A post on Blogging

I'm completely new to blogging, and I want to improve!  I've been shifting through the internet for a few months doing what I call 'blog research'.  Pinterest and Craftgawker are my favorite tools for this extremely serious study of the blogosphere.  :)  Obviously having fantastic ideas, beautiful photos, and a great way of wording everything to pull it all together makes a great blog.  I didn't have to even delve into the internet to know that!  Though with so many great blogs out there about DIY and crafting, what makes one blog 'better' or stand out more than another?  

Here is what I love about some of the blogs I read, and my current Five Favorite Blogs:

1. Print & Pattern:  This blog I've been following for almost three years I think.  I don't know much about the owner of this blog, but I believe it is a lady that works in the textile industry in the UK.  She updates almost every single weekday, and this is one of the things that has kept me coming back time after time.  Plus she post photos of simply amazing patterns.  Truly inspiring.  Whenever I look at p&p, I want to go back to college to get a degree in textile design.  AND she's a big Paperchase fan, and so am I!

2. Honestly WTF: I've just started checking in on this blog regularly.  I found it through pinterest, when Erica's DIY Woven Chain Bracelet was all over the place.  Those two ladies have some great ideas, and I love their sense of fashion!  I like their DIY post the best of course, but they do invoke some lusty daydreaming over their lovely fashion and design photos.  I'll be honest I don't always read every word, but I eat up the pics.  

3. A Beautiful Mess: I found this lovely lady through Honestly WTF just a few days ago, but I'm in heaven over there!  As soon as I saw this blog my heart melted a little.  Her banner and tabs at the top are to die for!  Actually the whole layout is just splendid.  Completely visually appealing.  If that isn't enough to make you swoon all the fantastic DIYs will!  There is a lot to be learned from this blog, DIY and blog wise!  Elsie has a great post about blogging called, '5 Tips for Bloggers'.  

4. Starts for Streetlights:  Stacie caught my attention with her post about doodling on photos.  I love her writing style too, her voice is so clear in her blog.  I keep coming back, because she is continually posting great original ideas.  Though I have only been watching her blog for a month now I feel like I have anonymously gotten to know her a bit, and that's supremely amazing to me.  For someone to be able to write about something they love, and still be able to connect to a wide anonymous audience is renewing.     

5. Made: I found her at the beginning of the year.  Usually when I find a blog that is strongly 'mommy-centric'  I tend to shy away, because I'm not a mom & and I don't have mommy-fever (i.e. when you drool over babies, and photos of kids send you into long fits of daydreaming of being a mum).  However, Dana's blog is simply fantastic!  She always has lovely photos, fun & colorful DIYs, and I also enjoy her writing too!  She makes me think, maybe I should scrap the textile design degree idea and go for an elementary teaching degree!  There are so many fun crafts to create with kids!  

Those blogs have taught me that it's important to be you in your blog.  I don't continue to work at this blog everyday to generate 'followers'.  I do it because I want to be creative on a daily basis, and my blog is a way to hold me responsible to that goal.  With that said I've come to the conclusion that it isn't so important that I have a physical item that I've made at the end of each day.  At the onset of 365 Days of DIY that is what I thought the point of doing this exercise would be.  However, I have realized that in order to constantly create, and document that process I am losing a bit of myself along the way.  I didn't mean for this venture to take away from my creations, I've only wanted it to help lift them up.  Thus I've decided to make Saturdays be my day for working on my blog, and highlighting some of the other fabulous bloggers out there.  I hope this helps add a personal element, and also connect me to some of the other people blogging about similar things.  

Being personable on my blog is something I struggle with on a daily basis.  I know part of what makes a blog a great blog, is when you can really hear the writer's voice through their posts.  On the other hand, it's a battle for me to give my readers solid simple instructions for a DIY, and not get too wordy and personal.  In the late '90s early '00s I started journaling online.  I used diary-x, and then livejournal.  At first I put it all out there and left everything public, but I quickly learned from that.  My biggest problem was I would quickly forget anyone was reading what I was writing.  I know it's out on the world-wide-web, but without any concrete evidence it's easy to think 'I'm the only one reading this'.  I don't mean this in a negative way.  The internet is GIGANTIC, and it's easy to feel like plankton in a sea of big fish.  Eh, that sounds terrible too, what I mean to say is how could even just one person find their way to my diary in the vastness that we call the internet?  

