July 4, 2009
by Tammy
2 Comments
These little fine silver metal clay charms are some of my favorite pieces to make and use in jewelry. Awhile ago Jean Yates from the “Snap out of it Jean! There’s beading to be done!” weblog, purchased some of my stars off my Etsy shop, and she is showing them off today in an adorable piece of doll jewelry. This is not the first piece of doll jewelry by Jean, so make sure you give a good look around. Her dolls are always dressed to the nines!
July 3, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments
During one of my recent stash sale yarn purchases, I picked up a few skeins of TLC Baby Amore in Baby Print. This is a Coats & Clark yarn, and I had never tried it before, but as I’ve continued my crochet charity work, I’ve discovered not only is there a huge (massive really) need for baby items, but I really enjoy making them as well. Thus, while I have no human babies in my life, I seem to be keeping pretty darn busy making baby items like blankets, booties, and especially baby hats.
The Crochet-List group has started a new charity challenge for July, and again, I’m working away on crocheted baby items, so I was able to pull out the TLC yarn and give it a try. I made one hat, but though I enjoyed working with the yarn, I’m not 100% thrilled with the results compared to the hats I made with Bernat baby yarn (which I also adore). The TLC is super soft and doesn’t hold a shape as well, so I’m going to use the rest for a blanket and see how that goes. It’s got a mix of blue, pink, yellow, and green. I have some solid green and solid yellow that I can combine to make a small blanket, something simple probably like double crochet, or at least a stitch or two that is easy to do while watching tele in the evening and chilling out.
Anyway, sometimes you never know what type of yarn you’ll really get when you buy an unknown brand (unknown to you I mean) on-line, and it’s always nice to be pleasantly surprised when you start working with it and it feels soft pulled between your fingers. I can just imagine a little baby snuggling up to the finished product.
July 2, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments
I just wanted to share a few favorite jewelry pieces I’ve recently made, worn, and gotten tons of compliments on already. Summer time has gotten me into the summer time jewelry mood, and what’s more summery than cool blue crystal starfish?
In fact, I was wearing these Swarovski Crystal Starfish and Sterling Silver Earrings
(pictured above) and the matching Swarovski Crystal Starfish and Sterling Silver Chain Necklace (pictured below) the other day at work, and minutes later I had somehow agreed to make a set for someone else. It turned out so well that I’m also thinking of making an additional set as a gift for a friend of mine who has a birthday coming up. I found most of the supplies over at Rings & Things, but you can find a complete supplies’ list and instructions for both at the links above.
July 1, 2009
by Tammy
4 Comments
Finally, after I can’t tell you how many years, I scored a new sewing cabinet. The machine I had before this one came with one, though it was in pretty bad shape and not much to brag about, but since moving onto a new machine, I’ve been toting this around trying to find the right spot to work, too often ending up on the kitchen table.
I decided it was time to try shopping around for a sewing cabinet again, and of course, I ended up finding one at the very last place in the world I would expect, Wal-Mart. I’ve often stated my loathing for shopping at this store. It’s big, obnoxious, crowded, ugh! But I was surfing on-line looking for cabinets and finding lots of great ones that were way over my price range, and then I went over the Target.com, where I have purchased a few small pieces of furniture that I was very happy with. I found what I believe is this exact same sewing cabinet and was just about to buy it for $170 when it occurred to me to check Wal-Mart.com. Thank goodness I did because I found this one for $99.82. Plus, if I got it through the ship to store versus shipping directly to my house, shipping was free. Now, of course, this meant going to the store, ick, but I have to say I was amazed at how helpful everyone was there for a change. I actually had multiple people ask me if I needed assistance. Normally, I could be on fire and no one would notice me in that store.
Here is the cabinet closed up. It comes on wheels, so you can move it around when necessary.
The front door opens up and is attached under the table piece so you have room for your material and wha- nots as you sew. There are also little plastic storage spots inside the door for things like buttons, and I should have taken a picture with the other door open because there are adjustable shelves in there as well.
I have this set up in the guest room, so if I do have guests (which is pretty rare), I just have to put the machine inside the cabinet on the shelf under it, close it up, and wheel it away some place like my office. Other than missing a few screws, my husband found it pretty easy to put together, and overall, I’m thrilled with my purchase. Considering that I saw sewing cabinets as high as $600, for less than $100, I think this is an awesome deal.
June 30, 2009
by Tammy
3 Comments
Todd Paschall is an amazing crochet artist who has developed an equally amazing crochet technique he calls “Crochet by Numbers.” Pictured is one of his pieces, and yes, that is actually made by crocheting with yarn, simple ol’ Red Heart acrylic yarn in fact. On his web site, he has free patterns, a gallery with more fabulous work he and his students have done, and more information about how this method works.
In addition to selling finished work and teachinf others his technique, he also creates custom patterns from photos. He has recently set up a group on Ravelry for those who want to learn, share, and of course, get help along the way. When you see his work, you realize how he is not only an artist but an innovator, taking crochet to a level way beyond your typical granny square to say the least!
