Little Gray Fox

Plastic Animal Crafts

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Crafting with dollar/thrift store plastic animals is one of the many new crafting trends. You can buy a lot of these finished crafts online. But if you've got some spare time, why not just make your own? Google "plastic animal crafts" and you'll find a whole slew of tutorials. I decided to try a few on my own. I used small plastic figures but there are other crafts out there for using the larger ones. If you're going to do something such as bookends, you will probably want a larger, more sturdy toy.

Here is what I made:

magnetic necklace holder

ring holder

magnetic photo holder or fridge magnet

place card holder

Gather your supplies...I got a little crazy with mine! You probably won't want to do all of these projects in one day. It really did take a long time because of all the painting/waiting for paint to dry/cleaning up the glitter, etc ;)

Pick out acrylic paints in whatever color you choose. I did a couple of neons, gold, white and black. I also grabbed some glitter. I am not so great with glitter, it pretty much got onto every animal!

Here is a list of everything I used...

exacto knife

dremel multi max

E6000 glue

acrylic craft paint

glitter

paintbrushes

miniature wood plaques/hearts

newspaper to protect the craft surface

magnets

Mod Podge Hard Coat

To make the place card holders use your exacto knife to carefully slice a line through your toy. For the zebra, I chose the mouth; for the lion, I cut in the middle of his back. Cut as deep as you want the cards to sit.

Use your Dremel tool (or Exacto knife, but I promise that will take longer and your hand may get sore!) and slice the chosen animals in half. Be careful because the friction of the Dremel will cause the plastic to heat up quickly! Either clamp one end of the toy to your table or have someone carefully hold the toy down while you cut.

Once they are cut arrange them on your plaques and decide how you want to decorate them.

Start by painting the animals with a base of white for primer. Once dry, paint each animal with your choice of colors -- or if you're adventurous, try some glitter! That picture above is my poor hippo drowning in glitter!

You may want to use a couple of coats depending on how well the white covers the original color. Once all paint is dry, coat with some Mod Podge Hard Coat for a glossy shine. Also, paint your wooden plaques/hearts being used to mount the animals.

Once everything has dried, use your E6000 or hot glue gun to attach the animals to their base. Glue the magnets onto the back or use a picture frame hanger if you want to be able to mount it onto a wall.

Go crazy with colors -- my favorites are the polka dots!

There are so many fun colors and combos you can come up with! What do you think? Will you chop up your plastic animals and make something fun?! :)

Easter DIY | Tic Tac Toe Game

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:22:00 +0000

My apologies for posting this so late! I had wanted to share this before Easter but time got away from me. Maybe it's a crafty DIY you can make on Easter day! (You could also try all kinds of variations with holidays and special events!)

Without further ado, here is my Easter Tic Tac Toe game tutorial!

What you'll need:

a wood plaque (I got mine from Michael's for 99 cents)
polymer clay
acrylic paints in Easter colors
exacto knife
paint brushes
sandpaper or sanding block

Tip: You can make this kid-friendly by swapping the polymer clay for Crayola Magic (no baking required)

Start by sanding painting your wood plaque so it's smooth and won't leave splinters. Next, paint the plaque with your base color - I chose pink! Give it a couple coats to make sure it's covered well. You can paint a border to bring out the detail of the plaque and give it depth.

Once your plaque dries, it's time to add the Tic Tac Toe squares. I used a ruler and a pencil to get even spacing. Paint your squares with alternating colors. I also added some pearl green as a border for the squares (not pictured).

Roll out some white clay into a 1/2 inch thick log. Use your Exacto knife to cut 10 even sized pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten one end on a hard surface and shape the top into an oval.

Next, pinch 1/2 of the pieces at the top (these will be your bunnies).

Roll out a smaller log about 1/4 inch thick. Cut 10 even pieces and roll them into balls.

Roll out each ball and flatten. Shape the flattened piece around your squished bunny heads -- now they have ears!

I chose to add a small pin in the bottom of each game piece. This makes it easier to paint them once cooked. But you could skip that step and just cook them on a flat surface.

Bake your pieces in the oven according to the instructions on your polymer clay wrapper.

Once they're baked and cooled, it's time to paint! I used yellow for my chicks and pink for the bunnies. You could paint them all different colors if you felt like it ;)

I added some darker pink as the insides of the bunny ears.

Don't forget to add their cute little faces!

