A Tease and a Tutorial

I started a new project that I'm really excited about.  It's going to be about a week before it's done, so I thought I'd tease you with a photo of one of the early steps.  I'm taking photos and keeping notes as I go along, thinking I'll perhaps post a tutorial when I'm all done.

I hope you're having a great Monday!  Thanks for stopping by.

By The Sea Get Well Card

I decided to make a greeting card to coordinate with this artist trading card that I am sending to a fellow vintage collage artist who has been ill.  Since ATCs don't require much paper, I had more than enough left over to create a full-sized card.

The central image and patterned papers are by Graphic 45.  I think the polka dot banner conveys the right amount of whimsy while balancing the seashells at the bottom.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fantastic weekend.

Supplies:
Blue cardstock by Bazzill; ivory naturals cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers by Graphic 45;  EK Success border punch; vintage photo and antique linen distress ink; brown waxed linen thread; alphabet stickers from my stash; mini seashells from Michaels; gauze; pop-dots; Golden soft gel medium.

Tropical Thank You

Since Independence Day fell in the middle of the week this year, a lot of people stayed close to home for the holiday.  So some friends of mine threw a party the night of July 3 and had a chicken wings contest.  Twelve people took up the challenge and we had a lively but friendly competition (although some people cried "FOWL!" (tee hee), when it was revealed that the winning wings were made with a bottled sauce.  I see a rematch in the future.

The hostess was born in The Bahamas and loves bright, tropical colors, so I took a cue from this old patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket for my thank you card.  For embellishments I layered a paper flower (cut in half) and topped it with some miniature seashells.  I'll have to pad this card well and pay extra postage to make sure it arrives safely, but I really don't mind.

Have a great day!  Thanks for dropping by.

Supplies:
Dark pink and blue cardstock by Bazzill; very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned paper by Cosmo Cricket; sentiment from Stampin' Up; Memento tuxedo black ink; Nestabilities by Spellbinders; Prima flower; seashells from Michaels.

Chunky Howlite Bracelet

I don't think I've ever shared with you any of the jewelry I've made.  About seven or eight years ago, I decided to learn how to make basic jewelry so I would always have pieces to coordinate with any outfit.  There are so many beautiful beads available and since I stick to simple stringing for my technique, it doesn't take long to make a bracelet, necklace or earrings.  It's a fun and useful hobby that I really enjoy.

I recently bought a summer top that has an abstract animal print in black, brown, ecru and turquoise.  I wanted my jewelry to pick up on the turquoise color, but I didn't have any beads in the right tone in my stash.  A trip to the craft store (since we don't currently have an independently-owned bead store in town), yielded these chunky howlite pillow beads and in less than ten minutes, I had a bracelet that goes perfectly with my blouse.  The beads have some weight to them, and I don't like to look too "matchy-matchy," so I will go back to the store to look for some smaller beads to make earrings.

Have a fabulous day!  Thanks for dropping in.

Supplies:
Soft Flex medium beading wire (Hobby Lobby); dyed howlite 30x22 mm pillow beads (Michaels); silver fluted round beads from my stash; crimp beads; crimp covers; silver toggle clasp (Michaels).

Here's Lookin' at You, Kid

I created this birthday card for a male friend of mine, then forgot to take it to his birthday celebration yesterday!  Boy, did I feel like a dork.  Now I'll have to mail it, which means I'll miss watching him inspect every little detail.  It's always fun to hear a guy's comments about a hand-crafted card.

I used stamps from Artistic Outpost and some Graphic 45 patterned papers to create this card.  The two main images were colored with Prismacolor Premier pencils and further enhanced with distress inks.

I used CPS sketch #272 (but missed the deadline for linking up) and added a jagged piece of burlap and some old buttons to go with the rugged theme.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous day.

Supplies:
Stamps: Artistic Outpost; black cardstock by Bazzill; naturals ivory and very vanilla cardstock from Stampin' Up; patterned papers by Graphic 45; Memento tuxedo black ink; Prismacolor Premier pencils; odorless mineral spirits; rusty hinge, vintage photo, and antique linen distress inks; EK Success border punch; round and scalloped round Nestabilities by Spellbinders; burlap, old buttons, and old twine from my stash; pop-dots; corner rounder punch; sequin waste.