craft addicts

I know we are photo-less fools!

2010-05-26T11:01:00.000-08:00

Soooo, lovely Lulu's gmail went all corrupt-style on her forcing the loss of all the crafty images she had uploaded from there.

Moment of silence for all the craft-pics we have lost.

In other news crafting has not curbed what-so-ever as we are ramping up for a fun summer full of outdoor bbq's, farmers markets, and craft fairs!!!

Bzzee Beerthday!

2010-04-13T08:48:00.003-08:00

Made this little animated gif for my mom's birthday. I have chosen the path of the animated gif because I have never given myself a chance to dive into imovie...maybe one day. Until then, I will be old-fashioned! (I will figure out how to upload it later today, until then enjoy the drawing!)

2010-03-10T14:48:00.002-09:00

My baby water color kit has been the most useful thing on trips. Forget clean underwear, DO NOT FORGET the BABY WATER COLOR KIT. This was the view from my hotel window in London. I was feeling yucky that day, but still got to experience the view!

2010-03-01T17:55:00.007-09:00

Subconsciously inspired by Tanna's reference to not being able to commit to nice furniture, I redecorated a really ugly piece found by the dumpster a few months ago-a huge honking thing that threatened to swallow anything slightly cozy about my room-originally obtained for its functionality. I've been on a lucifying kick-so here is the result. A not quite completed patchy worky work in progress. I'd like to go back and add some painted/drawn creature details eventually.

OWL in his hat!

2010-01-24T10:56:00.002-09:00

"Itty-bitty" hat for nephew OWL

2010-01-12T20:22:00.002-09:00

This adorable hat is just about to fly off to see it's new owner, my 3 month old nephew OWL (those are his awesome initials). I was inspired by a hat pattern in the fabulous book "itty-bitty hats" by Susan Anderson which was a birthday gift from a fellow craft addict.

I partly used her pattern and mostly winged it. I knit the hat and then added the ear flaps, whereas she knit the entire hat up from earflaps. Both ways work splendidly I dare say.

The one big part I took from the book was the adorable snowflake pattern embroidered on top. I love love love this part.

After these pics I lined it with fleece to protect his head from the itchies- I hope he likes it!

2010-01-04T07:23:00.003-09:00

Thanks to Tanna's suggestion to do this and Ebot's math skills!!!

http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric_items/new?design_id=137231

Snip, Snip

2010-01-02T22:17:00.006-09:00

Yay! I'm finally one of the cool kids. Thanks for letting me in the craft addict club. This calls for a celebratory post!

Here's what's been going on in my studio, cough cough, kitchen:

Truthfully this all started because I went to consign some of Sunwoo's baby clothes at the consignment shop but they couldn't take some stuff, because they had stains on them. So I decided to give them all new lives.

Snip, snip, snip....
I have now discovered the joys of stenciling, which is basically an idiot's beginning to screen printing and oh, how i love it. I mean. This just opens up hotels of opportunities.

Every boy's gotta have a robot shirt.

I took the sleeves off an old shirt, put them on the top of this thermal pajamas, stole the bottom band from, crap can't remember, and cut an old tshirt to make the hood. Learned two lessons: how to incorrectly sew the sleeves on, and to make bigger hoods. Also I was trying out fabric scrap garment tags!Recycled Robot Hoodie, modeled by my son, Sunwoo.
Okay, repurposing clothes, take 2. Used this purple dress, which had some tacky looking flowers coming out of the other pocket, which is covered by this yellow shirt which has stains all over it. PS these were NOT rejects from my trip to Mommy N Me, since this is not really Sunwoo's fashion. The lady at Mommy N Me gifted me two tubs of reject clothing. Score!
Magically mixed some paints for this lovely spearmint color....
Ta-da! Recycled garden dress. This second wave of sunwoo starfish energy prompted me to finally update my website (yay, check it out! www.sunwoostarfish.com) AND to actually put something on the ETSY account. This dress is officially FOR SALE. (double yay! sunwoostarfish.etsy.com)
And that is why Sunwoo and I have been picnic eating our meals on the kitchen floor and not at the table like normal people.

Robot Stocking

2009-12-24T15:40:00.004-09:00

Ant Cookies

2009-12-23T15:42:00.006-09:00

My grandmother used to make cookies every year. When she flew away to the other world, no one really made those sugar cookie trees I loved. This year I decided to invade my aunt's house (that was previously my grandmother's house) to make those cookies. It was awfully convenient that Aunt Susan was making cookies that day anyway- the oven was already warm and more importantly, I got to try her spoils. Yum. Here are some pictures...I learned a lot about icing...

Introducing the Mustache Glass

2009-12-21T09:40:00.001-09:00

AKA What Really Happened at Ornament Craftrama

Are you intrigued yet? I am!! I get the idea from a friend for this years holiday gift, pre-labeled wine glasses. They would have little chalkboards on the side to be labeled when guests arrive. Well, chalkboards are fun, but you know what are more fun? Mustaches! So, the prototype got passed around at the ole Ornament Craftrama and the hilarity insued!! What is even more hilarious is the idea that you can have a mustache glass with wine beard! Ahhahahaha! Tutorial coming . . . but for now simply enjoy the view!

Sportin' some sweet 'stache.

Oh, I'm so innocent in my mustache!

Hmmm, do think this mustache makes me look extremely smart? Yes!

Oh yes, and of course the mustache and ruby red lips ornament- we couldn't complete the night without it.

Sort of a pirate, mustache-layered, red lips thing. I like it.

Hmmm, Mags is looking a little to comfy in that mustache of hers.

What do you think? Can blondes pull off black mustaches?? Absolutely!!

New Products for Etsy!

2009-12-14T20:03:00.000-09:00

Just a few new products for the Etsy shop! I came down with a cold this weekend so while I've been meaning to post the new cozy tube scarfs I have, I haven't had time to take pics! So stay tuned, they are on their way!

In the meantime I am unveiling a new product- the ice cream pint cozy! A totally brilliant idea that a friend brought to my attention. I'm making her one for her hubby this season, but in the meantime I made a few to sell to you!

Check out more after the jump!

Warning: Does not come with delicious strawberry sorbet as pictured. You must provide your own deliciousness!

Some sweet Wee One Baby Booties in lemon . . .

In hues of blue . . .

And pretty in pink!

Wreath Making

2009-12-13T15:53:00.018-09:00

December is..

2009-12-06T15:32:00.008-09:00

Craft fair month! The Athens Indie Craftstravaganzaa was a success. My second fair with the colorful stuffed snakes. I'll be setting up an etsy shop soon too at http://emmilyon.etsy.com. Come buy your dang snakes.

A few other crafts that have been in the recent works...

I made this needlepoint for my friends Stephanie and Kane as a wedding present. The black and white image is where this started (Dover clip art). I scanned in the small image, added color to the design, made a gridded pattern, and went to work. The finished piece is about 6" x 6" and uses two-stranded embroidery thread on a 32-count dark blue linen.

From craft addicts

Hey, did someone say BACON? This was my Halloween costume for this year's holiday. It is made of large sheets of felt covering 1" thick nu-foam. Each panel has off-white felt sewn on for the fatty streaks. The inside is lined with a red flannel and is super-duper warm. It also has a pocket on the inside to keep up with keys, phones, and money -- and whatever else goes in pockets (gum?).

