Crafty Goodness

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Crafty Goodness
for all things crafty!

Nobody puts baby in a corner...

I am positive that one of the best movies EVER made was Dirty Dancing. I saw it for the first time at a movie theatre in 7th grade, and immediately wished I was Miss Frances Houseman. Bought the soundtrack and ROCKED out to it the entire summer. Even now when it is on, I have to watch it, if even just for a moment. This is how I will forever remember Johnny Castle:



Patrick Swayze was just amazing, I still blast "She's Like the Wind" whenever it comes on:



There's so much more to say, but I am really just too sad...

I miss you Bill Bailey

Wondering what happenned to the importance of music videos has gotten me to thinking about my old favorites. Not only is Guns N Roses one of the finest bands to ever grace the stage, but the videos were amazing. Were they over the top? Of course. Were they really expensive to make? You bet. Were they completely awesome? Hell yes. Use Your Illusion I and II left me speechless, they were that good. It really is no wonder they broke up, how could they have topped themselves after that masterpiece?

My favorite would have to be November Rain. Which was based on a short story by Del James titled "Without You." Check it out here:

http://www.geocities.com/zsniper51/WithoutYou

As a side note, A: I have been searching forever for the only book ever published by Del James, titled "The Language of Fear." I found a copy on ebay for $200+ dollars and didn't feel I could justify spending that exhorbitant amount on a book. Although I really love books... and B: I always envisioned I would wear Stephanie Seymour's wedding dress from the video to my own wedding but alas it was not in the cards.



November Rain was a trilogy of sorts, along with Estranged and Don't Cry, the latter being my OTHER favorite. Here's the thing about that song: it was so awesome, they had not one but two sets of lyrics. I, of course, am partial to the alternate lyrics version. The video is set to the original lyrics(which I can't link to), but the live version is here:



So there you go, the only other band that needs to reunite and tour again. If the Crue could do it, why can't they? Here is a rare appearance by them on the Fox Late Night show in 1988? I don't even remember that show. Arsenio Hall, yes. That show? No way.

Don't Come Around Here No More...

I haven't blogged in ages, the Crafty Goodness show I am co-organizing is consuming every waking moment it seems. It is my first show, so saying I am nervous is the understatement of the year. Tomorrow is our "meet and greet", and I think I am prepared. The show now has a logo, courtesy of the fabulous Wendellina:



my partner in crime, who is co-organizing the show with me. 2 months to go before the show, and SO much to do, secure advertising, signage, the list goes on. I have been crafting up a storm, so my offerings will be bountiful: pottery, polymer clay jewelry, sewn items, soap and other randomness.

But on to the REAL pressing matter, why are there no videos anymore? I swear, I haven't seen one in years. Other than Lady Gaga's newest, courtesy of Perez Hilton. Not to date myself, but a video premiere on MTV was a big deal back in the day. To pick my absolute favorite, I would have to go with "Into the Great Wide Open" by Tom Petty. For starters, a young Johnny Depp was the star, so of course it was awesome. And there was a story as well, it was like a mini-movie. Why they fell to the wayside is really puzzling. They say video killed the radio star, so who killed the video star? Crap shows like "The Hills?" Spencer Pratt killed the video star? Thank goodness for youtube, at least there is somewhere the classics are preserved for posterity. But, since Universal Music Group has disabled embedding, I can only post the link to the best video ever made. Enjoy a young Johnny in all his hotness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivXDLaGZNlc

but first, enjoy a live version of the best Tom Petty song ever, made even better as a duet with Axl Rose:

A little "me" time...

I really despise Sundays, but knowing I do not have to work tomorrow makes today that much better. I'm either swapping or etsying, so I never make things for me it seems. In a craftster swap a while back, I received the most beautiful patchwork scarf. When I opened it, stupid as I am, I thought it was a tablerunner. When I thanked her for the lovely tablerunner, she was a bit confused and told me it was for me to wear. I never wore it, but it has been gracing my table ever since I received. It is made frm many swatches of japanese fabric, so obviously it is all kinds of awesome. I've always been tempted to make one, but never got around to it. Finally I thought I'd give patchworking a go. I slid open the door of my fabric closet and picked a few fabrics that were predominantly black, and then added a little lime green for that extra punch of color. Here it is, still needing a tiny starch and iron:



For the center I used a piece I had left from my glorious Ikea fabric from a trip I made last year:



So I managed to include my 3 favorite things: birds, polka dots and sugar skulls. I do like how it turned out, but the original is just better.

