Halloween Birthdays

I have a special friend who's birthday is on Halloween. So I just spent some time making up this one special card. I will be delivering it later this week but wanted her to see it on the actual day!
This cute witch is a digital stamp I downloaded and coloured from Tiddlyinks.

Magnus seems to like pumpkins. He's been laughing at our display.

Have a great Halloween! Enjoy my Sunday beading links!

A Bead A Day
Do you enjoy wearing your affirmations on your wrist? Lisa's thinking about using shrinky dinks in jewelry to create "shrink-firmations"!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has a few new projects incorporating pewter, a perfect substitute for silver.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene gets down to business and talks about loss leaders.

Beading Arts
Cyndi just finished a 45 hour project that reused antique steel cut seed beads...and some steel buttons!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi takes classes with Swarovski Elements Ambassadors and finally learns how to crochet.

Cindy Gimbrone, The Lampwork Diva
It's fall and along with it comes a gray sky in the form of jewelry.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Rotting veggies and over ripe fruit makes for bead inspiration and a delicious muffin recipe!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
A little antiquing adventure, and Lorelei's got some cool new props for an upcoming craft show!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean reviewed a unique and very beautiful book: Metal Clay Origami Jewelry, by Sarah Jayne Cole. Please come and see the review on Jean's blog!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Beadaholique has generously donated a leafy assortment of autumn-inspired beads and components. Find out how you can win this Thursday Giveaway!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has a few new projects incorporating pewter, a perfect substitute for silver.

Art Bead Scene
Art Bead Scene gets down to business and talks about loss leaders.

The Book of Shadows

This may be the best journal I will ever have. Paul found it for me in Dublin last week.
Appearances are deceiving in this case.
The book is made from slate and is quite heavy. It won't be the journal I pop into my purse so I can write and doodle in it at a cafe. I am looking for a great place in my studio to display it.

I love the leather binding. This is a stitch I would like to try on something else.

The detail compels you to run your fingers across the cover. The back is quite beautiful as well. I am tempted to try and make a mold from one of the roses. No rush. This journal is here for the long run.

Hope Saturday is good to you friends! These are my Crafty Blogger Links for the Week!

About Family Crafts
For some reason, kids and kitchens go together so why not invite your kids into the kitchen with you to craft. Sherri shares creative recipes to help you make your own home-made clay, colorful paint, bath and beauty products, and even creative snacks.

Aileen's Musings
There's no place like Aileen's Musings to get your very own freebie ruby slipper postcards to email to friends or family!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi samples some new "print your own" decoupage sheets featuring Peter Rabbit.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
This week at Craftside there is a chance to win a copy of Illustration School: Let's Draw Plants and Small Creatures with an inside peek that contains info on how to add illustrations to photos, there is 4 of the 1,000 greeting cards from the book 1,000 More Greetings, a bunch of beading tutorials and some organizing tips.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy shares a link to a survey conducted by the National Needlearts Association and wonders about how balanced the results are.

Eileen - The Artful Crafter
Have you considered designing and selling your own paper goods like cards, cupcakes toppers or party favors? Then you need to know a few things about incorporating the work of other graphic designers.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi never knew you could have so much fun with some rusty nails...

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
As promised, see how to crochet a spider web skirt.

Cup of Tea

If you knew me, you would know that I love the cooler days of October. The Canadian fall is perfect for me. On days like today you can put a sweater on and sit outside in the sunshine. I never feel cold. In fact, I am relieved not to be hot! Naturally, you would find me sitting in a classic wooden muskoka chair.
But here is a spot I would love to have a cup of tea at.
The table and chairs are found in a tiny garden at the front door of an antique store in the big Paris antique market. I bet if I was there this weekend it would look exactly the same. Perhaps the shrubbery would be a little less green and the unuusal wall of bamboo might not have leaves. But I would sit here and enjoy some much needed downtime.

More Jeweled Christmas Cards

Some of the new cards I made this week are really special.

I have been placing buttons in cabochons and then adding Christmassy charms.

I have been working through my stash of Christmas fabrics too!

Santas are all over this studio now!

Crocheted Necklaces

I am truly amazed that I finished this necklace in the class I took last week at the Creativ Festival. Laura Timmons was the instructor, and as a Swarovski Elements Ambassador, she has a huge following of students around the world.

Now. Truth be told. I read the class description several times. No crocheting experience was required, so I assumed a good portion of the class would be learning how to actually crochet.
Turns out, I was the only one in the class that had never held a crochet needle. Soon as she started the class, everyone settled in to the flower crocheting. Laura sat with me to teach me how to crochet. Yeah for me...a private class. This is the first thing I have ever crocheted. The thick yarn helped me to see.

Then I sat down to start the flowers I would need for the necklace. We were using amazing new yarns from Swarovski. Can you see how the Dark Brown Faux Suede is already encrusted with crystals? I felt like I was working with the most expensive yarn ever.....I hesitated and almost went back to the thick sample yarn Laura had in her stash.

When I am nervous, I work fast. I knocked the flowers out as quick as I could. They were wonky, but I was worried I would forget how to make them and didn't want the instructor to have to come back for yet another one on one...even though she offered!

