Pencil Shavings dot Net

I saw this picture, and my mouth dropped open.

I was cruising around cyberspace looking for some inspiration, and there it was!

Isn't it gorgeous?

I found this painting at Pencil Shavings the online art store of Kate Dolamore. She sells prints, stationary, paper goods, and 1'' buttons. All of her art is gorgeous, but there are a few exemplary pieces:

Vanora (Pictured above)

Amaryllis

Untitled with Owls

I really love this art. I may add this to my birthday wishlist!

Tea Leaf Sales

Oh dear, I've been lax with my blog posts. Recent events (like the snowstorm that pounded the East) are eating up my time. I've gotten some time to post now, though. Exciting. <3

I found this site linked off of Cotton Candy Vomit. It's cute and fun and has all sorts of goodies made with polymer clay, and I love handmade clay goodies. Tea Leaf Sales is a fun shop. What else can I say? I really like the accessories the best, especially the cellphone charms.

I have to admit, cellphone charms are my guilty pleasure.



Recently, I picked up a book about weaving, and another about teddy bear making. I hope to post about those in the future! Look out for them!

I may even begin to sell custom bears. (If I can get them looking half-decent, that is. :3)

Crochet World - April 2007

I just received the April edition of Crochet World. There are a few patterns of interest. The pattern of the month is "Critter PJ Bags," which are cute, worked with double crochet and rounds. I like the pig, the lion, the bear and the turtle (of course). The duck is just scary.

Other patterns are:

- "Parfait Cinch Belt," a short project worked in single crochet. Buttons are used, as is bulky yarn - probably why the pattern takes so little time.

- "Chocolate Cream," is a set of a top and tulip skirt, worked in single crochet and rounds. The pattern itself is complicated, thouogh the stiches are not, and the finished product is lovely. I would personally wear it - though maybe in different colors.

- "Bunny Seedlings," are another cute overdose. Right in time for Easter, you can "grow" baby bunnies out of a crocheted pot. The pattern is worked in single crochet and rounds, but you'll need to have stuffing, etc, to complete the bunnies.

- "Collared Poncho," I still love ponchos, though I can't wear them. This poncho comes with a hood attached, and it's very cute. The pattern is worked in single, double and slip stitches. You'll need to keep track of this pattern well, because it adds texture to the final product.

- "Dogwood Delight," one of those spring afghans. The pattern is very, very complicated, but I'm partial to dogwoods. It's worked in single, double, half-double crochet and rounds. The final product is an afghan with dogwood blossoms in the center of the squares.

- "Flowery Watchband," a watchband, as the title states, that is relatively easy to make. The pattern is worked in single crochet.

- "Flower Boxes Afghan," another afghan, slightly less complicated than the dogwood afghan. Granny squares are used, as are single, doduble crochet and slip stitch.

The Cute Book

I was in Barnes and Nobles yesterday, browsing through the gardening and craft sections, when I came across this adorable book. The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo and Anne Ishii features tutorials on how to make miniature plushie animals. My favorites were the frog, the bunny and the terrier.

The Cute Book is hardcover, and 48 pages long. It reminds me of the Dr. Seuss books I used to read when I was younger. The only downside to this book is that the original publication was in Japanese, and so the language reads a bit funny. The illustrations more than make up for it, though. They're very comprehensive and I was able to understand most of the instructions from the pictures alone.

Amazon lists The Cute Book for 10.36 USD, while Barnes and Noble had it in stock for 12.95 USD.

Jade Adornments

Alright.

How gorgeous is this?

I was just browsing through links today and I ran into this. Natasha Jade of Jade Adornments is most talented. Her work ranges from textile to beading, and all her creations are gorgeous. Some of my other favorites are the dragon fly, the schnozberry and the funky brooches.

Style Hive

Yes, I've hopped on the bandwagon and joined Style Hive. It's fun! It's sparkly! It called to my soul! My Style Hive is still pretty empty, but you should begin to see more items added shortly.

In the meantime, please enjoy this lovely tea product I've recently discovered.



Pom Tea!

Delicious pomegranate goodness in a reusable glass. I've already decided that it will be my china pattern.

Quick Crochet Huge Hooks - Sally Harding

Alright, I admit it. When I crochet, it's all about instant gratification. That's why I bought Sally Harding's Quick Crochet Huge Hooks. Harding also wrote Fast Knits Fat Needles for those knitters out there. The books are both brightly colored, and well-organized. I'm slightly mifffed by the fact that though Harding suggests that beginning crocheters use larger hooks so they can get a feel for the motions, her instructions are vague, confusing, and the pictures are difficult to follow. I swear, there was one illustration in a scarf pattern that had three arrows of different colors pointing every which way.

Comprehensive? I think not.

I would not reccommend picking this book up for a crash course in crochetting.

That said, of the 19 projects offered, I would only do 12. This may be because the pictures of the finished product are very 'artsy' and show the finished piece at bizarro angles, and I don't know what the finished products are supposed to look like. On the plus side, Harding offers alternative color and pattern selections within a certain piece. Several of the alternatives are easier or more attractive than the original. They're worth looking in to.

Harding is also enamored of using materials other than yarn. Bravo! Included in the book are tutorials covering topics like making your own pompoms, tassles and fringes, sewing on beads and buttons, making rag strips and making your own yarn. Harding also includes basic tutorials such as changing colors and keeping track of your rounds.

All in all, Harding's book is a good resource for novice to veteran crocheters who know what they're doing. For those of us who are just starting out, learn the basics from another book.

Speaking of Felt...

I know, I know - many of you already know about My Paper Crane. For those of you that don't, My Paper Crane is an online store that sells keychains, plush and art. I like it because of the subject of the work: all of Heidi's work is based off of baked goods, or other things found in kitchens - like burned toast! In all honesty, I think this place is adorable. Who wouldn't want to hug a plushie milk carton!?

In other news, I went antiquing yesterday in midwestern Maryland. It was quite an experience! The store was absolutely gigantic, and the cafe sold amazing Mexican food. I'd drive all the way out there to eat their tacos.

I ended up buying a llama plushie. She's not really a plushie, but a stick-llama fleshed out with real alpaca fur. I named her Lulu.

It makes me wonder if I should change my name to Ms. Flying Llama.

Felting

I recently read in Clotide's Sewing Savvy about a needle craft I hadn't heard of before. Felting, as it turns out, is a rather obscure hobby. I didn't find any results for it on Ebay. Thankfully, Amazon has quite a few books listed for interested crafters.

Felting is just what it sounds like: making felt. Take yarn, stab it into a piece of cloth a couple times with a needle in a nice pattern, and viola!

Felting can also be used to add interesting textures to knits (and crochets) as well as embellishments to clothing.

Here's the most useful result I found on Amazon:

Felting Kit!

There are several books on felting as well. I'd check them out if I was interested.