tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35951698624713535932024-03-12T22:26:38.537-07:00Success Boundthe journey of friends, crafters, designers, artists and momsMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-67628406506349562052010-07-23T08:02:00.001-07:002010-07-23T08:02:16.670-07:00How Many Works in Progress...<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4821313232/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4821313232_0a03be408a_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4821313232/">07-23-10_1050.jpg</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>...is too many? This question came up the other day in the forums on Ravelry, and so I answered just about yarn related WIPs. Even those I had like 9 things in progress. The original poster seemed upset because she had 2, and could not bring herself to start another.<br /><br />With knitting, and really with nearly any type of project, you end up with different things that you can work on in different limited settings.<br /><br />I am working on a seamless sweater for my plus sized self, so that large piece of knitting will not be leaving my house, thank you very much. <br /><br /> For knitting on the go, I have the cute little cotton shortie socks shown in the photo. I also have a pair of wool socks in progress, but I can only work on them in air conditioned areas. The cotton socks are perfect for knitting in parked cars while waiting for my kid at school.<br /><br />Some projects, like lace for example, require focus that I cannot muster sitting in my "office" here at Panera.<br /><br />Similar issues cause multiple projects in other crafty genres: the huge duvet cover for my niece is not quite a take along item, like a small piece of hand embroidery would be.<br /><br />So my answer to how many is too many? I guess the sky is the limit!<br clear="all" />Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-49416567826539830302010-07-13T07:09:00.001-07:002010-07-13T07:09:04.276-07:00When Reality Gives Expectations a Kick in the Butt<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/2956464934/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2956464934_5b1737c952_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/2956464934/">Green Dragonfly</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>This morning as I was driving, a giant dragonfly hovered over my windshield. In that moment, the dragonfly came to embody an idea I was having for a blog post about dreamy expectations, and how often reality comes to whack them down. In popular culture, we see many images of light, flittering dragonflies that are cute, and we hold onto that image. Then what more closely resembles a turd with wings runs into your windshield at 60 miles an hour and you are sucked back to reality. <br /><br />This happens many times in day to day life. Many times when planning outings with my family, I envision this ideal family who all happily get along and enjoy the excursion. Then before we leave our home parking lot, the kids are arguing in the back seat, the heat index goes over 100 degrees and traffic is already plotting to hinder our path.<br /><br />In business, sometimes we come up with a product or plan that we thing will really take off, ignoring the reality that these things often take a ton of work.<br /><br />In crafting, we come up with a design, find the perfect materials, figure out our plan of action, then nothing goes as smoothly as we think, and the item we make is not quite the beauty we envisioned.<br /><br />Since it is difficult for me to manage reality, I have come to the conclusion I need to manage my own expectations. This idea came to me while I was picking tiny balls of chewing gum out of entire load of wet laundry. It is not realistic of me to expect a 20 year old guy to be either thoughtful to his mother or focused on emptying his pockets, and it is not fair of me to have those expectations, and holding on to them will only lead to disappointment.<br clear="all" />Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-52375311269622950802010-07-06T07:44:00.001-07:002010-07-06T08:06:08.595-07:00Multitasking Means MinitaskingToday starts months of spending large chunks of time driving son #2 to football camps, summer band, workouts, and other things I don't want to think about at the moment. That got me thinking, that if I am going to get stuff done, I need to get to some serious multitasking. The problem with that is that my available time for the foreseeable future will come in small bits. No more will I have the luxury of a whole day ahead of me, thinking "Hmmm what do I want to do now."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHcw-nupfEKoSogKjfFUj4OqLmS6v_Qi5BhBsCsAHWdMNY8ohi5c0_FAZrq9IORAbJQRKtj39gHekfHUPLQfUDIIcy5Xw5Thqs_ZGLnFZvdPytmlNDp9CoBBYuKKQIFmBPMJzSTr0iUpZ/s1600/multitask.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgHcw-nupfEKoSogKjfFUj4OqLmS6v_Qi5BhBsCsAHWdMNY8ohi5c0_FAZrq9IORAbJQRKtj39gHekfHUPLQfUDIIcy5Xw5Thqs_ZGLnFZvdPytmlNDp9CoBBYuKKQIFmBPMJzSTr0iUpZ/s200/multitask.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490805084195295378" border="0" /></a>So, I already started my "minitasking" - as I type this, I am syncing my ipod for in-van entertainment, gathering crafty items to work on while I have the inevitable wait for the kid to come out to the car, and blog hopping to do my Entrecard drops. (the photo above also shows I need to dust my keyboard very soon as well!) But I have to leave the house again to pick him up in less than an hour, so I have to choose wisely, and be ready to abandon tasks after a short time, whether I finish or not. I have to remember I can come back to them later.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv3VOeOGxuo4wJd9Z-d55TwVHOoZIFeG7lopCcYzCo86Zsr2YX-TjGJN4iAuAsRVShhsTRgxj66dP3xbguRRU6v7lIhMcgAwCVpTuY4vDiaa8BfvoR3lVlrAntI4zwO2JJKJ_5VICWZzb/s1600/stuff+for+photos.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmv3VOeOGxuo4wJd9Z-d55TwVHOoZIFeG7lopCcYzCo86Zsr2YX-TjGJN4iAuAsRVShhsTRgxj66dP3xbguRRU6v7lIhMcgAwCVpTuY4vDiaa8BfvoR3lVlrAntI4zwO2JJKJ_5VICWZzb/s200/stuff+for+photos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490805094816363250" border="0" /></a>I also have this whole box of finished items that need to get decent photographs taken and to be listed online in one of my stores. It is feeling overwhelming right now, but I think if I just tell myself I will go take photos until my card is full or my battery dies, then edit photos and upload to photobucket as time permits, I will be able to get through them all. Then I can convince myself to list X items a day online and I should get through the backlog in no time!<br /><br />In the true spirit of minitasking, I am going to start knitting on a pair of shortie socks this afternoon while I wait outside of summer band.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-8434114662722378622010-06-29T11:39:00.000-07:002010-06-29T11:50:26.440-07:00New Sea Glass Pendants on eBay!Finally, some new sea glass pendants from Narragansett Sea Glass! Affordable, genuine sea glass jewelry handmade with sterling silver.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMufyrgDIbmQngn-6J1qd_6k39KqdqKbdtB4JnsmNkScBsI5wrK6g3YyUd3lN39qYinjvGeNpb1z8P4FB1PFtdE43YZ82PasQ8gMjdEKXYCh80EKotJf5v1zBL5OxKutUiI8QDuF98Qzw/s1600/flickr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 394px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMufyrgDIbmQngn-6J1qd_6k39KqdqKbdtB4JnsmNkScBsI5wrK6g3YyUd3lN39qYinjvGeNpb1z8P4FB1PFtdE43YZ82PasQ8gMjdEKXYCh80EKotJf5v1zBL5OxKutUiI8QDuF98Qzw/s400/flickr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488269203027686338" /></a><br />Matching earrings are also available. Start your Christmas shopping early with these affordable gems or just treat yourself to something special!<br /><br />Click <a href="http://jewelry.shop.ebay.com/Handcrafted-Artisan-Jewelry-/110633/i.html?_catref=1&_fln=1&_ipg=&_ssn=scarboroughseaashells&_trksid=p3911.c0.m282">here</a> to see more!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-26563920673309308512010-05-18T07:40:00.000-07:002010-05-18T07:43:54.379-07:00Another Giveaway To MentionHi all! Just letting you know that I'm giving away a pair of earrings on <a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a>.