Be My Valentine

Here is a quick and easy Valentine's Day card project for you. Remember when I made the cute felted sweater pillow? I wasn't sure what to do with the scraps, so I just cut them into random heart shapes. A few days later, I had this idea. If you don't have a felted sweater handy, just use felt from the fabric store.

Sew simple!

Winter in the back yard

Here are some winter pictures for you to enjoy. Hopefully you're reading this from a warmer climate!

Simple Gifts

It seems like Christmas was months ago, but I am so thankful for some of the gifts I received, I wanted to write a quick post about it. This was a year that many people felt crunches -- both time and money -- and there was a lot of discussion both in the media and in my own family about cutting back or simplifying when it came to gift giving.

I have always believed that it's the thought that counts and it's better to give than to receive. Sounds trite, but I've always felt this way and believe I've lived this truth. A gift selected and given with love is the most important gift of all. The value is in the process, not the item itself.

This year, I spent a delightful day shopping in a non-mall venue with a dear friend. I purchased gifts for the people I loved. I thought about them, how they would use the gift, shared a story or two about them with my friend as we shopped, and truly enjoyed myself. My daughter helped me wrap the gifts and prepare the packages for mailing. We had a lovely evening away from the TV (and Facebook) and felt the Christmas Spirit in our home.

The gifts pictured above are gifts I received. They too were selected with me in mind and given with true generosity and a nice dose of the Christmas Spirit. The scarves are from my mother in law and are something I never thought I needed but now can't imagine not having. They are pretty and feminine and just my style. The house pin is a gift from my mom and dad. It was made by a little girl whose class decided to raise money for Haiti. It speaks to my love of houses, philanthropy, and good-old-fashioned arts and crafts. In this year that I am selling a house and hoping to buy another one, this pin reminds me that a home is any house with a big heart inside. The peacock feather is from a close friend. It reminds me of the "stray" peacock that was living in her yard a few years ago and it's a reminder to me to be strong and proud (and maybe a little vain) -- all qualities that are important for me this year. The necklace is from a new friend, but honestly -- how perfect: I'm a jewelry book editor, and now I have book jewelry. I'm proud to be her editor and her friend, and I wear this necklace for inspiration.

I don't mean to be ranting in this post. I just want to offer a gentle reminder that simple gifts, gifts from the heart, are all anyone needs and are worth all the money in the world.

Snow Day Project

When my kids were in preschool and I was a stay-at-home mom, I loved to wear colorful, seasonal sweaters. Now that they are teens and I'm working for a living, not so much. Here's a fun way to upcycle your old wool sweaters (this would work with blankets or throws as well):

Step 1: Forget all the rules of laundry, and throw your sweater in the washer set to hot water. Add detergent and a few towels and/or a pair of jeans.

Step 2: As the washer agitates, the wool will begin to shrink and felt. When the cycle is done, check to see if you're happy with the progress. My sweater felted a little, but I could still see the stitches. I liked the look, so I tossed it in the dryer. Here's how it came out:

 Step 3: Cut the sweater as if it's fabric in a shape to fit a pillow form. I used one side seam as an edge. Turn right sides together, and sew the open sides, leaving a small gap to insert the pillow form.

Step 4: Turn the pillow case right sides out and insert the pillow. Hand sew the gap closed. You'll find the wool "swallows" up your stitches, so using a doubled thread is fine and you'll hardly see the hand stitching.

Tah-da! My new seasonal accent pillow:

Spring Class Sneak Peek

Although there's snow on the ground and a chill in the air, I've been thinking spring as I design beginner projects for my local craft shop. Here's a sneak peek, and if you're in the area, the schedule opens up in January!

Stretchy bracelets with matching earrings:

Key to My Heart Bracelet and Necklace set (lots of loop practice!):

and my current favorite, Summer Sunrise necklace and earrings:



Here's wishing you a little sunshine, and a very merry, happy, warm and fuzzy holiday!

