Leather Fun

Well where did that week go? Sorry about that it was a long week- not bad just long and I didn't find time to update here. I would tell you about it but then you would just be bored! So instead I will show you one of the things I managed to complete!
Mum had a project (that she's yet to show you...thbt!) that involved a fair amount of left over leather- this stuff is like butter people and it smells SO GOOD! So we have been brainstorming ways to put it to good use. One of the ideas came from my Aunt who told us about Sundance Catalogs bracelets which are fun, funky...and ridiculously priced. So we went to work making our own versions---well I only made one but mum made a few so check hers out too!

 My version wraps your wrist twice - here's a shot of it not wrapped

 and  I used a heavy duty snap closure

 We used a punch to cut the holes for our designs and then used a really yummy variegated pearl cotton to stitch the design. The bead is dyed shell.

It's really soft and feels nice to wear- unfortunately I am not keeping it, it will be making it's way to see someone soon... not sure who that someone might be!

Check back for another leather project tomorrow!

To catch you up on other random news- Micah went for his 4 month check up (a week ago) and he is 15 and a half pounds and 27 inches long now! It's absolutely ridiculous how fast this kid is growing!  We were also told that we could go ahead and start introducing him to food.

 Let's just say he was not a fan. We took a video but I think this picture about sums it up!

And other fun news my Aunt Rhonda started a blog! Check her out! 

Oh and I figured out how to edit my HTML for bigger pictures (while Micah screamed at me!) I am so excited that I was able to do this! Hopefully you will all enjoy the larger images!

My Sister Made Me Do It

A few weeks ago while talking to my sis on the phone she mentioned some bracelets she liked on sundance. They are funky leather bracelets at a precious price and she wanted one. Bad. My sis is has style. There are things she can do/wear that I can only wish I could pull off. The fun part about this conversation was, I had leather......

I have some butter soft leather left over from a project I have yet to show you. It's one for the all but defunct house blog. You know, the one I haven't posted on in two months. I'm busy, don't judge. Jess and I got together and made a few to try things out and maybe send a couple off to "someone"...

I'll be making more unless someone tells me to stop.

Beads!

Well before I show you what I've been up to I wanted to VERY belatedly post a picture of the absolutely gorgeous necklace Adrienne put together for me a few months ago (she has much better photos of it on her blog) I LOVE it and she did an wonderful job putting it together. Thank you Adrienne! Sorry it took so long for me to say something!
My last day in California my Aunt Sherie took my Grandma and me to a bead store in downtown Sacramento called The Bead Fetish it was AMAZING definitely the best bead store I have ever been in to. SO MANY THINGS to tempt me, and the staff was so friendly! I ended up getting supplies for two necklaces..they had a whole room devoted to stone beads...

Smokey Quartz I've been wearing this almost everyday since I put it together. Its super versatile. Reminds me of swarovski.
The second necklace was the I want it all necklace -I couldn't decide between a few different stones so I just decided to mix them all into one necklace. I think it turned out pretty neat.

It's made up of Tigers Eye in both green and brown and then the drop is turquoise.

And one more a fun bracelet to replace one I lost. I bought the supplies for this one at The Bead Shoppe in Folsom- which is still my favorite place to pick out swarovski beads. Hopefully this will fulfill my bead cravings until I can make it back out there again!

I'm so lame...

Well if you are expecting a post full of exciting things that have been keeping me from being around here ... you will be sorely disappointed. I have nothing for you! I haven't been feeling well and my brother and my parents dog have been consuming all of my excess energy (not that that's been much... and I am pretty sure they wouldn't agree with me if you asked them)
Here's a few things from the last few weeks.
I bought a bunch of these shiny silver beads and decided to use them on a plain target v-neck that I never wear.
I think the problem is solved. The sparkle makes me want to wear it all the time. I have a few thousand more so we will see what else I decide needs some sparkle...

My etsy shop has been doing really well. Which I am incredibly thankful for... I just wish I had energy to make more things to restock it. I did however FINALLY get a few new things up in the shop today (it's all old to you it just took me FOREVER to get decent photographs). So there is now another owl pillow and the fish pillow is up. Also below is one of my barrel of monkey's onesies I had one ordered in red and I totally dig it so I made a second one for a friend who just had a baby.

We haven't been out to the beach much. Just a few quick trips because it is a little too cold right now. But here's a rather large jelly fish from a trip while some friends were here. Definatley the largest one I have seen on our beach... and here were a lot of them.

Beau and I took Brinkley for a short walk while Uber took a bike ride. We didn't let Brinkley off the leash since it was a little too cold for us to be be chasing him and getting wet... if he decided to be a crazy dog.

He won with beau though and yanked him a good ways out into the water...hahaha...

Other fun stuff if you haven't checked out my Aunts blog lately you need to. She is making some awesome stuff. She should be opening an Etsy store soon..... so cheer her on and maybe she will move faster!

All over the place....

Friday night I made a coffee cake that is pretty scrumptious. It's the one that Pioneer Woman blogged last week. And she wasn't kidding about eating your coffee! Very good. If you decide to make it be sure to pick a really good instant coffee because that is what the cake is going to taste like!

My grandma me a bracelet that she got for me on hers and my moms trip to Italy this spring. The beads are murano glass and she told me to feel free to restring it since it came with gold findings. So I finally made it to the bead store on Thursday and this is what I ended up making...(of course after reminding myself repeatedly I completely forgot to take a before picture) I used Sterling silver beads in varying sizes of circles and disks. I am totally loving it. I've already worn it a few times.

