Rachel's craft to do list

Wishliiiiist!

Ok, I know Chistmas comes earlier every year, right? Plus we here at KxC love making lists. So heres some items I've been coveting lately! If only I had indefinite funds and a home studio....
These are also in no particular order. If you're feeling inclined to buy me anything, haha...

1. Die-Cut machine
This would be excellent in so many ways. Every perfect little shape i could ever want, without me cramping my hand to use scissors!

2. Laser cutter.
Basically a die cut machine, only more hardcore. What if i need some wood or plastic cut into perfect little shapes?!

3. Screenprinter.
Theeeeeen the possibilities would be really endless. Custom shirts, bags, signs, whatever my heart could desire. Without all the work of doing it by hand, plus much more permanent.

4. an endless supply of Precise V-5 pens.
For all the offical letters I write

5. a personalized wax seal
...for all the offical letters I write.

6. A studio that is constantly and perfectly organized.
Maybe if i had a specific room for all my art/crafting, then it would end up all over my floor less.

7. A wall of chalkboard paint
I know that I could probably do this, but just never have and it feels a little daunting right now.

8. A panini press
I love foooooood. And since I am naming other somewhat expensive machinery, why not? Then I would have delicious melty sandwiches at my disposal constantly.

9. A record player
Self explainatory...

10. the funds and time to run my own coffeeshop/craft studio
This would be soooo excellent. Like if I had disposable funds to do anything I really believe this would be it. I can already make the drinks and the crafts, so feel like I'm ready! But it's just not the most practical idea at the time being...

Well there are ten things that I would like! Maybe I'll end up seeing one or two of them come December...
-Rachel

oh p.s.! My carboard chair held me. it looked a little ridiculous but it did the job, this next project we're doing in there will end up on here eventually too, I'm sure.

hellloooo all!

Ok! So August has been a bit of a crazy month, with summer coming to an end and school coming to a start this blog has unfortunately fallen on the backburner. But now that school has started, let the procrastination via crafting begin! haha. Just because we haven't been on here doesn't mean we haven't been knitting like the junkies needing a yarn fix that we are, we just have been keeping it secret. But we do have some things to show for our efforts. I also just got a new camera for my birthday that I am hoping will come in handy in a few posts, as well as a renovation project we did, and an assignment to build a popsicle stick bridge that can support a brick in my 3D design class that will for sure find its way on here. So there is much to come! We hope that this unintentional break will not slow us down!

-Rachel

first off, let me apologize for the poor photo quality.

However I am asking for a new camera for my birthday, so hopefully that wont be an issue soon! :) And that will only give me more reason to scrapbook, as well!
But in my outside of paper craft endeavors, I have tried to get back into doing some beading! I have done some simply jewlery making in the past, yet in a recent trip to Hobby Lobby I just couldn't pass up the bead section. I had also been itching for some new accessories, and couldn't seem to justify spending money on things I felt I could make myself. So I did just that!

I made a blue and red one (as you can prooobably see) and am pretty pleased with the result. I used Stretch Magic on one and stole some thin plastic coated wire from Maggie for the other. I think for the heavy glass and stone beads, the wire is definatley a better choice, as I am afraid it will weigh down and eventually break the Stretch Magic. So I may have to remake that one.
I made these rather long so that I could double them up, but would like to experiment with shorter necklaces made with larger beads. My mother has also already requested I make her one. :)
I am really happy with these, and am wanting to make more in other colors and in different sizes and patterns as well! Maybe this will be my new fix for a little while....

-Rachel

old map

So this embroidery project is testing my patience. Mostly because I get easily distracted so doing one single movement of one single color is becoming a little tiresome. But I have such high hopes for the outcome that I want to persevere. And maybe it will help me for in the future to not abandon something just because I've mildly lost interest, but to stick to it more. I think overall it will pay off. 

I've only dabbled in embroidery before, so all I am really good at is the ol' classic chain stitch, so another goal I have is  for the writing part of it at least, do a little experimenting on some new stitches. I am enjoying using this as more practice in working with textiles as well, since I usually stick to trusty paper crafts such as scrapbooking and cardmaking. So this should obviously make me a much more patient, learned, and well rounded person. There is no good excuse for procrasting now. Too much is at stake.

We will just have to wait and seeeee...

-Rachel

"I still don't know what I should make my title"

Hey! This is Maggie, and I want to let you guys know what I plan on using this blog for and what Kraftxcore is all about. I am an incoming sophomore at Mizzou in Columbia, Missouri and I am currently double majoring in Journalism and History. I'm not exactly sure how I want to use those majors, but I am confident I will figure it out! Basically, I want to use this blog to make crafty friends and also to hopefully help inspire some craftiness in others. I have dabbled in a lot of different creative outlets, but now I am mostly psyched about scrapbooking though I am getting back into some of the other things I used to do earlier. 

Currently, I am working on an "autobiographical scrapbook" too, and its a good way for me to mess around with new techniques without feeling that I am screwing up. So that is going good. 

I am also knitting a scarf (I know in June?) and working on an inspiration wire for my room. In other scrapbooking news, I recently finished a scrapbook for my friend Cathrine and now am working on one for my friend, Abe!

Have fun getting all Kraftxcore!

i feel like titles are the hardest part...

Why hello all! This is Rachel, and I thought I'd use this first post to share what craft-core means to me. I am an Art and Design Education student, work at Starbucks, and am in a pretty excellent relationship. I think of crafting as an outlet of creativity that can be used to preserve memories,  express feelings, or simply entertain. Making things hands on and expressing myself in visual terms has always felt natural to me, so crafting seems to fit right in. Not to mention I have a borderline unhealthy affinity for color schemes and vintage patterns. 

Some current projects I am working on include an "autobiographical scrapbook", where I have just been documenting things that I like/are important to me currently, and plan on coming back to and adding to it as time goes on. So this will be an indefinite work in progress, but hopefully I won't lose interest in it. If  so, I guess I can make a page in it about being apathetic...

I am also working on a little embroidery number that was inspired by one of  katie.cupcake's pieces. It's worth mentioning that I started a Lollapalooza scrapbook last summer after I attended it...yet can't seem to finish the very last page. Anyway, this is just a little introduction of what we're trying to share here, and by no means all encompassing. Sooo, since saying goodbye is always awkward, I will leave you with that! :D