Getting Your Craft Back On

March is National Craft Month, apparently. I just wasn't feeling it for most of the month (craftastic disasters at the end of February kinda killed it for me), but the sunny weather has got me feeling more productive, and my brain's coming back on. So you don't miss out on the fun like I almost did, here's a couple of links to get you started:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/diy-projects

http://craftingagreenworld.com/

And a list of 100 Recycle-It-Yerself Projects: http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=116

Patagonia Dry Pack

My totally rad husb just returned from his Patagonia trip. (Read his many blog posts on the subject here.) He does a lot of adventures, but I was a little afraid he wouldn't come back from this one. So I'm incredibly grateful that he did, and that he was not in Chile during the earthquake. It kind of seems like a selfish thing to say after seeing even just newsreel glimpses of what the Chileans are going through, but I'm just happy he's home.

The following photos are ones he took for me of a prototype design I made for him to take on his trip (his request, and basically his idea). He was in the town of Punta Arenas in southern Chile, one of the last areas of civilization before you enter the wilderness of Patagonia.

This is TC in Punta Arena's town square. Waist and chest straps keep the pack from sliding around. (Credit for this photo: Stephen Regenold, the Gear Junkie, the rest were taken by TC.)

Black-on-white graphic patterns and text make the bag extra visible for commuting.

Dry bag style roll-top closure secures with clips.

My first real attempt at backpack straps. Hopefully future attempts involve less tears and cursing, but these turned alright in the end. TC pointed out that they remind him of vintage astronaut gear.

The design still needs some polishing before it's ready for public consumption, but armed with all the information from TC's product testing, I'm heading back to the front room (my studio) with hopes of releasing the design this spring.