Friday, September 30, 2011

owls... my other obsession

I don't remember much about my Grandma Peggy except that she really liked owls.  When I was little she gave me a key chain shaped like an owl with my name on it.  I am sure she gave me lots of things, but this is the only thing I remember.  Fast forward 30 years, my mom finds the key chain in the armoire in my old bedroom and gives it to me.  Seeing this 1970's key chain totally set something off in my wacky brain chemistry because now I am fanatical about owls.  I have them in my house, in my pins, in my mind.

"I guess can you pet me since you are tagging me...."

You may ask if I have ever actually seen a real owl.  The answer would be no.  I need to bug the ornithologist at work to take me out with her owl tagging. This would be utterly amazing.  Until then I will satisfy myself with non-animate owls, making felt owlscapes in my spare time...

owlscape #1

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

my version of that pumpkin moss wreath...

I found this original pin while browsing "everything", if you are a regular everything browser I am sure you have seen it.  I think I tracked the original version to etsy, if you know the true origin let me know!   
I decided to dust of my long forgotten craftiness and make my own.  Off to the craft store I went (without a coupon!) to get my supplies.  Overall it turned out to be an easy, satisfying project that actually looked like I thought it would.

Craft store supplies:
16-inch wreath, I went with straw because it was cheap
Spanish moss - two bags
Green pins - two 50-count packages (I used about 1 and a quarter)
Burlap (ended up ditching this)
Wood picks (ended up ditching these too) 

I picked up the mini pumpkins at the local pumpkin stand.


I unwrapped my straw wreath and then proceeded to pin down moss.  If I made another one I would either not take the plastic off (straw pieces everywhere) or I would use a foam frame.  
 


Keep going until you cover the entire wreath frame. When I was done I sprayed it with hair spray, the theory being that this would help hold everything together more.  I would not hold this theory up to scientific scrutiny.






I used three pumpkins, I might cut it back to two.  I first tried attaching the pumpkins using the wood picks I bought at the craft store but they were not quite long enough.  After a day of opening and shutting the front door and three pumpkins on the front porch, I replace the picks with wooden skewers we used for grilling kabobs.  




The finished project ended up looking like this -




I played around with making a burlap hanging ribbon (without a bow to be more modern looking) but I ditched it.  I liked the cleaner look without it.  

I like that I can keep the basic wreath from year to year and change out with fresh decorations.  Next year I might use gourds or white pumpkins.   

Now that I look at the photo, I need to go back and pin down some stray moss.  Overall I am super pleased with my attempt at being crafty!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Pinitiation

I am pin-obsessed, admittedly I don't pin constantly, but it does give me focus. I need focus, life moves too rapidly.  Days, months, years pass way too quickly.  My pins help me to visualize my goals.
I am pin-motivated.  It makes me want to follow through and do/make/see things. 
This is the story behind my pins and beyond my pins - my pinterpretation.