Alicia G. - crafty sahm & cranky princess

Back in the swing of things.

2009-09-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

I'm back. I know it's been a while, blah blah blah. I am happy to say that I made progress in my studio this past month, thanks to my friend Julie. If you don't remember the before pic, you can see it here. I know it still looks like a wreck, but overall I'm pretty pleased with the progress!

I was telling a coworker about my struggle with organizing my studio and I mentioned how I thought that having to organize it was my punishment for being so messy in the first place. She called it my 'Craft Karma," and she is right! At least I can see the floor now!

Takin’ a break.

2009-04-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

I’ll be taking a break for the next week an a half. Wow, that was a summer long break! Yay Spring!

Here is a Butterfly Origami Video I found on You Tube by Mademagonline.

Earth Hour Tomorrow

2009-03-27T13:01:00.001-07:00

While you won't find me hugging any trees things to help minimize our impact on the environment is always a good idea. I have to say that my kids will definitely have the lights out during this hour because they are usually asleep. Not sure if I can convince them to give up the night light, but it is at least an LED light. I did find a website that has more Earth Hour info and other activities for kids and teens. It's earthhourkids.org.

And here is Earth Hour 2009 video:

Molly Chicken's Raggy Flower Tutorial

2009-03-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here is another exuse to keep all of your fabric scraps!

Raggy Flower Tutorial by Molly Chicken.

Some Eye Candy and a Mom Moment

2009-03-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

I miss Sunday's Eye Candy, so I'm doing that today. I worked at my kids' preschool today trying to put together the Summer Camp Brochure. That took up most of my time while the kids were in school. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get caught up around the house. My youngest is home with me on Tuesday and Thursdays. I enjoy the one on one time I get with my kids. Friday morning my son has a doctor's appointment so we'll probably have breakfast together before I drop him off at school. My son is quite the conversationalist now that he's older (he's five). On the weekends I make time to spend alone time with each of my kids. Even if it's playing with clay.

Speaking of Clay, Finally, the Eye Candy:

Polymer Clay Cupcake Tutorial by littleTstudio on Etsy. Aren't they Adorable?

Who I am NOT (The blogger quoted at SXSW).

2009-03-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

I recently received a comment at my old blog address, craftymom.wordpress.com. The comment mentioned a BBC article written about SXSW and a self proclaimed “geeky mom” named Kim who was quoted as saying "thankless, horrible, awful job that nobody should actually have to do for free - but we do. So blogging is our outlet." I am not the person quoted in this article and it somewhat saddened at the fact that someone would actually feel this way about being a mother. Perhaps she could learn a few things from Dr. Laura. While I disagree with how Kim felt when intereviewed for that BBC article and I did agree with some of the things the comment on my blog said, I did figure one thing out. Please make sure you are commenting on the right person’s blog before you say anything, especially if it’s a tad on the rant-ish side. It just makes for good netiquette.

Also, I do believe moms are underappreciated a lot. So take the time to say ‘thanks’ to your mom or the mother of your children, it’ll make any mom’s day!

Fun Friday

2009-03-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Since the weather in Atlanta is so great! I thought I’d share some places for paper airplane tutorials and other wind powered outdoors things for the kids. Enjoy!

Paper Airplanes:

Instructables.com

Wonderhowto.com

Zurqui.com

Other Fun Toys:

Kai-lan Paper Pinwheel at Nickjr.com

Paper Gyrocopter at Go.com

Twirly Bug at Crayola.com

Butterfly Mobile at Go.com

Twirlers at Go.com

Thursday Thoughts

2009-03-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

Not much going on upstairs today. Busy with taking my daughter to gymnastics/dance class and then the kids to the park after school today. The weather in Atlanta is lovely today. She’s outgrowing her no-sew tutu that I made. I picked up some headbands at the dollar store (To use as waist bands instead of the plain white elastic from the craft store) so I could make her another. I also think that I will use at least 3 yards of tulle, perhaps 3.5 to make it really poufy. If you’d like to see how I made it, click here.

My no-sew tutorial was featured on Jan 29th, 2008 on Whip Up.

What am I up to? Trying to set up my studio.

2009-03-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

The intended purpose of this room is to be my studio. A place to work on my ClinkIts and my handmade items. As you can see, it’s far from usable, but that’s not forever. I’m going to spend several hours each week sorting and going through my mass of supplies. I’m committed to donating some, destashing on Etsy, getting rid of the trash and organizing the rest. My friend Julie is helping me too. She and my other friend Melanie are exceptional organizers and I plan on having them help me. I have to admit that right now I’m somewhat embarrassed to have anybody in this room. Posting this before photo is quite painful for me. However, I know that plenty of other people have rooms like this and perhaps my hard work will inspire them to do the same, or at the very least, feel less embarrassed about their own rooms!

