My stuff, my life

Continued experimentation with aluminum tape

2012-01-31T17:05:00.000-05:00

I am loving playing with aluminum duct/auto tape and my embossing folders, ever since the new year and making those first few tags. Here are a few more things I have made since then, using the tape, and embossing them with my Cuttlebug.

This is a simple unfinished wood box from Micheals. I removed the strap and button. I embossed the tape, and adhered it to the centre of the box top, front and back. I punctured holes through the tape and added the strap and button back on. Then I covered the rest of the box with textured Japanese paper. A simple little treat box. I love the silver and pink together.

Again, more silver and pink. Odd, I am not a big fan of pink - but silver and pink do look nice together. This is an Altoid tin I had. I taped the aluminum to the cardstock and embossed the flowers on, then sponged some acrylic paint over it to add some colour. I used more tape and taped the floral piece to both the top and the bottom and buffed it down to adhere tightly. I opened up the box and balanced it on scrap paper to level both surfaces, as much as I can. I then mixed clear resin and poured it over each surface to seal. Unfortunately, my leveling was not as level as I hoped and I overestimated how much resin I mixed so there was some overflow. It was not as neat as I wanted. But when the resin cured fully, the top and bottom were glass smooth and it gave a lovely finish. Next time, I may play with my technique some more and make tape walls or something to hold the resin in better - or just not use so much.

I was playing with the tape still, so surfaced the inside of the tin too.

Stamping kit by Martha Stewart - review

2012-01-27T16:54:00.001-05:00

I saw this kit recently at Michaels and used one of their customer coupons to get it for myself. The concept behind it was sound - it had several stamp mounts and letter stamps in 3 different sizes so that you can make your own custom message stamps or monograms. It comes with two circular mounts with two patterned circle stamps, and in the middle you can either make a monogram with the large fancy font, or a small message with the smallest font. There is two rectangular mounts for messages. It comes with tweezers, and a little instruction booklet. There are multiples of the letters in each font, as well as some numbers and symbols, and they come connected in sheets that you can gently pull apart or use use sharp scissors. They are not flat mounts like the clear stamps you see, but have little rubber protrusions in the back that stick into crevices in the mounts. Not a bad idea for keeping things in a straight line.

Picture of the packaged goods

In theory, this is a good product - instead of buying hundreds of different stamps with messages for all occasions, or painstakingly making your own, this can be used to make individual messages each time you need it. Not to mention the space you are saving!

My package after removing from the box and used for the first time

I first tried the circular mounts with one of the frame stamps. It seemed to fit onto the mount well enough, but really, it was not an even or flush fit, so if you wanted to have an even stamping, you would have to wiggle it a bit. Not too much a hassle I guess. But there is the potential of either an uneven stamping or smearing. Then I pulled out the smallest font to put a message in the centre of the stamp. They came in one sheet that you could pull apart. They were quite tiny, and I guess the tweezers were to hold and set them into the mount. Nope. Tweezers were a bit useless - the stamps were too small to hold well with them, and be able to mount them securely. I was able to use my finger and set them in. Big problem though. I noticed that when the circle mount had both the frame stamp and the letter stamps in, that there was a bit of difference in height of the two - that just does not make sense! I have yet to try a monogram - but to make a circle frame, and have a small message in the middle with the smallest font, I had to do separate stampings of each.

One of my first stampings with the kit

Then I made the above tab for a card with the medium font - it sits nicely in the rectangular mount. You have to use the pad of your finger to push down and sit things nicely back in the mount. Sometimes a wee bit sticks up, which is probably how I got those two stray marks at the top of the card there. Cleaning was not fun either. Baby wipes were used to clean off the ink, and it worked great with the circular frame, but the letters are very small and not very firmly held in the mounts. If you are not careful, you can send the little letters flying out into the air with some scrubbing pressure. Washing them in the sink is definitely out - they would go down the drain. Maybe that explains why one package I saw at the store had no letter stamps - someone probably shoplifted them to replace the ones they lost.
So ultimately:
Pros - great for making short personalized stamped messages in different sizes
Cons - easy to lose the small letter stamps (wish it came with small holders for each size), not easy to clean because of their size and ease of loss, tweezers useless, wish the circular stamp could stamp with both the circle frame and letters

It was not as great of a product as I hoped unfortunately, though it is certainly something I will have a use for in the future. After all, it's bought and paid for.

Random tip of the day - dessicant packs

2012-01-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

You know those little packs of silica gel that come in various containers - they are meant to keep certain store bought items from absorbing moisture and keeping them fresh and dry. You know them, the tiny little sealed pouches of dry beady things that are labelled "Do not eat". I often find them in my shoe boxes.

Don't throw them out. Reuse them for keeping your other dry goods dry. For example, when I made my match holders, I tucked a pouch or two into the containers to keep my matches dry. Pop some into containers of crafting goods, like your paper goods, to keep them dry too :D

OMG - cutest Freudian slip ever or what?

2012-01-22T19:25:00.001-05:00

So I asked DH what he wanted me to add to the shopping list this week for groceries, and he told me vitamin C pills, bagels, and coffee. Because my hands were full, I asked him to add it to the white board in the kitchen and I would add it to the list later. I walked into the kitchen to find this:

BTW - he has been wanting a beagle puppy for years... but he really did mean to write "bagels".

How cute is that?

Also, much as I love Snoopy, our next dog is going to be a German Shepherd. Or a mutt. Sorry honey, they were all out of beagles at Food Basics this week :D

Automotive tape - crafting treasures in a hardware store

2012-01-21T18:34:00.002-05:00

All crafters know that the world at large is chock full of crafty goodness. Here is one found at your local hardware store - or surplus goods store (Active Surplus, Queen St. West - AWESOME place to browse for a crafter or electronics geek).

Aluminum tape - for automotive repair or duct work. I got an awesome thick roll that is about 3 inches wide for $4. I was going to use it for some jewelry project, but put it aside as I got caught up in other things. Then a couple of days ago, I did some embossing with kitchen aluminum foil on cardstock, when I remembered I bought this. What a great material to work with. Instead of gluing aluminum foil down onto cardstock like I was doing, I used this tape instead.

It comes in a nice roll, with an adhesive on an non-adherent backing. I used it this morning to make some Christmas tags with my label dies and embossing folders in my Cuttlebug.

Materials:

cardstock

aluminum tape

embossing machine

embossing folders and cutting dies in three nested sizes (like Spellbinders, or to make a label with a window, like Sizzix's Movers and Shapers)

glue

scissors

bone folder

hole punch

gel pens

Cut a piece of aluminum tape and adhere it to one side of a piece of cardstock

Set up a sandwich to cut your aluminum piece in a medium size - essentially to make a middle piece that fits in a frame. Run it through your die cutting/embossing machine as per manufacturer's instructions. Or hand cut so that it will be a size that fits into the frame you make below.

Take the larger and smaller dies and make a frame with a second piece of cardstock. Then remove the smaller die and with a third piece of cardstock, cut out a backing piece.

This is what you will end up with. The aluminum piece will fit between the backing cardstock and the frame piece. See where we are going with this?

Make a sandwich with an embossing folder and your aluminum take piece.

This is what you will end up with. Pretty, isn't it?

Layer your three pieces like above, the large backing piece first, then glue your aluminum piece over it, and then the frame piece over top.

You can get a bit fancy and add some decoration to the frame, or emboss onto the frame before gluing it over top the aluminum piece. I kept it relatively simple for this go around and just used a bit of gel pen lettering, and punched two holes for ribbon to pass through as it is a perfect size for a gift tag.

This is a multi layered version. Cardstock backing the foil before embossing gives the foil more body. But another way to do it, which is simpler and gives you a slightly different look is the following.

Version 2

DO NOT remove the backing of the piece of foil. Cut your piece of backing cardstock and your frame cardstock as mentioned above. Then run your piece of foil in the embossing folder. When done, remove the backing from the embossed foil, and adhere onto centre of the backing cardstock, gently buff with your finger, and glue the frame over top.

Why the two different methods? Well, it really can make a difference. Look below. The right handed card is made with the first method, and the second is made with the latter method. The cardstock backing the foil before embossing does give the design more sturdiness and support. Whereas the foil alone, when gently buffed, causes the centre of the design to be flattened down, creating an interesting dimensional effect. I like both to be quite frank.

Here is another one, with the upper card with the unbacked foil and finger buffed, and the bottom, my original card with the cardstock backing.

Unfortunately, this tape only comes in silver tone in the wide tapes (as far as I know), but maybe someone will one day start making it in colours. In the mean time, I have been playing with acrylic paints with it, and alcohol inks have a fun effect on them too.

This gives me some possible ideas for the future, including perhaps how to redecorate old ball ornaments, reused containers, or embossed window designs for some felt ornaments I have an idea for as well. I am waiting for another delivery of some more dies, including some of the Sizzix Movers and Shapers, so this could be a fun way to use them as well.

Sweet skully goodness overload

2011-12-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

I loved this project, truly loved it. I have made plenty of shrink plastic charms and stitch markers before (cupcake charms, scrapbook decorations, Pac Man stitch markers, etc), but I loved how these ones came out especially.

I made these as part of an accessory package for a fellow crocheter who seems to like Dia de Muertos sugar skulls. The other components I had were a journal/sketchbook cover and a crochet hook case in festive skull fabric.

I found a variety of sugar skull images on line and chose my 6 favourite images, and sized them similarly, taking into account how much the plastic is supposed to shrink.

Then I used a circle template and drew circles on to the shrink plastic and cut them out - about 1 5/8ths inches or so. One day I am just going to buy a punch around the size I need for greater consistency.

I lay the circles over the printed images and traced out the skull outlines.

Then I coloured parts using Sharpie markers and coloured pencils. This was pre-sanded plastic, otherwise I would have sanded one side prior to doing any cutting or drawing.

Notice the bright bright white teeth :D After colouring, I used a punch to put in the ring hole, and baked the plastic to shrink.

Then I patiently, and I do mean patiently, because I was just not as patient before, I varnished the decorated side very carefully with an acrylic clear coat several times, several layers, and waited very patiently for a very long time for it to cure properly, so that I would not mar the finish by touching it too soon. After that, I added rings and jump rings to turn them into stitch markers.

I had stone skull beads in my stash, and used a couple with leverback earring findings to make two stitchmarkers that can be removeable or attacheable mid-row, and to use as end or beginning markers to a pattern or row.

Here they are on the inside of the hook case I made. BTW, I like to use binder clips for lots of things. In this case, they can be used to hold a pattern, with notes, or mark off where in a pattern a person is at without writing on the page, or to hold pieces of yarn for colour sampling, etc.

On a roll with skulls

2011-12-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

More with that skull fabric from Lens Mills. To go with the journal I made and some other crochet related accessories, I made a crochet roll/case. It has the skull fabric on the outside and inside pockets, with a coordinating red fabric as a liner, and black ribbon tie.

Lots of pockets for a variety of hooks, and a larger pocket for a good sharp pair of scissors and small pockets for yarn needles. I added binder clips because I love them for paper management of patterns and they made a decent holder for some coordinating stitch markers I made.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas Day...

2011-12-25T08:56:00.000-05:00

I am coming off a night shift (a little favour for a co worker who wanted the Eve off), and getting ready to do the Christmas morning thing with Jim's family. Hopefully we get to go see my family too at some point.

But this is this year's Christmas ornament. As many of you may know, or not, I try to make an ornament every year to add to my gift tags, or as a little gift for those I give cards to, etc, and usually every year I try to make it a different one. Like the Santa slides, my felted snowman heads, and beaded snowflakes to name a couple. I was a very organized lady this year and had a couple of dozen wood burned ornaments made, but with the renovations, they are smack dab in the middle of a pile of goodness knows what in the workshop. They may as well be on Io.

So I was stretching my mind on what I can make, considering the renovations, and trying to be frugal too, since we spent so much money on materials this year for renos. But when I was the Creativ Festival in October and too Maria Rypan's workshop for her fanwheel snowflake and voila!

Hanging out on my curtains.

I had tried making these a few years ago, but was using nylon thread and it was an epic craft fail because the edges of the bugle beads kept cutting through it and regular beading wire was not flexible enough and kept snapping. But the apparent secret to it all is SOFLEX!!!! I had all the supplies from previous, and was using 4 mm fire polished crystals instead of Swarovskis, and just had to buy #11 beading needles (the ones I usually use, #13 and #16 are too fine and were snapping all the time), and the wire. I actually went with a very fine tigertail, which was less pricey and worked well too.

In the past couple of months, I made several dozen of these. Once I got stronger needles, the process of making them went faster and more easily too. I had already given away many before remembering to take pictures...

I had originally bought nice long bugle beads from BeadFX, but they no longer carry them. Thank goodness, I was able to find slightly shorter ones at Artons, down on Queen St. So I was able to make a few different coloured ones.

light blue silverlined bugles with iridescent AB beads and crystals

iridescent clear bugles with AB blue beads and crystals

already adorning a card, darker silverlined blue with AB clear beads and crystals

densely silverlined bugles with gray/metallic AB beads and crystals

Who knows, Jim is hard at work on the two old bedrooms. I may have an actual craft room as a New Years present and be able to find my wood ornaments for 2012!

Merry Christmas all, and to all of you, a happy, healthy, prosperous, productive, and creative new year.

... and yes! She crosses the finish line!!!!!

2011-12-23T11:03:00.001-05:00

I was able to finish all the bath bombs yesterday, make cards for them, and package them all this morning. Yay for insomnia!!! Now I have 15 packages for female family members at our gathering at Aunt J's tonight, and some loose ones for neighbours and friends at work.

I wrapped each bomb up in a small square of clear cling wrap. I had some cello bags leftover from Christmas baking from last year, so I packed three bombs per bag; two lavender and one herbal citrus. Twisted the top, and tied with white curling ribbon, slipping the ribbon through the holes in the card, before tying and curling.

I think they look rather nice. Too bad I did not plan far enough ahead of time to make something for the men in the group - maybe next year, some baked goods or something.

Here is the card I made. I used one of the Sizzix sets, with my new Cuttlebug. It has a die which cuts the leaves and berries of the mistletoe from coloured cardstock, and an embossing folder to add all the embellishment. I used a bit of stamping ink to highlight the embossed details. Then I took some rectangles of white cardstock, and folded it into card shapes - using a Martha Stewart paper crafting station I treated myself to in the summer .

Using roller glue, I assembled the mistletoe on the font of the cards and punched two holes into the top for the ribbon to come through.

Doesn't the embossing look phenomenal?

Then on the inside, I had some free stamps from a UK magazine I bought recently, one of which I used to stamp a simple image on the inside. Then I used a gold gel pen to pen a simple message - Wishing you peace and joy in the new year...

I think that they turned out quite nice, and I may have to motivate myself to do the same a bit earlier next year, perhaps in time to have a bunch ready for the gals at work and for our annual gathering.

Recipe for bombs

2011-12-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

Nonono - these are for bath bombs. So if you are a hooligan or some other ne'erdowell, get lost, or give this a try for a way to rest, relax, and contemplate better things to do in life.

