Free Apollo

Here is my beautiful nephew Apollo. Right now his mother cannot see him because of lies and deceit by his father and his father's family. Because they know how to use the law against her, she, after spending every moment with him for 10 1/2 months, had to leave him behind in North Carolina and return to her home state of Maryland. Everyone who knows Jen knows that this child is her life. She will move heaven and earth to make sure this child has everything he needs. Jen needs a lawyer so that she can be able to fight for custody of her son. She has a hearing on the 29th in North Carolina and must have a retainer for the lawyer. Apollo's father and family knows that she has been a stay at home mother and knows that she is now at a disadvantage. Please help Jen raise the money she needs to be reunited with her son. This boy has seen her everyday of his life and they have been separated for over a week now. Any monies you give will be greatly appreciated. In addition to donations, Jen and I are teaming up to take custom orders for hand painted artificial nails as well I make and sell jewelry. I will post pictures on my Facebook of jewelry I have made however if you have something in mind please let me know. One item that is really popular is the Chan Luu style wrapped bracelets. Here is an example of what the bracelets look like. They can be made with leather or waxed cotton cording and any bead combinations that you like as long at the bead and fit in the bracelet's frame.

The bracelets start at $15 for a standard 7.5 inch wrist. If you want it to wrap more than once, it is $ 5 more per wrap (usually no more than 5 wraps). The artificial nail sets start at $20. These are hand painted and the designs are sealed in with a top coat. Please help us reunite my sister with her son. No woman as dedicated as my sister should have to endure being without their child.

****UPDATE**** May, 29, 2012 Thank you all for your support and love! It is wonderful to know that my sister and nephew have touched so many lives. This have been a busy morning and weekend and I'm glad to report that Mommy, Daddy and baby are on their way back to Maryland where they can raise their child together with the support of true family and friends! Thank you all again for your help!

On Vacay

I'm not posting this week due to vacation. I will be sure to post later this week and again on Saturday.

Traveling, new skill learned.. and of course earrings :)

Since my last post I have only managed to get to get about 2-3 rows done on the baby blanket for my nephew. I need to fully complete the blanket to 40" x 40" as the pattern calls for by next Friday. Next Friday evening/early Saturday, I'm going to drive with my parents, boyfriend, and daughter to visit my sister in North Carolina. She moved down to NC at the beginning of April and we haven't seen her new son except through the many pictures she posts on Facebook.

So while I'm working on getting that blanket done, I'm also working keeping my goal of working on new jewelry projects each week and posting my progress.

Yesterday, I was visiting Target to get a less exciting power strip for my bed room when I ran across a clearance rack full of shower curtains. Well imagine my joy to know that the shower curtain was only 3.74!!! Add in a book called Simply Sublime Bags that I bought from Amazon a couple of months ago with a pattern to make a shower curtain to a bag :) I was overcome with joy. Imagine the restraint it took to NOT buy all the shower curtains they had. The one I picked was called something Pineapple.

The only problem is that the book requires that I photocopy the template to 333% magnification.. alas I don't have that capability at home :'(
But I do have Amy Butler's Style Stitches which comes with the patterns in the back of the book :) and I feel like I need to make a bag this weekend.

I am in the process of making my own light box so I can replace the pictures I have on my Etsy and Artfire with better ones. I got the tutorial from this website.So far I still have just this box.

I'm not sure why my picture keeps rotating to the right... but if you turn your head to the right you can see the top of the box and the marks of where I'm going to cut it like in the tutorial.

I learned a new skill.
My mom is teaching me how to knit. Well she showed me and I've been practicing for a few rows.
It's pretty simple to get started once she showed me. The book is really no help yet. Maybe later when I need to learn how to read the patterns.
As you can see I'm not far yet.

And last but not least....
Earrings!!

I'm still working on the threaded earrings (I have no coiling gizmo so I'm using a different method).
But here are the earrings I've made. The brown pair are from a kit from Walmart, the blue and silver, I made from premade wire wrapped beads, random glass beads, chain and wire, and the cotton thread ones were crocheted and then assembled with silver findings.
Well that's all for now. Hopefully I'll be back with the threaded earrings and a finishing baby blanket :)

~* Jasmine

Trying to Keep Busy

Yes... my first post is late... blame my buggy computer...
As long as my computer cooperates the next post will be on time.

