Crazy Crafting Mama

Motivation by Swap

2011-11-08T23:15:00.001-06:00

I started swapping again via the web site http://www.swap-bot.com/. I've done this mainly to force myself to do things I like to do and then share them with others. Mostly, I've been swapping supplies like fabric. It is helping me to rediscover fabrics I have forgotten I had. It used to be a regular thing where I would open up my containers of fabric and organize them or pull them out to do little projects but I just got busy and stopped doing it so much.

Now though, I try to find little tidbits that I don't mind sharing or maybe I just don't love so much anymore. I love putting together fabrics and seeing what someone else thinks. I'm just starting to do swaps where I actually have to make something. I did one the other day and was so excited that I finished it that I forgot to take a picture of it.

The latest one I sent out was to commemorate the 100,000th swap on the site. I decided to take the little pictures Swap-bot provides to use as profile pictures and put them together like a little collage and make a coaster or mug-rug. I lined them all up on my computer and then printed them on fabric. I decided that wasn't enough to give so I made two matching postcards. Here they are so what do you think?

For Love or Money

2011-09-27T20:30:00.000-06:00

I wished the other day to be independently wealthy so I could do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. It was a totally selfish moment and an envious one.

While sitting in my chair crocheting a scarf and watching a show on Netflix I realized what I was really doing was avoiding the dirty dishes and the laundry and the vacuum. I don’t like housework unless I am in the mood to do it. I think it’s mostly because it has the word “work” in it and I already have a full-time job that actually pays me and provides benefits.

In a perfect world I would either have enough money not to work and do what I love or what I love would actually pay the same as the job I currently have and provide benefits. Then, maybe housework wouldn’t be so bad. I do get a sense of accomplishment when everything is mostly clean and most things are in their proper places.

I don’t really mind my “real” job. It is quite interesting but the fact that I have to do it makes it less appealing and it’s not my dream job by any measure. I don’t know that I have a dream job. I have a dream life but not really a dream job. There are so many more things I would rather be doing especially since life is so short but there are the bills and other expenses of life that must be paid and if I didn’t have health insurance life would be a lot worse.

I guess in the end, money wins out over doing the things that you love but you still have to do the things you love sometimes to enjoy life even if it means not doing housework for a little while (at least until I can afford a housekeeper).

Just Crazy

2011-09-21T18:14:00.000-06:00

Thinking about just changing the name of my blog to Just Crazy as I start getting back into crafting more and hoping to actually get some holiday gifts done this year. However, I still want to keep taking classes and learn more computer stuff. I already have several Microsoft Office Certificates and the elusive Comptia Network+ certification.

I recently changed jobs (still same place - different department) and I'm working evening hours. I was hoping to squeeze more time out of the day since I have mornings to myself but I find I want to stay at home more than I ever have. Darn those benefits like health insurance and money to buy my supplies.

Men Who Quilt

2010-03-23T08:54:00.006-06:00

Today I stumbled upon a blog written by a male quilter. The fact that he quilts and is male is really not that shocking or anything. I have known a few men who quilt or do some sort of fiber art but it was his profile picture that stood out. At the time of this reading he is wearing a really nice suit and tie in his picture and reminded me more of a business-CEO-type-of-guy. I used to work for a company that was all about making people more creative but the suits up stairs had no idea what (or why we loved to do it) the things we did. They only cared about $$$.

So, I was like "Really?" and I browsed through Ryan Walsh: I'm Just a Guy Who Quilts blog. And you know what, he is awesome! I'm love with his tutorial {Pillow Talk} A Tutorial Part I and Part II which involves altering circles to complete a very interesting layout and design.

So I got to thinking about other guy quilters I know, and they vary in personalities just as much as women quilters I know but I just don't know as many of them. I decided to do searches on those I know about and to see if I could find more. Here are some of the ones I found (in no particular order):

They are all amazing and inspiring to me. They are doing what they love. Keep it up guys!

Be Proud to be DIY

2010-03-15T08:54:00.003-06:00

As many of you probably do, I subscribe to a number of blogs and they span a great deal of different interests but many times they do relate to each other even if it is not about crafting. That happened today with Get Rich Slowly, a personal finance blog that I read from time to time. The article today is Made by Hand: In Praise of Amateurs. It is a personal tribute not only to handmade, DIY and being self-sustainable but to the author's dad who did many projects and inventions over the years before his rather young passing. It is amazing how much he did in his short lifetime.

J.D. Roth, the author, also gives us a sneak peak at the upcoming book Made by Hand by Mark Fraunfelder the editor of Make magazine. Evidently it is not a do-it-yourself instruction book but a look at someone who loves to do what DIYers love to do. I came from a family of DIY types. We always had a huge garden, we canned and froze all kinds of produce, my mom taught me to sew and crochet, my brother was a wood carver and cabinet maker but not professionally and we never ate out which at the time I thought was tragic.

I really liked this article because it brought back my own memories but also the change I've felt in the last few years about being able to be more self-sustainable. I'm even taking a computer course so I can do my own maintenance and it has inspired me to one day to try to build my own computer. I recently learned how to knit and have had great praise for the scarves I've given away.

Do you do crafts as part of being able to DIY? Do you find yourself wanting to DIY other areas like constructing your own lamp or building a patio?

I'm in the Top 25 at Craft Critique

2010-03-12T21:43:00.004-06:00

My wire-edge ribbon article I wrote for Craft Critique is one of their 25 most read articles. I'm so excited. You can read it too; click here. It contains a tutorial on making a ribbon rose. Or, you can go to Craft Critique to see it and all the top 25 in this special article.

A Place to Shop

2010-03-10T21:01:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite online stores that I sometimes find myself at late at night is Erica's Craft & Sewing Center. They have just about anything: fabric, books, yarn, thread, machines, magazines (even the Australian ones), and more. You should really explore the site yourself.

If you live or plan on visiting near South Bend, Indiana you can visit the actual store. I have still yet to go even though I've driven by South Bend several times to visit relatives but never during a time when they're open.

Recycle Crafting and Green Crafting

2010-03-09T19:03:00.008-06:00

I'm a little behind on my crafty links for each day of the month, National Craft Month. It was a very busy weekend with spending the whole day Saturday at Crop for a Cause. I didn't get much done but I did have a lot of fun with my friends and I did win one silent auction of some kids scrapbooking supplies for my daughter.

While trying to think of what I wanted to share with you next I came across an article about taking used items and making them into unique art items to sell. They called it Junk Style Art. Recently I have been collecting old sweaters (mostly wool ones to felt) and any unique pieces of clothing to create something new. I have done some re-fashion before and wrote about one of the items in this article: How to Re-fashion a Kid's Sweatshirt. I started researching sites to give me some ideas and found the ones below.

Try these sites for finding ideas on recycle crafting or being a green crafter:

Wardrobe Re-Fashion - You can pledge to re-fashion used clothing instead of buying new but it's a great source of inspiration.
Crafting a Green World - Eco-friendly craft projects.
Dollar Store Crafts - Emphasis is using supplies from a dollar store or dollar section of a store but you can find recycled ideas like this Recycled Plastic Bottle Chandelier.
Recycled Crafts at Craft Gossip.com - Very cute stuff!

Have fun exploring and getting inspiration.

Crop for a Cause: Making MS a Memory

2010-03-05T13:30:00.007-06:00

Hi everyone. Tomorrow I'll be at the Crop for Cause: Making MS a Memory fundraising event. This is the 4th year for this phenomenal 8 hour event where about 200 scrapbookers, paper crafters and even other crafters come together to have fun and hopefully get some crafty work done.

There will be food and prizes and a great silent auction area where over 140 baskets of goodies are up for grabs. Baskets are filled with not just scrapping supplies but dinners, fitness memberships, Chicago Fire soccer tickets, and even a condo package in Hawaii. Check it out. If you are in the Schaumburg, IL area you can stop by and see the silent auction area for yourselves. The auction area is open to the public.

Since I will be here tomorrow, Saturday, March 6, I won't be posting my daily link but I did post 2 for today. Have a good weekend everyone!

Lion Brand Yarn

2010-03-05T07:00:00.004-06:00

This is one of my favorite sites to get free patterns for crochet and knit. I've been crocheting ever since I've been a little girl. My mom taught me when I was 5. She also tried to teach me to knit but after too many arguments about how I was doing it all wrong and too many times getting all tangled up I gave up.

Fast forward 30 some years later and in half and hour with much more focus I learned to cast on and do a basic stitch at a quilt show. Although, I did not remember everything that day it gave me the itch to learn more. Luckily, Lion Brand has put these great how-to videos on You Tube. See, You Tube can actually be educational. Who knew?

The video below will show you one way to cast on. I don't do it this way but you can access other video lessons to do much more with your yarn and a pair of knitting needles.

Craft: Transforming Traditional Crafts

2010-03-03T15:44:00.004-06:00

Many of you may remember when Craft was this cool new craft magazine that popped up on your local magazine rack at the bookstore. It was so different from all the other magazines. It spoke to a younger generation of crafters who were trending DIY and indie craft styles but it was a refreshing look at the art of craft for those of us not exactly in our twenties anymore. Then you may have wondered where it went.

After about 5 years as a hard copy medium it evolved into an awesome online magazine with a blog, projects, a community section and how-to videos. So, craftzine.com is my crafty link for today. Have fun exploring.

BurdaStyle

2010-03-03T07:29:00.001-06:00

Going forward with my crafty site for everyday of National Craft Month I have selected BurdaStyle for today. It's a community of sewers who mostly create their own patterns from Burda's collection or their own then share them with the community. Burda calls it "open source sewing." You don't have to worry about copyrights here and you get a heck of a lot of inspiration from everyone's creativity. And if you don't sew clothes, don't worry they have non-apparel craft projects too.

Swap-Bot

2010-03-02T08:40:00.004-06:00

Today I continue my quest to post a link to a craft-related site for everyday in March. My choice for today is the site Swap-Bot. If you like to do swaps of either handmade items, supplies or even just emails or real mail then this is the place for you. I just joined last week after a friend suggested I visit the site.

Because I'm a newbie I can only do a handful of swaps until I get so many good ratings. I am currently signed up for swaps for buttons, book or magazine and fibers. Since I am so busy with classes and stuff I decided to keep my chosen swaps simple and use stuff I already have. I'll keep you posted on how it works out.

March is National Crafting Month

2010-03-01T00:13:00.008-06:00

Yes, it is March. It still feels like January in the Midwest but at least we have our crafts. Unfortunately, I have not been crafting as much as I would like and it's been since September that I have written about anything.

But to celebrate this awesome month and to have fun waiting for Spring to get here I am challenging myself to visit and list a crafty site everyday of this month. You may have noticed that I didn't say anything about crafting something myself. I am currently taking some classes while I work full-time and it has limited my crafting adventures but hopefully I will get some time to work on something and I'll let you know. But now, on with the show.

One of my favorites and not just because I used to write for them but to learn about a variety of crafty products is CraftCritique. If you are curious about a product you can also check over there to see if anyone else has used that marker or experimented with a Yudu or read that book.

Learning to Knit at Renegade

2009-09-13T21:20:00.007-06:00

The Renegade Craft Fair is one of the most impressive displays of creativity you can find anywhere. Although, I've only been to the one in Chicago, I have went down for 3 years in a row. I have seen it grow from just phenomenal to just "WOW!" It is safe to say that I am much older than the average age of the indie crafter displaying their wares. At one time when I worked for Leisure Arts there was an air that crafting and hands on creativity was thought to be something of a relic in the near future. Then something happened. I don't know if it was the new generation tired of mass production and super consumerism that pervaded our culture or if the do-it-yourself (DIY) shows on HGTV made people realize that "Hey, I can do that" but whatever it was I am eternally grateful to know that the art/craft spirit lives on.

