Procraftination

Guh.

2007-08-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

Lack of posts can only mean one thing... lack of crafting. I've been so very, very busy that I just don't have the time to do ANYTHING right now - I'm starting school for Interior Design in September, so right now I'm scrambling to make sure that my paperwork is all filled out, that I'm registered for the right classes and working my last two weeks at my job.

As soon as things get settled, I'll be crafting up a storm. :)

3,2,1... LIFTOFF!

2007-08-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Fluxity, my online store, is now up and running.

I feel that this will help my crafting addiction pay for itself - because as I learn something new, I want to do it over and over - like, for example, crocheting hats. :) I have no need for 15 brand new crochet hats (in August, no less) but if I sell them, I can afford to buy more yarn, to make more hats, and then move on to another craft!

It's genius, I tell you!

Check it out! Tell me what you think! Are my prices decent? Do the pictures look nice? I need to know!

Excuse me? I would like to buy a head, please.

2007-08-09T00:46:00.000-07:00

So I am drawing ever closer to launching my Etsy store. My original plan was to make purses. I got the sewing machine, I have about a metric ton of fabric.... and severe ADD. I moved from purses to coffee cozies, then to perler beads, paper flowers.... well, you're reading my craft blog. Just scroll down. You'll see.

I was beginning to get discouraged, thinking "I'm never going to get this purse business off the ground!" Then it hit me, as I was teaching myself to knit (badly) - my Etsy store doesn't have to be purses! Just because I make lots of different things, all the time, doesn't mean that I can't open a store. I fact, it could be a good thing! A wide variety of items could attract a wide variety of shoppers, right?

Anyway, this brings me to my point. I make crochet hats, and I needed something to display them on, for taking pictures. I don't really agree with live models for things like hats and earrings, so I left the house on a mission: I needed a fake head. You know, one of those Styrofoam mannequin heads you see in hat stores and wig shops.

Eight or ten stops later, I found her at a wig store downtown:

I had not anticipated the shocked and confused looks I would get when I asked "excuse me, do you sell fake heads?" So, after the first couple stops, I changed my request to a more professional "Do you carry mannequin heads?" but that didn't stop people from looking at me like I was insane. Oh, well. The girl at the wig shop, however, didn't even bat an eye, grabbed one for me and I was on my way.

The hat in the picture, by the way, is a giant beret, or I guess you would call it a Rasta tam. It was something of an experiment, but I really like how it turned out - I used really soft yarn and it's just cozy. The problem is it's just HUGE - so it would really only look normal on someone with a LOT of dreadlocks. I hope someone sees it and likes it, because I sure as hell can't wear it. :)

Big Bag-o-Coolness!!

2007-08-06T01:43:00.000-07:00

So, I decided that when we go to the Gorge Amphitheater for Download 2007 (INCUBUS!!!!) that I don't want to mess with my backpack again. I won't need quite as much space, because it won't be May and freezing cold at night - so no packing a hoodie, thermal, and four extra shirts to layer against the horrendous spring winds. Nope - this time it'll be hot-as-hell middle-of-the-desert August heat.

So, I looked in my closet - and the Shelf-O-Purses didn't have anything quite like what I was picturing. So I made this:

I was going to make it a messenger bag, but some super-strong magnetic snaps on either side of the opening seem to be doing the trick nicely. It's got double-cardboard reinforcement in the bottom of it, and measures about 11" tall, 13" x 11" x 5" .

And here's what I'm really proud of: Zipper pocket on the inside! I used this tutorial on Craftster, and now I am wondering why the hell I thought thought that zippers would be so hard. It worked out really well!

On top of the zipper pocket, I also put some smaller pockets, one with a snap , and two without.

I used pre-made nylon strapping for the strap - I usually make my own straps, but I was feeling a little lazy. Plus I think it looks just fine.

I wish you could see the pockets inside the bag a little better, but the print I used for the lining is so busy and loud that it's hard to see what's what!

Can't wait to use it!

Fariy Hair

2007-07-29T01:06:00.000-07:00

Progress!

The first one shows the contrast really well, and you can see all the stitches, but the color is washed out.

The second one is more color-accurate.

I've put it down for a while, though, so I can recover. :) Filling in large spaces with chain stitch looks great and all, but I was frothing at the mouth with boredom by the time I finished the hair. Thank goodness I am smart and chose not to use the metallic thread again. I used a variegated thread that fades from dark to light yellow - though I did have to do some strategic stitching to make it look like highlights.

