moi, crafty?

Autograph Board

2011-05-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

i put together a slideshow for Dave's party and with the photos, i created a collage on Snapfish. to order the 16x20 collage poster online was $16.99. however, to pick up at Meijer the next day, was only $7.99 so it was pretty cheap to create something for the 30-40+ guests to sign or write messages on such a special day. we happened to have the black mat and greg just had to cut it bigger to fit the collage.

i quite liked how it turned out... especially since it only took a half hour and i was able to pick it up the next morning.

Wire jewelry

2011-04-28T17:21:00.001-07:00

Came across this and thought of you peeps:

Making wire jewelry

You guys might find it helpful but I have a feeling you already know a lot!

Batik Pillows

2011-02-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

the batik flag ended up being a batik cushion --- that i decided i liked and kept for our couch.

K is modeling our new cushions.

Batik: Part II

2010-11-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

sooo... the next day, in hot water, rub the fabric to remove the glue and you'll be left with an image that stands out depending on the concentration of paint.

I made Tree #2 the correct way afterwards. note: i created the image AND THEN added the paint. Tree #1 was the original tree from Batik: Part I ---- i added color ON TOP of the image after the glue and paint and though you can see some color change, i don't like how it turned out.

these are gifts i'm making for the In-Law's... it's nice b/c I will be able to create an image and K can help with paint. cloth napkins, pillowcase and a framed piece of art are on the agenda.

Batik: Part I

2010-11-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

I discovered batik at the music festivals we've attended. It's a unique style of print where it originally consisted of coming up with an image and using hot wax to draw it out on a piece of cotton fabric. then you take colored dyes and go over the fabric and wax. peel away or somehow, gently remove the wax and the image shows up with the colors not touching the outline.

I was reading one of those Family Fun magazines and they used Elmer's blue gel glue. As i googled more into it, i found a delightful website and followed their directions which really is like the original method of batik --- except i'm using Elmer's instead of wax and acrylic paints.

i cut out my muslim fabric and used my glue to create an image. allow it to dry overnight. then, take acrylic paint and paint all over it. the more water you use with the acrylic paint gives it a more water color image which i like. the less water (or no water), you get deeper, darker colors. allow that to dry overnight.

Artsy Fartsy

2010-11-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

I was going for a different element when I made this... Basically, I messed up what I was initially attempting. In short, I made my image AND THEN used Elmer's blue gel glue to create those lovely visible lines and dots. When I washed it (to remove the glue), it made the image washed out and lighter. I wished I kept it like this original but there's more muslim to work on (which I found in the remnant bin at JoAnn's for $3). I'll show you what I was aiming for in another post but thought I'd share my "screw-up" which I really like.

Duvet Cover

2010-09-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

our last trip, K was gifted a thick, warm comforter from my cousin. A very thoughtful gift as this Winter won't be so kind as last year. I'm sure we're in for a TON of snow (yay) meaning the portable heater will be on in his room a lot. It was just a white blanket and I searched high and low (Target and internet) for a duvet cover. I don't care for the cars, dinosaurs, or the cowboy and sports themes.

with a JoAnn's Fabric coupon in tow, we went there one night. I looked and looked and while G meandered, he came back with a roll of this cute martian-space theme. SOOOO cute. being on sale, we couldn't use the coupon but nevertheless, 3 yards and $9 later we went home. I always wash fabrics first and then G essentially sewed a big pillowcase and we slipped the blanket in. All set for this blistery Fall and upcoming Winter...

Beaded Earrings

2010-07-31T15:15:00.000-07:00

My first post :)

Trying to make good on a promise I made 5 months ago to the 6 and 8 year old daughters of my mentor, I spent yesterday making my first ever beaded earrings. Turns out it wasn't that complicated! After a two minute video from YouTube and some hand-holding from my sister, I was able to do them on my own. The hardest part is trying to figure out what beads go together.

Thanks to my grandfather's flea market deals, my mom, sister, and I inherited massive amounts of beads. There really are too many to ever use up. I mostly used beads from our stash to keep costs down. The posts and backings I bought at the bead shop.

