February 18-22 - Assorted projects
Although I managed to create something each night, I didn't manage to post! Monday was a picture collage of a friend, Tuesday was a quilled fish, Wednesday was a comic that I glued to a page and stamped a phrase above, and Thursday was learning to knit. Friday, I was getting sick, and I took a picture of Blink!
Collage made from a scrapbooking kit and pictures from magazines/catalogs.
Today we replaced our oven and venthood in the kitchen. That's more than enough for me!
Someone posted a template for a small paper box for candy. I printed it out, but didn't have a chance to get to do it for Valentine's Day - next year, maybe!
I have to say, this heart looked far cooler on the tutorial. For my first try, though, it's not so bad. I also cooked dinner tonight, and prepped flowers in vases.
I put together valentines for work! (I also stayed really late at work and put together the books for the accountant, which is why I didn't have a chance to do something more than put these together!)
I wrote a letter to a friend today, but it wasn't particularly crafty or pretty, so I also made some pipecleaner hearts! I'll use these as table decorations for tomorrow night.
Today I simply didn’t want to do anything. it’s a really hard week at work, blah blah. However, part of this exercise for me is to do stuff even when I don’t feel like it - that’s how writers get through writers block, right?
So I took some stickers that I had for inanimate objects, and used them in the kitchen. The last one is my favorite!
Friday night was a bag for my niece. I try to always send her little presents for holidays. She's 7.
Saturday, I made a mizuhiki knot from the mizuhiki cord that finally arrived.
Sunday, I attempted to learn more crochet stitches.
I started out clipping pictures from a couple of catalogs, thinking I would make a collage. But then, I decided that I needed a box! So I used Modge Podge (for the first time) and glued some paper to this box. I think I'd like to add some trimmings, and I still need to work on the inside. I put all of the pictures on the inside that I clipped from the magazines, and will likely collage them on a different day.
I threw this together this morning - pipe cleaner octopus!
Again, with the Klutz books. Today, it's crochet! I turned a skein of yarn into a ball of yarn, and learned the single crochet stitch. sort of. By the end of the week, I hope to be able to crochet something!
Today I took out the Klutz quilling book that I got for Christmas year before last, and turned to one of the projects. I've been interested in quilling for a couple of years, but wanted a simple way to get started and see how I liked it - thus, the Klutz book. The project I chose was the octopus - I could have added googly eyes, but decided to leave it as it was. I can see quilling being the perfect embellishment to a card.
More of the advent box. I did put another coat of white gesso on it - two, in fact. Then I added the first coat of silver paint on the top, back, and sides. I think it will take at least two coats of that, as well, and then I'll have to add the numbers and the stencilling. This has turned out to be more complex than I anticipated, and has given me a new respect for handpainted objects. It's possible that I didn't choose the right kind of paint - anyone have any suggestions?
I'll give this one up for the week - it's too time intensive to do after work. I may set it aside, or work on it more next weekend.
After Christmas, I picked up the advent box at Target on clearance. I love the idea of an advent box, but I didn't really like the colors of this one, so I thought I would simply rework it before the holidays.
Materials -
1 advent box
White gesso paint
Paintbrushes
My intention is to paint this silver with gold "trim". In order to do that, I first needed to paint it white. This is with 3 coats of the white gesso, letting it dry in-between each one. I hope that the silver will not show the unevenness of the white - if it does, I'll have to do another white coat before I paint it silver. I tested a coat of the silver on the bottom of the box, and am currently letting it dry, to see what it looks like.
I tried to pick something that I thought would be simple and not take much time for the first day. My first lesson was not to make assumptions!
Materials -
1 100% cotton tshirt
1 Tulip Iron-on applique
1 iron
1 presscloth
I found that the applique did not stay very well, nor did the backing peel off very easily once you had ironed it. I wound up ironing it twice and letting it cool, and then flipping it inside out, ironing it again, and letting it cool completely. I'm not entirely unhappy with the product, but I may get some fabric paint and paint in the spaces between the applique and around the edges to seal the applique to the fabric, as it has a tendency to separate from it. I made sure that I ironed it for the recommended amount of time, with a dry iron.
Upon final review, the applique moved around when I flipped the shirt inside out. I may be able to peel it off and salvage part of it to use in another design, but I'm overall disappointed with the product.
I came across a blog post about Thing-A-Day 2 several weeks ago, and thought it would be a fabulous idea. I love crafting, and haven't really done much in a few years. I'm looking forward to this opportunity to immerse myself in creativity again.
The goal of Thing-A-Day is to do one thing a day. My thing a day likely won't be a masterpiece. It might not even be a new craft. But it will be one project a day, or a piece of a larger project in a day. Crafting and art are pieces of myself that I want to reclaim, and I think this will be an excellent start. I'll try to post my progess daily on this blog, as well as the Thing-A-Day blog.
Although I managed to create something each night, I didn't manage to post! Monday was a picture collage of a friend, Tuesday was a quilled fish, Wednesday was a comic that I glued to a page and stamped a phrase above, and Thursday was learning to knit. Friday, I was getting sick, and I took a picture of Blink!
Posted 2/23/08
February 17 - CollageCollage made from a scrapbooking kit and pictures from magazines/catalogs.
Posted 2/17/08
February 16 - OvenToday we replaced our oven and venthood in the kitchen. That's more than enough for me!
