The Fearless Crafter

Cleanup!

2011-01-11T12:02:00.005-05:00

Our Fearless Crafter coughs and sneezes at the dust as it swirls around her. She throws open the windows and pulls the sheets off the furniture "been far too long since I've visited my craft room" she mutters to the huge dust bunnies that really should have been called dust monsters.

Greetings Folks, I apologize for my absence. Check back soon for some updates.

Belated Valentine's project

2010-03-05T10:15:00.013-05:00

It's been brought to my attention that I forgot to post my Valentine wreath, the one that I used spray glitter. I stand here, holding a bunch of oopsie daisies. :)

I made the wreath using wooden heart shapes, probably the 5 or 6 inch size ones. I painted them with acrylic paints. I wanted them to look like those little candy hearts, so I used (older ) dimensional Polymark fabric paint in Medium Pink Shiny to write different things on each heart. Except for the three at the top. For those, I used Tulip dimensional fabric paint in Multi and wrote a nice quote that's been popping up all over the place "Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much."

Here is the wreath after paint and words:

Not enough... it need's something. I think to myself "What would the Crafty Chica do?" Snapping my fingers as it comes to me... GLITTER! But I didn't want to do it the old fashioned way, so I decided to try glitter spray. The only glitter spray I could find was Tulip's Fabric Spray Paint in Sparkling Star. Not a big deal, it should still spray glitter on my project, right? Right.

I had an extra wooden heart that I used as a test piece for getting a nice even flow of paint for the text. (I always have bad luck with huge globs spurting out at the wrong moments). So I sprayed the test heart. One coat seemed a bit light, so it got a second. I was happy with the results.

When Irish Eyes are Smiling

2010-02-18T15:21:00.006-05:00

Recently, I taught a polymer clay button class at work. I not only learned a new technique that I really love, but I had a lot of fun teaching others about polymer clay. Raku is a ceramic firing technique named after a Japanese family, and the pieces can be used for tea ceremonies. There is so much information on the web, so give raku pottery a peek.

I was inspired to create this hand-held polymer clay covered mirror. I call it "Irish Eyes", in honor of my sweet Irish lass - DollieJo

Unfortunately, due to possible copyright infringements, I cannot divulge the exact technique that I taught. If you took the Clay 101: Buttons class at Joann's (#8425423), you have the student sheet for the technique. I will share the particular supplies I used

Supplies:
Sculpey III in black
FolkArt Metallic Pure Gold 660
FolkArt Metallic Emerald Green 663
FolkArt Metallic Pearl White 659
Sculpey Glaze (gloss)
Makin's Clay "sand" texture sheet from Set A 38001
Rubber Stamped brand wooden mounted stamp - 3314R Geometric Swirl Background
Darice brand 3-inch round mirror
Polymer clay basic tools (rolling machine, straight blade, baby wipes)

I created the heart in Raku style, barely covering the cut edges with a bit of gold to give it a worn gilded look. I covered the mirror in plain black clay, cutting the clay in a 3-3/4 inch circle, leaving enough clay to cover the edges and create a lip on the front. I used the texture sheet to make the clay look like a stone. I very lightly applied a bit of the pearl white paint, trying to give a mottled stone look to it. I hadn't counted on that paint getting a bit brighter during the curing process. (that's why it looks "shiny" at the point of the heart - its the pearly white paint, not a shiny spot). I baked it for 20 minutes total, on top of a round cookie cutter. Finally, applied a coat of the glaze just to the heart.

Thanks for looking!

Photo a Day - Week in Review

2010-01-28T13:02:00.001-05:00

Sylar (Monster baby)

MOOOOM!!! QUIT!!!

mmmm pistachio muffins

Look deep into my eyes... you will bring me salmon

Crocus pocus!!

Orange you glad I didn't say apple?

I think I'll let you take a picture, but no autographs.

Photo a Day - Week in Review

2010-01-21T12:31:00.006-05:00

Jerry Garcia

King Tut thingy I'd like to know more about

Evil Sock Monkey head buckets

Must be nap time

My favorite movie snack

Bouncy!!!

Pillow I made with Paisan

One Little Setback

2010-01-15T14:20:00.004-05:00

I've put aside my project for #onelittleword for a moment. I let old behaviors and fears influence my creativity. My painting has been sitting on the side, waiting for my return.

Photo a Day - Week in Review

2010-01-14T23:12:00.005-05:00

Week 2!

Dusty cat

Mom's cat Cheyenne

Doctor's doodles

MOON!

aw.. it's twins!

Scary giant doll head

Photo a Day - Week in Review

2010-01-07T19:33:00.021-05:00

I can't figure out how to have a little slide show of my photos so I'm going to upload them a week at a time. Alexa made it look so easy!

Sylar (or as I call him, Monster)

Just a bit of fun!

A clean craft table!

Chloe

Slumbering cherry tree

Bench, waiting for Summer's return

One Little Word

2010-01-03T09:19:00.007-05:00

I've given up on resolutions. I never keep them. However, I like the idea of #onelittleword. I heard about it via Twitter, but wasn't sure where the concept started. Searching the hash tags eventually brought me to Ali Edwards' blog. Her idea was inspired by a photo blog of two friends that live 3191 Miles Apart.

Since Ali does scrapbooking, that is what she does. She uses her word to inspire her layouts. I don't really scrapbook. And that's ok. I'm using my word of CHANGE in other creative areas.

Change. Such a harmless, often misunderstood word. One that used to terrify this little former control freak. I'm happy with the person I've become, so I'm not looking for huge changes in who I am but changes in HOW I do things. To learn new things, to boldly go where I've never gone before. To push myself, to challenge myself.

I've since learned that change can be good. Sometimes it even happens when you're not looking.

Let's say Thanks

2009-12-12T10:17:00.002-05:00

Without getting into politics, I'd like to take a moment to thank the United States military personnel stationed overseas for their sacrifices. Xerox has created the "Let's Say Thanks" Program, where you can select one of the many postcards that have been designed by children across the country. Xerox then prints the postcards and send them to our Troops to show our support and love from Home.

None of your personal information is sent to the Troops, or kept on the site. You can send as many cards as you want, they just ask that you pick a different card so the Troops get a wide variety. You can use one of their messages, or create your own.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CHOICE TO ENTER INTO MILITARY SERVICE

Love,
Kat

Happiness vs. Freedom

2009-12-12T09:35:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a bit since I've posted anything. I've got a good reason! Honest!

I got my dream job! It's not glamorous, but for once in my life I am truly happy to go to work. A happy worker is a productive worker! I am now a cutting counter girl and cashier at Joann's!!

(insert fanfare sounds here.. wait for the crowd to settle...)

Yes, ladies and gentlemen you have read that correctly! I work for one of the greatest craft stores in my area! I've always believed that a person should be happy at work. They should do what they love so that they get a sense of not only happiness, but accomplishment. I read a quote that has stuck with me for quite a while. Unfortunately, I don't know the author and cannot give proper credit.

"Doing what you love is Freedom. Loving what you do is Happiness."

I think I am one of the lucky ones. I enjoy the freedom to do what I love, and my family reaps the benefits of my happiness. I allowed a few previous jobs to make me miserable, and we all suffered for it. Now that I am taking charge of my happiness, I feel like I have been set free.

Terrorific Tuesday Week 4

2009-10-27T09:20:00.001-04:00

I missed the last week of Terrorific Tuesday, but here are the other links to the great projects posted by everyone else that took part in it!

Trick or Treat!
Frame and post it note holder dressed for Halloween

Costumed Kokeshi Dolls
Try out a Halloween idea for a traditional Japanese doll with Crafterella

Halloween Mask
Phyllis Dobbs created a fun and easy Halloween mask - great for adults and kids!

Fun Halloween Lanterns
Stephenie Hamen accessorizes plain paper lanterns with her paper punches.

Black Widow & Bloody Necklaces
Pattie Wack uses 3-D paint to create chokers that will creep out your party guests!

Tutu Cute Halloween Wreath
Vanessa creates an inspired wreath made of tulle!

Mad Scientist Party
Amy of Living Locurto shares a slew of fun ideas to host your own Mad Scientist Party.

Halloween Zombie Dolls
Crafty Chica shows how to add some zombie love to your decor!

Halloweenies!
Boopsie Daisy shares some of the wonderful Halloween dollies that she dreams up!

Crafty Chica's Ghost Story!
Kathy Cano-Murillo shares a haunted crafty tale!

Halloween Cone Witches
Make these cute little paper cone witches for Halloween!

Halloween Leftovers
Mel takes the leftovers from last week's project and makes a cool Goth choker!

Brenda Pinnick Halloween Owls
Seasonal Owls for Scaring or Delighting Trick or Treaters

The Impatient Crafter
Margot creates another spooktacular mixed media necklace with a bite.

Halloween Batty Windchime
Heidi Borchers creates a super cute windchime with personality!

Kitschy Kitschy BOO
Add some Halloween flair to your day with this cute kitschy bracelet and earring combo!

Simple Halloween Gift Tags
Studio Mama makes a strong impact with these quick and easy tags!

Strands of Beads
Melissa once again gives some pretty flower beads a Gothic makeover with this simple earring design

Costume Fun
Sharron Westerfield shares her passion for costume-making and the joy it brings her grandchildren.

Return of the Birthday Zombie
Candace is cracking herself up with this ghoulish gift box idea

Doodle Pumpkin
Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield shows you how to make a fun pumpkin on the fly!

Kitschy Kitschy BOO

2009-10-25T10:19:00.013-04:00

Welcome to Terrorific Tuesday 2009!!!
Week 4

Add some Halloween flair to your day with this cute kitschy bracelet and earring combo!

Materials

1 bag of plastic dollar store Halloween rings with removable rings - $1
a bit of chain -$2
jump rings - $1
head pins and eye pins - $2
a clasp of some sort - $1
2 pairs of pliers, such as flat nosed and round nosed - if you buy just the two sets of pliers, the price could be about $6. I went to my local hardware store and got a set of 5 different pliers for about the same price.
some acrylic faceted beads - $4 (I had a big bag of them)
earring wires - $1

I want to make one! How much did it cost you?
If you have none of these items on hand - $18 plus tax
The items marked in green were purchased for this project, and the purple items were on-hand.

Let's Craft!!

Measure your wrist, so that the bracelet with be comfy. You don't want to meausre too loosely or too tightly, because you're going to be adding a clasp which is going to add just a touch of extra length. Most standard bracelet sizes are between 6 and 8 inches long. Cut your chain to this length.

Pick out the rings you'd like on your bracelet and earrings. Remove the ring part. If you have a drill, use it to put a small hole in the item. If you don't have a drill, you could probably use a safety pin to CAREFULLY poke a hole.

Once you have the holes, open a jump ring and throw those bad boys on the chain. If you don't know how to open and close a jump ring, Margot Potter has an excellent video on youtube that shows you how! You can also use a jump ring to attach the clasp. I just used the chain itself.

Put some beads on your head pins, attach them to the chain as well.

For the earrings, just follow the same steps as the bracelet. Except this time, we're going to use the eye pins and thread some beads on them. Use a jump ring to attach your kitch to the eye. Create a loop at the other end for the earring wire, and add the wire.

Voila!

Terrorific Tuesday - Week 3

2009-10-20T10:18:00.002-04:00

Spooky Spider House
Silvia creates a miniature haunted house that is spooky and oh-so fun!

