Holiday Crzae

I was finally able to come and visit my parents in NJ. They have a lovely view of NYC across the river. Unfortunately, the one day we do decide to go into the city, it snows. Not nice snow either. It was that nasty slush - and at one point it was icy needles! We were all drenched and freezing, and it took nearly an hour to get back home because we got on the wrong train multiple times. We did eventually get home, but not before everyone was wearied out from the day's walk (we walked non-stop from 11am until 7pm). Fun as it was, I won't be getting off the couch for the next day or two.

I hope everyone had a good holiday! I got lots of awesome gifts - mainly clothes, but who doesn't like clothes?!

I have some crafty ideas for spring! (mainly gardening and planting). I'm hoping to get my hands on a cheap hurricane glass and plant some bulbs in there (possibly paper whites are daffodils). Also, I wanted to try a stacked pot plater with a bird bath on top. It would go perfect outside.

Hope everyone is doing well!

- Natalie

Oh, DMV...how much I loathe you.

Today I went to the DMV for the 3rd time. This time with all the papers that I needed.
Apparently I also needed the car for which I was getting a new license for. However, I can't drive said car because the tags are 5 days expired. This is quite a pickle I'm in.
I suppose I'll head over tomorrow (again) and just take a chance with my car, since they need to do a VIN on it. Fun times.

I'm in the process of knitting my mom a pair of socks from yellow wool that I spun a while ago. I hope they turn out!

Happy crafting!

Hurricane Isaac

So that nasty hurricane finally reached us up in the mid-east U.S.
It's been raining non-stop for the past two days and will possibly rain all day tomorrow as well. :/
This isn't good for my plants outside. Luckily I was able to bring in my flowers under the patio. My other pot isn't so lucky... It's filled to the top with water. ;__; I had Lyeeche seeds growing in there. :<
I hope they live.

Anyways, just an update!
I also finally finished the socks for my dad that I was knitting for the past two weeks! Yay!
I'll upload pictures in a while. :)

Happy Crafting!

Salt Dough Update

So I finally finished my first round of gift tags! They. Are. Adorable!

Aren't they adorable!? :D 

Cute Cat and Whale!

Anyways, I thought they would be perfect for gift tags for my Etsy store...of which I have yet to sell anything, but if I do I'll have these cute tags to put on my items for customers.

After baking the dough all the way through, I painted two coats of gesso over the tags and let those dry.  The gesso allowed for me to be able to paint/draw on them. :)

I think I might try to do them with stamps next time. 

Happy crafting!

Salt Dough Ornaments!

Do you have a small crafty business that you're trying to start up from home? Are you a decent cook?
Well look no further!

For a while I've been trying to come up with different gift tag ideas for those who buy my products.  I haven't had a sale yet, but when I do I want the tag to be super cute.  I was on Pintrest and stumbled across a salt dough ornament/gift tag idea, which I thought would be perfect for my items!

Recipe:::

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of salt
1cup of luke-warm water

Mix all three ingredients together in a bowl and roll out of a flat surface. Then cut out the shapes you desire and stamp in patterns/words before you bake them. Bake at 200* F for 2-4 hours (until hard and dry).
Alternatively you can air dry them for 3-5 days until they are completely dry.

If you don't have any stamps or don't want any texture on them, you can also paint them or decorate them after they're done drying/baking.

Mine are currently in the oven and I can't wait until they're done! :D

Happy crafting!

Ideas For My Etsy Store.

I haven't been getting much traffic on my Etsy store's page, so I've been trying to come up with some ideas that might bring me more views and possibly some sales. 

I've been looking around and I've noticed that people are buying the "small and cute" items - that even go up for $30-40! 

I have also done some research on how to obtain more views (i.e. comment on other blogs, take better photos, have more details in the description...). I've already done just about as much as I can do for now with what I have, and so far nada. 

So I've come up with some ideas as to what items to sell in my store. 

1) I've seen lots of owls and foxes around on Etsy, so I'm thinking about some basic fox and owl drawings done on either watercolor paper or cardstock. Hopefully I'd sell them for $10-15 a piece. 

