Check This Out!!

A really cool giveaway from Colorsofmyworld!

http://trutdelamode.blogspot.com/2010/10/give-away-win-little-altered-art.html

Go on over to her site

For My Swap Partners

I totally "stole" this idea from someone on my favorite sites, Craftster. When I find out who it is, I will update this post. This is so my swap partners know a little more about me.

About me!

I'm im my mid 30s. Born November 1974, do the math lol. I'm happily married to my wonderful husband for 12 years now. We have 6 cats (yeah I'm the Crazy Cat Lady) No kids, but we are working on that. I have a degree in graphic design, but I currently work as a receptionist at a hair salon (best job ever!!!)

Ethical preferences: I'm an animal lover (obviously) but I'm not a crazy PETA type.

My favourite colours: I love blues and jewel tones. Charcoal gray is one of my favorite colors. I likeearth tones too. Not a big fan of pastels tho. I also have to watch what green and yellow tones I wear. My hair is dark brown, almost black,and I have a reddish cast to my skin (Cherokee Indian)

Fabrics I like: I love Indian textiles, richly embellished embroidery, Oriental or Asian fabrics. I like batik prints and nature inspired prints. I'm not too keen on granny floral or gingham type stuff. I probably lean towards the more gothic style, so skulls would be a winner too! I also love stripes.

Yarns I like: Hand-spun wool, stuff I can felt, or really interesting knobbly stuff. I love space-dyed multi-coloured yarn, yarn with sparkly bits in, mixed fibres, Indian sari silks, novelty yarns, anything really.

Jewelery: I like any metals, but I'm not a big fan of  gold. I especially like old, antiqued metals. I like muti-strand necklaces and charms. Glass beads and any gemstone is a good thing.

Scents I like: I really like earthy smells. I  also like floral smells, but not overpowering flower smells.

Crafts I do: I really enjoy sewing. I really like to make sock animals. I make organza, satin and silk flower clips. I also just started getting into paper crafting. I draw and paint. (I have a degree in art/graphic design) I haven't done cross stitch in years but I want to get back to it. I am also re-learning to crochet. I use to make jewelry too, but haven't done that in years, altho I have a ton of supplies.


Crafts I would like to try: Needle felting, knitting. Journals and bookbinding. Quilting. I think thats about it

Things I would like to receive: Anything like the stuff on my Wists, handmade journals, hand knitted socks, cloth menstrual pads, big messenger type bags with lots of pockets, hand made pottery. I love almost all hand made items! I am open to new experiences.


Craft Books: I have a quite a few craft  books. I would really like some on little crotched animals, and felting

Other things I do: I like to read. I watch ALOT of tv. I really enjoy playing Rockband on the Wii. I alsolike Hidden Object games. The hubby and I just started playing tennis. I enjoy playing and spending time with my cats. I LOVE the beach, we just live to far away to go more then once a year. (or 2 years) I love NYC and have been there 5 times. I love audiobooks, I listen to them at night to help me sleep.

Books I read: My all time favorite book is To Kill A Mockingbird, Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer. I like Sci-fi and fantasy books. Love the Harry Potter series. James Patterson. A Series of Unfortunate Events. The Eragon Series.

Films I like: LOTR,  Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, Edward Scissorhands, any film by Tim Burton (add Johnny Depp to that and WOW) The Color Purple (I love films that take place  in that time period) To Kill a Mockingbird

Favourite styles: Art Nouveau, Gothic-ish, Steampunk. Not keen on country cutesy stuff. I like that Tim Burton style: dark and kind of creepy lol. But I'm open to many different styles.

Favourite themes: Nature, cats, dragons, mushrooms, animals, owls, fantasy, sci-fi, Gothic fairies, the ocean, sunsets, elves,Halloween, Tim Burton

Favourite music: I listen to a  little of everything. I prefer Metal/Rock. I also like Classic Rock. Anything that I can dance to lol
My house is full of color, I'm not afraid of it! And rich warm woods. I love growing flowers in my garden.  I can't have any plants in the house because the cats eat them and then yack them up. I have several old quilts that my great aunt made on my bed, I love them. I love stuffed animals, I still have a bunch from when I was a kid.

