Frugal Friday with Marsha -- Rug Making

As I have been working to attempt to make a penny rug, rugs, and making them is on my mind.

Some say that just  like quilting, rug making is a "lost art".  They are probably right, but I have a great time making them.

I started out years ago by crocheting them with that huge crochet hook.  I made them out of t-shirts that I cut in big rounds of strips.  We still use these around the house all these years later.  I even still have on of them listed in My Zibbet Shop.

I'm long done making rugs this way.  Some years back now a lady in our church taught us how to make toothbrush rugs.  One of the men of the church took our toothbrushes and fashioned them into the needles for us.

Here are a few that I have made.  Some of these have sold and some of them you will find in my Zibbet and in My Etsy Shop.

I still love making the toothbrush rugs and have bags of materials ready to make more in my craft room.

I took a class at the quilt shop on how to make a lockerhook rug.  So much fun!!  I have made 2 now.  One has sold and the other one is still in my Etsy shop.   I have one more to make this size, but I have bought more canvas and intend to make a runner rug!

I got an idea that I could make a latchhook rug with little strips of t-shirt.  This one is still a work in progress....and one that I need to get out to work on!

The only picture I have of the penny rug is the one I shared in my WIP Wednesday blog with my progress on cutting out the felt circles.   I do have those cut out now and in hopes that as soon as I am done with this post I will be pinning the circles to the blanket that I am using for the backing of the rug.  I will give a report on how it's coming along both here and in next Wednesday's post.

Other than buying the canvas for the lockerhook rugs and the string for making those, most all of my materials are "handed down" to me as others clean out their sewing rooms.....edges of fabrics that I've used for other projects, bought at yard sales and such.    In the "olden days", as I call them, all rugs and other things were made with scraps of worn clothing, blankets and such.  Sometimes I think I would have made a good pioneer woman......LOL


Here are some books and supplies on amazon that may interest you:

Amrita Sen's Cosmic and Eternal Love Jewelry Collection (Giveaway Open to US and Canada!)

Back in December I have the privilege of reviewing the Cosmic and Eternal Love Everlasting Love Story and Coloring Book by Amrita Sen.

Amrita Sen has now added a Cosmic and Eternal Love collection of jewelry to her line.
The picture above is of the Radha 5 piece set but does not do justice to just how beautiful the jewelry is.

There are 4 sets of jewelry in the collection:  Radha, Palace, Gold & Honey, and Cosmic Love.
Each set is beautiful.  I would love to own them all!

I received the Radha Bracelet from the collection.    I love it!  It's not left my wrist since receiving it.
This bracelet has 3 layers of design.  The clasp is even jeweled.

The jewelry is with Jewels to Jet and have a Magna Clasp.    This is the first jewelry that I have owned that has a magnetic clasp.  The magnet is strong and I have had NO worry of it coming apart.

You can find all 4 collections of the Cosmic and Eternal Love jewelry sets HERE.


A little about the artist, Amrita Sen:

She is a multi-talented artist who debuted her jewelry and illustrations at Art Basel in Miami, sponsored by Illy Coffe and presented by Timbaland.  Trained as a visual artist, she also holds degrees from THe Wharton School of Business and an MBA from Harvard.  She is honored as one of the 50 most distictive female gradudates in Harvard Business School history.

On the music side, she performed the winning song from the movie Slumdog Millionaire with AR Rahman at the 2009 Academy Awards.  She's performed on the Tonight Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Hollywood Bowl.  She has released records with Weezer, Timbaland, Pitbull, and Ozomotli.  She has both written and performed multiple movie and film titles and you can hear her in various commercials as well.

Amrita's first brand is "Bollydoll", which was launched in 2012 with a jewely and loungewear collection.  You can find them at Nordstrom's and Dillard's.
The newest release, the Cosmic and Eternal Love line of jewelry and adult coloring books is a tasteful blend of Jaipuian art styles that combine elements of Eastern and Western cultures with a backstory of the mythical Krishna and Radha love story.  The coloring book also includes and album that is written and produced by Amrita.