See more pictures on my friend's facebook album.

The idea came from this Food Network Magazine article.

2009-11-17T17:04:00.007-09:00

Just an update post. Maybe if I put these pictures out there in the world, I will be inspired to finish them. And can pat myself on the back for all I have started but not yet finished. Just remember: they are all just seedlings right now...From the top: sketch for the Christmas tree to be made from the blocks (in a separate post), Heineken utensil holder, pumpkinhead men that never made it to Halloween (maybe next year), the pattern to be used for my stocking (a gray corduroy possum, and bbove: Chris' robot christmas stocking with pockets galore (more pockets=more treats).

2009-11-16T03:31:00.003-09:00

Currently obsessed with a bucket of blocks. They may become a city or a christmas tree. Also started a mixed media project with some pics from an old atlas. Finally getting back into mixed media and it feels gooooooooood!

Belated pics from CA Fair 09

2009-11-02T21:17:00.000-09:00

we had a fab time at the Autumn Fest this year, and though we are late late late in posting i wanted to post the fab photos Maggie took!

joining us this year was Sunwoo Starfish- wonderful kids clothes and fabric bracelets!

Maggie of Maggie Makes made some wonderful boxes and barrettes - our faves were the tea bag boxes, we all cried when the blue one sold (because then we couldn't steal it!)

everyone who purchased got to scratch a homemade ticket with the possibility of winning a grand prize basket!! Good thing our friend who won knows lots of babies!

the star of the show was baby model Sunwoo - soooo adorable!!! Sporting TP head gear and his own line of adorable wear. What a lucky kid.

Mmmmmm, October is here!

2009-10-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

Now I know this might be hard but try not to get too jealous!

Crafty Cafe I call it- though it is actually a pumpkin spice latte from the SE Waffle Co.
The thing is Starbucks really is brilliant- whether you love or hate them. They created this amazingly delicious little drink and then made it a limited-time-offer. You can ONLY get it starting in October. So it MAKES YOU WANT IT ALL THE TIME!!!!

And then as soon as it is available you have to drink them all the time because you know they will someday be gone again and you will crave them.

oh smart starbucks.

enough about them!

Fabulous Julie- owner of The Southeast Waffle Co. has the coziest biz in Juneau where you can get a waffle stuffed with anything from berries to omelettes to chocolate chips! And she made this lovely drink just for me! Plus she sells my cup cozies at her place. Yay!

See if you can spot KT's article that the Cap'n is reading in the background.

Preview for crafts fair!

2009-09-18T21:08:00.006-08:00

Welllllll. I don't have pictures to upload yet, but I do have my brand-new tag for my brand new snakes! See:

Here is a sample snake. Click on it to go to my snake gallery...

Scary Donut Man

2009-09-12T18:28:00.001-08:00

And another one.

Oh, We Are Ready-Don't Doubt That AK!

2009-09-10T19:05:00.004-08:00

How convenient! We southerners have a craft fair the very same day...so we will all be together in the spirit of craftiness. I, as usual, will be doing arty things-bookmarks and small prints (5x7). Emily will have to post her own amazingly wonderful objects. Can't tell. All I know is I get one.
Above is my newest little friend. Let's hope he doesn't get eaten up.

Get ready!!!!

2009-09-04T08:41:00.003-08:00

This year's Autumn Fest will be coming your way September 19th!!! Wooohoooo! The Craft Addicts will be there to represent, with new member CNE of Sunwoo Starfish, whose children's line of appliqued clothes are sooo adorable!

And don't forget about Maggie Makes- she is sure to have a few surprises up her sleeves! Of course I'll be there with my TP Alaska collection- I think new hats and scarves are in order! We miss all of our partners in craft- crime who have traipsed down the south way, but we understand sun is good for the crafters soul, so we let them go.

See you there!!!!

Craftrama 2 Results

2009-08-03T07:51:00.003-08:00

Hello all! If you missed Craftrama 2: The Headband Edition, none to worry. Here are some pics so you can see what you missed! And head over to Suite.Living if you want to see a tutorial (so you can totally feel like you were there!)

Maggie's pixie-girl headband.

The lovely one-big-flower option.

Tons of tiny flowers work both as headband or pony-tie.

Trying to rein in my wild short hair with a little leafy headband.

These flowers are sewn onto a fabric-covered headband instead of the elastic bands from above.
Thanks!

And be sure to mark your calendars for the next Craftrama coming up on August 13! If you have suggestions about a topic or want to join please leave a comment below!

Juneau Artist Market!

2009-08-02T12:35:00.005-08:00

Okay, so the Craft Addicts may be a little behind the ball on the Juneau Artists Market going on every Sat, Sun, and Mon this month at the JACC (Juneau Arts and Humanities Council), but other crafters in town are ON THE BALL!

Check it out! Here are just a couple of the fun crafts we saw today. And you can go back every Sat, Sun and Mon through Aug 25! Woohoo!

From Sunwoo Starfish, some adorable clothes for the wee one in your life. I got an absolutely perfect onesie for my sis's new baby in green with an octopus gracing the front. She's local and she even has an online shop!

These fab rugs are made from plastic bags! Crazy- I could not tell the difference between these and the ones she's made from rags. Carol Schriver with Rags to Rugs makes them locally and coming up I hope to team with her and the "No More Bags" coalition in town to write a crafty article about fun things you can do with those pesky plastic bags you gathered up (before you switched to fabric).

And we also met the lovely Amanda from Amanda's Handiwork who had these adorable felt bowls. She also had the most beautiful knit scarf in white with a touch of sparkle. Oh, and my favorite, she had a neckwarmer in fuzzy yarn with buttons- long live the neck scarf!!

Fabric Supplies!

2009-08-01T13:24:00.010-08:00

I've been looking for really awesome fabric for a really long time -- something that is more unique than the local cloth shop but still within an affordable range.

Since I'm in good company, I'm starting a list of online suppliers to share. If you want to recommend other sites, please add them in the comments section!

BTW, scratch affordable.. I'm window shopping!

Saturday Sewing

2009-08-01T09:39:00.004-08:00

I took my handmade dress to town last night for fundraising and dancing. After such a success, I woke up this morning with an itching to start on my next project! I have a dress that I cut out at *least* ten years ago (amazing right).. even better is that I can probably still wear it! So, I'm going to make this hot little swingy number that was meant to be a dress for ska and swing dancing. My, how times change.

In the meantime. How can I sew with this cat on top of my patterns and cloth all the time?

Will post picture of last night's dress soon. Haven't taken just the right action shot yet!

Craft Night Success!

2009-07-18T18:36:00.006-08:00

Well, we had craft night on Thursday and the Craft Addicts had tons of fun! We made shopping totes from pillowcases, curtains, and sheets that I picked up at the thrift store. The crafters in their habitat. My lovely crafty momma brought over her serger to make the process super-quick and we all got to learn.

We made tall bags and short with fat handles and skinny ones. To each his own! I wanted my bag to roll up and pop into my purse because I always forget to grab the ones I bought from the grocery store. So I sewed in a tag with button to give it a quick rollup. Meeting again in two weeks. Leave a message below with contact info if you want to join on the next crafting adventure with us Addicts- thanks!

Crafty Get Together?

