This project was created for lanikins in the One Tiny Doctor Who Thing - Round 2.  Somehow I just never got around to posting it, even though I was thrilled with how the project turned out.

The inspiration behind this project was that the Doctor had bumped into a future version of himself, traveling with lanikins and her lovely children.  The TARDIS had cooked up a "Companion Survival Kit" for her, containing all the things a human might want while on extended trips through time and space, that the Doctor couldn't be bothered with.  It was made to resemble River Song's Diary, which at that point had only been seen so far in The Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.

The tin was a Kodak Film/Toy Story collectible tin that I found in a thrift shop.  It was approximately 4.5" long x 3" wide x 1.75" deep.


Upon opening it you find the first layer of survival items... 


The blue felt with spiral embroidery is a needle book, decorated to look like the time vortex, full of pins, safety pins, and needles.  In the tiny tube there is a mini-spindle of white thread, 1 white shirt button, 2 sew-on snaps, and 3 matches. Tiny scissors, a hair elastic, and a piece of Belgian Dark Chocolate.  (Because you should always have an emergency stash of chocolate.)


Upon further unpacking one finds a First Aid kit, a Tea Time kit, a measuring tape decorate like the TARDIS' Pull To Open sign, a nail file, nail clippers, utility cutter/blade, a tube vanilla lip balm (in case of snogging), pair of tweezers, tiny screwdriver (non-sonic), seam ripper, packet of Venusian Spearmint breath strips, needle threader with magnifying glass, blue rubber thimble, rubber band, and over on the left side in a small tube, a pair of earplugs for when the engines are making an awful racket.


Delving further into the First Aid and Tea Time kits we find lots more goodies... 
In the First Aid Kit: Bandages, tripple anti-biotic ointment, alcohol prep pads, germ-x wipe, burn gel, ibuprofen & aspirin.  The first aid kit has a red cross on the front, and the back reads "I think you need a doctor." 
In the Tea Time Kit:  1 English Breakfast teabag, 1 Lady Grey teabag, 2 packets of creamer, 2 packets of sugar, salt & pepper.  The tea time kit says "Keep calm and make tea" with a picture of the TARDIS on the front, and the back says "Tea revives you."  Or in some cases, aids in Regeneration!


Here are all the contents laid out together!


And finally, a close up of the retractable tape measure, which reads:
TAPE MEASURE
FREE FOR USE OF LANI
LENGTH & WIDTH OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATELY
STANDARD AND METRIC MEASUREMENTS AVAILABLE
PULL TAB TO OPEN

This set of stitch markers was made for MamanTattoo.  There are 9 markers.  One for each of the 8 holidays in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year; Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas & Mabon. The 9th is a pentagram to unite them, and as a reference to the Rule of Three, which states that the energy that a person puts out into the world will come back to them three times.  Therefore there are 3 times 3 markers.  The beads are semi-precious stones.

Here they are as a set. Starting clockwise from the top row left, they are:
~Pumpkin with a carnelian bead for Samhain; carnelian is thought to lend its energy to others.
~Evergreen tree with an aventurine bead for Yule; aventurine is thought to enhance regeneration and bring luck.
~Cauldron and an obsidian bead for Imbolc; obsidian is thought to block negativity and symbolizes resilience.
~Rabbit and a blueberry quartz bead for Ostara; blue quartz calms the mind and inspires hope.
~Broom with an amethyst for Beltane; amethyst brings pleasant dreams and promotes healing.
~Bonfire and yellow agate for Litha; agate is thought to give a person the strength to carry on.
~Sheaf of wheat and a garnet for Lammas; garnet is used for protection on journeys and constancy in friendships.
~Apple and cherry quartz for Mabon; cherry quartz is thought to bring clarity.
~And at the center a pentagram and white quartz bead to complete the set of 9.  Quartz is used to aid in meditation.

My new charm bracelet is a take on an old favorite.  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, come to life in a charm bracelet.  I went a bit crazy with this one and included a lot of enameled charms, along with my regular silver & pewter charms.  The charms include Drink Me & a tiny bottle, book for Lewis Caroll's story, pocket watch, the Queen's crown, heart, enameled & jeweled teacup, Wonderland, Queen of Hearts card, White Rabbit, club, Alice, Cheshire Cat, lamp work glass Mushroom, Tea Party, diamond, enameled teapot, top hat, Union Jack, Off With Their Heads, spade, and a Door Mouse.  The beads are a mix of glass, lamp work glass roses, Czech glass, AB Czech glass, and crystal beads in shades of black, white, red, and just a touch of Alice blue.










