Thursday, November 10, 2011

Oh My Gosh!

So I've been busy... and obviously, not on the computer enough!

Here are some of my recent achievements:


This is a fun hair clip that I designed based on a book of Art Deco designs. I love the look and feel of that style, it's whimsical feel and order in line. I changed it a bunch to fit my plan, but I love how this first try came out! This one is to be a present for a friend, but I've got to copy it a few times before it gets sent on.

I'm loving this process so much I've already 3 more designs in the works!

Next one's a silly one:
My friends had a young son recently, and though I'm not sure they noticed, the young guy's initials are "B.A.D.". I couldn't let that one go by, especially as his dad is anything but a crazy bad dude. It was to originally just go on a tiny tee shirt, but when I found this cute (GLOW-IN-THE-DARK!) skeleton pjs outfit, I thought of a better plan.

The hat is made out of simple black acrylic yarn (best for washing!) and the iron-on transfers were found at my local JoAnn's Fabric. It was printed using my regular old printer. Not too messy, but the ironing was a bit tricky - though that might be due to my EXTREME love of ironing.  (Did you catch the sarcasm just there?)

The skeleton on the hat was crocheted and embroidered on. I made the pattern up to suit my purpose, so I'm not really sure what it was at the moment, but it worked.  I added a simple drawstring through holes so the hat can be worn sized for longer. Here's a closeup of the skeleton:



One more fun Halloween project that was finished:


My sister made the plan for this scarf based on a photo she had seen of a similar project online. We each knit 5 triangles of 3 different colors, and then we pieced them together haphazardly. The grey stitches at the end were the fun part as they didn't need to be exact. Messy makes them look better in my opinion. It was a fun project as the colors were bright and cheery and the pieces were super fast moving to make. The only bugger part was the piecing them all together....(my sister was in grad school at the time and dumped her knitted pieces on my doorstep. it's been waiting to be completed for some time.)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Fall / Winter Mash

It turned Fall rather quickly here in the woods. I was wearing shorts and tanks, what, 3 weeks ago? No jacket until last week, and then SNOW this weekend?

I am still mourning the sunshine of summer.

Having had the summer off from work, I've been working on more projects - or, rather, completing hanger-on ones. It's so nice to complete something on your "To Do" list. Right?

I'll be posting photos of my newly completed projects soon as well as my new favorite item: My Knitted Alligator. The pattern should be ready to roll out within the next few weeks. As it's my first, I want to make sure that all gaps have been filled and nothing is amiss.

For now, I'll tidy up my summer garden, pack up all of the seeds I've gathered, and go put out more seed for the birds. Maybe some for the squirrels too.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Super Things are Happening!


This copper pin was designed with a "Thank You" in mind. My metalsmithing teacher had a large commission project this summer that I had the great privilege of helping out with. As the deadline loomed closer, we were in dire need of some spectacular ribbon for the packaging. This gentleman Stan of nearby Windsor Button helped us track down what we needed, following up with phone calls to suppliers and to myself. To have a level of customer service that high deserves recognition and a huge THANKS!

I and my teacher dropped it off to him one recent Saturday. It was so nice to be able to thank someone in person. To say the least, he was shocked. A very nice moment.

After taking the end of August off for a vacation trip with my sister, I've had lots of beautiful experiences and shared moments with friends. I've lots to post of current work in progress and will be on again soon.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Princess Couture

A good friend has a young daughter who has a deep love for tutus. Who can blame her? What's not to love about twirling in circles, and watching the colors and texture swirl by? I figured, what better way to cap off a fairy princess attire than with a crown and wand?

I designed the crown and wand with the idea that a girl would play in and with them for hours, and pointy edges were kept at a minimum. The crown is entirely in acrylic yarn, so washing is not a problem. The wand, as it required prettier, sparklier yarns, it less washing-machineable, but is cushioned at the end, and the star is stuffed like a pillow. Hopefully, there is enough cushion to keep fairy princesses from knocking their little sisters cold!

