My career in 10 years – Letters to myself

Posted on June 4, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Not too long ago I shared a letter I wrote to my future self about where I hope to see myself career-wise in 5 years. Today, I share a follow up: my 10 year letter. One thing I noticed while reviewing these letters is a focus on things that are important to me. Things that I may not have realized WERE important to me. I will share these trends and focuses after the last letter is posted, but in the meantime, I challenge YOU to write letters to yourself about your career. One letter each for 5, 10, and 15 years further in your career. Then see what things come up repeatedly.

Be sure to let me know if you wrote the letters and tell me if anything surprised you!

My career in 10 years - image

Edited for privacy.

Emily,

As per my mentoring meeting with a member of senior management, I have decided to write a letter to you, my future self, about where I expect to see myself in 10 years’ time in terms of career. Here’s hoping the 5 year letter and the goals therein went over well.

In ten years’ time, I hope to have moved rapidly in my career. If with the same employer, I hope to at a senior analyst level or be an assistant to senior management. The pay at this level should be around $$$ with benefits allowing me to truly build a nest egg.

This far in my career, I hope to have much more diversity in my work. If I remain in the data world, I want to ensure to have some advisory services mixed in. I would also be happy with assistant work but backed up by a specialty like statistical analysis to be called on by my superior. And if I end up in policy, I want to do what so many people right now are asking for: be a policy person who can support their work with data. According to a lot of people I talk to, there is currently disconnect between the data provided and how it is translated (if at all) into policy. I want to see more data usage in areas where it is not currently seen and if I am the one to push for it, all the better.

After 10 years, I expect the work atmosphere to weigh less on my mind but it would still be nice to have a positive environment. I have been in a toxic environment before and would not want to return to something like that (if I do I better change that atmosphere before it kills me).

Ten years is the point at which I would want to start generating a back-up career. As such, I want to have or be planning to have either additional specialized university courses OR a professional designation. For courses areas like big data, project management, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, or something similar. In terms of professional designations I would be happy with an accounting, business, or sustainability designation (among others). With these my career backup would sway to corporate management with a focus on the impact of business on various areas like the environment, workers, the general populace, and of course keeping an eye on that bottom line.

So tell me true, I went from a student to what in 10 years’ time?

CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO SEE THE 5 YEAR LETTER:

my career in five years

 

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One liners for bloggers: A review of the BConnected Conference

Posted on May 28, 2015 by A Pop of Red

BConnected Conference Logo

On May 2nd and 3rd, I went to my first ever blogging conference: The BConnected Conference.Views from the Hilton Doubletree Ottawa-Gatineau Pictures

The conference was held at The Double Tree Hilton Ottawa-Gatineau. What an AMAZING location! With great views both at the hotel and around it (above), this set the stage for a relaxing and informative weekend. The sessions ranged from blog security, to social media information, to a knife skills demo! My favorite sessions? The travel blogging session by Vanessa Chiasson of Turnip Seed Travel and the Pinterest session by Chantal Bechervaise of Take It Personel-ly.

Sharp Knives Rock session at BConnected Conference - Image

This is a smaller conference so you end up getting to know people much faster. And since it was local for me I ended up meeting a lot of Ottawa bloggers. Now I am part of the local blogging groups which keeps me much more engaged versus trying to connect with people who I have little chance in meeting. It was also interesting to see all the different types of bloggers, the different content types, and the different strategies everyone has. Blogging is a diverse area so don’t think you understand it all!

Now onto the stuff the university me would have loved: swag bags! This conference is intended more for parenting bloggers (something unbeknownst to me) so many of the items were parenting related like a stuffie, sing-along DVDs, and anti-lice shampoo. HOWEVER, there we a lot of items that suited even the childless me! Magazines, event tickets, coupons for attractions and products, beauty products, kitchen tools, note pads and more!

Freebies and swag from the bconnected conference - image

There was also more free goodies at the networking party hosted by Outaouais Tourism plus all the food was provided during the conference day. You can see these pictures below. Notably I went home with Chocomotive chocolate, Wakefield Fudge, and tickets to several attractions such as the National Art Gallery and a paddleboat maze.

