Category Archives: Arts & Crafts

Tassels & Fringe

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Last week I decided I wanted to try my hand at making some Confetti System-style tassel garlands. I really like the way they look but I DON’T like the $130 price tag, so I figured I’d DIY it. I found a couple tutorials, combined them, used what I liked, ignored the rest and eventually came up with my own technique. I haven’t perfected it yet, but I think I’m close!

The first thing I need was some tissue paper and mylar. I couldn’t decide what colours I wanted to use, so I bought all of them. No, really.

Since this picture was taken I’ve actually bought two more colours- a bright orange and a dark purple. I know, I have a problem.

Then, I spent a lot of time turning that into this:

Can I just say, this paper cutter is INDISPENABLE. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago for $25 at Homesense (a discount housewares store) and I’ve used it so much already! It’s so much faster and easier for this than using scissors, an exacto knife or a rotary cutting tool.

The first garland I made was for Sym’s room, using three colours of tissue paper (white, grey and mint green) and one shade of mylar (silver). I made all the tassles the same size and strung them in a repeating pattern.

It’s pretty, but not really the look I wanted. Next I wanted to make one for my bedroom, but I don’t have the right colours of paper. Yes, you read that correctly, none of the 23 colours of tissue and mylar are right. Okay, SOME of them are, but I need a turquoise blue and a taupe or greige. YES I AM AWARE THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM.

Instead I decided to make one for the office. Taylor’s side of the office is grey and black (black-brown really, but black is close enough) with a little bit of yellow. My side of the office is grey, yellow and white. I decided to use more yellow and white on my side of the garland and more black on Taylor’s side. I made tassels in five colours of tissue (white, grey, silver grey, yellow and black) and one shade of mylar (silver), and three different sizes (regular, long and mini), and strung them randomly on 3 meters silver cord.

I like the effect of this a lot better, but like I said, my technique still isn’t perfect, so I guess I’ll have to keep making more until I get it right!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Arts & Crafts, House Beautiful, Purchases, Weird Obsessions

Die Hard

Posted on February 21, 2012 | Leave a comment

I bet you thought I forgot about my one and only new year’s resolution to make two non-custom banners per month for my etsy shop. NOT SO.

Originally I was going to make something St Patrick’s Day-ish for February, but then I decided that’s a bunk holiday for drunken bros so instead I did something else. My two banners for February turned out to both be semi-musically inspired, so I’ve included the pertinent youtubes.

For this banner I used the same two-tone ombre technique I used for last month’s “True Love” banner, but instead of using two shades of the same colour I used two completely different colours. I really like the way it turned out. I haven’t made a listing yet but custom two-tone ombre banners are available for $2.75 per letter, with a minimum order of $13.75 for five of fewer letters.

I didn’t do anything super special for this fancy banner. I’ve only made a few of these- okay, I made a TON that said “Merry Christmas,” but they were all the same and making the same thing over and over is kind of a snooze. This is actually the first fancy letter banner I’ve made this isn’t silver or red, so it was a nice, albeit small, change.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Goals

Bits & Pieces

Posted on February 17, 2012 | 8 Comments

Some pictures from this quiet, rainy afternoon:

I saw this adorable customizable monogram from The Wedding Chicks on Sometimes Sweet this morning and IMMEDIATELY knew I needed one. I want to put it up in my bedroom (is that cheesy? yes, but I don’t care) but the colours were wrong so I tweaked it a little, and then printed it out on some nice paper I tore out of a sketchbook and trimmed to size.

Yesterday I FINALLY set up my new computer. It’s a little different that my old one and it’s taking some getting used to, but so far I love it. The real question is how long can I keep my desk clean? (The answer: probably not long)

This purple-on-purple banner is getting ready for a wedding in Los Angeles next month. My motto these days is basically “Always Be Ombre-ing!”

Teeny-tiny stickers covered in teeny-tiny bunting.

Dougal and Georgie are still bffs. I love when they snuggle.

Sym had the day off school and spent most of it holed up in her room colouring. She was supposed to have her friend Ali over to play but she had an audition (you might have seen Ali in last Friday’s Fringe episode. Hint: she was the only kid).

Sym wanted me to post a picture of her Valentine’s Day manicure to show the colours she chose- normally I’d save this for Monday but I’m too happy about the fact that she stopped biting her nails! We actually had to trim and file them last weekend because they were too long! I’m really proud of her for breaking the habit.

She got this inflatable paper frog in a Kinder Egg, it’s so odd!

These paper palm trees were leftover from Sym’s Luau birthday in 2008, but I recently unearthed them and put them up in the nap room.

