Friday, December 31, 2010

Pompoms and stripes and booties, OH MY!



About to list these two items up on Etsy but thought I'd post a couple of "teaser" pics first :D I loooooove the fluffy, rainbowy pompom on the top photo (at the end of a very long hat)...and poofy red poms on the booties! Not sure I'll make this bootie pattern again even though it turned out pretty cute...they took me a bit longer than I thought they would and it's always kinda a pain to make 2 of the same thing and have them turn out identical. hahaha :P But- will definitely be making more of the awesome hats!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Really Big Carrot Scarf (crochet)



Have you ever seen a carrot this big??? :D It was crocheted in just about 4 hours..maybe a little more (I did have to stop a few times for random reasons) and I'm pleased with the results. :) This one I made as a Christmas gift but I think I might try making another one soon. The pattern is from the Twinkie Chan book (you can look her up on Etsy as well for the book). :)

Italian Soda

Normally, I don't think I would start off the day with one of these...especially being the coffee-drinker I am. But today it sounded good. :) This is a "vanilla Italian soda" made with Torani brand syrup.

Take your glass, fill it half with ice. Pour *club soda* (NOT tonic water or seltzer water...I made those mistakes before and ewwww) up about 3/4 of the glass. Add a tablespoon or two (however sweet you like it) of the syrup and then top off with a tablespoon or so of either cream or half & half. Or milk if you want to be more calorie-conscience. Add a straw and enjoy! I don't usually stir mine before drinking because I like it like that, but you could.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Bacon & Eggs Scarf (crochet)


All that's missing is toast! Next time, I might have to add in a few slices of toast..
This pattern came from, of course, the new Twinkie Chan crochet book . :) You can get it on her Etsy site or Amazon or Ebay or probably all kinds of places where you can order books.

The instructions were fairly simple to follow and the end result was great! I've already made a few of the different scarf patterns but I need to get more pics before I can post the others. :)

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Super Long Elfish Hat (crochet)



Just listed on Etsy is this super long hat I finally finished...for more photos or to purchase, check out www.maebellecreations.etsy.com :D :D

Holder, Purse and Hat (crochet)







Wow! Here we are at the last week of 2010 already- did that fly by or is it just me?!?! Now that Christmas is over, I can finally post some of the other photos I had of gifts I'd made. :)

My mom got a kindle and I knew ahead of time...so I looked up the dimensions and made a holder for it. The one she has did come with a cover, but this is big enough to go around that also. The back side has a popcorn and SC stitch combo, the front side has a dc/hdc/sc in ea. stitch combo. I basically looked through a stitch-pattern book and picked a couple of the thicker/sturdy looking ones that I liked and made up the rest myself to turn it into a purse. :) It ended up fitting perfectly and she liked it! :)

The turquoise purse was for my little niece and it has a sewn-in lining with a snap button closure. You can find the pattern for it here.

And lastly but not leastly haha...the owl hat was for my sister who has been asking for one for a while now. :) She likes black hats so I did it up that way with some brighter colors for accents. The pattern was bought from a seller on Etsy named "inner hooker" for anyone else who might want to try it.

I took lots more photos but still need to get them onto here, so the next few days I should have new ones to show. :) Have a great last week of 2010!!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas Eve!!


I received this teeny little gnome (and his mushroom!) as a gift from my SIL and I love it so much I have to share :D Plus for today, he kinda looks a little bit like Santa. :) I hope everyone has a very merry holiday and gets to spend lots of time with loved ones! Peace and Happy Christmas!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Snowmen!!! Cookies & Candies :)




Amongst all of the other cookies & candies of non-snowman type, here are these guys all dressed up and ready to go! The top photo shows a few from the sugar cookie tray. The bottom one are snowman-pops! Very easy to make...I used the large marshmallows-3 per lollipop stick- and twirled them around in melted white-chocolate almond bark. Let that set up, then decorate the details using royal icing. :)

If you wanted (and I wish I'd had more time to do this...) you could also just use toothpicks and the mini-marshmallows for small little snowmen!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Elfish Hat (crochet)



