Bags

I have some cute fabric so I threw together some quick little bag designs so that I might have a new bag for the spring. :)

I love designing things like this.

New Card

Little prototype for a new business card. The back has bare trees with my information at the bottom. I'm sending them out to my family and friends. :)
I don't know if you can see but the trees look like cut paper. Mmm texture.

I went to my friend Laura's house yesterday. We watched Robin Hood: Men in Tights and she gave me a good luck charm for safe driving because while I am a pretty okay driver, the rest of the world is not. :(

WHY AM I DOING THIS INSTEAD OF PACKING

Handmade paper

Yesterday's adventure was pulling out my old handpour mold and tearing up some paper to make handmade paper! I ended up with about 30 5x7 inch sheets. I had lost my instructions over a decade ago (true to my ways) so I had to kind of botch together new ones from memory and random videos. But I'm really happy with the results.
My main goal was to get some new surfaces to play with, specifically doing collages and painting (which was why I made a great deal of plain white sheets). I have about 4 larger sketchbooks that have the worst kind of paper. So instead of throwing those away and buying new ones, I just remade them into thicker, more textured sheets.
I also made a few cups of pure colored pulp and "painted" into white papers with a turkey baster and a spoon. (Can you see the heart I molded into page 5?) When I was done, I just threw in the rest of the colored pulp to make the bright colors you see near the bottom. (Can't waste a thing!)
While in the heat of production I just left them outside on a tile table where they would stick, stay flat and dry. When I was done and still had some soggy sheets, I ironed them. Then I flattened them with a huge book overnight.
Pretty good for a first run, I think. If I do it again I'll take my time and iron each sheet as it comes out.

Happy Happy

...Valentine's!!

My first try with stamp carving. I like it.

C:

Ipod Case

I linked it in an earlier post but I followed Petchy's tutorial for making a case for my new Ipod nano. I edited it a little bit to fit (Geddy is a 4th gen), but I love how it came out. Lucky for me I had amazing fabric and a sweet ribbon to match.

I sewed it by hand (my sewing machine was being used as a tree stand at the time) and it took some time but I love how it came out. I even sewed the buttonhole myself (easier than I thought it would be!)

Now he's all nice and warm and protected. C:

Christmas Joy

My workspace for the winter- I had a cleaning fit a little bit ago, I have a hard time working if there's not a clear space. On top of that I hadn't been at home in a long time so bills and mail and junk piled up on every surface. But I cleared it off, and I recently bought a much larger and brand spanking new watercolor palette because my old one was moldy. :'(
I also found a very small watercolor sketchbook that is perfect for quick messy collage-multimedia work. :D I've already started messing around with it as a precursor to painting. I want to see if I can finish it before Christmas! I miss painting; I miss creating; I miss playing around with paper and paint and fabric and little things and making art, making THINGS.

Featured at the Holiday Fair as my tablecloth, this gorgeous fabric will be used to make this gorgeous little ipod nano pouch. I'm also working on some new stuffy designs, since particular designs sold so well at the Holiday Fair, I will be working on those and hopefully finishing up a line of them in the spring. Alsfkjwdslfjw I can't tell you how much I love sewing.

Oh and I just have to say that I love the wrapping paper I got this year. So nice and vintage-y and BROWN (my second favorite color).

Not much in the way of actual progress but I love this feeling, I love the holidays and being so close to my family and being warm and safe and happy, I love sharing the joy that others feel during the holidays, listening to Christmas music, putting up Christmas lights (I've already got 200 to put up in the room when I get back to school in January!), I love sharing good feelings with people that I love. ♥



My Christmas tree! (As viewed by yours truly)

Holday Fair Wrapup

The Holiday Fair was a successful venture! I sold most of everything and had enough left over to give to friends. My wares were a pretty big hit with people, it was nice to interact with shoppers and get feedback, especially to the people I sold things to. It was nice to see where my things were going :)

I made about 50-some charms and painted them all (that's them hanging on the right- lucky for me I have an automated drying system under my bed!) It was a long grueling process but I enjoyed it. I like doing things with my hands, creating things and tinkering with things.

I wish I'd taken more pictures of the stuffies I'd made, but sadly only the picture of the yeti exists. He's the only one I didn't sell, either- but I'm going to use him for a portfolio piece, so it's all good. :) It was all a very good experience and very much worth the time I spent making them. I plan on experimenting more with stuffies, refining my pattern and jazzing them up a bit. :)
I wish I'd had some paintings to sell, since I got a lot of feedback on those from my business cards. Might have to do that next year. :)

Next on the agenda...MUNNY and the greeting card industry!!

Also: DesignWorkLife's Link List.
Thanks Megan!!