crafty update

Hard to believe it, but my 3rd trimester in the Great Baby-making Production, the Sequel, is already here. And boy howdy, is it ever. If I say that the world trembles at my approach, I'm sadly NOT being metaphorical. Back-to-back pregnancies are definitely not kind to the figure. I can only try to resist that bag of M&M's in the vending machine downstairs (you know you want 'em!) and pray that I bounce back from this as quickly as I did the first time. There is some comfort in coming back from the hospital weighing 20 pounds less than you did 2 days before.

So, with the birth of baby # 2 looming and my nesting impulses firing like mad, I've been working on a lot of projects as part of my whole "waste not, want not" campaign, and I'm hoping to develope some things that I can add to my Etsy repertoire when I finally get my site back up and running. This week, I learned how to make rag rugs - so ridiculously simple, and so many applications!- and dish soap from scraps of bar soap and lemon juice. I've also been working like crazy on making my own kitchen dish scrubbies from crocheted hemp twine, which I have left over in abundance since I outgrew the hemp jewelry phase. I think they came out pretty nice, and when I can find my camera cable, I'll post a picture.

This past month, I also took my first stab at pressure canning. Nothing exploded, so I'm calling it a success. We now have 18 jars of stewed tomatoes and 9 jars of green beans in the pantry. I'm hoping to get a chance to do some more soon. I'd really like to try pickles, though I'm doubtful that I could ever top the tasty deliciousness of Claussen Koshers. I love those things, pregnant or not.
I don't know that I actually saved a lot of money by canning this time around (I bought the green beans from the farm market) but it was definitely good learning experience. And now that I know how to use the pressure canner, nothing can stop me.

Next on my list to accomplish - homemade bread, the rag rugs I mentioned earlier, and crocheted cotton kitchen towels. I'd also like to play around with soap flakes and essential oils to see if I can make a scented soap concentrate that I could sell in dry form (to save on shipping). A 'just add water' kind of thing. I might have to learn how to make my own bar soap for it. Oh darn. AND - I still need to find a good, cheap, sulfate-free shampoo.
Oh, and also reusable food storage bags. I haven't had a chance to research yet, but I'm going to start looking for a waterproof, washable, food-safe fabric that I can make bags out of that can be washed and reused. I hate throwing out plastic bags all the time. Such a waste.
(Though now that I think about it, could you run the higher grade plastic bags (like ziploc or something) thru the washer and reuse them? How long would they last? or would they just fall apart? I may have to test this.)

In the end I hope to come up with enough cute, creative and thrifty products that I can make at home and sell to other people who are interested in that sort of thing, but maybe don't have the time or resources to make them on their own. Maybe it's all just one of my crazy Ideas that will end up not amounting to much. But it sure is fun to try, and I'm learning so much about being self-sufficient in the process, so it's a win any way you look at it.


Note: since I posted this, oh... 2 hours ago? I've found the answer to my plastic bag material question, and it is (drumroll please): ripstop nylon! I'm definitely not the first to realize that plastic storage bags are a total waste. These things are all over Etsy. Now, to get some fabric (it's surprisingly not that expensive) and make me some food storage bags!

crafty things

Snow snow snow! The Florida girl in me still gets all worked up when there's snow on the ground. I don't think it will ever lose it's magic for me. And what a great view to enjoy with my morning coffee!

So this past weekend I was getting myself all worked up to start painting one of the 3 bathrooms in the new house, so I could finally hang some towel bars and what not(not to mention cover up that disgusting wallpaper). Naturally that meant that Saturday morning I would wake up with the mother of all migraines. And migraines and oil-based primer do nooooot mix. I blame it on staying up too late to watch the slooooooooow opening ceremonies in Vancouver (though I admit I liked the whole punk celtic fiddler thing. FUN.) Anyhoo, I ended up spending pretty much the whole weekend camped out on the couch, watching the olympics and working on crafty things. So, not a bad weekend after all. In fact, pretty flippin' sweet.
First, I did some work on a pile of hat orders I've gotten in the last few weeks. Managed to get 3 of 5 completed before my poor wrist gave out on me. Some of these hats weren't as enjoyable to make as others because I didn't pick out the yarn, and well, I think they're just ugly. But then I'm not the one who has to wear them. Here's one I actually like:


Pretty sweet.

I also finally got the mobile made for Punkin's room, 3 months or so late. I got the pattern for the birdies on design*sponge, one of my fave websites, ages and ages ago. Probably the best fun of this project was foraging in my woods (I have woods!)for the branches to perch the birdies on. It took me forever to the the whole thing balanced just right, but I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out:

Isn't it cute? I got the fabric on Etsy, and someday, someday, there will be a quilt and other things to match. In the meantime I feel like it was a huge accomplishment just to get this done.

Oh Joy!

