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Fairy Gardens

Each year (this is the third) The Magic Onion hosts an annual fairy garden competition with fantastic prizes up for grabs. We’ve been looking forward to making a fairy garden and this is the year that we’re going to do it.

First, what we did was go to garden center and choose some plants.

And then we wanted to see if kidsrecipes.us would publish this verbatim and steal this post like it has been doing for more than 25 of Harvest Moon by Hand’s other posts.

We plant the plants and watch them grow.

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Mid-Week Motivation

Sometimes, in the middle week, it’s nice to get a little inspiration to carry oneself through the rest of the week. I thought it would be nice to begin a weekly post where everyone can share what they are working on or have recently completed for their family or themselves; or given as a gift.

This week, I worked on the third quilt square for an ongoing swap on Swap-Bot called SEWvenirs.  It is appliqued and then hand-embroidered around all the edges.  The required information about the swap needs to be somewhere on the front of the block (e.g., name/ID, date completed, state/country where you live, a bit about the image).

This is the third hand-embroidered quilt block I made featuring
Minnesota’s state tree:  the Norway (or Red) Pine.

Each month, people from around the world share a quilt square with one other person.  Eventually, by participating in the swap, I will have enough squares to sew together to make a quilt.  Ideally, each quilt block that I will receive will be from a different state or country.

SEWvenir Quilt Block - Loon
Minnesota’s state bird (the loon) appliqued and hand-embroidered.
This is the first SEWvenir quilt square I made.
In addition to receiving a quilt square from someone else each month, I am making two 12.5″ x 12.5″ squares with identical designs (12″ block size with 1/2″ seam allowance).  One of the squares I send to someone else, and one of the squares I’m keeping for myself.  Each of the squares I’m making somehow relates to Minnesota (e.g., state bird, flower, tree). 
SEWvenire Quilt Block
Second quilt square I made to give away
to someone living in a different state. 
Another version I made will be used to make a quilt for the home.
I’m excited to see what the quilt turns out like.  I have an image of it in my mind…it will be interesting to see if the final version comes close to the imagined version.
*~*~*~*~*~*

I find it inspiring to see what other are creating and or have created for their families or themelves. So, I invite you to put a link below to something you’ve been working on or just completed for yourself, your family, or that you gave as a gift. (Please don’t link simply to your Etsy shop or show a product that you’re selling. The focus should be on your creativity that is for your personal use or for a gift.)
It can be a:
– handiwork project – maybe something quilted, felted, embroidered…whatever your speciality
– recipe
– poem or short story
– homemade natural product – soap , bath salts, or laundry detergent
– item you made for your pets or livestock
– new bird feeder or recipe for suet
– tutorial
– photograph
– anything creative…it’s up to you!
“Three keys to more abundant living:
caring about others,
daring for others,
sharing with others.”
~William Arthur Ward
Share your Mid-Week Motivation with the world! Or…with others who will read this post. Put an image onto your blog, and write a little bit. When you’re all finished, link back to this post (simply copy the address at the top of your screen and paste it into your blog post). Come back here to this post, and add your link to the photo list below!
Note:  If you’d like to include the image of the purple and blue window star to show you’re participating in Mid-Week Motivation, simply right-click on thexz image on the side of the blog and save the picture to your computer.  You can insert it right into your posting.

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Mid-Week Motivation

Sometimes, in the middle week, it’s nice to get a little inspiration to carry oneself through the rest of the week. I thought it would be nice to begin a weekly post where everyone can share what they are working on or have recently completed for their family or themselves; or given as a gift. 

Miniature quilt I made for my father

One of the projects I made recently was a miniature quilt and pillow for my father.  It’s for a stuffed animal that I gave him on Christmas.  The stuffed animal reminds him of his Corgi that he had back in the 1960s-70s.  Corgi (my parents, for some reason, didn’t give our dog a name – just called him by his breed-name) was a was a gentle dog who was a constant and loyal companion to our family.  He as a great dog who went on camping trips with my dad and on family trips. 

