Shopping the patterns...

Here's a pattern I printed up awhile ago and bought the yarn sometime last year with the original idea to make one of these for my daughter and another for my niece for .... last Christmas!!! 
And then, I had the yarn sitting on my nightstand for months waiting for the right moment to start, especially because the beginning was something like, chain 89, which I knew would take me some time to do.  I have a harder time with crochet and figuring out what goes in which stitch.   
Nevertheless, I finally started the pattern a few weeks ago and finished, actually fairly quickly - in about a month.  And the result - its still quite big for my 7 year old - so it will have to wait until at least next Spring to get worn...  That should give me enough time to put a button on it :)

A needlepoint bracelet

Working on a kit...




 
 















I purchased this kit on sale (that is a theme with the items I get!) a few years ago and well, it fits the crafty need of both jewelry making and needlepoint/crosstitch. 
So I forged ahead with it.  The needlepoint part was very fun.  Stitching the ribbon and the beads on - not too fun.  It's nice to do when I have someone to talk to - so a good project to work on when my friend comes over for our craft/jewelry making time!
And to be clear... I started this in June and just finished it today! 

I do like the way it turned out!  
The beads around the edge are a little wonky - they don't quite cover the fabric and
 I  may need to tweak the button strap on it - but that should be easy.
This is the first item I've done this year from my stitching bin - I really enjoy the stitching part and really would like to get to more of these items!  Sometimes, it is just overwhelming looking at all the options of what I can do -  it's such a first world problem to have, isn't it?

 






Projects finished: 15
Projects given away: 7+  I think this can be included as a project.)Weeks: about 27

Shopping the Yarn Store...

In my basement, that is.  
I am determined to only use the yarn that I already own to make things, even as gifts for other people.
So here is another set of baby booties, for another friend who just had a baby. 

I used 'I Love This Cotton!' by Hobby Lobby and it really knits (or crochets) up so much nicer than the Lily Sugar'n'Cream.  Another point as to why to only knit with good yarn!


And also a simple baby hat.

 Using up that yarn and making some nice gifts!

Projects finished: 16
Projects given away: 7+ 
Weeks: about 29

A Spark

That spark..... that feeling that I'm buried in stuff and I want to get rid of it!!! is continuing.  Its funny how I have been living in the same house for years and haven't bought that many new supplies in the past two years or so and yet, now, it just seems overwhelming when months ago, it felt fine. 
Now, I realize where I want to spend more of my time, with family and friends and doing other healthy things, than doing so many crafts.

 

I thought when I quit my job to stay home with the kids that I would be overwhelmed with free time and finally be able to do all the crafty things I had purchased through the years.  But the reality is, it takes time and work to raise a good, healthy family and I'm finally embracing that.  All this reading about intentional living and I think I'm finally getting it. 

• I don't want to tell the kids that they can't play something because I can't get to the toy or supplies because of all my stuff in the way. 
• I don't want to read all those backload of nursing journals that I thought I would get to once I quit work.  (I have nursing journals from ten years ago that haven't been touched!) 
• I don't want to spend all my days sitting on the couch knitting and crocheting (although I do like to relax with it while watching a good show at night). 
• I don't want to look at all the craft stuff in the basement and not know what to do because I have too many options. 
• I don't want to make things just for the sake of making things.

It's seeing those limits that is helping me want to pass on my stuff.  How long do craft items last anyway?  
I do want to spend my at-home time with my kids doing fun stuff.

• I do want to read current information in my field of nursing to keep up-to-date.
• I do want to be more active - not sit on the couch.  (I realized this when I saw there was a knitting/crocheting club at my church and its the same time as an exercise class that I've been going to for awhile.  I would rather go to the exercise class than the knitting club - that helps choose my priorities).
• I do want to spend more time designing jewelry to sell.  This too needs to be a priority over the other crafts if I really want to be successful with it.
• I do like to make things with intended purposes - either as gifts, or artwork with a place to go in the house.

And with these thoughts in mind, I have a big purge today...
Major amounts of yarn - not all of it, but enough to get rid of one of those 91 gallon bins.
My plan is to try and sell it on Craigslist, although I just checked and there are a lot of other people purging their yarn collections too.  So we'll see how it goes.

I'm getting rid of all of this.....


That's a lot of yarn!  Enough to fill up 3 garbage bags!

 

Even getting rid of some knitted items (They will be donated to the before-mentioned church knitting club).

 

And that's one empty container of yarn!

Getting rid of the guilt....

Is gardening a craft?  Surely, it is a hobby, I don't know if it would be considered a craft.  It can be added to the repertoire of things that I like to do. 
When we moved into our house, we were the 3rd owners.  The first owners included a gardener.  Someone who made the yard beautiful with all kinds of flowers (or so I am told) and from what I have seen.  We had an area of a yard that used to be a bed of weeds - or so I called it.  I'm sure it was beautifully curated at one time but between the first owner and us, I don't think it was taken care of too well!.
Here's a picture from 2005 - nicely overgrown

 Since then, we have scaled back on flowers, trees and weeds and made it fit our lifestyle.  So here's the now picture:

When we were cleaning out that area, which we did in stages, my husband just wanted to whack everything down and then roto-till the land.  However, in part of that wild area were hundreds upon hundreds of daffodils - they were just gorgeous in the spring.  And all different varieties.  And so I insisted on painstakingly digging each one up, because of course, I seem to think I live in a land with 100 hour days and I would have time to replant all of them.  (Mind you, with 3 little kids underfoot.)
Picture of some of the beautiful daffodils....

Well, reality has set in, and I have finally, after many requests from my husband, decided to get rid of all of my daffodil bulbs.  It's just one more guilt-ridden thing to look at that needs to "be done".  So, I don't know how long daffodil bulbs are good for, but I put them on freecycle 30 minutes ago and already have 2 requests. 

 

 Look at all those bulbs!!!

Projects finished: 14
Projects given away: 7+  I think this can be included as a project.)
Weeks: about 27

More Cards

I seem to be pretty good at finishing card crafts this year - maybe because they are so easy and quick!  I'm all for the quick gains.  And I am definitely stocked for years to come with cards - albeit very beautiful semi-handcrafted cards.   With school starting, I'm hoping these crafting days will be more regular.  My neighbor and I like to get together and craft - usually beading is involved, but I've been on other kicks lately - knitting, crocheting and card-making.  And it is always easier to get together when the kids are in school - at least most of them.

So.... here is a set of beautiful glitter made butterfly cards.  So glad I finally got the chance to make them.  I can't wait to send them to someone.

 

 Here's the picture of the package  - I think they turned out better than the ones on the package - probably because I had glitter from all the past Martha Stewart cards that I've made - more choices of colors.

And there's been this feeling floating around in me lately.  I think it started because I decided to clean and organize my beading area.  And much to my husband's horror, I had my beads spread out everywhere and I have a lot of beads!!, which I don't often show here because, well I do sell my jewelry creations on Etsy so I have a different feeling toward that hobby/moneymaker. 
But, overall - I'm just tired of all the stuff - all the toys, all the books, all the clothes, all the craft stuff, all the useless house décor items in our basement, all the time it takes to sort through and move around items to get around the house and I've really been starting to purge a lot - A REALLY LOT!!!!!
I only say start because it is a process.  Clean out some and then more gets unearthed and its time to reevaluate and get rid of more.  My family is contemplating a move in the next year or two and I keep imagining what it would be like for someone to walk through our house - who would want to buy this house with mounds of crap everywhere?  And how many pounds is it/how much would it cost to move this stuff?  This is our first house, so we previously moved with a Uhaul truck and a bunch of friends 10 years ago.  But with 3 kids added to the mix, I know that won't be possible the next time.
So this is the beginning of the crafty purging....

 Can you see the date?   It's a 2008 calendar - opened and looked through, but none have been done.  Previously, I always felt like I would like to make these -  for more cards ?!? Really, would I rather twist paper or play with the kids?  Enough said.

And this one - I bought to do with my daughter 2 years ago.  She was a little young to be able to get the crystals in place and got frustrated easily, so I put it away for awhile.  And then, last year, she went to visit her cousin and they made one - the exact same one!  And why am I still holding onto this?  The plan is for my daughter to give this to her BFF.

And then, today my neighbor commented that she thought the butterfly cards were beautiful and she would like to find something like this to do.  Again, with the magic cape.....
I whipped this glitter kit out and gave it away...

(This picture is from ebay - I gave it away before taking a picture of it.)

********************************************************************************************************
Projects finished: 14
Projects given away: 6+
Weeks: about 26

A Very Fun TUTU!!!

OK. I'll admit it.... I broke down and bought some crafting supplies - but these were some completely new and different supplies, not just a variation of other supplies, e.g. different yarn or beads.   And it was for a good cause.
A good friend of mine ran a race with me and I wanted to make it fun for both of us. 
Last year, my husband and I ran the Warrior Dash - and while he was great at running and doing the obstacles, he didn't always stay with me nor did he do the last obstacle - climbing through mud with barbed wire over your head - because he didn't want to get that muddy! 
So I needed a new running mate for my once a year challenge of running a race (Mudathlon) and my good friend from college offered (or did I cajole her into running - don't remember now), but she ran it and didn't complain.  And we had fun with matching outfits, including tutus.  A tutorial online showed me how and it was pretty easy but I did have to purchase the tulle and elastic for it....  So this may have set me back in acquiring more supplies but this kind of craft was worth it.  And somehow I think this is how it should be with craft supplies - I should buy what I need when I need it and then do the craft.  Because I can bet that if I was really bored and wanted a craft to do, I could always walk into a Michael's or Hobby Lobby and find something new and exciting to do.


If someone happens to look at this photo and go back to the tutorial to figure out how to make this - keep this in mind - when she says 10-12 yards of tulle - that's of the tulle by the yard, not the spool kind.  I probably used at least 65 pieces of 6inx36in tulle to make these - and probably could have used more like 75 pieces of tulle to make it really extra fluffy.  Also, if you use the glittery kind - the glitter gets everywhere!!!!