Tetris Magnets

I should really use my proper camera for these things, shouldn't I? Instead I use my iphone camera, because then I can just upload it straight to photobucket with the photobucket app... but enough on my laziness*; these are my first attempt at making something with plastic canvas! I used the perforated plastic 14 count stuff, cut it into shape first (which I am really bad at when it needs to be a specific size) then stitched. I know I'm missing one of the L shapes, I cut it so stupidly it would have had a section that was only three stitches across! After I wrapped the edges I glued a strip of magnet to the back using PVA to begin with, but yesterday I bought a hot glue gun(!!), so now I'm using that instead. It's much better, and even more fun than PVA.



* So I did take new photos with my camera, and I found the cord and the usb card reader so its just as easy to use the camera now, and they look so much nicer, and will from now on. Mostly. :)

I was so excited to see that I got some spam mail the other day, because it had a HUGE fridge magnet in it, and magnets like that are perfect for chopping up into little crafty pieces. So imagine my excitement when I got another yesterday! Its currently soaking to get rid of the paper.

And because this makes me laugh when I look at it, my whiteboard:

Evolution of a Fluff Ball

I recently found my old juggling balls I bought for $2 from the Reject Shop about 15 years ago, but they needed a makeover! I tried crocheting the fluff, but that just led to tangles and not being nearly as fluffy as I wanted. So I'm sewing the fluff to a crochet net instead.

Faux Book-box

I started out making a squishy book, with a plastic container as a size guide but that idea morphed into a cover for this ex-fishing hook box. I stitched individual cover panels & a spine panel in the brown, then I created the sides in a long strip decreasing width to fit the latch and hinges in off-white. Then I stitched it all together using a wool needle, and gave the top its white side. To help it all stay together I poked strategic holes in the plastic box so I could sew the crochet panels in place, and who doesn't love playing with candles, bobby pins and plastic?
It's not quite finished, but at least that is the majority of one Christmas present down!




And for someone who had about three colours of wool to her name before two weeks ago, I'm doing pretty well, don't you think?

Crochet Flannel Shirts?

Normally I don't do the whole progress updates, but I like this photo:



I may or may not have been making Dolly rock out to Bad Religion with me while I was latch-hooking on the hair... Dolly can headbang like no ones business, let me tell you.

Hopefully after I get my delivery of button eyes from ebay, I'll find a good pair to use and then I'll trim the fringe and give a little bit of an overall hair cut but until then, Dolly can play at being a rock god for a little while longer. Maybe I should make a guitar... Or a beer hat & a flannel shirt, and leave it as an air guitar, who else could say they have a handmade bogan crochet doll? Oh, the possibilities.

EDIT: OMG, I just realised Dolly needs a mullet to be a true bogan. And a little VB can. And a ute. And really be nick-named Dolza, Dollo or Shazza (don't want to discriminate).
ANOTHER EDIT: I got my buttons in the mail just now, and I found one that's perfect! Too bad its a singular button rather than a pair. :( But now I know what size and style of eyes I want to use, so that's a start!

A Doll!

I'm full of ideas for people for Christmas, but in order to make all the things I keep thinking of, I needed to learn to make a doll. So here one is.
Apparently I cannot follow a pattern that well, because when creating two legs and two arms from the same pattern, I ended up with noticeably different sizes. Didn't help I BROKE the hook I was using, stupid cheap piece of plastic crap. Serves me right for choosing the cheap option! But then I bought a set of pretty new shiny metal hooks from Ebay. :)

Here's the pattern I was using: Basic Doll Body

Crochet Bird!

Today I suddenly felt like learning to crochet things other than misshapen squares, so I learnt how to read a crochet pattern, how to do a magic ring (I'll put in a link in the morning) and after a few or more false starts I made a love bird! If I don't call it a love bird it looks more like a snow-bird or an albino, and lets face it: love bird sounds far better... I'm pretty happy with it, I finally managed to get the initial stitches right, and I counted it properly! Next time I'll try something in better colours so I don't seem to be making an egg cosy with handles.





I don't have the link for the pattern right at this second, but Ill update with it tomorrow as well. :)

EDIT: Since its now the morning, here are the links I promised:
Bird pattern: Birds of a feather
Magic Ring crochet wizardry: Planet June - Left handed AND right handed instructions!


And another edit: I decided I really didn't like his eyes, so I gave him black button eyes instead:

We do what we must, because we can.

Portal project part 1 of 10!

Firefly

Whipped this up while watching Serenity.



Think my next will be "No power in the 'verse can stop me" cos I love that film, and quotes are fun to stitch while my mind is to unsettled to concentrate on more complex things.

Side note, I'm a fan of black aida, and I love the look of the fluro yellow thread on said black aida! I didn't realise the floss was so slippery though, it kept looping, separating and being generally crazy-thread. Doesn't help that my fingertips are as rough as guts currently and would catch on the strands all the time too, damn works cleaning chemicals!