And, now, I think my daughter may have caught some of the crafting bug. She has always been interested in art especially drawing and painting but not quite the crafty part, at least, not whole-heartedly. At Renegade this year the Chicago Waldorf School was there giving on-the-spot knitting lessons which included making your own knitting needles. Basically, they take wooden dowels, sharpen one end with a pencil sharpener, sand and then place beeswax on the end for a stopper. Here is Emma making hers:

Then she started casting on.

Didn't take long to get started but it did take lots of concentration.

She was so interested she tried to continue to do it on the Blue Line but the ride was a little too bumpy. (You aren't seeing things, she is wearing cat ears that the Tree House Humane Society was handing out.)

We had a great day even if it was a little on the warm side for a Chicago September day. If you ever get a chance to get to a Renegade Craft Fair please go.

Remembering

2009-09-11T20:20:00.003-06:00

I got this image from CardsForHeroes.org off their Facebook fan page. May we never forget and pray for peace to all.

Fall is Coming

2009-09-08T21:02:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago it seemed like October was just about here in Chicagoland already. It definitely put me in the baking mood but we are trying to be a little healthier around here so I got out my 12 Best Foods Cookbook and whipped up a batch of Sweet Potato Muffins. Well, I did have to go to the grocery store first but I had to do that anyway plus I picked out a black bean salad recipe out of the book to go with the grilled steak dinner my dear hubby was planning.

There is nothing like homemade food made from fresh ingredients. The muffins were made from fresh baked sweet potatoes, grated carrot and topped with pumpkin seeds. The salad involved fresh cilantro which is one of my favorite flavors. Great! I'm getting hungry again. Better get back to my craft table.

Project Linus and Other Charities

2009-07-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

Just wanted everyone to know that I'm going to be giving away my remaining fleece blankets to Project Linus. I also have a ton of fabric left that I'm going to make more blankets and donate. I do have non-kid fabric that I would like to make lap robes to give to veterans or nursing homes but I don't know who to contact. If anyone has any ideas I would love to know.

Also, I've made a few pet beds (small dog and cat size) that I would like to give to a shelter. I have a couple of places that I am going to call but if you know of something in the Chicago suburb area let me know what you think of those rescues.

Trying New Things

2009-07-12T23:07:00.004-06:00

With my creations that is. Some of you may have already heard of Cafe Press. It's basically a website where you can take your creations and put them on just about anything. You can also buy other people's creations. For my first attempt I took a photo of a quilt square and put it on a few items. Here is a framed tile:

It actually looks much better at the site. If you get a chance to look around and let me know what you think, that would be great. I have it on note cards, buttons and magnets, too. My Cafe Press spot can be reached by clicking here. I'm hoping this can get me more motivated to create more. It feels nice (and fun) to see what I've done on something else.

Craft Show

2009-05-31T20:28:00.007-06:00

Unfortunately, emailing my picture to post mobile didn't work. But, here is a photo from the show I took with my new cell phone. Not the greatest picture because I had to email it to myself. I think once I get a new data disk for the phone and I learn to use it just a little better then I will be able to do this the way you're suppose to.

It was the first year for the show in Elgin, IL to raise funds for a friends pre-school. I sold a few things including the poncho that was displayed by my daughter on one of her stuffed animals. If you look closely you can see her peeking out kind of like ET between 2 stuffed animals. Most of my items are left over fleece items that my sister and I did together. I did add some new pet beds and a couple of blankets. I'm looking for new ideas for fleece because I have a lot of it left.

2009-05-30T00:28:00.001-06:00

It worked. I'll try to send a photo from the craft show I will be doing.

2009-05-30T00:25:00.001-06:00

Hey there! It's late and I'm trying out the mobile blogging feature. Sounds cool. We'll see.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Tomorrow

2009-04-16T09:56:00.003-06:00

I've been so crazy busy with work and school lately that I haven't been taking much care of my crafting side but I'm slowly trying to work back into it. While doing so I found this event going on in the blogging world for quilters. I don't know if I'll have time to post something for it but I thought all my friends would love to know about it. And since I'm going to the International Quilt Show in Chicago this weekend, it fits in nicely.

Update and Amazon Store

2008-12-02T22:40:00.004-06:00

Well, I'm more than halfway through my math class and so far, so good. I'm working on some holiday projects and some clothes for my daughter. Nothing in the stores seems to fit her quite right. I haven't made anything from scratch but have been altering items and embellishing. Hopefully, I will have some pictures soon.

I've also been checking out doing some more felting. If you are looking for some of the tools I found some through Amazon and put them on the little store I have with them on the page I call Cool Tools. It's amazing the stuff you can find through them these days.

Busy, Busy

2008-09-10T20:14:00.004-06:00

I'm still around trying to get anything and everything done. Right now everyone has been sick and hopefully on the mend. I also started a College Algebra class so I have a couple less nights than usual. Okay, I know everyone is asking "Why". It's because I want to get a Master's and I will probably need to take the GRE and it's been a long, long time since I've done that kind of math. It's only been 2 weeks but it hasn't been horrible. Really, it hasn't but I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to jinx it. I will wait to tell you either the jubilation I feel at the end or give you a good old-fashioned math horror story when I'm through.

Oh, the other reason I wanted to make sure I posted was I almost forgot to tell you all about the book review I did over at Craft Critique. It is about the Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girl's Guide to Handmade Jewelry. It is one of the most fun craft books I've seen come out in a long time. I even made some things from it (gasp) and finished them and worn them. See the photo to the left. Next time your at the bookstore just take a look. I'm sure you will be reading some of the anecdotes included.

Talking About Punch Needle Tools

2008-09-01T00:17:00.004-06:00

I know there are a few punch needle or needlepunch enthusiasts out there so I wanted to let you know about my latest trials. I recently used one of those cheaper needle tools when I misplaced (notice I did not admit to the word lost) my really nice one. Based on my use, I wrote an article comparing the 2 different needles over at Craft Critique. I finally used different sized loops to make a nice little flower. Check it out!

Summer is Over and I Actually Did Some Reading

2008-08-30T20:26:00.013-06:00

Outside of being crazing for crafting my next favorite thing is reading. This past summer has been one of my best summers for reading in a very long time. It was due partly to my new job at a college where I can sit quietly in the library during my lunch break as well as discuss books and other intelligent topics with those I work with. I started several books (like I always do) but was able to finish 4 of them (my usual total is about 1).

My first book really started in the spring but since I finished it in the summer I will count it as such. It was The Bride of Science: Romance, Reason, and Byron's Daughter by Benjamin Woolley. It was a biography of Ada Lovelace the mother of computer programming and the daughter of Lord Byron the poet. She was shaped by her mother’s mathematical personality. She was taken away from her romantic artist father when she was a baby by her mother so his immoral traits would not influence her. Although she was mathematically gifted and created punchcards for calculating Bernouli numbers (basis of what would be become computer programming), she would also become interested in the artistic traits inherited by her father. Her life can be seen as an allegory of the end of the Age of Romance and the start of the Machine Age. There were many things that I related to in her battle of her logical side versus thirst for beauty and art.

My second book was also a non-fiction book and coincidentally involved the history of women. I had read about Cokie Robert’s book Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation and fortunately found it in the library. Although there were parts that made me long for a nap, there were also amazing collections of stories from the early days of our country during the time of the end of George Washington’s presidency up to the election of John Quincy Adams. Our lives today are just too easy but many of the political issues faced today are the same as then especially regarding presidential elections and the amount of mud thrown around. Many of the women in the early days of our government were very active with politics although not always the same as their male counterparts. They were concerned with their husbands and sons careers as well as founding many institutions to help with widows and orphans of which some are still in operation today. They endured many hardships with the loss of children and husbands to diseases wiped out long ago by modern medicines and many died in childbirth.

I finally got into fiction which becomes more of an escape and time passes by so quickly when reading a great book. The book I next read is written by an English professor where I work. The Ballad of Trenchmouth Taggart by Glen Taylor is an adventurous tale about a colorful West Virginian who changes identities to escape the law several times during his life related to one youthful event. Mr. Taylor has a talent for using historical events and the native language of the past (and probably current) inhabitants of the coal mining region. It has been very well received and is currently one of the “Discover Great New Writes” picks at Barnes and Noble. I loved this book because I grew up in a small Appalachian coal mining town in Ohio not all that far from where this took place. I could imagine the characters portrayed by many of the characters in my own hometown including members of my family.

My final summer read I finished is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. He is one of my favorite authors and I had never read this book although it was sitting on my bookshelf for at least 2 years. I believe this is the ultimate look at good versus evil traits that exist in the human animal. In this story he examines how is it possible that a woman could leave her children and why a brother would turn against his brother and how a person is always good no matter what happens to him. It relies heavily on the book of Genesis for the basis of the story and has a bittersweet ending but I loved it just like all of Steinbeck’s other works.

And that concludes my summer reading program. I rarely get so much read but then again it was only a small portion of what I really wanted to get read such as when I was a young reader and my goal was to read every book in our small town library. I never imagined how many books there would be today just as I never imagined so many craft projects I would want to do. Now am going to get back to those projects although I will still be reading during my lunch.

Grandmother's Flower Garden Update

2008-08-19T14:43:00.006-06:00

I haven't had much time to sit down and write a whole lot and have only been doing the minimum in the craft department. I thought I would share a picture of my progress on the grandmother's flower garden pattern. It's becoming very colorful and seeing it laid out makes me wish to work on it more. Too bad I have to work for health insurance and as well as more craft supplies.

Also, here is a photo of the nearly completed Trump Tower in downtown Chicago. We were down there last weekend. My photo doesn't nearly show how awesome the weather was. It has been a really cool summer over all this year which makes it great to go just walk around.

And, of course we had to go shopping although it was mostly window shopping and my daughter enjoyed the Lego store. She's not into Legos but since she got to be one of the first kids to go to the first indoor Legoland with her summer camp she does like to to look at the very large creations people come up with. Here she is sitting with a Lego-man outside the store.

Summer Kids Crafts

2008-08-08T07:14:00.005-06:00

Summer is almost over but my daughter and I did get to do a couple of projects lately. Luckily, I needed to get an article done over at Craft Critique. So for once we actually completed some projects instead of just buying the kit to collect dust.

Here are a couple of photos from our projects (rings and cutie clippies). You can check out what I had to say about Creativity for Kids Kits in my most recent article. Make sure to leave a comment over there if you like them.

Now back to the pool and summer before it disappears.

More on CHA Plus Challenges

2008-07-21T21:48:00.002-06:00

There's ton more stuff to check out from CHA on Craft Critique. Here is a link directly to my second peek from the show. Also Craft Critique is having challenges you can check out. Click here for the one posted today.

More Brushes with Crafting Celebrities

2008-07-19T22:48:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I told you I got to meet one of the most prolific people in the craft world at CHA. Well here I am with Nancy Zieman. She was at the Clover booth and demonstrated her new product that Clover is producing. The cool part was it was just me and her. I felt like a guest student on her show. The product is a template for making handbags. As soon as I get through all my stuff from CHA I will find the video demonstration to post to show you all how it works.

Also, I stopped by the 10-minute challenge with TLC's While You Were Out Mark Montano. He is promoting his book Big-Ass Book of Crafts. I've only skimmed the book but it seems like there are some updated Good Houskeeping crafts from the 60's. I'm just glad crafts have become so popular but I'm sure us crazy crafty people would find a way to do it ourselves.

Don't forget to stop by Craft Critique for the latest updates on CHA. I have an article up on the new jewelry pendants I found around the show floor.

