dont you just love this!! i dont know where it originates...have seen many sources
but i thought it was just too cute and wanted to share!! that'll motivate you!!
its snowing here...i love that snowed in feeling - except for when i have deadlines looming and have to get out to the post office!! but for tonight, i am trying to find as much work possible i can do while sitting by the fire.....
and i dont mean absent from my blog! (which i am too often!!) but just recently i have stumbled across several gorgeous ezines...how could i have missed them till now!!?
insprired ideas - this one i have known about! i am a faithful follower of amy powers inspireco! she has previously published online magazines - but just recently began again...you must go by and have a look-see. if this wont get you in the mood to decorate/craft/just generally get ready for christmas, i dont know what will!!
gifted magazine - now this is one of my stumble-upons...and i love it!! filled-to-the-brim with contributor ideas/diy gifts/projects/links...you have to pour yourself a mug full of coffee to get you through this read!!
sweet paul definitely has a different feel from the previous two - and is more of a entertaining/recipe filled ezine - filled with yummy pictures and home design projects.
holiday with matthew mead now this next one is not a freebie - and is an hardcopy book-zine that i actually ordered clear back in july - but i think you can still snag a copy if you hurry on over and place an order. i am anxiously waiting by the mail box as it should arrive any day now!
so hopefully this will give you a little monday surf-and-click enjoyment!!
and hey - what else am i missing out on - please leave me a link in the comments!!
remember fun dip?! sweet powdery flavored sugar and lik - a- stix to dip in...
well at our house, we are in deep...knee deep in candy wrappers... carefully opened, washed, trimmed...
prepped and lined...add a vintage zipper!
and you have a trashbagg!
so by day i am working at my jewelry, filling orders for the upcoming holiday season...and by night i am assistant extraordinaire to my entrepreneur teenager and her line of trashbaggs!!
wow!! its a milestone - 500!! really! - i`m not bragging -i`m just really grateful! i was soo surprised and happy today to see that little rounded number in the left hand column of my etsy shop!! and yes, i even danced a little happy dance around my living room too!!
when i first started my shop on etsy two years ago, i didnt know it would be possible! just having the opportunity to create a second income for our family seemed like just a dream.
thank you to all who have encouraged me, supported me, believed in me!!
and yes, now i better get back to work!!
so, you've printed your picture, made your bezel, poured your resin....cleaned up side one, turned the charm over and poured you last layer of resin. oh such excitement! such satisfaction! in a few short hours you will be able take up your finished memento charm and admire it, create with it, wear it!!
unfortunately - when you go to check your finished charm, the resin has slipped off of the top and created a pool around the bottom...
get a small dish with water and your file. begin to sand away the excess dried resin. dont forget to keep dipping the charm in your water as you sand. it really makes the job faster and easier.
sand away. try to sand it as level as possible. note the bubble underneath! prepare a fresh batch of resin and layer it on.
this is probably where you find the most frustration. you are anxious to be finished...and it doesnt always go as you planned! i say it often...but its so true. most of all be patient. with the resin. with charm. with yourself!
success will come!! send me a picture! i want to see your work!
blessings
lynn
a day in the classroom - part 2
maureen, bonnie, and estella preparing to mix their resin
rebbeca and raema getting into detail worked... and still smiling!
a little class time...
suzie...still smiling!!
julie taking on soldering!
karen creating bezels!
sonia pouring a layer of resin!
estella doing a little hammering!
maureen with her torch in hand!
bonnie preparing her rose petal for resining!
raema layering resin!
jill - with the mad camera skills!!
again, thank you to each one of you for coming and taking part in the memento resin class. we truly had a wonderful time in class together, and i really loved getting to know each one of you!!
keep on mixing it up!!
bliss...thats my word for the day...actually the past few days!! i just arrived home tonight after two days at the puget sound bead festival...thursday night was meet the teacher night, friday - 9-5 was my creating memento rein charms workshop.
i had 9 wonderful ladies join in and work all day at learning and creating their own mementos. my sister so kindly joined me and helped me through both days. i wouldnt still be standing if she hadnt!! thanks so much, jill!!
i wanted to post everything tonight but i am sooo beat - its been non stop all week!! so i'll give you a few glimpses inside the doors of our little day of creating and more tomorrow!!
meet the teacher night!
class in session!!
self portrait!!
resin gone awry!!
thanks jill, for being such a good sport!!
so for now, good night! sweet dreams!
way back in early march - i joined a swap hosted by the speckled egg . it was late winter - i felt i needed to stretch my creativity a bit - and hurriedly begged to join - as popular swaps fill up fast!! plus - whats not to love about a bird/nesting theme swap!
heather matched up swappers - and the fun began! our group began email and getting to know each other almost immediately...we all caught up the others blogs and s-i suppose they like me began contemplating how to go about this little swap!
there were three general rules: the theme would be vintage or vintage related items - bird, nest, egg nature. the contents would fit into a large sliding box matchbox. they had to be sent out april 7. one month!
i thought - i could do that! probably my biggest challenge was finding the crazy boxes!! i knew where to get them in the u.s. - here in canada i had to dig a little deeper!
our group was an interesting mix! two canadian girls - and two american girls living in foreign countries (me- of course in canada, cathy in belgium)
of course - living in different countries - we had to wait for the mail to arrive - but its kind of like waiting for christmas!
first to arrive was a sweet little box from nerina
i love that chickadee stamped card to greet me..and a tiny initial charm... you are going to start seeing a trend among this group of us... i found we had many overlapping similarities!! great minds must think alike!! i had made little resin initial charms - from vintage dictionary snippets.
i think all of us included vintage buttons into our boxes....oh how i love old buttons!! nerina's box was full of whimsy - right down to the blue pom pom chickee!!
see those floral flowers punched from old pattern tissue...and i had punched out butterflies and dragonflies from an old poetry book! (featured in a previous post!)
next came sasha's box! she actually found matchboxes with red birds on them!! her sweet box came as a little nest with goodies hidden inside!
sasha is a charm bracelet girl! and so she graced all of us with her custom creation...vintage coins, pearls, little pebbles and eggs... it is wonderful! and i had the idea in my box to include things one could 'charm' with..even a charm made with this specific nesting swap logo!
finally! the last little box with the longest voyage -( at least it beat the volcano!!) arrived from cathy in belgium. filled with little treasures - mostly vintage - from europe! a sweet little french postcard, glass beads from egypt, bits of paper, sparklies, button; very birdie and egg shell blue themed.
even a sewn paper envelope..you see what i mean by a common thread among us!
i dont want this post to become long and cumbersome - but i also want to showcase these gifts and labors of love and give them the credit they are due. i have been inspired. felt love and friendship. even awed at the kindness of those who doesnt even know me!!
so now what...? i have showcased these little boxes on a shelf in my living room - so i see them throughout the day! and i want to be reminded of a treasured opportunity. i am going to take a few items from each box and make a little paper journal... and take buttons from each and make a special swappin' memento bracelet - to wear with sashas!! i'll be blinging!!
thank you nesting buddies! next time i swap - i want to swap with you!!