"Junk"le Bells in March

It's the last week of March and time for "Junk"le Bells!

  

Here once again was my starting point--vintage bottle caps.  I found some 1" Christmas images on Etsy from Xander Graphics  and from Gypsy Woman.   I really wanted to use my own paper ephemera, but thought I'd get a better variety by purchasing some digital images.  This is the first time I've ordered digital images and I have to say I love the potential.  I can re-size and print as many pictures as I want.  I really like the last part...so if I mess up....I'm not out the image!

I made bottle cap garland!

I used a hammer and a nail to punch a hole on either side of the cap, made jump rings out of  wire and glued in an image.

I had a couple of problems....one, being how do you photograph garland without a tree?!

Hang it on the porch? No

Drape it around a pole? No

Lay it on the floor? No

Shoot it with the sun behind you? No

Around a bird cage? No

Well, everything looks better in a jar....

Maybe not...so without a tree, I don't think it looks so great, but honestly, in person, the garland really looks good!

What I learned:

~There is a plastic coating inside the bottle cap, you have to rough it up first or nothing will stick to it.  (I still have to fix some of them!)

~Glue the image in first, then punch the holes, then add the jump rings.  I punched the holes, attached the jump rings, then added the images and I had to bend and trim to get them to fit.  Uhg.
~If you have a 1" hole punch, this project will fly--I don't have one. :(

Now, join me with your up-cycled/recycled junk ornament project!

You can post pictures here in Flikr if you don't have a blog, or link up below with your blog post.

Suitcases, You Can't Have Too Many

I've posted about my attraction to suitcases before. I'm sure many of you share the same addiction, ahem, desire to collect them!  These sit in my sewing room.  The tags... this is about as "cutesie" as I get and I have to tell you, I think they are great.  I bought them on Etsy, but currently the woman has her shop closed, so  I'm glad I bought quite a few from her in two different styles when I did.  The black is chalk cloth so they can be used again and again.

Can you see the bottom one?  Labeled "Ethel's"?  I bought that suitcase with many little fabric pieces and crochet samples from my great aunt Ethel's auction many years ago.  Most of the little pieces are still in there.

I have more suitcases for storage and display all over the house and as I dust for graduation this May, I'll take more pictures!

March "Junk"le Bells Reminder

These are my "raw materials" for my March "Junk"le Bells project.  I'd love to have you join me during the last week in March to post your own project!  You can read about  "Junk"le Bells here.  

Check out the  past projects here and here.

Trip Down Memory Lane

I have four projector screens.  Yes, four.  They sell for .25 at auctions and would be "no bids" if I wasn't there.  I can't leave them.  I don't know what I'll do with them, but they are simply wonderful.  Then it hit me, why not use one as, well, as intended?!  There's an idea!

I borrowed Mom's very old slide projector and her slides of my family growing up.  I've only gotten through a few of them so far, but I'm loving it.

I wish you could hear the hum of the fan and smell of the warm metal.  Viewing images from long ago,  so very nostalgic and certainly a gift.

Here is my Mom in 1961,  (Before I was born) and today, is her birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

This is a perfect post for my first time to link up to Tuesdays Unwrapped: at Chatting at the Sky

"Yook" Before You Miss It!!

Leah is having a big blog party week celebrating her birthday--***interruption to my blog post--my 3 y/o just ran up, saw the computer, and said, "Yook, we have that at Grandma's house!" Ok, she said, "Look...." but it almost sounded like 'yook' .  We had Leepin' Letters as kids and it's still at my Mom's***

You can buy Leah's greeting card here.  How fun is that?!

But, even more fun, will be her party that's she's celebrating over here!

She's a Nebraskan!  and just lives "down the road a spell" from me.  "What is she giving away?" you ask. Well, that's to be determined.  Today, a cookbook plus surprises.  Keep checking back to her party to see what she comes up with for the rest of the week!

BTW, that magnet is found here in her Etsy shop.

