Some Sites I'm Really Excited About

I've been dabbling with designing fabrics and printing with Spoonflower. The generous and talented Rachel from Mamma Made Designs has a series of tutorials that help with some of the the more technical aspects of this process. These tutorials are totally blowing my mind! Thanks, Rachel!

Also, M.Patrizio Illustrations is fun blog and will entice you to buy cute things like her stationery, such as one this one I recently purchased on her etsy site So Softies. Her stationery design style is similar to my own and it caught my eye immediately. I can't wait to send a note with one of these lovlies!

Thanks, Delightful Blogs!

Hooray! My blog has been accepted on the "Delightful Blogs" directory! Please visit me there and make comments, rate my little blog, and visit the other blogs because there are so many talented folks out there sharing their designs.

The Best Coffee Shop and Another Paper Design

It's a lovely rainy cool morning in Yachats, Oregon. That's the nearest town to where we are staying. Harvey is running up to the top of a mountain (Cape Perpetua - see photos here) and I'm doodling a new stationery design at the Green Salmon coffeehouse. We're having a lovely time.

Va-ca thrift finds and stationery in the works

Crablets are abundant in the tidepools near our little va-ca spot.


Portland is great for thrifting! And yes, that is the ocean in the background. Happiness.


Also, a sneak peak of some paper goods in the works...

Have a lovely week!

Oregon! And the zip pouches ("zips").

We're in Oregon! We arrived last night after an all day in airplanes. Our hotel is AMAZING with a view of Mount Hood and downtown Portland.


On a crafty note, I had an impulse to sew a roomy pouch to carry my art supplies to Oregon. I used some IKEA fabric and blue twill lining, plus a thick clear vinyl layer to make it waterproof.

This was an experimental effort, but now that I've figured it out, I plan to add a set of these "zips" to the shop. We'll be back around the first of August, so By the 2nd week of August they'll be set to go!

I'm on the hunt for glitter vinyl for some upcoming projects as well. If anyone knows where to find a good selection of colors by the yard, let me know!

There's a New Bag in Town

I'm having a mini-obsession with vinyl. Here's the latest outcome of that particular obsession:

Gratitude. I'm Talking Very Serious Gratitude Here.

Oh, thank you NyteRayn for sharing my latest project with your blog community! Reader(s), please visit NyteRayn's blog Elemental Craft. It is a beautiful blog of lovely photos as well as must-have and must-do ideas. I'm really honored to be featured among such a talented group of crafters.

A Contest, A Bag, and Some Other Things

Nation(s),
I've entered my first crafty contest. I found out about it yesterday morning, whipped out my entry in the afternoon/evening/wee hours, and sent my submission to Craftershock just a few minutes ago. The winner will be featured in the first issue of their print magazine. It was fun to make a bag for a new purpose. It would be SO DEAD SEXY to win, but I haven't won anything since the 3rd grade, so I'm not holding my breath. The joocee bag is now in the shop, and is getting some admiration on Craftster, so that is quite satisfying. (I've promised the Craftster community a tutorial later this week.) I'm so starved for crafty-tention that I'm high on the love. Can you tell that I love my Bubble Gum Tote Bag? Yes, I do. It's "puke-tacularly cute" (according to a fellow Craftster-er).


Here it is featured on the "Hot New Projects From All Categories" on the Craftster homepage. [note: This is not something to get all that excited about, but I'm pretending it is.]


Also, as promised, a few bits of improved resin. I've got the candy hearts down, no problem. The other stuff is progressing. I have some experimental molds ready and since there's no "EasyCast" to be found in the tri-county area, I'll be using the toxic death cloud formula "CastinCraft" outside tomorrow morning before the temperature rises above 80C which is when I think the stuff spontaneously combusts.





Ah, yes...the Goodwill Blue Hangar (Hanger?) visit with my friend Stacey was also a success. Again, for $14 I couldn't possibly list all the treasures (mostly because they are still in my trunk due to heaviness/laziness). Here's a panorama of what we're dealing with. I wish that I had considered the composition of my photos before taking them because they really look like we're digging in a giant indoor dumpster. But it really is awesome, like digging in a really great dumpster.

Maybe I'll get around to sharing the day's loot tomorrow. Nitey-nite!

Waiting.

Ah, waiting. It's so hard! I'm waiting for my first etsy sale. And the self-doubt begins to creep in. So I'm occupying myself with projects.

First, I completed a little set of "enclosures" for the future-my-favorite-people-in-the-world who decide to buy a handmade bag. I have to admit that they are really cute. So cute that I had to take several pictures of them.



This is a jumbled bunch of glittery resin pendants from my 2nd round of resin casting. I'll post a more dignified picture of the good ones tomorrow.


Also, the afternoon sun has been cooking me in my little attic/loft/studio, so I put up a little curtain made of 6 stitched together vintage hankies. Much better.