All in all, I am pretty proud of it. :)

Whew.

2007-07-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

So I emailed the swap moderator, and asked her to slyly email my partner and ask what her shoe size is and - 9 1/2-10 was the answer! They will be perfect! I sent them out today.

Now my next task is to make the medium-sized object, so it goes back to wist-scouring and Craftster-stalking, to try and come up with something that I think she'll like. This time, preferably without needing to ask any further information from my partner.... it sort of ruins the surprise, that way.

I also want to make some crochet arm-warmers out of this yarn: Paton's "Brilliant" in black dazzle. Pictures do not do it justice, it shimmers and sparkles and is a silky sport weight yarn... and is pretty expensive, but I couldn't help myself. I can't wait to make something out of it. Anything.

Also, tried to pick up knitting again, today. Much cussing ensued. Hm.

Pray she has bigger feet than I do....

2007-07-24T23:37:00.001-07:00

You know, it's hard to tell if this is my craft blog, or my swap blog.... it's a fine line, really.

I'm doing a "secret craftster" swap right now, and it's more challenging than I thought it would be. The great part is that I can make whatever strikes my fancy, not something that fits in a "theme" like most of the other swaps I've done. The hard part is it's all secret- so I can't ask my partner any questions! My partner listed her favorite color as purple - like deep, violet purple, and there is the cutest pair of MaryJane crochet slippers on her wist, so I found the perfect purple yarn and bought a slipper pattern:

I'm having some issues. First of all, I can't message her to find out what her shoe size is... I have smallish feet, and they are too big for me. There's no way I could schlep around in these, they wouldn't stay on!

Second of all, one of them is a bit bigger than the other.

So, I pretty much have to remake them, but I don't know if I should make them the same size (just, you know - both of them the same this time) or smaller... bigger.... if she has, say, size 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 the size I made will fit just fine. But, if she has 6 1/2 feet like little 'ole me, I have to go down a hook size or two.

I just don't know. Either way, I'm remaking them, and I'm going to try and felt this pair, to see if they'll fit me. If that crashes and burns, oh well. They don't take much yarn to make, at all.

I love experimenting.

Did I mention that I have to figure this out and be ready to send by July 28th? Yeah.

'Ello, Gov'nah!

2007-07-20T01:06:00.000-07:00

So I'm doing a "Little Visitor" swap over on Craftster - where you trade a stuffie with your partner, and take him out on the town, get him some souvenirs and make him a few neat crafts - then send him back with all his treasures!

I decided to Crochet G (my visitor) a hat-and-scarf set. G happens to be an odd shape, so I just started crocheting, with no pattern (or idea what I was making, for that matter) and this is what I ended up with.

You can't see it very well, but I bought a pretty Spokane souvenir pin, that's what is holding the scarf closed, there. His head is so big, I had to make little ties to hold the hat on his head, and the scarf is covering that up.

There's a little brim on the cap, too. The minute I put the outfit on him he looked like a little British child from the 19th century. I should make him some knickers, to go with the ensemble... hmmm.

Also working on a rolly-uppy-thingy- for all my crochet hooks. I'm making it as cheery and colorful as possible, and am in the middle of the embroidery that's going on the outside, right now. As soon as I finish that, I will be able to put it all together.

The inside:

It's done with a pretty swirly fabric that I got in another swap, and a deep purple fabric with white stars all over. I added an accent with pretty "crochet" ribbon in a nice blue. The larger strip on the left are the pockets for my hooks, and scissors. The smaller section on the right is a pocket with a flap, for stitch markers and other odds and ends.

Close up of the flap.

I had quite a time figuring this part out... how big? How to attatch the flap? Will I need to put a snap on the flap?

Considering the fact that I didn't even measure the fabric before I started, I'd say it went rather well.

The hook pockets.

I am making the outside in a pink courdoroy, and embroidering this Sublime Stitching fairy pattern onto it. Once that is done, I will put it all together, with some ribbons to tie it up, and Whala! All my hooks in one place!

Hopefully this means I won't find one in the bathroom cupboard with my toothbrush again.

Closeup of the face: (pretty darn proud of myself!)

Off to bed, with me. I've been staying up far too late these days! I feel asleep on the couch with my hook in my hand the other day, and I woke up tangled in yarn.... that has to be a sign. :)

Ali

Happy Hooker, Indeed!

2007-07-12T00:47:00.000-07:00

Crochet has taken over my life!

