Two Crafty Mules

Virgin Mary Necklace, Earrings and Saints Charm Bracelets

2012-02-01T17:38:00.000-06:00

I've been on another jewelry making roll (so what else is new, right?) and I want to share my latest designs with you:

Virgin Mary Necklace ( I love the retro avocado green colors in this. Even the filigree pendant base I used is avocado green):

Filigree dangle earrings, featuring my favorite subject, the Virgin Mary (yes, I know, I am so predictable. I just can't help myself...):

Catholic saints loaded charm bracelet in shades of pastel pink and white:

And another view of the bracelet with the portrait charms all separated out:

This was a custom order for a lady with a very tiny wrist who wanted a simpler version of a Catholic saints charm bracelet. She selected the saints for her bracelet, who are (from left to right): St. Fiacre, St. Barbara, St. Hildegard, St. Joan of Arc and St. Brigid of Sweden. I've collected saints images since I was a little girl and literally have thousands of images in my collection, even the more obscure and hard-to-find saints:

And speaking of custom orders, one of my best selling items these days are my folk art wooden cross necklaces. These have been selling like hotcakes the past few months and I've made them with just about every perceivable image. As always, any jewelry items pictured here and/or custom jewelry requests can be ordered by contacting me through this blog or visiting my Etsy and EBay stores.

As always, thanks for letting me share my creations with you!

Latest Valentine's Day Jewelry

2012-01-12T17:37:00.000-06:00

I completed several pieces of Valentine's Day jewelry and wanted to share some of the designs with you. As always, you can find the designs in my Etsy and EBay stores. (I post in both arenas - when the item sells in one shop, I remove it from the other.) Here they are:

Of course, this is just a sampling of some of the completed designs. I am also still working on a couple of additional pieces I hope to have completed within the next few days. You can see all of the designs by visiting my EBay and Etsy stores. :)

Chicken Spinach Tortellini Soup Recipe

2012-01-10T18:55:00.000-06:00

We've had unseasonably warm weather all winter until today. We had a freezing cold drizzle that lasted throughout the day. It's my favorite weather for making homemade soup, and that's exactly what I did when I came home from work today. I had some chicken breasts left over from dinner last night, and thought they would be the perfect addition for my soup. NOTE: For the diet-conscious individual, one cup of this soup contains only 194 calories, 4 grams of fat, 25 carbohydrates and 14.5 grams of protein. Satisfying, delicious AND good for you! My kind of recipe!

Chicken Spinach Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:
Water, 8 cups
Better Than Boullion Chicken Base, 4 teaspoons (if you desire a less salty taste, reduce base to 3 teaspoons)
Onion, 1 small, chopped
Leftover chicken breast (no skin) - 3 breasts (about 7 ounces), cut into bite-sized pieces
Spinach, frozen, 1 package (10 oz)
Tortellini, pasta with cheese filling, 3 cups (8 ounces)

Directions:
Put water, chicken base, onion and chicken into a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium heat. Continue to simmer until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, put frozen spinach into a microwaveable bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high heat until spinach is hot, about 8-9 minutes.

Uncover spinach and add it to the soup mixture. Add tortellini. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for another 15 minutes until tortellini is cooked all the way through.

Serving Size: Makes 7 1-cup servings

Enjoy!!!

China Head Butterfly Angel Doll Ornament Tutorial

2011-12-04T11:57:00.000-06:00

I can't walk through a store without thinking that something intended for one purpose can actually be used for something else. That was the case here. I found some beautiful Christmas ornaments and home decor items that I thought would make a really unique angel...and a project was born...

In the supplies section, I've listed approximate measurements based on the items I purchased. Feel free to adjust the sizes to the items you have on hand. To make this project, you will need:

China doll, clay, paper mache or porcelain doll head (about 2" long). My doll head is made from polymer clay which I molded from a vintage China doll head I have on hand;
A butterfly wing ornament (5" tall by 6" wide);
Tassel - 6" long;
Sheer flower ornament with wired beads or a large silk flower;
Batting - one strip measuring 1 1/2" wide by 10" long;
Tulle - 1 1/2" wide by 20" long;
Satin ribbon - 1/4" wide by 15" long;
Beaded trim - 1/8" wide by 15" long;
Glue gun and glue sticks;
Scissors

Directions:

1) Cut the hanger off of tassel. Glue the hanger to the center piece of the butterfly. Set aside.

2) Put hot glue on top of the tassel and set doll head on top, pressing it into place. Let cool.

3) At the back of the doll's left shoulder, place a dab of hot glue. Attach the long end of the batting to this shoulder and bring batting around to the front, wrapping the doll in a criss-cross pattern. Be sure to end wrapping at the back of the doll. Hot glue the end of the batting in place.

4) Repeat the wrapping process with the tulle as shown in step #2.

5) Disassemble flower by dividing it into sections and clip these into individual petals with scissors. Clip off the beaded wires (if they are attached to your ornament) If your flower does not have beaded wire, you can make your own by threading several colored beads on thin gauge craft wire and giving the wire a twist around the bead to keep it in place. Attach 3 beads to each wire; make a total of 7 wires. Leave 1/4" at the top of each wire so it can be glued into place.

6) Apply hot glue to the top edge of the beaded wire. Stick the wire underneath the gathered waist of the tassel/doll so it is hidden underneath the gathers at the waist.

7) Beginning about 1" down from the waist of the tassel/doll, glue flower petals around the tassel using hot glue, slightly overlapping the petals. At the waist, glue a second row of flower petals around the tassel.

8) Criss-cross satin ribbon at the shoulders of the doll, working from back to front. Glue into place. Glue satin ribbon and beaded trim around the waist. (I wrapped the trim around the wait twice.)

9) Use hot glue to attach the back of the doll to the butterfly.

And there you have it - a unique and beautiful handmade ornament doll for your Christmas tree! Be sure to stop by regularly. I have more Christmas projects up my sleeve to share with you during this lovely holiday season!

Retro Recycled Christmas Bracelets ala 1950's Style

2011-11-30T20:22:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's been two whole weeks since I last blogged. My gosh - between my son's wedding two weeks ago and Thanksgiving the following week (the week I made THREE turkeys - one for home, one for the office and one for my son's gathering), the days have passed by in a blur! Wow! I'm pooped just thinking about it!

Over the weekend, I had some time to work on some retro Christmas bracelets. I absolutely adore the images from 50's and 60's and couldn't resist incorporating these into my latest creations. All of the bracelets feature images from vintage Christmas cards and retro gift wrap decoupaged affixed onto wooden disks. The beaded dangle charms consist of Christmas tree garland that I disassembled and made into charms. Pretty cool, huh?

Retro Snowman:

Retro Snowman (back of disks = wrapping paper designs):

Retro Santa:

Retro Santa (detail):

50's Kids:

50's Christmas bracelet (detail):

Like potato chips, I couldn't stop at just one, so I made a whole gaggle of these bracelets and posted them to my EBay and Etsy stores.

I have a myriad of Christmas projects I want to share with you in December. Please check back often for some really neat handmade gift ideas and tutorials this coming month.

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Trip to Chicago - Grandmother's Garden Quilt and Imported Food Galore!

2011-11-16T06:33:00.001-06:00

Last week, I was in Chicago helping my family care for my uncle who had surgery. Along with other family members, I stayed long hours at the hospital. True to form, I can never just sit still and relax. I always have to be doing something. I decided to spend my time working on a Grandmother's garden quilt I had started many years ago. This little quilt is made from dime-sized hexagons. Because it is so small, it is easy to transport, so I usually work on this project when I travel. Here are some pictures of my little quilt-in-progress:

Since I only work on this quilt when I travel, I may end up making it into a little wall hanging instead of a full sized quilt so I can complete it in my lifetime. Only time will tell...

On another note, I was born in Chicago and I lived there until I was eight years old. Because I still have family there, I like to visit there every now and then. One of my favorite things about Chicago (besides my family, of course) is the vast assortment of ethnic food available to consumers. You name it - they've got it - regardless of the culture.

One of my favorite places to shop at is the Eurofresh Market in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago. This store absolutely fascinates me because it literally carries food and ingredients from all over the world. I can easily find things there that used to be prepared by my beloved Polish-German grandmother when I was a child. These things always evoke great memories of my childhood. Needless to say, I couldn't resist taking pictures while in the store. Here are some pretty cool finds at the market:

Packages of sauerkraut imported from Poland. Who would have thought there were so many varieties?

Matzo ball soup mix made by Lipton. Who knew???

Seasoning mixes from Poland for every kind of dish imaginable.

A full aisle dedicated to olive oil from Italy and all sorts of vinegars known to man. Amazing!

And let's not forget the magazine section so you can keep up on all of the latest news and gossip.

I ended up buying way too much store while visiting Eurofresh, but hey, a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, right? Here's just a sampling of what I purchased:

Chocolate from Poland.

Coffee from Germany.

Seasoning mixes from Pakistan to make chicken curry and from Poland to make stuffed peppers and cabbage. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it...)

Mustard from Poland to go with all of the deli meat I purchased.

Vanilla sauce mix, vanilla sugar, vanilla and almond extracts from Europe just in time for my holiday baking. Can you tell I LOVE vanilla?

Thanks for letting me share my adventures with you. Be sure to check back regularly. I have some awesome handmade Christmas projects and tutorials I will be sharing here over the next month. :)

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Arts Center of the Ozarks 5x5 Exhibit

2011-11-15T06:22:00.001-06:00

Wow! The past couple of weeks have been an absolute whirlwind! Please forgive my lack of presence here in blog land. Between out of town visitors, my son's upcoming wedding and a trip to Chicago to help care for a family member, it has been a truly crazy couple of weeks. And just think - it's going to be even nuttier with the holidays right around the corner!

On 11/3/11, the Arts Center of the Ozarks held it's annual 5x5 Exhibit and fundraiser. Artists from the area donate 5x5 pieces of art which are exhibited and displayed in the two story gallery. This year, there were over 300 pieces of donated art. Five of those pieces of art were donated by me, my husband and my daughter, Brianna, and I'm happy to report that each one sold!

Here I am standing by my Our Lady of Guadalupe picture. It sold for $45.00. :)

Many people came to view and bid on the art.

A jazz band played and appetizers prepared by a local chef were served. Appetizers included spicy meatballs, stuffed mushrooms, candied bacon and chocolate truffles, among other yummy things.

My friend, Thespa, from Vintiquities Workshop was there; she also donated a couple of pieces of art.

Here's the artwork made by my daughter, Brianna with a little help from my husband, Michael. It actually is a pop art conception of one of my dogs, "Dos". It sold for $45.00. :)

Some of my other favorite pieces of art included:

"Flower Market in Venice" by Karolyn Ferrell

"Mille Fluer" by Dixie Westerman (I LOVE the bright colors used in this creation)

"Morning Drive" by Mark Thomas

"Rose" by Carol Cooper

"The Hog" by Kimberly Kolbe

All in all, it was a fun evening. As much as I enjoyed going to the previous year's 5x5 exhibit, it was even more fun when participating in it. I look forward to doing it again next year.

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Burlap Country Wedding Wreath Tutorial

2011-10-30T23:43:00.002-05:00

My son, Joey and his fiancee, Hailey are getting married in a couple of weeks. They are having an intimate country-style wedding. In keeping with the country theme, the wedding decor will consist of burlap and flowers. Hailey and I are making all of the decorations. One of those decorations consists of a wedding wreath made from burlap roses and a fabric portrait of the happy couple. The really cool thing about this wreath is they can use it to decorate their home long after the wedding is over.

Here's how we made it:

Supplies:

Wreath of choice - we used a 14" straw wreath;
glue gun;
glue sticks;
scissors;
pinking shears;
burlap in several colors (we used aqua (which we dyed ourselves), oyster and light brown;
felt in coordinating colors to match the burlap;
fabric image(s) and word(s) printed from home computer (we used June Tailor's Sew-in Colorfast Fabric in the pink package);
a handful of batting;
heart template to complement the size of the project (we made ours out of regular white printer paper).

Directions:

Take a wreath and wrap around it with a strip of burlap. Glue ends into place with a glue gun. Set aside.