Oconomo-walk

My town is a great walking town. There are two large lakes, and most weekend days will find an eclectic mix of people walking, running, or strolling around the "lake loop." On my most recent walk, I passed a woman pushing a cat in a stroller. Yes, a cat. That can only be topped by what I saw this summer: An adorable pug in full life jacket, floating on a boogie-board while his big-brother black lab played an endless game of water-catch. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the cat or the dog. But here are a few of the view:

Poor little duck, enjoying the last rays of sun as the ice begins to form...we'll have ice-fish houses out there before you know it!

Our town is nick-named Five-O's (get it? OcOnOmOwOc!) I thought this view from the bridge was appropriate:

Enjoy the beauty in your day, even if it includes a little ice!

Rumor has it

A little bird told me that Absolute Beginners Guide: Stringing Beaded Jewerly is about to go into its third printing!

Colors of Fall Design Challenge

My first job out of college was at a small advertising and public relations firm in Philadelphia. I was a PR writer and I loved everything about that job -- my new Mac (circa 1985), my downtown office and commute, crisp business cards, exciting clients, demanding deadlines -- all of it. But what really intrigued me was the art department. They did magical things with x-acto knives, tissue paper, typography books, markers, fine-line pens, and Spray Mount. But the most magical of all was the Pantone color set. I found it mesmerizing.

I must say 25 years later the world of graphic design is still magical and mysterious to me. But thanks to modern technology, I can pretend every now and then, and play around with type, color, and layouts on my own.

That's why this month's Artbeads Blog Partner challenge was so much fun. We were asked to visit Pantone's site and review the newly released Fall Fashion Color Collection. I had a little too much fun playing with the Color Scheme Designer 3 tool. It helped me see combinations in new ways, and kept me from relying on my usual favorites.

For my inspiration colors, I selected lagoon, chocolate truffle, rose dust, and endive. I started with chocolate truffle (who wouldn't?). In the glass bead category I found 8mm deep cut nuggets in brown tiger eye and topaz. For the endive, I went to the gemstones and selected these adorable little peridot rounds. The copper-plated leaf links brought in the rose dust. At first I was challenged to find a blue that was true to Pantone's Lagoon and then I remembered to check the ceramics. These aqua glazed porcelain roundels were just the accents I needed.

Here's my two-strand necklace, accented with autumn leaves and copper chain. For fun, I tried adding color to the copper components with ammonia. My hope was to capture the color of the porcelain beads. You can see traces of aqua on the leaves. It worked much better on the earrings!

These earrings combine peridot dangles with porcelain beads and copper leaves. Perfect for summer-into-fall accessorizing.

Finally, I took all the extras and assembled this jumbled bangle bracelet. I love how the tiny peridot beads peek out from the copper web.

What are your inspirations this fall?

Disclaimer: The beads and copper links used in this project were provided to me free of charge by Artbeads. My review is my opinion and I have not been paid for my endorsement.

Happy Saturday at Ben Franklin

What a great day. Thanks to everyone who came to see me on Saturday at Ben Franklin. I loved meeting new beaders, hearing about projects, answering questions, and visiting with such interesting, crafty people. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Big Day Giveaway!

In honor of my official book launch party tomorrow, I'm giving you a chance to win big. First of all, you can pick your own prize:

A book: Absolute Beginners Guide:Stringing Beaded Jewelry
A DVD: Stringing Beaded Jewelry -- Top Techniques
Jewelry: A bracelet from the book

You can pick how you play, and increase your chances with each entry:

* Comment on this blog , and tell me about the first piece of jewelry you made.
* Link to this contest on your blog
* Become a new follower of this blog
* Review my book or DVD on Amazon

If 10 people play, I'll choose one winner. If 20 people play, I'll choose two winners, and if 30 people play, I'll give away all three prizes.

Drawing will be held on August 15. Good Luck!