The Conundrium

Oregon Coast Through the Viewfinder, Pt. 2

2011-03-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

Oregon coast between Winter and Spring

Lil' Felted Mushroom

2010-07-18T21:57:00.000-07:00

Felting is fun! My first foray into felting, with a smile, of course!

Chillin' with his felt friends:

Five Minute Art Friday

2010-01-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

This was such a quick and easy craft. I used a small canvas + scrap scrapbook paper + an old children's book. I stapled the colorful paper to the back of the canvas, then cut out and glued a small picture from an old circus book on to it. To finish it off and add dimension, I cut out the P and set it using foam tape It fits quiet well into my wall collage!

Letterpress Fun!

2010-01-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

I took a Letterpress class from Portland's amazing IPRC. I've been wanting to learn for awhile, given my love for all things paper. The class was great and I learned so much, now I can't wait to practice my skills! I'll be going a couple of times each month to use the studio, and hopefully will have a collection of notions I can eventually put into my craft-fair booth.

Rainbow Cake

2010-01-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

All the colors mixed up! I used neon gel food coloring and I love how it turned out.
After the cake came out, the colors were beautiful!
An inconspicuous birthday cake
Quite the surprize when she cut into it!

I've been eager to try this recipe for sometime, and when my fun and spunky boss was celebrating her birthday, I knew it would be perfect for her! It was an inexpensive and fun cake. The only thing I would have changed was the frosting, which turned too hard over night in the fridge.

Here is the recipe:
Sunny Day Rainbow Cake

2 boxes white cake mix
24 oz of clear diet soda (2 cans, ginger ale and sprite work well)
gel food colouring
16 oz whipped topping
2 oz instant fat-free sugar-free pudding mix (2 smallish boxes)

The Rainbowing
Measure the total volume (by my estimate, 64 oz), then divide by 6 and measure into separate bowls. There are 8 oz in a cup, so 64/6 = 10 to 11 oz, or 1 cup + 2 tbsp.

Stir colour into each bowl with its own spoon. For the first colour into the pan, measure out 2/3 to 3/4 of your mix (in this case about 1 c) as close to the middle as you can. Drop in your first three colours, then work on the other pan with the last three colours. So if you’re doing rainbow order, the first pan should have red, then orange, then yellow, and now the purple, blue and green go into the second pan. As a recap, this is so both layers are roughly the same size.

Bake the cake for however long the box tells you to bake it. Check it when the box says to, but usually it’ll need an extra 5 or 10 minutes or maybe more because of the density of the soda method. Just keep baking, checking back every 5 minutes or so until a toothpick to the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before moving to a wire rack.

Source: Omnomicon makes

Soldered Pendants, Oh Deer!

2009-12-28T19:58:00.000-08:00

My best friend and I made these pendants while I was teaching her how to solder. A lot of fun, and she was a quick learner!

Oregon Coast Through the Viewfinder

2009-12-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

We spent a beautiful weekend on the Oregon Coast; beach combing Moolack Bay, exploring seaside shops, watching the autumn sun set over the Pacific ocean, and climbing a light house. Seeing everything through the viewfinder of my Duaflex was such a treat.

Here's what I saw:

Craftgawker!

2009-09-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

Awesome! Lovers of Notcot and Taste Spotting rejoice! Craft Gawker is the cousin to these endlessly inspiring websites. (via Twig & Thistle)

Stamp Class Fliers

2009-09-12T17:44:00.001-07:00

I'll be teaching a stamp carving class at the 100th Monkey Studio, and here are the fliers:

Create Your Own Hand-carved Rubber Stamps For your Winter Holiday Gift Cards!
Leader: Alison Wood
Create and carve rubber stamps for a hand-made holiday. Hand carved stamps are a great way to add a personal touch to winter-holiday cards, gift tags, or wrapping paper. In two hours we will show you where to pick up the relatively cheap materials, different techniques to use, where to find inspiration, and neat ways to put your stamps to use. When we're finished with the basics we will take time for each participant to carve a few of their own stamps. We'll also be stamping and trading hang-tags to take home and get crafty with. Come and check out just how simple it is to get into this unique and inexpensive hobby.
Saturday ~October 17th from 12-2pm
Cost: $15
Punchcards applicable!

