First Foray into Stamp Making!

I'm finally participating in a Craftster Swap after a 2 year hiatus!
And of course it had to be a Harry Potter Swap...
Specifically, Back to Hogwarts Round 7 (insert link)

I've decided to try making a Stamp for all of my partner's most important Owl Post Letters.

The first thing I had to do was think of a design, I used my Hand Drawn app (link) and came up with this:

Can I just say how much fun that app is? It's so easy to use and I've gotten quite silly with it. Perhaps one day a blog post might happen all about that. But lets just get through this post first, huh?

What a neat way of transferring a pattern on the stamp pad?!!! 

Pencil Transfer, who knew? But this was a mess up as I don't know how mirror images work.

Sheesh.

Above is my first attempt at the pencil transfer, and me (not understanding how mirroring works) thought it was incorrect and tried again.

(But really it WAS correct and I'm an idiot!)

Sheesh.

Here's how far I got when I realized my mistake...

So it turns out I need to do that whole thing over again...Live and learn and laugh it off!

Morgan got to learn how to carve too by practicing on my mess up!

She needed a bandaid...

I ended up doing it correctly the next time, and it turned out pretty darn cool!

I'd totally try stamp making again!

Stampy Cake!

For Morgan's Birthday 2 years ago, we made a Stampy Longnose Cake!

Lee and his brother, Jay, made a rainbow/tie dye cake and I decorated!

Those guys are adorable working in the kitchen together!

Fairly easy when I thought it out.

I made a grid, used Hershey Bar blocks for the "black" parts, green sprinkles for the eyes, and the rest yellow frosting.

Miss Morgan loved her cake and I passed another year of sliding by another birthday party.

Her last year birthday, we had friends over to the house.

Like 16 friends, it was chaos.

Since her birthday is in December, we filled a bunch of squirt bottles with Kool Aid and had them "paint" the snow. Not thinking, I did mostly red since it's Morgan's fave color.

It looked like a massacre in the backyard! HA!

We had all the children decorate their own cupcakes.

It was chaos.

It looked like a massacre in my dining room!

Live and learn....Not completely sure I'd go down that route again.

Perhaps this year she'll finally agree to have 2 friends over for a sleepover and movie marathon?

I can dream, right?

Perler Flux Capacitor

It's what makes Time Travel Possible!

My kids and I love the Perler Beads! I can't wait until they get old enough to run the iron themselves, so I can be surprised at what crazy things their little brains come up with.

What I ESPECIALLY love about Perler Beads is they lend toward 8-16 bit animation beautifully.

It really calls to the 80s kid in me...PS I was born in the mid 70s......totally my era! 

TOTALLY!

HA!

I didn't even plan that!

Game of Thrones Wall Art

I'm not really one for the medium of Acrylic Paint...

But when IsikkahJai requested some Wall Art

for the GOT Swap, I though I'd give gradation a whirl. 

There's a spot in the yellow I could live without...

But the phrase is one from the Dothraki Book of Endearments.

Ok...

There's no such book,

it wouldn't be more than a pamphlet. 

Maybe, an index card.

The Dothraki are a hard people.

As and Extra I gave my partner a little jar for her Dragonglass!

(I'd bought little Obsidian Stones)

The label says

"Use in case of...Others"

Unfortunately, the glass jar broke en route.

At least the Dragonglass is made of stronger stuff!

Arya Scoffs at the Hound Mug!

Oh my poor, misunderstood Hound. 

He can be such a downer sometimes,

But you would be too if so many plans didn't go your way!

I crafted this Mug up for IsilkkahJai in the Game of Thrones Swap

IsikkahJai stated this scene as one of her favorites. 

Warning: possible SPOILERS in the next paragraph 

if you haven't watched the show or read the books. 

When Sandor and Arya reach The Vale so he can ransom

Her to her Aunt Lysa, they find Lysa "not at home". 

Sandor's shoulders slump and Arya practically cackles!

She just laughs, and laughs and laughs some more. 

What's so delightfully disconcerting 

is the release she and the audience get from the laughing. 

Arya's been leading a pretty serious, hard life for a bit and

It almost seems strange to see a smile on her,

but....

every Direwolf has its Day! 

I have my own love for The Hound...

we haven't seen the last of him yet!

Foxy Sharpie Mug!

Insert catcall here!

So foxy!

This saucy mug was made for Jillybeans 

in the Enchanted Forest/Woodland Swap.

Details:

Good old Oil Based Sharpies again...

But lately I've been Stamping my letters.

I've used the ink that came with the stamps,

but I think I need to let the stamp in dry completely

before going over with

the Sharpie.

I believe the ink and Sharpie may have melded making for 

a 2-toned effect.

I was fine with it here...I think it gives some depth.

