spes

Pearls and Swine

2010-01-18T14:10:00.001-06:00

IMG_1895_2
Originally uploaded by Pearls & Swine

You have to check out Pearls and Swine. I just stumbled upon them in the flickr Craft pool and I am totally digging these super sweet fascinators they have going on. I like that they have some that are really 'something' and not just pretty little hat like things (although i loves me some pretty little hat like things). This one of a sacred heart is just too cool for words. I would never have an occasion to wear it but I still want it- and in my book that means it is pretty darn cool.

signing off

2010-01-15T22:03:00.001-06:00

New year. Time for a change. I am saying goodbye to 'Spes' and hello to 'RubyMarilyn'. Check it out. http://www.rubymarilyn.blogspot.com/

daily flickr- Pin Cushion Queen

2010-01-12T19:46:00.002-06:00

Pin Cushion Queen
Originally uploaded by FiberArtsy

FiberArtsy has created this fantastic work of stitchery! The image is from Tim Burton's book 'The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy'. I have always thought that his sketches would translate well to stitches and here is the living proof. And isn't it great that she is the pincushion queen? I mean how much more stitcherific can you get than that? I also think the pincushion queen would make a really cool/creepy Halloween costume. Part voodoo doll/part crafty-creepy this may have to be added to my list for possible costumes this year.

Too early to make a list of Halloween costumes you say? HA. Never too early for Halloween costumes.

daily flickr- yum!

2010-01-09T11:18:00.001-06:00

Peppermint Patty Cupcake
Originally uploaded by missamyo

I am super hungry for some baked goods. I might have to go make some cookies right now...

daily filckr-Inventors Wife

2010-01-07T18:54:00.002-06:00

Inventors Wife
Originally uploaded by Opulent Oddities

This amazing necklace is from Opulent Oddities. Her collections are simply breathtaking! Check our her flickr and her etsy shop for lots of jewelry goodness.

The title 'Inventors Wife' just seems so perfect for this. For Christmas I was lucky enough to get a collection of H.G. Wells novels and I just finished reading 'The Time Machine'. I can just imagine the Time Traveler's wife (if he had one) wearing this necklace.

daily flickr

2010-01-06T15:33:00.003-06:00

sweater clip
Originally uploaded by ilovetweek

Isn't this sweater clip perfection? The mini-tie, the blazer, the whole look is really working for me. I love the look of a tie but I don't like the way they look on me- since I have a larger chest. This little mini tie would give just the right amount of 'business' to any outfit!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T08:54:00.002-06:00

someone was a good girl
Originally uploaded by hastingsgraham

Merry Christmas everyone!

Have a safe and happy holiday.

Hot Drinks Mix Round Up

2009-12-09T09:44:00.005-06:00

So this year is pretty tight on the old budget belt (tell me something we dont know right?) but I am determined to make the best of it. All gifts will be small but thoughtful and to sweeten the deal I am planning on making a whole bunch of holiday drink mixes to warm up the holiday season. (Just so you know I AM writing this post during 'the' blizzard in MN).

From Bake it Pretty we have a lovely recipe for Russian Friendship Tea:

http://www.bakeitpretty.com/blog/?p=492

my mom used to make this and it is SOOOOO yummy.

AmberLee from the Giver's Log has a fun idea for hot chocolate on a stick.

http://giverslog.com/?p=3290

actually she has LOTS of really cool things there that you should check out.

Amy at the The Mother Load has a Hot Chocolate Recipe as well as a Vanilla Chai Tea. Both sound scrumptious!

Now I just need to whip these up along with a batch of homemade marshmallows and I should be good to go.

Still trying to decide how I want to package all this Drink Mix goodness but if I find anything good I will maybe post some pictures.

You better watch out

2009-12-06T17:01:00.002-06:00

Vera-Ellen, the Santa Claus pinup, c1955
Originally uploaded by carbonated

Christmas time is here! We 'decorated' our apartment this weekend and it looks like a bunch of drunken elves had a decorating party. It looks a lot like one of those Christmas stores that looks like it should be a log cabin. All sorts of teddy bears and stuff. Not really my style at all- but my roommate brought all of his decorations for Christmas since I went a little overboard with Halloween. So now I am knee deep in quilted teddy bear-with-santa-hat place mats. Sigh. At least it is Christmas.

Back to Halloween for a moment-Ursula Costume 09

2009-12-03T20:30:00.011-06:00

My bad. I should have posted this way sooner but such is life! So for Halloween this year my friends and I decided to have a Disney Halloween. Actually I said I wanted to be Ursula from 'The Little Mermaid' then someone else was like "Oh! I want to be Belle!" and it just sort of snowballed from there. So I was going to split this up into a whole bunch of small posts as I gradually made my costume but I just banged it out in one week and had no time for posting!

I started with the the tutorial from Threadbanger on making a tutu.

Next I made a simple black dress from a vintage '80s pattern I found in my mom's sewing stash.
I made it about knee length instead of ankle length though.

At first I was just going to wear the tutu underneath the dress but I decided I should sew it in because I knew I was going to sew the tentacles in as well. See how nicely the purple sticks out at the bottom? Also the tutu would help the overall shape of the skirt from looking too lumpy.

The tentacles were made out of the same black fabric as the dress and then purple costume satin.

I only made 6 tentacles because my original plan was to make tights that also looked like the tentacles but alas I ran out of time. Each leg took almost an entire bag of polyfil to stuff at this point I was a little worried it was going to be too heavy for the dress.

