hallowe’en card: folding wings bat

i had an idea for a hallowe’en card. i took some black construction paper, folded it in half and drew an outline of a bat.

half bat traced on paper imadeitso.com

i cut the bat out, sketched in some features, and folded the wings in on itself…

bat card with wings folded in imadeitso.com

i added a message to all of you on the bat’s tummy…

finished folding wings bat card imadeitso.com

i did this while my youngest napped, and it took only about 20 minutes start to finish…

message on folding wings bat card imadeitso.com

on the other hand, i spent roughly eleventy days creating the printable template below.  if you must know, photoshop and i are still in the awkward getting-to-know-you stage.

and so, i humbly offer you my first pdf template…

batty pdf imadeitso.com

click me! ah-ha-ha!

if you make something from it, let me know! i’d love to see.

this project was featured on the following sites. thank you all!

As seen on CraftGossip.comoneprettything

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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final harvest

the temperature has been tickling the freezing point in the evenings. and i think my little garden has given me everything it’s going to give me this year. which has been quite a lot.

the final harvest, gathered this morning.

basket harvest tomatoes green pepper imadeitso.com

thanks, bit o’ dirt.

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

i’m sharing this post with jami and her readers at an oregon cottage. i likely wont have more to share this season, but will be reading along to see what everyone gets up to in the colder months :-) thanks jami! ~ana

Posted in green thumb | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

about “ideas” (and an invitation to share yours)

no lightbulbs were intentionally harmed to capture the image i previously shared.

the lightbulb burnt out, and when i saw the interesting break in the glass with the coils and inner workings still intact and exposed through the frosted glass, it got me thinking.

the lightbulb is a universal symbol for having an idea, at least in cartoons. i held the broken bulb in my hand and wondered about ideas and how they come to be…

(technically, i think instead of a lightbulb being drawn above a person’s head to symbolize having an idea, there should be an overflowing bathtub. i mean, didn’t that whole bathtub eureka moment happen long before the light bulb? hmm? i just think credit should be given where it’s due, that’s all…)

eureka bath tub moment idea imadeitso.com

bulbs and ideas. incandescent bulbs only work in a vacuum, devoid of air (or at least need to be filled with an inert gas, so that the filament coils do not oxidize — but let’s not get caught up in geekery details). i think the opposite is true for ideas: they need to be put out there, played with, exposed. what do you think?

speaking of exposing ideas, you can leave a comment sharing what you’ve been working on, thinking about, writing about. feel free to leave a link to your blog if you have one, so we can all see. you don’t need to link back here, no strict rules, anyone is welcome (minus pharmaceutical spam guy).

me, i have a halloween card i’m designing, plus another project that has been taking a lot of my time (hint hint). i’m sure i’ll share those ideas, soon. in the meantime, somebody get archimedes a towel…

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Posted in ideas & inspiration, thinking out loud | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

ideas

it’s interesting how ideas happen.

sometimes they really do occur in a flash. other times, they are more of an evolution, one idea leading to the next, getting stored away for a while until the right conditions allow the idea to resurface in a whole new light.

some ideas are better left alone. and yet others? we can’t seem to rest until we pursue them and see where they lead.

then there are those ideas which may seem broken. or impossible. we might balk at them immediately. or we might toss and turn them about, tinker with them, trying to see if we can find some worth in them.  it’s easy to throw those ideas away. but, maybe the idea itself isn’t where the value always lies.

perhaps, at least some of the time, the worth of something lies in what led us to it in the first place.

broken lightbulb coil ideas by imadeitso

(no lightbulbs were intentionally harmed to capture this image. more on that, next time…)

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Posted in pixel shaking, thinking out loud | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

hyperbolic anemone: a crocheted scarf

i was following a sirdar pattern kit for a crocheted ruffly scarf, but unraveled it and decided to make a few minor changes to the pattern. i used a smaller crochet hook as well as mohair yarn from my stash. i can’t seem to leave well-enough alone sometimes…

the pattern calls for adding stitches to each row, increasing linearly on itself. the main change i made was to adjust the positioning of the treble stitches (the longer chains, below) to create a more lacy look by introducing those larger circular loops along the arc.

linear increase crochet

as i held the scarf up, the edges curled in on itself, creating an interesting wavy shape.

anemone crochet scarf held up

it reminded me of seaweed, coral reefs and anemones. actually, there have been models of coral reefs made by crocheting mathematical equations.  it’s fascinating. where math and science intersect with art is a happy place for me.

intersection of art, science and math venn diagram

if you’re similarly inclined, you’ll enjoy reading about the hyperbolic crochet coral reef project here.

as for the scarf, i am not entirely happy with the length, and i will try again adding to it. and i’m not sure that the flouncy look of it is exactly “me” but i do like the drape and lacy look of it. and the colour!

hyperbolic anemone scarf crocheted

the mohair yarn helps create the delicate and fuzzy effect. mohair yarn, made from the wool of the angora goat, is lovely to work with by the way. but a total pain to unravel. it tangles within itself easily.

the series of stitches used is fairly straightforward and would be a good first project for someone who is newer to crochet.

hyperbolic anemone crochet scarf

it is a paid pattern and not available online but the pattern details can be found on my ravelry profile.

here are some free patterns i found that are similar:

cascade scarf (crochet)
knitpicks potato chip scarf (knit)

© imadeitso, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to ana at imadeitso.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

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Posted in yarn | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments