Vox’s posts tagged craft

New handbag for Claudie

nobody@vox.com(Linda W) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:29:22 +0000

While Claudine was here with the family in the summer, she brought with her a much loved handbag which was 'dying' - 'Can you make me another, please?' she asked. No problem - but it encouraged me to buy another new 'gizmo' . The front flap of the bag - see below - is embellished with hot-fix 'nailheads'. Since I didn't have any nailheads, nor a hot-fix tool, I had to buy one!

Claudie's bag

It was fun to use and I made good use of it as I also made a couple of evening bags for an order onto which I would normally have hand-stitched some beads. However, I decided to experiment with the tool and used it to good effect. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the bags before I delivered them, so you'll have to take my word for it!

The bags were made using torn strips of co-ordinating coloured voiles, which were then stitched in rows - not straight, but 'rough' lines - onto a cotton batting. I then stitched vertical lines of metallic thread and finished by embellishing with 'gems'. I

I've just found a picture of a similar bag I made a few years ago, see below.

IMG_2532

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Where did the time go?

nobody@vox.com(Linda W) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:16:06 +0000

The summer was very busy with all the family here - we had such a fun time, but all good things must come to an end.

I've finally got around to taking pictures of the 'stuff' I've been doing in the last few weeks, since everyone left. Although I did have one completely non-productive weekend when Martin came home from the Middle East for a surprise long weekend. It was wonderful - we did a lot of work in the courtyard, which was great. Martin doesn't get too much opportunity to work out there and he loves it. Mind you, we worked very hard - but we achieved so much.

Once he left, I got down to some work. I've taken several beading classes - made some pretty jewellery for Claudine for Christmas and a Christmas decoration for a friend, so can't post the picture of that just yet in case she peeks!!

I've been browsing through my magazines and books and completing various projects that I've had my eye on for a while and the following photographs show some of them.

First of all, I made a wrapped cord handbag - which was super-easy but very satisfying. I've done a blue one as well and will probably use this for my laundry pegs!

Raggedy bag photo

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Glenn Corpes releases Ground Effect 1.0 - iPhone Arcade Racer

nobody@vox.com(prMac) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:29:53 +0000

Independent game developer Glenn Corpes today announces Ground Effect 1.0, developed exclusively for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Ground Effect is a unique 3D, classic arcade-style racer inspired by ekranoplan technology wherein craft fly on a cushion of air at breakneck speeds. Utilizing the platforms trademark accelerometer as well as touch controls, Ground Effect boasts amazing graphics and incredibly smooth frame-rates as well as a host of gameplay features.

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Gocco tshirt print

nobody@vox.com(ochawan) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:51:47 +0000

I printed silk screen 14 tshirts for halloween for my work. I messed up a couple of them, though. I also stamped on cardboards and other stuff using gocco. I love print gocco. It's too bad the company doesn't make the supplies any more.

10282009819

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August 8th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:59:50 +0000

Been sewing - and made a purse

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July 2nd 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:35:29 +0000

some hadspun yarn (bamboo merino - it's like cotton candy!)

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June 16th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:52:29 +0000

did a little sewing (zip pouch)

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June 14th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:45:31 +0000

The finished stained glass from a few posts ago - for Pam

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October Craft Project

nobody@vox.com(Sunshine) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:48:10 +0000

Pumpkin Art

Finished Product

We went to the pumpkin patch last week and now we have eleven pumpkins around our home. Sienna loves the pumpkins but really really wants to carve them. So i thought of a project we could do to "carve" pumpkins out of paper to help appease her need for pumpkin carving.

This is a project we used to do when i was a preschool teacher. You cut orange construction paper into pumpkin shapes and glue on a green steam. Then you and your child cut out fun shapes in yellow construction paper. Once your done cutting give your little one a glue stick and some black and yellow crayons and let them have fun "carving" or glueing their Jack O Lanterns. You can also put out some glitter to make them sparkle.

Sienna loved it and wanted to put them up right away to help decorate our house for Halloween. I have a feeling we will be making more of these fun pumpkins before Halloween. :) Try this easy, fun and cheap Halloween Project and let me know how you liked it!

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Mr. Roboto

nobody@vox.com(Tie-dyed Tehuti) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:26:08 +0000

T-450 Lil' Devil Battle droid

After weeks of planning and gathering materials I've started building my grandson's Halloween costume. He will be terrorizing the neighborhood as the T-450 Lil' Devil Battle Droid. I'll blog the build in more detail as it progresses, but I wanted to get a few pictures posted of the work so far.

I've gathered strobing LED light sticks for antenae and ordered assorted flashing LEDs off the Internet for buttons and indicator lights. I picked up an inexpensive voice changer and found sound activated LED pendants to create a Lost In Space robot style light up voice plate. A three LED stick-up light makes a great cyclopian robot eye. Bonus-- it blinks red when you turn it off.

