CiCi's Results: "Owl" Let You Figure It Out!

I do have a weird fascination with owls.  As I sit here blogging at my kitchen table, I count 5 owl items or images staring back at me... gulp... it might be an obsession!  Without a doubt, an owl's best feature is their eyes, however, staying up all night is a close second!
 
I can't crochet.  I'm not patient and I become incredibly frustrated when I try because it pisses me off that I can't do it.  Sewing, is a breeze!  Counted cross stitch was a piece of cake to learn and embroidery... the easiest of them all!  Crocheting is the stuff that taunts me in my nightmares!
 
Ironically, I do have a drawer full of yarn, because "one day I'm going to teach myself to crochet." Also, I pilfered some of it from Kayc when she was in her knitting phase.  Periodically I check out crochet books from the library and I happened upon a pattern for an owl garland and it looked like a good beginner project.
 

  

I grabbed my H hook, ball of yarn and sat down to crochet. Struggling through the first owl, it didn't turn out to bad, but the remaining two (just when I thought I was getting it) ended up not working right and are lopsided, but alas, they have found their purpose in life... as coasters.
 

 
In a bind and pissed off because crocheting was smarter than me, I did what every normal person does, I googled.  I happened upon a YouTube tutorial for a Night Owl Eye Mask!  It's taken three long nights, but I've finished my own.  I'd like to point out that I did go rouge by chain stitching the head straps instead of using plain 'ol boring elastic.
 
It's not perfect, but I'm proud that I finished and it looks like it should.  I choose variegated yarn to cover any imperfections. This project has created an animal and I'm ready to get started on another one tonight!  Practice makes perfect!
 

 
Visit www.CrochetTalk.com or follow this link for pattern: http://youtu.be/DszDaYLIMjM?list=UUc7ne2xKgF-9KlRS9n8KoVQ
 

WARNING!

Yes family, this most likely means you will be receiving an awesome handmade gift this year, but at least it's made with 100% love!

Carol's Challenge: 'Owl' let you figure it out!

What are your two favorite things in life? Owls and Ben's and I's ability to spew out awesome puns at all time!!! Well I might not be exact on your top two favorite things, however, I'm close enough and that's what is going to make this challenge a hoot! 

November is a perfect month to start digging out the winter and Christmas decoration, which also makes it a perfect time to create something new. Do what you want, create what you may, just make sure you make it owlsome! Your challenge is to dig deep into one of your favorite things, and create a masterpiece to add to your collect of Owl'a! From Food, to Crafts, you get to choose.

If you accept: Challenge Details:
Subject: Owls
Medium: Your Choice
Deadline: 11/11/14

'Owl' sit here and wait for your results!!

Kayc's Results: One of these things is not like the other!

This challenge was both fun and mind boggling for me! At first I was going through my normal day and realized I match a lot of things together that a lot of people wouldn't think be paired together! So I could have called it quits after just 24 hours of the challenge, BUT that wasn't really an option as I wanted to go above and beyond!!!

My APPARENTLY not so normal pairs:

#1: French Fries Dipped in Ice Cream

#2: Egg Nog with my Chai Tea

#3: Yogurt in a Stir Fry

So I jumped on and watched some clips of Flea Market Flip to get my wheels turning on what I could do to complete this challenge! I knew I wanted to grab something from the thrift store, and I had to focus on PAIRS!!! It dawned on me the perfect project was just moments away from becoming my reality! SWEATER MITTENS! AND what pairs well with SWEATERS? MITTENS! So why not pair them together.

MITTENS MADE WITH 100% Sweaters!

Challenge Complete! :D

Kayc's Challenge: One of these thing is not like the other...

Confession time!  I'm currently obsessed with the HGTV show "Flea Market Flip."  You have to tell me you've seen it because it was made for me!?!  Thanks to Netflix for making it readily available, I watch in to the wee hours of the morning.

So... where am I going with this you ask?  One of the challenges on the show is to Take two completed unrelated items and make them a pair.  Can you guess where this is going?

I challenge you to make a pair out of two totally unrelated items.  You can use anything you have at home or something you see when you are out and about treasure hunting.  Because you are you, I know that you won't have any trouble completing this on time.

There are already some great existing pairs in the world, for example:

Whiskey & Ginger Ale

(Clink, clink, slurp.....* burp*)

 

 

Batman & Robin

(Only REAL men wear tights!)

