Bubbles Painting

Today was just awesome! My friend Tara came over and we spent the day collaborating on a painting. I had this idea of a silhouette of a person blowing bubbles, and wrapped around the bubbles, my favourite lyrics by Regina Spektor.



Tara was so amazing with the paint, she does incredible work. She did most of the background. Admittedly, I only did the purple side of the background - and she showed me how to do even that! She has better blending techniques. I made the bubbles while she traced the face. Then we each coloured in and added to what the other did. She added some more colour to the bubbles, and I added more hair. Then we painted the edges black and let it dry.



It looked great, but I was excited to add that detail that makes the painting whole for me. The words. When I hear these lyrics sung, it makes me inspired to really change the world. To take the good parts of yourself and to let them fly out of you without holding back - it's what makes this world continue to have a soul. I get so much feeling out of these lyrics. I feel they are truly sentiments to live by.



"This is how it works
You peer inside yourself.
You take the things you like,
And try to love the things you took.
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some - Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood.
And walking arm in arm,
You hope it don't get harmed.
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again"
-Regina Spektor

Respected Squirrel v.2

Well, here's the new one! Everything was done the same, except this time I did it all with blue papers instead of pink and purple. Oh - and I bought an ink pad so I don't have to hand paint each letter stamp. It was much faster and looks way cleaner. I think I'm getting into stamps. Lord help me to keep it minimal, it's too expensive to collect stamps.

I like my first version better, but I think that's because I went with colours I found aesthetically pleasing. I must remember to keep others prefrences in mind from now on instead of drifting off. I think she'll love this on the blue!





PS: For anyone curious, I made these using apple juice cans with the top carved off. I have a certain addiction to apple juice... so I kinda have a never ending supply of this type of can.

Eff-ing Respect!

Well, This is one squirrel who demands a little attention to his au-thor-it-AY!





The project was originally for a paper goods swap, but I'm not sure if I should send it. She distinctly said she didn't like pink and purple, two main colours I used. Mainly to draw further confusion at the angry squirrel, and to startle people who assume its girly look is all inviting. ;o)

She does love squirrels, and she said she has a penchant for cursing in beautiful art projects. These were my aims for it. I think I hit it, but I'm second guessing myself. If I were to send it, I'd want her to love it as much as I do. Because I really, really, really love this project.

Who could hate this tiny innocent creature??


What I may do for her is the same thing, but in colours she will appreciate. Not looking forward to doing that squirrel again though, I painted all those lines by hand with a safety pin. That's right folks, the tip of a pin!!! Totally worth it for the effect in the end. No paintbrush would give me that look, and markers/pens just wouldn't cut the mustard.

Working Shots: (click to enlarge)

Flower Mehendi

I did some mehendi on my hand last night. I was up pretty late. I really like how this one came out, I tried to keep to a theme instead of day dreaming like I did for my birthday design, which was a mish mosh of whatever made me happy. (You can see a bit of that design in my post about the needle book I made for a swap.)

I love how it came out. It's hard for me to keep minimalist, there are some areas I think would look better if I put in a little more (like the base of my index finger), but I don't want to go overboard. So, this is the final design. All set for valentines day! Should I have done a heart? Naaaah, too cheesey.

Travel Wallet

I'm very excited, because recently Kellie has decided that she is going to be coming with me on a Habitat for Humanity/Global Village trip this year! I knew I was going to already, and she had expressed interest when I told her all about India last year. But now that she's confirmed that she's super gung-ho about this, I'm waaaayyyy past excited that she's coming with me!! :oD

So, in daydreaming about the trip, I decided to make us something that will be very helpful. I have seen on etsy something that I have been wanting for a long time; a travel wallet. It's sized to hold not just money and cards, but passport, papers, plane tickets, and a pen! Truely, it's genious.

Deciding I can't afford a 50 dollar luxury, I searched for tutorials online. I found a couple, but didn't like all the layout features. So I went with a similar construction process... and as per usual - winged it. No pattern. Just created pockets I found practical, then created the main structure, sewed the pieces in place, and trimmed it with bias tape (omg it was a baaaad experience and I learned from it after re-sewing one edge FOUR times).

For Kellies wallet I bought a fabric that reminded me of a purse she used to have. I figured it would be a guaranteed win with her, let's hope so. She'll enjoy the fabrics looks, and I'll enjoy that it was in the %75 off fall fabrics sale with my premiere card! ;o)





All in all, a two day project complete, I am feeling very satisfied with it. There are one or two things to fix up, but they're minor. Such as the pockets for cards not being tight. I'll add a button and ribbon closure on top or something.

I have to make one for me as well. Mine will be in different fabric. I might do a slightly different layout, perhaps move the pockets a little. Who knows. I have time!

Some Old Highschool Art

These are some things I painted, drew, and made in highschool. I was musing through old folders while backing up some files onto Bubbles (my external hard drive), and found these photos I took of them. I figured I may as well post them.


