Life Happens

Well, I've been MIA again.  It's personal in nature, though it's not about me, but one of my family members, and it's tough.  I don't know how long this will go on for, but it will for a little awhile longer.  And, hopefully, I'll get back to my knitting during this time as well - and blogging, too!

Once again my knitting has taken a back seat to life.  The baby blanket I had started for my pastor and his wife was put on hold.  The baby was born back in February, and I think she'll be too big for it when I get it done. Also, we're heading into summer now and this blanket will be to hot for this time of year.  I will finish it though and possibly donate it or use it for someone else who might be having a baby girl at some point.

I've got something else going on as well. Actually it's in the very beginning stages and I'm not going to mention any details at the moment, but rest assured, I will.  Hopefully it won't be in the near too distant future.

Over the weekend, I pulled out my drop spindle and the roving I have.  I want to give that another go as I know I had enjoyed it.  I just need to make time for it (and let's face it, my knitting too).  I would eventually like to try spinning on a wheel as well, but that won't be for some time.

Anyway, since life happens, and it's happening now, I best get back to it.  And maybe try to do some spinning and knitting during that time :).

Happy knitting!

Stuff Happens

It always seems that when I begin to get back into blogging, something happens which causes long periods of time between posts.

Sometimes these breaks are self-inflicted (meaning I have nothing to blog about due to a lack of knitting or it's due to something work related), and other times they are caused by situations out of my control.

This is one such case.

I've had to to take another temporary break from blogging due to a family situation which requires my full attention.

Don't worry, I have been knitting some while on this break, so hopefully when I'm able to get back into a normal way of life and blogging, I will have something to show for this long absence.

I'm not sure just how long I will be away - maybe a few more weeks, maybe a month or longer.  I hope it's not longer.  But, I am still needed in this situation so I must focus my attention there.  I will be back.  I promise.

Until then, happy knitting and God bless!

Knitting Progress

I’ve mentioned in the previous post about becoming involved in a scarf exchange on Ravelry.  Since joining, I’ve been looking through various scarf patterns to knit for my exchange partner.  There are so many wonderful looking scarf patterns, and that makes it difficult to choose just one.

Yesterday I had the flu so I couldn’t do anything, though I had hoped to start the scarf then.  Today, I feel a lot better. I won’t say I’m 100% better, but the fact that I’m not aching and I have no fever makes me feel a lot better.  Today my cough seems to be what I’m dealing with more than anything, and there are times when I cough so much that it’s hard to catch my breath.  I had an opportunity to go shopping in Dawson Creek today (I had hoped we could check out a yarn shop there, see if it’s open, and maybe get some yarn to use in my pal’s scarf), but I decided to stay home to get better for work tomorrow.

I looked through some of the yarn I have here, which isn’t much, and looked for something that might fit the categories – colour(s) she said she liked, types of yarn she likes, etc.  I decided on a skein (I won’t go into details of what colours, the brand/type, or pattern just in case my pal reads my blog. I don’t want to ruin the surprise for her), and searched the internet for a pattern.

Of course, me being me, I am second guessing my choice of yarn, colour, etc.  If I were doing this scarf for charity, I wouldn’t worry so much because there would be someone “out there” who would like it.  I just want my pal to like the finished product, and not feel disappointed in what I’ve chosen.

Since this is an alphabet swap and we need to choose things to include that start with the first five letters of the alphabet, I’m trying to keep this in mind with the things I’m choosing.  I have something for A and B, and have an idea for C.  Still deciding on D and E – though things could change between now and when I get the package sent out!  I just really hope my pal is happy and satisfied with what I send her.

Yesterday, at some point when I was feeling a little better, I ordered some yarn from The Loopy Ewe. I haven’t ordered anything from them in a long time, and found out I had a credit of nearly $20!  Anyway, since my birthday is coming up in a week from tomorrow, I decided to order some yarn for myself as a birthday present to myself.  I probably won’t get it in time for my birthday, but that doesn’t matter since I’m busy knitting my scarf exchange pal’s scarf.

I have also ordered some yarn and a couple of patterns from Knit Picks a couple of weeks ago.  The patterns were ones to download, so I already have them.  They are for argyle hats (it includes a few different patterns) and the matching mittens (again, it includes a few different patterns).  I’m looking forward to knitting those up – they looked so cool.  The hats and mittens I make from these patterns will more than likely go to charity.