2009-07-09T11:53:00.002-08:00

Show of hands- who would attend a crafty-rama on every other Thurs. eve starting next Thurs.? Topics open, crafts abound! If you're interested in this idea at all leave a little note below!! And, I can't wait to see what you did with loocies clothes!!!! (see below)

Hemming and hawing.

2009-07-06T18:53:00.005-08:00

I just saved looselylucy's pants!

Admittedly, it was fun to get her to stand on my kitchen chairs too.

* See Threadbanger's How to do a blind hem stitch tutorial.

Summer Sewing pt 1

2009-07-05T18:12:00.006-08:00

I've been doing some sewing myself the past week or so. I didn't take in-process pics but here's the finished deal.

This is from a 1975 maternity top pattern, found in my mom's old sewing stuff. It has my grandma's name on it, so I guess one of them made a top for her -- maybe to wear when I was born? I dunno.

I thought it would be okay just as a top. Wrong. I took in about 2 inches in the back to make it just a bit more form fitting and less maternity. It's still flouncy but that's fine. I think the neck in the back looks great!

And here's a pic of me with my stuffed animal Moses. I think there's one of my mom in the similar top with her old cat. Will have to find that...

Now that I've finished this, I'm working on a sexy summer dress. More to come...

2009-06-12T12:23:00.004-08:00

One great thing about moving closer to family (closer than say....Alaska ) is that when someone asks me if I want my grandmother's old sewing machine, I can say "yay!" instead of "nay". The pedal doesn't work, but I think there is optimism that a compatible one may be found. Not that I know how to sew, but like most things I do, I can see me learning to lucysew, which would be more of lucy and less of sewing. Tanna should be proud, or at least be able to sleep at night knowing I don't have to borrow hers any more. (Shipping it to and fro from AK to GA was beginning to pinch my pocket). Check out the super fabric on the chair, and yes indeed, it does fold up into itself and become a cute, tiny table. My excess of junk has already prevented me from ever closing it up again. Such is lucylife.

Drawerings

2009-05-31T05:28:00.007-08:00

I've been keeping a sketch book since my recent NY trip. It's almost filled which is definitely a new thing for me -- I've started and abandoned so many.

Anyhoo. I'm posting the ones I like to a google photo album.

A preview:

Bug Catcher Kit a Success!

2009-05-20T17:26:00.004-08:00

So many bugs, so little time to find a container to catch them in before they scurry off under the bed. This kit includes a containment container, a magic wand (to reach them) and a flat piece to cover the container with while flipping over. The inspiration for this was my paw, who never let a living thing in our house die. Thanks dad! You've raised a bug saving monster!

Super Mario Needlepoint I

2009-05-19T18:32:00.003-08:00

New project! Plotted Super Mario 3 World 3 map for 24 ct needlepoint. Will be 7" by 20" on brown linen. Hee hee.

Here is my version:

And the original colors:

Shadowboxing

2009-05-10T17:26:00.012-08:00

Today's mission to make cookies to celebrate mum's day was overtaken by this craft project! Which is good -- instead of eating something in memory of my mom, I have this lovely shadow box on my wall that I can enjoy all of the time. :)

This is a lot of little projects rolled up into one. First, are my spice jars -- filled with wishes and what-not (my spice, I suppose). I put little found objects in most of these: bugs, marbles, doll parts, shells, beads, marbles, etc. I also include a fortune (been collecting these for FOREVER). One of them even has a miniature picture of my mom in it with the fortune "your happiness is intertwined with you outlook on life." Nice.

Next is my collection of wallpaper samples. I love patterns and have looked at these for the longest time and always wondered what to do with them. This is what, as lining/background for my boxes.

Finally, I've assembled all of these items in an old desk drawer for a found-object shadow box.

Enjoy the pictures!

A Patchwork Globe for Earth Day

2009-04-17T15:30:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak peek to next Wednesday's craft article . . . betcha can guess what it's about!

Bit•O•Honey Cupcakes!

2009-03-24T11:03:00.009-08:00

From top: the inspiration, unwrapped inspiring, local honey (that's the key!), cooling, yummmm, and rock star cupcakes! I am terrified to think what magic would happen if Emily and Yquem ever got into the kitchen together! The world might explode, good thing they are on opposites ends of the continent...I am simply posting the photos-Em needs to explain the process. Of course, while she baked, I wii'd...Cook off, of course!

Coming along, coming along

2009-03-15T13:55:00.005-08:00

A couple of in-progress works...just for the sake of posting. Top is my yellow chair, key to my current projects. First-handrest covers, who knows how they will end up, they are in the beginning phases. Second, painting! Yellow chair monster, hanging above my yellow chair of course! Now I can feel true to my illustrated self in the craft addict header...yes! I do paint!

ps. Coraline was all we ever wanted it to be and more.

Sweet Coraline, bum bum bum

2009-02-04T14:51:00.002-09:00

3500 Handcrafted Flowers? Teensie knit sweaters that take 6 months to make? What more could you ask for????

go here for all the magic excitement, and scary button-eyed dolls you can handle.

Neil Gaiman (MirrorMask, Stardust) authored, Henry Selick directs (Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach)- and a whole slew of hand crafters bring it to life.

If you go here and open the small dresser drawers on the right you can see the tiniest knit sweaters in the world along with a free knitting pattern for one that is in the movie!!!

Used Every Time!

2008-12-29T11:55:00.005-09:00

Just catching up on posting things made a while back. This cool apron was custom made for me by ninjaface. Matching towel comes in way handy for messes like me! I love the straight style of it (as seen in oven photo)...makes me feel like a pro, which is as close as I will ever get to being one! (for example, today I made cookies that smelled like popcorn and tasted like flour!)

2008-12-22T10:59:00.007-09:00

This amazing birthday gift flew in all the way from Juneau! A more tactile interpretation of one of my birds, as filtered through Knitting Ninja's head. It has dimension too, which I have tried to capture in my detail pics (which don't do it justice). I can't thank you enough, KniNin! (Below is the bird in it's more boring state).

UK Acorns

2008-12-21T13:44:00.003-09:00

Acorn overseeing the creation of herself, UK style. The felt cat will eventually sport such accessories as fish n chips meal, a teacup and some bangers n mash...to eventually be shipped (better yet, taken) to my brother in London.

warm holiday

2008-12-05T14:53:00.003-09:00

Just wanted to share this in case any San Diegans ever read this. Or in case I get sad and miss my northern crafting friends, this will remind me that-YES! there are crafters here too. I just need to make an effort to meet them.

http://sandiegonorthparkcraftmafia.blogspot.com/

Good luck with Gallery Walk!

anonymity

2008-11-26T09:29:00.003-09:00

i recently bought these at johannes for $1 or so...i love that to use them i must first separate them! I can't wait to write anonymous letters with them...

Crafters in Disguise

2008-11-06T11:03:00.003-09:00

It's like you can't even recognize who we are! So mysterious . . .

First person who guesses everyone wins a prize!

Autumn Fest Success!

2008-10-22T19:15:00.004-08:00

Here are some nifty pics from the Craft Addicts' table at the Autumn Festival last weekend. What fun was had! Although we'd all like to note that we missed terribly our faraway crafters. Kisses and cupcakes to you ladies!

Maggie really hit it out of the ballpark with her hair accessories and new wooden branch wall hangings. Yquem's peanut butter cup and "old fashioned" cupcakes sold out long before the fair was over. Lucy's new line of trivets and cards was loved by both young and old (but especially young). I made some cozy neckwarmers that got a lot of play. All in all a fantastic day!

