Casting On

I had to take a couple of weeks of from the JUGs challenges.  There was lots of spring cleaning, yard work and home improvement projects that needed attention.  But I’m back this week with the template challenge.  Template challenges are my favorite.  I love creating unique gift holders.  This week I’m going to use this one for my mom for Mother’s Day.

The template is the Canister Box Template from Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs.   Make sure you check out some of  her other super cute designs.  Here are some indoor pictures as well.

Isn’t the top adorable?

Other supplies used:

Stamp – Mother’s Day Sentiments by Sarah Paris
Flower Paper – Paper Adventures Ivory Floral
Flower w/ rhinestones – Jolee’s by You Pink Freesia
Pink and Cream cardstock from my stash

I also resized the bottom to make the tag.   Though you can’t see it well in the pictures, I used a pop dot to make the stamp layer stand out from the other 2 layers.

Tags: jugs

Another repeat finished.

As usual, I’m moving along at a snail’s pace.  At least this is an easy knit for me to bring to places like the CT Sheep & Wool Festival on the 25th.

Have I mentioned how much I love Stitch Minder app?

This is the first project I’ve used it for though I’ve had it for quite awhile.   I love that it keeps track of different rows/repeats.  For Kurant in one row you need to knit X amount of K and M1s then another amount.  I’ve been using the Increase Rows counter to keep track of the number of K and M1s so I don’t have to go back and count the stitches.  Pretty neat.

Tags: shawls

Yep, that would be 2 weeks in a row I’m participating in a Just Us Girls Challenge.  This week the challenge was to use be below sketch to design a card.

Here’s my entry.

Stamps:  Doodle  Flowers from Lindsay’s Stamp Stuff colored in with watercolor pencils
Paper:  Die Cuts with a View – Purple Flowers, Periwinkle, White & Pink from stash
Ribbon:  Joann’s

This was my first attempt at using watercolor pencils.  I still need a little more practice.  I also had issues making the rounded bottoms on the white paper so I ended up making myself a template that I will use for future cards.

Tags: jugs

When I first had the idea to make an Easter Egg Wreath, I wanted to use this idea from Kristen McKay Designs.  Instead of wrapping the plastic eggs in hemp and spray painting them, I was going to wrap the eggs in Sugar and Cream cotton.  I had a yellow and blue on hand and went to Joann’s to get a pink and green.   Instead I found the six packs of already dyed eggs for 50% off (plus I had a 20% coupon).  Joann’s did have an Easter Egg Wreath in the same section, but it had too many eggs on it.  I wanted one that would show off the moss more.  Almost give a bird’s nest feel.

Materials:

1 metal wreath form (I used the large size)
1 1/2 inch strips of null paper (what ever size you are comfortable working with)
1 bag of Spanish moss
2- half dozen trays of colored fake Easter eggs
hot glue gun

1.  Wrap wreath with strips of null paper.  It doesn’t need to look perfect since you will be covering the wreath with the moss.

2.   Break up about half the package of Spanish moss into smaller pieces.  Then bunch up and hot glue to the null paper.  Do not be stingy with the glue.  I used up 5 entire glue sticks for this project.

3.  Arrange your eggs on the wreath.  I chose to do a random color and position.  Once you like what you have arranged, hot glue each egg to the wreath.

4.  Then hang on your door and admire your work.

If I had an appropriate ribbon, I would have use it to make a hanger.  I  will admit Spanish moss makes a huge mess.  I ended up having to vacuum my dining room table and a trail to the garbage can.  Next time I decide to use it for a project, I’ll make sure it’s not during a monsoon and can do the project outside.

Tags: easter

I actually got my act together to participate in this week’s Just Us Girls challenge.  This week was a template challenge.  You could use any template, but I decided to use the freebie from the sponsor, Time Made Easy LLC.  The Cutesy Cover is the perfect size for gift card packaging and it works out well for me since I have family birthday this week.

Template:  Cutesy Cover by Time Made Easy
Paper:  Heidi Grace Designs  – Cherrywood Ln. | Paisley
Stamp:  Inkadinkado Happy Birthday Flourish Frame
Flower, Metal Dot and Ribbon: Joann’s $1 area

I wanted to make this reusable or repurposable, so I added 2 coats of Mod Podge to to each side of the paper after printing out the template.  Also, the ribbon with the stamp is not glued down to the box and can easily slide off.

Originally I had big plans for this project that did not pan out.  I learned I need to think about investing in a set of Copic markers.  I downloaded a couple of nice digi stamps that I can’t wait to use in future projects.  And after looking to see what others  have done, I think I’m getting a little more inspiration.

