its a mad mission

Dear friends,
In three weeks on Sunday, December 13 from 12-6, I will be participating in the Hearts and Crafts Affair at Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I will be selling my felt wallhangings at 20% off Etsy prices, and will have lots of other felty goodness priced for giving at $8 – $18… beads and bead kits, felt acorns, garlands, ornaments, toys for babies and pets, soap that looks like rocks…you name it!

Cafe Grumpy is located at 193 Meserole Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn (off the G train, and also with plenty of street parking).

I would love for you and your friends to swing by and say hi! It’s a great cause (supporting local artisans), and a great place to get those last-minute Christmas gifts for your friends, family, or self.

Check out the preview of what you’ll find! Click on the image to see it full size.

All the best,
Jessica Franks
www.junebugfelts.etsy.com

Love these uses of twine…

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/11/diy-project-david-starks-twine-snowmen.html

Felt haters, this is just not the blog for you. Felt lovers, rejoice. Some more lovelies for the upcoming craft show. 

And these were crafted by Ashley at last night’s church craft night. Though I’m making some for the craft fair, her’s were particularly photo-worthy.

(They’re smaller than a dime.)

My brain has been humming with ideas for the the upcoming Christmas craft fair I am in, though I can’t really take credit for these “soap stones”–I got the idea on Etsy. They are bars of soap that I felted around. Once they dry, you use them as normal soap (and get some quality exfoliation), and the felt shrinks even more around it. Pretty sure I’m going to have to keep one for myself.

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/10/diy-project-chelas-fabric-screen.html

Can’t wait to make one for our bathroom window (it’s small!) later this winter when I’m bound to get sew crazy.

You know when you experience something so great that you have to tell everyone you know? It happened with this chowder, so I’m posting the recipe (as I’ve modified it over the past few tries). It’s rainy and cold here, so there’s nothing like coming home to this.

Potato Corn Chowder, Jessica Franks style

In morning, put the following into a crockpot on low for 8 hours:
–about 3 pounds cut up red potatoes
–a 16 oz. bag of frozen corn
–a can of cream corn
–a can of cream of chicken
–a little bit more than one can of water
–7 strips cooked bacon and some of the grease
–salt and pepper

Just before serving, add
–a can of evaporated milk for yummy creaminess.

And you’re done! Bill likes to melt shredded cheddar cheese on top. For us, this makes two dinners plus leftovers depending how hungry we are.

I can’t wait for round two tonight! After, I think I’m going to make some no-bake Cowboy Crunchies:
Melt 2 cups butterscotch chips, then stir in a quarter cup peanut butter. Add 3.5 cups cornflakes and place dollops on wax paper. Let cool.

(A pic from our anniversary trip cabin in the Catskills.)

A year ago this weekend I married my best friend…I love you babe. To quote Nick Drake, “If you weren’t real, I would make you up.”  To quote the neurotic starfish in Charlie the Unicorn, “I want to be with you forever!” To quote Nacho Libre, “It’s fantastic.”

Back when two friends (whose names I will protect) and I started “Pray for a Man Nights,” I had no idea who you were or what to expect. All we three girls knew was that we wanted to be married to men who loved Jesus, loved us, and were moderately good looking–at least in our opinion. And so we prayed (of course, these nights also involved junkfood and chick flicks—we love you Barbara!). 

A year later God, in His perfect timing, answered my request (especially that third part). And I’ve learned much since then…

I’ve learned that you, Bill, are the funniest guy I’ve ever met, even if you keep telling me other people don’t think so–I don’t really care. I’ve also learned that those hills I wanted to stake a flag and die on aren’t always worth fighting for. Forgive me for machine gunning you down sometimes. I suppose you’ve taught me to care a bit less about my plans, and I’ve taught you to care a bit more. I think I’ve learned that it was a good thing to marry someone so different from me…we balance each other and bring new perspectives in decisions and discussions. Not to mention the fact that I now know what a Stargate is, and you now know how to felt, that Nickel Creek is not a body of water, and that watching Super Bowls can be fun.

So to quote Iron & Wine, “I have to speculate / That God himself did make us into / Corresponding shapes like puzzles pieces / From the clay.”

http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/10/04/style/t/index.html#pageName=04lace

Last weekend we got out of the city and met up with both our families at Old Sturbridge Village, similar to Old Williamsburg in Virginia or Plimoth Plantation. Growing up, both families went there all the time, and Bill and I joke that we probably were there on the same day some time in our childhood.

This day was gorgeous and sunny, with wood fire stoves, big dresses, yarn dying, farm animals, cheese curds, apple cider making and quill pens abounding. And when the plowing demonstration allowed people to try it out, Bill was on it. My little plaid shirted farmer…

“This is going on the blog!” I shouted as he plowed. Sorry honey.

Jon did well too.

“We are not amused.”

We met an 1800’s family!

Doesn’t my mom look like the perfect 1800’s mom?

Perhaps the most exciting thing of the day was finding out I’m allergic to apples. Mom made amazing caramel apples for lunch there. And then my throat decided to swell nearly shut. Thankfully, Beth Mission is a walking medicine cabinet, and had Benadryl strips in her purse that kept things from becoming an emergency situation. From here on out, it’s cooked apples only for me.

I just found at that, by not using air conditioning this summer, we chopped $276 off our electric bill as compared to last summer. I complained the whole way and envied those who used their units–I was far from a noble sufferer (ask Bill). Cold showers before going to bed are not pleasant, and only somewhat helpful in lowering one’s temperature. I even slept with an ice pack one night.

But now that it’s over, I can at least sound really positive about the whole experience. We saved a substantial amount of money. We lowered our energy consumption. I’d like to think I’m a tougher person for the ordeal (Bill was fine the entire time–heat doesn’t  bother him, especially after surviving Marines boot camp in South Carolina in the summer). I grew a new appreciation for going to work–since it was air conditioned. And probably most of all, I’m exponentially more grateful to the Creator of the seasons for making this summer a relatively mild one.

Now bring on Autumn. I’ve got a pocketfull of money to spend on sweaters!