nice girls swallow

to help me get back into the swing of crafting i decided to participate in an altoid tin swap. it was small and easy, so a good way to get my feet wet again. my partner received today so i can post some pics of the tin i made. i went with her swallow theme if you couldn't tell. angela, you might recognize some of the stickers i used. they came in real handy with this project. thanks!

{back}


{interior}

{close up of embroidery}

right now i'm in the process of altering about 15 pairs of scrub bottoms from an XL to a medium. i've decided it would be a hell-of-a-lot easier to make them from scratch. i also started painting the nursery sky blue. the more rooms i paint, the more i hate the color that is originally in the rooms. it's so blah! i'll post some progress shots this weekend. hopefully i can get it all done by sunday.

another interpretation

i got a sweet tin in my last swap. it's always interesting to see how different people interpret the same theme. i'm slowly acquiring a little "day of the dead" collection to add to my craft room decor. i love the detail in this one. i'm always amazed at the different things you can do with polymer clay. always learning and feeding the mind's eye.

i also loved all the content she included. i'll have to figure out a way to incorporate all the cute little charms into a unique and different necklace. some nice eye candy. i'm still searching the net for some inspiration. i don't want to start a new hobby, but it's always nice to look.

i'm in a bit of a funk lately. hopefully our trip to florida this weekend will get me back in the groove. aaron is completely pumped. disney and cardinals baseball = his dream vacation. we got our spring training package in the mail a few weeks ago. they only promised tees, but they delivered so much more. it had cardinal t-shirts, hats, baseballs, messenger bags, pins...and so much more. i was quite surprised that they sent so much. i need to get a pic of aaron sporting all the gear. maybe i'll do that tomorrow.

dropkicking

i did finish my t-shirt reconstruction monday. i actually had it done sunday but wasn't too happy with it so i went back and revamped it.

originally i used just the dropkick shirt with some plaid fabric i had in my stash. i know, irish and plaid is a no-no but i liked the combo so i went with it. i modified a dress pattern i also had. thought it would be best to use a pattern since i have no child to make sure everything fits correctly. what you see to the left is the original dress. it just looked too unfinished to me.

i ripped the top portion off and took one of my tops that was too small and went to work. i should have taken before photos of each. the top originally had four buttons on it. i cut it down, added the black binding around the collar and finally added the sleeves. i have a feeling the sleeves are gonna be too tight on a real child. but i'm satisfied with my first attempt at t-shirt surgery. at least it looks wearable.

when i first brought it down aaron thought it was for me. i may be little but definitely not that little. i can understand why he thought that. i've been wearing a lot of babydoll looking tops and i'm sure if the arm holes were bigger i could probably sport it. next t-shirt to go under the knife: a misfits long sleeve. it'll have to wait til we get back from san antonio.

i've been meaning to post this and just now got around to taking some photos. a few weeks ago i received a surprise package from angela. she did another altoid tin for me.

this one is holiday themed and it has a mini album inside. i haven't gotten around to putting pictures in it yet. luckily i have a ton of photos to choose from this year. it's adorable and i'm super impressed with her scrapbooking skills. thanks again, angela!! maybe we need to move on to bigger things to swap/trade?!?

we leave for san antonio tomorrow. not sure what type of internet access i'll have so there might a slight lag in posts. i'm super excited to see everybody from the patch, especially jamie and adrian. i miss my mom group, okay, one mom, one dad and me! i also get to see jennaya tomorrow! we're flying out of greensboro, so we're gonna stop by and see her and the fam. double yay! yeah, i'm giddy with excitement!

givin a hoot

my partner received today so i can post all the "owlie" goodness i made. i tend to go on a rampage when i have a specific goal in mind. what i made: a reversible tote with a wood grain pocket. i'm pretty proud that i managed to do it on my machine. matching owl stuffie to hang out in said pocket. an owl pin. also matches the fabric i used on the tote. a hand-painted tee. found a nearly new tee at goodwill and went to town. i planned on doing a more elaborate design but decided simple was better. i used a stencil i found here. a hand-painted i.d. wallet/coin purse. another thrift store find revamped. first time i've painted leather or pseudo leather. hopefully it lasts. i sprayed some clearcoat on it, but i'm not sure if that's gonna help. i'll have to research that one a bit more.

a fabric-covered journal. i had a real hard time parting with this one. i was soooooooo happy with how it turned out. i'm not a big writer, at least not with paper and pen, but i almost changed my mind when i completed this one. i attempted a scrabble tile pendant but learned i needed to decoupage/seal the top of the image before i pour resin over it. the resin leaked under the white making it look almost transparent. so instead i used it as a button on the journal. it's not a functioning button but it does give it that extra kick. i'm gonna have to wait til it gets warmer to work with resin again. it's more of an outdoor activity. it definitely needs plenty of ventilation. someone's gonna get the other projects i made when i worked on this one, but i'm not naming names.

a polymer owl pendant. still working with the stuff. this is one of the first non-food subjects i've made. not sure if i'm ready to branch out yet. it's just another thing to add to my never-ending list of projects to do. and finally the last items: stamped polymer clay thumbtacks. it's the first time i've tried stamping in clay. i used an owl button i have and made impressions in the clay. pretty easy. the only thing i didn't like: i used a circular cutter to punch them out and they lost their shape when i pushed them through. i had to mold them back into little circles. i might have to cool them in the fridge before trying to push them out of the cutter. another learning experience.

all in all, i was quite satisfied with everything i made. and my partner was happy with everything and that's all that really matters. to see more photos check out my flickr set. and all of these photos were taken before my lighting setup. so they have the yellow tinge to them.

i did finish my t-shirt dress. but i'll save that for tomorrow.

