teapot creations

craft-table-scape

2012-02-01T07:21:00.000-08:00

The work on the French proverb piece has temporarily been suspended since I have received an order for a set of "chrysanthemum" cards, based on the dimensional embellishments from K&Company, my favorite manufacturer eveeeer!

Here is one card already assembled...

...and this is what the dining room table looks like currently:

French Gothic arch in progress

2012-01-31T10:15:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I started working on a Gothic arch piece, which will feature French proverbs with their English equivalents (which sometimes, of course, is not a word-by-word translation).

I started with cutting out the shapes - a manila folder became the 4-panel base; I painted the edges with gesso and then with pearly champagne acrylic with some gold accents. The backgrounds for each panel are cut out from the Chateau en Lavender stack I acquired during a recent trip to Joann's.

Then I heat-embossed some more golden accents and dyed the proverbs in strong tea to make them look historic. Ah, there is also some plant life stamped faintly in the background. I just love when the details are layered and you can discover some surprises when looking at the piece.

A few more steps to accomplish - adding some more details (I'm thinking flowers, burlap, a little bit of metal, maybe lace) and the Gothic arch will be ready for its French-loving recipient!

recycling musically in January

2012-01-30T08:25:00.000-08:00

In January a few music-related items based on recycled materials have passed through my craft table. The most recent one is a result of a find that happened on a cold and windy morning, when on the way home I spotted an old electric organ by the dumpster. The instrument, beautiful as it must have been in the days of its glory, looked broken and damaged beyond repair... so I allowed myself to partake of it as well. I still felt like a vulture yanking off parts of a carcass (by the way - did you know that vultures have such strong stomach acids that they can eat putrid meat, which potentially includes anthrax and botulinum, and it won't hurt them? What's more, they can also use their stomach content as a weapon, vomiting a defensive projectile at the enemy. Gross, but interesting.)

Back to my find... the most exciting key was "vox humana" - human voice", which I used incorporated into a necklace. I'm no jewelry expert, so it's not a perfect piece, but in my opinion it qualifies as "good enough" :)

Another musical craft was a little album made from an old cassette tape. I had to find one I wasn't emotionally attached to, because I still occasionally play some old cassettes I dragged here from Poland.

And then I converted the box from the cassette into a little stand for inspiring Scriptures and other thoughts:

Yay for recycling!

a new collectionary for the new year

2012-01-03T09:50:00.000-08:00

After a flurry of Sunday School crafts that stormed through my craft table, the time has come to focus on some other items. I've started with the first pages of the new collectionary which will travel with us to Israel. I always write a few intro pages after the dates have been settled, tickets purchased etc.

I had to do it by the end of December so that I could use the expression "L'shanah haba'ah birushalaim" - Next year in Jerusalem :)

The pages include a bunch of pictures from travel magazines, a teabag wrapper (since the Mount of Olives theme matches perfectly), a credit card flier (that;s the hat image), miscellaneous scraps and a printout of the itinerary. Can't wait to go - but then there is so much to do before it happens!

pasture and palace

2011-12-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the Sunday schools this weekend, the craft table (and the craft floor, as it turns out) are covered with David-themed items.

David the Shepherd will appear with his sheep in green pastures by cool waters, with sheep and a scary lion and bear. Then the kids will be making their own sheep, which will mostly consist in attaching cotton balls to their bellies.

David the King will reside in a palace, which looks like it needs some more decorating. Even though I think the kings in those days more likely lived in stony castles, we'll stretch history for the sake of prettiness here :) The kids will also make crowns for themselves and participate in a royal feast.

For the David-the-Musician episode, the kidlets will decorate lyres (which I still need to make) and create little books showcasing the themes on which he was singing: creation, Israel's history, life as a shepherd, prayer, God's word, life at Saul's court.

Also on the table - there is a stack of cutouts prepared for the initial pages of the Collectionary that will cover the Middle East trip - we purchased the plane tickets on Monday, so it would be good to start.

So glad to have a helper on the craft table - I couldn't possibly do it all by myself!

another tag-a-day spread

2011-12-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

Wonder of wonders - the second tag spread in my art journal is finished! Where did all these days go? I was doing so well, but now, after a super-busy weekend, I'm three and a half tags behind.

8 - prototype of the bauble card series
9 - first snow
10 - helping with a mailing at the press
11- a wonderful Christmas concert
12 - prototype of the lacy card series
13 - setting up branches in a clay pot, a.k.a. the floral foam fiasco
14 - Egg Harbor Cafe breakfast at work
15 - product day at work

between the kitchen, the bathroom and the home improvement store

2011-12-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

The card below, which I started about two months ago and finished this morning, includes some regular scrapbooking supplies (like a punched flower, glitter and shiny cardstock), but then we also have some less obvious materials from my stash, like the blue mesh, which I intercepted when a little piece was heading to the dumpster when our office was being insulated.

