StinaStuff

Poster Design

2012-01-21T13:29:00.000-05:00

I've discovered I like doing posters for Plays.

I did this one for my Brother's Girlfriend. She helps run a small theater company.

I put the design together in Illustrator, and kept feeling like something was missing. My brother suggested a crumpled paper texture, which really worked out nicely. Here it is as a flat vector version:

Inspiration

2012-01-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Christina on Pinterest

My mom bought me Emma by Jane Austen for Christmas. Because she liked the cover. I am my mother's daughter. I love love love the cover. The picture doesn't do it justice. The publishers embossed the cover, so you get a feel for the texture. The best part is the inside of the cover, which shows the backside of the embroidery! The Artist is Jillian Tamaki

Well, this book cover has made me want to embroider my own Illustration. I have an idea which involves Ferris wheels, balloons, and girls in dresses.

Any good tips for hand embroidery? Any web resources? It's been so long since I've done hand embroidery.

The Q.

2012-01-02T13:38:00.001-05:00

I have been drooling over the Pentax Q for months now. It's this tiny digital camera the size of a deck of cards, which interchangeable lenses. I love my Pentax k-x DSLR, but it's a bit bulky to lug around every day, and a little awkward at parties, and not at all discreet. I brought it with me to Washington DC, and had a sore arm afterwards from carrying it for 10 hours.

The Q is like a fancy little spy camera! Plus, it just looks cool. After being lucky enough to get some money for Christmas, and finding an awesome ebay deal, I decided to bite the bullet and order it. It should ship tomorrow. I cannot wait!

You can read about all of the features here: http://www.pentaximaging.com/hybrid/Q_White

I had a very Merry Christmas! I hope you all did too. :)

2011-12-26T18:44:00.000-05:00

I spent the last week leading up to Christmas sewing non stop every night after work to make 4 American Girl Doll sized Irish dance dresses for Christmas. I hope the kids loved them. The moms were thrilled.

That on top of the craziness at work, had me down right exhausted. I got a lot of much needed rest and family time this weekend, which makes me a happy camper.

It's hard to believe this year is almost over. This was not an easy year for me, but on the other end of it, I couldn't be much happier. I'm looking forward to 2012. =)

It's just not Christmas without my favorite

2011-11-30T21:09:00.001-05:00

Autumn Dress

2011-11-27T15:09:00.000-05:00

Finally pictures! (that are out of focus, and not the best)
Ignore the bad hair day...

It sure is quiet around here...

2011-11-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

I did finish that dress...I just forgot to take pictures when I wore it! I'm wearing it for Thanksgiving, so I will share photos then. It turned out really cute, and I got some compliments when I wore it.

I've been fighting a nasty cough all week, so I took off from dancing last night. I wanted to feel like I accomplished something, so I did some much needed wardrobe changes to my Silkstone collection, and photographed a few of the dolls for my own amusement.

Here is a sweater dress I made forever ago.

I forgot all about this wrap top I made. I like it paired with the gold jewelry.

The beautiful Lingerie this Barbie came with. I love it!

Improvement

2011-10-23T12:20:00.000-04:00

What a difference another 3 weeks of drawing will make.

I should get to my sewing tomorrow. About time!

All Dressed Up

2011-10-16T09:59:00.001-04:00

Here's the complete outfit I blogged about a few weeks ago.

On a sewing note, I've been so crazy busy I haven't had a chance to even rip seems on the skirt to fix it. Hopefully this week, since I want to wear it.

Dress Progress and a bargain

2011-09-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

This is what I've gotten done so far.
I'm very pleased with the top. The full skirt is too bulky at the waist, so I think I'm going to be forced to make it more of an A-line. Tomorrow I'm going to try and take the skirt off (if I can just find that seam ripper...) and then revamp the skirt shape. I also want to include pockets. Changing the skirt will actually give me more extra fabric to make a little cardigan with.

This is after trimming the seam allowances, which helped a bit...but knowing me, I'll never be happy with that bit of bulk.

I'm very happy with the sleeves.

On another note, I love a good buy. I have a friend's wedding to attend next month, and found out it's going to be a bit more formal than I anticipated. (not that I mind an excuse to dress up, or buy something new)

I was fretting over finding a longer dress that wouldn't break the bank. I still had that JCP coupon for this weekend, so I made that my first stop at the mall today. Lucky for me, the dresses were 40% off. I actually only brought in three dress to the fitting room, and number three was the winner.
I got a $90 dress for $44 after discounts and coupons. I really loved the fit of the dress (and that fact that it wasn't cheesy shiny fabric) but I wasn't crazy about the cheap looking brooch on the front. I splurged and got a brooch for $25 and it made the dress look so much more polished.

I admit, it's a bold brooch, but since it's a halter top I wont have a necklace. I have great earrings that match. I may get a bracelet, since the store I bought the brooch at gave me a coupon for $10 off $10, starting in October...

I have a beautiful silver beaded vintage evening bag from my great grandmother. I just need shoes and I'll be all set.

Life Drawing and sewing progress

2011-09-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a life drawing class once a week, which I'm finding really relaxing after a long day at work. I still have a long way to go, but here's what I've been doing:

My sewing is coming along nicely. I have the whole top done, and it's very much like I imagined! I'll post pictures tonight or tomorrow.

I should be sewing...

2011-09-23T20:05:00.000-04:00

...but it's a rainy day, and I'm feeling tired. I think I'll be happier starting my dress tomorrow after work, when I know I'm done for the week and can really concentrate on it.

I'm sitting on the couch feeling lazy, but very productive since I just bought new boots! I've been eyeing these up for a while now, and JC Penney has a coupon out this weekend. (use online code WEEKEND to save up to $20)

I saved myself $15 on these shoes, and got free shipping, so I don't feel bad that they didn't have them in stock at my local mall.

