Upcoming event!

Last September Craft Gossip held its first ever blogger meet up here in Little Rock, Arkansas!  This is a company that is based out of Australia, but it just so happens that four of the editors are from right around here!  I was honored to be invited to the luncheon that happened at Trio's.  I had such a wonderful time, and got away with a huge bag of goodies from EK Success!  Here are some highlights from the event.

Andi and I working on our teams hat during the hat challenge.

Baggie stuffed full of goodies from EK Success...we got another whole bag too!

We got lots of stickers....here are some of my favorites!

The whole group together at the end!

The reason that I'm posting this recap is because I just got invited to attend their next luncheon coming up this month!!  I am so excited about this because I met so many great women, some of which I keep in touch with!!  One of the ladies that I keep in touch with is Miss Leslie (http://lesliesartandsew.blogspot.com/).  She is the one that got me in to craftster.org and doing craft swaps!

I can't wait to tell you all about it!!!

I will be posting a few craft posts soon, I promise.  I have been crafting gifts but don't want to show pictures until they get to their new homes!  I have two packages going out in the post tomorrow, so I will be blogging about them soon!!!


In other news....I really want to be a part of the Arkansas Womens Bloggers! What a cool way to get my name out there.  However, I have applied, emailed, all with no response!! So if you see this, AWB's....pick me!!!!

Lunch Sack Saga!!

Well, I have finally done it! I have completed my first felted bag!  I got the idea because my local yarn shop is having a Knit-a-long in April using this pattern.  Because of my change of shift at work, I can't attend.  However, while at work I noticed everyone has these super cute lunch sacks.  Unfortunately, my lunch usually makes it to work in a walmart sack.  But, as a crafter, that is just silly.  So, I took on the task of a felted lunch sack! 

My first attempt I used Berocco Ultra Alpaca yarn.  It knitted up really quickly and I was so excited about it.  It is a little intimidating because when you felt something, the pre-felted size is HUGE!! Check out the bag before it took a tumble in my washing machine!

Seriously, this super floppy giant bag is the size of my couch cushion.  So, in to the hot tub....er...washing machine it went!  Now, everything that I read on the internet about felting objects talked about how you need super hot water and not a lot of spin.  Well, fantastic.  My front-loading washer can get SUPER hot!  Around and around and around it spun.....

And fabulously felted it came out!!  Well......almost fabulously.  See that cute little circle towards the middle of the bag??  Yeah....it fabulously fused together in the center!!
Here is where I went wrong:
1.  The bag is the only thing I put in the washer.
2.  I used the sanitize mode which has A LOT of spin!
3.  I never checked it, I just let it go for the whole cycle...which happened to be about an hour.

So, with that knowledge in mind, I set off to try again. 

This time I used Cascade 220, which is closer to the same yarn that the pattern calls for.  I actually was really excited because I liked these colors a lot more then the blue and purple.  Welcome to the stage, please, bag numero dos!!

Yay for turquoise and orange! My favorite colors! And, as you can see, it is again as large as my couch cushion.  This time I used the express wash setting on Hot/Cold with low spin.  I also threw in a few towels that needed washing anyways.  Each cycle lasted 20 minutes (and I did four of them to get the size/look that I wanted).  In to the washer this one went....after I did a felting dance and crossed all my fingers and toes and held my breath till I was blue!!

And then I checked on it.....

And then I checked on it....

And then I checked on it again....

And then......

WAHOOOOO!!!!!!

Operation cute lunch sack, accomplished!!! 

I can't wait to take this to work tomorrow to show it off!!  I love the striping sequence, it just turned out so cute!!!

So, now I can un-cross all of my fingers and toes and hop off to bed!!
 

OWLS

So, I finally finished my OWLS sweater from the winter knit a long at The Yarn Mart here in town.  I made so many good friends and had such a great time, I'm pretty bummed that the KAL is over! I also changed shifts at work and now work in the evenings....meaning I can no longer go to the Thursday night KAL :(  I'll just have to get my knitting fix some other time!

Check out the pictures!! (I can see a major mess up....oh well, that makes it hand made, right??)

Happy knitting!

Bliss Designs

So one of my favorite things to do is support crafters who own their own businesses by selling their handmade items.  It is something that I wish I had the time to do well, so I admire all of the time and effort that they spend to do this.  Recently I came across a friend from Colorado who I went to high school with.  She was actually a grade ahead of me, but we crossed paths a few times.  She currently is the owner of Bliss Designs and she makes WONDERFULLY cute earrings.  Check out the cute ones that I bought from her just the other day!

They are absolutely amazing.  I can't wait to wear the red ones to Razorback games!!  So everyone go check it out and send Britany some love!

Favorite Color Swap

Hey y'all!!  I just finished up another swap at Craftster.org.  This was a swap in which I got a parter and found out their favorite color, and they found out mine.  After that, we both swapped for eachother in the others favorite color!!  My favorite colors are teal and orange, and my partners favorite color is purple.  I wanted to share photos now that we have both recieved!
I will start with my package to her.  My partner lives in MO, makes jewelry, and works at Charming Charlie (one of my favorite accessory stores!!).  So, when I was trying to figure out what to make her, I decided that of course she needed a scarf to keep her warm, and maybe a place to hold a few more earrings!  Here is what I came up with.

For the scarves I used a Rowan Kid Silk yarn and a Borocco yarn.  Both are ruffly and very warm!  For the earring holder, I picked up some chain rope and a picture frame.  I took the glass out of the picture frame and used my handy-dandy stape gun to attach the chain rope on either side.  What is cool about using the rope is that you can hang dangly earrings and the chain helps to keep them separated.  Then I had some orange/purple peacock patterned scrapbook paper to use for the background. 

I used my Martha Stewart glue pen and Martha Stewart loose purple glitter to highlight the feathers on the paper.  I think it gives it a little something extra!!

Yesterday when I got home from work I found this lovely package sitting outside my front door! I just love when that happens, its like getting birthday presents!!  Look at what my lovely partner made for me!!

I got a lovely hand-painted canvas that is just absolutely stunning! All of the details are wonderful, and I know it had to have taken a lot of time.  Then, as my partner told me, she found the vase at a thrift store and painted it and added a little detailing on the bottom.  Using some sticks from her own back yard, Paige also incorporated my favorite color of orange in to my gift!  She used felt to make leaves that she hand stitched on to the sticks.

The detailing is just incredible and the glitter adds that extra sparkle!

She also made me these amazing earrings.  How talented!!  These are absolutely perfect.  Tim and I are headed to Florida in May to see a beach wedding, and I will definitely be using these as part of my outfit! 

Another successful swap accomplished!! Can't wait for my next one.....haven't decided exactly what I want to do, but I think it will be a 4x6 art swap.  More details to come!!

Happy Friday!

Back to ballet

First Craftster Swap!

Whew!! What a month!! Sorry I have not posted lately, I have been pretty busy crafting, working, dieting, exercising, dancing, and many other things!

So, I have just finished up my first month at Craftster! I would love for you to check out the items that I was sent by the beautiful Leslie and then I will show you the items that I sent her!

This particular swap included the pattern for a morsbag, which is a "simple" tote.  I put that in quotes because I'm sure for a seasoned seamstress it is, but it was challenging for me who is very new to sewing!  In addition to the morsbag we also included some extras!

Without further ado, here are my beautiful gifts from Leslie!

Here is the morsbag she made me....how perfect!! I LOVE RUFFLES!!!  It also has a zippered pouch sewn in to the inside.  

Leslie also made me this beautiful zippered bag (I've got to learn how to put zippers in!).  I would love to use it for pens in my work bag or for makeup, but it is just so pretty I don't want to mess it up!!

Here are two amazing fabric baskets that she made me.  I am in love.  These are so neato.  We are also *hopefully* having a swap this month that are making these! I need to step up my sewing skills for this one!!

Last but not least.....CHOCOLATE!!!!

How cool.  I just loved being on the receiving end of this gift!!  It took me a lot longer to craft for her...but she finally got her package today in the mail!!  Silly me, I forgot to take pictures before I sent, so I hope she doesn't mind me using her pictures to show off on my blog!

Here are the contents of the package I sent to her!!  You can see the morsbag I made for her! So proud...second bag I have ever made in my life!  I also made her a heating pad from fleece and rice so she can just pop it in the oven for 2 minutes and have soothing moist heat!! I also embossed a few gift tags with some springtime colors to remind her that Spring is coming!

I also knitted her up a pair of finger-less gloves!  I got the pattern from a magazine that my good friend E got me for Christmas!  I loved making them for her because I knew she wasn't a knitter! These were pretty quick to knit up, but they are why I didn't get my package out to her very quickly! 

Since everyone needs a secret 'stache that is only theirs, I got Leslie some Valentines-y chocolates and sent them her way!  

I am SO thankful to Leslie for introducing me to Craftster!!  What an amazing group of crafters from all over the world.  I have just started my next swap which is all about favorite colors.  My partner's favorite color is purple, so I have been making purple items for her!!  I am hoping to finish up and send to her soon, and then I will blog about those!! 

Hope you enjoyed!