Harry Potter Dobby socks

After much trial and error, I completed my Christmas Harry Potter socks at 10pm on Christmas night!!!

At least I had two hours to wear them on the right occasion :D



Yeah, a lot of pain to do these...

They were my first attempt at making socks!

I can turn a heal!!!! :D

It's actually far easier than I thought...

Thankyou, youtube tutorials!!

Manga Studios

So I got this manga studios present for my birthday... and have only JUST gotten round to using it :P I wanted to trial it, and so picked that random picture which I posted previously of my formal dress, and started fiddling with this program. This drawing took me 2 hours :S it's a bit more complicated than I thought... and I haven't worked out how to do the tails on speech bubbles yet!!!

So yeah, here's my random digital art test:


p.s the face and hair are totally off, but i made them just random. i was mainly focusing on the outfit. How cool is the flower pattern on the dress?? So cool when i found that template :D

Formal and Dobby Socks

Well I had my year 10 formal last week! In the excitement of the week leading up to it, and during a very boring art lesson, I drew an A3 version of my dress:


It's not great, but it's my first sketch in what feels like forever! My 2008 drawing phase which essentially started this blog has seriously died down...

Anywho, this is me and some other friends at the formal - see if you can pick my dress!!

Meanwhile, in getting in the mood for Christmas (and the release of the latest Harry Potter movie) I have been knitting some Dobby christmas socks! For all you non-fans out there, Dobby the house-elf knits Harry some socks for Christmas in book 4, a red one with broomsticks, and a green one with snitches. I am very excited about finishing these socks and wearing them for Christmas - even if it is a bit too hot for them!!

Living Through World War II

'Living Through World War II' - my PIP (personal interest pathway) project for 2010 at my school. I interviewed three lovely ladies from my church who grew up together through the war, and on the side I knitted some Wristlets:


Very simple rib pattern.

Only ever had time to complete one of my Two-Way Mittens, thats how darn complicated they were:



My 10-minute presentation was probably the longest I've stood up and spoken in front of a crowd - a bit daunting, but totally worth it!! In my stall I had world war two music, lollies, books, and even a dress from my sister's WWII musical a few years back...



Shall now work on completing the second mitten - I never thought I'd actually want to wear them, but they're the best bit of knitting I've ever done :) After that, I might be knitting some socks for the first time :D gotta learn how to turn a heal...

Username change!

Hey everyone, this is a notice that my username has changed to Albusowner, which is my usual online name, and since I use blogspot more for my own blogging instead of commenting on my sister's blog, I've changed my name to something more personal!

In case anyone was wondering, I am the owner of my hillarious dog Albus, hense the name ;)


Mass-knitting required to finish my project in three weeks... and I haven't even started to think about creating my presentation movie :S Oops...

Knitting project and Formal dresses

Lately I've actually been doing some creative stuff... but unfortunately I am finding it very boring.

I am researching women during world war 2 who knitted for their soldier friends, and got stuck half way through a tricky glove pattern on double-pointed needles:
I am now working on some 'wristlets,' the authentity of which I am beginning to doubt with its simple and drastically boring pattern. at the moment it is a block of ribbed knitting... or whatever you call it.


Meanwhile, I went shopping for my school formal dress!! I found a fantastic vintage dress and got it at a very cheap price too! However I have been convinced out of wearing it for its classic look, and am now searching for a more fun modern dress. Better get a move on before all the good ones are gone!!! However this is my exam week, so I may have to wait a while...

Europe

Wow!!! I have just spent a wonderful holidays touring Italy, France and England with my school.

My trip to the Palace of Versaille in France was perhaps ruined a little by an exhibition by the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami who decided to put his models in an out-of-place environment - an interesting idea that would normally interest me, but when you're trying to get photos of fabulous ancient rooms, it's just downright annoying.

An interesting story to tell however, and worth putting on this blog about creativity, especially since Japanese art is an area of interest for me.

I saw some pretty spectacular colours. Here's some artwork I saw in the Vatican in Italy that amazed me with its vibrancy:


Well it looked cool in real life, haha.