Witchy Embroidered Postcard
Sharron Westerfield brews up a whimsical witch postcard

The Impatient Crafter
Vintage plastic owls become the focal point of a charming necklace you can wear for Halloween and all year round!

Pumpkin and cat felt treat bag
Felt bag that can also be made as a wall hanging or door hanger

Cheryl Ball's Halloween Door Hangers
Create these door hangers from inexpensive gloves for Trick of Treaters

My Big Mouth
Make a creepy wire tree just in time for Halloween!

Mel's Day of the Dead Necklace
Linked chain, skulls and spiderwebs for Dia de los Muertos

Crafty Chica's Matchbook Shrines
Adorable little folding shrines that fit in your pocket!

Paper Pumpkin
Make a plump paper pumpkin from some strips of paper plus a little Halloween craftiness!

Polymer Clay Zombie
Candace's diabolical plan to populate the world with zombies continues!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate
Make a retro style styrofoam ornament into a fab Halloween Party centerpiece! Madge shows you how using iLoveToCreate products!

How to Make a Spooky Spice Rack
Come make a spooky spice rack with Crafterella, she's sharing her unique labels with everyone!

Halloween Treat Tote
Conjure up a quick Halloween cupcake basket using new ScoreBoard dies!

Brenda Pinnick's Halloween Banner
A little scary, a little fun, this delightful banner celebrates all things Halloween. Made using Brenda Pinnick Sizzix dies, glitter and ribbon.

Creepy Candlesticks
Pattie Wack turns mini pumpkins into a boo-tiful Halloween lighting idea!

Strands of Beads
Melissa explores the holiday possibilities in a black and white checkered bead

Glow in the Dork Wall Hanging
Turn off the lights and have a laugh with this goofy wall hanging from Alexa Westerfield!

Picture Perfect Pumpkin
Vanessa Coppola turns a traditional pumpkin into a decopauged masterpiece!

A fun Second Life necklace

2009-10-14T10:00:00.005-04:00

My BFF Lil got me hooked on this online virtual world called Second Life (SL for short). It's hard to explain. I sometimes tell people that it's like the Sims, but online. But that's not quite right...

In SL, I am a Neko (that's japanese for cat). Neko is someone on SL who maintains a human body, with cat-like additions - usually kitty ears and a tail. I have several different tails, but I prefer my red fluffy tail. I have ears, of course. I also have whiskers and orange cat-like eyes. M calls it "playing dollies" because he doesn't understand it. That's ok.

In SL, there is a keyboard shortcut that brings you to your home spot, and I was inspired to create this necklace for my friend.

I dismantled a keyboard for the Ctrl, Shift and H keys. These keys are pressed to bring you to your home spot within the application.

I drilled holes in the keys to connect them with copper wire. I used Blue Moon silver plated chain, and attached a lobster claw clasp at the side. In the picture below, you can see that I usd copper wire to create a wrapped dangle with red glass beads. I used two 1" lengths of chain to create the little loop and heart dangle.

The circle is shrink plastic. On the back, I used lavender and baby pink to create swirls. Hot pink paw prints are also on the back. On the front, I created a red heart outlined in purple and wrote the letter I above the heart and NEKO under it. A blue fish skeleton is on the side of that.

It's to remind her that she always has a home, no matter how far she may roam - in both Real Life and Second Life.

I <3 U Lil :D

Terrorific Tuesday Week 2

2009-10-13T15:25:00.003-04:00

This little light
Light up the night with this cute pumpkin votive holder from Kat the Fearless Crafter.

Sugar Skull Bracelet & Bats in the Belfry Choker
Candace is having way too much fun with shrink plastc! Check out these fun and charming crafts on the Spirit Clay blog.

Dollar Tree Decorated Lights Tutorial
Come and decorate some Dollar Tree Skulls with Crafterella, don't forget your sharpie markers!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate
Whip up a Halloween Invitation that's a real 'hoot' with Madge in this project for iLoveToCreate!

Spooky Halloween Coasters
Cheryl Ball of Still Crafty After 50 shares some fun, funky, and spirited coasters!

Halloween Treat Bowl
Create a fun and festive treat dish with Inspired at Home!

Strands of Beads
Melissa creates a whimsical seasonal necklace based on the theme "pushing up daisies".

Basic Black Box Meets Pumpkin Patch
Whip up Halloween favor boxes in minutes with brand new Sizzix ScoreBoard dies.

Mummy Mannequin
Create a mummy that will be a memorable accent at your Halloween party with Pattiewack!

Munchkin Mama's Crispy Peanut Butter Balls
Munchkin Mama has a great recipe for no bake peanut butter balls that the whole family will want to make!

Witch Parking!!
Make a "Witch Parking" sign on the Mucky Finger's blog!

Vintage-Inspired Halloween Tree Topper
Shannon shows off her new Halloween tree topper, inspired by vintage crepe paper crafts!

The Impatient Crafter
Make a whimsical and elegant Halloween necklace with Madge!

Jack-O-Lantern Waterfalls
Studio Mama shows you how to make some fun and festive earrings for the Halloween season.

Glow in the Dark Jewelry
Use glow in the dark polymer clay and rubber stamps to produce eerie Halloween jewerly.

Crafty Chica's Paint Drip Pumpkin!
A loca idea on the fly turned out muy fantastico!

Free Printable Halloween Cup Sleeves
You’ll be a hit with these labels for hot beverages at your Halloween party.

Scarecow Sweatshirt
Sharron Westerfield shares a cute scarecrow sweatshirt she made from a fun downloadable pattern from Janome!

Halloween Ribbon Brooches and Fascinators
Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner whips some quick and cute Halloween accessories!

R.I.P. Skeleton in Coffin
Guarantee a spooktacular Halloween Party with a skeleton in a coffin treat filled centerpiece!

Happy October Kewpies
Find inspiration in this colorful and cute candy corn Kewpie photo from Boopsie Daisy!

If you would like to join in the fun next week, e-mail Alexa at swelldesigner@yahoo.com and put in your subject line "Terrorific Tuesday". She'll get you added to the group!

This little light

2009-10-11T00:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Terrorific Tuesday 2009!!!
Week 2

Have you seen this pumpkin?
Be on the lookout for cuteness!

If you google Jack-o-lanterns, you will find so much information that it will make your eyes pop. Everything from carving patterns to several stories of its history to a college humor magazine.

The story I've always heard about it's orgins start in the "old country" (not sure which one), where lanterns were created not only from pumpkins, but turnips, and potatoes. Many people believe that the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest around Halloween time. The purpose of the lanterns was to light the way for the beloved spirits to find their way home. The original lanterns didn't have faces carved into them, just a simple hole or design known by the family.

No matter what you believe, Jack-o-lanterns have become an integral part of Halloween. What better (and less messy) way to light up the night for spooks than a candle holder?

I'm still trying to craft with items I have on-hand (or with very little spending!) I learned quite a bit from this project.

Materials

white tissue paper (if you don't feel up to a challenge, get at least 1 sheet each of orange green, and black) - $1
If you use pre-colored tissue paper - skip these: orange, yellow, green, and black pigment or permanent stamp pads (or permanent markers). Do NOT use dye based stamp pads. You'll see why in a sec.- $4
Newspaper or some other method of protecting your work surface - $1
Decoupage medium (or if you don't have any, mix white glue and water equally to get a milky consistency medium)
a glass "ivy" bowl - $1
20 gauge craft wire - $1
plastic faceted beads - $4 for the big bag

I want to make one! How much did it cost you?
If you have none of these items on hand - $12 plus tax
The items marked in green were purchased for this project, and the purple items were on-hand.

*** Safety First!!! ***
and Disclaimer

Because this is a candle holder, I'd like to cover some safety tips.

I recommend gluing the paper to the outside of the bowl.
I also recommend using tea lights in this project.
Never leave a burning candle unattended.
Make sure the candle has been put out completely before leaving the room.
Be sure to keep it on a stable, heat-safe surface.
Keep the candle away from other flammable objects.
Keep the candle away from drafts.
Keep the candle out of reach of children and pets.
Always burn the candle in a well-ventilated room. Well-ventilated. Not drafty.
Do not touch a burning candle, play with the flame or melted wax.

I am not responsible for any losses or damage that you may incur while using a candle. If you aren't sure about anything listed in my safety tips, use a battery-operated, flameless candle.

If you would like a printable version of candle safety tips, visit the National Candle Association's Candle Safety Rules page.

*** End Safety Note ***

Let's Craft!!

Step 1

Lay down the newspaper. Place at least 1 sheet of white tissue paper down. Get the yellow stamp pad, and just randomly stamp the paper. Do this gently, especially if this is a brand new stamp pad. We just want to color the paper, not saturate it to the point that it rips.

Once the yellow is dry, do the same thing with the orange - yes, on the same sheet as the yellow. You should end up with a sheet that looks like this:

Do the same with the yellow and green on a new sheet of tissue paper. Because I had older stamp pads, they were nearly dried out. I used my permanent markers to color my sheet.

Step 2

Rip the paper into strips. I ripped my "stem" paper so that the lines would be vertical, to look like a stem once decopauged.

If you don't have any decopauge medium in a jar, prepare some at this point. Just mix white glue with water in equal amounts, to make a milky looking liquid. You won't need as much as you think you will.

Step 3

Gently gently gently start gluing the paper to the bowl. I placed my strips on the outside of the bowl, because I'm not sure how flammable the glue will be once it's dried. Remember how I said to avoid dye based stamp pads? Here is why you should:

The dye started coming off the paper, and leaching onto my brush. It got in the medium, as well. The permanent marker I used for the stem paper didn't do this. Very important to use permanent. Now I'm not really sure how the pigment stamp pad would stand up to the medium. Must test this out later.

Step 4

While it is drying, you can string the green beads onto the wire. Be sure to leave a bit of wiggle room between the beads, because you are going to wrap this around the neck of the vase. Husband said "It looks like the (the beloved soft drink character that breaks through walls saying 'Oh yeah')."

Step 5

He sure does look like that soft drink guy. So I hot-glued some faux-liage and autumnal accents to hide the base. Now he looks less likely to break through my wall.

It's Terrorific Tuesday Link time!

2009-10-06T09:19:00.002-04:00

Here ia a list of all the submissions for Week 1!

Studio Mama Blog
Creep out your friends with this Leatherface-esque collection of eyeballs strung on hardware!

The Impatient Crafter
Halloween is right around the corner and Madge kicks off the season with a stunningly spooky mixed media necklace and a bonus short story sure to send shivers up your spine!

Living Locurto
Kids will love dressing up this cute doggie in different costumes with this Halloween Doggie Dress-Up Free Printable!

Sharron Westerfield
Create an adorable jack-o-lantern baby bib for your favorite little one!

Crafterella
Join Crafterella in making you own spooky Mantipi specimen jar (with tutorial) using polymer clay.

The Fearless Crafter
Welcome your guests with this cute and creepy Spooky Spider Wreath wreath!

My Big Mouth
Craft a mini Halloween candy dish that looks like Frankenstein

Strands of Beads
Melissa creates a simple skully necklace to celebrate the season.

Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping Guide at About.com
Create a Halloween pyramid box perfect for use as a Halloween favor box or as an unusual decoration.

Allee Marderosian for iLoveToCreate
Take your look to the Darkside with these Twilight Romance tees, perfect for Halloween festivities or everyday adventures!

Candace Jedrowicz - Spirit Clay
These sparkly Candy Corn Riot earrings are made using real candy corn! No kidding!

