Yarn Along

I've been reading Ginny's blog, Small Things for some time now and would drool a little in awe on Wednesdays when she had the Yarn Along.
Like many, I get the knitting bug in the colder weather. I can't read a pattern, but wanted to make something other than a scarf. I enlisted my knitting fanatic friend ( I have many actually) to teach me how to knit socks.
She suggested a ribbed sock and let me raid her wool stash. I chose to go bulky to make the experience a little more positive by being able to knit it up faster.

But I was left on my own to try the next phase. Like I said, I don't read patterns (yet) and messed it up a bit. There are 4 needles on there right now. I have a feeling it was only supposed to be 3. I took the sock to my rehearsal last night. It's amazing how many knitters there are about. 2 came directly to me and started chatting it up. My eyes got that glazed, fear look to them. They recognized it and offered to help, but the rehearsal resumed.

The sock has been in my bag all day. Hoping it wouldn't unravel and that I would have a moment to sit with someone in the know. Not to be today.

So I'll just look at the close ups. Ain't it purdy?
Oh, the needles are from the stash my grandmother had. I inherited them. A great stash. Anything you need in there.

The book I'm reading, but not in the past week or more, is the Scotiabank Giller Prize winner this year, Half -Blood Blues

A good book. Not something I would normally go towards, but it's keeping me interested and letting my imagination grow.

And nice bookmark from Marie over at Soft Earth Art. I won her fall giveaway and she sent some extra postcards and book marks. lovely.

k, that's it for now.
have a good one,
Amanda

Felt bead bookmarks

K, I have to get more imaginative with my titles and with my line of crafting.
So another post on wool, felting and little balls... guess I'm in a mode.

Last weekend, my girlfriend and I went to the fabric district and happened upon Arton beads Oh. My. Word! And I'm not even a jewelry person or beader. (yes, I made that word up. I think) Anyhow, I bought a bunch of findings that I've been wishing I had. Here is one of them....

The metal Book marks. These are the small size. They also had some more ornate ones with mermaids, dolphins and I think even some kinds of skullery. Fun stuff!

Being in a wool bead mood, I made these up. The rainbow beads are from Deserres, the winter ones, I made. A few more of these will be made and played with.


Have a good one,
Amanda

Music bookmarks

I had a great weekend performing. What fun. Now I'm just downright knackered.

As a little thank you to the music director and the accompanist (the amazing 1 man orchestra), I quickly whipped up these bookmarks. I've done them before on here, but this is all I have to show ya.
Here are the covers. I used SU In Colours. The little Diva charm is from the buck store as is the little hanging frame on the blue one. I used Cuttlebug music embossing folder and then the Quickutz music notes. Popped it up, there ya go. The music on the cover is a retired Stampin' Up! background stamp done with whisper white ink.


You can see the cuttlebug music folder again on the bookmark. The sentiment is from Nova Scotia. Unmounted red rubber. Sorry, don't know who it is. The big eighth notes are also from Cuttlebug. The tassels are from ClearBags Canada ? I have a feeling it may be called something else. Handy to have.




Here's a fun game: Can you name the piece of music under the bookmarks?

ok, it's taken way too long to write this up and with many interruptions, I don't even know what I'm posting about anymore. lol
so I'll say, "a bientot"

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

here is another one, just like the other one....

I had so much fun making the bookmark from the previous post, that I made a few more. I don't think I'm finished with these yet... I think I'll give this one to my son's new piano teacher. We're going to try the "Music for Young Children" program, as I get to participate in the class with him. At least he'll know one person. :} He's a little shy at first.


DP is Bella Rose-SU, image is from the Paper Pleasures stamp store in Lunenburg, NS. I bought it last year. The card base is embossed with cuttlebug folder-Adagio, and the music score inside the pink is retired SU.


Hope y'all had a great weekend. We're back into school routine tomorrow. My son will start Junior Kindergarten this week. The time has finally come!! Let's hope he's in a good mood that day. :}

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

another bookmark

Hubby took the kidlets out tonight, so I had a few hours of uninterrupted bliss.... ahhh.

