crafts

A wishlist

December 7, 2016 filed under: Etsy, holidays, lists!

It’s the time of wish lists and gift guides around the blogosphere and I personally enjoy these kinds of post. I know, I know, Christmas is not all about the gifts and I wish I was someone who would completely forego the Christmas shopping madness, but I also have to admit that I love shopping for small gifts for my family and friends around this time of year and I equally enjoy putting a little wish list together for myself.

My biggest wish – as always – would be to spend time with family and friends for Christmas, but since this won’t be in the cards this year (again!), I am going to fill my holiday season with all the holiday cheer I can get my hands on.

Sharing a little wishlist of pretty (and functional) items that I’ve come across is part of that. Those are all really just “would-love-to-have” items. Some of them are totally reasonable and maybe in my future budget, some are just things that caught my eye, but which I probably won’t get (right now or ever). Some might be a gift inspiration for you. Who knows?

1) These above knuckle rings are so pretty!! I have to figure out what size you wear on this part of your finger though – ha!

2) I haven’t 100% decided yet which way to go in 2017, but I am leaning towards the Inkwell Press Planner again. I’ve had it for the last two years and it really works well for me. I am not that fond of next year’s cover choices, that’s why I haven’t bought one yet, but I think I’ll make a decision soon.

3) I found this Boho long Tiny Star Necklace while browsing Etsy recently and I just love how versatile it is to wear. If you know me, you know that I love stars (I have a stars necklace and even wear a tiny star piercing in my ear scapha) and this would be just a lovely addition to all my star-jewelry.

4) It’s that time of the year when you can use an extra layer of warmth. These Leg warmers seem perfect for yoga or just hanging around the house.

5) Yarn! One can never have enough yarn and I’ve become a bit of a yarn snob. I won’t buy just any cheap yarn anymore and prefer the higher end cotton and wool blends. This one is so beautiful (in teal, but also in a bunch of other colors!). What’s your favorite (dk) yarn to work with?

6) I love my current iPhone 5s, but it’s 3 years old now and I think it’ll be soon time to upgrade. Besides the missing headphone jack (not sure how I feel about that yet), the iPhone 7 seems like a really sweet gadget.

7) One of these days, I am going to invest into a Cricut cutting machine. I just hope that I would use it as much as I think I am missing one right now. Who has one and can give me some feedback?

What’s on your wish list?

Friday Facts

May 20, 2016 filed under: Friday Facts, knitting

I’m working today and while I am very thankful for my flexible hours (I’m making up some hours that I “borrowed” as vacation time when I took my trip to Germany in March), this week feels extra-long to me and I can’t wait for the weekend to start.

* * *

It almost hit the triple digits for the first time this summer here in the central valley and I am scared what that will mean for my (evening) workout routine. I probably have to switch to the gym or try to run early in the morning (which is not my preference at all). Are you a morning workout person? Or do you prefer the afternoons/evenings like me?

* * *

I’m slightly obsessed with my new project: “designing” my own knitting pattern. I’ve been researching stitches and other patterns for inspiration and it’s been fun. Which reminds me, I haven’t shown you my last finished project yet. Here you go.

What are you working on right now?

* * *

This weekend is going to be low-key overall. We’re getting pizza tonight, I’ll bake bread and make new granola and run my usual errands tomorrow. On Sunday morning, I’ll run another 10k race (more for race practice than for anything else) and the rest of Sunday will be free to relax.

What are your plans this weekend?

What’s on my needles: Groovy

February 22, 2016 filed under: crafts, knitting

It’s been a while since I had peace of mind for knitting, but I started again slowly after the new year. There is almost nothing more relaxing (to me) than knitting a few rows at the end of the day. The repetitive motion (and the added benefit of actually seeing your work grow!) are hugely satisfying to me.

I recently finished a couple of smaller projects (that I will show you some other time), but right now I am excited to start a new piece with one ball of yarn from my 100 Farbspiele (German for: “100 color plays”) stash. Those balls of yarn have a long color gradient ( > 500 yards per ball) and come in a variety of beautiful color schemes.