Notice the Suction cups- different sizes hand sewn to each tentacle.

Got the suction cups from the dollar store I just had to take the little metal hook things off of them.

AND THE GRAND FINALE:

Pretty adorable if I do say so myself. I sewed all of the legs to the waistline of the dress then curled them over to the top part of the skirt and sewed them in place. The necklace is just a large seashell I already had. I used white hair spray paint and some sweet '80s shadow to complete the look.

Now what for next Halloween? Hmm.

See?

2009-12-02T22:19:00.002-06:00

Kind of cool huh? This photo is from cbs.com.
I can honestly say I never thought I would be posting a Victoria's Secret Angel on my blog. Weird how things work out like that.

Steampunk Secret?

2009-12-01T22:17:00.004-06:00

So I know it is sick and wrong but I was totally captivated tonight by the Victoria Secret 'fashion' show. I know, I know, I am a feminist, I should hate it and everything associated with it...and I do...up to a point. For as much as I can't agree with the insanely narrow range of 'beauty' portrayed by this company I was kind of jealous. Jealous of the people who got to MAKE some of those super awesome outfits. No not the underwear, I am talking about the angel wings made out of balloons, or the corset dress made out of balloons, and the diamond encrusted everythings. ( I really had a strong urge to bejewel something.) But the section I was most surprised by was the 'enchanted forest' which to me looked more like a steampunk extravaganza. Now I am no expert in the style but when you incorporate some nice tweeds with your lingerie, add a bustle, and throw on some gear filled angel wings I am pretty sure you are nearing what it generally considered steampunk and I thought it was pretty cool. I would love to see an independent group of female designers throw a lingerie fashion show- just scoot on over to etsy to see how many talented designers are out there!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T15:10:00.002-06:00

Vintage Thanksgiving Postcard
Originally uploaded by bulldoggrrl

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Stuck at work right now so before I get to go home and bake my pie I figured I should take some time out to make a list of what I am thankful for. So in no particular order:

-My job: I am not in love with it and I complain about it a LOT but it is a job that pays the bills until I can figure out what I want to be when I am a 'grown up'. And not to sound preachy but in this economic climate when so many people are struggling to find work and make ends meet I am going to try to be a little more positive that I even have a job.

-Friends: The farther we get from college I fear the farther we will grow apart but so far those friends that are the backbone of my existence have remained close- in spirit if nothing else. I really appreciate it when we all take time out of our busy lives to make sure we get together and spend time with each other. I have also been blessed to be a part of my friends lives as they are approaching huge milestones in their lives. I thank you for including me and I look forward to this upcoming year!!!

-flickr: Maybe a weird option but this is my first year on there and it has helped me connect with so many other cool and creative people. I feel like I finally have people who 'get me' with all my crafty weirdness. In this category I would also like to add sites like blogger and etsy - online communities that have really inspired me to do more.

-PUSHING DAISIES: I finally discovered this gem of a show. I bought both seasons on DVD and have already watched them multiple times. I love everything about the show and I am sad it is no more. But I am keeping the love alive tonight as I attempt to make a pear pie with gruyere baked into the crust!! (pictures to come if it turns out!)

-My roomate: Neither of us wanted to keep living at home and neither of us could afford to move out on our own. I love living with him and sharing this wonderful experimentation in being a grown up. (At what point does it stop becoming an experiment and just starts being my life? Hmm.)

-THANKSGIVING!!!: As a holiday all by itself I am not the biggest fan...but for me it is the OFFICIAL kick off of the Christmas season and oh man I do loves me some Christmas. Christmas music for a solid month! YES!!! Christmas movies every weekend!! YESS!!!! Holiday baking!!! SO EXCITED!

ok. I am calm. And also thankful. I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you all have lots to be thankful for as well.

Black cat!

2009-10-11T22:04:00.002-05:00

Lillian Wells
Originally uploaded by bobbyperu99

Ok technically the cat is a shadow and I am really just assuming it is a black cat. But could you really imagine that it would be a white cat?

On a completely different note I really lover her checkered blouse.

The Halloween Ball

2009-10-10T17:41:00.002-05:00

The Halloween Ball
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

This is an embroidery that I have had done for a couple of weeks now but I just finally got it framed. Combining my love of all things 18th century with Halloween I created a ball gown fit for the most extravagant masquerade. I also have other Halloween themed embroideries in the sketchbook- but I dont believe I will have time to finish any of them before the holiday!

I want my own giant pumpkin!

2009-10-07T22:12:00.002-05:00

witch pumpkin inside
Originally uploaded by Trubluelou

If I had the time I would make a giant paper mache pumpkin to hang out in on Halloween. Add some more great shadow witches, bats, black cats and ghosts and we have another winner! Hmm. I wonder if this is the same people who make those giant cakes...

Afraid?

2009-10-06T22:41:00.002-05:00

witch shadow pin up great. 2
Originally uploaded by Trubluelou

I love this pinup because it is SO Halloween without trying to hard. And it is combining some of my favorite things: witches (Halloween), shadow puppets, and vintage slips! Too much greatness for one photo.

Happy Bats!

2009-10-05T23:17:00.002-05:00

Happy Halloween
Originally uploaded by bobbyperu99

This pin up is super duper retro. Check out the sweet cut outs of witches, cats, pumpkins, etc, on her dress. I kind of want that dress. I would wear it to my 'festive but not costume mandatory' Halloween party....which I still have to get ready for!

Coming soon...costume posts. It will be fast, furious, and hopefully fabulous!

Halloween Shopping Round 1

2009-10-04T16:07:00.002-05:00

So I finally caved in and bought some stuff for Halloween. Like many people I am on a budget so I am really trying to get some bang for my buck.

The List:
Black paper plates square and round
'Bone Appetit' Napkins
3 'Poison' Bottles to add labels to and add to the the bathroom
black and orange candy melts (bought molds online- will post when they arrive)
black and orange food coloring (you have no idea how much i am going to bake!)
mini led lights- they will be used somehow...
'Caution' tape- this is going to go across an open door looking into my room which I am going to make into a creepy Halloween scene
'Hocus Pocus'- Best Halloween movie EVER! Had to buy a copy since my old 'taped off of tv on vhs' version stayed at my mom's house

Maybe I spent a little bit more than I planned to for this trip but it is all worth it. Target had some really cute stuff but I just wasn't sure what I would do with some of it.

Halloween and Spook Stories

2009-10-04T13:30:00.002-05:00

Betty Grable
Originally uploaded by Namey McNamerson

This pin up is so adorable. Betty Grable has a book filled with scary stories and with that creepy little pumpkin in the bottom of the picture this photo really makes me want to curl up with some ghost stories.

owltober

2009-10-03T00:08:00.002-05:00

nan grey
Originally uploaded by Foxtongue

so i wished some people a Happy October on the 1st and my friend informed me that it is OWLtober. Are other people aware of this term? Is he making it up? I guess it doesnt matter I like it either way.

on a non-Halloween subject i just saw WHIP IT and it was AWESOME!!!

i know everyone and their mom will want to do roller derby now but i think i would be really good at it. i have some mad skills from rugby.

Happy October!

2009-10-01T08:16:00.003-05:00

Dusty Anderson - movie starlet- Halloween pinup
Originally uploaded by The Happy Wanderer

It is finally here! YAY! Now I feel like I can really celebrate. (kind of like my rule about not listening to Christmas music until after Thanksgiving) But now it is full speed ahead to Halloween. In celebration this month I will be posting a Vintage Halloween Pinup every day of the month and also posts on decorating, food, candy, and a play by play of my attempts to get a costume together in time for the big day. (Haven't even started the costume yet-but that was more being busy than waiting for October!)
Also watch out for some Halloween embroidery this month!

I also want to hear what YOU are doing this month in preparation for the spookiest holiday!

October is so close I can taste it...

2009-09-30T09:06:00.003-05:00

...or at least I can taste these pumpkin muffins (smittenkitchen) with chocolate chips. Mmmm fall.

weekend thrifting

2009-09-22T16:59:00.004-05:00

(the smallest one is filled with pumpkin spice kisses!)

This weekend was really good to me- thrift wise. I have become a little obsessed with cake plates and covered plates for all sorts of baked goods and more. Friday at Thrift Store #1 I found 2 'covers' for $2 each! I think they actually may be cheese plate covers but they are really cool regardless of their former use. They did not come with plates but I am thinking of making some Halloween themed ones for my Halloween party that I am convincing my roommate to let me throw! At Thrift Store #2 I found the most adorable mini-glass cover and dish! It was $3 and so darn cute I think I squeaked with delight at finding it.

Sunday I went to Gold Rush which is this huge antiques sale at our fair grounds with hundreds of sellers. They have it a couple of times a year and I go as often as I can. This round was much more sparse than other years but there is always enough stuff to keep you drooling. Gold Rush is usually way more expensive than your average garage sale or thrift sale because these people know what they are doing. But if you are a collector or a very persistent bargain hunter it usually creates some good deals. This time my best deal was the glass cake plate w/cover for $11! I love it so hard. Now I have three different sized covers- which will look amazing with all the fall treats I am going to be baking!!!

4 pieces grand total: $18 - still less than the 1 similar cake stand/cover I saw at a local craft store.

Halloween Wines

2009-09-17T23:48:00.002-05:00

I found this article on Halloween wines via Pumpkinrot. I don't know a great deal about wines but I did try the Trick or Treat last year. Sadly my local store that sold those wines closed this year so I shall have to find something else. I also tried a Vampire wine that this link didn't talk about - but I truly can not remember if it was good or not as last Halloween got a bit crazy. I am promising myself to be a good girl this year.

I also really want to try some pumpkin ale this year. I know Halloween is a long way off but I am SOOOO excited- I am planning a month long celebration for October including several Halloween related posts a day cover everything from crafts, to food, to costumes, etc!

Interview Link

2009-09-17T23:44:00.003-05:00

Here is an interview I found with Marilyn Manson. It is pretty long but really interesting. Any other Manson fans out there? I thought it was odd he didn't play any songs from 'Eat me, Drink me' but he addresses that in the interview.

Whether you love him or hate him you cant deny that the man is complex.

gettin my concert on

2009-09-16T02:56:00.004-05:00

On Monday I drove up to Minneapolis to go the Marilyn Manson concert with one of my best friends in the world. We are concert buddies- we go to the shows that none of our other friends are interested in.

This is our second time seeing Marilyn Manson together. The first show got a little crazy but this one was totally chill (as chill as this kind of concert can be anyway). The theater was changed last minute to the Historic State Theater- which is a gorgeous building but it seems better suited to opera than to this brand of entertainment. But the crowd behaved exceedingly well and it was a great concert.

Thrift Store Goodness

2009-09-07T16:25:00.003-05:00

On Mondays one of my local thrift shops has amazing sales on. I have been good at cutting down on the random stuff I buy but this was too cute to pass up!

