Dollar Tree + Spray Paint + Hot Glue =

Pure Halloween crafting fun!

My pinterest addiction has paid off.  I saw this cute "Spooky Village" while looking around on pinterest.  I thought it was pure genius!!!!  

Yes, they are little Christmas village pieces you can by at the Dollar Tree for $1!!  Needless to say...I hit it and brought three little houses home to experiment with.

Aren't they adorable!  And yes, they even light up!  It was so easy.  I spray painted the little houses black, then dry brushed some acrylic gray over them.  Can it get any simpler??

Only thing, I don't have room to display an entire village, so I had to get creative.  So I found that the Dollar Tree also sells this moss too.  

Then I searched the house looking for something to "plant" them in.

A little orange spray paint on this vase I had under the kitchen sink was perfect.  I added some sticks from the front yard and some little berries off of a silk leave bush. 

I had this little moss planter out on the back porch...perfect!!!  Just another reason to never throw anything out, LOL!

I am keeping my eyes peeled for some little orange berries.  I was wanting them to look like pumpkins.  In the meantime, I am happy with them.

I really like this one.  I spray painted the moss black, just to see if I liked it.  I do!  Now I am looking for some kind of container to put it in.

Over the last ten years I have used this poor pumpkin out on the porch.  Once again, NEVER throw anything out.  I really didn't like it...until....

I gave him a little make over.  Black paint around his eyes, nose and mouth got it all started.  Then I stained the entire pumpkin with some black wash.  
I bought a package of birthday hats at the Dollar Tree for $1 and spray painted one of them.  (I have some left for later!).  Added a little ribbon I had on hand and some tissue paper, then I put him on a black pillar candlestick.  

And now...I love him!  

I thought I would share this with everyone since I am still working on my granny square blanket and don't have any new pictures of it.  I am making progress and I guess in another week it should be done!

I'm off of here for now, I think I need to go spray paint something!

Bye!

Granny Square Blankie

As you can see, I have been a busy girl!!  Here is a good two-week's worth of crocheting some granny love!  It started out a bit like work, but once I got into it I haven't been able to stop.

I had a call from a lady who had seen the blanket I did for Hospice.  So this is a special order.  I told her I would gladly make another, but it would, of course, be a little different.  It is for a little girl and yes, it will have an owlie on it!

Good Lord!  Look at all those ends.  I need to stop and weave some in, but I don't want to interrupt my granny mojo long enough to clean them up.  I am joining my squares as I go, which I really like.  And I am just feeling my way through the design.  There is a little bit left before I complete the band of 5 round grannies, then I am not sure what I will do.  

Other than this, things have been busy here.  Time just gets away from me, especially on the weekends. Before I go, let me share my happy little jack-o-lantern collection with everyone!

Aren't they cute?!!  I put them in my little antique mini cabinet so I could keep them together.  I am especially fond of my "Seagrove" pottery pumpkins.  

It is looking a lot like fall around the house...and I love it.  Right now I am working on some little haunted houses (the idea came from pinterest).  Hopefully I can get them done this week and get pictures posted next week.

For now, I'm off.  Laundry, supper, housework, you name it...and all I want to do is sit and crochet!

D

Monkey Madness!

What does one do when one's little grand niece (10 years old and cute as a bug) messages you on facebook and requests a sock monkey, a blue sock monkey?

You got it!

I bet you knew the answer!  Yes, you sit down a knit up a monkey.  I'm calling him Mookey.

I can't believe how cute he turned out.  I didn't have a pattern, just made him up.  I knit him up on a circular needle.  When I do another, I will probably start at his feet and work up so the legs and body will all be one piece.  

 Either way, he is cute.  I wish I were him!  Laid back, no worries, and irresistible, can you imagine going through life like that???

I can't!  LOL!

I wanted to share some fall decorations with everyone, but the batteries in my camera died right after I got these pictures taken.  

I am still working on my to do list, only it keeps getting longer.  Now I have an afghan to make, and I found this little doll I want to crochet.  It is called the Tilda Doll.  This gal is from the Netherlands and she had the pattern on her blog, she was even kind enough to send me the instructions in English.  I have been following her blog because of her crochet.  I am not sure which I will begin next.  Maybe both??

I am off for now.  Just took a baked spaghetti out of the oven.  New recipe from Taste of Home...hope it turns out!

Peace

Dawn

 

The Bipolar Hooker?

So who does this???  I am moving right a long crocheting these adorable pumpkins (the pattern is here by the way!)

So pretty, and such crochet satisfaction!  Much faster than the knit ones, too!

I have even been cutting up sweaters and making little owlies, because they go so well with the pumpkins. 

Then Friday evening I get a hanker'in to make something....crochet of course.  I am pretty much blaming this on pinterest...pinning, and pinning some awesome crochet ideas.  

So what do I do???  

Now here comes the bi-polar part.

Are you ready????

Here it comes!

You got it!  I crochet up a Christmas Stocking.  How wacked am I!  Do others do this???  Actually, I couldn't help it.  I found a pattern that had a little picture of a striped stocking I liked, but when I started reading it, it was done flat then seamed together.  I didn't want that!  I wanted it in the round.  So, I just did it myself.  

It turned out so bright.  Mr. Snowman looks quite cute on it, too.  

So I ask, does this qualify for being all over the map??  One added piece of info, I have also been making scarves from recycled tee-shirts.  The daylight got away from me, so I have no pictures of the scarves...but I can tell you they are totally groovy!!!

I will be co-hosting a give away with http://www.simplysockyarn.typepad.com/,  
She will be giving away sock yarn along with my purse patterns, the contest is to start Monday.  

I have been scoping out her yarn and totally drooling!!! 