Brenda Pinnick
Brenda uses her Sizzix Die to create a batty neck piece you'll want to sink your teeth into!

The Impatient Crafter for iLoveToCreate
Madge shows you how to make a super cute Halloween tote in this week's I Love to Create post!

Crafty Chica
The Chica, ILoveToCreate & Craft Zine have teamed up for a skullerific Dia de los Muertos Shrine Contest!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
Inspired by her love for True Blood, Swelldesigner takes a stab at bloody white pumpkins!

Spooky Spider Wreath

2009-10-04T00:00:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Terrorific Tuesday 2009!!!
Week 1

Welcome your guests with this perfectly creepy spider wreath!

I've been on a kick to create some type of decoration for my door for each holiday or special occassion. Considering my current jobless situation, it's an added challenge to use the supplies I have or get them cheap.

Materials:

one 9 inch grapevine wreath - $1
two 9 foot purple garlands (mine had sparkly skulls attached) - $2
one pack of 2 medium flocked spiders - $1
one bag of little plastic spiders - $1
3-pack of Halloween glitter from Joann's dollar bins (white orange, black) - $1
white thread - $1
white tacky glue - $1
glue sticks - $1
glue gun - $1
set of 20 battery-operated Halloween lights (the teeny bulbs, maybe called rice lights?) - $2
batteries - $4

I want to make one! How much did it cost you?
If you have none of these items on hand - $16 plus tax
The items marked in green were purchased for this project, and the purple items were on-hand. You are going to get some more use out of the thread, glue and glue gun (why would you NOT have one?)

Let's Craft!

Step 1

Remove the glittery skulls from the garland. Save them for another craft project. (hey, when you're crafting on a budget - Waste NOT!) Also save the twist ties. You really will use them, I promise.

Step 2

Use the glitter to glam up the spiders. I just added giltter to the circle on medium spider, as well as her leg joints. The smaller spiders got glitter on their abdomen section.

Step 3

While the spiders are drying, use a twist tie to secure one end of a garland to the wreath. Wrap the garland around the wreath. Using another twist tie, connect the garlands to each other and continue wrapping. Use one more twist tie to connect the final ends of the garland, as well as to secure this end to the wreath. Make sure none of the wreath is visible.

Step 4

Glue the battery pack to the back of the wreath. Wrap the lights around, then use hot glue to secure the lights where you want them positioned. I added the batteries, so I could see where the lights were going to look best.

Step 5

Glue the spiders to the wreath. To make the hanging spiders, just hot glue the thread to their bellies and to the garland.

For added spidery goodness, I very carefully used the glue gun to produce those normally annoying spider webby tendrils that appear after squeezing out some glue.

Hang, then step back and enjoy your wreath.

Spooky!!

Meet Pook

2009-09-26T10:38:00.004-04:00

I finished the Craft: panda Crochet-a-long! I really enjoyed this crochet-a-long, and learned a few things.

I learned how to make yarn look like fur.
I learned a different way of joining the limbs to my amigurumi.

TADA!!

Meet Pook. She is a furry little baby panda. She loves orange juice, and rice cakes. She always looks like she is daydreaming, with her little head turn slightly askew.

Craft: CAL - Brush the Yarn

2009-09-16T20:03:00.008-04:00

Panda head in progress!! I'm using Caron Bliss in Snow and Red Heart in Hot Pink.

Week 1 of Crochet-a-long Video

Tamie Snow showed us how to brush the yarn to get a furry look to the panda. However, since I am currently unemployed, I am trying to use what supplies I have on hand. The pattern calls for Lion Brand Alpine Wool yarn in Vanilla. I don't really have money for that, so I used Caron Bliss yarn in Snow. It's a soft, slightly fuzzy yarn. I bought it at the dollar store a few months ago.

After about five minutes of making a video then discovering that I cannot edit the video with the programs I have, I tried to download other programs. Forget it, I have decided to do this the "old fashioned" way. Using pictures.

Youtube finally uploaded the video. Here it is! (with pictures after):

Basically, you use the dog brush to grab the fibers of the yarn. If you use anything other than wool or other animal fiber, you have to be careful to not break the yarn. I learned this from on of my favorite crochet artists, June Gilbank. Thank you so much!

Make sure that you use the kind of brush that has the slightly bent bristles. Like this:

Not this kind of brush:

Although I will be using the dark bristles pictured on the right side of the image above to smooth the fur on the panda. The first brush pictured doesn't have the smoothing bristles.

CRAFT CAL

2009-09-02T08:54:00.003-04:00

I've joined the first CRAFT Crochet-a-long! I'm going to crochet-a-long and make a panda bear. The pattern calls for yarns that I do not have, nor can I afford them. I'll use what I have.

The cat took my seat. He's all curled up

2009-08-31T19:13:00.001-04:00

7 foot tall sunflower in the garden

2009-08-26T17:06:00.002-04:00

Isn't it pretty? There was a bumblebee resting on the flower. Not sure if you can see it in this camera-phone shot. I'll post a better one I took with my digital camera later.

Didgeridoos

2009-08-23T15:25:00.003-04:00

Didgeridoos, also located at World Bazaar.

Dolphin wall decor I like it. Yeah, I do

2009-08-23T15:24:00.002-04:00

I found this little beauty in a store called "World Bazaar" at the Walden Galleria Mall. It looks like wood, but it's very light. And reasonably priced. This large beauty can be yours for $9.99!

I got a small one, with only 2 dolphins for $3.99

My hornet trap.

2009-08-21T19:03:00.002-04:00

I know, it's crude and probably cruel. But have you ever tried to have dinner while getting buzzed by at least a dozen hornets? My dad made this to help distract them from our food.

My neighbors hang meat, not laundry.

2009-08-20T12:26:00.002-04:00

In all fairness, my neighbors are from some Oriental country.

Angry Face Doll

2009-07-31T15:40:00.005-04:00

The moment we've all been waiting for! The debut of my Angry Face Dolls! Here is the first of what I hope will be a line of lovable dolls. I may nix the Angry Face in later dolls. Dolls are supposed to be happy!

How did Angry Face Dolls come to be? I'd been bouncing a few ideas around, when someone said "Why don't you make a doll with an angry face? It would look like you." Yes, even though my profile picture is a smiling face, most of the time I really do look angry. (Another long story for another time.) So I set to creating a doll.

You've seen a few progress steps of her hair, shot with my less than quality camera phone. From her meager beginning as a turnip head, I knew how she was going to look. I never did get around to sketching out my idea of how she was going to look. I just started crocheting. I must admit, I'd never have gotten the hair just right without Owlishly's amigurumi hair tutorial. Here is another shot of her hair, just after I gave her bangs a trim:

Her name is Molly Lynn, and she looks angry.

She stands about 1' tall, has bright pink hair and a red dress, with red hair ribbons that have white polka dots.

Her Mary Jane-like shoes can be taken off her feet. Her socks have a bit of sparkly lace edging.

She likes to take walks through the garden to see the marigolds.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Molly Lynn!

Til next time,
Be Fearless. Be Crafty. Be You!

~ Kiki

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

2009-07-23T08:21:00.020-04:00

Saw this on Twitter today:
100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

I thought it'd be fun to go through this list and see what I remember or know. Click below to see the list...

Audio-Visual Entertainment

Inserting a VHS tape into a VCR to watch a movie or to record something. YUP
Super-8 movies and cine film of all kinds. Nope
Playing music on an audio tape using a personal stereo. See what happens when you give a Walkman to todays teenager. YUP
The number of TV channels being a single digit. I remember it being a massive event when Britain got its fourth channel. YUP
Standard-definition, CRT TVs filling up half your living room. YUP
Rotary dial televisions with no remote control. You know, the ones where the kids were the remote control. YUP
High-speed dubbing. Nope
8-track cartridges. Nope
Vinyl records. Even today’s DJs are going laptop or CD. YUP
Betamax tapes. Nope
MiniDisc. Nope
Laserdisc: the LP of DVD. Nope
Scanning the radio dial and hearing static between stations. (Digital tuners + HD radio bork this concept.) YUP
Shortwave radio. Nope
3-D movies meaning red-and-green glasses. YUP
Watching TV when the networks say you should. Tivo and Sky+ are slowing killing this one. YUP (I remember the TV stations playing the National Anthem and stating that broadcasting was done for the day)
That there was a time before ‘reality TV.’ YUP

Computers and Videogaming

Wires. OK, so they’re not gone yet, but it won’t be long YUP
The scream of a modem connecting. YUP
The buzz of a dot-matrix printer YUP
5- and 3-inch floppies, Zip Discs and countless other forms of data storage. YUP
Using jumpers to set IRQs. YUP I never actually had to do this, but I learned about it.
DOS. YUP
Terminals accessing the mainframe. YUP
Screens being just green (or orange) on black. YUP
Tweaking the volume setting on your tape deck to get a computer game to load, and waiting ages for it to actually do it. Nope
Daisy chaining your SCSI devices and making sure they’ve all got a different ID. Nope
Counting in kilobytes. YUP
Wondering if you can afford to buy a RAM upgrade. Nope
Blowing the dust out of a NES cartridge in the hopes that it’ll load this time. YUP
Turning a PlayStation on its end to try and get a game to load. Nope
Joysticks. YUP
Having to delete something to make room on your hard drive. YUP
Booting your computer off of a floppy disk. YUP
Recording a song in a studio. Nope

The Internet

NCSA Mosaic. Nope
Finding out information from an encyclopedia. YUP
Using a road atlas to get from A to B. YUP
Doing bank business only when the bank is open. YUP
Shopping only during the day, Monday to Saturday. YUP
Phone books and Yellow Pages. YUP
Newspapers and magazines made from dead trees. YUP
Actually being able to get a domain name consisting of real words. Nope
Filling out an order form by hand, putting it in an envelope and posting it. YUP
Not knowing exactly what all of your friends are doing and thinking at every moment. YUP
Carrying on a correspondence with real letters, especially the handwritten kind. YUP
Archie searches. Nope
Gopher searches. Nope
Concatenating and UUDecoding binaries from Usenet. Nope
Privacy. YUP although privacy ends after you give birth.
The fact that words generally don’t have num8er5 in them. YUP
Correct spelling of phrases, rather than TLAs. YUP even though I had to look up TLA (three letter acronym)
Waiting several minutes (or even hours!) to download something. YUP
The time before botnets/security vulnerabilities due to always-on and always-connected PCs Nope
The time before PC networks. YUP
When Spam was just a meat product — or even a Monty Python sketch. YUP

Gadgets

Typewriters. YUP
Putting film in your camera: 35mm may have some life still, but what about APS or disk? YUP I remember having to use the flash bulb strips
Sending that film away to be processed. YUP
Having physical prints of photographs come back to you. YUP with negatives!
CB radios. YUP I know what they are, never used one.
Getting lost. With GPS coming to more and more phones, your location is only a click away. YUP That can be prevented with the Atlas or road map from #38
Rotary-dial telephones. YUP
Answering machines. YUP still have one.
Using a stick to point at information on a wallchart YUP
Pay phones. YUP
Phones with actual bells in them. YUP
Fax machines. Why is this included? They still make these, and people use them.
Vacuum cleaners with bags in them. YUP they still make these.

Everything Else

Taking turns picking a radio station, or selecting a tape, for everyone to listen to during a long drive. YUP
Remembering someone’s phone number. YUP
Not knowing who was calling you on the phone. YUP
Actually going down to a Blockbuster store to rent a movie. YUP
Toys actually being suitable for the under-3s. YUP
LEGO just being square blocks of various sizes, with the odd wheel, window or door. YUP
Waiting for the television-network premiere to watch a movie after its run at the theater. YUP
Relying on the 5-minute sport segment on the nightly news for baseball highlights. YUP
Neat handwriting. YUP
The days before the nanny state. YUP
Starbuck being a man. Nope
Han shoots first. YUP
“Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.” But they’ve already seen episode III, so it’s no big surprise. YUP
Kentucky Fried Chicken, as opposed to KFC. YUP
Trig tables and log tables. YUP
“Don’t know what a slide rule is for …” YUP
Finding books in a card catalog at the library. YUP
Swimming pools with diving boards. YUP
Hershey bars in silver wrappers. YUP
Sliding the paper outer wrapper off a Kit-Kat, placing it on the palm of your hand and clapping to make it bang loudly. Then sliding your finger down the silver foil of break off the first finger Nope. Just eat it.
A Marathon bar (what a Snickers used to be called in Britain). Nope
Having to manually unlock a car door. YUP
Writing a check. YUP still do that.
Looking out the window during a long drive. YUP
Roller skates, as opposed to blades. YUP
Cash. YUP
Libraries as a place to get books rather than a place to use the internet. YUP
Spending your entire allowance at the arcade in the mall. YUP
Omni Magazine. YUP
A physical dictionary — either for spelling or definitions. YUP
When a ‘geek’ and a ‘nerd’ were one and the same. There are subtle differences. :D

Some friendly advice

2009-07-15T01:38:00.005-04:00

I survived the Tuscarora Picnic and Field Days. Yes, it has taken a few days of recovery to blog about it. I didn't sell anything, but I survived nonetheless.

To pass the time while at my table, I decided to actually create some earrings on the spot. I had all my findings, beads, and tools at the ready. While greeting potential customers, running for my mom, and taking breaks I think I actually created 2 pairs of earrings. No need to insert the sound of everyone coming to a screeching halt. I know, I should have been more prepared.

But I digress. My real purpose here is to lend a gentle word of advice to the lovely (or manly) vendor that created an anklet purchased by a woman seeking my help. It was too small for an anklet, yet too large for a bracelet. The poor woman had a friend named Joyce, that saw me and my tools and sent her my way. I really do wish I could have helped her. Unfortunately, the only way I could have helped would require a restring of the project.

Dear Other Vendor (DOV), please take the time to read this wonderful article by Margot Potter. Margot always provides fascinating content, and has not let us down this time. Please, DOV, please - pay close attention to Margot when she refers to crimp beads! PLEASE!!

That is all. Thank you.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

164th Tuscarora Nation Picnic and Field Days

2009-07-08T23:40:00.002-04:00

If you're going to be in the Niagara Falls, NY area this weekend, stop by and see the Fearless Crafter! I'll be at the 164th Tuscarora Nation Picnic and Field Days on Friday July 10 and Saturday July 11 .

There will be plenty of food, beverages, treats for the kids and tons of Native Creativity! Raised beadwork, quilts, Native dancing, great food and music!

Located just across the foot bridge behind the Tuscarora Indian Elementary school parking lot.
Tuscarora Indian Elementary
2015 Mt. Hope Road
Lewiston, NY 14092

She's comin' to a head!

2009-07-04T10:38:00.005-04:00

I've been busy, trying to get a bounty of bracelets and earrings whipped up for the Nation's Field Days. When I'm at home, I work on the jewelry. When I'm at work, I crochet our little friend. Currently, I'm working on her arms. Her head is done, and so is her torso - complete with "underwear"!

Here are some progress shots of the head:

Yes, her bangs might need a trim.

The knots inside her head.

Here she is, even showing part of her body.

It's a slow process, especially when I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to crafting. Normally, I float like a butterfly to each craft with which I've burdened my family. I am determined to finish this doll! I can taste the Sun Chips now!

Hair today

2009-06-22T10:56:00.003-04:00

This time, I actually read what Owlishly wrote. I removed the mop top, which was not going as well as I'd hoped. You could still see the buff yarn "scalp" through the bright pink "hair". Back to the drawing board! See what happens when you read?

Her head is looking much better now.

Hair we go again

2009-06-21T11:03:00.007-04:00

It's been a while since I've blogged about crafting. Now that there is going to be a craft event in the next few weeks, I've been crafting up a storm. I haven't been completely uninspired, but I supposed just more indifferent to picking up a project. Crafter's block.

Here is my current project. I'm working on a doll that I'm going to design myself. I was pondering how to get the hair done. There is an excellent amigurumi hair tutorial over at Owlishly, which I wish I'd seen before I had the head nearly completed. I really do not like frogging my work, so I'm going to do this head in a similar fashion as this doll, by making knots in the yarn and threading it through.

Don't I look like a mutant turnip?

Howie Woo has given me incentive to blog the process and finished product by offering me some of his Sun Chips. :) Be sure to check out his website! He's got amazing crochet skills! I LOVE the dynamite and the little vid that goes with it! His Fridge Critters are just too cute!

Here is a bag I designed as a gift for my friend's graduation. I call it The Jessie. It's made with wool felt, and has inside pockets for a cell phone, pen, and money.

Closeup of the snap closure

I made a Cotton Candy ruffle scarf, using Caron Bliss for my daughter. She didn't like it (neither did I). So I'm going to frog it and just make it straight. To be honest, the scarf looked better on the wrapper. The only good thing about the scarf in its current state is that it's ultra soft!

Working on crochet hair.

2009-06-21T00:33:00.006-04:00

This picture was taken with my camera phone. I was sitting on the bed, cutting lengths of hair, and tying a knot at the end. The original plan was to give her a mop top. Why do I always go for the hardest designs first?

Adventures in Nature

2009-06-15T13:36:00.001-04:00

I went to my mom's house with my cousin BabyMaker this past Saturday. Mom had no idea I was coming to visit. We arrived at mom's, and found her just waking up from a nap. She was a bit confused to see me standing there in her living room. :)

It turned out to be a nice visit. Cousin took us for ice cream at DQ. I've been lacking inspiration as far as any jewelry making is concerned. I didn't get much done. Cousin made a pillow case for mom. Mom bossed us around, which is par for the course. After Cousin left, mom and I went to the market.

On the way back, she decided we needed to call for her cat named Bear. Bear is a sweet, timid little thing that has recently been allowed outside. Mom lives in the country, and already has one cat (Cheyenne) that knows the ins and outs of being a country cat. We stopped near a field, calling for Bear. I said "There's an orange ca... Oh! That's a fox!" So she says "Quick! Take a picture!" As I struggle with my stupid cell phone, we see a streak of white and tiger stripe dash away from the fox.

It was Cheyenne. She starts screaming, I start yelling for Cheyenne to run (like he knows WTF I'm saying) and I jump out of the car running after the cat and fox. Right into the woods. Bad idea for a city girl. As I'm tromping through the woods looking for her cat or the fox, I knock over small trees, get caught on prickers from God-knows-what plant, and get plant goop on me from what I think (hope) was milkweed. I finally came to a small clearing. As I'm standing there, trying to listen for the animals, I feel a thousand tiny pinpricks in my legs. I look down, and I'm COVERED IN MOSQUITOES!!! I felt like Agent Pleakley from Lilo & Stitch when he discovered that mosquitoes don't "nuzzle" with their noses!

Finally, after 45 minutes to an hour, the stupid cat starts meowing at us. But he won't come out of the brambly trees, and I sure as hell ain't going in after him. I can only imagine what I looked like as I walked out of the woods. Legs all scratched up, hair all wild, sweaty and itchy.

I hate going to the country.

Burning the Midnight... Wood

2009-05-06T23:41:00.004-04:00

This year, I received my Mother's Day gift early: a woodburning tool. It's been on my wishlist for at least a year.

Here are my first few projects.

A portable fertility shrine, created for a friend of mine.

A small box for my mother.
(the top)

(the front)

(the side - same design on each side)

MyLifetime Video Link

2009-04-03T17:35:00.002-04:00

I thought I'd head on over to mylifetime.com to watch some Crafty Chica videos. I came across this , which includes a really great idea to make an Easter Banner. I'm planning a Luau for this summer, and I think this would be perfect!

Aloha!

Swap: My Favorite Actor/Singer RECEIVED

2009-03-25T22:15:00.006-04:00

For this swap, I picked Sully Erna from Godsmack, Milla Jovovich from The Fifth Element, and Gerard Butler from 300. My partner crafted Sully for me!

The top of the tin

The bottom of the tin

All the goodies inside

And the extra goody - a fab apron that says

Swap: My Favorite Actor/Singer SENT

2009-03-18T16:34:00.008-04:00

The object of this swap was to craft an Altoid tin around our partner's favorite actor or singer. I thought this would be the perfect swap, since it only required an Altoid tin and an extra goody. My partner listed Pink (Alecia Moore), and John Mayer. I've never really heard either artist, but I at least knew of Pink.

Here are the items I sent:

A polymer clay covered tin, with TLS photo transfer

The inside of the tin, along with three 1" marble magnets

Knit wrist cuffs

Shrink plastic bracelet

Polymer clay earrings, using TLS photo transfer

Polymer clay pendant, using TLS photo transfer

I have yet to send the other part of the extra goody. It goes with the knit wrist cuffs.

Adventures in Polymer Clay

2009-03-13T10:34:00.028-04:00

Kathy Cano-Murillo is known for her love of Glitter and Chicano pop-art.
Margot Potter , Jennifer Perkins, and Jackie Guerra create gorgeous works of jewelry.
Twinkie Chan inspires me with her sweet and savory crocheted scarves. (LOVE the pizza scarf!)
Maureen Carlson creates whimsical creatures in polymer clay.
Vickie Howell has gotten me to knit.
Carol Duvall is the queen of it all!

Why can't I just do one craft? I haven't decided what medium I prefer to work with when crafting. I always have to try to do different crafts, I can't just stick to one. Which is why my craft area seems to have overgrown it's happy little corner and is now trying to take over the entire third floor of my house.

But I digress. My adventures this week take me into the land of Liquid Polymer Clay. I saw the Carol Duvall episode where guest Michelle Ross used liquid polymer clay to create a photo transfer for a translucent night light. I decided that I wanted to try this technique as well.

I want to mention that I haven't really worked with PC too much, just a few small things for swaps and one other Altoid tin. I must say that I learned a few things.

Special thanks to @summergirl38 and @penguintrax (from Twitter) for their tips!

Here are some things I learned during this project:

Don't shake the bottle. I didn't, but I read that doing so can create air bubbles. Bubbles = BAD.

Use a thin layer of liquid clay. Let it rest after spreading, after baking and any other time you think the clay might need it. 10 minutes might be a good resting time. I don't think it would hurt if you let it rest longer.

Bake the liquid clay. Yes, a heat gun will work, but I had better results with the oven. It requires a higher baking temp, which seems to give a brighter color transfer. Let it rest.

Don't use Sculpey Bake n Bond to attach anything that you have to bake more than once. I've been told that the Bake n Bond doesn't do well with being baked more than once. You can use a thin layer of the liquid clay as your bonder. Let it rest.

Gently place the transfer onto the item to which you are attaching it. The last thing you want is air bubbles under the image. I gently "rolled" the image onto the tin, then used an old spoon to smooth out any air bubbles trapped underneath. Let it rest.

