T+10: DONE

Phew! For a while there I didn't know if I'd make it, but here we are at the end of this journey!

Truth be told, I was running out of ideas for fast projects until I got an adorable note card in the mail yesterday - such a simple and easy design, and totally moldable to whatever sentiment you are trying to say. The beauty of these note cards is that they are almost like a tag - you just write on the back.

I also finished off a couple of projects for my cousin's baby shower this weekend... there is actually one more I need to finish which will be my focus every waking minute between now and Saturday! Keep your fingers crossed that I get it done on time!!!

Well, here's the final five!

361 - Little Ted in Blue (*See Above)
362 - Nursery Napkins (set of 15 - 5 each in 3 designs)
363 - Thanks note card
364 - Because I Care note card

And finally...

365 - Good Luck note card
For the next project, of course!

Expect to see more posts on this blog as I will keep talking about my favourite projects that I complete - but probably not as often. As of September 1st, my new crazy project begins - 200 books read and reviewed in one year!!! You can follow that journey at covers2covers.blogspot.com

Thanks for watching - keep crafting!

Lindsay

Projects 228-260: Final Month!

Final month of my project...

My boyfriend just told me that I've completed my goal - if I decided to take the weekends off! So good that he can do the math in his head like that. The only math I can do is 260 is not yet 365!

So, I'm going to try and complete 105 more projects in the next 24 days. Yikes! Keep your fingers crossed for me...

This past couple of weeks has seen a gnome resurgence! I still have to make the gnome tags for the new batch, and I have a bunch of Christmas stuff to get cracking on, so hopefully we can make it!

Here's the stuff I've completed since the last post:

228 - Sunflower Necklace (Clay)
229 - Moon & Star Magnet (Clay - no photo yet, it hasn't made it home from the Guild!)
230 - Dragonfly Necklace (Clay- again, no photo yet)
231 - Dragonfly Magnet (Clay)
232 - Wish Big with Presents Card (I got this idea from another demonstrator - how cute!)
233 - 3D Flower Birthday Card (this one is total cool - see above!)
234 - Little Bird Birthday Card
235 - Mini Merry Card
236 - Mini Flower Card
237 - Hello Flower Card
238 - Nautical Birthday Card
239 - Road Map Birthday Card
240 - Mr. & Mrs. gift card holder

And now the Gnome Resurgence!
241 - Robert - He thinks he's sooo scary...
242 - Ivan - He actually stuffs the toes in those huge shoes... don't tell him I said that.
243 - Shmendrick - Thinks he's a magician... nobody is fooled!
244 - Friedrick - Like C&W.... never gets the words right though...
245 - Walt - The goofball of the bunch!
246 - Kitty - The lady in charge! No one else has figured that out yet.
247 - Morgana - Dancing Queen!
248 - Molly - Watch out for her smile - she's wicked at cards!
249 - Clara - She dreams of the stage...
250 - Winnie - She's kinda stuck in the 70's... has a thing for Johnny Travolta...

And a few more gifty projects I've squeezed in this week:

251 - Green & Pink Flowers necklace
252 - Black & White Flowers necklace
253 - Blue Striped necklace
254 - Small Green & Burgundy flower necklace
255 - Small Red * Gold necklace
256 - Small blue leaf necklace
257 - Blue flower heart necklace
258 - White & Red heart necklace
259 - Blue Baby Bib
260 - Blue Baby Booties

105 to go....

Projects 48-53: A Bit of Randomness

There are just some projects that don't easily fit into any specific category. Kind of like people!

Some of these projects were made with a particular purpose in mind - like the scraps bag, which I bring to all of my workshops so that we can put our little bits of trash into something without getting adhesive backings all over the house!

Others, like the star card, were made without a specific purpose or recipient in mind, but allow for a little bit of experimentation! (Nothing wrong with experimentation in crafting, it's only paper after all... just be careful with your glitter...)

So, here's a little list of random creations:

48 - Leigh's Grad Card - my brother just graduation from med school... scary! (Easy)
49 - Sunny Thank You (Medium) * See image in post
50 - Thanksgiving Place Cards (Medium)
51 - Scraps Bag (Easy)
52 - Star Card (Easy)
53 - Flower Napkins (Easy)

Keep Crafting!

Projects 39-43: The Gift of Giving

I love presents! I mean, of course I like getting them, but nothing is better than seeing someone open a present from you and them absolutely loving it!

I love to give presents... I spend a lot of my disposable income on others... and why not?

So, here's the round up on some of the gifts that I have completed in the last little while. There are a lot more in progress, and will probably constitute the majority of my crafty items between now and Christmas!