Animales Para Tí

2008-09-29T20:37:00.006-08:00

well, i think i have finally hit my stride. it's these dern trivet animals. and i found some glue that doesn't give me a headache. two hits!

Monster Cake!

2008-09-25T13:29:00.007-08:00

I made this cake recently for a friend's birthday. The fuzzy/furry quality of the coconut just needed a face to make it complete.

From embot

Fish Trivet

2008-09-23T10:19:00.003-08:00

Fish trivet. Trivet! What a word! I guess this is not actually a tri-vet. Do we still call it that? Or a univet, or novet... besides not having the vocabulary to describe the object itself, I am struggling with the right kind of glue to use. The stuff I have works, but threads out a lot, and bubbles up. It's called "advanced craft glue". Maybe I need "more advanced craft glue", or to spend more than 3 dollars on it!

a bag and a bag

2008-09-22T20:16:00.002-08:00

Felt for crafty table...coasters in a bag and a bag. They are pretty wonky but I get better with each one I think!

Ameliabee's Towelees!

2008-09-19T13:25:00.005-08:00

A crafty mom I have. Always calling herself unartistic, but as it turns out, she's secretly a crafter! She knit me towels in assorted shapes and sizes for my new place. They are made of all cotton yarn, and work wonderfully! I wanted to show them off so here you go! Gracias Ameliabee!

Skapron or Apress

2008-09-14T10:45:00.001-08:00

My lovely sis came to town a bit ago and (because of course she didn't just want a boring apron) we decided to make her a skapron. A bubble apron that wrapped all the way round and was an actual skirt. Well, I did my best, but ran into a hitch with the bubble part. The hitch was I measured wrong and it didn't really wrap entirely around to cover her toosh! So our solution was to change the name.

Meet the Apress- 0r something like that. Basically it's a really cute top to wear with jeans or leggings. It bubbles and makes any woman look like a fun young girl! Plus, it's bright and funky, so you can't go wrong. I am sure the orders will come pouring in for this one- teehee.

Crafters Together!

2008-09-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who is who?

Have fun!

a bunny phone for your phunny bone

2008-09-13T19:33:00.003-08:00

He holds your cell phone while you are not talking on it.
Perhaps while you are crafting? Let's hope.

Great Meeting!

2008-09-11T08:57:00.002-08:00

The addicts had a great convo anoche to discuss the upcoming Festival which our lovely LooselyLucy designed the poster for. We discussed recycled wood wall hangings, bloody cupcakes, face painting and more. And cap'n was there, so I'm sure we talked about whales some. Anyhow, looks like we are really getting a start to things around here! But, if anyone knows of a party that needs halloween cupcakes, our Quupcake Quueen has some great ideas!

skype is scary, burds & wurms are not!

2008-09-10T20:23:00.006-08:00

It was great to see the addicts again! I would say let's do it again sometime but I am afraid my enthusiam for skype (and lack of camera control) scared everyone. So here, to help you recover, is little purple burd and wurm...and paper bag.

check it out!

2008-09-10T14:02:00.002-08:00

d*s just posted about a window display with paper cutouts in an urban outfitters in milwaukee - artist amy soczka or amy marcella is the fabulous culprit.

did she visit juneau and walk downtown this summer first?

we'll never know (but probably not- I just like to think I'm in good company)

Is that a raven I see? oh no, a trick of the eye

Sock Animals Part I

2008-09-02T13:40:00.004-08:00

I am so happy to be joining the Craft Addicts blog!

Here are two of my sock animal shenanigans for my starting course.... Both made for friends' babies, hence all the sewn-down detail and chewing-safe parts. Heaven forbid a child should choose to chew on the tail. Then I'll have to make tail-less animals and what self-respecting animal would go without one of those!

Pics of the most recent in progress:

Warmest Welcomes EmBot!!!!

2008-08-13T08:02:00.004-08:00

Just a quick posty to say HALLO to our newest addict EmBot. She represents our Georgia faction (right?!?!?- it all blends down there to me). We've got to keep these down southers around to keep us sunny in times of rain!

so WELCOME WELCOME!

EmBot is a long time crafter whose interests include "stuffing sock animals, needlepoint, sewing, and tons more" including tissue paper collage-ing which we have a lovely examplar of.

On another notes, she says "I'm also proficient at Schwiene-Würfelen".

I'm jealous.

MWFD & LL have BDAYS

2008-08-12T07:26:00.004-08:00

There are times when it comes in quite handy that we know an immaculate cupcake maker. One of these times are during birthdays- and with so many crafters around, there is inevitably a birthday a month at least.

But this month we are blessed with the birth of TWO lovely craftaddicts! Can you believe it? I know! So, for phase MidWestFarmer'sDaughter we did many things, among them we made some lovely cuppers and cake!

Now, just to be clear, these cakers are also sent with all heartfelt love to our lovely LooselyLucy- but she has absconded to the lower 48 and we haven't yet figured out how to keep the frosting in place on such a journey.

Ok, ok! Enough talk - here they are . . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! WE LOVE YOU!!

one you haven't met

2008-08-11T13:51:00.006-08:00

I forgot to post this wonderful creature! Tanna made me a lucybyrd for my departure from Juneau. It is perfect for me, AND it matches my bookbag. She lives there in all honesty (for now only - when I have a home, she will perch somewhere above my head and hopefully not relieve herself on said head.) As usual, the craftsmanship of this fellow is mindboggling to me and I wanted to share it with everyone. (See next post for examples of my much looser style!) On that note, I need to post the amazing maggie makes boxes made for my mom!

herberd, irwin and otay

2008-08-11T12:48:00.006-08:00

I know you have already met these guys, but I wanted you to see them in a more natural habitat. They just recently made the trip from Juneau, (thanks tp!) and are now adjusting to the heat, much like someone else you may know. Otay is apparently pronounced o-tie, rhyming with pie, a native word from the Kumeyaay people meaning brush (spelled "otai"). When I first arrived, I thought it was pronounced Otay, like Buckwheat would say. That's your lesson for the day.

Georgia Sunshine!

2008-07-31T18:55:00.005-08:00

Handmade curtains letting in the Georgia sun. My friend Emily made these, I thought they might brighten the blog with a bit of (usually needed in Juneau) SUN!

ninja moves

2008-06-21T13:46:00.009-08:00

a guest brought a game,
which happened to match the sofa and the wall.
where else would this happen but a crafting ninja's home?

Another Night of Noncrafting

2008-06-18T13:36:00.011-08:00

Don't Ask. We didn't craft, we watched porpoises, a council of eagles, and dave saw his first whale. The whale was very obliging and lunge fed for us. Oh, Alaska, I will miss your summers.

Creating Place Window Displays

2008-06-11T09:48:00.003-08:00

Yes- it's time for a blog about crafts!

I (the knitting ninja) have been working for some time on some window displays for The Creating Place. Juneau , being in Alaska and the capital city, is home to thousands of tourists during the summer season. They load in daily on gigantic cruise ships to view what our little town has to offer, and we aim to please.

