2 x 2 tiles for a swap

 I had to make 18 tiles for a swap.
Set #1...9 tiles. I started with black mat board, painted the mat board with Tim Holtz crackle paint, but the paint didn't crackle for some reason. I then painted sheer gold over the first layer of paint, and added some Radiant Pearls. Used the heat gun to dry the RP's, stamped a background in sepia colored ink, added a picture, some decorative paper, mini scrabble tiles-a letter for each participants first initial of their name, and finished with thick copper glitter.
Set#2...9 tiles. Stamped images into polymer clay, rubbed perfect pearls and then rubbed a light coat of a sheer gold paint because I couldn't find any Future Floor polish or my clear gloss clay glaze. I glued buttons, and charms on the clay tiles. With the glare of the flash it is hard to see the details.

Felted silk flower pin...Giveaway

I was blog hopping, and I went to blue birds living in the meadow. Lots of colorful artwork can be found on that blog. http://bluebirdslivinginthemeadow.blogspot.com/
There was a video tutorial on that blog of how to make felted silk flowers pins, and since I had all the materials: wool rovings, felting needles, silk flowers and angelina fibers I decided to create one.  I took 3 petal segments and staggered them on top of each other for a fuller flower. The flower pins are between 1 1/2- 2 inches wide. Take some wool roving and felt it into the center of the silk flower petals, after you have felted the center of your flower you then take the felting needle to add the angelina fibers which give the pins lots of sparkle. These little flowers are addicting to make. I have already gone thru my stash of silk flowers to see what colors I had on hand to make more pins. The flowers are quick and easy to make. The flowers shown are all taken closeup. I need to add beads to the centers of some.
You can add needle felt these onto ribbon, fabric, or wear as pins.
I posted more of the felted silk flowers on my picture trail site. www.picturetrail.com/elaine_akers
P.S...I posted the photo and message last night, but this morning decided I would have a giveaway of a felted center silk flower pin. Leave a comment, and you might be the new owner of one of my pins. I will draw a name on April 2nd. The winner will get to pick their choice of a flower. Colors available to chose from are blue, pale pink, red tones, orange, lavender/violet, yellowy peach, light rust from here or those posted in my pic trail album.

Pink Dyed Jade Bracelet set

I found these pretty pink dyed jade beads awhile back. The picture doesn't show how pretty the colorful beads really are. The beads range in color from light to dark shades of pinks and greens. I combined the beads with green and pink swavorski crystals. The finished bracelet reminds me of  spring. Don't you think? Hopefully I will be able to find more of the pink dyed jade beads so I can make  a co ordinating necklace to finish off the set.

Peeps Sunflower Cake

I had seen this cake before in the PEEPS Cookbook, but today the recipe came in a email from A Taste of Home magazine. I think this cake is so darn cute. Don't you think?
 I love PEEPS!  This would be a fun cake to make for Easter. I was thinking instead of using all those chocolate bits that I would use a star decorating tip from Wilton to decorate the center of the sunflower. Then top with a few of the chocolate bits.
Recipe below:
12 Servings

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix

2 cans (16 ounces each) chocolate frosting

19 yellow chick Peeps candies

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased and waxed paper-lined 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely; carefully remove waxed paper.

Level tops of cakes. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake.

Without separating Peeps and curving slightly to fit, arrange chicks around edge of cake for sunflower petals. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in center of cake. Yield: 12 servings.

Bracelet set

Today was a glorious first day of spring. Sunny and oh so warm. I did some yard work, went shopping, and then a little beading. I made this bracelet/earring set with round disks that are clear with red and silver. Don't the beads kind of look like a lollipop?
I was also started beading a lavendar spiral bracelet, and that is 3/4's done.
Since I am going to a Creative Memories scrapbooking crop tonight at my daughter in laws I made supper early. A clam chowder and I am bringing some for my d-i-l and son for their supper too. The chowder tasted delicious.

