Quilled Jewelry

Well, as everyone knows, it's never good to put all of your eggs in one basket.  And as an artist, you can't do the exact same thing and never try new things.  So, with that thought in mind, I decided to try some quilled jewelry.  Nothing complicated.  It is just a basic daisy pattern flower with a metal embellishment.  I love earrings that have a lot of movement.  So I put the metal pieces as free moving additions.  I also made sure to seal the paper so that daily wear and the possibility of humidity or rain wouldn't allow harm.  So I'm pretty happy with the results.  I might try a few more!

Let me know what you think of them!



Have a great week!
Shelly

I made a Treasury!

I just have to brag for a minute - since this is the very first time I've made a Treasury!  Here's the link:
http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4c07c71bab056d915c00ddce/sun-and-sky

I feel so happy!

Have a wonderful weekend!
Shelly

Trying a New Medium

Hello!  As a paper crafter I have found that it is definitely a good thing to try new techniques and new mediums from time to time.  Since I love paper, I wanted to play with something I had not used before.  Vellum is a cool paper to me because it can incorporate sparkles or natural elements.  I had purchased some earlier, but never used it.  It just didn't seem to fit anywhere.  But since I've been stamping a little lately, I thought I would try stamping on it.  I had used embossing powders in the past, many years ago, and thought that using them would be interesting as well.  So, I took one of my favorite stamps and used white ink and stamped for as many colors of embossing powder as I had available.  It worked great!  I was excited.  So then I had many beautiful and colorful dragonflies, but they looked lonely just flitting around the page.  I have a couple of different flower stamps, but I needed one that fit size wise and not too cutesy! I found the magnolia and it also stamped well.  I colored in the pedals so that it blended well with the page and didn't look too blue (as you can see through the vellum pretty well).  

I also decided, since I was experimenting, that I would add a bow.  I like the look of a bow, but often feel it's just too much on the front of a card.  So a thin ribbon in a matching shade of blue and I liked it.  Then I needed a sentiment.  I wanted that to pop off the page so that it didn't look so flat.  I layered the stamped and embossed wording with a slightly larger piece that I embossed in silver only.  

So here's the results of my experiment!  I encourage you to play a bit as well.  You never know how much fun you could be missing out on!

Best wishes for a fun week!

Shelly

Catching Up!

Last weekend I was ill!  That's no small statement in my book.  I don't get really sick very often, but I was this time!
Anyhow, after a busy week of recuperation I was able to put together a new gift bag.  This one is on a kraft bag with the outside painted a dusty blue.  I added a sheet that had happy birthday written all over it.  Different sizes, fonts, and even colored bubbles.  I cut a diamond in the middle and quilled a two tone brown puppy and added a thought bubble with a quilled bone.  Then I took white cardstock and cut a bone shape and penned to: and from: and added a blue curling ribbon.  It's a cute bag and I'll be doing other sets.  I'm making them sets, by the way, that include the tissue paper and gift card.   I think that there are plenty of folks out there that appreciate everything coming together and having it on hand for last minute gifts.

Have a wonderful week everyone!  Happy Memorial Day!
Shelly

Thank you, thank you, thank you - cards

Last week I needed to get a few things done around the house so I didn't create.  But, of course, by this weekend I really wanted to make some cards.  So I did!  I made three cards all of which I made as thank you cards.  The first one was a quilled butterfly on gold swiss dot.  I used fall colors keeping in mind that it would be a masculine card.  I used the Design Runner to put the words at the top of the card.

The second card was made using a new MS punch I found.  It has sort of a seashell look, but when I doubled it, one on top of the other, it made a flower.  So I decided to put a darker purple under the white card for the shells and then cut pink shells to make the flower for the top.  It turned out to be interesting.

The third card used another MS punch that makes pretty vines with a little daisy in the middle.  I used this across the bottom of a white card and put a sunny yellow under it.  Then I cut two scalloped squares.  One in yellow and one in white.  On the white I stamped a dragonfly using white ink.  I used colorless embossing glitter on that and "filled in" here and there with a light brown and yellow color pencil.  Then I decided to give it a bit more bling and added gold embossing powder to the edges.  I added just a bit of green pencil around the outside.  Then I put the yellow square at the opposite angle of the white one, glued them together and put pot dots under it.  Then added a sticker and I like it!

