Heather Eddy Art

I finished this up last night during a Condor's hockey game (we lost!). This morning I made it a priority before work to stop by Michael's and pick up STYROFOAM balls. My fingers thank me. While I was at M's, I also picked up a "cosmos" Martha Stewart punch. I am hoping to make a paper wreath. I'm having creative idea overload right now. It's even hard to sleep because I have so many ideas in my head. The ideas floating around in my head has made me wonder why I can't keep a sketchbook right now. I think I have it figured out: I have too many sketchbooks in my life/house. I am burdened with plenty. And that is being greedy. I don't want to be greedy. It's not an admirable trait, you know? I was looking over a goal I made last year for a time-management class I took: "Eventually streamline my life and physical surroundings to eliminate unnecessary clutter so as to focus on priorities, things which fulfill me as a person." I think ...

I didn't have time to finish this ornament tonight (had to watch an episode of Bones with the hubby), but I did get started on it and I'm so happy with how it's turning out! Alas, all the instructions I found for something like this said to use a Styrofoam ball - me don't got none, so I used a papier-mache one. My fingers hurt from pushing in the pins. Ouch.

I am not fashionable. When I buy a purse, I buy A purse. One purse. It is bought with the idea of "ooh... pretty! ooh, conveniently sized!" My current purse is red. It matches nothing, but I'm not fashionable, so that's okay. Therefore, it may surprise people that I have made a purse. The difference with this purse is that it is made from a book. I discovered the idea in this book . I've seen several people on etsy making book purses (very expensive!), but this was the first one I'd seen using paper as an interior liner. I like sewing, but prefer paper to fabric. The first one I made was a clutch. It took me less than an hour to do, and most of that was taken up trying to understand the very poor directions in the book and to learn to use my hole puncher and eyelet tool. (Hammers are now my friend.) I finally just used my book-making knowledge and put it together in a way I thought would work. Stupid book. The paper liner was the real kicker for me - the ...

So I tried another flower tonight without the paper towel tube - just the paper. I like it, but it is STILL too big! I need a dainty flower. Like me. (uh... that was a joke) And I punched out a whole bunch of these little flowers - I have an idea for a garland I want to try. More later!

The paper flowers in the picture are taken from an idea in the book called, appropriately enough, Fanciful Paper Flowers: Creative Techniques for Crafting an Enchanted Garden . I got really excited when I saw this book in my library's catalog because paper + flowers = love! Well, the book itself is a little disappointing - the first paper flower crafts are from paper flower punches being used as embellishments. Whoop-dee-doo. Anyway, this particular craft is made using paper towel tubes. I'm not sure why, but my paper didn't stick too well to the inside of the paper towel tube, so it lifted a bit when I cut the pieces. The directions also call for you to paint the edges of the exposed tube. It's a crazy-tiny edge and I sucked at the paint job. Therefore, I glitter-glued the edges. Glitter hides many a mistake. I had enough paper towel tube to make these three flowers. They are the last paper towel tube flowers I will make.

I know it's not Christmas, but I've been making these sewn heart ornaments and hanging them on my tree in my office. They are so PRETTY! I love the lights... My tree is getting very full. I need another one.

Actually, a heart of 'love' earrings. Please note that these have COLOR on them!!! Two different methods were used to color these earrings. The first is just plain printed ink - but I coated it in nail polish before giving them the regular dip in sealant. The other method is Sharpie. I have a whole bunch of colors I got in a pack at Costco. These earrings were given as Valentine gifts to my co-workers. I don't know if I should feel righteous that I didn't make something fattening for them instead...

It's been SIX days since I last posted! Although it's been a while, I've been busy doing lots of good things. I've done some quilling (hmm... different than I thought it would be...), built a platform under my bed for storage and made these garlands and ornaments. More later...

At just before noon today I received a call from my husband that my son had gotten into the babysitter (my sis-in-law)'s medication and swallowed some pills and would I please meet them at the emergency room. After the initial thrill of fear went through me, I made my way to the hospital and in about 10 minutes, everything was declared fine. He'd just swallowed half of an aspirin and he would be just fine. Hurray for that. I nearly asked the nurse to give my sis-in-law a sedative because she felt so horrible. I was not worried and did my best to help her. Since a mere hour had passed since Brian's call, I decided to head back to work. You know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men, don't you? Well, my car decided to die. And die. And die. Every time I took my foot off the gas, it died. I coasted into a car repair shop where a nice young auto mechanic offered to diagnose my car's ills and took my poor car away then and there. My sis-in-law had to th...

Every day I trawl the Internet looking for paper art/ornament tutorials. I like this simple one by How About Orange . Pretty!

A new look for my blog - three columns and a new header image. I like it and think it captures what I do, too. Today my husband and I went to his folks' home, him to watch the Steelers win, me to have a few minutes' peace and quiet. When we visit, Kenneth Calvin is grabbed by his grandparents and I don't have to watch him as closely, nor does he cling to me like he does here at home. It's a lovely break. I took a box of supplies with me, hoping to have a few minutes to myself in the back room to cut out hearts and ornaments. I got several done before I was required to help get dinner and interact with other relatives who came later. The picture at the top of the post is the pile of pricked papers that I make the hearts from. I found it works better to prick the paper than to trace a pattern with pencil. I cannot cut it neatly enough to get rid of pencil lines! The picture below is of the strips I cut from paperback book covers, ready to make into ornaments. What a...