I'm constructing the body out of foam core. No cheap-o corrugated cardboard for my Grandson! The arms and legs will be made from dryer vent hose. For the rest of his suit I'll attach layers of silver-painted foam core detail to a pair of black sweats.

T-450 Callouts

I started last weekend with the arms because they are the most complex components. I've got one arm completed and ready to attach to the torso, which I built (and rebuilt) tonight. I found some great toy robot arms at Big Lots, but they were too long. They would need to be cut down and modified or the Little Sprout would be dragging his claws on the ground while trying to trick-or-treat.

Arms

The unmodified arm is at the bottom, the cut-down version in the middle and the finished arm up top.

Claw Detail

The retaining ring and cuff are made of foam core and poster-board, painted with acrylic craft paints. For adhesives I'm using plain old Elmer's white glue and, much to the detriment of my fingers, hot glue.

I also got some work done on his power-pack last night. He'll be an unstoppable trick-or-treating machine powered by his "Mr. Fusion" Cold Fusion Reactor (and five pounds of sugar.)

Mr Fusion

The reactor chamber is a groovy piece of packing Styrofoam-- I think it was from an Areo Garden my wife ordered. The transformer looking thingies on the sides are what's left of a couple of cheap solar powered sidewalk lights. They are lit with flashing body jewelry LEDs glued into a hole in the end. The base of the LED is glued into the end-cap, which was actually the reflector insert for the lighting unit. To turn the blinking LEDs on just turn the end-cap like a knob until the light comes on. To change batteries just unscrew the end-cap. The reactor chamber will be attached to the back of the torso and the non-blinky bits will be painted silver to match the rest of the suit.

Mr Fusion At Work

That's what I've gotten done so far. I'll post more as I go along, including video. Stay tuned!

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Making Sienna's Halloween Costume

nobody@vox.com(Sunshine) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:07:55 +0000

Getting Started!

Today i got to work on Sienna's Halloween costume. This year she decided she wanted to be a Ballerina. When i was growing up my mom always made our costumes. She either sewed them from scratch or we would put them together with things we found or got from a thrift store. I loved it. I always felt special, because my costume was one of a kind. No one else could have my costume. So i want to keep that tradition going with my children. Well the only problem is i don't sew. So i figure out how to put things together and i use a lot of glue! hehe!

Sienna picking a Ballerina worked out great because we already had a lot of the pieces in her dress up clothes. However i decided to dazzle them up so they were special for her. What you will need to make this costume:

Ballerina Costume:
Leotard
Tutu
Tights
Slippers
ribbon that matches slippers
rhinestones
Fabric Glue
Scissors
thread that matches slippers and Leotard
pins
and sewing nettles

I glues rhinestones all over the tutu and on the neck and cuffs of the leotard. I hand sewed ribbon to the slippers and glued more rhinestones to them as well. It took me about two hours to finish and Sienna loves it. She just couldn't wait to put it on. The only thing left for me to do is sew the tutu onto the leotard, the tutu is a little too big on Sienna and keeps slipping off. So i just need to add a few stitches to secure it in place. So if you have a little girl who wants to be a pretty ballerina, you may be surprised how much stuff you already have. I only had to by the rhinestones, glue and slippers. I had everything else! Easy and cheap. Hope you have fun putting your special touches on your childrens Halloween costumes!

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June 1st 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:35:05 +0000

Sewed a kitty for Ainsley - for her 1st birthday.

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May 30th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:31:17 +0000

the beginning of another piece of stained glass (this one is actually finished)

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May 27th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:27:58 +0000

Made my friend Lori some sewing goodies for her birthday. (pin cushion and a little felt book for needles)

side one

side two

and needle book:

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May 24th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Mon, 25 May 2009 05:21:55 +0000

For my Aunt's birthday I made her a piece of stained glass:

spent the day with her and my mom:

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May 23rd 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Sun, 24 May 2009 00:46:22 +0000

the first stage of a stained glass project is pulling out glass and seeing how it all looks together with light behind it... this project as of today (10-20-09) is cut but needs to be ground and soldered together.... wow that has been sitting for too long.

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March 15th 2009

nobody@vox.com(amber) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:30:54 +0000

Made some coasters for my friend Liz for her birthday. I love the fabric.

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Knit

nobody@vox.com(ErinGoBragh) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:44:43 +0000

I would like to learn how to knit.

