With Valentines Day around the corner, what better way to share love than to use your creativity to help some special children feel  l❤ved and supported?

Put Your Passion to Work!

If you are interested in putting your sewing, knitting, or crocheting talents to work for the good of others, I invite you to join the current “Littlest Warriors” (Project 16) at Craft Hope. We have participated in past projects and found it to be a great way to give back something creatively.  If you haven’t heard of them, please learn more about Craft Hope on their website. Jade Sims is the founder of Craft Hope, and continues to bring crafters and causes together to create items that are needed during crisis. Haiti, Birds rescued from the Oil spill, dresses for little girls in a Mexico shelter, and sock monkeys for the littlest burn victims, are just some of the successful projects at Craft Hope.

Cancer Breeds Warriors

The Littlest Warriors is their most current project, and they are asking for handmade beanies and bags for children that are facing a challenging journey with cancer. The children can carry their bags, filled with all their favorite things for their hospital visits, or treatments. You have the option to fill the bag with items that would delight any child (please use good sense, and keep safety in mind). Cute, unique, funky beanies are also desired (all sizes from babies to teens). And, don’t forget they need items for both boys and girls. It’s a great opportunity to create “stitches that count.” It doesn’t matter if you make one item, or 20, they are all needed, and wanted.

I hope that you will consider creating a special beanie or bag for a child that is so brave, and so appreciative.  The deadline is March 12, so there is still plenty of time. You can find all the information you need at Craft Hope.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” ~ Dalai Lama

The Reason

There are two reasons I love to make gifts myself for holidays…Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.

1. I feel the consumerism that surrounds Christmas and every other holiday has spun out of control. And I’m not the only one…this popped up this December. We all know what each holiday is about and why it exists, but we continue to throw store-bought gifts at them. I believe our love is more thoroughly shown through the time we spend, the memories we make, the love we share.
2. I enjoy it. There is a certain sense of accomplishment involved and my heart and soul goes into everything I make, large or small. Each gift is made especially for that certain someone and, usually, is the perfect choice for them. At least, I hope so!

I made over 30 gifts this year! I know, I know. But some gifts I made in multiples for kids, most were fairly simple, and some aren’t pictured here, like the now-infamous “marshmallow shooter”…this one was a real hit! Some are not my own design, but I adjusted the tutorials to suit my materials or time constraints. I DO want to give credit where credit is due, though. And I highly recommend all of these gifts, because they brought smiles, laughter, and appreciation from my friends and family. It was truly awesome!

The Tutorials

• Marshmallow Shooter
  Cost – $2.60. We adjusted the mouth piece, sanded the inner edges and painted them a sleek black. Also included the “plans” with instructions on the back as a gift tag. I was sure to send this gift to at least two kids and one 20-something, which elicited an all-out marshmallow war! My evil plan worked perfectly
• Tile Coasters
  Cost – $2.05. I used a multitude of different decorative papers I had on hand, including vintage magazines and free print-outs I found online. These took more time because of drying time in between the layers of glue. I also substituted furniture pads (small round ones) in the corners rather than felting the entire bottoms. Worked out really well – great gift for couples and families!
• Phone Case (original)
  Cost – nothing (had everything on hand). Made with a simple single crochet stitch, lined with cotton, edged with embroidery floss, and decorated with old t-shirt scraps and buttons.
• Sewing Jar
  Cost – $3.00 (bought jar, had sewing notions on hand). Making the top was a bit tricky, had to try twice to get it right, but finally got it to work. The rest is just putting lovely sewing material inside and labeling it. Done…my mom loved it!
• Gingerbread Playdough
  Cost – nothing (had everything on hand). So quick and easy! And smells amazing. Some basic kitchen ingredients, a labeled jar, and some old cookie cutters – genius! I heard the kids broke out the playdough the second they opened the gifts. Yay!
• Duct Tape Wallet
  Cost – $3.99 (unless you want to do a color combo). This is a bit more time consuming, but it’s really cool! My daughter and I even cut out shapes (which is not easy) to decorate the front of the wallet and then decided to throw in a $5 bill for the recipient Two gifts in one!
• Wool Bobby Pins
  Cost – $2.00 (used wool scraps). This uses needle felting, so you must have a needle felting kit of some kind to do this, but they are fairly inexpensive. I made a LOT of these and gifted two sets to the teen girls in my family. They turned out very well and were very well-received!
• Emergency Purse Kit
  Cost – nothing (main ingredient: Altoids tin) What can I say? We eat a lot of mints. Modge podged <– (new verb) a mint tin inside and out, then made a small sewing kit, dropped in some loose change, hair ties, aspirin, a cough drop, band-aid, and a bobby pin or two. You can’t believe how much use this gets! I have one in my purse too
• Crocheted Slouchy Hat (loosely adapted from this tutorial)
  Cost – $3.29 (or yarn on hand). This one takes crochet time and adjustments, but I made three and they all were a little different, but really cute! Hats that teenage girls will actually WEAR!
• T-shirt Infinity Scarf (original)
  Cost – nothing (recycled t-shirts.) Gather a few colorful t-shirts, cut large squares (same width), sew pieces together in a long rectangle, then sew lengthwise make a tube, then sew the ends together. It’s soft, it’s stretchy, and it’s colorful – so fun.
• Capelet (original)
  Cost – this would cost MORE than $5 to make because you would need 4-6 skeins of yarn, depending on length, but I wanted to show it because I’m so proud of it! Crocheted from two large rectangles, then sewn together halfway up short sides. Added a large permanent wood button and cinched the other side as embellishment. My 15 year old daughter was IN LOVE.
• Photo Jar
  Cost – nothing (a small jar & printed photo). This one is the simplest of them all, inspired from a photo on Pinterest. I sent a one pic of each of my daughters in small jars to their grandfather. Makes a sweet, unique gift for someone special.

