Walking Through Fire

This is one of my favorite pictures of myself.

Yup, I am walking through fire.  A daring feat I mastered several years (decades) ago.  When you walk through fire you get a first hand opportunity to experience what the expression "mind over matter" really means.

AND

If you walk through fire you are forever changed in other ways too.  

A little mantra enters your psyche and then it comes to you in any future stressful situation.

"You walked through fire, you can handle this too."

2011 was a very stressful year for me and my beloveds.

Yet, I am grateful for so much.  My husband is a rock and continues to support me in all that I do.  I have a wonderful family and good friends.  I have the world's cutest golden retriever.  I have some amazing work related opportunities coming up in 2012. 

Having setbacks or stress is part of life I know.

For myself, I sure do look forward to some boring times.  I like that some things do not change.  I really appreciate that no news is good news.  I like when one week flows into the next.  I don't enjoy or try to attract drama.  Call me dull - I'll smile happily.

I channel all my excitement and creativity into making art.  

2011 was a year fire walking experience sure came in handy.

For 2012, all I want is calm cool path.  It can twist and change directions, but I prefer not to see any coals if possible.

Happy New Year Friends!

Saying Good Bye To Santa

This is the first year in a very long time that we got all our Christmas decorating done the last week of November.  We have really enjoyed the festive atmosphere and the outdoor display was a pleasure to drive home to in the evenings.  But it is time to say goodbye to Santa.  As happy as I was to get everything done early this year, I am just as happy to get everything put away early too!  Today we de-Christmas.  I am excited about the New Year and feel the need to get our home re-set. 

Green For The Holidays and STITCHED!

 I made something for myself over the weekend.  I finished it in time to wear to our Christmas Day family gathering.

 My felt beads are a specialty!  I use very thick felt, gorgeous ribbons and beads.

 I was totally inspired by Alma Stoller who offered an online fiber bead class last year.  It was the best class I have ever taken!  I made so many samples and started many different fiber bead experiments.  I had all the supplies...I just needed the starting point!

This is what it looks like around a neckline.

I am thinking about making one to celebrate New Years - black and diamonds!

Alma has launched a huge online workshop series for 2012!

Here is the link.

Happy Holidays!

See you next week!

One of My Favorite Gifts

Thank you Fran!

 Hello everyone and I hope you are enjoying the festive season.  

This is my last blog post for the Crafter's Companion US Blog.  I have really enjoyed all the projects I have worked on this year!

 The new SWALK sets are all fabulous.  My project has a size maximum so I needed to work with a stamp image that would fit in a preselected space. 

 My idea was to stamp this cute girl and penguins on card stock so that I could stand the image up in a plastic ornament.

 Coloring her was fun!  She looks like she had spent some time at the hair dresser!

Once I placed her in the plastic ornament and added some wired jewels to the base I tried to find a spot to photograph her.  It is very hard to take a picture of a reflective ball!

Here is a better close up.  Isn't she festive?

Resin Crafts Blog Post

 You might wonder what happens when a company that sells resin beads send a package via the mail to me.  You might think "she needs more resin like a hole........"

There can never be enough resin.

 The one thing that happens is that I try and think of a way to make the resin my own!  This huge pink donut has been glazed twice with Envirotex Jewelry Resin and now I am sure I am the only one in the world with a donut like it.  Unless of course you like my idea and want to make one too!

Natural Touch sent me some amazing samples to play with.  I love them all!  

Today's post features pink resin but they are available in every colour under the rainbow!

I used:

One 55 mm resin donut bead (pink)

Two resin dice beads (pink)

Two resin rondelle beads (pink)

Odds and ends from my stash to finish the necklace.

 I decided to glue this tissue rose on to my pink donut.

 I added some green glitter marker lines and applied a light glaze of resin.  I let this cure overnight.

 A glaze cures a lot quicker than a shallow pour.  The next day, I applied some pink gel marker lines and then sealed this again with another light glaze of resin.  I let this cure for another day.

See how my rose looks like it is part of the resin bead now?  

This post was created for Resin Crafts Blog.

The Flower Delivery Truck

I think the doorbell ringing and seeing a florist standing there is my favorite kind of delivery.

You just never know who sent them and opening the card is too much fun!

Thank you Nancy!

Sunday Beading Links

 My favorite project this past week.

Enjoy my Bead Blogger links today!

A Bead A Day
Share your holiday jewelry on A Bead A Day blog. Just leave a comment or send an email to get your work featured!

