Charger cable crochet

With a phone that's about three years old comes a battery that doesn't quite have the same stamina as before. Sometimes I'm caught a bit off guard and the battery runs very low if my work day is longer than expected. I've decided to keep a charger cable at work so that this problem is easily solved, but that brings the challenge of making sure that charger cable doesn't get "borrowed" more or less permanently by someone else.

Arts&crafts to the rescue! :) There's no question who this cable belongs to. :) Just in case though, I chose the oldest cable, already kept together by duct tape. I did single crochets tightly over the entire length of the cable, crocheting over both ends to hide them and twisting as I went along. Easy peasy. Ravelry link.

Shine on!

One of my colleagues has just left for a new job, and this card was made to wish her all the best on her new adventure. While this style is often my choice for men's cards, it also works well for a woman when the highly embellished flowery style seems too cute for her taste. I'd certainly love to receive a card like this, and I hope that goes for others too.

Welcome 2014!

 

 A new year, a new book. A new day, a new page. Welcome 2014, and may you be a good one.

(The book above is a small compilation of my Instagram pictures from 2012, printed at Blurb. Highly recommended!)

I've been away for a while, as you may have noticed. Real life and all that. Priorities must be made, but I have found myself missing this space a bit lately. So while I cannot promise five posts a week, I can at least say that there will be some activity here now and then. How's that for commitment? :) :)

While I write some words about some of the stuff I've made that never made it to the blog in 2013, you can take a look at some Instagram pictures showing what I've done instead of blogging the last six months. There should really be a photo of my TV in there. Really, there should be.

Anyway, I'm off to watch the new episode of Sherlock. Again. :) Here's the slide show:

 I've taken a few walks in the awesomeness of nature, not always on the safest paths...

 ...seen evidence that life may survive in rough places if it adapts to its surroundings...

 ...made my favourite summer desserts a few too many times...

 ...picked wild blueberries (the real thing!)...

 ...grown my own radishes, with somewhat varying results...

 ...taken my first flight in far too many years...

 ...had a proper staredown with a lioness...

 ...watched the days turn shorter and shorter...

...changed to brand new studded tires that so far have seen snow only on a single morning...

...played and relaxed with family...

...and last, but certainly not least, had more than a few geocaching adventures! I could have shown you so many pictures relating to this sport/adventure/game/mystery solving/treasure hunt, but settled for this one, which is one of my favourite shots from last year.

There will be some posts coming soon. Some cards, and a few knitting projects. If you're curious, there's always my Ravelry page and Instagram to keep you occupied while you wait.

See you soon!

Flowery squares

I find that having a few general, non-spesific cards laying around is a great way to avoid that slightly stressful situation of having agreed to make a card for someone when there isn't really a lot of time available. They are usually simple, like this one, and feature a large flower or something, also like this one. And little to no text, again like this one. Very useful! Unlike this one, I sometimes leave some room for a little text stamp or sticker that can be quickly added when the occasion arises.
-
I used one of my precious huge Bazzill flowers on this one. When I learned that they would be discontinued (several years ago) I bought nearly every remaining set my local paper crafting shop had left. It pains me a little every time I see one go. But hey, this is what they were made for! :)

Procrastination

When the to-do's become must-do-now's, which too often become should-have-done-last-week's, I usually go and grab some yarn and get knitting instead. This skein of DROPS Lace is a lovely mix of greys and the pattern is the Sunday mittens I've done once before. Using this thinner yarn, I'm hoping to make a pair that fits the tiny hands of my grandmother. My gauge is a whopping 50 stitches per 10 cm of stockinette stitch! That's a record. Also, that means I can procrastinate for a reeeeally long time with these mittens... Ravelry link.

Gift box

I've saved the box that my Galaxy S3 came in, thinking I'd make it into a nice looking gift box. The lid slides on in such a satisfying way and the inside is clean and elegant. The outside had a logo and some stickers that I painted over with white gesso, knowing that the sticky-back canvas I would cover it with is slightly transparent. Some careful cutting and folding gave me reasonably clean edges, but I chose to line the edge of both base and lid with some thin lace trimming anyway, and two extra strips down the center line for detail. A layered flower is the only other decoration. I filled it with some treats for a friend, as a house warming gift.
-

Technical difficulties etc

Hello everybody!