It is my first cookie jar! For my first apartment! Now I have an excuse to make cookies...

Grand total: $.99! how could I say no?

Now I AM in a very Halloween mood but is it just me or doesn't this cookie jar look like the house from Psycho?

No? Just me then. Ok.

just a bit more coverage...

2009-09-01T02:16:00.004-05:00

My friend bought the cutest dress when she was in Spain.

Sadly while it was cute for a night of dancing and cocktails and cute boys it wasn't quite appropriate enough for the family wedding that she needed to go to.

So she wanted just a bit more coverage...

I helped make a little extra layer for the dress so that it will be appropriate for the wedding she needs to go to but I made it so if she ever wanted to take it off it shouldn't be too hard.

Project Runway I am not since this little alteration took me a good long time to figure out and execute. I really need to stop by the library and pick up some sewing books. I know the basics but I really want to learn some skills (skilz?). Anybody have any suggestions of good sewing technique books?

What little skills I have are going to be put to the test with this year's Halloween costume. I have always made my own costumes and lately I have been a bit more ambitious. It is going to be epic. And if it looks anything like the pictures in my head it is going to be sweet... to early to be thinking about Halloween you say? NEVER! Who else is excited?

Pie Pops!

2009-08-28T20:11:00.003-05:00

I realize that everyone and their mom was all excited about pie pops 3 or 4 weeks ago. I know because I was too. I made them when I was first excited about them and snapped a couple photos but life intervened. Now new apartment, new car, and tons of bills to pay later I finally have internet on a regular basis! Yay technology and Pie Pops.

I would make them a bit smaller next time but they were delicious.

VINTAGE HAIRSTYLING!

2009-08-17T15:13:00.002-05:00

'Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Modern Techniques' is hands down my new favorite book. Thanks SO MUCH to Lauren for this FANTASTIC BOOK! Be sure to pick up the book and check out her super sweet blog where she posts on all things vintage beauty related.

moving into my first apartment

2009-08-15T22:02:00.002-05:00

1st Attempt at Moving the New Couch
Originally uploaded by TristanPIpo

No this is not the couch that I (along with 3 friends) moved on Thursday but the situation looks familiar. I am in the process of moving into my very first apartment right now and while we have all the 'big stuff' moved in it will be a slow process moving the rest. The slow process is helped by the fact that my apartment is only a few blocks away from my old house! Now of course I am having anxiety over whether or not this was the right thing to do. Because although living with my family was driving me crazy it was, shall we say, cheap. With a new apartment and soon a new car to pay for along with student loans it is going to be a tight (like corset tight) budget this year.

But I think it will be good for me. It will let me live like an actual adult for awhile and I will see how I am at it. If it is an epic fail I can run home to mom without too much trouble (besides bruised pride). The costs will be shared by my roommate and we will help each other in this little experiment to spend less and make do with what we have.

Hopefully we will have internet at home soon so I can catch up on some things I have been up to. Posts coming soon....pie pops, thrift store finds, and NEW APARTMENT PHOTOS!!!

Julie and Julia and A Perfect Getaway

2009-08-10T23:04:00.003-05:00

Julia Child Embroidered Portrait
Originally uploaded by run amok

Sunday was an excellent day of getting together with friends and going to the movies. In the afternoon I went to see "Julie and Julia" and it was an enjoyable movie. Like a lot of other people I enjoyed the 'Julia' half more than the 'Julie' part but overall it was a cute little movie. I was wondering whether or not the film would perhaps influence people to start a blog (or to post to their own more regularly...). I wonder how many people were sitting in the theater dreaming up something as crazy as 524 recipes in 365 days. Then I was wondering if I needed something like that. Do I need some sort of goal? Some project that will magically give me purpose and direction in my life? Well it seems like a great idea but for now I feel more comfortable going along my way and just posting when it 'feels right'. I dont want to tell myself that as a 'blogger' or a 'crafter' or whatever that I HAVE to do things a certain way- isnt that what I am trying to get away from in other parts of my life? I feel as soon as I tell myself that I will 'post something everyday' or 'make so many projects a week' that I will just post pointless crap (which you may think I already do) but at least when I post something now it is something I do want to share or talk about. So until I find a project with some goals that feel right to me I think I will just keep puttering away as I try to figure things out.

Oh yeah- Later on Sunday I went to see 'A Perfect Getaway'. I have a love hate relationship with horror/scary/thriller movies. I lean more towards the 'thriller' movies that have smart plot lines and not a lot of gore. When I first heard about 'A Perfect Getaway' I completely dismissed it. Not interested. No thank you. But then the second trailer came out and I was sure for a second that I had seen Timothy Olyphant. Now I was interested. Then I started hearing that it was good- not handing out Oscars good but campy/B-movie good. Sold. After an afternoon of French cooking with Julie and Julia I headed back to the theater for a dessert of cheap thrills with a side of eye candy. I LOVED THIS MOVIE. For me it was in the perfect place at the perfect time. It was quick, fun, and surprisingly smart. Honeymooners Cliff (Steve Zahn) and Cydney (Milla Jovovich) are in Hawaii to soak up some sun but as they start their trip they hear that some tourists have been murdered. They hook up on a trail they are hiking with Nick (Olyphant) and Gina (Kiele Sanchez). The story keeps you guessing long enough about who the killers are before divulging in an extensive black and white flashback and then returning to the matter at hand to wrap things up in a burst of adrenaline. I enjoyed not being able to figure things out right away and that the movie really did have a B-movie feel. It did have some gore but not so much that I wanted to throw up or leave the theater (I only had to cover my eyes once). And besides a nude scene (where you dont see anything besides the backside of Nick-tee hee) there was not the usual scary movie sex scene. Actually I think there was more making out in Julie and Julia than this movie. Overall it was a FUN film that had enough cleverness to make me want to see it again now that I have it all figured out. And seriously I will see it again for Mr. Olyphant.

