Finnfactor design

In Love with Jane Austen

2010-03-02T13:45:00.001-08:00

Its good to know I am not alone in my admiration of Jane Austen and her literature. I have been wanting to post this for months now, so I hope I'm not the last one on the planet that heard about the TV-miniseries "Lost in Austen"...
One day last fall as I was visiting my parents in Finland, I just happened to turn the TV and see the second episode of the Lost in Austen series. I was hooked at once and was very troubled since my vacation was almost over and I would not be able to see the rest of the series. Also, as I had missed the first episode, I was not entirely sure what was going on. (Well, I've seen and read P&P for about 20 times, so I knew that part...)
Well, lucky me, as it happens to be, the series is available in many places. I ended up watching it on YouTube, but you can also get it on Amazon or rent it I'm sure. They even have a webpage dedicated to it. So if you are like me and adore Austen, and have not seen this yet, you have to check it out!

In celebration on Jane Austen, I wanted to pick out some things that were inspired by her books and characters. I could revel in these kinds of things all day long. Especially with my husband deployed, I can indulge all I want, without any looks from under some eyebrows. First, I just love these cards by Austentations. I had to put it here as a big picture. The card itself is witty and I would love to receive one of these, even if I wasn't sick. I love her photography too! As you can tell from her shop name, it is dedicated to Austen inspired cards and little boxes.

Here is my "things" section. Some more beautiful cards by Pearl Marmalade and Yardia. The latter has a lot of beautiful and funny letterpress cards and journals inspired by Austen's characters. The wall decal is by PopVinylStudio and Magic Pug has a whole section in her shop dedicated to Austen digital collage sheets. I am a big fan of cross stitch patterns and this little needlepoint from The Time is Now just cracked me up! Oh, Mr. Darcy.... Who wasn't in love with Colin Firth in P&P... If you are not a fan of Mr. Darcy the shop has many other men to choose from. On the very top are two mugs from Brookish. She has an awesome store also inspired by Austen. There are paperweights, these lovely cups, dishtowels, ornaments, cards etc. A great shop to stop by, everything is so pretty, I had a hard time choosing just one or two things!

Here is a little collection of Austen inspired jewelry. Something old and something new. The beautiful lace necklaces are by White Owl. They were so pretty, I had to choose two. The round earrings and button are from Wicked Pen's store. Wicked Pen also has a selection on beautiful items- some are not directly Austen, but they evoke the spirit which makes them useful as everyday items. The black necklace Random Prefect is made out of a recycled vinyl record! How cool is that. Oh, and it you don't like Austen, her store has so many other designs to choose from. Love the bird necklaces. The earrings on the bottom, were from Aqua Art Studio, but she is closed at least right now as I am writing this post.

I don't see many occasions arising where I would have a chance to wear the kinds of dresses they wore in Jane Austen's time. It would be so fun though. I often think of it, it's alwasy nice to have dreams... These dresses are from (left to right): Matti Online, RedThreaded, and Matti Online.
I almost forgot! I had made a little pendant for a friend myself a while ago. We started with a photograph of her husband's face in profile. We used the transparent shrinky dink, and traced it. Then it was cut out and shrunk. I made a white backround for it to dangle against out of felt and red embroidery thread. It looked very cool. :) Next post, I will be blogging about a fun idea for your loved one who either travels a lot or is gone on deployment like my hubby.

Baby Toys and Diapers

2009-08-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

A couple of my friends had or are having babies this summer, so I have been making many gifts and helping out sewing reusable diapers. For baby shower gifts I sewed these two stuffed animals I made patterns for. They were both pretty big, and I hope that the little ones will be able to play with them for a long time. One of them is a spotted doggie and the other a cute elephant with shirt and pants. I am moving towards trying to make patterns from my designs, and after I have enough done, I hope to make a whole book out of it. Kathy Mack from Pink Chalk Studio recommended a helpful book for me to read- Publish Your Own Patterns by Nancy Restuccia. I hope to get some info on how and where to publish the actual pattern since it needs to be the right size and printed hopefully on large sheets of paper. I look forwards to receiving the book in the mail! If you are interested in ordering baby gifts, please convo me through my etsy store.

One of my friends also wanted to make some reusable diapers. Having no kids or any experience babysitting, I had no idea even where to begin with sewing one. The crafty person as I am, I googled it and found a host of websites with more information I could handle. I was drawn to a few websites where the materials and types of diapers were the most clearly explained, so I could figure out what supplies to buy for a diaper making session. As it turns out, many of the the materials are hard to find in the fabric stores around town, so I ended up ordering everything online from Celtic Cloths. I have to recommend them to everyone. Jamie Karutz has put together a great resource explaining the different fabrics available, tips, patterns, and tutorials. Ordering the fabrics also ended up being a last minute thing, and Jamie responded to my emails fast and was able to get my fabric to me before I flew to Finland. I also scoured a gaggle of other websites and tried sewing three different patterns. Here are some of the resources I found most helpful:
Zany Zebra had a great list of tutorials and patterns. There was a link to a visual tutorial and they also sell materials.
Fern and Faerie was nice because it explained different kinds of reusable diapers and how to use them.
The best pattern that worked for us, to make all in one diapers was the Ottobre Design pattern. It was the best size and fit the best around the legs of the baby. It was also closest to the diapers that my friend already had store bought. Ottobre Design is a luscious Finnish sewing and craft magazine with patterns for children and teens. I have flipped through it several times at the store and oo-ed over the beautiful layout and designs in the magazine.
If you are unsure, of how to sew one, I would suggest to sew one out of some scrap fabrics before cutting into the more expensive materials. This is how our first diaper out of the "real" material turned out. I got the foldable elastic from Celtic Cloths that could be sewn on the top of the seam on the outside of the diaper edge. My friend ended up deciding she wanted to have a soaker pad that was just velcroed on top of the diaper instead of putting one inside the diaper.