Tip: To make this a portable game, add a pin in the bottom before baking. Once cooled, put a dab of hot glue on some craft wire and insert it into the game piece.

Use a Dremel tool to drill small holes into each square of the game board. Make sure it's just large enough to fit the wire, but not so big that it will fall out!

Once your painted pieces have dried - enjoy a quick game of Easter Tic Tac Toe!

Felt Necklace Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:30:00 +0000

I made this little guy last year while I was working my booth at a craft fair. I had originally planned to turn it into a brooch. But then I never completed it; pushing it aside to work on other projects. So my little gray fox sat there, unfinished...until just last weekend when I finally turned it into a necklace! Here's a quick tutorial on how I did it.

I'm sure there are other ways to make this, including poking holes in the felt or using grommets. But I wanted to do something that wouldn't compromise the felt. So I chose to sew everything into the pendant. Once I had my felt piece, this project took less than 30 minutes!

Here's what I used:

jump rings
necklace chain
clasp/closure
stiff felt
eco felt
embroidery floss
needle
scissors
jewelry pliers
jewelry wire cutters

My felt fox was originally made with two layers of felt.

For the necklace, I decided to add a center piece of stiff felt and an extra layer of eco felt for the back. I chose to use the stiff felt in the center just to add a bit of structure. You could also use a piece of card stock paper. Just cut out the pattern and then size it down a bit so it doesn't peek out of your final piece.

Once you have all your pieces, sew two jump rings at the points where you want the chain to meet the pendant.

Then add a couple more jump rings on either side so they will hang outside of the pendant once it is sewn.

Next, use a basic stitch to sew all of your layers together. Be sure to sew around or through the jump rings. Don't lose them inside of your pendant!

Measure out the length of the chain you wish to use. Use your wire cutters to cut the chain in the center and add jump rings and clasps.

Add your chain to either end of your pendant and you're finished!

This is such a simple project! If you decide to try it out, post your link in the comments so I can check it out!

Have fun!

52 Reasons | Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:28:00 +0000

This is one of the first crafts I'd ever posted online. I used to belong to a community called Craftster.org (waaaay back in the day). It's still around but I rarely remember to visit. However, it pops up on my radar about this time of year. One of my crafts was featured in their Valentine's Day collection on the forum. And now that Pinterest is here, my old post keeps resurfacing.

My problem is I took the pics and posted them in a bit of a rush. And seeing those photos back in circulation kinda makes me cringe. So I decided to re-take the photos and create a new post.

I am able to do it because 1) the boypiece still proudly displays my project and 2) he lives under the same roof. Which makes it simple to steal it back and retake the pics!

So here it is, back again, my "52 Reasons Valentine Deck of Cards" (ps. If you want to check out the original post from 2008, you can find it HERE)

At the time when I made this, there were a few other versions out there. I decided to use the full deck of cards instead of just using cards as the "book cover" with cardstock pages. I also used ribbon instead of jump rings to bind the pages. There are still a few other versions out there, but this is just how I did it :) Oh and one other HUGE difference, mine says "like" instead of "love". And it's still relevant today, since we prefer not to use that other word (strange, I know).

Supply list:

1 full deck of playing cards
1 foot of red ribbon
paper hole punch
glue stick
scissors
personal photos and clip art from the internet
computer

Quite possibly the most difficult part of this entire project was coming up with the 52 reasons! It probably wouldn't be so hard these days. But at the time I made this, we had only been dating a year and a half. Although, all the reasons are still true to this day :)

Step 1) Open up any word processing program on your computer and start typing out your reasons. They can be silly or sentimental...mix it up!

Step 2) Once you've got your reasons, it's time to figure out what pictures best compliment your words. I used a lot of clip art (yay, Google!) and a few personal photos from my computer

Step 3) Print everything out and cut down to size

Step 4) Spread out your deck and arrange your pics/text on the cards. Don't forget to leave the Joker cards for your front and back cover!

Step 5) Use your paper punch to add two holes to each card. I suggest punching the holes prior to gluing down your pages!

Step 6) Using your glue stick, secure each text/photo combo to their playing card

Step 7) Once the glue has dried, arrange the pages in the order you prefer

Step 8) Tie your ribbon through the holes and finish it off with a bow!