Note to self. Next time you crochet, start with some inexpensive yarn.

The next day I was signed up for another class: Twisted Crystals Necklace. In other words, crocheting with wire. Yup, I was the only one in the class of 50 that hadn't crocheted before, or worked with crystal to make flowers. Laura had a second Swarovski Ambassador teaching with her so I get to meet a Canadian gal named Stephanie Dixon. She was so great and upbeat!
With her help, I finished this class too. My necklace isn't perfect, but I loved making it! I will need a lot more practice!!

But my flowers sure did turn out great!

If you get a chance to take a class with the Swarovski Ambassadors you really should! Their class kits are so generous! I even won one of Laura's bracelets in the class.

By the way, the beautiful crystal encrusted yarns are available at artbeads.com. I linked to the page here. They have cotton, cashmere, faux suede and mohair yarn!

Peter Rabbit Decoupage

I have a stack of things set aside that I really can't work or play with until after the One of a Kind show next month.

But I could not help printing some of the amazing Peter Rabbit decoupage sheets from the new Crafter's Companion CD Rom I ordered from the UK.

There are so many layers to these images. I absolutely love gluing them all together to see the how each piece pops the scene right in front of me.

The classic Peter Rabbit art is a joy to work with.

Building cards around the artwork was a challenge. So many options!
I went with a 6 x 6 format.

Peter's Mom might be my favorite. She works so hard to keep all those bunnies fed.

Cards I Love

I have been making so many special occasion cards that I decided to take a little time to just make a card or two that had no special theme.

I adore Kokeshi dolls and these characters always make me smile.

Then I made up a thanks card on various pieces of kraft paper and these cake buttons sit happily on this corrugated card I had no idea what to do with. Happy cards! Okay, back to Christmas.

Monday Blues

Another great door in Paris. Isn't the blue beautiful?

When I see a door ajar I always want to peak in.

Paulina the artist in the antique market in her blue suit.

I think she paints from memory.

Blue candles. I need to light some this week.

75 Cards - One Great Kit!

I blogged yesterday that I was presenting an amazing card making kit on The Shopping Channel.

These are the 75 cards I made with that kit.

I have never seen such an all encompassing kit.

There was not an occasion that was missed.

The tiny cards were fun to play with. (The ribbons I had in my stash.)

From birthdays to anniversaries to every special event you could think of, there is a sticker embellishment or a rub-on sentiment.

The Christmas holiday time period has some gorgeous options.

October card projects were easy to make too!

I added in the occasional extra flower or embellishment from my own stash.

And I could not resist using some photos too!

I found perfect sentiments for the photos I wanted to show off.

Even sympathy was covered with cards for both two and four legged loved ones. For the pet card I found two foam paws in my stash. I added a metal cross to the center card.

I had so many elements left over that I started decorating the matching envelopes!
To sum up.
One kit. 75 card bodies, 75 envelopes and over 2000 embellishments.
And. The kit is on sale!! $10 off so it is only $29.99.

Overstuffed and On TV Today

I am too excited!

I am going to be on The Shopping Channel tonight for just ten minutes!

I am giving the shopping world a sneak peak and a first time chance to buy this amazing card making kit. It makes SEVENTY FIVE CARDS and is going to be launched at a very special price. If we get some sun today I might be able to photograph all the cards I am showcasing.

So, if you tune in, I'll be on at about 8:20pm!
I am showing the 3 Birds Overstuffed Cardmaking Kit!

Meanwhile, happy Sunday friends! Here are my amazing bead blogger links!

A Bead A Day
Need help embracing seasonal change? Lisa uses a bit of swarovski sparkle to make the leap!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has a collection of crafting Halloween project ideas as well as an adorable monster pin for you.

Art Bead Scene
A free jewelry project by ABS Editor, Cindy Gimbrone.

Barbe Saint John
Barbe 's finally a Cover Girl!

Beading Arts
Are you interested in adding found objects to your bead embroidery? Cyndi has just released the fourth chapter of her e-book, which shows you how to go wild!

Carmi's Art/Life World
Carmi takes a companies ribbon sampler and turns it into wearable art!

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva
It's time to get educated and Cindy provides some stats along with rainbows.

Earthenwood Studio Chronicles
Check out the goodies Melanie found at an antique mall...What would you craft with these items that are full of history?

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio
Lorelei is teaming up with designer Erin Siegel, to write their first beading book! Come on over and learn how you can sign up to submit work for the book!

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done!
Jean has contributed a one of a kind jewelry piece which she made to help raise funds for Andrew Thornton's medical bills. She is delighted to help, on behalf of her family. Please come and see the piece and consider bidding. Thanks so much!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Three of Andrew's necklaces are amongst the gorgeous finalists in Soft Flex Company's "Flex Your Creativity Beading Contest". Check out all of the Steampunk-inspired designs and VOTE today!

Oh! Great Paris Themed Fabrics!

This is such pretty Paris themed fabric! I found it here today.

Brilliant Decorating Idea

This looks like fabulous paper from a distance.

Little did I know that a Paris decorator had figured out an even better way to show off this fantastic wall paper. They added the wooden frame to the wall and then embellished the flowers captured in the frame. Love it!