Enjoy!

[Starry Night Earrings]

After making some Embossed Necklace & Earring sets, I was still having so much fun with my new toy, that I decided to make some earrings too...

Starry Night Earrings

These earrings were inspired by Van Gogh's painting Starry Night Over the Rhone.  They were made with the Vintaj Arte Metal, which is black when purchased, but is silver after sanding.  They were embossed with swirling bits of clouds from the Moonlit Night folder, and painted with Cobalt, Onyx & Sapphire patina before being glazed.  The beads are golden Swarovski crystals.  I love how they came out, and was really surprised at how lightweight they are.  Even though they are about 2" long, I actually forgot I was wearing them!





Elven Earrings
These earrings were inspired by the Elven Brooches in the Lord of the Rings films.  These were made with Vintaj Arte Metal, coated with Emerald patina, and sanded & distressed to create age.  They hang from long gunmetal hooks.  They hang about 2.25" long total.

[Purple Night Necklace & Earrings]

A few weeks ago I got a Vintaj BigKick Machine to make etched & embossed jewelry pieces.  After weeks of collecting lots of supplies & tools to use with it, I finally dove into making some entire projects with my new toy.  

Purple Night Necklace & Earrings
This coming week there is a big Theatre Design & Technology conference up in Milwaukee that I'll be going to.  Usually I'm a pretty casual dresser, but since there will be so many costumers there, I usually try to step up my game when I'm there, with nice accessories and makeup, which I don't normally wear at work.  I got a beautiful new purple kimono top, but sadly I had no really impressive accessories to wear with it.  So back to the embossed jewelry!  The brass pendant is embossed with the Moonlit Night folder, and the earrings were embossed with the Distressed Textures folder (I think they look like falling stars).  The colors of the Patina paints are Ruby, Opalite, Amethst, Cobalt & Onyx.  I used a brass chain, and some vitriol crystal beads to pick up the purple/pink/ruby sparkle.








Sunday was DH's 30th Birthday, and I planned a party at his favorite restaurant with all his friends.  I even got a cute new top to wear to it.  Sadly, I had no matching accessories, so I whipped up this necklace and earrings set that morning.  The brass pieces are embossed with the Deco pattern folder, and then filled in with a black patina.  I sanded & buffed away the raised edges, and sealed the pieces so they won't discolor.  I was thrilled with how they came out, and got lots of compliments on it that night.  No one believed me when I explained how I embossed the metal, and when we went back to our place for drinks after dinner, I had to do a demonstration for our friends with the embossing machine!

Black Deco & Brass Necklace & Earrings






I hope you enjoy them!

I just completed a new charm bracelet, and I really love how it came out.  It was a special request, from a lovely lady who teaches high school English, adores London, Harry Potter, Sherlock, Doctor Who, and happens to be going to England next month.  It includes 21 pewter, enamel & Tibetan silver charms, and a mix of glass, Czech glass, crystal, stone and freshwater pearl beads in shades of black, navy, slate blue, smokey grey and clear.




The charms include: inkwell & quill, fob watch, Impossible Astronaut, Hogwarts Letter, Underground sign, rose, gas mask...


red Converse sneaker, angel wing, Sorting Hat, Police Box, scarf, Big Ben, double decker bus...


bow tie, phone booth, open book, owl, Union Jack, and a lightning bolt.

[Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits]

While I'm not actually vegetarian or vegan, I've been trying to eat more vegetarian meals lately.  Both for my health, and for the environmental impact.  Since I also happen to be lactose intollerant, that usually means using vegan recipes to avoid any dairy too.  I love mushrooms, and so while DH was out on Monday night, I went and made myself a big batch of Roasted Mushroom Soup, and some Sweet Potato Biscuits to have with it.  I've been enjoying it for lunch all week!



Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits

Here's the link to the recipe I used: My Vegan Cookbook - Sweet Potato Biscuits

1 Small - Medium Sweet Potato (use exactly 1/2 cup mashed)
3/4 Cup Almond Milk
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 & 1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 & 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook your sweet potato, either by peeling, chopping & boiling, or by microwaving it, like a baked potato. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together almond milk and vinegar and let set for a few minutes to curdle.

In a separate large mixing bowl mix together the flours, baking soda and powder, salt and sugar.

Whisk together the sweet potato with the almond milk mixture. Pour into the mixing bowl with the flour and mix together until almost incorporated. Then add the oil to the dough, put a few drops of oil on your hands, and start kneading the dough with your hands. Fold the dough over onto itself a couple times.

