They took about 45 minutes each. They require about $.10 worth of embroidery floss, which one can purchase at Michael's for $.35. The purchase yields about 2-4 bracelets. Hemp is also an option. I bought my touchstone/words at Michaels for something like $3. There were 6 of them.
One can search YouTube for square knot bracelet tutorials. Or whatever type of knot you'd like to use. Even just "friendship bracelet" will return results.
A simple, understated gift that the recipient will hopefully look at every day.
I spent a little time tonight on my Stocking Stuffer partner's package. She's pretty awesome. Like most of my partners.
So here's what I got done tonight:
There's 2 hedgehog notecards, a small notecard, tea, a tea house thing, three soy candles, a small DIY candle kit (melt the wax and the fragrance, pour it yourself!), a "42" pendant, the Roald Dahl magpo.
I'm still planning a "night owl" pillowcase and a bookmark. I'm also making a small first aid kit and something out of this black cat wooden cutout (maybe a Christmas ornament?). So that's probably it for that swap.
I spent a good portion of tonight crafting...I'm getting excited about sending my packages off to their new homes.
I worked on my secret santa package for a bit. My partner is into Jimmy Buffett so I decided to make a candle set (layered and triple-fragranced with soy wax, color and glitter!) using titles of Jimmy Buffett songs. As you can imagine, the set is very tropical!
We have "Grapefruit Juicy Fruit", "Coconut Telegraph", "Last Mango in Paris" and "Fruitcakes". I think they came out ok but they're still setting. I've never tried glitter before but in the colorless candle, it seems to have a really nice pink, iridescent sheen throughout the candle. Anyway. That's it for my Secret Santa partner!
Ok, so here's what I've crafted thus far. I'm still waiting on two more pieces to arrive. I've been in this swap for about a month but it took awhile to receive my pieces. First you send out blank pieces to your crafting partners. Then they doll them up and send them back to you. I'm excited to see what I get back. My themes were "cerulean" and "lavender". The titles of what I've posted are "Vampiric Picnic --bird inset" (came from here), "GlugGlug", "Tetris" and "Firefly".
I know they're not perfect, but they are mine. I had a lot of fun coloring these and I like how bright they are.
I know it's been a L-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n-g time since I've posted. I've not been doing much in the crafty way of life.
But. I signed up for two swaps. So I'll be posting about the process here.
Swap #1: PostSecret. I'll be creating 5 postcards with my "secrets" on them. I'll probably post a few but not post a few too. Some of my secrets are really secrets. Some aren't.
Swap #2: It's an ATC swap but instead of "C"s, it's going to be puzzle pieces! You create 3 (or 4?) separate pieces for three different people based on a theme. Then you get back 4 (I think?) pieces that go together based on a theme. All I wrote for my "receive" themes were colors: lavender, cerulean. I think I also wrote "dogs".
I'm really excited because this will give me an excuse to get out and explore the crafty/thrifting side of my new city. I will need to locate an old used puzzle. And I know of some great antique shops in my current city that have awesome vintage postcards. I could have myself a hunt in the new city searching for vintage postcards.
So I know it's been a long time. But I should be posting *some* of my stuff in the next week or so.
I found this great website of 'obscure' "Z" words that I think I'm going to use for my "Z" card for the Alphabet ATC swap. That's my only project that needs to be done. I ended up with like 10 ATCs for the May swap. Pretty good!
The Little Miss Sunshine card is my favorite that I've made. It references a scene where a character learns he is color blind. Check it out here.
I also made a Golden Girls card. It doesn't compare to color blind. But. Oh well!
I made more cards (3) that I didn't snap pictures of: one was a 42 utility towel , one was a rainbow (it was frenzied and very busy.) and one was a "Y" card, which had "You may rely on it." like a Magic 8 Ball. I just sealed up the envelopes without even thinking!
I just signed up for a "Y,Z ATC Swap". I think I'm going to do "Yes" and "ZOINKS!" for my two cards. I am excited. With all the cards I'm going to be receiving, I should get a binder or some such neat way to display my cards. My favorite so far has been this neat tornado ("Weather") card I received that is a mini-watercolor. I am in love with "mini" things in the first place (mini shampoos, mini cupcakes, mini everything!) and these mini-works of art are right up my alley!
On another note, I have been considering making a new blog to take one photo a day. Not of myself, no way. Just of something significant to me. Keep an eye out for a new link. Photography isn't really a "craft", per se but it is something I really enjoy. And I think the more I practice, the better photos I can take. One photo at a time. I generally gravitate toward landscapes and natural scenes.
I chose a "Greek Mythology" theme from someone's list. I was very inspired by a HUGE tapestry I saw at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. It depicts a scene from mythology showing Artemis bathing with her maidens at a forest pond. Unwittingly, Actaeon comes upon the ladies. He's out hunting with his dogs. Goddesses nudity is held to be of utmost sacredness. Artemis condemns Actaeon to die: she turns him into a stag who is pursued by his own dogs. The original tapestry is amazingly intricate, completed by several women in the 1700s.
I'm working on my first official ATC. I've toyed with the idea before and made all kinds of papercrafts. I've just never committed myself to creating an ATC.
I have a feeling they will be addictive. The theme I'm currently working with is "giraffe".
I found a funny quote from Eddie Izzard that I'm incorporating. "I am an evil giraffe and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then perhaps I should, so that other giraffes may die."