Last summer the housepainters stomped all my plants to death, but the remains of my hydrangea somehow survived and it’s putting out little leaves! There’s hope for my garden yet.

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Darling Child, Family, Happiness, House Beautiful, Life Etc, Nailz, Pets and Husbands, Purchases

Sick Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 | 2 Comments

For the past couple weeks my house has been a den of disease- coughs, colds, runny noses, sore throats, fevers and sneezes. When you’re sick, it’s nice to be able to take some time off work to recover, recuperate and regroup, so that when you do go back you’re refreshed and ready to tackle everything that piled up while you were ill. Unfortunately, I’m barely sick and can’t justify skipping work (taking sick days costs me $150-$200) so I’m slogging through it all while Taylor sleeps for 19 hours a day (although last night he very gallantly offered me “flu sex.” I declined.).

To be quite honest, what I really need right now is a mental health day, a catch-up day. A day that isn’t the weekend where I can finally finish cleaning the house and get my etsy stuff organized. My shop is actually doing really well- all the people posting their banners on tumblr, the ad I took out, the giveaways and discount codes I’ve done, they’ve all combined to form something that looks like it might well become a success! I’ve been selling quite a few banners each week and it’s great, but when I was promoting my etsy I overlooked one important detail: while I’m making banners and bunting I still have to do my regular job. You remember that one, the daycare thing that I do fifty hours a week.

I can actually do both- I work on banners when the kids are doing an activity, or napping, or in the evenings when they’ve all gone home. Unfortunately this doesn’t leave me with a lot of time for stuff like blogging (hence my weak posts recently) and cooking (hello, takeout menu!) and cleaning. Right now I’m maintaining the absolute minimum level of cleanliness in the daycare areas of the house, but everything else? SQUALOROUS. And Taylor being sick and unable to help doesn’t, well, help!

Yesterday I spent all my free time rushing to finish the last four orders I had so I could get them to the post office, and when I was all done and they were all shipped I heaved a huge relieved sigh and said “Now I can finally get my house clean and start working on all these other projects I’ve been putting off, like refinishing the bedside table I found in the alley and painting a backdrop to photograph my banners against!” but before I even sat down on the couch I got another order. Obviously I’m not complaining- I love making banners (and I love making money), but it’s a little overwhelming. A few weeks ago Taylor and I had a discussion about how much money I’d have to make off etsy sales each month before I could quit my job and become a full time crafter (I’m about 1/6 of the way there and not holding my breath) but like… even if I did have enough sales each month I would never have the time to finish them all!

Anyway, my latest order is fortunately a small one, so before I get started I’m going to take today to clean up around here; mostly my workspaces (since right now I don’t actually have anywhere to make anything!).

…but I really need to do the dishes and some laundry and Oh My God clean the bathroom. And who knows, maybe I’ll also find time to paint that backdrop, start refinishing that table, repaint the top of my desk, clean out my old, dying computer and transfer all my files to my new computer (I bought a new computer and I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet because everything is such a mess!),

… take out all the recycling,

… sort through/organize/put away all my boxes of non-Christmas holiday decorations,

… sort through/organize/put away all my boxes of random arts & craft supplies,

… paint my bedroom/bathroom/kitchen, work on some designs for new etsy items I’m planning, and while we’re at it, organize all my receipts & papers so I can find go see my accountant and file my taxes.

Yeah. That’ll happen.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Issues, Life Etc, Rambling Text

New Look for Pre-Spring

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 8 Comments

As I mentioned on Friday, I’ve been messing around with changing up the look of my blog. Nothing big, like no huge layout redesign or anything (PERISH THE THOUGHT), just a new header and buttons and whatnot. I finally finished individually placing every little tiny pennant yesterday afternoon, so here it is!

These colours together remind me of spring and Easter and basically every single piece of felt-tip marker art I made/letter I wrote in grades 4 through 7. Happy fun colourful bunting to get rid of these crummy winter blahs. In fact, I’ve had enough of winter, this is now pre-spring!

I also made coordinating images for the two facebook pages and my etsy shop, as well the contact buttons (I’m especially pleased with those), and I’m also considering making myself a new business card to match. I REALLY like this design, I think it’s really me. What do you all think?

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, This Blog

It’s For the Best

Posted on January 27, 2012 | 4 Comments

Last night all my feelings of sadness and trappedness and I-hate-my-jobness all came to a head in a fit of napping and weeping. After Taylor went to work I lay awake in bed feeling sorry for myself and planning out a big blog post about all the things that are bothering and upsetting me and why nothing can be done about any of it and blah blah blah. FUTILITY OF LIFE, basically. Anyway, then I fell asleep and when I woke up I’d forgotten Ev. Ruh. Thing. I was going to say.

