Month: November 2019

new projects, who dis?

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More custom creations for FtF fans! Patrick’s Aloha 30 I got a custom request for a three-tiered garland with hibiscus and shades of green. Look at the tiny leaves! I love adding little details to my garland creations. Home Sweet Home A student of mine requested a Home Sweet Home wall hanging in her home decor colors. I get a lot of requests for custom gifts, but it’s also special when people order something especially for their home. Name Tags I have an ongoing name tag order with a company in San Francisco. This time they ordered 13 more name tag pennants. And because I have a camera holder now, here’s a process video! The Graduate My friend ordered a giant pennant for his wife because she finished her PhD program. She’s Ph-inally D-one! Follow Me My cubicle mate was recently assigned emergency assembly area monitor duties so I made her a sign to carry during drills (and the real thing!) to herd our office mates to our meeting place. The blue ‘confetti’ are little …

swatch.

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Turn fabric swatches into holiday art! We were semi in the market for a couch upgrade so I requested a fabric swatch pack from JoyBird. In the end, we decided to wait until we really needed a new one / moved to a bigger space, but then I was left with these perfectly cut square fabrics – ahem, unexpected craft supplies! For this holiday garland you will need fabric swatches, fabric scissors, a needle, and nylon cord (find it at jewelry/bead stores). Anything goes with this craft. I made a ‘thankful’ word garland and cut out some flag shapes. For the A (or any letter with a hole in it), fold the fabric and cut a slit before cutting out the hole. Fabric swatches are great because they don’t fray; no finishing required! Plus, they come in so many colors and textures; so fun! Then I sewed each piece onto cord. It you’re using thicker cord or other string, you may need to use a fabric punch first to create holes. These garlands are light …

melon basketry.

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Get this – all woven baskets are handmade. Mind blown. So the next time I pick up a woven basket I’ll think about all the work and care that was put into making that piece! And that brings me to my latest obsession: melon basketry! Melon basketry is one of those skills I didn’t know I wanted to learn until I saw the Handcraft Studio School workshop offering. When there was a date that worked for me, I signed up right away and waited with much anticipation! Our instructor, Michele Hament, creates baskets with natural materials like reed (what we used in class), pine needles, and kelp. I arrived as she was setting up… She brought some samples, too. For this class we learned how to make a melon shape, but there’s also an egg basket (aka butt basket), and options to create smaller or larger basket bases. First things first, a refresher on how to create a god’s eye weaving. This is the technique we used to attach the handle to the rim of …

ID week in DC.

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The actual reason I was in DC: an infectious disease conference! And a photoshoot apparently! This is my new professional photo. I took photos with all the cardboard cutouts and signs, too. The conference (ID Week) was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and supposedly had over 10,000 attendees. I attended lectures and one of the socials featuring the ID Week band (made up of 15 infectious disease professionals!). Around the convention center – lots of art pieces, cold brew on tap, and bathroom signage with briefcases. There was also an exhibition hall featuring vendors and professional organizations. Our favorite booth: Biofire. They had machine demos, a giant bug, and freebie surprise balls with disease figurines. My ID Week haul! I hosted DC trivia at one of our staff meetings so I could share with my work crew. Conferences are exhausting, but they are inspiring and get me motivated to do more good things in public health! PSA Wash your hands well!

pumpkin centerpiece.

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Thanksgiving is around the corner! Here’s a quick way to add some homemade to your Thanksgiving table. I’ve been wanting to create a felt succulent pumpkin, but I hadn’t found the right pumpkin until now! It’s the perfect size, shape, and material. I was so disappointed in the foam/plastic variations I’ve seen over the years, and I didn’t want to use a real pumpkin for this particular craft because the felt would outlive the pumpkin. Materials: pumpkin vessel, felt succulents, felt for succulent bottoms cut into circles, wire cut into 6″ strips with a coil at one end, mixed berries, fabric scissors, wire cutters, pliers, floral foam or similar I can’t get over the pumpkin shape! I found my container at Joann; I almost bought a whole fleet. The berries were from Joann, too, and I made the felt succulents using wool blend felt (cut a bunch of ‘petal’ shapes and glue them to each other one petal at a time until you get your preferred succulent size and look). To assist with standing in …

patchwork.