So another weekend has passed us by.  We are working on the house a bit, fixing things that have been too long neglected.  We're gearing up for summer vacation that is too quickly coming.  And of course, I'm thinking about creating for the holidays already.

I hope that you have a fantastic week!
Shelly

A Good Mother's Day

No new items to share today.  I just wanted to wish everyone a great Mother's Day and a fantastic week.  My daughter and son-in-law surprised me today by arriving at my mom's house yesterday so that they could spend the day with me once I arrived there.  My mom loved the card I created for her and my hubby and son-in-law made a wonderful meal for everyone.

Later we went to my mother-in-law's house to visit.  She had back surgery earlier in the week and wasn't quite up to par, but it was nice to see her and talk for a few minutes.  She liked the cards I made her as well.  She commented about how she hoped I could start selling some.

I've been working on a couple of new ideas for cards and hope to get them up in the next few days.  I have several birthdays next month and need to get ready for them.

Until then, take care!

Shelly

A Get Well Wish

After a nice weekend away from home, we came back to find out that my mother-in-law was in pain and needed to be taken to the hospital.  After some tests they discovered herniated discs in her back that needed surgery to be repaired.  If not, she faced the possibility of not walking.  Of course, she's elected to go forward with surgery.  So to cheer her up a bit, I created this card.  Please forgive the lousy pics.  The flower is attached to one of those clear sheets, which gives the card a nice effect, but makes for terrible picture taking!  I colour penciled the flower and used a sticker for the wording.  I think it turned out nice.  I like the way the gentle yellows seem peaceful and calming.

I hope that you are having a good week.

Shelly

Internet, cards and busy stuff

I want to start by saying that I have recently had internet issues.  We lost our DSL for 4 days.  Apparently 65 people in my area were on this DSL box and something happened to it.  Once it was working again, it only took two calls to get everything completely back in order.  The tech department at AT&T was helpful and friendly.  And their help as well as their attitude, was very much appreciated!

The first card I want to tell you about today is for my best friend Brenda's daughter-in-law.  She's expecting a baby girl in mid-July, but decided to have an early shower.  I wanted to be sure to make a quilled card to include with the gift.  The baby buggy seemed like it would be a bit of a challenge, so that's what I went for.  The card is pink card stock with a second card stock on top.  It has the word "baby" written in multiple colors which I thought made a nice background.  I used a MS punch to create the scalloped top.  I then used shades of pink to create the buggy.  I made a pink heart with a smaller white heart for the center of the buggy body, then used "s" curls and small circles to fill in the interior of the body.  For the top I used small tight circles, V scrolls and "S" curls to fill in.  The handle is an uneven "S" and the wheels are white open circles.  Overall I like the way it turned out.


My second card is a birthday card that I like the way it turned out.  This one is being listed for sale, but I thought I would show it here anyhow.  This card is on white linen card stock and has green swiss dot card stock with a yellow patterned paper on top of white linen.  The smaller message is a pop up with the square foam pieces.  Happy Birthday is stamped in black ink.  I like the way it pops off of the yellow when you use black.  Three daisies are quilled and I added the "S" scrolls to match the print pattern in the yellow paper.

This weekend is the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.  Some of you may know of it, others probably don't.  Its a huge weekend long affair held on Amelia Island each first weekend of May.  Many artists and local clubs take the opportunity to show their wares and make some money.  It is a long running festival that used to be mainly for the local people to celebrate the beginning of the shrimping season.  But it has grown and is very popular and visited by people from all over the place now.  So it is going to be a busy weekend!

I hope all of you have a great week and weekend.

Mother's Day and Something Abstract

Well, as we all know, Mother's Day is coming in just a couple of weeks and I really needed to get a card made for the moms.  I had an idea of what I wanted it to look like, but alas, I couldn't find the stamps I wanted.  But I did find this one and I like it. It has an element of fun about it!
I started with my new white linen cardstock and cut an oval for the stamp to show through.  The text sheet behind is a very pale yellow.  I used the Design Runner for the wording.  That worked very well, but took a test run to get it right.  Then I added the quilled flowers and shapes.  Behold, a very personalized Mother's Day card.

