Crocheted Crescent Moon Wand, and a contest to get the pattern!

Hey guys! I'm here to shake it up a bit. In this post, I'm going to be holding kind of a "Contest" in order to give out the pattern for my newest creation: A Crocheted Crescent Moon Wand! I've never held any kind of contest before, but I have my reasons, and it's something I've always wanted to do.

When I posted the pattern for my Eternal Sailor Scout Transformation Wand, I didn't get exactly the constructive criticism I would have liked. I put a lot of effort and energy into something I loved, and being the good, sharing person I am, I provided it for free to whoever wanted it.

The response I was hoping for was, of course, something positive, but even something negative, or how I could have corrected it, would have been appreciated. Instead, I got rude, crude and insensitive comments about it, with no help about how to move forward with my new pattern-making endeavours. While I received some positive comments, and I appreciated them sincerely, compared to the sea of rude and generally unrelated comments I got, it was hard to appreciate them.
 

So, in order to get this pattern, here's what you need to do:

Leave a comment on this entry with:

- Your name (or handle you'd like to be called by)
- Your Email (Does anyone know how to screen comments? Otherwise, I will happily delete your comment after I send you the .pdf, so no one else gets your email)
- A 100+ word constructive comment about this item. What do you like? What don't you like? What questions do you have about it? What would you change? What needs to stay the same? Keep it constructive, and keep it focused on the Crescent Moon Wand.

That's it! Once I approve your comment, I will Email you a .pdf of the pattern. There is currently no limit of people who can get the pattern, and I'm not currently setting a time limit on this "contest". This may change in the future, but until then, I will be sending the pattern to everyone who earns it.


I hope this works out, and I hope you understand why I am taking these measures. From here on out, I will continue to provide patterns for free and without any hoop-jumping, but if I'm going to continue making high quality patterns, I am going to need to know where I need to go, and the only way I can further improve my patterns is from my fellow crocheters. And considering I'm in the eye of the 50,000 word storm known as NaNoWriMo, I figured 100 words wouldn't be a problem for you.


With that being said, I want to talk a little bit about this project. It was a pretty easy, quick project. It measures 16" from bottom of stick, to the top of the crescent. It's rather sturdy, but the crescent is pretty heavy, so it's a good idea to secure it tightly.

I'm having a lot of fun making Sailor Moon wands, so don't be surprised if more of them show up over the next few weeks/months. With NaNoWriMo in full swing, I don't know how many more "big" projects I can create, but we'll see where the wind takes me, I guess.

Anyway, see you guys soon, and I look forward to your critiques :)

Pokeball Deck Bag

My relationship with Pokemon is kind of a strange one. I only have two very strong memories related to it, and as I was making the pattern and crocheting up this bag for Pokemon cards, they were the only things I could think about.

I was about 10 when I got into anime, and Sailor Moon was my drug of choice. Something about Pokemon didn't really appeal to me, and while my friends sat on the curb outside their apartment buildings trading cards, I didn't want to be left out, so I feigned interest.

I liked talking to my friends about the different kinds of Pokemon, and I remember sitting outside, in the middle of the hot Virginia summer, with my binder of all kinds of cards, trading cards with everyone else who had their binders of cards. This is the first memory I really treasure about Pokemon.

I never became obsessed, really. But I certainly had a place for Charmander in my heart.

As a stocking stuffer one Christmas, my Dad, not knowing the difference between Pokemon and all those other animes I was into, got me a sparkly little bouncy ball with Charmander in the center. As I crocheted this Pokeball, I could clearly remember standing in front of my Christmas tree that night, the lights wrapped around the tree sparkling, my face and hands warm from the heaters, and my Charmander bouncy ball firmly in my hand, and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to take care of him. So twenty seconds of a fragment of a memory of pretty lights and the smell of Christmas still hanging in the air is my 2nd nice memory of Pokemon.

This was all happening around the same time I spoke of in my last post, when I spent my days drawing Sailor Scouts, watching animes, writing fanfiction and just making my own universe. I've never felt more magical, and so even though Pokemon was never a vice of mine, it still holds a special place in my heart.

So, without further delay, here is that pattern for my Pokeball Pokemon card deck bag!

Pokeball Deck Bag

Pokemon and Pokeball (TM) Satoshi Tajiri

Original Pattern created by Pam Gabriel

Please do not sell products made from this pattern without permission.

PamGabriel@Gmail.com

This is a crocheted bag designed to hold decks for the Pokemon card game.

What you'll need:

• H Hook
• Less than a skein of worsted weight yarns in:
  • White
  • Red
  • Black

Abbreviations:

Chain (ch)

Single Crochet (sc)

Skip (sk)

How to do it:

With White, ch 31:

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, and in each sc across, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 2 - 10: sk next sc, sc to end of row, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 11: sk next sc, sc to end of row. (30 sc) (Do NOT ch 1 at end of this row.)

