Ole-Talk

Garden Beauties

 Have a happy Saturday!

Hand Painted Yarn | Results and More

Remember my hand painted yarn from last week? Well Rhonda took them home and steamed and dried them to set the color.

Freshly hand painted and still wet

And here are the results...

Still in skeins

After winding them.

Are you as surprised as I was when I saw the results.  I love the colors but never would have thought this would be the result.  I know they also look the same but in person you can see the subtle difference in the colors.  The one on the right is slightly more vibrant...at least in my opinion.  I can not wait to knit with them.

This week we painted two more skeins. 

Wet yarn from week 2

I decided to try a different approach and was very meticulous with my first one (top) using only three colors but layering two of them and applying less dye as we have discovered that less is more in this case.  However, it still looked very similar to last week. So with my second skein (bottom) I completely changed my method and colors as I really want a variety of yarn at the end of this all.  I am sure they will both look nothing like this when I get them back next week after the steaming and drying process but I know I will love whatever happens.

Rhonda also let us wind skeins of some awesome fingering weight yarn that she will treat and bring to the next class for us to hand paint.  I am so excited about this as I can already envision the wonderful pair of socks (or other item) that I will make with this.

Thanks for checking in as the journey continues.  Stay tuned for more...we have three classes left.

Caught the Sewing Bug

I have caught the sewing bug again!  I have been stock piling various sewing projects on my Pinterest board and this past week I finally made it to the fabric store to get supplies to try a few projects.  I am trying not to put to much pressure on myself and aiming for one project a week.  Here's the first thing that I made.

The idea for this came from these two pins here and here.  I forgot just how satisfying it is to cut fabric and turn it into something functional and pretty.  I think that most of my projects will be home decor and accessories but I may dabble in the odd skirt and top if they are easy to make.

Thanks for looking!

Hand Painted Yarn | First Try

I am currently doing a hand painted yarn and knitting class through RISD Continuing Education taught by the very talented Rhonda Fargnoli.  Last night we got to paint our first couple skeins of yarn using organic dyes from Seattle!

Natural Yarn - the starting point - already boiled and prepped by Rhonda!

Some of the organic dyes

Painting in process!

Loving the colors!

First finished skein - looks completely different now it is hanging!

Some of the work from my classmates!

Two skeins painted and ready to be steamed!

Sionan's wonderful colors!

The yarns now have to be steamed and then dried to set the colors.  I can't wait to put them on my swift and wind them into balls.  I am sure I will be surprised and amazed at just what we end up with.  And of course can't wait to knit something with what I have created.

Next week we will be painting some more skeins and for the last three weeks of class using what we create to make something.  Stay tuned for more!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sister Sketch | Summer Flowers 2012

I can't believe it is June already and time for another Sister Sketch!  This month our sketch is from Page Maps.

Source

Here is my take on it showing the flowers that I planted this year as well as some beautiful lilies that bloom evey year.

I had originally planned to turn this into a 12 x 12 layout but decided at the last minute to stick to the original size and basic layout of the sketch as it worked really well for my photos.

Some close up shoots.

This flower accent is a cut out from a full photo that did not make it onto the layout but I loved it so much that I had to find a way to use it.

Now hop on over to Francine's blog to see her take on this sketch.

This month we would also love it if you will play aloing with us.  Enter your link below to show us what you did with the sketch. 

 

Depending on the response we will make linking up a normal feature of Sister Sketch!

Thanks for joining us again this month!

Summery Birthday Card

A fun summery card that I made for my friend Kristen's birthday!

I used the last of the basic card forms that you can see in this post.  I wanted to soften the look of the black and white so I covered it with this vellum like paper after punching a flower border.  Added some ribbon, a rub on and the sentiment and voila..summery, feminine birthday card.

Close ups!

Thanks for stopping by!

Baby Shower Fever | Take 6

Here it is my last post in my baby shower fever series.  The favors and decorations that I made for Kristen's shower.  Thanks Kristen for helping me put the favors together.  I don't think I could have filled all those jars myself!

Shower favors, inspired by this idea and this idea. 


All packed and ready to go!

Basket for thank you envelopes an idea that I borrowed from Carol and Leah's shower.

Please leave a message or wish for baby Cronin.  I got this idea from here.

Cupcakes, extra favors and tissue paper pom pom!
Cupcakes!
Favors!Pom Pom!

Baby Boy Banner (and yes it is the same one I used here)

Tables with favors and decorations!

And this concludes my baby shower fever series.  If you made it this far thank you for sticking with me.  You can find the other posts in my series through these links Take 1, Take 2, Take 3, Take 4 and Take 5.

Baby Shower Fever | Take 5

As promised in my last baby shower fever post I am sharing what I did for my friend Kristen's baby shower at the end of May.  I had a lot of fun coming up with ideas and then making all the stuff.  Today I will share the cupcakes that I made and tomorrow I'll show you all the decorations.

I made both chocolate with a chocolate Hersey kiss in the middle and ginger maple spice.  Both were frosted with buttercream tinted blue of course.  The toppers were paper ones that I print and cut with my Silhouette and then attached to lollipop sticks.

The other topper that I did were little candy pacifiers and booties made with melt and pour chocolate and molds.  It was my first time using the melt and pour and it was the easiest thing ever.  If I knew just how easy it was to make chocolate shapes I would have been melting and pouring a long time ago.

Here are a couple of close ups!

And here they are all packed up and ready to go.

Check back tomorrow for the last of my baby shower fever posts.

Happily Ever After Wedding Card

Wow...I did not realize just how long it has been since I blogged.  Anyway I am back and with some eye candy...my latest card. 

My good friends Laura and Justin got married last weekend (congrats again to them) and this is the card that I made for them.

I love the simply elegance that black, white and gray bring to this card.

The image of the couple and the sentiment were both cut using my Silhouette machine.  The figures were cut from black cardstock and then I cut the dress and the shirt from using white paper and then layered them.  The sentiment is a print and cut shape.

Some close ups

A interesting tidbit about this card is that all the paper used to make it has been in my stash for over four years.  Just goes to show that you don't always need the newest and greatest to make stunning creations.

Thanks for looking!