Randomness and Europe

I need to write on my blog more often, and since my creative flair seems to have many recessions, I think I'm gonna write about more general stuff than previously.

So, 10 random questions from the internet to get me going:
1. Where were you three hours ago?
Walking home from church
2. Who are you in love with?
Despite being distracted by certain people interested in me, no-one. Any christian single guys out there waiting??
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon?
Probably, in preschool or something ^-^
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
USB stick, CD case and school folder
5. When was the last time you went to the mall?
Wednesday, when we went after school to get milkshakes
6. Are you wearing socks right now?
No, you don't wear socks with flats!
7. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Lemonade, mmm!!
8. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, shirt and cardigen
9. Last food that you ate?
Honey sandwich
10. Where were you last week at this time?
The BEACH with my fam, eating chips at this point I think!!

Anyway, this week I am off to EUROPE!!!! First stop, Italy, and then France, and finally England!!!!!! I am VERY excited!!! I'm going with my school, a lovely bunch of people, hopefully it shall be a great time!! I've bought my first proper pair of sunnies for the trip too, haha!!

I shall post again after I get back!!!

Sewing Bag

As I put my sewing stuff away from my angel cross stitch (see previous post), I was complaining how annoying my organisation of all my stuff was. So then I thought - I should make something large which can hold all the stuff which is in small containers everywhere!

So I pulled out my Jane Austen sewing book, took a glance at some 'huswife' (weird bag things) images, and then drew up a design and made this:

(It's not that wonky looking in real life!)

I must say that I surprised even myself with how smoothly everything worked out! I pretty much designed the whole thing myself, and I definately hand-sewed the entire thing by myself. There is a layer of lining which cannot be seen, to pad it out a bit, and a different colour on the outside - so in the bits with the pockets, there's four layers of fabric going.



This is it all folded up :D



I must admit I stole the scissors tie thing off the Jane Austen sewing book. That wasn't my idea. But I didnt follow the instructions at all - only the picture! I hate following instructions. And it's so much more satisfying knowing you designed it yourself - that's why I hand-sew everything, far more satisfaction!

Completion

Few!!! This one's been going all year!! I'm not quite sure when I did actually start it, but I finished it only a few minutes ago!! My lovely angel.


So yeah, it's nice to finish something as I have not been doing much creative stuff lately. Although I cannot look at this cross-stitch without seeing the horrible pencil lines, and the scrappy outlining, and the weird dark pink on the dress etc etc, I do quite like it :)

Click here for the process entry

What next??

Disappointment...

I feel SO uncreative these days. I am disgraced that I have a blog all about being creative when I feel incredibly uncreative.

I haven't drawn, written, sewen or down anything interesting in a very long time.

I am still half-way through that doll.

I am still half-way through some yarn bombing.

I am still half-way through that cross stitch.

But I am completely unmotivated to do any of that stuff... Perhaps I shall have more time in the holidays coming up.

Although, I did wear those long gloves to a school mufty day yesterday. I felt very pleased with my once-creative skills :)

Some of you may remember my bit of yarn bombing that I did a few months back...... well, when i just put it up and it was still looking great, it looked like this:


However, now the colours have almost completely bleeched out, and I would've gotten a picture, but it's raining (yay for rain!!)

So anyway, my mum asked me the dreaded question - "Do you think it's time to take it down? It's supposed to be adding to the environment after all, not detracting from it."

JEEZ, thanks!! But I get her point. It looks disgraceful now, and it does seem like a pathetic attempt. However, it was my first go, and I had never ever considered that it might be me that cuts it off eventually... it would be very sad :(

Meanwhile, I've started a new bit of yarn bombing... not so interesting this time, just two colours in a patter, but I might add some writing afterwards :)

GLOVES!!

At last I have created myself a pair of long gloves!! Sadly, they do not have the triforce imprinted on them so I could look like Princess Zelda, but maybe next time!

I did make two, but one hand was busy taking the photo, so you can only see one in the picture :3 The pattern was based on one by http://sweaterscapes.com/glove-pattern.htm but I altered it to make fingerless gloves.


