tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29579963997936765632024-03-12T22:11:32.026-06:00Jacks...I always feel like a jack of all trades, but a master of none... this is my spot to display all my attempts at mastery, along with my random mutterings.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-67546235488111523972012-01-04T14:21:00.000-07:002012-01-04T14:21:56.188-07:00Why for I no post? :((Nearly 9 months since I last posted... BAH! BAH I SAY! I'm just no good at this blogging thing. Perhaps it's because I haven't been very crafty in the past 9 months, except for making up things for the wedding. I suppose that is a big exception, however ;P<br />
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What a 9 months it has been, though. Put together a wedding, got married, and now pregnant with our first child! It's too early to know if it is a boy or girl, but we'll be finding out ASAP... I'm too much of a planner to wait for it to be a surprise :P<br />
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With baby on the way, I have been picking up some crafty slack. I've made a set of soft blocks, and will make some toy balls soon. I'm also doing some graphics work, making a set of silhouette alphabet prints to frame and hang in the baby's room. It's composed of all the geeky things we like (e.g., J is for Jean-luc Picard, C is for Companion Cube, T is for TARDIS). Photoshop is a cruel mistress, however, and it's taking me longer than I would like. I have a bone to pick with their color replacement tool.<br />
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I also used some bridal shower gift cards to raid the local Hancock Fabrics during their big clearance/New Year's sale. I got supplies for making several slings, a nursing pillow, and a diaper bag, along with bits and bobs for some more baby toys. Now I just need the hubs to help me get my sewing machine cleaned and oiled. If only I had not lost the manual :P<br />
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Some of the fabric I found has ROBOTS on it!! So a robot diaper bag is hopefully going to happen. I think we will be going with a robot theme for the nursery, too. I love robots! ^_^ Important caveat... I love robots just as long as they are the cute kind, and not the I'll destroy the human race and rule the world kind. I also got a Cricuit (thanks to my friend/ex-SIL who was nice enough to sell me her old one!) and the robot cartridge for that, so I imagine I will be using that to make some fun wall art, too :) Another friend informed me that Target has ROBOT stuff in their dollar spot right now... I'm going to have to check that out!<br />
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So, there you have it, my attempt at an update. I'd like to say I'm making it a New Year's resolution to blog more, but I know for a fact that won't actually make me blog anymore. Here's hoping, though!Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09203209443393508864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-4296674320868997622011-04-23T22:32:00.000-06:002011-04-23T22:32:56.547-06:00More bride freebiesHooray! More bridal spoils have arrived since I <a href="http://ashyjacks.blogspot.com/2011/04/give-me-free-stuff-give-me-free-stuff.html">last posted</a>!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhHchW_Ok3yUFLZsO-vMjNTpiD5VdqYIvRbv_BwtUa_9Z5G_-a7zuY3pVug7ARoN2OzrcY_hPQcyND5rOK-Gl2KRq27IsVexmXwvQ30Bhg1XQMhG-rxbnpJCUGV8aiB_gSRbhYzGkY6w/s1600/P61926601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhHchW_Ok3yUFLZsO-vMjNTpiD5VdqYIvRbv_BwtUa_9Z5G_-a7zuY3pVug7ARoN2OzrcY_hPQcyND5rOK-Gl2KRq27IsVexmXwvQ30Bhg1XQMhG-rxbnpJCUGV8aiB_gSRbhYzGkY6w/s400/P61926601.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thank you Circulon and KitchenAid! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you all have a lovely Easter! I have a nice ham dinner planned. Nom nom nom nom nom...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That is all.</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-57741085170929178762011-04-19T21:39:00.002-06:002011-04-19T23:37:34.057-06:00Vinyl d'art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Tom and I moved into a new townhouse a few months ago, giving me a lot more wall space than I'd had in my one bedroom apartment. I've been trying to find cheap ways to decorate, and was inspired by <a href="http://tulipsociety.com/wordpress/?p=50">this post</a> over at TulipSociety and a related <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Vinyl-Wall-Art/">Instructable</a>. As much as I love trees and flowers, I decided I wanted something a little... edgier... that would represent both Tom and myself. I liked the ease of cutting out the circle shapes, and my mind immediately went to gears. Tom and I both appreciate Steampunk, so I thought this was perfect.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5tSW5A0BkD2H4IXqDj34irRzcvkRH3hF_S0-ad2A7YxEAZFLP38m0-IzxhlJszB0ZBqho5V13RJJUhumxsohhGOU4s23GCUKE_sjlwROlQ4V0A3QJzr9F-_yAZ51-ONCMeyq06qIcmY/s1600/gears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5tSW5A0BkD2H4IXqDj34irRzcvkRH3hF_S0-ad2A7YxEAZFLP38m0-IzxhlJszB0ZBqho5V13RJJUhumxsohhGOU4s23GCUKE_sjlwROlQ4V0A3QJzr9F-_yAZ51-ONCMeyq06qIcmY/s400/gears.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">How badass am I? With my steampunk gears! And... pastel... flowers... yeah. Oh well. That's me for ya. The hardest part of this was trying to make each gear unique in some way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">I put this in the living/dining area, which already has plenty of stuff in it, so the purpose of hanging something wasn't to muffle sound - I needed something purely decorative. This fit the bill perfectly. Once I cut them out, I just peeled, stuck, and VIOLA! Vinyl d'art! I've had no problems with them sticking, but they seem as though they will come off easily when required to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">The next project will be the bedroom... it DOES need some sound absorbing action, so we'll see what I can come up with. I'm thinking some simple canvases, once I get the right color paint color.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; text-align: left;">Ja ne!</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-50704905861185788412011-04-17T20:00:00.000-06:002011-04-17T20:00:06.449-06:00Rockin' robin...He is on a high branch, in a bare tree, that is swaying in the wind. The wind keeps blowing, the tree keeps swaying, but he keeps holding on. The wind's gotten to be a little too much for him now, so he threw caution (and himself) to the wind, and flew off to find a new spot to sit and watch the world. Ahhhhhhhh, there is enough metaphor there to... make something... overly metaphory. Seriously, though, I could learn a lot from that bird. <br />
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Tom is outside pumping up the tires on our bikes. He wants to go for a ride. We'll see how that goes. I prefer to bike on trails, where I don't have to worry about about the motorists in Colorado Springs, an alarmingly large percentage of whom must be stupid, judging by their driving.<br />
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I picked up a Sunday paper this week and have been clipping coupons. I started couponing recently, but only with printable coupons I found online. This week, I heard there were going to be a whopping FOUR coupon inserts in the paper, so I decided to pick one up today. I thought I would share how I plan to coupon. Maybe some of this can be classified as "tip-worthy", but I make no promises. Anyhow, here is what I have done/am doing..<br />
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<ul><li>Find a blog that covers local sales/coupons/etc. I was lucky enough to run across <a href="http://www.springsbargains.com/">SpringsBargains.com</a>, which is absolutely amazing. It lists the currents ads for all the local grocery stores, and matches them up with many existing coupons deals. They even rate the deals on a scale of 1-5, based on how great they think it is. It allowed me to really maximize my savings this week, and I plan to check back each week to see the best deals.</li>
<li>Check the on-line coupon sites to see what they're offering. Unlike your Sunday paper, checking on-line coupons is absolutely free (assuming you're on a computer anyway), and you only have to print the ones you really want. Here are the ones I like to check. If you know of more, please let me know!</li>
<ul><li><a href="http://www.coupons.com/">Coupons.com</a> Printables</li>
<li><a href="http://www.redplum.com/">Red Plum</a> Printables</li>
<li><a href="http://coupons.smartsource.com/">Smart Source</a> Printables</li>
