A Creature Of Naps

I have always been a person that valued my sleep.  It didn’t necessarily matter how much I have just that it is consistently the same.  My life has always proceeded at the same pace, too and changes to that are hard for me to make.  If I get too busy, if it changes drastically, if it is not the norm for me it is really hard for me. 

It goes back to when I was little.  My parents told me that as long as they left me alone, didn’t take me out of my little world that I was fine.  The minute they tried to get me ready to go out I screamed bloody murder until they brought me back home.  My Mom later told me that a lot of the time they gave up and just left me home with one of my older brothers or sisters. 

I never grew out of that.  I do like to travel, but it is exhausting for me.  I love talking and meeting new people, but if it is large groups it exhausts me.  I am always “up”, but when I crash I crash hard.  I like to sleep in my own bed and don’t do well out of my little world.

Many of you know that I have been out of work for several months and recently got back to work.  Well, this first week on the job has exhausted me.  I come home dragging and count the hours until I fall asleep.  Not early, mind you, because if I fall asleep before 10 p.m. I wake up a few hours later ready to go.  I try to get to bed by 11 and that works for me.  It has always worked for me.  There is that schedule thing again! 

I used to be a night owl.  Staying up all night and sleeping all day, but as I get older that has changed. 

Isn’t it amazing the patterns our lives get into?  How about you?

MAMMA!

 

This week’s MAMMA challenge was to use a background technique, a metal piece, a triangle, and fabric in your ATC.  It was similar to a rummage sale or jumble sale. 

Since I had a couple more usable faces stampings on fabric I decided to use it for the ATC.  The party hat is a triangle of fabric that I used.  The bee completes the metal requirement.

The background was created using this technique for marbled paper I saw on The View this morning.  Instead of the food coloring I used various colors of alcohol inks.  

The text is from a book of quotations from the television show The Nanny that I picked up at the Goodwill store. 

 

 

 

 

 

I received this card from the Gesso background technique swap from Sherry in the UK.  It is entitled “My Heart Belongs to Pierrot.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also received my ballet ATC from Lila in Texas from the Yahoo Fantastic Flat Paperdolls group.    She doesn’t have a blog for me to link.

 

What did you receive in the mail this week?

 

 

 

WordPress Tags: papercraft, atc, mamma, ballet, gesso background, collage, party, cindy is crafty

Making Earrings

I had another shop take some of my creations on consignment.  Since another shop that I consigned at recently took all of my earrings I had to make some more.  Earring are a quick project that a little time gives you a lot of pretty. 

The earrings to the left are some of the fabric charms I made for three of the swaps I participated in.  I added a purple freshwater pearl and a sterling ear wire. 

The rest of the earrings are made with vintage necklace beads, seed beads and sterling findings.  The turquoise pair to the left was sold before I left the shop.  The lady that bought them asked me if I would like some of her vintage jewels which were broken or missing the mate.  Would I?  Guess she doesn’t know me, huh? 

The happiest words in the English language to me are someone saying, “Would you be interested in some old broken necklaces I have?”  You betcha!

WordPress Tags: jewelry, vintage, beads, handmade, sterling, turqoise, seed beads, earrings, cindy is crafty

Black & White & Cute All Over!

I recently joined the Delightful Dotee Yahoo group and jumped right in with the latest swap, a black and white Dotee. 

Since I tend to take instructions quite literally, I used no other colors, but black and white.  Normally, I embroider the faces, but couldn’t get my head wrapped around a Dotee with black eyes and lips.  It would be a Goth Dotee and to me they are happy little dollies and not Goth and scary. 

I used my rubber face stamps and some white fabric to give her a face.  Black ink on white fabric.  I surrounded her face with white buttons and clear and pearl beads.  Her body is embellished with more buttons, white seed beads and some letter beads that spell “wish”.  Her hanger is made using black and white seek beads along with clear beads.  The tail is black and white seed beads and a clear bead to finish it off.

 

 

I am really pleased with how she came out and it will be hard to send her away.  My partner is located in British Columbia so she will be headed to the north.  She is travelling internationally.  Perhaps she may pick up a bit of an accent.

I think I will name her Maree’  (rhymes with Paree’). 

What have you made lately? 

WordPress Tags: dotee, doll, altered art, stuffee, embellish, beads, buttons, art doll, rubber stamp, cindy is crafty, swap

Mary Ellen’s Jewelry Tutorials

I have long admired Mary Ellen Kim’s designs.  I have been a faithful reader of her blog since I started my blog reading.  She is truly a nice lady and I enjoy seeing her creations around town.  They are lovely, they are vintage and they are inspiring! 

