Dee's crafting madness

Excess Baggage...and my cutie pie

2010-05-07T21:28:00.003-04:00

I've been playing with different ideas for my bags, and because some things are better in theory, I don't always initially use my good supplies. This is one of those cases. I didn't want to risk wasting good ribbon, so I used some leftover Halloween ribbon to try this one out.

Up close...

With this one, I toyed with a patchwork style with exposed seams.

And watching the Red Carpet, Sarah Jessica Parker's dress stood out to me. A lot of people hated it, and she ended up on a couple of "worst dressed" lists. I loved it and immediately sketched out an idea based on the bodice.

Open...

Detail under the flap...

And I saved the best for last...my little shadow.

A bit of this and that

2010-03-14T13:04:00.004-04:00

I've been crafting but not posting, so I thought I'd catch up today.

Crochet:

Sewing:

Polymer clay: My first attempt was a *little* overdone. Hey, he's a crusty old pirate...literally.

Triangle beads

X's and O's from a beading magazine. This one is black and silver with cobalt and black diamond swarovski crystals.

I made another one with pearls and Pacific Opal swarovskis.

Arm Candy

2010-02-19T19:31:00.004-05:00

I finally buckled down and finished a couple of bracelets that I've been working on. I'm happy with the way they turned out. Breeze wants to take them, and The Hub wants me to sell them. *eyeroll* The pics aren't the greatest, so the true color, shine, and detail aren't showing up.

This one is covered with 140 baubles made from black diamond ab faceted round stones attached to a ladder stitch base. Yes, it took forever to make 140 baubles before I could even start the bracelet.

This one has turquoise chips stitched onto a peyote stitch base with a picot edging (a first for me).

Now I have two less WIPs, but a ton more that need to be finished.

Creativity coming out of hibernation

2010-01-05T11:10:00.003-05:00

I joined a crochet-along on Ravelry, and this is my January block. I figure I can handle a block a month and end up with an afghan by the end of the year.

And the sewing bug has bit me big time! I found the pattern for a cupcake pincushion in a local quilt shop and thought it was the cutest thing ever. Breeze wanted the first one and opted for the "high calorie" instead of the "low calorie" pattern. This thing is HUGE!! It's like the pincushion that ate Tokyo or something!

See the ruler laying beside it? The base of it is about 3.5" wide, and it gets bigger from there.

Still trying to figure out how to take good pics with my new camera, so this one's kinda fuzzy. Another one of my designs. As soon as I finished it, Kat claimed it as hers. I couldn't argue with that because she *was* the inspiration for it.

And finally, a recon project. I took an old hoodie, removed the zipper and hood, cut the sleeves to 3/4 length, and did some tweaking. A little more dressy than a plain ole grey hoodie, but still comfortable. (That's an apron on my dressmaker under the jacket...not part of the project.)

I have 6 or 7 more things ready to be cut out/made by my sewing machine, in addition to several beading projects waiting their turn.

Susie and a hiding place

2009-10-04T17:38:00.003-04:00

Seems like it's been forever since I had the creativity going on something besides remodeling, but it has returned!

First, the hiding place. I had a pin cushion that my longer pins went through and stabbed me every time I looked at it. I found this cute little box somewhere along the way and knew that I'd find a good use for it eventually. I love wooden boxes and seem to collect them whether I have a use in mind at the time or not.

And the solution to two problems at once!

Now for Susie...

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I LOVE handbags. Over the past few months, I've sketched several out with the intention of making all of them when I had some free time. Free time finally happened, and the Susie bag is finished.

The flower petals and leaf are some leftover leather I had laying around begging to be used. I still need to put a snap on it so it'll close. The bag is made from a man's wool suitcoat, and the strap is part of a belt I found at a thrift store.

Hopefully the free time will continue so I can get back to what I love to do. :)

Everything's better with embellishments

2009-02-25T22:38:00.002-05:00

I didn't have a fabric that matched the shades of pink in my French Market Bag, so a couple of my knitting friends suggested a knitted/felted flower. I found a freebie pattern online today and whipped this one up. Easy-peasy. Of course, when I was done and had it sewn onto the bag, I thought, "Hmm, maybe some beads." I added silver-lined sz 8 seed beads to the center. NOW I'm groovin' the little bag.

And a closeup...

In the bag

2009-02-23T13:13:00.002-05:00

After a long crafting hiatus due to an attempt at a fulltime job, my first week back at home has been SO nice. I'm enjoying the stress-free creativity that has been hibernating.

I worked on this bag for almost a month when I had time, and finally finished it up Saturday. Got it felted, and voila. I'm going to do some embellishing, but at least the bag itself is finished.

The pattern is from Knitty.com Winter '03 issue. French Market Bag

I also knocked out this number for Breeze. It's big enough for a book bag, but doesn't scream "Backpack". We found the fabric at Hancock's up in Charleston. I had it envisioned in my head, so I didn't bother with a pattern. The printed fabric is fashions through the years, and I added three black buttons as an accent and a zipper so she can close it up. I gave the sides and bottom some stability with plastic canvas between the outside and the lining.

I also made a needle case for a girlfriend, but dingbat here forgot to take a pic of it before I gave it to her. I did a beaded dolphin on it with a beaded rope trim. I'll be making myself one later on, so I'll be sure to post it.

Merry Christmas to all

2008-12-24T20:02:00.001-05:00

During the hustle and bustle of the season (which has arrived WAY too quickly), I hope you all take a moment to treasure your blessings. We all tend to get bogged down with stress, wants, and wishes. Take time to enjoy what you do have.

This year, despite a lot of stressful caca, we have so much to be thankful for.