Sewing Progress

2011-09-22T11:48:00.002-04:00

Sorry I don' have any pictures to share. I got the pattern made and cut for the top of the dress on Monday. I had all intentions of sewing on Wednesday, but we had a brown out that put a damper on those plans. I had Life Drawing class last night, and Dance tonight, so I wont get to sewing until tomorrow. I'm really excited about this project and can't wait to finally be putting it together.

I think I may also have enough fabric left over to make a little cardigan of some sorts too. =)

New Fabric!

2011-09-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

I stumbled across this on Monday in the clearance section at Joann's, and couldn't stop thinking about it all day today. I treated myself to it as a birthday present. The fabric is a knit wool blend. I think it will make a really cute fall/winter dress. I have a summer dress that I love the top of, which I think I'll base my pattern on. I'm hoping to start it in Sunday, so I should be sharing some progress soon. It was $10 a yard, and I go 50% off one yard, due to an imperfection that I'm sure I can work around.

I stumbled across...

2011-09-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

My album artwork at a dance competition today.

I want to learn how to Electroplate

2011-09-06T22:26:00.001-04:00

I saw this necklace on Etsy and it inspired me. Why can't I coat my own leaves in metals? Acorns, pinecones, shells, flowers, lace, etc?! So, I did some research, and convinced my Dad to help me...

I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

Another Blog

2011-09-05T01:15:00.001-04:00

As you know, this Blog focuses mainly on my creative side. I've started another one which is a little more personal. You can read it here: http://heartthelittlethings.wordpress.com

Homemade Doughnuts

2011-08-29T18:09:00.000-04:00

My Mom, Sister, and I made doughnuts this afternoon. It's a big job, and took a little over an hour, but they are soo worth it.

Sewing, I miss you.

2011-08-28T23:05:00.001-04:00

I plan to recreate this skirt from J.Crew. It's $135 and I cannot justify spending that much on any skirt.
I found a Cynthia Rowley Pattern which will give me a close shape that I can modify to match even closer to the J. Crew Skirt.

I even found some fabric that will be a decent match without breaking the bank.

I'm also considering making it in flannel, since is closer to the original, and a bit more casual. I should order some samples and decide. Either way, I can make this skirt for well under $135.

A stormy Day Update

2011-08-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

This is what I woke up to...

I'm not leaving the house today, so it's a good day for a crafty update.

I used some twine to attach the tag, which I think worked well with the design.

I made a card for the gift basket I gave (I should have gotten pictures, but I was on a time crunch) I used white paper, an embroidered fabric sample I had in my stash, and printed clear paper, along with some touches of velvet ribbon.

Tag Design and a birthday card

2011-08-22T23:07:00.002-04:00

I'm giving an apron away as a gift, and decided to finish it off with a tag of my own to make it look more professional. I like my logo because I'm finding it works with a lot of different styles...I may even stick with the vintage look for a while and convert the blog over when I have time.

I plan to print it out on 4x6 matte paper at work and then fold it in half. I'll punch a whole in it and attach it with a ribbon and a tiny safety pin.

I'm using the flower photo I took for the front of my Mom's birthday card.

Getting Crafty With Crystals

2011-08-22T00:10:00.000-04:00

This is a way long over due project: Gluing Swarovski Crystals to my Solo Dress.
I ordered around 400 from Dream Time Creations, and used probably around 350ish.

It was a little frustrating at first because the pile in the velvet makes it tricky to get the crystals to stay down, but I got the hang of it. I cranked up Pandora on my iPod sunk into the task. It took several hours, and tried my patience once or twice, but I'm thrilled with the result.

testing

2011-08-19T18:16:00.001-04:00

Wondering if the blogger app works

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

testing blogger mobile

2011-08-19T18:15:00.001-04:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4

Flowers to Brighten a Dreary Day

2011-08-14T12:14:00.002-04:00

You can't tell from the photos, but it's a very rainy day here in New Jersey. My Mom had this huge flower centerpiece she got from work (she deals with weddings and events) and she asked me to split it into smaller arrangements. Here is the finished product:

I apologize for the lack of excitement.

2011-08-13T21:57:00.002-04:00

Life kind of has me down at the moment. I feel like this summer everything has been falling apart. I try to hold onto the little every day things that make me happy, and those are great, but in the grand scheme of things whenever I think I have something to hold on to, or a ray of hope, it's ripped away. Sorry to be such a downer, I'm just getting incredibly frustrated.

Meet Teddy

2011-08-02T22:05:00.000-04:00

He joined our Doggy family this weekend, since he needed a new home.

This is Gretel and ShuShu, his big Sister and Brother:

One of the best things about summer

2011-07-17T23:34:00.000-04:00

Casual Dresses! I got a nice deal on this one at JC Penney :)

Vacation Photos

2011-06-29T19:43:00.006-04:00

I apologize for the slow updates. I came back from vacation and life just got all sorts of jumbled up again.

The above shots were taken in Ocean City, NJ.
(The couple is my sister and her boyfriend)

Finally, a movie that doesn't involve Super Heroes or Sequels.

2011-06-10T22:50:00.001-04:00

I just saw the film Super 8, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. If you like those older sci-fi, ETish kind of films, then you wont be disappointed in Super 8. It was definitely a movie made by someone that loves film. The movie never takes itself too seriously, and the acting is wonderful. There is great chemistry between the kids; they all play well off of each other, and feel very authentic. The movie is set in the 1970's and feels accurate, never cheesy. I won't give away the story, since none of the trailers do either, but I will say it's worth 2 hours of your time.

Doll Dance Shoes

2011-06-09T11:30:00.000-04:00

I found this link with a tutorial on making doll sized Irish Dance shoes, which would of course go perfectly with the doll costumes. Now the wheels are spinning in my head for dance shoe and sock sets to sell.

