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I love brooches. I LOVE BROOCHES! I have a lot of brooches. I HAVE A LOT OF BROOCHES! I get tired of digging around for the one I am looking for and sometimes I tend to wear the some ones over and over. Enter my new display solution.
I had a picture frame that I hated the picture so I took it apart, took out the glass, covered the backboard with a layer of thin quilted batting and placed a piece of a barkcloth tablecloth on top of that. I then hot glued the fabric to the back side of the backboard and then put it together.
Add my brooches (and there are a few more, too) and I can easily see them and choose the one that I want for a certain outfit. I stick the pins into the batting and through the fabric so they hang and I can easily slide them out.
If you try it I would love to see what you create. I also have another for my necklaces. I covered a bulletin board with fabric, stuck some button pushpins into it and then hung my necklaces on it. Once again, jewelry at a glance.
I also received some other Etsy purchases.
The Queen made this lovely bracelet. Go check out her Etsy shop for other treasures.
Vallen makes the most whimsical things and she packages them well, too. She makes receiving them like a present.
Next, is the charm bracelet I bought from Sue. Her Etsy shop is filled with her jewelry creations. Most use vintage game pieces.
It is kind of neat that parts of this bracelet have come full circle. The dice on it are ones that I sent to her in a 1:1 swap we did at Christmastime. It is almost like they are the prodigal dice returning home.
Make sure you check out Sue’s blog where she freely shares her technique and her shop for the treasures she creates.
And lastly, since it is Leap Year and today is the 29th here is some English/Irish Folklore on how Leap Year came to be:
The dominant belief about leap year is that it is the only time that a woman many propose marriage to a man, rather than what was considered to be the natural order of things: the other way round. This was often called ‘The Ladies’ Privilege’. At the time of writing, it is probably true to say that younger English people would not be aware of the belief if the media did not run features on the subject every fourth February. In previous times, when relationships between the sexes were more rigid and formal, there were a number of subsidiary beliefs surrounding the Ladies’ Privilege. Some said that it was only on Leap Year day, that is 29 February, that it was valid, while others believed that a man proposed to in this way could not refuse, except on substantial payment—a silk gown, or £ 100, and so on. Indeed, it was widely reported (erroneously) that there had been a Scottish Act of Parliament in the 13th century making this legally binding (see N&Q 7s:10 (1890), 188), or that it had passed into English Common Law (Courtship, Love and Matrimony (1606), quoted in N&Q 4s:8 (1871), 505). One story about the origin of the Ladies’ Privilege is set in Ireland: St Bridget met St Patrick one day and complained that women did not have the right to propose. He offered the opportunity once in every seven years, but she bargained him down to one in four (quoted in Word-Lore 3 (1928), 51-2).
Let’s try not to leap into anything today except a crafty project. The weekend is HERE!
I receive my package from Susan which I blogged about before and here, too. We swapped 2 Dotee dolls and 10 ATCs with a beach related theme. My package arrived Monday, but due to the batteries I couldn’t take pics before this evening.
First, take a look at my 2 Dotees! Aren’t the faces great? I love the wild hair and the beads framing the faces. The blue one has little seashells hanging from the bottom. The fabrics remind me of the ocean and the seaweed. Awesome, awesome, awesome!
Now on to my ATCs. Once again Susan did a great job with our theme.
The first set has some vintage stamps and embellishments, the third has ladies and a crown, and the second set is actually small pictures. First, is a lighthouse stairway on Prince Edward Island, the second and fourth are a close up of a rug she felted and the third is an abstract picture of some fungi. So cool!
And as if that was not enough she sent along some extras including earrings that her daughter makes/sells on Prince Edward Island (she is 15!), some bits and bobs for creating other Dotees and some pink/yellow (my fav colors) fabric!
I had a blast swapping with Susan. She is also interested in 1:1 swaps with others. If you are interested in a 1:1 swap with Susan send me an e-mail at the address on the top left of the page or leave a comment and I will hook you up.
You can learn about Prince Edward Island and hear about the B&B she runs there, too.
Thanks, Susan for being an awesome swap partner! I had a blast!
I will show my items sent to her as soon as she receives them. Not tooting my own horn, but I was in love with one of the Dotees I sent her and it almost missed the box!
Man, I have so much to show you and no juice for the camera. What is it with digital cameras and batteries? I mean do they eat them? I talked with a friend that had one and she suggested the rechargeable kind. So I bought some and a charger and charged them. I also bought some titanium batteries for the camera so I wouldn’t have to wait. Recharged batteries were not used until now when the titanium batteries died.
Well guess what? The recharged ones are dead! Is that normal? OMG, I know you shouldn’t leave them plugged in (or should you?) so what is a girl to do, but wait for them to charge. ARGH! Did I mention I am not a good wait-er?
So, in the interim, here is a cute stop motion gif to hold you over!
A-well-a everybody’s heard about the bird
B-b-b-bird, bird, bird, b-bird’s the word
A-well-a bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird’s the word
A-well-a don’t you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!
A-well-a bird, bird, b-bird’s the word
A-well-a…
It is a songbird after all!
The top pic is an attempt at a new birdie brooch with fabric and a felted wool back. What do you think? Sorry, the pic is a bit fuzzy. Do you think that the fabric makes it too busy?
Christine, if you are reading the middle pic is your sneak peek for the Sweet Little Nest Swap. I have a couple more days to figure out how to pack and ship that puppy!
Heidi, I am getting better with the ink, huh?