Now for the exiting part!  One of my lucky readers will win not only the Radha bracelet, but also a copy of the coloring book!!
Just enter using the rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway







Disclaimer:  I rec'd a bracelet and coloring book in exchange for this review and giveaway.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  Post contains affiliate links.

WIP Wednesday -- I'm a Bad Girl!

I didn't end up getting a WIP post written last week, but did take a picture or 2.  Unfortunately those projects stayed the same too....or was it just one project.

What is making me a bad girl as I put in my title?  Well......I have started a new project.  I promised myself I wouldn't as I have my list of 17 that are my goal to finish this year first.

With my oldest daughter and her children getting their own house, you can see the living room floor now.  I just couldn't help myself but want to get started on trying to make a penny rug.  I first seen on this blog post: http://www.patchworkdreams.com.au/?p=9261  and have been itching to try to make one myself ever since.
I'm still cutting the circles, and I know this isn't a quick project, but I am hoping to have it done fairly soon.

Of course I am still making 3 yo-yo's a day for my 365.  That fabric in my box still doesn't seem to be really "going away".

I got a start on my red string blocks for the color of the month with the soscrappy blog.  Actually I'm a step further as I sewed these down and pressed them open.  Unfortunately they didn't get done before this month is over, but, hey, at least I am back to work on that quit.

Lastly, I do have the backing made for my challenge quilt and the binding made.  With any luck at all, I will have this finished before next Wednesday.  Wish me luck!!

I link up with the following blogs:


Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

 

Frugal Friday with Marsha -- Get $8 and 2 Free Books from Highlights

As I was wondering last night just what I was going to write this week for my frugal Friday post, I ran across this great deal from Swagbucks!

When my own children were still children, I got them the Highlights Puzzlemania books and they loved them.   This is a for sure to do deal for me as I want the books here for the grandchildren now!

I hope you will check it out, and if you aren't already a member of Swagbucks, click the link and give it a try.  You won't be sorry.



Swagbucks is running a great deal where you get 800 SB (equivalent of $8) when you get two free Puzzle Buzz books for your kids from Highlights! You pay $2.98 in shipping and handling, meaning that you walk away with a $5 gift card of your choice. This deal is running through the rest of March and is perfect for the little readers in your life. Even the youngest child learns to tackle activities independently — and puzzle-solving skills grow. 

Here's what you need to do: 

1. Click here to get to the deal and create your Swagbucks account if you don't have one. You'll be my referral! 

2. Click "Continue" and complete the offer. Your SB will be credited almost instantly! 

3. If you're signing up as my referral, you'll get an additional 300 SB bonus for completing this offer, meaning that you'll net $8: 

Complete offer: $8 
Bonus: $3 
Shipping and Handling: -$2.98 
Net bonus: $8.02 

If you're not familiar with Swagbucks, it's a rewards site where you earn points called SB for discovering deals (like this one), online shopping, taking surveys, watching videos, and even searching the web. Then you can turn those points into gift cards from places like Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, Target, PayPal, and more! 

Today! Swag Garden Swagcode Extravaganza

Spring has sprung, and Swagbucks is having a Swag Code Extravaganza to mark the occasion, which is one of the easiest ways to earn SB! 

What are SB you ask? SB are points you earn on Swagbucks, a website where you can get gift cards for the things you do online - I've gotten TONS of amazon gift codes as well as lots of cash to paypal  with Swagbucks! These are the best days to start! 

It takes place Wednesday, March 22nd at 7am PDT and goes until 5pm PDT! All you have to do is look out for the Swag Code notifications, enter the code, and you earn SB (which can be redeemed for gift cards)! There will be 6 Swag Codes throughout the day worth a total of 40 SB! 

Look out for the Swag Codes all over Swagbucks!

Sign up here to grab as many Swag Codes as you can and get your first gift card even faster!

Frugal Friday with Marsha -- Coupons and Deals

I can't think of anything in particular to write about this week, so instead I am going to share some good coupons to print and other good offers.