Here is The Princess in my 1 allowed minute of photo-op. She's a busy princess. Places to go, people to see. Clearly, quite bored with my camera already, she allowed one more shot after this before the wand came down on my head, alerting me that time was indeed up.
 As the day played on and the yarn stretched out, I had to make a few alterations, reminding me that kids teach us durability and strength a lot faster than we can research on our own.

Now to see if  I can replicate the 2 again.....

One Creative Summer





Spring and Summer have flown by, but I've been keeping really busy!
The above knitted owl is an original design that I have been working on for a friend's son. He turned one in June, so he needed a special gift from me. This pattern was created using knitting and crocheting techniques. It was a lot of fun in creating and designing - and even more fun to watch it being loved and enjoyed!

I've been finishing up a few silver projects as well that I hope to post shortly. This summer brought about a big project for my metalsmithing teacher, as well as unemployment for me. It was only luck that allowed me to work with this professional metalsmith, gaining knowledge and experience. Well worth the time spent!

The Flickr page has just been updated with new photos of all recent projects. I've updated from February to August, so be sure to see what's new in all 4 categories. *phew* I'm tired just remembering it all!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Tweedy Warmth

So. I'm feeling mighty victorious. I've conquered a hurdle. It was a really small hurdle, but gosh darn it. It's conquered!

That's right! I finished a birthday present in LESS THAN A WEEK after the actual BIRTHDAY! Oh yay! Oh Happy Dance! (I'm actually sneaking some birthday cake in as we speak. Or type. Yes. type.)

My father is one of those gentlemen, that when walking around Galway in Ireland will get stopped and asked for directions. He's that old school looking. He's the "Irish wool cap and wool sweater with tie" kinda guy. And that's what I started with in my search for a perfect scarf for him.

I wanted something warm and cable-y that would loop around him a few times, while still looking distinguished. So I did just that. I've 2 small cables and one larger in the middle. Very simple, but with very (for me!) tiny yarn.

Doesn't it look just snuggy! I love the way it turned out, and my old man looks just charming in it. Now if I can get the ol' bugger to stand still for a minute, I'll post his mug wearing it. Stay tuned.....

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Winter Schminter

In the past month we have had more snow than I can remember in all of my childhood years added up.
This may, or may not, be an exaggeration.
We get about 6 inches of snow, and then a few days later, get another 6 inches. It's hard to say how much is out there now as it keeps compacting and staying the same height, but for the mail box. That's almost a hole in a snowbank...... Did we get the paper today? Hmm.....

Yesterday, on a sunny Saturday morning, I took the two furry ones out for a walk in the snow. We had rain, then snow, then freeze, so 3 days later, all the world was still held captive in the icy blanket. Perfect for some lovely snow photos!

I could hear my 6th grade teacher, leading us in Robert Frost's "Stopping By Wood On a Snowy Evening" as I walked through the snow, exploring with the dogs. So quiet, still and perfect. Just the quiet moment I needed after another hellish week on my "Day Job".That was until my companions decided to cause a ruckus, while still attached to my wrist.


This is Bessie,  the Basset princess, who is giving us her best "Who me?" expression. The picture of innocence is she.

The remainder of my weekend has been dedicated to buckling down and finishing my father's birthday scarf in a lovely green tweedy wool. I've got about 3 feet down, and about 3 to go before it's complete. Hopefully I can knock it off my list of "Incomplete Projects Plaguing My Brain" before long. * sigh *
Hopefully.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Hand-Tying Ribbon - A Wedding!

My good friends got married last weekend, and I was given a great responsibility.
I was asked to do a reading at their ceremony, which was very nerve-wracking, but even more so, I was asked to create the ribbon tie that they would use in their hand-tying ceremony.

As I'd never done, nor heard of, this ceremony, I spent much time pulling out my hair, followed by much time researching on the computer in which I found there are many cultures that use this in their ceremonies, both in past and present. This is mainly the visual of  the phrase "to tie the knot". In earlier Scottish tradition, if the bride and groom could not afford a church wedding, they would have a ceremony in the village square in which their hands were tied together.

