Confessions of a Craftaholic

Day 70: Vintage Inspired Christmas Matchboxes

2009-11-15T13:02:00.013-05:00

Quote:

"True compassion is not just an emotional response but a firm commitment founded on reason. Therefore, a truly compassionate attitude towards others does not change even if they behave negatively."

Compassion. Wow. So..

We should be unshaken by the world around us.

It's like...

It's like you're here

but not really moved

like a tree

Firm

Wise

Unshaken

Compassion

I'm not moved by your

spitting on my shoe or

not finding a friend to

share my donut with....

compassion

means I

think I will bless you anyway and

say thank you when I leave

and

wish you

good things

compassion

like I'm filled with goodness

even in the midst

nothingness

So that is what came out today. I tried to come up with a real thought, but what came out was poetry. So that's my thought, on what the quote relates to my life.

So for today's lovely crafty wonderment, I made some Christmas Tree ornaments using matchboxes.

I painted the matchboxes with a silvery metallic green then covered them with pretty german glass glitter.

Then I used some vintage ephemera pictures from my stash. Cute right?

And the pipe cleaners that you can get from the dollar store. You could even make 25 of these, and fill them up with goodies! And then you can have a little advent calender thingy. Cute, right?

The Craftaholic

Day 69: Little Owls Everywhere

2009-11-15T00:36:00.007-05:00

Quote:

"When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us."

Wow. Think about it. If you want peace around you, you must have peace within yourself. That's a pretty simple thought. But yet, it is so complex that litterally I am sitting here at the computer pondering the idea.

I'm a Sagittarius. We're fun people, us sags. Together I join Jim Morrison, Ozzy Osborne, Frank Sinatra, and Osho. Yeah. I'm telling you about my sign because in general, Sagitarians, we love to stand by our convictions. We love to raise a fuss (in case you didn't notice from the other sags listed).

Raising hell, that's one of the things I did best in my late teens and early twenties. i wanted so badly to find a peaceful world; a place where I was not being judged, laughed at, or abused. I had so much war in my mind, my body, and my soul....so much conflict within myself.

Everything I wanted....it never came; not until I accepted myself.

When I met my husband, I still had my issues.

The peace around me that I see, is there because I decided to work on me.

Micheal Jackson's song comes to my mind (I'm a MJ fan, seriously):

I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change

Youtube Video

So what do you seek in your environment and in your world? Do it within yourself. Change it in you. CHANGE. Evolve into who you see, and what you want. It happens by letting go.

One of the things that disappointed me about NYC was the lack of real community in the handmade community, and in the craft world.

Everyone is scattered everywhere here. At times you'll meet a knitter on the subway who'll just smile at you slightly. And you don't dare smile back, thinking she might be a serial killer or crazy person who talks to much. So I started my own group. I have met a lot of people, some good and some truly crazy. But life is about taking risks and evolving. Look at nature. It evolves. And when it's time, it lets go.

If we were to look at nature, perhaps we could take an example.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I had a fun little workshop with my craft group where we made these fun little owl stuffies with my stash of vintage fabrics.

This one isn't mine, but isn't it cute?

This is my sad little owl. He's sad because he had to be rushed, in between baby wrangling.

He's finished, but it's late, and lateness means crap pictures. So really, I'm sparing you.

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

The Craftaholic

Day 68: Cookies and Works in Progress

2009-11-13T23:23:00.019-05:00

“Human beings will continue to deceive and overpower one another. Basically, everyone exists in the very nature of suffering, so to abuse or mistreat each other is futile. The foundation of all spiritual practice is love. That you practice this well is my only request."

So what I'm thinking, is that we need to examine ourselves. What does it mean, for us to love?

Love, as I've mentioned before, is indeed an action. In order to understand any path of spirituality, one must learn what love really is, what it means to truly love.

The funny thing is that when I looked up love on Dictionary.com, there were two definitions, or rather two categories of meanings for the word. One as a noun, and one as a verb.

I prefer to use the verb meaning. Because true love, is in fact a verb.

So here's the dictionary meaning:

–verb (used with object)

15.	to have love or affection for: All her pupils love her.

16.	to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection for (another person).

17.	to have a strong liking for; take great pleasure in: to love music.

18.	to need or require; benefit greatly from: Plants love sunlight.

19.	to embrace and kiss (someone), as a lover.

Well, I can tell you disagree with the meanings. I don't think that you can really capture what love is in words. I don't.

One thing that stays with me about growing up in the pentecostal faith, is this passage in Corinthians, where Paul (I think? It's been a while...) is talking about love, and it's importance.

Again, I don't subscribe to any one particular branch of religion. I really just what the verse says. So thanks to the internet, I shall copy and paste below:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, [1] but have not love, I gain nothing.

It captures what the Dalai Lama said, completely.

Love, man. It's a cool thing to pass on. It doesn't just mean loving ourselves, but having enough love to not be that obnoxious person that has their hand on the horn ready for when the red light turns green.

We can try to love in every day things, like perhaps buying a homeless person a cup of coffee on a cold day? Or donating your clothing instead of throwing it away. Or something. Just try to show love in the every day. Perhaps when you're on the phone with a lovely customer service person. If we each decide to do this, then we can together create a world of peace and love, instead of a world of judgment and war.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made dinosaur cookies with my little one.

Dinosaur shaped shortbread cookies. My daughter decorated them. And decided that many of them didn't need their heads attached. I've also decided to share my top secret family recipe for almond shortbread cookies with you. You should consider yourself quite lucky, indeed.

I did finish the set of butterfly books, but I think they're going in the Xmas gift pile. I also started a new project. Since there are only 6 weeks left for Xmas, I've started working on some (yes) Christmas tree decorations. I am using my German glass glitter for this, and some matchboxes. The rest, shall remain a mistery to you all, but suffice to say, it shall be fabulous, darling.

