Funky Time Art

Free Valentines Download

2012-01-22T11:44:00.000-09:00

I got these sweet Valentine's Day images from Miss Cutie Pie inspirations blog. You can check them out here.

Etsy shop reload

2012-01-10T03:45:00.001-09:00

I have been busy making jewelry and decided my etsy shop needed some new pieces. I have not added anything in ages! Here is a sweet little stretch bracelet with the sideways cross which is so hot right now. I also added one of my Antiquity Stacks necklaces. I usually only sell these at my art fairs, but decided to get some stock ready for etsy too. This is a long gothic style necklace using some old and some made to look old pieces in the pendant. I hope you will stop by my etsy store, free shipping if you mentions "FunkyTimeArt" in the messages section.

DIY bird nests so cute

2012-01-06T03:52:00.001-09:00

I found this tutorial on Pinterest today. Look how beautiful each of these nests are! I am going to make a bunch of these for my spring displays. I also make my own eggs out of polymer clay and they would look so cute in these nests! I will post some pictures when they are done.

Source: photos.oregonlive.com via Angie on Pinterest

Big News!

2012-01-05T04:36:00.000-09:00

I am so excited to announce I will be launching a new online store. The store is going to be an extension of my antique/ accessory booth that I already have st the Queen of Hearts in Alpharetta Ga. I have been dreaming of expanding my sales to a much bigger audience and the net seems to be about as big as you can get. Stay tuned we will be rolling it out in about two weeks. Please check back soon!

Great Holiday gift idea

2011-12-18T07:58:00.002-09:00

This time of year we usually exchange small gifts with our neighbors and friends. They have given us wonderful handmade or baked goodies. I am not a baker so am pressed to come up with something cost and time effective that is also creative. Here is what I have come up with this year. These are so easy to make, and cost under $3.oo each.

Chalkboard Painted Wine bottles

1. First soak off the labels of your wine. I did all of the Merlot in one bunch so later I would not forget which wine was which. These Trader Joe's Two Buck Chuck labels came off very easily. I just got the remainder of glue off with a steel wool pad. Then they were ready to be painted.

2. Make sure your bottles are completely clean and dry before painting. I used Valspar Chalkboard paint from Lowes. It was $14.00 for the can, but it will last me for the year with tons of other great projects I have planned. I put two coats on 12 hours apart.

3. Wait for 24 hours before writing on your labels. Then cover your bottle with chalk to prime it. Finally, write your holiday message on from of the bottle and tie on a festive ribbon. I attached a cardstock label to the back with the wine name.

Happy Holiday to all of you I hope you liked this tutorial! These would even make great favors at a wedding with a personalized message from the bride and groom.

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

2011-12-17T16:47:00.000-09:00

The ugly Christmas sweater phenomena is catching on. Here are a couple of winners!

Source: craftster.org via Amber on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Jaci on Pinterest

How about you? Do you have an ugly sweater to share?

Sassy at the Queen of Hearts Alpharetta

2011-12-17T13:57:00.001-09:00

My booth at the Queen has been busy. Here is some of the jewelry I currently have for sale. I love this peacock necklace so pretty! My mannequin has held up well, I love this leopard faux collar she is sporting, sooo chic!

Customizable Monogram

2011-12-07T03:57:00.002-09:00

Source: weddingchicks.com via Denise on Pinterest

I found this on Pinterest (my most favorite website EVER) You can change the colors of the flourish and the initial to make it totally your own. This would be nice for stationary, personalized for gifts, framed etc. Love it.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

2011-11-24T10:53:00.002-09:00

Source: ourbestbites.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Here is a cute idea for Thanksgiving. I found it on Pinterest, just love that site!

"Give me an A"

2011-11-21T03:48:00.003-09:00

Source: 346living.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I love those great zinc letters they sell at Anthropology, but they are a bit expensive when you need a couple of them. Here is a great tutorial to make your own using paper mache letters from Joanne's. Just click on the blog link below the photo. I made some for my booth, but embellished them further with wooden caps. I will post a picture later. Go get some letters now!

St Piux Holiday Market

2011-11-16T16:51:00.002-09:00

This Saturday I am participating in the St. Piux X Holiday gift show. It is probably my seventh year to participate (kinda started to lose track of the years) in the show. I love this show because it is held at a really wonderful school. I have found them to really value their vendors and work hard to promote and make the show a success each year. The community of students and families is really wonderful too. They really come out to support their school events. The school is located in Atlanta inside the Perimeter off of I-85. I hope you will stop by and say hi if you visit the show, I would love to meet any of my blog readers.

Holly Days Market

2011-11-08T14:28:00.003-09:00

Holly Days Market at St Brigid in Alpharetta is this Thurs. from 6 to 9pm and Friday 9:30 to 1:00. The church is located at 3400 Old Alabama Rd. This is a great show with some really awesome vendors I hope you will stop by and say hello!

Stash our new booth is open!

2011-11-04T13:55:00.003-08:00

We are so excited that we are finally almost done with our booth at Queen of Hearts Alpharetta. I am so excited to be sharing this space with my good friend Mary. We have a great relationship that keeps propelling us to be extremely creative in every way. The floor for instance, it was gross and ugly basic linoleum. We could have painted it, or bought a cute sisal rug for some texture. No, we decided to make a floor cloth, not stripes or a solid color we made one with a quote painted on it. Don't you love the effect? I am so thrilled with how everything is coming together in there. I hope you will stop by and check the booth out if your in the area, if not, here are a couple of pictures so you can get the feel.

It's Moving day

2011-11-01T02:53:00.002-08:00

I am moving into another booth with my dear friend Mary. We are going to have furniture, accessories, clothes and of course jewelry. It is located on Bull St. in the Queen of Hearts Alpharetta. The booth name is Stash. We hope to have a great mix of rustic and funky from our personal "Stash." Hope you will come visit and see my other booth Sassy too. I will get some pictures up later today.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T03:15:00.001-08:00

Source: Uploaded by user via Denise on Pinterest

I tried to find little pumpkins to make these like I saw on Pinterest. No luck, so I will have to search again next year.

Rustic dream cabin somewhere far away

2011-10-30T04:04:00.003-08:00

Source: djawest.com via Meg on Pinterest

Source: djawest.com via Karen on Pinterest

I found this beautiful rustic cabin on Pinterest. Is that vanity not the coolest? Anyone want to go for a girls weekend? I can just see a nice fire going, good movies and yummy snacks and no reason in the world to go outside in the blustery cold.

Country Living Fair Atlanta

2011-10-28T03:29:00.002-08:00

Wow it was such a great time at the Country Living Fair last weekend. We met so many wonderful people from all over the country. You ladies know how to have fun! I was there to help my good friend Vikki Fraker sell her unique photo boards. Here are some shots of her booth, it was huge. I don't know how she would have worked out of a 10x10 booth that would have been nearly impossible.

Another helpful item from Pinterest

2011-10-24T04:28:00.003-08:00

I am a new convert to Oxyclean, it really does work. I have been using it on all kinds of things. I am wondering if this homemade version might work just as well. I will have to give it a try.
Here is the link to a blog with a homemade recipe. My original link is not working sorry.
http://thriftyandfabuless.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-oxy-clean.html

Love this tablescape

2011-10-20T15:23:00.004-08:00

I found this table setting on pinterest. Love the use of old items and the overhead puffs. I will say it again, you will get hooked on Pinterest it is so full of great things.

Source: jennycookies.com via Holly Ledingham on Pinterest

Great packaging idea

2011-10-20T03:44:00.002-08:00

I love the idea of using what I already have, especially scrapbooking paper. Don't tell, but I have at least one of every Basic Grey paper ever produced. I have a little paper hoarding issue, but I swear I am going to use lots of it to make these little flowers for my gift wrapping this holiday season. Thanks pinterest!

Source: hellohoneybabylove.com via Jenna on Pinterest

Country Living Fair in Atlanta

2011-10-19T08:30:00.004-08:00

It's finally here the Country Living Show at Stone Mountain Park this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I had a ticket to go last year and ended up not being able to go at the last minute. This year I am going to be helping out my good friend, Vikki Fraker. Vikki is one incredible salvage artist. She makes the most beautiful photo boards from found primitive wood and all kinds of assorted rusted stuff. Her booth will stop you in your tracks and draw you in like a magnet. I will take tons of photos of her booth and goodies for sale. I have a feeling something really big is going to happen for her at this show, I have my fingers crossed for her. She is located in the D 12 area if you want to come by and check her out. If you are in the Altanta area you do not want to miss this incredible show. Get more info here.

Country Living Show in Atlanta

2011-10-19T08:30:00.003-08:00

Go Cardinals!

2011-10-17T11:38:00.004-08:00

I can't help myself, I grew up in St. Louis. It is fun to see my old home town in the World Series. The new mascot is Bushy the Rally Squirrel who lives at the stadium, and has made several appearances during games. My sister sent me this photo, but I don't know who to credit for it. Go Cards!

Scotts Antique Market this weekend

2011-10-03T04:04:00.002-08:00

I am so excited to be participating in the Scotts Antique Market this weekend. I have a lot of new jewelry that I will be displaying for the first time and am anxious to see how it will be received. I will take some pictures later to post of my new cuffs.
I also have furniture and rustic accessories that I will be selling as well. It is a long weekend, but a lot of fun to see what I can find while I am there. I will be in the south building near the donut man,, so follow your nose and you will find us!

More of my picking finds

2011-09-30T04:51:00.004-08:00

Here is another polaroid camera I got. These things weigh a ton, I can't imagine what it was like to tote these around on a vacation. We are so lucky to be living in this digital world.

Look what I found!

2011-09-29T05:19:00.004-08:00

We went picking yesterday through an old barn. It was way out in a rural area that I am not even sure where I was lol. It was fun though like stepping into a giant time capsule. So much of it I kept thinking why would people hold onto this stuff, but at the same time so glad they did so I could find it.

I found this great Carter's underwear in polka dots so cute! I also found old Polaroid cameras that are just amazing. There were tons of Coke bottles. I just love these old green bottles with their curves. This is just the tip of the ice berg I will share with you tomorrow!

New Jewelry

2011-09-27T16:32:00.004-08:00

I have been busy in my studio. Here is some of the new things I've made.

Lots of resin items. I like to do these assembly line style, and I seem to get in a groove as I go each one a little more creative than the last one.

I also finally made a very long rosary chain for this soldered box pendant. I found this little skeleton key and added some tiny Swarovski crystals to it to give it a little more shine, oh and I soldered on some rhinestone chain at the top and bottom of the box.

I also have been making some altered pocket watch pendants. These are really fun to play around with. I kinda have an obsession with time, clocks and watches ( funky TIME art).

Beware this is highly addictive!

2011-09-15T04:17:00.004-08:00

You have been warned, what I am about to share with you is highly addictive. You will get in so deep a whole day may pass by, you will be wearing the same clothes you slept in as the sun is setting. Dogs will go unwalked, children not fed and beds unmade but it is sooo fun. I got turned onto Pinterest.com this week and I can't stop going back. What is this Pinterest you say? Well it is a virtual pin board of all the photos of things on the internet, on blogs etc that you love that you can pin in one place (not the best explanation) . You can look at other peoples boards or start curating your own. I started by just purusing other peoples boards. Boards with titles like, "Crafty, DIY, Yummy Food, Great Tutorials." Then I decided to become a user myself (notice the word "user" I warned you). I now have a food board, great tutorials, My style, DIY Home and this is just the begining. There are so many talented and sharing people out there in blog land and this is a great way to organize it and revisit at a later date. It took me a couple of visits, but now I am hooked.

Source: ivillage.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: takeoutphoto.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Denise on Pinterest

These are just a couple of items from my boards. Go check it out but be sure everyone is fed before you fall into the black hole!

Quick Bench Makeover

2011-09-07T03:31:00.006-08:00

I have sweet friends that offer me their old stuff before it goes to Goodwill, or a garage sale etc. They know usually I will take it. So here was my latest gift, a bamboo bench with a nice covered cushion.

It was in great shape so it did not need any repairs. Actually it was just fine the way it was, but I couldn't just leave it alone. I popped the cushion off and recovered it in my favorite, burlap. Then I had to prime then paint the bamboo a satin black color. Those parts did take a long time because of the bamboo and it's texture. It turned out great. I put it in my booth, and it sold the next day! So today I am taking my sweet friend to lunch, maybe she will have some other cast offs lol!

Help... what is this thing?

2011-09-01T12:12:00.002-08:00

I bought this little tag at a booth at my local antique mall. I thought the lion motif and numbers were very cool and would make a nice addition to one of my necklaces. Problem is I really don't know what it is or what it's purpose was. I am not sure how old it is either. I believe the GB would be for Great Britain, but other than that I don't have a clue. Anyone that can help me?

Halloween Jewelry Tutorial

2011-08-31T03:22:00.009-08:00

I have been busy creating some Halloween Jewelry for my booth. I found these cute glitter skeletons by Jolee at Micheal's.

I thought I would make these into pendants using my Little Windows resin. Here is how I did it (so easy).

1. I used a punch to cut out the background paper for the skeleton to be attached to. I choose a heavy cardstock for this. You should know depending on the paper you choose you may have to coat it with white glue to seal the paper. If not it can turn the paper transparent. If you do not want that effect coat the paper and edges two to three times.
2. Attach a skeleton to each making sure you leave enough room to later drill a hole for hanging.

3. Place each onto the doming tray. This is a special board I got from Little Windows that allows for any overspill to drip down away from the paper and not ruin the piece you are doming.
Mix your resin according to the package directions. There are great videos and info on the Little Windows site if you need help with this.
I poured down the middle and used my stir stick to place the resin into each of the corners making sure all of the pendant surface was well covered. Go slowly with this process you don't want to over pour.

4. I let my pendants sit for about 15 minutes then checked to see if there were any air bubbles in the resin. You can pull them out with you mixing stick if there are any. When finished with that I took a large plastic bowl that I turned over the top of my pieces to protect them from dust while they harden.

5. They were ready about eight hours later. I always just let them sit overnight just to be sure they are hardened. I then took my drill with the tiniest bit I have and drilled a hole into the top of each pendant. I wire wrapped each and put them onto a black leather cord and they are ready to wear.

Leather Cuffs

2011-08-27T06:05:00.002-08:00

Everyday I have been working in a different medium. Today it was leather. I have working off and on on an idea I had for a leather cuff. Here is what I made today. This is not exactly what I had in mind but I am liking the result. A little bit of vintage lace, an old key and of course the leather. I will list one in my etsy and one will go to my booth.

Resin Pendants and Rings

2011-08-25T05:22:00.003-08:00

Here they are all finished. They turned out so pretty, I love them. I usually pour my resin in the evening, just my habit. Then it is so fun in the morning to go check on them and see how they turned out. I have never had a batch not set up correctly. I have friends who have come back to find a sticky mess that never hardens. I have never had that experience, that would be soooo infuriating after all of the pre-resin work that is done on each piece. I am excited about these new bee pendants, I think they resemble the Georgia Tech Yellowjacket. I think they will be a hot item this fall since I am surrounded by Tech fans. I also tried throwing some candy sprinkles into one of my molds, aren't they fun. I think I will drill a hole for a jump ring and slide it onto a ribbon.

Little Windows Resin Projects

2011-08-24T15:54:00.003-08:00

I have been preparing my bezels over the past couple of days getting ready to pour the Little Windows Resin. I have these sweet rings that have a round bezel on top. At first I had a hard time figuring out how to hold the rings still and flat for an even pour. Also, it had to sit like that for about 8 hours. I don't know how anyone else does it, but this is what I came up with. I cut a half inch strip out of a paper plate, flipped it upside down and taped it to another paper plate. This allows the bezel to lie flat on the paper plate while the shank hangs below. Try it, it works and it costs next to nothing.
The other bezels have a ring that makes them sit at an angle. To fix this situation I place each bezel onto a wooden skewer to hold it up so it's flat. I forgot to snap a picture of this sorry. I will get some pictures of the finished product.

New Hair pins

2011-08-22T17:32:00.003-08:00

I guess I was thinking back to school when I made these hair pins. Remember how exciting it was getting ready to go back to school (ok maybe I was a nerd and liked school) getting all kinds of new stuff to wear. Well a girl needs to pretty up her hair doesn't she? I like the combo of colors of these pins, and the bronze pins are new for me and I love the look with the mums. So if you need to keep that hair out of your eyes I have some pretty hair pins for you!

I have been busy lately

2011-08-14T13:12:00.003-08:00

I have been making lots of new jewelry lately. Finally, I have been able to sit down for a couple of hours and knock some new stuff out. It will be show and bazaar season before we know it and I need to be getting some things stock piled before everything goes crazy. The funny thing is no matter how much I think I know what people will like of mine, I never get it quite right and then have to scramble. Oh well, I do thrive on the frenzy. Here is my new Wasabi Rose necklace, I think it has a very romantic feel to it. We will see if anyone else agrees with me. Keep cool everyone!

Glass Bubble Cross Necklace

2011-07-30T13:35:00.003-08:00

I gave this soldered glass bubble cross to pendant to my talented friend Mary and look at the beautiful necklace she made with it. It is a bold piece, but not too over the top, I love it with the pearls.
Oh it was really easy to make if you know how to solder already. I just wrapped the outside of each bubble with copper tape, soldered all the way around. Next, I turned them over and formed a cross and soldered each spot where they touched. This is pretty much how a stained glass window looks put together, at least to me it does. Let me know if you need more info.

Remember this....

2011-07-22T15:17:00.001-08:00

How about a winter shot to remind us all that even though we are cooking outside it could be worse. I will take super hot over cold and gray any day!

Tutorial Magentic Memo Photo Board

2011-07-22T14:50:00.006-08:00

I made this cute memo board and it was so easy and cheap to make. I wanted to share it as a tutorial for all of you here.
1. Get a metal sign/board etc. I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $5.00 on clearence.

2. Paint the metal board w/ a good metal primer.
3. After that dried I sprayed the board w/ a pretty ivory spray paint so I would not have brush marks.
4. Finally I stenciled on this bird motif in a chocolate brown.
Easy peasy that is it. If you make one I would love to see it. Send me a photo and I will post it.

Custom Mother's Nest Necklace

2011-07-17T06:54:00.003-08:00

In my attempt to relaunch my etsy store I am featuring this custom necklace. It is a nest with eggs soldered inside a handmade shadow type box. The nest can be customized to have 2 blue(boys) and 1 pink (girl) egg or whatever combo you need. Octomom if you want one the eggs will have to be seed beads lol! This is a great gift for a mom or for yourself to carry your little nest around your neck. I just adjust the bead/pearl size to fit the nest and box just right. For an additional $10 I can hand stamp each child's name onto a copper metal square that would be on the flipside of the necklace. Sooo cute! Check them out in my etsy store!

Etsy reload

2011-07-12T19:34:00.003-08:00

Wow it has been a long time since I have worked on my etsy shop. It has been all but dead. I have been so busy doing my booth and local shows that I have totally ignored my online store. Here are some of the pictures my soldered boxes that will slowly be loaded into the etsy shop. These boxes are my favorite pieces. They are so unique, I always get stopped when I am wearing one of them.

I am loving this new grill

2011-06-30T10:05:00.002-08:00

It was time to purchase a new gas grill for the deck and my hubby and I were debating which would be the best pick at Home Depot. While looking at the gas grills I saw this Char Broil Infra Red grill. I had heard good things about them, but didn't know too much about them. While making our decision a stranger came up to us and said, "Get the Char Broil Red, I have one and love it." He was there with his neighbor, who was buying one after having dinner the night before at his house. So we thought what the heck we will give it a try. It is different from our old grill, it has a metal bowl that seperates the fire from the food below the grill. So the bowl makes it indirect heat and prevents flame ups. I hated grilling before because the flame ups freaked me out. I almost caught the deck on fire once, so I quit grilling and hubby had to do it all. Not anymore I am loving the grill. So far we have made chicken wings, chicken kabobs, grilled veggies, and french bread pizza. My son is so excited with all of the new things I am making on the grill. So far I have used it every night this week. My only regret is that we bought a 2 burner and not the larger 3 burner unit. Honestly, it was price that kept me from getting the big one. Now that I know how much I will be using it, and not my wonderful Green Egg, I wish I had the big one. So if you are in the market for a new grill seriously consider this one it is Sweet!

I went to Junk Heaven

2011-06-29T04:31:00.003-08:00

I am sworn to secrecy, sorry, a friend took me to junk heaven. Look at all of this great rusty stuff! The property has barns and sheds all over and each is filled with old great kooky stuff. I didn't get any pictures inside of the barns because it was so dark. I have a huge fear of snakes and walking around this place took every ounce of courage I could muster. I ended up with a good bunch of glass soda bottles from the 1940's and 1950's. They look so sweet in my booth with hydrangeas in them. I also got a vintage green/rusty folding chair that would look sweet on the porch with a pot of geraniums resting on the seat, and a rusty sign. All for very little $, I told you it was junk heaven! I want to go back some time when it is cooler out and the snakes aren't waiting for me.

Queen of Hearts Alpharetta Booth

2011-06-21T14:47:00.002-08:00

My super talented friend Vikki came out to help me rearrange my booth. She is sooo talented. She makes these awesome photo boards you see in one of the pictures. I wish you could see them in person to see how cool they are.

Christi Friesen will be teaching in Georgia!

2011-06-18T05:44:00.004-08:00

I am so excited to be taking a polymer clay class from Christi Friesen. If you don't know who she is go here and check out her wonderful whimsical talent. She will be teaching a class in Buford Ga at Barbara McGuires new teaching facility. I have not been there yet, but am anxious to check it out. To get the info on the class go here. Be sure to let me know if you are going!
Here is one of my Christi inspired pieces from the past. It is a steampunk heart.

Ahh home again

2011-06-15T10:12:00.002-08:00

I am home from a wonderful week in Mexico seeing the sites around Cancun including Tulum. Tulum is an ancient Mayan ruin that sits on the Caribbean Sea. They really could pick a beautiful area. I learned so much in the short time we were there and it makes me want to further learn about the Mayan people, so interesting. Now it's time to shake the sand out of my toes and get back to work. There are so many things I want to make and do. Come back and see some of my new jewelry very soon.

Flower Power Headbands

2011-06-04T18:14:00.002-08:00

These cute little fabric flowers are now going onto head hands. I don't seem to be getting tire of making these and finding new things to do with them. I made a bunch of head bands this week, this is just a small sampling. I need a cute little girl to do some modeling for me. I will have to beg one of my neighbors to do some modeling.

New handmade jewelry displays

2011-05-30T12:07:00.003-08:00

I have been busy this week making these handmade dress forms for my jewelry. I am loving how they turned out. Although they are a bit trick. I ended up having a bit of trouble with one of them fraying at the chest, rats! Oh well, the jewelry looks great on them in my booth. I am going to make a bunch more to sell, I am addicted.

What I have been up to lately...

2011-05-24T04:43:00.004-08:00

I am still recovering from my surgery last month, but it seems to be going very well with no problems. Yeah!! Now I am back into creating all kinds of goodies. I am still obsessed with my flowers making headbands, scarf and pursed embellishments. Also, I have been playing more with Little Windows resin making more of these steampunk pendants. I am experimenting with different types of materials to hang it from I will post those later this week.
I am also working on an item that I will be selling in my etsy shop with the proceeds going to the Red Cross to help the tornado victims from the recent storms that hit The South and Joplin Missouri. Please come back and check it out.

I'm back! sort of.....

2011-05-05T05:46:00.003-08:00

I feel like I have been on another planet for the last week and a half. I had to have abdominal surgery last week. I was really laid up for most of last week. I am getting better and being very careful not to damage the repair work that was done on me. I have learned my lesson. The body does need time to heal.
Now though I am feeling better and am itching to get some jewelry made. We are participating in the Woodstock Outdoor Market this weekend and hope to go even if its just for a short period of time. Stop by and say hi if your in the area.

