New Bad Habits

I'm sure it really began way before 2011. My oldest daughter took her first crochet class in 2008, she is a natural and picked it up easily. Fast forward to the spring of 2011, J decided she wanted to make Amigurimi creatures. Introduce Janet, the crochet teacher at out LYS (Local Yarn Shop), she is amazing, we love her. Since they did not have a children's class, I purchased private lessons, I decided to hang around and refine my limited skills.

I love you(r DNA) quilt

Last night I taught a great group of ladies this quilt. I just updated the info. I will post new photos later today.

I just finished my second instructable for the great quilt I designed this weekend.

The Sneater Invasion

We had an outrageous time today at the Original Sewing & Quilt  Expo in Atlanta.

Colleen Maria Casey (that's me) led a group of adventurers on an expedition to discover a band of wild Sneaters.
Actually it was a blast, but no one had trapse through the jungle.

In a lovely classroom at the Expo, we gathered Sneater kits got to work.

Do you see your Sneater in the photo?
Like our post on Facebook and show your friends your handywork!

Like this post on Facebook and claim the Sneater YOU discovered!

We are so thrilled with the new plushies. What surprises will you put in their pockets? What adventures will your Sneater take?
These cuties are made from felted wool sweaters and love hugs.

Lego Bracelet Tutorial

 

Yes, I took another trip to the Hobby Lobby. I went for the first time before Christmas and now I am a bit hooked, they have tons!!! of great junk.

Remember my warning about not reinventing the wheel. Well this is a super fun wheel and a great project for little ish ones, (Choking Hazard) as long as Mom is in charge of the E 6000.

Going to the Birds

Okay I am moving on, this holiday season feels pretty over, at least from a making standpoint. I need to think about spring and what is better than birds and birdhouses. So to that end, I started searching for patterns of plush birds I could fiddle with and make my very own. I found a lot of patterns for flat birds (no gussets) and some folks who are making 3 -D birds and the Spool bird pattern.

So I just started with a traditional shaped bird, slopey back and tummy added a gut gusset and a head gusset. Kinda liked them, my cat LOVED them, which is why they are covered in hair and other gunk. I thought they needed a tail. I added a tail to the last one and called it finished, I can't find that one, thanks kitty. They felt more like ornaments for the tree, I think I was still in Christmas mode.

So I made one of the Spool birds and it is too fat, too big and too puffy. I like the one back seam and how the tail was part of the body but ...

Let's modify! I put the pattern on a diet and reduced the overall size, then I significantly changed the tummy gusset and the tail, much sleeker. I added a head gusset but it looked wrong I kept changing the shape of it, still wrong. Finally, hubby suggested I make the head seam "correctly" or on the inside and let the other seams show. I knew I married him for a reason, he makes the hard choices. The inside head gusset made it look like a bird head instead of a bird with a hat on. On the last one I added some legs, that are seriously weird and I need to work on them.

Still not sure if this will get past the prototype stage but if you have been looking for some bird tutorial here are a few I looked at:

Here is a very cute mobile and tutorial using the Spool pattern made by Jen at House of Wood.

Retro Mama has an adorable Partridge pattern, just right if you need to make yourself crazy before Saturday.

Here is a cute Robin pattern from Bird's Party

Comedy Of Errors

Have you ever had an idea, then bumbled your way through figuring it out, spent way more than you anticipated and yelled at your kids because it was all for them?

That would about sum up the holiday gifts we (I) made (are making) for my daughters' friends and teachers.

Idea!! Magnets are cool but who wants them for just the refrigerator. I want to make a necklace with magnets that kids can swap (cause I am so over silly bandz).

Research: I see it on etsy, looks doable. A lot of folks use bottle caps, those make me nervous they have sharp edges and you fill them with epoxy, yuck! I see that they now have an epoxy style sticker, still sharp edges. My best bud has a 1 inch button maker I can borrow. DONE! Let's order the magnet button supplies (100 is the minimum, we don't have that many friends, we will give multiples) and something that we can make into a pendant.

Reality: I am cheap, I don't want to order bezel pendants, so what else would work? Dog tags out of stainless steel, much less than pendants.

Handmade Shopping til Dec 24th

Find Sloth Craft Holiday gifts and others crafty artists all month at these amazing locations:

Naked Art
3831 Clairmont Avenue
Birmingham, AL 35222
Monday thru Saturday 10:30 - 7, Sunday noon - 4



Craftland 
235 Westminster Street
Providence RI 02903
Craftland Show is a month-long annual holiday sale in downtown Providence, RI that celebrates all kinds of sparkly handmade objects and the 170 artists who make them.



Atlanta Events 
 


Spruill Gallery
4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Wednesday-Saturday, 11am - 5pm





Young Blood Gallery
 636 N Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306

Arts for All Gallery at VSA arts of Georgia
Suite R-1, 57 Forsyth ST NW
Atlanta, GA 303903

ICE Pop Up Shop

Open Every DayNovember 26th - December 30, 2010
Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309  

Support the arts,

 purchase one of a kind handmade gifts for the holiday!

Delivering Ornaments

Before I leave for the West Palm Quilt show I have to send out the first batch of my ornaments to galleries. Here is where you can find the exceptionally awesome stuff I make.

Naked Art, Birmingham, AL
They just moved into their new location
3831 Clairmont Avenue
Birmingham, AL 35222

Craftland 
235 Westminster Street
Providence RI 02903
Craftland Show is a month-long annual holiday sale in downtown Providence, RI that celebrates all kinds of sparkly handmade objects and the 170 artists who make them.

Atlanta Events 
Spruill Gallery

Opening Reception: November 18
 4681 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, Georgia  30338

The Work of Our Hands

Opening Reception: Thursday, November 18, 2010
The Work of Our Hands Artists Market will be held from November 18 – 21 at The Cathedral of St. Philip. This acclaimed show features nearly 90 local and regional artists. Proceeds from the show support the Emmaus House and the Agape Center.

Indie Craft Experience
November 20 + 21 at Ambient Plus, 11am-6pm both days.
The Holiday Shopping Spectacular will be our 11th show and will feature 100 of the best indie crafters from the Southeast and beyond! Can't wait!

Opening Reception: Friday, November 26th - Black Friday - 4 -9 pm  

November 26th - December 30, 2010
Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

Young Blood Gallery
 636 N Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306
Gotta Get back to makin' stuff!

Recycling for Christmas

Those of you who make your holiday have already started, right. Since I make holidays for others I started working on our Christmas line back in March. I am prepping aluminum cans to the made into ornaments, earring & bookmarks.

My friends and family save all of their cans, but then I have to cut them down to make space. Usually I don't need thousands of cans but this year I went global and two of my ornaments will be in a VERY BIG CATALOG, which will remain nameless until the print date.

Here is a sneak at the glamorous back side of using recycled cans for creating art:

Once I get them all cut down and washed they head to the basement to be stored or if I still feel like standing for another hour I run them through the accucut. Making 500 items was easy, I think making 3000 may be a huge challenge.

Drink up and save your cans cause I need them to make Some Art.

Sneaters

Little Bit is lovin' all the new Sneaters! I dropped them at Young Blood Gallery & Boutique last week. I will have more soon, promise!



Hey what is a Sneater?

A Sneater is a snugglie plush creature made from recycled sweaters. Hug them, hold them, share them with a kid. Each one is a unique one of a kind creation. These Sneaters have a special pocket to hold your very best smile.

More Can Can Earrings

New dies came in this week and we have more unique earrings, book marks & necklaces. Each charm is hand cut then attached to an appropriate dangle.



2. Scalloped Heart Can Can Earrings, 4. AeroPlane Can Can Earrings, 5. Alien Head Can Can Earrings, 6. Shamrock Can Can Earrings, , 8. Celtic Clover Can Can Earrings

Valentine's Day @ Sloth Craft

>We are working hard to prepare for the next big holiday, Valentine's Day.
With 2 girl children and a birthday to celebrate we get a bit heart happy here at the Sloth Craft abode . In December, I was busy working up ideas and getting dies made for February. Here is our first launch of new items available at our parent store Some Art Fabric.
Peace Heart Can Can Earrings: Sparkly & Eco minded

Made from felt backed recycled soda cans, these lightweight earring are available in a bunch of different charms and cans.

Can Can Bookmarks : We love to read!

Made from felt backed recycled soda cans and a 3 inch wavy metal book mark.

Can Can Necklace: More fun with our new charms!

Love me, love you! Our felt backed charm is now on a 22 inch rubber necklace.

Are you makin' cards? we sure are and banners too! With our DIY collage and banner kit.

Filled with over 80 die cut hearts in 5 different sizes, these are perfect for stringing in your windows or using for your one of a kind Valentine's Card.

The hearts are cut from a variety of discarded books including Romance Novels, please make sure to tell us if you will be using them with children and we will try to keep it clean.

One More THING and it is the best, only available during the season of love!
Venus of Willendorf "Stone" soap : The most famous fertility goddess in your bathroom!

The perfect gift for an artist, a new couple or just about anyone who bathes!
Available in Cloves, Chocolate & Sunshine

We hope you guys are looking forward to the season of love, we sure are!

Working the Window @ VSA

Last week I got to sit in a window @ the VSA Gallery for 4 hours and make ornaments. Lots of folks stopped to watch. Good Fun was had by all.

Sloth Craft @ ICE

Wow ICE was a blast. The place was hopping all day long. The soda can ornaments were a huge hit. My nephew came along for the ride and found some gifts, mostly for himself. I slept for a couple of days to recover.

Talk of Alabama

The Naked Art Gallery's Veronique Vanblaere showcases few unique gifts for the holidays.
Three Sloth Craft ornaments are in the video clip.

Naked Art Kitchmas

Looky Looky, One of our Sloth Craft's ornaments is on the Naked Art Postcard for their holiday Kitchmas show.

Creative Reuse

Okay I have been crowing about this since I found out, not an attractive attribute I know.

Now my copy of the book has arrived, it is chock full of amazing stuff and I am really proud. I am honored my work was accepted into this over the top amazing publication.


These images are the very first ornaments I made last year as gifts, the birth of Sloth Craft.

These crazy little guys are snittens, I started making them last year from mittens.

The book is available from Amazon and although it is not officially out until November 1, I already received mine.

You will love the book if you are a crafter, cause it is full of beautiful things to look at, aspire to immulate, or to find online to purchase.

You will love this book if you are an environmentalist cause it is drop your jaw amazing what folks can create with a bit of odds and ends!

Sugar Skull Paper Banner

Well it was time!

I wanted to update the family room to celebrate the season: new paper die cut window treatment and a new banner for the mantel.

The window treatment was originally done 2 summers ago and I keep changing out the paper die cuts to fit my mood or the season. This is the original blog entry with instructions.

The mantel banner is a new idea, the sugar skulls are so easy to string horizontally. You just slide the string through the existing decorations in the forehead.

Look like we are almost ready for the wicked.

Sugar Skulls Banners

Sugar Skulls Banners
Originally uploaded by SomeArtFabric

Making these for Kraft Works at Young Blood Gallery this Thursday.

Romance Novel Ornament

Romance Novel Ornament
Originally uploaded by SomeArtFabric

Where can I find lots of these covers?