 

 

Barbie & Ken

(Real hair!? Come on Ken, you look way better in plastic waves with paint highlights)

Or the curious pairing of Schmidt's Summer Sausage and donuts, seriously, our Dad is weird!

Challenge Details:

Create: A Pairing of Different Items 

Medium: Determined by You

Time: You have until Saturday, November 1st

Do you accept?

Carol's Challenge: Tis' the season to add SCARE! - RESULTS

Alas, thou dost comprehend!  I didn't abide by the timeline rules, but the last week was crazy at both home and work.  I know... what a lame excuse, but I honestly didn't have room for a creative thought in my mind!
 
Ironically, scarecrows kind of creep me out.  I find them unsettling and cryptic, so I knew the first autumnal decoration that I was going to make would have to be a happy and straight forward spin on a scarecrow.
 
Ask any child of the 90's what their favorite movie to watch during October.  I'd say that 99% of them would say Hocus Pocus (if you are asking women, I'd assume men would have a different opinion)!  However, it is a Carlson, and now Miller, tradition to watch it only on Halloween night, but I've been antsy to watch it at least once a week!

So, two days ago, I sat down to tackle this challenge with that movie still on my mind and serving as my inspiration.  I fired up Netflix and dug through my insanely unorganized supplies to find inspiration to create a Binx Scarecrow Cat!

It all started with this sketch.

 

I set out with a pile of felt, a needle and embroidery thread to create life!  No measuring or patterns needed here folks!

 

 

Binx was originally intended to be more scary, but it was hard to execute when stitching everything by hand.  I now have one cute (the yellow eyes make him look a little sinister, right?) hand crafted guard cat who will protect us all by making sure that an idiot virgin doesn't light the black flame candle on All Hallow's Eve.



Carol's Challenge: Tis' the season to add SCARE!

Somethings never change: We're sisters and we find the need to fill October with epic scary movies with Halloween themes. From Corn Fields, to Haunted Houses, it doesn't matter if we've seen the movie once or 100 times, we have no problem revisiting it each year at this time. 

So this October I challenge you to take your scare to a whole new level by crafting a Scare Crow to join in all the scaring fun! Use your favorite movies as inspiration and create a new fun guy that will keep the scares going in your house for many years to come!!!

Challenge Details:

Create: Scare Crow

Medium: Determined by you

Time: You have until Monday 10/20

Do you accept?

Kayc's Challenge: Art will be Art - RESULTS

We use to make collage after collage after collage, each on meaning something different. In fact I still have a small box that I made into a collage that I use for jewelry! So naturally, when I read my challenge for making another collage, something I haven't done in probably 5 years... my mind blanked on how to make a worthy collage!

All I could think of is that my modern day collages have been ruined by Pinterest. I don't get fashion magazines to look for ideas, I don't by food magazines for the recipes, I don't get health magazines for new work out ideas -- I simply go to w w w DOT P, I, N, T, E, R, E, S, T DOT com! Egh! I hate being so locked on to technology. 

After 10 minutes of thinking, I did what anyone would do looking for craft ideas -- I WENT TO PINTEREST and searched my page! BAM, a perfect idea that I've been MEANING to do for way to long...and NOW, now I get the chance to do what I've been putting off. Here is my results to the challenge: Collage! It's edgy, out of the box idea, but it's PERFECT and it's my story!

First step --- Go to the thrift store and get WOOD framed pictures, sand paper and wood stain because the picture frames are ugly!

Second Step -- start sanding the frame to find out your WOOD frames are composite, and a sticker that just looks like wood!...Finishing sanding and stain it anyway!

Third Step -- Get your favorite Instagram pictures printed. Be terrible at sizes and ignore that pictures printed size 4inch by 4 inch are obviously going to be WAY to big to fit in tiny, previously stained not wood, wood frames! TOSS FRAMES

Fourth Step: FIND SOMETHING IN HOUSE to keep your challenge idea alive! Remove poster, glass, and start building your very own modern looking customized Instagram hanging picture!!

FINAL RESULTS: 

Morale of the story -- Don't give up when things aren't working out as you planned. Keep thinking, look outside the box, recycle, reuse and be creative. You can do anything if you put your mind too it! For this challenge I had to put my mind in overdrive to solve one problem after the other!!! That's what this blog is all about. Finding creativity in ALL depths!