Thursday, May 24, 2012

New obsession

 washi tape! Available in SO many colors and patterns, just want them all. Want to decorate everything with them. Okay I settle for just decorating orders with them though...


and by the way. I kind of forgot about the one photo a day challenge. I have too work this week and the next and have a big exam next week. I shouldn't do challenges like that since I know I never manage to do them. And also summer arrived here so really it is too pretty out there to stay inside.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

The winner is...

Zanya! Congrats to Zanya! There were only 11 entries so I just picked one winner. Used random.org to pick the winner. Had kind of a blond moment not figuring out how to get a screen shot of the  result so you guys just have to trust me :)

Friday, May 18, 2012

A month of craft photos: 15. A new skill

A bit behind on the photo challenge. Might skip a couple to catch up.
Anyhow here is 15. A new skill. Painting. I like painting, I do it rarely though. 
Here some geometrical patterns on shrink plastic.


Have a great weekend!

Monday, May 14, 2012

A month of craft photos: 12-14

Many days to catch up on!

12. A crafty gift
Kind of hard to take photos of things that I have given to someone so I have to show you an old photo. I made a couple of angry birds to my nieces last Christmas.

13. Inspiration indoors
Not sure if it is really inspirational but they are so pretty! Our old windows! We live in an old house with some pretty details like our bedroom windows.

14. Where I craft
On our sofa, most of the time.

Friday, May 11, 2012

A month of craft photos: 11. A WIP

 This is what I've been up to today! Decoupageing and gluey hands! So much fun.

I'll be helping out at agililty competitions all weekend so I will show you 3 photos on Monday instead. 
Have a lovely weekend!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

A month of craft photos: 09 and 10 my hands and my craft bag

Sorry missed yesterday's craft photo. I was busy with supply shopping and some school and business stuff (will announce more about that later).  My hands are really not any beauties! I used to have long nails always painted. When I started crocheting they always broke and since that they are always short.

My WIP:s are stored in a plastic bag. But this little bag stores all my safety eyes and other amigurumi supplies. Always with me. Matches my crochet hook case. Both are made by Finnish Nanso.


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

A month of craft photos: 08. Challenging

The most challenging thing I've ever made must be my granny square blanket. Not that the pattern is challenging in any way but it is a lot of time invested in making a blanket! I never thought I'd finish it, but I did! I've made a separate blog post about my blanket earlier, you can find that here. Sorry the picture is old, I've had a super busy day studying and working on my business and branding.


Monday, May 7, 2012

A month of craft photos: 07. Materials

I have a lot of craft materials I mean a lot! Since we don't live in our apartment anymore I don't have my own craft loft anymore. Most of my yarn and fabrics are in a huge pile of plastic boxes. Our house is so small so I had to fill up two of them huge garbage plastic bags with yarn and fabric and store them at my parents house. That is why most of my materials aren't really pretty to photograph right now.

 So this is what I found. One of the boxes with old buttons that I have. These are stored in a pretty retro sewing supply box that my mum gave me. Love buttons! Always so tempted when I find a bag of buttons at the flea market.


Sunday, May 6, 2012

A month of craft photos: 06. Color (& my weekend)

We have had a super lazy weekend. It has been foggy and gray outside so I've stayed inside crocheting, watching movies and studying. This weekend I've been using some of my cotton scrap yarn for buntings. Todays theme on a month of craft photos is color and the buntings I've made are quite colorful. I especially love all those springy pastel colors right now...

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Free pattern: Amigumi toadstool

This is an old pattern that I also have on my old blog (in Swedish), you'll find it here. Here is the English version.