Finish off white.

Attach Black.

Row 12: Ch 1, sk next sc, sc to end of row. (30 sc)

Finish off black.

Attach Red.

Row 13: Ch 1, sk next sc, sc to end of row, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 14 - 22: sk next sc, sc to end of row, ch 1, turn. (30 sc)

Row 23 (Beaded Row): sk next sc, sc in next 2 spaces *ch 1, sk next sc, sc* Repeat * to end of row, ch 1, turn (16 sc, 14 ch1 spaces)

Row 24: sc in each ch1 space and in each sc. (30 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Weave in ends.

Use a whip stitch to sew the side and bottom together. Switch to white yarn when you get to the white part of the bag.

Drawstring:

Using red, make a chain of desired length, and weave through the holes made by the chain spaces in the beaded row.

Button:

With white:

Round 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in 2^nd ch from hook. Finish off white.

Attach black.

Round 2: 2sc in each sc around (12 sc). Finish off, leaving a long tail.

Sew button to center of front side of bag.

So, how did it go? Was it big? Small? Do you even use Pokemon cards anymore? Are you using it as a bag for something else? Let me know!

Next time! More deck bags are in the works, along with a Sailor Moon challenge (on a few different levels), and who knows...maybe even a NaNoWriMo update. 

Crocheted Eternal Inner Sailor Scout Transformation Wand

A lot has been going through my mind lately. Between changing jobs, dealing with school, having less money, and just all around feeling lost, something interesting happened to me.

From realizing I am not doing too much in my life, to realizing that maybe I don't want to, and dealing with all of this inner turmoil by spending about $100 on Ebay on Sailor Moon things and cheap jewelry.

After my inner searching subsided a bit, and most of my packages arrived, I sat down for about 3 days and watched the first 40 or so episodes of Sailor Moon. Being in Japanese, they required a lot of attention, and I was less productive than ever. Watching the group of girls who molded my childhood, and pretty much made me the person I am today, I couldn't help but feeling as though I was letting them down.

Now, I realize what this sounds like. 23 Year Old girl letting down imaginary characters, but it worked, right? Another bout of inner turmoil began and I ended up somewhere I think I've been all along.

I like this stuff. I like crocheting, and anime, and games and whatever else most 23-year-old women shouldn't really find themselves obsessed with. But then I realized that if I'm going to use this stuff to make me happy, I still have to work hard.

After everything made itself crystal clear to me, I suddenly had a burst of energy, inspiration and nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks.

When I was younger, I used to try to cut out cardboard in the shape of these transformation wands to use when I played sailor Moon with my best friend. They were always flimsy, uneven, a little too small, and covered in marker. I started to think about that time in my life, how happy I was, being in my own world all the time, and I wanted to have that back, if only on a small level. Remembering this, and about the fact that I would LOVE to make my own pattern, I immediately started drawing up plans, and around 3:30 AM yesterday, I started crocheting this.

I had SO MUCH FUN making this. I reminisced, I problem-solved, and upon finishing the first wing I felt full from how smart I was feeling. The wings were completely my creation, and I couldn't be more proud. I hope when you make this, you feel as stuffed with nostalgia, magic, love and justice as I did.

Since this is a bit of a prototype, I am offering this pattern for free, but please respect me and the time, energy and planning that went into this creation. I don't mind if you sell items from this pattern, but on 2 conditions:

1. PLEASE get my permission when you sell any creations from this pattern (gifting and trading is fine, of course)
2. I wanna see! Show me your finished product, and let me know where the pattern confused you, or was incorrect. I have only made this once, and some proxy-pattern-testers would be very helpful to me. It is the biggest reason I am offering this pattern for free. Also, I would LOVE to see that other people are finding inspiration and fun from something I created in a very pivotal 3 AM moment.

So, with inner turmoil behind me, 4 seasons of Sailor Moon ahead of me, and a very comforting Sailor Mars transformation wand beside me, please enjoy this pattern.

Eternal Sailor Scout Transformation Pen

Designed by Pam Gabriel

Sailor Moon and Sailor Scouts (TM) Naoko Takeuchi

This pattern can be used to gift or trade with friends and family, but please do not sell products from this pattern without my permission.

PamGabriel@Gmail.com

This pattern is for the transformation wands the Inner Scouts use in Sailor Moon Super S & Sailor Moon Stars seasons. Hopefully I will have patterns for the other Transformation pens soon.

What you'll need:

• E Hook

• H Hook
• Tapestry Needle
• Less than a skein of worsted weight yarns in:
  • Yellow
  • Color of your choice depending on the Scout wand you are making (Blue, Red, Green or Orange).
  • Pink
  • White

• Polyfil, or other stuffing.