I also added a special Happy Valentine's Day message on the joker used as the back cover :)

The most time consuming part is finding the pics to use and coming up with the 52 reasons. If you can do that fairly quickly, you could throw this together as a last-minute gift! It's also great for birthdays or anniversaries if you don't really celebrate Valentine's ;)

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Have fun creating! And Happy Valentines Day!

My Boobs Were a Big Hit at the Office

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:10:00 +0000

You may not know this about me: I'm a big practical joker.

I also have the memory of an elephant. Those two things combined can equal a lot of trouble.

I mentioned in a previous post that I was working on a rap song. That was for a practical joke - and it was months in the making. I like to take my time; make sure it's perfect.

This recent joke was a bit more hurried so I wasn't sure how well it'd pan out. My co-worker came in to me on Wednesday and told me about her recent trip to the chiropractor.

She had been complaining of pains in her side. His diagnosis? She sprained a rib... from her bra... because her boobs are large.

I have ant hills on my chest. So I think it's funny when girls complain about having "too much" boobage. But the grass is always greener, right?

Anyway, all pain aside, I thought it was hilarious. Especially since he'd suggested she switch to a sports bra. As any heavy-chested girl will know, that is NOT a flattering look. Nobody likes a uni-boob.

So I rushed home that night all inspired. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up the pieces of my plan.

$30 bucks, 2 hours, and quite the mess later, I had my masterpiece.

Boob-shaped sugar cookies. I used some artistic license with the icing to design some "fancy" bras.

They were delicious. And they were a hit with the ladies at the office. Even my bruised bosom co-worker got a good giggle out of them.

Hooray!

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Holiday DIY: Custom Snow Globe

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:53:00 +0000

I've been checking out the cute DIY snow globe tutorials on the web lately. When Julie Ann Art posted her mason jar tutorial, I knew I had to try it myself.

I do have mason jars sitting around. But I decided to try using glass candy trees that I picked up at the thrift store for a buck each.

I used some miniature deer and polymer clay for my snow globe scenes. I made a little airstream trailer and some pink yard flamingos for one of the scenes. I even dressed it up with some xmas lights. My mom called dibs on it while I was still making it :)

The glass trees have a plastic lid. To secure it to the glass, I used an epoxy glue. Once it dried, I added "Snow-Tek" fake snow around the base (not pictured). Then I sprinkled on some more snow glitter before it dried for a little added touch.

Check out the full tutorial over at Julie Ann Art!

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Holiday DIY: Fun Gifts For Anyone

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:57:00 +0000

This is probably the most fun project I've done...I just kept laughing while it was all coming together. This was also a really simple project so it would make for a great last-minute gift!

I took some of these fabulous porcelain paint markers (Pebeo vitrea 160 in glossy)

And drew funny faces and mustaches on some dollar store mugs.Let the paint dry for 24 hours then bake in the oven according to the marker's directions.

Then I made some chocolate dipped stirring spoons and marshmallows with some of these fun ingredients!

I also threw in some airplane sized liquor bottles and hot chocolate! Yummy! Hot cocoa, Bailey's Irish Creme (or Kahlua - or Frangelico!) and some chocolate dipped spoons...who wouldn't want that?!

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make the chocolate dipped spoons.

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Holiday DIY: Simple Filled and Painted Ornaments Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:48:00 +0000

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm addicted to making ball ornaments this year! It's just so simple and there are so many variations!

You can fill glass ball ornaments with yarn, twine, feathers, fake snow, pine needles and random craft supplies. You can also fill them with paint! It's so easy to do.All you need is a clear ornament and your favorite acrylic paint.I'm really loving Martha Stewart's paint line. It is full of so many gorgeous colors and shades.

Squirt about a teaspoon of paint directly into the ornament.

Slowly swirl it around until it coats the inside.

Use a plastic bottle or paper cup to store the ornament upside down. Leave it there overnight so that all the excess paint runs out.

Add the metal cap and voila! A lovely painted ornament in any shade you choose! You can use acrylic paint to add details to the outside, or leave it blank.

Update: Here are a couple of additional tips based on questions and comments over the past year:

Be sure to start with a small amount of paint. If it doesn't coat the inside entirely, you can add more as you go. Adding too much at the start may slow the drying process.
Leave the painted ornament upside down for at least 24 hours to let all the paint run out.
Having the paint drip out will make the opening of the ornament messy -- clean it with a baby wipe or paper towel. Or once its dry, sand the paint enough so the metal cap can be put back in its place

I also tried filling with Martha Stewart's flocking powder. It leaves a nice, cotton candy-like texture.