Snow Man Stamp

2009-09-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

What a difference a little color makes! This is the image for my new holiday stamp carving class that will be taking place a the 100th Monkey Studio next month. He's pretty cute, and friendly, too, if you couldn't tell.

Time Based Art Festival in PDX

2009-09-08T20:00:00.000-07:00

We went to the opening of The Works for the Portland TBA Fest. Some of the exhibits were breath-taking (See: Ethan Rose's Movements), some fun and playful (See: Fawn Krieger's National Park), and some a little esoteric for my tastes (See: robbinschilds + A.L. Steiner's C.L.U.E.: color location ultimate experience), but the (literally) old school style was refreshing and fun, right down to the wicked vending machines.

What a Cutie!

2009-09-08T19:57:00.001-07:00

Sweet find at a Rad garage sale. A Polaroid Spirit! Now to track down some coveted film....

More Adventures Through the Viewfinder

2009-08-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun learning more about TTV. I watched this How-To on faking the technique and it worked like a charm!

Here are some great layovers to use with this technique, including the one I used above: Logotip's Free Textures.

I unfortunately am without Photo Shop software, but Paint.NET is free and easy to use!

A Sweet Summer

2009-08-02T20:48:00.001-07:00

After being endlessly inspired by one of my favorite bloggers/crafters (Elise Blaha), I have been working all summer on my mini book. Although this summer hasn't been blog-post heavy it has been full of sunshine, crafting, and general all-around-happiness.

Here are some of my favorite pages:

TTV - Watercolor Edition

2009-06-07T16:33:00.001-07:00

Through the Viewfinder is a technique I've been trying to master with my DuaFlex for awhile. For some reason I am having a lot of issues with glare:

But I enjoy the look so much, today, I decided to paint a TTV!

If you want to know more about TTV, check out this wonderful tutorial and Flickr Group! Those are two great places to start. Then wait for your obsession to bloom from there!

Summer Pages

2009-06-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've created more summer pages bases around some ideas in my Get Crafty class. I haven't use either of these techniques much in my journals, although both are things I use often in art.

The first was to create a page using your own painted paper. This picture is from awhile back, but it fits my summer theme and I adore the colors, and the subject matter:

The second is to stamp your own paper. I'm not terribly impressed by the results, but I will be trying this again, and often:

Homework Update!

2009-06-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's task was to use personal photos as journal embellishments. What a wonderful idea! I'm learning that with a creative journal like the one I am making, it is best for me to have a day to ruminate on events and to put them in perspective before getting any glue sticks into the mix. I've been using sticker paper to print photos, and it seems to be working great!

And this little comment on the bottom of the cupcake box is the icing on the icing on the cupcake.

Getting Crafty!

2009-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers (Elise Blaha) has offered another class on paper crafting! This workshop will kick-start my summer of craftiness, and I'll be posting my "homework" assignments here when I can.

Today we were asked to find patterns in nature (both organic and man-made). I found a lot of inspiration on a classic Portland journey.

And one of me and my sweetie, just for fun:

Class Announcement!

2009-06-01T13:02:00.001-07:00

Class Announcement! I will be teaching a stamp carving class at 100th Monkey Studio in SE Portland on July 11th. The class is only $15 and all of the supplies are included! It is so exciting to have the opportunity to share something that I love so very much! I'll keep you updates about the class happenings!

Create Your Own Hand-carved Rubber Stamps
Leader: Alison Wood
Hand-carved stamps are a great way to add a personal touch to your creations! Carving your own stamps is easy to learn, and an inexpensive alternative to store-bought rubber stamps. In this 2 hour class, you will learn the basics of stamp carving including information about tools and materials, where to find inspiration, different carving techniques, and how to put your stamps to good use! Come and explore the unique experience of carving your own stamps. In this class, you will create 1-3 small stamps, and trade stamped tags with other participants!
Saturday ~July 11th from 12-2pm
Cost: $15
Punchcards applicable!