The last two issues of Crafts ‘N Things magazine have contained tutorials for a necklace and a button bracelet.  I played around last week making both. 

The pendant is one of my creations, but I love it on my attempt at Mary Ellen’s necklace. 

I also love the button bracelet.  I love how she combines crochet, vintage beads and buttons.  The button bracelet tutorial is in the current issue on newsstands now. 

Today is also my first day back at work.  For now I am working only 25 hours a week, but hope to be full-time in the near future.  I will work 4 day weeks with Fridays off.  Not a bad gig!  It will be nice having long weekends every weekend.  Not used to that schedule!  Wish me luck!

WordPress Tags: jewelry, handmade, tutorial, mary ellen kim, twist style, crafts n things, necklace, buttons, bracelet, beads, cindy is crafty

Kevin Skinner – America’s Got Talent 2009

Kevin’s an unemployed farmer and chicken catcher.  What a voice!

I love Piers’ comment at the end of the performance!

Here is the link since they have disabled the embedding. 

Time for Independence, Cookouts & Fireworks!

The 3/50 Project

 

A “Couple Three” Charm Swaps

I think one of the oddest expressions from my youth was “a couple three.”  As in “Bob, how many donuts would you like?”  “Oh I’ll have a couple three!”  It always stopped me in my tracks.  A couple is two and three is well, THREE.  But a couple three?  What the heck is that?  I never knew how many to give them.  If I gave two was that not enough, if I gave three then they might have too many.  I never knew how to proceed.  Do you know what I mean???

I showed you the charms that I received from the 3 charm swaps I participated in.  One with Cloth Paper Scissors and two with the Yahoo Mixed Media Art Friends.  That netted me 14 charms in total.  The first set from the MMAF group I put on a sterling charm bracelet that I thrifted for a $2.  For the second I decided to create a bracelet using my Kumihimo braider.  I picked out various yarns to give it some color, sparkle and texture.  I was very pleased with the result.  I initially tried using a ribbon end for the bracelet, but that was not the look I needed.  I then found some bead end caps on Ebay and decided to try it using those. 

The braid is a bit stiff so it fits more like a bangle.  I like it that way.  I have a “thing” about jewelry fitting too tight.  Even my watch must be able to move a bit.  I know FREAK! 

I am definitely going to make more of the bracelets.  I threaded the split rings into the bracelet after it was completed.  On the future bracelets, I will incorporate them while braiding.  I will let you know which I prefer.   The braid for the bracelet was created using ribbon yarn, fun fur yarn, and metallic gold yarn. 

Another tip, too!  Did you know that Craig’s List has a category for arts and crafts?  I had been using the yard sale feed for some time, but only recently discovered the arts and crafts posts.  I met a lady today that was selling a lot of yarn from her stash to buy some embroidery supplies (her new passion).  For $20 I got 3 skeins of $14 per skein yarn, several skeins of Italian yarn, cotton yarns, more ribbon yarns.  I came away with over $100 worth of yarns for $20.  Check out your local arts and crafts posts.  You’ll be glad you did. 

WordPress Tags: yarn, charms, handmade, kumihimo, bracelet, sterling, braiding, craig’s list, arts and crafts, cindy is crafty

Big Girl’s Home Ec

When you were in high school did you take home ec classes?  You learned to sew and cook and usually had to make something for a grade.  I faintly remember making an apron that I never wore and cooking a big dinner with my group for some of the teachers that had planning period during my home ec class time. 

We had to sit at the table, carry on dinner conversations, keep our elbows off the table and keep the food going around the table.  For that meal we served my Mom’s secret lasagna recipe.  It was the one that she always made for our family gatherings.  I loved it.  Thinking that my Mom would always be around I never kept a copy.  She passed away and unlike her dump cake that I found years later in a Mr. Food cookbook it went with her. 

Inspired by the home ec classes of my high school years and remembering the sewing samplers where we experimented with various stitches on the sewing machine.  I created the July ATCs for Kate’s Birthday ATC swap. 

 

 

It was created using two colorways of scissor fabric that I “pieced” together.  I stitched some fancy stitches with my sewing machine, and added a couple of miscellaneous buttons.  I wanted it to look thrown together.  Like it was made with scraps for practice.

 

What memories do you have of home ec class?

 

WordPress Tags: sewing, sampler, atc, piece, stitching, buttons, swap, home ec, cindy is crafty