tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50290175233393131952024-02-07T03:57:29.832-08:00Crafty BanditsCrafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-86057440790776415462011-12-26T00:13:00.000-08:002011-12-26T00:13:21.355-08:00Sketchy BusinessAfter the festivities of Christmas have subsided (not without their consequences = I'm still hungover and bloated from yesterday's wining and dining), all attention is focused on New Year's and those pesky New Year's Eve Resolutions.<br />
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Most people don't give them much thought, and neither have I really- until now. After kickstarting our little business again, I feel the need to reconnect with my creative side and sink my teeth into all things crafty.<br />
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So I officially declare 2012's resolution to be: Go for it! Embrace all things artsy, arty, cultural, essential.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/gesturepics/figure-1-1320266241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/gesturepics/figure-1-1320266241.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sample Model - Check out the 'ceps! </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">Finding this<a href="http://www.pixelovely.com/gesture/figuredrawing.php"> figure drawing site</a> has been really helpful.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I liked it so much, I even made a donation. The 30 minute 'warm up' classes allow you to ease from quick 30 second sketches to an 11 minute study of a male or female form. Even a person who knows little to nothing about drawing would find it an interesting and even rewarding exercise. Like I always say, anyone can be good at drawing -all it takes is practice. :)</div><br />
- The DentistCrafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-87796888905481970032011-12-25T00:03:00.000-08:002011-12-25T00:03:08.185-08:00Completed!... FinallyThis has taken a little longer than I hoped, but I finally finished the crochet badges for my uni project. The next stage after crocheting the bases was to crochet the copper into rings. It was suggested to me that I should anneal the copper to make it softer before I crocheted it but for the sake of saving time I ignored this advice and crocheted it as it was- ripping into my fingers in the process.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZlg2od3XMuvZQwznvnSJBTy18iIhgvlUTyo5IB_z0xdnQ-3mFiSQ06kDte2TucbOXa6Uy8wTYBgCu51Eo99gbPJcfVvGPbf8k1mvCXX-cj9ddHRrVyizBJhxUHHSxxRzA2oq64LqW1I/s1600/PC240018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="150" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZlg2od3XMuvZQwznvnSJBTy18iIhgvlUTyo5IB_z0xdnQ-3mFiSQ06kDte2TucbOXa6Uy8wTYBgCu51Eo99gbPJcfVvGPbf8k1mvCXX-cj9ddHRrVyizBJhxUHHSxxRzA2oq64LqW1I/s200/PC240018.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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The brooches are comprised of three layers- the top layer being the copper ring, the middle layer is red woollen knit and the bottom layer is the crochet wool base. A brooch pin is sewn between the red wool knit and the crocheted wool base. Once I make the three parts, most of the work is done and sewing them together doesn't take much time.<br />
The brooches were sold in a pop up store called J-Pop for a little over a week. I was working in the store when one of them sold and it was great to be able to get feedback from the customer who was buying it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5szSPDY8syXKDPVwCN_kkZ4Xs2PsYumbYVVRhKofj1R-MK9OtxZMTnR7tbMyJrqC1T0bhldadSVdnkPbdvj0FGgh35DLRjZ62NCwfD3SLqdKWAYMMzf8wunsFIre1Zzy4F1Rhdp2-ko/s1600/PC250035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5szSPDY8syXKDPVwCN_kkZ4Xs2PsYumbYVVRhKofj1R-MK9OtxZMTnR7tbMyJrqC1T0bhldadSVdnkPbdvj0FGgh35DLRjZ62NCwfD3SLqdKWAYMMzf8wunsFIre1Zzy4F1Rhdp2-ko/s320/PC250035.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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-- SilasereneCrafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-52757781193405922492011-12-20T17:40:00.000-08:002011-12-20T17:43:33.099-08:00Hong Kong Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm a city girl at heart: always have been and always will be. I like the activity, movement, the light and colour of these confined spaces. I like the danger involved in jaywalking across busy intersections, hearing snippets of someone else's conversation as I walk down narrow streets and discovering value-for-money eateries tucked into alleyways. That's what Hong Kong is to me. I fell in love with it from the moment I left the airport and spied this.