The picture is faded out, so it's hard to get a sense of the sparkle on the crystal beads, but you get the point. If I get another free day before I leave for Texas, I'll try to make some more. Once I got going, it was fun. I hope the girls like them.

my farm

2010-07-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

this end of the garden bed is extremely crowded. i may have to pull up one of the squash plants to make sure they all have ample room.

but from the bottom of the pic, stuff planted on this end of the farm are watermelons, 3 different kinds of squash, herbs (thyme, basil, parsley, sage, chives), green beans, then the tomato cage.

on the opposite end: 2 different kinds of chili (serrano and poblano), japanese eggplant, then the tomato cage.

from left to right: cherry tree, green beans, tomatoes, strawberry (never fruited), and eggplant

the vine thing growing on the dirt is watermelon. i'm pretty excited about this. i see round lil' pea-sized stuff sprouting. i hope i actually get yummy watermelon.

poor-man's sprinkler system

2010-07-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

not exactly "arts" nor "crafts." but since i haven't really gotten around to unpacking any of my beading stuff, i've been using all my creative juices thinking, planning, and executing lil' projects that improve my garden.

this is a project i finished in about 12 hours, but spread out in 3 weekends. lotsa time was spent at the irrigation aisle at OSH, examining lil' drippers, sprinklers, tubes, etc.

anyway, i got a 4-port battery-operated digital timer. eventually, when i have a bigger garden, i can set it up for 4 zones. right now, all the garden beds in the backyard is being watered in 2 zones.

the roses are on individual drippers, rather than sprinklers, because i hear that moisture leads to fungus (which i've also worked very hard to save my roses from!).

my backyard now has a bunch of black hoses all over the place. not exactly pretty, but my plants have been sooo happy since i put this in.

i've got the "farm" (where all my edible stuff are planted) on sprinklers.

Belly Cast II

2010-06-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

for some reason, i can't see the images posted (just the html) but it's pretty self-explanatory. remember the cast of my belly when i was about to pop? i did about 3 weeks later. back in April, we finally got around to painting it with the same shade of blue-gray as the bathroom. then, out came our "collection" of fortunes we've been storing in an orange vase for about 5 years from all of our eating out at Chinese restaurants (Wyoming, Wisconsin, Michigan and perhaps a few from Cali). with the help of modge podge, i'm delighted to present our little fortune cookie belly cast... TA DA!

pink and black for bernice

2010-02-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

bernice (joe's momma) requested a while ago that i make her a black and pink necklace. she's very good with the sewing machine and she was in the process of making herself a pink jacket/blazer to wear when she and the poodles compete in dog shows. i tried to make her something in time for christmas, but i just could't make it work. yesterday was her bday, so these will be shipped to her as a belated bday present.

other than the colors, she really made no other requests as far as style or length or anything else. so i decided to make her two.

i'm about to get really busy, so these will prolly be my last project for a long time.
for now, i saw adieu to beading.

mom's bday gift -- garden necklace

2010-02-18T01:31:00.000-08:00

i posted the pattern 2 posts ago. the instruction calls for repeating the squirrly triangle pattern all the way to the end (clasps). but dixie from work said that, as originally designed, this necklace tends to twist around the neck. she suggested that i leave the back part as just a simple, straight string of beads. she said this would prevent the necklace from twisting. i also made a simple bracelet.

anyway, today (the 18th) is my mom's bday so i rushed to finish these. i'll have to write her an IOU note for a pair of earrings.

wine charms

2010-02-18T01:25:00.000-08:00

these were gifted to the heysteks

and these were gifted to joe.
he picked the charms himself.

the beginning of a necklace

2010-02-05T23:07:00.000-08:00

can you see where i'm going with this?

dixie at work (the lady who taught me, charlyn, and others some basic beading) makes a lot of these and i always thought they were pretty. i found the pattern online and i decided to make one for my mom's bday in a few weeks.

the birthstone for february is amethyst (those violet crystals) and i really like the mauvey pearls. other than than, i'm not completely sold on the color combination. i'm thinking of maybe changing the cream seed beads into something that blends in with the colors, as opposed to contrasting/complementing. maybe light pink or violet.