 And, while I had the time, I made this abstract piece.  I'm trying to incorporate more elements into my cards.  This uses layering (white linen, peach and printed papers), quilling (royal blue, carmel, coral, red and white 1/16 inch) and embossing powder.

Both cards turned out really well and I'm glad that I took the time to play with some new ideas and elements.  I hope that you enjoy looking at them!

Birthday card and holding boxes

I didn't want anyone to think I had been lazy the last few days.  I have been creating.  I have played with the stamping a bit more and I've been showing off everything I have created.  I visited my old friend Marilyn yesterday.  She loved my work, which I greatly appreciate.  If I'm ever going to turn this into a business, I've got to understand what people want and need.  I bought some boxes with clear covers to hold the cards that are quilled so that they don't get messed up.  If too many cards sit on top of each other the very thin quilled paper may get pushed to one side by the weight of the others.

The card I have pictured here is going to be for a niece.  Just a single beautiful flower with a simple message.  I think she will like it!

It's Spring Break here and I've been busy with my grand-daughter.  Keeping her entertained is a full time occupation!  But it's fun.  I wish everyone reading this a pleasant week and weekend.

Shelly

My new punch works great!

I know a lot of card makers use punches and stamps.  And I'm probably excited over something many others have enjoyed doing for a good while now.  But I don't care!  I'm excited about how this card turned out!  I made it for a friend to give to one of her friends, but I wanted to share it here.  The stamp is Happy Birthday with a really fancy font for the H and B.  The punch is a MS lattice fence.   I chose to space it so that it appears to have posts as well.  Then I quilled and put tulips, a pink daisy and a sunflower in front of the fence.  The inside says "Bouquets of Birthday Wishes."  So now that I've had fun using a stamp and a punch I think I'll incorporate them more often.  They go well with my quilled flowers, don't you think?  
Have a wonderful Easter Sunday everyone!
Shelly

I'm a featured artist!

I'm so excited and honored to be the featured artist for the Giddy Greetings blog! Monica of Giddy Greetings has been a quiller for 30 years and has a fabulous web site that shares designs and lots of how to videos. Please take a minute to check her out at www.giddygreetings.com. Today I'm sharing my new congratulations card. It was designed to give to either a wedding couple or an anniversary couple. It has gold bells and royal blue, deep blue and white accents. The sentiment on the inside says "to love is one of the greatest joys in this life." I used 1/16 in. quilling paper this time and I really like the results.

Thanks for stopping by!

Shelly

Adorable ducks

Well, as most of you know, when you are looking for inspiration, it can be found in some of the most unexpected places. I recently saw some art prints that caught my eye and I decided to recreate them. This one, with the ducks on a pond, was in a bathroom. I found the "i adore you" print on my Xyron Design Runner and needed something to finish the thought. When I saw the print, I knew I had a match!

This was a fun project. Mainly teardrop shapes and the leaves and large butterfly wing were combed. The water and flower are shaped marquise. For the butterfly's head, I left a piece hanging after I wound the end. Then shaped the teardrop and cut the middle from the hanging end so that I could create antennae.

Let me know what you think of it.

I'm quilling now!

Yeah, ok, I admit it! It's been a long time since I last posted. Didn't know what I was going to do. Not sure which direction to move in or whether I should give up everything. But just in that last month I've discovered quilling! I'm thrilled with it in fact. :O)

So here I'm sharing some of my newest work. And I hope to continue sharing it as new cards become available.

Recently I've been made aware how important bereavement cards can be. We all grow up knowing that some day our parents will pass on. But we never quite grasp the concept that our spouse or child may precede us. When it happens it is a devastating blow to our lives. If it happened to me, I want to know that I had people out there willing to help me get over it. I think most people have their family to turn to, but sometimes we need peers that can get us past that point in our lives. People who love us, but understand when it's time to move on. So I'm going to work on a few bereavement cards that people can use when needed to let that person who has suffered a loss know that they are cared about. Loved. I think a handmade card helps make that point, as well as a handwritten note inside.

Let me know if you have any comments or ideas. You can see this card and others on my Flickr page.