For The Creating Place we wanted to do something that displayed what could be made from the products, not just the products. The exterior window is named "Crafty Raven"

The idea is that the Raven, crafty fellow that he is, is doing some paper-crafting cutouts that show him hiking through the Southeast Alaskan rainforest on a lovely boardwalked trail.
His friends are all helping out by standing on top of each others heads to hold the paper up. Silly birds, don't you know that you can fly?
Then, there is a second window inside the building which is meant to show off all the Alaskan scrapbooking supplies you can buy there. I wanted it to look like a giant 3-D scrapbooking page.
It comes fully equipped with vacation photos Michael has taken over the years, a little sign that says "Our trip to Juneau", some orcas, some paper and a giant paper cutout which didn't show up to well in photos.

And what would our blog be without a little outside fun in the summer! On the second day of the high tidyness we went out again- the highlight of the trip was the friends, and we saw a spot with 8 starfish (okay, sea stars . . . I know they're not fish!) - see if you can spot them all!

The Craft of Exploration

2008-06-03T09:20:00.010-08:00

Do you see what I see? "Oh B.O.C.!"
Wordworm contemplates the forthcoming adventure.
The glorious, golden Isthmus of Bladder Kelp.
Our objective: Shaman Island.
An adorable, teetering wordworm in her xtratuffs.
The abundant colors of Southeast Alaska.
Shaman Island, June 3, 2008, low tide of -4.1 at 7:24 a.m. ADT.
Wordworm continues on, spotting black oyster catchers, humpback whales, spitting clams and starfish along the way.
A Southeast Alaska rainbow!
Looks like another plant, but I just turned around to take this shot. A sea of baby barnacles!
Looking back toward Douglas Island and the Chilkats.
An oyster's-eye view of Shaman Island.
Wordworm's little friend!
Wordworm on Shaman, taking one last look before having to head in to the office.

when the sun comes, crafting gets put aside

2008-05-26T20:12:00.002-08:00

I know it's nearly impossible to comprehend, but there are things that supercede our desire to craft! and that is SUN!!!! while many were away this weekend for various nefarious adventures a rogue team stayed behind to conquer the WONDERFUL WEEKEND. First- hiking to the Salmon Creek Damn- on the way we found what can happen to trees when they live up to their knees in flood- DEATH! poor trees- looks neat though . . .

Then we got to the damn itself- both a source of clean water AND electricity- so important at this time for us- A-MAZ-ING!

Afterwards we needed a bit of R&R- where else than on the dock sipping on a delicious Margarita while "crafting" a little conversation.

Fa la- wish you could be here!- CAs

MFD's attempt at joining in on the artful fun!

2008-05-21T14:16:00.003-08:00

Recognize anyone?

My Day with the Captain and Tanna (and Yquem)

2008-05-21T11:57:00.002-08:00

Yay! Whales! And not a knitting kneedle in sight! Finally Midwest.Farmer's.Daughter can hang with the best -- no crafting genius required!

Happy Mushrooms

2008-05-21T11:55:00.010-08:00

I give you these, because I have not postered in a while.

Herberd and Irwin the Worm,

Jumping Midwest Daughter and WordWorm Katie

Maggles makes, Maggles skates!

Mushroom that grew in our house.

i love birthdays because i get treats!

2008-05-20T21:24:00.003-08:00

the most beautiful cheesecake cupcakes EVER MADE! By dear sweet Yquem of Quupcakes. worth every penny! they were a gift for my boy for his birthday . . .

and of course because it 's HIS birthday, I get a treat! a wonderful ride on the whale watching boat (he is a captain). we saw five humpbacks and bunches of lovely other treats! and what a wonderful evening! now don't be jealous

too many posts in this tub!

2008-05-13T13:34:00.004-08:00

please meet our friend the word worm . . .

she is a craft addict of the utmost caliber, mostly addicted to the craft of the linguist

perhaps soon she will WRITE a blog. oh to be a clever girl like her!

love your mommas!

2008-05-13T13:07:00.003-08:00

hey there! this is my momma in her new grilling apron. ever since the energy crisis (see below posts) my parents have been grilling up a storm! lucky for me I say . . .

we had a rotisserie chicken for mother's day and the day after was halibut! i chose chickens for a base with a kerchief/paisley pattern with secret SKULLS and FLAMES- so appropo for the griller apron. only one word can sum this up: FUNSY!

Other projects in the fire: Creating Place window display- based on the idea of "One Crow Crafting".

This little guy was member of the research team. Watch out- he'll steal your food if you're not watching.

weather update!

2008-05-13T12:50:00.002-08:00

orca orca

2008-05-09T17:01:00.001-08:00

new sketch to welcome the whales!! summer is back . . . finally

Meet the Hodgkinses!

2008-04-17T22:32:00.013-08:00

For those of you who aren't pack rats, you may not understand. You may question my behavior. For those of you who aren't my parents, you will breathe a sigh of relief...

Ms. S. Hodgkins waltzed right into my life tonight, the day of a late blizzard/afternoon melting of said blizzard. Our power house Snettisham was buried by an avalanche yesterday. Our town power is now supplied by a diesel run generator. In honor of these events, I christened Ms. Hodgkins and her husband she didn't know she had Snetti and Sham Hodgkins.

For Halloween this year I made Mr. S. Hodgkins, to match my outfit. Tonight, I decided I needed somewhere to put my large unwieldy needles. Safety first! Especially for roommates, who may now never fear when Ms. Hodgkins is near!

My one / my only pin cushion started life 2 years ago as a random papier mache project, a lump of glue and paper- I hauled it around from one house to the next when moving. It was something many would have politely suggested throwing away, BUT I KNEW! I knew I would thank me for keeping it....

And now you may do the same. Keep those lights off and those needles a movin!

cake and kai

2008-04-17T15:58:00.003-08:00

the other day yquem brought us the spoils of a war she had in her kitchen making DELICIOUS QUUPCAKES! she threw the leftovers in a pile with some peanut butter frosting in the middle and a dark chocolate outside. goes to show that ugly doesn't always mean bad-
plus we got to eat the cupcakes later too! we are lucky to have suck DELICIOUSLY CRAFTY friends.

the letters are a gifty-poo to a baby i know. i drew little rainy day boys playing outside all over it. so APPROPO because just yesterday the hydro-electric power supply that feeds our town was knocked out by an avalanche and we are all needing to turn OFF THE POWER to save our town. apparently our switch to diesel will cause a 500% increase in bills citywide. so, don those rainjackets (or parkas, see below) and get out there. yes, I said it . . . GET OFF THE COMPUTER! mwah

WHAT AN EXCUSE FOR CRAFTING!

2008-04-17T10:56:00.002-08:00

show OPEN!

2008-04-15T16:37:00.006-08:00

Oh, this is sooooo us!

Thanks to everyone who came out last first friday! Friends old and new swung through for some delicious quupcakes and funky crafts. Following are a few samples of what you can see if you too swing through. Our show remains up through April at the Creating Place on Seward and in May they move (with us) to the Senate Building. Brilliant! PLUS- you may find the items online at their etsy- more info on that coming . . .

The best part were the SPONTANEOUS LIVE MODELS in the windows! They really drew in the crowds!

If you want cup cozies try my etsy: tpALASKA.etsy.com

Also- THANK YOU to Jenyfer at the Creating Place for the beautiful pictures. She is available for hire if you need a fantastic photographer . . .

