The Crafty Princess Diaries

Tammy Powley’s Crafty Weblog

October 23, 2012
by Tammy
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Cause for Creativity at Sanat Monica Museum of Art

MEDIA CONTACTS: Beth Laski, 818.986.1105, beth.laski@smmoa.org
FOR IMAGES: Elizabeth Pezza, 310.586.6488 x112, elizabeth.pezza@smmoa.org
SANTA MONICA MUSEUM OF ART
PRESENTS
Cause for Creativity: What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs
DONATION DRIVE FOR ESSENTIAL GOODS
OCTOBER 24 – NOVEMBER 4, 2012
ART WORKSHOP
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2012

SANTA MONICA, CA—Santa Monica Museum of Art presents its fourth annual
Cause for Creativity: What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs—a three-part
community-engagement initiative that includes a donation drive, an art workshop,
and a Thanksgiving donation delivery benefiting women residents at Ocean Park
Community Center (OPCC), the Westside’s largest and most comprehensive
provider of housing and services to low-income and homeless people.

The program kicks off October 24 with a 12-day donation drive for new and
unused essential goods for women: socks, undergarments, shampoo, soap,
toothpaste, notebooks, feminine hygiene products, make-up, bus passes, and
umbrellas will be accepted at SMMoA. All donors will receive a complimentary
ticket to participate in the Museum’s subsequent Cause for Creativity community
art workshop on Sunday, November 4 from 3 pm to 5 pm.

At the art workshop, local designers and artists will teach participants to create reusable
bags from recycled T-shirts. Designs will include a shopping bag as well as a
smaller produce bag—the perfect companions for the region’s many farmers’
markets.

These one-of-a-kind T-shirt bags—sewn, appliquéd, and silkscreened by
participants—will subsequently be used to carry the donations for delivery to
OPCC. Participants are encouraged to bring clean unwanted shirts and are
welcome to create additional bags for themselves, friends, and family. The museum
will provide music and food, fostering a workshop atmosphere of community and
creativity.

The week following the Cause for Creativity workshop, SMMoA staff will deliver
the care packages to the women at OPCC during their annual Thanksgiving
holiday lunch. Each OPCC female resident will receive her own re-usable bag filled
with all the essential goods SMMoA and the community participants have donated
and packed for her.

“With today’s uncertain times, unemployment, and other challenging factors,
OPCC serves as a refuge for so many women and families,” said Asuka Hisa,
Cause for Creativity creator and director of education and public programs at
SMMoA. “This program provides the public with the opportunity to make art and
make a difference by recognizing those in need within our community.”

Cause for Creativity: What a Girl Wants, What a Girl Needs is recommended for
ages 5 to adult. Admission to the workshop is $8, but free with the donation of an
essential good and for SMMoA members. Donations will be accepted during
regular museum hours Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm, and at the
Cause for Creativity workshop on Sunday, November 4.

Support for SMMoA’s education and outreach is generously provided by The
James Irvine Foundation; Good Works Foundation and Laura Donnelley; City of
Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission; and Sony Pictures
Entertainment. Special thanks to Writers Boot Camp and Whole Foods Santa
Monica for their in-kind support.

On view at the Santa Monica Museum of Art through December 22, 2012 is
Michael Queenland: Rudy’s Ramp of Remainders in the Main Gallery and Agnes
Denes: Body Prints, Philosophical Drawings, and Map Projections, 1969 – 1978
in Project Room 2. Also on view through November 28, 2012 is Kianja Strobert:
Nothing to Do but Keep Going in Project Room 1.

October 21, 2012
by Tammy
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Crafting Blog Links

Clear Glass Sculpture With Teal Solar Light
Cherie uses glass pieces, a solar light, and some teal beads to create a garden sculpture.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside we have a double giveaway filled with Mod Podge, Martha Stewart glass paints and books along with a fun recycled Halloween lamp tutorial and a recipe for a dreamsicle shake.

Eileen – The Artful Crafter
Eileen restores and upgrades a badly damaged charm bracelet.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi has figured out how to finish off her sequined quilt and is majorly relieved about it!

Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
See how to make a recycled book page coffin Halloween garland

October 20, 2012
by Tammy
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Finished! Crochet Socks

Sock number 2 is now done! I have to say that making these socks was a challenging project for me, and I am in no way a sock making covert; however, it feels good to complete a project that (for me at least) was pretty difficult to make. The actual stitches (mainly single crochet) were not hard to do, but figuring out the pattern was not easy. Plus, this is not an immediate gratification project to say the least. It took me 19 days from start to finish, and while I did not only work on these or even work on them every day, I did give them a fair amount of attention.

These socks fit me, which is nice. I’m not sure if I’m in love with making socks now and certainly am not sure about this particular pattern (which comes from Learn to Crochet Socks for the Family). The pattern has you do a few things when it comes to finishing that I think are kind of odd. The finished socks are also full of texture, so when you walk in them you can feel it. For me, they are not necessarily uncomfortable but might be if I was wearing them with shoes. If I were to make these again, I would probably make sure I used super soft yarn rather than the scratchy JoAnn’s Sensations Sole and More that I used for these.

Since crochet items tend to work up much faster than knitted items (even for more experienced knitters than myself), I’m pretty surprised that sock knitting is so popular. It has to be very time consuming, but of course, if I were the type to wear socks more, maybe it would be worth it. Without a doubt, though, the sock making bug did not bite me!

October 16, 2012
by Tammy
3 Comments

Received My Namaste Order…Kind of a Saga

I have been reading on the Ravelry forums for awhile now about the bags from Namaste.com. Most people rave about them, and I happen to be a kind of bag-o-holic. Thus, I have been stalking their products for awhile. My main reason for holding back (until recently) was because I felt many of the project type bags were overpriced considering they are not made of leather. For example, The Monroe bag, which is a super huge bag that looks like you could carry your life in, retails for $89. Even shopping around at discounted places, the cheapest I’ve seen it for sale is $60. I just can’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on a vinyl bag.

However…I recently caught a Facebook post from Namaste about a deal the company has going on for the month of October. With any purchase of at least $25, you can get a free set of its Oh Snap pouches. You have to put in the code OHSNAP when you check out. So here was a great deal and a way for me to test out a few of its small, less expensive but still functional products. I popped over to the web site, filled up my shopping cart with an assortment of small items that totaled $26, but before I checked out, I noticed that the cost for shipping was going to be almost $15. Ack! That is crazy!

Needless to say, I did not finish checking out. In addition, I went over and posted on the Namaste Facebook page about it. A few minutes later, I received a reply from someone there that I could email the company and ask if it is possible to get an alternative shipping option that would be less expensive. I did, and it was, less than $5!

So now, here’s what I purchased.




Two small pouches ($5.75 each) and a measuring tape ($4). These are a nice size, though they are not lined. The tape will be handy for my crafting. I may keep these or stash away for possible holiday gifts.



This is called a “Cozy,” and it is in the eggplant color. I’m not exactly sure what happened here. I thought I had ordered the smaller size used for crochet hooks, but somehow I ended up with the size used for knitting needles. Both are the same price. I’m honestly not sure if I made the mistake or if they did. This was $10.50, and one reason I purchased it, other than the fact I was thinking I could transport crochet hooks in it, was because I wanted to see what the vinyl was like that they use for the larger bags. It is okay. The item is well-made for what it is, but I’m not overly impressed with the quality of the vinyl. It is pretty much like most vinyl, not better or worse.



Then these are the “free” set of snap bags, which even comes in a plastic bag that also has a snap on it. I’m using the larger one already to store items in my book bag. I pretty much use my book bag as a purse when I go to school, but it can be a pain to find small items like a wallet inside of it. Now I have all those smaller items in one of these, and then put that in my book bag.

I still think the larger bags are overpriced, but I think the smaller accessories they carry seem to be priced well and made well, at least that’s my call from the purchase I made.

October 15, 2012
by Tammy
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How to Make Stuffed Animals, Book Review

In early September, I talked a little about a new book called How to Make Stuffed Animals: Modern, Simple Patterns and Instructions for 18 Projects, but I had not gotten a chance yet to take a complete look at the book other than the free download, which I offered then and again have for you linked here.