I got a new toy: Yay wonderful crochet-book goodness! And a cute little pattern book for sweet little crochet animals:

Now a montage of unfinished hats: (They're everywhere! ACK!)

The beginning of an Amigurumi Giraffe (that will be his nose and head)
And a pretttty little clutch purse that I made to send Jessica, my friend in Italy:

And my Pride-and-Joy: I bought this beautiful yarn at a local yarn shop, even though it's a cheap acrylic, it's the best acrylic yarn (and the softest) I've ever had - and it striped so beautifully on this hat, it looks like it was made for it! I thought that the ribbon was a nice touch. Even Caleb, who's pretty indifferent to the projects I make (but very supportive of my hobbies, all the same) thought it was the best thing I've ever made!
Off to work on one of my many half-done hats :)

ALI

Firefly/Serenity Swap, FINISHED!

2007-07-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the Juicy Details:

All packed and ready to go!

Better picture of the crochet Jayne hat - I know it doesn't look exactly like a knitted Jayne hat, but I think it comes pretty damn close! I am very proud of myself.

I finished the backs of the trading cards, and wrote a quote from each character, respectively, on the back of the cards. I also covered the box the cards came in (I used a cheap deck of playing cards) with pretty paper and wrote "SERENITY - Character Trading Cards" on it. I should have taken a picture.... oh, well.
I also made her some Fruity Oaty Bars! I drew everything freehand with some simple Crayola markers, and then glued my drawing to a box of strawberry Nutrigrain bars.
I also recovered the bars, too! That way, she'll be eating authentic Fruity Oaty Bars even if she opens the box!Another very proud moment in my Craftster career - I crocheted her a dinosaur! She and I both love Wash and he loves dinosaurs - I thought it was appropriate. For the record, Amigurumi are flipping HARD.

I also found an unopened set of chopsticks at the thrift store - the label on the package is all in Japanese, so it fits the theme really well. They just jumped out at me as I walked by, so I bought them for her. :)

Buzzzzy like a Bee

2007-06-29T01:00:00.001-07:00

Things I have learned in the last week: (A handy bulleted list!)

--Knitting! I can cast on, knit, purl, and bind off! It looks awful!

--Crochet! Ok, so I could already crochet, but only... square things. From coasters and washcloths to scarves and baby blankets, if it was square, I could make it!

No more! I spent some extensive time in front of my computer (hmmm, not all that out of the ordinary, I'm afraid) and learned how to crochet a circle with the help of a video on YouTube. After that, there was no stopping me - I had six or eight different tabs open on my firefox, with the hat pattern I wanted to make, tutorials on how to do certain stitches, a glossary of crochet abbreviations, and a picture of the Jayne hat - and I went to town.

Final result:

Half finished hat for myself:

-- I finally finished that paper flower project, and am looking forward to making a bouquet (after I'm done with my swap! I'm on a deadline!)

--And here are those Firefly Trading Cards I made:

I learned that I hate stickers and I looooooove rub-on letters. They look so great! And they're so easy!
BONUS! Half-finished embroidered giraffe!

Wanna Trade?

2007-06-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just finished some Firefly Trading cards, for my good-buddy-swap-partner, Ali. No pics right now, becaue I'm eating dinner and quite lazy. But I will post them soon. :)

On my way to pretty flowers!

2007-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

Went out and got the necessary supplies to properly make those damn flowers. Sometimes, improvising with supplies from your stash is good and all, sometimes you just need to buck up and buy some florists wire and tape.

Can't wait for the glue to dry!
And, I am ridiculously happy about another purchase:
Giant pink pincushion!!!

Attempt 2: Failure. Again.

2007-06-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

And the whole time I'm thinking: "hmmm. I can't seem to get the petals to stay in the right place. There is glue everywhere. It's three in the morning. I want pretty flowwwwers!"

Guh. This probably has something to do with the fact that I didn't go get the right wire or the florists tape that I need, but I was just too impatient.

So, today is shopppping day!!

I need the wire and tape I mentioned before, as well as cream colored sockies and some other things to make my Sock Jayne, and also need a box of trail mix bars to measure so I start the transformation into Fruity Oaty Bars!!!

Attempt 1: Failure

2007-06-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

Things I learned while trying to recreate pretty paper flowers:

Paintbrush is poor substitute for a nice wire stem
Stain ribbon equally poor substitute for florists tape
Being covered in glue at one in the morning is not really all that fun. (Who am I kidding? Yes, it is!)
I already rock at cutting flower petals
The project was enough of a success that I can already feel myself becoming obsessed
Wheee pretty paper flowers!

