My posts will continue and a Business Card or Sugar Packet Basket

Dear Friends,
I've had several comments about don't stop blogging and keep the posts and videos coming. They are coming. I promise. As I said several weeks ago, our summer is active and very much a family time for us. I'm only able to sit at the computer for short stints and sometimes, that is to pay the bills! I've actually been on vacation to visit family earlier this month and since I've returned, our guest room has had a revolving door on it with visitors in and out. I have more visitors coming and then school starts August 13th with me homeschooling 2 of the 3. I have 2 more birthday parties to throw (all three kiddos have summer birthdays) and then life will return to some sense of normality. Sounds like I'm making excuses for not blogging doesn't it? I guess I am, but I just wanted to clue you all in with what is going on.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and may you find some relaxing time to weave.
BTW...The basket above is a business card basket. It is tiny. The stakes are only 3/8" flat and the weavers are 11/64". It is just the right size to hold business cards or sugar packets.
Blessings,
Nancy

Homemakers By Choice with Donna Otto

I wanted to share with you a podcast that I've been listening to for some time and truly touches my heart. It has such meaning for me as a woman. It is "Homemakers By Choice" with hostess Donna Otto. Here is a link.

http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/Homemakers_By_Choice/

It is a 30 minute free daily podcast that discusses Godly principles involving women.

Recently I've run across so many women who are hurting for one reason or another. What I find this stems back to is they either have made poor choices, or they lacked knowledge to make the better choice. I wish I could help these women and their situations. I feel the best thing I can do is to share with everyone who reads this, resources that they can utilize to help themselves.

What I find with Homemakers By Choice is that it guides you with God's word in making choices and living our daily lives as a woman. Even if you are not hurting and are leading a Godly life, this podcast still teaches, uplifts and reinforces the good choices already being made.

My promise to you is that using God's word to guide us will lead to a more happy and fulfilling life, family and ultimately society. It will give us strength, encouragement and our needs will be met.

God is great!

Love and Blessings,

Nancy

Berlin Fruit Box Company Bread Warmer Basket

Have you heard of the Berlin Fruit Box Company? I must confess I had not heard of them until now when I stumbled upon them by accident. I knew of Longaberger, but not this company. I found their baskets to be very pretty. They are located in Ohio and their baskets are hand made from maple and cherry. The company is getting ready to celebrate their 150th anniversary I love the bread warmer, shown above. If you click on their link above, you will see all their beautiful works.

This gets my creative juices flowing. Even though it motivates me to weave, how cool would it be to own an original? Very cool.

Blessings,

Nancy

God is in Control

Sometimes I hear a story that touches my heart and I just need to share it. I hope it touches yours and you will always remember that God is in control. Always.

Love,

Nancy

A man from Norfolk, VA called a local radio station to share this on Sept 11th, 2003, TWO YEARS AFTER THE TRAGEDIES OF 9/11/2001.

His name was Robert Matthews.

These are his words:A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to have our first child.. She planned a trip out to California to visit her sister. On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both heard a loud pop and the car shook violently. We had blown out a tire. I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her flight. both very upset, we drove home.

I received a call from my father who was retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained that we missed the flight.My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into the southern tower. I was too shocked to speak. My father also had more news for me; he was going to help.. 'This is not something I can't just sit by for; I have to do something.'I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made up. Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my grandchild. Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while helping in the rescue effort.

My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly became anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself. I had gone for nearly two years blaming God for taking my father away. My son would never know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never got to say good-bye.

Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with my wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife, but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a couple with a small child.The man looked at me and asked if my father's name was Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his son.'He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to find his wife and free her. My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life for people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to know.'His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news.Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him themselves.

When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of the man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live.

This story should help us to realize this: God is always in control.. We may not see the reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God is ALWAYS in control.

Please take time to share this amazing story. You may never know the impact it may have on someone. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Share a Basket Sunday - Market Basket

This large basket started out as a pattern from Judith Richmond called the "New England Tote Basket". It uses a wooden base with the swing handles attached. Before weaving it, I found that Longaberger baskets has a basket liner that is almost the same size as the pattern. I got the liner and then wove the basket to fit the plastic liner. My mother sewed for me the sunflower fabric insert. I love this basket as it is sturdy and has been well used over the years to carry many things. When we lived in Germany I would take it to the market to carry home my groceries for the day. It was just the right size to hold a liter of milk, some hard rolls, wurst or German sausages, and some produce. Do a search for Judith's patterns. They are all beautiful just like this one.
Have a blessed Sunday,
Nancy

Share a Basket Sunday

5 Free Craft ebooks

Remember one of my favorite sites... http://www.favecrafts.com/

They have 5 free crafting e-books ready for download on their website. I personally really like their crafting ideas. Their style is like mine. If you sign up for their newsletter you will be informed of what is the latest and greatest over there.

