How to Dye Yarn With KoolAid

I've always wanted to try dying yarn this way & I finally tried it the other day when I came across a couple skeins of yarn a friend of mine had spun & gifted to me last winter.
It was easy as pie! I used 3 packets of koolaid in different 'red' flavors. I had a bucket that ice cream had been packaged in & thought it was a good size for the amount of yarn I had to be completely submerged. I filled the bucket halfway with water...mixed in the koolaid very well & then took a wisk to push the yarn down into the dye until everything was saturated. After about 15-20 minutes of soaking, the water around the yarn is clear!

The yarn is a gorgeous poppy red which smells like cherries! How fun!
To best set the dye, I dumped out the bucket & wrung out the yarn a little & then put it back into the bucket...filling it halfway again with cold water & half a bottle of white vinegar.
I didn't mean for it to soak so long, but after an hour of being distracted by my kids, I came back & rinsed it well, washed it with mild detergent to get rid of the vinegar smell & hung it up on the towel rack in the bathroom to dry.
Now I just have to decide what I'm going to knit with it.

Note that if you would like to do this, the yarn needs to be mainly a natural fiber such as wool, bamboo, etc...not polyester, as it won't take the dye.

Getting Ready For the Holidays - Making Resin Glitter Heart Jewelry Galore!

I've been crafting, crafting, crafting... getting ready for the upcoming holidays from Thanksgiving through New Years Eve & have some really neat one of a kind resin glitter hearts to show you!
First, there is this whimsical Tom Turkey pin that makes me giggle every time I look at it. The pin back is embedded right into the resin so it won't come apart from the handcast heart. I love the fall colors in the background too. I don't make pins often, but if there is much of an interest, I'll create them more often. I don't wear them much, but do like to pin a few on this retro funky wool purse I have in the winter time.

Both of these Christmas Santa heart necklaces are a relatively new size I've been working in. They're quite dainty & petite ...looking so cute & measure under one inch across.
If you don't like big in-your-face glitter hearts, then you may find these smaller size pendants quite charming! This size looks really great on my little girl & I made her her very own Christmas tree glitter heart necklace to match her green velvet holiday dress. She gave me a big hug around my neck & said I was the best mommy ever! You can't beat that for appreciation of one's work!

This red and green Santa Claus glitter heart has already gone to a new home, but I have similar looking Santa pieces which I will be listing very soon, so stay tuned!

If you're looking for a great statement piece to wear to a New Year's Eve party, then you may be interested in this one of a kind elegant modern snowflake glitter heart in black & silver. It's simply stunning & a piece I'm really proud of.

In addition to all the holiday theme pieces, I've been hand casting new glitter designs in heart shapes like this tie dye look glitter heart where all the rainbow colors run together! Isn't that fun? It would be a great everyday jewelry piece. When the winter is cold & dark & drags on for months on end, who couldn't use a little color & sparkle to put them in a good mood?

Anyhow, that's a sampling of what isewcute is up to as far as resin crafting goes.
Other things on my crafts to do list are knitting socks, crocheting a beard for my Santa-crazed 7 year old, & making soap.
I'll talk more about those crafts in my next post!

Stay crafty!

Looking for a Birthstone Gift? isewcute is making hand cast resin glitter monthly birthstone color rings & more!

I'm very excited about these rings I've made in my own unique glitter mixes to represent each month of the year! They are so BIG!!! and Sparkly!!! ...and SHINY!!!
I have necklaces coming soon as well in unique heart shapes & of course I could cast any shape with birthstone colors which I already offer in the shop.

I'm the only one making these on etsy ...so you know you'll be getting something really special that you can't find anywhere else! Wouldn't they make a great holiday or birthday gift? I think so!

I'm so giddy... I just had to gush! It's awesome when crafting can put you over the moon with joy like this!

...and the Countdown Begins... How Many Shopping Days 'Till Christmas?

I was so surprised when I turned on the car radio the other day... to hear the jingle of sleigh bells & Gene Autry crooning "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" ...I wondered if Thanksgiving is going to get skipped this year altogether.

If you have been bitten by the Christmas bug early & want to listen online, here's a link to the station: 94.5 lite fm on iheartradio.

