Handmade Lotion

 Lotion is very easy to make with the correct ingredients and tools, but there is one very important lesson to learn that cannot be forgotten.

Rinse all of your tools off outside with a garden hose when you're done. Don't try to soak them in the sink, don't try to wash them off in the house, and don't even think about putting them in the dishwasher. Take them outside and hose them down until every last bit of leftover lotion is off. Otherwise, this project is super fun and easy! 

Look how much I made!

Library Shelf Stained Glass

 My basement guest room has a deep window that is eye-level with our drive-way. When we moved in I decorated the room with a dark cottage core/Harry Potter universe vibe, and wanted to cover the window with more than a piece of black fabric. 

As my skills are continuing to grow I decided to branch out in using lead came to frame my work. This is the first piece I did and it fit perfectly! I was so nervous about that. If you know me, you know measuring is not something I'd call a strength. 

I found lots of great ideas on Pinterest, especially TerrazaStainedGlass on Etsy. They do incredible work! My quality is no where as good, but I was able to draw out what I wanted (and add a rubbery duck half-way through when my shapes got off a little) and I'm proud of what I created. 

It's Soapmaking Time!

I haven't posted about soap in awhile. It's something I just make and forget to take pictures of. My mom and aunt came to visit so I showed them how to make a few different kinds. These were all inspired by Brambleberry. 

 

Fox Wooble

 A few friends and I got together to try crocheting, which is definitely not my thing. I spent about 6 hours creating this little guy, and it was only my inability to stop a project once I've started that made me finish. 

Fox Wooble Kit

Griffin Stained Glass

 I created this 12x18 panel for my nephew, who isn't old enough to appreciate it yet but hopefully will one day. I wanted to document the process so I tried to take tons of photos. I was really proud of this one, as I used this photo I saw online from a book to reach my vision. I think it's from a Fantastic Beasts book, but the search feature led me nowhere. 

First I traced the photo with Procreate on my iPad. I did this several times, simplifying over and over again until I had pieces that I was comfortable cutting out with glass. Not having too many intersecting angles and tiny bits that would get covered by solder are top priorities. After drawing it about 7-8 times, I had this image.

I added a background and printed it out full size on sticker paper. I should've printed out an additional copy to lay my pieces down on as I cut them, but hey, I'm still learning! I cut out each sticker by hand as a template for my glass sizes. This was a process. 

A lot of artists cut out all pieces and foil them first, but I tend to do bits at a time. I did the entire frame first, to make sure my size was good. 

Here is the process of stained glass with one of the trees. 

1. Cut out the pattern. I numbered the pieces to do different shades of green and then changed my mind. Also at that point my pieces weren't quite lining up so I traced what I had already foiled to make a somewhat new pattern. 

2. Lay out the pieces on the glass. I used sticker paper which is genius. I also like to add a straight line to I'll line up the direction of the glass correctly. 

3. Cut out the glass pieces. 

4. Grind each piece to remove rough edges. The better the cut, the less grinding there is. I'm definitely still learning this. 

5. Put it together.

6. Remove the sticker paper and lay it out to make sure it fits. You'll see that piece in the middle with the space didn't look like a big deal at this time. 

7. Add copper foil and pin down. Look for any inconsistencies. You'll see that little hole is bitter so I wanted to redo it. 

I put a piece of sticker paper down, traced, recut and ground down, and then re-foiled. 

And there you have it, a tree! 

After finishing the foiling, I soldered the panel and scrubbed clean. I also added two hooks at the top. 

I used a black patina to stain. And cleaned again! 

Then I added a nice polish. 

And here is the finished project.