Of Cats and Crafts

Etsy Obsessions: Mint

2012-01-26T23:28:00.001-05:00

I am currently super pressed on mint! I didn't even realize it at first, but I was surfing through my Etsy faves earlier today and found that there was a lott of mint in there. Check out these awesome minty fresh products:

1. 5-Piece Mint Eco-Friendly Recycled Paper Pencil set via Write With Moxie

2. Mint Rosette Dress via Kelsey Genna

3. Set of 6 Melmac Cups via Ruggy Design

4. Cleopatra Turquoise Ring Band Beaded with Gold Triangle via Jeanie Richard

I also have a deeper connection to mint, but not mint the color - mint the plant. My grandparents' home where my mom grew up had a backyard full of mint. It was, in the most literal sense, covered in mint. The plant spreads like wildfire and imbues its habitat with an amazing scent. I have really vivid memories of that backyard having mint for grass, mint covering the fences and mint even growing on the trees, (which was pretty convenient for my grandfather who never had to cut the grass haha). My mom's family sold the house when I was in my early teens, but my siblings and I spent our summers there getting babysat by my grandfather and uncle - eating lots of frozen pizzas and sherbet ice cream bars. Sometimes I wonder if the mint is all still there.. I really want to go steal some. ;)

Mint is totally calling my number right now. I'm really drawn to it and am trying to devise a good color dye mix to make myself a minty shirt. Yumm. :) -Amina

DIY: Painted Wooden Spoons

2012-01-26T00:14:00.002-05:00

Inspired by: Painted Wooden Spoons by Milk Farm Road >> Reality: hand-painted Ikea wooden kitchen utensils

Hey everyone! Just checking in with Project 400 square feet. Last month, I made it my mission for January to be full of projects to revamp my tiny apartment. This is one of the projects that I wanted to do for the kitchen - adorable painted wooden kitchen utensils. I really liked these $30 wooden spoons that I spotted on Pinterest, but with a 50 cent pack of wooden kitchen utensils from Ikea and some creative mixing of acrylic paints, I got the same effect, but for much less. :) Try it yourself! -Amina

4-Step Book DIY

2012-01-24T18:57:00.001-05:00

Spring 2012 is the last semester that I'll ever be an undergrad for! Tonight is a sad night for me since the semester and countdown to entering the real world all starts tomorrow. I have a lot of mixed feelings: sadness for leaving school, happiness for getting to move out of this tiny little apartment and to a cooler area, but also anxiousness about finding a job and taking the next step in life.

Most importantly though, this is the last time in my life that I'll ever need lots of cute and adorable notebooks! Generally each semester, I make a few notebooks, reuse a couple of other ones and buy some new and especially adorable ones. In the picture above, I made the small black book and suede folder, am reusing the large black and gray notebooks and bought the pink and brown Moleskin ones. A cute assortment, in my opinion.

Today I wanted to share with you a quick and easy four-step DIY for making your own notebook, similar to my little black one. You can make your notebooks in any size or with whatever kind of paper you want - I just wanted to go simple for this notebook.

Materials: paper for the cover, filler paper, scissors, pin, needle, thread, elastic, brass paper fasteners

How To:
Step 1: Find and cut your paper to size
Step 2: Measure even holes in the middle fold of the paper and poke them with the pin
Step 3: Sew a running stitch down one end of the notebook - at the end, turn back around and come down the other direction. This way you'll reinforce the paper.
Step 4: Using an exacto knife, poke slits into the back cover of the book and elastic. Insert the brass fasteners to bind the elastic to the book.

Voila! An infinite amount of notebooks for your own personal use. This is something that I really love to make - it's easy, simple and incredibly useful. I love having books for every use possible and after using them for so long, I know what I like (and it's easier and more fun to make)!

So I bestow this knowledge onto you, crafties. I know you need books for jotters and keeping all your ideas straight, just as much as I do. Let me know if you have any questions + good luck! - Amina

Flowering Experiments

2012-01-23T20:42:00.000-05:00

In the upcoming spirit of Valentine's Day, I've been playing with lots of different flower making techniques. Here are two of them that work well - not tutorials that I've come up with myself, but two different DIYs via two of the craftiest ladies in the biz.

{Tissue paper flowers by Martha Stewart // Image 1:}

Materials: tissue paper and flower stems.

Technique: fold layers of tissue paper fan style (I cut one piece of tissue paper into four pieces length-wise and stacked them), trim the edges into petal shapes, twist the stem around the middle of the fold and separate the layers of tissue from each other.

Trick: don't tear the tissue paper when separating the layers!

{Pom pom flowers by Ez at Creature Comforts // Image 2:}

Materials: yarn, flower stems, hot glue

Technique: Wind yarn around three or four fingers, tie it together, cut the loops apart, trim the pom pom to your liking and hot glue the flower to the stem.