I hope you find something of interest today and I will see you next Friday!

WIP Wednesday -- Little Bits

I had plans to work on one of my UFO's from my list of 17 at sit n' sew Friday evening at the quilt shop.  Unfortunately, sit n' sew was cancelled due to the owner having the flu.  I wasn't good and didn't take it out and work on it at home anyway.

I did get my paper pieced stars sewn together for the quild challenge.  Now I'm working on how I'm going to do the backing.

Still plugging away on my 365 and making 3 yo-yo's each day.  Still wanting to start putting them together......still thinking I need to wait until they are all made.

Yesterday was sewing club day at church.  Rather than sewing together the blocks that were already made, I decided to start hand sewing more squares instead.  I will probably continue with this until I use up what is already cut of the squares.

I didn't do any work on the selvage toothbrush rug, but a friend gave me some more selvage to add to my bag.

I still want to get back to making the string block for the soscrappy blog challenge.  Maybe, just maybe I can get out my scraps and at least pull out for the color of the month......after clicking over to find out what the color is this month!

I link up with the following blogs:


Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

Adiyday:  

Swagbucks Spring Reading Team Challenge!

Here's another fun team challenge to help you earn SB from Swagbucks! For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online like shopping, answering surveys, discovering deals, and watching videos. You can even earn for searching the web! 

If you've never tried Swagbucks before because you didn't know where to begin, their Team Challenges are a great way to learn the ropes! Their latest, the Spring Reading Team Challenge, begins Monday, March 20th. 

Here's how you can join the challenge and the site:

1. Click here to join the challenge and be assigned to a team. Pre-registration is going on right now! If you don't already have an account, you can sign up on this page as well.

2. Starting March 20th at 8am PT, in addition to earning SB you'll contribute points to your teams total as you complete different activities on Swagbucks.

3. Check back on the page often to see the scores and what you've contribute so far. 

All members who participate and contribute at least 400 points to their team’s total will receive a SB bonus in the form of a SB Swag Up Rebate on their next gift card! 

Not only that, but if you earn 300 SB before April 1st, you'll get a 300 SB bonus (as long as you've signed up under me)!

Members of the 1st place team will receive a 50 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 2nd place team will receive a 25 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 3rd place team will receive a 10 SB Swag Up Rebate. Your SB Swag Up Rebate will be made available on Friday, March 24th and will expire on Sunday, April 9th 11:59pm PT

You Can't Beat Dollar Shave Club

You've seen the commercials on TV, you've seen it advertised all over the internet.  If you are like me, you've wanted to give Dollar Shave Club a try, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Dollar Shave Club, the subscription based grooming brand that sends high quality razors and men’s grooming products directly to your door is the affordable solution to overpriced shaving needs.

Just $1 gets you started!  For that $1 you can choose from The Humble Twin, the 4X or the Executive (6 blade)  Again, just $1 with free shipping for your first box!!  Your first box includes the handle and 4 blades.
Then each month (or on YOUR schedule) you will receive 4 new blades.  These will be $1 plus $2 shipping for The Humble Twin, $6 with free shipping for the 4X, and $9 with free shipping for the Executive.

I searched around and you can not beat this price!

Want more than just a razor in your box?  For just a few dollars, DSC members can customize their monthly box with grooming, skincare and haircare essentials – like Dr. Carver’s Shave Butter, Post-Shave and Repair Serum, One Wipe Charlie’s, Boogie’s hair styling collection, Wanderer shower line, Big Cloud protective skincare, and more.

I couldn't wait to open my box when it came in!

I chose to add an extra handle because hubby doesn't get this all to himself!  I want my own razor as well.   The 4X is what I chose.  According to Dollar Shave Club, "This is your new razor. And it’s also your girlfriend’s new razor. Or your boyfriend’s. You see, the 4X is also known as the Lover’s Blade. It was designed to satisfy the harshest critics of both genders, so you can share your subscription (but not your blades, gross) with someone you care about. It’s equally good for the face, legs, armpits, or anything else."

