You know about this? Handmade Parade’s Vintage Pillowcase Challenge? I saw it a while back and had forgot all about it, until I was reminded by this amazing entry(!!!) and I became totally distracted with this challenge. I knew right away that I was making a sun hat (you have to have a good one if you are going to live in Southern AZ!) only, I didn’t have a pattern. I searched the web, and couldn’t find anything I liked. So, I spent the entire day, messing around with circles, bandwidths, circumferences, diameters and pi!!! Boy did I ever flex that mathematical brain muscle!! Ouch!!

After I got, what I thought was the perfect pattern, I cut out my pieces only to find out that they weren’t sewing up perfectly like my mock pieces had!!! I have no clue how that happened, but I re-worked it a bit (actually a lot) and am pleased. It’ll be good for our morning hikes and for keeping the glaring sun at bay. I also dipped my pillowcase in tea to tone it down a bit. It was a bright white before.

I’m totally going to wear it too! It’s loads better than the ill-fitting one that I’ve been wearing for the last several years.

I used a standard size, thrifted, vintage pillowcase for the outside and lining, a double layer of interfacing for the brim, tea for a tea soak, and a wee bit of thrifted lace.

Remember all those neckties a bought a while back? I made this out of one. Well, I’m still working on other things to do with these ties and came up with these flower brooches. I took a few apart and used the fabric to make them. They are even prettier in person and are in my shop now, in case you are interested.

I’m still working on other things to make with all my neckties and I’ll be showing you that this week (hopefully). I’m thinking I can make 3-4 things with just one tie, you’ll see. That is how handy an old tie can be. Who’da thunk!

I love February, it’s the romantic in me I guess. I love the hearts, the red and pinkish hues and all pretty things that are made around this time.

This is a Valentine Fairy–she brings the promise of love and happiness. She is a close relative to cupid and keeps a watchful eye for sparks of love. (I watched Amelie last night,can you tell? Oooo, la la!)

She is made by stamping onto fabric and then embellishing with lots of pretties. She will have a string near her crown to hang her any where you’d like.

Do you want her? You can have her by simply leaving a comment on this post. I will draw one name on February 5th at 6pm (you can comment up until then). You will get this, a couple of handmade valentines and some other goodies. There will be more winner(s) of smaller valentines, depending on how many comments I get. So you can delurk now and say hi!

More of these are in the process of being made for my little Feb. 10th show in town and for my Etsy shop.

Thank you for all you do to keep me inspired and creating!

Kind of a silly thing to say, being that I live in one of the warmest places in the country. In my defense, I’m getting a little too acclimated to extreme summer heat which there by makes me a big baby when it comes to cold. Secondly, my craft room is the coldest room in the house and third, my hands are always cold. Who can work with conditions like that. So, I’ve been working on these fingerless hand warmers. They really do the trick, even though I only have one done. The other is 3/4 of the way done and I thought I’d better share since this is the last day of my “Month of me” posting. I think I did pretty well, getting most of what I wanted done and feel pretty good about it.

 So this is how I’m doing with only one hand warmer. I wear it on my right hand for a bit to warm it up then switch it over to the left and I keep it there, leaving my right hand free to move the mouse, paint, draw, carve–the things I’ve been doing lately. Eventually I will get the other one done. I am only able to crochet when watching tv or movies (which I rarely do) and that makes it a lengthy process. (p.s.  there is no pattern for the gloves , I was just winging it).

Another thing that keeps me warm is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake from thimble.   It’s really tasty, especially when you remember the baking powder.  Don’t ask, but it’s an essential ingredient.  This recipe works really well with soy milk and earth balance.

 My little Super-E has been in the chess club for a couple of weeks now and is really getting into it. He needed a more sturdy chess board (the one we had was too flimsy) and so the coffee table was painted and has now become the new chess game area. I had been planning on painting it anyway (it’s getting kind cruddy) and that’s not going to happen anytime soon. This will work for as long as he’s interested.

Some exciting stuff has happened this week.  A large spread in the AZ Daily Star featured local Etsy sellers on Saturday.  It was a great article.  I wasn’t in it, but it led me to my local Etsy street team and I was able to get into their group.  They are super  talented and a very active group. We are having a small craft fair on Feb 10th.  Check out our website: Sonoran Artisans and flickr group.  So very exciting for me because I can meet real live, in the flesh, crafters and artists, right in my hometown!  It is also the kick in the butt I need to be a more focused on my shop.

Very quickly, I have to share this movie I rented last night.  It’s called Once, a modern day musical and it is excellent!!! And the music is amazing too!!!  If you haven’t seen it,you have to check it out.  Click on the movie link above to hear the song “Falling Slowly”,  an Academy award nominee for best song.  Then listen to the next one too “If you want me”, it’s my favorite. So beautiful.