Shrinky Dink Hell

This year, my hubby and I are going on another beach trip with our good friends Steve and CW. I wanted to do a craft while at the beach and started searching sites for a really fun and easy craft. I came across Shrinky Dinks. I thought to myself, this should be tons of fun! We can take the supplies with us, they won't take up much space while traveling (12 hour drive ugh), and they give almost instant gratification. Besides, who doesn't remember (those of us of a certain age) watching the little buggers shrink up in the oven?

I shot CW a message on facebook and she sounded stoked to try them too!! So the next day, I trecked out to look for the supplies I would need to create my very own charms (thats what I was planning on using them for) When I got to the store, I saw that they now have Shrinky Dinks that can be printed from your computer printer! I was totally stoked! This gave me endless possibilites for creativeness! lol.

Long story short, I got my first batch of charms with my initial on it, cut them out, and put them into my little toaster oven. They didn't turn out like I expected them to. I then tried another batch, this time a larger design... Yeah... total disappointment...

Burned and crinkled.

Crinkled.

This is the only one that came out decent.

So I guess its a big N-O on the Shrinky Dinks. I checked out many websites for troubleshooting and did as instructed. The ones that burnt was because I kept putting them in the oven to get them hot to try to flatten them out. (and I did forget about one set lol)

Oh well, Epic Fail!! Lesson learned.

MOAR FLOWERS!!

I've been working on more flowers. What can I say? I'm totally hooked on these little buggers.

This is my new favorite. Its lime green satin with white tulle and a pretty flower bead in the center.

And what would a day of crafting be without a cat "helping" me?

Poo looks a little funny because he's only about half shaved. He only lets me shave a little at a time so he looks really bad for a few weeks. I'm afraid to take him to a groomer because he has these little twitchy moments (vet said they were little seizures) So he gets to look like crap for a little while lol.

Take Care All!!

P.S. Pics are taken with my new camera!! Don't they look great!

New Camera!!

I got a new camera! I got a new camera!!! *does happy dance*

Its a Samsung TL220. It is an early anniversary gift from my hubby. I think he just got tired of me bitching about how crappy the other camera was lol. The old one was one of the first digital cameras, so we got a long run with it. I will be posting new pics with it soon.

What a long strange trip it's been...

... or maybe it's just been a long cold winter. Yeah, I think that's more like it. I had the winter blues pretty bad this year. Managed to get a few crafts finished, but I didn't do much.

One of the funnest (most fun?) things I have started is organza flowers. I found a really great tute HERE. And I quickly became addicted to creating this little beauties.

Here are some closeups of my faves...

Please excuse the crappy pics. My camera sucks and Im hoping to save up for a new one.

The white one I gave to my friend Marketta

The pink went to my friend Liz's little girl

The above one is my fave so far. I use satin and organza to create the petals. I also used a blue bead that has a purple hole in it. I wish the pics weren't so ugly...

Thanks all!! Happy crafting!

Not Much

Not much going on. Started a few things but haven't finished them. It's too damn cold. I'm cold all the time and I'm getting sick of it. Can't wait until spring...

YAY Cricut!!

Been working with the Cricut. Looked at a lot of videos on youtube. Finally decided to start a canvas with the word create on it and various flowers and yeah... After cutting many, many, many, MANY, trials on regular paper, I decided to go with my good paper. Wasn't totally happy with it so I put it on hold.

While I was searching youtube, I found THIS!!

I was speechless. Had to buy it. Been playing with it all day. I love that it uses any font that you have on your computer. Being a graphic artist, fonts are VERY important to me. They make or break a project.

Here is the first thing I did with the new software

 

I'm so so so excited!! I can't wait to get back to my big project. I also have a book of  clip art that I think will work with the new software.

And my beautiful boy Milo decided to join me

And yes, his eyes really are that color. they change from orange to yellow ochre to a light green. Really odd.

Happy Crafting!!

My new Cricut

My hubby bought me a Cricut Expressions for Christmas. I have been a little intimidated about opening it up... IDK why, I just am. I think the instruction manual was the biggest reason I hadn't opened it. I am one of those people that do better watching then reading. But today I decided today was the day. So I opened up the box and discovered a DVD inside. Ok, I thought, let's see what this thing can do. I popped the DVD into my computer and sat through the 39 minute instruction DVD. Now I'm excited and can't wait to give it a try. I will update again when I get going on my newest creation.