Here is a picture of the first tin I tried, without any knowledge. I covered the top of the tin, baked it. Added the photo transfer, baked it. Still looking good at this point.

Covered the bottom of the tin, got lazy and used the toaster oven instead of the regular oven.

See all those red circles? Those are bubbles. Remember what I said about bubbles?

Bubbles = BAD.

There was no way that I could send this tin in a swap. It's sub-standard for the Fearless Crafter. Luckily, I had a second tin on hand.

Just because I was annoyed at the bubbles, I decided to peel the transfer off the tin.

It's still cool that the image transfered from the transfer to the clay. And it had a nice shiny top coat.

Keeping all this info in mind, here are my steps for creating a polymer clay-covered altoid tin with a liquid clay photo transfer on top:

Make sure your tin and work area is clean. As always, condition your clay.

If you're like me, (little Miss Perfectionist), you can create a template.

Roll out your clay, use your templates to cut out your clay in colors of your choice. Cover the entire tin with clay.
Bake the tin. I baked mine at 250 for 15 minutes.

Time to create the transfer!

Print your image onto photo paper. I've been told that not all photo paper works well with this technique. I used glossy photo paper I found at the dollar store. I also used an ink-jet printer. I don't know that a laser printer will give the same results.

Take your time, and paint a thin coat of liquid clay onto your image. Make sure you add about a 1/4" all around the image. If your image is 2" x 3", you want to make sure you cover an area that is about 2.5" x 3.5"

Let it rest. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I cannot stress this enough. Letting your liquid clay rest will help to eliminate air bubbles. Oven bake the transfer according to the product directions. The first time around, I didn't paint a thin layer and I used a heat gun. And I didn't let it rest.

After the transfer is baked, let it rest. Paint another thin layer. Let it rest. Oven bake it again. Let it rest.

Now that everything has had a rest (hopefully you've included yourself, too!), it's time to bring it all together.

Once the liquid clay has been baked, it can now be cut with scissors. Cut your image to the size fo the tin. I lightly scored the top of the tin before adding a thin layer of liquid clay. I also applied a thin layer to the bottom of the transfer. Yes, let it rest.

Bring it all together!

Slapping the transfer on the tin is not going to yield good results. It's going to produce bubbles. Starting with one end of the transfer, gently "roll" it onto the tin. Be careful that the transfer doesn't move too much. It wants to do that. Use an old spoon to burnish out any bubbles. Depending on the photo you are transferring, you might be able to see any bubbles that may have formed through the image.

Once I was satisfied that there were no trapped bubbles, I oven baked it all again. I had one edge that wanted to raise up and not be flush with the rest of the tin. I baked it upside down, checking that it wasn't burning about every 5 minutes. However, since regular clay requires a lower baking temp than the liquid clay I baked it at around 250 degrees. I also baked it for about 20 minutes.

Here is the second, finished tin!

For pizzazz, I added silver beads that I found in the wedding crafts section of my local craft store. To make sure it's a perfect fit, you can gently press the beaded string into the unbaked clay on the tin to create indents. I used some glue to adhere them after it was all baked. If you like, you can line your tin with felt, or any pretty fabric you may have.

My first Polyvore Set

2009-03-10T11:57:00.003-04:00

Kiss Me Deadly by krafter.kat featuring Yves Saint Laurent heels & wedges

This is similar to the bridesmaid outfit I'll be wearing at the end of the month for my friend, Dollie's wedding. I'm hoping that I really won't have to wear heels that skinny...

Link Time!

2009-02-26T11:55:00.002-05:00

Knitting is a bit more difficult for me than crochet. I learned to crochet when I was 8 or so. I just learned to knit and purl within the past 18 months or so. I always get the garter stitch and stockinette stitch mixed up.

I am a visual learner, so I googled garter and stockinette. I found another blog called "a year in stitches", that has pictures of all the swatches she created from a pattern book. LOVE IT! There are a lot of stitches I'd like to try once I get better.

Busy day

2009-02-25T15:15:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a swap item without a pattern. I recently watched my DVR'd Knitty Gritty episode called Celebrity Scarves. Sarah Rosenberg was the guest, and she makes scarves that have been seen draped around Hollywood necks. She also showed us how to make matching wrist cuffs.

I really want to make the cuffs, however I deleted the episode from the DVR, and the directions for the cuffs aren't available on DIY Network's website. :( If anyone else happened to catch that episode and the directions, could you drop me a line at krafter.kat@gmail.com I'd really appreciate it!

In other life news, I'm trying to start spring cleaning on my craft areas of the house. I'd like to have one central area for my craft stuff, instead of it being scattered to the four corners-literally. I'd love to have a little spot in the house to use as a "studio"

Mobile blogging

2009-02-25T01:21:00.002-05:00

I've figured out how to blog from my cell. I am amazed at technology sometimes. I wonder how many characters I can enter? I think I will keep typing to find out. Ok, maybe not. Time to sleep!

Swap: ~ Amigurumi ~ RECEIVED

2009-02-23T22:39:00.004-05:00

I'd had a craptastic day, and came home to find a wonderful package waiting for me!

I got some cute little bento picks, origami paper and instructions for sea creatures

Cute little felt whale and dolphin mini clothespins

And a gorgeous whale!

A shot of her from above

A profile view

And her is her closeup and happy face!

Swap: ~ Amigurumi ~ SENT

2009-02-23T22:38:00.004-05:00

This swap required a crocheted item, stitched up in the amigurumi fashion. Amigurumi are basically dolls (and other creatures/animals) that are crocheted in single crochet and in a spiral.

I wanted to make a mermaid for my partner, but was not satisfied with any free patterns I found on the web. So I had to create my own.

Here she is, in all her glory!
Her hair is made from about 4 balls of eyelash yarn.

I had trouble with her fins, so I used a fin pattern from a well-known yarn company. (Link will be added later)

A close up of her head. That white thing is a shell

Here is a baby mermaid, again from a yarn company. (Link added later)

Sewing

2009-02-19T08:33:00.002-05:00

I had a fabulous messenger bag from the dollar store that lasted quite a few years. One of the seams finally gave out, and I was sad. So I carefully took out the rest of the seams, and used the bag to make a pattern for myself.

I have yet to cut out any pieces to sew anything together. Mostly because before I can do any sewing, I have to uncover my sewing table. At the moment, it's buried under a mountain of other projects and yarn. ::Sigh::

I swear I'm going to break the family clutter curse!!

Checks n' Cherries Needlebook

2008-12-16T10:53:00.003-05:00

Create this handy dandy little needlebook to store your needles while traveling!

Materials:

Felt
Bandanna or material of choice, a fat quarter will do fine
Ribbon of your choice
Chipboard (the board I used is a bit thinner than chipboard, but serves the same purpose)
Glue
Crochet thread or pearl cotton or all six strands of embroidery floss
Needle
Scissors or rotary cutter
Cutting mat and ruler

Dimensions:

Chipboard:
Cut 2 pieces - 2 1/2" by 3 1/2"
Cut 1 piece - 1/2" by 3 1/2"
Cut 1 piece - 1/2" by 2 3/4"

Felt Pages:
Cut 4 pieces - 3" by 5"
(mine are red)

Felt "Batting":
Cut 2 pieces - 2 1/4" by 3 1/4"
Cut 1 piece - 3/8" by 3 1/4"

Inside Felt Cover:
Cut 1 piece - 5 1/2" by 3 3/8"
(mine is green)

Decorative Ribbon:
Cut 2 pieces - 6 1/2" long

Let's Craft!!

Step 1

Glue the felt batting pieces to the 3 /12" long pieces of chipboard.

Try to center them as best as possible.

I'd like to take this time to note that while I'm fairly good with crafting and tutorial writing, you can see that my photography skills are still developing. I'll try to get some better pictures later :)

Step 2

Because I'm picky about certain things, I marked the center of the bandanna fabric as well as the center of the chipboard spine.

I then placed the covers about 1/8" from the spine, leaving a 3/8" border of fabric all around.

Step 3

If using bandanna material, do not glue the batted chipboard pieces directly to the fabric. I used Fabri-Tac and it seeped through, leaving unsightly dots.

Glue the corners first.

Now glue the top and bottom, then the sides. Take your time if you want nice, neat corners but it's not really necessary as they will be covered up by the felt for the inside cover.

Step 4

Using the 2 3/4" piece of chipboard, sew it to the felt pages and felt inside cover. Layer it in this order: chipboard, felt inside cover, then the felt pages. Try to keep your knots small because you don't want added bulk in the next step.

Here is a shot of the finished insides.

Steps 5

Glue about 1/2" of the ribbon to both covers

Step 6

Starting in the center, glue on the felt inside cover.

Step 7

Close the book to bring all the pages together in the center. Hold them together and trim all the pages to the same (or close to the same) length as shown below:

Finished!

(I know... I need to take a better picture)

"Debut" of The Fearless Crafter

2008-12-11T10:43:00.007-05:00

You may noticed some changes. I've decided to start a new year a bit early. It's been a few days since I came up with my moniker, and honestly cannot remember what sparked the idea.

Basically when I craft, I do it fearlessly. And without directions. That has the potential to be dangerous, and therefore makes me fearless. Ok, I did read the directions once when I started to do resin work but only because its chemicals.

A recent example: I'm learning to knit. My mother gave me all her needles, and that just tickled me pink. I couldn't let them just sit there, collecting dust. I very quickly learned that even though they don't appear to extremely sharp, they can still stick you. So I purchased little pink rubber slipper thingies for my needles while I travel. Problem solved.

I really want to get more bang for my crafting time, and hope to have more tutorials here.

Swap: OYP9 Christmas Edition RECEIVED

2008-12-09T16:08:00.007-05:00

I've been feeling a bit down lately, and receiving this package was a perfect pick-me-up!

I am in love with this snowman can! The colors are so much more vibrant in real life.

A gorgeous clear ornament that has "Winter Wonderland"

A darling wooden tree ornament, with glittered ornaments:

A cute little Santa pot filled with candy:

Sparkly glass charms::

A matching bracelet and earring set that makes me think of Jolly Rancher candy:

Swap: Once You Pop 9 - Christmas Edition SENT

2008-12-09T15:37:00.009-05:00

My partner's favorite Holiday color combos include red/green, blue/silver, and red/white. Her favorite Holiday motifs are woodsy, traditional, cute, snow (men,flakes), red/white (candy canes). I decided to go with woodsy and the red/white color combo.

The woodsy-country Santa can:

Polymer Clay Ornaments:

Beaded Icicles:

An advent calendar, a la Allsorts. This was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I also had a mishap with the ribbon between each pocket. I ran out of the original ribbon, which actually turned out to be a good thing because the new ribbon is a red and white gingham print. BTW, 9 feet of ribbon is not long enough for this project... I used almost 18 feet!

A crochet candy cane scarf, that did not want to be created in eyelash yarn so I used regular worsted weight:

I also adorned a black and silver frame with poly clay holly leaves and berries, but forgot to take a picture of it. I hope she is able to get a shot to share with me.

Stacy wants to know....

2008-11-20T15:58:00.004-05:00

ARE YOU A CRAFT WHORE?

You wake up with glitter on your face but you haven't crafted in weeks.
Check.

You can point out AT LEAST three glue gun burns on your body.
Dang. I only have one.