Sneak Peek at CA's show opening this Friday

2008-04-01T08:11:00.006-08:00

We are super excited to be opening a show this Friday at The Creating Place in downtown Juneau!! With just a couple of days left the crafting is really cooking so we thought we would throw up a sneak peek of the excitement . . .Here is one of the immaculate boxes Maggie Makes- She builds the box from scratch and then covers it in fabric or paper. Practically Perfect in every way! Plus she makes these amazing cards that are totally different than any card you've ever seen-

Every occasion reusable pocket cards (I just made up that name, but I think it's fitting):
Just utterly brilliant if you ask me.

And a few pics on a sunny day on the backside of Douglas of new aprons for the show. These are made from recycled fabrics and come in all sorts of styles. If you need to feel a little girly, or you're just feeling messy- throw one on and you'll look and feel great! As far as I'm concerned everyone should have a fun apron.

Easter Posty!

2008-03-28T17:14:00.004-08:00

Now that we're back up and posting I thought I'd show off a little bit of fun we had last weekend for Easter! Lucy showed us the wonders of Ukrainian Easter Egg making. Holy moly do we have some cool crafters. Look at the delicate patterns that Maggie made-

It was super interesting- you use special hard-core dyes (no paas vinegar here) that saturate the eggs in seconds.
This is the kitska- it has a tiny funnel which you heat over the candle and then scoop beeswax into. You draw the wax on with the pointy end of the kitska and then you dye over the wax. Then you melt the wax off and crazy things are accomplished! Then if you're super kooky you try to blow the egg out to get rid of the insides. That was a wild time- I'm keeping those pictures hidden . . .
Lucy was really having the time of her life, she was just faking disdain cuz that's how she rolls.

But you can tell Marilyn loves those Ukrainian Eggs!

Cold Nights Make For Warm Crafts

2008-03-27T11:14:00.013-08:00

I wrote this article for the local fishwrap which has yet to publish it- but I thought it was worth a bit of a lark . . .

Craft. The popular buzzword of the hip twenty-something crowd whose teenage pastimes consisted of carving obsenities into desks and doodling skull tattoos on each other during 4th period. These kids have grown up and they are everywhere. Magazines like CRAFT and ReadyMADE are filled with DIY (Do It Yourself) projects and punkish crafters with funky bangs. Blogs abound with kooky creations and how-to manuals for every level of crafter. Even Martha Stewart has gone from Susie Homemaker to trendy fashion-crafter. And Juneau, we are not immune to the crafting bug. We have been infected, and I’m not afraid to say it feels good.

Juneau is a special sort of brewing pot for the crafter. Cold, long nights and a nurturing craft community steer us to make anything we can with our hands. Pods of crafters get together to stitch, scrapbook, draw, bead, sew, paint, reinvent, reinterpret and more. Don’t let me go on. I think it’s time for us to band together, throw some thoughts around and learn new crafts. Plus, I just want to steal all your great ideas. I mean trade . . . yes . . . “trade.” In the meantime, if all this craft talk has your fingers itching, I have the answer. You want craft? Now is your chance.

Project : Recycled Sweater Scarf Level: Beginner Basic Skills Necessary: shopping, cutting with scissors, using a washer and dryer Hipness Score with the Indie DIYers: 4 (okay, I made that up)

Let’s break it down. You need a cozy warm scarf for these freezing days (let’s not forget the wind chill factor) and you don’t have time to knit or crochet because you need it, basically, yesterday. You want it to be unique and just the right size and probably out of something deliciously warm like wool. Okay, let’s do it.

ONE: Go to Sally Ann’s (that’s Salvation Army), St. Vincent de Paul, your closet, your mom’s closet (probably not your roommate’s closet) and get a 100% wool sweater. Find one that appeals to you on some level.

TWO: Throw the sweater in the washer on HOT and then in the dryer on HOT. Normally you want to keep wool away from heat and the dryer at all costs, but this is the brave new world of crafts. Here you are performing a process called fulling (similar to felting for those in the know). By heating and drying the wool you fuse the little stitches together to create one piece of fabric. The benefit is that when you cut it, it won’t fray. Check the sweater after the first wash and dry. If it continues to fray, throw it in for another round to do the trick.

THREE: Now you have a tiny sweater. You can either give it to a friend as a gag gift or cut it up to create a scarf. Decide how wide you want your scarf. Cut off the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater (the edge stuff that has a different texture).

Measure the width of the scarf up from the new bottom of the sweater and mark a line. Cut on the line. Now you have a hip tube. If you want, throw this tube on. You’ll find it makes a sweet 80’s shawl, double it for a neck gaiter or pull it on for a bum warmer.

FOUR: If you are going for more of a traditional scarf, cut the tube up one side. Voila: scarf. Try these tips to jazz it up. Buy two sweaters with contrasting patterns and piece together a long funky thing. If you’re hand sewing don’t worry about making the stitches neat. Make them zig-zag and criss-cross a bunch - that way you can be messy and say it was on purpose. Or attach a design on the end using felt. With just an iron and some double sided fusible interfacing (ask the lovelies at Jo-Anns to help you find it) you can iron on any shaped felt patch. Perhaps a bunny, a skull, your initials; your imagination is the limit.

FIVE: Show it off. Be proud of your craft.

Monroe's Lives On

2007-08-25T20:26:00.001-08:00

I leave blogging to bloggers, crafting to crafters and eating to eaters. I feel safer that way. But sometimes, labels get mixed up, mabels get fixed up, and i eat a lot of chili cheese dogs. There is a small history to this story. When I was young, I would go to the hardware store with my dad on the weekends. Across the street was Monroe's-a pool hall that had the best dern chili cheese dogs I have ever had. In the past year, I have started craving these Monroe's chili cheese dogs, and subsequently have searched all over the town I currently live in (shall remain nameless-do not want to shame the place I live.) to no avail. I think I may have tried every chili cheese dog here, and I have to say, they may be trying to hard. It was only recently I discovered that it may be that I have extremely low standards when it comes to chili cheese dogs. So low, no one can live up to them. Which brings us to the above picture. Courtesy of Tanna's brain, and Gretchen's knowledge of the location of the best sunsets around, we all went a camp firing, and a cookin...may I present, chili cheese dogs from heaven....Hormel Canned Chili (no beans), Velveeta Cheese slices (no real ingredients), Oscar Meyer Weiners with speckles of orange "cheese" (everyone was indeed in love with me after these dogs), and the only buns Safeway carried...I could almost here those billiards a clickin n clackin.

Look where I live! They don't call me Luckylucy for nothin!
(mmmm, well, they really don't call me luckylucy)

And fer dessert? Boats of banana-nanas!

S M R T!

2007-08-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

ok, I know, it's SMART, but that's how I feel! i just posted my first big batch of cup cozies on my etsy site after selling my first cup cozy online and my first hat! whoooo- long week! now I have to fill the orders! i am so excited to be doing what I love! yippeeeee! so here's a few pics of the newest stuff. go check it out at www.tpALASKA.etsy.com if you like!

yes, that is an amy butler fabric you spy! so fun!

Color Fun

2007-06-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

with sun comes fun and beauty and i love exploring to summer colors so here is a treat . . .

The Addicts are back on Craft

2007-06-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

hallo! here is the deal, we went a-bingeing once again at GB's house and had a FAB time. now we'd like to share the wealth by making a da . da . dum

TUTORIAL?!?!

so, here goes nothing . . .