Basic materials and recipe:

mixing bowl
spray bottle
food colour or dye
essential oil
water
sieve
measuring cups and spoons
bath bomb molds (60 ml) - I used Darice brand

2 cups baking soda
1 cup citric acid
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 - 1 cup epsom salts/sea salts (I went closer to 1 cup or more for more glitter)
1/4 cup sweet almond oil (or any other oil in liquid form)

In a spray bottle, combine a small amount water, with essential oil and dye. Very little water is used in the mix, so if you want a deep or vibrant colour, use a strong amount colouring. Scent to your personal liking. Set aside. I found about a 1/4 cup of liquid was more than enough for 1 recipe.

In the bowl, combine the dry ingredients. It's not an exact science, I did not measure exactly. Use the sieve or your hands to break up any lumps. Combine well. Add the oil, and combine with hands well, rubbing mixture well to break up lumps. When the mixture is well combined, take the spray bottle and spritz a small amount of the liquid in throughout surface, while combining quickly and thoroughly with the other hand. Keep spritzing and combining, until the mixture starts to feel cool and damp, and starts to hold together when a clump is squeezed firmly in your hand. Do not put too much liquid in, or the mixture will start to fizz too much and will be lost.

Either hand form the bombs, pressing the mixture firmly together into a ball, or use a mold. Lightly pack both halves, and press together firmly, without twisting. If the mixture is right, I found that you can unmold right away. Set gently aside and allow to dry for a day or two. It will become quite firm when dry.

I have been told that a couple of tbsp of orris root powder added to the mixture helps to extend the life of the scent.

Warning, if you have any cuts or sores on your hands, wear gloves, because touching the concentrated citric acid will sting!

Also, if there is a fail and the mix does not come together to form a bomb successfully, maybe because too much liquid was added, and you can't save it, just spread it out to dry a bit, add some more epsom salts, and package it up in some pretty containers and call it a bath salt. No waste!

Bombs are not rocket science...

2011-12-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

Quality control supervisor Toby hard at work

Woohoo! After I picked up a big ol' batch of cornstarch (which, btw, Costco does not have!), I was able to make several more batches and now I should have more than enough to make for gifts for the ladies at the family gathering tomorrow night. I ended up with about 59 bombs in two different scents. I am going to bag them up in sets of three.

These heart shaped ones are lavender scented and I tinted them with teal and red to make a lavender colour - go figure. When packing them in the molds, I added a pinch of dried lavender to one side, to decorate.

These ones to the left are an orange colour, and have a citrus herbal fragrance to them. I love lavender usually, but this fragrance is really really lovely.

What the heck are these things???

Toby just wasn't sure what the heck those smelly things were - food??? Maybe cookies???

I put them in the craft-room-to-be because Jim was putting on the drywall tape and had fans on to help the compound dry. I figured they could help the bombs dry.

I'm not sure, but they do smell nice! Sniff, sniff.

Ginger seemed to really like the smell of them, but of course, she is a girl.

Throwing down the gauntlet

2011-12-22T18:23:00.000-05:00

Oh these babies caused me so much grief. I had made an earlier pair with the full intention of using embossed and die cut leather pieces, and maybe thin metal to decorate them, using rivets. They were cut, the eyelets set, the other leather pieces cut, embossed and so very pretty looking. But when it came time to rivet them, I ended up with lots of used rivets, lots of holey leather, and none of the pieces sticking together properly. I would have been better off just using glue. Oh the heartache, the disappointment, the wasted materials and hours!!!!! Woe woe woe!

Luckily I had made a template to make the original pair of gauntlets and have lots of black leather, so I made a second pair. Not as perfect as the first pair were (woe!), but still not too bad. I used metal eyelets for the corset style ties, which helped to vent my frustration. Nothing like beating on metal with a hammer for that!

They are designed to be forearm gauntlets, and are much more plain now, but I used the scarlet ribbon as a contrast. Maybe the recipient can be more successful decorating them. I may try again in the future. I may stop by the Tandy outlet to look up more appropriate rivets for leather, as what I was using before was designed for metal jewelry making.

Coming up to the wire... will she make it???

2011-12-22T08:55:00.002-05:00

Oh boy - only 5 made!!!!

Oh boy, it's the 22nd already and I just just just finished the Christmas shopping yesterday. I gave up a few ideas a short time ago and boy, was that a stress reliever! I was going to do the baking but I woke up a few days ago and said - why bother??? I went out and bought cookies and chocolate instead. I know, I know - but still, considering all the pies I already have my fingers in - well, frankly, there isn't one digit left to stir the pot with.

But tomorrow night is the family gathering for Jim's side of the family. We did a Secret Santa and the gifts are wrapped. However, I wanted to make a little surprise for all the women who will be there, and am making bath bombs - hopefully two different scents and colours. It is a quick craft and just needs a day to dry. I will wrap them up in little bags or cello, with a ribbon and maybe one of this years ornament.

But I am out of an ingredient. Only had enough to make one small batch. We are making a run today to Costco to pick up some pictures, so I can hopefully get some there, but do you think I will be able to finish them in time???

On the upside, my hands smell awfully nice!

Time is passing, and the bombs are a-tick-tick-ticking away...

I love my little Noriko....

2011-12-22T03:58:00.000-05:00

Really, how many times have I made this bag this past year?? It is just so darned easy and cute!! I made this again for another craftster, because I thought it would suit her tastes. I lined it with a simple black/gray patterned cotton, but the outside fabric made me think Asian prints. I loved the crysanthemum pattern on the antique looking red. I added a beaded red tassle, and used a black resin dahlia bead for the button closure.

As part of the package, I also added a steampunk inspired resin pendent. It is heart shaped with a variety of metal gears and charms embedded within. The necklace is a simple ribbon.

Repeat offender again - lock me up and throw away the key

2011-12-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

Maybe I need to do some hard time ;P Put me away in solitary confinement, in the craft room. I swear that is a good punishment for me :D

Anyways, I had to repeat a few more projects to make up for that lost package (damn you, USPS!!!)

So I made another little match container, and the etching turned out better. Again, reusing a jelly jar I had.

Also, I had to redo the recipe book I made. But the good thing is that I was thinking about it and made it better the second time. For one thing, I found a paper trimmer on sale at the Ashley Warehouse sale, so was able to make nice straight cuts.

But I followed the same format, using the printed recipes for my favourite fall/holiday foods, and added hand written notes about them, and used some Fall themed stamps for decoration.

Also, this time, I added my favourite holiday picture to the back, instead of as a separate card. I love this picture of my siblings, and it's tribute to my grandmom's mad sewing skills (if not her choice of patterns).

on a wing and a prayer

2011-12-21T14:06:00.000-05:00

I saw something similar to this on a swap partner's Pinterest account recently and thought I would try to emulate them. I had the feather charms from another project and a rather good supply of black leather right now. I drew the feather shapes onto the leather with fabric pencils and cut them out. Added silver eyelets to the top so I could put jumprings through, and added some cuts to the edges to simulate the texture of feathers a bit.

Sugar overload....

2011-12-20T09:44:00.000-05:00

I made the embroidered piece in late September, early October, with the intention of using it as a centre of a crafted piece. It is for a fellow Craftster who is into sugar skulls, for an MAF swap, with a holiday them. With Christmas coming up, one problem I personally had was keeping track of receipts for gifts or components of gifts, and that has come to bite me in the butt many times, when I needed to make a return or exchange. Or if I buy something early on, and forget who it is for. So now I have a dedicated place for lists, receipts, etc. Not the bottom of my purse, or washed in a pocket of my jeans. So I made a Dias de Muertos themed box for her with the same idea in mind.

I used some unbleached cotton I had, hand drew on a sugar skull, and went to town with different colours of flosses. For future reference, do not buy your embroidery floss at the dollar store. Usually I use Anchor, DMC, or Coates, but I saw that the dollar store was carrying some lately and bought them to try. I have had good success with Dollarama and craft supplies in the past (very nice supplier of glue dots, roll on glue, cheap supplier of brushes to be abused with harsh things, thick felt, cardstock, etc). BUT, this thread frayed easily and was very weak, so it was a bit of a frustrating project and ended up being harder to embroider in the end. But still, considering my lack of experience, I think it turned out OK.

I had a plain photo box that I was going to decorate, but no particular project in mind until this came along. I trimmed the cotton and stretched it over the photo backing and glued it in place, and backed that with felt to hide the raw edges. After setting that in place, I decided to do random patterns around the frame with woodburning, to mimic some of the patterns used in sugar skulls. I used coloured pencils to add the colour and finished with several layers of varnish on the outside.

Here is the inside of the box - left plain. I used patterned tips just to decorate the edges, otherwise kept them simple. I intended on covering the bottom of the box in felt to keep it from scratching surfaces, but now I don't remember if I did or not.

The key to life is...

2011-12-18T19:39:00.000-05:00

This was a simple and quick project recently. Artons had a supply of cute metal key charms, about 1.5 inches long, that I purchased awhile back. Not too girly, not too simple. I added a bit of bling by wrapping crystals around the top.

Then I used some dyed silk I had to make a necklace, with silver findings. I wrapped the ends of the silk around the top of the key in two places and wrapped silver wire around to secure the ends, and used silver plated findings to finish it with. I love the blue and silver tones together.

On keeping track of the thoughts in your pretty little skull...

2011-12-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

I found this pretty skull/Day of the Dead themed fabric in my recent rounds of the Lens Mills booth at the Creativ Festival and thought it was perfect for a project I had in mind. I wanted to make a journal cover for someone. I found that I liked having a journal or sketchbook around because it is a great way of writing down or sketching out ideas for projects, keeping track of materials, or notes on patterns. I thought this would be a helpful thing for another fellow crafter.

I found a nice journal with blank pages, measured out the size and cut the fabric pieces I needed to fit the journal. I used a few patterns for journal covers on line and made some minor changes to suit my wishes, such as the ribbon tie, and adding a couple of extra pockets inside for holding things like pens/pencils, or a folded pattern.

The fit was nice and tight, and you can see the extra pockets in the red material. I would totally make this again for myself, but maybe in a different fabric. More rock and roll/tattoo skulls, or Asian floral maybe.

Crafty organization - it's a darned good thing...

2011-12-17T21:37:00.000-05:00

I made this up for another craftster who likes to sew; a little mason jar organizer that has a pin cushion on top, to match the red fabric workbasket I posted about the other day. I reused a mason I had from my stash (thank goodness for neighbours and friends who actually give me back my jars after they are done with the foody goodness within).

The pouf is quite pouffy isn't it??

They are very easy to make. I just etched the label area in the front, using painters tape and stickers as a resist - easy peasy. Then I used the flat inner lid, piled batting on top, and wrapped fabric around. I used some E6000 glue on the upper edge and used the outer ring to close the lid onto the bottle to help the glue set - I used an elastic on the underside to hold the fabric edges in place. When the glue on top set, I undid the lid, and the elastic, and added glue underneath, and used a needle and thread to gather the edges together more neatly.

I also added some shrink plastic embellished pins on top - what is a pin cushion without pretty pins afterall?!

I made the pouf pin cushion extra pouffy for a reason - I hade when needle tips bend or break, and figure if I made an extra plump cushion, there may be less chance of the tips smacking in the metal lid underneath and blunting or bending them.

Stars - Part Six

2011-12-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

My final set of stars. I quite loved these ones too. I found precut star shapes at Michaels that were a couple of inches across, and maybe a quarter inch thick. They were nice and sturdy. I cut some Japanese washi paper to fit the edges and glued them on carefully to finish the edges.

Astrological signs

opposite side with the star maps

close up of the edges

After the paper strips were glued on and dried, I found out the astrological signs of my swap partners and decorated one side with the astrological symbol, and the opposite with the star map and other symbol. After that, I glazed each side, and the edges with several layers of varnish for a nice shine.

Little red beauty

2011-12-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

I love this little sewn organizer I made. It makes a great little workbasket. I found this on the internet and decided to make it for a fellow craftster who likes to sew. I love the high contrast of the black and white material with the bright red.

The only change I made to the pattern was to made an extra set of pockets for the inside for holding notions. The instructions as they were written seemed a bit confusing at first, but really, when I started actually putting things together, it all made sense. As always, actually reading all the instructions through before doing it, helps. Remind me to try that one day, OK?

It is a cute little workbasket, with another layer of pockets outside. A nice size for carrying a small project around the house with you, be it sewing, knitting, crochet, etc.

Stars - part five

2011-12-15T15:47:00.000-05:00

I'm all wired up! I am enjoying playing around wire and hammers. Like with the hearts I made earlier last month I bent and coiled some thicker wire to make some star shapes. I was able to get some mauve coloured wire as well as silver coloured.

Using finer gauge wire, I wrapped the ends of the stars together to secure them, and then added some beads to accent.

I did not flatten the stars too much, just a bit to add texture and hardness. These are rather largish, maybe a couple of inches across, a good size for ornaments. But I may make some smaller ones for
charms or pendents.

A witch on her broomstick....

2011-12-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

I have been kind of cranky lately, so I have been a bit witchy. Always get that way when prepping for the season. So it was just appropriate that I was doing some broomstick lace. It is quite simple but has a strong pattern so it is also very beautiful. I made it with two very different yarns.

First, I made two wrist cuffs, rather simple wrist warmers, in a deep red 100% wool. At first the pattern was not very defined, but after blocking, it really started to pop. They reach about halfway up the forearm, and I crocheted them flat and added ribbon closures in a corset style so they can be adjustable.

Then I gave it a go in a fine raw silk, like what I had crocheted a shawl in in the past. Actually, it probably is a remnant from that exact project. Because of the fine yarn, the stitch came out a lot looser, and more delicate. But again, after blocking, it was more defined. It is meant to be a piece of fibre jewelry, so I used findings to make clasps so that hopefully it will sit more against the wrist, like a cuff.

Here is the lace up of the wool cuff. I just used the natural holes in the crochet to form "eyelets"

Lesson learned: yes, blocking can be very important. Do it from now on!

Repeat offender...

2011-12-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

I fully admit I am a repeat offender. I plead guilty to the crime of assault and battery. Earlier this month, I did willfully do acts of violence upon innocent pieces of wire. Cutting them, and then proceeding to bend and beat upon them with tools to force them to my will.

OK, I made another heart bookmark to replace on that USPS lost. They lost or misdelivered an entire package and I am so pissed off at them. I put a lot of work in that package, and there were some very dear things in there.

Anyways, I remade the bookmark that I had made previously, but this time using mauve tinted as well as silver coloured wire, and added a swarovski crystal accent.

Also, I added a dozen of the beaded snowflakes to be used as tree ornaments.

They also lost the little leaf magnet I made, so I remade it again. Luckily I had a few leaves collected from the cottage.

I had wanted to make a magnet or pendent for myself with it, but I'll just have to wait until we go again next Fall. Maybe I will remember to bring some parafin, or the iron and wax paper to preserve the leaves at the time I collect them to really preserve the colour too.

