EJewelryDesigns

Two Bunnies and A Robot

2011-10-31T23:08:00.003-05:00

Two of my best girlfriends have babies with birthdays this month and we had a big Halloween/ Birthday Bash to celebrate! Gifts were not required but I'm never one to go to a birthday party empty handed or to waste an excuse to make something cute for babies :) There were two precious little girls turning 1 who I made matching bunnies for and a rough and tumble little gentleman who had just turned 3 who I made the robot for at right. I hear the red bunny has already become a nap time buddy :) Thanks to Revoluzzza for her RevoluzZzionary Easter Bunny pattern!

Alabama Coastal Foundation

2011-09-29T14:58:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to say that I was recently asked to help support the Alabama Coastal Foundation by donating an earring and necklace set for a raffle at their Cocktails for the Coast Fundraiser last week. I made a set from two types of freshwater pearls since I thought pearls would be fitting for a coastal cause. The set also has labradorite stones in it as well.

Glad I remembered to take some pics of it on display!

Sewing with Lauren!

2011-09-12T15:30:00.003-05:00

This summer I was honored with a visit from several of the ladies in my family all the way from Maine and Pennsylvania, including my cousin Lauren, who is 13. Here we are with the largest Live Oak in Mobile!

Lauren has always shown an aptitude for art and crafting, following in my footsteps making jewelry and in her own media of fimo sculpting, which she is very good at by the way! So I thought she might like to learn a little about sewing and figured the simple Elastic-Waist Flirt Skirt that I'd been making over and over again all summer from Growing Home (of which I now have 5) would be a great learning project since it is all straight stitching and you end up with something totally wearable!

Here it is! She wore it the very next day to the beach and Lulu's, where the picture was taken. I'm so proud of her little skirt and I hear she still wears it, even though it is quickly becoming fall up there in the northern states!

Summer Sewing!

2011-07-03T12:38:00.005-05:00

Well, it's been a busy spring semester with very little time for sewing, but I'm making up for it now! This past week I spent a lot of time in front of my Singer and it feels great to have 2 garments that I will really wear at the end of it all!

My first project was to create a dress that I've had bookmarked for almost a year! It took me a long time to realize that the fabric I bought last year was perfect for this project! This is my version of Prudent Baby's Most Flattering Shirt Dress. It was super easy to follow the tutorial and I love the way she used bias tape! The dress is wearable and cute and I haven't even done the smocking yet! I'm not sure I will since I'm loving it with the belt!

The same night I finished the dress I started whipping up a skirt. I just saw this Elastic-Waist Flirt Skirt (inspired by J.Crew) by Growing Home in May and have been looking for the right fabric ever since. Apparently I'm obsessed with batik and batik like prints right now.... The skirt fabric is actually a dyed fabric (not printed) as it doesn't have a perfect repeat, which makes it all the more interesting! I've already worn the skirt a couple of times and am planning to make another one (it only took about 2 hours to make!) but I think I'll make the next one a little smaller so it doesn't have as much volume. And yes, it even has pockets!!!!!

100th Blog Post!

2011-01-05T15:24:00.003-05:00

Wow! I can't believe I have written 100 blog posts on here! Looking back at my old posts I realize now that this blog has been a mish-mosh of odds and ends. It's a mix of updates from my Etsy Jewelry and personal life posts. Part of me would like the blog to take on more of a consistency, with more frequent posts (at least once a month!) and just focusing on my craft life, but then, this blog is a reflection of my life, which isn't always organized or consistent!

So, here's my first finished craft project for the new year! I've been preparing to make this adorable messenger bag for weeks. It was another one of those gifts that was meant to be finished before I came to Maine but never happened and luckily it wasn't a Christmas gift but a January birthday gift, so I had a little extra time.

I saw the pattern featured on one of my favorite sewing blogs Sew Mama Sew. It's the Basic Messenger Bag Tutorial by mmmcrafts. Instead of the cute (and time consuming) applique that she did on the front of her bags, I simplified and used a natural burlap type fabric as the background of the bag and then used the lining fabric as both the strap and covering part of the bag flap. I love how it came out!

Crazy Mainers in the Mountains

2011-01-04T21:28:00.005-05:00

Today was another day for Dad and I to tramp through the snow on hiking trails! There is snow, sure, but not enough for snowshoes, so I've been a bit disappointed. Snow hiking is good exercise and the scenery is the same but I had my heart set on snowshoeing while I was in Maine. Today Dad and I hiked in to Hudson Falls just outside of Bingham, Maine and then did a longer one hour hike into Moxie Falls. It was a bit icy but beautiful!

Crazy Mainers in the Woods

2011-01-02T14:18:00.005-05:00

Sundays and Tuesdays are the days that I get to spend with my Dad when I am in Maine, so today was a Dad and daughter day. We like to do active things, so today we did a 4 mile snow hike in Oakland, Maine.

It's a beautiful hike along Messalonskee Stream. It's also a great time to really catch up about the things that are important in our lives.

Crazy Mainers at the Beach

2011-01-01T21:27:00.004-05:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love the ocean. I love to be near the ocean. I love the sound of the ocean. I love to eat things that used to live in the ocean! I get most of this from my mother. Over the years my mother and I have spent many special days together on the beach. It is the one place that we go to together to relax, to get away, and to recharge. We even go in the winter. The dead of winter, when it's cold and the beach is officially closed and we have to climb in with our snow boots. Whatever it takes! Today was one of those days when we ran away from other obligations and headed for the coast. Apparently we were not the only ones!

Crafty Resolutions 2011

2010-12-31T23:17:00.006-05:00

In the spirit of the New Year I feel like making a list of Resolutions but not for weight loss (which I could) or regarding my finances (which I should) but for crafting! There are so many things that I'm dying to make but never seem to find the time for. So here's a list of hope to makes for 2011.

*My advent calendar! This has been a WIP for over a year now. I worked on it quite a bit in December but had to put it down to finish some gift sewing and hopefully I'll pick it right back up when I return south instead of postponing it until next December!

*A Summer Quilt. I picked out fabrics for this project over a year ago, black, white, and green mostly Sweetwater for Moda fabrics (see below) that I want to work up in a brick pattern. I'm hoping it will be a much more finished looking quilt than any of the ones I've made before.

*These little potholders. I love that they allow you to grip easily although I worry about heat resistance. I'll have to look into thermal resistance before I begin.

*A dress. I don't know yet what pattern, but I'd really like to make something that I will wear. I made a dress last year and wore it and was pretty pleased with it. I guess one a year might be my limit.

*I really really really want to make a point of taking a bookbinding class this year. They offer them several times a year at my local contemporary art center, Space 301. I meant to do it last year but the timing didn't work out. The summer session ended up being the one weekend that my mother was coming to visit and I just missed the winter session all together.

OK, I think that's a pretty do-able but productive year of crafting! Wish me luck and hopefully you will see all of these projects on the blog in the year to come!

*Loving the Calendar above! Surround yourself this year with beauty whether you make it yourself or buy handmade!

Gathered Clutches

2010-12-31T20:39:00.004-05:00

Every year I enjoy a few days visiting and catching up with my college friends. After Christmas I had just enough time to whip up some cute Gathered Clutches for my girlfriends. I had been planning to make these little purses for at least a month before I came to Maine for Christmas but in the end I had to pack up my fabric and cart my supplies north.

Luckily my mother has a good sewing machine and important things like a cutting matt and rotary cutter, so I don't have to bring those things with me. I love these little clutches so much I ended up making three assembly line style, one for J, one for C, and one for me!

The cream colored one with the navy batik print is mine. I think they came out really well and I hope the girls liked them! I got the pattern from Noodlehead, thanks!

White Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T20:31:00.003-05:00

I'm so lucky that even though I now live in the warmth of Alabama, I still get to enjoy white Christmases! Here are some pics of the tree and my cat Elliot, who lives in Maine with my parents. It was a blessed and beautiful Christmas spent with lots of family and filled with joy!

Tini's Wedding Jewels

2010-10-03T15:16:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I was delighted to see my friend Tini walk down the aisle toward wedded bliss wearing a custom EJewelryDesigns earrings and necklace set. Tini had first asked me to do the bridal jewelry this past summer and I was thrilled to be able to participate in her special day in any way I could.

I made her dangling white pearl and sterling silver earrings and a three tiered hand-knotted pearl choker that can actually be worn as one long chain or doubled or tripled depending on her mood and clothing. It all came out beautifully! And Tini made such a lovely blushing bride! I also made platinum colored pearl and sterling dangling earrings for the bridesmaids in a slightly smaller scale that the bride's, but I don't seem to have any pictures to post of those.

So Proud!

