Super Mario Mushroom

My apologies for the lack of updates!! I have been crafting (slowly) including some jewelry projects, which I will showcase once I find my pictures.

Here is a Super Mario mushroom (Think 1UP!) that I made recently. It's 3 inches tall, super cute and currently has a new home.

Amigurumi Project #1- Pig

For my first attempt to make an Amigurumi doll, I will be making an adorable piggy. I did some research on patterns, ie: learning how to read the abbreviations, and also learning how to do the standard stitches. Luckily, for these types of dolls, you only need to know the basic "single crochet" stitch.

Things I used to help me with my doll:
1) The Pattern. I was looking for a very easy, simple pattern and I found a nice repository on joann.com. You can make dogs, cats, turkeys, even fruit dolls with the patterns listed on their site. They sell yarn, crochet needles, and many other craft items for other things including jewelry beads and fabric for sewing. Check out their projects section to find Amigurumi patterns.

2) YouTube. Without YouTube, I wouldn't have found a great tutorial on how to start a basic crochet doll. It teaches you how to crochet in "rounds" which is the circular part of the doll's head or body. Do a quick search on "How to crochet amigurumi."

3) Yarn and crochet needle. (Obviously!) Without these two, you won't be able to make anything. Depending on the type of yarn you have (is it three/four strands?), you may have to use different needle sizes. For this project, I used a size G needle, and 100% acrylic yarn with 3 strands.

4) Patience is virtue.

Good luck on your own crochet projects!!

My progress:

Half-way done!



The body is completed!

Learning to Crochet

In addition to making Japanese Clay Foods, I am learning to crochet. I already know how to knit (only the basic stitches though) but I was motivated to learn how to crochet to make cute animal dolls. (Think Amigurumi!)

Here are a few pictures of my first crochet pieces and yarn I can practice with:





Here is an upclose picture of my first crochet piece. You can see I am using the increasing/decreasing techniques here. (Note: I didn't even realize I was doing this.) After practicing a few more rows, I realized I was counting the stitches wrong, so I was able to correct it and learn how to "increase" my rows.



I bought three extra balls of yarn at the dollar store, and started to crochet a flower using the yellow yarn.

Next project: an Amigurumi doll! I know- I just can't wait to learn how to make them. I figure I the stitching for the doll is usually the basic stitch so I don't need to learn the advanced ones yet, unless I plan to make sweaters/clothing/etc.

Kawaii Japanese Clay Foods Project

After I found the cutest and tiniest food ever on Etsy (do a quick search on: Kawaii Japanese clay), I decided to make my own using polymer clay. They make great charms, cell phone accessories, and little decorations. They are less than an inch, even half an inch in height. I used Sculpey's Oven Bake Clay that I purchased in an art store- the 30 Color Sampler kit.

Found from inspirations from YouTube (they have some great videos online) I learned how to make a few cupcakes, cakes, and a wedding cake, inspired by the wedding I went to in May (read about it here.)

These clay food sculptures are not baked, so they are still soft and can be remolded, if I wish. Once I perfect my skills, I plan to make more cupcakes and other cute charms, to be available at Etsy and by request orders.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog, Crafty and All That, sister site of Beauty and All That- filled with fun beauty, makeup and shopping tips!

Crafty and All That will showcase my current crafty projects, such as making Clay Food and Crochet. I am excited to learn and try out different techniques to improve my crafting skills. Future projects will include, sewing (hopefully), knitting, and jewelry-making.

Please comment and let me know what you would like to see!