Food, Animals, and Freebies at the BConnected Conference - Image

Now instead of doing a standard review of this event. I want to share with you the key points I took away for bloggers. I’m calling them my “One liners for bloggers.” These one liners share lots of blog savvy into just a few words which makes the lessons easier to remember. So for tips, READ ON!

It is not Blogger versus Blogger, it is Bloggers versus Buzzfeed.

Essentially this means that bloggers shouldn’t see themselves as fighting each other for traffic. The real traffic hogs are aggregator sites like Buzzfeed. Instead of trying to one-up other blogger, band together and build a community so together we can overshadow those big sites.

Make a list, turn it into a quest, then add your twist - quote image

Make a list, turn it into a quest, and then add your twist.

Spoken by Vanessa from Turnip Seed Travel this one liner is a great tips for writing great posts. First, make a list of all the things you want to talk about. In the case of travel blogging list where you are going or what you want to do. For crafting or food blogging list ththe discolouration of brinks on an old building, e final product and all the memories or stories you want to associate with it in your post. The next step is to take that list and make it into a story (a quest) that is engaging. Finally, add your twist. This is your blog, SHOW IT!

Mindfulness is awareness of the little things.

This talk from Tammy Plunkett was a view into how to take care of ourselves as bloggers. One key point she made was to be mindful. To do this, one suggestion Tammy had was to focus on something small for a while and let everything else go away for a bit. This helps clear your mind and ease stress. Without knowing it, I did this already! I often look around for what I call “The Little Things”.” A fancy sewer grate at the base of a memorial statue, the discolouration of bricks on an old building, or the actions of a squirrel on my back fence. Focusing on these things allows me decompress and see the world from a different view for a while.

birth dash death, what is your dash - quote image

On a tombstone we write “(Born – Died)”. What is the dash?

I cannot recall who talked about this (perhaps Tammy again) but this was such a great way to encapsulate the idea of live life to the fullest. You have the power to decide what you do with your dash.

One month to an event, people are searching.
One week to an event, people are buying.

Keep in mind that when a major event is coming up, searches tend to group together in certain categories. For instance, starting one month before the event, people are searching for DIY ideas and things that require forethought for the event. But one week before people are looking for quick solutions and are searching to buy! Let that lead your social media posts. (From Chantal Bechervaise).

CONTENT FIRST - Quote image

Content first.

Self-explanatory but this was repeated so much that I really wanted to include it in this list. The quality of your blog posts is super important. Research, photography, story writing, outreach. Blogging is a lot more than just words on a webpage, blogging is a lot of work!

 

Thanks to all those who made my first conference a success! I look forward to seeing more of you online and perhaps one day in real life once again.

 

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Recycled Cardboard Shelf – #CraftChallenge

Posted on May 25, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Fabric stored in DIY cardboard shelf - ImageWow! It has been essentially a month since I last posted. Honestly though, it felt like no time at all. If you follow my social media feeds at all, you would know I took some time off to deal with family matters. I also did some business in that time away attending a blogging conference (more on that later this week), worked on my office/craft room, and did some administrative stuff for the blog.

All that to say, it was time well spent but I am glad to be back. Now onto this month’s Craft Challenge!

Craft Challenge Logo

The theme for May was recycled crafts and if you have gone through my blog you know I like to use recycled materials A LOT. So I was very excited for this challenge.

But seeing as I was busy, I didn’t spend as much time on this project as I was hoping. In fact, the final project was finished in one morning! It is a simple, functional DIY that is already in use in my home. Ladies and gentleman, my craft challenge creation for this month is…

A recycled cardboard shelf!

DIY Cardboard Folder Shelf - Image

I designed this shelf to look like large file folders aligned on a backing. I wanted something I could use for fabric scraps and works in progress in my craft room and I like the way I could drape fabric over the edge for a change in look.

Now, I know it is just cardboard right now. I actually don’t know how I want to finish it off. Maybe you could help me. Should I paint the shelf, decoupage it with paper or fabric, or leave it as is? Or is there some other covering I could put on?

Weigh in on how I should finish my shelf and be sure to make your own by following these steps. Please note, you can alter the size of your shelf but be sure to keep the proportions correct!