2010-08-14T21:31:00.005-05:00

This past week I traveled to South East Alabama to visit a recent transplant and dear friend and taught her how to sew. It was a fabulous week! And she was a quick learner, well, not really learner since she already had a bit of knowledge but it was an easy job for me. We started with a few burp cloths, easy rectangles, stitched around, turned inside out and stitched again. Then D made a sweet bib and a kimono. Check out the kimono! So Cute!!!!! I'm so proud!

Giraffe Baby Wall Hanging

2010-06-06T20:15:00.006-05:00

My dear friends D and J are having a baby! And I wanted to make them something extra special to show how excited we all are about their upcoming arrival. So I instantly thought of making a wall hanging for the baby's room, something bright and colorful to match the style that D is looking at for decoration.

I think the final product came out pretty darned cute! I only wish I had taken some close ups before I gave it to D! I used a few scraps of Laura Gunn Lantern Bloom fabrics. The center panel is leftover from the wall hanging that I made for myself a few months back, Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom line Climbing Lantern Pod in Turquoise. I also used the Hanging Cages in Lime from the same line but in two different directions. The star of the wall hanging is the little white flannel giraffe silhouette; he came out so much better than I had hoped! He was free-hand stitched on the machine and then cut out. I hand embroidered the eye on him and mad a little brown tail that hangs off the wall hanging for a little 3D addition!

Bridal Accessories for S & C

2010-05-02T13:35:00.002-05:00

My cousin S has found a wonderful woman to share his life and luckily they share some of the same passions for hunting and fishing :) I was honored when they asked me to create signature bridal garter belts and a ring bearers pillow for the wedding! The wedding colors are green and brown, colors to match the mossy oak camouflage pattern that will also be found on the men in the wedding party. Yup, camouflage. Not my style certainly, but I was happy to create something for them! Here are the results!

Easter Pineapple Cake

2010-04-03T22:27:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter! I haven't been posting lately, mostly because I have nothing to post about. I haven't had much time for making and creating. But I had to do a little something to make this drab weekend feel like Easter, so I made a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. One of my favorites. Now if only I had people to share it with!

Wall Hanging

2009-11-06T23:56:00.005-05:00

This project has been sitting in the back of my mind for several weeks now. I was inspired by one of my sewing blogs to search for this gorgeous Michael Miller fabric with the orange flower pods on it; it was my first online fabric purchase! Ah the power of peer pressure! Once I got the fabric in the mail I was pleased to notice that it looked really nice in my living room, so it sat on my couch for a few days before I eventually moved it into the craft room (spare room).

And it's been waiting for me ever since, until last week, when I finally took the time to pop into the fabric store with this project in mind. I found a handful of fun orange and blue and purple prints, all but two of which I used in the finished project. I played with the design a little on scrap paper over the course of this week, working out the proportions that I wanted and finally tonight, after turning in my big work project to my bosses empty desk (it was 4:57 and he had left the office at 4:55!!!!), I sat down and started cutting! and cutting! and ironing! and stitching! and ironing! and stitching! and before I knew it I was dragging A into the living room to look at my creation! It's only the top panel of what will be a quilted wall hanging, but I'm pleased as punch with how it is turning out!

It was much faster to whip up than I thought it would be. I'd say it took me about an hour and a half all in all. This was my first quilt-ish project that I've made that I feel has the proper angles and lines and I'm quite pleased. Tomorrow I will run back the fabric store to pick up some batting and a fabric for the back... or maybe I'll put together another front and stitch them together with top loops so I can reverse it to mix up the decor? eeeee, that sounds like a good idea! Wish me luck!

Blogs I Follow

2009-10-26T15:19:00.002-05:00

I realized this morning as I was blogging and posting some new things on my etsy, that all I ever seem to blog about anymore are new items in my shop and I wanted to take a minute to blog about something else! And what better to blog about than my favorite blogs! Because if you like to see what I make, maybe you'd also like to see what I read? Maybe?

Last year I blogged about Sew Mama Sew, a fantastic blog that has inspiring sewing ideas and pattern for free. Last year Sew Mama Sew did an amazing Handmade Holiday collection of gifts that you could make for the holidays. This month, they are doing a scrap busting month with ideas and patterns to convert all of your scrap fabric into beautiful things! Go check it out! I'm especially inspired by this and this and this...

Here are a few other crafty blogs that I read almost every day (when they post something new!)

http://stardustshoes.blogspot.com/
Who posted a cute fabric box that she made the other day.

http://artsycraftybabe.typepad.com/
Who sells gorgeous purses on Etsy and has recently been experimenting with handstitching from Alabama Chanin's book.

http://craftapple.wordpress.com/
Who is a quilter but posts all kinds of great sewing tips for non-quilters as well! Her recent blog features the newest edition of Stitch Magazine which I keep meaning to get my hands on... my friend D bought it for my friend N's birthday and I almost stole it from the birthday girl!

These are a few of my favorite sewing blogs, check them out and share some of your favorites!

Holiday Prep

2009-10-26T10:36:00.004-05:00

The last few weeks have been pretty crazy for me between work and helping to organize the SECAC conference that my department was hosting and procrastinating in front of my beads... phew! I realized this week that I tend to make more jewelry when I am busy than when I have free time. Isn't that odd? When I am crazy busy I have to reward myself with 15-20 minutes of non-work every now and then, so I end up turning to my craft room as my getaway space. I can easily start and stop a jewelry project as my spare time dictates. I just keep all of my current project's materials in a velvet lined tray and drop it into a bureau drawer when I stop (to keep it away from kitties). With this method I posted 6-8 new things on my etsy website these last 2 weeks! Much more than my normal listing speed!

It also occurred to me that now is the time to start building up my shop for the holiday season. The more items you have the more likely you will have just the right thing for a buyer! So my goal is to keep making and posting regularly for the next few weeks. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum!

I've also started a facebook fan page. I'm not sure if I will keep it up yet. So far I've only been using it to promote new listings in the shop and thats kinda boring I think. I haven't decided if I really have a use for it yet!

Thought I'd post a few pics of new things in the shop just to spice up this post, hope you like!

Red and Brown Stitch Markers

2009-10-14T09:45:00.003-05:00

I've been having a terrible time lately with my camera. It's definitely time for a new one. But last night I was so excited to post some of the new things I've made that I fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with the lighting and the magnifying until I squeezed out a handful of decent pictures for listing. I'm not happy with the lighting still but its better than it used to be.

Here are two new sets of stitch markers. I really don't think the lighting does the colors justice but it will have to do. The red is far more jewel toned than it appears in the pictures. Whats a girl to do! Making stitch markers makes me miss knitting. I haven't seriously picked up my knitting needles since my move south. Partly this is because of a lack of time but mostly its because I just don't feel like knitting when its hot outside and it is always hot here. Or at least warm-ish. Sigh. Maybe I should take a project with me to Maine for Christmas, two weeks of knitting over the holidays might be in order!

Green Mod Earrings

2009-09-18T15:52:00.002-05:00

I love the cute modern designs on these silver findings. So bubble-y and sweet :) At first I wanted to put them with some sort of candy color, but the green Jade adds an earthy tone to the earrings that I really like. In fact, I have one pair posted on Etsy, one pair that I made for myself, and one pair that I gifted to my friend Nikki! Is it bad when you are your own biggest customer? ;-)

Belated Birthday Earrings

2009-09-16T13:26:00.002-05:00

I wanted to post these cute earrings that I made a few weeks ago but couldn't as they were a birthday surprise for my friend C! But I got a little thank you from her this week so I know she's gotten them in the mail and now I can post them! I've been having fun playing with alternative metals the last few times I've trekked to the craft store. Copper and bronze seem to be quite the IT fashion statement! I didn't want to distract from the gorgeous art deco inspired circular dangle that completes these earrings, so just some clear glass beads on this one, but they have great sparkle!

Just a few things

2009-09-11T22:50:00.005-05:00

With all the craziness thats been happening around me these last few weeks I've had very little time for crafting. Perhaps crafting is just what the doctor ordered though, to get my mind off of all the craziness, guess I should take that to mind this weekend! I finally got my sewing machine out for a test run in the new house to make a beautiful baby blanket for a friend who is expecting this October (but I forgot to take a picture!) and I whipped up a pair of flashy, sparkly dangling earrings for my friend Jen who will wear them as a bridesmaid in a wedding this fall. I can post those (seen above)! The bride likes them so much she commissioned a second pair! And I had a commission for a necklace that will be a birthday present for someone special (again no picture of that either!). Part of the problem with the pictures is that my camera isn't working so well. You might have noticed that my pictures have been less than par lately, strange pink stripes on the edges and whatnot. Another problem is that I haven't been able to find the right place for picture taking in the new house. The new house has a big old beautiful pecan tree in the back yard, so big it overshadows the house and gives wonderful relieving shade to the whole lot. Unfortunately for me, that means I get no bright sunlight to take pictures with. I'll have to think of a lighting alternative, multiple florescents or some such!

