Craft Kits of the Month

I'd let a couple kit of the month club projects fall behind so I decided to knock them out one week when the heat and humidity kept me indoors.

This is the Christmas in July project, a painted tin tree bell, or chime.  It came with enamel paint and when they say it dries quickly, they aren't kidding.  This was fairly easy, just paint & tie the bits together with jute. Hard to see but there's a dark red jingle bell at the bottom.  I think it's meant to be hung outside, no matter the weather.

This was June's project, an embossed velum lantern.  I had to glue the wood frame together, and then decorate 4 sheets of vellum paper with the flower rub ons and embossing.  I was stoked that the kit came with the embossing tool and very pretty and intricate stencil.

This, unfortunately, went from a project I was looking forward to, to one that I couldn't wait to finish.  Just a lot of measuring and detail work that I didn't have a lot of patience for.

I messed up one of the vellum sheets really bad, so the back panel is plain but for the embossing I did.  I was supposed to cut the scallops at the top and bottom, but the directions on how to hold the scissors and cut them made absolutely no sense, so I left the edges straight with the design punched in.  I also majorly screwed up the ribbon holes on the first piece of vellum.  The directions should have advised that those be cut in first, then work the embossing around them.  

The kit also came with a flameless, battery operated tea light but it isn't very strong, light-wise, so I used a candle for the purpose of these pictures.  I would not, however, use a real candle in the center unless it was protected by a glass votive cup.

Oddly enough, the panel that I had to fudge is the one that looks coolest with the candlelight!

This is August's Kit of the Month, a rain forest jasper necklace.  I am always less enthused about the beading projects because I already do so much of it.  When this kit came in, I did it right away.  It's not really 'me' so I'll put it in the pile to sell.

This one surfaced in a drawer.  I forgot all about it, but I got it years ago when I was still out west.  I wasn't real thrilled with it, but also didn't get around to returning it either, so I stuffed it in a drawer and forgot about it.  It came with brown beads and sequins and I thought it was so dull and ugly.  Who uses brown napkins? This isn't the 1970s.

I ended up using the stencils only and then using my own stash for the bead embroidery.  I screwed up with the heart, because it's going the wrong way when slid onto a napkin.  Also, I did a sucky job of sewing them together too. I may put a beaded edge around them to hide the crap ass sewing, but on the other hand, I don't feel like expending the effort. I am sure these will end up in the pile to go to Goodwill or something. My OCD made me do the kit, but really it served as just a practice exercise in bead embroidery using sequins.

Sagamore, Part 2

A very funny thing happened when I was shooting the Guglielmo Marconi Club, which is a men's club made up of mostly Italians, and men are recommended for membership, you can't just join.  Russell is a member of it. So was my Uncle through at least the 1980s.  I had been listening to a tape for awhile but had the radio on between the short drive from the Christmas Tree Shop to the Marconi Club.  'We Built This City' by Starship was on the radio and as I shot the picture of the sign, the line, 'Marconi plays the mamba, listenin to the radio!' was playing.  The timing was beyond perfect.  It took me aback a little; I even said out loud, 'Whoa....OK that was too weird.'  I even wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper so I wouldn't forget.  Seriously what are the odds of hearing that song at a Marconi location??

This used to be St. Theresa's Catholic Church but now it's a thrift shop.  I only went to mass once here when I was little and it was so pretty that I told my parents I'd want to have my wedding there.  I was told that it wasn't really my parish, and I could only get married at the church in Sandwich which was nice too, but not as warm & small as this one.

This creepy run down house is next to the graveyard which is perfect for it. I hope the inside is in better shape than the outside.

There was a fairly modern car in the driveway and the doors and windows were open, or else I would have crept around shooting more of it.

It reminds me of a specific episode of the X-Files, called 'Home', which was beyond horrifying, & chilled me to my very core.  And forget ever hearing Johnny Mathis' song 'It's Wonderful, Wonderful', which automatically starts to play in my head every time I drive by this house.

The Keith family tomb.  They operated the Keith Car & Manufacturing Company in Sagamore, making stage coaches and railcars in the 1800s.

Russell's paternal grandmother.

His paternal grandfather died when Russell was just a baby.  It bugs us that the last name is spelled wrong.

A lot of cool old stones, just like the rest of the local cemeteries.  So picturesque.

Massive rhododendron growing around this stone.

Sagamore, Part 1

Continuing on with my Local Bucket List, I spent a morning shooting pictures in Sagamore, of all the major sites on the Rte 6A corridor.  Sagamore is one of the villages in Bourne, and is right next to Sandwich and hugs the area between 6A and the Canal.

I started at the Sagamore Inn, a place that I've eaten at since I was in a high chair.  This is a townie place, although does get a good amount of tourists since it's the first restaurant you get to once you cross the bridge.  Best Yankee pot roast dinner EVER. It's always packed.

This is the first time in my entire life that I noticed 'restaurant' is misspelled on this sign.  The Whaleback is a true townie bar, although I never set foot in it in my life.  A lot of my friends have and Russell used to go a lot too. He was a regular.  I have heard that the food here is outstanding and very reasonably priced.  It, too, is always packed.  

And it's tiny.

Been meaning to check out Ship & Shore Artifacts for ages.  Great stuff! I got a set of 5 multicoloured glass floats in hemp cord w/ cork spacers for $13.00.  The same exact floats are for sale at the Clam Shack in Wareham for $50. That made my decision quite easy.

Canal Cafe, also known as The Little Bar.  Another townie hangout.  There used to be another townie place along this road called The Bridge Cafe' but it burned down quite a few years ago.

They are going out of business and I was bummed they were closed when I was here.  I'll have to try to remember to stop when they are open, if they ever are.

The iconic Christmas Tree Shop right at the bridge.  This company was started in 1970 on the Cape.  It's now located in several east coast states.

The design, with it's massive thatched roof, was somewhat controversial when construction began on it.  If I had to guess, I'd say it was built in the late 70s.

So many things to see in this store and everything is very reasonably priced.  I picked up my 2014 calendar while here!  Only $2.99!!!!!