So here's the recipe:

Almond Shortbread Cookies

(I've doubled the original recipe, because more cookies are just better)

2 cups of unbleached flour

3/4 cup of light brown sugar

a dash of salt

2 sticks of REAL butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

About half a bag of sliced almonds

Blend the butter first with the sugar, then add the salt, and vanilla, then the flour.

Roll into a ball, and then roll out flat and cut out shapes.

Then bake it on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are brown.

Or you could just shape into a pie shape, as what is traditional. But why go with the norm?

Oh! here's what my desk looks like right now:

There's the jar of glass glitter on the top left. And inside those plastic jars, is a lovely collection of metal acrylic paint! Copper, gold, silver, brass....

If you live in the NYC area, I highly reccomend Jack's 99 Cent world. I found acrylic paints, canvas, artist papers....lots of cool stuff!

Well, that's all for now.

Tomorow, I'll be making owl stuffies for my daughter for Xmas! Or perhaps for myself. Maybe I'll keep them.

The Craftaholic

Day 67: Butterflies, and Wish Jars

2009-11-12T10:55:00.019-05:00

Quote:

“Human beings are of such nature that they should have not only material facilities but spiritual sustenance as well. Without spiritual sustenance, it is difficult to get and maintain peace of mind.”

I have always been a spiritual person. I grew up in a very religious environment. While I don't subscribe to the form of religion taught to me as a child, I do believe in the importance of a healthy spiritual life.
Spirituality is an individual thing that varies, based on the person.
We need to look into ourselves and find a new level of spirituality that is less individual and more community based.
Community. Remember that word, my fellow New Yorkers? Community, as in people looking out for EACH OTHER. Find a community of spiritual folks. It's not that hard to find. These days, there are as many temples as there are brands of food. Maybe more.
Spirituality is important. It helps you see your whole life-your art, your friends and your family-in a new light. Plus it helps with not being so selfish. Okay, New Yorkers that don't give a seat to a pregnant woman?
So for today's crafty endeavor, I made (yes) more books.

The books haven't been listed yet, because I want to wait until I've got the whole little set of coordinating books and maybe some matching magnet sets. Plus I'm lazy, and it's late.

But I also finished one of my little wish jars!

This one is going to be mailed out though. It's resting on top of a little note with instructions that I printed up.
It is a wish jar! It's been painted, glittered (with German glass glitter), embellished and packed up. You write your wish on a the paper that's in the envelope, and stuff it in the jar. Then put the jar on a window sill that faces the moon, during a full new moon.
And that's it! Wait for your wish to come true.
Like it? These are not for sale. A project like this does not have a price, as I put my whole self into this little project. So they will be randomly given away. I don't know to whom yet. Perhaps I'll just make a contest. Anyone interested?

Day 66: More Magnets, More Books, and A Sneak Peak!

2009-11-11T18:07:00.012-05:00

Quote:
“One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it or not: what is the purpose of life? From the moment of birth every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affects this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness”

Discover. I love that word. I love it. I love the idea of discovery. I love to discover. The word itself makes me want to pack up my bags and trek the Adirondacks, or something.
Discover. Discover what makes you happy. So try things-positive things.
Happiness is a lifelong quest. We change, we grow...and our taste changes. Our live changes. So we are always on the lookout for what makes us happy.
It's rather simple, really. Think about the things you do. Which of these makes you happy? Painting? Taking Pictures? Yoga? Think about it. You already know what makes you happy. Just listen to yourself, and remove the chatter.
That's all you need to find your happiness.
So for today's crafty endeavor, I made some more little notebooks. I love them! I love that I can finally show off my stash of designer papers.

I made a journal and matching magnets, for sale in my shop.

What else?
I have a little sneak peak.

This is a picture of some cute little bottles I bought. They are going to be wish jars. I've painted them, and covered them in glitter.
The rest, I'll finish another day.

The Craftaholic

Day 65: Chipboard Coaster Notebooks

2009-11-10T13:20:00.011-05:00

Quote:

“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”

So simple. We strive to be better moms, artists, teachers, wives, husbands, partners...
Don't we? What is goodness?

It's definition in the dictionary:

1.	the state or quality of being good.

2.	moral excellence; virtue.

3.	kindly feeling; kindness; generosity.

4.	excellence of quality: goodness of workmanship.

5.	the best part of anything; essence; strength.

6.	a euphemism for God: Thank goodness!

So hmm...I wonder which one i'd pick.
I guess as humans, we seek all these things in life. This is the sum of our life, perhaps summed up in six points.
In life we seek these different definitions of goodness, by filling ourselves with vanity, materialism and religion. Then when we realize that these things are false, we are let down.
The only thing that is needed to seek goodness, is an appreciation for it.
Finding the best part of life, of you, of your partner, and your family. Find it, appreciate it, give thanks for it. We are truly blessed people to live in the age where women and minorities are free, and where everyone is given an equal say.
So for today's crafty endeavor, I made some more spiral books.

I got my hands on these chipboard coasters, so I'm re purposing them into these cool little chunky books.

They are all for sale, of course.

I made a bunch. I love these little books!
I actually made 5 of them today, but only three of them photographed well. You know me and my crappy pictures.
One day though, I'll have some nice fancy camera and all you readers out there will not have to worry about the crap photos.

The Craftaholic
Check out my etsy shop here and here!

Day 64: Many Pretty Magnets

2009-11-09T15:50:00.007-05:00

Quote:

“Sometimes one creates a dynamic impression by saying something, and sometimes one creates as significant an impression by remaining silent.”