Things have changed since the days of internet diaries, what with facebook, twitter, youtube, pinterest, and all those other sources of social media out there.  Blogger has made it super easy to track how many people have visited my site, how they found me, and what posts are peaking the most interest.  Nowadays it's hard not to think about people reading what I'm writing!  I'm constantly worried about my grammar, and my horrible grasp of the english language (even if it's my first and only language).  Which has totally scared me off of the idea of commenting on some of the blogs I follow.  My goal for this week is for this time next week to have commented on a least one of the blogs I'm constantly checking in on.

Until tomorrow, happy DIYing!   *chris

Paper Drying

Onward with the papermaking!  Today I want to scratch the surface on drying techniques.  I want to talk about the simple act of drying your paper flat.  I'm not going to get into textures today, because that's a whole other barrel of monkeys.  

The most common way to dry paper is to layer your paper between several sheets of absorbent smooth towels or couching sheets, and then to top the whole thing off with some heavy books.  

This is what it will look like:  

Be careful of mold when doing this.  Definitely check on your paper every few hours, especially if you live in a humid climate.  In college we used plain newsprint as the absorbent layer.  Then sandwiched the newsprint and handmade paper between two large pieces of MDF with cinderblocks on top.  You could than recycle the newsprint into pulp!  

I've also let my paper partially air-dry, and help finish it by ironing the paper.  When using this technique, be sure to do it on a heat resistant hard surface.  A padded ironing board will be too squishy.  Here are the results:

Using a letter press is pretty fantastic.  Great results, but even higher risk of mold.  Plus not everyone owns one, and they aren't cheap.  I bought mine from Dick Blick, and I would totally recommend it.  I know there are some great DIY project on how to make your own press, but you don't need to be carpenter-handy at all to use this guy :).  

This is my new favorite technique.  None of my papermaking source suggest this, but I think it's positively fantastic.  Turn your oven on to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.  Now place a piece of moist paper in the center of the largest cookie sheet you own.  Nesting cookie sheets that are sold as a set are perfect for this drying technique.  

Now carefully lay the smaller cookie sheet on top of your paper.  Make sure there is nothing on the bottom of this cookie sheet, and be sure to use one that has a smooth bottom.  If you use a sheet that has "made in Taiwan" stamped into the metal on the bottom, your paper will have that permanently embossed into it.  Stick it in the oven, and check on your paper every 15 minutes or so.  My thicker papers sat in the oven for up to an hour before it felt dry, and the thinner papers take half the time.  

Here is a comparison of air dried paper with a sheet of oven dried paper.  

Hope you all like, happy DIYing!

More on Paper Making- Pulp Innovations

Yesterday I introduced making paper.  Today I want to talk a little more about the different types of pulp you can make.  For a great book with fantastic papermaking recipes check out Mary Reimer & Heidi Reimer-Epp's Book 300 Papermaking Recipes.  Truly a great source for papermakers.  Besides the recipes they also have a few resources in a directory at the back of the book.  Websites and store locations, such as papermaking suppliers for things like pulp and papermaking tools.  Which leads me to one of the first materials I want to discuss.  

Semi-Processed Pulp:

You can buy paper pulp made out of abaca or cotton from online vendors.  I have never tried this technique before.  Mostly because I find it hard to spend money on pulp when I have TONS of things around the house that I could use for FREE!  Though by what I've read and have seen in photos the store-bought-pulp has a smoother finish and it will last longer.  Arnold Grummer has a fantastic website for papermaking supplies, if you want to check out prices on pulp.  

Recycled Paper:

This is my favorite, because I always seem to have junk paper around!  Plus this type of paper is stronger, and the pulp is easier to work with than a plant based pulp.  You can use just about any type of paper around the house, as long as it doesn't have a glossy sheen to it.  I've used junk mail, leftovers from paper crafting projects, tissue paper, shredded packing paper, you name it I've used it!  Here is how the paper from yesterday's crayon papers turned out:

This is the variation in my pulp for my seed starters:

The yellow cups' pulp was made of shredded junk mail, and it had some orange paper in it.  The one in the center is made from the crayon papers.  The grey cups are made from junk mail and black shredded packing paper.  