Here are some other baby inspired gifts and ideas from Etsy:
On the top is a hand screenprinted piece by Strawberry Luna. You can buy a whole set of alphabet prints from her store. The adorable green shoes are from Heather's Hobbies.
In the middle row is a cute baby Mai Tai from My Blessed Baby and a pattern for a cute baby hat from McHat. If you are unsure of your sewing skills, you can convo them through Etsy and have one made for you. I thought the Ouch Pouch from Pillow Sew Cute was an ingenious idea and would make a great baby shower gift. Pair it with a cute sensory toy owl from Cafe Crinkle.
For the green conscious baby, the reusbale Wrap-n-mats now have snack pouches as well. I use one for my lunch sandwiches and am totally in love with it. Etsy also has many stores that sell reusable snack pouches etc.

If you are not familiar with Instructables.com, definitely go check it out. They have great tutorials for just about anything you could ever imagine. Here are just a few picks for our baby themed post: Baby sling by Momma+boys, and a blanket and donkey baby gift set. I posted this one a long time ago for an etsy competition... Hope you enjoyed the article If you are into Jane Austen, I have a super post for you coming up!

A Little Bit of a Photo Diary

2009-08-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been making crafty things all along this time, but have not had time to post things as so many things were happening in my life at the same time. Over the weekend I will post more crafty things and tips. But for now, I wanted to share my inspiration. I traveled back to Finland for a month this summer to go see my friends and family. Nature is always a big draw. I am familiar with the woods around our house and love to go for walks to see what I happenstance on. Among the hustle and bustle of making sure I get to see all my friends and family- nature offers a place to relax and recharge my batteries. Here are some pictures that inspire me over my trip.

A view from the country road leading to our summer house. If you are unaware of it, most Finish families own a small summer cottage.

The view of our sauna from the other side of the lake. I love the gnarly old pine trees that insist on growing high up on the large rock by the lake.
It was fall, and the harvest has begun.

A lovely little fairytale mushroom. The one below looks like the most average mushroom, so I named him Mr. Smith.
I love the dance of colors on a mossy hillside.
Some fall colors

A little creek we drove over on our road trip.
I think I will use this picture for art one day. I imagine a bird sitting on top of the post.
Pretty lake views from a friend's summer house.

Mr Beetle.
In the woods the young birches can sometimes be seen bent over from the weight of winter snow.
I wish I could have captured it when the puffs of seeds were floating at their fullest. Here is a picture right after.
Don't cross the line neighbor!
This mushroom seemed to sprawl all over.
What did the doggies see?
Well wouldn't you know... We get a lot of deer, rabbits and fox on our front yard.

It was the best blueberry season ever! I picked gallons of them.
Love the pictures of these colorful berries. I am not sure what they are called in english. In finnish they are Puolukka.

The little bee was right behind me working as I was taking pictures of the berries.
On my walks I ran into an addeer, it had just been run over by something and was still very life like.
I saw this little clever guy as I visited one of my friends in the city.

Dress, skirt and Cake

2009-06-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

What could be better than that!

I made the New Look 6674 wrap around dress a couple of weeks ago. This was going to be my practice dress, with some pretty flower fabric that I had bought from the thrift store (used to be sheets). It was a pretty easy pattern to sew, but of course I wantd to make things complicated for myself by making it into a reversible dress.

The idea with the reversibility worked out pretty well, except for one spot where the fabric is pulling from my armpit to the neck. I also wish that the dress would cover up more in the celavage area, now I have to wear a top underneath it if I would ever dare to wear this in public. I think for my next try I will also make it out of a stretchy fabric, and add the contrasting color band to the neckline. I will also have to figure out what to do with that part around my neck thats pulling. If anyone has any ideas on where to add or change the pattern, ideas are welcome.

I am posting two views of the dress, one turned each way. Here are also a couple of other pictures of successful NL 6674 dresses.

While I was sewing, I whipped up a little summer skirt with pockets. It was an old pillowcase, and the fabric was just so cute I had to do something with it. (its still a little wrinkly here) I just kept fitting it on and sewing as I went along. Not the professional way of making things, but it wasn't a serious project, so I just winged it. The top part is a stretchy fabric to make it comfortable to wear to the beach or a walk with the dogs.

I seem to have also been made the designated cake baker for my husbands unit. I made a chocolate cake yesterday for a birthday, but forgot to take a picture before my husband took it to work. This caramel and almond topped cake was for another b-day about a month ago. It was super tasty with fruity filling and whipped cream on the inside.

Interview

2009-04-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you aren't already tired about reading about me, come check out my interview with Deborah from Deborah's Daily Dish!

Watercolor Class

2009-04-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

So I remembered to bring the camera to the botanical watercolor class I have been taking for over a month now. Its a nice small group only about 10 people. Above is the finished colored version of the artichoke that we worked on for a couple of weeks. Our new assignment is a pansy. This week we learned how to mix colors for the floer and next week we are learning how to mix greens. I have done a little bit of an underpainting on the leaves, but didn't want to get ahead of myself. The artichoke looks good, but the color is all wrong. I couldn't mix the right shade of green. Its a lot harder than it seems. I guess I could blame my limited color palette. ;)
Here is Louise Smith, our teacher with one of the students in the class, talking about pansies.

Another student working hard on a pansy, my workspace is the mess on the table behind her.

The co-op art gallery where I'm a member at is also having a spring face lift. We spackled and painted all the walls and are in the process of painting the floor with a new coat of color. Our opening reception for the next show is on April 25th, so it should all look great at that time! I am so excited about having the gallery look clean. I'll put a photo when were done. It just feels like another busy week!

March winner!

2009-04-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations! The give-away winner for the kitty earrings for March was Aminyitray! See the older post for details.

I was able to post a new hedgehog on Etsy and have some owls ready to go. Now I just need the time to get them posted...

Shrinky Dink Mania

2009-04-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

We are planning a shrinky/dink-craft-get-together with the girls, so I wanted to find some inspiration before the pen hits the plastic. Above are keychains by Evie for mothersday; thats just around the corner... Here are some awesome little shrinky dink ideas:

I got this picture from Etsy a long time ago, but I dont remember the shop name. I'll do some research and try to post it later.

Cute little robots from the Little Lost Robot blog.

Jessica at How About Orange printed on her sheets from a printer to make these adorable tags.

I love Wee Wonderfuls from way back, and found that she also has a shrinky dink tutorial for some cute pins. I had to put two pictures...

Cute little dogtag idea from Making it Lovely. She also had a nice pink keychain.

The most awesome jewelry by Irina. I have to make something like this for myself.

