And the craziness continues...

Phew, I already needed another cup of coffee for the day...and this is going to be a jam packed weekend!

1. Finished up making most of the pencil bags with 5th graders. (We used the sewing machine today!)  It's been nice to work with the kids one on one and see them try something new.  Here are a few of them:


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205044821579021&set=a.10200551724734408.201811.1197241497&type=1

2.  Getting ready for a girl scout weekend in Julian  - girls get a girls weekend and boys get to play at home.  Need to be packed and ready in 40 minutes - YIKES!

3.  Prepped the shop for the Saturday sale.  If you've been hemming and hawing, stop it! Saturday is the only day this year I'll be offering 10% off everything in the shop, so get it now.  Use coupon code  SALE2014.  (Since I'm going out of town, the coupon code is active now through the end of day Saturday, so you can shop a little early, if you want.)

4.  Coming back from camping and going straight to a wedding (after I wash the outdoors off).  I got to make a LOT of jewelry for the bride and 8 bridesmaids.  Yay, I get to show pictures with models!  Something for you to look forward to, right?!

Hope you all have something fun planned for this weekend!  Oh, and hug a veteran while you're out and about.  Tuesday is Veteran's day after all.

Cheers!

You need some of this...

The Handmade Forum is proud to present a 24 hour Christmas sale featuring handmade shops from around the globe!  On November 8th, just type in coupon code SALE 2014 at checkout in any of the participating shops for discounts of up to 25%.  Just think - you could get your shopping done without ever having to search for a parking spot or wait in a line.


https://www.facebook.com/events/1493604044232813/

All of the participating shops are listed in this brochure with clickable links to their Etsy shops.

Insomniac Treasures will be offering 10% off all shop items.  There will also be a special sale section for even deeper discounts on select items.  

Hope to "see" you there!

Good Fun Randomness

Do you ever just grab supplies and start creating stuff?  I'm having some fun lately with freeform creating.  Here's what has happened the last couple of days:

Here's my first ever barrette/shawl pin:

and this random triangle ended up like a Christmas tree, which reminds me that Christmas is just over 2 months away, yikes!

Hope you have some good fun today...in a random way!

Mermaids and Buried Treasure?

I'm feeling inspired by mermaids and gold lately.  Maybe it is because summer is ending?  

Here are some new necklaces that feel a little like they'd be found at the bottom of the ocean.

Really beautiful faceted, but still rough and rustic fluorite in aqua and deep green on gold plated chain with leaf detail.  Look for them on Etsy if they don't sell at this weekend's handmade market.  

I'm struggling a bit with some mermaid necklace designs, but determined that it will be.  What does your creative process look like?

Wishing you luck on all of your new and creative projects!

Handmade Halloween Goodies

After overindulging on tasty food at a conference away from home, I decided to create some "eye candy" for a change of pace.  Enjoy!

This one is an extra large "Raising the Dead" tree.  It would look great hanging on a door, window or wall to show your Halloween spirit.  It was made from copper wire, pyrite beads, magnesite skulls, and then antiqued to enhance that old and creepy feeling.  (6.5 inches tall x 5.3 inches wide)  

Should I add a wire tombstone?  Hmmm...maybe that can be the second in the "series"...Ooh!  It could have a garnet "blood moon".  

I have been searching high and low for the perfect spiders to spin my web pendants, to no avail. Decided this spiderweb could hold it's own:

When you have crazy colored wire, you need to make a crazy colored pendant.  It is a rule!  Here's mine using purple and bright orange wire and a peach aventurine "moon":

If you haven't seen it lately, come check out my Etsy shop.  Lots of cool stuff for Halloween and every day of the year.  

Got Skills?

This weekend was all Girl Scouts all the time!  I finally got to attend the Adult's Outdoor Skills Weekend up at Camp Winacka in Julian.  

A great group of volunteer and career Girl Scouts were on hand to teach us skills of all different sorts that we could use with our girls.  It was fun and I AM EXHAUSTED!  

I hiked, and wandered, and hiked some more; cooked in trash cans, in old milk cartons, on pitchforks and shovels AND ate the food; got certified (finally) for cooking and tent camping; sang songs both new and familiar, played skill building games, made cool crafty badges, exchanged SWAPS (Special Whatchamacallits Affectionately Pinned Somewhere), drank a boatload of ice water, hung out with friends, and met lots of wonderful new people.  

Came away with SO MANY ideas.  Look out girls!
#Yearlongspirit  

Fabric Love

September 27, 2014  http://tmblr.co/Z4JBOn1RohLbs

Yesterday, I went to the local material store to grab a last bit of corduroy needed for an art project with my son's 5th grade class.  The kids decorated their very own fabric and we will be making pencil bags and purses with them at our next session.  

I am so glad to have met SewLoka owner Claudia a few weeks ago.  Her drawer full of zippers was the inspiration for this project.  



I also got some scrap corduroy from her, so the only big expenses were the sharpies and alcohol. 

Here are a few of the pieces the kids made:


Pretty cool, eh?

I was amazed at the number of people buying quilting fabrics at the store.  I waited in a LONG line to get my measly 1 yard of fabric cut.  I guess people are getting started on their cold weather projects.  Anyway, one of the ladies was offered the end bolt piece at a discount and she said "Of course, I can always use scrap!" , which reminded me of another shop I've been looking at lately on Etsy - Make Mine Patchwork.  

Karen is OBSESSED with fabric concoctions. I mean, take a look at her work room:


She is well stocked to take on any project, I am convinced.  That is a pretty impressive sight!
Karen mixes and matches fabrics to make some really neat pieces.  Here are a few of my favorites:
    

Really unique and detailed stuff.  I bet she is great at custom orders too.  

So, don't go to the fabric store and stand in line like me.  Just head on over to Make Mine Patchwork and pick up a cool new quilt, bag, or stocking for yourself.  Oh, did I mention she makes baby items too?  Bet those'd make great shower gifts.

Cheers!