You'll need:
Crochet hook EUR:3,5mm, US: E/4, UK:9
Red yarn 
White yarn
7-8 white buttons
Needle
Poly-fil
Embroidery floss
Sewing thread

Chubby mushroom
With red
ch 2
Rnd 1: sc6 in second ch from hook (6sts)
Rnd 2: 2sc in each st around (12sts)
Rnd 3: *sc 1, 2sc in next st* repeat around (18sts)
Rnd 4: *sc 2, 2sc in next st* repeat around (24sts)
Rnd 5: *sc 3, 2sc in next st* repeat around (30sts)
Rnd 6: *sc 4, 2sc in next st* repeat around (36sts)
 Rnd 7-10: sc 36 (36sts)
Rnd 11: *dec 1, sc4* repeat around (30sts)
Rnd 12: *dec 1, sc3* repeat around (24sts)
Rnd 13: *dec 1, sc2* repeat around (18sts)

Change to white!
Remember to stuff your mushroom as you work!

Rnd 14: *dec 1, sc1* repeat around* (12sts)
Rnd 15: sc12 (12sts)
Rnd 16: *sc 1, 2sc in next st* repeat around (18sts)
Rnd 17: sc 18 (18sts)
Rnd 18: *sc 2, 2sc in next st* repeat around (24sts)
Rnd 19-22: sc 24 (24sts)
Now is the time to insert safety eyes if you are using them.
Rnd 23: *dec 1, sc2* repeat around (18sts)
Rnd 24: *dec 1, sc1* repeat around* (12sts)
Rnd 25: *dec 1* repeat around (6sts)
Sew the hole, embroider mouth and sew on the buttons to the mushroom.

 Skinny mushroom
same us the chubby one until round 14.
Rnd 15-23: sc 12 (12sts)
Rnd 24: *dec 1* repeat around (6sts)

COPYRIGHT: Feel free to share the link to this pattern, borrow my pictures (with a link to the source!), make mushrooms for friends and family. You may also sell your finished mushrooms (small scale only!) if you want as long as you put a link or write on the price tag where the pattern can be found! Do not post this pattern or parts of it on you own blog! Links are fine though. If you want to translate it to any other languages please ask me for permission! Have fun crocheting and please respect me as a designer. Thanks!

A month of craft photos: 05. Notions

My pin cushion, hand made by myself of course. In the back my pouch where I keep amigurumi supplies eyes and such.


Have a lovely Saturday!

Friday, May 4, 2012

A month of craft photos: 01. You in action

So time to do the one I put off to do. It is always so hard to take good photos of your self, unless you have a photographer.

 Me in action, crocheting hearts on the sofa. The place where I do most of my crocheting.


Thursday, May 3, 2012

A month of craft photos: 04. Inspiration outdoors

Nature inspires me a lot! Both colors and shapes and patterns. Here are some that I find very inspirational. Everything from our forest garden.

Birches. Love the the pattern and colors! Its rough surface with lichens with even more amazing forms and patterns!

Sleeping wood anemones. All in the same direction ready for tomorrow's sun. Petal forms.

 And budding leaves. Green and fresh. See the spider web? Must be one of natures most amazing patterns right?





Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A month of craft photos: 03. An old FO

I understand  FO as finished object. Since I sell most of the things I make these pictures are old. This is one of my all time favorite custom orders. A sarcastic skunk with earrings! It is so fun with challenging ideas that customers have. It gets me to make things that I probably never would come up with myself!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A month of craft photos: 02. Craft tools


I will probably switch the dates around a bit and do the day that suits best. So today it is time for craft tools. Which for me of course is crochet hooks. I love my crochet hook case! Not every hook get its own pocket  though... Prefer my clover hooks (the copper colored ergonomic hooks) they are quite expensive so I just have a few of them. The sizes I use most frequently 3mm, 3,5mm, 5mm and 6mm.

Editing photos

All photos that I put on my blog or on Etsy are edited. Some more some less. I use Photoshop most of the time because it is fast and you can do so much! I only have basic skills and I'm sure you can do even more than I know of. I've also used Picnik a lot because there was fun effects and fonts that you can use. Picnik is gone but the other day I found FotoFlexer. It is even better and free! Just wanted to recommend that site for you guys!