Fabric Bracelets - DIY

These fabric bracelets are my newest creations that are taking over Raleigh, and beyond!

This is a fun way to upcycle scraps of fabric into jewelry. 

I use a metal core, of 12 ga copper, or 12 ga aluminum, wrap it around a soup can, it will be about the same size as a standard bangle, or you can use a zip tie. The zip tie has a bit more flexibility than I like, but it will still work. Once you have a 'core' you will need to hammer the wire, to give it a tinsel strength.

Now you need to adjust the size of the core to make a bracelet. The standard industry size is about 2.5" inner width. For me that doesn't work. I have huge hands, so I make mine a bit bigger, so when finished, the inner width is 3" and I can slide them right on!

Cut your strips of material, about an inch in width.  Pinch it tight with your fingers and start to wrap around the wire. Over lap the material to create some bulk as you are wrapping. Continue to wrap the fabric around the core for several revolutions. You want 2 - 3 layers of fabric to give it some cushion.  Then use a scrap of wire to wrap around the end of the fabric to hold it in place!

There you have it!!

Your own wire wrapped bracelet!!!

They are a lot of fun to make, and a great way to use up scrap material.

All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Although I do live a lifestyle that is richly enhanced with healing crystals, crystal energy, and universal energies, some do not, and that being said, I must say - Crystal meanings, metaphysical and spiritual healing lore is lore for inspiration, folklore, reference, and entertainment only. Crystal and spiritual healing lore is not a prescription, diagnosis or healthcare information. See a doctor or other healthcare practitioner for all health issues. By using this site and associated materials, and accessing this metaphysical and healing lore information, you acknowledge and agree that you personally assume responsibility for your use or misuse of this lore.

Spiral Tie Dye Long Sleeve T Shirt Tutorial

and remember!!!

Be peaceful and be kind! It's Important!




All of my jewelry creations are based on the metaphysical properties of the stones or the colors that are incorporated. Jewelry should be a window to our soul, a protector of our emotions and a companion to our spirit. All of my other creations come directly from my heart in hopes they touch yours as well. Celebrate yourself with healing jewelry, and other gift ideas made with love!

Granola Bars - recipie

I am on the go - Go Go Go!

One of my favorite breakfasts in the world is oatmeal, but I don't always have time to sit down and enjoy it.

I did some searching and found several great recipes for granola bars, combined 3 - 4 different recipes and came up with this one :) Now I have something that I can grab on the go, and still feel full all morning.

2 1/2 c Rolled Oats
1/3 c sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 c dried cranberries
6 dates, chopped
1/8 c pumpkin seeds
1/8 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c pecans, chopped
1 T flax seed
1 T hemp seeds
Salt and pepper
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c honey


Combine all dry ingredients first.

Add oil and honey - mix well

Place in greased 9x9 pan

Press down hard. I used a broad bottomed bowl and mashed it in there good!!

Bake 325 degrees 30 min

Cool, cut into 12 squares.

Approx 230 calories each


I used honey, because I was out of molasses.  Use molasses or maple syrup to make it vegan, which will change the calories as well. May try it again with agave, but I am not a fan of it. I also used salt and pepper, because I am more into the savory/salty than the sweet.

Store in fridge in air tight container.

Tell me what you think!!!

Thrift Store Finds Help Create Nature Friendly Haven In My Yard!!!!!

Thrift stores make my creative side squeal with joy!

My mind goes into overdrive and I have to seriously monitor myself. I make a specific budget for the project at hand and don't allow myself to go over that. It definatley adds to the excitement of thrift shopping because I really have to dig to find what will fit into my budget :)

My daughter inspired me with her raised garden this year, and with her bee waterers. The bee population is declining, and it scares the crap out of me. I added several bee friendly flowering plants to my yard this year in hopes of attracting more bees, and to help our neighbor up the street who keeps bees. Don't want the colony to decline, I love buying his honey :)


 I struck out Sunday with me bestie in search of items to add to my yard for watering and feeding the insects and animals in my yard. $20 limit. We hit the thrift store and dollar store and collected these fun things (minus the pliers). Glass tea cups with handle, wire, marbles, silver sugar bowls, small crock and candle plate.