Everywhere I look lately, someone is knitting something awesome. I don't know if it's just trendy right now or what. I've always thought I was rare for my age for doing hand crafts such as this, but I see a lot of young folks knitting these days. I see baby hats, blankets, sweaters that I would just love to make myself and wear, stockings, you name it. I want to knit baby clothes for my niece, and sweaters for myself. Knitting is repetitive and seems to be relatively simple, and the type of project I could cozy up on the new couch and work on late at night, (and by late I mean 8:00PM because I'm an old lady at heart.) Autumn weather begs for projects like this. I am drawn to tactile crafts that result in something functional.

I'm a hooker instead. My mom is/was a crocheter before she was a quilter, and both she and grandma taught me at a young age, and I love how intricate and complex crocheted works can be in their detailed stiches. I'd like to start in on some fine work such as lace. I enjoy crocheting very much and am quite good at it, but find that I like the look and versatility of knit for practical items. One year for Christmas, my mom bought me a teach-yourself-to-knit kind of kit, and it went beautifully, but that was ages ago and I think she might even have the book and needles at her house still! I don't remember how but know that I would pick it up again right away.

The problem for me in learning a skill like this is that I hate practicing on measly useless items like sampler scarves. It I am going to spend money on yarn (not cheap!) then I want to make something useful, but why spend money on and make something you intend to use if it's not going to be any good because it's a practice piece?

I've been dying to craft. Mom is going to come help me get started on one of my quilt tops again, but I want a couch project. About two years ago I started a sampler afghan so that I could learn more stitches and patterns, but I've been getting a little frustrated with it. I chose Autumn brown, orange, and yellow and wanted it to be an Autumn afghan, but I have a horrible habit of starting multiple projects and leaving them mid-way because I find something new to start (Mom says I'm just like my Aunt Gayle, and I've seen her quilt studio... Mom's right,) and I think this afghan may not be finished in time to see Autumn for another year.

But, I'm sure that with a niece due in February, I'd have plenty of motivation to finish up that dress and beanie!

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Between Projects

nobody@vox.com(Rosemoor) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:37:57 +0000

I've been hosting my mother this week. Not by our choice,but delightful all the same. She fell down a flight of stairs and fractured her ankle, so we've been working on projects with her leg elevated. All of my current art is in a "middle" stage right now. It looks halfway done with pieces here and there.

Monster_tote

Here's one I haven't started yet, but feel I'm going to have to. Today one of my students asked me a question I've been wondering myself. "Have you actually done this project we're doing right now?" Um, no. I had to admit. I'm teaching you, and I know how to teach you, but I haven't actually done it myself. I know that sounds strange, but as I've taught the class before and my student's paintings received rave reviews, I'd only let it nibble at the corner of my mind. I think I'm going to have to do a copy of the painting I'm teaching...

As I'm not really crazy about any holiday that includes freaking people out, Halloween and April fools Day are pretty low on my favorites list. However, I do enjoy a good fall party and I found these delightful little cakes.

Fosl08_halloween_party

You'll need to record the recipe right away though. They are on the Cookie magazine site and I just got a notice that they are closing the magazine.

I've been teaching my students the good habit of daily sketching, including making a list of things for them to sketch.

Derrel_blaine

This site caught my eye as they are trying to follow the "sketch-a-day" practice. One magazine that isn't disapearing (yet) is my Bon Appetit. It came in the mail yesterday and after looking at those yummy photos of Thanksgiving, I know you're going to be drooling on your keyboard.

Just you wait.

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Stitch an Itch

nobody@vox.com(ErinGoBragh) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:05:30 +0000

I gotta be honest: the home office isn't much different than it was before I went all coo-coo. But I feel better about using the room, probably because I had a hand in organizing it and know where everything is, and because all of my supplies are neatly lined up in one place and I can shut the closet doors at any time and hide it all from view!

Now I've got another burning itch, (but gratefully, not when I pee,) to craft like mad! I open the closet and stacks of fabric and bundles of yarn stare out at me, their pretty colors and patterns just crying to find their true form!

Problem is, I don't know what to make!

Last January I went the the epic New Year's sale at Quilter's Paradise in Old Town, and picked up a few pretty fabrics to stash. I must have been in a girly mood that day- rather uncharacteristic as I usually go for earthier prints- because I ended up with several fabrics boasting delicate patterns and soft, feminine pinks. Somehow, I must have known that this year I would be welcoming a baby girl into my life! Last night I stood in front of my stash staring at and touching the little pink paislies and flowers and trying to envision what kinds of baby items these sweet little fabrics could become with a little imagination.

I've been spending a lot of time on Craftster.org for inspiration. No great ideas yet, though.

I really should finish the Snowman quilt I started last year about this time, but I've learne that quilting is the epitome of practicing patience, and I want to finish a project now! It's time to bust out the sewing machine; I'm itchin' for some stitchin'!

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