Paper Hobo

2009-05-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

Current Obsession: Paper Toys!

This was so much fun to make, and fairly easy, too!

Don't Miss:

Quick Pic - Lolli-Fun

2009-05-16T23:43:00.000-07:00

Quick Pic - Overdue Valentine

2009-05-16T23:41:00.001-07:00

Lolliscotch Sample Packs

2009-03-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

We've been busy making lollis for the past few weeks (all of 2009, really) and now that all of our sample packs have been sent out and taste tested, I figured it was time for a round up of the photos and an intro to all of the flavors.

We sent out 9 different flavored mini lollipops to some of our friends and family for their thoughts. We've had great feedback - and we're more excited than ever about making Lolliscotch work. Here are our new flavors:

Spicy Prickly Pear:

Pineapple Sunshine #6:

Cinnamon Roll (my favorite!):

Peppermint Tea Party:

Sweet Orchid:

Sweet Orchid, back - sprinkled:

Sweet Orchid, back - color swirled:

Prehistoric Pebble:

Banana Flambe:

Lemonade Stand:

Strawberry Short Cake:

(Unsuccessful) Brontosaurus Birthday Party:

Tasted terrible, but looked awesome:

Have a Happy Day!

New Lolliscotch Banner

2009-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

Tonight we made Coconut Curry, Honey Suckle Vanilla, and Strawberry with Balsamic Vinegar and Black Pepper Lollipops (today was Lolli Lab). I made this new banner for the upcoming Etsy store and I wanted to try it on for size.

Cute & Quick iPod Covers

2009-02-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

These covers are all made from scrapbook papers. I wanted to be able to switch them easily, so I used my iPod Nano as a template and created three covers for it, then placed it back into its clear case.

Introducing: New Lolliscoth Flavors!!!

2009-02-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

We have been working on our new flavors all month, and our Sampler packs are finally ready to be sent away. This is a page from my candy notebook showing all of our new flavors and colors, as well as one that just didn't turn out as planned. When the Sampler packs arrive, I'll post more pictures. But for now, a little taste of a taste.

Sneak Peek - Lolliscotch

2009-01-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at one of our sample flavors - stay tuned for the whole collection. All of our flavors have been created by us; the labels have been designed by us. It's a labor of love. And happiness.

Pineapple Sunshine! A tropical candy delight, best served poolside!

January Paper Podcast!

2009-01-11T19:05:00.000-08:00

Birdie Shadow Box

2008-12-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

Something fun for my best friend for Christmas, a bird shadow-box.

Calendar Blocks

2008-12-22T23:18:00.000-08:00

I found this idea on a wonderful website - Lark and Lola. When I saw this project, I knew I had to make some for Christmas gifts. Little did I know that it would take three days to complete them! In all I made seven sets, and hopefully they are enjoyed by my friends and family I made them for.

QUICK PIC - Gift Tags

2008-12-22T23:16:00.001-08:00

Photo Frames

2008-12-22T23:12:00.000-08:00

Here are two of the many Christmas gifts I made this last weekend. I was snowed in, Portland has had the most snow its had in 41 years. Yikes! I spent most of my weekend crafty craftin'!

Bird Stamp

2008-12-22T23:11:00.001-08:00

Here's a stamp made for my best friend for Christmas. I love birds and so does she!

QUICK PIC - New Lolliscotch Character: Sweetie the Squid

2008-12-22T23:08:00.000-08:00

Clothes Pin Photo Holder

2008-12-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

I made this for my mother for Christmas. It is made using an over sized clothes pin, a metal sheet, and magnets.

Front:

Back:

With a photo (the blondie is me, and the cutie with bows is my cousin, and that beautiful lady in the middle is my grandmother):

The Paper Podcast!

2008-12-13T23:43:00.000-08:00

In honor of Nation Calendar Awareness Month (don't ask me why it's not January - I guess it's just another commercial holiday) the Conundrium Presents: The Paper Podcast. 1 part PDX-o-philia, 1 part truthiness, 2 parts self indulgence, 1 part social cheapster (hipster cheapskate) calendar.