Ok, phew, it’s over with.

Tuesday Tutorial: St. Patrick’s Day Makeup & Face Painting

2009-03-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

Monday Mom Stuff – What is St. Patrick’s Day?

2009-03-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Several times I’ve been asked by in my In-Laws what exactly is St. Patrick’s Day is. The first year I was a bit lost as to what to reply. I knew some vague story about a guy (Saint Patrick), snakes and Ireland, but in all actuality, it really meant wearing green, eating green and adults drinking green. My great grandparents on my mother’s side moved to America from Ireland shortly before 1905. So this is something I should know. Many times growing up I was told that I had “the map of Ireland” on my face. It wasn’t until I was older that I figured out that it meant I looked Irish.

St. Patrick's Day is a national holiday and feast in Ireland celebrated in March 17th. This day celebrates the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick. He lived around 385 to 461 AD.

Saint Patrick was credited with banishing snakes from Ireland. It’s said that Ireland never had any snakes to begin with. Nevertheless, Saint Patrick also helped teach many Irish people about religion and is remembered for converting many people to Christianity.

To read more about Saint Patrick and his day, visit Wikipedia’s article. Above Image Courtesy of LeeHansen.com.

Also visit:

DLTK’s Printable Worksheets for Saint Patrick’s Day.

Sunday Eye Candy: North Georgia Street Team & Green Etsy Favorites.

2009-03-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Silly Saturday – Jodie Flower’s Silly Head Beads

2009-03-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Silly Head Beads by Jodie Flowers

Fun Friday

2009-03-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

Here are some fun St. Patrick’s Day craft ideas for kids!

Pom-pom Shamrock

Pot of Gold Greeting Card

Felt Shamrock Pin

St. Patrick’s Day Hat

Even more St. Patrick’s Day Crafts.

Crochet Necklace Done.

2009-02-17T14:09:00.001-08:00

I followed the instructions on the Crochet Necklace Video I shared a couple of posts back. I used 24 gauge silver colored wire and some shell and glass beads. It took me about a half hour to make while I watched TV. If you try this project and your crochet stitches don't look perfect, don't worry! It will all look fine after you braid the three strands.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

Image Courtesy of Tipnut.com.

Beaded Crochet Necklace

2009-02-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

I have made this necklace and it is easy and stunning! I actually made it without knowing about this how-to video first, but the how-to video is so great I had to share.

Stuff to do with Paper

2009-02-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have way more paper than I ever plan to use... until now! I found a wonderful paper art site called Folding Trees. Folding trees is a site where you can find inspiration and instructions on some of the most creative paper crafts I have seen in a while. Some of the newest ideas they have are a Valentine's bunting (banner) project from Maya*Made, valentines candy bar wrapper project from Schlosser Designs and free printable class valentines from Bunny Cakes. If you need inspiration or just a good excuse to procrastinate, make sure to visit Folding Trees. I plan on adding this one to my blogroll and Google reader!

Welcome Swap-Bot Swappers!

2009-02-02T13:10:00.001-08:00

Thanks for visiting. For those of you who are not from Swap-Bot, I am participating in a swap where we share our blogs with other participants. Welcome, Welcome!

Yummy Looking Miniatures on Flickr.

2009-01-21T07:56:00.001-08:00

I love soft pretzles. I could never have jewelry made with these Pretzel Charms by SugarCup because I'd be too tempted to eat them.

I found a whole pool of photos at Flickr of miniature food. Some of the food is so realistic that it makes me hungry. I'm amazed at the talent these artists have!

Take a peek at this miniature cutting board with miniature cut fruit made by PetitPlat by sk_.

Making Cold Porcelain Clay

2009-01-10T10:04:00.001-08:00

I hope all of you have had a great start to the new year. I was reading an interesting article in the New York Times today about how sales of craft supplies and handmade items have really picked up this past year. The article is from December 23rd, but it's still a good read. Click here to read it.

I also have been trying out some recipes for Cold Porcelain Clay. This air dry clay is made from white glue and cornstarch. It is supposed to be very strong when dried and be great for making figurines and other small items. I made some of this a very long time ago for some Christmas ornaments I was making. I am not sure what prompted me to want to make more when I have TONS of polymer clay sitting in my basement. I found a few recipes online. The first one did not do well, but the second one worked great. That recipe was from Diane Gilleland and is available here at Craft Stylish. When I encountered some cracking in the dried pieces, Diane was nice enough to help me out. She suggested using slighly less water in the recipe, cooking it longer on the stove, kneading it more and making sure the pieces dried in a controled temperature room. I actually took a small amount of the clay I had trouble with, put it in the microwave for 10 seconds, kneaded it a ton and then after I made my test shapes, I put it in my food dehydrator to harden. I noticed very little to no cracks at all! If you are interested in making cold porcelain clay I highly suggest you check out her tutorial. I'll be making a few more tests of this clay and then I'll share my results.

