4.29.2011

A Real Craft!

Finally! Its been ages since I've been able to post an actual craft, not just photography of something random. But I've got a really cool creation for you. Its a wallet, but not only is it a wallet but its a WALLET! I stitched and sewed myself, with the machine and my hand and for me, its pretty amazing. My friends really like it because it is recycled out of jeans and an old dress. I really didn't know how it was going to turn out: I didn't use a pattern at all. I at first was just going to make it a folding wallet, with no pockets, buttons etc. But in the course of a day it evolved into what I call a real wallet. The jeans on the outside, blue flowery lining. It features a coin slot with a zipper (yay!), a license or debit card slot and two sides for receipts, dollar bills etc. Any ways, let me share with you (dun dun dun) my wallet! 


It has a snap-closer on the outside.


 It can be folded up two different ways: one smaller like this...

 ...and one bigger like this. Usually I have to do this when the cards are in it.

I turned it inside out, so you can see the pattern and pockets.
 
I hope you enjoyed that. Its my first really detailed sewing project, so I'm mighty proud! Comment please and visit again! This is MY life as Liz.

4.27.2011

Rail Road Photographs

Hey, I am back after a lil bit of a break. But I have to warn you, I'll be gone again soon.
Last week was spring break and I took my nameless friend out to photograph old rail road cars by my house I have always wanted to do so. I love these old cars for their bright color, the rust and history. They have been uniquely placed at the end of the line, a train yard. My friend says authorities should make a museum of the cars. They own so many diverse pieces, she says, all the pieces have so many different functions. But I just eyed the natural beauty of the cars and rails in their habitat. There was a short passenger car, and a long one. A diesel engine with some sorta car part on it.
My friend walking
The coolest part of the tracks is they still have the old standards for train tracks and the new 1860s standard-- that's ancient history! Its well preserved, still stuck in the ground...

Long Term Passenger
I really felt the urge to climb the stairs and ride on the stationed trains, maybe explore the insides. But I refrained, deeming it unsafe due to the fact this probably was private property and we could get in trouble for being there.
 


 Short Passenger was so Awesome

I know you ride the short bus, but how about the short train? Boo ya!

Again, out of fear of being caught, I did not venture down the side of the hill and climb into the red (caboose?) train car at the end of the line.
One thing I really wondered about these set of tracks was, why are they on the wrong side of town? In fact, the wrong side of the hills. There was no visible connection between these tracks and the main line in my hometown, which connected to the main line of the whole system. Where did these tracks go? It was a mystery. But I guess that is the fun part of adventure: not knowing what your plan is, what you're going to see and who you'll be with when you experience it. I happened to be with my awesome friend (who has no name for the sake of privacy) on my way home from a relaxing week. 

Until next time, this is MY life as Liz.

4.19.2011

Mid-week Post




Hey I'm back for a brief time, still on break. I'm here with my friend Meagan, a writer. She, as far as I know, is a bubbly, happy for the most part person. She is probably talkative, but I don't know that first hand. But I will let you know that when I really get to know her. I hope you enjoy what she has written, as a sister in Christ she is a big influence and help to those she loves and knows. Heed her wisdom and enjoy!

4.13.2011

Hello!

Well its Wednesday-- a day I don't normally post. But I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been stopping in to see my posts! I've had a great time compiling info for ya'll to read! I still don't know whether I'll be able to post this coming week, Sunday should be busy since I'll be on break. But I'll try to check back on Monday with a post.

For now here's some iced coffee/ice cream drink I made for the night to keep me awake!What girl doesn't love chocolate ice cream and iced coffee!?! In my fave coke glass too! :)

4.11.2011

Okay, so this isn't a "Craft"...

Here's a painting I recently completed. It sold at an auction for my school for about $50.00!! :)

I titled it "The English Rider." It is 18"x24". It was done in oils. 