Something that I’ve wanted to do for a while is keep a creative/art/life journal. It’s not so much for writing, but for drawing, sketching, collecting ideas etc, etc. You know, creative stuff with maybe a little touchy-feely stuff. I’m thinking of trying to focus more on art this year and I’m hoping this helps.

It’s a plain journal that I decoupaged, painted and added polymer clay buttons. I had to love the look of it, for me to want to use it. And I do love it.

This is a peak inside. It’s intimidating to work with a completely blank book. Letting loose on the cover and inside kinda helps break its newness. I also did a calendar grid on the first couple of pages to help me ease into this. I plan on committing to a weekly journal entry. Daily seemed like too much. I know I can handle weekly.

Here are some inspiring art journal links. They’ve really helped me to get started and will hopefully inspire me to keep going.

Flickr Sets & Pools: Geninne’s Journal Pages, Tara Anderson, Flea Market Studio, AKA Creativity, Journal Junk Pool

Suziblutube: How to keep an art journal This girl is totally zanny, but she digs in, gets dirty and does some amazing work. She has loads of videos to keep you entertained for hours with lots of great ideas and tips for journaling and making art.  She really puts herself out there.  Wow!

Inspire Me Thursday: Weekly journal prompts to help keep you going (I love this website!!)

How to collage in your art journal

The Altered Page

Teesha’s Journal Pages

Indirectly for me, I’ve needed one for quite a while. My old one was plain white with lots of yucky stains. This is made from a pretty vintage sheet that I thrifted a while back. I even have this thingy that keeps my board hanging on the wall all nice and neat. Now I have the pretty board hanging on my wall, almost like a flowery piece of art.

If you’d like to make one for yourself, check out THIS REALLY GREAT tutorial. Took me less than an hour to make.

Oh, and the pretty floor underneath. They are etched concrete, stained in a pretty warm yellow. They are cheerful, bright and very well suited for my craft room.

So there a list that has been growing on my desk, of things I’d like and actually need for myself. I’ve been putting them off for a while because of the holidays and various other commitments. I’m planning to spend the rest of the month making these things and I couldn’t be more excited. And since it is my birthday month, what other time could be better? Hence, the Month of Me. I think everyone should do this. I know as mothers we often put our wants and needs aside to do and make things for others more often than we think. I feel a little silly saying that, especially when I enjoy doing these things so much. Regardless, it’s nice to take time to make things for yourself for a change. I’m not saying there won’t be crafting for others this month. Things come up. We’ll just have to see what I can accomplish.

First up, a rubblework scarf. The pattern is a Pink Chalk Studio Everyday Art Pattern. I’ve wanted to make one of these since the first moment I set eyes on one. What makes this pattern so great, is how professionally it is written and set up. Reading the instructions (especially the tips) was like having a dear friend sit by helping me through. All the guess work is eliminated, which made for an easy and enjoyable experience. Even picking fabrics was made easy with Kathy’s suggestions.

All the fabric was in my stash and the green bird fabric was won from Sew, Mama, Sew! Free Fabric Fridays a while back. I had been looking for a special project to use some of this fabric on and am so pleased with how colorful and pretty it is. That’s me for you. I’ll go for bright and colorful over soft and subtle any day. Someday I’ll show you pictures of my home and you’ll see what I mean.

First you must look at this little beauty. Handmade and painted special for me by my little Super-E. He made it out of salt dough. I put a few layers of varnish to protect it and then strung it with some beads so that I could wear it. It goes with everything, don’t you think? Super-E does.

Then there are these little lovelies given to me by my hubby. A very cool thrifted mushroom decanter (1970s) and a 1st edition set of the Nutshell Library, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. He is one of my favorite illustrators and this set is such a little treasure.

He also bought me all these great books. I have been wanting them for a while. They are all really great. Totally worth looking into.

Veganomicon by Moskowitz and Romero
Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco
Altered Art by Teri Taylor

Lastly, two very beautifully embroidered tea towels from my mother. They go perfectly with my kitchen but they are almost too pretty to use. She said I had to use them. Okay mom.

Like I said in my last post, my two little guys are like two totally different creatures.  Super-E loves constant interaction (boy can he talk!).  So you can imagine how great it is to give him something that will keep him quietly busy and keep his mind buzzing with ideas.  He loves drawing (oh! how I love this) and he loves making stories, so naturally he needed a creative notebook.

I had meant to embroider his name on the front, but time quickly escaped from me.

Inside: a space for scrap paper, pencils and a Star Wars notebook.  The recycled paper notebook had a plain cover that I covered with this printout.

The other side has a pocket for handmade paper books and more scrap paper.

He just couldn’t be more pleased with his notebook.  He carries it around wherever he goes, just in case he has a really great idea he needs to right down.