all'swellthatCarswell

Purple Ribbon Bucket Bag

2011-05-30T00:14:00.005-04:00

Just a simple bucket bag embellished with purple, lavender and silver ribbon.

Vintage Dragonfly Fabric ... so cute.

2011-05-30T00:04:00.003-04:00

I just love this vintage dragonfly pattern. It gives this preppy little tote bag a little something special. My sister agreed and asked for it for her birthday. I have plenty of dragonfly fabric left, maybe I'll make another one.

The Latest Bag

2010-11-15T15:56:00.011-05:00

My husband's late grandmother was a clothing designer ... and she left behind a lot of fabric, thread, buttons and zippers ... Nice stuff too. Awesome wool plaids, bright silks, crazy prints. They've 70's and 80's written all over them! And there's enough to keep me busy making bags for quite a while. It's all been living in giant Tupperware bins in my in-laws garage for years and years. Until now.

Here's the first bag made from Grandma Helen's bounty - a small reversible gray corduroy tote bag with a floral flannel reverse side, a removable hard bottom and a pocket on the floral side. (height = 11 inches; width = 8.5 inches at the base; depth = 5 inches at the base)

My Latest Obsession: Handmade Handbags

2010-10-17T19:10:00.009-04:00

... I might see an Etsy.com store in my future. A little more practice, and I'll be ready to put these cuties up for sale. Stay tuned.

Graphic Floral Clutch with Matching Lining

Orange Paisley Handbag with Solid Burnt Orange Lining

Cranberry Paisley Tote with Solid Cranberry Lining

Bowling Pin Lamp Project

2010-08-15T16:12:00.005-04:00

This project took me forever. I got the idea about a year ago ... and finished it today.

Here's what I did.

Got my hands on some old and discarded pins. A little bumped and bruised, but that gives them character. I gave one a good wash and roughed it up a bit with sand paper.

The most difficult part of this project is drilling through a pin. I needed a very long drill bit, a vice, and my husband's help.

I primed with spray paint primer. They're coated in plastic and spray paint can be tricky on plastic.

All in all, it has about 5 coats of paint. This is because it smudged a lot. This pin drove me crazy. Every time i painted it, it smudged, no matter how long i let it dry. Still, it's not perfect, but I think it looks cool.

The base is something i found at Michael's. I actually think it's supposed to be used for a clock face, but it seemed perfect for my lamp's base. I drilled hole through the center of this piece to match the hole through the pin and notched out a groove for the cord to sit in so the whole thing will sit flat. Finally, I attached the base to the pin using 2 in. screws.

Then I fed the cord through the base and the pin, fixed the cord in place with some heavy duty tape, and covered the bottom of the base with felt.

The wiring is the easiest part. I just followed the instructions on the lamp kit I got at Home Depot. Piece of cake.

The shade is simply a plain white shade that I covered in fabric. I liked this print so much, I also made a throw pillow to go with the lamp and a big summer tote bag.

It really wasn't a very complicated project and now that I've finished one and learned a few lessons, the next ones will be easier. I've got a new one in mind already.

Ceiling Fan: An update

2009-04-06T11:16:00.009-04:00

August 2010 - An update to my update ... this fan is currently sitting out front for tomorrow's trash collection. There really was nothing left to do to make this fan not-so-ugly. The new fan is much easier on the eyes. :)

*******

Previously I posted my bombed ceiling fan rehab project. It was done on the fly without much consideration... and it showed. So, I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new concept. Actually, I took some advice from a commenter and a couple facebook pals. Take a look.
I know what you're thinking... why didn't I replace the ruffly frosted glass shades? Well first, I haven't found any that are that much better and second, they're expensive!!! So, for now we'll stick with what we've got.

What do you think? Better?

My lazy Dog

2009-04-03T17:25:00.006-04:00

I'm always complaining about how lazy my dog is. He won't go for walks with me. I can barely get him out of bed in the morning. All he does is sleep all day. Here's a little taste.

Productive Unemployment Project #4... I think I made it worse.

2009-03-25T09:56:00.006-04:00

Every Morning I wake up to the sight of this not-so-attractive ceiling fan above my bed. It's one of two wood/wicker ceiling fans left by the house's previous owners. I thought I could improve it by flipping the paddles (or are they blades) and painting them white... a super quick and easy project for a Monday afternoon. I'm not sure if I improved it or not. Even with white blades this fan is ugly. I think the white is too much of a contrast with the dark brassy metallic pieces of the fan... Maybe I'll try a different paint color. Who's got suggestions???

Before:

After: Different, but not better.

Productive Unemployment Project #3: I made a LAMP!

2009-02-13T16:29:00.012-05:00

OK, to be fair, I think the thing I made the lamp from actually used to be a lamp or at least some kind of lighting fixture, so this was pretty simple.

I bought this wrought iron thing at a flea market last summer for $1 with no real idea what I was going to do with it. For a very long while it sat on top of the piano getting dusty, an objet d'art if you will...

There's this store not far from my house with a sign in the window "We make lamps out of anything" Awesome! Wylie's Lamps... So, I stopped in and purchased all the hardware I would need to make a functioning lamp for $8 + tax. Add in the can of spray paint and a shade and the whole lamp cost about $25. Not bad.

I totally love it. Actually, I'm not sold on the shade yet. I'm going to try a couple more styles. Maybe something a little bigger and more modern... What do you think?

Before

After

I've got the time, but not the wardrobe.

2009-02-03T18:14:00.007-05:00

It's becoming very clear to me lately that for the past 8 years I spent a lot of my time working. It's funny, but now that I spend my days at home I don't have a thing to wear. My closet is full of black pants (9 pair at last count) and an assortment of jackets. How is it possible that I don't have enough lounge wear to make it through a week without doing laundry. I think maybe a trip to Target.com is in order. I think it's important to get up and get ready for the day even if your day consists of online job hunting, Facebook, Twitter and bulldog walking. I still get up early, even earlier than I did when I was working. I've even found that the morning is a very productive time for me. Who would have guessed??

