Still Busy as a Bee!!!!!!!

I'm still busy as a bee!!! I've been making items for my Etsy store. The above photos are Quilted Table Runners that I have been making. I've also been making Quilted Potholders and Quilted Wall Hangings for the store. I have a whole list of items that I want to start making..........dolls both crocheted and sewn, stuffed animals both crocheted and sewn, baby bibs, baby afghans, baby quilts, crocheted slippers, crocheted hats.......the list goes on and on.

I've been selling off and on........economy is a little slow in the crafting industry right now. With gas and grocery prices rising daily........us crafters are losing out. People can't afford to buy extras when it costs so much for necessaries.

Our weather has been so strange.........105 degrees a week ago.........now it's in low 60's for the highs with rain. Poor garden doesn't know if it wants to grow or hibernate. My peas are doing great with the cool weather......should have fresh peas in a couple weeks. The potatoes are growing good too!! I found online some potato sacks for growing potatoes. Being a crafter I thought I could make them a lot cheaper. So I bought some of this garden fabric that you lay down to keep weeds from growing. I made 3 of the bags for $4........they wanted $12 per bag. The potatoes are growing leaps and bounds in them. I planted them in 4 inches of soil and as they have grown I keep adding soil. One of the bags is almost full....the others are a little behind as I planted them later. The bags are supposed to grow aproximately 13-15 pounds of potatoes per bag. We'll see!!!!

Also I am experimenting with tomatoes. I took a 5 gallon plastic food bucket and cut a hole in the bottom about 4-inches across. Then I cut a hole about 6-inches across in the lid. I took a coffee filter and placed it in the bottom over the hole. Then I filled bucket with compost and soil blend.........laid a coffee filter over the top where hole in lid will be. Turned it upside down and planted tomato in the bottom opening. Letting it grow a couple of weeks and then Rich and I will turn the bucket upside down and hang it. The tomato will be growing out the bottom of the bucket. You water and fertilize from the hole in the bucket lid. According to people who have grown their tomatoes this way you get better tomatoes and they don't get dirty from being on the ground. We'll see!!!!

I wanted to make some Self-watering planters this year........run out of time and money. Maybe next year.

I think what I need to invest in for my garden is a cage..........to keep out the pesky neighbor cats. I thought I had them broke from getting in my garden until this morning. I planted my pole beans in one of my smaller raised bed gardens..........they got into it and well you know what they did. I have little white beans everywhere but where they belong. Now I have to replant them and cover them with chicken wire so the darn cats can't dig and .......!!!!!! Next it will be the deer!!!!!!!

I'm waiting to see if I get a part-time position at the deli/bakery in our local grocery store. Right now they are checking references, ect. Hopefully I will know soon. It is only 10-20 hours a week. Perfect for me. I will still have time to create my items for my Etsy store.

Rich and I will be home for the holiday. With the price of gas we can't afford to go anywhere. It cost approximately $10 for Rich to drive to work and back. I told him if it gets much higher he is going to have to stay in town at Dad's during the week and come home on the weekends. That didn't go over to well. He loves to be home with Misty and I at night and on the weekends.

Well, I better get off this darn computer and get busy.