Craft A Week #24 More Crocheted Rocks

A few weeks ago I posted some rocks that I crocheted "little sweaters" for. Those were done with a natural crochet cotton and have a delicate, lace-like look to them.

I wondered what kind of look the stones would attain if they were crocheted with colored, variegated embroidery floss. Here's how they came out:

Pretty, aren't they?

They remind me a little of Easter eggs.

I didn't use a pattern; I just free handed. Some are more detailed than others, and I like that look.

Happy Crafting!

Necklace from Ear Rings

I am gearing up for Yard Sale Season. Here in the Mid-Atlantic Region, yard sales are abundant from April through August. We have some amazing sales in my area; entire neighborhoods have sales on the same day. It is a fun, community based event and an absolute blast. (Hot dogs for breakfast, anyone)?!  My oldest daughter Shana and I tend to spend our Saturdays together yard saling...and treasure hunting.

Because you never know what you will find when you go saling, I start the season out by making a list. I write down the grandkid's sizes, ask people I know if there's anything in particular they are looking for, and make my own personal list. I love most things vintage....purses, household goods, decore and, of course, jewelry.

One of my favorite things to look for are clip-on earrings. I don't use them as earrings though. I use them as necklaces.  Take a look:

This is just a clip-on earring hung on a chain.

Isn't it pretty?

See how the earring has the clip? This allows you to clip the earring onto a chain and you don't have to worry about it falling off.  Sometimes I also clip them onto a lapel and use as a pin.

This is one of my favorites. The flower petals are enamel.

This is actually a pin but I like it better as a necklace. Again, all you do is clip the chain through the fastener on the back of the pin and you are good to go.

I got this pair of earrings at the end of last season. Aren't they adorable? I need to pick up some gold chains to hang them from. The best part of findng earrings in a set is that you have a ready made gift for a friend. I have a dear friend (Denise) and I love to find a sest of earrings. I keep one for myself and give one to her. How perfect is that?

You can usually find clip on earrings for super cheap because people don't use them anymore. I don't think I've ever spent more than $1 on a pair. Can't beat that bargain!

Craft A Week #23 Crocheted Baby Uggs

The latest edition to our family is due within the next few weeks and I am really getting into the baby mood.  It's been awhile since we've had a tiny one (the next youngest is 4 1/2). Babies bring such a sense of renewal, promise and hope to the world. I  just love, love, love them!

While I have been crafting alot lately, not much of it has been on baby things. My mom is the queen of baby blanket making (seriously, her work is an art form) so she had those covered. Since our little Marcus will be born in the spring, the immediate need for bulky sweaters is out too. So in my quest for baby adorableness, I found the following.

Aren't these just too cute?! They were such a big hit in my house that I promised my youngest daughter (who is not married, pregnant, or planning a baby in the foreseeable future) that I would make her a pair and put away for her future baby.

These remind me of the Uggs I have.  I only had these buttons on hand but I think they would look so cute with an oversize wooden button, don't you?

 I found the pattern here:  I'm Topsy Turvy. The instructions are straightforward and really simple. I used an "F" hook and mine ended up measuring 4.5" on the sole. I'm guessing they will fit a 9-12 month old baby so Marcus will just have to grow into them. I was concerned about making them too small so I went bigger. It could also have something to do with the yarn I used. My yarn was thicker than the baby yarn recommended in the pattern; it was thicker and has some wool in it.

There is also an adorable little girl pattern (with a scalloped edge). These are also so cute. I may have to make a few pairs of thesejust to keep on hand for a baby gift.

Pictures and Quotes

I have several Pin Boards devoted to quotes and what I call "truths". These are just random musings and observations of others that speak to me. Some are funny, some are sad, some are inspiring, and some are just me.

I'm gearing up to work on some collages and want to incorporate some of these quotes into them. I also found a great website that has alot of cool art (A Man With A Past).  I played around with some in Photoshop and, for a first round, they came out pretty neat. My plans are to use these as the backdrop of the collage and embellish them with various media. I may need to use a different program though because I can't figure out how to change the font but I like them all the same.