It's been a while. Again. Life gets in the way, more large knitting projects than quick cards, and so on. And I don't feel guilty about it! This blogging thing is fun - as long as there's no pressure. And since I have no advertisers to pressure me, I blog when I want. :) :) No regrets. :)

That being said, I've wanted to post some stuff lately but not been able to. There seems to be a bug in the image uploading that I haven't found a fix for yet. And what is a craft blog post without images??

Today you'll have to settle for this Instagram picture I managed to sneak in via an emergency solution (not one I will bother using in the long run). It's some absolutely gorgeous Manos del Uruguay yarn, a lovely Silk Blend skein I wound up. The biggest skeins I've ever wound. :) 13 cm in diameter, 10 cm high. Massive. You can always look me up on Ravelry, there are many WIPs there that will be finished in the near future.

I hope to figure out the image uploading thing soon and will be back with something to show you!

ETA: This might be related to the Java issue that has been in the news lately. I keep thinking about switching to Firefox or something like that, without getting around to actually doing it. Maybe this is the kick in the backside I need to get it done?

All the best until then,
Eva

Keep joy in your heart

This card matches the layout of the previous one, because we had a party for two colleagues that same day. Very different colours though. The sentiment is another little poem wishing the recipient all the best in the future. It's not easy to read in the picture, because I've stamped it once in white and once in muted black, creating a kind of shadow effect that looked better IRL than here... I still wish I had been a little bolder with the black ink though.

May you find happiness

The challenge of making cards for colleagues who quit or retire is, what sentiment can I use?? In this case, I've made a card using a little poem wishing her happiness. It has a very intense colour scheme, but the last one she got from me was quite the opposite and think she might appreciate somehting different. And anyway, the pink colour is a sort of theme at this particular workplace, so I thought it would fit. :)

DIY distressed photo canvas

Aaaaaw... Now look at that cutie!! :) She's my niece, 7 months old in that picture. What a smile. :)
There's a ton of detailed tutorials out there on how to do this, check this one out for example. I'm not going to bore you by repeating it - but since there are so many variations, here's a super quick recap of the choices I made: After tweaking the picture to my liking (and mirroring it!) I printed it on a laser printer on ordinary printer paper. I used a thin layer of Golden Gel Medium (Soft Gel, semi-gloss finish) to attach the picture and three more coats after removal of the paper pulp, for a good seal. Then used the same medium to fasten the lace, which wraps over the canvas edge. The string was the final touch - it's something K's mom does when she makes her own art, so this canvas should fit in nicely in their home.

The transfer of the photo was nearly perfect! In fact, far too perfect for the look I was trying to achieve. So I scrubbed really hard along the edges of the photo, even scratching it with my nails, to give it a more distressed look. I also sanded down my signature (bottom left corner) a bit.



When I chose the lace it was late at night, and the sunlight the next morning sent me into a bit of a panick. The lace was crisp white and the canvas is off-white - a difference that was invisible in lamp light, but incredibly ugly in sunlight. What to do, what to do... DistressInk to the rescue! I carefully inked the lace and sides of the canvas and the problem was solved. In fact, I probably should have inked it even if the lace matched the canvas. The darkened edge (which is surprisingly difficult to see in these photos) created that depth and definition that pulled everything together, and it echoes the brown string. All in all, this was an easy project that looks awesome. :)

Soap on a rope

Soap on a rope - soap and bath sponge all in one! It's really a kid's craft... Isn't it? Well, that's never scared me off before. :P And to complete my childlike crafting experience, I gave them to my dad. Congrats dad, I bet you're proud of your little girl now. ;) They were just a little joke really, a gag gift that went with the bath robe he wanted for christmas.
-

These are really old-fashioned, stone hard bars of soap. I tied some string around each to make a handle of sorts. Then the whole thing was covered in three thin layers of wool roving in alternating directions, and then wet-felted in my sink. It was a bit harder than anticipated to attatch the yellow wool to the green, but it stuck pretty well in the end. I'm sure there are plenty of tips from people who have done this a few times - a Google search for "soap on a rope tutorial" should probably give you loads of good links. I just winged it, as I sometimes usually do...

Merry christmas to all and to all a good night

Just stopping by to wish you all a joyful christmas celebration!