In a funk...

Been in a bit of a winter funk again. Doesn't help that I've been having trouble with my projects. My button hole thingy on my sewing machine isn't working right. I guess I have to take it to mom for help. I did manage to make a stuffed toy for my niece. It's Lenny the Guinea Pig from Bot of Whimsy Dolls. Find her site here http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/

And heres Lenny.

 

Stay warm!!

Wall Hanging

More Mod Podge!! I covered a B with some of my favorite fabric to hang in the dining room. It was quick and easy.

The letter B I bought at the local Hobby Lobby. I think it said it was MDF. Can't remember tho. The fabric is from a pack of fat quarters I bought. I used about a quarter of the fat quarter.

I used a light coat of MP on the front, so it wouldn't leak thru the fabric and make it darker.  I had to cut the fabric in places to make the fold around the curves. The white in the photo is the still wet Mod Podge. I put quite a lot on the back to make sure it was super sealed.

The finished B!!! I am going to attach a ribbon to the back and use that to hang it with. It was a fast and easy project.

Happy Crafting!!

Mod Podge

Years ago, I Mod Podged some dried flower petals (that came from my garden) onto a photo box. It looked pretty nice then. Cut to now, and the petals have turned brown and chipped away. So I thought I would Mod Podge fabric over it.

Top of the box.

First I Mod Podged the top of the box. I let it get good and dry.

The dark streaks is from the Mod Podge being too thick in places and soaking thru the fabric. I ended up putting a couple of layers of MP to seal it and get rid of the streaks. Unfortunately, this also darkened the fabric.

I then did the sides. I folded the fabric like you would a present and made sure the fabric went all the way over, into the inside of the lid for a more finished look. I then put a couple of coats on to seal it all up.

TA-DA!!! Finished! The top bubbled up a little in some places. I'm not sure if that's because I didn't use enough MP to glue it to the top or if I didn't smooth it down enough. But all in all, not a bad job. And it definitely looks better then it did lol. Now I have 5 more to do lol.







Happy Crafting!!

WHITE DEATH...

... it is a comin!! For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about... (no it's not a racist remark lol altho it always sounds like one to me, idk why... ) White Death is what we call the panic the public gets into when we are expecting snow. Everyone runs to the grocery store and then huddles down and waits the snow out. Even the mere mention of snow gets everyone into a total panic and a lot of people start canceling appointments (I'm a receptionist at a hair salon, I get a lot of cancellations before a snow) It's crazy around here. And for some reason, all the old people start to come out as it's happening to go to the store!! If they knew it was going to happen, why don't they plan the day ahead... Oh Gosh!! Now I'm all fired up lol.

I only wish we had gotten to the Joann Fabrics superstore last night. Oh well. I admit, I don't like going out in the snow. And I wish I had a project to work on. I need fabric for my curtains lol.

Huddled Down with the Cats While It Snows...

i LOVE aprons!!

Especially vintage ones. There is just something so frilly and feminine about them. They make me happy. They make me smile. I wonder who owned them, what that person did while wearing them. I think there is something really special about them. Maybe I was a 40s/50s housewife in another life. If I had more room, I would collect them. But I don't, so I can't.

I was searching thru a cabinet that I haven't looked in awhile and found one that my grandmother made.

 

Her name is embroidered on it.

This one I got at an estate sale. I saw it and had to have it. I think it was the flowers, they looked so sweet. And the really deep pockets it has. This began my obsession with them.

Yuck terrible pic of the bottom half of my face lol. I have been searching the internet for patterns to download. I will be making some soon. 

Happy Crafting!!

Quick Post

Have a lot of cleaning to do today. And the cats (or should I say Scat) is being bad today, jumping on the counters and being underfoot. It always puts me in a mood. But I found something in a cabinet that I can't wait to share!! Soooooo excited! I will take pics later and post :)

Craft Room

I turned our office into a craft room fro myself. Since the hubby and I have laptops now, we no longer use our desktops. So we moved them into an unused room upstairs and I got to cleaning. Here is the finished project.

 

  

I would like to get a more comfy chair for the room. I also need to finish cleaning the matching bookshelf and a utility shelf that the gecko tank is on. But I am so proud to have a beautiful space to work in!!

