9257946572687 Cards...almost

And this one by my daughter, who is going to be SEVEN in less than a month! Holy cow, where did the time go?!



So, yes, I have been busy! I've spent a couple hours today taking pictures, cropping, posting, etc, so you'll have to wait for another day to see all the crochet projects that I have worked on =]

What is a cockle shell, anyway?

Holy moly, look at this! 2 posts is a row!

So, hubby and I went and did some SERIOUS looking for my camera last night, with no luck =[ I have NO CLUE where it could be! We pulled out all the furniture, we even looked in the freezer! It's so gone ;_;

Luckily, I was able to scan in some images of ATCs I've made this month =] January is the month of doodles! It's usually unintentional, but I tend to pick up a new technique every month, and stick with it for that month. Be it paper crafting, sewing, crocheting, etc...I'm always on the look out for new ways to do things =]

First, I have a set of four ATCs that I made for the Black and White ATC swap over at Swapbot. Mother Goosed is one of my heros X]



I am also working on a rainbow of doodles, that will ultimately be framed, because my husband says they are too awesomet o trade away ;) I messed up the red one, so it's not done yet, but I have orange thru purple! The pic clicks to my Flickr account, where there are closer-up images of all the cards.


Finally, a doodle card I made after seeing a really nifty rug in a catalog. This is drawn with black Micron pen on Whisper White SU! cardstock, and the red is colored in with Prismacolor marker. I touched up here and there with a white gel pen (I'm not very good at staying in the lines, heh).


Last night, I finished crocheting a headband with teddy bear ears. I couldn't figure out the ears in that pattern, tho. I've looked at a ton of pictures of the completed thing, but mine just didn't look anywhere near everyone else's. So I made up my own ^_^ I also made up my own headband pattern, because I wanted it to have a kinda wavy edge to it, and I wanted it to narrow behind the head. I made this for my daughter, and a wide headband would just slip right off of her.

So, like, I've never made a crochet pattern before, so this might not make any sense. I think it's a whole lot clearer than my own personal notes, though ;)

The finished headband measures 18in long. I used cheapo read Heart Super Saver yarn.

Ears (make 2)
G hook, do not join rounds (work in spiral); use st marker to mark beg of each round.

-Ch 2
row 1: 6sc in 2nd ch from hook.
row 2: 2sc in each st around.
row 3: +2sc in next st, sc in next st+ around.
row 4: +2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts+ around.
row 5: sl st in next 3 sts, +sc in next 3 st, 2sc in next st+. Repeat from + to + until 3 sts remain. sl st in last 3 sts.
row 6: sl st in next 3 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts, 2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, 2sc in 4th st from end of row. sl st in next st.
Tie off, leaving a long tail to sew the ears to the headband.

Band
I hook
Turning ch counts as st; do not dc into turning ch.

-Ch 7.
row 1: dc into 3rd ch from hook, and ea across. Ch2, turn. (5 dc)
rows 2-10: Repeat row 1.
row 11: dc into first st, 2dc in next st, dc in each st across. Ch2, turn. (6 dc)
row 12: 2dc in first st, dc in next 2sts, 2dc in next st, dc in last st. Ch 2, turn. (8 dc)
row 13: 2dc in first st, dc in next 4 sts, 2dc in next st, dc in last st. Ch2 turn. (10 dc)
rows 14-27: dc in ea st across. Ch2 & turn at the end of each row.
row 28: dcr first 2 sts tog, dc in next 4 sts, dcr next 2 sts tog, dc in last st. Ch2, turn. (8 dc)
row 29: dcr first 2 sts tog, dc in next 2 sts, dcr next 2 sts tog, dc in last st. Ch2, turn. (6 dc)
row 30: dc in first st, dcr next 2 sts tog, dc in last 2 sts. Ch2, turn. (5 dc)
rows 31-40: dc in each st across. Ch2 & turn at end of ea row.
Tie off.

