Craftacular!!!

Hubby and I went to the Bust Craftacular in Williamsburg this past Saturday--and holy mother! It was packed. I mean wall-to-wall people. It was amazing! It was just so damned cool to see that many crafty-minded people out there making all of these really cool things and actually making a go of their cottage businesses. It made me realize how possible it would be to get She's Krafty out there and turn it into so much more than a blog--at worst an e-store, at best an e-store + real-life store! Brad and I are totally committed to making sure we get a table at next year's Craftacular, because holy crap would that be awesome. Especially since I saw so many things there that I've actually made in the past--from yoga mat bags, to tote bags, purses, soap, scrubs, scarves, pins, hats--all kinds of stuff. I also came up with a really good line for a t-shirt (which I'm not posting until I get the mock-up done). I'm so glad we went. It was just incredible to feel all that creative energy in the room--it really inspired me.

My favorite finds at this year's Craftacular? Awesome buttons courtesy of My My . I bought a bunch of them--I'm sending a couple out to girlfriends in the X-mas cards--the ones I got for myself I'm turning into magnets for the fridge. I'm also seriously obsessed with these:


Brad got them for me from Girlie Pants--and how freaking awesome are they??

Back from Vacation...

I was on vacation for a week (to Jamaica) and since I've been back, I've been so damned busy at work I haven't had time to post a darn thing. I've got pictures to post, but haven't had time to upload them.

I've finished several knitted swatches and can now knit and purl. Before I left for vacation, my coworker, Chaitra and I sat in from of the Knittinghelp.com website and finally, finally figured out how to purl. It's not easy to do when you're just trying to figure it out from a book. I was on the verge of throwing my needles several times while trying to figure it out on my own. But Chaitra and I figured it out (and the marketing people standing behind her cubicle thought we were nuts when we got all excited the first time it clicked and we both got through a row) and it kept me busy on the plane to and from Jamaica (3 hours) and then the 2 hour bus to and from our resort. All that time and all I finished was a freaking 7 X 9 swatch. I was knitting with worsted weight yarn on no. 7 needles though, so I suppose that explains my slow progress. Not to mention that it was the first stockingette stitch thing I've ever made. I'm probably going to make the ugliest kitty blanket in the world by attaching all my various knitted swatches and crocheted granny squares together. The kitties won't care as long as it is cozy. I love knitting with big chunky yarn. Until I get really fast, it is the only way for me to decive myself that knitting doesn't take longer than crocheting (which isn't really true, at least for me right now).

I finished my last crocheted baby blanket (until I get pregnant myself) and already gave it to the new mommy-to-be. She was estatic with it and that made me really happy, though it hasn't changed my mind about the "no-more-baby-blanket" policy.

I'm currently in the midst of knitting a Fancy Fur scarf for my mother-in-law for Chanukah. I bought the yarn last year in a yarn-and-crochet-frenzy when I was bored with the so-called "normal" yarn. This was before I realized that because the eyelash yarn also has little knubbies on it, it doesn't make for easy crocheting. I tried everything--little hooks, big hooks, using yarn markers--nothing made working with this damned yarn easy. Until now. All this time I thought I was retarded because I kept crocheting knots, but now I've realized it's easier to knit with than crochet with. I don't know who is able to crochet with the damned Fancy Fur, but it sure as hell isn't me. In any case, I'm sort of on the fence with Fancy Fur. It looks cool and it's fun to knit with, but I keep asking myself if I actually like it. The yarn fancinates everyone where ever I go (crazy amounts of people have been mesmerized on the subway by my funky purple needles knitting this yarn), but I don't know if that means I like it. I guess it comes down to this--I like knitting with it, think it looks really cool, but I don't think I'd actually wear anything made with it myself.

I'm back!

Yes, it has been forever since I posted, and I apologize. I'm still surprised how many hits this blog has gotten (even though no one comments but Eve and my hubby) in spite of me not posting anything new lately. I was really busy for a while in spring and hadn't had a chance to take pictures of the projects I was working on, and then BAM! Our digital camera broke and that sucked big time. How am I supposed to post things to my craft blog if I can't take pictures of the things that I'm making? Doesn't really work so well. (Do not ever by the Canon Doubleshot! TWO of them have broken on us and their LCD screen sucks!)

