Showing posts with label Recommendations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recommendations. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Hand-carved stamps

stamp of me

With having a full-time job now, crafting is something I have little time for.  Back when I was home all day, I had more time to keep up with my beloved blog and could work on projects and tutorials.  Now-a-days I only have time on the weekends to do things I love.  (I also don’t have time to style photos to be “blog-worthy” either.)

My latest endeavor has been stamp making.  My mother got me carving tools and rubber for my birthday and since then I’ve been hooked!  Here’s a little of what I’ve been making in my spare time.

hand-carved stamps

little boy and girl stamps

boy and girl stamps

kitty stamp

fox stamp

I’m still only a novice but here’s a little of what I’ve learned so far:

  • Speedball products are pretty good.  It seems like that’s what a lot of people use who carve stamps.  The pink rubber is way better than the blue.
  • Take your time.
  • Etsy is great place to start when looking for beginner kits.  This is what I got to start with before I moved to the Speedball stuff.  I still use the tools just as much.
  • YouTube has a great how-to videos.  Here’s one that I liked.
  • Don’t be afraid to dig in! (Pun intended!)

I’m also including a little “Pin-worthy” photo of how I created the stamp I did of myself.

how to hand-carve a stamp from an image

I hope this inspires you to create your own stamps.  It really is fun and you just may surprise yourself!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Free Valentine Printable

iloveyou_8x10

Thanks to good ole Pinterest, I found this pretty Valentine print that is offered for free from Persnickety Prints.  Wasn’t that sweet of them? <3

 

My boyfriend has a wireless printer that you can email stuff to directly and it will print the attachment.  I think I’ll download this little lovely and have it delivered to his printer.  Thank you technology!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Shop Handmade

shop handmade

By now, I think most people have at least heard of Etsy.  The handmade marketplace is certainly growing and it’s amazing to see all the creative talent there is out there.  I read some interesting facts about Etsy and it's growth here on the Flourishing Abode.

Picking out the perfect gift for someone is something I really enjoy and today I wanted to take the time to remind you all to consider buying handmade for all your gift giving this holiday season. It’s almost impossible not to find that perfect gift for someone on Etsy.   
I got to thinking.  Pinterest and Etsy would go great hand-in-hand for holiday shopping.  Just about everyone you know is on Pinterest, right?  Why not ask your friends and family to create a pin board wish list and Etsy is the perfect place to start.  Etsy is full of beautiful photos and if pinned correctly, it’s linked right to the place to buy it and the price is listed right there on the pin.
Are you new to Etsy or are you interested in exploring new shops? Here is a list of some of my favorite shops on Etsy.
the Merriweather Council
The Merriweather Council
I was just introduced to this shop recently through April Starr of Flourishing Abode. How could I have missed such a wonderful place? She has all sorts of brightly colored and fun embroidered necklaces! These aren't your grandmother's embroideries! She makes necklaces, personalized wall art and Christmas ornaments.  I can’t wait to own one for myself!

Flourish Cafe
Flourish Cafe
April Starr has to be one of my all time top fav people of this decade! She runs a fabulous blog called the Flourishing Abode, she's the owner of this great Etsy store and she contributes her awesome knowledge all over the internet these days. She has a blog definitely worth reading.

Fabric Paper Glue
Fabric Paper Glue
Here is another of my fav people, the cutest little pixie fashionista I've ever seen. Mandy of Fabric Paper Glue has such a great signature style that you can find in her shop or on her blog where you are sure to fall in love with her too. Any item in her shop would be a nice gift for the fashion forward gal in your life.

clockwork universe

Clockwork Universe
Follow me on Pinterest and it won’t take long to figure out that I’m so in love right now with vintage clocks. I’ve got a few favorites on my list from this shop, they’re all so handsome.  I don’t think I could ever pick just one.  Most of these are from the Soviet Union period.  I love this little bit from the seller’s profile, “The Clockwork Universe is a theory, established by Isaac Newton, as to the origins of the universe. A "clockwork universe" can be thought of as being a clock wound up by God and ticking along, as a perfect machine, with its gears governed by the laws of physics.”

Happy Deliveries
Happy Deliveries
Oh how I love Letterpress!  I especially love this shop’s story of it’s name.  These prints make great gifts for the hard to shop for person.  I bought a print from Happy Deliveries a while back for my pastor’s wife when she was pregnant.  It said, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.”  Beautiful addition to a nursery, the print came quickly and packaged with great care.  I can’t wait to finally have one for myself.

Bean Forest
Bean Forest
Bean Forest has a crazy large selection of fun and quirky pins perfect for stocking stuffers or small gifts.  You may have a lot of fun reading through each of his hilarious pins and find yourself ordering a few for yourself.  I have many of his buttons and I’m always seeing more I want.  If you head over to his shop, reserve about an hour to read through and laugh at some pretty funny stuff.

Catherine Marissa
Catherine Marissa
What woman doesn’t like jewelry?  I love these dainty pieces in her shop and I would love to add them to my jewelry collection.  The selection in her shop makes it easy to pick out the perfect gift because any of these sweet pieces would work for dressing up or down.  You can’t go wrong in this shop!

One Garnet Girl
One Garnet Girl
If I ever get married again, I would love to have one of these rings as my engagement ring and wedding band.  After awhile, all engagement rings look the same but you can’t beat a one of a kind handmade wedding set.  How special would that be?  I have my eye on a set in particular and maybe one day I’ll be wearing it.  Bonus: All her items are always shipped to you for free!

Monster Gallery
Monster Gallery
Now here’s a little something for the guys.  I’m sure one of these movie posters is your guy’s favorite film.  Mine personally is Pee-Wee, I bought that print for my boys room.  I also love all the Wes Anderson prints.  Definitely a unique addition to the man cave.

Free Forged
Free Forged
A couple years ago, I bought the little black coal earrings pictured above and they quickly became my favorite pair.  They went with everything, but one day I lost one.  I emailed the seller to tell her how heartbroken I was to lose it and if she would considered making me another.  She was more than happy to and even offered to give it to me for free with the purchase of another item in her shop.  Now that is excellent customer service!  I still wear these earrings quite often.  They are so beautiful!



I hope you’ve found a new favorite shop or two and maybe I was able to give you some ideas for gifts, too.  Who are some of your favorite shops?  Found anything interesting on Etsy lately?  Or perhaps you’ve got your own Etsy shop you’d like to share?
Feel free to share the Shop Handmade graphic on your site or blog and pin away!  Please remember to credit me for the work. ;)
 

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Christmas gnomes

christmas gnomes 4

Woo-hoo!  I got some much needed sewing squeezed in this weekend!  I found this super cute pdf pattern on Etsy and it’s all I could think about during the week.  I couldn’t wait for Friday.

Collage

I missed out on filling my Etsy shop with Halloween treats but there’s no way I’m going to miss out on Christmas.  This pattern by Muse of the Morning is perfect for little Christmas gnomes.  The pattern is really simple and allows for embellishing.  To me, I thought they kind of looked like little Santas.

christmas gnomes 2

So I will have this cute little trio and lots of others for sale in my Etsy shop, thanks to Muse of the Morning, who so kindly allows her customers to sell the gnomes made from her pattern.
I’m playing around with different color combos for Christmas.  What colors are you doing this Christmas?  Have any ideas?
 

Monday, August 20, 2012

Fraggles and Friggles | Sponsor Highlight

fraggles and friggles
I am so very excited to introduce you guys to my second sponsor for Abernathy Crafts.  Her name is Elizabeth and she has a cute little Etsy shop called Fraggles and Friggles

A lot like my shop, Fraggles and Friggles is full of random and delightful crafts.  Right now she offers jewelry, coasters, hand-woven scarves, and screen printed tees.

Hydrangea earrings

I have to say, my favorite item in her shop is this pair Hydrangea earrings!  I love Hydrangeas and these earrings are so delicate and sweet.  I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that on Etsy and I like that she is creative enough to offer something different.

rhode island coasters

A lot of her inspiration comes from her mother whose love of geology and rocks is translated into her gemstone bracelets.  She also has a loom, so those great looking scarves she has are hand-woven.  I find that very impressive.

I’m so honored to have Elizabeth here and I hope you find her shop to be just what you were looking for.  I hope to see a lot more from her shop, I’m crossing my fingers for more science related geekery.

Thanks Elizabeth!

elizabeth mermelElizabeth is a big fan of up-cycling, has a degree in Microbiology and lives in Rhode Island with her boyfriend.  Visit her Etsy shop, Fraggles and Friggles and “like” her on Facebook.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Lavender Festival recap

festival 1
Saturday at the Lavender Festival was a success!  More pictures and details after the jump.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Keyka Lou Patterns is now Michelle Patterns

            59            108
After four years as Keyka Lou Patterns, she retired the name and is now officially known as Michelle Patterns.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Abernathy dolls




 I was making these dolls as gifts for special little girls in my life and I just love the way they turned out.  I bought the pattern on etsy but I made them into my own design.  So essentially I used a pattern to construct the shape.  The hair and faces are my creations.  All the little girls I've given them to love them and carry them around everywhere!  That tickles my heart!



ShareThis

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...