a handmade holiday...

Happy New Year, friends! I hope December treated you well. Since one of my new year's resolutions is ALWAYS to spend the time to MAKE more things, I thought I would remind myself (and you at home) of some of the handmade gifts I gave this past holiday. You know, to like...remind me that I have fun when I'm making.

This year it snowed on Christmas so I thought it was fitting that most of my handmade gifts were accessories that help with the cold:

a knitted infinity scarf for M.K. It's a long circle scarf that you can wear tons of different ways (just google it)...


this scarf for my boss. You know how I LOVE color...


another infinity scarf for my cousin, Sandra. (Daniel offered to model for me...)



and for the boyfriend- I made what we are affectionately calling: the "infinity" hat.
It turns out that a HUGE hat can be worn A LOT of ways!

look number 1: (there were SO MANY, but I will only bore you with a few...


look number 2: we're calling this pope meets cat in the hat...


look number 3: JT trying to look like Sway...


look number 4: He likes this one..


You know I had to try it out myself...

Tommorrow

I will be here and I'm stoked:

Crafty Conversations: roadside desk

So the day I left for Waco, KB told me that she found this metal desk on the side of the road. There was just a little rust on the inside and the drawers worked well. It was the PERFECT size for a craft station in my new apartment.



She knew I needed a desk so she came with me and after a few tries, we got it in the back of my car. We jokes that my goal for my first week in Fort Worth was that I had to make some friends so someone could help me get it out.




I was in luck, because when Matt came up my first week, he followed me ALL THE WAY OUT to my apartment to help my get this heavy thing in my apartment. I promised myself that I would keep it in the living room (i.e. in the way) until I cleaned it up and got it ready for crafting. So, when JT came to visit that first weekend I told him that we had a project....da da duuuuuh...

SO we went to Lowes and bought a few things: kilz spray primer, some red spray paint, a tarp to cover the workspace, & a reusable sander scrubber (looks like a sponge). All together we spent $35. Now I should tell you that the desk that I had been planning to save up for would cost me a couple hundred dollars, so if this 35 dollar thing works out- AWESOME.

So I sanded off the rust, JT removed the drawer pulls, we dragged the desk and the tarp outside and got to spraying:



A few days and paint coats later, I have a desk and crafting station. What a difference a coat of paint makes. (I know that is a cliche, but we just kept saying it because it was such a shocking transformation! You should probably scroll up to see the before, so that you can be as shocked as I am.



I really felt accomplished after a weekend project and I quickly got my sewing machine out to make Marianne a pillow for her couch. The following weekend I unpacked all but two of my bedroom boxes. I almost live here it seems.

INTERACT: Well, what do you think?

Crafty Conversations: fabulous finds

Let's just be honest with ourselves... I love books. I tend to gravitate towards old books, mainly because I really like the reading other people's notes in the margins and thinking what the previous owners were like. My favorite books are those of the craft-related nature. So if I can find an old craft book, I get REALLY pumped.

This week I stopped by our new Goodwill and found three books for $5.00 total! Along with a feminist reader that you probably don't care much about, I got this one:

source

and a book called Bright Ideas for your Home by Dalsgaard and Erichsenth. Both books were published in the 70's, and the Bright Ideas book was equipped with photos and intructions to make everything from couches to vest-like back packs. Here are a few projects from the book:





These are definitely FABULOUS FINDS. I wish you luck the next time you go a-thrifting! Now, I'm off to purchase some foam to make a "slumper" (and by that- I mean I'm going to bed.)

INTERACT: What is your favorite thrift store find?

Crafty Conversations: an introduction

These days, I have been inspired.
Last week I made a scrapbook of JT's graduation (pictures to come). He seemed to like it a bit. This was my first OFFICIAL scrapbook with pictures and all. I made a scrapbook as a (very late) wedding present for some close friends of mine (see slideshow) last year, but this graduation album is a definite first.

I have resolved to blog at least once a week about my craft habit, so look forward to some pictures and "crafty conversations" in the future. Next up: I have some news about my up and coming Etsy shop. But for now, enjoy the slideshow.

INTERACT: Leave a comment and tell me what crafty things are you doing this summer?

Barn Yard Ice Cream Sandwiches

So, JT bought me this ice cream sandwich maker. It's pretty amazing and it makes barnyard shapes!!!

Here's how they turned out:
We used butter pecan ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.


Don't they look delicious?


Oozey. They were a lot better after we stuck them in the freezer a bit.



If you wanna see the step by step photos Click here.

Readymade Magazine Subscription Giveaway

I have fresh new giveaway for all of you!!! (If you won the last one, your bag is the mail).

This giveaway is for a free year's subscription of readymade Magazine! That is 6 full issues of the bimonthly magazine for people who like to make stuff for nothing but leaving a sweet comment!!

Readymade is my most favorite magazine and I have issues 3-34. (If only I can get my hands on #1 and #2- my life would be complete.) You definitely NEED to have this magazine in your life, and here's your chance.


DETAILS: * The contest ends Monday April 7th at 5:30pm.
* Winners will be posted on Tuesday.
*To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, and include your name. (Check back to see if you won, so you can email me your address.)
*PLEASE NOTE: your post must be "approved" by me before it shows on the website, so don't be alarmed if you do not see it right away.
*Keep checking the blog for the logo above for future giveaways!!!

Crafting Reusable Shopping bags & Free Giveaway

So since I've started "thirty things Thursday" I've had the opportunity to be stuck with the dilemma of what to do with all these t-shirts I have laying around. "To give away, or not to give away..." that is the question. And we all know what I do when I can't answer that question.... I CRAFT!!!!

So, I've solved a two fold delimma- I needed a reusable shopping bags for my groceries (for convienience, hipness, and comfort) and I needed to "keep" my t-shirts' memories alive. So I made shopping bags out of the t-shirts.

I brought one over to Lyndsy and Jonathan's super bowl Sunday as a gift for their new "greener" lifestyle. If you would like one of these bags for yourself, let me know. Great news!!! If you leave a comment to post, your name will go in a drawing for a FREE handmade "upcycled" t-shirt shopping bag!!! Just leave a comment (be sure to include your name) and you will be entered in the drawing for a free bag, made by me of course. Everyone loves free stuff.

Here's Lyndsy showing off her new bag. She's excited to save the environment from those pesky plastic bags. (possibly because this bag holds a lot of groceries, as you can see.)


Again the bag upclose:



Here's an upclose on the reinforced straps: