Christmas Eve and Still Busy Crafting Stuff For the Holidays

After several snafus I finally got most of my holiday cards sent. I had a few more but when I carried them to the mailbox, the mail had already been picked up, so those will go out on Thursday. Too late for Christmas or Yule but it can't be helped. They are still in time for the holiday season and hopefully will be appreciated by the recipients. I don't want to spoil the surprise so I'll wait a few weeks before showing off the cards in my blog.

I'll be happy to get back to my knitting and crocheting now. You know I didn't put up a single Christmas decoration this year. We had a overnight guest on the weekend, and it's just too crowded to have 3 people in here and do any decorating. I'm lucky I could cook meals. Now it seems too late to bother.
My boyfriend is exhausted from his new job, so he probably won't do anything Christmassy tomorrow either and I'll just sit around pouting. I can neither seem to ignore Christmas nor get into it. And with my 56 birthday looming on Jan. 3, it is hard to keep a happy mindset.

Me around Christmas in 2010 in a scarf I knitted.

Faery House Condo and Printmaking

Today I have been researching printmaking processes including linoleum block prints, wood block prints, monoprints, printing with fish, and carved eraser stamps. Then I read a big book on photo manipulation for mixed media art. My mind is exploding with creative ideas. I'm going to print my holiday cards.

I also did some hands on work though. My boyfriend had to help me figure out how to make the base for my faery condo. He had to trim the base with a chainsaw. He helped me epoxy the main stem to the base. It will make more sense if you look at the photos. I'm letting it dry overnight, then I'll start building the fairy houses. After admiring faery houses on Pinterest since the day it started, I finally decided to just make one already.

Top view.

I epoxied a dowel embedded in the base and in the stem. Now I'm letting it dry overnight.

Picking out parts for my faery condo.

Faery condo self portrait.

Printmaking With Found Objects

I just heard from my sewing buddy. She is under the weather so it may be awhile before we work together.

So today I got most of my holiday cards addressed and stamped.
The other day I was at Joann's flipping through a book on printing with found objects. so I decided to do a video on found object printing.  I hit my local under a dollar store and picked up erasers, paper clips, clothes pins, plastic lace placemats and other nifty things for the printing project. I really love printmaking and haven't gotten to do it much in the last 10 years.  So it's about time I did. So right off I did some printing on a get well card for a friend. I'll post the photos here if I can white out her address. I made the envelope too.

Then I worked out the design for the crocheted Special Olympics scarf.  Darn it all, I got it to my editor an hour late and she's gone for the weekend.  So much for getting up at 7 AM and working my butt off till 2 PM.  Sigh. If only the saving and uploading process didn't take so long.

In good news, Youtube has upgraded my account so now I can make 15 minute long videos.  It won't help for my sponsored tutorials, because the biggest file I can send them is 10 minutes.  But it will make vlogging a lot easier. Plus I do non-sponsored tutorials on other crafts, so I can use the 15 minutes.
But it's rather like winning a prize to get upgraded.  I'm not sure what they base it on...number of videos? Number of subscribers? Number of views.  Who knows.  Those crazy logorhythms.

New Line of Greeting Cards

I got some of my new greeting cards listed today. I put them in my shop http://www.cherrymoondrops.etsy.com. I haven't done much with that shop up till now so I rewrote the profile and hope to have not just cards, but ACEO's listed there soon.

Before I got all the cards listed, I got a chance to go to a tool store. I've been looking for a set of metal letter stamps, to stamp on metal labels. Then I can make custom greeting cards with any name or word someone might want. Tomorrow we are going to a hobby store that should carry thin sheets of metal for stamping on. I can't wait to try it.

But I best get some sleep. It's 4 AM. What is it with me and these late nights?

Two Projects Gourd Charms and Knitting Ponchini

I was reading a library book on making greeting cards, and though I didn't have quite the supplies listed in the book, I got an idea of doing some woodburning on a thin shelled gourd that I got from Michael's when I worked there. I knew it was broken and too fragile for jewelry so it kinda kicked around here for a while. But I broke it into irregular shapes and woodburned designs onto each bit. They are very light weight. So now I'll use them like charms, either attaching them to things with string or wire or wrapping them onto the cardboard that is used to embellish the greeting cards. See the photo. I'll keep you posted on how that project turns out.

I also worked on my pyrography gourd and added another lizard and 3 horses to it. I may make a video with some of the video clips I shot today.

Then tonight I started knitting a ponchini (capelet) out of some Homespun I got at the All Things String party last weekend. I'm almost done with it but it's 2 AM and I didn't want to risk making a mess out of it because of my tiredness. I'm not sure why I'm making warm clothes just as summer had started, but since when are my craft urges ever logical?

Holiday Cards

I just finished my article on making greeting cards. Watercolor Cards. I'm glad I finally felt well enough to put the cards together today. And I remembered I had some great ornamental papers stashed away to use for the card itself. Making cards is pretty time consuming. And the watercolors really should dry overnight and then flattened before assembling the cards. Leave enough time to trim everything to size.

For me the hardest part is thinking of something to write inside the card that is sincere and not canned. And also to not offend people, because not everyone is celebrating Christmas. I'm celebrating Yule, and I have friends that celebrate Hannukah. Sometimes 'Happy Holidays' or 'Seasons Greetings' is the best way to go.

So make yourself some cards or gift tags and have some holiday fun.

Greeting Cards

Here is a sneak peek at the greeting cards I'm working on. There are two cards per sheet of watercolor paper. When they are good and dry I'll cut around them and glue them onto the card. Here is a photo of the envelope it has to fit into when I'm done. It is easier to pick out the envelopes first and then make the cards fit, than the other way around. You'd think business sized envelopes would be a uniform size but they aren't. I bought red ones and the ones in the photo with the green stripes and they don't match in size.

Crafts-n-Things Magazine Review

Someone gave me a copy of Crafts 'n Things magazine for April 2009 and I must say it's the best issue I've seen recently. I couldn't have done a better job if I'd designed it myself.

They have simple directions for how to make a starter for sourdough bread and recipes for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls or Sourdough bread that I'd like to try.

For you card makers out there they have 6 pages of 30 minute card making ideas, as well as several other articles on working with rubber stamps and making cards.

For people who crochet there is a wonder lacy afghan that is on the cover in shades of pale orange, pink, green and yellow. I might have to try that someday.

For those of you that are organizationally impaired, there are some great suggestions on organizing your craft supplies so they are attractive to look at and right at your fingertips. I'm definitely going to implement some of those. They have ways to store ribbon, show off your embroidery floss, and put your glorious beads and buttons on display so you can enjoy them every day instead of hiding them away in a drawer or a closet called 'Getting Organized on a Budget.

And there is a fascinating knitted swirl tablecloth with beads and a knitted sweater for those that knit.

This issue has 205 stamping and paper ideas for you paper crafters.

There are even some birdhouses to make, some vintage purses to repurpose and an article on how to make and use foam stamps.

That's not all but you'll have to get your own copy to see the rest. Their website is www.craftsnthings.com. Happy crafting.

Greeting cards

As Christmas approaches I'm debating what to do for a holiday card. Do I want to make them or buy them? I really only need to send 5 or 6. So it wouldn't be unreasonable to make them. It's times like these I miss my Gocco printer. It's probably in storage. I hate storage.
What do the rest of you do about greeting cards? Make them, buy them, recycle old ones? Or build a stash to keep on reserve so you have them when you need them.