Tye Dye: Finishing up the summer right!!

                     "SUMMER TYE DYE"

 

Tye Dyeing for me has always been a favorite summer time activity to do with my daughter, her friends, and my nieces. I am not an expert by any means, but a simple spiral pattern has always been preferable when working with the dyes in bottles. 

So with school starting next week, we wanted to finish the summer off by purchasing the large set of the "Tulip"Tye Dye brand kits from Michaels Craft store and experimenting with all the different colors. We wanted to see how the colors blended to created secondary colors and how we could control the patterns by learning new techniques to guarantee a lovely, colorful spiral pattern on the tee shirts, fabric squares (to be used to sew up some pillowcases and a small blanket) and a super-thin crepe fabric that is meant to become a light, summer shawl.

 

Quick note:*****************************

**warning: I also purchased the soda ash packet and soaked all the tees and fabric in it for 20-30 minutes as required, after- which I wrung out each piece extensively and hung them on the chair to be dyed by the kids.......unfortunately, I did not wear gloves and I ended up with literal burns on the skin inside my thumb where I twisted the fabric....that's what I get for not following the directions :( So WEAR GLOVES throughout the whole process including the dyeing part so as to not have blue fingers and fingernails for days after you've finished this project....yep, I did that to myself too!!**

***************************************

Needless to say, we had a great time and came out with some new Tye-dyed tee shirts and a shawl I am already putting to good use!

 Thanks for stopping by!!

Wicked jypsi 

Yarn Carrier Wristlet - a personal favorite!!

I recently was at the bookstore and came across a book titled "Sew-licious Little Things" by Kate Haxell. Upon thumbing thru the adorable different sewing projects within, I came across a project for a yarn carrier (page 86) that conveniently hangs on your wrist as you knit or crochet. 

Now, I don't know about you, but I have four little sweet dogs, and the littlest one, a Yorkie named Lilo, just loves to pounce on the ball of yarn that sits on the floor as I crochet and grab it with her teeth and run all the way down the hall unraveling the yarn until she reaches the back bedroom to hide under the bed. It is so cute to see her so happy to conquor the yarn ball, but it also makes it very difficult to continue with a project after the third or fourth time this happens in an hours' time. So, this carrier was an absolute must. Needless to say, I purchased the book immediatly and came home to get to work......Here's what we have now:

Please forgive the yellow lighting.....

The instructions were very easy to follow and it was all said and done within an hour or two. I did add an adjustable clip to the bottom hole with thin cord instead of the elastic, but that was just a personal preference :)

 I also added a divided pocket on the side in case I want to carry a couple crochet hooks around if I ended up needing multiple sizes for a project. Again, personal preference!

Top view

So there we are! I fell in love with this woven fabric (above) so I am using it as I work, now, on a purse pattern from another book I picked up, so I'll return with a post on that project as well!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Giselle
a.k.a. Wicked jypsi :)

Mandrake Amigurumi - for all the Harry Potter lovers out there!!

I admit to being a bit of a Harry Potter geek and I've been putting together some projects to share with the you....

I have found so many inspiring ideas on Pinterest and it came down to two particular projects this week that I'm sharing now that they are completed:

I found this awesome "Mandrake" pattern from Kristen in her "Miles of Crochet" Etsy shop that I had to try..... here it is:

 The pattern was so easy to follow and every Harry Potter fan out there knows that there's no such thing as a "Happy" Mandrake plant!!

Next comes the "Harry Potter Throw Pillow" that now sits upon my bed :).....
 

Making these projects helps pass the time as I count down the days to my next visit to the Harry Potter Wizarding World at Universal Studios in Florida......I am so looking forward to seeing the new Diagon Alley...Yay!!!!

Thanks for visiting and I'll be back with more............

Wicked jypsi

Star Wars Towels & Magnets Set...and I have been a Bad Blogger...Im so ashamed :(

I have been so terrible about posting my recent projects since November....in my defense, I have recently been hired at my local Michael's store as their Jewelry Instructor and (beginning in February) the Crochet and Knitting teacher as well. I am so thrilled to be able to teach there and I've been busy working on the certifications from the Craft Yarn Council. So hopefully, I can be excused for taking such a long break between posts since I have truly been a busy bee trying to get everything done on time!

That being said, I have made so many projects in the past month and then turned around and gave them away as gifts for Christmas before taking pictures of them all. So here are pics of one of the gift sets I made for my awesome, Star Wars-loving sister-in-law...... 

STAR WARS Hanging Towel Set:

                              

Up close of the top of the Darth Vader towel.....

....and I added the Star Wars Magnet Set pictured at top of post
                                  (and below..again:)........

Thanks for checking this out and I'll be back soon (I mean it this time) to update on more projects completed and in the making!!

Till next time,
     Wicked jypsi

Amigurumi "Brain Slug" and "Grim Reaper

My new fascination with Amigurumi led me to a wonderful pattern I found at "Hooks and Needles" (click it for link)  a very cool site with lots to see by Alicia Ramirez..... the following "Brain Slug" amigurumi character is my new favorite!


