I've nearly disappeared in this project. This one will be like giving away a child. 32 children to be exact. More on this later. Next week when I hand it off, I'll be able to post photos and other writing again. For now I'm off to fold laundry (because it's never done, right?) and have a cup of Buddha Nature otherwise known as coffee.
Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!
Gena
I have been so excited about painting small things! I just love these. Remember this project? These were what popped out of those frames. Add a little paint, a little decopage decal, chipboard, mod podge, papter, ink and glitter and Presto! It's a tag, it's a gift, it's a gift tag, it's a letter in a child's name, and best of all it's quick. And these days I love a quick craft fix. Making really soothes my tender soul. I can't wait to make more. B's requesting her name be spelled out and mounted on her bedroom door. This I can do.
Since September I have been coordinating a project in my community. And only now have I begun to piece together a prototype log cabin square. (It's the buried thing in this photo. My camera died this morning just after it snapped this.) And this one isn't even to go into the end project. It was to see how well the pattern I drafted last week would work. During this trial, I found this tutorial at a great blog called Craft Actually. This tutorial is just perfect for beginners like me. I have made other simple quilts, just never a log cabin. And Helen was absolutely right. In her post she said "Soon you will not be able to stop." Indeed. I am now obsessed with cutting strips and straight stitching. But this post probably gave that away ages ago. I am really enjoying this process.
This said project is a super special secret and involves many incredible individuals. I have worked out the kinks now and can turn over the fabric to some kind folks to help cut lovely strips. I have been offered a lot of help and for the first time ever on something like this, I'm excited to delegate. I will do embroidering in each of the "special" squares.
For a project of this caliber involving so many hands, the to do list looked something like this:
Identify seamstresses in the group
Identify seamstresses with piecing, applique, embroidery or quilting experience
"Select" colorway
Coordinate individuals for "designing" fabric. (This was what took the longest. I started in January and I am almost finished. I've moved on to the next steps because not having them will not hold up the project. We can add them when they are finished which will be next week.)
Bust into stash and supplement with purchased fabrics if necessary to fit colorway.
Draft a pattern.
Try the pattern out.
Examine "designed" pieces and cut out best sections.
Embroider each cut out section.
Cut many many strips.
Gather 12 strips for each section.
Piece together around centerpiece.
A Bowl of Ribbons? Item #12?
Unveiled pendants.
Inspired by the amazing work of Sally Jean Alexander I made these pendants for all women in attendance at an annual women's Buddhist meeting. Honestly, it was like riding a bike. A little rough at first, a little advice sought out and a few tools gained smoothed out the ride. What was most like riding a bike was remembering that I did this nearly twenty years ago and my back never hurt from anything then. This was a killer even despite my batch tasking for production. Copper foil five to ten at a time. Solder three or four in another sitting. Attaching sterling jumprings in yet another. What went fastest was the cutting and grinding of the glass. I had all 110 pieces of glass ground down in about an hour and a half. The scoring and breaking was so satisfying. It was an amazing return to a part of who I am that I feel really great about. Interesting that.
Okay. Ready, get set . . . Craft! Remember this post? Well, I'm off and running! And in classic Gena style, I figured out a way to do everything at once. Why not, right?
So I've already begun designing item #12. It's a long story. One year so many ago, I moved and left all of my stained glass equipment in a friend's apartment. So I've had to replace my grinder, fid, and running pliers in order to accomplish this project. And for what pray tell am I creating this? It's a pro bono project for a women's group I belong to. We are having our commemorative meeting at the end of the month and I am to make 45 of these puppies. But not before I finish item #2, clothing for kidlets because I have a few skirts and onesie dresses on order for Kidspot. I have already created many of item #9 (so fun!) for a few lucky Valentines in our family and in B's class. And lucky me. In my studio, I already have the supplies needed for the rest. After I get through with the charmlets inspired by Sally, I will be doing item#1, Lisa's tagged scrapbook, for my Dad and brother as birthday presents. And then item #10 for a lovely gift for my favorite Mother in Law. If anyone sees a swap they can't resist, send the link my way please!