I used some varnish to coat the inside of the ornament first...to give the flocking powder something to stick to.

Let it dry for 15 minutes, not completely, just enough to get sticky. Then coat the inside with the flocking powder.

Using the same varnish to coat another ornament, I poured some candy sprinkles inside! These would be great stocking stuffers for kids..just make sure they don't try to eat them! You could seal the metal top with some glue on the inside if you're worried about that ;)

Update: For the ornaments using varnish, be careful only to use a small amount. The flocking powder ornament especially requires just enough varnish to make the inside of the glass tacky to the touch. Any more will be too wet and cause clumping.

I got a little carried away with the paint selection. I tried glitter, satin, high gloss and pearl. Each makes a different, yet gorgeous effect.

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What are you filling your ornaments with this year?

Holiday DIY: Felt Tree Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:32:00 +0000

Here's another quick holiday DIY tutorial for you! :)

These felt trees use very few supplies, but they do take a bit of time.

Supplies needed:

1 Styrofoam Cone (found at your local craft store)
5-6 sheets of felt
scissors
pearl head pins (find these in the sewing section - in different colors and sizes)

I chose white felt and multi-colored pins. I think they would look great in all white felt with all gold head pins. Or green with white...etc. The options are almost endless :)

Start by cutting your felt sheets into 1 inch wide strips.

Next, cut each strip into squares.
Then, cut each square into a circle. If you have a circle cutter tool, this could help speed up the process. I cut all my circles by hand! Yikes!

Take a circle and fold it in half, the fold in half again. It should look like a fortune cookie.

Next, stick a pin through the middle two layers of felt and bring out the back.

Pin the felt to the tree. Be sure to fill in all the blank spots so the green foam doesn't show through.

You can pin the circles to the top or add a star or other ornament.

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Holiday DIY: Painted Ornament Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Here's another simple yet cute ornament you can make with just a couple of supplies.

Just like my yarn ornament tutorial showed, you can start with a simple glass or plastic ball ornament, fill it with scrap yarn and add some acrylic paint.

Gather your supplies:

yarn or fiber fill stuffing
acrylic paint in selected colors
small paint brushes
plastic or glass clear ornaments

For these ornaments, I used my scrap yarn leftover from my dandelion pom poms to fill the ornament. I also chose metallic acrylic paint for the penguin.

The penguin is very simple. First, paint the back solid and bring around to the front. Arch just past the metal closure and end at a point (around where you want the eyes).

Next, choose black paint and dip the handle of your paint brush to make the eyes. Dip a small paint brush in white for the dots of the eyes.

A small yellow or orange triangle, painted upside-down, makes a simple beak.

Add a wider triangle for each foot.

And that's it!

I also made a snowflake using simple lines and adding different sizes of dots on each line.

These make great last minute stocking stuffers! I'll be posting more simple tutorials for ornaments and other holiday decor over the next couple of weeks. Most will be made with fewer than five supplies or stuff you may already have lying around the house! Stay tuned!
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WIMW: Dandy Poufs and Painted Vases

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:55:00 +0000

This week's "What-I-Made Wednesday" features even more office decor. One of these days, I'll be done decorating my new office...probably right before we move!

This WIMW also combines two Pinterest finds into one. The first are these super cute yarn pom dandelions. The second Pinterest find are these gorgeous painted vases.

I found a bunch of vases at the thrift store ranging from .25 cents to $1 buck.

I also chose to mix blue + pink for the largest vase. I love the cotton candy look!

I made the white dandelions super tight. But then I made larger, fluffier versions with a multi-colored yarn.

Have you tried either of these projects, yet?

Don't forget, you can share what you've made recently by posting a pic/link on my Facebook page for What I Made Wednesday.

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What I Made Wednesday: Paper Doll Tutorial + Template!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Okay so I can finally show you my tutorial that I hinted at, here!

It's a movable paper doll!

This tutorial came about last week when I searched Etsy for some last minute birthday gifts. I found the cutest paper dolls! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to buy them and have it shipped in time for her birthday.

So I decided to make my own.

I drew up a couple of silly doll ideas and cut them out. Then I colored them in.

Quick Tip: Save some time by drawing and coloring your design on your computer...then print in color! My neck really hurt after a while hunched over with colored pencils!!