Trick: Don't mess up your loop when you first take it off your hand and be sure to tie it tight enough so the yarn doesn't fall out!

Together, these flowers make a lovely bouquet. Perfect for sprucing up the house for Valentine's Day. Mine sits on top of the fireplace in our apartment - they brighten our home without dying on me. ;) Hope you like them too! -Amina

I'm making a commitment today to...

2012-01-20T15:06:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone! I was paging through the blog the other day and I realized something - I don't blog the way I would like to. A lot of what I post is about what's going on in my shop, plans for projects, lots of cute stuff to look at but not so much about the projects that I've actually been working on. Part of the reason for this is that I spend 90% of my time on Pinterest coming up with ideas and only 10% of the time making them. And then there's no good time/lighting to photograph the stuff that I have made so it's hard for all my DIYs to make it onto the blog.

But I've decided to make a change and blog about everything. Everything I make. Lately I've been doing lots of writing in my idea book. I am a compulsive list maker. Every sheet in my book is full of lists of things to make - drawings, notes, designs, basically everything. So today, I wanted to share a few of those pages with you. Ones that are sticky noted so that I can come back to them later.

The first picture is a list of everything I wanted to make this week. I don't think I ended up doing hardly any of it lol.

The second picture is of flowery projects I want to try. (It's Valentine's Day season).

The third picture is of a wardrobe that my mom and I are going to build sometime. We've already figured out how to do it in theory - now we just have to make it!

This is my promise to you, dearies. Keep me to it! And have a great weekend <3 Amina

Valentine's Day at Handmade Habitat Part 2: Setting the Mood

2012-01-19T17:23:00.001-05:00

DUN DUN DUNNN!! Part 2 of 2 is here! How to set the mood (with our help). Gentlemen, this is a formula that will pretty much get you laid, okay? Take notes... and then visit our SHOP.

1. Set the mood with a set of candles

2. Get a nontraditional and everlasting bouquet of pink pom pom flowers!

3. A cute present for the bed {pink flowering pillow}

4. And seal the deal by remembering your lady friend's kitty. Show her how much you love him (all cats are boys) and it'll make her love you all that much more. {burlap and felt heart catnip toy}

Men everywhere, you are welcome & happy (early) Valentine's Day. <3 Amina

Valentine's Day at Handmade Habitat Part 1: Dressing the Part

2012-01-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Valentine's Day is coming up fast and I'm getting pretty excited about it. Brad is taking me to a concert for this Lovers' Holiday to see THEOPHILUS LONDON [pun intended because that is the title of one of his EPs]!! There is really no one else on Earth I'd rather see, except maybe Corrine Bailey Rae, but they are my top two favorite artists of alll timeee. :) Once I saw a picture of the two of them together and I almost diedd!

But anyway, I have a lot of fun items in the shop that would be perfect for a lovely winter Valentine's Day date. :) Check them out:

1 - Burgendy skirt {available in Small and Medium}

2 - Strung bead red necklace

3 - Red rose ring

4 - Pink cowl

Part two is for presents! Stay tuned, lovers. - Amina

Painting with cats...

2012-01-16T20:00:00.000-05:00

Over Christmas break I really wanted to paint my room. My mom moved into her house in the summer of 2010 and since I'm never really there, I never really felt like that room was my room. It was practically a guest room for whoever was over and needed a place to crash. I just really wanted it to be mine and even though that beige color was alright (my old room was beige), I wanted to give it a color that was mine and mine alone. I've been obsessed with gray blue (much to my mom's dislike) so I went with her to Home Depot to find a good gray blue (but primarily gray) to paint. But of course she tricked me into going bluer than I originally wanted, since the primary reason for the gray was to go super neutral, but not white, for photographing my products. So here's what I went through, with the help of Mona and Diddley of course:

So first we went from beige to blue, which after drying, we realized was way toooo blue. So the next day I repainted a few walls a grayer blue (the desk wall is the lighter color and the window wall is the orginal color). It's funny because depending on the time of day, any wall can look any color. Just depends on the lighting.

But here's the finished product. I moved my shelves around, my curtains don't blend in with the wall so terribly and Mona and Diddley love the new look. My mom says they never leave my room. So mission accomplished! A big project checked off my list. -Amina

Pink and Gold

2012-01-11T22:18:00.001-05:00

I'm super pressed on pink and gold right now. Secretly, I want to have a pink and gold wedding with a gold and white dress so these bangles will totally match. I don't really know how to explain it, but this combo is really doing it for me.

1. The latest bag I've made myself

2. Rosy Posy bridal necklace from 31 Bits, a handmade brand of jewelry made by African women

3. White Leather Bangles with Gold Tubes from Leather Wraps on Etsy

4. Rose Gold Eco Resin Pebble-Shaped Ring by Rosella Resin on Etsy

10 days into the New Year and I'm already procrastinating...