I AM ON MR X STITCH!

2009-07-28T23:16:00.004-05:00

Sooooooo excited! This is the dream. Seriously. YAY! Thank you, thank you!

Stitchgasm!-Spes

Deep Blues Festival

2009-07-20T18:06:00.003-05:00

Boogaloosa Prayer from Toledo OH - the guy in the green jacket/black hat
is the drummer for one of my all time favorite bands A Night In The Box!

Three of us headed up to Minneapolis, MN this last Saturday to check out the Deep Blues Festival. It was an entire weekend of music but we could only go for the day so we just got the outdoor day pass. There were bands playing all day starting at noon both indoors and out. It wasn't until later that we found out we would have really liked to have seen some of the indoor acts. I guess we will just have to go back next year!

Boogaloosa Prayer- Toledo OH

My camera was low on batteries so I only took pictures of the bands I really liked! The only problem I had with the festival is the outdoor acts were SO LOUD towards the end I actually thought my ears were bleeding. This made me feel really old- but I am not and I am the girl who LOVES loud music. Oh well. I didn't need that extra bit of hearing anyways.

Adorable Canadians. The Schomberg Fair from Toronto.

C.W. Ayon - Las Cruces NM

The Schomberg Fair - Toronto Canada

I do like a man who can rock a banjo.

Public Enemies

2009-07-14T16:33:00.002-05:00

Yes. This is an embroidery inspired by the new movie Public Enemies. It is a combination of some of my favorite things- old school gangsters, Johnny Depp, and embroidery(what can I say? I am complicated). Well anyway I didn't love the movie as much as I thought I would but I will have to see it again before I make up my mind. The embroidery is a slightly simplified version of the actual 'wanted' poster for John Dillinger. I took off a lot of the small text but I did add just a little to explain the rewards a bit.

I just finished this piece so I still have to wash it to get rid of the last few signs of my tracing and then I will iron it to get rid of a few more of the wrinkles- but I was just so excited about it I wanted to put it up asap! The small portraits of Dillinger did not come out quite as true to life as I wanted but it was close enough. The small print reads: "$10,000.00 for the capture of John Herbert Dillinger or a reward of $5,000.00 for information leading to the arrest of John Herbert Dillinger."

Thrift Finds- Scrapbook

2009-07-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

I found this little gem at a local thrift shop that I hadn't been to in AGES. I may have mentioned before that I love old photographs and I also love old scrapbooks! It looks like this one hasn't even been touched and it came with an entire pack of filler paper still in its original plastic. Grand total: $4.

I also got a whole bunch of zippers for a couple of dollars. All in all a good day. Happy Fourth of July everyone!

Olga _2(Family Portrait Series #2)

2009-07-03T19:09:00.003-05:00

Olga _2(Family Portrait Series #2)
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

Olga is finally finished! She is embroidered on light gray cotton and backed and framed with black felt. She is available in the shop now.

T-Shirt Quilt

2009-06-29T02:12:00.005-05:00

i have had megan nicolay's "Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-Shirt" for a long time now and it is one of my favorite standbys to pull out for inspiration or a fun project. i have been wanting to do a t-shirt quilt for a long time mostly because i AM the girl who keeps every t-shirt she has ever owned- and i am trying desperately to grow out of the 't-shirt and sweatpants' look i have been rocking through college. but the nostalgic person that i am can not bear to just 'throw away' or donate t-shirts that still have a lot of meaning to me. so the other night when i was bored (i work the night shift so on my nights off i need to keep my self busy) i knew that this was the project i wanted to tackle. i had already picked out an bag of about 20 t-shirts for the project and an old kids sheet for the back (princess jasmine rocks!). this quilt took me four hours- mostly thanks to my new toy- my first rotary cutter! how did i ever craft without it? i love it. it is pink and amazing. in the end i used a couple more t-shirts so i wouldn't have any completely blank squares. i love it. it is soft and comfy and reminds me of all sorts of fun things (one of the shirts is from 6th grade!). the only sad thing is that it is way to warm here to actually use it. but the harsh minnesota winter is always just around the corner- so i will have plenty of time to snuggle up in this and read a good book.

has anybody else done this project recently? i had one neighbor who made one completely out of the cross country t-shirts her son had accumulated throughout high school!

Walther (Family Portrait Series #1)

2009-06-29T01:40:00.002-05:00

Walther (Family Portrait Series #1)
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

I have always loved old photos. I am not quite sure exactly what it is but I have always thought that they are the best. I even find myself going back and using them as inspiration again and again....so...

This is first in a series of embroidery portraits I am doing. They are inspired by old photographs. Not all of them are going to be people actually in my family but maybe some of them will be if I can find some old photos. This portrait was inspired by this picture of Walther Nernst. Walther is embroidered on a light gray cotton and is 'framed' with black felt so he is ready to just hang on the wall or put into a bigger frame.

Back on the Wagon

2009-06-23T03:44:00.003-05:00

I seemed to have fallen off the craft wagon recently. Has this ever happened to you? It is not that I haven't been doing little things here and there but there just hasn't been that sort of 'this is a project I am going to work on' thought process going on. But I seem to have finally gotten some mojo back and am ready to craft!

