Saturday, January 16, 2010

Week In Review

Each weekend in my Week in Review post I share with you some of my favorite crafty links I've come across during the week, from all over the blogosphere.  Enjoy!

I wish I could pull this off!  I just love this look!

I'm going to play along... are you?



This site was a new find for me this week.  Disney makes some stunning things!  Check her out!



Caroline always has such simple and inspiring ideas!  I absolutely want to have an indoor beach party with my grown-up friends!

 

Another great idea for the kiddos!
 

This is genius, really!  You could use a punch instead of an exacto knife, too.  What a great way to showcase baby art and create a parent-child art collaboration early on!


I hope that you're all having a beautiful weekend!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Craft Studio Update 2

Joining us for the first time?  I'm making-over my craft studio space.  Head HERE first, and then HERE to get caught up!

So it is DEFINITELY getting worse before it is getting better!  I mean, it's to the point where it's a little demoralizing at times!  I'm getting a clearer and clearer vision for what I want to space to be and how I want it to function when I'm done, but I'm getting sicker and sicker of the PROCESS to get there!  I'm hoping you all will recognize the progress being made more than I am right now, and can help me stay motivated to get this all done!

So the closet is completely emptied, as you can see.  It's not a bad storage space, and it's nice that it has its own light.

It IS a funny shape though, it kind of goes around a corner.  Do you think I can find some cheap shelving that's tall and skinny to fit in this little nook? (below)  I already have some shelving to use in the main part of the closet.

Both of these shelving units have been cleared completely and moved out of the room.  I won't be using either of them in the "new" studio space, so I've moved them to the storage area of our basement in hopes I can find use for them there!


The hardest part of this process is that there are sooooo many "homeless" items in my craft space that didn't belong there, but just got kind of dumped when we first moved in.  So now I am having to either find new homes for them where they will be used, or get rid of them.

The contents of the craft studio have spilled out into the "man room" area of the basement... well that's an understatement really... they haven't so much "spilled out" more that they've taken over.  Let's be honest here.

What's making these even more complicated is that since I have my Open House for Stampin' Up! this weekend, I need the long table (above) and lots of my stamping supplies and materials upstairs in the living room for make and takes, etc.  After this photo was taken I cleared it off the table and collapsed it, ready for Trav to carry upstairs.

I'm trying to organize and plan out what is going to end up where as I go along, even if that means finding homes for supplies on shelving that isn't yet back in the studio (I will wait until I paint to move it back in).  This is the shelving I'm going to use in the closet.  I like that the shelves are wide enough to fit multiple rubbermaids stacked on top of each other.  Not sure how I feel about all the small containers on the top shelf like this though.  And obviously there are lots more items to be added to this shelf.

This is the only unit I plan on being out of the closet and in the actual studio itself.  What I'm learning is that less is more.  In the old studio I had shelving units, etc. on all four walls of the room... it took up a lot of room and made it feel cramped.  I'm using this unit for all of my stamping supplies and materials since that's what I'll use most.

Back to the table for a sec... as you can see it's a bit of a mess... looks like it's seen better days.

I have NOT been good at covering this surface while working on projects, and consequently it looks like junk.  Anyone have a good idea as to what kind of cleaner will get off some of the paint, etc.?

Here's the half of the room (three quarters really) that has been cleared out.  Obviously there's still all kinds of UFO's hanging out on the floor there... those are a project for tomorrow.

And here is the other end of the room, still waiting to be sorted and purged.  Agh!  I feel like I'm on that show "Hoarders" -- it's embarrassing!  And yes, that is one of my kitties making a guest appearance.  She was "helping" me.

If you remember from before, the wooden table above was a sewing table.  Not only has it always been too high, but I think it's just TOO BIG.  Do I really need a large table for sewing?  Would something like this do???  It's a half-sized version of my long white table.  (It looks really tall in the picture, but it's not...)

Accompanied by a full backed adjustable office chair such as this?  What do you think, sewing friends?  Small table?  Big table?

Phew!  Did you get all that?  That's all I have for now (I know, you're breathing a huge sigh of relief!)  I was thinking earlier in the week then instead of having the room ready to go by the end of February, it would be AMAZING to get it done by January 29th, for a class I'm holding.  That leaves me just about two weeks.  Think I can do it?!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ruby Bear - Part One

I finally got the confidence to start another knit project!  As you know... it took me FOREVER to grasp knitting, and now that I (kind of) know what I'm doing I've had problems deviating from scarfs!  In fact, the only knitting projects I've actually completed successfully (in chronological order) are...
... and the majority of these, as you can see, are scarves!!!

So I've started working on the Ruby Bear, a free pattern from Premier Yarns...