I have a thing for oil paint. I just get into the mode when I sit down and paint (or stand and paint) and I forget everything around me. Sometimes I sing to the music but either way I get lost in thought and forget where I am. I can't forget what I'm doing, I know what I'm doing. But I forget the fight I had last night, I wonder and ponder questions. I day dream about college and getting married.  Anyways, before I give too many of my secrets away. This is my post for this evening and I'll see you back on Sunday for another interview, although it may not be Sunday, because I'll be traveling on spring break. We'll see. Have a good one!

~this is MY life as Liz. xD

4.10.2011

Writer Interview

Since this post will be extra long with not only interview questions, but an example of her work, I will keep the introduction short. This is about my friend, Marlane, of whom I've known for several years now. She is a great writer, dreamer and wonder and has always been a dramatic romantic. I really don't know much about that sorta thing, but I'd like to share with you her classy yet creative personality. I give you, Marlane. 
 
Name: Marlane
Hobbies/Interests: Write, listen to music, dream, ponder etc. 
 
Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
I think it is a strange mixture of both. If you don't put your heart and soul into your work, it wont be the best you could possibly make it, yet, if you don't let your mind wonder, you will never be able to explore the dark crevasses of your mind.

Do you critique your own work? Explain.
ALL THE TIME! I am a perfectionist when it comes to everything that I do, and I will post something, and if I look at my writings again, I can pick out the things that I could change to make it better, so I chose not to re-read things sometimes because sometimes when you write something and let your mind flow, it is the best your writing can be.

What inspires you?
Everything...well not everything, but when I am observant and something so miniscule could strike me and I become inspired. :)

If your creative work were edible, what would it taste like?
If my writings were edible, it would taste like...hmmm I have no idea hahaha. I think it would be one of those strange foods that you have to eat the entire thing before you can decide whether you like it or not...aka it requires you to think.

If you could choose a theme song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I wouldn't have one. Life is constantly changing, and there is no song that can EVER be created to encompass an entire life.

In relation to you work, how does the Christian faith influence you?
To be honest, I don't really think it does. I write about things that strike me, and my opinions come into play (if I am writing about something unusual), but I feel like my faith influences my actions, not my writing ability.

And here is some of her work: 

      After studying the Romantic Period a couple of months ago, I realized that I am a “Romantic” and I don’t mean in the relationship kind of way. I am completely in love with nature (seeing beauty in even the simplest of things), and living in a false world created by my mind and memories. Now that I am an adult, I wish that I could fulfill some of my deepest wishes.

One of my deepest wishes is to become a child again. One quote I really relate to, is”What I miss about being a child is that there are less responsibilities, but you don’t recognize it until it’s too late.” [I forget whom it is by, so I apologize to whoever said it :)] I believe that this is true because all we as humans do is either look to the future or to the past. [This is exactly what I am doing now.] I haven’t had the easiest childhood, but the happy moments in my childhood were fantastic. I wish that I could have everything in the world, without having consequences to them. Everything was easier to handle when we were children… even the care-free summer days, hours at a time spent outside playing games and exploring seems better to me than the harsh adult life, which I have only just begun. Let me take you on a journey through one of my favorite feelings as a child. 

When I was younger, one of my favorite things in the world was to feel the ground between my toes, and today, I got to do that. I was enjoying the company of my best friend, Ashley, and we went outside barefooted. The mud swallowed my footly friends and I felt like a little kid again. The feeling was refreshing as the mud oozed between my toes. When I took my first step in the sloshy world, I grinned like a five-year-old on Christmas morning! What happened to me as I grew up to not go out into nature without shoes on? I have no idea how to even begin to answer that question, but I do know that I would like to do it again; my inner child awoke from a deep sleep. It felt like I was walking on a cloud with the wind beneath my feet. It felt like I was on a magical adventure for the first time. Feeling the mud felt fantastic and I wish the world would slow down and take some time to enjoy the simple things Mother Nature provides for us. How often do we drive by the same things and not notice them? Next time you need to go a short distance, take a walk or a bike ride before you get in that car; you may begin to notice all of the things you ignored previously. I challenge you to go for a walk and feel the air entwine with your soul. Become a kid again; take your shoes off and take a stroll in the mud.
                                                                ~Marlane
I hope you enjoyed! 
~This is MY life as Liz. xD

4.04.2011

Sewing Adventures.

