...In a Flash...

So, as some of you know, awhile ago I began to be interested in round knitting looms. And I even made my own knitting looms out of tin cans and cotter pins or nails. I even wrote instructions on how to make your own here.

But then I came across a blog here that had instructions for a unique way of making what the author calls flexible knitting looms. These looms are flexible because lack a frame. They are made up of pegs (made from things like ball point pens or cocktail stirrers), beads that are used as spacers, and rubber bands to hold it all together.

In my opinion, based on the ones I made, they are a little bit awkward to use. But still they have their advantages. Including being able to make them any size you want...just add more pegs and you have a larger loom for larger items.

Using the flexible knitting loom idea I made a mini-loom with less than a dozen plastic cocktail stirrers and some hair rubber bands I got at the grocery store, some pony beads from the craft store. I also made one that creates smaller stitches by using nails as my pegs...kinda odd, but it works. And with these mini knitting looms I made a couple "flash drive or Chapstick cozies."

Pictured here is a knit little cozy that holds my flash drive. The cozy is attached to my keys so I hopefully won't lose this one like I did my other one (which I think fell out of my purse).

It's made out of some blue and brown, nubby like yarn that I found at the thrift store and then added an old button to close it and keep it's contents secure inside.

Not only does this little cozy hold a flash drive, but, because of it's small size, it's something that can be knitted up in a flash too.

Keeping Your Keys Covered

I've just been making two kinds of covers for keys.

First I was looking at those plastic covers that covers the top of the keys. And I started to wonder if I could make some myself. When I saw some that were made of leather stitched together I knew it could be done, so I made two practice versions made of felt. They need some adornment, but they turned out well enough...and very simple to make.

The next one is a key cozy. I saw some on a Japanese crafting website and thought it was pretty interesting. So I decided to make my own, but again I turned to using felt to make it easier.

I don't know how the Japanese use these, but this could be worn as a "necklace" or around your wrist, or loop around your purse handles...or just toss in your bag.

I posted a how to tutorial on how to do the key cozy here.

Game of Love?

Today I tried my hand at creating my first downloadable, digital collage art sheet for people to use in their art collage, scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc. and try to list it for sale at etsy.com and shophandmade.com. I priced it for a teeny bit less at shophandmade since they don't charge me anything to list with them (for now anyway).

The idea for it is based on some vintage Bingo cards I have. But instead of saying Bingo, these say LUCKY, DREAM, ADORE, and SWEET on them instead of BINGO. All four "cards" come on one jpg image 8 1/2 by 11 inch in size.

Kinda cute, neh? Would be nice for Valentine's Day maybe. I'll have to try making some altered art collage or something with them myself.

I have some ink jet transparency sheets that are meant to be used with overhead projectors. I'm thinking of maybe printing this out onto that and doing something creative that way. But I don't know for sure what I'll do. But whatever it is, it will be ingenious, I tell you, or my name isn't Ebenezer...uhm, well my name isn't that...never mind.

Vintage Wallpaper & Bingo Card Pockets

I spent some time the other day making these two little "pockets" out of vintage bingo cards on one side and vintage wallpaper on the other sewn together. And lace and other bits and bobs used to create a sort of collage art on both sides of the pocket as well. They have lace handles so you can hang them on a doorknob or anywhere else you can hang things, and then tuck things like love notes or whatever you like inside.

Dream Pocket
The first one is my "dream" pocket hanger. On one side is the bingo card with a "price tag" that says "dream" on it, a rose made of ribbon placed within a slide thing, lace, etc. And on the back side is the vintage wallpaper. Glued to it is a little doily folded in half so it forms a little pocket as well, and it has the word "dream" taken from a dictionary page tucked in it, and a paragraph clipped out of a copy of the Simple Abundance book is pasted onto a cute bit of ribbon with pink roses on it, and the word Dream is written on the wallpaper as well.


Dress: A Reflection of Your Mood Pocket
This next one is my "dress" pocket hanger. On one side is a page from the book Simple Abundance with a quote on it. And just underneath is a scoop shaped pocket made from cute pink, vintage wallpaper. Part of an old children's dictionary with the definition for the word dress has been glued onto the wallpaper. And a little rose made from ribbon is glued on as well. Along the bottom is a fringe of pink pom-poms.

On the back side is a bingo card. With clip outs of words and cute images from an old children's dictionary, a bit of ribbon, and little white flowers.

I had so much fun making these that I'm sure to make some more.

Attitude of Gratitude #1

It used to be a regular practice of mine to keep a gratitude journal. For many months now I've lapsed from keeping that up. But life always seemed to flow smoother (despite the bumps) and be more pleasing when I wrote regularly. So I thought, for today at least, to write down what I'm grateful for here in my blog.

I am grateful for my health. For the past few years I have struggled with health problems. I've had times that were so bad that it literally took every bit of strength and determination I had to just get out of bed in order to make it to the bathroom, and I'd come back to bed and collapse. Slowly I learned about various nutrition supplements that have helped, but never completely. I've learned to not take my health so much for granted. This past month however I've seen dramatic changes in my health for the better. I still struggle, tire easily and faster than most. But I've accomplished so much in this past month without becoming bed ridden that it's close to miraculous. I am very blessed.

I am grateful for learning about the power my thoughts have upon me. I attribute my better health in large part to learning how to deal with the pervasive negative thoughts I've carried around with me most of my life, that permeated me from my mind and into my body and soul. Robbing me of energy, peace, and good health. I've experienced such dramatic changes in my thinking over several months, and I feel those changes emotionally and physically too. Perhaps I have a long way to go. But if negative thoughts could be weighed I'd say I've lost at least a half ton of negative thinking already. I am extremely grateful to have learned that not everything I have believed about myself and other is true. And that through learning that I have more love within.

I am grateful for letting go of clutter. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post I had a yard sale and took most of what was left over to the charitable thrift store, Deseret Industries. Every now and then, in this society since many of us tend to gather more than we need, it's important to let go. It's a time of removing old layers no longer needed, to reveal the fresh and new underneath. Although sometimes I struggle with letting go, afraid that somehow I'll make the wrong choices, still it's liberating. Lightening my load. I believe that sometimes with letting go of physical things we also let go of thoughts and beliefs we had attached to those items as well. Letting go of objects that remind us of painful times, for example, can be a symbolic ritual of letting go of the painful thoughts and emotions regarding those times as well.

I am grateful for this furry little animal that just climbed onto my lap right now. This cat reminds me not to take myself to seriously (she seems to take herself pretty seriously...or maybe that's just me projecting my own stuff onto her). I am grateful to her coming to me and Insisting I show her some affection when she so desires I do so. At this time in my life I probably give more of myself to this gray bundle of fur than to anyone else. She teaches me patience and kindness...and just makes me laugh now and then.

I am grateful for creativity. Creativity is such an important part of my life. So much of what I do, even a lot of the ordinary and mundane things, I somehow put a spin of creativity into it, or at least I would like to. I seem to often be happiest when I am challenging my mind with how can I do this better, make this look cooler, what would be unique and look wonderful, etc. I don't often succeed at coming up with anything, but I at least like to try. Whether I am taking some baking soda, dish soap, and essential oils to make my own cleaning products to clean the sink with or re-arranging a store display in the hopes of making the place more inviting, comfortable, or beautiful or making a crazy collage out of old bingo cards and other ephemera the expression of creativity brings so much joy to me.

Okay, I think that's five...the amount I would normally do. I'll try to remember to do some more gratitude entries in the future.