Stars - part four

2011-12-12T02:10:00.000-05:00

I love my Cuttlebug. I love it love it love it. It has so far worked with shrink plastic, leather, felt, paper, and I just used it with thick industrial felt. But you have to make sure to use a nice thick die like Sizzix's BigZ dies. Maybe one day I may even get one of the Sizzix machines.

I found nice thick felt, thicker than the stuff usually usually found in craft stores, and in a pretty good size at the dollar store. But the colour choices were limited. It would have been awesome if I could have found some creams, aquas, purples, etc. Each piece was able to give me about 4 stars or so.

Then I was able to run each star through with the embossing folder for patterning. After adding some sequins, I sewed two pieces together using embroidery floss.

taken without flash to show embossing

It would have been nice to make blue stars, and use a smaller die to cutout a snowflake or something from the centre, and use something translucent, like plastic film, organza, or even lace, to make an ornament. I may have to keep that in mind for Christmas future.

Stars - part three

2011-12-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

I was pretty excited about these stars; they are my own design. I wanted to make a dimensional beaded star for this swap with crystals and maybe patterning.

These were made with brickstitch, making up each arm attached to the last, and attaching the last arm to the first. Two sides were made, then attached together at the tips of the stars, and I used firepolished crystals at the bases to hold the bases together, to help the stars hold their shape.

The little black one to the right was the original prototype to see if my ideas would work.

There is enough space underneath the attached tips to thread through a chain, wire, jump ring, cord, or whatever to make them into a charm, or pendent.

I may try to make up a pattern or tutorial.

Dreaming of a white Christmas....

2011-12-09T21:43:00.000-05:00

Normally November in my neck of the woods is accompanied by at least a sprinkling of snow, but not this year. It was quite the unusually warm Fall with temperatures continuing to be in the double digits. For that matter, my parents went away for a month and came home to a garden that was still growing and producing veggies! I got a call from them asking why I never harvested anything from the garden while they were gone - how was I supposed to know - usually the garden is dead come the middle of October, and I only checked on their house after the sun set!

Anyways, I am missing the snow. At least for now - I am sure when it does come, it won't be long before I am sick of it.

I also got a Cuttlebug recently and treated myself to a set of Christmas themed embossing folders and dies at the Creativ Festival and on line. I tested it out on some white shrink plastic amongst other materials and made a bunch of snowflakes that I thought about turning into a necklace. Instead, I decided to make a trio of bookmarks to share amongst a few people.

First, I forged a few metal bookmarks out of 16 gauge aluminum, and pierced a hole through one end.

Then I linked some of the snowflakes with each other, using jump rings.

I used silver headpins and fire polished crystals, white and blue with AB finish, to make little dangle accents.

What I ended up with was my own little bookmark ice and snow flurries. I am giving these away, but I make one or two for myself too.

Stars - part deux

2011-12-09T05:30:00.000-05:00

These are epoxy resin hearts I made. Mixed a batch of red Apoxie Sculpt, and rolled it out with a rolling pin between two pieces of parchment paper, and used a mini cutter to cut out star shapes.

Then while it was still malleable, did some tinting with the MetalFX mica powders from BeadFX and stamped them with some stamps I had and added some Swarovski crystal accents. After about an hour, I flipped them over and added some detail to the other side.

I think they turned out cute, and the red is different from my usual choices of cool colours, and oddly enough, they look pretty awesome against the blue background.

Stars - part one... bass ackwards....

2011-12-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

I joined the Jar of Hearts swap on Craftster lately, and before I was partnered, or for that matter even accepted into the swap, I was off in a frenzy of star-making. I spent a whole day making origami stars - procrastinating from other chores and duties of course. OK, watched The Devil Wears Prada and some Drop Dead Diva or somesuch while doing it, but still, spent the day making dozens of stars in different sizes with some scrap Japanese paper I had lying around.

But what was I going to do with all these stars? I had no real intention of making origami stars to send to my partners, afterall that would be so cliche.

But I had been wanting to do a bit more in the paper crafting department lately, so I decided to make cards to send to my partners. Before I even had partners. Before I was even part of the swap. Before I even started the other stars... pretty ass backwards, hmm?

I took some scrap cardstock and made up a banner using decorative trimmers and alphabet stamps I got from Indigo recently. I positioned the banner and stars onto another piece of cardstock that I cut and folded into a card, and glued with a glue roller, and used gel pens to add some details.

So it was a productive day - especially as I was accepted in to the swap!

A forest in my bedroom

2011-12-04T00:21:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year, DH finished the bedroom part of our addition. I asked that he paint the wall behind our bed in a neutral gray because I was planning an accent wall. I finally got started on this a couple of weeks ago.

as seen from the top of the stairs

from the foot of the bed

Here it is all taped up. I shoved the furniture forward and spent a couple of hours taping off tree trunks and branches to make my birch forest at twilight (no people - NOT *that* twilight!).

The foreground colour is Benjamin Moore's November Rain, and the deeper colour is Shadow.

first coat

Here it is with the first coat of paint. I had to use about 4 coats for good coverage.

last coat

Here it is with the 4th coat.

with painter's tape removed

Here it is with the tape removed. I did not get sharp lines and there has to be some touching up. I am taking a break from it for now, for Christmas prep, but I will put on the bark detailing and do some more touch up in the new year. DH was not certain at first, but he seems to really like it now.

On fire for hearts

2011-11-20T19:09:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love hearts. Well, Zombies seem to have a preference for brains, but don't tell me that when the brains are gone, that they're going to turn their half-rotten off their face noses up at a good, fresh, meaty heart or two!

I have been on a kick about hearts lately, and trading hearts with various other crafty ladies from Craftster. I loved making them with a variety of materials. I figured a goodly number of others were going to be making amigurami style ones with knitting or crochet, so I did not go there. Also that some were going to sew theirs, so I avoided that as well. We are all aiming to have an eclectic collection of hearts to display in our homes - a Jar of Hearts.

Here is my medley of handmade hearts.

The whole shebang before packaging and sending to my partners

I had 5 partners and I was supposed to send 3 hearts to each of them, but really, I was enjoying myself so much, I ended up making more. A couple were fails - I made some paper clay ones that, given more time would have been lovely, but really, just would take too much time.

I included little heart postcards with each package too.

The second style of heart post card

I got into a flurry of origami heart crafting when Jim was getting ready to go away to his hunt camp. He wanted to leave early, which unfortunately meant he woke me up at an ungodly hour of the morning, for a Saturday. So I amused myself by making dozens of origami hearts. So making the post cards only took a few more minutes since I had pre-cut card stock in the perfect sizes, and many pretty colours of gel pens for the notes. Love that Dollarama!

Forged copper with matte gray beads with a Celtic influence

I made two kinds of forged metal hearts in two styles. The copper ones were made with a Celtic flavour.

Forged silver metal wrapped with iridescent mauve beads

The silver ones were more simple swirls. Both kinds were wire wrapped with 6/0 glass beads. I did not want to hide the swirl detail, so I just wrapped on the one arm, as opposed to all across the face of the heart. I taped them onto a card stock backing for shipping, so hopefully they can keep their shape for shipping.

Resin beads embedded with hand coloured and cut shrink plastic heart confetti

I made resin hearts too. Some came out with a bit of cloudiness because I think I overdid it with the mold release. But prior to that, I spent an entire day colouring shrink plastic, and punching out hearts, and cutting out their cut outs to make the confetti. A real pain in the tush that was, but they turned out cute I thought. I thought about colouring the resin, but felt that would obscure the confetti.

Wood heart painted with chalkboard paint, with wood burned vine motif, hand coloured, with wood frame varnished

The first hearts I made were these wood ones. I bought the hearts at Walmart, used paint tape to mark out the inner hearts and painted about 3 or 4 layers of chalkboard paint on. I did this for each side of the wood. After that, I drew the vine motifs on and wood burned them, then hand coloured the leaves. After that, I painted on three layers of varnish over the bare wood. I primed the chalkboards with chalk and sent them to each partner with chalk - for writing little heartfelt messages on.

Apoxie Sculpt hearts, stamped, coloured with mica powders, and decorated with Swarovski crystals

I had a bit of a fail with Apoxie Sculpt and turquoise hearts I was going to decorate. So I changed directions. I took my remaining blue 2 part epoxy clay, mixed it, rolled it out to 1/4 inch thickness roughly. Then I cut out small heart shapes. I stamped them with a bird stamp, or Japanese cherry flower stamp, and decorated with mica powders while still tacky. I then embedded Swarovski crystals before the clay cured.

My basket of hearts so far, filled with the hearts I have received, and some of my leftovers.

Here is my basket so far. I have received from 3 partners so far and there is quite the mix of materials. Clay, wood, plastic, fabric. One person even made it with leftovers of fabric used for her wedding dress. It is a sweet basket of good cheer and wishes and makes me happy to see it.

Learning not to fear the flame...

2011-11-12T18:49:00.001-05:00

I recently had a chance to play with fire and molten glass. I had always wanted to try lamp working and making my own beads, but was always a bit nervous about playing with the torches and flame. The risk of injury is that much more than with so many of the other things I do. So speaks the woman who has managed to put her grandmother's sewing machine needle through her thumb and still has the scar to prove it. Also who managed to put a fine steel crochet hook through her finger and catch it on the ligament inside when crocheting a friend's bridal garter. Yes, that one made me cry a bit. But still, fire can be scary - especially when there is also the canister of compressed gas that can explode too.

Anyways, at the Creativ Festival, there was a lamp working glass I wanted to take but it was filled up so fast. However, Nortel sponsored several small 1 hour hands on workshops throughout the show at a booth that was set up with torches. I managed to sign up for that on the Saturday near the end of the day and it was so much fun! We learned how to properly temper the glass to the flame, how to pull a stringer, and how to add the glass onto a mandrel and form a roundish shape, and to make a mashed bead.

The beads needed to cure in the kiln overnight, and I was not planning on going back to the show Sunday, so I had to patiently wait until my beads were sent to me. I received them in the mail a couple of days ago and here they are. I am pretty proud - I did manage to get a pretty good round shape on them, and the instructors said that I had pretty good technique and control.

My three beads, a simple turquoise, the mashed bead, and an amber with turquoise spots

If only it was not an expensive hobby. BeadFX has kilns, and a lamp working studio, and they offer torch time for a price, but it is pricey. But I would love the opportunity to do more.

Here is the other side of the smashed bead. It was made with a swirl of amber, turquoise, clear, and white glass rods.

More fleecy hugs

2011-10-30T20:20:00.000-04:00

I love this pattern, which I have made at least a half dozen times or more. It is so cuddly and warm, and is so easy to make from micro fleece.

I made this one with a wine/maroon fleece and a gray blue, and am very happy with how it turned out. The colours work really well together.

More forging

2011-10-29T15:59:00.000-04:00

I went to Artons and picked up a thicker gauge wire, and in two colours, and made a second bookmark. Instead of wrapping beads, I left it a bit more plain, and just added a dangling Swarovski heart bead to the top heart. What I did do was use the edge of the hammer to add some texturing to the metal. Also the body of the bookmark was hand cut and forged too, instead of using a store bought one, and I sanded the tips to smooth them out before coiling and forging.

See, there is a reason I bought a teeny tiny little anvil!

Favourite Fall goodies

2011-10-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

I am definitely an amateur paper crafter, but I put together this little booklet to share with someone some of my favourite Fall and Winter recipes. It has a Fall theme, and made with beige and brown cardstock. I used a Martha Stewart paper board to measure it out for cutting, and for folding the edges. Dollarama actually has some cute punches, and I found this corner punch there which I used on the label. Leaves from a synthetic wreath decorate the front. I am all about the leaves.

Damn the fact that my crafting stuff is packed away. All I could find is a black in stamp pad. I know for a fact I have many other colour choices somewhere.

But still, just having the black images is actually not to bad. I had an opening page with a little note about the book, done in gold gel pen (courtesy of Dollarama again - they really do have a pretty good stationary and crafts section, for a dollar store).

Printed out a few of my favourite Fall/Winter recipes; sweet potato bread, almond roca, brined turkey, and hot pepper jelly. Every two pages has the recipe and instructions on it, and the notes I made when I made changes.

Plus a few extra little notes made in gel pen again.

I hole punched the side and bound it with brass holders.

The Maple Leaf Forever

2011-10-25T15:32:00.000-04:00

I spent some of my vacation this year trying to find the perfect leaf; one that would epitomize a Canadian Fall. So hard to do. I found some great specimens, but unfortunately with no parafin, I was unable to preserve them properly. They were all brilliant shades of red, orange, yellows.

I found this little specimen walking with the dogs and DH back to the cottage. It was a perfect shape and only a bit over an inch in diameter. At the time, it was a gorgeous bright, fire red too, but unfortunately, even though I pressed it very carefully, the colour became lost.

I decided to try casting resin again. I had tried it once before with terrible results, and since then worked only with UV cured resins like Lisa Pavelka's Magic Glos, which was so much easier to work with, as it was not a two part. I wanted to preserve the leaf in resin to either make a pendent or some other little tribute to a Canadian Fall, as my favourite season, and a tribute to our annual trek to the cottage for my birthday.

I used good old Easy Cast two part resin. I used a single serve peanut butter container, cleaned out, to cast in. I very carefully mixed the resin, as per the instructions and poured a small amount in, laid the leaf into the resin. Used a leaf punch to punch out some maple leaf cut outs and sprinkled those on top, and poured the rest of the resin in. I used a lit match to help remove the worst of the bubbles. It's like magic how they pop with a wave of the match - and there is the added bonus of my playing with matches. Let it cure for 24 hours or so to allow it to become hard. After it cured, I used varied grits of sandpaper to trim down some sharp edges and smooth them down.

I casted the resin thicker than I should have for a pendent, so I decided to glue down a magnet to the back and turn it into a fridge magnet.

Canada Post as jewelry?

2011-10-24T19:06:00.000-04:00

I got a collection of Canadian stamps recently, and there were some really cute ones. I saw a project in a magazine I want to try at some point too. They had taken some truly lovely vintage stamps and had them blown up to make wall art. If I find the right images, I would like to do that too.

In the meantime though, I had a project recently where I was supposed to provide a crafted something local to me. I found amongst the stamps on that was perfect to me. First off the stamp was Canadian, secondly, the stamp image was of the Toronto skyline, as seen from the lake, at sunset. You can see the iconic CN tower.

I used two pieces of 1 inch glass to sandwich the stamp and soldered the edges (I miss having my regular craft supplies. A bit of flux would have helped everything be so much smoother!). I added large jumprings to the sides so they could be connected to the rest of the piece of jewelry.

I made the chainmaille piece in a variation of Byzantine, where the Byzantine links are set on the vertical. I connected them to a lobster clasp and length of jump ring links so it is a bit adjustable, and added a mobius flower to the end to finish it.

On the back, I added another Canadian stamp, so it is reversable.