39 - Red Toddler Hat (Medium)
40 - Penguin! (Medium) * See image in post
41 - Gingerbread Recipe Cards (Easy)
42 - Hostess Halloween Gift (Easy)
43 - Baby Blankie (Easy)

'Tis the season... to give!

Day 18: Warm Woollies part 2

What is a pair of mitts without a hat to complement them?
Nothing, I tell you! And awfully cold if you live in Canada during the winter... no one likes frostbite.

Today's hat is from the same pattern book that I used for the mittens from day 17. It is an easy project - 30 rounds of single crochet with gradual increases, and one row of reverse single crochet to create the brim. I can make one in an evening as I've completed the pattern several times. If you are new to crochet, it may take you two evenings, but certainly no more. Definitely a project for beginners.

Warm woolly hats... ah...

But I'm still not ready for winter - give me the sunshine!

Day 17: Warm Woollies part 1

I am not a fan of winter. I don't like being cold, I dislike how long it takes to trudge through the snow, and I hate wearing sock. Winter requires all of these things.

However, I am a fan of making nice and toasty warm things to keep me and my loved ones from being as cold. It's Canada, we need our woollies!

I have made several sets of hats, mitts, and scarves over the years and tend use the same pattern time and time again. This familiarity allows me to make a pair of mittens in a single evening. The pattern is pretty easy - single crochet, sew up the side seam, and more single crochet to make the thumb. It's one of the first patterns I ever used after graduating from making granny squares, so I would definitely recommend it for beginners - it's a Patons pattern.

Remember, the more wool the better when it comes to winter!

Day 14: Sweet Teddy

So, after the god of chaos, I needed to balance out my karma again - or at least try to!

We found out about another pregnancy in the family (not me!), and so baby projects are going to be prevalent over the next few months. I've had a pattern for a sweet little crocheted teddy bear for a while, and hadn't tried it before, so no time like the present!

The pattern wasn't too difficult, and used less than one skein of yarn. A little embroidery floss was used for detailing the nose and feet, and a new darling was created.

I'd say this project qualifies as medium in difficulty. As with Cthulu, the stitches are done on the round, and careful attention is needed not to get lost!

Day 13: Cute Cthulu!

Cthulu. God of Chaos.

I have some pretty twisted friends, so when I found a book full of crocheted Cthulu, vamps, ninjas, zombies and more, I couldn't resist trying it out! (Plus, the god of chaos has been having way too much fun at my expense lately).

These projects are about a medium in difficulty - mostly because they are completed in rounds, not rows so it can be difficult to keep track of where you are in the pattern.

I made the eyes out of polymer clay, and glued them on with a glue gun (what did we ever do before glue guns?) I do have to say that they are absolutely adorable!

With all this crazy cuteness, anyone else having flashbacks to a notorious Buffy Halloween episode?
"Whose a little fear demon!"
"Zander, stop."
"Why? Can he hurt me?"
"No, it's just tacky!"

Or something like that...

Anyway, pictures will be on flickr later tonight for your perusal!

Day 11: Krafty Kitchen - part 2

I've received a few comments about the lack of pictures being posted - something that I promise I am working to remedy!

In the mean time, I've posted three more photos of recent crafts on flickr - 2 birthday cards, and a cross stitch I made for my nephew when he was born in 2009. That's all the "historical" data that I have, so we will have to make due with new projects I create.
I'm hoping to get some more photos done tomorrow...

This evening's project completed the sets I started yesterday. Now those three lovely ladies will all be getting tea towels to go with their dish cloths! How exciting!

Again, this is an easy project - I don't really follow any pattern, I just make them up as I go. They are larger than yesterday's project though, about an hour each to complete.

Day 10: Krafty Kitchen - Part 1

I have 3 wonderful women in my life (well, more than three, but I'm thinking of a very specific three at the moment). These women have been around my entire life, and have taught me a great deal - they've also become great friends in my adult life.

Which is why every Christmas I try to give them something that expresses how much they mean to me. Now sometimes these ladies do not use their gifts as they were intended...

"Your gift was so lovely, I couldn't use it!"
"But grandma, it's a dish towel!"
"Yes, and it looks so nice on top of my dresser!"


I love you, grandma!

Anyway, this year I'm going to try kitchen stuff again (it's been a few years since the last attempt) - and part one was completed today.
The wool sale I attended yesterday had some great deals on handicrafter cotton. So, today I made dish cloths for my 3 lovely ladies, and hope to complete another piece of the present tomorrow. No more details are available, as there's a possibility they are reading this (love you guys!), but the project is simple, simple, simple - about 20 minutes to crochet each one.