12.15.2012

pause button, take 2?

This week was pure insanity. I felt like I wasn't home at all, and I really wasn't. On Wednesday, I zoned in on helping Dad with his surgery stuff. When I got home that night, my bf had put up a tree (yay!) so I focused that night and the next night on decorating it.

So, this whole 25 projects thing is starting to lose its focus. BUT there may be a meteorological finger that will unpress the pause button. The roads, I've heard, are super icy in town and on the way to Fargo today... freezing rain, etc., so I will probably be unable to go north to celebrate my honey's birthday party. He and I both have winter birthdays, and this isn't the first time we've had to postpone a yummy dinner together. He might not mind = last night, the bar was probably nuts-o because it was NDSU's fall graduation AND a big football game. I bet he's not even awake right now either. AND he leaves to ice-fish with some friends tomorrow anyhow...

So, in a wee bit I may be back on here TODAY with more crafts I've created. If not, have a lovely Saturday blog-readers.

12.10.2012

pause button.

Okay. So, due to a storm on Sunday, I left for a conference on Saturday... said conference (TIES in Minneapolis) ends tomorrow. I might be able to get to crafting Wed evening, so maybe I'll try to double-up from here on out?

12.07.2012

project #6: unlisted = wrapping.

Last night, I didn't start a new project. Instead, I had to wrap up previous projects because I need to get these gifts to my parents ... they're delivering a gift to my grandparents in the cities (Mpls/St.Paul), and they're sending a big package to AZ for my mom's mom. I'm just using old book pages as wrapping, with red accents and hemp yarn as ribbon.

However, I did use something different for the To&From tags. I bought, awhile back, a bag of blank invites (secondhand store) that were red and green in color. There was one package that was a bit different than the others = it had a red checkered pattern on it. So, I cut out the squares and used a hole punch. Those became my tags. Yeah. Simple, and that way I used the invites for something neat, too, and I didn't have to chuck them into a box ... never to be seen again. Ooooooh.

This weekend, beyond playing with my niece a wee bit on Saturday & packing/leaving for the cities on Sunday, I'd like to finish my wrapping and maybe finish the snowman ball ornaments project as well as burning the CDs for my friends. I'd like to be able to come home from the conference on Tuesday and hand out some Christmas cards, etc., on campus Wednesday morning...

I should try to get that paper ball necklace all completed, too. I'd like to wear that soon.

Oh, sidenote: I brought those green plaid stars (on a string) to campus to put on our office door. I ended up finding red paper to make MORE stars out of. And we even had someone comment on how cool they were. Yay!

12.05.2012

project #5: unlisted but Christmas related.

I'm going to watch Law & Order SVU while making these. They are stars, so it's Christmas-related. I think I'll make some with this weird printed paper I have (came in a pack), and I'll make some similar to what the picture shows - with dictionary paper.
I think they'll look neat hanging from string around our office... wish I had red paper, but I think the green plaid is festive!

project #4: unlisted.

Okay, so I was a busy bee yesterday and didn't get around to creating a project from my original 25 List...

However, I did have to create and wrap a gift for a special person who attended her last meeting with us (Diversity Council) yesterday. I made a multi-colored beaded bracelet for her & a multi-colored button Christmas tree (similar to the others I've made, but with more varieties of green, etc. to emphasize the diversity of it all...).

The wrapping was a recycled Lia Sophia jewelry box covered in that dark green canvas/burlap that I used on the weird wreath Monday. Everyone thought it was a cute little gift, so if they weren't trying to make me feel cool, I may be onto something with all this damn crafting!

12.03.2012

project #3: the "harder" wreath.

While at the secondhand store today, I wanted to find a donut shaped anything to make a wreath with. And then I spotted this pan for $.79 (that's my cat Sushi wondering what the hell I'm doing & you can also see how messy the floor of my office is... oh well!). 

In the box are mason jars that don't have tops = I'm thinking they'd be great storage for my buttons and beads, etc. Yay! And so damn cheap!