there's definitely a learning curve with this project. at first, i thought i was weaving them too loosely. so i tugged on the string a lot more. now, it feels kinda stiff, like i did it too tightly. maybe now's a good time to start over.

i've only done 2-3 inches but it took me an hour. oooh, how my back will hurt by the end of this.

blue and light amethyst

2010-01-18T00:27:00.000-08:00

these were made for a birthday present.

blue (and red veins, but mostly blue) beads are alternated with light amethyst rondelles and tiny swarovski pearls. the three big crystals in the middle are swarovski "cosmic" beads in light amethyst.

i'm pretty happy with how these turned out. if i were to change one thing, though, i might go with a bigger contrast in color. instead of a the light purple accents, maybe i might try a really deep/bright purple. or red.

or i dunno, maybe this way is better.
more experimentation!!!

barrettes v2

2010-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

these were gifted to my hair-accesories-fiend friend, dayni.

same technique that was used on the facebook bobby pins: 26 gauge wire, wrapped around the hair clip between beads .

used a different kind of barrettes -- these are the ones that lock. undecorated ones can be found at any craft store.

top one was randomly decorated with glass beads in browns, golds, and beiges.

the second one was better planned -- 8mm czech fire polished beads with different colored freshwater pearls.

facebook creativity -- barrettes!

2009-12-31T00:58:00.000-08:00

alas, i was able to fulfill the facebook creativity thing that was circulated earlier in the year...

the idea was that you had to make something handmade for at least 5 of your facebook friends... and this had to be done by the end of the year. i mailed out the last ones yesterday. so done!

unfortunately, i forgot to take a picture of the first 5 pairs i gave out (to jen h., dayni, lisa, amy, and carolyn), but here's a picture of the last 3 i made.

really easy to make. just used brown bobby pins and brown 26-gauge jewelry wire. and i already have tonsa tonsa beads, so it's just a matter of picking the right size... they couldn't be too big. and those small, gray freshwater pearls in the bottom set is prolly as small as one would want to use for this project.

basically, just cut about a 12in length of wire. fold it in 1:2 ratio and wrap it a few times in the LOOP end of the bobby pin to secure it. then to the shorter end, add beads that span the entire bobby pin. the longer end is then used to wrap over-and-under each bead.

kinda hard to describe it here... but if interested in learning, i can easily show you next time i see you. or if you received a pair from me, i'm sure you can easily figure it out by looking at how the wires wrap around the beads. really easy project.

and if you're a lil' iffy about the functionality of these hair pins, don't fret. the wire wrapping around the pin actually lends extra grippiness.

Blue Zebra Earrings

2009-11-22T01:12:00.001-08:00

Yay, I finally made something again! Even though I am supposed to be studying for my pharmacy law midterm, I decided to make a pair of earrings for my roommate's bday instead. Ta da!

Belly Cast

2009-08-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

we made a belly cast last friday night.

we learned to do it by watching this video. the idea was a result of two other friends who had done it in the past. one had a friend paint a really pretty butterfly theme one for her little girl's room. the other is going for more kid-like with a frog painting (eyes on the boobs and a big froggy smile across her belly). it consisted of: 3 rolls of pre-plastered strips (cut into 12" lengths), bowl of warm water, petroleum jelly and me, preggers sitting on the edge of a dining room chair on a tarp in the middle of the kitchen. after the first and second layer hardened (20-30 minutes...), it felt really claustrophobic. it reminded me of a painting of Frieda Kahlo when she had to be in a body cast. it was really tough to sit still, inhale and exhale and stay still with 27 extra pounds on your body.

but all in all, it turned out really nice. g's going to put another layer b/c we should have used a 4th roll to make it stronger. then, he'll take it to work and add bondo to make the whole thing smooth. i suggested he paint it at work, like a flat black similiar to his '66 Chevy and maybe someone can pinstrip it like a car. i think that would be pretty nifty. or a tree. i don't know yet.

