Crazy for Arts and Crafts

No Time to be Crafty!

2010-03-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm hoping that's about to end actually. It's taken some adjustments, but I'm finally settling into a routine with the new job. I'm six months in and I really like it. At first, it was exhausting, but slowly but surely I've managed to get used to getting up in the mornings again.

I have nothing crafty to show right now, but definitely check back. I have my first opportunity to create a scrapbook for someone other than myself! I took some of my scrapbooks to work, and one of my coworkers "hired" me on the spot to create a scrapbook for her 18-month-old daughter. I've very excited because I get to use girlie colors and embellishments. With a little boy, it's mostly been primary colors or "boy" colors, so it'll be exciting to do something different.

I'm also trying to talk myself into picking up a paintbrush again. I'm waiting for a Michael's coupon so I can purchase a canvas and paints, and we'll see what happens!

You really have to work a little harder to make time for the things you love when you're working full time and also taking care of a 6-year-old, but I'm really blessed with such a great kid. He was chosen as his school's good citizen and was on the school's television program this morning. In 5K they have what they call centers where the children participate in different activities. When asked what his favorite center was, he said ART! Made his Mommie proud, he did!

CROCHET GIVE-AWAY WINNER!!

2009-09-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

AND THE WINNER IS....RACHEL!!!

I tried to paste the outcome from Random.org, but couldn't get it to work. Anyway, it came up #1 and that's Rachel. I have your addy so I'll get these out to you!

Thanks for playing, ladies!!

FINALLY FINISHED!

2009-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Over a week and 4 garbage bags later, I'm finished cleaning and reorganizing my office/scrap room! I'm so glad to have this done, knowing it would be the toughest room in the house to work on. I'll admit, I still have a rather large stack of papers to sort through that is now in the living room, but hey, not bad, right? All right, all right, there's also some unfinished projects on top of my scrap desk. I'll get to them eventually.

Want to see the pictures?

See where the single paper cube is? The plan is to add more there to hold what's in the clear plastic bins under the second desk there. I could use a framed picture on this wall, too.

I probably could have gotten rid of a bit more, but you know how it is.

I'm debating over selling this computer armoir. Since I won't be working at home anymore, I'm seriously considering it. Thought I'd get another desk top to go with the storage cubes to put the computer on. Ignore the "orb" in the corner...not sure "who" that is! LOL

The space where the stool is I plan to also put more storage cubes, but these will be for my crochet and quilting. I can get those things out of tote bags or large Rubbermaid boxes that I can get rid of or use for other storage. That dang orb is still there! Notice it's not on the first couple of pics! Okay, I'm scaring myself.

I guess, since I'm starting my new job tomorrow, that I'll take a room a week and reorganize, rearrange, or just plain clean it up. I'm such a slacker at cleaning anymore. Really though, I'd like to sit and scrap a bit....make a big mess in my clean room!

CROCHET GIVE-AWAY!

2009-09-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Do the colors yellow and blue make you happy? I love yellow and blue together!

These 100% cotton crocheted cloths would be great for dusting or washing your dishes. The set includes three sizes as you can see in the second picture ranging from 8 x 9 inches to 9-1/2 x 12.

If you'd like to have them, all you have to do is leave a comment! Just tell me what you love (or at least don't mind) cleaning and what you'd rather eat a worm than clean! I'll randomly choose a winner Sunday evening, September 13.

"Nostalgia" Photo Challenge on I "Heart" Faces

2009-08-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Week 33 - “Nostalgia” Photo Challenge!

I just adore this photo I took of my little guy, Jake. I worked on the color just a bit and it truly says nostalgia to me. I guess I've even been a little nostalgic since he's started kindergarten this year. Thanks for looking!

OH, THE MESS!!!!

2009-08-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

I decided I would begin another purging of the house. I figured if we should go ahead and put our house up for sale and downsize, then we HAD to get rid of some of the extra crap we've been holding on to.

I knew my office would be a big issue so I have started there. I have this large work top/cabinet thing. It's big and unless it's completely empty you can't move it. Even when it is empty, it's heavy. I put it on Craig's List, but no bites yet. My mom was here the other day and said she might buy it. I am wondering where the heck she is going to put it though. Talk about a house in need of some purging!

I moved everything out and from on top of the work station and moved it out of the office. Now it's sitting in the dining room and who knows when I'll actually sell it.

In it's place is one of the smaller desks I have for scrapping with the cubes you can buy from Michael's or Target. Very nice and neat, right? But, whatever you do, DO NOT TURN AROUND!