But, I don't think it would be appropriate in every case.

Speaking of appropriate...

1UP Upcycled Bag

As you may well know (or not)

I have 2 kids...

a daughter (oldest) and a son.

 This son of mine LOVES his older sister,

it's a regular case of "Monkey See, Monkey Do around here.

A while ago, Miss Morgan got into bags.

She sees me carry around at least 2 most times...

so who could blame her, really?

Will requested a bag and who was I to say no?

Originally, I had tried all sorts of Glow in the Dark

fabric markers and paint so our 1up Bag could have a little oomph.

As you can see...

The result wasn't pretty.

So, I went over it with regular white acrylic.

Much better!

Next it needed a Messenger Bag sized strap,

so I found a super long Green Zipper I'd liberated from 

something...green.

I don't really remember what clothes I took it from and what 

got made from whatever it was.

Shame on me!

I love the trick of sewing around the Zipper Teeth so the Pull

stops where you want it to!

I attached the zipper to the bag's existing strap ends

where I cut.

(Making sure to fold in the raw edges)

I then outlined in Black Gel Fabric Pen and

gave the little guy some eyes.

Done!

And now my little guy can carry around whatever

his little heart desires.

Everyone needs a Bag of Holding!

Upcycled Fingerless Gloves!

So this idea just popped in my head today...

I should be doing other things, 

but I just got too giddy with the notion of a quick little project.

Behold! 

I upcycled my son's "too small" socks into Fingerless Gloves!

Just find some socks around the house.

You know they're there. Just taking up space: in a dust rag or waiting to be donated bin.

These particular socks fit Will when he was 4 years old, if that gives you any indication of sizing.

So I've found my socks, the next step is to cut the toes off.

You don't have to be too exact on this as the raw edge tends to roll.

Then comes the Thumb Hole.

In most of these "Character Socks" the trademark/copyright for said characters is somewhere

on the bottom of the foot. 

If its there, flatten the sock out and grab your sissors again...

I made my hole smaller than I thought would be necessary due to stretchage.

This placement also allows for the Heel to act as the Thumb Gusset. 

Magical!

Then try on for size!

Yay! You're done!

Unless...

you want to do a little Blanket Stitch on the raw edges of the Fingers and Thumb.

I opted not to finish off with stitching and just let them be.

I'm not looking at these to become heirlooms 

and it would take away from...

 my lightning fast start to finish time!

Potter Switch-plate!

Almost a 1 1/2 years ago (during summer), 

I developed a strained thumb.

It seriously messed with my Crafty Mojo!

I couldn't crochet (which is what I think caused the strain),

knit, or embroider. 

What's a Crafty Girl to do?

I could hold a marker!

Even though Melissa's Birthday wasn't until February, 

I made this Potter Switch-plate for her and held onto it

for months and months...

I'm terrible with Secrets like that!!!!

But I persevered.

Somehow...

For the details:

I found the Switch-plate at the Thrift Store.

Sketched the design "free hand" with pencil.

Colored in with Oil Based Sharpies.

"Happiness can be found in the darkest of times,

when one only remembers to turn on the light."

-Albus Dumbledore

Finn and Jake Clock of Mathmatical Awesomeness!

I have always wanted to "alter" a clock...

Just to see if I could.

I made this for GrindHouseHussy19 in the Frozen Swap as an "extra".

We had so many of the same fandomish loves

we'd agreed to do some Frozen goodies 

and also branch out for a few more items.

The details:

This was a $5 Target Clock.

Removing the clock mechanism was relatively easy

needing only a screwdriver (not sonic) and some sass.

The front glass...

not so much.

I cracked it with the removal effort!

I went ahead anyway and painted the original clockface with 

Land of Ooo Sky Blue.

Or, it resembles Finn's shirt color closely too,

think what you will.

Then, lining up the original clockface center hole

with the Finn/Jake image 

I reattatched the clockwork.

I made sure to insert some batteries to make

absolutely sure

the clock hands worked as they should.

I watched it for about 1/2 a day.

Not the whole time,

that would be crazy.

I love crafting, but I don't think I 

could watch just one clock for that long.

Whovian Hidden Book of Mystery!

This is a "Secret Compartment" Book

I crafted up such a long time ago for

Grindhousehussy19 as an extra in the Frozen Swap.

I had been saving this Thrift Store Find of a book

for the perfect Whovian.

It even had a wonderful Tardis color to it!

So I went for the zen approach to cutting out the rectangle below 

as it can get real tedious...real fast.

Little Tip: 

If you take the thinnest bit and drill the 4 corners,

it makes for cleaner cutting.

Geez, looking at this pic, my straight edges are not so straight.

Oh well, Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey right?

I also slippped her some Whovian Bottlecap Magnets.

Dimensional Magic rules!