Paper Flowers

 Yesterday, I did quite a bit of rubber stamping, and I was still in the creative mood last evening, So, I decided I would make some stamped and layered paper flowers that I could  use on some spring greeting cards. This card was made for a inspiration mingle swap with a floral theme.
I used my Cricut to create the blue and purple flowers, and the yellow and red flowers I rubber stamped an image that to me looked like it could be a flower. I found that clear stamp at Joann Fabrics marked down to 50 cents. I think it might have been a snowflake, as it was in with all the Christmas stuff. Anyway, I cut the stamped pieces out around the shape of that image. I rubber stamped on the blue/purple petals and layered the cut out pieces to form the flowers.  On most, for the centers of the flowers I curled the petals to form a tight cluster.
The flowers were fun to make.

First attempt at making a felted mermaid

            
I am new to felting and I've only made flowers before. This afternoon I tried making the mermaid from the Wool Pets book. Instead of her laying on her side like the book I made her upright. I think the fins, arms and body came out pretty good, but the face definately needs LOTS of work. She really needs a plastic surgeon, don't you think? (LOL) Need to definately rework and practice doing faces. The book had lots of photos with step by step instructions to go by, but I found it difficult getting the features on the face not to look clownish.
I gave her breast that are hard to see in the photo.  I have scallop shell beads that as soon as I find them I will use them to cover her breast.
I didn't have mohair like the book suggested so I had to use felt rovings for her hair, and she looks like she is really having a very bad hair day. But, hey, this is my first attempt at making my mermaid. What do you think?

Celebrate Spring!

It's still raining! I decided to think of a warm, sunny spring day with the birds chirping in the trees that are in bloom. So, today I started work on a fabric piece. I used a white fabric background that I sponged on inks for clouds. Used oil pastels for  background color. Then fussy cut a bird/branch applique and attached that to the fabric. I then used silk leaves and flowers. Rubber stamped Celebrate Spring!
The piece isn't finished yet, as I haven't decided whether to add this piece to an altered book or to stitch it onto another fabric and have it hang on the kitchen door as a spring decoration.

Spring Ahead

Daylight savings time started early this morning, and it will take me a few weeks to get use to the time change. But, all the clocks are now turned ahead, even the one in my car. What a weekend this has been. Yesterday it rained hard all day and thru the night with high winds. Today more rain and wind and this weather is suppose to continue tomorrow. Lots of area rivers are running over onto the roads and many branches are down, but, we haven't lost power. The weather stations are saying we haven't had a rain event like this since 2006.
Last week I found some nice bargains while out shopping. At the Super WalMart in Plymouth. I bought the pink crop o dile in a plastic case that included a lot of eyelets, and a pink, Big Bite 6" reach, Crop o dile for $10 each on clearance. Great bargain, as they sell in the craft stores for $34.99 each. I was excited about this find.
At Joann Fabrics I used a 40% off coupon on a Wool Pet felting book. The book had 20 really cute animals to create, but what really sold me on buying the book was the mermaid on the back cover. I love mermaids. As I am new to felting, the projects looked managable...we shall see. :-)
I also bought 2 strands of beads that I plan on making into a bracelet, and possibly a pair of earring too.
Another find was a marked down Maricopa 12 x 12 scrapbook pad of decorative paper of $9.00 at Joann's.  Lots of pretty papers in that pad.

Last week I also  checked out some different sewing machines as I would like to replace my Janome. I love my machine, but it doesn't have many of the decorative stitches. When I bought the Janome I hadn't sewn in ages, and wanted it mainly for mending ripped out knees and crotches of pants that my sons would bring for me to fix. Most times the clothes they wanted sewn were beyond fixing. Anyway, I don't want to spend big  money, but I want a decent machine. I really want my next machine to have the blanket stitch. Anyone have a suggestion on a great machine that is reasonably priced?

This morning when the rain let up for a bit I decided I would check out the pussy willow tree in the back yard to see if there was any sign of new life and sure enough the pussy willows were open. I never seem to catch the tree before the buds swell open. I like putting the branches in a dry vase for decoration. When the pussy willows open you know spring is really coming.Soon that catkins will burst into leaves.
Also the daffodils that I uploaded a picture of a few weeks back now have buds. I can't wait for these to open, as the small te'te' daffodils are my favorite. The next sign of spring I look forward to is hearing the spring peepers in the evenings. I can't wait for warm, sunny weather as this winter has been a long one.