Now, I know that you may not have all the materials on hand, like I did, for some of these projects, but even if you had to go out and buy the materials….they should still fall under $5, as long as you’re good at finding a bargain! Old t-shirts from Goodwill for $1.99, yarn on sale for $2.29, old jars from the thrift store….easy peasy! There aren’t any expensive “ingredients” in these gift tutorials. Have fun…try some out and let me know what you think!

So, show your love – in a BIG {homemade} way!

Warmly, Rachel

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds…

Not Even a Mouse / Penguin Christmas Card Set / Vintage Inspired Wreath

Felted Nativity Scene / Upcycled Snowflake Stocking / Eggnog Buttercreams

Snowstorm Hand painted Ornament / Christmas Owl Garland / Santa’s Cookie & Milk

Wishing everyone a Happy Handmade Holiday,
❅ ❅ ❅ Rachel & Bonnie ❅ ❅ ❅

Recycled Art, Vintage People

Sometimes creativity just runs through a person’s veins, and Terrie, of Temporary Insanity is one of those people.  Her and her husband are on a constant search for everything, and anything they can recycle into art.  The Vintage People are extroadinary creations  made from vintage hardware that has taken a new form.    She blames it on “Temporary Insanity” but we view as uniquely creative.   Terry has graciously accepted our invite for an interview, and we are thrilled, and priveledged to share her story with you.

Tell us a little about yourself. I have been creating art all my life. I had my first art show at my grandmother’s house when I was about five. My relatives obligingly paid dimes and even quarters for my first creations. If I remember correctly, they were drawn with crayon, the big box of 64 colors. Then I moved on to painted rocks that my uncle sold for me in his flower shop. Later, as a rebellious teenager, I began fashioning deerskin leather halter tops and purses. (Am I dating myself now?) They were adorned in hand cut lacing, feathers, and turquoise stones. As an adult I became a floral designer and later I started the first incarnation of Temporary Insanity. I wanted to work at home with my then two small children and I started a hand painted clothing business that had a cowboys and Indians theme.(I live in Colorado.) That lasted for seven years and we had a great run. Fun times!

Now I juggle my art with interior design, which I also consider to be an art form. My people come from all the stuff I’ve collected over the years, simply because I was attracted to it and knew that one day , it would become something real, like The Vintage People.
I am a full time interior designer with my own business, Design the Hall-Way, as well as an artist. Interior design is really a giant 3D collage, mixed media assemblage of colors and textures, space and form. When I am designing a home, a most personal, sacred space, I am creating art in 3-D for the person who lives there. I am very passionate about it!

One word that describes you. Quirky

One word that describes your designs. Original

Do you work better in quiet or chaos? I work better in chaos. Things are spread out all around me. If I can’t find something, I’m usually sitting on it. There is always music playing!

