Breaksville

And We're Back!

2010-06-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have to tell you that I have been busy. I just got back to Tokyo after a month-long vacay in California and I am getting the bloggin itch again. I've been stuck to my computer most of the time since I returned for a number of reasons. The biggest of these reasons is that Omar is working full time (yay!) and gone most of the day. The other reason is that the night I got back to Tokyo, while trying to exit the Narita Airport into the Keisei train station, I fell down an escalator...! I know, right? Iam getting better but still ahve some trouble getting around, so it's hard to leave the house by myself. Tomorrow I'm heading to a local hospital to make sure my healing is progressing normally.

Anyway! Now that you all know my business, let me catch you up with a few pictures.

I learned how to salt-grill fish (so easy!)

I continued to make hotpot

I found out that Omar has some exceptional UFO catcher skills

I baked a lot of sweets

We made mochi in Tochigi for New Year's

It snowed in January (but only a little)

I started making jewelry

We saw the sakura trees in full bloom

I made an Amineko

I'm thinking my next next undertaking might be making some umeshu...

New Keychain

2009-09-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Keychain du Lievre

I know. Most. Boring. Post. Ever. But I cannot get over how adorable this keychain is. I wanted it forever, but I already had one (this really big gnarly neon pink sparkly stuffed dog - but I could find it in my purse). So when I moved out here, I left the old keychain behind, hoping to make a change to something more elegant.

I ordered it from i.klee on Etsy and it is the perfect size for my tiny Japanese house key. It was suppose to ship from Germany, but the package arrive mysteriously from France. Elegance!

Stitch by Stitch Exhibit

2009-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Omar and I visited the Stitch by Stitch Exhibit at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum yesterday. I had read about it here and wanted to check it out. It took some convincing to get Omar on board (he was expecting a bunch of needlepoint pillows?), but in the end he agreed to go and we both loved it. They didn't allow cameras in, so sadly I don't have any pictures of all the art.

Entrance to the museum

The exhibit featured artists using embroidery, beading, etc. as their medium. Translation: it was really cool. I think my favorite installation was the corner filled with artificial plants that had been beaded and embroidered. So otherworldly.

Kichijoji Afternoon

2009-09-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Omar and I took a trip over to Kichijoji to check out some restaurants. The first is called Pancake Days and while they were seating us, I noticed that a black and aqua butterfly landed on me. I had to leave the restaurant to try and get that critter to fly away. It took a couple tries before it finally took flight and didn't fly right back on me.

Maple Cream Pancakes

So Pancake Days was pretty good. They serve pancake everything. Pancake sundaes, pancake burgers, regular old pancakes. And they have smiley face fries.

We ordered the maple cream pancakes (and of course those fries). They were good, but I think Pancake Days is like the pop music of food. I would go there more for the novelty of going to a restaurant called "Pancake Days" (which is really as good a reason as any, right?).

As a bonus, all the pancakes had smiley faces cooked on to them. I would have taken a picture, but I was already halfway through them before I noticed the faces. And really, does the world need to see a photo of my half-eaten pancakes? Don't answer that.

Cafe du BUNZ

The second place we went to was Cafe du Lievre. I cannot recommend it enough! Tasty crepes, delicious soup and salad, and a super relaxing atmosphere. Yum! It's in the middle of Inokashira Park and it's filled with little bunny statues and shabby-chic furniture. Love! We will definitely be coming back here.

Crepe with tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and pesto

By the way, is anyone else following "The Colony" on Discovery Channel? This show is amazing! It's a reality show (Wait! Let me finish!) about a group of people trying to rebuild society after the end of the world (See?). A rag-tag band of strangers with various skills are thrown together in a deserted post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. They have to scavenge for food/supplies, learn to filter their own water, and defend their home from "marauders." It's awesome. Period. I'm bummed that the last episode aired tonight (Wednesday) in the states.

If you live in the US, you can catch up on previous episodes on their website. I'm hoping they'll spring for a second season. I'd like to see what people could do with an abandoned farm or something.

Grand Opening!

2009-09-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the Grand Opening of my new Etsy shop: For the Shorties! I'm selling a selection of japanese craft supplies, craft books, and hankies. I stocked it as best I could for the moment, but if things sell at least at a reasonable rate (please please please), you will be seeing regular updates of new merchandise.

Check it out here!

I'm currently up to my waist in fabric and other stuff, but I have things to post about (the only question is... when?)

And Now For The Announcement

2009-08-03T21:31:00.001-07:00

We are running out of time here in Breaksville. Why, you ask? Because we are moving to Japan (sans dogs- sad face) in about a week! We leave on August 11th. I wanted to keep it under wraps until we had our tickets and then I had trouble with the internet, so I haven't had the chance to really sit down and write until now.

So - Japan! My cousin owns an old Japanese-style house in Tokyo (Kita-senju, to be precise) and he graciously offered us the chance to live there, wait for it... RENT FREE. It is actually cheaper for us to buy two one-way tickets to Japan than to pay one month's rent on our current apartment. And anyway, I am having trouble finding a job, Omar was having trouble getting enough hours in at his job, so the decision was pretty much made for us. We don't know how long we're going to be staying, but we don't have much to lose at this point. Away we go!

Omar and I both recently completed an ESL teacher training course and we are now getting our stuff together and anxiously (very anxiously) awaiting our flight. I'm thinking of starting up an Etsy shop to sell Japanese craft supplies, since our house will be minutes away (by train) from the infamous Nippori Textile Town. I also might be interested in doing some one-on-one swapping? Maybe? I'm sort-of over Swap-bot after getting a couple of flakes as partners.

So then. Questions? Comments?

Edit: I am cracking up over my first nasty comment! :) Actually our ESL course is providing job placement at schools that can get us work visas. So.... enjoy your sour grapes, anonymous? Or was it a joke?

Edit #2: Sorry, Anonymous #1. I was wondering why someone would come on to my blog just to complain. :)

Anonymous #2: I'm not actually there yet, so I'm uncomfortable giving advice on which companies would be best. But what I've heard is to steer clear of the big language factories like Geos or Nova (RIP) or whatever company bought out Nova. Try to find a smaller private language school. There's also tons of info out there from people who actually know a bit more about what they're talking about (unlike me!)

Beans Loves the Sunroof of My New Car

2009-05-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

I'm Sort of Back

2009-05-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

Inokashira Park, Kichijoji, Tokyo

Hello? Anyone there?

I've been trying to sort out my life for the past several months. Omar and I went on a great trip to Japan in December (pictures to follow). Then there was Christmas. Then on January 6th I was downsized from my job. Thanks, job, for making me think I had enough money to go on an expensive trip and then laying me off right after I spent all this money on presents! Also, I crashed my car.

But things are starting to look up. I have a new (used) car, but still no job. I have taken up yoga. I'm reading more. And there will probably be an announcement in the next couple of months. A big one. (No, I am not pregnant, and note to strangers who keep asking me if I am: I just happen to have big boobs and like empire waist dresses!)