The picture above is my little sister getting ready for her senior prom. Her dress was from a thrift store for $15. I said I would help her make some accessories and found some lace at the fabric store that was the same pattern as her dress. So with a little lace and some ribbon to match I whipped up some little fingerless gloves that made this dress have a little more of a retro/girly feel. She did buy new shoes for the dress (which was the most expensive part). But overall an entire prom outfit for less than $50? Awesome. I am pretty proud of my sister right now.

agatha

2009-04-28T18:18:00.006-05:00

Agatha and Mabel are now in the shop!

agatha
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

mabel

2009-04-28T18:18:00.004-05:00

mabel
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

Dr. Manhattan Embroidery

2009-04-20T21:41:00.002-05:00

Dr. Manhattan Embroidery
Originally uploaded by spes.craft

I posted awhile ago on kittyzilla and her amazing embroidery patterns featuring the characters of 'Watchmen' and this is my first attempt at one of the patterns. I don't consider myself a great embroiderer. I don't know lots of stitches and someone (maybe my grandmother?) once told me that you could tell good embroidery because of the clean and neat BACK as well as front. Well I won't shame myself with a picture of the back of this piece but lets just say it is not clean and neat!

I like embroidery because it is fairly mobile. I did 'Dr. Manhattan' at work and now I am working on Rorschach. I work overnights and sometimes it is busy and sometimes it isn't so it is nice to have something to keep the hands busy while trying to stay awake.

I don't know what I am going to do with these once they are done. I was thinking they would look nice on the wall in simple frames. My mom suggested a small quilt. Hmm.

Lucky Number 186

2009-04-20T02:10:00.003-05:00

The lovely Heidi Kenney from My Paper Crane just had a fabric giveaway and I WON! (thank you!) I never win anything. Seriously I can not remember the last time I won any sort of raffle or contest (I didn't even win anything at my high school senior party when EVERYONE was SUPPOSED to win something). The random number generator gods were with me today though and I could not be more thrilled. I am really excited to craft with the new fabric and post all my escapades!

Can you say AMAZING?!

2009-04-07T00:59:00.002-05:00

Dr. Manhattan
Originally uploaded by Kittyzilla

Kittyzilla has the most awesome embroidery patterns ever! I found out about her through the always inspiring Craft blog. She has a whole series of 'Watchmen' patterns on her blog and flickr accounts that I am just dying to try!

I am this excited right now!

2009-03-29T00:03:00.002-05:00

(image via flickr)

I am pretty excited right now. I have just had my first sale on Etsy! My little Eglentine doll is off in the great big world now and I am so happy she found a good home. Thank you!

I started this blog partly as 'promotion' for my shop and partly to keep myself on track. I feel like when I am actually expected to write things down and do things I am a more productive person. So although I am excited I have a few goals for myself

1. more items for my shop- i need to sit down and work on stuff!

2. take better photos- some inspiration from flickr and some quality time with my new-ish camera should do the trick

3. create better packaging- i would really like to spend more time on this

Also in exciting news my good friend Sarah took me to see 'Rent' last night. (Thank you Sarah!) And one of my other good friends just bought a car. I have been looking into getting a car but I get a little overwhelmed by it sometimes.

In sadder news I am remembering 'Grandma' Della. She passed away this last week and I just found out about it. She was one of those amazingly spunky/adorable 90-year-olds that you just hope you will be cool enough to be some day.

MORE 'Things to do when you are upset'...

2009-03-25T04:00:00.004-05:00

Gala Darling has a great blog post up entitled "100 Things To Do When You're Upset (The Sad Trombone List)". I was reading it at work (which was a bit rough this evening) and even just going through the list really made me feel better. I was thinking about it a lot and I thought I might just add or 'amend' a couple of ideas that I actually do to feel better.

"Watch movies you used to love as a child"- this is one listed by Miss Gala Darling but I cannot stress enough how good this one is. I recently re-watched a bunch of Disney movies and it was excellent
Watch a movie by yourself
Color- whip out the coloring book or sidewalk chalk and have some fun
Plan your dream garden- draw it out or just daydream it. Does it have flowers? Veggies? Tall vine covered walls with a secret door?
Make anything- do you already have a favorite craft? Have you been interested in trying something new?
Try a new recipe, master a family favorite, or get your BF's secret cookie recipe

Girls Rugby Union team, c. 1930s / by Sam Hood

2009-03-21T00:16:00.002-05:00

Girls Rugby Union team, c. 1930s / by Sam Hood
Originally uploaded by State Library of New South Wales collection

So I just finally got a flickr account and I love it! So much creativity and inspiration in one spot. I was just browsing through 'the commons' when I happened upon this great picture of a 1930's women's rugby team. I played rugby in college and I miss it a lot. It was one of the few sports that most people joined not knowing anything about and we all learned together. We didn't even have a proper coach- the girl who had the most experience was automatically it- and we all learned together. I miss the play hard, party harder attitude between teams, the muddy practices, and the overall badassness (is that a word?) that comes with playing rugby.

'Watchmen' or more importantly my vintage hair crush

2009-03-12T00:49:00.003-05:00

I was excited for 'Watchmen'. I am not a die hard fan of the book (though I did read most of it) but I am a fan of director Zack Snyder and it had an amazing cast. Many people have already commented on the movie itself, how it fits into the new 'darker' superhero genre, how it is visually stunning, etc. But I am most interested in talking about ONE aspect of the movie and that is Sally Jupiter, a.k.a. Silk Spectre, played by Carla Gugino. Now in my limited contact with the source material the movie is very true to the book (some say too true) but one area that they improved upon GREATLY was Sally Jupiter's style. Not only is she upgraded to super-retro-awesomeness in her fashion but her hair at the beginning of the film was to die for.