Swimkids Painting:

I made this for my boss, Julie, when I left swimkids and went to college. I worked there 5 years and I loved my job. Not only that, but I was a student there since I was four years old when the business just opened. When I started as a little kid, I hated water. Now water makes me feel alive. I love swimming, and this pool was the root of my love. I still miss teaching sometimes.

This painting now hangs just outside of the door to the pool. I'm so glad everyone gets to enjoy it.




Yoshi Sketches:

I had a big thing for Yoshi once upon a time. I learned to draw him. Nuff said on that old cartoon flame...



(Pardon the blur)



Trinket Box:

This circular box features a photo by a childrens photographer whose work I adore. She was one of the first photographers portfolios I bookmarked. Love her lighting, and the way she captures their expressions.

Shawl / Half Poncho

I made this last year, but never posted anything about it. I was going to teach my boyfriends mum how to crochet, but she wasn't into it after all and gave me the yarn she had bought. Later I taught her a bit on some brown yarn I had, but we frogged it as it was only a few rows of Single Crochet stitches.

This was made from just the one skein, I even had EXACTLY enough left over to make a small flower (seen bobby-pinned to my hair). The yarn I never would have picked for me turned out to be very stylish and transformed into an awesome shawl-y poncho... something. In any case it keeps me warm but not too warm. It's a happy middle.

I looked up a pattern somewhere, but I didn't follow it. Basically I just noted how it increased and just did it at points I thought were flattering. Then I looked up how to make scalloped edges in a book at chapters. So it's kinda free hand I guess. If I ever find a pattern that is similar, I'll post it.


Et voila!

OTT20 Swap - Mirthfairy

Today in the mail I received my One Tiny Thing from Mirthfairy! Woohoo! She incorporated two of my themes, plus one of my prefrences.

For this swap, we were to exchange one tiny thing. You write a list of 5 themes for your partner, and you make something small based off of one or more of them.

My themes were:

1. Cameras
2. Travel
3. Cute animals (fav's are lop eared rabbits, turtles, and skunks)
4. Saris, Kimonos, etc (cultural dresses)
5. Regina Spektor (musician)


And Mirthfairy's were:

1. food/sweets
2. renaissance art
3. twee (really cute things)
4. german folk art
5. birds


We both said we liked practical things. She made me an ipod cozy. It has a picture of a bunny in a kimono. How funny is that? Love it! Thankyou Mirthfairy, this is so awesome! And the fabric is swell. ;o)

(Back)


(Front)



I based mine off of her theme of Twee and Birds! This needle book has multiple pages that matches the birds I embroidered on the front. I learned to do a buttonhole stitch for this. I've never done real embroidery before. I really enjoyed it actually. Never thought it would be my thing. I might incorporate it into a future project.

(Front)


(Front and back spread)


(Inside pages)

January Birthday Swap - BTStars

Well, last week I received these boxes and cards from BTStars as my other Birthday Swap present! It's been a busy week, so I'm posting pics now. Sorry BT!

She made every card around a Beatles song or Lennon quote, and the boxes are all painted and trimmed. Topped with lyrics to some wikid songs. Eleanor Rigby is pretty much my favourite, so I'm glad it's on the biggest box, but also matches my craft room! It's almost an identical shade of purple!


These are the three boxes she made:








And here are some pictures of the cards, and a few favourites!





(Click thumbnails for bigger picture)








Thanks again BTStars! What a beautiful package! I bet you worked so hard on them, it really shows the dedication in it picking out all of my favourite songs!

Gingerbread and Snowmen

Claire came over today for some old school winter play and belated Christmas fun! We had bought all this sugary wonderfulness from bulkbarn before Christmas, intending to make gingerbread houses, but we didn't get around to them. So we did them today!







My house:
It's got a pond that's frozen to skate on!


Claires House:
She even made a bon fire with orange and red m&m minis and silver/gold candyballs.



After our sugary goodness was all finished, we went outside to do some playin in the snow! I'm going to send these pictures to Selvi, my Sponsor Child, so she can see snow and what you can do with it. :o)



We made a snow-bot and a snow bear! lol. Their eyes are made from beer caps, the bears nose is a draino cap, and the snowbots arms and ears are made from catfood tins and apple juice cans. haha!

January Birthday Swap - Gift from Eightdandelions

Today I received a beautiful gift from my wish list, made with TLC by Eightdandelions!
It's a rollup for my crochet hooks! Isn't it beautiful? It's quilted in a flowery/paisly fabric, (gee, I don't like paisley do I?) with spots for both my big, medium, and small hooks. I just LOVE everything about it!


In her note it said,
"Happy Birthday! ^_^ Hope you like your crochet roll, I know it's not perfect but it was sewn with love. Wonky, lumpy love. ;) xo, Eightdandelions. eep!"

Well, I love it. I love that it's made with 'wonky lumpy love', although I think it looks perfect. It's a well thought through design with a beautiful fabric and it's all tak-stitched at each end so I'm positive it'll last me some great years.

Thankyou Eightdandelions! I'd definitely swap with you again!