Summertime...

No blog posts in a while as I've been enjoying summer away from the computer, but here are a few pictures...


Although I have never been a Crocs fan, Karla convinced me that I needed them. So, I found Mary Janes in Cotton Candy pink on Crocs.com and used the coupon SUMMER07 to get free shipping.
Jackie's baby shower was a few weeks ago and I sewed up a cozy for the rocking chair that was David's grandmother's and is now Jackie's. I also sewed a pillow and blanket for nap times (either for the baby or Jackie or Neil!).

And then look what arrived this morning...

I bet you can guess my plans for the weekend!

In the midst of creating things...

So, I've been doing some designing/sewing this week. Here's what I threw together for myself last night!

It's supposed to be tea party appropriate and will go with my new green tea party dress and green paisley shoes. I've included a close-up of the buttons - they're fancy antique buttons from my grandmother!

More pictures of other creations to come!

Long time with no blog post...

I guess I've just been too busy to blog or as Gary Gnu used to say, "No gnus is good gnus."

I still have not finished my top secret painting, but have been working on other top secret projects (aka gifts). As summer is here, there is just so much to do! The beautiful weather calls me outside, but I have so many things to do inside! I also started my summer job and am looking for an art teacher position for the regular school year. A little over a week ago, we headed to Hoboken and then into Brooklyn for the Renegade Art Fair (some great products by some great crafters that I have seen on Etsy, but not in person until now!). This weekend we'll be visiting "the family" in Jersey for Jackie's baby shower and to celebrate the 4th.

Just thinking about all the things we've done and are going to do makes me tired! Goodnight!

Siriusly relaxed...

For our anniversary, Dave and I bought ourselves Sirius satellite radio. I'm really enjoying it! There's a disco channel and an 80s channel, but my favorite is the Coffeehouse channel - it's so relaxing!

I've been working on another small (1'x1') painting and am having some trouble staying focused. I just read (in an e-mail forward, but have not verified this fact) that da Vinci took ten years to paint Mona Lisa's lips. So, I don't feel so bad about taking several days to finish this painting. Of course, da Vinci had a lot more going on than I do right now, like writing backwards in his journals, inventing scissors and flying machines, and studying all the scientific theories of the day. He never had the chance to have the problems I have with getting motivated - I was so relaxed yesterday (due to the Coffeehouse channel on Sirius) that all I did with the painting was sit near it holding my coffee cup and staring off into space. I'm Sirius!

The Capery Caper

This week I visited two of my superfriends who live in Brooklyn. Of course we had to go to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company because, duh, where else would we go?! The store is amazing because they have things superheroes need like super suction cups to climb walls and potions and whatnot! It is even more amazing because in the back of the store is a writing workshop for kids. Pretty cool!

There is a Capery in the store. What is a Capery? It's a stage where you can try on capes and there is wind blowing so that you get the full experience...


Karla has just taken off and is looking down at the tiny people on the ground...

...Cori has just made a dramatic landing...

... and I am just trying to look cool, but it's tough when you don't have superproduct in your superhair and your superhair just wants to keep supersmacking you in the superface! :^)

After saving the world, we walked around the corner to the Chip Shop where we fulfilled our superappetites with such deep-fried delicacies as chips, bananas with chocolate sauce and Twinkies with raspberry sauce. Yum!

T-shirts and paintings

Just a few pictures show how creative I've been over the past week. Last Friday I bought the book Generation-T and was inspired to make things right away - here are three projects from or inspired by the book that I made between Saturday and Tuesday. As always there was another one that just didn't work out and another that did work out, but I forgot to take a picture of it!

One side of my new tote decorated with a pin from an etsy seller and a little string doll from Cori.

The other side of the tote.

Made from a t-shirt from the demo derby that Karla, Dave, and I went to last year. I wore it on Sunday to another demo derby just to show how hardcore demo derby I am (I don't think anyone was impressed - I observed that most demo derby fans might not be impressed with my mad sewing/t-shirt re-do skills!)

This t-shirt was also worn over the weekend (to Jamie's vegan bbq).

Here's a close-up in case you weren't able to read it!

So, as you may have noticed in my blog, I haven't painted in a while. The eye on the left in this painting was really bothering me so I painted it out and gave it a crazy, bruised eye. This might not be the final edition. Also at this point I'm tempted to just give up and gesso the whole thing!


As storage is becoming a problem, I started working smaller - about 1'x1' rather than 3'x4 1/2'. This one was based on a photo of my friend Dave (not my husband - I do know other people named Dave), but it doesn't look like him. You have to stand back a little to get the effect. Go ahead, stand up and take about 3 or so steps back.

Well, after seeing some new (and revived) mediums, you never know what I'll make next... stay tuned....

Just hangin' out...

This is pretty much what we've been doing all weekend....

Granny Square Madness!

Here are two more pictures of yarn that I have received from the Granny Square materials swap on Swap-bot.

From Sandra in Portugal...

... and Karrie (aka Girl on the Rocks)


And here is a granny square creation that I made with this wild acrylic rainbow yarn that I couldn't not buy! (It's a cat mat for Andrew and Tony - I sprinkled a little catnip on it and they slept on it most of the weekend!)

Norwegian goodies!

Thanks Nina in Norway for the Granny Square Materials (and more!) from the Swap-bot swap!

Sweathogs and more!

My grandmother is awesome! We went in to visit the family this weekend for Mothers' Day. Before we had arrived, Grammie called my mom and asked her to tell me to stop by because she had some knitting needles and buttons for me! So, yesterday morning we stopped by to visit.

Grammie hooked me up with a bunch of knitting needles and crochet hooks that were hers and her mothers.
She also let me pick through some of her vintage buttons.


There was also a new knitting book full of great quick projects!


And some great art books that Pop Pop found.

I really appreciate all of this great stuff from Grammie and Pop Pop, but there is one more thing that Grammie gave me that is now one of my most treasured possessions.

As we were looking for more buttons in her bedroom, Grammie told me that some day she'll have to really go through things and see who wants what. Well, I had been admiring one of the 'decorations' on her dresser. It was in amongst old pictures and other odd things that have been there since I was little. I told her that I definitely wanted this 'decoration' and she told me that I could have it! I don't know why my 81 year old grandmother had this on her dresser. When I asked where it came from, she said somebody gave it to her! So, here he is...

and another picture just for scale...


Jealous?

The lion is finished!!!

The crocheted lion is finished!!! Woo-whoo! I finished him tonight and then we visited our new friend Cash (who is 5 days old today) and gave the lion to him! The lion is bigger than Cash is right now!

Goddess swap

Here's what I received from another swap-bot swap. The theme of this one was to celebrate the goddess you are!

It has been a fabulous weekend!

I have not had time to crochet (or create anything for that matter) this weekend, but it has been an incredible weekend!

Thursday afternoon I got to see our friend Karla who had been in Ireland since the end of December. Thursday night we saw the Indigo Girls. Late that night our friend Merissa gave birth to a sweet little boy that I got to meet on Friday!!!! Friday night was spent hanging out downtown with all kinds of friends including Cori who came in from NYC! Saturday was more time spent with friends - eating Thai food, a little bit of custard at Rita's, shopping, eating some chickpea curry, and playing a little Cranium! What a day! And then today, we had a little hot dog picnic, a really good nap, and then a visit at Jamie's. What an awesome weekend! And obviously I'm about blimp size from all of the eating!

Turn on your love light

So, I was totally rocking out while ironing (these change purses that I dyed over the weekend) this morning to my 'new' records that I bought at a book sale this weekend - Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" and Tom Jones "Live in Las Vegas".

Yarn and buttons

Well, I'm trying to catch up on all of my projects! I bought more yarn to continue working on the mauvey wrap.

I've been keeping this project in this cute bag that my mother-in-law made for me!


I received an excellent package in the mail this week from Dava for the Shim and Sons Vintage Button Swap.
Look at all of these gorgeous buttons. Fabulous presentation too! This box has been sitting on my dining room table this week and friends who stop by have inspected each button like it is a little piece of art.

Dava is so sweet - in addition to the buttons, she sent "How to Crochet" ribbon!


No pictures, but the lion is coming along. The furry yellow/orange/brown yarn is working for the mane. I just need to make two feet, assemble and stuff. That's all! haha!

In addition to crocheting and swapping and my everyday life, I've finally gotten around to trying out my new oil paints and I plan to teach myself to screenprint this week!

Projects from the weekend

On Saturday, I received my second bunch of buttons from the swap-bot swap I participated in.



Ove the weekend, I continued working on the cranberry colored wrap that I've been crocheting for weeks and weeks (I guess that's what happens when you are in the midst of several projects!).



I also started to wind the cotton yarn that I bought from an Etsy seller. I'm having a lot of problems with tangling - especially since it is such a fine yarn.




I've hit a roadblock with the lion I've been trying to crochet. I've just been making him up as I go. I've finished his face, sweater, pants, and two paws. I haven't been able to find a good solution for his mane. But, this weekend as I walked up to AC Moore, they had a bin of clearance yarn on the sidewalk and I found some crazy furry yarn that just may work!

Summer Sneakers

Last night I bought my summer sneakers with money from the Easter Bunny! I was so excited about them that I wore them with my pajamas as I watched Dancing With The Stars last night! Despite the predictions for snow tonight, I know that summer is on its way (or at least I'm hoping!).

Flower pins and sweethearts

After seeing button flowers on the Craft blog I decided to try it out. I made a couple of other ones besides these, but of course forgot to take pictures! The top button flower was added to a white vinyl bracelet and I plan to sew a pin back on the bottom flower.


I made another type of flower pin for my grandmother. It is a loom bloom flower. Again I forgot to take a picture so you'll have to just imagine it or ask Grammie about it! :)

A picture of two sweethearts - David and Maya!

Three firsts!

I decided to try making felted (actually fulled) coasters. They're a little distorted, but pretty good for a first try!
Another first try - my first try at needle felting! Instead of using wool roving, I used a piece of wool yarn to embellish this recently created cuff bracelet. It was a lot of fun! I look forward to embellishing more projects with needle felting!

The last first - this was my first time participating in a swap-bot swap. For this swap I had to send 20 buttons each to two different people (designated by the swap coordinator) and will receive 20 buttons each from two other people. Both of the people I sent buttons to live in the US, but the first set of buttons I received came all the way from London!

Fabulous Mail Day!

Today is a Fabulous Mail Day - yarn from an Etsy shop and a crochet pattern from my grandmother!