Warm regards,

Shelly

Sharing

Ohhh, I've been really bad.  Sorry.  I truly didn't realize how long it has been since I made an entry.  I've been busy.  Busy looking at other webs and blogs, following up on Twitter followers, I've made some purses and totes, I am currently putting together gift tags for a local business that wants them on hand for patrons, not to mention a ton of family drama.  But I'm still here and still creating!  A couple of people who have hearted my Etsy shop lately caught my attention and I want to share their creations with you.  Today's guest artist is BerryliciousButtons!  She makes a lot of products from buttons, of course, but the magnetic clips are just too cool.  They are strong, magnetic and beautiful.  Great not only for yourself but as a gift to others.  Check her out on Etsy (berryliciousbuttons.etsy.com).

So please forgive me for going so long without an entry and then know that it is because I am still learning and growing!

Learning and Doing

Well, as usual I've been hard headed and remiss in keeping up with all that I should have.  I have been busy.  I have taken the photos that I was asked to take.  I have been to my grand-daughter's pre-k graduation (that was fun!), I have been working on my bag orders and I've been keeping up with the house (for the most part).  

Bags you ask???  Yep, I made myself a tote bag a few years ago and used it for a bit and laid it to the side.  The other day I found some material and had an idea for a purse.  So I modified the tote pattern and the purse turned out well.  My mom liked it so much she asked that I make her one, but orient it to the Jax Jaguars.  So I'm working on that.  Then through my best friend Brenda and a mutual friend, I have the possible opportunity to put some of my work into a local store.  This is am extremely excited about!  I had to create a portfolio for the store owner to look at which went through Brenda and our friend.  I put the portfolio in my original tote so that I could pass it to Brenda conveniently.  Brenda loved the tote and wants one of her own.  So that's the story of the bags!

The pictures were of Bean with the balloon barrettes in her hair, which I have taken and loaded on the Etsy sight.  I think it will help people realize the size of the barrette.  

So now you know what I've been up to.  Don't forget to check out my Etsy from time to time to see what I've created!  :o)

Marketing and Inspiration

Today I'm inspired to market myself!  I love reading the thoughts and information that Shannon Riffe of Rifferaff puts on her blog and shares with fellow Etsians.  She's successful.  She's intelligent.  And I want others to be able to look at my shop and say the same about me, knowing that they can come to me for help in making their shops more successful!  

Today is all about marketing!

Graduation time

Well it's been several days since I last let you know what was going on, but trust me, I was busy!  My friend Kathy needed graduation announcements made - 50 of them.  I'm not set up like a print shop, so it was a piecemill operation, but I did it!  And they looked pretty good.  Pictures are posted below.  I also have made congratulations cards for several graduates.  They are fun as I remember how important and emotional graduation was for me (all those many years ago!).  I also tried a new technique to make a wedding congrats card.  I embossed the front and then took chalks to color in here and there to give it an "old" feel.  I really liked the results and will probably do a few more cards like that.  

We're in our third day of a good old nor'easter and I've been wet more times than I care to mention, but it has forced me to stay inside and get some work done.  And moreover, it has caused everything outside to become so beautifully green!  So, I'm off to get a few more things done.  Everyone be safe out there and have a great Memorial Day weekend.

Starting to pick up business

Well, it was a great Mother's Day weekend.  Time with family was nice.  Food was great!  I'm just about to finish up the birth announcements and today I picked up a friend's grandson's graduation invites.  I'm really getting excited about the amount of work that is coming in lately.

Also, I have a purse order.  This is something I'm not putting on Etsy, just word of mouth stuff, but I'm excited to have the order none-the-less!

So I have a busy week ahead, but I'll try to keep a blurb here and there on Twitter!

I'm So Excited!

When I dropped off the Bean to school this morning, I was greeted with words of praise for my visit the day before.  I was pleased not only to hear that some of the mothers were checking out my web site and products, but Ms. Lisa had used the Cricut I left for her to play with to make a Thank You card for me that all of the children signed!  It was fantastic!  I was so pleased with it and with the experience.  Now I'm even happier that I did the project than I was yesterday!

I have another new follower on Twitter too.  This is shaping up to be a great day!

Have a great weekend and pleasant Mother's Day everyone!