Yes We Can!

2008-11-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to be an American.

Wha?

2008-09-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else ever had this problem?

I work at a small company and, among other things, I answer the phones and route all calls from the main line. A few months ago I got a call from a telemarketer (you know how you can hear that they are calling from a giant room with other telemarketers around them talking on the phone?).
Anyway, he asked me for someone who's name I did not recognize and I told him there was no one by that name at our company. Then he was all "well, maybe it's his wife." ???? And kept pushing me to find someone who I had no idea about. So I asked him "Who's calling please" because maybe I could figure out where to route him so he could be better helped. And he said "Well, who are you?"

???

WHA????

And this went around in circles until he finally mumbled his supposed name (Jerkface McBoogers, I presume) and of course I couldn't hear him and asked him to please spell it and he said "It's spelled exactly how you spell you name. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"

Uh. So I transferred him off to someone who is way better at dealing with jerks and she told him off and to not call back. End of story, right? RIGHT?

NO.

I got a call just now from a telemarketer who asked me for another person I didn't know of. Usually when I tell a telemarketer I don't know who they are asking about, that is the end of things because they realize they will not get anywhere. But no. This guy got pushy with me and then was all "Who are you". At which point I realized who I was dealing with (why did he call again!) and responded "Who's calling please?" because, really, any legitimate person is going to identify themselves, right?

This went around in circles for a while until he blew up at me and YELLED (seriously, he actually yelled) "OH, COME ON!!!! BLAH BLAH SOMETHING SOMETHING..." Bitch, please.

I disconnected him.

Now I realize that I may be getting a call from this idiot every few months.

My question to you is:

What the hell is he doing?! Does this creepy-aggressive routine really work on people? Is that the best way to do business? What makes me the MOST angry is that I get the feeling that these scary intimidation tactics are how he approaches the people he calls if they are women. Like I'm stupid enough to transfer him to the president of the company when he won't even identify himself just because he yells at me. Which makes me wonder how he treats the women in his real life, assuming there are any (Probably not!). And all this makes me feel very Second-Wave Feminist and I also want to smash his sexist face down hard. But as he never tells me WHO THE HELL HE IS or WHAT THE HELL COMPANY HE WORK FOR I cannot GET HIS ASS FIRED for being an incompetent boob.

Crafting post to come, I swear.

My Garden

2008-08-01T11:26:00.000-07:00

I have a few planters on my deck and after a month or two, these California poppies finally started to bloom!

You can also see a bell pepper growing on this plant! There's a few more smaller ones on the other side.

This Means War

2008-07-31T10:02:00.001-07:00

*this is not our oven

Our oven is totally possessed and evil. It has been acting up lately and only turning on sometimes, when it wants to. Now it is only broiling or something even when you set it to bake. It completely burns the top of stuff while the middle is still raw. Last night I was trying to bake a "lighter Pineapple Upside Down Cake" from a recent issue of Everyday Food and after all the preparation and flitting around the kitchen and chopping up a whole pineapple, the oven ruined my cake. I thought it was done, though kind of burnt, when I pulled it out to cool (the top was BLACK). But when I cut into it, the rest was LIQUID BATTER. I can't tell you how traumatic this was for me, seriously. I kept replaying it my mind like if I had seen body parts on the street after a car accident or something. After baking for 45 minutes, my cake was still batter (and also burned). I can't get over it. I also somehow accidentally baked a scratch ticket into the cake (?). Omar was searching all over the house for it, and he SWORE that he handed it to me. I do not remember this, but obviously I had it at some point because I BAKED IT INTO MY CAKE. Go figure.

Although the cake ended up in the trash, the ticket was miraculously salvageable. Omar said he rinsed it off and toasted it in the toaster oven (is this really a good idea?). We didn't win anything.

New Sunglasses

2008-07-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

They were like, $10 at Urban Outfitters. I love you new old lady sunglasses! Yes, I am wearing two pairs of glasses. That is how I roll. Sometimes when I am driving I wear sunglasses over my perscription glasses so I can see and (not) look cool at the same time. Whatever, Vogue seems to like it.

Make your own ridiculous pictures

I also love Angry Chicken.

Japan Catch-Up

2008-07-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

HAPPY GRADUATION OMAR!

(He's the one on the right!)

I have been back for about a week now, doing all the things you do when you think you are still on vacation. Omar's parents are in town for his graduation, which has made things doubly crazy/hectic, but fun.

So, as you can see I am so busy with my important life and all that I haven't been able to really get my head around my trip until now, sorry for the late posting.

I'm also going to apologize in advance for not taking enough pictures. I get all nervous and sweaty in public situations that involve cameras and me being by myself. And I always think that people are annoyed that I am standing in the middle of the road trying to take a picture of a crowded street (see below). But I tried my best! And also after a while I was enjoying myself so much that I forgot I was supposed to be documenting everything. So here are the results... Keep in mind that I am actually going back in December, so I promise I will try to make it (the lack of pictures) up to you until you are so overwhelmed with images of Japan that you will think you have actually been there already or something.

TOKYO - DAY ONE

*view from the plane

My flight arrived about an hour before it was supposed to, so I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I was awake enough that I decided to venture into Tokyo after I checked into my hotel. BIG MISTAKE. It was a Sunday, and of course I was all "I think I'll go to Harajuku" since that's where I always go first. Note to self and readers - I have never been to Harajuku on a Sunday for a reason. It was wall-to-wall people EVERYWHERE, and you know how I hate people (well, you do now).

*Takeshita Dori, how I love thee (when you are not filled with other people)

After about an hour of meandering around feeling sorry for myself (and being to tired to correctly attribute the sorry-feeling to my jet lag) I moped back to my hotel. But not before I picked up some rice balls for Sunkus (a convenience store). Convenience store rice balls make up about 50% of the Reasons Why I Go to Japan.

*Shunned salmon on top, Sekihan on the bottom

I got a few different ones including a tasty one with beef kalbi in the middle and crunchy nori all around the outside that was sprinkled with salt (not pictured- chomped beforehand) and a sekihan one because I haven't had sekihan in forever. I also got a salmon one by mistake. (Note #2, I don't like salmon).

Then I fell into bed and slept for a few hours at a time until morning with the TV blaring Japanese news.

END OF DAY ONE.

Wine for Puppehs

2008-07-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's non-alcoholic, but still. (I love Japundit!)

P.S. Yes, I'm back.

Goodbye Japan!

2008-07-12T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm at the bus terminal in Sano, wating to get shipped off to Narita. I can't wait to see Omar and the dogs!

Leaving Tomorrow

2008-07-12T07:59:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight is my last night in Japan. I'm all packed up and ready to go back to the Bay Area. One week is waaay too short a time when it involves me and Japan. I'll tell you all about my trip after I get home.

Goodnight!

