Bottle cap Pincushions

What fun...Little caps of joy. These are a blast to make, teaching a class on how to at Creative Inkling In PA! My faves are the Sushi.

How I dye wool yarn with Wilton Gel Food Coloring

Dyeing wool yarn with food coloring is very easy and fun In a Pyrex, cover and soak the yarn in water, mixed with vinegar (1/4 cup per quart of water) for about a half an hour. In small bowls mix small amount of gel colors with warm water, we used about a cup of water in each bowl with about 1/2 Tsp coloring.Now carefully pour the dye on yarn so that the colors please you making sure you lift and get underneath the yarn. We then placed the pan in a 250* oven  and checked it in a half hour. you want to take a spoon and check if the water is clear, if it's not them turn the oven up to 300* and continue to heat until it's clear. After heating the dye, let it cool gradually to room temperature, then rinse the newly dyed yarn by hand with cool water., wring it out and hang it to dry..then Happy knitting!

Easter "YARN"Dyeing

What fun...vinegar, water, and gel food coloring...except NO EGGS..YARN from knitty and Purl!!!
Hanna's(My 14YO) friend came to dinner and taught us a new Dye technique using Icing colors by wilton...great success. time to start a GIANT granny with my new stash.

A new beginning

Decided to change things up a bit...I felt that my blog was a bit drab and needed some spring cleaning.
I am full of delight from all the color that I am surrounding myself with. Thanks to attic 24 and crocheting with Raymond (wonderful blogs) I am a crochet fiend this month...GRANNY square heaven!!!

Granny pillow

I ordered some Debbie Bliss Andes(silk & Alpaca) YUMMY!! I have started the Japanese Flower shawl from Attic 24...what a blast. Thank you Lucy. you can visit me on Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Carajvto see what I have been up to over there. As for Journaling, well it has taken a back seat for a while, I am just feeling the Fiber!

Japanese Flowers from Attic 24

Crocheted flowers for Hanna's hai

broken

We have all had a broken heart one time or another

a page a day...

Today was a beautiful snow day, I felt energized and full of spirit. I have been putting down bases on the pages of my new journal for the last few day and experimenting with different golden mediums. tonight I finally went into a page and got some feeling out. I finished reading the Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks...have had capitalism and greed on my mind all day. I think this book will stay with me for awhile and I will be using my journal to work through my feelings about it. More to come on Henrietta...stay tuned.

Carasmanic: knit-a-rama

Carasmanic: knit-a-rama

New favorite yarn
RIOS by Malabrigo!!
ahhhhhh so soft

knit-a-rama

All I want to do is knit knit knit!!!! I did go to a Donna Downey workshop, started a new journal and feel inspired. Worked on it tonight a bit and felt really good about it. Will take pictures soon. Read a new friends blog today about feeling like you can't just PLAY because of fear of failure..I can relate to that so much. Ahhhh what I wouldn't do for a reset button on my brain...back to beginner mind...beep...back to beginner mind again!!
So while posting this I'm thinking...Hey why not KNIT a journal...yes...that's right...duh...why didn't I think of this before? Incorporate the two things I enjoy most...the wheels are turning...smoke coming out of my ears people!!

working on my paper clay dolls

I am so excited about my dolls and using paper clay. I started two new ladies yesterday and they are now drying. One is named "unlock Me" the other is "stop wearing your heart on your sleeve". I am really itching to get painting. I plan on using my Golden acrylics and glazes and then trying these new PANPASTELS that I just picked up. I love using the one step crackle medium but I get all nervous and wonder if I should crackle or not.....sounds strange huh? I went scavenger hunting for things to use a a base, I found lots of old and new goodies...a good place to hit is the Homegoods discount aisle...lots of strange, cheap, broken stuff that can be altered.
I will post pics of my work in process as soon as I get a chance.

I'm back and making dolls.

