It's Terrorific Tuesday Link time!

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

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

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

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

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

7 foot tall sunflower in the garden

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

Didgeridoos, also located at World Bazaar.

Dolphin wall decor I like it. Yeah, I do

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.

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.

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

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

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

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...

Some friendly advice

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

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!

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.

Hair we go again

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.

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

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.