Diy

Bunny in a hat. hat. hat.

March 25, 2013 by Edlyn

I was never this way. Sunshine was never an excuse for lack of productivity. Guess that’s what four seasons and the lack of sun does to you. Four seasons like the seasons, not the hotel.

All day I’ve just been staring outside, thinking of what I needed to do. Yes, the sun needed to hit my skin and no, standing in a kitchen wasn’t an option. I miss the 355 days of summer I’m so used to. For a minute there I caught myself thinking about how I’d miss “layering” but who am I really fooling? I do not know how to layer. Wearing two tank tops instead of one is my idea of (lame) style more than warmth.

Welcome to the temperate zone, I guess. I also never thought I’d care this much about the weather. All I do is watch for the next full day of sun. I’m a sun person. Complete beer and cocktail with sand in my feet person. Crazy person.

You knew that part already.

As advance notice, tomorrow I’m going to be productive. If by productive you mean, stare outside and count the number of walks I’m going to take.

Probably a million. Or two.

More bunnies in the hat. If you guess what each bunny is correctly, I’ll draw you a postcard sized drawing that you can frame and then pretend that it’s the work of a very famous and cool artist. The kind you’d want to be friends with.

Such a ham.

Bye!

Bunny in a hat

March 18, 2013 by Edlyn

0%.

That’s how much attention I’ve been giving to my drawing lately. My whole life revolves around taking buses and getting to places, which leaves me little time to sit down and make a complete drawing. You’ll be happy to learn that yesterday was different. I happened to flip back some pages I use to scribble on and I found this really cute doodle I made. I don’t know what I was thinking when I drew it but I high-five’d myself and felt really cool. It was just a simple bunny in a hat but that’s all it took to feed my brain some smart food.

I drew a lot of bunnies in magician hats and I can’t wait to do some more. I love new series of things…they get me excited for no reason. If you have a bunny in a hat idea, pass it on. I’d love to see where it goes in my head. Of course I’ll give you credit. I’m nice, remember?

On a completely typical “Cat + You” side of things, this is how I look when I’m grocery shopping alone. I’m never this way when I shop with my married person but that’s only because he’s a lot crazier about these sugary things than I am. Me, I try to be the voice of reason.

ICE-CREAM. Sigh. I’m starting to think it’s not worth being an adult about these things.

Today, my blog friend who was first Gayle’s friend in Goa because they both worked at the same cafe where they made amazing cupcakes and things, let me know that she received a drawing I mailed her a couple of weeks ago. YAY. That sentence was too long. Take your time with it.

I think it was in January that I wrote a blog post where I asked my then imaginary readers if they wanted a postcard drawing or letter from me. If you weren’t reading then, you must know that I love sending mail and I take it a little too seriously. This girl was the only one hungry and excited about it and 2 months later, I finally sent her a drawing that came to me out of nowhere. All I know of her is from reading her blog. I took a wild guess that she’d like the haathi (elephant) and cake. Whoaaaaa what a smart one I am.

She hasn’t told me I missed the mark yet so I think I did okay.

If you want to feed my letter-writing insanity, email me your address to edlyngd@gmail.com. I promise I won’t send you any cable bills.

Now do the bunny hop.

“I’ve got tickets to Arizona,” she said.

September 29, 2012 by Edlyn

I’ve never felt unsettled in all my life. At least I think that’s what that was. I have been in India for a majority of my breathing, heart-beating phase. There have not been many opportunities for me to be out of my element. I did well, I thought. I had the comfort of the people I’d grown used to and food that had just the right dash of home.

We all pride ourselves in being masters of things. Some are well-read or well-slept. Others can recognise wines by their odours and people by their warmth. I am addicted to familiarity. Ten seconds later, I like being thrown off the trail in the hope that I’ll mysteriously find my way back on it.

I love living in Washington. It’s only been 4 months. But I want to find that usual place I end up in. I won’t force the tide…I can’t; but I know it will be okay.

If you want me to send you a postcard saying “HI!!”, send me your snail mail address to eeekster@gmail.com

Props, bro.

April 20, 2012 by Edlyn

My sister Jane is just starting out a new career as a photographer. She officially made the switch last year but 2012 is her time. She got her first 2 gigs as a professional — one for a wedding and another for a luxury fashion and lifestyle magazine.

