DIY: Painted Shopping Bag

Sometimes I keep shopping bags not because they’re particularly cute but because they could be useful. I thought I could use paint to alter a bag’s appearance to make it a bit more visually interesting (as well as cover up any unwanted design elements).

DIY: Toilet Paper Roll Flower

Toilet paper rolls are disposable items we all have. I was looking at one and thought that its shape could lend itself well to a flower. I like the symmetry of something with the word “toilet” in its name coming up roses (figuratively speaking).

DIY: Brown Paper Bag Wrapping Paper

I love kraft paper, and while I could have bought a roll of it to use, I decided on using a brown paper bag from the grocery store instead (since it was something I already had) for wrapping paper.

Lip Service Coupon

Lip service is what makes the world go ’round. We are all participants, with coworkers, classmates, friends, family, strangers; we all tell those little white lies that help to make social interactions go more smoothly. We generally know when we’re getting or giving lip service, but that doesn’t stop its persistence.

Little Red Skirt

Last month I was walking in town wearing the navy skirt I’d made, and a woman passing by complimented me on my “cute skirt”. I thanked her and in that moment I think my head grew three sizes (but luckily I kept my wits about me and refrained from regaling her with tales of how I’d sewn it myself). While it’s always nice receiving a compliment, it was doubly so getting one from a complete stranger on something that I had created. There’s a certain thrill in having sewn something that is uniquely yours, and while what I sew is hardly perfect, it’s still mine. I decided on what pattern to use and I decided what fabric would be appropriate and I was the one who sewed it (for better or for worse).

DIY: Key Chain Pendant Necklace

I’ve mentioned that I went through a phase of getting Japanese key chains as souvenirs (that I inevitably never used). I don’t have much of a desire to use a key chain as an actual key chain because it adds unwanted weight and bulk, but I thought I could reuse a key chain by turning it into a necklace pendant.

Japanese Key Chains

While in Japan, I went through a phase of getting key chains as souvenirs. It was an easy souvenir to get since they're small, sturdy and there was usually a wide variety to choose from. I would get one (or more) at any place I was visiting. I never really thought too deeply about what I would do with them in the future, I just wanted something tangible from the place I was visiting. Basically it was a souvenir for souvenir's sake, as I never actually used any of these key chains. [Sigh.] But some them are interesting to look at:

So Sick of Summer

A couple of months ago I semi-complained about the lackluster summer we’d been having in Oregon with the seemingly never-ending cloudy and cool days. This past week made me regret those words as temperatures were consistently in the mid-nineties and I was absolutely miserable. People who say they love hot weather are people with air-conditioning—and I’m not one of them.

It was a difficult week because of the heat, and it forced me to become both extra busy and extra lazy. The mornings and early afternoons were bearable enough, so I fell into a rhythm of trying to get everything done by 3pm (which wasn’t always possible, but I tried). The evenings were very unpleasant as the heat accumulated indoors leaving me feeling hot and tired and irritable.

Thus evenings became chunks of unproductive time. I lost all motivation to do anything; it was just too much effort to think, let alone move. All I wanted to do was stretch out like a cat in front of the television and eat ice cream (which I did, but it hardly helped me feel much better). I pretty much came to the conclusion that I was sick of summer. I was tired of having a bowl of cereal for dinner because it was too hot to cook. And I was tired of the heat disturbing my sleep. And most of all I was tired of hours being wasted because I was too hot to do anything.

So I’m hoping that the height of summer has finally passed. Yesterday the temperature finally went down a good ten degrees and I look forward to a much cooler week. With more temperate weather brings a more temperate (and more motivated) me, and I’m hoping that I can finally get stuff done. So bring on the clouds…I’ve missed you.

Idiom Calendar

Sometime in April I decided to create an idiom calendar for my “Make Something Present” for this year. I am particularly partial to wordplay and I love idioms. There are idioms for practically every situation and I find some quite amusing. Idioms paint visual pictures with just a few words and I wanted to portray that in my idiom calendar.

DIY: Knotted Yarn Tassel Bracelet

I had extra yarn and thought I could use it in a simple bracelet that revolves around knotting. It’s not very difficult to make, and I think it creates a nice texture and pop of color.

Animals Gone 7 Deadly Sins Calendar

Spring 2010. Although it was early, I thought that I should get started on my “Make Something Present”. I like making calendars, so I wanted to make another and came up with the format first. I wanted to create something with layers, so I decided on using different sized sheets that would go from the smallest size in the front to the largest size in the back.

Once I figured out how the calendar would be put together, I thought about what the calendar should be about. Suddenly it came to me: 7 Deadly Sins. With seven sins, I could divide the months up to two a sheet plus a cover sheet. But I didn’t want it to be a straight up “sins” calendar; I wanted to do something that would amuse me.