Vox Hunt: Arts & Crafts (multiple days of VH!)

All week, I've been seeing the Vox Hunt and thinking of just how many great answers I could come up with, but I didn't sit down and actually do them.  So rather than make a whole bunch of Arts & Craft posts, I'm going to lump them all together.  I think some of the stories will overlap a little anyhow. :)

Show us something you made by hand.

There have been a lot lately.  Between knitting and painting/paper stuff, and even cooking, my hands have been busy.  My latest knitting project I completed was the pink socks, so I'll show a less recent picture that hasn't been written up on Vox yet, Leah's birthday doll (June).  The cooking is from 8/15 according to my camera and featured rolls, mac and cheese, and nutmeg carrots.  The paper stuff is from my sister Lisa's birthday present, and how I work when I am painting.

Show us a DIY art or crafting pattern, tutorial or website that inspires you.

I am inspired by so many things.  Probably the most inspirational to my knitting is having Ravelry to search for other types of yarns and patterns for the yarns I have.  It's so nice to be able to browse other people's projects randomly too and find such beauty.

Birthdays also have a way of inspiring me.  When I think of a gift, I always like to try and go a little further and make it special with something artistic.  I don't get a chance to do that for every birthday, but it is a goal of mine to make everything special with a personal touch.

Show us a type of art or craft that you'd like to learn.

I would really like to take up quilting.  When I was a teenager, I made two quilts, one for each of my sisters.  They were log cabin quilts, and I checked out the Quilt in a Day book out of the library as a guide.  We had a big industrial sewing machine from work in our office room (my family makes dog collars and pet products), and I used that.

But I haven't made another attempt at quilting since then, and I'm quite excited about the prospect of making one for myself.  Why?  I enjoy blankets.  I like the weight of them, and it's nice to have nice thick fluffy quilt-like ones around to put on my side of the bed, and to curl up in on the couch.  I have a quilt that my friend (and dad's secretary), Lavina, made me when I was 16.  She's since passed on, and I wish I hadn't worn it out so bad because it's a great reminder of her.  But it's in pieces, completely falling apart, and E doesn't like it on the bed because the batting is all coming out and scratchy!  So I'd like to make one I could use in it's place.

Of course, this means I need a sewing machine.  I've wanted one for a while, and finally gave up and decided I couldn't get one until we have a bigger house.  Since it will be a little longer than our original though before we end up in a bigger place, I'm probably not going to wait that long and turn our guest room into a room with my sewing machine instead.

So that's the craft I'd most like to learn.  There are others that I'd really enjoy learning more - knitting (obviously), calligraphy (took a few classes, read a lot of books), painting (last Christmas' adventures in One Stroke painting has me further along), paper crafts (lots of community classes), etc.  Beading is another one I haven't dabbled in at all but think it would be so much fun.  I love being crafty and know that I will never stopping wanting to create things.

 

Show us your current art or crafting project.

I have several knitting projects going on right now, and the yarn purchased for a few more.

I'm working on another pair of socks for me, one that I've had the yarn for quite a few months now.  They are my first real attempt at fair isle (I did a little on one of my afghan squares before, but not much).   They are also my first real try at striping with multiple colors and I'm learning to weave my ends in as I go along.  They will be a nice fall socks, a little warmer and heavier than the last.  I'm further along than this photo, this was just the last one I put on Ravelry.  I have the whole leg done, and just turned the heel and am going on to the gusset now.

And then I'm doing a pair of slippers for the Friends of the Library baskets, they are auctioning off donated items, and one of the baskets is "relaxation" and I found a pattern that looked do-able.  They actually were much more difficult than I thought, but they are almost done, and they are going to be quite nice.  Whoever wins this basket will have cozy feets!  Again, further along than this photo, with one of them actually put together and all the pieces finished (as of tonight during Dr. Who) for the second.

My next project in the works is a gift (waiting on a shipment from KnitPicks), and then I'm working on a blanket with fuzzy yarn from my Mother-in-law, and I got yarn for that this week when I got the rest for the slippers.  As far as any other crafts go, I'll be working on cake decorating this coming month.  More on that another time.

Show us the best creative artist or crafter that you know personally.

In person, in this area, I was having a hard time thinking of someone.  My sister Lisa is probably the next most interested in crafty things around me.  And then I realized.  Duh, I know someone who is an excellent example of what an artist should be.  Lilia is the biggest inspiration for me in a graphic design way.  She makes such beautiful designs for Vox (see the Design tab!)  and takes such amazing photos for her business, and it just really makes me want to have more artistic-ness in my life and on my sites.  Plus, she's a super nice person, always sweet to me, and that just adds to her charm :)

Show us something that looks like junk to everyone else, but looks like raw materials to you.

Just ask Eric, I tend to try and keep everything that I think I could use as a crafty addition.  For example, I have some shredded paper that came as packing material, but it's purple, and I just couldn't throw it away!  In that same box is the the insides of a dozen party poppers (confetti) from Fourth of July for the same reason.  They will color up some gift nicely.  I save a ton of ribbons and tissue paper, too, you never know when they will come in handy. 

I have short shelves (probably meant for shoes, just laminent-built-your-own-shelves) that are stacked up and shoe-box size rubbermaids filled with each different thing.  Of course, that's in the perfect world, right now, some of them are on the floor with overflowing ribbons, etc. in the closet they live in. :)  I can't see the photo I took of before and after the last time I cleaned, I have a small closet off of our office room that these are in, and it's smaller than the last closet I actually was able to climb in and sit with my crafting.  Not ideal storage, and I can't wait to have a bigger house to actually have some room to do my crafting w/o having to pick one thing out at a time!