TO MAKE A PRETTY FABRIC STENCIL DESIGN

you will need: fabric. iron. freezer paper (found in the canning section at the grocery). fabric paint. pencil. x-acto. cutting mat. cardboard. make-up wedge sponges, artistic inspiration

step 1: reach within the depths of your brilliance and draw a stencil on the rough side of a piece of the freezer paper (the other side is shiny and that is what adheres to the fabric when ironed)

step 2: cut out the stencil with x-acto

step 3: iron freezer paper stencil, shiny side down, onto fabric. use iron at med setting and make sure to keep it moving with even pressure. make sure those edges are secure because that is what will make your stencil so purdy-clean!

step 4: blot the fabric paint onto the fabric using an up-down motion to keep that clean stencil edge. do a couple of thin layers as opposed to one thick layer- it works better.
step 5: after the paint is TOTALLY DRY (don't cheat!) peel off the freezer paper and VOILA! beauty as you have never seen before!

step 6: seal your paint according to the insructions that came with it.

step 7. pimp your new design around town for everyone to be jealous of!

OTHER GROOVY THINGS MADE . . .LD's sweet bag!
you'll never guess where MF wrote this!
we leave you with penguin love

Delayed Eggs and Antlers

2007-05-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

so, here is the deal. back during easter we had a little dyeing party (like all good crafters should do during easter!) but of course we FORGOT THE EGGS. we had to dye the six in the fridge and be satisfied so that is why this precious egg by lucy is SO IMPORTANT!

please enjoy to the utmost.

also, i was dipping and diving through the internets and found this delicious link to some way-too-expensive DESIGN STORE called friends and just couldn't resist posting these ANTLER STICKS. if only i could afford something ridiculous and cool like this. my mantra is always "I CAN MAKE THAT"- though the rest of the addicts are getting a bit tired of that phrase.

headless, with arms

2007-04-23T17:59:00.000-08:00

He started off as a bird,

and I keep seeing birds on everything now. why are birds the new trend, tell me tell me. everytime i hop onto some hip website, there is a bird. or two. so now he isn't a bird, he is on the road to becoming a charm doll. Right now he is headless, but has one stuffed arm.

Very excited, I yam I yam!

Spring Postings!

2007-04-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

where the heck have we been? HIBERNATING!! and now we're back, out of our winter shells and conquering the craft world once again. after we (us juneauites) conquered the record fall for snow, and then beat it to the ground, we decided to try something new called SUN! well, for at least one day. so, on that one day i made myself a yummy treat. some pintos, orange peppers, tomatoes, and feta. try it and you might just brighten your day!this is a lovely pillow whose inspiration and creation is the brain child of loosely.lucy. love the fabric with purple print and orange swatch. brilliant! someday soon there will be a matching friend and of course the cats will steal both . . . because that's how they roll.

and finally the piece de resistance (i think something like that) which is a plushie porkchop. i don't really like the taste of those little morsels necessarily, but in plushie form who can resist! haha! perhaps i should add some lovely googely eyes . . . someday soon!

Birthday Brunch

2007-01-28T17:31:00.000-09:00

hi all! sorry it's been a bit. i wanted to THANK EVERYONE from whipup and everyone who has written on the site. i'm so glad there are so many crafty alaskans out there!

i wanted to post this funsy card for you all- inspired by my girl leyla's b-day! sometimes when we've had a night of mad crafting the next morning all we want is a liquid brunch! and to get it we turn to the best bloody mary maker in the entire US, miss riley roo!

for leyla's big day we planned on some delicious bloody mary's but riley has absconded (sp?) to colorado so we have to roll without her, oh woas us! so, she sent up the infamous recipe and i whipped up these nifty wallet-sized cards for immediate satisfaction.

if you get the whim, download this puppy and print it on glossy paper- then slap it on some sticky-backed magnets and you've got a personalized fridge mag for delicious brunch drinks! enjoy!

Strike Two?..Crafty, not Crispy

2007-01-18T06:14:00.000-09:00

Let's just set the record straight. The last two posts have dealt with failed attempts- no, let's call them "opportunities for growth". The whole Eaglecrest debacle, and now this one, a crafty crispy nightmare. By sheer coincidence, the last two posts have also in common one particular member of the crafting group. I won't make any drawn out assumptions about the efficacy of this crafter and her ability to bring a cloud of doom hurling down on whatever project is at hand, but you can see where I might. The day started off innocently enough, me not going into work because I felt like I was dying. Somehow, when I did get to work, the bag of month old marshmallows on the ninja's desk was calling to her... the suggestion was put forth that we need to make a tried and true staple of the American diet, a recipe that no one can ruin....Rice Crispy Treats! The project was started, going well in fact, until we remembered who we were, or rather, when the inner addict came rising to the surface..."Let's make these Crafty Crispies! " And what a plan it was! I had some great cookie cutter shapes, and food coloring. Long story short, after gin and tonic and a raspberry something or other, our craftiness got a little crispy itself. What ended up happening is shown in the pictures....an inedible (is it even possible to ruin rice crispies?) piece of.....well, what do you know, it's a skull. Surprising? Not at all. The next post will involve someone who is not me, and we shall see how success favors some crafters over others, and fate smiles most on those who need it least.

2007-01-15T16:04:00.000-09:00

Some photos to compliment the Day of Winter Wonder soliloquy as read below:

A view of Eaglecrest

Lucy's view of Eaglecrest

My view of Eaglecrest

Our tube-less view of Eaglecrest (sniff)

A burger-hankerin' view of Eaglecrest

An aspiring snowboarder's view of Eaglecrest
(Who IS that cool snowboarder chick anyway?)

A view of Eaglecrest for those of you out there that missed out on a very rewarding journey.

What a day on the slopes. Her cup overfloweth.

A Day of Winter Wonder

2007-01-15T13:48:00.000-09:00

Two of us were finally on our way to Eaglecrest, the only downhill ski area accessible to us here in water/ice-locked Juneau. If you're not from around here, you might expect that we're all a bunch of snow bums, but for many of us, strapping planks of wood to our boots and speeding down a snow and ice-covered hill is a foreign concept. Especially those of us from the sunny south. (And by that, I mean Georgia-south, not just outside-of-Alaska-south.) For some of us though, it's just been years since our last downhill adventure, and speeding down said hill on our butts has always proved much more enjoyable anyway. So, as I said, we were finally headed to Eaglecrest to try out the tubing hill we'd for so long dreamt about.

Juneau at sea level was wet, very wet, when we woke up, but the forecast up the hill at Eaglecrest promised temperatures below freezing and a handfull of fresh powder. We were enthusiastic. And then we started to drive. And as we drove the five-mile stretch up to the lodge, the rain kept coming down, melting away the snow and making the complete mess of mud and slush that we've become so familiar with in Juneau. (Note: If you're looking for a great sledding destination, don't look to Juneau.)