Cute, no?  I love it!  After messing around with different needles and yarns to no avail (note to self, patterns generally give you yarn and needle size guidelines for a reason, ha!) I finally got going on it (with the original yarn, but size 10 needles instead of size 9 because that's what I had!)



I've knit up the body (far left) so far (haven't stuffed it yet obviously) and I'm working on the head.  It's actually going pretty smoothly so far.



As you can see, I'm knitting on straight needles, that's all I know how to do!  A lot of the cute patterns I come across are knit on either circulars or DPN's... any of you knitters out there care to...

a) enlighten me about those two types of needles

b) point me toward some good websites or videos to teach me how to use them, or

c) direct me to some good beginning patterns (read:  easy) using each?

(Yup, I'm taking to YOU, Meg and Marie!)

Stay tuned for more updates on Ruby!  I'm hoping to finish her up over the weekend and post to her next week.  Wouldn't that be fun?  On a side note, while investigating Ruby I came across this adorable crochet pattern...



Aaaaah!  The pigs are so cute!  (side bar - I totally went through a phase as a kid where I loved pigs and collected anything to do with them.  Random!)  I bookmarked the pattern of course, even though I have no idea how to crochet...   : )

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Occasions Mini Catalog 2010




Last week I mentioned the new Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog that has just been released.  It's chock full of beautiful new products that are only available from now until the end of April.  I always get inspired when new catalogs come out - not just because of the products (which are fab-u-lous!) but because of the gorgeous sample cards and projects that are featured on their pages.

With so much to choose from, I thought I'd highlight some of MY favorite products from the Mini...

I think this satin ribbon is soooo luxurious.  Wouldn't it be just so elegant used on a Valentines card?  It comes in nine colors, too!  (real red 5/8" satin ribbon, 117286, $8.95)



These little animal stamps are adorable!  Perfect for kids and grown ups alike!  (Fox & Friends Stamp set:  Wood mount = 117020, $18.85,  Clear mount = 118565 $14.95)
 
 
I love both of these Designer Series Paper sets!  I love that Sending Love paper (top) can be used for Valentines Day, or any time of the year!  (Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper, 117153, $11.95 and Shades of Spring Designer Series Paper, 117160, $9.95)

 
LOVE these cute brads!  The perfect embellishment to any Valentines project!  (Sending Love Epoxy Brads in Real Red 1/2", 117270, $4.95)

 
I didn't give this stamp set a second look until I saw it featured HERE and now I luuuurve it!  This is a great set to watercolor with!  (My Matryoshka stamp set, Wood mount = 115213, $14.95, 
Clear mount = 118583, $11.95)

Want your own copy of the Occasions Mini Catalog?  Drop me a note at joanneroehm(at)yahoo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'm be happy to send one out to you!  You can order the products above, and the many others from the Mini on my Stampin' Up! website HERE.  Michiganders -- don't forget that you can get your own copy of the Mini and try out some of these great products at my open house this Sunday!  Details at the end of Monday's post.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Oh Martha (and your team of super crafty staffers), you're SO clever!

I've got to admit, I'm a bit of a magazine junkie.  Anything glossy with good photography and I'm hooked.  Considering my recent lull in crafty productivity due in equal parts to the craft studio re-do and a cold/flu/sinus something or other I'm fighting, I was EXTRA excited to get Martha in the mail yesterday.

Now, no matter your personal opinions of Martha, you've got to love the stuff that her team comes up with.  I can't, for example, tolerate Martha's TV show for more than five minutes at a time, but I sure do love me some LIVING Magazine.

I always get sucked in by the covers... and February's issue was no exception...



Actually, my favorite part of this cover was the fact that, with my limited cake decorating experience (remember the cake class debacle?) I could so do this!  You just use a shell tip to create the hearts.  Nice!

You can imagine my excitement then, when I opened up to find these adorable chocolate filigree hearts.  Love!  You just may see them here again in the future!



This idea is so simple but so clever.  Using large mailing labels to create bookplates.  Wouldn't it be fun to do this with a fun kid-friendly stamp set with kids to label all of their books?  Great idea!



And this new take on a "box of chocolates" is clever.  Arranging candy filled heart-shaped cookie cutters in a box to wrap and give?  So fun!  I wonder how well everything would stay put if you even picked up the box to hand it to someone?  Seems like you might have candy all over the place, no?



And as if all those warm and fuzzy Valentines-ish ideas weren't enough eye candy (ha ha, candy, Valentines, I'm hilarious!) the magazine also had a beautiful photo spread of glass cake stands... which I ALWAYS oogle in antiques stores.  Sooo pretty!



 

Congratulations Martha, (and your hard working staff members who don't get half the credit or half the $$$ you do!) you've done it again!  I now have even MORE new projects to add to my crafty to-do list!