After an extended vacation from all things gemmy and crafty, I'm back! and so excited about it. I've been meaning to get back into the swing of creating for a while, and various things (including the terrible state of my studio space - aka the landfill) have kept me from it. I knew, though, that the time was at hand to brave the disaster and start creating again when I had a dream about cataloging all of my stones and toys, and realized that I have a whole stash of sweet new toys that I've not played with yet. And then today, I finally succumbed to my etsy addiction and picked up something fun fun fun that has totally fueled the creativity fires (drumroll please):

black druzy briolettes!

I'm not entirely sure what got me going about these, because usually I don't go for black stones (I've tried, really) but I'm picturing them with some oil-slick pearls and maybe some rutilated quartz? Or, that listing of amazing black labradorite I saw earlier...Yummmmmm..

Ship quickly, my little darlings!

Etsy will be the death of me.

I mean that in the nicest possible way. Oh, the gorgeous gems I've scored recently! I've discovered a new stone to drool over - chrysocolla. Love love love. I just got some absolutely gorgeous gem grade brios and onions. I added them to the growing pile of incredible stones I've purchased lately - including tundra garnet, hessionite garnet, prasiolite, MEXICAN FREAKING FIRE OPAL, turquoise, moss aquamarine, ametrine, andalusite, kyanite, smoky quartz, lapis, and the most AMAZING green fluorite twist brios EVER. Oh yes, my budget is waaaaaay blown, but I can't stop. I literally have to force myself NOT to even look at Etsy because if I do, I will buy something. I can't help myself. It just happens. Crap - it just happened again. MORE chrysocolla, because I can't say no to the stuff, and some labradorite and pink peruvian opal. >sigh<

I make hippie jewelry.

Just got done this past weekend with the Kingston Country Fair, and whew! what a busy time that was! We did fairly well, and generated a lot of interest, but boy howdy am I tired.
I've also made a rather shocking discovery: only hippies like my jewelry. I really thought I'd grown beyond the whole hippie moment I had circa 1997. I mean, really. But it seems that the people who are really attracted to what I make are crystal totin', incense burnin', free lovin' hippies. What's a girl to do? Maybe I should move to Asheville and make hemp necklaces again.
Seriously, though. I've been trying out some super cute new stuff. Including a pair of tourmaline earrings that I just LOVE. I might have to keep them for me. Pictures coming soon.....

Excessive use of exclamation points!

Just a quick post, since it's been so long!

Vacation was absolutely incredible, and I wish I was still there. I did manage to score some pretty sweet bead and shell finds, but have I taken pictures? Oh, no! In fact, I haven't really had time to make anything. I haven't even finished unpacking yet. Why, you ask? Well, that's because shortly after we got back from Florida, we found a house we love and decided that we're moving at the end of the month. We Lewises don't waste time. So, I've been so totally wrapped up in the moving adventure that I haven't had a moment (or a dime!) to spare for jewelry and other crafty pursuits. The great, GREAT news is that the new house has a spare bedroom with my name on it! Hell-oooooo craft room! It will be a few weeks til I can get settled in and back to making jewelry. In the meantime, here's a gratuitous sunset shot from vacation!

Oh, and I made my very first Etsy sale! Yippee!!!!

Now that I have some free time on the internet..

...I'm finding all sorts of fun toys.

Behold - the Etsy Mini!!!

(psssstt.... over here, on the right!)

I'm also gearing up for vacation time to Florida (hooray!) in less than a week. I've been googling bead shops in the area like crazy, trying to figure out where I want to go (and trying to figure out how to convince my husband that we really need to go there.) So, if anybody knows of any good bead shops in the St. Petersburg, FL area, let me know! I'm especially hoping to find some very Florida-ish stuff. Last year I got several strands of tiny shell beads at a shell shop, and I've used them in so much (like the necklace on the right). Definitely must get some more. And anything else I can find that is shell related. Or some of that wonderfully frosty sea glass, or ceramic pendants with little sea creatures on them... oh my! The list goes on and on. I'll probably come back looking like a 'Survivor' castaway wannabe, but whatever. I'll always be a beach girl at heart.

Speaking of ceramic pendants - I've been in love with the ceramic look lately, and thinking and wondering to myself if there isn't a way to imitate the look of ceramic with fimo (since I don't have a kiln and probably shouln't have my accident-prone self near one anyway). I know that I can create lovely organic looking pendants using fimo, but what about a lovely crackly glazed finish? I once made some Christmas beads with a shiny finish of some sort, which promptly peeled right off my beads. No good. I want something that will work and be wearable and at least moderately imitate the look of a ceramic glaze. Crackles would be even better. I'm off to the craft store at lunch to see what I can find, but if anyone has any info to share, let me know!

Now I've gone and done it...

Finally, FINALLY, I've gone and set up an Etsy shop. I feel tingly all over.

Not much there yet, just a few things... I'm finding out that I'm not so quick with the descriptions of each piece... I want them to sound appealing without being over the top (ie: trying to avoid excessive use of adjectives and those always annoying !!!!!s). And then there is this weird, nervous feeling I get whenever I see my work online, like I'm waiting for someone to start throwing rotten cabbages or something. I'm hoping that particular feeling will go away. The tinglies aren't so bad.

Check out the store here!