The bride and groom share many cultures within their families and in their travels. It was a daunting task to find a way to bring it all together. I tried to take what I learned about each culture's traditions, the personalities of the intendeds and a big heap 'o randomness and came up with the below:





I used 6 separate ribbons of varying colors. The number 6 was meant to signify 2 intendeds + 2 sets of parents, showing that the families were united as well as the couple. The ribbons chosen were their favorite colors, mixed with their wedding colors.

Lastly, I attached a series of silver charms, that signified a certain event, step, or sentiment in their journey forward. The ribbons start with 2 charms, with one initial on each. Two separate ribbons. The ribbon ends with 1 charm with both of their initials intertwined. I used a simple engraving pencil to carve out their letters.

In the middle of the rope is a Celtic symbol which I meant to show their lives becoming united. The separate ribbons passing through this never-ending symbol, shows that the couple have united as one.

I then typed up a, rather long, explanation of my sentiments that I wished for them on their special day and presented it to them at their rehearsal the night before. I'm not going to say I didn't share a tear in reading it.

I hope to kidnap it for a few moments in the coming days to get a better photo. (I hadn't finished it until late the night before, so perfect lighting was not available.)   :) 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

The Beginning of a New Year..... and New Projects!

I've been a busy creative bee these past few months. I've been knitting, designing and metaling to my heart's content.
This beaded necklace was completed this summer out of shell beads, man-made seaglass, some metallic-painted beads and a few hematite thrown in for good measure. A light, summery design.
This little pumpkin hat includes my first foray into felting. I had joined a knitting group last year and got a little taste of  it when I decided to play around at home. These pumpkin leaves were the perfect fit for a great fall hat. Now to see the little guy grow into the size I made for him!

I posted the baby Wonder Woman hat earlier and will post an update once I take a better photo. The hat is darling, but the crown is a bit long. I need to re-work and re-photograph. Stay tuned.....

This past December I participated in my first craft fair, joining fellow students in a group show in Cambridge, MA where we work in studio. It was great fun to see such amazing work from my peers. To see how we all learned the same basic skills and have all gone in completely different directions is again an amazement to me!

The above is my setup at the show, and a close up of a pair of earrings offered. I loved the "tweedy" look of the cross-hatch markings.

I can't move on without pointing out the packaging and logo. Having worked in packaging for 4 years now, I couldn't just through my gems into a plain generic box and call it a day. I'd been mulling over names for a very long time, and have been playing with logos just as long. One day it all sort of came together, and followed by one intense evening of shouting at both the printer and Word, I walked out of the house with some snazzy cards and stickers to use. I am very happy with the result.

I've been planning out new knitting projects and, in a rotating basis, have completed a few as well. (Rare, I know.) Even better, I've just posted LOTS of new photos of my work to my Flickr account. (under "GatelyGirl")

In this new year, I hope to better my metalsmithing skills in creating more rock and seaglass pendants, as well as branch out more into stamped metal designs. Who knows? Maybe I'll get more tricky in my sawing skills! One can hope.

I've also got plans to complete more stuffed animals and toys.

I like looking at patterns as reference, but then going out on my own tangent to find something new. (I hope to learn how to actually follow a pattern and finish a project ON TIME as well!) The owl above has a body completed, but is in need of wings to fly, etc., etc. Let's hope the little guy it's intended for does not finish college before the owl is complete. (You can see the body in the background photo. The shapes on the photo are there to serve as reference for me while I make up a pattern to achieve that look.)






This is myself and my dad toasting the new year after an exhausting volunteer effort in helping with the First Night Boston parade. It was a great event and the weather was really accommodating. This beer and the one that followed were well-earned.

The grey wool cap I'm wearing is one I've completed using a reference pattern and going a little by the wayside. (Meaning, it was meant for a toddler and ended up for me. It's ok, I love it.)

I do hope your new year is off to a great start with grand ambitions as well! I'll be posting my progresses and my lack-there-ofs as I go. Hope to see you soon!