You don't throw away half of your trash because you might use that bottle, can or cork in a project.
Check

Each Christmas you convince yourself that you'll save money by giving handmade gifts, only to spend twice as much as you would have had you gone out and bought something nice. Worse yet, not only did you waste hours and hours making it but it looks like crap. You vow NEVER AGAIN... but you know you'll do the exact same thing next year.
Check

You have plans to bedazzle your computer monitor
I could bedazzle the ~~laptop~~ paperweight

You spend most your time at craft fairs either riddled with jealousy or muttering " I could make that."
Check

You get so overwhelmed with all the crafts you want to make you end up not making anything.
Check

Special Olympics Scarf

2008-11-20T14:19:00.003-05:00

Red Heart and Coats and Clark are sponsoring a project for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho. The plan is to give each athlete a knitted or crocheted scarf, made with Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Delft Blue and White.

Vicki Blizzard, media relations and special promotions director for Coats & Clark, only asks that the scarves be made with the Delft Blue (885) and White (331) Red Heart Super Saver yarn because these two colors match the Special Olympics logo

Join me in creating a scarf and sending well wishes to these wonderful athletes! Click here for more information.

My Birthday Christmas Wishlist!!!!

2008-11-03T08:24:00.000-05:00

Next up...

2008-10-30T09:48:00.003-04:00

Now that the Halloween swap is over, I can look forward to the Winter Holidays. I've joined another Pringles can swap. I was thinking of making the can look like a candy cane, since she likes them. But I'm picturing something that looks like a barber's pole... not the look I'm going for :D

I'm also going to hit a craft show or two with my mom, so we can make a few bucks. I'm looking for recipes that are quick, easy and good to eat (gotta test them before I sell them, right??). If you have any or know of a link with some great recipes, email me at krafter.kat@gmail.com (krafter dot kat at gmail dot com)

Terrorific Tuesday - Week 4

2008-10-28T08:07:00.000-04:00

This month has flown by as fast as a witch on her broom! Can you believe that Halloween is almost here?? Well, unfortunately this is the last Terrorific Tuesday of the year, so whip out that glue gun and scissors and get to work on one of these great ideas that will be sure to delight ghosts and goblins of all ages!

Spooky Jewels Katie Hacker strings this red and black set using a Fresh resin pendant, polka dots, and metal skulls.

Fangtastic figurines Retta a.k.a. Attercat breaks out the polymer clay and whips up some glow-in-the-dark figurines.

Cool canister Serena the Crafty Mom revamps a bargain bin canister into an awesome Halloween decoration!

Gothic Pink Melissa J. Lee explores the spooky side of one of her favorite pastel colors.

"Eye"gor pin cushion Kiki of Kiki's Craft World knits up this eye-catching pin cushion bracelet.

Stamped paper coffin Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping Guide at about.com folds and stamps up this little coffin box that Dracula would envy!

Fun party food ideas Amy at Living Locurto threw a Halloween party and came up with tons of great ideas for the food table including this adorable witch cake!

Double the goodness from Margot! The Impatient Crafter™’s final Terrorific Tuesday offering is a two part story of friendship, Goth Style. Here are links to see Morticia Invites Miss Havisham to Tea and The Invitation.

Spiderman pendant (but not the Spiderman you're thinking) Kim Ripley a.k.a. Stoopidgerl pours up a glittery sweet skull and crossbones resin necklace.

Quick & easy polka dot treat cups Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner shows you how to make quick and easy Halloween treat cups sure to wow your guests!

3 brand new Halloween jewelry projects! Tammy Powley, the Jewelry Guide at About.com does an all-nighter (almost) as she pushes for a few more Halloween jewelry projects, including a super cool sterling silver spider, a glass framed mixed-media Halloween-themed pendant, and to top it off, a silver headless skeleton charm.

Fast & Fun Halloween Boa Sarah E. White, About.com's Knitting Guide knits up this super cute boa perfect for those chilly fall nights!

Dia De Los Muertos Cigar Box Shrine Kathy Cano-Murillo a.k.a. The Crafty Chica honors the Day of the Dead with this beautiful shrine.

Happy Haunting Greeting Card Phyllis Dobbs treats us once again with this cute Halloween card, perfect for all your favorite goblins!

Gypsy Traditions Lorilyn Hurley of the Dream Life shares a touching story of her family's love for Halloween & their passion for playing dress up at their annual party!

More spooky pendants Rebecca Hull for HHH Enterprises does it again with these ultra fabulous pendants!

Boo Bucket Michelle McGee crafts up a spooky and scary bucket that will leave goose bumps on all your guests!

Vintage Postcard Banner
Kris Tuey aka: the Collage Contessa has made it official. Now you know exactly what time it is when you walk into her house. It's HALLOWEEN time! This vintage project using fun Halloween postcards is so simple you can even entice the kids to help as well!

Fall Wall Hanging
Kim of Sew Sugary Sweet stitches this wonderful and whimsical wall hanging for her Fall Swap partner

Terrorific Tuesday!!

2008-10-27T20:23:00.008-04:00

Eye see you!!

My friend Red and I went to a Halloween Bash this past weekend. I was a crazy seamstress and she was my dolly. A crazy seamstress needs a funky way to store her pins! It's based on the eyeball with nerve endings pattern, designed by Regina Rioux Gonzalez at Monster Crochet.

It's basically done in the round, which means a continuous spiral. I used a G hook, worsted weight yarn in black, blue and white. Here are my modifications.

Rnd 1 - Start with black in the magic circle. (6)
Rnd 2 - Join blue. 2sc in each stitch around. (12)
Rnd 3 - Sc in next stitch, then 2sc in next stitch. Continue around (18)
Rnd 4 - Join white. Sc in next 2 stitches, then 2sc in next stitch. Continue around (24).
Rnd 5 - Sc in next 3 stitches, then 2sc in next stitch. Continue around (30).
Rnd 6 - Sc in next 4 stitches, then 2sc in next stitch. Continue around (36).
Rnd 7 through 13 - Sc in each stitch around.
Rnd 14 - Sc 2 stitches tog. Sc in next 4. (30)
Rnd 15 - Sc 2 stitches tog. Sc in next 3. (24)
Rnd 16 - Sc 2 stitches tog. Sc in next 2. (18)
Rnd 17 - Sc 2 stitches tog. Sc in next 1. (12)
Rnd 18 - Sc 2 stitches tog. (6)

Leave a long tail so that you can attach your elastic wrist band. I just cut a piece of elastic to fit my wrist and used a few stitches to attach the ends.

(I didn't have time to stitch on the nerve endings, so I used a red marker to draw them on)

For her hair, I cut lengths of various yarns and randomly tied them to hair elastics. I just wore a funky house dress, with a few scraps of material sewn on randomly and a really bad wig. Her apron is made from a little kids cape, with an added piece of red fleece for the strings.

Terrorific Tuesday - Week 3

2008-10-21T09:26:00.001-04:00

Another week has gone in October and you know what that means! It's Terrorific Tuesday! This week, we are featuring 20! fabulous projects and inspirations! This roundup features jewelry, scrapbooking, party ideas, knitting, sewing projects, mixed media art, photography, and so much more! So sit a spell (or cast one) and enjoy this hearty helping of haunting Halloween projects!

Furry Monster Bucket Kiki of Kiki's Craft World shows how to make a clever project that you'll have to keep an eye on!

Hooty the Hoot Owl Retro Jewelry Set Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter tried her patience making a paper crafted jewelry set for this week's Terrorific Tuesday.

Mini Pumpkin Quilt Phyllis Dobbs shares a spectacularly whimsical quilt!

Sugary Sweet Skull Coasters Stoopidgerl makes some awesome resin coasters packed with candy, rainbows, and skulls!

Halloween Party Pics/Picks Swelldesigner a.k.a. Alexa Westerfield gets nostalgic with cupcake pics inspired by Halloween's of yesteryear.

Witch’s Hat Pin Tammy Powley of About.com has a super simple witch’s hat pin project for you that is so quick you’ll want to make up lots of these to give to other Halloween witch’s.

Witchy Woman Angela of Angela’s Art Diary gets in the spirit when she puts herself in her own bewitched portrait!

Fairy Witch Frame Lorilyn Hurley of the Dream Life piles on the glitter and vintage charm in this inspired frame.

Spooky and Kooky photos Chris Garris a.k.a. Universal Stopping point puts his photography skills to the test and creates a set of haunting images to get you inspired.

Halloween Charm Bracelet Jean Yates charms us with this gothic and glam skull bracelet.

Easy Dia de Los Muertos Story Box Kathy Cano-Murillo a.k.a. Craft Chica uses toys, a mini box, and lots of glitter to tell a beautiful tale.

Double Skully Bracelet Melissa J. Lee creates this red and black dazzler strung with double the skull goodness!

Bootiful Belt Buckles Rebecca Hull at HHH Enterprises makes an awesome Halloween accessory out of ordinary belt buckles!

Knitted Ghost Sarah E. White whips up this little ghost, perfect for haunting your house!

Spooky Photoshop Tutorial Amy Locurto of Living Locurto shows you how to create your own Photoshop still life to use on a custom invite!

Pumpkin Scrapbook Pages Michelle McGee scraps up some adorable memories of her little pumpkin!

Wicked Witch Brenda Pinnick's witch is a bit scary, a bit fun andoh so colorful. She is made using heavy weight watercolor paper and acrylic paint. The paper sculpture techniques bring this gal to life!

Rubber Stamp a Luminary Kate Pullen
shows you how to use your rubber stamps to create a paper bag luminary
for Halloween on her About.com Rubber
Stamping Blog.

Fall Owl Pillow Kim of Sew Sugary Sweet gives a hoot with this cute owl pillow perfect for fall!

Silhouetted Paper Lanterns Robin of Urban Debris gets super spooky with vintage paper lantern patterns.

Terrorific Tuesday - Week 3

2008-10-19T22:44:00.003-04:00

It's that time of the week again!!

This is a project that I've had in mind for awhile, and I've just gotten around to it. It's based on this project by fellow Craftster member callakat. I actually did make a wreath using the same fun fur and colored ping pong balls used on Mr Monsterhead here.

After searching high and low for the large orange ping pong ball and my glue gun, I started with a plain old halloween pumpkin bucket that you can pick up for less than $2. I tried to fashion a pattern with newspaper, but it was horrible. I used the newspaper "pattern" to cut out the fun fur to the approximate size I would need to cover the pumpkin. Then I cut several slits along the top and bottom length to accommodate for the roundness.

Thanks to Margot Potter and her special guest Jenny Harada for the tip on how to cut fun fur. Some of it still gets loose, but not like the first time where it looked like I had shave a maroon cat!

Just for fun

2008-10-17T09:00:00.004-04:00

What Your Handbag Says About You

You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace.

You are open and comfortable with who you are. You don't hide anything.

You are a very creative person. Your life tends to be a whirlwind, but you always seem to pull it together.

You are a very unique and special person. There's no one else who is anything like you.

What Does Your Handbag Say About You?

Terrorific Tuesday!!

2008-10-14T08:09:00.005-04:00

It's back!!!! It's the second official post of Terrorific Tuesday! The following very fantastic crafters have brewed up some great projects and want to share them with you. The pics above are in order with the links below, so sit a "spell" and peruse the links or get out your glue gun and scissors and join in on the party!

Amy Locurto paints & constructs a marvelous Minnie Mouse pumpkin that's simply adorable.

