stupid question:

[peppercini.livejournal.com]

hi everyone!

I mostly post comments and suggestions because I have yet to really make something worthy of this community
however I want to change that.  So heres my question:  well, story, really...

I'm headed to Denver, Colorado for a year in Americorps (kinda like the Peace Corps only domestic.  ok off topic)  anyway, My team and I will be spending much of our time in the Gulf Region doing disaster relief.  Teams travel to our destinations in 15 passenger vans, so I'm gonna have a lot of boring travel time (3...4... days on the road at a time trekking across country being do-gooders) anyway, tangent again, I apologize.

so, I wanna learn a hobby to pass the travel time.  I feel like playing DVDs and music is a waste of perfectly good crafting time.  So, I wanna learn something.  Like how to crochet.  My mom says she has forgotten how, and cant teach me, so I'm looking for a really good tutorial or a book suggestion that will help me learn the art of crochet. 

Is it easy to grasp?  Is it a difficult hobby?  Expensive?  (I'm volunteering for the year, so my pitiful stipend is really all I have to purchase materials)

ok, so any suggestions or help would be fantastic.  You all are wonderful at inspiring, so inspire me to make some blankets this year!  haha

and so this is not text only:  this is a picture of just how talented and artsy I am...haha

( i gave him a cleft lip. )

thanks everyone!

{edit: mods, I did look in the memories first, I just was hoping for some other tutorial/book suggestions...i hope thats okay.]

Hi! I havent posted ina few years... I'm Chelsea!

[burning-disco.livejournal.com]

I havent posted here in forever, but I pretty much live by the memories section. Here are just a few new things I've been doing lately. I have never made these before, so I was pretty excited.



( WARNING: SUPER Adorable orange cat under cut )

None of these were sewen! Liquid Stitch is amazing for crappy hand-sewers like myself. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEM?? I would have made more as I have tons of fabric left, but I ran out of liquid stitch and poly-fill.

:)Thanks guys!

New upcycled crafts!

[look-closer.livejournal.com]

The idea of upcycling is, you take something that would otherwise be trash/recyclable and you turn it into something useful! Etsy's running a contest for upcycled crafts, and these were my two entries!



( old typewriter turned desk organizer )

( word art coffee table book )

(no subject)

[cats-meow2454.livejournal.com]

( * )

(no subject)

[exploitedfairy.livejournal.com]

Hi guys, just thought I'd share some of the things I've been working on lately for my degree...

I've been working on an installation of an imaginary forest with creatures, plants, flowers and flooring. I've been mainly working with canvas/calico and print for the past few weeks (moving onto plastic later on for some parts of the flowers). Here are some photos of the rag rugs, fabric creatures and prints that I've done! There's tonnes more photos at my flickr, so I won't swamp here with everything...



( more photos )

Pillow/blanket thing

[ginnski.livejournal.com]

So I made my mom a pillow that turns into a blanket... ( Moooo )

(no subject)

[xoroxstarbunni.livejournal.com]

Hello...I need some advice...
I want to make a few pillows for my daughters bed because she keps taking mine..LOL..She likes the big pillows I have that are queen size.
I was wondering what would be the measurermrnts for a queen size pillow. I dont know how to do that yet because Im just learning how to do some craft stuff...

So, if anyone can help me out that would be great. I know where to buy the fabric. Really cute fabric from Walmart but I need measurments...

Also, does everyone here use cotton for the filling or is there something else everyone uses thats soft too.. PLease let me know..thanks,
Samantha

no-framed photographs.

[totalsikeout.livejournal.com]

im prefacing my question with "i promise i've searched the memories".
with that said, im guessing this quesion has been answered before, but unfortunately im not sure of all the correct terminology to search for, so i'm having little luck.

im curious as to what type of glue i can use on professional grade photo paper to secure a picture to a piece of wood without eventually causing damage to the photo or its quality.

a friend and i had some photos taken of our tattoos for our tattoo artist [late christmas] and we want a very "diy"-esque frame/mount for the photo.

i wanted to hopefully get a piece of 1/4" thick walnut or cherry wood to lay the photo on top of.
the wood will also be cut to the same measurements of the photo... so there will be no type of frame or border.

ive also heard that there is some sort of liquid that can be used to coat the top of the photo to prevent scratches over time.
im incredibly hesitant to paint anything over the top of the photograph,... but perhaps its some sort of spray?

if anyone could let me know what glue wouldnt harm the photo, but hold up well, and also if there is any kind of protectant that can be used directly on top of the photo [in lieu of glass] .. i would be so grateful!