I Love these guys...

Who are those handsome men to the left you may ask? They are Larry Page & Sergey Brin, and they are complete GENIUSES. Never heard of them? Well they are the men responsible for creating google, and I pledge my undying love to them. Google has become a verb to me, I never "look" things up, I google them. Do I need phone books? Hell no, I'll google whenever I need a number, thank you very much. Have a problem? Type in a few pertinent words and voila, answers galore. It is my go to place on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. I was thinking today, "What if there was no google?" I cannot even fathom what a horrible existence that might be.

Or no internet for that matter. My computer broke a few days ago, and I was having a panic attack thinking I couldn't look on craftster, etsy, perez hilton, the "important" sites. What I had was the Code Purple error, a little special surprise HP decided to put in their computers. I'm not a techie, but of course after googling it, it basically told me once you have that error you are in fact screwed. Nice one HP, really appreciate it. So my darling husband and I trekked it to Best Buy and guess what we bought? Another HP. Apparently we are gluttons for punishment, should've bought a Dell...but I am online so every thing is right with the world.

Not your typical craft show!

Tired of plastic canvas and fleece blankets at craft shows? Looking for a cool place to buy handmade gifts for the upcoming holidays? Looking for a venue to display your truly unique crafting endeavors? Look no further, here is the answer:


Crafty Goodness at the
Calvin Park Rec.
2241 Mapleview Drive
Seven Hills, Ohio 44131
Saturday, 11/07/2009
10 am-6 pm

If you aren’t familiar with Seven Hills, it is a very central location, halfway between Akron and Cleveland. Easy access via 480 or 77.

Set up begins at 9 am, show starts at 10 am and runs until 6 pm, Clean-up from 6-7 pm. There are tables provided, but we may need more depending on amount of sellers.

I have advertising set up in Scene Magazine, 1/8 of a page, plus a mass email sent to 20,000+ subscribers. I have contacted Cleveland Handmade and the show will be advertised on their website. I have posted show info on Craigs list, AnnualEventPost.com, Ohio.com and Cleveland.com. I will see about craftster.org, as there are some new advertising options available.

Here's where you come in: if you have ANY contacts at any newspapers, magazines, etc., let me know. Any ideas let me know. I'd like to keep this as affordable as possible, tables will be $35 each. Money will be due no later than September 30 to secure a table.

There are many free advertising options available: facebook, myspace, etsy shops, craftster accounts, etc. Word of mouth is great too. Tell your friends, families, coworkers, everyone you know. If you are doing any shows in the meantime, advertise there. I'll work on putting together an evite and flyers for you to use.

If anyone is interested in a brainstorming session, let me know. There is new Panera Bread near the venue that we can meet at. I hope to have an informal meeting by the end of August, on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

I know we will have an awesome show!

Thanks for your interest!

Contact info:

Chris(organizer)
Cmsdesigns@yahoo.com
www.craftygurll.etsy.com

Wendy(co-organizer)
Satub740@cox.net
www.wendellina.etsy.com

This is the end of innocence...

I got home from the studio earlier tonight and thought I'd check my email, and what was on the yahoo front page? That the absolute GENIUS John Hughes had died. I am so sad right now, there just are no words. How do you sum up a man who made EVERY movie you adored as a teen? Movies that were quoted by you and your friends, TO THIS DAY. Movies you can recite VERBATIM when you catch them on TV. And when they are on, you are COMPELLED to watch. He gave us the Brat Pack for goodness sake, the man is more than a legend. To name a favorite is impossible, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off... No movie of modern day can even compare to any of those. I thank you John for the contribution you made to my childhood, you will not be forgotten.

I believe you have my stapler...

