December 28, 2011

Holidaze.

So, Christmas was here.

It was good. Successful gift-giving year: mostly bought online.

This one for Mom via Etsy.


Christmas tree cameo-style pendant.


And for Dad (also via Etsy):


Mandolin print pick case.

Brother got the movie "Blood Into Wine." Good gift for an avid Tool fan.


And for the boyfriend: a few things bought online and a few things I made.

Like these curtains!



Co-picked the tapestry (what can I say, we have good taste). Then I took it to my aunt's house (she's a sewing expert), cut it, hemmed the edges, and added the necessities to hang it. It's perfect! We tried to find appropriately sized curtains, but found nothing good with the correct proportions, so this worked amazingly well!

Also, made a double plant hanger and bought him a few plants and pots for it. I must say, I've made a LOT of plant hangers, but this was the best, and, by far, the most work. But, it looks great and works well in his east-facing dining area window. Pics later.


Miles helped me wrap gifts.




As for me: gift cards galore. Lots of random treats from students and gifts from co-workers. Mom and Dad gave the typical: toothpaste, nuts (seriously, I get nuts every year!), a food processor, etc. Surprises: a New Belgium bike bell and free drink bottle caps (should I make a trip to the CO brewery soon) and a new tv. Definitely unexpected, but cool, since I hadn't asked for it and am pretty accustomed to old, used electronics. Bro got me a much needed Chipotle gift card. How I've missed free crispy tacos since I quit nearly a year ago! And, last but not least, a new camera from the boyfriend! It's so much better than the old Insignia I had, but I've had some challenges uploading pics from it, so most post-Christmas pics are trapped. Also, Beatles lunchbox, monarch knee-highs, and paper towels. Trust me, that's potentially the best gift ever. I'm not good at buying necessities.

December 20, 2011

Package from Down Under.

I got up this morning, checked my mail. I pretty much never check my mail, especially not in the morning when every second is precious. But today I did, and... package!





Confused at first, all my Christmas gifts have come (I did most shopping online) and I generally don't get much "real" mail. Surprise! Gift from Australia. Sho and Dave found green(!) hemp(!) thread in a Nepali shop. They know me so well. I can't wait to make some really great little things with it!



And a beautiful picture by my talented photog friend.

Love you guys and can't wait till you come back!!

December 05, 2011

ABCs



Another final project this semester- this is for my Illustrator class. I wanted a "mature" alphabet instead of what I'm used to seeing at work every day. I wish I had something more creative, but I seriously stepped out of my comfort zone and typical drawing style for this picture. I created 26 separate repeating patterns for each letter. It was time-consuming at first, but once I got a rhythm going and realized I didn't need to stress about the little details of each pattern, it went really quickly: maybe around 9 hours all together. I think it turned out well and hope my teacher appreciates it.

Minnesota!




A project for part of my Computer Graphics final. Minnesota and trees. Partially based off a sketch for a potential tattoo I did this summer. I like the greens in the Illustrator file, but I think if I do ever immortalize the state on my body, it will be with a sunset. Perhaps the tree from the green version with the bright sunset from the sketch. We shall see. No need to worry about it now. No $$= no tattoos.