Ever since I saw this promo picture for the film I have had a mad crush on this hair. The faux bangs, the side rolls, even the color is so 50's pin-up! And even though her 'costume' was perhaps not the most practical for a long night super-heroing it was super cute and I am guessing will pop up as a popular Halloween costume later this year.

To make things even better James Jean(see more of his great work here) created this Vargas-esque painting of Silk Spectre for the film!

Hot. I love it. After seeing the film and talking about it with friends I went home and attempted to do some faux bangs- it did not work out. If I were going to do this for a Halloween party or something I would probably get a red wig and style it that way...hmmm.

One hair style I was NOT in love with? Matthew Goode's blondness. Dear Matthew, you are super hot and you are an amazing actor but this look is not for you. I understand it was part of the character (and you did rock it) but you need to go back to dark hair.

love,
me

Feeling Crafty T-Shirt Recon

2009-03-05T18:09:00.005-06:00

I have been searching for the perfect dress pattern to make some everyday summer outfits and as I was searching I got one of those deep down crafty urges. My sewing room is full of clothes that are in various stages of projects (or patiently waiting for projects) and I found this old homecoming shirt that was perfect.

(As I found it in my craft pile- the neck was already cut out of it.)

I have been really getting back into fairy tales lately and was kind of thinking of something with a peter pan collar. My biggest thing is that a lot of my clothes are still just 't-shirts from college' so I am always looking for ways to re-work them into something better. Also I am one of those self taught DIYers that doesn't really know how to to sew but manages with her limited knowledge

Here is the after. A little less tragic 80s don't you think? And double bonus is that it will be the perfect comfy shirt to rock on St. Patrick's Day. The dark green fabric came from a just a plain green t-shirt that didn't fit right.

Finally...new items in the shop.

2009-03-03T14:54:00.003-06:00

It took me way longer than I expected to get these into the shop.

When I started making these dolls I was really just trying to develop a pattern I liked to make a 'base' doll. But as I made them I just didn't have the heart to change them. I didn't want to give them little faces and hair and clothes. I liked them just the way they are and that is the way I am keeping them. I got the idea from these old dolls from the early 20th century- the ones with the cloth bodies but the hands, feet, and head were bisque. I liked the look of the jointed limbs and different colors working against each other. So I bought some craft felt to make the head, hands, and feet and firmly stuffed them so they are harder then the rest of the doll. The bodies are made from recycled t-shirts that had been sitting on the craft pile waiting for a new life.

Each doll is hand and machine sewn and although made from the same basic pattern they all come out different! I even made fabric labels with the Spes logo on it inspired by this tutorial.
This is Eglentine (10 points if you know the name reference). She is a purple/eggplant color that is really quite delightful.

And this is Gertrude. She is a bit longer than Eglentine and is a lovely robin's egg blue color. (Forgive the pictures winter clouds are not making it very easy these days.)

Cheers.

Mickey Rourke and Etsy.

2009-02-28T01:11:00.003-06:00

The Oscars last Sunday were pretty epic. My friends and I had a little party with too many sweets (see the Oscar Cupcake post) and silly costumes (High School Musical 3 anyone?) But all fun aside I became very upset when Mickey Rourke lost Best Actor to Sean Penn. Now I loved the movie 'Milk' and I also thought that Sean Penn was amazing but not AS AMAZING as Rourke. I also thought that 'The Wrestler' was one of the best movies I saw this past year and was sad that it was not nominated for best picture.

Maybe it was latent anxiety over the awards show but I had this pretty crazy dream last night about zombies taking over the world so all the humans left were evacuating the major cities. As I went to get on one of the buses that were supposed to take us somewhere safe I see Mickey Rourke walking towards the same van. It was weird because it seemed like me and Mr. Rourke were good pals just about to embark on a road trip. Everyone was scared but it was sort of comforting to have him on our side. When I woke up I pondered this feeling and concluded that at the time it may have been comforting but in real life I don't know how much help he would be in an actual zombie situation.

To get to my actual point of all this though is the awesomeness that is Etsy and the fact that Mr. Rourke's sad but sweet necklace with his dog Loki on it was made by an etsy seller. You can read the article here for yourself. I just really feel like that proves how awesome both Mickey Rourke and Etsy are!

A Sweet Deal

2009-02-23T21:39:00.003-06:00

Bake It Pretty is having a $25 giveaway on Fresh Vintage! All you have to do is leave a comment on the Fresh Vintage blog and in a few days she will announce the winner! Baking, candy, vintage, fun, gift cards....does it get any better?

And the award for best Cupcake goes to....

2009-02-23T11:08:00.006-06:00

Oscar Sunday is my favorite day of the year. The glitz, the glam, the stars, the awards- I love it all. This year my friend had an Oscar party and so I was trying to come up with the perfect treat to bring. Originally I was planning on trying to come up with a treat to go with each of the nominees for best picture- but it was getting really complicated so I decided to just make cupcakes- that looked like the awards. They turned out fairly well- but if I had more practice they would have been even cuter. There is always next year....

Some of the little statuettes look a bit unfortunate- but they all tasted amazing.

