My find for my card making supplies

So while I do not have any new projects (I do have several unfinished projects such as : cable knit scarf, tiny amigurumi dragon, vday card, amigurumi eggs, crochet cowl scarf, knitted infinity scarf) <~ oi vey
I wanted to show you these new cardstock I stumbled upon at TJ Maxx. Rarely, do I fall in love with a cardstock pack. Usually I will like a couple of designs in the packet plus it's on sale, so it makes it worth it. But I think I would have paid full price for these pack because I loved EVERY single sheeeeet.

Take a look at a couple. It's by K&C Company Designer Pack titled 'Daydreams'

How... whimsical are these patterns? I have not yet figured out what I could do with these cardstocks but I do have high hopes! Hope to display them on the blog soon.

Tip to save money: While I know that every TJ Maxx is different due to where they get their inventory, the local TJ Maxx near me has random scrapbooking supplies marked down very cheap. For example, the pack of these 12x12 36 sheet cardstock was only 4.99 compared to 19.99 at AC Moore or Michaels. I also purchased two EK punches for 3.99 each compared to 10.99 - 14.99 at AC Moore or Michaels. The trick to buying items at TJ Maxx or similar is to not buy crap. It's so easy to see the discounted prices and justify that you will use all the supplies. But I promise, there are reasons why a good chunk of these items end up at TJ Maxx. Nobody wanted them to begin with. 

Focus on items that have multiple uses. For example, butterfly and heart punches are usually safe bets that it will get used. A witches hat punch probably won't find much use. A textured colored cardstock is a basic necessity for card making so purchasing them is a great buy. Metallic sparkles.. probably not so much. But I guess you can argue personal tastes!

Anywho, I hope to have more interesting entries to come!

A sneak peek...

It's hard to keep things coming.. especially when I am working a couple of days in a row. Work tends to sap my energy for anything creative :T

I promise this crafty blog will have some variety fairly soon! Christmas cards in march? :)

Anywho, here is my sneak peeeeeeek!

i love eggs!

Amigurumi Teddy Bears

Obviously when I first learned how to make amigurumis, making a teddy bear was top on my list to make. I researched a lot of different patterns and came across this adorable little teddy bear from ImaginaryWardrobe. The blogger had taken two different patterns to create something she was looking for. I loved the effect so much that I tried it myself.

Light brown bear was my first attempt and I had to admit, as I was crocheting it, I found it odd that the arms were so much longer than the leg of the pattern called out for. So I made some minor adjustments along the way to get it in a proportion that I thought was cute for the pattern.

I also threw on a scarf for the little fella, since it was the middle of winter and he looked a tiny bit cold. The pattern called for some embroidering skills, which I admit are less than perfect.

I also crocheted a pink version of the bear, this time making it a little bit taller than the original. I also crocheted the mouth rather than cutting up a piece of felt and made the ear a little bit bigger as the original just looked too small.

The two of them together! 

Fin.

Crafty... grace?

This entry is dedicated to my sister who crafted me a bag for christmas. I was so impressed with her handiwork and skills that I wanted to feature her "crafty" skills on my blog.

The bag is intended to be a camera bag and therefore provides padding in the lining. It's also extremely versatile as the long straps allows me to sling the bag over my shoulder when I need a free hand for my camera.

The attention to details that she had put into the bag is remarkable and I would have easily paid good money for the bag. But fortunately, I was able to get it for free!!

So without further ado:

Amigurumi Cupcakes

I recently started learning how to make amigurumi. According to wiki:


"Amigurumi (編みぐるみ^?, lit. knitted stuffed toy) is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures."


Anywho, as per special request from a friend of mine, I was petitioned to make cupcakes. I searched for the perfect cupcake pattern. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I did know I wanted something that was realistic and had swirly frosting on top! I hate paying for anything I don't have to, but unfortunately none of the free patterns online was quite what I was looking for. In the end, I bit my tongue and bought not ONE but THREE patterns from etsy. Of the three, I finally settled down on a pattern from Stripeyblue. For just $4.99, I found myself with a pattern of these swirly yummy goodness!! 


The pattern was fairly easy to decipher and I found it to be less complicated than I thought. So enough words, here are some pictures of my final 4. While my cupcake is not as perfect as the one from stripeyblue, and I am lacking the cupcake wrapper (couldn't find the right crocheting yarn), I made up for it by adding my own flair to each cupcakes.


Vanilla cupcake with pink sprinkles

Chocolate cupcake with pink frosting (Decorative flower was made from a pattern by Attic24)

Red velvet (my favorite!!)

And for a little twist, Berry cupcake with pomegranate flavored frosting! (The tiny strawberry pattern is from a Japanese amigurumi book : Amigurumi Sweets!)

The group together :D

All packed up, ready to go to their owner. Delicious looking and fat free.

And for my final note, a good blog entry takes a lot of planning and effort. Hope I can keep this up!

The beginning

I've attempted several different blogs, but at this moment I am pretty determined to tackle this one with style. This will be my new year resolution, to document and write about my several hobbies. I hope this blog blossoms into a blog that can show the different hobbies I am involved in. These include but not limited to: crocheting, amigurumi, knitting, card-making, photography. I also hope to offer resources by channeling the many great resources I have found on the internet for people to refer to. Here's the beginning of what will hopefully be a long fun filled journey!