Shamrock Box

For me, the first sign winter is almost over is that February ends. The stores fill with green for Saint Patrick's Days and chocolate bunnies and eggs for Easter. I can look at the snow and think "Soon, this will be a garden and yard again!"

I hope you like this printable box. Click on the image for a larger version, print on card stock, cut out, score, fold and glue!

Today we made chocolates. It was a lot of fun and very very messy. We filled them with jam made by a friend of mine. If they turn out well I'll post instructions later. 

Shamrock Plaid Circle Tags

When I posted the shamrock plaid box the other day, I said that circle tags would follow soon. Then completely forgot to upload them. Here they are with an extra, printable "no pinches" wristbands. Click on the images for larger versions. The no pinches wrist bands are a smaller DPI than I usually use, print out to 8x10 inches.

Knot coloring page

Knotwork seems to be a running theme here right now. I hope you enjoy this page to color. The pattern that makes up the tile has 12 strands if you're curious about that sort of thing. Click on the image for a larger version. There is also a colored version to use for your paper craft projects if you'd like.

Rick Rack Boxes

After posting this quote by the Dalai Lama, I wanted to use the same components for printable gift boxes. I hope you like them! Click on the images for larger versions. Print, cut, score, fold, glue!

I'm also trying something new. I created a set of digital scrapbooking papers using the patterns for this box.

This set is available in my Etsy shop for 4.00, so are a lot of my blank box templates!

I have happy feet

I mentioned recently about watching France24's Green is the New Black and the focus they did on soleRebel shoes. 

soleRebels is a company in Ethiopia that was started by a lady named Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu. The shoes are made with a strong emphasis on renewable resources. Using hand loomed accents, hand spun organic cotton, the soles are cut from used truck tires, any leather is from small farmers. The company hires it's workers at fair wages, and hires a lot of people that wouldn't normally be employed. It's making an honest effort to make the area better, and to do it in a 0 carbon footprint way. 

So I looked up the site, and found out that they have a weekly giveaway. Tweet the link to the shoes you like, with @soleRebels so they see it, once a week, one person wins a pair of shoes. The contest IS international. So everyone gets to try!

I won! I won! And was/am really super excited. 

The pair I won and pictured above are the Xodus Iration in black.

They are so comfortable. The soles are cushy and thick. These are shoes meant to be worn without socks. The fit was perfect. They were also shipped very quickly. The company ships using FedEx. Instead of shoe boxes, they are sent with a lovely cream colored hand loomed drawstring bag made of cotton. You can't see it in that photo, but the sides of that comfy sole are trimmed with a hand loomed ribbon in blues and creams.

I'm in love. Comfy shoes from a company that is just really awesome. Now, I will say, don't do what I'm doing above. If you plan to wear them in snow, use ice grips. Really. The soles are very smooth. 

Now, I have to decide which pair to get next. I love the look of the urbanRunners (and wish so much they came in pink) but the tooTOOs look like the most comfortable shoes ever. Such hard decisions!

Seasoning or Seed Packets

It is a fine seasoning for joy to think of those we love.
Moliere

When I was a child, I loved hard boiled eggs, so Mom packed them in my lunches every so often, securing salt for me in a twist of paper or in a folded slip. I can't remember how she did those clever little twists with waxed paper, but the slips I do remember how to fold. You may have seen needles in the same kinds of folded paper slips.

This card will hold 3 slips, and you can put seeds or seasoning into the slips. You can see the little teaspoon I used to fill mine with in that picture.

Print the slips on paper and the card on card stock. If you use a thin paper, you can fold them just as they are, if you use plain printer paper like I did, you may want to trim a bit off each long side before folding. Fold all the folds, then unfold and put the seasoning in the middle.

Refold, tucking the top into the pocket formed by the bottom. There are instructions on the template for folding.

Because all the corners are folded, this packet doesn't leak easily, which makes it great for small seeds or for seasoning. The printable is both blank and marked for seasoning. 

Note on mixed seasoning- I keep a big jar of pre-mixed seasoning on hand for quick meals. It's the mix my family likes, low in salt, with onions, garlic, pepper, a bit of cayenne and various other things. If you find you use the same seasonings for a lot of things, it's so convenient just to have a big jar pre-mixed and ready for use!

Click on the images for the full sized versions. Don't forget to score folds on the card before folding and gluing. I used a bit of string to tie the card shut. This card makes a nice way to share seeds, or a way to pack seasonings in a lunch or for picnics. The fills I made and used for this are at the bottom of the post.

Recently I listed two new bead patterns in my Etsy store. 