Summer!

2008-07-12T05:29:00.001-07:00

It's been super hot & humid the entire time I've been in Japan. So much so that it can be difficult to get to sleep at night. I picked this guy up at Loft in Shibuya. He's got a little ice pack that fits in his belly.

Dinner

2008-07-11T02:24:00.001-07:00

Popo-chan Get!!

2008-07-10T21:42:00.001-07:00

Charms

2008-07-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

for my car

Today's Dinner

2008-07-10T03:07:00.001-07:00

...was ebi fry. Chomp!

Ohira-san Shrine

2008-07-09T23:15:00.001-07:00

Went to the shrine today. Gotta stock up on protection charms now that I have a car.

So It Works

2008-07-09T03:55:00.001-07:00

And here are some redonk sockies I bought.

A Test

2008-07-09T03:50:00.001-07:00

I know the pictures are pointlessly small, but bear with me! I am texting this in from my rental phone & I can't get them any bigger. I also just took me 8 years to type that with my thumbs.

I Am Fully Aware That I Am An Insane Person

2008-07-01T16:15:00.001-07:00

So I am dying for a Popo-chan doll. I know, I know. But seriously people, dolls are my thing. And Popo-chan's face is way too cute for me to not have one. So I have been obsessing, and finally sometime next week, we will meet. And I will have to make the hard decision of which Popo-chan gets to come back to America with me. It is taxing, but I think I can get through it all.

This Popo-chan is all about the hairstyling. There's also one that walks (which freaks me out, so I'm not getting that one. Look here and tell me that's not creepy. DO NOT WANT) and one that you can take IN THE BATH. But I am digging the snuggly-soft bodies, so I will probably skip on Bath Popo.

It doesn't help that all the babies around me are, although cute and wonderful, BOYS. Someone have a girl that I can play with and spoil! Please?

$50!

2008-07-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Things are looking up...

Japan Trip Looming

2008-06-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Above is a hankie I embroidered for my mom for Christmas and finally got a photo of! I got the pattern from issue #3 of Stitch Idees. I used a fabric marker to fill in the tail and ears.

My trip to Japan is slowly creeping up on me and already things are starting to go wrong! I reserved a rental cell phone a few months ago hoping to email daily blog posts in with pictures from my trip. Yesterday I got an email from the company informing me that they might not be able to supply me with the type of phone I requested, since they have been deluged with orders thanks to the G8 Summit. Hopefully this will be the last inconvenience, but these things tend to come in threes...

I'm also a little bit trepidacious (blogger does not think this is a word) about having my fingerprints taken at customs. Don't worry, I'm not a felon or anything. I just feel a little bit conspiracy-theory prone at the idea of being tracked by foreign governments. Look out! It is also totally going to kill my international spy fantasies that keep me entertained while I wait in the non-nationals line to have my passport stamped. Sigh.

Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers that the phone thing will work out and I can entertain my reader(s) with photos from abroad, in realtime. Otherwise, it will just be a few MASSIVE posts when I get back a week later.

I also made this apricot tart. Soooooo good. It ended up accidentally being my own birthday cake.

Tagged

2008-05-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to post without a picture, so here's a 9 foot mirror ball at my work.

I sure took my sweet time to fill this out, but here it is. Anna sent it to me a while back and I've finally got around to doing it (sorry!). I feel a little self conscious tagging anyone, but I guess that's how it works. If you don't want to fill it out, that's ok too...

4 jobs I've had:
Cashier - Cody's Books
Japanese Language Tutor
Game Advisor - EB Games
Office Manager - Impact Lighting

4 favorite movies:
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
....

4 places I've been:
Slovenia
Rome
Kansas
Belgium

4 places I've lived:
Berkeley, California
Tochigi, Japan
Hangzhou, China
London, England

4 favorite tv shows:
(This is an "at the moment" kind of list for me)
The Office
Lost
Home Movies
30 Rock

4 favorite radio programs:
1Up Yours
This American Life
Radio Lab
Japan Talk

4 favorite foods:
Oyakodon
Pudding
Cake
Things with pastry cream in them (like these)

4 places I'd rather be:
Japan (duh)
Puerto Rico
Hawaii
At home

Tagging:
Unraveling
Food Counts
Girl on the Rocks
Lovestitches

Pretz Vs Stix

2008-05-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else seen these new Pringles Stix? Having been a longtime fan of Glico Pretz, I was a bit surprised to see some so-called "Stix" at the grocery store the other day. I wonder if Pringles paid for the rights to market Pretz in the states, or if they just stole the idea, packaging, and appearance of the snacks. They come in the same little individual bags inside the box. I hope Pringles has some kind of overseas marketing deal with Glico. If so, they could probably get access to around 7 billion Pretz flavors to sell in the US. I'm serious. The ones I'm holding above are Meets Wine, kind of a roasted cheese flavor, and Melon Bread, a tasty sweet cookie-ish one from their new "Bakery" line. Yum!

In other news, I'm planning a trip to Japan in July! I arrive in Tokyo on Sunday, July 6th and I'll be there until the 13th. I bought a moleskine and I've been putting together my own travel book by copying down directions, printing out maps, and looking up the operating hours of store I want to visit. Expect craft debauchery when I get back. I'll only be in Tokyo two days and then I'll head up to Tochigi to stay with my host family for the remainder of the trip. I can't wait! I have a pretty comprehensive list, but let me know of any Tokyo Craft Shopping suggestions you might have.

Passport Cover

2008-05-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

I made this passport cover for my mom's birthday.

I think I got the fabric from Superbuzzy and you can find the tutorial for the cover here. So simple! I need to make one for myself ASAP. Reasons why in the next post.

UPDATE: Wow! Thanks to Karrie for letting me know!

Puerto Rico Trip

2008-05-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

I've been back from Puerto Rico for a while and have got lazy about posting. I didn't want to let myself post about anything until I got the PR post out of the way, for purposes of documentation. The only things is, our visit was so frenzied that I wasn't able to take many pictures. And the time that we were relaxing, we were at the beach (sans camera). So I'm going to whizz through what I have and get it over with!

Beans came with us and was fairly well-behaved on the plane ride back home (we will not speak of the plane ride to PR). It seems like air travel has put car-anxiety into perspective for her.

We went to Guavate to get real Puerto Rican food, which involves a lot of rotisserie pigs.

A trip to Puerto Rico would not be complete for me without a trip to Gaby Mini Donas outside the Humacao Walmart. They are tiny donuts that they fry right in front of you.

Omar got a giant egg, ham, and cheese sandwich for three dollars that he did not stop talking about for two weeks.

When we got home we made BBQ'd oysters, salad, and grilled baby zucchini for dinner. We also got these gigantic oysters from Berkeley Bowl that were bigger than my hand!

As you can see, when we weren't swimming we were mostly preoccupied with food.

The END! Now, to post new things!

