Orange & Shiny Has Moved!

Beginning today, you can find all of Orange & Shiny's new (as well as old) content on our

new and improved website at http://www.orangeandshiny.com.

Philadelphia Trip Recap - Part 2

The second part of our trip was mainly filled with eating and lounging around the hotel watching the Summer Olympics in Rio (unfortunately via NBC's terrible coverage).

Day 3

We slept in and decided we'd like to try another cheesesteak for lunch.  I had surfed Instagram hashtags like #phillyfood during my trip planning and found a particularly tasty looking sandwich from a place called Cleaver's.  We walked over and ordered a cheesesteak with onions and American to split with a side of waffle fries.  I was so happy to find it was every bit as delicious as the picture led me to believe.  I was also pleased that this proved Instagram is a good way to discover restaurants you might not otherwise find if you know the right hashtag to look into.

Philadelphia Trip Recap - Part 1

Jeff and I recently returned from a five day trip to Philadelphia to eat all the food and do a little sight seeing.  We also took a day to visit Amish country in Lancaster.  Read on for our trip recap!

Orange and Shiny Original Amigurumi Collection: Farm Animals

I'm happy to announce the completion of my first Orange and Shiny original amigurumi collection:  farm animals!  The collection includes the chicken I announced previously in addition to a horse, pig, and cow.

Read on to see individual pictures of each animal...

Stitch Fix #6 - July 2016

It's time to talk about my July fix!  This month I asked my stylist, Melissa, for cover ups to wear with my ever expanding dress collection and she certainly delivered.  Read on for details!

Dragon Fest Food Walk

Last weekend was Dragon Fest in the International District.  They had a food walk where businesses offered tasty small bites for $3 a piece.  We had all kinds of delicious dumplings and other dim sum type bites in addition to Japanese taiyaki and even a small fry from McDonald's (the sponsor of the event).  It was a fun outing and we'd definitely go back again next year!

Small Crochet Chicken

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm currently working on a line of crochet animals to sell in my upcoming Etsy shop.  As I'm sure anyone could predict, my first work is a small amigurumi chicken to match the medium and large/jumbo size chickens I've made in the past.  Here she is:

Jeff has made it clear he wants to keep her, so I guess I'll have to make another for my Etsy shop.  We'll see how quickly that happens since making small chicken feet is a pain.  Stay tuned for more info about my developing line of amigurumi animals!

Nail Art Play With Pigments!

I'm always searching Instagram and Youtube for fun shellac nail art examples/tutorials.  I found several videos using Lecente's neon pigments a few months ago and immediately wanted to purchase the set, but I could only find them for sale to professionals in the UK (which I am neither).  Luckily, Lecente recently got a US distributor and I was finally able to purchase them!  These five little pots of pigment showed up nicely packaged a few weeks ago and I tested them out during my next DIY shellac manicure.

I decided to go all out and use all five pigments for a rainbow effect on each nail and then stamp over it with a new Bundle Monster plate.  It took me almost two hours per hand because I'm slow and a perfectionist, but it was totally worth it.  Read on to for more about how I did it:

Stitch Fix #5 - June 2016

This month's Stitch Fix was as delightful as always thanks to my stylist, Melissa.  This month my only request was a cargo jacket since the greater Seattle area's weather can't seem to make up its mind if it wants to be warm or cool.  I told Melissa to surprise me in regards to the rest of my fix.

Read on for details!

Crochet Chemistry Set!

A few months ago, my cousin asked if I could make something like this.  I said I could, but didn't commit to making it so I could whip up a set and send it to her as a surprise birthday present.  I went back to the original photo a few weeks ago to search for the pattern, but the creator is not sharing/selling it.  Next, I checked out Ravelry and found free patterns for an Erlenmeyer flask and a flat bottom boiling flask.  After working those two up, I used trial and error to create a beaker, graduated cylinder, test tubes, Bunsen burner, and coil.  The scale of the pieces is definitely off, but they're cute nonetheless.

A Birthday Foodaganza!

