Weekend exploring

I haven't been posting much lately.  Things have been busy, more on that another time.  But anyways, this weekend we went for a bike ride to the farmer's market and saw this:

 

I've seen lots of yarn-bombing, but never anything quite as intricate (except in pictures).  It was tucked away off a bike trail in the woods, near a little rest area.  It made my heart smile.  I hope I see more great work like this over the summer!

<3

DIY Revisited: Mother's Day flower pot with template

Last year I wrote a post with an idea for a Mother's Day card that I like to do at school with my kids each year. This year I decided to make a template to speed up the process!

Here are your options for different ways to use the pattern:

1. Print the pages and either use them as is.  You can let kids cut and color the pieces, but normal printer paper will be more on the flimsy side.
2. Photocopy them onto construction paper.  This is what I'm doing at work, we have a heavy duty printer that will take construction paper without a problem.  Then I let the kids to the cutting and help them put all the pieces together.
3. Cut out the pieces and and use them to trace the shapes onto construction paper.  Then let the kids cut their pieces and finish the project.

Click here to download the PDF.

Hope this helps make this project easier some of you out there!  If you want more information and details on putting the card together, go to my original post.  Happy (almost) Mother's Day!

What I've been up to lately

I'm really not getting better at regular posting lately, but in my own defense, things have been crazy busy... we got engaged, I'm finishing up my last class in my graphic design program (which happens to be character animation and is not my forte), and I was just in my first craft show! 

Being my first show, I had a lot to do other than making product (which I spent a lot of time on).  I ordered business cards, made tags for my merch, and made displays for my stuff (with Mark as the construction implementer).  It all got done, and looked great for the show!

My table display was made almost entirely from stuff we had at home.  Mark made display boards and a headband rack with wood from his shop and I covered them with fabric I already had.  I bought three cheap necklace holders at thrift stores for $1-2 apiece to hang other headbands on.  Everything else (fabric on the table, boxes, the actual tables, etc.) was stuff we had!  Oh yeah, and I made the KareWares bunting which is a bit hard to read in the photo.  I loved my booth.  It looked unique and really stood out in the room!

 I designed my business cards, printed through Vistaprint and they turned out great!

I made tags with photo paper I was never going to use (home printers can be such a pain), label tape my dad gave me, and a stamp with my logo, also from Vistaprint. 

The show went... well, ok.  The overall turnout was actually quite poor and there were other vendors who didn't sell anything.  I reached my goal of making back what the table space cost, plus some, so I felt somewhat satisfied (although business could have been better).  I think I could have done better in a more urban, well-advertised fair, but those do generally cost more to enter.  And what's with craft shows having mostly non-craft vendors?  Oh well, now I know and am prepared to enter another show when the time comes!  Again, thanks to Mark for building my stuff and keeping me company during the long day, and to friends and family for stopping by to say hello or pick up a craft!

Changeable scenery terrarium pendant

A few months back I saw some great terrarium necklaces on Etsy and Pinterest, and decided to make my own.

I looked all over online for pendants that would work for this project and wound up buying a set of two shadow box pendants from HHHdesigns for around $11. They're copper and big enough to make some cute little scenes inside.  They're a little bigger than a typical pendant, but despite that, it was still a challenge to find small enough figures to put inside.  I had a little owl that I thought would be perfect, but, like, one claw on his tiny foot stuck out too far to fit. 

Initially, I put Velcro in the back and bottom of the box and on the felt I used for the scenes, with the thought that it would make it easier to change scenes out.  Unfortunately it was too bulky.  I ditched that and sewed the felt into little L shapes, connecting the back and bottom pieces so they'd sit in the box without any support or adhesive.

First I made this little duck scene (although I did redo it before this picture, after the Velcro idea failed).  The ceramic duck was $1 at the Mall of Saint Paul.  The water is felt and beads, sky- felt, cloud-batting, sun- felt, and the reeds are felt and sticks from the end of incense.  All I bought for these scenes were the animals, the rest was from around the house with felt as the main medium. 

I got this glass cat at a bead store for $1.50.  I used some rhinestone beads for stars and felt for the rest.  The great thing about the cat bead is that it has a hole. I used wire to attach it to the felt.   

Now, this elephant is probably my favorite and cost a little more ($5 at the Mall of Saint Paul), but I love it.  It's pewter and pretty heavy.  I put felt hills behind it and a bead for a setting sun.

And last is this cute little ceramic bluebird from an antique store for $1.  I used twigs from the yard and star beads.  This is the only one that doesn't have a felt base at the bottom of the box, but the twigs fit snugly and hold it all in place. 

I think this pendant is going to be great to switch up and wear, especially to work for the kids in my class!  I  want to find a chain or cord that matches better than my typical silver chain.

Honestly, when I first took on the project, I thought it would be something I could duplicate and sell on Etsy, but it took so long to find the tiny animals for my own necklace, that it would be a pretty time-consuming.  I'm happy with this being a personal project that maybe other people can try out and have fun with!  I'd love to see other ideas and results, so please post anything that you make!

Our new craft room!!

Well, we completed out first major project since I moved in with Mark, and it's pretty much my life dream: a craft room!  

The entire project was done on a budget- basically only paint and a few small thrifted items to spruce up the space, so I hope it provides ideas for using personal items to create a whole new room!

 The walls were white with an old 90s children's border, so we pulled that down and painted the room blue.  It was supposed to be be more grayish, but since it's our first painting experience, I don't really mind.  Plus, it looks different depending on the lighting.