Go! it's sure to be a R.A.R.P  (Rock And Rollin' Party)!!!

Hyvee and Old Navy Recycled

Inspired by this publication....

and this article by Alisa Burke....

and this clutch by Alisa....

I made this clutch out of Hyvee and Old Navy plastic shopping bags!

It was a multi-step process as you might guess, but really, incredibly fun!  It began by fusing the shopping bags together with a hot iron, adding paint (I used ink), scraps of paper, journaling, and lots of stitching.  There were instructions on how to fuse the bags together in the magazine article, but I know you can also find those directions all over the web.

Yes, it's another burned flower!! This time out of plastic bags instead of fabric.  Let me tell you----the plastic was far more flammable than any of the fabric that I've used yet!  I really had to be careful to keep it just close enough to the flame to melt and not burn.

The only supplies I used that were new were the waxed cord that winds around the vintage buttons to close the clutch and the ink I used to paint on the fused bag fabric.

 Alisa also has an Etsy shop with wonderfully bold art pieces!

This project was far more bold and bright than anything I've ever done before but I loved stepping into a different style.  I know there will be more....here's what I could see though as a problem.  I have lots of plastic shopping bags, but most of them are white with just a little coloring from the store name.  I don't get to a lot of different stores.  Will I now take bags from a store instead of saying, "No thanks, I don't need a sack.",  just because I see that they have a plastic bag with a great color or lettering on it?!  Kind of defeats the whole recycling thing, huh?!?!  Will I buy something from a store that I don't need just because I see a great sack to melt?!  I don't think so....but, I'm not sure I'm completely above that!

Pattern Party > Paisley

She said Paisley-----Paisley?!  Paisley?!  "I don't have anything Paisley", I thought. "I won't be going anywhere to even stumble upon Paisley".  Now, say Paisley at least four more times and you'll either begin hating the word, loving the word, or begin to wonder if it's even a word at all.  Try it. Paisley, Paisley, Paisley, Paisley.....

However,

In my stash of vintage ties, in my very large stash of vintage ties, there was one lonely, but lovely paisley tie.

 

 

There it is, pushing it's way forward in front of the other wonderful ties.

 

I think I would like to have sheets out of this beautiful paisley pattern or a silky blouse to wear under a blazer, but that's not to be...so I will enjoy my one and only piece of Paisley just hanging in my sewing room.  

Please go and check out Leah's blog where she is hosting this Pattern Party and see how she is sporting her Paisley!!

You Can Design Your Own Fabric!

I found this great web site called Spoonflower where you can design your own custom fabric or buy unique fabric designed by others.  This opens up a lot of possibilities for custom made projects don't you think?  I was just having fun with the fabric sample above, but wouldn't it be neat to design one in letter form for someone special to say some sentiment you'd like them to remember forever? Or better yet, just some silliness?  Then sew it into a pillow or bag?

They have contests on their blog with different themes, and if you log in you can vote for your favorites.  These were three of my favorites for the "science" theme contest.

I guess I think this is great because I love fabric so....and anytime there is something that helps someone expand their creativity and small home business, I get excited!  Besides art work you can use photographs.  I think I may have a couple that could work...just need more time to mess with the dimensions and details.

So, let's say you were an awesome handbag designer with your own fabulous logo....

Now, wouldn't that make a fabulous lining for a few unique hand bags?!?!

If you make your own design you get 10% off your order and if you buy fabric by another designer, they get a 10% commission.

This is one of my favorites from Spoonflower.  Wouldn't it make a great pillow?
Let me know if you upload a design, I'd love to check it out.  

For Fun, For Merriment, For Laughs--OK, THAT'S Redundant

Redundant Clock by Ji Lee

Visit Debra for Her Giveaway!

 

Debra at Common Ground is having a Spring Giveaway---and who isn't ready for Spring?!  She's celebrating her birthday, a new booth, and 350 followers.  Wow!  She also host's an online Bible Study, what a lovely lady she is!  I know she'd love to have you help her celebrate!