Make up a whole bunch of burlap roses. We used this tutorial by Craftaholics Anonymous for making the roses and varied the directions slightly to accommodate our project. For example, we made the roses in varying sizes. The smallest roses were made with 10" strips of burlap; the larger flowers were made with 15" strips of burlap.

In addition, since we had so many roses to make, we hot-glued the flowers in an assembly-line fashion to the coordinating felt pieces, let them cool and then cut around the roses with scissors.

Set the roses aside.

Place heart template over desired photo. You can either trace around the template and then cut out the heart, or carefully cut around the template with scissors. If you wish to use words in your wreath, go ahead and cut them out now, too, but not too close to the letters. You will need to have a scant 1/2" border around the letters.

Turn fabric image (heart) over so the right side is facing the work surface. Apply a thin line of hot glue around the inner edge of the heart. Do not apply glue to the bottom of the heart. Carefully turn the heart over and place it on top of a piece of felt. Repeat with the word(s), making sure to leave one edge unglued.
Let cool.

Once cool, take batting and lightly stuff the heart and word(s). Don't overstuff these or they will be difficult to close.

Carefully apply hot glue to the underside of the open part of the heart and word(s). Press down onto the felt. Once cool, cut out the heart and word(s) with pinking shears, taking care not to cut into the glued borders. You now have mini, sew-free "pillows" to personalize your wreath.

Use hot glue gun to apply the flowers, picture and word(s) to the wreath. And wa-la - there you have it - a unique, personalized wreath perfect for wedding decor or to complement any room in the house.

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A Week of Quilting, Flea Markets and Craft Fairs - Part II

2011-10-19T18:10:00.001-05:00

I've got to tell you - taking a week off work while the craft fairs were in town was an excellent idea. I had a wonderful time strolling through the different fairs and flea markets around town. There were some really awesome projects at the fairs, including:

Vintage-style Halloween decor:

Paper mache snowmen and Santa dolls made from vintage quilts:

Aprons made from old flour sacks and pillow case dresses made from vintage linens:

A large wall cross made from old license plates:

There was even a woman spinning yarn at one of the fairs:

To make it even better, I finally met one of my blog friends, Thespa from Vintiquities Workshop. I met Thespa while blogging about two years ago and we've been internet friends ever since. To make a long story short, we found out that we live in the SAME neighborhood! Can you believe it? It really is a small world! Anyway, Thespa and I FINALLY got to meet in person. We spent a full day wandering around the craft fairs together and a new friendship has formed. This is the first of many get-togethers we are going to have - and believe me, many of those will involve creating art. By the way, Thespa is also a published artist (and a very talented one, at that.) Her work currently graces the cover of Sew Somerset magazine, shown here:

How cool is that??? Be sure to stop by her blog for some wonderful mixed media inspiration.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to show you some awesome finds I found at the local flea markets and antique stores:

A vintage Coke bottle opener. It is screaming to be made into a mixed media necklace, so I just had to get it:

These adorable vintage bisque penny dolls which measure about an inch and a half tall. Aren't they sweet?

More adorable vintage bisque dolls:

And this lovely 1930's feedsack quilt top. (Shhh... don't tell my husband. He already thinks I have way too many goodies like these in my collection. What can I say? I couldn't resist...)

It was a really wonderful week. Now, I need a vacation to recover from my vacation! :)

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A Week of Quilting, Craft Fairs and Flea Markets - Part I

2011-10-17T06:23:00.001-05:00

Every year during the second week of October, Northwest Arkansas is abuzz with thousands of out-of-state visitors. The reason? It's craft fair week. There are numerous fairs which take place for 2-4 days each. It's literally a haven for those who want to experience arts, crafts and shopping in a beautiful autumn setting. This year was no exception.

This year, I decided to take a week of vacation during craft fair week to make the most of this experience. Of course, on the days preceding the fairs, I made the most of my time by quilting and spending time with my family.

One of the quilting projects I completed was a split nine-patch quilt top. I saw one of these quilts on my latest addiction, Pinterest, and KNEW I had to make one. The color choices of green and orange are not colors I normally gravitate to when quilting, but for some reason, I couldn't resist. A local shop was selling the bright and cheery fat quarter pack containing these colors and I knew it would be perfect for the split nine-patch quilt. To really make the colors pop, I added white and darker green fabrics from my fabric stash. Now, I'll be honest, some of my blocks on the quilt turned out a bit wonky, but I don't think it was too bad - all things considered.

I also completed a Trip Around the World quilt for a gal I work with as a gift for her unborn baby. The baby - who is a boy - has a nursery decorated in retro colors of forest green, olive green, brown and a splash of burnt orange. I decided to make the quilt so it would complement the colors of the nursery. My co-worker received the quilt at her baby shower this past weekend and loved it.

In Part II of my post, I'll fill you in on some of the highlights of craft fair week. Stay tuned...

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And the Winners of the Halloween Giveaway Are...

2011-10-16T05:56:00.001-05:00

The winners of my Halloween giveaway were selected by a random number generator this morning. And the winners are...

Ann from Ann's Imagination Creations and FredaB. Congratulations, ladies!!! I will be mailing your packages to you this week!

:)

Halloween Mixed Media Block Doll Giveaway

2011-10-06T19:08:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but I can't believe we are already into the month of October. I'm not complaining, though. I absolutely LOVE the fall season - it's my favorite time of year. The cool and comfortable weather plus the changing of the leaves....It doesn't get any better than this.

To celebrate the changing of the seasons, I'm giving away TWO mixed media block dolls to TWO lucky winners. I made both dolls out of vintage images, wood, paper, colored chalk and fabric. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Please make sure that I will be able to contact you if you win. Two winners will be selected on October 16 using a random number generator.

Best of luck to all!

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Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe

2011-10-03T05:41:00.001-05:00

This weekend, my daughter and I found apples on sale for $1.00 a pound at the local grocery store. I couldn't resist; I ended up buying a bag of these little beauties. Now that we finally are experiencing our beautiful autumn weather, I've been itching to make something with apples. There's nothing quite like the scent of baked apple desserts wafting through the entire house. It's the perfect complement to a chilly autumn day.

This recipe - which is a breeze to make - uses a packaged cake mix that is doctored to taste homemade. My family loved this. And, don't forget to serve it with vanilla ice cream for a really yummy treat.

Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

Topping:
6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges. (I used a combination of 3 Granny Smith apples and 3 McIntosh apples.)
1 stick butter, salted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small package vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
3 eggs
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pan, melt one stick of butter with the brown sugar. Once it is melted, stir in the vanilla extract and apple slices. Cook over medium heat until apples have softened and released their juices (about 15 minutes) stirring occasionally.

While the apple mixture is cooking, begin working on the cake base. In a large bowl, combine all of the cake ingredients. Mix with blender for 2 minutes. The batter will be thick in consistency.

Pour apple mixture into a 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread the mixture evenly so it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Spoon the cake batter over the top of the apples. As the batter is quite thick, it may be necessary to use a spatula to bring the batter to the edges of the pan.

Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take the cake out of oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Latest Fabric Postcard Creations

2011-09-28T06:43:00.001-05:00

I took the plunge and joined two Yahoo groups (Trading Fabric Postcards and Postcard Pizzazz) that swap fabric postcards on a regular basis. I just can't get enough of making these little pieces of art - they really are addicting! Here are some of my latest creations made for the group swaps:


Sock Monkey

Sewing Notions (Pink Version)


Sewing Notions (Blue Version)


Harvest or Halloween


Color Green

Color Purple


Color Purple


Color Purple - Detail of Machine Stitching

Stay tuned...there will be many more fabric postcards to come as I've committed to numerous swaps.

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New Artwork Update and the Pantene "Beautiful Lengths" Event

2011-09-11T11:50:00.002-05:00

A few days ago, I mentioned that I am entering a couple of 5 by 5 pieces of artwork to the Arts Center of the Ozarks 5 by 5 Art Exhibition.

Well, I finished working on my pieces yesterday and want to share the finished designs with you:

"Our Lady of Guadalupe"

"Beautiful Mother"

My husband, Michael, is also contributing two pieces of art to the exhibition. Here are his completed pieces:

"A Kiss Goodnight"

Detail of "A Kiss Goodnight":

(So sweet, isn't it? It's nice that he had me in mind when he painted this... lol)

"Thank a Veteran"

The artwork will be on display at the Arts Center of the Ozarks from October 5 through November 4, 2011. The reception will take place on November 3. This is a really fun event. Michael and I attended last year and had a great time. If you are in the area, be sure to stop on by the Arts Center where you can enjoy mini pieces of art, lots of company and good food and wine catered by the local chefs of the area.

Also, on another note - but definitely not intended to be an afterthought, Pantene sponsored the "Beautiful Lengths" event in Northwest Arkansas last week. Pantene - in partnership with the American Cancer Society - takes real hair from donors and makes it into wigs for cancer patients. My daughter, Brianna, signed up for the event over a month ago; she donated 12 inches of her long hair to the cause. I am so very proud of her for donating to this very worthwhile cause. Here are some pictures from the event:

Brianna "before" her donation:

The hair is measured and put into ponytails at the spots where it will be cut:

Pantene took before and after photos of all donors. This is Brianna posing for her "before" photo:

Brianna on stage waiting for the first cut:

Ponytail in hand after the first cut was made:

Getting the hair styled after all of the locks were cut off:

Brianna "after" her donation with her hair stylist, Nathan Patterson, owner of the Emerald Salon:

Even though I wasn't able to donate any hair this time around, I'm really glad I was able to attend and share in all of the excitement of this very worthwhile cause.

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Crafty Three Day Weekend = Lots of Projects Completed!

2011-09-05T16:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Labor Day! I love three day weekends, but even better yet - I love three day weekends where I can craft my little heart out. I was able to begin (and actually finish) numerous projects this weekend, in addition to starting some new ones that still need some work. Here's a few of those projects:

I designed and hand-painted some mini shrines. They are made from resin and paper clay. I plan to make these into pendants:

I sewed a brand new outfit for my sweet little Infant of Prague statue:

I finished some brand new resin pendants and posted them to EBay and Etsy:

I completed three charm bracelets (two are pictured here):

And, I drew out sketches for artwork I am thinking about entering into this year's Arts Center of the Ozarks 5 by 5 Art Exhibition. I'm not sure which ones I'll use yet. I definitely will be entering two pieces of art into the exhibit, I just have to decide which ones....hmmmm. These are just the preliminary sketches. Once they are painted onto the actual canvas, I'll be sure to share them with you.

Isn't it crazy? I actually was going to paint a landscape scene as one of my entries, but I always come back to the Virgin Mary when creating art. She really is my favorite subject in many aspects of the word.

And last, but certainly not least, I FINALLY set up a Two Crafty Mules page on Facebook! Whew! I'm blissfully tired. There's nothing quite like the sense of accomplishment. Now, I think I'm just going to chill out and relax before heading back to the office tomorrow.

And the Winner Is.....

2011-09-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Cindy from Cindy is Crafty who was selected as the winner of my necklace giveaway! Yay, Cindy! I'm so happy for you!!!

I've decided to do monthly giveaways on my blog, so if you didn't win this one, please be sure to stop by for other chances to win in the near future. :)

Awesome News to Share - Finally!!! (And A Giveaway to Celebrate!!!)

2011-08-26T19:33:00.002-05:00

After being sworn to secrecy for the past couple of weeks, I can finally reveal some really exciting news...

I am now the OFFICIAL PRILOSEC OTC ECO-CHIC JEWELRY ARTIST!!!

You can find my page on the Prilosec OTC site here .

I'm so appreciative of this opportunity and want to thank Prilosec OTC and all of the wonderful people who voted for me in this challenge. I appreciate all of the sweet comments left on my page and all of the words of support and encouragement. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

With the money received from this sponsorship, I'm planning to reorganize my craft studio with more shelving, book cases and the like to help me get better organized. I'm a huge collector of all kinds of fabric and arts and crafts supplies, and this will enable me to get many of these items out of boxes and out where I can have easy access to them. By doing this, I hope to create some new projects and tutorials that I can share here on my blog.

Thanks a bunch to everyone!!!

