Other crafts Update

Here is a bit of my mail art.  I made more envelopes from a chiptole bag, and I turned a big window envelope inside out, decorated it with Washi Tape, and it's ready to be used again. The others are for sending out swaps and letters.

This is the earring holder Ornery and I have been working on for our daughter for Christmas.  I have since painted all sorts of weird stuff on the frame, but this is the tame version. :)

Children's chairs

Using a plan we downloaded from Ana White, my husband built these chairs for our grandchildren.

He used pocket holes underneath, dowels to secure the back pieces, and we added adjustable slides on the feet to protect the floor.  He also cut out their names and a small clip art based on their current interests into the back with his scroll saw.

New Directions!

It seems like I have been doing the same old thing forever, although I am sure given my propensity to change things up that can't possibly be true!  I have noticed that this fall I have really given some time and thought to new directions. I am not just sitting still and making cards anymore.

I have added new dimensions to my dominoes, mixing colors like I never was brave enough to do before...

I came up with an original idea--although I did borrow the ribbons on the clip idea from someone else...

I started using more stamps and punches on the cards I make--and of course the addition of those lovely crocheted flowers...

I have started helping Ornery with his wood crafting.  He makes all the cuts and I do the finishing. Here is a set of baskets he made...

Folded books, faux mercury glass, alcohol inks blown on glass--all new arenas for me!

I have even started working with fabric again!  It has been years since I was interested in it, but lately I am starting to amass a stash--although it doesn't come close to rivaling my paper stash for size!

I made these little tags for my daughter's entry into the cookie exchange I am hosting in December. (She is making a cherry shortbread cookie) While this isn't really a new thing--it is different from any I have made before. Each project has been a learning experience.

I am in the process of painting a garage sale table with a real picture on the top. I have procrastinated on it because I am afraid it won't look good, but I am slowly working my way up to the top, at which time I will have no choice but to just do it!

Tastes and styles change over time, and I seem to have had quite a bit of change in my life this year!

Catching Up

It has been a long time since I posted anything new here, so I am playing catch up.  I have only done a couple of cards this summer, since we moved in May and I have been "nesting" ever since! The house is coming together nicely, though, and I am almost ready to get back to crafting "full time" -- or as full-time as a homemaker can get! Here are a few of the things I have been working on besides painting walls and rearranging furniture...

I have continued to create these fun little stocking ornaments. I decided not to use them in the ornament exchange except as prizes. The rest are going to be gifts and a few may end up in my etsy shop.

One evening I decided I wanted to do a little crafting, so I whipped out this monotone paper (it is double sided, so the stripes and snowflakes are from the same sheet) and decided to do something a little different. I stained the back of the wooden stocking with brown alcohol inks instead of painting it, and I used lace to embellish it. Simple but I think pretty.  The little heart is something my husband cut out just after he got his scroll saw.  It had been wandering around in various containers in my stash so I decided to do something with it. First I stained it with pinks and purples (alcohol ink) then spritzed some glimmer mist on it. I backed it with paper then added the little ruffle and a beaded hanger.  I hung it in my little gallery outside my studio...

The heart is hanging above the framed cards on the left side. The other things are projects I have made--I am especially proud of my first "painting" using mixed media. The shadow box was from a few years ago, and here is the "Z", in its previous state:

It just seemed so plain--especially after I made this "A" for my niece:

Another project my husband and I did together was this frame for some clock dipping bowls I bought at Pottery Barn a couple years ago. It was his first attempt at a frame, and I thought he did pretty well all things considered.

I painted it and lined it with black velvet, then glued everything in. It was the perfect accent for the wall I hung it on.

I am working on some other ornaments for the exchange using old hymnal pages to decoupage on glass balls. I will come up with some sort of fancy tag to put at the top. I also bought another box of clear glass ornaments and will experiment with some alcohol inks on those. I have about twenty projects on my list; as soon as I get things made, I'll be posting.

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.

Yardstick Airplanes

Ornery built 25 of these cute little bi-plane ornaments for our craft sale! Each plane takes one whole yardstick. The wheels are fixed, as is the propeller, and they are not meant to be toys, just dust-catchers or tree ornaments. We've had one or three on our trees for a number of years.  They are available for sale on my etsy shop...