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Archives: Brookelynn

Project: Recycled Cashmere Flower

Ah, cashmere, why are you so soft? The goat fiber is one of the most silky, fluffy, and delicious fibers I've ever worked with. I vigilantly scour thrift stores for cashmere sweaters, and then chop them up! I make wrist warmers, scarves and capelets with the body of the sweaters, but because I consider the fiber to be so precious, I also hoard the scraps. Which are perfect for projects like this dramatic flower.

The smallest scraps of sweater can be cut into little petals, then needle felted into a luscious accessory. The key to this project is the volume of petals- the more petals, the better. And if you need a primer on needle felting, I posted a quick video in one of my first blog posts for Craftzine.

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How-To: Weave a Miniature Basket

Everything is more adorable when it is miniature. I literally said, "Squee!" out loud when I found this pin on Pinterest today. The basket is adorable, but the real magic is in the tutorial. It's in-depth and well presented. Let the tiny basket weaving begin!

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Arwen O'Reilly Griffith

Today's 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, comes from our very own Arwen O'Reilly Griffith. My favorite thing about Arwen is her energy. Whenever I need support from the Craft team, Arwen always sends lovely notes that are positive and encouraging. And when I have the chance to see her IRL, I am struck by how sweet and calm her vibe is. Now, I know she might not feel cool and collected all the time, but it's so inspiring to know people who project such wonderful qualities. Of course, it's not all about personality- Arwen is also talented at a multitude of things, including gardening, sewing, and baking. She has a back-to-the-earth sensibility, with a modern aesthetic. It's a perfect combination.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. I am famous, to myself at least, for starting projects and not finishing them, so it's really quite incredible that I finished this Hawaiian applique quilt for a friend's baby (though he was a toddler by the time I was done)! It was a ton of work, and it's clearly the work of a first-time quilter, but I think it's beautiful.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past

1. Trying to multitask too much.

2. Thinking I can finish things more quickly than I actually can. (Oh wait, I still do that!)

Three Things that Make Your Work Unique

1. My background (in photography, history and literature, and editing).

2. My eclectic sensibility (I'm equally drawn to modernist design and Victorian kitsch).

3. My obsession with plants.

Four Tools You Love to Use

1. My vintage Singer sewing machine. It's beautiful, a work horse, and simple enough that even I can fix it when it breaks.

2. My Garden Works angle weeder. It is perfect for getting out those stubborn weeds with tap roots, like dandelions and small thistles, and is useful when planting seedlings or transplanting, too.

3. My iPhone. It takes surprisingly good photos and video (and entertains my toddler when I'm desperate).

4. The Internet. While I sometimes curse its magnetic pull, it is full of inspiration, information, and ideas.

Five Inspirations:

1. My godmother, Rosemary. She taught me that a beautiful home is a work of art (and always in progress).

2. My son and husband, who are both incredibly creative in their own ways (which are totally different from mine).

3. My garden. It's always there for me and always needs work!

4. Textiles. I am constantly astonished and delighted by centuries of creative design that I see around me in the most ordinary places and objects.

5. Vintage craft and DIY books. I love seeing both how timeless and dated they can be!

Arwen's tintype portrait was created by photoboothsf.

Crafty Family Retreat at Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

For the last two weekends, the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs was filled with rock stars during Coachella. This weekend it will be packed with craft rock stars for an unbelievably cool two day craft blowout. Workshops geared towards kids and families will teach leather working, henna tattoos, how to customize shoes and t's, underwater photography, and everyone's favorite throwback craft, macrame. From their site:

Poolside fun kicks off with morning yoga and continues into the evening with family BBQ, game night, and a desert disco. Milk + Bookies will host storytelling under the stars and A+R's Toy Lab will feature a beautiful selection of innovative toys. Onsite we'll have a lending library and custom Karen Kimmel teepees.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Sarah Kate Creations

Sarah Kate is fresh to the world of craft blogging, but a veteran in the world of making things. Like most of us, she has always been the creative type, and it was a small spark that led her to launch her Etsy shop and blog called Sarah Kate Creations. She recently attended the inaugural Craftcation and came home filled with inspiration. And of course, having a platform for her creativity wasn't enough for her- she just announced that 10% of her proceeds every month will go to a deserving charity. Sarah's beautifully designed cards and delicate jewelry are great, but I think my favorite part about her fledgling career is her heart.