So.

It’s probably for the best. No one wants to read that- even I don’t want to read that! I’m still having a crap year but OH WELL. It’s Friday night, I’m about to go get beer, and my banners were posted (featured?) on Bust.com today. WHO CAN COMPLAIN???? Not me, that’s for sure. Instead I spent all my free time today working on new headers and contact buttons and whatnot for all the pages in the Unicorn Parade empire. I’m not done yet (the ones that are up now are temporary) but the profile pictures for the facebook pages are SUPER SWEET. Here is the one for the blog’s page:

LOVE IT. So stuff can’t be all that bad, right? Right.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Rambling Text, Sadness, This Blog

Busy Bee

Posted on January 23, 2012 | 2 Comments

Sooooooo I’ve been busy recently with all kindsa stuff, here’s a small update on a few things.

Crafts
One of the custom banners I sold during my CAT AID sale was this delightful gem.

Last week the woman who bought it posted it on tumblr and it got almsot 2,000 notes. The picture was reblogged by STFU Conservatives and people FREAKED OUT over it. My etsy was blowin’ up, by which I mean I sold two and lots of people added my shop to their favourites. I even got a hater on tumblr saying my work was overpriced and juvenile and everyone should just make it themselves, it’s so easy! lol, whateverrrrrrrrrr fool.

I’m also still working on my resolution to make non-custom banners and over the weekend I finished this one.

C.R.E.A.M. (Cats Rule Everything Around Me) in gold with the same printed cat paper on the back as I used on the Forever Alone banner everyone loves so much. And speaking of cats…

Claire
Last week I took Claire into the vet for a fructosamine test and guess what… she’s great! Her blood sugar levels are good, her diabetes is in control, and her insulin dose (which is HALF what it was before she went into the hospital) is keeping her that way. So like, TAKE THAT, random internet creep who thought I should just let her die/put her down. WHO’S DIGNIFIED NOW???

Life
Life is just happening all the time! Sym is awesome, the dogs are just so doggish all the time (so is Claire, actually), and Taylor is as handsome and amazing as ever. Even when I’m down they all make me feel so much better. I could say more about how much I love my little family but I would probably go on forever and I have to get back to work soon. But first, some fine pet pictures from my phone.

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Darling Child, Goals, Happiness, Life Etc, Pets and Husbands

For-Stinkin’-Ever

Posted on January 12, 2012 | 5 Comments

Soooo you know how I made pretty romantic Valentine’s Day banners as part of my goal? They’re great and all, but what about the people who frickin’ hate Valentine’s Day? What about the people who thinks is cheesy commercialized crap, or maybe aren’t in a relationship, or think mushy couples are disgusting and want to shout it from the rooftops? Well DON’T WORRY, because I got you covered.

Forever Alone
I knew I wanted to make this banner, but I didn’t know how to make it special. Ombré wasn’t right, some fancy new typeface wasn’t right… but what was??? Last night I was just about to assemble it all plain with black paper on the back when a bolt of inspiration struck me: CATS. I know, it’s amazing.

Love Stinks
This was another experiment that turned out AMAZING. Originally I was just going to do the regular secondary-colour-on-the-bottom ombré, but something about the phrase “love stinks” paired with the acid-y green colour made me think drips.

→ 5 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Goals, Valentine's Day

Two of Twenty-Four, Plus One

Posted on January 9, 2012 | 4 Comments

Hey internet, long time no blog. A WHOLE WEEK I KNOW I’M THE WORST. I hope you all were able to get along without me.

Anyway the reason I didn’t post last week is because not to be over dramatic but every day felt like 100 years in hell and the absolute worst day of my life.

It was my first week back at work after my sweet, sweet Christmas vacation, I had my lady time, I was sick and my dog went insane and peed on the hallway carpet 350,000,000 times.

WHY YOU GOTTA PLAY ME LIKE THAT, DOG??? Anyway I’m all resigned to my fate as a working stiff, recovered from my ailments and yesterday I rented a carpet steamer and cleaned the hallway carpet like, SIX TIMES so it should all be okay now.

One thing I DID do while I wasn’t blogging was work on my new year’s resolutions, of which I only made one, and which I made a very concrete, attainable goal instead of something nebulous and easy to fail at. I said I wanted to make at least two non-custom banners for my etsy shop, every month, so I would have things for sale other than just my custom stuff (I think it looks better to have actual, real items for sale somehow). Anyway last week (while finishing up the last of my custom orders, so if you are waiting on one that hasn’t shipped yet it’ll go out today) I made not two but THREE all-new banners!

