Inspired at Home Radio with Tiffany Windsor | Show Details

July 5, 2009

Just in case you missed any details of our July 5th radio show, here's the facts, info, hints, tips, advice, musings and whatevers! Yep -- we actually talked about ALL this stuff on this show! Don't believe that we could have possibly fit all this info into one tiny show? Listen to the archived show Use our quick links to jump to any feature on this page:

Product Review
Project Ideas of the Week
Guest Interview with Warren Gruenig
Guest Interview with Candace Liccione
Guest Interview with Miguel Nelson
Embracing Your Creative Spirit with Katheryn Tidwell Bieber
The Final Few | Musings
Herban Living | Go Go Green

All of our Inspired at Home projects can be found at FaveCrafts.com. We love to rave about Fave! This is a site that is a center for all things crafting with thousands of free craft projects from craft manufacturers, designers and craft bloggers. Here is our project pick of the week:

My project pick this week from FaveCrafts.com is the Day at the Beach Wreath by Diane Flowers for Styrofoam brand. This project is from their 14 Thrifty Summer Decorating Ideas featured in a recent newsletter. Made from scrapbooking embellishments, fish net and a foam wreath base, I would also add my own seashells, sea glass and vacation mementos to personalize this wreath. >>Candace

My pick this week is from www.paper-source.com. I've always loved this store. Their paper selection is AMAZING. Their tag line is "DO SOMETHING CREATIVE EVERYDAY". Check out their P aper Flower Kits. I loved them the moment I clicked onto this site. They remind me of the many flowers we used to create at Mom's (Aleene) store years and years ago. This site has lots of ideas for paper and even some projects for the kids. And while you're there, check out their amazing collection of supplies. Oh, but that's not all...click on their ColorScope. It's a color palette that tells you more about yourself. Check it out! >>Heidi

My project pick this week comes from Sizzix. I love this cute Love Necklace created by Debi Adams. Made from shrink plastic, this necklace has the look of metal. The Sizzix dies used to create this cutie are -Sizzlits Die Set 4PK - Tag Set #3, Bigz Alphabet Set 4 Dies - Boss-O! Bigz Alphabet Set 7 Dies - Serif Essentials. >>Tiffany

Embracing Your Creative Spirit with Katheryn Tidwell Bieber - today her message focuses on helping us drop that negative talk in our head to remember to create with pure child-like joy to find out how we can embrace our creative spirit - Listen to Katheryn's report!

Inspired at Home Blog - Check out this week's posts:
Aleene's Look of Forged Foil by Heidi, and Honey is a Great Home Remedy by Candace.

Did you know? The Native American Indians used the resources that nature provided them to create the items they needed. One perfect example is the paintbrush. Native American Indians made paintbrushes from the leaves of the Yucca plant and used those brushes to paint their handcrafted clay pottery. The Yucca leaves are pounded by rock until the fibers separate and resemble paintbrush bristles. The longer you pound the leaves, the finer the bristles will be. If you don't have any rocks, you can chew the leaves to break down and separate the fibers as the Native American Indians did. Source: www.ehow.com

Have you heard about the CHA Craft SuperShow? This is a new consumer show which will be held in Orlando, Florida on Friday and Saturday July 31st and August 1st. This Craft SuperShow will be a place where people can visit with and learn from craft manufacturers, buy products form craft retailers and purchase finished projects from designers and professional crafters. They are also offering a full program of hands-on workshops, make 'n takes and fun events. For more info - GO>> Fun for the whole family! Click here to learn how you can get $5. off two-day admission!

My pick for the final few is www.tribalsociete.com. This website features products that are hand-made by tribal villages around the world. You can search by region and categories such as bags, sandals, jewlery(including necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets), and home goods. Gorgeous photos offer beautiful pieces and, by the way, the prices are very reasonable!>>Heidi

My pick this week is The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen. This is a great book filled with tips on how to go green in all aspects of your life from food, to transportation to how to buy green products. This is a great read! >>Candace

My pick this week for the final few this week is Body+Soul magazine. I know that Candace has already given her thumbs up and praise to this magazine so the addition of my thumbs up this week earns this publication the We Love It stamp of approval from Inspired at Home. When I read this magazine it just makes my heart sing. From whole living, rejuvenating, green living, whole health to inner growth and action plans, Body+Soul is filled with everyday useful information. Read it! >>Tiffany

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Warren Gruenig, CEO of Posh Impressions joined us to talk about the

highlights of joining in business with his wife Dee Gruenig. As a former public school teacher and principal, Warren joined Posh many years after its launch to help his wife Dee whose business was rapidly growing. Business needs quickly evolved into negotiating leases for their 6 stores, assisting with marketing and customer relations and publicity. Dee's book "The Great Rubber Stamp Book" has sold nearly 300,000 copies and was twice featured as the Book of the Month Club selection. You can visit Warren and Dee at their blog or purchase Dee's rubber stamp products on-line. Listen to Warren's interview GO>>