A Real Kitchen

2009-08-13T19:50:00.002-05:00

The move might have happened back in June but I'm still trying to make this house into a home and getting rid of unseemly brown boxes is only one part of the problem. Another part of the problem has been our kitchen, which until last week and for the last four years has been unfinished wood. Well, with the aid and especially the momentum of my mother, I now have a kitchen, a real kitchen. We primed and painted the cabinets and what a difference it makes, in the kitchen and in my mind! It's given me a renewed energy to work on other parts of the house. Thanks Mom!

And Moose and Lobster!

2009-07-27T22:34:00.003-05:00

And of course the obligatory Maine Moose pictures! And a Lobster!

On of three baby moose that were being cared for at the Maine Wildlife Park. It's just a baby and it stands taller than Miss Emi!

And the real thing, this moose was so big and his antlers so heavy that his breathing made him rock back and forth as he slept.

Mmmm dinner....

Maine: The Way Life Should Be

2009-07-27T22:03:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to post a few pictures of my recent trip to Maine. Growing up in Maine you don't always appreciate the beauty of the surrounding landscape but now as a bit of an outsider I am awed by it. I spent my two weeks home visiting friends and family and seeing as much of the sea as I could. The weather wasn't as inspiring as I would have liked, it rained or threatened as much for 14 of the 18 days I was home. But luckily I managed to make it to the beach on the nice day!

Other than beaching I spent time with two of my college friends on Cape Cod where we visited a fabulous pick your own farm. I could not stop snapping pictures the whole time we were there with all the lush greenery springing from the earth!

And of course I spent a whole lot of time with my favorite niece and nephew! Here they are at Home Depot's Saturday Kids Clinic where they were making a Picnic Caddy. You can tell little Joey is really going to town with his tools! After we finished with the clinic we went into the store for a few things and every tool we passed Joey said, "I want that for my birthday next year." Power Drill, "I want that for my birthday next year." Table Saw, "I want that for my birthday next year." Etc. Very cute. And Emi did a great job of making her Picnic Caddy without getting anything on her lovely dress :)

It was a great visit and I miss the kiddos already!

Sushi at Home

2009-06-20T19:04:00.002-05:00

A and I have had a busy and tough last few weeks with his work schedule and the impending move, so last night I decided we needed a night together in the kitchen. There is something so comforting and home-y about cooking together. We love to go out for sushi, in fact our second date was to a sushi restaurant, so I thought I'd try to teach him to make sushi. It's something I've done at home once or twice but it's been a while and I love to do it! Here's a look at our feast! We made three types of rolls, one California roll, one roll with shrimp, crab, and cucumber, and one roll of A's own making with who knows what in it (I know it included some hot sauce so I steered clear of it!). We also made Summer Rolls similar to the ones that I learned to make from my friend Julia (Thanks Jules!) and Miso soup with rice noodles. It was far more food than we could eat, but look how fabulous!

Coconut Cake!

2009-05-25T12:43:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was A's birthday! I asked him what kind of cake was his favorite and instead of the usual Chocolate or Vanilla or Carrot Cake, all cake's I've made before, I got Coconut Cake! Now let me preface by saying birthdays are a big deal in my family, probably because we all have a really big sweet tooth and will come up with any excuse to invite people over for cake and birthdays are a more natural excuse than say President's day cake or random Sunday cake. So I searched through recipes and cookbooks looking for an easy and delicious looking Coconut cake and decided on one by Paula Dean, Jaimie's Coconut Cake. It was pretty simple, your basic 1-2-3-4 Cake as she calls them but with coconut milk in the batter and then a sour cream and coconut filling and of course coconut sprinkled on top. Coconut inside and out! It came out beautifully, although my icing skills leave much to be desired... A loved it and that's what counts the most, that and the fact that the coconut sprinkled on top hides all sort of problem spots! I asked him later last evening the last time he had coconut cake and what it was like, just for comparison and what did he say? It was plain white cake and white frosting and coconut sprinkled on top! Much simpler than what I came up with, but I suspect not quite as exciting :)

Checkbook Cover

2009-05-25T11:41:00.002-05:00

Here's a little glance at another project that I made from the Heather Ross Weekend Sewing book, the Checkbook Cover. This was a very easy pattern to follow, not so much of a pattern as a tutorial or instructions since it did not require a physical pattern as such. I was excited to use this black and white fabric scrap left over from my recent bag project and I thought it was fun to pair it with something bright like this teal floral print. I'm not using it as a checkbook cover however, I'm storing my coupons in it and keeping it in my purse, it makes a great little organizer!

Gracie's Dress

2009-05-21T16:59:00.002-05:00

I'm in love with this little dress that I made for my friend's daughter Gracie! It came out really really cute. I posted about it a few posts back. The pattern came out of Heather Ross' new book Weekend Sewing, which I am totally in love with! I've also made the CheckBook Cover from the book (which I am using as a coupon holder) and am just hems away from finishing the Kimono Dress for myself! Wait til you see the Dress! Love it! But one post at a time!

New Earrings!

2009-05-18T18:27:00.002-05:00

After several cloudy days I finally had enough sun today to take some pictures of the new earrings that I made last week! Both pairs have metal links as their base and dangling glass bead accents. I liked the teal and brown ones so much I kept the first pair for myself and made a second pair to put on Etsy!

Not Quite A Dress

2009-05-02T10:55:00.003-05:00

I mentioned in my last post that I had purchased some adorable fabric that called out to me for a dress for a good friend's daughter who will be 1 this month. Here's the fabric, isn't it cute?! It's called "Sweet Tweets" by Janet Gossard for Fabric by Spectrix and I picked it up at Joann's. I was double-y inspired by Heather Ross' new book Weekend Sewing, which had the cutest little dress in it with smocking at the top (aptly named the Smocked Sundress) and an easy summer feel to it, perfect for a growing girl and for the weather here in the south.

Well, yesterday was my last day of classes for the spring semester and as I finished up class around 1:30, I had all afternoon to play with my sewing machine and get this little project started. I was especially excited to learn how to make smocking, I can think of many opportunities where it would be helpful to have a little extra give or to avoid structuring a garment (not that I have any experience with structuring, but this seems like a great way to avoid anything too difficult for a while!). So I wound my bobbin with elastic cord and off I went! It was incredibly easy to make the smocking and I think it looks pretty good. In fact I was thinking that this pattern and shape would make a really cute maternity top, when else would a woman be able to wear bubblegum sweet birdies without looking silly? Alas, I don't know anyone in that state at the moment, but maybe I'll pick up a little more yardage anyways for future present making :)

New Metal Links

2009-05-02T10:02:00.003-05:00

I picked up these cute new metal links the other day and love the possibilities! I made a fun and eclectic necklace for my friend Diane's birthday this past weekend but alas I forgot to take a pic! Here are two sets of earrings that I made with similar links, the Raspberry Drops which have a great dangle to them, and the Blue Circles that are just gorgeous pale blue colors.

On another note I've been working on a dress for little girl I know who is turning 1 this month! I wasn't planning on making a little girl's dress but I saw the fabric in Joann's the other day and couldn't help but buy a yard and then I picked up Heather Ross' new Weekend Sewing book and low and behold there was the perfect pattern! I'll post pics of the dress next time when it's a little further along!

Visual Arts Faculty Exhibit

2009-04-22T23:07:00.002-05:00

This month several of my pieces of jewelry are on display in the Visual Arts Faculty Exhibit! I think it is such an honor to exhibit with the talented artists in my department when my role in the department is as an Art History Professor. Here you can see several pairs of earrings and two necklaces on display in one of the cabinets. I was excited to be able to share this with my mother as well who was visiting this past weekend from the far north (Maine)!

Bridesmaid Commission

2009-04-05T14:01:00.004-05:00

A few months ago, one of my best friend's (C.D.) initiated a conversation between myself and her sister (K.D.), who will be married this coming fall. K.D. had admired a pair of earrings that I had made for C.D. a few years back as a Christmas present and as luck would have it, the earrings perfectly match the dark raspberry pink of her bridesmaids dresses. So... she commissioned six pairs of the earrings for her bridal party! It was a wonderful commission for me but unfortunately I've had one illness after another this spring and didn't have a chance to complete them as quickly as I would have liked. Typically I like to complete commissions within days or weeks depending on the complexity, but this one was initiated shortly after Christmas of this year and I've only just finished them! Good thing the wedding isn't until September!

