When I got the latest issue of Family Fun magazine, I was super excited! There are a bunch of cool ideas in there, but the one I got the most excited about was the one where I got to use my hula hoop. Unfortunately it isn't on the website yet, so if anyone is interested in making one, I would be happy to post a tutorial.

Once Emma saw I was using her 'wula hoop' she wanted in on the project.

Da took a few photos.

Emma realized Da was taking photos...

she thought it best to wave (while I was consulting the directions).

Back to work.

Looks like a cool spider web.

Emma lost interest in the weaving so she grabbed a lollipop and a Bone book.

I decided to be sneaky about taking a photo. Stupid red eye detection gave me away. 

Close up of my weaving.

Emma reading out loud.

Apparently at some point I started pulling to tightly so I started to create a basket, or a sombrero. 

My second attempt turned out much better. I didn't have any more colored t-shirts, just some of Jared's old undershirts.

White would be way to boring. Grungy white even worse.

Bring on the dye!

My technical mixing lab. 

Blue (which looked REALLY purple)

Purple

Red

Soaking shirts. I realized after I started soaking them that my shirt to dye ratio was off. I had 4 shirts and 6 bowls of dye. I probably should have cut them into strips first. 

Turns out my everyday scissors cut wet fabric pretty well. 

Red, orange, yellow

Green

Finished t-shirt loops! Well, mostly finished. I wasn't patient enough to let them dry all the way, but they work just as well damp :)

The beginning. 

The end!

I did a horrible job taking photos during the process. That would be because I was watching 'Lie To Me' while crafting. I managed to get this done while watching 2 episodes (so about 1 1/2 hours). 

Which brings to mind an idea for a blog series.

 Couch Crafting. 

Might have to look into it. 

Whining and Blabbing

I am feeling really tired and my ankle is hurting today (can't wait for my surgery on Monday), so I don't really have the energy for crafting. I am still feeling craft obsessed, so I have been surfing some favorite blogs. I am happy to say that I have found a new one to follow.

Ok, I was just over visiting Crafty Maima Jama, catching up on some of her past blogs when I found myself relating completely to this particular post.

Well, I started to leave a comment, then realized I was writing a book. So, I decided to just write about my kaoticness, kinda let you know some of the crafts and projects I have tried in the past, and some that I am looking forward to trying in the near future.

I did sort of blog about this earlier, and you can read that here. But I hope to make this one a little different. As I mentioned, I am tired and hurting today, so it may just end up being a repeat.

Some current favorite materials to work with and projects to do:
paper making, wool sweater, needle felting, weaving, t-shirts, fabric flowers, little wool creatures, paper mache, and more then I can't think of.

So, if you read my post from last night (well, this morning actually), you would see that I have lately become obsessed with weaving. Not really sure why. I learned a long time ago it is just easier to go with my odd obsessions then to fight them.

Anyway, this morning Emma and I where coloring on newspaper (it is what she wanted to do) with some pastel chalks that Aunty Sara had given us. At first I stared to draw a tree (that and stick figures are about all I can do). Then I just stared scribbling and blending the colors together. I really like the green and the pink together, and decided to "weave" them.


As I got up to take pictures of the weaving, I found this project that I had started and plan to finish some day.

I am not entirely sure where I found this project... Basically what you do is roll up strips of magazines and then stack them together to make a container. I got some of them rolled and ready, then for some reason I lost interested, or got distracted by something shinny.

I also got super excited about freeform crochet, gave it a try for a while, then ended up moving onto something else. I do like it, and plan to do some more in the future, but for now, this is all I have managed.


My kaoticness is not limited to inside the house (or to crafting for that matter, check this out). Yesterday I started building Emma a play house. I would never claim to be a carpenter or an engineer, but I figure I can swing a hammer, work a tape measure, manage the power drill, and use my cordless saw to cut some wood (which we have had sitting around for almost 2 years now because I just knew I would be able to use if for something!). I have gotten some of the frame work done, but now I have to wait for the batteries to charge.


And like all things in my life (since this past October anyway), I don't strive for perfection. Life is too short and I hate the stress of trying to make things perfect. As long as what I make is safe, fun, and functional, I am more then happy!

After the batteries for the power drill died today (I managed to get one board added), Emma and I decided to make an addition to her "playground" as she calls it.


She had a blast, but I learned something very important, something that I kinda had an inkling on before, but I now know for sure. Emma hates to fail.

For some odd reason she thinks that she should be able to do something new perfectly the first time. I see us working on this in the future. How? I will make sure she sees that I sometimes get frustrated and struggle with the things I am trying (new or not), and also make sure she sees me trying over and over to get better at it.

Ok, so last night I decided to try out rug hooking. I saw it in a book, and I thought it looked cool. The directions called for t-shirt strips, and I just happened to have a bunch of those, so I sat down to give it a try. I really think it will be cool, but I don't think it will be something that I become obsessed with.


