Favorites: New Handpainted Beads Statement Necklace Tutorial

This time of year, I'm always itching for new jewelry, and Valentine's Day seemed like the perfect occasion to make myself a new necklace.

Taking a bunch of old beads I had, a couple of acrylic paint colors, and some jewelry wire and a chain, I made this cute and colorful beaded necklace.  This project is easier than you might think, and there are many ways to design a fun necklace using these multi-colored beads.

All the directions and more photos are on my Hubpages.  Check it out and tell me what you think :)

Winter into Spring Double Grapevine Wreath Tutorial

I've found that I have a decorative lull on my front door just after the Christmas holiday.  It no longer seems appropriate to display my Noel sign, but it seems too early to put up my Spring wreath.

So I decided to display a double wreath that can be decorated for two seasons and extend the time that my wreath is on my door.  I decorated the smaller wreath with Winter berries, and the larger wreath with Spring blooms, and tied the two with white and burlap ribbons.  I think it really is a clever way to span the seasons and display my wreath for a longer time.

I really love it!  You can find the directions on how to make a similar wreath on my Hubpages!

Seashells Birdhouse Welcome Wreath

I'm slow getting back into the blogging routine, but I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!!  I did and will be sharing a couple of crafts that I made and received as Christmas gifts this year.

First up - this seashell birdhouse wreath I made for my mother.  They have a beach cottage and I thought that a seashell wreath would be a perfect addition to their place.  I forgot to take any photos before I sent it to my Mom and only got this kind of crappy photo while we were visiting with my parents, but you get the idea.

My Mom's seashell wreath is based on this Spring wreath I made for myself, using a birdhouse, artificial flowers, and a garden trellis.  I just replaced the flowers with seashells.  You can see more photos and get the directions on my Hubpages.  Let's all start thinking of Spring!

Handmade Holiday Mantle Display

Ta-da!  The holiday mantle is complete... for now.  The wreath you've seen before, but this is the first time I've put everything together on the mantle - including this new project (which I just love):

I've listed the links to all of these items on my Hometalk page.  I hope you check it out and enjoy!

Polymer Clay "Knit Stitch" Box and Brooch

I just posted this tutorial on how to make a polymer clay notions or trinket box with a knit stitch design on my Hubpages.

I used the same technique to make a "knit" brooch.  I trimmed my clay design to fit in a brooch blank.  Then I added the "fuzzy" saying by rolling a small egg of clay, flattening it with a dowel, then using alphabet stamps to add the lettering.  I made this little word oval separately and didn't stick it over my knit stitches until I had it right.  I'm not going to lie - it took several tries to get the lettering lined up and centered on my oval.

Why I chose the word "fuzzy"?  I couldn't say.  It kinda refers to knitting and seemed funny at the time :)

Once my clay piece was baked and cooled, I glued it into a wooden brooch blank from artbase on etsy.  Their pieces are lovely.  I made another pin with one of their brooch pieces here.

Check out my knitting polymer clay tutorial and make your own!!

17 Repurposed, Recycled, & Upcycled Christmas Craft Ideas

http://www.hometalk.com/b/1762473/17-incredible-repurposed-christmas-crafts

The good people at Hometalk were kind enough to ask me to put together a clipboard of some of my favorite Repurposed Christmas Crafts off of their site.  I was THRILLED to do so and found SO MANY great repurposed/recycled/upcycled holiday craft ideas!

Where to begin...driftwood, rusted springs, bottle caps, bits and pieces of random stuff - just amazing!  I especially love the Christmas Tree crafts, some of which (admittedly) are mine:

But there are a lot of wonderful, creative, exciting projects to explore.  Check out my board here, and start pinning and crafting for the holidays!  Enjoy!!

Getting My Holiday Season Started: Christmas Display Made from Tomato Cage

After a bit of a hiatus from crafting, I'm getting an early start on some of my Christmas projects.

First up:  a festive display for Christmas ornaments, favorite holiday cards, or fun family photos (I've used all three!).   This charming display would make a wonderful table centerpiece.  And your friends and family will be amazed that it's made from a basic tomato cage from the garden.

Find more pics and instructions on my Hubpages.