The Hub is with us instead of halfway around the world.
Breeze is loving life and doing great in school and is friends with some good kids.
Kat is healthy and safe and doing great in school.
We have a beautiful home that we've created as a family.
We have each other.
We have so many wonderful friends.

This is just a small list of what I've been blessed with. I hope you all remember yours, too.

Lots going on on the other side

2008-08-26T12:56:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted much here lately b/c we've been remodeling again. I'm so proud of the work we've done. Check it all out over at !

DD#1's bedroom is at the top, but if you scroll past the totalled Durango post, you can see our new kitchen/dining room.

Hopefully things can get back to normal soon, and I'll be able to actually *craft* and will have things to post here.

Something new out of something old

2008-07-17T08:47:00.002-04:00

Most of my time the past couple of weeks has been spent on another remodel, so there hasn't been a lot of crafting going on here. I did take my old spice cabinet out of my kitchen and recon it, though. I picked it up at the Habitat Restore last year, and it was just a basic white cabinet with adjustable shelves. It was great for holding all those little spice jars, but I needed it for a better purpose...a new home for my GWTW figurines and musicboxes.

The Hub and I took turns working on it. We took the door off, sanded, stripped it, and sanded again trying to get down to the wood. To our surprise when we got there, it had a solid oak facing that was absolutely beautiful. Because the shelves and box part of it weren't solid wood, we had to come up with something to accent the oak. The Hub made a wider, curved bottom shelf for my biggest Scarlett to sit on.

I repainted the dining room and kitchen in this last remodel, and while I was in Big Lots one day, I saw this beautiful fabric for $5. I picked it up, thinking I'd make a tablecloth or a runner for my buffet with it. Change of plans, and with a pair of scissors, spray adhesive, a putty knife, and a brayer, it became the lining for my Gone With The Wind shadowbox. Each shelf is lined separately. Whaddya think? I don't have a before pic of the cabinet, but just picture solid white and nothing special.

Yeah, I know my ceiling stills needs the trim put up. Here's a closeup of the bottom shelf.

And I did finally get a lining put in that garter purse. I made some little accents for the outside, as well. Thanks for teaching me how, Tess!

Pointy sticks and dull hooks

2008-06-22T17:39:00.002-04:00

That's been the tools of frequency lately. Yep, knitting and crochet projects this time.

This one's still an agonizing work in progress. I have a TON left to do, and I'm not enjoying it. If I weren't making it for my mom, it would've already gone back to the "frog pond".

Yeah, that left side is all jacked up, but I'm not frogging it and restarting.

Here's an up-close of the stitch pattern. It's so tedious! I know it'll be gorgeous when I'm done, but who knows when that'll be.

To take a break from that, I whipped up a mindless garter stitch project with a couple of different yarns knitted together. I still need to sew a lining to put in it, put a closure on it, and dress it up a bit. I LOVE how soft it is!

Last on the list for now is this crochet hook caddy. I used a pattern by Priscilla Hewitt as a starting point, but kinda winged it from there. I used crap yarn since it was a test project, but when I make another (and hopefully BETTER) one, I'll use something good. Maybe I'll actually follow her pattern next time. ;)

My knitting and crochet teaching days are coming to a close, I think. I'm thinking of taking some time off from teaching all together starting in August, but even when I go back to it, I don't think I'll add these to the schedule again.

Wire wrapping

2008-06-16T12:35:00.003-04:00

Remember up until a few months ago, I was one of those, "I don't make jewelry. I don't like it" people? Well, I'll have my crow served warm, please.

I took a class from Michelle, my sister at heart, last Thursday. After a couple of broken wires and a broken pendant, I finally succeeded. The pic doesn't do this piece justice, and I'm so proud of it! I'm so glad I took the class, even though she did squawk at me for *paying* for her to teach me something. Now I know more of what the hell I'm doing when it comes to working with wire.

Thank you, Michelle! Love ya, Hon!

The pendant is a black and white stone, and I used jet, smoke, and crystal Swarovski crystals, silver beads, black glass cubes, and pearls. The necklace is strands of black leather.
Here's a couple of close-ups of the pendant.

Pergamano, anyone?

2008-06-04T21:38:00.003-04:00

A new lady moved to town and added some classes to the schedule at the store. I looked at the samples and HAD to know how she did it. I did some research online and discovered that here in the States, it's a rare hobby. I signed up for the classes and just completed the 2nd one tonight. I LOVE the end result!

After the first class, a friend and I went online to order starter kits, and found that THE ONLY PLACE in the COUNTRY to order was http://www.ecstasycrafts.com/. So their website is great, and their shipping was quick. We ordered on Tuesday afternoon, and our order was delivered on Saturday.

So anyway, check out what I made!

This was from the first class I attended.

And I made this bookmark at tonight's class. Ignore the funky blue background. My scanner's stuck on stupey right now, so I had to have a dark color behind the images, and that was the closest thing in reach.

If you're groovin', you can check out http://www.pergamano.com/ and their gallery. There are some gorgeous things posted over there!

Baby crafting

2008-04-06T23:19:00.002-04:00

My new nephew decided to arrive on Easter, so I've been feverishly trying to finish up some things I'm making for him. Mom's heading over there in a couple of weeks, so hopefully I'll have everything ready to send with her.

I knew that I *had* to make these booties as soon as I saw the pic on the pattern. They were really easy, and I just love them! I'm sure my brother will ask why I didn't make him a pair of hunting boots or football cleats, but there'll be time for that later. I used this pattern, and they went a lot faster than I anticipated. http://xalleykatx.livejournal.com/50196.html?mode=reply

I'm also crocheting a blanket, but with it all being single crochet, it's taking quite a while. I'm basing it off of the Tiramisu Blanket here (http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/TiramisuBlanket.pdf), but I didn't have enough of one type of yarn, so Logan's will be a bit different. Here's my progress so far.

