Watercolor Pencil Roll

Daily journaling comes and goes with me, unless it's a special occasion.

 Sometimes I make a conscious effort to journal and then sometimes I feel I'm too busy. Since I'm not a good writer and have never been able to express myself in words, I tend to lean more towards pictures to describe how I feel at the moment. 

My process is.... add color first, then simple but brief thoughts in words.  

Throughout my journaling years, I have tried many ways of keeping a journal (acrylic paints, collage, mixed media) and I always return to the easiest and most convenient way. I tend to journal on the couch or laying in bed in the evenings, so for me, watercolor pencils are the easiest and most convenient tools to journal with.
I just added a few more colors to my watercolor pencil collection, and I didn't want to just throw them in my journal bag, so I thought I would experiment a bit.

I came up with a Watercolor Pencil Roll.

I kind of measured the size I would need, but that got confusing, so I just started cutting fabric and sewing.  That's normally how I roll ;)
I just knew that it had to hold at least 24 pencils and fit in my journal bag. The closure was the trickiest part, but after several "rip outs," it all came together.

My journal bag consists of black markers (I love my black markers, so I have about 6 different ones), white gel pen, scissors, ruler, Tombo adhesive and watercolor pencils.
The roll does add bulk to my bag, but I like having all the colors laid out in front of me.

Each pencil has it's own sleeve.
I kind of misjudged the space of each sleeve, so I only ended up with 22 sleeves as opposed to 24, but in the end it all worked out because I discovered that I really don't use the white or the light grey pencil.
Only time will tell if this roll works out to be convenient, but I always enjoy a challenge.

Chau!

Rag Rug Update and Gingerbread Creations

Here is an update on my current rag rug. I felt it needed some blue, so I threw a medium shade of blue in. It seems to stand out quite a bit, but I think I'll work with it for a few rows to see how it blends in. It measures 15" right now.

Moving to a different topic altogether, I wanted to share a few gingerbread creations that the high school kids from my homeschool group made. We usually wrap up our last week before Christmas break with gingerbread houses. The high school kids get to go all out by splitting up into groups and spending most of the day working on their creations.

The Avengers

The Hobbit

Christmas in London
(you can't really see it, but the road is made from hershey bar pieces)

Pretty awesome, huh?

Another Rag Rug, Hopefully A Huge One

I really want a rug for my living room, and I want it to be huge. Well, that's my goal, anyway. 

Initially, I told myself that I was only going to use the fabric in my stash, but honestly.....

a rug this big is going to require some additional fabric.

I found this fabric on clearance at JoAnn's. Look at these amazing colors!

Here is the fabric sprinkled in the rug so far. You can see the fabric in the upper left hand corner of the picture and how it takes on a different look in the rug.

What do you think? 

Can you picture the rug on a beautiful hardwood floor, with brown leather furniture, throw pillows in colors pulled from this fabric?

Yes! Yes! I see it!

Gotta get to work, Chau!

The Pencil Pouch That Turned Out Too Small

Have you ever started a project, and half way through you realize that it's not going to turn out exactly like you planned?

This was one of those projects. This pouch is a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I always forget that things shrink because of seam allowance and the zipper.

It will hold about 5 copic markers or a small set of colored pencils, but not big enough for the journal supplies I carry around.

It is cute, though! 

I will try another.

Recycling Project and Another Rag Rug

Do you have an old comforter laying around?

Don't throw it away!

Wash it, fold it in quarters and stitch the three sides up.

 Now, it's a doggie bed. 

 Every time I tried to take Maggie's picture, the flash would go off, and she would get up and leave, with a disgusted sigh.  I finally snuck up on her, and clearly she is refusing to have her picture taken. 

She really does like her new bed, though.

Here is a rag rug in progress. I'm not quite sure how big I'll make it because I'm kind of running out of browns. 

I feel like I'm still in the experimental stages of rug making, but it's so cool to see strips of fabric being transformed into a rug.

Chau!

A New Attempt At Rag Rugs

I was at my local fabric shop when I spotted this rag rug pattern. This is a technique that results in a toothbrush rug.  The kit actually comes with a starter piece so you can practice the stitch. Well, I didn't get it at first, but you know that old saying......

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

And, since I'm obsessed with making a rag rug :)

You're not suppose to have a hole in the middle, but at least I figured out the stitching. Yay!

So, it became a chair pad.

(Sorry about the terrible picture.)

I really like this technique, and I find it doesn't strain my hands and wrists as much as crocheting or knitting with fabric. I'm also loving the fact that I can use up all the old fabric stash that doesn't appeal to me anymore. 

Until next time, Chau!

A Sweet Little Purse

Here's a quick gift idea, and a great way to use up some fabric stash. 

I found this pattern at my local fabric shop.

I added a wrist strap on this one for my daughter.

I can see adjusting the size of this pattern to make a purse for a particular need.