Of sex shows, crafts, beads, zombies, & hundreds of people mounting our huge public phallus

2011-10-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

To say the least it was an interesting weekend! Yes, this is a sampling of what you can get when you come to visit our fair city in the Fall.

This weekend was the United Way CN Tower climb. The CN Tower was the world's largest freestanding structure for decades, and annually they have a walk for charity where volunteer fundraisers will climb up the stairs of the bloody thing. I am not a huge fan of stairs on a normal day, so to climb up over a thousand steps is just mind boggling for me. My thighs hurt to think about it.

But, especially with the rounded dome of our big sports facility at the base, it does look like a giant (but pointy) cement phallus.

Also Saturday was the local Zombie march in the downtown core, in celebration of Halloween coming up. Wonder how many people did not need a costume - sometimes people look like Zombies anyways in the entertainment district, especially after a night of clubbing and booze.

Speaking of thighs, phallus, and costumes, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosted the annual Everything To Do With Sex Show again. Ah yes, Sex convention - gotta love it. As a separate show somewhere in the city there was also a Fetish show as well, but I think that is a new thing.

What tickled my funny bone about it was that this year, it was held RIGHT next door to the Creativ Festival - it was just hilarious seeing the intermixing of the two rather disparate groups. Crafty girls, mothers, and matrons with their bags of yarn, beads, whatnot, toting sewing machines. Occasionally thrown in the mix were scantily clad people in PVC or what not, and young couples whom I doubt were there for the love of yarn. Just imagine if someone went through the wrong door! Then again, how do we know that Granny with the crochet hook there isn't making good money making lace lingerie or fetish wear?? For that matter, there is a corset making booth in the Creativ Festival, and they did feature some vinyl fetishy corsets in their fashion show! Also, good sex should feature some creativity at times too...

Maybe the two should go hand in hand :D

Finally, in the opposite end of the Centre was the Canadian Bead Oasis show - damn them! I don't remember in the past when there was a Bead Show at the same time as Creativ Festival - my wallet can't take that kind of stress!!!!

Anyways, anyone wondering what event I spent the past several days at??? Go ahead and guess....

That's right. I was at Creativ Festival from Thursday morning until last night. I am seriously contemplating going for the last day today, but I blew the last of what I budgeted for the show yesterday, so I will rest and try some of my new goodies today.

I got my application form and booklet for the show at the end of July, and took a couple of weeks to mull over the things I wanted to take, but when I called - at least two or three of the classes I wanted to take were FULL right up - talk about people being fast on the puck! But still, I enjoyed and learned something at every workshop and seminar I was at! It was incredibly invigorating to spend time with likeminded individuals, and learning so many new things to apply to my own crafting!

Thursday morning, we spent 3 hours with Nick Regine, a Swarovski representative from the US, and learned about proper techniques for embellishing with crystals. I learned how to properly pick them up (so simple, a bit of beeswax on the tip of a toothpick and voila, no more fumbling for small stones with clumsy finger tips!). We learned how to work with 2 part epoxy glue, and UV glue, and how to clean off the crystals with glue overage and what not to use and why - NO SUPERGLUE!!!!!!! In the second half of the workshop, we played with Ferido 2 part epoxy clay, a bezel, and setting in chatons to make a super sparkly pendent. Lots of fun. I had used Apoxie Sculpt prior, so had experience with the material, Ferido is a new to me brand. What was good to learn was that marks can be smoothed out with a bit of water, and that the clay can be coloured with the addition of a bit of acrylic paint. I will give that a try with white Apoxie Sculpt in the future! He also showed us some samples of his work, which was very inspiring.

Gluing sample on tin box, and pendent

Close up of pendent, with uncoloured Ferido, and peach, yellow, and clear Swarovski crystals

Thursday evening was my second class, and I was tired because I spent the long stretch between workshops walking around the downtown area and shopping, as the floor show does not open until Friday. But it was a needle felting workshop with Wendo van Essen, a fibre artist from Prescott, Ontario. We learned how to form a wire frame and felt around it to form a dragon. I am allergic to wool, so had to take care not to touch my face, or let the loose fibres get around too much so that I breath them it. I still got a bit snuffly, but not too bad. This was actually a secondary choice for me, as I had wanted to take a wire work and lamp work class, but they were full. However, this class was so enjoyable, and so much fun to work in that I cannot regret missing the other two! It was so satisfying to see the dragons all come together so quickly, and how different every one's dragon was, and our instructor was so sweet and enthusiastic as well. I had so much fun that the 3 hours passed by as if they were 1. OK, maybe one regret, it was a late course, and I did not get home in time to see Grey's Anatomy. Boo hoo. Seraphina, my new pet dragon, and I will get over it. She's a bit rough and undone at present time, but she will be finished soon.

Unfinished Seraphina

Anyways, quick meal, shower and hop into bed, to bring us to Friday.....

Friday morning and afternoon were two 1.5 hour seminars with Larry Shackleton, a sewing machine expert who used to work with Bernina, Pfaff, and Husqvarna, and is now an independent technician repairing and servicing machines. His two seminars were truly eye opening and I learned a lot about what I should be doing to maintain my machine and what to trouble shoot. My only suggestion would be they make the seminars 2 hours long as so many people had questions, and there was so much useful information. Also, have a separate seminar for serger upkeep! Double bonus, this gentleman has his workshop less than 5 minutes from where I love so from now on I will probably be be using his services, as the last place I went to, where I was told my machine got a basic servicing, did not clean it. When I took my bobbin holder out, there was still lots of lint behind it.

After the morning session, I had enough time to run into the floor show, and take a quick look around. It seemed a smaller show than usual, and there were a huge number of people there. I got a few things I was looking for specifically, and ran back out to go to my next workshop.

Friday noon, was a 45 minute workshop with Brae Montgomery on card making. It was a quick, rather rushed session where we made a cute little Christmas card sample with scrapbook paper, ribbon, cut die tags, stamping. I learned a few little tips about glue dots (better for ribbon) and stamping there.

Card made with Brae Montgomery

Then a quick run around again to grab lunch, bathroom break, and onto the afternoon seminar with Larry Shackleton, as mentioned above. From there to the last workshop of the day.

Friday afternoon, an hour and a half workshop with Susan Wells on how to make some spa luxeries at home. She is a high energy decorating coach, who started making these items herself as a hobby and was there to share her tips with us. We learned to make bath bombs, and it is so much easier than I expected, and made some salts as well. It was a bit frenetic, slighly chaotic, and messy, but it was an enjoyable class, and I am looking forward to making some soon at home.

Blue salt bath crystals, and pink bath bomb. Both scented.

After cleaning up from that, I had a few minutes rest while waiting to meet up with my friend, Kerri, to go into the floor show. When I registered for the workshop, I was given several tickets for the floor show, so I was able to share one with her so she did not have to pay. We spent a couple of hours quickly exploring some of the booths and each picked up a couple of things. She is a cross stitcher and was looking very specifically for some items she needed. The floor show is a lovely resource, but over the years, we have certainly seen it shrink down. There are significantly less cross stitch/embroidery booths than there used to be when it was the Creative Sewing and Needlework Festival, and less beading booths too - though that could be because of Bead Oasis as well, and the Toronto Bead Society Bead Fair coming up in two weeks.

After that, we went to dinner and that was the end of Friday at Creativ Festival. Exhausted, but happy!

Jim was home from the cottage that night with the dogs, and was happy to see me come home so happy. No, the man does not understand the crafting aspect, but he does understand that level of happiness and satisfaction, as it is how he feels when he is at the cottage and hunting.

A better night of sleep as I don't have any scheduled workshops until after noon on Saturday. I got a few tasks done in the morning, and made it downtown in time to take another run through the floor show again. Got some information from one of the scrapbooking booths about dies, die cutting machines, and cutting fabric.

Saturday, the first workshop was a two hour session with Maria Rypan, to make her beaded snowflake. I had tried before from pictures and when it was published in Bead and Button, but either the tension was off, or when I was able to get the right tension in the line, the wire would snap. I was using fine gauge basic beading wire. In the workshop, I found out that Sofflex Soft Touch is what she used, and it did not snap, and was able to give the right tension, as it was many filaments of wire bound together, and coated, so there was strength and flexibility. I was able to get my snowflake done up, with good tension so it held the shape. Love it. It may be this years ornament.

Fanwheel snowflake made with Maria Rypan

Now I had about 3 hours to kill before the next event. I wandered the floor show, and grabbed something to eat. One thing about the MTCC, there is a limited number of places to eat in the facility and in the shows, and they bend you over the barrel for prices. But I was starving! So I ate a slice of pizza, and sat down for a couple of the free to all shows. One of the shows I saw was a fashion show by Farthingales, the corset making booth. They showed different corsets made by people and how they could be worn for different looks, by women of different ages and builds. Really lovely and wonderful. Almost makes me want to make one, except I know I am not at that level of sewing skill! Besides, I just recently learned my machine may need to be properly serviced!

Now finally the last workshop! Nortel Manufaturing Ltd had a booth set up at the back of the floor show where they featured work from various lamp work artists and their product, and demonstrated lampworking. With preregistration, which I did, people could sign up for an hour and a half session to try lampworking. I had originally wanted to take the three hour long workshop on this, but it was full to the gills when I registered, but there were still spots in this. I am so glad I took this, because we learned how to hold and heat the glass rods, and control the blob of glass at the end of the rod as it melted, and pull a stringer. Then the instructor, Becky Greenall of 27 Beads, A Newcastle, Ontario glass artisan, showed us how to use a mandrel and how to work the glass to set it on the mandrel to make a basic glass bead. I was fairly impressed that mine was actually decently round. Finally, she showed us how to work with the mandrel, and different colours of glass, and a masher, to make a mixed colour pendent. I had enough time after that to make one more glass bead. The beads had to anneal overnight in the kiln to strengthen them so they would not shatter, and will be mailed to me, so I will post pics of my first beads when I get them. I enjoyed myself immensely and am proud that I am over my fear of the flame. I may consider taking some of the lamp work workshops at BeadFX in the future.

I got to do all this by registering for two Bronze passes to Creativ Festival. Last year I had one Bronze pass and was able to take a seminar on creativity, and two workshops with Lisa Pavelka, one making a polymer clay and crystal pendent, and the other working with Magic Glos resin and polymer clay. Who knows, maybe I will save up and get a Silver or Gold pass. For certain though, it was money well spent and I look forward to the next Fall Creativ Festival! The floor show continues today, but really, I need to rest and have no more money to spend!

Dangling hearts

2011-10-21T18:53:00.000-04:00

Continuing in my foray of wireworking. I had a premade metal bookmark, and I usually make beaded or chainmailled dangles for it. But recently I was looking at various styles of hand crafted hearts and wanted to try making some wirework hearts.

I cut some 18 gauge silver plated craft wire into various lengths, and using round nosed pliers, bend them into heart shapes. I recently added a small hammer and anvil to my crafting supplies, and used those for the first time to flatten and forge each of the heart shapes. Then using 24 gauge wire, I linked the hearts, wired beads to them, and wired them shut.

I quite like how they hang off the bookmark. It also gives me an idea of what to make for Christmas too.

Little match girl

2011-10-18T19:02:00.002-04:00

A simple way of making matches just a bit prettier. We have to have a lot of matches for a variety of things. Chief is the fact that we have a wood stove, and I love cozying up on the couch to relax, with a nice blazing fire in the Fall, and Winter. Also, I love candles, and we need to have the anti mosquito ones in the Summer. DH's cigars (must be lit by a wood match - lighters are a no no). Finally, I am a pyro :D

This was simple, taking a small mason jar, with a used ring and lid, I etched a label onto the smooth side with stickers, painters tape, and etching cream. To the lid, I glued some 120 grit sandpaper for striking the matches. I plan on making larger ones to place by the wood stove, that can hold some fire starters too.

This could make for a nice storage solution for spices, and pantry goods too. Chalkboard paint could be used to make reusable erasable labels as well, instead of etched. Also, this specifically could make a nice gift basket for someone with a working fireplace, or woodstove. Maybe make some firestarters with rolled paper, some dried herbs like eucalyptus for scent, dipped in a bit of paraffin, or old dry pinecones with a wick, dipped in paraffin, and some kindling with nice woods like apple wood. Another would be a nice hostess gift, a basket with either scented candles, or with a burner, votives, and scent tarts or scent oils.

Pandas, and kittens, and ..... cupcakes? Oh my!

2011-10-16T15:06:00.000-04:00

Did a bit more stenciling again lately. You know the sad thing? My iron has been used maybe a handful of times in the last 9 years or so for ironing wrinkly clothes. A single handful. It has been used hundreds, if not thousands of times for crafting purposes though!

Anyways, the theme was kawaii - cute Japanese cartoony style things. I made a panda tank top, a kitten shirt, and a cupcake bag. I especially love the cupcake bag. All done with Pebeo Setacolor paints, all with some shimmer to them.

The panda done in ash and pearlie white

Kittie loves you!

My favourite is the cupcake - how happy is Kawaii cupcake? SUPERFREAKIN'HAPPY!!!!

Here comes the rain again

2011-10-11T15:29:00.000-04:00

I made these before, but I wen there again because I quite liked this little necklace. It is my shrink plastic rain clouds with the beaded rain drops. Done with permanent ink outlining and pencil crayon for the gray and blue shading. Baked, and then glazed with a few layers of Triple Thick to seal the colour in. I added pretty blue glass drop beads for the rain drops. I love how the holes for the jump rings look like eyes, coupled with the curve accents near the bottom of the clouds, it looks like a smiling storm cloud.

Knit mitties

2011-10-09T15:24:00.000-04:00

I love these fingerless mitts, and will one day have to make a pair for myself. These were made with 100% wool, from an Italian company. A nice gray and black viariagated striping yarn. Cosy - great for those who need the dexterity of their fingers, but still get cold hands - which I seem to have as I get older! But I am allergic to wool, so will have to find an alternative.

Here is a close up of the cabling pattern at the cuff and tip of the mitt. It makes up 9 little owls on both ends. I was goind to add beads for the eyes, but it just did not look quite right for some reason.

I Love Beads

2011-10-07T14:37:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I <3 beads. No, really! I <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 beads! I love to knit, crochet, sew, and do many things, but my first love is beads. I love how they feel, how they look, how they sound - I could spend hours in a bead store, or pouring over beading magazines and books. Bead stores are kryptonite to the hubster though - he just can't understand how much I can love them.

Anyways, this week I did some beading and made a couple of lacy netted heart chokers (because of how much I <3 beads!). Kind of Victorian romantic, metal free style necklaces, using organza ribbon to tie in the back so any size neck can be accommodated, and so the wearer can adjust the length for style and comfort.

They are made with size 11/0 translucent gray beads with a nice shimmery finish, called Black Diamond, with size 8/0 accents. One with a rosy mauve translucent AB finished bead, the other with a matte gray with an AB finish as well, with a subtle shimmer of lavenders, blues, and golds.

Here is a little close up of the netting.