Wow. When you think of silence, what are you thinking about? Do you think of a literal silence, where you aren't saying anything?
I think it's both a literal silence and a figurative silence, where we are silencing the chatter in our brains, simplifying our lives and listening.
An attitude of silence means slowing down our reactions. Not being quick to anger. I think of my daughter, who does not understand this yet. Children are so quick to react on their emotions.
I just think it's best to just be silent. Just sit. You don't have to be doing something, or saying something or thinking something. Just sit with your partner, child, or loved one, and be there.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made this very cool set of magnets. I made a couple sets of two each, of different magnets.

This is what I get for having a massive collection of designer paper.

I love owls. Of course.

Pears. Too cute.

There are several sets, and I have them listed for sale on etsy. I loved making these, because they are so cute, so quick to make, and I can make a whole bunch at once.
Like them? I hope you do.
Perhaps if time permits me, I'll write up a tute on how to make them yourself!~

The Craftaholic

Day 63: The Christmas Banner

2009-11-08T19:59:00.011-05:00

Quote:
“Human potential is the same for all. Your feeling, "I am of no value", is wrong. Absolutely wrong. You are deceiving yourself. We all have the power of thought - so what are you lacking? If you have willpower, then you can change anything. It is usually said that you are your own master.”

I'm recycling again. I really love this quote so much. So I did use it once before, but hey. It's my blog, and I'll do as I wish. Right?
So I love this quote because I feel like it's so true.
I'm watching House as I write this. It's an episode where Dr. House is in a Sanitarium and has finally realized he really does have issues he needs to work on. He's just detoxed. So he's working on himself.
We all have the power to change our life. To be happy; to love, and to achieve our goals. We hold in our hands the keys to happiness and the sentence of misery. It is up to us to decide with one we pick.
For the moment, it seems Dr. House picks misery-filling his life with deflecting his problems, using Narcotics, and pushing away any chance at a relationship.
But then, something happens, and he....chooses to find his happiness.
I think that we sometimes become so comfortable in our misery that we push away the doors of opportunity, and the chances that the Universe gives us to achieve our dreams. I think back at a time in my life when I battled depression, and I remember the many doors that I closed with just my attitude.
I remember watching episodes of "Charmed" and I recall the white lighter always telling the witches, "Your power is tied to your emotion". And it's true. It is absolutely true.
Our power is tied to our emotion, indeed. Now, I'm not saying that you have to be some Pollyanna type of person at all.
Balance. We must look to achieve balance in our life. We all have a Dr. House and a Manic Crazy little optimistic angel on each shoulder. Our goal in life should be to go down the middle.
We are our own power. We. You. Me.
You literally have the power to achieve anything.
So on that note, my crafty endeavor for today, is a Christmas banner.

Yes, I said it. Christmas. I know. I even changed my salt and pepper shakers from the little pumpkins to the little penguins, mostly because I don't have turkeys and frankly, I don't really like the origins of Thanksgiving anyway.

This is a close up. The glitter I used was german glass glitter! Very, nice to work with, I must say.

There's another view. That's all for now, kiddos.

The Craftaholic

Day 62: CD Bookmaking with a friend

2009-11-07T18:57:00.012-05:00

Quote:

"To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else. Rather than speaking badly about people and in ways that will produce friction and unrest in their lives, we should practice a purer perception of them, and when we speak of others, speak of their good qualities.”

Do you remember being in high school? Do you remember those girls that would sit in the bathroom and gossip about "that" girl? Or the girls that made you feel crappy because you chose to wear your dad's flannel shirts, and color your hair green(well at least in MY high school days, it was not so hip to have green hair)?
Judgemental. That's what it is, right? When you look at a person and assume that you won't get along with them, or that you have nothing in common with them?
I have a friend; a mommy friend that I occasionally hang out with. If you look on her facebook profile, it states that she's a christian.
Now, given my background, and my issues with that particular branch of religion, I tend to automatically think in my head that this person will probably not want to be close with me, as I sadly am normally right.
But actually, she's a really cool person. We get along really well, and she listens to me when I bitch about my life (sorry for being a potty mouth there).
My point is that we are always so aware of what is wrong with another person, we don't bother to think of ourselves at all. AT ALL.
In a relationship, we do this. In friendship or marriage. It's so easy in a relationship, to point out the mistakes of the other. We don't want to focus on what we need to work on. We don't want to think about how we need to think of someone else.
My mother in law says that we are all born selfish. Children are born selfish. But it's a natural selfishness, not with bad intentions, but with a pure sense of knowing what they need. As we grow into adulthood, we sometimes stay a little selfish, don't we?
My daughter finds it difficult sometimes to share, or to think of others. I have to teach her that it is a good thing to share toys, and to say hello and goodbye. We must remember this, in our relationships and within ourselves.
"Take out the plank in your own eye" is what Jesus said. He was right, eh? We need to focus on our mistakes, on improving ourselves before we think of what someone else needs to improve.
I heard a preacher once say that we are all in search of the perfect church. But the minute you step in, it isn't perfect anymore.
And so it is with life. We are in search of the perfect friend, husband, partner, job, etc. But nothing is perfect. First, improve your life, and improve how you respond to the every day.
Then you can truly make a difference in the world.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I had a fun get together with a friend.

We made some books, and talked about our hand made Xmas gift ideas.

This one was made with a CD Album. Cool, eh?
Speaking of Xmas, I'm working on an Xmas banner.

This one was made with cardboard, because I am lacking chipboard.
YES. Xmas. I'm starting early. I've got some ideas for some Xmas ornaments I'll be making for our tree, and well, this week I'll be posting a handmade Xmas Decor round up. It's been a while since I posted a round up, so this will be fun.
I've already got a list of things I'll be making as gifts. The list is long, because I love to get lots of gifts for Xmas. Bad, I know.