I’ll post pictures of my scarf exchange pal’s scarf once she gets it so that I don’t ruin the surprise.  I’ll also post pictures of the yarn and the patterns, I’ve ordered for myself, when I get them in the mail.

I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on lately.  Feel free to drop a comment and let me know!

Ravelry, a Swap, and Yarn

On the weekend, I was surfing around Ravelry, checking out patterns and the forum.  I remembered taking part in a few swaps and secret pals, and thought I’d look to see if there were any currently going on.  From what I could see, there was no secret pal (it almost sounded like there had been a lot of people not following through on obligations, so they turned it into various swaps), but there were several different swaps going on.

One of the swaps I took part in a few years ago was the International Scarf Exchange. Unfortunately, I ended up losing that scarf (I think one day when I was doing some supply teaching. I either lost it, or it was taken out of my bag – which could have happened at the particular school I was at.  However, it doesn’t look like that one is going on, though there are some starting up in that group – they are just under different names.

Anyway, I joined one that is called the Alphabet Swap.  In the package, we have to send 3-5 items (have to double check if that includes the scarf we knit, or if that is in addition to the scarf), and the items must all start with the first five letters of the alphabet.  So, for example, you might send a skein of Alpaca yarn,  the scarf might be shades of blue, there might be some chocolate, a pattern for an item that starts with a ‘d’ (the name of the pattern that is), etc.

The lady I’ve been partnered with in the swap lives in Wisconsin. Since this isn’t a secret pal type of exchange, we are allowed to contact the other person and ask questions.  We can also ‘stalk’ their profile, questionnaires and posts with regards to things they are interested in to possibly include in the package we send.

I’m looking for different patterns as options to knit for her, but haven’t settled on anything just yet (we only just got our partner names last evening) and I’m waiting for her to contact me before I make any final decisions.  Also, I want to know if there is a specific colour she would like me to use.  Then I need to get the yarn – which might mean I need to order it online and that could take awhile to get to me (at least two weeks).  We have to have our packages mailed out by February 14^th, so I’d like to get started on this ASAP.

About a week ago, I visited the Knit Picks website because they were offering free shipping to Canada on orders over a certain amount.  Well, I surfed their site to look for some yarn, patterns, kits or whatever caught my interest.  I haven’t bought any yarn online for eons (I’ve bought a bit of yarn in the last few years, but it’s been from Michael’s or Wal-Mart), and I thought I would treat myself – sort of a Christmas present to myself.

I ended up ordering a couple of patterns (argyle hat and mittens).  I will post a link to them in the next post and also I’ll take a picture of the yarn I ordered for the patterns as well.  I should be getting that package in the next week, so I’m kind of excited for that.  And, since my birthday is coming up in less than two weeks, I think I might just ordered some more yarn as a birthday present for myself.  This time, I think I’m going to order from the Loopy Ewe, which I also haven’t ordered from in a long while.

Well, off to do some more searching on Ravelry for scarf patterns for my scarf swap partner!

Time For A Change

Since it’s been some time that I have posted on my knitting blog (other than my post of the other day), I figure it’s time for a change in my blog design.  While I do like the background and the colours of my current design, and because it’s a new year and I’m hoping to get back into more knitting and blogging, I think I need to start off with a new blog design.

I’m not sure what I’ll go with – one of the myriad of free templates available, or if I’ll actually break down and pay a little for a really nice looking template.  So far, all of my templates (on this blog and my other ones) have been the free ones offered either on Blogger or some other site that has free designs.

Knitting Update:

I’ve done a little more work on my Diagonal Lace Scarf, but at some point in the pattern (not too far from the needles), I’ve managed to lose a couple of stitches – more than likely it is a couple of yarn-overs.  So, I now need to rip back a few rows until I get the right amount of stitches.

Hmmm…I just went and looked at the pattern I had printed out for this scarf, and I noticed that there are only 24 stitches.  Now that I think about it, I did have 24 stitches on my needles! I didn’t make a mistake! 

The only thing that I can think as to why I had thought I’d made a mistake and left off a couple of yarn-overs, is because of having finished those other two scarves and I used 26 stitches for them. I must have been thinking (yes, it was late when this all happened) of that scarf and using 26 stitches for that.  Hmmm, now I need to make sure I rip back to a spot where I would start on a row 1.  And because of this confusion, I now remember the importance of using ‘life lines’ in knitting – so that you don’t have to rip back too far, and you’ll be at a spot in your knitting where you know you left off (such as at a row 1).