I have a closet organizer hanging in my tree, lined with burlap and soil to plant flowers in. These little cups hang perfectly from it!!! Added some grain, and it is buffet time for the birds.

I have a couple shepherds hooks in the yard that need something hanging from them. Wrapped the candle plate in wire, added the marbles and hung it from the hook. Add some water, just to the top of the marbles, and you have a safe surface for bees and dragonflies to land on and drink with no worries of drowning!!!!

Same principle here with this little crock! Placed it in the middle of my roses.

A wrought iron wall decoration was perfect to hang the little silver sugar bowls off of and fill with grain, and water.

It is the little things we can do to make our corner of the planet a little more safe and secure. Now the fun begins with sitting the yard, painting and watching all the critters take delight in their new feeders and waterers !!!!

Wreath Making - Poor Planning, Over Spending Tutorial

You know you are going to make something, you have the idea in your head, but it is just an idea. You haven't fully prepared, but you venture out anyway to buy your supplies.....

Ominus music  - *dum dum dum.......*

This is the unprepared hell I live in. Walk with me, if you dare :)


I am making a wreath for my Mom for Christmas. Don't worry, she doesn't use the interwebs. It is still a magical place that only a special few are invited to see, so we don't have to worry about her seeing the pictures.  I want to make her one of those big poofy wreaths. I like them, and she does too. Anything that is over the top is perfect for my Mom.

I do a bit of poking around to find out what supplies I may need as opposed to doing my research while shopping. This gives me a ruff idea of what will be purchased as opposed to what I have,  and out the door I go.  First stop Dollar Tree to see if they have any wreaths. A lot of times they have some really fun stuff, but today, I think everyone else is in the same mood. Off I go to the the hell that is Wal-Mart during the holidays.

Of course I grab the trolley with the wonkey wheel and instead of gliding thru the throngs of shoppers (where are they all coming from on a weekday afternoon!) I have to with great effort, push my cart.  Picture me in the same body posture as pushing a lawn mower, that was me,  thru the isles of this retail purgatory.

In my head I have a list of things that I need beyond the crafty items -  toothpaste, socks, bread..ya know those things that you always need. I tell myself, "Get those on the way out", I really need to focus on the task at hand. Off to the craft department. There is a specific list rolling thru my head, fanciful pipe cleaners, festive material, beautiful wired ribbon and a wired wreath. It is all coming together and looking beautiful in my noggin studio. I must find these things!

The wreaths are picked over, the material choices are nil, ribbon is freaking expensive, and no fanciful pipe cleaners. Panic kicks up a notch, not quite at DefCon 1 but I could get there quick. Time to make sacrifices and work on different choices.

When it doesnt' go the way you want it to, it gets frustrating. Instead of making it a game, and searching for fun and cool alternatives, I felt rushed and made hasty decisions. Did I say, I am giving this to her tomorrow? Now, I make panic'd choices, and fill my cart with too many items, and then we hit DefCon1. I can't filter thru all of these things to make a proper choice. I am overwhelmed! So I wander. I wander around looking at snow tires, and fishing poles to clear my mind, then go back and start to glean what I need. I am really excited that I did venture into the Christmas department during one of these mind clearings. I found ribbon for a fraction of a cost!

So $71  later here is what I got::

1. There is the reciept - $71?? What the heck was I thinking???
2. Batteries - while clearing my head, I remembered I needed batteries
3. Snickers peanut butter and Dr. Pepper - for medicinal purposes only
4. Pattern for a purse.......It must have just fallen into my cart, I have no memory of looking at patterns
5. Material for the wreath, and my dog a coat, and some awesome shear rainbow material that will make something awesome!!!!
6. Wreath. Couldn't find a wire one, but the vine one will work just fine.
7. Ribbon from the garden center that was so flippin cheap!
8. Sheer netting and glittery gold ribbon. Perfect compliment to the material
9. I couldn't decide on one pattern, and besides it is for my Mom, she likes it wild!
10. Stencils......um...I NEED THEM!
11. Little ornaments for the wreath
12. Pipe cleaners. I had to buy 2 packs, because I needed more than 10 gold pipe cleaners........

Time for fun!