Oh Jamaica

2009-03-26T09:28:00.003-05:00

One last look at my trip to Jamaica. Here's a little video I took on the trip so you can see the beauty of Jamaica with the music and calming sound of the sea in the background...

Jamaica, No Problem

2009-03-22T20:46:00.003-05:00

I've got a lot of work to do tonight, but I felt the need to share a few pics with all of you who have been hounding me about the trip. For those not in the know, the BF and I spent last week in Jamaica. We had THE most amazing trip. No worries, no problems, at least once we arrived :) Here's a quick glimpse, I'll post more later!

Black and White for me!

2009-02-28T11:35:00.003-05:00

Those of you who know me have probably figured out that I like to wear mostly black and white (it's just so darned easy and looks good with my skin tone!), so you won't be surprised to learn that I had been hoarding a piece of black and white fabric for over a year now with the intention of making myself a great new bag.

Unfortunately I couldn't figure out what kind of bag I wanted to make with the fabulous swirling dyed fabric and so it sat, sadly in one of my bags of stashed fabric and waited, until yesterday! Yesterday, while I was out spending all my money at Target, I saw this bag and instantly fell in love! I love the print, of course, anything geometric with grey and/or orange will catch my eye lately, but it was the handles that blew me away. I love how they have the slightest curve and are doubled up at the top for extra stability for gripping or shoulder riding. So I studied the purse for a few minutes and thought the inevitable "I can do that!" And voila!

My version does not have the structured three panel look that the original had, nor did the handles come out quite the same. I made some alterations so that I could make it double sided with another gorgeous black and white print that I picked up at Joann's (a brocaded fabric at that, so it add some stability to the bag from its thickness). But I kept the shape of the handles and doubled over the hands (although mine are doubled over throughout, not just at the top, necessitated by the double sided bag). I adore it!

Mardi Gras in Mobile

2009-02-23T09:29:00.006-05:00

I've been spending a lot of my time this week celebrating Mardi Gras! Mobile, AL was the first city to do a big Mardi Gras (not New Orleans!) Mobile's version of Mardi Gras is much more family friendly than the hoopla slightly west of here in NOLA, but still a very big deal. There are parades every night for the two weeks leading up to the big day (and sometimes two!) and of course there is plenty of drinking and king cake and moon pies and revelry! Thought I would take this blog to show some pics of the parade for all of you and maybe convince some of you to come celebrate with me next year!

Birdie Birthday Cake

2009-02-15T11:43:00.003-05:00

As promised, here's a snapshot of the lovely cake that Nikki made for my belated birthday party last weekend! Isn't it gorgeous?! I absolutely love the cherry blossom look with icing and marzipan blossoms :) The cake was a three layer cake, brownie bottom, chocolate mousse, and chocolate cake, to die for! Half of the cake was sent home with the birthday girl and I hate to admit it but I didn't share much and it's gone! Good thing I'm back at the gym this week! Thanks Nikki! No, really THANKS!

Easy Pocket Wallet Tutorial

2009-02-09T20:19:00.007-05:00

OK, here we go! I had a request from a reader to produce a tutorial for the Easy Pocket Wallet that I posted about last month. I've never made a tutorial but I use them a lot, so I'm pretty familiar. You may doubt that after reading through this one, but I have used lots of them, I swear! Hopefully, this little tutorial will be as easy to figure out as the wallets are to make, really a cinch!

The first thing you need are 4 pieces of fabric measuring 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" in a fun print. Also, I like to iron my fabric before working with it, but I did not include this step in the pictures.

Put two of the pieces of fabric right sides together as seen in the photo. Do the same with the other two pieces of fabric.

Using a 1/4" seam allowance sew around 3 sides of one pair of fabric (below left). I like to also turn the corners on the fourth side to guide me in a later step, but this is unnecessary. The other pair of fabric pieces will eventually be the top of the wallet and so needs a diagonal (below right). I just eyeball what looks good on one of the shorter sides but for your convenience I have measured this one out. You can see the pencil marks on the photo below. The diagonal begins at 1 1/4" from the left and ends 1 1/4" down from the top right corner.

At this point you want to trim any excess fabric from the diagonal and trim the corners (see below right).

Now turn both pieces inside-out. Use a blunt pointed object to push out the corners, I like bamboo knitting needles from this (see above left).

Once your pieces are turned right-sides out, turn in the open ends and pin them closed.

Stitch around each side of the pieces with a 1/8" seam allowance. For my sewing foot, this is measured as the inside of the right hand guide, see pic below.

Now you should have two pieces like the ones below with even top stitching all the way around them.

Place the top piece (the one with the diagonal) on top of the bottom piece and stitch 3 sides together (left, bottom, and right in picture above) using the same 1/8" seam allowance as the previous step. You will be stitching over your top stitching. Trim any fly-away threads and you're done!

Birthday Cupcakes

2009-02-08T22:35:00.003-05:00

In much belated honor of my 30th Birthday (shhhhhh, don't tell anyone!) my friend Diane had a little dinner party for me this past weekend. We had a fabulous time, good food, fun games, and great friends! My friend Nikki made the cake, which was gorgeous and I will post pics later if I can get my hands on a copy. Nikki also brought me two birthday cupcake presents, which are not actually cupcakes, but voila! rolls of fabric!

How cute and thoughtful! Only a real friend will add to your fabric stash :) Thanks Nikki!

Bamboo Handled Purse Remade

2009-02-06T18:46:00.004-05:00

I'm so glad to be well enough for crafting again! I've been suffering from vertigo for the last week due to an errant calcium crystal in my inner ear. I'm still taking meds for the vertigo and am not well enough for driving yet, but I managed to drive the sewing machine this afternoon! It was so nice to be doing something again, making something. I've been commissioned by a friend to make a tea wallet for her mother's birthday, so I made it this afternoon, one step at a time, slowly, just in case it was a little too much for me. It went really well. I made two factory-line style, just in case I messed one up. I love the deep purple, almost fuschia color of this fabric.

I also finished a purse that has been sitting on my kitchen table for weeks. Because of the unusal bamboo handles on this one I was not able to complete the sewing on the sewing machine. The sewing machine just won't allow enough room for the handle. So I hand-stitched it while sitting on the couch after finishing the tea wallets. I haven't decided if I will sell this one or not, I truly love the fabric and the handles and shape of the bag as it has turned out. So here's some picks of the bag, but these are not the picks that will go up on my Etsy if I do chose to sell it. (Update: I did decide to post this bag on my Etsy, here's the link: Fan and Flower Print Purse)

I also wanted to post a new pick of the Bamboo Handled Purse that I posted about a few weeks ago. I restitched the edges to eliminate the visible designer name and the end result was that I lost the contrasting fabric around the handle that I loved so much. Bummer. I still like the bag, the print is so sweet, but I'm not sure if I'll keep it for my own after all. We'll see.

Favorite Placemat Bag

2009-01-31T14:33:00.003-05:00

The Sienna Flowers Cream Purse. I love this bag so much there is a really really good chance that if you try to find it on my Etsy page it might be gone. I might have to keep it. It will be a matter of the perfect outfit calling for the bag and that will be it, it will be a keeper. It happens more than I'd like to admit with earrings, I post them and then I MUST wear them, so then they are mine! I really like the floral print here, that the dark brown outline is most of the print but that there is one major sienna colored flower. Gorgeous. Loving the Sienna color.

Placemat Bags

2009-01-23T19:31:00.005-05:00

I've been spending the last couple of crafting sessions working on bags! Cute little bags! Most of the bags are very simple construction made from fun placemats that I've found at Target and World Market. I love the prints and this is an easy way to work with those fabrics and make something really cute with them! I've already sold three of these in the past couple of weeks, two to my friend Diane and one on Etsy today, woohoo! Here are the three I posted this morning (the pink one sold almost immediately!):

I also have been dying to make one of the Bamboo Handled Purses from Little Birdie Secrets' tutorial. So last night when I was supposed to be writing my lecture for today, I procrastinated by starting this little bag. Now Little Birdie Secrets used a thicker interior decoration fabric and since I didn't have any of that in my stash that would make a cute bag (or the bag of dreams anyways), I decided to line mine. I got it about half done last night, cutting and sewing the main part of the bag and added the handles this evening. It really came together quite nicely except for one little flaw, one of my seams shows the seam edge (white with the designers mark on it!). Oops. Guess I was a little tired when I was cutting and sewing after all! I should have cut that edge off the fabric or at least used a wider seam allowance to make it disappear! Oh well, this just means I MUST keep the bag for my own and not sell it :) Which is fine by me, I think it's super cute! And I love the color combo that I chose, making the lining also appear at the handle.