Doll Dance Costumes...Success!

2011-05-25T22:14:00.001-04:00

After issue after issue, these doll costume have finally started to come together. I still need to make 5 and a half more...but, at least I'm getting through these orders. Next time I will charge a lot more. $40 is far too cheap for all the work that goes into these. They are fully lined, with the designs ironed on. There is also a matching headband and Velcro back closure, for easy on and off.
You Can see what the Girl sized dresses look like here.

Life.

2011-05-15T23:54:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's already been a year since I graduated from college. This past year has flown by. Life is very different now in a lot of ways, and very much the same in others. I work full time now. (actually, usually a little over time too)
I enjoy work. Some weeks (like this one) can get crazy. but I love not having homework like I did in school. Sometimes I miss learning, yet I can't quite decide what I would get a masters in if I were to return to school. Right now the idea of more school just doesn't appeal to me..I have other things I want to focus on.

I recently purchased myself a CAR! I'm very excited. I have been relying on other people for rides for far too long. I take the train to work, but I finally have the freedom I have been needing for quite some time on the weekends.

I have a new beau now. :) He is the sweetest most amazing man I have ever met. He's also very talented and we get along amazingly well on so many levels. I can't help but feel like God was watching out for me when he put him in my path.

On a less personal level: I'm still slowly plugging away at these doll dresses. Life has just gotten so crazy the past month or so, that they've had to be taken at a slow pace. This week I plan to kick into gear and get them done. I have the yellow materials coming on Tuesday to make the knotwork.

Springtime

2011-05-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

Success!

2011-04-30T22:33:00.000-04:00

I can finally stop stressing out over these doll dresses. The Thermoflex worked beautifully!

Now I just need to order it in yellow. Luckily since it just irons on, I can assemble the dresses completely while I wait for it to ship.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:28:00.001-04:00

I finally got a few shots of myself in one of the aprons I made forever ago.

Crafting headaches

2011-04-17T18:37:00.001-04:00

Gahhhhh!!!! That's how this doll dress project is making me feel. My idea for screen printing the design on was a total and complete fail in so many ways. The biggest problem being that I lost the power cord for my Yudu Machine. I have no idea how that happened. My mom stored it in her closet. I'm thinking it's gone to the land of missing socks. I don't expect it to turn up, so I'll probably have to try and order a replacement. It doesn't matter anyway, because I tested the yellow ink on the blue fabric, and it turns a translucent shade of green.

I really don't want to satin stitch the knots on. It's too much of a hassle for such a small dress. Finding ways to transfer the design in order to follow it with the needle, and then my machine doesn't let me adjust the width of the stitch. (I really need to get my Kenmore fixed!)

I had to do some tweaking to the princess seams of the pattern. I knew I would be off. It was just more than I expected. It's almost laughable. The princess seams get lost in the side of the dress and don't start in the proper place.

I tweaked, and then tweaked and some more. You can see the differences in the pattern comparison here. The one of the left is the new pattern.

As for the knotwork...my Dad came up with the solution: Thermoflex. It's a material that can be cut with a vinyl plotter and ironed on. (I'll probably need to use a heat press, which I have access to at work.)

So that's where this project stands. I'm going to try and assemble an entire dress and then iron on the design. At this point I have nothing to lose...

Bathing Suit

2011-04-05T21:28:00.001-04:00

For some reason I keep thinking about this bathing suit from Shabby Apple.
I'm just concerned about the bottom covering enough-- The downside of a one piece for a very hourglass shape. I swear bathing suits are designed for flat butted people!

Rough Pattern Making

2011-04-03T21:38:00.001-04:00

My method to pattern making is tracing and winging it, with a dash of rough measuring.
It's not an exact science, but it works for me.

I started with an existing doll dress just to get the shape of the neck and arm holes, from there I measured parts of the doll and drew the shape of the dress. I then had to trace and redraw parts to get everything I needed.

As soon as I buy new straight pins (I can never keep them around, they always get lost) I'm going to test this pattern out be sure it works. It'll probably need little tweaks but nothing major.

Spring Shoes

2011-04-03T13:34:00.001-04:00

I piked up these new shoes today from Shii by Journeys. They're kind of a cross between flats and a sandal, and are quite comfortable. One of these days it will stay warm, and I'll need to ditch my boots.

Beginning of a silkscreen and other things.

2011-03-28T15:09:00.001-04:00

This will be printed onto a clear piece of paper to make the silkscreen. I still have another set of knots to do for the hem and sleeve.

I printed my digital painting onto canvas at work. The photo isn't the best because my batteries were dying, but you get the idea.

Doll Costumes

2011-03-27T23:22:00.003-04:00

I have 7 orders for doll costumes so far. Time to start cracking on them! I may need to remake the dress pattern, since I have no idea what happened to the one I used last time. I also need to redraw the knotwork so I can make the silkscreen, and once orders close this week, I need to fabric shop. I'll be posting photos along the way. :)

Just because...

2011-03-22T22:39:00.000-04:00

I gave up Facebook for lent, so I'm going through social networking withdrawals. I Love sharing information, and absorbing information, I'm just an all around information junkie.

I'm happy to see blogger updated its post editor. The old one was bugging me a lot. I always had issues uploading images in it.

This urge to interact with the internet community has me sitting here when I should be going to bed, wanting to share some songs I've kind of adopted as my themes these past couple weeks...I have to say breaking up with someone when you thought you'd be together with forever seriously SUCKS. One second I'm so beyond hurt and frustrated, the next I have this carefree "he's an idiot" approach. Either way it's not pleasant. I just keep reminding myself that one day I'll find someone who will love me without a second thought. (I can hope and pray anyway)

Little by little everyday I feel more distance from that chapter in my life and just move forward.

