Giveaway: “Farm Girl Vintage, The Experiment”

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free copy of the quilting book, Farm Girl Vintage, by Lori Holt.

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Giveaway: “Apothecary, The Experiment”

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sampling of products from our favorite apothecary, Mountain Rose Herbs. While I enjoy many of Mountain Rose Herbs’ bath, body, and kitchen products myself, I’m also glad to report that they’re one of my cows’ favorite suppliers, too. “What do herbs have to do with cows?” you may ask. Well, I make a non-toxic homemade fly spray for my herd using MRH essential oils.

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Giveaway: “Gel-plate Printing, The Experiment”

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sample of our ChillOver Powder. Over the years, we’ve given you lots of ideas for yummy concoctions using ChillOver Powder, my gelatin alternative. Looks like gelatin. Tastes like gelatin. It isn’t. It’s better! My innovative ChillOver Powder is for all the people who grew up loving gelatin desserts but gave up on them, knowing their animal origin.

But recently, Megan discovered a new craft using ChillOver Powder: gel-plate printing. “After purchasing a commercial gel plate and spending some time ‘printing’ with it,” Megan says, “I quickly understood what folks-in-the-know were raving about. But I couldn’t stop thinking how easy these plates might be to make myself, so I took my newfound craft to another level: the kitchen. With a sense of adventure, I tied on my apron and experimented with MaryJane’s ChillOver Powder, our gelatin substitute. The result? Well, let’s just say the proof was in the printing.”

Find step-by-step instructions for gel-plate printing in the “Farm Life” section of the Aug/Sept issue. And for a chance to win a pouch of ChillOver Powder, tell me about a new craft you’ve discovered in the comments below. We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!

If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.

Giveaway: “The Perfect Clothespin, The Experiment”

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free sampling of “the perfect clothespin,” featured in our “Home Safe Home” section.

clothespins_1836

You probably know that we love clothespins here at MaryJanesFarm. You might have seen the article, “The Humble Clothespin,” in our “Celebrating 15 Years” Feb/Mar 2015 issue. And recently, we discovered another small company that makes old-fashioned wooden clothespins by hand. Albert Crooks and his 15-year-old son, Al, craft beautiful, sturdy clothespins from ash (the perfect hardwood for clothespins) and heavy-duty, stainless-steel springs manufactured in the U.S. “No more using four or five cheap clothespins to hang a wet towel to line dry. Our clothespins are tumble sanded and are finished with tung oil, which will not leach out and stain your laundry.” For beautiful clothespins that will last a lifetime, visit AllAmericanClothespins.com.

For a chance to win a sampling of “the perfect clothespin,” tell me how hanging laundry on the line makes you feel in the comments below. We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!

If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.

Accidental Jewelry

Have you ever heard of fordite, or as it’s more commonly known, motor agate? I hadn’t until I stumbled upon an artist who’s dedicated to celebrating this “accidental,” man-made material.

fordite earrings via fordite.com

Back in the day when cars were hand-painted on assembly lines, the tracks and skids that held them became thick with layers and layers of paint. These layers were sent into the ovens to cure along with the cars over and over again, essentially becoming baked enamel, and eventually had to be removed so as not to hamper production. Some creative soul realized the potential of these beautiful layers as a salvage opportunity—the painted layers could easily be cut and polished into a myriad of faux rocks. Rock hounds soon began offering their services to factories to remove these colorful nuggets.

fordite necklace via fordite.com

Fordite is the brainchild of designer and artist Cindy Dempsey (who says she was inspired by the pet-rock phenomenon of the 1970s) and a family friend who worked at one of the factories and brought pieces home to her. She fell in love with the colorful bits and began using them in place of gemstones in her jewelry designs. Her website offers a historical perspective of motor agate, classification types, a cabochon gallery, and a humorous 12-step program called Fordite Addicts Anonymous, where users can determine whether they are experiencing any of the seven signs of fordite addiction. Cindy went on to form Urban Relic Design, a group of artists dedicated to making unique jewelry with this fantastic by-product.

fordite ring via fordite.com

You can visit their UrbanRelicDesign.com shop or head over to Fordite.com for a link to all things fordite. Now, pieces of fordite really are collectors’ items because they no longer exist; the automotive industry has moved to mechanized painting, which leaves little to no overspray on the assembly line.

Giveaway: “Camp Like a Girl, The Experiment”

In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free copy of Glamping with MaryJane, featured in our “Camp Like a Girl” article.

In our article, we give you lots of ideas to glam up your camping experience. For a chance to win a copy of Glamping with MaryJane, tell me one of your glamping ideas or tips in the comments below. (If you haven’t picked up a copy of Glamping with MaryJane yet, order your autographed copy here.) We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!

If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.