I'm a Darby Smart Designer!

Months and months ago, I applied to be a designer for Darby Smart.  Darby Smart, if you haven't heard of them yet, are the newest thing in DIY.  They are a mail order kit company with a fantastic array of DIY kits for all of your crafting needs.  From jewelry to house wares, they have a kit to suit your crafty needs.  

Anyway, I applied to be a designer and they asked me to design a kit for them.  I put together a trio of beaded friendship bracelets in fun, summery colors.  I was seriously addicted to making them, and ended up creating a ton of them.  The kit is now available on Darby Smarts website.  

For only $19 (and free shipping!!!) you get all the materials pictured above.  It's enough beady goodness to create the three bracelets in the pictures, as well as some left over for other projects as well.  These bracelets are perfect to keep and wear in a stack or to give away to your favorite friends.  

Don't you just love the turquoise, neon orange and gold color combo?  It's bright and fun! I can totally imagine getting together with a bunch of girl friends and making matching brackets.  If I were getting married, I would plan a bracelet making party for all of my bridesmaids.  Wouldn't that be fun? 

So click on over to Darby Smart to check out my Beaded Friendship Bracelets and all of the other fabulous kits they have available! 

Find Me Here

Yay, beads!

Studio Tour

 Heres a little peek at where I spend my Monday's. 

This is my Mother-in-Law's craft studio and it is AH-mazing! 

 I could spend all day every day in here (and there is wi-fi!!) crafting and hanging out. 

It's spacious with tons of counterspace and tables so you can really spread out.

Every tool and supply you could want can be found (somewhere) in this room.

There is tons of stoarage space and a drool-worthy collection of beads of every kind.

Precious metal, stone, glass, vintage, crystal.

You name it, we got it! 

I know it looks messy, but we each have our own work space.

Lisa' (on top) is a bit neater than I am.

I tend to spread out with piles of pretty things in front of me.

You never know when or how inspration will strike.

Crystals and pearls are my favorite beads to work with. 

And I keep staring at those sea-green glass rings. 

They are vintage and beautiful and I have no idea what to make with them.

Here is Lisa's computer station. 

She keeps excellent records of all the product we use. 

She uses a program called Bead Manager Pro. 

Its great and I highly reccommend it for anyone who is selling their beadwork. 

And lets not forget the view.  Gorgeous, right? 

Who wouldn't want to craft here all day? 

So if it's Monday, here is where you'll find me!

Crystal and Pearls

I've been feeling better this week and making some big changes.  I'm trying to keep myself busy though, to keep my mind and hands busy.  Idle hands, you know.  I've been spending my days while Goose is at school sitting in various cafes for free wi-fi.  We are counting down the days for our tax return to get here so we can finally get Internet at home.  Its been way too long and I have been feeling extremely isolated since I haven't been working.  Not being able to blog daily has been pretty rough as I have no other outlet.  Like I've said before, I just like to talk and my blog is the friend I tell my stories to. 

So I've been keeping my mind busy with Internet and my hands busy with beads.  I've been making lots of earrings to build up an inventory for when I am able to get my Etsy store online and I hope to do CraftxNW again this spring.  I'm going to enlist my mother-in-law (hopefully) to do the booth with me this time.  She is also preparing to launch a jewelry shoppe (which will be unabashedly pimped on my website once its open.) 

Last Monday I hung out with her all day and we made earrings.  Her craft room is to die for! And her bead collection, OH EM GEE! It's like heaven, not that you would expect less from the queen of the bead empire.  We are planning on making it a weekly thing.  Here is my favorite pair from our little get together.

And did I tell you I got a sewing machine for my birthday? NO!? well, I DID!!!  I couldn't be more excited.  It took me a month to get up the courage to turn it on but once I did, I was amazed,  I have no idea what I was so afraid of!  I've made a few things, with patterns and without.  Putting my bits of fabric to good use.  I've got some projects done, but nothing photographed.  I'm so excited about the new crafty doors that have been opened and all the pretty new supplies I have to buy! 

I've also got a new outfit post coming up soon and some recent vintage finds.  Oh, and a little thing I am working on for Elsie and Rachel's Project Restyle (Flikr group here). 

A Tiny Peek - #WIWT

I'm wearing several things I made today.

I try, everyday, to wear at least one handcrafted item.