Update on Fail

I am going to try using a zig zag stitch on the cat toys. My mom and SIL think that might be the way to go. Will probably try that tomorrow since I work today and usually don't craft since I work until 8. And then Hoarders comes on @ 10 lol.

Fail

I forgot to blog about another cat toy that I made the same day as the Tube o'Nip lol. The problems I went thru trying to make it was only part of the fail. Continue reading to get the Epic Fail.

I wanted to make a little cat toy that they could bat around and toss into the air and do whatever with. So I got the idea to make a little cat head toy. I went to my computer and started to draw it up. Unfortunately on my laptop, the only "graphics" program I have is Paintshop or whatever the hell its called. I have a degree in graphic design, so I'm use to nicer graphics programs. It took me awhile to figure out the rudimentary tools. I finally got my cat head to look how I wanted. I went to print it out and low and behold.... the print screen couldn't find my printer. Long story short, I had to uninstall and the reinstall my printer. Thank god I had only installed it the other day so I still had the disk handy.

So I got it printed out, and of course it was too big. I reduced it. Too small. Tried 2 more times until I got the size I wanted. *WHEW* Printed it and cut it out.

I traced it onto my fabric and cut it out. Sewed it up. Had trouble at the ears when I turned it right side out, but I used the back end of my marking pen so it wasn't too bad. Poured some cat nip into it and stuffed it with stuffing.I even did a decent job of whip stitching the top :)

 

I liked it so much I made another. This time I didn't fill it with as much stuffing.

 

Yes, those are the fabrics I used on a sleep mask and my hubby's Kindle. Gotta reuse those scraps!!

 

Mojo really liked it. He's behind my ironing board pouncing on it lol.

Now comes the Epic Fail. I went to work for a few hours on Saturday. When I got back home, this is what I saw.

 

Yep, the toy was ripped open at the seam and all the stuffing was pulled out!! I almost cried lol. So now I have to figure out a way to make it stronger. That's where mom comes in. Thankfully she has a lot of knowledge in sewing and is a really great sewer herself. She made a lot of clothes for me when I was little. 

So remember kids, not everything you do will work out the way you want. For me, life has always been about trial and error. I guess that goes to crafting too. I will let you know if this Epic Fail gets resolved.

Until then, happy crafting!

Cat Toys!!!

Made the boys and girls some cat toys today! My hubby and I went to Chicago a few years ago and stopped into this lovely shop called the Happy Dog Barkery (or something close to that) They made fresh baked treats for your pooches. They also and a lot of items for sale. I bought the cats a toy and it turned out to be their favorite. Now the thing is so nasty, I don't even want to take a pic of it lol. So, out of things to make, I decided to replicate the toy.

 

Basically, I cut a piece of fabric (fleece in this case) about the size of 2 pieces of paper layed end to end. I then sewed a seam down the side and across the bottom.  I filled it with stuffing and their favorite cat nip. Then I did a basic running stitch with the machine across the top. I sewed the top this way so that I could refill it with nip-nip (that's what it's called at our house) if it seemed to loose it's appeal.

Now on to the funny pics of the cats playing lol

 

Misty, Poo and Mojo

 

Poo

 

Milo

Milo had so much fun!! I would post more but I don't want to bore you lol

Happy crafting!

Nothing New

Nothing new atm. That's because I have to get over to my mom's house to embroider more sleep masks. I am thinking about top stitching around the mask because I don't like the way the whip stitching looks. (That was my mom's idea) I also have to pick up a cutting thingy she bought for me. Not sure what to call it but it is made of cardboard and has lines on it so you can use it as a cutting guide. I bought her a $6 sweater at the outlet mall as a thank you. :)

Pig-Pig

I made a new critter today. It's a pig lol. Not too many issues sewing it. The biggest issue is I cut the ears wrong and then I had trouble sewing the corrected ears on. Let's get to the pics!

I used a cream colored sock for the nose and a pinkish sock with a purple cuff for the body.

 

I have a book for making these animals and the instructions aren't always clear. But I worked my way thru it. Had to take an hour break because of frustration with the ears. But after that everything went pretty smoothly.

Happy Crafting!!