Lego Family Portrait!

Over at Craftster they're doing a Hoopla A-Long.

Our organizer posts a prompt for the month and we stitch up whatever 

comes to mind for said prompt.

May was "A Few of My Favorite Things".

I stitched my little family as Lego Minifigs!

Yes, that's Morgan as a Mermaid!

Will is super into Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.

Now he says he wants a shirt like this in REAL LIFE!

He was modeled after the Fred Weasley minifig.

Morgan had some issues with hers.

She doesn't like that she's a mermaid and the only one without glasses.

Too bad for her having great eyesight!

Morgan was inspired by Ginny Weasley.

Lee was incredibly easy. There just happened to be a

doppelganger minifig of him! I think he's doing some 

Lego modeling on the side.....

Mine was loosely based on Molly Weasley. 

Her smirk and eyebrows mostly.

As for the base fabric, I've been playing around with layering lately.

Muslin is SO transparent, why not make that a strength?

I like how this red floral gives a muted polka dot effect.

So, I've realized this may be the way to go for family portraits.

No one's eyes are closed or sticking their tongue out (MORGAN!) and

I don't have a double chin!

This is a "win, win" situation.

"C" Embroidery Hoop!

This Hoopla was for the Spell Your Name Swap Round 10.

"C" is for Carla....

(Do you have the Cookie Monster song in your head yet?)

I was going to go with either red or blue for the stitching.

I knew I wanted to use this bit of stash fabric and could've gone either way,

but her whole package seemed to be of red/white/blue happenstance and 

the decision was made for me.

An unintended theme of red/white/blue

additional posts to follow...

And now for the back:

I've really been favoring this finishing off method for the backs of hoops.

It could be that it's more of a "mobile project" than other ways to do it.

Except that pesky hot glue.

I have a tendency to slop it up.

Real BAD!

Thanks to The Lisa for supplying the Hoop itself in your stash bust!

Will luigi hat part 2

Way back at Christmas time, I had made a doubled up dk strand version of this hat. (post link)

It was indeed too small and seemed to make his eyes want to POP out of his head with how we would squeeze that hat atop his head!

A new, bigger hat was in order.

First off I removed the "L" patch. 

totally reusable!

I used a Kermit Green Red Heart yarn which is much closer to Luigi's signature green and the thicker yarn was the answer to the tight squeeze.

His head feels happy!

Loves his Luigi SO much he made Luigi Easter Eggs this year!

Happy Head makes for a happy boy!

There was just no getting around remaking this hat.

I finished it around Easter (hence the eggs) and he's worn it more often than not.

It's so nice to be appreciated in one's own time.

;) 

Misbehavin' Upcycled Glasses Case

Summer Nerd Games: 1st Project!!!!

Challenge: May Randomizer 45 points!

This challenge was all about reusing and recycling.

I decoupaged-up a Hard Glasses Case for Will!

I really channeled my inner "Browncoat" when writing up the description for the games...

Quote:

My "misbehavin'" son of 4 years old got glasses around Christmas this year and as the summer is upon us, I'm realizin' we need to stash 'em every once in a while. Reckon' with swimmin' and such he needs to take care of those dern thangs.  

I took a hard glasses case we had layin' around here and whipped it up somethin' fierce!

I also hot glued some thin grey bias tape to cover my ragged edges.

Covered up the whole thing with Mod Podge...

and it turned out...

Shiny!

My Summer of Nerdery!

But then again...
Aren't ALL my summers chock full of nerdery?

I'm joining THE SUMMER NERD GAMES over at Craftster.org!!!

The team I've joined is "OF SHIPS AND MEN" which includes Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who...just about anything that would have some rogues on a vehicle.
I mention it because we get extra points for including our Geekdom Team in our crafty projects we submit.

This summer is going to be all about getting some projects done I've had on the back-burner for a while and to also basque in the Nerd Love.

TEAM PRIDE!!!!

badge credit: Eiseldora

Evil Queen Spats of the10th Kingdom

Oh that Evil Queen (played by Dianne Wiest) is so very fashion forward.
Her color palate of purple and green jewel tones call to me.

I sewed up some spats inspired by her for the 10th Kingdom Craftster.org swap.

I totally believe she would sport these under her massive cloak. 

It would not do to soil one's footwear whilst stomping on hopes and dreams.....

This is my inspiration image.

Isn't she magnificent?

Here are a few more close-ups.

  

The green fabric is upcycled from a baby dress of Morgan's. The black scrolling was already part of the skirt.

I lined the spats with some purple satin found at a garage sale. 

I think I was originally going to make a superhero cape, but there ended up to be not enough.

Spat lining it was meant to be!

Sewed in some ribbon for sassy bows, which make them very adjustable...and sassy.

I've got to say, these colors are very reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent for me. 