Peruvian Thread Jewelry - first attempt

2011-10-06T21:46:00.000-04:00

Someone requested thread earrings from me recently, and this was what I came up with. I don't think I did too badly, though I would like to know how to secure the thread more tightly at the top section.

I made the coils from 24 gauge silver plated wire, hand coiled on a very small knitting needle, so the coils are nice and consistent. They slide very nicely over 18 gauge wire, and then I separated the coils slightly, and bent the 18 gauge wire, with the coils about it, into the frame shape. I used cotton thread to wind around the frame, in between coils.

I think they turned out OK for a first attempt at this style of jewelry making!

Oh for the love of cupcakes!

2011-09-27T21:36:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't love a tender morsal of sweet cakey goodness in miniature form? One of my favourite things to bake is chocolate cupcakes with a rich ganache topping - the secret is my secret ingredients - expresso powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg - adds a bit of spice, and more depth of flavour. Hmmmm. too bad I just put the oven on clean, now I want to bake some cupcakes!

Anyways, I had some leftover rounds in clear shrink plastic from when I made the PacMan stitch markers in July. I found these neat expandable bangles, so I decorated the rounds with little kawaii cupcakes to make a cupcake bracelet. I glazed the back with Triple Thick - the key is to not manipulate it too much and let it dry as much as possible so that they do not stick together.

Treasure box....

2011-09-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

This is a teeny tiny little box, maybe 4.5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide. So I thought it would be perfect for a mini jewelry box. I loved the smooth slightly curved top; makes it perfect for decorating. It is a crying shame that I did not find more than one of these little devils.

The recipient I am giving this to apparently has a like of the art of the Pacific NorthWest - I grew up loving native art, and my favourite was Haida art, from the people of the Queen Charlotte Islands. This is a piece of art depicting a salmon. I transferred an appropriately sized version of it, printed from a laser printer, onto the wood top, using the toner transfer method. Use a light touch as all you want is a guide for the burning.

I then used a rounded tip to burn out the image. Afterwards, I used ochre coloured acrylic paint to add the red tones as in the original image. I left the wood bare, but added a small felt pad to the bottom of the box to prevent any scratching of surfaces.

Netted bead cuff - beady beady love

2011-09-21T20:09:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows I love love love my beady goodness. Love those sparkly, smooth, gorgeous orbs, cubes, funkity shapes of beady goodness. I made this from some of my stash. The pictures do not do justice to the colours of the beads. The cubes are deep and dark, with a metallic sheen, that varies between gold, blues, greens, purples, and blacks. The small seed beads are charlottes, meaning there is one cut side to give an angle, which increases light reflection - meaning they SPARKLE more when the light hits that flat edge. They are also a gorgeous purply-gray colour too, that is iridescent. I am so in love with this colour.

I wove two strips of the cubes, and netted a bead lattice between the cube strands, and added a double magnet clasp at the ends.

Sparkle sparkle!

More beaded flowers

2011-09-18T19:57:00.000-04:00

Two further simple beaded necklaces on velvet bands, with crystal centres. I LOVE working with delicas, they line up so perfectly!

A pretty iridescent purply colour.

A shiny light blue.

So simple, but I just love them.

Made to accompany some bead packages for bead soup swapping!

Game of Thrones inspired box

2011-09-16T18:39:00.000-04:00

This was the packaging I made for my OTT Game of Thrones swap - I had the idea for box featuring the sigils of some of the main houses of Westeros, and decided to do a search for any maps of Westeros I could find. I found several maps online, for various regions of Westeros, including the North, where Winterfell was, the Land beyond the Wall, the South, where King's Landing, and Storm's End are, as well as a map where the Targaryens were exiled to. Technically not Westeros, but geographically and historically significant.

Here is the package in it's entirety - it was made to hold the compact I made featuring the dragon charm in Apoxie Sculpt "dragon's egg shell", that was coloured with mica powders and embedded with the charm and Swarovski crystals. The note next to it is a background letter I wrote, about the piece, similar to what I wrote in my blog about it, with some editting.

Here is another picture I took of the compact. I LOVE Apoxie Sculpt. It was so easy and flexible to work with. I am going to see how it works with stamps soon too. It may have to replace polymer clay for me!

Excuse all the pictures, but I do like this box, and if I had more time, I would have given it more finesse, like properly sanding it before the work, properly working out flag designs, with the sigils, and the mottos of each house, then varnishing it, and lining the interior with some decorative paper or fabric. Anyways, I bought a finished pine box from the dollar store, and printed off some laser print copies of the maps and sigils after doing some image manipulation. I toner transferred them onto the box. I had a proper decorative frame for the top, but it was too large, so I just freehanded some corner pieces.

Here is the front of the box. It is the ruling seat of Westeros, King's Landing, in the South. The currently ruling family (as the general public of Westeros knows it) is that of the Baratheons, with the crowned stag sigil, with the first king of the era being Robert Baratheon, who earned the crown after rebelling against the Targaryens, and killing their household, except for a few who escaped over the sea. Also in the South is the family seat of the Baratheons, Storm's End, where his brother is Lord.

Here is the Lannister sigil with a map of Lannisport and Casterly Rock, their seat of power. They are seated on the Throne at present, as the widow Queen Cersei was married to the Rebel King Robert Baratheon, and is mother to the current ruler, the boy king Tommen. Her various family were all at one point or another in roles of power near the throne, including her twin brother Jaime (presumed father of her children), her other brother Tyrion, the Dwarf, at one point Hand of the King, and her murdered father, Tywin, Hand of the King at one point for the previously ruling Targaryens, and for her sons. I put them on the right side of the box, as they are the right hand of the throne.

This is the three headed dragon of the Targaryens, the previously ruling family of Westeros; the last ruling king of the family was ousted and murdered by the rebels, with Robert Baratheon , backed by his friend Ned Stark, taking the throne afterwards. I placed them at the back of the box, because their house was destroyed in Westeros, and what remains of the family are across the sea; Daenerys Targaryen. She is becoming a Queen in her own right, and trying to raise an army to take back the Iron Throne. While her House is no longer in Westeros, and no longer ruling, they are not to be discounted, and still in the picture.

This is the left side of the box, the Land of the North, once ruled by the Starks. Winterfell is in the background, and the Dire wolf is the sigil. Ned Stark was a part of the rebellion that felled the Targaryens, and best friend to Robert Baratheon who took the throne afterwards. He is honourable, though that failed him and his family in the end. They are of import though, because it was to Ned that Robert turned when he needed a new Hand of the King. It was also his family that started the new rebellion. They are central to the Game of Thrones.

I am loving the HBO series; it is very well done. I am currently reading the 4th book in the series, having ignored it for a few years. But the show has renewed my interest. I just hope it does not lose focus and go on and on forever, like Robert Jordan did.

A tribute for a princess from Westeros

2011-09-14T14:49:00.000-04:00

Daenerys, last remaining scion of the House Targaryen. This is a memento for you to show that there are those who still hold your House as the true holders of the Iron Throne. You, as the Dragon Queen, and last heir to House Targaryen, are the rightful heir to the Throne, and the rightful Queen and ruler of Westeros.

When your family was wrested from the throne and regicide was done by the rebels, your mother was stolen away in the night, with your brother, and you were born across the sea. Those of us loyal to you have held some family treasures for you in wait for your return, to show our fealty. This is one item was made by a Maester, a great uncle many generations back from my own family, as a gift to an ancestor of yours Queen Naerys Targaryen, a noted beauty. It is a looking glass, with a single dragon, embedded in a piece of shell from the egg from which one of the last dragons of Westeros burst forth, embedded with jewels. We send it to you as proof that Westeros has not forgotten the Dragons, and we still hold hope that House Targaryen will take the Throne back from those regicidal rebels. Never shall we bow to Baratheons, Lannisters, or Starks! Our true lords are the Targaryens!

My family has served yours for many generations, and hold faith that once more, a Dragon will come to King's Landing to perch upon the throne again for us to serve. We hope one day soon, for your return.

A Loyal Servant.

This is a compact I made this week for a OTT swap (one tiny thing). The theme is George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones, a wonderful science fiction series, and now finished it's first season as an HBO series, with stars such as Sean Bean, and Jason Momoa. Both the series, which I started to read years ago, and the show are fabulous. A OTT is a crafted item that is physically small, but takes the effort of a large item.

I worked with a new to me material that I am in love with now; Apoxie Sculpt, a 2 part epoxy that is easily malleable after mixing, and workable for up to 3 hours. It is adherent to a number of materials. I mixed the epoxy, and mounded it onto the back of a compact I had, that was metal. I rounded the mound, and pressed a dragon charm into the back of it, before colouring it with a variety of metallic/pearlescent mica powders, blending with a q-tip and my fingers, then tapping off the excess. Then, using fingers and tools, I texturized it to what I imagine a dragon egg shell would appear like. After allowing to dry for another half hour, I added some Swarovski crystals around the dragon, and allowed it to dry fully for 24 hours. After 24 hours, it was stone hard. I love this material!

A wee wish on the gentle breeze

2011-09-13T21:26:00.000-04:00

Ever blow on a dandelion head while lazing in the grass on a summer's day, and make a wish? Did it ever come true? I can only wish for those lazy hazy days of summer from childhood. I saw things so differently then.

Instead, dandelions are now the bane of our existence and efforts to have a perfectly green, but toxin free, lawn and garden.

Still, there is something whimsical about the fluffy seeds flying off on the slightest whiff of breath or air.

I embroidered this tonight on natural cotton, in a very small hoop, only about 4-5 inches across. It is black and dark gray floss. I backed it in red felt. Still need work on my small satin stitch, but overall, it doesn't look too bad, I think.

I may add some colour to the fabric background, like I did with my Snoopy hoop.

The Moon and the Stars

2011-09-11T20:19:00.000-04:00

How romantic sounding is that? "Darling, I love you so much, I could give you the moon and the stars if I could..."

Well, I am managing to do that ;P

I took 18 gauge silver plated wire, and made it into two circles, overlapping one side to create a crescent shaped frame, to make the moon shape. I held both wires on the other side together and used a bit of 24 gauge wire to hold them together to make one frame. I wound the ends of the 18 gauge wire to secure them, and make the loop on top for stringing.

In the crescent frame, I wove more 24 gauge wire to secure the ends of the crescent, and used white beads threaded onto the wire to fill in the moon shape.

In the slight gap on the opposing side, I added a star charm on a jump ring to dangle from the centre.

I added it to a chunky silver chain. I really like how it looks, and may give it another try. I wonder what it would look like with just silver wire woven through with no beads at all.

Altoids and Apoxie Sculpt

2011-09-09T19:51:00.000-04:00

I am in love with this sculpting material - Apoxie Sculpt. It is a 2 part epoxy that mixes 1:1 into a highly malleable clay like material that adheres to almost anything, and has a 1-3 hour working time for molding, embedding, sculpting, adding colorant, etc.

Today, I used it to decorate the lowly Altoid tin to make an abstract design that brings to mind the Northern Lights in the night sky. It will be used to hold some jewelry I am sending someone. I look forward to seeing what it can do in terms of stamps, carving, jewelry. I think it may potentially replace polymer clay for me, especially as I have found a more economically viable source, other than my bead store - they use it for embedding crystals into bezels. I did the same to simulate stars in the sky.

Sunday night cooking....

2011-09-04T19:06:00.004-04:00

It looks like a gooey mess doesn't it? This was our entree tonight for dinner; we had a lovely young greens mixed salad earlier, with yellow tomatoes from my garden, cucumber, and sweet baby peppers. This gooey mess though is a cheesy sausage rigatoni bake and garlic herb biscuits.

I made it up this afternoon, and am sharing the recipe. It makes a lovely gooey cheesy pasta casserole. I tend not to measure as I cook, so I will do my best to approximate how I made it.

Cheesy Sausage Rigatoni Bake

Makes a large casserole, enough to feed 6-8

1 lb uncooked rigatoni

1 lb italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 large sweet onion, diced

8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 red pepper, cut into chunks

1/4 cup butter

1/4 -1/3 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups 2% milk

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

salt

pepper

1 tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp dried basil

4-6 oz light cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup grated parmasan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella
a further 1/4 cup of each

seasoned bread crumbs

olive oil

1. cook rigatoni in salted water as directed on package, to not quite al dente. Drain and cool.

2. In a fry pan, fry sausages until browned, remove and drain. In the same pan, sautee vegetables until softened. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, and whisk in flour to make a roux on medium high heat. Cook the flour lightly. Add garlic powder and nutmeg. Warm broth and milk in microwave for a minute or so to warm. Slowly add liquid to roux, whisking continuously to make a smooth mixture. Increase heat and whisk continuously until mixture thickens.

4. Add cream cheese and whisk until cheese is melted, and add parmasan and mozzarella, whisking until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add basil and parsley, whisking well, remove from heat.

5. In large pot, mix together pasta, sausage, vegetables, and cheese sauce. Check seasoning again and adjust to taste. Pour mixture into lasagna pan, and sprinkle with cheeses, and bread crumbs. Lightly sprinkle crumbs with scant amount olive oil. Bake at 350 uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until bubbling and top golden. Remove and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

These biscuits I started making earlier in the summer and DH and friends love them - they are so simple.

Cheater cheesy garlic herb biscuits

Makes 5 (damn those people for not making it an even dozen in the tube so 6 rolls can be made!)

1 container Pilsbury Flaky rolls

1/4 cup salted butter

1/4 cup grated nacho cheese mix

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp thyme/oregano/or basil

Preheat oven to 375F

1. Melt butter in microwave for 30 seconds until melted. Add garlic and herbs in and stir to mix well.

2. Open and separate the rolls in the package. Dip one side of each biscuit into butter mixture, sprinkle one biscuit, butter side with cheese mixture, and lightly press another buttered biscuit on top to make one cheesy herbed biscuit.

3. Put a bit of butter mixture into bottom of 5 cups of a muffin tin, and place one biscuit combo on it's side in each buttered cup. Sprinkle with any remaining herb butter, and a bit more cheese.

4. Bake in centre of oven for 14-15 minutes until top is browned. Serve immediately.

Here they are before baking (last week, I won't show those results because they were done in the toaster oven and I forgot to change the dial from broil to bake - eeek)

Here are two leftover from dinner tonight - I lifted them up out of the cup a bit to prevent the bottoms from getting to soggy as they cool.

Very cheesy and rich - the cream cheese adds a bit of zest to the dish. NEEDS the salad and there is lots leftover!

Jack Layton - RIP

2011-08-27T16:16:00.004-04:00

I seldom refer to much outside of my work in this blog. While I have my opinions, I am not a political firebrand. I vote, and expound my beliefs in real life, but seldom turn to my blog to share my views. But I feel that I must share this time, and this man's words.

I was not an NDP flag waver, but I watched his progression from city councillor to Leader of the offical Opposition Party with great admiration. This was a man who gave charisma, grace, and goodwill to the face of politics in Canada, when the majority of our leaders appeared to be bringing it down to the mud. He was the gentleman in the ring with people intent on being bullies. He fought for social democracy, and truly believed in a better world for everyone. I had looked forward to seeing where he would take his party and Canadian politics in the future. Who knows, he may even have become Prime Minister Jack if given the chance.