So..where was I? My theme songs.
Push by Matchbox Twenty. This pretty much sums up my feelings.

The Lyrics are here.

Problem Girl. (yes I'm a a big MB20/Rob Thomas fan)

The Lyrics

Some of my other favorites right now include "Smile like you mean it" By the Killers, and "Under Pressure" by Queen.

I'm always looking for new music, so please share some of your favorites!

Something I've been meaning to do

2011-03-21T15:34:00.004-04:00

My Last Post must have jinxed me...I woke up to snow.

I've spent the afternoon redesigning my website. I made the one I have now at the end of my final semester last year. It's too...safe. I need something that shows what I can do. Something that's modern and clean and fun. This is what I came up with. It will be made in flash, so there will be subtle things that happen when you hover with your mouse. (although nothing too crazy, that bugs me)My next step is to design what the rest of the pages will look like, and gather all of my digital files. My goal is to have it done by May 5th, when I have an Alumni dinner to exchange business cards.

Spring!

2011-03-20T19:33:00.004-04:00

Finally, winter is officially over. Twice this week I was able to eat outside on my lunch break. I love fresh air. I'm not a winter person, I truly hate to be cold.

I'm making doll dance costumes again. This time I plan to silkscreen the design instead of satin stitching. Although making the screen is kind of a pain, in the long run the dresses will go a lot faster, and be more detailed.

I'm going to try and be better about documenting my projects along the way and sharing. I need to distract myself from my troubles and do something creative and fun.

I've been slowly trying to build my spring wardrobe, since I'll be down the shore for 10 days starting the end of May, and I'm in need of summery clothes in general.

I found some great basic v-neck T's from JC Penney for $6.99. I got 2 black, yellow, light gray, pink, and green. Right now I've been layering them under cardigans. I'm a big fan of staple pieces.

I got this fun Fedora from NY and Company. It'll be nice for the shore, since my face burns.

I got a great little purse for the summer with stripes and a bow. I'll have to photograph it to share.

Saint Patrick's Day is Approaching

2011-03-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

I'll be seeing Celtic Fire (a Riverdance type show) on Friday night with my friend from dance, and then Dancing in a big Parade this Saturday, and possibly have another show afterwards. It really helps the long winter pass when I have something fun to do.

Life is so difficult.

2011-02-27T17:09:00.005-05:00

My boyfriend broke up with me today. We had been together for two and a half years. We'd had a few rocky moments in that time, mostly due to our different belief systems. (I'm a devout Catholic, and he didn't have much of a religious upbringing; Church was a Wedding and Funeral place.) Despite this, we were crazy about each other. If you watch a movie like the Notebook, where the main characters push each other's buttons, yet get along amazingly well, that would have been us. It wasn't always easy, but I loved him with all of my heart, and couldn't imagine my life without him in it. He was my best friend. He took care of me, encouraged my creativity and taught me a lot about love and life.

And now he's gone.

I know he had a hard time forgetting those few moments where we clashed horribly.

I chose to forget them, because I loved him too much to care about the issue forever.

He said something felt like it was missing at times.

I had a slight fear in the back of my mind that we'd clash too much to ever be married, yet I wanted to marry him so badly. I could picture it in my head so plainly.

I chose to just focus on how much he meant to me, and felt that love would work things out.

He didn't have that kind of faith, and felt maybe we were trying too hard, and love should come easier than this.

He wanted to take a little time apart to make things right, so for 3 days we had no contact.

This morning he came over, crying, saying he couldn't do this anymore.

I feel lost, angry, upset, hurt...But more than anything I miss my best friend. The one who would send me random text messages about nothing throughout the day. The one who loved to play with my dogs. The one who would pick me up from work. The one who believed in me. The one who felt so good to be held by. The one I loved, and still love with my whole heart and soul. The one I pictured myself with for the rest of my life.

I know I need to take life as an adventure. Maybe God has someone out there that wont clash with me so much. Maybe what I wanted and what I needed were two different things. All I know is that while he couldn't get the bad days out of his head, I can't help but think of all the good ones that have ended.

Looks can be deceiving

2011-02-20T14:58:00.007-05:00

I have gone far too long without posting! I've been busy with work and life, and unfortunately that hasn't included much craftiness.

I finally have something really fun to share: Chinese food Cupcakes! I got this wonderful book called What's New Cupcake? from my boyfriend's mother as a Christmas gift. She is throwing a small birthday party tonight, and I offered to make the cupcakes.

The directions and photos were very easy to follow. The broccoli is made from Tootsie Fruit Chews with some icing and sprinkles. They were so simple to make, and look pretty real! The Fortune cookies are made out of Caramels. I love that the book doesn't use fondant, which I personally think tastes terrible. I also purchased Chinese Food Containers from Michaels, and wooden dowels for chopsticks.

Wooden Gears

2011-01-03T15:59:00.003-05:00

My Dad's friend from our church made this beautiful wood clock. He was getting rid of it since it didn't work properly anymore, and offered it to my Dad to fix and keep.

The craftsmanship is amazing. I couldn't resist photographing it.

You can view more photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/42638141@N07/5320806137/in/photostream/lightbox/

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-15T21:28:00.005-05:00

My boyfriend and I decorated Gingerbread houses last weekend.

The "Nature" tree my Mom and I worked on together.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T19:43:00.002-05:00

My Boyfriend and I went into the city last night to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons.

"Holiday Card" Design

2010-11-15T12:39:00.005-05:00

This is a freelance job for a company called Applied Forensics. They wanted a "Holiday Card" that wasn't too specific to any holiday, and one that focused on their logo. This is what I came up with. (Their logo features a microscope and quill Pen)
The Digital Painting portion was done in Corel Painter, and then I adjusted curves and and brightness/contrast in Photoshop, and added the type.