The awards show itself was pretty sweet. Hugh Jackman was a great host but they really didn't have him on screen enough. But the big upset was Best Actor. Mickey Rourke was robbed. Yes Sean Penn is great, talented, etc, but this was Rourke's year and his movie 'The Wrestler' should have been nominated for more awards (including Best Picture.)

Thrifting 2.16

2009-02-17T08:56:00.000-06:00

So yesterday (President's Day 09) I decided to head over to my local Savers to get my thrift store fix. For one scary moment I thought that it might be closed because of the holiday, but my fears melted as I saw a full parking lot. And I mean FULL and I was there at 9am when the store OPENS! Mondays are usually a good day to go because their oldest merch (with a certain color tag) is $.99! Today was even better - ALL used merchandise was 50% off- and the place was already a madhouse!

I don't ever use a cart but I did grab a shopping basket because I was ready to go a little wild. Soon my little basket was almost too heavy for me to drag around so I headed for the check out. On this trip I got

1 button down shirt
2 skirts
1 pair of pants
suspenders
1 wooden tray (perfect for a craft project I have in mind)
1 punch bowl (with ladle, 8 cups and the little plastic things to hang them on)
and........ A SNACK SET!!! 3 plates, 3 cups, total awesome-ness

grand total= $22.93.

All in all a really good day.

Hello punchbowl. My sister said I would never use you, but she is wrong, oh how she is wrong.

My new perfect snack set! Well, I am still drooling over some over at etsy but for $2 for 6 pieces I couldn't be happier!

New Dolls- works in progress

2009-02-16T19:13:00.000-06:00

So I finally took some pictures of the new dolls I am working on. The Octopus Girl is an idea that has been swimming around my head. The poor thing has no arms but more than enough legs to make up for it. Most of her body is felt but half of each tentacle is thrift-ed fabric in a similar color.

This other doll is a rough draft of a pattern. One arm is chubby and the other rather skinny- all kinks that will be worked out...hopefully...

Her head, hands and feet are felt and her body, arms, legs are up-cycled from an old t-shirt. I really like her jointed, floppy, soft, old fashioned feeling. I always get nervous about putting the face and hair on- I quite like her as is- but I will post more pictures once I finish her up.

Etsy Gift Guides - Carnivalesque

2009-02-15T21:23:00.000-06:00

So my favorite thing on etsy is the gift guides. I just love the little groupings of objects and I always find something that must be added to my favorites list. Today there were new gift guides and it was amazing! I am especially in love with the "Carnivalesque" guide under 'The Hot List'. They describe it as "Circus Chic" and I am inclined to agree!

HaveANiceTripSeeYouNextFall Archival Giclee Print By LealandEve (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19822861)

CiRKUS KUFF - cute goth punk cloth bracelet by SugarPickle (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=15877424)

Bespoke Alphabet Circus Cushion from Hoolala (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20336064)

All of these things are super cute. Also if you are into circus history I highly recommend checking out "American Sideshow" by Marc Hartzman. Although it is written like an encyclopedia it is a fascinating look at sideshow performers throughout history.

And if you are really into the carnival/circus thing I would check out the movie "Freaks" (1932 Tod Browning) which features many of the performers from the book. It is a really interesting little movie and you should check out the 'alternate endings' which in this case shows the different ways in which the movie was released (and there were several) because the public was so shocked by it.

Vintage Snack Sets

2009-02-15T01:12:00.000-06:00

I have not been very good about getting pictures up on the blog yet- but I will be getting on that shortly.

Recently through my Etsy searching I have come across these vintage snack sets (or luncheon sets, or hostess sets, etc.) that are just so adorable! I am trying to figure out which set I want....and dreaming about how cute they will look with little treats on them for when friends come over for movie night!

This set is from chookchookchook (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6255089)

Doesn't this set from 'a touch of vintage' just make you wish for spring? (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19685604)

So cute! From rosecottageemporium. (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19408410)

These are just a few of my favorites!

Oscar treats- brainstorming

2009-02-10T22:11:00.000-06:00

So I am trying to find a treat/snack to go with each of the 5 nominees for Best picture. I am still in idea stage but here is what I am thinking so far:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Has to be candies made from the adorable Vintage Button Candy mold that I just got in the mail from Bake It Pretty! (http://www.bakeitpretty.com/)

Frost/Nixon: I am thinking Frosting/Nixon- cupcakes with tons of yummy frosting with Nixon's pic on toothpicks like Emily from 'inside a black apple' http://theblackapple.typepad.com/inside_a_black_apple/food_and_drink/page/2/

Milk: This one might be too obvious. I am going to try to think of something more creative than a glass of milk. Maybe cookies frosted like Harvey Milk's campaign signs? Hmm....

Slumdog Millionaire: Maybe mini hot dogs to get away from the sweets theme. (My little sis suggested using relish to draw dollar signs on them)

The Reader: No idea. Havent seen it yet either. (should be going this week).

First Post?

2009-02-09T23:32:00.001-06:00

So I am new to this blogging thing. Frankly I am much more of a old fashioned journal girl-but I have been wanting to have a spot to organize projects and post pictures of things I am working on/thinking about.

I have an etsy shop (www.spes.etsy.com) where I am hoping to work more on my current obsession of doll making (more on that later). I tend to do more buying than selling on etsy but I am hoping that will change as I continue to find my way through the craft world. I have a bad habit of starting too many projects at once and becoming too spread out.

I am also obsessed with movies so my first project is finding a appetizer/treat to correspond with each of the nominees for Best Picture of an Oscar party I am attending!