Abbreviations:

• Chain (Ch)

• Single Crochet (Sc)
• Single Crochet Increase (scinc)
• Single Crochet Decrease (scdec)
• Slip Stitch (sl st)
• Half Double Crochet (hdc)
• Double Crochet (dc)

Final Dimensions:

Height (From top of star to bottom of stick): 12 ½"

Width (From wing tip to wing tip): 8 ¼"

Handle circumference: 3.75"

Star height: 2 ½"

Sphere circumference: 8"

Wing (From base to tip of Feather #1): 5"

This wand will be made in 5 parts (Star, Sphere, Stick, Handle and Wings), then sewn together. We will start with the star, and work our way down.

Let's get started!

Star (Make 2):

Using E Hook, and Yellow Yarn:

Rnd 1: Using the Magic Adjustable Ring technique, make 5 sc in loop. Do not join.
Rnd 2: Make 2 sc in ea sc around (10 sc). Do not join.
Rnd 3: *Sc in first sc, 2 sc in next sc* around (15 sc). Join with sl st in first sc. Circle complete.
Rnd 4: Sl st in 1st sc. *[Ch5, sl st in 2nd lp from hook, sc in next st, hdc in next st, dc in next st] point made. Sk next sc in circle and sl st in next 2 sc. Rep from * around circle, after last point, make only 1 slst.
Rnd 5: Ch 1, sc in ea st around (50 sc).
Fasten off, and weave in ends..

Putting the Star together:

With wrong sides facing each other (right sides facing outwards), sew together the outer loops only, using a whip stitch. Fill with stuffing before sewing together last point. Make sure stuffing is evenly distributed throughout points. Finish Sewing together. Weave in end(s).

Sphere:

Using H Hook, and Sailor Scout's Main Color (Blue for Mercury, Red for Mars, Green for Jupiter or Orange for Venus):

Row 1: Ch 2. 6 Sc in second Ch from hook. (6 sc)

Row 2: inc in each stitch around. (12 sc)

Row 3: Add 5 scincs evenly throughout the row (17 sc)

Row 4: Add 6 scincs evenly throughout the row (23 sc)

Row 5: Add 4 scincs evenly throughout the row (27 sc)

Row 6: Add 4 scincs evenly throughout the row (31 sc)

Row 7: Add 3 scincs evenly throughout the row (34 sc)

Row 8: Add 2 scincs evenly throughout the row (36 sc)

Row 9: Add 1 scincs within the row (37 sc)

Row 10: One sc in each sc (37 sc)

Row 11: Decrease by 1 (36 sc)

Row 12: Evenly scdec by 2 within the row (34 sc)

Row 13: Evenly scdec by 3 within the row (31 sc)

Row 14: Evenly scdec by 4 within the row (27 sc)

Row 15: Evenly scdec by 4 within the row (23 sc)

Row 16: Evenly scdec by 6 within the row (17 sc)

Row 17: (scdec, sc) repeat () around (12 sc)

(This is a good time to fill your sphere with Polyfil.)

Row 18: 6 scdec (6 sc)

Fasten off. Weave loose end through each stitch in the opening. Pull tightly to close.

Putting the Star and Sphere together:

First we're going to add the star to the sphere. Do this BEFORE embroidering your Scout's symbol on the sphere. There is a good chance the angle of your star may be changed as you attach it, and you don't want a weird wand. I did this by running yellow yarn up from the sphere, through the star, then under one stitch of the sphere, coming right back up to go through the star again. It's pretty tricky, so play around with what works for you. After I attached the 1^st point of the star, I pulled my yarn all the way through to the bottom of the sphere (the Stick will be attaching here, so it doesn't need to be pretty), then pulling it back up to the top. When I brought it back up, I made sure to line it up where the star was going to be sewed down to, so it wouldn't be crooked, then continued to sew down the second Star Point.

To weave in the ends, I brought both ends down to the bottom of the sphere and tied them off.

Bring the yarn down from the right Star Point to the bottom

You can see the top of the (light blue) needle where I brought the yarn back up to the top, and through the left Star Point

Yay! You should have this by now! I used my hand as a size reference.

Embroidering:

True to the Wands when the Scouts transform, their symbol appears in gold, so I'll be using yellow as well. I'm also only using the Planet Symbol. If you're feeling ambitious, feel free to add the extra symbol (Harp, Bow & Arrow, Laurels, or Hearts, depending on your chosen scout).

 

Sailor Mars FTW.

This part is a bit tricky, you can use the stitches on the sphere to help guide you, but it's going to take some undoing and redoing. For this, you're just going to sew in and out in the shape of the symbol, then go over it again to cover the empty spaces the stitches leave. Once again, bring the ends down to the bottom and tie them off.