( adding one of the photos from the session, so it isnt text only. after some cropping and a bit of editing this one may be used and framed. NOT SAFE FOR WORK, however. tasteful nudity. )

thanks in advance
:]

(no subject)

[hope-you-dig-it.livejournal.com]

hello fellow crafters!


i'm in need of some advice!

( read............. )

crafty fun in Ventura CA?

[funnyshoes.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know if there are any fun craft groups in Ventura CA, or in the surrounding areas(Santa Barbara-Camarillo)? I know of a cool knitting store in Ventura with muy expensivo classes, and there is a community college with classes too... but does anyone know of any knitting clubs, or general craft meetings that are not entirely operated and attended by blue hairs?

I moved to Ventura over a year ago, and Im STILL looking for some crafty goodness...

Help? Thank ye!!

Octopus crafts

[laurooa.livejournal.com]

I was hoping some of you might have some ideas for Octopus crafts. I’ve been looking for ages for a pattern to make a stuffed octopus, but have had no luck. But anything really that you might have saved or know about that is Octopus related I would love to see it, and I mean anything! Thanks.

first finished human-sized scarf :p

[arekin.livejournal.com]

Hello! I was the one with the knitting problem a while ago. Following the suggestions I redo the stockinette and re-knitted the scarf in k1p1 ribbing. Counted together, this was my 3rd attempt in knitting (1st one was a scarf in doll-size, the 2nd one was the stockinette one, unfinished...)

Once again thanks to all who helped me! I'll try the k2p2 ribbing next, with thinner yarn :3


What's this hairy object??

( +2 )

(no subject)

[xflipflopsx.livejournal.com]

I have a $10 gift card to Michael's and I have no idea what I want to make. Any suggestions?

Cell Phone Cozy

[cest-la-vie.livejournal.com]

Cell Cozy with Red Speckled yarn and a brass button

( Two more pics )

I guess since I couldn't get anywhere today (I am not a snow driver) I had some time on my hands.  I probably should have made a bigger dent in the laundry or even cleaned up around the house, but I gave myself a snow day. 

(no subject)

[zillion-eyes.livejournal.com]

I just bought this book and I love it. I highly recommend it.

It shows many creative and unique ways to use tee-shirts, many of them are low- or no-sew projects. From tee-shirt surgeries and totes, to pillows and lampshades, this book is really cool.

Has anyone else ever heard of it?


"Tease . ." edited by Sarah Sockit

(I stole the pic from Amazon haha)


I had a question about one of the projects, too. There's a simple pillow in here that just requires cutting two squares, cutting "fringe" and tying the fringe together and putting in the polyfill. Does anyone know what this might look like if I tied the fringe in the way so that it's on the inside? Would the outer edge be too messy/unstable?

Thanks!

Knit Legwarmers

[sharmelon.livejournal.com]

Okay, maybe it should be "Knit Legwarmer", single.

Still a WIP, as I've only finished one. I'm hoping I've got enough yarn left to make the second one. ;D These came out, not quite what I wanted, but still nice. I'm just working with my stash. The next pair I make, I'll buy yarn specifically for the project, and will make wider (and longer) so that the weight will make them slouch more.

one finished legwarmer! one to go..

( +1 from its early stages )

For those that want to knit their own pair, I jotted down the pattern in flickr. It's in the comments. ^_^

Need help with Badge-A-Minit 1 1/4" button maker

[bestill.livejournal.com]

I've got the Badge-a-minit 1-1/4" button maker (bench press). I have yet to make 1 button that is good. I called and talked to their customer support, and they thought maybe I had a defective ring set. They sent me a new ring set, which I got today. I was all excited thinking I could FINALLY make a good button. But I still can't even with the new rings.

