Day 89

Since I had stuff to do I decided to do what I thought would be an easy craft.  I pulled out the Kirigami book and chose to do the Bell Net fold.

It went well, until Cody grabbed the finished craft (not before ripping it while I was trying to take pictures of the finished work), he ran down the stairs, only to be attacked by Izzy and well...this is how it ended:

R.I.P Bell Net paper craft....

Before the carnage, I folded the paper and free handed the design for the cutting:

I then cut the lines, being careful not to do all the way to the end:

I gently unfolded it:

I then strung a thread on a piece of scrap paper and used it to pull the center up, to unfold the bell:

And here it is open, and this where Cody decided it was a cat toy:

And ripped it.....sigh....:

Here is an attempt at trying to show it hanging:

Right after the last photo I put it down flat and turned around, with my back turned that's when Cody grabbed the bell and ran down the stairs.  Refer to the first photo for the end of the story.  Ah well they are pretty cute, and I forgive them.  :)

Day 83

I have this really pretty peacock themed scrapbook and card stock paper that I wanted to use tonight but wasn't really sure how to.  I decided a mosaic style card might be a nice way to showcase the different papers.  I was trying to be precise about my cuts and then realized I wasn't getting anywhere trying to figure out measurements, so I just went for a haphazard approach, which when your crafting seems like a fantastic idea!

I picked a pretty blue card stock for the actual card, I then picked three different peacock themed card stock to go with it.  I cut each peacock paper into three strips and then each strip into squares.  I then applied each square to the blue card stock in a varied pattern.  It was really hard to photograph this when I was done because the paper is very shiny.  But here is what I came up with:

Done card:

Here are the  papers I used after I cut the peacock paper into strips:

Here is a close up of the finished card, trying to get a bit more detail:

Day 82

The other day I was doing a search online for craft ideas and I came across a bookmark called "Honey Bunny" and I just knew I had to make it and who I had to make it for! 

My Ome (my mom's mother) calls me Honey Bunny, she has since I can remember, and still does, even though I'm in my 30's and honestly if she ever stopped, it would break my heart.  I couldn't believe there was a craft called "Honey Bunny" and it made me grin like a little girl when I saw it.  Here is the link on how to make it:  Honey Bunny Bookmark. 

I hope she likes it!  Here it is done:

Here is the template I printed on pink card stock:

And here are some of the supplies I used, chenille pipe cleaners, craft glue, also used scissors and contact paper to laminate the template:

Laminated the template with contact paper, cut it out and then cut out the face area:

Wrapped the top of the bookmark in the pipe cleaners:

Printed a picture of my face and glued it on the circle I originally cut out and glued into the hole:

Here is the back, I looped some pipe cleaners and glued them onto the back of my picture:

Day 74

I found this site today called Craftbits and they had some adorable craft ideas.  This was one of them.  It's called a "Index Card Note Deck".  I did it a tiny bit different then the directions, but not too far off.

I used a stack of index cards I had on hand, my label punch, a piece of decorated scrap book paper, two pieces of card stock, some ribbon, hole punch and a glue stick.  I punched out a handful of labels from the index cards, one from the scrap book paper and one each from the card stock colors.  I glued the scrap book paper to one of the regular labels to get the cover and used the others as dividers and the back cover.  After everything was cut, glued and hole punched I strung them onto the ribbon and knotted the top.  It came out really good, and will be used for all types of notes in the future!

Here is the Index Card Note Deck all done!

Here are some of the supplies I used, though I ended up not using this ribbon:

Here are the index cards, card stock and scrap book paper cut out in the label shape:

Another shot of the finished note deck, next to scissors so you can gauge the size:

Day 48

So I was thinking all day that I just wanted to come home, do a simple craft and relax.  My first thought...bookmark.  I realized today that I had contact paper for a wedding craft I had planned and could use it as a laminate.  I mention all this to Stan and he helps me find a bookmark template online to make it even easier, just need to insert a photo and quote.  BONUS!  I tell him I want a picture of a moon, and he starts searching while I go to my trusty book of quotes to find something relevant.  I figure this will be done in no time...