Another place to get awesome shrinky dink jewelry is Fuzzy Bunny Shop on Etsy.

Before I make this post too long, I made a collage of some more pieces. There are so many people doing imaginative things with shrinky dinks its amazing and hard to choose! Going from top left corner clockwise:

Robot necklace from Luna 1375

DillonDesigns rings- I never even thought of that!

KaylaJane has really pretty charms and pendanst in her etsy store.

Passion Flower has cool cutouts.

DIY ice cream necklace with glitter and rhinestone for the younger kids out there.

Shrinky Dink Test Lab has a ton of great info on the product. Here are some wine glass markers.

I love everything that She Felt Pink has in her store. a lot of old tattoo design type of items.

I hope this post has a little bit of inspiration for everyone. I can't wait to get my hands on some plastic! I'll post some pictures of our creations next week. I know it is a new month, and I really need to do my give away, but its been crazy busy. I need to do that asap...

New Patterns

2009-03-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

I visited a friend a couple of weeks ago and she borrowed a whole bunch of cute Japanese craft books to me. I loved flipping through everything and drooling over all the cute little critters.

I drew some of the patterns out, and in my enthusiasm was able to put them into practice. I started out with two owls and a hedge hog. I had seen the owls in so many places before, and it was nice to make some myself. I got so excited that I cut a whole bunch of fabric out and started 12 more. I had to go to a conference so I could not finish them all right away, but here is where I got so far.
Harry the hedgehog was fun to make. He is very small though, so it took a lot of effort to sew and turn the arms inside out. On such a small scale the corduroy was pretty stiff to maneuver. When finished he ended up turning out just as cute as the hedgehogs. I cut another hedgehog out, but haven’t had time to sew it together yet. It is fun to work on this miniature scale for a change. IT takes just as long to make as bigger stuffed animals, but smaller is always cuter.

The watercolor class I talked about earlier is also a lot of fun. I am learning some new tips, but mostly I enjoy just getting back into making drawings again. After the first week, the assignment was to work on basic watercolor techniques. I am not a very good student, since you can tell I never finished my exercises… I guess I should work on this again.

The next week we were working on shading, and had to bring in a round object. I had chosen a garlic, but had to use 5 cloves of it the night before for cooking, so it ended up being a half a garlic. We were just painting with a gray color to practice lights and darks.

Last week we had to bring an artichoke in and draw that with graphite. Tomorrow we are going to bring the completed drawings in and paint over them with watercolors. I am excited to do that, since I have done a lot of drawing and my prints are predominantly black and white, but don’t really know the intricacies of color in plant life. Listening to the teacher there seems to be a lot of things I never noticed. Apparently on a green leaf the highlights always have yellow undertones and highlights have blues. I would have thought opposite. So after my great attempt at painting this artichoke tomorrow I’ll post it here.

On a completely different note, if you have seen those pretty letter pressed cards in gift shops and wonder how they are made, I will soon post a video from a printmaking conference I just came home from.

Shrinky Dinks and Drawing Easel Idea

2009-03-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

I hope you are doing great today. I wanted to share a craft with you that I had almost forgotten: shrinky dinks. I remember making these with my mother when I was a little girl. Oh, the thrill of watching your drawing shrivel up right before your eyes! Last year I had seen it somewhere and brought it up with my husband, who to my suprise had never even heard of shrinking plastic. So I headed out to the nearest craft supply store (A.C. Moore) and found a great deal on some shrinky dink plastic to educate my husband on craft making. It came in a nice pack of 8 sheets, so no worries if you mess the first one up. There are directions if you have never made any. Its super simple, basically just draw your design, cut it out with a pair of scissors, and then bake at 325 for a couple of minutes. Done!

I used regular colored pencils to draw, but it was a little dusty after baking, so I had to fix it with some polyurethane spray. You could use markers as well. The nice thing about the sheets in this set was that it was see-through, so I printed out some photos (left) from my desktop and used them as a guide to make fun gifts to my family and friends.

I made a whole bunch of keychains/zipperpulls, earrings, and a pin. To the left you can see a pair of the earrings.

To get an idea of how large to make your drawings, I have the below guide of before and after baking size.

Below is a flathaired retriever pin for my friend who has two, and zipperpulls/ charms for my mom and sister of our dog and horse back home. (I hope they dont read this before I give these to them)

Here's a collection of other charms.

My husband is into these plastic Gundam model kits, so I drew him some of his favorite characters.

I started an 8 week botanical illustration class this week as well. It is taught by the very talented Louise Smith, who has a beautiful website http://www.greenstems.com/. One of the ladies in the class had made her own little travel easel from a camera tripod. I thought I'd share the simple design, in case anyone else needs to make one. Basically, she screwed a piece of wood to the piece that comes off on the top of the tripod, and added velcro on it. The other half was a piece of corrugated plastic board with velcro on the bottom of it. Voila! Stuck together makes a great mini easel that travels well, if you like to paint or draw outdoors.

New Monthly Giveaway on Etsy

2009-03-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

To boost sales after our move, and to get back into making things- I am starting monthly giveaways from my etsy store. The raffle is pretty simple, buy anything from the store and you are automatically entered to win. On the first day of the following month, a random drawing will determine who will win the giveaway!

This months giveaway will feature a pair of cute kitty earrings featured on the left. Good Luck!

Chocolate Dreams & Inspirations

2009-02-17T19:47:00.001-08:00

Chocolate is one of my weak spots, and in case it is one of yours too, I wanted to share this recipe with you.

I have had this 5 minute (yes, that's right) "Chocolate cake in a cup" recipe tucked away on my computer for a year now and finally had a chance to try it. I was very sceptical about how this might work, so I grabbed the biggest cup we had (just to be on the safe side) and tossed it all together:

4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil (I used butter in absence of oil)

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Small splash of vanilla

Why not add some nuts too?

This makes enough for two, if you are not greedy. Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed that's normal!

When it's all done, take the cup out of the microwave, allow to cool a little and tip onto a plate to make devouring easier. We put the cake in a bowl, added ice cream, sprinkles and whipped cream, mmmmm-mm good! I used a huge cup, but after trying the recipe, I think a regular coffee cup will be big enough. Now- do I think this is the best chocolate cake I've ever had? No, but for the time and effort put into it and satisfying a night time craving- it sure hit the spot and beat running out to get one or spending 1 1/2 hours baking it.

