Made it: Paint Drip Bangle

I have said this before.  I will say it again.  I love paint drips.  Don't know why.  

  

I was brainstorming ideas for my Mom's Christmas gift.  I knew I wanted to make her a set of bangles.  For months I have had this idea in my head.  Paint drips on a bangle.  It is one of those ideas that plants itself in your brain and grows roots.  I kept brainstorming because I thought there is no way my mom will wear it.  After brainstorming some perfectly good ideas that I was just not interested in trying I remembered some advice I once got about buying flowers for people....buy them what you would want to receive.  I can't remember why or when or from who I got this advice but it has made flower buying more meaningful and fun.

I make jewelry.  Everyone that I love knows that I make jewelry.  Isn't it more special to give them something that is "me" rather than making something I think they will like?  It's giving them a part of me rather than just giving them something I can make.

So those are the two I came up with.  The paint drips are rebellious and somewhat organic while the thin bangle is more militaristic and organized.  I didn't strive for those qualities to be represented but it is funny to me that they are what came out because they represent my mom.  My mom has a rebellious streak in her that you can see in her fashion or decor...standing up for what she thinks is right.  At the same time she is a hard ass mother.  I am pretty sure I stayed out of trouble growing up because my Mom scared the crap out of me..in a loving way.  Love you, Mom!

Made it: Camera Strap

It was my last made gift for Christmas.  Maybe it was because I was burned out.  Maybe it was because I wasn't working from any tutorial.  Whatever it was, this gift did not get made until Christmas Eve.

My brother is a hobby photographer.  For a hobby his photos have a distinct point of view.  I think he should take his hobby up a notch.  I'm just saying. (You can check his photos out here.)  I digress.  I thought having a fun camera strap would be a good gift...but just incase I got him bacon flavored popcorn too.

I used Kaffe Fassett Blue Herringbone fabric on the front and faux leather for the back and straps.  I googled a bunch of camera straps and from those images decided what would work for my materials.  Not having a tutorial gave me a greater sense of accomplishment but it also sapped me of energy so that I could not relish in it.  Trial. And. Error.

Sean modeling the camera strap.

Just a note and a blooper from the "photo shoot".  I wanted to do  a leopard print...it would be funny and weird but he could totally pull it off.  I wasn't confident enough that he would use it so I stuck with the fabric you see.  Oviously.  When he got it he said, "You should have done it in leopard."  WHAT?  Crap.  I guess I know him better than I thought.

Merry Christmas, man

I posted about DIY gifts for men a few weeks ago.  Like I said, it is so hard for me to think of a made gift that a man...my man...really wants/needs.  If you google "DIY gifts for men" (or something similar) you get a lot ideas that are doable and fun for us diyers to make...but if we are honest with ourselves I think we would admit that most of the gifts are more fun for us to make than they are fun for a man to receive.

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So I challenged myself to come up with a gift for Sean that would be something that he could really appreciate and enjoy.  It was not easy!  If I could make a tablet computer I would be all set.  If I could create the perfect non-stick pan that doesn't scratch...I would be all set.  If I could make socks that keep his feet the warmest they have ever been while being the most comfortable out there...I would be all set.  I can do none of those things.

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For a long time, the best I could come up with was making him a ridiculous number of bookmarks.  He is always looking for a bookmark and continually pissed that his make-shift teeny tiny piece of paper bookmark gets lost and he loses his spot.  All. the. time.  That would be a fun stocking stuffer/gag gift but it doesn't really cut it as "THE gift".

Then it struck me.  Brady was probably running around with a hammer and screwdriver or something when it hit me.  Sean doesn't really have a space to put all of his tools in the house.  The outside tools have a place in the garage but the inside tools have two real homes...in a messy pile at the top of the stairs are the tools that get used infrequently.  Lining the bottom of the stairs are the tools that get used frequently.  Honestly, though, at any moment any of the tools could be found anywhere because they are easily accessible for our two year old.  Not cool.  Fix it, self.  Merry Christmas, Sean.

Sean has been very tolerant of my decorating adventures in every room.  Not only tolerant but very supportive.  He has no problem that I took over an entire room for sewing/jewelry making.  He has even been ok with me taking over the dining room as a craft room while my brother moved into my previous craft room.  What kind of message am I sending when I make him keep his tools in an inconvenient spot where our two year old can use, lose and abuse his tools?  I think (hope) by making an actual space for his tools I am sending a message (subtly) that I value his tools and all the things he does for our family with those tool.

Cleaning out the closet.
I was down to the first layer of stuff before I remembered to take a picture.

We have a catch-all closet in our dining room which mostly stores everything we have ever hidden from company.  My big idea for Sean's gift was to build out the closet and give him space for his tools.  I realize this gift will benefit me as well but I think just getting it done is a huge weight off of Sean's shoulders.  Anytime any of us needs something from the bottom of the closet we have to remove everything and then rebalance the stacks of boxes.