Anyway... I have been working on a baby blanket for my younger sister. She had a baby boy, Apollo, on the 12th of this month. She has been more than proud to be sure to post new pictures everyday. I'm using the Purely Square baby blanket from Lion Brand Yarn. So far its coming along nicely.

Like I said in my last I've also been making jewelry lately, mostly earrings. I made a charm bracelet for my mom for Mother's day with random glass beads and different findings and chain. This was the most custom bracelet I have made. I love it because its so eclectic but comes together at the same time.

Earrings are alot faster to make which equals instant gratification. I like doing both crochet and working with different beads and findings. Here are some earrings with crocheted cotton thread.

Here's a pair that I made from a kit with different findings in it.

I've made 4 different pair from that kit. Its a good way to get used to working with the materials and getting an idea of what looks good together.

I'm going to try my hand at threaded earrings. Here's a picture if you don't know what earrings I'm talking about.

These are the ones I saw at Target. As pretty as they were I just couldn't bring myself to pay 6 bucks for earrings when I have ALL the supplies in my stash at home. So I looked up ways to may the earrings online and by online, I mean on YouTube :-}

The one I did make I didn't take a picture of because it started coming apart because I forgot to seal the thread in the coils :-/

But I a "bad" habit of taking pictures when I'm in the store of different earrings that I see that I think I can make and save myself money >:)

When I feel confident enough I will most likely offer them up for sale as well. I have an Etsy and an Artfire account. Both of which I have not made any sales do to the fact I need to take more pictures of the items that I can sell. But I need my computer to cooperate.... and I'm not good at pictures :P

I also am working on a sweater for the fall/wearing around the house. This is also a Lion Brand pattern, Whiter Shade of Pale Car Coat. Its my first garment so I'm having a hell of a time with gauge. I have been absolutely meticulous about measuring every piece I made. I'm almost done however the sleeve holes at the wrist are a little too small.

I managed to sew the front and back panels, and the sleeves together.

That's all for now. I also have a Livejournal account. and as always you can find me on Twitter.

Let me know what other things you would like to see or hear about. I will try my hand at the threaded earrings and post some pics next time ;-)

See ya

~* Jasmine

I'm lazy....

So much for posting more. :P

I think I have been using the lazy excuse for everything lately despite that I have more time this summer than I have had the last two summers.
I graduated from AACC this spring, I am preparing my art portfolio for review by SCAD. I also have been dabbling in making earrings and jewelry as of late. Earrings are such a quick item to make and I have having more and more success at making really nice looking pairs.

I find myself at the store looking at earrings and can't bring myself to buy them because I believe I can make some myself for less than what I paid.
But then I don't make the earrings and I think and contemplate about buying the very earrings that I have said I was going to make.
In the meantime, I am in the process of making a Sackboy blanket for my new nephew. My nephew was just born on June 12 and I'm absolutely excited to go see him as soon as possible.

So I will make it a point to at least make a posting once a week on Saturday of any items I make and what I am currently working on.
Since I didn't do one this past Saturday I will do two this week. This will include any projects whether it be drawing, jewelry, crochet, (maybe even knitting if I can get the hang of it), writing (I have written a couple of chapters for a fanfic that I have not finished).

That's all for now. I will check back in this week for my next update.

~*~Ladybug~*~

October Swap

I joined a swap group on Ravelry.com. For those of you that don't know, Ravelry is a site for crocheters and knitters. It is the best resource for patterns and to be able to become friends with people who share your love of your craft.
I did my first swap. My swap partner loved all her goodies.

I crocheted the little witchy complete with a scarf to brave the chilly fall weather. I made a little drawstring bag to put little caramel candies for her to snack on... a plastic bag just wouldn't do.
I gave her three handmade stitch markers with beads from my little stash and two skeins of sock yarn!

I think I have a better understanding of how swaps work and would love to do more in the future!

Art Fire Group Deal

Artfire is having a GREAT deal but they need 20,000 people to sign up for it for people to take advantage. If you are familiar with Etsy, then you need to check this out!