Spotlight on Kreinik: How to Cover a Crochet Hook with Thread!

I am definitely trying this out once I can find the thread! I am not all that great when it comes to creating clay canes for hooks but I love this look! Tanya from HodgePodge Crochet is a crafty genius!

HodgePodge Crochet

A while back I blogged about getting a box of goodies from Kreinik and since getting it, I’ve been SO BUSY that I haven’t had a chance to pull any of these yummies out of their wrappers and put them through their paces!

But I was determined to shut out the world and play with this box of goodies and make something I’ve had bouncing around in my head for a while now… Covered crochet hooks!

What you need to make your own:

• Polymer clay. One block in any color. Make sure you pick up more if you are planning on covering thousands of hooks!! Also, if you already own some clay and happen to have some scrap lying around, this is the project you want to use it on!
• A crochet hook (any size)
• Kreinik thread in your favorite color. DO NOT use acrylic yarn for this project as it will…

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The Girl with ODD (Obsessive Dragon Disorder) and the Quest to become a “Mother of Dragons” Part 2

 

The Eyes Have It!

Now where was I? Oh right the colors! So I have now chosen my colors for my design. Easy right? No not really… While it may look easy choosing colors can be rather intimidating. There are a few factors that go into this huge decision, at least for me. Do the colors best represent what I am going for with my design? Will they photograph well? Will the details show up well?

I really did learn this the hard way when I was working on another top secret pattern that I will be releasing in late May. It took me 6 tries to design what was a relatively easy design, all because the colors I had chosen just weren’t working well for me. Once I finally decided on colors that worked well it was all smooth sailing. I’ll go into more details about that when I release the pattern 😉

But I digress. So if I can answer the above questions with a resounding YES with the colors arranged in front of me then it’s time to move on. To what though? Well the first detail of any Ami…the Eyes!

Before I even begin translating what’s in my head to yarn, I have to decide on the eyes. What size and what color? For most of my designs I have chosen eyes that are a little larger than what others may use and usually the color compliments the yarn colors I am using. Autumn has Sage Green eyes to compliment her autumnal colors and also to represent the changing of the season where the grass gets a little less green. Sam has Brown Hazel Eyes and Pumpkin Pie has nice bright green eyes. All of my dolls use 18mm eyes. For Fat Dragon I am using 21mm eyes. I hand paint all of my eyes, with water based acrylic paints, to match or compliment the colors I am using. I use clear safety eyes that can be found here in a variety of sizes: www.glasseyesonline.com

Fat Dragon has proven to be hard in the area of eyes. I had a difficult time choosing, so I took it to my Facebook fans to help. We started with these 3 colors from left to right: Purple Lilac, Plum and Metallic Purple

After a few comments where it was agreed upon that the Plum was too dark we narrowed it down to this.

Many fans said they liked the Metallic best, but I was leaning towards the Lilac so then we did the comparison against the yarn.

Everyone really loved the metallic as it gave the eye more depth and I had to agree, but at the same time the lilac shows up much better against the yarn. So I thought and thought. Sadly I didn’t have any metallic lilac acrylic paint, but then I remembered something! I have metallic lilac nail polish! Yes you can paint your eyes with nail polish as well. The result is the image you see at the beginning of this post.

As I play more with painting eyes, I am sure to have some tips and tricks to share with you (Blending your own metallic paint). But for now it’s on to the body!

To Be Continued…

DIY Coasters!

My friend Tanya over at HodgePodge Crochet is seriously one crafty lady! To say she is a role model for me is an understatement. I seriously Fan-girl around her. I really do consider myself lucky that we are friends. Anywho! To the point of this post. You have to check out her latest blog! You really do not want to miss this one! Definitely a project I will be undertaking in the future!

DIY Coasters!.

A New Pattern

 

I recently released a new pattern. Her name is Pumpkin Pie. This particular doll is the daughter of 2 of my previous patterns Autumn Woods and Sam “Scare” Crow

You can find Pumpkin Pie’s pattern on both Ravelry and Craftsy

Enjoy!

The Girl with ODD (Obsessive Dragon Disorder) and the Quest to become a “Mother of Dragons” Part 1

It All Begins with an Idea and Colors

“Mother of Dragons”? Why yes exactly! Now while it is no secret, to those who know me, I am a major geek. I have had an obsession with Dragons for far longer than I have been crafting. I’m really not sure how or even why it started, but I have been fascinated with these larger than life creatures for quite sometime. From books about Dragons, movies, T.V. shows, to collectibles and statues, my obsession knows no bounds, and now it has spilled over to my designing.