The AFTER picture. I added some dark green canvas material that was cut into strips (and secured in the back with wire). This scrap material was at the secondhand store for $1, and I knew that it would allow me to sew into it with a large needle & thick hemp string.

So, after attaching the canvas material, I wrapped some sparkly string (I have had it for awhile - maybe I used it to wrap gifts once upon a time?) around one area... and starting sewing buttons. I love odd numbers, so I went with five = two red, two green, and one big brown one to add that cabin/rustic look sort of.

Lastly, I used thicker hemp string at the top so it can hang from our door.

Another Project in Progress:
I made these paper balls from newspaper a LONG time ago... like maybe the first summer we were in the house (2011), and I hadn't used them for much. So, over the weekend, I finally drilled holes into them (and accidentally into my bf's workbench in the garage) and painted them white.

I used glitter glue on the bottom three (big ones) and just glittered the rest now... I plan to make it into a really funky necklace. They are large beads, but not as heavy as they look.

In this image you can't see the box to the left which contains MORE beads of this kind, but smaller. They will be painted, eventually, and made into the little snowman dude pictured here above the necklace. Yeah.

I am trying to do too much, but it's so fun to be creative.

project #3: the "easy" wreath.

This is the easy way to make a holiday wreath.
I found the fake stick wreaths at Target in the $1. I bought three because I like odd numbers of things.
The garland was leftover from some decorations I had at my campus office, and the red string is actually t-shirt "yarn." If you chop up a tee (from the armpits down) into 1" strips (especially if the shirt doesn't have a seem on the sides), then tug on the loop you've created, you'll end up with t-shirt yarn.

I have a lot of it and told myself to wear it like a scarf. I still haven't after months of having made the stuff. For some reason, I like the grey t-shirt yarn scarf the best, so whatever...
I looped the garland around the fake twigs; it stuck on its own which was cool - both pieces are coarse in nature. Bonus! Then I cut a loop of t-shirt yarn and made a bow. 

Last step: Put all three outside around our garage lights. So pretty... and they cost me about... gee... under $5 a piece I bet.


happy birthday!

I am about to head off of campus for the day, but I wanted to remind myself that I think a wreath project is up my alley this evening... I have many IDEAS for one (or more).

In the meantime, it's my dad's birthday! Happy 59th Old Fart!

12.02.2012

project #2: 3 items!

I actually made this button wreath before my 25 Day Challenge, but I wanted to share it here. It's so adorable, and I think I may keep it for myself... it basically used up the last of my red buttons (still have some green ones left for buttons on cards, etc.).

Since yesterday's CD holder was a little pathetic design-wise, I decided to take a piece of dark jean material and add the image of an angel from some store-bought garland. My sewing-machine-skills are not top-notch yet, but I'm getting there. Practice makes perfect.

A side project I decided to finally finalize today was to mod podge a wine bottle, so I could it as a bracelet holder (saw this idea on Pinterest, of course!, yet my sister said, "Why not use it as an air freshener, too, and put potpourri in it? Genius!). The moose paper was made by our Copy Center; I sent them a document that had a small moose image duplicated on it. They then just printed off a bunch of pages for me on TAN paper. Yeah. I think each sheet was TEN CENTS or something crazy like that. I used this paper to cover our outlets, too, in the house instead of buy white ones (because the outlets the last owners left us were of the off-white variety).

Did you know that mod podge is basically glue and water? Yes, someone posted on Pinterest a DIY recipe for the stuff, and that's what it is. Crazy, right? Those people are making a lot of money off of lazy people.

In fact, that may be a side thing I've learned in becoming more "craft-sy" or more of a DIYer = If you want to save money, just start rethinking objects. My sister & I went shopping at little vintage shop yesterday in town, and at one point she said, "I could MAKE this," pointing to some stuffed Christmas tree that had a post on the inside of it to make it stand up, "But I know I won't."

A woman who we didn't know even smiled & nodded when my sister proclaimed that.
So, I guess this Christmas - since who knows where I'll be with this craft obsession next Christmas - I will be giving more of my time and thoughts to all this.