Candace Liccione has been teaching herbalism for almost 20 years. In

1995, after studying medicinal herbalism with herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar, Candace relocated to Royersford, Pennsylvania and transplanted and transformed six-acres of her property into an herbal and garden sanctuary. In 2004, Candace opened Wye River Designs Studio, a teaching studio where women can gather together to create and share through crafting. Located in Grasonville, Maryland this unique studio features creative, contemporary design classes, hand-made gifts and gallery items and crafting supplies including jewelry making and mosaics. Listen to Candace's interview GO>>

Miguel Nelson, owner of Woolly Pocket Garden Company talks about this company's sustainably designed soft-sided breathable gardening containers that can be used to create living walls, edible gardens and basically make it more fun and easy to garden just about

anywhere. Plants love Pockets because they breathe and promote healthy roots. Woolly Pockets is a family owned business. Miguel is an artist based in Los Angeles and his brother is a scientist based in Phoenix. Miguel and his wife also built and operate one of California's most sustainably designed event spaces called SmogShoppe. Listen to Miguel's interview GO>>

Michaels Arts & Crafts stores offer a really great “Which Brush is Best?” guide. You will definitely want to pick one up in the brush aisle of the store. This little tri-fold brochure is packed with information on how to choose the best brush hair for your painting project. Choosing a brush is a matter of personal preference, but each brush hair and shape has its own unique qualities.

Did you know that natural soft hair brushes are designed for use especially with watercolor and oil-base products? Perhaps you have heard of the red sable brush but did you know that its hair is from the weasel family? Ox hair brushes are strong and silken and often used in moderately priced brushes and lack the fine tip of the red sable. Goat hair possesses good absorbency with a soft, sometimes wiry feel. Squirrel is very absorbent and has finely pointed hairs, but again, lacks the spring of red sable. Camel is an all-encompassing term for brushes made from economical hairs, none of which are camel. Brushes labeled camel may include ox, goat, squirrel or pony hair.

So long or short handle? Short handle brushes are the choice for most craft and hobby projects. A short handle brush is also the preferred length for watercolors. Long handles are designed for easel work, so that the artist may distance themselves from their painting.

Traditionally, handles are made of varnished or enamel coated wood. Today, acrylic and plastic handle are also available and may be preferred for their weight and durability in water. There are also comfort style handles which generally feature a thicker contoured grip area.

And of course, the brush style is important for your creative project. You will find instructions that call out for round, liners, flat, stencil, fabric scrubber and some other familiar brushes are one-stroke, filbert and fan. Did you know that the very fine detailing brush is called a "spotter"? What kind of brushes do the Creativity Sisters use? Find out what they said - listen!

Peppermint is not just a garnish for your iced tea! There are 2 dozen species of mint and each has its own subtle, distinct flavor. An interesting characteristic of the mint plants is that they have square stems. Check it out next time you see a mint plant. There are many different kinds of mints but the most popular are peppermint and spearmint. Peppermint makes a delicious tea by itself but also is yummy when used with other tea herbs like rosemary, rosehips, lavender, hibiscus, passion flower, and any of the lemon scented herbs. Peppermint is best used fresh in ice teas, desserts, fruit salads, salads, yogurts, and veggie dishes. But peppermint is great dried also as it retains its essential oils when dried. Peppermint is refreshing, calming, sweetens breath, is really good for digestion and gas (hence that basket of peppermint candies that restaurants have on hand), soothes muscles, relieve headaches and colds and flu. Peppermint essential oil is also good for motion sickness or nausea – place a few drops on a tissue and inhale. You can also rub peppermint essential oil put into a carrier oil of olive or almond oil and apply to forehead and temples for a headache.

There are a few cautions with peppermint and the main one is: don’t use with children under three years old as too much of the plant’s oil can irritate their stomach lining. Pregnant and nursing women should also not use peppermint. >>Candace

Recycling - my family has been doing it for as long as it has been an option! I am always amazed that everyone does not recycle. Many communities have recycling as part of their garbage pickup and that makes it so easy. They even give you the recycle bins. The county that I live in does not do municipal garbage pickup or recycling. We have the option of private garbage pickup or taking our trash to the dump and no pick-up recycling options at all. So, we take our recyclable paper, glass and cans to local recycling bins located throughout our county. “Is this convenient, no, but it is simply another stop on our weekly cycle of errands.

I guess that the main reason that people don’t recycle is nothing but plain laziness. If you could see the amount of recyclables that the average family has each week, you would be amazed. Recycling of 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees, 6,953 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, 587 pounds of air pollution, 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space and 4.077 kilowatt hours of energy. That is just for paper; imagine the saving with glass and cans. Take time to consider recycling if you aren’t already doing it. And if you are recycling, YEAH! Keep it up. The more we recycle, the more materials and products can be made out of recycled materials. Then we can really start working with manufacturers to change the wasteful packaging they are currently using. Recycle, today. >>Candace