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi009vdESCszK3rnvmj_SFFQGrOppKyFdSz3je7iBCyuIcPlgB3-BJauqsagOqJtzJNLOE_fktroDxSlx999lp6FlsqCBMTJDda_Fit9aRcpItAWkpS2AxTUcsNkTGzNF0yn8LpxiKdPY8/s1600/023+-+Copy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi009vdESCszK3rnvmj_SFFQGrOppKyFdSz3je7iBCyuIcPlgB3-BJauqsagOqJtzJNLOE_fktroDxSlx999lp6FlsqCBMTJDda_Fit9aRcpItAWkpS2AxTUcsNkTGzNF0yn8LpxiKdPY8/s400/023+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472620571578133810" /></a><br /><a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/2010/05/on-my-work-bench-today-tiny-white.html">Come on over</a> and leave a comment to be entered!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-25872238598268760932010-05-07T06:55:00.000-07:002010-05-07T07:03:54.848-07:00Giveaway WinnerI posted on <a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/">my other blog</a> that I had a <a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/2010/04/we-have-giveaway-winner.html">winner in my jewelry giveaway</a>, but forgot to come back here and update!<br /><br />The winner was Beth from The Stories of A to Z and she chose to have me make a pendant for her from a piece of pale aqua sea glass that I found on Scarborough Beach a few weeks ago. Here is a "work in progress" photo as well as the finished piece:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUaXwgHjvHlZY1AjzxzUfz3UkxrPcRMBAw05i5AFY55UkQmR4PqJH0PrP0H_WevN8LxFk3IWH-R2KtGPY6q84Yk9BO_Ti-xnxqxKsDk7YfzzzDyE79PShhMaa3TGi3PUEjpPlWSZqMvk/s1600/003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEUaXwgHjvHlZY1AjzxzUfz3UkxrPcRMBAw05i5AFY55UkQmR4PqJH0PrP0H_WevN8LxFk3IWH-R2KtGPY6q84Yk9BO_Ti-xnxqxKsDk7YfzzzDyE79PShhMaa3TGi3PUEjpPlWSZqMvk/s400/003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468528006463205106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-qpsVHpljCzgUovls2a9yKq5t7legYkx2Wq5kSx9EVyWHNk4Vk_nD-e0e4t3qR6rSfsKqtgdn15duECZQPNSCK0o1egj63fRHMVkwEOhMtsBC6Lkz4pwPVXI4ysGhE_4H-sUEiQSx7g/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-qpsVHpljCzgUovls2a9yKq5t7legYkx2Wq5kSx9EVyWHNk4Vk_nD-e0e4t3qR6rSfsKqtgdn15duECZQPNSCK0o1egj63fRHMVkwEOhMtsBC6Lkz4pwPVXI4ysGhE_4H-sUEiQSx7g/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468527315885434450" /></a>Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-83952867575331716742010-04-17T07:15:00.001-07:002010-04-17T07:19:31.774-07:00A Jewelry Giveaway!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rT6-zCgQucl_M5OWdBrm_boa2qjCZz1uzIO2vyEhm0-HV6A0M6d6vMm_JiBx5smqCbzpQgAJ1F8JA3QQG3uqZiVbD-NQk91EUSP866IvPaq5I8Mbnnw32muyG-6UvOZ0fjvDth43qd4/s1600/Giveaway+Image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0rT6-zCgQucl_M5OWdBrm_boa2qjCZz1uzIO2vyEhm0-HV6A0M6d6vMm_JiBx5smqCbzpQgAJ1F8JA3QQG3uqZiVbD-NQk91EUSP866IvPaq5I8Mbnnw32muyG-6UvOZ0fjvDth43qd4/s400/Giveaway+Image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461110573804383586" /></a><br />I am celebrating my 100th post on my other blog, <a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/">Scarborough Seashells</a> and to celebrate I am giving one lucky reader a piece of jewelry made by me!<br /><br /> You can win a pair of bezel set earrings or a pendant made with your choice of sea glass, pottery shard or seashell. <strong>OR</strong> I'll custom make something if you have a special piece of your own you'd like me to use. <br /><br />For more details and to enter the giveaway, <a href="http://scarborough.blogspot.com/2010/04/100th-post-and-giveaway.html">click here</a>!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-58717947883646369652010-04-07T14:42:00.001-07:002010-04-07T14:43:06.912-07:00Glass Tile Pendants<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4500583421/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4500583421_1b0cd9eed6_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4500583421/">Glass Tile Pendants</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/61119925@N00/">mornindew2822</a></span></div>I'm so excited to finally have these made, I've wanted to do them for so long!<br /><br />I think they came out really cute- I wore one out today and so many people complimented me on it!<br /><br />Now for sale on <a href="http://www.scarboroughseashells.com/servlet/the-Jewelry-cln-Handmade-Glass-Tile-Pendants/Categories">my website</a> at an introductory price of $8, including the chain!<br clear="all" />Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-4318994769343943292010-04-06T11:28:00.000-07:002010-04-06T11:33:32.959-07:00More brand new jewelry just listed to Scarborough Seashells!Hand forged sterling silver bangle style bracelets made from sea glass, beachcombed pottery shards and genuine seashells!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGq2Qrb2QMhTc39SPVtISAtt44h0ojzbgkuws3kc5fATBN-WghColK4rdK-kJp5LNnwyOYF6EVWYTGgmDuqQt5ZGxWIUvUrkn9hkFVu-17KzK2Bvaua-Hlvi0xth15f9pxIGICSq0Zv0/s1600/blueswirl+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGq2Qrb2QMhTc39SPVtISAtt44h0ojzbgkuws3kc5fATBN-WghColK4rdK-kJp5LNnwyOYF6EVWYTGgmDuqQt5ZGxWIUvUrkn9hkFVu-17KzK2Bvaua-Hlvi0xth15f9pxIGICSq0Zv0/s400/blueswirl+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457094046626764034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AjN1W5ePkX4TpZ0YnQxOqiNjQnE31LbRMA3DOEDWdC8dBdvMKMnmZIVctGoU8AdeE7XhOc9TNbeFzgS99TCyuse5jP05UUrBz_Smwgsdr5hcF7CD6UFav65jiZvYLXDr9a2ZUn6Wt3o/s1600/011.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1AjN1W5ePkX4TpZ0YnQxOqiNjQnE31LbRMA3DOEDWdC8dBdvMKMnmZIVctGoU8AdeE7XhOc9TNbeFzgS99TCyuse5jP05UUrBz_Smwgsdr5hcF7CD6UFav65jiZvYLXDr9a2ZUn6Wt3o/s400/011.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457094042480523010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiz3GsY1SkYcyulZGtgzgUiuv6vrJCjpqgh4VJSiog8CgP3W8vG8DT3oMYIAyCcPh913lIL9KvOMOomrn-vXmb02KzF_t982RzMvBEA4YgKucEziOXDeRSlplWBhORbZtm10DOpEHICM/s1600/floral+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiz3GsY1SkYcyulZGtgzgUiuv6vrJCjpqgh4VJSiog8CgP3W8vG8DT3oMYIAyCcPh913lIL9KvOMOomrn-vXmb02KzF_t982RzMvBEA4YgKucEziOXDeRSlplWBhORbZtm10DOpEHICM/s400/floral+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457094037142897474" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo5sWJ1h_ft4h8IVIA-0kOf1jUNd7I8mdaTdO0Z5HCSqIutiWT8iRWSWL-0ZgLzXFcMwx1zahnSqOoWYLaYPAJ5kdfj2olc_C8tTDnQxbIuBdLYCohnQfxRPuB4ZcBe9Nur2YcqIJVnU/s1600/petiteblue+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpo5sWJ1h_ft4h8IVIA-0kOf1jUNd7I8mdaTdO0Z5HCSqIutiWT8iRWSWL-0ZgLzXFcMwx1zahnSqOoWYLaYPAJ5kdfj2olc_C8tTDnQxbIuBdLYCohnQfxRPuB4ZcBe9Nur2YcqIJVnU/s400/petiteblue+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457094036401740226" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoEHtSES6xZkpVZ6_dbA3r3PSpaWqri4VxMqZHALRFPDqajXKa-IldHKX3O2w6GqXdMJcmOHDdaU3dhD8RXljgOMiJWOlVs5bN1KW4SC_wbJd-KpmOqhgmjVwN9BWgDbkOjeJsGw74gk/s1600/034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEoEHtSES6xZkpVZ6_dbA3r3PSpaWqri4VxMqZHALRFPDqajXKa-IldHKX3O2w6GqXdMJcmOHDdaU3dhD8RXljgOMiJWOlVs5bN1KW4SC_wbJd-KpmOqhgmjVwN9BWgDbkOjeJsGw74gk/s400/034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457094031005679554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWA92xgLwz2SsvMiGC9NMc1OdBVunnl80CHBrsfyoz0JCJqElvaQ9SARRJZ1LSoZjc3bJ_HDzXydth0KcZDvlbNgIsfMkhr9U85cc6RpfeWY5xhN2K-Ui8AJgwRFh8AL00bm_kUY71u8/s1600/cockle+shell+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWA92xgLwz2SsvMiGC9NMc1OdBVunnl80CHBrsfyoz0JCJqElvaQ9SARRJZ1LSoZjc3bJ_HDzXydth0KcZDvlbNgIsfMkhr9U85cc6RpfeWY5xhN2K-Ui8AJgwRFh8AL00bm_kUY71u8/s400/cockle+shell+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457093688545268786" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMEeTh0PRsNi4PrSaFUlEKHOyqNtT1HwBrSHI1vSs7Lj_FEq6PKlMLTlTuoXD_G2o1idufYx9AO7vjdn3H51dGoGP4f5h-1xmwOFZEbwTdg5_XH4EC4NoRas3KbWtMfxy6hSNO5Ez97w/s1600/bluepattern+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMEeTh0PRsNi4PrSaFUlEKHOyqNtT1HwBrSHI1vSs7Lj_FEq6PKlMLTlTuoXD_G2o1idufYx9AO7vjdn3H51dGoGP4f5h-1xmwOFZEbwTdg5_XH4EC4NoRas3KbWtMfxy6hSNO5Ez97w/s400/bluepattern+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457093678147487570" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLYekNC6r4u-5w1xbN0wtdvvyNfyxP6TulTditNhW7qZ5FEWzFEeHFKQ_-0LN4KRRaZFQnUh18cNkO_2EeanoKcsCPy_ZsbIOCgyfIQ20TFreTIMqIUnwZV9815QwVLIY4q0sYZcjNyI/s1600/forest+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLYekNC6r4u-5w1xbN0wtdvvyNfyxP6TulTditNhW7qZ5FEWzFEeHFKQ_-0LN4KRRaZFQnUh18cNkO_2EeanoKcsCPy_ZsbIOCgyfIQ20TFreTIMqIUnwZV9815QwVLIY4q0sYZcjNyI/s400/forest+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457093673107922546" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT8F1VixwomNfQu_obpzYLbBMB27dvKfIW2svZsQkSX_L6RwEzGr8xuGwljqxjoCTLIQKyZxakIAXM07hs7R9gunG113gPpSNS8p9-CKJSSbphORGypf9qm_y1l9btYH6JPFT4VmNcqs/s1600/clam+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXT8F1VixwomNfQu_obpzYLbBMB27dvKfIW2svZsQkSX_L6RwEzGr8xuGwljqxjoCTLIQKyZxakIAXM07hs7R9gunG113gPpSNS8p9-CKJSSbphORGypf9qm_y1l9btYH6JPFT4VmNcqs/s400/clam+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457093666282992370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoRhAhGOYUZLs-jcMCHR5z42j2zYWHoy0Kzpgvfkjy6iOptJ_2zcz_qLm4B3LtWO-AZghVNTMh54SD3spIpotMIC6Zlws4_wLh6m3ZV4mn8Xu1uGLYnxJmXmnZUXUhfJ0PUgAVYenoZs/s1600/blueflower+bangle.