I decided to help make it a little easier for you by offering a template of my Oktoberfest Fox! Click the pic below for the full sized view. You can right click and save it to your desktop :)

You can choose to use either the blank template or the completed fox outfit. Once you print it out, color it in or make your own design.

Here's what you'll need:

thick cardstock paper (white)
colored pencils, crayons, etc (or print in color)
scissors
pencil (if you want to sketch out your design)
pin or needle
metal brads (you can find these in the scrapbooking aisle of any craft store!)

Sorry about the different sizes on the instructions :) I'd love to see your versions or let me know if you've made one before!

Have fun!

Polymer Clay Bird's Nest Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:05:00 +0000

I'm so excited to share with you a quick tutorial on how to make my very popular bird's nest hairpins. These are great attached to a bobby pin, brooch pin or attached to a bail and worn as a necklace.

Tip: Be sure to follow the baking instructions on your package of clay!

If you've never worked with polymer clay before, it's actually fairly simple. The best clay to start with is SculpeyIII as it is incredibly soft and easy to mold. You can also try FIMOSOFT. Other clays can be harder to work with because they take more time to warm up. If you choose one of the harder clays, rip off a small chunk and hold it in your hand for several minutes to warm it up. This makes it easier to work with.

Once it's warm, you can roll it in your hands and fold it to make it more workable. Polymer clay is ready when you fold it and it no longer cracks.

For this tutorial, you will need the following:

Brown polymer clay
Light blue polymer clay
A smooth working surface
Exacto knife
Something to attach (bail, pin, etc)
Glue (E6000)

{This tutorial will make approx 4 nests}

1. Cut or tear off about an inch of blue clay

2. Work clay till it's soft and manageable by folding in half and rolling

3. Tear off 3 equal pieces of the softened blue

4. Roll each blue piece into a tiny ball

5. Holding one side of the ball with your finger, roll across your hand until it forms an egg shape (set the eggs to the side for now)

6. Make an inch ball of the brown. Take a small piece of brown (about 1/4 of your ball) and roll it into a smaller ball

7. Using your fingers/hand, flatten that brown ball into a pancake

8. Separate the remaining brown clay into equal pieces -- 2 or 3

9. Roll each piece into long snake-like strands

10. Take one strand of brown and wrap around the base of your nest (the brown pancake)

11. Wrap the strand around the pancake, piling higher onto itself, about three times

12. Use an exacto knife to cut the strand and press it gently into itself so it sticks

13. Roll the remainder of the strand till it's as skinny as it can get

14. Cut the skinny strand into several small lines (about 5 or 6)

15. Drape each small line across the nest, unevenly, so it looks like sticks and strands of straw

16. Once you have draped to your liking, pile 3 of your blue eggs inside the nest

17. Gently press the eggs and nest together so they will adhere to each other

18. After you've made as many as you want, bake the pieces according to the package instructions

19. Once they've cooled, use the glue to attach each nest to your finding

20. Wear them proudly -- oh yeah! You are so crafty!!

{P.S. Click each tutorial photo to enlarge for details}

Cardigan Clip Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:05:00 +0000

I've been pining away for some funky cardigan clips ever since Glee came on the air. If you do a Google search for "sweater clip diy" you'll see lots of great variations on the clips. I kept mine fairly plain and simple.

Tip: Make sure you get a pair of clip-on earrings that have holes!

You can re-purpose an old necklace or start from scratch. I decided to finally make my own after a quick trip to the thrift store over the weekend.Once you have the supplies, you can do this is in about 10-15 minutes!

What you'll need:

pliers
wire cutters
jump rings (2)
chains
thrifted clip-on earrings (1 pair)

How to make it:

First, grab the jump rings and thread them through the hole in the back of each earring.
Next, cut your chains to size. I used three chains of differing length. You may want to hold them up to your sweater to test the length.
Now add your chains to the jump rings on each side.
Close the jump rings and -- TADA!! A new cardigan clip!!

Have you tried making these yet? I'd love to see your version! I wish I had some chunky beads to add to the chains :)

{ Almost } Wordless Wednesday - The Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:22:00 +0000

Kanye West + George Bush = BFFs 4-eva!

