Olympic Dazzlers!

Figure skating wouldn't be the same without some glitz and glitter ~ I think that Evan must be crafting his costumes with the BeDazzler starter set . . .

{Gold medalist Evan Lysacek}

. . . while Evgeni must have invested in the deluxe mega super spectacular BeDazzler set. His faux tie and vest have certainly gone from dull to dazzling, just like the ad promised. Craftastic!!!!

{Silver medalist Evgeni Plushenko}

So Glad it's Friday!

Well, not quite Friday yet ~ actually I am looking forward to the end of the workweek! Even though we are supposed to get a giant snowstorm this weekend, it will still be a nice break from work. Plus, Saturday there is a flea market ~ there hasn't been one since January ~ I am suffering from withdrawal! Hopefully the snow will come AFTER the flea market.

Isn't this little guy cute? I love these little sock creatures ~ they have so much personality even though they are made of such basic materials ~ socks and some embroidery thread. I wish I had bought him ~ he makes me smile just to look at him. I have seen and made animals from socks and gloves before, but I have not found any patterns for this type of character ~ anyone know of any?

{Happy Friday!}

New Crafts Site!

Martha has launched a new site/blog ~ the subject is her crafts department ~ the talented people and work behind the scenes at Martha Stewart. This looks like it will be fun to follow ~ postings about crafts projects, what goes on behind the scenes, and information about the crafters that work at Martha Stewart! Craftastic!

Craftastic!

The crocheted card dress I posted about yesterday reminded me of this book I bought about a year ago ~ The Complete Book of Retro Crafts. Many of the finished crafts in the book are rather scary to me ~ probably because I know I made some of them and my mom has them squirreled away somewhere just waiting for me to be famous so she will have some things for the museum in my honor! I actually have a piece (maybe more than one) of macaroni art that I did in art school ~ maybe I will post a photo of them someday.

Below is the cover and a couple of spreads from the book ~ there are quite alot of good ideas and tips for the craftster ~ organizing, collecting & displaying in addition to a whole bunch of nearly forgotten projects. This book will keep you busy for many a rainy day ~ enjoy!

{popsicle sticks, sock monkeys, bottle caps, paint by number ~ a plethora of craft ideas}

{dress up that drab basket purse that is hiding in the back of your closet}

{great ways to recycle paper goods}

{better than that ship in a bottle}

{Quick as a wink crafts and practical leather lacing}

Fresh Twist on a Vintage Craft

I've always been intrigued with these crocheted card boxes, but rarely find any I just have to have. Those shown below I found on Flickr since I don't have any of my own.

{image on L ~ image on R}

Look at this amazing crochet card dress! What a great twist on a sometimes scary craft! I found this over at whipup several days ago - if you are unfamiliar with that site, make sure to visit. Robyne from Australia made this lifesize dress out of vintage baby cards - check out her site to see what else she is up to.

{image from here}

Holiday Ornament Swap ~ Paper Ornaments

Awhile back I mentioned that I had decided to participate in a the Third Annual Holiday Ornament Swap ~ ornaments were to be mailed no later than December 10th ~ which is when I sent mine out! Below are a few photos of my ornaments in progress and several finished ornaments. I decided to make the ornaments out of recycled old paperbacks, glittered stars, and some medallions I designed for K&Co. I added a wire hanger and a small "r" logo as my signature. I enjoyed making these ~ even if I did work way into the wee hours of the night!

{a selection of supplies I used ~ cut strips of paperback books unfolded and folded, glitter stars}

{silver, turquoise & gold version}

{red, green & bronze version}

{front & back view}

{My packaging solution ~ chinet plates! These needed to be mailed and I wanted to keep the price as low as possible so I am hoping that the chinet plates and the padded envelope did the job and the ornaments all arrived safely ~ so far, no complaints ~ I'm keeping my fingers crossed!}

Wrapture! Wool Wrapped Bracelets

Thought I'd share with you some photos of the wool wrapped bracelets I have been making. I started making these last year and just can't seem to stop ~ the colors and textures are so appealing to me and compared to some of the other things I make, these go relatively quickly. I've been using kettle dyed wool yarns ~ aren't the colors gorgeous?!

Well, I thought I had come up with something new - but alas, a quick search on the internet brought up some similar bangles by designer Elizabeth Yarborough - hers are made of wool and cashmere and go for $45 - $145 here. I guess mine are a bargain at $10 - $18 at my etsy shop.

{Elizabeth Yarborough bangles; image from here}

Featured on Etsy Treasury!

{treasury chosen by embellishedlife ~ thanks!}

It's always nice to be included in an etsy treasury ~ my brooch is upper left. Looks like I am in good company ~ there are so many beautiful handmade things on etsy. If you are unfamiliar with etsy, make sure to visit ~ a great place to find unique gifts for everyone on your holiday gift list ~ and you get to support independent artists as well ~ a good deal all around!

Holiday Ornament Swap

Now that I am back up and running I had to get caught up with my internet research ~ while trolling around I came upon this Holiday Ornament Swap that cake + pie and freshlyblended organize. This is their 3rd year and I finally managed to find out about it before the entry deadline passed ~ I just squeaked by though as it was yesterday ~ I think I may have been one of the last people to enter! I think there are 434 entries this year!

The basic premise is that each person that enters agrees to make 10 ornaments by December 10th and mail them to the 10 others whose names you are given. In return, you get a handmade ornament from the 10 people that you sent one to ~ what a great way to start an interesting collection! You can read more about it here.

Well, it isn't as if I don't have enough on my plate, but this really sounded like it will be fun ~ plus a good excuse to push myself to create something new ~ afterall there is a deadline, so I will have to get it done! Stay tuned, I will post about what I make and what comes my way! Go here to see some of the ornaments from last year.

{cake + pie and freshlyblended's Holiday Ornament Swap announcements}

Beautiful Quilts

It is taking me a while to catch up with all the photos I have taken at recent antique shows ~ too many things on my plate right now! Below are some quilts I admired at the autumn Antiques on the Common show in Greenwood, Missouri several weekends ago. My photos don't do the quilts justice ~ for some reason the color never seems to match what I see.

{lovely crazy quilt}

{colorful log cabin quilt}

{my favorite ~ beautiful subtle colors in log cabin pattern}

{contemporary flower quilt}

Halloween mask inspiration

Hey ~ Halloween is right around the corner ~ especially if you want to make your own costume! I saw some Mardi Gras masks at one of the antique shows I went to, so that got me thinking ~ I looked around a little and found a few images to inspire you and get you thinking in the Halloween mode ~ 31 days and counting.......

{vintage masks from TiaLori}

{papier mache mardi gras masks}

{great devil mask from Top-notch Bits}

{handmade mask from Irina Troitskaya}

{how about some glamourous glitter? from Guccino}

Vintage Craft How~tos

I have always loved to make things and have always had all sorts of books and kits where I found instructions and inspiration. As a kid in the late 60's and 70's, the craft books and kits I used had a different look and style to those shown below, but much of the basic information was the same. I love the illustrations and the way the color is used on the pages below ~ the layouts and the hand lettering further enhance the pages ~ I want to go make a pompom right away!

Looks like recycling/repurposing isn't such a new thing afterall....check out all the stuff you can make from a cheese box!

{all images via agence eureka}