Rebecca Hull at HHH Enterprises crafts up some spooky "Itsy Bitsy Spider" & "Murder at Midnight" Pendants that are absolutely terrorific! Be inspired to make your own pendant using your favorite Halloween image.

Lori-Lyn Hurley of the Dream Life makes a quick and easy craft by turning plain jars into spooky accents!

Tammy Powley, the jewelry guide at about.com, wears these fun spider earrings every year around this time. Seed beads, a few crystals, and craft wire are all you need to make a pair of your own.

Phyllis Dobbs haunts us with an adorable gift bag using Brenda Pinnick's Sizzix dies.

Kate Pullen, the Rubber Stamping guide at about.com, does a Halloween spin on a fun & classic craft – the paper chain!

Sarah E. White, the knitting guide at about.com, shares with us knitted jack-o-lantern bag that’s a real treat!

Braaaiiinnssss!!!! Kiki of Kiki's Craft World crafts up a cute brain slug hair accessory!

Marice Rodriguez gets carded with this totally cute Jeepers Creepers card!

Margot Potter, The Impatient Crafter™,offers this seasonally appropos and simple to recreate 'Runs with Scissors' charm bracelet. For those who know the hazards of crafting far too well and yet continue to play with sharp objects, toxic substances and messy paints and inks, this one's for you!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner shows you how to become a living masterpiece. She creates a costume from an artist canvas.

Kris Tuey a.k.a. the Collage Contessa gets her spookiness on with a Skeleton House Frame and oodles of glitter!

Brenda Pinnick's three happy little ghosts have figured out how to spell "Boo!" . Her Halloween greeting card is made with her own clear stamp set available from Sizzix and her papers, available on QVC.

Melissa J. Lee gets bit by a passion for vampires with this simple fanged Bite Me necklace.

If you'd like to participate next week, please read more about it here. It's open to all bloggers out there who want to join in!

Swap: Once You Pop Round 8 - Halloween Edition SENT

2008-10-13T16:04:00.010-04:00

The objective of this swap was to fill a Pringles can with homemade Halloween goodies.

I sent last week, and as far as I know, my partner got it. Here it is, in all it's Pringles glory!

The Pringles can. My partner likes Egyptian mummies, and I created this using cheesecloth, Mod Podge and those flat backed glass marbles used in planters and fish tanks. (Don't worry, they're clean!) I used two large round ones for the eyes, and an oblong oval one for the nose. Now that I think of it, it looks like I mummified Gonzo from the Muppets...

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

4 polymer clay pirate coins. My partner also likes pirates. What's a pirate without a few coins?

A polymer scarab. I got the directions from Polymer Cafe Magazine.

Barry the Bat (could be used as an ornament). Pattern

A Futurama Brain Slug, made from this pattern.

The bottom of Brain Slug. It's a hair accessory!!

A knit scarf, made of Lion Brand Incredible yarn.

I was so very tempted to keep this last piece for myself (but I didn't)! Drum roll, please! My personal favorite piece of this swap:

A polymer covered altoid tin!!

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

I covered the tin with polymer clay, black on top and red on the bottom. Then a jolly roger skull and crossbones. I used the new Sculpey Studio Bake & Bond to adhere glitter for the eyes since I didn't have any gems small enough. I used the gems I did have to create the eye sockets. Then put a thin coat of the Bake & Bond and very carefully added the glitter. As you can see, not all the glitter made it in the eye sockets.

Crafty Lesson Learned:
If you're going to use glitter with Bake & Bond, make sure you bake it right away!! My jolly roger skull has a slight case of red eye because I let it sit for a day before baking.

For the inside, I used a leftover piece of black fleece scarf to line the bottom and sides. For the lid, I cut a piece of plain white paper to fit. I then printed a pirate map from a graphic I found online. I found a section of the map that I liked, and cut it to fit the lid. I then ripped pieces off, and used a black stamp pad (I didn't have brown) to make the edges look burned. I even tore a little hole and inked the edge of that as well. I added a printed compass and the letter N, as well as the phrase "A pirate's life for me"

Halloween Decorations

2008-10-10T09:08:00.005-04:00

I love Halloween, and hopefully this year I can get the yard done before Halloween. We bought a graveyard "kit" for the yard. I also want to get one of those jars with the eyes in it, you just add water and they float.

Last year, I stuffed a pair of old jeans and flannel shirt with newspaper and stuck a plastic skull on it. His name is George and he sits in the yard, keeping watch. (We all kept wondering who was in the yard all last October). I have a motion sensitive skeleton that talks. His name is Bonesy and he sometimes asks for a glass of water.

I think I might even do a giant spiderweb. I have plenty of yarn, and can't see spending $5 on something I can make myself. I'm really digging the climbing skeletons. One friend made grave stones made out of sheets of styrofoam insulation. I'm going to try that this year.

I definitely know what I'm doing for next Halloween!
Werewolf Head

Other Halloween Decorations from Instructables

Terrorific Tuesday - Week 2

2008-10-09T13:20:00.010-04:00

Here is my submission for week 2 of Terrorific Tuesday.

It's a brain slug that I crocheted using TLC Essentials Light Celery. I used this pattern, but created my own antennae for it.
(mini-pattern time!!)

I used a size G hook for both the body and the antennae.

Working in a spiral, start with the beady end of the antennae.
Start with a magic circle (4 sc)
2 sc in each sc (8 sc)
Sc2tog (4 sc)

At this point, I then cut two pieces of 24 gauge wire in equal lengths. I folded each in half and placed it in the beady end. I stuffed the end a bit, then continued with the stem.

Sc in each around for as long as you want the antennae. I think I made the stem about 1 1/2" long, about 10 or 11 rows. FO.

I used a piece of felt for the eye, and a safety eye. Attach a hair clip, and you can wear your brain slug proudly!

Terrorific Tuesday - week 1

2008-10-06T09:19:00.006-04:00

You've got to check it out! Terrorific Tuesday is a great idea presented to us by Alexa, the Swell Designer.

The first week turned out some awesome projects!

Melissa J. Lee's Once in a Blue Moon necklace is gorgeous! It's perfect for a night out on the town with the ghouls! I really like the blue bead used to signify the moon.

Head over to About.com, and visit Sarah E. White at the Knitting blog. There are some totally wicked patterns like a ghost, a textured washcloth and a pumpkin bag!

Alexa Westerfield shows us her eye for design with googly eyes! I love the frame, choker and headband. Wearing that headband will show that I not only have eyes in the back of my head, but on top too!!

A sweet Trick-or-Treat candy pot, made out of a terra cotta pot is sure to please kids of all ages in Phyllis Dobbs' neighborhood!

I've been dying for a machine like Sizzix! Those lovely cards made by Brenda Pinnick have swept me off my feet!

What's better than Frankenstein? A glittery one! Marice Rodriguez put together this cute card, full of glittery goodness!

Jewelry maven Tammy Powley from About.com shows off her boo-tiful Halloween resin cabochons. She gives great ideas how to use them on the Jewelry blog.

Kate Pullen lights up my day with her stamped Halloween Candle. Who knew rubber stamping could be so versatile? Check it out at her About.com Rubber Stamping blog.

I've been ensnared by the beauty of Margot Potter's Crystal Web necklace! Swarovski's are a girls best fiend!

Flyin' high, with hauntingly good wishes from Lorilyn Hurley. Why can't I find vintage images?!

A wonderful wall hanging is sure to cheer up any grouch that comes to Christina Tuey's door! The Collage Contessa shows off her skills with this wonderful collage.

Links!

2008-09-04T13:49:00.003-04:00

Hyperlink
Two of the things on Earth that I absolutely adore: Technology and Plastic Canvas. Plastic canvas stitchers are going to love this sculpture! As featured on Craft:, Ben Fino-Radin creates tech objects out of yarn!

Colorful Expletives - Take 2

2008-09-03T22:21:00.003-04:00

After the debacle with the embossing gun and shrink plastic, I busted out the toaster oven. Only one slight problem - I couldn't find my package with the directions for baking it. Thank heavens for Google!

It started out at about 4 inches long, then shrunk down to about 2 inches long. Now to add a chain and clasp, and it's good to go!

I was doing some extra doodling on the plastic, so I baked these little circles with Leo and Aries symbols on them for me and Baby Girl. The words are written in silver sharpie, which is a bit hard to see in any of the pics I took.

Colorful Expletives

2008-08-28T20:55:00.008-04:00

I pulled some back muscles on Sunday. It still hurts today. I twittered about how it was raining, and I was stuck at the store without an umbrella. Margot Potter thought it was a good time for a juicy expletive. I like to use a string of colorful ones, because one is never enough for me.

That inspired me to make a pendant out of shrink plastic stuff. The plan was perfect. I have a bunch of pretty gel pens and sharpie markers. I created my design. Then, being lazy, I decided to use my heat gun instead of a toaster oven or regular oven. Heck, my back hurts. Why bother with the oven?

Crafty Lesson Learned:
Yes, a heat gun works on shrink plastic. Just a small piece. Like less than 6 inches long. Anything longer turns into something out of a sci-fi movie.

Back to the drawing board... Oh, and gel pens aren't exactly what I'd call permanent on shrink plastic.

Party Gals!!

2008-08-18T11:09:00.003-04:00

I went to an adult themed party on Saturday, held at Dollie Jo's house. She is a distributor of such items now and did a great job of selling them!

But that's not what I'm here to blog about. I have this really bad habit of saying that I will make stuff for people, and then get sidetracked either with life or swaps. Bad Kiki!

Here's my list of things that I said I would make for people:
Sock monkey for Bank Lady. She's been waiting for about 2 years for it.
Stuffed mouse, coffee sleeve, and a surprise for Rockabilly Red.
Stuffed mouse, crocheted cupcake purse and a surprise for Dollie Jo.
A bracelet for Baby girl (I think that's all she wants - for now)

Hey, this list is shorter than I thought! If I've forgotten you, let me know. :)

Once you POP!!

2008-08-14T16:13:00.002-04:00

I joined another swap, this one based on a Pringles can. I figured out why the slogan is "Once you pop..." It's because once you rip off that foil stuff, the dang lid wont stay on!!!

Sweet Cherry Necklace

2008-08-13T20:44:00.009-04:00

Baby Girl was making some simple bracelets, and I got the crafty itch. Here's what I made:

I used two red, wooden beads. 2 glass leaf shaped beads. 24- and 14-gauge wire, and chain. It hangs slightly crooked, but that's okay. I'm the one wearing this creation.

Wild Adventures in the Yard!

2008-08-13T20:38:00.000-04:00

Baby Girl and I were sitting outside last night with my laptop, just surfing the Net. She went in around 11 or so, leaving me alone. It could have become disastrous. I'm happily typing away, minding my own business. I see something out of the corner of my eye. It's a good thing I didn't make any sudden moves because it was a SKUNK!!! About 5 feet away from me!

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!"

My patio chairs make a horrible scraping noise on the concrete whenever we move them. I grabbed one, and moved it ever so slightly. My little friend started to run away. But he didnt go very far. He ran about another foot, then turned to face me.

"OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!"

He turned away from me. I certainly did NOT like the business end of a skunk pointed at me. Luckily, he continued to run away from me. As soon as I saw his tail further down the driveway, I grabbed my stuff and high-tailed it into the house as fast as my legs could carry me!