The crafting funk has been lifted! I STILL wish my job was more creative and that I didn't work in a cubicle, but a few hours in the studio and I feel so much better. Not going into the studio all last week was torture. One day I will craft for a living, but until then I will staple my useless TPS reports with my red Swingline and dream of a better day.

A glaze kiln was done, I was excited to see some trays I had been working on were finished. I have a housewarming coming up, so they will be the lucky recipient of one of the completed trays. Also a few custom alchemy orders were ready. This soapdish:



and this spoonrest:



I was given a picture of cherries, and the spoonrest turned out pretty much spot on to the photo. It definitely is one of my favorite custom orders to date. I was instructed to go a little crazy on the leaf soapdish, so I spattered some brown underglaze over the green, and do like the results. I'm usually very precise, but I liked the effect and will have to try it again.

I also noticed I am at 99 hearts. How exciting, I should give the 100th person to heart me a surprise! Which I think I will...leave a comment here and then heart me on etsy, and you will become the lucky recipient of a crafty surprise. Could be handmade buttons, maybe a pendant, maybe a bar of soap.

www.craftygurll.etsy.com

Livin on a Prayer

Peter Gibbons, the lead character from Office Space, sums it up best:

"We don't have a lot of time on this earth. We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements."


It's Sunday around midnight, and I probably should be getting ready for the work week. But why? There are SO many more important things to do, crafting, you tubing old 80's videos, the list goes on. If only I could parlay my etsy and crafting ventures into a full time income. It really isn't that I don't want to work hard, I just don't want to do it in an office. My boss is awesome, the hours are good, and 90% of the time I wear jeans to the office, but I am just not feeling it anymore.

I may be in a crafting funk because I haven't been to the studio in a week. My house was "under construction" for the past week, but it is almost finished. We hired professionals to come and re-roof the old homestead, but decided to install hardwood floors ourselves. If anyone has ever removed carpet, you will know that the carpet installers obviously are in cahoots with the staple manufacturers, that could be the only reason why anyone would need to staple the padding down in half inch intervals. I removed staples from the hallways, living and dining rooms, and it took me FIVE HOURS. Non-stop. My fingers were actually numb for a day or two afterwards. It was a group effort to install the hardwood, and it is finished and absolutely gorgeous. The only thing left to do is install the shoe mold, but that still needs to be bought and stained. The hard part is done, that is only minor detail. But now I feel the need to paint, and get new curtains, and new artwork, definitely a vicious circle. I solely blame HGTV.

While putting in the floor, VH1 was airing the 100 Best Songs of the 80's. Of course I was compelled to watch it, even though I have seen it many times before. My sister was over so we could discuss in depth the placement of the songs, if they were worthy of the position or not, what we would of picked. All was discussed with the seriousness of a summit on world peace but isn't 80's music of the utmost importance? Bon Jovi was number one, and for some reason I just do not agree. Not that I don't LOVE me some Jon, Livin in Sin has got to be him at his very hottest:



but now that I delve further into their discography, I come to Never Say Goodbye:



and now I don't know, maybe they do deserve the number one spot. I was impressed that Pour Some Sugar On Me came in at number 2, wasn't expecting that one. I will admit that to this day, I crank it up whenever I am driving and it comes on. It was the epitome of 80's hair metal, how can you not love it? Never in my life have I seen the UK version of the video:



but geez is it cheezy, I'll take the American version any day. I must add that when they performed it at the country music awards with Taylor Swift a few weeks ago, that was all kinds of wrong but I digress....

Here's the complete list, draw your own conclusions:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-100-Songs-of-the-80s

Sleep or Craft?

I have always idolized Martha Stewart. If you've read her biography, you'll know that she once, on a whim, decided in the wee hours of night that she should paint her house. What did she do? She got out the paint and the ladder and went at it. So, whenever I get the crafting urge, no matter what time, I think W.W.M.D.?