Side Project Idea:
When I went to our basement to get my mod podge and the moose paper, I found these paper beads I made using newspaper (again, it was all about watering down crumpled newspaper strips and adding glue to get them into a ball shape).

12.01.2012

project #1: CD holder

Alrighty then...
so, it's not glamorous, but it serves the purpose of protecting the Christmas CD. And it's a great way to recycle jeans (I may use other funky fabrics if I need to create more); I also already had, on hand, the little red, green, and white beads. I think a person could also write, in marker, on this sort of material for added color. I thought, too, of sewing scrap fabric on the one side in the shape of a Christmas tree, so, like I said, it's not a glamorous version, but it's a simple project.

As a bonus, the CD inside was made on my iMac - I found the album, an independent batch of artists, here. In fact, the whole site is pretty awesome for finding new artists and giving gifts of Christmas music that are not typical.

I plan to give four disks out to my grandparents & others. :o)

11.29.2012

twenty-five days and twenty-five projects?

Okay, so a lot of people on Facebook did these "I'm Thankful for..." statuses for X amount of days; 
I'm thinking of doing something kind of similar. 


Since Saturday marks the start of December, and I've been obsessed with craft projects lately, I'm wondering if I shouldn't try out a new crafty thing each day. Yes, that's up to 25 THINGS.

Some of the stuff I have found on Pinterest isn't difficult to make, and this way, I might have extra cool Christmas gifts? And just cool stuff in general! And that's where the thankfulness comes in; if they become gifts, it's my way of showing my love for a relative or friend = a homemade something from my stout fingers!

AND I've noticed that when I focus on being creative outside of the writing realm of things, I get creative everywhere. This could help in my latest publishing projects (that may or may not blossom). The goal today is, since I've wrapped up grading for this week and don't have classes until tomorrow, to find craft projects to do each day because I'm going to need 25 of them. Or at least 15-20 because some may be 1+ day projects...

So, a list to choose from:

button bracelets [already did, but I'd like to make more]
button necklaces
button additions to an old/new shirt
buttons on a card
heart garland
felt garland
garland made of old Christmas party invites so I can use it to decorate the fake baby evergreens in the living room
fabric letters on an old/new tee [already did, but I want to do more]
fabric hearts made of scraps (with buttons on them? snowman shape or Christmas tree shape?)
leftover fabric = patchwork on old jeans (may take more than a day?)
leftover fabric = patchwork on a shirt (may take more than a day?) like words or a skull or just hearts on elbows?
leftover fabric = stuff animals (may take more than a day?)
leftover fabric = fabric keychains
scrap fabric Christmas wreath
yarn covered cardboard shaped in the form of a letter
pom-poms
zippers = small pouch
zippers = add to a dress to change how it fits? (may take more than a day?)
crossbody bag (may take more than a day?)
modge podged wine bottle for my bangles
beads made from paper (using modge podge)
chevron friendship bracelets from t-shirt string, etc.
napkin rings from TP rolls and fabric
deck of cards + creativity = mini-funky-journal
CD holder sleeve(s)

^^ That's 25, kids.^^

As I choose them, and complete them, I'll try to upload a picture and then cross them off the list!

11.28.2012

and there's fabric, too.

And... I have an obsession with fabric, too. At one point, I was all about making myself cute tops that required two seams or tank dresses... but now, I want to make other things that are tougher, probably.

Who doesn't love to give themselves a challenge?




button mania.

Yes, you read that correctly. I'm not gushing about Beatle mania or Beetle mania, although I could... well, the former would take more umph than the latter (god bless VWs). Anyhow, I have been a mad woman seeking out buttons lately.

Ever heard someone say that before? Yep, me neither.

If you checked out my last post, I made a cute little button evergreen ornament. Yeah. Well, finding buttons - GREEN ones at that - in my piles of junk, that are different SIZES, wasn't happening. I was able to make two tree ornaments. That's it. Bummer.

Then, last Saturday, I went to a thrift store - a big one - in Fargo to find MORE green buttons of MORE sizes. No go. Damn it. Who gets upset about buttons? This girl. So silly. I completely realize that.