What happens when you ask you husband to take pictures for you? You have about two hundred shots (most of them where you are out of focus or look irritated) and only the last one he took of you goofing off looks decent... haha... anyway thanks Grandma I LOVE the beads I have already gotten compliments on the necklace!

Another thing off the to do list is this small pouch. I made it for all of my electronic accessories that need to live in my purse but don't because they always get all tangled up and then I take them out and don't have them when I need them....

It's the same pouch as my Tutorial that I sell on Etsy just shrunk down very small. I did some quick patchwork from quilt scraps and then lined it with corduroy... I love it except that I went so far as to french seam it...because of my OCD tendency's and broke 3 needles in the process one which hit me in the lip and one that shattered into my eyes... ummm... yeah anyway I didn't hurt myself permanently or anything but Uber tells me I have to wear shop glasses now while sewing... hmmmm... anyway incase you didn't know trying to french seam something very small that is patchwork and courduroy isn't the best idea...

Other then that I have been working on some new graphics for a baby shower invite I am doing and I have been punching more paper for garland... fun fun fun... We have been watching Eureka all weekend it is a really weird/quirky show - sci-fi. Oh and I finished The Time Travelers Wife. Totally read it if you get a chance it was great.

I really thought I had more to say.

My clematis are going crazy... definitely one of my favorite flowers... who know they could grow so well here!
I've been making bookmarks. I got an order from a girl at work for two for her mom, so I made 3 extra for the shop. I'm having a hard time not keeping them since they are so sparkly... MUCH better pictures are up in the shop... so go check them out. I will definitely be making more of these to keep!

Working on some cute packaging for things I hand deliver. This is my first try... I think the sticker needs to be smaller but other than that I'm digging it.

I was contacted yesterday by a local shop that is interested in having me rent space in their store... I'm not sure about the whole renting part. We are going to run by and check it out today so we will see. Either way it's nice to be contacted.

Randomness and a few completed projects

I walked downstairs yesterday evening to see this. The lamp is not on, the sun coming through the kitchen window hit it just right it was gorgeous (far more colorful in person) and only lasted about two minutes... I hope it does it again!

So I got this idea a few Sundays ago when we were having the crazy storms and have been slowly working on it since when ever the weather agreed. I don't have a lot of jewelry and most of it I don't wear often. I love it all but mainly I have a few pieces that I wear constantly and the rest I just store in various jewelry boxes that never seem to have enough room. After untangling my necklaces for the hundredth time I came up with this idea.... I don't think I have ever seen anything like this out there before. But I am sure someone else has probably done it already. I searched the craft stores and came up with what I was looking for at Michael's ... of course in a terrible color. It is a front opening collectors cabinet it was on sale so it ran about $25. Here it is in pieces-

I didn't like the light wood color so I sanded it down and spray painted it in a semi gloss white. This took two cans... very annoying they really should have more paint then that in a can at $8 a pop...

I had a very clear image of how this was supposed to look and I wanted to use these hooks I searched everywhere for them and finally located them at Office Max... of course they don't carry them in store and they wanted $8 for shipping which I thought that was outrageous so I bought 16 gauge wire, pulled out my thing-a-ma-jig and made them myself... here's a quick example in case you want to make some:

I think they turned out pretty well....and they want $2 for 6 I made 13 for roughly $2.50

This is the backing for the collectors cabinet which I recovered in a pretty natural linen. Then I slid in all of the hooks spacing them out for various items I knew I would want to hang.

Here it is all put back together.

I tucked it away behind the door so people shouldn't really be seeing it... which is perfect. It's on my side of the bed though so I get to see it everyday and it makes me smile

A lot of this stuff I haven't worn in years and is just for sentimental value. My mums charm bracelet, my class pendant, a necklace my grandma gave me when I was maybe 6... and other things like that

My OCD tendency's are very obvious here. Everything has it's place.

Oh I also stuck broaches right into the board - I can't tell you how long I have been looking for a way to display these! I just love looking at them they are so sparkly. Joan and Mum should recognize them. They each gave me one of them when I was 9 I think? I don't know why they did I don't remember it being a special occasion or anything but I just remember feeling really special and loving them. I have no idea how I have held on to them for this long, a lot of my stuff disappeared during moves.

The invites came in! Kodak said to estimate 5 days printing 5 days shipping. They were printed the day after I ordered them and we got them in the mail just a few days later, less than a week for the turn around! Love that!

I think they turned out pretty awesome... even if I do say so myself. I've had wonderful feedback so far. Judy (who they were made for) about fell out. She said 'She didn't like them, she LOOOOVVVVEEEEDDDDD them!' (said with southern accent) And then I got a very long hug. Really you can't get better feedback then that I am thrilled. Now I just wish I could find people that want to pay me and that I would feel comfortable charging (just to note I was offered payment for my time on these but Linda and her family are incredibly good to Uber and I so I only do things for her if she accepts them as a gift)

My photos are lame sorry about that but I wasn't really sure how to photograph it.

More swaroski bracelet's for Ubers Mom (I've created a monster) She mailed me these beads so I could string them up for her. I am mailing them back to her tomorrow.

So I have been contemplating selling graphics that people can buy and then use to print up their own invites at home. I dont really want to go in the scrapbooking direction I am more into invites and party things. I have seen some people doing this - any feedback from you guys?? I would love your thoughts/suggestions!

Well I hope you all enjoyed my rambling! Not sure what I am going to have to show you next.... Ive got a million things started and not much even close to finished.