This is for my dear friend Denise (HUGS)!  I think it looks like us, don't you D?

This is one of my all time favorite sayings. Love it!

This is just so sweet. The words and picture seemed to fit nicely.

My absolute favorite! This is my son Zack and his daughter Kylie. It is such a beautiful quote (from Robert Munsch) and a beautiful picture. I think I may just print this out as is, frame it, and give to Zack for a belated birthday gift. Brings a tear to my eye.

I'll post my collage work as I progress. Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #22 Broomstick Crochet Bracelet

In one of my pinning expeditions, I found a beautiful bracelet done in Broomstick Crochet. I've been a crocheter for 35 years but never heard of this stitch. The stitch seems complicated but once you get the hang of it, it is rather simple and very, very pretty.

I love how you get a different look depending upon the kind of yarn used. These came out so pretty that I may just have the motivation I need to finally open my Etsy Shop!

These were made with hemp. I found the hemp much easier to use if it is soaked in water a few hours before trying to crochet with it. The bracelet on the right was created with the softened hemp. It gives a much smoother look than the one on the left.

I like the lacey effect this technique creates.

Here's a close-up of the hemp bracelet.

This bracelet was made from Sugar and Creme yarn.

This was made from soy yarn. It is much smoother (and lighter).  I would really like to see these with cool, vintage buttons. All I had on hand were these wooden beads. I think these are pretty but my style is more vintage. Guess I have something else to keep an eye out for when yard saling and thrift shopping.

The link I found on Pinterest gave a pattern that was rather awkward to do. Rather than follow those instructions (which called for keeping the stitches on the "broomstick" or large crochet hook I used), I caste on the stitches (as instructed in the following link) but then removed ALL stitches from the "broomstick" while working them. If you are careful with the stitches, they won't unravel. I found it just too difficult to try and work the stitches while keeping them on the post.

Here is a good tutorial for Broomstick Crochet:  Yarn Lover's Room.  Don't be intimidated by the stitch; it's really pretty simple. So simple that I think I'm going to teach my 9 year old grandson.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #21 Chunky Toddler Crayons

I have a total of seven grandkids and at least one or two come visit every few weeks. I LOVE having them come stay - and I even enjoy the stuff that comes from kids. I'm talking about army men, Matchbox cars, dolls and doll clothes,and last but not least, crayons! I have a coffee tub for crayons but there's always at least a few that don't seem to make it back into their proper place. 

Yesterday I was harvesting up the errant crayons (many of which were broken) and it struck me.  Let's turn this into a craft project!  I decided to snap them into pieces and melt into chunky toddler crayons. This was another super simple craft and they came out so cute.

Just take the paper off the crayons, break them up, and put into muffin tins or other molds.  I sprayed a little cooking spray before adding the crayons just to be sure they would not stick. I was a little worried about mucking up my pans, which proved to be unwarranted.  I put the crayons directly into my heart shaped muffin tin.

I also had these super adorable hard boiled egg shapers that I used as well. If you are not familar with these, they are plastic molds (these are a bear and a rabbit). If you hard boil an egg, peel it, and put into the mold while it is still warm. As it cools, the egg takes on the shape of the mold.These are used in Japanese miso boxes (or by me for super cute hard boiled eggs).

I forgot to take a picture of the empty mold before melting the crayons (hence the green wax). The molds are made of plastic but because these are melted on such a low temperature, they are fine in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Melt the crayons for about 10 minutes (or until they are melted).

 Aren't they pretty?

I left them in the molds for a few hours (while I ran errands). Make sure they are cooled completely before you try to remove them from the molds. The heart shaped crayons just popped out, however, the bunny and bear needed to go into the freezer for a bit to loosen.

These came out so nicely, if I do say so myself!

I LOVE these!

Lesson learned though: Be careful when removing these from their molds. One of the bunnies lost the tips of his ears (I think because I hit it too hard on the counter). They are still adorable!

