Crafty Tags

Hello! Yesterday, I  turned a blah canvas pouch into TADA! by decorating it with iron-on patches:

This pouch's mission is to house my current craft project. That way, I can easily take it anywhere. Right now, the holidays are on my mind. To avoid being overwhelmed, I spread out my holiday errands throughout the year such as buying presents, assembling handmade gifts, and preparing tags: 

Here's what I put inside my project pouch: a "Made with Love" rubber stamp, an ink pad, and blank sticker labels. 

Moving on to gift labels, here are Christmas-themed rubber stamps and bigger adhesive tags. 

Sometime in the day, when I have a few minutes on hand, I can do a little stamping {it doesn't even require a lot of time} and TADA!, I'll be able to cross off an item on my "To Do" list.

To protect the surface I'm working on, I'd bring a sheet of recycled paper {ex. newspaper or packaging paper}. For quick clean-up, I would tuck in some paper towels and a plastic zip-top bag to keep any ink from getting to my pouch.

I hope this has inspired you to make a project pouch, too.

  

Patches and Pouches

I've told you before that I'm a fan of Cath Kidston's dainty prints and products. The brand is celebrating it's 20th birthday and they made a special line to mark this occasion. Here are my top picks from that line:

via Cath Kidston

I love that the patches look collected, each one telling a story. At the same time, these add interest to the basic purses. 

And because it's all about project pouches this week, I'm making my own today.

I found this canvas pouch at the dollar bin of Target. It's looking a little blah, right?

Inspired by the Cath Kidston purse, I'm going to add these patches to my pouch. I purchased them over the years. I was just waiting for the opportunity to use them.

Some of the patches can be applied with an iron.

Just position on the pouch and iron on. 

This other patch has to be sewed on but I'll try a no-sew fabric glue instead. Let's see how long it will hold.

Just dab on the wrong side of the patch, then place it on the pouch.

Here's what the pouch looks like now. Blah to TADA!

I hope to keep adding more patches on both sides...I like that it's a work in progress.

Tomorrow, I'll show you what I'll use it for. See you then!

Project Pouches

I hope you had a restorative weekend, lovelies! Do your days include pockets of waiting? Waiting for a flight or waiting for your kids to get out from school? How do you while away the time? I guess a smart phone or tablet would be an easy solution. But let's say you're the crafty type and want to do more creative things with your hands than just type on a keypad. Well, why not have a project pouch on hand?

A project pouch is a kit for your current craft project. 

Here is mine. I got the canvas bag from my favorite craft store. It's roomy yet compact, and can easily be thrown in the washing machine to tidy it up.

Because I'm trying to improve my watercolor skills, this is what you'll find inside:

A pencil and fine tip pen, paper towels, an eraser, a small visual journal, a watercolor pan and a small cup {it's a sauce container from a take-out meal} which I can fill with water from a nearby drinking fountain. 

When I know I have time to kill, I take this pouch with me to keep me from going crazy. It's also great to have when inspiration strikes.

I was in Brooklyn one beautiful August day. I can never get tired of this view of the Manhattan skyline.

And so I took out my project pouch to record the scene.

Here is the product of the afternoon. TADA!

I chose to use different shades of blue. The painting feels calm and restrained.

Compared to this one I made last year which was busy with color and packed with details. Oh what a difference a year {and some watercolor classes} makes!

Rainbow Branches

Happy Friday! I hope my yarn bombing ideas this week got you all tickled. Before we part for the weekend, I'm leaving you this photo:

These are twigs dressed up in yarn! Aren't they fabulous? I found them at Anthropologie last winter. 

Since autumn is upon us, why not gather some twigs during a weekend walk. Rinse these with water and dry completely. Then wrap them completely with yarn, secure ends with hot glue. They make happy accents to the home and you can even hang ornaments that can change with the seasons.

Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

Wrapped in Yarn

I'm still in a yarn-wrapping frenzy. And why not? Yarn is colorful, cozy and can be purchased inexpensively.

Like this variegated ball that I found at a garage sale many seasons ago. I'm not a knitter or crocheter but I like to keep yarn for a bunch of different crafty pursuits. 

Today, I'll attempt to turn this wire hanger from blah to TADA!

Yarn bombing a hanger is the shizzle, my crafting enthusiasm will never fizzle...I know, that was a super lame attempt at a rap. But you know the drill. Just tightly wind that yarn around the hanger, sealing with hot glue every now and then.

And here's what it looks like now!

I'm pleased with how the colors of the yarn add drama to the hanger. 

Put some of these in your guestroom closet for a colorful yet functional surprise. But here's another idea:

Use it to corral a collection of necklaces.

Or if you're a jewelry maker, this is a cool way to display your wares at a craft fair or boutique. TADA!

A Bag Charm

Howdy everyone! On Monday, I shared an art installation inspired by knitting. Yesterday, some street graffiti using crochet. I know, there's a lot of yarn action happening here! 

I guess it would be obvious that this week's blog theme is yarn bombing. Don't worry, I'm not taking to the alleys to decorate an innocent bicycle with a rainbow of yarn. 

I'll do it small scale, because I think yarn can turn any blah into TADA! 

Take this mini carabiner for example. It was used to keep a bunch of keys together. Age has made the cobalt blue paint fade. So sad looking.

Let's bring in the girly gang -- odds and ends from my craft stash like yarn, a pompom, a tassel and beads.

Cover the carabiner with yarn and hold the yarn in place with hot glue.

Then string the elements together with needle and thread.

And just like that, we've made a pretty bag charm. TADA!

Hook it onto any pouch or tote, because they deserve some accessorizing, too.

Yarn Bombing

Have you ever heard of the term yarn bombing? It's similar to graffiti but instead of using spray paint, yarn is the chosen medium for self expression in a public place.

I don't see it very often, only on two occasions:

Once in Manhattan's Meatpacking District -- these security posts look like candy!

And another time, just this summer, at Absolut's Open Canvas Initiative in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. These are the handiwork of crochet artist Olek. 

"Forgotten Barrier" with the message, "All You Need is Love and Money".

 The "Olek Bike"

Notice that even the bike rack is crocheted!

This one is named "Auto Install"

The entire van is covered in yarn! I wonder how long it took her to do this?

"I always seek to bring color and life, energy, and surprise to the living space, " Olek says. She chooses to use crochet "as a metaphor for the complexity and interconnectedness of our body and our psychological processes. Cut one string and you lose it all."

Seeing these made me happy, but also gave me the sense of being temporary. Appreciate it while it's there and have a sense of humor while viewing it. I hope to come across more of these in the future. In the meantime, you might enjoy these photos of yarn bombing from different parts of the world.