Honestly, I could listen to Christmas music all year long, because I'm weird like that & I admit I've already started Christmas shopping.
I just want to make this holiday as stress-free as possible & be able to stop & enjoy it rather than being caught up in a whirlwind of chaos.

My kids are starting to count down the days & I sort of wish we had a bigger advent calendar so they could keep better track of the days & stop asking me about it. Maybe I'll just have to go ahead & craft one for them!

Halloween has been wonderful this year!

Yuki shares her thoughts as this evening draws to a close....

final mario kart halloween costume diy handmade from a plain cardboardbox by isewcute

final mario kart halloween costume diy handmade from a plain cardboard box by isewcute, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

This is an update to my previous post here: http://isewcute.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-costume-wip-its-mario-kart.html
I snapped some pics of the final mario kart costume in case it gets destroyed while trick or treating.
Made with a plain old cardboard box, hot glue, paint, and printed out some artwork for the logos, headlights, and wheel hubs.
Mario suit was a store bought one... I wasn't going to sew this Halloween.

I'm just so glad he's happy with it. That's what really matters.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Crafts for Kids to Do Part 1 - Halloween Fun Size Candy People as seen on Martha Stewart

I think crafting brings our family closer together. We all enjoy working on an exciting new project especially holiday-themed crafts.
When I saw an episode of the Martha Stewart show with the cutest little girl helping Martha make Halloween candy people, I just knew we had to try it as a family.

All you need to do the project is:
lollipops for the heads,
boxed candies for the bodies,
and long skinny candies like tootsie rolls, twizzlers, or sweet-tarts for the arms & legs.
Everything is glued together with a low temp. melt hot glue gun.
On the show, they also used halloween stickers to stick onto the lollipops for faces...but I was lucky to find Halloween lollys with the faces on them.

First we attached the lollipop heads to the boxes by attaching the lollipop stick to the back of the boxes with hot glue. The kids picked out their arms & legs in mostly matching pairs... and we glued those to the sides & bottom of the boxes. After a few minutes, the glue was set.

It was such a cute, quick, & relatively cheap craft to do that I just wanted to share with y'all.
My girl took 20 of these 'candy people' to her school's Halloween party and they were a big hit with her friends.

Time to Learn Something New... How to Wire a Flea Market Lamp

I have this gloriously tacky shabby chic lamp that I bought a few years back at the Kane County flea market in the Chicagoland area.
It has a cute chubby cherub perched on the base. I figured it would make a great boudoir lamp & had used it as my main source of lighting in the bedroom until it started flickering. The bulb wasn't loose, and I figured the wiring must be going bad on it since it flickers when I knock on the bedside table.
I found this complete lamp wiring kit at Pat Catans & plan on figuring out how to do this & I'm going to make it so this week. Just say no to procrastinating right? I hope it goes well! Wish me luck!

Finished DIY Candy - Handmade Lollipop Photos from Last Week

I'm finally getting around to uploading finished lollipop pics from last week's candy making extravaganza.
After boiling the sugar on the stove until it reached hard crack stage, I added the flavoring & colors... then spooned the mixture into lollipop molds to cure. After the candy cools, they just pop out. I roll them in powdered sugar to keep them from sticking to the wrappers.

It's that time of year again... Candy Making Time!!!

I've been making batch after batch getting ready for our little church's holiday bazaar. The recipe I use is one of those magical secret ones belonging to our grandma, but if you would like to try making this for yourself & have your entire house reeking of cinnamon & peppermints like mine, the package of candy flavor oils includes a great recipe!
I'm mostly using Lorann oils...and they are yummo! If you can't find them locally...then you may find them here online.

This is the work in progress... reducing the sugar down. I highly recommend getting an accurate candy thermometer. The one I had last year was tricky, but this year I'm using a digital model. Super high tech, eh?

I'll upload pics of the finished lollipops & jars of candy tomorrow. So far, everything I've made is red & I'd love to share a rainbow of candy pics with y'all.

Feel free to comment me any questions & stay crafty!

