Halloween Challenge

This week's Iron Craft Challenge was a Halloween theme.

Eeeekkkk!!!!   I LOVE Halloween.

But I'm a bit sad because I'm not starting a new project for this challenge.  I'm in the middle of conquering some costume requests.

So I only have process pics to contribute this week.

You see I am firmly in that spot where you start trying to figure out why it worked in your head because your hands don't seem to be able to comply.

I am making a Jake costume & a Skully costume from Jake and the Neverland Pirates.

First, finding the correct colors has been a trick on it's own.
It has always happened that when I need cobalt colored pants, they don't exist.  At least not until the next month when I am bombarded with them everywhere I go.

Secondly, the Skully costume is proving to be a challenge that continues to send me back to the drawing board repeatedly.

For instance:  when I placed the feathers I cut, I realized that the chest feathers really ought to be smaller.
So I tried four different kinds (the orange feathers are the test feathers) and got back to cutting.

No matter what, I have to make these costumes work.  I'll just pretend Tim Gunn is standing over my shoulder.

Shear Style

This past week Iron Craft posted the challenge to come up with something that could be entered into a State Fair craft competition.

Have I mentioned that I'm in my sister's spare room...I sure as hell am not in a position to make jam.
Ok, I have no idea how to make jam, but that's besides the point.

I also have no idea how to cross-stitch, knit or crochet.

So I was at a loss.  A serious loss.

Between consulting one of my crafty cousins, drawing 2 pages of ideas and a couple of days research online, I came up with this...

Why City Slickers Shouldn't Shear Sheep...

I know, I'm not right...

All Grown Up

I am a mommy.  The fact that I don't have any children yet is just a technicality.

My youngest sister was born when I was 12.  And I doted on her.  If I held her in public, people gave me ugly looks since they thought I was a 12 year old with a baby. Ha, when she got a little older she thought it was funny to call me Mommy in public.  Punk.  My Grandmother used to laugh at me and call me 'Little Mama'.

When I started college she started kindergarten.  And when I left something my Mom told me haunted me. My Mom was the second oldest of seven kids and she said that the youngest kids don't really remember her being around.  I couldn't have that.  I never wanted my baby sister to feel like I wasn't there.

I sent her notes occasionally and would come up with random little gifts for occasions like 'back to school'. I helped to throw a murder-mystery birthday party.  I came up with crazy Christmas and Birthday gifts.

Yesterday she started college.

Of course I gave her a little bag full of cute and useful stuff...how could I not?

I packed a tote bag with a few books that I found helpful in the maze of being on my own.  You could say it's a little road map for the inevitable twists and turns.  This 'Map Journal' was tucked in with the other books to help keep track of her travels.

I gave her the little 'flat tire' road side assistance card holder that I made in one of the Iron Craft Challenges.

  

You know, for the bumps in the road.

I threw in a little bottle of sparkling apple cider to celebrate her new beginning.  And I made her a Passport cover so she can travel in style.

I guess this gift was kind of a carry on bag for her journey.  Ahh, corny...I know.

To be honest, I'm a little lost.  She isn't a tiny little thing that looks forward to my crazy gifts anymore, but I think she may still get a few crazy care packages anyway...

Good Luck Mantha, have a great 'trip'!

Last Leg

Staying with my sister while I wait for a house has been both a blessing and a challenge.  Craft space and my internet connection not to mention my sister's sanity have suffered heavily.

She has been a saint for not throwing me out yet.

In the meantime, however, I have neglected my poor Craft Noir.  I am fighting on though!  The guilt from missing any week at Iron Craft KILLS me...so I cut out cute amuguri food from chibi wrapping paper on breaks at work for memory cards...

and iced a QR code on a brownie amid a sea of 3 circling dogs.  And while Craft Noir has suffered, I've at least chronicled those forays on my Flickr page.

I admit, I'm not super impressed with most of these efforts but I still have felt the need to try each one.  It is shocking when someone likes one of my handicapped attempts.  It's a good lesson that I can't prejudge my projects before they're presented.  But that is it's own catch-22.  I wouldn't be 'done' with a project unless I thought it was good.