Pile of cardboard pieces - Image

Step One: Collect, measure and cut your cardboard.

Collect corrugated cardboard. Basic corrugation is fine (no need for super strength). Cut out the following pieces from your cardboard using a suitable tool (I used a paper cutter).

  • 2-3 pieces that are 3’3”x1’3” (backing pieces)
  • 3 pieces that are 1’10 ½”x1’9 ½” (folder pieces)

Pieces of cardboard - Image

Step Two: Fold and cut the folder pieces.

Fold along the middle horizontally first so that the “lower” half of the cardboard is slightly larger than the top half. Once folded, cut a 5” line along the middle fold on each side.

Now, on the upper half of the cardboard fold the sides towards the floor. These folds will wrap around the backing to hold the folder in place. On the top half you also fold the sides but this time towards the ceiling, this creates the side of the folder. With that side of the folder, you need to fold again at an angle starting from the corner you cut earlier and ending with the full width of the side. This angled bit will help secure the folder by being glued to the back inside the folder itself. More on that later.

Tools to make a cardboard shelf

Step Three: Align your folders on ONE of the backing pieces and glue.

Align your first folder on one of the backing pieces. The middle fold of the folder should be 3-4 inches from the bottom of the backing. On the front side, glue the back of the folder onto the backing with a hot glue gun. The glue dries fast so focus on getting good edge coverage and a few key dollops in the centre. Flip the project over and glue down the two flaps to the backing creating a nearly full wrap.

Repeat for the other two folders!

Close up of DIY file folder shelving unit

Step Four: Glue the second/third backing.

To strengthen your cardboard shelf, I suggest gluing additional backing pieces on. Simply glue the second backing on over top of the first which has the wrapped around flaps. Work from top to bottom so you can glue as you go.

Step Five: Align and glue the folder fronts.

Almost there! Align the front of your folders so they take on the triangular shape and glue down the inner flap left over. This was the angled fold we made earlier. It can be tricky getting in there with the glue but not much is needed and focus should be on the upper portion of the folder to maximize strength.

Repeat for all folders.

DIY cardboard folder shelf - Image

Step Six: Decorate.

Self-explanatory!

Step Seven: Hang or lean on wall.

Hang using command hooks, screws, or nails. Or just lean it against a wall. I plan on building a cardboard bucket underneath where mine currently is then hanging the shelf just above it until it is level with the top of my desk.

DIY Cardboard Folder Shelf - Image

I hope you enjoyed this creation, be sure to stop by the other Craft Challenge bloggers to see what they created for this recycling challenge! Simply click on the picture below to be sent to their blogs!

A Pop of Red Eclectic Enchantments Tinkerbell Knits Image Map
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Wire Flower Wall Decor – #CraftChallenge

Posted on April 27, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Wire flower on black canvas craftWelcome to Month 2 of the Craft Challenge! After a great start with some yarn crafts it is on to our April theme: Springtime.

Mantel decor with a DIY tapestry

Spring seemed to come late for Ottawa this year with snow as recent as last week! I like snow, and winter is fine, but I want spring and summer to get going in full swing because I have a garden to grow and some weather to enjoy! This month’s theme helped break me out of the winter blues by having me focus on spring and what it means to me.

The Craft Challenge Banner 2

I had two ideas for this challenge and decided to bump one idea to next month as it is a recycled craft as well which fits with next month’s theme. So onto idea number two! I was looking online for some décor ideas and I kept stumbling across these beautiful wire wall décor pieces. Ranging in price from $20 to $70, the flower décor really caught my eye.

But there was no way I was shelling out that kind of money for something that is essentially wire, time, and a mounting device. So, onto the DIY version I went and I must say…I like this so much that I will definitely be making more!

How can you make one of these flower wall hangings? Read on!

First get your materials. You will need a thick gauge of wire. I suggest 16, I made this one with 20 gauge and it was thinner than I would like which makes it less visible from a distance! You will also need pliers, gloves, and a mounting device (something like a command hook would work fine).

