Hiatus is Over!

Wow, the craft hiatus is definitely over. Get ready for a long post, because I've got quite a few projects finished!

Agenda Cover
Okay, so this has been finished for a while, I just haven't had a chance to post pictures. Even though the bias tape isn't stitched perfectly, I'm happy with the overall piece. It's a major improvement over the super-ugly brown color of my 2011-2012 calendar. The bad news - I'm a little sick of seeing the fabric, and it's the same fabric I'll be using to make the liner for the corduroy bag! Oh well, I'll like it again soon!

The pattern was provided by a co-worker. The original pattern is for a legal pad cover, and it took just a few modifications to get it to work as a cover for my agenda. Of course, there were quite a few mistakes in my mod planning! It was definitely a learning experience. I also added the business card holder and the extra flap pockets. I also added the cardstock monthly tabs - it's so much easier to flip between months now!

Little House of Horrors
It's finally finished, and posted. I've been working on this project for over a year! Inspired by Knickertwist's amazing fairy and whimsy houses on Craftster. Once I saw her amazing work, I knew I wanted to try my own version. We needed some type of Halloween decoration for our mantle and we love horror movies, so a horror movie inspired little house seemed like a natural fit.

Yes, this is the very same horror house project that sent my into my craft hiatus! I had stayed up super-late one night to try to finish the piece. My original plan was to glue sticks to the roof. The plan failed, and I gave up. Then, I found the moss at the bottom of the project bag. I had picked up the moss at the dollar store several months ago - I think I had originally planned to use it as carpet in the bedroom of the house. But, last night, I used it on the roof of the house. Not only does it add a little earthiness to the house, it also helps cover up the hot glue mess. Hooray!

Inside shots:

Upcycled Jewelry
At work, we have a huge teen event coming up, and I'm facilitating an upcycled jewelry workshop. I needed to whip up a couple of samples - a pop tab bracelet and a woven bracelet using a kumihimo weaving wheel and cassette tapes. I also tried using an 8-track tape, I think the results turned out a little bit better - what do you think? (The 8-track is the thicker bracelet.)

No pictures, but I also finished a Dinosaur Field Guide and dinosaur memory game using printables from Dinosaur Train's web site. The two pieces will be gifts for my nephew's birthday. So happy the hiatus is over!

Crafting Hiatus

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted. It's been a crazy few weeks. I did finally finish the agenda cover, but I haven't taken pics yet. The little horror house just did me in. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning on July 31, hoping to finish the project. I've put so many hours into it, and I was determined to have it finished for the July challenge on the "50 Projects..." board. Around midnight, I realized I wasn't going to finish in time for the deadline, but I kept at it anyway. Finally, as I tried (in vain) to glue sticks to the roof, I gave up. I actually gave up. I think it broke me - I haven't crafted anything since.

What happened? The hot glue was just messy, and it kept showing through the sticks. It looked terrible. Sure, the house project is supposed to be a little house of horrors, but that doesn't mean it should look sloppy. It just wasn't the quality I expect of myself. And, after all the work went into all the other little details of the project, it just doesn't feel right to put together a sloppy roof. I think I've found a solution, but I haven't been able to bring myself to go back to it. Hopefully this week I'll have it in me to give this new idea a try.

So, with this hiatus, I'm not sure if I'll be able to meet my "Post on every Craftster board..." goal. I'm going to keep trying, though!