Elemental Stitches

A Pretty Sight

Shop Update! 10% off for Summer Opening Sale

Hi everyone!
I wanted to let you know that I have begun adding some art prints to the shop.  If there is anything you have seen on my site that you would like a copy of please email me and let me know.  I will work out a sale for you!

Everything will be 10% off until June 5th, 2008.  Please add the coupon code bloggy in the notes to get the discount.

Thanks you for your support.  I have gotten some great comments and emails lately and I love every one of them!  Thanks again.

Testing Out RAW- I think it ROCKS

I am about done with my classes so I will be posting more soon.  I even started a new tote!

Heavy Artillery

On Saturday I caught some aphids feeding on my plants and decided that it is time for my army to step in especially since they are just starting to look better. 

Go Ladybugs Go!

You know those aphids I found on Saturday?  They were the first to be eaten.

My hubbie thought that the ladybugs were not going to be enough so in a few days there will be 200-500 baby praying mantises in the garden.  I think I supplied enough troops for the whole garden community!

Mr. Ladybug to Mrs. Ladybug, "There is something about 200 carnivorous predators in vitro that makes me horny baby." (look in the left of photo)

Here is my friends garden plot.

We are planning on some beefsteak tomatoes, corn, beans and watermelons.  I think that will be it.  I might plant a cucumber plant in there just to get one off my deck.

I also just planted some colorful beets, radicchio, and leaf lettuce.  I am planting some mini butterheads out there too in a couple days. 

I love taking care of my garden.  Its inspiring me for crafting.  I have begun looking longingly at my sewing machine and embroidery supplies waiting impatiently for summer to begin. 
Three more papers, one 90 min presentation, one take home final, and a photo show then I am done for the summer! 

Day 18- Stealing the Teachers Notes

It would work better if I could read his writing!

(I wasnt really stealing, he was right there, fun idea though)

Happy Mothers Day

I hope your Mothers Day was as fun and exciting as ours.  The munchin even went to bed early!

Day 17- Behind on time

Yeah so I am behind.  I am still having a great time taking these macro shot.  This one was taken with my new camera and a macro lens I borrowed from a friend.  Pretty cool!  I need to get myself one of these babies!

Holding my Breath (and some fun)

I went to the garden this morning to find that my plants have further yellowed.

This is my squash.  Not only has everything yellowed a bit but nothing is growing very fast.  I have been watching my neighbors garden plot and her veggies are growing way faster then mine. 

The top one is my zucchini and the other is the beans.  So, I came home and looked up yellowing leaves and stunted growth and found a lack of nitrogen to be the suspect.  I dont remember fertilizing the garden at all other then a little compost which I thought would be enough.   So, I grabbed my organic fertilizer and fertilized the garden anyway.  Its good stuff and we will find out soon if it worked.

I am also thinking of feeding the acid loving plants some coffee.  Coffee has lots of nitrogen and the squash, tomatoes and some of the others will love it.

One thing that is growing a little more noticeably is Jack the Bean Sprout :)

I got another garden plot too!!!  What should I plant.  Should we make this a bloggers choice?

I will take some pics of the garden to show you what we are starting with.   I cannot grow any perennials in my garden so no artichokes or asparagus, unfortunately.  Everything else is fair game though.  Any ideas?

My New Photo Blog

My Photo Blog is up and running, just in time for my new camera...  please check it out and tell me what you think.

Gardens and Vegetables

Yeah I know I am behind on the macro challenge, but I will get there.  Who said it had to be 30 consecutive days...

I bought myself a mothers day present!  A Nikon D70!  I took 187 pics this afternoon trying it out.  I am so happy to have something with more controls.

My garden is up and running this year and I think I went nuts!

Little Munchkin absolutely MUST pick a carrot every time.

Although sometimes they don't come out as expected...

Sometimes we have given up on something and then one day it appears!

But I always have backups just in case.

My squash has me a little worried...

Why are the edges brown?  Does anyone know if this is normal? 

This year I planted herbs with my plants to try some companion planting theories I have read about.  So I have radishes scattered throughout the garden.  These are great for drawing bugs away from many of your veggies, they eat the tops and the radish bottoms that we eat are safely below ground.  Pick the bugs off as you find them.

Parsley and Cilantro are planted near the carrots and tomatoes.  They are supposed to be good friends.  So far they seem to be getting along.

This was a good sight to see.  He scurried back underground pretty quickly after the water unearthed him.

I have more pics but they will have to be for later.  I have a bunch of veggies in pots on the deck.  At least 6 or 7 more squash plants and several cucumbers from seed.  There are also 4 kinds of tomatoes planted. 

I have a friend who it moving into my apartment complex this weekend who is totally into handing his garden plot over to me.  Yea!  Double the space...  Does this mean that I will plant the three sisters after all?