Guild Christmas Sheep to Shawl Swap

So we did a really awesome gift swap for Christmas in our fiber guild.  In October (or November) everyone who was participating brought in fiber.  Then we wrote down what we would like made out of it.  I didn't particularly care what happened to my fiber.  And the fiber I got wasn't too particular except she didn't want gloves or socks.  I also couldn't dye the fiber. 

This was my fiber.  8 oz of a lovely Cotswald wool

 Debbie turned it into a lovely shawl/capelet.  It is very warm and fuzzy.  It is amazing that the pink and green turned into a finished product that is almost completely purple.

 I got some lovely brown fiber from Judy and I turned it into a scarf/shawl.  With beads.

 I think this pictures sums up how it all went

Update

So I think the general rule of thumb for New Year's resolutions is about a week before you fail miserably.  Apparently tomorrow is statistically the day that people are more likely to stop working on their New Year's resolutions.  Let's see how I'm doing. 

1. Stop spending money on things I don't really need- you know, I'm actually doing pretty good.  I've only bought 3 bottles of nail polish.  2 of them were ones I had been planning to buy since the set was announced, I just hadn't found them until now.  The 3rd was a bit impulsy, but a very, very good deal.  And really, the main point of this wasn't to never buy things again, but to be more mindful of my spending.  So these were all planned.  Not really impulse buys.  I've bought a few costume things, but I have a show coming up and they were things I need.
2. Organize the craft room and the living room- We haven't started yet
3. Step up my belly dance. Practice at least one extra day outside of class- With the show coming up, this has been easy (I danced for 5 hours yesterday).  The challenge is to keep this up afterward.
4. Get my ass back in the gym- my 5 k class starts tomorrow. 
5. Decide if I really want to make this jewelry thing happen-  I got my jewelry tumbler for Christmas.  I took it for a test run Monday.  It is so on.  Now I just need to figure out a gameplan.  It will probably start right here on my blog.  Maybe a giveaway.  I need to figure out how to break into the craft show biz.  Any suggestions would be great?  And what are people's opinions on asking other jewelry sellers?  Not to sound like a pompus ass, but my designs are very different than what I've seen around here and in particular, very, very different from the person I had thought about asking (just a different design asthetic, not better, in fact I have a few of her pieces).  Pretty much I just want to get into one craft show.  I've noticed that once you do one, you start hearing about all the other ones.  I just don't know where to start.   When I try to use the internet, I end up with all the big craft shows.  I need to start small.  

New Year's Resolutions

1. Stop spending money on things I don't really need-  I actually had a longer list, but like 80% of stuff I had pretty much boiled down to this.  Less impulse buying, buying less nail polish, stop buying stuff to make costumes I haven't gotten around to wearing, stop buying the stuff to start new hobbies when I don't really have to time to finish the ones I have. 
2. Organize the craft room and the living room.  I think this is going to involve buying an entertainment center for the living room.  Possibly another bookshelf for our dvds.  I am so excited we finally organized the basement and I have a dance space (reminder to get a rug for down there).  I can imagine I'll be just as excited to be able to find things in those rooms.
3. Step up my belly dance.  Practice at least one extra day outside of class.  I got some great drill DVD's for Christmas.  Use them.  Then maybe I can use some of those costumes and maybe justify the purchase of a very nice one.  (and if I stick to number 1 I might actually have the money to do so)
4. I should call this one 3.5, but get my ass back in the gym.  My surgery was in October.  Granted I've been sick a few times and the holidays are a shit time to try and organize a schedule.  But seriously.  Too many excuses
5. Decide if I really want to make this jewelry thing happen.  Do some craft shows.  Revamp the Etsy store.  

I think 5 is good.  I think they are doable.  Nothing too epic like lose 100lbs.  In fact, going to the gym isn't about losing weight anymore.  I am healthy and pretty happy with my body.  I want to be able to shimmy longer and run faster.  Yes, those would be easier if I were skinny, but being skinny wouldn't mean I could automatically do those things.  I have to work on them no matter my weight.  So I should work on them.  And I will

We Have a Winner

I would like to thank everyone for entering.  It was great to see so many blog hits.  And I love that the overwhelming majority of posts said they would keep the earrings.  I went to a craft swap this weekend that was marketed as being able to finish your homemade Christmas shopping.  And I think I maybe got two things for other people.  Everything else was mine, All Mine!!!  lol

Without further ado, the winner is Jingle.  Such a festive name so close to the holidays. 

And keep an eye on the etsy store.  As I have a chance I will begin adding my wire earrings to sell.  Thanks everyone!

Sew Mama Sew giveaway day

 Contest Over!  Winner has been contacted, and I will make a new post when I hear from them. 

I haven't posted in a while.  So to come back with a bang, I'll start with a giveaway.  I always enjoy participating in the Sew, Mama, Sew blog giveaway days. 

This year I am giving away a pair of earrings.  If you're thinking, "but wait, Nadine!  They need to be handmade!" you can put your mind at ease.  I've taken up a new hobby (because I need another one like I need a hole in my head).  If you've been here before, you know I have an Etsy shop where I sell bags and other sewn items.  Well, I've come to realize they aren't really fiscally sustainable.  I like making them and I sell them occasionally, but they don't require much creative thought.  Then I fell down a hole on Pinterest and started getting really interested in wire jewelry.

Some examples.

So for my giveaway, leave a blog comment telling me who you would give a pair of  these to for Christmas (keeping them for yourself is totally a viable option).  Easy Peasy.  This contest will be open until Midnight on Friday December 7th.  I will then use a random number generator to pick a winner.  Please leave an email or some way to contact you.  You can choose from a pair pictured above or I can even work with you to create something completely unique.  I use nickel-free sterling coated copper wire and high quality beads and swarovski elements.  Thanks for looking

Meet Glinda

She is super nice and as luck would have it, we are the same size!  So I see a lot of clothes sharing in our future. 

 I did have to pad out her butt and waist.  Unfortunately the size dress form that fit my bust was too small for the rest of me.  And as I hope to make my bust smaller in the future, I figured I would be safer with the smaller size.  So thanks to a large felt contribution from Jenn, she got a little bit of extra cushion.  Oh and a sexy bra.

 Now if I could just keep her from scaring the crap out of me when I walk into my dark craft room. 

New Hobby

So I've picked up a new hobby (since I needed another one) and I have been trying my hand at wire jewelry making. I blame pinterest and my friend Anna on there who keeps pinning beautiful stuff. I had tried to make shawl pins before, but they didn't work very well. Until I learned that key piece of information about hammering or annealing the piece. Yeah, it works much better. 

I started off simple.  A little stick pin style.

But I've been working my way through some more complicated designs.  

 

 Mine are a bit unique in that the "pin" part is actually connected to the design so that it won't pull out.  I've lost a few shawl pins that way and I think this helps. 

Then I decided to get really complicated thanks to the design of my friend, Jess.  It is actually the Seal of Rassilon from Doctor Who.

 I need to make more shawls to keep up with all of the shawl pins I am making.