And a big Thank You to Shannon 

who gave me some bottlecaps to craft up!

Allons-y!

Drawing Challenge Day 24: A Couple

Day 24: A Couple

PB+J=BBF's 4EVER!!!

They're always hanging out. 

I swear,

people might think they're...

up to something. 

Drawing Challenge Day 22: Something You Miss

Day 22: Something You Miss

Coffee!!!

My Caffeinated Tale of Woe.

A year ago or so,

I had the usual tests done for Cholesterol

and Triglycerides.

I did not do well on these tests.

Changes needed to be made!

My preferred method of coffee-making at the time

was a French Press.

I LOVED my French Press.

I wrote poems about it.

I adored the mechanics and ceremony of brewing in it.

In my googling of ways to lower Triglycerides,

I discovered you could lower them by using a paper filter with your coffee.

Something to do with an oil that paper filters off the foil filters don't.

But, I thought, I use a French Press!

I went downstairs to my conventional Coffee Maker

(kept there for when my dad visits) and there was the cache of filters.

I painstakingly cut filters to size.

Ok, this is going way too long about the French Press...

Perhaps I should've sketched a picture of that instead?

Long story short (too late)

I also went to 1/2 caf and eventually cut out coffee altogether.

My numbers went down CONSIDERABLY!

I drink tea now.

Tea is good...

Earl Grey rules.

But I still keep coffee, for guests I tell myself,

but the true reason is to open that cabinet in which the coffee is kept

and take a big sniff.

Just smelling it is enough to relax and invigorate.

I miss you coffee.

I hope you're doing well.

Drawing Challenge Day 21: Something You Want

Day 21: Something You Want

A Painted Peg Board for the Crafty Cave!

And the thing is,

we have the pegboard in the garage.

It's just a matter of  doing it.

Sometimes my procrastination

is an Olympic Event...

and I win the gold!

;)

Drawing Challenge Day 20: Something Orange

Day 20: Something Orange

Today was "Something Orange"

I was "shocked" there was not a single Orange Marker in 

my budding Copic Collection.

One quick jaunt to Michael's later...

This spattering of circles, 

while orange,

may look like a bunch of oranges...

But there was something else I wanted to try 

and that's blending.

(Especially after getting my Colorless Blender!)

After watching a few tutorials I gave it a try,

noting which techniques used.

Thanks to Anika for the "Dot" idea.

Thanks to Melissa for being my "Marker Inabler".

Speaking of Melissa,

she's doing a Photo a Day challenge on her Instagram...

Her challenge was "Something Orange" too!

CRAZY!

Drawing Challenge Day 19: Something New

Day 19: Something New 

Harem Pants!

I sewed some new harem pants to wear at my first ATS Level 2 class!

We've had a week off between sessions and I'm so pumped to belly dance again. 

(Not that I couldnt outside of class...but I think you get my drift.)

This was also the first endeavor with my colorless blender copic marker. 

I like the almost batik ness created. 

I'll definitely have to play around with this little guy. 

Drawing Challenge Day 18: Just a Doodle

Day 18: Just a Doodle

So yesterday the family and I went to Pridefest in our town.

My absolute favorite part of the parade

was seeing my friend Jenn M

leading the motorcycles

(big stinky loud ones, mind you)

on her kick ass scooter!

She was smiling from ear to ear with

her adorable dog, Patterson, on her lap.

Such joy and cuteness tends to stick in my head!

Drawing Challenge Day 17: Fave Plant

Day 17: Fave Plant

African Violets

I love African Violets.

They're nearly impossible to kill,

have a soft fuzz,

and always turns toward a sunny window.

Good qualities in most anything if you ask me!

Drawing Challenge Day:16 Inspiration

Day 16: Inspiration

When thinking about this prompt, I looked around my little past posts on this blog

 to see if things leaned one way or another. 

They do, for the most part. 

Media. 

I LOVE my media!

I love the escapism it lends and how craftily twisting things

 in a clever way

 makes me feel oh so clever myself. 

When I can find that one inside joke that maybe no one else gets but me is one of my favorite things!

But, when someone else *does* get it,

 it's the best ever and I know I've found a friend. 

Drawing Challenge Day 15: Family Portrait

Day 15: Family Portrait

Adventure Time Style!

Ok, I've decided I need more Copic Markers!

I didn't have the specific colors I "needed" to complete this. 

But, today is about a Family Portrait. 

I went with Adventure Time stand-ins for us as I wasn't in the mood to do anything lifelike and we just got a killer Fionna and Cake book. 

Yay!

So here's "who's who":

Lee=Ice King

Me=Lumpy Space Princess

Morgan=Fionna

Will=Finn

Weezer=Günter

These representations may or may not have anything to do with our actual personalities. 

(snicker, snicker)