crafty time

Thanks to all of you who have signed up for the Obama T-shirt making rally! There's still plenty of time to sign up if you want to get in on the crafty action and win some prizes!

rally participants thus far:
PeaceNic
Kate Digs
UrbanHippieMama
Bugheart
Bizillie
Amisha

You can also join the Crafters4Obama Flickr group without doing the T-shirt rally, and share whatever you're making. There are already some amazing campaign-inspired crafts in the photo pool. I'm in love with this and this. And check out this beautiful "Key to Change" bag from Stitch Poet. *swoon!* Kate's right -- I think all these things will be historical folk art one day in the not-too-distant future.

On Saturday we had a crafty day at our house. Kate and Ileana came over. Ileana was making subversive cross-stitch, and Kate was making her rad Obama T-shirt. She also started an embroidery project which is going to be incredible. I won't spoil any surprises, though. All in all, it was a lovely afternoon of fun with two very creative ladies, capped off later with greasy Mexican food. yum.

I made another recycled plastic bag. This one's a prize for someone who not only needs a Pay it Forward gift, but is also a rabid Obama fan:


carry your groceries with HOPE in 08

Here's what I learned about using the iron to fuse plastic bags: Thicker, department store-type bags lay nice and flat and keep their shape fairly well when you fuse them together. Flimsy grocery bags fuse well too, and make a nice strong finished product, but they shrink unpredictably and you wind up with a weird, warped funky shape when you're done fusing. So I'm not going to use them again (if I ever get the urge to fuse plastic bags again, which honestly may not happen, at least not for a long time). Although I really like the finished product, I dislike plastic too inherently to really enjoy these projects all that much.

On Saturday I also started a T-shirt, but bedazzling and sequins are rather time-consuming, so I think it will be a little while before it's done and I can share a picture. I'm very excited about it, though. It's going to be the blingiest thing I own for sure, except for the name-necklace my parents gave me for 8th grade graduation, which I have never worn and for which my mom still chides me occasionally ("I don't understand why you won't wear that beautiful necklace," etc). I just can't bring myself to wear it, even ironically.

And one last thing: I must say about the Bedazzler, it's a pain in the a$$, but I LOVE IT. There are many more sparkly crafts in my near future. Can you imagine blingy sock monsters???? I sure can. Maybe I should start making sparkly name-necklaces for the sock monsters? Hm... something to ponder.