Wishing I was already a grown up.

I have unfortunately entered a portion of my schooling that BLOWS. Hardcore. Flash is hard.. maybe I shouldn't have read the first 4 chapters on 3 hours of sleep - falling asleep every other sentence. It makes a little bit of sense I guess but the moment I start to feel like I might be grasping it.. BOOM .. nothing works and I want to punch the monitor. I wish I could just design stuff all day, my brain understands that sort of thing. Its the actual navigating the programs and all of the technical stuff that I sometimes have a problem with. Speaking of designing stuff, I have been playing around with a lot of stuff in Illustrator lately. I wish I could get paid to just make cute things all day - someday I hope. Someday I want to be able to design stationary and scrapbook stuff. I want to design my own collection of fabric. I pretty much want to be able to pay my bills while just making pretty things all day.

I have been really liking the projects I've been working on lately. I've posted a few things on my flickr account and gotten some nice comments. I was hesitant to post anything for people to look at because I know my illustrator skills aren't even close to being sort of good - I've been doing it less than two months but I feel like I've learned a lot in a pretty short amount of time.

Here are some projects I finished up tonight for a craft swap I'm participating in. Im picking up the prints tomorrow and they will be matted and framed - I hope she likes them!

They are meant to be displayed side by side like this.

If you want to look at any of the other silly things I've been doing you can see them on my flickr. I also put up a bunch of photos on Flickr that I took for my sister Wendy and her fiance for their wedding invitations. A lot of them were taken in front of the Nightmare on 13th Haunted House in SLC and I really like how they turned out!

Giving Birth.

Sewing is weird. Everything is so ugly on the inside but the outside is pretty and looks effortless.

My favorite part is when you turn the ugliness inside out and it's almost like it gives birth to this cute thing thats been growing on the inside.

The evolution of making a creepy cute bag.

I'm participating in a few craft swaps right now on craftster (no more Archuleta to consume my time every week.. so I've gone back to crafting!) and one that I'm doing is the "Cute + Doomy" swap. Last night I decided to work on a bag.. it wasn't really planned out I just added stuff as I went but i really like how it turned out.

Here is the process.. in pictures!

I finished it and I still felt like something was missing so I added the pink Ric Rak and it really pulled it all together.. and besides.. EVERYTHING is better with some Ric Rak!

Real vs. Pretend

I used a mannequin to model all of my stuff for ebay and etsy this week and I really like how the pictures came out.

From a customers point of view I would be interested in finding out what is more visually appealing. A lot of people say they like clothing to be modeled on a real person so they can judge the fit and compare sizing but I have also heard the opposite and people don't want to buy clothes already worn by someone.. even if it was only for a minute or two.

What do you think, which picture would make you want to buy the shirt more.. or not at all.. whatever..!

mixtapes and sewing fun.

Chris just made this cute mixtape for me. It looks all realistic like an actual oldschool mixtape.

Just press baby! But only if you want to listen to about an hour of funny/cute lovey songs. Everything from Ben Lee to Pat Benetar.

Perfect thing to listen to tonight while a finish up a craftster swap!

why do i have to work?

Today is the perfect day to just make pretty little craft projects but I have to work. Funny, working and crafting involve the same materials, machines, effort, etc etc.. but work never sounds appealing. Its probably because with work, i get judged by money. I judge its appeal and how much i like it based off what it might sell for. With things i make to swap or put in my house, I judge it off how much i love it. Theres no monetary value yet its worth so much more to me. Its hard to be creative when you are controlled by fiscal limitations.

I just have to punch through it.

Random Pretties

I signed up for a scrap fabric swap on craftster, I figured it would be a good way of letting go of some fabric with the possibility of getting some cool stuff back. I have a slight fabric problem. I love it. It brings such highs and bad lows. Theres few things that make me feel more on top of the world then finding seriously cute fabric, especially when its cheap. There is also nothing worse than when I go on fabric hunts and return with nothing. I've gone so far as printing my own designs on fabric because it didn't exist and I wanted it.

I asked for three partners for the swap and just got done with the hunt and have piled, folded and tied them up to go into their envelopes - off to their new home!

octopusesssss

Since I'm on a little octopus kick.. look how cute my newest crocheted ones are.. the big yellow one is a zombie!!

warm & fuzzies

So, my living room is a mess, dishes need to be cleaned, carpets need to be vacuumed but goddammit my christmas tree is up! My $30-stayed up all night-lived through hell-froze my ass off-but $30 tree! I had been collecting various different ornaments through craft swaps and thrift stores and I really like how it all came together. Its pretty.

For some reason I have always really loved christmas trees. I love looking at them and they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (few things do that). I guess now that its up and decorated I should go start on those dishes.

buy handmade.

I've begun thinking about christmas presents for this year and I had been toying with the idea of trying to make as many presents as possible, but after checking out BUY HANDMADE I definitely want to go that route. I dont think I could possibly make EVERY thing but I like the idea of checking out a few craft fairs next month and there a million things that the lovely ladies in my life would like on etsy.

I've read a lot of comments on different forums of people whining about no one in their families wanting handmade stuff or they feel like the people they are giving the gifts too will think they were just trying to be cheap but I consider myself pretty lucky that most everyone I would want to give a gift to appreciates the time/cost involved with handmade stuff.

I need to start brainstorming, there are a few things i already know for sure that im making!

Waking up to get in line.

I've never, EVER, been one of those people that wake up at 5 am to go to crazy sales at stores the day after thanksgiving. However, this year I might become one of those people. I'm a nerd and just browsed the sales flyer for joanns and they have a 7 foot christmas tree for 30 bucks, which is unheard of, and they have flannel fabric for .99 a yarn which in fabric land that is really really cheap. The sales only from 6am to noon so it looks like Im going to be waiting in line with everyone else! Shoot me.