For the bathroom, there is the shaving cream snowflake, and also paper dyed with the same plus food coloring. The semi-glossy paper is a scrap from a press where some of my friends work (and bring me the said scraps). Finally, the silvery background for the bauble has been cut out of a fancy envelope we received at work.

And it's all good and fun... as long as you don't mind packratting odd materials at home, and walking from one room to another while constructing a simple card :)

snowballs?

2011-12-09T11:37:00.001-08:00

Nope - these are actually experimental beads made from salt and cornstarch. I found the recipe online and tested how it works in real life.

The beads look ok, especially after sanding and painting. They are really hard after they dry thoroughly, and have nice weight.

I really like the translucence of the flatter pieces - maybe it could be the material for some sort of tealight holder?

However, it was much easier to make a newspaper bead (it's the green one on the right); even though it could never pretend to be made of clay, because it's really light, I found it easier to sand it and handle in general.

This is is for a salt/cornstarch experiment - next, we will return to the regular paper programming.

in white and gold

2011-12-09T11:35:00.001-08:00

Here is a card created this morning - very simple in the color combination, but akhem somewhat baroque-ish with all the dots and cut-outs. It's Christmas, though - much sparkliness is allowed!

I have also surprised myself with a tag-a-day project; the idea came from Tim Holtz's 12 Tags of Christmas, but mine are, of course, waaaaay simpler than his. (His usually require between 30 and 50 steps, plus a mountain of fancy supplies.) I'm really liking this sort of diary, commemorating various experiments (I use tags to create prototypes of cards), and what happened on a given day. Here are the first eight, as pasted into my art journal:

musically, colorfully

2011-12-09T11:33:00.003-08:00

Last night we cranked up the Christmas atmosphere by attending a wonderful concert downtown. Some well-known numbers, some that I'd never heard before... and an awesome Hallelujah chorus as the grand finale. I was moved! (And the audience participated throughout the program, which made it even more fun.)

As for the craft table - not much happened last weekend, but I have a few series of cards from last week to present. Here are some WIPS...

... and the final products look like this:

a pate box altered

2011-12-09T11:33:00.001-08:00

There is this popular Polish pate that comes in a tin made from thick aluminum foil, silvery on inside and golden on the outside, and every time we finish one, I have a hard time throwing the container away because it could be turned into something. Realistically, though, I wouldn't have the time to treat all of them, and what would I do with a pile of altered pate cans? So - no, I don't hoard them.

Recently I've turned one into a pretty gift package - painted it with gesso and acrylics and created a lid out of cardstock.

The lid is covered with semi-glossy paper dyed with shaving cream and food coloring. The snowflake is slightly 3D from home-made puffy paint (shaving cream again, plus while glue).

Card factory

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001-08:00

I've been cutting and gluing daily, nightly and even morningly, preparing some orders, our own cards, Christmas keepsakes... A blissful condition, especially with pleasant music in the background.

The latest series started with testing the bauble design on a tag:

It worked - so a line of cards was created:

They are all a family, but there are no identical twins:

Some details - I've rediscovered Glossy Accents and I'm having loads of shiny fun with the little bottle!

Also, I need to note that today we woke up to the first significant snowfall this season (significant meaning actually reaching the ground and staying there in a visible manner). Another year when I'm going to love the living room view!

almost December...

2011-11-29T15:05:00.001-08:00

...and my art journal is still golden, presenting a fall photo with a little poem:

Here is a close-up of the little tiles - I wrapped cardboard with green tissue paper, then drew borders with 3d fabric paint, and when they dried, I filled in the squares with glossy accents.

Another page - still summery, mostly about reading and learning new words.

I'm working on Christmas cards as well - the first series was ordered by Tomek for his part of the family:

So much more to do before the Holidays...

chase bank cooperating with panera bread

2011-11-16T09:41:00.001-08:00

Chase Bank used a leafy picture in one of their documents, which I was unable to throw away... (This happens way too often!) Panera Bread, in turn, has those awesome bags made of thick brown paper, really nice to the touch, with subtle pattern imprinted on the front and back.

