A Crafting Life In Pictures

A few custom orders:




And some stuff to go in my shop:




I've been so busy with custom orders and other holiday busy-ness that I scarcely have time to write a complete paragraph.

More than anything I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving! :)

Shop Update and Some Holiday Crafting

Aloha everyone! :)

I've been slow to update my shop lately so I'm thrilled to finally have these new editions soon to be listed:

Some Itty Bitty Ami Bears sitting in their origami gift bags . . .

And a trio of Bashful Blooming Cacti. Each cactus will now come with an instructional "How to Care for . . . " hang tag. It's an idea that I've been mulling over for ages and I've finally gotten around to doing it.

The tags read --

Caring for your Bashful Blooming Cactus:
1. Situate in a calm, peaceful place away from loud noises and crowds.
2. Encourage it to bloom without being too pushy.
3. Never put your cactus on the spot -- i.e., ask it to sing or if it knows any good jokes.
4. Finally, nurture your cactus by complimenting it everyday.

I'm excited by how the tags turned out! :)


This Christmas I'm attempting to apply the "use what you have" concept to my gift giving. As a platinum card carrying member of the hopelessly craft obsessed, I've amassed a mountain of fabrics, ribbon, yarn, and other supplies over the years. This Christmas is the perfect time for me to use some of my stock and make room for more. I'm being very strict about my "use what you have" philosophy. I won't run out to purchase something else in order to finish a project. Not even small supplies like thread. If I don't have what I need on hand, I'm going to have to improvise. This may not bode well for the friends and family that I will be creating gifts for. However, I am vowing to do my very best not to construct any Franken-presents out of random objects lying about like pipe cleaners, buttons, and toilet paper. I will strive to make things as cute and pretty as possible with what is readily available.

Here is my first "use what you have" Christmas gift project. It's what I came up with after finding way too many balls of red and green yarn in my stash.

I know, I know . . . they're just potholders, but they're cherry potholders so that's sort of cute, right? But then I discovered some cherry print fabric so I plan to make a whole cherry themed kitchen set. This project is still in the beginning stages so I have hopes that it will blossom into something more impressive than it seems. We'll see, I guess. Stay tuned . . .

Finally, the winner of the Kawaii Kitty for last month's Reader Appreciation giveaway is . . . Sew Very Carrie! Thank you for all your support Carrie! I'll contact you soon! :)

Cupcake Invasion!

Hello everyone!

It's been awhile since my last post as I have been meandering aimlessly through these past few weeks, which were filled with lovely distractions like fishing, family time, and zombie movies via Netflix.

It's only lately that my mind has ceased contemplating the pros and cons of fast moving zombies vs. slow moving zombies, and re-focused with some nifty, new project ideas. Here's what I've been working on . . .

First off, remember these guys?

Yep, it's my trusty ol' Happy Swirly Cupcakes. If you've been keeping abreast of my blog posts you'll notice that I've been making mini versions of my usual amigurumi. I just love jamming a whole lotta cute into a small package. It's like concentrated cuteness! :) I suppose it was only a matter of time until my big cupcakes got the shrinking treatment, too.

Please meet the Mini Cupcake Cuties! Each mini cupcake stands 3 inches tall from base to frosted tip. I really love the concept of cute meets function in my Happy Swirly Cupcakes and I wanted to keep true to that with these little fellows. Therefore, I made little blank sign boards on which short messages can be written. I think these mini cupcakes make the perfect surprise "for-no-reason-at-all-I-just-wanted-to-tell-you-I'm-thinking-about-you" present. :)

I must say thank you to 6060 Etsy shop, where I got the little bead eyes for my mini cupcakes! They're the perfect fit! :)

Here's a shot of one of my big cupcakes next to it's baby sibling.

And another comparison shot of the cupcake tops. Although I love the look of the swirly frosted, berry tops on the bigger cupcakes, I've been dying to make some frosted sprinkle cupcakes for the longest time, and so I've done on the smaller counterparts.