I Met the Crafty Chica

2008-07-18T20:01:00.009-06:00

Okay, I've always liked a little bit of glitter (more so as a kid) but never thought I would find myself enjoying it so much as an adult. Meeting and crafting with the Crafty Chica changed my mind. During my visit at the Duncan booth today at CHA I got to sit down with her and make a pair of fun earrings. I really liked the glitter. It was very fine and she was able to make her own colors for her glitter line. I'm glad she was able to. The design of the margaritas was part of a selection I got to cut out. Her husband designed the artwork. I will have to wear these to my next Jimmy Buffet concert.

Her favor for the show which is shown with the earrings is a Mexican fortune cookie. Click on the photo to get a more detailed look.

Also, don't forget about checking Craft Critique for more detailed updates and also I will have another craft celebrity I met today here on my blog tomorrow. Hint: She has a sewing PBS show.

CHA Summer Show 2008

2008-07-17T21:42:00.003-06:00

CHA stands for the Craft and Hobby Association and they organize 2 big trade shows a year so vendors can display the newest and best products for shop owners to order from. Today was the first day of the summer show here in Chicago.

Although, I couldn't make it the first day I will be there bright and early tomorrow with comfortable shoes on as a member of the press. I will be ambling down the aisles grabbing sneak peaks for Craft Critique. Over the next few days the lucky group of us will be your eyes to what will be coming to your craft stores for the fall. Please make sure to click your way over to Craft Critique to see what we are up to. Also, while you're waiting for updates of the show be sure to also check out the previews that are up from different vendors in the 3 part CHA Sneak Peak Carnival.

Wish me luck. I'm sure my feet will need it!

Movie Week - The Kid's Out of Town

2008-06-26T21:37:00.014-06:00

My darling daughter has been spending this week with her grandparents and cousins. After I finished my latest article over at Craft Critique it was finally quiet and relaxing for me and my hubby. We devoted one night out to dinner at Wildfire where we enjoyed dinner without taking a trip to the bathroom. See, my daughter loves to check out every bathroom in every restaurant we go to which makes us not want to go to too many dinners out.

Even though it is like a mini-vacation in the evening we still have to go to work the next day so we have mostly been catching up on movies and we never get to see movies, especially more adult-themed movies. We chose Panic Room because we both like Jodi Foster and we were both terribly disappointed in this movie. It had a horrible ending and the whole movie was just dark and I mean as in lighting not genre. My husband got to choose a couple, Mr. Woodcock and Superbad. These are basically primal guy humor movies but I ended up liking in the end especially Mr. Woodcock (couldn't they given him some other name, though). Basically it's about a PE teacher from hell and one of his geeky students who comes home 13 years later to find his mom dating said PE teacher. Here's a video clip of one of the funny parts (at least to me):

I picked the last 2 and I chose Kill Bill Vol 1 & 2. I had already seen the first one by myself right after it came out on video but was amazed at the stuff I either missed the first time or didn't remember. I really like Quentin Tarantino movies because they are so far over the top. I found a video of Beatrix (played by Uma Thurman) mixed with Eye of the Tiger from Rocky fame that is not too violent and mostly shows her being trained by a Kung Fu master. Also, after seeing Kung Fu Panda made it more interesting especially in the fight scene below she uses Tiger Crane method of Kung Fu. Plus, I love movies where women are the strong heroines.

Now I'm ready to watch some fluffy, romantic comedy. Got any ideas? I rarely get the chance to see movies so I value the opinions of friends who've enjoyed them already.

Crazy Month of June

2008-06-25T18:51:00.004-06:00

Wow, I really thought June was going to be a relaxing month now that I have Friday's off from work but I was so wrong. Fridays have become the day to get all those errands done and take care of personal business like doctor's and dentist's appointments.

I also was busy getting a couple of articles done for Craft Critique. On June 2 my article about the Sulky Universal Storage Box that stores sewing thread was published. Today the article was my experiments with Jacquard's Dye-Na-Flow. This last article took me a while to accomplish as I tried to cover a lot of what this paint can do. Please check them out as well as the many other articles. Craft Critique is producing a lot more articles on oodles of goodies out in the craft world.

Unique Knitted Animals

2008-05-19T20:46:00.008-06:00

These cute, cute, cute creatures are the one-of-a-kind creations from Ana Castellanos. She made these for me and my daughter. These are just a small sampling of what she can create with just a couple of knitting needles. She is currently teaching Spanish classes at Harper College and prior to that she taught at Northern Illinois University.

If you think these are cute, you can catch her display of all her special animals and dolls at the Schaumburg Township Library in Schaumburg, IL. There are 2 display cases in the main lobby but that's not all. She had so many they also filled 2 display cases in the fiction book room. She has a love of specialty yarns that help to create the unique look and also help create their furry appearance. Size of the animals and dolls range from the tiny to larger cuddly creatures. Many are the same pattern but the size changes just by changing the size of the needles. You can catch the display at the library now through the end of June 2008.

Here are close ups of the bear and the little elephant.

Clover Mini Iron

2008-05-16T20:22:00.002-06:00

New Craft Critique article on the Mini Iron from Clover is out today. I hope all you quilters and crafters who use it or another portable crafting iron go over there and tell us what you think about this or if you have another one you like better. We always like to know what else is out there.

Ribbon Roses on the Jane Austen Centre Magazine

2008-05-15T21:51:00.005-06:00

I'm so excited. Last summer I did an article for Craft Critique on wire-edge ribbon and how to make a rose. The Jane Austen Centre in England asked to post the directions to the ribbon rose with my photos on their online magazine. It is in the Hands on Regency section where you can find a variety of crafts from soap to clothing. The rose instructions are part of an article to help adorn a simple pair of shoes into a 19th century inspired fashion. You can find the magazine article here. You can check out the critique on wire-edge ribbon in the original one at Craft Critique.

Now, I feel inspired to go read Emma. I have it on my bookshelf. I received it as a gift from my mother-in-law soon after my daughter, Emma, was born. It has been so long since I've sat down and read Jane Austen's books and I've never read this one.

Rockin Robin

2008-05-14T21:16:00.008-06:00

Last weekend, Mother's Day weekend, my daughter had her first dance recital in a real auditorium on a real stage. She danced for about 2 1/2 minutes but we were there almost 3 hours and we sat through 46 dances. We don't live in a small town so it was amazing to see how many people we knew who had girls in the show. My daughter is the one on the right. Her partner is one of the only girls taller than her in the class.

Below is a video from my limited still picture camera (and my first attempt at posting to YouTube) that just happens to have a video feature BUT it has no sound so you will have to imagine their song, "Rockin Robin." We really need a camcorder and I want a new digital camera. It was a slightly crafty weekend because my daughter lost her black gloves before the recital so I bought a new pair and they were too big so I had to shorten the fingers. I also had to tack her belt in place so it wouldn't ride up too far. Oh, the joys of costumes.

Book Review: Bead & Button, Ribbon & Felt Jewelry

2008-05-11T19:49:00.002-06:00

I started working on a new article for Craft Critique tonight when I realized I didn't mention my last article I did. It is for the book Bead & Button, Ribbon & Felt Jewelry by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell. I love it for its easy to create ideas. Check it out when you get a chance. I'm working on a review of the Clover Mini-Iron so hopefully I will remember to put a link to it when its published.

International Quilt Festival/Chicago 2008

2008-05-05T21:29:00.020-06:00

Well, almost a month ago I went to the International Quilt Festival/Chicago that was held at the convention center in Rosemont, IL. This was my second year except I didn't take any classes this year. Instead, I went one day with my friend Susie and one day with my daughter (who loved the shopping part the best - see picture) and I still didn't get around to seeing everything. There were many, many quilts that were just beyond superb. Quilting just keeps getting better and better. I can't even imagine getting close to the level of many of the artists out there today.

There were just too many pieces at the show to even begin to give details of even just some of the works I admired. I love collecting pictures of techniques I would like to try. Here are some of those details:

This first picture is a close up from one of the Journal Quilts 2007 - Journal Quilt Project. These were small quilts that meant to be pages of a journal. This one is titled Forgotten Flowers by Francis Holliday Alford. I love all the dimension in this and the wonderful use of beads.

This detail is from a large quilt by Carol Taylor called Tiptoe Through the Tulips. The base is squares and rectangles and then it's embellished with multiple threads and stitching. I love the swirls.

Here is just a small portion of a very large quilt with a technique of string piecing. It is called Prairie Dawn by Ann Brauer. This gives me an idea of how to use up the loads of fabric I inherited from my mom.

Now, unfortunately, I cannot find my notes on this next quilt but this detail photo is a very small area of the piece. I was amazed at the wave of buttons - all stars - that spread out through the middle of this quilt. Can you imagine sewing on each of the hundreds of buttons?

Here is an example of another technique that I would love to try - bleach discharging. This quilt named Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fire! by Cynthia St. Charles shows the technique, I think, at its best. I also like the beads that have been added to enhance the starburst design.

This is a huge dahlia design and I've lost my notes on this one as well. It was just an amazing piece of an even more amazing quilt. If anyone knows who did this I would love to know. If I'm lucky I will be able to come across this one again and fully credit it. This also is one piece I cannot really tell what the technique was but it seems so geometrically perfect I just love its power.

I'm showing this detail of Open Up! Your Dream Flower by Harumi Asada from Japan. I love paisley patterns as well as the colors of this piece. I couldn't find a site for Harumi but I did find this picture of a quilt using a similar paisley.

The next two pictures are more traditional patterns but are a couple of my favorites. This is a feathered star which was the center part of the quilt Autumn Sky by Gretchen Neal Jackson. This shows 3 feathered stars inside of each other. I have done a feathered star but have not completed it in a quilt yet.

Mariner's compass is another one of my favorites. You might have noticed that a lot of the pieces I have shown has curves in it somewhere . I also like angles which explains the feathered star but the compass pattern has both elements. I really like the triangles (reminds me of distorted flying geese) that circle this compass. The full quilt is called Follow Me by Margaret Curley.

I hope you enjoy these little details from just a few of the pieces I admired and I hope they inspire you to try a new technique.

I Finally Made Some Birthday Cards

2008-04-20T21:55:00.008-06:00

Nothing like a couple of birthdays and a new Scrapbooking Club to get me to sit down and use my stuff. I made these cards this past Friday when I finally made it to the Our Redeemer's Scrapbook Club. I started attending this church last fall and met the founder of the group while dropping my daughter off to Sunday School. Laura is her teacher and also the organizer for the Crop for a Cause event I attended last month.

Although I have what looks like a lot of stuff (hardcore scrappers can see I'm just a novice when it comes to what I have) and it looks like I have it organized, I yet to have projects organized especially when it comes to scrapbook pages. So instead of looking like I had no idea of what I was going to do I decided to make cards for my mother-in-law and father-in-law's birthdays. We met them today for lunch to celebrate. Their birthdays are only a couple of days apart and my husband's is on the same day as his mom's. I hope you enjoy the cards.

The first card is for my mother-in-law. I really enjoyed making this card. The message is with stickers and I helped to attach it to the background with spiral paper clips made by The Paper Studio. I also used my Sizzix Big Kick to cut out the flower details and paper buttons. I am quite pleased with this card and my 3-D flower that you can see in the close-up.

The second card was more of a challenge. I didn't have much masculine paper in my small stash but I did have that cute little robot tag that my fellow crafter Martha made for us one night at our Chicago Craft Collective meeting. He was my "guy" inspiration. He actually is holding a heart above his head but I put a speech bubble sticker over it to shout out my birthday wishes. I used stickers also for "Grandpa". I really have a thing for stickers but I never seem to have enough of some. I need to practice stamping more.

Random Things - Sort of Tagged

2008-04-06T21:05:00.004-06:00

Blame it on Susie but reading her "Random Things" list tagged me after reading it. Here goes a list of maybe not so exciting things:

My sister is 17 years older than me (I was adopted but my cousin who wasn't, is 17 years younger than her oldest sibling. There are many brothers and sisters in between, too. Yikes for her mom!)