<li><a href="http://www.upromise.com/">Upromise</a> Ecoupons you can load onto your grocery or drug store cards, and savings at restaurants and online retailers. The Savings go into your upromise account, instead of being given at the store. You can then use the money in your account to help pay for college, invest in a savings account, or even request a check. Every little bit helps!</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cellfire.com/">Cellfire</a> More coupons to load directly onto your grocery card! Here King Soopers (Krogers chain) participates.</li>
<li><a href="http://just4u.safeway.com/">Just 4 U</a> Safeway's own eCoupon program.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.target.com/">Target</a> Target has their own coupon site. Just go to target.com, and scroll down tot he bottom. There is a Coupons link under the heading "Target Stores" at the bottom. SOme of these are exclusive to Target, and some are manufacturers.</li>
</ul></ul><ul><li>Know that, at most stores, you can use one manufacturer and one store coupon on a product. So if you have a Target coupon for $1 off, and a manufacturer coupon for $1 off, you can get $2 off one item.</li>
<li>Know who doubles coupons in your area. Where I am, Safeway and King Soopers always double, and Albertsons only doubles occasionally. A $.50 coupon may not look like much, but $1.00 does!</li>
<li>Only use coupons for things you usually buy or know you will use, and only use it when it makes something truly cheaper. For instance, saving $.50 on a box $1.50 Kraft macaroni is not that big a deal if I can get the store brand for $.89 without any coupon.</li>
<li>That being said, I clip ALL the coupons from the paper. At least right now. Why? Two reasons:</li>
<ul><li>A lot of times, I see deals where things are free or ridiculously cheap weeks after the coupons have been in the paper. Even if it's not something I use, if it's free, I'll take it. Case in point, I just clipped a bunch of things for dog food and treats. I have no dog. If I find some deal where I can get the treats or food for free, though, I'll buy them. I have plenty of friends with dogs, and if nothing else, I can give them to the local humane society.</li>
<li>I know there have to be sites online where you can swap coupons with people. The dog coupons and baby coupons do nothing for me, but may be awesome to someone else. Maybe they could send me some food or cat coupons in trade! :)</li>
</ul><li>Become a fan of some of your favorite brands and stores on Facebook. A lot of places are starting to offer their fans coupons. You can also go directly to company websites and sign up for free coupons. I've created an entire e-mail address just for couponing so I don't get spammed to death at my regular e-mail.</li>
<li>Create some sort of organization system. I'm using clear page protectors in a binder, and dividing things up by categories which make sense for me.</li>
<li>Understand that every little bit helps. This is a hard one for me. Too often I need to do everything whole hog, and can't deal with mediocrity. I'm trying to remember that ANY savings is a savings. I don't have to be like the crazy people on Extreme Couponing.</li>
</ul>Happy shopping!Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-43901021880457023662011-04-15T16:46:00.001-06:002011-04-15T16:49:20.555-06:00It ain't easy bein' green... or frugal... frugal too.Ok, I have to confess, I know nothing of the trials and tribulations involved in being green... but I find Kermit to be a reputable source of information, so I will take his word for it.<br />
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I am, however, finding it extremely hard to be frugal. We've been dealing with a job loss recently, are waiting for unemployment to kick in, etc. Lets just say I'm very thankful for a great fiance, a few supportive family members, and community outreach programs. If anyone would like to send good thoughts/prayers/energy my way, feel free... Trying to find a decent job for myself is proving to be difficult. A psych B.A. does not seem to qualify you for anything that makes a living wage! Oh hindsight, you so silly!<br />
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I was about to say that I digress, but I realize most of this post is just going to be venting... so I guess that isn't entirely accurate! However, my main problem is just how difficult a time I'm having with being frugal... more specifically, frugal with food. Keep the lights off and furnace off, check, cutting back on driving, sure, not buying extras for myself, (painful but) ok. ;P<br />
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Food, though, is killing me. It always does... and I'm not sure why. I am, I think, a good cook. Certainly a good baker. Somehow, the organizational processes involved in cooking throws me for a loop. I never know what to make with the things I have on hand... and then I never have a lot of basic things on hand, it seems. I think the latter may be my downfall.<br />
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Lately, I've been trying to shop very carefully for deals on food... coupons, hitting all the different sales, etc. That seems exhausting enough. Then I have to figure out what to do with the food I just bought. I want so badly to make these nice, healthy, cheap meals I see people making on the blogs I read... but can never figure out how they are easy (yeast bread, cooking something all day) or cheap (since I'd have to go out and buy three different types of cheese and a bunch of fresh herbs and produce). I'm not sure how these people do these things inexpensively! Do they have their own creamery in their back yard? I know a lot of people have gardens, but I have no yard space, and I think a Topsy Turvy Tomato planter would end up about 3 blocks away with the first good Colorado Springs "breeze."<br />
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This just seems to happen to me all the time. I get an idea and I read up on it... and then I get overwhelmed with information... and then I have a melt down. Why oh why must I be this way!Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-31723453732690709932011-04-14T21:39:00.000-06:002011-04-14T21:39:57.924-06:00Give me free stuff, give me free stuff, mister...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am finding out that this bride-to-be stuff can be cool. Stores and companies like you. They give you free things! I never knew this, until I registered at Target, and received this nifty bag... thingy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildntCwJMxfWW4OE1bQztETFaRlE7dY3U4M_-OlCL_MqC8wRwbxD2-G3X7Tt_zd9uzgtAF8YjDZxDKAJJ86CSwvwplR2YMqWhe3DvayhMucGXnAeJhxVbpyj3VDt9KMfBuhsZdxJwa8Xo/s1600/P83776001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEildntCwJMxfWW4OE1bQztETFaRlE7dY3U4M_-OlCL_MqC8wRwbxD2-G3X7Tt_zd9uzgtAF8YjDZxDKAJJ86CSwvwplR2YMqWhe3DvayhMucGXnAeJhxVbpyj3VDt9KMfBuhsZdxJwa8Xo/s400/P83776001.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's nothing elaborate, but I thought it was a nice gesture. I was tickled pink that it was white and blue, AND had birds on it. It will work perfectly for what I've been planning for the wedding. I'm planning to set it up as a card "box".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhoo, as I finished shooting random Target items with my nifty scanner gun, I left the store with my freebie in tow, wondering aloud to Tom what other free things brides might be able to get. I decided to do some research. TO THE BAT CAVE, ROBIN! *Ahem* or Google. Google works too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I googled, and HOLY FANCY FREE CRAP, BATMAN! I found out that brides can gets LOTS of free stuff from companies whose items they are registered for, and more if people actually buy you the things off your registry. So I registered away, and sent in my forms for my nifty items.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Several days ago, the first fruit of my labor showed up at the door. A great little cheese cutting board/utensil set from De'Longhi.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNvjMx1EtzZhLrhcEL3ThauYKr7lGIEIXfJFI7bXJ1Tpd49q1R9cb1jhWlRiOsokrmnTn8XPauA8LaLkzJnaO7idKoP3ENDKlSsMjogUZUMm-BvLvl0ZW4tNtcC1slKHXJuG0aPILTro/s1600/P83712300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNvjMx1EtzZhLrhcEL3ThauYKr7lGIEIXfJFI7bXJ1Tpd49q1R9cb1jhWlRiOsokrmnTn8XPauA8LaLkzJnaO7idKoP3ENDKlSsMjogUZUMm-BvLvl0ZW4tNtcC1slKHXJuG0aPILTro/s400/P83712300.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is quite nice and I'm very impressed with it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you're a bride-to-be, I'd recommend doing a little research to see what is available out there. I'll probably be posting with more freebies as they show up at my door. I'm always thrilled to get a good deal! :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-51570852733536220382011-03-31T00:56:00.000-06:002011-03-31T00:56:08.277-06:00More shiny!One of the wedding issues I'd been wrestling with was the idea of flowers. I love real, live flowers, but they are crazy expensive. So, I'd decided I was going to do silk and make my own bouquet... with blue flowers, or maybe sunflowers for a POP! (even though yellow is not a wedding color). I began thinking again, though, how I'd really rather spring for real. I found a vase type of flower arrangement for around $50 that I thought I could make into a good bouquet, and was contemplating that, until I was browsing Etsy and ran across this...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66596652/deposit-for-a-blush-heirloom-brooch" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.212974747.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bouquet by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/Noaki?ref=ls_profile">Noaki</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Gorgeous, no?? I had not heard of brooch bouquets before. I knew I could never afford one of Noaki's lovely creations. I knew I could do something inspired by this idea on my own, however. It's a pretty straight-forward idea, but I like to see how people do things, so I googled brooch bouquets to see what other information I could find. My favorite tutorial was <a href="http://www.fancypantsweddings.com/how-to-design-a-brooch-bouquet/">this one from Fancy Pants Wedding</a>. I liked seeing how they wrapped the wire for each brooch.<br />
