Fun video By Vickie, Dave and Andrew

So the Art Director Dave Lowe, A fellow Producer Andrew Wollman, and Vickie Howell from Knitty Gritty made this fun video ya'll might like!

Enjoy.

Me and "Superfly" (My new/old Airstream)

I am now part of a new group, Airstream owners!

It is a total fixer-upper but I loooooooove it! It is a Flying Cloud so I have named it Superfly.
Will keep you posted on it's rehab. One big craft project, eh? I will need to get the pink flamingos out and fix their legs, sooo much cleaning fixing and decorating to do!!!!!

But on a slightly smaller scale, I bring you Crafty Blogger Links:

About Family Crafts
Browse through photos of home-made greeting cards and submit your own.

About.com Cross Stitch
Stitchers - Start Your Stockings! It is never to early to start on holiday projects, but don't wait too late.

Aileen's Musings
This week Aileen offers 2 fun tutorials: Phenomenal Paper Flowers & Wee Flower Fairies. Both are sure to inspire you and make you smile!

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Kick off summer with a chance to win a copy of Making Designer Mixed-Media and Memory Jewelry, check out some beautiful handcrafted dolls, a free crochet hacky sack pattern and a how-to on making a recycled denim pillow with a bird appliqué.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Get a free metal clay project over at the BeadStyle blog. This downloadable project shows how to make some super easy metal clay beads!

Layers Upon Layers
Have you ever wanted to try creating an abstract work but found it too intimidating? Come and try it anyway!

Polymer Clay @ Craft Gossip
Learn the anatomy of a polymer clay bead this week.

The Impatient Blogger
Madge reviews a fabulous new metal clay book by jewelry making expert Tammy Powley. If you've ever been metal clay curious, this is the book for you!

Hot, hot. hot Craft Links

I have officially melted! It's been over 110 degrees here in Los Angels! Good thing there are nice cafes that have good AC. There was a super fun Church of Craft Meeting yesterday that there was a whole bunch of cross-stitching, knitting, scrapbooking and gereral yacking. I was working on my latest cross-stitch. I will be sure to share it with you soon. But for now I have some crafty links for you to get some inspiration:

Aileen's Musings
View Aileen's Textured Deli Wrap Journal Tutorial

Crafty Princess Diaries
Thinking of submitting your craft designs to magazines? Do your homework first! Here is lesson 2 on getting your crafts published.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Stitch a Hopeful Quote from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

Polymer Clay @ Craftgossip.com
Bangles, cuffs and dangles - it's a plethora of polymer clay bracelets!

The Impatient Blogger
Join The Impatient Crafter™ Margot Potter in this fun filled video lesson where she shows you how to make inked and collaged pendants. Oo la la!

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Coming down the isle at Craftside are announcements, party favors and containers, jewelry and ribbon work all with a wedding theme but easily transformed for any occasion or special event!

Kewpie Dolls and recycled trim label/push pin gifts

My Kewpie doll has been purchased for The Impatient Blogger-Madge's Kewpie Doll Challenge!

"You can decorate your Kewpie as you choose then take a good quality photo of your Kewpie (1MB or smaller file please) and email it to me at margot@margotpotter.com. I will post the entries in a FlickR account online. There your Kewpie creation will be showered with fame and fortune and possible prizes. The entries must be in to my by Monday September 8th. The winners will be announced on Monday September 15th."

And I bring you another Retro Crafting with A Re-purpose:

These are vintage Bias Tape and Rick Rack labels that were wrapped around a small piece of about 1/2 inch thick Styrofoam and then used to hold Thumb tacks that have been embellished with a simple button glued on. They are then pushed into the label wrapped foam and slipped into a little bag and tied with a small scrap of ribbon.

I think these make a charming little gift for a crafter or anyone really who uses a bulletin board!

Crafty Bloggers Spread the Crafty Love!

Photo Titled: Girl Without a Craft Project.