Anyway, the really good news is that Hubby and I picked up a new camera last week (the Olympus Stylus--so far, so good--and the LCD screen has a plastic cover on it, and to top that, you can buy a nifty little case for it and take it underwater! How nuts is that??), and I have tons of things to photograph and post on here. Over the past few months I've managed to finish Brad's blanket, I'm 95% finished with a baby blanket for my friend's baby (due in September--I need to get to work!), made a necklace and bracelet for my mom-in-law's birthday, and made too many crochet flower pins to think about. I can't wait until it gets a little cooler out so I can start sporting them on my jackets! There are some other projects too, I just can't remember them all right now.

So keep your pants on people--new pictures of projects coming this weekend!

xoxo
the krafty girl

Cufflinks...

Brad and I spent the better part of a recent Saturday searching for a new suit for him and also gathering materials for me to make him a new cufflink box. Brad is obsessed with fancy cufflinks. When we first started dating, I made him a cufflink box (approximately 7 X 9) to store all of his pretty cufflinks, but he has long since outgrown it (the Tiffany cufflinks he got for his birthday deserve their own darn box heehee) and had been hinting that he needed a new one. I can’t possibly say “no” when someone comes up with a new crafty project for me, so of course I agreed.

We searched high and low for the perfect box and finally found a faux red crocodile leather letter box in Barnes and Noble (after we purchased a different box in Michael’s Arts & Craft Store which we later returned) and had to go to another craft store called the Rag Shop near our house to get a piece of soft foam to make the inside of the box.

After I got all my materials home, measured the inside of the box (height, width, depth) and then cut the soft foam to fit snuggly inside. I then measured the foam itself, and cut it into 8 long, equal width strips. I then pulled out this beautiful black silk velvet that I had left over from a skirt I made myself a while back, and cut the fabric into strips so each piece of foam could be completely covered in velvet before inserting it into the box. I got out my glue gun, and I was ready to roll! I glued the velvet onto each individual strip of foam. After the glue dried, I placed each velvet covered foam strip into the box to be sure of placement. When I was about halfway done, I realized that I was running out of space! There was no way that all eight strips of foam, covered in velvet, were going to fit inside the box. Seven strips, however, did fit perfectly. After all 7 were placed in the box and I checked to make sure they were snug, but not too snug, I glued each strip individually into the box. After all the glue dried, Brad had a grand ‘ole time placing his cufflinks into the box.

I was very pleased with the way this cufflink box turned out, and considering how much you’d have to spend on one of these babies in a shop or online, I’d say Brad and I go off pretty cheap. The crocodile leather letter box cost $20, the foam was $3, and the velvet originally cost me around $14 a yard when I bought it, but I only used around a ¼ of a yard. It took around an hour and a half to put it all together—and a day of running around gathering the materials. Not bad I tell ya!

I'm a krafty lady!

I decided to start a blog dedicated to the various crafts I work on (or krafts as I like to call them) because I spend so much of my free time working on them. Krafting is something I do because I love making things and working with my hands, and because it is very soothing and zen-like. In today's crazy, stress-filled world, it's nice to do something that doesn't put added stress in your life. To me, coming up with a project, gathering the supplies, facing obstacles and then problem-solving through them, is very satisfying. The name of this blog (and my website) was coined by my best friend Jenn--whenever I'd tell her about my latest krafty project, she'd start singing the Beastie Boys song "She's Crafty." Though that wasn't what the BB had in mind when they wrote the song, it sort of became my krafting moto :-)

I'm currently obsessed with crocheting, but I've enjoyed all sorts of kraft projects over the years: sewing, tiling, making boxes, collage, candle-making, soap-making & beauty products (like salves, scrubs, and perfume), and the list goes on and on.

The first thing I can remember making were clothes for my Barbie dolls (who were very far from normal looking Barbies with their marker dyed hair and punk rock make up, but that is a whole other story). I used scraps of fabric that a neighbor gave me (left over from her quilting projects)and first started draping, and then moved on to actually sewing them together. I think I was around 8 years old when I sewed my first Barbie outfit. I still remember it: a knee-length pleated skirt in grey with small white polka dots. I have always loved polka dots. I wish I still had it, but I have a picture of it in my head. I probably remember it better than it was, but still. I remember using hook-and-eye closures on it, so the skirt actually stayed on the doll! No safety pins! But I'm getting away from the topic.

This is a blog dedicated to all of my various kraft projects. I'll probably start out with some pictures of recent projects that I've already completed, and then move onto the ones I'm in the midst of. I'm looking forward to getting feedback from other krafty-minded people, and discussing all things krafty. I am in the middle of building my website, www.sheskraftyonline.com, where I will be selling some of my handcrafted and homemade products. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

Enjoy!
xoxo
christine