Plant Paper:

I really enjoy the results when making paper out of plants, but the pulp can be rather finicky.  You can use just about any plant. 

 I've used weeds from the garden, and onion skins.  The above photo is an example of both.  Sometimes mixing the organic material with a bit of shredded junk mail helps bind everything together, and tone down the plant color.  

When using plants for pulp it is best to cook them on the stove for a couple hours to break down the organic material.  Sometimes using an alkaline solution is needed to break down the material.  In this example I'm using a cabbage with just water.  

If you aren't able to use the plant to make paper at this time, you can freeze this and reheat it later.  

This is what the pulp will look like once it's been cooked, blended, and plenty of water added to thin the pulp out.  

This is what a sheet of it looks like wet.  It was easier to make this paper thick more like card stock, rather than thin like printer paper.    

Additives:

Another great trick is to add different things to your pulp to liven it up, especially if it's on the bland side.  Depending on the look you're going for you can add this while you are using the blender, or you can hand blend them in your papermaking tub.  

 I like to use brightly colored shredded paper for adding color, because you don't have to mess with dye.

Adding flower petals or dried leaves by hand can add a beautifully delicate touch.  

You can never go wrong with glitter.  Or you can also use confetti, maybe in heart shapes for Valentine's Day.  

Fabric dye or food coloring are great for papermaking!  You can bleach your pulp with a weak solution, and then add dye of any color.  

Tea bags, coffee beans, or fruit can naturally dye your paper beautifully as well.  

Just get creative!  If you can dream it up, try it out!  There is no limit to the possibilities when it comes to paper.  Tomorrow we will talk more about drying techniques.  Until then Happy DIYing!

Paper Making

Today I made some paper out of the crayon wrappings from my heart crayon project.  I started by adding the crayon paper to my blender.  

 I added a little pink paper on top, because I was concerned the crayon paper wouldn't be enough.

Then I added some water.  Use enough to cover the paper, and let it soak overnight.  You don't have to let them soak overnight, but it does help the fibers loosen up in the paper.  At least let the paper bits soak for an hour or so.  

After the soak, fill the blender with water, and blend for at least two minutes.  The longer you blend the smoother the paper will be.  You may need to stop your blender, unplug it and move the pulp around the blender blades carefully.  Be extremely careful not to cut yourself on the blades!  This will help if your blender seems to get stuck, after moving things around just replug and blend again.  Once blended pour the pulp into a large container.  Bigger than your deckle or frame.  I got my kit from Dick Blick.  I bought the large kit for $20, it makes 8 1/2" x 11" paper.  My tub is on the small side, I would suggest a larger tub for better results and a smoother process.  Add enough water to cover your deckle, but keep in mind it's easier to add more water than to make more pulp and add that.  Pile your plastic grid, screen, and then frame on top of each other, and grip the sides together.  

Slide your hands down into the pulp water mixture.  Keep the items securely together, and rock the deckle and screen back and forth.  Let the pulp smooth out over the surface, then raise it out of the water.  Let it drip for a bit, and then remove the frame.  

If you need to remove some pulp around the edges, just roll your finger over it, and it will ball up together.  

Carefully pick up the screen with the paper on it, and place it on a towel.  I used an old hand towel.  

Cover the paper with the white screen that came in your paper making kit, and use a large thick sponge to soak up the water.  You will need to pat the paper, and ring out the sponge several times.  Do this until the sponge picks up hardly any water.  

Now place the paper on a different towel, where you will want the papers to dry. The nap of your towel will make a difference on the texture of your paper.  You can use felt, if you would like super smooth paper, or Dick Blick sells paper called couching paper specifically for this purpose.  Sponge the back over the screen a few times, and then slowly lift the screen off.  If the paper rips you can return the pulp to the tub and stir it back in!