I want to get him a little devil hat made, too, but I don't know if I'll have time. I may just have to mail it later. Isn't the pattern adorable, though?! As my brother's son, he NEEDS this hat. I already have the yarn, so I plan to cast on in the next couple of days.

Aside from the baby stitching, I've been recovering from surgery and dabbling a bit more in beads. I have a necklace about halfway done on my craft table, so I need to finish it up.

I'm also still teaching classes, so I need to get my samples done for the next schedule. More scrapbooking, stamping, crochet, knitting, and a few other classes, but nothing as crazy as what I had going this time. I'm learning my way around how to do classes.

That's pretty much it for now from the crafting department.

I did wanna give a huge shout-out to my fellow ATC Craftsters for being pubbed in ATC Quarterly! Way to go, ladies!!

Beads!

2008-03-07T02:01:00.002-05:00

Yep, folks, it has happened. I'm not sure exactly when or how, but I've begun dabbling with beading. I think it happened when an instructor brought her class samples into the store, and I fell in LOVE with one of the bracelets. So anyway, I started off slow, and I'm trying to not go apeshit crazy like I did when I started scrapbooking and knitting. I don't need or want a gazillion beads laying around begging to be used. I have signed up for that class, so I have a couple of weeks to hone my abilities before I really step things up a few notches. It'll definitely be a challenge for me, but we all know that's never stopped me before.

I made this last week. Pretty simple, but I just loved the "tree agate" beads. I used a tute posted over on Craftster, but I can't recall the name of the one who posted it.

My friend Michelle came over last night and taught me the basics of even count flat peyote and tubular peyote b/c I saw a necklace that I wanna make SO badly. So far so good. Of course, today she had to take me to a bead store to get the "right kind" of seed beads (Delicas). Love them! My work feels so smooth and silky with those! Anyway, when I'm done with it *someday* I'll post it. I have to keep walking away from it to take a break b/c the beads are so tiny.

Oh, BTW, if you run across an issue of Bead Trends magazine, look Michelle up in there. She's had several pieces published in there now. Every time she says, "I've gotta show you what I made", I know I should get a towel to wipe up the drool. That woman is friggin' incredible. She's as kind and loving as she is talented.

On the scrappy front, I fallen in love with Tim Holtz' alcohol inks. I've had some for a while, but I didn't really know what to do with 'em. I took a class taught by a Ranger rep, and my admiration for Mr. Holtz' brilliance is once again renewed. I've checked into Ranger U, and I'd love to be able to go to it. We'll see, I guess.

Fiber-wise, I'm crocheting a blanket for my soon-to-arrive nephew. I need to get some more yarn b/c I found THE most adorable patterns for knitted Converse booties and a little devil hat. I can't believe I have NO red yarn in my stash! The booties can be done from leftover stuff I already have, but I *must* make him that hat.

Home remodeling has ceased, and I must say that I'm glad. There's still work to be done, but it can wait for a while for us to relax a little and build the savings back up.

That's about it for an update for now.

Another remodel under my belt!

2008-01-08T23:24:00.000-05:00

All the deets and pics are over on my regular blog.

http://www.island-girl-at-heart.blogspot.com/

Aside from that, I'm carving some stamps for a swap over on Craftster, and I still have some UFO's laying around in the knitting and sewing departments. A few more scrapbook pages have been finished up, too, but no pics.

Another big batch of FO's

2007-12-26T21:54:00.000-05:00

I've been so busy lately trying to get Christmas gifts made that I haven't taken the time to post. Here's what I've been up to lately.

Wreath for the front door

For my dad...what began as a beanie morphed. It was too big and the yarn was way too scratchy for his widdle bald head. I filled it with goodies before I sent if off.

For my stepmom...She loves to embroider, so I made her a sewing kit for her supplies.

Closed...(I've since added a ribbon trim and bow around the lid)
And opened...(now filled with new needles, scissors, thimble, etc)

One of my fellow Craftsters made a Gir hoodie that Breeze absolutely FLIPPED over. Without a pattern and only pics to go by, I managed to pull it off. I totally took her by surprise on Christmas morning when she opened hers. She put it on immediately and didn't take it off all day.

And because Kat LOVES bright green and monkeys, when I saw the fabric for the Gir, I knew I had to get enough to make her a hoodie also. She's not into Gir and is more of the sporty, preppy-type dresser than her sis, so hers is a simple green with white trim.

And for my monkey girl, I stepped up my crochet a few notches and attempted to a Curious George. As I went along, it looked less and less like "George" and more and more like "Georgette". I went with it, made a dress, and added hair, making it officially a monkey girl. The hair gave her a look of dreds, but it was done, and it was crunch time of finishing gifts. We thought Kat had lost the wrist warmers I made for her last year, so I whipped out another pair. Of course, after I finished them, wrapped them, and got them under the tree, we found the original pair. Good thing I went with different yarn this time!

I had the tiniest bit of leftover yarn and started goofing around with it and made this ornament.

One part of Mom's...

And finally, my first felting project! Because Breeze is such a little purse hound, I knew she'd love this. There was some frustration and shouted expletives on my part when I discovered pattern corrections AFTER I'd knitted the pieces and began putting them together, but I fixed it and moved on. This is "Letter Have It" from S'n B Nation.

A plethora of craftiness

2007-11-19T22:36:00.001-05:00

I really *am* a knitter! Although lately it doesn't appear that way. I've done WAY more crochet since this stupid wrist thing.

B came home from school oohing about a beanie her boyfriend was wearing and wanted one like it. Being a crafter, I usually can't bring myself to just BUY something without trying to make it myself first. So I found a pattern, pulled some Microspun outta my stash, and a few hours later, I was done. That NEVER happens when I knit! Anyway, this is the end result. Isn't she the cutest thing?