Posted 2/17/08
February 15 - Paper boxSomeone posted a template for a small paper box for candy. I printed it out, but didn't have a chance to get to do it for Valentine's Day - next year, maybe!
Posted 2/16/08
February 14 - Mizuhiki heartI have to say, this heart looked far cooler on the tutorial. For my first try, though, it's not so bad. I also cooked dinner tonight, and prepped flowers in vases.
Posted 2/16/08
February 13 - I put together valentines for work! (I also stayed really late at work and put together the books for the accountant, which is why I didn't have a chance to do something more than put these together!)
Posted 2/16/08
February 12 - Pipecleaner hearts!I wrote a letter to a friend today, but it wasn't particularly crafty or pretty, so I also made some pipecleaner hearts! I'll use these as table decorations for tomorrow night.
Posted 2/16/08
February 11 - Inanimate objectsToday I simply didn’t want to do anything. it’s a really hard week at work, blah blah. However, part of this exercise for me is to do stuff even when I don’t feel like it - that’s how writers get through writers block, right?
So I took some stickers that I had for inanimate objects, and used them in the kitchen. The last one is my favorite!
Posted 2/16/08
February 8, 9, 10 - Random projectsFriday night was a bag for my niece. I try to always send her little presents for holidays. She's 7.
Saturday, I made a mizuhiki knot from the mizuhiki cord that finally arrived.
Sunday, I attempted to learn more crochet stitches.
Posted 2/16/08
February 7 - Box of inspirationI started out clipping pictures from a couple of catalogs, thinking I would make a collage. But then, I decided that I needed a box! So I used Modge Podge (for the first time) and glued some paper to this box. I think I'd like to add some trimmings, and I still need to work on the inside. I put all of the pictures on the inside that I clipped from the magazines, and will likely collage them on a different day.
Posted 2/05/08
February 6 - Pipe cleaner octopusI threw this together this morning - pipe cleaner octopus!
Posted 2/05/08
February 5 - Introduction to CrochetAgain, with the Klutz books. Today, it's crochet! I turned a skein of yarn into a ball of yarn, and learned the single crochet stitch. sort of. By the end of the week, I hope to be able to crochet something!
Posted 2/05/08
February 4 - Introduction to QuillingToday I took out the Klutz quilling book that I got for Christmas year before last, and turned to one of the projects. I've been interested in quilling for a couple of years, but wanted a simple way to get started and see how I liked it - thus, the Klutz book. The project I chose was the octopus - I could have added googly eyes, but decided to leave it as it was. I can see quilling being the perfect embellishment to a card.
Posted 2/04/08
February 3 - Repainting of Advent Box, Part IIMore of the advent box. I did put another coat of white gesso on it - two, in fact. Then I added the first coat of silver paint on the top, back, and sides. I think it will take at least two coats of that, as well, and then I'll have to add the numbers and the stencilling. This has turned out to be more complex than I anticipated, and has given me a new respect for handpainted objects. It's possible that I didn't choose the right kind of paint - anyone have any suggestions?
I'll give this one up for the week - it's too time intensive to do after work. I may set it aside, or work on it more next weekend.
Posted 2/03/08
February 2 - Repainting of Advent BoxAfter Christmas, I picked up the advent box at Target on clearance. I love the idea of an advent box, but I didn't really like the colors of this one, so I thought I would simply rework it before the holidays.
Materials -
1 advent box
White gesso paint
Paintbrushes
My intention is to paint this silver with gold "trim". In order to do that, I first needed to paint it white. This is with 3 coats of the white gesso, letting it dry in-between each one. I hope that the silver will not show the unevenness of the white - if it does, I'll have to do another white coat before I paint it silver. I tested a coat of the silver on the bottom of the box, and am currently letting it dry, to see what it looks like.
Posted 2/02/08
February 1 - Iron-On Applique on T-shirtI tried to pick something that I thought would be simple and not take much time for the first day. My first lesson was not to make assumptions!
Materials -
1 100% cotton tshirt
1 Tulip Iron-on applique
1 iron
1 presscloth
I found that the applique did not stay very well, nor did the backing peel off very easily once you had ironed it. I wound up ironing it twice and letting it cool, and then flipping it inside out, ironing it again, and letting it cool completely. I'm not entirely unhappy with the product, but I may get some fabric paint and paint in the spaces between the applique and around the edges to seal the applique to the fabric, as it has a tendency to separate from it. I made sure that I ironed it for the recommended amount of time, with a dry iron.
Upon final review, the applique moved around when I flipped the shirt inside out. I may be able to peel it off and salvage part of it to use in another design, but I'm overall disappointed with the product.
Posted 2/01/08
February Thing-A-Day
I came across a blog post about Thing-A-Day 2 several weeks ago, and thought it would be a fabulous idea. I love crafting, and haven't really done much in a few years. I'm looking forward to this opportunity to immerse myself in creativity again.
The goal of Thing-A-Day is to do one thing a day. My thing a day likely won't be a masterpiece. It might not even be a new craft. But it will be one project a day, or a piece of a larger project in a day. Crafting and art are pieces of myself that I want to reclaim, and I think this will be an excellent start. I'll try to post my progess daily on this blog, as well as the Thing-A-Day blog.
Posted 1/30/08
