Snow Days = Craft Days

I love Snow Days! It's been a long time since I've had an actual snow day. I purposely moved south to avoid snow but didn't realized how much I missed the luxury of a Snow Day. We are actually getting a nice accumulation of snow here in Nashville. I left for work at 7:00am and the weather was fine and dandy. Two hours later the office was closed due to the inclement weather. It was like someone flipped a switch and a bunch of snow got dumped on us! Things could not have come together more perfectly. I now had a whole day to admire the lovely, fluffy snow on the ground from the comfort of my own home. What a perfect day to catch up on some crafting! On a Friday no less. Hello three day weekend!!!!

Needless to say, I got home, changed into some comfy clothes and settled in on the couch with the tv remote, my knitting and the two kitties - Chloe supervises the yarn tension while Bailey occassionally tests the flavor and texture of the yarn. Ugh.

I have been working on a cable knit scarf for a few weeks now. This is my second cable knitting project. It is so much fun. I love the look of cables. All those wonderful twists adding texture and definition. I've gotten quite a bit done today and am in the home stretch. The weather isn't supposed to let up so with luck I'll have the scarf wrapped up (no pun intended) by Sunday evening at the latest. Here's a preview:

And a close up of the cables:

Please bear with me as I am still mastering the photographs. A new camera is on the wish list but for now I'll work with what I've got. Haha! I used the Hooded Button Scarf pattern from the November 2009 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine.

The scarf knits up rather quickly on size 10 needles. I've modified it a bit for my liking. The pattern calls for 3 strands of worsted weight yarn to be held together. I tried that and it was WAY too thick for me. I used just 1 strand and it is coming out perfectly. The worsted weight yarn suggested is a mohair blend. I purchased KnitPicks Merino Style yarn. It is a 100% Merino Wool yarn in DK weight. It is working out perfectly. I love the color too! I selected "Kenai" which is a gorgeous shade of blue. My photos clearly don't do it justice. While I like this yarn, I wish I had selected one that was a tad bit softer. KnitPicks has several other yarns I am dying to try. I'm eyeing up their Gloss line which is a Merino Wool/Silk blend. Sounds scrumptious!

If you're a knitter or crocheter you've never checked out KnitPicks, I highly recommend you do. You can only order through the catalog or online. They have a great selection of yarn at really reasonable prices. Even after shipping, it is still a great deal especially for the quality of the yarns. While you're checking them out, browse the needles. Their interchangeable circular needle sets are amazing! In the set you get needle tip sizes 4-11 along with 2 each 24" and 32" cables to attach the needles to. All that for one super low price if you consider how much it would cost to buy each individual circular needle size. Did I mention they all fit in one simple zippered case?! No more loose knitting needles lying around! You can also purchase additional needle tip sizes and cable lengths. I love my Options Interchangeable Harmony Wood Circular needle set. Not only does having a full set of circular needles come in handy but they are so pretty too! Even better in person!

With luck, I'll finish knitting the scarf this weekend and get it blocked so I may show of the finished product next week!

In other news, I did not win my first card challenge. This was no shock to me and I am in no way disappointed. It was a great opportunity to pull out my card making supplies and get creative. You will have to check out the winners though. There are some very creative women participating in the "Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge"! Congrats to all the winners!!!! There will be another EBTKS Challenge on January 30th. Check it out!

I am off to enjoy the rest of my Snow Day. Ciao!!!

Addicted to Podcasts

Gah! I never thought it would come to this yet it has. Hi, my name is Sara and I am addicted to podcasts. And not just any podcasts - craft podcasts for the most part. These really make my commute to and from work much more enjoyable. I am really hooked on CraftyPod with Sister Diane. Not only does Sister Diane have some great ideas for making "stuff" as she calls it but she has a great sense of humor. Her humor is subtle at times and quirky which I love. CraftyPod gives me some great ideas and also inspiration to create whether I create one of the items Sister Diane presents or just inspiration to create something completely new. I am currently downloading a few CraftSanity podcasts. Both CraftyPod and CraftSanity have great websites. I especially love CraftSanity's crazy little logo guy. So cute!

Never listened to a podcast? Have no fear! It is easier than one might think. You can download the podcasts to your computer for free from each website. On the CraftyPod website, go to the "Podcasts!" link. There you can download any podcast of your choosing in mp3 form. This way you can add the file to your mp3 player and take it wherever you go. You can also play the podcast in a pop up window right on your computer. CraftSanity offers a download of the podcast at the end of every blog entry. If you are like many people, you have an iPod. Both of these wonderful podcasts are available for free on iTunes.

These are both wonderful craft related podcasts. There are hundreds of other great crafting podcasts out there. I'm just getting started.....

My First Challenge Entry

Ok, here it is folks, my entry for the Everything But The Kitchen Sink Challenge! This was a sketch challenge. EBTKS provided the sketch to base your card on. Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

It's not my most favorite card ever. I was going for a more Victorian love note sort of look. Any thoughts on how I could give it a more Victorian feel? Please keep in mind, I am a crafter on a budget. Haha!