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoRhAhGOYUZLs-jcMCHR5z42j2zYWHoy0Kzpgvfkjy6iOptJ_2zcz_qLm4B3LtWO-AZghVNTMh54SD3spIpotMIC6Zlws4_wLh6m3ZV4mn8Xu1uGLYnxJmXmnZUXUhfJ0PUgAVYenoZs/s400/blueflower+bangle.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457093659101652994" /></a><br />Available now at <a href="http://www.scarboroughseashells.com/servlet/StoreFront">Scarborough Seashells</a>!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-60541028536570549062010-02-17T17:06:00.001-08:002010-02-17T17:07:28.517-08:00New pendants made!<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4366047421/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4366047421_6a3aa83b05_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4366047421/">New pendants</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/61119925@N00/">mornindew2822</a></span></div>Just a few of the pendants I've been working on for an upcoming craft show at the end of the month. Currently listed for sale on <a href="http://www.scarboroughseashells.com">my website</a> (until the day of the show)!<br clear="all" />Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-69528036878478986872010-02-14T15:59:00.001-08:002010-02-14T19:08:16.228-08:00And The Cobbler's Children Had No Shoes<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4339215449/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4339215449_d6c2095564_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4339215449/">clapotis 020710</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>I started the project pictured about a week ago. It called for 18 stitch markers. Now, in my lifetime, I have probably made at least 500 stitch markers, in two different styles, and infinite colors, which I usually sell in sets of 6. I sold a ton of these before I was ever even a knitter! I did not want to pull any out of my inventory, and I wanted to start this project NOW! So I grabbed my new box of pretty paperclips my husband gave me at Christmas (before you worry about HIM, you have to know that I was thrilled with these!) and started slipping them onto the needles. They marked my place, so they served the purpose, right?<br /><br />Wrong! First of all, I got some serious laddering at each marker. For those non-knitting readers, laddering is when you get a space between the knitting stitches that shows the yarn between them like the rungs of a ladder. The ladders were caused by the fact that the paperclips are so large and cumbersome, and the yarn is very thin. In this case, I was thinking I would live with it, because the pattern called for me to drop those stitches anyway, so it would not show in the end product.<br /><br />But then yesterday my friend Karen mentioned that she and her mom had gotten a chuckle out of the fact that I was using paperclips. Then I got a message from my knittting mentor, who also happens to be one of the owners of The Shops at Fabian House, where a nice assortment of my stitch markers are available for sale. I guess I was hoping she would not notice and I would just not take that project to the shop. Well, um, she noticed alright!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrilU0zAGjxZMo9j_Vz454DuHAVmct4nrVsTwKeSAOzQIuWUm-eAyEaGvy3cpxcqIN6Sk1fVbXTEa6XskSZKANbwVL3FgLjrTxS_2B4tmygh2a8_DBzI4pRirFt18cFK52H49f9pf8kSje/s1600-h/new+stitch+markers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrilU0zAGjxZMo9j_Vz454DuHAVmct4nrVsTwKeSAOzQIuWUm-eAyEaGvy3cpxcqIN6Sk1fVbXTEa6XskSZKANbwVL3FgLjrTxS_2B4tmygh2a8_DBzI4pRirFt18cFK52H49f9pf8kSje/s320/new+stitch+markers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438253358830627474" border="0" /></a><br />So this afternoon after I finished making some jewelry to fill orders, I made myself this large set of stitch markers. They are on sterling silver wire, and I made 8 each of three different shades of blue, which are also different shapes and sizes.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-10021877501571455812010-02-03T09:42:00.001-08:002010-02-03T09:42:04.419-08:00The Good Stuff<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4327220497/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/4327220497_14f7bb493c_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4327220497/">cable scarf 020310</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>Tara has lately been on a use what you have kick, and I have to agree with her that it is a great idea. For some time, I have been collecting supplies for techniques or materials I want to try, and then either getting in a rut where I just do what I have always done, or being afraid to touch said new materials, wanting to save them for something "special".<br /><br />I decided I need to get over that, to not let materials or techniques intimidate me any more. To that end, this morning I woke up and frogged (ripped out for the non-knitters) 2 feet of scarf that I was knitting too tight and started in on a scarf on huge needles, which will incorporate my very first cables! I have been avoiding patterns with cables, thinking they were too hard for me because I have not been knitting very long, but you know what? They are easy!<br /><br />I am going to work on some pillows this afternoon, incorporating little experimental pieces I was saving like they were 6 inch squares of gold and fabric combinations I keep thinking about, but never get the nerve to cut into. I have had a box of pillow forms in the corner of my bedroom (oops, I mean "sewing room") because I was determined to make pillows, but intimidated by them at the same time. (Why? Didn't every middle school girl of the 70s make some kind of pillow as her first project in home ec? I had made myself whole outfits by that point, but I still had to make that pillow!)<br /><br />I invite you, readers, to use what you have, even the "good stuff". What are we saving it for, anyway?<br clear="all" />Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-64680586889137678742010-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:002010-02-01T11:22:38.665-08:00New jewelry listed to my shops!Just added to my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/scarboroughseashells">Etsy shop</a> and <a href="http://www.scarboroughseashells.com/servlet/StoreFront">website</a>.<br /><br />Some cute polymer clay sea inspired pendant and earring sets<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hadGQX-NYHiQ4NPDFnE8m17lucZgCL0z24HT_uqfxdmULmjshZaIo8xoNQYrCd4fisljYo1ADdSxPpFRZR10lQNsYtkuIGoCadKtgUMUMp0MOjtpCDSd3cJy3rBNQRm4sU_H3FCeWBU/s1600-h/132.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hadGQX-NYHiQ4NPDFnE8m17lucZgCL0z24HT_uqfxdmULmjshZaIo8xoNQYrCd4fisljYo1ADdSxPpFRZR10lQNsYtkuIGoCadKtgUMUMp0MOjtpCDSd3cJy3rBNQRm4sU_H3FCeWBU/s320/132.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433349250522145986" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEB-Uz-xTH-ZzegerHAaRcHQ0cgmlWSlRtotdqlFu0LDIJyzJiCNUhQnpLpAa-AQqGtkCq80K9QRpPr_o-MTiT6eZ2d6ADg2fw7cydH3o6KJU_Cut3Kdn88vw1WVs511Xwmayn9NmG_o/s1600-h/013.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEB-Uz-xTH-ZzegerHAaRcHQ0cgmlWSlRtotdqlFu0LDIJyzJiCNUhQnpLpAa-AQqGtkCq80K9QRpPr_o-MTiT6eZ2d6ADg2fw7cydH3o6KJU_Cut3Kdn88vw1WVs511Xwmayn9NmG_o/s320/013.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433349253958975186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4s3lEiFwOURpqn72wC0M898pggOMS_vcOxq1rjqK9brmGExOfGC8fHPXJEuvJ32XbY6G2fV68eOnySVRLjKr02qpxaSuQPrftOzBmsO1fedq8JBh9jKO1BjnecLxq7dGbiNj78R-zjs/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4s3lEiFwOURpqn72wC0M898pggOMS_vcOxq1rjqK9brmGExOfGC8fHPXJEuvJ32XbY6G2fV68eOnySVRLjKr02qpxaSuQPrftOzBmsO1fedq8JBh9jKO1BjnecLxq7dGbiNj78R-zjs/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433349245684116210" /></a><br />I've hand marbled aqua and white polymer clay and made it beachy with impressions of real starfish, seahorses and seashells. Accented with gold craft paint and 14k gf bail, beads and ear wires.