Lesson learned – and hopefully remembered for next time.

Surfing:

Since I’ve been away from the land of knitting blogs for some time, I’ve been going back to visit some of the blogs I used to visit often.  I hope to re-establish connections/friendships in the knitting sphere and not stay away so long next time.

I’ve really missed some of these women, their knitting, their daily life stories, etc.  These women gave me motivation and encouragement (even if they didn’t know they did) along the way – both in knitting and life.  I also hope to come across new blogs as well.  I look forward to seeing what patterns are being worked on, and maybe find some new ones that I can work on as well.

Y’all Come Back Now:

I really hope you’ll keep coming back and encouraging me to continue knitting (to not loose motivation), with my other craft/art projects, and just in daily life in general – you know, when times get tough.

Happy knitting!

Peek-A-Boo! Here I Am!

I know, I know, it's been EONS since I've updated this poor blog.

To be honest, ever since I moved out west, I seem to have lost my knitting mojo. I'll knit a little bit - a few rows, part of something - and put it down because I just don't feel like knitting. I know some day I'll get it back. It still calls to me from time to time, and I do have yarn and needles...and items on the go.

I've started something new, though.

About eleven years ago, I took a painting class for about a year. I had to quit because I had enrolled in university and since I wouldn't be working while going to classes, I had to give up the painting class. I always promised myself that when I started working and bringing in some money, I would take another one because I enjoyed painting and found it relaxing.

I've been looking around here for classes, but haven't found anything - other than enrolling in one at the local college. I'm basically a beginner and I think (though I'd have to check it out) this class is more for people who have some artistic ability - which I lack at the moment.

A week or so ago, I was surfing Pinterest and somehow happened upon a website which offers online tutorial type classes. I signed up for a couple (you have access 24/7) and ordered a few supplies. I'm waiting for the brushes and markers needed for these classes to come in before I really sit down and practice.

One of the classes is on lettering - a form of calligraphy that uses brush markers instead of pen and ink. I watched the first couple of lessons (which are done by video) to get an idea of what she does. It looks so cool and neat, and I can't wait to get my brush markers so I can start practicing!

The other class is on drop flowers (I think that's what it's called...it's escaping my mind at the moment). It's watercolour - which I really like the looks of - and you make the flowers and then "drop" paint into the wet center, which results in a darker colour. After you finish painting, you outline it in black. They look so cool!

I guess when scrolling through Pinterest, what led me to this website was looking at various art journal and Scripture journal pages people have made. I've always thought those (or most of them) looked amazing and I always wished that I could do that. So, I decided that if I ever want to learn something I would need to try it and practice it. Otherwise I'll spend the rest of my life wishing I could do that sort of thing, and regretting not having tried it.

Here are a couple of my first samples. This first one I was more or less just practicing trying to get a background and using more of the paint on the dry paper around the edges, then wetting the middle and adding some yellow and blending the paint in. I don't think it quite worked out the way I had envisioned it, but I kind of like it anyway...even though the orange ended up overpowering the yellow.  I also normally don't gravitate towards these two colours (I'm more of a cool colour sort of girl), so I wanted to try using something I normally wouldn't.

For the drawing and writing, I just started with pencil and then traced over with a black gel pen. As I've said, I can't really draw. I have to look at something and then try to "copy" it...which is what I did here. I think it turned out OK. I definitely need more practice with my drawing as well.  For the verse, I saw it on a photo over on Pinterest (it isn't credited to any particular author, so I have no idea where the quote comes from, or who said it) and liked it so I used it. This is not a quote from me. I would give proper credit if someone knows who said this.



First attempt at drop flowers



The next photo is my first attempt at the drop flowers. I don't have the brushes that are recommended for this course yet (they're on the way and I should get them this week), so I was just working with what I have on hand.

The painting is somewhat on the small side, but I zoomed in so it looks much bigger than it really is.  I painted the flowers, dropped the colour in, did the stems and leaves, and added the middles (I used watercolour paint, but it didn't really work out right, and I don't have a white paint marker yet to add white dots to the middle to help it pop out, but I will add them when my order comes in). After I let it dry, I used my black gel pen to outline it. 

I actually did another couple of samples like this one, but I thought this first one turned out to look the best out of the three. So that's the one that got photographed.  I think it turned out pretty good.