They came out far too tight though - I guessed the amount of stitches because I was using different needle sizes to those suggested. They still fit, but are a little tricky getting on and off!!

This was my first project using double-pointed needles (see my last post) so that was a challenge! I feel quite confident using them now, after making such long gloves!! Can't wait to wear them tonight when I meet up with my family :)

Gloves and WWII

I've been knitting long gloves recently, I've nearly finished one of them but here's a photo of when I started it - my first proper time of using double-pointed needles, it was sooo confusing at first!!!

But I got the hang of it - the only problem was when I wanted to switch back to normal needles and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would :S I wish I could just follow the pattern... but I can't help twigging it for my own flair, and it causes annoying problems!! For instance, the gloves are surprisingly tight, but that might've been because I ate so much over the weekend...

Yeah, so this weekend I went away to Kyck, a Katoomba youth convention where we learned about the book of Ecclesiasties and how meaningless life can be without Jesus. Fun weekend :) Bring on Kyck 2011!!

Anyway, I'm doing a personal interest project at school, and I've decided to research women's roles in WWII, and I shall be interviewing some of the older women in our church and collaborating their stuff into a book! So if anyone has any resources, such as women's weeklys from the wartime, or any wartime knitting pattersn, please let me know!! If it all works out how I want it to, I might include some war-time projects in the collaboration and even put it into a book to give/sell (havent decided yet ;)) for our church's anniversary later this year.
Yay!!

Angel

Back from a great holiday, with a strange feeling that I've delved further into my family's past than ever before...

Haven't progressed at all with my doll :( I'm in still confusion of how to do the face...

I spent most of my creative hours away continuing in this angel cross stitch which I've been working on for quite a few months... check it out so far.

I feel in a very strange mood to play computer games again... perhaps I took my dad's comment that I used to be more adventurous than I am now too seriously, and am now returning to old habits ... hmmm.

I love how long cross stitches take! I can rarely take much pleasure in a project that's completed quickly. If you're wondering why there's a gap in sections of this one, particularly at the base of the underskirt, there's going to be a sort of wreath put in... I'm just finishing the wings first.

Continuation...

So - I've been continuing my doll. I thought the sleeves were horrible, but people tell me it's okay, and it's beginning to grow on me... I'm at a loss of how to do the face... and I haven't even begun to worry about the hair!! I sewed the belt soooo neatly on the back, then I rushed the front, and it's all wobbly stitching :( I wanted to properly hem the sleeves and neckline, but it was getting super tricky with the small stitches, so it ended up becoming a feature. If you click on the picture to get a bigger version you'll probably be able to see the stitches more clearly. I tried looking for blue thread for ages, but I couldn't find any so in the end I just used white. I think it worked well...

Anyway, I've been working on another surprise present for my sister's birthday, but I can't show it just yet in case she reads this before her birthday... but what do people think of this wool? I think it's quite nice.


Meanwhile, I've come back to my Aaron Finder (still need a new last name >.<) book which I started last holidays - I didn't get any time during term to write it! On reflection, the story seemed a little dull, but then I started writing some more and got fully back into it! I want to get this finished by the end of the year and sent to a publisher, hopefully. I know I've said this before, but I'd really like to do it before I leave school, I know I'll probably be rejected, but I want the satisfaction that I sent a book!!

Preportions...

Well, I have been working on making a doll - and it was going SO well until I realised the arms were too skinny, so at the last minute I changed my pattern for how I was making them and... well... it's not very well preportioned anymore >.<

It's kind of embarassing :( I was doing so well!!!! they're too long or something... just not shaped enough to look right compared to the rest of the body.
And since taking this photo I've started on the top half of a dress, and it's a MESS!!! I'll post photos when it's done... :(

It was a lot of fun making though!! I absolutely love hand-sewing stuff, I don't know why...

Anyway, I need suggestions - how should I do the face?? Detailed? Plain? Sewn? Drawn? I have no idea so far!! And I don't really know how I'm going to do the hair either... I'll finish the dress first.

Help!