And to celebrate, I'm giving away the Eco-Chic necklace below:

This one-of-a-kind necklace was created using a vintage enamel brooch and earrings from the 60's that I disassembled and upcycled into a necklace. Vintage powder blue enamel chain, complementary beads and filigree complete the look. To enter, just leave a comment under this blog post only. (Important: Please make sure I will be able to get in contact with you if you are selected the winner.) On Saturday, September 3, a winner will be selected utilizing a random number generator. Good luck to everyone!

And...let's not stop there. From now through the entire month of September, I am offering a 20% discount towards all purchases made in either of my Etsy stores - Two Crafty Mules and RetroEclectica. Just be sure to enter code "ECOCHIC" at checkout to get your discount.

Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap - "Bloom"

2011-08-18T06:04:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, I told you about this fabulous swap I participated in called the "Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap", which is organized by Beth Nicholls at Do What You Love. The swaps are held quarterly and attract people from all over the world. This time around, there were 180 people from 20 countries participating. The current theme is "Bloom".

I trapped silk flowers under tulle and quilted everything in place. The word "bloom" was free-motion embroidered on my sewing machine.

My little postcard is going to Ana in Fatima, Portugal. I hope she enjoys her little creation. :)

Infant of Prague Statue Restoration

2011-08-11T06:11:00.000-05:00

My earliest memories of the Infant of Prague date back to my childhood. My European-born grandmother proudly displayed her statue of the Infant of Prague in her living room along with her extensive collection of Catholic images, crucifixes and statues.

The Infant of Prague has a special place in my family, as well. What started with one statue in our home has grown to a collection of several sprinkled throughout my home. There's one in each bedroom, our living room and even my craft studio. Like potato chips, we couldn't stop at just one. :)

Sadly, many Infant of Prague statues have seen their share of wear and tear over the years. Many have broken fingers, cracked necks and other damages from being well-loved throughout the generations. It's not uncommon to see the older statues on EBay or other sites with various anomalies. My son purchased one-such statue from EBay which obviously saw better years. It appeared as if someone had tried to repaint it at one time but gave up halfway through the project. This little statue was in obvious need of some attention. So - needless to say - I made my first attempt at statue restoration and want to share the results with you.

This is how the Infant of Prague looked before his restoration:

I started the restoration project by sealing the chipped areas with a glossy polyurethane. I brushed on a thin coat of gesso over the entire statue and base-coated it with white acrylic paint.

I wanted my statue to reflect softer, Victorian style colors, so I painted it with pastel green and pink:

Next, I added the details and shaded the gown with colored chalk to give it some depth. I also used gold leaf pen to highlight the details of the crown, globe and necklace. The entire statue was sprayed with Krylon Matte Sealant:

I'm quite pleased with my first attempt at statue restoration. Please stay tuned for information on making vestments for Infant of Prague statues on my next post.

Introducing my New Museum Line of Jewelry

2011-07-04T11:10:00.000-05:00

I have been on a necklace making frenzy all weekend. Seriously. These creations are quite different for me; they have a unique, museum-like quality about them - which inspired me to name them my "Museum Line" of jewelry. These consist of big, bold creations for those who like to express their faith a little differently. The Saint Therese of Lisieux necklace pictured below was made from polymer clay; most of the other designs were made with resin or glass. All of the designs are available in both my Etsy and EBay stores. As they are one-of-a-kind, they will not be reproduced. Here's a sampling of some of my designs from this line:

Of course, I also made some simpler pieces of jewelry for those who like more delicate, reserved designs:

I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July! It's pouring rain here today and my hubby is working, so it looks like we'll be spending the day indoors. But that's alright, I love being at home and in my little art studio, so this is not much of a sacrifice to make on a day like today. :)

Eco-Chic Jewelry Designer Official Sponsorship - Please Vote!

2011-06-26T10:06:00.001-05:00

This morning, I received some great news. I had applied for official sponsorship through Prilosec OTC to be their official "Eco-Chic Jewelry Designer". Today, they informed me that they have selected my application as one of the candidates for consideration! The sponsorship means a great deal because it enables me to go a little further in meeting my goals as an artist/designer. The winners are selected by a panel of judges; votes from the public count for 20% of the total vote. If you get a chance, please stop by and vote for me here or just click on the "vote" button below. You can vote once every 24 hours (if you'd like to.) Voting ends on July 15, 2011; winners will be announced on August 26, 2011.

Feel free to enter for official sponsorship, as well. The beauty of this promotion is that you can apply for consideration which will help you to meet your dreams in any area. Other candidates include those who want to help animals, the homeless, travel, start over, etc. Hey, what have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing. Hope to "see" you there!

Latest Creations - More Repurposed Jewelry Pieces

2011-06-20T05:03:00.002-05:00

Last week, I was on home on vacation and finally had a substantial amount of time to experiment with some new creations. The earrings pictured below were actually heart and flower components I removed from other jewelry pieces. I added flat glass marbles, images, rhinestones, charms and made them into something totally new (and definitely more colorful than plain boring old silver):

I picked up the shell and wood bead bracelets at a store in my area. When I purchased them, they consisted of just plain blue, pink and red colors. I totally revamped these by adding images, flowers and crucifix charms. They definitely have a boutique look that's all their own, don't you think?

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Upcycled Beads - 3 Looks From One Design

2011-06-19T17:08:00.000-05:00

The other day, I went shopping at JoAnn's where they were having a huge clearance sale on beads. I found these pretty magenta colored rose-shaped beads reduced from $6.99 to a mere 97 cents.

Even though the color wasn't exactly what I had in mind, I just had to get them. I ended up changing their look by repainting them with a mixture of Diamond Glaze and Pearl-Ex. Here are the results:

The colors of Pearl-Ex used from top to bottom were: Antique Bronze mixed with Super Bronze; Macro Pearl and Misty Lavender. Three different looks for under a dollar. It's nice to have options...

Repurposed Domino Doll Swap Creation

2011-06-02T05:49:00.001-05:00

Most of the swaps I participate in are with members of my various FLICKR groups. (I have met some of the most awesome people on FLICKR over the past several years. No matter what your interests are, you WILL find it on FLICKR. Seriously.) Anyway, the Altered Dominoes and Other Game Pieces group held a domino doll swap with the theme of "Rebirth." Here is my creation which I swapped to Cindy:

The domino isn't the only recycled part of this little doll. The wings are from a cake decoration I've saved for the past couple of years that I thought would make perfect doll wings. I think they suit this little doll perfectly.

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Guest Curator at Jenny Doh's Crescendoh.com This Week

2011-05-24T17:36:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to tell you that I am guest curator at Crescendoh.com this week. This really is an honor for me - not just because I'm being featured on one of my favorite blogs - but because you get to learn about two very special women in my life - my mother and my grandmother - who helped shape me into the person I am today.

This is an especially fitting tribute to my beloved grandmother who would have turned 92 this week. Even though she is no longer physically with me, she is always in my heart. I love you, Oma. :)

My Oma and her youngest son, my Uncle Gregory.

My family in 1969. That's me and my mom on the right, along with my brother and father.

Shabby Chic Rose Votive Candle Holders Project

2011-05-04T20:54:00.003-05:00

Years ago, I use to make and sell these little votive candle holders at craft shows. They always proved to be popular sellers for me. Not only are they a breeze to make, they are versatile and can be used to complement Victorian/Shabby Chic decor, included as wedding reception table decorations or given as gifts for Mother's Day, to name just a few. And - they are inexpensive to make - as all items used in this project can be purchased at the dollar store.

Tools/Supplies:

Glue gun
Glue sticks
Scissors
Silk Rose Flowers - 1 bunch
Round "Roly Poly" Votive Candle Holder
Wax paper or newspaper to protect work surface

Directions:

On a protected work surface, pull the silk roses off of their stems. Use fingers to remove the little plastic pieces that hold the roses together. Pull off the leaves and peel off any attached wires. Set the rose petals and leaves aside in separate piles. Discard the stems, plastic pieces and wires.

Once all of the rose petal layers have been separated, use scissors to clip each layer into individual petal pieces, if needed. Set these aside until all petals have been clipped. If desired, sort petals by small, medium and large sizes. This will save time when attaching petals to the votive holder.

Beginning at the top of the votive holder, apply a dab of hot glue to the glass and carefully place the lower half of a smaller-size petal on top of the glue. Press gently into place. The petal should stand about 1/2" taller than the top of the glass. Repeat this step, taking care to slightly overlap the second petal over the first. You should not be able to see any glass between the petals. Repeat this process all the way around the circumference of the votive.

Once the first row of petals is in place, start gluing a new row of petals just below the first. The size of the petals in this row should be a little larger in size than those in the first row. (The petals will gradually get larger as you work your way to the bottom of the votive.) The petals from the new row will slightly overlap the first row. Take care not to apply glue to the top part of the petal; once the gluing process is completed, the layers will fluff out - just like a real flower. Continue to glue all of the petals to the votive holder in this manner. Use a couple of petals to cover the very bottom (underside) of the votive. Glue 3 or 4 leaves onto the bottom of the votive. And there you have it - a beautiful rose to enjoy all year long!

P.S. This project is currently being featured on one of my favorite blogs - Dollar Store Crafts.

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Soda Bottle Mixed Media Artwork - A Cool Earth Day Project

2011-04-22T05:10:00.000-05:00

Being a lifelong crafter, it amazes me how recycled projects I worked on years ago have all of a sudden taken on a life of their own because someone else "discovers" the potential of recycling the same materials used in the project. This is a perfect example of one of those projects. I've been experimenting with soda bottle mixed media and jewelry art for the last several years, even submitting the projects to a well-known publisher for publication in their magazine. (They were all rejected.) :(

But wouldn't you know, all of a sudden, a very well-known crafter comes out with her new book on water bottle jewelry and this form of art takes off like there is no tomorrow. The first time I saw this crafter's project on the web, I though, "My gosh - really? I've been making these for YEARS!" Great minds think alike, right?

Anyway, now that recycled plastic bottle jewelry is the latest rage, I don't want to bore you with the details. You can now search the web and find many variations of this form of art. However, what you won't see (yet) is how artists can incorporate this into their mixed media artwork. That is what I want to share with you today.

A couple of years ago, I made this duo of Poppy flower portraits using soda bottles that I cut up, "painted" with Sharpie markers and shrank with a heat gun. I then adhered them to two 5 x 7 pre-painted canvas' with strong white glue (I use Crafter's Ultimate - my gosh - I LOVE that stuff.) OK, it may not be a Monet painting, but it's still a pretty cool concept, don't you think?

So - while everyone else is going crazy with plastic water or soda bottle jewelry - you can be a little different and make "art" with this awesome art medium. Happy creating!

Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap

2011-03-20T18:01:00.001-05:00

When participating in this year's One World One Heart Event, I stumbled onto a neat little blog that was promoting the "Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap". This is the third year of this event, and people from 14 countries signed up to participate; this year's theme was "LOVE". I've been wanting to try my hand at making fabric postcards for some time now, so I took the plunge and signed up.

I utilized some of my depression-themed quilting fabric, a vintage hankie, a fabric printout of an old romance magazine, silk flowers, sequins and beads to complete my creation, which was sent to Gina in the United Kingdom. Here's my little creation:


Detail


Back of card

I received an awesome fabric postcard from Nicola in London. This features a detachable fabric brooch, which I absolutely love. Here is what I received:

If you'd like to check out some of the other fabric postcards that were created this year and in the past, please see the FLICKR group for this event.

As always, I couldn't stop at just one postcard; I have 3 others in various stages of completion which I will share with you in the near future. :)

Published - Three Times This Month!

2011-03-08T18:14:00.002-06:00

I don't know what it is, but I really am starting to think March is a lucky month for me. I'm not kidding - all kinds of cool things always seem to happen to me in the month of March. This month is no exception.

Today, on my lunch hour, I wandered into the local Hancock Fabric store in my area, and browsed through Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine while I was there. And - what do you know - one of my wire and glass necklaces is featured in the Boutique section. I really had no idea this was going to be published, as Stampington hasn't contacted me yet. But in any case, this was a really nice surprise today.