Favor Boxes

5 colors, 2 sizes. The 3x3x1 inch size and the 2x2x2 inch. I hope you like this set, I think it would be a good one for favors for a DIY wedding or wedding shower. If you really love the design, but need another color, let me know in comments. 

Click on the images for the full sized versions. 300 dpi and .png format for very clear colors.

If you like this set, you might like the circle dot boxes, in 100 ppi here, and 300 ppi here.

Shamrock Tea Box and coloring page

The tea box is in 300 ppi, and the coloring page is in 100 ppi. For the first time, I also put the art in my Etsy shop as a digital stamp at the original 8x8 300 ppi size. So if you love my coloring pages and want to use them for your own digital creations but at a higher quality than I post the coloring pages at, digital stamps are perfect. I chose the 1.60 price point which is the same price as most of my blank box templates.

As usual, the coloring page can be used for all sorts of crafty purposes.

The fills for the box were taken from close up shots of ice sculptures that I took last month. These are the images at 25%. I just thought they were so neat looking! I mirrored sections then recolored them for the box. Click on the images for a larger view.

Crochet Pattern- Eco Friendly Makeup Remover Pads and Bag

Make up remover pads are a nice gift for eco-friendly women who wear make-up. They are also a great ends and bits stash burner. These can be laundered, and I'd recommend washing them in a bag. But hey, the pattern for the bag I made for them is on this page too! 

For this very easy version, I used a slightly textured stitch to make squares.

ch= Chain stitch

sc= single crochet

dc= double crochet

sl st= slip stitch

tr= treble crochet

American terminology

Size F hook, worsted weight cotton yarn

Textured Makeup Remover Pads

Chain 12 - 11 stitches plus 1 to turn, doesn't count as first stitch

Row 1: Sc in first chain from hook, sc in each chain (11 sts)

Row 2: ch 1 to turn (does not count as first sc here or throughout), sc in first stitch, *tr in next stitch, sc in next st*, repeat ** across

Row 3: ch 1 to turn, sc in first st, sc in each of the rest of the stitches

Rows 4-7: Repeat rows 1 and 2

Edge by doing a sc crochet in each stitch around with 3 sc at each corner. Break off and weave in ends.

The matching bag is easy for anyone who can make a granny square to make. 

Mini Granny Square Bag

Ch 6, join with slip stitch to make a ring

Round 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in ring, ch 2, 3 dc in ring, ch 2, 3 dc in ring, ch 2, 3 dc in ring, ch 2, sl st to join at top of first ch 3 to join

Round 2: Sl st across dcs to first ch 2 space, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in space, ch 2, 3 dc in same space, *ch 1, 3 dcs in next sp, ch 2, 3 dcs in same space*, repeat ** around, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3 to join

Round 3: Sl st across dcs to first ch 2 space, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in space, ch 2, 3 dc in same space,ch 1, 3 dcs in next sp,ch 1, 3dc, ch 2, 3 dc in next space, ch 1, 3 dcs in next sp,ch 1, 3dc, ch 2, 3 dc in next space, ch 1, 3 dcs in next sp,ch 1, 3dc, ch 2, 3 dc in next space, ch 1, 3 dc in next sp, ch 1, sl st to top of starting ch 3 to join

Round 4: Sl st across dcs to first space, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in same space, *ch 1, 3 dc in next space*, repeat ** around, ch 1, sl st to join.

Rounds 5-11: Repeat round 4

Round 12:  ch 1, sc in each stitch around, sl st to join

Round 13: ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch 1) *skip 1 stitch, dc in next st, ch 1*, repeat ** around. Sl st to 3rd ch in ch 4 to join.

Round 14: ch 1, sc in each stitch around, sl st to join. Break off and weave in ends.

Chain 70, sl st down the chain, weave the chain through the spaces in the dc/ch row on the bag, tie ends together, and weave in ends to make a single loop. 

The same technique used for the makeup remover pads also works for tawashi for washing dishes. I just used a longer starting chain and did 2 rounds of single crochet, the second round is in the back loop of the first. Just remember, use an odd number of stitches! This was 13 stitches to start, and 13 rows. I use cheap acrylic yarn for most of my tawashi and they hold up very well. 

I've disallowed comments on this entry due to incredible amounts of spam. 

Citrus gift boxes- 3 sizes!

I just finished the listing for these box templates at my Etsy store and made up these.

I made all 3 sizes in all 3 fruits. 100 ppi, but the templates in my Etsy shop are 300 ppi, and 3.75 for all 3 templates.

As you can tell from the photo, I need to refill my ink cartridges! If your cartridges are fuller than mine, they will print out better. :) Click on the images for the full sized versions. Also, if you liked my watermelon box, take a look at my entry in the current Spoonflower contest. The theme was surrealistic fruit. I made a watery watermelon!