Desert Bus and Magic Yarn Ball!

So, I have completed my project for the Desert Bus Craft Along! Since I have been really into the underwear creation lately, and I had an appropriately nerdy T-shirt that had run its course (Thanks Mike's mom for the awesome shirt!), I thought I would put one out there and see how it does in the craft-along!

I will post a link to the auction once it's up!

I have also finished a Magic Yarn Ball for Swap-Bot! I had never heard of a magic yarn ball before, but soon got excited once I found out. Basically, you wrap up a ball of yarn with gifts inside that the receiver will discover as the ball unravels! How fun is that!

I was hoping to be inspired by my partners profile, but found myself strangely uninspired with respect to what to put in the yarn ball - I just ran out of ideas. I was not that happy with the gifts I had come up with for the ball, until I went to wrap them up, and decided I was going to make something to put in the middle - and took a bunch of stuff I just had lying around the apartment to make an awesome pair of earrings:

They're made of wire, beads and buttons, and I think I'm going to have to make a similar pair for myself very soon...

Making Envelopes

Today, I made a whole bunch of envelopes for my Swap-Bot partners. I'm sick and tired, but I signed up for this thing, and I'm damned well going to do it!

The envelopes are pretty fun - I like the ones made from the topographic map. I make these things all day at work, so it was really fun for me to destroy one for a change...

Also, I finally finished my drop spindle - I took lots of photos, and hopefully will remember to post when I'm feeling less like the world just kicked me in the ass...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at my place this year, and it was AMAZING! My dad brought a couple of pies from the Tartan Pie Bakery in Errington, including their specialty, a Tartan Pie. I'd never had, nor heard of one before - it's basically an entire turkey dinner in pie form. And it's GOOD! There's turkey, stuffing, veggies, and even cranberries, all topped with a mashed potato crust. So tasty!

I made a delicious ham with help from the always incredible Jackson's Meats on 4th. The glaze suggestion of beer (I used Guinness), brown sugar and dijon mustard was fantastic.

I also made Mark Bittman's recipe for simmered sweet potatoes, as well as an herb-glazed carrots recipe I've been carrying with me since highschool. It's super simple - you just simmer carrots with a little sugar, butter, and a pinch each of thyme and oregano. They look fancy, but are a cinch to make.

But the part I was really excited about was the dessert. My brother has been raving for a while about a vegan Mexican restaurant he went to once that used cashews as a replacement for dairy products, and he was especially excited about their vegan cheesecake. I have been dying to try making one ever since.

I found this Vegetarian Times Recipe for a vegan raw cheesecake made with cashews, and decided to give it a go. Since I don't actually care if it's vegan or raw, I modified it a whole lot: instead of making a crust, I used a store-bought graham crust; I used cashew butter instead of raw cashews; I used honey instead of agave syrup, and I used vanilla flavouring to replace the ridiculously expensive sun-dried vanilla beans. The cheesecake was very rich and filling, and actually a little too sweet for me. Less honey may have been better.

My grandma also brought over a bag full of pears that came from her friend's tree - way more than we can eat, and some of them were already starting to spoil, so I decided to make up a big pot of compote.

Compote is basically a fruit stew - it can be made with just about any fruit, but I usually use apples. It's super easy to make: you just throw all the ingredients into a pot and simmer until the fruit is soft. For this batch I used:

-about 10 small pears
-2 cinnamon sticks
-about 10 whole cloves
-4 large shavings of orange zest
-roughly 2 tablespoons of sugar
-enough water to keep it cooking evenly.

I never measure anything when I make compote, but really, no matter what you put into it, it will always taste good - especially while warm!

Wine Glass Charms

This weekend is Thanksgiving, and I'll be having the family over for dinner on Sunday, which reminded me that I still had no way for people to tell their glasses apart on my tiny table. I purchased the beads for these charms probably about a year ago, but I didn't have all the wire I needed, and so they were never made. I figured it was about time to get them done, and so I stopped by Country Beads on my way home and purchased the memory wire, etc. needed to complete the project.