Stick:

Stick is made from the bottom.

Using Yellow and H Hook:

Row 1: Ch 2, 6 sc in 2^nd ch from hook (6 sc)

Row 2: 2sc in each sc (12 sc)

Row 3: (2sc, sc, sc) around (16 sc)

Row 4: (sc, sc, sc, 2sc) around (20 sc)

Row 5: sc in each sc (20 sc)

Switch to Pink.

Row 6: In FL only, (sc, sc, sc, 2sc) around (25 sc)

Row 7: In BL only, (sc, sc, sc, sc, 2sc) around (30 sc)

Row 8: In both loops, sc in each sc (30 sc)

Row 9: (sc, sc, sc, scdec) around (25 sc)

Row 10: Repeat row 9 (20 sc)

Row 11: Repeat row 9 (16 sc)

Rows 12 - 31: Sc in each sc (16 sc)

Row 32: (sc, sc, sc, 2sc) around (20 sc)

Row 33: (9 sc, 2sc) twice (22 sc)

Row 34 - 35: sc in each sc (22 sc)

Switch back to Yellow.

Row 36: In FL only, sc in each sc (22 sc)

Row 37: Evenly distribute 3 scincs throughout row (25 sc)

Row 38: (sc, sc, sc, 2sc) around (30 sc)

Row 39: sc in each sc (30 sc)

Row 40: (sc, sc, sc, sc, scdec) around (25 sc)

Row 41: (sc, sc, scdec) around, 1 sc (19 sc)

Row 42: Repeat row 41 (15 sc)

Row 43: (sc, scdec) around (8 sc)

Row 44: sc in each sc. (8 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail.

Stuff with Polyfil.

Putting the Stick and Sphere Together:

With a tapestry needle, using the long tail of yellow yarn from the Stick, pull the yarn through the scs of the opening of the stick through the middle of the bottom of the sphere, and back through again until you have gone all the way around. Now, go about one stitch towards the outside of the circle and repeat. This will keep the sphere firmly on the stick. Repeat if necessary. If you are finding your sphere isn't staying on, and the stick isn't staying straight, you may need to stuff more Polyfil into the stick.

Handle:

This is that extra part on the right of the stick that sort of resembles half of a heart. I am not sure what the purpose of it is except to make it look cooler. Either way, I will refer to it as the "Handle" for lack of a better term.

This will be crocheted twice as wide as it should be, then folded in half lengthwise and sewn together with polyfil inside to keep the shape.

With Pink, and H Hook:

Ch 7

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, and in each st across (6 sc)

Rows 2 - 44: ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across (6 sc)

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Fold in half lengthwise, and whipstitch along the outer edge. Sew up one short side, but leave the other open. From the open end, you will be inserting stuffing. Using a stuffing stick (or a chopstick), push the stuffing down into the Handle. The opening isn't very big, so a small stick is necessary, and so is some patience. It doesn't need to be very dense, just enough to keep some shape once it's sewn on.

Putting the Handle and Stick Together:

Attach the open end of the handle to the right side of the very top of the pink part of the Stick. I sewed around twice just for good measure. Fasten off, weave in ends.

Now, shape the handle into the general half-heart you want (refer to reference picture if needed). Now, leave about an inch of the handle to curl up at the bottom of the curve of the handle. Using your tapestry needle and pink yarn, go through the small end part of the handle, the part that is actually attached to the stick, and through the stick itself. Do this 3 – 5 times until it is securely attached. Also be sure the bottom of the handle is in line with the top of the handle, so your handle isn't sewn on crooked. Weave in ends.

Push your needle through all three parts.

Be sure the top and bottom of your Handle are aligned

How the bottom of the handle should look. It kind of represents a Violin Scroll.

Wings (Make 4):

Wings will be comprised of a base and 3 Feathers. It will all be one continuous piece, so there will be no yarn cutting. Once you reach the end of a feather, sl st down the feather towards the base where the bottom of the previous feather is to start the next feather.

If you are having trouble visualizing the pattern as you read, there is a picture diagram below the pattern

Base:

Row 1: Ch 2, 3 sc in 2^nd ch from hook, ch 1, turn.

Row 2: 2 sc in next 2 sc, sc, ch 1, turn (5 sc)

Row 3: sc in next sc (sc, 2sc) twice, ch 1, turn (7 sc)

Row 4: (2sc, sc) twice, 3 sc, ch 1, turn (9 sc)

Row 5: (2sc, sc) twice, 5 sc, ch 1 turn (11 sc)

Row 6: (2sc, sc, sc) three times, 2 sc, ch 1, turn (14 sc)

Row 7: (2sc, sc, sc) three times, 5 sc, ch 1, turn (17 sc)

Begin First Feather:

Row 8 - 15: 3 sc, ch 1, turn (3 sc)

Row 16: 1 sc, 1 scdec, ch 1, turn (2 sc)

Row 17: 1 scdec, ch 1, turn (1 sc)

Row 18: 1 sc, ch 1, turn (1 sc)

Sl st down Feather #1 until you reach the base of the wing.

Begin Second Feather:

Row 8 (Now moving across BASE of wing): 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 9: 3 sc, sl st to side of Feather #1, ch 1, turn

Row 10: 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 11: 3 sc, sl st to side of Feather #1, ch 1, turn

Row 12: 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 13: 3 sc, sl st to side of Feather #1, ch 1, turn

Row 14: 1 sc, 1scdec, ch 1, turn (2 sc)

Row 15: 1 scdec, ch 1, turn (1 sc)

Row 16: sc (1 sc)

Sl st down Feather #2 until you reach the base of the wing.

Begin Third Feather:

Row 8 (Once again along BASE of Wing): 3 sc, ch 1, turn (3 sc)

Row 9: 3 sc, sl st to side of Feather #2, ch 1, turn

Row 10: 3 sc, ch 1, turn. (3 sc)

Row 11: 3 sc, sl st to side of Feather #2, ch 1, turn

Row 12: 1 sc, 1 scdec, ch 1, turn (2 sc)

Row 13: 1 scdec, ch 1, turn (1 sc)

Row 14: 1 sc, Sl st down feather until you reach the base of the wing, 1 sc, sl st in each st to end of wing. Fasten off.

Leave one long tail on 2 of the 4 wings (for sewing), then weave in all other ends.

The pen lines represent where the scs are, and the orange dots represent where you should sl st. The numbers are not accurate. This is just a visual aid to help you out with following the written pattern.

Putting the Wings together:

On both wings, there will be a wrong side facing outwards, and a right side facing outwards. Place 2 of the wings right side against wrong side, and stitch up along the bottom, feathers, and top. Flip inside out, then fill with stuffing. Sew the last side together, except for a small opening about the size of a penny. This will be the area used to attach the wings to the Stick.

Now you can see where the opening should be left for attaching it to the Stick.

Putting it all together:

Now, all you have to do is sew the opening on the wing onto the top yellow portion of the Stick. The only thing you have to worry about here is making sure it doesn't touch the handle. If you need to sew on a higher part of the wing onto the stick for reinforcement, go ahead. This wand is pretty big, and you wanna make sure it's sturdy.

Hooray! We're done!

Now you can transform into your favorite Sailor Scout! Well...maybe not. But you can have a nice addition to your Cosplay, or just keep it around to remind you of where you've been, where you want to go, and the imaginary people you're letting down if you just...give up.

Next time! I'm working on some patterns for deck and dice bags in Pokeball and TARDIS flavors. See you soon!

How to make a Starfleet Uniform Duct Tape Wallet!

I'm a little surprised I'm a Star Trek fan. I never considered myself someone who likes space, science fiction, and I certainly never considered myself someone who would go crazy over a 'bad' scifi from the late 80's. But, here I am. I started watching it just a few months ago, and I lovelovelove Next Generation. So much so, in fact, I decided to make a Red Shirt Wallet.

As an artist, and a professional time-waster, I have spent a lot of time looking through different artistic websites looking for inspiration and ideas. I have seen a lot of nerdy duct tape wallets (My favorite so far being the Sailor Moon Tiara ones!) but I had found a significant lack of Star Trek uniform ones, so I made my own. I've gotten a little bit of criticism for making a red shirt wallet, because they all die in the Original Series, but they are THE BEST in Next Generation, and what with being in love with Riker and all- I HAD to make a red shirt.

Mine didn't turn out -as- nicely as I'd have liked, so instead of listing it, I'm being nice and making a tutorial.

Note: This tutorial is only for the process of making the Starfleet symbol, for the rest of the instructions, you can follow my duct tape wallet tutorial here.

Well, let's get started, shall we?

What you'll need:

- Duct tape! You will need black, gold, and whatever color 'shirt' you want (Mine of course being red, and I will refer to this as COLOR A for the remainder of the tutorial)
- Scissors
- X-acto knife
- Paper and pencil to draw out your Comm Badge, or if you're less artistically inclined, have one printed out at the right size (More on how to figure that out in a minute).
- Your current wallet! You will use it asa guide for credit card slot sizes, etc. (More details about that in my Duct tape wallet tutorial.)
- Coffee, as usual.

How to do it!