Holiday Crafts

2010-11-08T20:54:00.002-05:00

My Mom and I have been busy crafting for our Nature themed tree.The yarn balls were made by covering Styrofoam balls with yarn. The glitter ornaments were just clear balls from Joann Fabrics that we covered in white glue and sprinkled Martha Stewart glitter all over. The bird houses are also from Joann fabrics. My Dad spray painted them copper, and my mom and I applied the glitter. The Fancy bird and little woodland creatures were purchased from Christmas Tree shops. My boyfriend bought me the pear shaped Owl from Whole Foods.

Halloween Cupcakes

2010-10-28T22:20:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend my sister and I made 90 cupcakes. We even used an icing bag and filled some with instant chocolate pudding. (it's messy to fill them, but it makes for a yummy cupcake!)

Happy Halloween Costumes and Decorations

2010-10-19T20:07:00.007-04:00

It's always fun to get dressed up for Halloween. You get to become a character you always loved, Be a little scary, or even take on a totally different personality.

I always loved making costumes growing up. I didn't have the money for it this year, so I'll be recycling an old glittery cape I made a few years ago, and getting a pretty mask to wear. I may also be pulling out an old black velvet dress that my mom wore to my aunt's wedding when I was a little girl. My brother is throwing a Costume Birthday Party since his birthday is just a few days before Halloween. I'll be sharing pictures of the costumes and decorations afterward.

Here are a few Halloween costumes that I loved.

This Cupcake Costume from Pottery Barn Teen is really fun. At $69.00 I'd create my own version from felt. Felt would require little sewing since it doesn't fray and then you could customize it with any colors and "toppings" you like.
They also feature a Popcorn costume which could fun to make on your own.

The other day I found these amazing Lego Costumes. I'm really impressed with how professional they look.

Every year my mom creates a "Faux Fire" in our fireplace. It's a little early to start a real fire, but this idea adds a nice warm glow to the space.

All it takes is some Fake Autumn Leaves from the craft Store, and some orange lights. Just intertwine the two, and sit in the fireplace. My brother has cobwebs on the fire place screen for now. They'll come off afterwards, and then we'll keep the lights for a warm glow during Thanksgiving season. It's dark in my house now, so the pictures of the glow are a little harsh, but you get the idea.

Branding myself

2010-10-04T18:45:00.004-04:00

It's a difficult thing, defining yourself in a little card. It has to be you, yet it can't be so "you" that the rest of the world simply doesn't understand or relate to it. For my birthday my boyfriend gave me a business card holder, and said he would pay for my business cards to be printed. (so thoughtful!) So for the last few days I have been toying with ideas. Some were too static, too feminine, too...pink. I didn't want to make it so "me" that it wouldn't appeal to a mass audience. After all, the card has to be handed out to a variety of potential clients. My first thought was a folded business card that could act as a little brochure. It wound up being too cluttered, and filled with too much information. In the end, after wracking my brain like crazy in the late night, I came up with a card that sort of defines me in words and in a clean basic design. I don't like designs to be too serious. I think a design can be professional and clean without being stuffy.

I chose a rounded corner card after seeing this great article from youthedesigner.com

So here it is...my card. I wanted the green to be hot pink, but the type gets lost on the gray. I tried every color in the rainbow, but green was the only thing that gave me a "punch" like the pink.

I also redesigned my resume to match my card.

I'm happy with my logo that I designed during my last year in college. It's versatile and can be broken down in a variety of ways.

The Skirt is Complete

2010-10-04T09:57:00.004-04:00

I woke up with sudden motivation Saturday morning, and decided to just copy my Gap skirt and making a pattern. I wound up not going anywhere, so I spent 8 hours sewing and completed the skirt. The project was surprisingly easy and pain-free. I made pockets into the skirt, which I had never attempted before. I also made it a point to finish off everything carefully, including putting the hem on the skirt by hand.

I don't have any fancy methods for copying finished clothing to make a pattern. I sort of trace what I can, and eyeball the rest.

Here is the skirt I copied:

And here you can see how I broke down the waistband:

I'll post photos of the finished piece as soon as I can.

Plaid Skirt

2010-09-30T11:47:00.002-04:00

I sadly haven't gotten much done on the skirt. (and by much I mean anything)
I did purchase a laptop, which is awesome, but now I'm broke and buying a pattern is just an extra expense. I was browsing Burdastyle and found the "A-Plus A-Line skirt" which is a free pattern. I'm thinking this would work out well. I would just want to shorten the length to above the knee. The shape is actually really similar to a skirt that I wear all the time from the Gap. It's the skirt I keep thinking about whenever I picture my plaid skirt.

I'm mad about Plaid

2010-09-18T20:32:00.004-04:00

I bought this pretty blue plaid fabric a couple weeks ago. It's a soft and warm poly and rayon blend. I'm planning to make a skirt out of it, since I love love lover wearing skirts and boots in the fall.

I'm thinking about using Simplicity pattern 2411, View E for the skirt. Since I'm just looking for something basic. I may do the button details that are on view D, since I think some silver crest buttons would be cute.

Bitty Buttons/ Lalaloopsy Doll

2010-09-14T21:05:00.007-04:00

I may be turning 23 tomorrow, but I'll never be too old for dolls. My twin brother gave me this adorable plastic rag doll for my (our) birthday. The doll is made by MGA Entertainment, and is part of a series of dolls. Each is supposed to have been sewn from a special piece of cloth which reflects in their personality. (Mine was "made" from eskimo scarf and is named Mittens Fluff N' Stuff)

I had to blog about it not only because it's so darn cute, but because I noted an interesting correction on the box:

On the packaging, the doll is called "Lalaloopsy"

However, the poster the doll came with calls them "Bitty Buttons"

If you look closely at the box, you can see that a NEW label was stuck over the original "Bitty Buttons" logo, and replaced with the "Lalaloopsy" one instead.