Well not really, but this is that face I make when I'm not crafting. This is Sylvie, daughter of Dwight of the band The Bamboo Kids and Rony owner of the wonderful store Cat Bird, long time friends of the family.

So to prevent this face on you-I bring you lots of great crafting ideas to keep the pout-face away:

About.com Cross Stitch
Don't toss old or unwanted CDs! Transform them with Cross Stitch instead.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen's listed a few of her favorite products and why she loves them.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Get a crafting blast from the past and flip through the pages with the Crafty Princess and this 1974 Women's Circle magazine.

Diary of a Crafty Chica
Find out why you need to make a bliss book!

Polymer Clay @ CraftGossip
Polymer clay hits the beach with a fun shell inspired tutorial.

The Impatient Blogger
Madge shares a new painting by her mother, the coveted Frankfurter Loaf Recipe and details on her Kewpie Doll Challenge!

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Over at Craftside there is an inside peek, patterns and projects from The New Knits For Men and a chance to win a free copy of Making Jewelry with Hardware Gems, and Beads. Sign up for the Craftside Newsletter and get a free postcard desktop frame. Also check out posts that include free Father's Day graphic quote downloads, and patterns and "how-to's" for retro placemats, napkins and a needle felted bag.

Depresion era Grandfather and how he upcycle crafted

I get my crafty side from this grandfather, Abel Girard. He passed it down to my Dad and then my Dad passed it on to me. So in honor of Father's Day I thought I'd share a bit of my grandfather's craftiness.
Now this may look like an ordinary emery board or nail file, but no!
Pepe (the French word for grandfather) made these out of sandpaper and old popsicle sticks!
I have a few of them and I use them and think fondly of him as I do.
I don't have any but he also would cut old bicycle inner tubes and cut them into rubber bands!

CRAFT Magazine Release Party at Reform School

So I got this cool invite through My "Church of Craft" group:
"Hey Angelenos-- don't forget to come by ReForm School in Silverlake
this Sunday for an afternoon of crafting and fun in celebration of our
newest issue, CRAFT: 07. My co-hostess Jek (of Scrumdillydilly) and I
will teach you to make these fun, retro shoe clips designed by our Old
School columnist, Cathy of California, while enjoying lemonade and
cupcakes from Lark Cakeshop. We'll be offering special subscription
deals and will also be giving away some great CRAFT merch like box set
of the first four issues, teeshirts, plus a pile of amazing books from
Chronicle!"

CRAFT: 07 Release Party
Sunday, June 8, 1-4pm
@ ReForm School
4014 Santa Monica Blvd.
LA, CA 90029

And here is the wonderful project:
And the cool swag:
And the yummies even got in on the crafty-action:
Crafting detritus:
And the peeps who made the detritus:
And check this "show and tell" this crafter (who I regret I didn't write down her name so I deeply apologize in not giving you props here) but I still wanted to share your great quilt squares that were made by randomly pulling fabric from a brown bag. Jean Arp would be proud!

More Tina on Fire, Tasty Tilted Cake and Giant pizza with a side of Crafty Blooger Links

Thrown in today with the crafty blogger links for your viewing pleasure is Tina and her boyfriend playing with fire.

A fabulous cake made by one of Leela's bellydancer goddesses, Celest for her daughter Mattie's Birthday and in celebration of Leela's latest show- Alice in Leelaland

And since we are in Leelaland and size is relative, a giant pizza.

The Cornstar herself is truly amazed as we all were!

Aileen's Musings

Check out Aileen's serendipitous assemblage that started with a book cover and find out why cleaning is like a box of chocolates...

Crafty Princess Diaries
Marketing your craft work and yourself does pay off! Here are a few examples of why this is true and why marketing is worth your time.

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there are pills as gifts, moments with Slash (from Guns N' Roses), a sneak peek at L.K. Ludwig's new book-True Vision, and a great how-to on making an accordion triangle book with a bead closure.

Cross Stitch at About.com
Brighten up your day with a happy little sun or select one of the other fun summer-themed patterns.