All of the above will be in my shop shortly, if anyone is interested.

Last, but certainly not least, I must announce the winner of last month's Reader Appreciation Giveaway:

Wasted Wishes -- Thank you for all your support here at my blog! I will contact you soon!

Happy crafting everyone! :)

March of the Amigurumi . . . and July's Reader Appreciation Giveaway!

I've been in a major amigurumi zone lately. For whatever reason I have it in my mind to make them in pairs . . . like some sort of amigurumi version of Noah's Ark.

Here are a pair of Bashful Blooming Cacti.

And a plush Apple Cheek Ami Bear and Bunny duo.

Finally, I made this sweet Itty Bitty Ami Bear twosome.

I thought I'd throw in a random shot of the big ami bear next to the mini one. I just wanted to take a photo for comparison, but it gave me the idea of doing a set -- like a little bear holding her little toy bear. Maybe that will be my next project! :)

Now before I leave . . . this month's Reader Appreciation Giveway are these two adorable Japanese fabric iron-ons. Isn't that blue elephant sweet? Apply them to your tote bag or backpack for instant cuteness! As always I will pick someone at random from the comment pool of this post.

Thank you for coming by!

Summer Head Gear

Summer's officially here and the B gals were in need of something to keep their hair from whipping up into a frightful mess at the beach, so here's what I came up with:


A crochet lace head kerchief with a pretty floral appliqué. This is the first time I've ever crocheted any sort of lace, so I picked a rather simple lace pattern. I'm pleased with how it came out. It's lacy without being too fussy -- perfect for cool, breezy, summer days!

I made them in a bunch of different colors as you can see. They'll be listed in my shop shortly, if anyone is interested.

Do you remember these? I haven't made my Sundae Berets in quite awhile. I used to make them with nuts scattered all over the hot fudge sauce, but this time I decided to do them up with colored sprinkles. I saw something on Food Network about how sprinkles were one of the most popular toppings for ice cream, and I was instantly inspired.

Here's one of my B-gals wearing one. I'll be putting a bunch of these in my shop, too.

Well, that's all the crafting news for now. Sorry this post is so short, but I've been enjoying my long, holiday weekend! :)

Happy Independence Day!

Hello Ami Bears, Goodbye Blythe Hoods, and an Extra Special Reader Appreciation Giveaway

So what happens when I run out of yarn to make a Sweet Apple Cheek Ami Bunny?

I make a Sweet Apple Cheek Ami Bear! These little girls began life as amigurumi bunnies until I realized that there wasn't enough yarn left in the skein for their big ears and pom-pom tails. I've never made an amigurumi bear before so this was a new adventure for me.

I did a lot of sketching in my trusty doodle notebook before I found a bear head that felt right to me. You'd be surprised by how dramatic a simple bear face can change just by altering the size of the nose or the placement of the ears.

Here is another shot of them wearing the other side of their reversible apron dresses.

These little gals will be in my shop soon if anyone is interested.


Speaking of the shop, the last of the Blythe Bouncy Bunny Ear Hoods will go in, too. It's not the last hoods forever, but certainly the last for awhile (unless somone makes a special request because I always oblige). It's just that I have so many exciting project ideas whirling around in my head that I need to get to before they dissipate.

I'm so thrilled because I'm having my birthday this month! It will be doubly exciting because my best pal P has his birthday just four days after mine so we plan on a ton of celebrating. I want to extend the celebration to you by making April's Reader Appreciation Giveaway something extra special. The person I choose at random from the comment pool will receive all the goodies below (a stationary set, a lead pencil, a refrigerator magnet, 3 rubber stamps, a mini sticker book, a stencil ruler) and then some -- I will throw in another surprise gift for some extra fun! :)

Finally, to anyone else that shares a birthday in April with me -- HAPPY BIRTH MONTH!!! :)

The Last of the Blythe Woolly Lamb Hoods, Happy Swirly Cupcakes, and Make a Magnetic Pin Holder in 5 Minutes Tutorial

I told myself I would not make any more of these because they are a bit difficult to sew, but I only had about 1/4 yard of the faux wool fabric left over, and in my never ending quest to use what I have, I decided to just go for it and use it all up. Goodbye Woolly Fabric! My sewing machine and I won't miss wrestling with your darn poofy-ness!