A few days ago, I found that my article in Polymer Cafe magazine is now on the newsstands. They ended up publishing an alternate project I sent them (for the "how to" step-by-step details) instead of the original Victorian necklace and earrings design I submitted. But that's alright - I love both necklace designs and I'm thrilled that they chose to publish one of them.

Last, I also just received information from Heather Skowood, author of Jewelry From Found Objects, that the book will be released by the publisher on March 11, 2011 (which is this Friday). Amazon.com is currently taking pre-orders on this book; it features one of my repurposed statement necklaces made from vintage enamel brooches and earrings. My complimentary copy of the book is on it's way to me. I'm really looking forward to seeing all of the repurposed items being featured. I love that sort of thing. :)

Wow - what a whirlwind of a month it's proven to be - and we're only into the first week of the month. Believe me - I can definitely handle the excitement. :)

Dress Form ATC Swap

2011-02-18T05:06:00.000-06:00

Most of the time, I participate in the Creative Souls monthly ATC swaps. The theme for January/February was "Dress Form".

I love to repurpose unloved or unwanted items in my art whenever possible. This time was no exception. I have been saving those mesh onion bags for quite sometime knowing that I would eventually use them as a textural element in my art. I used a portion of one of my purple bags to make the skirt of the dress, then embellished it with sequins and glitter glue. How cool is that? Hmmm....Now I think I'm really going to have to use some of those mesh bags in an art quilt....Time will tell...

OWOH Winners!

2011-02-17T05:24:00.000-06:00

Congrats to my OWOH winners:

First Prize:
Lorraine Gerbi (http://piecakeprimitives.blogspot.com/)

Second Prize:

Dawn (http://goldbettyboop.blogspot.com/)

Third Prize:
Gracie "Neki White" (http://rey-gato.blogspot.com/)

Thanks to everyone who visited my blog and entered the giveaway. I had a great time! I hope you did, too!

Happy Valentine's Day! Vintage Valentine Cards - My Latest Find!

2011-02-13T22:51:00.000-06:00

After having cabin fever and being snowed in on and off for the past couple of weeks, yesterday was such a gorgeous day that we just had to go out and make the most of it. My daughter, Brianna, and I visited one of my favorite antique stores in our area, and found some awesome goodies, including these adorable vintage Valentine cards:

And check out this adorable mechanical card of the little girl paying her "fine". Isn't that sweet?

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone!!!

Handmade Polymer Clay Rosary - One of my Snow Day Activities

2011-02-11T19:07:00.001-06:00

We had over 2 feet of snow this week, so needless to say, I was indoors for the past couple of days in my little "sanctuary" (my home). I took advantage of my "snow days" home from the office by crafting. (I know...what a shocker...) I put together this little one decade rosary which is made completely out of polymer clay - in two shades of purple. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out and wanted to share it with you.

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Fun Recipe - Homemade Ice Cream from Snow!

2011-02-04T15:40:00.000-06:00

I can't take credit for this recipe idea as I found it on the internet, but I did change it a little to meet my own personal taste (and my love of all things vanilla.) This is a really cool way to make homemade ice cream from fresh snow. Plus, if you have younger kids, this is a great way to make a new memory with them.

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:
One gallon (or a huge bowlful) of fresh snow
1 cup white sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tablespoon vanilla ( or, if you are like me, 2-3 tablespoons. ;) )

Gather snow in a large, clean bowl. Add sugar, vanilla and evaporated milk. Stir with large spoon. The snow will thicken up quickly and have the consistency of soft ice cream.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

It's a Snow Day! Perfect for - What Else? - Making Art Jewelry!

2011-02-02T18:48:00.000-06:00

A backyard pic (hubby's workshop and our storage shed) after the snow storm.

We had a lovely winter storm here in NW Arkansas this week. My place of employment - which rarely (if ever) shuts down - was closed yesterday and today due to the ice and snow on the roads. For me, not only does that mean staying home in my little sanctuary away from the world, but I got to spend time with my daughter and husband who were also home on these days. Of course, that also meant that I had extra time to work on some special orders from my customers. :) Now, I am no stranger to making charm bracelets and necklaces, but my latest special order was quite different from my usual orders. This customer wanted an extra long (down to the belly-button) necklace filled with polymer clay candy charms and beads, along with a matching bracelet and earrings. I enjoyed making this set which is definitely a novelty in every aspect. I just had to share the photos with you:

Necklace, earrings and bracelet set

Just the necklace


Bracelet and earrings

Perhaps the best news about this junk food jewelry set is that it's calorie-free. :) Now that is way cool.

One World, One Heart 2011 - Giveaway Announcement

2011-01-30T22:36:00.004-06:00

As I mentioned previously, One World One Heart (OWOH) is back for it's 5th and final year. I have really enjoyed participating in this awesome event for the past 4 years. I have met some wonderful bloggers, crafters and artists from all over the world while participating in this event. OWOH was started by Lisa Swifka as a way of uniting bloggers from all over the world. To enter OWOH as a participant, please click on the picture. For a list of participants, click here.

This year, I will be giving away prize packages to 3 lucky winners. All you have to do to be entered in the drawing is leave a comment on this post by February 17, 2010. I will close the comments at 6:00 a.m. (Central time) on that day. The three winners will be selected by a random number generator.

And now, without further adieu, here are the handmade prizes I will be giving away:

FIRST PRIZE - "Cool Blues" Jewelry package consisting of:

A groovy repurposed necklace made from vintage enamel brooches.

A handmade bathing beauty polymer clay brooch and a beaded bauble ring.

SECOND PRIZE - "Spring Splendor" package consisting of:

A vintage Easter altered trading card (ATC), a polymer clay angel brooch with lampwork beaded dangles and polymer clay china doll head earrings.

THIRD PRIZE - "Heavenly Inspirations" package consisting of:

A polymer clay angel brooch, polymer clay Virgin Mary earrings and Virgin Mary heart-shaped earrings.

I look forward to hearing from you again (if you have visited me before) or meeting you if it's the first time you've stopped by. Best of luck!

(PLEASE NOTE: If you are reading this on The Hive or on Facebook, you must visit my actual blog to enter the drawing.)

On a Bracelet Making Roll This Week

2011-01-27T19:40:00.000-06:00

I love making charm bracelets. If you are familiar with my work, then you know my favorite art subject is the Virgin Mary and Catholic saints. I incorporate them into most all of my work, regardless of what it is. I also love making holiday-related jewelry items. Here's a sampling of a few of the bracelets I made this week:

Catholic Saints (Tons of Pearls) Bracelet

Frosted Cookie Hearts Charm Bracelet - Version 1

Recycled Dominoes Easter Bracelet

Valentine's Day Bangle Bracelet - Version 1

Valentine's Day Bangle Bracelet - Version 2

Folk Art Virgin Mary Charm Bracelet - Bronze and Black

Folk Art Virgin Mary Charm Bracelet - Shades of Gold


Vintage Valentine Recycled Domino Bracelet

Whenever someone asks me how long it took me to make one of these, I honestly can't give them an answer. The truth is, I work on several at one time. I usually start by putting the focal charms on the bracelets first, and then I embellish with pearls, beads and other smaller charms. I've posted all of this week's bracelets to both my EBay and ETSY stores, if you want to see all of my recent bracelet creations (including detail pics).

One World, One Heart 2011 - The Fifth and Final Year

2011-01-24T04:59:00.001-06:00

It's hard to believe it's that time of year again - ONE WORLD, ONE HEART 2011 (created by Lisa of "A Whimsical Bohemian" ) is almost here. For more more information, please click on the photo in this post or on the sidebar of your screen. :) I'm giving away several prizes this year... Stay tuned for more details...

Beefy Vegetable Rice Soup

2011-01-08T13:12:00.000-06:00

I'm a huge fan of homemade soups and stews during the winter time. I made this hearty recipe today using leftover rump roast and ingredients I already had in my refrigerator. It's super healthy, too at only 142 calories per cup and 3 grams of fat. Enjoy!

BEEFY VEGETABLE RICE SOUP

Ingredients:
* Water, 10 cups
*Beef boullion cubes, 6 cubes
* Garlic cloves, 3, chopped
* White Rice, long grain, 1 cup uncooked
* Celery, raw, 2 large stalks, cut into 1/2" slices
* Onions, raw, 1 medium, diced
* Carrots, raw, 1 cup, chopped
*Potato, raw, 2 cup diced
* Beef Bottom Sirloin Butt Roast, cooked and shredded, 2 cups (about 12 oz)
* Black pepper, 1 teaspoon

Put all ingredients into large pot, except for beef and black pepper. Bring to boiling over medium high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in beef and black pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Makes 10 - 1 cup servings.

Happy New Year! Here's to New Beginnings!

2011-01-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone! Our New Year's Eve started off with a bang - literally. At 6:00 a.m., the local news warned people in my neighboring communities to take cover because of impending tornadoes that were expected to touch down. My oldest son - who was in nearby Rogers - awoke to to the sound of tornado sirens. Thankfully, we are all alright, but unfortunately, several houses were leveled and three people lost their lives. My heart goes out to those poor families who lost their loved ones and their homes to this devastating incident.

Last year at this time, I made the first New Year's resolution that I ever stuck with and was quite successful at it. I vowed to eat healthier and lose weight. And, when I say weight, I'm not talking just a few extra pounds. I lost a total of 92 pounds last year and am now currently more than halfway to my weight loss goal. I have to give credit to a program I discovered from a Facebook friend for my success. That program is called "SparkPeople" and it's absolutely wonderful. You can eat like a "normal" person which means you don't have to deprive yourself when going out to restaurants or eating with the family. I highly recommend it for everyone who wants to shed a few (or a lot) of pounds. I've dieted my entire life and I've tried every program out there, but this is the one that really WORKS. Listen, if I can do it for an entire year, that says a lot. :)


"Before" pic (yuck)

After losing 92 pounds - halfway to goal!

After much thought, I've decided to reduce the inventory in my EBay store and move a bulk of my handmade items to ETSY. During the months of January and February, I will be making the transition. Don't get me wrong - I'll still be selling on EBay, too - but on a smaller level. In order to help reduce the inventory there, many items will be on sale in my EBay store. ETSY customers can also save during this transition by using coupon code "WELCOME" to save 20% on their entire purchase. In addition, in the very near future, my daughter, Brianna and I will be selling our homemade candy and cookies on ETSY. Each year, around the holidays, we always make lots of sweets. We've had many suggestions from people to market our sweets - so why not? We will highlight our tried and true buttery caramels, English almond toffee and Scandinavian almond cookies (to name just a few). All of our homemade sweets contain quality ingredients such as real cream butter. (No margarine used here!) Please stay tuned for details....

Buttery soft caramels


English almond toffee

I hope this New Year brings lots of love, laughter and the things that are truly important to everyone this year.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways at The Hive Starting Today!

2010-12-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

Hey, everyone, if you have not yet already checked out the social networking site for artists and crafters known as "The Hive", now is a great time to do so. Beginning today, The Hive is having it's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. Several vendors have donated cool prizes for the giveaway, including gift certificates, handmade ornaments, jewelry and more! I've donated 2 gift certificates from my Two Crafty Mules EBay store, an Our Lady of Mount Carmel pendant and a retro glass bauble Christmas bracelet for the big event.

Be sure to stop by and enter each day to win that day's prize(s). Good luck and have a very Happy 12 Days of Christmas!

Crazy Quilting with Vintage Hankies

2010-12-02T21:30:00.000-06:00

I absolutely adore quilt making. I remember the days when I used to quilt for hours at a time. Since my jewelry designs have taken off at the boutiques and on the internet, I don't get to quilt as often as I'd like to. However, I recently had some vacation time from work which I used to work on some mini crazy quilts. All 10 of them (yes, 10!) were made from vintage hankies. These quilts were inspired by Cindy Brick, who came up with the concept of "Hanky Panky Quilts". I became hooked on this concept ever since I bought her book years ago. It is still one of my all-time favorite quilt books.

Here are some of my latest mini quilts which I recently posted on Etsy and on EBay:

Nativity Quilt

Nativity Quilt (Detail)


Nativity Quilt (Detail)


Pretty in Pink Quilt


Pretty in Pink (Detail)


Pretty in Pink (Detail)

Virgin Mary Blue Quilt


Virgin Mary Blue Quilt (Detail)

And still more:

Felted Christmas Tree by Denise Toepel - How Cool is This?

