Week of Crafts

January 31, 2011

Just a quick note concerning the crafty stuff I want to get done this week.

1. Finish scanning recipes and figure out how to string all those pdfs into one big one. Any tips?

2. Start making Valentines (!!!). I have an order for a pin and a crochet heart garland. I also want to make some of these nifty heart hair clips for some special people...can't tell you who!

3. Take some pictures of the finished products outlined in the previous point and submit them for this week's Iron Craft Challenge. Speaking of Iron Craft Challenge: I'm planning on participating in their "Let's Get to Know Each Other" project. I responded to their call for submissions and they sent me some questions. I plan on answering them by tomorrow evening and hopefully I'll be posting their post on me sometime in the near future.

4. Find some nifty buttons and use them to replace some not-so-nifty buttons on a sweater that I bought this weekend. And perhaps do a little before and after segment on this project. Perhaps...

5. Start creating pages for this blog. I think one a week is reasonable enough. I suppose we'll see.

6. Call the Museum of Children's Art about volunteering. In terms of importance, this should be #1, but it's not the number that counts. Also, I don't feel like rearranging my tasks.

This Week in Crafts

Week of January 24

This week was:

Busy

I did some research and found some local organizations that I might want to help out on my day off. My short of list of possibilities include the Museum of Children's Art, the East Bay Children's Book Project and The Bookmark. I'll be calling volunteer coordinators and program directors on Thursday. Hopefully I'll have a volunteer position by next week.

I made some changes to the blog: changed the name, added some gadgets to the left side bar, and came up with some ideas about adding pages.

Put my fingers to my keyboard and documented my "meaty" mushroom lasagna recipe. Now I just need a sexy, mouthwatering picture of the final dish to visually sell it.

Productive

I finished Amanda's cowl and I even made the pattern into a pdf. I also came up with a nifty title for it: Lancet Lace Infinity Cowl (shout out to all my art history buddies!).


Now my yarn stash exists in the virtual Internet world. And now I can simply select a yarn from my stash the next time I add a project. It's a beautiful thing. Check it out on my Ravelry account to see what I have.

Updated my Ravelry account with some projects:

Ruby Red Wrist Warmers

They didn't sell at the craft fairs, so now they're mine.

Crochet Heart Garlands

Better pictures than last time.

Tiring
Began scanning my ancestor's recipes, but there's only so many I can do at one time. Some look very promising, some not so much. Maybe I'll post some...later...

Took a long walk yesterday and did some shopping today: I picked up some sweaters, a hat, and a new cell phone--finally. I also ordered a fancy skin and a clear case. Hopefully it will help protect it.

Oakland Chinatown Lunar New Year 2011

Instead of going to the farmers' market, we went to the Lunar New Year Bazaar in Oakland's Chinatown. A while back we went for a walk around downtown Oakland and stumbled upon a street bazaar/festival in Oakland Chinatown. We were hoping that this would be the same thing. It was and it wasn't: the crowds were the same, but it was much smaller, there wasn't any street food (super sad face), and we weren't able to see any of the performances--they were delayed because Mayor Jean Quan and Senator Barbara Lee were running really, really late. Nearly 25 minutes after the opening ceremonies were slotted to begin, Lunar New Year Bazaar organizers announced that the tardiness of these two dignitaries was the reason for the delay.

We were really looking forward to the singing, dancing and lion dance performances, but 45 minutes of playing musical chairs, getting jostled by old people and overwhelmed by the number of kids running around got to be too much. So we left without getting the opportunity to appreciate any cultural performances. But at least we got out of the house and went on a long walk...and I got some ok pictures of the bazaar.

Cherry blossoms in bloom.


We think they were telling jokes...


It's the year of the rabbit.


BLASTING Chinese tunes.


A bejeweled metallic moose knick-knack.








Oakland Chinatown.


A melancholy, yet apt, end to our outing.

Week of Crafts

Week of January 24, 2010

Just a handful of things to do this week.

1. Contact an agency about volunteering. Tonight I am doing some more searching for organizations and volunteer opportunities through The Volunteer Center of the East Bay. We use their site at work for posting our own volunteer opportunities. I'm hoping to find a volunteer position through them. Anyone have any suggestions?

2. Finish Amanda's scarf and post the pattern online. I'm almost done!

3. Begin digitally scanning my grandmother's grandmother's recipes. I've had them for months so it's time.

4. Make my yarn stash virtual by adding it to my Ravelry account. Crafty and super nerdy, yes.

5. Pull out the apron. Boy, do I sound like a broken record.

This Week in Crafts

Week of January 17, 2011

This week I:

Completed my first Iron Craft Challenge! And my project was featured on their blog! Totally awesome.