propagating african violets

2009-08-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

not sure that this qualifies as a "craft." but it sure is a neat lil' experiment.

african violets are ubiquitous at my workplace. i have 2 plants at my desk and i know a handful of folks who have 'em, too. it helps that a lot of the cubes are by a window, so the violets grow really well. a VERY green-thumb'd coworker taught me this trick....

i used a clean razor blade to cut some stalks at a diagonal. say there's three rows of leaves, cutting from the middle row works the best, since the outermost row of leaves are old and no longer maturing and the innermost rows are too young and have too-short of a stalk.

stick the stem in a tube of clean water. that's it. african violet plant food can be used, but water alone works just as well. keep the stems in a bright spot, but not overly sunny. basically, whatever kinda sun works for the parental plant should work well with the baby cuttings. every few days, i added more water.

within a few weeks, i started seeing lil' roots.
this is about a 6-week old cutting. i've actually let it go on too long. these bushy things are now called "water roots" and it'd be harder for them to adapt to soil. they're not gonna automatically die in soil or anything, it'll just take a lil' longer for them to get settled. maybe an eighth to a quarter inch of roots would be ideal for transfering to dirt.

see the lil' itty-bitty leaves starting to come out? cool, eh?

i cut about 10 stalks at a time, so here's a bunch that's ready to go into soil.

here's a bunch in different stages of development.
the super young ones (bottom right) were from cuttings i did back in may or april. the rest are from earlier this year... february, i think.

definitely not an "instant gratification" kinda project. it'll take about a year for plants from cuttings to actually start flowering. but it's a cheap (i mean... FREE!) way to get a lot of african violets from one plant. and since i've started cuttings from 5 different plants (2 of mine and 3 from various coworkers), i should get a crapload of plants of different varieties!

i've also been told (although i've never tried it myself) that if different varities are planted in one container, they'll start sharing DNA through their roots. so if you planted a dark blue plant with a white one, both plants will eventually start flowering pale blue ones. i can't wait to try it out! when i finally get myself a house, all these mini-plants will prolly end up in one long flower box. DNA-exchange away!

hoop earrings with dangleys

2009-08-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

i haven't made anything in a while and i had an urge to make something that won't take a long time to complete.

voila! a pair of hoop earrings with interchangeable dangleys.

silver and orangey necklace and earrings

2009-08-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

made this as a gift for my orange-loving friend. used sterling silver chain and wire. i added approximately three inches more chain and an extra clasp so it can be worn either as a short or a long necklace.

instead of using headpins for the dangley thingeys, i just cut a piece of wire and made a spiral headpin. here's the instructions, if interested (charlyn! :) )

gotta say, i'm enjoying the wirework-and-chain thing.

"random" blues and greens

2009-08-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

i made this a while ago. my first project using wire. i strung the beads just using simple loops. i wired a bunch of beads separately, then just randomly strung them together.

not crazy about this. i think the moral of the story is... you can go for a "random" look, but you still have to think about where things should go. the whole "balancing of elements" kinda thing. meh.

i used 20 gauge cheap wire that i got from jo-ann's. and i'm already noticing it tarnishing. like, it's actually turning black in some places. from now on, i'm sticking to sterling silver.

Blue Necklace

2009-07-08T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yay! Finally putting my skills to use. A necklace for my godmother with matching earrings. She loves blue. (w/o flash)

(with flash)

free admission to bead show this weekend

2009-07-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

hi kids,
if you're up for a cool bead show this weekend, check out the international gem and jewelry show at the san mateo expo center. i've been to this 2x with friends and it's always a good time.

and with this coupon, you and your guest will get in for free (normally $8/pp). just print it out, fill out the info, then hand it to the ticket collector at the door.

Curtains are up!

2009-07-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

with 8 weeks left... (or 6 weeks if mini M is really ready to come out), we committed to two hours last night to finish the other half of the curtain and the sheer. FINALLY. AT LAST. after two temper tantrums with the sewing machine (ahem, husband), we got it done. we cleaned the room of the clutter collected in that room and viola, that's what the poor kid has so far. there's a trip to IKEA for the crib in the works, re-sale shop for a dresser and various other goodies people are letting us borrow. it's finally looking like a room....

new author...

