Stuff I Love: Wine & Crafts

A few weeks back, I took a Gallup Strengths coaching workshop for work. I use the assessment in one of the programs I manage at work and took the workshop to help deepen my knowledge of strengths-based development so I can expand what we're doing with the assessment in the programs. One of the activities we did was an exercise focused on what we value and how those values are evident in our top strengths. The top value for me? Creativity. I worked with my partner to discuss creativity in my work and personal life and it was the sort of satisfying conversation that always seems to happen at these types of workshops. I always get all excited about the way I'm going to bring the knowledge back, both professionally and personally. Then go back to my life and forget everything and question my life choices and ennui settles in and I'm like, "What happened?"

Thankfully, that didn't happen this time. I haven't completely figured out what I want to do with the assessment in my programs, but I haven't lost that feeling I got when talking with my coaching practice partner about creativity. If anything, I've spent more time thinking about this since the workshop thinking about creativity and bringing that more into my life than I've thought of anything else. Creativity is a skill and a talent. It's focused on using imagination to create and solve things. People often mistake creativity for artistic talent; the two aren't the same. You can be creative and not artistic and you can be artistic and not be creative. Artists who are also creative are probably better artists, but the two are not synonymous. Creativity is about problem solving and thinking differently about the way things are done. It can manifest in art and crafts, but it doesn't have to.

I have some artistic talent; I can sew, embroider, write, and paint. Remember that time I made a Lego purse? I'm not a great painter and never will be, but I enjoy the process and the feeling of painting. I enjoy embroidery more, so I tend to stick with it when I want to have both a creative and artistic outlet. There's something truly magical about bringing a new project into the world. I'm mostly self-taught when it comes to embroidery and I'm constantly impressed by what I'm able to create with a few stitches and some fun patterns. Since the Women's March last year, there's been a flood of feminist embroidery and cross-stitch patterns on the market. There's something very therapeutic about stabbing fabric over and over again and have it become a "Nasty Woman" wall hanging or a "Girl Power" patch. It's also a nice connection back to our feminist and suffragist foremothers, who used crafts, sewing and needlework in particular, to hand make signs and sashes in the early suffrage and equality movements.

Back in the spring, when I was laid off and felt terrible about life, my friends did an excellent job of helping me stay positive and focused on doing fun things so I wouldn't drown in the pool of horrible that a job search often becomes. One April afternoon, Emily came over to watch movies and hang out. She brought a crochet project she was working on with her (she was making me a Franken-blanket, her specialty). I had a cross-stitch project I was working on. We sat on my couch, drank wine, and watched the mini-series version of IT and sewed and crocheted the afternoon away. Anita came by later in the afternoon, bringing her own cross-stitch project with her. As we all sat and worked and talked, we decided to start a monthly crafting/project day. Wine and Crafts Day was born. We've met once a month since September. Hosting duties rotate among the group and we've added a few additional people into the mix. There's no requirement of having to know how to do any type of craft or art project; we've all informally agreed to teach people new skills if they want to learn.

My first Zakka embroidery project.

It's been a great way for me to bring my friend groups together and be around a group of women who laugh and create and have fun. It's nice to not have an agenda; so much of all of our lives are based on agendas and to-do lists and calendars. I'm a planner, but even I can't deal with being scheduled to death. I know scheduling is a necessary thing, but I have a dream of one day not living by my calendar. We even got Anita hooked on Stranger Things and Chief Hopper; she was not disappointed.

In addition to being able to focus on various embroidery projects, I've also rediscovered my love of hosting gatherings. I don't know when I stopped having dinner parties, but I'd forgotten how much fun it is to plan the food and set everything up in a welcoming way. This isn't nearly as involved as a dinner party, but it's nice to have an excuse to try out fondue recipes (happening today) or bake a new recipe or roll out an old favorite. I spend a lot of time by myself, which is both good for me (and my introverted nature), but also something I need to occasionally remember not to do. There is such as thing as spending too much time alone. I don't spend time during our monthly gatherings writing, but I know that each one has helped me get back into my novel and given me the much needed kick in the pants to finish it and put it out in the world. Soon, friends, soon.