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I knew mine would not be as full as any of the ones I'd seen thus far, as I hand only a handful of brooches to use. I decided to intersperse them with a bouquet of silk flowers. I'd picked up some bouquets of white roses at Michael's, for my bridesmaids to carry, but some of the people I'd invited now are unable to make it, so I had extra bouquets. I decided to use one of these to augment with the brooches. I used silver florist wire I had on hand to make the stems. Other than that, I used a roll of ribbon from Dollar Tree, some floral tape, and $8 worth of beads from Michael's (I wanted little shiny bits and some blue accents to mix in with the brooches.<br />
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Here is what I've come up with...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wish you could see how shiny it truly is! I love the bling! The brooches I used belonged to my great-grandmother, so this is also going to be a great way to pay tribute to her on my special day. The wire can be snipped and untwisted when the wedding is over, if I wish to get the brooches back to wear. I think I may leave them in the bouquet and display it after the wedding, however :) </div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-80711706352345259052011-03-10T20:32:00.000-07:002011-03-10T20:32:59.153-07:00Here comes the DIY bride...Hi everyone! :)<br />
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I haven't posted in awhile... In the last month or so, I've become engaged, my fiance started a new job, we moved into a townhouse, and we're planning a wedding... plus school, and teaching, and I'm trying to find some sort of part to full time job that will have Tom and I on the same schedule (nights). No luck yet, though.<br />
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Anyhoo, I've done very little in the creative department... but there is lots of creative wedding stuff underway. We're trying to do the whole wedding for under $3000... so I'm doing the decor myself, we're DJing ourselves (with iTunes), we're doing all the food ourselves, I'm going to make my own cake, etc.<br />
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While I did not feel adventurous enough to make my own dress, when I saw the price tags at David's Bridal, I DID decide to make some of my own accessories.<br />
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Here's my veil. The one at DB's was pretty similar, but cost $130! I was able to make this for under $10.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aQ4cxFETD1217mqxciMNGbi7DO_akvhI1_qtzHfcr-hs6oIRPKazmSwu9xO_PWJZ3YHtPuHNaDEhECip8NNiV2k0DFAF0AkCqYX38gEhAx7z-zUWhrin3AEFNf9rL_ui6g2sCOgscgs/s1600/veilcloseup1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aQ4cxFETD1217mqxciMNGbi7DO_akvhI1_qtzHfcr-hs6oIRPKazmSwu9xO_PWJZ3YHtPuHNaDEhECip8NNiV2k0DFAF0AkCqYX38gEhAx7z-zUWhrin3AEFNf9rL_ui6g2sCOgscgs/s400/veilcloseup1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYLEB_f_7dYvjRZ2aQRtPa0J4KABqis_TzvJZFxIig1MQhGN6tfZR4pgDy0VOf52r-1QPSi7aPhZnT5C3GijPfVvEq_-zIV-RhjW044adxK5M3du2XkEVd2QZ2NTkVXQSht_8Ti4VFIo/s1600/veilcloseup2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYLEB_f_7dYvjRZ2aQRtPa0J4KABqis_TzvJZFxIig1MQhGN6tfZR4pgDy0VOf52r-1QPSi7aPhZnT5C3GijPfVvEq_-zIV-RhjW044adxK5M3du2XkEVd2QZ2NTkVXQSht_8Ti4VFIo/s400/veilcloseup2.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some close-ups of the beading -one with and one without flash. I forget what you call the shapes exactly... are the long ones trumpets and the other ones pillows (they're sort of squarish, not round)? Anyhow, I used less than a tube of each from Hobby Lobby, about $1.25 per tube with their half-off sale. Plus the tulle was probably about a dollar, a pack of combs were $1.99, and then the clear thread (bane of my existence) was a little over $2. It is pretty simple but I am happy with it... It looks shinier in person, and what I really wanted was just some bling, because my dress has no beading or lace whatsoever, so I'm adding details with accessories.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also made a headband.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylZU5wib5jtNBaGLnxmdb5p_wkXtd9p6LBbRAPvlPA3agafFdzBwbAD-Cp3fSSqSIW0r3alytZNTjK7i-_v9jSL8HWJcEEkTXlnmt_YKq2jO-cgOxt97__epEB75OGuBVXnI57zpl_P8/s1600/headband.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylZU5wib5jtNBaGLnxmdb5p_wkXtd9p6LBbRAPvlPA3agafFdzBwbAD-Cp3fSSqSIW0r3alytZNTjK7i-_v9jSL8HWJcEEkTXlnmt_YKq2jO-cgOxt97__epEB75OGuBVXnI57zpl_P8/s400/headband.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again, just for some bling... the faceted beads have AB coating, so they are quite glimmery in person. The headband at DB was $99, and I'd say this cost me around $10 to make, as well. I got some really thin wire (26 gauge, I believe) and just wove it around the little teeth in the headband, adding a bead in each space. I did two rows together, and then I did a third row on top of those two rows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm trying to get things together for centerpieces right now... which has involved scouring thrift stores for cheap largeish vases... either opaque blue, or milk glass (I <3 milk glass). I only have 3 so far... I need about 14, ideally, so the search continues! I've also been looking for platters at the thrift store. I've found one bigger plate I like... I saw a beautiful limoges china platter this weekend, but it was $13, which is more than I really want to spend. Perhaps I will photog my finds so far and share them in another post.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-7622901744381432092011-01-30T12:30:00.002-07:002011-01-30T12:37:30.219-07:00Spring's done sprung, at least in retail stores...Actually, here in Colorado, it has been quite warm outside, as well... but the high Tuesday is supposed to be 1 degree, with a low of -11, so I'm thinking the season are not changing just yet.<br />
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But in my heart it has - Christmas is over, and I have no use for cold weather anymore! Apparently retail agrees with me, as I am starting to see lawn and garden stuff everywhere I go, along with springy decorations. This spring invasion includes Michael's dollar section, which has some really cute stuff right now! I created a new table centerpiece (or it would look great on a shelf, too!) with some things I found there. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They had these mini vases in four different colors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not from the dollar section, but these were $1.99. There were actually about six stems of three on here, but I didn't think to photograph things until I had disassembled it! Pardon the crappy photos, by the way - I was taking these at night.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>So here is the finished product. I moved the heads of the flowers around so there were three of the same color on a stem. Looking at this picture, I think I will cut the laugh and love stems down some. This would be great with real gerber daisies too, or maybe some carnations. In case you are wondering, the fourth vase choice was a blue one that said "hope", but I wanted to stay with the L theme. Anyhoo, cheap and took me all of 5 minutes to do.<br />
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There were lots of other great things in the dollar section, too. Here is what I picked up...<br />
