#halfassedcrafts

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

Not everything goes as planned. This was my first attempt at a snowglobe (such as you see all over the place) and it’s a fail, for a couple reasons. One reason is because I used the wrong type of glue, and the lid leaks (which is why there is such a big airspace at the top of the jar). The other reason is that the trees were not colorfast. This photo was taken about 20 minutes after gluing, and you can already see the water turning green. By the time I threw it out the next day, the water was pretty much toxic waste dump green. Everything is a learning experience.

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

“I have dreams, you know!” I did a bit of sewing getting us ready for our Memorial Day trip to Vermont - and that sewing, somehow, included finishing these PJ pants which have been languishing in the half-finished pile approximately forever. (So long, in fact, that I had to lengthen the one leg that was cut out, because it was cut for a shorter child.) 

I really love the Pigeon fabrics. E wishes there was Elephant and Piggy, too.

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

So, last night we tried air dry clay.  I’ve been looking at air dry projects for a while, after finding this listing on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/listing/157262520/mimi-heart-ornament-gift-for-mimi-mimi) which is not actually air dry but is that general aesthetic. Pinterest is also awash with them. Things I bought: a 2.5 lb bucket of Crayola Air Dry clay for $4.88; two new stamp pads because mine were dry and dead.

Rubber stamps are one of those things that people often give me (because I’m “crafty”) but that I actually can’t figure out what to do with. The letter stamps I used had been languishing in my craft room for a looonnnnggg time (and I discovered they were “some assembly required” - we had to stick the letters onto the posts).

If you haven’t done this before, the basic idea is that you just roll out the clay, then stamp it or impress a pattern on it (I see a lot on Pinterest that use lace doily or cable knit sweaters to make patterns). You can also use regular rubber stamps (with ink!) right on the wet clay (which is what we did). 

Once you’ve put the pattern on the clay, then use a cookie cutter to cut the final shape. 

The biggest thing I learned is that parchment paper or some such is CRUCIAL for this project. I did the first one on a laminated place mat and it was a sticky disaster. The clay is very moist and sticks to EVERYTHING.

So, yeah, we did the ones pictured above and a few more that I won’t reveal yet. E reluctantly helped. I have a few additional Grand Ideas that I want to try when we get closer to Christmas, including finding a way to use my Springerle cookie molds to make ornaments, and this awesome house candle holder. (http://www.lachicadelacasadecaramelo.com/2014/11/tres-sencillos-diy-con-pasta-de-modelar.html). (I also love the snowflakes on this page.)

I am very curious to see how white the clay actually dries. All the photos of projects look very white. Mine (while wet) are still a sort of bisque/ivory color, so we’ll see what happens.

Happy Mother’s Day!

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

OMG, this is totally the next thing. SouleMama posted about it this morning (hrm, apparently I can’t hotlink: here’s her post: http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2015/04/flowers-bowls.html) and I've watched the video twice already. So simple and clean.  Of course, they look perfect when she does them. I suspect mine will be somewhat more - haphazard. We’ll see. First step: buy rope.

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

Got half-way through making E's school valentines, at least enough to see how they're going to look. I'm pretty happy with them. (Based on something I saw on Pintrest.) Materials: Dollar Store plastic dinos; tiny plastic bags I found in the beading section of the craft store, printed tops (they fold in half) that I sort of threw together in publisher with clip art.

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

Yesterday morning, E asked me if I could sew him a costume for this "play" (I think really more of a skit) they are doing at his summer camp. E's part is a skeleton who saves Red Riding Hood while she's lost in the spooky forest (Robin Hood is also somehow involved). So last night, we threw together this costume, which actually came out pretty well. If you were generous, you could say it's my first foray into applique (but I'm not that generous).

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

On the other hand, here is the candy jar project actually finished.

Things I learned: - Spraypaint is best for lids, but people look at you oddly when you are spraypainting into a box while standing on your sidewalk in your PJs at 730 am. - Using a screwdriver and a hammer to poke holes in the lids is oddly satisfying. (You use the screwdriver as a punch, if its not clear.) - People act much more impressed with gifts when someone says “No, she MADE that.” (To which I repeatedly replied - I didn't make the jar, I just dressed it up for Easter.)

I love those knobs, but they were not the right choice for these jars - they make them look more like bathroom jars than candy jars. Glass knobs would have been a better choice.

So, that’s finished. And I still have tons of etching stuff so I can etch other things. (Maybe jars to replace some of the millions of baggies full of spices in the kitchen.)

[wmghalfassedcrafts]

Because I'm insane, I made this somewhat famous 'Not Martha' faux Kinder-Eggs as Easter Gifts. They came out mostly ok. I did empty, sterilize, and dye real eggshells, fill them with a coating of chocolate, let them harden overnight, then filled them with small candy and sealed them up. (I also made a couple that were solid chocolate eggs.) I did not, however, coat the insides with both dark AND white chocolate as she did, or make tiny paper flowers to go inside. Still, it's a project I would do again, and that wasn't really so very hard. (Original here: http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2010/03/30/chocolate-easter-surprise-eggs)