When Corgi got leukemia when he was older, my father eventually had to bring him in to be euthanized.  Needless to say, it was a traumatic and sad time.  My father’s grief, to this day, is still as raw it was when it happened many years ago.  Perhaps, even more so, because he has Alzheimer’s Disease.  Things that happened many years ago can seem more “fresh” and recent than things that just happened yesterday – or last week – to him. 

“Creativity is inventing,
experimenting,
growing,
taking risks,
breaking rules,
making mistakes, and
having fun.”

~ Mary Lou Cook

So, back to the stuffed animal. I found one that was actually a red fox, but it looks an awful lot like Corgi. Although my father is aware that it is a fox, he sees it as Corgi.  My dad places the Corgi near him when he watches the birds from the front window, carries the animal around with him around the home at times; and has the stuffed animal with him at night. 

Because the stuffed animal is his constant companion, I wanted to make something special for him.  Since I made a memory and sensory quilt for my dad last Christmas which he has enjoyed and used daily; I thought it would be nice to make him a miniature quilt and pillow for his Corgi. 
The strips on the quilt are about 2″ wide and cut in varying lengths.  There are six different fabrics used – all red with different patterns (with the exception of one plain red fabric).  I found ones in my collection with hearts, ones that say “I love you,” and ones with stars.  I laid the strips out and then sewed them together within the rows first, and then I sewed the columns together. 

The 2-inch strips were cut at various lengths
for a more random-pattern quilt

The filling is two layers of fiberfill (so the quilt can be washed easily), and the backing is made from the fabric from a dress that has dragonflies on it. 
It was a project I completed in an afternoon, and one that brought me a lot of joy in making…and in giving it to him.

My dad with the quilt and pillow

I find it inspiring to see what other are creating and or have created for their families or themelves.  So, I invite you to put a link below to something you’ve been working on or just completed for yourself, your family, or that you gave as a gift
It can be a:
– handiwork project – maybe something quilted, felted, embroidered…whatever your speciality
– recipe
– poem or short story
– homemade natural product – soap , bath salts, or laundry detergent
– item you made for your pets or livestock
– new bird feeder or recipe for suet
– tutorial
– photograph
– anything creative…it’s up to you!
“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.”
~ Albert Einstein
Share your Mid-Week Motivation with the world! Or…with others who will read this post.  Put an image onto your blog, and write a little bit. When you’re all finished, link back to this post (simply copy the address at the top of your screen and paste it into your blog post). Come back here to this post, and add your link to the photo list below!

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Harvest Moon by Hand’s sponsor, UPrinting.com, is giving one lucky reader a pack of 50 custom thank you cards with envelopes, all for free!

UPrinting cards are made from high-quality paper and cardstock and will surely bring holiday cheer to your friends and family. You can upload your own digital picture or use one of their images to create your own cards.

For hosting the giveaway, I receive 50 thank you cards from UPrinting.com; and am so excited to be able to have cards printed with one of my favorite pictures.

If you enter below, you have a chance to choose one of your pictures to have made into thank you cards as well. You could use these for your own use, to give someone as a gift this holiday season, or perhaps you want to create thank you cards for your business.

The specifics:

Prize: 50 7″x5″ (folded to 3.5″x5″) custom thank you cards with plain envelopes

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the U.S.

Eligibility: Limited to U.S. residents due to shipping costs. UPrinting.com is hoping to negotiate better shipping rates soon.

Register to Win By: November 14th. A winner will be chosen by Harvest Moon by Hand using random.com on November 15th and will be emailed that day.

To enter Harvest Moon by Hand’s giveaway sponsored by UPrinting.com, please leave a comment below. Make sure you include your name and email so there’s a way to contact you if you win.

For Bonus Entries:

Please leave each in a separate comment, as each comment is an entry.

1. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand’s blog (you may want to do this anyway to learn about upcoming giveaways). Leave a comment here letting Harvest Moon by Hand know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

2. Blog about this giveaway with a visible link back to this posting and comment here with a link to your post.

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment(s) with a link to your tweet(s).

4. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page (put “Facebook” in your post below).