As I am dreaming of chocolte cake here, I wanted to share some other dreamy creations found on Etsy: top right a beautiful necklace by Lillyella. It is so precious I want one right now! Next to the lilypad is a cute bunny by Zygopsyche. I just love the fabric used for the bag by Daphnenen and the retro woolen bird by Catsmiaow.

I am also doing a craft fair this coming weekend, a little scary since we just moved, and everything is a little dishevelled... it should be fun though, I hope to have time and get some space to make a couple of new things for it. :)

Move rapidly approaching...

2009-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

Our movers will be here on wednesday! I wont be able to write in a little bit, since it will be a long drive from GA to WA. Hopefully we'll get internet set up at our house within a week or so when we arrive.
I packed my sewing machines yesterday, so I concentrated on some art for a change today. I did a demo on some lithography plates last week, and got inspired to make a set of three little "hut" prints. (You can see the video on my art blog http://www.mirka-h.blogspot.com/)
While I was drawing the prints, I would think back to my childhood. Building little huts was one of my favorite activities growing up. Even when the other kids would come and break our hut down, we would always build a new one trying to make innovations as we scavenged for supplies.
I think after our move, I will put a couple of prints on Etsy to see if there is any interest.

Owlets

2009-01-17T19:11:00.000-08:00

I finished a set of five owlies for the Shiny Squirrel Boutique (see link on sidebar)yesterday. It was a fun pattern to come up with, and a fairly easy one to sew.
I used some brown courdroy and a wool tweed for the front. The little creases on the bottom give the impression of a little tail in the back. Here are some of the little ones ready to be stuffed, put their eyes in and sewn together.

It took me 5 tries to figure out the pattern this time. You can see the practice ones in the front. The first one is on the left and then progressively to the right. You can see that I tried a completely different pattern for the last one. The funny thing is that I ended up liking the first one the best with just a tiny tweak.

Here they are, ready to be shipped to their new homes!

Awesome links!

2009-01-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Oh, I can't describe how excited I am. I have been thinking about making little soft houses for my stuffed animals, and happened upon this blog with a tutorial for one. I have to share it here with you. You can use buttons, velcro or ribbon to close it up! I can not wait to make one! I had thought about just making a soft one with batting for walls, but Dawn had the great idea of using some of the plastic canvas used for cross stitching for support.

She also has a great blog and some other tutorials.

For all you looking fo rnew project/gift/craft ideas for 2009. Visit TheLongThread's blog. They have a list of "Top 100 Tutorials of 2008" . The list is even conveniently sectioned to baby, kids, home, clothing, etc. Too many cool things to do, so little time!

I also need to mention my Christmas present. I got a book titled Two-at-a-time Socks. I already completed my first pair! Now let me tell you why I like this new way of sewing: First, I normally dont use a pattern and just knit trying to socks on for size every once in a while. That normally backfires by the time I get to the second sock, since I am constantly going to the first one and counting rows and stitches. They always end up being slightly different sizes.

Second, before, after I had finished the first sock, I had no inspiration left to make the second one. Third, this book has very clearly written directions, so everything was easy to follow.

To start my socks, I first knit them regularly on 4 straight needles, about 3 times around, before transferring them onto a single long needle. After I got the hang of it, knitting this new way a as easy as a snap of a fingers.

Gingerbread greetings

2008-12-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

We arrived to Houston a couple of days ago, and I have had enough time to rest and recharge. We had a chance to make some gingerbread houses. I didn't know that the oven was broke until after the dough was made, so we baked the cookies in a miniature tabletop roaster oven. To my suprise they came out ok!
All the idleness has also given me time to finish the multifunction scarf that I was working on and a couple of hats. The scarf and hats turned out great. I made it out some soft alpaca yarn. The worry I had was that the yarn was not as thick as the pattern required, but I used thick needles, so it ended up being pretty loose, but big enough. I hope my mother in law will like it. I also made two aprons and a scrubs hat for my sister who is finishing up medschool. When they get a chance to try them on, I'll post some pictures. :)

Hope you all have time to relax and spend time with family! Happy Christmas!

Thanksgiving sale and mittens

2008-11-24T18:19:00.001-08:00

Oh, I have to share these mittens that I just found a pattern for! But first, let me mention that I will be having a thanksgiving sale at my etsy store from Friday 28th to Monday 1st. All items 20% off before shipping. In payments section select payment method Other, and in message to seller add coupon code "Barefoot". For other Black Friday sales on etsy, visit: http://www.blackfridayonetsy.webs.com/

(above- the mouse print I mentioned in my last entry)

I have been busy in the craft room lately too. I've made some new stuffed animals, now being posted in my shop. A friend came over last Sunday to make an apron (we had a craftdate), so I decided to make one for me too. I came up with a cute little design that ended up working out pretty well. It reminds me of play dresses for little girls, so when I wear it, I feel like giggling a lot. ;) Maybe I'll might make a couple of these for sale in the etsy store as well after new years. I also was inspired and started working on that Simplicity tunic, that I cut the pattern out for several weeks ago. I am always confused with the sizing info, but I made a size 12. The bust and waist fits ok, but it's too tight around the butt, so I have to go, and loosen it in the seams. I'm about half way done, the arms, neckline, heming and zipper still need to be sewed. I am leaving the key-hole out from the front.

Ok, so now to the mittens. After the last craft fair, I have been knitting a lot, hats and scarves mostly. I have a couple of designs I wanted to do. One for my mother in law (if I ever finish it- well, I guess I should start first...) and a pair of mittens for me. The blue ones on the left are a cowl and hat pair I made, they are such a luscious soft blue yarn! So cute, makes it look like there are little ears. (chuckle)

The yarns in the picture below are some that I got from Michael's last week. The brownish gray is for the shawl, and the colorful ones I was going to use for little projects- now for the mittens. I'm thinking the orange and green for them? The pattern is from Hello Yarn Handspun Yarns. She has so many cute patterns for mittens, hats, bags etc. I have to make the bug ones for my husband at some point. Oh, if there was only enough time...

The shawl pattern that I was going to make for the MIL, is from Knitty. It is so versatile! I can't wait to start on it, but since it is a longer project, I think I'll make the mittens first. If it's super sute, I might have to make one for myself as well...