I started by unpacking some of the boxes that have been in there since we moved in over a year ago.  I moved all of my grandmother's china to our china cabinet.  That was 5+ boxes and the stuff in the closet seemed to be back at the ceiling less than a week later.  Slowly I found permanent homes for other things in the closet.  Then I called my dad because it became very clear that I was in over my head in terms of skill level required and time left until Christmas.  My dad agreed to help me when he arrived (the week before Christmas).  I planned some other small gifts because I wasn't positive we would get it done before Christmas.

Mid-build.

My dad got here last Sunday.  On Monday we (he) drew out all the plans, made a list of supplies, and shopped.  Milo at Home Depot in Somerville was awesome.  He was so nice and cut everything perfectly.  He and my dad buddied up and he did our ~40 cuts of wood for free.  Merry Christmas!

Brady doing his final inspection.

In my mind my dad would come and we would do everything together.  I would gain some confidence with the more powerful tools in my house and I would really get to contribute.  Two cranky kids and one highly motivated dad means I pretty much contributed my idea and wallet...my dad did all the building.

Sean giving it two thumbs up.

The other plan that didn't happen like I imagined was how/when Sean "got" his gift.  I imagined we would keep it a secret until Christmas day.  I imagined that I would get his tools in there and all organized.  In a perfect world I would even paint the shelves so they looked pretty.  Ha.  My dad was putting in the last screws minutes before Sean walked in the door.  There was no time to put everything back in the closet.  B knew what we had been working on and was excited to show Sean his present.  So we decided to just go ahead and "give" it to him.  

The minute Sean walked in B was at the door ready to show him his closet.  Sean was completely shocked.  I think it was so far off from what he was expecting me to do that he didn't know what to say.  He thought it was a really cool idea and liked that it was unexpected.  If he doesn't understand that I did it because I value everything he does to fix up the house, he will now b/c I am going to make him read this.  Love you, Sean!

Pastel kitchen. Hm.

Pastel.  I have never been a real fan of pastels.  Especially especially especially when it comes to interiors.  It feels so frumpy and dated and I associate it with a musty smell.  I am sure this isn't everyone's experience...the association with a weird smell that is.  For whatever reason pastels and I have been becoming friends as of late.  All of that progress, however, was lost just now.

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The pastels in this kitchen make me feel so uneasy...like I can't focus my vision.  The colors are so light they don't feel real..is this a dream?!...not the good kind.

Ahh.  I have to end this post because I can't look at this anymore.  Sorry pastels.  I just can't get into you.

Two things.

My parents have arrived for Christmas.  My children did not nap because of the excitement and have gone to bed early.  I have time to be on the computer for the first time in weeeeeeeeeks.  I am taking this opportunity to catch up on pretty pictures I have missed in the blog world.  I have over 1000 unread posts.  Yikes.  

I have to share these two pictures.  I think they are both from this blog, that I love.

I love the pillows on this bed.  The fabric is so nice.  Want.  Want.  What is that painting is of but I find it equally creepy and cool.

WHAT?! HOW?  WHAT?! I love everything in this room.  I think it is overloaded and cramped all together.  But the pillows, the chairs, the wall paper, the sofa.....  I love them.

Happy.

This has been on one of my pinterest board for a while and every time I see it I am happy on the inside.

Made it: Rag Doll

Finding gifts for an infant that is not your first born is tough!  Nothing is gender specific at 5 months.  Everything W needs for chewing and playing is already around from the B.  Poor girl never gets anything new except clothes.  I can't make a plastic toy for her to chew on.  I don't want to make infant clothes.  What should the made part of her gifts beeeee?

She might be a little young for a doll but everyone needs a rag doll.  I think it is pretty special to have a made doll from your mom.  Right??

It's far from perfect...but it's a rag doll so that's cool.

I used this pattern as a starting point.  I edited it a bit but it's close to the original.  I decided on felt hair after doing some research about rag doll hair.  The hair is dark brown even though it looks black here.  As for the face...it was the least creepy version of a rag doll face I could come up with.  There are some CREEEEPPPYYYY doll faces out there. C.R.E.E.P.Y.  Google it.  Anyway.  The whole face is stitched on with DMC Floss.

Nice.

The most trying part of this project was the felt hair.  I did it without a tutorial so it took me three tries to get it right...In the end it wasn't that complicated.  I traced the shape of the head (flattened) and then drew the hair around it.  I sewed the hair pieces together (right sides together), turned it right side out and glued it to the head of the doll.  I finished it off by stitching it around the perimeter of the hair.  It turned out way better than I expected based on my poor first few attempts.  Also, I wish I had stitched the face before I sewed the doll together.  Other than that, it was pretty straightforward.

Advent Conspiracy.  Check it out.