The table had been in the dining room before I moved in with my own.  I suppose it would make more sense if there were a chair at the table, but we're working on that! 

We moved the futon (aka Mark's old bed) in.  As nice as a table is for paper crafts, I sometimes like to just lounge while I crochet, sew, and bead.  Dexter (the black lump on the futon) seems to have decided that this is his craft room. 

We also added this end table with a small TV and a bigger shelf on the wall.  Extra storage and entertainment for craft time.  My parents dropped off a record player today, so that might be great for non-television entertainment (notice the Wham! album on the shelf, awww yeah!)  

Organization and decorating are essential for a craft room, so I'll be posting more of the details later this week!  

An art project

It's been a while since I've done any digital art, so I decided tonight was the night.  It's easier when I work on a consistent basis, so hopefully this is the beginning of a productive streak!

Beth and I

I realize how passé moustaches are, but I like to draw pictures with props that I can use for a splash of color.  I also colored our black/white/gray tattoos.  :)

NSP garage sale-ing.

We hit up the town garage sales for a few hours yesterday.  I had some serious delusions about what was going to go down: I imagined pseudo-suburban sales where people were selling piles awesome old vintage decor.  And since it's not directly in the city, I was going to be the only hip, young person out looking to find these hidden gems!


Well... not so much.  We walked to a bunch of sales in the neighborhood that were decent.  I didn't find any macrame owl wall hangings, or mushroom salt and pepper shakers, or floral printed tin kitchen canisters, or kitten portraits... but I did find books!  Piles of books, mostly children's, but a few totally for me.

Bambi Grows Up, Corduroy, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dumbo, Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse, Alice in Wonderland, Curious George Goes to the Zoo, The Kissing Hand, & Goodnight Moon.

Around $4.75 for the whole pile!

Working in a classroom for the last three years has renewed my interest in children's literature and classic illustration.  It's harder for me to find newer books that I like-  if the story is great but I don't like the art, I don't like the book.  So these books, mostly older classics, were just my style.  Plus, I got them for 12.5 cents (seriously!) up to a dollar each! The more expensive ones were hardcovers in near perfect condition from a woman who seemed to be struggling with the fact she didn't need them anymore. 

Oh, and no, this is not an announcement of any child entering my life anytime soon.  I just decided that a small collection of books I love can't hurt.  It may also be my way of dealing with the end of my classroom job in one week...


Books for me!

Now I have the old copies of LOTR to go with The Hobbit!  Plus, you cannot go wrong with George Orwell.  50 cents a piece: $2.50 total.


Other, non-book purchases:

Cool candle  holder with great colors. 25 cents.

Lion Brand yarn for a quarter.

Awesome geometric necklace!  It was two dollars (a little out of my budget), but I'm totally gonna rock it!

Have you started garage sale-ing this year?  Do you plan to?  What treasures do you want to find in other people's trash?

What I bought: Art-A-Whirl

I only got a few things at Art-A-Whirl, but it's fine because I've been trying not to go overboard on impulse buying lately.  Last year I bought a few prints, which started my 2011 print-purchasing phase.  Now I have a cardboard sleeve full of prints that need to be framed but are oddly sized.  Anyways, here's what I got:

A Polaroid style magnet from a photographer and a plastic Minnesota love necklace.  Simple, inexpensive, and easy to carry around during a day of walking and exploring. 

Art-A-Whirl

We went to Art-A-Whirl this past weekend- it's basically a huge multi-building, block-spanning open art studio event in NE Minneapolis where you can view and buy art in many various forms- prints, jewelry, painting, ceramics, etc.  It's so awesome to see what other people make.  Unfortunately, I didn't really take pictures of much of what I saw.  I feel kind of awkward doing that- I don't want people to think I'm "stealing" their art, but I don't know- maybe they wouldn't care at all.  I didn't even buy much (just a necklace and a magnet) but it was still a super fun afternoon!

 

Sculpture bench!

This was a tree where people could write down their wishes and hang them.  I love this one.  <3

The key to Art-A-Whirl: breaks, water, and water!  A 90-degree day can be pretty brutal in enclosed, un-air conditioned studios, so hydration is essential!

 Wooden mustaches on a stick.

And I love this:

It's a drawing of an actual giant snowman statue in the city I grew up in (and will soon be moving back to).  Mark thought it was too expensive, but I love it and may have to buy it for the sentimental value. 

So there we go- a successful day of art, fun, and friends! 

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.

Elephant!

Minnesota love

Lately I've been noticing a lot of Minnesota and Twin Cities local pride. Not sure if it's a trend, or that I've just been more aware lately. MN tattoos, gear, music: everywhere.

My favorite MN/TC pick-ups:

Here's a necklace I found at Art-A-Whirl in NE late this spring. It's made by Liz P and you can buy her awesome stainless-steel cut pendants here. (The tree part is an old charm from my grandma.) I've thought about integrating the two into an obligatory Minnesota tattoo, but we'll see!

Another Art-A-Whirl purchase- a screen-printed T with Twin Cities Grain Belt-style logo. Done by Anthem Heart in a studio- I picked the color ink (up to two colors) and shirt, and they printed it in front of you. Very cool, people seem to love it.

My Summit print. 25th Anniversary numbered print from a brewery tour I did there.

A St. Paul/ Minneapolis antique map necklace. Map from the early 1900s. Lefthand Originals.

Last but not least, this old ashtray from my grandma. Every time she and my grandpa would have a garage sale, they'd let my brother and I pick something out. I loved this ashtray. So, I took it and recently found it in an old drawer. Bright colors and Paul Bunyon.