About 6 months or so ago, I participated in a reddit gifts gift exchange for stuffies (stuffed animals). The person who drew me was amazing and sent me 2 stuffed dragons. One of them being this very fuzzy, squishy, and rather rotund, dragon. After pulling him out of the box, I immediately exclaimed “IT”S A FAT DRAGON!” The obsession grew. Soon after, the idea popped into my head to design a crocheted Fat Dragon. An image of this portly creature began to coalesce, to the point where I was dreaming about his different features. Sadly other pattern designs were in the works and Fat Dragon had to be buried deep in the recesses of my crafty little mind. Fast forward to now.

I have drug the images of this dragon out of the recesses and his design has begun. But wait I didn’t really explain the whole “Mother of Dragons” thing did I? It’s simple really. Through a series of pattern designs, I am on a quest to have my name Silverdragon Crafts & Critters be synonymous with the title “Mother of Dragons” It is quite sad that while I have made crocheted dragons from other designers patterns, I have yet to design one myself. Well it’s time to change that!

Now comes the question about this post’s title. Why is there a Part 1? Again another simple answer. This post is the first in a series that will follow my design process and my quest.

It’s time to begin!

How do my designs start? Usually, like a lot of designers, an idea pops into my head. Mostly as a result of something I have seen. In the case of Fat Dragon, it was the stuffie. The design process all starts right here in my craft room, with the choosing of yarn colors and, for this design, thread as well.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…..

 

 

Sooooo busy!

Since my last post here, I have been super busy. New jewelry designs and new patterns. I released my second pattern earlier this year and I was amazed at the response. I am currently working on a combo pattern and I am very excited. I’ll be posting pictures soon 🙂

Finally I am now a pattern designer

A while back I had mentioned something about beginning to write my own patterns. Well I did!! On the 1st of September my first pattern was released for a crocheted version of the Hercules C-130. He is a larger than life stuffed toy at 20 inches long, 22 inches across and 7 inches tall. I was very pleased with my release, selling a total of 27 copies in the first 72 hours after his release. Here is the finsihed Herky Bird in all his crocheted glory.

If you are interested in purchasing the pattern you can find it at the following links:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hercules-aka-herky-bird-the-c-130

https://www.etsy.com/listing/161298106/hercules-aka-herky-bird-the-c-130?ref=shop_home_feat

http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/toy/hercules-aka-herky-bird-the-c-130/66813

Finished custom Herky Birds can also be ordered here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/161326575/hercules-aka-herky-bird-the-c-130?ref=shop_home_active

Busy and a New Venture

Alot has been going on and I have been super busy. Between working, testing pattern and getting caught up on orders there is never a dull moment for me!

Recently I made the decision to begin writing crochet patterns. My specialty is Amigurumi. For those that are unfamiliar with Ami as it is called, it is a style of crochet where rounds are worked continously with no joining until the end of the piece. I have alot of ideas running around in my head. I had thought I was going to start with one thing and ending up deciding on another. In between pattern tests and orders, I will be working up my first ever pattern and I am hoping to release it around the beginning of September, sooner if I can get it worked up and to testers quickly.

I am proud to say that my first pattern will be for an Amigurumi version of the US Air Force’s Hercules C-130, affectionately known as the Herky Bird to his pilots, co-pilots and navigators. This plane by no means will be a small Ami toy LOL. He is a special request from my sister who is a Captain in the Air Force and I hoping that I do her proud with him. I will be posting WIP pictures of him as I get parts worked up.

Oh Wow! The Versatile Blogger Award

This is pretty cool! One of my fellow crafters has nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award.
Now I realize I don’t post alot but I am working on that. Lots has been going on.

When nominated for the award there are some rules you must follow and here they are:
If you have been nominated, nominate fellow bloggers that you love and who are relatively new to blogging. Let them know that you have nominated them. Share 7 random facts about yourself. Thank the blogger who has nominated you. Then add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your post.

My 7 random facts:

1. I have an obssession with Dragons
2. I have 4 beautiful granddaughters
3. My favorite color is Purple!
4. I am one of those weird people who loves nothing more than getting crafting supplies for my birthday or Christmas.
5. I have recently expanded from Crocheted toys to clothing and accessories.
6. I own a Purple Mustang. True story
7. 3 years ago I faced my overwhelming fear of heights to ride a Ferris Wheel with my oldest granddaughter because no one else would ride with her.

I nominate the following blogs
1. The Whole Knit and Caboodle http://wp.me/2QM9q
2. Smalltown Dreamz http://smalltowndreamz.blogspot.com/
3.Made By Christina with Love http://madebycwithlove.com/
4. Mad Mad Me http://032ad8a.netsolhost.com/madmad/
5. HodgePodge Crochet http://wp.me/275PL
6. Whimsy Stitch By Sarah http://wp.me/3fr1i
7. Spiffy Dolls http://spiffydolls.squarespace.com/

The one that started it all

This is the Critter, a Baby Dragon that started my business over 4 years ago.