2012-01-10T12:35:00.001-05:00

Source: ruffledblog.com via Amina on Pinterest

Whoooo 2012! So it's here. The world is beginning its 11.5 month (approximately) descent into oblivion so I'm betting that in 9.5 months (approximately), people will start going insane. But until then, I have resolutions to see through. Good ones this year, too. Check them out:

1. Lose 10 pounds by the end of May 2012. That's about two pounds a month, and I bought one 8-lb weight and a jump rope. This resolution is practically checked off.
2. Write more for me. I'm reading Mindy Kaling's book right now - Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns) - and I decided that I want to try to write a book one day. But I'm not famous so no one will probably read it. But maybe I can write an amusing little book for people like me - crafty weirdos with cats that are always compulsively making things to the point where they make their boyfriends and cats sad for ignoring them.
3. Kiss Brad every day.
4. Reel in my product line - have less product lines and more diversity/variety within them. This is going to be a big goal for me. I don't have a store that I can fill with just about anything that I can make. I want to focus on what I'm good at and develop those products more. Right now I'm thinking bags, clothes, pillows and home stuff. I'd like to expand into mens' clothes (primarily ties) and do more with candles because it's wayy too much fun to stop, but that's it! I swear!! ... but we'll see..
5. Cook more. I have a kitchen. I don't use it. The dishes that I do use are primarily for reheating take-out. So this year I'm going to actually cook.

Then there are lots of goals that I have for the year that are things that are definitely coming (I hope) in my life. My projected timeline:
May: 22nd birthday, graduation
June/July: move to Silver Spring! Find a job.
November: Brad and my sixth anniversary! It actually falls on Thanksgiving again this year.

Alright, lovelies. Keep me on track. After lunch today, I'm going to jump rope, shower and work on my 400 square foot project, then make fajitas for dinner. Nom noms! Happy (belated) New Year! -Amina

Project 400 Square Feet

2011-12-27T00:43:00.000-05:00

I am embarking on a new project this winter break - to decorate and fix up my apartment. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment with my boyfriend that is a little over 400 square feet. We have been there for about a year and a half, and although we're in the final stretch of our time there, I'm in the mood to change up the look a little bit. Above is the inspiration board for what I'm looking to do, all links and pics courtesy of Pinterest, of course.

Bedroom: our bedroom closet is about 3'x2' so I'd like to put in a sweet little clothing rack to put all my nice clothes on. The shelves for shoes and hats and such make it even more perfect for our tiny place. Then I'd also like to make a nice sweet quilt for our bed. We have a white blanket that I'm about ready to say good-bye to. I made myself a blanket a long long time ago and I'd love to try it again!

Living Room: I like the idea of fabric storage bins for blankets and pillows, but they also are great for clothes - me and Brad only have one 3-drawer dresser, an extra clothing storage bin and that tiny closet, so I'm going to make a few bins to go on our bedroom shelf for extra clothes.

Kitchen: I want to make cute placemats that say "NOM NOMS" over and over again and napkins like above that say "YUM!" I think they'd be cute. And then I love these wooden utensils - it would be easy to do that to a few cheap Ikea ones and the potholders - easy peasy with the tons of scrap fabrics that I have laying about.

I did a few posts about a few rooms in the apartment way back [see them all here], but things have changed a lot since even back then, so I'll probably post new ones soon enough.

Keep up with the project this coming month!

Picture creds:

wardrobe // quilt // fabric bins 1 // fabric bins 2 // knitted throws // napkins // wooden utensils // potholders

SOME SCENES FROM CHRISTMAS

2011-12-25T22:36:00.001-05:00

The Christmas dust has finally settled and I'm all cozy in my leggings again, but here are some scenes from such a nice day.. Oh, and how do you like my Christmas dress? A silky red upcycled vintage dress with green print- a super lucky thrift store find that I altered. (Wow, that's a long description!)

1. There's Diddley fiddling in the pre-Christmas present opening fun

2. & Mona laying around in the Christmas aftermath

3. My Grandfather (and cousin in the background) sporting some sweet new Christmas gifts from me ;) See if you can figure out what they are.

4. My sister got a new dress that she picked out

5. My mom passing me a cup of coffee - no Xmas is complete without three cups at least.

6. My brother wearing the awesome new hat I knitted for him. (Successful gift!)

7. & Me in my silk vintage Xmas dress and new necklace!

An almost completely complete Christmas was missing just one special Bradley but we have a Christmas date planned for later this week, so the holidays aren't over quite yet! I hope everyone had a lovely day also and thanks for spending some time during your holiday breaks on our blog. Mona & Diddley love the attention and need all the extra love they can get before their big doctor's appointment tomorrow! -Amina

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2011-12-24T22:36:00.002-05:00

A preview of my Christmas gifts to everyone! I hope everyone has a very merry holiday, whatever it may be. I'll definitely be back before the New Year though. <3 Amina

GUERILLA ARTFARE: In support of libraries, books ideas and ... annonymity

2011-12-19T15:53:00.000-05:00

Spotted this on Pinterest the other day, but it is a great and lovely story.