2010-11-30T07:07:00.000-06:00

Recently, I featured one of Denise Toepel's (ChaChingCk on ETSY) felted Christmas trees in this ETSY Treasury, "Recycled Christmas Goodies", and look what she sent me! My own felted tree! It came in this adorable little box. Denise - thank you so much - I LOVE IT!!!

Denise's clever little creations are made from wool sweaters which she washed, dried, cut up and repurposed into adorable trees! I absolutely love these! When you go to ETSY, be sure to check out Denise's line of felted Christmas trees. She makes them in several color palettes - everything from off white to cheery red - along with felted garland and other holiday decorations.

Easy Apple Pie Tarts - Perfect for Thanksgiving (or Anytime)

2010-11-25T10:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love to make extra special baked treats for the ones I love on the holidays. However, I'm not one to make pie crusts or dough from scratch. I admit it - I just don't have the patience to do it. Instead, I like to come up with recipes that taste like they are made from scratch, but involve less hassle.

For breakfast this morning, I made Apple Pie Tarts and Cherry Tarts for my family. The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever pie filling you'd like. These are also really good served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel ice cream topping. I hope you enjoy making - and sharing - these tarts as much as I do.

APPLE PIE TARTS

Ingredients:

1 can apple pie filling
2 cans biscuits (I use Pillsbury Grands, but anything will work)
1 stick melted, salted butter
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Sprinkle a pinch of sugar-cinnamon mixture onto the work surface. Place one biscuit onto the mixture and roll it out with a rolling pin. Place one tablespoon of pie filling onto the center of the biscuit.

Fold the left side of the biscuit over to the right side so edges meet and filling is covered. Crimp edges with a fork.

Brush melted butter over both sides of the biscuit; roll entire biscuit into cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for a couple of minutes and place on serving plate. Enjoy!

NW Arkansas Fall Craft Fairs - Shop 'Till You Drop!

2010-11-15T21:15:00.000-06:00

The second weekend in October, Northwest Arkansas bustles with thousands of visitors from all over the United States and this year was no exception. The reason, you ask? It's craft fair weekend...and not just any craft fair, but a myriad of fairs all over this side of the state. It all started in 1954, when the ever-popular War Eagle Fair held it's first show. Since that time, there's been an increase in the number of shows, fairs and festivals which feature something for everyone. News sources say these festivals draw in hundreds of thousands of visitors each fall; last month, visitors topped over 600,000. That's a pretty substantial number when you consider the fact that my little town of Springdale has a population of just over 66,000 people and our neighboring Fayetteville has a reported population of 73,000.

As always, I love to put on my comfortable walking shoes and visit the shows. I never have the time to visit all of shows in any given weekend, but I do have my favorites that enjoy visiting each year. One of my favorites is a smaller show which is held at the Jones Center.   I always find unique handmade items at reasonable prices there, and although it's busy, it's never jam-packed full of people, making it easier to browse the displays.

One of my favorite vendors there is Prim by Design. This vendor never fails to disappoint. They sell all sorts of homemade potpourri, scented wax dipped dough ornies and all the fixins'. I love to buy a little bit of everything from them, mix it all together and display it in an old muffin tin during the holidays. The "snowmen and bells" wax dipped salt dough sells out quickly every year and is one of my favorites.   They also sell handmade prim dolls, hand-painted candles, and the like.

Claudia Steele was a new vendor to the Jones Center this year and her table was absolutely hopping with customers. Her clever jewelry creations featured quilled paper designs coated with a lightweight, non-yellowing shellac. I couldn't resist purchasing several of her necklaces and earrings for gifts. These are absolutely perfect for friends and coworkers from the office. (OK, I admit it, I did buy a butterfly necklace and earring set for myself, too. ;) ) Claudia doesn't have a website yet, but is working on putting one together.

Mary Ellen Watson is another talented vendor that caught my eye this year. She paints gorgeous Russian Orthodox/Byzantine style icons with traditional egg tempera. She offered numerous original paintings, prints, postcards and greeting cards at the fair this year. I ended up purchasing several greeting cards featuring her work. Mary Ellen can be contacted at iconsmew@gmail.com for custom orders; she is also available for speaking engagements.

Another favorite craft fair I enjoy visiting is the one held at the Springdale Holiday Inn Convention Center. This fair is huge and is contained within 2 large buildings. It is always packed and people are shoulder-to-shoulder, but there are some great finds here. Being a cradle-Catholic girl who loves lots of bling, I absolutely couldn't resist perusing PJ's Boutique. PJ's carries lots of rhinestone-covered and bejeweled crucifix (and other shaped) jewelry pieces, handbags and clothing. OK, none of what they carry is handmade, but it's a fun place to shop if you are looking for something a little different. PJ's Boutique is a part of the Feathered Nest Market on Facebook.

Pleasant Memories is another vendor I absolutely had to check out while there. They featured tons of beads, dichroic glass pendants, charms and other items for the jewelry artist at very reasonable prices. One very large table featured long strands of pearls, cloisonne beads in every possible shape, stone crucifix and peace sign beads and much, much more for as low as $2.00 a strand. As much as I tried to resist the temptation, I did purchase several strands of beads to use in my jewelry creations.

If you ever want to plan a trip to the Ozarks and you enjoy craft fairs, you definitely want to come to Northwest Arkansas in the fall. Bring lots of money and comfortable shoes with you. Trust me, you will need both. :)

Publishing News! PolymerCAFE Magazine and Cloth, Paper, Scissors

2010-11-11T06:32:00.000-06:00

I'm thrilled to tell you that PolymerCAFE magazine will be featuring my "Victorian Elegance" necklace and earrings set in the near future. This set features vintage filigree stampings embellished by clay roses, crystals and glass beads. I'm in the process of writing the article and taking the "how to" photographs at this time. The actual issue where it will be featured will be decided by the magazine after they receive my completed article. Being an avid polymer-clay artist for over 15 years, I have been a reader of this terrific publication for a long, long time, so I've got to tell you, this is WAY cool. As soon as I have more information about which issue will feature this project, I'll let you know. Please stay tuned...

Also, if you get a chance to check out the latest edition of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine (the November-December 2010 issue) be sure to check out a little blurb about my "Winter Frost" assemblage necklace. It's a repurposed necklace I made from vintage enamel brooches and earrings. Cloth, Paper, Scissors normally does not feature jewelry-related items, so I was pretty psyched when they asked if they could include it in their "Muse Flash" section of the magazine. How COOL is that?!

Jewelry From Found Objects Book - My Statement Jewelry is Featured!

2010-10-27T07:08:00.000-05:00

Hey, Everyone:

I'm thrilled to let you know that one of my statement necklaces is being featured in Heather Skowood's new book, Jewelry From Found Objects. Amazon.com is taking pre-orders on this fabulous book right now. It will be released in Spring, 2011.

Be sure to stop by Heather's blog when you get a chance to check out her amazing repurposed jewelry designs.

Repurposed and Recycled - Christmas Charm Bracelets

2010-10-01T10:51:00.000-05:00

For the past several years, I've been making and selling my repurposed Christmas bracelets on EBay and Etsy. These have proven to be wildly popular with buyers. Not only are they unique, one-of-a-kind creations, they are recycled! How cool is that? My latest holiday creations are made from an assortment of wooden game pieces, vintage Christmas cards, postcards and gift wrap, mini Christmas ornaments and deconstructed Christmas garland which has been refashioned into bead charm dangles. Also, for good measure, some of the bracelets feature polymer clay charms in various themes. Here's a sampling of a few of my little creations which have just been posted to EBay and/or Etsy:

So...before you go and throw away those old game pieces or Christmas garland you don't need anymore, see if you can "deconstruct" it for another project. It's perfect for Christmas jewelry, as you can see here. :)

Healthy AND Tasty Recipe - Spicy Cheese Popcorn

2010-09-27T06:56:00.000-05:00

This past January, I turned over a new leaf as part of my New Year's resolution and began eating healthier. As of my last weigh in a couple of months ago, I lost 86 pounds by doing this and feel like a new person. It's no secret that I love food. I was born into a Polish-German family that eats heavy, starchy, rich foods and uses food both to celebrate and to comfort. Even though I've changed my eating habits, I still enjoy having snacks as a daily part of my routine. This is one of those recipes that's great to snack on; occasionally, when I'm not majorly hungry and/or don't feel like cooking after a long day at work, I will sometimes eat this for dinner - no kidding.

Recipe:

*6 cups popcorn popped the old fashioned way - in the pot on the stove. (NOTE: I pop a big pot of popcorn at one time using one tablespoon of oil; this way, you have some to share with others or you have extra that will last you for the next couple of days.)
*2/3 cup low moisture, part skim milk mozzarella cheese;
*hot sauce, to taste (I use Tapatio sauce);
*popcorn salt, to taste

Put popcorn in a large bowl; add the rest of the ingredients. Mix and eat. Yummy!

By the way, the calorie count for this recipe is just under 300 calories. Not bad for a satisfying - yet healthy - snack. Enjoy!

TWO ATC SWAPS - Retro Housewife and Christmas Music - Sign Up Here!

2010-09-22T19:24:00.006-05:00

It's been a long time since I've hosted any swaps here on my blog and I'm itching to do it again. So, I've decided to host not just one, but TWO ATC swaps to make it more interesting. The themes are:

RETRO HOUSEWIFE: Think Mrs. Cleaver, mom in the kitchen showing off her appliances, making baked goods, spoiling the hubby and the kids, etc. This is a 3 for 3 swap. Card designs may be the same or different and sized 2.5" by 3.5";

AND

CHRISTMAS MUSIC: Capture the words of a Christmas song in your creations, for example, "Walking in a Winter Wonderland", "Jingle all the Way", etc. This is a 3 for 3 swap. Card designs may be the same or different and sized 2.5" by 3.5".

RULES:

1) Sign-up's will be taken until midnight 10/6/10. If you are are interested in participating, please leave a comment under this post;
2) Please make sure I have your name, address and email address so I can contact you. You may send this information to me at: craftymule@yahoo.com. I will email you with my address information when I acknowledge receipt of your email;
3) ATC's must be post-marked no later than 11/1/10 (Monday) and received by me no later than 11/11/10 (Thursday). I will swap out all of the ATC's on the weekend of 11/13/10;
4) Please enclose a self-addressed envelope in your package and $2.00 (USA), $2.50 (international) to cover the cost of return postage. International participants are welcome, too; you may remit your shipping fees to me by Paypal. I will give you my Paypal payment address when you sign up;
5) I will update this post with the names of participants as I receive them, so please check back. I want to make sure I don't accidentally leave anyone out;
6) Invite your friends to participate and please feel free to use the swap badge(s) above to help promote the swaps. The more, the merrier!

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ONE OR BOTH SWAPS. JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU RESPOND WHICH ONES YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN. THANKS.

If you'd like, please post your creations to the Two Crafty Mules altered art swap gallery page.

SWAP PARTICIPANT LIST:
Wanda Eash (both)
Claudia Sullins (Christmas only)
Hope Griffin (both)
Lisa Kettell (both)
Gwen (both)
Jeannette Faber (both)
Sandra Caldwell (Christmas only)
Sunny Christensen (Housewife only)

Adventures in Wet Felting and New ATC's

2010-09-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

I am on vacation for 2 weeks which gives me lots of time to work on projects I've been wanting to try. I've been hoarding felting supplies in my craft studio for quite some time now. I decided to give wet felting a try today and put some of those supplies to good use.


Laying out the wool roving.

Soaping the roving.


Giving it a good scrub on my handy dandy washboard.

The finished piece laying out to dry.

The finished piece isn't perfect. Notice those little holes in the finished product? Next time I will have to lay out the roving a little thicker. I will probably cut this up and use it to embellish an art quilt or brooch after it dries.

I also participated in another ATC swap held by the Creative Souls NING group. This month's theme is "Wonderful Words". Here are my creations:

I received these beautiful ATC's from my swap partner, Corinne Marie, complete with their own little handmade ATC book and envelope:

We were only required to make one ATC for the swap, but like potato chips, you can't stop at just one. :)

Cool Place to Shop - Argenta Bead Company, North Little Rock, Arkansas

2010-09-12T18:38:00.000-05:00

Argenta Bead Company

Last week, my place of employment sent me to Little Rock for a business meeting. Being the crafty gal/shopaholic that I am, I always love to check out new places to shop when visiting other towns in my free time. And, boy, did I find a good one when I stumbled onto the Argenta Bead Company in North Little Rock, Arkansas. I felt like a kid in a candy store during my visit.

One of the walls filled with Czech glass beads.

Czech glass buttons "on a stick".

This store has 3 rooms filled with all sorts of goodies. The main room is filled with all types of beads imaginable - Czech crystals, seed beads, pearls, gemstones, lampwork and even vintage German glass beads. There were 2 part lampwork beads that looked like little Chihuahuas, decorated cupcakes, monkey heads and the like. Half the fun was deciding which ones I absolutely had to take home with me.
On shelves right across from the lampwork beads, gorgeous Czech glass buttons threaded on long eye pins and displayed in glass jars reminded me of rock candy sticks you see in any old fashioned candy store. In the same area, an assortment of metal filigree stampings and soldering supplies can be found.

A close-up of some of the lampwork Chihuahua beads.

The back room contains an entire wall of tools, many which you can usually purchase online or through a jewelry supply catalog. Some of the more unique items I found in this little treasure trove included a wire whacking board (just perfect for my wire jewelry making projects), liver of sulfur for antiquing silver, bronze, copper and gold, a rainbow of colored wire reels, silk ribbon, colored hemp and leather cording (to name just a few.) Another wall contained hundreds of little drawers filled with all sorts of connectors, clasps and bead caps.

Pendant bezels in all shapes and sizes. My favorite part of the store!

My absolute favorite room, though, was the room located to the left of the bead room. This room holds bowls filled with big metal connectors of every shape and size. I especially love the large pewter daisy connectors. I purchased several to use in my jewelry designs, but I can also picture these being used in a belt to wear over a big shirt. Unique charms and pendants such as enameled Our Lady of Guadalupe pieces, carved ivory Geisha girl heads, gold and silver skeleton keys, Washi paper, glass tiles, dominoes, Ice resin and an assortment of goodies for the mixed-media jewelry artist can be found in this room. This room also houses a small library of beading books and a classroom. Last, but certainly not least, it also contains all sorts of bezel tray pendants in many shapes and large sizes. I usually have to purchase these online and was thrilled to be able to select my assortment in person.

Some of my haul from Argenta. :)

The ladies who work in the store are also very personable and willing to assist, if needed. If you are ever in the Little Rock area, this is a fun place to shop and well worth the trip. Even if you can't make it there right away, you can check out Argenta's website for information.

Argenta Bead Company
703 N. Main Street
North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114
telephone (501)537-0928

1/2 Price Classes Sign-Up at JoAnn's - One Day ONLY!

2010-09-09T07:10:00.002-05:00

Having moved to NW Arkansas 5 years ago from Arizona, I went through terrible withdrawal symptoms of not having a JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store in this area. I seriously would take road trips to bordering states (Oklahoma and Missouri) to stock up on craft and fabric goodies on a regular basis. I wrote letters to JoAnn's real estate department requesting they open a store in my area. Well, guess what? It FINALLY happened! Our new JoAnn's opened on 8/27/10 and I'm thrilled to tell you I am teaching a myriad of classes there from now through December.

Here are some of the classes I am teaching:


Vintage Chain Necklace


Ribbon and Chain Necklace


Bead and Wire Bracelet

I am also teaching an assortment of beginning jewelry making and polymer clay classes. Some of the Friday night classes I am teaching will be "Girl's Night" classes. What a great opportunity to bond with your friends or family members while having fun, socializing with other crafty people and learning something new! To make all of this even better, JoAnn's is offering a ONE DAY SALE on class sign ups on 09/11/10. You can sign up for ALL of the classes you wish to take at 50% off of the normal cost! That's like a 2 for 1 deal! WOW!!!

Be stop by the store to sign up for all of the classes your heart desires. The store is located in the Spring Creek Centre, 3835 North Mall Ave., Fayetteville, Arkansas, telephone (479)527-3944.

Hope to see you there!

ATC Swap - Paris - My Latest Creations

2010-08-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

I absolutely LOVE to make ATC's (altered trading cards). My problem is - when I sign up to participate in an ATC swap - I can't stop at just one. I end up making a whole collection! Such was the case when I participated in the Paris ATC swap sponsored by Creative Souls last month. I ended up trading the last card shown below to my swap partner in Germany. I still have the others. :)

Here are my little works of art:

Tip for Glazing Polymer Clay Pendants

2010-06-30T05:31:00.000-05:00

As crafters, we often come up with our own clever little ways to "make do" when we need something to help us successfully complete a craft project. Here's one of mine:

When preparing to apply glaze to polymer clay pendants, thread a paper clip through the bail.

Dip the entire pendant into the glaze and brush off excess. Hang the pendant from it's paperclip from a bamboo skewer that is suspended over a large disposable container. (Bamboo skewers are readily available in Asian grocery stores and they are very inexpensive. I paid 99 cents for a package of 100.) Let dry and repeat process as necessary. Upon removal, if the paperclip sticks to the dried glaze, it can easily be removed by clipping it with wire cutters.

And there you go! A perfectly glazed pendant - the easy way!

Adjustable Photo Art Domino Bracelet Project

2010-06-06T07:16:00.000-05:00

One of the things I find really fun to create with are wooden dominoes. These little game pieces have loads of possibilities. They make great jewelry pieces because they are so lightweight. And best of all, you can really personalize these by using family pictures to embellish them.

Supplies:
Drill
7 Images
Pencil
Scissors
White craft glue (I use Crafter's Ultimate)
Flat (non-embossed) wooden dominoes (7 per bracelet)
Waterproof brush-on sealer
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Gold leafing pen
9 MM jump rings - 16
6-7 MM jump rings - 6
Decorative chain - 4 - 5 inches, cut into 4 equally-sized sections
Lobster clasp
Basic jewelry tools (pliers)

Directions:

Paint the sides and back of domino with at least 2 coats of acrylic paint. Let dry. Add extra designs with acrylic paint, if desired. I made little polka dots on mine by dipping the wrong end of the paintbrush into the paint and applying it to the domino.

Trace domino onto each image with pencil. Cut out with scissors.

On a piece of wax paper or newspaper, squeeze out a quarter-sized circle of glue. Dip finger into glue; spread glue over domino; apply image, taking care to press out any bubbles that may form under the image. Let dry.

Apply brush-on sealer to front and sides of each piece. Let dry. Take the leafing pen and carefully outline a border around the edges of the image. Let dry; apply 2 more coats of sealer. (NOTE: It's really important that you apply at least one coat of the sealer to your image before applying the leafing pen, as the ink from the pen can "bleed" into the image and ruin your design.) Apply 2 coats of sealer to the back of the dominoes; let dry between coats.

Drill a total of 4 holes into each domino, lengthwise, making sure the holes are evenly spaced on each piece. (Please see photos for reference.) Brush off any sawdust.

Use the pliers and 9 MM jump rings to link the dominoes together. After all 7 of the dominoes have been linked together, add 9 MM jump rings and chains to each end. Use one 6 MM jump ring to connect the chain ends on each side of the bracelet. Add an additional 6 MM jump ring and lobster clasp on one side of the bracelet. Add 2 more 6 MM jump rings to the other end of the bracelet. Wa-la - your little masterpiece is complete!

Chocolate Candy Bar Earrings Giveaway Winner!!!

2010-06-05T07:53:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Peggy aplSEEDS, winner of this week's blog giveaway!!! Peggy, please send me your mailing address so I can send these "sweet" little earrings to you!

Life Got in the Way the Past Few Weeks - Updates Galore & GIVEAWAY

2010-06-02T20:48:00.002-05:00

Hello and long time no write! The past few weeks have been one heck of an interesting and busy ride for me. It's not that anything bad has happened; it's just that I had lots of good things occur seemingly all at once.

The first really big news on a personal level is that my middle child, Anthony, graduated from St. Gregory's University last month. He was able to achieve this goal in 3 years while working his regular part-time job (to pay for his living expenses) and running his charity for the homeless, Labor of Love Charities. At the end of last year, I informed you that a gentleman Anthony met had planned to donate a hotel to the charity with the intent that it be turned into a homeless shelter. To make a long story short, the donation fell through, however, Anthony is in the process of purchasing a 3 story building in downtown Shawnee that will serve as a resource center and place of shelter for the homeless. Formerly known as the Gasco building - once the oldest funeral home in Oklahoma - this charming building maintains much of it's original art deco decor, flooring and even a chapel. This shelter will be called the "Philomena House", and if all goes well, it will be open for business at the end of summer. Please keep your fingers crossed. Labor of Love Charities now has a Facebook fan page where you can stay abreast of all the latest news with the shelter, the homeless and to view pictures of the Sunday feedings and new shelter. Hope to "see" you there! (Pictured below is Tim, one of the regular Sunday visitors to the park, and someone who absolutely tugs on my heartstrings.)

On the "crafty" side of things, the Village Candy Store in Sewickly, Pennsylvania contacted me to design several candy-themed jewelry pieces they can sell in their store. Based on my conversations with the owner, Doug and pictures he sent me of his store, this appears to be one fun place to shop. Not only can you buy candy there, but other candy-themed goodies - pillows, clothing and now, my jewelry. I think this is going to be one fun adventure and I definitely plan to visit Doug and the Village Candy Store when I make it to Pennsylvania.

My jewelry designs will be featured in two upcoming books. The first, tentatively titled "Found Art Jewelry" by Heather Skowood, is expected to be released this fall. The second, 1000 Steampunk Inspirations by Barbe Saint John, will be released in the Spring of 2011.

I have a few other things up my sleeve which I'll share with you soon. :)

In the meantime, how about we celebrate all of this good news with a "sweet" giveaway? All you have to do is leave a comment under this post and please make sure I have a way to contact you through your blog or an email address. A winner will be selected at random on Saturday, June 5. The winner will receive a pair of my handmade polymer clay chocolate bar earrings! Good luck, everyone!

Repurposed Jewelry from New Items (Follow-Up to Previous Post)

2010-04-14T17:40:00.003-05:00

Last month, I showed you the beginning of a new project I was in the process of making from a disassembled filigree necklace I picked up at a discount jewelry store. I wanted to show you the finished product - a beaded black pearl and crystal bracelet. Ta daaaa!

Sorry it took me so long to post. I actually just finished the bracelet last night. It sat on my craft table where I could stare at it until the mood struck me to start working on it again.

If you have started any of your own new projects from disassembled jewelry, I'd love to see them. Please drop me a line and email me a picture or two. I'd love to see what you come up with. And who knows, I may just feature them here on my blog. :)

Repurposed Bangle Bracelets

2010-03-15T20:50:00.018-05:00

It's no secret that I LOVE to repurpose plain jewelry items into something artsy and unique. I picked up these plain plastic bangle bracelets from a discount jewelry store and made them into one-of-a-kind pieces of art using vintage artwork, fashion magazine images and sewing patterns. Check out the "before" and "after" pictures below:

Fashion doesn't have to be expensive. Pick up a few bracelet blanks and design away. You'll love your new bracelets and you can make several to give away as gifts. Have fun!

Repurposed Jewelry from New Items

2010-03-08T18:46:00.012-06:00

Not far from where I work, there's an awesome little store that sells unusual discount jewelry. I love to wander around and visually take in all of the items. I'm not like the standard customer that shops there. I have no intention of buying the jewelry to wear right off of the rack. Rather, I like to scope out the bracelets, necklaces and earrings for unique materials that I can use in my own jewelry creations. When there, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I make my purchases and am giddy with anticipation at the thought of disassembling the jewelry and making them into my own one-of-a-kind creations.