I went away from the computer after my last post enthusiastically, and got out pen and paper and started drawing up a plan of a rag-doll. I hadn't even finished the first drawing before i knew it wasn't working.

Please, I need help!! Does anyone know how to make a rag-doll?? I can't find any good instructions online. When I say 'rag' doll i dont mean something scrappy, just a hand-sewn doll with detatchable clothes (possibly - or I could just make a new doll for each outfit ...)

Anyway, even a suggestion would be nice! My main dilemmas are how to make it so the arms and legs could bend, how to make feet that aren't just blobs (cause i'd wanna make shoes too) and yeah...

Also, do you think I should make it shape-y with a proper waist and everything, or just make it quite straight??

Please give ideas!!!

Homework and Rag Dolls

I have felt my creative flair rather flattened lately by suddenly having a wave of homework and assignments. I always thought that spending hours doing schoolwork was a discision you had to make at some point in high school, but I have just woken up one day and realised that I'm putting in two or more hours of work most nights...

And the funny thing is, I love it!! I simply hate the feeling of being bored so much that feeling busy is bliss compared to it! Yay!

I had to perform a piano piece for class today. It went better than I thought it would, but I still stumbled over a section and missed the second last note. Haha... it was all good fun though!

I really want to make something right now, and seeing a sort of rag-doll that my friend had created inspired me to make one too! Although i have very limited fabrics... I had thought I should make various costumes and stuff, but I'd be lucky to find fabric enough to make the doll and perhaps two outfits. And last time I attempted making a doll of that sort... well, let's just say that fraying is just about my most hated aspect of sewing.

I haven't really had much time to visit my geurilla knitting... it would be nice if my dad stopped spilling the beans about who's been putting all the knitting up to our neighbours though. It's supposed to be annonomus!!! The day my parents realised it was me putting it up (the first day I tried), I knew I'd only ever recieve about a third of the pertential thrill in doing it.

I appologise for all the appaling spelling mistakes in this post, but I have been exposed as this doesn't seem to put red squiggly lines under spelling errors anymore... :( alas, my spelling est very poor.

Knitting

Well, I'm not a state winner for the Novella Competition, but I still stand a chance of being a shortlisted or "highly recommended" participant. Doesn't it defeat the purpose if they choose who was shortlisted AFTER choosing the state winners though? Strange...

Anyway, today I took a walk with a had and dark sunglasses and stood next to a particular pole, and waiting around suspiciously for everyone in sight to disappear. Who would guess that a Sunday morning would have so many people taking a walk?? After about five minutes waiting, I gave up and took out my 2m long piece of knitting and started sewing it up with trembling hands. After a few stitches however, I started to quite enjoy myself. I loved it every time someone walked past, probably giving me shifty looks and wondering what on earth I was doing, but were too scared to ask. I just kept sewing away, ignoring everyone. One nice man asked me what I was doing, but before I could actually work out what I really was doing (i still have no idea) he suggested it was art, and I agreed. He told me all about his wife and how she likes quilting and thought my little piece was quite nice and bright, and then he went on. As he walked away, I thought about how I would never EVER have such a nice conversation like that with a stranger, and decided I want to try and do more of this geurilla knitting in the future as I enjoyed the whole thing so much.

Doesn't look 2 metres, does it?? Well, I think it was a bit short of it because I was beginning to worry how long I would have to stand there sewing it up... I think in the end it took nearly half an hour, but I loved every minute of it.

I was very impressed with how this bit turned out. "Llama was here" I did that whole little bit in just over half an hour. I drew out the words lightly with pencil, then stitched over them, and then folded back the edges and sewed it onto the knitting. Now everyone can know that Llama who made the first piece made the second one too :)

Back to School

If Chloe or Liz reads this, HI!

Lol

Anyway, I have been back at school for nearly a complete fortnight, and have not written a single word of my story I started in the holidays :( and I was quite bored last night, I guess I didn't think of writing it...

But I had to write a short story for English. That was fun. I killed off the main character, then realised that I was about 400 words over the 500 word limit, so I had to cut that bit out ~ haha. Ah well. I've never had such an editing-out task before... Very hard to choose what has to go.