I haven't made any Happy Swirly Cupcakes in awhile so I whipped some up for the shop. I used to do the cup parts in all sorts of colors, but now I think I'll stick with yellow. It just looks more cake-y to me. I think yellow is a wonderfully edible looking color as opposed to pink or blue or what-not. Also, the blush really pops on a yellow face. I'll save the bright colors for the frosting.

Finally, on to the magnetic pin holder tutorial. Honestly, this is such an easy project that I can spell it out to you in one sentence, but if you're like me and love to see how-to photos . . . well, here we go --

The 5-Minute Magentic Pin Holder Tutorial

Materials:

-- peel & stick magnetic sheets or tape (I purchased this at my local Wal-Mart.)
-- a mint tin or similar small, shallow container
-- scissors
-- pen

Step 1. Clean your tin very well. I chose to use an Altoids mint tin for my pin keeper *Tip* If you're using an Altoid tin or similar mint tin, clean it with a wet paper towel and not by blowing it out. The cool, tingling sensation of peppermint candy dust in your eyeballs is not something I'd recommend.

Step 2. Using your tin as a template, trace around it onto the back of the magnetic strips/ sheet. ( My magnet came in a sheet that you can break apart into strips, but I kept it together in a solid sheet.)

Step 3. Now cut your outline. Be sure to cut inside the line you made as the inside of your tin is smaller than the outside. You might have to trim it a bit more afterwards.

Step 4. Once you've got the magnet to fit nice and snug, just peel, and stick it into place.

Yippee! Now you have a place to hold your pins and needles!

If you have extra time and are feeling super crafty, try decorating your tin. There's this whole world of artists dedicated to altered Altoid tins. Amazing!

Something Special : Star and Scout

Do you you know what I love? I love it when you don't really have an idea at all of what you're going to make, but you keep fiddling with the materials you have on hand, and slowly, surely something starts to come to life right before your eyes. When that happens it's a fun little journey with unforeseen twists and turns and what you end up with is just a pleasant surprise.

And that's what happened with these little gals. Please meet Star and Scout.

"Star"

"Scout"

It all started with a little dilemma -- I wanted to whip up some of my usual Apple Cheek Ami Bunnies, but the mohair yarn I normally use was still en route from New York. Instead of waiting, I decided to dig around in my yarn stash, where I found some soft, fuzzy, loopy chenille yarn and I just started crocheting away. I absolutely loved how it turned out -- the loopy chenille hid the stitches so well and gave the bunny a wonderful plush look to it.

As I stared at the finished bunnies lying naked on my craft table, they just screamed for me to do something extra special with them. I wanted to do more and give more with them, and basically make them truly one of a kind.

So first, I named them. The buttermilk colored bunny I called Star and the cocoa bunny I christened Scout, both after real pet bunnies of mine.

Then I turned it up as far as their outfits go by giving their dresses details like vintage ric-rac and hand embroidery. I crocheted little bags for them to match their outfits. The flowers by their ears were reworked completely with stitch pleated petals and Japanese ume (plum blossom) centers.

I solidified their uniqueness by doing a little mixed media (watercolor, colored pencil, ink) painting of them with their names written on it. Sort of like a trading card.

Finally, I stitched up matching fully lined drawstring bags to tuck them away in.

I love how everything came out. I feel like these bunnies have their own little personalities. A pleasant surprise, indeed.

These two little gals will be in my shop in the next day or so if anyone is interested.

Oh, before I forget -- the winner of this Month's Reader Appreciation Giveaway is . . . KELLY MEDINA! Thank you for all your support Kelly! I'll get in touch with you soon!

