Memory-Wire Bracelet

I broke down and bought some memory wire. For a long time I resisted it because I just don’t like making bracelets. I don’t have much luck selling them and they just seem to take up space. It was on a whim that I actually bought the memory wire in bracelet size. I figured it would give me the opportunity to make bracelets in a simple and quick way. And I hate to admit it, but I am hooked!

This blue bracelet is one of my first experiments with the memory wire. It is a simple pattern of glass beads in a lovely shade of blue. The second picture illustrates how I simply twisted the wire in to a basic loop to hold the beads on the wire. There are end beads specifically designed for memory wire, but I have found that twisting the wire works just fine.

Happy Crafting All!

Luxurious Face Cloths

Face cloths are so easy and versatile. They make a great addition to gift baskets or combined with scented soaps for a quick simple gift. Similar to dish cloths, face cloths are a basic crocheted square made of luxurious chenille yarn. Watch for store brands and sales to stock up on skeins of chenille as it can get a little spendy. I use the smaller skeins and will usually get one cloth from each skein.

With the holidays right around the corner, it’s time to start considering gifts and crafters love giving what they make. Simple gift baskets are a great way to combine small items like face cloths with other home made and store bought items for memorable and useful gifts!

Happy Crafting All!

Simple Clip Magnets

Aren't these clip magnets adorable? They were sooo easy to make too. All it takes is some wooden clothes pins, pretty papers (I used a photograph on the front printed on plain white paper and scrap scrapbooking paper on the back), some .5" magnets and Modge Podge.

Use the Modge Podge to adhere the papers to each side. Once dry coat the paper and side of the clip with Modge Podge to seal; when dry coat the side. Be careful to open the clip between each sealing coat - it will get stuck closed but should easily be opened again. After the Modge Podge as completely dried, I used a gel LocTite Super Glue to adhere the magnets. And that's it! Super simple, super quick. I plan to make these for shows next year. Each magnet should securely hold 2-3 sheets of paper without the magnets giving out.

Happy Crafting All!

A Spooky Greeting

It is the time of year to plan for the sugar-fest known as Halloween! Are you having a party? Maybe just want to say hi to former ghoul you tricked and treated with? A simple little handmade card is a great way to send that greeting or invitation.

The above card was so quick and simple to make that I whipped it up in about five minutes. I glued the orange cardstock paper to the blank card, used two different $1 Michael's stamps and some black metallic dots ($1 at Joann's) and I was done. These would make great invitations to Halloween party because you could make as many as you need in a very short amount of time. Then you can focus on all the other frighteningly fun things about Halloween!

Happy Crafting All!

Another Crazy Quilt

This is the quilt that I made for my husband as a birthday present. I love this quilt myself - so snuggly and so easy. It is another design from the Crazy Short Cut Quilts book. He loves it because it actually covers him.

Next week I will post begin posting more information on how to make these quilts, so you can try one for yourself!

Happy Crafting All!

Copper Bracelet

Since I signed up for the Wire-Sculpture.com newsletter, I periodically receive interesting new patterns to try from some of their wonderfully talented designers. The above bracelet is one of those patterns and I must say, for never having made anything like that before, I think it turned out rather well.

The wire I had on hand was a little thicker than what the pattern called for, but I made it work. The main part of the bracelet (top picture) was a little challenging because of the way the wire was twisted back on itself, and because I was using a thicker wire I was not able to get the rows as straight and uniform as I would have liked. The links, on the other hand, (bottom picture) came together beautifully. This is a bracelet I can see myself making many times and in many different colors to match a mood or outfit!

Happy Crafting All!

Dish Cloths

Dish cloths are the amazing little towels that everyone needs but few people actually ever think about. What makes them fabulous for crocheters is they are the perfect medium for trying new stitches and patterns. The dish cloth is essentially a swatch of material - for crochet and knit, think about a 10"x10" square.

What makes them practical is that they don't need to be out of a fancy, high-end yarn. A worsted weight or 100% cotton yarn will work the best. Lily Original Sugar 'n Cream is what I used for the cloths show above, though I've heard a worsted weight such as Red Heart works great as well for scrubbing.

Every one needs dish cloths. They may not be practical to mass produce to sell at a show, but they can be personalized to fit a friend's kitchen decor and given as part of gift basket or house warming gift.

Happy Crafting All!

'Tis Almost The Season...

Christmas and the holiday season are right around the corner. It is the time of year that we are all a little more generous to strangers. We give the anonymous Santas on street corner, food banks and toy drives. For those of us who do a lot of crafting, this is the time of year that we can give back with a little extra personal touch.

One of my favorite charitable groups is Project Rudolf which distributes holiday goody bags to service members overseas at during the holidays. The bags are simple - a lunch bag decorated by a child, a handful of candy, a handmade ornament and 3 hand written letters (2 from children and 1 from an adult). My husband has been deployed three times so I have an idea how rough it is from the service members being away from their families at this time of year.

I strongly encourage everyone to visit their site, read about what they do, and then get involved! Every little bit helps and it really does have a profound impact on the men and women who receive the bags!

Happy Crafting!

Thinking Of You Card

This is the time of year when it is so nice to remember our friends and family that may not be close to us. Kids that have gone off to school or siblings who have followed a path that led them to another state. Whomever you want to remember, a simple handmade card can bring a warmer feeling than any store bought card.

The card above was made with a simple $1 stamp, some metallic dots, scrapbook paper and self-adhesive ribbon along the bottom. Using colored pencils, I added a little more color to the stamp. This is one of my favorite cards - at least that I made this year! I am typically not a big fan of brown, but it seems to work here.

Happy Crafting All!

Hour Glass Block Tutorial

The Hour-Glass Block that is demostrated in this video from Missouri Star Quilt Co. can be used to create some very dramatic looking quilts. If you notice the quilt in the background on the video was made with Hour Glass and Nine-Patch blocks (which I posted the video about a couple of weeks ago). It is a very simple block that can be used to create very intricate looking designs and Jenny does a fabulous job of teaching how to make this block. Enjoy!



Happy Crafting All!

Sun Valley Scrapbook Page

Sun Valley Idaho is a winter wonderland that attracts people from all over the world for not only it's winter sports but also its sheer beauty. We are lucky to live only about an hour and a half south of Sun Valley so we can drive up on the weekends to explore the scenery and shops. Earlier this year we did just that.

I chose a simple black cardstock paper for the background because it allowed the white snow, blue sky and green trees to really jump at you. Using dark green accent paper and glittering foam snow flake stickers to add character, these pages are so simple yet so elegant. I didn't have very many pictures to choose from so I decided to group the pictures I did have and added the typed journaling and title.

Again, so simple and so elegant. Anyone could do pages like these without spending a fortune!

Happy Crafting All!