W.I.P. Wednesday: Berry Buckets 28 July 2009

As a follow up to last week’s Work In Progress post, I present…

Berry Buckets!

Here’s what I did…

Found picture of raspberries using Google Image search

Printed, cut it out, modified leaves a bit, separated the black berry and glued them into a configuration that I liked.

Pinned the cut out to green felt & cult around the leaves. Snipped the leaves off the template, then pinned & cut around the berries on red & deep purple felt. Reassembled template with sticky tape (for a second go).

Hand-stitched the berry bunch onto blue felt.

Then, I tried to use a yogurt cup and my poor engineering skills to cut felt pieces to wrap around and sew together to make a cup shape. It ended up being a bit of a hack job the first try. But the second looked much better – sort of like a milk carton on the bottom (no, you may not see what it looks like inside or up close .

JumbleSon took his bucket on an inaugural run to the Farmer’s Market where he foraged at the berry stand.

Having the yogurt cup insert proved to be a good call – them berries are messy. Look at those fingers!

In the wild, our bucket testers found the cup a bit annoying as it would sometimes launch itself out of the felt carrier until a good number of berries were inside (note the cup is missing in the photo below):

Thankfully, blueberries were plentiful along the trail to Sol Duck Falls and by the end we had a good haul (even with all the trail-side munching).

So, what have you been WIPing up? Check in to see what others are up to at WIPster Central by clicking here.

W.I.P. Wednesday – In Search of… 21 July 2009

Berry Buckets!

We found ourselves on “The East Side”* with nothing to do for a few hours last Saturday. So, we found the nearest kid-friendly hike and headed to Tradition Lake first thing in the morning.

It was so peaceful.

But that wasn’t the highlight for JumbleSon (or his parents either, really). Because the first wild blackberries of the season were coming ripe – right along the trail!

Alas! His Mama did not come prepared for foraging. He had to collect as much as he could in his little hands and eat them right away instead of saving some for later.

I immediately knew what I must do! (And before the berry season ends.) Make a berry bucket, of course!

I have no clue how I’ll actually put it together, but I picked up some cute ribbon for the strap at the local scrapbooking store yesterday. I have my felt at the ready and plans to make it fit a yogurt cup. Details to follow…

While you wait, feel free to check in with all the other WIPsters

* The East Side is how Seattle dwellers refer to the suburbs and beyond that are east of the ginormous Lake Washington which forms the eastern boundary of the city.

W.I.P. Wednesday: Planning & Waiting 15 July 2009

How can it be Wednesday already??

Haven’t done much crafting since last week. Just this bracelet that’s now waiting on Angeliki’s arrival (next week!) so she can instruct me in the ways of finishing it off.

Even though JumbleSon’s birthday is still 4 months away, I need to get all the crafting for the day finished before the end of September. I’m not sure I’ll do much more than a birthday crown, but the one I have in mind will take some time to be sure. Here’s a little sneak peak at some of the friends who will be attending his party in November…

Don’t forget to check in and see what all the other WIPsters are up to this week.

W.I.P. Wednesday – Back at the Needle 8 July 2009

As you may recall, packing for our move was quite challenging given that most of our things were to be left in storage (for varying amounts of time).   At least I had the foresight to pack a few craft supplies to carry me through these weeks (months?) until we (hopefully) retrieve our stuff and settle in to our new home.

My felting supplies were the most obvious choice since they are my current craft of choice, and they are light weight and amenable to smooshing about.  On a whim, I also decided to throw my beads in as well.  I’m so glad I did.

I recovered Artemis and put her on a simple, strong chain … not exactly beading, but she was in my “to fix” bag as the beaded chain she’d previously been on broke over and again.

Having her back around my neck is very symbolic on many levels.  For starters, I haven’t worn her since the last time I was here (per above).  And, then there’s the connection that I feel to her, Goddess of the Forest (perhaps more about that in another post).

Speaking of goddesses, I put the pendant that HalfPintPixie sent me ages ago on a choker of small, “milk chocolate”, seed beads.  I’ll have to wait for Angeliki to arrive to finish it off as I have no clue how to do it!