Favorite fabrics, new idea for Butler bag

2008-11-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Ooh my goodness, it has been so busy after the bazaar. I got several comissions for things, mostly knit items, that took me a week to do. I made some really cute winter messenger hats and a scarf, and made another Amy Butler bag. I came up with a new way to sew the zipper on it, so I thought I would share to all those who are working on one.

After cutting everything out, adhering interfacing and ironing, the zipper is one of the first things I sew. With this technique the bag ended up being a little skinnier than the previos ones, so if you want it to be wider, make the top part of the outer fabric wider.

- sew the outer fabric down the middle like you are supposed to according to the pattern, I sewed a larger seam than the pattern asks for. (see picture, on left)

-sew the lining to the underside flaps of the outer fabric. Press the seams flat. You can see on the right side that the lining ends up being really wide this way, I just cut it so both layers are same width.

-next place zipper on the back side of the flap facing down, pin in place and sew all the way around. Voila!

-now to attach the two short pieces at either end, I made kind of an X-seam, so that both the front and lining fabrics can be attached. Sew all the 4 edges separately, and then the small distance in the middle, I sew that flat through all the layers. (See pictures, the middle has not been sewed yet, there is still a hole)

-after this, I attach the handles and pockets to the side panels.

-I sew the side panels on first and then get to the outside side panels. Now this might be obvious, but when you sew the panels together, I find it easier to sew it with the panel side up, rather than sewing on the zipper flap side. (see picture, on the side that is pinned)

-also something else that worked out, was attaching the lining and outer layer together before I turned it inside out. I just sewed the two layers together at the top. (see picture)

There are also two portfolios that I will be in so I finished two prints for those. One of them was a little ant print, that I got the inspiration for from Proverbs 6:6

Go to the ant you sluggard,

consider it's ways and be wise.

It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,

yet it stores its provisions at summer

and gathers its food at harvest.

I had a good time carving, since I have not made a linocut in a while. The other linocut I made for the other portfolio was a little mousy. I should get a photo of that as well...

I've been browsign fabrics as well and wanted to post some of my favorite picks. They are from various sites, but I put the names down so you can look them up if you want.

Art Bazaar continued

2008-11-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

The Ft. Stewart Holiday Bazaar was a great success. I had enough time to make a couple of new things, so that I had plent of things to display. I am always suprised how different it is selling at a craft fair compared to Etsy. On etsy I sell a lot of stuffed animals, and at the fairs the bags and pouches seem to be a hit. I had a really fun time and met a lot of nice people and made some contacts. There were over 80 vendors at the fair, but many of them were not selling "home made" things. I was lucky, since the woman next to me was selling polymer clay pens that she had made. I hope she will also open an etsy store soon- her pens were very popular. Many of the booths were aso very fancy with decorations, so I felt a little outdone on that end- but I figure that I make it up in heart and spirit!

Here are some photos from the morning of the fair. Many people are still setting up. Next weekend I have a couple of pieces in the Telfair Annual Art Fair tent so that is exciting too. It seems that all my weekends are busy. I have a couple of comissions to work on and a print to make for a portfolio, so that should keep me busy.

I made some cute elves for the craft show, and thought that if I can make some time, I could upload directions on how to make them too. You can see some of them in on the shelf in the middle photo. :)

Art Bazaar

2008-10-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

Just a short note: Coming up on Nov 1st is the Officer Wives Club Holiday Bazaar! They are expectng a lot of people so I am excited to attend with a small booth. :) I need to start getting small things ready for this.

Dogbert got friends

2008-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

I had a fun time making Dog-Bert some friends last night and today. I made two more little felted things- a little elf and cat- and three floppy stuffed animals. They will be posted little by little in my etsy store. I hope sunday afternoon I finally get to try my new tunic pattern.

From on of the articles I ran into today, I found this shop for huggable fleece monster dolls. They remind me of the Uglydolls that have been around for a while. The Monster Factory also has pretty funny videos posted on Youtube under the name of Ponymath.

Being on the subject of cute stuffed animals and plushies, I want to also mention two more talented designers:

Florence Forrest and her Flying Star Toy Shop. Oh, I want to have one of each! I like the way she mixes different fabrics. You can find more pictures from her flickr photostream also.

Sandra Monat at Herzenart. She also has a very nice website and store. Many of her creations pull from Nordic mythology and traditions- check out the vikings, women in aprons and knights on horses. If you are inspired she also keeps a blog here.

Wee Dog-Bert

2008-10-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

I made the little fella last night. It was so cute, I had to make a little dwelling for it. The puppy itself is needle felted, with beads for the eyes and yarn embroidered nose. At first I thought about making the house out of felt, and failed miserably, it was a very wobbly and mis-shapen.

The next try worked out much better. I used 2 ply matboard cut out into the shape of the grassy patch and dog house, and then covered them in elmers glue one by one, and glued fabric pieces on them. As it was drying I trimmed off the excess, and glued the house on the grassy patch. The roof in loose, so that you can put little Bertie in his house when he gets tired. I added little tufts of felt - grass around the doghouse for an extra touch. Maybe I can add some detailed instructions on how to make one in the near future if any one is interested? Bert is up for adoprion at my etsy site www.mirkah.etsy.com.

Cute sites to visit for the week:

2008-09-28T15:34:00.000-07:00

I ran across so many cool sites this week, I just had to share. The first one is Design Sponge. They have tips, DIY, before&after photos, podcasts and a whole bunch of other info that is so very helpful. I could spend hours browsing their site.
The podcast they have for this week is-oh my goodness!- peanutbutter and milk chocolate chunk cookies. I can't wait to try this out.

The next websites both made me chuckle - and who wouldn't need a little laugh every once in a while. First Kawaii Not- cute Japan inspired comics and paraphenalia with a twist. Check out the single celled organism on the left. If you become an instant fan, you can subscribe to the post or visit the store an get yourself a cute tshirt or some stickers. X-mas is right around the corner, maybe there is something perfect for your teenage niece, sister or daughter...

The last site is a place with awesome t-shirts. Not only are they designed well, but they are hilarious. I wish I could add a whole lot more pictures, but to keep it short, here is just one. ..lol

Comissions

2008-09-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have been working on two comissions in the past weeks and am finally on the home stretch. It has been a nice change of pace. Working with pen and ink is very similar to creating my etchings, so it always makes me feel good about what I am doing.