<br /><br />And another "use what I've got" challenge-<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9_JrHqNYZ0rbW09dQpeuif3I-a1J6wL17ieg193kdoQzFdNwY33tI6FbPdetfFhCJOmt32BKhhxfv-IbJQ9J3oNu7MukA8lVuyNrJ0iwS3GYhmKyZX88NBNKOZB57BzxXkTqsVoWNDg/s1600-h/059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9_JrHqNYZ0rbW09dQpeuif3I-a1J6wL17ieg193kdoQzFdNwY33tI6FbPdetfFhCJOmt32BKhhxfv-IbJQ9J3oNu7MukA8lVuyNrJ0iwS3GYhmKyZX88NBNKOZB57BzxXkTqsVoWNDg/s320/059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433348959829405186" /></a><br />Made with more of my favorites- turquoise and Hill Tribe fine silver beads, including the adorable fish pendant. Adjustable from 20-22 inches.Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-5919443173236933592010-01-27T10:28:00.001-08:002010-01-27T10:29:53.001-08:00Sea glass shelf/ coat rack for my bathroom<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4308219146/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4308219146_75b0418374_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4308219146/">Sea Glass Shelf</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/61119925@N00/">mornindew2822</a></span></div>I wish I could find the "before" photo of this little coat rack. I bought it in the clearance section after Christmas for $.75- it was white with 4 large plastic snowmen on it (one over each hook). I pried them off, filled and sanded the holes they left behind and then added a little mosaic of sea glass, sand dollars and starfish. It now lives in my (very green) bathroom helping to make the green a bit more bearable until I can get around to toning it down some!<br /><br />Took me a Sunday afternoon football game to go from before to after. :)<br clear="all" />Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-66611818984010563292010-01-25T10:28:00.001-08:002010-01-25T10:31:13.308-08:00Joining the Challenge<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4304429778/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2714/4304429778_9894d55e32_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4304429778/">cuff in progress</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>I have been reading Tara's posts lately, reading about her "use what you have" challenge. I admit that I have had little twinges of guilt, because first, I have been crafting, but stuff totally unrelated to business, and two, I have been spending way too much on supplies. I think my knitting and other leisurely crafts has been a help to my sanity, but it is time to buckle down and get back to business related work!<br /><br />Anyway, I am taking on Tara's challenge, and I am adding for myself that not only will I use what I have on hand, but I will work on finishing some stuff that I had already started. I also want to make a little headway every day. So today I walked up to my sewing table, and dug around a little bit looking at what was in the heap, and found some pieced patchwork made by Karen of <a href="http://chickadeefriends.com">Chickadee Friends Studio</a>. I had intended to make a quilted, beaded cuff, but had fizzled when Christmas approached. This morning I quilted the piece of fabric, fused it to a lovely green batik fabric backing, and finished off the edge. I hunted the button box for a great vintage button, made the buttonhole to fit. Now I need to sew on the buttons and add the beads, but all of the machine sewing is done!<br /><br />Thanks for the inspiration, Tara!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-15911427292260656032010-01-23T17:54:00.001-08:002010-01-23T17:57:50.386-08:00Sea Inspired Jewelry<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4299340426/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2767/4299340426_4a2e454f9e_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4299340426/">Sea Inspired Jewelry</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/61119925@N00/">mornindew2822</a></span></div>Another of my "use what you've got" challenges. I made these without spending one red cent- it amazes me the stuff I collect and then don't use! Can you imagine every single ingredient that went into making these has been sitting in my supply boxes for close to two years now while I was totally uninspired to anything with it!<br /><br />Necklace and earrings set made using various greenish-blue turquoise beads with lots of matrix (the more mottled the better, I love it!) , bronze freshwater pearls, Hill Tribe fine silver beads (starfish, nautilus and scallop shells) and sand dollar toggle style clasp. <br /><br />Up for sale in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/scarboroughseashells" target="blank">Etsy shop</a> this weekend.<br clear="all" />Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-86270726894354360332010-01-21T14:16:00.001-08:002010-01-21T14:17:55.925-08:00Tiny Sea Glass "Mosaic" Pendants<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4294115412/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/4294115412_b20ac621b4_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61119925@N00/4294115412/">Tiny Sea Glass "Mosaic" Pendants</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/61119925@N00/">mornindew2822</a></span></div>This is some of the pieces I've been working on this week. I have a self-imposed "use what you've got" challenge going on and all the stuff I'm making this week is done without spending a single penny for anything new.<br /><br />I've taken bits of beachcombed pottery where the pattern was too worn for it to be used on it's own for a jewelry piece and decorated them with teeny, tiny bits of beautiful sea glass in rich, vibrant colors. The end result is, I think, mini mosaic art pieces you can wear!<br /><br />My favorite is I Feel Teal. The shade on the (perfectly round) sea glass ball is so rich and soothing while the pottery shards are a cool robin's egg and almost Tiffany blue.<br /><br />These can all be found in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/scarboroughseashells" target="blank">Etsy shop.</a><br clear="all" />Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-62054293125386246392010-01-13T13:07:00.000-08:002010-01-13T13:17:55.139-08:00Finally back to being crafty!I can't believe it's taken me this long to recouperate from the holidays but indeed, this is the first week I've been able to get back to work and start making things again. At first there was the chaos of kids home on vacation, then it was cleaning up and putting away all the decorations, then it was sheer exhaustion from all the previous weeks' hullabaloo. <br /><br />The <strike>nagging reminder</strike> gentle nudge of a waning bank account forced me back into action this week and I've managed to start producing again. So far I've added two new colors of my <a href="http://www.scarboroughseashells.com/servlet/the-Home-Decor-cln-Dining-cln-Sea-Glass-Wine-Charms/Categories" target="blank">sea glass wine charms</a> <br />Blue Set<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadpvG-iCWrtSU_wlxD_voSg4MF5s-Fl2CKQRI3vK_oHi-1xhHy5Iixj3twvFJXghR8oJdtDsT2JA6ZAs-NWJ7eyuErOpalkqxtskq53dBYO9JLcLeDBliS6Hm_0BbEPd33p8rrAq2dgk/s1600-h/blue+set+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadpvG-iCWrtSU_wlxD_voSg4MF5s-Fl2CKQRI3vK_oHi-1xhHy5Iixj3twvFJXghR8oJdtDsT2JA6ZAs-NWJ7eyuErOpalkqxtskq53dBYO9JLcLeDBliS6Hm_0BbEPd33p8rrAq2dgk/s320/blue+set+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335224491978002" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKT7V_gZKZ5rlHFc4eVLLxkrHsGpHWTDMnVR8LFF3SQ3ycytx-HOVgfVl7T4umPwqDU4ew9Rc_Xt5mUfS3-ronHWX7fmznpkTkJFHL6SY7bjcZJfLkrcDdp6Ekb40paqzier8YkK1ayVA/s1600-h/blue+set+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKT7V_gZKZ5rlHFc4eVLLxkrHsGpHWTDMnVR8LFF3SQ3ycytx-HOVgfVl7T4umPwqDU4ew9Rc_Xt5mUfS3-ronHWX7fmznpkTkJFHL6SY7bjcZJfLkrcDdp6Ekb40paqzier8YkK1ayVA/s320/blue+set+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335221943796754" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMhITx8e5onLI5M1XfZQ2cZfPThxcsZWM6o4Bp9GJrQrfE0XZNeNmfluE0XiaOt3D1zLQa3wBEodvaRP3_V_WfxRhKs3hgpqSEDtMng8b35hnxVCWHNMcI3HUlaQixPDNbsZQ4OgO-z4/s1600-h/blue+set+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMhITx8e5onLI5M1XfZQ2cZfPThxcsZWM6o4Bp9GJrQrfE0XZNeNmfluE0XiaOt3D1zLQa3wBEodvaRP3_V_WfxRhKs3hgpqSEDtMng8b35hnxVCWHNMcI3HUlaQixPDNbsZQ4OgO-z4/s320/blue+set+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335218467591714" /></a><br /><br />Green Set<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXAYJ9PkkiCwytCCgJzgGF7hb3qIr9Z2koY0_XyTth_XGVCR4L67J9yFiVFT28fbGcnrj24WWHDUD6M7KwEq1sk6jkkFBhcLM7Za-MjeYj_Q3WMGSJ4hc_JqGRK6LynXVbtR_27V8v3k/s1600-h/green+set+1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXAYJ9PkkiCwytCCgJzgGF7hb3qIr9Z2koY0_XyTth_XGVCR4L67J9yFiVFT28fbGcnrj24WWHDUD6M7KwEq1sk6jkkFBhcLM7Za-MjeYj_Q3WMGSJ4hc_JqGRK6LynXVbtR_27V8v3k/s320/green+set+1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335396446054034" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHIJo1GzaIpkfmnT_xDXugPg-L0I9PRBDjbK6mbVbIMHRHwPBLimdgcbBnY__bzVHTH3KZQrDTyaER_pLWzVbvNHt9_AkZhir_04jywLY_XqmO3Y9kC82NhBPhiIP1LQLaNOAdH1dC-c/s1600-h/green+set+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHIJo1GzaIpkfmnT_xDXugPg-L0I9PRBDjbK6mbVbIMHRHwPBLimdgcbBnY__bzVHTH3KZQrDTyaER_pLWzVbvNHt9_AkZhir_04jywLY_XqmO3Y9kC82NhBPhiIP1LQLaNOAdH1dC-c/s320/green+set+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335393965896706" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAlUHg_16Ig3SswnI5jam4AFDKz1W8JjxxDJvUm2wr-Z9RADKn8XxIW91-OSBjqD_prThbZiGS-IORfY512N1haSBM6MeLgGJ_7eyHdidnMc8Hl-w4vtUkbcW8c65UJ8oWaB7HkAjny0/s1600-h/green+set+3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAlUHg_16Ig3SswnI5jam4AFDKz1W8JjxxDJvUm2wr-Z9RADKn8XxIW91-OSBjqD_prThbZiGS-IORfY512N1haSBM6MeLgGJ_7eyHdidnMc8Hl-w4vtUkbcW8c65UJ8oWaB7HkAjny0/s320/green+set+3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335389572224034" /></a><br /><br />and a sea glass bottle stopper (custom order).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXq6ZvY94D1bdkoEv2rCbfiGDVF1-jdxo5POxX8ShiAG5mJUD7Zx9eL4nKFWLGNMof9lGhF7Iu_zioRNVzfgbqeK00nc3B0oxbmdNinQIsoHQGPEzGfWvD3hytMem2ii0GQ8kVK8nvOg/s1600-h/bottle+stopper.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXq6ZvY94D1bdkoEv2rCbfiGDVF1-jdxo5POxX8ShiAG5mJUD7Zx9eL4nKFWLGNMof9lGhF7Iu_zioRNVzfgbqeK00nc3B0oxbmdNinQIsoHQGPEzGfWvD3hytMem2ii0GQ8kVK8nvOg/s320/bottle+stopper.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426335557011668498" /></a><br /><br />I am trying to decide if I have time to produce enough stuff to do a small local craft fair in a little over a month's time... hemming and hawing over this one...<br /><br />Also have a sea glass window on my agenda due mid March to the customer and likely a fundraiser coming up in April. Spring is looking to be busy!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-80569807771599874002010-01-11T20:33:00.001-08:002010-01-11T20:49:25.821-08:00I'm Knitting and I Can't Stop!<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4267041728/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4267041728_929cc9aca8_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4267041728/">headband picture</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>Many moons ago, when I was a teenager in the 1980's, I taught myself how to knit from a book so that I could knit myself a pair of legwarmers. Unfortunately, knitting was the one craft where my usual teach myself from a book methods pretty much failed me. I managed to finish those legwarmers but all my stitches were twisty and it took me forever (that one pair of legwarmers took me a year- I'm very tall, but not THAT tall!)<br /><br />Fast forward nearly 30 years, and I met my good friend Ruth, who is a knitter extraordinaire and offered to help me. So I went to her with yarn and needles and she tried to straighten out my bad habits. I practiced and practiced, but still somehow felt like I was so slow I would never finish anything. My stitches looked way better though.<br /><br />Then a dear friend passed away at Thanksgiving time. I had lived at their house the summer after college graduation, and called she and her husband my "parents for a month". At her celebration, people commented about her knitting, and I had sort of forgotten that she was an amazing knitter. Back when I lived there, I was so amazed at the items she could crank out, with almost a zenlike peace involved in the process. As I remembered her, I regretted that I was too busy planning my wedding and hanging out with my fiance to sit down and get her to help me with my knitting that summer, but I felt a renewed resolve to become a knitter.<br /><br />So I picked up my practice piece that I had been working on with Ruth, watched some online videos of knitters to help me remember what I was doing, and I was on my way. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBBUfXbhIuscwb1z2HTp2H1bnVIXxt7pdJTKpy2ZrqEpTQfxzNHlwKivyh5VRAKuSEkPAhYYKUaclCOjBvVbtrfNSiInDdbBANmbrjCJMPJZ1-7h2E41x_SpKZnC7VqrD8qGAdzP2WPKr/s1600-h/finished+scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBBUfXbhIuscwb1z2HTp2H1bnVIXxt7pdJTKpy2ZrqEpTQfxzNHlwKivyh5VRAKuSEkPAhYYKUaclCOjBvVbtrfNSiInDdbBANmbrjCJMPJZ1-7h2E41x_SpKZnC7VqrD8qGAdzP2WPKr/s200/finished+scarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425707941495649378" border="0" /></a><br />Here is that practice piece knitted into a scarf! Then I knitted these cotton dishcloths:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEydAcp3tl7dnXYuVCdL0ygYefng1DG2x8qganonzBlw-zk8eD2Wa-2kvOw-GXrH5pnm5Qii_NW3RkJJNv5C-6P71zl3jXjnukW35itlYDu_HcI5syB0q310SEFhgD_3oPfDgwD2K6ARF/s1600-h/finished+cloths.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEydAcp3tl7dnXYuVCdL0ygYefng1DG2x8qganonzBlw-zk8eD2Wa-2kvOw-GXrH5pnm5Qii_NW3RkJJNv5C-6P71zl3jXjnukW35itlYDu_HcI5syB0q310SEFhgD_3oPfDgwD2K6ARF/s200/finished+cloths.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425707945065846706" border="0" /></a><br />Next, on New Year's Eve, I started the scarf below. I have 5 skeins total of this yarn, which I bought at a yard sale. I am not sure what it is even made of, the label is in Turkish. Anyway, to be sure I could get a hat and mitts out of the yarn on hand, I left the scarf after one skein and made a hat.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovwVJg4WFWzxGi2yy_aGPaFKBFvRIcbRK9FZp7stpzMCnyUd2Xds_Otslrb86-o0_XBEA3rBFDqy51SuLwN9QGmXXCV_hBcoCtfniWtGaPndtxo-FzKdvtRE2p08tidUfYcFBVLs4OkIU/s1600-h/new+years+scarf1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovwVJg4WFWzxGi2yy_aGPaFKBFvRIcbRK9FZp7stpzMCnyUd2Xds_Otslrb86-o0_XBEA3rBFDqy51SuLwN9QGmXXCV_hBcoCtfniWtGaPndtxo-FzKdvtRE2p08tidUfYcFBVLs4OkIU/s200/new+years+scarf1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425707951949854450" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwOT_4XUF3hlFPKkGwXH8rMrnNssIdcaldoYWGLshx0Lrd6nLT4IQWhxTRed5I9-tn0JjVrWVwwId7PzYysDulA7OShf-dyG4_lcgDfGnLhKvwNFtYScJ4s9ctQw6-DzDZM8SQS5HWIHN/s1600-h/first+hat+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwOT_4XUF3hlFPKkGwXH8rMrnNssIdcaldoYWGLshx0Lrd6nLT4IQWhxTRed5I9-tn0JjVrWVwwId7PzYysDulA7OShf-dyG4_lcgDfGnLhKvwNFtYScJ4s9ctQw6-DzDZM8SQS5HWIHN/s200/first+hat+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425707958694680866" border="0" /></a>I switched gears over this weekend, and knitted the headband I am wearing in the photo above. It was supposed to be lacier, I modified the pattern because I was not used to the thin yarn or the small needles.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld88zce3PbfUj_NNAqfYKVqjJcMVdnZAgbDMbQGYqcqoTEQtlkYLfKOyhT3cRG18uTXGuZcuXz3_WxMymWUeRkpVuWshgjXPWari6jIpaAXIcf1ftFN78vLFJ_LvhGml10uuU7dqeBZHb/s1600-h/fingerless+gloves+011010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhld88zce3PbfUj_NNAqfYKVqjJcMVdnZAgbDMbQGYqcqoTEQtlkYLfKOyhT3cRG18uTXGuZcuXz3_WxMymWUeRkpVuWshgjXPWari6jIpaAXIcf1ftFN78vLFJ_LvhGml10uuU7dqeBZHb/s200/fingerless+gloves+011010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425707965573974066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My current project is a pair of fingerless mitts. I am nearly done the first of the pair and I just started them today! Knitting is a nice craft to carry with me to work on while I wait for my son at school or church or whatever. I think this crazy knitting break will let me get back to my jewelry and sewing with a fresh positive attitude.