Basic white tank from Target embellished with a pretty emboidered lace flower.  The flower came on a thrifted lace nightie.  It was awkwardly placed so I took it off and into the stash it went.  I added it to the plain tank for a little extra bit of spice.

Sorry this is flipped! Blogger keeps uploading it wrong! ::sadface::

Simple necklace.  Supplies from Shipwreck Beads.

Glass pearl earrings. Supplies from Shipwreck Beads.

Also flipped... boo!

I threw on this clip at the last minute this morning.  The yellow in my outfit was kind of an afterthought.  I thought it was perfect for this fall day though!

This piece is made from a canvas flower, burlap, feathers and a button.  I love it!

Flower from Oriental Trading Co. Burlap and vintage button from Fun Junk. Feathers, Joann's.

Craft Spotlight: Make Jewellery

Make Jewellery 

My mother-in-law is a collector of hobbies.

She has tried almost every kind of craft under the sun.

And she loves to read.

And shop.

So, add those things together, and you get a one woman craft library.

All at my unlimited disposal.

On a recent "library trip" I picked up this great book (pictured above) published by the makers of Make Jewellery Magazine.  Out of all of the beading mags, I think Make Jewellery is one of my favorites.  It has big pictures, amazing styling and trendy designs.  Unfortunately, the don't sell it here.  Its published in Europe.  My in-laws take a yearly trip to the Czech Republic for the store and she gets them there.

So this recent book is amazing.  I have already tackeled several projects and used several others for inspiration.  My favorite project was this necklace:

I like the big beads, mixed textures and playful bright colors.

Here is mine.

The glass, plastic and metal beads came from Shipwreck.

The chain is from JoAnn's.

And the blue crochet bead came from a scarf I bought from Old Navy.  I loved the color blue, but it had these funky blue balls as "fringe". Weird. So I cut them off and into the stash they went.

As you can see, I did chain links on my version. 

I also went with a few more beads.

Also, instead of a clasp, I used a piece of lace as a closure. 

I wanted to be able to adjust the length so I could have both a longer necklace and a shorter "choker".

I think it looks great paired with a basic black T and jeans.

I also have on some big silver hoops from F21.

Basic. Classic. With the necklace for that touch of sass.

Also recently created:

And this bracelet with crochet flowers from ComfyCountry on Etsy.

I think this bracelet looks rather cute with my necklace above!

This necklace with gorgeous painted wood beads, also from Shipwreck.

This was made with just beads and ribbon.

Super simple and super cute!

Thanks for looking!

Keeping Busy

I haven't been blogging,

but I have been trying to keep my little hands busy in other ways.

 

I made some art for my walls.

tutorial via

I made a rediculously large flower brooch for my jacket.

I made this chalkboard thought bubble. 

I'm going to make some more for a back to school themed photo shoot.

tutorial via

And then I made these feather earrings.

I saw a friend wearing a pair and the next day,

I was at Joann's and found the feathers on sale for $.99.

It was meant to be!

I have a few other crafty projects planned for the weekend.

They include painting a mirror for Goose's room,

more feather earrings

and a photoshoot.

Oh, and I am getting a bed!

YAY!

Thanks to @joeltelling!!

He is an awesome photographer, super dad and great friend.

And we are having a BBQ with some out of town friends we haven't seen in ages.

And its a three day weekend.

Do you have plans???

Bow Tie

Betsy Johnson "Iconic" Collection

Black Bow Necklace

Sterling Silver Marchasite and Freshwater Pearl

Bow Necklace

Sweets by J2Jewelry

Lucite Bow Tie by sophiedear

Tied Up Earrings by briguysgirls

Whisper in Pumpkin by themustardseedco

Pink Metallic Bow Ring by alexlovestocraft

Victorian Bow Necklace by gypsycarriage

Ribbon -- Don't Forget by sparklethots

AND HERE IS WHAT I MADE

It used to be a hairclip.

It broke ages ago and it was too pretty to throw away.

So I saved it.

Well, inspired by all the beautiful bow tie jewelry on trend right now,

I pulled out my broken clip and set to work making a necklace.

I love how it turned out!

I paired it with black, white, and cream peals and used black ribbon to fasten it.

I really want the "Don't Forget" ring above. It's so pretty!