The first commission was a portrait of a dog for a friend of mine. His old spaniel had just passed away and he wanted to remember her. The portrait has two views of Mattie and the milky way in the distance. I also framed the print with a black frame and double mat. When working on portraits, I normally work from photos. For multiple animals, I normally play around with photoshop to get a nice composition before I start drawing. The second step is to get the basic values down with pencil, and third I just fill it in with the pen. I use a simple old school pen (like a quill) with liquid ink in a well.

The other commission is on a totally different note. It is an illustration for a young writer for his fantasy novels. I have so excited to work with him. The finished illustrations will be sold as prints with the short story at the Shiny Squirrel Boutique. I'll post more on this as soon as I finish the illustration. Garr, it has been such a busy semester! There are so many things to do and every week when I think I have cleared enough time, a bunch more things pop up! Is this the way every one else's life is too? I have so many patterns that I am dying to try out, but simply have no time.

I blogged about our move previously (husband-military-all that jazz). That also changed, so that instead of moving next summer to Germany, we are already leaving in Jan-Feb next year to Ft Lewis, Washinton. As soon as the semester and teaching are over, I get to start packing boxes. I think I might have to have a sale to get rid of some of the fabrics I have accumulated...

Junk in da Trunk indie craft fair

2008-09-13T17:46:00.001-07:00

I had a great time at the Junk in da Trunk craft fair this weekend. I am tired, but happy with the turnout. I received much positive feedback for both my crafty things and also prints that I had out.

Here are some pictures from the show:
Top- people setting up. Middle- the little jewelry/card holder I wrote about in the previous post. (I had cards on the other side that does not show.)
Bottom- my humble table.

I still have a lot of things left over, that I will be posting on etsy little by little. As soon as my short art appreciation class ends at the beginning of October, I will have more time to sew. I have several patterns that I have lying around, and have not had time to try out yet. I'll keep you posted.

I made great friends with Doris and Christi in the next booth. They were from the Kobo Gallery, Savannah. Christi Reiterman makes some very beautiful jewelry and Doris Grieder does all kinds of wonderful fibercrafts. Definitely a place to visit if you are in Savannah.

Jewelry stand/nic nac holder

2008-09-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

I am going to be attending an indie craft fair at the Desotorow Gallery in Savannah this weekend. Getting ready for the fair, I made a folding stand to hold jewelry and note cards on. I figured while I was at it, I would document the process, so someone else might take advantage of the idea as well. I used some left over Amy Butler fabric for it. Check out the instructable here. Since I just made it, I dont have the best pictures of it yet, but I'll be sure to add some next week after the fair. You could take the idea and run with it, either just make one panel and hang it on the wall, or make three, four or five panes and make a folding screen type of display.

Inspired by Nature

2008-08-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

I had someone comment on our bedroom wall mural before, so I decided to post more proper pictures of it here. On the left you can see the corner of the bedroom. It is painted 1yd high with a darker green and the rest of the room with a light greenblue. I used the left over darker green and some brown paint to paint a tree and other nature subjects on the walls to make it look like we were sleepig in a forest. The chair is from a yard sale, and the rest of the furniture is from Ikea's Malm series.

The way I got the basic designs of the trees on the walls, was with a small projector and pencil. The rest of it was more or less improvised. The trees also continue in the other corners of the room. In the picture on the right is a simple mural of a bird in a tree, from the opposite wall in the bedroom. I also sketched that on the wall first with a projector and pencil, and then just painted the lines in. It was originally a photo I found online. I just traced the outline silhouette.

The boring foyer also got a mural. I had seen a similar corner painting in an old magazine years ago, and had been dying to paint one of my own in my first house. When we moved in, I picked the entry way, and just doubled the tree on both sides of the door. The painting makes the entry much more cozy to come in now.

Todays inspiration...

2008-08-30T14:15:00.001-07:00

I wanted to introduce two awesome artists in my entry today. Both of them are artists from Europe, Sanna Annukka, Finnish/English and Angie Lewin from the UK. If you haven't been able to discern yet, I like things that have a retro 70's or so look to them. I fell in love with the prints of both of these artists immediately.

Sanna Annukka is an illustrator and printmaker. She finds her inpiration from nature and folklore. She uses bright colors and geometric simplified designs in her work. Her screenprints and lithographs are available from her online store. In addition to graphic design, Sanna Annukka is collaborating with design companies, like Marimekko, for graphics for fabrics.

Angie Levin is also a printmaker working with linocuts, wood engraving and collage. Her colors a more muted compard to Sanna Annukka, but just as delicious. Many of her prints feature simplified and designy flowers and meadows in greens and blues.

I wish I had a collection of both of these artists prints. You can buy her prints straight from her website or from art galleries listed on the site as well. Fabrics designed by Angie can be found at St.Judes.

Started with a sketch- Finished Ferrett

2008-08-30T14:12:00.001-07:00

I finished 4 of these little fellas finally. They will be for sale at the Shiny Squirrel Boutique next month. They were so fun to make. I will be sure to include this pattern in my upcoming book on animal patterns.

It started with a sketch

2008-08-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a design for a little ferret/otter for Jessica at the Shiny Squirrel Boutique. Since there has been a lot of positive feedback for my plush designs, I thought I would post some pics of the design process. I do a lot of thinking of different designs for a while before I even grap a pencil. Then I'll do some loose sketches to figure out the final shape of the critter. Sometimes I'll draw out pattern pieces to figure out how things would work out 3-dimensionally. For this little critter, I just drew out a pattern in size right off the bat at sewed up a mock up of the design. (picture below)

After that, I made a couple of other versions with different heads, but I ended up liking the first version better. I have yet to make one in a "nice" fabric. I hope to do that maybe next week.

Stay tuned!

