Survival Bracelets

Learned to make these survival bracelets made with 550 paracord from a volunteer at one of our work events. Once you learn how to tie the knots, they are easy and fast to make!

Sorry for the long delay between posts. Crafting has been on the backburner lately, thanks to Doctor Who, lots of reading, trying to get to a healthy weight, and (of course!) work. I have been adding to my to- do list in the meantime, though. Haven't been updating the list on here ... I think I'm going to change the list to completed projects only. It gets too confusing to remember to update my list app and the blog, especially at the rate that I add new projects. (Thanks to Pinterest!)

Next up is a scrapbook for my soon-to-be-born niece. Hope to have it finished soon - check back for details and pictures!

Denim Cup Insulators!

Only three days into the new year, and I can cross a project off the list!

Sure, they were supposed to be completed in 2011. And yeah, the only reason they are finished is because I need to snap a picture for a blog post at work. But the important thing is, they're finished!

2011 In Review ...

Another year gone ... here's to hoping this year will be better than the last!

To kick off 2012, it's time to set new goals. In order to update my "50 projects in 2011-ish" sidebar, I'll use this post to chronicle the crafts I did manage to finish in 2011. To recap:

1. agenda cover
2. altered puzzle - Batman 
3. altered puzzle - DC
4. altered puzzle - X-Men
5. altered puzzle - Marvel  
6. amigurumi pincushions
7. amigurumi red car
8. bead loom bookmark
9. beaded bracelet
10. BSG tote (stencil)
11. bubble wrap bracelet
12. card techniques
13. carved stamps
14. cassette tape bracelets
15. dinosaur field guide
16. dinosaur memory
17. iSpy toy
18. kerchief - bleach dye
19. kerchief - embroider
20. kerchief - freezer stencil
21. kerchief - screenprint
22. kerchief - sharpie dye
23. kerchief - sharpie lines
24. little horror house
25. mural
26. Mutant Enemy tote (stencil)
27. pop tab bracelet
28. sound fx pillow- Ka-BLAM
29. sound fx pillow- POW
30. sound fx pillow- WHAM
31. starghan
32. juggling balls and pincushions 

Wow ... I finished more than I imagined. Even though I didn't make it to 50, there's definitely a sense of accomplishment to see such a great list of projects. I didn't get those denim cup insulators finished for 2011, but they have the honor of being first on the finish list for 2012!

Quick Crafting

Still not a lot of crafting going on - it's been difficult to get motivated. I did manage to whip up four juggling balls, a doughnut, and a cupcake for a stocking exchange at work:

The picture was snapped with my cell phone - not the greatest - but I didn't mind since I've been making the doughnuts, cupcakes, and juggling balls/hackey sacks for a long time. The other goodies in the stocking include a puzzle cube, two fun pens, two puzzle books, some suckers, and two lotions. The card is handmade - leftover from my stash of cards from Christmas past. I think this particular card is from 2009, the last year that I handmade our cards. The stocking is from Hobby Lobby - I wish they had more, I want one for myself!

So, I think this brings me up to 27 crafted projects in 2011! Even with my upcoming vacation from work, I know I won't meet my goal of 50 projects. But, it's okay. I'm proud that I managed to complete a little over half my goal. If I truly counted each item made (as in, each altered puzzle as it's own project) my total is 37 projects. Hmm, even better!

Even though I won't meet my goal of 50, I plan to complete a few more projects by the end of 2011. Starting this Friday at 4:30 p.m., I'll be on vacation until January 3, 2012, which means plenty of time to craft, and hopefully time to develop a healthy habit of regular exercise. Here's a mini-list of the projects I hope to finish by the time I return to work in 2012 (in priority order):

• denim cupwarmers (Christmas gifts, and project for the blog at work)
• cord bracelets (Christmas gifts)
• messenger bag 
• wallet to match 
• accessory bags to match
• afghan - "c" (need to finish by the end of February)
• amigurumi "d" and "r"

 I'm also going to do some baking this year. I've gotten away from baking in the past couple of years, but with all the time off, it's worth it to give it a go. Sugar cookies are a must, as are buckeyes. I won't bother with peanut blossoms this year - Husband doesn't eat them, and my mom's are always better anyway. I also found this recipe for chocolate fudge S'more thumbprints, so I'll give them a try. I think I'll try rice krispie treats again - my last attempt failed, but maybe I'll have better luck this time.

Two New Projects ... Finally!

Life's been crazy, but I managed to finish a couple of projects for my nephew's birthday ...

An iSpy bag! There are over 50 objects hidden in the bag. Objects were grouped and photographed to make the little cards. I typed the items on the back so he can use the pictures to find items now, and the words when he's older. My sewing is getting better - straighter lines! The grommets are a first. I used the cement porch outside to hammer them in, and ended up with tiny rips in the fabric. Next time I'll use a towel between the cement and the fabric! A few little dabs of fray check seemed to hide the rips.

A drawstring bag for ...

Dinosaur Train Memory! The images were printed from official Dinosaur Train field guide. Have you ever watched the show? It's so cute! And, check this out - Dinosaur Train geocaches! I'd really like to get into geocaching and letterboxing ... do I really have time for another hobby, though?

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!