Midnight Madness, YoYo Trees and a NEW Headband

#16
I have a few things to report on, but I will be careful and not put all my goodness into one post, cause for all I know I could have a creativity block tomorrow and have nothing to blog about.

Firstly, posting on my blog everyday for Blogtoberfest is really hard.  I used to post only twice or so a week.  It is starting to hurt my brain.

Secondly, I have actually got a few things done over the past few days.  I'll share a few.

Midnight Madness
Every year my church puts on a Christmas Craft Night.  They always put it on super early BEFORE the Christmas rush, and of course to allow time to finish the projects so they can be used at Christmas time.  Last night was this said night.  It goes from 6pm till Midnight - thus it's called Midnight Madness.  I only signed up for 3 craft classes last night.  In years gone I've done up to 6, so it was a quiet night for me.  I made Christmas cards and gift tags.

They were all relatively easy and as you can see, they're very effective.  Geez Kristy (my Stampin Up Lady) is clever.  You should check out her blog, she is doing Christmas gift ideas every week for 12 weeks up until Christmas (you receive the tutorials if you sign up to her email list).  She is getting married soon and I have to try and think of what to get her as the engagement present.  I think she's gonna need storage for her GIGANTOR stash of SU goodies :)

Next I did the Wooden Ginger Bread Men.  These little men made me a crazy woman.  They don't look like much.  But LET ME TELL YOU.  They hurt my brain in a big way last night.

I had instructions, but they weren't relevant because all the supplies they used in the tutorial, were not available on the night.  So I had to freestyle it, and that doesn't always work with me.  So I open my little bag of 5 wooden gingerbread men.  I sanded the edges because they were a little splintery (is that a word?).

Then I needed to make all the edges brown.  There was no brown paint, so I had to sponge it with ink.  It took over an hour to do this.  Holy hell, my patience went out of the window with those little guys in the inking process.  BUT I PERSEVERED and ate lots of kabana and drunk lots of delicious lemonade to keep my spirits in order.  (And I realise at this stage I should have photographed all this as I went so you'd have instructions ((unlike me when I did it)) on how to make them yourself, but oh well).

Then I chose my papers.  As part of the pack that I bought to make them, I could choose 3 double sided patterned papers.  I had to like 5 of the 6 sides of paper.  So I picked my papers and traced the men on the papers and cut them out.  Then using PVA (or you could use Mod Podge, but PVA was what was provided) I glued the paper down to the men.  I then trimmed the excess paper overhang on the men, which was incredibly annoyingly fiddly.  Followed by sanding the edges to give it the rustic feel and to neaten up the look.  It is a great effect but of course took an hour to do all 5.  By this stage it was close to midnight and I hadn't even started to think about decorating them with embellishments etc.  Oh and did I mention I had fluid retention in my hands?  Yeah, it felt AWESOME!! haha!!

Then disaster struck.  But I didn't know it until it was too late.  I had one TINY picture to use as a guide for decorating.  In the picture the men had faces drawn on.  So I copied.  After I had finished all 5 faces I realised it looked TERRIBLE.

They looked like scary evil weirdo Gingerbread Men.  And at this point it was AFTER midnight.  So I just pretended I didn't care (but was so incredibly mad at myself inside for ruining them) and helped the ladies pack up and went home.  I showed the husby, and he too agreed they looked evil.  So guess what I did this morning?  Re-did them all over again.  From scratch, on the other side.  I didn't have enough paper from the night so I had to use some of my own too, which was difficult finding the right colour combinations because they papers to choose from last night were all co-ordinating becuase they were all from one set.  But I managed to work it out, and this is the new transformed Gingerbread Men that I am finally happy with.  Actually that's a lie.  I didn't need to pierce the holes on their heads and didn't realise that till I'd done them all but I'll have to get over it.  I finished them off tonight (after a really long day which included assisting in my brother's proposal, having a migraine, sleeping & baking) and have worked out where I am going to hang them for Christmas.

So there they are.  The feral annoying Gingerbread Men.  I'm sure I'll forgive them for being so annoying in due time.

You also may have noticed I never ended up doing embellishments.  I didn't trust myself to do it without ruining them all over again, and also decided that simple was better.  Really I was just glad to have them over and done with.  I love the effect and will do it again, but have learnt what to do and what not to.  Hopefully  next time it won't be so jolly frustrating!

Goodies in the Mail
I had a suprise in the mail for me yesterday from the giveaway I won at Kiwi at Heart last month...

And it had this inside!

Thanks for my Mini YoYo Christmas Tree!! I love it!!