Find it everywhere we've been to drink coffee this weekend!

New Lolliscotch Flavors!

2008-12-13T23:23:00.001-08:00

This weekend, we created two new batches of lollipops: Concord Grape and Champagne. I changed up the packing a bit with a broader use of stamps.

Here's the Concord Grape:

Champagne (sparkling and sweet):

New Packaging:

Mini Pumpkin Soufflés

2008-11-29T22:23:00.000-08:00

I found this great recipe for Pumpkin Soufflé and knew it would be the perfect finish for a creative Thanksgiving Day meal. The consistency was nice and the flavors were wonderful, a little spicy and not too sweet.

More Thanksgiving Day Fun!

Our colorful produce palette:

Sugar coated cranberries:

We even got a little crafty with the water:

Little Deer Soldered Pendant

2008-11-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Part of my mother's birthday present, she loves little woodland creatures.

The reverse side:

Air Mail Hand Carved Stamp

2008-11-06T21:46:00.001-08:00

Craftiness as a Procrastination Device

2008-11-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

I should be laboring over my NaNoWriMo adventure, but procrastination has taken hold and I am instead perfecting my soldering techniques. These soldered scrabble pendants were fairly easy to make, and went quickly once I really got into it.

Lolliscotch Packaging

2008-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite aspects of this candy making venture is the chance to create some adorable packaging. Here are the first four complete lollipops:

The Island of Misfit Candy

2008-10-27T21:11:00.001-07:00

Although making candy is about having fun and getting a sugar high - there are also the mishaps that result in candy-joy disasters.

Temperature has proved to be our main villain, too hot and the sugar burns......

....too cold, it never hardens.

Sweet Science Experiments

2008-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo round-up of the candy making process!

Mixing ingredients:

Deliciously molten, bubbling sugar:

Mixing the candy coloring:

Coloring added to other ingredients:

The final product:

Lolliscotch is in the Business of Cute

2008-10-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

This is my collection of Lolliscotch stamps. Some of them are general characters, and the others are flavor specific.

Here's the set:

Lolliscotch Kids:

All of the flavors we've created so far (excluding cantaloupe which is proving hard to carve a stamp for):

Ginger Ale, Jalapeno, Cinnamon Bun, and Sour Lime

New Icon

2008-10-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

New Lolliscotch Stamp Characters

2008-10-18T17:25:00.001-07:00

I went on a bit of a carving frenzy today. I made a stamp for a new Lolliscotch flavor: Ginger Ale, as well as two for the labels.

Lolliscotch Candy Co.

2008-10-15T21:29:00.001-07:00

Two great things from childhood Lollipops + Hopscotch = Lolliscotch!

Lolliscotch is my new endeavor. I've wanted to make candy for awhile now, and just this weekend, that dream became a reality. Our first batch was Cantaloupe flavored, they smelled and tasted wonderful, we were happy with the results. I carved some new stamps for the labels, and I'm quite happy with the design. These are in the trial period, but I'm hoping to make them available soon through my Etsy shop. Here are a few photos:

And a quick thank you to my partner in crime - you Rock!

Mixed Tape Stamp - Address Label?

2008-10-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Cool PDX Stamp Find

2008-10-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

When I recently visited one of my favorite coffee shops in PDX (The Fresh Pot) I noticed how wonderful the stamped images are on the cups. Reason enough to order up, but the coffee's good, too!

Recent Stampy Ventures

2008-10-08T21:17:00.001-07:00

I've been carving a lot lately, but neglecting to post. Here are some stamps from the last couple of weeks:

Paper Crane:

Hedgehog (not incredibly happy with his weird hair line, mostly because I could have so easily made this stamp better):

Fun Craphound image:

Pear stamp with two faces:

QUICK PIC - Holy Self-Promotion Batman!

2008-10-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

All Ages Telephone Party Stamp

2008-10-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

This is an image from Craphound that I've always loved. This stamp needed an ungodly amount of touching up, but I really dig it.

Inchies: 1X1 Art (Sorry dial-uppers!)