I lived in Little Rock, AR during both of Bill Clinton's presidential wins and was right in front of the stage when he accepted the second win. That was amazing what with all the press and celebrities but seeing Tony Bennett sing was probably the icing on the cake.

A few years after that I moved to Bloomington, IN and was able to attend a speech by the Dalai Lama. One is never the same after seeing this man in person.

I learned to crochet when I was 5.

Math was my best subject in high school (I even won a math competition) but was so sick of it when I went to college that I majored in Fashion Merchandising. No one can suspect you of being a brainiac when you pursue this major even though it's not quite so easy as it seems. Try threading a 5-thread serger sometime.

I always named my dogs Snoopy when I was a kid. I never missed a Charlie Brown special.

I recently wrote a bunch of limericks for the Chicago Sun-Times "Keep It Wrigley" contest and hope to win a T-shirt for my nephew. They actually put a few of them up on their website so I guess you could say I've been published in a major newspaper. I just hope to win a shirt.

I'll stop at 7. If you feel like sharing then you are tagged as well. Thanks for stopping by today!

Magazine Review Over at Craft Critique

2008-04-06T20:47:00.007-06:00

Just an FYI for you that I have a new article up over at Craft Critique. I have to confess this is one of my favorite ones I've done so far and they have all been fun with some of the new stuff I've tried out and just keeping me motivated to keep doing what I love to do.

I reviewed a new magazine - Craft Stylish: Quick Stuff to Sew. It really is a sweet, new publication with great photos and super projects that are easy to do. Of course, some may look easier than what they are since I didn't try out all the projects. There are a couple of leather objects that would probably be a challenge since I've never worked with leather or even faux leather but the instructions sure make me want to take a stab at it.

The coolest thing about the article was an editor at Taunton Publishing left a comment. I was definitely doing a little happy dance about that one. Surely made my day. I've got some sticky notes marking the projects I want to get going on, but first I have to find some extra time. Too bad one has to sleep.

Blast from the Past

2008-03-30T21:24:00.012-06:00

My daughter found a box labeled "Donna's Dolls" and requested to go through it. I wasn't quite sure what was in the box and finally gave in. This is part of what was inside. The large Barbie was called Super Barbie and the other one I believe was named Tuesday. She's kind of cool (at least pre-80's) because you could move her hair around and make her either blond or brunette. The other doll I put in the photo for size reference - he is the size of a 11" Ken doll. If you don't know (and if you are under 35 I would be shocked if you do) it is, yes, it is Donny Osmond in his original purple outfit that was worn on the Donny and Marie show. I remember it even had purple socks to go with it but those have been lost. I had Marie too but she must have went with the socks.

The more amazing part of this is the clothes I made for the larger dolls. I crocheted them somewhere around the 8th - 9th grade. I remember doing the Flamenco dress to take to a High School Foreign Language fair at Ohio University. I don't think I made the skirt for any reason in particular. I really liked to make doll clothes when I was young and loved when I could actually crochet them. I've included a few close-ups of the clothes. If you click on the photo you should get a larger view of them. I've kind of gotten motivated to make some clothes for my daughters dolls but I haven't told her. I need to find the time first.

Doing Easter Crafts With My Daughter

2008-03-22T21:08:00.008-06:00

One of the coolest things with my new job is some of the perks of certain days off that my daughter has off. Although it is not officially called Good Friday by the schools, we still got the day off together. This time off allowed us to have a crafty day and create a few decorations that she can take to Grandma's house for Easter this year.

I picked up this cute little book at the library, Easter Crafts by Colleen Van Blaricom. It had no photos but the artwork created by Anita Louise made the instructions easy to follow. Of course, we made plans to make more than we actually did but I let Emma choose the ones she wanted to do the most. Overall this book has great little projects that we didn't get to like making mini-baskets out of an egg carton, a bunny basket made from a milk jug, and a paper bag bunny.

This first project was simply titled A Dozen Easter Chicks. The instructions called for plain white cotton balls that were to be colored with a yellow marker. We decided buying yellow pom-poms was a much easier route to go. My daughter cut out each of the beaks but wasn't interested in getting them all the same size. I think they turned out pretty cute this way and gave each puffy chick their own personality.

The second project we collaborated on was Percival Peacock. Here the book used a real egg that you poke holes in and blow out the insides then wait for it to dry. Luckily, we just went to the local craft store and bought a wooden egg that my daughter painted. Another shortcut we used was to use craft foam for the tail feathers instead of coloring poster board. The downside of the foam is that it is thicker and was tricky to get it feathered out and keep in place while the glue dried.

Happy Easter Everyone!!

My Warm Project for A Very Cold Winter

2008-03-07T17:30:00.004-06:00

I haven't been writing much this winter. I've even noticed some of my favorite blogs might be having similar problems as well. This doesn't mean I haven't been working on anything. I've been putting on several rows of this afghan pictured here with my daughter's kitty, Halle (short for Halloween). I started this afghan many, many moons ago while visiting my mom. My mom always had an abundance of yarn especially scraps from various projects and I didn't have a project with me. I rummaged through several patterns she had and took one of her many hooks so we could crochet together while I visited.

I took it home with me and worked on it very rarely for many years afterward. When she died I didn't get it out again until I was in the hospital laying in bed after my water broke 5 weeks before my daughter was due. Since I didn't go into labor I got to lay in my hospital bed for 6 days hooked up to an IV waiting. I managed to get a couple of rows completed before they had to move the IV to my right hand making me incapable of continuing.

Since then I've lost my pattern and I think I've used 3 different hook sizes but it is about 1/2 done. I'm making it big just like my mom would have liked. My mom always complained that afghan patterns were not big enough to keep real people covered up. Someday I will get it done, someday...week...month...year...

My First Group Cropping Event

2008-03-06T22:48:00.029-06:00

You may have heard me say before how I have avoided scrapping and paper crafts just because I really didn't want to do another craft. I can't even get done, nor will I ever, what I have supplies for. This past weekend I went to one of those big crop events where 226 people signed up to be part of "Crop for a Cause - Making MS a Memory". I did not know what to take with me and really thought with my one rolling suitcase and 2 huge tote bags that I must be bringing way too much. Was I wrong! I saw women bring in cartloads of stuff. I actually looked like I had under-packed. The only person I saw with less supplies was a beader who came to work on her beading projects while she sat with a group of her scrapping friends.

This was the second year for the event which is held at my church, Our Redeemers United Methodist Church in Schaumburg, IL. It was founded by Laura Machonis, a member of the church who has MS and turned her hobby into a major fundraising event. They have raised over $26,000. That is absolutely amazing but if you attended you know why. The outpouring of donations from companies, restaurants and individuals all over the Chicago area helped to create an environment of support to the participants. There were 147 silent auction items that ranged from awesome packs of scrapbooking supplies, Chicago Bulls and Storm tickets, toys for the kids and even a Hawaiian vacation (some of the baskets in the photo to the left).

There was plenty of food to eat and free Starbucks coffee. There were 2 tables set up with Stampin Up stamps and ink to use. There was also a tool table with Sizzex die-cuts, cutters and scissors to use.

This is the bargain table of donated supplies. There was paper, stamps, stickers and books.

The sanctuary (shown below) as well as the large program room (first photo above) was used to seat the participants. I helped to set up the night before. There wasn't much more room to utilize after all the volunteers were done. What was more amazing was how it all disappeared for the next morning's service. The crop didn't end until 11 pm so there were even more amazing volunteers for take down.

I did actually get some work done even though I left early at 9:oo. I'm still a pretty slow scrapper compared to some of these ladies but I'm too much of a perfectionist and I'm really not even finished with the 2 pages below. I still need to get the year on each page. I feel really good about getting my daughter's dance page done because it's done before this year's pictures have even been scheduled. But because of this being my first crop I was always walking around checking out other projects, the silent auction and stopped for dinner which was also part of the package. Hope I can go next year, too.

A Warm Shout Out From the Cold Tundra

2008-01-30T22:17:00.001-06:00

In case you been wondering, I am still around even though negative wind chills seem to be the norm in Chicagoland the past few days. I've been busy with a brand new job!! Yippee! I had been doing a long term temporary stint and finally got a position at a local community college. I love it but it has tuckered me out a little learning new policies and starting new projects. It makes the days go by fast, though.

Unfortunately, I haven't done any crafting in the last two weeks unless you count trying to get the craft area organized and hemming warm sweatpants for my daughter to wear in this freakin' cold weather. It was -5 this morning. We're supposed to get about 6" of snow tomorrow night. Yikes! I just hope it warms up a little.

This photo is from the last big snow right before it melted which helped making the snowman (or bear) a little easier to construct.

Olfa Rotary Circle Cutter

2008-01-10T07:46:00.000-06:00

Check out my first article of 2008 over at Craft Critique. I just got this gadget a little while ago and it's very cool for cutting out circles from fabric.

Happy New Year and Belated Holiday Wishes

2008-01-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

Geesh! Did the year fly by or what? I didn't get as much done as I would have liked so I guess I will start (or restart) all over again this year. I've already been adding rows to an afghan that I started several years ago. I'll probably let you have a peek in the near future. I also pulled out an old cross-stitch project from my high school days. I think I remember messing up on it somewhere but can't find that mistake right now. At least now I can not be so perfect and just adjust the design somehow.

Here is a close up of the kitchen towel that I embroidered for my gingerbread pal. I am happy to report that she was very pleased with it - that and a huge Rice Krispie tree treat I sent along with it. The design is from a Tenderberry Stitches pattern pace call Home for Christmas Stitcheries T179.

The tree I made using my Wilton tree shaped pan. I had placed mini candy coated kisses in the pan before pouring in the mixture but I had to press more in by hand when I removed the tree from the pan.

Let It Snow

2007-12-20T21:55:00.000-06:00

Just documenting a portion of my collection of snowmen. Yes, I did say portion, although this is the greater part of my collection unless you count all of the stuffed snowmen I have received over the years. The last photo is my annual gift from my friend Gail in Arkansas. (You can also see it hanging behind the tree.) Every year we give each other something. We try to make it handmade but not always. The past 2 years we've done pretty well with the handmade part. I will post what I made her later this week. I need to make sure she sees it first in person because I know she stops by here to check on me.

The basic overview above.

An okay picture of the tree. My DH bought lighthouse lights the other day and couldn't find a spot he like for them so they ended up on my "snowman" tree. Next year they will have to find another home.

A close up of the right side.

My 2007 snowman gift. Isn't he cute? With the ice and snow we've had in the Chicago area I imagine the snowmen here definitely need their overcoats.

Time for Some Holiday Cheer

2007-12-19T23:25:00.000-06:00

The month of December is always busy and I hope to get up some holiday things I'm working on as well as receiving but in the meantime please enjoy this entertaining a cappella and untraditional version of the Twelve Days of Christmas from a group of singers from Indiana University. (If you listen closely you can find a little Hanukkah in it too.)

It's been a long time

2007-11-29T22:02:00.000-06:00

Just to let you know. I'm back! I had to let Vertical Quilting Curve go. It was a very hard decision for me because it was very enjoyable but unfortunately it was a lot of work and I had to concentrate just on quilting. I am not able to just work on one method of creativity - at least not right now. I enjoy so many different arts and crafts especially learning new ones. And, of course, there is the issue of my daily "real" life with work, family, etc. that just seems to get in the way for some reason. If you have the time and love quilting you should check out my last post and links to writing for the 451press family.

Also, I'm trying to downsize my fabric collection, especially fleece that I have. My sister and I used to do craft shows and I have an abundance of the stuff. I would try to do some craft shows but there are so many people who do fleece here compared to where I moved from that it's just not worth the effort. I do have some blankets and girls' ponchos left over that I'm going to try to either ebay or etsy them. I don't have an etsy store set up but it is on my to do list. My major dilemma with that is what I need to get rid of doesn't blend with what I want to try to do for future sales but I want to make a store that is what I'm all about. I've also given away some of the fleece blankets to a hospital charity and will give a blanket and poncho to our holiday adopted child.