Easy Pocket Wallet

2009-01-19T14:00:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I went to New Orleans with some friends and you know what they say, necessity is the mother of invention? Well it worked for me on Saturday. Friday night I started thinking about packing and couldn't find my little change purse that I often use in lieu of carrying around a wallet on nights out. I'm sure many of you know how annoying it is to carry around a purse when you're out for the evening! So I started thinking, maybe I can make one! But I didn't want the hassle of a zipper, so then I thought about the cute tea wallets and how I could make a wallet for my license, credit card, and cash. But I didn't want anything bulky. So I decided on a simple sleeve to hold everything together. I whipped one up with leftover fabric Saturday morning and brought it to the gym to brainstorm improvements with my friend Diane.

Diane suggested a diagonal opening for easy access, which was brilliant since I had put in a cut out tab opening that did not look polished, and here's the result! I finished it with moments to spare as I packed and headed off to New Orleans! This one is still a prototype though, after a weekend of going in and out of my pocket, one of the seams has come loose, so I'll make another one soon with a wider seam allowance!

Tea Wallet Mania

2009-01-15T22:15:00.002-05:00

A few months ago I came across the cutest Tea Wallets on Etsy, made by EliteElishi, and typical of the women in my family I instantly thought, "I can do that!" Now I'm a proponent of supporting crafters and I know that every crafter has their own particular style and I do purchase hand crafted things on occassion but I also really love to sew and was excited to see a small project. So I searched online for a tutorial and behold! I found this Tea Wallet Tutorial over at Christys Creations. It was super easy to follow and fun to make. I made a few adjustments for my personal taste, mainly using a regular matching button on the cover and ribbon to catch the button instead of fabric. So I made three of these little wallets assembly style, one for myself and two as little Christmas present extras for some friends. Aren't they super cute! I've very proud of the way they turned out since I don't have that much experience using interfacing!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-12T22:33:00.004-05:00

I'm a bit in denial about the new year. 2009. It seems so far in the future and yet here we are. I've been away from the blog for about a month, mostly because I went home for the holidays. The beauty of being an academic is all the vacation time, it almost makes up for the amount of work you take home with you the rest of the year! I had a wonderful time at home, spending time with my Mama and the rest of my family, especially my Niece Em and Nephew Jo-Jo. I visited with lots of friends, High School gals and my Colby girls! And I turned the inevitable 30. It was a crazy busy, fun filled, love filled, and snow filled winter break and I'm giving you a little photo montage of the vacation to catch you up to speed!

The Gingerbread house that Emi and Mom made!

Mom's favorite Nativity scene.

Emi and Jo-Jo playing in the snow!

"Who's the King of the Mountain? Joey!"

Christmas Presents

2008-12-13T18:51:00.002-05:00

So I haven't posted anything new in a while, sorry to anyone who checks! I've been really busy with the end of my semester (in case you don't know, my non crafting alter ego is an art history professor). And when I've emerged from beneath the mounds of grading for a few breaths of air I've been maniacly making presents for almost everyone in my family for Christmas. I'm having a very handmade Christmas this year. Mostly things that I've made, a few things I've picked up on Etsy, and one or two presents from in-person stores, but a limited few. So of course that means I can't show you what I've been working on because it might just be for you (mom)!

Instead I thought I would post a few new pics of things in my stash. I realized the other day as I was relisting some jewelry on my Etsy site, that some of the items in my shop have been sitting there for way too long and I could tell by the pictures, and what if my customers could tell by the pictures?! So I spent this morning, my second morning post-semester, taking new pics of some beautiful earrings that just don't deserve to sit in my closet, they deserve love and wearing!

Craft-y Inspiration

2008-11-24T15:30:00.004-05:00

I really like the idea of sharing with you all my favorite sites for Craft-y Inspiration, so here's another blog I check every day: Craft: Blog or Craftzine.com Blog. This blog is kept up in conjunction with a fabulous magazine called CRAFT that you must check out, lots of great ideas and fun projects and gorgeous pics! The blog is constantly updating with craft project tutorials and ideas found online, and often sends me to unexpected places for inspiration!

For example, today I came across a really beautiful cable sweater pattern that I am going to flag for future use. It's a gorgeous cable pull over that would be very light for Southern weather yet has a really sophistacated look with three quarter length bell sleeves. See here for pic. The pattern made its way from the Lime & Violet blog (also one of my favorites for another day) and Lime & Violet found the pattern from artist Hinke Schreuders! What a tangled web we weave! I love that Craftzine pulls so many great ideas together in one site! Thank you Craftzine!

Chain Links

2008-11-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

Like all good nights of craft inspiration, I'd been concocting some earrings in my head all week and finally last night sat down and made two pairs. I'd been thinking about these silver links in circles and ovals that I had and accenting them with dangling chains and earthy colors. These are the two that I came up with. I have a few more ideas to come but I ran out of the fine sterling silver chain that I like, so maybe I'll make a run to Michael's this afternoon to pick up some more. I don't think the pictures do justice to the oval pair, the freshwater pearls have a gorgeous iridescence to them that changes the color from dark forest green to almost copper colored.

I've been Tagged

2008-11-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

I'm really excited to have been tagged! On all the blogs that I read I see the bloggers playing little games with each other, but never thought my little blog would draw anyone's attention! This tag asks for 6 random things about me!

1) I'm caffeine intolerant, but that doesn't stop me from eating chocolate or drinking the occasional sweet tea.

2) I own snowshoes and cross country skiis and a plethora of hats and scarves but I live in a town that gets less than an inch of snow every ten years or so.

3) I have a 6-7 month old kitten but I'm allergic to cats so she has to sleep in a separate bedroom.

4) I like to go to the beach all year round, like even when I'm in Maine at Christmas and it's 20 degrees outside, just to hear the waves and smell the salt air.

5) I'm missing the bottom part of my right knee cap from an incident involving a school bus and a bee when I was in middle school.

6) I sleep on one of those foam contour pillows for my back, nothing makes you feel like an old lady like taking you contour pillow to a sleep over! Oh well!

The rules:
* Mention the rules on your blog.*
Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
* Tag six others*
Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they are tagged.

Favorite Site for Sewing Ideas

2008-11-20T16:07:00.002-05:00

I know that many of my readers like to dabble in the craft-i-ness, just like moi, so I thought I would blog a little about some of my favorite sites to visit, etsy shops, and blogs I read! My absolute must read every-day blog is the Sew Mama Sew Blog. Sew Mama Sew is a fabric store that also runs an amazing website for sews to learn from and inspire each other. There are forums for discussion and links to photos of others' projects. Its really a great stop for sewing inspiration. I got turned on to Sew Mama Sew last year when they were running special Handmade Holiday blogs, every day for the month of November there was a post suggesting handmade, mostly sewn, gift giving ideas, complete with tutorials on how to make these great gifts! It was an inspiration to me and really opened my eyes to the online world of sewing tutorials! I'm excited that they are doing it again this year and encourage you all to go check out the November blogs for Handmade Holiday suggestions (Here's the direct link to the Handmade Holiday 2008 Archives!)! With this years excessively perilous economy, wouldn't it be nice to spend more time and less money on gift giving?

New Earrings

2008-11-19T15:37:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to show off the new things I've posted this week now that my camera is up and running!

Foyer Table

2008-11-17T09:54:00.003-05:00

Last weekend when my mother was in town, I had a whole list of things I was hoping to do to the apt. many of those things did not get accomplished unfortunately, there is only so much time in a weekend and we filled every minute with shopping and enjoying each others' company. The one thing on the list that we got done was to find a foyer table for the entry to the apt and to hang the very heavy iron mirror above it. We found the table at World Market and it was a little more than I hoped to spend but still within budget and I love the carved design below the table top. As you can see, it is also just the right size, perfect fit! And yesterday I found the perfect vase to go on top. I wanted something tall with a punch of color. I'm not sure the pics do this vase justice, it was difficult to capture the color, its a very dark maroon with a handful of red prints of flowers and asian symbols. Definitely warms up the space! Now if only I could find an armour to hide the TV and end tables and lamps to fix the lighting in the living room...

