We're Back!

I tried to blog a couple of times while we were in the UK, to no avail. So here we are back at home! Nice and early too! I am getting al the photos from our camera, onto the computer right now, so tommorrow I'll post photos! We are pretty tired, but happily made our connecting flight from vancouver to victoria! If we had missed the flight we would be taking the ferry and not getting in until late this evening. So we had a great time. London was overwhelming and I got sick (food poisoning i think) and ended up in the hospital, due to not being able to keep anything down and feinting. London was realy hot and humid and our room was a bit dank and had no air-con, so we boiled! Even though I was out of commision for a good while we managed to see and do A LOT in London. Oh and the same day that I got sick jack got sick too. At the breakfast buffet in our hotel, he threw up al over Cory ..... terrible! But after that Jack was better. Our second hotel in London was much better and in a better location, so that half of the experience was better! We drove from London all the way to Dumfries (where my Nana lives) in just one day! We'd planned to stop in or near Manchester, but decided to keep going as Jack was being quite good in the car. Oh and they upgraded our rental car so we got a very nice Vauxhall Zafia! We took it pretty easy the first couple days in Dumfries, but after that went out on lots of adventures to castles, farms and many pubs! It was so nice to stay with my Nana, and feel relaxed and comfortable! I have so much more to say, but my hands are sore from typing so I'll write more tommorrow! Take care!

Flying Star Toys

I spotted this on Esty the other day and had to share it with everyone! It's a hanging fish mobile! So cute. It's from the shop: www.flyingstartoys.etsy.com . Jack wants a fish themed birthday party and this would be perfect!

A Change?

I think I need a change. I'm wanting to get back to my roots, of art instead of cute crochet goodies. Not that I don't like making cute little critters, just that I feel I have more to give. I've been doing a lot of admiring on etsy and found quite a few shops I love. I am going to be featuring the first shop starting tommorrow. I plan to feature one shop a week. Tonight I will be busy putting the finishing touches on my bee bag and doing some much needed relaxing! Tommorrow plan to just hang out with the family and prepare for our trip. It's hard doing these relaxing things when I have so much creative energy bursting around, but I really do need to take it easy before our big journey!

A Few Projects Here

It looks as though I have completed quite a few things lately so I best be posting photos! All of the projects are from the Rockabilly Swap that I just finished. The bird skeleton necklace is something I am doing for my etsy shop. I'll post photos of other things as soon as Jack and I are finished playing in the sandbox!! It's too nice a day to be inside !

Whirl Wind

I have been caught up in a great whirl wind of activity! I was in Nanaimo the weekend before last, then spent most of last week in Vancouver. This weekend I was busy working on stuff for one of my swaps and making things for our upcoming trip. The trip to the UK is coming so much faster than I imagined! I have almost finished my GIANT carry on bag and completed one sleep mask for myself. I've cut out the fabric for Jack's passport cover and hope to get that done this week. We have been having a great time together as a little family, it's so great how capable Jackson is now! We have also run into some more terrible temper tantrums though. On Granville Island Jack had a flailing, screaming, running fit that lasted for over 10 minutes ...... it was scarey as I was by myself and the only way off the island was by the slly little boats that run there. I felt helpless and very trapped, something I haven't ever felt! Motherhood sure is a ride!

Another One

I've joing ANOTHER swap ... i just couldn't help myself! It's a skull/skeleton swap. I am doing a day of the dead theme for my dining room so it's perfect! Here are some pics I found!

The Other Presents!

So I completed the other presents for my friend and her wee one. (The tattoo diaper bag was one of the gifts) So here are the other two! The bonnet was a hit, but some of the great grandmas were a bit shocked i think! The family had a good little weekend in Nanaimo and are heading off to Vancouver tommorrow, for a few days! I'm hoping to get some stuff at Dressew ..... my favorite store in the world! Other than that we'll just be hanging out with Cory's cousin and toodling around town!

The Results

So I got a lot done when Jackson was in daycare! I finished a daiper bag, the swirl baby blanket and cut out a cape pattern for myself! I decided to put piping on the bag and it turned out fantastic, though it was harder than I thought! Here are photos of the bag and blanket! Also I'm doing two more projects for the baby shower, one which is cuper cute!! ack had a great day at daycare and was a little angel the next day! He's doing pretty well today aslo! I decided to sign up for another swap .... it's a smaller swap than the bird swap i did. It a rockabilly theme .... so excited about it! I am still waiting on my package from the bird swap! Oh I got all my cards from the ATC ABC swap and will have to post soon! OK off to crochet some more!

Tomorrow

So tomorrow is my first day off. Jack is gong to daycare and it's exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time! I hav a million things i want to get done of course, but I have decided that i need to establish some sort of order for all my to-do's. I have a lot of housework to do, so i am going to try to do that first thing, so i don't get caught up doing crafts all day! In the afternoon I plan to do the baby shower gifts and finish off some birthday presents. Also I've been drawing as of late ( i'll post photos soon) so hope to get some of that in too. yikes! so much to do! Alright the wee one is in bed, time to get some "me" time in before the ful day of "me" time tomorrow!!!!!!

More Completed!

I finished these cute owls for a friend and their off to the post office tommorrow. Tonight I'm working on my mom's birthday presetn and maybe a small personal project! Also I have another birthday present in the works! I love birthdays!! Poor Jack is still quite sick, but today was definately better than yesterday. Only five more days until my FULL DAY of freedom!

Some Things Done, Some About to Begin!

I have a lot of projects I want to make for the upcoming UK trip. I'd love a sleep mask, a passport cover, and a large stylis htravel bag. I already have the fabric for the bag, now just need to work on a pattern! I have competed a few projects this week as well! Here are photos of my latest crochet sculpture! It's also a working light! I've submitted three pieces to the gallery and hope that I'll get at least one crochet piece in there. My friend had her baby early, so I have to get going on her baby shower gifts. I also have a few birthdays coming up in April. My mom's gift is something that I started last year, intended for her previous birthday! I hope I can get it done in time! On another note poor Jack and I are sick again. Jackson is not napping or sleeping well. In fact we've been sleeping with him at night, otherwise he wakes up every hour screaming. *sigh* I don't think I'm going to get much one today!

Off We Go!!

In May we're going to London and Scotland!!! I can't wait! I have a number of items to craft for the trip! I've been busy working on my crochet sculptures as of late and starting a couple of commision things! After I finish all this crochetting I am getting back to sewing! I really enjoyed it, the last time around!

Artist Trading Cards!

I've finished my first set of artist trading cards! Ive been wanting to get into this relm for a while now. I did a swap on craftster.org and the theme was ABC. So I've done one card for each letter and sent each card to a different person. I'll be receiving three different cards from three different people as well. I hope to participate in the whole alphabet swaps as they occur so I have a full set! For "A" I used a photo that the recipient liked. For "B" I chose an art nouveau feel and for "C" I did a cool collage! It was lots of fun and I was able to complete them in one night!

Finished Paintings!

This feels so good!! It's been almost a year since I've completed a painting. I almost forgot what it feels like! It's an amazing, releasing experience. I always know when a painting is done because i don't feel as attatched to it. I figure when it's complete there are no pieces of it left in me, so it's released for good! So here are my paintings! the first three are part of a series i am working on and the last one is for the gallery! oh and the last is of my assistant!

My New Bag

So I started out making this bag for someone, but I realized that it was far too small, so now it's all mine , mwahahaha! I love it and can't wait to use it this weekend..... oh this weekend! Chels, Mom and I are going to Vancouver for the weekend! Can't wait to have this little break! Tonight I finished three paintings! I'll take photos tomorrow and post! I'm really proud of them!

Taking it Easy

This has been a pretty good week so far! I haven't really been doing any crafts or art. It's a nice change. I did do the punk bunny stamp, but that's about it! Today Cory assembled the shelving unit in Jacks' closet and then we all organized and purged in the garage. Now we have a rug and counch in the garage! It's a nice hang out spot, just needs a coat of paint and it'll be perfect! Tonight I'm going out with my sister and some friends .... something I rarely do! Then (hopefully) tommorrow I'll be getting a haircut! I'm going for a Louise Brooks bob I think! Before I go out tonight I might chop my fringe as it's down to my lips! Yesterday I bought some fabric to finish up and start a couple projects! I'm making a super cute ruffled apron or my sister, starting on the day of the dead table runners and finally getting to the old school tattoo diaper bag! I'm really excited about the diaper bag because it's a neat shape for a diaper bag! I'll post pictures as I go along. So it sounds like I'm taking a break from crochet stuff and heading into the sewing world! It's been far too long!

Lino Printing Instructions

Printing Instructions

Materials Required:

Speedball Water Soluble Ink

Speedball Roller

Paper

Lino Carving

Shiny Cardboard (such as a cereal box) or plate of flat glass (from a picture frame)

Before you start make sure that your lino carving is clean and dry.

Step One:

Place a small amount of ink on the center of your cardboard or glass

Step Two:

Place the roller on the ink and roll vertically as well as horizontally, spreading the ink so it is as wide as the roller is. Continue rolling until the ink on your cardboard/glass looks like an orange peel

Step Three:

Immediately roll the ink onto your block (ink can dry fast depending on temperature).so that all the raised areas are thoroughly coated with ink.

Step Four:

There are two ways of pulling a print now. The first one is as follows- Place paper on table and flip lino carving over so ink side is facing down. Place the lino carving on the paper and press down evenly without shifting the carving (otherwise it causes smudging). To remove lino carving from paper. Hold the edges of the paper with one hand and pull lino carving up without shifting.

The second is as follows – Leave you lino carving with the ink facing you. Place your paper on the lino carving and press down, evenly and firmly without shifting the paper or bending the edges over the lino carving. I use the back of a large spoon for this method. Carefully peel the paper off the lino carving, without shifting.

You may need to do a few pulls before you get the right amount of ink and pressure when printing. Re ink your lino carving for each pull. When adding more ink to your cardboard/glass add a very small amount, so you maintain that orange peel texture.

Happy Printing!

A Home For A Bunny

This cute bunny is being sent far away! A woman commisioned me to do a handmade stamp of her punk rock crochet bunny! I think it turned out great, and was a lovely challenge! I'm also working on some great projects for a "Birds are Beautiful" swap! So exciting!

Is This It?

Okay so I've decided that in two weeks I have to get my tatto finished! I've got two bluebirds on my lower back that have been colorless for EIGHT years!!! What happened was that I had the appointment booked years and years ago to get the color work done, but when I went in the tattoo artist was ill, and I never rebooked the appointment! So here is what the little guys will look like soon! Mine don't have the crown as I didn't like it back then, but now I really like it, so hopefully he can add it on!

Crochet Sculpture #2

So here is my second attempt as crochet scultpure work! This one is for the gallery that is having it's next show in April! The theme is "Illumination" so I made this one look sort of like a hanging lamp! I crochet each layer, stiffened them and then strung them together. The sculpture's "arms" don't stick out as much as I'd like so I am going to have to add some supports. Other than that I am pretty happy with it! The sculpture is even reversable!