A Beany Dress

2008-04-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

This was one of those things that hit me at around 11 o'clock at night where I absolutely have to start it right now. I was just lounging around and thinking about getting ready for bed when I realized I really needed to make Beans a dress. Like, right NOW. I'm sure there are some of you that can understand this crafting bug.

So I pulled out a couple of doggie patterns I snagged the last time Joann's had a 99 cent sale. There were some cute jammies, dinosaur costumes, etc. But I think you'll agree, Beans needs a dress. The problem was that all the dress patterns were hideous pink things covered with lace, sparkles, and fluffy petticoats. No. Beans is scrappy. She doesn't do lace.

I usually can only picture my craft projects very literally and I am very open to suggestion. This means that when I see some things I want to make, I have to make it exactly like the picture or else. But I decided to "wing it" and pick out whatever that hell fabric I damn wanted for Beans' dress and I settled on some cute Bear fabric from Japan. I think I got it from Superbuzzy, but I can't find it anymore on their site.

I picked out the least complicated dress pattern and eliminated the sheer overskirt (I mean, PLEASE). The pattern also calls, of course, for lace on the sleeves, neckline, and skirt hem. This is not going to happen. I almost stopped there, but I pulled myself together and instead fashioned a plain ruffle from some yellow remnant fabric. I put a ruffle on each sleeve and on the hem of the dress, eliminating the one along the neckline. Then I topped it off with a matching sash around the waist! (Actually, I had some difficulty sewing the bodice to the skirt and the resulting stitches weren't very straight, so the sash is really a handy cover up). Here's a close up of the sash:

At one point I sewed on some snaps to close the dress. I kind of already knew that wouldn't work, but the closure was the only thing left and I really wanted to be finished. Of course, the dress totally didn't stay closed while Beans was wearing it, so I sent Omar out on a velcro-errand while I was at work.

Voila! Beans in her Bear dress!

Cooking Out of Everyday Food

2008-03-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I love that magazine. Omar and I are on a diet for a week and I am H-A-T-I-N-G it. So much. You do not even understand. We went to the corner store to get lunch and I walked past a display of 50% off morning buns. Half-off, people. The swirly cinnamon-bun-esque kind with sugar all over. And I walked out with some carrots and an onion. Sigh.

So I decided to take a look back at the past few weeks, which were filled with good eats. I got all inspired by last month's issue of Everyday Food and had to make almost everything out of it.

I made Lemon-Ginger Bundt Cake for the office (and also snagged a sizable chunk for myself in the process). I am so not good at remembering to take pictures before slicing things up and eating at least half of what's there.

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red Pepper Melts. These can't be that bad for you, besides all the bread. The Gouda we used was really not about the melting, though. It kind of ended up like little cheese-mochi squares. Not bad - but not really very melty. Interesting fact - according to the Blogger.com spelling dictionary, "melty" is not a word.

I made use of my new King-Size Muffin Pan with the very tempting recipe for Banana Cupcakes. This was actually kind of disappointing. The frosting was OK, but not stellar. As for the muffin/cupcakes themselves, I really have way better recipes for banana bread that would have worked fine and I would rather have eaten. Also, do not waste you money on the custom baking cups for this pan. They are the worst baking cups I have ever used. I seriously think that half of the cupcake ended up on the paper and not in my tummy. Also a LOT of the paper ended up on the cupcake, which is much worse. Next time I will be greasing the pan itself, even though it's a pain.

This here Apple-Cinnamon Upside-Down Cake is actually from a previous issue, though I forget which one. I could seriously eat this whole cake by myself in one sitting, it is so good. I guess that's why I'm on a diet...

Panna Cotta and Old Crafts

2008-02-22T14:28:00.001-08:00

I made the BEST PANNA COTTA OF MY LIFE the other day. I topped it with some homemade berry sauce. Delicious! It may not look like much, but the lighting in my office isn't that great for blog pictures. That's right, I took this for lunch. I mean, buttermilk is good for you, right? It was perfect, with only a hint of gelatin, and really simple to make. So good. I found the recipe here.

Also, here is an Arrested Development inspired pillowcase I embroidered for a friend recently.

Detail:

Chicken!

2008-02-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Seen today wandering around the parking lot of my office:

Valentine's Day Surprise

2008-02-15T10:08:00.001-08:00

This was my present from Omar. Enjoy...

Valentine's Cookies

2008-02-14T14:59:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the cookies themselves. Just the cute bags I packed them in.
I made chocochip cookies from this recipe on Lex Culinaria. Deeeelish! I got the bags ($1.50 for a pack of 12) at Daiso in Mountain View. I just took a hole-punch to them, added some baker's twine from here, and voila! Here's a closeup of the text on the bags. Cute!

In other news, I am close to done with my blue scarf. I finished all the knitting and now all I have to do is sew on the fabric backing and the little leather ties. Yay!

Happy Valentimes, People

2008-02-14T09:47:00.001-08:00

Knitting?!

2008-02-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the bleh pictures, but my camera died before I could take any more and I don't know where the charger is at the moment.

I got the book above last Friday and I am in love with the scarf pattern. Behold:

Yesterday I decided to try my hand at knitting it, even though I haven't tried to knit anything in about 5 years (and when I did, the results were not so pleasing). I only bought one ball of the main color because I anticipated the level of difficulty/failure to be the kind that one associates with spontaneous temper tantrums, crying, and then running to my mother for help.

But this pattern is so easy! I'm almost through the whole skein and I think I will need to go back to the store TONIGHT to get more yarn. (Whatever, it is close to the gym).

Camera Case

2008-02-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

I finished this back in December (or November?), which makes it yet another thing I neglected to post. I also waited about three months with the finished case before I got around to sewing on the button. This is laziness at work here, people.

Still Busy

2008-01-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

That has to be the most interesting (and original!) post title EVAR.

I am, in fact, still quite busy these days. The weather has been miserable and we haven't wanted to go outside even to head to the gym or a store or something. The dogs are split on their opinion of the cold. Snooty doesn't mind it (you can see her in the bottom right of the above picture), but then again she has a lot more fur than Beans. Since I am mostly indoors, my craftiness has tended to lean more towards the edible side of the spectrum with me using most of my free time to try out new recipes culled from the Internets.

I made my own green chili sauce (!) for use in some chicken enchiladas a few weeks ago. I got the recipe from what I think was the December issue of Cooking Light. Keep in mind that in my rush to eat my "creations," I often have trouble remembering to take pictures before things are completely devoured.

Roasted green chilies:

Chicken Pie! (a family recipe):

Dough Cookies (another family recipe, using leftover pie dough)

Yesterday I made S'more Brownies, to Omar's delight. My teeth still hurt from looking at them.

A little bit of regular crafting and more office desk love... My Radish Sunshine Buddy knocks his head from side to side as a late-made soft tree looks on:

More to come.