Continue doing this until the paper is too thin to remove from the screen.  To dry your paper you can keep piling the towels and papers on top of each other.

Then you can use a press.  If you don't own a press you can get either large books or a large piece of wood, and place them on top of your papers, and then some bricks or cinder blocks.  

To prevent molding remove your papers from the press after a few hours, and then lay them out on a clean, dry, flat surface.  Let them dry overnight or longer.  The dry time depends on where you live and the weather.  

I will check in with you tomorrow to show you the results, and discuss other pulp making techniques.  Happy DIYing!

Cilantro Ice Cubes & Heart Stick Coaster

Today I did a little catch up on a previous project.  I tend to get enough done to make a post, and then I get wrapped up in making my blog post, that I don't fully complete my project.  

A few days ago I made 20 tags for my heart crayon valentines.  The first project I completed today was melting the rest of my heart crayons together.  

I didn't attach the tags to the crayons yet though, so I'll have to post photos of that later. 

Another thing I did today was make good use of the leftover cilantro from yesterday's chili.  I hate having to throw away herbs because I didn't use them in time before they rot.  To keep the cilantro overnight (or for a couple days), I kept the stems in a cup with water.  

This morning I cleaned out two ice cube trays, and then I plucked (with my husband's help) the leaves off the cilantro.  We jammed a ton of leaves into each cube, and we almost filled a tray of twelve.  

Then we added some water to help it freeze together.  Once they are solid cubes I will put them into a freezer bag to store until the next time I want to cook with cilantro!  

The third project I completed today was making a heart stick coaster.  I began by cutting out two hearts from pink card stock.  Then I glued the two paper hearts together.  Next I broke up a bunch of sticks, and played with their placement on the paper heart.  

I started at the bottom and hot glued the sticks up as I went.  i replaced and added or subtracted sticks as I went.  

Once the first layer was done I added a second layer.  Now I have a valentine decoration that isn't too overwhelmingly girly!  

That's what I got done today!  Happy DIYing!  

Chili

I love to make chili in the winter time.  Though it hasn't been cold this winter, and I couldn't wait for the snow any longer.  I love my chili a lot!  It's a recipe I made up when I first moved into an apartment with my husband (then boyfriend).  In my mind chili is hardy, a little kick to it, and extra filling.  This makes a gigantic batch, which is super necessary when making this awesomely tasty dinner.  I used a large high walled skillet, and the largest pot I could find in the house.

Add a second can of Ro*Tel & subtract the can of cannellini beans

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 2 lbs of ground meat (I used 1 lb beef & 1 lb turkey)

- 1 1/2 large white onions diced

- 2 chili packets (I enjoy McCormick)

- 2 diced peppers (I used one red & one green)

- 1 large can of crushed tomatoes

- 2 cans of Ro*Tel's diced tomatoes & green chilies

- 1 can kidney beans

- 1 can pinto beans

- i can black beans

- 3 cloves of garlic

- handful of cilantro leaves

- shredded cheddar cheese (to serve)

Directions:

Start by dicing the onions and peppers.  Warm the large skillet with a tiny splash of olive oil for a minute, and then add all the onion.  Stir regularly.  

Once the onions are browned add the ground beef and ground turkey, or whatever combination of ground meat you are going with.  

Stir the meat and onions together.  Cook until the meat is completely cooked, and stir occasionally.

In a super large saucepan dump all the cans of tomatoes, beans, and diced peppers together.  Turn the heat on low and stir the ingredients together, then add the chili packets.  Stir completely.  

 When the meat is completely cooked drain off the grease, and then add to the other ingredients in the super large saucepan.  Let the ingredients cook together for a few minutes.  While that's happening wash off your cilantro, and pinch off a bunch of leaves.  Then stir them in, and crush the cloves of garlic in.  Use more or less of these ingredients depending on how spicy or garlicky you like your chili to be.   

Let everything simmer together for a bit.  The longer the better, but if you're hungry or lacking in time you only need to wait 10 - 15 minutes.  Which is about how long it takes to clean up the kitchen, and get ready to serve dinner!  I like to serve mine with shredded cheese, but I'm a big cheese head.  

Happy DIYing!