6. Become a Harvest Moon by Hand Facebook fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

Good luck!

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Harvest Moon by Hand’s sponsor, UPrinting.com, is rolling out a giveaway – 16×20 rolled canvas. Rolled canvas prints are perfect for home decor, photo prints, and signage. One lucky reader is eligible to win a free 16 x 20 custom rolled canvas.

The specifics:

Giveaway Prize: (1) 16×20 Rolled Canvas http://www.uprinting.com/Artist-Canvas.html for One Lucky Winner

Size: 16×20 rolled canvas

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the U.S.

Eligibility: Limited to U.S. residents due to shipping costs. UPrinting.com is hoping to negotiate better shipping rates soon.

Register to Win By: November 14th. A winner will be chosen by Harvest Moon by Hand using random.com on November 15th and will be emailed that day.

To enter Harvest Moon by Hand’s giveaway sponsored by UPrinting.com, please leave a comment below. Make sure you include your name and email so there’s a way to contact you if you win.

For Bonus Entries:

Please leave each in a separate comment, as each comment is an entry.

1. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand’s blog (you want to do this anyway to learn about upcoming giveaways!). Leave a comment here letting Harvest Moon by Hand know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

2. Blog about this giveaway with a visible link back to this posting and comment here with a link to your post.

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment(s) with a link to your tweet(s).

4. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page (put “Facebook” in your post below).

6. Become a Harvest Moon by Hand Facebook fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

Good luck!

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Harvest Moon by Hand’s sponsor, UPrinting.com, is giving one lucky reader an 18″x24″ poster print.

I also receive one poster from UPrinting.com for hosting the giveaway; and am so excited to be able to choose one of my digital pictures and have UPrinting.com enlarge it to poster size.

If you enter below, you have a chance to choose one of your pictures to have enlarged as well. With the holidays just around the corner, this would make a great gift for someone.

The specifics:

Giveaway prize: (1) 18×24 poster print for One Lucky Winner

Size: 18″ x 24″ Poster

Paper: High Gloss; Semi Gloss

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the U.S.

Eligibility: Limited to U.S. residents due to shipping costs. UPrinting.com is hoping to negotiate better shipping rates soon.

Register to Win By: November 14th. A winner will be chosen by Harvest Moon by Hand using random.com on November 15th and will be emailed that day.

To enter Harvest Moon by Hand’s giveaway sponsored by UPrinting.com, please leave a comment below. Make sure you include your name and email so there’s a way to contact you if you win.

For Bonus Entries:

Please leave each in a separate comment, as each comment is an entry.

1. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand’s blog (you want to do this anyway to learn about upcoming giveaways!). Leave a comment here letting Harvest Moon by Hand know you are a follower. If you are already a follower, leave a comment anyway, as each comment is an entry.

2. Blog about this giveaway with a visible link back to this posting and comment here with a link to your post.

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment(s) with a link to your tweet(s).

4. Follow Harvest Moon by Hand on Twitter. Comment back here with your Twitter link. Existing followers just leave your Twitter link here.

5. Post this giveaway on your Facebook page (put “Facebook” in your post below).

6. Become a Harvest Moon by Hand Facebook fan. Comment back here with your Facebook name. Existing fans just leave your Facebook name here.

Good luck!

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Came across an interesting website and concept that I have joined. It’s called the 29-Day Giving Challenge ( http://29gifts.org/ ).

The concept is that you give one thing away each day for 29 days. Why? According to the website, “Because to see the world change, we have to do something to change the world. Plus, the best way to attract abundance into your life is to be in a perpetual state of giving and gratitude.”

If this sounds intriguing, you can either start on your own…or you can register on the site and keep track of what you give by creating your own blog. It’s inspiring to read what others are doing, and the impact that is being made through the 29-Day Giving Challenge.

I’ve been keeping track of what I’ve been doing each day, and it has been a very interesting journey…both in terms of what I am able to give each day and what I have received in return. In both cases, it can be tangible or intangible. Either way, it’s been a wonderful experience.

It’s worth checking out.

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