Skip navigation

Category Archives: crafting

Whimsey: August (1)

[EDIT: Here‘s part two.]

Yes, August.  I realize that it’s Octobear now.  I just didn’t get around to doing anything with the August box until now.  That’s all.  So anyway…

My August box came with slightly more promising crafts.  The project idea in my box was for a painted pattern scarf (I personally think it should be “painted, patterned scarf” but it’s not my choice).  And here is the image that they included with the directions:

Links to original post.

Um…that’s great.  Except…that’s not the project in my box.  Also, I’m not a fan of scarves.  SoCal does not get cold enough for a scarf. And I digress…

ANYHOW!  I did say that the craft was more promising for this month, and it’s true.  While my project was not actually a painted, patterned scarf, it did involve fabric dye and cloth-not-suitable-for-a-scarf.  I received a largish square of white cloth and a 29mL jar of DecoArt ink effects (personally, I think it should be “Ink Effects” but again, it’s not my choice).  And I guess this is the real link to the project.

I’ve actually been looking for a good fabric paint or dye that’s suitable to use for younger children.  And…I’m not sure if the ink effects product is it.  What’s different about ink effects versus other dye/paint products is that it kind of is both a paint and a dye.  You use it like paint and paint it onto paper.  Then you can iron transfer on the design you’ve painted and it becomes part of the fabric, like a dye.  You can use your design up to three times.  Painting on paper lets you control your design better and dying the cloth keeps the design on your cloth longer.  I really like this idea.  I’m having some issues trying to execute it though.

So what did I do with all the materials Whimseybox gave me?  Well, first off, I ended up with a bottle of PINK dye.  Luck of the draw.  Too bad I really dislike the color pink.  Well, it might not be so much the color pink that I dislike but all the societal constructs that go with the color.  It bothers me.  A lot.  So, it took me awhile to figure out what I was going to do with all this pink.

I ended up deciding on a strawberry pattern.  Strawberries are pink…ish.  And I thought strawberries were more interesting than the original polka dot idea I had.  So I quickly penciled out some different sized strawberries on a normal sheet of 8.5″ x 11″ paper.  I decided to make them all point the same direction instead of sprinkling them haphazardly all over the paper.

To make the seeds, I used a push pin and punched little holes into the strawberries.  Color obviously can’t transfer if there isn’t any there.  Also, it beat trying to not paint all these little spaces in the strawberries.  Incidentally, Whimseybox provided me with three brushes.  None of which I used.  I like MY brushes, thankyouverymuch.  But I can definitely use more brushes when I actually do a project with the kids.

After ironing the pattern onto the cloth, I meant to put the green tops on using a fabric marker.  Because remember, I only have a jar of pink.  Except…the ink didn’t transfer quite like I was hoping.  Looks like I’ll have to work out the kinks before working on an actual project.  My first attempt, I thought maybe I had let the ink dry too long.  I’ve seen instructions to let it dry between 30-45 minutes.  It was actually a few days before I got to ironing the first time around.  The result wasn’t even and generally didn’t transfer much by way of color.  The second time, I let the ink dry for about 30 minutes and then I ironed it onto the other half of the cloth.  Approximately the same results.  Soooo…I’ll have to work on this.  I have grand ideas for this strawberry print.

Oh, FYI, they’ve dropped the price back down to 15$, which is much more reasonable.  Go ahead and give Whimseybox a try.

[EDIT: Here‘s part two.]

I make! Baby rattle card edition

Welp, I broke my streak last week.  It had been nine straight weeks of crafting related posts on Fridays.  I couldn’t get my act together last week to get something completed.  I have half-complete projects everywhere though.  Anyway, we’ll see how long I can keep the next streak going.

So, we threw a baby shower for a friend recently.  Gifts were a slightly complicated affair, since she’s only in the country temporarily until her husband finishes Bible school.  Then they’re going to pack up and go back home overseas.  Or at least, they won’t be staying here, wherever they end up after he graduates.  So that meant that it wouldn’t make sense getting them big items, like cribs and car seats.  How would they take it back with them?  She actually said that she was going to look for used items so that they could just leave them here after graduation.

Well, if we weren’t going to get them cribs and car seats and other large items, it really only left the essentials, like diapers and clothing and bottles.  I am not against giving diapers to expectant parents.  They can always use diapers.  But the thing is, what if you have too many and the baby outgrows them?  It’s not like you can return an open box of diapers.  And as for clothing, I didn’t have time to look for stuff for the kid.  I was going to make baby shoes, and I still might, but I didn’t have time for it before the shower.  So, I opted for the ever wonderful gift card.  No really, I do think they’re great.  So long as they’re to places you actually shop at.  I thought a Target gift card would be fitting because they carry just about anything you could need.  They also have really nice looking gift cards.

But…I also think it’s terrible form to JUST give someone a gift card.  You don’t have to spend too much thought in buying a gift card.  So I decided to compensate by making a quick card for them.

I’m into abnormally shaped or proportioned cards, I guess.  Anyway, baby rattle in cheerful colors!  It’s actually a rather small card.  Not much bigger than a gift card (which was elephant shaped).  So I thought it worked out rather well.  I made a small envelope to match the card and stuffed the gift card in with it.  Tada!  Finished!

The inside was just a short note to the parents-to-be.

You can get the pattern for the card at the Silhouette store.  I modified it a little bit from the original, which should be quite apparent if you go look at the original.  Yup.