Next, measure out your wire. I suggest starting with 180 inches worth of wire all in one piece. That is the amount needed to make my flower which has dimensions of approximately 16” by 16”. Each petal is about 8” long and each spiral in the middle is about 4” long. You can adjust this to make your preferred size of flower but to match the tutorial go with these measurement.

Now let’s make your first petal. Leave about 2 inches excess at the start of this first petal, it will be used later for anchoring the rest of the petals. After the 2 inch mark, measure 8 inches then fold and measure another 8 inches. You should end up with a shape like this:

Make a flower for your wall with wire

Now you need to make your first spiral. From the end of the first petal measure 4 inches then fold and measure another 4 inches. Pinch at the end of the petal (and start of the rest of the wire) and twist. This spiral will stick out into a petal across from the one you just made. For now, just let it be.

DIY wall flower made of wire

Now you can repeat those two steps (minus the excess 2 inches that you started with) to make 7 petals and spirals. You can make more if you like but seven worked well for me.

Petals for flower wall decor

Once you have made your petals and spirals, do a practice run of how it will look. Simply lay the spirals on top of each other so their bases line up. You should achieve the effect below (my finger is holding where the spiral bases meet.

DIY Wire Flower Craft

Once you are happy with that, up turn the excess 2 inches you started with into a pole that stick up from the flower. Starting with the first spiral you made, slide one of the spiral loops onto this pole. You may need to loosen and retighten the spirals as needed.

Threading and setting the petals for a wire flower

Once all spirals are on the pole, use your pliers to fold the pole over the center of the flower to ensure the spirals stay where they are. If you have any excess wire after you made your last flower/spiral you can use it to strengthen the center as well.

Then it is just a matter of arranging the petals and spirals to look the way you want. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Then mount on a wall!

Wire flower on black canvas craft

My husband smartly suggested to mount mine on black canvas to make it really pop. You should not need to do this if you use a thicker gauge wire but you are always welcome to! You can also use other colours of wire as well. Some black wire would look amazing on white canvas.

Wire flower diy

Stop by the other Craft Challenge bloggers to see what they have created for the Springtime Craft! You can visit their blogs by clicking below. I will share their projects here soon.

A Pop of Red Eclectic Enchantments Tinkerbell Knits Image Map

 

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The National Women’s Show – Spring 2015 – Review

Posted on April 23, 2015 by A Pop of Red

A few weeks ago I announced that I was going to the National Women’s Show as one of their official bloggers. While it is not something I was asked to do, I wanted to give an honest review of what I thought about the event. Also, if you want more information about the event check out my first post OR see the National Women’s Show website.

Official National Womens Show Blogger

Now, onto what I thought about the show! I decided to attend with my friend Zahra who blogs at livingthelovely.com (try her brownies). This was her first ever show or convention and she was blown away at the size of the show. There was a section of booths dedicated to food stuff (my favorite part), a row for travel, several rows for services and items for sale, a cosmetics sale area, and a beauty bar for onsite makeovers (which was quite popular).

Emily and Zahra

I went to 3 of the demonstrations or workshops in addition to looking at every booth. First stop was the Nygard Slims fashion show. To be honest, we originally only stopped at the fashion show to give our feet a rest but we ended up seriously contemplating purchasing some. The only reason we hesitated was the lack of places to try on the Slims, I don’t buy without at least a try. Then I saw two culinary workshops: the microwave cooking with Tupperware workshop and the Cooking with Flax by Omega Crunch workshop. The Tupperware one impressed me by cooking an entire meal (side, main, and dessert) by using one Tupperware container in the microwave for 30 minutes. I can vouch that the berry crumble made was amazing! Omega Flax showcased their flavoured flax seed products by putting it on all sorts of food as brought over by other vendors. Chicken rolled in flax, flax on berry crumble, flax on ice cream, and even flax dusted on a pure blueberry juice. Why flax? Well the big reason is it gives you Omega-3 in just 1-2 tbsp a day versus one of those stinky fish oil pills.

Microwave cooking with TupperwareCooking with Flax by Omega Crunch

 

Berry crumble with flaxSpeaking of Omega Flax, I should probably mention my favorite products of the day. First, Omega Crunch flax products. From my first taste these guys sold me! I ended up going home with a shaker of each flavour, my favorite one so far is the garlic flax which is amazing with cream cheese and crackers. The maple flavour is also a good pairing with curried foods, that sweet and spice mix we all love.

