Back to brainstorming

Remember the thank you magnets I include in my etsy orders?

I need to come up with something equally handmade and charming, but much less time consuming. The previous magnets include the tedious image transfers, at least 2 bakings, sanding to shape the edges...sometimes they are more labor intensive than the item purchased! So I've been brainstorming. Well....trying to brainstorm.

I adore the idea of clay embellished with beads and/or wire. I think they are a fabulous couple! And you KNOW how much I love black & white borders....so I thought a beaded border would be cute.


WRONG!! Not at all like I imagined. First I tried larger seed beads. Size 8/0's I think. They looked goofy. So here are the 11/0's. I don't like them either. Maybe b/c the magnet is too thick?
It reminds me of one of those rolling hand drums or something. I'm not quite sure what exactly it is...but I don't like it.

BUT!! I got to use the letter stamps I got back at xmas! LOL! Now...back to the drawing board.

The bling bling tree

A.K.A. the super gaudy, collaborative project with my kids.



It's a little topiary made to fit a rectangle spot in the girls' shadow box. It's about 6" tall I'd guess. Originally it was not supposed to be so...um...blingy. But the kids wanted to help me decorate it, so each one got a side of the flower pot.




All the bling is courtesy of my generous, talented friend Scott. Thank you, Scott. :)
As if all the swarovski wasn't enough, everything is glittered from bird to flower pot. Because there can never be too much sparkle.

Her name is Lily

I know this b/c she told me. :) As I was putting the final brush strokes on her face, the heard the name in my mind. Lily. Sounds like I need to open a window and lay off the Mod Podge fumes. Ha!


Lily started out much differently. She changed clothes 3 times. I have a limited selection of embroidery floss and fabric...not to mention I'm color coordination challenged...so the outfits are hard for me!

But I live for the accessories. I had no idea how much I enjoy making miniatures.

I wanted her to hold a caged bird. I even tried to engineer a tiny wire birdcage, but after 2 failed attempts I gave up. I can do flowers! I'm sure noone is surprised to see that glittery flowers grow in Lily's world. :)

1st clothespin doll

I always enjoy my crafty time, but sometimes I just love it. This week I've been working on my 1st clothespin doll. I was originally inspired by Sweet Imaginations and BeezTings dolls on Flickr. Emily & I sat admiring their flickr photos for probably an hour! She was so smitten about them, I knew I had to try making some.

Of course I wanted to use clay instead of wood! :) After trying several different ideas, I re-engineered a spring clothespin to look more like the peg clothespins. (For the challenge, and also b/c I didn't want to load up all 3 girls and drive to Hobby Lobby.) Here she is, standing in the window sill watching today's sunset.


She was so much fun! Her head and hair is all polymer clay. The base is also. I need to work on my face painting skills. Her rosy cheeks turned into rosacea! Her felt dress is dripping with glitter. Girlfriend even has white glittery highlights in her hair! (Which I would totally do if they were a realistic option!)
And her teeny purse....how fun is that?!


I can't wait to make some more! I'm sure my ADD will kick in after the 2nd or 3rd doll...but my brain is bubbling with ideas for at least a dozen more! She will go upstairs to the girls' shadow box to keep the polka dot bird company.

A little birdie

I did not plan it, but this little love birdie arrived just in time for V-day.

I made her to sit in a shadow box in the girls' room. It has several different 'holes' to fill, and I just happen to have ideas for clay creations to sit in all of them. :)

I went glitter crazy. The base is covered in it, the hearts are thick with it, and even the bird's polka dots are glittered. You can never have too much glitter, I say.

The whole thing is just under 4" tall.

In family news:
Garrett is doing splendidly in school, and making new friends (and reacquainting w/old ones). Him going to school outside the home is the best thing to happen. For both of us.
The 2 big girls are trying to be the death of me. I'm serious. I think they are plotting.
Miss Amelia is growing so fast! She loves her solid foods. Baby food, vanilla wafers, Mom's morning malt-o-meal, and anything else we let her try. She laughs and jabbers all the time. She's still the sweetest punkin ever.
Aaron is working 60-75 hrs a week. And 10-15 hrs a week at his own business (fabricating plane parts out of our garage). So we never see him.
And I'm trying to get over a bladder infection w/out going to the dr. (no insurance now) Anyone have any spare Bactrim they want to send me? :) Only joking.

And now I will adjorn to the kitchen and put on my chef hat. I hope you have a tweet V-day weekend! ;)