So a couple of days later (yesterday), she wanted matching wrist warmers. Again, being the ever-spoiling Mom, I found a pattern and whipped these up. I had never crocheted a pattern or shells before, so this was a total newbie thing. They're a little more loose than I had hoped they'd be, but she didn't want them to be snug.

~~~

And on the altering front, I signed up for a camera swap over on Craftster. A roll of film (or a disk if you're digi) of your town and a frame, and that was it. My partner loves the beach, even though she lives in MI, so I thought I'd send a bit of the ocean to her.

I took a plain wood frame from Michael's, some decoupage medium, mulberry paper, and some of those glass (half?) marbles, and cranked this baby out. She received it today and loves it. :)

~~~

The seamstress in me has been screaming to get some attention lately, so I turned her loose to see what she could come up with. The design is my own, and after a few frustrated attempts and figuring out the lining, I'm groovin'.

I found all of these upholstery remnants at a thrift store in NC (damn, I miss those! ) and knew I'd find a use for them eventually.

In the early stages, B laughed her little butt off b/c she said the design looked like upside down panties.

~~~

I have one other completed project, but since it was just mailed today, I can't post pics yet. Therefore, no peeking or hints, fiesty! I'll post pics once I know she's received.

Aside from some ATC's, that's about the extent of my craftiness these days.

Pablito!

2007-11-10T00:32:00.001-05:00

Isn't he cayoot!? He's my latest crochet creation and stands about 4 inches tall. He's supposed to be a penguin, but he just cracks me up. I love projects that make me giggle as I put them together.

Tendonitis is still kicking my ass and interfering with my knitting, but I'm determined to not let it get the best of me. I cast on my first pair of socks, and that's about as far as I've gotten. That poor market bag is apparently just not meant to be. It may end up in the "frog pond", but I'll let it sit on the needles for a while longer.

I'm trying to give myself more crafting time and less house renovation time these days, so I've done a few LO's, some cards, ATC's, etc. My poor sewing machine is still feeling the neglect, though.

Determination will get me back to creating and posting more, but for now, this little penguin is all there is to post.

Tendonitis sucks!

2007-10-10T22:21:00.000-04:00

I've been in a brace and unable to knit for way too long now, and it's driving me nuts. My poor market bag is in my WIP drawer on the needles, begging to be finished. See how sad it looks?

So since I can't knit, I taught myself to crochet. Yeah, I know. But what can I say? I think I have a yarn addiction! Here's what I've done so far.
*********
This hat is made from THE softest yarn. I would've never thought bamboo yarn would be soft, but it's so yummy. I started a scarf from the 2nd skein, ran out, and the yarn store where I bought it doesn't carry that color anymore. *sigh* I'll have to find some online somewhere.

After the hat, I found this really cute wine glass flip-flop pattern, so I gave that a shot this morning. Including the three times I had to frog it, it took me just a couple of hours to complete. That's a HUGE deal for me, b/c I'm used to knitting being a slow process.

Here's a closeup. It's a coaster that stays attached to the glass!

That's about the extent of my craftiness lately. I've done some ATC's, made some dolls and a few scrapbook pages, but nowhere near as much as I'd like.

The Hub is back from Iraq now! I'm SO glad that deployment is over! Keeping fingers crossed that that was the last one, but I won't hold my breath.

How friggin' cute is this??

2007-09-17T14:30:00.000-04:00

He's about 12 inches tall and 10 inches thick...like a big ole pillow with arms and legs.

Breeze is ALL into anime these days. I made this after she found it on an anime website and "awwed" over it like 16yo's do. She's in a swap over on craftster, so in her research, she discovered "Riceball".

Yeah, imagine my confused expression when she said, "Mom, will you make me Riceball from Fruits Basket?" Being the completely uncool old mom, I was thinking, "Do you have a recipe?" You know that look German Shepherds give you with the head cocked to one side, completely bewildered? Yeah, that was the expression on my face.

So she showed me the pic. She made a small one for her swap partner, and this was leftover furry, uber-soft faux fur I had laying around in my stash. Do you ever wonder, "When and what in the hell did I buy *that* for??" Yeah, one of those things.

As I was finishing him up at 2:30 Sunday morning, I couldn't stop laughing at it. I got his face off-center, so I told Breeze that he either fell off the table and it all smooshed to one side or is eating something REALLY sour. Either way, I'm loving how he turned out. I fought the anime thing as long as I could, but when your kid is into something, what can you do, ya know?

All of my progress is over there

2007-06-30T00:52:00.000-04:00

The rooms are almost finished! All of the pics are posted over on my regular blog. Check 'em out! http://www.island-girl-at-heart.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow is crop day! I hope to get some LOs done, and maybe a few ATC's as well. I may spend the entire day catching up with friends, though. ;) It's SO good to be back home!

Has it really been a month now?

2007-06-23T12:05:00.000-04:00

So much has happened since my last post. We closed on our house and have now moved home! I've met one of my neighbors, and I'm trying to unpack, settle in, and remodel at the same time. Needless to say, with The Hub deployed, it's been slow going. I did manage to get a tiny bit of crafting done last night, though. No pics yet, but I made trivets. It's a set of four with palm trees on them.

One thing I have accomplished is painting my daughters' rooms. Breeze's is still in progress, and Kat's needs to be put back together, but I'll be working on both today. I'll post pics once I'm finished.

Roar Go Clemson!

2007-05-23T09:29:00.000-04:00

With packing and all the other stuff going on, I haven't had a lot of time for crafting. I whipped this baby up last night, though. It's a thank you for a friend of mine who's a HUGE Clemson fan. I'm going to make her a few more, and I'm sure when The Hub sees them, he'll want some for himself, too. ;)