Etsy Finds Featured my Halloween Resin Glitter Dome Ring Today

I'm just over the moon about this! ♥♥♥Thank for featuring my ring Etsy!!!♥♥♥

I have a limited amount of these rings available here, so get yours before they're all gone!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Costume W.I.P. It's Mario Kart!

This year I wanted to just get a store bought costume for my boy after last year's labor-intensive 'oompa-loompa' getup... so I presented the Mario costume to my boy who has a great fondness for the Mario Kart game. He thought it was ok...but could we please make a car for him to race in. *sigh*
So I didn't get off the handmade hook this year entirely...
but this was more of a 'daddy & me' project for the two of them. *wink, wink*
I think they've done a great job so far by altering a cardboard box with tape & hot glue. Now they only need to add paint & the boy will be race... I mean, 'trick or treat' ready!

Feel free to share your Halloween costume plans!

Another Cute Bunny Photoshoot

Yuki, our little bunny, enjoyed playing with the yarn during this photoshoot. She kept pushing it around the table & nibbling on it a bit. I may have these printed up to hang in my craft room, but will need to make some new wall space available.

Halloween is Right Around the Corner!

It's time to snatch these sweet & spooky looking treats right up from my etsy shop!

I have ghoulish glitter rings! Pick your favorite!

Sweet looking candy corn jewelry...not to eat, but looks that yummy!

And...

A variety of whimsical Halloween resin heart necklaces which would look great either paired with your Halloween costume, or your everyday wardrobe to show a little holiday spirit. So fun, so cool...and you won't find these anywhere else because I made them all myself!
I will be listing all of these in the shop over the next few days...so if there is one you have your eye on, let me know and I will reserve it for you.

Happy Halloween!!!

Bunnies in Bowls!

white bunny in white bowl by isewcute ttv, a photo by isewcute on Flickr.

I have created a new group called 'bunnies in bowls' on flickr, so please feel free to join & add your cute bunny in a bowl!

:o)

www.flickr.com/groups/bunniesinbowls/

Today I've been photographing our bunny in an imaginary lollipop garden. Good times!

Yuki had a good time licking the props & nibbling on the silk flowers. She appreciated her dandelion greens treat afterwards. You know it's so hard to be this cute!

We have recently welcomed a new member to our family!

This is Yuki (Yoo-kee)...which means 'snow' in Japanese... our dwarf hotot bunny rabbit!

We've had her for about a week now & it's been wonderful getting to know her. I've done a lot of bunny research for months & months to become the best rabbit mom I can be. We've had cats & I knew that caring for a rabbit would be a completely different experience & a lot of work... and very rewarding.

I lost my kitty last December very unexpectedly on my birthday & there has been a huge hole in my heart ever since. Of course nothing can replace him, but with Yuki joining our family, my heart has grown to be very fond of her & having a pet again has made our home feel less empty to me.

The kids are thrilled with having a pet besides our fish tank...something they can cuddle & enjoy watching. Yuki is all kinds of adorable from the way she eats, washes her ears, & has bursts of energy where she springs back & forth.

I can't stop taking photos of our sweet little bun-bun...so along with recipes, craft projects, and product reviews, you can expect to see some fun bunny pictures here now!

Too Busy to Blog, but I'll be Around Soon!

I have plenty to blog about, but am tied up with a few projects right now... freelance sewing, trying to fill a couple of tall wholesale resin jewelry orders, & doing some website photography for a friend.
Also, my kids' birthdays are a week apart, & finally we're having a real birthday party with invitations sent out & a date set...so if I'm going out of my mind & seem to not be around much, that is why.
I think September is going to be a little less stressful!

Resin Jewelry Casting Marathon This Weekend

I'm so glad that the weather this past weekend was agreeable so I could dedicate some serious time to my crafting love of casting resin candy sprinkles & glitter jewelry pieces.

I made rings in star & heart shapes, as well as a few grand bubble domes with my original 'candy baby'

...then also mixed up a delicious looking blend of many different sprinkles to fill giant heart & star shaped pendants!

Hopefully most of the humid weather from this summer has passed & I can have a few more great crafty moments like this.

Please check the shop often because I'll be listing many great one of a kind pieces such as this sweet black kitty glitter heart necklace!

Stay Sparkly & Sweet!