Friday, December 19, 2008

more repurposed jewelry from my corner of the world

I have been stranded at home for a few days, so i have finally gotten back into some crafting etc.

this is a recycled belt link frame, with pretty beads that resemble a tree......
the bottom ball bearing i took off another silver belt and put it on as a finishing touch for this gorgeous necklace. i also used some pretty silver like pearls as well. nice eh?

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

i did not make these, but i should have


since the economy is the way it is, and since people are pullling back on spending(which should be the norm anyway), one clever girl over at dollar store crafts made this cool festive ornament. check out the website for more cheap, chic ideas.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

more junk to funk

the dude here is some random guy who decided to dress up. pretty fancy. the gal he is chatting with was in the show. her dress was made of all green colored pages from "Portland Monthly" magazine. i saw a lot of double stick tape on those gals .
this is a paper and plastic evening gown. the pages are spray painted black to give a textured look. the bodice is a piece of old fabric. not tooooo shabby. very "Trashion"


this gal got away with second place and the peoples choice award. her outfit is made out of things you would find in a couch. the skirt is old muslin, the jacket is upholstery fabric, the the button closure area in front is finished with those sliding door lock thingys. you can't really see it, but it was awesome. also for the last cool thing, the standup collar is human hair. she also had a ton of pheasant feathers on top of her head.

Monday, November 17, 2008

more junk to funk baby!!

bows and ribbon can be trash, but this diva re-used!!!! a full bow skirt and a ribbon bodice. she is also holding her trophy for participating in the nights events. cool stiletto, and gold barbie trophy, no?
check this out!! high waisted skirt made with all zippers. the bustle on the bottom was all bubble wrap, and the top is all plastic. to die for eh??? she also go third place.

one of the sponsors was SCION vehicles. they made one of their hybrid cars into a photo booth. marcy and i took a seat in the back of the car, and away we went. she looks fantastic, while i look a little on the "man ish" side. the second pic is of me giving my best "Zoolander."
more to come


Sunday, November 16, 2008

JUNK TO FUNK BABYYYYYYY!!!!!!

the best, most awesome recycled "trashion" show was yesterday, and i must say, some amazing creations, like this one. blue plastic bag poof skirt with woven shrug made out of grocery bags. so adorable.
emcee sam adams in a bubble wrap tuxedo coat and brown plastic grocery bag leaf like head dress. tara on the left is wearing the ever so stylish "floppy disk flapper dress." out-effin-rageous.


each letter over the stage was made with recycled products. the "F" is egg cartons, the "N" is plastic easter egg cups, and we couldn't figure out what the "U" was.


decided to test my camera on us. not bad.
more pics to come. however, since my silly camera doesn't take good pictures of people actually "in motion"(bogus, i know), they will be good none the less.


Monday, November 10, 2008

ohhhh chocolate

found a new, local chocolate place. made my way out to carlton, mcminnville area today for fun, and stumbled on it. there are two local stores in the newberg/mcminnville area, but if you don't want the drive, try here. i just love the name too. Honest Chocolates!!! i've had a few, namely the pinot inspired ones. and since it is my job to test and support local talent..... please take my word, they are heaven, and not too sweet either.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

i love me denim long time!!!

since i put the call out for denim jeans, i decided to make myself a little rug. i like the "rawness" of it.
some of the jeans have old paint stains, rips, tears etc. and i love the pocket detailing.
enjoy!!

more bags

this is another bag using purple fabric, grey upholstery samples, and the little grid red piece is from rubber shoe samples. all said, pretty good use of odd materials.
forgot to rotate this photo of the use of belts for handles. but, they matched pretty good.
here is some reclaimed fabric, with a denim pocket. i put a call out for denim jeans, and i have been using them for all sorts of stuff. pockets is just one use. others to follow.


Saturday, October 25, 2008

and now.....back to our program!!

been pretty busy lately with the tote bag thang....here are some new creations, of course all made with re-purposed materials, including the handles, which are belts.
i was inspired by some super cool stuff on etsy. i love this grey denim with the button flowers.


the green embroidery was off a t shirt i found at my clothing swap. it looks great on this bag!!!
don't miss the ART IN THE BURBS this weekend up on Bull Mtn. lots of great art, and super fun too.
also, next weekend is the big NW Bead Show at Montgomery Park. Sarah is getting her teeth pulled, so it is my duty to go for the both of us. duty.......yes, duty!
also, the Catlin Gable Rummage Sale is this coming weekend as well. lots of good stuff at cheap prices. all at the Expo Center. don't miss it!!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

a day in the neighbors yard

harvest is here, and my neighbor's grapes were ready. aren't they gorgeous?
these are reisling grapes to be exact. the weather had been cooperative, giving us a little milder weather last week, so it was time to take them off the vine.
such a thing of beauty. sigh......

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

more chalk art part 3

i love this one, so simple and sooo cute!!!
pacific university students did this one. still can't believe it is drawn with chalk!!
sometimes, don't you just feel like taking the day off and going somewhere on your own carrot?
me loves the goggles long time!!!


yes, this is still my craft blog. i will be posting pics of all my new stuff next time. i made some great tote bags and some cool, re-purposed jewels. more soon, i promise!