Tie pipe cleaners on the inside ring of the wreath - all points of the compass, 8 pipe cleaners. Then do the same on the outside edge of the wreath (just a bit offset from the inside of the wreath) - 8 pipe cleaners.

Wreath = $4.47
Pipe Cleaners = $2.47 per pk - I used 16 of them - total .64

I bought 2 yards of fabric at $2.97 a yard, only needed 1. Fold the fabric into thirds long ways and cut it into strips. This is roughly the same width as the red mesh spool of ribbon. at $3.77 a spool. Once that is done, sew the ends together. This will give you a bit over 6 yards of fabric.

Take the end of the fabric and secure it to one of the inside pipe cleaners, and work your way around the inside of the wreath. Twist the pipe cleaners around the fabric, keeping it tight and close to the wreath. There is plenty of pipe cleaner sticking up, you will use a lot of it. Use 8 - 10 " of fabric between each pipe cleaner, it will make the fabric bulk up.

When you have gone around the inside of the wreath and are back where you started, continue on, now on the outside of the wreath.

Now it is a matter of repeating your steps. I put the red and gold mesh together, and worked it around the wreath, just like the fabric. This is why you need the extra length in the pipe cleaner. The red and gold mesh worked out to about .08 a yard  - approx 6 yards each, we will round it up to .50 for easier math. so $1.

Don't stop yet! There is still more ribbon. Work it around the same way, but this time, skip around the pipe cleaners. Let the ribbon wander around the design.  I bought 2 of the red/gold ribbon at $2.47, didn't use the whole roll, it worked out to aprox .16 per foot for a total of  $1.44. The same for the White ribbon with the design - $1.44. Finish it off with some ornaments, 2 packs at $2 each and you are done! Fluff your ribbons and material to really bulk out the design. Now you need to tuck the pipe cleaners thru the back of the wreath and twist them down tight. You can clip any excess or just tuck it back thru. 


 Moral of the story - I spent $71, $20.51 more than I should have. If I would have went into it only buying exactly what I needed I would have spent,  $50.49 -  to make a $16 wreath. If I would have done a better job of planning and scouting deals, I could have trimmed off maybe $5 or more. Upside, I have an older wreath, that I can dismantle, and I still have enuff things (minus the ornaments) to re make this wreath. So, I almost got a two for one deal!


Did I have fun and enjoy myself - you betcha!!!!

Make Your Own Paper Beads!

Ever wondered how to make paper beads?

Here is a great tutorial!

Have fun!

Free Summer Door Wreath Pattern

I love FaveCrafts.com. I get daily emails from them with great crafting ideas. Like I need anymore distractions.  :)

I try to keep a wreath up all year on my door, and have had a creative block since Easter, and my poor door is bare - until now!!!


I got the instructions for this fun little wreath, which will be in the works by this afternoon!

The directions for this wreath are here

What are some of your favorite crafts? Post links below and share with me!!!

DIY Wrapping Paper - Reuse, Recycle!

I am a big fan of recycling. i haven't bought wrapping paper in years. It is too much fun to make it myself.

This is our local newspaper and a bit of paint. Quick and easy - AND my present wrapped in this will get the most attention - guaranteed :)

More wrapping paper ideas tomorrow!

What do you do to recycle?

Get published quickie

Sorry kids - I have limited access to the interwebs so my posts are basically gonna be glorified tweets :)

What to get your pieces published?!!?

Check out these sites -

Stampington & Co.

Bead Trends

Stringing Magazine

Bead Style

Bead Patterns the Magazine

Bead

Bead And Button


Good luck kids!

Have display will travel

What does a picnic basket have to do with a display I hear you ask - Let me show you :)

This is not an original idea. I remember seeing somewhere, and I pray the internet gods forgive me for not bookmarking it to share the love, but I can't for the life of me remember where it was. What I originally saw was the use of a steamer trunk for a display - I have made it smaller and more portable this way.

Here is what I used :



Wicker picnic basket ($5.00 at the Good Will) - minus dinner ware and curious cat.




Pipe cleaners and side nippers.




Glue dots and colored paper

Cut the paper to fit to the inside of the basket, this give your pieces a solid and fun background that will allow the pieces to be seen and not get lost with the wicker weaving, and then secure it to the inside with the glue dots.