Okay, not let's get ready for the holidays!!

The Funniest Thing for Sale on Ebay from a Disgruntled Mom

2007-08-29T21:51:00.000-06:00

Okay, I have seen a lot of crazy listings over at eBay but this one takes the cake. I found this listing while reading Creative Mom Cafe. If you have even 1 child you will find this to be very amusing and especially so if you have one that likes Pokemon and you don't. It has basically become a blog post since it has had over 14,000 hits and over 100 comments. It is long but you have to see it for yourself.

Book Giveaway at Veritcal Quilting Curve

2007-08-21T21:52:00.001-06:00

I've been trying to keep up with my other blog, Vertical Quilting Curve, while life has been happening which means other things get left behind such as this blog and housework. I'm really looking forward to the nice crisp fall weather and the routine that back to school brings on.

One of the major events in my life was taking my husband in for pretty much as-soon-as-they-can gall bladder surgery. He has been in pain for almost 4 months mostly in his chest. That led to an ER visit which led to heart tests and then more tests (ultrasound then a CT scan) when everything checked out fine. All the tests started about a month ago. Hopefully this will take care of the pain. So far, so good.

The only thing I was able to accomplish while waiting on him was finally finishing a book. And, now that I'm finished I'm giving it away. So, if you like to read fiction especially about crafty women go check out the giveaway of The Runaway Quilt.

Uh, What Happened to July?

2007-08-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted. Time flies when you're having fun, right? July was such a busy month. My husband was sick and had lots of medical tests (still is), went to a overwhelming first ever trip to CHA, I've been writing articles for Craft Critique and Vertical Quilting Curve, read the latest Harry Potter book, and I'm trying to get some craft time in. And, I don't see how August is going to be any less busy. This week is 1st grade registration for my daughter, I'm still chugging away at the writing, and I'm going to teach how to make ribbon roses at the next meeting of the Chicagoland Craft Collective.

A couple of things I would like to show you on this first posting of August is actually about a couple of the things from July. First, I wanted to get the Harry Potter book as soon as possible, so we took off for the bookstore late Friday, July 20th. I have not seen a bookstore so crowded since I went to a John Mellencamp signing in Bloomington, IN. It was really quite the experience and my 6 year old loved how everyone was dressed up. She also dressed up (I made this hat for her last Halloween) and is seen here getting a "tattoo" of a cat. We didn't stay to buy our book at the bookstore but instead went to the K-Mart in the same parking lot where the line was much shorter. I bet the last person at the bookstore was there until 2 a.m. by the looks of the parking lot when we left. It was just amazing!

One of my most exciting July events was running into my former boss from Leisure Arts when I went to CHA. I knew they would be there but I wasn't too sure who would be representing them and I was so happy to see it was Susan. Here is Susan looking just the same as I remember her when I left almost exactly 10 years ago. Boy, talk about time flying by!

Well, I hope I sit down and write more for the upcoming month or at least what's left of it. If nothing else I will let you know when some cool articles come up over at the other blogs I show up on.

A New Beaded Bracelet for Me

2007-07-19T20:26:00.000-06:00

Last night at our monthly Chicagoland Craft Collective Meetup, I made this spectacular memory wire bracelet. Analee was our wonderful teacher of the craft this month. I brought a bunch of beads I picked up on sale at Joann's a long, long time ago that I intended to be a purse handle but now I have this awesome bracelet.

Next month I get to be the teacher. I am going to show everyone how to make these cool wire-edge ribbon flowers. You can view a tutorial for the folded ribbon rose I wrote over at Craft Critique. I am going to teach this rose plus the leaf and then if we have time I will do the rosette and rolled ribbon rose. They are quite easy to do once you get the feel of it and they work up very quickly.

Last Week Was Vacation Week

2007-07-09T21:51:00.000-06:00

Last week we actually took the whole week off work and did vacation stuff but we didn't really leave town. We decided we didn't want to spend all that time in a car (especially with gas prices) when we live near one of the greatest cities in the U.S., Chicago!

Although, we really only spent one day downtown we did enough in that one day that could have been spread out over a few days. After that we lounged by our association pool and visited the park districts pools and water park. Now my daughter is ready for a real water park with more than 3 slides. 6 year olds tend to get bored quickly, that is until you say we aren't going anywhere else then the local place is perfect.

Our day downtown consisted mostly of Navy Pier where we went to the Children's Museum, the Amazing Chicago Funhouse, ate at the Billy Goat Tavern (famous for the curse on the Cubs), rode the famous Ferris Wheel, and took a boat trip on Lake Michigan. We also dipped our feet into freezing Lake Michigan at nearby Ohio Beach. We also managed to hop on a free trolley from the Pier to the Magnificient Mile along Michigan Avenue where we visited the famous American Girl Store (luckily daughter didn't take much interest), the Hershey Chocolate store and had an awesome chocolate cupcake, and a few other places. Our only regret in our trip was the Children's Museum. If you want to go to a really nice children's museum for the money go the the Indianapolis Children's Museum or Wonderlab in Bloomington, IN.

The pictures on the page are from our trip downtown. One is my daughter in the cold water with Chicago in the background - the tallest building is the Hancock building. The other picture is her in front of one of the art pieces displayed along Michigan Avenue. The current collection are fashion inspired pieces using a dress form shape. This one was called Metamorphosis. There was a cocoon also but the streets were just too busy to keep stopping for photos.

There is so much to do here that we have a hard time deciding what's next. We've only lived here about 2 years and are just now getting to explore downtown really well. One thing I would recommend to do if you come to town for a few days during baseball season is to get tickets to Wrigley field. I've been to both the Sox and Cubs games but you can't beat the old time atmosphere at Wrigley.

Oh, I did observe one crafy thing at the Children's Museum, a collection of quilts made by kids for peace. I discussed them over at my quilting blog, Vertical Quilting Curve.

Oh, no! I've been tagged!

2007-07-07T12:10:00.000-06:00

Sarah has tagged the Craft Critique reporters to list 7 random things about ourselves. This is the first time I've been tagged so let's see...

I grew up in a very small coal-mining town in the Appalachia foothills of Southern Ohio. The town was home to Hull Pottery and other various potteries before they all closed.

One talent I wish I had would be to be an awesome singer. I love to sing BUT no one wants to hear it. Fortunately, I am aware of this or I might find myself failing miserably on American Idol.

Our family dog when I was growing up was a little dachsand that my mom named Nikki after the character on The Young and the Restless.

I lived in Arkansas for 5 years and while there got to see President Clinton win both elections watching the second one right in the front of the stage where he gave his acceptance speech. We also got to see Tony Bennet and Kathy Mattea sing. It was one of the coolest things to be a part of with all the major news anchors and select celebrities.

I collect tea pots. I probably started this because of drinking tea with my mom when I was a kid. I still have the teapot she used that was made near my hometown at McCoy pottery where my sister worked at the time. Oh, and we didn't "do" tea like you would think. There was nothing fancy about it. Tea was just a drink and there was nothing ceremonial but I still enjoyed it.

I never thought I would have kids. My sister's 3 were enough for me growing up but then I got married and we decided to try. My daughter is the most special thing in my life.

Speaking of special things, my husband and I met in July, engaged in December and married in May and we have been married 15 years! Wow!

Well, hope that was enough sharing. I'm suppose to tag other people but I don't want to pick any favorites so if you would like to share, feel free. I look forward to what you have to say.

My First Tutorial Completed - Stem Stitch

2007-06-27T20:25:00.000-06:00

I completed my very first tutorial demonstrating how to do the stem stitch. It is posted at my quilting blog, Vertical Quilting Curve. I've tried to have close up photos to help you see how I do my stem stitch which I use for my redwork embroidery pieces.

Let me know what you think but be kind since it is my first one. I hope it is useful.

Here is a photo of the completed stitch.

Time Flies When Life Happens

2007-06-21T21:49:00.000-06:00

I can't believe I haven't posted anything here in such a long time. But it's not because I haven't been busy or haven't been writing. Although we have been taking turns being sick around here I have been doing articles for my other blog Vertical Quilting Curve and being a good reporter for Craft Critique.

My quilting articles always have the latest posts listed on the side bar here so you can check those out whenever you like. Also, if you're not a regular over at Craft Critique you should check them out as well. They had a very popular segment on organization which I didn't participate in because I'm more in need of an organizational intervention. I'm lucky if I can see the floor of my craft space from time to time. I did read the articles so I really shouldn't have too many excuses.... Some of my articles though lately include - Celebrations: Tea Party, Kids Craft: Decoupage, and Michael Miller Memories Fabric Paper.

Also, last night at our Chicagoland Craft Collective meetup I helped Susie teach embroidery stitches. She does some nice embroidery. You can visit her and see what she's working on at her blog Susie Can Stitch.

I Won a Contest!!

2007-06-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday in the mail I received my items from a contest I won over at Mom Is Teaching. Just look at these goodies. The main items are 2 books by J.H. Sweet in her Fairy Chronicles series: Marigold and the Feather of Hope, the Journey Begins and Dragonfly and the Web of Dreams. Summer of Mom Is Teaching also included some garden items, stickers, seeds and a very pretty wind chime.

The books themselves are beautiful. They are paperback but are printed on a nice paper and disply gorgeous artwork. My daughter is anxious to hear the stories right after we finish a couple Katie Kazoo books.

Thank you so much Summer.

Flea Market Fun

2007-06-04T22:52:00.000-06:00

Last month the Chicago Craft Collective went on a little field trip to the Kane County Flea Market and I couldn't go. Luckily, this month I was there. I took along my hubby and my 6 year old. When I almost decided not to go my daughter begged and begged. So, since I didn't really need much encouragement I said "ok". And, although we warned her there would be lots of walking involved she still was excited until we actually got there. Then it was all about the feet hurting after just getting through one booth until we found Barbie dolls, new in the box for only $5. She picked out a cool cheerleader representing Texas. Later she found a used but good condition Cinderella Barbie for another mere $2 then 2 rings for $1. She definitely made out especially when we found swimsuits for $5 and I even got one. They were brand new with tags still on. The vendor says they got them in a lot at an auction from an out of business water park.

Okay, now we had lots of good bargains but not exactly what I intended to be on the lookout for at the flea market. Then I found a pile of old banners of mostly vacation destinations. In the pile I got this Kentucky - Birthplace of Lincoln which is going to go great for a scrapbook section using photos from a trip to the actual birthplace of Lincoln in Hodgenville, KY. I also picked up one for Brown County Indiana which I also have photos from a visit. It is a great place to view fall foliage by the way and not quite as expensive as New England.

Then I found my last purchases of the day. A 2 yard piece of this sweet vintage fabric and a handkerchief in great shape. It was a great day and I could have spent a lot more money without trying too hard.

Hobbies Are the "In" Thing

2007-05-30T12:25:00.000-06:00

It seems everywhere I turn these days there is information on having a hobby or getting one if you don't already have a leisure time activity. The Digerati Life blog about money and other things has a great article on how to have a less expensive hobby - The Perfect Hobby: One That’s Cheap, Makes Money Or Becomes A Business.

Of course this would be awesome if it could work that way for crafters especially quilters and knitters who love to have the "stash". One of the comments on this article addresses this because of the advice of only "pick up what you need." I have yet to meet a crafter who can walk out of a store with only what they need for a project and then if they do it usually means they forgot something and will have to go back or make due if possible.

There is also the question if it becomes a business, is it still a hobby? I hope someday to be lucky enough to incorporate what I love to do with what I need to sustain an income. For now it would just be nice to break even.

