June's over...?!?!?!

Alright, so I admit, I'm terrible at keeping track of time. On every scale, from minutes to days, they have a tendency to get away from me! I was totally into Finish What You Have month, and I'm going to have to continue to keep finishing projects in July because it feels so good to finish something that's stagnated for a while! I'll recap because I didn't do a very good job of posting my finished objects (FO's) -

• Pointy Kitty's finished, and you can check him out via the Flickr badge to the right.
• Sushi Needle Roll for Jenn is done, and she's using it!
  
• Bias "Race" Scarf is completed, I was just too lazy to weave in the ends!
• Aqua Memo Board is also done, although I have yet to take pictures. It turned out beautifully though!

I've also finished a few things that weren't on my original June list. They include a few birthday suprises for my Mom, a Dream Swatch Headwrap for me, as well as organizing my craft room closet. I should have a July - To Finish list soon, it's so good to get the old cleared out. I didn't get a chance to open my Etsy store last month like I wanted, but hopefully I can get it done this month!

Sweat Shoppe Swap... the goods!

I received some awesome stuff in round 2 of Craftster's Sweat Shoppe Swap!

Unfortunately, there were a few flakers, but I think it turned out ok! From Bitibis there was 2 skeins of handspun, hand-dyed yarn in two gorgeous colorways! The one on top is soft blues and purples, the photo really doesn't do the colors justice, it reminds me of a Monet! The lower one is beautiful too! It has aqua, coral & pink, and it's amazing! She said it was a mystery skein, but I love it!

From Devilninny I received a set of wonderful cherry blossom cards. They're all different, and so pretty!

I also received a set of amigurumi patterns from RubyTuesday, they're not pictured, but it was almost 20 pages worth!

From Night_Owl there was a set of mini cards, and they're really mini! they're so much fun, and they're all different!

From Blueblyth I received a mini-shrine. It's small and so cute!

From Madchandler (who wasn't my partner, and just sent me extra incense - what a sweetie!), I received awesome incense in Bright Eyes, Lemon Pucker, and Banana Nut Bread! It was such a nice suprise - Thank you so much!

From Cinderly I received a wonderful gingko leaf coaster - sorry, no pics though - it's a suprise gift for a special person in my life! Can't say who quite yet, though!

I'm still waiting for a few items, but I'll update this post when they show up! I hope everybody liked they're kanzashi flower snap wristlets!

::Red Friday::

The last installment of neutral colorweek - I decided to use a pic I had - Ginger!

::Blue Thursday::

So I must admit, when I saw the colorweek theme, and saw Thursday was blue, I had no idea what I was going to do. Then, it dawned on me - my "nuetral" blue just happens to be Robin's Egg!!! I hope you like it - this was my first project post on Craftster!

::belated Grey Wednesday::

I had kind of a bad day yesterday, and didn't finish Pointy Kitty, or post my Grey colorweek photo. Better late than never though, eh?

...an introduction to Crafty Ginger

A lot of crafters have a specific craft that they do on a consistent basis. I've always felt a little different from most people, as I love trying new methods/materials. I knit, but don't consider myself a knitter. I design, but have never thought of myself as a designer. I sew, but as I haven't managed to sew anything I can actually wear, I don't think of myself as a seamstress. I find this basic concept very interesting, as I have spent some time recently trying to define what kind of crafter I am.

What I came up with, actually surprised me; I believe I am a Craft Theorist. That is to say, I'm never satisfied doing the same thing over again, or the same way as everybody else. I HAVE to change up some detail, or add my "spin", or I become disinterested quite quickly and lose heart. It's those crafts that I have no idea how they'll turn out that I enjoy the most. Even through the failures, it's those projects that didn't have a targeted finish point (an aesthetic I'm working towards, or any visual constraints), that I've been most pleased with. I was really struggling trying to decide what one craft to define myself by, but I really can't. So here's my favorites!

Serendipity pendant:
This is one of the last pieces I made while I had access to a jewelry lab. It's one of my MOST favorite pieces my hands have ever created. I am more proud of this piece, than the one I designed the Mokume Gane billets for, funnily enough - and that's why I named it Serendipity. It was really hard to get a good picture, it's got a high polish to it, but it's beautiful in person! The rectangle rotates on the copper ring, it's not soldered onto it.

Kool-Aid dyed shoes for Craftster Challenge #11

I saw the challenge and immediately knew I wanted to participate, but struggled with what I'd do for it. Late one night, I was reading the Kool-Aid dyed yarn tutorial at Knitty, and had the EUREKA moment I was hoping for. I had a pair of dyable silk mules in my closet. They cost me 9$ - so if my experiment failed, I wouldn't be terribly upset. I knew they had to be aqua - it's my color of the season (only 5 or 6 seasons running now! LOL) and I thought it would compliment the white beading on the shoes (that I knew wouldn't take the dye.) I had no idea how my theory would progress, but I think they turned out fabulously! (I'd love to hear what anyone else might think!)