Edward Scissorhands was a glorious movie and one of my favorite scenes is where he is cutting the hedges and making the most wonderful creations. They were magical, whimsical and truly extraordinary. Well, I don’t have scissors for hands, but they were in my hands a lot this weekend.
I have a swap to get finished, the Speckled Egg’s Sweet Little Nest Swap. The last day to mail is the 1st of March. I decided on my plan, but hit a real snag when it came to the bird I wanted to make for it. Enter blog tutorials, Martha Stewart and a bird I saw on Etsy. Fast forward to me creating all 3 that I found. In the end, I can’t show you the birdy victor as that would spoil my partner’s surprise.
I can show you Martha’s bird that didn’t make the cut. I left off the comb and waddles as I wanted it to be a bird and not a chicken.
In the end it was too large for the nest that I created. It mentions in the instructions to add beans to make it sit upright. I would recommend that as this one now flops around like a Weeble, but this chick does fall down! I didn’t add the beans as it was to sit on a nest.
Also, the beak is really too long!
The mail this weekend was awesome again. Jacky, from Portugal, and I did a 1:1 swap. I sent her a Button Fairy so she could see how they were made and in return Jacky sent me her first attempt. Pretty great, wouldn’t you agree? I love the Fimo clay buttons she used for the tail and how she made the wings.
Speaking of Fimo buttons, she sent me a bunch of them, too. They were inside a matchbox she made and there was also a little picture.
I cannot begin to imagine what I will make using them. They are so cool and the textures on some of them are awesome. Thanks Jacky, you were a great partner.
Smiles and Sunshine sent me an e-mail asking how to get some of the clay faces that I made. Since I am still learning the technique we agreed to a 1:1 swap. She sent me a shabby chic Dotee doll she created and I sent her some faces.
I love the fabric she made her with and the way she created her braids, too. She was packed neatly in a Velamints tin. How cute is that? She is tiny, cute, and minty fresh, too!
Lastly, I bought a couple of pendants from Sam I Am. Sandy creates lovely pendants and bubbles which she sells on the Pfatt Marketplace. I contacted her to ask if she could make me a LOL bubble pendant. While I was checking out the beading she adds to the pendants, I found this bluebird with the best quote. She sent them to me via priority mail at no extra cost, so I had them in days.
Could the week be any better than my weekend? Cross your fingers! :O)
I watched Sunday Morning today. They profiled the man who created the Duty Free shops at the airports. He has given away most of his entire fortune to a trust which donates his money to charity. To date it totals 8 billion dollars of giving. He kept 5 million to live on. What a great legacy to leave behind. He did all of this anonymously and was outed recently through no desire of his own.
I found this NY Times article about other anonymous donors. Now I know that I don’t have millions, but I can still make a difference in the lives of others by giving. I can give my time, my talents, and my stuff. We can all do something to help our fellow man.
I have some links on the left side of this page in the giving back section to Ethiopia Reads, Kiva.org, and the Second Harvest Food Bank. These are the charities that I give to monetarily. It is certainly not a lot, but to someone that has nothing it is the world!
What better day than today to start a legacy?
Check out the awesome bracelets that Sue has made! So lovely!
She shares the process on her blog, Perpetual Plum.
Yesterday was a great mail day and look at the bounty I received.
First, another set of finger cuffs from sewsewsuckurtoe on Etsy.
How could I pass them up? Felted wool and sweet ribbon accent and the little flower button. What could be sweeter than that?
It’s another great set of rings and I love them!
From Broken Fingers Art also on Etsy, these cute pendants. Both pendants are original drawn works of art on pendants. The little one is made using Shrinky Dinks.
So cute and unique. I love wearing pieces that others won’t have.
Go and check out her other great pieces including rings and necklaces.
Lastly, some ephemera that I bought from Sugar Pink Moon. I have plans for the skeleton key and tag. We shall see.
Be sure to check out her vintage goodies.
Can you see me feebly doing my happy dance? I am doing that as the weekend is here. THANK GOD! I so need to sleep in! I am exhausted!
Hope your week went well!
The Easter Bunny’s Chicks are having an Easter Swap.
Won’t you join me?
It will be a lot of fun with me sending you mine and you sending me yours! Of course we would have to be partners for the swap. If we are, I will send you mine and I am sure you will do likewise.
‘Cause that is the kind of Easter Chickies we are.
So come and play, too. You can wear the bunny suit if you prefer!
Monday, March 3 from 7-9 p.m. is another chance to meet with your fellow crafty locals… The Mafia will be hosting their first monthly Craft Lounge at the Camel. We will be making shrinky dink charms.
I plan to attend so if you can make it be sure to look for me!
Lastly, here is a sneak peek for Susan of one of her Dotees that I mailed off today to the Great White North.
She is packed in with her Dotee buddy and the ATCs and bundled up for the cold trip. Can’t have a beachy Dotee freezing her beads off!
Have a great rest of the week!
Short, sweet & to the point!
Sorry to “shortcrafty” you, but this early morning stuff is kicking my night owl backside. The old crafty body doesn’t do changes so well especially in the ole sleep pattern.
Here is what I was up to last night:
Packaged the ATCs and Dotee Dolls for the 1:1 Swap with Susan. Susan lives in the land of Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island in Canada. She contacted me via the e-mail on my blog to ask if I would like to swap. I thought what a great opportunity to have some fun and meet another artist from up north. As soon as she receives them I will post the pics.
Filled out a custom’s form for the package.
Today I get to head in a bit later so it will give me time to hit the post office before work to mail the package to Susan.
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Have a great day!
Cindy Is Crafty...and she makes things, too! 