I have never had a table at a craft fair, this October will be my first. My friend and I are splitting a table, and are crafting away to fill very inch of the 8 foot table we are purchasing. I am on a mission to create something for everyone. Between the both of us, I think it can happen. Not like I am any sort of expert, but I think offering items on all different price points has to be a win-win. But what do you offer for 50 cents? Matchstick notebooks, that's what! After looking up 1,001 tutorials online, I figured I'd wing it. There were lots of templates, lots of measuring, but really, how hard could it be? Cut the outer paper a smidge wider and a bit more than twice as long as the inner paper, fold like a matchbook, stick in paper, staple, voila. Using the most awesome Rockstar Paper Stack, I created all these:



It only took 4 of the 12 x 12 sheets and a small stack of copy paper to create 32 tiny notepads. Close-up of the cute designs:



Inside:



So simple to make, and I think they would really be cute inside your purse to jot down numbers, etc. I'll make some more using more "preppy" papers, i.e. argyle, houndstooth, etc. Remember, my goal is something for everyone!

It's About Time...

Ever since I finally organized my fabric stash, I haven't sewed a stitch. I do walk by the closet and look at it, and have added a few more yards here and there, but no projects. It's a floor to ceiling closet, half is linens and the other half is fabric heaven. My machine even has a cute polka dot cover I made:



And all the scraps are organized in bins, thread in drawers, so easy to find everything.



There are close to 100 mini bolts, Amy, Alexander, they are all there. Seeing as my first craft show is coming up, I decided to whip up a few of my Happy Housewife Half Aprons. The 2 on either end are made with delish Ikea fabric, the middle one is a vintage fabric that I just liked. Could be because it is hot pink and lime green, who knows? They tie with skinny grossgrain ribbon, and hang to about knee length.

Really Tom Keifer?

Sometimes when I am bored, I find myself on youtube, looking up random things. Inevitably I will end up searching for old 80's videos. I loved the original Headbangers Ball on MTV, you know the one with Rikki Rachtman. The original host Adam Curry had good hair and all, but he just wasn't cool enough. Rikki definitely brought some "street cred" to the festivities. If anyone is a fan of 80's hair metal, you will know that Tom Keifer is the lead singer of Cinderella. I have noticed an increasingly annoying problem on youtube lately: many videos are disabled by request. Who requests this? The artists? I mean really, if I want to link to the video for "Love and Affection" by Nelson I totally should be allowed to. I don't want to use Mr. Keifer as the scapegoat, but I want answers as to who is responsible for this travesty.

So...after searching for SOMETHING that was able to be linked, I found this:



Yep, Janie Lane, in all his glory, before Celebrity Fit Club, the divorce from Bobby Brown, the whole nine yards. Not a fan of live performances usually, but really not bad. Ahh, to be 1990 again...

I Hate Mondays...

A little early to worry about it, but I just found my new way to prepare for the upcoming week:



Sometimes I listen to "Master of Puppets" by Metallica to prepare for going into the office, but this fine number from Prodigy will be sure to get me pumped for a day full of fun-filled office politics.

The Mini Make-A-Friend Swap is officially closed and there are 14 swappers! I am pretty "geeked up" about it, that is the most participants of any swap I have hosted so far on craftster. Now, the hard part of matching people up. Lots of pressure, I want everyone to have an awesome swap.

Don't let the door hit you in the #@! on your way out!

I apologize for my abrasiveness in the title(ok not really, but patronize me)but THANK YOU! I just read an article that crocs are finally on their way out. I have certainly been sucked in to a few fads before: acid washed, french cuffed jeans, BIG spiral permed hair, maybe a pair of MC Hammer pants in the early 90's but crocs? NO thank you. Jelly shoes in the early 80's were all kinds of awesome, but these were nothing like their early predecessor. Once you could buy stupid crap to decorate them I knew they had stepped over the line. Men in crocs? All kinds of wrong. The only occassion they MIGHT be acceptable would be if you are a girl and you are gardening. Then I can appreciate the utilatarian purpose. I almost broke down and bought a pair for the only acceptable purpose, gardening, but looked again and said "I can't wear crocs!" and promptly put them down. Is it practical to wear wedges while gardening? Of course not. But a heck of a lot more stylish!