I celebrated my birthday with some friends this weekend.  There was much fun and food had by all.  Here's to another year of me!

Felix the Cat!

I wanted to make a birthday gift for a friend's little boy who is named Felix... what'd be more appropriate than a Felix the cat?  Unfortunately, I could only find one (paid) pattern and it didn't appeal to me.  So what did I do?  Hack together my own Felix pattern, of course.  Here are the results:

I used a body/head/arms/legs combo from a previous project I really liked then worked up all the details (white parts, eyes, nose, ears, tail) on my own.  I'm not wholly pleased with my work, but this looks at least as good as the paid pattern on Ravelry in my opinion.  With every project I complete, my amigurumi skills get a little bit better.  Perhaps that means one day I'll be really great at cobbling together my own patterns.

I'm Mr. Meeseeks. Look at me!

This week I made a Mr. Meeseeks from one of my favorite animated shows, Rick and Morty, as a really belated birthday gift for a friend.  I used this pattern by Kelley Freeman and thought it'd work up quickly and easily.  Unfortunately, there were quite a few errors so I did my best to correct them (all changes can be found on my project page on Ravelry).

This also marks the first time I've used poly pellets in a project.  Thankfully, I realized the pellets were small enough to fall through the spaces in my crochet and bought tulle to enclose them to avoid a mess.  I also learned that I should put my tulle sachet of poly pellets into whatever I'm working on as I crochet instead of waiting until the piece is done.  Live and learn, right?

Overall, Mr. Meeseeks turned out to be pretty cute... but I don't think I'd make another.

Amigurumi Stitch

Here's a Stitch I recently finished using this pattern by Sweet N Cute Creations.  I intended for this little guy to be part of our gift at the wedding we attended a few weeks ago, but I didn't manage to get him done in time.  I was really bummed about it, but that's what happens when there's 34+ pieces to crochet and then sew together:

Barring the intense amount of sewing and a few pattern hiccups, Stitch turned out pretty nicely.  All my project notes about alterations can be found in my Ravelry project notes.

Stitch Fix #4 - May 2016

I was so happy when this month's fix showed up a day early and Melissa had styled me again!  I requested a maxi dress and other pieces to help me transition to warmer weather.

Read on for details!

Lots of Bracelets!

I haven't gotten much done recently in regards to crocheting, but I have done two bracelet projects.  The first is a memory wire bracelet from a kit purchased on a girls' day out to Fusion Beads in Seattle.  The kit included everything except pliers, which I already own since I do chainmaille, and was pretty easy to put together.  I only struggled with finishing off the ends since I'm not used to working with wire in that way.  The bracelet came out very nicely!

The second set of bracelets is from a wire wrapped bangles Make N Take class at Ben Franklin in Redmond.  The bangles were part of a promotion for the Echo Artworks trunk show and used bangles, recycled sari silk, and copper wire.  They were very easy and fun to make... and you might be seeing my own variation on them in the future!

Orlando Trip

Jeffrey and I went to Orlando for 4 days to attend a family wedding.  It was a busy, yet fun and relaxing trip.  Unfortunately, we didn't make it to too many food spots or take many pictures... so the recap is a little short and not as full of detail as usual.

Day 1:

This was mostly taken up by sitting on an airplane.  I did at least get to have one of my favorite embarrassing guilty pleasures before takeoff:  McDonald's breakfast.  Upon landing, we headed to one of the chains we missed from our time living in Illinois... Texas Roadhouse.  It was heaven to have sweet tea, rolls, steak, and sweet potatoes.

Stitch Fix #3 - April 2016

It's time to talk about this month's Stitch Fix!  I requested a cargo jacket as well as dresses or top/skirt combos I could wear to an upcoming family rehearsal dinner and wedding.  My stylist this month was Melissa and she sent some fantastic options!  I was delighted when I opened my box and found every item was a dress.

Read on to see my breakdown:

Another DIY Shellac

I've been slacking in the craft department this week, so I decided to share the DIY shellac manicure I rocked the last two weeks (have I mentioned how much I love shellac lately?!).  I followed the instructions in this Youtube video by Fee Wallace and I have to say I'm really proud of how well my nails turned out.