From this store, I picked up several different colors of this lace filigree necklace:
I took them apart to form individual pieces. I also removed the glass rhinestone from the center of each piece. (I will use these in another project.) These filigree pieces are unusual enough where you don't see them all over the internet; they look great as a background for an image or as a base for collage/mixed media jewelry.

This is a piece that I have started to make using one piece of the disassembled necklace. I will probably add some beading around the image and make it into a bracelet:

Using the same ideology, I recently made this one-of-a-kind necklace using parts of 2 necklaces and some chain from my collection of jewelry findings:

I always like to recreate things into something different. I think I was into "altered art" before the term was ever coined. I want to inspire you to think outside of the box. By using a little creativity, you can make designs that are completely your own without spending an arm and a leg to do it. Happy creating!

Italian Chicken and Dumplings Soup - Recipe

2010-02-21T07:18:00.004-06:00

I admit it. I'm a soup lover. One of my favorite things to do when we have chilly weather is to make homemade soup. I tossed this recipe together yesterday; it was really delicious. It reminds me of the chicken and gnocchi soup currently served at Olive Garden, but honestly, I like mine better. And at just 185 calories per serving, you aren't killing your waistline, either. Bon appetit!

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS SOUP

Ingredients:

Water, 8 cups
Chicken breast, boneless and skinless, 2 frozen
Soup base, chicken flavored, 2 TBSP
Onions, raw, 1 cup chopped (about 1 small)
Celery, raw, 1 cup diced (about 2 stalks)
Peas, frozen, 1 cup
Potato gnocchi, one 17.6 ounce package (3 cups)
Cream of chicken soup, 1 can
Cream of mushroom soup, 1 can
Cracked black pepper, 1 TBSP

Put water, soup base, frozen chicken breasts, onions and celery into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts and dice into small pieces. Return to pot. Add frozen peas. Return to a boil; add gnocchi and continue to cook over a medium high heat until the gnocchi is fully cooked, about 12 minutes. (Gnocchi will be done will they float to the top of the soup.)

Mix in cream of chicken and mushroom soups; simmer over a low heat until thickened or about 15 minutes.

Makes 13- 1 cup servings.

Number of Servings: 13

NUTRITIONAL INFO:

	Fat: 8.5g
	Carbohydrates: 23.9g
	Calories:185.0
	Protein: 11.8g

OWOH - And The Winners Are...

2010-02-15T07:04:00.003-06:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's One World One Heart Giveaway.

The winners have been selected and they are:

Sares of Loveleigh Treasures

and

Sadie Lankford of Nellie Bugs

Congratulations, ladies! Please contact me with your mailing address by midnight tomorrow (Tuesday) so I can mail your prizes out to you. :)

Use What You Have - Valentine's Day Bracelet Project

2010-02-07T19:27:00.008-06:00

OK, I admit it. I'm an impulse shopper and I buy more craft supplies (and other items) than I could ever possibly use. I often buy things from antique stores and estate sales thinking that I will make these things into something else. I guess that's the altered art artist coming out in me. Anyway, I have lots of wooden pieces left over from my tole painting days from back in the day. I also have 6 plastic containers full of buttons and charms. This is a great way to use up some of those crafting leftovers.

I was on a roll this weekend and made several Valentine's Day charm bracelets using items I already had at home. You can make these, too - they are fun and easy to make. The only thing that really takes any time though is waiting for your decoupaged hearts to dry in between layers of glue, paint and sealer.

Supplies:

5 or 6 wooden hearts (about 1" tall)
tacky white glue (I use Crafter's Ultimate)
small images (I printed mine from my computer)
buttons, charms and/or beads
paint
gold leafing pen
waterproof sealer
paintbrush
chain, jump rings, toggle clasp, jewelry pliers
awl or toothpick
scissors
drill

Instructions:

Using hearts as a template, trace and cut out desired images. Set images aside. Drill a hole through the top center of each heart. Make sure the hole is big enough for your jump ring to fit through. Paint the sides of the heart with 2 coats of acrylic paint. Let dry in between coats.

Glue images onto one side of the hearts. Let dry. Turn the heart over and gently push an awl or toothpick through the hole until it comes out the front side. Flip the heart back over so the plain side is showing. Glue the second set of images onto the back sides of the hearts. Let dry.

Brush waterproof sealer over one side of the hearts. Let dry. Use gold leafing pen to paint a thin frame around the image. Let dry. Brush on a second coat of sealer; let dry. Repeat process for the reverse side of the hearts.

Attach the heart charms to your bracelet with jump rings and complete the look by adding buttons, charms and/or beads to your bracelet. And, there you have it - your gorgeous, one-of-a-kind fashion piece. Enjoy!

Labor of Love Charities - Sunday in the Park

2010-02-06T07:47:00.009-06:00

I've been telling you about my son Anthony and his non-profit organization, Labor of Love Charities (LOL). It's an organization he started for the homeless in Shawnee, Oklahoma 11 months ago. I am simply amazed at the progress this organization has made in such a short time.

Last weekend was supposed to be LOL's first annual charity dinner, dance and auction fundraiser. My other two children (Joey and Brianna) and I made the 3 hour drive to Shawnee to attend, but unfortunately, it was rescheduled due to some crazy winter weather they were having there. Oklahoma ended up getting 10 inches of snow, ice build up on the roads and thousands of homes and businesses lost their power.

Anyway, the dinner was the only thing that the charity canceled. Every Sunday at 2:00 p.m., Anthony and his volunteers feed the homeless at one of the local parks. This Sunday was no exception. Like the postman, people can count on being fed when Anthony is around no matter what the weather is like.

Sunday's lunch - albeit a simple one of macaroni and cheese, buttered corn, hot dogs and buns, hot cocoa, bottled water and slats of pastries donated by the local Starbucks - served as the meal on this very cold day.

When we arrived at the park, several homeless people were there waiting for us. Meals were served up in big styrofoam containers. There was plenty of food for everyone; those who wanted seconds were able to take extra food with them. I was amazed to find out from our homeless friends that several of the places where they go for food weren't serving meals on that freezing cold day due to the winter weather. Anthony told me that's a common occurrence - many organizations will only serve the homeless when the weather is nice. Anyway, one of the homeless said, "We KNEW you'd be here, Anthony." And because of that, they trudged to the park in ankle deep snow to get what proved to be their only meal for the day.

Labor of Love Facebook Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/LaborofLoveCharities

One World, One Heart 2010 Event and Giveaway

2010-01-24T23:18:00.012-06:00

Wow! Can you believe it? It's already been a year since the last One World, One Heart (OWOH) event. What is OWOH, you ask?

This event was started by Lisa Swifka of A Whimsical Bohemian in 2007 as a way of getting bloggers from around the world an opportunity to discover interesting people, make new friends and close the gap between the blogging community. Each blogger who participates hold a giveaway on their blog. The giveaway can consist of supplies, antiques, etc., but original artwork of any kind is encouraged. Last year, I participated in this event for the first time. I met some wonderful people through this event who I still keep in touch with today; I also won some fabulous door prizes from a couple of different bloggers just by visiting their blog and leaving a comment.

If you would like to participate in this fabulous and very fun event (while checking out some cool artwork from our fellow crafters and artisans out there), be sure to stop by the One World, One Heart blog to sign up and also find links of all of the bloggers who are participating this year. The sign-up for OWOH begins on January 25; the event ends on February 15th.

This year, I will be giving away two items at random to two lucky winners who leave comments on my blog under this post. IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE THAT WHEN YOU LEAVE A COMMENT I MUST BE ABLE TO LINK BACK TO YOU, OR YOU MUST LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ME TO CONTACT YOU IN CASE YOU WIN. The winners will be selected by a random number generator on the morning of February 15 at 6:00 a.m. Winners will be announced on my blog the evening of
February 15.

The first item consists of a handmade resin pendant featuring the Virgin Mary; the second item is an adjustable domino ring of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

I look forward to "meeting" you if I haven't already. If you have stopped by before, welcome back.

Retro Eclectica - My New ETSY Store!

2010-01-21T19:26:00.006-06:00

I'm happy to tell you that I finally opened my new Etsy store which features just vintage items. It is called "Retro Eclectica".

I just posted some awesome items like an unopened box of Mixed Vegetable Jell-O for Salads from the 1960's and vintage craft kits from the 1970's. Ah, the memories!

More vintage goodies will be added regularly, so please check back often.

Happy New Year - Back in Action!

2010-01-17T07:08:00.014-06:00

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I know I have been away from my blog for a long time. I promise to try to stay on track and keep regular posts coming.

One of my major resolutions this year is to be more disciplined in some areas. I have some definite goals in mind and God willing - I will stick to them.

In regards to the arts and crafts world, I would like to get back into making art quilts and dolls. Quilting has always been one of my favorite things to do. I got so caught up in making jewelry for my customers, boutiques and the like that it took up all of my creative time. Don't get me wrong - I'll still make and sell jewelry as long as there is still a demand for it, however, I'd like to get back to doing what I really enjoy.

For years, I have hoarded vintage quilts, chenille blankets, linens, hankies and doilies with the intent that I would make them into something new. I did make some awesome hankie quilts, hankie angel dolls and teddy bears made from chenille blankets and cutter quilts a few years ago. Please keep an eye out for my new creations which I will sell on EBay and Etsy. This is going to be an interesting year!

Speaking of hoarding, I have collected vintage brooches, earrings and broken jewelry pieces for years. I have also been experimenting with creating these into repurposed assemblage necklaces. These are a nice change in design for me and quite refreshing.

As I mentioned on an earlier post, I wanted to start selling vintage items on Etsy and even had a contest to name the store. What I didn't realize is the store name I selected was already in use, so I have had to select another name. I expect to be opening that store in the next few days. Stay tuned for details...

Hot Dogs Lead to Fulfillment of Dream - The Shawnee News-Star

2009-08-27T05:23:00.003-05:00

My son, Anthony's organization for the homeless is growing by leaps and bounds. Here's the latest newspaper article on the charity which hits newsstands this morning. Enjoy!

Hot dogs lead to fulfillment of dream - Shawnee, OK - The Shawnee News-Star

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Labor of Love Charities - "Homeless, Not Hopeless"

2009-06-27T11:36:00.005-05:00

I'm a firm believer in the fact that when things are meant to happen, they will. Sometimes it will happen so quickly it can make your head spin. For me, it's always meant that this is God's will. A good example of this recently occurred with my son, Anthony. He has always had a love for helping the homeless. Earlier this year, I blogged about the experience we shared in volunteering for "Hot Dogs for the Homeless" in downtown Oklahoma city. This small act of love has exploded into something wonderful which will benefit so many of the less fortunate in the months and years to come.

In a nutshell, Anthony decided to start helping the homeless in Shawnee, Oklahoma, where he currently attends college. He makes lunch for the homeless each Sunday and delivers it to them in the streets where they reside and started a non-profit organization called "Labor of Love Charities." He decided to take this a step further by checking out buildings for rent with the intent that he would turn this into a homeless shelter/resource center. One building of interest - a 1901 two-story hotel - was available for rent. Anthony contacted the owner of the hotel and told him of his plans for the building. The owner of the building happens to be a doctor in the area who also has a love for helping others. He decided to DONATE the building to Anthony's charity. In addition, the doctor and his wife (who is a nurse) have graciously offered to provide FREE medical care to the homeless who seek assistance through the Labor of Love Charities. They will be working hand-in-hand with Anthony in making this dream come true.

The doctor, a gentleman named Keith, is also quite the publicity man. He contacted the television show "Extreme Home Makeover" to see if they would possibly be interested in renovating this hotel/future shelter. The television show has since requested a video of the hotel. Please keep your fingers crossed! If the show decides to take on the task of renovating this hotel/shelter, it will mean that more of the charity's resources can be used to assist the homeless. I'll keep you posted!

The Shawnee News-Star wrote an article about Anthony's efforts which they have featured in both their online and print newspaper editions. Please feel free to check it out if you get a chance.

EBay Negative Feedback Horror Stories

2009-06-17T20:16:00.004-05:00

It's no secret that many EBay sellers are frustrated with the changes EBay made to it's feedback system about a year ago. Sellers can no longer leave negative feedback for the buyers, so the ball is definitely in the buyer's court. Unfortunately, this has resulted in inaccurate and unfair negative feedback being left for sellers by some unscrupulous buyers or inexperienced new EBayers out there.