{the sketch}

{the pose}

{the gift}

Desert Terrarium Tutorial + Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:54:00 +0000

I've been postponing this post forever! It's finally here -- my Desert Terrarium Tutorial! There are a couple different types of terrariums you can choose to do. You can choose an open container or one with a lid. You will probably want to decide on the type of terrarium before you buy your ingredients. If you choose to do an open-air container, you can skip the charcoal. There is also really no need for the Spanish Moss most tutorials will tell you to use.

I chose to do a cactus desert terrarium because I think cacti are pretty darn interesting plants! Just handle them carefully, you may want protective gloves when planting them or getting them out of their containers.

Here is what you will need for this type of terrarium:

cactus plants & other succulents
pebbles (small and large)
sand (store bought, not from a beach!)
soil (I used special soil for cactus planting_
container - glass or terra cotta
decorative pieces
charcoal (if using a lid)

Instructions:

Wash and dry your glass container
Add a small layer of pebbles to the bottom of your container. (If using a lid, add your layer of charcoal on top of this)
Add your soil layer, deep enough to plant your roots
Remove your plant from it's plastic container and trim the roots, forming a cone
Plant your cactus and/or other succulents and add more soil to the top of the roots
Add a layer of sand over the top of the soil
Arrange larger pebbles/rocks and add your chosen decorations

Make sure you keep it watered and in sunlight! And have fun trying out different design layouts in your container. Its fun to change the scene every once in a while by changing out your decorative pieces.

And that leads me to....The Giveaway!

This time I will pick TWO winners who will each receive a small pack of decorative terrarium pieces. These packs include: 3 fireman, 3 policeman, 2 dinosaurs and 5 pink flamingos!!!

How to enter:

Follow my blog and leave a comment below with your email address

For extra entries, do any of the following then leave a new comment below to let me know how you have entered (with a link to any tweets or blog posts):

"Like" my Facebook Fan Page
Follow me on Twitter
Tweet about my giveaway (link to this post and include @littlegrayfox in your tweet)
Blog about my giveaway

I will pick a winner next Tuesday and announce it on my blog. If you miss it, I'll also email the winners. Feel free to pass it along to anyone you think might be interested! And good luck!

**EDIT** Giveaway winners announced HERE

New Listing - The Dandelion Pouf Trio

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:47:00 +0000

This weekend, I finally got around to finishing up my latest listing. I had completed the embroidery but needed to take listing photos and upload to Etsy.

So now here they are...my dandelion pouf wall art trio :) 3 little embroidery hoops showing the stages of a dandelion after you've made your wish

I'm hoping to take some more pics of the boypiece's mirrors this upcoming weekend. I really want to get him set up with his own Etsy account so he can sell all his reclaimed woodwork :)

What did you accomplish this weekend?

Do YOU Etsy?

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 19:47:00 +0000

I wanted to say a big "THANK YOU" to everyone who voted for my treasury in Team Discovery's Buddy Challenge. I found out this morning that I won! Woohoo!

My prize is to be the featured shop in the next Buddy Challenge which is on now! Anyone can enter. What you do is go to the Team Discovery blog page to get the instructions. Make your treasury with the appropriate tags and post it in their comments.

You do not have to be a Team Discovery member to enter (I'm not) or win. If your treasury wins, your shop will be featured in the next Buddy Challenge. That means your shop will be entered into a bunch of treasuries. It's great exposure. And they have had several treasuries make it to the Front Page of Etsy. So it's definitely worth a shot!

Good luck!

Summer is Definitely Over!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:18:00 +0000

The days are much colder and shorter. The frost appears on the cars in the morning now...almost time to start scraping the windows! And I've got my winter emergency kit in the car...that's when I know summer is officially over!

So somebody took advantage of the last bit of warm sunshine this weekend...Creepy Alien Cat Basket

Creepy Larry says "I love to spend my summer days at the park. I can relax for hours in my reclining beach chair and nap the day away....ahhhhh"

"...if only I had a torso"

Welcome to the Adventures of Creepy Alien Basket Cat!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 01:42:00 +0000

So I had originally bought Creepy Alien Basket Cat as a joke. When I saw him at the thrift store, I just couldn't help but use him to torture my friend, Kelli. But now the little guy has grown on me. And so I decided to document his crazy life in the new Adventures of Creepy Alien Basket Cat! I plan to make it a monthly installment, but it might be more often, depending on how much Kelli can handle ;) Even after taking a poll and realizing he probably is a seal and not a cat, I decided I prefer to think of him as a creepy kitty.