Craft University is made up of the following projects:
1. Lisa Tutman Oglesby: tagged scrapbook
2. Wee Wonderfuls: clothing for kidlets
3. Heather Bailey: Country Living Women Entrepreneurs event in Chicago(and maybe take in a Bulls game with Dad)
4. House on Hill Road: I am inspired by Erin to participate in more swaps. I just passed this swap up.
5. Turkeyfeathers: pillow with a hand embroidered square or two from one of her patterns
6. Molly Chicken: Lavender baby
7. Shannon: Stencilry freezer paper project
8. AnnaMaria Horner: painted fabric silhouette
9. Amy: papercutting
10. Linda: oven mitt
11. Jenny Harris: crazy nine patches (I'll do potholders instead of a big quilt though)
12. Sally Jean Alexander: Art collage charms.
And you can bet I'll be posting my proud results!
to the New Year! The original title for this post was Monkeyporkbun University. For the month by month of crafting or craft related endeavors listed below. I could accomplish new projects in a fair amount of time if planned well, so I've decided to give myself the opportunity to try one new thing per month. Production swamps my brain, so if I plan time to be creative, then I have something to look forward to and be excited about when things are feeling swampy. I hope that didn't sound like a complaint, because I really love what I do. Keep reading, there's a giveaway!
There are just so many things I have wanted to try. So I thought I'd make YET another list, can you believe it? Yes, another list. But this list is different. This list isn't a wish list, an I ought to, I should, I would like to, I'm thinking about, maybe I'll, or anthing like that kind of list. This list is a guilt free list of things that I WILL DO. And how do I plan on accomplishing this pray tell? Simply by having a plan. Having a plan is the first step indeed. So, on a monthly basis, I will be trying one project that I have been inspired to create, do, or make, by someone else here in blogland. Do I have any excuses for not trying yet? Limits that I have been placing on myself. I've worked hard at lifting them and I just feel incredible.
Hey, how about a giveaway! Blog about a creative breakthrough you've had, whether recently or in the past, and link back to this post. Oh, and please remember to leave a comment. The randomly selected winner, whether selected by my cats, children or random number generator, will get to choose one of the list items that I made, excluding of course item number 3 - the event in Chicago. Deadline for entry, February 29!
Steal the button from above for your blog too! Ready? Here's the list of projects I've been dying to try. And you could win one of them!
1. Lisa Tutman Oglesby: tagged scrapbook
2. Wee Wonderfuls: clothing for kidlets
3. Heather Bailey: Country Living Women Entrepreneurs event in Chicago(and maybe take in a Bulls game with Dad)
4. House on Hill Road: I am inspired by Erin to participate in more swaps. I just passed this swap up.
5. Turkeyfeathers: pillow with a hand embroidered square or two from one of her patterns
6. Molly Chicken: Lavender baby
7. Shannon: Stencilry freezer paper project
8. AnnaMaria Horner: painted fabric silhouette
9. Amy: papercutting
10. Linda: oven mitt
11. Jenny Harris: crazy nine patches (I'll do potholders instead of a big quilt though)
12. Sally Jean Alexander: Art collage charms.
And you can bet I'll be posting my proud results!
Remember when I mentioned a trade that was a secret Santa sort of thing? Well, I went to ship it out via one of the local UPS stores here in town, where normally I love them. They're three guys and they have great personalities, but that's besides the point. I guess I just threw that in there for the sake of showing that even though I'm more in love with my husband, life and children than anyone could possibly imagine - I'm human too.
Anyhoo, I shipped these two super darling blankets. Sorry I'm lacking pics. My camera's fried. And cotton and flannel blankets don't weigh very much or need special shipping condoms for protection from the bump and grind process that eventually gets them to their destination, know what I'm saying? But, and this is a big one here: I had my children with me. And this particular guy was c.l.u.e.l.e.s.s. And I have never said that about anyone. First rule when helping someone with children who happen to be behaving extremely well. Get on with business because it isn't going to last long. Do. not. try. to. ask. kids. questions. about. anything. By the time you figure out that 90% of children this particular age have no interest in speaking to you because they're in dreamland (because they're children and they're supposed to be!), you've woken them up into a fit and they aren't behaving as well any longer. Then. the. mother. who. is. your. customer. is. less. easy. So what do you do? You sell her more stuff for the shipping experience than she needs.
What I asked for was: 1) an appropriate sized box for my blankets.
What I got was: 1) I know the perfect box $4.95,
2) shipping supplies so the blankets don't break or shift, $Ithink about 2.25,
3) oh, well, we'll pack it for you $don't remember what this costs.
4) SHIPPER SHOCK - a $20.38 price tag to ship two blankets sixty miles from here.
Have I lost my cahones? No, surely just my mind. It shouldn't have cost that much. But I can get over it. What I can't get over is that I've been playing Santa and I have a ton of stuff to ship to my family in Chicago and Boston. Well, the little people in my family. I am scared of what that shipping bill will look like. Does anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking of doing media mail, which means it may not get there before Christmas, but it also won't drain the bank account and I don't think that the little ones will be upset that Santa dropped off a few more, right?
