Labor intensive twirled paper

Something you might not know about me: I enjoy labor intensive crafts.  I have no idea what sparked this interest, but i can stay involved in the same project for a ridiculous amount of time. I guess knitting can be categorized into that category.




Anywho.  After church on Sunday, my parents and I and another friend from church went to lunch at Cameron Village.  My dad wanted to stop into Ten Thousand Villages to look for something and I, like always, wandered around looking for new crafts and stumbled upon this. Ok.. I know that some woman in the Philippines worked a long time for this, but I wanted to try my hand at it instead of buying it.  So I took a mental image, went home and immediately started cutting up newspaper.  I started with long strips and folded each side in then folded in half so no raw edges were showing.  Then is the fun part. You just start wrapping it around itself.  I worked on those coasters for about an hour and a half.  Then I thought, well, they had a box for them at the store.  I bet I could figure out how to make that.  And I did! (2.5 hours later it was done!) Then I just mod podged the mess out of it (and yes that sentence makes sense to me). This was the final project:

Also, along the same lines, I am working on a gift for my grandparents who have a collection of crosses.  Its not quite done yet, but I think its coming along nicely!

Current projects:

• set of 12 small sock monkeys for a 1 year old's birthday party
• personalized cards for my secret pal
• personalized cards for my grandparents
• Dress for my sister's wedding? Maybe? 

Also, just for some more picture viewing... here are some recent cards I made for a few people for their graduation!

I know this one looks blurry, but it turned
out really neat!

Knitting and such

So during the winter (which it is not right now) I like to knit.  Something about being covered in yarn during the summer makes me hot thinking about it.. and being overly hot makes me want to hurt someone. (Kidding mostly.)  But anywho... sometimes I like to knit from patterns, while other times I like to just go with it and see what I can make.  Sometimes it turns out well.. and other times.... well.. the projects get pushed to the wayside and buried in a knitting bag somewhere.

Last summer I went on a summer long trip to California, with the boyfriend, for him to get back home to his friends and some family, and my reason? To get out of town for a while.  Sometimes the school year can really drag me down (or life.. or drama.. or any number of things). Anyway.. I had a lot of free time.  Also.. I wanted to make something for his mother, who we would be spending the summer with.  All he told me about her was that she liked cats.  Cats? That's all you can give me? Hah! Well.. it ended up being all I needed! I made a "sock" cat (as in sock monkey) except that it was all knitted and not made of socks.

So this picture was while I was working on the tail (note the double pointed needles seeming to be sticking out of his rear end).  But whatever.. I thought it looked awesome.  And no pattern on this one! It became a really fun project and she ended up loving it.  She told all her friends about it and put it on the ornamental fruit on the island in her kitchen.  Its nice when your gifts are appreciated!

While I was out there, I also made this (which was from a pattern):  

What a fun Elephant! I sent this one back home to a friend who was having a baby and happened to be setting the theme of her daughters room to be purple.  What newborn doesn't need a knitted baby elephant.  

I have a partially made turtle sitting in a box in my bedroom that was made out there as well.  Seriously only about 3 hours work left on it, but for some reason I have not completed it.  Maybe this summer! (although I won't be going cross country, but I think I might have some free time on my hands.  

And just for your entertainment (the few of you that might happen to read this..) I made a zombie head during a snow break from school a couple of years ago, at the request of the boyfriend (hah) and it is now in his possession.  My favorite part is the eyeballs so there is a picture of just those as well! (My brain has some really strange ideas sometimes!)

Keeping fingers and minds busy

Hola,

Today.. I had free time after I ate dinner. Wow.  Who'da thunk? Getting to the end of things at school... working on the end of year program.  Last year we did a fish song and I knitted all the kids headbands with top fins on them (hilarious and awesome). This year we are doing a barn themed thing.  I was toying with ideas in my head about making sewn headbands for the kids to wear that were for their particular animals... then I thought again... Its so much work.  And as much as I love a tedious task, it also requires buying fabric.  And a rooster head would be SO complicated! I don't know.  Thoughts? Would it be worth it?  I love the kids, but .. I don't know.  So while these thoughts (among others) were streaming through my noggin, I decided to make an end of year gift for my secret pal at work.  I don't really care to buy anything else.  So, I decided that cards might be the way to go.  I made 4 of them. All different from each other and all reflecting some of her style... I think. Not that I really know style.  I know MY style.  Real people style? Meh. No clue really. 

Anywho... This is what was created in my 2 hours of work:

Card #1 was inspired by a Stampin' up class I went to on my trip out to California.  

Card # 2 was inspired by views of things on Pinterest.  Also, I want to note that I love when I can buy cheap packs of color coordinated papers! Many on this page were from one of those that I got for $1! *what what*

 Card #3.. also a little inspiration from pinterest, but also.. enjoying my distressed ink.  Its a recent discovery and purchase.. but duuuuuuuuude.. so cool.

And last but not least, Card #4.  Not really inspired by much other than my need to stick brads through ribbon to see what will happen.  I really like the effect on the yellow ribbon.  The blue ribbon flower made me want to throw it a little bit... BUT... I eventually finished it.

It kept me busy.. gave me a little release of stress.. I say, all in all, a good use of my Tuesday night.  Three more days til the weekend! What craftiness can I get into tomorrow...

Adios Amigos.

Let me give it a go!

Hello all,
Welcome to a view of my life: the crafty side.  So today, like any other Monday, I got home from work, refused to touch anything until a deep cleansing, promptly took a shower and relaxed for a little while.  After dinner I decided I needed to search for more ideas of things I needed to make.  You never know when you might need to make a gift or two! (or when you will need something to fill some idle {too much thinking} time.) So whilst searching the blogging world for the craftiness.. I though I might try my hand and this insanity.  I make enough things with my time, that man.. I should be able to share this with the bloggers out there that might be interested in my wackiness.

Lately I've been really into the cards. I look up new ideas of interesting designs and roll with it.  One of my latest designs that I've been playing around with is this (the directions are here: crazy card tutorial) :

Man that thing was time consuming.. but now I've made three of them.  One for my sister's graduation, one for my good friend's wedding, and another that I just stare at sometimes to help cheer myself up when times are hard. Because seriously. Awesomeness. 

I've recently (as in the last month or so) fallen deeply in love with pinterest. Its become this little alcove to hide away all the little crafts that I see online that I so badly want to attempt some day (and not clog up my bookmarks section on my browser!).  I love that when I've feeling particularly stumped on what kind of card to make for someone, I can fall back on my ideas saved there!  Its a wonderful escape too! When my brain is all full of things that make me not so happy, I fall back on pinterest and start thinking about the different things I can make that will turn that frown upside-down!  

After a week like last week, when I felt like I had no time for any sort of down time, I'm looking forward to this week of craftiness and such.  And sleep.. that is an important one. 

Later Gators.