Not so much...

Stan finds a nice picture, I find a good quote, we insert, print...and realize I had regular paper in the printer, so we print again, on white card stock.  Alright, no big deal.  I pull out my paper cutter, and the stupid thing is of course not cutting straight, so I try to fix it with regular scissors and I'm not straight.  I have a minor temper tantrum and have Stan trim for me.  Okay, I'm alright now, so I get out the hole punch and punch the hole at the top of the bookmark for the fringe string I want to add.  Low and behold I'm too close to the top, and end up splitting the hole open at the tippy top!  O..M..G...I fall to the ground and start slamming my head against the floor.  (Don't worry, we have carpet!)  I beg Stan to go downstairs and pop open a bottle of wine while I try to now cover the bookmark in contact paper to salvage the hole for the string.  I'm starting to hate bookmarks.  Alright, contact paper....I've never used it before, I cut a nice big square, put the bookmark face down close to the left side and fold the right side over to sandwich the bookmark.  Guess what??  I'm not straight, so the contact paper buckles and sticks...I toss the bookmark across the desk, and start swearing like a sailor.  Stan comes with wine...after a long silent gulp...yes, I admit it, a gulp...I feel better.  Stan takes over and trims it up for me.  Wine slowly goes through my body, I'm now feeling better.  I get the string and start stringing it through the now complete hole and can't get the knot to tie.  I keep trying while silently laughing manically in my head.  After about 5 attempts, I get it, I cut trim, I'm DONE!!!!

YAY!!!

And then I try to take pictures....sigh...our cat Cody decides he needs to help....sigh....I send Stan down for another glass of wine....here are the pictures..../headdesk

Bookmark with Cody trying to get the camera strap:

Close up or bookmark:

Another closeup and Cody:

Cody willing to rip my face off for the camera strap:

Day 47

I don't remember what grade I was in, but it had to be maybe 6th or maybe 7th, our class took a field trip to the Springfield History/Art Museum, or the "Quadrangle" as it was known.  I remember it pretty vividly, I know I had a lot of fun, but one thing that really sticks out in my mind was the Japanese artifacts.  There was all kinds of cool things, and we had two activities.  One was doing the Japanese Signature Stamps, or Hanko Signature Seals, that was pretty cool, but the thing I really really enjoyed was the origami we did.  We all made an origami cup, and actually were able to put water in it from the water fountain and drink from it!!  Since then I've always enjoyed dabbling in origami, it's just so great how you can make so many fascinating things just by folding paper.

When I saw this book "Origami Suncatchers" I was intrigued.  The folding is pretty simple and they designs in a window will be very pretty.  I plan on covering all the bedroom windows in them, just because I can.  And from outside, it will probably look fun.  Or crazy, I guess it depends on who's looking at it!

Here are the supplies I used:

First you take 2 pieces of origami paper, fold them in half horizontally and then in half vertically.  Then you cut along the folds to create 8 smaller squares.

 

Then you take each square, turn it so it's a diamond, then fold the left corner to the right corner like so:

 

Unfold it, then take each corner and fold it in toward the center like so and glue them down:

 

Keep going until they are all done and look like this (only glued, forgot to glue this one before the picture!):

 

Next you put glue on the lower right triangle and glue another triangle to it, then the left triangle as seen here:

 

 Keep going until they are all glued, and then hang in the window!!  (It's dark out, so would be pointless if I do that now!):

 

Day 46

Today's craft is from a kit I had purchased from Barnes & Noble.  It's called "Traditional Japanese Egg Decorating".  It came with a wooden egg, a wood stand, paper, brush and glaze.  Once you get the hang of it, it tells you how to do it on real eggs.  Since bunny season is here (aka Easter) I decided this would be a fun and relevant craft!

Here is the egg and paper I had Stan choose:

 

You take the paper, fold it in half, make cuts every 1/4" leaving about 3/8" at the top crease, so as to not cut all the way through.  Then you go back and cut each piece to a point:

 

 Put white Elmer's glue on the inside center of the paper and roll around the egg, starting at the top of the egg glue each point to the egg, one at a time, overlapping as you go, then do the bottom paper:

Let it dry:

Paint the stand and let it dry:

Apply the glaze, let it dry and your done!:

 

Day 45

When I got home from work tonight one of the first things Stan said was "I have a craft you can do tonight!".  And my first thought was "YAY!!!" because I wasn't too sure what I was going to do!  

His computer came with a bunch of craft software and he was checking it out today.  There was a template for a photo cube, you just add your pictures, print it out, cut it, score the folding lines, fold and glue!  That's it!  It was easy and fun and now I have an adorable photo cube of the 6 loves of my life to adorn my desk at work!!!

Printed on card stock:

All cut out and ready to be scored, folded and glued:

Folded, a little flimsy looking but it's holding up well:

Top view:

Another side view:

Day 39

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day!  And I realized I have nothing green, again...!  I own NOTHING that is even a slight shade of green!  Not even a hint of green!  Actually I do have a gray sweater that if you hit the light juuuusst right, it "could" be green, a puke green maybe.  Well I didn't want to wear my, in certain light puke green sweater for the holiday, so I decided to make something to wear.  After all I don't want to get pinched!

Since I have the Shrinky Dink paper I printed a shamrock on it.  I cut it out and shrunk it (cause that's what you do with Shrinky Dinks!) and glued a pin to the back and there you go, an Irish pin so I don't get pinched!  I have a feeling I'll still get pinched, but I tried, and really....that's all you can do!

Pin before shrinkage:

Pin after the shrinkage:

Back of pin, after I took this picture I turned the pin the other way, so it's now the "long" way (glue needs to dry):

Day 31

Well my wonderful family and friends, you've stuck with me for 31 days!  I can honestly say that I'm surprised I've stuck with this, but it's been fun and eye opening!  Because you have stuck by my side through bobble head cats and zombie dogs, I think you deserve something in return.  How about a bit of honesty?  No, you want money??  TOO BAD!  It's my blog after all, so you get honesty!

I come from a family of some seriously creative people!  My mom is super creative and artsy!  The woman can sew, draw, crochet, paint, sculpt and soooo much more.  My uncle is a great artist, and much more!  Their mom, a total seamstress!  My dad's mom and his sisters...crafty too!!  I seriously have asked on several occasions if I was adopted.  I do crafts, but nothing super special.  So why am I telling you this?  Well on to my honest confession of sorts, I've always wanted to be "artsy".  I've always wanted to paint, or draw, or sculpt, do pottery, something that is totally A R T...not crafts.  I don't know if it's because I just haven't found something that I'm "good" at, or just a fear of trying something and having it fail maybe?  Who knows, but as I get older, I sort of throw all that out the window and I'm willing to try things I wouldn't have tried years ago!  YAY for getting old!

Today's craft is something that has struck my fancy for a while now, but have been too afraid to try.  It's called "altered art" or in this case "altered book art"  The first fear comes from hurting a book.  I love books, I mean really LOVE books.  I can't even throw a book out.  Which is part of the reason I finally made myself try this.  It's not fair to have a book just sit on a shelf and collect dust when it's has the potential to do something wonderful with it's life!!  Then there is the fear of having whatever I make look like a preschooler did it, but as stated above, the older I get, the less I care what others think.  Soooo, here is my first attempt at altered art!  I won't really go into what it "means", because isn't the whole point and fun of art??  Trying to figure it out?  So here you go, try to delve into the recesses of my mind.  HA!  Good luck with that!

(FYI...you can click on any of the pictures to see them in a bigger size.)

Here is my altered art book.  The left side is a collage of pictures, and the right a collage of words that stood out to me.

 

A close up of the picture collage side:

 

And  close up of the word collage side:

 

One more of the whole book:

 

And last, here is proof it's a book!  If I had more time, I would have glued some of the pages together to make the work area thicker, but it's suggested you let it dry overnight, and I didn't think to do that yesterday!: