A Couple Quick Projects

I'm still unpacking and trying to get my house set up. As I go along I think of a million projects that still need to be done. It is nice to have a few small things to do at night when I'm worn out after all that house work.

I discovered a set of tarot cards that have been in storage for the last three years. This is a beautiful deck that needs a special bag. I had a peice of denim laying on the couch looking mysteriously like a pouch with a spiffy flap. So I embriodered up the seams and left the edges raw. I even found a perfect clear button that shows of the button hole.


These balls of plarn are sitting in the clover waiting to become a welcome mat. Each ball is made of 10 bags and takes about 1 1/2 hours to put together. Once crocheted they will carefully remove the mud from Mike's boots and stand up to the constant rain we get here.


Lastly, I promised the fine people at craftster that I would photo this as soon as I unpacked it. This set of inchies is titled "Sudoku No Choji". Choji is Japanese for butterfly and all the pieces have bits of Sudoku answers in them. I made the frame and mat back at the frame shop in Germany. I miss that place.

Photos, Phinaly

Oh my, I've done it. My new camera is up and running. You will probably be able to see the difference in the quality of between old and new camera. The Fuji was getting a little senile and taking strangely colored pics. Now I have a Sony Cyber Shot. New and cute and small and black and new and 10 mega pixels and new. So now to those crafty things.

Ok, Claus isn't crafty. But he dose deserve a little memorial. He was a good fish. Don't cry Lonnie. He was given a beautiful ceremony (down the toilet)



First real craft up is Poppy. I made Poppy to make sure that the pattern we were using in sewing class would be fairly easy and well designed. It was neither. We still made it. (see Katie with Emily in past post) I was so frustrated with the pattern that my version say around naked for months. I finally promised Katie that Poppy would have some proper clothes, not just a tutu.

The black and gold dress was down sized from my old dress. I had fond memories of it and just couldn't throw it away. Now Poppy can wear it to a Halloween party thrown by her future husband. (we never got those fire works to explode the toy tank). I also crocheted a little hat and scarf for the cold winter months we are now experiencing.

Time: 10 hours for doll and clothes
Cost: Free, all scraps and recycled material

Next is a tiny cross stitch pattern that the shop had about 50 of up until this Christmas. We finally got so sick of seeing them that they were given away as a "gift with purchase." I bought some glitter and yarn and picked of this delightful (read "gag me") creature. Of course I had to twist it to my tastes. Originally the thing was supposed to be tossing snow balls. Now it is throwing its own decapitated head. Trust me after seeing these things and counting them in 2 yearly inventories you would have done the same.

Time: 5 hours of killing time

Cost: Freebie and a small part of my soul

My obsession with all things Japanese and kawaii has led me to collect bento boxes. Historically, they are small lacquered (now plastic) that the Japanese carry there lunches in. Rice and other food is shaped and arranged to be pleasing to the eye as well as the stomach. I got bored packing all four of mine this week. After some cute flowers out of veggies and baby birds from hard boiled eggs I couldn't resist something more twisted. Enjoy Evil Hello Kitty Monster.

Eggy brains fall out of teriaki meat face. Glowing red tomatoes for eyes and a cheesy grin. So yummy and so scary.

Time: about 2 hours for all four boxes of food and arranging

Cost: mostly left over and I already owned the boxes

Lots more going on this week and plenty of time to work on it. I will have 2 days in the waiting room at Landstuhl while Mike gets his first exam for eye surgery. I also have a couple of commissions to do all while sorting and prepping the house for an overseas move in 3 months.

As Promised

Its been a whole week but I am doing as promised and posting lots of pics today. The only ones I'm missing are from the Monster Sewing Class. Those photos are still on the comp at work.

First today is Kattie and her finished doll, Emily. At least that was her name last week when she left. This poor doll has been in pieces for months now and its so nice to see her with arms and legs. After I post today I need to go draft a pattern for some clothing though. Nobody wants a naked doll.

Next are the ATCs I sent out for the latest part of the Alphabet Swap. Much to Mike's shagrin, I signed up for another swap before finishing the Pirate Flags but I simply can't miss a letter now that I started. All cards use a bit of my favorite new product, Diamond Glaze. I beleive it was designed as a glue but it can also be usde like resin and add demension to paper craft and mixed media.

D is for Dinosaurs. Using Wash's monologue grom episode 1 of Firefly as the background. My partner for this has a Fruity Oaty Bar avatar so I'm sure she will appreciate this.

E is for Evel Knievel. I did a 3D thing here layering differant sections of Evel to make him stand out on the card.

F is for Favorite Things. I know way to many songs. This is my first collage style card with as many things from the song as I could fit. Unfortunatly, I couldn't find any appetizeing picture of schnitzel and it seems to not be served with noodles anymore, just fries.