Next stop – a bracelet made of these… moonstone, lapis lazuli and Greek key beads.

I thought I might make a necklace for Rose’s Hand of Fatima that I felted earlier this week, but decided she might like to put it on a key ring or something else, so just left it in this form.  I’ll be sending it with her family when they head out this weekend to protect them on their journey, and her upon her return.

In a fit of maternal guilt over leaving JumbleSon’s lovies at Marina’s house back in June, I gave in to his attachment to this stuffed sheep during a visit to a pharmacy.  He’s in serious need of some leg warmers, this one.  I hope to borrow some knitting needles & yarn from Rose, or thrift some in the coming days so I can spare him the ongoing embarrassment of this unsightly tattoo.

So I buy my kid dog toys… {shrug}

What a difference it makes in daily life to have JumbleSpouse totally present and free to have fun with JumbleSon.  I can think.  I can craft.  I can breathe!  Who knows!  I might even become human again!!

Until next time, craft on WIPsters!

W.I.P. Wednesday: Felt Frenzy 10 June 2009

I think I’ve found my craft of choice…

Inspired by HPP’s love of Super Mario Bros. Mega Mushrooms . I left the eyes off because I was a coward and feared I’d ruin it entirely.

Heart-mushroom brooch shamelessly copied from Lisa’s wonderful tutorial at 5 Orange Potatoes.

Storyboard (with my view of the local mountains) inspired by an early summer tale in this edition of Living Crafts magazine.

Check out what others are working on over at Wipster Central.

W.I.P. Wednesday: Crafting Days Past 3 June 2009

I forgot to post this graduation gift for our neighbor. She’ll be attending a university whose mascot is the buffalo. It looks something like this:

I’m also going to use the mighty powers of WordPress to pre-post pictures of the crafty bits from last week’s packages later this month when I’m on the road…

Craft on in my absence, WIPsters!

W.I.P. Wednesday: Wrapping It Up 27 May 2009

I’ve been busy, busy trying to finish up all my crafting so I can get on with packing.

This includes more cutting off clothing that’s just too long (pants this time) and passing them on to Angeliki who is hemming them (ok, so it doesn’t really count as my Work in Progress). Bless her!

The gnomes finally got their Spring play mat…

And two dear family friends in Ireland and England will be getting packages of crafty goodness in the coming weeks (sorry, no peeking)…

I’ve set aside my stash of felt & embroidery supplies with the intention of creating a bit during our 2 week journey to Seattle (we’re taking the long, scenic route). But other than that, the crafting supplies will be packed up in the coming days.

So, farewell W.I.P. I know not when we will meet again…

Thank you to the lovely Shellyfish at Musings from the Fishbowl for hosting all these months!

W.I.P. Wednesday: Skirts and Stuff 20 May 2009

Thanks again for everyone who offered fashion advice a few weeks ago. Here’s what I ended up with…

I found the skirt at a thrift store for US$1.50. I’d be hard-pressed to make it for that. So much for a Work In Progress.

To make up for it, I butchered this old skirt last night…

I’d had enough tripping over it (it went to my feet!). So, I cut it to the length of one of my favorite (skinny) skirts using my handy-dandy pinking sheers . It’s totally uneven, but since the skirt hangs all wonky anyway, it doesn’t really matter. Except, today I notice a little fraying (what’s up with THAT pinkies??). Maybe Angeliki will come to my rescue and help me sew a hem – evenly – with her machine.

Other than that, I’ve been putting together some packages kissed with craftiness for friends. I shall post pix when they are received.

I also want to felt a Hand of Fatima for Rose, whom I promise to tell you much more about very soon.

I’ve got travel treats for JumbleSon, and special parting gifts for our dearest friends buzzing around my head. But I’m running out of time. Might have to buy now (Etsy here I come) and send our homecrafted sweetness later.

So, what are you up to? Wanna see what others are doing? Head on over to Wipster Central and check it out!

W.I.P. Wednesday: Honouring MamaFish 13 May 2009

Back in March, Shellyfish of Musings from the Fishbowl fame, asked for some help making her Mama feel special this year – the 60th year of her life (or is it the 61st year if she just turned 60?).  Anyway, I thought that any Mama of a Shellyfish was certainly worthy of some love.  So, I raised my hand and volunteered.