About.com Jewelry Making
No time to make beaded ornaments? This is so not true when you have this super fast and inexpensive tutorial to help you. 

Art Bead Scene
Jennifer decks the halls with a super colorful, Jangles styled bead garland, and her free tutorial will show you how to make one too! 

Beading Arts
Every new year should bring a new challenge. How about getting inspired by the Ring A Day challenge...and maybe win a copy of the book? 

Carmi's Art/Life World
This week I made a beautiful component even better! 

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean has fun being a new designer blogger for Nina Designs! Come and see what she made!  

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew shares a couple of magazines that he was recently published in.

Crafty Blogger Links

  I did have a crafty week making ornaments!  

Looks like all my crafty blogger friends were busy too!

Aileen's Musings
Aileen shows you how she took pre made cards and embellished them to make her own Christmas cards she mailed out this year.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi enters the Friendship Bracelet world and learns a thing or two. 

Craft Buds
Turn that old wool sweater into a personalized keepsake. Learn how to make a monogram sweater ornament, embellished with jingle bells. 

Craft. You.
Meet Jenny Barnett-Rohrs of Craft Test Dummies this week on Craft. You.! 

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a double giveaway featuring books and Styrofoam shapes along with tutorials and patterns for Christmas painting and knitting along with a recipe for vegan nut butter dip and some adorable photos of our newest Amineko. 

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy is able to spill the beans about a new jewelry business adventure she is exploring.  

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
"Santa Claus is coming to town." Are you ready for The Artful Crafter's annual Christmas Parade of Crafts? 

Lindsay Sews
With the holiday ornament swap complete, you can check out photos of the lovely handmade ornaments--including bacon! 

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
Madge turns some styrofoam and sparkly things into a Retrofabulous Suzy Snowflake Snowlady!  

Mixed Media Artist
Crochet a really nifty gift in just about two hours! 

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery

How to make a yarn ball and dpn Christmas tree.

Friendship Bracelet - My First

 This post is a salute to the gazillions of girls who have made and shared a classic friendship bracelet.

Now I know why if you get one you leave it tied on for a very long time.

 The Shopping Channel had The Friendship Bracelet Maker on air this fall and after seeing the wonderful samples I decided to buy two sets.  One for me and one for a crafty child in my life.  I felt obligated to test it out before presenting it to the child...just in case I was asked to demonstrate it!

 I pulled everything out of the box and followed the instructions.

 And that's when the whining began!

Well, a little under my breath complaining.

Do you see how many knots are needed?  Ten for every row....and you need 100 to make an inch of bracelet.....wait a minute....this will take some time!  So over the next two nights of TV viewing I made my bracelet.

 When you invest that much time into something...you don't give it away willy nilly.  

It really has to go to a BFF.

 I glammed up my bracelet with a jeweled button.

My sample is now on my mannequin's wrist.  I'm not done.  I need to make a second bracelet to see if I can speed things up a little!  
I learned a thing or two though.

1.  Just because there is a child on the box...doesn't mean it is easy...or just for children.

2.  The tool itself is excellent.  I am thinking of other ways to use it.  Nothing holds strings in place better!  

3.  The online community for Friendship Bracelets is huge and the manufacturer has a wonderful facebook page with lots and lots of ideas.
4.  This is a great gift idea...but for my older girlfriends and not just their kids!

Bracelets That Look Like You Spent Hours Crafting!

Over the last week I have been posting some ideas on the John Bead Blog about how to craft some super easy bracelets.  You can win one of the bracelets (that I used to craft these samples) by "LIKING" Dazzle-It's Facebook page.  Make sure you leave a comment on the link to the special post announcing the giveaway (shown below.)

I am At The Shopping Channel Today!

This will probably be my last time on-air at The Shopping Channel this year!  We have extra special pricing to share!

Right now the times are 11am, 3pm and 11pm.

Nina Designs Meets Jewelry Resin

 I was very pleased to be contacted by Nina Designs last month.   They wondered if I would be interested in a selection of samples to use in a blog post.  I don't always say yes to these requests, but the Nina Designs website is one that features some absolutely beautiful jewelery components.  I was very curious to see what they might send me to experiment with.  I posted this today on Resin Crafts Blog and thought I would share it here too.

 My package contained some gorgeous bronze charms!  As soon as I saw these pieces I decided to do something elegant and simple...which is hard for me.  I didn't want the charms to get hidden in one of my over embellished samples.

The Nina Designs website is easy to navigate.  Many of the pieces I liked are available in different colours...although I love the bronze!