Omega Crunch Flax Seeds

The next product I took home was Bad Monkey popcorn in Twister and Crême Brulée Caramel flavours. The caramel was the first one I tried and I loved how it was not sickly sweet, rather they made it a smoky caramel flavour that you just cannot get elsewhere. Twister was a suggestion from one of the founders. A blend of salt, vinegar and BBQ sauce. One taste and I knew I was taking it home too!

Bad Monkey Popcorn at the National Womens Show

What else was at the show?

  • Lots of people crowded around the Majic booth every time they had a giveaway. I saw one person walk away with $500!

Plinko with 100.3

  • The travel booths were fun to go around, makes me want to travel all that much more!
  • Gift bags! With items like soap bars, soy milk, snacks, parenting goods, coupons & deals, etc. These bags were a great treat and just what you need before going into the show and collecting even more freebies from the booths!

Gift bags at the National Womens Show

Now, I want to be an honest blogger and many readers have told me that like how personal and truthful I am so even though I was an official blogger for the National Women’s Show I am going to tell you what I think can be improved.

  1. There needs to be a better guest of honour. I cannot tell you how many people told me they were disappointed with the choice of Dean McDermott as the VIP. I agree with these people, I get that he is a celebrity and has some links to the show but I would have much rather have one of the HGTV or Food network personalities show up. Get me Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, Ree Drummond, Mike Homes, Scott and McGillivray, Samantha Pynn, Sarah Richardson, the list goes on.
  2. Boost the workshops and demos. I felt like these were under promoted and underused. Workshops and demos should be things people are lining up to see but most of the time I had my pick of seats which was super disappointing. I often felt bad for the hosts when I saw a nearly empty audience.
  3. Find ways to encourage people to STAY at the show. I contacted some of my winners and they stayed for less than a half day whereas it took me at least a full day to see everything I wanted (I went both days). People should want to see what is on stage next, people should be running from contest to contest hoping to hear their name, and people should want to interact with the booths. While some of this stuff did happen, I do think there are ways to make it even better.

Nevertheless, I had a great time at the show and I hope to more shows like this. My friend Zahra has expressed interest in going to more shows too after learning how much fun they can be. And here are some words from some of my ticket giveaway winners:

“The Women’s Show was an awesome experience there was a lot of helpful information for women, a totally enjoyable experience.” -Barb

“…it made for an awesome day out! We had a brilliant time! Even got our hair cut.” -Angela

P.S. The National Women’s Show is back in Ottawa October 24 – 25th so don’t worry if you missed out this time!

 

 

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I forgot a recipe, and I want it back!

Posted on April 17, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Young Grandpa

My grandfather.

*Sigh* What a man.

My grandpa was the biggest inspiration while I was growing up. He taught me all about dragons and fantasy worlds that I still love to this day. He taught me that being an odd-ball is okay, which is good because I can be quite quirky. And he, with my grannie by his side taught me what love looked like.

Grandpa and Grannie

One sign of that love, the look of utter contentment on my grandpa’s face after eating my grannie’s home cooked food…especially desserts! Grannie even taught me how to cook chocolate macaroons which my grandpa loved. I was always happy when I made those cookies. I could picture his face while eating that cookie and that made me want to make them as often as possible, which was most times I visited their house!

Grannie and Grandpas Tree

Unfortunately, grandpa died. Back in September of 2005. Wow, that was 10 years ago. Gosh do I ever miss him.

Lately, I have been thinking of making those chocolate macaroons. Something to keep the memories of him alive in my mind, to make sure I never forget how important he was to me growing up. But there is a problem…

I lost the recipe. I guess I never realized how much that recipe was going to mean for me so I lost track of it during all the moves I have had. That or I may not have asked for it from my grannie. But, it may very well be lost.

I lost a recipe, and I want it back! I will be calling my grannie as soon as this post goes live (truly she will probably know about the call since she reads my blog religiously-thanks gran!). Maybe she will know where it is or give me something to go on for rebuilding the recipe. If and when I find the recipe or a suitable substitute, I will be sure to share it with everyone.

