Click click, bang bang

I joined a new group, and I intend to stick with it. It's the 365 Days group, at Flickr.

Basically, the idea is to take and upload a self-portrait every day, for one year.

I'm hoping to catch some important things in the upcoming year, such as getting pregnant (*fingers crossed*), quitting smoking, and...well, that's really all I can think of right now, lol X]

I think it will be interesting to see how my hobbies change throughout the year, as well. This year, I've gone from beadwork, to painting, to pencil drawing, to digital artwork, 3D texturing, to sewing clothing, t-shirt surgery, sewing hair-clips, making softies, little marble magnets, ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), and collages! I'm sure there has been more, actually....that's all I can think of that I have done in the past 3 months ;)

I have not quite decided when I want to start, tho...Perhaps today. I know I want to start this week, so I can be sure to catch the ATC (Army Training Conference) in Reno this weekend. My first formal event, the first time I have been to Reno at a "legal" age, and a lot of activity, new people, and hopefully, excitement!

Marble MADNESS!

I finally tried 'em, and I love 'em! X] I can never have enough magnets, yanno....I wanted to make them for a swap partner that mentioned she collects fridge magnets. I used a moon picture I found in a vitamin catalog to try it out, and it was easy, and quick =] So, now I have a lovely set of magnets to send out, and I am feeling great about the package I have made up for her =]


(the tutorial part is for a friend of mine)

I'm having a hard time finding the plastic for what I want to do to my pins, so I might have to hold off on that for a while. The kids finally settled on what they want to be for Halloween (a ninja, and a purple Carebear), so I can get started on that. I bought a pair of scallop-edge scissors today, hoping they would work on felt, for my Dinkys. They don't. But, I also bought an assortment of cardstock and specialty papers to make Christmas cards, so I'm sure the scissors will come in handy.

Oh, and I found an AWESOME art supply store downtown today! I must have walked past it a hundred times before finding it. I picked up some clearanced vellum, and a squishy art eraser (the kind that is like clay...been needing one of those). And I got Hubby a nifty little hopping bug toy for his desk at work. he was using it to launch things across the office last I heard form him ;)

Swappin' tha deck, ARRR!

Oh my. I signed up for Swap-bot last night.

-help meeeeeeeeee-
Some "notes to self":
* I will not join more than 2 swaps at a time.
* I will only join 1 international swap at a time.
* I will only join one quick swap (send-out date less than 2wks away) at a time.
* I will not zallow the dollar total of any and all swaps I am in climb above $30.
* I will not join swaps when their send-out date is towards the end of a pay period.
* I will remember that there is a post office 2 blocks down Soquel, instead of forgetting, and going to the p.o. way out in Capitola.

So, the first swaps I have joined are a Red Ribbon swap, for AIDS Awareness Day (Dec. 1). I will have two partners in that one, and will be making something red ribbon and wearable. If my partner happens to be in the U.S. (it's an international swap), I will most likely send out a yellow ribbon, as well. I'm all about encouraging people to support the troops. All anyone hears about these days are anti-war, anti-military, anti-government....I don't think anyone realizes the effect even a simple yellow ribbon has on us. It's enough to make our whole DAY. Anyway....that's an entirely different post.

Secondly, I joined a Newbie Swap, to get my rating up, so I can join the swaps I realy *want* to join ;) I'm excited about the Newbie Swap! I'll only get one partner, but something about getting to know them covertly, and making up a package tailored to someone else...Idk, this just sounds like *FUN* =]

In other news...

I've decided the layette set will have a gardening theme. Hubby voted for bunny theme, I vetoed. Baby's parents are gardeners, and I doodled out some cute little sweet peas and punkins...I'm having visions of making a whole army of toys and blankets now!

I won't.

But maybe I can convince the children to be sweet peas and punkins for Halloween X] LOL!

Halo, World!

Started -AND- finished the Dinky angel today! I really don't like his face. I've already taken it out twice, I'm not sure how much more the fabric can take in that area. ::Grrrr:: Oh, and I need to get some longer, thinner needles, that still have eyes large enough for two strands of floss.



This is for my friend, Michael. I have been working on a painting for him of a blue angel for...oh...about a year now =X After seeing the dinky dragon, he requested a dinky angel to tide him over until I get the painting finished.



Speaking of painting, I have come to the realization that I am a weirdo. I know, shocking, huh? I can't paint here! I had no problems painting in Georgia, and I did it quite often. But, something feels "off" here. I've never been one to buy into the idea that I needed a certain type of "energy", or whatever you wanna call it, to paint. Seriously, though, when I try to paint, it feels so alien, I just can't do it ::sigh::

Hokey Pokey

So, I spend the majority of my crafting time sitting on the sofa, with my embroidery scissors, a skein or two of embroidery floss, my current project, and my standard tomato pincushion. Problem is, that little tomato pincushion is always rolling away! I'm constantly digging it out from under the sofa, from between the cushions, and the worst is when I reposition myself, and get stabbed in the butt by my wayward pincushion X[

So, of course, I made a new one. A flatter, prettier one! Woot! =]




Stupid, blurry pics *shakes fist*
It's dark, and I just didn't have the patience for properly photographing it. But it's cute. Really really cute. I don't even like brown, but this brown & pink combo really does it for me.

The embroidery took me two evenings, but it probably would have gone faster without Hubby's intense amusment at tickling me while I have a needle in my hand.

October, a time for change

OK, not really...but how about trying something new? I think I'll start making a list of my crafty goals every month, so I can see just how productive I am not being, heh ;)

OK October!

* Finish quilting flannel baby quilt.

* Bind and finish flannel baby quilt.

* Bind and finish country flag quilt.

* Angel Dinky

* Soldier Dinky

* Lyndsay Dinky

* Rhy Dinky

* Halloween costumes:
-ninja for Hero
-purple Carebear for The General

* Complete brown & pink pincusion

* DIYShrinky my yellow pins

* Two Red Ribbon Pins

* Layette set for baby Carmen:
* hat
* booties
* mittens
* recieving blanket
* warm blanket
* picture frame
* softie
(I'm thinking a bunny theme for all this...bunnies are easy, and pretty classic-baby, right? Or maybe a cat....cats are cuter than bunnies, I think...) *EDIT: (I'm thinking giraffe now, because I have a nice soft fleece panel with cute giraffes on it)

Is that too much for one month? I guess we'll see....