and ♥ MAKING OUR HOME A HAVEN PODCAST ♥ where we're weaving a bit of joy into every day.
Basketmaster's Weavings is about my passions, much of which revolves around basket weaving. I weave with reed and I love teaching others to weave. Many of the patterns and styles that I show in the blog are geared to the beginning weaver, or even the brand new weaver. If you have been thinking about wanting to learn to weave, then this blog is for you. Throughout the blog and videos I take you step by step through each and every process of weaving. I want you to be successful in weaving the very first time you try. For the intermediate and advanced weaver, my wish is that you take ideas that I show, mix them up a bit, and incorporate them into your own beautiful creations.
Happy Weaving and Baskets of Blessings to all my visitors,
NancyYou may find my YouTube Videos Here.
Listen to Basketmaster's Making our Home a Haven Podcast.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Around the House Saturday - A Basket A Birthday An Anniversary and A Podcast
The past week and a half has been a busy one. I'm sure it has been busy for most of you as well.
The basket I'm sharing is one I wove years ago and has traveled with us on all our moves. I think every house we've lived in has had stairs so this stair step basket has been wonderful and so useful. What I like about this basket is that the wooden D handle goes clear down to the bottom step or the bottom of the basket. Some patterns you see will use a smaller D handle that only reaches the first step. I think with it going to the bottom step it gives it more stability to carry heavier items.
The cross stitch design is the same one I showed you in my Hamburger Bun Basket found HERE.
You can see with all the use this basket has received some of the little "X"s have broken. Someday I should take them all out and replace them. The handle is braided and gives it another decorative element.
Onto a Birthday...Emily turned 15. She has been visiting Grandma and Grandpa this week and is now back home. She is doing babysitting several times a week and ice skating whenever she gets a chance. I want to add one more thing. We took her back to the fibromyalgia specialist. Once again they changed her medication and she is doing so much better. Praise God! Grandma even said she did real good this past week. Emily was feeling so discouraged a month ago so we are all very happy at this time.
Now for our Anniversary...Mike and I celebrated 22 years. We were actually apart for our anniversary as he had taken the Venture scouts to San Diego for their summer trip. We will be going out for a nice dinner sometime this week for our anniversary dinner. After 22 years, it doesn't matter if we don't celebrate on the actual day ;-)
Finally a podcast...I have episode #9 of Making Our Home a Haven available to listen to. You can listen to it on the audio player here on my sidebar or you can go to iTunes and subscribe and listen to it from there or download it onto your iPod or MP3 player. Or if you prefer you can go directly to Talkshoe and listen to it HERE. The topic in this episode is "Loving Up Your Home." I give tips on using your 5 senses to refresh and love up the home we live in.
I've had a few questions about the podcast that I'd like to answer. I use Audacity as my audio mixer. It is a free download. I have the bird sounds on one track that I have saved and I record my voice on another track. It does quite a number of things, but it is simple enough for me to mix just the two tracks. One episode I had a tickle in my throat and started coughing. I was able to cut the coughs right out. You can also increase or decrease the volume of just one track. Other than these little basics, I don't know much more, but I know Audacity does a lot more.
I use Talkshoe as it is a free hosting service. Another free service is Blog Talk Radio. I don't know why I went with Talkshoe. I just checked into it and it was easy. I'm all about easy when it comes to the computer. Talkshoe automatically uploads it into iTunes for me.
The microphone I use is just the one that is built into my laptop. I've had to buy nothing extra to do the podcast. Starting at the third or fourth episode I began recording in our closet. I know that sounds funny, but when I have seen recording studios, they have wavy fabric walls to keep the sound from echoing. I figured my closet would do the same thing! We have a walk in closet. I sit in on a chair in there and face the clothing. I close the door behind me and make sure the air conditioner is turned off so that it won't start running while I'm recording. I kind of feel like a little kid in trouble who has to sit in the corner as I record!
As far as using a script. The first 2 episodes I wrote everything out word for word. Now I just have an outline that I follow. My first episode I must have started and restared it a dozen times. Now I still have to restart the recordings at least once, but it is much better. Sometimes I just get tongue tied or my thoughts escape me, telling me I need more on my outline. I just erase my mistakes and start over. It actually goes pretty quickly and I think making the podcasts is way faster than doing my YouTube videos.
So, I hope that answers everyone's questions. Have a great week everyone.
Blessings,
Nancy
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Share a Basket and Making Our Home a Haven - Episode #8 Organizing Our Closets
Just letting you know that a new episode of Making Our Home a Haven is available to listen to. In this episode I discuss how I organize my clothing and give you encouragement to tackle your closets as well as a few fun tips. I was motivated this past week to organize my closet and I'm glad to report that I got rid of three kitchen size trash bags full of clothes, shoes and purses. You can listen to Making Our Home a Haven right here as there is a player on my right sidebar, or you can listen to it on TalkShoe HERE. You can also search for Making Our Home a Haven in iTunes podcasts and subscribe to it over there. I hope you are all getting some good tips and enjoying the podcasts. I would appreciate it so much if you would please let a friend know about them.
Now for the basket...This is a large basket woven on a "D" handle. I use this basket in my pantry to hold snacks for the kids. The wide strip in the middle is maple and is embellished with rub-ons.