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of

1. I am proud of a recent project that sprung out of a school assignment in my Graphic Novels class (Yes, I am in a Liberal Arts program). We were assigned to create a short graphic novel and I decided to base mine on the recent Primus song "The Last Salmon Man" which is about my hometown, Bodega Bay. This song inspired a block printed comic that includes scenes of the Bodega Head. The comic was the first time that I combined block printing with color pencil detail, a style that I really like and have been perfecting since.

Two Mistakes You've Made In The Past

1. Not giving myself enough artistic credit - Coming from a family of accomplished painters and artists I often didn't give myself the artistic credit I deserve for my many crafty products. I didn't hold my collages and adventures in mixed media in the same light as my father's oil paintings or friend's drawings. Today I have come to embrace the idea that even though I may not be working in a traditional medium my crafts are truly art.

2. Over booking myself - I am constantly spreading myself to thin which often leads to me becoming stressed out, grumpy, and over worked with none of my endeavors receiving my whole attention. I am graduating college this May and my post graduation gift to myself is to take life easy. I am going to allow myself to only have a couple projects at a time rather than the five or so I usually have. This is a mistake that I still often make, but that I acknowledge and am working on.

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique

1. The medium of block printing - Every block print that I make is a unique and special print, due to the very nature of block printing itself. Although I aim for continuity in my cards, what draws me to the medium is the beauty and uniqueness of each individual print.

2. My simple, clean aesthetic - I love glitter and bright colors, but I like to keep my work clean and clear, without too much clutter. Of course, you wouldn't know it if you saw my workspace.

3. The patterns in my jewelry - I try to incorporate intricate seed bead patterns in to my hand strung necklaces, at first glance these patterns simply blend in with the necklace, but if you look closely the detail in the pattern is intricate.

Four Tools You Love To Use

1. Embroidery floss - I love to embroider fun little designs on pillows and clothing. My first ever embroidery project was a peace sign patch in high school that I still keep tucked away with my floss. Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny Hart, which was very exciting, I absolutely love her work.

2. Fabric - My father sewed when I was young on a 1920s Singer, I used to love to sit and watch him and listen to the machine. He would let me use the machine for simple projects, like pillowcases. He would also print on material or use fabric to create playhouses for my brothers and I. This is when I fell in love with fabric and the many things you can do with it, including sewing, printing, shredding and dyeing.

3. Embossing Powder - About two years ago I discovered embossing powder and a heat gun and I became obsessed. I love the clean finished look it gives a product and how it allows you to use glitter cleanly.

4. Seed Beads - Seed beads are another item that I fell in love with in my youth. My mother loved bead weaving and would meditate with the tubular peyote stitch for hours. When I was about 10 or so I started my first tubular peyote stitch, a pretty blue background with a vine of flowers curling around the tube. Needless to say, my patience waned after only a few inches, but later when I started bead weaving again the skill came back to me immediately. I love seed beads; there are so many colors and shines, from matte to iridescent.

Five Inspirations

1. Parents - As you may have guessed my parents inspire my artistic capabilities and nurtured my creative tendencies in my youth. They are very inspirational to me when it comes to my craft.

2. Ocean - I grew up so close to the ocean that when I was seven I was allowed to walk down to the bay by myself. I love the ocean, its smells and its unknown powers. It is so majestic, how can it not be inspiring. I love to think about the creatures swimming and growing in its depths as well as of the waves lapping upon the shore. I love the ocean on a rainy day when its waters rage and terrify and I love the ocean on clear cloudless days when it twinkles blue and endless. Unfortunately, I hate the wind.

3. The Forest - After I left the ocean we moved 10 miles over to the forest and I like to tell people that I grew up where the ocean meets the woods, because it is true. As a child I loved to sit in a tree with a good book, feeling the gentle sway of the branches, which I would always pretend was the tree breathing. Today I love to take long walks in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve where the trees are like giants and I feel like an Ewok.

4. Live Music - I am a huge music fan and find nothing more inspiring than a good live show. I love to dance and feed off the energy of the band. This inspires a certain kind of freedom in me that allows me to have confidence and to create. Often I will leave a show full of creative energy.

5. People - This may seem kind of vague, and it is. I am inspired by lots of people, including my family and friends, but also by people in general, their cultures and customs. People's cultures and customs inspire me with new art forms and styles, and also remind me to keep an open mind when it comes to life and art. I love to create when friends are around and am always open to their ideas and constructive criticisms (although this does not mean that I always take their advice). I am becoming more open to random people's ideas and advice as well through my growing social media outlets.

