What Happens Next

Crown Garland & A Giveaway!!

 

UPDATE: Time's Up!!

Winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks for all of your comments!! xoxo

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When a company like Provo Craft asks you to do a product review, anyone working in the art/craft/mixed-media worlds would just jump at the chance. And of course we are no exception!

Having a shiny new Cricut Expression2 in the studio is a very, very good thing. We love the new design, and the user-friendly interface. Cricut has been a staple in any craft workroom for a long time now, and they just keep getting better!

 

We had this in mind for a Pirate and Princess party we were planning last month...

 

And this amazing machine came to the rescue and helped us create our dream!

 

We began with a cartridge from the Teresa Collins collection. How did she know just what we were looking for? See those crowns? Perfect!

 

Extremely user friendly.

 

Cutting out about 60 crowns took no time at all. We were planning to make three separate banners, and each crown needed two pieces.

 

Two per 12 x 12 sheet for the larger size.

 

Crisp, clean cuts.

 

Easy to remove the images from the cut paper.

 

We used up leftover paper from the studio. We intended to paint the crowns, so the print could be anything.

 

Two crowns glued back to back. We needed a "heavier" weight to the crowns to support the glass glitter and so that they would not buckle when painted.

 

Painted front and back with Deco Art acrylic paint in "Glorious Gold". Always our go-to brand and color!

 

German Glass Glitter front and back. And don't forget the "edges"!

 

We attached eyelets to each crown and strung them with ribbon in alternating sizes arcoss a length of trim.

 

Until we got these perfectly princessy, sparkly, wondrous garlands!! We used one on the cake table, one on the gazebo, and one at the entrance to the party.

And this was made possible by a wonderful cutting machine and a brilliantly designed cartridge! Read more about the "Cricut Expression2" here.

Thank you Provo Craft for always providing the most amazing tools for artists, crafters and designers, and for letting us be a part of your giveaway!

Giveaway?!?

Yes, Provo Craft has also given us a Cuttlebug machine to give away to one of you!!

 

Read about Cuttlebug here! Love, love, love this machine as well!

Here's how to enter:

Leave a comment here telling us what your favorite studio tool is! Let's all share what inspires us and what we cannot live without creatively!

Like us on Facebook, tweet this giveaway, and blog about it for additional entries! Just be sure to leave an extra comment for each of these, telling us how you participated.

This giveaway is in celebration of the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) trade show going on at the moment, so we will leave it open all week, until Saturday, February 4th at 9pm PST!!

Sooooo, what is your favorite studio tool, machine or "assistant"? Do tell!

xoxo Debbie & Shea

 

 

 

Spellbound ~ "Save the Date"

 

Oh, Happy Day!! We are absolutely "giddy" with the excitement of announcing:  

"Spellbound... create your dreams".

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A fantastical weekend of paper-crafting, jewelry-making, fiber arts, stitching, painting, swapping... and dreaming!

Hosted at the gorgeous and historic Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California.

Thursday evening Welcome Dinner.

Classes Friday & Saturday, with a fabulous "Mercantile" Friday evening.

Saturday afternoon Luncheon (between classes).

Culminating on Sunday with a short trip on a luxury bus to the world famous

Rose Bowl Flea Market!

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More details and specifics to follow. Classes are shaping up to be absolutely amazing, and you will not want to miss this kick-off to a wonderful, "Spellbound" 2012 Holiday Season!! Mark your calendars and stay tuned! :)

xoxo Debbie & Shea

 

"True Love" Add-Ons

 

Happy Monday, everyone!! Since we are celebrating True Love this month, I thought I would show Monday a little affection, even though she wasn't all that kind to me today...

Sooooo........ let's look at something pretty!!

 

Set of two chiffon millinery flowers in the loveliest shade of pink.

SOLD OUT

 

Set of three velvet roses. One of each color.

SOLD OUT

One yard 10mm Rosary Chain. Clear or Pink.

$10.00 per yard

Colors

Clear $10.00 USD Pink $10.00 USD

 

Gah! Vintage Sequins!! High up on the back shelf, we found some yummy colors. Dusted them off and brought them home.

 

Bundled them in 10 yard pieces, perfect for your ultra-special, romantic creations!

$12.00 per 10 yards

~LAGOON IS SOLD OUT~

Colors

Ivory Irid. $12.00 USD Taupe Irid. $12.00 USD Lagoon $12.00 USD Baby Pink Irid. $12.00 USD Light Pink $12.00 USD Matte Gold $12.00 USD

 

Lovely beaded appliques. "Almost" heart-shaped. Unique and beautiful. Ivory one is embroidered with pearls, the champagne one is seed beads.

SOLD OUT.

Set of three vintage brass and silver-toned findings. Cherubs are brass with a light, natural patina. Heart on the right is flat repousse, and heart on the left is "puffy".  All are old store stock, and have a wonderful "found" look.

SOLD OUT

This is a showstopper!! Dusty, deeper tone of what we call "Lingerie Pink". This color was custom-dyed for a manufacturer many years ago, and the overage languished in a back room until we uncovered it.