Now that I have the book in my hands, I can give you a little bit more info about it. As the title says, it includes 18 projects, all of which are small, adorable animals. The first part of the book before the projects section has the basics concerning what you will need to get started as far as supplies and also important information about the techniques. If you already sew, other than maybe needing to purchase some stuffing (the author prefers carded wool, but I think poly-fill would also work), you more than likely have most of what you will need. Plus since all the animals are pretty small, you don’t need tons of fabric and can probably use up scraps. In fact, one design element I really like is how she uses a mix of fabrics, even prints, for many of her project.

The techniques covered in the beginning section discuss some of the basics of sewing you need to know such as how to cut out a pattern correctly and how to do simple stitches like back stitch. At first I worried that maybe she expected you to hand stitch all of these animals, but the author explains how to use edge stitching on a machine. The hand stitching is really just for extra details and attaching parts together from what I can tell.

The projects are all freaking adorable! Each project has step by step instructions and include some pretty detailed illustrations to go with the text. (Again, download the file linked above so you can see for yourself). Though the book is about making stuffed animals, some of the projects take this a step further and show different ways for using them such as attaching them to a mobile or turning them into a tree ornament. At the end of the book, all of the patterns are included and require that you photocopy them at 200% and then cut them out.

This book retails for $24.99 US; $16.99 UK; and $27.99 CAN. At the US price, that equates to $1.39 per pattern, which is pretty economical. As with any small toy type craft items, these look like that can be “fiddly” to make. Personally, I don’t mind that myself, but I know some crafters who can get exasperated with making and attaching small pieces together (like arms and legs), so if you are anti-fiddly, then this is not a book for you. None of these patterns look overly difficult for anyone with sewing experience. If you already sew and are looking for some ultra cute gift ideas, this book would something to consider. Someone totally new to sewing might struggle a little, but that is the nature of learning a new craft. At least with small projects like this, newbies would not need to invest a ton of money or time.

October 14, 2012
by Tammy
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Crafty Link Time

About Family Crafts
Drop by the Family Crafts site and play along with the new craft challenge! This challenge is all about making scarecrows.

Eileen – The Artful Crafter
Check out The Artful Crafter’s Halloween Parade of Craft Projects.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi shares how she made the sequined quilt for Sequintastic September.

Paper Covered Pumpkins With Poetry
Cherie adds old pages and poetry to a Dollar Store pumpkin.

Stefanie Girard’s Sweater Surgery
See how to carve a maple leaf rubber stamp from an eraser.

October 13, 2012
by Tammy
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Never Too Much Yarn

Of course, any crafter knows that when you take an extended trip, you have to pack some craft activities for any downtime you might have. I recently attended a conference for college English instructors, and it was about a three hour trip one way to get there. Luckily, I did not have to drive, which meant I could spend the three hours knitting or crocheting. Along with figuring out the right clothes to pack and other items I would need, I spent a good deal of thought thinking of the right yarn projects to pack. I had to keep things pretty light, though, because I needed to make sure I could lug all my luggage myself.

I hoomed and hawed about current projects I’m working on that I could bring with me. I needed a mix of easy no-brainer projects and maybe one more challenging project that would require a little brain power. Eventually, I decided to bring my sock project (for the brain required project), my Windsor shawl project that I have been working a little on and off since mid-July (a no-brain power project), and then as a last minute idea, I brought a skein of worsted wool yarn and a hook to make a hat for charity. I figured that would be more than enough. In fact, I almost did not bring the hat yarn, but I realized it would be a good car project for the way there.

I am so glad I brought all three projects! I can’t even believe I almost did not bring them all because I finished the hat about 20 minutes before we arrived in Ybor City, Florida (where the conference was held). I panicked a little too. One project was done, so that means I had only two to cover the next two days and the three hour trip home. Ybor City was kind of cute looking when we first rolled in – lots of brick roads and beautiful old buildings – so for a few minutes the idea that there might be a yarn shop nearby flitted through my head. Umm…no..Ybor City is so not a place for yarn shops! Tattoo parlors, biker bars, and funky consignment shops, yes, you’ll find lots of those there.

As it happens, the two other projects were enough to cover my downtime in the evenings (which wasn’t a ton of time) and the trip home; however, I learned a valuable lesson – You can never have too much yarn when you hit the road for a trip.

