Handmade Holiday Gifts: Jewelry Plates

These little plates are for my sister, I saw the idea for the lace version at top on Pinterest (of course!).

Mine are a bit wobbly, but I kind of like that.

I got the idea for this plate from a local potter who was making these amazing beautiful bowls with topographic maps carved into the bottom.  So gorgeous, I thought it would remind my sis of her favorite mountain and home.

This project took just one evening if you need a quick gift.  I used some Sculpey I had on hand, rolled it out, carved and then baked it.  You can carve it after you bake it if you like.  I did throw some white paint on them to make them look clean.  

Enjoy and Happy Holidays, more holiday ideas coming your way this week, stay tuned!

9 Days Until . . .

Well, where have I been? 

Looking for a ring and getting a bit crafty for a big day that is almost upon me/us. 


The short version: we switched the date and location of our wedding to the beginning of August.  When did we make this big decision?  Five weeks ago.  Yup, I had six weeks to plan a wedding.
 :)

With all the hectic craft-sanity going on I have been trying to do some documentation, so after this whirlwind we will try to decompress and show off a bit.  But for now I leave you with this irony . . .

In a town full of jewelry stores (literally filled, Juneau is a mad summer tourist destination and the streets are lined with the same store in every port, plus more, let's say there are about 40 jewelry stores) I cannot find a wedding band that I love that fits with my engagement ring.  Any fabulous ideas???

My Dad, Dad's Day and Dad-Crafts

The Cap'n and Cap'n Mom looking on while Dad filet's the catch of the day.

 Hello crafters near and far.  You might have noticed my blogging and articles have really slowed in the past month or so.  Sadly, the reason this time is not my busy-ness (or laziness) but instead, my father had an unexpected heart attack and died on May 6.  If I sound blunt in my explanation, please forgive me.  It has been a sad time and difficult to navigate the waters of etiquette surrounding this event.  He was 66 years old and a wonderful, loving father, grandfather, brother and husband.  The most amazing help has been the words of encouragement and care from family and friends, so thank you for that.  In his memory I wrote this father's day piece for the Capital City Weekly which truly does speak to the heart of why I love him, and why he loved Alaska so much. 

Pick up a new Dad-craft this Father's Day
There is a special bond between Alaskan fathers and daughters that, generally speaking, does not come in the form of traditional "crafts." Rarely are Northwest father-daughter duos found at Stich 'n' Bitch sessions poised with needles (and tongues) at the ready. Juneau daddies are not often passing down their family lace-making traditions or secret tatting techniques. But if we think outside the bounds of tradition a bit, we see that other kinds of Dad-craft are everywhere: in the familiar hum of a working water heater, in the worn wood of a handmade deck, and in the zing of a FISH-ON. His cooking might involve a venison steak and grill instead of rhubarb and an oven, and his staple gun might be a little hefty for darning socks or stitching up pillows, but the same steadfast care for craft is equally there, even if it is wrapped in stainless steel. So if you are a daughter who loves a Dad, think about rooting around in his craft this Father's Day, and you might just learn something Alaskan.

My top 8 Dad-crafts to tackle together this Father's Day (in no particular order): 

Go fishing with Pops- I'm in the middle, this was in a short-hair stint for me!

 #1. Go fishing! Though the 4 a.m. tide change might make you cringe, think of it as a great time to catch the sunrise this summer. And instead of making Dad fillet all the day's catch, get in there and get at those guts yourself.

Dad demos the right way to bait a hoochie (that's the little squid thing- not a fast chic!).

 #2. Work on his truck: How many times has he changed the oil in your rig? Daughter, it's time to reciprocate and give back the love. Just ask him to hang around as your assistant this time.

#3. Grill together: Sometimes a Dad does not like to relinquish grill control, but perhaps a joint grilling session can give you both a new perspective on charred meat and veggies. Just remember on Dad's day it's your duty to clean and cover the grill when the festivities are over.

#4. Take aim: The range (either archery or shooting) is a great place to pass on some Dad-craft skills that can be used in the hunting field or just for sport.

#5. Play with power tools: One of my favorite Dad moments was the day mine gifted me a Dewalt 12V driver for Christmas. I don't think he was ever more proud of me squealing with glee. Build something for Dad or just get a crash course in garage fodder so that you know how to use more than duct tape and hot glue to keep things together.

#6. Reminisce: Talking about crafts past may be more geared for a Chatty Cathy session with Grandma, but chances are Dad has quite a few stories of "The big one that got away" stashed. This activity never gets old, as the stories will only get bigger and better year after year.