This week it’s my turn to ship a smile MamaFish’s way, and just in time for Work In Progress Wednesday, too…

Over the past weeks I’ve been collecting a little potpourri of treats for her.  First there was a hand-made magnet of raffia and red chili peppers that JumbleSon picked up at the Farmer’s Market in Las Cruces, NM to give her a little taste of the Southwest.  

As a former Midwesterner, I am a card-carrying member of the Mary Engelbreit fan club – even though it terrifies JumbleSpouse who thinks she’s of the devil…what, I ask you, could possibly be construed as evil about this woman’s work??  All I know is that he’s never forgiven her for saying “Life is just a chair full of bowlies.”

Anyway, I thought MamaFish (also a Midwesterner) might appreciate a few ME stickers, as I’m sure she is a better judge of character when it comes to those who “bloom where they’re planted” than JumbleMan.

To top it off, I pulled out my trusty copy of Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal and prepared to make Bath Tea.

This is technically her recipe for baby bath tea (with a little touch of my own magic), but doesn’t Mama’s skin deserve the same gentle touch as an infant’s?  Yes! I say.

In a past life I would have had all the ingredients in my own garden to make this fresh.  Alas!  Now I had to run to my local apothecary and purchase them.  Happily, however, most are harvested locally.

I worked at dusk (which is why the photos are so dark) and left the bowl of fragrant goodness out to bask in the full moon for a few hours to add some powerful feminine energy.

I simply mixed all the dried ingredients together in a large bowl.

7 oz. rolled oats (my addition to Rosemary’s recipe) – for soothing, softening, anti-inflammatory

2 oz. calendula (Calendual officinalis) – for relieving skin irritations or burns

2 oz. chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) – for soothing, anti-inflammatory

2 oz. comfry leaf (Symphytum officinale) – for soothing inflammation in tissues and joints

2 oz. roses (Rosa canina) – for looking pretty and smelling nice

1 oz. lavender (Lavandula spp.) – for relieving tension, stress and insomnia

It smells as lovely as it looks!  Just a couple of tablespoons in a reusable muslin bag will make her many a relaxing bath.  I’m not sure how many cups this recipe makes, but I’m guessing around ten.

I really wanted to embroider something on the “tea” bag, but couldn’t work out how to get my hand inside it to do the stitching (ok, and I haven’t worked out how to embroider either, but who’s counting?!?).  Guess I could have made my own drawstring bag, but I’ll save such a project for another W.I.P.

For now, I’m wishing MamaFish a Happy 60th, and you & my fellow WIPsters a blessed day.

W.I.P. Wednesday: Fashion Aid 6 May 2009

I didn’t think I’d have anything for you today as my main Work in Progress is work – finding it!

But, it occurred to me that if I found work, I’d have absolutely nothing suitable to wear.

Thankfully, Seattle – even in the legal sector – is fairly low key as far as dress is concerned. Still, I’ll need to update (and upsize ) my wardrobe a bit.

Back when I was like 9 or something, my Grandma gave me a shot at sewing on her machine. I don’t think I’ve touched one since that summer visit with her.

Like all other insanely complex crafty projects I undertake, I somehow believe that I’ll still be able to pull this one off even though I don’t have the time, space, materials, or know-how to do it properly…

Enter Angry Chicken’s 5 Minute Skirt.

5 Minute Skirt?!? No problem.

Ok, there is one little problem (or two, or three)…but let’s start with the first – I don’t know what fabric to choose.

You see, I want something that I can wear to work. And something I can wear with my groovy new rainbow tights.

I suppose just plain old black would make the most sense. But what about with a pattern in it? Too much with the tights?

What do all you fashionistas out there think?

Seen any fabrics around the Interwebs that would look respectable in the office and fun at the playground?

If participating in my W.I.P. isn’t stimulating enough for you this week (and I can’t say that I’d blame you if it isn’t), head on over to Shellyfish’s Wipster page to link up with other crafty folks.