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOSvSUD87X17di4ECjN98meBzyutjvOh5RYDKn7IMdOnYRuDIEz_9IAOfWUauzQU57XP7DBwPhUThDHWjltq0l1Es7PaNOxYYmXWzwcsa_ZgsciNCo95xbvUJSvBLZ2noX9kxDk5FLl4/s1600/Evening+Hong+Kong-%2528www.wallpapersense.co.cc%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOSvSUD87X17di4ECjN98meBzyutjvOh5RYDKn7IMdOnYRuDIEz_9IAOfWUauzQU57XP7DBwPhUThDHWjltq0l1Es7PaNOxYYmXWzwcsa_ZgsciNCo95xbvUJSvBLZ2noX9kxDk5FLl4/s320/Evening+Hong+Kong-%2528www.wallpapersense.co.cc%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well not this exactly since this particular scene is from the opposite bank of Kowloon. But if you squint, you can see what I call "capsule living." Hundreds of households layered vertically - reduced to tiny squares of shimmering light. How could someone possibly recreate this without the aid of photography? I tried sketching it but it became a complete mess.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01fty0WHSY9Q1cPLusiE-w6GH7i4tfCDUtz-UMDHKcOdJaQSBcfp52wWe4jiKpmt9xxCEqhyphenhyphenLhhQD5EnXmqifSGkuGtft9T3pq3SD9TNYokIDednkoXndeVp35vd-jR_2DgnGzmXQ0ks/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01fty0WHSY9Q1cPLusiE-w6GH7i4tfCDUtz-UMDHKcOdJaQSBcfp52wWe4jiKpmt9xxCEqhyphenhyphenLhhQD5EnXmqifSGkuGtft9T3pq3SD9TNYokIDednkoXndeVp35vd-jR_2DgnGzmXQ0ks/s320/12.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyyfoU3nNaEKH4UzpqW_iPUN4Ocw-Wxt7t7JB0fc9swojzoNLBUdPFlxsgbUlLXb-tH57l_Fu1jQZATEEuDNbSzKAVp4-oYhSOl0e9Vltzt-a0uCJCivlvL0I-zaShpxOIp5xyIHMZuY/s1600/129361018417266966_fbf7a96a-eeac-46fe-aa76-9ef0b01592ac_254752_273.Jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyyfoU3nNaEKH4UzpqW_iPUN4Ocw-Wxt7t7JB0fc9swojzoNLBUdPFlxsgbUlLXb-tH57l_Fu1jQZATEEuDNbSzKAVp4-oYhSOl0e9Vltzt-a0uCJCivlvL0I-zaShpxOIp5xyIHMZuY/s1600/129361018417266966_fbf7a96a-eeac-46fe-aa76-9ef0b01592ac_254752_273.Jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That's where </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wu Guanzhong (吳冠中) comes in. His retrospective is currently on display at the Hong Kong Museum of Art, separated thematically into 'Dots' 'Lines' and 'Cubes.' I love how his abstraction is so effective and so representative of the layers of this vibrant metropolis.<br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- The Dentist</span></span></div><br />
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</center>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-28202433788162894692011-12-20T02:49:00.000-08:002011-12-20T02:51:01.056-08:00Christmas Approacheth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8R0_GtVZdzt_ydxFuvgryfqrqaVkucdNlbyJJ-MJQ4d6CaZigdH9UPQqAbvwzUuoFaWFpZZZ2jLATEP4zMSoGpocB82xPCLd4yn4q1zK47HRI8gMZtrVpvC5QbZj5pBekBmswqbaRzU/s1600/sahanta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8R0_GtVZdzt_ydxFuvgryfqrqaVkucdNlbyJJ-MJQ4d6CaZigdH9UPQqAbvwzUuoFaWFpZZZ2jLATEP4zMSoGpocB82xPCLd4yn4q1zK47HRI8gMZtrVpvC5QbZj5pBekBmswqbaRzU/s400/sahanta.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Every year my family sends out a Christmas e-card (it's cheaper and less of a hassle than sending out 1000 actual cards, though we continue to do so anyway.) Since I'm the 'resident artist' (euphemism for the bludging perpetual student with no job prospects), I have to come up with the design. This was done by collaging buttons and then adding in crochet and cross stitch textures in photoshop. It looks like it would take ages to do if I'd have sewn it, but luckily - modern technology has meant I was able to finish it all in less than three hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happy Holidays!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- the Dentist</span>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-33148445269309196452011-12-19T00:23:00.000-08:002011-12-19T00:29:12.258-08:00Hanging out in Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hello again,</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've recently come back from a three-week-and-a-bit holiday around the world. Haha, no not really, just to London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Cebu and Manila. Since I've been doing a university course about the politics of globalization for the past three years - a visit to internationalizing cities (the so-called hubs of fast cash, free wheelers and dealers and the arts) was enlightening as much as it was a reprieve from the mundane.