Does it count that the vacuum cleaner is at least in the office? It shows I'm going to use it, right? And that is a garbage back in the lower left corner where I've thrown things out. So that's good, right?

Okay, so I haven't made a place yet for everything that came out of the work station. I'll get to it though...this month? Oh wait, August is almost over. Geez!

Okay, I told you it was a big mess! Half complete projects, a basket of Tally kits, and oops! some trash still on the floor that I didn't pick up yet.

I haven't unpacked these two totes since I went to a crop blah blah weeks ago.

I just keep looking at this...hoping the cleaning fairy will pay me a visit!

Quilts

2009-08-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned that my grandmother (my mom's mom) was a quilter. For years she worked in a textile mill and after she retired, she started quilting again. If I can get my hands on some of the quilts she did with my great-grandmother back when my mom was a little girl, I'll post some pictures of those. My aunt has most of them and I'm going to go begging one day soon! For now, I have a quilt she made me for graduation. I took it to Atlanta with me when I went off to school and for ages I used it on my bed. Now I keep it put away to protect it.

She primarily did applique quilts. Some of her favorite patterns were the dutch doll and dutch boy designs and this flower pot design that she did for me. Every little pot, stem, and flower were appliqued by hand. She then sewed the squares together using her old pedal sewing machine most of the time. I don't recall ever seeing her pull out an electric one even though I know she had one.

After she passed, I was able to go through some of her craft items and I came across another quilt top she had started. Once I get it finished, I'll post it. I'm hoping I can do her justice.

My dad's mom also quilted some, and one Christmas she gave her two oldest granddaughters, my cousin Lisa and myself, each a quilt top she had made back when her husband, Bob, was in India during WW2. She had them quilted for us by a lady who lives near her in time for Christmas. It's probably THE best gift I've ever received. Up until recently, I used it, but I've noticed some wear and tear that needs to be repaired so until I can do that, I keep it put away as well. I'm not sure of the design. I know I've asked her, but I need to ask again. Basically it is squares made up of scraps and then all sewn together. The colors are so pretty and some of the fabric came from dresses that she and my great-grandmother wore at one time.

The back of this quilt is made from sugar sacks. I'm sure you've heard how flour and sugar came in bags and women reused the fabric for whatever needs they had. It looks a little like muslin to me.

This quilt is super heavy and super warm and once I get it repaired, I'll continue to use it for sure!

And now for one that I made. I'm by no means a great quilter or even a good quilter in my opinion. In fact, I pieced this top and then tacked the squares at every corner instead of quilting it. A lot of people do this, but my reasoning was that I didn't think I could take on actually quilting such a large piece. Just call me chicken! I also had to get my mom to help put the back on since I'm not much of a seamstress either. This pattern is called Sunshine and Shadows because of how the squares go from dark to light and back again. It's a good summer quilt with light batting inside. The back, which I forgot to photograph before I put it away is a solid piece of the mid tone floral square you see in the fourth square from the left on the bottom row.

I really enjoy quilting or should I see piecing the tops together? There are so many beautiful fabrics available for quilting now and if you've never seen what people can do with fabric take a look at some of these art quilts. I think they're awesome!

Thanks for looking!

Playing with Macro

2009-08-11T17:59:00.001-07:00

I only have a point and shoot digi camera right now, but I am hoping that I can upgrade one day. I covet The Pioneer Woman's camera, but I'd definitely be happy with a Nikon D60 or D90.

Until then, the Kodak will have to do. Sorry, Kodak.

While Jake was busy blowing bubbles and playing hopscotch on the driveway, I tried a few macros of the crepe myrtles. They look really pretty right now.

I like this one, but it's straight on and that's not always an interesting
shot, as I'm learning from PW's tutorials.

I angled up on this one, and I think it turned out much better!

The macro on the Kodak has a blurriness problem in my opinion, and it may just be the operator. I miss having a single lens reflex camera. One day...one day....

Blast from the Past-Art School Projects

2009-08-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

Now I feel pretty lame. I looked over the projects I did while at The Art Institute of Atlanta and spent the time wondering what the heck I was doing? I couldn't have been learning anything. HA!

I picked out these three projects to show you. They're only my favorites because they're pen and ink or pencil drawings. I seemed to be better at that than anything else they had us try. Each one of these assignments was to re-illustrate an add to show it's texture or reflection in pen and ink or pencil. The chair assignment, if I remember correctly, was to use the gray scale in water color and ink.

I must say I loved lettering class. The word Oneida was completely hand done. Not too shabby if I do say so.

Like I said, I must have been in another world instead of paying attention in class! Anyway, thanks for looking!