Here are the books and links for download that are currently being offered.

Happy Crafting,

Nancy

Holiday Crafts e-book

http://www.favecrafts.com/index.php/hct/Holiday-Craft-eBook

Home Decor Crafts e-book
http://www.favecrafts.com/Decorating-Ideas/inexpensive-home-decor-ebook

Cheap and Easy Crafts e-book

http://www.favecrafts.com/Unexpected-Ideas/Cheap-andEasy-Crafts-Free-eBook

Low Cost Clothing Crafts e-book

http://www.favecrafts.com/Wearable-Crafts/Low-Cost-Clothing-Crafts-eBook

Garden Crafts e-book

http://www.favecrafts.com/Green-Crafting/Garden-Crafts-eBook

How to Organize Patterns - Tip Technique Tuesday

For those of you new to basket weaving, sheet protectors are a must have for your patterns. Most times when you take a class, your pattern will already be in a sheet protector. When you print a pattern off the internet, you need these on hand to place the paper in. Sheet protectors will keep your pattern dry and free from smudges. Their three ring holes make it handy to keep all your patterns gathered together in a notebook.

Once you acquire a collection of patterns, you need to organize your patterns into categories so they will be easy to find. I have several large three ring binders for my patterns and I have labeled the spines so I can grab the correct notebook off the shelf. Two notebooks are for patterns I have written myself. In my other notebooks, I have my patterns grouped together according to style. I have a section for twill, and then I have sections for baskets such as wall baskets, market baskets, Easter and Christmas baskets. This is just a small sampling, of my categories, but it is what works for me. If you have several patterns by one author, you may wish to group those together. If you made several baskets at a convention, you may wish for those to be in one group. Group them though in a way that will make them easy to retrieve. You can use tabbed pages to keep your categories separated.

One final very large notebook that I have is not for patterns, but for ideas. Throughout the years I've seen baskets that I like for one reason or another. Perhaps it is the colors used, the style, or a weaving technique. Many times I've seen baskets I like in catalogs that come in the mail. I just rip out the page, slip it in a sheet protector and add it to my idea book. I might even write a few notes on the paper to jog my memory. This is a fun notebook to go through to spark inspiration.

A final tip: If your pattern is two pages, put the pattern back sides together in the sheet protector. This way, when you are ready to go to the next page, you only have to flip the page protector over without removing the pattern. Also, if it is more than two pages, consider using more than one sheet protector. When your hands are wet, just touching the sheet protector and not the pattern itself is a good thing.

Oh....One more final tip! On occasion, I get a pattern without a picture. Most patterns have pictures. If you have one that doesn't, when you weave the basket, be sure to take a picture of your completed project and slip it in with the pattern. Years later you will be glad you did this.

How do you organize your patterns? I'd love to hear.
Happy Weaving,
Nancy

Happy 4th of July and Sharing a Basket - Bread Basket

Happy 4th of July. I hope you are spending it with family and doing some fun activities. I saw a basket similar to this on in a magazine one time and thought, I could make that. The blue is Rit dye royal blue and the red is Rit dye cardinal. The stars are wooden from the craft store and the handles are 1 1/2" wooden beads. They are leftover from my days of doing macrame. A small piece of 11/64" flat blue is threaded through each bead and then is incorporated into the rim as I did the lashing. The stars are glued onto the reed. What you cannot see is the seagrass that is used as a rim filler is also dyed red.

Remember, whenever you want to add wooden objects like my beads and stars shown here, you can also dye those if you desire. Just throw them in the dye pot as you dye your reed and it is a fun way to personalize any project.

Enjoy the fireworks tonight!

Baskets of Blessings,

Nancy

Share A Basket - Patriotic Wall Basket and Enjoy your Weekend

Here is another of my favorite ribbon baskets. This is a wall basket with a small notched handle in the back. I like to put a couple of small flags in it when it is out for the holiday.
Hope you are all getting ready for a fun weekend.
Baskets of Blessings,
Nancy