So, Fuck Soap Making

 I am becoming a little disenchanted with making soap.  I do not know what I am doing wrong.  I have a book, and I am following the instructions exactly, but still cannot manage to make decent soap.

I have made some cute soap, but it took three to four tries to do some of it, and I just simply do not have the time and patience to keep at it.  I guess I can stick with the soap I've already done, but the wanting to learn more side of me won't let me.  Then, when I try something new, I always come out with something that looks like it could be cool, if it weren't for weird chunks randomly floating in the soap in the most inopportune places.

This is the best looking one of the batch, too.  Do you see the whitish looking stuff in the foreground?  I have no clue why it's white.  This is clear soap, and the colored parts are also made of clear.  Grrr.  I did manage to make some cute ones, though.

See?  This defies all sense.  The colored parts of these ones are made of white soap base.  However, you don't see the whitish bits that you see in the first picture.  Hm.  Maybe I should just stick with these guys.   They're sparkly and pretty in real life!


I don't think this is a hobby I will continue with, sadly.  

APPROVED!

 I just got an email telling me I was approved for the Sublime Stitching licensing I applied for!  This means I can sell things I make with Sublime Stitching patterns.  (The Sugar Skull above is a Sublime Stitching Pattern)


It's really a great opportunity for me, I'm very excited to get started! 

Kurt Halsey x Sublime Stitching

I love sharing my hobbies with my friends. Currently, I have no friends who do any sort of embroidery. However, I plan to change that! I have a couple of friends who are interested in learning, and I am excited to teach them. My friend Lynda came by last week and we stitched some things together. She did a pretty good job. I wish I had a picture of hers. But you will have to settle for a picture of the one I did and gave to her. It's a Kurt Halsey x Sublime Stitching pattern and I think it's so sweet. I can see it stitched up for a baby's room or on a little t-shirt or onesie.

Spring has sprung, and autumn's so well done.

It has been absolutely beautiful outside lately.  I don't spend enough time outdoors, really.  It's just that it gets so unbearably hot here, that if I'm outside, I need to be in the water.  The past two years, though, during Spring, I've been making it a point to get out and do more things.  It's a good thing I've got a boyfriend who likes to go outside and take tons of photos.  I plan to do a lot of swimming this year.  I wanna go to Krause Springs again.  I went last summer with Brandi, Haylan and Dena and it was really fun.  

And St. Edward's Park- I discovered this gem a while back with some friends and we used to go there ALL the time but it's been a while.  

I took these pictures almost 6 years ago.  It's hard to believe I haven't been back there in so long.  I actually sort of forgot how to get to this spot, and I'm paranoid about getting lost out there.  It's really secluded.  But this summer, I'm going with some friends to find my way back here.  

Something about this weather makes me want to go out and visit my parents more often.  I wish I could go every month.  I suppose I could, it would just mean either taking vacation days since I'm not off on both weekend days, or doing weird day switches that cause me to work 6 days in a row, which I do not like.  I'm going to see them soon, though.  Mom's birthday is April 1, and my parents are having a big party on April 17th, so I'll be going out there to celebrate spring and her late birthday.  I really love going out there when it's nice out, it's so pretty there, and I love to sit out on the porch while my dad plays his guitar, there's a nice breeze blowing, and I'm sewing or crocheting or doing some other sort of crafty thing on the porch swing.  My god, that sounds like a scene a Blue Bell Ice Cream commercial.  But it's kind of like that out there.   And when it rains there, it smells amazing.  And there is NOTHING like a surprise summer thunderstorm in East Texas!  I took these pics back in... 2005 maybe?

I just love visiting!  Anyhow, thanks for indulging my old pictures, I'll have to get some new ones of my favorite places soon, when I go back!  

New Embroidery and Some Books

I've been pretty busy lately, which has left me with not a lot of time to do crafts, which kind of sucks. 

Last weekend, we traveled to Louisiana to see Allen's parents, and then I had a weird work schedule.  This past weekend, my grandparents came to visit, and this week,  I will also have a weird work schedule.