Let's rewind the clock back to March and place ourselves in the Scottish Poetry Library where this lovely tree was first discovered, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and stealing the hearts of this library's staff. Attached to this enchanting 'poetree' as it is fondly known in the press was a note from it's creator reading:

It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… … We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.… This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. a gesture (poetic maybe?)

In the paper eggs are the words of the poem "A Trace of Wings" by Edwin Morgan, cut out and dropped in.

Since then, paper sculptures just like this one, and seemingly from the same artist/sculptor, started appearing all over the city, tucked away in the corners of Edinburgh's public buildings.

This one is carved from a Rankin novel, and was found at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. The tag reads:

For @scotstorycenter – A gift in support of libraries, books, works, ideas….. Once upon a time there was a book and in the book was a nest and in the nest was an egg and in the egg was a dragon and in the dragon was a story…..

Another was found at the National Library of Scotland, another at the Filmhouse, and two more were left at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. (I really like the book festival ones, and they're below!)

This first one is a teacup mounted on a pedestal. "Nothing beats a nice cup of tea or coffee and a really great book." "Except maybe a cake as well." Couldn't agree more and what an amazing looking cupcake. :)

This one is so amazing - so intricate and really makes me feel like I'm also lost in that book. The tag reads:

To @edincityoflit ‘A gift’ LOST (albeit in a good book) This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…. “No infant has the power of deciding….. by what circumstances (they) shall be surrounded.. Robert Owen

& here's a statement piece..

The tag reads:

For Central Library 'A gift' @Edinbourgh_CC. This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas... LIBRARIES ARE EXPENSIVE (crossed out 'e,' replaced with an 'a') >> LIBRARIES ARE EXPANSIVE.

So this is not just a beautiful work of art. The politically-minded aspect of this project undertaken by one anonymous paper-sculpting artist makes this a particularly interesting topic- that of guerilla artfare (as I like to call it). See, the gifts were all in support of libraries because of threats to their funding. This is a great example of guerilla art - public art with a purpose. I got an excellent book on this and as a gift from someone who definitely knows me better than I thought :) >> here on Amazon: The Guerilla Art Kit.

A few excerpts + thoughts from the book:

"I would like to expand the concept and define guerilla art as any anonymous work (including but not limited to graffiti, signage, performance, additions and decoration) installed, performed or attached in public spaces, with the distinct purpose of affecting the world in a creative or thought-provoking way...

"In the 1980s, many street artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring entered into mainstream galleries and museums. The essence of their work did not change, only the context in which it was viewed. But did it lose something in the transition? A part of what makes public art interesting is how it interacts with its immediate environment...

"Guerilla art is for everyone. It engages viewers who might never step foot in a gallery. It is free and accessible.

"The recent political climate in the U.S. has left many individuals feeling like they have no say, powerless to a system that seems to be dominated by corruption and money... Guerilla art is one way of sharing a political ideology. It is a form of propaganda often utilized by the artist but open to anyone... Many artists see it not only as a form of personal expression but also as a way of creating community in their neighborhoods." (Smith, p 11-13)

Although this author speaks mostly from U.S. standpoint, I believe that these principles also greatly apply to this thought-provoking project just across the pond. No one has come forth to take their claim to fame although a lot of press has come to these sculptures. Even the librarians and library-connoisseurs most touched by these gifts do not want to know the identity of the sculptor. "Don't tell us!," they say! These projects have fostered a community based around the fantasy and mystique of these projects, a twittering community head-over-heels in love.

& a final note from the mysterious sculptor:

“It’s important that a story is not too long ……does not become tedious …….
‘You need to know when to end a story,’ she thought.
Often a good story ends where it begins. This would mean a return to the Poetry Library. The very place where she had left the first of the ten.
Back to those who had loved that little tree, and so encouraged her to try again …….and again.
Some had wondered who it was, leaving these small strange objects. Some even thought it was a ‘he’! ……. As if!
Others looked among Book Artists, rather good ones actually…….
But they would never find her there. For though she does make things, this was the first time she had dissected books and had used them simply be- cause they seemed fitting….
Most however chose not to know….. which was the point really.
The gift, the place to sit, to look, to wonder, to dream….. of the impossible maybe…….
A tiny gesture in support of the special places…..
So, here, she will end this story, in a special place … A Poetry Library ….. where they are well used to ‘anon.’

But before exiting …a few mentions. There could be more, because we have all colluded to make this work……. Just a few though.
- the twitter community who in some strange way gave rise to the idea in the first place
-@chrisdonia who gave the story a place, a shape and some great pictures
- and not least @Beathhigh whose books and reputation have been shame- lessly utilised in the making of a mystery ……..
…… But hold on. Someone’s left behind a pair of gloves and a cap……….?
Cheers Edinburgh It’s been fun!
X

And a lovely cap and gloves to go with:

Just amazing.