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The big green flower is a pin - they had lots of these in different colors and flower styles. I'm going to pin it to some of my plain knit tops to brighten them up! They also had more Valentine's stamps - I had to get this one, because I love keys! The little luminary above was the only one I saw, but they had little metal buckets, without the punch designs, in other brights colors. There were adorable little springy felt embellishments for your card makers, cute drawer pulls, journals and note cards (as usual), and a bunch of other stuff that I am forgetting! If you need a little spring pick me up, I recommend dropping in your local Michael's for a looksy :)Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-27526227407038742752011-01-23T13:15:00.002-07:002011-01-23T13:21:39.412-07:00Tutorialish - Crochet hook case from a dish towelHello, and welcome to episode one of Tutorialish. I'm calling this Tutorialish, because I am really not good at taking step by step pictures of stuff. When I'm making stuff, I just want to do, and not take 15 minutes setting up a perfect photo for every step. Those of you that can, yay you! You have drive and dedication, and I salute you. I'm too busy and too ADHD, however, so you'll get nothing and like it!!! Well, you'll get something, just nothing spectacular.<br />
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I'm also calling this tutorialish, because to call it a tutorial, I somehow feel like I would be making claim to this being some groundbreaking new idea that no one in the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39qmbl7mpJQ">multiple universes</a> (yes, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse">multiverse</a>, I'm on board) had ever thought of before, and essentially saying, "I AM THE FIRST! BOW TO MY BRILLIANCE, PEASANT!" And I really doubt that I'm the first person to ever do this. But here is how I did it, if anyone cares :)<br />
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I am ALWAYS losing crochet hooks, or else I end up buying new ones because I don't think I have that size, and then when I get home I find that I DO have that size. I really wanted to make a crochet hook case to help remedy these problems. I was going to just use fabric and sew one up, but I had this dish towel that I really loved. It seemed so bright and springy, and it was so cold and gloomy here. It seemed perfect. So I set about figuring out a way to use it to make a hook roll.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-j_wl9AI/AAAAAAAAAH4/TDt2FXB7ULQ/s1600/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-j_wl9AI/AAAAAAAAAH4/TDt2FXB7ULQ/s320/01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So here is the dish towel. I folded it in half and ironed the fold.<br />
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Then, I ironed on some interfacing to half of the towel. I'd say this is probably a medium weight. I just used what I had lying around.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-kkQx_zI/AAAAAAAAAIA/gV0ZqlI_QN0/s1600/02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-kkQx_zI/AAAAAAAAAIA/gV0ZqlI_QN0/s320/02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Then I folded it back in half, and pinned. I decided I was going to use a zigzag stitch in a contrasting color around the edges, so I pinned it wrong sides together. I definitely think wrong sides together is the way to go if you are using a dish towel. The hems that are already on the dishtowel would make a right side together seam way too bulky.<br />
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You will also note here that I took this opportunity to insert some ribbon for my closure. This should go on one side of the roll (your choice) and will be wrapped around and tied after the case is rolled up. If this makes no sense, check out the last couple of pictures right now - those will hopefully help.<br />
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Remember when placing your ribbon, part of this big piece of fabric you have is going to be folded up to make the pocket, and part of it will also be folded down to make a little barrier at the top (to help keep things from falling out), so you won't stick the ribbon smack dab in the middle - you will have to do a bit of figuring before deciding where to put it. Again, you may want to see the later pictures to better understand what I am saying here.<br />
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If you ARE sewing with right sides together, remember that your ribbon should be pinned in so that the loose ends are sandwiched between your two pieces of fabric, not hanging out like this.<br />
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Ok, so your interfacing is ironed on, your ribbon is pinned in - time to sew up the sides. Just sew up all three open sides. Like I said, I used a contrasting thread in a zigzag stitch,which was apparently stupid, because I had never used a zigzag stitch before and it didn't go very well.... live and learn! Next time, zigzag... next time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-k8YqaYI/AAAAAAAAAIE/4DKDa4zihkw/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-k8YqaYI/AAAAAAAAAIE/4DKDa4zihkw/s320/03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ok, the sides are all sewn up, and it's time to make the pocket for the hooks. I didn't measure, just eyeballed it. Keep in mind that you need enough for the pocket, and also enough to make the little fold over flap at the top. My advice is to grab your hooks to help you figure out how big to make the pocket. Keep in mind the aforementioned little flap at the top is optional, but I think it is a nice safety feature!<br />
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Anyhoo, once you have determined size, fold your pocket up and iron the fold well.<br />
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If you want to, you can make a tiny pocket to attach to the big pocket you are making - I made one to hold the big needles used to weave in ends and sew crocheted things together and such (the name escapes me at the moment). You'll start with a small piece of fabric, like the one above.<br />
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Fold it in half, right sides together (I used flannel, so it didn't matter much), and sew around the open edges, leaving a small opening for turning.<br />
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You will then turn it right side out, and position it on your pocket flap and sew it down.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-lQImzYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/kOast9cGBaU/s1600/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TTx-lQImzYI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/kOast9cGBaU/s320/06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Here is a picture after I had attached it. As you can see, I sewed around the sides and bottom of the mini pocket, and then I sewed a few lines, creating pockets within the pocket.<br />
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This is totally optional - I really just threw mine on in a rush, so it is a bit of a mess, but it works! Just remember, if you do it, sew the tiny pocket onto the flap for the big pocket BEFORE you sew down the sides of the big pocket. If you wait until your big pocket has been created to put on the little one, you will be sewing the little pocket and BOTH sides of your case roll together, essentially making that part of the case roll useless for storing larger items. I hope that makes sense...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that your tiny pocket is on, you will sew up your big pocket. I sewed up the sides first, then I went across the pocket and used the little guides on my sewing machine plate (no idea what those are called!) to create different sized pockets. I know the guides delineate different measurements, but not sure exactly what those measurements are, either. I found that using the second line gave me pockets that were big enough for most hooks up through J or so., but it is best to experiment and see what works for you and your hook collection :) I made some larger hook pockets, in case I get some larger hooks in the future. I also made a wide pocket that can store a small pair of scissors.</div><br />
Now is also the time to make your little flap at the top. I folded a portion of the top down, ironed the fold, and stitched just below the fold to hold it in place. The above picture shows the case holding one hook - you can see how the flap comes over the top of it. If my roll were to get turned upside down and thrown around, this should keep the hooks in it from sliding out and getting lost.<br />
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There was a problem, as you can see above. I do own one freakin' big hook, and it is too long for this roll. If I had forgone the top flap, it would have fit, but the roll would have been really big, and I wouldn;t have had the piece of mind that flap provides I decided to just leave this one out. I'd say 99.9% of the crochet I do is with K or smaller, anyway. Plus, how could I possibly lose this guy? He's HUGE!<br />