I signed up to do an artist trading card swap. My first "claim" (the first themed card that I get to design) is "giraffes". It should be interesting. I will start working on that this weekend.
So I haven't posted in a long time. I got a little overwhelmed with the crafting process and just stopped documenting. Hopefully I'll get back into it, slowly but surely.
A neat wooden box from the craft store. I decked it out with craft paint and glossy ModPodge. She selected the quote. It's from a Vitamin C song.
Click to see it bigger. The dark behind the words is my cardboard. I love the rainbow effect of the text. I hope my partner does too! Those rainbow stars were a BITCH. They are VERY temperamental. Iron just so, iron from the reverse...many steps. But it came out cute, I think! I'm really pleased with it.
So that's what she's receiving. I also made a few small bookmarks. They didn't take much time so I didn't photograph them but I think they came out cute too. Bookmarks are an easy project!
The basic form for any of the Mini-Wheat. Tan and white felt, striped with sharpie to simulate the grainy texture. I want him to be snuggly when all is said and done. (Michael's has felt for $0.29/each)
His pipe cleaner expression. I need to get some large black buttons for his eyes. That will make all the difference.
The basic sketches for his little outfit. I haven't decided if he will end up as Magellan or Columbus. I think Columbus' hat will be easier. I need to collect some gold trim for his hat and coat. I'm going to make his coat and hat out of felt too. He's going to be a bed throw pillow, I think. Or maybe a couch pillow, so I want him to be soft and touchable. Nothing hard or pokey or stiff.
Getting ready to stitch up his outside. I think I'm going to stuff it with quilting batting, making him pretty soft and durable. I don't want him too thick, probably just about 3" or so. The thread is a champagne color (it's just what I already had on hand).
First attempt will be this little Magellan guy. I collected felt today. I am going to use pipe cleaner for the eyebrows and mouth. I have red felt for his little jacket. I need some gold trim. I have no idea how I'm going to make his little hat. He will be the size of a notebook paper, 8.5x11.
Also pictured, Lewis/Clark-style expolorer (I'm calling him Davy Crockett)
This guy is Christopher Columbus, but you can see he's basically the same as Magellan (save the hat)!
I love the astronaut one, Davy Crockett-mini-wheat...all of them. I don't know how I'd do it. I think I could use cotton for the frosting and maybe felt? I think I'd make them big enough to double as little pillows. I am going to look at Michael's today for some supplies. At least they're not too incredibly detailed. The eyes are just black dots.
It *might* be enough to get me to drag out my sewing machine (which hasn't happened in years).
I don't want to post all the pics again. Just follow the link.
Video of Aesop (my kitten-cat) playing with her Mariner's Revenge cat toy. She has destroyed him, by the way. She's so flipping precious when she plays.
It's my blog and I'm in charge. So you have to listen to everything I say!
1. I am ready for another tattoo. I just gotta get the specifics. I have a word, a font and a place. I need a size, a color and a price/artist/shop.
2. I think I am going to get a completely unrelated tattoo when my sister and I travel to CT at the end of March to visit relatives. I want a little kawaii apple. Green, with a smile. But I don't know if we'll get matching ones or just matching themes. The idea was an apple to commemorate NYC(!) and a trip together.
Next weekend, I think I am going to be learning the timeless craft of soapmaking. I'm not sure of how I feel about it. Kinda excited, kinda meh.
I've been watching season 1 all day brainstorming. No pics yet.
I am thinking:
a little fork guitar
something with an orca
a funky funky eyepatch
a mirror with "you're so beautiful"-phrases all over it ("you could be a part time model", "you could be an air hostess from the 60s", "you could be a waitress"...)
"the tape of love"--something creative there. paper dolls, retractable pencils, tape, brown paper, white paper. . .
That's all I got so far. I am pretty jazzed about this swap. I should probably look at the requirements again; I'm not sure I'm prepared to make a bunch of "large" items. I would like to design some stationary. That would be fun!
So I saw the movie last night. It was pretty scary!
Generally, my partner and I hate seeing movies at the theatre. The seats are really uncomfy, people are distracting and noisy... generally not a fun time. I haven't had any restlessness in my legs since I quit drinking caffeine but last night I had an attack.
I think I want to try using clay. I want to make a praying mantis photo holder like she had in the film. The photo sat in a simple frame on the forearms of the mantis. It was really neat!
It appears it would only be one color. She had it on her nightstand at her real parents' house. I think it might have had yellow eyes and/or black accents.
I have signed up for the Flight of the Conchords swap (round 2)! I am going to sign up for the Favorite Quotes swap...but I need to solidify my quotes. My favorite one so far is "))<>((" from Me and You and Everyone We Know. Such a good movie!! I don't think I'm signing up for the Arrested Development swap because I'm trying not to overdo it right now.
I also signed up for a "I want to learn _____" swap. You put together a kit to make something and send it to a curious partner.
Bookmarks (an added bonus), the cosmetic case, the sweatshirt.
The sweatshirt (back), nothing on the front. Just white.
Another shot.
Another shot.
The Olde English script (took SO. LONG. At least an hour.)
The whale stencil also took forever because it involved some layering and I'd never done anything like that before. The blue whale spout didn't come out quite right/crisp enough for my standards because the turquoise paint was a little watery. If I could re-do it, that would be my priority for fixing.
I got the stencil by googling "cute whale graphic", I think. The powerlines on the cosmetic zipper pouch came from googling "powerlines". I think I talked about them in a previous post.