Sometimes, A Project Just Isn't Meant To Be Finished

I guess before I talk about what I've been up to in the studio, I should talk about what projects are not going to be finished, just in case I have a few readers who were looking forward to seeing these projects completed. 

In the last month or so, I have shared projects in progress like this........

rag rug

I wasn't happy with the way it was turning out, so I decided not to spend anymore time on it.

And, then there is this.......

bag

I may finish this bag, but not anytime soon. It just wasn't holding my attention.

Now! The rag rug thing is very intriguing, so I've been playing around with fabric stash that has been around for way too long. I have been trying to crocheting fabric, and it's quite painful! I'll share why in a moment, but first, here is what I crocheted.....

pot holders!

I know, you're saying hmmm.

Ok, the reason I said crocheting fabric is painful is because first (according to one way of instructions I came across) you cut strips, sew them together and turn it into bias tape. The reason for making the tape is to have a more professional look with finished edges.

After a few hours, you end up with a few yards of tape ready to crochet.

The painful part is actually crocheting because if your crochet stitches are as tight as mine, then it's a struggle to make a stitch. Fabric does not respond like yarn when crocheting. My right elbow was Sooo sore the day after making these that I knew I would not be making more. 

Anyway, I do not mean to discourage you from trying because I have seen some beautiful crocheted rag rugs, and that is what inspired me to give it a try. Take a look on Google for crocheted rag rugs and see what I mean. I just know it's not for me. 

Peanuts Gang Pillow Cases

Look at this adorable Peanuts Gang fabric.

When I saw this fabric, a couple people came to mind, and I knew I had to make something with it. 

One Christmas present done!

Halloween Pillow Case

My daughter requested a Halloween pillow case for trick or treating this year.

The problem is....she thinks she needs to fill it up.

Sewing Pockets and An iPod Case

Here is a quick update on my bag. 

It was coming along until I saw the need to make an iPod case. 

My daughter carries her iPod everywhere, and I cringed when I saw her pull it out of her softball bag yesterday. It was naked among all her gear. 

I remembered seeing this wool felt case in my Sew It All magazine, so I made one for my daughter.

Everything was going great until I tried to tuck the flap inside. It's not very convenient because the flap sticks to the felt. I don't want to make it a hassle for my daughter to use because then she won't use it.

Using the flap on the outside hides the pretty flower, so I had to make a few quick adjustments.

I trimmed the flap and added velcro.

Then I added a button to hide the velcro stitching. This was a quick little project that took me a couple hours to do, and now my daughter's iPod has a little protection.

Making Another Bag

I'm still experimenting with the Bag Book. 

Since this is a test run for this bag, I decided to use some old pair of jeans.

It's been slow going, but the process is fun.

Chau!

Some Little Mouse Ate My Candy Bar!

These are my painting smocks and aprons I have hanging in the studio. Once in a while I stash a chocolate candy bar in my pocket. You know! For those stressful creative times?

Well, some little mouse ate right through the inside of my pocket and helped himself/herself to my candy bar! 

I just hope it died of a chocolate overdose!! 

A Day On The Farm and A New Bag

Since school started, I have spent less time in the studio. My weekdays are now full of schoolwork, homeschooling groups and taking care of my family, and the weekends go by too fast.

On that note, every year around this time, our homeschooling group takes a field trip to a local farm where the kids get a tour of the farm and a few hours playing while the parents fellowship.

We couldn't have asked for a prettier day.

There are lots of fun activities for the kids, including a petting zoo, pedal cars, a corn maze (just to mention a few.)

Burying each other in the corn pit is always a must.

and picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch tops the day off.

Meanwhile.........as I adjust into the groove of juggling school, family, and me time,  I did manage to make the flat bottom girl bag out of my new bag book this week.

I used linen and some floral material out of my stash.

Chau!

More Rag Rug and A New Book

I figured out why all the pictures I take in the craft room all come out looking dingy. It's the lighting! Duh, Linda!

I went to Home Depot and did a little home work. You're probably saying "just change out the bulbs." That is an option, but lighting fixtures have come a long way since these 20 year old ones, so why not replace the fixtures? Not to mention, the new ones would be more energy efficient.

 Anyway, on the way home from Home Depot, I happen to come across a garage sale and picked up a blue and pink t-shirt, so I added a few rows to the rag rug in progress.

Once again, sorry for the dingy picture. 

Oh, I also stopped by the fabric store for thread and came home with this new book. 

Now, who doesn't want to make their own bag?

A Very Colorful Rag Rug

I started working on a rag rug to put next to my daughter's bed. Her room is very colorful. Can you tell? I chose to use t-shirts, which I think gives the rug a softer feel.

The center is a tie dye t-shirt I found at a garage sale.

Guess what I'll be doing this weekend? Hitting the garage sales looking for t-shirts. 

If this rug turns out, I'll be making one to go next to my bed.

 I'll be sure to do a step by step tutorial on the next one.

Have you ever made a rag rug? Please share.

Chau!