Shotgun Shell Vials....Inspired By Lynne Simon Suprock

I was looking through my pictures to see if there was anything I had missed sharing with you.

I realized I did not share these.

I gave you a taste of them when I shared the post for over dying silk strips.

Today I wanted to show you all of them.

Lynne Simon Suprock is an amazing artist.

You can find her blog here: Simply Pretty Stuff.

Or follow her on Facebook.

Her original pieces first appeared in an issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

I made my own after I tracked down the right size tubing.

Because my shotgun shells were not brass, the etching did not work the way I wanted.

I do like the patina I got on mine.

I love filling each little reliquary.

That is half the fun.

I also like determining what the rest of the necklace will be like....

Old hardware, crystals, silk strips, polymer beads, patinaed chain....

It is all good.

I gave a makeover to cheap mall jewelry chains with mad scientist patinas.

Because I do them myself, each has a whole different look.

I even stamped some of the vials with StazOn black ink.

Uh-oh!

Sometimes when I revisit something I made, it gives me an itch to make some more.

I am definitely feeling itchy...

Hope you have been working on something that inspires you too.

                       Thanks for stopping by...

                 Linking up with these great blogs.

Guest Contributor at Plucky's Second Thought

Hello!

I have a quick tutorial over at Plucky's Second Thought.

Hop over to see how to make these cute and quick earrings just in time for Mother's Day.

Thanks for stopping by....

Fast and Easy Gratitude Cards

A couple of years ago, I found these great word rubber stamps in the Dollar Bins at Michael's.

They are my most-used stampers.

Today I used them to make two quick cards.

  I always use StazOn ink.

I stamp each word on a little piece of card stock.

Then I glue each one on a slightly larger piece of cardstock to mat it.

Then I just use pop dots to add them to the card.

A couple rhinestones finish them off.

You can add whatever sentiments you like.

I made a whole pile of these in an hour.

Thanks for stopping by....

Guest Post over at Plucky's Second Thought...

I am fortunate enough to be a guest contributor over at Plucky's Second Thought.

You check out my newest post over there now.

It is a tutorial for this sweet polymer clay necklace  just in time for Valentine's Day.

Pop over to check it out and tell Jess I sent you...

Thanks for stopping by...

Quick Winter Greeting Cards

I love making my own cards.

My designs are not usually complex.

I love simple and clean.

I wanted to share two cards that are perfect for this time of year.

Just simple winter greetings.

Start with your card base.

I usually just cut an 8 1/2 x 11 inch piece of card stock in half and fold it.

The bases I used here are prescored and a bit smaller.

I got them around 25 years ago at my favorite surplus store.

Does that make them vintage?

Next cut a piece of patterned paper the same size as the card.

Carefully rip out the bottom left corner.

Take out enough of a piece for your stamped greeting to show in its entirety. 

I like my tear to show the white under the design.

Glue the patterned paper to the front using your favorite adhesive.

Stamp your greeting.

I love Stazon inks. 

 They don't run if the card gets wet.

Punch a couple shapes using a paper punch.

Here I used a snowflake.

Glue on the centers.

I added a clear plastic half round on top.

You could do glitter, buttons, brads or anything else your heart desires.

This basic format can be used for any occasion.

You can make a couple dozen in an evening.

I still prefer a card in the mail to an email...

Thanks for stopping by...

A Favorite Creation.... Etched Bullet Casing Necklace

Have you ever made a piece that just makes you so stinkin' happy every time you look at it?

There are a few pieces that I created that always bring me joy.

This necklace is one.....

I started with an old spoon....

Cut off the handle and bent what was left to make a bail.

Both sides were stamped with StazOn ink and then etched.

Another spoon handle was stamped with LOVE....

And wrapped with lots of balled wires.

I made the chain with rebar wire... 

Each link was formed, soldered and hammered.

I added each link as I was soldering them.

I love the rich rustic patina...

Old silk blouses from the thrift store were torn into strips and tied on....

Have you priced silk by the yard?

Ouch!

Thrift stores are my favorite source of silk...

It used to make my daughter crazy that I could run my hand along the rack and pull them out so easily.

We spent an afternoon practicing.

She is a pro now.

She gets sad when I say I don't need any more silk right now....

Then there is the etched bullet casing....

Soooo gorgeous....

I have been totally inspired by Lynne Spurlock and her work with bullet casings.

She is an ingenious artist!

Following her lead, I have been playing with etching bullet casings and using them in jewelry designs.