I've also made a few ATC's and posted them on my Flickr acct. This one was an experiment with embossing velvet, and it just grew from there. The rose is one that The Hub gave me several years ago that I pressed in a book.

"Memory"

Too many WIP's, not enough FO's

2007-05-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

Since things have been so crazy around here with buying a house and getting ready to move while The Hub is deployed, my mind has seemed to run away and spiral out of control at times. I've started *many* projects, and that's very unlike me. Normally I have a max of 2 WIP's at a time, but I have about 10 going at the moment. Yeah, that's on top of raising a teenager, packing the house up, getting ready for a yard sale this weekend, and the current Koontz I'm reading.

Anyway, insomnia and the stress of my current situation got the better of me in the wee hours this morning. ~Sidenote: Why are they called "wee" hours anyway?~ With an atc blank and markers in hand, I let them become therapy for me. Sadly, this is the ONLY FO I can claim lately. *sigh*

From gross to kewl! AND I re-wired it!

2007-05-10T16:05:00.000-04:00

I picked up this disgustingly nasty lamp at a thrift store for $3 the other day. I saw its potential, so I brought it home. Yeah, I know. Shocking.

Anyway, the socket was broken, the wiring was frayed, and it was FILTHY. The brass was all tarnished (and I hate brass anyway). So I picked up a wiring kit for it (YES, I REWIRED A FRIGGIN' LAMP!! AND IT WORKS!! I'm so pleased with myself!), painted the base, cleaned it up, and put in some of my seashells. I still need a shade for it, but I love my "new" lamp!

Whaddya think?

One more for the day

2007-04-28T23:48:00.000-04:00

Gracie had a faux sheepskin liner in her beloved basket. She LOVES that basket, but shedding means laundry. After one too many washings, the liner shrunk and wouldn't stay on. Because she's a fleece whore, I bought a polar fleece pullover at a thrift store and attempted to make a new liner. It turned out too small, so I left it at a blanket in her basket for the longest time. So tonight, being in an exceptionally crafty mood, I searched thru my fabrics and found some purple fleece. It wasn't enough to do much with, so the lightbulb came on.

My second attempt turned out much better. I couldn't even get the liner in place before the little huzzie was in there purring away and making biscuits.

The pic is a little dark, but you get the jist. Yep, she's a happy little furbaby tonight.

Needles, needles, needles

2007-04-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

When I decided to teach myself to knit, it never occurred to me that I'd eventually have pointy sticks all over the place. At first I altered a keg can to store them in. The pic for it is in my very first post on this blog back in October. The can didn't work that great back then, but it was okay considering I only had straight needles. Then I added dpn's, crochet hooks, and circular needles to the mix. Now what? I did the "these go here, those go there, and those go in that thing way over there across the room" thing for a while, but I just couldn't stand it anymore.

Well, one day not long ago, I ran across these placemats in the dollar store. Ooh, green, purple, and tropical-looking! Therefore, I must have them, and I'll figure out what to do with them later. So this is what I came up with. I'm in need of dowel and a better shade of ribbon for hanging them, but this works for now. I *refuse* to drive 20 miles each way for a dowel rod and a spool of ribbon.

For my straight needles

I thought about making one of those roll-up kind of things, but then I thought, "How often am I going to go somewhere and take ALL of my needles?" This works better for me.

For my double-pointed and crochet hooks

And for my circular needles

I got this idea from Debbie Stoller's first Stitch 'n Bitch book. Is there really a GOOD way to store these things?? I mean, yeah, you could leave them in the packages they come in, but I inherited a bunch that didn't have the packages anymore. And how do you store all of the packages? I figure this lets 'em kinda hang out and not be so curled up. That will make knitting with them much easier.

So that's what I've been up to today. How 'bout you?

Yeah, that's me

2007-04-27T00:45:00.000-04:00

One of my girlfriends found this image while I was away this week. Is that not perfect for me? Thanks, Jaime! :D

And it's finished!

2007-04-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

Wootie woo! The pic is a little dark, but if I lighten it, I have to squint to see what the design actually is. Anyway, she loves it, and I've finished knitting with itty bitty, smaller-than-toothpick sticks! ;)

FO's and a WIP

2007-04-20T13:12:00.000-04:00

Here's what I've been working on lately. Even though summer is approaching, I started on "Dashing" from knitty.com. Using Lion Brand's Wool-Ease, I cast on and began. I had considered several different patterns and after making each daughter a pair, I decided on this pattern for mine. Yes, it's a man's pattern, but big woo.

So anyway, about 2/3 of the way thru the first glove, I found a pattern I like better. *sigh* Ain't that just my luck? So I finished the left one, and I'll make the right one at some point before winter comes back.

I just love the amount of confidence my family has in me. They're convinced that NOTHING is too much for me. I can't seem to convince them that I simply am not Superwoman. Of course my stubbornness and "need for achievement" (as my college Psych professor tagged me) don't help matters there. I'm rambling, I know.

Anyway, in my copy of Stitch 'n Bitch Nation, Breeze spotted "The Bead Goes On" beaded wrist cuffs. After *finally* tracking down size 0 (that's ZERO) needles and stringing 172 beads onto this tiny crochet thread I was given, I began. Holy cow! It's like knitting with toothpicks, except toothpicks have a bigger diameter! Those needles are so tiny that I was afraid they were going to snap. They didn't, all the beads have been knitted into place according to the chart, and this is how far I've gotten. I lack about another inch or so, and after seaming it together, it'll be done. I have to admit that it is pretty cute.