Bias Racing Stripe dropped-stitch scarf:
This was the first pattern I made for myself. I mostly winged it, but knew I wanted to try knitting on the bias, and not just a plain ol' garter stitch scarf (it's my favorite stitch though!) It's made with Classic Elite Premiere yarn (3 skeins) in color #5226 (I think it's called bluegrass?), on size 6's. The racing stripe repeats on both ends, although I wasn't really counting rows, just eyeballing the second end compared to the first. I'm really an "eyeball it" kind of woman, even though I'm somewhat a perfectionist LOL!

I hope you like my favorite projects, I certainly enjoyed making them! I'd LOVE some outside feedback, this craft blog-o-sphere is quite a new universe to me!

::Brown Tuesday::

For the second installment of Neutral Colorweek, I give you Brown. Not those silly package people LOL! This is an old cashmere sweater I'm planning on recycling - someday! :) I just love how soft it is!

::White Monday::

Here's my first foray into colorweek themes! I hope you like it, it's my favorite mid-century modern chair (in miniature!).

Port2Port & little birds worked on a Neutral theme this week, and I'm so excited I get to participate! It was so fun looking at what everyone did for the last themed colorweek!

The rest of the week will look like this -
Monday: White
Tuesday: Brown
Wednesday: Black/Grey (not a b/w shot)
Thursday: Blue
Friday: Red

Now, I'm not sure that I'd personally consider blue & red neutrals, although I'd probably put navy in that category; but I'm still excited to be part of the fun this time around!

June is Finish What You Have Month!

How terribly appropriate for me! I have so many unfinished projects, it will be good to clear some of them out of the craft room & my brain! I'm normally so behind the curve on these themed months, April was Use What You Have month, and while I did do some stashbusting, my stash just isn't that big yet! My Mom donated some awesome small-scaled prints for my tsumami kanzashi flowers, though! Thanks Mom!

My list of unfinished projects looks like this so far -

1. Pointy Kitty - needs eyes & nose
2. Jaeger dropped-stitch scarf - needs blocking, & ends woven in
3. Sushi knitting needle roll for Jenn - finish outside, seam to inside & add ties - this is what I'm working on now
4. Tiffany & Co themed kitting needle roll for me! - everything except design!
5. Aqua silk dupioni curtains - silk is cut, that's it...
6. Line aqua wool pinched pleat drape w/ muslin - the drape is installed, but sun-damaged & some water staining! seam hem, add to drape & stab in place w/ hooks
7. Denim boucle knitting tote - lining is sewn together, needs inner pockets, outer fabric & handle straps attached
8. Wine corkboard - find backing material, glue on?
9. Large ironing board - 48"x52" needs cotton batting & muslin
10. 2 Upholstered memo boards - finish ribbons, add tufted buttons & finish backs

I've also been thinking about making a quilted sewing machine cover, a leather yoga mat bag, and a blanket to match the sofa in my living room! It sounds a little much when I read through it all, though!

Sweat Shoppe Swap round 2

Here's a few sneak peeks of the items I'm making for the Sweat Shoppe Swap (rnd2) on Craftster! I'm so excited, it's basically a sampler swap - and I signed up to craft 10 items, which means I'll be recieving 10 packages back! If you happen to be one of my partners - please let me know if you really like anything pictured here, or have anything you wouldn't like; I'd REALLY appreciate it! And if you leave me a comment here, I'll LOVE you forever! I often feel like I'm the only one reading this silly little blog!

Anyhoo here are the pics I mentioned earlier! Tsumami kanzashi flower wristlets. The flowers snap on & off, so you can change them whenever you want! I'm really happy with the way these have turned out, & I can't wait to get them up on Etsy!

Swap partners - the flowers pictured here don't have buttons or snaps yet (with two exceptions, the top 2 far left are sewn to snaps already), if anyone is allergic to nickel, or other base metals, PLEASE let me know so I can use plastic snaps for you! The colors are just a jumping off point, what I have the most of, white, fuschia & turquoise. For the wristlets I just picked up the cutest hip cat felt, as well as some solids, so let me know what you like, and I'll see what I can do!

Sushi Knitting Needle Roll

My sister saw the giant knitting needle roll I made for my last swap and asked if I'd make one - so here it is! I sometimes think I'm Craft-Attention-Deficit-Disordered, but I finished this one in record time! Started Monday evening, it took the better part of the week to finish, but I am working on getting the Etsy store open , and a Sampler swap, so I've been kind of swamped lately! Take a closer look over at my flickr set!

Jenn, you're pretty lucky, normally I'd hafta charge 30$+ to cover the time & materials for this! I'm really proud of it! The sushi fabric was free, but I dug into my stash for the rest of it, so you're gonna owe me a craft! :) I looked at the Nagano Sakura pattern over at Knitty, and I think the yarn it calls for is going to be too scratchy for me! I was thinking maybe a Razor cami?
I saw it a few weeks ago, and thought it was so cute, but once again, I haven't tackled knitting in the round yet! You'll have to sit me down, and beat the circular fear out of me! LOL

2 balls of Sirdar Snuggly doesn't sound too bad for materials, to me (@ 4.35$ per ball I won't be breaking the bank for it!) Now...color? I like 394 Hyacinthe Mix, 355 Chocolate, 341 Blueberry, and 222 Surf. What can I say, I like a lot of different colors!?!?! :)

June already...?