And here is how they melanged with a few pieces from the scrap box and a quote found in the trusty Quote Garden:

Also on my desk - work in progress on a bunch of post-it-notes, which will be wrapped into purses made from recycled Christmas cards:

And as for the larger sticky notes mentioned in the previous post - they've gained a bunch of siblings, represented here by four members:

it's snowing on my craft table

2011-11-14T07:57:00.001-08:00

The snowflakes came out of a Martha Stewart punch (no way I could EVER just cut a shape like this!) Then I treated them with gesso and two pearly colors of acrylic paint.

They ended up on the post-it-note booklets; I think I've finally figured out the sizes and methods, after a few experimental pieces, which did not come out perfect. Oh well. Now I know.

In the morning, I produced another batch of barbasnow, which should be perfectly dry by the time I get back home. Can't wait!

Morning crafts presented in the evening

2011-11-11T14:47:00.001-08:00

Early morning crafts are quite enjoyable, but also detrimental to my punctuality arriving at work... The good news is that I have time on the other end, so to say, to stay and make up for lateness, if it happens.

Today I made a briefcase for a little boy, who celebrated his birthday yesterday, so I added a miniature b-day card with a miniature cupcake. It was really hard to stay away from all the girliness for the post-its... cupcakes can be colorful, though, even for a boy!

Also prepared some components for snowy cards. I see another batch of barbasnow coming up in the near future!

And here is another photo to commemorate a date that will not happen again for a looooong, long time.

sticky note experiments

2011-11-10T07:43:00.001-08:00

People seem to like the little post-it-note purses, so I thought I'd try playing with the larger format. The purse idea doesn't really work that well here because they are too heavy and just fall over. Other ways of decorating are possible, though, and here is my prototype, where I figured out the sizes and assembly:

I tested fabric as well, but encountered a problem...

...namely ugly corners, as seen on the left! I think I got it right, though, after practicing on some scraps :)

Art journal page

2011-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

Some art journal pages... ok, MANY art journal pages are born because I come across a photo I really, really hate to throw away; it transports me to some magically beautiful place, or brings back memories, or invokes a thought.

Last Sunday I was trying to call my family in Poland, but the calling card refused to cooperate. I was sitting in my car, dialing the digits over and over again, browsing a travel magazine in between the attempts. A few images reminded me about a conversation from last summer - how the speedy pace of everyday life prevents us from pondering higher, more spiritual matters, from looking deeper, under the surface of the obvious and tangible.

"walk on the surface but look deep inside"

Barbasnow

2011-11-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

My dear and extremely patient husband has gotten used by now to less-than-usual activities going on at home, so he wasn't too surprised when I borrowed a little bit of his Barbasol shaving cream to create snow. The recipe can be easily found online - half cream, half white school glue, I threw in a drop of pearly white acrylic paint, mixed well... and here is snowfall accumulated on the roof of a little paper house!

Then I punched a snowflake out of cardstock and thusly made a stencil for further experiments:

I tried to sprinkle my barbasnow with glitter and sugar (sugar doesn't seem really work), mix glitter into the paste and also add snow on top of a stamped image. I would say the experiment has been successful, and now I have a new technique to incorporate in wintry cards!

Post craft show post

2011-11-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's craft show went great - as usual, there were really busy times, and also slow ones. The word of the day was "cute", since this is what most visitors say seeing the little post-it-note purses :) Note to self - bring a calculator next time, since multiplication of prices involving quarters gets tricky! I'm just too excited while talking to customers to use the same brain to do math :D

This is what the stand looked like, including the picturesque pipes and doors behind it:

A few details:

I thought some kids were playing with instruments in a rather incohesive way, but then the curtains opened and a band showed up! They played some Christmas music and a few other pieces, and it was lovely.

And finally - an overview of the hall:

A new page in the art journal

2011-11-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

After a while I have returned to my art journal - sometimes images or words go through my hands, and it's just nearly impossible to throw them away. So they end up in the journal, which is bursting in seams; looks like it's time to start Volume II!

The theme is my new fascination with cooking and baking, doing it "from the bottom of my heart" and not to just avoid starvation :)

And here is a work-in-progress photo if some post-it-not purses for Saturday:

I came to work on Monday...

2011-11-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

...and there was this gorgeous pile of Christmas paper on my chair! Nothing better to start the work week than a present like this. And they smell good, too!

So, in between the little purses for this Saturday's craft show in Elmhurst, I've been playing with this stack, and here are a couple representatives of the Triangular Tree series:

More to come, most definitely!

Needed a couple of cards for today...

2011-10-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

...one of them from the all-occasion category, so I decided to combine a painting by Van Gogh...

...with a little chipboard lantern that a girlfriend from Poland sent me last summer. I have a whole sheet of them, and I'm rejoicing, because they are fun! I didn't have the time to experiment too much, but just putting two coats of acrylic paint on it did the job.