Long gradient yarn is kind of hard to find in the US (let me know, if you know of any source that has balls that run at least 700 yards), but I am lucky to get my supplies through my aunt and mom from Germany from a small business called “100 Farbspiele”. The yarn is hand-dyed, has 3 to 6 plies (strands) that are unplied (does that make sense?) and made to order, so it usually takes a while to get your hands on this yarn (processing time is about 4 weeks), but the yarn is so beautiful and fun to work with. In fact, it’s a bit addicting (I have four other balls of gradient yarn that I am dying to use.)

I’ve wanted to knit a Groovy, a triangle shawl, for the longest time and finally started a couple of days ago. The color scheme that I am using is called “Under Water”, which has beautiful blue and aqua shades.

The finished pattern will look like this:

This is my Mom’s work and she used the color scheme “Irland” (which is similar to the one I am using, just more green-ish). The fun part about this yarn is that you can start it from either end and that way you can decide how you want your knitted item to look.

I used to buy just any cheap yarn from Michaels or Joann’s, but I’ve become pickier over the years. I prefer lighter weights and higher quality yarns now, because they’re just more fun to work with and you’ll just get a qualitative better and more beautiful final piece.

What’s your favorite yarn? Are you working on something right now?

20: Friday Facts

November 20, 2015 filed under: Etsy, Friday Facts, NaBloPoMo

I had an entirely different post planned for today, but sometimes, life gets in the way and things don’t happen… so a “Friday Facts” post it is and it’s not a bad thing because I have some random things I want to share with you.

On Sunday, I’ll be running my first official race, a 10k. I hesitated for a long time to sign up, but when my friend Susi asked me if we wanted to sign up together, I saw an opportunity and jumped on it. I’ve been training for this race for a few months now and I am excited about the experience. Wish me luck!

* * *

Mark your calendars, friends! This is your opportunity to snatch up some lovely handmade items during our Black Friday Sale at our Etsy shop “Four Hands Creations“. The sale will go over the whole Thanksgiving weekend (Friday the 27th through Monday the 30th) and you’ll get 25% off your order with code “TAKE25”. Maybe you need some handmade cards for the holidays or a lovely banner to decorate your home. We also have some items that would make lovely gifts for some special people. Come on by!

* * *

I have sung the praises of ePantry before and I want to remind you that there is still time to give ePantry a try. If you use my referral link, you’ll get a $10 credit and a free Grove Collaborative soy candle when you place your first order. This is a great incentive to try them out if you were curious about their services. If it’s not for you, there is no obligation and you can cancel at any time. I warn you though, you might fall in love with their products, the hassle-free home delivery (on your own schedule), and great customer service!
Do you want an example? I ordered handsoap (among other things) in my last order and they sent me the wrong scent. When I contacted customer service about an exchange for the scent that I ordered, not only did they send me the correct scent immediately at no additional cost, but they also let me keep the other bottle of handsoap. I’ve been a customer for almost a year and I am very happy!

Have a lovely weekend!

Labor Day Sale

September 5, 2015 filed under: crafts, Etsy

We’re having a Labor Day Sale over at our little Etsy shop this weekend. I thought I’d share this in case you’re looking for some cute handmade stuff that works great as gifts for family or friends or a treat for yourself. My friend Dina makes beautiful, customized banners and coffee cozies, I’ve been working on personalized cards and knit items.

Come one over and check out our shop!

What’s on my needles: My first (striped) cardigan

May 4, 2015 filed under: crafts, knitting

As you might know, I’ve been working on my first knitted cardigan the last few weeks since the beginning of the year. I was very good about documenting my weekly progress, well, until I wasn’t. Making any progress, that is. Knitting a cardigan has been exciting and frustrating at the same time.

First of all, there is the ‘gauge’. If you’ve never knit a piece of clothing, you probably didn’t concern yourself with the gauge, but when you knit something that is actually supposed to fit a person, it becomes very important all of a sudden.

In case you don’t know what a ‘gauge’ is, it basically means how many stitches are worked per inch. Here is a good link that explains it all in detail.

It’s really interesting that even when everyone knits with the same yarn and needle size, the gauge varies tremendously for every knitter. I am apparently a very tight knitter, which means that I usually have more stitches than I should have for a specific gauge and that I have to go up a couple of needle sizes to get the correct gauge.