On the craftster.org swap front, sign-ups for round one of the Mini-Make-A-Friend Swap are almost coming to a close. So far there are 10 swappers to sign up, not a bad number at all. The most I have ever organized has been 11, so this will be definitely be manageable should it stay as is. Although it would be awesome to have more people sign up, the old adage "the more the merrier" definitely rings true for swapping.

I guess you could call me a treehugger...

What a great way to start a dreaded Monday. One of my favorite items in my shop, my leaf soapdish/spoonrest made an Etsy Treasury! A great treasury made by Endless Sunner,with her picks for the Christmas in July sale. This is my third treasury feature, but I am just as excited as if it were the first. Here it is:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=70554

It's no secret I love trees. Most of my pottery is inspired by this love of all things leafy. Ohio winters are quite hard, nary a leaf to be found! Currently I am working on leaf napkin holders, and over the weekend had a great idea on how to make matching leaf dessert size/appetizer plates. Come tomorrow I will see if my idea can come to fruition.

Last day before I pick the winner in my earlier giveaway for a bar of my freshly poured Honey Honey soap. Take a look at my etsy shop:

http://www.craftygurll.etsy.com

and leave a comment on what items you would like to see more of. Leave contact info as well to enter the contest.

Always the responsible one.....

I completely forgot how much I LOVE Social Distortion. They were in town today for the Warped Tour, which I sadly did not attend. I was at my "real" job, which is definitely "Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell!" What a great title for an album, I loved each and every song. I owned it on CASETTE TAPE, how antiquated is that? Early 90's, good times, but I digress...Mike Ness,



you are pretty darn awesome!

In my mission to "do something crafty every day", I began some handbuilt trays at the studio tonight. I am thinking the new black/dark midnight blue glaze will look really nice on them.

The real question, have you checked out the sales on etsy yet? Make sure you do, it is NEVER to early to start Christmas shopping. I am already creating gifts for everyone on my list, my dream is to one day handmake everything. But if people ask for electronics, that may be a little difficult.

Since embedding has been disabled on YouTube, here's the link for one of my favorites Social D songs, When She Begins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hmd6-lFhgs

And since it is after midnight, Let me say Yay for Friday!!!

Sammy or Dave?

I have always loved hydrangeas, and finally bought one 2 years ago. Since I am thrifty(aka cheap)I always go for the clearance or sale plants because they will grow eventually. I barely ever buy anything in a pot bigger than a gallon, and this was no exception. I planted it by the pond, but no flowers the first year. But it was green so I knew it was going to make it. But this year, purple everywhere!

The chandalier is finished, hung and ready to go for the next round of nightime entertaining. Very easy, I will definitely be on the lookout for more to refinish. I started with this:



and ended up with this:



The chandalier was $2, I used less than a can of primer($3)and less than a can of paint($3 as well.) The candles were the biggest expense, they ended up being $8. The gratuitous action shot:



Cool outdoor decor for those hot summer nights for under $20. Which makes me think about that GREAT Van Halen song, Summer Nights. Enjoy:



Sammy or Dave? What a quandry.......

Don't forget to check out etsy, the big Christmas in July sale is from now until the 22nd. Lots of good deals out there, check out these:

http://www.craftygurll.etsy.com

To see everything, type "ChristmasinJuly" or "CIJ" in the search bar. Happy shopping!

Christmas in July Sale July 8-22nd!

Who doesn't love "How the Grinch Stole Christmas?" Even the live action movie with Jim Carey was pretty awesome. Dr. Seuss was a GENIUS. The stories, the illustrations, because of him I love to read. To pick a favorite would just be impossible. How about a top 10(in no particular order):

1. Go Dog Go
2. Hand Hand Fingers Thumb
3. In a People House
4. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
5. The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins
7. Dr. Seuss' ABC
8. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
9. Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now!
10. Hop on Pop

Some were written by Dr. Seuss(Theodore Geisel) and some by Theo Lesieg, which is Geisel spelled backwards....very tricky Mr. Seuss!

But to the matter at hand, the big Etsy Sale! Here are my promotions:

1. Buy a soapdish/spoonrest AND bar of soap, the soap ships FREE!
2. All pendants ship FREE!
3. All handmade buttons ship FREE!
4. SURPRISE with every purchase!