Have a blessed Sunday everyone,
Nancy
This Post Links To:
Mom's The Word
Monday, May 17, 2010
Making Our Home a Haven - Episode #7 Using a Garden Journal
I wanted to let you know that the latest episode of Making Our Home a Haven is ready to listen to. In this episode I talk about how I use my garden journal.
I hope you enjoy listening to this episode which runs about 8 minutes. You can listen to it on the player here on my right sidebar or you can go to TalkShoe and listen to it HERE. As always, if you are in iTunes search the podcasts for Making Our Home a Haven and subscribe so as not to miss a single episode.
Do you keep a garden journal? What do you specifically take notes about that are important for you to remember?
Happy Gardening!
Nancy
This post links to:
Mom's The Word - Making Your Home Sing
Trendy Treehouse
Women Who Do It All
Blogger Chix Designs
Monday, May 3, 2010
Making Our Home a Haven - Episode #6 - Children and Chores, Getting Kids to Help
I wanted to let you know I have a new episode of Making Our Home a Haven available to listen to. In this episode I talk about how Mike and I have been able to get our children to help us around the house and do their chores. If any of you are having trouble getting your children to do their responsibilities around the house, then I hope I will provide you with an idea you can try in your own home. As I said on the podcast, I'm not a child rearing expert. These are just things Mike and I have found that work for us, (most of the time).
As always, you can listen to it on the player here on my right sidebar. You can listen to past episodes here as well. You can also download it and listen to it through iTunes.
I hope we are all Making Our Home a Haven.
Blessings,
Nancy
This post links to:
Mom's The Word
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Making Our Home a haven - Episode #5 - Using a Menu Board
I wanted to let you know that episode #5 of Making Our Home a Haven is up and ready to listen to. I discuss in more detail the ways we use our menu board that I mentioned in my blog post HERE. I also give an update as to what I'm doing with regards to creating and maintaining my good habits.
You can download it through iTunes or just listen to it here on my blog by clicking the play button on the player in my right sidebar. This episode is just over 9 minutes long.
You can also listen to past episodes here as well.
I hope you enjoy the podcast and I hope everyone here is Making their home a Haven.
Blessings,
Nancy
This Post Links To:
I am Only 1 Woman
Monday, April 19, 2010
Making Our Home a Haven - Episode #4 Creating a Good Habit
I am happy to announce that episode #4 of Making Our Home a Haven is ready for you to listen to.
Today's episode is on Creating a Good Habit. In this episode I give the steps needed to create a habit and give tips on ways to help you KEEP that good habit. I talk about how I'm planning to make exercise my new habit.
For those of you who have been reading my blog for some time you know I used to do Jazzercise for exercise. Last September I injured my knee and an x-ray shows that I have bonespurs on the inside of my kneecap. That canceled Jazzercise for me because of all the changes in direction we would go; front, back, left, right as we would exercise. All those fast changes in movement along with squats just hurt too much to do. When I quit Jazzercise last September I quit exercising and I MUST get started with it again. I am starting exercise again. I'm starting TODAY. Won't you join me in creating a new habit.
You can download Making Our Home a Haven through iTunes or you can listen to it right here on your computer. There is a player on my right sidebar. You can just click on the "play" button to hear the latest episode. If you would like to listen to past episodes, click just below where it says "past episodes" and select the episode you would like to listen to.
I hope you enjoy listening. This podcast runs just over 11 minutes. I'd love to hear/read about any new habits you are working on. Just leave a comment and I'll cheer you on.
Blessings,
Nancy
ps. Mike helped me record some bird sounds for my intro and outro. They make me smile. Thanks honey for helping me with this.
This post links to:
Mom's The Word
Blogger Chix
Friday, March 12, 2010
What's Your Feeling About Spring Cleaning
Here is my second podcast. It is titled What's Your Feeling About Spring Cleaning. This podcast is about 6 minutes long and in it I discuss what I do INSTEAD of spring cleaning. I hope you enjoy it.
Mike helped me with the audio this time so it is improved. I'm still having trouble uploading it to ITunes. I got my first podcast uploaded to ITunes without any trouble, but this one has me stumped. If any of you have any tips to give me regarding audio posting, I't would be much appreciated. Also, if any of you have other audio host sites besides TalkShoe I'd like to hear about them. I went with TalkShoe as it is a free audio host source.
Anyway, back to spring cleaning. How do you do your spring cleaning? Is it the way I do it?
Blessings,
Nancy
This post links to:
Tatertots and Jello
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Mom's The Word
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
My Very First Podcast
Hi Friends,
I made my very first podcast! You can click on it above. It is titled Making Our Home a Haven and this is something that has been on my mind for a long time now. I was so nervous that I even said the wrong date. I actually attempted making the podcast yesterday (which I thought sounded better) but I didn't hit the record button!
Anyway, Making Our Home a Haven will be a new feature at Basketmaster Weavings. Please bear with me as I work out all the idiosyncrasies with it. This podcast is only about 2 minutes long.
Blessings,
Nancy
Grab a cup of coffee and take time to enjoy some posts from the past