I haven’t figured out how I am going to attach the ends of the headband together. I need Ash to come home from school to gauge how this fits her (too long, too short?). It fits ME very well, though, so I figure this would fit most adults, though my head tends to be on the smallish side ;)

Okay, I'm off to crochet a ninja for the boy. I think he kinda gets the shaft when it comes to having a crafty mom. Don't tell anyone I said this, but it's a lot easier to come up with things to make for a girl =X lol

Inch by inch

Really? Another hobby?? I wonder how many hobbies one person can have. I mean, mine tend to be *pretty much* in the art-ish department, but, like, am I gonna start forgetting how to tie my shoes, or something? Something has to go, to make room in my head for all this stuff

I took the dive into inchies today. An inchie is a piece of artwork that is one inch by one inch. Sounds pretty rediculous, no? ;)

I joined some swaps for Alphabet Inchies. 26 inchies depicting something relating to each letter of the alphabet. Oh, plus a wild card. And I joined a Love & Romance Inchie swap.

I completed all the inchies for these swaps today. The alphabet inchies are all watercolored, and the love inchies are a mix of watercolor, stamps, and gel pen.
Love & Romance Inchies

Alphabet Inchies



The alphabet, according to Kyla:
Acorn
Bomb
Crown
Dress
Earth
Fingerprint
Gift
Hand
Insect
Java
Kiss
Lime
Moon
Notes
Owl
Pumpkin
Quail
Rocket
Skull
Toadstool
Umbrella
Veggies
Wings
X marks the spot
Yummy
Zen

*WHEW!*
I really like the way the watercolored inchies came out. I'm not so sure I like the collage ideaa on such a small scale. It makes me feel stifled, or something =X I don't think I will really start collecting these things...I'm not sure what I would do with them (lose them, most likely, lol).

Here is a picture of how I watercolor. I press my inkpad onto the (outside) top of the lid, and pick up the ink (pigment ink...dye inks dry too fast to paint with) with my aquabrush. I love my aquabrush, but I need a new one after all this painting. The tip is getting kinda fuzzy =X Oh, and aquabrush is a paintbrush that holds water int eh handle...so, no need for a cup. This is good for messy kids...and their messy mom ;)


Finally, here are some ATCs I made for the Four Seasons ATCs swap.

I spent a lot of time watercoloring the backgrounds of these...and then I went and covered them all up, heh X]

Okay, hubby is telling me that it is bedtime. I've had a cough for a couple weeks now, and had a fever today...although, I don't really feel sick O_o Just tiredd...and a little annoyed *cough*cough*

An un-partridge in an un-pear tree! *tutorial!*

Clicky the picture to go to my collage tutorial on Flickr.



My Greatest Tip:

Know when to quit!

I tore up this ATC because I just couldn't stop futzing with it. I'm still pretty happy with it, though. You can see a bit there on the left, where I tried to roughen the edges with my sanding block, and ended up tearing the paper =X I tried to blend it in with some green chalk...I think it worked alright =]

Artsy Fartsy

I have nothing new, except a few ATCs. I sent out 4 ATCs this morning, and I forgot to take pictures of them (DOH!). I am really proud of them, too =/
I have been working on a set of 20 ATCs for a challenge over at Swap-bot. Each ATC has a different (predetermined) theme. It is rather challenging!

Here's what I've got so far:


The themes are (clockwise): Hearts, My Favorite Hobby, Superhero, and Blue.

Yeah, I know, I've completed the easiest themes *sigh*

I'm not very pleased with the Blue one, but I think that has more to do with the fact that my husband mentioned that it looked very busy. I was pretty happy with it before he said that, lol. I have several other ideas for that theme, however, so if I have time (HA!), I may do that one up again.

