Projects

Made myself a Harry Potter themed hanging thing.

I started with owl beads in the house colours, then added bead sets I got from Jesse James Beads and at Michael's.

I used half sheets of Shrinky Dink plastic to trace and colour the house crests and they shrank to the perfect size.

Several years ago I found a pic online of a beaded curtain with gorgeous crystal drops.  I even found and bought the crystals and curtain rod.  But they languished in the craft room, gathering dust for about 4 years before I took them out.  First I was going to string them on driftwood because I didn't think I'd have enough of the super cool beads I'd been collecting.  The original project had 23 strands and my layout only had 15.

But I grabbed a few more clear drops and did them on the curtain rod anyway.  I wrapped the top with green florist tape and then put the wire loops over that so they wouldn't slip on the metal.  After it was done, I wrapped another layer of tape to cover the wire.  My version has 19 strands and I'm happy with it.

Another key.

Eclectic altered art Altoids tin.  I just kept gluing weird stuff to it, and using glitter paper.

I found some wood slices at a craft store in Fall River when I went to visit Russell after his surgery and I broke out the wood burner.  These are addictive.  I made a whole bunch of Cape Cod cause I thought they'd sell at the craft fair but they didn't.  Some have a heart on Sandwich.

My friend Debby sent me a Seahawks Goodie Package that included a 3D chipboard 'build your own Space Needle'.  So I did that, painting it and adding a glitter coat.  I found the blue sparkly numbers at Walmart which was awesome.  The 12 being for the Seahawks fans, known collectively as 'The 12th Man'.  

I also made gingerbread cookies on a particularly cozy, rainy day and here is the Needle's cookie counterpart.

We found out that the baby (due in July) is going to be a boy, and will be named Mark Russell.  We were in the Christmas Tree Shop and he spotted the personalized stocking with Mark's name, and I found Jeff's but of course Dale & Casi weren't on there so I got 2 blanks and did them with silver puff paint.

Bday card for my stepdaughter.

At a bit of a craft standstill for now.  I am working on a cross stitch that I have screwed up so badly that it's become tedious.  Maybe I'll take up colouring again.

Old Time Crafts

I used to love Shrinky Dinks and Make It Bake It kits back in the 70s.  Some of these items are enjoying a resurgence thanks to Pinterest craft ideas.  

I found the doggie kit in Michael's Crafts and picked it up because it was just $2.99 and it's really cute.  The Shrinkies is a 1960's themed kit and I didn't realize that all the designs were precut and pre-drawn and just needed to be coloured.  I thought I would have to first trace & cut the designs.  But that was OK....it was a snowy afternoon and I was watching 'Amadeus' so I coloured all of the designs in one sitting.  

 Here's a batch in the oven, in mid shrink

The one on the left was once as big as the one on the right!

Large size designs ready to go in.

And here's the plate of all the shrinkies post-oven!

And here's my doggie suncatcher.  I actually had to bake this one twice.  The first time there were quite a few spaces that needed additional beads.

I forgot how much I like the smell of melting plastic.