Simmer Sunday

Simmer Sunday y'all. Enjoy!

Week Two

What to do, what to do. I think I have decided what I will work on this week. A collection of dinosaur silhouettes. I mean, I am the Crafty "Raptor" right?

That's about all for now. I have to set aside my crafty raptoring for a bit and go handle some normal human things such as grocery shopping and cleaning and cooking...

I think I'd rather stay here :)

Operation: Medal Works

The mission has been a success! And just before the deadline I gave myself! I decided I would be completed and blogged by the end of Sunday.
So here I am, 10pm on Sunday night and I'm ready to post the completed project. It ended up being a bit more difficult to affix the medals. I actually had to nail through the back board of the frame to place the pins, but it worked and the mister and I are both very pleased with the result.

But I'll let you be the judge. It's fairly simple, but it's what the mister wanted and it makes me happy to make him happy!

(side note, I apologize for the picture quality, my camera is in the car and I had no intention of dragging myself down to the garage to get it. So the iPhone camera will have to do.)

Bad raptor... bad.

Hello!

Well, I have basically completed my project... but I am afraid reveal day will have to wait until Sat or possibly sunday. I am a silly crafty raptor who decided to spend all day yesterday with my wonderful mister and his sister at Knott's Berry Farm! So reveal day will have to wait... but in the mean time... YAY for family time!

You understand right? Of course you do... and that's why I love ya!

bye bye summer

It's cold!

I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever experience some true fall weather here in sunny CA, but my doubts were subsided today! It wasn't exactly cold during the day, but it has sure been cold this evening! Cold enough in fact, that we turned on our heat!

Just saying... this rocks :)

Updatey Schmupdatey

It's been a long day folks. The Crafty Raptor is feeling mighty under the weather. I finally went to the minute clinic today to get to the bottom of it and was actually told that, though I may have a cold the largest factor in my recent illness has been a food allergy! I knew I had an allergic reaction because of the tell tell signs on my skin... but apparently it's turned my insides topsy turvy!

But the good news is, my self medicating on Benadryl and Claritin has been the right course of action. I've just got to keep on keeping on :)

In the meantime... I am crafting still. I'm having a harder time than usual because of the physical junk going on, but I'm working through it. Friday will be reveal day and I'm hoping that 'Operation 'Medal Works'' turns out to all our likings!

Sunday Simmer

I think I am going to dedicate Sunday's as a "simmer" down day. Each Sunday I will post something relaxing and enjoyable for people to do or see. A nice way to relax before starting the work week.
So for today... here's 42 seconds of penguins and Bert.

If that doesn't make you smile... than I just down know you anymore :)

Project 1: Operation 'Medal Works'

So, for my first official Crafty Raptor project, I think I am going to do something personal, something I've been wanting to do for a few months now.

You see, the mister served in the US Navy for long time and over his years of service, he achieved many medals and awards. I would like to display them on a board. I have just had them laying out on top of a low book shelf, but they are much to precious to just lay around. Not to mention the fact that our kitties, Chubbs and Sammy, have an affinity for hopping up there and knocking them about.

So, I am in brainstorm mode.

My initial thought is to take a picture frame I have and simply remove the glass. I'd like to find some nice papers to place on the backboard of the frame and then I'll have to come up with a way to attach the medals without destroying the integrity of the pin backs.

My biggest challenge is to do all of this in a way that I find visually appealing, but that will not be feminine or prissy for a former US Navy Petty Officer.

Now... off for my favorite part... selecting materials!!!

The Goal

Short term and long term.

My goal for short term is to be able to post at least one new craft I've made on here each week. That will help me with my long term goal which is.... drum roll please...

TO CREATE MY OWN ETSY STORE!!!

I've been told often that I should do this. My goal is to make enough items that I can list them and have a proper store on etsy.com

So you and me... let's do this... together :)

Why I craft.

What exactly is a crafty raptor? Well, it's a who really. And the who is me. I am a twenty-something woman who has earned the affectionate nickname of "little velociraptor" from my soon to be hubby.  As written in the desription area, I have spent most of my life trying to figure out what in the world I am supposed to be. A testament to this search would be the 8 majors I sifted through in my long and sorted college career. None of them finished, though my last attempt at a college degree is nearly complete. I started with the idea of being a performer, an actress or singer or dancer... or better yet, all three! But I quickly realized that my rear end was not willing to submit to the weight requirements that performing seems to put on people and I had no desire to continuously play the quirky chubby friend or mother role for the rest of my life. I tried my hand at history and literature and politics, ultimately ending up in International Relations and Russian area studies. While I still have a strong love for languages and international affairs, I found that it didn't quite hold my interest as I had hoped it would.

I maintained a career in retail for all those years until this past August when I left my job and moved across the country to follow my wonderful fiance and to support him while he worked on his college degree after serving our country in the Navy for so many years.

And here I am. Unemployed with quite a bit of time on my hands. I've had ample opportunity to sit and ponder the question, "What the heck am I doing with my life?" And I've come to the conclusion, that I am supposed to be happy.

Don't get me wrong, my fiance makes me so happy, as do my family and friends. But I need something to fill my time that also makes me happy. Do what you love, love what you do. What makes me happiest is to craft and create. To take bits of paper or fabric and turn them from scrap to treasure. I find that after I've spent time crafting, I am more relaxed and calm than ever, regardless of how difficult or intricate the craft might be.

So that is what I've determined to do. Craft.