Here it is: 
(protect your brain :)

I also grabbed the very cool book by Christen Haden "Creepy Crochet" in which I whipped up a little "Grim Reaper" from one of the many awesome patterns she shares, its a must have for any amigurumi fan out there!!

I also put this "Poison Apple" Display together simply because I am enthralled (for some reason) with the whole: Eden, poison apple, wicked witch thing!! I actually keep this thing up all year round next to my other artsy apple displays! -weird, but true!!

A very short and sweet post, but I wanted to share :).......................

Till next time,

Giselle- Wicked jypsi

Fabric Scraps Project # 2 "Halloween Apron"

I was so glad to come across some Halloween fabric when cleaning out my supplies that I decided to put a few pieces together with a cut up black cardigan I was planning on throwing out.

A few cuts from the main part of the  black sweater, the cameo fabric made into pleats for the skirt portion, and a orange and black striped strip of fabric to make the straps, ties, and a little pocket !!


Thanks for stopping to check out this apron and I'll be back with the 2 quilts and another apron I'm finishing from the remaining scraps I have hanging around :)

Till then,
Wicked jypsi

Mini Beading Loom Tutorial...travel size!!

On my recent trip to Florida I wasn't able to bring all my craft supplies, but I knew I would want to do some beading during some down time between Disney park visits....

So I decided to make a mini travel-sized loom to take and I wanted to share the process with you:


Supplies:

Wood pieces 1" thick cut to desired size (I cut one piece 3" width by 6"length, and two smaller pieces each 3" width by 1.5"-approx.-in length)

2 Eye Screws, 4" bolts, two wing nuts to fit bolts

Wood Stain (if desired)

Wood Glue and 2 clamps to secure while drying

Drill, Sand paper or electric sander


First, cut your wood to dimensions listed in supply section above:

Next, if desired, sand edges and surface of wood till smooth and stain with wood stain in desired shade:

When the stain has dried, use wood glue to connect the 2 smaller pieces to the top side ends of larger wood piece and add clamps to hold in place while drying as shown:

 

After the glue has dried, drill 4 holes into the each end of the two smaller wood pieces- as shown:

Add the eye screws to each of the 4 holes and use the bolts to screw them in tight:

 

Add bolts through the eye screws and secure with wing nuts on both ends:

 

Add two nails to each outer edge (if desired - not shown) to use to secure thread when threading the loom....

 There you have it. A mini bead loom to take along with you!

Let me know if anything is unclear in comment section and I will get right back to you. Also, if you want to make a larger loom, check out my other tutorial Here!

Till next time,

Wicked jypsi

Fabric Scrap Projects #1: Wrapped Lampshades Mini-Tutorial !

 It has been a while since I have done an official project post, but I have been busy taking trips and working hard to improve my drawing, collage and painting skills so I can launch a new line of art pieces due in the fall! 

But, in the meantime, I have been doing an overhaul of my home and cleaning out the ever-growing stash of unused art supplies that have gathered throughout the years. This has been a constant process and fabric stash has been neglected for some time. Therefore, it has been my focus to give away and/or use the scraps that I can't part with due to a wonderful design or color that rings with my creative side! 

I've come up with some projects from seeing lots of ideas online and, of course, Cost Plus World Market (my favorite store in the whole world and my constant source of inspiration each and every season) and have come to a short list that I am in the process of completing:

1. Fabric wrapped lamp shades (This Post :)

2. Wrapped Frames (open frames with cross wires to clothespin pics and notes to)

3. Another set of Prayer Flags to match my last set (shown in previous post: Here )

** Here is a (mini) tutorial on how I've made my lampshades:
 
I found some old lampshades at a thrift store that I stripped down to the wire frame. On one, I added a few cross-wires with some thick, but workable wire from the hardware store so that I would have extra wire cross-sections to tie the long and short fabric pieces to (this is only on the first lamp which I wrapped vertically. The second one, I left as is and wrapped the fabric horizontally -as shown below).....

I grabbed a basket of the fabric I had recently cut into strips (unfortunately in a variety of lengths due to the fabric pieces of different sizes I had to work with)....

I began wrapping and tying at each wire cross-section (vertically on the first (finished lamp) and then horizontally on the second (shown in empty lamp frame above) and continued until the entire lamp was covered to my satisfaction :))

I then applied the new glue I picked up "E6000-fabric Fray Check" to each of the knots and let it dry for about 2-3 hours- this glue is awesome by the way!! I then returned and trimmed the extra fabric from each knot so they appeared neat and clean and wouldn't fray or come undone due to the E6000!

Here is the finished lamp after I attached a chain to hang it with:

Either you can use a battery operated led light of some sort, or add a light socket kit and weave the cord through the chain to the plug!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I will be back with more....

Wicked jypsi

If your looking to be Inspired.....