For the most part, I've been pretty fortunate with my feedback situation. I've had my share of difficult customers like everyone else, but, for the most part, those have been a rarity. Until this past month. I don't know if people are extra cranky from the heat, the economy or if there's been a continuous full moon out there, but WOW, I've been slammed with 4 negative complaints in a 30 day period. That's more than I've EVER had in ALL of the years I've been on EBay.

I wrote an EBay guide on my latest feedback experiences entitled, "EBay Feedback Horror Stories". Please be sure to check it out - and vote "yes" for it, if you would like to. Also, feel free to share your comments with me here on my blog. As always, I enjoy hearing from you!

Winner of "Name My Etsy Store" Contest

2009-06-06T22:34:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been an interesting month for me. I've received lots of great suggestions for my new Etsy store, but there can only be one winner. The winning name for my new Etsy store will be "RETRO REVISITED"; the suggestion for this store name came from Krista Lassiter. Congratulations, Krista! You win $25.00 of FREE merchandise from my EBay store!!!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Help Me Name My New Etsy Store Contest

2009-05-03T03:27:00.010-05:00

It's not a secret that I've been a packrat, collector and appreciator of vintage items and oddities for a long, long time. I'm the one who goes to the antique stores with visions of decorating my entire home in vintage quilts, head vases and other cool stuff. And let's not forget those other charming things I just have to have, like vintage hankies, tablecloths, old dolls, knick-knacks and other items I can't stand to leave on the shelf at the antique store. Well, I've decided to turn my love of these things with others. I'm opening up a brand new Etsy store. It will be a shopping haven for people who like cool vintage items but want to do their shopping from their home computers. This will be the place where you can find vintage items like chenille blankets, boudoir dolls, chunky brooches, jewelry findings/supplies, fabric, old patterns, hankies, cake toppers, games and game pieces and much, much more. Many of the items listed will be things that can be repurposed into something else.

I have one dilemma, though....I don't know what to name my store. I want something catchy, cool and clever that people will remember. I was steering towards something like "Funk-a-Licious Finds", but wanted to see what other names people can come up with.

This is where you can help me. I'm holding a "NAME MY ETSY STORE" contest that will last through the end of May. Please leave a comment for me with your ideas for unique store names. There is no limit to the amount of suggestions you can give; I encourage you to think out of the box. Nothing is too crazy and all names will be considered. The contest runs all month and will end on May 30, 2009. There must be a minimum of 100 name ideas before I will select a winner. The winner will be announced during the first week of June. The winner will have their blog and/or website featured here on my blog and will also get to select $25.00 of merchandise FREE from my EBay store. Don't worry - you don't have to have an EBay ID to participate. Just pick out any "buy-it-now" item(s) you'd like from my store, and I'll send them to you.

Good luck, everyone! I look forward to hearing from you!

P.S. IMPORTANT - Please make sure you leave an email or blog address in your comment so I can contact you if you are the winner.

Finished Product - Necklace Using Unconventional Mold

2009-04-23T05:35:00.003-05:00

Back in January, I showed you how I often use unconventional molds, like product packaging, to make my resin pendants. Here is the finished product of the Our Lady of Guadalupe resin pendant I demonstrated at that time. I found these awesome pale blue and amber glass beads on EBay. They perfectly complement the colors within the pendant. Oooh la la.....

How to Make a Button Fairy Doll - Great Earth Day Project!

2009-04-22T06:26:00.018-05:00

Happy Earth Day! Here is a fun (and addicting) project to make if you love dolls, altered art and quick projects. It's a great way to use up those extra buttons you may have at the bottom of your sewing basket.

DIRECTIONS:

Thread several buttons onto a piece of flexible wire that is 10-11 inches long. Push the buttons towards the middle leaving wire at both ends.

Select wings and a face or a face with a torso. Use a glue stick to glue them onto poster board. Cut out, leaving an area between the wings uncut (please see photo.) This is where you will glue your top button so important to leave it there.

Place tacky glue on bottom front of doll's torso. Slide it under the top button. The top of the wire goes behind the doll and will be used as a hanger. Let dry.

Glue the doll onto the wings with tacky glue. Let dry. Decorate as desired. Isn't she lovely?

Some other examples of button fairies to get your creative juices flowing:

Enjoy!!!

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My First Blog Award! Very Cool!

2009-04-09T05:21:00.007-05:00

I received this terrific award from Cindy Celusta. Cindy, what can I say? I'm honored to be recognized by such a talented individual like your self. Thanks so much! You made my day!

This is what the award is all about:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!”

In the spirit of paying it forward, I am to pass this award onto 8 deserving bloggers. In no particular order, here they are:

1) Lisa Kettell:
I met Lisa on FLICKR a couple of years ago. She is one of the most generous and giving people I have ever met in the art world. She goes out of her way to make others feel special and she doesn't hesitate to share her tips and success with others;

2) Melissa Ustik:
Melissa is another awesome artist I met on FLICKR. I am forever amazed at her unique artwork and am thrilled to be the owner of a couple of her art pieces;

3) Christine Alvarado:
Christine is an amazing dollmaker. I became hooked on her dolls the first time I laid eyes on them on Etsy and I am proud to say I own of her gorgeous creations;

4) Victoria Gertenbach:
This lady can make the most interesting things out of fabric. She never ceases to amaze me with her charming creations;

5) Mary Ann McKeating:
Mary Ann is the brainchild of the "Itty Bitty Book Club". She got me hooked on these mini art books, and just like Fritos, you can't stop at just one. These things are soooooo addicting.

6) Claudia Sullins:
I met Claudia on EBay. She started out being one of my customers, and we quickly became friends. Claudia is a generous, friendly spirit and I'm so glad I got to know her. Her handmade crucifixes are beautiful;

7) Gillian Allen:
I have been a long time admirer of Gillian's work and Art-E-Zine website. She doesn't hesitate to share her artsy tips with others. Needless to say, I was thrilled when she invited me to participate in a recent Goth Postcard Swap she hosted;

8) Elizabeth Bonura:
What can I say about Elizabeth? Her polymer clay designs are exquisite. When you look at one of her polymer clay flowers, you can't tell that it's a sculpture. She has created some of the most beautiful work I've ever seen - a true inspiration.

Please be sure to visit these blogs. I think you will see why I find these people - and their work - so amazing.

Hotdogs for the Homeless - A Labor of Love

2009-02-19T04:36:00.016-06:00

My middle child, Anthony attends St. Gregory's University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Each Sunday afternoon, he heads over to Oklahoma City and does volunteer work for Hotdogs for the Homeless. My daughter, Brianna and I visited Anthony this past weekend and also had the opportunity of volunteering for this very worthwhile cause during our visit.

Hotdogs for the Homeless was started by a man named Rick Swyden 6 years ago. What began as a loving gesture to feed one hungry, homeless man on the street has evolved into Rick and his volunteers providing 300 hotdog lunches to the homeless in Oklahoma City every Sunday. To date, Rick's group has served nearly 85,000 lunches since the program began in 2003.

At 12:00 noon, the volunteers meet inside of a large vacant room in a strip mall. Here, they boil two tamale pots full of hotdogs, place them on buns, wrap them in foil and assemble bagged lunches in white paper bags which have been decorated by local school children. Each lunch consists of a hotdog, snacks, napkins, condiments and bottled water. Extra hotdogs are wrapped for those who would like seconds. By 1:00 p.m., once everything has been prepared and assembled, the lunches are put into large plastic storage boxes and placed into the backs of the volunteers' vehicles. They then drive out to three designated stops within the poor sections of the Oklahoma City streets to hand out the lunches.
The homeless are gathered at each stop. This is not only an opportunity for the homeless to eat a meal, but to talk with others, share stories and human companionship which is so often lacking in this situation. Rick often gives hugs away with the lunches; he has befriended many of these homeless people and has helped at least 30 of them get off of the streets and into homes and jobs.

The spirit of giving is contagious. Many of the volunteers add their own bit of love into the mix. One regular volunteer bakes cookies each weekend and gives them out at the stops. Others bring gently used clothing, new scarves and backpacks to share during this time. Honestly, I'm not sure who enjoyed this time more - the homeless people or the volunteers - but in any case, it is a heartwarming experience for all concerned. In our current economic situation, it's nice to know that even the smallest gestures of kindness can evolve into such an amazing and touching event.

CBS Evening News ran a touching story on Hotdogs for the Homeless in 2007. Please be sure to check it out on the Hotdogs for the Homeless website. Also, if you would like to donate to this worthwhile organization, you can find out the details through their website.

Conversation Heart Resin Belt Buckle

2009-02-06T06:13:00.004-06:00

Just in time for Valentine's Day, this funky and fun belt buckle features real Conversation Heart candies. It is made from resin so it is durable and will last for many years to come. It is available for purchase on Etsy and EBay. This is definitely one of my favorite creations to date.

Ice Storm Causes Destruction in My Town

2009-01-31T15:14:00.004-06:00

On Monday night, my little town of Springdale, Arkansas was hit with a devastating ice storm. We knew the storm was coming but we had no idea of the damage we would experience from this. Tuesday morning, 1/2" to 2" of ice had accumulated on the roads, sidewalks and trees. Schools and businesses were closed because it was too dangerous to try to drive. My daughter, Brianna and I were inside our home listening to the trees make popping noises as the branches collapsed under the weight of the ice. We are photograph nuts and we've never seen anything like this, so we snapped pictures like crazy outside. Little did we know that many of our pictures would be the last of our home with it's big beautiful ornamental pear trees in the front yard. As we snapped pictures, we watched our huges trees buckle under the ice. One of the trees split in half; part of it landed on my car; the other part of it landed on my son's car. My entire neighborhood experienced damage like we have never seen before and it literally looks like a bomb went off in my neighborhood. My entire town and the surrounding areas lost electricity on Tuesday. It is now Saturday, and I anxiously wait for my power to be restored. Word has it that 95% of my town will have power restored by midnight tonight (Saturday). Our Governor, Mike Beebe, has declared our town a Federal Disaster area. I understand that there will be funding available for clean up and repairs but that's really all I know at this time.

In any case, I am thankful for the use of my town's library computer today. I am a big news junkie and I literally feel like I have been cut off from the world for the past 5 days. Between that and the cabin fever, this has been a frustrating experience. Thankfully, my family and friends are all alright. We are also fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood where people still help one another. We don't have to worry about looting or anything like that. Neighbors I have never met before came over and sawed tree branches in my yard, helping to remove them from the vehicles and the street. In times like this, it is comforting to know that people are willing to help one another when times get tough.

Once I am able to access my computer from home, I'll be posting pictures from the storm on Facebook and Flickr. Please stay tuned.....

Art Circus has FINALLY Been Released - Yay!

2009-01-25T08:22:00.005-06:00

My dear artist friend, Lisa Kettell, has a new book on the market titled, "Art Circus, Techniques for Journals, Paper Dolls, Art Cards, and Assemblages." Lisa is a wonderful artist - her designs are full of magical whimsy sure to inspire creativity in others.

Lisa's book also features artwork from several guest artists, including: Gina Smith, Eileen Grobeck, Jennifer Hayslip, Lori Karla, Debrina Pratt, Izabella Pierce, Laurie Duncan, Marla Tomlinson, Amanda Howard, Ann-Denise Anderson, Alejandra Pliegro, Sandra Koterba and....ME!!! (WHOO HOO!) I know many of these fabulous artists from Flickr and other internet groups. Their artwork really is eye candy for the soul. I think you will agree once you check out the book.

Art Circus was originally scheduled for release on 2/1/09, but I received notification that Amazon.com shipped copies that I ordered for gifts yesterday. A few weeks ago, Lisa had informed us that pre-sales for the book were doing so well that the publisher (Quarry Books) decided to release the book a month early. I live in a small town and we aren't normally first on the list when it comes to receiving new things. That includes books. I think I've worn down the carpet in my local Barnes and Noble looking for Art Circus there. Oh, well, maybe my publisher's copy of the book will arrive any day now. I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival; it definitely gives me something to look forward to over the next few days.