The Craftaholic

Day 61: Making Paper Beads

2009-11-06T11:40:00.014-05:00

Quote:

“If one's life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements. And finally, there is an intense delight in abandoning faulty states of mind and in cultivating helpful ones in meditation.”

Simplicity. That's what this is about. When I browse the internet, I find a plethora of websites just dedicated to lifestyles of voluntary simplicity.
I think i've used this quote before, but I'm recycling it, because i feel it merits reuse. Simplicity is not something that many of us may really think about, or be used to.
I live in New York City, the fashion capital of the world, and one of the biggest cities in the world. Living here means you are expecting things around you to be big, grandiose and extravagant. We can't help it. We're used to seeing celebrities and film crews wherever we roam.
Going to Rockefeller Center or 14th Street Union Square during the winter holidays, you can see what I mean. It's grandiose.
So it is wrong to want something large and extravagant? Not really. I mean, everyone has unique taste. Some may love the simplicity and elegance of Martha Stewart, while others may long for the Extravagant Glitterati of The Crafty Chica. There is a different color for everyone, my mother tells me.
I think simplicity is unique for each person. It's about being content with what you have. The greed of wanting more is what is wrong, not the extravagance. Instead of wanting, try being content and grateful. According to the Law of Attraction, when we are content and grateful, we actually attract more blessings to ourselves.
Being content can help us along the path to compassion. It's a chain reaction.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made some paper beads.

I loved making these, because I just used my scraps of leftover designer paper, and voila! A bunch of cool beads.
There's a tutorial on how to make these, using UTEE, but I should add that at the end, I didn't use it. I got lazy and ran out of Embossing ink, so I just used some Acrylic Gloss Medium, which I do have.
You could use that, or you could use any artist varnish. I would do a couple coats.
The next batch I will make will be from fashion magazines, although for that I think I'll need some UTEE, because that sort of paper is a bit more thin.
I'm not sure what to make with them, although I'm thinking that I'll be getting lots of inspiration from this cool website. Yay!
While I'm at it, can I tell you how much I love the blog, Art for Housewives? I do. I could spend HOURS exploring this site.

The Craftaholic

Day 60: Almost Edible Chunky Books

2009-11-05T15:11:00.014-05:00

Quote:
It is necessary to help others, not only in our prayers, but in our daily lives. If we find we cannot help others, the least we can do is to desist from harming them.”

Upon reading this, my gut reaction is to say, well I don't really harm anyone. I'm a nice person, and I mind my own business.
But how do we harm others? We harm others with our simple actions, and our mouth. By being cold and indifferent. By not returning a phone call. By speaking without thinking. These things hurt and harm someone.
But we don't think about it that way. We rather like to think that this world is dog eat dog, and I have to look out for myself. Right? It's true. It's a jungle out there.
Like the song says, "Disorder and confusion everywhere; no one seems to care..."
But what can we do about it? Shall we continue with our lives as if nothing else mattered in the world but ourselves? Shall we just continue living our lives like little trained rats, just doing as we are told, just paying our rent and bills and going to work?
No.
Let us decide that we each will be individual. It starts with expressing yourself in a healthy manner. It starts with daring to just be you, and not what someone else thinks is pretty or attractive.
Realize that you have your own individual power to change the world. You do! We all do. Let's take an example of Abbie Hoffman. A mentally ill man (he had BiPolar disorder) who actually led rallies and decided to stand for something that he believed strongly in.
Now, I'm not saying you have to go to Washington to convince our president of one thing or another. But changing the world is easy.
It starts by giving an elderly or pregnant woman your seat on the subway; by letting the other driver go; by not rushing too much. Taking your time. Smiling at someone, just because. These small actions can actually change the world.
Think of it as the domino effect.
So for today's crafty endeavor, I made more spiral bound books.

I love this machine so much. My husband bought it for me, and I am forever grateful.
I made a set of three almost edible chunky notebooks.
Cute eh?
They are of course, for sale in my shop.
Tomorow's crafty endeavor may just be the organization of my abbys like stash of art supplies...

The Craftaholic

Day 59: Spiral Bound Art Books

2009-11-04T10:35:00.015-05:00

Quote:

“With realization of one's own potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world.”

Wow. Another word of encouragement. Today's thought comes with another story.
I have a neice. Three, actually. When I was little I would babysit the two eldest: changing their diapers, etc.
I remember things about them. Like how Melanie was a thin baby that didn't smile much, while Angie was chubby and loved hot dogs.
They moved away.
Somehow, the fact that these two amazing and beautiful girls are talented, got lost in translation. They made choices that perhaps they should not have. Everyone does, right?
Not one of us is perfect.
And so, these choices lead them to where they are. On the path to Nirvana, slowly and surely.
If only we could see our potential and not doubt ourselves so much!
It is so easy to just fill ourselves with doubt and negativity. We do it so much, that we make wrong choices. We fill ourselves with a fake happiness, thinking that addiction and vanity will do it.
But it all comes together, doesn't it? Compassion. Love. Listening to self. If we do this, we can see what our true potential is, can't we?
So today for my crafty endeavor, I was feeling a little low. I asked a friend to come over, and keep me company while I waited for Mr. UPS man to come and bring the Bind It All Machine that my darling husband bought for me!
He deserves a thousand kisses and hugs for this alone.
It was so much fun! I made a couple books. These are not for sale. But I'll make more, trust me. LOTS more.

My lovely friend Karina, who's patience outweighs that of a nun.

Here's the little book I made, with my new binding machine! I have to say I'm a big fan of spiral bound books, so this is a lot of fun.