It's almost time for the group to gather and get started on our projects and eat some fondue. I'm not sure the cheese fondue is going to be good, but there's always chocolate fondue to save the day!

Today's project - another Zakka project. This one is going to be framed and hung in my living room.

Coming in March: It's Women's History Month! Whatever will we talk about for an entire month dedicated to women and their achievements? Check it out all month long!

Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie

It always happens. I start working on a project and I've settled on the way the finished product is going to look (and how to get there) and then BAM. A brand new idea creeps into my head and I have to stop and reassess the whole thing. Thankfully, this typically works out in my favor.

This is exactly what has happened with my lego purse project. As you may recall from my first post about the purse, I settled on a design and just had the final phase of spray painting and gluing left to complete.

But I started thinking about it again. And questioning it: Are people going to think it's a lego purse? Is it lego-y enough? What if I made the entire purse out of legos? Is the first design a statement enough? Friday night I set about designing a second purse. I'm still fully committed to completing the first one (it's way more simple than I thought). Now I have options.

Here is the initial design for purse two:

The rectangles make up the front and back of the purse. They'll be connected by a small box of legos that forms the space for my stuff. This design is actually smaller on the inside but I think it will pack much more of a wow when I actually use it. As I was putting the initial pieces together (and by together I mean just held together temporarily so I could move them around), I decided I'd need a hinge of some form to connect the boxes together and allow me to easily open the purse. I also figured I could use legos as a clasp - one side would be the flat piece and the other would be a connector piece of some form.

A more important realization came with the second design: I needed more legos. A second trip to the Lego Store in Potomac Mills was on the horizon and this time I took my brother with me. Legos are a joint toy for my brother and I. We both enjoyed playing with legos as children and have continued that into adulthood (clearly). Scott and I discussed the second purse and my ideas at lunch. He seemed convinced that a lego hinge (the kind you might use on doors in a house) would work for the hinge part. He even sketched out a rough design and shopping list for us. Lego design is a very real thing in my family. My dad even chimed in a few times with supportive comments and a tip or two.

The Lego Store didn't have any hinges but I remembered that I had some in my bag of legos at home so I ended up just getting two more containers of parts (with a discount because I'm part of the Lego Club now - don't be jealous) and a large building plate. I told the cashier what I was making and she thought it sounded cool.

The only thing left to do while at my parents' house was to spray paint the pencil box for purse one and the building plate for purse two (it only came in gray and blue). I don't think I've spray painted anything since high school theatre work days. I now understand the allure of spray painting. It's fun and easy and gives you a sense of control (if could also be the fumes). My dad even has a designated space in the backyard where one can spray paint if needed. It's like a little altar to spray paint. I used Krylon Fusion which is a spray paint for plastic. I opted for a satin finish (mostly because that's what they had). It wasn't particularly windy which was a good thing. Tip: don't spray paint on a windy day.

When I got home, I started gluing the pieces of purse one together and assembling purse two. Purse one is definitely the one to go with if I want to be able to carry more than my phone and ID. The pencil box is roomier. I still have to sew and attach the lining for the inside of the box; I think I might create a little interior pocket on the upper portion of the box for my ID.

Onto purse two. A lego building plate is surprisingly easy to cut with an X-ACTO knife (and of course, I have one at home). If you cut into the plastic and then bend it, the piece will snap off easily. I still have to go back and touch up the edges with paint but I figured I'd save that until the end. I glued two pieces together so I could create the design on the front panels and the interior box on the other side. Lego hinges are not meant to be used in this capacity. I had a few different types in my big ol'bag of legos and none of them worked to hinge the two pieces together. I think I need to buy a regular metal hinge which means I will probably need to drill into the plastic to attach the piece. I'm going to have to borrow power tools from my dad if I have to drill into the legos. I'm hoping that when I find the hinge I can attach it in some other way and a drill will be unnecessary.

I'm pleased with both designs. Both are approximately the same size as a regular clutch purse so neither feel cumbersome to carry. Purse one is lighter given that it has the smaller amount of legos in the design. Purse two is more of the fashion statement. If I can get the hinging to work it would be a very cool accessory to have. Granted I won't be able to carry much but what does one really need at work prom?