(Please note the wonderful PLAID pants this boy is sportin'!)

Layers Upon Layers
Digital manipulations using a torn paper landscape background

Polymer Clay @ CraftGossip
Pearls of Wisdom, a creative challenge.

The Impatient Blogger
Join Madge as she shares some sage advice about getting your work published.

Knitted purses with bangle bracelet handles

This was a Fire Mountain Gem's ad that ran on the back of a knitting magazine (I think) a while back and I got a bunch of email's asking for the pattern. So now a million years later....here is a rough outline of generally how to make these babies!
Supplies:
2 bangle bracelets
yarn
knitting needles in a size to make a pretty tight stitch (in other words if you are a loose knitter go down a size)

I used Iris Schreier's method of casting directly onto rings and binding off with rings. She covers these methods on her Belt episode of Knitty Gritty and in her book-Exquisite Little Knits.

Now please remember these are estimates based on me looking at my finished purses and I can't guarantee perfect accuracy, either now or when I made them since I was simply figuring it out as I went and I was makin' them fur me and I'm not so picky!

For the Green Purse:

Cast on about 13 stitches
Working in garter stitch inc 1 at the beginning of most rows . As best I can count there seems to be about 10 rows on each side of the purse and about 22 stitches along the bottom fold.
Then working back up the other side dec 1 (k2tog) at the beginning of most rows.

Simply fold the two sides together and seem them up leaving about an inch open from the edge of the bracelet.

In the second picture there is a matching cuff. That is about 19 stitches wide and 14 rows tall knit in stockinette, I have a pretty small wrist.

For this fun pink and green version a double stranded with a furry yarn, they are from Iris's yarn company-Art Yarns.

This black and white one was done the same way.

For these:
CO about 18 st.
Knit in stockinette, inc at the beginning of most rows.
After about 8 rows double strand with both the main variegated yarn and the furry/eyelash yarn for about 6 rows.
Knit with just the main variegated for about 9 rows still inc at the beginning of most rows.
Then double strand again for 6 rows and increasing.
This will make one side.
Reverse for the other side:
Still double stranding with the main and eyelash yarn for about 6 rows this time decreasing on most rows.
then about 9 rows of just the variegated, 6 double stranding and then the final 8 rows with the variegated.
No I even gave this a shot with suede cord:
CO 11 stitches
Knit in garter stitch inc for the first few rows and then it looks like I stayed at about 18-19 stitches. Then worked back the same way as before. A note on this one, You can see how the cord changed from having a white edge to it not having the white edge. I made this a design element and added a Chinese coin at the end join in the center.

Well I hope you give this a shot. I know my directions are vague but I really am a "wing it" knitter.

Great Review over at Crafzine and Knitters Invade BEA

Whoo-hoo!
Sweater Surgery got a fab review over at Craftzine!
Pop over and check it out. And while your there check out all the crafty goodness.
I "heart" Craft.
-----------------------------------------------------------
And Knitters invaded BEA (Book Expo America) and I can prove it!
This is not one, but two Stefanie's in the F&W booth! This is Stefanie Japel, author of Fitted Knits, and soon to be released Glamknits-oooh so pretty. Stefanie is one of the most talented designers I know!
And here I am with the fabulous Crazy Aunt Purl, author of Crazy Aunt Purl's Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair
I love reading her blog- she covers the snarky, traffic, knitting, and price of gas with photos of the cutest cats thrown in! What more can you ask for!

And signing not one , but two books-The Yarn Harlot herself-all the way from across the border!
I am so in the mood for knitting after being around all of them!

Mother's Day Cross Stitch Done and Displayed!

Better late than never! The border is from the wonderful book Subversive Cross Stitch and I plotted the type.

And here it is all framed up!

And on the wall with an award my mom got in Law School and a collage of memorabilia from a trip to Catalina. Kind of a neat mix of stuff, hu?