2008-09-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

I made these inchies for a swap quite awhile back. Inchies are a great way to indulge in short bursts of creativity. I hadn't heard of this until the Inchies Swap was posted, but I was hooked instantly. The swap gallery has many more examples.

****Please click on pictures for higher resolution views****

I started by collaging a sheet of heavy watercolor paper:

Close ups:

Here are the pieces I sent into the wild:

The back, just for fun:

And some of my favorites, selfishly kept for myself:

Quick Pic - Quill Stamp

2008-09-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Snail Stamp Revamp

2008-09-14T22:37:00.000-07:00

This stamp was riddled with inconsistencies and confusion, so I simplified it a bit.

Before:

After:

Fruity Stamp Soldered Pendant

2008-09-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

This is a reversible soldered pendant; one side has a guava stamp, and on the other side, a papaya stamp.

One Out of Three = Success

2008-09-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight my stamp carving was too anxious to achieve much success, but I was happy with this sacred heart with scroll:

I also churned out two botched stamps, including a pill that could just as easily be a cigarette butt or toy bullet, and a bird with the worst kind of angles.

Quick Pic - Cupcake Screen Print

2008-09-08T22:19:00.001-07:00

Mini Stamp Extravaganza

2008-09-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

When I found my stamp supplies frighteningly low, I was overwhelmed by the urge to make use of all of my scrap material.

Here's the lot together:

Inventory:

Spoon
Camera
Random Creature (Yeti Astronaut, maybe?)
Button
Corndog (almost as tasty as the real thing!)
House
Tree
Round Leaves
Triangle Leaves

How the neighborhood stamps go together (maybe this needs to be a series?)

Devastated Dragon

2008-09-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

While looking through old notebooks, I found this quick sad dragon watercolor. He brings up some great emotions in me.

Sea Creature Explosion!

2008-08-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Lately I've become deeply entranced with invertebrates, an this feeling was intensified last night after spying a slug (or homeless snail) on a walk downtown.

That being said, I give you my highly inspired Sea Creature trio:

I had doodled this squid in my notebook about a month ago, and I think it translated nicely onto a stamp:

I went the less animated route with this jellyfish (don't try to deciper the tentacle paths if you want to enjoy it at all):

And finally, a Skulloctopus (straight from the pages of Craphound, surprise, surprise). This one had the potential to be a septopus because of my lame attempt to free-carve:

Stampiness

2008-08-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

Two recent stamps: The first is an owl stamp I carved for the One Tiny Thing Swap on Craftster. Second, a hand drawn Popsicle stamp made for my buddy. Enjoy!

Mr. Grump Cake Stamp

2008-08-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've had the idea for awhile to make an angry cupcake. Maybe a cupcake who's pissed off that they topped him with pink icing, or maybe he's just furious with life in general. Either way - I like taking something that can elicit such warm and tender feelings, like a cupcake, and going the other way with it. I present my hand carved stamp: Mr. Grump Cake.

Maybe Pissed Popsicle next?

I guess lonely days lead to angsty art work.

Happy Snail Stamp

2008-08-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

I've started to branch out from gleaming direct inspiration from outside sources and have begun to create images in a more free-hand (or free-mind) style. I'm no illustrator, so this is new territory for me.

This little happy snail is possibly my return to cute, as I've been going fairly dark and obscure as of late. I was listening to The Rules of Attraction soundtrack while carving this, and I have a feeling the mix of "Six Different Ways" and "Afternoon Delight" paid their own contributions.

Watercolor Portrait

2008-08-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

I completed this watercolor portrait a few years back, but have always been pretty happy with it, so I figured it could use it's own post.

Dagger Eyes Stamp

2008-08-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is a hand carved stamp of one of my favorite images of all time. I found it in Craphound - and am considering getting it as a tattoo one day. It was a semi-challenging carve, especially around the shaded parts.

*****Contrary to what I assume will be popular belief, today's stamp subject matter is purely coincidental. =)

Quick Pic - Little Bird Stickers

2008-08-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

Bird Shadow Box

2008-08-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first things I made for a swap on craftster. It's made with mixed ephemera and findings.