NEW Tie Headband
So I have found another use for my old Thrifty ties that were 50 cents.  I will admit I broke the needle on the sewing machine so I realised I needed to handsew it together which was alot of work but definately worth it.  Do you like it?  

I likey.  Do you?  I might make another this week in a brighter coloured tie.  I was also thinking of doing this with a Christmas tie to wear on Christmas Day :)

**********

I'll save all the other goodies I've been working on for my posts over the next few days.  

Hope you had a great day, and don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already.  There's hardly any entries so far so you're in with a stinkin good chance this time!! 

Oh and I have a new button that my husby has been working on so I'll have to get him to get it all up and running tomorrow and show you.  It's the same as I have now but just jazzed up a little.  Next on the to do list for him is to do my name sign off coding doovey lackey, and then he is building me a website.  It'll only take 5 years to get it done :P

Until tomorrow...

Christy

A Day in the Life of Jessamy

#15

Hi, my name is Jessamy.  I am the hair model for A Christy Production, and this is what I did yesterday.

Hairdresser Christy decided I needed my hair done.  It was looking a bit scrappy and it had been a few months since I had a shampoo and a new style.

I agreed.  So she decided we'd do the full treatment,  starting with a good rinse.

She actually kinda drowned me.  But since I have no voice box I have to just grin and bear it.  Afterall, she is a professional right?

She gave me a pretty thorough Shampoo.  And she got soap in my eyes which hurt like hell.

But I forgave her because she gives a killer scalp massage.

She wrapped me all up and we went into the other room to start my transformation.  

Now I need to fill you in on a bit of my history.  Christy and I have been friends for a long time.  We first met in 2003 when she started studying Hairdressing in College.  We have  been friends since.  She has given me many a hair makeover.  Some better then others (we won't talk about the time I had orange hair).  About a year ago, Christy's sister asked if I could stay at her house for a little while, so she could practise some new hairdo's on me.  Christy obliged and off I went - without a say in it.  One day, I was just chilling downstairs at Christy's sisters house, and her son Spencer thought he would do my hair for me.  I instantly grew worried.  But once again, the lack of voicebox was working against me and there was nothing I could do as I watched him cut my hair into a mohawk in the front, and cut me bald on my crown.  

I feel self conscious about it, but Christy assures me she can hide it.  I just have to trust her mad skills.

So next came a good brush and a blowdry. 

It's beginning to take shape, but those spikey bits have me a tad concerned.  And you can't even see half of it.  I'm pretty much bald just to the left of that side part.  Sigh... 3 year olds and scissors don't mix.

Time to start curling it all.  

And then she pinned it all up!!

Half a can of hairspray and a tub of bobby pins and we're stylin once again!  You'll be seeing more of me soon on Christy's blog!!

Have a nice day,

Jessamy.

Filled an Order

#14
Well I finished my first order today.  My cousin is a photographer and does alot of baby shoots and needs props for those.  She came over and looked at all my stock and fabrics and we came up with a list of all the things she wanted to buy.  As Christmas is coming up, she decided it would be a good gift idea for someone to get her.. so she has told her extended family I have the gift she wants, and whomever drew her name out of the hat, to call me.  (We're all cousins).  So I have it all ready to go.  It's a nice bundle of clips :)

 

I also made a few headbands made out of Trim with velcro so it is adjustable for the babies head sizes.

 

So all she needs to do it put the headband on, and the flower is interchangeable.  Perfect for photos!!

Hope you're having a productive day.  I am enjoying being home without a car (this is to force me to relax), I'm still in my PJ's and it's 1.30pm.  About to head downstairs to make some lunch.

Until tomorrow,

Christy

LaLa's Giveaway

LaLa has a great giveaway over at her blog. Check it!!  It's awesome!!

Good luck!!

Self portrait day. My worst fears become a reality.

#13
Disclaimer:  I'm wearing my husbands oversized t-shirt - these photo's were taken immediately after returning home from work in the evening.  I am also in a STRANGE mood and come from an eccentric family.

Tinniegirl declared today Self Portrait Day for Blogtoberfest.  This really scared me at first when I read about it yesterday on her blog.  I like being anonymous, but I suppose that's how we all feel in this blogosphere.  So I had all day today to get over it and sweep my fears out of the door and breathe in that breathe of reality.  So here it goes...

I have trouble being serious in photos.

Mostly because I don't know what to do.

I don't want to look like I love myself and pout and try to look sexy or something gross.

So I just pull weirdo faces.

And on occasion, I smile.

Hopefully I didn't scare you too much.  Believe it or not I've become somewhat shy as an adult.....

To join in pop over here.