October 8, 2012
by Tammy
3 Comments

Yarn Store Splurge

This past weekend, I made a trip up to Brevard County to visit with my sister who is down from Kentucky visiting before she heads off on a cruise to the Bahamas. Since I have known for a while that she would be in town this weekend, I have purposely been saving up for a major yarn splurge at Knit and Stitch Boutique in Cocoa Village.

When I am in town, I occasionally drop by there for a skein or two (or three) and had just one more stamp to go on my 10% off card. (Once you have $100 on your card, the store gives you 10% off your total purchase.) I also had a list of yarns for future projects I hope to make, and luckily, my sister is also a crafter, so she was happy to tag along and check out what I now refer to as basically “yarn heaven.” In fact, though she was not ready to treat herself to the good stuff (yet), she found a lot of inspiration in some of the finished pieces displayed throughout the store.

Normally, this store is jam packed with yarn and people, but we found what would be considered a lull time. There were only maybe a dozen people in the store instead of two or three times that amount, which is normally the case when I go there. As usual, the staff was super helpful and friendly. Here is the yarn I walked away with.


This is some of the baby alpaca yarn that is so amazing. I’ve purchased baby alpaca at a few places on-line since discovering it at this store, and none of them are even half as soft as this stuff. The colorwayis called Summer Sky Heather. This probably a cross between DK and worsted and has 220 yards/100 grams. I have no specific plans for it yet, but I just loved the color. You can’t tell from the photo, but is kind of has a hint of blue-ish-purples in it.




Of course, that was not enough baby alpaca for me. This is a splurge, right? One skein of this stuff was not going to do it, so I also got two skeins in black. I plan to make a shawlette, specifically the Milk Thistle Shawlette if I can figure out the pattern.

I’ve been looking for gray yarn to make probably another shawlette, and I was curious about using a bamboo blend. I wear a lot of black and gray pants at work, and then I just switch out tops. It’s kind of my teacher uniform. I selected this super soft skein of Frog Tree sock yarn. It is 80% washable Merino wool and 20% bamboo. The skein is 100 grams/255 yards.


Now for a pop of color – This is Cascade 220 Quatro 100% Peruvian wool. I think it’s DK weight. It has 220 yards/100 grams. I have a green long sleeved t-shirt type shirt that I wear a lot to work, so again, I’m thinking scarf or shawlette with this. I had them go ahead and ball it up for me.


Now I know this next skein looks really similar, but I could not pick between the two. And why should I have to pick when I’m splurging? So my final purchase was this skein of Heritage sock hand painted yarn. It is 75% Merino superwash and 25% nylon and has 437 yards/100 grams. Even though I have a few projects in the works now that I really need to finish, I couldn’t help myself and yes….


I started another project! This is the beginnings of a shawl that will probably turn into a shawlette (notice a trend?) The pattern is from Totally Simple Crochet: Over 30 Easy Projects for the Home and to Wear. The pattern is called the Crochet Shawl with Chain Stitch Loops, and what I like about it is that it starts at the point of the shawl (which is a triangle shape), so you can stop at any point later to make it smaller or even larger than the pattern calls for. I did find a typo in the pattern and that meant it took me a while to figure it out, but luckily, I did, and it is pretty easy to do, mainly single, double, and triple crochet stitches.

After the splurge, that means I have yet another 10% off card of there with lots of stamp on it…yikes! But, I’m going to be strong and not make another trip there until probably the holidays.

October 7, 2012
by Tammy
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Weekly Crafting Links

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a tutorial on how to create your signature initials for your Zentangles, a fun portrait made from confetti, some zombie fun and a yummy recipe for tomato pie.

Eileen – The Artful Crafter
Eileen shares the how-to for a Sand and Sea themed Glass-Beaded Bracelet.

Mixed Media Artist
Have you tried Derwent’s Inktense pencils? They’re like nothing you’ve ever used before!

Painted Glass Garden Mushrooms
Cherie makes some glass mushrooms for the garden using recycled materials.

Tapping Flamingo
Terry’s Friday photography experimentation takes a look at water.

Fresh Stitches
Stacey explains how her adorable crochet amigurumi owls came into existence.