Holiday Recap: New Year's Day

2008-01-11T14:01:00.000-08:00

As the three people who read this blog may have noticed, I have been absent for a few weeks. I'm afraid the holidays got the best of me, what with all the shopping/crafting/cooking/baking/family-togetherness, etc. It got a little crazy. I've been trying to get back into the pace of normal life and I though that for now, I would post some things leftover from my blissful winter break.

Exhibit A: New Year's Day at the RACETRACK

Yes, racetrack. Omar and I headed over to Golden Gate Fields after breakfast (that I didn't have to cook!) at a cafe in Emeryville. Neither of us had ever been to a racetrack before, but it was Dollar Day, so we had decided to go for it. $1 each for admission, $1 beers, and $1 hot dogs. It was great!

We bet on a few horses (knowing nothing about any of them, we chose by name) and in the last race we stayed for, we ended up winning $9.60, which was about how much we had bet on everything all day. Thanks for $9.60, Alley Fighter!

Video of the race we won:

Apparently there is a horse somewhere named Bean Who, not in the races we saw, just though I should throw that in there.

Next Dollar Day is tomorrow. Also, they will have a snowy sledding area.

This is What Happens

2008-01-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

When a puppy refuses to put down a toy and then tries to drink water with said toy still in her mouf.

Christmas Dogs

2007-12-19T11:47:00.000-08:00

Well, we finally got our Christmas tree up! I have actually only cleaned that corner of our house, the rest is cluttered with boxes and suitcases (I guess we never really finished moving in- since JULY). In the course of locating all the ornaments, I also ran across Snooty's old bee costume. It's too small for her now, and too big for Beans, but we still tried.

Then we got their shirts on. Beans is not so much a fan, but gets used to them as she wears them. Snooty, however, loves her some shirts.

And of course, we had to take the requisite "Dogs Under the Tree" photos...

By the way, has anyone else noticed that there is something weird going on with my banner? I don't know what's up with it and I don't know how to fix it. Actually, I haven't even tried to figure it out, but whatever. I was kind of hoping it would just fix itself...

Fall Swap Sent!

2007-12-14T10:15:00.000-08:00

First of all, I want to offer my apologies to Anna, who has been a great sport through all the waiting. I know. I am lame. Hopefully I will not discourage you from further swaps!

Now, though, since it has arrived at it's far-off destination, I can show you what I've been working on (forever and ever). I think I am going to be taking a break from swapping for a while. I've just stretched myself too thin.

Fabric buttons made from some cutie Japanese stash fabric. I carved the stamp(s) on the envelope myself, if you remember.

Fabric-covered embroidery floss bobbins (and walnut pin cushion). Got the idea here and here.

Halloween candy (of course!)

Fall Swap Bear! (those on my Ravelry page have seen this one already)

Embroidered Wee Wonderfuls Acorn Fairy pillow, for hanging or something.

The sparkly part of the wings may look pretty, but the floss was murder to work with. I am going to do everything in my power to try to never work with it again, but you never know.

The finished product:

Here's those stamps again:

And some fabrics for her stash:

I also added some nice lotion and some patterns for making Relax Bear felt mascots from this book, which I love. Phew! I think that's it.

Go Around Twice If You're Happy

2007-12-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

I promise to return to my regular crafting posts soon. Really, I swear. But in the meantime, here is something for your happiness.

Amigurumi Swap Sent (A while ago)

2007-12-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post this. I made him for a Swap-bot swap.

He was well-received.

Pizza-La Commercial

2007-12-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Omar has been hopping on one foot and singing this song ever since we found this video on youtube...

Fall Swap Recieved!

2007-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to posting all the fall swap goodness! Anna from Australia sent me a lovely fall-themed package. As we both seem to share a similar Japanese obsession, I was not let down by the contents.

Cute moon bunny bag

Complete with matching coin purse! She also sent this handkerchief here, which I might have to chop up to make a kimono for my blythe (she included a pattern for that, as well as kimono patterns for Beans and Snooty! Eek!)

Fabric swatches (Very exciting!) I am already thinking of all the doll/bear clothes I can make with these! Bear kimonos, anyone?

This one is my favorite

Apron with mushrooms. I am almost afraid to wear it, I don't want it to get stained! (Don't worry, I said almost).

Mushroom detail:

She also sent a tasty-looking cookbook. I love cookbooks! I read through them like novels and daydream about what to make... Omar got really excited when he saw the recipe for croquettes. Croquettes are his new thing.

Darn it! I just realized I forgot to take a picture of the cute papers and stickers she sent me! But this post is long overdue, so I think I am just going to go ahead with it!

In other news, guess what I'm finally ready to send out? Anna, your package is on it's way!

Fall Swap?/Life Is Crazy

2007-11-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

This darn Fall Swap is almost done. I never thought it would take so much out of me and now I'm terrified my partner will think it has not been worth the wait. She has been nothing but patient with me (thanks Anna!) and now it won't even be fall when she gets it!

Anyway, here's a pic of some stamps I carved to decorate various things that will remain nameless until the package arrives on her doorstep- which will be soon.

So aside from the swap/the holidays/family/work we have a dog who will not stop getting sick. At first Snooty got a skin infection (I know, so delicious) then an ear infection (in both ears) and the latest was soap in her eyes, which I guess is really our fault. Now, I can hear you snickering, but apparently it is very serious and they had to check for chemical burns (she was fine). But it looked horrible. I will spare you the pictures of red-rimmed saggy zombie eyes, of which I have many. Here's a few of her moping around, though. The poor thing could barely keep her eyes open for about four days.

Looks happy, but is in pain:

Thinks we are making fun of her (we probably were):

Beans, by the way, is fine:

Weekend Mishaps

2007-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend (and I am counting up until this morning as the weekend) proved that previous suspicions that I am dangerously, and embarrassingly, accident prone are all true.

It started out innocently enough, with some crafting on the couch. I am desperately still trying to finish my Fall Swap with Anna. (Sorry, Anna! I will finish soon!)

Saturday was my pajama day and I stayed indoors with Japanese dramas while Omar went off to do sound for a commercial shoot. I made pumpkin applesauce muffins from my own invented recipe (I have to tweak it some more before I post it) and they were great! I watched the first few episodes of Pride (I know, it is so old, but I just got my hands on a copy). Then I decided it was time for Zombies.

I am so close to the end of this book, I can't wait to finish! I just realized it's a trilogy, though. I kind of get burnt out on zombies after one book and I have to wait a few months before I can read another, so it may be a while until I get to the end of the story. Anyway, I grabbed my book, sat down on the couch, and stabbed myself in the hand with my sewing scissors.

Yes. Not on purpose, though. But it still really hurt. They were sticking pointy-ends-up out from between the couch cushions. And I become incoherent at the sight of blood (no, I do not know why I like zombie novels either), so I ran around the house whimpering, because I couldn't find the band aids, until I tired myself out. Then I wrapped my hand in toilet paper and read my Zombies.