It took about five hours from the start of removing my old shellac to finishing up painting these, but it was well worth it and I received so many compliments!  Who knew you could do something so neat with a few bottles of shellac and a striping brush?  Nail art is awesome.

Illini Teddy Bear

This week's project was made as a gift for a fellow Illini's baby shower.  I thought a teddy bear with a Block I t-shirt was a great idea since my 12th Fan teddy bear went over really well as a birthday present a few years ago.  I wasn't super happy with the pattern I used for the last bear, so I dug around on Ravelry for a different one and came up with the Cross Your Heart Teddy by Anne Shuler of Crochet Between Worlds.

This pattern is fantastic!  I love that it's almost no sew and it was really easy to follow (though I did have to do some fiddling because of my own mess ups... oops).  The only thing I had trouble with was creating a Block I applique for the shirt (you can find all my notes in my Ravelry project here).  Overall, this pattern made me really happy and I will definitely use it for any and all teddy bear needs in the future!

Jip The Amigurumi Owl

I was pretty bummed that Joann's was closed last Sunday since I needed some yarn for my next two projects.  I had recently found Tessa van Riet's pattern for Jip the owl on Ravelry and decided it would be really cute in some leftover purple yarn (which is impossible to photograph accurately!) I already had in my stash, so I set to work on it instead.  The only problem was choosing another stash yarn to go with it.  I ultimately decided on this camel color leftover from Miss Monkey and it came out nicely, but I think if I made it again I'd use two shades of the same color.  The only alterations I made to the pattern were the eyes since I refuse to use felt.  You can find all my notes on my project page on Ravelry.  I hope the (secret) recipient of my owl likes him... I sure do!

Medium Crochet Chicken 2nd Edition

You've seen my Alton Brown inspired giant and medium size crochet chickens on the blog in the past.  Well, here's the medium size crochet chicken's second edition that I made for my friend, MP.  I struggled to complete this because it's just too big to complete in what my brain considers a reasonable amount of time, so there is probably a small version coming in the future as well.

I made a few (mostly unnoticeable) changes in this edition including where I increased/decreased and I also crocheted some (slightly creepy) eyes instead of sewing them directly onto the head like last time.  Overall, I'm happy with how this came out and I hope MP loves it.  More crochet projects to come!

Stitch Fix #2 - March 2016

I'm back with my second Stitch Fix review (new craft themed blog finally coming next week... promise).  I asked for a spring jacket and dresses, skirts, and tops that I could wear to my fairly casual workplace in my note when scheduling this fix.  This month's stylist, Tiffany, sent me a nice selection:

Read on to see more...

#CrochetProblems

This post is going to come off as whiny, so if you're not feeling it go ahead and move along to something else.  As I mentioned last week, I'm really struggling to finish my current project.  It's like I'm stuck in this never-ending cycle of grumping at myself because it's not done combined with lack of motivation/disinterest because it's taking longer than my brain feels is acceptable.  This results in me not touching the project for days which means it takes even longer to finish.

I'm attempting to force myself to "just get it over with" so I can move on to something else.  Perhaps limiting the size of my projects in the future will help me to avoid this, but I'm just not sure.  Does this happen to anyone else?  How do you push through?

Craft Motivation Level: Low

I'm having trouble staying motivated on my current crochet project since it's taking so long (hence the lack of a post last week), so I'm sharing something neat I bought this week instead.  My favorite morning show, the Elvis Duran Show, recently designed and released a jewelry line in collaboration with Wren + Glory that benefits the Hearing Loss Association of America.  There are five pieces (necklace, hand chain, ring, stud earrings, and a wrap bracelet) that all feature the sound wave from the show's logo.  I had been eyeing the collection on the website (as well as on instagram) for a while and finally decided I couldn't live without the earrings.  My order arrived yesterday and they're definitely cooler than the pictures.  I'm going to wear these beauties until my ears fall off!

My First Stitch Fix

Well, here's a post I never expected to show up on this blog (because I'm fashion challenged most of the time).  All the Stitch Fix referral links in my Facebook feed finally got my attention a few weeks ago.  I did some research and discovered it was an online personal stylist service.  The idea is that for a $20 "styling fee" you receive five clothing/accessory items based on a style profile you fill out on the Stitch Fix site.  You then try on all the items at home where you're free to mix and match with other pieces already in your closet.  You decide what to keep and what to send back.  Your $20 styling fee is applied to any items you decide to purchase and if you keep the whole box you receive a 25% discount.  If you keep nothing, you lose the $20 styling fee.  My wardrobe is severely lacking, so I decided a potential loss of $20 if I liked nothing was worth it to sign up and try out this service.

I scheduled my first fix and immediately started working on my "style" Pinterest board to share with my stylist as Stitch Fix suggests.  The box finally arrived yesterday (a day late... thanks, Fedex) and I'm happy to say I'm quite pleased with Stitch Fix's initial offering:

Read on to see more about the items in my fix(and see more of my "beautiful" cell phone photography)...

Low Carb Gummy/Jelly Candy

Last week a random memory from my childhood popped into my head:  gummy/jelly candy hearts that my Grandma used to have around Valentine's Day.  I decided to browse Pinterest for a low carb substitute and found this zero carb gummy candy recipe.  Here is the end product:

The grocery store only had cherry and orange flavored Jello in a .6 oz packet, so I essentially doubled the recipe and everything came out fine.  I also chose to use only a 1/4 cup of water for maximum gumminess and was pleased with the outcome.  Jeff thinks the flavor of the gummies is too strong, so I encouraged him to play with the recipe to see if he could fit it to his taste... more on that to come.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Crocheted Double Layer Braided Cowl

After I finished up the rainbow unicorn last weekend, I started on this double layer braided cowl pattern by CrochetDreamz that is getting a lot of attention on Ravelry.  I was really excited about it since the main picture looked pretty neat.  It wasn't too difficult to work up until I accidentally put the two braids together backwards and had to cut everything apart and redo it. D'oh.

After it was done, I tried the cowl on in the bathroom mirror and was immediately disappointed.  It doesn't hang right no matter what I do.  I suspect this is because it's a project that needs to be crocheted loosely and me crocheting loosely is the equivalent of everyone else in the world crocheting normally.  On top of that, I'm not sure what possessed me to want to make a cowl since I'm not even sure if I like cowls.  It seems every time I make something that isn't an amigurumi, it turns out poorly (remember these hats?).  I think I've learned my lesson and will stick to what I'm fairly good at... making things that can be stuffed. :)

Rainbow Unicorn!

Back in 2014, Mom asked HK and I to collaborate on something that she could put in the Silent Auction at St. B's.  HK and I brainstormed and in the process found a ton of adorable amigurumi.  One of them was the My Little Pony Rarity pattern by Rachel Hoe.  We ultimately decided to go with Snow White for our collaboration, but she jokingly said I could make her a pony anytime.  Since then we've somehow gotten onto a rainbow unicorn theme when it comes to birthday cards, etc.  It became very obvious to me that the only appropriate present for her birthday this year was a My Little Pony rainbow unicorn.  Here she is in all her rainbow glory:

I started crocheting her at jury duty and got a lot of weird looks, but I wanted to do something productive since I couldn't be at work.  In all, it took me about 2.5 weeks to complete her.  I refuse to use felt on my projects so all the details are crocheted/embroidered/or plastic.  I created my own (admittedly really odd) pattern for the eyes and documented it in my pattern notes here.  Purple may have been a bad choice for the iris color since it's nearly as dark as the black.  Next time I'd consider a lighter color like blue.  I also crocheted curls for the hair and tail and used this rainbow pattern by Helen Free for the cutie mark.  Even though there was a ton of sewing to put everything together which is annoying, she turned out amazingly!  I can't wait to give her to HK!  Yay for rainbow unicorns!

DIY Shellac Sundays

I used to do nail art quite frequently, but stopped when I got fed up with my designs chipping after just a few days.  My recent discovery of shellac inspired me to take up this hobby again, so I bought all the necessary items and set out on a diy adventure.  My first try was a french manicure, which I admit was pretty ambitious for never having worked with shellac and being super out of practice in nail painting in general.  There's no photographic evidence of this mani because it looked pretty awful, but I did learn a few things:  

• Thin layers are key.  Thick layers will pool around the edges of the nail making it thick and gross.
•  Remove any mess ups on the skin around your nails before you put your nails under the LED lamp.  If you don't, it'll be really difficult to remove afterwards.

Armed with this information, I arranged a Sunday mani party with some lady friends.  For my second attempt at shellac, I did a white base coat covered in a "normal" glitter polish from Avon.  It looked kind of neat from far away, but not very good up close.  It also drove me crazy that it wasn't smooth because of the chunky glitter.  Needless to say, it chipped a week in.  Never again will I mix normal polish with shellac... it's just a bad idea.

Today I hosted our second mani day and the results have definitely improved.  I recently bought some fine glitter, so I attempted a pink manicure with pink glitter and I think it came out pretty well.  My friend, SC, brought over some striping tape and put together the black and purple design.  We're both pretty obsessed with Simply Nailogical's channel on Youtube, so of course this video was her inspiration.  I am beyond impressed with how awesome her nails turned out.

Special mentions go out to RN for joining us and having crafty time (see her beaded earrings here) instead of doing nails and also to HK who was feeling under the weather... we missed you!

Next up on our adventures in nail art:  stamping with shellac!  I'll be digging out my Konad plates and testing them with a new stamper from Bundle Monster and shellac in place of the special polish.  My initial trial shows shellac is easier for me to work with than the special polish that the plates and stampers are meant to be used with (special polish on the left and shellac on the right in below picture).

I'm beyond excited to declare that there is much more nail art to come!

Low Carb Chicken Dip

This is my first post about keto since 2014.  I haven't given it up, but haven't been very strict about it since the wedding either.  We've been on and off multiple times due to birthdays and holidays.  Well, we started it back up on January 4th and are beginning to see a bit of progress.  In honor of this, I wanted to share an easy chicken dip recipe (complete with terrible cell phone pictures):

Read on for the recipe...

The Never Ending Flowerpot Project

This week's project has been sitting on my craft table in varying stages of "almost done" since April 2014.  It was originally going to be a Mother's Day gift for my Grandma, but I didn't complete it in time.  I've worked on it a bit here and there since then, but I decided it was time to finish it up this week.  It's made from this pattern by MyGurumi that I found on Ravelry.

I followed the pattern for the flowers, but somehow the orange one ended up with only six petals instead of eight.  I did my own thing for the terracotta pot and dirt which you can find in my project notes on Ravelry.  I put some leftover craft wire in the stems of the flowers before sewing them to the dirt to make them less floppy and more bendable.  Overall, I wish I would have just buckled down and finished this sooner since it turned out fairly cute.  It'll make a great addition to my desk at work.  Not only will it brighten my otherwise drab office, it's also a plant I can't kill.  Win, win.  Happy Saturday, folks!

Time for More Chainmaille!

It's a new year and that means new things for me to post about!  I haven't worked on any chainmaille projects in a really long time, but this week I was inspired to dig through everything collecting dust on my craft table and make these chainmaille earrings since Blue Buddha Boutique announced it's going out of business this spring.  I hate to see small businesses close their doors(or websites, etc), but this post by the owner explains everything so well that it makes me hopeful that this door closing will lead to a better one opening.  In the mean time, HK and I are getting one last big order ready to submit so we can continue to have fun chainmaille projects for at least a little while.

These are Illusion Loops earrings designed by Lindsay Lamkin and sold in a kit on Blue Buddha Boutique.  They were really easy to put together and look really nice on.  For anyone who hasn't tried out chainmaille, I would highly recommend any of the kits on the website.  Get them while you can!

And of course, happy 2016!