Pantry Shelf Day 2 or is it 3?

Lost track already of which day I am on... but I am enjoying the progress so far!

We first got the lumber weeks ago and the tools awhile ago too and it was me being afraid of trying something new I guess... 

But watching Anna White really inspires me to just do it all that I think about!  So, I finally decided to go for it.  I had measured the area for the pantry shelves when I first got the lumber and again before I began cutting, but then the wasp thing happened...

Hehehe, so I took that rest of day off and began the next day fresh.  I managed to get a bunch cut but then realized I was doing the wrong measurement!

Oh man, so my plans called for the shelf to be 4 planks deep and I had measured that so each of them would need to be 4' long and instead I made them the other measurement  (the width not length)...  but decided those will become the brace for my shelves and cut new ones yesterday and today!

Woot, felt good not feeling defeated by it.  Before, I would have taken a week off to mend my ego but now I keep a positive mindset all the time!  Makes a huge difference because I can lift myself back up before I get all the way to the ground now!

It is so important to learn yourself and know the kinds of things that effect you so you can learn how to fix it. 

But back to my amazing pantry shelves!  It is weird learning to use new tools that you think you already know just by watching others do it, whether your family or youtube but when you try it yourself it can be tricky. 

My shelve measurements I used the carpenters square to draw the lines to make sure I was mostly level when the first screw went in.  The first 5 screws went in pretty ok, but then the 6th one just did not want to go into it at all.  I will try to figure out why but think it is just I need to pre-drill my holes.  Simple and effective solution that I probably should have started with!

I did take a pic of the empty space but will save it for the big "reveal" post...  though it wont be nearly as pretty as I plan it to be for a permanent one, this one is designed to be stand alone and while strong not glued so I can take it apart and redo it better when I learn more.

Just a quick update, progress is slow but steady!  I think it will be done by tomorrow and how exciting my shelve spacers were done by accident when I did the wrong measurements  :p  So, none wasted!

Hugs and take care and do wish me luck!!  And leaving you with a shot my Home:  Attu, Alaska

#Attu

#HandMadeWithLove

#DIY

#Unangan

Felt Inspirations

Felt Inspirations

There are so many amazing fiber artists out there!  I hope to get something going as a co-op for the alaskan #indigenous, imagine being able to stay in your village, live as you want and make $$$$!!!  Not that it is about the money, at least not until 'America' came and took over…  So now we are forced to change our lifestyles and driven out of our villages so they can more easily steal our natural resources…  We need to stop that and turn the tide back!

I plan to do my part, I hope to get my first feature film out this summer!  It is on schedule and is a low budget one and I will soon be holding auditions for it…  but mainly the idea is to show we can do a film, start to finish!  Hopefully that gets us some recognition and some funding so we can begin working with bigger groups of indigenous.  If they are not into film and acting, there is costuming, set building, etc.  If that does not interest them there is the crafting/felting to learn and do!

I am planning to get some merino sheep this next summer!  this summer we are buying some land in Kenai Peninsula area.  If I cant interest an #indigenous corporation to let us lease their land for grazing then we will start small and buy our own plot!  

But it is easy to get inspired by it.  It is "traditional" skills updated to modern tastes!  Using the same sort of techniques but changing the design or adding labor saving tools.  

I watched this video and just think it will help explain my desire to get us our own sheep/goats/alpacas/musk oxen!!!!

Maybe once we get better established we can work with this group to learn skills!  Ladies from Peru keeping knowledge and skills alive, so inspiring!  Either send some down to learn or bring some up to teach :p  

I hope to get an outfit completed in time to enter the local spinners guild fashion show!  it will be fun to try!  I went to my first meeting and really liked it, I plan to get more involved, but been so busy trying to get all this stuff done!  I made some wrist warmers today, my "post apocalyptic" ones are almost dry and I will get pics of them.  I made some today for my daughter.  I used some left over merino from other projects and used them as the base layer then over that I did stripes of navaho churro, Cheviot, and alpaca.  They are drying but I will get pics of them up sometime.  I think they came out cute!  I remembered to do the pattern the right way so it came out even when cut in half  :p   

But I think my "Post Apocalypse" outfit will be good!  I love the dark purples and blacks of it!  I ordered some more merino that had purples and black and one with more black and greys to make the rest of it.   I plan to dye some of the merino I am getting from Australia black.  It might not get here until the end of the month though, but here's hoping the flight connections work and it comes quick!  I ordered some merino yarn (a bulk purchase from a person who is trying to help make it affordable to fiber artists:  poundOwool on Etsy   I ordered his pound of sport weight yarn since one of my daughters is getting into crochet, got a pound of her and one for me  :p   With mine I plan to make the top of it, creating a criss cross pattern and using some roving to cover it but I think it will help create the shape and keep it's form better using the yarn.

I am so excited, ever feel your life is finally on the right path?  that you finally found what you were always meant to do?  I am so glad I got the courage to go for my dreams!  It is easy to remain too timid after a lifetime of abuse, but you need to let all that go and decide to thrive not just survive!!  the courage of it seems so impossible to muster but one big push and you are free!  and then free to do what you like!  It wont be easy, fighting the bad thoughts and feelings that do not disappear overnight, though you wish they would!  but it is such a great feeling to get away from the bad and work toward the good!  

go for your dreams!  it is worth the risk and the hard work and all the sweat and tears and drive!  

hugs,

~Sea