So, yesterday, before I knew I had to be on campus for my office hour at 11am, I took off for Fergus Falls, MN in my baby bug (okay, she's no baby at almost 13-years-old; man, I really am all about reduce, reuse, recycle - I refuse to trade her in) to find some *#(@%$ buttons.

And came home with other crap instead. Still, the other crap was great crap. But they weren't buttons.

So, after assessing papers like a teacher on crack, I thought, "Hey, I'll go back to our little thrift store in town. It had some buttons the last time I was there." And they DID. Like three small bags of ALL GREEN BUTTONS. I was never so happy to see buttons. (Yes, I might need therapy after all this DIY stuff I've thrown myself into ever since making friends with my sewing machine.)

Now, all I can think about is what to do with buttons, because obviously, I will have leftovers. I already had too many buttons for a person who hates shirts that button... and god bless Pinterest for helping me find button projects.




I may try to make necklaces and rings and bracelets and beaded headbands and beaded wreaths and... yeah. I've linked all the above to my Pinterest DIY category, so go here to find the links to the cool stuff above.

At least this addiction costs me very little. With my 25% Off coupon yesterday, I purchased A LOT for under $20. Woot woot! Oh, and I found awesome-and-barely-used thread for $0.19-0.49!! And a fat little stuffed Santa (possibly made by a DIYer) for my office.

11.18.2012

diy saturday.

A gift for a mama-to-be wrapped in paper from an old baby name book.

My first try at sewing tiny things; these are fabric ornaments with stuffing from an old pillow in them.

Saw this (and the things above) on Pinterest; buttons + wire = an evergreen ornament!

11.05.2012

hemp yarn light of coolness.

Sometimes, I learn things on Pinterest. Then I make them. This was MESSY (glue and hemp string and cornstarch), but it is so pretty when lit! The bf was like, "WTH," as was my dad, but they don't KNOW cool. Well, they know ME, but they don't... whatever. I think they'd rather I didn't make messes and just bought stuff, so they could then mock me after. A.K.A. "she burned up another credit card" instead of "she's frugal and creative."

Next on my list of DIY: leftover fabric + garland format = see the idea here; 8 oranges shall be squeezed into my "punch" for the Thursday jewelry party THEN I'll use what's leftover + white vinegar = cleaning agent as seen here; and, lastly, I'd like to try this = using oil in my plug-in thingies from that one store in the mall.

p.s. There are some DIY posts on my other blog, too, because this summer I neglected this one. Here's one such post about how we took a big old door and made it into my new office desk!

Oh, and as usual, you can find me here on Pinterest.
Word!

halloween: leaf me alone.

I was a tree for Halloween.
In case ya'll wanted to know. And stuff.

[Tunic = Savers $4, Owl necklace = secondhand store somewhere for under $5, brown leggings = Target for under $10 awhile ago... and slouchy brown boots.]

10.24.2012

stickers and vodka.

I would like to take daily shots of what I'm wearing, so stay tuned.
Until then, here's what the FargoBradshaw in me has been pinning: http://pinterest.com/scrible77/fargobradshaw/

10.23.2012

I'm back. Sort of.

This was an outfit I wore at TYCA-MW in Lincoln, NE a few weekends ago... I was about to head out with the IL crew to grab dinner at The Oven (before hitting a gay bar).

Here are the details:
---Pink hair tips: Manic Panic gel from UrbanOutfitters.com.
---Purple eternity scarf was made from material I purchased at Savers or some other secondhand store ($2?).
---Black top underneath sweater is from Savers or Goodwill. It is a 1x, so I dried it on high to shrink it. It's rayon & I love how cozy it is against my skin ($5?).
---Black & blue sweater is a zip-up from Savers ($5?).
---Fringe black bag is from UrbanOutfitters.com ($25??).
---Jeggings are from Target ($20?).
---Black maryjane heels were purchased that day in Lincoln at a secondhand store ($4). The brand is MIA.

Total outfit cost: Under $75 for sure.