First, you're going to be making the sheet of 'fabric' for the wallet itself. One side is going to be completely COLOR A, and the other side is going to be  about 2/3rds COLOR A and 1/3rd Gold. Your sheet should be at least 7" by 7". Mine is a bit bigger, because you're going to want the extra room for when you put your Com Badge on. If your COm Badge is too small, it will be VERY tough to work with. So give yourself some breathing room.

 

 

Next, you'll wanna cover the gold on Side One with COLOR A. Since both your sides should look identical now, use some kind of indication to keep track of what side is Side One. I just used a scrap piece of gold duct tape.

 

Now you're going to finish putting your wallet together. Make sure SIDE ONE is facing outward. That is where the gold is, and you will be cutting through the red to reveal your Com Badge, so having it on the outside is the only thing you need to worry about here. 

Again, if you need a reminder of how to make a Duct tape wallet, you can find my tutorial here.

So, now that you've made your wallet, you're going to be figuring out how BIG your combadge needs to be. To do this, Take your shiny new wallet and have it in the folded position. Place it on a piece of paper and trace it.

 

Now draw in your Com Badge about where you want it. It should be at least 1" x 1", if not slightly bigger. If this is not your strong suit, go ahead and print out a Com Badge, but lay it down on your wallet and/or the sketch you made of your wallet to be sure it's the right size.

Once you're happy with it's size and quality, tape it down on the front of your wallet where you want it to be. Leave about 1/2" of room on top for the black stripe, and don't put it exactly on the edge. Once it's where you would like it, tape it down so it's secure.

 

Using your X-acto knife, cut along the lines. Be sure to cut deep enough to get through the paper and through as many layers of COLOR A to get to the Gold layer. As long as you create some sort of perforation on the top layer, you can make many different layers of cuts until you get to the Gold layer. If you cut all the way through, that's okay! Just place strips of red tape over the cuts on the inside of the wallet. Wait until you are completely done, though, otherwise your wallet will end up thick and unwieldy if you throw some tape in it with every cut you make through the wallet.

Once you have cut out your stencil, remove the paper and the tape of the stencil and start peeling away the layers. 

Using your razor blade, you can continue to make precision cuts as you go along, and use it to peel off the pieces of tape. There will be some pesky strands from the tape. Do your best to either:

A. Cut them.

B. Use your razor to tuck them underneath the COLOR A layer of tape

C. Use a tweezers to pull them off.

D. If you have a Gold marker (preferably Sharpie, if they have those), you can color them gold. I have done this before on other projects, and it cleans the look up nicely.

This part can also be tricky, because depending on how you put your wallet together, half of the Badge area may have 4 - 5 layers of tape above the gold. If that's the case, be sure to cut off any layers of COLOR A in between the Badge that make it look awkward. If it's very thick to the right of the bade, that's okay! As long as the layers are even when looking at the badge itself.

 

As you can see, very close to the right edge of the bade, there is an extra layer, but there are no excess layers otherwise. You can also see that this is not the cleanest Badge! When working with small stencils like this with duct tape, your image won't be as clean as it would be if your image was larger. Don't fret! If you find you're having a lot of problems, work bigger! Try doing a Com Badge as big as a piece of paper to get a better feel for duct tape.

So now we're almost finished.

Lastly, take a long strip of black duct tape, and cover the top 1/2" or so of your wallet. Cut it at the ends, and fold over so it goes into the inside area of your wallet where you keep your money. If, when cutting out your Com Badge, you sliced through your wallet, now would be a good time to patch up any cuts you made with your COLOR A duct tape.

 

Phew! All done!

 

The way I made this Com Badge is more or less how I make a lot of my duct tape art (by covering a color, then cutting through to reveal it). Now that you understand this technique, are you going to use it on other wallets? Framed pictures? Something else that's totally cool? Let me know what you make!

Up next: What I've been up to Post #2! This includes some Sailor Moon inspired gear, another geeky wallet, some hats and a purse! I can't wait to share with you guys.

After that: It's NaNoWriMo once again! Is anyone else participating this year?! My SN is CaffeinatedTarantula, feel free to add me as a buddy!

TMNT Can Cozies

These cozies were actually made as a commission for someone who decided AFTER I had made them all that they didn't want to buy them. Maybe I overcharge on my Etsy Store, but then again, Maybe I'm just someone who values their time more than most people. I never call in sick, but I do request days off for no reason sometimes. I don't spend my days off getting things done, I spend them doing things that make me happy (if I didn't, would I have a blog dedicated to crocheting and crafts?)

All these things are so important to me, having more happiness than money, having more time to take walks and pictures of wildflowers than doing laundry and fretting about things. I occasionally do laundry and fret, but more often than not I'm cuddled up in a nest crocheting something big and fuzzy. Why, then, did it take me so long to deal with the fact that I was hating what I was doing 40 hours a week?