I have lots left to do in order to complete both of them but I think it's doable. Now you know what I'll be doing next weekend.

Hello Chanel, La Première Partie

This is the latest Chanel logo clutch. Isn't it pretty? It's also an item that's price is listed as "by request only." I'm guessing this means it costs more than I make in a year.

So what's a girl to do especially one who is trying to up the fashion ante this year? Well, thanks to the wonderful blogger, Studs and Buttons, I can make my own version out of a pencil box and legos. You read that right - a pencil box and legos.

I stumbled upon Studs and Buttons through a Buzzfeed post (I know, I know) about making accessories out of legos. I love legos. Legos were something that my brother and I (and our dad) enjoyed when we were kids. We could actually play together when legos were involved. Even as adults we still give each other lego presents sometimes and we made our dad a tank a few years ago as a Christmas present (I think it was Christmas). Anyway, legos are so much fun so when I saw that Buzzfeed post my mind went into overdrive and I decided I would make the purse.

In November, I will be attending my company's annual company meeting/awards show/adult prom. We call it the H'Oscars and this year we have a black and white theme. I have a pretty basic black cocktail dress that I plan to wear and figured that I'd use this opportunity to consider the role of accessories in my fashion life. I don't typically wear a lot of jewelry so I've decided to focus on the shoes and a purse. Nothing screams semi-formal event more than a black and white lego purse.

Phase One: Supply Gathering and Design

Here's the supply list:

• Assorted legos
• A plastic pencil box (I opted for a standard size but am planning to do one that's smaller in the future)
• Sand paper (to smooth out the edges of the pencil box)
• Spray paint (I'm using a paint/primer combo in shiny black)
• Glue (I'm using a spray glue and a permabond glue similar to super glue - I don't want those legos to break off)
• Fabric to line the box - Studs and Buttons made an excellent point about noise in a plastic box. He used felt; I'm using a more luxe fabric and creating an interior pocket - go sewing skills!

I stopped by the Lego Store at Potomac Mills mall last weekend and bought some black and white legos to get started. I also found my childhood stash of legos while at my parents' house. I have a ridiculous amount of black and white legos and thanks to my hoarding, I have some pretty fun shapes and interesting pieces that I think will help make my design pop. Studs and Buttons's design is much more like the Chanel bag; I want to play with dimension and shape so mine will be more 3D. That's the point of legos right? Pumpkin "helped" me complete step one: sorting my legos. I organized them size and type (hello OCD). I have easy access to all of my pieces as I design.

Friday, I started to focus on the actual design. I don't draw (my skills are horrifyingly bad). I attempted a design drawing when I was waiting for my training group to arrive. Here is the mildly embarrassing result:

My original thought was to use some of the odd shaped pieces like archways to build a more 3D design than what Studs and Buttons did for his version. I like the idea of dimension and since this is supposed to be the accessory for my outfit, it should be big and bold. What my terrible drawing is supposed to show is borders of thinner legos leading to the four archways that would have a propeller with flowers attached. So it's 3D and it moves.

I tried to execute the design I drew last night. It didn't quite work the way I envisioned it in my head (or in my poorly drawn design). The archways don't meet up in a way that would make it easy to attach the propeller and I was thinking that even with glue it might not stay together so well. I haven't totally given up on this design idea I just have to play with it more. The best way to design anything with legos is to just build it. I think that was the point of legos (at least it was when I was a child). You don't have to follow the instructions if you don't want to. Then I attempted to make a flower but I'm finding that flowers and the pieces I have aren't 100% compatible. Scale wise, that flower is way too big for the purse. Smaller versions look weird and the more 3D flower designs I found online won't work on a purse.
 
After my failed attempt at making the archways happen, I found some other interesting shaped pieces and came up with a flatter design but it still has some pop. Here's the third design of the night:

It's interesting and looks vaguely like something Chanel might add to a plastic purse that costs more than I make in a year (allegedly). I need to spray paint the box to get the full effect of the design but I like this concept. I think it will pop. I could also incorporate a few additional touches in white along the sides. Or leave it the way it is. I have to walk away from it for a few days, let the design sink in before I start the next phase: paint and construction. I can always pull out the legos and try again if it doesn't end up working for me. That's the beauty of legos - you can always take it apart and start over again.