#7. Brew up some cold ones: Watching America's favorite pastime is hard to beat on Dad's day, so imagine a frothy cold brew made just by you. Either start a few months early, or start your brew with Dad now; that way when it's ready for consumption you have a fresh supply for football season!

#8. Do Mom's Honey-Do list: What better way to please Dad than to make Mom happy too? Tackle the little projects around the house so Pops can put his feet up and Mom can be relieved that the latch is attached and the tree is trimmed.

Whether your dad's craft is cleaning the driveway, skinning a deer, or pushing your buttons, chances are there is something he does better than most with a particular vim and vigor that you could learn from. So this Father's Day let him know that you love him by learning from and paying homage to his Dad-craft.

In loving memory of my Father, James Russell Peters, whose amazing Dad-craft led to my Daughter-craft.

My Fam is Extreme

No, literally- this weekend my cousin Chris WON the SALOMON EXTREME FREERIDE CHAMPIONSHIPS in TAOS.  Yeah, like literally 1st place.

check it out here

We are all super proud of you Chris- you kicked butt!!!  Cap'n and I both actually tuned in right at the moment as you went down on the third day and caught your winning run.  

This comp. is so extreme the logo is a skeleton.  wo.

Cheers Cous!!

10 Big Projects from '10

I'm a big fan of reflection over resolution in a New Year. I mean, I make resolutions practically every day to be smarter, play more and craft more, so I take once a year to look back instead of forward. I'm hoping somehow the two will balance and I will embrace living in the now. So, here are ten of my craftiest projects from 2010 to reflect upon (and possibly resolve to never do again!):

 1. Working out while you craft. 

I'm a huge multi-tasker, so Craftercize just felt natural. And it could work, as long as you bring the gym to your craft room, not the craft room to your gym.

2. Applying mustaches to glasses.  (click here for the tutorial I made)

Why do glasses need mustaches? Because they are funny. Making mustached glasses for last year's holiday gifts was a great idea, until this year we found out they all washed off in the dishwasher! You can't win them all!

When a Crafter Turns 30

Everyone gets together and is fabulous!!  Thank you to everyone who showed for my rockin' 30th, this post is way belated I know, but nonetheless I wanted to show a few shots from the evening, no matter how late . . .

Adorable Mr. Ciambor immediately runs over to give me my card when I enter. 

 Have you ever had a private party at Shoefly??  It is AMAZING!  We did a pre-party there and then headed to the fantastic Rookery Cafe for the real party.  I suggest this to anyone who ever wanted a fab party that is all catered and decorated for you.  No work, and TONS of fun!

So, starting at Shoefly, first off, you can bring your own snacks and drinks- yeah, eating, drinking, and shopping all in one!  Then, everyone has fun running around trying on shoes.  And at the end of my pre-party at Shoefly the girls were amazing and all chipped in to buy me a pair of kicks! Love you ladies!!! Then we headed to The Rookery for pizza and more fun . . .

We have the folks from the Empire, the family, the AK Litho crowd, the Allen Mariners, the Brewery and more!!

Look how handsome the cap'n is in his new suit!!

And check out the gorgeous freshwater pearls he gave me for turning 30!!  I feel so grown up!

Travis, the owner of the Rookery and a longtime friend of mine made the most amazing food!!

And amazing cupcakes by Yquem were had by all!! Pumpkin Spice, Mexican chocolate and Latte Whip- mmmmm.

 If you too would like a Shoefly party, a Rookery party, or a delish cupcake catering by any of the fab. people above then let me know and I will pass along their info to you.

I really want to give a HUGE thank you to everyone who made my 30th transition so much easier than it could have been, Caro and Christy for rocking the Shoefly, Trav and crew for setting up and cooking at the Rook, and J on cleanup crew along with the shining star of the night, Cap'n, without whom, none of this would have happened.  I am blessed.  Thank you!!!

The Great Alaskan Playtime Book: Part 2

If you tuned in to the last Alaska Crafter article* then you already know about my crafty family and their amazing feats of craft genius. To continue the trend this week I'll reveal the last half of the Alaskan Playtime book that was created for my nephew Owl (just his nickname). Pages 6-15 are sure to thrill as much as 1-5.

