Bead Bazaar Buys...

I went to the The Bead Society of Greater Washington's latest Bead Bazaar last Sunday with my friend @aurenta, who makes really cool jewelry.  Got this stuff (and more).

SUPPLIES!

In addition to some beads (obviously), I got lots and lots of findings at one booth because they had the nicer ear wires that I like, adorable little bead caps, and fancy head pins, all in just about every finish I like.  I only showed one color here, because I couldn't get them all nicely in one picture.

I also got some really cool "ribbon" made of recycled saris, which I'm hoping I can incorporate into some ribbon embroidery projects.  The vendor that had those also had some really neat enameled pieces (you might be able to see the tiny teal gear in the picture).  They also have all the supplies you need to enamel things yourself, which was very tempting, but I'm pretty sure I might get murdered* if I begin another type of craft.  

If you live in the Maryland/Metro DC area, I recommend checking out the next Bazaar.  You can usually get a coupon for discounted admission on their website.  

*given a disappointed look by my husband

There. I made a cross-stitch.

First I free-handed a  branch...

Fancy.

Then I added some ribbon embroidery cherry blossoms with a lazy daisy stitch and some French knots.  Except I couldn't find silk ribbon in any store, so I used satin ribbon, which doesn't really work for ribbon embroidery, but OH WELL.

Finished cherry blossom embroidery.

Tootsie Rolls as Modeling Clay

Ah, the first week of November, when the only food you have in the house is leftover Halloween candy.  (Or is that just me?  Please don't say I'm the only one that has this problem!)  The best candy, as far as I'm concerned is the rare and wonderful "Tootsie Fruit Roll".  Not only are they more delicious than chocolate Tootsie Rolls, they also make excellent crafting materials.

These.  Buy them ALL.

10.31.11 Scott Pilgrim WIP

I've finally advanced far enough on my Scott Pilgrim project to actually produce a WIP picture that actually looks like something. Here's what I have so far:

For reference, this is what I'm attempting to recreate. I figure going character by character is my best bet, so I've started in the top right corner with Nega-Scott.

Polymer Clay Horns Tutorial

No time to order horns from Bunny's Craft Hutch?  Why not make your own?  

Supplies needed:

1) At least 1 ounce of polymer clay (Sculpey III, Premo!, Fimo, etc.) Usually I use about half a 2-ounce package for one pair of horns.

2) Long thin tool to make the holes in the horns. I use the medium Sculpey Etch n’ Pearl tool, but you can use a large needle or something similar.

3) Cord, ribbon or elastic to attach the horns to your head. You will need enough to go around the top of your head, tying at the nape of your neck, plus 2-3 inches to allow for the knots. I usually use about 42” of cord per pair of horns.

4) Clean, level work surface.  (I usually cover my surface with wax paper, especially when working with red clay, which tends to stain.)

5) Cutting blade

6) OPTIONAL – Clay pasta machine, if you prefer to use one to condition the clay.

Tdro's Costume Theory

Anyone who knows me knows that I never, ever, ever just go to a store and buy a costume (unless I'm crunched for time or money, or I don't have a good idea for a costume, or I'm feeling lazy, that is).  Using my most recent costume, I will do my best to explain my Costume Theory.  Here I am, dressed as Mrs. Lovett from the musical Sweeney Todd.  Obviously I'm more inspired by the Helena Bonham-Carter version than the Angela Landsbury version, but I'm still not striving for a perfect copy of her movie outfits.  I think that even if you can't sew a full costume from scratch, you should be able to easily put together a good, comfortable costume that didn't come with a plastic mask.

Bleeding Jell-O Heart

My favorite Halloween dessert is found in the pages of Penn & Teller's "How to Play With Your Food", and you should probably just go buy a copy right now because it is THAT GOOD.  If you don't want to spend money on what is arguably one of the coolest books ever made, that's fine, you can find the recipe here instead.

I made this heart with raspberry-flavored Jell-O, and it was the best-tasting one I've made so far.  But when you make this dessert, be prepared for the inevitable portion of your guest who will NOT eat it, no matter how many times you sing the jingle or say, "There's ALWAYS room for Jell-O!" maniacally.