Vertical Quilting Curve Feed

2007-05-29T09:56:00.000-06:00

Since I've started writing for the blog Vertical Quilting Curve I've been doing less over here because I feel like all I would be doing is repeating myself sometimes, but I don't want anyone to think I've dropped off the edge of the earth or worse that I am not keeping myself busy.

To help keep you connected to my quilting news I have added a feed of the Vertical Quilting Curve on the side panel so you can see the newest articles published over there. I am still getting used to the Word Press program that the blog is done through so I've only just started to add photos and I just added a photo of a new needle punch piece if you want to take a look.

Hope you get a chance to take a look!

Have a Great Memorial Day Weekend!

2007-05-25T07:41:00.000-06:00

I am so glad its Friday and a holiday weekend at that! So far mine is off to a great start especially compared to a week ago when we had to go to the ER with our daughter and spend the weekend there for her to rehydrate. Last night we attended Kindergarten graduation and she is officially a first grader and we celebrated by going to her favorite place for pizza, Garibaldi's. It was a good tasting cheese only but at least cheap compared to real Chicago pizza that I love.

Don't forget that today is Memorial Day, a day to remember those who died serving our country. Also, look out for veterans selling poppies to help raise money for disable and hospitalized veterans. Without getting into politics I would like to say this is a very important cause to support the men and women who willingly put themselves in danger answering a call most of us don't have to. My father and both brothers served in the military but luckily did not need the use of the medical facilities although they covered WWII, Vietnam and the Cuban Missile Crisis. One of my strongest memories of my childhood is how my mother would make sure she went to town to buy her little paper poppy on poppy days. You can learn more about the story of the poppies that hospitalized veterans make by clicking here.

Have a fun and happy weekend!

Good News, Bad News

2007-05-20T23:43:00.000-06:00

First off, I want to let everyone know my good news that I have a new writing gig at 451 Press writing for the Vertical Quilting Curve blog. So far I only have one post and will have another published tomorrow. A preview of the post involves the bad news of my daughter and her stay at the hospital this past weekend due to dehydration from a stomach virus. I missed quite a bit of work last week and really thought she was getting better until it decided to get really, really bad Friday evening. Luckily my in-laws were able to come in today to watch her so my husband and I can get back to a more normal work schedule while she stays home from yet another two days from school.

Also, since the new blog is a quilting blog, I will be keeping this one for all of my other crafting and everday life adventures. I will also still be doing articles over at Craft Critique. Speaking of, be sure to check out my last one on Michael Miller Memories fabric paper. It was published last week but I didn't get a chance to sit down and tell you all about it.

Get a Hobby

2007-05-15T14:54:00.000-06:00

A follow up post to 5 Reasons You Should Learn a Craft.

Over at Whip Up you can check out a book review and interview with the author: Get a Hobby by Tina Barseghian. Looks like a great reference for finding something different to do or a great gift for a retiree.

5 Reasons You Should Learn a Craft

2007-05-10T18:52:00.000-06:00

1. Exercise your creative side, especially if you have a regular job that doesn't allow for creativity. If you already have a career that is creative then try something that is different from your daily job. For example, if you're a graphic designer, take a pottery class or learn how to sew.

2. Relaxation. Many knitters, crocheters and other needle artists I know say they do it for de-stressing. In the November 2005 issue of Natural Health they ran an article "Knit one, relax two" where knitting was cited as a meditation method. Click here to read the article.

3. Meet new people. Make new friends. I've moved around a few times and I always make friends by joining the local embroidery or quilt guild. After moving to the Chicago area I used Meetup.com to find the Chicagoland Craft Collective and the Palatine Crochet Group. Most groups don't require you to be experienced in the craft represented just interested and there are always people willing to teach each other.

4. Make gifts for friends and family. Want to give someone a special gift that's not mass produced by someone overseas? Or, maybe you want to give something a little more personalized? Find a book, take a class or enlist a crafty friend to help you learn how to sew, paint or decoupage.

5. Just to have fun! Of course, this is probably included in most if not all the 1st 4 reasons but it is probably the most important. But, if you find you start a craft then decide it's not for you, don't give up on all crafts. Just because you're all thumbs and can't for the life of you cast stitches onto a knitting needle it doesn't mean you can't try to make that mosaic stepping stone for the garden.

I hope you give something new a try. Everyone has the ability to be creative in some way. Whether you scrapbook your favorite photos or quilt a full sized bed cover just remember to enjoy yourself, especially when you first begin. Your skills will improve with each step of the way and you will make new friends and impress old ones.

This post was inspired by Problogger's Group Writing Project. If you have a blog of your own and are looking at ways to grow or are thinking about blogging as a business Problogger is a great place to start.

Happy Scrapbooking Day!

2007-05-05T20:31:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it? A day just for scrapbooking. This hobby has come a long way. If you don't believe me you can check out the official website for National Scrapbooking Day created by the National Scrapbooking Association. Scrapbooking has been around a long time but I have only recently been really interested as I play with all the beautiful papers and embellishments.

As my interest in the craft/hobby has grown I have even done a book review, Scrapbook Styles: Fabric and Florals, for Craft Critique that put scrapbooking with some of my favorite things involving fabric. At that time I did my first 12" x 12" page using a cute cat fabric and an assortment of photos of my first cat. Although it turned out nicely, it just wasn't quite finished. Since I had not been doing scrapbooking very long I really didn't have the embellishments to give it the finishing touch. The weeks following my original creation I went on several hunts to find just the right items but it seems like I would find something and then it wouldn't be the right color or size. Eventually I picked up enough things to sit down and embellish the page. As you can see in the photo, I didn't really add too much more but I feel like I accomplished a good page.

Some of the things I used to finish it were some star shaped brads from Spare Parts. These were especially helpful for attaching the matted photos to the page. Since I had used fabric for the background I didn't think glue or regular adhesive would hold up so I attached the photos to the background with the brads. Some other embellishments include Love My Cat stickers from Karen Foster Design, an acrylic heart piece from Spare Parts and fabric letters from Spare Parts.

Craft Critique: Altered Ikea Magazine File

2007-05-04T07:48:00.000-06:00

Whew! I've been so busy lately with regular life stuff that the only thing I've done crafty lately is my article for Craft Critique and trying to clean up my craft room so I can have space to do more crafting. It is such a small space and I have soooo much stuff that soon it's hard to tell if there is an actual floor in there.

The magazine file I chose to do really got my creative juices flowing. I was cutting, gluing and even ironing. It turned out super well, too. I have to say I was very happy with myself since I haven't done that much papercrafting. You will have to see for yourself over at Craft Critique. I hope it inspires you. I know I will be making more and may do one for my daughter's teacher for an end of the year gift but probably not quite so involved. To see the details of how I made an altered magazine file and up close pictures just click on over to Craft Critique: Altered Ikea Magazine File.

Having Fun at the Chicago Shamrocks Lacrosse Game

2007-04-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we received tickets to go to a professional lacrosse game. Yes, Chicago has it all when it comes to professional sports. So, we got to spend a little recreational time together as a family watching the Chicago Shamrocks. Luckily we spend quite a bit of time together but rarely do we get to go out. Since moving to the big city finances have been a little tight so when we get a chance for discounted or free tickets to an event we take full advantage.

At first I was skeptical about professional lacrosse. I mean at first glance it is basically hockey on Astroturf but it was a lot of fun. My daughter enjoyed it so much more than we thought she would. She really got involved when the fan cam was announced. She jumped and hollered and did her best to try to get on the jumbotron. You can see her photo here cheering shortly after consuming a blue raspberry snowcone. One of her favorite parts was the dance team which I could have lived without and not because I am against dancing but the kind of dancing and the lack of costumes. Although this is supposed to be a family event the dances were definitely aimed toward the male species of the crowd.

Anyway, we couldn't have asked for a better time. The Shamrocks soundly beat the Philadelphia team although I can't remember the score. It was fan appreciation night. I caught one of the LaCrosse balls that my daughter can be seen in the photo getting signed by Mike Kirk when we were allowed on the field to meet the players and dance team after the game. The players and dance team were great about getting to all the autographs and pictures for the kids. Overall it was a great family night even if I didn't get to do any crafting. Now that I have been exposed to the scrapbooking craze I have all the makings of a great page or two.

First Fondant Cake Experience is Not So Great

2007-04-25T20:35:00.000-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated my husband's and mother-in-law's birthday. Yes, birthday. They share the same day. My husband likes to joke that he never had to get his mom another present but I make sure he always gets one.

I have become the family cake creator which lets me get to try out different things without having a cake left over at home. For the first time I decided to try some fondant decorations especially since my daughter wanted to help. Since we were short on time because of the 2 1/2 hour trip to my in-laws I purchased Wilton's Ready-To-Use Rolled Fondant (Neon Colors Multi Pack). I also purchased the Daisy Fondant Cut-Outs and the Fondant Cutter and Embosser. The best part of this was the fondant was easy to roll out and cut with the cut-outs just like cookie dough. The worst part was the taste. Since I've never made my own fondant I don't have anything to compare it to except for the traditional buttercream recipe which is always a hit with everyone. I did use the buttercream for the background and then my daughter and I placed the colorful flowers onto the icing. She really enjoyed doing this especially since she wasn't able to use the decorator bags very well on her grandpa's cake.

The picture here shows my daughter and her cousin helping with lighting the candles. Believe me they were very well supervised and they were very careful and did an excellent job although I think they only did just a couple of candles a piece. They were a little slow since they were being so careful. I did do closeups of the cake but it was warm in the house and the road trip made it droop a little so I am showing only a closeup of one of the flowers. I will probably try to do the fondant again because it is so quick and kids can help cut out the shapes but definitely will try to make my own. Not very many people ate the flowers including me. This was not one of my better decorating jobs but the inside was really yummy. I did a top tier of carrot cake and a bottom tier of French vanilla.

If anyone has tips on using fondant I would love to hear from you. I love how the cakes look and how whimsical they can be.

FabricMate Fabric Markers at Craft Critique

2007-04-24T08:23:00.000-06:00

Check out my newest article - Craft Critique: FabricMate Fabric Markers. I tried out FabricMate markers by Yasutomo & Co. They were so much fun to try. I have had them for awhile but had not done much more than writing on fabric with them. They are much more useful for coloring.

Redwork Heart for Heart Exchange

2007-04-23T21:36:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to show eveyone the heart I made for the heart exchange in my hand embroidery group. I sent it out the beginning of this month but didn't want to post it until the recipient received it. Luckily she received it shortly after BUT I got a little busy with other things, of course, and am just now getting it on the blog. I really enjoy doing redwork. It is relaxing to do and the outcome is so bright and cheery. I adapted this design from an old Leisure Arts transfer book so that it would fit the heart theme better.

A Lesson in Designer Scrapbook Style

2007-04-18T22:28:00.000-06:00

I went to my Chicago Craft Collective Meetup tonight and got a special treat. Our very own Martha packed up super cool scrapbook kits so we could try out a little scrapbooking. She put together some amazing little pieces of paper, trims and trinkets. I couldn't use them all but that was okay because I have some left over to use at home plus it gave me options as I layered and cut and just tried to figure out what I wanted my layout to be. It is so much fun when you can sit and play around until it feels right.

Martha is a phenomenal scrapbook artist. Visit her blog Mugsy Boo to see her infamous layouts of her favorite subjects, Mugsy and Opie. I just love my kit she did. Since I'm still new to the whole scrapbook/papercraft thing it was nice to have a group of items that coordinated without having to go purchase a big box of each little item needed to get a completed look. I'm working on a couple of other pages but still haven't finished because I don't have enough little things that actually go with the look I want.

More International Quilt Festival News

2007-04-17T05:47:00.000-06:00

Today over at Craft Critique is my new article detailing more of my experience at the 2007 International Quilt Festival/Chicago. Although I couldn't describe everything, it should give you an even better idea of what the show was like and I hope it encourages you to get to one of these events even if you don't quilt or even sew.

