Christmas makes crafters crazy

(scarf for Jan at church)

(shawls for a friend's niece)

(Custom mittens for a craft fair customer)

After about of month of planning and making, I think I am down to one more Christmas present/project. I'm sure something else will pop up, but for the first time all month I feel confident about my whole part in this season. Here are few things I made for other people to give to their other people as Christmas gifts.

gimme yur beads!

poor scottie

Here's a tribute to my poor middle child cat. Scottie gets picked on by the Dinah (the oldest) and the Gypsy (the little twerp). She is bigger than both of them and she could take either of them. She is just too sweet to hurt anyone.

applique clutches

I made these at the last minute before the craft fair. None of them sold, but I still like em. I continued on with the same feel as the square pouches I made earlier. I think these are a more practical shape. Yup. I dig the embellishment on the frog pouch. I don't usually go crazy with the beads and sequins. That's probably part of my problem.

super warm winter set

Here is a custom order left over from the O'fallon craft fair. I made each piece with a combination of three strands of yarn. I used a pillowy black yarn, a red worsted weight, and a ribbon type yarn. Everything turned out so dense. It will be great out in the snow.

11.15.03

Yesterday, four years ago, Joe and I got married. Honeymoon over? Nah.

some good news.

The O'Fallon craft fair was insane. I had no idea it was so BIG. Someone bought the shawl I have posted above. People were actually going for the higher priced items and matching sets. I kicked butt with my mittens. I really wish I had more of those made up in advance. People really dug my knit and crocheted stuff. Not a single one of my purses sold and bums me out for a split second until I think about how well I did over all. This event really helped in my decision to keep up the making and selling of my stuff. This was the best one so far and it is only the beginning. The vendors around our booth were absolutely wonderful. They were all so encouraging. I'm one happy kid.

seriously up to something

This stinker likes to attack my feet when I'm working at my sewing machine. She's cute but little teeth feel like needles. On the bright side, she is starting to get along with the other two. She just looks so devious in this pic.

O'fallon craft fair this weekend

Much to post today. I have been putting together hat/scarf sets for the craft fair. I just really really hope people are more in a buying mood for this event. We are in the Christmas shopping season so I am hopeful.

katie bag

Here's something I have been putting off for a few weeks. One of the girls at work wanted me to make a bag for her four year old to use at trick or treat. I was afraid it was going to look too cluttered, because she wanted her name, a pumpkin, and a ghost all on one bag. The ghost is sneaking around the back. I'm pretty pleased.

meet Gypsy!

So I brought home another cat. So sue me! Julie at the bank where I work told us about a couple of cats that were dumped off at her father in law's farm. He told her to find homes for the cats or he was going to shoot them. Come on.. I had to help out. Then they tried to make me feel guilty for not taking both of them. Geez. This one makes three cats in my house. We have reached full cat capacity. I spent all day trying to get rid of all of the fleas on this one. She's cute though. What can I say?

bummed

Lebanon Craft fair was a bust. We got there a little late and that set the tone for the whole day. By the time I got set up, I was covered in sweat. The weather was freakishly hot and most of my merch was scarves and hats. None of my purses sold. I think I sold to four people all day. I shouldn't feel too bad because all of the other vendors we talked to said it was the worst year for sales ever. I didn't even bother taking a picture of the booth. Amy and I are hopeful for the O'fallon show... it's indoors and pretty close to Christmas.

purse crazy

Right now I have seven appliqued purses to bring to Lebanon. I have a week and a half... maybe I make one more. I'm thinking cherry blossoms. Joe's dad is building me a coat rack type stand to display them. I can't wait to post a picture of my booth.

new head day!

I finished a red scarf to go with the hat I posted earlier. They are modeled by the lovely new styrofoam head I ordered off of eBay. I'm not completely convinced that this head is going to go along with me to the craft fair. A good gust of wind would send this thing flying. I'm still considering one of those creepy cosmetology practice heads for displaying hats and scarves.

crazy craft binge

Today was my day off. I still feel a little stressed. I spent the entire day making stuff. October is coming fast and I also applied for another huge craft fair the first week of November. I'm in over my head and am trying to dig my way out. I liked the way my royal blue clutch turned out and made four more. I also made another hat on my knifty knitter. Start to finish. Then I was planning on making some beaded brooches. I did finish one, but my seed bead supply is dwindling. I put in an order for more. The rest of the night, I spent on the couch with some sock knitting. I think I burned myself out. That's why I'm blogging right now. This weekend Joe said I'm OCD. I think he might be right.

a couple of applique pieces

I'm trying to stick to nature type themes with my applique bags. I'm afraid the purple one might be a little to springy for the fall craft fair. Whatever. I still dig the bamboo handles. I was surprised at how easy they were to install. I call the red/blue one sunset. I got to the end of it and realised that I didn't add a closure to the flap... the button was an afterthought.

lebanon craft fair october 6th!

I get the chance to sell my stuff next month! I have so much work ahead of me. Here are the first couple of pieces I have made specifically for the show. Much more to come. I'm hoping to come up with something new every day. Wish me luck.