A full 8" wide, heavy with pearls and sequins. This is very special!

SOLD OUT.

We are not even sure what these are...

Metal stamping in the center, beaded satin on the outer ring. 4" wide.

We might not know what they are meant for, but we can't wait to use one in a project!

SOLD OUT.

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**If you are a current Stash Society member and you wish your items to ship with your January box, we will refund your shipping charges when we complete your order.**

Thank you, as always, and have a great week! Stay tuned for some extra-special news coming very soon!

xoxo Debbie & Shea

 

Stash Society ~ "True Love" January 2012

 

We are feeling so many kinds of  True Love this month.

True love for the blessing of a brand new year.

True love for each other, our families, our dear friends.

True love for the opportunity to do the work that is so very precious to us, and the chance to mingle and chat with and hug and do business with the loveliest, most creative women on the planet.

This includes you. It's true love. It is. Thank you.

 

Let's put this love into action, shall we? Just in time for some heartfelt Valentine's Day Projects!

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1/2 Yard Ivory Silk Dupioni. 36" x 27"

1 Ivory Linen and Battenberg Lace Placemat. 19 1/2" x 13"

5" Blush-Pink Velvet Rose.

1 Spray "Beaded" Millinery Leaves. (5 leaves)

 

Lots of buttons!!

5 ~ 1" Mother-of-Pearl Buttons.

36 ~ 1/2" Mother-of-Pearl Buttons.

3 ~ 3/8" Rhinestone Rosette Buttons.

3 ~ 1/2" Single-Stone Rhinestone Buttons.

1 Gorgeous 1" x 1 1/8" Vintage Heart Rhinestone Brooch.

12 Blush-Pink 14mm Glass Pearls.

 

2 Tiny, Glittery Butterflies.

60" Strand 7mm Ivory Pearls.

Bundle of Pale Pink Cupid Feathers. (!!)

1 Yard Pink Satin Ribbon with Vintage Flowers.

 

48" Hand-Dyed Pink Pom-Pom Fringe.

2 Yards Taupe Embossed Floral Velvet Ribbon.

1 Yard 3 1/2" wide Cream French Lace.

2 Yards "Sunset Pink" Mesh Ribbon.

 

1 Ounce Pink Sequin Glitter in a Darling Heart Box. This is a "chunky" glitter, made with the same material as sequins. A very vintage, Valentine-y look!

 

2 Yards Goldy, Silvery Sequins. (left)

2 Yards Gold Seed Beads. (right)

Lingerie-Pink 6" Wide Tulle. (More about this at the bottom of this post.)

 

1 Spray Clear Heart-Shaped "Leaves". Darling!

Vintage Postcard Image. (Front and back images.)

 

5 Vintage Image Tags. These are fairly small, measuring 1 1/2" x 2 1/4"... perfect used as gift tags for your own "True Loves".

 

1 Spray Hand-Dyed "Bridal" Flowers.

 

One more look at this photo. This time I am going to point out that roll of gorgeous in the back, at the top of the image.

1 ~ 10 Yard Roll Lingerie-Pink Tulle with Gold Glitter Dots. (!!)

I am completely smitten with this roll of tulle, and I cannot WAIT to use it! Old store stock. We bought every roll they had! :)

Another very special project awaits you this month, Gilded Girls! And just because it is "True Love" after all, we are also going to include in your boxes a 10" wreath form and some dressmaker pins to get you started!!

xoxo Debbie & Shea

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We will be posting the January add-ons this weekend, and just hold onto your hats for that! I will be spending a few hours coming to terms with having to part with some of it. True story.

If you would like to sign up for the Gilded Girls Stash Society, we would absolutely love to have you!! Please go here, read the info on how it works, and use the Paypal button that pertains to you. Simple!! :)

 

Stash Society ~ Sneak Peek...

 

Gilded Girls.... Can you possibly wait Four.More.Days. for the full reveal of the January, 2012 Stash Society boxes???

Please say yes, so I can stop freaking out that some product has not yet arrived. I can see that it is "en route", but it has not all made it to the west coast in time.

Seems that a few of our vendors took a nice, long break for the holidays... sigh.

(There is also the matter of Shea being in Hawaii until Wednesday, but that wouldn't be causing the mail to run slower, would it? hmmm....)

But here is a tiny tease, and can I just tell you that we are so very excited about this coming month!

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We will make our own glittery paper eiffel towers from templates designed just for you...

There will be luminous cream silk and lovely laces...

Romantic paper ephemera...

Crystals, glitter, pins, pearls, buttons, millinery...

Yards and yards of crinkled ribbons... velvety ribbons...

And of course, a gorgeous project!

Won't you please join me back here on Friday for the full reveal, if I promise to make it worth the wait? You will? Yay!!

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xoxo Debbie

 

 

The Book of Opportunity

 

‎"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and it's first chapter is New Year's Day". ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 

May your book be filled with all of the blessings and successes that your heart desires.

The time is now. Create opportunities. They are everywhere.

 

We love a new chapter, don't you?

xoxo 

Photos by Martha Schuster of iseethemoonphotography.com.