Next, spread the dough out about 3/4 inches thick on a floured surface, then sprinkle the top with flour. With a 2 & 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut the biscuits out and lay onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden on top.  I actually hate rolling out & cutting biscuit dough, so I simply pulled off chunks, and patted them down smooth on the tray, like slightly smoothed drop-bidcuits.

Note: I used a 7 oz sweet potato, the kind that come pre-wrapped in plastic, and are meant to be microwaved.  It was a hair under the amount I needed of vegetable puree, so I ended up using an extra 1/2 Tablespoon of canola oil.  You could also use unsweetened apple sauce instead. I liked them, and they definitely weren't "sweet", despite the potato.  I think they might be nice to try making with pumpkin puree too.  


Roasted Mushroom Soup
For the soup, I referenced two different recipes  and still ended up altering it, based on what was in the house.  Here are the two original recipes that I based mine off of.

Epicurean Vegan - Roasted Mushroom & Garlic Soup with Caramelized Onions
Lunchbox.com - No Cream of Mushroom Soup

INGREDIENTS:
9 oz white mushrooms, sliced
9 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
6 oz shiitake mushrooms, sliced
½ cup frozen cauliflower
1 – 15 oz can whole new potatoes
1 cup almond milk
1 T. minced garlic, divided
1-2 Tbs olive oil + a drizzle
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 C vegetable stock

Caramelized onions:
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced into strips
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  (You can do this at 400 degrees while the biscuits cook if you wish.)

Toss the sliced mushrooms with the oil, 1 T. minced garlic, kosher salt & pepper. Lay them flat on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-30 minutes - or until they begin to caramelize around the edges. After roasting, they should still be moist, yet fully cooked and flavorful to eat on their own.

Start the onions while the mushrooms are roasting.  Combine the onions and olive oil in your soup pot.  Cover and cook on medium-low 15-20 minutes. Remove the cover, and stir in the sugar.  Turn the heat up to medium-high, and cook until golden.  About 10 more minutes.  Remove the onions from the pan, and set aside.  

Deglaze the pan with a bit of vegetable broth.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the tasty brown bits.

Defrost your cauliflower in the microwave, then place in blender with 3 c vegetable broth, can of new potatoes, 1 cup almond milk, and ¾ of the mushrooms.  (My blender is huge.  You may need to do this in two batches.)  Pour the pureed veggies into the soup pot, on medium-high heat.  Stirring occasionally, heat until piping hot.

Pour into bowls, and top with the caramelized onions and remaining mushrooms.

Notes: I had been planning to use either the cauliflower or canned beans called for in the above mentioned recipes, only to discover that I was out of beans, and had only ½ cup cauliflower, midway through cooking.  I substituted the potatoes instead, and they made for a creamy and satisfying soup.  

I would have liked more solid mushrooms in the soup.  When I do this again, I think I'd add another container of baby bellas to the mix, so I’d have more to use as topping.  The flavor of the soup was amazing.  The potatoes made it velvety and satisfying.  And it came to 145 calories per serving.  

In future, I might add a teaspoon of Gravy Master next time for a more golden brown color, as the potatoes + mushrooms made a slightly grey-brown color.  I didn’t mind it, but the Gravy Master might make it prettier for company or non-vegetarian/vegan folks who might be doubtful. (P.S. I checked, and Gravy Master is vegan friendly.  )

I've finished my second afghan!  This one was much easier than my first one.  The pattern was super simple and worked up quickly.  I spent exactly 4 weeks on it, crocheting casually whenever DH & I were watching television together.  The pattern is the Kew Gardens, which is available for free from Lion Brand.  The yarn was Lion Brand Homespun in Earth, Lagoon & Barrington.  The last picture has a 48" long ruler for scale. 







I'm so glad it's done.  It will be a birthday present for my mom, and that isn't until March 21st, so I'm quite early!  Now I have to start on one for a friend's wedding....

A male friend of mine has complained that he likes my charm bracelets, but that he can't really get away with wearing one.  It got me thinking about what kind of accessories I could make for him, and the rest of the fandom boys I know.  I finally realized that guys can get away with carrying charms around, as long as they are on something manly like a keychain. 

I've been on a jewelry making spree again today.  Trying to get some stuff done before the semester starts back up tomorrow.  As part of luxuriating in the very last bit of winter break, I spent all of yesterday watching Doctor Who.  Now I've clearly got Who on the brain.  And so I give you Police Box Pendants on faux-leather woven cords.  Now what else can I do with the charms on my desk....