So, in the process of all this, I am realizing something interesting. I love papercraft. I fully immersed myself in the art of origami a few years back, and man, did I ever love it. I dabble in sewing (and am getting fairly good at it) I tried my hand at polymer clay sculpting and it turned out pretty well. Paper, however.... I think I'm a natural.

If I wasn't so tired, I would try another flower. But... it's probably for the best - I need to get some florists tape and wire, anyway.

Sock Jayne

2007-06-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

EUREKA!

I have it. A Jayne doll. I looked good and hard at a sock money tutorial, and I think I will easily be able to modify it to look like a person, and then make a Jayne doll. I need to start right away.

And I need to figure out how to make teeny tiny clothes. Also need to find a printer so I can make the labels I need for the Fruity Oaty Bars... and think of a few more ideas. :)

Also, found this website: Paper Source - that has the most beautiful kits for making paper flowers. Now, I feel guilty about this, but I can pretty much just make them on my own - I watched the tutorial video on the site, but I really don't plan on buying a kit. Makes me feel guilty. (But I wanna pick out my own paper!)

Still, they are very neat kits:

I think, after I'm done with my swap-themed crafty ventures, I'm going to dive into paper flowers. Whee!

Firefly Serenity Swap

2007-06-06T21:41:00.000-07:00

Whoot, the ideas are really flowing for this one:

-- Fruity Oaty Bars
I am going to make them!! I'm going to buy a box of fruity trail mix bars, and then fully decorate the whole thing, to look like a real box of fruity oaty bars! I will use pictures from the commercial easter-egg on the Serenity DVD, and go from there.

-- Jayne Hat
Now, I don't know how to knit... but I have a great pattern for a fleece winter hat.... why not try to sew a "fleece version" on the Jayne Hat? Could still be cool, right?

That's all I have right now, but this one is coming so much easier than the Tea swap did. I'm really glad.

In other swap news, I have prepared Ben to be sent on his journey.... but my partner indicated in the survey she sent me that she was interested in a small-ish animal friend. Ben's about 12 inches tall... and I am afraid that he will be too big... but Ben's the one I want to send! I already wrote out my bio and everything... I will have to ask my partner. This is what he looks like:

I don't know, I guess he might be too big to tote around on adventures... but I wouldn't consider him too big if someone sent him to me.

I need to start thinking of places to take my little visitor, when he arrives!

Whew.

2007-06-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, because of the absolute frustration the Coffee/Tea/Cocoa swap caused me, I said "that's it! No more swaps for a while!" ... and promptly signed up for two more.

Hm. The coffee/tea swap was the first themed swap I had joined, and it proved to be far more difficult than I had imagined. I kept hitting every kind of idea-block imaginable... and the thought of sending sub-par gifts was keeping me up at night. I finally pulled through, and sent the teacup and saucer I'd painted, some handmade soap, stationary, tea, the ribbon covered tea-tin, and more tea. Oh, and a last-minute paper collage that was too big for the box I'd chosen, so I had to fold it. I hope that she liked it anyway. I wish I had thought of taking pictures of what I sent, but I forgot.

I scrapped the tea-towel, though. I wish it had turned out better, but the back was so terrible that I didn't feel right about sending it to someone else. I might have kept something like that for myself, but it would be a little strange, considering I embroidered "Melissa" on it.

Current Projects:
-- Firefly/Serenity themed swap: still on the drawing board, but LOTS of ideas.
-- Make purses, for consignment: haven't even started. Psh.
-- Felt needle book: Halfway done, no more needles lost in the middle of my pincushion!
-- Sewing Apron for me: Still in the design phase, but I cannot wait until I get it done, so I will always know where my scissors are.
-- Skunk Purse for Lynda: This really should be first priority, but the whole process is making me nervous. I want her to LIKE it, and that's really stressing me out.

Pic of the Day:

Fish Purse WIP - hand appliqué fish on Ultrasuede pink purse, with a happy candy-striped lining. I love this one! It should sell, I think, but I want to keeeeep it! :(
And a close up on the fishie:

Tin for tea!

2007-05-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Another project down. It's been done for a while, I'm just lazy about posting these days:

I glued satin ribbon to a nice tin cannister, in the same
color scheme as the teacup-and-saucer I made earlier for the swap.