Started to make dolls again, wanted to bring some of the characters from my journals into the world of 3D. I can't seem to just work flat for too long, I always go back to dolls, they make me happy. Paperclay is my new found love...I like how light is is. I want to start investigating making my own.

The start of a new book.

I am working on a mixed media book that is a fabric base. I just did a basic construction then started to alter fabrics from my scrap stash. I love painting, stamping and stitching on pre-printed fabrics.

I am working on the theme being all about me and what creativity means to me and how I approach it. I am also exploring my dreams and my enviorment that I get inpiration from. My studio has become a cave to me, sometimes it is comforting and other times I want to be UNCAGED. I feel  like one day I love the clutter, the chaos, the sense that I am cradled in it, other days I feel like I am being enveloped and need to get out.

Unlock my Secret

Today I spontaneously made a book that was insired by keys and locks. I was playing with a Key texture pad that I picked up yesterday at my LSS. I textured EVERYTHING...cardstock (ran it through my sissix), metal, paper, then I went wild distressing it all. I used alcohol inks, Tim Holtz products, Utee, pigments, sprays, stamps....and then I told a story...here it is...

Unlock My  Secrets   But beware 

 You never know what lies in ones heart 

                                                      just waiting to be set free  

Carasmanic: The end

Carasmanic: The end

The end

Finally finished my journal. SAD. I hate finishing things, I get a very empty feeling, I miss the project yet the finished object itself really means nothing to me.....it's all about the process.

Hear are my last two pages in this book...time to start a new one.

Snow bored

Been snowbound...... and I find it hard to work on my journal when my kids are around, my mind is too busy with all the commotion in the house. I have a bit of alone time right now so I thought I would blog.
I have been sewing to get through the blizzard confinement.
I have been wanting to make some covers for my ugly binders from staples. I used Claudine's sticky back canvas and acrylics to do titles for my books.

The recipe one is a scrapbook of all my families special recipes that have been passed down.
I also made a cover for my laptop, my girls both made fun of it because they thought the rooster fabric was goofy. I like the way my kindle cover came out, I used double batting to keep it nice and safe. Ric-rac is up there with one of my favorite craft supplies, maybe it's just the name.

Snowy weekend

This weekend we got hit with some serious snowfall! I did two pages, not in the most creative space because of a nasty cold that has my head all clouded up. I did a page about the anticipation of the storm on Friday night, I used clear utee and glitter spray for a snow effect. Last night I made an explotion box for a Valentine gift, it was so much fun. I bought the pre-scored paper at CHA retail day...I went online and ordered more. After VDay I'll post pics of it.

Under pressure

Thinking about body image and raising girls today.

Not an easy subject.

Carasmanic: A day of quiet RefleCtIoN!!!

Carasmanic: A day of quiet RefleCtIoN!!!

A day of quiet RefleCtIoN!!!

Today I was inspired by texture...I used UTEE with reckless abandon. I then went over it with Claudine's acrylics, oil sticks, charcole and matt medium. I was happy.
I thought about cravings, may have been KD lang playing on xpn...I went with that prompt, thought of food, sex, STUFF....ALL the things we crave throughout the day. I also thought about doors being opened and closed, what is behind them, what we are afraid of when we go through new ones or old ones close.

Todays work.

So tonight I finally got my hands dirty...felt great. I worked on a page, maybe OVERworked it. I also tried the cita-solv on a magazine..didn't work out..maybe I need to try again using a different magazine such as national geographic. I need some promts...feel free to send them my way. This is tonights page......

Today..I want to be in my studio...looks like that's not going to happen. I am itching to start a series of collaged mini canvas' using house imagery...maybe tomorrow when the girls are in school..not easy trying to squeeze it all in. I posted a picture of a Donna Downey canvas book that I started..haven't yet found the inspiration for what I want to go inside. I like making the covers for books but can't always seem to fill them. I also want to try a new technique using citra-solv on printed paper to get cool effect for backrounds...will keep you posted on that one. Going to go feel the family.