I've been wanting to case the bookmark on the cover of the new SU catalogue. I set out to use the same colours and to stay as close as possible to the original. But I just couldn't do it. :}


After I punched out the green middle part, I looked for something to put there. The little birdies were calling me, "tweet, tweet". Then the crown punch was lookin' at me. So I went for it. Hoping to find my clear teeny tiny rhinestones to bling it up.


Hubby came home and wanted a card, not a bookmark, so I made the card to go with it. I had fun using my sewing machine. i think I need to get a thicker thread.Oh yes, the white image on the background is from da Bella store. It's solid funky Bamboo. paper is Bella Rose from SU.



Well, that's it for tonight. I think I'll try this in another colour scheme tomorrow, maybe with a music theme.

thanks for looking,
Amanda

music bookmark

here is the bookmark I made to go with the card:



Same papers as the card in previous text. This bookmark and jacket comes from Sharon Johnson's blog- http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ Nov 9, 2007 entry. I love it as a little thank you gift.
The ribbon come from Walmart! by the metre or yard if you're from the imperial system. The music score image is a retired SU block.


I made the charm using shrink art. The notes are the Quickutz notes. There are 2 in the single die, just as it is in the charm. I tried to cut through the shrink art paper, but it wouldn't work, didn't cut all the way through. I really wanted to make a smaller charm than the previous one, so I used Su scallop circle to punch around it. Coloured the back of the notes with marker and shrunk. You like?


Thanks for looking!
Amanda

more bookmarks

I'm on a bookmark kick. So here are 2 more. And more to follow, I made 2 last night and have to make another for an order.
This template comes from Sharon Johnson at
http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ Nov 9, 2007 entry
The discover one was especially fun. I used the retired, "Mostly Flowers". My new cuttlebug got some use with the square dry embossed dots around the edge. THEN.. my Marvy square punch fit around that. I was so excited that these 3 things worked well together. Little things..
The butterfly on the front is one I had previously made from shrink art for another project. The simage is Papertrery's Butterfly Kisses set. The colours did match, until I put crystal effects on it. Then it brightened the colours. I will replace it, I think. The discover do-hickey is from the dollar store.

The "Be You" bookmark is done with Papertrey's "Garden Thumb" This set is very versatile. The little frame on the cover of the book mark comes from the dollar store. Bonus find. The "be you" sentiment is actually from the sentiment, "may the simple joys of life be yours" or something to that effect. I only applied the ink to the be you section of the stamp with 3 different colour inks. This is why I love clear stamps. You can see what you are doing and where you place things.

Designer paper is Ginger Blossom from Stampin' Up!
Once again, my photos are faded. Sorry, but you get the idea.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

bookmark and cover

This template comes from Sharon Johnson at
http://notimetostamp.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ Nov 9, 2007 entry

I should call my creation.. All Things Retired. or almost. I think the only thing that isn't retired is the Symbols of Solicitude stamp.
I really enjoyed making this. it was easy to follow. You can make them cute, birthday, thank you, fancy. So many styles. And nice to have on hand as a little gift for someone special.

Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Happy Christmas Eve!

Hope all is well and under control where you are. My family were all sick with fevers, snotty noses and coughs last week. As long as I can make it until tomorrow afternoon, I'll be ok. I have 3 services to sing, so I have to stay healthy until then.
And oh boy! Have I eaten too much... already? Only been to 2 outings and I'm stuffed. Still.

Here is a book mark I've made for the choir in my church. Simple as I had to make over 40. Mass production overload.

And here is a pic of my family last week digging out from the huge snow storm. This week I was running from the rain! Now all we have left is yucky, dirty snow piles left by the plows. Maybe some fresh stuff will come tonight?

Have a great one.
Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Bookmark Card

I made this set with my NEW STAMPIN' UP DEMONSTRATOR STARTER KIT!!!! IT ARRIVED, IT ARRIVED! And I had absolutely NO inspiration or creativity in me. Blah.
So, I looked at examples using this Garden Whimsy set on Splitcoast Stampers.
I found this example from faithyc. Thanks Faith for providing a good CASE:}

Colours are Old Olive, Pretty in Pink and purely Pommegranate. Baroque wheel and Garden Whimsy stamp sets. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink, from the Green Thumb set. Ribbons are Stampin' Up.

I may have some ideas to make Christmas cards in this design for a little something extra for those special people on your list.

Thanks for looking:}

Amanda