So, as I continue practicing my drawing and painting (I also want to learn to do other watercolour painting - not just these pretty drop flowers), I will hopefully remember to share them here and document my progress.

And hopefully, the knitting mojo will kick in again and I will be able to add photos of those items as well!

Would love to hear what you think of my first attempts at the painting (don't be mean and cruel, though). Leave a note in the comments!

What have you been working on lately?

Knitting With Julia Roberts

Saw this on Facebook (via Knit Picks) and just had to share!

Been A Long Time

Wow, has it ever been a long time since I've been on my knitting blog!

I lost my knitting mojo for such a long time. I would pick it up and try to knit, but was lucky if I'd get a couple of rows/rounds on a project...even the small, instant gratification type projects. Then, I ended up with sciatic problems and it got quite bad. I ended up pretty much only being able to be pain free by lying down - sitting and standing, and for a little while, even walking, hurt.

In early July, it finally got so bad (after being to the doctor twice and waiting for an MRI and to be referred to an orthopedic surgeon). I couldn't move without having excruciating pain, so had to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital. They gave me three injections (vallium, a liquid form of ibuprofen/pain releiver, and a muscle relaxer), and within half an hour I was able to move around. I also had prescriptions for some some meds to take at home to help - pretty much the same things as the injections (except the vallium), only in pill form. I'm fine now and don't have any pain - though sometimes a little stiffness and can feel the muscles tensing up at times.

The last few days I have felt my knitting mojo slowly coming back. I haven't pick up any of my projects yet, but I've got some baby/toddler socks (like the ones in the previous post) beside me today that I'll work on today. I've still got plenty of WIPs waiting in the wings as well.

Hopefully I'll get something done and photographed to post on here again soon.

Oops!

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted here.  To be honest, I haven't done much knitting lately.  I've worked some on a scarf that I still haven't decided whether or not it will go to a friend or into next year's accumulation for the mitten tree at church.  I've nearly finished a baby hat, but need to find my DPNs in the corresponding size it's being knitting with on circs, and I cast on for the first sock for a child.  Other than that I just haven't been feeling like doing any knitting - or much of anything else for that matter.

I'm not giving up on knitting, or posting to this blog, and I promise as soon as I get some knitting done I will post a picture...though I suppose I could post pics of the WIPs...

Anyway, hope to be back posting here soon.  Feel free to check out my other blogs - links are on my sidebar.

Happy knitting!

Peek-A-Boo!

I am still here, believe it or not!  It has been far too long since I've posted to the ol' knitting blog.  I had meant to while in Australia (read about my adventures here, though you'll have to scroll back), but sadly, I never got around to it.

Actually, I haven't been doing much knitting.  I did do some while in Australia, though.  I bought some needles and yarn while there (I'll try to take a photo of the yarn for the next post), as well as a couple of knitting magazines. 

I completed a drop stitch scarf, done mostly from arriving at the school early and needing to wait for my host teacher to arrive and unlock the classroom for the day to begin.  I would sit in the teacher's lounge (no kids allowed in there), beside the heater (it was cold let me tell you), and with a coffee to sip.  I would work on the scarf and the teachers coming and going would always comment on it.   They'd either admire the scarf, the colours, or comment on me knitting (never anything bad or rude though).  Once I finished that, I started a pair of socks...which I should pull out and continue working on.  I will also take a photo of those very soon.  I don't have a whole lot done on them though.  The yarn is in shades of purple, and is one with a self striping type of pattern.  I also started another drop stitch sarf (mindless knitting) that I worked on some while I was in Australia.  I had bought some cheap rosewood needles (I think that's the type of wood), and sadly when we had been taken on a long excursion, I was getting back into the car and my knitting slid behind me as I was sitting down and I snapped the end off.  Thankfully it's not the pointed end, so I just have to wrap an elastic or something similar around the end to keep the yarn from falling off.  I'll also post a pic of that WIP soon.

The second image shows you the scarf; I had to use the flash though, so it's a little brighter than the actual yarn.  I also need to sew in some ends on it still.  The yarn was a mohair/acrylic blend, and it was Australian made.  I'll have to see if I can find the band with the details.  I may also block it (more than likely, esp. to get more length), and either gift it for a friend at Christmas, or put it on/under the mitten tree at church.