I'm a little disappointed that they were just made from a bunch of stuff I bought at a bead store, and that each item involved is being used for it's intended purpose, but I still love them. I wanted them to feel natural, and so each charm is made from natural minerals. Sadly, many of them are cut into slightly cheesy shapes (like flowers and fish...), but I'm still happy with them. At least they're colourful - and quick to make.

Craft Fairs Calendar and more!

I found a BC Craft Fairs Calendar - How useful!

I recently discovered the existence of Hair Canvas, and I'm not sure if I want to try it. Hair Canvas is used to stiffen coats, and can be purchased reasonably at B Black & Sons, but even reasonable costs are a little on the high-side for my frugal crafting self. Fusible interfacing can be substituted if desired - it's easier to use, but doesn't have quite the same effect. If you prefer interfacing, there is a table of various interfacings and their uses here.



And I love this umbrella stand idea from craftycuban on Craftster. I would like to use this idea to make cache-pots for my plants. So colourful!

Jersey Jackets and the New Wardrobe

I have seen a lot of dress jackets made out of jersey knit fabric lately - like the Diane von Furstenberg one above - and I am loving this concept. Especially since I am trying to put together a wardrobe, especially for the office, that works for me. The reasons knit jackets are wonderful are many:

-They are machine washable (hallelujah!)
-If ever there was a dress jacket that is comfortable to wear, this is it.
-They are not too dressy - which I love. My office is fairly casual, and a dress jacket just seems like too much.
-There are lots of fun knit fabrics out there to add a little personality to your jacket.

All in all, I am dying to try my hands at making one. I have briefly looked online to see if there are any tutorials or posts on the subject, but so far have found none, so I think I'll just have to go it solo on this one. When I have a moment to sew, that is.

On the subject of new wardrobes, I found an interesting post on Associated Content about developing your personal style, and it got me thinking about some things to consider when building mine.

Obviously, body shape is important, and taking into account what you want to accentuate and what you want to hide. I have a fairly curvy body with a well-defined waist, so I like to wear fitted tops that go in at the waist. My waist is, however, fairly long, making my legs look proportionally short. Add to that the fact that I don't wear heels, and my legs can look pretty small, but if I wear items with a higher fitted waist and a wider skirt, it can make me look like I have legs up to my nipples. I also have sloping shoulders, which means I have to be careful with the necklines I wear and the shoulders of shirts and jackets.

Skin and hair colours are also important. Now that I've cut all my hair off, I'm not against the idea of dying it, and I think a slightly deeper, richer, brown may be in order. My skin tone is definitely on the pink side (rather than the yellow side), making reds, purples and blues a better choice for me than yellows or oranges - I've always preferred wearing those colours anyhow.

Of course, lifestyle plays a role. Unfortunately for me, I currently have about 4 different wardrobes, and all of them are half-assed. I have my ratty, practical field work clothes, full of holes and stains. I have my work clothes, chosen because they were office appropriate, not necessarily because they looked good on me or were comfortable, so I don't wear most of them anywhere else. I have my jeans and roller derby T-shirts that have become my every-day wear, then I have some party dresses that I wear once in a blue moon. What I'd like to do is find some items that can be appropriate for several of these places. Jeans are good for field work and every day wear. The right dress can be worn one way at work, and another at a party.

I don't wear make-up. Some outfits might be great on my body, and be the perfect colour for my skin and hair, but would require some bold make-up to pull it off without my face being washed out. Generally, this means I have to go in the direction of simple, less bold and outrageous styles.

Also, here are a couple of random links for the day:

I have to make this knit Jack Russel from Best in Show.

And Good Life Eats has some tips on freezing cookie dough that I think we all can appreciate.

Turquoise Bracelet Tutorial

I love this turquoise bracelet tutorial from Ruby Mines at Cut Out and Keep. I want to go home and make one right now!