Happy Easter to all

2011-04-24T09:32:00.002-08:00

I hope you are having a beautiful day to celebrate Easter wherever you are at. It could not be a pretty day here in Georgia. The sun is shining and there is the softest breeze making it the perfect temperature. My kids are getting pretty grown up, but were still excited to get their Easter goodies. I overdid it a bit on chocolate, wait you can never over do it on chocolate can you. All good everyone is happy.
Peace to all of you.

Soul Sisters Special at Lakewood

2011-04-14T16:27:00.002-08:00

The Soul Sisters are kicking it out this weekend at Lakewood Antique Market in Cumming Ga. We have some great jewelry, t-shirts, scarves and other goodies perfect for Mom or yourself. We are giving everyone who makes a purchase a chance to pick out an egg that could contain anything from a yummy piece of chocolate, a percentage off purchase or a free piece of jewelry!
Come out and check us out this weekend!

Lakewood Antique Market next Weekend

2011-04-12T03:27:00.003-08:00

I have been busy creating new items for Lakewood this weekend and my Queen of hearts booth. It keeps me out of trouble so it's a good thing. I have been loving on the steampunk theme, here are some new necklaces and pendants that will be for sale soon. I used Little Windows resin to make these. If you have not heard of Little Windows check it out here. Fran has a great product and site. Her blog features some really fun projects to make using her resin.

Copper handstamped hearts

2011-04-04T15:36:00.002-08:00

These little hearts are so sweet and I love the copper color. I have used these alone and with other charms on a necklace to create a theme. I cut these hearts from a sheet of copper, hand stamped them with various inspiring words, then domed them w/ my dappling set. I kind of got carried away and made a ton of them. I am destashing my supply and listing them on etsy. You can check them out in my etsy store www.alphaneenee.etsy.com

A windy day in Woodstock Ga

2011-04-02T13:59:00.002-08:00

The Soul Sisters are participating in an outdoor market this weekend in Woodstock Ga. We saw there was a wind advisory, but how back could it be. Well, I am happy I wasnt there for the crash. Two heavy antique doors were taken with the wind and took out some of the display behind the booth. I am soo glad I was not there for it. I am an extremely nervous person when it comes to displays, throw in the wind and I am beside myself. People who do outdoor fairs are very brave indeed, I dont think I am one of them. Tomorrow it is supposed to be calm, sunny and around 71 degrees a great day to come out and shop.

Queen of Hearts Alpharetta Booth

2011-03-30T11:53:00.003-08:00

My wonderful talented friend Vikki remerchandised my booth Monday and it looks fabulous. I took these pictures today, but it really does not do it justice. I am so thankful to have such a generous friend give her time to me. It really does make such a difference when it is merchandised well. She brought this great old enameled table top to display my magnets on. She also brought her gorgeous photo boards that she has made from salvaged materials. These will soon be available at www.soulsistersgeorgia.etsy.com You can also go there to see her incredible belt buckles she makes using found vintage jewelry and other odds and ends. Really cool and unique.

Sweet Nest Ring

2011-03-30T04:53:00.003-08:00

www.etsy.com/listing/01234567/sweet-nest-ring
I have a new listing in my etsy shop. It is one of my resin rings. This one is a Mama Bird's ring. It has a sweet little nest with three eggs sitting on a tiny branch and encased in resin. So sweet!

Paper Mill Market This Weekend!

2011-03-24T15:52:00.003-08:00

We are so excited about participating in the Paper Mill Market in Marietta Ga this weekend! This is a european style market with some really wonderful vendors. Each category is very limited so there is a very nice mix of items for sale.
Here is some of my newest pieces. I did a lot of steampunk necklaces and rings. I also did some mixes of soldering and rosary chains, my favorite. Hope you come out and see us!

Busy Weekend!

2011-03-16T07:19:00.006-08:00

Wow it is going to be a busy weekend for me. It is time for Lakewood Antique Market this weekend. It starts on Friday at 9am and runs through Sunday at 5pm in Cumming Ga. We are merchandising the booth making it oh so pretty. We are offering a 15% discount off of your total purchase if you use the phrase, "I love the Soul Sisters" when you make your purchase. So come by and see us this weekend.

Also, starting on Thurs. Queen of Hearts Alpharetta is having their annual "Spring Fling." The vendors have been fluffing their booths with wonderful garden themed items. I have lots of new fabric flowers I will be offering. There will be free food and drinks everyday through Sunday (some really yummy sandwiches and tea party fare). Their will be a non profit group selling plants in the parking lots. So come by and check it out I am sure it will be a beehive of activity.

Jewelry displays from Goodwill

2011-03-14T11:36:00.003-08:00

On a recent trip to Goodwill I found these glass candlestick holders and clear glass plates. I was able to use my E=6000 glue to put them together. And now I have cute little display dishes for bracelets or necklaces. Also this would be so fun for cupcakes at a birthday party. I haven't had a chance, but I think I will embellish the base with rhinestones, so much fun. Oh the cost $1.40 each, not bad.

Reloading my etsy shop

2011-03-11T12:07:00.002-09:00

I have let my etsy store go all but dormant. I have had so many other things keeping me busy that I have let the store go quiet. I love selling on etsy, it could not be easier or cheaper to sell your wares to the world. Everyone can enter the market with their own little creations. Here is a new necklace I just listed. I am continuing to use what I already have. No more buying... wow that is so hard for me. Joanne's and Micheal's stores know we will come to their stores with our 40% coupon and buy something whether we need it or not. So hard to let them expire.

Use what you have...

2011-03-09T14:09:00.003-09:00

I keep repeating this to myself. I have such a huge stash of beads, pendants etc, etc, etc. I really need to eliminate half of what is in my craft room to make it functional again. I guess I am a hoarder now trying to be a reformer. Here are some necklaces I just made using up some of the semi precious beads I have. They are going into the etsy shop for sale. What do you think of them?

Winner winner chicken dinner!

2011-03-08T05:37:00.002-09:00

True Random Number Generator
Min:
Max:
Result:
1
Powered by RANDOM.OR
Dustee you are the winner. I need you to email me your addy to send you your domino! Thanks to everyone who become a follower of my blog. I will have lots of good tutorials coming and other fun stuff to check out.
Thanks!

New rosary link necklace

2011-03-04T16:38:00.004-09:00

I am taking an online jewelry class with the most talented Deryn Mentock. It is called the Build Zone on her Something Sublime blog. It is a class for making mixed media jewelry. She shows you through videos each step of the process. I am working on week three and this is a sample of my work so far. I have to be one of the world's worst at wire wrapping. Since starting the course I think I have improved greatly, but still have a long way to go. It's nice to be able to watch the video over and over until you get the skill mastered. Check it out there is still time to join in on the fun.

Time for a give away!!

2011-03-03T13:34:00.007-09:00

I have not done a give away in a long time. I am going to be giving away one of my fun steampunk domino pendants. I have a tutorial here, if you are not the lucky winner and want to make one for yourself.
How do you get into the drawing, easy. First, become a follower of my blog if you aren't already. Just click on the "follow me" button on the right side. Second, leave a comment here w/ your email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. I will use the random number generator to pick the winner on Sunday evening March 6. Good Luck!

More bubble pendants

2011-02-23T15:46:00.003-09:00

I have been busy soldering again. I made a ton of these monogram glass bubble pendants. They are all on vintage paper either an old book or hymnal. I love the yellowish glow of the old paper. I use a bold typewriter font that really pops under the glass. You can find them in my Soulsistersgeorgia etsy shop. Ok back to work!

More jewelry displays

2011-02-23T15:20:00.006-09:00

Here are some photos of my booth. You can see how the clock turned out to display my jewelry. I need to really fill it up. The fleur dis lis board is a regular cork board that I wrapped with burlap and stamped w/ the giant fleur dis lis. A really easy fix to personalize a cork board.

Paper Mill Market

2011-02-22T11:02:00.001-09:00

Here is the flyer for the upcoming Paper Mill Market in Cobb County Ga. If you're in the area stop by and see the Soul Sisters. We are working hard on some really great jewelry and art.

New jewelry displays

2011-02-12T10:39:00.003-09:00

I am always looking for something that is eye catching and easy to tote to display my jewelry. Here are some displays I worked on today. I got a huge broken clock from the Ballard's Outlet store that I thought would work for me. I got long screws and nuts and spaced them out on the clock. It looks pretty nice in my booth, I jusst hope the jewelry doesn't disappear on the clock face.

I got these over sized cork boards at a garage sale for $2.00. I painted the frame first in a satin black, then mod podged my old book pages onto the board. It gives just enough texture to the background to make the board interesting. Have any other ideas to share? I would love to hear them.

Creepy

2011-02-12T06:01:00.004-09:00

I then went to a mannequin supplier that was just a bit creepy . Here is the view when he openen the garage door! You just don't expect to see body parts hanging around.

Here are some photos I took yesterday. There is a man selling preserved creepy and cool stuff next to us at Scotts Antique Market. He had beautiful butterflies, moths, beatles, scorpions, and even Wolf Bats. It really gave me the heebie jeebies.

Queen of Hearts Alpharetta

2011-01-30T04:54:00.002-09:00

My booth at the Queen of Hearts Alpharetta has been a little neglected lately. I have been so busy with our monthly markets I have not been able to get to my booth regularly. I did get a new little hutch that is great for displaying my jewelry. I hope to have Vikki come and help me make it look fabulous like she does everything else.

We are going to sell at Scotts Antique Market!

2011-01-28T05:54:00.004-09:00

For those of you in the Atlanta area we are going to have a double booth at the Scotts Antique Market in February the 11, 12, and 13th wow Valentines weekend. We are excited to be participating in the show. We have heard only fabulous things about how big it is, how many great vendors they and how many people come from near and far to shop at Scotts. You can see their website here for maps and hours etc. We are going to be in the South Bldg J-4. Woo hoo!

My Charming necklaces

2011-01-27T03:44:00.003-09:00

I post awhile back about making some "pretty little charms" for some necklaces that needed a little pizzaz. Here is one of the charm necklaces I made with them. I made these for my holiday shows and they were a big hit. I have mananged to save one for myself that I love. It has the most beautiful St. Christopher medal on it. It looks like it is ancient.
This necklace is however for sale in my etsy shop. It also has a very old religious medal, a cute bee stamping, cross and of course several of the charms I made. You can check it out here.

I'm teaching my favorite class

2011-01-24T11:04:00.002-09:00

I have not taught any classes in quit awhile. It seems there has been way too much going on around here. I am going to be teaching how to make these beautiful steampunk style hearts at the Bead Bug in Milton, Ga. The hearts are made from polymer clay and I promise you can't make just one. The class will be held on February 3 at 11am. Contact the store at 678-297-0970 to reserve your spot!

I love the graphics fairy

2011-01-23T09:19:00.005-09:00

You do have a fairy god mother. It's the graphics fairy. You should subscribe to her blog if you have not already. She has free awesome graphics everyday. Here are some I downloaded from her. Just go here.

My talented friends

2011-01-21T06:54:00.004-09:00

I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends and so talented. Lori, is one of the Soul Sisters that I am part of. We are selling our jewelry at our local antique market and now online with Etsy. Here are some of Lori's beautiful creations, she is a very talented metal smith. These are pieces she etched to perfection. You can find out more about them here.

Flower Power

2011-01-21T03:33:00.003-09:00

I am loving making these sweet little flowers. I think they are just the right amount of rustic with a pop of whimsical color. I have been making them into hair pins, jacket pins, and even applying them to little canvas bags. These here are going into my booth at Queen of Hearts Alpharetta. They are the perfect size for your phone, id, and money. No bulky purse, perfect for the flea market. I better keep one for myself.

Snowed in projects

2011-01-15T12:34:00.002-09:00

Wow the ice has been awful here. We are finally melting today woohoo! I was stuck in the house and got a couple of collages done for Lakewood this weekend. I made them out of very bright and whimsical patterns. Something to melt the heart.

My first sewing project

2011-01-11T05:28:00.003-09:00

I did get my new sewing machine for Christmas,decided on the Husqvarna Emerald 118. I love it, it's like butter if you know what I mean. I was a bit afraid to touch it for the first couple of days worried I would screw up all of the settings. I did get over it and made this funky fleece scarf. Now for you seamstresses looking at this I am sure you are thinking wow that's pretty basic stuff. I know, I am going from the bottom and working my way up in difficulty. I want to master every step before going to the next. So it will be a slow journey, but I will get there. I will post as I go.
My mom was an excellent seamstress, wish I would have been smart enough to let her teach me at the time. Well it's a snow day and my machine awaits me, I will post my next project soon!

Snow Day!!!

2011-01-10T12:45:00.002-09:00

I live in the part of the south that got smacked by the winter snow. The "historical snow event," as it is being referred to here by our local news. I don't know who is enjoying it more the kids or the dog. Sadie has been scratching to go outside as soon as she gets back inside. My son has taken the wheels off of his skateboard to do some "snowskating." It is just beautiful outside, but I can say I am sure happy that is not the norm for us.

Studio clean up

2011-01-06T03:46:00.002-09:00

I have confessed multiple times here on my blog that I am a craft supply hoarder. My studio was unpassable for the last couple of months. I have been working hard on getting it back to usable again. As a result I am giving tons of stuff to Goodwill, and loading up my etsy shop with supplies that others may be looking for. Here are some of my grab bags of pendants that never got made into necklaces. There will be much more to come.

Free Vintage Valentines

2011-01-05T04:12:00.002-09:00

There is a wonderful store in St. Louis called, "The Red Lead." It is one of my favorite places to visit when I go home for the holidays. I spend a ton of money when I go and I love, love, love everything they sell. The good news is they also have an online store so you can get some of their wonderful goodies too. Right now on their blog they are giving away free vintage valentines like the one above here. So hurry up and go get some and take a look at the online store you won't be sorry. Just click here.

New sewing machine for me!

2010-12-30T15:40:00.004-09:00

My sweet husband got me a new sewing machine for Christmas. He admitted he had no idea what kind I wanted, but wanted me to have one to open up on Christmas. So now I am thinking I am going to return the basic Kenmore he got me. I was looking at Joannne's and they had some very sweet sewing machines. Unfortunately, I am not the best seamstress and only need the basic sewing machine. All of the bells and whistles would be wasted on me I am sure. So my question to you my blog friends is do any of you have the husquarna Emerald 118? It is the electronic base version for them. I would love to hear any feedback or input any of you have for me. I want this to be the last sewing machine purchase for me ever. Thanks to any of you that have some input for me.

Holiday stress??

2010-12-21T05:49:00.003-09:00

You are not the only one here is a little story about the big guy himself when he was very stressed one year at Christmas.

A Little Christmas Story
When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.
Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.
When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.
Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.
Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the cider and hidden the liquor.. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.
Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.
The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Not a lot of people know this

Happy Holidays to all of you!!

The Soul Sisters

2010-12-13T04:08:00.003-09:00

I am so lucky to be included in a group of uber talented group of artists. Four of us are primarily jewelry artist, then there is one incredible salvage artist. We call ourselves the Soul Sisters. This group is the most generous hearted I've ever been around. No on thinks of themselves first, they are always talking about someone else's talent. No one complains, no drama it's all about putting the others first. Yes I am very blessed to be asked to be part of this group.
We are going to have a permanent space together at Lakewood Antique Market in Cumming Ga. Our first show in the permanent spot is this weekend December 17, 18 and 19th.
You can check out our new blog to see our upcoming shows and previews.

Market 334 Sneak Peek

2010-12-10T04:23:00.003-09:00

The ladies are working on the booth at Market 334 in Cumming today. Here is a sneak peek at some of the awesome offerings we will have there. Vikki the master of all design will be there will her repurposed salvage crosses, photo frames, and jewelry holders. These are truly amazing one of a kind items. If you see one you want you have to grab it because it can never be reproduced. Kelli Smith will have her awesome leather cuffs. These are so hot right now and she really rocks them. I am the proud owner of one her rhinestone/leather beauties. Mari Mogitz will be there with her metal smithing tools so she can customize charms for all in need of a great gift. You just really need to make time to come by and see us it should be terrific.

Market 334 here we come

2010-12-06T11:14:00.002-09:00

There is a new venue in Cumming Georgia called, Market 334. It is located at 334 Dahlonega st. It is a variety of artisan crafters, and farmers market. Last weekend was the inaugural show. We will be participating each Saturday for the month of December and hopefully every Saturday in the future. The market looks like it has a terrific homey setting w/ a great variety of vendors. Sounds like a fun way to spend a Saturday morning to me.

More shows...

2010-12-03T19:06:00.003-09:00

We are in high gear for shows right now. We had a great time today. I am so lucky to be working with such talented artists. Here are a couple of photos I shot before everyone arrived.

Lakewood Antique Market

2010-11-25T09:54:00.005-09:00

We had a great first weekend at Lakewood. The response from everyone was awesome. The booth looked great and we decided that we will be regulars at the monthly antique show. You can find us in Hall G on the left hand side. We are going to be the "Soul Sisters." We are working on the booth design now, Vikki will have it looking incredible. So come find us on December 17, 18,or 19 we will have a bunch of great new items for sale.

St Piux Holiday Market

2010-11-21T17:15:00.004-09:00

I had a great day at St. Piux X on Saturday. The community really supports this school and they came out in droves to attend the holiday market. I had so many return customers stop by and say hi. It was really fun to chat with everyone. I also had some really awesome people set up near me too. Tiffin Mills has hand made home goods. I bought the cutest apron for her. It is sooo cute and excellent quality. You should check her out at www.linwoodavenue.com. On my other side was Fran of www.vernaleedesigns.com She had the most beautiful and purses, and wallets all handmade from vintage style fabrics. I wanted them all!