Fabric Stash and Sewing Projects

2008-11-16T23:44:00.003-05:00

So this afternoon my friend Nikki and I went fabric shopping! Dangerous stuff, I know, but I was on a mission. I want to make some Christmas presents and needed to pick up some patterns, but I didn't end up working on any of those projects tonight. Of course, fabric shopping and talking about sewing projects with Nikki got the creative juices flowing and after sending her the tutorial that I used to make my plastic bag dispenser a few weeks ago (http://www.dioramarama.com/2006/12/grocery_bag_dispense.html) , I was inspired to whip up another one. This one will be a Christmas present, receiver will remain unnamed until further notice for gift giving privacy concerns, but if you know me, you can probably guess by the print :)

I also did a serious combing through my stash (picture above) looking for other inspiration (and just because sometimes you really need a reminder of what you have in that bag!) and I found a small fragment of vibrantly hued pink butterfly fabric, that I just know my niece would love. So I whipped up a drawstring backpack for her.

It's a perfect addition to her birthday package that I've been putting together (which will be a smidge late since today is her birthday, oops, bad Auntie!)

New Camera Batteries!

2008-11-16T15:19:00.003-05:00

So... my rechargeable camera batteries finally kicked the bucket. My mother was visiting last weekend and on our trip to the beach I was able to shoot 7 pictures in fairly rapid succession before the batteries died (thats her in the first pic!). Then this week I tried to shoot a few things to post on Etsy and only got 3 pictures taken before it died. Needless to say I was pretty fed up with the camera. I was considering getting a new camera for Christmas, Santa loves an easy Shopping List, but then I thought I'd try to buy new batteries. I picked some up two nights ago and have been itching fo rthe sun to come out to try them out and behold! I took over 50 pics this morning of all the treasures I've made in the past 2 weeks, so I'll be posting them on Etsy slowly over this week, two at a time. Here are the first 2 that I posted today! Now I'll have to think of something else for Santa to get me... any ideas?

Power Earrings

2008-11-04T13:41:00.002-05:00

Have you ever heard the adage that animals prints are power prints? I couldn't help but think of it when I made these earrings. The lampwork glass beads are a beautiful orange-y copper color with a black polka dot within simulating a leopard print! I think they would add just the right punch to a black suit or dress to add some wow factor!

PS. Hope everyone made it to the polls today, no complaining for the next four years if you didn't vote!

Vampire Kitteh

2008-11-02T13:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Belated Halloween everyone! I took this pic this morning and it just seemed quite fitting for the season. I purchased a laundry basket for Annibelle a few weeks ago in hopes of giving her a cozy place to sleep now that I've banished her from my bedroom at night but I hadn't seen her actually get in the thing on her own, let alone sleep in it til this morning! Yay! She was very comfy in it until I got out the camera, which apparently makes a very intriguing sound every time I turn it on. Humph. Anyways, this was actually the beginning of a yawn, the second pic is 2 second later, such a cutie pie!

Leopard Print Rarrrrrr

2008-10-30T17:19:00.002-05:00

Sometimes you just have to let that fabulous side of yourself out, right? The other day I saw these beads in my craft store and, well, just couldn't hep myself. My inner goddess/ lioness/ leopardess, you pick, snatched them off the wall and put them in my shopping basket. Sometimes I really love animal prints, I've been far more into giraffe prints lately, but how often do you see giraffe print glass beads? Never. So I figured I was lucky enough to snag these beads, I would run wild with them :-) And I suspect that inner wildness runs rampant within knitting circles, therefore, they become stitch markers! I've also worked up two more of these beads into a pair of earrings that I'll be posting in the shop in a day or two in case anyone is interested!

Pink Jasper Sets

2008-10-30T11:35:00.002-05:00

So I've definitely been feeling pink lately. This weekend when I was doing all of that bead shopping, I picked up a ton of pink jasper! I didn't even realize it until I sat down to make the necklaces, that I had these graduated pink jasper teardrops and that I had purchased the pink jasper medallions the day before! In my defense they are very different in size and in pattern, in fact I'm curious how they can really be the same stone, but thats how they are labeled and since I don't really know any better I can't argue. I suspect the medallions are pink jasper but within some other stone. Anyways, I've just posted one of these sets on Etsy and will post the other set tomorrow! Hope you like them!

Match-y Match-y

2008-10-29T12:09:00.003-05:00

Here's one of the necklaces that I made over the weekend! I finally had an opportunity to photograph and list them! Well, I've liste done of them. I didn't have time to list the other two yet. Either tonight or tomorrow sometimes I guess. This is the necklace that coordinates with the earrings I blog about yesterday. I've been told not to use the term "matching", that it sounds like you can't wear other things with them or some such thing. So I'm using the term co-ordinating. I doubt it makes much of a difference but I'm willing to give it a try! So this necklace coodinates nicely with the last set of earrings. :-)

Too many necklaces!

2008-10-27T22:12:00.002-05:00

I've been on a necklace spree the last few days but I didn't have any lobster clasps to finish them off with! Eek! So I finally made the sacrifice to go to Michael's after school today and pick up some supplies. Of course they were have a sale. I'm proud I got out of there spending less that $20! But then since I was down in that direction, made a pit-stop at Joann's, where I picked up some fabrics for Christmas presents, and then while I was at it went to Barnes & Noble too. Didn't spend anything there but got some great ideas for presents for my brother and for a friend of mine who is expecting twins... who also reads this blog so I will say no more....

Anyways, here's a sneak preview of the posts for this week. These are a pair of earrings that coordinate with one of the necklaces I made this weekend! I made matching earrings for all three. This set I am posting separately, the other two I will post as earring and necklace sets. I love these beads together. I picked them up on Saturday at my favorite bead store, which was having a trunk show. Love trunks shows! It's a great opportunity to see things that aren't normally in the shop! Like these beads! Clearly I was inspired. Hope you like!

Weekend Projects

2008-10-26T17:21:00.003-05:00

So it seems that crafting has become a weekend only project. I went to town last night after getting home from the Mobile Roller Derby (yup, thats what I said). I had been working out some necklace designs in my mind all day and whipped them up last night along with coordinating earrings for each and another pair of earrings. Then made more earrings this morning! Phew! So now I just need to go buy some more lobster clasps to finish the necklaces with and I'll post them. Posted these two pairs of earrings this morning, check them out!

Playful Annibelle Video

2008-10-21T11:35:00.002-05:00

Maybe I should keep some of these...

2008-10-21T10:40:00.003-05:00

I posted two more sets of stitch markers this morning. And it occurred to me, I don't have any stitch markers of my own to use! It's that silly? I've been posting all of these really pretty stitch markers and I haven't made a pair for myself. Maybe I should keep a set for myself! The thing is, I hardly do any knitting now. I have a half finished pair of fetching gloves made that I had begun when I was in Maine two summers ago, before I moved to Alabama. It seems that once I moved south, I lost my interest in knitting, maybe because it is always so warm outside. I do like to knit when its cold out and I'm all curled up in a chair by the TV. I just haven't been moved. This summer I started a new project, a daunting one, a sweater! And I haven't done more than one night's work on it. It's sitting on the bookshelf. I can see it from here. But I can't work on it with the kitkit around and she's always around. Hm... Maybe I will bring knitting home to Maine for Christmas. Maybe by then I will need a set of stitch markers to call my own?

More Stitch Markers

2008-10-20T18:20:00.002-05:00

A few days ago, after putting my sewing machine away, I also thought it was time to put away the jewelry stuff, so I cleaned and cleaned of fthe dining table til nothing was left (almost)> And then, of course, I was inspired to create! How does that always happen? So I took out a limited number of supplies and worked on a handful of sets of stitch markers. I'm hoping they will be good sellers for the upcoming holidays!

More Sewing Projects

2008-10-14T10:26:00.004-05:00

I thought I would share some of my other sewing projects from the other night when I made Anni's new sleeping bag. I also made a plastic bag dispenser, a project that has been on my to-do list for almost a year! And two little bags to pack lingerie in when I travel. I hate to idea of the TSA people scrounging through my undies....

Here is the plastic bag dispenser. This will come in handy for clearing out the floor of my pantry, whichi s currently covered in bags! I use the bags for my bathroom garbage cans and for taking out the cat litter, very handy and good recycling I think. Plus look how cute the fabric is! The bottom fabric was another gift from my friend Nikki, she clearly has good taste in fabric, can't believe she gave me some of her stash! I used the tutorial from www.dioramarama.com to make it, although it is mostly a free hand tutorial. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://www.dioramarama.com/2006/12/grocery_bag_dispense.html I found it on the Sew Mama Sew Blog from last year's Holiday Handmade. What a great series that was!

The other project from Sunday night was this set of lingerie bags. No tutorial here, just stiched up one side for the pull strings and then folded over the rectangle. Very straight forward, but I like to organize things when I pack and I like the idea of keeping my under things in separate bags when I travel. Plus, how cute is this fabric? Picked that up at JoAnn's last weekend without any projects in mind, just couldn't help myself! Sorry these picks are so dark, camera batteries started flashing at me, so I was in a hurry to download!