My question is...why? Was it a copyright issue? I'm supposing it's cheaper to slap new labels over old ones, instead of making all new boxes. I have however seen dolls with just the name "Bitty Buttons" back when they first appeared in stores. Now I'm going to have to keep an eye out for boxes with permanent changes. I did a little research and couldn't find anyone talking about the sudden name change.

IAANJ Feis

2010-09-12T21:14:00.006-04:00

I competed at the Irish American Association of NJ Feis today. It was outdoors, rainy, chilly, but still fun. I took 1st, 2nd, and 8th place in my 3 competitions. I finally got to wear the dress I made! I plan to add a lot of Swarovski crystals to my dress before my next competition. I need to sparkle more compared to the other costumes. Here are a few photos from the day:

My Boyfriend was very patient throughout the day. =)

On the far right, the back of my costume.

Ready to dance.

Summer is ending...

2010-08-23T16:17:00.002-04:00

...and I am STILL without a computer, which has seriously killed my blog. I'm also itching to expand my portfolio with non-school projects, which is on hold as well.

Anyone else dying to wear fall clothes? I'm really tired of summer clothing. I want to LAYER, wear pretty stockings, and cute boots, and wool skirts. I've decided to get some inspiration for my fall wardrobe from the movie Penelope starring Christina Ricci.The Character Penelope wears very whimsical, feminine outfits.
My fall selection is in sad shape, so I'm going to have some fun building my wardrobe from scratch this fall.

A new perspective

2010-08-03T20:09:00.003-04:00

I haven't quite mastered perspective drawing, but I took a shot at it to fix the floor of my painting.

"World's Craziest Straw"

2010-07-29T19:14:00.001-04:00

"Pastel" Digital Painting created in Corel Painter.

I haven't forgotten about my blog..

2010-07-06T19:13:00.002-04:00

Or my giveaway! I'm still without my own computer at the moment, so it may be a little while before I get to post like I want to.

Ocean City

2010-06-14T11:04:00.004-04:00

I had such a fun time in Ocean City, I really didn't want to go home. Here are a few pictures I took:

I love the summer..

2010-06-03T12:44:00.001-04:00

I'll be in Ocean City for a week. If you're ever in the Jersey Shore area, be sure to visit Ocean City!

Sorry for the Lack of Posts

2010-05-27T10:45:00.003-04:00

I'm without my own computer at the moment, and any computer time I steal off of my brother's desktop is for a freelance job.
I'm lucky my sister is at work and I could borrow her mac book for a bit. =P

I do have a giveaway planned, I promise! It'll be posted in June. Once I get my new laptop I'll be posting more fun stuff regularly.

Typography Humor

2010-05-22T20:26:00.002-04:00

Taken from http://somuchpun.com/

Graduation

2010-05-18T18:50:00.004-04:00

I graduated on Saturday from Centenary College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts. Suma Cume Laude. (with the highest honor)

It feels so good to be done! This was my first ever graduation ceremony, since I was home schooled through high school, so I was probably a little extra excited for that.

The Valedictorian proposed to her boyfriend at the end of her speech. It stirred up quite a bit of news, and they've appeared on the CBS morning show, and on Fox News. You can read about it here. That should certainly give my little private college some publicity! We had a graduating class of Just 460. (Out of 3 campus locations)
My Boyfriend's school (NJIT) had 2,000 as a comparison.

As a side note, here are some photos of the Dress I just finished on Sunday for a little girl at my dance school:

I'm Live =)

2010-05-07T14:35:00.001-04:00

Visit My Website

Just a note

2010-05-06T23:12:00.003-04:00

I know my blog has been a little dull lately. I've been so busy with school that I've had nothing interesting to really share. I did finish a gauche painting of a house that I will post over the weekend. I'm quite happy with it. I finished my Flash portfolio, which will be going up on the College's server tomorrow. I'm really excited about it! I'm pretty much done with all of my homework, and by Monday I will officially have finished all my classes.Tuesday is Commencement rehearsal, and Graduation is this Saturday, (Please pray for good weather) and the night before I have a dance to attend honoring the graduates. Monday is my boyfriends graduation (although he technically finished in December, and is already working on a Masters in Bio Mechanical Engineering)

It's going to be one crazy week coming up.

I'm planning a giveaway for the blog coming later in the month. ;)

Digital Mutiny

2010-05-04T10:42:00.001-04:00

I didn't realize I'm featured on my College's website for the Graphic Design program.
Take a look: http://www.digitalmutiny.com/illustrations3.php
I'm the first thumbnail. "The Crane"

Centenary Senior Fashion Show

2010-04-30T15:23:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of Modeling for Nneka Convington in the Senior Fashion Show last night. I had a blast and loved wearing Nneka's design. The whole collection was based off of Sweney Todd.

You can see all of the photos here

Statement Tee

2010-04-29T09:46:00.001-04:00

I picked up this cute Pink tee from Victoria's secret on Tuesday. They're $10 with any Pink purchase until May 10th. The statement couldn't be more appropriate. Anyone looking for a hardworking graphic designer?

I'm slowly digging through my pile of work

2010-04-27T19:51:00.003-04:00

My most exciting project is a web portfolio I'm creating for myself. I can't wait to get it online.

She sells sea shells...

2010-04-22T19:58:00.002-04:00

One project to check off the list.

Spring Time and a request for a vote

2010-04-21T21:41:00.004-04:00

This is the gorgeous view in front of my house.