Craft Critique: 2007 International Quilt Festival; Chicago#links

Craft Critique: Fabric Challenge Contest Finalists!

2007-04-14T22:16:00.000-06:00

Check it out!

Craft Critique: Fabric Challenge Contest Finalists!

International Quilt Festival/Chicago 2007

2007-04-12T20:34:00.000-06:00

I've had another busy week. Work is crazy. We had a sales meeting with everyone coming into Chicago and we spent two evenings out at dinner and just getting to know everyone. My daughter had a doctor's appointment with an allergist today and I went to the special preview of the International Quilt Festival tonight for class registrants.

The show is great! It is the first time I've been to this one. I've never been to the original one in Houston but I have been to the Paducah Quilt Show which is amazing and is on my list to get back to. I am showing you a detail from a quilt by Kathy York titled Little Cities. It is machine and fused appliqued, machine pieced and machine quilted. The detail is the center of the quilt. I love how it has the circular quilting pattern rippling out from the center and the colors are so vibrant. You can see the quilts online beginning tomorrow on the quilt show's website, Quilts, Inc.

I am also sharing with you one of the vendors in the Make It University area sponsored by Cloth, Paper, Scissors Magazine. Ten Seconds Studio has unique tools to emboss metal and add them to your scrapbooking, cardmaking or as shown in the picture, wonderful little art quilts. You can find the supplies at alteredstyle.com. I picked up some of their rub-ons because they stick to fabric (used for art pieces not to be laundered). I will let you know when I get a chance to try them out.

At the quilt show I am taking a class on Saturday. It is called Threads of Imagination by Cara Gulati. I think I'm going to be a little tired and a little broke at the end of the weekend but hopefully I will be really inspired. I've already learned so much just from the vendors I've met tonight and I've probably only touched a small fraction of what is there. Wish me luck and if you can, stop by the show online.

An Easy Birthday Cake and An Easy Easter Snack

2007-04-08T20:45:00.000-06:00

My husband's family has most of their birthdays in April which happen very often at Easter time. So, sometimes we celebrate both making the month just a little extra busy. This past weekend we had my father-in-law's birthday on Saturday and Easter on Sunday and in 2 weeks will be my husband's and his mom's (on the same day) and his brother's.

Since my Doll Cake was such a hit at my daughters birthday party I wanted to make one for my father-in-law. My daughter was eager to help and I was limited on time so I decided we needed something simple. This cake was only going to be 2 layers but I recently purchased very nice, heavy-duty Wilton non-stick cake pans which were 9" round instead of the 8" I originally had. The layers looked rather short especially since I was going to write all of the terms of endearment for him around the sides. The quick cake become a longer adventure just by baking another layer to allow the space for writing. I made the usual buttercream icing but I didn't have enough to add some extra elements like I had planned and I was running behind. My daughter had picked out Jelly Belly jelly beans to put on the cake. We had thought of spelling out Happy Birthday with them but it just wasn't going to work. She came up with the idea of placing them around the cake for a border. Pretty clever for a six year old I think. She wanted to help by putting polka dots with the blue icing but she still doesn't quite have the pressure correct on the decorating bag. We are going to have to make a practice cake for her in the future. Anyway, it wasn't quite what I had imagined and it took waaay longer than it should have but everyone loved it especially when it came to the eating part.

My next experiment was for Easter Day. My husband bought this huge box of chocolate Rice Krispies thinking our daughter would eat them since she likes both chocolate and regular Rice Krispies. Wrong! Now what do we do with them. The box was really big. My husband had wanted to take something else to his sister's who was holding this years celebration including the aforementioned birthday but with the cake I didn't want anything too involved. I have various cake pans and I have always wanted to try doing the Rice Krispie treat thing in one of them so voila we made a Rice Krispie Easter egg with my Wilton Egg Cake Pan. Unfortunately a plain brown egg looks like a big brown blob. So we make a stop on the way to her house for some ready made icing tubes and did a quick egg decorating for a yummy treat for all the kids (except for mine - she doesn't like Rice Krispie treats either).

Hope everyone had a great weekend especially if you were celebrating any holidays. They can be a lot of work but they are so much fun to be a part of making the hard work worth every minute of it.

Dritz InnerFuse Article is Published at Craft Critique

2007-04-06T21:53:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot to tell you that my latest review article, Dritz InnerFuse Double-sided Fusible Interfacing, was published over at Craft Critique. I had written it some time ago and was waiting for its debut before discussing it. It wouldn't have been any fun to tell you about something that you wouldn't be able to go take a look.

You will be able to see my first fabric bowl and my first fabric postcard. The bowl if you look closely is a little lopsided but I think the black fringe helps out. (You can get a peek at the bowl in my flickr gallery in the side bar near the bottom). And, my postcard is a little plain but still pretty cute. I just learned how to do them at the Sewing Smorgasbord I went to a couple of weeks ago. There are so many ways to embellish them and I plan on making some more because they are so much fun and a pretty quick project to do that you can share with someone. They would make great swap items.

You can also check out my tote bag I did earlier which introduced me to InnerFuse. It makes a great side pocket on a bag that doesn't sag. So make sure you go check it out the full article.

Associated Content - A New Writing Avenue

2007-04-03T21:24:00.000-06:00

I have found another place to write and get paid - Associated Content. If you want to read more items by me you can check it out by looking on the side bar in the section titled "Articles Published at AC". Here will be listed the articles and How-to pieces as they are published. If you like to write you should check them out. I don't know about you but I need more ways to help feed my crafting habit. I've found them to be more profitable than Helium but I'm continuing to write there as well just to see how well it works long term.

My Introduction to Needle Felting

2007-04-02T21:24:00.000-06:00

Attendance at the Ohio State University Perry County Extension's annual Sewing Smorgasbord was outstanding especially for such a small county extension office. I grew up in Perry County and spent 8 years in 4-H which was based out of this office. So, it was a lot of fun to take part it in the event and attend the 45 min - 1 hour classes. There was no pre-registration for the classes so it was first come first serve for classes that had limits otherwise it was standing room only for most of the sections. Since most of them were lecture or demo only it was not too bad.

As you may have read in my earlier post about the Smorgasbord, I was most hoping to take the felting make-it-and-take-it demo. I'm happy to say I got into the class. For a $10 kit fee we received a Needle Felting Starter Kit by Fiber Trends, wool roving and a Styrofoam egg shape to make a pincushion. Usually, you would felt an entire egg from the roving but because of time constraints our instructor had us cover the Styrofoam.

Basically, for needle felting you stab wool roving over and over with special triangular shaped needles to get the fibers to stick together. I found a great tutorial for basically how we were making the egg pincushion at Mielke's Fiber Arts (they show making a cute ladybug).

Our super instructor was K.L. Christman owner of the Olde Yarn Loft in Somerset, Ohio. Her shop is in a cabin and besides natural yarns and fibers she carries spinning wheels, weaving looms and a very unique handcrafted triangle loom that makes incredible woven shawls. She is located 15 minutes south of I-70 and only about 40 minutes total from Columbus. The shop hours are Tues-Sat 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. She is also involved with the Appalachia Fiber Guild and their 1st Appalachia Heritage Fest to be held September 29, 2007. If you live nearby or will be traveling near there check it out.

Embroidered Heart Exchange

2007-03-29T21:48:00.000-06:00

While I was away this past weekend I received this little gem in the mail. It is from an exchange I am participating in for the hand embroidery yahoo group I belong to. This is the first exchange I've done. I'm hoping to do some more in the future. I would love to do a wallhanging pieced with mementos from my Internet stitching friends. I have to confess I am running a little behind doing mine for the exchange and you won't see it here until a few days after it has been mailed. I don't want to ruin the suprise just in case she stops by.

I'm Back, Adhesives and a Contest

2007-03-29T10:17:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm back in the big city where I once again have computer access and cell phone service. I've actually been back for a couple of days but I had to finish an article for Craft Critique. I will let you know when it gets posted.

I had a great time visiting family and attending the Sewing Smorgasbord. I have so much to share with you that I will be doing several posts on what I saw and what I learned. I just wish I had more pictures for you. I was so excited to go that morning I left my camera in my suitcase at my sister's house. But, I will have pictures of the goodies I bought and projects I've done as a result of the classes.

Just in case you need some more reading and you are into or would like to get into scrapbooking or other papercrafts, check out Craft Critique. While I've been gone they have been cranking out articles on all kinds of adhesives for mostly paper. It's a great resource and there are too many to list here.

Also, Craft Critique is holding a contest. All you will have to do is send a photo of a fabric inspired papercraft or paper inspired fabric craft. Check out the guidelines and get the email address on the right side of the home page to get some free goodies.

One of Those Crazy Weeks

2007-03-21T20:26:00.000-06:00

I'm having one of those life balance dilemmas this week. I have so much going on between home, work and trying to keep up with my extracurricular activities that I'm exhausted and exhilarated at the same time.

Recently I whined to my husband that I wish I didn't work. If I didn't, I could get so much more done. He doesn't believe me because when I stay home with our sick daughter it all seems to fall apart more but when he stays home with her he gets things done. My argument is that if I were to stay at home while she is in school then I could get more done. Unlike him I find different tasks to do and my daughter is much different with me than him especially when she is sick. I'm sure all moms have stories like that.

Anyway I have been working on several projects and hope to show them soon. I will be going on a trip for a few days so I won't be posting anything until I get back. My sister and I will be attending the Ohio State University Perry County Extension's annual Sewing Smorgasbord in Thornville, OH (see this PDF for details) this weekend. They have several demonstrations and workshops and I hope to get to try the needle felting class. Hopefully I will have something to show when I get back. Hope everyone has a great weekend and I will be back next week.

Using Fabrics in Your Papercrafts

2007-03-15T11:12:00.000-06:00

Fabric and fibers are a great way to add different textures and colors to your scrapbooking and card crafting. This week at Craft Critique has been all about adding fabric to or how fabric influences papercrafting. Today's article is my book review on Scrapbook Styles: Fabrics and Florals by Jill Miller. Other articles includes Beyond Paper: Fibercraft and It's Influence on Scrapbooking by Julie Fei-Balzer and Stiffy Fabric Stiffener: Add Texture to Your Papercrafts by Michelle Laycock. Also check out the Fabric Challenge Carnival to get more inspiration for your own crafting adventures.

So Easy Decoupage Candle Holders

2007-03-12T20:49:00.000-06:00

I have been inspired by my 6 year old daughter. This past weekend in a church class, she made a little decoupage candle holder with a small glass globe, tissue paper and glue. It was so pretty. I have not done decoupage since middle school art class but I wanted to do it too. So today we worked together to do one.

I happened to have a medium glass candle globe and tissue. I bought some Modge Podge by Plaid this weekend. We cut up pieces of tissue paper. We used a brush to apply the glue then pressed the paper in place overlapping them as we went. After the globe was covered we apply an extra coat of glue and let it dry. I added some specialty yarn to my globe and the smaller one she made. I added some beads using 28 gauge wire to secure them to the hanging lengths of the yarn on the larger globe.

Now I have two special candle holders that look as if I purchased them at a boutique and my daughter is ready to make more for gifts. Quick, cheap and gorgeous! Can you get any better than that?

Crochet Buffet

2007-03-11T20:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I attended a small event called the Crochet Buffet presented by the Northern Illinois Chapter of the Crochet Guild of America. If you thought crochet was all about Granny Squares and afghans you would be surprised at the different kinds of crochet there are and what you can do with it.

The delightful and informative ladies of the guild showed quite the variety of items you can make with a crochet hook and yarn or thread. I might not even remember them all! They all had their hooks out happily displaying their skills and giving insight on crochet in general and in the different applications. Of course, you had the very traditional items of afghans, scarfs, hats and the Granny Square. There were also handbags, lace, clothing and jewelry.