Lastly, two crochet projects to post. Crochet seems to be my grove right now. I even have a small group of ladies meeting at the shop to play with yarn a chit chat. We can't call it a Stitch and Bitch though. Stoopid Army is boring.

A totaly nerdy guitar strap for my fake Fender. I play fake guitar really well on Rock Band and felt that my instrumant needed to be crafted up a bit.

This is P.P. For Pirate Panda. I made him for Mike after he squeeled seeing the picture in the book. Made from a pattern in Cute Litte Animals (ISBN 1601404670). Mike liked him well enough with no arms or legs so thats the way he is. I used Caron Simply Soft for the body, head and hat and Lion Cotton for his shirt. The different weight of the cotton makes his shirt look 3D. Totally not planned but oh so awesome.

Well back to sew flags and making doll clothing patterns. I can't wait to be finished we these big commisions so that I can get back to crafting for me (and maybe a few swaps too).

Much Swapage

I finished up a few swaps just before my hubby got home from his long trip to fight the bad guys.

First was the Reading Rainbow Swap. Partners sent each other a tote, a bookmark and a good book. How very appropriate since I'm SUCH a bibliophile. I crocheted the tote and made the bookmark from the same fabric as the lining. My partner had slightly different tastes in books so I sent her a blank book to use as a journal with a remade cover. I used suede mat board and inlaid a rose using the laser engraver to make the vector cuts. Then I found a copy of The Princess Bride at the PX and thought she may enjoy that also (plus it matched the tote so well). And as a bonus I included a couple book bracelets 'cause I had a few beads left over from the huge set I made earlier. [16 hours]

Next comes the Friend of Craftster Secret Swap. We didn't know who was sending to us and we could only stalk our partners without asking any questions. Unfortunately my partner was MIA for most of the round and not as easy to stalk as I could have hoped for. With her two themes, 8 Bit Theatre and Dragons, I came up with these projects. Some crossed stitched sprites with magnets on the back and a reverse stencil dye discharged dragon t-shirt. I cut out a silhouette of a dragon from freezer paper, ironed it on and sprayed a 50/50 bleach water mixture on the shirt. When the dye is bleached out I got the amazing reddish color underneath (much preferred to the off white you sometimes get on black shirts). Also included are some beer stickers because of her hobby of brewing and a couple iron on transfer pencils from her wists. Gwenyvarr has received her package but has not posted or informed me and the organizer that she has. More frustration ensues but I hope nothing tragic has happened to her. [6 hours]

Now that Hubby is home I'm back to crafting more stuff. I'm totaly addicted to crochet right now and am much closer to the crocheted tire cover for my Jeep that I have been dreaming of. I'm also teaching sewing to the kidos again. Weekly classes with K and an upcoming class with Girl Scouts and SAS. Plus ALOT of people are asking about crochet classes (more than quilting amazingly). Lots of work to do at the real job after this nice 4 day weekend I gave myself. More projects to follow this week.

No Internet

I was without internet at home for almost two whole weeks. I never realized just how much I need the net to keep in touch with the outside world (read: sites work doesn't block). Fortunatly, all that down time let me craft my butt off. Along with a tote bag for a swap (pics after partner receivs) I finished up an Amigurumi Octopus, made a bunch of beads from a book and did my first entry for a Crafster Challange.

Here is Davey. As in Jones. It is a fitting name since I made him while watching Pirates of the Carribean and because he is "all tenticle-y." Some day I hope to make him a hat. Once I get a good human patern I want to make a Tia Dalma too. The pattern comes from PepperKitty on Crafster.

Family Photo: Luau the pig looks nervous and Cthulhu looks like he found a long lost relative.

Originaly I was going to cut up my junk mail to make these beads but it didn't have enough text. I LOOOOOOOVE words. I love them individualy, together as language and simply as texture in arty things. The simple black and white print looks great with some faceted beads, don't you think?

Lastly, my entry to Crafster Challange #24. The theme was to craft something to help with New Year's resolution. I want a tattoo so I decopaged and giant pickle jar and a blank book. The jar to help me collect some money and the book to keep track of ideas and sketches. There were some left over cut outs that I made into magnets.

Angry Hampster

Jacques is a little angry because someone stole his favorite yo-yo. So much anxiety in such a small critter.

He is made from a pattern in Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful. His face is embroidered cause I have no safety eyes. He is my first officially finished Amigurumi animal.

This is a cute little flower made from one of the free patterns on woolcrafting.com. I used it as a sample in a crochet class I taught. It was perfect for showing the differences in stitch height and how to put many together to make an object. I will totally wear it in my hair.