Birdwatching Kitty

My husband, Tom took this picture with his cellphone. Have no fear...no birds ever nest in that birdhouse in the back corner of our yard. For some reason hornets always take up residence inside. I clean out the hornets nest and they build it back again the next day. The cat loves sitting on that house for some reason. The house is about 5 1/2 feet off the ground. I guess if he likes sitting there it keeps him out of trouble and away from my bird feeders.
Bad, Fluff Puff kitty! :-)
But, isn't he cute?  He looks so majestic sitting up so tall  and keeping watch over our yard. Looks like a totem pole watching over the garden area where I plant my gourds.

Stampers block

I use to rubber stamp all the time, and for the past several years I haven't rubber stamped at all. I recently signed up for a bird/birdhouse swap. When I signed up I had  lots of ideas flowing thru my head. But, now that the time has come to put those ideas onto paper I am finding that I'm not satisfied with what I've come up with. I am having Stamper's block.
It doesn't help that I found that most of my markers and  ink pads have dried up. To make matters worse I can't put my hands on the stamps that I want to use. So very frustrating!
This morning I played around with the stamp images I managed to find. I can't say I am 100% happy with either idea that I came up with, but here are the 2 postcards that I created. I have to decide which one to use as all 8 postcards have to be the same. The postcards shown here are my prototypes mistakes and all.

Beeswax decorative napkin canvases

While I was downstairs doing laundry this afternoon I started poking around in some of boxes that I have art supplies in. I came across my small electric pot that I melt beeswax in, the container of beeswax, and brush that I use just for beeswax. In another box I found decorative napkins. I had the small square canvases that came from Michael's that are sold in the kids section for $1.00. I went to spray gesso over the football and soccer ball images that were on the canvas, but nothing came out of the can that had never been used. So, I found a bottle of gold lumiere paint, and gave the canvas 2 coats of paint. I then decoupaged the napkins onto the canvas. When the mod podge was dried; I then added a coat of beeswax. To smooth out the beeswax I used my heat gun. On the chinese bird canvas I added chunky, copper glitter and foil. The glare from the flash made them appear real bright when I downloaded the picture. I also added a coin.

Recycled Dryer sheet project

                                               

Several weeks ago I took a bunch of used dryer sheets I had been saving, gave them a quick wash, and then air dried them. Then I placed 5 of the sheets on top of each other on a piece of parchment paper. I then covered the dryer sheets with a piece of parchement paper, and passed a hot iron over them for a few minutes until the sheets fused together. I put the fused sheet on wax paper, and painted several colors of radiant pearls, and left it to air dry. When the sheet was dry I coated both sides with a very sheer gold paint, which I let dry really well.
I then stamped an image on part of the painted sheet and cut out the portion that I wanted to use. I still have more of the painted dryer sheet to use for other projects.
The stamped sheet has been sitting on my desk begging for something to be done with it.
So, this morning I took out the sewing machine and stitched the stamped piece to layers of fabric. I added a ribbon, and then hand stitched a round wood button that I stamped. The edges of the material I satin stitched. The colors in the scan don't really show how pretty the background material is with the gold threads running thru it, and the moss green layer of fabric looks greyish in the photo. The painted dryer sheet is somewhat darker also than the photo.
I haven't decided what I will do with this yet, but I don't keep much of what I make. It may end up in someone's mailbox.

Spring inspired earrings

Today it is sunny, and there is no wind...a beautiful, beautiful day, but we still have snow on the ground.

Anyway, I decided to sit out on the steps, watch the birds at the feeders and breathe in the fresh air. I brought out some beads and findings to make some earrings while I was enjoying the sunshine. Since today made me think that spring was really around the corner I decided to make a pair of butterfly, dragonfly and flower earrings.

Earring giveaway winner is...

Well, today is March 6th, and it's  the day I promised to pick a name to send the shamrock earrings off to a new home.
I loved all the comments and some made me laugh out loud. I wish I had enough of them to send everyone who entered my little contest a pair.
But, alas, there can only be one winner and that winner is........................Angie. Congrats, and enjoy!
I am thinking of doing some kind  of giveaway on my blog frequently, so check back often. Again, thanks to all who entered.