&

2) Definitely going to make some crocheted keyrings/phone charms. I'd love to make cupcakes, cherries, whales, and owls. 

So far, that's about all I can come up with. I'll have to do some more research as to what people are buying out there. 

If anyone has any ideas for things I should make/sell, please let me know in the comments below! 

~Natalie♥

Pintrest Addiction

So I'm not sure if any of you have heard of Pinterest. I'm sure you have, but for those who don't know; it's a site where people link items, ideas, DIY's, and such to their "page" which then others can repost and share with everyone else. It's really a cool site, and I have made quite a number of things off of those posts (such as my T-shirt rug and amigurumi wolf). It's a really cool site.

Anyways, I wanted to share a few of my favorite links with you all.

1) Here's a recipe for salt dough ornaments. You can use them as gift tags as well!
http://www.thecheesethief.com/2011/11/salt-dough-ornaments-and-gift-tags.html

2) I've recently become obsessed with foxes, owls, and red pandas...so this little cross-stitch pattern fills the owl obsession. So cute!
http://kincavelkrosses.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/whoo-hoo-me/

3) Here's an amigurimi pattern for Toothless, the dragon in How To Train Your Dragon - possibly one of my most favorite animated movies thus far. <3
http://sarselgurumi.blogspot.ca/2011/05/toothless-amigurumi-pattern.html

4) Who doesn't love DeviantArt? :D I found this awesome tutorial on how to bind books. I was thinking of making a cute journal, or even a sketch book!
http://jamesdarrow.deviantart.com/art/Bookbinding-Tutorial-292237490?q=boost%3Apopular%20meta%3Aall%20max_age%3A24h&qo=22

5) And last, but not least, this wonderful site. It has every amigurumi pattern you could ever think of! They have knitted and crocheted ones, so it's the best of both worlds! I've made quite a few off of this list. :P
http://freeamigurumipatterns.blogspot.com/
kudos to this site.

Doily Madness!

I've recently started crocheting with small sized hooks and crochet thread.
I decided that trying a doily would be a nice switch from hats and scarves, and also add a homey touch to my new apartment!
And what a good idea it was! I've made two so far (pineapple doilies) and I think I might make another one. Those big spools of thread go a long way too! I've made one 18" doily and another 8" and still have quite a bit left on the spool!

I'm currently making socks for my dad. Using US 2 DPN (double-pointed) needles with sock yarn. Ooh boy is it taking forever. I don't know how sock knitters think this is fun. It's taken me 3 days just to get the leg of one sock done! D:

New Etsy Shop!

So I have no idea why my previous pictures aren't showing... :/

Anyways, I have a new shop open on Etsy! etsy.com/shop/youlovegnats
So far it's only a cowl and coasters. If anyone has any tips on using Esty, please tell me!
Here's some more pictures for you all!

This is patio squirrel. She always lays outside of the window. I feed her some snacks sometimes.  

This is Frankie...on his way to the vet.  The poor thing knew where he was going and kept giving Ty and I looks. :c

And here is his "please mom, no" face. And after a 2 hour wait, 3 shots, and a blood test later  we adorned him with hugs, treats, and kisses. <3

And here are some granny square coasters I have for sale up on my Etsy shop. 

close up!

Spinning Photos

So I've gone from hating this dog to loving him. (Isn't that something?)
Living all my life (all 22 years) with non-shedding dogs to this hairball that drops fur everywhere he walks was a major thing to get over. You so much as lay a finger on a Pug and hair is automatically all over you and in your mouth. It was horrible. Then the more and more I became attached to him, the more I didn't mind.  I guess this is how people come to have to many dogs or cats (I'm thinking of hoarding levels here). I really would like to get a cat, but Frankie (the Pug) apparently hates cats...which is weird because he does so well with Elephant (the Hamster).

Anyways here are some pictures of my spinning progress thus far.
Ty noticed how slow a drop spindle is with spinning and offered to get me a wheel sometime, but wheels are so pricey! So Ty said that he'd ask his dad if he could help build one. I've looked all over the place but I can't seems to find decent wheel instructions that have a treadle and that don't look like they're cheap. If anyone has any ideas on how to build one out of decent wood with a treadle please let me know!