New Stamps and Stickers

2008-07-30T19:36:00.000-07:00

Quick carved scissor stamp and death cassette.

Thanks to my buddy, Ryan, for the awesome stickers, of which there are many more to come!

Horseshoe Crab Stamp!

2008-07-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

I carved this free-hand on an artist block:

I totally dig horseshoe crabs. They are grotesque and beautiful (which is probably one of my favorite mixing of adjectives).

Here's the inspiration:

Punk Rock Elephant

2008-07-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

I made this little stuffed elephant by hand for a One Tiny Thing swap on Craftster. He has a lot of attitude, I'm not sure which was harder: tediously sewing him, or sending him off to his new home.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Screen Print

2008-07-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

In a spur-of-the-moment fury of nerdiness, I made this screen print this evening. I totally ruined on of the shirts, and had to draw a huge circle around the print to cover my mess, but I think they both turned out fine.

More Soldered Pendants

2008-07-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few I've made for various swaps I've been in.

Follow Your Bliss Pendant, made for the Make-A-Friend Swap:

A pair made for the Silly Santa Swap:

This one I made for no other reason than the fact that I love the tree, Blues Explosion

Cyclops Bunny

2008-07-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first stuffies I made. It was inspired by Kid Robot's Dunny and by the friend I made it for.

Seriously. The Last Stamp Today

2008-07-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Being injured this weekend has let me to several stamp endeavors, this of which is the last. I really like how it turned out!

Quick Pic - Uncle Sam Stamp

2008-07-12T20:06:00.001-07:00

Quick Pic - UP THE CRAFT!

2008-07-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

Do Pain Meds and Carving Mix?

2008-07-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

I made this for one of my best buddies! I hope he likes it!

It's a little sloppy because it was done under the influence of medication. Crafting is usually my remedy for a better life, but every so often, crafting alone can't make me feel better.

Drinking Tea in Style

2008-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Just something creative to do with the stamps I've carved. Fun and easy to make!

Sparky Stamp

2008-07-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Inspired from, guess what, Craphound! A friend also aided in the inspiration, so thank you, my dear.

Quick Pic - Random Stampiness

2008-07-08T22:22:00.001-07:00

Little Dear

2008-07-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

A watercolor I did a while back for a swap. Somewhat inspired by Audrey Kawasaki. The layering technique I used did not translate well on the left side of her face, unfortunately.

Quick Pic - Little Balloon Girl

2008-07-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

Screen Prints

2008-07-02T18:26:00.001-07:00

Screen prints I made for a swap awhile back. This was my first attempt at screen printing, and with the tutorial I used, I found it fairly quick and easy! As you can see, I've used it several times, all with different results.

Death - Eater Baby:

Tote:

Little something for myself:

Here is the tutorial I used: Cheap Screen Printing Tutorial

Graffiti Friends

2008-07-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some stamps I've been working on. They are based on some illustrations from Juxtapoz magazine by Grotesk. I altered them to my liking as I thought they appeared slightly smug in the originals.

Mr. Marker:

Spray Paint Buddy:

I did some damage to my hand this go around: click here to see blood!

My Tiniest Soldered Pendant

2008-06-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

A little J scrabble charm I made for my best friend. Very difficult to solder, burned myself a few times, but happy with it. I'll probably go about making more once my craft room cools down!

More Chunky Pages

2008-06-30T20:58:00.000-07:00

Page #8: "Listen to Your Inner Child"

Yet another page inspired by childhood. Often my favorite inspirations come from memories of childhood.

Page #9: "Let Your Soul Shine"

Chaos is a friend of mine. This page comes with a removable charm with the initial of my swap partner.

Quick Pic - Stingy Sting Ray

2008-06-28T01:23:00.001-07:00

Katamari Damacy of Cuteness

2008-06-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

This was probably the most difficult and time consuming hand sew I've ever done. It was very tedious, but I really like the results. I'm in the market for some monopoly pieces I can pick up with it.

