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Yikes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted! Don’t know how that happened but I am definitely getting into it lately. And I wanted to post a pic of a necklace I just finished.
The kanji Ai, or Love, is probably the most popular and requested kanji for custom work. Which makes sense when you think about it. When somebody is asking for a custom necklace or pair of earrings for a loved one, well, they want to convey that love! And hearts, well, to a lot of people in Western culture, hearts mean Love.
And that’s a nice sentiment for a present, I think 🙂
I found an absolutely fabulous example of how great it is to repurpose vintage finds! The credenza comes from a thrift store (and I bet you could find them cheap – or free! – Craigslist sometimes).
This was an unloved discard that nobody wanted:
And look how wonderful it is now!
Now that is seriously great style – and storage too 🙂 Learn more about this terrific transformation over at Censational Girl Blog where Kate, the inspirational blogger here, shows us some gorgeous before-and-afters, all terrific, all DIY, and all affordable. It’s a terrific – and fun – place to spend a little time!
I recently had a request for a redo of a pair of earrings a customer had found online. I thought this would be a nice way to show that yes, custom colors are always possible!
Here are the earrings she saw onsite:
And here are the custom colors she requested:
They could have been radically more different, of course. Black background. Bright colors. The thing is, the customer – that’s you – you get to choose 🙂
I am determined to bring some order around here. I am. One way or another. Anyway, while I was thinking about it (instead of doing it) I started looking for ideas for drawer organizers. I’ve seen some great ones at the Container Store, etc., but I hate to spend money when I can do it myself. I just needed to focus.
And then I found a fabulous tutorial:
DIY Drawer Organizer
Aren’t they great? The wonderful tutorial is from The Stonybrookhouse Blog and she has terrific step-by-step instructions.
And a ton of other useful posts, too. Um… you might want to check out the pumpkin brownies. Just sayin 🙂
Love love love this one! It’s so simple – and brilliant! I found this on Pinterest – and had to pin it myself (definitely not pretending it was my original idea!)
Is that not a terrific idea? If you have to have a visible cord – for, say, your printer – why not make it fun? Use the leaves-and-bird idea as shown. Or maybe flowers. Use twist ties to attach paper or felt or fabric flowers. Or just draw them on the wall. Or a combo of.
This is a classic “why didn’t I think of that!” idea. And fun. And fabulous!
This is such a useful tutorial! I found it over at How About Orange Blogfrom Jessica Jones. She’s got tons of useful ideas over there. With her super clear pics and instructions, she teaches us how to make gift bags – from newspaper!
Gift Bag from Newspaper – Tutorial.
And of course one of the nice things is that you can use any paper (no, it doesn’t matter if there are folds or creases). Talk about saving money – and giving a gift where even the wrapping is special!
and did I say “saving money”? Hallmark will have to manage without our $$, thank you very much.
It occurred to me as I was writing the title of this post that “green paper earrings” has more than one meaning.
The color is green, that’s the most obvious of course. But the materials are also green – as in eco friendly and non damaging to the planet. Also very sustainable. I use recycled paper for the inner layers of Paper Jewels – as well as for the padding inside my bubble wrap mailing envelopes. And I use post-consumer white recycled paper even for the ‘face’ of the earrings – it costs a bit more but of course it’s worth it.
Here’s my new design:
The Japanese kanji says “Ei”, or “Eternal”. And of course they can be made in other colors – her favorite, for instance!
Okay, maybe kaleidoscope. Or mandala (that’s what I first thought). Or even “snowflake” (remember the snowflakes we used to cut out as kids?) – that’s what these new earrings remind me of.
They’re big, colorful, and lightweight earrings – lacquered paper, with a bit of curve and a lot of shine. And available in custom colors, of course.
Just for fun 🙂
Remember the white plate (with a recipe!) I blogged about recently? It’s here. The idea was to write a recipe on the plate, bake it, and voila! Permanent decoration. Well I have been seeing this idea more and more lately – and I wanted to share one more example because it’s so charming – and timely 🙂
What a darling idea for a Valentine’s Day craft that everyone will love! I found it at It’s Overflowing – overflowing with creativity, that is!
You might want to check out her Tips pages, too – she’s got some really useful ideas there. “How to remove sticky stuff” and “An easy way to hang art” and “DIY Microwave popcorn” (you know that one’s going to be used!)
Very cool blog. And I do love that plate idea!
And gorgeous. Take a look at these – “pom pom flowers”, they’re called. I think they’re ethereal and beautiful!
And they’re made with wax paper! This is what DIY is all about, or should be. Taking something ordinary – wax paper! – and with minimal skill (but a lot of imagination, thank you Marichelle from Nice Package Blog!) – something completely different is created.
You can find the tutorial here, at the Nice Package Blog. It’s not hard at all and her pics are wonderfully clear.
And come on – aren’t these flowers wonderful?
P.S. And why couldn’t these be a wonderful decoration for your wedding? They LOOK like wedding flowers!
P.P.S. When you visit Nice Package Blog you’re going to find more wonderful ideas. Go look, you’ll thank me for it!
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Coolness
DIY
Eco friendly
Gardening
Home Decor
Indie / Design
Thrifty
vintage
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