The second card needed to be music-themed. I used a bunch of recycled materials here - I'm an incurable, genetically-predestined packrat (which has its pluses and minuses), and sometimes my craft room discoveries surprise even myself. This card includes the following:
- background from cardstock donated by a friend who was destashing;
- music from a Second Chance Store;
- chipboard intercepted in our mail center while on the way to the recycling bin;
- coffee cup wrapper;
- paper towel used at school to clean paintbrushes, gifted by a ten-year old ("Here, I'm sure you can use it somehow", he said, pulling a crinkly ball of paper out of his coat pocket. Yes, I can.)

A linguistic bookmark

2011-10-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

My attempt to learn Spanish was going so well... until I stood on the shore of the Ocean of Verb Endings. And there is no way around it - you just have to jump in and memorize them.

Still far, far away from any sort of success in this matter, I made myself a bookmark with all possible forms of a very popular (and regular) verb - hablar. Of course, it's not going to teach me everything, but at least I may be able to recognize the tense when I attempt to read Spanish texts, and in this way I will familiarize myself with the endings in general.

I used a cover from some old brochure, by now recycled, and papers from the scrap box. And a bunch of beads and buttons for the danglies. Danglies are so fun :)

Canada Collectionary

2011-10-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

We returned from Canada a few days ago and my Collectionary - travel journal written on the road - is pretty much ready! 95% of the process takes place in the car; the passenger door in our Impala is equipped with a couple of very convenient box-like spaces, where I can keep tools and pieces of memorabilia. I was never able to finish a journal if I started working on it after we had returned, and this new method is amazing!

Almost nothing is forgotten, since it's put down in writing right away. I also stopped pack-ratting larger travel brochures, which don't necessarily relate to our trip as a whole; I cut what I need and toss. Another advantage is that I had a reason to buy a bunch of cool pens - Sharpies and others :)

Here is the cover that I put together yesterday - the background is made from a Lake Superior map, and the images came from miscellaneous travel brochures:

And here are a few spreads:

On another note - I signed up for another craftshow (beginning of November in Elmhurst), so I will be working on the little purses again!

bright colors

2011-10-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Our little garden on the balcony did not fare too well this summer - some sort of bugs got into the flowers and then invaded the tomato as well. However, the basil and the hot peppers did great; we loved the freshly made pesto and now we are drying the hot red little babies to use them in winter.

The colors are so wonderful; almost too bright to look at in the morning sun. Enjoy!

an unexpected present

2011-09-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

When I came to work yesterday, there was a big Panera bag on my desk, which housed a sizeable vintage fruit cake tin... don't you just love this image?

Inside there was something even better than fruit cake (especially if it were to be the original one :D) - namely, several pounds of old buttons.

Yay! Last night I touched every single one of them, threw out a few that were old the unpleasant way, and the vast remaining bunch will be washed and dried soon. So much fun!

I also have a little bag of buttons from Poland which my Mom gave to me, but I'm too attached to them to use the them for anything and potentially part with these beauties. I start thinking, "Oh, this was my dress, and that was my Mom's apron" - and I'm done, can't even think of anything beyond just touching them and bringing back memories.

And then there is the button jar which i got from the Kids last Christmas... these I can use, no problem. There is just so much joy in those little colorful pieces of plastic!

Floral experiments continue

2011-09-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

This morning I experimented with a crepe paper flower based on this recipe - I just changed the button in the center to a little felt circle with some beads. And yes, there is glitter on the edges...

I'm wondering how to incorporate this flower into a card, where it will most likely end up - I've tried some felt components, but I'm not satisfied with this arrangement. Incidentally - the background is the guidebook about Canada, since we are going there next week (hoping to see a lot of nature, including some wildlife encounters, and some man-made highlights, like perhaps the Royal Mint in Winnipeg?)

And here is the whole family of recent experimental florals - the two smallest ones are made from used dryer sheets :) I think they need a little more umph, maybe a bead or at least some stitches.

An experimental flower

2011-09-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I found a tutorial for a cute little flower, so yesterday I brought paper, thread and buttons to work to do some crafting during lunchtime. Here is the result:

It turned out quite decent, except these beautifully yellowed pages from an old book (another Second Chance Store find) are a tad too fragile and when folded like this, they become brittle and tear easily. I shall experiment with some more stable materials (hm, I wonder if fabric would work as well? without the folds maybe, and with some stitching...)

I did not make these...

2011-09-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

...I received them in an exchange where we swapped clothespins. My present is all decoupaged, which is exciting, because I don't think I've ever had a decoupaged item in my hands! And it's also cool that when clipped onto something together, they form one whole flower image, so it's like a little puzzler.