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Here's a picture of the finished product with my hooks and doodads in it. I forgot I actually made two big pockets. You see my scissors on the right, and on the left, you see the needle pocket. In the big pocket behind that I have stored my packet of stitch markers. You see my hooks all tucked away, too. I used to have a lot more, but since I didn't have a nice case like this to put them in, a bunch of them got lost :(<br />
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Here is how it looks on the outside.<br />
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And here it is all rolled up and tied.<br />
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Feel free to comment if you have any questions!Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-89054644447988441882011-01-22T12:54:00.001-07:002011-01-22T12:55:31.754-07:00The 5 Rs - Reading, Riting, Rithmatic, Rats, and Recession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Another change to the blog address... sorry to anyone that has me bookmarked. I think I'll be sticking with this one, though.<br />
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Not much in the way of creativity happening at my casa right now. In the past week, I have acquired two testy pet rats, grad school has started back up, and I've been looking for a job. Maybe those things should be addressed one at a time....<br />
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First, there are Bert and Ernie....<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ernie is the one looking at the camera. Don't ask what got into me, or made me decide pet rats were a good idea... looking back, I am not really sure. I've never had rats before. They are supposed to be more intelligent and more loving that other small animals, like hamsters or gerbils. For some reason, small, furry, caged animal = great idea. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found a listing for these guys on Craigslist. Someone was selling their cage and taking the rats was optional. My first thought was, what the heck is going to be done with them if someone takes just the cage?? So, we rescued these guys. I guess that is good, but I think these guys need rat social services.... or rat therapy... or something. They were fed through the bars of their cage (BAD idea... never do this with an animal), they were not properly socialized, plus I think they were probably tormented by the kids that owned them previously. Bert, in particular, bites, and does not like to be held. Ernie does not have as many problems with it, or so I thought, but judging by how much I got pooped on yesterday, I may be wrong. And boy, do they poop... everywhere... all over everything... why they cannot do it in their litter box, or AT LEAST, in the bottom of their cage, I do not know... the concept does not seem that hard to grasp to me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow, I need to revise my rat handling techniques for poopy emergencies, I guess. Hopefully things will work out - they will calm down, and learn that being handled and brought out of the cage is fun, and that pooping should happen in designated areas. At the moment, however, I'm kind of frustrated and regretting the whole idea - sigh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>In addition to rat adjustment, grad school as started back up...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite pictures, from a study session in my first semester. Oh Advanced Psychopathology, you so silly!</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ahhh grad school... what to think of you. I'm still not sure. At this point, I am planning to finish up my MA in experimental psych. I'll be working on my thesis this semester, along with taking a couple of classes. One is Psych and Law, which I'm really quite excited about. I have had several classes on Psych and Law in the past with the same professor, as well as taking my undergrad honors program classes with her. She is a wonderful teacher and person, and I always enjoy her classes, so I'm pretty pumped for this one. I like her classes because A) I think she is very fair in the amount of work she assigns, and B) they always make me challenge my own thoughts and opinions on things. </div><br />
I'm also teaching again - hooray! I really do enjoy teaching. I'm a TA for a lab section of a psych research and methods class. I have a full group of 16 this semester, and so far, they seem engaged and willing to ask questions, which makes me very happy.<br />
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In addition to this, I'm planning to start working on an AS in computer science at the local community college. I just think that computers will end up being a better line of work for me, and offer a LOT more job opportunities. I only need around 24 credit hours to do it, since I already have a lot of the requirements from doing a BA. I'll have to pay completely out of pocket, though. Right now, I'm waiting to see if I'm going to get any additional financial aid before I register. If so, then I should be able to afford it.<br />
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</div>So, we have school, and rats... I've also been trying to find a job<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have no relevant photo to go with job hunting, so I decided to just share something cute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe I can make it relevant... job hunting has put me in my little box of sadness... where are you friends? FRIENDS!?!?! :(( I'm not sure anything is quite as depressing as trying to find a job (particularly in this economy) when you have a "useless" BA. I don't think it is useless, mind you. I think the work I've done in psych qualifies me to work in HR, or PR, or any number of things. I've learned how to deal with people, how to listen to them, how to write well, how to proof read, how to research, how to analyze data, how to design projects... but my degree isn't in HR, or business, or marketing, or whatever, and my on-the-job experience is limited. This = fail. I'm having trouble finding anything I'm qualified for aside from call center positions. Now, I am not a very picky person, but I am trying to avoid call centers. Nothing takes it out of me quite as much as being on the phone 8 hours a day. I could do it, but doing it, plus teaching, and working on two degrees... that might be a bit much.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I still need to tweak my resume, put in for a few things I saw, and maybe see about the career office at school helping me find some other opportunities. It is just such a downer, when you know there are so many things you could do well, but you don't meet the qualifications on paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-11022117001673188732011-01-10T20:24:00.001-07:002011-01-22T11:57:20.491-07:00Faux stained glass - on the cheap!This was so nifty, I just had to share. I dislike reposting other people's photos, so I'll just link you over to the tutorial on <a href="http://www.suzyssitcom.com/2011/01/feature-friday-faux-stained-glass.html">Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom</a><br />
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Now, I was immediately drawn to this because I love peacocks. I really have 0 interest in stained glass, excluding, perhaps, the potential it has to become jewelry. For on thing, it always seems freaking expensive - all the paints and materials. But since it was a peacock, I clicked anyway. It was also linked by one of my favorite sites, <a href="http://dollarstorecrafts.com/">Dollar Store Crafts</a>. So that made me think it might actually be reasonable. Boy was I right! This beautiful piece is made using acrylic paints and Elmer's Glue!<br />
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I love the idea of using coloring books for patterns, too. You may be seeing a Hello Kitty stained glass piece from yours truly here soon ;PAshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-3932895549047042402011-01-09T19:56:00.002-07:002011-01-22T11:58:30.407-07:00Practice makes waste... or, How I Wish I Could Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Bombs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChXjCjwwlHifdTkpDAsHQ4gRuraJkJGXJNgSuUiJQa0cWa9yKJs1key-FYmPDeLy-IpB4GyPK23ZVYJly-U2aGZUYFvFKeXnM1PUaY5cnB5Gh-P-NDxErq2uUJPzISbJz8Kllvm76SbE/s1600/IMG_1158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChXjCjwwlHifdTkpDAsHQ4gRuraJkJGXJNgSuUiJQa0cWa9yKJs1key-FYmPDeLy-IpB4GyPK23ZVYJly-U2aGZUYFvFKeXnM1PUaY5cnB5Gh-P-NDxErq2uUJPzISbJz8Kllvm76SbE/s400/IMG_1158.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><i><br />
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<i>Sink with Colored Sprinkles</i><br />
Installation Piece<br />
Ashley Gunn<br />
Colorado Springs, CO<br />
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Hopefully it is clear that the above is tongue in cheek, and I do not, by any means, think this is a beautiful work of art =)<br />
