Christmas Ornaments!

I am fully aware that Halloween is tomorrow, but I just love Christmas too much!

I posted earlier that I was going to make some ornaments out of felt and foam balls. My original idea didn't work, which left me frustrated to no end. But then, I came across this post:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=324730.0
The only real difference is that I didn't have ribbon like that, so I just cut felt to the size of her ribbon. Also, my foam balls were slightly smaller than hers- about a 2 cm difference. She has a tutorial up, but I'll post my own, for those who don't want to use ribbon or go to another site.



Materials:
Felt (or ribbon for the main body, whatever floats your boat)
Straight pins
Seed beads.
Ribbon to cover the line of pins in the middle, and for the hanging.
Charms or beads to pin onto the bottom.
Scissors
Ruler (makes things easier, trust me!)
Glue (I put glue on the bottom of each pin before I stuck it in the foam ball. You can if you want, but it works just fine without it)
Sequins

First, I chose my three colors to create my three layers. I pulled out some dark blue, light blue, and white felt. I cut those into 1 inch x 2 inch strips. 8 strips for the white (4 for each end), 16 for the light blue (8 for each end), and 16 for the dark blue (8 for each end).

Then, I chose a random spot on the ball and pinned the first triangle on it (see link for photos of how to do that. I didn't post the pictures I took of those because the light was so strong you couldn't see what I was doing!). When it came to placement, I wasn't as exact as carmenmarie but it worked out fine. By the way, sorry you can't really see what's happening in this picture. It's white felt on a white foam ball, so... yeah.

Once I got all four into place, I simply guestimated the placement of the corresponding four white felt triangles on the other side. I feel doing the same thing to each side in the order of the layers (doing white to both first, then light blue to both, etc.) was easier- much like Algebra.

Then I began to pin the light blue felt strips on. Measure down a little more than 1/4 inch down from the center of the first set of four white felts, and pin the first light blue in place. Pin the point on the line, to line it up. Keep doing that all the away around until all 8 are used. If that's hard to understand (I get it if it is) then refer back to the original link. She has some good photos of it.

Once again, I followed by doing the exact same thing to the other side. Now for the dark blue, they go in the same place as the light blue, just shifted down a little more than 1/4 inch. Both the blues are lined up.

The only thing I kind of had to figure out for myself (I didn't realize it at the time, but carmenmarie had some pictures of it) was that the corners of the last layer of blue kept poking out. It was really annoying and if I left it like that then once the ribbon came on it would be lumpy and gross. So I was pinning the corners over the previously done triangle. You can kind of see in my picture. If you go back to the link, pictures 5 and 6 show the pin work I'm talking about.

After all the felt went on, I took a straight pin and put a seed bead on it, then the sequin, and pinned it right in the middle of the white areas- in the very center.

It was after I put on all the felt and the sequins that I realized my ribbon wasn't thick enough. It just... didn't work. Then my boyfriend and I went into town and stopped at the local fabric store to pick up some ribbon. I landed on a white velvet ribbon with satin on the other side. I chose to have the satin side revealed. When you put the ribbon on, you have to pin it along the way, otherwise it will get lumpy and move around. I used every pin that is visible with a seed bead on it.

And last but not least, I put on another bead. When my parents sent up the felt, my mom included some sugar pearls as a surprise. I felt like the ornament seemed unfinished so I took a straight pin, put on a seed bead, and then a sugar pearl and stuck it right on the bottom.

I made this one for my parents, and one in red and white for my best friend's parents.

Here's the red one :)

Let me know what you think :)

Scarf

So, I realize that a scarf isn't the most inventive craft project, but unfortunately my circumstances limit my resources :( The good news, though, is that I've made scarves for almost everyone I've ever given a Christmas present to, just not for myself. I'm pretty excited that THIS is the scarf that I made for myself, I really like it!

I'm sorry but I can't tell you what kind of yarn I used. I received it from my great aunt probably 5 years ago. I used a number 9 crochet hook for the scarf. It's about 15 stitches wide, double stitch the whole time, except when I make the "button hole", which I chain 3.

I only have two in-progress shots because, well, it's a scarf.

I was switching back and forth between making the scarf and the flower... Well, I switched once since the flower was fairly easy. I used http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2006/11/how_to_crochet_a_five_petal_fl.html 

to make the flower. Here it is right after I crocheted it:

Sorry for the light, my camera is old :( It's just a solid black, I know the light makes the color look grey.

I have finished and detail shots for you, too :)

This is much closer to the colors of the scarf. It's just a blend of a blonde-ish color, brown, as well as some blue and maroon.

Here's a detail of the flower "button" after i already attached it:

And here's one of the "button hole":

Upcoming Projects

So, I attend college in a really small town. So small, in fact, that our town has a law only permitting a certain (small) percentage of the businesses to be chain stores. So, in order to get to any craft store, I have to get on a bus, transfer to another one, and walk. That is just to reach a Michael's, the only craft store I'm aware of that I can travel to while in school.

I absolutely hate going there on both the busses. While walking from Michael's to the bus stop, some kids threw a rock aimed at my head once. :( It missed, though, 'cause I'm so short :) Nevertheless, I hate going there. So, I ask my parents to send me things from our local Pearl Art Supply back home.

All I have with me at the moment, are some foam balls, embroidery thread, craft thread, needles (crochet and sewing), and yarn. The only thing I can really make is a scarf since I have a limited amount of yarn. That is my current project. I realize it's not spectacular, but all I can do at the moment.

I'm waiting for my parents to pick me up some felt and mail it up to me, so that I can use it along with my foam balls to make some Christmas ornaments as presents for family.

Sometime in November I'm also planning to make that dreaded trip and pick up some foam letters and scrapbook paper to make wall hangings. If I don't make the trip to Michael's, I will most definitely pick some up at the local Pearl Art Supply on my winter break trip home.

This was just an update, since I had nothing posted :) Enjoy the rest of your week!