My favorite items were purses made using freeform crochet and jewelry. Freeform crochet is a very liberating art form where you don't follow a pattern and simply let your hook and yarn take you on a journey. It is like crazy quilting for crocheters. It makes fabulous purses and abstract art pieces. Click here to see a site with multitudes of examples. The jewelry they had made actually was made two different ways. There was beaded crochet which I have done before and they also made jewelry and art pieces using wire as their yarn. I actually bought some wire today to do a little playing. I will post a piece when I do. I found a great tutorial at the Lapidary Journal site - check it out.

I really want to join the guild so I can take advantage of the upcoming classes and workshops they will be doing. Oh, how I love to learn new things and meet people with the same creative disorder I have because then I don't feel so crazy after all.

8 1/2" x 11" Photo Collage

2007-03-07T23:02:00.000-06:00

I'm discovering something I really like about scrapbooking/paper crafting. I can make my own photo collages that the photography studios at department stores try to get you to buy. I took the four poses we received from the studio and made paper frames for the wallet size. I glued the portraits to the frames and then to a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" piece of The Paper Studio Christmas paper. I embossed the year on a piece of cardstock then layered it on another piece of cardstock to glue to the center. To finish it off I tied a bow and glued it to one of the corners just to make it interesting.

Although I envisioned this to be fitted for an 8 x 10 frame I think I will keep it this size and simply hang it on my wall at work. Wow! I've actually finished an item from 2006. By the way, it originally said 2007 until I realized Christmas 2007 hasn't happened yet. I don't need this year to be over yet! Good thing I caught that. I wish the photo was a little better but this had the least glare. I really need to stop doing this late at night and wait for some natural light but I get so excited when I finish something I just can't wait to get it uploaded.

How to Re-fashion a Kid's Sweatshirt

2007-03-07T20:46:00.000-06:00

For some reason my dear daughter does not like to wear a plain T-shirt or sweatshirt. They are just too plain and boy-like. So, she has to have something a little more fashionable. The problem is that fashionable shirts can cost more than I want to spend. I found an alternative. I purchase gently used shirts at thrift stores and jazz them up like the one in the photo.

For this particular shirt I used an iron-on applique that I purchased on clearance earlier this year. After ironing it on I used a narrow zigzag stitch in a matching thread. I wanted to make sure this would last through washings. Then I used a Gemagic Rhinestone Setter (similar to the Bedazzler) to set some colored rhinestones around the applique.

This is such an easy project to do. If you don't have the rhinestone setter you could purchase some metallic fabric paints and simply add dots around the applique but make sure you do not use fabric softener before applying the paint.

My Very First Cards in Papercrafts

2007-03-04T19:17:00.000-06:00

It seems I am having a lot of firsts lately and it has been loads of fun. Here are my first handcrafted cards I have made using strictly paper and cardstock. Many years ago I made cards by simply stamping and coloring an image on premade cards or postcards. This time I simply cut out pieces of paper and glued them to cards I made from cardstock using my new Cutterpede paper trimmer.

The first card is hard to see it as pieced together in the picture. In fact it is hard to see it is pieced together in person. Since I am just starting these paper projects and I have limited tools and trims I wanted to do something simple but I think would still be sophisticated. I simply took two coordinating papers - one striped and one with messages. After cutting a piece of card stock and using my score blade so I could fold it I cut the striped paper and glued it to the front of the blank card. I cut out the words I wanted from the other paper, arranged them and glued them down. This was my husband's Valentine's card and he loves it. He thought it was one of those fancy Hallmark cards at first.

The second card started out the same but I chose to only go with one print and a coordinating blue cardstock. After cutting the front piece of paper for the card and gluing it in place I cut it with the scallop blade so the cardstock would show behind it and then cut the back to match. I still wanted simplicity but I also wanted some pizazz. After seeing projects done with the Crop-a-Dile I decided adding an eyelet would be an excellent idea but I didn't have that snazzy tool but I did have a Dritz(R) Eyelet Plier Kit in my fabric tools. So I added an eyelet on the front and back and bought some ribbon. The ribbon is attached by making a knot in the middle of the length of ribbon to secure it when threaded through both eyelets. After threading it through the card simply tie it in a bow. I'm definitely going to make more of these for birthday and thank you cards.

A Little Yarn Shopping

2007-03-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

Last time I ventured into a knitting shop several years ago it didn't take me long to walk back out. The women who worked there didn't even give me the time of day which I found odd as quilt stores I would visit would mostly have the most personable and helpful people in the world and I had worked with people who wrote knitting instructions for a living and they were nice people. I had visited one other knitting shop before that and the ladies were nice but at that time everyone was on the older side and the selections of yarn were minimal. The shops just didn't feel like me.

Thank goodness times have changed. Now that knitting and crocheting are growing in numbers among all ages of people the knitting shops are not only traditional but becoming very hip. There are several in the Chicago area and I plan on visiting them all and I will share what I find here. Today took me to West Dundee and East Dundee, Illinois.

The first shop I stopped by was The Gifted Purl on Main Street in West Dundee. This is a quaint shop in an old downtown storefront with a creaky wooden floor. The staff is super friendly and very helpful. There are comfy chairs and a sofa to sit and stitch at any time you would like to stop by. My 6 year old daughter was with me and took advantage of a box of toys from which she built a town from Lincoln Logs while I browsed. You can choose from several classes including knit and crochet although they specialize in knitting. Their signature activity is Friday Night Stitch In which they do every Friday beginning at 5:30 and ends whenever. The shopkeeper said last night they were there until midnight! They have been in business for 2 years and have a great selection of specialty yarns including cottons, wools, silks and blends.

The second shop was across the Fox River in East Dundee on River Road also in an old storefront. The Fishbed Knitting Emporium has only been open for 3 months but looks like a lot longer with the great inventory of yarns especially wools. There were so many colors it definitely was like visiting one of those candy shops with the rows of colorful candies along the walls. My daughter was impressed with this one because there was real candy to sample and the owner was very sweet to her. The coolest items in the shop were not even knitted. The owner, a fashion design major in college, had a couple of fiber art headdresses on display. One was made with wire springs, cut out pieces from scrap CDs and old computer parts. I wish I had had my camera with me.

Of course I couldn't leave either store without buying something (see the photo). At the Gifted Purl I purchased a handcrafted kettle-dyed wool by Manos del Uruguay and at the Fishbed I purchased a 100% corn fiber (yes corn like you eat) called aMaizing by the South West Trading Company. Now I just have to make something. I am a new knitter but have been crocheting since I was 5 so I will probably choose crochet over knit for now. I want to do a felting project with the wool and I'll have to see with the corn. I'll share with you what I discover with both of these. Corn! I still am aMaized.

My Crafting Wishlist

2007-03-02T19:49:00.000-06:00

Can one ever have enough stuff or gadgets? As I have been re-energizing my self into my love of crafting I find things I need. Well, okay maybe not exactly need buy definitely some strong wants.

I am currently working on a photo layout of my daughter's Christmas portraits. I used my new Cutterpede paper trimmer to cut the rectangles for the matting but I had to use a ruler and exacto knife to cut the opening. If only I had one of those cool paper punches to easily cut the hole in one fluid movement I would be done a lot sooner.

This got me to thinking about all the things I want to have within easy reach to make my crafting better and more efficient. Here is my list. What would you put on yours?

A new fancy, schmancy sewing machine with decorative stitches. I love my old machine (my mom bought it for me 15 years ago) but I really want to be able to add different stitches to jazz up my projects.
Embroidery machine. Again I would love to do some embellishing especially for customizing our wardrobes and home decor.
One of those quilt frames where you don't have to baste your layers together. Since I don't have a quilt frame at all this would eliminate my reasons for not quilting my big quilt tops.
Long arm quilting machine. I would have even fewer reasons for not finishing quilts and it would be much easier than machine quilting on my regular sewing machine. Plus, these machines would have as Tim Allen would say "More Power (insert grunting sounds)."
Better digital camera. I love photography and love to put photos in my crafts no matter what medium.
Better color printer. I really need this. I bought a cheapo just to get by when my good one died. I haven't done any memory quilts or photo crafts since.
A knitting machine. I just learned how to knit but I want things faster darn it. It could help out with bags I want to felt.
A nice looking OTT floor lamp. I have a small portable one but it just doesn't work in the living room very well.
Oh, and a new house so I can fit everything in it without taking over the living room, the dining room, the bedroom, the garage, etc.

A Couple of Articles of Note I Wrote

2007-02-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

I have my very first review published at Craft Critique. Because of all the exposure I’ve had to papercrafting recently, I really wanted to give it a good try. So, I went out and bought the Cutterpede paper trimmer to test it out and write about my experience. Click here to see the full review.

I also have been adding to my helium.com articles. One of my latest ones I thought you might enjoy reading especially if you like making handcrafted items for gifts. Although I initiated the topic, I am no longer ranked #1 at the moment but the other articles written on the topic of “Why Make Crafts for Gifts” are great reads. I find great joy in creating my own gifts for people instead of always purchasing ready-made.

I hope you enjoy these articles and that they inspire to try something new or keep up with the projects you have. You might even join in on the conversation by writing your own article or leaving a comment here or at Craft Critique.

Finished Tote Bag With My First Punchneedle Project

2007-02-25T20:30:00.000-06:00

Wow! It feels so good to actually finish a project. I love to start projects. I love to learn new techniques and will take an interesting class whenever I am able to. But most of the time I start a project or finish a class it usually gets so far then ends up unfinished because I find a new project or new technique I just have to try. Of course, I have finished many projects over the years but compared to all the projects I have started the list is quite short. Lately I have been trying to start items that can be easily finished and this tote bag is one example.

I did go on a special shopping trip to find coodinating fabrics. I decided to try a new quilt shop, Quilters Destination, in Arlington Heights, IL. I found fabrics by Kathy Brown of The Teacher's Pet in the From "A" to "Z" collection. I don't think I could have done much better since I really wanted to try to have something bright and springlike.

The punchneedle emboidery piece was squared to the best of my ability. I added a couple of borders to complete a quilt block I wanted to use for a pocket on a tote. I used Heavyweight InnerFuse by Dritz to fuse together the block with a piece of muslin. The block was then trimmed again. I used a satin stitch across the top edge of the block. Then I centered and pinned the block to a ready-made denim tote and stitched it to the tote with the same satin stitch as the top.

Welcome Guests from Craft Critique!

2007-02-25T08:53:00.000-06:00

WELCOME EVERYONE!!
For everyone who regularly stops by and have seen my little tidbits about Craft Critique, my bio has been published over there. And because of that I have several more people checking Crazy Crafting Mama out.

I'm still a newbie in blogland and have been enjoying every minute of it but I'm still learning my way around so if you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to contact me or leave a post. One of my favorite things of doing this is being able to be apart of the very large crafting community and being able to have conversations with everyone.

A Cool New Bookmark

2007-02-23T23:57:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday night I went to my monthly meeting of The Chicagoland Craft Collective. Every month we try out a project someone volunteers to teach. This month Sarah Moore led us through a very quick but very cute craft. It is basically some paper glued to a heavy cardstock and adorned with a few simple trims including our initial and then attached to one of those huge paperclips. She brought her cute little Cuttlebug along to cut out the flower shape and letters. These bookmarks would make great gifts for teachers, classmates or any book lover and they are so easy you could keep a few for yourself.

The Big Shot vs. The Cuttlebug

2007-02-21T17:01:00.000-06:00

No, it's not the latest match in the WWF. It is the latest review over at Craft Critique about die cutting systems. Although today's feature is regarding The Big Shot, Colleen Schaan does a great comparison with the Cuttlebug. You can read the Cuttlebug review while your there.

They just keep making it more difficult to stay away from paper crafting.