 I did want to put my stamp on the final design though.  I took one look at this butterfly wing and decided I would fill it with resin....turning it into a stained glass background for my sweet bird on a perch charm.

 To accomplish this task I glued tissue paper to the back of the pendant and when this dried I filled the tiny openings with resin.  I am currently experimenting with the new Jewelry Resin from ETI and I knew this technique would be of interest to my readers on Resin Crafts Blog.  I don't always get to show them a finished piece of jewelery.

 This is the back of my butterfly charm after I cut away the excess tissue paper and the resin had cured.

 I applied a thin layer of Resin Jewelry to the back of the charm too.  This makes this even stronger and the tissue paper will not rub away when worn.

 Then I assembled my necklace!

 The leather cord looks fantastic and professionally finished with these bronze tulip crimps.

 The bird on the perch charm looks great on top of the butterfly wing!

And finally, I added the one extra leaf charm I received in my sample set.

Here is what I used from Nina Designs:

Bronze Butterfly Wing Pendant

Bronze Leaf Charm

Bronze Bird on a Perch

Bronze Tulip Hook and Eye Crimp Clasp

Leather Cord (lots to choose from)

I really enjoyed this project.  Thank you to Nina Designs for sending me my free samples!

Sunday Beading Links

It is a work weekend for me.

I am on The Shopping Channel one last time this week and really looking forward to being t the studio!

So I am prepping and resorting all my presentation samples.

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

A Bead A Day
If you are looking for some fabulous giveaways by a wide variety of artists and crafters, Lisa is linking you up!

About.com Jewelry Making
Time and money are items many of us don't have much of right now, but not to worry. These simple projects are just what you need to inexpensively spread some holiday jewelry love.

Art Bead Scene
Erin provides an inspiring treasury of architecture inspired jewelry components to give us some ideas for the Art Bead Scene December challenge!

Beading Arts
Wanna learn to work with chains in your jewelry designs? Cyndi has a copy of "Chains Chains Chains" up for grabs!

  Beads & Books
Michelle turns an inexpensive printer's tray from a craft store into a beautiful display for a jewelry show.

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi has a series of bezels filled with last year's Christmas cards to share this week.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean hosts a very lovely giveaway from the sublime bead and jewelry store in Florence, Italy, Beaded Lily!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew creates a piece to be silently auctioned off to help a fellow artist out! Bid on his necklace to win and check out all the other fantastic auctions going on!  

Crafty Blogger Links

 

About Family Crafts
Play along with the current craft challenge and submit an angel craft or two.

Aileen's Musings
Aileen not only offers you a fantabulous Glitzy bleached Christmas tree project but also a giveaway on her blog this week! 

Carmi's Art/Life World
A post about remembering the December birthdays! 

Craft Buds
Create H.O.P.E. Designs is making a world of difference through sewing patterns, and Mary stitches up the A+ Art Portfolio. 

Craft. You.
This week on Craft. You.: Heather Mann of Dollar Store Crafts 

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at our crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a fun new video on how to tint gesso with pastels by Traci Bunkers, tutorials on how to draw Christmas trees and poinsettias, tips on cleaning glassware and a yummy recipe for vegan maple bacon doughnuts. 

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy takes a look at a craft book packed full of projects.  

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Do you know about yarn bombing? Whimsical hand knit and crocheted art is circling the globe! 

Lindsay Sews
He's cute and cuddly, and you can sew him with just one yard of fabric. Take a peek at Hugh Manatee from the new book, Fabric-by-Fabric: One-Yard Wonders. 

Margot Potter The Impatient Crafter
It's a video! It's two craft projects with instructions! It's RETROFABULOUS! Yay! 

Mixed Media Artist
If you've still got any autumn leaves available, here's a pretty idea for using them up! 

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make a recycled sweater wreath with a candy style bow.

Recycling My Christmas Cards

I have been happily blogging about some of the Christmas cards I managed to reuse from last year.

Working for Resin Crafts Blog means that I think about projects all the time.  These resin filled bezels all feature a portion of a card I saved from last year.  I plan to turn them all into ornaments for my tree.  I don't sell my samples...these are just for me.

If you want to read or see more about how these were made here are the links for each of the ideas above.

1.  Birds in copper.

2.  Major MET painting.

3.  Vintage Santa card.

4.  3 Wise men cards.

The Toronto Star had a very interesting article this week about Canadians and holiday greeting cards.  It turns out 8% of us recycle our cards in some way!  I am surprised it is even that high...but sure wish it could be higher!