It was cold, very windy, and rainy on Saturday.  I love love that weather, but was a little bummed because I wanted to take my grandparents out to see some sights here in Austin.  So, I made some coffee, shared some with my grandad, and finished up a few projects while visiting with my grandparents.  It was really nice.

Not craft related, but almost as important.

I'm really excited because I have just filled out my first Census!  Have you filled yours out yet?  It's important, guys.  It really is.  It determines how many representatives we get and the amount of money our area gets from the govt as well.  So DO EET. 

New Pillow

Here is a pillow I made for my friend Lori's birthday.  She loved it.  So did her son.  Apparently, he claimed it as his own, so she asked me to do a more boy appropriate pillow for him in exchange for an eyebrow waxing.  Deal!  I dunno what  I'll put on his, though...

Other stuff I'm currently working on- I embroidered part of a design I found by Cate Anevski.  I'll post the picture when I'm done.  If you want to see her art, though, here is her blog:
http://cateanevski.typepad.com/cateanevski/

I'm also getting another tattoo this weekend.  I'll be sure to share pics!  I'm very, very excited.  

Have you ever seen Freecycle?  Many cities have a Freecycle group, and Austin, of course, has one that I've been a member of for years.  It's basically where you join the group and post if you have stuff you want to get rid of, or post if you have something you're looking for.  It's all free, no one is selling nor buying on there, like they would on Craigslist.  It's especially good if you're moving and have odds and ends that a thrift store may not take.  I've used it every time I've moved!  Well, I just got a whole mess of fabric from a very sweet lady,  and also, some little crafty odds and ends, because I posted that I was looking for fabric and craft stuff.  I did have to drive a ways to get it, but it was totally worth it!   Fantastisch!

Okay, that's all for now.  I'm about to go pass out in my bed and watch some Star Trek:  The Next Generation. 

Stuff and My 5 Things

I don't have any photos to post right now, because I am busy with a bunch of other stuff besides embroidery, like MORE organizing.  

I love doing small embroideries.  Anyway,  I'm jumping on the "5 things" bandwagon all the cool kids are doing, and if you read this, and have a blog, I'd like to see what your 5 things are!

5 Things I wish I could do:
1. Grow my hair really fast, or maybe even STOP CUTTING IT!!

2.  Travel a ton.

3.  Go and buy every piece of clothing I like from Forever 21.  Sadly, a lot of it wouldn't fit an anorexic rat, much less a chubby gal like myself. 

4.  Speak every language in the world. 

5.  Keep on my healthy eating and working out kick.  I was doing really good for a while, and for some reason, I just can't really be bothered more than like twice a week.  Ugh!


5 Things I am looking forward to:

1.  Road trip to Louisiana with Allen this weekend!!  I will do lots of crafts in the car and take tons of pictures and eat really good food.

2.  Meeting my friends at Barflys tonight for some cheap drinks.

3.  My next tattoo, which I will be getting very soon.  Here's an incomplete sketch, but you get the idea.  I will be adding buttons and a tape measure spiraling down around the scissors, and "Sew is Life" in the banner.  It will also be in full color.  I'm getting it on my forearm, right under my elbow, but on the outside of my forearm, if that makes sense.

4.  Dying my hair!  It needs it badly.

5.  Taking a trip to Brooklyn this summer to see my friend Brandi!


 K, that's all for now! 

Beep Beep

Here are a couple of things I made today.

This was a request from someone to put on her GPS case.

 

And here is the final embroidery for my kitchen!

 

That's all I have for now.  I'm working on a pillow that I should finish soon, though!

Organizing and Pen Pal Goodies

Sorry it's been a while.  I've  been more into getting stuff organized and decorating than really crafting lately.  I finished an embroidery for the kitchen and am working on the last, and I am also working on a pillow for a friend's birthday.  I'll post photos when they're all done.  But here's a photo of the last kitchen embroidery that I did.  It was Allen's request.  It's a Red Velvet Art pattern but I used my handwriting for the letters.  Note the lack of vegetables on the burger.  That's how he likes his burgers. 