And last, but certainly not least, a layout I finished last night. The paper and rub-ons came in my NYOBC kit put out by Pinecone Press. At first I didn't think I'd love this paper (Fancy Pants) and shades of Bazzill, but I just adore this LO! It's titled, "4ever, for Always, and No Matter What". I couldn't seem to get the colors just right, but you get the idea. I *must* have some more of those rubons! In the bottom right corner, I attached a minibook. (Oh, and that color pic of us there on the left...IRL, he does have TWO eyebrows that are even. Sometimes I despise my scanner.)

This is the cover and inside of it.The journaling reads, "Thru everything, good and bad, under the same roof or on opposite sides of the globe, you are with me. My best friend, my soul mate, my motivation, my conscience, and my heart."

Girls, remember being 12?

2007-04-09T15:33:00.000-04:00

And completely mortified at the thought of *anyone* knowing it was "that time"? I do. And while I wasn't one of them, there were girls at my school who didn't carry a purse 3 weeks out of the month. Well, Kat is 12 and doesn't carry a purse. So in an attempt to make "that time" as inconspicuous as possible for her, I combined her favorite color and her love of monkeys to make a cutesy little pouch for those "personal" items.

I had found a site (which I've since lost) that would turn a pretty simple image into a needlework graph. Kat found this (in my opinion) freakishly scary monkey and LOVED it, so I transformed it, cross-stitched it up, and stitched it onto this lime-green polka dot remnant I found at the evil place (translation=Walmart). It's lined with a solid lime green and has a zipper. Finished measurements are 3 1/2"x 5 1/2", so it can be easily tucked into her backpack, gym bag, or even coat pocket.

Whether she'll use it for its intended purpose remains to be seen. At least in my attempt to be a mom who understands what she's going thru, I've given her an option.

It's a penguin!!

2007-04-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

So here's my latest creation. I got the pattern from knitty.com. Here's

the link.---> http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTpasha.html

The beak didn't turn out quite as well as it should have, but Breeze loves him nonetheless.

This was my first attempt at knitting any kind of animal, and I learned a lot in the process. There are mistakes, but I'm not pointing them out. ;)

Monkeys and Ponies, oh my!

2007-03-26T12:57:00.000-04:00

What happens to socks and cutesy "My Little Pony" figures when my daughters and I get our hands on them? Keep reading and you'll see.

I had found a tute for sock monkeys online, and since my youngest LOVES all things monkey, I knew I had to make her one. I searched everywhere for the funky stripy socks I've seen them made from. BTW, if you see any of those socks in stores, let me know where!

So since I couldn't find "fun" socks, my youngest daughter picked out a pink pair. There was a gray pair packaged with them, so my oldest wanted a monkey from them. I cut and sewed, they stuffed and picked out buttons for eyes. I think they turned out really cute, even if they are out of plain socks. They're WAY on the goofy side, but they were a fun project. Of course when Kat spotted the basketball button in my stash, she decided that hers needed a belly button. It doesn't show up very well in the pic, but it made her happy.

Since Kat was only here for Spring Break, I wanted a project for the three of us to work on all week that was different than the usual crafty stuff and would allow each of them to express themselves in it. Over on the craftster board, I had seen a swap done with altering "My Little Pony" toys. hehehe...Game on! We each got one, thought about what we wanted to do with them, and began. Our personalities really did come thru in the end. The first pic in each set is what we started with.

Mine...

Complete with tats and lots of earrings!

B's...

She went for Greek goddess for hers. She's been studying Greek mythology and is SO into it. Her artistic tendencies and girliness really shine in this pony, I think. Did you notice the gold sandals she painted on? She even made it a necklace and an olive branch headband from wire.

and Kat's...

Yep, Kat's my little athlete. Her sister painted the shoes on.

Aren't they CUTE?

We had a lot of fun last week. I also got a dishcloth knitted, but I didn't snap a pic yet.

From my heart (and needles) to her head

2007-03-19T01:04:00.000-04:00

Two down, a gazillion to go.

I set a new personal record with this hat. I cast on last Monday night and weaved in my ends tonight (Sunday). I just LOVE the pattern! Since this one's a gift for a very special person, I'll have to make myself one now. I used Bernat Baby in lilac, and it is SO soft! The pattern is from the winter issue of knit.1 magazine.

Meet Moo. Isn't she adorable? I rescued the poor nekkid thing from the bottom shelf of a thrift store last week. She still needs some cleaning up, but I couldn't stand for her to be in the buff anymore. I took some vintage dinner napkins and made her a dress and angel wings. Until I can decide what to do for a halo/headband/whatever, she'll just wear this little ribbon.

The next project I'm tackling is a joint effort with my daughters. We each got a My Little Pony today, and we're in the process of altering them this week. I'm stoked, and I hope mine turns out the way I've envisioned. I'll post before and after pics when they're finished.

In the meantime, I'll steal and tweak a line from Vickie Howell of Knitty Gritty. "Craft on!" ;)

2007-03-12T01:45:00.000-04:00

I have a thing for bags. Purses, totes, you name it. I just can't get enough of 'em. I had some old placemats laying around that are cool in their own way, but not as placemats. Because I'm a packrat who "might make something out of that", I couldn't bear to throw them out. I decided that they were just about the right size for a tote bag for WIP's, magazines, etc. on those days when you're out and about. After a little hacking on a couple for the sides and bottom, a little sewing putting it together, a lot of knitting (because I'm the world's slowest knitter), and attaching a couple of buttons, placemats become a tote! To keep the handle from stretching out, I knitted it as a tube and ran twill tape the full length inside.

Ignore the scary mess in the closet back there. Once my pegboard is done, that will all become neat. That's another post, though.