Here is one side of the etched spoon...

Great text and prose...

The other side is a faint baby face...

You can see it if you look close.

Sweet little mixed chains become a fun tassel from the bullet casing....

Ahhhhh...

It just makes me happy.

Every

Time

I

See

It!

I hope creating brings you endless joy like that.

Thanks for stopping by...

Linking up with these amazing blogs.

Fabric Mixed Media Book...

I have long been fascinated and inspired by fabric books.

I love the old and shabby look of creations by amazing artists such as Viola from Shabby Chic Inspired....

and Karen Valentine from My Desert Cottage...

So with the fair coming up soon, I decided to finally tackle one of my own....

Here is the result.

I started with some quilt squares I got at a local surplus store.

  They came 4 in a pack and were already assembled as a finished square with button holes around the edges so you could easily build a quilt.

This is the cover.

I bound my book with yarn and fibers.

I cut a variety of ribbons and fibers and used a crochet hook to pull them through the button holes.

Then I tied them loosely in a knot.

The cover already had the lace as part of the quilt square.

I attached the word "Dream" by basting each letter on.

I bought the letters at the thrift store a couple years ago.

I think they are the ones you use on signs.

I cut the little tabs off with scissors.

I added a twisted satin flower and a piece of fabric that I dyed from a discarded set of curtains from my brother.

I wove an old pearl necklace through the button holes around the edge and attached a charm I made from hardware, rhinestones, one of my polymer beads, a frozen Charlotte head, and resin.

  When you open the book, you can see the first two pages....

Images from The Graphics Fairy were printed on muslin and sewn on the pages.

The other end of the pearl necklace from the front got a vintage music resin bottle cap charm added.

The secret here for the aged look resin is to use car resin which is amber instead of clear.

The letters are made from polymer clay in a push mold.

I antiqued and sealed them.

This page also has a UTEE covered book page leaf, a polymer clay music charm, a cheesecloth twisted flower, and a resin cube encasing a vintage crocheted flower and lace.

I love this cheesecloth flower...

Behind the resin cube are two white feathers.

A little polymer flower accents the end of one feather.

The next two pages are butterfly inspired.

Another great image from The Graphics Fairy.

A seashell with another image from her transferred onto it.

I love this sweet little girl.

The little blue mirrors are button attachments I bought when I got the quilt squares.

This page has a library card sewn in as well as a butterfly poem from a children's poetry book.

The library card is a pocket so little treasures can be tucked inside.

This page also has butterflies and flowers galore.

I adore how inking the edge of a die cut really makes it pop.


Staz-on ink is my favorite...

Die cuts are accented with handmade polymer hearts and flowers or frosty acrylic accents.

The twine flower is made by making twine loops and the gluing them and adding a button on top.

The trick is to make it on a hot glue release mat.

Just pop it off when it is cool.

Here are the last two pages.

The left hand page has cheesecloth and burlap sewn on and then two of my tags were added.

Cheesecloth and crepe paper are two of my favorite materials.

This little handmade chalkboard tag is so sweet.

This last page was so much fun.

I sewed about 5 dyed coffee filters right down the middle of the page.

That creates about 10 more pages on this page...

What fun!

So Let's get started....

More butterflies and cheesecloth....

That vintage picture on the right cracks me up.

It's from an old postcard and says, "I am fully occupied!"

Next page....lace and polymer flowers and more crepe paper accents.

Alice in Wonderland and a little handmade vial...

Dress forms are an obsession of mine...

I like the three-dimensional accents....

Another sweet girl and a string flower....

Cupcake liners are such a sweet accent.

I got a couple of these glitter keys on clearance but had not decided what to do with them...

Every book needs a key, right?

So much texture and fun in these pages.

A book spine with dyed butterfly wings peeking out.

This darling girl is actually on a flattened toilet paper tube.

I wanted to create a pocket for a tag.

Last two pages.

I still feel like anything is possible if you BELIEVE and WORD HARD!

A sweet little glittered spool.

On the back of the book is a coffee filter flower.

Doesn't everyone need a fabric book?

I have to say, I LOVED this project.

It took me a couple hours to assemble all the bits and pieces.

Almost every single piece (except the glitter key) was made or altered by me.

 Many things were already made and then just added.

Those jars I showed you before, hold lots of goodies...handmade and collected.

If there is anything you saw you want to see a tutorial on later, just let me know...either in the comments below or shoot me an email.

Thanks for stopping by....

I will be linking up with these amazing blogs.