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Dear Handmade Life, the same people who bring you Craftcation, also produce a series of craft shows called Patchwork. I was chosen to participate in the inaugural event in Santa Rosa. Patchwork Santa Rosa was held at the county fair grounds in the Hall of Flowers. My flower crown bar fit right in. I also brought back my taco garlands (I found a few stashed away) and I had some pajaki chandeliers for sale. The Santa Rosa crowd was a fan of the chandeliers. Three of my Mischief window display chandeliers went to new homes! That made me so happy. And the youngins loved the crown bar! There were so many makers with such beautiful wares, and there were DIY stations sprinkled throughout the show like felt necklaces and succulent gardens. My friend Gloria of MorninGlorias had a create your own beaded bracelet station. Here’s a peek at the booths of some of my new friends and old favorites! – Saint November, Rennie, Oodlebadoodle, and Felt Flanerie. 🙂 Thank you to Dear Handmade Life and …

food of DC.

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I can’t recap a trip without a food posts! Here’s a food overview for my DC trip plus links to my in depth Yelp reviews. Jinya Ramen My coworker friend and I stayed in the Logan neighborhood, and after a day of traveling, we decided on Jinya Ramen, just a few blocks from our lodging. I had the Slurp up Cilantro Ramen and we shared the cripsy chicken with garlic and pepper. Compass Coffee Before the conference started, we adventured to the U.S. Botanic Garden, then stopped for a quick bite at Compass Coffee, conveniently located near the Convention Center. The iced jasmine green tea was perfectly steeped and perfectly perfect for the hottest day of our trip. Poke Papa Fish for dinner! This place has sakura-shaped radish and unlimited fried garlic toppings. Milk Bar There’s a Milk Bar in DC! I went for my fill. National Portrait Gallery Cafe We went to the gallery to see the Obama painting plus lunch. You might choose to go for wine by the glass! A Baked Joint …

tea | shop hop.

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My friend May of Timmy Mays hosted a studio sale at her maker space along side Cinq and Kaoru Sanchez so my friend Joy and I made a crafty lady date out of it. First stop: Malaya Tea Room in Alameda. Malaya is the cutest tea room I’ve ever been to – ever! Seriously. All the other tea rooms are too stuffy and old feeling. The space was so inviting and beautifully decorated. Even though most of the plants were fake, they still brightened up the room. The tea and snacks – brilliant! Especially the chicken curry sandwich and warm scones. I felt like I was on vacay. They even offered to take our photo on our way out. Then, to the studio sale! May has her studio space at Phoenix in Alameda. I had a pop-up here a few years ago and it’s supah fun. May creates leather goods including bags and belts, and also intricately painted wearable art! And this is her pup Mycroft, the shiest pup I ever met. Plus, jewelry by …

eagle rock.

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A quick work trip to LA meant I got to visit with my FamBam. We spend the afternoon together in Eagle Rock before I had to catch a flight back to the Bay. So much fun togetherness times! Here are a few things you can experience in Eagle Rock. Heart Wall Do it for the ‘gram. Milk Farm Cheese experts will walk you through the cheese experience. We took home a few slices. Bok Bok Chicken I love the name. Falafel plates for all! Folia Collective You know how much I love plants. Swork Cafe hangs! And such a good smoothie with ginger and citrus. Yay FamBam! Where do you like to hangs with your fambam? Share below!

shops of DC.

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DC adventures continue with shopping! Union Kitchen My favorite souvenir shopping happens at local markets. I love finding the “made in [insert place of vacay here] items.” Union Kitchen is a boutique market that carries lots of locally produced goodies, most of which unfortunately I could not bring home this time around (luggage constraints) but look! Stuffed bagel holes! Pickled jalapeños! National Museum of Women in the Arts We didn’t have time to visit National Museum of Women in the Arts, but we did have time to visit the museum shop! I think it gave us major FOMO though. A collection of women empowerment, women made, and inspo… Salt & Sundry Salt & Sundry is a cute gift shop in the Logan neighborhood. Soft light, home goods, jewelry…. It was less easy to find the made in DC items (or maybe there just wasn’t a lot of them), but I did score some made in DC chocolate bars! Little Leaf Little Leaf is a sister store of Salt & Sundry. It. Is. So. Lush. The …