It's Christmastime! Bottle Brush Trees and Spools!

 

Yay! Who doesn't love the classic red and green colors of Christmas...

 I am especially excited to traveling to Fiance's Grandma's house, which truly is over the river and through the woods, way up north in Wisconsin. I plan on knitting and reading and eating - and that's about IT!

I love this bright red glitter.  I want to cover everything in my house with it!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving weekend! 

Quick and Easy Pom Pom Craft

Of course I had grand ambitions of making tons of Christmas crafts from vintage items for my Etsy Shop, but for some reason it just doesn't seem to work out.

All I seem to be capable of is making a mess.

Yes this was my dining room.

 Anyways, I did manage to make a few cute things...

One project started out as old Christmas tree light reflectors.  I have a few that are really nice quality, and then a few that are not so nice.  These not so nice ones are really thin metal and a little bent up...

Even though they are still pretty cute, I had a good idea...

And now they are even cuter! All you have to do to make these is hot glue a pom pom to the center of the reflector.  For the hole at the top for the hook, I simple took a hammer and slammed a nail through it, which only took about two taps.  Quick and easy!


Shared my craft at Just a Girl

I'm back! And with Christmas Crafts!

For those of you wondering where I've been lately, I have been overwhelmed by schoolwork for my graduate degree.  Thank goodness DePaul's fall quarter is over this week, and I'm done!

I'm free!  Now all I have to do is make crafts for Christmas!

MERRY pom poms and tart molds!

Over the summer I picked up any little bits of vintage Christmas decorations and supplies I could find, and now I get to put them to good use.  I am planning a little Etsy shop update filled with merry holiday items this Saturday.

Linked up at Primp and at the Shabby Creek Cottage! AND at Vintage Wanna Bee!

Spooky Bird Plates for Halloween

The latest issue of Country Living Magazine features a display of stenciled bird plates.  I love birds, I love Halloween, I love fancy china, and I love copying ideas.  So I made my own.

Love the gold design!

 

This craft was super easy to make (really!) and took almost not time at all - which is good because I usually get bored and give up on projects if they take too long to complete.   I bought some glossy Martha Steward Paint, although cheap acrylic would have been fine.  Then I printed the templates out from Country Living and used them as stencils on the plates, tracing them with a pencil.  The most expensive part of the entire project was purchasing the plate holders - which at 3 bucks a pop wasn't terrible...

I plan on scraping off the paint after Halloween and painting kitschy little red Christmas designs on them.  Then I'd like to save them for my wedding, because ideally I would like to serve dinner on fancy mix matched china...

* linking up at 30 Days!

How are you getting ready for Halloween?

First Craft/ Vendor Show!

I participated in my first craft/ vendor show this week - and although it was poorly attended and I only sold one thing, I think I learned a lot that will help me prepare for the Vintage Bazaar, where I will be a vendor at their pop up flea on Sept 18.

I've been doing vintage sales on Etsy since January, and have decided to try to kick it up a notch after getting "laid off" from my babysitting job this summer.  Crazy as it sounds, for a brief moment, I thought I could make a living doing craft sales.  But with virtually no more money to invest into vintage buying, what was I thinking?

In my unemployedness,  I spent the last week painting windows I got for free on Craigslist into chalkboards.  I think they turned out pretty cute.

I felt really out of place at this fair- most of the vendors were Tupperware sales ladies, or chocolate party sales ladies, or Pampered Chef sales ladies, or dog treat sellers, or baked good sellers... and then there was me, with my little vintage booth.  Granted, it looked pretty darn cute (a whole lot better than I imagined given I was winging it and just hoping everything would look good once I put it all together...) but it wasn't exactly the right venue for me.  Many ladies walked past saying to themselves "That's vintage?  I have that in my kitchen."  And a lot of people were confused as to why I was selling vintage glasses frames.  Just plain confused.  How is that confusing to people?

Oh well.  The vendors were nice, and I got Square all set up so I can take credit card orders at my next fair.  I also learned how much stuff I can pack into the car...

And how great ladders are for displaying things:

You can hang pictures from both sides of it, make shelves out of steps, set things on the top, and fold it all up when you're done!  Fiance helped so much with this - he did great - hammering and pricing and laying things out - so cute of him!

Thanks for visiting!

Valentine Bunting

Hi all!  So... The past day or so I have had not one, but TWO snow days!   The snow ended yesterday morning and the plow just came through for the first time late this morning... There are still cars stuck on Lake Shore Drive.  Chicago is pretty much buried for good, I think.

I had to drive home from work during the beginning of the blizzard - I had no idea it would get so bad so quickly - my normal 45 minute commute became two and a half hours long.  By the end of the trip my windshield wipers were so caked with ice they were pretty much non functional.  Once reaching home - to top it all off - I had to parallel park.  I couldn't see a thing, but I'm pretty much a parallel parking bad ass so it was a cinch.  (Not really, actually - totally lying about that.)


