nineteen: squares!

i have been slowly crocheting an afghan (i know it doesn't really look like the right time of the year to be making a blanket). anyway, i thought i was almost finished with it, but it turns out i might only have a 1/3 or 1/4 finished.
each square is different and most of them have very different color combinations (since the purpose of this project was to use up my old yarn). in order to create some sort of cohesion i am going to make a navy blue border around each of them and perhaps have a wider frame around the entire blanket.
i am not sure how i am going to put all the squares together, since there are 4 or 5 different sizes and there are so many different colors, but i was thinking that i might start from the center with larger squares and work my way outward.
it looks like i might have a bit of time before my next temp job starts, so i am contemplating refinishing some furniture that is in disrepair. i also want to try making some paper while the weather is warm. i hear that it is a bet messy, but is generally pretty easy to do. after my long week and a half of working, i now feel that i can cherish my time in-between jobs more and am more motivated to be productive while i am free. let's see if this newfound appreciation for my free time is going to actually translate in being more crafty, writing more blog posts, and (maybe) bring my etsy shop up to scratch.
music note: miriam and i saw the band harry and the potters yesterday and they were AMAZING. they even played my favorite song!

eighteen: unfinished business

i have had two songs stuck in my head for the past week. one is by kate nash called mouthwash and the other is ghosts by laura marling. coincidentally, kate nash just wrote a blog post about laura marling's album. i suppose that means i have good taste in music...
i have been feeling quite lazy recently and have not been in a crafting mood. i think the summer heat and the violent storms have been getting to me. i made a few necklaces, but haven't pushed myself to finish them off. i managed to use some beads from some necklaces that my cousin was tossing out (my attempt at being green & saving money).
the thin disks are made from coconuts, they were part of one of my cousin's old necklaces.
this is a jade and amber necklace. all the beads are salvaged from old necklaces that have broken over the years.
this was an experiment that wasn't quite as successful as i hoped it would be. i was inspired by some jewelry i saw on the broken plate blog. i have a lot of broken ceramics that i would like to do something with, but i don't think this recent foray into the world of broken plates/pots/mugs/glasses was very successful. i think i might try making a simply mosaic outside before the summer is over.
job update: started temping last week and have now discovered that the life of a temp is a very lonely one. i am hoping that i will be able to find something soonish so i won't be stuck being 'the temp' forever. unfortunately, this also eats up my crafting time, so i am not sure if i am going to be very productive now that i have joined the ranks of the working women.

seventeen: interesting article

miriam pointed me in the direction of an interesting article that was in express today. it is about a few crafters in the dc area and the growing popularity of handmade items.

sixteen

we celebrated my friend hana's birthday this past weekend. we got some cooking themed presents for her (measuring cups & spoons, recipe book), so i decided to make her a pot holder to go along with the rest of what she was getting. i thought the project would be quite easy, but i actually found it a bit of a challenge. i quilted the border with machine and hand sewed the dark blue ribbon around. even though i measured out the border, it looks very uneven and not that great. i didn't notice the odd border until it was too late and since it is just a pot holder i decided that hana could forgive me.
last time i went to the craft store they were selling spools of metal wire for $1 each, so i got some to play with. i made a few napkin rings with some beads. i think they look pretty good and whimsical.
i also wound some of the wire around some old bangles i found. the wire adds some interest to them and the beads give it more color.
job update: still looking & getting very sick of constantly writing cover letters. fingers crossed that i find something soon!

fifteen: to my biggest fan...

this blog post is dedicated to caroline, who was pestering me to update my blog. so, i hope this makes you happy caroline!
i have finally created an etsy shop, but have only posted three items so far. i read an interview with someone who has been really successful on etsy and she said that the most important thing to do is to have great pictures. so, i have been focusing on making sure my photos are crisp and stylized. besides madly taking pictures, i have not been very productive during my blogging hiatus. rather than crafting i have been cleaning and sorting through my different supplies. it is so nice to have a work room that is organized and relatively clean.
here are some pictures of a few things that i have managed to do in the midst of my spring cleaning. i am going through a beading and cross-stitching phase right now. i will post some pictures of my cross stitch projects next time.
the necklace above is one of my favorite recent creations. i it using beads from an old amber necklace that my mom had. i knotted in-between each bead and used a magnetic clasp.
i made the necklace above for a friend of ours who is working in iraq. i used some little shell beads in-between the larger ones, the three oval beads are some that my mom got overseas for me. i am still really enjoying my knotting tool, so of course i made this is also knotted necklace.
this one is made using amazonite and jade beads.
in the future, i will do my best not to have such a long gap between posts and will try to do some more interesting projects!