A fun Second Life necklace

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

Angry Face Doll

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

She's comin' to a head!

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

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.

Working on crochet hair.

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 Polymer Clay

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.

Swap: ~ Amigurumi ~ SENT

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)

Checks n' Cherries Needlebook

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)

Swap: Once You Pop Round 8 - Halloween Edition SENT

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"

Sweet Cherry Necklace

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.

No Bones About It!!

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!