After much bugging by friends and family members I will make a huge effort to make and sell more items this year. The extra money wouldn't be bad either. I also need to get my studio in order. Right now it's a huge room full of boxes, so expect pictures and updates on that as well. Two of my friends, who are highly organized people themselves, have promised to help me. I have so much I want to make, but I can't find my supplies and I'm so overwhelmed by the disarray of my stuff that I instantly become uninspired. I frequently peruse the craft room pool at Flickr to reinspire myself to get my stuff organized. I think the hardest part of starting was realizing that I had no idea where to start and not being to prideful to ask my friends for help. I was a bit embarassed at showing them my mess, but I'm getting over that now. I don't know about you, but I sometimes feel bad about asking for help but I love helping people. I need to remind myself that friends like helping each other and true friends would want you to be the best you can be.

2008-10-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Some pendants ready for my Etsy shop. Not a whole lot of creative stuff going on here, mostly tinkering away at backed up housework. It's POURING out as I type this, which is a good thing, since we need the rain here in Atlanta. Though it makes for slow drying time on sealers.

I've recently submitted my site to Paper n Stitch. It is a selective online showcase. It is all part of my goal to put my stuff out there more this year.

Do any of you have crafty goals?

What I'm working on.

2008-10-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

I started a necklace last week using my ClinkIts. I'm not done and I'm not sure if I'm going to use the stone chips between the wire wrapped glass pieces or pick some cut glass (something with sparkle). I'm leaning towards sparkle, something like the bead I used in the lower right of the photo. It's pressed glass, an amber color.

My son got his yellow belt in Karate this weekend. I'm so proud of him. At 4.5, he is one of the youngest in the Little Dragons class. If they were giving out 'cute' awards, he definitely would have won first place!

More Online Beading Classes

2008-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of hits from people looking for online beading classes so I'll take the time to list some (feel free to add your own links to tutorials in the comments) new and maybe previously mentioned links for finding beading tutorials, in no particular order;

JewelryLessons.com just launched July of 2008 and it's a very stylish site. The site has articles, tutorials (both free and for sale), a gallery, community boards and other great features. You can also write your own tutorials and then list them on this site for a profit. It is free to register and I really liked the free tutorials as well. There are some really good free beginner tutorials, including making bead links, basic chains, and wire wrapped briolette earrings.

Beaducation.com is another very stylish site! This site offers video lessons for both beginner and advanced projects. Right now they have at least 50 lessons with a lot of them dealing with silver and working with metal. Some of the free videos they offer are Intro to Seed Beads, Intro to Chain Mail and Felted Beads.

Artist Connie Fox's website has photos of her beautiful metal and wire work. She has some free tutorials and videos as well as a studio tour that I highly recommend! I also recommend you check out her gallery as well as her students' gallery for inspiration.

: Jewelry Making
I could not have a list about learning to make jewelry without putting a link to About.com's Jewelry Making page. Tammy Powley has a wonderful collection of links that covers a wide selection of jewelry making topics. She even has a Beginners Corner. This guide covers the instructional, creative and business sides of jewelry making and is a definite place to poke around.

I am a loyal Fire Mountain Gems customer. I have been ordering supplies from them for at least 10 years. They have a huge supply catalog. They also have free learning videos, project ideas and a large gallery of ideas.

Other places to find project ideas are: Michaels, Joann's, and Hobby Lobby. You could also search on Youtube.com for some videos. Please feel free to share your favorite online tutorials or if you have one on your own site.

Bracelet

2008-09-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

Bracelet
Originally uploaded by Alicia G.

This photo is a bracelet I recently made. I'm starting to check out where I can start sending magazine submissions. With the ease of email submissions I thought I might as well give it a shot. Not sure what I'll submit yet. I did enter a project for Venus Zine's Craft Off competition which ended September 18th. I figure it's a good way to keep my mind going.

I still am planning on having an earring making class for my friends and some of my kids' teachers. It's all hinging on me finally cleaning out the formal living and dining room which has had random 'stuff' sitting in it since we moved in. It has dwindled a little bit and I think I'm going to try hard to pick away at it this week. I am growing a pile that will be donated, so that's always a good thing. I wish there was a magic organizing fairy that would just wave her magic wand over my house and make it all wonderful.