Author: Caryn

When you’re pretty

On By CarynIn Cats

Our local pet shelters strongly recommend “If you feed them, get them spayed or neutered.” So if I helped take them out of the kitten making business, I don’t feel guilty giving them an occasional treat. Their main meal station is still my neighbor’s house, but Mr Tom is so pretty. Which is good, because his social skills need work. He is charming enough to get an egg now and again, though. Maybe one day he’ll stop greeting me with a hiss, then a meow. The hiss has no accompanying body language indicating fear or aggression (tail is high, head is high). Maybe that’s just his name for me. “Devil woman, give me treats.” Hm.

Yes, he charmed some egg
Then he brought a friend (no worries they are both neutered)

Mr Tom has a long-haired black buddy that hung out in the meadow with him before their abduction (a.k.a. neutering), that he brought with him to the egg station recently. Even though Mr Tom has a name, in my head they will now be Paul and Stevie.

Tiny guardians

On By CarynIn Garden, Wildlife

I spotted tiny tree frogs hanging out on my melon vine leaves. They are very welcome little guardians since they eat the bugs that eat my plants! And they’re cute.

Two tree frogs on melon leaves
Froggy close-up

Paparazzi

On By CarynIn Wildlife

Well that is an interesting picture. A little frog was perched on our back window, and my eldest went outside to take a picture, and I took a picture fron inside. The reflections are combined with image past the glass, all surrounding the little frog.

Pictures of reflections around a little frog, photo credits to my eldest

My frog tummy picture was quite blurry. Bummer.

I’m looking over…

On By CarynIn Flora

A four-leaf clover. My first time ever finding a four-leaf clover!

Four-leaf clover

I recently read an article on four-leaf clovers, and one finder suggested looking for squares amongst the triangles made by three-leaf clovers. Apparently this works. Day 2 of thinking of squares and triangles, I spot one. I carefully laid it flat between layers of wax paper and put it in one of my book presses that my Dad helped me make years and years ago.

Oak plank book press

The method for looking works for me, because I found a second one the next day, and two more the following day. My eldest also found one after I told her the trick to it.

Four-leaf clover in situ, can you spot it?

Custom bracelets

On By CarynIn Craft

Although I have gone away from speculative jewelry making, I do accept custom orders on occasion. I particularly like stamped metal bracelets with dual messages.

Getting ready to stamp metal

After using 0000 steel wool to smooth the edges, I stamp the outside of the aluminum bracelet blank first, then engrave the second saying on the inside with a small rotary engraver. Black ink in the recesses enhances the stamped letters, but doesn’t help the engraved letters. Another pass with fine steel wool and the bracelets are ready for forming.

Engraved side

I did splurge on a new tool for forming the bracelets; a steel bracelet bender (shown in the top right of the top photo). This works very well for the middle, but I still like my nylon forming pliers to get the curve on the very ends. After bending, a couple coats of microcrystalline wax helps prevent fingerprints and gives a nice finish to the cuffs.

Finished bracelet surrounded by hand stamped muslin pouches

The muslin pouches I blogged about yesterday work wonderfully to protect and package the bracelets. Job done!