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...

Crafty Conversations: fabric flower fun

This banquet that I am going to on Friday has a Roaring Twenties theme so, one of my favorite friends, Natasha, came over earlier in the week and we made fabric flowers to complement our outfits. It was a really great time and I remembered two things:

1. How much I LOVE just hanging out with people.
2. How good I feel after crafty something AWESOME.

We live near each other, so we both decided that we should get together and craft more often and maybe even walk the trails around our apartments in the morning together. How wonderful new friendships can be!

Halfway through my project:


Natasha showing off her work. Silly girl!


My finished product. Anyone want to buy one?


INTERACT: What should you be doing more often?

Crafty Conversations: esc rehab

This weekend is my last "official" weekend in Waco and it was also work day for the ESC (where I have been living since January). It was pretty amazing to get to be a part of work day and literally leave a place better than when I came. We had about seven people working on a LONG list and making transformations happen in a way that you wish you had before pictures. We cleaned, bleached, built bookcases, pulled up carpet, put down flooring, etc, etc. Oh, and I even made a runner rug! If you are in the Waco area, you show stop by Tuesday @5pm for our kick off cookout.
JT changed my whole world by pulling up the carpet in the bathroom and putting down new flooring..my goodness, he IS amazing.

Cutting the flooring for the hard to reach places.


This one shows a little of what the old floor looked like after pulling up the carpet.

Here's a little of what I did while he was working so hard. We needed a curtain to cover the window of out back door. I couldn't find one at the store that fit our needs in our price range.

This fabric will provide privacy, but still let the sun in and it was cheap. Just a neutral muslin.


Some coordinating thread and little time at the machine (with some folding help from A.Q), and...


The finished product!

Want to sew up your own curtain for patio door or a window? I posted a tutorial here.

INTERACT: What is your stance on carpet in the bathroom and/or kitchen? I'm sure you could guess that I'm against it.

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?

Crafty Conversations: craft night w/ KB!

So, KB (you've seen her before here. came over and we had a...wait for it...craft night. Man oh man, I love craft nights. When I craft I am in the zone. KB worked on her first ever apron and it was AWESOME! I made a Valentine for the boyfriend that wasd like the puzzle purses that people used to give each other in the 1700s. Martha taught me how here.

KB sewing away. Doesn't she look like a pro already?

I am looking for inspiration from children encyclopedia that I picked up at the thrift store.

KB modeling her first ever home sewn apron!

Valentine for the boyfriend. I put an ee cummings poem on it.

This is what the Valentine looks like when you open the puzzle a bit.

Here's the puzzle all the way open.


Aren't we cute?