Funky Stocking Ornaments

Here are the first few ornaments for 2011.  I started out making them for my ornament exchange but decided they were so fun and different I would try to sell a few, too.  Click on the photo to go to the etsy listing.

In the photos they look pretty big, but they are only six inches long.  Each ornament comes with a curly hanger. They all have little bells on the toes, and most have a little light on the hanger.

 SOLD

I love the blue and green together.  I have used several different fibers on the top of this one, and it sort of looks like the sock is wearing a scarf.  This stocking is sold.

 This one has several buttons glued on it, with glitter embellishing here and there to add some sparkle.

 I let the paper do the talking on this little sock.  It is very Christmas-y with stockings, ornaments, and candy stripes.  There are little spots of glitter here and there to add some sparkle, and (you can't see it in the picture) a polka-dotted ribbon on the hanger.

 I love this paper combination.  It is Christmas without being red and green. Under all that wild fiber there is an orange Christmas light hiding. This is really fresh and funky!

This is spoken for so it isn't for sale, but I wanted to show it off, anyway.  Rather than add toe and heel, I added a sole in pink glitter paper on top of the flocked background. Then I added feathers and flowers, and tied a black and pink ribbon to the hanger.  It is bold and a little wild!

I have used bits and pieces of this KI Memories Christmas paper for several years, and I have never tired of it.  I love the non-traditional look of the pink with green.  The lights let you know it is still Christmas paper, and I have added a little bit of ribbon with some reindeer on it around the cuff and a little light on the hanger.

This little sock is glitz and glitter all over the place!  All the papers have glitter on them, and I have added bits of glitter to the seams of the toe and heel.  I took a piece of crocheted lace and tied it together to make a bow, then made a little pom-pom out of the fiber to put in the middle.  The photo just really doesn't do it justice--it is a cutie!!

This one is spoken for. Another non-traditional color combination but the bells and lights let you know it is a tree ornament.  This has glitter, metallic spritz, and rhinestones on it to make it shine on the tree.

I have sixteen cut out, nine are finished, and one more that needs some additions to it.  I will be making another 16 once these are done.

Gift Card Tin and Note set

Map from 1958 National Geographic Society of the British Isles.  Top is Ireland, bottom Scotland, inside Ireland and Isle of Wight.  The top and bottom have an acrylic sealer on them to help protect the map from tearing. The outside edge has a black velvet ribbon attached.

Recycling Old Frames

A couple of years ago I got a harebrained idea to frame a whole bunch of photos in different styles of frames and put them on my office wall.  I liked the look for about a month, then it seemed cluttered and just "off" somehow.  When we moved, I was all set to sell all the frames that weren't black, and in fact put them in my little booth at the antique mall.  Since none of them sold, I brought them all home and decided I would recycle them into something for my new decor.

Today my friend came over to craft with me and helped me create these beautiful frames.  Most of the ideas were my own, but she interjected several excellent suggestions that all enhanced the project considerably. I took pictures along the way, in case any reader wanted to recreate them at home, so those photos and a tutorial follow. Enjoy!

Click on the image to see better.  The large frame still needs something in it, but I put together the contents of the two smaller ones today.

 This was the large frame that I started with.  First take the glass and mat out and set aside.

 I used Making Memories acrylic paint, but I think latex might have worked a little better. Also, priming or scuffing the surface some would have helped the paint to adhere better.  I started with white paint, putting two coats on and letting it dry thoroughly.

 I wasn't too worried about getting it perfect since I knew I would be smudging other stuff on it.

 Next, I sponged on some very watered down brown paint so it would get into all the crevices.  This I wiped off with a paper towel, leaving it sort of smudged and dirty looking. While it was drying, I removed the inner wooden piece around the mat opening and used some pages from an old hymnal to decoupage onto the mat.

This is a picture of the mat after I had it decoupaged and reapplied the little wooden inner frame. I used the ink and that little tool to sponge on some walnut ink to the frame, then I put it all together.

Here is a closer look at the other two frames.  I did pretty much the same thing for them, only instead of sponging on the walnut ink, I spritzed on glimmer mist (green) and Smooch (gingerbread).  Each layer of different medium gave it a different look.  I think I could have kept on adding things all day!

I used a piece of printed paper cut to size then stamped and embossed the three images onto a page from the hymnal.  Then I tore around the edges to make it fit the frame better, as well as deal with a few tears that were already there.

This other one has a little bit of three dimensional look to it with the raised bird and rubberized leaves.  I will print out a little text box to put in the upper right hand corner when I decide what to put in the third frame.

Here they are amid all the tools and trash of the day!

New Little Flowers

I found a shop on etsy a week or so ago that sold these tiny crocheted flowers, so I ordered four different colors. I will probably have to go back and buy more, but the first set came yesterday!  She even included a bonus of three bigger flowers, and I am pretty sure an additional 9 small ones from what I ordered, because I thought there were supposed to be ten of each color... Here they are all unpacked and ready to go into the flower box.

I always have a burst of motivation when I get new goodies, so I sat down and made this note card, and another (not pictured) from the same paper.

This was from the same paper I used last week when making the note card set that my daughter bought--I still had enough to make another card or two.

Then, I used some of the other papers I had pulled out to use last week but ran out of time.  LOVE this gerbera daisy design and the fun colors! 

I only decorated the one card, but it has two crocheted flowers on a paper one. The pink flower is one my friend made while trying to teach me to crochet.  I think we both decided THAT was a lost cause!

Domino on a Package

My daughter bought some note cards and a journal for a gift for a friend, and I offered to wrap them for her. When it was all done, I added this domino to the package to give it a fun finishing touch. It will be a nice keepsake for her long after the paper goods inside are used up.

Purple Wedding Card

Sorry about the flash... This is for a friend who loves purple and is getting married. The K is for the couple's last name.  Lots of purple paper scraps used on this one!