For further reading:

Where I first spotted this story + see alllll the pictures of all ten sculptures!

Mystery 'poetree' is a symbol of library love, The Guardian Edinburgh

Real-life Ian Rankin mystery of 'reverse heist' sculptures, The Guardian

Mystery sculptures appear at Edinburgh book festival, The Guardian
EdBookFest blog

AnnaNotKarenina blog

Edinburgh City Libraries blog
STV

FROM INSPIRATION TO REALITY DIY: Vain and Vapid Wool Shirt

2011-12-17T01:47:00.000-05:00

I saw this shirt by VAIN AND VAPID on Pinterest a few days ago, but the actual shirt is no longer listed on their site. :( Thank god it's preserved forever on PINTEREST! I loved this shirt soo much that I had to have one just like it, so I decided to just make it myself, and it's a pretty simple DIY if you're up for the challenge! The shirt is composed of just a few basic shapes and the only tricky part is the sleeves, but we'll get to that in a minute...

For my version of this shirt, I honestly would have done it all in this brown polyester/wool look-alike, but I coincidentally found this fabric in the remnant fabric bin at Jo Ann and there wasn't enough for the pockets and sleeves. (The fabric was also not long enough in the way it was cut so I added the bottom piece just to get the desired length. So much of the way I design and sew just stems from convenience - you have no idea - but it works out great in the end!) The fabric for the pockets and sleeves is actually a 100% wool fabric from a thrift-store-rescued pair of mens' pants that I've been playing with lately (it's practically scrap fabric), but together, these fabrics are perfectly coincidental matches!

Shapes: Cut out the main body of the fabric (front and back), the bottom piece if you like that detail (front and back) and the pocket as shown. For the sleeves, there needs to be a fold at the top of the sleeve (the top flat and diagonal part of the sleeve should be folded over completely so that the fabric is doubled). The slanted part on the bottom will be sewn to the main body of the shirt. I recommend laying a shirt that fits you a little loosey-goosey on top of your fabric to guage size, and then cut two inches larger than that shirt. I loved this design because of the boxy/bagginess of it, and you really don't want to cut too small - better to go bigger than to have to quit and go home.

This shirt is easy enough to sew! I made a (hopefully) easy-to-follow diagram that shows the steps and where to sew. (Sew where you see dotted lines.)

And voila! Inspiration to easy-enough-to-do reality. :)

Questions? Post 'em in the comments & good luck! - Amina

ANOTHER CHALKBOARD FOR ME!

2011-12-15T22:34:00.002-05:00

I am obsessed with chalk and chalkboards right now. (Check out my other blog - Gray Ombre where I originally posted this.) The picture above is the makeshift chalkboard I put in my craft area. I love the asymmetry and weirdness of it.

I just painted a bunch of boards from Ikea's As-Is section ($1 for ten scrap boards! Reused = eco <3) and arranged them on the wall in sort of a jig-saw puzzle way and used a bunch of velcro picture hanging strips to keep them together. (I'm a writer, but I am really terrible at coming up with the right words, so here's what I'm talking about: these.)

In case you want to give it a go and make your own chalkboard fun, here's a video tutorial that I did a while ago. Enjoy!

MAY YOUR HOLIDAY BE GREEN

2011-12-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

Source: witanddelight.tumblr.com via Amina on Pinterest

I've been really inspired by green this holiday season. Like a heather green. It's such a deep color, and together with brown, they make a really sexy combination. This picture and pallet is inspiring all my holiday packaging this year. Everything has to be in green fabric with brown kraft paper and decked out with pine cones (or some other reusable way to wrap presents). It's a shame that on Xmas morning my family throws out a bag or two of wrapping paper every year, and I know we aren't the only culprits.

So my plea today is to give Mother Earth a chance this holiday season. It is the greatest gift for all of us; a lessened impact means a greater future. In this season of over-consumption, which is a large part of the reason for the wreckage of the Earth, make a few conscious gestures to either buy sustainable products, wrap sustainably, buy from the most sustainable method of production of all - the craftsman - or even become the craftsman and make gifts for your loved ones yourself! Nothing more can express your care for others than that.

Later on in the season, I'll be posting gift wrap ideas, but for now while you're on your own, try using recycled wrapping paper, cotton bags, wrapping with fabric or even using reusable shopping bags! Themes are always fun to work in. & Stay tuned! - Amina

SOAP MAKING 101

2011-12-08T00:30:00.000-05:00

Okay, friends. As promised, here's our holiday soap making tutorial, all courtesy of my awesome boyfriend + birthday boy, Brad! Brad's a sciencey major, so soap making is basically a practical chemistry experiment for him and true to scientist form, he's perfected his process, which he researched for about three months before actually trying this out. This tutorial is only the second batch of soap that he's ever made and the first time ever tried using a scent, but it smells awesome while curing so I'm sure it'll work great! I'm basically just the journalist today (and I wrapped up a bar to photograph,) but that's it! This is all the ingeniousness of Bradley and he deserves all the credit. As such, if you have any questions in the comments, the answers will all come from him.

