Spring time

We had a little visitor today to our patio, Mr. Squirrel.  I tried to get a better picture of him but he was cautious and scampered away.  Visit again soon Mr. Squirrel - I will take your picture!

Simple little project

So we don't have a nightstand next to our bed.  It would be impossible to have one since one side sits smack next to a wall and the other side has the closet door swing open right next to it.  Each night after writing my thoughts for the next day in my journal, I would have to set it on the floor which leaves it open in kitty cat territory.  See, she likes to eat everything.  Paper, plastic, cardboard.  Changing her litter box is an adventure into what crazy things we accidentally left about.  Since I am obsessed with my Jill Bliss journal - I was afraid it would succumb to her appetite.  I had received these two very cute hankies from my MIL last Christmas.  I sewed them together and put a little ribbon on top.  Then I put a small nail in the wall next to my side of the bed and viola!  A new little caddy for my journal.  Easy peasy pie.

Gocco fun for everyone!

So I did it, I got a gocco. It arrived on Wednesday but I haven't gotten to really play around with it until this weekend. It is amazing. Truly my new favorite thing. The only thing I am struggling with is how clean the master screens. My first one I totally messed up. I thought "hey - I'll not read any directions and just use some soap and water!" Wrong. The cardboard that holds everything together disintegrated faster than you could say gocco loco. Plus it the soap and water thing just doesn't work period. I guess that tube of gocco cleaner (that is in Japanese) just didn't pop out at me when I first looked through all the supplies. Oh well.

So here is my mess, which isn't even half of it. I hand prints strewn about the apartment like fall leaves on a lawn. Sorry for the poor lighting - it was the best I could get.

And here is the hubby helping out, he loves it too -


And here is one of the final results! I did some experimenting with printing on book paper which I had seen done before and I loved how it looked.


So basically I can't wait until next weekend to play again. But I need to figure out a way to have them dry with out covering every free inch of space in the house...

Wednesday bentos!

Hooray our bento boxes arrived from Japan!  And to celebrate, why I just had to make some bentos right?


Here is the hubby's "snack" bento to compliment his Amy's Mac and Cheese: we have apples, grapes, and banana on top and then a mini spinach salad with Italian dressing, a chocolate, rice mini crackers, cheese and a 1/4 of a tofu and spinach sandwich.  He was saying how he is going to be made fun of for having a bunny bento.  But then I reminded his co-workers are his parents and they are the ones who introduced us to bentos.


  And here is my bento: prickly pear, grapes, carrots, and cucumbers in top and then a 1/2 tofu and spinach sandwich with a little pesto in the sauce box for spreading.  I also have a chocolate in the top.  Basically I wish I had time every night to make these.  I know I will get better as time goes on!

Another bento

So here is the bento I made for hubby last Friday.  I got some cute little rice shapers at the awesome United Noodle store near my house.  The little orange chunks are red curry Quorn.  Also there is cauliflower and rice crisps.  I can't wait until my bento boxes arrive from Japan - hopefully they will be here this week!

ATCs to Jane in Australia

So I had a very nice lady from Australia request some ATCs with a farm animal theme. I traded for four really great cards from her including a 3D eye one that is so realistic, it scares me a bit

To gocco or not to gocco

That is the question that is driving me nuts.  I have seen so many amazing things made with the gocco that I feel compelled to get one myself.  But the $100 price along with another $50 shipping from Japan puts it a tad out of reach.  Plus the fact that hubby and I already do screen printing on t-shirts, I feel like it is a little redundant.  However the ease of printing and the fact that it is all self contained makes it easy to do in our little apartment.  Supposed according to savegocco.com, the newer versions will be available in the states at a major retailer this summer.   *sigh* - what to do...

Felt bento box and real bento boxes

So I am going a little crazy about bento boxes. The in-laws turned me on to them and after seeing some pictures with what can be done with them, I became hooked. So hooked in fact that for the May Craftster felt contest, I made a bento box


Starting at the 12 o'clock position and going clockwise - steamed potstickers and eggrolls, rice with nori flakes and a vegetables featuring carrots, cucumber and a lime, four sushi rolls, then seaweed salad with sesame seeds, and finally in the center, wasabi and pickled ginger.

all the little food items can be taken out



And here is my first attempt at a real bento boxes for me and my husband


his is one the left and includes
- 2 "spring rolls" with nori faces - not really spring rolls because we have no idea what we are doing. We bought soy wrappers by accident which proved to be hard to work with. Also we didn't have the right ingredients. But they tasted really good anyway!
- 2 rice balls - my first attempt at these so no filling - just rice
- Fried tofu and veggies
- Extra edamame

mine is on the right and is basically the same except that green exploding thing in the corner is a spring roll

I've made a couple more since but have no pictures. I really like the portion control aspect as well as the cheesy "fun" factor. Hubby likes that I am making a lunch for him. I am going to include some beer and a wife beater in his next one :)
We ordered some real bento boxes off of ebay - the containers we have now are boring. I hope they get here soon!

ATCs making me crazy

So there is this "challenge" if you will over on craftster called the 100 themes ATCs.  Basically it is a list of 100 theme ideas to create ATCs for.  And I am addicted:

#35 "hold my hand"

#4 "dark"

#86 "seeing red"

#85 "spiral"

almost a month

since my last post, shame shame!  I have been busy creating away.  I starting doing some more ATCs and crocheting too.  It seems I barely get time to do anything but then when I see what I have done in a month, I am impressed.  That and I am always jumping from one craft to another - sometimes mid crafting.  Whenever I get frustrated, I just switch subjects (or try to).  I think this results in my not getting as much done.

Anyhoo.  So my hat is the thing I am most proud of and use everyday.  I did this soon after my amigurumis.  Hubby thinks it's funny his 27 yr old wife has a cat hat :)




Basically I crocheted a rectangle - folded it over and sewed up the sides.  Then I db crocheted twice around the rim and added the flaps.  I got the inspiration from somewhere but I can't remember where - otherwise I would credit.