This stunning paper cut by Rob Ryan  is such an inspiration! The arrow is pointing to the word “gorgeous!” I think I may have to try my hand at making something similar. Too bad I didn’t find this before valentine’s day:P

Along with my cotton puffs, I use cotton swabs quite often for makeup application. So of course, I had to make myself something to hold those, too. Who wants an icky cardboard/plastic box on your counter?

I made stumpy using Lionbrand Lionsuede, which has a great texture and gives a very sturdy result. The pattern is quite easy, so here it is, incase you’d like a stump to hide your cottony treasures in:

Stumpy the Swab Stasher

Yarn: Bulky (Lionbrand Lionsuede)
Hook size: G

Special stitch: Bpdc, Fpdc

Main Stump:

1: With light color: ch 4. In 1st chain (4th from hook) dc 15. Join with sl st. (this makes a circle).

2: With main color: Bpdc around each post of each dc [15]. Join with sl st.

3: Fpdc around each post of each dc [15]. Join with sl st.

4: repeat row 3 until the stump is the height you like. Mine was 7-8 rows. Finish.

Little Branch:

1: With light color: ch 2. In 2nd ch from hook, sc 5.

2: With main color: sc in each st around until branch is the length you desire. Sew branch to stump

And that’s it! I’ll try and get the owl pattern up soon, but I want to experiment some more, possibly with felting, or using lion suede…

Why, he’s hiding my cotton pads! I was looking for those!

I diligently use a toner every night, and I have been keeping my cotton puffs/pads in their original bag, in the bathroom cabinet. The only problem with this is that the bag is oddly shaped, and it is a bit annoying having to repeatedly open and re-seal it every night and morning. So, I experimented and made myself a cotton pad holder. The yarn was way too soft and thin, so I had to starch him with white glue. I also crocheted some wire circles to the edges to keep him nice and round. I’m thinking I want to make another go at him, but with thicker yarn so that he wouldn’t need starching or wire. I also plan on making a matching stump Q-tip holder…

The brown/blue one is black tea, the pink one is red tea, and the green flower one is green tea!

The penguin is my teaboy. I LOVE him! He automatically lifts my tea from the water when the timer goes off, so I never over-brew my tea again!

Mr. Ele, the Elephant, decided he was quite unsatisfied with the gentlefolk of San Francisco. So he tipped his hat to the Golden Gate Bridge, and flew up to Seattle. No, not with his ears, silly! On a plane, of course. There, he met a a beautiful girl, whom he fell madly in love with.

But alas, he towered over her, and looked quite terrifying from her viewpoint.

Egads! He had encountered the Seattle Freeze!

Made using this pattern.

So now, I needed something to edit my pictures before posting them. But what? There doesn’t seem to be a huge selection for safe, free desktop editing programs. I did a quick Google search and I found THE solution for me:

Picnik!

It’s all web based, so no downloading. It’s free. It can save directly to Flickr. It’s easy. It’s awesome.

He’s quite good, isn’t he? Well, maybe I’m a bit biased…

Craft Chi has a great tutorial on making your own rubber stamps using household silicone caulking. I LOVE this idea, because I have been wondering how to make multiples of my stamps for small x-mas gifts. I’m thinking I might try carving a stamp in rubber plumbers gasket (durable and thin) then using an iron, heating it up to make an impression in the wax. That way it can have the same look of a carved stamp…

I’m really digging these re purposed thrift store finds to make cake platters. I definitely need to hit up Goodwill for glass plates/bowls/cups next time I make a donation run. I have been looking for something decorative to hold my pearls and long necklaces (the cereal bowl just isn’t cutting it!).