But this cross stitch wasn't all, The Mom also wanted note cards with the cross stitch saying on them. So I used the photo I took and brought it into illustrator and laid it out two up on a page horizontally and printed out a bunch!

And for plotting out the letters I went to Incompetech.com for the graph paper, it is so cool you can make any size you need there and print it out!

I think it was a great idea to use a custom piece of art/craft to make a useful item that more can share in.
Now I have a tip for you, you already might do this but for some reason I hadn't up until this point. I had always cut the paper in half to separate the two cards, then folded them. This always then required some trimming of the cards. This time I folded the large piece of paper in half, then cut the two apart. No trimming up!!! Learn something new every day.

There was a second cross stitch that was requested for another person as part of this gift, but the recipient hasn't gotten it yet, but after they do I will post it!

And here is the cross stitch I did for the parents for Christmas all framed up:
And this is the post about the technique I use to plot my designs.

Crafty Bloggers Unite and some amazing orange plaid

Are these not the most amazing orange plaid shorts?
And don't you just love how his kickin' Nike's coordinate!!!!

That was the photo of the day I needed to share. And on the subject of sharing, a bunch of us crafty bloggers thought we'd get together and spread our crafty love with you all with the headlines of what's happening on our respective blogs:

Aileen's Musings
Aileen offers a groovy tutorial on altering a cabinet card using gauche paints.

Crafty Princess Diaries
What does Jane Austen have to do with craft trends? Tammy tells you what we can learn about crafting and following trends from Dear Jane.

Diary of a Crafty Chica - CONTEST!
Tell Kathy why you are a crafty chica too, and you may win a hecka of a lot of prizes!

Layers Upon Layers
Cyndi has compiled a list of her tutorials on mixing digital work into your mixed media!

The Impatient Blogger
Madge shares some photos and impressions from her recent trip to Tokyo for CHA to HAJ.

Polymer Clay @ Craft Gossip
Need the low down on making dozens of different polymer clay beads? Heather reviews a handy book that might just be your recipe to beadmaking success.

Craftside- A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Over at the Craftside blog there is a chance to win a copy of Retro knits and 1000 Artist Trading Cards, a beaded butterfly pattern, and more spring crafty goodness.

Well now that I'm inspired- off to make something!

Peep Jewelry Inspired by the great State of Texas

I love reading Jennifer Perkin's Blog Naughty Secretary Club and there was this post a while back .
I just love her style.
Well, shopping at the good old 99 cents store after Easter and I found these great Peep plastic decorations.

Well here at re-purposing central- I grabbed ye old scissors and cut them apart.
I popped a bead dangle in the bottom hole and a jump ring in the top hole.
I then grabbed a bead chain and voila!

Peep-tastic!

6 Degrees of Separation from Hanna Montana and Stefanie Girard

I bet your wondering, "What is up with that title?" Like I've said before, half the fun of blogging is coming up with the funky titles.
Hanna Montana AKA Miley Cyrus and her recent photo hubbub reminded me that I actually had some connection with her. Yes 6 degrees or maybe 6000, but none the less this is what I thought I'd share with ya'll today!
Crafting with Hanna Montana. To be honest I don't think I even new who she was until the fab people at Wrights e-mailed asking if I could work my crafty magic and whip up some samples to display in their booth at CHA winter 2008. These iron-ons were a dream to work with and perfect for the crafter who wants virtual instant satisfaction!


Flash back to CHA Winter 2008 and here I am being my goofy self:

Click on image to enlarge to get a better look at all the details.


I also got to incorporate their yummy trims in the designs. This camo sweatshirt rocked with the Hanna Montana iron-ons and olive/beaded trim.


I sooooo loved the little red dress on the left with the velvet Tinkerbell iron-ons.
Isn't this cute; they put my name on their tag!

Sweater Surgery Machine Gun Eyeglass Case

As usual when I need something I first ask myself, "Can I make it?"

I needed an eyeglass case because my sunglasses have gotten so big my old vintage case is just too small.