Mine were all different - I covered one with tissue paper, one with a napkin, one was painted purple with nail polish (!) and had some glitter glued on, and the navy blue was decorated with heat-embossed letters saying "I'm keeping it for you", which is a play on words in Polish, since it also means "keeping my fingers crossed for you".

The blue background in the first photo is Fiskars' texture plates - I found them last night, while organizing the craft room closet. I guess they would be great with clay, but maybe I can use them for cold embossing with a stylus? Hm, will need to test this idea.

And, last but not least, I'm ordering a mountain of sticky notes to convert them into little purses. A couple of stores I've visited didn't have any in larger bunches, and the smaller sets tend to be pricey. So, I'll be pursing right after I return from Canada!

post-show post

2011-09-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

The show yesterday was fun - talked to a bunch of very nice people (met a lady who is going to Poland in a couple weeks, happy travels!), played with paper, craft-babysat sweet little Amanda (we used some heat-embossing MAGIC to make Mrs. Cat, Mr Snowman and some bookmarks) - and also made a little money :)

This is what the setup looked like...

...and the table...

...and the purses, my biggest hit - will be making more soon!

So - thank you to the folks that stopped by my table, and and even bigger THANK YOU to those who made a purchase!

navigare necesse est, or the joy of discovering new stamps

2011-09-23T09:03:00.000-07:00

The theme of the other stamp set brought from Poland is Sea Voyage, and it's been a little voyage in itself to use them! The first couple ideas didn't work out, so then some adjustments were made, and below are a few cards in progress:

Even though you can see exactly what image is on the stamp, there is always a little surprise in seeing how it actually comes out on paper, how it looks in this or that color of ink, on lighter or darker background; will it need more color (painting? chalk?), or maybe it will be nice just on its own. Maybe as the focal image, maybe as the background.

Changing the subject - a few more Christmas cards, with backgrounds that were originally included in a fall paper pack, but I like how they look with the old-fashioned illustrations and burlap.

Also, preparing the necessities for the craft show - the money box and some business cards:

One more night... and that's it! Gotta pack and go!

Christmas photo-cards

2011-09-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Three wintry photo-cards were born this morning, and as soon as the glue dried, they went to the balcony for some morning light + easel experiments.

This first picture was taken by my husband in the nearby Starved Rock State Park - plenty of inspiration there in their canyons, streams and forests!

The second one is from my kitchen window - I have a little picture there painted on glass and one winter subtle frost appeared around the contours:

The third one was taken in my town in Poland a couple years ago:

The photos are printed on thick glossy stock (I think I used Kinko's services - the whole printed page has been sitting in my stash for a while) and then I sandpapered the edges for a more interesting, sort-of-antique look:

Tonight's session in the craft room must start with some cleaning and organizing. There will still be piles, of course, but I'm beginning to have problems finding stuff, so I need to apply some method to this madness.

preparations for Saturday continue

2011-09-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Strawberries are done...

... and so are the elephants:

Christmas trees are almost ready...

...and charming Christmas paper is waiting in line:

As a crafty warm-up, I stamped some bags for potential customers last night - used big foam stamps acquired at a Second Chance Store a while ago, because one day they would of course find their use, and they did!

So many ideas are churning, but one must be reasonable and also do what NEEDS to be done. Oh well.

baubles, berries and big animals

2011-09-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Four more cards are finished: while in Poland, I visited Tuluz - a hobby store in Krakow and acquired a set of stamps with Indian designs. One of them was a mandala-like circle, which fit perfectly on my Christmas bauble template:

There are two new mini-series on my desk currently - one will feature elephants from the above Indian set, and the other - tasty strawberries, to remember the summer on a rainy day.

And just to show that not every idea works out - this was going to be the background for one of the baubles, but it just didn't look right. Oh well - NEVER throw anything away, as it may turn out to be perfect some other day!

busy weekend

2011-09-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

I got to play with sooooo much paper last weekend - I don't recall the previous instance of so much time spent in my craftroom (which looks like a tornado has passed through). It's all in preparation for a craft show this Saturday, so the marathon is no over yet.

Product one - post-it note purses, one of my fave crafts to make. And a way to use up some of the scraps from the Tiny Scrap Box.

Notepads big and small - a friend who works at a printing press has brought me neatly trimmed stacks of leftover paper a while ago, and they have been converted to notepads:

Some Christmas cards, using components left over from last year...

...and autumn-colored cards from lovely papers produced by my favorite supplier - K& Company.

The close-up shows the special coating on this paper, and the three-dimensionality of the embellishment (store-bought this time, gotta use up the box).