Also, please vote for our yard as the ugliest: http://my.diynetwork.com/amdl-2010/East-Coast/37-Steps/detail.esi?oid=15732839

(the park is pretty, our yard isn't)

To Do:

2010-04-15T11:11:00.003-04:00

Finish Gouache Seashell painting for next week.
Create two sketches for Drawing II homework. Due Next week.
Drawing II Final Project. Due May 6th

Finish Web Design II homework. Due May 5th.
Create final project for Web II. Due May 5th.

Create Flash Portfolio Website for Senior Portfolio II. Due May 7th.

Answer discussions, and probably have to write more papers for History of Modern Art. (at least for next week)
Create Power Point for History of Modern Art Final. Due May 10th.

Day of Graduation: May 15th.

So much work, so little time...

The Bronx Zoo

2010-04-11T21:22:00.004-04:00

My boyfriend and I took a trip to the Bronx Zoo this morning. It's only a little under a half hour drive for us. I had never been there before, so it was a new treat for me. It was a beautiful day and a ton of fun. I loved waiting for the animals to come close enough to get a good shot.

3rd post for the day...

2010-04-05T20:04:00.003-04:00

After spending so much time glued to my animation project I needed to get outside and enjoy the nice evening. I snapped some shots of the sunset. I did do some editing in Photoshop to intensify the colors a bit.

Here it is

2010-04-05T18:05:00.001-04:00

My Flash Animation

It is not perfect. But not terrible since I've never done anything like this.

Easer Fun

2010-04-05T14:48:00.005-04:00

I hope you everyone had a nice Easter. I certainly did. I went to Mass in the morning, came home and ate orange Buns for breakfast, napped, ate Roast beef with celery gravy, roasted potatoes, and yams with Pineapples and Cherries that were soaked in brown sugar. In the late afternoon I went by my grandparent's house. My aunt Made Coffee cake and Torte. It was all delicious. I also went for a walk with my cousins and took my camera out. I had fun taking pictures of my sister playing with bubbles.

I pulled out a dress I bought last summer and paired with with black leggings from the Gap and a cardigan from H&M.

Have a...

2010-04-04T12:47:00.000-04:00

Work, work and more work

2010-03-30T10:41:00.004-04:00

I'm writing this as I should be inking some sketches for my drawing class. I was looking back at my old posts and realized other my dress, I've had nothing overly interesting to share. This semester is a little...boring. I miss designing for print. Everything I'm doing in Senior Portfolio II is for web. I'm working on a flash animation at the moment. It has to be 90 seconds long. I don't have a lot of animation experience, so it's taking some time. 3 hours in class on Friday produced 6 seconds added to my movie. Mostly the drawing is what takes so long, animating isn't so time consuming. Although I am doing frame-by-frame. I have 30 seconds complete so far.

The story is called "Morning Coffee" and goes something like this:

Scene 1) Man pours himself coffee
Scene 2) Dog sniffs the air smelling the coffee
Scene 3) Man puts coffee on the table and leaves the room
Scene 4) Dog jumps onto the dining room chair and drinks the coffee
Scene 5) Dog jumps off the chair before the man comes back
Scene 6) Unknowingly, man drinks coffee and pets dog happily.

My Dog actually did this to my dad.

A beautiful day for a trip to the city

2010-03-21T13:36:00.006-04:00

My boyfriend and I took the 9:07am train into the city yesterday. The weather was incredibly gorgeous. I had to visit the Museum of Modern Art for a school project, then we roamed around the city. We spent a lot of time in Central Park since it was 70-something degrees outside in March. The most perfect first day of spring.

Here are a few photos from our day.

Central Park.

Here I am sitting enjoy the amazing weather.

We became a little direction-ally-challenged, but we found Dylan's Candy Bar

Gumballs. I'm planning to make a poster out of this.

Gumballs in the tub.

This display was in FAO Schwartz; it shows a Silkstone Barbie doll from concept to completion. This made my day. =)

The United Nations.

I actually got my boyfriend to hold still for a photo without crossing his eyes or doing silly gestures.

My 150th post!

2010-03-16T13:53:00.004-04:00

Bright pink lining

The front

My aunt sent me the pretty Swarovski Crystal beads. I thought they worked nicely on the headband.

Here is the back. I didn't do anything crazy with the cape since I was running out of fabric.

(This shot took forever to get)

The dress

2010-03-15T10:34:00.003-04:00

I got the dress finished on Thursday, and made the cape Saturday and the headband on Sunday. I just need to make the kickpants and I'll be all set. I'm hoping to get some photos of the dress tomorrow. I want to go outside for the pictures, I just need this rain to go away first.

Sadly, it poured on Saturday, so I wasn't able to wear it for the parade like I had planned.

This the projects that never ends...Yes it goes on and on my friends.

2010-03-08T23:00:00.006-05:00

I'm finally making some progress on this costume. I wound up buying a new sewing machine, because my 20 year old Pfaff just didn't want to satin stitch without breaking threads and looking all icky. (yes, icky.)

I purchased a basic Brother machine, which does a very nice satin stitch. The only downside is that the width of the stitch cannot be adjusted...

I wound up doing the applique for the top like a patch and straight stitching it on afterward. This made it so much easier on me in the long run, since I didn't need to worry about puckering velvet. This is very clean and neat compared to what my first attempt was with just a plain satin stitch.

The lining is sewn into the top, I just need to assemble it. I still need to satin stitch the sleeves, attach the skirt to the top and put in the zipper...It may not have all the bells and whistles (such as a cape) for the Saint Patrick's Day Parade on Saturday, but I'm determined to have it be wearable.
Also, my new camera came today! It's quite beautiful. I can't wait until spring break next week when I'll have time to play around with it.

My name is Christina, and I'm a technology junkie.