But unfortunately, he was not given more time to meet this goal, and work more magic. Jack Layton, a man who devoted so much of his life and energy to building a better world, and being a role model for other other Canadians lost his life to cancer on Monday August 22, 2011, at 0445 in his home, and today was his official state funeral.

This is the letter he wrote to his party, fellow cancer sufferers, and his fellow Canadians, in it's entirety, just two days prior to his death.

August 20, 2011

Dear Friends,
Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.
I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts:

To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

All my very best,
Jack Layton

1950-2011
Leader of the Official Opposition of Canadian Parliament

It is my goal to have a tribute to him and his last words in my garden for posterity for next year. They are words of beauty that we should all strive to share, and embody in our own lives.

Blueberry Lemon Streusel Bars - hmmmmmmmmmmm

2011-08-21T19:36:00.005-04:00

Silly me, I never took a picture - but trust me, they were delicious! I am posting the recipe here for posterity's sake. We had a BBQ last night, and I made my usual several desserts. These were super popular, and regretfully I have none left .

Blueberry Lemon Streusel Bars
Makes 24

1/2 lb (1 Cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temp, more for buttering pan
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 large egg, separated
1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups room temperature fresh blueberries, washed and drained on paper towels

Position rack in centre of oven and heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1 inch overhang on the sides. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Blend the butter into the mixture until well blended. Take two cups from the mixture and reserve for topping. Blend egg white well into remaining mixture. Pat firmly and evenly into bottom of the pan, using bottom of a measure cup to even out if needed. Bake until it starts to form a dry top, about 10-12 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, lemon zest, juice, and egg yolk well. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the hot crust, and drop spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the blueberries - spread gently over the blueberries with spatula. Do not worry about spreading filling evenly. Bake until the lemon layer forms a shiny skin, about 7-8 minutes.
Sprinkle the reserved topping over the lemon layer. Bake until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the topping is brown, 25-30 minutes.
Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour, carefully remove from pan, using the parchment paper edges and let cool completely. Remove parchment paper and cut into 24 bars when cool. Can be stored at room temperature for a few hours but otherwise should be kept in fridge.

Crochet gifty goodness

2011-08-20T11:16:00.000-04:00

Can you tell I love making Bagskets? They do make awesome little work bags. I made some adjustments to the pattern, namely making the upper fabric closure so that it is a double layer of fabric with a channel across the top for the ribbon, but this encloses all the seams on the inside so that it looks neat from the inside and out. I also added a bit of medium or lightweight interfacing to the pocket fabrics and the body pieces so that it has a bit more stiffness to the body.

This made a great container for a little crochet gift set I made, which contained some gorgeous skeins of Noro wool, and little accessories, such as gauges, scissors, a sharpener, etc, and a matching hook roll I made. I love the combination of the basic black and the purple paisley.

The hook roll was made from the same pattern as this pencil roll, which I have used before a few times. Again, I made some minor adjustments, namely a ribbon closure, and I also added a fold over fabric flap in black on the inside to keep the hooks from falling out. To add a bit more body to the fabric too, I also added a bit of light weight fusible interfacing to the wrong side before sewing the fabric layers together.

One day, I may have to get around to making one for myself!

Grilled pizza - a great meal for summer

2011-08-11T15:28:00.006-04:00

We bought a new BBQ earlier this summer, a Weber Genesis. I am calling this baby DH's 2011 gift, all encompassing anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas etc. It costs more than the usual Qs you see on sale in the summer, but I have been assured by many sources that it is a quality deal that will last many many years and give consistent results. Also, our Fiesta that I bought Jim about a year after we moved in was dying a slow painful death. DH loved the new Weber the moment he lit it up - he even called me at work to tell he how much he loved it (and yes, you could hear happy tears in his voice on the phone).

I love it too - in fact, I have been doing my fair share of cooking on this baby, especially since the weather has been so good, and while the boys are doing the renovations. My job is to keep them fed for lunch and dinner (and to make sure there is a supply of instant coffee for the mornings).

But this has been one of my favourite meals to do on the new BBQ - grilled pizza. A great way to get something cooked relatively easy peasy, especially if there are leftovers or veggies that need using up in the fridge, and using a no knead bread dough.

If you don't know about no knead bread, I have been making it for a few years now, starting with a Lemon Rosemary Bread I found in a Williams Sanoma catalogue that fascinated me. I am now a big fan of Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois' Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It is great -with less than 5 minutes of work, some basic ingredients, and some waiting time, you can have up to 4 lbs of dough prepared, enough for 4 loaves of bread (or baguettes, or pizzas, rolls, etc). The great thing too, is I can make a full batch in the morning, make a pizza for lunch, and have dough to make whatever else I need, that can sit in the fridge for up to 14 days!

I made the Master Boule recipe this morning, and left it sitting on the counter for about 3 hours, before lighting the grill and preparing the rest of my ingredients. I sliced thinkly 1 medium sweet onion, a red pepper, and mushrooms, and sauteed them in oil until caramelized. Then when I was ready, I preheated the grill to about 425F. Then I grabbed a grapefruit sized chunk from the bowl and rolled it out flat, with a bit of flour on a piece of parchment paper. I lightly brushed olive oil on one side. It is a 3 burner grill and I turned off the middle grill, and laid the bread, oiled side down, on the centre grill and closed the lid. I checked once to pop any big air pockets, and let it grill for about 10 minutes, until it was done, but not starting to really turn colour yet. Remove it off the grill to top.

Off the grill, I lightly brushed on a commercially made pizza sauce, added some extra herbs/spices for flavour (today it was garlic, oregano, and fresh basil from my garden). Then I lightly sprinkled on some grated cheese, and layered some sliced meat (a sweet Portuguese cured sausage today), a bit more cheese, the vegetables, and then some more cheese (a few different kinds today).

When ready, place the pizza back onto the middle grill and cover, allowing to cook for about another 10 minutes, until the crust is golden, and the toppings melted and heated through.

As the dough sits in the fridge, the yeast action will be less active. It makes for a great thin crust pizza, which is crispy and easy to do.

I think I will either use the dough to make mini pizzas or a long thin pizza that we can cut up for appies at our next BBQ. Or perhaps an herbed flatbread/cracker for dipping in hummus, or some other dips.

Cute hair buttons!

2011-08-10T16:56:00.000-04:00

I made a bunch of these to add to a package recently. Very easy to do. One pair is a set of flowers like I made a couple of weeks ago for the wedding wrap. Just when adding the backing, I embedded a bobby pin to each so they can be used as hair decorations.

The buttons were nice and easy too. Depending on the size of button you choose, you just need a couple of inches of scrap fabric. You get one of those button kits from the notions department of the local fabric store or in the craft department of the local department store. It comes with two parts, the part to be covered, and the shank, and it has a simple tool for folding the fabric around the first part, and for embedding the shank into the back of the button.

I found that it was a bit wobbly to just put the shank through the bobby pin body, so I added a few steps. I took some paper clay and pressed that into the base, around the shank, just allowing the shank to come through. Make sure it is level and does not obscure the hole. After it hardened, I cut a piece of felt to cover the back of the button with two slits. I wove the bobby pin through the slits, capturing the button shank through it as well, then I glued the felt body down. The buttons seemed more secure after that.

A cute way to use up scrap fabric and make some simple accessories.

Summer flowers that will never fade

2011-08-09T21:45:00.000-04:00

Nothing particularly special. I just made a few more organza flowers, similar to my original, in a few different shades and sizes. I added simple gray freshwater pearls in the centre and sent them as is so that the recipient can use them however she wants to - be it decorations for a shirt, sewing, or hair accessories, what have you.

One day I will make my wreath!!!!!

Snoopy is my sweetheart!

2011-08-07T10:34:00.006-04:00

Seems like we are running with the dogs this week; seeing as I am in the doghouse with DH anyways, I decided to make myself a little companion to decorate said doghouse.

I love Snoopy; he is just the coolest little cartoon dog ever. I have not embroidered for a while and just got back into it with my first piece in several years earlier this summer; the calla lilies. So I found a cute pic of Snoopy I liked and stitched him up yesterday. It's a bit rough, but not bad IMO considering I am so out of practice. I drew him on a piece of unbleached cotton with fabric chalk, and stitched him with two threads of embroidery floss throughout. I stitched on a fabric backing with the date and my name, and added a hint of blue with pencil crayon.

DH thinks he is cute too, and I would like to add him to my future craft room decor. Looking up at the two pieces of Toby and Ginger art that I was given last year, because they are my two sweetest sweethearts. Other than DH of course ;P

Freezer paper stencils

2011-08-06T19:11:00.000-04:00

I made up a kit recently to send to someone with instructions on how to make freezer paper stencils. I packaged it in an Alex Skarsgard stenciled bag, and used the making of that to make the tutorial. He's not too hard on the eyes, is he not?

Anyways, rather than waste the hard work that went into that, I decided to add the instructions here as well, to save for posterity.

Freezer Paper Stencils

So I think I am in the dog house!

2011-08-05T17:01:00.009-04:00

I just picked out the colour chips for our addition and DH is not looking too pleased! I work night shifts half the time so I wanted a deeper colour for the bedroom, but he is thinking that what I picked looks awfully purple. I am trying to convince him it is more a blue gray - but it may not fly. Hopefully he is just too tired from all the work he is doing and I get my way in the end ;P

We are going with Benjamin Moore colours. I am thinking of either Excalibur Gray 2118-50, or Sea Life 2118-40. Probably the former; it is lighter and less "purply" than the latter

But I thought that if it were darker, then I could go with more masculine grays for the textiles (and this would work with the dog fur too)

He is willing to go with the accent wall though - so yippee for that. I wanted to replicate birch woods at twilight (hey it is a bedroom). It would mirror the birch tree stand we have out in front of the house, which we would be able to see from bed, as we will be facing the front windows.

So something similar to this, but using November Rain (OC-50) as the base colour, a warm gray, and either a foreground colour of Shadow (2117-30), which will include the accents on the tree bark, or accent the bark in Smoky Ash (986) - a warm gray brown, and do a foreground colour in Shadow.

In the meantime, I also found a colour for the main floor that I would like more. I had originally decided on a soothing green colour, and picked Glazed Green (CC-580), but we have been living with it for a year or so over the hall closet and it is just a bit too bright and yellowy fo me. Today I found a new colour called Hollingsworth Green (HC-141) which is just a bit deeper with a bit more blue tone, which I am liking. I was thinking it would be good to do that in the main floor living room, and down the hall way, and up the halfwall of the stairs, and transitioning up the stairs do November Rain as well.

(Oh oh, DH and Ginger look doubtful!)

(Hmmmm, Ginger looks doubtful about my choices - Princess Gingerella, you look fantastic in purply colours!)

I may have DH paint the walls in the kitchen November Rain too. BTW - hate that particular Guns and Roses song - I will forever associate it with whiny suck behaviour, both on the part of Axle Rose, and also Martha the queen of male manipulation and her crocodile tears - but as a neutral gray, I am liking it. Crappy song, great neutral wall colour.

Some other thoughts for colour.

For our small office in the back, the old spare room, perhaps Woodlawn Blue (HC-147), or Yarmouth Blue (HC-150).

For my craft room, I looked at the teals I originally chose, and thought they were a bit too pale. I chose something a bit brighter, Jamaican Aqua (2048-60), or Tropicana Cabana (2048-50).

All trim will be in Cloud White (OC-130) - let's not even play with that - he may just kill me if I were to suggest different trim colours for different rooms - I am just happy that I will be getting crown moulding!

I have too many choices for the bathrooms and basement right now. For the basement, I am thinking a warm gray/light taupe, because it is a low ceiling area, and not a lot of natural light. Some possibilities are: Seashell(OC-120), Morning Dew (OC-140), or Lancaster Whitewash (HC-174), or Gray Mist (CC-80), and for the basement bathroom, Natural Linen (CC-90), Muslin (OC-12), or Edgecomb Gray (HC-173).

For the main floor bathroom, I was thinking Lemon Ice (2024-70), with gray or blue accents

For the ensuite bathroom, Honey Harbour (CC-170) for 3 walls, and Lapland (AF-410) for the wall opposite the vanity. White fixtures, dark floor tile, and on that darker wall, perhaps a white shelving unit for towels and bath products.

I am thinking of keeping things simple and keeping the walk in closet November Rain too - just because it is in so many places. Otherwise it can be Lapland as well.

When the gift wrap is a gift as well...

2011-07-23T16:09:00.006-04:00

I wish I could do this for all the Christmas presents. I always try to make little add ons like the snowmen heads, a variety of beaded ornaments, or Santa slides, but I would love to get away from things like store bought ribbons, and make my own decorations for all gifts. It would be a double bonus if it was a functional/gift item as well.

I digress.

We are going to a wedding tonight. I made the organza flower hair ornaments from last year for the bride. This is her and the groom's present. It is simply a gift card with some cute Umbra magnets I found that I added some marriage quotes too and a card. But I decided to bling it up a bit and made this felt flower ornament too with some ribbon leaves.

But the flowers play double duty - it can be taken off and is also a fascinator. I made individual flowers similar to these from How Joyful, but with a slightly different method, added iridescent glass bead centres. I sewed them together, and added a backing and a hair pin to the back.

I hope she likes it.

Even a sewing machine needs accessories!

2011-07-20T13:55:00.001-04:00

Come on! All you craft girls have to agree that if you love something, you want it to look good! Those who sew, love their sewing machines. So why not dress it up!

This is a sewing machine caddy. It is a mat that will sit under the sewing machine. It has pockets that can hold notions such as measuring tape, bobbins, thread, scissors, etc. One is a large pocket for catching thread and fabric trimmings.

It has a little matching pin cushion that is removeable that one can attach to a pocket or waistband to carry around as you work on your project. Something I seriously need!

Finally, to add to the glamour and glitz of sewing machine blingery, I made a portable ironing mat. Perfect for small projects where it is not worthwhile pulling out the big ironing board. Or for laying out on the cutting table close at hand to the sewing machine, like when you need to press a seam flat or something before basting.

I feel that it is a bit blingy because of the glittery silver side where you are supposed to iron. It has the iron safe material on one side, craft cotton on the back, and there is a layer of cotton batting and Insul Brite for more insulation. It can be rolled up, or folded into a size smaller than the area of a sheet of paper.

Bright green and pink aprony goodness

2011-07-15T13:21:00.000-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that this is NOT for me :D Hot pink and lime green are not my colours. I was making this for someone who does love these colours. I found a great bright pink fabric with a lime green vine pattern that was actually pretty cool. I already had a green floral craft cotton that I could use for the lining and backing. Too bad I forgot to take a picture of this this when it was freshly made, ironed, and smooth. This is after I had it packed up for the renovations, before shipping it off.