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Today, I was to make cupcakes. Beautiful red velvet cupcakes with white icing and cute little pink polka dots. They would be iced using the icing attachments on my cookie press. They would be lovely and delicious. But, I haven't made cupcakes in awhile... I overfilled the cups, so the cakes came out funnily shaped. Then I made the icing, and remembered that if you just use regular ol' vanilla extract, you're not gonna get white icing. So I dyed it pink. I loaded up the cookie press with about a third of the icing... and quickly realized that was only going to ice about three cupcakes, with the way I was doing things. The way I was doing things was not nearly as pretty as I imagined, either.<br />
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So, my lopsided cupcakes got iced with a knife and I threw some red sugar on top. They look like something a grade schooler would bake.<br />
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Experiences like this always bring me down. You always hear that practice makes perfect, but somehow, in my mind, it makes waste, and that bugs me. I thought to myself after trying to use the cookie press/icing gun that I probably needed to make up a batch of simple icing and just sit down and play with the thing... but then my mind kicked in - that would be wasting all that nice icing. I'm like this with everything. That would be wasting paper, or paints, or canvas, or fabric, or beads, or yarn. If it;s not wasting materials, it would be wasting time.<br />
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WHY do I think like this! WHYYYYYY!!!!!!? I expect myself to be able to pick something up and be perfect at it. I know it's not logical, but it is apparently the way my mind works.<br />
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Everything I create seems so very mediocre. There is always someone out there doing it better - whether it's baking or crocheting or sewing or photography or blogging. I feel like, no matter how hard I try, there always will be someone who does it better, so what is the point?<br />
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I wish I could just learn to let go, play with my art supplies, bake monstrosities, put up a fugly blog and not care... but I don't think I'm ever going to develop that skill!<br />
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*Sigh* Well... at least the cupcakes are tasty.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-10649486692561850872011-01-06T22:17:00.002-07:002011-01-22T11:59:07.057-07:00New look<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cache.lionbrand.com/stores/lionbrand/pictures/l0500a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://cache.lionbrand.com/stores/lionbrand/pictures/l0500a.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>I am in love with <a href="http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/L0500.html?noImages=">this scarf</a> from Lion Brand! It uses Tweed Stripes yarn, which I haven't heard of or seen before... However, the name is making me go, "Yipes! Stripes! Tweed Stripes Yarn!"<br />
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If you aren't a child of the 80s and/or don't remember the commercials for Fruit Stripes Gum, you probably won't get that one...<br />
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Some of you may have noticed I'm trying to create a new layout here... I imagine it will be changing a lot, so please bear with me, all two of you ;)<br />
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I think a name change may be coming, too. I'd like to set up my own domain, and I know jacks.com would never be available ;) I may go with Hello Ashy! Thoughts? Opinions? I had a website years ago named that, so thinking I may go back to it.<br />
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Hope you all are enjoying 2011 so far :)Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-16048079594133560412010-12-26T13:01:00.001-07:002011-01-22T11:59:42.717-07:00Holiday greetings from Bond<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I sent this out s an e-mail yesterday. I was told my pictures were broken, though, so I decided to make a blog post, and share it with everyone...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Bond wanted me to convey his Christmas greetings to you all. Please bear with him, he speaks in LOLcat... the strange language of cats, which is rather phonetic (i.e. just sound it all out). If you are not familiar with it, rather amusing examples can be seen at</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank">http://www.icanhascheezburger.<wbr></wbr>com</a></span><br />
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</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/" style="color: #0000cc;" target="_blank"></a>Now, for Bond's holiday message...</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It iz i, Bond, heer to bring u da gud nooz... IZ CURSMAZ!!!!! O MI GOSH, I SO XSIGHTED!!! I no, iz hard to tel...</div><div style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQN6lcMrd9tORIUW8kl99D3saX5AwSrkYW7yVVh5LnNnpzPagpRQ-59iUDPaHYUvwnmVIDwXSfZ0cxtMViUhayczvRXm_bnwXTXx9QGYSmXI6ZWRaCDQlmpKMsHINCKK1_ECS5n2iOiA/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQN6lcMrd9tORIUW8kl99D3saX5AwSrkYW7yVVh5LnNnpzPagpRQ-59iUDPaHYUvwnmVIDwXSfZ0cxtMViUhayczvRXm_bnwXTXx9QGYSmXI6ZWRaCDQlmpKMsHINCKK1_ECS5n2iOiA/s400/IMG_1135.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">buht reely, i iz heer to weesh u Mary Cursmaz. Mai hooman haz bin nise enuf to convay dees greetins for meez...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx1iyQi47O-2n0w7rc_sxJMKT3FkkrdtmmAYGoAteJiUB44FjA6wSeWVAXzrD88dJOMD54j9ujXUZjj7-B6QN3jnihkClmd1eO05AyMy9DOZ0fUHTqh1Bo1aGmSs-RG5nm26P5qd36Lo/s1600/IMG_1134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOx1iyQi47O-2n0w7rc_sxJMKT3FkkrdtmmAYGoAteJiUB44FjA6wSeWVAXzrD88dJOMD54j9ujXUZjj7-B6QN3jnihkClmd1eO05AyMy9DOZ0fUHTqh1Bo1aGmSs-RG5nm26P5qd36Lo/s400/IMG_1134.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></div><div><div>So enjoy ur hollydaze and ur napz, and has a nise toofousandelebenty! (dat meens 2011 fur u peepul hoo lik numburs)</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Urz Troolee,</div><div>Bond</div><br />
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</div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-29347746625374078092010-11-12T19:07:00.000-07:002010-11-12T19:07:37.581-07:00Hodge podgeWell I haven't posted in awhile... boo... I haven't had a huge amount of time to make things lately... been out of state and then got sick when I returned. In the interest of catch-up, I think I'll post the things I've already uploaded pictures of =) The last picture has some language in it that some may find objectionable, just to warn you ;P<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krv0jr1I/AAAAAAAAADo/gNHn4aVBzKk/s1600/recordclock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krv0jr1I/AAAAAAAAADo/gNHn4aVBzKk/s320/recordclock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is a clock I made from a record. This is so SUPER easy to do. This is for my mom, made out of a Tom Jones record. I got both the record and an old clock at the thrift store... cost about $2 total. I painted the hands so they would stand out more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDH8exULI/AAAAAAAAAEI/5drp2BeRT9M/s1600/dishrags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDH8exULI/AAAAAAAAAEI/5drp2BeRT9M/s320/dishrags.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And here are some dishrags I crocheted, also for my mom. Used Sugar 'n' Cream, double crochet. Nothing fancy whatsoever, but I know they will be functional and work well, so my mom will appreciate them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDJFUe_YI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Td7EDFGNeq0/s1600/ricepacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDJFUe_YI/AAAAAAAAAEM/Td7EDFGNeq0/s320/ricepacks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I don;t know what you called these... but it;s a thing to put on your eyes... it's filled with rice and lavender - it can be heated in the microwave or cooled in the freezer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDJm6IDlI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/qWZRFBi42o8/s1600/druiddoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDJm6IDlI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/qWZRFBi42o8/s320/druiddoll.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>This is a doll I made for a friend, based on something out of World of Warcraft... it's the druid tree form. I really need to add something to spice it up. The character in the game also has on a necklace, but that is pretty plain also... so I'm not sure what else I can add. Maybe I will make it a Santa hat, just for fun ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDKGIHM-I/AAAAAAAAAEU/E4oXSlM9lfs/s1600/druidpins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="96" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDKGIHM-I/AAAAAAAAAEU/E4oXSlM9lfs/s320/druidpins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For the same friend... druids can take four forms... these are little felt pins of the symbols for those forms.