Art School

i think art school is over rated. as a grad of the art institute schools i can say this. i know i learned a few skills while in school, but i feel i was jipped. the place was run like a company more than a school and there was too much politics going on. i also learned more from my fellow students than my teachers. all my teachers were so into themselves and working on their portfolio that they often just gave assignments and then disappeared the rest of the semester. i basically went to school for credibility as a designer not for the education. however, even with the diploma, graphic designers still don't get the respect they deserve. i see listings on craigslist all the time for logos and websites needed and the people listing are only willing to pay $10 an hour or $50 for the whole project. they don't realize what it takes to develop something good and not just messing around with clip art.

yes i'm venting... i have a good job that treats me good, so thats not the issue. i just now want the respect that goes with being a professional and not just an artist.

i was inspired to write because of this...
art school confidential

10 things

10 things I enjoy watching

1. romantic movies, also anything will farrell, ben stiller, jimmy fallon, molly shannon, and jack black is in.
2. the oc, deal or no deal, american idol, house, greys anatomy, so you think you can dance?
3. waves on the shore
4. stars (in the sky not celebs)
6. babies laughing
7. soccer
8. artists at work
9. sunrises/sunsets
10. people hugging

10 favorite places

1. my bed
2. the shores of hawaii and the PI
3. cheesecake factory
4. LA,CHI,NYC
5. airports/airplanes
6. nail salons
7. art museums
8. laguna beach
9. movie theaters
10. melrose street in LA

10 things most people don't know about me

1. i'm a sham & a poser
2. i'm left handed
3. i like to have my back tickled when i'm going to sleep
4. i'm allergic to alcohol and beer
5. i'm was a church going christian girl... finding my way back
6. i can knit, crochet, sew, and paint
7. i'm all talk... no action! (again going back to #1)
8. i read the bible
9. i'm smarter than i let on to be
10. i'm rainbow brite!

10 things I can't live without

1. chocolate
2. iMac & powerbook
3. video ipod
4. nars makeup
5. my jetta
6. flip flops
7. cell phone
8. my family and friends
9. bubble tea (boba)
10. hugs & kisses... not the chocolate!

10 things I want to DO in the next 10 years

1. be married with kids
2. travel the world... mostly europe
3. own my own business
4. skydive, bungy jump, hang glide, zip line, parasailing...
5. live on some desserted beach/island with my very own satellite dish
6. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE!!! he he!!!
7. exersize 3 times a week!
8. join the peace corp or volunteer to help hungry/homeless/ill children
9. own my very own chocolate factory
10. invent my own flavor of ice cream

joined knittyheads

I joined another cool knit web blog ring. crafters unite!

Knitted Dinner by aracellitakesphotos

I found this on a flickr photo site and i have to share. its completely knitted! so amazing!

stupid work is taking up my blog time!

I've been busy making earrings for my etsy store. I'ts been really hard coming up with unique designs. These are one of my favorite.

After my first sale I was very excited, but I haven't sold anything since, so I'm losing my confidence a bit. I know I shouldn't get down about it but I don't think anyone could help it. I wish everyone knew about etsy. It's such a great tool for buyers and sellers. Sigh... I must spread the word!

my apologies...

i haven't blogged ina couple days due to life itself. no other excuse but no time! i've been busy trying to get my etsy site going. i've had one sale since i've opened and many lookers. i must evaluate if i've priced my items too high and thats why people aren't falling down trying to buy them. hmmmm must research.

besides that i've been doing a lot of online research and visited many other craft blogs. there are so many talented people out there sharing their creativity. there is absolutly not enough time in the world to do all the things i saw. things from aprons, to what to do with buttons to painting your cell phone. at some point i'm going to post these blogs when i get them all listed down.

i'm also most done with another knitting project. when it's complete i'll post pictures and instructions.

happy crafting people!

Hard work...

i've been busy getting my online store with etsy.com ready. taking pictures of product, editting them, uploading, writing descriptions and repeat. it's a long process but very rewarding when i see people actually viewing my stuff. i think i do need help in the description. i mean i don't even know what materials i use half the time and i'm always saying something cheesy like, "this will go great with any outfit!". yes with the '!'... it's so cheesy. other people just put a description of what it is, shipping info,etc... boring. i need to find a good balance between the useful and the cheese.

this whole endevour has really pushed my creativity limit and i'm starting to panic about new ideas. my first goal is to try to make as much stuff with the materials i currently have before i got out and invest more into it. i've got so much random stuff that i don't know what to do with.

anyone have any ideas on what to do with buttons? lots of it? i used to work in a button factory.

peace.

YAY STORE!

I have openned a store with Etsy.com. It's a site that let's people sell only handmade items. My store is SweetMagentaCo.etsy.com Please come by and see what I got! The site is so cute. I'm still working on making a logo, but I wanted to start selling already. YAY YAY YAY!!

Change is good...

Ok so I changed the name of my blog to match my jewelry accessory company i'm trying to start. it might have hurt what following i might have had, but i'm sure i'll recover! look out world, here comes, sweet magenta!!! ahh feels good. i likey.

next post will be craft related, promise.

California Knitting Blog

I just joined a knit blog ring called California Knit Ring Bloggers. I'm hoping to connect with my fellow knitter/crafters through it.

I don't fully understand the whole web ring thing yet. I mean I know that you get connected with others and all, but is it like a gang or crew? Like is one ring against another? Do they battle for web space or pinks? Hmmm, I must do some research on this, but in the mean time I do feel good about being apart of a group that has the same interests as I do. I don't feel alone...

Losers... I mean knitters unite!

Peace joes!

No love ..yet

So far no love for little ol me, but hey buck up it's only been a few days. Maybe you're just lame and no one is interested in reading about your stupid crafts & opinions. uh who do you think you are? what a loser!

My first FINISHED knitting project!

Ok, so since this is a craft blog, I decided to finally post something about crafts! Wow, what a concept!!! Anywho, here it is in all it's glory!

I would like to present my cell phone cozy!!!










K, so i emphasize that it is my first finished project because I have many on going projects and this is the only one that made it to the end! I also have made a cozy for my camera, but I don't remember how I did it so i won't post it until I figure it out. I guess what motivated me to finish this cell phone cozy was as you can see from the pictures I have rhinestones glued on to it. I needed the cozy to protect me precious "bling" phone!

It's basically this formula:
(I hate knitting abreviations so I'm going to write it all out!)

1. Cast On: 8 stitches
2. Alternate Knit & Pearl stitches for about 36 rows,depending on the size of your phone.
3. Bind Off
4. Now that you have a knitted strip, fold in half & sew the sides together with a yarn needle of some sorts. As you can see from the side view picture I didn't really sew it very well & my yarn was too thick so it ended up showing through. Hey that's why this is LAZY CRAFTS!
5. Sew on a fun button to decorate. I used something I had laying around that fell off my sweater awhile back.

Suggestions:
1. You can add a strap to make a mini purse of sorts. I decided not to since I'm always pulling out my phone & thought it would get in the way.
2. I only estimated this project. No gauge involved. It's sort of a trial & error thing. It makes the end result more rewarding! Then you can shout, HOLY CRAP I FINISHED IT!!

The Bathing Ape Has No Clothes...

As a designer I came across this site through my art director and I find that it has some really great points about design. Some I agree with and others I don't, but overall a good article. I thought I might share bits and pieces of it with you.

A few quotes I enjoy:

..."I believe that success in design strongly implies a satisfying the requirements of a user. This is what distinguishes it from art or self-expression..."

"Ah, there, I’ve said it the loaded word. Let me say it again: stylist. I think it’s high time to restore this important term to wide currency, and not to disparage the validity of styling as a mode of expression, or as a career path. (I’m not one of those who would slag a young talent off with a dismissive “Oh, her? She’s just a stylist.”

..."the practice of design necessarily involves solving problems. Further, these problems present constraints; whether these originate in the client’s budget, the target audience’s availability, or in the technical limitations of the medium is immaterial."

You can read the whole article at A List Apart

Face Painting = Temporary Tattoos!

I discovered a site the other day about learning how to do easy face painting for kids parties and after reading a little bit, I thought man that would be a great thing to use if you were planning on getting a tattoo. You could use the face paint to make the tattoo on the perspective area of your body and wear it around for awhile to see if you could live with it. I know most people may not be able to draw or visualize what they want, but it's a good place to start.

I always told people I wanted a tattoo, but could never commit to a design or placement. Maybe this will help me decide and finally get one! Anyone have any thoughts on what I should get? I always lean towards honu turtles, rainbows, cherries (it's my family nickname) & stars. I know i'm so girly!

Featured site:
Easyfacepainting.com

Another site I found on finding a tattoo:
Tattoo Idea!

Welcome All Lazy Crafters!

Hiddy ho fellow or prospective crafter! My name is Rochelle, I am 26 years old and I am a craft lover. I enjoy knitting, crochet, sewing, painting, making my own jewelry, clothes & a plethera of other crap! I also enjoy collecting Dunnys, Munnys, Tokidoki, Domokun and many other urban vinyl & plush toys. (I'll talk about those things more another time.)

Let me tell you about my background. I have a BFA in Visual Communications and am currently a designer for a headwear company. (Yes, I design hats all day long! A lot more fun than you think!) Previous to this company, I have worked for Apple Computer, MTV, Disney, Jcrew, Skechers and a few other companies I'd rather keep on the D.L. Ha ha! So that's the jist of me. I'm sure you'll get to know more about me as I post.

My intention with this blog is to focus on crafts that are easy to make, with little to no experience at all. I am truly lazy, but always dreaming about how to make something. Have you ever walked in a store, saw something you liked but freaked out about the price? It happens to me all the time. I then fantasize on how I can make it if I just do this or that. Of course, it usually gets put to in a basket with the rest of the unfinished projects that have piled up. I still have hope that I can finish the projects I started and hopefully come up with new ones!


Till then... Let all the Lazy Crafters unite... slowly but surely!