Here are the materials I used for my card:

Creme Colored Cardstock (8" x 5.5" to create a 4" x 5.5" card when folded)

"Faded Text Background Stamp" by Stampabilities

"Love" Stamp by Stampin' Up

Brown Ink

Red Ribbon 5/16" wide

Silk Rose Petals

Oval Paper Punch

Jeweled Brad

Lighter

Glue Pen

Sponge

Dimensionals

Awl

Directions:

After folding the cardstock in half, I tore the bottom edge of what will be the front of the card. Next I took a lighter to burn the torn edge to give it an "antiqued" look. Then I stamped the background stamp. The ribbon was glued on next with the glue pen. While the glue was drying, I stamped the "Love" stamp on a scrap piece of cream cardstock and punched it out with the oval punch. I sponged the edges of the oval with brown ink. The completed oval was adhered to the card front with dimensional squares. Finally I added the flower. I used a silk flower like the ones you can find in bunches at most craft stores. I just took a single rose apart to use just a few layers of petals. I instered the brad through the center of the petals and used an awl to poke a hole through the ribbon and cardstock so I could easily insert the brad through the front of the card. I flatened the brad and *voila* a card was born.

While my methods may seem rudimentary to some, I am still a beginner and work with what I've got. I improvise when needed. I also try to keep a handle on my craft supply purchases because I already have an entire closet overflowing with yarn, beads, stamps, findings and other crafty materials. I really should try to use some of that up before I buy more. As it is, I already need another peg board to house all my craft tools. Haha!

Wish me luck and let me knoiw if you enter the contest too!

Most girls want a pony...

...I want a llama. That's right, a wooly, smelly, spitting llama.

Why you ask? Mainly so I can hug it. One of my single goals in life is to hug as many animal species as possible. As of right now, I have barely made it past hugging dogs, cats and guinea pigs although there is a donkey hug in my future courtesy of one of my co-workers who owns donkeys! But I digress.... Not only do I want to *hug* a llama but I want to harvest it's wool. I am obsessed with knitting and obsessed with llamas. How cool would it be to knit with wool that came from your own llama?! My boyfriend, JJ, bought me a drop spindle to spin yarn a few years ago. I have yet to learn to use it but if I had my very own llama wool to use you can bet I'd learn in a jiffy! (If anyone knows someone who can teach me how to use the drop spindle, please let me know. I'm happy to learn sooner rather than later.)

I have done my research too! Llamas are social animals and do better in groups of 2 or more so I'd HAVE to get a leat two llamas. Double the llama fun! I know llamas are a lot of work. That's why I have JJ. He doesn't know it yet but in the future, he will be known as JJ the Llama Farmer. (JTLF for short) People always ask where I plan to keep the llamas - in the east wing of course! Don't worry, they will have their own air filtration system so as not to interfere with the rest of the household. As for the smell, I'll be buying stock in Febreeze. Llamas are made of natural fibers and therefore Febreeze-able.

In the mean time, I will pine away for my llama family and start looking for some land to build my llama-friendly home. I'll keep waiting for the day when I can knit with yarn spun from my very own llama wool. *sigh*

My First Challenge

In an effort to further hone my crafting skills, I am am going to do my first craft challenge. One of my newest crafts is card making. Thus far I have been making somewhat mediocre cards with my limited supplies and knowledge. That was until I started taking classes and got the BIG SHOT. For those of you unfamilar with the Big Shot, it is a die cutting machine perfect for all your card making and scrapbooking needs. Mine is also pink and black and super cute!

Now that I have the tools, it's time to work on the skills. I am going to start with the challenge from Everything But The Kitchen Sink. Every month, EBTKS does 2 challenges: a sketch challenge and a household item challenge. They give you the sketch or household item to inspire you and you get crafting.

My friend Alison and I are going to give it a go together for moral support. I know this doesn't seem very scary but if you saw some of the cards these women came up with, you'd be scared too! I'll post my card when done. Anyone is welcome to join the challenge so c'mon everyone - let's get card making! This means you too, Tiffany! Maybe you can add some of your photography to a card. Here's wishing all of us luck on the card challenge!!!

So here we go....

I have finally done it. My first blog. I never thought I'd become one of those people yet here I am. Haha! Now I'm not entirely sure anyone will ever even read this blog but I am in hopes that someone will. I am an avid crafter who loves reading everyone else's crafty blogs. I decided to start my own blog just about the same time I decided to move my crafting to the next level.
For the past year or so, people have been bugging me to sell some of my crafts through Etsy. I am finally taking the plunge. Hopefully this time next month I will be able to launch "A Touch Of Grey" on Etsy. If anyone has any advice, I'm happy to hear it!

Note: I would like to further state that this is not a New Year's resolution. I have been thinking about selling my items since 2009. Winter time is the best time for me to focus on such things. Up in Ohio, I had lots of time for crafting since winter (a.k.a. "crafting season") starts about mid-October. Here in Tennessee, it barely got started in December! The topic of Tennessee winters is a whole other blog post entirely..... Anywho, January just happens to be when the stars aligned. I feel the need to point this out as I am not a New Year's resolution maker. I am a "If I'm going to do something, I am going to do it now not wait until a specific date to make my changes and then probably fail at them in three weeks" kind of person. Haha! Please cross your fingers and wish me luck as I hone my craft skills and try to make a little bit o' moolah to at least support my crafting habits. Cheers!