This is the adult-sized version of this pattern and took maybe 2 1/2 hours to complete. I didn't have the "eyelash" yarn it called for the trim on the bottom, so I just used regular ol' acrylic but I still think it turned out good. Her directions for making it were pretty straight-forward and you could make this in any color combo you wanted for other times of the year, too! :)

Friday, December 17, 2010

Before & After Christmas Cookies :)




I've officially started the "holiday baking season"! Last night was all about decorating cut-out cookies with royal icing. Today they are drying so that tonight I can add the detail work. If all goes well, I will have an updated picture this weekend :D I also have a ton of candies to get started on as well as the regular house chores and cooking, etc...anyone else feel busy right now???!! hehehe :) All in the Christmas spirit at least :D I'm going to go put on my Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas cd and get to it!

p.s. We can all ignore the fact that some of my cookies are drying on a Little Caesar's pizza box, right?? (I ran out of cookie tray space!!! I need a bigger kitchen) :P

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Christmasy Caps (crochet)



Hmm I don't know about other bloggers out there, but I am finding the closer we get to the holidays, the harder it is to post pictures! Most of what I'm making lately is for gifts and the people they're for to SEE it yet :P So if I am a little less "posty" for a few days...you'll understand why. :) But I'll try to when possible!

These hats are the Puff Stitch hat type I started out with a long time ago using this video

Just changed up the colors a few times to make them more Christmasy and added a pompom to the top of one. :) I hope everyone out there is having a great week so far and not too stressed over the cookies, candies, crafts, etc. of the season!! :D

Monday, December 13, 2010

Giraffe Hat (crochet)


Good evening :) One of my little nieces really has a thing for giraffes...toys, books, fabric with giraffe print, etc.. So for Christmas, I crocheted this hat for her. It is for 24mo.+ size and I think it'll fit now through a few years. If you're interested in the pattern, this one is from "melunder8" on Etsy. :)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Miniature Snowman #2 (crochet)





















Okay I admit he looks a little angry, but I swear that wasn't intentional. I was having some troubles with the eyes when I did them : \ But...it was for my sister and she liked it a lot!! :) She wanted to steal the other one I made a few days ago and I figured I would just make her one of her own. Especially since she drove up to take one of the kids to see the new Harry Potter movie.. it was only fair to make it worth the effort. :D :D

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Ribbon-Handle Bags w/ Freezer Paper Stencil Art
















I can finally post these bag pics (though I admit they aren't very good..ah well, they're all I got) now that the recipients all have them and it's no longer a surprise. :) Th paint was still drying so that's why they're hung up. They were each made from a square of "flour sack" material* folded in half and sewn up the sides. The handles are each different kinds of ribbons sewn onto the top. For the designs, I used freezer paper stencils and regular cheap acrylic paint. I have a post from a few weeks ago (I think) on how to use the freezer paper or you can also google it and you'll find a ton of how-to links.

Each bag was made for a different family member and I used them as a gift bag so I didn't have to wrap anything :P

*flour sack squares- I found at our local dollar store and they had a ton. Also great to use for embroidery or making little girly skirts like the painted one I posted in the summer. :)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Christmas Tree, Candy Cane, & Cupcake (crochet)





Good afternoon! :) I had a little extra time on my hands and made some more goodies! I found a tutorial here for the candy cane. The tree I made up after looking at dozens of ideas and the cupcake is just like the others I've done, only with a face. :) Now to think of more ideas of what to make!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Miniature Snowman (crochet)


I didn't have a pattern for this guy- he is all from my head while sitting and watching Hallmark Channel for 3 hours HAHA. (24 hours a day of Christmas stuff will have you making snowmen, too...)

I basically started making a "ball" and after you start tapering it down, instead of closing it up- start bringing it back out again to make the second snowball. Make it a little bigger than the first one..then taper it down and close it off (after stuffing). He is approximately 2 1/2 inches tall.