wrist art

here's the first wrist band i finished earlier in the week. mixed up all the new stitches i learned. added some buttons and presto! i did another, more complicated one but i'll have to add it tomorrow. want to get a good photo in the sunlight.

here it is laying flat. i'm a little disappointed with the picture quality lately of the camera. i usually take photos outside but with the weather being what it is, i've had to resort to indoor photo sessions and the lighting doesn't do anything justice. meaning, it looks way better in person. it probably doesn't help that we've been taking the camera on all our snow excursions. and it's been dropped a few times. i'll have to look into better techniques or invest in a stay-at-home camera.

this week i concentrated on working on a swap where the sendout is monday. yes, i bit the bullet and signed up for one again. it's an owl swap. i finished and mailed everything today. hopefully my partner receives soon so i can post all the "owlie" goodness i made. look for photos early next week.

pocket pouches

i'm gonna fudge here. i made these a few weeks ago for yet another swap. the sweat shoppe swap. you make five like items and swap them for five different items. in this swap i get to choose the items i want and if they're available i get them. i got most of what i asked for so all is good.

the pouches resemble the clutch i made a while ago, only smaller and with a wristlet. i tried to accommodate peoples likes and dislikes so there's a wide array of style. i'll revisit these in a few weeks as a daily craft.

i am working on a craft right now. bamboo tiles covered with various papers. most of them will eventually be made into bookmarks similar to the one i made angela in the last swap. i used varnish on them to give them a high gloss look and it's taking a while for them to dry. i made more than ten so i guess that counts for two days of crafting. i'll post pics tomorrow of the finished items.

one a day

they've come back to haunt. garden gnomes! when in asheville a few weeks ago, our lovely host had an abundance of these little devils sprinkled throughout her yard. i started snapping away, knowing i'd be doing something with them somewhere down the line. first project: gnome notes.

man, does it suck not having a desktop publishing program. quark, indesign, anything is better then using microsoft word. i was able to punch out 3 sets of cards before my printer went kaput. inkwell is now dry. i gave a set to jill for her birthday and am selling the other two in my swap shop. i'm not too happy with the colors...wanted them to pop. once i get the bugs ironed out i'll make some more. hopefully i'll be designing aaron's office website and i'll be able to afford creative suite. how to break down the difference between programs: creative suite is equivalent to a lexus where microsoft word is a fiat. dumb comparison, since i haven't ridden in either. but you get the gist.

my swap shop is basically a place for my practice projects. i've been trading practice projects for more materials, i.e. buttons, fabrics. it's kinda nice having that option. they'd be going to waste otherwise. i've gotten a few cool items, but i'm finding my style and everyone elses are very different as far as finished products go. so basically i've been sticking to supplies.

i've also found that i need to give myself goals. otherwise i push things off and they tend to never get done. i've decided to do a project a day. at least attempt to. five items. two for practice and three to sell. unless, of course, they are perfect from the get-go. i am finding i am a little OCD when it comes to setting up shop. the sewing needs to be perfect, the photos have to look great and the marketing materials have to shine. at this rate, i should be open....never! ;)

i swap a lot

angela received her tin today so i can post photos of what i made. above is the top of the tin. i went with her asian/orient theme. i love the theme myself so i absolutely enjoyed making everything. i practiced a little more using polymer, both inside and out.

unfortunately the blossom pin didn't make it. one of the petals broke. boo! :( everything else arrived intact. also included: a large marble magnet, blossom bookmark, origami crane earrings, fortune cookie cell phone charm and 6 marble thumbtacks. it was a great swap, especially it being her first!! you go girl!

brother brian asked me to make steak and potatoes. i told him steak is "so not cute" but he insisted. here's my version...i even made the little plate it's sitting on. i may redo the steak, it's a little too rare for his taste. he wants grill marks, the works. everyone's a critic! i should have put a dime in there for scale. it's pretty small, it can fit in the palm of my hand (to give you reference).

swap gone good

since my last swap was a bit of a disappointment, i decided to do a personal swap this time around. angela and i basically followed the guidelines for the altoid tin swap from craftster. gave each other a list of interests and presto! we have a swap. i think this is the better way to go. i know her skill level and she knows mine. she did not disappoint! she went with my "day of the dead" theme and did an awesome job! pictures to prove it. thanks, angela!! i'm so ready for another one!

sakura anyone?

here are some pics of what i made for the cherry blossom swap.

a messenger purse: (pattern-free, i'm starting to get this sewing thing)

a felt change purse: (practiced my french knot)

some bracelets: (i got the flower beads from walmart for a buck and recycled some old stretchy bracelets i had)

all-in-all it was fun making everything. these were my big items. i made a few more things that i didn't take pictures of.

here's the email i got this morning from one of my partners:
i received my altoid tin today, it was absoultely awesoem, i feel like the one i sent wasnt that great, i guess i will just say it is simple. i tried so many times to make a really cool pez one but is just didnt work. i love the vampire tin and will post pics tomorrow. thank you so much.

what if it is a huge disappointment. ugh. sometimes i feel like craftster is like american idol. people think they're good when they're not. i always give credit when credit is do, but damn, what do i do if i'm not excited or impressed? what a predicament.

altoid anyone?

i had two swaps ending today. thank goodness. i was burning the midnight oil finishing them. one of them was a "fill an altoid tin" which was, by far, my favorite. i'm really happy with how everything turned out. here are some photos of what i sent. i'll post the other swap later. it was a cherry blossom swap.

the cover of the tin:

the contents:
can you tell what my partners theme was? i'll probably cease from swaps for a while. they don't match partners according to ability levels and i have a feeling i may be a little disappointed with what i get. we'll see. plus i want to get things rolling on my online shop. hopefully i'll have some things posted next week. i'll post a link when i have something to show.