Project: Laced High Heels

High heels are hot. And so are long ballet ribbons wrapped around the ankle. So of course the combination of heels and ribbon is to die for.

You don't need any fancy leather working tools to get the look. I used my eyelet setter and in about 30 minutes had this project all tied up!

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DIY Coat Rack

The space in my closet is maxed out, which is why I love to keep my favorite clothes right where I can see them- in a nice big pile on the floor. I am very inspired by this coat rack tutorial from splitthelark. Meghan makes it look very doable, and I think I might even be able to skip step 1!

Project: Fabric Covered Shoe Makeover

Cute shoes are hard to find, but for some reason, ugly shoes are readily available. Turn lemons into lemonade with quick shoe makeover. Spray on glue makes it easy to cover old shoes with new fabric.

For this project, I chose a fabric with a tie-dye pattern that was very forgiving to work with. Because the bright colors all blend together, I didn't need to worry about lining up any patterns or making sure my seams were perfect. The project that was way easier than I thought it would be, and the shoes are completely transformed into something fresh and fashionable.

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Rebel Alliance Glitter Ballet Flats

Rebel. Alliance. Glitter. SHOES!!! Etsy shop aishavoya is filled with amazing geeky sparkle shoes. She's got Star Wars shoes, Sailor Moon shoes, and Nintendo shoes. The shop is on vacation until the end of the week, but I couldn't resist posting these beauties today. In the meantime, check out her past sales to satisfy your cravings.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Things About Hurley Winkler

When I found this 5,4,3,2,1 submission in my inbox, I lit up, and I am sure you will too after reading about Hurley Winkler. One goal she has for herself in 2012 is to start a blog, and I cannot encourage her enough. Plainly stated, the world needs more imaginary kittens, hot pink converse, and Reggae Pizza hats!

One Project You Are Particularly Proud Of:
1. I'm always the most proud of whatever I am working on at the moment. Currently, I am knitting a reggae pizza hat for my boyfriend. I am nearly finished, simply adding the finishing touch: knitted dreadlocks.

Two Mistakes You've Made in the Past:
1. Being afraid of trying new things. I should always be willing to add some sparkle to my crafts with new methods.

2. Thinking that I am too young or not knowledgeable enough to start a craft blog. The craft world is so open and welcoming... I need to take advantage of that in 2012 by joining in with a blog!

Three Things That Make Your Work Unique:
1. I knit in my tiny dorm at the University of North Florida.

2. I like waking up at the crack of dawn to knit for a while before taking on the
responsibilities of the day. Most college students find it a bit strange that I am such a morning person.

3. While I knit, I pretend that there is a precious kitten playing with my yarn on the ground. Pathetic, I know.

Four Tools You Love To Use:
1. Jumbo pom pom makers. I think pom poms are the sickest things ever. They should be added to everything in the world.

2. Waverly by Bernat brand yarn. The yarn is extremely soft and the colors are absolutely lovely. I constantly find myself cuddling up to the yarn instead of knitting.

3. Lantern Moon needle cases. I treated myself to one on a November visit to Knit Culture Studio in Los Angeles. They are gorgeous and I want every fiber artist in the world to own one.

4. Lion Brand Thick 'n' Quick yarn. I used it all the time when I first started knitting. I always recommend it to new knitters because a nice scarf can be thrown together quickly with a skein of Thick 'n' Quick and 9 mm needles. Instant gratification is encouraging!

Five Inspirations:
1. Amy Karol. Her blog, Angry Chicken, is my favorite blog in the great big Cyberian world. Not only does she inspire me in a crafty sense, but she really makes me want to be a mother someday. I save links from her site everyday.

2. Becky Stern. She takes a unique approach to crafting and she just seems like a cool, smart, easy-going chick. I'm a bit obsessed with her emission spectrum scarves.

3. Several musicians keep me stitchin' away: Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, Radical Face, and Belle & Sebastian.

4. My best friend, Zoie. She is constantly creating amazing things and does a great job with pushing herself to be creative.

5. My boyfriend, Alex. He thinks crafting is cool and always seems interested in whatever I am working on at the moment. He encourages me to try new things and he's always up for a trip to the craft store... swoon!

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