Page 6-7
When Owl is not making noises of his own, he loves to make noises with everything around him. That's why a forest of trees that crinkle as the bears rumble by is right up his alley. To create crinkly trees, first cut a tree pattern out of green foliage-textured fabric. Sew two tree pieces together with the right sides together leaving the bottom open. For the crunchy interior reuse the plastic windows from security envelopes. Stuff them inside your tree and stitch up the bottom. Then, attach the tree to a forest page with a strip of furry brown fabric for the trunk.

Family and Fish!

Cap'n holds up his the first fish of the day

Cap'n is from around Detroit (yeah, like the Red Wings shirt didn't give it away) and once a year his folks roll into town and we take a little time to play Alaskan-style.  Finally, this year the sun came out for our fishing expedition and we actually caught TONS of fish!!  Nevermind that they were mostly Pinks (a little less desirable in the rankings of salmon species) so my dad was a little iffy on keeping them.

But we caught several Cohos too, so no problem!

Capn's mom caught all the big ones.

Then of course Pop's had to clean them all for us- haha, that is a skill I probably should have picked up long ago.

Cap'n had a good time. 

The Seagulls were also on the lookout for scraps.  I can't wait 'till next year now! Thanks for visiting!

The Great Alaskan Playtime Book

**UPDATE** Click here to see the rest of the book . . .

Eek, I have been waiting for this article to come out so that I could post it here . . . SO COOL - Go Mom and Sis (ps, yes that is my sister's mouth spouting "Peek-A-Boo!")!!

Babies are a crafter's dream. There are so many tiny tot crafts to be made it's almost exhausting. With the arrival of my new adorable nephew, nicknamed Owl, the house has become a total craft zone. My crafty lineage (read: my mother and sister) have really topped themselves this time by designing and creating an Alaskan-themed playtime book from scratch, and lucky for us they were willing to share.

The Book
The book itself is crafted from soft fabrics sandwiched around batting layers to give it a fluffy baby-appropriate texture. Local stores provided the fodder for much of the wildlife-inspired fabrics. The seams are bound with bias tape to create a finished look on the page edges. The pages are built in spreads (this means the pages are combined together, not individually) but individual pages would work like a dream. To help yourself, draw the layout first and assemble the pages separately (just in case there is a - gasp - mistake).

Page 1
To start things off right, page 1 holds Owl's favorite activity, peek-a-boo. To craft this page, take a photo of yourself with a quintessential peek-a-boo expression - you know the one. Use printable iron-on paper to print and adhere your face to the page. Now create the hands using two layers of felt each for a bit of rigidity. Sew around the edges to bind them, and between the fingers to create the right look. Lastly, sew a small piece of hook and loop to each hand to secure them before the peek has been revealed.

JAM- Delicious and fun!

This summer, downtown Juneau welcomes the second coming of the JAM. No, it's not a delicious treat to enjoy with peanut butter, it's the Juneau Artist's Market, and this year crafters are being called from far and wide to clean out the crafted clutter pileup and make a few bucks.

Saturday kicks off the first in a season-long series of markets designed to be a weekend stomping ground as well as a place for crafters to engage with the community. Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday through August 14, locals and tourists can peruse or sell their handmade creations.

Fun in the woods: Alphabet Trees!

Yes, this literally spells fun- read on to find out how you can have some!

I'm a lazy hiker and an avid crafter. Okay, I'm not really lazy, but I do tend to wander along the way inspecting bugs, touching plants, taking photos; I literally stop to smell the skunk cabbage (I would prefer roses, but I take what I can get). It reminds me of my youth as I explore and get inspired. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely something to be said for "getting there," but as a hiker I am all about the journey.
So to help those of us who have become a bit destination-obsessed take a breather, I've come up with a fun hike-and-craft project that helps you enjoy the ride and achieve a goal. I call it Alphabet Trees.

Mother and Daughter Crafty Interview

    Gabcast! Alaska Crafter #0 - Mother's Day Interview

Listen as I interview Miah Lager, local art teacher, and her mother Sue Ann Randall for a tribute to mothers, teachers and crafters.  Please forgive as it is my first live recorded interview.  Enjoy!


      

Santa Nephew

We were lucky enough to spend time with my nephew this holiday season- remember when I stuck him in a pumpkin?  Well, this time we tried a stocking.  I think very soon he will not fit inside of things anymore so we have to get it while we can! He has the BEST facial expressions.

 

But nothing can beat this hilarious photo of him - I may be a newbie photographer but I really feel like I captured the essence and spirit of the little tyke.  Oh it makes me giggle every time I see it!

And to leave you with a happy face- because I know his mom would want that!