So my to do list has grown even longer.  Plus I have an afghan order to do, a sock monkey request, and helping a lady by making coffee filter roses for a birthday party.  My plate is full, and all I want to do is anything other than what I need to be doing!

Enjoy Your Week!

Dawn

Pumpkin LoVe!!!

Sweater Pumpkins!  Aren't they cute?  I have been busy making these for my upcoming craft sale.  It is amazing what you can turn an old thrift store sweater into. 

This one turned out so pretty.  I found one of those old sweaters from the 90s that were long and had the big shoulder pads in it.  $3!!  I still have some pieces of the sweater left to salvage.  It is so hard to photograph black, but you can get an appreciation for the bright colors of the pumpkin.

These are so easy to make.  I found the idea on pinterest (thank you pinterest!).  Here is a link on a tutorial for them.   I did mine slightly different.  At the top, I actually wanted to use the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater for a little ruffle where the stem comes out, so I gathered it just below the bottom ribbing, pulled it slightly closed and started stuffing.  The stem is a piece of the sleeve wrapped in twine and I just put in in the center when I pulled the top tight. 

I cut the leaves out of an old plaid throw blanket I got from the thrift store.  It is made out of that fleece stuff, so it is like cutting felt.  I just cut two leaves out, one green and a large black, layered them and stitched them with black embroidery floss.  I used coated floral wire for the stems of the leaves and the curly vines.  The wire will go right in between the green and black layer of each leaf.  I put a leaf at each end of the wire and wrapped it around the stem of the pumpkin. 

You can then use a pen or pencil and curl the wire around it, both ends, then wrap it around the stem. 

That's it!  You may want to secure the stem and leaves with a little elmer's glue. 

Oh, I also pulled yarn through the bottom to the top, around the pumpkin to make those little separations on the pumpkin (I don't know the technical word for it).  I made mine into six sections.

Someone had to get in on the picture.  LOL.  Look at those little feet! 

Okay, now this is the fun thing!  Using the little scraps.  I fashioned up this little pumpkin and the little owl from pieces of the sleeve.  I really like the bright striped sweaters the best (so far)!  I used pieces of old tee-shirts for the eyes and wings.

:-)  He makes me smile...I can't help it!  I do however have serious scissor thumb from using the pinking shears.  Ouch!  I had to give them up after awhile.  They were too dull for the tee-shirt fabric.  It is cute, but the pain in my right thumb has forced me to go back to regular scissors. 

Aren't they pretty with the crocheted leaves?  This was a pretty sweater, I almost felt guilty for cutting it up, if I hadn't only paid $3 for it I probably would have!

In between all this, I have still been knitting little pumpkins and crocheting leaves.  I changed up the pattern quite a bit.  Now I start with an icord and work down.  I like the look a lot better.  This one I did a little cable stitch.  Ouch, once again, the thumb!  LOL!

It is rainy and cool today, perfect for pumpkin production, so I am off to get back to it!

Crocheted Leaves

I am ga-ga over these crocheted leaves!  I want to crochet a whole tree full, LOL!  And I think they go perfectly with tiny pumpkins.

I was on the search for the perfect crocheted maple leaf last week.  Google-ing, searching ravelry, and etsy...and some pinterest.  Pinterest led me to this etsy shop, ka-ching!!!!  Her shop GoldenLucy Crafts, is full of patterns for leaves and seashells.  I purchased her maple leaf pattern and it is awesome.  Easy to follow and she also has step by step photos.  Right now she has a pattern for an oak leaf that I am seriously eye-balling!  I'll probably get it, but first I want to make more maple leaves.

I experimented with some different yarns.  It's too hard to pick my favorite, they are all so pretty.

AUTUMN-EEEE!!

I finally finished up my third shawl.  I had a hard time trying to figure out what kind of edging to put on it.  I knew it needed one.  

I had this chenille by Lion Brand that I picked up from a sale bin that worked perfectly.  It really made the blue pop.

It is very "fringe-like" and so freakin soft!!  I do want to make more of these, maybe for Christmas or my etsy shop.  If you are interested in the pattern it's a Lion Brand freebie, called South Bay Shawlette.  The pattern doesn't have an edging, I added that myself.  

Isn't it yummy as a scarf!

And of course, worn like it was designed to be.

That's about it for now.  Enjoying a rainy Labor Day, with homemade soup and movies.  There is a Mash marathon on TVland my husband can't step away from!

I hope everyone has a great week!  Now I'm off to make more leaves.  (That seriously sounded like a "Martha Stuart" quote!)

Bye

PUMPKINS!!!!

Fall is definitely in the air, I can feel it!  The air is cooler, the evenings just have that sound, and the trees have a tiny hint of changing color.  I am so ready!!!  So, you can see!  I have started by working on some pumpkins to set around the house.

Aren't they adorable!  You can find the pattern here.  It is quick and easy.  I did bling it up a wee bit with a crocheted leaf and some embroidered vines, and yes, of course, buttons!!!

And they just go with Owlies! 

I'll just add a small caveat here, you can't stop making them!  LOL!  I have started one in a cream color, which I think is going to be adorable too!

My Fall To Do List:

Knit more pumpkins

Crochet more pumkins

Crochet some fall leaves

Make more owls

Maybe make a little scarecrow

Knit more pumpkins!

It's not a bad list, totally doable!  

Can't you see a little pumpkin patch???  OMG...idea...sewing little patches on the pumpkins!!  How cute would that be???  

Well, as you see, my brain is in complete creative mode, so I best take advantage of it...I'm off to knit some more, and do a little cooking (Mexican casserole recipe I found on pinterest)!  

Here is a sweet little picture of Girlie I snapped this morning while taking pumpkin pictures.  She is such a sweet baby!

Bye for now!