This is another one. I loooove this one. Inside is canvas paper, so you can paint away, and it lays flat so it'll dry easily. This one I want to give away. But to whom, hmmm?
I think I may never leave my house again, I may just stay home and make books until I run out of spiral rings!
Of course, even then, I could recycle some old ones....

The Craftaholic

Day 58: Jeweled Bird Gift Tags

2009-11-03T14:39:00.012-05:00

Quote:

“Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.”

Wow. What a powerful statement to make. I almost don't know what else to say. I mean, change.
I'll start by saying that change happens. It does. We either choose it and allow it, or it will happen against our will. When change happens against our will, it is usually a suprise that we weren't planning on.
A long time ago, before my husband and I ever met, I miscarried. I was told by a doctor that I would probably never be able to carry or give birth to a child. This of course, I eventually came to terms with. That in itself was difficult to to deal with, but I did nonetheless. My art and my poetry helped.
Eventually, I moved on. I met Jose, and we married. Throughout our marriage I never really bothered being too cautious with pregnancy, because, well...for what, I thought.
I went on the pill. I got pregnant. We totally were not expecting it. At all. But we of course, welcomed the amazing change in our life.
My point in telling you this painful story is that throughout life, there are changes. I adapted to the change that came to me. I mean, I had to. I had no choice, really. I had to learn to accept what came in my life. My art and my writing are what saved me, truly. Throughout the deaths I've seen of loved ones close to me, throughout the pits in my life....I've always had my art.
And so, as we go through life's changes and shifts, we should turn to our creativity.
Today is actually a great example. For today's crafty endeavor, I was pretty lacking. I had no motivation, at all! I realized I have this challenge to do a creative thing a day, so I decided I'd make some tags.
I picked out this new stack of paper I bought recently, and as I started doing it, I felt pretty good!
I pushed myself just a little, and it worked.
Now normally a creative block is usually just a time for us to incubate and listen to ourselves more. But even in a creative block we are still creative beings. You have it in you. My friend Lisa T. says that everyone has the creative ability to paint within them (she's a painter). She told me once the thing is to get it from inside to on the page. So it's something to think about, as you're creating today, or as you sit at your desk wondering what to do next.
Here's a tip. If you are indeed creatively blocked, but want to make something, do something you know you can't screw up. Something that you can do blindfolded. We all have that. For me, I just had an idea stewing already in my head, and tags are so easy and fun for me, that it became my create endeavor.
For some of you, it could be sewing. It would for me, if my friggin machine were fixed! ARG! Ahem, I welcome donations in the form of a sewing machine. Thank you.
So here's my little gift tags.

Cute eh? I hand cut everything, and distressed the paper. The leaves are cute too, I love the idea of mixing jewelry supplies with paper. I call them "jeweled" because I added some antique brass leaves from my jewelry making stash. I may keep this up....

The Craftaholic
They are of course for sale.

Day 57: Glittered Christmas Candles-Tutorial

2009-11-02T10:06:00.009-05:00

Quote:

“I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness…”

Happiness. We look to so many things to fill our happiness. To fill the happiness in our life, we look to artificial things. Things that fill an exterior and artificial version of what happiness should be. It just looks like happiness. But in reality, what is it? What is happiness?
We translate happiness into things. We say that being pretty is what will make us happy. Or being a mother. Or having money. But when we have these things, nothing changes.
Happpiness is a choice we make. We can choose to be happy with what we have around us, or we can choose to look for something to fill an artificial fluffy feeling.
Happiness is like love.
True emotions are not these silly fluffy feelings that just make you smile, or make you act as if you are in a soap opera. No.
True emotions are verbs. They are actions. Love is an action. Happiness is an action. True happiness goes hand in hand with being content. You can't have one without the other.
And so when we choose to seek out happiness, we need not look too far. All we must do is be silent and listen. Listen to yourself.

So for today's craft endeavor, I am in full Christmas mode. I love Christmas so much. It's such a
happy season, for the most part.

I made a set of Christmas Candles.

It's early, I know. But the holidays sneak up on you, and before you know it, BAM! It's a week until Christmas and you didn't make an gifts for anyone. So I'm starting early this year. I've already got a few gifts made.
I'm foregoing the traditional Raspberry jam that I normally make and am going to make Chocolate Truffles. I'll still make some jam for my vegan sister in law, perhaps.
But yum. Chocolate truffles. And they are so much quicker to make than jam. Yum. Delish.
By the way, these candles are so super easy to make.
You'll need:
Some dollar store candles
Elmer's Glue
Leftover foil glitter

and that's it.
Just apply the glue with a foam brush onto the candles, and roll the wet candles onto the glitter.
Then let them dry.
You can of course, make some Channukah candles, depending on your religious persuasion. Another fun idea is using gold glitter and some bigger sized candles.
If you want, you can spray them afterward with some spray varnish.

The Craftaholic

Day 56: The Day of the Dead

2009-11-01T00:28:00.000-04:00

Quote:

“Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace."

You know the reason why I love owls so much? Because owls stand for (among other things) in Animal Medicine, for Wisdom. Wisdom....
What is wisdom, really? What is ignorance?
Ignorance is defined in the dictionary as "the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc."
But then it has this interesting footer: " See ignore, -ance "
Interesting. So being ingnorant....it isn't just not knowing. It's not choosing to not know.
Wisdom. I looked up the synonyms and came up with this:
"1. sense, understanding. 2. sapience, erudition, enlightenment."
And in fact, stupidity and ignorance are it's antonyms.
When we seek wisdom, we must make sure that we are not seeking what we want to find, but what is truly there. We often times claim that we wish for wisdom, but what we want, is to hear what we want to hear.
Wisdom means opening your mind and your heart to be able to hear what you may not want to. That's why the owl also stands for seeing what others do not. Think about this the next time you make some owl craftiness.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I had a fun workshop at Spacecraft Brooklyn!

It was so much fun, we made an altar together, and dressed it up with skulls and pictures, then made some cards and Loteria Pins with Recycled Bottlecaps. Cool, eh?

It's always fun to create in groups and flocks. I think so, anyway.

The Craftaholic

Day 55: Halloween Wishes

2009-10-31T00:27:00.000-04:00

Quote:
“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”

I think I may have used this one already. But I chose it because I think about the holiday season and how it's come upon us. I think about how many suicides occur during this time of year.
The holiday season makes me think of family, makes me think of baking, and making food for those I love, decorating the christmas tree, and making hand made christmas decorations (for the said tree and for our home).
It mreinds me of walking around the New York City streets, in my winter coat, seeing the decorations and lights...of the hustle and bustle, of the tourists walking slowly and taking pictures of the most ordinary parts of New York City...
There is nothing like New York City in Christmas time. There really isn't. If there is one time of year that you ever decide to visit my grand and expensive city, I highly reccomend coming here for Christmas. It truly is magical.
With all this magic and wonder, with all the peppermint hot chocolates and pumpkin spice lattes...the poor and the ragged are often the ones ignored. The lonely ones, the shy ones....they are the ones that the world forgets. The people that just shuffle by you. The quiet ones who don't look up. The ones who have no family.
This time of year is rough for some. Perhaps for most. When times are tough for me, I take comfort in my art. Often times my writing and my art are the only things that cheer me up. I try to remain always in a state of appreciation. Always appreciating what I have. Always noticing the good, and not the bad.
As this holiday season begins, I've vowed to do something for others. And also, I'm keeping my tradition of making my gifts.

That being said, my crafty endeavor for the day was the Halloween season!

I dressed up as Frida Kahlo, and my daughter (who I wanted to be my monkey) was a dragon.

We went trick or treating, then when to the Museum of the Native American for some Day of the Dead Craftiness!

They had a very cool altar, where you can leave ofrendas. I left something on the altar. There were pictures, candies, sugar skulls...
It was beautiful.

Towards the end of our trick or treating excursion, our little dragon got a little drowsy...

The sugar of course, gave us lots of excitement on the train ride home....
then....

my two Tauruses fell asleep, after a long day of trick or treating and crafty goodness.

Overall, a very eventful and very happy day.

Day 54: Cupcake Recipe Organizer

2009-10-30T11:12:00.007-04:00

Quote:

“This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”

This quote has a mind of it's own. I think that when the Dalai Lama stated this, he wasn't saying that you don't need to go to church (if you're a church person) or a temple (if you're a temple person). I think he meant that all the teachings, and all the lessons, all the passages you read...all of it comes down to your own frame of mind, and your own way of thinking.
It's because of this very thought, that there is no temple that can truly encase your frame of mind. Your mind is the greatest temple there is.
Compassion. Kindness.

So for today's crafty thing a day, I made this UBER cute cupcake recipe notebook.

It is too adorable for words and I want to keep it. It's for sale, and my heart is breaking. Buy it before I change my mind.
I ran out of recipe cards, so the ones in this book are hand printed and embellished.

There's pockets so you can store your recipe clippings from magazines, etc. I have so many of those. Actually, I think I'm going to make a huge verson of this book for myself for Xmas. That's what I'll do.
Like it?

Day 53: Untitled Art on Canvas

2009-10-29T20:32:00.011-04:00

Quote:

"The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others."

I love this quote. While I do not consider myself a religious person, I do believe that we all have at least a small measuring of faith in a higher power.
It's important to believe in something bigger than yourself. It is.
I think the point of religion, and of this quote, is to note that it is important for a person to believe in something bigger then yourself. If not for any other reason, for the simple idea of self illumination.
What's that?
Discovery. Self discovery. When you discover your true self, you find your true creative spirit, you find that although there are annoyances in the every day life, they don't have to affect you as they normally would. Road rage becomes a thing of the past. Not that you become some guru, and live on a hill, eating only raw foods. But at least the person down the street can not bother you as much as they used to. And perhaps you find the beauty in others, rather than always notice what people don't do.
Do you ever notice that the people who notice everything negative, are also the ones with few friends?
Something to think about.
On another note, I made some art today.

I ran out of red paint, and went to Pearl Paint for some more red paint, and to get a few supplies for an upcoming workshop, and to my horror, there were very few tubes of red paint left! Strange!

Anyway, I made this collage piece. I don't know if I have a title for it. It's sort of a collage of where I see myself, and where I see myself going. It's my wish for myself.
I hope you like it. I haven't painted in a long time.

The Craftaholic

Day 52: Rainy Day Embossed Card Set

2009-10-28T13:17:00.012-04:00

Quote:

“My message is the practice of compassion, love and kindness. Compassion can be put into practice if one recognizes the fact that every human being is a member of humanity and the human family regardless of differences in religion, culture, color..."