So if you're aiming to try this out for the holidays, act fast! It's not a difficult process, but you just want to be sure of what you're doing first. This tutorial makes about eight to ten bars of soap, depending on how thick you cut them. If you're doing this for personal use, eight to ten bars has officially lasted Brad and me about nine months of having awesome soap (but we/mostly me don't shower often haha.)

BEFORE WE START, TWO MAJOR ISSUES:

1. Please read ALL the directions before you start and make sure you understand them thoroughly! Many of the directions are time sensitive and it's best to be over-prepared than under.

2. Take safety precautions! Brad's pretty good with dangerous chemicals, but he wouldn't even let me in the kitchen without covering my face. If the lye gets on you, it reacts with your skins the same way it reacts with the oils to turn into soap. I can't lye, it's pretty dangerous (pun intended).

Equipment/Materials:
Brad basically minimized costs as much as possible and found most of the items at Ikea and Value Village, but we know not everyone is lucky enough to live three miles from Ikea, so we've tried to be as descriptive as possible.

Scale that measures ounces (Brad's is from Ikea, but I can't find the exact model on the site. THIS might do though.)
Mold of stainless steel or plastic OR if you can't find that, cover any sort of substitute with wax paper (Brad's mold is not stainless steel and just a baking pan found at our Value Village. THIS is similar to what he uses.)
Stainless steel pot (Also a good thrift store find.)
Thermometer that gets a reading quickly and that is made of glass or plastic - you don't want the lye to react with it (Can get two for the different mixtures or use the same one and wipe off between measuring.)
Cutter (From Target, but as with everything else, be careful of what it's made of.)
Storage box (A thrift store find - actually was a desk drawer that for some reason was being sold separate from the desk.)
Towels (Cheap kitchen towels are always good from Ikea!)
Stirrer - glass, plastic or wooden (Brad's is wooden, from Ikea HERE, but he also has a cake icing thing)
Heat resistant bowl (plastic container that is microwave/dishwasher safe for the lye. THIS ONE from Ikea will do.)
Newspaper
Measuring cup

Soap Ingredients:
9.4 oz Crisco
6 oz Olive Oil
6 oz Coconut Oil (You may need to check your specialty markets to find this)
8 oz Distilled Water
3 oz Lye
0.9 oz fragrance oil or Essential Oil Blend (Brad used Honey Almond and it smells awesome. I also used it for our next forth-coming tutorial in my candles!)

Directions:

1. Assemble all equipment and ingredients.

2. Using the scale, mix lye soltion and set it aside to cool: Place the mixing bowl on the scale and zero the scale (or be able to do the math). Pour the lye in the bowl first and then carefully pour in the distilled water. Avoid splashing and try not to inhale any fumes.

3. Using the scale again, measure the oils and then heat on the stove until they are completely melted: Place the stainless steel pot on scale and zero it (or be able to do the math). Then add each ingredient in one by one (crisco, olive oil and coconut oil, in no specific order), keeping track of the appropriate ounces. Place the pot on the stove on LOW. (It won't take long to get to the desired temperature.)

4. When the lye and oils are between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils.

5. Stir well at a medium-fast pace until there is a light trace. This should take 30-60 minutes. (Explaining tracing is hard, so I stole a great explanation from supersoapmaking.com)

Tracing: "the so-called 'point of no return' in soap making. It is the point where the oils or the fats in your soap have successfully mixed with your lye solution. More appropriately, this is the point where your oils and your lye tun into soap. Tell-tale signs of tracing:

Soap has a thick consistency similar to cake batter after you've mixed it
If you drizzle some of the soap on the surface of the mixture, it leaves behind a "trail" that takes a while to sink back into the mixture." You could write words on top of the batter.

6. Pour your soap batter into the mold and cover with wax paper. Use the cake icing thing to scrape out the remaining soap batter. Then wrap the mold in towels and let sit for 12 - 24 hours until the soap is hard enough to cut. Be sure to use gloves when you cut the soap because there may still be some lye remaining.

7. Remove the soap from the mold and cut it into bars. Place the bars in a storage container covered with a towel and let cure for 2-4 weeks.

8. Use, abuse and enjoy your awesome new soap!

I hope the tutorial works well for you, for those of you brave enough to try it! I'm too much of a wimp to try it out alone - I'm just lucky enough to live with a super brave olddd man now. ;) Post your questions in the comments and happy holidays!

*Puns by Brad. Apparently I don't write with enough of them.

HOLIDAY BOOT CAMP HAS BEGUN.

