Friday Fun Find - Unusual Crafters

Truckers!

I saw this online via the Wall Street Journal and thought it was too good to miss a posting.  I know it's not my traditional "Friday Fun Find," but we need to shake it up a little!

Who would’ve thunk it? Can you imagine it?  A big, burly, tattoed guy sitting in a truck cab knitting a pastel sweater for his wife. A formidable, ex-soldier making a quilt of yellow and purple flowers.

Since the trucking industry has suffered with the economy, many truckers have more time on their hands between hauls. That gets boring. So, many have taken up the art of crafting in their cabs, mainly knitting and machine quilting. But I think it’s going to be a long time before talk of threads and fabric swatches are heard amidst the din of truck stops!

Just goes to show you: appearances can be deceiving!

Friday Fun Finds - Upcycled and Recycled!

I'll be honest:  the most recycling I do is separating my paper from plastic for the recycle guys on Monday morning.  It always amazes me what people come up with for their old stuff that may still have a little life left.  So, what do they do with all those things? Well, these fun finds have found some truly unique uses for old jeans, records, and magazine advertisements.

I don’t have any children myself, but I understand they grow up fast, often before their clothes run out. So, unless you have other children who need the old hand-me-downs, you can find a use for those jeans. For example, Nico Papergoods has made these great little journals out of children’s clothes. They come with a pocket already attached for holding pencils, markers, or other small treasures. Check out the other journal designs and map notebooks from this Swiss-born bookbinder!

Remember those days of old when we pulled out the old turntable to listen to some tunes? Well, those days are gone with iPods and such, but I’ll bet you can’t part with all those old LPs. Reclaimed Wreckage found a use for her’s in the form of a unique purse. Molded carefully and secured with a seat belt, this makes for an interesting accessory. This girl can find a use for anything: plastic shopping bags, spiral plastic rings, newspapers, bike tires. I think she’d be able to turn just about anything into a piece of jewelry, bag, or other accessory.

And finally, you know all those magazine subscription cards that fall out of your favorite zines? Don’t throw them away! Let Make Shop Live turn them into an address book for you! It makes perfect sense: the name, address, and sometimes phone and email lines are already there. Keep checking their shop this summer for more items that didn’t get thrown out!

Now that you’re inspired by all these cool ideas, go turn that old shower curtain into something fun!

Friday Fun Finds - Think Spring!

I don’t know about you but I think I’ve had enough snow to last me quite a while! So this week I am “Thinking Spring!” with my Etsy finds.

For Valentines Day, there was a chalkboard placemat. For Spring, we have chalkboard pots by Chalk Notes. These 5” pots hold your pretty spring buds and have a little space where you can write a quick note! They come in five different colors: pink, purple, yellow, green, and cream.

Now that it’s getting warmer (or supposed to be!), we need to think about getting outside to play. And who doesn’t like bubbles? As a musician, I just love this Treble Clef Bubble Wand by Purple Bus Studios. It is almost 8” long and made of copper wire and colored glass beads of your choice. My kitties would love to chase the bubbles this creates!

And after having all that fun outdoors, you’ll probably have some pictures to display. So put them in one of these “Cool Spools” by Iris Blue Artworks. Made from vintage sewing spools, the curled wire is just flexible enough to hold your pictures, notes, or whatever else you can think of. These come in lots of fun colors and designs, so of course I choose the kitty design. :-)

All pictures were used with permission from Etsy sellers.

Friday Fun Finds - Valentines for You!

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I thought I’d do a search on Etsy of fun V-Day stuff. There are hundreds of items to chose from, so here’s just a sampling…

First up, is a chalkboard placemat by Custom Kid’s Shop. It is geared towards keeping kids busy at mealtime, but why can’t you leave a (not so) subtle hint for your sweetie about dinner plans?

Next, it’s time for a game. Tiny Mishap’s sells a set of 2 or 3 Valentine’s Bingo cards. Play with your single friends or just check them off as the week goes by. Get your daubers out!

And finally, something to snuggle up with. These pillows from Sofa Garden make it quite clear what is on your mind this Valentine’s Day.  They look pretty comfy even without a special someone!

So make sure you have a little fun this Hallmark Holiday!