Handmade Holidays - slippers #2

S asked for a pair of argyle slippers in his stocking.   I haven't been able to find a pattern that suits, so I thought these "gentlemanly looking slippers" would fit the bill if I add a little bit of a diamond pattern on top.

 Just like slippers # 1, these are acrylic...but that's because S does.not.like.wool. (Wha???)

 I plan to use some black and white to add in a diamond/argyle pattern outline on the flat panel on top, but for now, they are in the Christmas bin until I finish up a few other projects.

The pattern is available as a free download on ravelry

but I originally found them over here on Pinterest, of course.

This is exactly how I will make my own pair when I'm all done with the Christmas knitting.

How are your handmade holiday projects coming along?

This past weekend's craft show.

Last Saturday, I had a booth at a craft show that was a school fundraiser for a friend of mine.  As usual, I forgot to take pictures first thing in the morning, but then it got really really slow, so I snapped a few.

 My mitten drying rack being used as a plate rack.

 My husband cut and dado cut all the wood for the cubbies in the back, so all I had to do was assemble them.  I really like how they turned out.  I might get him to make me some bigger ones too.  The ones in the picture are 6" x 6" and a few things are just a smidge too big to fit.

 A close-up of the cubbies.  I filled up the holes with packages and pinecones as items were selling so I didn't have big empty spots.

 Matchy matchy things.

Did I share the octopus mug?  I made it for my nephew's birthday (which was the day after the show) but I brought it along just to show something a little different.

And since it was so slow...I have talked myself into one more show before Christmas.

Handmade Holidays: slippers #1

I hadn't planned on knitting any slippers this year for Winter Solstice/ Christmas, but both boys surprised me by requesting some.  N asked for tall slippers like the ones I made last year, but I don't have an extra felted wool sweater to cut, so I made these instead:

For this year, sizing is pretty easy, since both boys' feet are almost exactly the same size as mine.

Next year...who knows.

I have a feeling these will be called "Nanaimo bar slippers".

They are knit flat and then seamed, an easy process and they have been knit for a week or so but I couldn't find some sneaky time to seam them up.  I just finished last night.  For all you experiences knitters out there - I am sure you can tell these were done in acrylic.  *Gasp*.  There's a reason for that...N is notorious for throwing his handknits in the laundry bin along with everything else even though we have a bag for woolens. 

I first came across the image over on this Pinterest pin but it took some serious tracking down to find the actual pattern.  Here is the link to the free pattern by way of The Seamen's Church Institute.

Just a note: the picture on the pattern doesn't look a whole lot like these, but they do take shape once you put them on your feet.

Happy handmade holiday making to you...

Linking up with: Keep Calm Craft On over at Frontier Dreams
                        Fiber Arts Friday at Wisdom Begins in Wonder
 

Craft show prep - photo blocks

When I do a craft show, if I don't have the space to display one of these vases with flowers in it:

like this:

then people always ask me what it's for (especially if it is the last one left on the table).

So, in preparation for the next show (which is in a mere 5 days), I made this little picture block to display on the table in case I am busy with another customer...

and because I thought it would look a little strange all by itself, I made a few more:

They were super quick and easy.

I just printed off a few colour photos onto plain white printer paper, and laid them out on some scraps of MDF leftover from a project at my parents house.

I marked the approximate places to cut the boards, gave them a quick coat of craft paint,

 then a coat of Modge Podge.

 I added the picture while the Modge Podge was still wet, rubbing out all the air bubbles with my finger.

 And then top coated it with another layer of Modge Podge.

Easy Peasy, and they will start to fill in little gaps when things (hopefully) sell from the table.

I think this little idea would be so flexible for all kinds of craft booths, and they will also serve as a reminder of what I need to make again...I often forget to take pictures of my items before I sell them.

And unrelated, the biggest bowl I have made so far.  It's a 5 pounder - wheel thrown.  Not too shabby, I think, since I'm usually a hand builder.

Another Pottery Update

I'm practicing taking better "photo shoot" style pictures, rather than just point and click.

Of course, sometimes point and click is all I can manage if there's a whole bunch...

 ...or for details.

 And I'm still playing with texture, and seeing what the studio glazes do.

 This one is called deep scarlet.  I quite like it...but not if you are looking for deep scarlet.

 Hence, the experimenting.

 I took all these pictures to put the items up in my etsy shop, but I am seriously debating whether I shouldn't just close up shop for a little while.  I have a few small shows in the next couple months, plus I have some of my pottery in a store, so sometimes I forget to check etsy.  Plus right now it's only tiny things because the large pieces are so ridiculously expensive to ship that they aren't worth listing.  I'm thinking for a while, I might just post the pictures on my facebook page for pottery, and here.

 The pitcher I showed weeks ago came out of the reduction kiln this week.

 It's a little strange, but I like it better and better each time I see it.

 And lots of vases came out in time for the show I have in November.

 This is most of my "haul" from last night.  A few that dripped onto the kiln shelf and have to be ground down.  And I got the bottom half of a butter dish (the top half didn't go through with it - not sure what happened there).  And a few plates that got relocated to the "plate stack" before I took this picture.

Linking up with: Creative Friday at Natural Suburbia