Anyways, I wanted to share this story. I’ve been thinking of grandpa lately and these darn cookies popped into my head and I couldn’t shake it. So I thought I’d share the story. So now that I have cried my eyes out, I will call this post done.

Grandpa and Big Sis USE THIS

 

Posted in Foodie Friday, Memory Box | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

My career in 5 years – Letters to myself

Posted on April 16, 2015 by A Pop of Red

my career in five years

Recently, I met with a workplace mentor to discuss my career. She had a lot of great insight from her nearly 20 year career where she moved quickly from student employee to senior management. The original reason I looked for a mentor at work was because I have NO IDEA where I want to go from here!

Just a few months ago I was just hoping to be brought in as a full time employee after working for 2 years as a student. I was worried about having to join many of my friends in the unfortunate job situation they find themselves in:

  • Little or no jobs available in our fields
  • Higher requirements than previously required (Masters for entry level?!)
  • Short term contracts with no renewal
  • Forced contract bouncing
  • And less than ideal work environments

Emily from A Pop of Red

So after I was given my job, management started my career profile and training plan. One of the questions: Have you discussed your career plans with your manager? Nope! I hadn’t even discussed them with MYSELF yet. And frankly, I had no idea what I wanted. This needed to change, but I never had a role model who really progressed in a career (changing positions, changing businesses, etc.). So how am I supposed to frame this in my mind?

My mentors suggestion? Write a letter to myself. She said a great exercise to plot out a career path was to write a letter to your future self in 5 year increments. These letters should outline where in your career you want to be at that time. So, I took her advice and wrote the letters. So without further ado…my letter to myself in 5 years RE: MY CAREER!

five year career path

Edited for privacy.

Emily,

As per my mentoring meeting with a member of the senior management team, I have decided to write a letter to you, my future self, about where I expect to see myself in 5 years’ time in terms of career.

In five years’ time, I hope to be well established in my career. If I remain in my current area of work, I hope to be in a mid-level career. Ideally, this would be met with $$$ pay plus benefits to ensure my husband and I have a stable life and can meet our needs.

As for what type of work I want to be doing? Now that is a loaded question. Right now, I enjoy working with data, but I am not sure if being a data analyst or statistician will keep me entertained in the future. After talking with my mentor I realized I want a career like hers, where people know her name and ask for her. I don’t need to be management, but I want to be someone people look to for solutions. Perhaps my best option would be to progress to a senior position, or an assistant to senior management.

In terms of where to work, I enjoy the atmosphere where I am but am being encouraged by my mentors to seek out opportunities wherever they may be so as to expand my skill set. This thought process makes sense, though it will require me to change my perception on worker’s loyalty. So, in five years I could be anywhere, but wherever I am I want to be happy.

Now, there is always the option of working outside in a different area. I think working for a corporation could hold amazing opportunities for me due to the dynamic environment and never-ending career possibilities. If I go this route I hope to have at least dabbled in business analytics and maintain the data focus I have built thus far. The ideal scenario here would be a consultant in this area though that is a lofty goal in 5 years considering a career change would be in order.

I hope in 5 years I still have a good working environment, chances to improve my French, more challenges and opportunities, and a more flexible schedule (something that hopefully changes on a larger scale).

So tell me, what have I accomplished in 5 years? Did I get to the career I wanted or do I have a ways to go?

 

Emily Marie

April 16, 2015

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The National Women’s Show in Ottawa – WIN TICKETS [CLOSED]

Posted on April 2, 2015 by A Pop of Red

Need a break from all this snow? Want to remember the social days of summer? Well you are in luck! The National Women’s Show will be in Ottawa from April 11th to 12th at the Shaw Centre.

Disclaimer: I got chosen to be an official blogger for this event! So I get to share my experience with you (plus host a giveaway).

Official National Womens Show Blogger

The National Women’s Show is two full days of entertainment, shopping, sampling, and fun with a little something for everyone. Fashion, beauty, health, travel, life, FOOD, house & home, and career events all under one roof! Plus, there are some big names stopping by like Sukhoo Sukhoo, Nygard, and even Dean McDermott.