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDKjIsgbI/AAAAAAAAAEY/m8uRvf9qIrY/s1600/apron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDKjIsgbI/AAAAAAAAAEY/m8uRvf9qIrY/s320/apron.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>There is no really good way to photograph these... but this is one of the dish towel aprons I've made. Really simple and inexpensive gift.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDK-5QESI/AAAAAAAAAEc/lZlq5qlHIGc/s1600/subversivexstitch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDK-5QESI/AAAAAAAAAEc/lZlq5qlHIGc/s320/subversivexstitch1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And then there are some selections from Subversive Cross-stitch... a great book I recently picked up. These are for my friend and my cousin... I'm going to make another one of the Boo F'ing Hoo one... my professor at school saw me working on it and thought it was hilarious, so I'll have to make one for her now ;)Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-81726810200802170242010-10-15T15:45:00.001-06:002010-10-15T15:49:25.729-06:00Old-Fashioned SilhouettesThis year, I have decided that a majority of my Christmas presents will be handmade... so about a month ago, I asked my mom if there was anything I could make her for Christmas that she would particularly like. She told me that she'd like to have a couple of old-fashioned looking silhouettes to hang on her wall, so I set about thinking of what I could do. This is what I came up with... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLjIqBV_EiI/AAAAAAAAAE8/R_d0WoEvYos/s1600/silhouettes01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLjIqBV_EiI/AAAAAAAAAE8/R_d0WoEvYos/s640/silhouettes01.jpg" width="354" /></a></div>The frames come 6 in a pack and are from Dollar Tree. They are made of foam, designed, I think, to be place card holders at showers. I used acrylic paint and a foam brush to paint them black.<br />
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For the silhouettes themselves, I used a book of clipart by Dover. Their books come with CDs that contain all the images. You could also find clipart online, though, or you could <a href="http://thompsonfamily.typepad.com/thompson_familylife/2008/04/silhouette-plaq.html">make your own.</a><br />
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I re-sized each image to be about 500 pixels wide, and printed at 300 dpi. I wanted the paper to be a bit special, but I must have gotten rid of my parchment paper in the move, so I printed on watercolor paper. As you may guess, this did not work out that well... given the bumpy texture of watercolor paper, I didn't get a consistent image. So, I went back in with a calligraphy pen and india ink and colored in each silhouette by hand.<br />
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I found the easiest way to get these in the frames was to detach at least two sides of the backing, then to slide each print in and glue the back on.<br />
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I then wanted to make them into two sets of three, so I used some ribbon scraps I had to make little hangers for each set. Basically, this is two strips of ribbon, layered together and glued to the back of all three pictures. I used the leftover tails of ribbon at the bottom, looping the ribbon back on itself to make a ruffley sort of effect, so it would look more decorative.<br />
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The backs of the pictures were looking pretty rough after this, so I then covered them in black felt, so they'd look a bit more finished. Given that I had everything but the frames on hand, this project cost me a whopping buck, and I know my mom will really love it!Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-31796956253081786372010-10-13T17:57:00.001-06:002010-10-13T18:07:42.120-06:00More fun with t-shirtsI have a lot of posty catching up to do... Took pictures of lots of crafty things yesterday. Right now, I think I will share some more t-shirt projects.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDHCQuqjI/AAAAAAAAAD8/LwcItVTJCKI/s1600/shirt01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TLZDHCQuqjI/AAAAAAAAAD8/LwcItVTJCKI/s320/shirt01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Here is another freezer paper stencil job.<br />
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Shiz is the school from the musical Wicked. Galinda (Glinda) and Elphaba (Wicked Witch of the West) meet there. I made this for my cousin, as she really likes Wicked and I thought this would be sort of a funny design. I used the font "Varsity". It was a two part stencil job, and I admittedly did not do the greatest job with part two (where the letters got filled in), but I think it looks acceptable. It wasn't until I was halfway done that I realized they actually make an <a href="http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/shiz-university-tee-shirt-9">official shirt</a> like this. I made this one from a tee I picked up at the thrift store for a buck.<br />
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Also made from t-shirts are these reusable shopping bags. Kind of hard to tell that, I guess.... second shot may help. Basically you chop off the arms, some of the neck, and sew the bottom shut. I put gussets in mine so the bottom would be flat, as well. I got the idea from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/article/good-thing-t-shirt-bag">Martha Stewart</a>... even did an I <3 NY one like her's, obviously.<br />
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I probably made about 10? All with shirts I got from the thrift store for $.50 or $1.00. Mostly done with locale shirts. Some CO and Santa Fe ones for my mom (places I've lived that she's visited), and then the ones as above. I was thinking of giving some of these to Tom's mom. She likes Europe, and I did a Mediterranean and London one... she likes NY as well. Tom doesn't think she'd use them, though. I did Link (Olde School), Thor (Marvel... this is my favorite one), and Vegas ones for myself, and I have to admit, I keep forgetting to use them myself. I have them in my car. I think it's just going to be a matter of forming the habit.<br />
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Anyhow, these are super quick, fun, cheap, and seem really sturdy. I tried carrying around a huge thing of laundry detergent in mine and it did just dandy. Obviously, the size of the shirt will sort of dictate what you can use the bag for. I made one with a 2X shirt that I've used as an overnight bag. I think small and medium are really ideal stand-ins for your typical plastic grocery sacks, though.<br />
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Have fun scouring the thrift store :DAshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-7550683069829557772010-10-11T11:52:00.000-06:002010-10-11T11:52:28.750-06:00Ho ho ho... and glass etchingYes, I changed to a Christmas layout. I'm just not feeling fall this year, and since most of what I'm working on is Christmas gifts...<br />
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And speaking of which... this year I've been inspire to try some glass etching. I used the Armour Etch cream you can get at the craft store. Mine came from Michael's, 12.99 for a little jar of the stuff, but I used a 40% off coupon on it,<br />
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I was inspired to try it by some posts I saw on Craftster. Originally, I started using stencils I cut out from contact paper. This, however, did not work out too well. It was hard to get them to lie flat on the curvy glass, and I had a lot of bleeding in the designs. So, then I tried an alternative idea I saw on Craftster... fabric paint! Yes, the puffy stuff you use to paint horrible designs on clothing ;) You just lay your design on the opposite side of the glass and go over the edges with the paint. Once dry, you have a nifty little containment field for your etching cream. Unfortunately, I tend to have a bit of a shakey hand, but these still turned out better than my contact paper attempts.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krDDmd-I/AAAAAAAAADg/mvsofqAOgzo/s1600/ukglasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krDDmd-I/AAAAAAAAADg/mvsofqAOgzo/s400/ukglasses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The etching is a little hard to see, so I apologize. This first set has the University of Kentucky logo. These will be a Christmas gift for my uncle. Think I'm going back to Kentucky for a visit home soon (UGH, plane ride...), so these will probably go in my carry-on... the less I have to ship the better.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krbzW6NI/AAAAAAAAADk/xZzO1NIxz7E/s1600/hordeglasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TK_krbzW6NI/AAAAAAAAADk/xZzO1NIxz7E/s400/hordeglasses.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>These are for Tom. He's been playing World of Warcraft for years, and has an affinity for the side known as the Horde, and this is their logo. He plays the opposing faction (Alliance) with me right now, but I know he is Horde at heart ;P <br />
