Spring equinox, Instagram, Bee house

Hello and how are you? Spring has arrived and summer is on it's heels. I broke out the floral crown for spring equinox ~ I even had something special in store for my weeping cherry blossom tree.

I celebrated the new season by dressing in pastels and turning my tree into a Maypole! I broke out the ribbon and went about braiding it around the trunk. It came out really lovely and I kept it up for a few days in the nice spring weather. 

Spring Equinox

my Maypole tree

I wrapped the ribbon at the top and began braiding it around the trunk as I went down. You can treat this like you might a French braid or a four strand braid. Or you can just wrap it in alternating directions downward. At the bottom I simply tied a bow with my ribbons. 

Fun was had, the weather was wonderful and I enjoyed myself. If you like daily or weekly photos, videos and DIY's please stop by my Instagram! I have one devoted to crafting, which is the Craftiness by B one (see my links in the side bar). For non-crafty things I have an Instagram for that as well, which is my BerthaBee Photography. I share natural beauty, health, animals & pets, vintage and other styles I'm enjoying. 

Now for more projects I've been up to! A top project I had was to paint and hang up my bee house. I bought one from a local hardware store this spring. It's made with bamboo wood and is meant to encourage wild bees to turn it into their hive. I painted the roof red because... I needed a way to find it in my wooded backyard. But also to encourage bees to investigate it (red is bright like flowers). I hung it up and am awaiting the new bee house guests. 

bamboo bee house

I used acrylic paints with a water based sealant. This way it can hold up well over the months in various weather. Due to it being made with bamboo, it's unlikely to rot any. And the round bamboo pieces inside are there to encourage a hive to take up. Now that all the flowers are blooming I do hope to see some bees move in soon enough!

Instagram & baby gift!

Hi everyone, how is your June starting off? Mine has welcomed weather of summer settling in. I've also recently heard the song of the cicada outside by the woods. I've been busy and I always like to share what I'm up to.
First off, have you visited me on Instagram? I'm there about once a day, sharing photos of my time spent crafting & such. I love to share about my adorable pets, if I head out to something fun and nature.

I am on Instagram as CraftinessbyB

I've been also sharing photos of food. I can't help it, I love food! Since I do not have a garden this year I'm trying to share locally bought produce and such. Or if I am making something yummy (often dairy-free) and how it came out. I visited a farmer's market over the weekend and just wanted to buy all the homemade, locally farmed foods! If you want to make an impact, support your local farmer's, bakers and artisans. You'd be surprised what you can buy and at such good prices!

locally grown produce

naturally, I bought strawberries!

Now, onto the baby gift I made! A friend is expecting in about a months time. She is having a boy and I wanted to make her something handmade. Even if she never puts them on the baby, she can display them in the nursery as a decoration. I found a darling book all about felt crafting and gifts. It has these 'Hermes' baby booties to make. I made mine out of blue and took my time making the stitches even. I hope to offer a video shortly of the stitching for this craft, called the blanket stitch. 

I decided to 'wrap' the gift in a fabric cloth bag. I bought a fat quarter of fabric and only used half of it for the bag. I simply picked a matching ribbon and wooden bead for it's closure. It's a pretty way to present a handmade gift without having to actually spend money on wrapping paper. And really now, it's so much more special this way!
I hope everyone is having a great start to their summer. What are you going to craft this season? Pop on over to follow me on Instagram and leave me some comments if you like! I tend to follow back people whom follow me.