crafts « Chocolate Mints In a Jar

A trip into designing the perfect ipod case

I am a procrastinating perfectionist. That is a weird thing to say right?
Anyways, Chikapappi (check out her blog, she’s very interesting but not blogging as regularly as she used to or as I would like her to) said she wanted an ipod case. To be honest so did I. I throw my ipod in my bag, sometimes I am a good girl and put it in the zippered part so it won’t get scratched. Designing something isn’t easy. I wanted something I could use without having to take the ipod out of so that ruled out sock style case thingies. I tried crocheting it and leaving a circle open. Do you have any idea how hard that is? Didn’t think so. After a gazillion attempts I decided not to do it that way.
I came up with three ideas and tested them out.
I am still not 100% satisfied.
I like the idea of a flap for easy access, and I also like the felt because I feel that Mr. Ipod is safe and cozy.
But there is something missing.

So it is back to the drawing board for me.

Beautiful Batiks by Kraf Online

Batik (pronunciation: [ˈba.teʔ], but often, in English, is [ˈbæ.tɪk] or [bəˈtiːk]) is a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. Due to modern advances in the textile industry the term has also been used for fabrics which incorporates the traditional batik patterns although not necessarily produced using the batik technique, silk batik is especially popular.

Javanese traditional batik, especially from Jogjakarta, has special meanings which is rooted to the Javanese idea of the universe. Traditional colours include indigo, dark brown ,white and violet, which represents the four major Hindu Gods, and certain patterns can only be worn by royals. Other regions of Indonesia have their own unique patterns. Patterns similar to Indonesian batik are also found in several countries of West Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Mali, and in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Iran, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma, which displays the influence of the Indonesian batik internationally. From Wikipedia.

Batik Scarf

Batik Notepads from Kraf Online

I have a soft spot for batik in my heart, I think it started many years ago when we would draw on paper with colored crayons and then paint over them with watercolors at school and then when my mom stated silk painting. I would look at her books for hours and dream of pretty silk, wax designs and vibrant colors. Unfortunately she doesn’t do silk any more. All of us hijabees out there know that the best fabrics for scarves are silk and cotton, they don’t make you feel hot and don’t make the woosh woosh sound all day when you wear something synthetic. Kraf Online have a beautiful collection of handcrafted scarves, stationary, bags and other items. I like the scarves but I like the idea of the notepads because they look so sweet, authentic and personal. Their prices are very fair, I mean the notepads cost around 10$, which is nice for a hand made item that would make a great gift for anyone.

Use coupon code “crafty” for a 10% discount on all items.

Now excuse me while I go find some wax and some colors to make some batik eggs.

Artsy Paper chandelier

This is an amazing work of art. A chandelier made totally out of paper. It looks so pretty, I can even imagine it made in different colors, definitely a pretty addition to any room.

If you want to see how it was put together and maybe attempt to make one of your own, here’s the link: Extreme Paper: The Long, Dark Road to a Bright Idea.

Sisters are doing it for themselves

The amount of young women starting up their own creative business endeavours makes me proud. I am what you could call a simple feminist. I am all for girl power, equal rights and strong women but with good traditional family values. I love that these women are creative. I love that they have passion for what they are making and that they are selling it. I am seeing groups popping up on facebook every day by women selling jewelry, accessories and home accessories that they have made themselves. I am also seeing lots of women who are selling clothes that have been bought in from abroad. Although I am more proud of the women selling their own handmade goods because I think this is better for the economy and overall future of the country because it creates pride in Egyptian goods and should eventually create a productive society instead of a consuming one.

Here are some of the great examples that are on facebook:

Shakmageya copper jewelry.

Fofo hand painted t-shirts and bags

Crochet and Knit Lovers the name says it all.

Hand Touch handmade purses and bags

Personalized Accessories I just wish that they could come up with a catchy name like their lovely pendants and rings.

Any of these products would make a lovely gift. Most of these artists offer personalization and special orders. I also find prices amazingly fair and affordable. If you have this kind of talent you really need to be out there making your stuff and selling it.