Perhaps it's why I'm so drawn to them....

Sometimes I like a "good" bad guy

10th Kingdom Tote!

Words to live by!

Crafted for the 10th Kingdom Swap, I used a store bought canvas tote and my 

super addictive fine point gel fabric marker.

For some texture...

stitched with green varigated embroidery thread. 

My "take away" from this project is the grooves in the canvas fabric

are VERY  hard to draw a smooth line over with the gel pen.

                                          

(another "take away" is i want a bright pink sheep.)

Prizes for sleuthery!

Within the recent post of Thriftin Fun I posed a challenge...
I'd found an object I had no idea of how to identify it...or in other words what the heck it was in the first gall-darned place.
Melissa and Claire were the Super Sleuths!
Here's the breakdown:
Melissa contacted Claire
Claire contacted her Mom
Claire's Mom had owned one and knew exactly what it was!

Here's the prize I gave them for coming to my rescue...with knowledge!

I made Melissa and Claire Stamped Washer Keychains!

I love making these.

It really becomes quite a stress reliever to wield the hammer.

BAM!

I do recommend ear plugs....

Or listening to a killer podcast. 

While I had all my stampy stuff out I made these two washer necklaces for the LOVELY COUPLE Jenn and Anna who got married last week.

This is the best (unsolicited) advice I can give anyone who takes the plunge.

Kind of cool, the phrase looks great when worn together, 

or can be sported away from the other and each word still works.

Because one can still be connected even if 

not in the same room.

Mug Rugs!

Just realizing lately...

I've been making quite a few Mug Rugs for swaps lately.

The last one was for an actual, stand alone Mug Rug Swap. 

Here's the Mallrats Mug Rug.

Made for the Spell Your Name Swap, I applied it to the letter "A".

"Askewniverse warm comfort drink Accessories"

That kid is BACK on the elevator again!

Back of Mallrats Mug Rug.

Next up is a bittersweet mug rug.

I was in the Star Trek Swap and the package I sent was declared by the post office "Dead Mail".

This was one of the casualties.

Capt. Picard Mug Rug.

Our Beloved Capt. loves his tea. He loves it HOT!

The Molecule pictured is THEANINE, found in black tea.

The replicator abides.

Kudos to Joann Fabrics for making rad fabric available!!!

Speaking of Rad Fabrics, I love the Key Fabric also found at Joanns.

This was made for an ACTUAL Mug Rug Swap.

My inspiration was Steampunk and to make one big huge Teesha Moore style patch: 

At least one that would be streamlined enough to set a hot cuppa on without it tipping over.

One of my many attempts at Steampunkery.

The back I sewing machine quilted some gears...so steampunk, right?

My partner's colors were earth tones.

The goggles were painted on in the Fabric Marker watercolor technique.

Zippers for Trim!

This was inspired by a past craftster post the partner had made

of some super cool steampunk lace/zipper cuffs she crafted up.

I LOVE a good mug rug!

It just seems to make the kitchen counter a little more cozy.

(also I spill a lot. ;) )

To Boldly Watercolor!

To Boldly Watercolor where I've never watercolored before!

I stretched myself for this one.

Never, never I say, have I really tried to create an image in watercolor before this.

I stumbled onto a youtube tutorial on watercolor pencils and realized I could make more than a big blob of color!

Image from a coloring book page. 

I would LOVE this coloring book. It looked to be from the 1970's Saturday morning cartoon!

These were painted up for the Star Trek V Swap on craftster. I kind of did them as a tiny little extra, but they ended up being one of my favorite things included.

This particular swap had the dubious distinction of being the first ever for me to be lost.

Lost in the mail.

Declared DEAD MAIL.

Sent to Atlanta to be auctioned off because the post office destroyed the box on transit.

I took pictures before I sent so there is some record of crafts made, and forms were filled out to be kept on file with the PO.

There was one thing returned....I'll make that it's own special post because it's...

The Craft Who Lived.

(I know...not the right franchise. I'm going to allow it because I feel it applies. tee hee.)

Snow White Apple

Ah, what a dreary day.

I think I'll daydream of Evil Queens and Poisoned Apples.

This apple I hooked up for a 10th Kingdom Swap.

Snow White's apple to pin it down.

It's a pattern from the Rosie Langlitz book Tasty Crochet. It's also an amigurumi pattern so it's only supposed to be about 2 1/2 inches tall with worsted weight. 

I wanted the apple to make a statement, so I worked it up in a thick chenille and N hook!

I think it only took about an hour to do, but what a payoff!

Camryn Manheim plays the all too short role of Snow.

Seriously, she should have had WAY more screen time, if just for the fact

of having a non-conventional princess!!!

I also, am not sure if the choice of black and white was to switch it up a bit or

because of the dream-like environment.

These are the things I think about.

I daydream, therefore...

I am!