Now, to begin my next set of bags: the "Michele" line. Cute little totes with a vinyl outside and polka dot inside. VINYL. The iron-on kind and I am itching to get started. Meanwhile, these little bags huddle together in an air-tight container, awaiting their new home. *Sigh!*


Tune in on Monday for: "Why does MM have a want ad on Craigslist for old board games?" AND a peek at the loot to be gained from Goodwill Blue Hanger. Oh yes, AND the results of my first attempt at an "altered art collage" or whatever they call it. xxxooomm

Shop Update

Hello,
There are 2 new bags in the shop! One more is in progress. Then I'll have to take a few days off to work on some teacher stuff before we leave for Oregon on Wednesday. The shop will remain open while we're away!

Stuff. Stuff. STUFF!!

Good morning!

I have a busy day ahead, so I thought I would post early and share some fun-ness.

First, I spent the day yesterday cleaning out my little studio. I have amassed a pile that I'm calling the "art/craft destash."



I'm not sure how to or even if I should list these lots on ebay, but if someone could use them, I just want to get them off my hands. So check in at ebay if you or someone you know might be interested. I have some "teacher destash" stuff listed right now. Going cheap!

Shop update: This bag should be in the shop late tonight or tomorrow morning. It's a duplicate of a custom order and it is quite green. I used dark pink accents and I think it is going to be a good addition to the growing bag options. Three more custom orders to go!


I'm just delighted to say that I sent off a package yesterday to Magic Jelly, who I mentioned in an earlier post as an artist that I am currently heart-ing. She is collecting vintage paper and in exchange, will turn some of it into a collage for you. It is my first time to be a part of an arty-crafty swap, and it is super exciting. Here is a photo of the wrapped up package that is on its way to South Australia right now! Thanks Karena for mentioning me on your blog!


Finally, I am finally getting around to ordering crab apple sew-in tages. MommyMadeIt on etsy is going to make 3 different tags for me: 2 half-fold with my logo and 1 single fold with just words. HOORAY!


Well, I'm off to my first post-surgery visit to the thyroid doctor (jitters) and then a fun date with my friend Stacey for lunch and the mother-of-all-thrift-stores (thanks to a lovely lady who responded to my craiglist post for old board games). Apparently you should wear gloves and plan to spend at least 2 hours. Wish me luck!

Weekend Adventures

Hello Reader. Have I thanked you recently for visiting my little blog?

If I could summarize the weekend in one word, it would be "resin." However, a few other activities were squeezed in.

First, I finally made a batch of bottlecap magnets using UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). I had a 40% off coupon at Michaels, so I sprung for the melting pot thing-y and it is super easy to use. The results:


Also, H. and I did a little thrift shopping in Salado, and found a few neat things between a garage sale and a new antiquey-book store. I am especially excited about the game boards. I have big plans for those babies. also I found a neat link on how to clean game boards. Check out that fortune-telling book. YES. I've already started slicing it up.


Last night, I poured a first layer of resin in my 3 molds (that took about 2 hours to clean out from the first attempt disaster). They look great this morning. I used the resin stuff that comes in a can and it is most toxic. Stick with Easy Craft. We were high all night, but not in a good way. For batch #2, I have some very cute transparency images and paper to layer in. Egggs-cellent! (twiddling fingers like Mr. Burns).

My Resin Tips Post on Craftster

This is kind of fun, so visit me here if you like.

Resin Casting: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

My first attempt.

The good:

The bad:

The ugly:

The next batch is sure to be better; the folks at Craftster have been really helpful with tips. Also, this tutorial by John Golden is excellent. His etsy shop is worth a visit - his resin jewelry is gorgeous. Ah, a goal to work toward...

A New Bag and a Jar of Whimsies

Here is the latest custom bag for my cousin Jessica. I'm very pleased with how this set of bags came out. I've finally got this design down to a science. I have a new design in the works as well, which will have ric rac trim along the edges. YEAH. Also, a bag similar to the one below is listed in the shop. They are both "Ashleigh" bags.





A few weeks ago, I received my Jar of Whimsies from One Good Bumblebee (a seriously fun place to shop). Here is the whole loot:


I've had lots of interest in a resin pendant that I bought on Etsy. So, I think it's time to give it a go. I plan to use these bits in a resin casting project that will begin today:

Sew Baby Sew!!

Another bag finished today! This one is for my friend Stacey, and it came out super-cute I think. I'll make one like it and list it in the shop later this week.


I got a little carried away with the button photos.


An ongoing project: sorting out the buttons! I try to organize them by color, but get all caught up with playing with them.


I've already started to think about a fall line of bags and have decided that vintage deco jewelry will be the primary embellishment. I won this lovely set on from Bubblepunk on ebay today and am looking forward to incorporating these into the fall bags.


Last night, I started my first set of "printables," or decorative graphics that I will list on etsy and can be purchased for the purpose of printing on sticker paper (or whatever) and used for crafting. A little sneak peak...