Earring and Bracelet set giveaway

This is the earrings and bracelet set that I am giving away. The beads are  shades of blue with swirls of  white and light purple with silver and crystal spacer beads. 

Leave a comment and a way for me to contact you for your address if your name is drawn. This giveaway is open to everyone and I will draw a winner in mid March.

It had been a long time since I broke out the boxes of beads to create any jewelry, but this morning the mood struck.

While in the beading mood, I also made this set to wear with an outfit. I tend to wear a lot of blue and so I buy a lot of blue beads. This bracelet the beads I used are turquoise with a yellow/lime swirl. I usually will make jewelry to match with my clothes.

 

Elaine

More 3 hole pamphlet books

this cardstock cover is pretty but this photo doesn't do it justice. Glossy lime green palm tree on a background of light lime green and peach.

inside front cover with a pocket and a saying.

folded envelope page

    Paint chip sample for writing on and a triangular pocket in the corner of the back page

page with a small insert page using some of the cover cardstock

beach themed with sparkled cardstock cover and palm tree with shells on the cover. Need to stitch it together later today.

another beach themed pamphlet book just needs to be stitched.

The stitching won't take long and I will have completed 3 more books. In all of these books I used a few sheets of cardstock but most of the pages are copy weight paper. I didn't decorate any of the inside pages because I don't know what I am going to do with these books yet or who I will give them to. If I gift them then the recipient can decorate as the book as they like.

Elaine

3 Hole Pamphlet books

cover of book I made for my cousin Cheryl for out upcoming Florida trip. I thought she could use this like a SMASH book.

Yesterday afternoon while waiting for the vets office to call to pick up the cat from the vets, I cut more paper and cardstock  to make 3 hole pamphlet books.  I used cardstock and copy weight paper for the pages.

Below..I folded a piece of cardstock the length of the book and marked areas for the holes in the book. I snugly fit the crease into the center of the folder pages, and then I punched the holes thru all of the pages with an book making awl this time instead of using a needle. So much easier.

Cheryl's book..open covers undecorated. I used beads and a beach chair/umbrella charm in the binding.

inside cover and first page of Cheryl's book. One of two decorated cardstock pages I added to the books signature.

on one of the first pages I added this decorative paper.

envelope stitched into the books binding

another decorative page in Cheryl's book.

Start of 2nd 3 hole pamphlet book I made this afternoon. I added a key charm to the stitching. I used cardstock and copy weight paper for this books pages. Corrugated paper and copper colored corrugated cardboard strip with matching brads and a journaling ticket. I added a key charm to the binding which you can't really see in this photo.

     I am going to give this one away, and decided to leave the cover as is. The person I am gifting this to can finish decorating the cover.

It felt good to create something as it's been awhile, but I really should have spent the afternoon packing and doing other errands before I leave. 

Elaine

Vintage Ceramic Fanny Farmer Egg Cup

I received this ceramic glazed egg cup from my Aunt Ellen in the early 1950's when I was a young girl.  The egg cup was an Easter gift when I received it. The egg cup came with a foil wrapped chocolate egg. The egg cup was from the Fanny Farmer Chocolate company. I love my little hen and every time I look at it I am reminded of my wonderful Aunt who is no longer with us. My older brother also received an egg cup, a rooster in the same yellow color.  Have any of you seen one like this before or perhaps you might have received one for Easter a long time ago.

The egg cup is marked on the bottom near the feet, Fanny Farmer on one side and Made in the USA on the other.

Below is a vintage Fanny Farmer candy box that I've had for many years. The box had been my Aunt's.

top of old Fanny Farmer candy box

one side of vintage Fanny Farmer candy box

other side of Fanny Farmer candy box..Homestead

ends of glossy paper covered Fanny Farmer candy box

My Aunt died in the 70's. When Auntie gave me this box it was filled with old lace edged doilies.

Yesterday I took one of the stray male cats to the vets to be neutered and this morning I took his brother and litter mate. The mom cat is still in the cellar and I see glimpses of her every now and again when I go down to bring food and water and change the liter box. Mom cat can't go out until the end of March. I still have the 2 little ones that were born in November to neuter and then thankfully all of the strays will be done...7 in all.

This February has been a cold and snowy one, and again for the 3rd weekend in a row another snowstorm is predicted. Oh my!! I am so tired of snow and can't wait for spring. Near the foundation by the kitchen steps with piles of snow surrounding them daffodil shoots are up about 2 inches.

Elaine

5 hole pamphlet stitch book

the front cover isn't completely decorated yet as I haven't decided what else I am going to use on it. I couldn't get the book to lie flat when I took the photo. For the cover I used a piece of double sided cardstock.

  photo of my book lying open. I added some beads to the binding, but beads look better on a 3 hole book as the holes are evenly spaced.

inside front cover..I added an embossed pocket and a little calendar.

In the yahoo group that I belong to...An Affair with Art (AAWA), Jean B. is hosting a book swap. We have to make either a 3 or 5 hole one signature pamphlet book. The mail out date is March 15th. 

I haven't made a 3/5 hole signature book in quite sometime. In fact I haven't created much of anything in a long time. This morning I decided to make a 5 hole book. I wanted to get my book finished as I will be in Florida when the book is due to be mailed out.