Until recently, I worked at a movie theater. I didn't work at your typical movie, theater, either. It was a more upscale theater with higher prices, and better commodities (also a theater that has jaded the word 'amenities' for me forever. More on that later). The customers were so mean to me that in the past I have gone home to cry, drink, and Gabe and I have even had some rough times when I came home to scream and scream and scream about how my day went.

I had been called stupid, a 'fucking idiot'. I've been told I will 'never go anywhere in life'. I have been called a liar after telling someone that our theater has won awards. I have been literally screamed at for telling someone they had to wait in line. I have been told our salt is 'too salty'. I have been personally blamed for mistakes made when a person ordered tickets online, then promptly yelled at. I have been scoffed at and had my eyes rolled at me countless times. I could go on, believe me. Is it because I'm a mean or rude person? No, it's because people are used to getting the things they want, no matter what, and I was actually holding our policies up. I got yelled at, berated and degraded for doing my job, properly.

I stayed there for two years, and some change. I stayed there because I was convinced I couldn't find another job, because this was the best I could do. It wasn't until the incident in Aurora, CO that got me to quit.

It was a strange feeling, to feel so close to something that had nothing to do with you. Maybe it was the fact that it was a movie theater, and so is Sundance, or the fact that it was so random and isolated of an incident that it very well could have been me, at my theater. It may have even been the fact that that weekend, customer after customer scrunched their faces up and scoffed at me when I told them we would have no additional security in our theaters, and I was just about done. But honestly, it was very little of that, it was the fact that the tiniest part of me thought for one millisecond that I kind of maybe understood where he was coming from.

No, not the deranged Joker persona and the killing of many innocent people. No, not that part. The anger part. The part where people treat you terribly for no reason to a point where you do something drastic and irrational.

People are mean. People make you cry, and run you over, even when you're being nice, and even when they know you're having a rough time. In that moment, I realized how much faith I had truly lost in humanity, and I couldn't deal with it!

I left early that Saturday, having a crisis with myself.  Do I stay, stay unhappy and comfortable, or leave and go out into the big scary world of job hunting, potential unhappiness on an even deeper level, and maybe even a pay decrease? Yes, yes I would. Without having a job lined up, I quit. I quit the hell out of that place.

Exactly two weeks after putting my notice in, I was hired on the spot at a place where I will be able to serve my favorite thing (espresso) to people doing my favorite thing (being creative). I will be working at Traveler's Hearth Cafe & Games, a cafe and board game shop, where people can get away from their TVs, phones, twitter, and whatever other time-wasting machines to be social, and have fun with their time. My kind of place? I hope so.

So, I may have wasted some time making these cozies, but I suppose the least I can do is make the best of it, and share the pattern with you guys. And yes, I'm going to do my best to take some things with Sundance with me, and leave the negativity behind.

These cozies were rather easy enough to make. I  adapted them from my TMNT Mug cozies, and I actually like them better. I think they look nicer, even though I have no use for can cozies...I hope someone else does.

So here's how to do it.

Base worked in continuous rounds.

R1: With green, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook (6sc)

R2: 2 sc in each sc around (12sc)

R3: *2sc in next st, sc* 6 times around (18sc)

R4: *2sc in next st, 2sc* 6 times around (24sc)

R5: *2sc in next st, 3sc* 6 times around (30sc)

R6: *2sc in next st, 4sc* 6 times around (36sc)

R7: ch 1 (does not count as stitch now and throughout), in back loop only hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc. ch 1, turn (36hdc)

R8 - 15: Working in both loops, hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1.

R16 -20: With Color B (Bandana color), hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1.

R21 - 22: With green, hdc in each st around. ss to first hdc, ch 1. Fasten off after row 22.

Eyes (Make 2):

R1: With white, ch 2, 6sc in second ch from hook. Do not join to first st. (6sc)
R2: 2sc in each st around, ss to first st, cut white. (12sc)
R3: With Color B (Bandana color),  *2sc in next st, sc* 6 times around (18sc). Fasten off, but leave a long tail.

Pupils (Make 2):

With black, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook, ss to first sc. Fasten off, but leave a long tail.

Using the long tail, sew the pupils onto the eyes. Then, using the long tail, sew the eyes onto the mug cozy.

Weave in all ends.

Good luck, guys! I should be back soon with some STAR TREK goodies, and another semirelated story :)

Halloween Project #10: Potion Bottles

I used to consider myself a Wiccan, and I was pretty uptight about it, too.

Then again, when you're 14, dress in a lot of black, only listen to obscure Japanese rock, and have an offbeat 'religion', you can't really say too much without being put under the microscope about how 'weird' you are. You'd be a little defensive, too.