The rule of thumb is: If your number of stitches per inch is way off (MORE than 1 stitch per inch too big or small), the yarn is probably not a good fit for your pattern. You must agree, being two stitches off per inch doesn’t sound like much, but apparently it does make a big difference over the entire width/length of your knitting piece. I am sure one gets better in measuring the gauge over time (and with experience), but in the beginning in can be a daunting task.

I always, always try to pick the pattern and then find the perfect yarn than the other way around, although I have on occasion *cough, cough* bought yarn without a specific pattern in mind and well, it’s part of my “stash” now that I have to find projects for. In general, it works out better for me when I pick the pattern first, but every knitter/crocheter will probably agree that this does not always happen because OMG, all the pretty yarn out there!

I am done with the main body of my cardigan (and not 100% sure about the gauge that I initially measured) and I am now working on the sleeves (which slowed down my progress quite a bit, because they’re knit in the round and I kind of despise knitting a small circumference on five needles in the round. Thanks to my friend Mary Beth, I think I’ll be able to finish though, because she introduced me to “knitting in the round with a magic loop” which I have tried this weekend and I think I can definitely handle that much better.

So let’s just hope that I’ll be finishing this piece soon and that the cardigan will fit me in the end. Stay tuned!

On a little announcement

October 20, 2014 filed under: crafts, Etsy, excitement, news

Well, if you follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook, you might have noticed that I posted a little announcement this weekend.

Some of you have asked in the past why I’m not selling my handcrafted notecards on Etsy. I always dismissed the thought thinking that nobody would really want to buy my cards anyway. However, the thought stuck like a nagging little bugger in the back of my head and my old-neighbor-turned-dear-friend and fellow crafter D finally gave me the last little kick in the butt that I needed.

We spent many afternoons sipping coffee/tea and crafting and half-jokingly dreaming up a little Etsy shop of our own. Shortly before D moved away this summer, she decided that we should just ‘do it’ and opened an account for us. She thought it would help us keep connected and motivated.

So, let me introduce you to our collaborative craft adventure Four Hands Creations.

We only have a small stock of items right now. I’ve mainly worked on different notecards (you know, that my go-to style is simple, but lovely) and my friend D is making delightful hand-painted burlap banners. I am hoping to add some other crafted items to the shop in the future, but for now, you can expect some Christmas-themed cards to hit the shelf soon. As you know, I am a big fan of sending personal messages via snail mail (is there anything better than to find a beautiful card between all the bills and junk mail in your mailbox?) and this is the time of year when it is especially lovely to brighten someone’s day with a handwritten note.

I’d love it if you checked out the shop and gave us some feedback. I am open to any suggestions and custom orders for personalized cards are totally possible.

Don’t worry, I won’t completely spam this blog (or my private Instagram and Twitter account) with shop related updates, but I will most likely mention it every once in a while if there is some news to share. You’re very welcome to follow us on Facebook, on Instragram (fourhandscreations) and Twitter (@4handscreations) if you’d like to stay up to date.

Phew. Secret’s out. And I am a tiny bit excited.

How I am using my Erin Condren Life Planner

April 7, 2014 filed under: about me, crafts, pretty, this and that

If you know me a little bit, then you know that I love everything that has to do with stationary and it comes at no surprise that I love notebooks, planners and journals.

I’ve been using the oh-so-popular (and polarizing) Erin Condren Life Planner and I am in in my third year now (although I’ve just recently participated in Kyla’s e-course “Planner Camp” which was all about designing your own planner and oh man, I need to tell you about this in a separate post sometime. It was awesome!). But back to the planner that I am currently using: I have mostly just wonderful things to say about the EC Life Planner.

I do a lot of scheduling and planning on my phone, especially when I need to set reminders (that is the ONE thing a paper planner cannot yet do!), but for everything else I love putting a pen to paper and the EC Life Planner has really won me over with its prettiness, the layout and the fun accessories. I don’t mind lugging the thing around in my purse either.

However, I am not going to do a full review of the Erin Condren Life Planner today, because there are plenty (!) of reviews out there in the blogging world (and most of you know the planner already anyway), but I’d love to show you a little bit how I use it.

My job doesn’t require me to do a lot of “on paper planning” during the week and therefore the weekdays stay pretty much empty during the day, except for the occasional work or doctor’s appointment.