May your days be merry and bright. :)

-

In the following days, I'll post my handmade gifts here on this little blog. Today I'm just showing you how I've wrapped most of the gifts this year. The old-fashioned, rustic way! Well, my version of it anyway. ;) I have to admit I like giving the wrapping some attention. Somehow, it makes me feel that every gift is special - that the giving itself matters, not just the contents of the gift.

-

I've used ordinary kraft wrapping paper, kraft and red stripe paper, christmas themed washi tape, and kraft tags with inked edges and a piece of washi tape, all tied together with black and white baker's twine made from paper. It may look much, but it's actually mostly really cheap materials so I have no guilty feelings about it.

My mom is probably going to ask where's the gold, because that's her quintessential ingredient of christmas decoration... So for one of her gifts, I've stamped the kraft wrapping paper with two snowflake designs in white ink, sprayed gold Glimmermist on top, and used white and gold paper raffia ribbon to tie it. You can see the ingredients of her wrapping in the picture. ;)

OSLO

I have no words, no words to convey the shock and sorrow of yesterday's events.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the terror.

-

"People are often unreasonable, irrational and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may decieve you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others may destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

What good you do today, may often be forgotten.

DO GOOD ANYWAY."

-

-Mother Theresa/Kent M. Keith-

Happy National Day!

Happy (Norwegian) National Day!

-

I'm off to watch the parades, proudly wearing my tsumami kanzashi brooch.

For all my fellow weegies it's probably a little late to start to make one for today,

but I'm sure some of my other readers have enough time to make one

for their own National Days? :)

Roses are... orange?

More orangey goodness, as promised! I split the large flower in two and added a few more flowers. Because the stamp is so busy I wanted to keep the rest simple - but I can see I didn't quite follow up on that intent... Oops. :P I just can't help myself these days, when I start piling on the flowers it's impossible to stop. Desperate for spring anyone??

Too much of a good thing...

...is wonderful? Or just messy? The technique of making a flowing line of flowers is something you often see in scrapbooking, but I've always wanted to see if I could make it work on a card. The space is small and it feels a little cramped, but I'm pleased enough to show it to you. Take it as a sign of my trust in you, my fellow bloggers!

-The flowers are mostly from Prima, Bazzill and Papirloftet. The background and some of the flowers got a little spray from one or more Glimmermist bottles, so there's quite a lot of sparkle going on here. Two out of three orange cards done - now I just need to think of something brilliant for the last one! Check back for more splashes of orange. :)

Approaching easter...

When the request for "three cards in the warmest, brightest, happiest shades of orange you can possibly find" came in, I didn't even bat an eyelid. I just sat down at my desk and vacuumed my drawers for any and all things orange and got to work. It's been a while since I worked in these colours and it was such an energy kick! Most of the matierials here are scraps and leftovers, but the tag is K&Co and the biggest flower is from Papirloftet. The little gems provide some sparkle!

Bloggers Day of Silence, March 18th

Donate - Texture credit 1 - Texture credit 2 - Inspiration credit

Mini card for Bjørg

This is a small card, just 10cm x10cm. I've made a few of them before (these, these and these) and really enjoy the format! They're like tiny little pieces of art, that usually come together quickly and fit almost anyone. They're very handy to have lying around for times where a hand-made card is a nice touch, but you want to save the bigger projects for a more significant occation. I made this one to send along with two cards commissioned by a friend of mine.
-

The K&Co tag on the front is folded back to the other side, and connected to another with some white Scrapper's Floss. I used this second tag for a brief greeting and wrote more on the opposite, undecorated side.

Testing, testing... One! Two!

I'm still at it with my new aquarel pencils! Another three mini cards, this time with stamps in three very different styles.
The easiest to colour by far is the first one. Just lay in two colours in each letter and blend with a moist brush. Easy, but I get the exact same appearence with my Prismas.
The middle stamp has large, open spaces and I really worked hard to get a soft, pale look while still having some depth in the shading. It looks better than my first attempt, but still leaves a lot to be desired. This is also the look that's most difficult to achieve when using Prismas and what I hoped I could use the aquarel pencils for.
The last one is a detailed stamp, but what still gives me headaches are those pesky flowers... Leaves are easy, petals tricky. Again, it's the shading and blending that gets to me.
-
Ok, I see some improvement, and I've found that some techniques work better than others. I still prefer my Prismas, without question!