I am done with the undies swap. I'm glad to be done with that package. I probably won't undertake any more swaps besides the Dexter one since Xmas is coming. It's a little sad because they're so fun--I never really know what I'm going to end up with--but I need to focus on redirecting my finances.
I also am in need of a camera repair on an autofocus lens which (I surmise) will not be inexpensive. It should be under warranty but I don't have a receipt (it was a gift).
The Dexter swap will be 7 points (3=large, 2=medium, 1=small). That's my biggest swap recently. I'll have to collect materials. I'll need to ValVil for barbie parts (legs, arms, head) and collect some red yarn.
I'm going to try my hand at clockmaking. I am going to buy the pieces that make it tick in a kit @ a craft store and I think I'm going to make the clock look like the geometric blood representation with red string/yarn. I don't know anymore than that right now but I think I could look really cool.
I finished my top #1 (Anchors Aweigh) tonight. It turned out G-R-E-A-T, especially for me, but really for anybody. I'm really happy with it.
I tried a new method (that's the idea with the swaps for me, trying new things) that involved multiple layers of stencils. I started with the pink as a background then added the blue (the hardest layer; it involved a lot of hand-painting to fill in small spaces.
The anchor came from Microsoft Word's clip art. I just searched "anchor" until I found one that looked feasible. I tried to match the turquoise to the undies, but I sort of failed.
My partner said she likes turquoise and red but I didn't have any red paint. To make red, do I mix pink with black? That wouldn't make red. Yeah, I don't know much about color.
Then I added the black Old English on top. It was "LAMB"-inspired. I just love those Old English letters. Maybe I'll monogram part of her package in some way. Just love it! But I am not sure if I like those A's or not. . .they kinda freak me out. I make them like this-- 'a' -- with the upside down looking g type a, not just an o with a hook. But at any rate, I feel really good about this send out.
All I have left to do is make a cute "owl" top. I think I'm gonna stencil "ORLY" or maybe stencil a super cute owl on the front and do ORLY on the back. Idk.
But I feel super proud of this!
So I bought a three pack of undies to send to my partner. But we're only crafting two themes, so I only sent two pair. I kept a pair of weird lime green for myself and sent off two blues to be decorated.
Here's what I did with my green pair.
It's a pair of rhinestone wings. On my butt. That was fun and a new technique to master. In the future, if I do it, I might throw down some epoxy or mod-podge to create a sturdier bond between the rhinestones and the fabric. Maybe spray adhesive. Something that won't wash off, though. There's also a detail of a wing.
It was fun and totally worth the $1 I paid for the rhinestones (sale @ Michaels, score!)...
I'm going to be participating in a Dexter swap in the next few weeks.
I'm brainstorming what I might like to make.
I think I'm going to take this image
and turn it into a reusable tote. Just a simple stencil in multi colors. I might invest in some spray stencil paint (or just regular spray paint?) and do iron-on letters in a nice shadow block like that. IDK, maybe even just do a straight transfer from computer paper. I like the newsprint headlines so maybe I can do a transfer of that and then stencil over the top. It'll be a little different but cool nonetheless. If you've never watched Dexter, I'd advise you ignore the current season (it sorta sucks) and start at the beginning. 1st and 2nd seasons were good (really good) but this season not so good, ackshully. Oh, and it's about a serial killer so obvi don't watch if you're squeamish around blood.
On that note, check out this Supermarket Craft winner for the September Craftster swap challenge. It's amazing!
Of course, this is my inspiration for the Dexter bag. But I won't be using grocery store beans. I can't believe how good it looks. She said in her post that she spent a lot of time watching movies and gluing beans in place. I love the little white/pink beans that act as highlights (corner of his eye, nose, chin). It's a perfect representation of Obama in beans. Not that I'm declaring who I voted for or anything, I'm just awed by the talent!
Congrats, boogaloo and your "Barack Bean-Bama" (I would have called it Barack Obama Rama).
Other than the Dexter swap, I'm done with swapping for awhile so I can prepare (financially) for Xmas.
I think I know what I'm getting my sister but other than that, my family is up in the air for gifts. I will probably make Greg a few items. We've been having some good laughs lately, I could translate them into tshirts pretty easily. Books are always good. This year, I am planning on getting my sister's boyfriend something. Maybe I'll get them something they can use together. Yeah, I don't know at all.
On the Dexter swap, I would like to put together a little clip art bonanza here to inspire me.