I also have been more into photography lately, particularly since purchasing Photoshop Elements 7 last week.  I've started a photography blog to show some of my pics.  I'm still quite new to photography, particularly digital photography, so my shots might not be the best; I am learning though.  Also, I am just learning PSE so I don't know how to use it to its full advantage yet, so the photo editing might not be the best either.  Anyway, feel free to check it out and leave a comment there.  It's called Shutterbug, and you can find it here.

Well, going to head off and possibly work on some knitting (a scarf that I had started before going to Australia).  This one also might be for a Christmas gift, so I'd like to at least get it closer to being finished.  Happy knitting!

No New Knitting

I've worked a little on knitting recently - but not much. I've done a little work on the Russett scarf, but that requires me to pay attention. I've also been working now and then on Stephanie Pearl McPhee's One Row Scarf. This is the third one I've made, and it will join the ranks of charity items for the church's mitten tree at Christmas. I'll post pictures at another time.

Just wanted to wish everyone a great summer. I'm off to Australia in less than two weeks to finish my teaching internship. I'll be there for July and August. I'll take some knitting along, but I don't know if I'll get any done while I'm there. I had anticipated getting lots done when I was in Korea, but that wasn't the case.

I'll be bringing my laptop and camera along with me and posting pictures. These will be on Facebook and probably my other blog, Confirm The Work of Our Hands. I'll let you know when I post some pictures so you can check it out then.

Must go get ready to do some running around for the trip. Happy knitting!

Stamping Blog Candy

What a great contest going on over at Passion For Crafts. Check it out! I sure wouldn't mind winning!

Look...An Actual Post!

Hi! How've you all been? I'm finally here to make a post on this lonely ol' blog. I have a couple of pictures of the scarf I made my Ravelry Scarf Exchange Pal, as well as two cards I made this afternoon.

First up is the scarf I made for my RSE pal. I sent this to her in early April and she received it. Unfortunately I was so busy I didn't get a chance to post a picture of it until now. I used Patons Silk-Bamboo yarn (I think that's what it's called. I forgot to save the band, but it is made with silk and bamboo). The pattern I used was the Diagonal Lace Scarf. It was so easy to make and had I been able to sit for longer periods of time to work on it, it wouldn't have taken me so long to make. I highly recommend this pattern. It can be made with any weight yarn, too.

Next up is the first of two cards I made this afternoon. It's just a simple card, but I think it looks OK.

I don't know what brand my papers are; they are just ones I have bought here and there. I know a lot of card makers can tell you what kind of paper they used (or colour name) because they buy theirs from companys such as Stampin' Up. I haven't bought any from there yet, but they sure have some gorgeous colours and patterns available!

I used two stamps. The hummingbird is one I've had for awhile. I believe I bought it from Michael's. The quote is from a the Refuge and Strength set from Stampin' Up. I got this set last month when Jodi became a rep.

The second card is, again, made with random pieces I have. I decided to experiment with the colours to see how they'd look. I know black and yellow go together, but I didn't know how it would look on a card. The image is from the set I won awhile back, and the quote is from the Refuge and Strength Stampin' Up set. On the inside, I stamped a flower pot with some tulips and coloured them in.

The black looked plain to me, so I thought I'd glue some little yellow buttons on. Unfortunately, they are brighter than the paper I used, so I don't know if they look OK or not. But, since this was a practice card (more than anything), I can use it as a reference and next time try to find buttons or something a little closer to the colour of paper I use.

Well, going to head off now. I still have a table full of card making supplies and stamps to clean up, and it's time for supper as well.

I hope it won't be too long before I post again!

More Stamp Blog Candy!

Jes is having a contest on her blog. You have until March 15th to enter. Go check it out!

Frustration!

I am so frustrated! I was working on the scarf for my Ravelry Scarf Exchange partner last night when I noticed a mistake. Well, this isn't the type of pattern that is easily corrected - at least in my opinion. Anyway, I had to frog back a few rows, and somewhere along the line I've lost/dropped about 4 or 5 stitches and I don't know where in the pattern they are. I don't know if I should rip back another row or two or not.

The thing is, I need to finish this up by the end of the month and get it sent off to her. I had debated just tossing it aside and starting another scarf in an easier, quicker pattern (though this one is easy as well). The only thing is, I don't know if I started over if I would get the scarf finished in time to send it out or not. My pal doesn't want anything too thick, so I want to be conscious of that.