2011-12-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

It's holiday boot camp time. I don't do just half. I do like 90% of my gifts as handmade. And that 10% left is a book, but that's it. We're in the grooove.

TAKE THE PLEDGE!

HOLIDAYS AT HANDMADE HABITAT

2011-12-06T13:01:00.001-05:00

Oh yea world, I'm still here. Hi!

I know I've been a little MIA on the blog lately, but it's been for good reason. Holiday mode has been in full swing in the Handmade Habitat factories and so has midterm season (not that I take toooo much time to study!), but now that the holiday products are ready to ship and finals are on the horizon, I'll certainly be back updating/procrastinating more often as the holidays get closer! With the help of my lovely cats and boyfriend, we've got a few detailed tutorials coming your way if you've ever wanted to attempt soap or candle making. :)

On another note, my mobile season is finally over and I want to take the time to thank everyone who came out and supported us all year. It's been a truly great season and I'm so excited to do it again next year!

But don't worry, all is not lost if you've missed out on taking advantage of coming to visit us IRL. Our Etsy shop is open 24/7 for the holiday season and we're offering a special 15% off your entire order! Just enter HOLIDAYCHEER when you check out. This discount will be valid from now until the end of 2011 so take advantage of spreading a little handmade joy to your loved ones, or even do a little treating of yourself. You deserve it!

Be aware though that as some items can be made again once the ready-to-ship ones have sold, this does not apply to all of our wares, so if you've had your eye on an upcycled vintage dress or one of our cowls, get it before it's gone because it'll be a rare miracle if we can make another exactly like it! (These also make great truly one-of-a-kind gifts!)

So friends, browse some of our awesome looks below and check out even more at our SHOP. Happy Holiday Hunting! -Amina

MY ETSY XMAS LIST

2011-11-24T22:24:00.001-05:00

In case you're thinking about buying me an awesome Christmas present, here's what I would loveeeee:

1- iPhone case from Valentine Goods
2- Mug from Corduroy
3- Sweatshirt from Xenotees
4- Necklace from Mr Lentz
5- Ring from Mr Lentz
6- Nametag from Of the Fountain
7- Action Mole from Corduroy
8- Ikat tote from Pawling

I'll be ordering this all for my mom to wrap up tomorrow. Black Friday dealsss :)

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY & A SPECIAL OFFER...

2011-11-23T18:02:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't heard, this Saturday is SMALL BUSINESS SATURADY! It's a day to encourage people to support their community's small businesses by pledging to shop small on this day, a day that could have a potentially huge impact for businesses, especially during this holiday season, and as a small business, I'm excited for this day. I hope that it will encourage this new sort of mindset among people to shop locally, which is more responsibly than shopping at big box stores like Target and Wal Mart for generic holiday gifts or just general needs. So much of what you need in your life can be provided by a small business. We just need a climate that would better encourage and sustain the sprouting of small businesses.

I belong to a group called Etsy CREST, which stands for the Capital Region Etsy Street Team, based in DC. We come together to give each other advice, trade supplies, put on craft shows and most of all, bond with our fellow local crafting community! There are over 300 members of this group on Etsy, but a few of us from the group have banded together to give a special offer with all of our shops...

From now until Monday, November 28th, enjoy 15% off your purchase from each of the lovely shops below with code HOLIDAYCREST. Courtesy of your Capital Region Etsy Street Team. ;) Just click to get to each shop and apply the code at check out.

Enjoy spreading the joy of the handmade this holiday season! -Amina

A BIG DECISION...

2011-11-14T22:50:00.000-05:00

We've made a BIG decision. And it's been a kind-of secret for a while, but we're finally ready to let the world know.

If you stalk our blog (and we love you for it), you may have read my post a while ago about how I've been super stressed out about what to do with my life. Fenton was supposedly closing forever and I graduate in a few months with no 9-5 career ambitions that I would like to pursue, and to top it all off, I'm getting pretty sick of school. I wasn't 100% happy with the business I've been running for the last two years and I needed to finally make a decision about my future. Sooo the big news is that I've finally made a decision that came down to two words I couldn't get out of my head: handmade habitat.

In good timing with my own worries and whatnots, Etsy made a big announcement about a month ago that they were going to finally allow people to change their shop names, should they like to. So I dwelled on it and thought about it and googled words for a few weeks and finally settled on my road forward - changing my business name to Handmade Habitat.

I loved Cats and Crafts, and I still do and always will, but it's just time to abandon my small beginnings and start taking this seriously, and the niche that Cats and Crafts was working for didn't really suit me. I love cats, but I want to attract young women like me, instead of crazy old cat ladies into my stands at craft shows (although they do tell hilarious cat stories). It's just been time for a while to make this change and I'm happy with the choice I've made.

I'm not changing what I stand for, or even products for the most part - just the idea of my future has changed. Handmade Habitat gives me more room to grow, perhaps into a studio school one day or even a little shop somewhere that I can invest all my time and energy into. C&C just didn't have that potential.