Once we parked at the lodge we packed up our beach bag and plunged our way through the driving rain. We made our way into the building and tried our best to be nonchalant and blend in with the crowd. I'm pretty certain no one bought it, and we stuck out like a bikini in Southeast. After walking in a few circles and trying to move swiftly without appearing lost, we found our way to the rental counter, where we were directed to a posted notice that told us that the tubing hill was closed. We laughed, and joked about the adventure we would tell our friends about -- how would we enliven a story about sitting in the lodge trying out the menu and drinking several cups of hot cocoa? How would we make the rest of 'em jealous that they didn't come along? We'd talked this adventure up to the point that we couldn't come back without a story. So, before we gave up, we decided to give it one more shot and talk with an employee rather than accept what the bulletin board had told us. Again we had to ask for direction to the ticketing counter, but eventually we wandered outside and found it. The nice lady behind the window confirmed our disappointment and took pity on us. (Perhaps it was the brightly colored TP headgear we were wearing or the beach bag I was toting, but I think we looked like two seven-year-olds who were just informed that there would be no Christmas.) Whatever it was, it prompted the nice lady to give us each a $10 voucher for our next attempt at tubing!

(I have just come to the realization that I will probably not be asked again to post for this site, as I somehow just filled my (and your) screen with words that don't really go anywhere. Well, at least I made a story out of our lackluster day! And we were afraid we'd have nothing to report!)

So I'll sum up our Day of Winter Wonder -- that, if truth be told, in the end consisted of more time spent indoors (without so much as a window) than even an average work day! We spied out the chair lift, and convinced ourselves that we really should take snowboarding lessons, enjoyed watching the 3 and 4-year-olds on skis that had better balance and control than we would ever have, checked out the menu at the lodge for good measure, took several pictures of the plumbing facilities in the lodge, and finally admitted defeat and plodded our way back across the saturated parking lot.

And all this before 11 a.m.

Lunch at the Douglas Cafe, though they refused to serve us a much-desired burger, followed. And after that, what else is there to do on a rain-soaked day in Juneau but go to the movies!!! TWO of them, as a matter of fact. Several butt-cramping hours later, our Day of Winter Wonder ended. Next time we'll have a better story I hope -- and if that fails, I promise not to post it and spare you some time.

(Now how do I get pictures on this thing ... ??)

There's no denying we're ADDICTS!

2007-01-13T12:26:00.000-09:00

the other night i was having a craving . . . A CRAFT CRAVING. so to curb the insatiable calling, i called up my sponsors, the CRAFT ADDICTS. they tried to talk me down but the needles were already in my hands and i knew i couldn't stop myself. long ago we had made a pact, if we had to craft, if we couldn't stop the irresistable urge to plunge our needles in, then we would call upon our fellow addicts to craft with us. because we all know that the surest sign of being an addict is CRAFTING ALONE! here, documented for the first time is one of those rare sightings where we addicts go full bore and show no restraint for what we desire . . . THE CRAFT!!!

we are ready for a heavy night of crafting

we are ADDICTED TO CRAFT, literally

mabel begins to worry

have we gone too far this time?

no way! we rally for the craft!

panic ensues, are we out?????

we might have learned our lesson, there may even be a limit to craft

nah

LooselyLiving

2007-01-08T20:44:00.000-09:00

After sledding, soup (gretchen-made!) and sipping, we got down to the business of finger weaving. Weaving fingers? I find myself in the company of brilliant people with an affinity for details (¡Gretchen! ¡Maggie! ¡Tanna!) on a regular basis, but this finger weaving was made for me! Loosely, lucy, loosely! (I am no crafter, only dream, hope, wish and pray.) We each did a line and then tried to combine the three stringy thingies into a functional surprise. We tried it as a hat, then Gretchen thought her cat and computer should both have scarves, but it ended up working as a belt. I think this is the beginning of brilliant brainstorming for the Wearable Art show.

Birthday Fish Cake

2006-12-27T16:09:00.000-09:00

unfortunately for my dad, his birthday is the day after christmas. well, at least that's how he sees it. merely because most years the birthday wrapping and christmas wrapping get all mixed together. nonetheless we like to have lots of fun and celebrate and my mom insists we ALWAYS HAVE A CAKE! deeelicious with leftover pie! so, this year mom threw together a one layer chocolate on chocolate delight and as we had five minutes till dad was home i realized we must DECORATE! so, what does he miss the most during the winter? FISHING! i quickly drew up a pattern on wax paper, cut the pattern out with an x-acto and lay it over the cake. then, with a sifter i SPRINKLED ON SOME WHITE SNOW (or powered sugar for the less inventive). then, in a flash of brilliance mom crushed up some LEFTOVER CANDY CANES and we sprinkled on a bit more LOVE (because that is the secret ingredient). but of course the best part was EATING IT!

Finally UNWRAPPED!

2006-12-27T15:14:00.000-09:00

the slippers are finally done and on the cozy feet! here 's the family all lined up. finally toes are warm in the ALASKA WINTER! if you look through previous blogs you can see how i got here. the best part about these yummy slippers is the triple-thick layers of FLEECE, BATTING, and FUN FABRIC. sister, mom and dad are all ready to go romping around the house. for a quick discuss on how . . .

a. cut a chunk of liner, batting and exterior fabric all the same size.
b. quilt it together (or in my case swirl it around under the sewing machine for a bit until it all seems to stick together)
c. cut the pattern of sides and bottoms out of your quilted chunk.
d. sew the suckers together.
e. (this is really great!) GET SOME CLEAR LIQUID CAULK (mainly used for showers and the like). DOT THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIPPERS AND LET DRY 48 HOURS! this gives you the stick-em that real store bought slippers have on the bottom so no one slips on their bums! YIPPEE!
(and everyone is oh-so-greatful that they all didn't recieve crocheted beanies again this year- haha!)

plus, since this is my main gift for our made christmas this year i thought i'd throw my hat in the ring as my whiplash entry. i'm a bit nervous . . . hope you all like them!

Finally time to WRAP!

2006-12-21T20:15:00.000-09:00

so, i have finally arrived at the wrapping, PHEW!! anyhoo, i am so excited about the fun ideas i've had and shared with the family this season that i figured i would share with everyone! ok, i began with the paper.

i work at a newspaper in my daily life and we get these EXTRA ROLL ENDS OF NEWSPRINT. any newspaper should have them and with a nice story it should be pretty easy to get your hands on some. so, i took a bit of the clean unprinted newsprint and we had a brainstorm at the casa de ma. we came up with a fun idea, POTATO STAMPS! i had only heard of this clever invention, but it worked perfectly for this sort of thing!
once we had stamped up the paper with delight in TREES, and STARS, and SNOWFLAKES and the sort, we did the usual wrapping thing. for a more organic feel to the ribbon i thought SPARKLY YARN might be nice. plus, gather it all up later and you can make hats! but it didn't stop there!
for funsy labels i took some great old photos of my family and SCANNED and COLLAGED them into fun pictures. that way it is both a label and an EVERLASTING GIFT! they can throw it in a frame or throw it on the fridge. plus if you use MAGNETIC PAPER to print upon, they really can throw it on the fridge immediately! it's the coolest stuff.

so, that's it. i'll let you know how the BIG UNWRAPPING goes. . . i am so excited!

Maggie Makes!

2006-12-19T22:52:00.000-09:00

and these are the beautiful things that MAGGIE MAKES! another collaborator in the craftaddicts team, maggie makes INTRICATE BOXES from paper, fabric, ribbon, mirrors and more. i couldn't even tell you all the wonders that maggie makes! she has even been known to create her own books full of personal prints. the TINY TREASURE pictured above is intricately handmade to store all your most important stuffs. it even has a tray nestled inside so you can hide your super-secrets underneath. i have been begging her for one for my jewelry when travelling. well, thanks for your lend of the photos of your box MAGGIE MAKES! you are great