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-35049192079339933852009-12-30T09:42:00.001-08:002009-12-30T09:59:10.214-08:00WICKED!Happy birthday to me! Ed doesn't typically get my a birthday gift because my birthday falls the day after Christmas and we just can't afford it. I'm perfectly okay with this, we've done it for years and we always celebrate early in the new year. So this year he got me good when he handed me my card and inside it I found two tickets to go see WICKED! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6YEsGQK2YO9CSoI84mAxRcALLJwF_sPznsh5-RsNF2YjVlVQbgREUfXE9J1Wdpjz3bQi002OrGi2Gf81r20qooyenJPFCNlsAwJvAk0dtY553b7qC7Or3IiXW4JLclP1jeF4_DjOLOw/s1600-h/wicked0606.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6YEsGQK2YO9CSoI84mAxRcALLJwF_sPznsh5-RsNF2YjVlVQbgREUfXE9J1Wdpjz3bQi002OrGi2Gf81r20qooyenJPFCNlsAwJvAk0dtY553b7qC7Or3IiXW4JLclP1jeF4_DjOLOw/s320/wicked0606.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5421090182134639618" /></a><br />If you haven't heard, here's the scoop:<br /><br />Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years. <br /><br />WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (<em>Godspell</em>, <em>Pippin</em>, Academy Award-winner for <em>Pocahantas</em> and Th<em>e Prince of Egypt</em>) and book by Winnie Holzman ("My So Called Life", "Once and Again" and "thirtysomething"), and is based on the best selling novel by Gregory Maguire. With musical staging by Tony Award winning Wayne Cilento (<em>Aida</em>, <em>The Who's Tommy</em>, <em>How to Succeed</em>...) WICKED is directed by 2003 and 2004 Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello (<em>Take Me Out</em>, <em>Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune</em>, <em>Glengarry Glen Ross</em>.)<br /><br />So this Sunday night, I'm going to the theater! I've got a real official grown up date night with my hubby- go me! :)Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-42598549701045139422009-12-27T19:51:00.001-08:002009-12-27T19:53:53.516-08:00Woven Wonders<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4220400255/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/4220400255_1ac813efaa_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0.9em;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/magscrafts/4220400255/">woven fabric 1</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/magscrafts/">magscrafts</a></span></div>A few weeks ago, Karen (my partner in <a href="http://www.chickadeefriends.com">Chickadee Friends</a>) and I went to an astounding exhibit of woven glass art pieces. Examples of the woven glass can be seen <a href="http://www.wovenglass.com/">here</a>. The artists are named Markow and Norris. Anyway, this exhibit was so wonderful, neither of us can get it out of our head.<br /><br />Fast forward to Christmas, and I get an electric rotary cutting machine, which cuts strips galore with no muscle power needed from me. So tonight I cut a ton of strips from fabric in an assortment of rainbow colors, and wove them together to make a new fabric. Before I did my weaving, I pinned some parchment onto a board, and then layered some Mistyfuse fusible web, then pinned my white strips vertically. I wove my colored strips in, pinned the ends, and then ironed the whole thing to my Mistyfuse. I plan to cut this up and use it on some pieces I am doing for an art swap.<br /><br />I want to play with different textures with this method too.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08203859954322015772noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-6386438380294698572009-12-23T14:09:00.000-08:002009-12-23T14:20:14.947-08:00Upcycling can lead to pretty gift wrap!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKC3ta0P2UWJ3hRrHgHiHfcgGYRaOPqxxwdfTZzwsFNLxtfcU9sBDqJrgyWwwBPiI9ACZ9Pp2TmmhvtMdESWqzcVzP6jQbgIp2AxGIWxoIMF3L_Rb2if2DcgWwBOv56H0EjfcaSjAtQo/s1600-h/004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKC3ta0P2UWJ3hRrHgHiHfcgGYRaOPqxxwdfTZzwsFNLxtfcU9sBDqJrgyWwwBPiI9ACZ9Pp2TmmhvtMdESWqzcVzP6jQbgIp2AxGIWxoIMF3L_Rb2if2DcgWwBOv56H0EjfcaSjAtQo/s320/004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418559055672949154" /></a><br /><br />To continue on with my theme this Christmas, I decided I'd try to make gift wrap that had a beachy feel to it. I was able to use a lot of stuff that had previous lives and "upcycle" it into cute little bundles that I hope my family and friends will love receiving! The brown paper is not actually kraft paper that I purchase but is, in fact, the brown paper they sometimes put at the center of your gift wrap roll instead of a cardboard tube. The bows are made from remnants of raffia I had in the house and my never ending ball of twine that I use for practically everything that needs tying. I made gift tags out of seashells and tiny sand dollars. I simply drilled a hole to attach them and wrote the recipients name on the backside. :)<br /><br />I think this is the last post before Christmas since my family is arriving from NC bright and early tomorrow morning. Have a wonderful holiday weekend, everyone!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gd7uJo9hkXPVWQm70mzrUgRtOIYm92uP2IrlN9rET4FRkLa3r1RrV5-V5lQhscfUeGr0rOw3neCfe4OBqu343chPKqroWRYmzU50H32yGMZBpn9-93y_wj6zW4wVvdUrxBEj2WHLGTk/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gd7uJo9hkXPVWQm70mzrUgRtOIYm92uP2IrlN9rET4FRkLa3r1RrV5-V5lQhscfUeGr0rOw3neCfe4OBqu343chPKqroWRYmzU50H32yGMZBpn9-93y_wj6zW4wVvdUrxBEj2WHLGTk/s320/007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418559049472658738" /></a>Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-47894555464949293952009-12-22T09:35:00.000-08:002009-12-22T10:36:11.075-08:00Stitch Witchery Stocking ProjectAKA my version of a no-sew stocking.<br /><br />After several frustrating hours searching online for stockings worthy of being called "beachy" and finding nothing but a scant one or two ridiculously priced at close to $200 a piece, I decided I'd make my own. At first I thought I might attempt to cross stitch some beachy like items onto premade stockings, but then smacking myself into the realization that I don't cross stitch and have no time to learn, I tossed that option off the list. Then I decided I'd hunt for some pretty white stockings and embellish them- easier said than done. All the white stockings I found (which weren't many) were either those plain felt ones you can buy for less than $1 or they were furry- not exactly my style. I searched Etsy and eBay thinking maybe someone had done my job for me and made something I could use- yes indeed, I found some pretties but again they were too costly for my family of five. I'm looking to do this on the cheap, not break the bank! $25-$50 a stocking is not in my budget this year.<br /><br />So long story short, I'd about given up hope of finding anything I could use when I wandered into my local Christmas Tree Shop (those who don't have these locally, don't be fooled by the name- while they DO carry holiday items, this is not the main theme of the store- I was actually buying curtains for my bedroom that day). For the heck of it, I wandered through the Christmas section to see if anything caught my eye- low and behold there were FIVE and only FIVE creamy white stockings in a satin material with a diamond pattern stitched across the fronts. Only problem was a BIG red bow. But for $2.99 a pop, that could be handled! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt6PRwirWbKgzmeXmiiQdssKe6P0lPwWDk-hDHbUDZE8NhiFv8NKS2ZD_OwYzC1ZHOgmR_ABqk32psiucRHbOmVtTpkVrDRK5uJvWndnJPV_5iQzkpvTKdpdKS4_d4xTtAUYqiZmzl_Q/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibt6PRwirWbKgzmeXmiiQdssKe6P0lPwWDk-hDHbUDZE8NhiFv8NKS2ZD_OwYzC1ZHOgmR_ABqk32psiucRHbOmVtTpkVrDRK5uJvWndnJPV_5iQzkpvTKdpdKS4_d4xTtAUYqiZmzl_Q/s320/015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418126477839184290" /></a><br />So I grabbed them up and brought them home and began to plan. At first I thought I'd just replace the red ribbon with a color better suited for my house- hard to do, the red ribbon is more than 5 inches wide, which is difficult to find and since I don't own a sewing machine, I'd have to rip the seams apart and then resew by hand to remove all traces of the red- no time for that. My solution- jute fabric. It's the perfect color, it has a definite beachy feel about it and when paired up with the fancier cream colored stocking it totally has that "shabby beach chic" look! Okay, so here's the specifics- I went to JoAnn and bought 1/2 a yard of the jute for $1.50 and a roll of 3/4" Stitch Witchery (iron on adhesive tape used for hemming) with a 50% off coupon for $1.14. Total spent so far $18.82, not bad.