I've officially deemed Sunday as interview day, and Monday as other post day. I won't spend any other amount of time posting on this blog since I've got three others to keep up with.

But tonight, I wanted to talk a little bit about my love for sewing. Since I was a little girl, I loved to sew. Or at least learn, I actually taught myself most of what I know about sewing. A middle school teacher I had taught me to correctly sew buttons and use a sewing machine, but I could thread a needle, sew hems and running stitches for a long time.

My sewing projects I've learned and have tried many times over to perfect and master are: cross stitching, hemming, samples, pillows and purses. Since I've grown older, my dreams have become clearer and more tangible: I'd like to purchase or arrange to get a sewing machine for my dorm room at school, and sew dresses and purses to sell for a little extra cash to either keep or donate to a cause, such as a mission trip. (We all need a source of income, and I want to be responsible and not greedy all at once!) :) The machine in the picture is the twenty-year old machine my mother has and doesn't use. But the needle had been broken, so I just replaced it this weekend. It weighs too much for me to take it to college with me. Sigh.

I have been somewhat successful therefore at hand-sewing, but you can not create as many wonderful goodies as you can with a machine. Here are some pictures of hand sewn items I have created.

Purse i made this weekend. Sewn pocket on front.

T-shirt Necklace

Jeans and shirts ornaments.

Cross stitches.

Knitting Bag.
Well that is all for now. I hope you enjoyed my creations.

~this is MY life as Liz.

4.03.2011

Interview

Welcome back, for those who dropped by to read my weekly interview. Today I am interviewing a very dear friend and sister of mine: Emily. She is two years younger than me and we are both very creative, although our creativity sometimes takes very different turns.  Her love for kitties, abstract art and poetry drive her creative mind. So without further ado, I give you my sister, Emily.

Emily eating Glazed Donut @ Winterfest (c) Tyler Mauk
First Name: Emily

Hobbies/ Interests: I love drawing and photography (when I have a camera), but my favorite thing to do is writing.  I love writing short stories, poems, and simple essays. Also, I like to create wire mobiles, and metal or clay sculptures.


What is creativity to you? Do you consider yourself to be creative? Why or why not?
Creativity is the ability God has given people to make things and shape stuff to look like what you want it to look like.  I am creative, because I know throughout my life I have found the ability to simply doodle a picture or bend some wire and make it look like a person's face or a butterfly.  I can tell it is a true gift that God has given me, because people tell me all the time how I have doodled something that would take them "years" to accomplish.

Do you strive to be unique in your artwork? Please explain.
Wire sculpture she made.
I do try to be unique in my art, but mostly by trying to make art that no one else has ever done before.  I don't like drawing typical objects or pictures; I try to give the viewer something different to admire or enjoy looking at.

If you could become one of your characters/works of art, which one would you choose? Why?
Haha, I don't know about becoming any of my pieces of art, because most of what I've made is abstract, but one of my older drawings I might like to become, simply because it was a cute, Anime version of me.

What is your favorite accomplishment?
I have a lot of pieces that I like, but I believe my favorite "sculpture" would be my white paper mobile, and my favorite drawing would be the detailed portrait of my friend Brandon.

If you could change one aspect of our society through your work, what would it be?
If there was one thing I could do, I would like to change the way people see beauty.  I haven't really thought about that much, but I would try to convince people through art that there is something more beautiful about things than their outer shell.

How does faith play a part in what you do?
More now than before, in my art I am trying to capture the beauty God gave to the world.

For more of her thoughts and artwork check out her blogs: We Lift Our Hands & For Who You Are 

~this is MY life as Liz.

4.02.2011

I just wanted to pop in and say thanks for all who have seen my blog now that it was posted on Craftgawker. Reminder that tomorrow I will be posting a new interview with a new face: I hope to see you then!

Until later. Happy Blogging!

~this is MY life as Liz. xD