I took it very seriously, too. I never tried to curse people, or hurt anyone, but when I got a headache, I tried putting a cucumber peel to my forehead, I picked up Tarot reading (which I still do) and I even had a little chant if we couldn't find our car in a parking lot. I collected herbs and stones, memorized their magical properties, and had a green book with thick parchment paper where I used a matching green pen to write down everything I needed to remember. It's actually the only notebook I ever filled to the very last page.

I would get frustrated around Halloween, when I saw fake bottles with labels on them for "Eye of Newt" and other 'crazy' witches brews, and I found myself even more annoyed at the people gobbling them up, picking them up with their sweaty, unmagical hands screeching out "Look honey! Eye of Newt! This sounds scary! Hope we have $8 to dole out for it!".

 

For the record, Eye of Newt is actually just a nickname for Lavender....And screeching women in stores still bother me, but this is neither here nor there.

These people didn't know anything. If I could have, I would have cleared off a shelf of bad Halloween party favors and yelled everything I knew about magic and Wicca at them, and they all would have second thoughts about buying fake novelty potion bottles. They could learn something, enrich their life, get rid of headaches with cucumbers, but instead I rolled my eyes and stayed quiet. Looking back, it was actually probably the most reasonable response.

It wasn't until Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets that this started to change. After forcing myself to hate the first movie (and book), due to my principles of knowing strictly what witchcraft was, is, and should ever be, I refused to indulge myself in liking something so....fake. Against my will, I went with my Dad to see the movie.

And damn was it good.

How could it be that something could go against all the rules of REAL witchcraft and be so damn clever, and fun? Well, as it turns out, it's called imagination, and taking things lightly.

And yeah, you bet I'm saying that Harry Potter helped me lighten up.

So now, around Halloween time, I look around my apartment, at the fake potion bottles, the scene setters, the bad party favors, and it looks DAMN good every year. I just don't have any bottles labeled Eye of Newt, because the fact that I know what I'm talking about has not changed, now I can just deal with people who don't. Afterall, I can't judge anyone anymore, not after all the morals Harry Potter instilled in me.

 
Want to make some awesome fake potion bottles for yourself for the upcoming Halloween season?  Michael's is selling these for $5 each, but with a couple summer garage sales left to hit, some ribbon I KNOW you have lying around and a printer- you can make your own for significantly cheaper.

Here's how.

What you'll need:

- 20 Gauge Wire
- Pliers
- Empty 'potion' bottles (I got mine at Michaels for 99 cents each)
- Ribbon
- Mod Podge, and a paintbrush to apply said Mod Podge
- Potion label images (I found mine online, and printed them off with NO intent of selling them (in case you are thinking about yelling at me!). Otherwise I know Martha Stewart has had Halloween labels on her website in the past). If you design your own labels, I'm sure Etsy will be kind to you in the near future ;)
- Coffee, obviously.
- Optional: Things to fill them with! I have not dealt with this yet, but as Halloween approaches, I may put some thought into it.

How to do it:

1. Cut two piece of wire, one about 3" long (This is to wrap around the neck of your bottle, so make sure it is long enough, with some extra slack) and the other one about 7" long (This will be the wire you will actually see/wire to use to hang on nails, etc.)

2. Bend the longer wire to form a U-shape. Using your pliers, bend about 1/2" of wire to wrap around itself a few times. Leave a small opening, as you will be putting the smaller wire through this.

3. Slip the smaller wire through the two loops at the end of your U-shape. With all of it as one 'piece', wrap the smaller wire around the thinnest part of the neck of your bottle. Use your pliers to twist the extra wire around itself, then push down towards the neck to lie as flat as possible. It's okay if this isn't perfect, you'll be covering it in ribbon, just make sure it's wrapped tightly enough so that it won't come undone.

 

 

Note: I know it seems odd to do it this way, instead of putting wire around the neck and THEN looping the handle through, but I found that I kept putting the neck wire on too tightly to fit the handle wire in.

Now you have a good base! Here's where the fun stuff REALLY starts.

4. Wrap the neck of your bottle with ribbon. You can use as much or as little as you feel it needs. Personally, it turns out I'm having some kind of love affair with ribbon, because I went way overboard, and I'm not looking back. I also tied some around one (or both) sides of the 'handle' for some extra fluff. I think the only REAL 'requirement' is hiding all the icky twists in the wires. Once those are hidden, you're golden.

5. Now make sure you have a good label printed out in the size and shape you think will be flattering for your unique potion bottle, and cut that sucker out.

6. Mod podge it on. Wait for it to dry, cover with a coating of mod podge.

7. Display proudly, knowing that you are not taking yourself too seriously, and you saved a couple bucks!
 

Are you filling your bottles with any potions, real or fake? What are you using, what kind of crafty concoctions are you coming up with?