So let me introduce you to Creepy Alien Cat Basket, a.k.a. Creepy Larry.

Creepy Larry likes to roller skate. He can't balance well on in-line blades, so he keeps it old school with his rainbow kicks. Go, creepy Larry, go!

Creepy Larry says "Let's Roll!"

And The Beat Goes On

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:06:00 +0000

I finally finished my entry for the PlushYou! Battle of the Bands contest. The contest rules were to choose a band who has played Seattle's music festival, Bumbershoot, at some point in the past, and make a plush doll in their likeness. I chose Courtney Love of Hole. I actually like their music and used to sing a couple Hole songs at karaoke. So it was a lot of fun to try to make it. I am not normally a plushie artist. I kinda suck at it. But I still think it turned out pretty good :) Whaddya think?

I also wanted to say thanks to everyone who participated in the Crafty Challenge #2. Creating this doll has inspired me to come up with the next challenge theme. So without further ado.... the Crafty Challenge #3 theme is....

"Someday You Will Ache Like I Ache"

These are lyrics from Hole's song, "Doll Parts". The deadline for Crafty Challenge #3 is Friday, October 15th. That gives you a little over a month to create your interpretation of the theme using any medium you choose. On the deadline date, you will make a blog post and add it to the McLinky Tool I'll put up on my blog. Further instructions on that date....Good luck and have fun getting crafty!

Now I gotta get back to my waiting around on jury duty...hoorah!

It's Crafty Challenge time!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:44:00 +0000

The Crafty Challenge #2 deadline is upon us {happy Friday, btw}! I hope you all had time to finish up and take your photos...I know I did everything last minute!

So our theme was "A Little Birdy Told Me". The challenge was to interpret that theme into a project using any medium you prefer...photography, painting, sculpture, embroidery..etc.

I decided to use polymer clay for mine...an old favorite medium in my crafting, although lately, I've been doing more with felt and embroidery. So my take on the theme was fairly literal. I chose a woodland setting with an old fashioned tin can & string phone {did you ever make those when you were a kid?}. The photos might not be clear enough, but on the bird's end, it's a music note and on the fox's end, it's hearts coming out. So the birdy is singing into one end and it's coming out as love on the other :)

{click on the photos for larger detail}

I'm trying a new thing with the McLinky tools. To enter the challenge, make a blog post with photos of your entry. Grab the link to your blog post and paste it into the McLinky tool below (where it says click here to enter). That will run you thru a quick setup where you can paste the link, choose a title and grab a thumbnail photo. Then it will show up on my post so people viewing here can check out everyone's easily!

Cross your fingers!!

Thanks to everyone who played along this time! If you didn't get a chance to make something, I'll be having another challenge soon!

New stuff in my shop!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:00:00 +0000

It's been a long time coming! I finally have some of my newest creations up in the shop...full of fall colors!

First, it's my little embroidered fox bookmark. I'm so happy with how he turned out. Although, it will be the only bookmark with him. I will soon be making more on embroidery hoops as wall art. :)

And then there's my new lavender lovebird satchets. I made a bunch of these in the car on the way to the islands last week. It smelled SOOOO good in there! I have them in different colors, but for now, it's the lovely burnt orange...

Here's a sneak peek of what's to come...

Oh-- and my little fox has already made it into a tresury! It's autumn-themed :) Check it out here!

What are you working on lately?

Crafty Challenge #2 ~ Wanna Play?!

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:16:00 +0000

It's FINALLY time for another Crafty Challenge! This time around, the theme is...

"A Little Birdy Told Me"

The challenge (should you choose to accept it) is to create a new project based on this theme. You can use any medium you'd like! Paint, crochet, embroidery, sculpt...whatever you want to do!

Join my Flickr group and choose one photo for your entry pic. Post it in this thread in the Flickr Group. You can upload additional photos/angles by adding to the group pool and adding the tag "LGFCC2" (so we can find them easier).

The deadline for this challenge is Friday, September 10th! That should give you plenty of time (hopefully) to come up with, create and photograph your work.

Remember, the point of these challenges is to get inspired and get crafting. Currently, there are no prizes. We just want to see what we come up with and how many different versions of one theme we can create!

Have fun! And pass it along to anyone you think may be interested in participating!

Are YOU Excited???

noreply@blogger.com (Tsuki aka LittleGrayFox) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 22:33:00 +0000

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