Swap: Craft My Wists Summer 2008 Swap SENT

2008-08-11T10:36:00.005-04:00

This theme was based on Wists. For those of you unfamiliar with Wists, it is basically a place online where you can "store" a visual wish list! It's a great thing.

We each had to pick about 10 items that we really would like to have crafted for us from our Wist. We had to send a total of 6 points, based on size, time spent crafting or money spent to craft the item. I chose my points based on length of time spent. Here are the items I crafted for her:

A wire butterfly, based on this

The celtic design, based on this

Hand painted Fabric napkins, based on this

I had a lot of fun creating that wire butterfly. I definitely learned to wear gloves when working with that much wire. I might even try to make a smaller one, to make a pendant out of it.

Christian the Lion

2008-07-31T18:06:00.001-04:00

With all that's wrong with this world, here is a nice thing to see. It doesn't even matter if it's true, it's still nice to watch.
If only everyone cared about the animals like this. And each other.

P - A - R - T - Y? Cuz I gotta!

2008-07-25T21:23:00.003-04:00

So a few weeks ago, Baby Girl and I made about 50 invitations for Boy's graduation party. (I'll scan one for here later).

Only 70 of our closest friends and family are going to be here. I didn't know we knew that many people! Tons of food, cleaning and hoping that it wont thunderstorm goin' on! I'm tired just thinking about it.

In the meantime, focus your ocular orbits over here for some gorgeous artwork!

Margot Potter on You-Tube!!

2008-07-15T17:35:00.004-04:00

Lovely Margot shows us how to make a fab necklace!

Margot Potter on You-Tube!!

2008-06-19T18:14:00.005-04:00

Crafty Margot shows us how to make pendants that are Frenchy!!

My Junk Movie and Lessons Learned

2008-06-11T22:41:00.001-04:00

Lesson 1:
Don't make a video outside while it's getting dark.

Lesson 2:
Have a point to the video. Otherwise you look like a dork that can count to three.

Lesson 3:
Get a good camera. I used the built-in web cam on my laptop.

Life

2008-06-08T21:45:00.001-04:00

I made Baby girl cry last night. I was outside with the laptop, watching craft videos online. She asked if she could watch too, and I said sure. So I was telling her about how I want to have my own craft business and the ladies who made those videos were inspiring to me.

She said she could picture me having my own business, but that my stuff would totally be different from theirs because I'm not that girly.I explained that I used to be more girly.

I used to wear skirts, jewelry and makeup. I used to get my nails done. Somewhere along the line, I stopped doing all that. I'm not even sure when or why I stopped. She thought that maybe I stopped after they were born because I didn't have time or just stopped caring, but that's not the case. I told her that lately, I don't feel like I know who I am, and that I feel a bit lost. That made me think of this:

I told her that the first time I saw this, it just... clicked. It felt right to read that. It made sense. Then she started crying and she didn't even know why. She's such a sensitive girl.

Margot Potter on You-Tube!

2008-05-29T20:22:00.003-04:00

A crafty video by a crafty Lady! It's sock monkey approved!

Jennifer Perkins Video

2008-05-15T18:51:00.000-04:00

I want a bracelet like the one Jennifer Perkins made! (watch her video, it's awesome!) I went and bought resin to make one, but have been too chicken!

No Bones About It!!

2008-05-13T10:56:00.026-04:00

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

I created this lamp for a crafty challenge on another site, but it was something that I've been puzzling out for a while.

I was inspired by this and this (can't see those pics though....)

*** Safety First!!! ***
and Disclaimer

I'm not sure how true this is, but it is possible that x-rays emit fumes that can be hazardous to your health. It might have something to do with the composition of the film paper. MRI, CT, X-rays are all printed on same paper and may contain trace amounts of silver which can be dangerous to touch as well, but that could just be in large amounts. So don't go licking the films.

If you are wary of such things, then don't make this lamp!!

*** End Safety Note ***

Let's Craft!!!

The total time it takes to do this project does not include the overnight drying time of the glue and paint.

Supplies:

• 4 Wooden frames (got mine at the dollar store)
• 2 3/8" square wooden dowels, cut into pieces to match the length of the longest side of the frame (mine were about 12" long)
• 4 3/8" eye hooks
• 1 Bottle Lamp Kit (hardware store trip!!)
• 1 Finial
• 1 8" lamp harp
• Wood glue
• Wire (I used wire that my dad had on hand, not sure what type or size)

Instructions!
	Start by removing the glass and cardboard backing from the frames. Measure the long side of the frame and cut the dowels to that size. Glue one dowel to one frame with wood glue. Do the same for the other 3 frames and pieces of dowel.
	Clamp for 30 minutes, and then let dry overnight.
	While the frames are drying, use on of the glass pieces from a frame as a guide to cut your image down to size. With her permission, I used my mom's MRI images. Also make sure a plain white sheet of paper is the same size as the glass.
	Now that your frame pieces are dry, start gluing them together to form a box. Clamp for 30 minutes, then let dry overnight. I painted the dowels and the outside of the frame box black. Let the paint dry overnight.
	You now have a box. Here comes the harder part. How to hang it on the lamp harp. Take an eye hook and screw it into the frame, I put mine about 3 or 4 inches from the top. I picked the same spot in each corner, so that there is one eye hook in each frame.
	Take a piece of wire and lay it across your box diagonally. Make sure to have about 2 or 3 inches extra on each end. I used a heavy gauge annealed binding wire that my dad gave me. I think you could probably use bailing wire.
	Fold the wire in half to find the middle. Make a loop to fit around the screw on top of the lamp harp.
	Bend the extra 2 or 3 inches of the wire down, so that you can put it in the eye hooks. You want to hang the wire diagonally across the box.
	You want to try and get the loop in the center, so that your shade will hang evenly. You might have to fiddle with it a bit.
	When I put the images back into the frame, I also used the glass. So here is how the items go into the frame: MRI image, paper, glass. Put the shade on the lamp harp, add the finial and you have a lamp!

100 Themes ATC Personal Challenge

2008-01-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

One crafter was looking for inspiration for ATCs.

Here is the original post:
100 themes challenge/idea/ATC-along

Her idea has grown wings! Check out the 100 Themes Gallery! I will post my entries (and links) as I finish them. Newest ones are listed at the top of the list.

Challenge # - Challenge name (the name of my entry)

#2 - Love (Shoe Love)

#8 - Innocence (Innocence)

#31 - Flowers (April Showers & May Flowers)
Not available

City Girl Cap

2007-09-16T16:10:00.000-04:00

Pattern here

My rendition:

And now for something really weird...

2007-07-31T11:03:00.000-04:00

Cat Hair Toys

Jelly!!

2007-07-30T15:02:00.000-04:00

He's back home now! I can't wait to get home and see what he's been up to!

Simpsons Trophy

2007-07-27T09:26:00.000-04:00

This is the coolest thing I have seen today!! A D'oh-nut Trophy!!

Swap: Craftster/FOC Pride Swap SENT

2007-07-09T22:40:00.004-04:00

A messenger type bag with FOC (Friends Of Craftster)

It's reversible!!

A matching Pouch (not reversible)

A coffee cozy with FOC in white

and pink

Swap: Eddie Izzard Round 2 Swap SENT

2007-07-09T22:21:00.007-04:00

Do you like.... bread?

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

What's more surprising than a messenger bag for the First Battalion Transvestite Brigade?

I am an Evil Giraffe. I am going to eat all the leaves.
Do you have a flag?

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

Black Crowned Night Heron

2007-06-28T10:07:00.001-04:00

I went out walking the other day and saw a black crowned night heron. I've never seen this bird before! Isn't he gorgeous?

YAY!! Craftster!!

2007-06-24T13:22:00.000-04:00

My favorite craft website now has 100,000 members!!

One member wrote "An Ode to Craftster"

Thank you Leah, all the mods, Friends of Craftster, and members for making Craftster as wonderful as it can be!

Swap: Cat Lovers Swap 4 RECEIVED

2007-06-23T22:23:00.003-04:00

Thank you TheCraftyCat! I cant knit, so I LOVE it all!!

Two knitted catnip toys:

A knitted dishcloth (can you see the cat on it?)

A cross stitched placemat:

Dusty with a toy (he liked the way it smelled, but was more interested in me and the camera):

Swap: Cat Lovers Swap 4 SENT

2007-06-23T22:08:00.003-04:00

This one was a bit of a challenge - my partner does not have any furbabies!! But she does have a ton of cat themed items at her house.

Cat Paw Tshirt Front:

Tshirt Back:

Baby Blue amigurumi cat:

Cat Paw Polymer Clay Mirror: (I am not happy with the way this turned out, so I am going to redo it and send it to her. Along with the few store bought items I forgot to send the first time!)

Cat Keychain:

Swap: Little Visitor Swap 6 SENT

2007-06-07T21:29:00.004-04:00

This one was actually my fourth swap, but also the longest.

Remember Jelly? Well, he was created for this swap. Here's the concept: Exchange stuffies for a pre-determined length of time. Take your visiting stuffy around town and take pictures, like you would a human visitor. Then make a scrapbook.

My visitor was a cute little giraffe named Sofie. (her site isn't quite finished) Sofie started her journey home today, so when I know she has made it okay I will post the finished scrapbook here. (It's my first scrapbook!)

Here is Sofie, just before we went to the post office. She is wearing a necklace that I made for her in her favorite colors (green and purple). We saw belly dancers at the local art gallery, and she wants to take classes. She is wearing "scarves" with bells on them. She sounds just like a bely dancer!!

Edit: Sofie made it home safely!

Scrapbook

Goodies I sent with her:

Swap: I <3 Tea/Coffee/Tea Swap Round 4 RECEIVED

2007-05-30T21:31:00.003-04:00

Thank you dragonsmuse!!! I love it all!!

Loot altogether:

Way cool dragon teapot:

Monster Cup Cozy:

Recipe box:

Recipes:

Different teas in Hello Kitty Bags:

Space shaped soaps:

Tea Bag Stuffie:

Swap: I <3 Tea/Coffee/Cocoa Swap Round 4 SENT

2007-05-21T18:16:00.005-04:00

I love coffee. And tea. And cocoa. And crafting.

Did I mention I love coffee?

I had to make 2 medium items and 3 small items. Ready for some killer beverage goodness?

Killer Coffee T-shirt

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

Pacman Coasters

Jazzy Java Jacket

Crocheted Skull Trivet

Polymer Clay Photo Holder

An Original Fearless Crafter Project

Recipe Booklet and 1/2 lb of german chocolate cake flavored coffee

Less Craftiness :-(

2007-05-21T18:15:00.001-04:00

I have decided to go back to school for a degree in Criminal Justice. Since I also work full time, this means less time for crafting.

That makes me sad.

But, I bet I'll be the only CSI with my own crocheted kit cozy!!

Swap: Goth Swap RECEIVED

2007-05-18T09:14:00.003-04:00

WOW!!! zkitten is AWESOME!! I bow to her crafty skills!!

I LOVE EVERYTHING!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Here is a group shot

A gorgeous crochet hook holder

Detail on the holder

Two sets of salt & pepper shakers (I collect them!)

A rose set, with pink and blue roses.

The other set is skulls on the front, and the words Salt and Pepper on the back. the "a" in Salt and the lowercase "p" in Pepper have skulls (again, with a better close up)

There are four sets of barrettes.

Two spider pins. One is black, with silver stars all over her. The other is purple. They both have looooooooong beaded legs.

It's my very own All Seeing Eye necklace!!!