More to come... Christmas stars and cards; also need to make some business cards and bags to package the goodies. Oh, and the table setup - which has been already invented and piled up on the bed, but needs finalizing.Yay for Teapot Creations!

resurrecting this blog...

2011-09-06T17:30:00.001-07:00

...after almost two years.

the almost-final countdown

2009-11-11T09:24:00.000-08:00

The last two days before a long vacation are soooo nerve-wracking. So much to remember! I have a few to-do lists running – one at work, one at home and one crafting. Crossing things off is such a pleasure…

To raise the bar, stressful events have been added this time, like the craft show last Saturday or a visit to the dentist yesterday. That’s done, though. Whew.

I managed to find some time to work on a few candles – they are not finished, but the only thing that needs adding is the verbiage and possibly some embellishments.

playing with fire

2009-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I’m experimenting with candles again – making simple „candle cozies” for gifts for the upcoming trip to Poland, which starts the day after tomorrow. Of course, the paper needs to be taken off before burning, I feel like I should almost have a disclaimer on each candle :) But the people I’m planning to give these to know how to handle candles.

Each of them will have the fragrance name stamped on, so one of these is still work in progress. Ah, the possibilities are infinite! I’m thinking that maybe these prototypes are a little too simple, maybe I can add an extra embellishment of some sort – a brad, or a punched leaf.

post-show post

2009-11-07T14:26:00.001-08:00

Niki and I participated in the craft and bake sale at the Immanuel Church in Elmhurst. It was such a great experience! It was the first time for me and I feel sooooo much smater about the setup and the whole organization side of the event.

It turned out that the little post-it note purses were all sold out rather quickly, which makes me happy, because creating them is a ton of fun. Here are some examples that found new owners today:

Long time, no post…

2009-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

…and it’s already Christmas time in my craftroom! In fact, I’ve been working on Christmas items for the last few weeks, and also on various gifts for the family and friends I will encounter during my trip to Poland, which is going to begin next week. Yes, in a week at this time I will be most likely sitting on a plane somewhere over Europe!

All the cards are uploaded to Picasa. To spruce up this post, though, I will throw in a few pictures representing the different designs.

Patchwork card

2009-09-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

Got up early, made a card – Rudlis blogged about this nice idea how to use up scraps, which all paper crafters probably save because we are sure one day we can use them for something.

It’s a little patchwork of coordinated papers from K&Company, plus a stamped message, which has been sitting on my table for a week or so. Gotta love using up the stash!

a beautiful Sunday

2009-09-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

I've heard it's going to rain in the afternoon - so far, though, it's beautiful and sunny outside, and the cat is really enjoying it. That tree by our balcony is turning yellow so fast! It's always the first to sprout leaves in spring, and first to get color in the fall.

I'm looking forward to the fall colors - we already saw some in Upper Peninsula a couple weeks ago. To get there, we started the trip at around 3 am and then we saw this gorgeous sunrise on the way, with layers of fog softly wrapped around the shrubs and trees.

Purses going onto etsy

2009-09-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Yay, the little boxes have arrived, so I posted the first little post-it note purse on etsy! I’t soooo exciting, friends around me seem to like them a lot, so I’m hoping to spread some joy around.

A lady at the office asked me if I could make some more masculine post-its, and she suggested a snake, so I spent some time last night experimenting. A prototype was born, with shiny skin (H20 paints) and a zig-zag pattern on its back. I’m not sure if I fully like the background paper, I think I had something more jungle-like in mind. The colors on the snake would look more vibrant on a darker green background.

packaging research

2009-09-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

I spent some time yesterday trying to figure out the best way to ship the little post-it-note purses, if someone decides to purchase one. It needs to be as inexpensive as possible, quick, easy (forget putting together a dozen parts every time), and – first of all – safe. The purses are somewhat fragile, so until I figure out some other design for the handle, a rigid box is needed and the purse should not move inside.

It looks like the audio cassette mailers may be the solution. I thought they went pretty much extinct, and yet the packaging is still available! I would need to put a few Styrofoam peanuts inside (why does Styrofoam capitalize itself when I type it in Word??) and it will be good to go.
Nice. Now – on to making more purses, photographing, etc.

to hoard or not to hoard...

2009-09-16T09:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve been watching this show on TV about hoarders and I feel soooo sorry for those people! I don’t consider myself a hoarder, especially since my husband encourages throwing useless stuff away, but I would cry just as those people do if someone tried to organize my crafting stuff for me and toss some of it. Scraps of paper, nature findings, random pieces… It can all be used somehow!