I will be getting to work listing a few things in the morning.

And don't forget my last blog post, free soap giveaway!

See what $2 can buy you!

A few weeks ago I went "junking" at the city wide garage sale and picked up this gem: a lovely early 80's brass chandalier. Quite a disaster, but a total revamp is underway. After it rolling around my trunk for about 3 weeks, I finally took it out today. So far it's primed, and once dry it will be painted sage green. So far, a total upgrade but more to come.

I also bought an early 1900's Dictionary, but haven't figured out what to do with it. Yet.

After watching "Marley and Me" over the weekend, I am appreciating my girls even more. I wasn't expecting to like the movie as much as I did, or cry as much as I did in the end. But since Zoe always gets all the attention, a picture of sweet little Athena:



Quite possibly THE BEST DOG EVER. For real, I swear she has never done anything wrong. Other than being a little on the yappy side the girl is perfect. Zoe is trying, and she's doing pretty well.

Now, the giveaway:

Take a look at my shop:

www.craftygurll.etsy.com

and leave me a comment and let me know what you think. What should I offer more of? Less of? Give it to me! I will choose someone at random and send them a free bar of my Honey Honey soap, brand new item, not even listed yet! Make sure to leave craftster.org username, etsy shop/username, email, etc. so I can contact the winner.

Just Say No!

A few weeks ago I took a glass fusing class. It was SO much fun, definitely a worthwhile 3 hours. The instructor had the cutest little tabletop kiln, and now I am jonesing for one. This from the girl who bought a Cricut after watching the half hour infomercial. Keep in mind I do not even scrapbook and still felt it was a complete necessity. Plus the whole soaping adventure I have recently embarked on. Although tonight I poured some Honey and Shea facial bars, and they smell DELISH. The whole house smells like a huge honeycomb and I am loving it. But back to the crafting matter at hand: glass fusing. These were some of the pieces I created:



and a little dichroic action:



and these were just cut glass with little milefiori beads on top that melted really funky:



I bought the nicest ring blanks off etsy from ThePerfectBead:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5190360

and nice bails from ArtisticDetour, who is on etsy as well:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5234824

Now just to put them all together, ooh-la-la! But I will be strong, and NOT buy the kiln. Even though it is small, cute and runs on a regular electric current. I won't buy it for tonight at least.

On craftster.org I just opened sign-ups for the inaugural round of the mini "Make-A-Friend-Swap." The original is just way too big, my version is like the diet. The Cherry Coke Zero if you will. Still 3 packages over 3 months, but much smaller requirements. So far, there are some pretty awesome crafsters signed up, adn there is still a week and a half to go.

The "Deck Out Your Outdoor Space" is also almost finished. There was a swapper who was unable to complete the swap, so Wendellina and I combined our crafting forces for good and made what I would call a KICK ASS package, \../ , which should be delivered any day now. We received ours and it was great. Out of every package, I always have one item that I receive that makes it all worth while. This time, Iwould say it was a pink chrysanthemum ring that we both got as extras in the package. I have wanted to buy these:



for awhile now and put on one of said ring blanks I just bought. Now I don't have to!

I am the Firestarter...

I have totally been listening to WAY too much Prodigy lately. Remember that great late 90's techno band? I was out garage sale-ing a few weeks ago and found the CD. They were selling the gem for only $1! I had to snatch it up and it is currently residing in tray 3 of the CD player in my car. Pantera and Metallica are in slots 1 and 2, respectively.

At the studio tonight I hit the jackpot, many many of my pieces came out of the glaze fire. I did an alchemy request on etsy a few months back for a flower vase, and made another:



Made from white porcelaineous stoneware clay. A close-up of the flower:



I glazed in a shiny white, and thin maybe a tiny green plant would be a striking contrast to the plainess of the glaze. Maybe a mound of moss even, in a rich deep green.

