Utopia's Random Bits and Bobs

I like to do all sorts of crafts. I crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch, bead and paint.

Right now I am making lots of slippers (for gifts for the gals who work in my R&D Dept. conmigo). I also make hats and such for my boy.

This is a carseat blanket i made for him recently (regular blankets were just too big for him in the carseat).

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t...0/P1000267.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...0/P1000265.JPG

---------- Post added at 08:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 PM ----------

A Beading Projects from ...jinkies...five years ago already. I am bad about taking pictures of my projects. *chuckle*

http://www.blogsofrealplay.com/Membe...lticpearls.jpg

http://www.blogsofrealplay.com/Membe.../frogpearl.jpg

Oh, is the last photo frogs and pearls? How adorable. x3

The carseat blanket is also nice. :3 I'm not really a fire-color girl (in spite of being a Leo), but that blanket looks nice - and warm! :3

My internet is being a butt right now, so it's random which photos are loading each time I refresh. =_=

It is little jade frogs and nice round freshwater pearls. I loved the little frogs.

Right now I need to go buy more beads (and actually take pictures of things I have made). I have some cute little amethyst turtles I want to use to make a pair of earrings. Not quite sure what to use with them yet. My husband also bought me an antique jade chai (which is a Hebrew symbol that looks sort of like a pi sign).

The yarn I used on the car seat blanket was leftover yarn from another blanket I made and some hats. I actually prefer more earthy tones myself. But yarn is expensive (well, good yarn anyway) and making blankets uses a ton of skeins.

Right now I am trying to figure out what to do for my yearly winter project. Every year I make something for all the girls who work with me in the R&D dept. I am thinking the slippers this year, but I have to make sure of foot size.

I keep very few of the projects I make. I usually give everything away. I try to put thought into what I give to people. I even think about people I meet online and what sort of things I would make for them. I try to take into account what people like and colors they enjoy. But with beads, I also put thought into what their personality is like and match stones to that.

Iee amethyst and iee turtles. xD They sound cute already! Does the shade look better with white, green, pink, black or blue? ::offering color suggestions in case something comes to mind, not that they are necessarily the only color suggestions that would work::

Oh - nice! Jade is one of my very favorites, so I automatically love it without even seeing it. xD

Yeah - I remember when my mom used to crochet blankets. Especially when you use the really nice yarns, it can get expensive very quickly. :x Recycling old yarn is the best (especially when it's for a baby, to be honest. xD I mean, for your own baby. As a gift, maybe not quite as much.)

What sort of slippers? Knit or just handmade?

I think that's really the best way to create for people. And by thinking about what people like, you kind of get to know them a little better (or at least in a different way) than you might otherwise. In this modern age, not everyone appreciates handmade gifts, but if they have the thought and skill you put into your work, I hope the people you give to are able to appreciate them. :3

I will likely crochet them. I have a pretty good pattern for slippers that is easy to modify for shoe sizes.

You are right about not everyone appreciating the homemade. I usually only give homemade things to the people I know understand the effort that goes into it. Or the people who will just appreciate it. I try to put thought into all of my gifts, but the people who get homemade stuff get thought and effort.

::nods:: And even if you considered the time you put into it as "minimum wage", the gift of your time and effort could be worth a pretty penny end the end. Not that you're charging them or going to say what it'd have cost that way, but I've known some people too shy to give away their handmade gifts because they thought it was a "cheap" gift to give. u___u;

For those who don't know, my husband is a pastry chef. Last year we made a Wedding Cake and Groom's Cake as a present for some close friends of ours. My husband made all the cake, carved, layered, frosted and did the fondant. I made the figures and did the piping and assorted decorations. Together we made the sugar flowers on the cake.

I wanted to share the groom's cake because it is super spiffy and people here will appreciate it.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...52520Cake1.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T...52520Cake2.jpg

This is the wedding cake- yes, those are subtle skulls on it and we did make the flowers, by hand with sugar.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4...ddingCake1.jpg

-----EDIT->
Oh! Also-

The Groom's cake is a peanut butter cake with dark chocolate buttercream.

The wedding cake is a Pink Champagne cake with white chocolate buttercream and fresh strawberries between the layers.

Okay, The Final Fantasy cake just made my day. I think I'm gonna pass the idea of a game based wedding cake to my fiance. Our combined nerdery will stifle our family and friends.

I will absolutely insist on a traditional wedding cake, plus smaller personal (interests-based) cakes for the bride and groom if I ever get married. xD It's the personal cakes that always delight me. :3 And I'm enough of a sucker for tradition that I'd want at least a token traditional cake. >_> <_<

Anyway - just chiming in to say awesome groom's cake and also pretty traditional (with subtle atypical elements) cake. :o

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I...0/P1000435.JPG
Bunny!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...0/P1000438.JPG
Cephalopod!!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V...0/P1000436.JPG
Turtle..somewhat fail...front heavy. Bah.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8...0/P1000431.JPG
My best model.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B...0/P1000442.JPG
Happy bear with bright yarn the husband picked out.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...0/P1000444.JPG
Slightly lopsided birdy...the boy stuck him in his mouth and squished the head a bit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopia

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I...0/P1000435.JPG
Bunny!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...0/P1000438.JPG
Cephalopod!!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V...0/P1000436.JPG
Turtle..somewhat fail...front heavy. Bah.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8...0/P1000431.JPG
My best model.

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OMG. I am jealous. I wanna be your baby. XD Those are sooooo cute. :3

Also. HE IS SOOOOO CUTE. I love the little smile and those beautiful eyes. Quite the handsome little bugger. :D

Oh my god, they are awesome!! I want to buy one~

My boy likes to flirt with the ladies...you can tell by the dimple smile.

The little bunny was partially inspired by your avatar Schiz. Also in part because I made 8 legs for my cephalopod, but could only fit on six so I needed something to do with the extra two.

Haha, d'aw~. It's quite a cool hobby.... I really am jealous. I'm not very good with my hands you see, so anything hand made like this is very heart warming to me.

More pictures need to be shared. :D