New Livingroom

2008-08-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

Whew, I just got back from a 2 1/2 week vacation from visiting family in Finland (my parents farm on the left). I had a great time! For the first week we took some time to fix up our summer house. We put up new wallpaper and paneling, and new laminate floors over the old yellow wood floors. I wanted to paint them, but my mother insisted with the laminate... Go figure. I hope that next summer I can paint the yellow wood floors in the foyer gray. Talking about painted wood floors, I came upon two cute things on the web today. one of them is this cute floor decal, called Tango. What a whimsical way to brighten up a room. I think I could also paint something similar. The white painted floors in the other picture look so lovely and crisp. I would love to get this feel at our summer house as well. The rest of Yvestown's photo's are worth taking a look as well. Back to the summer house- after new walls and floors were put in we shopped around for some fabric for drapes and sofa cushins to liven up the space. We got a steal with this happy yellow-red-green stripe fabrick being 70% off! Sewing drapes and pillows was a nice little vacation project. We hung up some white shelves from ikea (you can barely see it on the bottom right picture, but they are there). My mother put up some of the antique items on the shelves and we hung up some old pictures to give some character. I think it all turned out very nice, bright and summery. A nice change from the dingy old place.

Weekender Travel Bag

2008-07-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

This week I finished my first try at the Weekender bag by Amy Butler. It seems that I have been in an Amy Butler mania last couple of months. I think I got it out of my system now. ;)

The weekender bag was a fun project. I decided to make it without the cording around the edges due to the fact that I sewed the zipper to the top and lining at the same time and sewing everything toggether was pretty bulky. I used a wool twill fabric remnant for the outside, with a little leaf motif from the leftover Butler fabric from the last tunic. It gave the boring fabric a spark!

Some other modifications I did was make the handles a little longer, about 55" and sew around them two times to secure them to the bag. (In the picture the handle has three rows of stitches since I first sewed just the handle by itself.) Instead of just sewing back and forth at the top, I made an "x", also in the picture.

Another modification was a pocket for a water bottle on one of the sides instead of a flat pocket. I figure on trips that will come in handy as well. The bag is really nice and roomy, and has the same pockets all around on the inside as well. I am looking forward to seeing how it travels. TIP: I think if I make the bag again, I would make the inside pockets 3" taller, so that they would come up closer to the top. I imagine the bag being filled with bulky items, and it would seem that the less tal pockets would get all jumbled up.

For the interlining I just used the thickest lining I got from Walmart, so it is not as stiff as maybe with Timtex like used in the pattern. The lining is a brown cotton fabric, the same as for the handles. I used some of the plastic craft mesh used for needlepoint for the bottom and it worked out fine. I stitched it together 2 ply before inserting. I also sewed in between the outside and lining so that you can't see it. The bag is not as neat as in some other pictures I've seen, but it works for me. I can't wait to use it!

Lotus tunic revamped

2008-07-06T15:58:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I could not live with poofy sleeves on the Lotus tunic and had to rip them out today. I finished the seams as istructed in her pattern by just sewing binding around the edges. So now it is sleeveless, and I like it much better. I felt that the sleeves were too dressy, and poofy and they felt restricting on my arm. So now all is well, and I relly love the dress/ tunic. Let me know which one you like more.

Amy Butler Lotus Tunic

2008-07-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

So I finally had some time and made the Lotus tunic by Amy Butler. (I've been buying the patterns from Ebay for the best prices.) I had to wait until July so that the local quilting store that carries AB fabrics restocked her fabrics. I got 2 yards of both moss martini and olive garden maze. I wanted to make the Lotus tunic from one, and another Anna tunic from the other, and then what ever I have extra something cool from that as well...

The Lotus pattern was easy to follow, I would recommend making a muslin trial one first and then make the "real" one. I did that, but slacked off a little, so I still had to make modifications after sewing it together. The top was too big, so I took it in on the sides and added little pleats on the top middle in the front, and it ended up turning just fine. Be careful with measuring the top around your bust. It was too loose for me, so if I leaned forward, or crossed my arms, I had a big gaping bag infront of me. The small pleats took care of that. I think I might also like it if it was less open in the front for everyday use.

I am not sure about the sleeves. When I sewed them on, they were sticking out a lot, so I added elastic inside the binding on the edge, and now they are tolerable. I think if I make the pattern again, I will either make the sleeves smaller or then just make a sleeveless one. Not a big fan of poofy sleeves.

I read some complaints from others who have made the pattern, about the positioning of the belt loops (too low). You can't see the belt in the picture that they sell the pattern with, because it gets tied only in the back. I think the belt loops were at a good height for me.

While working on the project, I finally got fed up trying to fit clothes and figuring out any modifications on my self. My husband was happy with the opportunity of taping my body up to make a duct tape fitting assistant. (We made it based on the website I previously mentioned in one of my posts.) Here are some pictures of work in progress. We used up two t shirts, since the one I had was not long enough to cover my butt. I also used a sleeve to extend the neck higher up. Basically, we started with taping around my chest and then crossing the tape in the middle to delineate the "curves". After that we did the bottom first, first taping horizontally, then vertically and last one more layer horizontally. Then we taped the top. At times it seemed a little claustrophobic, but I managed to stand still long enough. The whole project took us about 45 min. When done, he cut the cast open in the back and I weaseled out of it. One of the pictures shows the cut just started on the bottom before we went all the way up. Then all I had to do was to patch up the cut in the back, cover up the openings around arms and neck and stuff it. Since we are moving in a year, I just rigged the stuffing and stand. I stuffed with plastic bags, news paper, and bubblewrap. There is a hanger on the top, in case I need to hang it up, but I used a scrap piece of wood from the garage down the middle and a cardboard box for the stand. You could also use a Christmas tree stand for the leg. The end product- well maybe not the most sophisticated looking model, but it works for now. I figure when we move, I'll unstuff it and fold it into a cardboard box.

Let me know if you need any other details! :)

Saturday tidings

2008-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to drive to Brunswick, GA today to drop off some critters and art at my friend Melissa's shopette. If you live close to this area, the Antiques store can be found at 1601 Newcastle, in Old Brunswick. (There was a fantastic sandwich shop on the next block called Manhattan Subs, I would recommend that as well.)

Melissa, has a little room of her own in an antique store that is absolutely adorable. It was hard to take pictures in there, but I did my best. I built a stepped shelving unit to go on the floor to display little critters I had made. Here are a couple of photos of what is in her shop. We kind of turned the store upside down while setting everything up, but you can get an idea of how it looks from the pictures.

Out dogs are also the funniest things, I love watching them sleep in the most weird positions on the livingroom floor. Every once in a while I have the camera by me and I get to snap cute pictures of them.

Another fabric designer whose designs I fell in love with is Robert Kaufman. Here are a couple of prints from his collection. So cute, so cute...

Giraffn' Around

2008-06-21T17:44:00.001-07:00

Today a bunch of giraffes were born. I was trying to use up the last bit of yellow courdroy that I had lying around, and ended up cutting 7 of the little buggars out of it. Like with the critters yesterday, I wanted to keep some to put up in my shop and give some to my friends store, which I think I'll go visit next weekend. Here's some pics of the little guys, left: seven skins, middle: three done, right: done!

New critters!

2008-06-20T16:59:00.001-07:00

Today was a combined art day and craft day. I had some time to do prints, that are still undone, and on top of that I put together a whole bunch of little doggies and one kitty. I love these critters, they all end up having such a personality of their own. I posted one on etsy for now. Three are reserved for a friend to put in her shop next month. I am so proud of her, she has her own store front about an hour from our house, and is selling antiques with art, and more modern things. I am dying to go visit her new boutique. I'll post some pictures when I go down there.

Also in the works are a new design for a plushie for Jessica at the Shiny Squirrel Boutique, but not sure what that will be yet. I have ideas for an owl and a ferrett. I guess it will be a mystery until it is unveiled...

What on earth is Etsy?

2008-06-18T19:08:00.001-07:00

I realized today, that I mentioned Etsy in previous posts, but didn't really explain it to someone who has never heard of it. In case you haven't it is a website that you should definitely check out! Etsy is an online networking and marketplace for all things handmade. It's a place to find clothing, toys, gifts, jewelry and pretty much anything that you could think of and more.

The site is populated with little shops that you can browse through. Search by keyword, theme, or type of merchandise you are looking for. It is free to sign up as a buyer, same idea as with ebay. The great news for sellers of crafty items is that there are no expensive listing fees like with ebay, and your items lists for 4 months at a time.

There are thousands of amazingly talented artists and crafts people selling their handmade items, that it's almost too good to be true. For a price conscious cnsumer like me, I'm happy to say that many things are not over priced either, and most artists are happy to make personalized items for you as well.

If you haven't already checked it out, hurry up! http://www.etsy.com/

Here are some of my favorites:

Beautiful ceramic animals: http://www.mnsceramics.etsy.com/

Stationery: http://www.boygirlparty.etsy.com/

Jewelry/ felting: http://www.motleymutton.etsy.com/

To see all my favorites visit here.

Fitting clothes- HELP!

2008-06-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Making clothes for yourself can be a little chanllenging at times. Especially when you want to make alterations and cant fit and pin at the same time. I am so happy I ran into the online article in Threads Magazine that offers an effective solution on a budget for the problem. There is a duct tape version and one that uses paper tape. I think I will solicit help from the hubby and try the duct tape one, since I am assuming I could probably take that with easily, when we move next year.

Sewing day

2008-06-13T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had the day off from work, so I decided to dedicate it to sewing. Here's what I made.

The elephants on the left side are still waiting for eyes and ears. Here we go...

I also sewed another tunic altered from the A. Butler Anna pattern, but this one is a little more fitted and has a lace to tie around the waist. I used this awesome vintage cotton printed fabric for it. The fabric used to be curtains before. I just love the fabric! The leftovers made for some plush animals for the store. I also received the weekender bag, and Lotus patterns from A Butler today!!! I can't wait to try them out. Maybe next week...

If you like Amy Butler...

2008-06-11T05:58:00.001-07:00

You might like Joel Dewberry and his fabric designs as well.

Chestnut breanches in aqua and

Pink Rose Damask swatches.

Sophia carry all w/ modifications

2008-06-11T04:38:00.000-07:00

I got really excited about the tunic, and decided to also make the Sophia carry-all bag by Amy Butler. I had the pattern already, and had made a bag from it a while ago (which turned out great as well). The first time around I did not like the way the lining had to be hand stitched to the outside. The handle was a little too short for me too. For future use, I also decided to sew two rings at either end, in case I ever want to add a long strap to the bag. I set out to make these changes.

The way I stitched the zipper in was the same way as the directions tell you to, but I added the lining layer to the stitching as well. You can see it in the picture, basically stitching all the way around the zipper locking it in between the top and lining. Then just open the basted stitches and voila! You're done. The rest of the bag is stitched essentially the same. I sewed the lining together first, leaving one of the long sides open to turn the bag inside out effortlessly. It will be a lot more easier to sew this shut than trying to sew the lining by the zipper. I guess the sewing can be a little bulky at times, but it wasn't that bad.

In the photo above, you can see a detail from the lining panels. I stitched the edge of the pocket and side panel together to make it easier to stitch to the top.

Here is the bag turned right way out. I was going to slip the rigid bottom in between here before sewing it closed. Below are pictures of the finished bag.

Anna Tunic from Amy Butler pattern

2008-06-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

I made the first version of the Amy Butler Anna tunic a couple of months ago, and wanted to make some changes to the pattern. I finished the second version last night, and like it much better now. Here is view from back without belt:

Picture from front without belt.
Picture from side with belt.
Picture from front with belt. I'm not a girly girl, so I did not make the flower for the top.

I left the lining out, and just made it out of a single layer of fabric. So to compensate for the under the arms seam, I just used bias tape.

Instead of 4 buttons i just used 2 at the top.

The shoulders were too wide for me on the first version, so I squared off the sides a bit.

So here is the final version. I really like it now, and hope to make another one out of some other fabric. The fabric I used for this one was recycled from a retro duvet cover... Its bright yellow with flowers.

I hope you enjoy the images. I hope to post lots more from future projects. Other things in the works are a knit shawl and a quilt and of course more thngs for my etsy store.

I also just purchased the weekender bag and lotus tunic patterns from A. Butler. Can't wait to receive them!!!

Hi

2008-06-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

HI, let me introduce myself: my name is Mirka. I decided to start this blog to share my crafts and interests to other people. I'm originally from Finland, hence the title for the blog.
I make art, sew, knit, crochet and build things. I have a store on etsy (http://www.mirkah.etsy.com/) and an artist website at http://www.mirkah.com/.

Check for updates for the blog soon.