More Washi!

Just wanted to share some more washi craft ideas:

 (glass candles; the labels from Yankee Candle and Bath & Body Works candles come off easily)

(washi is perfect for attaching Lego Gandalf to my monitor!)

 (a wooden letter C for my youngest son)

(a $1 picture frame transformed)

(a star-shaped chipboard box; patriotic and useful)

I also keep a washi board on Pinterest to stay inspired by other crafters. I pinned a 4th of July washi wreath the other day that I just might have to make this year!

Washi!

Although yarn is first and foremost in my crafting heart, I also have a love of washi tape, the re-positionable decorative tape that originated in Japan. The fabulous colors, the whimsical designs, the versatility! Here's a few from my collection:

I have used washi tape to decorate countless things: frames, gift tags and cards, boxes, calendars, candles, and even phone cases! It is so easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and adds a little personality to your crafting. Here's a small sampling of my washi crafting:

 (a chipboard box to hold my dry-erase markers, scrap paper, and tennis-ball-eraser-holder)

 (one of the key holders at work; the vintage key washi design was perfect!)

(two versions of the same phone case)

(big wooden clothespins for me and my bestie)

(a plain glass candle holder -- love these colors!)

I hope that inspires you to try crafting with washi, if you haven't already. :)

And just in case you thought that washi was taking up all my crafting time, let me assure you it has not. I make time every day to play with yarn. I am still working on a couple of secret projects but will be able to share them with you within a month's time. So please be patient. :) 

In the meantime, here is a little crochet star pentagon motif that I made one day recently. This is just a proto-type. I'm hoping to expand on this idea and use it for a blanket for my youngest. (On a side note, I made him a blanket for his 5th birthday. He doesn't like the 'holes' in the pattern :\ so this star blanket will be hole-free.)

So What Do You Do With Those Little Flowers Anyway?

I get that question a lot -- it's in reference to the flower, star, fruit, veggie and other motifs I have listed at The Lavender Ladybug.

Thankfully, I can show you what two different buyers chose to make!

The first buyer is an ETC teammate and friend of mine, Tricia of Handmade Whimzy and Pink Pear Designs. Turns out she sews also. She requested aqua flowers and leaves and a chocolate brown bird for a pillow she was planning to make. Here's how it turned out:

Gorgeous! To read about how Tricia crafted her pillow and see more photos, check out her blog!

The second buyer is Marnie from AdornWithAandM, an Etsy shop she co-owns with Amy. Marnie recently moved, and her new kitchen is decorated with peppers. Amy saw some of my motifs and asked if I could design peppers for Marnie's kitchen. Marnie took the peppers and added them to a decorative plate:

And another set (in custom colors) was made into magnets:

Finally, one pepper was added to Marnie's business card holder for craft shows:

I think all of these projects turned out great! Thanks to Tricia, Amy and Marnie, for their wonderful inspiration! And thanks for sharing these projects with me!

P.S. Next up at The Lavender Ladybug -- paisley motifs! Stay tuned!