Ha! I was just now thinking about some of the other things I have tried from this particular book, "Craftcycle" by Heidi Boyd,, and I remembered that I used Jared's mountain dew boxes to weave a new box. I just realized that I can use the same technique from the box, to weave the t-shirt strips into a bag!! Might have to give that a try today (if I ever end up with any energy).

I did also manage to make Emma her own snuggle buddy this morning. She picked the colors and shape. Took me all of 30 minutes I think. Now our snuggle buddies have buddies :)


Let's see, some other craft/art projects I have tried in the past and didn't particularly like:
Soap Making
Candle Making
Scrapbooking (I do like to scrapbook, but it requires to much surface area and a lot of time per session)
Painting (I really don't have much of that type of artistic ability)
Knitting (I prefer crochet)
Jewelry Making

That is about all I can think of right now. I know there are more but I can't remember them (that's how much I liked them).

I do remember some of the crafts I did as a kid that I really liked; friend ship bracelets, beaded pins, gimp bracelets, drawing on clothes (he he).

Almost forgot to let you know about the things I am looking forward to try in the future:
freezer paper stencils, quilting, wet felting, rug braiding, more freeform crocheting, weaving a bag/ basket with t-shirts, and more that I can't remember.

I don't really have any witty or cool closing comments, so I will just leave you with a question. Can you see the squirrel that is watching me? (just click on the picture to make it bigger)

An Odd Creation, All For Me, and Awesome Photos!

So, once again, I am up WAY past my bedtime. Although lately it seems that between 1 and 2 a.m. are the norm, so I guess I am getting ready for bed early.

Anyway, before I get distracted by shinny things, I want to tell you real quick about this... well, thing, I made. I will give you a little back ground.

I love to recycle (kinda a duh if you have ever read any of my post, however, if this is your first, WELCOME!). Lately my obsession has been t-shirts. I like to cut them up in to strips, then stare at them forever before I finally decide what to do with them.

Tonight's creation came about because I had been trying to get my studio straightened back out (oh, and Emma was starting to hint tonight that she would like some company at bed time, i.e. she wants to sleep in our bed again ). I was trying to find a home for some of the strips of t-shirt that I had cut up when I decided to try making myself a makeshift loom.

-I just bought one of those little loom kits for kids for Emma to try out. She loved it and so did I. I wanted to try the loom with my t-shirt loops, but, well, the t-shirt loops are about 50 times bigger (maybe a little less)-

So, enter a cork board, some jumbo push pins, and my t-shirt loops. Another obsession I have had lately are the Iowa State colors (cardinal and gold). Yes, Jared is going to school at ISU, but we are not really all that involved in anything other then ROTC.

To continue (this is not turning out to be very quick, sorry). I had about 14 strips already cut up. So I started weaving. Thought it was looking cool. Then I ran out of loops.

"Huh, wonder what will happen if I just flip these guys up from the bottom and then start to weave back?"

So, that is what I did. I have no idea the actually steps involved, all I know is this is what I ended up with.



Didn't turn out anything like I expected. Well actually, seeing as I didn't really expect anything, I would have to say it turned out fine :)

Onto a few other items that I am happy to say turned out better then I expected.
All For ME!!

Meet my new best snuggling buddy. I have not thought of a name for her yet, but she is all for me. I got this incredibly, ridiculously, exquisitely soft black sweater from a place called Harmony's Closet, right down the street from my house. All of the clothes there are free. I like to get clothes to wear from there, as well as check for any wool. I am not very comfortable getting stuff from there then turning around and selling it so I have decided anything I make from the stuff I get will be either given away or donated.

Or kept, as is the case with my new square friend. She fits perfectly under my arm when I am sitting and typing away. She is so incredible soft. I love to snuggle her up against my cheek :)

I there are a few other things that I have made over the last few days, but they are unavailable at the moment. The are getting ready for there 15 minutes of fame, which brings me to...

The Awesome Photos!

Paula, at This Day Photography is an awesome lady. She happens to be an awesome dental hygienist (that is how we met), as well as an excellent photographer. She contacted me a little while ago asking if she could use Emma as a model. She had been asked to take some specific pictures for a book being made for kids, and wanted to know if she could use Emma for some of the photos.

I didn't have a problem with it, but then she mentioned she would do our family photos for free! There was no way I was saying no!

We drove out to Paula's brand new studio. Emma picked out her own clothes and she looked great. I even let Jared pick out his clothes and he looked great as well:)

To kind of ease Emma into the picture taking mood, Paula started by taking pictures of some of the things I had made. Then we asked Emma if she could hold some of the stuff and she was more then happy to play with and wear my creations.

I have no idea how long we where there, but I do know we got a lot of great photos and we are excited about our next session which will be outside!

Anyway, because I was too lazy and tired to upload each picture individually, I created a collage. If you do want to see them individually, you can go here.



I think that is about all for tonight (well, this morning). I am headed to bed. Hope you all have a crafty and creative day!