So off to the felted wool sweater stash and I grabbed a pretty pink medium weight one for the main part of the case and a scrap of charcoal gray for the embellishment.

I then surfed Google images and found a machine gun picture. Why a machine gun- to be honest not quite sure.

I sized the image and cut it out of the charcoal gray wool felt scrap and cut out the pink to make the case in a very scientific way-I wrapped the pink sweater around the glasses and added an extra bit.

I then needle felted the machine gun onto the pink piece.

Then folded the pink piece in half and blanket stitched the two together and around the top edge.

Crafting and cats......enough said.

I was reading Tammy Powley's post over at her blog at About.com and let's just say this picture and

this picture sum up everything she was talking about. Is it just me and her??????? And this isn't even my cat! It's my neighbor's but we looooooove him!

The second before I snapped this picture Pumpkin was all nestled in all snuggled down on the rubber stamps but he new as soon as I saw him-I was not loving his local......

Rock and Roll Sewing Sweater Surgery Style

I realized after I finished my last post that it wasn't the first time I had crafted with a rock.
Here is a photo of a very dusty and faded pin cushion rock.

Why in the world would I make a rock a pin cushion? Well, it didn't start out as the plan. I used to get a tone of catalogs when I worked as a set decorator because I was always shopping and buying stuff for sets.

I had seen in a catalog rock votive candle holders placed on a beach and thought they looked really cool. So I got a big-a** drill bit and went to town on a rock.

So I had a votive rock candle holder.

A crap load of good that does a person who doesn't burn candles because she's way to scared to set her house on fire with all the paper, fabric and yarn flying around it!

Well what's a crafty girl to do but to transform it into something useful for a fiber-fanatic....a pin cushion!
Here it is reupholstered with.....an old wool felted sweater (lest ye forget this is the Home of Sweater Surgery!)

Have any of you crafted with a rock? Leave a link in the comment section, we'd all love to see!

A Rock and A Square Place

Is it art or is it craft?

The eternal question.
Or is the eternal question Form over Function???
Well,
all I can say for sure is that I crafted this painted rock.

I used a piece sticky back paper and punched a square in it using the Marvy Uchida 1-3/8 inch square punch.

I then applied the sticky back paper stencil to the rock and spray painted it with black satin paint.

Are you asking yourself, "Why are you painting a rock with a black square Stefanie?"

I'll answer this question for you;
There is a commercial running that I believe is a paint commercial and there are "squares" missing from objects such as rocks and things.

The idea is that the colors in nature can be found in the company's paints.
But my brain first saw it as squares missing.
It really caught my eye.

Maybe its kind of the "square peg in a round hole" factor, I don't really know.
But subsequently, I felt the need to paint a black square on a rock.

There you have it.
If anyone knows exactly what the commercial was for/company please leave a comment.

But if you came here looking for some good old Sweater Surgery you can just pop on over to
Craftside and there is a tasty project of the Upcycled Wool Sweater variety!

Scrumptious-Beadalicious by Sonya Nimri

Oh so00000000 tasty! Beadalicious: 25 Fresh, Unforgettable Jewelry Projects for Beads Old and New
is packed full of wonderful jewelry projects and tasty recipes- the perfect combo if you ask me! I devoured this book with all it's inspiring jewelry designs. Hmm can I make more food puns???
Not only are the projects beautiful and diverse, there are wonderful step by step illustrations that really make creating the pieces easy and fun.

I whipped this little "gem" up in just a few minutes by following the clear instructions.
If you want to see how to make this little simple piece or some wild and extravagant baubles you'll just have to grab yourself a copy of Beadalicious and get crafting!

Oh, and be sure to pop over to Sonya's neck of the internet and check out more of her creativity-it's not just limited to the bling!

Piggy Tales Pine Tree from CHA on Earth day 2008

Piggy Tales press kit at CHA Winter 2008 was an actual pine tree!