I have followed the directions. I don't know if I am doing something wrong. It always seems one side of the plastic is not caught or something. I have tried different ways to push the rings down to do it evenly, and nothing seems to make a difference. Do those of you with this button maker have any advice? I used to have their 2-1/2" handpress, and don't remember having this much trouble. I remember sometimes the buttons didn't work, but I did have success. I have had zero success with this and am frustrated. Plus, I've wasted a lot of parts.

P.S. I am new to this community and found it through googling Badge-a-minit problem!

Crochet Question

[soindywaits.livejournal.com]

Hello Dears,

I have a question about a crochet project I am undertaking. I'm very new to crocheting, in fact, I've only made swatches thus far, and insanely I want to venture to a harder project. When I saw this crochet pattern (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=114316.0) in a response a few posts ago to the quest for octopus patterns, I fell in lovez<3

Anyway, my question--I don't understand exactly what I should do for step two (wow, I get caught up in step two ... good sign that I am out of my league). The original pattern calls for "Round 2: *1 Single Crochet in one, 2 Single Crochet in 1* around (12 total)" ...er, where exactly am I single crocheting? Here's a picture of step one:

( Pikky Pikky )

Did I even do that right, heehee. Please help :)

nice, wool felt

[sticky-glue.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know where I can find some wool felt in softer, neutral-like colors (instead of those bright, basic colors most felt comes in). I live in Missouri and I've checked out JoAnn's, Hancock, and Micheals, but no luck? Thanks - and sorry for text only.

my kitty bag

[ex-miss-adda231.livejournal.com]

So here are a couple of pics...  One very serious one of me clutching it, but hey its no fashion show... :P  I got this from a pattern, but I appliqued the kitty and heart on there for fun!

Hey crafty community, I need some wedding ideas!

[lovealwaysliz.livejournal.com]

I'm getting married in June. Small wedding, just parents, siblings, and grandparents (and the officiant and his wife and baby)...so we're talking approx 15 people including my fiance and myself....Now, I just graduated from college, I'm landing a new job, yada yada, and I'm going to play the role of super-woman for the next few months by throwing this together in the next what....5 months?

It's an outdoor wedding, weather permitting, at a cabin. We want to make an archway to stand under, but not one of those silly plastic white kind they use on TV for cheap weddings... Going with the nature theme I would love to make it out of wood-perhaps even fallen tree branches (I love trees, I don't want to harm any!). Has anyone ever done anything of the like? I know there's a lot of crafty gardeners out there! ;)

Also since it would be outdoors I would like to create a walk-way to this said archway, but I don't want to use one of those roll out paper things. I was thinking bright white flower petals to line the ground, but I'm afraid that would be expensive, and if I were to use fake petals that would be a big mess to pick up (and no way would I leave it out for some poor bunny or bird to choke on! Pollution = BAD). Any suggestions???

bunnys!

[andricongirl.livejournal.com]

angry bunny, sad bunny, and under the weather bunny

block printing

[marajane01.livejournal.com]

Two quick questions:

1. Does anyone know if Hobby Lobby carries block printing supplies? (ie: linoleum, cutters, ink, rollers)

2. If any of you needle-felt, where do you get your wool and needles? I've tried the JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby near here, but they don't seem to have anything for it.

Also, I knitted two scarves over the weekend, which i have yet to take pictures of, and I started another (yarn sale at Hobby Lobby!); the yarn I'm working with now is so soft that... my boyfriend is using the skein as a pillow as i speak! hehe..

Thanks in advance!

Question about stencils/patterns

[weeping-cloud.livejournal.com]

My brother is leaving for Missouri and I'd like to make him a fleece blanket. I'd like to cut out Che Guvara's Face from fleece and sew it onto the blanket. So my question is, how would you suggest I should go about making a pattern large enough to cut out? I would just print it offline and the make a stencil, but I think that would be too small and look off on the large blanket. Any ideas?

(I tried looking for a poster of him because hes a rather popular fellow, but couldn't find any =/ )