I had fun making the garland and it turned out just how I had envisioned it. I think I'm going to make another, longer one that will hang from the columns in our apartment. I like the idea of seasonal garlands...





Began and completed the hat special order (in 2 days!) and began the scarf.
Like this one, but in black.


I had some trouble with developing the pattern for the scarf, but after 3 false starts it's now about 3/4 done and I hope to complete it tonight. Fortunately, the failed attempts have given me ideas for other projects.

Made my first bento box lunch. I even used my Japanese "lunch pail" to carry my bento to work.

What cuteness could it hold?
Hedgehog shaped cheese and salami bites, crackers, avocado slices, sugar peas, and a rabbit shaped hard boiled egg.

The egg got a little squashed and the bento wasn't as elaborate or cute as the obento, in my cookbook but I think it was pretty good for my first try. Plus, it was super tasty...and surprisingly filling.

Evan made his first bento this week, too. And I got to eat it.

A somewhat abstract, yet recognizable, bear, some teriyaki chicken, and a considerably squashed bear shaped hard boiled egg.

I also found some neat Valentine's Day cards from a number of Etsy sellers and gifted the slippers to my Dad.

I watched this neat short Etsy bio on Mabel Pike, a true artisan and craftswoman who makes really neat beaded pieces. Take a few minutes to watch it and admire her marvelous work and creative mindset.


Still working on the other things...

Week of Crafts

January 17, 2011

This week I will:

Complete my first Iron Craft challenge. I'm participating in this one and for it I am making something like this. I will hang it from the top corner of my crafty cabinet.

Begin (and hopefully) finish two special orders. One is this hat and the other will be a scarf that features its lace pattern.

Make a bento lunch. My dear friend Christina gifted me a copy of Yum Yum Bento Box for Christmas and I am very anxious to try it out. I can guarantee that my bento box lunches will not be nearly as elaborate as those featured in this book, but they will be just as tasty.

Gift the slippers. They are far too big for me and I am not willing to spend $1.50 to run them through the felting process again, especially if there's no guarantee that they'll felt any further. My goal is that their recipient will be wearing them around the house by the end of the week.

Find a volunteer position. I will, I will, I will.

Perhaps create some pages for this here blog. I feel that one page each for my This Week in Crafts and Farm Fresh Diary is needed. Any insight?

Find some kick ass Valentine's Day cards. I know it's early, but I found some nice ones on Etsy and I want to make sure that I get them in time.

***The photo at the beginning of the post is something fun that I picked up at Ichiban Kan this weekend. Crunky never tasted so good.***

This Week in Crafts (Part 2)

Week of January 10, 2011

Yesterday I shared some of the projects I crossed off my to do list from last week. Here are the rest.

I finished reinvisioning my craft space. I fixed up my Craigslist-find cabinet, moved my craft supplies into said cabinet, got rid of some stuff, and moved my yarn from the bedroom to under the craft table. Now its all centralized...except for my craft books. I'll have to figure something out.

The cabinet needed some minor tune ups (thanks to the bumpy pick-up) and some snazzy contact paper on the shelves. I think they add some needed color and flair.

The shelves have my sewing stuff: fabric, a tower of thrift store t-shirts, my caboodle of sewing notions, a basket of glitter and various glues, feather accessories materials, and embroidery kit.

I filled the drawers with felt and the rest of my embroidery supplies: hoops, Christmas embroidery thread (stashed in a bin that I crocheted this week), fabric stabilizer, etc.

My mini ironing board fits nicely between the cabinet and the wall. The top is perfect for storing my sewing projects in progress and this neat glass jar that Evan's mom sent me for Christmas.

While I was going through my stash last night I some of my first embroidery pieces. When I was in 6th grade my friend's mom taught me how to embroider. I remember liking it but I didn't keep it up. My skills were pretty rudimentary, but then again I was 11, so I can't be too had on myself. Besides, I kinda like the aesthetic. The subject matter is another story...

Amazingly, my handwriting hasn't changed much over the years.

Although our trip to Urban Ore for a cabinet was a bust, I did find this neat piece of history:

Well, actually, Evan found it. Its case is pretty beat up and I'm sure it doesn't work, but it looks really cool and it was only $8. I couldn't pass it up.

It still has thread in the bobbin!

And....I finally (started and) finished my planner. I covered a moleskine with some neat owl print paper that I found at Blick and filled it with monthly calendars from CreativeMamma.