"This was a great way to announce that they are the first major scrapbook company to take the big plunge to Go Green. They will be printing their fabulous new papers on certified recycled paper with organic ink, and keep the outrageously vibrant colors, and still be acid and lignin free. The press kit claims that they are estimating saving 100 trees a year by converting their line to recycled paper."
Patti wrote on her blog and (I snagged her before picture.)

Here is my baby now:
Yes that is an upside down pink flamingo hanging from the tree in the background. Pink flamingos in Burbank like to pretend they're in China.
Piggy Tales is having a photo contest- pop over and check it out-!

And if you would like to see more green crafting head over to Craftside for a gatefold card made with recycled wall paper and 2 tools one from a cereal box lid and the other from Scor-it!

But wait there's more- if you click on either recycle or upcycle in the side topic list you will get tons more projects that are good for the earth both here at Sweater Surgery and Craftside!

F.U.B.A.R Cross stitch

Well here you have it, my latest finish object.
Again inspired by the wonderful book Subversive Cross Stitch.

Click here to read all about the origin of this acronym. Hugs!

In Loving Memory-Uncle Joe Lesizza

Eulogy

By Cathryn Clark Girard

For those of you gathered here, you probably know this man as Joe, or Mr. Lesizza. From the time I first knew him, really for as long as I can remember; to me he was Uncle Joe, and so today I will tell you about my Uncle Joe.

He was my mother’s youngest brother, married to my Aunt Mary, who hailed from Staten Island, NY, with all the fanciness you might expect to find in a person from NY. They were a special couple to all of us Lesizza cousins, because they had no children of their own and they poured out their largesse of time, talent, interest, and attention on all of us. Now just who do you know who would pile a gaggle of noisy teenagers into guess what -- a convertible – and take them off for a day at the beach? This was beyond cool in the 1950’s.

Just as Uncle Joe’s kindness was outsized, so were his expectations. None of us were ever allowed to whine, quit, or otherwise wimp out. I must admit there were times when I had pitched battles with him about the rules of a game or the technique to best make a shot during our backyard croquet games. I have even been known to stomp off the croquet field in frustration, but he never compromised his standards.

In my first year of high school I was struggling with quadratic equations in Algebra. I was a good student and I felt like I reached some sort of Waterloo, and what was I going to do? I have no memory of exactly how he did it, but Uncle Joe caused some kind of light bulb to go on for me that turned quadratic equations and the rest of Algebra into a breeze. The magic of a teacher, even without the title!

Uncle Joe took me to New York City, to Radio City Music Hall, to Coney Island, places that seemed like magic to me and for sure not common fare for my friends and playmates at the time.

When I grew up and became an adult woman with a husband and children of my own, Uncle Joe was still a part of our life. It wasn’t always easy for him to make the adjustment to me being an adult and to treat me as such -- old habits die hard -- but he continued to bring his special magic into the lives of my two children, Joseph and Stefanie. Many a meal he shared with us, many evenings of card games, board games, backyard sports, and holiday gatherings. There were always laughs and smiles.

Uncle Joe loved the movies, he loved to bowl, and he loved to dance. In his later years, he loved a trip to the gambling boat. He knew how lucky he was to have found Pearl and to share his life with her, brief though it may have been. These are things that many people knew about my Uncle Joe, but only a few of us knew that special magic of having him as an uncle during our crucial growing up years. We will remember him in a special way, and we thank God for his presence in our lives.

Skull and Winged Heart Shrink Plastic Earrings

I have been playing with shrink plastic since I was a kid and I love it just as much as I did then as I do now. I watched Judi's Plum & Verdigris Episode - Punch It, Shrink It, Wear It

Playing with Fire

Is this HOT or what!?
This is Tina, Leela's daughter Hula hooping on fire!

What a cutie!
--------------------------------

And speaking of fire, check out these cool buttons made with fire by
Cathi Milligan of www.beadbrains.com
Cathi is a really talented designer-such a fan!
I haven't decided yet how I am going to use these little beauties.
Any ideas that are super unique????