It is based on the craft apron from One Yard Wonders , a book I am loving dearly, having made a few projects from it now. I made a few minor changes to suit what I had in mind, but I think it worked out.

There are two rows of pockets, of various sizes to hold lots of little notions, scissors, pencils, whatever one may need to do whatever craft project one has in mind.

I even lined the pockets so that it has a more finished look. I used store bought binding. One day I hope to perfect my binding and make my own to match better. I think this would be cute with the lime green fabric as the binding, or a darker hot pink. Wouldn't that be cute.

Things I learned about today...

2011-07-14T09:35:00.004-04:00

I think I am going to post whenever I can about something interesting I have learned just to share the knowledge. Afterall, everyday we all learn new things, right?

Anyways, today Jim taught me something new. As you all must know by now, we are in RENOVATION HELL. But we have passed the framing inspection and he is now doing the electrical and duct work before putting in the insulation. I saw these and was wondering why the heck pieces of take out box material were doing stuck on the ceiling of my attic???

Do you know what they are?

They are called attic vent channels. Apparently, even your attic needs to breathe. At least the roof shingles and the roof sheathing need to, and these allow air to flow. If there is no airflow, then there is the risk of mold/mildew forming in your insulation, and the life of the roof sheathing and roof shingles are shortened.

These are short pieces of polystyrene that prevents insulation from being pushed tight against the roof sheathing in the attic, and creates a narrow passage for air to flow between the two. This is a requirement of our provincial building code, even with spray insulation.

Again, they are a requirement for the building code.

But just to let you know, we have a friend who is frequently in attics and on roofs for doing satellite installations and the like as part of his business. He has done this for years. He has been helping DH with the renovations, and he did not recognize these. Apparently he has not been seeing them in the attics he has worked in, even in new subdivisions. That is scary, because that means that the people living in those homes could be developing health crippling mold issues in their attics over the years for lack of a few pieces of cheap polystyrene. Keep that in mind if you are renovating, or building a home.

Now for some random pictures of what is going on upstairs.

Woohoo!!! Framed rooms!!!! Electrical layout for outlets, switches and lighting!!!!!

... and here is the devil in charge of my own personal RENOVATION HELL!!!! Yeah, he knows the hair is goofy, but it's pretty sweltering up in that reno with no insulation, and we can't put the air conditioning on yet.

\m/ Celebrating Dio and Metal \m/

2011-07-11T01:52:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to make another crafty Metal pacakge lately, and really enjoyed it as well. DH and I are big old school metal fans, and were very saddened by one of the great singers of Metal, Ronnie James Dio. So I was pretty stoked to make my own little crafty tributes to the man.

First, I stenciled a shirt with RJD, giving the universal metal salute, which he helped popularize to the metal world. I love it on the bright green background, with the metallic paints. I think it suits him well.

Secondly, I have some elmwood pencil boxes, perfect for holding sketching pencils and brushes for an artist. I transferred the lyrics to Holy Diver onto both sides and wood burned them on. Then I drew on the salute freehand (malocchio, sign of the horns, whatever you want to call it), and burned on as well.

I wanted to add some jewelry too, so I took the Metalocalypse symbol and cut mini stencils of it, which I attached to a piece of leather and another of stiff suede. I used the stencils to mark off the outlines of the symbols. After removing the stencils, I used my wood burning tool and burned them into the leather (a very SMELLY process I must say! Then I trimmed the pieces and burned the edges. Burning the leather contracts the leather, so afterwards, you have to actually iron the leather gently again to smooth and flatten it out.

Then I sewed on ribbons for the leather piece to make an adjustable choker or headband. The recipient is sensitive to metals around the neck so that was why ribbons were used.

The suede piece was finished with snap buttons to make a wrist cuff.

I was very happy with how the leather pieces turned out and am excited to play a bit more with it in the future.

I would love to make something for me to wear this Fall when DH and I go to see Judas Priest!

More accessories for crafters

2011-07-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

I love this iris fabric. I love it. I made it into a work tote for a crocheter. I took the original pattern and made a few changes. Some worked, some need work still. I added stiffer interfacing and for the topping fabric, doubled and folded it into itself so that the seam could be hidden. I must have been sleepy and not paying attention, because I definitely made errors and my seam ripper had a lot of work :/

But it still turns out OK I think. Lots of pockets on the inside for accessories and findings of course! I am all about the pockets!

... and a matching hook pocket with a little needle pocket area too!

To go with the bagsket work tote, I made a little wood burned owl box, to hold some stitch markers I made.

It is a nice tight box, and I burned both sides with the same owl.

... and filled it with these cute little Pac Man stitch markers.

... a few little extras include these little felt sakura flower barrettes...

... and finally a cute beaded flower necklace!

Yes, that is Ginger it is resting on :D

More on my craft room...

2011-07-08T23:21:00.005-04:00

again, on and on I could go!!!!

OK, computer not happening, because that is already set up for the electrical. That is OK, because then I can leave a TV in the corner. Also, MIL has an old treadle sewing machine that she does not use, which I can have - awesome! That will go in the North East corner of the room, on the other side of the window.

Two other alternatives for the couch and the night table.

This is from Leons and converts to a queen sized bed, and I like the gray colour, and floral print accents. It is called the Dina II sofabed and is 78" wide and 37" deep.

Also, this may be another alternative for the side table. Another Ikea table, but I like the metal shelf with the floral print on the second level, which repeats the pattern on the pillows and the rug. It is the Klingsbo, and it is less than 50% the cost of the other one.

I am so looking forward to this!

Gardening on a canvas....

2011-07-07T12:43:00.002-04:00

I have not done any cross stitch or embroidery for a long time, not for several years I think. Then I recently had the idea of trying my hand at making a decorative hoop project for a wall, using calla lilies. I found some gorgeous line drawings of calla lilies and chose one. I used it as a template to draw the basics onto a piece of natural canvas, stretched on a hoop. Then I free hand stitched the design on using embroidery floss. I wanted it simple, so I chose black and gray for the image, and framed it in a deep purple.

I wanted to keep it framed in the hoop, so I decorated the back and the sides. I used a ribbon glued to the hoop, and sewed a backing on with a piece of patterned quilting cotton.

I actually thought it would be pretty cool to draw on a repeating image or pattern onto the hoop next time and wood burn it on, then varnish it, for a more finished look!

Lots of mistakes, but not too bad considering it has been innumerable years since I stitched any image, I think! It makes me think that I would like to try to do more and this may be how I decorate my craft room!

I did the flowers with a double strand of black floss, the outlining in purple, and the leaves in a silvery gray.

More on my craftroom (I could go on and on and on)

2011-07-02T17:24:00.009-04:00

Here is one futon option; the Beddinge from Ikea with a blue cover; it has storage underneath and folds down flat for a bed for two people. BUT it is about 79 inches long, so it may be too long for the bookcase on the side wall and a table or two.

Another option is the Hagalund, which gives me a loveseat sofa to sit on with a washable slip cover (in a warm gray), and then it pulls out into a small bed, with linen storage underneath as well. It is 59 inches long, so I probably can have a small side table beside it.

Like perhaps this simple nightstand, the Aspelund, which is about 15 inches wide. It could be decorated to match the dresser of Jim's I want to change.

Or even better, a Strind glass side table with casters that can move about.

With this little Kroby lamp with the glass shade.

This looks like a cute chair for my workspace - I could have two of these; it is called a Vilgot, and is $79.99. I could have it with the castors for hard floors which may be better for the wood.

Also, this as my area rug.

Oh - and would it be too tack if the slanted ceiling above the dresser (the underside of the stairs going up to the bedroom) was painted with magnetic paint, or a magnetic cover placed on it, and those magnetic spice containers were used to hold micro components, like stickers, dots, clips, tacks, etc? Also, a white board can be attached (or can be the magnetic component) so drawings, ideas, messages can be written on it!

Dreaming of my new craft room....

2011-07-02T15:12:00.021-04:00

"Singer thrums,
through the cotton...
Beads are strung...
Don't they sparkle?

I'm humming a song
... tinkering along...
... dreaming of my new craft room"

Yeah yeah, whatever, I never said I was Rogers or Hammerstein. But I am excited. As DH progresses in the HELL THAT IS OUR HOUSE RENOVATION, he has given me a big ray of hope. Our current master bedroom was going to be the spare room. Now it will be my CRAFT ROOM, with a pull out bed or whatever for guests to sleep on. WOO HOO!!!!!

OK, so thinking that his current dresser will become painted white and decorated, with the mirror taken down and placed under the slanting area where the stairs go up. That will be for yarn storage.

Then, a friend has a big oak table I can have, and that can be my work surface, and it will be in front of the big picture window. Maybe I can get rolling storage for underneath, or some filing cabinets. Otherwise get two low bookshelves for the legs and put a countertop or something over top, with extra storage underneath. A good place for working, and also for keeping my sewing machine.

On the South wall by either side of the window peg board for my quilting rulers, and scissors. Then on the Western wall, between the stairs and window, hang a couple of shelves off the wall with my computer monitor on the wall. Hmmmm, I even like the snazzy blue colour....

Perhaps something like this so I can have drawers, but a surface for the keyboard? Or just a small table?

A bookshelf in front of the Eastern wall, South of the window on the side, for magazines and books. Something simple perhaps? Or two, one on either side of the window.

This is a neat lamp to have on the table for a work surface for directional light.

Or the floor lamp version, but I would like it with more arms.

The walls can be a fresh, bright teal, like Benjamin Moore San Clemente Teal (730), or Skyscraper (765). Will have to see. We have golden oak floors (will have) and it will be white shelves, etc, except for the oak table. Maybe. Lots of time to think!

Will have to find a funky carpet too - may have to be multicoloured to hide all the thread, and fabric bits!

Dear Terry Pratchett....

2011-07-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

Terry Pratchett, I can't tell you how much your have made me laugh over the years, until the tears have streamed down my face. You have a gift of humour that you have shared with millions, throughout the world, and I will forever be grateful for you sharing that gift with the world.

I have been reading the Discworld books for many years, several of them several times. I always will laugh. I thought I would share my love of his books through a different way in a swap recently, by sharing a quote. I wood burned it onto a cedar wood coaster.

Time is like a drug. Too much of it will kill you :D

Terry, I am saddened that no drug can help you, and your time is running out.

Happy Canada Day

2011-07-02T09:23:00.004-04:00

Is it wrong that I love this hat and want to make it????

I am not a Royal Watcher (I like them well enough...) - but I think I love this hat!

Maybe not make it as a hat. But as some other accessory. Or a wreath. Something needs to be made from this!

Little felt sakura flowers...

2011-07-01T11:05:00.008-04:00

I saw a leather version of this which was adorable, which one day I would like to try. In the meantime, I decided to make felt versions of these to decorate some hair pins and barrettes. I thought I would share how I made them here.

Materials:

Coloured felt

sharp scissors

sewing and beading needles

coloured floss

metal barrettes and hair pins

a strong glue (E6000, Beacon 527)

(optional) beads, pearls, circle template

To make a pair of flowers, cut 10 petal shapes roughly the same size. You can use a circle template to trace and cut them out too, but I cut these freehand, using the first petal cut as a guide to get roughly the same size and shape. They do have one end slightly tapered, which will be the inside of the flower.

Take one petal, at the narrower end, and fold upwards in half. This is the front of the flower.

Make two even folds down on either side of the first fold.

Thread sewing thread, or a matching single thread of floss through the needle eye. Hand sew the folded end of the petal together to secure the folds in place.

Pick up a second petal, and fold as for the first.

Attach to the first petal, and tack to secure the folds of the second petal and sew to secure the two petals together.

On the backside of the flower, sew up approximately 1/3rd of the length of the two edges of the flower together to hold the petals together.

Repeat the above steps for the remaining three petals of the flower, in the end, sewing the fifth petal to the first petal.

Now we have just a cute flower shape - pretty cute on it's own.

Fold the outer edge of each petal in half and using sharp embroidary scissors, cut out a small triangle, roughly equal sized.

Thread a double strand of a contrasting colour of embroidary floss through a needle, and
attach to the centre of the back of the flower. Sew long lines and french knots to add the stamen details to the front of the flower.

Cut a small circle of felt to cover the centre of the flower.

Add a wee dab of glue to the centre of the flower and press the small circle of felt to the glue. Press to secure.

I thought they would be cute as little barrettes, as I made them. Or for fabric accents for clothes, bags, headbands. Size can be adjusted by adjusting the size of the petals. Keeping in mind that whatever size petal you cut, the flower will be roughly twice the size in total.

To add a backing securely, I cut a small felt pad about the size of the petal and attached that to the backside of the barrette with a good glue like E6000 or Beacon 527. Then I glued the flower, sandwiching the barrette between the back of the flower and the felt backer, and used a clip to hold them together for a couple of minutes until there was a secure hold.

HORRORS!!!!!!!

2011-06-12T07:46:00.003-04:00

The next stage of construction/renovations have begun - and I have been forced to pack up and dismantle my crafting area...

Paints and brushes - boxed!
Decorative papers - BOXED!
Sewing thread, bobbins, ribbons, fabric - BOXED!!!!
Markers, jewelry supplies - BOXED!!!!!
My desktop computer - DISMANTLED!!!

Possibly for the better part of the summer so Jim can tear down the support beam and replace it with what the city deems up to current code.... WAH!!!!!

But hopefully, hopefully, by the end of the summer, we will be living upstairs in the new addition as our bedroom, and our current master will be my new craft room/spare room!

Hopefully that means that I can have a nice large set up for a cutting table, sewing table, and some storage for yarn, etc.

I won't share a picture of the desolation that was my workspace - but it was a jumbled mess before. Now it is merely sad and pathetic.....

I wish I had a picture of Ginger to share though - she is emoting what I am feeling. Neither one of us are happy with change. Did you know dogs can pout?

Spring is for Metal - crafting with a metal edge

2011-05-22T07:26:00.000-04:00

No, this has nothing to do with my desire to wrap, shape, or etch things of metal. It has to do with METAL, the music genre. I joined another swap with a metal theme and my recipient is a fan of Dethklok and Metalocalypse. I know I am a bit old school, and am not in touch with newer metal, but I have never heard of this stuff and have no clue who these people are!!!! I am still banging my head (and killing off those precious few brain cells I have left) to the beat of Sabbath, Dio, Judas Priest, and those other old fogeys...

Sigh.....

Regardless, I gave it my best shot and this is what I came up with...

Coasters inspired by the character images for Metalocalypse, taken from the poster. DH cut and routed the wood squares for me; made from end pieces of the clear cedar leftover from the making of Grandmom's box. I transferred and burned the images on. To make them more durable for wet glasses, I put 3 layers of verathane on top, two on the bottom, and placed thick black felt pads on the bottom with Beacon 527 to prevent scratching of surfaces.

Heavy drink glasses etched with the Metalocalypse logo

A Dethklok logo apron, made from hand cut freezer paper stencils and fabric paint

Two ferret beds/hammocks made from music/skull fabric on the inside, and each lined with soft fleece end scraps I had, for the pets. They have ribbon loops for hanging in the cage.