Today, I got a surprise package from my penpal/friend Jo, who lives in Wales.  We have the same name :)  She sent me the cutest things!  Thanks so much, Jo!

Until I get my other stuff finished, here are some pictures of cute tiny things that I collect!  Please excuse some of the blurriness- I'm not very good with a camera and some were taken with my iPhone.  Tiny things make me very happy.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

See ya!

I Made a Hat

I made a hat!  It's the first thing I've ever crocheted.  There are a few imperfections, but all in all, it's pretty good!  I just wanted to get a pic of the hat itself, and didn't want to distract you with my unearthly beauty, so I used my webcam to get just the hat.  I don't usually wear hats, but this one is gettin some publicity tomorrow!

It was super easy.  I must make more!  I need other colors.  I wanted to make a pink one, but I didn't have any pink, and the yarn I want to use is expensive and I'm a cheap person.  But next time, I will do a pink one!  

New Embroidery and a Weird Pillow

I made this embroidery pattern from just a doodle I did.  I'm gonna put it in my Etsy shop.  

 

I finished this embroidery for the kitchen.  This is a WildOlive design.

And here is a face pillow.  I got this pattern from Lia's Space (http://www.liaspace.com/).  Mine turned out much smaller and wonkier, but it's because I was lazy.  But I do like it.  I'd like to learn to sew more things like this and get better at sewing the stuffing hole up where you can't really see it. 

As promised...

Here are the things I made for Valentine's Day.

I made these two for Allen:

I made these for my friend Liz and her girlfriend Deanna.  These are patterns I created- the wood one, I just sort of doodled up and I created the pillow pattern from clip art of a pumpkin and a cupcake.  She said that's what they call each other and I said "Barf but yeah, I'll do it!" How do I have friends?

 

  

And here is what Allen made for me:  

I am very lucky to have such a thoughtful boyfriend.  He is the best thing in the world to me.  He makes me feel very, very special every day, not just on Valentine's Day.  Oh, and he took me out for a fantastic Tex-Mex dinner!  

Happy Valentine's Day!

Feeling quite inspired...

I'm feeling very, very inspired of late.  I've started doing little things to spruce up our apartment, and it's looking much better.  I made a few pillows, put some of my pretty ribbon, pompom trim,  and bias tape (I have a ton of vintage bias tape, too) in a big jar, organized my craft area, put some more contact paper stickers up, drew a bunch of stuff I'm gonna embroider, painted some wooden placards I got at Hobby Lobby and put hooks in for my cute measuring cups and spoons, organized my fabric and felt and put it in one of those closet organizer hangers (I have some really cute stuff I need to use!!),  I'm getting better at embroidery and am making a really cute hat, and I'm going to be working on more pillows for around the house, and a few embroideries for the kitchen.  Whew!  PLUS I made a few super cute things for Valentine's Day, some for a friend to give and some for me to give to Allen.  I don't really buy into all of that V-Day junk, but I do like any excuse to make him something cute that expresses how I feel.  I'll be posting pictures of all of it after V-Day. 

I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day, those of you who care to celebrate! 

While I should have been working...

I made a lot of stuff!!

Here are some hair bows.  I've made more that I'll post a photo of later. 

I made my second pillow cover.

And a hat for my little wind up toy!

New Bib Design

Here is a bib I sort of finished.  I'm gonna add a panel of fabric to the back so that the stitches won't show and so it won't be so flimsy.  I think it came out okay.  

I drew the design and got the words from a song called "100,000 Fireflies" by Magnetic Fields.  It's a really good song.   Here's a close up.  The words are my handwriting.  It gives it a really personal touch.  I think the stitches for the words may  need to be a bit lighter, like maybe only use two strands of floss. 

Lastly, I have two really ugly pillows in the living room.  So, I went to World Market and got a couple of cloth napkins, and then found some cute fat quarters at Michael's, and I whipped up this cute cover from the fat quarters.  Awww, my kitty loves it.

I haven't done the one with the napkin, but will do it soon.