Month: September 2016

the ladies of blue door. 

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Blue Doors Beads features a jewelry artist each month (Remember when I debuted my Elmwood line?). Last month, the Blue Door Beads staff shared their creations with us and everything was gorgeous! These Ladies are so creative and skilled in their craft. Briana I had purchased one of Briana’s pieces before as a gift so I was excited to see what new creations she had for tonight’s event. I fell in major like with this piece. I was sold when I found out she created the metal piece by hand. Dara / D. Lea Studio Dara is an artist extraordinaire. She teaches a number of classes at BDB and she’s got mad photography skills. I’ve been eyeing her electroforming class on the BDB class calendar. I can’t wait to take it! Lydia / The Patina Project Lydia is one of the friendliest faces you’ll ever meet! Her pieces are both light and airy, and bold and show-stopping. Rumor on the street is she’s opening up an online shop soon. Sydney / Tropikali I just met Sydney on the …

fish pickles.

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My last wish list skill for my summer learning was fish pickling and curing. I know what you are thinking — “That’s totally awesome!!” (See macrame and indigo dyeing, too!) I had been wanting to take a class at Preserved for a while now and as I perused the class list, pickling and curing fish, stood out to me as a unique craft. Even though I know people have been doing this for centuries this is a completely new to me endeavor. And this time I brought my friend Lennie along for the fishy ride! Preserved houses all the supplies for all  your preserving needs. I got to class early and spent the entire waiting time just staring at the shelves, imagining all the things I could make. Our instructor Danny is a fish curing expert, and class was like a live cooking show, complete with food stand ins. Danny reviewed a number of curing and pickling techniques, and we got to feel, smell, and taste the various methods. My favorite technique might have to be the water-vinegar …

patio plants.

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Hubs and I finally started working on our garden. I’m hoping we keep it up and actually grow things / keep things alive. Wish us luck! Here’s what we have so far: Talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves). My Mom picked a bunch of leaves from their garden. We placed them in water so they could grow roots before planting. I enjoy watching roots grow; it’s like I’m doing something right even though all I did was put them in water. Nature is magical that way. We’re excited to have plants we can harvest and eat! Succulents. Here’s what’s left of my succulent plant garden that I almost killed. (I know, I know…succulents are supposed to be easy.) I’m more excited about the ceramic pot I got from a nursery in San Diego. It’s made by local ceramicist Susan Aach. I am in love with it and I’m hoping to grow my fun garden container collection as we add to our patio garden. Mystery plant. This plant just showed up and decided to grow. We’re going to let it. It looks …

PIÑAtas.

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My friend asked me to make some party decor for a flamingo and pineapple themed bachelorette party. So craft I did! Paper pineapples, hot pink bunting, and felt leaf confetti. And…and…and…mini pineapple piñatas! A big thank you to Oh Happy Day for the inspiration! Here’s my rendition… Materials & tools:  mini paper cups yellow crepe streamers confetti yellow cardstock ribbon green felt glue stick hot glue scissors tiny hole punch Glue strips of crepe streamers to the bottom and sides of the cup. The streamers don’t need to lay flat on the cup (they can be slightly wrinkled); just make sure they stay put. Cut fringe into strips of crepe streamers. Glue on one piece of fringe to the cup starting at the open end. Add the second layer slightly overlapping the first. Continue adding layers until you reach the bottom of the cup. Fill your mini piñatas with confetti of choice. I created my own mix with tissue paper confetti, die cut flowers & leaves, paper scraps, and of course, sparkly hearts. Cut circles to fit over the …

indigo.

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Next up on my Summer Skills List: indigo dyeing. This time I dragged my friend Danielle! 😆 We took class at Handcraft Studio School in Emeryville with Alexa of Euclid and Jayne. We learned all the basics and had the best time experimenting with different techniques. The class fee included two pillow cases and one tea towel, and we were encouraged to bring some extra small items to dye as well. I brought two infinity scarves and another tea towel to complete the set. (Dharma Trading sells some great items for indigo dyeing!) You don’t need much to create beautiful designs, but you do need some space for getting messy. We used pieces of wood, rubber bands, clamps, and a ladle. Yes a ladle! Before: After: The final colors were a few shades lighter after I rinsed the excess dye and ran it through the washer and dryer. Check out all the lovelies made by my classmates! Now I want to indigo dye everything. I see blue sheets, dresses/skirts, and giftables in my future!

macramé!

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This summer I made it my goal to learn new skills and techniques. First on said list: macramé. I found a macramé plant hanger class on Verlocal taught by You’re Crafty owner Elizabeth. She has a great studio space at Sew Op in San Francisco. It’s an awesomely decorated and inspiring space to create. I invited my friend Aileen to join me. The class itself was pretty much a private lesson with us two plus one other student, which was great because I always have questions. So many questions. Elizabeth walked us through each step. It’s definitely a time consuming craft, especially if you use thin cord, but it’s worth it in the end, especially when you use fun beads to accent your piece! Tahdah! Now I just need to find a cute plant to match. What was on your summer crafting list? Share below!

craftmaster part four.

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Technically it’s still summer so here’s one more summery craft: driftwood sailboats! I was super excited when Modern Mouse invited me back to host their August Sunday Crafternoon. They already had this craft in mind and it was fun to play with materials I don’t usually craft with, and to also craft with a drill! The stations were set up with how-to guides and tools, and the safety-first crew made sure nobody tripped on cables. Behold this awesome driftwood selection harvested by Mr. Kuro-Same himself – Matt! He also pre-drilled them for all our crafternooners. And this awesome fabric collection was provided by Head Mouse Eleen. Loving all the patterns and colors! Let’s get to crafting! After an hour or so of cutting, glueing, and hammering, our team of crafters made an amazing fleet! All together now! What are you waiting for? Head to the beach and grab some nature supplies. These sailboats are too cute to pass up! 🙂