A little purse made with the same skull fabric, lined with red guitar fabric, and using ribbon handles, with a little skull button.

Hopefully, despite being an old school coot, I was able to hit it within the park at least :D

Cloudy never looked so pretty!

2011-05-13T15:43:00.003-04:00

I found this fabric in the sale bin at Fabricland earlier this year and fell in LOVE with it!! It is swirly clouds in some of my favourite tones of blues, and edged in gold. I swear, I LOVE it. I bought all 5 yards of it, and this is my first project from it.

It is something perfectly mundane and prosaic. Can you guess what it is? It's a clothespin apron! It is cute with long ties and I am going to put all my clothespins in it, and it can make a perfectly boring and mundane activity such as hanging wet laundry just that much more cute!

Besides, I need to practice sewing from a pattern, and I think I did OK. We will not acknowledge the wee little mistakes - the fabric still makes it look cute! DH is especially thrilled that I added a few more inches to the ties so that they will fit his waist. Yep. I made him try it on. He hates it. I don't care. It makes me smile, it is so pretty - so much prettier than the boring beige bag my clothespin were in.

Now I need prettier clothespins!

Final mother's day gift for one loved one

2011-05-11T09:30:00.002-04:00

Our last grandparent passed on recently; DH's paternal grandmother. I lost the last of my grandparents over a decade ago, and I came to love his like my own. Especially as, in personality, they reminded me so much of my own too, and I was lucky that they embraced me into their family.

She had asked to be cremated, and Jim and I were honoured when his parents ask us to make her casket for her ashes. We were thinking the celtic cross to decorate it with, in honour of her Irish heritage. But his parents and aunts did not want that, because of the controversy over what it represents. Apparently the fighting between the Catholics and Protestants were what helped to prompt his grandparents into emigrating from Ireland. They never could understand how people could not be tolerant of each other and accept one another regardless of culture, religion, etc. Besides, she was not a strong believer of religious dogma. But she was a believer in love and loyalty of family. So we decided on decorating her box with the Claddagh ring.

Our friend/SIL's partner bought some beautiful clear cedar to build the box out of. DH built the box and sanded the box so much it was satin smooth. I think he used emery cloth to get a truly smooth finish. After he sanded, he gave it to me and I transferred an image of the Claddagh onto the box and burned it on. I added some texturing for some dimension. I left a bit of a blank area underneath in case his parents wanted her name or date added. They loved the image, and did agree that we would add her name (her nickname - Vilma, not Wilhemina). I added that in script.

Finally, the family decided to bury her with her wedding ring. They wanted to glue it to the box, but I suggested something a bit more formal. I had a dark metal cameo setting, and set the ring in clear resin in the setting, and mounted it in the centre of the heart. I think it looks nice. Everyone seemed to like it. I hope she does too. RIP, Grandmom.

Pretty flower chokers

2011-04-15T22:01:00.010-04:00

I had a final year nursing student this semester for mentoring one on one. She was pretty good, and I was really happy with her progress. After this set of final exams, she will be graduating and writing her licensing exams to get her RN license to practice. I hope I have given her a good idea of some basic nursing skills, how to organize, chart, and some critical thinking skills.

Regardless, I wanted to give her a little gift at the end of the session. Something personal and something related to nursing that she can extrapolate to her experience as a student and new RN to be. She had mentioned that she really liked some of the cowls I made, so I made a couple for her for next winter, and I made one of these beaded flower chokers for her. I wish I got a picture of her wearing it, it looked really pretty on her. It is from a Kerry Slade pattern, with red and gold Miyuki Delicas. I beaded a backing that could be threaded onto a velvet cord. I added a centre of small freshwater pearls.

Finally, I added a copy of Tilda Shaloff's first book, A Nurse's Story. She is also a Canadian nurse, and wrote about her experiences, working at TGH. I remember reading it years ago, after SARS, and felt that it could be inspiring for a new nurse, and something she could look back on, reflect on, and related to later on in her career. Also, significantly less sappy and diabetic coma inducing than the Chicken Soup for Nurse's Soul books.

Fountain of Youth in a pretty blue bottle?

2011-04-15T21:15:00.005-04:00

Perhaps I have been spending my days off steadying with Snape in potions? (Rawwwwwr Alan Rickman....) Ah, if only. If only we could find and bottle the Fountain of Youth, but alas, Time marches on, and is tracking it's muddy, crap covered boot treads on my face. So I am always on the look out for some slop to slather on my face to fight the ravages of Time (the bastard).

I am a Clinique fan and last year I fell for a particular potion found at Holt's. It was a Clinique anti-oxident/vitamin C serum. Darn them, they put a sample in a package I bought, and like a stupid fish, I fell for the bait. Except I should have asked what it cost. Two hundred dollars later (GULP!), I was the proud owner of this serum. BUT, it did work!!!! If I used it consistently, my complexion did brighten and feel smoother. It really was awesome, but really, I did not want to spend that kind of cash regularly...

Then one day this winter, I was snuggling in bed with the puppies, trying to warm my frozen toes under Ginger's belly, watching Steven and Chris. They had a segment on anti-aging beauty ingredients and GAVE AWAY A RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE VITAMIN C SERUM!!!!!! I was sold!!!!!!

It took me awhile to finish the last of my Clinique serum, then I had to find the ingredients - L-ascorbic acid crystals or powder, vegetable glycerin, alcohol, amber/blue glass vials, and distilled/bottled water. Finally I made the serum today.

First, sterilize the bottles with alcohol (or boiling water) and let dry. Sterilize a small glass/ceramic/metal mixing bowl, small funnel, and measures and let dry.

To bowl, add 1/2 tsp l-ascorbic acid. Add 3 1/2 tsp room temp bottled/distilled water, and mix well. Add 1 1/2 tsp glycerin, and mix well.

When mixed well, pour via funnel into the sterilized bottles, and seal tightly. Make small batches at a time as the vitamin C breaks down quickly. This batch made enough to fill about 3 of these small blue vials

To use, gently rub half to 1 dropperful on clean face. Make sure to use a good moisturizer with sunscreen

I used Natural Factors vitamin C crystals, which on e-mailing, was confirmed by the company to be l-ascorbic acid. The glycerin was from Now Solutions. Basic isopropyl alcohol (70%) from the local pharmacy, and the glass bottles from the Whole Carrot. Bottled water could be used - Costco brand (and the rest I drunk).

Here's hoping my youthful radiant beauty is maintained for many generations to come!!!

One Hot Mess....

2011-04-15T20:38:00.007-04:00

Who doesn't love sticky, sweet, gooey cinnammmmmmmmmmon buns? I came up with this recipe this evening, and shared the love with DH and a friend of ours. Paul insisted they were better than Saint Cinnamons and I should start selling my baking. God love guys who love thier sweets :D

Tell me what you think of this hot mess - best served warm, and oozing with sugary goodness, with a hot cuppa tea. They are not as pretty as the ones bought from the store, but boy, are they ever tasty!

Cinnamon Raisin Buns (aka One Hot Mess)

Makes 12 rolls

Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm milk)

1 package quick rise yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour

2 tbsp gluten flour

Filling:

2 tbsp very softened unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)

1 cup raisins

Icing:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp to 1 1/2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 200F, and oil a medium bowl. Set aside.

Heat milk for about 1 minute - 1 1/2 minutes, and melt butter in microwave. Combine milk, butter, egg, sugar, yeast in stand mixer bowl, and mix well.

combine 3 1/2 cups flour, gluten flour, salt in a separate bowl and mix well. Add in increments to mixer bowl, mixing to combine with dough hook. Knead on low speed until flours well incorporated. If dough is very sticky, add flour in 2 tbsp increments until dough forms a soft ball, coming away from walls. Knead for several more minutes until dough is soft, and elastic. Transfer to oiled bowl, and turn to cover all surfaces with oil

Turn off oven, and cover bowl lightly with clean towel. Place bowl in oven to proof for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.

In the meantime, combine butter and vanilla to make a spreadable goo. In a separate bowl, combine sugars and cinnamons, and set aside

After dough has doubled, turn out onto floured surface and roll into a rough rectangle, about 18 inches by 10 inches. Spread butter mixture with brush or spatula evenly over dough, leaving 1/2 inch free along long edge furthest from you. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over butter mixture, then evenly sprinkle raisins over the cinnamon mixture. Roll from closest long edge in a tight roll to further edge, and pinch edge to seal dough closed.

Grease and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, with overhanging ends.

Cut the dough roll into 12 rolls, about 1 1/2 inches wide and place with cut sides down in pan, evenly spaced. Lightly cover with clean towel, and place back into warm oven to rise for about 40-50 minutes.

Remove from oven, and uncover. Preheat oven to 425F. Place in middle rack and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drop temperature to 350F and bake for a further 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing and placing on rack.

To make topping, melt butter in small bowl, whisk in sugar. Add vanilla, and 1 tbsp milk. If icing too thick, thin with small amounts milk until consistency thin enough to buns.

Best eaten when warm. To rewarm, place bun on plate in microwave and warm for 10-15 seconds. For an even more decadent treat, make a cream cheese icing.

It's been a very Alice-y February

2011-03-18T23:54:00.014-04:00

Lots of Alice inspired crafting happening. I had quite the list of things I wanted to make, and only made a fraction of them, and will devote this post to some more of the accessories I made which were Alice inspired.

First off, I cut some of my glass microscope slides to 1"x1" squares and made soldered charms with them, to use on a loaded charm bracelet. I made several charms, and chose the 5 I liked the best. I made a helm patterned chain maille bracelet, and loaded it up with different Alice inspired charms, interspersed amongst the 5 soldered charms. With some of the remaining soldered charms, I made an assymmetrical necklace as well. I used longer soldered slides to make some simple pendants as well.

Secondly, in tribute to the stupid gardeners who screwed up the Queen of Heart's rose garden, I made several pairs of organza rose hair pins, with fresh water pearl centres. I made some white roses, and the red roses they were supposed to be, and a pair of roses in the middle of being painted. They are mounted on felt heart bases.

More on the roses. I found some cute dimensional red rose beads at the local bead store, and added those to some carved stone leaves to make simple earrings.

Mostly I used the classic John Tenniel images, but I like the Arthur Rackham images too, and used his version of Alice fighting off the flying deck of cards in a pocketwatch casement, with some gears and resin for a steampunk inspired pendant.

Finally I made this as a simple pendant, but I loved it. It was a molded resin heart, with various watch elements inside, as well as a clock face, and key. Alluding to the Queen of Hearts, the time the White Rabbit did not have enough of (and if you look closely, on one side of the face, it is set to tea time!), and the key Alice needed to open the door to Wonderland. I love how the various metal bits are suspended in the clear clear heart.

Some Alice-inspired sewing

2011-02-22T23:26:00.001-05:00

I do love Alice in Wonderland. It was one of those defining books of my childhood, along with Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, the Black Cauldron, etc. Before I lost my innocent view of the world reading Stephen King and Clive Barker that is...

Anyways, I have trotted out the sewing machine again and sewed a few Alice inspired sewn projects for a recent swap I was in. My partner wanted some room signs for her granddaughter's room, which were colourful directional arrows. I wanted to make something durable, so paper/cardboard were out. I thought about stencilled, painted, or woodburned wood signs - but that would have been pricey to ship across the continent! Then I came up with the solution in my sleep one night - FABRIC BANNERS!!!!

I found some small print cotton fabrics at Fabricland and bought different colours and contrasting/complimentary bias tape. I cut them into various arrow shapes, and fused interfacing on to give a bit of oomph, and bound the edges. I added small grommets so they could be hung with mails, pins, or ribbon, and stencilled the words on. Instead of simple directions (up, down, here, there), I chose Alice-inspired directions instead, like "To the Tea Party", "Down Through the Rabbit Hole", "Jabberwocky Pass", etc.

I had some Alice in Wonderland fabric (sent to me from a previous partner in my last Alice swap) and the pieces were perfect for making an Alice-featured Noriko purse, from Lazy Girl Designs. I had enough full panels to have two images on the flat surfaces both inside and outside, and used two different complimentary fabrics for the folded side panels. I had a great little heart button for the ribbon closure. I loved it, and it actually worked up super super quick. I just wish I had enough fabric to make one for myself too.

I need a pig here!

2011-02-20T01:02:00.003-05:00

Helena Bonham Carter obviously had a lot of fun with being the Red Queen in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. She totally rocked the look too :D

Here is my tribute to her quote from the movie:

"I need a pig here! ..... I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet."

I copied her image onto a simple wood box, and wood burned it on, and tinted it with coloured pencils. I added the lettering, and pig images to the ends, and covered the inside in burned hearts. Finally, I finished it with several layers of glossy varnish, and covered the bottom with felt.

What is inside??

Why, warm pigs for her Royal Majesty's poor aching footsies!

I crocheted the piggies from Roman Sock to play Pass the Piggies with, and burned hundreds of little pigs on the inside surface. Because they are Royal piggies, they get their own velvet, braided pillow!

OFF with their heads!

2011-02-15T00:29:00.002-05:00

I have recently been playing more with resin, and with DH's help, copper. He cut some 1/4" wide rings from standard copper pipes for me to turn into jewelry. I tried to drill holes through for the wire loops, but could not manage to do it. What I used instead, in the end, was was my Dremel with a cutting wheel to cut slits halfway through in two opposite areas of the copper circle to fit 20 gauge copper wire through. I then wrapped two ends in loops for most of them, and for one pair, used wire head pins which one end was a wrapped loop, and the other held a crystal in place, for earrings.

Then I filled the centres with polymer clay that was baked, to provide a base for the images, made slightly convex. Then I adhered some classic John Tenniel Alice in Wonderland images to the polymer clay base. They are reversible, with a different image on either side. I then covered either side with resin, mounding it so that eitehr side is rounded. I lightly sanded the copper so that it was shinier, and buffed with Renaissance Wax a couple of times to protect the finish. It was a bit of work, but I really like how they turned out.

I made an asymmetrical, multilayered necklace with one set, a bracelet with 5 more, and turned two into a set of earrings, using various copper findings, chains, and jumprings, and accenting with fire polished crystals.

I love the bracelet, but my favourite is the earring set with the Queen of Hearts on oneside, and her incompetent gardeners on the other.

Like a little fleece hug....

2011-01-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

I recently discovered this pattern from Colette Patterns. It is a cute little sewn cowl, that looks like a big bow. They made it from wool, and I thought it would translate so well to fleece. I made three over the past couple of days; one for a swap, one for MoL and one for a friend at work I thought would appreciate it too. The instructions were easy, and I figure it would take an hour to make at the most. Add some more to the length, and it could be used to drape over the shoulders. add some more to the width, and it could be a generous head covering and still protect the back of the neck.

In fleece, they are wonderfully cuddly soft. Like a little hug! Three were easily made from 2 yds of fleece (one in each colour). I just bought some more fleece to make a couple for myself. I just wish I found a black and white print - a cow cowl!