Tags: jugs

It’s been a long time since I picked up a set of needles.  I had to travel by train for work this past week and that means some uninterrupted knitting time.  Now I’m used to taking MetroNorth to NYC.  This trip was on Amtrak to Boston.  I  was originally scheduled to go on Acela trains, but due to the weather, all Acela trains were canceled and I had to take a regional train.  It wasn’t bad; it just took longer.  Amtrak trains are much nicer than MetroNorth.

I wanted to knit something that did not require a lot of thinking, used something from my stash and was portable.  I decided Citron fit the bill.

This is after finishing the first section.  I’m calling it Kurant since I’m knitting it in purple.  Get it, Absolute Citron, Absolute Kurant?  Ok I’m a dork.  The yarn is JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18 that I’ve had for a few years now from when my local SnB did a cone split.

So far this has been a super simple knit.  I did not like how the pattern starts off with a rectangle, but it wasn’t enough for me to start over.  But someone does have a mod posted on Ravelry.

Since I did not wait for the opening ceremonies to start knitting, I can’t say this is a Ravelympics project.  But most of this will probably be knitted while watching the Olympics or cleaning off the DVR.

Tags: shawl

To occupy my abundance of free time*, I’ve been doing a lot of blog hopping recently.  I’ve found really good tips for organizing and saving money.  But I’ve also found card making challenges.   Who knew they existed?  I’ve been wanting to  become a better stamper for awhile and thought this would be a good  opportunity  to learn some new skills.  Here’s my first attempt at a card making challenge.

I will be entering this in the Just Us Girls Challenge #15.  The requirement was to use stitching in your card.  The flower is a paper piercing template from Bazzill In Stitch’z and hand sewn with DMC floss.   Basically it’s a similar process to those sewing cards you may have had as a child.  There is also a machine sewn border around the striped paper squares.  I tried using a Provo Craft sewing machine that is meant for sewing  paper, but it was a massive  fail.  My regular sewing machine did the job much neater and quicker.  The template for this card is from Truly Scrumptious Challenge #23.  While I would enter this card in their challenge too, they seem to concentrate more on the stamp that the technique.  But I did learn that there are digi stamps.  So maybe I’ll be entering their next challenge too.

The most important things I learned from making this card are:

1.  Condition your clear stamps with an eraser.  This will hold the ink better.

2.  YouTube has tutorials for scrapbooking supplies that you never really learned how to use properly.

3.  The Fiskars Stamp Press sucks.  I ended up going and buying acrylic blocks and with the conditioning your stamps they make a world of difference.

*sarcasm at it’s finest.

Tags: jugs

Recently I’ve been enthralled with aprons.  I don’t know why.   Maybe because I cannot cook something without getting something on me.  Who knows.  Anyway I’ve stumbled over 2 different apron posts that interest me.  There subliminally telling me it’s time for me to make my first apron.

Angry Chicken hosts a bi-monthly apron theme challenge at Tie One On.  This month’s the theme is black and white.  As soon as I read the post, an idea came to my head.  It also helps that I have 2 Jo-ann’s gift cards burning a hole in my pocket.  Hopefully this weekend I will get to peruse Jo-ann’s for some neat fabric.

For those of you not into sewing, Vanilla Joy is hosting a contest to win an apron from Flirty Aprons.   These are some of the cutest aprons I’ve seen for sale.  Plus the prices are very reasonable.  I’m seeing aprons for $25 and $30.  There’s also a child size aprons if you want that mother/daughter look.  Vanilla Joy’s contest only runs until midnight Thursday, January 7 so get moving if you want to enter.

Tags: aprons

I know I’ve been slacking in the blogging and knitting departments.  Not much knitting has been done the last half of last year.  Hopefully this year I can get back on track.   There’s lots in my Ravelry queue and new patterns are always available.

I did do some crafting for this past Christmas.

Christmas Tree Garland

The inspiration for this came  from  Scraps in Progress No Sew Valentine Garland.   The tree template came from an old wooden Christmas decoration.  I’m still thinking of ideas to dress this up a little more for next year.

German Star Wreath

The inspiration for the came from Linaloo Fru-cool Recycled Christmas Wreath.  I used a Styrofoam wreath and wrapped in red ribbon.  The stars are the basic German star pattern except I did not do the back points.  I spray painted each star and used a floral pin to attach to the wreath.  I was worried that the spray paint would be too heavy for the newspaper, but it worked out just fine.

I really can’t say I liked the movie. I left the theater feeling disappointed. So did my friend and her son who went with me. The movie did have its moments and the cinematography you would expect from a Harry Potter film was there. I think the best part of the movie was watching the trio go through all the emotions of growing up and coming to terms with life and love. I am not annoyed with the actors or director. My gripes mostly lie with the screenwriter. I have put my gripes and likes behind a spoiler tag. So my warning is that clicking on the link below will give you spoilers for this movie and there are cases were I reference the Deathly Hallows book. Consider yourself warned.

Tags: harry potter