Aloha for now! :)

Blythe Woolly Lamb Hoods, an Origami Envelope Tutorial, and March's Reader Appreciation Giveway

To continue the tale of the Woolly Lamb Hood from last post --

Voilà!

Despite extensive struggling with the poofy faux wool fabric, I managed to whip up three Blythe Woolly Lamb Hoods. I intended to make four, but after two broken needles and countless fits of cursing I decided to end the battle early.

I did get a pinch of joy from using my new Japanese fabrics. There is nothing more satisfying to this crafter than cutting into a crisp piece of freshly purchased fabric. My favorite hood by far is the one lined with the pink kawaii fruit fabric -- to match the fabric's theme, instead of a flower by the ear, I crocheted twin little cherries with dual stems and leaves.

If you're interested in any of these hoods they should start showing up in my shop in a day or two.

Lately, I've been trying to adopt the "use what you have" mentality and the craft item I have been trying to get rid of was my extensive collection of origami paper. After much brainstorming I came up with this idea -- folding them into little envelopes, filling them with stickers, and stamping a little "For You" message on the back. But whatever for, you ask? Well, I plan to give these as an extra little thank you gift with each purchase at my shop.

Here's a quick how-to for the envelopes:

Origami Envelope Tutorial


Step 1. On the diagonal, fold paper upwards in half to form a triangle.

Step 2. Fold the top corner of the uppermost layer down to the bottom edge of the triangle.

Step 3. Take the right corner and fold it exactly 1/3 of the way toward the left. I suggest measuring for accuracy if you want a really neat envelope.

Step 4. Take the left corner and fold it to the edge of the right side. It should now resemble an opened envelope.

Step 5. Fold the right corner of the uppermost flap back towards the left edge.

Step 6. Unfold and open. Use this crease as a guide as you press down on the open flap to form a little square pocket.

Step 7. Take the very top corner and fold down to the bottom edge. This forms the envelope's top flap closure.

Hooray! You're done! Now stuff your little envelope and seal it by taking the top flap and tucking it into the little square pocket.

I'm horrid with instructions, so bear with me if the tutorial is a bit confusing. I tried. :) If you have any questions, feel free to to ask.

Finally . . .

March's Reader Appreciation Giveaway is this very cute puffy paper doll sticker set. The sweet, little girl has an extra dress to change into and lots of food for her to eat. As always , I will randomly choose someone from the comment pool at this post and announce the winner in my next post.

Thank you for visiting! Have a great weekend!

Getting My Craft On

Since we spoke last I've been a very busy crafting bee! My mind as well as my crafting desk have been a-clutter and aflutter with so many projects.

The major one being an army of Bashful Blooming Cacti. Some are custom orders and some will be going to my Etsy shop soon.

Yayy! They have official tags now! :)

During one of my lazier crafting days I decided to make these little "thank you" tags. I've never been much of a stamper/ paper crafter as sewing and crocheting are my cup of tea, so I was surprised that I got such a kick out of making these. There's something very nostalgic about sitting at your desk and cutting paper and gluing pieces of it here and there. It reminded me of being in grade school and making Valentine's Day cards or construction paper chains for the class Christmas tree. Ahhhhh, childhood . . . . :)

This week I visited my favorite fabric store on the island, Kaimuki Dry Goods, where I scored some sweet Japanese import fabrics. Just look at the yummy colors! I could not wait to start cutting into them!

I'll end this post with a parting shot of my craft desk. Can you tell what I'm working on? If you guessed Blythe Wooly Lamb Hoods then pat yourself on the back! :) I'm not sure how successful it will turn out because the faux lamb's wool is rather thick and it's giving my poor Singer sewing machine a ghastly time of it. We'll see, I guess. If all goes well I should have a bunch in my Etsy shop soon.

Oh, wait! Before I forget -- The winner of February's Reader Appreciation Giveaway is Ismoyo! I will get in touch with you soon, Ismoyo! :)

Take care until next time!