Tune in later this month for Hello Chanel, La Deuxième Partie - the finished product.

Chanel purse photo 

She's crafty

I've always considered myself crafty. I don't mean that I'm particularly sly or cunning; I'm referring to the artistic definition of crafty. I can make things out of paper and I enjoy embroidery (especially when it involves Russian nesting dolls or hedgehogs). I've never tried to sell anything that I've made but I do like to give handmade items as gifts. I hope people like what I make. You can never really tell if someone is just being polite or honest when they tell you they like a handmade item. It's sort of like when you'd make something for your parents in elementary school; they had to like it and tell you what an awesome job you did. It's their job. As is lying occasionally to make you feel better. Go parenthood!

I appreciate the fine art of painting on roof tiles and making albums into journals or putting a bird on things. These are all things I can get behind. I like the idea that people can sit in their apartments or houses or their parents' basement and create something that makes them happy and in turn, brings some sort of happiness into the world. I also appreciate that these crafters have figured out the universal truth about humans: we will buy anything. Especially if it has a cute animal, gnome, or dinosaur on it. Humans are weak.

And so today, I found myself at Crafty Bastards, an annual arts and crafts fair in DC that I had never heard of until yesterday. A friend told me about it; one of his friends is one of the vendors and he was going to be there helping her out. When he sent me the link, the first thing I saw was that Berkley Illustration would be there. How could I resist?

If you don't know about Berkley Illustration you should take some time and visit their website. I discovered Ryan Berkley and his animal creations when I moved to California. My office has a holiday party every year and we were discussing the upcoming party and the gift exchange. Two of my co-workers kept telling me about this gift from the year before. It was a painting of a meerkat in aviator clothes. They called it Meerkat Amelia Earhart. No one had a picture of it so I decided to do what any other person in the 21st century would do: I googled "meerkat Amelia Earhart" and "meerkat aviator" and found my way to Berkley Illustration's Etsy store.

Yes, I'm now the proud owner of a meerkat aviator print. This alone was worth the Metro ride and the crowds.

There's also this handsome hedgehog who hangs in the entryway of my apartment. I may also have one featuring a T-Rex wearing a western shirt and a cowboy hat. I just can't help myself when it comes to these delightful animals. It's not just that the prints are whimsical (and you know how I love whimsy), it's that he writes a little story for each one. It's awesome and hilarious.

Crafty Bastards was held at Union Market, recently renovated and shiny and new. It's reminiscent of the Ferry Building in San Francisco although much smaller and in a random location. The history of the market goes back to the 1870s. Like lots of things in DC, it's undergone several different versions and lives in a neighborhood that seems at odds with a trendy, artisan market. As you walk to Union Market from the Metro, there are lots of different ethnic stores and markets too. I walked over to the fair with a woman I started talking to on the Metro and she suggested walking through the surrounding market so I could see the whole area. It was a good suggestion - it was interesting to see the contrast between the older parts of the neighborhood and the shiny new part.

I'd like to come back and visit the market again when it's not a zoo. There were so many people! This is what happens when it's 65 and sunny on a Saturday in November in DC. The only reason I found my friend amongst the vendors (even though I knew the booth number) is because he's really tall and I could see him over the crowd. His friend uses up-cycled and salvaged leather to make purses, wallets, and belts. I bought a lovely purple wrislet from her. You can find Catherinette on Etsy too. She had this awesome red purse that I loved but it was a little out of my budget for today. Maybe next time.

I enjoyed my day at Crafty Bastards although I could only stand the crowd for about two hours. By that point, I had had enough of hipsters elbowing me to look at journals made from recycled book covers and Jay McCarroll's scarves and socks (yes, the first winner of Project Runway was there too). So I gathered up my reusable tote bag (nice little gift as we came in) and my wonderful purchases and made my way back to the Metro and home.


Now I just have to figure out where the meerkat and T-Rex will end up in the apartment. Or maybe one of them should make their way to the office. Nothing says office cube decor more than a T-Rex in a western shirt.