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN_XCZ3aztnqM16WkyTd5ZncBsneoB-MqSmvTpOryK2CcXtkH6N1iWlm7yz2DH8-UCHQ_VkMWAuVGklePjWek264UXomzenv2KzzLYkGmZ9gBfW4VMutMS7mT-71tApmuZf7Pj_wBWks/s1600/DSC00767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVN_XCZ3aztnqM16WkyTd5ZncBsneoB-MqSmvTpOryK2CcXtkH6N1iWlm7yz2DH8-UCHQ_VkMWAuVGklePjWek264UXomzenv2KzzLYkGmZ9gBfW4VMutMS7mT-71tApmuZf7Pj_wBWks/s320/DSC00767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whilst in Hong Kong, I made it my goal to visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. It was there I was found an exhibit dedicated to the ancient Chinese art of <i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;">tian-tsui</span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;">(</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;">点翠</span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;">, or “dotting with kingfishers”)</span>. The practice hasn’t received as much coverage here in the West as blue and white porcelain or the machine manufactured cloisonné jars of the latter 80s. It refers to a process whereby tiny kingfisher feathers are painstakingly cut and glued onto gilt silver.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3o9NFCFTB4GNaOxLCvEZjB0eFNMqW4xvDg60NO_3VIpRzJa6oWq8BEr73f9dZZjqh53MduylckiZvP8vtKl8_xEK5sdhbw-ldenE46vKVkliyKdkHc3ylTgqGQM7JZ9HNlVxio4Hf-A/s1600/DSC00790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3o9NFCFTB4GNaOxLCvEZjB0eFNMqW4xvDg60NO_3VIpRzJa6oWq8BEr73f9dZZjqh53MduylckiZvP8vtKl8_xEK5sdhbw-ldenE46vKVkliyKdkHc3ylTgqGQM7JZ9HNlVxio4Hf-A/s320/DSC00790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">At first I wasn’t sure where the feathers were (even with my prescription glasses on). I was looking for tell-tale feather spines sticking out from the jewellery at odd angles. That was until I realized that the iridescent ultramarine blue of the hair ornament above was the actual feather inlay! It was so delicate that I assumed the hair pieces were made with precious stones. What impressed me most was how the colour of the feathers had not faded, even after hundreds of years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY2QUQP8zY3EDW8PZHr6Kgknta5mJbvUf4sAAi9Nns5Nh9daTdSpm1PvFzcLhJRc51ouyqHghyJ3lo8LH-nAnwlOhHM4AdrAqFtQEdIfS9mLz2lf4QsQcsgAD8tBCGrnXDI2RmDZ1Euo/s1600/Kingfisher-Feather-Pin-6-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyY2QUQP8zY3EDW8PZHr6Kgknta5mJbvUf4sAAi9Nns5Nh9daTdSpm1PvFzcLhJRc51ouyqHghyJ3lo8LH-nAnwlOhHM4AdrAqFtQEdIfS9mLz2lf4QsQcsgAD8tBCGrnXDI2RmDZ1Euo/s320/Kingfisher-Feather-Pin-6-web.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more<a href="http://www.thecultureconcept.com/circle/chinese-kingfisher-ornaments"> indepth history</a> of the technique can be found here</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">There was however a price for such beauty. Many species of kingfisher were slaughtered for the production of these ornaments – probably not the most humane or even sustainable method of artisanal craft. It has given me some ideas though about contemporary practices of inlaying, using resin and found objects to create bright jewellery. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;">I'll be documenting more about my travel experiences and how they've given me new concepts to play around with in the next couple of posts.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adios,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">- The Dentist</span>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-8158321588294708752011-09-27T04:22:00.000-07:002011-09-27T04:24:16.682-07:00Crochet Badges: StartI've been scanning eBay for the past couple of weeks gathering cheap materials however my search is slowing down as I'm running out of money. I will have to concentrate on making my crochet badges until I have more.... financial freedom.<br />
The crochet badges are my first project for and I'm hoping to expand this idea into other objects such as hair clips and maybe necklaces and rings. So far I only have lots of bases in various colours... my favourite part is making these bases, I love sitting in front of the TV and crocheting, it's so relaxing after work and uni. The next part will be the hardest; crocheting the copper. It rips my fingers apart to do this but it's also my favourite part of the brooch so I can't leave it out. Hopefully soon my fingers will adapt to the rough work!<br />