It's interesting when you have something mapped out in your head and it ends up NOTHING like you planned...no matter how many attempts were made.  I recently had one of those weeks.  Everything that I touched rebelled.  Even though I've been slinging art projects together that were perched on the back of the toilet tank and blinked through waterfalls of sweat on the back porch as I tied up finishing touches I've genuinely been so determined to attempt the craft that none of that mattered.  Yet after the week of rebellion, I needed a break.  I pondered the Iron Craft and not even a last minute 'Hail Mary Pass' appeared.  The tank was out of gas.

I regrouped and reassured myself it was ok to temporarily flunk out.  Not that I believed that.  I am still trying to think of my make-up project!  But nothing seemed suitable, so I cleaned and read and didn't craft.

I am happy to report this week I was able to jump back in; this week's challenge was Sculpture.

But I am definitely hitting that last stretch.  I am supposed to find out about the house soon.  I really pray that this house doesn't  prove to be just a mirage.  I am already fantasizing about my craft room. 

To Scrub or Not to Scrub

Don't Sit Too Close...

I'll admit, I think I prefer to be near people when I craft because I have a hard time getting started.  When I'm in a group I can build off of what someone else is doing over here and tweak an idea someone over there put down...

This week's Heritage challenge at Iron Craft has been no different.

I was plugging away - researching Heraldry.  (I feel like I need a PHD to master that!)  And my sister sits next to me and sketches out her own.  Just:  Blam! Done. Check this out.

Gah...

But -- I got another idea from the sketch she made right across my page of notes.

I'm going to use her sketch to decorate her Graduation gift!

SO, the next time I sit next you to craft -- be careful.  You may see that quick sketch show up again.  Bwooo-ha-ha-ha-ha! ...AhAhAhem...  

Suitable For All Ages

I've been trying to find a simple way of creating something I had when I was younger and it has proved to be a challenge.  To begin with, I didn't/don't know what they are properly called.  Secondly, I wasn't interested in going about it the 'correct' way.

You caught me...I found a tutorial.  It was a lovely tutorial with pretty pictures.  But I don't want to sew a zipper, or a pocket.  Ok, I wasn't looking forward to sewing such a detailed project at all - I wanted to cheat.

After several ideas that were probably more difficult and time consuming than the very tutorial I was avoiding, I gave myself a 'Keep It Simple Stupid' talking to.

This is what I came up with:

Buy and wash a pillowcase(or grab an old one).  (The pillowcase I purchased was a set and it was the fancy hypo-allergenic kind.  That's not necessary but I think the plastic lining in the pillow may have helped keep the dye from seeping through to the other side as it dried.)

Decorate said pillow case(s).  Decorate the bottom half of the pillow case as the top part will not be seen.

I tried the fabric dye in a spray bottle.  It is a bit unwieldy - I'd advise wearing paint clothes or an apron when spraying.  However, the dye came off of my hands pretty quickly.  Also I'd only use this type of paint/dye if you are looking for a flowy kind of design.  As you can see the dye seeped under my tape and bled around my design.  I was going for a watercolor look so it's ok but I still may go back and do some touching up though.

Fold the top of the pillow case down into the pillow case itself.
(With your design facing you, open your pillowcase.  Take the top corners and pull them down into the open pillow case until they meet their prospective inside bottom corners.  Straighten any wrinkles so that the top two corners are now folded neatly inside of your pillow case.)

Stuff pillow case(s) with batting or a pillow form or an old pillow that needs some dressing up.  I filled the decorated side with batting and tucked the undecorated edge back down over the stuffing.  You could add some velcro or stitch in some tiny snaps at the bottom of the pillow if you would like to secure it better.  (My pillow case is the type with a zipper on the top edge so once I stuffed the pillow with batting I zipped the case close and smoothed the zipper along the bottom seam of the case to hold the batting in place.)

If you use batting as I did, it may be necessary to straighten the lumps behind your design.

Your pillow case should now have a snug little pocket.

I would be a great spot to hide a little note for someone or tuck away your super-secret candy stash -- though I wouldn't advise that.  I'm using mine to hide the PJs that would other wise be tossed on my bed.

So in case you were looking for a no-sew PJ pocket that is suitable for someone over 5, you're welcome.
Actually, this would make a good sleep-over craft.  It was easy and with some simple prep work it's quick.  And as you can see from my super paint job -- well it's something a 5 year old could do.

In all honesty, this was easy enough that I may never try that lovely tutorial...