But that is also very good, because I always used to have my planners double as journals/scrapbooks. (I used to have paper planners that had one day per page and plenty of room to write in.)

I write down things I did, thoughts and quotes. I’ve started (this year) to regularly print a selection of my Instagram pictures and add them into my planner.

In case you want to know how exactly I do this: my no-fuss method is to snip, copy and paste the photos from my Instragram.com account into an empty word document. I fit the Instragram photo size to the approximate size of each column in my planner (note: it’s about the right size when you fit 5 pictures (1.5×1.5 in) in one row (margins set to 0.3 in) with a space between them – to make cutting easier and leave a bit of a white frame) and then I print them on regular paper. The colors are sometimes a little bleached out, but I don’t really mind it. Then I cut them into little squares and add them to my planner.

I love that I can thumb through the pages and have little pictures, ticket stubs, receipts or other memorabilia remind me of what was going on during the week. I also use the handy stickers that come with the planner (I didn’t get them personalized, but you can!) and washi tape. Sometimes, I doodle or use calligraphy to illustrate the pages (not pictured – those pictures were taken at the beginning of this year).

Are you using a paper planner? (Maybe even an EC planner?) Is there a particular way that you use it?

19: DIY – Make your own cards

November 19, 2013 filed under: crafts, DIY, NaBloPoMo

I’ve been asked many times how I make my handmade greeting cards and someone suggested I could do a little DYI-tutorial. I thought that was a great idea, so here we go!

You need:

scissors and/or single-blade cutting tool
glue stick
pencil and ruler
double-sided, pre-cut mounting tape (or if you want a cheaper alternative, get a sheet of white fun foam with a sticky back, which you can cut into any shape you want/need).
card stock
blank card & envelope
stamps
ink pad or brush markers for stamping

Cut the card stock so it fits the blank card and leaves a little bit of a white frame around it. Glue it to the front of the card.

On a card (matching the card and envelope that you’re using), stamp your image. Depending how “busy” the cardstock pattern is that I picked out, I either stamp in blank ink or I use colored brush markers to achieve a colorful, unique look (see examples below).

A lot of people struggle with stamping without getting any smears on their cards. My trick is: I don’t push my stamp into the ink pad, but I lightly tap it on the pad, so that just enough ink gets on the stamp image, but not on the corners or other areas that are NOT part of the stamp design. Then I firmly, but briefly apply pressure straight down on the stamp when I transfer it to paper. Make sure you apply pressure evenly. Don’t keep pushing it too hard or for too long, because some paper (more than others) will start absorbing the ink and that will blur the ink lines.

Always, always practice (especially with a new stamp) on some scrap paper until you feel confident enough to cleanly stamp on your card. It’s so frustrating when you waste a fresh blank card by not having gotten to know your stamp first.

I also clean off every stamp after I use it by stamping it on a wet paper towel until it’s clean and doesn’t leave any more ink. This will ensure that your stamped images will always be clean and no “old ink” bleeds into your project when you use the stamp again (that is especially important when you stamp with different ink colors).

Cut out the stamped image (you can use a simple square, oval shape, or anything else you like) and attach a custom piece of mounting tape on its back.

Then attach the cut-out to the front of your card. Voilà!

This is very simple, but (IMHO) pretty example for a personalized greeting card. There is no limit to the imagination to what you can do with this method.

Here are a few more cards I made recently.

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY for today!

Handmade cards

December 12, 2012 filed under: crafts, holidays

I thought I’d showcase some of the handmade Christmas cards that I made this year. It’s been quite the production (I made about 70 cards and I still need more and am supplementing with some photo cards for family and some friends). Making cards is a long-standing tradition for me. Way back when I still lived in Germany, I used to get together with a friend for a couple of weekends before Christmas and we would make all our cards together. We drank copious amounts of tea, ate Christmas cookies, listened to Christmas music and crafted. I miss that. Doing it by myself is just not the same, but it’s something that I still do and enjoy to do every year!

My cards used to be more time-consuming and elaborate when I had to make fewer cards, but I had to streamline the process a bit in the last few years due to the sheer volume of cards I (happily!) send out every year. I still think it adds a nice personal touch to the holidays! I don’t think I could ever give up on sending Christmas cards!

Do you send Christmas cards or do you think it’s unnecessary and old-fashioned?