What's New

2008-10-13T09:32:00.003-05:00

Here's another new pair of earrings I whipped up. I made these a few days ago but really had to hem and haw about whether or not I was going to keep them for myself. The end decision was, I have another pair of these briolettes and many more of those pearls so if I decide I must have them, I'll make myself another pair :) I think these would be lovely as bridal earrings, something blue maybe?

Kitteh Sack

2008-10-12T20:52:00.003-05:00

So I noticed recently that Target has some really, really cute Kitty accessories that have a handmade appearance. There were toys and beds and sacks and I almost bought some of them when I realized, I CAN DO THAT! So today, after making a pair of earrings and hemming and hawing over a necklace that never did get finished, I converted my jewelry making space, i.e. the kitchen table, into my sewing space and went to town.

I whipped up a kitty sack out of this lovely brown canvas with a swirling leaf and butterfly pattern. I had intended to make Annibelle a comfy bed with this fabric but after seeing how much she loves being nestled inside the paper bag I thought she really needed a more permanent sleeping bag. And it is definitely a success! As soon as I put it down from my table she jumped on it and layed down and after half a second of coaxing she was inside her own bed. I used a gorgeous yellow flower print gifted to me last weekend from my friend and colleague Nikki to trim the endge and for the bird applique on the front. Thanks Nikki!

Lotus Blossoms

2008-10-11T10:53:00.004-05:00

It seems to me that sometimes making jewelry is like the flowering of lotus blossoms, known for their enchanting beauty, which arises out of murky water. Well, here's a picture of my murky water, the mess that is my dining table when I'm working on my jewelry!

And low and behold, I've been making more earrings with flowers! How poetic :) These are plum colored iridescent freshwater pearls wire wrapped around silver ovals and anchored with a glass flower.

New Lovelies

2008-10-09T11:16:00.002-05:00

So here's a peak at some of the other new things I whipped up over the weekend. I think I will start making a habit of being creative on the weekends. Maybe even devote one weekend night per week to it. That would keep the shop busy and it really does keep my mind active to have something to think about other than my work all the time. I need to spend more time cultivating my creative side instead of being such a couch potato, as much as being a couch potato is also keeping my mind off of work, it is not improving it in any way. Sigh.

Ode to Anni

2008-10-08T19:34:00.002-05:00

Poor little Annibelle, my kitkit, had surgery today, time for her spay. So I thought I would post some pics of her from yesterday when she was worry free and silly. Here she is, playing in a paper bag. Apparently it was pretty comfortable in there, all cozy, since she quickly fell asleep! What a cutie! She's doing ok this evening, sleeping next to the laptop right now.

Holiday Prep

2008-10-07T12:27:00.004-05:00

In time for the Holidays I've started posting all those new pretties that I made over the weekend. I will try to keep up my current trend of listing or re-listing one or two items almost every day! I have quite a few new things listed on my Etsy site, so go check them out! Here's a lovely beige stone necklace and earrings set that I recently listed. I dreamt about this color combo of the soft pink with these soft brown starburst patterned stones for a couple of nights before I sat down and made this necklace. I do love the way the glass beads compliment the stones. I think they'll make a perfect Christmas gift set for someone!

Inspiration

2008-10-05T09:46:00.003-05:00

Wow, last night I was on a roll! I set up my jewelry making supplies on the dining table and created created created all night long! I think I made a necklace, 6 pairs of earrings, and a pendant! I'll be posting them on my Etsy site over the course of this week, so watch for them!

Here's the pendant that I finished last night. I love the way it hangs. I tried doing a horizontal orientation instead of the other pendants which are all vertical. I also added a little bling to the pendant, which I love :-) Sparkly! This pendant coordinates with a pair of earrings that I made a few weeks ago! I know this pic is bad, I'm waiting for my camera batteries to recharge and then there will be better ones!

Coordinating Pendants

2008-10-03T23:13:00.003-05:00

So I've been experimenting with my paper based earrings and have made a handful of matching pendants. I'm not sure yet about posting matchy-matchy sets. I have sold a set, it sold rather quickly. And I'm told they tend to sell well as gift sets, so maybe its a good idea for the impending Christmas season. Here are two of the pendants that I'm posting. Right now I have them listed separately on Etsy with references to the coordinating jewelry. I've also been really into necklaces lately, probably why I've experimented with the pendants, so I might have something new to post soon!

Relisting

2008-09-14T15:34:00.003-05:00

For those of you who are familiar with the ins and outs of the Etsy website, you'll understand the premise of relisting on Etsy as a form of promotion. I don't tend to overuse this feature to prop my sales up, I probably should, but it always feels wasteful to me to relist when I have already spent money to post an item. I suppose if I found it boosted my sales I would be more prone to relisting. I'm giving it a shot for the next couple of weeks, trying to relist items so I have something fresh every couple of days. I also took this opportunity to edit the pics on one of my favorite necklaces that has been sitting in the shop for quite some time. Maybe the new pics will do it justice!

As Predicted...

2008-09-10T14:00:00.002-05:00

As predicted, I've been going to town with this style of earrings with the paper base. There are just so many cute papers out there! I'm obsessed with paper products as it is, I think thats part of the academic in me, and since I can't seem to get in to scrapbooking, I can use their papers (and origami papers lately) for my own craft! Here are a series of earrings that I made with origami papers last week. I've had to pack away my jewelry stuff this week because kitten is getting more adventurous, but there will be more soon!

Paper Rock Scissors

2008-08-31T14:46:00.003-05:00

I've been working for a month or so trying to perfect a new earring design that uses all the beautiful papers that are out there now with the popularity of scrapbooking. We academics do seem obsessed with paper, so it makes sense that the craft side of my brain would latch on to this material as well :) After many experiments with glue and spray paints and eventually nail polish... I've come up with these rectangular paper based forms. I like the versatility of the technique because I can use any kind of paper to whip up a base rectangle! Look for many more of these to come! Here I've posted a pair with a really pretty floral pattern that reminds me of a vintage fabric and a pair with a maroon and cream dot pattern that is reminiscent of Art Deco!

Earring Inspiration

2008-08-28T11:43:00.002-05:00

So I've gotten back into the swing of creativity! That somehow always happens when I have other things I should be doing! but I figured out how to keep the kitten off of my dining table and since I can no longer create on the livingroom floor, I've set up shop on the table and it calls to me every time I walk by! Here are two new pairs of earring that I posted on Etsy today! Now if only I could find a way to take photos without making the kitten curious...

Blue and Cream

2008-08-26T09:58:00.002-05:00

I recently added a cute new purse to my Etsy page. It's blue and cream and I had intended to make it for myself but let's be honest, a girl can only use so many bags at one time! And since I still can't go anywhere without my white one (see pics below) I thought I'd put it up for sale! I'm a little concerned about putting non-jewelry objects up in my shop. Since the shop is called EJewelryDesigns, I worry about the integrity of the shop having other things in it. I've considered opening a second shop to sell things like my sewing projects and maybe eventually some knitting things, but it is hard enough to do promotion for one shop! I just don't think I could handle the upkeep of two. So for now, there will be the odd project listed in EJewelryDesigns!

Playing Fetch

2008-08-21T12:31:00.002-05:00

Annibelle loves to fetch her blue ball! But since she has stage fright in front of company, I thought I'd post a video for everyone!

Thanks Auntie Alli!

2008-08-16T09:38:00.004-05:00

I wanted to post more kitten pics, so here's a tribute to Alli, who graciously gave Annibelle this crinkle tube that her kitty wasn't using. Anni loves the crinkle tube! She's a bit scared of it sometimes, but apparently in a good way. She loves to nibble the strings on the end and drag it around that way. here she's crawling through it, very gingerly...

And Stitch Markers?

2008-08-14T16:14:00.002-05:00

So recently on a trip to Ithaca, I visited the local yarn store to check out a sale. And when I was checking out I saw a pile of decorative stitch markers and thought, I can do that! So I did! I listed two sets of knitting stitch markers on my Etsy site this week. They're very pretty and will make a nice decoration while knitting for any lucky buyers. I only made two sets though to see if they sell, before I spend too much time on them. They're fun to whip up!

Bags Bags Bags!

2008-08-12T11:32:00.003-05:00

If you've seen the blog before you'll know that this past year I've taken up sewing. Well, this spring I started making bags and they are addictive! As if I didn't have an addition to buying bags before, now I'm also making more than I can use! Of course I've given one or two to my mother to lighten up my stash and to share the love :)
Here's a glimpse at two of the bags I've made from placemats, not nearly as cheesy as that sounds I hope. I've gotten a ton of compliments on the white one that is now my "go-to" purse for everyday use and I'm thinking about putting a few on my Etsy site...