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This is Jane

It’s awesome stuff. Here’s the facebook link for her work. I know she has a flickr one too but this is more accessible to the masses. Yes, you! I know you’re on facebook when you should be working!

For the wedding part, she asked me to make her some props for all the possible to-be wed couples. Since I have nothing better to do all day except wait for the wind to take me West, I said okay!

I’m using The Pretty Blog to make the usual photo booth props like mustaches, pouty lips and monacles (link HERE). This is an amazing DIY blog and right now I’m craving a craft corner with supplies so I can just spend all day making things. (Especially these coasters: YUM)

How are people so fantastical?!

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This is me. At my own wedding. With a prop I made with zero web guidance.

That will be my next post. Oh I’m hilarious.

Tea for two…or three

March 7, 2012 by Edlyn

Isn’t this a pretty flower? I thought I’d start with a pretty flower.

Now I’ll go back to the teabags

Who does’t love making things? Not me. Definitely not. If there’s a way to make something simple, I want to know it. And whaddya know, most things are easy as pie.

Made pie too, yes I have. It was good like it took you to heaven

For this teabag making experiment, I looked to inspiration from Elsie Larson. Who’s she? Just an amazing DIYer, who oozes creativity. I aspire to be like her blog. If it doesn’t happen, I won’t cry or anything. I really won’t.

I’ll just drink my tea and think about what could have been. Can you hear the crickets?

Teabags!! Really now Edlyn!

This is how they should look when you finish off with them. If they don’t look this way, don’t fret. You’re a good person and you can start over. You’re AMAZING! 🙂

What you need

Powdered tea leaves
Coffee filters
A needle and thread
Construction paper to make the hearts (or any shape you desire)

How it’s done

You cut the filter paper into the usual teabag shape that you’re used to seeing. Depending on how you cut it, you’ll have two or three sides open. Make sure the fourth side is sealed by way of you cutting it like that. It makes it easier to sew when one of the four sides is closed.
Then you get to sewing. You know how that’s done, right? If you don’t, I’m sure there’s a YouTube clip you can refer to.
Don’t sew all the sides yet. You need to keep one open to fill in the tea. Otherwise they’ll be airbags. You’ll feel slightly stupid as a result.

I used Organic India‘s Tulsi Chai for the teabags I made. Why, you ask? For one, it smells divine! Why would you not want to drink this cup of heaven, I don’t know. So try it. They have a variety of tulsi teas.
I put in a teaspoon, but you can put in more if that how you roll. I aint no dictatin’ chick. I’m cool. So you can put in two teaspoons of tea if you like. It would just be harder to sew through and the paper would get crumply. As long as your tea is how you like it : )

Once you’re done sewing all the ends, you pick th side you want as the top of the teabag and sew in the dipping string and staple the tab. (If you look at the picture below, the yellow heart is the dipping tab and the string it’s attached to is the …well…string. Captain Obvious to the rescue.)

If you do all of the above, you’ll get this pretty teabag in the end. And a rose will magically appear and a picture will be taken AND AND you’ll feel soooo happy inside.

Put the teabag in hot water for 2-5 minutes and pick up your favourite book. Read and sip and read and sip and read and sip.

Happy DIY-ing!

(To see where I got this idea from to begin with, check out A Beautiful Mess)

Love what you do-II

February 14, 2012 by Edlyn

I have been making cards ever since I could hold a pencil straight. People tell me that I should make it a full-time job and I agree! I would love to make getting people to send mail and still sort of pass notes my life’s goal.

This year, I did something I haven’t done before. I made cards for other people. Not from me to other people. From other people to other people.

Yay.

This is a blog post about the cards I made.

(This is a card about always having fun with your partner in crime)

(I made this for a co-worker. I took her handprint and made it into a card for her husband.)

(This is my favourite because it’s for my Awesomepants!)

(This is a “down with love” sorta card)

(My alien card. I love aliens.)

While I may not have a lot of art supplies yet, I make do pretty well. Sequins, glue and of course, funky construction paper are pretty my my best friends.

Pencils too. I love you pencils.

The blog post on the Sunday pictures has been delayed a bit since I was waiting for photographer extrodinaire, my sister, to send me her pictures. Tomorrow fo shiz.

If you have any DIY links you love to go to for greeting cards, please share them with me.

Lots of love