Time is so much about perception; it's funny how fast or slow something can seem, depending on how much fun, or no fun at all it is. This year I've created a lot more than in past years, which I'm happy about. There's still that feeling that I could be working harder or doing more, and I just have to remind myself I'm charting my own territory, and it's not going to work or be efficient all of the time.

I'm working on a sushi themed knitting needle roll for my sister, and should be finished soon! I think it's coming great, and I hope she'll like it, and really enjoy it. The behemoth has 50 pockets!

Crafty Ginger opens shop!

Well, soon anyway! Hey, I'm trying to speed things along as fast as I can, but doing something different can sometimes be tricky & time comsuming. I'm kind of a control freak, so things like packaging have to be spot on before I send things out - and I don't even have anything listed in My Etsy Shop yet! So here's a sneak peak at my packaging, I'm really proud of it; but I'd also really love to hear some other opinions too! My business card -

I can say though, that I'm enjoying making tsumami flowers. My husband calls it tedious, but I think the hand work is relaxing. I'll be selling them in pairs with barrettes that they can snap on & off from, on wristlets, and well - anything else I can put them on!

On another note; what is it about the Japanese that so captivates Americans attention? At least in the craft world, kawaii amigurumi, felt sushi & neko cats seem to be so popular! I admit I am a definite fan, I just wish that Japanese craft books weren't so expensive or hard to come by in some places (where I live!)

Tsumami kanzashi flowers galore!

A few weeks ago I discovered Tsumami Kanzashi - a technique to fold fabric squares into flower petals. I found this excerpt on PuchiMaiko.com,

The word “Tsumami” means to pinch – specifically, pinching a square piece of fabric to form a shape. The word “Kanzashi” means hairpin. Tsumami Kanzashi is a traditional Japanese art form that dates back over 200 years. Tsumami kanzashi is most often seen worn by maiko (apprentice geisha) and young girls for shichi-go-san celebrations however, with the revival of traditional arts, and a younger generation appreciating them – tsumami kanzashi have become quite a fashionable accessory to be worn both with contemporary clothing and kimono.

Mrs. Graham-Diaz is an excellent authority on Japanese Geisha, and their traditions; as well as a major inspiration to me! Her tsumami flowers are what really drove me to learn the "pinching" technique, and although I don't use traditional methods as she does, I hope I can still honor Japanese tradition!

My method differs from the traditional in that I don't use rice paste to glue the petals together. I start by sewing the petals together in a circle, then I glue a circle of fleece or felt to the back with fabric glue. I use different tools to get a more angled or flat appearance to the petals. I also don't use habotae silk, as it's not what I have on hand. I use scraps from all sorts of projects, cotton denim, twill, silk charmeuse. If I've got enough scrap fabric left over, it's going to end up as tsumami flowers! LOL I finish with a button, the centers can look very messy and I like them to look neat.

Some fabric works much better than others for the pinching technique, I've found medium weight tencel twill to be too slippery for my smallest 1" petals. Silk charmesue was a challenge, but definitely worth it - it's got such a lustrous sheen to it. Double petals, with an inner color and a different outer, are also much more challenging. I must say though, that I really enjoy working on these flowers. They are exciting and sometimes difficult, but ultimately so satisfying.

If anyone is interested, here are a few tsumami kanzashi links -

• Puchi Maiko - Small accessories inspired by the art of geisha, maiko and traditional Japan.
• Ganjin Geisha - Gallery of wonderful kanzashi!
• Maya Doll - Amazing kanzashi for sale - watch out, they're pricey! :)
• Kanzashi movies - #13 Edo hair ornaments: actual craftsman using traditional techniques. This one is ABSOLUTELY worth the time! (5 movies, a few minutes each)

Marble magnets - easiest craft project ever!!!

I just finished the easiest project ever - picture marble magnets! Talk about simple, just glue the picture to the back of a a flat marble (floral or aquatic arrangements), then glue the magnet. She-bang! You're done!

This first set was made with images from Gwen Frostic - a Michigan artist I've loved since I was a child. She made beautiful block prints of nature and it's creatures.

The second set is seashells, and they're the smaller 3/4" size. I really enjoyed this project because it was so easy! I haven't been feeling good this week, so I'm glad I could find a balance and not work on projects that would have made me feel crappy longer.


I'm thinking of selling these on Etsy, but because they're so popular I want to do them a little differently. The larger 1 1/2" size are a little more uncommon, and magnetic boxes/boards are even more so. I think I'll be able to come up with something I'm happy with.

On the subject of Etsy, I'm hard at work building up inventory, working on new ideas and packaging details. I am SO excited, but I want to do it right, so I'm now planning on opening my store on June 21st, the summer solstice.