Angie Pedersen's The Blog of ME

Crochet Project: Natural Reuseable Shopping Bag

Just posted my latest crochet project over on my Ravelry profile: Natural Reusable Shopping Bag.

I used Jill Chatelain's Rust Goes Green pattern.  It came together in about 10 days, for this mom who works full-time outside the home.  (which means it might go more quickly for others, not in the same situation.  Then again, maybe not!)

I like the various versions done in variegated yarns displayed in the Ravelry Gallery (dude - say that sentence five times fast!)  If I make another one of this pattern, I think I would try a variegated yarn - maybe a pink/brown/natural.  I would also increase/widen the bottom for a bigger bag overall.  (We buy a LOT of groceries!  At least, it seems that way to me!)

Online Book of Me Challenges

Over the years, I've linked to a number of Book of Me Challenges on blogs and message boards.  I decided it would be nice to gather them all in one place.  So I'm trying out Mr. Linky.

If you host or participate in an online Book of Me Challenge, please add the link and help spread the good word of scrapbooking about yourself.

Making some changes...

In case you haven't seen/heard, I recently posted this to my SBIN blog: Scrapbooking Industry News Closes.

I have decided to stop publishing news on Scrapbooking Industry News (aka SBIN), effective 8/25/08. Since I posted the first scrapbooking industry newsbyte on One Scrappy Site in 2003, my priorities and interests have changed...There is no background drama, or bitterness, or other fodder for gossip -- it's just time for me to move on.

Anyone linking to the RSS for the blog should remove the feed, as the blog will no longer be updated.

Crafty Scrapbooking Idea: Buttons to brads Tutorial

Stumbled across this tutorial for some very cute fabric covered button-brads at very cheeky magpie: buttons to brads.

Just use a Dritz button cover kit and 'hack' it with a brad to make embellishments for a scrapbooking layout (or card, or home decor project, or whatever your crafty little mind thinks up!)

I LOVE how she paired the fabric button-brads with felt to make layered flowers.  Neat!

Little Joys, in Unexpected Places

I read a great quote in the Compendium "Today's Inspiring Quote" email recently:

"Savor the moment. Search for a little joy, and you will find a great deal of it in unexpected places."  

--Unknown

Very cool.  When you have found joy in an unexpected place, because you took a moment to search for it?  Feel free to share in the Comments below.  And don't forget to scrapbook the memory, too!

More crochet projects

I have been just "hooked" on crocheting recently - just can't keep my hands off it!  Which means I've been very productive.

Both my sister-in-law and a friend from college are pregnant, so I've been working on a gift set for each of them: cotton burpcloth, bib, and bath mitt.  I'm pleased with how they turned out.  You can find links to the patterns on my Ravelry profile.  I really like how the boy burpcloth turned out - a variation of a washcloth pattern available at the Lion Brand website.  I think I may try a kitchen dishtowel using that same stitch.

I also tried my hand at amigurumi - the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures - at the request of my pre-teen daughter, who about had an aneurysm when she saw the picture for the Baby Snow Dragon at CrochetMe.  I appreciated her faith in my abilities, but realize how fortunate I was that it was a fairly easy pattern.  It went together pretty quickly - not as quickly as she might have liked, but less than 24 hours.

Since that amigurumi project went so well, I plan to try others - like this cute gnome, Gir, or even a Golden Snitch!

I also finished another recycled grocery bag project - this one a lunch bag based on this cute Pumpkin Candy Purse.  The lunchbag turned out cute - I just need to get some batteries in my camera to take a pic.

How to fix overexposed photos?

Any tips on tweaking overexposed photos in Photoshop Elements?  My husband and son recently returned from a hiking trip in New Mexico, and got this great shot at the top of a mountain.  But they were in bright sunlight, and using a disposable camera.  Their faces are almost completely washed out!  Not to mention the breathtaking landscape behind them.

Is this shot salvageable?

If anyone feels generous and wants to take a shot at fixing it, I would be more than happy to email the full size 300 dpi image to them.  :)

I'd also appreciate links to useful tutorials online.

Thanks!

Book of Me Challenge: Alphabet Shoot

I found another ongoing Book of Me/All About Me challenge on a community message board: Alphabet Shoot at Scrapbook Graphics.

It's hosted by Stephanie O'Neill, and has been going since the beginning of the year.  The challenge description encourages participants to "join Stephanie as she gives you alphabetical photo prompts that will help you get some layouts done about YOU!"  Every other week, Stephanie posts a prompt, based on a letter of the alphabet.  They are currently on "M" - "M is for Me".

Scrapbook Graphics has a gallery dedicated to the layouts inspired by the Alphabet Shoot challenge - go there and let yourself be inspired!

Go ahead...scrap YOUR stories!

Joss-omeness

http://drhorrible.com/index.html

Dude.

From the creator of Firefly, Serenity, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon.  Couldn't pull myself away for the full 42 minute runtime.

Book of Me Ideas - Two New-to-Me Blogs

Via Lisa Day's blog, a couple of links to Book of Me/All About Me scrapbook challenge blogs:

Dig Deeper's goal is to help you "document your life and your story." They offer monthly mini book kits with a monthly theme, instruction and inspiration from the DD owners and a monthly guest designer.  But it isn't necessary to purchase a kit to participate every month. They offer a challenge blog as well, where you can use your own stash and just use their theme and journaling prompts to get you creating.  Participants are encouraged to upload completed projects to their Flickr group.

The This Is Me Journal blog posts challenges/prompts every Monday and Thursday - a very ambitious schedule, if you ask me!  Their goal is to help participants to "think outside the box when it comes to journalling about YOURSELF {yes, that's right- this is all about you, not the kids or the hubby or the dog, just you!} so that in 10 years you can look back and remember the place you are at NOW in your life."  You can check out their Flickr group for projects inspired by past prompts.