I used embroidery thread to do the coal and nose and the tassels on the scarf. The rest of the scarf, hat, and snowman was using size #3 crochet thread and an "E" hook. Altogether I would say it took me about 3 hours or so to make...that was with several laundry, bathroom and snack breaks. :P


Tuesday, December 7, 2010

PopTart Android Cover (from felt)



We recently upgraded from dinosaur cellphones to the new Android phones and so far we are really enjoying them. I did some searching online at google images for phone covers and decided to make my own.

This one is made to look like a Pop Tart and all done with cheap squares of craft felt and some coordinating embroidery thread. You can't see from the photos, but there is a lining of pink felt inside (strawberry) of the beige-colored outside (crust). And then of course one side has the cream "frosting". So altogether there are a few layers of protection for the phone. I also put in a snap-button closure at the end so it won't slip out and tiny beads on the "frosting". It is a simple blanket-stitch around the outside edge and I don't even know the stitch name for going around the frosting, but it is the simplest one there is.

If you decide to try making a cover for yourself, just make sure to give an extra inch or so of material around the outside edge of your phone so you have room for it to around the sides and not be too tight. :) Next up is to make one for the hubster's phone that isn't quite so girly. (Not that Pop Tarts are girly, but all that pink might be :P )

Monday, December 6, 2010

And even smaller... cupcake (crochet)


Using #3 crochet thread (and very little of it) is a miniature cupcake like the one I posted earlier. I put a string on this one so it can hang as an ornament or even a zipper pull or cell phone charm. :)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Cupcake with Cherry (crochet)


I stuck it on a fork to give an idea of its size. :) This is crocheted using 100% cotton (Sugar & Cream brand). The cherry was plain ol' acrylic yarn that I have tons of. I also finally got around to trying an even smaller c.c. last night but still need to get the picture downloaded. So that'll be on here later today probably :)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Mini Nintendo Controller and Cupcake (crochet)




It seems like the more things I crochet, the smaller items I am making! I would love to eventually get to make dollhouse miniatures using thread, but so far...still not quite at that level. :D Working on it, though!

Above are a cupcake about the size of a golfball and a Nintendo game controller (yeah baby!) like the old days of video gaming. :) It is also about the same size as the cupcake. The c.c. is not from a pattern, I just kinda made it up as I was going along and think it turned out pretty good. The controller is from this site (<--click here) along with tons of other cool ideas that I might try. These would make great tree ornaments since they are small and light. :)



Friday, December 3, 2010

"amigurumi" octopus (crochet)


:D Isn't he adorable?? He is all crocheted and stuffed, ready for a new home. Comes complete with 8 legs! I think I could almost use the same pattern and different colors to create those scary scrubby bubbles (you know the bathroom cleaner I'm talking about??) like this. This guy is 100% cotton yarn and polyester fiber-fill stuffing to the MAX. :D Going up on my Etsy later this afternoon if anyone is interested in adopting him. :)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

"amigurumi" Owl (crochet) #2


Good afternoon :D Ever have one of those projects that you start and get almost all the way finished with...and decide to take it apart and start over? That was me last night. I was working on a stocking hat but I got all the way down to the very last 2 rows and decided it wasn't turning out how I wanted. What to do?! Ripped it all out and turned it into this owl instead. :) So I guess you could say this owl is a recycled hat HAHA. With a slight "gremlin" look to it (the cute gremlin, not those ugly things you can't feed after midnight!!).

By the way, the pattern is from the book "Tiny Yarn Animals" by Tamie Snow and I checked it out from our local library. I have a feeling I will need to renew my check-out so I can keep it longer :D

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ruffled Fingerless Gloves (crochet)


Just added to Etsy: ruffled fingerless gloves! (with flower) ;)

After reading a lot of different patterns from books and online, and trying one or two...I decided to mix/mash several of them in my head and make these gloves. I love the result and glad I decided to try it! This is basically without a pattern, just some ideas thrown together. You can visit my Etsy shop to see more photos!