My other favorite would be the birdhouse:



I etched a leaf pattern in the clay before handbuilding the cylinder. I used a floral cookie cutter to cut out the opening. I even smoothed the edges, in the off chance I actually put it outside for a bird to inhabit. While the base was drying, I rolled out a slab of clay, and cut many leaves out, smoothing the edges with plastic(great trick)and adding vein details. I inverted a bowl on the table, and started building my first layer of leaves, like a peak. Then I added layer upon ayer, around and around, until it was the size I wanted.



I also added a loop to the top and let dry for awhile, then slipped the whole thing together. After bisque firing, I glazed the roof with red to brown, and the bottom clear. All in all, please with the results.

And an example of the soapdishes my family will be getting for Christmas, along with handmade soap:



I've been glazing a lot with teal lately, it is just such a happy color.

Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

What a completely sad day. So many sad things, first Farrah Fawcett and then Michael Jackson. The Farrah documentary was perhaps the saddest thing I have ever seen, I completely lost it at the end when her son came to visit in shackles and a prison jumpsuit. And Michael, what a career. If you could just erase everything from about 1993 on...The video for "Black or White" is still awesome to this day. And as a young kid in the early 80's, who didn't love Thriller? The best scene in "13 Going on 30" had to be the Thriller dance scene, without MJ, wouldn't have been possible. Hopefully they are both at peace, and their families find solace in the outpouring of prayers and thoughts being sent their way.

Enough seriousness, let's see how large Zoe, the big white dog is becoming:




Check out the size of that paw! In all honesty, my hand is pretty small but still.

Is Big Hair Next?

My faith in music has been restored. As I was listening to the radio online, I heard quite possibly the best song I have heard in quite some time. The band is called Halestorm, the lead singer is a chick, and it is awesome. A hair metal vibe for the new millenium if you will. Of course I did a google search, then youtube. Just watch:



She's like Lita Ford for 2009! And her band is all guys, how cool is that?

There was a semi-flaker in the "Deck Out Your Outdoor Space Swap", so another lovely craftster member and I stepped up to make a package. My contribution will of course be pottery, and these patio lights:



Hard to get a decent shot, but they are yellow twinkle lights, a strand of 50 so it should be a great size for a condo patio. Extreme close-up:



They were easy to make, but time consuming.

Supplies needed:

tiny twinkle lights(best if you can find them with a green wire), fake flowers, green florist tape, scissors

1. Remove all the flowers from the stems, get rid of the middle part. If necessary, cut the hole a bit bigger so it will slip over the light.

2. Slip a flower over the light, use the florist tape to secure it to the light, under the light bulb of course.

3. Repeat until all lights are done.

4. If you were like me, and used lights with a white wire:



Take the remaining florist tape and wrap the wire to cover all the white wire so it looks more "vine-like." If your fake flowers came with leaves, add some of those in between the lights. I used Hawaiian Leis, thus I had no leaves.

5. Hang up, plug in and enjoy your awesome craftiness!

Once I go on youtube, I feel compelled to look up old videos. Enjoy this gem:



Best. Band. EVER. I was lucky enough to see this song live, and they were totally amazing.

It doesn't hurt to do something crafty every day....

should be my motto. I just came home from a glass fusing class, and am trying my hardest not to buy a jewelry kiln on Craig's list. But it would be so small, and run on a regular electric line. Think of all the cool stuff that could be made...but I must remain strong...

Have you ever tried to get two puppies under the age of 5 months to pose for a picture? Well, it's next to impossible. My sister brought her new puppy Riley, a Yorkie Catan to visit over the weekend. Zoe and Athena LOVED her, and actually whined when she left. For as big as Zoe is, she was so careful with delicate little Riley, who weighs all of 3 pounds.

My new addiction is officially soap making. I visited the bath and beauty thread on craftster.org, because I am on a mission to post a project in every category this year. Except in the crochet category. I for the life of me cannot understand crochet, I have tried and tried to no avail, but I digress.... I have been buying from:

http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/

and let me tell you, awesome prices. Like I said before, the store is 10 minutes away. Now how can I not keep making soap? Over the weekend I tried the oatmeal base:



and really like the results. Easy to unmold, holds a scent well, nice natural color. A few bars, coupled with a handmade soapdish, Merry Christmas!