Sunday I got soap in my eye, which I think counts toward this whole "accident prone" thing because then my eye got infected and it is still kind of swollen.

Then this morning I held a conversation with my boss and later realized I had spilled yogurt down the front of my shirt.

I will follow up with a less accidental Re-ment post.

Fog

2007-11-07T09:52:00.000-08:00

Brr. This was the view from my deck this morning as I made my way to work. It looks cool now, but I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of the fog last week, when it was much worse. You couldn't even see the church spire on the right then! It was like being in Silent Hill.

So Cute

2007-11-06T09:13:00.001-08:00

Eyelashes Are Here

2007-11-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

My custom Blythe eyelashes arrived today!

I bought two different styles because I wasn't sure which one I wanted and they were so cheap! And each set came with a pair of Blythe socks!

Maybe I will just have to get another Blythe to customize? No! I'm getting ahead of myself! Anyway, I got the eyelashes here. They are the lest expensive I've seen, with fast and cheap shipping as well.

Good Anniversary

2007-11-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

Omar's and my anniversary was this past Saturday. He drew me a card and made a stop-motion animation of the whole process! If I can figure it out, I'll post it here later.

I made him an amigurumi Totoro from this Heaven's Hellcat pattern.

We laid low and had a slow morning. Breakfast was crepes with blackberries, but we were too focused on eating to remember to take any pictures!

After breakfast, we headed over to Fourth Street in Berkeley to follow up on a Re-ment tip (thanks, Karrie!). I got a fridge and a bunch of random boxes.

We then made our way up to the former EB Games on Telegraph Avenue so I could pick up Omar's second surprise: The Orange Box for our XBox 360! We hurriedly returned home and he spent the rest of the day playing while I watched and worked on an amigurumi Relax Bear. We were only interrupted by our trip to Sizzler for dinner. I hadn't been there since I was about seven years old, and I've got to say it's definitely lost it's magic. Example:

Seven-year-old me: "You mean I get to eat fried shrimp? And I can eat as much fried shrimp as I want?"

Now-me: "You mean I have to eat all this fried shrimp?"

Also I think I remember the buffet being bigger. It's possible that this is because I was much smaller...

But all in all, it was a very good day!

The Road To Customization

2007-11-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Supplies for changing Blythe eye chips arrived yesterday from Cool Cat Collection Shop. I never thought my stuff would get here so quickly from Taipei!

Evening Walk

2007-11-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

We actually took this walk last week, but I forgot to post about it! Beans hasn't yet learned to walk on a leash (the last time we took her out, she cried the whole time), so we just took Snooty. We walked through town and then through the tunnel which leads to the coastline.

The sun was starting to set when we came out on the other side.

There is this park there where people walk their dogs and go jogging. Also there are geese, which I hate.

All in all, a very nice walk!

Also For Lunch

2007-11-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

I picked a bunch of baby carrots from the box on my deck.

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

As expected, I was the only person dressed up in my office this year. It seemed to put everyone is the holiday spirit, though! I made Pumpkin Choco-Chip Muffins. I saw the recipe on Tuna Toast and tried it out about a year ago with moderate success (I thought they were great). This time they were gone in five minutes. I really should have taken a picture of them, but it all happened so fast! At least I had enough batter left at home to make a few at the end of the day.

Omar surprised me with a homemade Halloween window decoration after work. (He got the idea from my Martha Stewart magazine!)

It looked very cool lit up in the dark, the picture doesn't do it justice.

I was too tired, but Omar was dying to carve pumpkins.

He wanted to make a mean-looking one.

I was busy with my Re-ment PuchiHousing, which had just arrived! The door and window really open and close! It was a lot bigger that I though it would be. I was expecting shoe-box size.

My Blythe can't really stand up inside it, but as soon as I get some furniture, she should be sitting pretty.

We needed something to warm us up on such a chilly night, so I made Applesauce Cornbread, which was just ok, and Two Cheese Chicken Chowder, which was amazing.

There were tons of leftovers, too. Guess what I'm having for lunch?

Plugging Away

2007-10-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

These really should have gone out days ago, but I keep running into obstacles which prevent me from finishing them. Like leaving all my tools and supplies at the office.

I have 10 completely finished and a few more on the way. I'm going to fall short of my goal (20) but hopefully will make it to the mid or high-teens. They have to be in Puerto Rico by November 1st!

Blythe Arrives

2007-10-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

Look who arrived yesterday on my lunch break!

I couldn't bear to leave her alone after her travels, so I stuck her in my purse and brought her back to the office with me.

I think she likes the plants there.

For the past month or so I have been getting progressively more interested in Blythe's crafting possibilities. At first, I was just jealous of all the little outfits that people were making for their dolls. I vowed to unearth my Jenny collection and start sewing clothes. But then in my research I stumbled upon a whole community of Blythe customization. Please forgive me for just finding out about this now! I like the idea of customizing my own doll. And, frankly, trying to make Blythe look a little less creepy.

Last weekend I found a used doll on eBay. I bought her nude, (that is, just the doll and nothing else). But she came fully clothed in a cute outfit with a sweet note from her previous owner! She's a Piccadilly Encore (SBL). I am waiting on my backordered can of Mr. Super Clear to begin my work. The first step: sand-matte her face!

Weekend Fun

2007-10-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday my mom and I decided to check out a local craft fair, the San Francisco Craft Mafia Winter Trunk Show! It was small, but just the right size. We were some of the first people in and received a goody bag filled with all sorts of cool stuff, including whole sets of Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns! We ended up with El Diablo and Krazy Kitchen.

There were so many great artists! I forgot to take any pictures while we were there, but I came away with a pile of fat quarters from Peapod Fabrics and a couple of cute plushies from Planet Tokki. Please enjoy pictures of my new cuties:

Birdit, the Birdie Bandit

Fried Egg, the comfortable resting place (lives in my office)

In use

I almost bought some "Squeaky Poo" from them as well (for my dogs, I swear), but I managed to keep my head.

Ravelry!

2007-10-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I forgot to post this. My invite to Ravelry arrived about a week ago! My username is Breaksville, so add me to your friends list!

Rubber Stamp: Kitty Reading

2007-10-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

I carved this one a week or two ago to stamp on my friend's birthday card. I got the design from this book, which I LOVE! It has so many designs and ideas for how to use them, it can be a little overwhelming. I had it for almost a month before I actually made something from it, there was just way too much to choose from! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the stamp before I used it several times and it got covered in red ink... Next time? We'll see...

Amigurumi Kingdom-Inspired Cupcake Bears

2007-10-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been working on a few cupcake-style bears. I felt ambivalent posting about this since it is really someone else's design... But I suppose there is no harm in it as long as I give her credit and don't try to sell what I make? Let me tell you, it is a lot quicker than sitting through crocheting and putting together an entire bear. I just made the head and ears, embroidered a nose on some felt, then hot-glued it all-together. My results are nowhere near those of the original artist, whose site can be found here. She's got some AMAZING designs, although I haven't seen much activity on her Etsy site lately, which is a shame. Basically, all this cupcake bear making is really just an excuse for me to buy a hot glue gun. Just so you know.