Hope you had a creative day!  Cause I didn't!! :)

Until tomorrow...

Christy


PS Did you notice the awesome flower headband I am wearing?  I made it and blogged about it the other day.

Mess

#12
Time is not my friend of late.  I don't work on Tuesday's, so one would think it would be full of Craft and other wonderful things.  No.  It consists of driving hubby to work (which I hate doing but have to if I want the car), grocery shopping, running other various errands.  Unpacking shopping.  Baking cake (some may find that fun, but I hate baking) for work for tomorrow (one of the staff members is having a birthday and I've somehow become the office event manager, probably cause I make awesome cakes - even though I hate baking, and buy awesome snacks) and also cut up a whole heap of vegies and kabana for snacking for tomorrows event.  Laundry - and guess what?  THE SKY IS BLUE.  There are white fluffy clouds.  First time in a week.  A whole week of rain really messes with your positive energy.  And then I had to come upstairs and dig through the cupboard to find my Christmas box (and yes I only have ONE Christmas box which as ALL my decorations in it) to get some things out, and also needed to gather things that we have made in YW's over the past year to display at the Stake Young Women's in Excellence Night tonight (all the girls in our area from our church get together once a year to share their achievements for the year).  It's now almost 3pm.  My craft room is a sty...

Seems I'm in need of some positive vibes.  The blue sky hasn't worked it's magic yet!!!  I think some sewing will cheer me up.  I'm thinking of making a patchwork fabric canvas for my bedroom.  My bedroom is super boring.  I have a white blanket on the bed.  White pillowcases on the pillows.  Our bedside tables are mismatched.  Our clothes drawers are mismatched.  Our wedding canvas sits on my hubby's drawers - I really should hang it up.  Our bed has a Box Spring base, which is completely exposed.  That blue 80's fabric is definately the focal point of our bedroom haha!  I have been dying to do something in there, so I think I'm gonna start with the canvas, and then see what else I can come up with.  Oh did I mention the hubby hates scatter cushions?  I think he might just have to live with it.. cause it's gonna happen haha!!

Hopefully you're having a better day then I am!

Until tomorrow

Christy

Old Festy Men's Tie Upcyle.

#11

Last night I was in the mood to craft.  It has been raining in Brisbane for 5 days straight and it's starting to play havoc on my moods and the only thing there is to do (after all the essentials of eating, cleaning, doing dishes etc) is craft.  I haven't been home much to do this over the weekend, but last night we came home early from a dinner at a friend's because I wasn't feeling well.  So I retired to my craft room in my trackies and slippers in hopes I could take my mind off the severe cramping in my stomach (which upon reflection I think may be a tummy bug). 

I few months ago I bought a whooole heap of men's ties at a Thrift Store that was closing down and had everything at 50% off.  They had a QUITE the collection of ties with fun textures, patterns & colours that I thought I could probably upcycle.  They were 50 cents each, so you can't go wrong there!

I pulled the coat hangers that I have all the ties hanging on and tried to think of what to make.  I chose a flimsy fake silk tie with black, blue, gold and little specks of purple and pink and brown.  It really was quite ugly.  But I could see the potential!!

So I threaded my needle and off I went.  I made that ugly tie.. into THIS!!

My fingers are just about bleeding because I desperately needed to use thimbles on my fingers but I couldn't find my trusty little one.  Once I finished securing it all I decided it would look good as a head band so I attached some elastic and now it's all finished!!

I think I'll be making a few more of these out of the old ties I have.  Afterall, there are PLENTY.

Hope you had a creative day!

Until tomorrow

Christy

PS Don't forget about my giveaway.

Luggage Identification

#10
My husband and I are heading overseas shortly.  I have a serious fear of someone stealing my luggage, not because they had malicious intent, but because they thought it was their suitcase and took it mistakingly.  Whenever I travel, (this is something I learned from my father) I have always tied something onto the outside of my luggage to distinguish it from everyone else's.  In the past it has been a few threads of wool, or a scrap piece of fabric.  I also always try to put bright coloured ID tags on them with my details plainly written on there.

I bought some FLURO green tags the other day.

I then decided that wasn't enough.  I needed the distinguishing strap of fabric.  But of course the craftiness in my blood wouldn't allow me to just rip off a bit of fabric and tie it on.  So I chose out some fabrics that would be appropriate, and made the hubby choose which he liked best... and made these...

I even made an extra incase someone decides they like it so much that they steal it haha.  I know it's over the top but you have to be ready for these idiots!!  It's happened to me before!!

They are nice and long and I'll be using them for many years to come.

 












What have you been up to today?

Until tomorrow

Christy