I attached two buttons so that it could be closed no matter how full it was.

2007-03-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Still haven't fixed the look of the place yet, but I have completed projects!

This one was a quick whip-up without a pattern to give The Hub an extra creature comfort on this deployment. Because I couldn't find buckwheat hulls on short notice, it's stuffed with poly-fil.

And FINALLY!! The gauntlets are done! I had to do some tweaking b/c they didn't want to stay up, and I don't love that yarn. After ONE wear, it already looks fuzzy. *sigh* Lesson learned.

Here's the full view, complete with my first attempts at thumb gussets!

And a close-up of the cables. See...fuzzy yarn. *grr* Kiddo loves 'em, so I'm not going to complain. I will say that at this point, I don't EVER want to knit with black yarn again!

And in knitting-related stuff, I ventured into my first yarn store the other day. I'm not talking yarn department full of acrylics at the local craft store. I'm talking YARN STORE. Floor to ceiling with gorgeous, uber-soft natural fibers, silk yarns, hand-dyed yarns, BAMBOO yarn, etc. Yes, bamboo. You wouldn't think it would be soft, but oh my gravy. They were like little balls of the softest kind of heaven. *sigh* I'm already a paper snob in the scrapbooking world. I can see now that I'm probably going to become a yarn snob, too. That thought makes my wallet cry.

In other crafting accomplishments, I'm putting the finishing touches on a bag. I'm groovin' it b/c I made it from old quilt pieces. It'll have a knitted handle and button closure. You'll see.

2007-02-26T10:38:00.000-05:00

I've changed things around a bit as you see. In the process, I managed to lose my links. *sigh* When I have more time and patience, I'll fix that and put those back. In the meantime, here's the token cute and fuzzy "cat of a crafter" picture. This is my Gracie. Caught in the act.

2007-02-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

Looks like I haven't accomplished anything in a while, huh? Honestly, I have been a productive little crafter. I just suck at posting my progress. I'll have to change that.

Anyway, here's one of my latest creations. There's a craft challenge over on craftster.org to create a clock. I took a plain wood plaque and clock mechanism from the craft store, added some paint, crackle medium, more paint, Modge Podge, magazine clippings, foam stamping, and this is what I came up with.

Since I love all things tropical, this is my "happy place" reminder when I'm running short on time and feeling the strain.

I've been working on a lot of ATC's, scrapbook LOs, and some knitting, too. After I finish my current knitting project, I'll be sure to post pics b/c that thing is taking FOR-EVAH!!

2006-12-25T23:40:00.000-05:00

Recon time! This time it's a mirror. The Hub and I bought a bedroom suit YEARS ago, and over the years it just wasn't us anymore. So we took the mirror off of the dresser and did a little reconstructing on it and both LOVE it now.

This isn't a great before pic, but it's the only one I've got. It's rustic with black iron scrollwork in an arch at the top.

Now, here's what we turned it into...

I painted the oar myself a few years ago.

2006-12-23T18:31:00.000-05:00

Finished knitting project!

When Knitty's Winter issue came out, the project that most knitters I know jumped on was "Calorimetry". Since my ears get SO cold in the winter, but I hate wearing hats, this little number was PERFECT for me. I used Lion Brand's Homespun in Baroque, and while I had to tweak the pattern a bit, I'm stoked with the result. Check it out! Ignore the "no makeup". I've been putting up lattice today, not entering a beauty pageant. ;)

And a view of the back...

Instead of the recommended CO of 120 stitches, I CO 90, and it's still plenty loose. Next time I'll probably CO 80 instead. If you wanna give it a try, go to knitty.com for the pattern. For some reason, I'm having issues with posting a link tonight.

2006-12-20T20:14:00.000-05:00

Memory boards!

IRL, this one's olive green with sage ribbon and gold buttons.

I didn't notice the fading where the fabric was folded on this one, but I don't think my daughter will mind/notice it.

2006-12-20T15:39:00.000-05:00

New projects finished!

Since we can't be with our girls on a daily basis, I decided to make a mini book of some of mine and The Hub's favorite quotes and some "words of wisdom" for each of them. I left some blank pages so that they can add their own favorites, too.

Covers

Inside

2006-12-16T21:59:00.000-05:00

It seems like it's been forever since I finished anything crafty, but I did manage to crank out a couple of ATC's and finish a knitted skull cap today. Pics of the skull cap will have to wait until tomorrow at least.

Here are the two ATC's from today. The challenge over on the craftster board was to only use black paper, white paper, one 6-letter word, nail polish, foil, and a credit card. I didn't use a credit card, but I managed to use everything else on the list. Of course we could use glue, paper trimmer, regular hole punch, etc. Anyway, enough of my babbling...

My scanner isn't the greatest at actual colors, but I did the best I could. Oh, and both cards are black, so the white border isn't a part of the card (I just can't scan and crop things straight tonight).

Here's the one I did for last week's Scavenger Hunt challenge. The supply list varies each week.

2006-11-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

Success with attempt #2!

I frogged the other fingerless glove (wrist warmer, whatever you wanna call it) b/c I just didn't like the result. I used a smaller needle and a different stitch this time with much greater success. I crocheted (or at least attempted to crochet) the white trim around the edge and embroidered the flowers on. I think dd#2 will be pleased. Since her hand and arm are smaller than mine, it'll fit her much better than it does me. Now, what shall I do next? Well, aside from moving in the next few days. ;) Hmm, shrug for dd#1? Cabled skull cap for The Hub? Wrist warmers for grandma? I dunno yet. But for now, I'm quite pleased.

2006-11-20T23:25:00.000-05:00

Birthday prezzies for my pixie goth!

Now that they've arrived safely in her tiny little hands, I can post pics.

I attempted knitting a pair of socks with this skull pattern on them, but I'm SO not advanced enough for socks yet! Using dpn's has been compared to wrestling an octopus, and that's a perfect comparison. So I frogged that and went with the scarf instead. There's a skull and crossbones on each end, but in the pic the back is showing on one end. It's backed with black velvet, so I hope it keeps her super warm this winter.

I had some penguin fabric left from a worry doll dress, so I thought my NessieBabe would dig a penguin pillow with a white satin back.

2006-11-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

BAG RECONSTRUCTION!!

Because I never know when I'll be stuck somewhere waiting, I always carry a bag of WIP's and a couple of craft/scrapbooking mags with me when I leave the house.

I bought this bag a couple of years ago. There's nothing *wrong* with it, but it's just kinda generic, plain, blah. It also had no lining and therefore, no pockets.

I, being one who alters almost anything that'll sit still long enough, had my fill of the "blah bag". I was in Hancock Fabrics last week, and saw this oh so pretty remnant. It was *just* big enough for a small project. Since I recently bought a purse that I simply adore, I didn't want to make another purse. A lightbulb came on that said, "Ooooh! Messenger bag flap!" So I added some interfacing, lined it with some black fabric that I had in my stash, free-handed a palm tree and moon (ala South Carolina flag, b/c no matter where I go, SC is HOME), and embroidered them on it. The Hub says it looks like a pot leaf, but I'm not redoing it. I LIKE my atypical tree. I added a strap (should've been a little longer), and voila!

Since I just can't deal with no pockets, I made a lining for the bag. I didn't want to go with black b/c that'd make it like an abyss, and I didn't have a green that even came close, I chose to put in a beige liner. Yeah, kinda blah, but less chance of getting completely icky looking than white and it's still light colored. There are four pockets, two fairly shallow and two deep enough to hold a pair of knitting needles.

*sigh* I'm happy now.

2006-11-15T00:46:00.000-05:00

*~*My first attempt at a fingerless glove*~*

I didn't follow a pattern (tried to do my own thing) and should've done some increases and decreases in there around the wrist, but I don't think it's *too* bad for a first attempt. I did some ribbing at both ends with some diamonds and diamond seed stitches in there. I think my gauge is making it not show up very well. *sigh* I AM going to get this knitting thing down! I think I may have to swing by BAM tomorrow for a copy of SnB. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it.

2006-11-10T10:43:00.000-05:00

This mini chipboard clipboard (say that 5 times) was plain Jane brown. I used paper, K&Co puzzle pieces, ribbon, and alpha tags to decorate it to match this photo. That's one of my absolute fave landscape pics (taken when we went to Lake Havasu, AZ back in '97).

2006-11-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

"The Dress" aka Ball dress 06.

As promised, here's the full view of my dress for the Ball this year. I had to snap a pic today since I was packing costumes and ball gowns for our move. Since I feel like a bulldozer is wreaking havoc on my insides today, I didn't put the dress back on for a pic. Maybe you can tell from the pic, but the hem is higher in front than in back.

More of a close-up of the hem.

This pic is more true in color and gives you an idea of how it fit.

2006-11-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

Here's Gracie. Pay no attention to the stained carpet. It's a rental, and we're out of here soon. Oh, and that's *her* ribbon behind her. Gracie is 6 and 1/2 years old and is TOTALLY spoiled.

And here's Gracie's ugly baby!

After the seriousness of working on my dress for the ball this week, I had to do something completely funny/stupid. He's totally free-handed from scraps of felt, completely ugly, but he made me giggle, and Gracie loves him.

2006-10-28T17:37:00.000-04:00

Honest, everything in my house isn't cow print! Over on the Craftster board, there was a craft-a-long for pincushions, so I gave it a shot. Mine aren't as pretty as some of them posted over there, but I like 'em. I used some leftover fabric I had and whipped them up in just a few minutes. Now that all the pins have a new home, I need to do another one for all of my needles now. ;)

With the Marine Corps Ball coming up next weekend and my notorious procrastination, next week will be dedicated to making a dress for the ball. I picked up my pattern today. When I get it finished, I'll be sure to post it, too.

I have to give a big shout-out and "Thanks a bunch!" to the members of Craftster. Joining that board has awakened my slumbering love of sewing. YAY!!! My ever-faithful Singer doesn't feel so neglected anymore.

2006-10-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

This is a card I made for my neice and her husband to congratulate them on their new baby girl. It's not very often I get to do baby things, so this one was fun. The mitered corners were a bit of a bear (no pun intended.)

2006-10-24T16:20:00.000-04:00

I decided to separate my crafting madness from my regular blog, so here it is!

Those who know me AT ALL know that I am a craft junkie. A whole craft room is a MUST for me b/c of all the supplies I have horded. I'm a scrapbooker, knitter, seamstress (everything from stuff for the house to toys to formalwear), painter, stamper, and a few more that I don't really have a name for(...altered arts, maybe?) I did cross-stitch for many years and tried my hand at embroidery for a while. Eventually I'll add crochet to the list.

Here are some recent projects I've completed....

My cow print purse (because we all know how much I LOVE cows). :)

A knitted pillow for my oldest daughter. This thing took FOR-EVAH b/c I still consider myself a beginner.

Since I have acquired SO many sets of needles and they were EVERYWHERE, I took a Heinekin keg can, did a little altering, weighted the base down, glued on an old doily, and VOILA! Now my needles are neat, tidy, and cool looking on my shelf.

Here's a closer view.

I actually embroidered these squares and made this quilt a while back, but it's now found a home. I'm sending it to my neice who just had a baby.

So that's part of what I've been up to lately. I plan to post recently completed projects as time goes along. There are a couple of more, but since they're gifts, they're a secret for now. ;)