But cuddling up inside and watching the snow come down was the best!

I can't even begin to describe how much I love snow storms and snow days... taking it easy and just enjoying the beauty of the weather is the best...I stocked up on hot chocolate and brownie mix and pub cheese and stayed inside and ate to my heart's content.  I love to sit and look out the window and just watch the snow.

Not too mention Chicago turns into playful dog heaven when there is tons of snow on the ground... I got to pet so many cute dogs playing in the snow...

And I crafted:

 

Isn't it pretty?  

Cottage Cheese, Jello, and Granny Squares - What am I 60?

Saturday night out for Boyfriend and I consisted of shopping for home goods at Target where we bought awfully exciting things like paper towels and shower curtains and bedsheets.  It was terribly exhilarating.  We capped off our night with an early dinner of a sandwich with cottage cheese, which we split and topped off with decaf coffee at a diner that closed at 8:00.  It was uneventful, relaxing, and quiet.

We both have Birthday's about this time of year... and we laughed about how old we must be getting to spend a weekend like this... but we like it that way. 

I have to admit, however, that I am panicked about turning 26.  That is just a little too close to 30 for my liking... 

I thought about going out to a bar in my most flattering frock...

But I stayed home and finished crocheting granny squares in stead.

Aren't these pretty?

And for Boyfriend's birthday, did I mention I made him a Jello?  In a mold?  With home made whipped cream?  I think I am turning into my Grandmother, whom we fondly nicknamed "The Jello Queen."  Visiting her house without having multiple jello flavors to choose from as a treat was unheard of. 

Mmmm... lime.

I tried make this with whipping cream - I wanted it to turn out kinda like fluff... I read online about stabilizing the cream, but it was 11:00 in the evening by the time I got around to making this so I just decided to dump the cream in and see if it would turn out creamy.   It was ok, but I wonder if it would have been better if I had whipped and stabilized the cream and then somehow mixed it in... More experiments to come.

All I have to say is pincushion.

Hi.

I made a pincushion.  It was super easy.

"Hello!" from my owl friends...

To make this pincushion, follow along with this Martha tutorial...  I found the fact about pincushions being placed on the mantels of new homes to bring prosperity to be very interesting.  

I am planning to make some for my home.  I think it may help me feel less sad about taking down the Christmas decorations.  I love the whimsy and lights so much.

Christmas Mantel Wonderland

The holidays have arrived!  I finally managed to find some time this weekend - and spent lots of it around the house finishing the Christmas tree, baking, and decorating.  For reasons I can't explain, Christmas is the only time of year where I get crabby if I don't have time to craft.  There is no explanation for it - although I guess I just can't stand to be away from tinsel and glitter for more than a few hours.  What can I say, shiny things delight me.

I decided to spend this time finishing my Christmas mantel, after being inspired by many great ideas online, notably this one at Mod Vintage Life.  Although I have been collecting little things for a while now, I needed to pick up some supplies.  Too bad I went out in a blizzard (anyone see the Bears game today?) to discover that every craft store in the city of Chicago was out of fake snow spray and ornament hooks. Oh well.

I love my little glitter covered deer...

 and glitter covered trees...

I started out with a collection of magazine trees I've been making in my spare time at work, as well as little trees I've been finding at thrift stores and my little glass insulators.  I wondered, "how do I make these all look like they are from the same world?"

I decided the answer was glitter and Snow Tex.  Lots of it. 

I'm not entirely satisfied with it yet, I think the trees could be more glittery.  It's hard to get a feeling for it with these pictures... I am also not done with the wreath above...next time I have some daylight I'll try to get some better pictures...

Stay Warm*

........................................................................................................

Linking up at...

Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design...

Youth Lament

I am learning I just need a job where I work no more than four days a week.  And that's why subbing was perfect for me.  I could take a day off if I wanted. If for example I was tired, or it wasn't light out when my alarm went off (like everyday this week)  - I had no accountability.

Now I have accountability.

Now I can't study Korean while a boring movie I just watched for the last six periods is playing in the background.

Now I can't do craft projects during my free periods - because I have zero free periods.

Still from a stop motion movie I'll probably never finish because I am an adult with a full time job.

Hmmm.  So this means all the fun things that make my little life interesting actually have to be done at home, where I am just too tired to do them.  Which means they don't get done.  Instead I just sit online and read craft blogs and get ideas for projects I'll never have the energy or gumption to start.  Then I get stressed out about how fast my life is passing by and how I never get to do things I plan on doing.  Then I go into quarter life crisis panic mode, moan with frustration, throw things, cry and complain about being an adult.

In general, pretty much.

Jack is lazy and has no accountability. 
He is also spoiled. 
Why can't I be a cat?

Here is a picture of Jack being lazy.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job as a teacher aide (waiting tables doesn't hold a candle to it of course) and I enjoy helping my kids, AND my position gives me a greater sense of purpose and fills me with feelings of self worth... but I really just want some time to start a project I'll never finish.