Yesterday, for instance, I used a bunch of small pieces of paper to create business cards. While it’s definitely a very time consuming way of obtaining stationery and limits the quantities to dozens as opposed to thousands, it’s also perfect for late night when the brain isn’t into complicated processes.

I also experimented with the H20 paints, which I got last winter, when the manufacturer was going to close down the shop and offered a giant discount. Lo and behold, they got such mountains of orders that it allowed them to stay afloat despite the price cut. I was going to get those for my birthday, but oh well :)

So here is a card featuring flowers painted with blue H20s:

Winterscape Card

2009-09-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

I love Christmas cards with snow and wintry landscapes, so the stamp purchased at the garage sale on Saturday didn’t have to wait too long to be used. Here is one finished card (pity you can’t see the pearly shine of the patterned background), and a colored image for another card.

2009-09-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

I’m slowly reviving the little store I had on teapotcreations.etsy.com. I’ve started posting cards there, and the goal is to include the little purses as well and possibly other creations. Ah, so much to do, so little time – as usual!

Over the weekend, I stopped at a stamp/scrap garage sale having seen this enormously tempting sign on the roadside. Wow, the whole driveway full of treasures! And some more inside the garage! I purchased three very different stamps, which I’m hoping to test very soon.

I also made some new cards – I’ll show only two here, since the others are resting under heavy objects to make sure that the embellishments really stick to paper.

enjoying a new technique

2009-09-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

I found this new technique online which allows to create a tile effect on cardstock. Really easy and I find it quite interesting! Here is the outcome - an oriental-themed card. I finally used the Chinese lantern stamp I got on ebay about a year ago. The writing says "good fortune".

happy birthday, dear husband

2009-08-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

My husband has a significant collection of giraffes, so I'm trying to contribute on various occasions. This year I've made him a card with a stamped image (the stamp itself is also a part of the collection.)

I have also made a new template for the post-it-note purses and here is the prototype, accompanied by two tiny Chinese guys. I wonder where they came from - possibly a gardening show at Navy Pier, several years ago?

I also have tiny little ceramic frogs - perhaps I'll use them to add interest to photos, too!

Starting some Christmas projects

2009-08-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Playing a little bit vith various ideas... like this one, which will be sent instead of a card, with the message written on the back. It's hangable, shiny and... I can make so many versions using the same template! :)

Experiment in the bathroom

2009-08-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is a very simplified version of paper casting; I placed a few layers of wet toilet paper on an acrylic stamp, patted it really well, waited about 24 hours – and here is the result! A little shell cast.

I think I will see if I can dry-brush a little bit of acrylic paint on it – perhaps gold? Or pearly white? Or pearly-some-other-color?

The next experiment in line is dipping the paper in water colored with watercolors or food dye.

mini-note book

2009-08-15T05:55:00.001-07:00

I'm participating in another challenge - this time on a Polish blog at ScrapLab. The challenge was to use the below color scheme for something hand-made - and this is one of my absolutely favorite color combinations! Perhaps even THE most favorite one.

This tiny book is just a little bigger than a matchbox, and I am planning to use it for Spanish words. My next-cubicle neighbor speaks fluent Spanish (it's her first language), and I got jealous. We are planning more trips to Mexico, possibly next year, if the funds allow, so any vocabulary I can attach to my memory will help.

2009-08-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is a series of items for the challenge on the blog “Simon Says Stamp!” The task was to create anything but a card, so I made a few purses with the little post-it-notes inside. I used my favorite K&Company double-sided papers (it’s easier this way – in the past, I would glue two one-sided papers together, but folding is more tricky then, as it often leads to unexpected wrinklage.)

I have a lot of purse inspiration at work, because one of the ladies has a calendar with a new photo of a gorgeous purse for each day. Yum! (She has a ton of real purses, too.)

new cards

2009-08-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Between yesterday and today's morning I finished a series of four cards - all of them with the fabric and bead florals. I'll need to move on to a different design now - I rather dislike dwelling on one for too long :)
There is a little bit of recycling in these cards - the vase in the second one is made from the corrugated cardboard coffee cup holder that you get at Starbucks. This texture is so pleasant to work with, and quite sturdy.
I have some new stamps that I would LOVE to test - summer, purses, Oriental... Also got a new chandelier at Michael's, from the $1 bin. Yum!

from the crafting table

2009-08-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

After the summer break and taking care of a visitor (my brother-in-law spent a month with us) I'm finally spending more time with my crafting materials.
I have started Christmas experiments - as usual, I am drawn to the snowy colors, blue, white and silver. First of all, I put together an origami flower, which may be suitable for the cards that will be handed in. I can't imagine mailing them :)

Then I wanted to try a flatter idea - wintry photos, possibly black and white, with these fabric-and-bead flowers, plus some extra stuff. I'm hunting for a punch that would produce little branches, like this one. I may combine them with the distressed-looking corrugated cardboard.

