An Owl for Becca Bluebird

I realize I haven’t posted in a couple days, sorry about that. I frankly had been quite busy running around doing things, and have this work in progress, so I hadn’t had the time to post.

Anyway, recently, my friend Becca Bluebird came to visit, for the mermaid parade. I had so much fun hanging out with her and her husband. I made her a couple things.

One thing I made her, was a necklace.

That owl was from a charm bracelet that I received. I saved him, because he was too big to wear.

Here’s what the chain looks like:

I’ve been seeing necklaces like this around the city, so I thought I’d make one similar to what I’ve seen around the city.

This weekend has been fun so far. Today, hubby and I are going to work on some art projects for my blog and our etsy shop, and maybe go food shopping. I realized that if I plan a menu, I save a lot more money than just impulsive purchasing throughout the supermarket.

So I’m doing that. And I’m trying to go with more vegetarian foods. I really feel better when I don’t eat meat. I can’t cook it, because I get morning sickness. I can eat certain types, but I’ve been wanting to go back to my vegetarian ways for a while now, and it certainly is better for the environment.

The nice thing about baking is that 90% of what you bake is sweet and therefore, vegetarian. I did make a nice vegetarian stir fry last night and oh my god. I loved it. I’ve been meaning to start my food blog about all my cooking adventures, and I will soon. I need a better camera, to photograph food.

Today, I’m going to be working on more photo transfer jewelry, and some other pieces of jewelry for my etsy shop. That, and a project that I am VERY uber proud of. I wanted to wait, but I do not think I can. I’ll probably finish it today, and show you tomorrow.

Anything else? I’ve been writing some new poems, so I want to venture to a thrift store and find some old books to alter, so I can make a collage book of my poems.

 

PS. –> Help FUND my CAUSE!

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TUTORIAL: Shrink Plastic Photo Transfer!

Remember all that photo transfer jewelry that I love to make?

Well, being a new writer for The Examiner, I’m proud to list my first article, on the subject.

Click HERE to check out my article.

PS. –> Help FUND my DREAM!

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A Pretty Set of Flowers

So today, I finished up a quick project: a set of pretty little tags.

The Flowers are handmade, of course. I glittered the edges. Now, normally I ink up the edges with a bit of ink, but I was feeling in a rather messy kind of mood, and just smudged glue on the sides with my hands. The glitter is by Martha Stewart, I believe.

This set of four tags is for sale in my etsy shop.

What else? It’s really hot here in New York City today. Super hot. I happen to be an early riser, and this morning at around 6:30, it was raining like crazy! I sent my husband out to buy me coffee and bread and the poor guy came back soaked to the bone! Can you believe that? And now of course, it is super duper hot.

I know I told you I’d post pics about my concert, but truthfully concert pics look bad. They never come out right unless you’ve got some fancy camera or something.

Anyway, that is that.

 

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Make Your Own: Lavender Bath Salts

So recently a friend of mine saved her jam jars and gave them to me. Being in the pampering mood, I decided to make some lovely lavender bath salts.

I love making these bath salts, because salt is great in the tub, to soothe those aches and pains. And adding lavender, it can be a nice soothing bath.

Here’s a photo DIY for you.

That’s Lavender and Chamomile. Add a bit of both.

Mix it up.

You can decorate the jars. I didn’t do too much, because it’s going in your bathroom. I mean, it could get wet, you know. You don’t need essential oils. I didn’t use any. The scent of the fresh dried lavender is enough.

Hope you enjoy this little how-to! Recycle those jam jars!

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A Pretty Photo Wreath

So here’s what I had laying around, forlorn and neglected: pictures of my family, a wreath (intended for last christmas), my May Sampler Kit, and my glue gun. Here’s what happened when I put them together: I spent what I thought would be a couple minutes, on this wreath. It gave me so much grief, because I could not decide on how to put it together. But here’s what I ended up with:

Believe it or not, it took me three or four tries, and almost all my glue sticks to make this. But I made this with my trusty May shipment of the Sampler Kit’s monthly kit.

I have said before, I love monthly kits. They are such a cool way to stock up on supplies that you normally wouldn’t know about or buy.

I mean, I don’t know about you, but I am quite brand faithful. I stick to a few stores, a few supplies, a few brands, and use them for years and years. In fact, when I switched makeup brands for the FIRST time was when I was pregnant with my daughter and just broke out terribly. Oh, it was so bad. Luckily, I was working at a financial company, so I could afford to buy fancy shmancy face washes and such.

Anyway, that’s why I like a kit.

For this, I used some paper from last month’s kit, and stamped some butterflies by 100 Proof Press, and cut and glued them to make a pretty garland.

The dried flowers are some that my husband had given me, that I saved.

That’s about it!

What else? Oh, now that I’m a whopping 7 weeks pregnant, I have terrible nausea. I hate it. I never had nausea with my daughter at all. The BEST pregnancy except for the occasional crankiness and terrible acne.

This time, no acne (so far) but I am just wanting to throw up all the time. I hate it. I hate it because I love food, and I love to eat. It really sucks. So far, I can eat apples and pizza safely. And these chocolate bars that are sold in my neighborhood called “Kinder Bueno”.  And of course, chicken tostadas from the mexican restaurant in my neighborhood. Oh man, seriously I think they must put crack on their tostadas. They are so good.

So that is my only complaint so far. That, and what bizzarre dreams I am having these days! I had a dream that an old friend of mine became a preacher. Very odd, because I do not picture this person at all becoming a preacher whatsoever. Very strange.

So that’s that.

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Secret Potion Necklace

So here’s another pair of earrings that I just made. Yes, I’m back in the jewelry kick.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this necklace, don’t you?

So here’s what I did: I had bought a set of little bottles all cute and packaged up by Tim Holtz;  I distressed it, and filled it with glitter.

I have this lovely piece for sale in my shop.

What else? I made a chocolate ganache cake for my husband this weekend, because it’s his favorite.

Oh, and I have this necklace, also for sale:

Cute, right? I like it. I like them both, actually.

Not much else to say this morning, actually. I’m just a bit tired, and I begrudgingly must run errands today, when I’d rather be home and relax. But I shall comfort myself in knowing that at least I can draw on the train, which is something I do enjoy doing.

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On a card making binge

So this week, I’m in a bit of a card making binge. This is because I’m teaching a card making workshop at the Ink Pad next week. I frankly was not feeling the mojo at all, and went so far as to tell Barbara (at the ink pad) that I in fact, was not feeling the card mojo. She of course, informed me that it would not be very nice to cancel a class, so I decided to just muster up the mojo however I could. That’s what crafting books are good for, right? So here, I made a couple cards.

If you are interested in making cards with me, learning the basics of cardmaking, and working with watercolors and a heat gun, you can call the folks at the Ink Pad at 212-463-9876.

The Class is on April 13th, at around 7pm or so. So come by after work!

I should mention that I have different approach to card making. You know, if you go to flickr, lots of folks make the cards in a similar fashion. I kind of like them to look a bit more interesting, simple and not so much clutter. So that’s that.

What else? This of course, got me into a card making binge this week. I made jewelry, don’t worry. But I like to mix it up here on my blog, and keep you interested.

Oh, and I bought some owl pendants on Ebay. AND….I think I’m going to teach myself chaine maille. My best friend Miyoshi is teaching herself, and thanks to ebay, I found some very cheap jump ring suppliers. So I think I want to teach myself chaine maille. That’d be fun, right?

And the Owl pendants. Oh my, I cannot wait to work with them. Having jewelry making considered a fine art, I do have to say, I enjoy it very much. I do draw and paint, but of all the fine arts, I love making jewelry. I’ve been drawing a lot recently. YES. I have. I do draw. In the words of my favorite artist (Basquiat), “Believe it or not, I really can draw”. I can. I’m sort of private about it, mostly because it’s sort of a strange style. There’s a book out, called “Zentangles” that is a bit up the alley to my style of drawing, only I’ve been drawing that way since I was in high school.

Oh! And I wanted to let you all know that I’m working on a web show. It won’t be live, sorry. It’s going to be pre-recorded, and put up on youtube. I’m excited. That’ll happen soon. Gimme about a month or two, to set it all up. And maybe a live show, not sure yet.

 

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A Sneak Peak

So today, I’m giving you a sneak peak for an item that I’m creating for a project for DMC Threads. I love how it (so far) came out.

Oh, I love this, don’t you? These are crocheted beads. Can’t tell you too much, or I’d have to kill you. And I’m a peace-nick, so can’t have that.

Today, there is not much to say, except that I am really growing weary of this damned cold weather. I really just plain do not like it. And I’m really on a cooking kick lately. What’s your favorite site for getting recipes? I have my Larouse Gastronomique, a Julia Child Cookbook, and the Food Network. Those are my go-to places. Other than that, sometimes I dig thru my books based on my cravings, LOL.

Speaking of craving, lately I’ve been really into milkshakes. You know who makes them the best? White Castle. OMG. If you don’t live near one, you should move just so you can. Their cheese sticks where my drug when I was pregnant with Dakota! Man. All this talk about food is because I am actually quite hungry. Sorry about that. I should stick to talking about art, at least that won’t get me hungry! LOL!

 

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Pretty Paper Flowers

Here’s a fun item. The one thing I love is those beautiful paper flowers that are a bit expensive for my modest art supply budget. But they are pretty for making cards, or altered art.

I made a few of my own, here’s a few pics.

I’ll be making this for Andrea Currie’s Craftastic Live, and I do hope you’ll watch, so you too can save money by making your own supplies! You’ll learn how to make your own glimmer mist also.

Fun, right?

 

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A Pair of Wish Jars

One of the new companies I design for is Blockhead Stamps. Recently they sent me some new goods and treats to play with. Here’s a new item I just recently finished making, their stamps, and acrylic paint daubbers that they sell. I love those paint daubers! How cool!

I used Mod Podge with dictionary paper, and then went over it with mod podge, waited for it to dry, and then went over it with the paint daubers. Then, I used this “Joker” stamp set, for the little hats there, and a stamp sentiment that I had. Cute, right? And of course, lacey ribbon finishes the items nicely.

These are wish jars. Write down your wishes on a full moon, and set it on your windowsill until your wish comes true. Or, if you’re not a superstitious person, just make one for vanity’s sake.  It’s cute.

Oh, and no, I can’t remember where I got the bottles, at all. Sorry. I litterally had that in my stash for a year or more.

 

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