I made the first one for a friend's birthday. It was predictably lumpy and misshapen - it's what happens when you don't know what you're doing, but you're pressed for time and can't go back to fix it! You can't really tell in the picture, but it is regular cupcake sized.

The second was done at the last minute as well. But this time I kinda had an idea of how things would work, so it turned out much more symmetrical. This one was for a co-worker's birthday.

Now I start on the biggest project of all! 20 mini cupcake bears for Omar's sister's baby shower. (!!!) And they have to be finished by the end of next week. Yes. But it should be fine. Really. I think I can do it. Probably.

I finished the first one.

Only 19 more to go!

Terry Cloth Teddy Rug

2007-10-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

He's a little smaller than the others, but still cute!

I put both his front claws in at a weird angle by accident so they look extra grabby!

Polar Bear Rug

2007-10-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

I finally coaxed my camera into taking pictures of my Polar Bear Rug. He's been waiting patiently for a few weeks now:

I worked on the pattern a little bit and I'm much more pleased with these results, although I still like the first one. Omar has been following me around trying to snatch this guy from me. He says his Teddy Bear Rug needs a friend...

I also tried out my idea for felt claws, Omar had insisted on vinyl ones before. I really like the way these felt ones look!

Too Much to Do

2007-10-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Arg. So, Etsy is on hold while I finish several looming projects that crept up on me suddenly. My boyfriend's sister needs 20 handmade favors for her baby shower at the beginning of November (!). This is do-able. Then I get a call from a friend inviting us to his birthday party. This Saturday (!!!!!!).

Now it seems as though I will have to put the shower-favors on hold for a few days while I figure out what the heck to make for the aforementioned friend! On top of all this, work has been getting increasingly hectic lately as, apparently, the "lighting season" has set in. I was not aware that there was such a season, but the calls I have to field are becoming more and more frequent and orders I have to place more and more rushed.

Etsy, you will have to wait.

And boo to the fact that I already have A LOT of unfinished projects languishing around the house and ideas for more...

Fish, fish

2007-10-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Fish embroidery! I found the pattern on Needlecrafter.com . There's loads of great free stuff there. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all these scraps of embroidery I keep making! I think I should start embroidering on actual things. Like tea towels.

Etsy Shop: I Ran Out of Eyes

2007-10-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

That is not meant to be cryptic. I really ran out of 9mm black safety eyes for the bears and teddy rugs. Actually I misplaced them, so it is even more aggravating. I'm sure I put them somewhere very safe. All I wanted to do last night was work on finishing the shop items, but it came to a standstill when I couldn't find any of the eyes. Instead, I worked on some embroidery I had been meaning to do for a while:

I just traced a couple of doodles I did during the last staff meeting I had. I like the house so much that I think I will embroider all the other little crooked houses I have been drawing on my notebook!

Closeups:

Etsy Shop: On It's Way

2007-09-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

So, we are coming ever closer to the "grand" opening of my little Etsy shop. I sat at my sewing machine last night and churned out a handful of drawstring pouches to go with the bears I'm making. One of them is 100% finished, bag and all. There are two that only need clothes now, but the rest are still going to be a lot of work. A preview:

Expect the store to launch in the next few weeks!
But for now, random cuteness:

These guys keep me company on my desk at work.

Minilu Meets Melissa

2007-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Minilu's new home!

My First Embroidery

2007-09-19T15:18:00.000-07:00

I made this for my mom (she loves dachshunds). I used a Clover pattern and it was very simple. I never thought embroidery could be so easy! I am definitely going to try more.

Minilu - SOLD

2007-09-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

After loads of time I have finally finished my first requested plushie: an amigurumi dog modeled after my mother's coworker's dog. See the real Lucy here:

Now behold the finished product:

I made the cushion as well. To be honest, she is a little top-heavy. She is sewn on to the cushion to keep her sitting up!

I really need to get a new camera. When I can coax it into working, the photos are usually blurry or too dark...

All packed up and ready to go! Melissa, I hope you like your Minilu!

Stich 'n' Pitch '07

2007-09-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mom and I attended the Stitch 'n' Pitch '07 Oakland A's game.

I was late and ended up missing a fight between the A's Nick Swisher and Vicente Padilla from the Texas team. Boo! They both got thrown out of the game.

The A's ended up losing (double boo) but I had time to work on a bunch of projects. I made some cutie magnets with ink stamped designs on fabric. The stamp is my own design (not hand-carved, though. I sent in my sketch to this place. I think I really prefer to carve them myself).

They turned out a lot smaller than I was anticipating. Rashida, I now feel your previous seam-allowance pain! It was almost impossible to get the magnets inside the casing.

I also finally got to work on a project requested by my sweetie. He has such good ideas! He wanted me to make a tiny bear rug that he could put on his desk, so I decided to make a Teddy Bear rug. I drafted my first real pattern and it worked out ok, but it definitely needs some work (the bean-shaped head was not intended). Still, I think these guys are shop-bound for sure.

Check out the scratchy claws! I had to look all over for them. I was planning on making little wool-felt claw pads at first, but Omar insisted on the vinyl ones. Sharp claws only for him, please!

In his natural habitat (on top of the computer)

WIP Bears

2007-09-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

I have been busy preparing bears for their Etsy debut! I was able to trick my camera into turning on for a few minutes so I could snap these pictures. All of these guys are bound for my shop. They are in various stages of development:

All Honey Bear needs is a new dress.

Heart Bear is lost without a body

Ice Bear is farthest behind. He is missing eyes and one ear.

Okay, I Lied.

2007-09-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

With my camera still out of comission there was no way I was going to get pics up the past couple of days. I have been working working working on stuff for my upcoming Etsy shop, and that has taken up most of my free time (of which I have little).

On top of all of this I have a new puppy hopping around the house and sleeping on my head, an older dog who would just rather have nothing to do with it, and a full time job. So things are a little slow-going.

Look forward to pictures of shop-bound bears in the near future. And to tide you over, here is a gratuitous Beans shot:

Welcome Home, Beans!

2007-09-05T15:45:00.001-07:00

She finally made it! Poor Beans spent most of the 12-hour trip from Puerto Rico to California power-napping in her carrier. She only whined when we stopped moving. She loves chasing our other dog, Snooty, around the apartment. Snooty is not so keen on it, though. But I'm sure they can work it out.

I promise to post more crafts soon! Hopefully in the next few days.

The Kidnapper Reappears!

2007-09-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here he is in his new home. He traveled all the way across the country to end up in my Uncle Tim's office in New York City! He's a big-time kidnapper now.

Fancy Quail Dinner

2007-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I went out to our local 99 Ranch Market and stumbled across a frozen packet of 6 quails. They hid dormant in our freezer until this past weekend when my boyfriend, Omar, dug them out and insisted we make them immediately.

He went online and found this site (warning: quail bodies) with instructions on how to de-bone them. The whole process took hours and we ended up eating around 9:30PM, but as it was Saturday, I didn't mind so much. This is how it turned out:

Blurry, I know. But we were hungry!

Weekly Newbie Swap#5

2007-08-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm so late in posting this, but my camera and internet are both not really working.

I just recently decided to join Swap-Bot, an online swapping-community-dealy. This here is what I got in my first package!

Thanks so much to GollyG! If you have time, take a look at her Etsy shop.

Another Feltie

2007-08-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

It's Terry, from The Cute Book!

Meet Pimmy

2007-08-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

Pimmy is my bear. Pimmy likes to wear skinny jeans. She is a fashion-conscious bear.. Pimmy doesn't like coffee or other things that could possibly stain her lovely cream-colored fur. She is very sweet, but will turn down homemade cookies over Hostess Zingers.

Here is a picture of us to gauge her actual size (so small!):

I used Bernat Bamboo yarn for her head and torso, Senso wool cotton crochet thread for her arms, legs and ears, and some mysterious stash yarn for her muzzle.

Mascot-On-Demand

2007-08-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

The worm Julie requested. What's his name, Jules?

I made my own pattern, and he's cute, but I still think I have a long way to go...

His little scarf is braided embroidery floss. He has felt eyes with triple french knot pupils and a split-stitch mouth (which was mostly by accident).

Pimmy? Pimmy?

2007-08-15T18:50:00.001-07:00

Pimmy is incredibly shy. She just does not like to have her picture taken. I was only able to take these before she disappeared into a cupboard. I'm sure she'd be a very photogenic little creature if she would just stay still for a minute!

I did manage to take a snapshot of the clothing I made for her:

She asked me for some skinny jeans, as that's the fashion nowadays.

Get Ready for Beans!

2007-08-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Japanese Crafting in English

2007-08-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

I do have to voice my opinions on something. I'm a little annoyed at some of the titles of these books. It's as though the publishers thought they had to put together a string of over-excited exclamations to announce the book just because it has some Japanese content. And DO NOT get me started on that "Kyuuto!" business. Is it not cute enough to just call the series "Cute" and get on with it? If they wanted a Japanese touch, why not go with the arguably more recognizable "Kawaii" - the actual Japanese word for cute?

Whatever, I will get off my high horse. I just get kind of cranky that these things have to get dumbed down to become supposedly more digestible to an American audience. Lucky that they are in English now, though! I thought I would make a convenient list of the Japanese craft books I know of that are printed in English. I've linked the books to their amazon.com page so you can easily get all their info, even a picture of the cover. Makes things a lot easier to find.

Let's Craft!

Available Now

The Cute Book - Aranzi Aronzo (Felt mascots)

The Bad Book - Aranzi Aronzo (no crafts, but quite literally wicked cute)

Aranzi Machine Gun vol. 1 - Aranzi Aronzo (mostly comics, a couple of applique patterns)

Aranzi Machine Gun vol. 2 - Aranzi Aronzo

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-off Socks and Gloves - Miyako Kanamori (stuffed animals)

Fleece Dog: A Little Bit of Magic Created With Raw Wool and a Special Needle - Nobuko Nagakubo (needle-felted doggies)

Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful - Narumi Ogawa (amigurumi and some hat and scarf projects)

Amigurumi: Super Happy Crochet Cute - Elisabeth Doherty (amigurumi - really inventive and unusual designs. This and the one above are actually American publications originally. It's a shame they both went with those obnoxious titles)

Coming Soon

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Lacy Crochet - ? (looks like small household items, Sept. 1 - it also looks like these "Kyuuto!" books don't have a listed author, anyone know who wrote this one?)

Aranzi Machine Gun vol. 3 - Aranzi Aronzo (available Sept. 25)

Cute Dolls - Aranzi Aronzo (stuffed animal versions of their felt mascot characters, available Nov. 20)

Fun Dolls - Aranzi Aronzo (more stuffies, available Nov. 20)

Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Amigurumi - written by Tomoko Takamori, although I have not been able to find her name on any English site (amigurumi with a lame title, available Dec. 6)

Aranzi Cute Stuff - Aranzi Aronzo (accessories and other cute things featuring your faves from the Cute Book, available Mar. 11, 2008)

If you know of any others, let me know.

Kidnapper

2007-08-09T08:57:00.000-07:00

I made Kidnapper (another from The Cute Book) for my Uncle Tim for his birthday. Let me tell you, it is pretty hard to make tiny stitches with black thread in black fabric. And for some reason I could not get the straight line of a mouth I was aiming for. He can't help from smiling. I guess he loves his work.

Felt Mascots

2007-08-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

Making felt mascots is probably the cheapest hobby I have ever had. Not to mention satisfying. It took me a couple of days to get Chichito right, ripping out stitches and re-doing whole sections. I finished three whole legs before I realized they were too small. I started on a new project, an Amineko, but got frustrated when I had to re-do the ears three times (I am new to this crochet business). I finally decided I needed to take a break and try something different.

This is when felt mascots came to mind.

I had purchased The Cute Book by Aranzi Aronzo at the book store a few days previous after an exhaustive internet search for Japanese craft books revealed that a few of the more popular volumes were available in English. I was immediately taken with Bad Guy/Warumono. He is after my own heart with that pointy little head of his. But I thought I should try something a bit more basic first. White Rabbit was on the menu, but my version turned out a little off. I need to remember to read the directions thoroughly before I condemn my results.... (Note: sew edges together with one strand from your embroidery thread, not all six).

My second attempt proved much more successful. Witness my skill in making Bird, a gift for a vacationing co-worker.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend the book to start you off in the world of felt-mascotry. It is simple, easy to understand, and painfully cute. Just remember to read all the directions!

Seriously.

More to come.

Just Testing Out the New Blog

2007-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

The first post is always the worst, so I might as well get it over with.

I have been trying to get this thing started for over a month now, but the world has conspired against me and so much has come up that I haven't got around to it until now. And I'm only starting now because I have given up on anything going my way anymore when it comes to electronics.

I had planned to put up beautiful pictures of my garden, photos of my craft progress- as it happened, snapshots of my cooking and baking ventures, and so on. And then my digital camera stopped working. And then we could not for the life of us get my computer to go online (FYI, Apple does not make the part I need to go online wirelessly anymore and they cannot order it. I bought my computer less than two years ago, a G5).

So I am sneaking some time in right now to type up this first entry on another computer.

Please enjoy some shots of Chichito, the tiny Chihuahua. He (yes, he) is my first attempt at Amigurumi. I got the translated pattern here. Be amazed and impressed by his tiny hand-sewn kerchief.

There will be others.