<br /><br />First step was to cut off the big red bows and trim back as far as I could to the stitching without actually undoing any of it- remember, I'm not sewing here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud-ymSmuaN-EvkiijQPht7Bq04eHHtcosz_madCL3LjLllhVq113wT8smup-zzaitj1Sv8ocIYemJCox7R6Tn7dEe396rJ6S7WRbLUOnhzMhSLMJ76RJnCewQseaCUxUidKaggrRsTHo/s1600-h/017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgud-ymSmuaN-EvkiijQPht7Bq04eHHtcosz_madCL3LjLllhVq113wT8smup-zzaitj1Sv8ocIYemJCox7R6Tn7dEe396rJ6S7WRbLUOnhzMhSLMJ76RJnCewQseaCUxUidKaggrRsTHo/s320/017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418126625027187218" /></a><br />Next, I measured the size of the jute I'd need to fit inside the stocking and cuff over the top long enough to cover the red bits still showing on the edges. Added length for my hem and then cut.<br /><br />Then I followed the directions for use on the Stitch Witchery package- basically you fold over and iron your fabric where you want your hem to be, then cut a strip of the tape and slip it into the fold and then iron it to "hem". I did this along the top and bottom of the fabric.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1FMbI2JqAYbPdO0TMSyyzyi-PNMkYx4idulosKEjoQLHJsTx5i630FpGlBHhcbPkxqljmkLOQqq6hdlJY3wDRog1kCF2HwIZbkdn2OQ95xFqtP8qfuq662wXqnMQs92n1zjKQY7KECw/s1600-h/020.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1FMbI2JqAYbPdO0TMSyyzyi-PNMkYx4idulosKEjoQLHJsTx5i630FpGlBHhcbPkxqljmkLOQqq6hdlJY3wDRog1kCF2HwIZbkdn2OQ95xFqtP8qfuq662wXqnMQs92n1zjKQY7KECw/s320/020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418126881203526738" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIp3zZUcAYTJW57QBuMhuoRnme-BoYBSPceELVbFdqnw5FJ3u0a2nj3sEVw_zqPxjCHQnQK26C7QSR946yJGHI0lnQv7Vxh9lND9viMWfmN0KHZ0bMdXcQ5-DI0pii9vqkLQlA8gAdkQ/s1600-h/025.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYIp3zZUcAYTJW57QBuMhuoRnme-BoYBSPceELVbFdqnw5FJ3u0a2nj3sEVw_zqPxjCHQnQK26C7QSR946yJGHI0lnQv7Vxh9lND9viMWfmN0KHZ0bMdXcQ5-DI0pii9vqkLQlA8gAdkQ/s320/025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418126885767946658" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy1BnbqN8h8T9qjoOb14TPmURPmhT7KbLrI7SD7QJuEuETkcpLiXPII2zRAXtl1FntFZtqPT7rUwydaKJ9mknKdaB8thBz5nN785__P4AchE5jJqPKQ0Fi824Lrl93fMI-ULJ0bDCE7Y/s1600-h/027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy1BnbqN8h8T9qjoOb14TPmURPmhT7KbLrI7SD7QJuEuETkcpLiXPII2zRAXtl1FntFZtqPT7rUwydaKJ9mknKdaB8thBz5nN785__P4AchE5jJqPKQ0Fi824Lrl93fMI-ULJ0bDCE7Y/s320/027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418126895489064114" /></a><br /><br />Once I had that done, I folded the fabric in half -right sides facing in- and made a mark with sharpie down the raw edge where I wanted to join the pieces of fabric together and then followed that line for placing my tape. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq7wMSi9wEvF2yVAw0la7Rn-96JobxF8TZC0HwvZVkCJ6j7PDOy9TaAkZOKsv9C0gh2pztAB1o49hwCgxrEPVHlGuijK9wajQtTtilLB2Yu3fUmqRYIqfcWcCoV2sg_MITTdvk3ZxvZU/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlq7wMSi9wEvF2yVAw0la7Rn-96JobxF8TZC0HwvZVkCJ6j7PDOy9TaAkZOKsv9C0gh2pztAB1o49hwCgxrEPVHlGuijK9wajQtTtilLB2Yu3fUmqRYIqfcWcCoV2sg_MITTdvk3ZxvZU/s320/029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127480514009010" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisV6Zbmn7ttwV5kavQonX2bCty2T3-6nPDvBbh8uiqLQVC-yPfO3der338V6yY6W8jaB-lrGK2uNG5oDIwda7niDd0sTWKd4VA_Y3AOskSWhcSraj6x1KOafPk85RtHCaOF8jhySTGF4/s1600-h/030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisV6Zbmn7ttwV5kavQonX2bCty2T3-6nPDvBbh8uiqLQVC-yPfO3der338V6yY6W8jaB-lrGK2uNG5oDIwda7niDd0sTWKd4VA_Y3AOskSWhcSraj6x1KOafPk85RtHCaOF8jhySTGF4/s320/030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127469598459010" /></a>The end result is a tube shape.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3s1buhdbtqUn4s63m-Ls9eWtiks8WVdRoJ4oOnFw2r4sz7GSVN3krWF4emFaZqJZHMYYeReKRwy2h8yFQfWLj_bm29r7iaH4Q08aMUJoTmxvAj7it4GKsSF_ImI46TYoun_C_aXtbns/s1600-h/032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3s1buhdbtqUn4s63m-Ls9eWtiks8WVdRoJ4oOnFw2r4sz7GSVN3krWF4emFaZqJZHMYYeReKRwy2h8yFQfWLj_bm29r7iaH4Q08aMUJoTmxvAj7it4GKsSF_ImI46TYoun_C_aXtbns/s320/032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127467215897890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJmtlfSxtoypUBju9BnL9GEnZVisPMWP7KEM0SFIpzjYpo0gQVzFrTkIyuyv349T4iKlWPDnAyJxWf-yBv72XnkcZF0K-fvRLoZKPu3ok8XUOV5fXZym07yEJqpTZAz5UKI-E11JScKM/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJmtlfSxtoypUBju9BnL9GEnZVisPMWP7KEM0SFIpzjYpo0gQVzFrTkIyuyv349T4iKlWPDnAyJxWf-yBv72XnkcZF0K-fvRLoZKPu3ok8XUOV5fXZym07yEJqpTZAz5UKI-E11JScKM/s320/034.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127464338376946" /></a><br />I turned the stocking inside out and used a tiny bit of the Stitch Witchery to adhere the jute to the inside of the stocking. I flipped everything back to the correct side, folded down the cuff <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8egaq_W-epmSZb9r7FcHfHP9iOccU-KV3VHrm9Uenvbl0J3egUUIcUbz6E9UK-YlPbZoVxFahXbvvjdKaTyX-VWxHPS0qHK4VDf1jJ1YRfYkBv-Sd_tW20NW8JKuvy5ZJiU6MxmIMW4/s1600-h/038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8egaq_W-epmSZb9r7FcHfHP9iOccU-KV3VHrm9Uenvbl0J3egUUIcUbz6E9UK-YlPbZoVxFahXbvvjdKaTyX-VWxHPS0qHK4VDf1jJ1YRfYkBv-Sd_tW20NW8JKuvy5ZJiU6MxmIMW4/s320/038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127868810807682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT__lldqJVf9lZmZmbsG2vbxoezpwjemWaH8jotRO6mRMQVKxPt7UcrhYVVGa4yqViKYX_NcKApyFFEystAlU4RX52DussedIXT2Do1yNRtOY49dZ1crytofSpQUl83OIkOtBJ16psb1Q/s1600-h/039.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT__lldqJVf9lZmZmbsG2vbxoezpwjemWaH8jotRO6mRMQVKxPt7UcrhYVVGa4yqViKYX_NcKApyFFEystAlU4RX52DussedIXT2Do1yNRtOY49dZ1crytofSpQUl83OIkOtBJ16psb1Q/s320/039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418127865001881714" /></a>and finally, I added a twine loop for hanging (okay so this little bit I actually stitched on, it's not 100% "no-sew")<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIYHB9ZRPTJ4BwNp-CipkLeAzpWeRQkryPi-gvID1G-_plvQqzZCPV6W8K6ttLy693fT9pYtGZ9CeEoAkkI_teOyBtGyLNuRoyfAmMWPIfo8i7QgdnTJLi13prxaPlQptlI223Hy4XhM/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIYHB9ZRPTJ4BwNp-CipkLeAzpWeRQkryPi-gvID1G-_plvQqzZCPV6W8K6ttLy693fT9pYtGZ9CeEoAkkI_teOyBtGyLNuRoyfAmMWPIfo8i7QgdnTJLi13prxaPlQptlI223Hy4XhM/s320/041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128245402457442" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNkMM8zlfsluUqlywhbKpmKbSjGgyb12l_91b3jIqcEVXienf2jLsrh5Ted4UtfaIw7zA_IU4-P_XK0q6fPgR5a7lE1MMBbqJsiHVq-7h5RcnPMV0NJHXvxJ3DLLpz6bFXPkIN-jY_YI/s1600-h/049.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNkMM8zlfsluUqlywhbKpmKbSjGgyb12l_91b3jIqcEVXienf2jLsrh5Ted4UtfaIw7zA_IU4-P_XK0q6fPgR5a7lE1MMBbqJsiHVq-7h5RcnPMV0NJHXvxJ3DLLpz6bFXPkIN-jY_YI/s320/049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128243466882066" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjOkFGQq92fS9odlsqTfilUAGoMtcL_4CLCz9R6cw9SCAeBx_zvHS5DdH230WlopYCljhcUZvD6iv_KKp2W7I8G1-N89gxzvrpZiXVjCQgOYhqfFRWySSythOjYZe1dw3XK8LJ7wvhKU/s1600-h/044.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjOkFGQq92fS9odlsqTfilUAGoMtcL_4CLCz9R6cw9SCAeBx_zvHS5DdH230WlopYCljhcUZvD6iv_KKp2W7I8G1-N89gxzvrpZiXVjCQgOYhqfFRWySSythOjYZe1dw3XK8LJ7wvhKU/s320/044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128238447316082" /></a> and a seashell for a bit of decoration.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSLtq8EhU2YsrlDWxH_ZCEZiv97owaRo3JuAsIwA7UwhgRV5Gdqn9qcnmXOeCtumb_Or2sxlChMiDQ3ex2BimKJ1anfPSs2RWX-MY2EbU6G-1YQ0lrPqcnBlIfM68VEhDNbgK_hsMu-s/s1600-h/047.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSLtq8EhU2YsrlDWxH_ZCEZiv97owaRo3JuAsIwA7UwhgRV5Gdqn9qcnmXOeCtumb_Or2sxlChMiDQ3ex2BimKJ1anfPSs2RWX-MY2EbU6G-1YQ0lrPqcnBlIfM68VEhDNbgK_hsMu-s/s320/047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128390851902178" /></a><br /> Each person has a different shell so we can tell who's stocking is who's.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgNA8l7m16ReULe8NWye0xeC3JZXUujc_Ii1MYc6iD1GQC_I5vpZtF7a-gMTYvcQbJMm3nxBL6vlpxY227lwP2MVk5DqlbvJzOvB5sPZYqrZgHpFd-7B-jr33K3KmjhBqINe0gNqES-Q/s1600-h/051.