I think I'll try to fix up this scarf and continue. I just don't want the mistakes to be noticeable if I can't fix it, and I have a feeling they would be noticeable...

I'll keep you updated, and when my pal receives the scarf, I'll post pictures for you.

Happy knitting & stamping & crafting!

Knitting Content - Sort Of...

I received my final package from my SP13 pal yesterday. I have been spoiled by Kelly of The Vagabond Weaver. She's in the process, from what I see on her blog, of transferring her old posts into the new server she's with. It's been a real pleasure getting spoiled by her and I hope to get to know her better now that the Secret Pal 13 has run its course.

Here are the goodies she sent me this time - I love them all!! I got some yarny goodness - some Opal sock yarn (I think it's from the Rainforest collection because it has a picture of a toucan on it), some really soft 100% baby alpaca from Blue Sky Alpacas (Tinker Belle loved this. She tried to get at it numerous times). The colour number is 800. There are some really cute sandstone buttons in the picture too. I took a close-up of them so you could see the detail. She had everything wrapped up in super cute Easter bags. She wanted to celebrate Easter a little early since there's been so much snow lately...it was certainly a bright spot in the day!

Not only did Kelly send these items, but she had a cute tote bag included as well! It's nice and environmentally friendly - I can tote my yarn around in it, or I can take it to the grocery store and use it there.

I'm on March Break now, as of yesterday, and will have the next week off. Unfortunately, I have homework to keep me busy. I did a little of it last night but got stuck, so I'll wait to do the rest of it. I do plan on doing some relaxing this week though; things have been a little hectic at school the last couple of weeks. I plan on getting the scarf done for my Ravelry Scarf Exchange pal. I'm also supposed to make something for a couple of friends. We're having a little gift exchange of something handmade (it can't be food) and I haven't started yet - been so busy. We were going to have the exchange on St. Patrick's Day, but we moved it to April Fools Day. I have a month, but depending on what I make, and how much free time I have...I don't know if I'll get their gifts done on time...might have to extend the time on it. Hopefully I'll get something done for them on time though.

I made a couple of cards again today and I'll post those in a separate post...hopefully tomorrow. One of them is plain, but bright. The other I am quite fond of, though it's "plain" to a degree. I used some pattered paper and a little "border" and a cutout - a limited amount of supplies, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Anyway, I'll discuss those in the post tomorrow.

Happy knitting/crafting!

Two More Cards

So sorry for the lack of knitting content lately. However, I did originally set up this particular blog to show any crafts I happen to do. It turned into a knitting blog because that was my main craft. But, from time to time something else might pop up, as is the case with this post (and the one from a couple of posts ago).

I made both of these cards the other evening (Thursday I believe), but didn't get a chance to take pictures and post about them until today. Most scrappers and card makers (or any type of paper crafter) can typically tell you the names of the papers they used, the specific colourways (much like yarnaholics can do) and which set/company they got their rubber stamps from. I've picked that up from reading several paper craft blogs recently. I, on the other hand, cannot do that just yet. The reason being is that what paper I do have I bought at Michael's in those "grab bag" type of packages - and 99% of the paper I do have is cardstock. The rest might be patterned paper such as the background in the next card.

When I made this card, I wasn't paying close enough attention to stamping the lighthouse, and it ended up a little crooked (is that how you spell that?). The stamp is actually one piece with the words to the left on the card, actually appearing below the lighthouse. It says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" and comes from Psalm 119. I used my watercolour pencils to colour the image. I must add that I'm not all that great with colour combinations, LOL, but I thought they might look nice together. Also, the words could be up a little higher in that area...or maybe I could find some kind of embellishment to put there...

This next card I used some striped scrapbook background paper (one of those 12 x 12 sheets) and tried to get the solid cardstock colours to be as close a match to the stripes as I could. I think they were pretty well close to being the same. Sorry the picture is a little dark. for the upper right corner, I cute a triangle of the blue cardstock using some scissors with a patterned edge. I used the same scissor to cut out the red and blue circle as well.

The words in the triangle area say "Thinking of you is a nice thing to do" and the little mouse in the circle is holding a little flower. I got this set from Stampin' Up a few years ago. Again, I used my watercolour pencils to colour the mouse and flower. Unfortunately I don't think it shows up too well since the cardstock is a little dark. I only have the watercolour pencils and some chalk (from Stampin' Up) to colour my cards with, so I'm limited. Someday when I have a job (and I'm not in school), I may be able to get some of the markers and other items many of the papercrafters 'out there' have! But, until then, I am limited to what I have to work with...unless I get together for a day of card making with some friends and they have items they are willing to let me use...