What am I excited for? Well this will be my first time at this event but I must say I am looking forward to:

  • The culinary shows and workshops with themes like Fresh Food, Spa Plating, and Microwave Cooking.
  • Guest speakers who will be there to talk about careers including international prospects (as a recent grad the more information the better!)
  • The pampering! Apparently there are often free make-overs or beauty services at some of the booths so I may need to stop by for a quick pick me up.

This would be a great event to bring your girlfriends to, as the organizers put it: It is the ultimate girl’s day out.

The best part? You can WIN tickets to the show!
Enter below for a chance to win 1 of 4 tickets to the show.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!
Thanks to all who entered!

Disclaimer: A Pop of Red (aka Emily) was provided with a complimentary pass to the National Women’s Show in exchange for this post. The National Women’s Show also provided the tickets for the giveaway. All opinions remain my own, that will never change!
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Initial Tapestry with Yarn – #CraftChallenge

Posted on March 30, 2015 by A Pop of Red

The Craft Challenge Banner 2

It’s finally here! The first installment of the Craft Challenge series and this month the theme was “Crafting with Yarn.” To see the other bloggers’ takes on the theme, please scroll to the bottom of the post for links to their creations!

Now the first things to come to mind when I think of yarn and crafts are knitting and crochet. Now if I told my grannie that I was going to knit or crochet, she would laugh. I cannot knit. I cannot crochet. I have tried to learn and gran tried to teach me. After about one row of stitches I get lost. So for this challenge I had to think outside of the box.

No knitting

No crochet

After some experiments weaving with yarn I decided it was too time consuming and I would need some more materials to make it turn out how I wanted. So I turned to Pinterest. I saw some wall hangings made from woven or draped yarn and thought, I can work with that.

Mantel decor with a DIY tapestry

So I started out with a simple draped yarn tapestry with the idea that it could be an art piece for the mantle. But it needed more colour, more texture and what came to mind was making friendship bracelets with my sister when we were young. We often used a simple “knot” to make them and I called it the 4 knot because you make the shape of a 4 (the triangular top at least) to make the bracelets. Using this technique you would get a spiral effect on the bracelet.

I decided to use that good memory with my sister to make initials on the tapestries for my husband and me so they can be displayed over the mantle. And voila! My first craft challenge was complete!

Create your own initial tapestry with yarn

Here are the steps to making your own initial tapestry:

Materials:
Spool of thick yarn
Spool of thin yarn
Wooden dowel
White Glue
Scissors

What you need to make yarn tapestries

Steps: (Images available below)

  1. Cut 50-60 pieces of thick yarn to 80cm in length. Fold in half and loop around the dowel to create the backing of the tapestry.
  2. For each long length of lettering, cut a piece of thin yarn to 80cm in length. For my letter M, I used 20 pieces this length to create the sides of the letter. For each short length of lettering, cut a piece of thin yarn to 30cm in length. For my letter M, I used over 60 pieces this length to create the arches of the letter.
  3. Visualize your letter, there is no good way to trace this on the yarn but you can move the pieces along the tapestry after they are placed so only a general idea is needed.
  4. Take one of the thick yarn pieces that are on your dowel and separate from the others. Tie a length of thin yarn using a simple knot.
  5. Make a triangle or 4 shape with the thin yarn. The thin yarn can be over or under the thick, but keep it consistent otherwise the texture will not turn out! In my pictures, I chose to set up my 4 UNDER the thick yarn (base of the triangle cuts under).
  6. Take the end of the thin yarn and bring it over the thick yarn (under if you did the opposite starting position as me). Then under it again to create a full loop. The pictures below should help clarify this step.
  7. Pull the end so the knot is tight, and slide it until it hits the knot above it.
  8. Repeat the steps until you reach the desired length of this section of the letter. Do this for all parts of the letter until you have the letter shape you desire.
  9. Tighten all start and end threads. Rub a small amount of white glue on the start and end of each thin yarn section then cut the excess threads off. When you glue hardens it will seal the section ensuring it will not fray or come apart.

make your own initial tapestry with yarn

And that is it. Using those instructions and the picture tutorial below, you should be able to create your own initial tapestry. I am working on my second letter now (an E for me!) and will post pictures of the final product on my Instagram page.