Last but not least - the big project in progress is the paperbag album hosting the memories from our recent trip to Washington, Oregon and California. It is my first encounter with the brown bags and I absolutely love how you can stuff the pockets with all the extra receipts, postcards and what not - I always run out of space in regular albums!

a couple new cards

2009-05-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

I've been working on some new cards the last few days. They will all be added to the picasa album. Here, I would like to show just a couple.
This one is a simple, "duplicate" cutout from cardstock, with scrapbooking paper on the front. The flowers have been stamped and cut out from scrapbooking paper as well. The idea popped into my head yesterday at work, so I had to quickly make a model out of some used manila folder, so that I wouldn't forget :)

This card features fragments of images from some marketing pieces. I love the colors and i couldn't possibly let such bright materials go straight to the recycling bin!
I also used buttons and my favorite "cotton" lace. I'm not sure if it's really cotton, probably not, but that's what I'm calling it in my little crafting world.

For the weekend, I'm very much looking forward to a trip to Indiana Dunes - we are trying to get a group of seven people from our Polish church to travel together first time EVER. Should be exciting - there is a lot of nature to see there and also some old farms and artefacts. Yay!

tea lights

2009-05-07T10:35:00.001-07:00

I've been asked for some ideas suitable for inexpensive wedding table decorations. The lady has already purchased large candles and she has hurricane lamps, as well as some ribbon. I thought tea lights like these could be scattered on the tables - inexpensive, really easy to color-coordinate, and also not very time-consuming to make.

finished!

2009-05-01T13:18:00.001-07:00

I delivered 44 items (mostly hearts) to the Shelter today. I feel like I have run a marathon :) Hopefully, the visitors at Lombard fair will like them, and also everything else other crafters have produced for the event.
Individual photos of the pieces can be viewed here.

The next show is in two weeks and I'm sure the time will just fly by! For now, this weekend's to-do list is already filling up. One interesting item of business is coming up with some suggestions for economical wedding decorations for the family where I teach Polish. The color scheme is lovely: yellow, orange and green, and I do have a couple ideas swirling around in my head already... I will share when they become reality!

salt dough hearts - almost ready...

2009-04-30T09:54:00.001-07:00

The items for the animal shelter are almost ready. Here are some of them - there is another stack which will need the ribbons, and then I'll attach the tags, and then deliver them tomorrow!

I've also made a few cards. I'm trying to incorporate some recycled materials in each of them. This one, for instance, features a photo cut out from a promo we received at work, and also the grey/silvery layer came from a folder sent to my office by some company.

Here we have a clean and simple design utilized in order to follow the Asian inspiration. I used the pizza box lining painted with acrylics.

I have materials cut and ready to go for a few more cards... and then on to the next project!

domain news

2009-04-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yay, the domain registration process is complete! The Paypal payment went through, and a few minutes later teapotcreations.com went live. There isn't much going on there yet, just a few un-linked graphics (since I couldn't wait to start, but I don't have time to do anything more at this moment).

I need to set it up nicely by Friday evening; this is when I am delivering the goodies to the shelter, and then they will be sold at the Lombard Craft Fair. I also need to finish the tags and labels... so much to do, so little time! I'm hoping to post some photos of my crafts tomorrow.

The Yellowness of Spring

2009-04-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

On the way to work I have been admiring the bright yellow dandelions. Although considered weeds by some, they are such a splendid springtime bloom!
Also, the tulips and daffodils are showing off their gorgeous flowers in our area, adding to the juicy greenness of the still-tiny leaves on all the trees. I am also looking forward to the cascade of white petals on the cherry tree outside our bedroom window.
So much to be amazed at in spring!

Humble Beginnings

2009-04-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

I am starting to work on the very basic web site aimed at showcasing the outcome of many hours spent over various crafting materials and tools. With a romantic/exotic PhotoShop brush and a simple layout in FrontPage I am hoping to put together an informative and pleasant site.

I am also signing up for a nicely priced web hosting service together with a domain name. Yay! My own domain name! Always wanted one! This blog will be linked up to that site, of course, and I am planning to use the photo albums I have on picasa. Long Live Google.

As far as the creative juices are concerned, I am working on the donations to the DuPage Animal Friends - they will be selling craft items at the Lombard Lilac Time Fair to collect funds for the shelter. There will be some salt dough hearts and most likely paper stuff as well!