Jewelry Hangers

Here are some ideas for using items that lend themselves to multiple purposes. This wicker rattan shelf houses several of my flamingos but the doors also serve as an earring holder. Bonus!

The other little wood house was put out by Hallmark and had the hooks already in place and is perfect for smaller earrings...it's fun to repurpose and reuse and recycle!

Blooming Aloe Vera!

Well, this isn't one of my personal designs...but a special gift from the Greatest Designer in the universe! This was the first time I have seen a common aloe vera houseplant bloom so wanted to share the pictures.

July 5, 2011

This shot was taken June 24, 2011.

I told the gentleman that gave my the start of this aloe that it was blooming and he asked me what I did to make it bloom.

"I don't know! But, apparently neglect serves it well!"

I had moved several houseplants to our office so the aloe has had a diffused northern exposure for several months so that change of environment may have made all the difference. Whatever the reason, I've been excited to share this special blooming moment!

Brownie Bot - an Upcycled Robot

Here are a few shots of my Brownie Bot. Her head rotates and the arms are held with a magnet that allows for many positions so it allows for several posing options, the first one is my husband's favorite! Look away from the food, look away from the food!

My husband loves the hand in front of the mouth!

LKC - Laura's Kooky Creations!

So not everything I do is "kooky" but I must confess it is fun to create a variety of personalities with found objects that get assembled and given a life unknown to them previously. And it often brings a smile (and perhaps a raised eyebrow or two). It's a refreshing diversion from the massage office especially when I'm slammed as is typical for this time of year. So I'm getting closer to completion but for now here is the motley crew! So I'm still trying to decide on names. The camera character I'll call Brownie. The fondue pot...Sunny...the other two...not sure yet. Any suggestions? Brownie (which is the camera name, so not very original) but the fella behind her still needs a name... Sunny...she's simple and cheerful! And I'm not sure what name to give the Garden Girl...




They join Rosie (my firstborn), Hootie, Aladdin and Pinnochio (though P has a new home now).


Hootie the Owl


Aladdin the Thermodoor (part thermos, part doorstop!)


Pinocchio

A Romantic Crochet Wrist Cuff

So I found this adorable crocheted cuff pattern from an Etsy shop called Magenta Sky Studio where she offers a variety of knit and crochet items she makes as well as the pattern for this beautiful cuff so being a crocheter I bought the pattern a couple of days ago.

I used what I had available and thankfully knew where my crochet hooks were since it had been awhile and away I went...a relatively quick project. As I looked at my multi-colored creation (a litle bulkier than her delicate version), I realized it could be a fun way to enjoy wearing some of my gorgeous pins so I opted not to attach the medallion that is shown on the original pattern (though I do intend to make one like it...because I love it!) and many of you who have followed some of my posts know I love to find different ways to wear my jewelry pieces...so this may inspire you to want to make something similar. Thanks for stopping by!


I wore this vintage pin today...it's such a great Judy Lee piece!

I think the black will set off many of my pins...I'm going to get a lot of mileage out of this design!

I'm feeling blue

Some beautiful items I found on Etsy and put in this stunning Treasury!

'I'm feeling Blue...' by lkcDesign

Blue...Vibrant in the sky above and gives richness to the depths below...it calms and gives a sense of serenity and nurtures the soul.

Vintage COBALT blue... CapriciousTrav... $	READY TO SHIP - CAR... TheHeadbandSho... $	blue sequined rick-... lucilleandthel... $6.00	Blue vintage jewel ... jillian1984 $18.00
BIRD BATH, Glass an... GloriousGlassG... $	Shredded Midnight B... Textilemonster $	Beach Chairs, Water... lauratrevey $	Dupioni Silk Peacoc... BabyEtte $
Peacock Wedding Inv... DesignsbyAdj $	HUGE SAVINGS. STORE... RenaeSchoeffel... $	Tropical Flowers-Bl... WillowBranchGr... $3.00	Starry Night- Origi... JamiesArt $20.00
Vintage 80's CO... viralthreads $25.00	BIG BLUE TRANNY....... beatlebabyglas... $	Blue Bells Billie H... billiebrand $15.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

BYOB Project - Construction Details

I meant to do this sooner, but just been hammered this past month so finally here are some additional ideas and suggestions related to the BYOB project converting t-shirts into usable bags!

First I'll show what I did with the pretty blue bag featured in the earlier post.

To create the curve, I folded the shirt in half and used the pins to help determine the curve...of course it could just be sewn straight across. A reminder...you must use your STRETCH STITCH to ensure the bag will stand up to the wear and tear of heavy objects.

I used a white bar of soap (courtesy of a motel stay!) which makes it easy to see on darker fabric and it will wash out, too! So, after marking both sides you can unpin and sew...I also used a decorative stretch stitch just for fun.


To cut the collar and widen the top opening I used a plate as a template...depending on the size of the shirt you may need to vary the size...pan lids would work great, too!

I uaed my pinking shears to cut through the sleeve leaving about 2 inches attached at the top so I can add a key clip and a place to hang my recycled tie cell phone holder. If you don't want to do that you can just cut off both sleeves.

The piece I've cut out I use to create a tie at the top of each sleeve to gather and hold them together.



I cut off the other sleeve completely.

I used my trusty bar of soap to mark off about one inch fringe strips.

I folded the shirt in half again and put a marker on my scissors and did some decorative slits in the main body of the shirt (which I later used for my ribbon assortment!

I even used the collar by fringing it (I eyeballed it) and decided it might be just the right size to put over a small lamp shade and realized it was a great place to hang my fishhook earrings...bonus! It would also be an adorable necklace for a little girl...you could even add some pony beads.


I have provided a pdf file with instructions to create a flat bottom bag, too, click here to get it and quick reminders on the details shown in this post...have fun and remember, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!