Do you have an idea in mind when you are searching for vintage or recycled pieces to create your artwork, or is it the other way around? Do you just find unusual items and then the inspiration begins? I look at things in a very different way now. I see body parts everywhere, in everything!

Are any of your altered art creations based on ACTUAL people?   What is your inspiration for your designs? The first Vintage People that I made were for Christmas presents for my family. I used their pictures and sentimental items that reminded me of each person. We painted a large tree on a couple of old doors and it became a “family tree.” As I start each Vintage Person, it’s like they reveal their story to me as they are created. I love writing up the story! They make me laugh. The more outrageous, the better, and yes, sometimes, I am thinking of someone I know.

What is your favorite creation or project that you’ve made? My favorite thing that I’ve made is probably the family tree. Everyone got such a kick out of it and they argued about who would get the door with the tree on it. It was very fulfilling.

Is there an art medium, or a craft that you would like to learn that you haven’t attempted yet? I want to learn how to paint and I want to learn the art of mosaics. I just joined a creativity cluster with other women and we are going to try our hand at clay next month. I love to brainstorm and work with a group!

Do you have any words of wisdom for other artisans? Hmmm….words of wisdom for other artists….do NOT listen to the voices in your head that say,”that’s not good enough. Who would buy that? So and so is a better artist than I am…blah, blah, blah.” You are not a judge of what you create. It is simply your job to create without any self-conscience, because your vision is unique!

It seems your life has taken many creative turns. Do you think you will still be doing this in five years? I don’t know if I will still be creating The Vintage People in 5 years, but I absolutely know that I will always be creating something because it makes me so happy!

Thank you,
Terrie Hall

A little “Temporary Insanity” is good for all of us!

Temporary Insanity Blog

Temporary Insanity on Facebook

Thank you Terrie, for sharing your creative journey with us!

Bonnie & Rachel

Once in awhile, I get a serious itch to try something new, and this is one of those times.  Rachel and I  know how to crochet, although we still have a lot to learn.  We admire those needle artists that crochet and knit such intricate, complicated designs, and drool with a little envy.  After looking at some knitting tutorials, working with TWO needles is just way too intimidating. ONE needle is enough of a challenge! Don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge, but this seemed to be a road to frustration.

Recently, I ran across a website promoting loom knitting, which is an ancient technique in it’s own right.  Are you familiar with this form of knitting?

THE HISTORY OF LOOM KNITTING: (Borrowed from internet, original author unknown)
Looms were used during the Middle Ages in France, Britain, Germany and other parts of Europe to knit tasseled caps, shawls, petticoats, blankets, stockings, bags, purses, sacks, nets, hammocks and curtains. It’s believed that the apprentices of Guilds knit the carpet required for their Master on frames (knitting boards) as well.

I was fascinated with the possibilities, and excited to try it.  Maybe I could actually learn how to knit!  I shared it with Rachel, and she was also intrigued and interested. I bet you can guess where I am going with this…

After a little internet searching, and research, I decided that we should order a knitting boards and round looms (it was conveniently Rachel’s birthday, so guess what I got her for her birthday?).

After 2 weeks, and a bit of awkwardness, we have managed to get the hang of the rib stitch and the stockinette stitch.  We have not actually made an item yet, but I am gearing up, and with a little luck, skill, and perseverance, you will begin to see knitted items appearing in the TLC Inspirations Artfire and Etsy shops.  I am beginning to understand how  all the stitches, amazingly, come together.  I am fascinated with yarns, and threads, and how they can be be woven, stitched, knitted, knotted, crocheted, embroidered, twisted, and crafted into so many beautiful creations.  The texture, color, and movement conjures up endless possibilities.   I will be thrilled if I can create a great hat and scarf or a cozy, warm shawl to wrap around my shoulders when our predicted cold winter arrives.  These knitting loom techniques have inspired  us to step out of our comfort zones and broaden our horizons.

Here we go, into the busy holiday season!  Have fun!

Just a reminder that we will have a crafty new artisan interview (who will it be??) and our giveaway coming soon.  Thanks to all of our readers.  We hope you enjoy our posts, as we try to post a little something for everyone’s interest, and share a piece of our daily lives with you.

Bonnie & Rachel

“True art is characterized by an irresistible urge in the artist.” ~ Albert Einstein