I also chose to include Dr. Carver's Easy Shave Butter and Boogie's Bold Hair Gel to my first box.

There are so many additional items that you can add to choose from!!  As low as just $3 each.  I see lots that I want to give a try when finances allow me to splurge and add to my monthly blade shipment.

Other items in my box were The Members Handbook with instructions on how the membership works---
Cards were included on the additional products that include instructions on how to use them.
A nice newsletter type booklet called 'The Bathroom Minutes'  Now I don't know if this is meant for bathroom reading (LOL) but it's both informational and entertaining.  

Again I want to say that Dollar Shave Club is a deal you just can't pass up.  The products are high quality and so much less than buying in the store.

Here is a picture of my 4X handle with blade on.  This is a heavy duty handle.  It feels great in my hands, and while using it.

*****Remember, there is no obligation with the Club.  You can cancel any time!!  If you need to skip a month, that is easily done with a click of the mouse in your account. ***** 

Frugal Friday With Marsha -- Notes and Lists

Do you grab every free notepad that you can?  I do!   Most of the free notepads come from various booths at the State Fair, but I've found them other places as well.
Why pay for a notepad when you can get them free?

I use the notepads for all kinds of notes and lists, but mostly such for the websites that I visit each day.

Let me share what is on my list so far for March 10, although more will be added through the day.

March 10

mousumi 111
postman

maze- Trader
diamond- stellar, zaney, chit chat
Boost- Big Beach, sotuk

Hotflash/clickyourfaceoff

Hits&list/mmx- 150-5 cents
mmx/coolcats- 500- 10 cents
pistol/stellar 125- 3 cents   pistol/northern  135  5 cents
tesearch/clickface/bootscootin- 150 5 cents
postman/Titans 125 3 cents

speedway special

ant/sunshine/global/dreamfuel/trend-67

cancel upgrade to legacyhits in payza.


Let me explain my list as well as I will link up each of the sites in case you would care to check them out further.    I use abbreviations of the sites.

First at the top is MousumiTraffic and PostmanHits.  Those are listed for me to make a note once I open them of what the average surf number is for the day.  If you make the average surf each day, there is a bonus for doing so.

Maze, diamond and boost are all for Viral Traffic Games.  It's a game that come up while you surf that earns you extra credits and cash for playing....and it's fun!  You have to watch for the icon in the surf bar while surfing, then click it to play in another window.  Three games within VTG as well to earn cash and credits there too!
Here are those sites not already linked in this post:
TheTrafficTrader
zaneyclicks
chit-chattraffic
BigBeachhits
Sotuktraffic

Next with Hotflashhits and ClickYourFaceOff is today's Hullabaloo.  With the hullabaloo you surf hotflash and the site of the day and about ever 55 pages you get a claim page.  Claim from each site to win points and cash at TEHeadquarters.

The next section are cross promos for the day, which no doubt I will add to as I open other sites, but that is my list so far.  What sites need to be surfed, how many to surf on each site and then what I can claim after I am done. (they also offer credits, but I always take the cash)
Here are those sites linked that I've not already linked above:
hits&listcafe
moneymakersxchange
coolcathits
pistolpackingmama
stellarhits
northerntraffic
TESearch
Bootscootintraffic
SurfwiththeTitans

Speedway special is to remind me that TrafficSpeedway is celebrating their anniversary today and have added more cash prize to the pages while surfing as well as while playing the VTG game.

The last 5 on my list are the Promoslice that I am surfing on today.  At Promoslice there are 5 sites to surf.  Once you claim at each site you get an entry.  Each entry puts you in the drawing for a chance at a little bigger cash prize and each entry gives you a share of the prize pool.  Fun!
antsurf
sunshinesurfclub
globalhits2u
dreamfueltraffic
trendtraxpro


****I got way off the track of my discussion on free notepads, but I have had many people ask me, curious as to what I do on the computer each day, so I went for it.

Back to the notepads---no paper goes to waste as I use not just one side of the paper, but both sides!