I realized that I hadn't updated my blog list in quite a while and, while doing so, I figured I should share my favorite Crafters and Artists a little more in depth: 

                  First we have:

                                         CRAFTY CHICA - Kathy Murrilo

She was the catalyst for my desire to make art, period. I literally began with a book of hers that I happened to glance over at the bookstore. The rest is history. The book was titled "La Casa Loca"

And I must have made all the projects in the book and found a joy in my soul that I had never felt before....sounds weird but true. She has released many books in the following years that continue to inspire me. I truly believe that if there is such a thing as a "Craft&Art Soul-mate" Kathy would be mine.......even though she has no idea who I am - haha! Out taste in style and and method are identical and I can't thank her enough for the inspiration she provides for me and every lucky artist and crafter in the world!!! 

                  Next, we have :

                                       Traci Bautista -  treiC Designs.com

I have been a collage artists for over 20 years now. I loved creating what would be considered the older collage style that was around before the whole assemblage movement began. And it was exactly that movement that I felt pressure from to follow in my creation of art pieces that ended up being the reason I took a long hiatus from the practice. It was then that I became enthralled with learning to draw .....not realistic styles but more on the illustration side of things. I discovered " Collage Unleashed" by Traci, again, at the book store, and her style of drawing and wonderful bright colors spread out on the canvas was mesmerizing. I studied her book like a maniac and the first complete painting I made was dedicated to her and now is used as my profile picture!! ...see above :)

Tracy Bautista is not a crafter, but an artist in a very traditional sense. She's abundant in her ability to spread her desires thoroughly and completely onto a canvas and share her message in the most fundamental way...I admire her greatly and continue to use her book and it's follow ups ("Doodles Unleashed" recently released "Printmaking Unleashed") as inspiration and instruction to 

better my own abilities.

                       Last on the list: 

                                                    Chloe Owens..... (a more recent discovery)

Her  books "All Sewn Up" and "Chloe Tells You How to Sew" are super fun and, upon reading them, I was stunned at some of the projects and how "up my alley" they are!! In her first book, she had large, hanging birds that I later made on my own (see here) and, in her second book, she had an Indian headdress made of ribbon and feathers that included every color of the rainbow and was exactly what I was looking for. I have yet to make my own, but I will post immediately as soon as I do.

Chloe is into vintage, but colorful creations and recently she was featured in an article I was pleased to find in "Fresh Style" magazine. The article was great at letting the reader in on a great display of her style and abilities that I am very much looking forward to continuing to learn and be inspired by!!

All three of these women are inspiring, creative, wonderful, happy women that I certainly hope to meet someday!

Keep it up, Ladies!!

Till next time,

         Wicked jypsi

More Boho Jewelry...

I have been hard at work creating circle looms for weaving and a Mini- Loom for beading (which I will share on my next post) But for now, I have this quick - and fun- little Bracelet to share.......

I have to admit I have been obsessed with Macrame (of all sorts) since I was very young, and I can't go to long without quickly throwing a little piece together......so, this bracelet was born (created) two nights ago. My 12 year old daughter snatched up this one and has been wearing it ever since (I actually had to borrow it from her for the couple of minutes it took to take these pics :) 

But I am already working on different colors so they can be worn as a stack together or with other pieces and you can find them in my Etsy Shop in a day or two at most!

Thanks for visiting and I will be back soon with more :))

Wicked jypsi

It's Boho time: New Jewelry to Love

         Bohemian Jewelry is making a Splash
    ....and I am thrilled to take part by creating some of my 
                     favorite styles with a personal flair....

It has and continues to be so much fun to try different styles when making this summer time traditional "look". The innate desire to create and the primitive feel of the process of braiding, macrame, beading and bead-weaving have brought moments of contemplation, mediation, and quiet to my mind that I have come to cherish and depend on over the past few months. Taking up my jewelry making craft again has been a delight and its funny how the more I create and learn new styles of jewelry-making, new possibilities and ideas come like a tidal wave. I guess that is the point they are making when they say "you never stop learning" and "creation only builds on itself"... well I say "Bring It On"!!

Here are the latest pieces:

 

 

 

These are great to accent other pieces, or worn all together for the "stacked" look!

These bracelets will be available in my Etsy Shop, so take a look......I'll be back with new jewelry pieces in a few days

& Thanks for stopping by !!

Wicked jypsi 

"Quilted (bright colored) Kitchen Towels" !!

Recently, I have been upgrading various areas of my house. It is a long range project and I am taking it a room at a time. The kitchen is what I am upgrading slowly, and I realized we need some bright colors to offset the plain colors of the light green paint (that I haven't painted yet :)  A couple of bright colored kitchen towels seemed like it would do the trick!

 I think they are going to be perfect in the kitchen once it's painted:

Since this was my first time making these sort of towels that hang on the oven door or a drawer handle, I did some searching and reading online to get the ideas going....

and now that they are done, I am moving to Potholders!!!


Check back in a week for more projects and thanks so much for stopping by!

Wicked jypsi