Henna Fail & Discovery

So I thought I would make a fun little henna'd frame for my nieces birthday. It turned out UGGGGGGGLY. The henna started the flake off, leaving bleached-out lines and designs

instead of the dark raised look I was going for.

(This is was I was going for)

As I tried to decide if it was going to end up on "craftfail.com" I went ahead and put a coat of Mod Podge over it.

After I covered it in glue- I decided it sucked too bad and tossed it on a shelf.

Three- four- five? weeks later... I found it... and to my surprise, it still sucked BUT the henna had darkened under the Mod Podge.

This opens up some interesting ideas in my head...... Every brown line.... was WHITE when I glued it!!!

(This is how it ended up)

Yes, I still sent it to her LOL

And YES; it will still probley end up on "craftfail.com"

The infamous failed condom henna applicator.

For the last 5-ish years I have been a frequent poster on the Henapage.com forum. I try to help out as much as I can.

Last December a frantic post was left by an artist who lost her beloved applicator bottles. For those new to henna, most professional artists opt for hand rolled plastic or mylar cones...

Some artists swear by Jac bottles.... Jac Bottles are plastic bottles with metal tips.

She could not use a cone to save her life, and needed a replacement for her bottles asap.

In an effort to help, I started to brainstorm. What could she make an applicator out of on the fly? What is something people have on hand, is expendable, would hold henna, could have a metal tip affixed to it and not leak... then it hit me, Condoms.

I pull out a Trojan, wash off the lubey, put a jac bottle tip on it.... fill it with henna..... squeeze... and NOTHING comes out. I open another condom and try again...I try reinforcing it with duct tape... Duct tape fixes everything right? Wrong... still doesn't work. The sides stretch too much to push out any henna.

In my attempt to "help" I didn't realize I had used 3 rubbers until they laid discarded on the coffee table as if they had been left there after some spiked-masochistic-dirty-bum-lovin. THEN I thought.... " oh hell dyp; how am I gonna explain THIS to the boyfriend creature?"

(Luckily; he knows me enough to just laugh and shake his head. )

I never did find a suitable replacement for applicator bottles.

The origional forum post can be seen here in it's full glory...

http://www.hennapage.com/henna/forum/index.php?module=phpwsbb&PHPWSBB_MAN_OP=view&PHPWS_MAN_ITEMS[]=11632

Hey; at least I tried :)

When I was young my great-grandmother, Bula was the family creator. She hand sewed Christmas stockings for all us kids. She crocheted slippers for Christmas. She was just amazing.
I used to sit and watch her crochet. I was completely enamored watching her twist and knot this scratchy yarn with a hook and cloth being made from it. It was magic to me and I wanted to do magic too. When I was 7-8 she tried to teach me to crochet. It was a disaster. She was right-handed. I am left-handed. She got so frustrated with me she told me I would never learn it and that was that.

She was the typical great-grandmother. House permanently smelled like pan gravy and moth balls. She always had a dish of wrapped candy on the table. The most unique feature in her house was in the guest bathroom. My straight-laced old-school grandmother had a crocheted skunk air freashener holder in the bathroom. A WHAT? I know, I know.... It was a mouthfull. Let me explain; it was a crocheted tube, decorated like a skunk. You slipped in a can of spray air freshener and when you dispersed the spray it was like the skunk was spraying.
Everytime we went to see Grandma my sisters and I would fight over that damned thing. We would all race to the bathroom to spray the skunk. It was THE thing to do at grandmas. ( Keep in mind this was before cable, Internet, cell phones, video games... this was way back in the 80's)
I think I was 12 when my grandmother died. I was asked if there was anything of hers I wanted.... anything at all... and guess what I asked for? That damned skunk! Out of a whole house of amazing stuff... I asked for the skunk. ( I am weird, what can I say.)
So fast forward a handful of years... I finally learn to crochet... fast forward a couple more years... I have an 8 year old son, a stinky boyfriend, my own house... and... we find the skunk packed away in a box.

MY son loved it, my boyfriend loved it... so skunk is officially out of retirement. Everytime one of my boys comes out of the bathroom, the running joke is to "skunk it." I actually buy canned air freashenor JUST so my boys can use the skunk. It must be 35 years old but its still MUCH loved. My wonderful little niece likes to come over and she heads straight to the bathroom for the skunk just like we used to do when we were little.

Well, I decided I needed to make a new one so the one my grandmother made would not be ruined. I started looking for a pattern online... low and behold... none exist. So I had wing it... but the new skunk turned out pretty good.

My sister just bought a new house. I sent her the new skunk as a house warming gift. My niece was SO happy. ( My sister probley less happy. LOL.)

Anyhow.... the old skunk is on the left, the new one on the right.

I will be making a few more cause I think everyone in the family needs one now! LOL! In fact, I don't think any home is complete without a skunk in the bathroom .

A month of mischief and creating

Well, well, where does the time go? I swear it wasn't but last week I last posted...

Anyhow, I have been quite busy creating. I will share a couple in a sec but first I HAVE to share 2 things: First is this killer purse my mom and sister got for me...

Isn't that just the coolest freaking bag ever? I SO love it. It's so me.

The next share is something I have been wanting for the last year.... Something to HOLD my supplies, not so much to create.... I guess could paint it.... I finally got a DEEP FREEZE!!!!