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-- Silaserene<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZRmUC1c1bZlW4ExvBeghpKbJSbCVRf_NpW47ChK3ePwILCC_lqftg-b-rminQJuzTeUUs9ZA5-1OALh_yAMYTa4qPdHiSg-LW4oXX9n9zF0E-ERXp3LmIPWZLxZ5JsBrEgMdbQM6muQ/s1600/IMG_3271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZRmUC1c1bZlW4ExvBeghpKbJSbCVRf_NpW47ChK3ePwILCC_lqftg-b-rminQJuzTeUUs9ZA5-1OALh_yAMYTa4qPdHiSg-LW4oXX9n9zF0E-ERXp3LmIPWZLxZ5JsBrEgMdbQM6muQ/s320/IMG_3271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-51154660947457747832011-02-28T02:43:00.000-08:002011-10-07T19:33:18.184-07:00Tied with a Bow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xfjG6GSWU6M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">"What's the point of making things if you can't even wrap them properly?" - My Mother</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I heeded her advice and decided to search online for some useful tips.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shiho Masuda's videos are really entertaining to watch. The fact that she uses all recyclable materials made me decide against buying 50+ organza bags from Hong Kong.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Instead, I'll be using paper bag scraps, some scarlet raffia and whatever else I can find lying around to package our Crafty Bandit loot. I'll post up the finished results when I'm done. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For those of you starting uni (like me), have a great week! :)<br />
<br />
- The Dentist</div>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-37497570281680729412011-02-27T01:33:00.000-08:002011-02-27T01:34:47.685-08:00Red Robin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi7lV8xQ-EckLrg7IGtVmkz0LA9A3BTaYvEHqixE_RYwCMnC2MdVQTt_6x3UZ-6Ek83HTsop78okOIdesQOFhHHPzu60tILwqOUbwIr88lYx-LP0xIXUojIleOGZZ9JADMgBPuaL2PSA/s1600/blog%25233+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDi7lV8xQ-EckLrg7IGtVmkz0LA9A3BTaYvEHqixE_RYwCMnC2MdVQTt_6x3UZ-6Ek83HTsop78okOIdesQOFhHHPzu60tILwqOUbwIr88lYx-LP0xIXUojIleOGZZ9JADMgBPuaL2PSA/s320/blog%25233+001.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F9C0xnCyM83GZPElwQXPsD2wWi1w68W8llJ24yq1Nhh8QwfXb3J_9ww35YTJGGSGt_AYesxQNOilKskCwABBM-5jd4cjhcW5bBJhEMZ_yeligva-zbSGVmmEwYGmk4JF88sbqBOhMG8/s1600/blog%25233+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F9C0xnCyM83GZPElwQXPsD2wWi1w68W8llJ24yq1Nhh8QwfXb3J_9ww35YTJGGSGt_AYesxQNOilKskCwABBM-5jd4cjhcW5bBJhEMZ_yeligva-zbSGVmmEwYGmk4JF88sbqBOhMG8/s320/blog%25233+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"Red Robin"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hand crafted using vintage buttons from my grand mother's collection, paper bag scraps and a very thin Artline pen in brown. The speech bubble is intentionally left blank for you to personalize with a name, nickname or even a symbol, like this <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15px;"> ❤</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 15px;">.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">$2.50 USD</div>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-58705775485549199482011-02-20T23:13:00.000-08:002011-10-07T19:32:23.108-07:00Decisions, Decisions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpgFVjCcYd75vZWc6paUxxbGaNMKK_gjMIi0JsANZ_pzLnaP4pyUY5-ktBW4JYgGrTjWpbeccvLbgRoi3OpitNoZNHJGv0swKvs55HMMKAWn6r81oXS2T1UVCdVM21ilnf2LISt7XaRg/s1600/blog%25232+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpgFVjCcYd75vZWc6paUxxbGaNMKK_gjMIi0JsANZ_pzLnaP4pyUY5-ktBW4JYgGrTjWpbeccvLbgRoi3OpitNoZNHJGv0swKvs55HMMKAWn6r81oXS2T1UVCdVM21ilnf2LISt7XaRg/s400/blog%25232+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glorious vintage buttons</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Who would've thought that sticking ring bases onto a button would induce nausea?</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well obviously, the actual act of bonding the button to the base isn't all too complicated but everything else has got my head swimming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First there's selecting the kind of base (silver toned, gold plated, copper, with or without filigrees, 8mm, 20mm, flat or curved, the list goes on...) Then there's the problem of determining a supplier. Ebay Australia turned out to be a dead end, especially since I wanted quality bases and in bulk.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then there's pricing. Sure, the sentimental value of all my buttons is not quantifiable, but there has to be a way of determining their worth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I spent a good two hours reading ebay guides in an futile attempt to decide the next course of action. That is, until I found <a href="http://www.rolbe.com/etsy.htm">this</a>. It's basically a quick and easy-to-use calculator that does all the thinking for you. Success! :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even more mind blowing is <a href="http://articles.bplans.com/writing-a-business-plan/cash-flow-about-business-numbers-part-1/30">this</a> simple explanation of business plans (Ok, I know what you're thinking - in what universe is accounting exciting? While it's probably the last career on earth that I would pursue professionally- you have to admit, it makes perfect sense to have some knowledge of these things).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn04Po9Da7mshNQjSERaFiA8QizYhSdeYFDO6BVRCt7ijOfvrrVKmLsCqrQm6IHHAC5j9FNELGiBWdMY_iXc3DmAjVC4TasJ7j4d_XPo7HhHxre0QJiFHmTrZ5O5H_9-Bdb0Dh3m57Qk/s1600/nicole+ring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisn04Po9Da7mshNQjSERaFiA8QizYhSdeYFDO6BVRCt7ijOfvrrVKmLsCqrQm6IHHAC5j9FNELGiBWdMY_iXc3DmAjVC4TasJ7j4d_XPo7HhHxre0QJiFHmTrZ5O5H_9-Bdb0Dh3m57Qk/s200/nicole+ring.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, in all my excitement I've forgotten to talk about the main event- those gorgeous vintage buttons in the photo above. See the black one on the end? I have my heart set on recreating the same starburst ring <a href="http://garypeppervintage.blogspot.com/">Nicole Warne</a> is wearing.<br />
<br />
Will post the fruits of my labour soon...<br />
<br />
-The Dentist.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
</div></div>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5029017523339313195.post-27861417778605897062011-02-20T05:18:00.000-08:002011-10-07T19:23:35.985-07:00The Button Collection<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-AU">Ever since I stopped working at (insert name of leading Australian retailer) a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been a bit aimless; waking up at twelve in the afternoon, watching reruns of <i>Ready Steady Cook</i> and <i>Dating in the Dark</i> (both and the US and UK versions.)</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then one lazy afternoon, on one of our regular coffee catch ups, my good friend Silaserene came up with the idea of starting our own gift shop on Etsy - and so CraftyBandits was spawned. [cue Circle of Life music]</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWOJ8BMK1GFCBr7f_Jx3L-Rxgzsh2ZCirQZg37PFI767Ay_bQkcuuWAhMvcFIR8HXXlS-tMhx6qwWDIH0tgQSvyipKfj_H51AwgnelQYWwa3exIWJZb_45sw1V7k4lzag_1LuOcVjpGo/s1600/blog%25231+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWOJ8BMK1GFCBr7f_Jx3L-Rxgzsh2ZCirQZg37PFI767Ay_bQkcuuWAhMvcFIR8HXXlS-tMhx6qwWDIH0tgQSvyipKfj_H51AwgnelQYWwa3exIWJZb_45sw1V7k4lzag_1LuOcVjpGo/s400/blog%25231+008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's only fitting that my first ever blog post pays tribute to my grandmother's button collection. Before she became a teacher, Blanche de Sales was a seamstress. Most of her clients were school children with ill-fitting uniforms, but she also made the time in her busy schedule to sew and darn clothes for her seven children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">Years later, a box filled with odds and ends from her seamstress days came into my possession. While the humble 10mm button is not the most inspiring of mediums, I've actually enjoyed planning my half of the shop (equivalent to 25 items) around them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">In fact, I've become a bit button obsessed. And rightly so because there's just so many things you can do with them.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><b>My top 5 uses for Buttons</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DIY <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWMIVBgCEZA">rings</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Craft quirky button <a href="http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/12/macm---button-heart-valentines-day-card.html">cards</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mould them into twee button <a href="http://hautenature.com/lisa-kokin-button-sculpture-and-art/">animals</a></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">R<a href="http://the-life-of-mb.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy-military-inspired-blazer.html">ev</a><a href="http://the-life-of-mb.blogspot.com/2010/11/diy-military-inspired-blazer.html">amp</a> vintage finds</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Try your hand at creating <a href="http://en.paperblog.com/sewing-away-47336/">Button art</a></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty inspiring stuff eh? Just need to get started!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- The Dentist</span></div></div>Crafty Banditshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06432038722317910339noreply@blogger.com0