June 28, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments
Along with my foray into amigurumi, I’ve been experimenting with copper clay lately. Above is one piece I made using copper clay, crystal beads, and a mix of brass and copper wire. I call it the Organic Copper Clay Flower, Crystal, and Mixed Metal Necklace. Let’s see what my other crafting blogger buds have been up to recently.
The Artful Crafter
“Panadieres for Zambia” is a neat story and one small example of crafters helping crafters – all around the world. As Eileen likes to say, “Crafters are just the nicest people.”
The Crochet Dude
Read Drew’s first installment supporting the 3/50 grassroots project!
The Impatient Crafter
Madge shares a technique in this post about embossing on slick surfaces!
Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love
Keep your kids busy this summer by setting up a Crafty Challenge for them!
About Family Crafts
What are your cleaning tips for crafting with kids? Please take a moment to share your tips and then browse through tips shared by others.
Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
See how to make a card and card album themed for a rock and roll mom to be that uses cute die cuts in a cool way.
Aileen’s Musings
Hard as it was, Aileen has narrowed down the playing field and needs your help again to choose from her favorite sayings that have been posted for her blog giveway! Stop by and pick your favorite.
Cathie Filian
If you are wondering what to eat, craft and play on the 4th of July then head over to Cathie’s blog for ideas.
Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside you can watch the latest Look, Learn & Create video that includes tips on drawing, two techniques and projects for cutting photos up, a bit of fabric eye candy, and a free paper stencil and project from the new book The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils 2 and if you leave answers to the day’s questions you are entered to win free books!
CraftyPod
Sister Diane reviews an intriguing new book: Micro Macrame, by Annika DeGroot
Cross Stitch at About.com
Work at Your Own Pace – An encounter with a critter in the yard has Connie thinking about Cross Stitch (imagine that!) and speed.
Mixed Media Artist
Have you been wondering what happened to “Layers Upon Layers”? Cyndi’s still hard at work, but has moved to “Mixed Media Artist”. This week she’s got a a round-up of fabric painting ideas for you!
Naughty Secretary Club
Arty Masterpieces are overrated, it’s all about the Glittery Crafterpieces! Take a peek at the handmade art around my house and try your hand at making a fun glittery deer picture!
June 26, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments
The Crafty Chica has teamed up with Craftzine to bring you a fun summer-time craft contest. The deadline is coming up though, 7/17/09, about middle of next month. Take that old blah beach bag and jazz it up with glitter and your own crafty point of view and you may win some pretty cool prizes. The grand prize winner gets oodles of craft supplies, enough to have a super crafting party, and the runner ups receive gift certificates and a Crafty Chica bobble head to inspire you to keep crafting.
For the full details on prizes, how to enter, and deadline information, go to Craftzine.com.
June 25, 2009
by Tammy
1 Comment
Even my cat finds these new amigurumi cupcakes I made irresistible! I found the free pattern over at Ana Paula’s weblog, and they were super quick and easy to make. I have been looking for small gift ideas for some of the support staff at school, and voila!
While the original pattern suggests putting tiny seed beads all over the top of the icing part, I opted for a center section of beads, mixing lampwork, crystals, and seed beads to secure it to the top.
Luckily, I had yarn in my stash that worked perfectly. The icing part is made using some variegated acrylic, and the bottom is made with Sugar N’ Cream Tierra Frima, which is a dark brown that looks a lot like chocolate.
June 24, 2009
by Tammy
5 Comments
For the longest time, I have to admit to using a cheesy old paper clip as a stitch marker when I crochet. Very few of the projects I’ve done in the past have really required me to use one because I could usually figure out where I was by counting the rows. Now that I have discovered amigurumi, though, I’ve learned I really, really need to use stitch markers since this technique requires you to work in continuous rounds rather than connecting circles with a slip stitch like you would when making something like a hat. So the paper clip had to go!
I put my jewelry making hat on and created a few stitch markers that are much more attractive than a paper clip as well as highly functional! The gorgeous lampwork leaf beads dangling from them were made by glass artist D.D. Hess, and they have a good weight and shape to them, perfect for dangling from my yarn as I work.
I doubled the wire for a reason. This is version 3 of my stitch markers. With version 1, I just used a single thickness of wire and curled the end, but now and then the yarn would get stuck on the curled part of the wire. Version 2 was the same but without the curled part and I filed the end of the wire hook instead; It also had yarn sticking issues. However, I’m happy to say that by doubling the thickness of wire, I don’t have any more sticking issues, and they work beautifully! The technique I used is very similar to my Double Wire Jewelry Hook, with the addition of wrapping the wire around itself to secure it and making a wrapped loop at the end to connect to the leaf bead.
To make these, besides the beautiful leaf bead, you just need about 5 inches of 21-gauge dead-soft copper wire, wire cutters, round-nosed pliers, and chain-nosed pliers.
June 23, 2009
by Tammy
0 comments
Get them while they are hot! Interweave has a big freebie offer going on. The offer includes 7 project e-books you can download for free covering knitting (sorry no crochet), quilting (actually sewing cute little bags), and jewelry making. If you aren’t already a member of any of the connected sites, like Quilting Arts, Knitting Daily, or Beading Daily, then it will ask you to sign up for a free membership before it allows you to download them. Otherwise, for members it just prompts you to sign in, and then vola, you are there.