Sesame Street Charms



Good afternoon! Sorry for the somewhat blurry photo but it works :P Left to right we have Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Ernie and Elmo. These are made with polymer clay and have wire loops to make them into charms. :) I had made a few of these a while back to give to nieces/nephews/kids and saved a set to put on Etsy for anyone who is interested. :) Time-permitting, this set will go up later today!

Monday, November 29, 2010

Coffee Mug Cozy and Hoop Earrings (crochet)



I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and start to the new week! I spent some time making these two things while I had the time off at home. Top is a coffee mug cozy made using a star stitch, which I'm pretty sure I messed up...but at least it is *evenly* messed up LOL. I didn't use a pattern for it, just picked my yarn (100% cotton) and kinda held it around the cup every so often until it was as big as I wanted it, then added a couple of chain "straps" to hold it on. I like how it turned out.

The second picture is a pair of hoop earrings also crocheted onto using #10 crochet thread and a #7 steel hook. It's the first time I tried something so small and it was a little difficult at first since I'm not used to the teeny sizes of it all, but with practice I think it'll get easier. In the end I decided to give this pair to my sister as a hostess gift for having Thanksgiving at her house and she seemed happy with them :) So that is what counts!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Snowman Ornament (polymer clay)

It is a blustery day outside!! I'm sure anyone living where it's snowing and freezing right now know all about it! We've gotten a few inches of snow and temperatures below 10 degrees over the last couple of days and so I thought this little guy was appropriate. :) He's a sparkly snowman (and a heart on his behind) :P and going up on my Etsy today for anyone interested in checking him out. Perfect to hang on a tree of any size or even to use as a charm for a necklace or zipper. Stay warm everybody :D

Monday, November 22, 2010

Little Black Shrug (crochet)

Hmm...well I don't think the photo does this project any justice, and not having it on a model doesn't help either (but you can google "crochet shrug" and get an idea of how they look on someone). It is a great thing to have if you want to wear short sleeves still or even tank tops or sun dresses but want the chill off of your shoulders and arms. I made this one for my little niece and it'll be part of her wardrobe for taking pictures with Santa this weekend. :)

If you want to make one for yourself or someone you know, here's the low-down:

Measure across how long you want the finished width to be (so in this case, from wrist to wrist because it's long sleeved). Mine is about 27 inches, and using a G hook it took about 100 chains to make it that width. You can use any stitch you want (mine is a simple block stitch) and simply start crocheting back and forth across the width until you have reached how *tall* you want it to be from the neck (top) to the bottom part of the shoulder blades (bottom). Finish off and weave in the tails. The final step is to sew in the arms. You should already have a rectangle shaped piece. From the photo above you can see where the arms are sewn (top and bottom of the ends of the rectangle) to create sleeves. Make sure to give "wiggle room" to get arms in once it is finished...if you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try my best to answer! :)

Hat and Cowl Set (crochet)


I finished this crocheted hat and cowl set (made with a color called "Driftwood" in chunky weight yarn) and love it! Altogether it only took about 2 1/2 hours, maybe a little less, to create both pieces. The cowl doubled over around the neck and is extra warm and soft. These particular ones are going to be gifts, but I may have to make another set for me since I am lacking in the neckwear department! :)

Friday, November 19, 2010

"amigurumi" Owl (crochet)


Yay he's finished!!! This is the first amigurumi animal I've tried to make and considering that, I think it turned out pretty well. Though it does look more like a cross between an owl and a penguin if you ask me. Still cute! :) The pattern is from the book "Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet" by Ana Paula Rimoli. I checked my copy out at the local library, but I like the instructions and projects well enough that I might get my own someday. :)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Clutch (crochet)




I love this little purse (clutch). It doesn't have any handles or straps but is very thick and sturdy for almost anything you want to put in it. The zipper is hand-sewn into it and let me tell you how much fun that was (not).

The pattern is from the book "One Skein" by Leigh Radford and if you're ever looking for quick projects to make using one skein (or less) of yarn, I recommend checking it out!