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgNA8l7m16ReULe8NWye0xeC3JZXUujc_Ii1MYc6iD1GQC_I5vpZtF7a-gMTYvcQbJMm3nxBL6vlpxY227lwP2MVk5DqlbvJzOvB5sPZYqrZgHpFd-7B-jr33K3KmjhBqINe0gNqES-Q/s320/051.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128509170887362" /></a><br /><br />Since I had the twine and the seashells in the house, my final cost for 5 custom stockings was less than $20! This same idea can be modified to fit any sort of theme- you can use any stocking that matches your decor (I've even seen some cute ones at Dollar Tree!) Get a coordinating fabric and then embellish with something that emphasises your theme- you could get little ornaments with snowmen, Santas or angels- even candy canes- how cute would that be?! And the great thing is, because it's so affordable you can change them year to year as your decor changes!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFUjR-1-eJ7Zs_ZVDRYMAVDudZIugbQcIZ4o3vz5Ov7_TUlb0x01aMgo2UdhG6PpTW4GTM1PgIa8RCrfQlGmKkURHMWr9nzqrej5Q5Va9SOQmr7Exrf0-hE6qNikAhnXeeqF4ES2TQMY/s1600-h/054.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 257px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFUjR-1-eJ7Zs_ZVDRYMAVDudZIugbQcIZ4o3vz5Ov7_TUlb0x01aMgo2UdhG6PpTW4GTM1PgIa8RCrfQlGmKkURHMWr9nzqrej5Q5Va9SOQmr7Exrf0-hE6qNikAhnXeeqF4ES2TQMY/s320/054.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418128506052320994" /></a><br />Happy Holidays!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-78032449150112008332009-12-16T15:55:00.000-08:002009-12-16T16:36:33.549-08:00The Problem... and the Solution!I've mentioned before that the house we bought came complete with a weird tree painting/window thing. Basically, the previous owners built an addition on the side of the house and boarded up a window, but when they did it, they kept the window casing and placed drywall in the center of it instead of panelling over it like the rest of the room. Then to make it less of an eyesore, they decided to paint it with a *ahem* lovely white tree branch.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgps9GlezvXu2FiVRaeIghqmqiwRTBCRA5R65YC9xdnbdCoy6sC9D2RTKdIMKcFbEmdq0TuwwyEwxIjgtG-UH3H3A9ImYDIRuC1tppF0jXOfELdlf3i6_jSBLIJ4SO8awp2XH-CXwB4f1A/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgps9GlezvXu2FiVRaeIghqmqiwRTBCRA5R65YC9xdnbdCoy6sC9D2RTKdIMKcFbEmdq0TuwwyEwxIjgtG-UH3H3A9ImYDIRuC1tppF0jXOfELdlf3i6_jSBLIJ4SO8awp2XH-CXwB4f1A/s320/1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415993643068887682" /></a><br />Our short term solution was just to paint it white like the rest of the walls and let it fade away while I thought about what to do with it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvxMT_IDckzM2KNfdRB4K5LSor0ZeNh9F6xXetdmnBqvLQSMPnWf1ZqcaTazmEx3b-TSh8MrdEe9OFOVL_ULvFAvHScBEPsAwGLKwmYNbB_WHzqSdeanFHyrHmGMdPkRDxu5gIvsVTmU/s1600-h/2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvxMT_IDckzM2KNfdRB4K5LSor0ZeNh9F6xXetdmnBqvLQSMPnWf1ZqcaTazmEx3b-TSh8MrdEe9OFOVL_ULvFAvHScBEPsAwGLKwmYNbB_WHzqSdeanFHyrHmGMdPkRDxu5gIvsVTmU/s320/2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415993912513032914" /></a><br />While out walking recently, I got an idea to do a wall of photos and to try to do it on a budget!<br />I went to the Dollar Tree and grabbed 11 frames in various sizes and added to it a frame I have had in my basement waiting for a new life for some time now.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTFDIItl8ueCA83RwBSQQLx7_MeClEpaIhxmqpMOQ_unjOyXjWTmrQjAPpubGEEt1PlfQBK1w5xP9z9ruvgcgDJ1Jw7qONxwAemx_P6uknG8vVb4ZgCO5pjEGrkni8L9YZwsoPRW_uko/s1600-h/3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTFDIItl8ueCA83RwBSQQLx7_MeClEpaIhxmqpMOQ_unjOyXjWTmrQjAPpubGEEt1PlfQBK1w5xP9z9ruvgcgDJ1Jw7qONxwAemx_P6uknG8vVb4ZgCO5pjEGrkni8L9YZwsoPRW_uko/s320/3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415994569138229554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyePMY5d1uDRuG8CTPOo0meYLvQVHQJZmYz6mktKSGh3t4j7ITzNKEtwOJwkKw5Gu2GBo6886qgJ7lJfxoNgxfhHLC6BorPKpXiSxHq_VgyRV1ZgfYIdhDLLwI0dn0A3uMi5rzVnVcBjU/s1600-h/5.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyePMY5d1uDRuG8CTPOo0meYLvQVHQJZmYz6mktKSGh3t4j7ITzNKEtwOJwkKw5Gu2GBo6886qgJ7lJfxoNgxfhHLC6BorPKpXiSxHq_VgyRV1ZgfYIdhDLLwI0dn0A3uMi5rzVnVcBjU/s320/5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415995050410175026" /></a><br />Next I grabbed a can of turquoise paint left over from when I painted the workbench in my old studio space.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-6MBXjahzDtZXQy85RCwGVDM8Gp6Mqvpjzes6W4znO4QL8EyDQarLCSzeiTRZJRXqMh_M_MybrBinZXHHmu3jyXXuOLBT1lOf-yhb0rlbu7BRnbt_wQ5Zh8vWpy2mf3iZ2xgKVxOc2o/s1600-h/4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-6MBXjahzDtZXQy85RCwGVDM8Gp6Mqvpjzes6W4znO4QL8EyDQarLCSzeiTRZJRXqMh_M_MybrBinZXHHmu3jyXXuOLBT1lOf-yhb0rlbu7BRnbt_wQ5Zh8vWpy2mf3iZ2xgKVxOc2o/s320/4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415994792330145746" /></a><br />Two coats of paint and they're looking good!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIt6u9byZKBR66YY-xIBZgh_YP6GFhmxt_-pyE8eiqmH7FlcDqMjb76wg9UEuEdcrG6drIqtTOyWlrNITjontG5t-kQWVBxmnm-A10vMpqC1_GEa-IfbXh-o-kkLW8ReyJJ6EIEeWNu0/s1600-h/6.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIt6u9byZKBR66YY-xIBZgh_YP6GFhmxt_-pyE8eiqmH7FlcDqMjb76wg9UEuEdcrG6drIqtTOyWlrNITjontG5t-kQWVBxmnm-A10vMpqC1_GEa-IfbXh-o-kkLW8ReyJJ6EIEeWNu0/s320/6.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415994978642742930" /></a><br />I printed out the pictures on photo paper I got for $3 with a coupon and used a sepia tone to make them more cohesive. I printed out the "family" on some left over scrapbook paper.<br />The last part was figuring out a pleasing layout for the frames since I had a variety of sizes and couldn't make it symmetrical. The result:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6nZzR5zHw8YTXY-0BfOW5wO9407m5O6iS2leuepZtmzFemwreuS3kwtb5lkO7E63tthd6A14mgZdWabgkCXuHe_v9OH67ouQKG-t-vWNjED7w2AmgY-vP-VV_x3h0qZDeTh_qs-nmYU/s1600-h/7.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6nZzR5zHw8YTXY-0BfOW5wO9407m5O6iS2leuepZtmzFemwreuS3kwtb5lkO7E63tthd6A14mgZdWabgkCXuHe_v9OH67ouQKG-t-vWNjED7w2AmgY-vP-VV_x3h0qZDeTh_qs-nmYU/s320/7.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415995848962412610" /></a><br />For a grand total of $14.98 -including tax- my 4'x6' eyesore now has a purpose!Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3595169862471353593.post-49578185731683407962009-12-15T07:07:00.000-08:002009-12-15T07:17:45.649-08:00Breakfast with Santa!Aidan came home with the 2009 "Parks and Rec" guide for holiday festivities in our town and there was a "Breakfast with Santa" event that he really wanted to go to. We decided it was a great idea for something reasonably priced to do as a family. He was so excited that he ran around the house singing "Parks and REC! (emphasis on REC!), Parks and REC!" constantly. LOL. <br /><br />So we went to the <a href="http://www.thecoastguardhouse.com/" target="blank">Coast Guard House</a> in Narragansett last Saturday and paid $20 for our family of five- money to our local <a href="http://www.narragansettri.com/lions/" target="blank">Lions Club</a>. We had eggs, bacon, homefries, french toast, coffee and juice- PLUS pictures with Santa. Can't be that with a stick! :)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSPUYeirtGGp0T3y5-e3Uu0jYgRAUScCKKovuuIc3zWssF2QyStFUqJdUkHuBr8LrBAI9KnCqn_8b6kDwMeWLNQY8i4F9hx2aF6Cy9bZesSiVfm5uMa-sEGvNLDoct2-cbke3KD718cw/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglSPUYeirtGGp0T3y5-e3Uu0jYgRAUScCKKovuuIc3zWssF2QyStFUqJdUkHuBr8LrBAI9KnCqn_8b6kDwMeWLNQY8i4F9hx2aF6Cy9bZesSiVfm5uMa-sEGvNLDoct2-cbke3KD718cw/s320/001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415481714160903794" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_N6zhZ1Vi3bcQnODWcVrTBzOw1ljmKE3DmtkOXZnyT8zUPM0gcPsMO5guVu3-WQyWmmR3-zmSQipGLEykXHrfOhteX6G_AIPPWlZfP16sxR1yO8htDWJseAlzxhJJDCPNhXJF4jYF8w/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_N6zhZ1Vi3bcQnODWcVrTBzOw1ljmKE3DmtkOXZnyT8zUPM0gcPsMO5guVu3-WQyWmmR3-zmSQipGLEykXHrfOhteX6G_AIPPWlZfP16sxR1yO8htDWJseAlzxhJJDCPNhXJF4jYF8w/s320/002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415481710816760786" /></a>Tara Beaulieuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05797830075678646407noreply@blogger.com0