Making Pillowcases, Part one of Who Knows How Many...

Check out this awesome fabric I got at The Needle Shop.  I am going to use it to freshen up some old pillows...

It's not the best picture, but you can tell the fabric's pretty awesome because it has squid all over it. 

Other fabrics by Kokka of Japan I am partial to:

Among others... check ebay for a great selection.  Now I just have to finish all the projects I started so I can start one with these fabrics!

Hmmm... Wall paper Craft Project?

I have spent the better part of 4 hours this weekend reading craft and design blogs, but no time actually crafting myself.  I just can't seem to get the motivation to pick up a pair or scissors myself.  Let's not mention the umpteen projects I've started that have been laying around the apartment unfinished...  The root of the problem is that my craft stash o stuff doesn't inspire me. 

Here's some things that do:

I recently read on Design Sponge this tutorial on how to cover furniture with wallpaper,  which I think I could apply to a crappily painted desk that I got from a friend years ago. 

Here are some wallpapers I love!

Ok check them out below - something is wrong with Blogger and it won't let me write below the pictures.  Anways, my sister is majoring in interior design - maybe she can nab me some awesome paper, since these pictured are 100 bucks a role, which frankly is a just a wee bit out of my budget.

from Ferm Living

from Ferm Living

 

 

 

Chicago Park District Classes: Super Affordable!

It's 11:00 A.M., and I have been checking the sub scheduler periodically since 5:15 A.M..  No jobs. I've been sitting alone with Jack the Cat as he continually meows at the door, waiting to be let out into the hallway of our apartment building so he can run up and down the stairs.

While dilly dallying on the computer, I started looking into places offering ASL courses.  I stumbled across the Chicago Park District website, which offers 8 weeks of classes for only $35!  Unfortunately the course is full, but I think I will call to check if there have been any cancellations. 

To my delight, I noticed they have a plethora of courses ranging from upholstery (how useful!) to auto repair (how practical!) to quilting (how fun!) - all for under fifty bucks.  For about $120 - $170, you can take pottery classes, offered at a much more reasonable price than some of the art studios in my neighborhood.  I'd like to do that over the summer.  They also offer adult swim lessons, figure skating lessons, knitting, sewing, photography, and stained glass classes!

Check it out here.  Online registration for the Spring session is closed, but you can still register for classes with openings by calling the park directly.   Registration for the Summer session begins in April.

This Took Hours...

At last! My little presentation of a Christmas card I made out of a paper bag:

Comic Life Trial and Error...

I'm working on a post right now to display an embroidered Christmas card I made over the holiday.  I decided to get crafty about displaying it online, and am consequently learning some new technologies.  This doesn't happen often, so hold your breath, because usually Computers + Disaster Cat = FAIL.  No - seriously, the fact that I even have a blog right now is nothing short of miraculous.  Did I mention I failed Microsoft Word during a placement test I took for a temp agency?  I mean, I knew I would fail Excel and PowerPoint, but WORD people?  Word.  Usually any task related to computers proves too difficult or frustrating, or simply not fun, resulting in some sort of redfaced tear fest 30 minutes before a deadline. But I digress. This project will take time, so I suggest you twiddle your thumbs for a while until I figure out how to do this.

This = Comic Life.  I first learned about it through substituting at an elementary school in my district.  Walking down the hallways, I was able to check out some pretty good looking comic strips and report visuals the children made with the application.  If children can do it, I can too, right?  We'll see!  It actually is a cinch to use - I'm spending the most time on the design and layout aspect of the project, and playing around with some cool styles.

It's Christmas time...

I saw these fun "Tomorrowland Holiday Trees at Wise Craft and I just had to try and make some for myself.  They were oh - so - easy, and fun to boot.  I am a terrible sewer and usually give up on any project I start after I deem it has become to hard - but I was able to finish these in a short afternoon!  And it didn't hurt that the felt was cheap.  Next time I might try to make my own felt (a craft FAIL blog post in the near future perhaps...).

Here they are!

I like to craft!

As I am sitting here, my boyfriend is swearing at his xbox 360, which he is trying to take apart because it is broken.  Or overheating. Or both.  The poor thing has given up, posing now like The Thinker, although picture less pensiveness and more frustration.

But yes - I like to craft!  That's one thing I can blog about.  Today in fact I made this lovely wreath from the Christmas tree clippings my neighbor just threw in the front yard.  You bet!  I just marched right out there and just hauled them all back inside.  And then I cut them up!  And made this:

Maybe I should share with you some other wreaths I made this fall.

• This one I almost broke while trying to get it out of the garbage bag I was storing it in.  I made it this fall with twigs I collected from around my neighborhood and a bag of fake leaves - I'm a DIYer:
  

• And this one - which differs from the other two in that I used a store bought frame:
  

Well, time for dinner!