But what about the blog, you may ask?? We'll still blog over here at Of Cats and Crafts, but I've also decided to separate it from my label and business-side of things. Who knows, though - one day we might have a Handmade Habitat blog to accompany the shop, but for now, we are still here with our cats and crafts. We just also operate Handmade Habitat, the shop.

So why Handmade Habitat, you may ask?? Basically because it encompasses the life I like to think I live. I like to make everything. I don't want to be stuck in a rut of only clothes or only bags or only cat toys. I want to have a hand in making everything in my life, whether it be a table runner or a sofa cover, or even a house someday. To me, it's about bringing the handmade into every aspect of living and of life. That's what I want with my own life, and through my work, I hope I can spread that message and ideology of living to others. The handmade is responsible to the planet and to other people. And I think it's important to respect those boundaries both in our own lives and in the lives of other people.

So sorry for the long post today! But it was an important one. & I've really appreciated your support while I've been working through my own spazzed out brain to figure my new life plan out. :)

So check out our new and improved shop HANDMADEHABITAT.ETSY.COM and tell us what you think!

THE PROJECT RUNWAY CHALLENGE: THE LAST BIT

2011-11-10T16:30:00.001-05:00

Source: mylifetime.com

THE FINAL CHALLENGE: Create a look! Not a full 10 piece collection, but just one solid cute look that I can wear!

Sooo yea, it took a while to get here, but it's done! Our personal Project Runway season has finally come to an end. If you remember, we started with a design concept from the last challenge - this dress below - and the goal was to make it IRL (in real life) and wear it for Thanksgiving! Because I lovee looking fresh for TG. Reminds me not to eat myself to death. ;)

When I originally came up with the design idea, I already had some remnant fabric on hand, snagged from Jo Ann's a while ago that I had been wanting to make into a cool blue dress. Then I also had this sweet laser-cut pink suede that I thought could be used as a belt of some sort. And a few quick stitches later...

Ta da! Here's the finished dress. The main things I focused on were the deep v's on both the front and back of the dress and the puffy sleeves that give it the almost-bird like feel that I wanted. Flirty and feminine ;)

& here's the belt draped over it. I haven't yet figured out how to do it, though. As a waist belt, the suede doesn't have much give, so I'd have to make it super tight and not comfortable at all (which is out of the question for TG). The final final look is still kind of up in the air until the big day, which just means you'll have to check back in a few weeks from now and see the final look in action!

So PR lovelies, that's all for me. Project Accessory is not really my thing (I saw one episode and wasn't that into it), so enjoy this series while watching the reruns until next season! I had a fun time doing the challenge so look out for it again next season!

Oh don't worry, don't worry, I didn't forget -- here are my favorite looks from all the designers of the season finale! (and in order of favorites!)

...okay and a little bit of commentary for the road:

So I definitely don't think that Anya should have won - her collection was not the best of the show (though not the worst) - the judges just have consistently liked her and that seems to have been enough to win. I thought Viktor had it - I LOVED his collection - his fatal flaw might have just been picking the wrong combination of looks to show, which made that hard/soft bipolarness that the judges seemed to hate so much. But these four looks are all amazingg, especially Kim's dress because I haven't ever liked her style too much throughout the season, but this dress was something so amazing yet out of my box that I could actually see myself wearing it and becoming a whole new sexy chique version of myself. :)

In the end though and when I'm being honest, I didn't find this season to be all that inspiring of a season. Anya definitely was one of the few designers I consistently was impressed with in terms of point of view, but there just wasn't much out-of-the-box thinking this season like there has been in previous seasons. Hopefully next season will be better and the show won't crash and burn. But what do you think? I'm almost to the point where I don't think the show will get more innovative or have many more good designers on there - look at this season's Bert, Becky, Josh C., Laura and last season's Peach who looked like she designed tween/mom polka dot matching outfits. It's getting to a point where the show is almost maxed out, but I lovedd the original roots of the show so much! Everything after the third season has almost been disappointing (save for the cool designers - LeAnne, Christian, other names I can't remember..), which is why I gave up on the show for 3 seasons. I don't know - am I just being too cynical? Tell me what you think!

On the more awesome note though, cheers to the end of a long project successfully completed! -Amina

NOVEMBER CALENDAR INSPIRATION

2011-11-02T02:00:00.000-04:00

This photo: October Browns by Knitting Iris (HERE via Flickr, discovered on CREATURE COMFORTS)

I fell in love with the circles and colors. <3 I love the texture of wood. I always try and trick Brad into grabbing big tree trunks off the side of the road so I can make things with them :) I have a great stump my mom got for me that I use to decorate with at craft shows. It's so cute ;)

I also think it's a really useful exercise to look at things at the basic shape and color level. Breaks the world down nicely. - Amina