The book could be whatever size we liked, but no larger than a   sheet of  8-1/2 by 11 cardstock folded in half and with no more than 10 folded sheets of  text weight  paper for our signature. We are only suppose to decorate the covers, but we can add beads, pockets, tags or whatever to the book.

inside signature tied and knotted off  with waxed linen thread. I used a smaller piece of cardstock for a page in the center of my book, and also between another set of pages.

Jean was kind enough to share the following youtube videos for various stitched pamphlet books.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZpMG8FCK_0

Tips on using a hole jig and how to tighten your stitches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlvf0Idog10

Tips on using a bone folder to crease your pages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6xGwU-UoJE

Tips on using clips to hold your book together while stitching and using a phone book as a punching cradle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRcE64fY1_s

This one demonstrates the use of a punching cradle to punch the holes and including different sized pages in your signature.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mndh_LmMgU

Here are some written instructions and diagrams for the 3-hole pamphlet stitch:

http://www.booklyn.org/education/ispamphlet.pdf

http://sarahnielsen.com/2009/09/pocket-pamphlet-tutorial/

http://libraries.ucsd.edu/preseduc/bookmkg.htm

http://myhandboundbooks.blogspot.com/2007/06/alright-bookbinding-101.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mndh_LmMgU                  This one demonstrates the 5-hole pamphlet stitch and using recycled greeting cards as covers.

For the more adventurous, here's the instructions for a 5-hole pamphlet stitch:

http://jacobdegeling.com/tag/5-hole-pamphlet-stitch/

If you have never tried creating a single pamphlet book look at the sites above and make one... they are fun and easy to make, These  pamphlet books can be inserted into pockets of journals.

 

Elaine

Blizzard of February 8-9,2013

This snowstorm/blizzard was the first time in a long time. We were well prepared..lots of batteries, lanterns and flashlights, food.

Friday it snowed lightly all day long, a wet snow and it didn't accumulate much until suppertime. Then the snow fell faster and mounted up. We lost our power for about 20 minutes, but then thankfully the power came back on and stayed on thru the rest of the storm. The main roads were kept cleaned but the side/back roads were full of snowy ruts, downed wires, and trees. Many surrounding towns still have no power or phone service. Home temps inside were 40 degrees..not fun. Like I wrote..so thankful our power stayed on.

29 inches of snow

taken thru the kitchen storm door Saturday. As you can see the snow was very wet.

We did lose our phone service/internet/cable TV around 12:30 Friday night, and it only came back on at 8 this morning.

The snow was very wet and heavy so we did lose a couple of big branches from the trees in our yard. The snow was so high on the kitchen steps we couldn't open the door to get out. We did manage to get outside thru the kitchen slider, but before the storm ended I opened the slider and took pictures of the back yard.

We lost a big limb off of a tall spruce tree that we planted from a 6 inch seedling that my dad gave us in 1974.

 the broken limb..that made me sad

Tom's tomato cages covered in snow...waiting for spring and planting time

side yard

bird house covered in snow with icicles hanging from back deck. Lots of birds were at my feeders after I went out and knocked the ice that had coated all of them.

red breasted nuthatch on suet feeder

this snow covered hydrangea had leaf buds that had appeared in December from all of the crazy warm weather we had...frosted and frozen now.

couldn't open the kitchen door...so I opened a bedroom window and took some pictures of the front yard. Ice covered the front of the house.

mountain ash heavy and touching the ground from icy snow. I hang my bird feeders from this tree.

view from my window

normally I can walk without bending under the branches of the huge spruce tree in the front yard. The lowest branches were so heavy with icy snow they were touching the ground.

hope when all the icy snow is melted off the spruce will straighten back up.

leaning spruce

huge spruce in front yard is usually straight and tall, but with the weight of the snow the tree was leaning towards the street. Made me nervous that it would break or become uprooted.

branches from rose of sharon  in front of the picture window

                        another broken limb..pine tree

  bare branches of apple tree covered in icy snow. We lost a branch off this apple tree.

before our driveway got shoveled and plowed out. I tramped thru the snow to get to the bird feeders and sunk to my knees in snow...not fun

Monday morning...front yard

We had crazy weather...Friday wet snow thru late Saturday afternoon, Sunday was sunny, Monday (yesterday) it rained all day so there was some melting. Today (Tuesday) it is sunny again. This weekend they are predicting another 3-6 inches of snow. I will be so glad when spring comes, and I am so looking forward to going back to Florida in March.

Elaine

p.s....this afternoon was the first time I was able to get out. I tried driving to my parents on Sunday but I didn't get far...downed power and cable lines, and uprooted and huge broken trees were blocking roads.

After lunch I tried again and was able to get thru. I couldn't believe the number of uprooted and sheared off trees in some parts of Middleboro. My sister in law just got her power back late this afternoon. My parents still have no power, but are able to have heat and lights by running 2 generators.

uprooted pine trees. Most of the downed trees were huge pines. The heavy ice/snow and high winds was just too much for these old trees.

sheared off just a few of a huge flock of turkeys that were looking for food across from my parents. So hard on the animals with all the snow on the ground. There are usually 22 turkeys in this flock.