Crafty Materials

I'm a sucker for old board games. I love to see the little bits and pieces that come with them, and I'm always trying to think of fun ways to use them. I don't usually get around to actually doing anything with them, but I like to dream! If I had the space, I think it would be fun to cover an entire wall with the playing boards from vintage games.

When I was a kid, my sister and I "inherited" a bunch of old games and magazines and whatnot from one of our cousins. Most of the stuff was from the 70s, and most of it has not survived. However, we do still have The Bride Game! The idea is to collect all the "necessary" items to plan the perfect wedding. You know, bride, groom, attendants, cake, flowers, rings, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. All of those components are printed on these little chipboard cards.

My mom dug this game out of the closet for me a few weeks back. The images on the cards are kind of charming, so I'm trying to come up with a good use for them. The gameboard was pretty beat up, but all but about three of the cards are still there.

So, what to do with these little cards? The small ones are about 2 1/2 inches square. The large ones are about 3 inches by 5 inches. They're all about 1/8 inch thick. They're quite sturdy, and I thought about using them for scrapbooking embellishments, but frankly, I don't have a lot of wedding pages to do these days!

I turned to my fellow Etsians for ideas, because, obviously, they're a creative bunch! Agentjane suggested incorporating them into table markers or centerpieces for weddings, and UpsideDownsideDark suggested making them into little boxes. I

love both of those ideas, but I'd like to hear more!

So, my dear, dear blog readers, what should I do with them? What should I make? You know, in between the umpteen other projects that I have floating around in my brain.

Label It!

I'm a wannabe organization nut. I love the idea of neatly labeled jars and boxes and what not all neatly lined up on a shelf. The fact is that I'm very good at organizing stuff. I'm very bad at maintaining that organization. But, yesterday I bought myself a handy dandy little Dymo LetraTag label maker. It's the cutest little printer and it makes all kinds of fancy tags in different fonts, and you can even put borders around your labels. I made one for Lil Kay that had a crocodile around his name! I spent a good chunk of last night labeling my ribbons, buttons, scrapbook supplies, cats. (I'm kidding about the cats. I ran out of time.)

A New Sickness

Yes, I bought this yarn with no particular project in mind. It's beginning. A new obsession. But, it was on CLEARANCE! And it's PRETTY! And I'm sure I can do SOMETHING with it!

Actually, I do have a plan. I want to make this scarf with it. I just didn't know that when I bought the yarn. (On sale. $1.79 a skein!) It's from the book Interweave Presents Crocheted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make & Give. Isn't it gorgeous!? Unfortunately, I don't think I have enough of the solid color for the border. So, if anyone has or comes across a spare skein of Sinfonia yarn in that pretty rust color, tell me! I'll buy it from you! And I'll be eternally grateful!

Reader Paradise

It arrived today, and I am totally in love! I ordered the Nook back in December from Barnes & Noble. It was scheduled to ship on January 15, but it shipped Monday and arrived today - the 14th! There were instructions on how to unpack it, for heaven's sack! And they were totally necessary, too! Getting it out of the package was really the hardest part. Everything else about it has been easy peasy, so far! In fact, I just bought a couple ebooks online, touched the screen where it said "check for new B&N content", and the books were there! Just had to touch "download", and I was able to start reading. Nothing to plug in, nothing to connect. How amazing is that? It's like magic! (Okay, I know there is a simple explanation involving WiFi and all that, but it's magic in my mind!)

Now, I can take my happy little Nook with me wherever I go and look totally hip and cool while I read. And it's much lighter than carrying around a full-fledged book. Now, I admit that I went into this purchase rather blindly, so I am still finding out all the details about this little gadget. Turns out I can put pictures and music on it, too! And pdf files. So, if I have a crochet pattern that's a pdf, I can load it on the Nook and carry it with me, too!

My next plan is to design a comfy little cozy for my new friend! Just gotta pick the perfect fabric!

Why Mess with Perfection???

Why, oh, why do they DO this to me? Over and over again they're taking my precious childhood memories and vamping them up! First it was Strawberry Shortcake, and now, it's Rainbow Brite! What's next?? Holly Hobby in a tube top?

Project Wreck

365/5, originally uploaded by BeckyKay Designs.

This book has been around for a while, and I've been intrigued by it, but never picked it up. Today I was out looking for a new datebook and ran across a copy. I decided to purchase it. You know, new year, new projects, new inspiration, all that. Every page gives you instructions on a unique way to mark, destroy, maul and generally wreck this journal! The instructions are quite simple and yet actually stimulate creativity.

I figure when I'm all done with the book, I'll want to keep it forever. And, you know, if I'm going to keep it, I want anyone who finds it to be amused by the clever ways in which I've wrecked it! (Yes, that would be the egomaniac in me. We all have one.) But, I think that drive to be interesting will stretch my creativity and encourage me to think outside the box.

Lil' Kay was fascinated by this photo of my new book and wanted to know all about it. I sat down with him and read all the instructions. I could tell he was intrigued by the ideas that were presented. He giggled and puzzled and questioned. I asked him if he'd like his own copy. Definitely! I'm glad, because I kind of want someone to accompany me on this creative journey.

Crochet Progress

365/4, originally uploaded by BeckyKay Designs.

So, I've been teaching myself to crochet and it's going pretty well! I think I've got the hang of it.

I'm currently working on an afghan. The pattern is one of those freebies that you pull off the pad at the store. This one is from Lion Brand. Basically, it's a giant granny square. I started it back at Thanksgiving. I'm still working on it, but I don't work on it every day. Mostly, it's what I do to kill my lunch hour since I don't drive all the way home for lunch. It's getting pretty big, and I think I'll actually finish it!

The next project I want to do is another scarf. I have my eye on several potential patterns.

As I'm learning, I've found that there really isn't a wrong way to crochet. Everyone has their own style. My sister in law was watching me crochet and commented to my mom, "Hey, she holds her hook the right way, like a pencil. I hold mine like a pitchfork!" And guess what? Even though she holds her hook "like a pitchfork", she still makes lovely things! So, I'm not going to feel bad about the fact that I use my left hand to pull the yarn over my hook.

Project 365

I've decided to try this crazy Project 365 photo thing that all the kids are doing these days. I'm going to take and upload a photo for everyday of the year. These are my first three. And, guess what! I've already cheated! That second photo of the clock was taken by Mr Kay. But it was on MY camera!

If you're interested in seeing how my project goes, here's a link to My 365 Set. I've also joined this flickr group. They seem pretty laid back without all the scary rules and what not. You know, if I fail, I won't be kicked out or whatever!

I don't really have any big reason or master overall plan to why or how I am going to do this. No theme, just whatever catches my attention. I'm more curious to see how the project evolves on its own. Will my photography improve? Will a theme appear? Will I get past this week? I'm not very good at doing the same thing every single day. Heck, Brushing my teeth daily is a challenge. I kid. I kid.