Monday, October 6, 2008

more chalk art

regardless of your party persuasion, this dude has serious skills. he was a featured artist that day.
beautiful!!!! another featured artist. i love the idea of a masquerade and a tree swing.
not only is this one beautiful, but it really gave me the notion that i needed to take a bathroom break right then and there.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

sidewalk chalk art festival

went to the sidewalk
chalk art festival 2 weeks ago and saw some amazing stuff.
like this one of some guys fishing.


and this gorgeous one. i love the bee on the flower!!
this guy paid homage to his little doggie. so lifelike. and the dog is sooooo cute in real life too. just a short, shrimpy dog, but attitude galore!!

Monday, September 29, 2008

errrrr


sold some of my stuff at an outdoor show in southeast this weekend. it was a rock n roll biker bar, but what super fun!!! definitely the most fun vendor show i have been involved in. lots of tats, piercings and great rock music. all outdoor. i was loading my stuff at about midnight, when some of us came across this guy. just takin' a nap. love the beer bottle next to him. the pic is a little blurry. still learning how to use my damn camera. but i have decided that i will be sending xmas cards this year with a nice caption. what do you think?
do you think he had too much to drink?

Monday, September 22, 2008

new tote bags


my first tote bag. this was the "practice" bag. even with a template, it kicked my ass!!! notice the belts i used as the handles. this was the whole idea. to repurpose items that may never be used in another way. thinkin' outside the box!!
been a busy weekend. sorry i haven't posted new stuff. went to the sidewalk chalk art festival this weekend,,,,,, totally rocked!!! i will post pics later.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Iron Artist part 3



by far the "raddest" of all the sculptures was this thing of beauty. the base is a plastic hobby horse, cut up the back, wheel inserted, egg cartons to give the look of scales, "flames" coming out of it's nose, hoses everywhere, and a cabbage patch kid on top with nails for hair. everything was then spray painted green. BTW-- the team who made this was last years champion!! we didn't stay long enough to see who won, but seriously........

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Iron Artist part duh!! 2 that is.


marcy and i tore it up at the creation tent. we made magnets. mine is on the left, hers is on the right. cool!!


here is another creation in progress.... check out the naked doll!!
teams had to "obey" the rules. referees were hilarious!! here, the refs got a little miffed when they caught this team in violation. therefore, they were sent to the penalty box, and told to take shirts off and bare bras.

iron artist



saturday, marcy and i headed down to the "Iron Artist" competition to benefit one of our favorite artist "re use" places called "SCRAP." basically, it's iron chef, but artists. they are given certain items, they can add to it, and in 3 hours, they create something out of stuff that would otherwise go in our landfills.
the pic here with the bicycle tire was early in the day. we weren't sure what they were going to come up with.
the second pic shows a nearly finished sculpture. i am really diggin' those tubes going into the mask head. fake greenery always makes things come to life.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

such a cool idea

check this out!! newspaper yarn!!!!! if you want to know how to make it, click here
or click on the pic!!

look what i found


everyone knows that my favorite place to shop is the Goodwill. i am so amazed at what i can find there. like this: it is a paper jewelry kit. they give you certain glues to make the paper stiff, include findings to make earrings or necklace, you can paint it, and voila', paper jewelry!! can't wait to try it. i will post pics as soon as i get on this project.

Monday, September 8, 2008

pretty bird


not only did i have fun picking pears in the orchard on saturday, but i came across this lovely little nest perched right on some branches. isn't it cute???? no birds around, but i am sure they will be back to have more babies.....and hopefully clean up all that poo.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

fall bounty

hello lovies!!! fall is my favorite time of year. the weather change, the coats i can wear, the end of sweating in my clothes as i sit here, and of course, the foods. dad and i went out to a local orchard 5 minutes from our house and picked these babies!! every time i go to pick fruit, i have childlike wonder at how that fruit just grows right on the tree like that :). it took us a very short time to pick over 200 pounds to give to friends and family. a real father-daughter thing we do every year. mom tries to put a limit on how much we can bring home, so she kindly refrains from joining us.

too much fun!!

Monday, September 1, 2008

my heart to yours



i found a project in one of my crafty library books, and did my best to follow the directions (not my strong suit). i shaped wire into a heart, wired up some beads, and threaded them on. pic is a little blurry, but i think it turned out ok. not what i expected, but a woman i took a class with once said "if it doesn't turn out the exact way you want, it just means it's 'organic'."

this will most likely become a necklace, ornament, adornment for a dog sled, etc.

"baby you can paint my car"


went down to the Art in The Pearl today, and saw some pretty cool stuff. but this, by far, was THE BEST. seems a non profit donated this car for all the kids to paint up, and express their inner artist. it had been painted on for the entire weekend by all the little ones. i don't know the particulars, but i am sure it will be auctioned off for the cancer non profit. the kids were going crazy!!! for me, it was really inspiring to see how they painted the tires, the back and how some just decided to splatter paint on the fender!!

should give you a smile!!! sure did for me!!

Sunday, August 31, 2008

totally tote bag. period.



here is a tote bag i have been working on for a few weekends. keep in mind i am still sort of a beginner when it comes to sewing.

the front floral panels are upholstery samples from a giant sample book i found for 50cents at SCRAP. the handles are the coolest part. they are from a pair of suspenders that mom found. i took them apart, sewed them in, and they will probably be the most sturdy handles i will ever have.

this tote bag is quite "gi normous", but that's all i know how to make..... something big.