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The glasses I picked up at Walmart. About $9 for a set of 16! Cheaper than Dollar Tree, where I went first. I ruined 4 of the big ones trying the contact paper stencils... so I'm left with 4 small ones. Not sure what I will do with those yet! I was thinking some Harry Potter glasses for Tom's mom, but we will see.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-63749397409960743392010-10-08T21:39:00.002-06:002010-10-08T21:40:53.593-06:00Happy sidewalk is happy<div class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQQ42sZzkPU_HG_WA7PHTPRmu4BYxk2Y2qkKCm7bhG-HrGBl-JZeNaEMa2sHdseehpoNPGx8RjHqgIgPtcahAMO4RbaAd_K17mqeRFK-Q1MIlFYEKVZdX__tBH3UV77hpYxXjxo8ISsw/s1600/IMG_5870-773957.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525885915520096610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQQ42sZzkPU_HG_WA7PHTPRmu4BYxk2Y2qkKCm7bhG-HrGBl-JZeNaEMa2sHdseehpoNPGx8RjHqgIgPtcahAMO4RbaAd_K17mqeRFK-Q1MIlFYEKVZdX__tBH3UV77hpYxXjxo8ISsw/s320/IMG_5870-773957.jpg" /></a></div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-83650104902052719892010-10-05T14:58:00.000-06:002010-10-05T14:58:53.787-06:00Acrylic paint, how I love thee... Let me count the ways. You can paint on wood, on canvas, on other types of cloth, on clay, and on clothes. These are the things I've done recently, anyway. Quite a bang for my buck (or less), I'd say.<br />
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My latest endeavor was using acrylics and fabric medium in order to paint some designs on t-shirts. I did freezer paper stenciling, an idea which I got off of Craftster.org. I was going to link the original tutorial, but now I can't find it! Basically, you use an exacto to make a stencil out of freezer paper, and then you iron it on to your shirt (or other surface). The freezer paper is waxy on one side, so the waxy side faces down and adheres to your surface. Then you can fill in the cut out parts with pain (mixed with fabric medium).<br />
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These are my first two attempts at doing it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TKuH18f0BkI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Cqsm6OAkV1M/s1600/shirts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0hj71_0qsTM/TKuH18f0BkI/AAAAAAAAACQ/Cqsm6OAkV1M/s320/shirts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The one at the top is for Tom. We both love The Big Bang Theory. Bazinga! is what the character Sheldon says, when he thinks he's one-upped someone =) Tom has commented on wanting one of the official "BAZINGA!" shirts from the show. I decided I'd try to make one instead. I used the font Badaboom, and drew the lightning bolt myself in GIMP.<br />
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The second one is for my uncle. I'm still not sure how I feel about how this turned out. It's SUPPOSED to be a Ford Mustang, which I do think you can tell... but it's not as nice as I was hoping. I used a piece of clip art for this one. It may just not have been the best piece to use for something like this.<br />
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I just finished the painting today. They've been heat set with an iron. Now, I just need to wait 7 days (according to the fabric medium) and then I can try washing them. I'm anxious to see if they survive, and if the texture of the paint softens up a little bit. After the $ I spent on blank t-shirts, fabric medium, and a roll of freezer paper, I probably could have just bought the freakin' Bazinga shirt.... but at least now I have plenty of paper to make more stencils, and plenty of fabric medium.Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-39957145831835312752010-10-05T14:41:00.000-06:002010-10-05T14:41:13.021-06:00Stockings for me, stockings for you...You have a stocking, I'll have one too... Yes, we've gone CRAZY! So hurry down to Ashy's Stocking Emporium and get your stocking today! Stocking stocking stocking....<br />
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*ahem*... Right. So, for those of you that may not know but care to hear, I recently divorced and had to leave my house and get rid of a lot of my things. Me, the insane Christmas lover that I am, was understandably feeling rather grinchy when this all happened, and a lot of my Christmas stuff ended up going. This included the stockings of myself and my kitteh, the eebil Bondinator. Yes... he still gets a stocking, even though he is eebil. Even eebil kittehs need Christmas presents. Plus I have a new boyfriend, Tom, with smaller, younger, rapscallion kitteh, Zoe. Rapscallion kittehs definitely need Christmas presents, in a vain attempt to control their mischief-making. So, this meant I needed me some stockings.<br />
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Enter McCall's 4990, "Stocking B" variety.<br />
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Tom isn't big into Christmas, so I wanted sort of a fun, cute print for him- something that would seem sort of guy-ish. This was what I came up with. Lined with bright red cotton.<br />
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The poinsettias print is really pretty. It may be hard to tell in the picture, but the style has a very retro 50s sort of feel to it, in my opinion. I made two in this print - one for me and one for my mom. Lined with olive green cotton.<br />
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All fabrics came from Hancock's, just in case anyone fancies them. I used iron-on interfacing to give them some body. The pattern called for sew-in, but I had iron-on on hand.<br />
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I can count on one hand the number of patterns I've sewn from in my life (unless you count my own hand-drawn ones), and this had me pulling my sewing machine out of the closet after a good 4 years on the shelf, so I'm by no means a great seamstress. Given that, my saying these were quick and easy should mean something to you ;) I did have some issues with the cuffs being a little big and not knowing where to bunch up the excess, but that is about it. I'm already thinking about making stockings for everyone else on my list.<br />
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So Tom and I (and my mom) were taken care of... but what about kittehs!?!? Enter paw print clip art, enlarged and printed out, to serve as my pattern.<br />
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The colors on Bond's were just NOT camera friendly. Also, I'm not very camera friendly... at least not indoors. Bond's name is actually embroidered in green.<br />
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These quite honestly were a bit of a disaster. I was a space cadet the entire time I worked on them. I wanted to hang them from the base of the paw, not the toes, but I embroidered the names the wrong way. And then I got so caught up in sewing that I sewed them completely shut and had to pull out the seam ripper. I sewed Zoe's together before I sewed the paw pads on the outside... etc. Finally done, though, and just a little worse for wear. They will hold some nice furry mice and jingle balls, and maybe... if they are extra good (ha... HAHAHA!!!), Santa will leave some catnip!<br />
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If I wanted to stuff Zoe's with her favorite toys, I'd put in a ball of yarn, twill tape, embroidery floss, small scissors, and steel wool... she's a little klepto, stealing all my craft supplies! As I said, rapscallion kitteh!<br />
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Spell check does not believe that "kitteh" is a word... the nerve!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2957996399793676563.post-23575959226347513082010-10-05T14:03:00.000-06:002010-10-05T14:03:21.285-06:00One year later...Well, I just deleted a post from here, dated 10/07/2009, titled "Maybe I'll actually blog now?". That was the last and only post I made... so I think we know the answer to that. However, in an effort to work on showcasing my creative side, I've decided to try again. This will probably be a place for me to showcase the things I make. With the holiday season approaching, and me already well underway with gift making, there will probably be a lot of posts soon! After that... who knows? ;)Ashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00457338857368843458noreply@blogger.com2