I think I'll talk to my friend that owns the UPS store so I can understand the breakdown of costs and feel better about it. But when I think of what the future looks like in terms of doing business, that shipping experience gave me more than enough energy to look long and hard into shipping expenses. And ultimately I found that our trusty US Postal Service has the best price. And they can do that at the UPS stores, IT JUST WASN'T OFFERED. The most important lesson I learned is to do my shipping without my children. Obviously they are not to blame, but it's boring for them and in this situation it was difficult for me and I ended up paying through the nose. I can't wait to have my brain cells unoccupied by lactating. I keep hearing that processing becomes simple again once they've weaned.
A few things done. This onesie set is off in the post as a gift. But there will shortly be more in the store. Shortly means in a few minutes this time. Another one of these sets will be entered in this here blog contest . . .
And he comes with . . .
a little toy for a special boy . . .or girl.
Unveiled for the somethingth time because I'm sure I've posted her photos here before albeit with a cousin bunny in tow. Here is Peace Kitten. She sleeps. She is peaceful. She is unarmed. She is Peace Kitten. She is the second of a limited number of these Peace Pals, the first was a bunny cousin who Miss B quickly claimed by chewing her ear. "Mine!" is what her action seemed to have said. So now my new habit is to make something for one of the girls before I send something to photoshop to put in the etsy store. This will hopefully create more peace around my making things for others. But what a busy lass I will be! Does anyone else have this same dilemma? I love it, I do. And it's cuter when there are friends over. Can ya make me one too! And I usually try to. I've misplaced my magic wand somewhere though. It'll have to wait though, because there is more peacemaking on the way. This set is for the bloghunt also.
Complete with peace hat, peace boots, and peace cape. Oh, and I forgot to mention and photograph her very cute label behind.
Sew. In addition to all mentioned in my last post, we've also been busy preparing for this.
Technically speaking I have been taking a technology break because my very darling husband who is well missed by now has been travelling on business. It has also been a nice break to improve my talents for domesticity. I will soon be posting pics of the newly organized sewing/craft room. Remember the photos in this post? It promises to impress. I don't know how cute it is, but I'm thrilled! My giant koala sewing station and my giant laser printer, fabric ladder, and a small sewing station for Miss B all fits in this room that is hardly bigger than a queen sized bed. My camera has been on vacation and when it returns I'll be able to post the photos of the room and the prize I've been making for the fun button above. I think it's time we become a two-camera family, don't you? Is there anyone else out there that shares a camera with the family? Am I the only one that is so selfish to want something other than knickers and socks to call her own?
I think I need to do some cooking now. Friday is brisket day at our house. And it cooks all day long. The sun's out here so I might sip some Lillet.
Where did I go? Oh, right. There I am. When I start playing in Photoshop, I just never wanna stop. How many rectangles in this pic? You'd be insane to try to count, but it came out of a "I wonder what will happen if I just keep . . .ooh, neat, and well this is what happened. It was great fun, like mud pies when you're 4 years old and have just put on some clean white clothes.
In getting back to this post, I have been working on odds and ends. Like these happy tapes. For happy pants and other things happy.
And all while I've been finishing this, that and many tapes happy, someone small and soft and cuddly has been nappy.
And peaceful.
And when she finally awoke, it was the bunny that spoke and bestowed her a gift straight away.
Miss B decided that Peace Bunny would live here with us. These are my peace pals soon to be listed in the store. I have long been inspired by the simplicity of scrap dolls and it had been awhile since B and I had made one. So I made one and then two and I have three more on the way. Funny how when there is a bunny involved how quickly things begin to multiply. They're wonderful and fun and it was only after I had sewn bunny up and began to hug her that I realized she had been made without any arms to hug me back. Unarmed. Peace. Peace pals. I know it's corny, you'll have to forgive me, but it runs in the family you see. For once when I had traveled for months through Europe one of my stops was Czechoslovakia and when I returned my father declared me a "canceled Czech." badumbump. You see it really does run in the family. Bad puns, we just can't help ourselves. We've been gypped of the gene that helps control that sort of thing. I love all of the things that I have inherited from my father. No, no - he's still alive, it isn't like that at all. So what are some of those things? Lemme see, for one the ability to love deeply and unabashedly even though sometimes it hurts. Also, like this post, I can trail on and on and on and weave a yarn thick enough to warm the state of Minnesota, that's like my Dad. We can get on the phone and you would think we were girlfriends. Three hours later and what would have been a giant phone bill in the past, we hang up weeping and then smiling. This is my Dad. Yes, and the corny jokes that sometimes no one will laugh at. But us. *sigh* I love you, Dad. My goodness, this is really a bloggy journal sort of thing, isn't it?
Drop me a line, tell me a corny joke and what you love that you've inherited from your parents that no one might know but you. Peace, pals. Be back soon.