I'm so happy. I can store my henna and some food for the boys.... Litterally the freezer above the fridge was 60% henna, 30% coffee and 10% stuff crammed in there that we probley could have eaten if we could have found it. Think I'm joking? Here is the stash of just henna powder dumped out on the floor...

Can you spot my little helper?

There were also several baggies of mixed mystery cones as well....
My helper is one of our rescues, Fred. He is inspecting a baggy of henna cones. He apparently LIKES henna!!!

Henna all nice and neat in the new freezer. Hee hee, it's the small things in life. And look... we can have fish sticks again!!! Whoohooo!!!!

Here is Fred again, loving on some henna. Nothing is better than fearie kisses, henna, a new purse AND a deep freeze.

Life is good!!!!

Swapbot Fishy-Tote

I just finished my very first Swapbot Trade. This was for the blog " Dollar-store Crafts." It's an amazing blog with crafts made from stuff you find at the dollar-store. It's in my price range, I love it!

They were hosting a " reusable grocery tote bag" swap. I figured why not? My partner ended up being a wonderful lady named Gooddog. She helps mentally disabled adults make crafts. That's just so cool to me, I could never do it, but we need more people in the world that can.

She also collects whistles shaped like fish. They are hard to find, but really cool. When I was little my mom went to Seattle and brought me and my sisters home fish whistles, so when I found out what she collected I knew what I wanted to do.

I went to goodwill and found a nice blue jean tote bag/big purse for $3.98. I could not make a bag as well constructed or as nice for that price. I made the fish from felt and fuzzy fabric and sewed them on. The appliques are 100% hand sewn. It was a blast to design and do. I wish I had a few more weeks of free time because I really wanted to add more to it. This project was so different from any of the other projects I have done it was a great blast. It was a great vacation to do some silly fish with googly-eyes and whistle lips.

Anyhow, here are the pics.

( Mickey-P took the photos for me, he did a great job as usual!!!)

I got an email from Gooddog, she LOVES the bag. She said she can't use it for groceries, instead she is going to use it for her best knitting projects. Hee hee.

Happy fish, happy dyp.

Henna Caravan & Flavia's Elephant

Every year the artists who frequent the Hennapage.com do a gift swap. Every year is a challenge to make a nice gift that is somewhat Henna related. The swap was getting closer and closer and not only did I have no idea what I was going to do, I had no idea WHO I was doing it for.

Time was getting short and I knew I was going to have to start my gift without knowing who it was going to be for. It's hard enough trying to make something for someone you might not know very well, or even at all, but to try and make something so generic anyone would like it, male or female... way difficult.

Mickey P and I made one of our ONLY trips out shopping this year in early November to try and find inspiration. Next to any Goodwill or craft store, the World Market is my weakness! It's cheaper than Pier One, Stocks more authentic stuff, and has a great cultural mix of EVERYTHING. The World Market NEVER lets me down for inspiration!

So, Mickey-P and I are digging through the toy section and this wonderfully soft elephant looks at me. We are talking the softest, sweetest, more adorable stuffed elephant in the world. And, in a lightbulb moment, I knew what I was going to do and who I was going to do it for.

There is a group called Henna Caravan and their mascot is an elephant. http://www.hennacaravan.com/ So I figured I would make this sweet little Elly a henna-embellished silk blanket and a head piece and really make her pretty in hopes I would land a Henna Caravan chick as my secret Santa. In particular I wanted to be the Santa for Flavia, the mommy of the Caravan's leader. Flavia is sweet as hell and works allot with the henna on silk. She did this piece... which was my inspiration. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14240015@N07/1449508782/

I drag home the Elephant and start to work. I almost complete her, then I find out who I am the Secret Santa for. Not only was it NOT a Henna Caravan Chick, it was someone I had no idea about what-so-ever. My heart said, " Oh HELL no, dyp, not happening, you can't send the elephant to her." The Elephant could not be given to a stranger! There was no question in my mind at all, no hesitation in the least, (which for me, never happens. I can't even pick out Jelly at the store without having a 40 min debate with myself about what kind, how much & what brand.)

In my mind the elephant already had a family with Flavia and the crew at Henna Caravan and she HAD to go home to them. Flavia graciously gave me her address, not knowing what I was up to. ( Brave Flavia!!!)

I am very happy to report, the elephant's long journey came to an end today when I got this email from Flavia:

"I can not believe how wonderfully thoughtful and creative you are!What a fabulous gift to us.Who would think we would be so jumping up and down with glee over a stuffed elly?You have certainly outdone everyone else, this is definatly the best gift this year.

Oh , wow!! We are so excited!! THank you , thank you , thank you. When she has gotten over her jet lag, Jessica is going to have aphoto shoot and post pictures of her in her new home.
wooopiiiieeee , we love her.

Flavia"

So- that is the story of the Elly. Here is her picture.

She is nothing amazing, but she has allot of heart and really made some people I admire and love happy.

In the end that is what it is all about. The art and the crafting they are just physical manifestations of invisable pieces of ourselves we give to other people. Nothing in this world is a better gift.

Crochet bag for my neice

Welp, the holdays are over- whoohooooo!!!!


My neice, who is 3, got a leapster, but no case, so I crocheted her a little bag to carry her new toy in.


Pink and black with a skull and her initals. ( As usual, there was no pattern. I just sat down with a hook and some yarn and went to town. )There is a little pocket on the back for a game or two and it is big enough to hold her leapster and headphones. Knowing my neice she won't use it for her leapster, but will stuff it full of anything and everything she can get her little paws on.

:)