2009-07-01T19:48:00.001-07:00

hi, all....
meet charlyn.

she's an ex-coworker, future pharmacist-extraordinaire, and a beading buddy. we've gone to bead shows together and often share ideas for beading projects. she's made some really awesome pieces and i've asked her to contribute to our craftster's blog so we can all enjoy the pictures, even after she's gone away to pharm/grad school.

plus, now i can copy her awesome designs. ha! :)
totally digging those earrings... and i got plenty of those donuts, too!!!

Earrings

2009-07-01T19:23:00.001-07:00

Char again: just made some earrings for my friend's bday. too me forever! and a lot of wire work! *hands are tired*

Eyeglasses Holder

2009-07-01T19:12:00.001-07:00

Hi! Charlyn here! Made an eyeglasses holder for my mom! Altho it makes her look a tiny bit older, its super useful, and I thought the pattern/beads I chose were really cute!

super close up.

Motorcycle Seat

2009-06-08T19:08:00.000-07:00

The basement has been converted into multiple kinds of rooms to fit what we need. it went from guest room (when my sister came to visit), TV Room (so that we had a "formal livingroom" upstairs), a play room (dart board and game table) and currently, a "craft" room. It's in shambles; a mess of upholstery fabric and projects waiting for rainy days (and deadlines) to motivate the Husband to create.

He has two sets of patio furniture, two motorcycle seats and a project from last Summer to complete... amongst a list of other things people have subtly asked him to do. as the warm weather approaches, folks with motorcycles and boats (seats) have inquired.

the Husband at work on his favorite investment: industrial sewing machine

he'll brag, "the needle will sew through your hand."

he's really anal about his work. it can be annoying... but i guess that's what makes him so good at what he really enjoys doing. i'm the "eh, it looks all right. no one will notice" sort or attitude.

test fitting the outcome on the motorcyle seat.
the seats in flaaaaames --- a pretty common design

he's almost done and the customer will be able ride the "hot seat" this weekend.

mother's day necklaces

2009-05-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

btri-color freshwater pearl necklace for my brother's MIL.

i made this thursday night for my SIL. maybe it's because she's closest to my age, but this is the one piece out of the three that i would actually wear.

purple and pink w/ freshwater pearls for my mommy.

and here they are, all ready to be gifted.

purple and pink necklace

2009-05-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

i have to finish 5 necklaces in the not so distant future. 2 for mother's day (1 for my mom and 1 for my bro's MIL), one for SIL's bday, and 2 for girlfriends who had their bdays in april.

i think this is gonna go to one of the mom's. it's not sealed yet, so i'll be working more on it this week.
as always, comments and suggestions are welcomed.

freshwater pearls necklace

2009-04-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

i dunno....
is this mother's day present-worthy?
what do you think?

meh...

Wonders with Frosting

2009-04-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

At the request of Ms. Avery, I've added some more cake photos.... Y'all caked out on the blogs yet?? :>)

I've never really considered myself a crafty person, but cake decorating is definitely a skill. It requires you to make things look good with just the use of frosting. There are no supports and it's all in the technique. I think that the basket weaving baffled people the most. Next in line on the list of puzzles is flowers: roses, rosebuds, sweetpeas, carnations, etc. I look forward to learning about fondant, gumpaste, and modeling chocolate.

paint your dog

2009-04-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

this might not qualify as "crafty" per se...
but guess what else makes a good medium to paint on besides on the usual paper, canvas, etc...?

he was a good sport about it --- only b/c he was completely oblivious. but let's just say, i was painting for a reason and you might see some of those colors on something very soon.

orange and green necklace with donut

2009-04-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

this is only my 2nd necklace made without "adult" (the pros from work) supervision.

i started this necklace with the intention of giving it as a birthday present. when i was done, i was like, these are soooo my colors! plus, that lil' issue of the off-centered clasp. my bad, i wasn't measuring. so obviously, i HAVE to keep it. it's hardly gift-worthy.