Pictures Update!

So I found some projects that I finished a while ago that I haven't put up here. :3
So here are a few things that I made in the past couple of months.

Adipose: from the TV series DR. Who. 

Chimecho (from Pokemon) for my friend. 

Pug Sweater!

A rag rug made from T-shits. 

A wolf for my friend. :)

June 11, 2012

What's happening everyone?! :D

I've been rather bored lately... with Ty at work and me at home, I feel like I have nothing to do.
But I seem to make use of the time I have, so that's at least good.
I'm going to be working on my resume this week, starting tomorrow. I have no idea how to write one up or even what is considered a good resume.

... oh it just started pouring outside...good thing too - my flowers needed to be watered.

I've started knitting a sweater for Frankie the pug :P.  Hopefully it will fit him. It's stretchy so I hope it will.  It's made with self-striping worsted weight yarn on a size 6 needle.
I'm also going to start a pineapple doily for the dining room table.

...Oh darn, my "L" key seems to have popped off again.. -___-  *sigh*

 Hope all of my readers are doing well!

~ Nat

Update, June 5 2012.

Finally finished the granny square baby blanket just last night. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of it. :c
I hope the couple likes it!

I'm currently working on spinning my own yarn up. I purchased a low-whorl drop spindle and some wool roving. SO far I have a small green skein (~0.5 oz.) done. The roving I bought came in a tiny tiny bag...I think it's meant for felting more than spinning, but it still works! :)

Ty said that I should open up my own shop. I though that'd be an awesome idea, but getting the funds to start up, and actually having people buy things and keep the place running may prove to be very hard...plus my degree is in International Studies, not marketing or business... :/
But who ever said that someone with a certain degree (or no degree) can't start up their own shop? ;)
I think I might try it out in the future.

New City, New Life.

I finally did it! I'm officially a University of Kentucky graduate! :)
After working my butt off for 18 years or schooling, I'm finally able to call my self an adult.  But what does being an adult really mean? Being able to pay your own water bills? Having to pay for insurance? Bah. I'm just happy that I have the freedom of being on my own, however I'm sure I'll get sick of it sooner or later.
With my family recently moved up to NY City, I'm all alone down in Indianapolis, living with my boyfriend, Tyler, of an almost two-year relationship. I'm currently looking for places to work, and hopefully I'll be able to find something soon.
I got an interview with Delta Airlines as being an International Flight Attendant for flights to Japan, but I always seem to be getting their voicemail (and they keep calling me back). It's a never-ending game of phone tag with these people! :<
I'm really, really interested in fiber arts now- specifically spinning yarn and knitting.  I'm pushing to opening my own art shop/studio where I teach multiple things from painting to spinning yarn.  Since there's no really good art/yarn shop downtown hopefully I'll be able to start one up. Or maybe even start working at a nearby one.
What I really want to do though is something with animals. Hopefully the zoo here will hire me with some kind of job. My dad keeps joking about how I'll be scooping up Elephant dung, but that doesn't bother me one bit. I like being around animals, no matter what I'm doing, although interacting with them is what I would prefer.

Hope everyone is having a good summer so far!
Cheers,

~Gnat.

School, Hobbies, Pets, and Dragon Ball Z.

So... school.  I'm not liking it right now, haha. I'm taking 20 credit hours (7 classes) because my advisor screwed me over.  She said I'd be fine with 15 hours each semester so far...until now. >: /  I'm also not liking this final graduation project. I have to write 20-25 pages over a topic I'm really not into.  It's jus way too complicated.

Hobbies!  I'm now earning to crochet! It's actually a lot simpler than knitting because every stitch you make you already fastened it off!- though I think knitted things look nicer.  And after knitting for over a year, I can basically make any kind of accessory/hat.  I still haven't tried making a sweater...I need to try that soon. :<

Pets!  So...I now have 3 snakes. :P  But I lost one of my hamsters, a mouse, several of my bettas, and my turtle. :'(

And DBZ-  My new re-found love. I really love re-living my childhood...plus I don't remember some things.

Enjoy!~