beauty it will be one day soon.

As I scatter the seeds, I am Adam. As I cover them, nurture them, I am Eve. I participate in creation, partnering with our Mother Earth. I can see Eden.

Crunchy Cottage Crafts -- Kool-Aid Playsilks

What a fun, amazing day! The air was warm and breezy. All the windows were open. Friends new and old gathered, the aroma of childhood summer permeated the kitchen as we dyed and "tie-dyed" our little hearts out! (All we did to achieve the tie-dye look was to stuff the silks into mason jars!)

We used these scarves. $5 per silk!

The process itself is simple. Soak the silks in hot water with a splash of vinegar for a few minutes.

Mix a packet or two of kool aid with some water...

In pots on the stove heat your dye or mason jars of dye. Trial and error in finding the right colors is part of the fun!

We found that the Pina Pineapple made the truest brightest yellow while the lemonade made a soft spring pastel.

Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade made a super-summery bright pink

Colors are fun to mix (mostly lime plus a teeny bit of grape gave me a nice true spring green vs a lime green)

Dipping in different jars produces a nice gradient...

Rinse them in cold water until it runs clear...

And hang them to dry!

Wow.

What creative crafts are coming up for you?

Saturday Gratitude--Spring Morning

Is there anything more delicious than waking up to an impossibly blue sky?

After a winter of work and waiting it is finally time to stir.

Taking our cues from the signs in nature we have begun.

Has Spring come at your house? What are you doing to welcome it?

Small Things.

This is the longest, grayest, coldest, snowiest winter I have ever known. There has been ample time for reflection.

There has been time to long for the sun.

There has been time to miss the green smells and flowers.

There has been time to miss the birds, the leaves, the sweet rain.

Yesterday our little family took a short walk around the neighborhood. And there in the middle of a brown straggly field was a tiny purple flower.

My heart thrilled.

My lips cracked into a smile.

My soul was lifted.

Such a little thing. Such a great achievement for a small plant. Such a large impact.

This is not an isolated phenomenon. The little things all around us may go unnoticed much of the time. Many times we don't know how important they really are until we have to go without.

These small things are quite important, for they are the main constituents of our lives, our environment.

And so I am persuaded that small things are not small at all.