Another new jewelry pouch...

I am really digging these pouches! Today I decided to try using paper and my sewing machine! I created this handmade paper using white card stock, and a crayon resist technique. Then I just had some fun sewing it all up! It turned out nicely. Its really sturdy and has a great texture! I hope the recipient enjoys it ;)

Sewn Jewelry Pouch

I havent been feeling well the last few days. I have another cold thats really got me down, but last night I was sooo bored and couldnt sleep so I sewed together a jewelry pouch for the jewelry I am selling in my shop. At first I wasnt sure how I was going to do it because I am new to sewing. My husband got me a sewing machine recently so I have been trying to use it and practice with it as much as possible. I actually love how it turned out. The fabric is vintage. It came from a collection of fabrics my grandmother had stashed away. She had soo many squares of vintage fabrics that I wanted to take it all. But she let me have this remanant that I really enjoyed. I'm really glad I figured out what to create with it. I think the new owner should enjoy this.. its a good addition to the necklace I think :) I just thought I would share.

Neglecting my blog :(

I know I've been MIA for a while. I cant believe its been almost a month since I've really posted anything and I have all these pictures of things I have been wanting to share but no time to do it! Sheesh! It seem's like December is always so hectic, theres no time for me to work on anything or blog really. Me and my husband are really active in our church, and so its just been super crazy busy there. We are in the Christmas Play, and thats this Sunday! Tim's helping the other men at the church today to get the Christmas food baskets together for all the needy families in our community. Tomorrow night is the 36th anniversary Christmas Caroling at the church and Tim and I are going to join the carolers! I've never done that but it sounds like a blast and I cant wait! Then Sunday morning is our special Christmas sermon and secret santa gift exchange and Sunday night is our Christmas play. Then Monday Tim are high tailing it to N.C to spend time with my family and then we are high tailing it back home on Wednesday to spend time with his family .lol. Its insanium in the cranium!! I'm not complaining, I'm just explaining where I've been and why I'm so busy. I did sit down today and update the look of the blog because I forgot to after Thanksgiving and was shocked to log in this morning to turkey's LOL. Then I also updated the look of my etsy shop. I actually sold 2 items in the last week, and got a special request on my shop and then got a request at church last night too-woo hoo!- I was on the verge of throwing in the towel with that. In all honesty I felt like I was wasting my time. I dont know what else to do to really get my shop out there and more active. I would love to add more artwork but I have noooo idea what I should create.... I know what I like and what my family and friends like but when it comes to whats popular and what would sell.. I havent got the slightest idea. But I feel like there is still hope for my shop and I'm not going to give up yet. I'm just gonna get back into the game and work my butt off. Maybe not so much this week and next week... but after the holidays I'm all in!


I did want to share a few things that I have been meaning to...



I made this ornament a few weeks back and thought I would share. I actually used the inchie cube template but enlarged it so that my cube was 2 1/2 inches. I used the same rubber stamp on all sides and colored them with colored pencil, but I used different background papers and embellishments. I made a template for this but Im not sure how to do the whole adobe pdf thing, so I'm at a loss with that .lol.

I made this little guy for our Thanksgiving center piece :) He's made of 2 styrefoam balls that I painted brown and hot glued together. Then they were covered in brown and black buttons of various sizes. After it dried I took 4 fabric leaves and glued them beside one another and placed googly eyes in the center. I took one more fabric leaf and folded it in half for the beak and gobbler ;) Then I added different colored feathers, green fiber and a round tag for a necklace. :) It was really easy and would be a GREAT craft project for kids to do.. [just dont let them use the hot glue gun alone! :)]

And finally... I found this great plain white ceramic plate at Michaels on sale for a few bucks and thought it would be really neat to try and alter it :) I had some really pretty wallpaper of The Sistine Cherubs by Raphael. Its one of my all time favorite paintings and when I saw the wallpaper way back when I HAD to have it. The entire painting would not fit so I cropped it so that at least one would fit and I glued it to the plate with E600. I used the handle of a paintbrush to make sure there was no bubbles or anything. After I allowed that to try I took tacky glue and gold leaf and very carefully edged around the image so you wont have to see where the image ends and the plate begins. It sort of covered the crease and everything and added a pretty sparkle to the plate. After that I just clear coat sealed it and let it dry for several hours before adding a second coat of sealer. :) I was so happy with the way this turned out that I decided to keep it. I am seriously considering creating more of these decorative plates but with other themes as well. If anyone would be interested in one in any sort of theme please contact me by commenting here or emailing me at redrose4384@aol.com and let me know. This could be a new item in my shop if I get enough positive feedback etc. ;)

Thats all for now. I truly hope that everyone is having a blessed Holiday Season. If I dont post until after the holiday, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

God Bless,

Sisters make the best friends

Today I finished this wall hanging. I thought it would be something fun and different to try. It all started with this blank wooden house that I found at Michaels for 50 cents on clearance. Then I hand painted a design on it and added a vintage image and the words 'sisters make the best friends',some swarovski crystals in pink and clear/white, and some fabric flowers in pink and white as well. It was fun and I sort of like how it turned out.

The Glory of Spring- an original

'The Glory of Spring'
(Click to Enlarge)

This isnt the best photo of my newest piece but I was so excited I just had to take a quick pic and blog about it =D I just finished this piece about an hour ago... its been an on going project for 2 months now. SIGHS... Im sooooo relieved that its complete! I wanted to challenge myself with something on a large scale with ALOT of detail and I thought the contrast of the darks and lights would be a nice challenge. =) This piece measures 19x24. Im hoping to add it to my shop in the coming days, but I do want a better picture of it to show more of the details and everything. Im so thrilled with its outcome, and more relieved than anything. =)

"To see a hillside white with dogwood bloom is to know a particular ecstasy of beauty, but to walk the gray Winter woods and find the buds which will resurrect that beauty in another May is to partake of continuity.” ~Hal Borland

Wood Carving....

I have been trying a new sort of art form the last couple of days... wood carving. Nothing too detailed or extremely difficult... I am just trying to do something different for a change. My hubby bought me a Dremel Rotary tool over the weekend and I jumped into teaching myself how to use it. So I created this little pendants on a whim. My best friend Ginger liked the W.V one so much that she requested one for her with her initials and her fiance's initials. So out of the excitement of it all, I jumped into making it today :) These are the things I have come up with these last couple of days.....



Im not to thrilled with the way the look using the scanner. Because of the gloss varnish I used the scans seem to show crackles or bubbles or something that arent really there. It must be the glare from the scanner light or something Im not to sure. I think the last 'native' looking set might be made into earrings tomorrow, I think they would be really nice looking as earrings. Like I said, Im not exactly the best at carving but its something different to interest me so that I have a break from drawing that ridiculously HUGE piece I have been working on for the last 2 weeks! Sighs... I was not thinking when I started that sucker!

Custom Harley Tattoo Designs

I created these 2 tattoo designs this week for my father in law, Bob. He requested a custom tattoo by me, to cover up another tattoo that he has on his arm. I hope he likes them... they were fun to create!

New Drawing- "Dogwood Blossom"

Today I completed this drawing... I simply call it 'Dogwood Blossom' because well thats what it is (lol). I took the photo at the beginning of April at the park and just knew I wanted to draw it. So I did :) Its not a large drawing, just an 8x10 but thats ok. I didnt want to do anything too huge. I have this drawing for sell at Ande's Custom Creations for $40. Thanks so much for taking the time to view my artwork!