My Favorite Hobby is sewing for my children. The background is text from The Frog Prince. I love this card X] The dress is adapted from a pattern in this book, by Alicia Paulson. It's made of wool felt, cotton calico, and some random embellishments. The pink swirlies on the background were made with the first eraser stamp I ever carved. This is the first time I have actually used it, too! *squeeeee!*

The Hearts card is something I've doodled since I was a young teenager. I just did it up all fartsy with metallic gel pens on black cardstock. *LOVE* this one =]

Black Cat is a Marvel super villain that got busy with Spiderman several years ago. She's always been my favorite mainstream comic book character, and I figured she was superhero-related enough for the Superhero theme. Hand-drawn from a reference, inked with black and white permanent markers. The edges are inked with a black ink pad (loving this technique, now that I have figured it out!). I dunno, does it need more? I've been going back and forth on it. Maybe some glitter, or something ~.^

That's all for now. I've got the kids down this weekend, and I took the weekend off so I could spend lots of time with them. Charles is on leave until Tuesday, and we're going to go shoot off the baking soda & vinegar rocket we built today! Ooh, I should get pictures of it before we destroy it, hehe. Self, thank you for reeminding me! You're very welcome, Self.

I should sleep more

Flight of the Busy Bee

Cripes! Where haven't I been??!

I went to the emergency room yesterday. Severe dizziness and nausea. I couldn't open my eyes without falling over, because I was sooo dizzy.

Survey says:
Severe vertigo, caused by infection in my throat screwing with my inner ear.

I went to the E.R. for a COLD.

Anyway, this is what I have been doing lately:

Mermaid Dotee Doll


My first amigurumi ^_^ Cute little teddy bear, modified from a pattern in this Softies book. Excellent book for learning to make softies, but only one amigurumi pattern I wish I had more....and I wish I had more yarn!)


A couple sketchy drawinglings


A new ATC! This one has some tulle across it that doesn't show well. Come to think of it, all these pics are kinda blurry. Symptom of this wretched cold I've had =X


And, finally, some Skellington ornaments I've been working on. I really like how the mouths came out =] They are done and stuffed now, just haven't had the daylight to snap a new picture!

I need a nap.

Trading is such sweet sorrow

I've finished all my ATCs for the Silhouette ATCs Swap. I might have to make another; I have grown quite attached to the birdy one X]



I'm really enjoying these, although I am starting to feel like they aren't realy representing me, and my *usual* art. I think I will have to try painting and drawing some ATCs, and maybe make some out of fabric. I've seen some really neat fabric ATCs =]

We went to the flea market yesterday, and I picked up some awesome, and rather risque, trading cards, that I can use for ATCs. I also got an envelope stuffed with random stationary bits, and stickers =] The flea market was fun; too bad they are closing it down after next weekend! Apparently, the location (the flea market is held at the drive-in theater a couple blocks down from my house) was sold, and the new owners paid an extra $10mil to void the contract held by the flea market people. the flea market people had a contract stating that they could have the flea market there for the next 2 years, but the new owners didn't want that. This makes me wonder if they are also going to shut down the theaters -_-

Today, I am going to go photograph my overwhelming fabric stash, because I have been trading it away! Trading it for Christmas presents for the kids, card and ATC making supplies, and I've even traded some away for some jewelry that I really loved =] So, I'm not really de-stuff-ing, but I'm trading larger stuff for smaller stuff ;) lol

Like a Virgin

I bit the bullet, and dove into my very first ATC today! ^_^

*huzzah!*


I'm quite pleased with it. I am seriously lacking any kind of gold in any part of my art/craft stash (I'd always found that admirable up 'till now). I think this ATC needs some accents with a gold gel pen. But I don't have one. Oh well. It's still awesome! The clicky pic up there will take you to more of a description on how I made it.

I've been very slowly collecting paper crafts stuffs; mostly from Goodwill (soooo many cards, and papers, and vintage ads, etc). I have a basket on my desk for papercrafting supplies, and I intend to keep it to that basket.

We all know how far my intentions get me.