Oh the Cuteness!

Last week we watched Johnny's two nieces for a few days in a row and instead of plopping them in front of the T.V. we did all kinds of arts and crafts! They had seen my craft room on a previous visit and thought it was the most magical place in the world, so I wasn't surprised when they asked to hang out in there when they arrived. They taught me how to finger knit and then asked me about my pile of roving, and I explained a bit about spinning yarn and felting. They seemed really interested in wet felting so we decided to make felt beads for necklaces. I only had purple/brown and blue/white but that worked out just fine. We tore off little pieces, got them wet and added a little soap, and rolled them in our hands until they became nice little beads. For the bigger ones we rolled them on a sushi mat for extra friction. We even made flat ones that looked a little like agate with the help of a felting needle.  They finished their beads the next day and did such a goo...

Easter has always been a special holiday for me. I'm not religious but rather I like to celebrate it as a welcoming of spring, and the simple ways we celebrate are such great symbols for the rebirth of the land. I'll be heading to a friend's house for a brunch of crepes and sweets in celebration of her pet bunnies' birthdays! I promise to myself and all my readers that I will NOT forget the camera! Anywho, since Easter celebrations are usually so simple and sweet, you can wait till the last minute to start working on projects! I found two pages that have lists of links to all kinds of adorable Easter projects that take practically no time at all, or that you can do with friends and family on the holiday itself. First, there's Brit + Co. with their list of 40 creative ways to dye Easter eggs . I still love dying eggs or making something funny with them every year, as evidenced here and here . If you think you're too old you are waaaay wrong, just try it and...

My schedule has been filling up quickly and is about to get absolutely insane! I've got craft fairs and social events galore, but to start off don't forget that this upcoming Monday is International Yarn-Bombing Day, and the entire week is Knitting in Public week! So get out there and show the world your skills, brighten up your cities, and have fun! I'll be spending it with the ladies from my stitch & bitch group, making mischief of course. Anywho, I'll be selling at quite a few upcoming events this summer. Be sure to "like" the  Oh the Cuteness Facebook Page  to get more updates, or follow me on Twitter .  Upcoming in June and July:  Maddie's Matchmaker Adoptathon  on Saturday, June 9th at the Petco in El Cerrito. It's a wonderful event that helps needy animals find good homes, and I'll be donating 25% of my profits to the cause!   The Art Beat Bazaar  on Sunday, June 17th at the Starry Plough Pub in Berkeley. Great loca...

So I mentioned in this post that I got to spend the weekend at Maker Faire in San Mateo with my new employers, Woodcut Maps . You know I'm a total nerd for craft fairs, and this was my first time at this particular fair. But it was unlike anything I've ever been to before. The sheer size of it was the first thing that really struck me on Friday when we were setting up - it literally covered the entire fair ground. It was just like the state fair we had back home when I was a kid, but instead of rides there were giant flaming robotic sculptures. Instead of a rodeo or a beauty pageant there was the robot petting zoo and talks given by nerd celebrities like Adam Savage of Mythbusters and the guys from Eepybird, famous for their Diet Coke and Mentos stunts. And instead of exhibition halls filled with flower arranging, cattle, and guys trying to sell you hot tubs (anyone?), there was pure and utter handmade artisan awesomeness with a high-tech overtone. I was in heaven, and so wa...