I hope to be posting it, and the alternative ending on my site elizabethdanara.mysite.com soon.

Also, drawing-wise, we've finally been doing pencil drawings in art class, so I can finally actually feel good at art :D I need to find darker pencils... anyone know what that spray stuff is called for drawings so they don't smudge??

Aaron Finder

Recently, my head has been filled with the character Aaron Finder. I have heard it said before that an author lives through their character and can feel their emotions, and I have proved it to myself yet again by creating this character. Whenever I conjure up emotions to write about them, I find I am suddenly feeling the emotions in a very real way and am left angry for no apparent reason except that Aaron is in my story, or lonely because Aaron is.

I still hate the last name Finder, but I simply adore the character. I said in my last blog entry that I had no inspiration. But, I have started a children's series of somewhat-fantasy, starring Aaron Finder who is trying to find his Dad (hense why I don't like the name Finder - cause he is a finder, in a sense :S it's a bit lame... and unintentional)

Anyway, I have been fully immersed in the story in a way that I haven't been for a very long time. Plus, if I have been successfully chosen to be a state winner in the Somorset Competition, I shall be hearing so in the next week - but if I was a successfully short-listed or didn't do well at all, I shall be hearing the week after. Fingers crossed!!! Once I hear how I have done in this competition, I shall finally take action towards sending this new book to a publisher (after finishing and editing etc of course)

Meanwhile, my site elizabethdanara.mysite.com is having a bit of a re-vamp. I designed advertisements for it about a whole year ago, and have decided to finally start advertising it.

I shall write again soon after I hear news on the competition...

Failing........

Right now, all my writing attempts are trashy.

So I thought, why don't I go back to drawing, which I used to do all the time but haven't done for like a whole year?

Well, I tried that out too, but my drawing style seems to have failed too... unless I have such little confidence that when I started drawing a head and neck, I despaired and scrunched it up and pronounced myself an incapable drawer.

I HAVE NO INSPIRATION!!!!!!!!!!!

One has to wonder if this is due to the fact that I haven't watched any movies (or at least what I would justify as a real movie) in the last few months. Usually it's in the middle of a good movie that I get my inspiration for a story or a picture...

Anyway, I've decided that I want to go back to traditional fantasy, which I have been too scared to write for a long time now as I often get (perhaps by invisible people in my mind) criticised for it, and so I try to write realism and it fails miserably.

I had thought this long 2-month holiday would give me heaps of time to write a lot. Well, it's coming to an end and all I've written was a couple of pages that really weren't working. Perhaps returning to my busy school life will give me more to do and think about?

Hmmm............

How can I write fantasy that is not cliché? Is it possible? And could I write fantasy that doesn't have magic, or at least the main characters dont have it?? cause im sick of magic

Scrapped and Started

The story I started recently was going quite well - although I felt a strange conviction that what I was writing was a bad idea, and so I am sorry to say I have scrapped that idea. I always keep my attempts at writing, and I now read over what I wrote fondly, but refuse to continue.

Meanwhile, I have been musing over the subjects of abortion and what happens to babies that die and where life really begins and all that. I have had the inspiration to write about someone who knows their unborn baby cannot survive, and the process they go through of deciding what to do and how to react. A more morbid storyline than what I usually write about, and I have no idea if it will work at all. Generally I can tell if a story is going to work by the time I have written only a page or two of it, and seeing if the characters are easily usable, so I shall see if this works.

Generally when I start a story I begin by mapping out the characters. I flip through baby-name books to get some ideas, and then draw rough pictures of the main characters and write up some notes on them. Then I might right down a few ideas for where the story is going to go, and then I get started pretty quickly on the first part of the story to see if it'll work.

What attracts me to this new story is that for the first time - ever, I think - I have come up with a storyline that is not based on any other book or movie!!! And I really have no idea what is gonna happen in it...

Life is pretty slow at the moment. A lot of reading, as I am trying to finish my 1000 page Obernewtyn #5 book I've been reading for a year and a bit. After five books in a series of torment, it's finally getting interesting! I knew 21 years of writing would eventually pay off for the writer.