None of our grandbabies are toddlers anymore (or yet) but I think I shall get some clear plastic party bags from the Dollar Store and save for a toddler gift that I'm sure I will need sometime in the future.

This really was a super simple craft and would be great for kids to do. It's such a neat transformation and a great way to repurpose broken crayons.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #20 Simple Crochet Bracelets

I am on a roll with my craftiness! Yesterday when I was cleaning up in the grandkids room, I started gathering up the plethora of plastic bracelets that have taken up residence there. You know these bracelets; they are meant to make a statement for a cause (think the yellow Lance Armstrong bracelets that started them all).  On my quick excavation, I came up with a bunch.

I also found a cute wooden one that I didn't use for this project....yet.

I got to thinking, what can I do with these? No one (in my family) wears them anymore, which seems rather wasteful.  Then it hit me....crochet them!

I used varigated crochet embroidery thread. Didn't they come out cute?  My granddaughter Jasmine turns 10 next month and I think I shall send some of these to her. I like the little lacy effect that comes from the crochet stitch. Much prettier than plain plastic, don't you think?

 These worked up really fast, maybe half an hour to do each one.  It takes the better part of a skein of embroidery floss for each.

Here's a close up. This may be my favorite one, which I may keep for myself.  This would look pretty covered with colored hemp as well.

I figured out how to do this myself, however, the basic instructions for this can be found at this site:  The Kraft Farm.  You really don't need any crocheting skills per se to do this project. It is super simple once you get the hang of it. And what a great way to recycle and breathe some extra life into what would otherwise end up in the trash.

Happy Crafting!

Craft A Week #19 Lost Sock Area

Like other  people, I have an issue with lost socks in the laundry. Most every time I do wash, I end up with a lone sock or two. The mate usually turns up but that's only good if I can locate the first sock (which I usually cannot). I have a bin in the laundry room that I toss random socks, but it's just not an efficient system. I end up with a big pile of socks that I need to sort through.

I got this idea from a pin on Pinterest but, of course, I changed it.  The original post looked like the wording was painted on the wall, which was just too much work for me. My way was much more simple.

I'm not sure what the original wording was but I like my version better. I had some cloud paper and a 5" x 7" frame. All I did was print this off and I was good to go.

I had clothesline cord and clothespins left over from my son's baby shower last week. I just hammered in a few nails and hung the cord.  See, I told you it was simple.

Now the single socks can be hung up and will be so much easier to pair up with their mate.  Since it's just me, I didn't need to use a whole lot of cord. I'm making one for my daughter that will be longer (or maybe do several layers).

Craft A Week #18: Crocheted Lalaloopsy Doll Modified

This weekend marks the start of Spring Break. Having a week off from work in mid-March is definately one of the perks of teaching. While I am looking forward to relaxing and catching up on some work, I'm also looking forward to crafting. I've had a good and productive two days but before I post the new things I've done, I want to post something I created awhile ago and never posted.

Way back when, in Craft A Week #2, I made a few crocheted Lalaloopsy dolls.  While they came out cute, I was not a fan of their extremely oversized heads. They looked too far out of proportion for my tastes. So me being me, I modified the pattern to be something that I liked much better.  Here she is:

She still has a skinny body but her head is not so huge and wobbly.

 Isn't she cute?!

My favorite part of her is her hair. It's spiral curls and I used this cool vintage yarn that is fuzzy (I think it has some wool in it).

 Here she is with a spring flower. She has set up camp on my fireplace hearth for the time being. Don't you love her?!

I feel like I need to make at least another one before I post my instructions. I did jot them down while I was making her but I want to make certain they are correct before handing off to someone else. I've moved on to other things but, hopefully, I'll get back to this in another month or so.

Happy Crafting!

Dr. Seuss Words To Live By

I love Dr. Seuss. His messages are so clear and full of wisdom but delivered in a way that is not preachy.  I found this on Pinterest and just had to share here.

[Via: 30 Dr. Seuss Quotes to Live By]

Not sure what this was originally (a poster? bookmark?)  In any case, it's wonderful. Words to live by!