2010-03-06T17:05:00.003-05:00

So I just found out today, that Microsoft has their own tablet PC coming out. It's called the courier, and looks incredible. It's every creative persons' dream in my opinion. It's like a sketchbook, camera, internet, thing--all rolled into one. You can even mix "paint" colors on this thing. I'll be first in line to buy it. Check it out here.
I also love that it folds in half, so the screen will stay protected when it's not in use.

New Camera!

2010-03-01T21:53:00.005-05:00

I finally purchased myself a beautiful Digital SLR camera. I have been dying for one. My point and shoot camera is almost dead. The batteries fall out, and it's pretty much permanently zoomed out. I decided to purchase something that would help my career. I'll be graduating this spring with a Bachelor's in Graphic Design and Multimedia art. A good camera will come in handy. Plus I just love photography

I ordered the Camera from the Home Shopping Network for $50 less, and I was able to do it in two payments. The Camera was only $600, which is a pretty great deal.

It's a Pentax K-x. 12 Mega Pixels, 4.7 frames per second, and 1600 photos per battery life. Plus it can shoot HD video. What I really love is that any Pentax lens ever made can fit this camera, so I know it's a lasting investment.

New 'Do

2010-03-01T18:26:00.003-05:00

I got my haircut today at Depasquale spa. My boyfriend gave me a gift card for Christmas, and I finally found the time to go. I'm really happy with it! I'll definitely be going back.
I apologize for the My-space-esque photo. My camera batteries died and I was too lazy to change them.

Dress Progress

2010-02-25T10:29:00.002-05:00

I'm moving a little slow on this dress. I do however have another snow day today, so I'm hoping to start assembling the top.

I have 3 tiers done on the skirt. I need to add one more for the perfect length.

I'm also debating doing the knotwork over. I think the satin stitching I did on the sleeve looks awful. I think I may do it applique style instead.

Valentine's Day Presents

2010-02-15T10:21:00.006-05:00

Now that Valentine's Day is over, I can post the craftiness I did for my Boyfriend.
I like Valentine's Day, because it's an excuse to do something different. When I was little I liked dressing in red or pink to celebrate the day. My Dad always would get me and my sister a little stuffed animal or candy, which I think was so sweet of him.

I made a card for my boyfriend. He loves Monkey's and my Mom had happened to find me some cute Monkey paper from Michael's, so I just rolled with it. I decided to use the clear paper for an envelope, since I didn't want to cut it up. Plus, this allowed you to see it clear, and with a backing.

here is the envelope with the card inside. The Zebra print paper has 2 candy bars inside.

I didn't take a real clear picture of the inside, because it's really mushy and I wanted to spare you guys.

The last project drove me out of my mind! It should have been easy, but it wasn't. My bright idea was to write "I <3 Christina" on a pair of boxer shorts, as a sort of silly gag gift. I have never had such problems with a craft project before. I was using my YuDu screen printer, but with differen't emulsion (the stuff that stops the ink from going through where you don't want it.)
I had trouble getting the screen to work. The emulsion was, as I said, a different brand, and I don't think I exposed it to light long enough. The first one, worked okay, but my design peeled slighty. I then ran the ink through several tests on an old t-shirt which worked fine. When it got to the shorts, the ink mushed really badly. It also ran through the shorts, and destroyed them. I was so upset.

I had to buy new shorts, and they didn't even have the original pair I bought. My 2nd screen peeled away as I was cleaning it out. So in the end my Dad and I put S.E.X. Liquid Emulsion (yes, that is the name) to the test. We exposed it to light longer, and it finally worked. I was soo soo nervous making these shorts. The ink still splattered a little, and got thick around the C. I also had to hand paint some missing spots around the n and the a.

I think the fabric on the shorts was just a little too thin. It didn't have anything to really absorb it, so it made a mess.

Snow Day

2010-02-10T16:01:00.005-05:00

I got a snow day! So I spent some time working on my dress.

I started by tracing the design off of my computer:

That was traced onto some tear away stabilizer:

I then straight stitch over the tracing, this way I have something to follow for the satin stitching:

I'm not thrilled with the satin stitching. The first one, the machine decided it was great to stop moving properly, and make threads pile up, or skip a few spots. So I went over it again...which didn't do me much good either. I just keep reminding myself this will be seen from far away while I'm moving.

My Brother's Blog

2010-02-09T09:48:00.002-05:00

My twin brother just launched his blog Golem Shaper.
Be sure to stop by. He comes up with some crazy stuff.

Some ramblings

2010-02-07T21:49:00.003-05:00

I got the top cut out for my dress yesterday. I also picked up the thread and stabilizer today so I can start the embroidery on the top and sleeves this week. My awesome boyfriend is buying me the lining fabric on Friday.

I was browsing Burda Style today and came across the Lydia pattern. It's only a dollar and has a few interesting variations. I may purchase it, so I can make some lightweight spring t's and silkscreen some artwork onto them.

Valentine's Day is this weekend. My boyfriend and I just use it as an excuse to do something a little different. We have reservations at White Castle, complete with candle light dinner. It should be fun.

Sorry for the lack of updates

2010-02-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

My fabric took forever to ship, and finally came on Monday. School is keeping me busy, so I haven't had any time to start cutting it yet. I'm hoping to get the lining fabric this weekend.

I have a couple Valentine's projects I'm working on, but I can't share them just yet.

Gathering Technique

2010-01-21T09:15:00.002-05:00

I was over at EtBwB and stumbled across this awesome technique for gathering fabric.

I usually just make a long straight stitch to gather fabric. This new technique which just uses yarn and a zig zag stitch, should make the whole project neater, and easier!

Dress Progress

2010-01-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

I ordered the Velvet yesterday, and did a mock-up of the bodice. It fits great, and wont need any alterations! That's going to make this whole process a lot easier.