I am fairly happy with the results on the cannister - Sometimes I have issues with hot glue not looking very professional and finished, but I really feel like the shiny pretty satiny feel of the ribbon shines through, and the colors just look phenomenal
together. The pictures just don't do it justice.

Tea Cup!

2007-05-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Progress feels so good:

Ideas!!!

2007-05-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Ok. Hopefully this doesn't come too late:

I have two large glass teacups and two saucers to go with them - I am going to buy glass pens to decorate the outside of them, but I can't decide if I should just send them as teacups to drink from, or my other idea - glue the cups to the saucers, buy herb seeds and a little soil and make a tiny "Tea Herb Garden." Both would be cute.

Also, according to her DeviantArt page, looks to me like she likes hand-dyed yarn... I wonder if I could dye yarn with tea? I have stained plenty of things with it on accident, so I bet it will work.

Still working on the tea-towel. It's coming along, but the teacup part is taking longer than I'd hoped. Plus, I can't help but wonder if I am doing something wrong with my knotting in the back:

It looks fine in the front, but the back is awful!
How do people embroider things like tea-towels, where you're still able to see the back on the finished product? I love to embroider, but everything I've done always ends up sewn to something, so you don't see any of the imperfections on the reverse.

I really don't know what to do.

In other news, I love my new rotary cutter! It cuts everything with a perfectly straight edge, paper, fabric, interfacing - it's now my very favorite sewing tool.

Well, I am off to the craft store:

-- glass pens
-- herb garden kit? (maybe?)
-- virgin yarn for dying
-- lots of cheap, dark-colored teas for dying
-- FIMO clay
-- Altoids (for the tin)

ALI

Crafter's Block. It burrrrrrns!

2007-05-11T23:10:00.000-07:00

So, I am struggling with Crafter's Block, the likes of which the world has never seen.

I am in a swap on Craftster with the theme "Coffee Tea and Cocoa." Swapping is an amazing amount of fun, where the lovely swap organizer will pair you up with a Craftster and you make things for each other (whee surprises!) with a deadline, then mail them to each other. It's like always getting presents when you give presents, and a birthday every month.

The first two swaps I joined.... cake. So much fun.

This swap? Agony. I have crafted hardly anything, and the deadline is May 18th! And, to make matters worse, I don't really feel all that great about the things I do have finished, in the first place. I don't know what to do. I don't want to disappoint this girl!

Well, maybe if I sleep on it, I can brainstorm some great things to make tomorrow.

Ahem.

And, since this is my Craft Blog, I feel that I probably should post some pictures of my recent crafts!

I like to embroider:
I am not very happy with the way the body turned out, but the Rainbow Mane is just about my favorite thing on the planet right now.

Plus, when I posted this in the Sublime Stitching forum, Jennie Hart (the creator of Sublime Stitching, and designer of the Unicorn pattern that I used) said "Rainbow mane! Swoon!" I was so excited to see that.

Procraftination

2007-05-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

The obligatory 'first blog entry' entry - and I present it to you in a handy bulleted list!

My name is Ali. Contrary what the spelling of my name may lead you to believe, it is pronounced "allie" and I am a girl. My full name is Alissia (uh-lee-see-uh) but not a single person calls me that, not even my mother. It's just something that makes my signature fancier, I guess.
I am a creative person. I make things, I draw things, I sew and I embroider. I occasionally paint, badly, and I am learning how to crochet properly.
I rarely finish projects all in one go, but I am rather bothered by the pile of half-sewn purses under my sewing table, so I finish them all eventually. I like to tell people that "I'm waiting for inspiration." When, in all actuality, I just got caught up in the newest season of Project Runway, and completely forgot I was making it.
I am in the process of starting a business on Etsy - making purses and other cute sewn things. So far, the list has expanded to include coffee cozies, headbands, aprons, and makeup pouches.
I live in the Inland Northwest. I know - you're scratching your head and saying "Inland Northwest? Why, Ali, Whatever is that? I have heard of Pacific Northwest, that's where Seattle is!" The Inland Northwest is the other side of Washington State. We are in the northwest, we are just not pacific. Some people claim that we are the Inland Empire, but I think that's just snooty.
I work full time for a lawn care company. About as non-crafty as you can get. Plus, it is spring time, and therefore our busy season is in full swing. I work ungodly amounts of overtime.... but it's all worth it when I am laid off in the winter and get to craft all the live-long-day!

Nice to meet you.

ALI