In the world we live in, it is impossible to look at a person and not make some sort of judgment based on their looks or appearance. The clothing we wear, and the way we dress our children...these things tell a lot about a person. My husband says you can tell a lot about a person from the shoes they wear. It's true, I suppose.
We live our lives passing judgments; sometimes good, sometimes not so good. We can't help it, sometimes. It's the world we live in, the society that we embrace-this way of identifying ourselves based on what is on the outside.
Some of us obssess over what we wear, over coloring our grey hair, and polishing our shoes just so. Some of us don't bother.
There is a line between the two, and perhaps we should strive for the middle, with vanity and appearances.
But when it comes to our interactions with people we are also so filled with judgments! Perhaps it is because I live in New York City; this large bustling city filled with immigrants, Midwest transplants, tourists and New York natives, all competing for their piece of the city. We pass judgments. Some people, they see the way I dress, they hear the way I speak...and they assume that I am not the race I am. Perhaps I am from Connecticut, or something. Ohio, even.
Then I address my daughter in spanish and all the men start their catcalling in my native language.
It's the way the world works, I suppose. We pass these judgments, assuming we know something that we really sometimes don't.
As artists and crafters, we still do this. We don't mean to, but we do nonetheless. We judge a woman in local yarn shop, who asks for cheaper yarn, looking at her as if she too should be a yarn snob.
We judge a crafty mom who perhaps doesn't spoil her child with all the fancy toys that another person may, wondering how her daughter stays so entertained with so few toys.
We judge a person who is talkative, who as a lot to say.
The key to a more happy you, is to stop being "human", as it were. I don't mean it literally. I mean...perhaps we must tune in to our higher selves, tune in to our core. Perhaps if we make our decisions from our core, we will find ourselves passing less judgment, and caring more for the good of others, rather then just living to satisfy that need for real angora yarn (as much as I really am kind of a yarn snob....).
Compassion. That's the way.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made a cute and simple set of dry embossed cards.

It's a set of 12 cards.

They aren't for sale. Sorry. I made these because I always throw in little extra goodies to my customers, because I know I love extra goodies in my packages.
Simple and sweet.
Meanwhile, my house is in total halloween mode. I'm so excited. I'm going to try to dress as Frida Khalo this year. It should be fun. I wanted my daughter to me a monkey from her paintings, but no. Little miss wants to be a dragon. So a dragon she will be. Perhaps I should make a painting of Frida Khalo with a Dragon. That would be fun.

The Craftaholic
Check out my etsy shop here and here!

Day 51: Recipe Card Altered Book

2009-10-27T15:42:00.007-04:00

Quote:

“I believe all suffering is caused by ignorance. People inflict pain on others in the selfish pursuit of their happiness or satisfaction. Yet true happiness comes from a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share.”

True happiness, he says. Hmm. I guess that's why it's more fun to make art in packs of people sometimes, eh?
We sit at our workspaces, and make our art in private....we get inspired through rainy days, and on the sunny ones we venture out...
I love crafting in a group of people. I love getting together with friends.
I love to share ideas with people and gain insight and inspiration.
Alright, you know what? I'm just going to come out and say what's on my mind. Because this is my blog, and that's how I roll.
You know what I think? I think that we are all so stuck on labeling ourselves that we pick too much at others. That's why we wonder why we feel alone sometimes. The labels we stick on ourselves, don't identify us, the exclude us, and others.
Speaking to other crafters, I'm always told about the cattiness they endure, in meetup groups, in various craft groups...it's shocking to me, really. It always shocks me that in a space of art and creativity people make space for cattiness and exclusivity.
Art is about the soul, and the spirit. It's about what's inside you. It's not about kicking some one out of some corny group that you have, just because they misunderstood the "rules" to your group, or look odd, or chew the wrong way. Don't take your craft group so seriously that you take the fun out of it.
Just get together with people. Don't talk about religion. Especially not when someone who OBVIOUSLY thinks differently then you is in the room. That's just annoying.
I want to see more of you New Yorker Craft people getting together and making art, not being catty. Cattiness is annoying. And silly. And juvenile. Art is about healing your life, and making a statement about what's in your soul. It's not about leaving someone out.
Ahem!
So for today's crafty endeavor, I made a cute recipe card altered book.

I really put all of me into this one. I love it. This is the first of many books I plan to make for sale, since I absolutely love making altered books like this.

This one has 5 chipboard pages, tabs for organizing, and has a cute vintage theme.

The next one will be a cupcake theme, that will be lots of fun.
Like this one? This one is for sale in my shop.

Day 50: A Bouquet of Cabychon Rings

2009-10-26T10:09:00.016-04:00

Quote:
“From the viewpoint of absolute truth, what we feel and experience in our ordinary daily life is all delusion. Of all the various delusions, the sense of discrimination between oneself and others is the worst form, as it creates nothing but unpleasant”

I feel like we live our live every day, and we just have these "illusions of grandeur". We live like we deserve everything that we have, and then those that have less...well...to bad.
Sometimes as crafters and artists, we long to make it our living-we want "just one more hour to preform our art and perfect our lives", as Jim Morrison stated in one of his later songs. That's kind of my anthem.
In all our art, and all we do, we must realize that the only permanence is our soul. In a Buddhist book I've been reading, the author (Osho) states that art is a reflection of your innermost self-your soul.
We get so caught up in our differences with others. Even as an artist or crafter, standing at the checkout at your local yarn shop, or at micheal's or joanne's....you're standing there reading Martha Stewart magazine wondering why the woman next to you or in front of you grabbed that tacky 1980's puffy paint. You are wondering, why does that even exsist, and who in their right mind would buy a sweat shirt from a craft store, decorate it with puffy paint and worst, who would wear that atrocity? All this is going through your mind, right?
Meanwhile the woman smiles and says, "my mother loves this crap. Puffy paint, can you believe it? I wouldn't be caught dead in it, but that's what she likes."
You see, that's just one example of how quick we are to differentiate ourselves from a person, as if we are somehow better. That's what it is, really. It's us thinking we somehow are at a higher or different level then another person.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made some fun Cabychon Rose Rings.

They were inspired by this funky girl I saw on the F train.

She was wearing this fun oversized ring, and I thought it was fabulous.

So I made this set of them. They aren't for sale, these are going in the Xmas gift pile.