Adventures in Etching

2010-11-18T03:08:00.002-09:00

I bought a bottle of ferric last year after being inspired by Stephanie Lee's book. Then I started to see etching in other articles and my friends were also doing it. It was time to get over my fear and try it. Well I should have reread the instructions first, which of course I didn't. I tried a brass cuff and part of a copper sheet. The copper did not look like anything when it was done because the image I used was not bold enough and not enough ink was used. Here is the brass cuff, later when asking a wonderful friend about my results she told me it had to be flat to etch correctly. Well at least I tried it. I am still very freaked out using the chemical, but I will try again when I have time to do it correctly.

Holly Days Market

2010-11-11T18:44:00.004-09:00

I am so pleased to be participating at the Holly Days market. It is such a wonderful group of vendors and such a well prepared show. Last night was the first night. I had a great night and had fun talking with all the people who came to shop. My biggest problem was I had a 6ft table. Now that does not sound that small, but it really is tiny. I could not put out all of my necklaces which really bothers me. I try to make each one unique, what if the one under the table is the one they really wanted??? Oh well, I am making the best of it. The cork board was a $2 garage sale find. I painted the frame black then put on some vintage book pages with my Claudine Hellmuth's gel medium. I love the way the pages look in the background. I did get a lot of compliments on my display. One lady even said it looked like I put as much effort into the display as I did the jewelry. I appreciated that because I really did put some thought into the display. If your in the Atlanta area the show is on Friday as well until 1:30 pm. Come by and say, "Hi."

Queen of Hearts Holiday Open House

2010-11-10T03:44:00.002-09:00

Thursday night will be the official start of the holiday season at Queen of Hearts Alpharetta. The store will have special displays that incorporate many of the vintage items the dealers are selling their booths. There will also be lots of wonderful food and drinks being served to make the shopping even more pleasurable. If you have not been to Queen of Hearts Alpharetta this is an awesome time to go.

I wish I had a picture...

2010-10-31T17:34:00.004-08:00

It's Halloween, one of my very favorite holidays. I have taken to this holiday with such fervor. In the sixth grade when I heard my teacher say those magical words, " we are going to let you wear your Halloween costumes to school," I went nuts. I knew I had to have something really special, not just your typical princess costume. It hit my like a ton of bricks, "Super Chicken!" At this time, 1978, there was no super chicken but I saw it in my minds eye. I took an old t-shirt and cut out feathers from yellow cloth and covered it, my mom saw the idea and jumped in making me faux chicken feet, legs and head. Needless to say it was a huge hit at my school. Fast forward to my college days. There was a local bar offering big prizes for best costume. I racked my brain, instead of studying and came up with "Gumby." The way Eddie Murphy played him on SNL. I made the whole thing out of foam rubber and sprayed it with a ton of green spray paint, to say it was flammable was an understatement. I won first place at the local bar, my friends smelling a sweet took me from bar to bar. I won them all. I can tell you it was the most frightening experience, with all of those lit cigarettes around me. It was a blast, I loved it and all of the fun that goes with it. I miss those days, now I must be the one giving out candy and congratulating those who hit the mark of costume excellence! If only someone had a picture of me in that Gumby outfit, dammit!

Bridal Jewelry

2010-10-31T12:02:00.002-08:00

Did you know you can order custom jewelry for your wedding at the Bead Bug. Here are some photos of some recent orders. We use sterling silver, pearls and crystals all customized to your specifications for you and your wedding party. Stop by and talk to Mary for a consultation on creating heirloom jewelry for your special day.

Pretty Little Charms

2010-10-26T14:35:00.003-08:00

I have been busy creating all kinds of jewelry preparing for my upcoming shows. Here are some pretty little charms I made the other night. They will be added to some necklaces that need a little extra pizazz. If you have not tried using resin yet, I would encourage you to go ahead and take the plunge. It really isn't that scary and the results are fabulous. I used Little Windows resin for these charms. It is easy to use, no odor and very little bubbles to deal with. Start looking around at all the little cool things you have collected and could imbed in the resin. I bought a boat load of these bezels and will probably be listing some in my etsy shop if you are interested. Email if you need more info!

Queen Bee Necklace

2010-10-22T11:17:00.004-08:00

I just love this new necklace I made. I am just love the little bee I used . I think it must strike a cord with a lot of women, because I am getting a lot of "buzz" about it lol. I listed another one in my Artfire if you too are a Queen Bee.

Great tip to find your lost cell phone

2010-09-29T10:58:00.002-08:00

I have two tips to help you when you have lost your phone. I canceled home phone service long ago. My kids wouldn't answer it because their friends would only call their cell phones. It seemed the only people calling me on the land line were solicitors. So out it went & now it's only cell phones. The problem is when I put it down in the house and am home alone I can't find it sometimes. I just found out if you have a gmail account, there is the option to place a phone call from your gmail. It is a simple download, and you test your microphone to make sure you can be heard and you are in business. Currently, this is a free service, but may change in 2011. Please read the fine print before you do this.

The second tip is when you have your phone on silent and can't find it. My son downloaded an app called "fetch it". If you send your phone the text, "fetch it" it will set off your text alert even when set on silent. I have not tried it, but it could save a lot of frustartion.

New Soldered Boxes

2010-09-22T14:45:00.002-08:00

I have been busy making soldered little boxes. They are a lot of fun to make. They are a bit labor intensive, but I love how they turn out!

Felted Soap

2010-09-15T17:29:00.007-08:00

I wanted to try felting soap after I saw some beautiful soap at Anthropology. It allows you to shower without using a wash cloth or puffy thing. So I started with a plain bar of glycerin soap. Then I wrapped 3 different colors of wool roving tightly around the bar. Once I got it looking the way I wanted, I slipped it into a cut off foot of panty hose ( I knew these were still good for something). I then put a little bit of dish soap and hot water on it then rubbed it vigorously between my hands. You are trying to work and lock the wool fibers together at this point. I rinsed the suds off in the hot water and worked it for just under ten minutes. Once I felt I hand felted it well I slid it out of the hose and put it on my deck rail to dry. It turned out great! I think this would be fun for the kids to do, just make shure they don't rub the soap into their eyes. They will be asking to take a bath! You can find a much better explaination on how to do this on You Tube. Just search for felted soap. Let me know if you try it.
I apologize the photos are out of order, not sure how to rearrange them in blogger. I always forget to do things in reverse order.