Look , my first attempt at a button! I think it came out pretty well and I love these buttons with the leaf design, very pretty.

Annibelle

2008-08-09T22:17:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything new on here but a lot has happened in the past few months! I got a kitten! Annibelle! She was only 5 weeks old when I got her and just under 1 pound! Shortly after getting her I went to Maine for amonth and left her int he care of my friend Kara who had adopted Anni's sister. She was in good hands and grew leaps and bounds while I was away! Here are a few pics of Anni! The second one is Anni sleeping on my mom's shoulder, she was so tiny then!

Hoops!

2008-05-03T22:01:00.003-05:00

Since it is the end of th semester I have had a lot more free time on my hands, well, not free exactly, but I have been making more time for jewelry making :) I've posted quite a few new things on Etsy, this is just a sampling. Hope you find something that you like!

I love these amber accented hoops. I saw a pair of hoops this shape last weekend in a boutique and thought I could jazz the shape up with some beads, mine are a bit larger and made of sterling silver wire. I like them so much I might wear them one day and be forced to take them off my etsy page! We'll see!

Inspiration

2008-04-27T13:43:00.004-05:00

It has been a long time since I have been inspired to make new earrings, but this past weekend my mother was in town visiting and she has become a bit of a novice jewelry designer herself, so we spent a good deal of time sitting on the floor of my living room oogle-ing beads. It was a lot of fun and after she left I whipped up a few new things and am posting them in batches today and tomorrow on the Etsy site. Here's a sneak peak!

Etsy Shop Update

2008-01-30T22:06:00.000-05:00

I made another shop update today. I've been adding a few pairs a day for the last few days but now I've run out of new earrings. Here are a few of the most recent earrings to go in the shop.

I have so many new projects that I want to work on this weekend, I can't decide which to do and I just can't do them all! I'd like to make more things to put in the shop so I can keep it up-to-date. It is so difficult keeping visitors coming to your Etsy site when you make jewelry unless you post every few days to keep your site fresh. But I also have a long list of sewing projects that I would like to work on... we'll see which craft wins out!

2008!

2008-01-29T17:23:00.000-05:00

So I realized that if I waited any longer it would no longer be appropriate to post a happy new year as it is almost February! How does that happen?! So - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I haven't been doing too much in the way of jewelry making lately. I did a big new batch of earring just before Christmas and sold them all at a jewelry party in Maine. I love my customers up there!

In other craft news, I have been going to town on my sewing machine! I made a few things for myself and some Christmas presents while I was at home on my mother's sewing machine as well. No machine is safe! I thought since I haven't been making a whole lot of earrings lately, I would post some pics of my two new favorite sewing projects. I recreated a shirt from my favorite shirt that I've been wearing too frequently. So the blue shirt is from my own pattern and the black dress, which has polka-dots on it, is just the shirt but longer. I like the simplicity of the forms (even if my grandmother thinks they make me look prego!).

I've also recently joined Ravelry, a online knitting community and hope to get back on that bandwagon as well. It is just so hard to knit when it is warm out!

New Danglies

2007-11-23T14:17:00.000-05:00

I started making a new designs of earrings that are super dangle-y, they're reallly cute. I've made 4 pairs already, one for a present, one for me and two pairs that I put up on my Etsy. Here's the pairs for sale, aren't they super cute?! I was inspired after a particularly long and expensive trip to the bead store. This week has been a very busy project week, I also bought a sewing machine on Tuesday and have been happily sitting in front of it for many hours :) Maybe I'll blog some about my sewing, maybe I'll even eventually put some of those things on Etsy, maybe...

Let the Holiday Shopping Begin!

2007-11-18T19:19:00.000-05:00

Christmas is coming (as we can all see by the decorations around town already!) and so I thought I'd put a few more pairs of earrings up on the etsy site. This pair is one that I was hard put to list, I love the fuscia gemstones, but I can't keep everything that I make!

Long time no see

2007-10-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, its been a really long time since I've updated my Etsy shop and I appologize for any of you who like to puruse my artistic output. Today I decided to make some me time and relisted a bunch of earrings to jumpstart my creative process. I have a few new things that I need to photograph and post and hoepfully now I will get on the ball and do that asap. Things here in Mobile are keeping me frantically busy, between the new job, a panel I served on for Space 301 in downtown Mobile recently, and my slowly growing social life, I haven't been able to devote much time to my jewelry. Fingers crossed that will change soon (and hopefully by being less stressed at work, not spending less time socializing!).

Knit Tunic!

2007-07-02T20:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I had started this blog as a place to write about my jewelry ventures and hopefully to help me regulate how often I updated my etsy site, but today I am posting a non-jewelry related post. It IS a craft related post though! Those of you who know me, know I'm also a knitter, a novice knitter but a knitter none-the-less! I wanted to post a pic of my most recent knitting project and my very first project that was not a scarf or hat :) I'm very proud of how well it came out and it fits great! If you like the tunic you can get the pattern for free on interweaveknits.com or use this link: http://www.interweaveknits.com/freepatterns/pdf/sum_07/summertime_tunic.pdf

I have been working on some new earring styles this sumemr as well but I don't have any photos yet as I keep making earrings for myself, not for the etsy site but I'll try to take a few photos soon, heavens knows I could use the money, maybe I should do some etsy posting soon too!

Etsy update

2007-06-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

I swear it will happen! I will update my Etsy shop! Sometime this weekend, for sure. I curently have all my earring stash out of the house for a show and as soon as I have an opportunity to inventory, I'll post the new earrings and repost anything that has expired. I plan to post a few things every day, so keep checking back!

On a knitting note, I've finished the tank top! My very first project other than a hat or scarf, I'm very proud of it. And it fits! I'll have Mom take a picture of me in it and post it asap so you can check it out :) It's super cute!

Dr. Elizabeth

2007-05-31T13:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted. It's been a long semester filled with editing, writing, more editing, proofreading, meeting deadlines, job interviews, and finally, packing. Yes, packing. I completed my doctorate at Cornell (graduation was last weekend) and have moved home for the summer. I'm hoping to use this summer to prepare for my first semester as a full time professor at the University of South Alabama and to reconnect with my jewelry design. I've been dabbling with earrings, mostly making custom orders. I've also been doing a lot more knitting. In fact I've got my first project ont he needles that is not a scarf or hat! I'm very excited and will post a pic when it is finished! For now I'll post a pic of a pair of my favorite new earrings, freshwater pearl hoops, so cute and versatile!

Ug Study Week

2006-12-10T18:03:00.000-05:00

Technically this week is study week, the week that my student have to prepare for their upcoming final exams. For me, the TA, that means this is the week between grading term papers and grading final exams that I can work on my own version of hell. Yes, my dissertation. I recently learned that one of my committee members going on sabbatical in the spring and leaves the country at the end of February, which means I must MUST take my B-Exam (oral defense of my dissertation) before she leaves and since I MUST submit my completed rough draft 6 weeks before the exam I need to get it out before I head home for the holidays! So thats why I haven't been updating the blog this week or making new earrings (much). I have of course been making plenty of Christmas presents as that time is quickly upon me too. I did post a couple new earrings this weekend and included a pair in this blog. If anyone out there is undergoing the stress that is grad school and would like to co-miserate, feel free to contact me!

Green and Black Beta Earrings

2006-12-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

Of course I still haven't finished correcting term papers, so it makes sense that I have posted a handful of new earring on Etsy in the last 24 hours :) I just can't stop! Making jewelry is like an adiction. I figure the more I make the better the chances are someone will find just the right thing that they are looking for. This morning before getting into grading I made 4 pairs of earrings, three for sale and one Christmas present. Unfortunately I have run out of ear hooks again. So maybe I'll run out to the craft store this afternoon after my meeting and post a few more tonight! Here's the only pair I could finish with ear hooks this morning, the green beads are beautiful.

Term Paper Weekend

2006-12-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

Thursday I received 50 10 page papers from my students, so you can imagine what I've been doing this weekend! Yup, making earrings! Well not exactly, I made 3 pairs while taking an extended dinner break last night and posted them on Etsy this morning. I've included a pic of my favorite one, the colors on these gemstones are extremely painterly. Check the site to see if I've been procrastinating any more today! ;)

Annettes Angels

2006-12-01T13:30:00.000-05:00

After remarking in my last post that I had sold a style of pink earrings to a breast cancer awareness website I realized it would be nice to give that website a little promo. So here are the earrings that I actually sold to the website which is called Annette's Angels. I've added a link to the website in my links so please check them out, half of their proceeds go towards breast and ovarian cancer awareness funds. It's a very worthy cause.