Someone related to me, or friends with me, will get one. And if they are nice, a matching set of hairpins, or earings. Or both, if they remember my birthday (December 3rd, and I loooove gifts)

Day 49: Felt Bead Necklace & Earing Set

2009-10-26T01:09:00.004-04:00

Quote:

"Anger and hatred cannot bring harmony. The noble task of arms control and disarmament cannot be accomplished by confrontation and condemnation. Hostile attitudes only serve to heat up the situation, whereas a true sense of respect gradually cools down what otherwise could become explosive."

I want to say that I truly, truly understand this all too well. Living in the city, it can become quite difficult at times, to "keep a cool head" as a famous Bob Marley song says.
Anger and hatred are not about keeping your temper contained. Anger is a real emotion. Hatred is too, but it's such a strong and dark thing.
As artists and crafters, we can choose to keep our anger in a positive way, by expressing it through our creative outlets.
At times, we feel like we don't have the time, like there are so many other things to take care of, so many other people too look after, especially when we are married with children. Life becomes so complicated as an adult.
But we must learn to make time for ourselves. This is not just something we are to tell ourselves, "oh yes, I should make time for my art" and then never do it.
As an artist, you are given a gift-an ability to express the human make up through painting, collage work, crochet...whatever your medium is. And so if this doesn't happen, what is to become of you? Your feelings build up, your emotions, your stress...all of it builds up until one day you explode on anyone in your way.
So you have a responsibility to create, not just an ability. Create. Make time for it. Make it a priority.
You'll see that those feelings of anger and hatred will start to work themselves out.

So for today's craft endeavor, this is the perfect project.

I bought these wonderful felt beads a long time ago, during a dark time in my life. I saved them for a rainy day, and guess what. It did indeed rain. So here we go, a pretty necklace and matching earings. I've been really feeling the handmade jewelry thing lately. As a matter of fact, I think a jewelry round up is order. Perhaps soon.
I love handmade jewelry so much. I do. So now, I feel really inspired to make my own beautiful jewelry! I'm so excited!

The Craftaholic

Day 48: Glittered Wishing Matroyshka Shadow Box

2009-10-24T15:08:00.010-04:00

Quote:

“If there is love, there is hope to have real families, real brotherhood, real equanimity, real peace. If the love within your mind is lost, if you continue to see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education you have, no matter how much material progress is made, only suffering and confusion will ensue.”

Love. What does it mean to love? Does it mean flowers and chocolate? Does it mean I should change who I am for you?
Love. First we must define what love is within ourselves. If we are to find love for another person, we must define it within ourselves.
The Christian bible says that we are to love our enemies as we love ourselves. So I guess that's a good way of looking it. I don't really read the bible much, but some of you faithful readers may recall me mentioning that I grew up in a very religious home. The one thing that always stuck out for me was this verse.
Love means first defining it in yourself.
I was reading somewhere that the way you treat others is the way you are treating yourself. Almost like karma. You know? If you inspire someone to create art, then in turn, you'll feel inspired as well. If you open doors for someone, doors will open for you. But all of this begins with love within, and for yourself. Love opens doors.

So for today's crafty endeavor, I made something really friggin awesome.
I love it. It's just the top of a child's shoe box, cut off and painted and decoupaged.

Then the matroyshka dolls are glittered and sprayed with plenty o' varnish. I mean lots. Then the butterflies are just cut out from some vintage clip art I had lying around. Each doll represents a different wish. The dolls can open up, and inside one can place things you wish for.
So in the love doll, I can place a picture of my daughter, of my husband and I...
In the hope jar, I would place something that represents my hopes.
You should make one! I had so much fun glittering these dolls. Glitter is so soothing to look at and work with.
I loved this project so much! I want to make a whole bunch. It's gotten so that my daughter now grabs stuff around the house and says, "mommy put glitter on this, it's better".
Funny, right?

The Craftaholic
Check out my etsy shop here and here!

Weekly Roundup: Little Odessa

2009-10-23T19:11:00.014-04:00

I haven't done a round up in a while. This week I have been working on a set of nesting dolls, and it prompted me to look online for some inspiration.
So this week's round up is dedicated to the neighborhood just a few miles from where I live, called "Little Odessa" (a predominantly russian neighborhood in Brooklyn, close to Coney Island).

Want more inspiration?
I found a couple flickr groups:
Babushka Love
Matroschka Matryoshka матрёшка

Do svidaniya!
I hope you love my round up! Be inspired!

The Craftaholic
Check out my etsy shop here and here!

Day 47: Little Pink Hippo Scrapbook

2009-10-23T11:07:00.004-04:00

Quote:

“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”

Human affection. It's just a touch, right? I never thought about how important it is to feel affection, until I read this.
Affection doesn't mean that we have to fawn over everyone around us. To me, I think it means not being afraid of giving your friend a hug, of reaching over and giving them a peck on the cheek.
In the hispanic culture, we are used to greeting our friends with a hug and peck on the cheek. It's affectionate, and tells the person you're happy to see them. The american culture, is of course a bit more distant. But there's nothing wrong with us adopting this, right? A hug can litterally heal someone.
Reiki is a type of healing that is given through the touch of a person's hands. So, litterally a touch can heal you. Or break you. We are all light beings, and we are made up of energy and light. When we are tired, angry, or upset about something, usually our life partners can feel it. It's not just because they are near us, or know us, but because we emit our moods and our emotions in our body. So when we touch the people around us, we littlerally have the power to heal them.
Something to think about, when you give a friend a hug.

So for today's craft endeavor, I made an album to match yesterday's.

That's right. I made a baby girl album with the matching card. It's for sale in my shop, as always. Today I might be making some jewelry. I want to look through my jewelry supplies and see what I have. Anyone have a tackle box they are willing to send me? I'll make you some stamps in return....

Check out my etsy shop here and here!