Labor day weekend

I tied up a bunch of loose ends this weekend. I'm tired now.

mermaid bag II

This little lady was an all day event. I have been putting this off for so long. I should have started her right after I made the other red haired mermaid. It took a long time to find the inspiration. I'm pleased with the applique, but the bag itself is kind of blahh. I hope Anna likes it.

shawlsters

I've made it a personal goal to start unloading some of my yarn stash. I started loading up on the yarn back in March when I began to make stuff for Beverly at the Bronx Zoo. My yarn stash has multiplied so much that it now surpasses my fabric stash. I am a total sucker for the two dollar clearance bin at Michaels. The saddest part is that I actually had to go out and buy more green yarn to finish this shawl. Oh well. Maybe someone will buy it and it will be all worth while. This one is incredibly soft. I made it on one of those crazy knifty knitter thingies. It is a bit clumsy to use. Since it's not very portable, I think I'll just use it for couch projects.

more tattoo pouches

If you haven't figured it out already, I am a huge fan of happy zippy pouches. I love to make stuff that holds other stuff. Here are some of the finished tattoo inspired pouches like the ones I mentioned earlier. I have a stack of six more just begging to be finished. Maybe this weekend. Who knows.

reconstructed camo

Here is a great example of why I never throw anything away. The body of this bag is made from a pair of camouflage pants. The pants had one of those unrepairable rips up the rear. I salvaged one of the pockets for the front. The back is just plain. I lined it with a scrap of this great dot fabric. I get a little shock every time I open it. I love that.

Kasy's bag

Here is a bag that I didn't make. My fourteen year old niece spent the night last night. She picked the fabric out of my stash, did some cutting, and sewed the entire thing. All I can really take credit for is the instruction. I think it looks fab. I just might make one for myself.

bunches of pouches

I am so fond of these Chinese brocade zipper pouches. They are tiny and pretty (prettier in person). They measure about 4 inches by 5 inches. I have them for sale (and a few other pieces) at a shop in Belleville called the Bronx Zoo.

curious dinah

Dinah likes to watch me work...

one half crochet sweater

I just started the front on my new experimental sweater. I love a good day off during the week. I was able to spend a solid two hours on this thing today. It is loosely based on the Knot Ugly Shrug in the Happy Hooker (Debbie Stroller) book. I need a decent layering top for summer/ fall. I am not a big fan of the cropped sweatery bolero thingies that are so popular right now. I'm just making mine bigger and really long. I might use buttons down the front instead of the tie front. I finished one of the sleeves. I'm probably a little more than half finished with the whole thing. I'll keep you posted.

tattoo themed stuff

I have this fascination with flash tattoos. I only have one tattoo and it isn't flash, but something about the familiar edginess. Then again, there is something incredibly cheesy about them too... you know the heart with the banner that says mother on it. Three years ago, while sitting in the tattoo parlor chair, I was reminded of the process I go through for an applique piece. I pick out the best colors for the project and then follow an outline with the needle piercing up and down. I have about ten different tattooish designs on these little black squares. One day soon they will be a stack of edgy zippered pouches. I will probably use these to start that etsy shop I have been talking about for year.

poor car

I haven't been very crafty for the last couple of days. Some drunk guy slammed into my car at 1:00 am Thursday morning. It was a hit and run, but the cops caught the guy the next day. He has no insurance of course. The poor thing is totalled. Joe and I have been shopping for a new vehicle since then. We have one picked out and we are hopefully picking it up tomorrow. I was really close to having the car paid off and now we have to start all over. I can't wait until we have everything squared away and I can get back "normal life" whatever that is.

under the sea

I came up with this bag for Anna. This is the first in a set of two mermaid bags. I asked Joe (DH) to come up with a drawing to start with. Unfortunately this one looks nothing like what he drew. First of all his was topless. (I would post his pic, but you know.) His also had much more detail than I could manage with fabric and thread. Yet again another happy messenger bag. This one closes with dee rings and nylon webbing (like a belt). I have it lined in the same green swirly fabric striping the front. Peace.

Marble necklace

A while ago I bought these flat backed marble thingies. They are like the little flat glass marbles you put in the bottom of vases for flower arrangements. I thought they would make awesome pendants. It just took me six months to figure out how to actually hang them. I wanted to be able to drill a hole at the top, but the wire wrap was simpler and safer. I'm sure I'll make more of these.

Hi. This is my first attempt at a starting a blog. I'm using this primarily as a show and tell of the stuff I make. I am quite the craft geek. I blame my husband for sparking my obsession. We were out shopping one day and I spotted this camouflage book cover. I showed it to him hoping he would jump in and buy it for me. "But Steph. You can MAKE that." Make that. I did make that. Book covers and then messenger bags. Purses, patchwork, beading, crochet, knitting, I know there is more not coming to mind at the moment. I hoard the stuff too. I have fabric, beads and yarn stashed everywhere in my house.

So here is my first post... I hope that I can grow in skill and have more to show you soon. I have been messing around with machine applique for a couple of years. Here is my sacred heart. It's my first attempt at piping around the edges. I am quite proud.