Pamphlet Stitch Books

Using the same method that I used in these books, I made some more.  Mostly made with beer 6-pack holders, these books were a blast to make.  For this set of books, I actually added closures, which I had not figured out during my previous session.  Each one has 28 pages and was completed with the simple-to-do pamphlet stitch.

I sewed a button on each of these 2 books above and used coordinating ribbon to close them.  Fun, huh?

The 2 books on the left in this photo use elastic closures and the 10% off book has a button/ribbon closure. 

The most fun part of these books is choosing the coordinating papers, buttons and ribbons.  I also love that these 6-pack holders have found new lives and are not destined for the landfill or the recycle pile.
 
I still have plans to make some books from Monopoly property cards!

Textured Copper Necklaces

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had a bunch of new snow, which was great because it covered up all of that nasty ice!  Plus the house smelled great all day and we had a nice quiet dinner -- just the two of us.  Perfection.

OK -- BACK TO WORK!

Recently added to my etsy shop, these two necklaces are made from copper sheet that I cut, filed, hammered and patinated.  This first one is pretty simple, so I added the 3 metallic burgundy glass beads in front, for a little accent.

Next up, a similar copper panel.  This time I used my alphabet stamps to add the word peace along the lower right hand side.  A simple yet important message.

These necklaces are super affordable and will really appeal to a wide range of ages.  You can go directly to the listings in my etsy shop by clicking on the photos.  Don't forget to use coupon code NOV2010DISCOUNT to get 15% off your entire order!

Holiday Sale in my Etsy Shop!

Starting now, I'm offering 15% off your entire order from my etsy shop.  Simply enter the code:

NOV2010DISCOUNT

in the brand new Coupon Code field upon checkout and the discount will be applied automatically.  How cool is this new feature?!?

This offer is valid through end of day Monday, November 29.  HAPPY SHOPPING!

Here's a new pair of earrings from my etsy shop:

These earrings feature robin's egg blue briolettes of chalcedony and small apatite rondelles. 

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

This yummy recipe is perfect for the season.  The combination of these wonderful flavors will delight your taste buds!  The recipe makes 2 loaves.

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 cups flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I substituted 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg & ground cloves)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce ( this is an old recipe - the cans are now 14 oz!)
1 16 oz can pumpkin (I only had a 29 oz can -- you can't imagine the higher mathematics that ensued trying to figure out how much I needed -- just get the right size can, please)
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup chopped pecans

The recipe I had copied from who-knows-where contained no mixing directions, so I just mixed it all together in whatever order I grabbed the ingredients.  I don't think it matters for a quick bread recipe like this one.

Anywho, turn into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 for about 65 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out of pans and cool on racks.

Stampsmith November Challenge

http://After much procrastination, I finally made time to work on my November challenge from the Stampsmith yahoo group I  belong to.  One of the reasons I was procrastinating was because the product we create had to use at least one Stampsmith stamp and be Thanksgiving themed.  I couldn't see where any of the Stampsmith images I have (and I have a lot) could be interpreted as Thanksgiving oriented.  So I said "screw that" and I just picked one.

The project was to make a card and gift bag into which one will put gifts for and elderly person who might need some goodies for this holiday.

Here's my card, which as you can see, is not too exciting.  Nor is it very Thanksgiving-y.  I see some autumn in there, however.

And here it is tied with ribbon to the gift bag I decorated.

Much better.  And a close up of the bottom of the bag.

I'm so glad I signed up to participate in this challenge.  It has forced me to work within the deadline and try some stamping projects I never would have done otherwise.

New Boots!

One of the benefits of living in a cold, snowy place is that one needs boots.  A variety of boots is always a good idea. I mean, seriously, weather conditions vary considerably and every woman should have several pairs of boots.

I have my practical red boots from Land's End, which are warm and have a super non-skid bottom.  One slip on the ice was all it took to convince me that this feature was necessary.  I have a pair of black lace-up Blondo's for dress-up.  For as dressed up as I ever get, these are good enough.  I've had both of these boots for a few years, so I could not find photos of them on line -- not to worry, it would not be exciting anyway.

What IS exciting however, is this pair of boots.  No, they're not really warm and I have my suspicions about the gripiness of the sole, but hey, they are gorgeous!

Am I stylin', or what??

If you are at all interested in shoes and boots (who isn't?) you must check out the El Naturalista website.  Their styles are wonderfully different and the color selection is incredibly fun.

New! Concave Cut Whiskey Quartz Briolettes

This is a cut one does not see very often.  I did a search on etsy, and only 32 pairs of earrings showed up -- a minor miracle!

The color of these whiskey quartz stones is warm and rich. It's sort of a cross between, well, whiskey, Dijon mustard and honey.  Sounds like a fine marinade to me. hehe

And the matching necklace ...

Click the photos to go directly to the listings in my etsy shop.

Bad Girls of the North -- Anchorage Show Re-Cap

All that preparation.  All that stress.  All those questions and doubts.  And now it's over.  In summary, it was a huge success.  Turnout was phenomenal -- my friend Nancy couldn't find a parking spot on Friday evening and gave up and went home.  I don't like hearing that, but parking is a bit out of our control.  People were creative and parked along the shores of Lake Spenard.  I think they're lucky that they didn't get towed away.

I managed to walk around before we opened to the public and took some photos of artists as they were putting the finishing touches on their booths.

Here's Vicki Prewitt hanging her fabulous paintings.

Kathy Peters, one of my favorite potters, always has a wonderful selection of bowls, plates and mugs.

Here's Rick, mugging for the camera.  His booth, along with mine and Carol's (and a few others) were in the pre-function area (hotel-speak for lobby-ish), so we had to be ready for business about 30 minutes earlier than the main rooms, to accommodate the early arrival of anxious customers.

Chelline's booth full of hand painted silk art is always visually stunning.

Deb Ives of Posh House makes fabulous outerwear that makes you glad you need a winter coat!

Have a look at Cindy Shake's blog for photos of some additional booths.  Stephanie Uttech-Tonino also has a blog with some great photos of her booth.

Preparing for the big show ...

This coming weekend is the annual Bad Girls of the North craft show at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage.  As I prepare for that event, I will be scarce in these parts. 

Not only is it my biggest show for selling jewelry, it's actually a double whammy because I, with my partner Carol, organize this monstrosity!  This will mark our 13th year of producing a craft show in Anchorage and I must confess, we are both tiring of it.  That does not mean we will stop, but we are feeling our ages, for sure.

Now that I'm down to only 3 shows a year, this is my last show for the season.  Yay!  I can spend the remainder of November and December working on my etsy shop, trying to exceed last year's sales on that venue.

If you're local, please stop by the Millennium on Friday evening (can you say cash bar and free hors d'oevres?) or Saturday.  If I have time, I will take some photos to share with you next week.

Potholders

I know, I know.  A seemingly boring, dull and drab topic.  BUT NO!  Potholders can be beautiful and artful.

Ever since I became a 'maker', some 14 years ago, my appreciation for handmade has become prominent in my life.  I wouldn't consider buying a set of potholders at Target or Walmart (I haven't stepped foot in a Walmart in years).  Where did I go when I needed new potholders?  Why, Etsy, of course.

Surprisingly, I did not find a multitude of regular square potholders, which made my decision making quite simple.  The ones I did find, however, were absolutely gorgeous.  I selected these beautiful, miniature works of art from b taylor quilts.

There are all sorts of quilted goodies in that shop.  She doesn't stop at potholders.  Briana makes placemets, quilts, nesting bowls, coasters and an assortment of other items.