I'd love to claim this was my own personal idea - but it was created from this tutorial on Craftster: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=103162.0

Quick Pic - A Peek at My Crafting Psyche

2008-06-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Quick Pic - ROUGE Plastics Revamp

2008-06-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

4x4s - Epic Pictureness

2008-06-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

I've decided to post my back log of pages that I have completed for the Chunky Page Swap on Craftster because the swap is nearing an end. Too bad, this was a fab swap and I'll be needing another journal type swap after this in order to keep my craftiness flowing.

Page #1 "Ode to Sylvia Plath"

I have a deep obsession with Sylvia Plath that started with reading the Bell Jar many years ago. I've always thought it was humorous and unusual how pink all of her books always seem to be (I highly doubt this was a personal choice of hers). So I made a pink and depressing page to pay homage to a creative force in my life.

Page #2 "Movies of My Dreams"

This page is inspired by my favorite Built to Spill song - Car. The lyrics are all amazing, but my personal favorite, and one that I've been quoted as saying many times over the years is "I want to see movies of my dreams" - do I ever....

Page #3 "Love Gone Wrong"

I pretty much love this page and wanted to keep if for myself. The poem is something which has spoken to me since the first day I read it. Beautiful and haunting.

Page #4 "Be Free"

A simple page with an acetate swallow and tags.

Page #5 "Choose Your Muse"

This Ouija page was inspired by the tastes of the recipient. Fun and funky. I like it.

Page #6 "Create Your Life"

Another page inspired by the tastes of the recipient, acetate dragonfly, colorful fibers.

Page #7 "Let Your Imagination Run Wild"

This is the page so nice I had to make it twice. Nothing better than merging adorable imagery and the restless (verging on depressive) longing for childhood, and no one can do that better than Lewis Carroll! The quote, if it's difficult to read is: "I'd give all the wealth that years have piled, The slow result of life's decay, To be once more a little child, For one bright summer day." Oh - and sewing paper is super awesome!

Quick Pic - Anatomical Heart Stuffie

2008-06-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Soldered Pendants

2008-06-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Soldering pendants is one of my go-to crafts. I picked up a soldering iron just over a year ago and although I've singed hair, burned finger tips, and ruined favorite pairs of jeans that I got on sale and will never find a pair as cute so long as I live, I have come out of it with some wonderful pieces of jewelry.

Here is one I finished his weekend (I'm a HUGE Costello fan!):

A mini-collection of some of my first pieces. You can see how poorly done the edges appear. My results have started to look much better since I discovered the importance of flux when it comes to soldering:

Bird pendant:

I found these fab Loteria cards while thrift shopping and decided they'd make an awesome reversible pendant:

A scrabble pendant with flower rub-ons:

Here's a great tutorials for soldering with slides: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=39105.0;topicseen

Quick Pic - Clothes Pin Camel

2008-06-20T17:18:00.000-07:00

More Carved Stamps

2008-06-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some older carved stamps I've created.... It truly is my obsession of the moment!

My collection, complied a month or so ago:

My favorite stamp I've carved (there's just something about a cute robot....):

Some I created for one of my best friends:

Many of the images are adapted from Craphound.

Mr. Death Peanut!

2008-06-17T21:57:00.000-07:00

I have been smitten with stamp carving since I received a kit from someone in the Invite Your Partner Swap on Craftster. My swap buddy made me the kit below and I've been carving up a storm ever since! Here's a quick tutorial on stamp carving: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=176460.0.

My Kit:

Mr. Death stamp (from Craphound, of course, Issue #6 - Death & Scissors):

My Elephriend

2008-06-16T19:13:00.001-07:00

Here is my little buddy I sewed last night, he's about 4 inches tall. I found the pattern in a terribly adorable, terribly overpriced Japanese pattern book.

Latest Chunky Page

2008-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest aspects of the Craftster community is the swap board. I've done over 20 swaps, and my latest is The Chunky Book Page Swap which consists of trading 4x4 inch book "pages" within the theme of creativity. I would consider myself to be somewhat of an addict when it comes to swapping, so I will often be posting my latest swap projects.

Here is the front of my current page:

And the back:

These are all of my pages (some sent from partners, and some of my own) together: