State of Affairs

Etsy Finds Friday - Special Edition

In honor of having recently joined the Indie Free Spirits Etsy Team, this week's Etsy Finds are all from IFS team members - and I made it into a treasury, too!

From left - right:

SHAbang - Nautical Necklace - Gold Mermaid - Teal Sandollar - Navy and Copper Star Charms - Brass Chain

KuDum - hand knitted baby cardigan and hat set Balloon Set in Ivory and Teal OOAK

colormekelley - Faded Earth Memory Wire Bracelet Butter Jade and Argonite with Antiqued Brass Accents

soleilduautomne - Pacific Blue Aqua Crochet Shoes

hepburncos - Green Haired Girl - Original mini painting - Wooden frame and ribbon included

ThePetiteChouette - Fallen Leaves Shirt

JLBstudio - Bouquet Necklace Mint Rose Fabric Flowers

sleepyking - Woodland Owl King Headband - Candy Corn - Made to order

TheNikiProject - Steampunk sprocket necklace

blueberryshoes - The Blue Side - Wondercard Necklace

virtuebathandbeauty - Citrus Contentment

LAccentNou - Autumn leaves studs

papersquid - Flowing Shapes Original IllustrationArchival Print - 100 Percent Tree Free Cotton Paper, 8.5x11 Inches - White

MollysMuses - Vintage Truck 8x10 color photogaphy fine art print GMC Molly O'Bryan-Welpott

LouiseRose - Vintage Zodiac Coin Necklaces

It's been really rainy and gloomy the last few days, so to combat that "ugh" feeling that weather gives me, I've been working on new, colorful wrist cuffs.



Just need button holes!

I've been on a big embroidery kick and since I'm waiting on an order of headbands to arrive before I can complete my fascinators, I thought I'd expand on the "collection." Thus, the wrist cuffs. These are coming a little more easily to me and I'm really happy with the way they're turning out - though I think it's time to expand my flower repertoire. Ideally I'd like to have snap closures instead of buttons for these, but I think the ones I have in mind require an actual tool to install them and I don't have time to get another gadget. Not right now, anyway. I don't hate how the buttons look, luckily. Gives them a little extra color. What say you?

Plugging Away

I'm still stitching away and making slow, but steady, progress. I'm also still not thrilled with the results, but I'm getting there. I think it just needs a little fine-tuning. Here are the items I've made, though not necessarily completed, in the last couple of days:

What do you think?

For this project, I've been really inspired by Mexican peasant blouses - although I realize it doesn't really translate here. I told you I lose my way easily. I just wish it came more naturally to me. I get these ideas and in my head they look AWESOME - then I go to execute them and it's not quite the same. I always struggle with colors, placement, designs - maybe that's the difference between "artists" and "crafters."  Clearly, I'm a crafter. Anyway, it's nothing that I'm gonna let deter me. I just need to keep plugging away and eventually I'll end up happy with the results.

The Doomed thinks these are way too cutesy and "tween" and, though I'm inclined to agree, it doesn't really bother me. The only one I consider finished is the white one with flowers and bead embroidery. The rest need...something. Not knowing exactly what that is yet, though, I opted to stop before I screwed them up completely. I did finish the green one from my last post so I can start wearing it and see how it holds up and I have to say, though I'm still not crazy about the flower patterns, I think the overall result looks good.

Ta-dah! It's a fascinator headband!

Credit where credit's due, I learned the basic techniques for these at a Handmade Miami crafternoon, though I modified them a bit to suit my skill level (I don't know how to use glue guns!) and aesthetic, and have been OBSESSED with the idea of my making these for the shop ever since. Just one more reason for you all to get in on crafting with crafty peeps - never know what you're gonna learn and what ideas you walk out with!

And what's that I spy with my little eyes?

My first shop tags, hags! (I say "hags" lovingly. If you've ever seen Broken Hearts Club, you know what I'm referring to.)

Weekend Crafting

I spent the weekend coming up with and working on designs for my new project. Here is the result of the first attempt:



Ahh! What is that?!

 What is this? PRACTICE is what this is. It's far too cutesy to be anything I would carry in my shop but I was just trying to play around with my materials and purposefully chose ones I didn't mind wasting. The lion is a foam cut out that I embroidered onto the felt and the flowers are just hand embroidered flowers. I had no plan when I started embroidering and I think it shows. I made a lion with a flower tattoo that likes to play amongst flowers. Oh well, live and learn!

Here is the result of the second, more serious attempt:


Slightly better.

For this one, I had something of a plan - but then I lost it a bit along the way. I'm not completely happy with the way this one turned out, but it's definitely better. My color choices are off and the flowers need to be rearranged, but I like it enough to keep for myself.

What exactly are these for, though? You'll have to wait and see! I promise I'll have one finished by the end of the week.

For now, I'm cutting out more felt shapes and and am going to try to plan out the designs a bit better so I don't get lost again. I'm having so much fun tackling a project - for the shop, even! - that has nothing to do with knitting. Not that I've given up on the knitting or anything. I'm just putting it aside for the week.

Weekend HI-larity

I realize this is months old at this point, but The Doomed and I just got around to watching it and cannot stop laughing.

First, you watch this (for a little reference):



Then watch this:



That song is CATCHY. And all the covers of the song - just as catchy! Sing it with me folks - hide your kids, hide your wife!