Productive Unemployment Project #2

2009-01-26T10:09:00.019-05:00

I've been meaning to do this ever since I snagged this little gem out of my grandmother's basement years ago. I've been dragging it around from apartment to apartment in it's original, yet beat up state. Here's what I did.

I asked my husband drag it into the basement; sanded the shiny varnish off; sealed the wood with primer; spray painted it black (note: regardless of how clever your ventilation plan is, do not spray paint in your basement! yuck!); added a little cushion to the seat with some batting; and covered the seat with some fancy, yet very inexpensive fabric I bought on fabric.com.

I'm pretty pleased with myself here. I love this little telephone seat, but I definitely plan to move my spray painting activities outside!! Check out the pics and let me know what you think.

Before...

After...

Here's a close-up of the seat fabric... It's kind of busy, but I dig it.

Making the best of UNEMPLOYMENT

2009-01-21T08:21:00.013-05:00

I'm unemployed and panic stricken, so...I've decided to use this, my unknown blog, to keep myself from going completely insane with worry and stress.

I guess how I got here is really unimportant. My story isn't that much different than so many others... let's just say... I knew that working for a financial institution was a gamble, but I did it anyway... for exactly three months. No regrets...

Anyway... I learned yesterday (my first actual day of unemployment) that I can't browse craigslist, monster, carrer builder, linkedin, and the like ALL day. There comes a point when you have to do something else and there's no sense in feeling guilty about it.

So take a look at project number one... my new and improved desk chair.

Before:

After:

Much better, right? Took the whole thing apart; got rid of those ugly plastic arms; made a slip cover for the top piece; stapled fabric around the bottom piece... and put the whole thing back together. It took about an hour.

OK, so my sewing skills aren't what you might call "good", but whatever... I still think it looks 100 times better.

Countdown: 15 Days

2007-11-28T09:08:00.000-05:00

Only 15 days until we move and I'm still in denial about the fact that I'm moving to the suburbs. What the hell? How did this happen to me? When people ask where we're moving to, I'm embarassed to tell them. I first have to aplogize for abandoning my beloved Philadelphia. Can I still call myself a Philadelphian? I mean, we're only moving like 15 minutes away, right? So it's not like we're moving to the country or anything. There are no crops or livestock involved. I'll still come to the city everyday for work. Ugh, the thought of "commuting" creeps me out. It's so... I don't know... it's so what other people do. Boring people. No longer is there the option to walk home if I feel like it.

But... on the other side. No more circling the block for 20 minutes looking for parking. No more living in a high rise with 1000 other people. No more tiny condo with no room to breathe. This really IS a good move. It'll just take a minute to adjust.

Our Wedding Day

2007-11-15T08:39:00.001-05:00

I mentioned that i got married a little while ago. I'll tell you about my great little wedding. It was so much fun. We had our ceremony at Shofuso, the Japanese House in Fairmount Park. It's the most beautiful place for a small intimate ceremony. We had just our family there. Our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and grandparents all stood around in their stocking feet (no shoes inside, it's Japanese tradition) just as the sun set behind the trees. Our four siblings held up our awesome homemade chupah made from bamboo poles and an indian inspired bedspread we found at The Eyes Gallery on South Street. It was a casual ceremony. We laughed. We cried. We drink wine. It was nice.

Moving Sucks

2007-11-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

Next month we're moving. And I'm trying not to think about it until I have to start packing. BUT... yesterday my best pal moved into her first house. Very exciting, so after work I headed over to help arrange furniture. OMG, chaos. Boxes everywhere, pets running amok, late contractors, and even later thai food delivery. On the way home to my calm and orderly apartment, I started thinking about our new house. Pictured it full of boxes and pets running amok. I was up way past my bedtime thinking about this crap. What color to paint the dining room? What the hell do we do about the giant 70's brick fireplace? How on earth will we afford furniture for this place? I have a feeling Im going to obsess and worry for the next month. This can't be good for me. I also spent some time thinking about what to do with the extra bedroom we'll have in the new place. Maybe a meditation / exercise room is in order to help me relax and clear my mind. I'm sure I'll find way more stuff to worry about in the new house.

Bulldog vs. Spaghetti Squash

2007-11-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

Pig shaped squeaky toy = $7 and kept his attention for about 3 minutes
Bag of smoked pig ears = $15 and goes through one in about 4 minutes
Big ol spaghetti squash = $.99 at the farmer's market and kept him happy as hell for about hour & a half
And that, my friend, is priceless!

watch and be grossed out at the carnage.

Just Married...

2007-11-11T20:52:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that I'm what they call a "newlywed?" I got married about a month ago, October 13th. Everyone, and I mean everyone was all... "marriage is totally going to change your relationship", especially the Rabbi. Well, whatever. They were all wrong. We've been friends for years and years, then we dated for a year and lived together for another year and a half before we got married. So we were pretty sure our relationship wasn't going to change all that much because of a piece of paper and some jewelry, and we were right.

That being said, what HAS changed our relationship is BUYING A HOUSE together. OMG. The stress of it all. I bought a condo by myself about 3 years ago, and that was much, much easier. By the way, it's a super cute condo and it's for SALE... hint hint.

Post #1: Writer's Block Already?

2007-11-11T01:11:00.000-05:00

So, I have this urge to blog. To share the silly shit that enters my head with the blogosphere. I've set up my profile, picked a template and color scheme... Now what? Where do I start?... how about with this video of my dog. He's awesome. enjoy.