Blast From the Past-High School Art Class

2009-08-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was in the garage the other day and spied my portfolio from when I attended art school. Today, I dug it out and enjoyed looking back on the drawings and paintings and such that I had done. I do sometimes wonder what I'd be doing now had I stuck with it, but like a lot of us, I doubted myself.

Here's a look at some high school art class projects:

Usually, our teacher would have a stack of photos from magazines for us to paint or draw and then give us a certain technique to try. I'm not sure what the fish technique was, but I do remember it being the first time I used a glaze type medium to make the paint more transparent for use on the end of the fish fins.

I think this was a monochromatic project. I loved using an old toothbrush to make the foam from the ocean. Looking at it now, the windows on the ship are a bit flat. haha

Impressionism. I love it. Lots of paint!

I remember all of us in the AP class had to do a Christmas scene that the school was going to use for something. Have you noticed that it did not snow on the bags in Santa's sleigh or on the reins? Geez...

I had drawn this at home, practicing faces from a magazine pictures. I remember my uncle giving me one of his critiques on this. I ended up using it as part of my portfolio for Governor's School tryouts. My concentration was collage. I'm glad I saved this one.

We had also done an egg tempera painting. Basically, we added a raw egg to tempera paints, the egg giving a gloss to the painting. I happened to have it with me in my apartment in Atlanta and one day, looking through my old things, I pulled out the egg tempera painting and "something" had eaten all the paint off it!! You could see what resembled teeth marks on what was left of the painting, which was very little! It was pretty gross. I was also scared of what the heck was in my apartment!

Stay tuned for some art school work! Thanks for looking!

Stash Baskets

2009-08-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love Lily's Sugar-n-Cream yarns. I make the market bags with this yarn. I was browsing through the free patterns and came across this Stash Basket pattern and had to try it. I made the small size. For my first attempt, it doesn't look too bad. I may make a medium sized one and give them to my cousin for her baby girl. I can picture all kinds of girly things stored in them on her dresser or changing table. I agree that some fabric stiffener would be helpful in maintaining the baskets shape.

I may change up the pattern a bit because it also makes a pretty cute hat!

I'm thinking if I simply crochet the head circumference needed, join the edges together and then alter the base so you don't have a square head look, it may be an easy hat pattern for sure. I'll keep you posted on that! Thanks for looking!

I Want This Pattern!

2009-07-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

Are these not the cutest things? Peaceful Designs

Welcome!

2009-07-29T10:53:00.001-07:00

Oh, I know there are a lot of women out there who craft or are artists of some type. There are those that knit, crochet, quilt, scrapbook, sew, sculpt, draw, paint, and lots of other things I've never even heard of before. Me? I'll try anything once! And, there are a few things I stick with. Just wait! I'll show you!

I "tried" to be an advertising design guru. In high school I LOVED art class, took every one offered, and was accepted to one of the Art Institutes. I painted, sketched, air brushed, and photographed just about everything.

I "am" a pretty good photographer with the right equipment and had my own little business at one time shooting weddings. Right now, I'm stuck with my little point and shoot Kodak digi that is getting harder and harder to turn on. My kingdom for a Nikon D-pick any number camera!

I started scrapbooking after a certain little boy came along.

Before scrapbooking, I was hooked on rubber stamps and making my own cards. I made cards for every occasion and every person I knew! I still do this, but once a year. I trade a year of haircuts and color for 200 Christmas cards with the guy that does my hair. He's the best! Note to self: Must get to work on designs for this Christmas.

I love to crochet and tried teaching myself to knit, but that went to heck in a hand basket really quick! Note to self: Must take knitting class.

I quilt although it's been a while. I attended an adult literacy teaching class and while there met some wonderful ladies from a local church. They were interested in getting together and quilting/learning/teaching and I signed up right away. My grandmother on my mom's side quilted and I really wanted to learn as a way to honor her. I've since made one of my own and have another started. Well, okay, another 3 or 4. Note to self: Must finish quilts.

I still love to cross-stitch. I recently started this again with the idea that I wanted 4 different Santa designs to frame and hang for Christmas. I've finished 2 and have 2 more to do. Note to self: You still have 2 more Santas to finish!

Dare I admit that I have a rug that I need to finish hooking? At this point, I have no use for the rug once I finish it. Note to self: Finish rug and sell cheap...very cheap...or give it away...or not.

In between all of this, I try to be a good, work-at-home mom, I spend time with my wonderful family and friends, and I continue to look for my niche.

Stayed tuned to see some of the things I create. There may be a give-away or two or three. Maybe I'll inspire you or at least make you laugh!