For today's thing, I am showing off a video I created & edited for work. I am responsible for a video podcast series called SELCOtv, & I wrote the questions for an interview with one of my co-workers about a group PC purchase we did last month, interviewed Mike, uploaded the video to the computer, edited the footage by taking off the unneeded bits and rendered & uploaded it. Feel free to view it here.

No pictures for these...sorry!!

Thing 20 - Almond Tart
This is what I'm going to be making for NS Coronation's feast A&S competition. A couple dry runs are good things!! I got the recipe from Traveling Dysshes by Siobhan Medhbh O'Roarke & Cordelia Toser (thanks for the book ladies!!). I used the redaction by Cordelia, but I will need to work on out for myself for the competition. Here is the original recipe:

Blanch almonds & beat them , & strain them fine with good thicke Creame. Then put in Sugar & Rosewater, and boyle it thicke. Then make your paste with butter, fair water, & the yolks of 2 or 3 Egs and so soone as ye have driven your paste, cast on a little fine sugar, and rosewater, and harden your paste afore in the oven. Then take it out, & fill it, & set it in againe, & let it bake til it be wel, & so serve it.

The only thing I didn't have (and couldn't find at my local grocery store) was rosewater, but I will make a point of getting some for the next go. I took this to Lupercalia this weekend, and subjected my innocent friends to try it - to positive reviews! So looking forward to coming up with my own redaction.

Thing 21 - Focaccia bread
At Lupercalia, I took a basic breadmaking class (since it never hurts to have a simple recipe!) and made 2 loafs of herbed focaccia bread. Very fun and easy to do! We didn't use a set recipe, but just did things by "feel". I never really did this much before so I was happy to get a bit of guidance by the class's teacher. It turned out really nicely, and it was great to have fresh, warm bread at an event.

Thing 22 - Breadsticks
I made breadsticks to build on the bread class from Saturday. Used the same recipe as the class, but brushed on a bit of olive oil mixed with garlic powder. Yummy right from the oven, but a bit hard and crunchy the next day. They went great with spaghetti though!

I decided to do some more origami for today's thing. Ya never know when knowing how to fold paper might come in handy after all! And after all...what else can I do with old daily calendar sheets? :)



Pattern can be found here.

Why do I always get sidetracked and stopped from posting? Catching up again...

Thing 15 - Beaded necklace Saw the central bead at Hobby Lobby and had to make a necklace around it!

Thing 16 -Glass & wood bead necklace Got out more beads Monday and made this pretty necklace.

Thing 17 - Worked on Trim I did not do any one thing today, but instead spent my time dedicated to this project on the trim I finished weaving tonight. Spent about 45 minutes on it.

Thing 18 - Finished the trim I got warped on Saturday. It's really pretty...if I do say so myself.

I was sick this week, which made me downsize some of my things this week and also caused them to be posted late. Here are things 11-14...

Thing 11-CDs organized
My husband and I have over 500 music CDs, and we have them organized in alphabetical order in a drawer filing system. Today I added newer purchases and interfiled them. No picture, but pretty proud of getting this done & updated!

Thing 12 - Fingerloop braid
I used 2 strands of crochet cotton for the first time to make a braided cord with 5 bowes. Otheriwise, it's just a simple braid. Not sure what I'll do with this, but it's an interesting cord.


Thing 13 - Hotpad
Knitted a hotpad with 2 different yarns. Only thing left is to weave the tails in. The local Meals on Wheels was doing a hotpad drive before Christmas which gave me this idea. I need to see if they are still looking for more...


Thing 14 - Loop warped
I have the same loom warped that I used to create the black belt as an earlier Thing. I have rewarped it today to make trim for the viking garb I am working on for Spring Crown in May. I got it started as well, so you can see the checkerboard pattern I am doing for this weaving.

Inspired by other scanner art...and this week's footnotes theme. :) My poor cat George will never forgive me. Oh, wait a minute, he already has.

Finished this girdle book this morning & snapped some pictures. Not sure I'm as happy with the thickness of the wool I used for this, but it's a good prototype. The knot at the top goes under a belt and secure this on your person so you have easy access to the book. In period - a prayer book would be inside the fabric cover. In this example, a sketch book is used instead to make notes.

Front -

Back -

Slightly open -

Completely open -

Things have been too nuts around here this week. So here is an update of things I've been doing.

Thing #5 - Painted shelf
I bought this shelf over a year ago, and just painted it gray to match my bathroom.

Before
After

Thing #6 - Apple Pie
Sour Cream Apple Pie - Yummy!!


Thing #7 - Black woven belt
This inkle woven belt has 52 warp threads in two colors (black and cream) and two different string weights in the blacks. It is for a good friend who wears a lot of Viking garb in her play in the SCA.



Thing #8 - Book list
I am trying a new thing this year. I want to track what I'm reading all year. I got started and the layout done today on this. It's not all filled in yet for January books read but the idea is there. Enjoy.

I took my profile picture and turned it into a kaleidoscope today.  Amazing how much I can change.  :)

The original:  <img src="http://www.thing-a-day.com/wp-content/uploads/userphoto/anplica.jpg?1116002490" alt="me" />
The altered:  <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/DDqjbd-F-LSbrBWyr4syTw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_33XraDUJBgI/SYoKBylM8cI/AAAAAAAAAGA/BdKI2d9PmqM/s144/Rachel%20pro.jpg" /></a>

Note:  Just had to take a quick break - today at work has been a tad hectic for my taste.  Details to come later.

I made a cute little origami star box for today’s thing. I’d forgotten how much fun origami can be!







I got the instructions for this box here.

I designed a heraldic badge for myself as today's thing. Here it is.

In case you're wondering, in Herald-eze it is said to be: Per bend azure and purpure, a Great Dane's head couped counterchanged argent and Or.

I got a good start on this daily challenge today.  I purchased a glass bead necklace at World Market this week, and I cut it apart and made largess tokens to present TRHs Stephen and Ailleanne at Coronation.  All told, the one necklace transformed into 45 tokens.  I am not posting images here since it want those who eventually get them to be surprised.  :)