Cut the pipe cleaners into thirds with the side nippers and make the pipe cleaner into a 'U' shape. Push one end thru the wicker weave slide on the end of the necklace and push the other end off the pipe cleaner thru the wicker weave.

Twist the ends together to keep the item secure.

And there you have it kids - an interesting and fun display that will pack and travel like a dream!

Wrap it up - I'll take it!

Hey kids lets talk about packaging today. I like to make the packaging that holds my pieces just as fun as the piece itself. When my customers get their orders, they have nice little 'gifts' wrapped up with that personal touch. It is perfect for those items bought as gifts, being it is already wrapped.

When I first started, this was the packaging I used and got such raves about it, that I thought it was time to bring it back. I got away from this practice when I was sharing the business with friends for continuity's sake, and am glad I am back to it.

It is all about utilizing what is around you, making it personal and showing that little bit of extra effort. Don't settle for an organza bag - everyone is doing it. Your art is a one of a kind, why not make your packaging the same.


i have a bunch of fabric scraps -



Cut a circle - oh, say - about 5 inches across for this example




I use embrodery floss for my thread. it comes with 6 threads to a strand, typically i separate it in half - and just use 3 strands. Pick a coordinating color. coordinating color for me means first one i pick



Measure your floss to about double the width of the circle. thread your needle, knot the tail of your thread so you don't pull it thru and start a running stitch around your circle




you can allow your material to gather on the needle as you work. don't make it perfect, you want it to have personality.



When the needle is full, push the fabric out onto the thread and continue around your circle.



Go all the way around your circle with the running stitch. Now you want to give it a tag. I printed my little slogan on card stock several times to fill the sheet.




now i take my scrapbooking star punch and punch out the tags.



position the slogan in the punch




LOOK AT YOUR TAG!!!!!!



Now push the needle thru the tag, and push the tag till it is against the fabric. Pull the needle from the thread and knot the tail.





Pull your strings together to gather up the material and make a little pouch. Tie a bow and you are set!!!





Fun packaging made easy!

DIY - Lightbox - Epic Fail!

*sigh* I am at it again. I am trying to take better pictures of my pieces for the new site. I am not a photographer. i dont 'have an eye for the shot, the setting, the media - anything. BUT... i still have to take pictures. (it takes longer to take the shots than it does to create most of the pieces) I have a good little camera - a Rebel XT by cannon. got it for a song, because the listing price had a typo and they had to honor it. i have tried to learn to use it, honestly - but i fail.


i take my shots, trying to use some light background and some correct lighting ( the lamp over the kitchen table) and then i take the images and work the magic of the Gimp on them, and change the contrast and brightness and sometimes, i get a decent shot.

my camera has a little flip up auto flash. i need a external flash, that would honestly make all the difference in the world, but right now that it low on my list of needs. i will make due with what i have. i get a great deal of satisfaction on being able to produce greatness out of what i have. (i am in denial that i am cheap, ok - denial)

i have heard of light boxes, and have seen a couple, but never really paid much mind to them. i set out the other nite to build one. using 'my lojik' on how the light should work, and should bounce i did this -

I have a cardboard box, tissue paper, foil, and tape




take a box (minus the cat) and line it with white tissue paper






Line the top flaps of the box with the foil


i positioned my desk lamp over the back of the box so i could close the flaps over the top of it. that way the light would 'bounce' on the inside of the box, and reflect on the piece - right???


Wrong - FAIL - every single shot was yellow like this.


My husband the engineer he is steps up to the plate - "what are you doing dear?"
"Making a light box!!!!! can't you tell?!?!!?" I was a bit snippy cuz i was aggrivated at my febel attempts.

he thru out some suggestions - some brilliant ones. dont use floor-es-ant lights - they are too 'harsh'. don't put the light directly over the top of the item - cut the sides out of the box, then put up the paper, and put the light on the outside of the box facing the paper to illuminate it that way .
yes - brilliant.

so - tonite i am redoing the box and we shall see what comes of it.

in the mean time - i am puttin my pieces back out onto the kitchen table on a piece of light fabric and taking pictures.

it works....