Well, just wanted to post the pictures of the cards. Must get back to the tons of homework I have for the weekend - a 6 lesson unit plan (this one is a group thing but in total we have to have 6 lessons...I've got to get mine done for Monday so the others who need it to work from can use it), 2 lesson plans for my math class, go over my stuff (and gather the supplies) for my little mini presentation in phys. ed. for Monday evening, work on a resource binder for phys. ed., work on my wellness portfolio for phys. ed., work on my teaching portfolio, and an assignment using a new marking program we got the other day in one of my classes. Tons to do, and most of it due this week...

So, happy knitting and/or happy stamping to you!

Butterfly Award

My friend Jodi gave me an award! Thanks so much Jodi!

I choose to give the award to:

Kelly at Celtic Cast On
Robyn at Knit and Purl Mama
Janice at Willow Way Knitting
Monica at Monica Knits...a lot!
Rhonda at Home of the Stitching Nut
Carol at An Island Girl




Why not pass on the love? Here is what to do: 1) Post the award’s logo on your blog 2) Add the link to the person who nominated you 3) Nominate at least 6 others & post their links.

*****

Been doing a little knitting on the scarf for my Ravelry Exchange Pal. I really want to show a picture, but she wants to be surprised and she might stop by the blog some time. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for her.

I also made a couple more cards last night. I like these results better than the two from the previous post. I don't have the pictures of them yet - hopefully tomorrow though. I will post them when I get the pictures taken.

Until then, I'm heading out for supper in about half an hour so I must go get ready.

Making Cards

I haven't been getting much knitting in lately, though I have done some work on the scarf for my Ravelry Scarf Exchange pal. I'd like to post a picture, but she wants to be surprised with it and she might visit the blog. I will post a picture though once she has received the scarf (we have to mail it out by the first week of April...have to check on the date for sure though).

This past week I've been getting the itch to make some cards again. I haven't done this since before I went to South Korea. I've seen some really gorgeous cards online recently, and borrowed Jodi's Stampin' Up catalogue last Thursday as well. I don't have a lot of the pretty papers and things (or a lot of really cute stamps), so my cards are turning out kind of plain and boring.

This evening I made two cards. The first one I am not very happy with. It's plain and boring. I'm sure there is something I could do to make it look nicer, however I was just trying something. Actually, the first idea I had for it didn't quite work out, but I think it would have been plain and boring as well. I'm not sure if clicking on the image will enlargen it or not. However, on the dark blue background I used the Versamark ink pad and a stamp that had some little tiny hearts and dots on it (it's more of a background stamp). On the red I have the one black heart that you can see, but also used the Versamark ink pad to put some other hearts around it. I attached a little tag that says "all my love" to the right. Like I said, it's plain and boring. I'll have to try this again using different papers or something...

The second card I made is a little more to my liking, though it is quite plain as well. This one I used some pink and yellow striped paper, though the yellow seems to look a little white (probably because I had to use the flash). I attached a pink sheet of paper, stamped a flower vase and the verse "May God's love brighten your day!" at the top. As well, on both sides of the vase I used the Versamark ink pad and the corner of the little heart & dot background (the same that is in the card above). I coloured in the flowers and vase using my watercolour pencil crayons. Like I said, though, this is still quite plain. Someday I'll learn how to make really nice cards - just need to have a better supply of paper and stuff onhand I think...

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of the other crafts I enjoy doing - even if I don't do so well at them just yet.

So, other thank knitting, do you have any other crafts you enjoy doing (even if you don't have the time)? If so, let me know what they are in the comment section!

Happy crafting!

Flutterbye Dreams

My friend, Jodi, from school is into crafts. I knew she somewhat did crafty things like making cards and scrapbooking, however, I just discovered on the weekend that she is into more than that. She even has an Etsy shop! It's called Flutterbye Dreams and she has some really cute things there. I saw pictures of some of her other crafts that she doesn't have listed, and let me tell you, she makes some pretty cool things!

So, I just wanted to help advertise her shop and hopefully send some customers her way. Go check out her blog and her shop - tell her Shelley sent you! And before you can ask, no I'm not getting any kind of commission for this; I'm just doing a good deed.