Since Valentine’s Day is coming up (part of the reason for my goal was I didn’t want to be blind-sided by holidays like I was by Christmas) I decided to make some cheesy yet lovely and romantical banners. Doing non-custom work also gives me the opportunity to try out new ideas, and for each of these I did something I hadn’t before.

True Love
For this banner I used a double-ombré technique. For my other ombré banners I’ve used a single colour/blend of colours, but for this one I did two separate colours. Starting with a white (diamond) glitter base, I did a pale pink (kunzite) glitter to about halfway up each letter, and then I added a deeper pink (tourmaline) to the bottom ¾” to give it more dimension.

Be Mine
This was the third banner I made and the idea for it just popped into my head. I wasn’t sure how (or if) it would turn out but it looks basically how I pictured it. I used ruby (red) glitter for the letters, and added metallic red confetti hearts to the bottom 1½-2″ of each. I tried to make them look like they’d been scattered randomly, but I actually glued each one in place individually, which did not take ten thousand hours at all.

Always
This is my Harry Potter-inspired banner; I’ve made a couple of custom ones before (Mischief Managed and Expecto Patronum) but this one was all my idea. It’s from The Prince’s Tale chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; if you’ve read it you’ll understand the significance, and if you haven’t well then what is wrong with you? I used this weird, pale gold glitter (which I am now out of) and although I’d originally planned on adding a white/silver ombre to it, in the end I decided to leave it simple. What makes this banner different from others I’ve made is the back; instead of using plain paper I used cream paper printed with the text from relevant passages of the book (I scanned it and printed it out; no books were harmed in the making of this banner!).

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Goals, Pets and Husbands, This Blog

Year’s End

Posted on December 31, 2011 | 3 Comments

Don’t worry; this isn’t going to be one of those endless year-in-review posts where I recap every single thing I did this year and post all the same pictures over again. idk why people even make those posts, like if people wanted to see everything you did they could just look at your old blog posts. I mean, that’s what they’re for, right? I’m just gonna talk about a few memorable things.

1. I Got Bangs
… by which I mean I cut them myself, just like when I was in middle school.

I still love them, I wear my hair up a lot and it’s nice not to have it all scraped back from my forehead.

2. I Vi sit ed the South

Before this year, I’d never been to any part of the United States that wasn’t directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Washington, Oregon, California: that’s it. So in March Taylor and I flew to Memphis, Tennessee to spend a week stuffing our faces with meat and booze. We also had connecting flights on this trip (normally the bane of my life) so technically I was in Utah and Minnesota as well.

3. I Quit Eating Meat
This summer I read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and I haven’t eaten meat since.

I’ve also been mostly buying local and/or organic dairy products and eggs. It’s been seven months now, and the only time I REALLY crave meat is when I walk past McDonalds. tbh I don’t even think that counts as meat though.

4. I Moved My Blog

Once I realized that there were ads on my blog that I wasn’t benefitting from when I was paying for a ~premium~ account, I was like I’M OUTTA HERE. Moving the blog was an endless nightmare of GoDaddy said/Dreamhost said and it didn’t get resolved until a FREAKED OUT all over the internet about it. I guess it’s true what they say: the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

5. I Dyed My Hair Blue

My hairstylist was P I S S E D. I don’t really know why I did it, I just thought it would be fun? And it is! I just recoloured it a couple of days ago because it was looking very faded and green.

It was actually quite easy being green.

6. I Cooked Christmas Dinner
It seems silly to recap something I just posted about four days ago, but it was SUPER important to me that it be a success.

I’d never done it before and now that I have I think I might be confident to host other family members at Christmas. Maybe. As long as they don’t want any meat.

Soooo that’s my year. Pretty much the only other thing I did was make a ton of glitter banners, especially in the last couple weeks! Today is the last day of the Cat Aid 25% off sale on my etsy, it finishes tonight at midnight Pacific, so if you’ve been thinking about ordering one NOW IS THE TIME.

One other super important thing that happened this year: Sym turned ten.

Double digits! I can’t believe it! 2001 basically seems like yesterday, what happened to my tiny baby??? She’s so grown up now, maybe it’s time I get a new one…

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Arts & Crafts, Birthdays, Books Books Books, Christmas, Darling Child, Delicious Recipes, Hair Dos & Don'ts, Historical Events, Pets and Husbands, This Blog, Vacation

Category Archives: Arts & Crafts

Tassels & Fringe

Die Hard

Bits & Pieces

Sick Day

New Look for Pre-Spring

It’s For the Best

Busy Bee

For-Stinkin’-Ever

Two of Twenty-Four, Plus One

Year’s End

Myself

People I Like

contact

find

categories