{Outing} Randolph Street Market

I got tickets on Living Social and paid $4 each.  SO WORTH IT.  Even just to walk around and know that some of these things exist makes me happier.  Flea markets, artisian fairs, thrift stores, they all open something in my brain that just makes me happy.

They happen monthly.  In May - September they are in a three level Union hall AND a huge parking lot. They boast 250 vendors.

Tickets.

Schedule.

If you are in or near Chicago, I highly recommend checking it out.

Here is what I bought.

I really love interesting jewelry.  Especially anything having to do with fiber art.

I didn't "buy" this but it's great.  As a camera nerd, I love this set up.  You just smile, hit the button, and this super nice guy hands you your ticket to claim your prize; your photo.  So clean and clever.  They have a single fashion style soft flash that creates the most beautifully textured photos.

My mom and I both feel super dorky trying to act all dorky.  So it's just a simple smile from us.  :)

Some of what I saw.

Finally, He's my boy and Aunt Gail.  My kids are going to be like 15 and ask how Gail is related to us. She totally isn't.  It will blow their minds.

{tip} Anatomy of a Failed Artwork

One thing that I sometimes do is, I get too excited.  I get too eager and I don't plan ahead.  This is mostly fine.  I improvise as I go, but sometimes it just doesn't work out at all.

It is wise to know what you are good at, and not be modest about it.  It is equally as wise to know your shortcomings, and not beat yourself up about them.  I have a ton of respect for someone that tried something, over someone that decided they couldn't do it.  I'm good at spacial intelligence and organizing information.  I am not good at thinking abstractly about math concepts.  Bleh.

Failure is the condiment that gives success it's flavor - Truman Capote

All that said.

I wasted about 8 hours on this.  I didn't have a good feeling about it from the start, but I knew if I could pull it off it would look very cool.

This month's ArtBar theme is posters.  So I decided to get a poster for the poster show and stitch over it.

Here is the poster.

That takes me to -

Problem Number 1.
The poster is paper.  I need to have a sheet of paper over the poster because the pattern is so intricate. I've done this easily for larger scale works on cardboard, but not paper then paper then thread.

I stitched up about 75 % of it when I decided it was time to pull some paper to see what would happen.

Then.

Problem Number 2.
I used double sided tape to hold down the paper with the pattern on it.  I used double sided because the poster is glossy and there shouldn't have been a problem.  However, I was holding the work in that exact spot and the heat from my thumb melted the sticky so when I pulled up the pattern it peeled off a bit of the poster. (Here is where I decided that I could crop the poster and it would be just fine.)

Problem Number 3.
I used only one strand of DMC floss.  I was thinking I can just pull up on the paper and the floss would rip the paper.  Apparently, one strand isn't strong enough to rip the paper.

Problem Number 4.
The motif is so small that I can't get my scissors or tweezers under most of the threads and ...

Problem Number 5.
My scissors scraped the poster. ( Here is where I decided I wasn't going to try to charge for it, and probably give it away.)

Problem Number 6.
As a last ditch effort I sponged some water lightly on the paper hoping that it would give under the thread.  I scratched off more poster with my fingernail.  (Here is where I decided all was lost and I wasn't even going to waste more time on it.)

So. This it.  Woulda been interesting, right?

Here's the damage.

What did I learn?  Don't stitch an insanely complicated pattern over the only canvas that you have.

Have you ever made anything that you learned more from doing it wrong than if you had done it correctly?

Pixel People Christmas Present.

I really like little cross stitched people.  Whether it's Welittlestitches or Martha Stewart style.  They are adorable.

I made one for my brother in law and his wife for a Christmas present.  I was very excited to give it to them and they seemed to like it  :)

Here are Phil and Tiffany with Vi as a baby.

And in pixel form.

They are stitched on 14ct adia with 2 strands of DMC and placed in a 4x4 frame from Target.  :)

All the pretty colors.

As a teenager you are asked what you listen to.  What's your favorite band?  That's easy.  Old? The Beatles.  New?  Type O Negative -and- Nine inch Nails.  It's too close to call.  

As a kid other kids ask, whats your favorite color?  Hmm, that's tricky.  What other colors is it going with?  How long will I have to commit to it?  What am I wearing?  As a kid I would say purple, sometimes red, rarely green until I discovered teal or gray.  

As an adult this problem has only gotten worse.  I often just stand next to the floss and stare at all the shades.  Or get over whelmed with the picker in Photoshop.  I am absolutely sure The Beatles, NIN, and Type O negative are still my favorite bands. 

But colors?  

Today it's these.

<33333

My New Lacey Fall Scarf

Of course I have scarves, but not THIS scarf.

My hair is very short, here is my and my daughter today.

Yeah, my ears are already cold in the Chicago gloom happening today.  Which I love by the way.

I got this book in the mail a few days ago.

I bought it solely for this scarf.  

I'm always looking for things to crochet that aren't for babies or super traditional.

I picked up some Caron Simply Soft (because the pattern called for Caron Spa and Joann's didn't have it and I'm super impatient)in Charcoal Heather.

There is a time and place for Owl newborns hats and I really just want to crochet something that a fashionable adult would like to wear.  This is harder to do with crochet than knitting.

I might need to learn to knit.  Uh-oh.  

:some times passes:

WHALA!

The bulk took about and hour and a half and the fringe took another hour to attach.  

I like it. :)

It's good to have crafty friends! Handmade baby gifts.

I obviously love to make things.  I'm lucky that I have people around me that also love to make things.  It seems that all us craft nerds have really similar styles, or at least get each other's style pretty easily.

Gail made me a tons of stuff.  She's the resident seamstress. A baby carrier, burp cloths, bibs and blankets.  I LOOOOVE these shapes.  I had a little panic attack for a minute because I couldn't find the blanket.  It was in the hospital bag.  DUH.

Rebecca made the Solar System cross stitch.  This is perfect for his room.  And I was coveting it for months since she showed me her original. 

The chrome Robot is from Target, the shelf from IKEA and the W is also a gift from Rebecca.  Check out the artist at jimbot.com very cool collection. 

Jasmin, the master of combining fabric patterns and colors.  She made a couple of these for Violet, I'll have to get photos of them, cause they are gorgeous. 

Marsha, my aunt.  She made hats for Violet before she was born because I couldn't crochet yet.  She's an inspirational crafter.   :)  Just lookit that edge. 

Mom, my mom put together this laundry basket.  OMG.  You know how cute it is. 

Then there is a few things I made.  The booties were made from this pattern and the blanket that started the CHEVRON fever.  I bought this fabric at 4 weeks pregnant.  I was sure it was a boy.  I started and finished the blanket the week after our 20 week ultrasound.

This kid is going to be warm and comfy!

...He can get here now...