A Pop of Red Eclectic Enchantments Tinkerbell Knits Image Map

Interested in some more yarn crafts? Here are the other bloggers’ takes on this month’s theme!

DIY-yarn-basketMegan made this beautiful yarn basket! It turned out much better than my attempt at a woven basket. Seems like a great way to learn how to basket weave, something Megan learned in college.

Stop by and check out her post here:

DIY Yarn Basket

The-Craft-Challenge-March-15-1As for Erika, she went all out and worked on some harlequin style grannie squares with the end goal of making a blanket. Kudos to her for knitting (or crochet, I don’t know the difference), that is a big undertaking for a month long project! I may just have to attempt knitting again to try out these cute squares.

See her post here:

Harlequin Granny Squares

Next month’s (April 27th) edition of the Craft Challenge will be themed: “Springtime Craft”, so be sure to come back for some crafts to break you out of the winter blues! If you have theme ideas, comment below or use #craftchallenge on social media. And if you create one of the craft challenge crafts, be sure to share it with us!

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Egg Shaped Hand Warmers

Posted on March 9, 2015 by A Pop of Red

DIY hand warmers in egg shapesI am one of those people who doesn’t like buying or owning things with limited use. Why buy corn on the cob holders if I can just use my hands? Sure my hands might get greasy with butter, but that is what napkins are for! While shoehorns are great for people who cannot or should not bend down, I can get to my shoes fine…plus I tend to just mash my foot in. And why buy those terry cloth robes? A towel works fine and has so many other uses too (cleaning, sitting on at the beach, etc.).

Needless to say, I prefer to find items that I can use for more than one purpose. With that in mind I wanted to tackle a common craft: hand warmers.

DIY Egg Shaped Hand Warmers

Hand warmers are an item I have never bought, and rarely used. They are definitely useful for those winter months like this past February here in Ottawa where it was -25C almost every day! But after the cold has passed, these little items get stored away for months at a time.

While there is no need for hand warmers in the heat of the summer, I have created a new style of hand warmer that can be brought out in the springtime as well: an egg shaped hand warmer that fits into the palm of your hand.Make your own hand warmers

What is so novel about an egg shaped hand warmer? Not much if you keep thinking of it as JUST a hand warmer. I plan to use these little guys for some springtime décor! In April I will be sharing exactly what that décor is, but just think of a bird’s nest and you will be well on your way to imagining what I will create! In fact, that springtime craft will be the April installment of the Craft Challenge.

By using the hand warmers as a springtime décor piece I am making them multifunctional and have use outside of the winter months. If you want to create your own versions, use the template below and follow the instructions in this post.

Egg Shaped Hand Warmers – Template

What you need:

Making DIY hand warmers
 Fabric (cotton only)
Thread and Needle
Pins
Scissors
Rice, uncooked

 

First, cut out three pieces of fabric using the template provided. Be sure to place the flat line on a fold so that you end up with a leaf shape for each piece.

How to sew hand warmers

Next, place two of the pieces right side together and pin along one side with a seam allowance of 1/2 cm (1/5”). Sew along the pinned area being sure that you have only sewn one half of the “leaf”.

Sewing eggs for easter

Fold down one edge of one piece of the two you sewed together. Place the third piece with right side facing the right sides of the other two piece as shown in the picture below.

How to sew egg hand warmers

Pin and sew along both sides leaving some room at the top. Invert the egg by pushing the bottom bit through the hole you left. One the right side of the fabric is out, fill the egg with rice through the hole (a funnel would be useful here).

Filling handmade hand warmers

Sew the hole shut using an invisible stitch. And you are done!

To heat the hand warmers:

Place in a microwave for 15 seconds. NO LONGER! It does not take long to heat up!

Then slip into your gloves or pockets. The size of the template allows for the eggs to fit easily in the palm even while your gloves are on (or at least for all the gloves I tried).

What item in your home seem to have one purpose, or get less use than you would like? Share in the comments and who knows, maybe I can come up with another idea!

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