Green & gold

Just a quick post, to share what I made my mom for her birthday. I actually gave it to her a week late, because I ordered the charm online after finding one similar for $10 at a local bead store!!! For one charm?? Maybe this hobby isn't for me. 

Good thing I have LOTS of practice at shopping online. Found a good deal on these charms so I bought a few. I plan on making more of these to either sell or give to friends. But, being my first one, I didn't really think it through. There are definitely things wrong with this bracelet ... nothing I'm going to point out LOL .... but really it's a mishmash of every green & yellow bead I could find at Michael's & Hobby Lobby :)

I also have to figure out how I'm supposed to photograph these things. I'm used to square pieces of card stock that stand up by themselves.

My mom loves her bracelet & that's all that matters. Of course, the Packers lost Sunday ... the day I gave it to her ... so maybe I should stick to cards .....

Another time sucker

After buying beads & supplies over the last few months, I finally took the plunge & made my first bracelets. Now remember, I am new at this. You would laugh if you saw the very first cards I made & I'm pretty sure I'll (at least I hope I will) get better at this too. 

Here you go! Some of the most simple, basic bracelets you can make.

These are just stretch bracelets, probably the easiest kind out there. I've been watching YouTube videos & reading blogs ... & figured I may as well start from the beginning. But I think they turned out not horrible. I will probably give the purple one to my niece, & I have a couple of friends who have battled (& won) the fight with breast cancer, so I plan on giving these to them October 1st. 

My kids start school tomorrow. School actually started today, but only for the 7th & 9th graders so they can get acclimated to their new schools. My boys are groaning about having to go tomorrow but I reminded them they had an extra day off. 

Happy Labor Day weekend!!! Who's cooking out??? *meeeeee*

Co-worker love

Happy Sunday to all! Booooo ... It's been a pleasant enough day but now it's 7:47 & the Sunday night stress begins ....

BUT I did have some play time this weekend. I almost forgot how to! I wanted to make a little something for my sales director at work. It's been a rough few weeks for pretty much everyone at work, but especially for her. The usual work stress ... the stress of her son starting freshman year of college  ....& the stress of getting into a car accident & totaling her car. See people? It can always be worse! 

She & I were venting talking on Friday about all this, & as I was leaving her office she said "It's going to get better?" I asked if that was a statement or a question & she said "Yes" lol .... at that moment I decided she needs a little pick-me-up. Here's what I made for her: 

I found the cute little candies at Hobby Lobby. They're minty chocolates with teeny tiny sprinkles. What says happy more than teeny tiny sprinkles?!? I bought the clear bags from Papertrey Ink about a billion years ago, & this is the first one I've used!! * cough * HOARDER * cough *

I think I've never done bag toppers because I wasn't sure how to attach them. So, like with everything else, I winged it! I stapled the bag shut then used a strip of adhesive on both sides of the card. The flowers I bought a looong time ago, & I remember thinking after I bought them WHYYY did I buy these?? They are huge! I finally found a use for ... well, one :)

The paper from K&Company was perfect. I punched a couple of butterflies, added a few teeny tiny pearls (to go with the teeny tiny sprinkles) & just used my computer for the saying. I'm going to leave it on her desk before she gets there tomorrow. If she figures out it's from me then I'll know she's paying attention to our conversations lol! 

I still haven't finished going through my vacation photos. On one hand, I loooove going through them & remembering all the fun we had, but on the other hand it makes me miss being there so much! 

I'm also working on another project. Because not having time for one hobby isn't enough. 

Have a great week everyone!

A new hobby??

****** CLICK HERE if you'd like a chance at winning a High Hopes stamp ******

I haven't even come close to getting rid of all my paper craft supplies, & I'm already thinking of possibly starting a new hobby. Even though I know I don't have the time, I just feel like something is missing if I don't have a little something to do that's just for me. 

Soooooo my mom & grandma had started beading after one of my grandma's stints at a rehab/nursing home. It was something they did a lot with the residents & after my grandma was home, she realized she really missed crafting & decided to continue.

My mom is someone who always said "if I can buy something already made, why would I take the time & effort to make it myself?". Needless to say, she didn't quite understand my love of card making. 

But, after watching my grandma bead, she decided to try it. And lo & behold, she enjoyed it! 

And so like any good mother would, she tried to get me into it. I told her I didn't have time for my own hobby, why would I start another? And besides, I now have roughly 92 handmade bracelets that she has made for me, so I don't really have a need to bead. 

However, I also have a co-worker who is very into beading & has been doing it for a long time. She makes necklaces & earrings as well as some very unique bracelets. She sent me a few links to some of her beading friends on Pinterest, which make me go to You Tube & watch a few tutorials and .....

I haven't bought any beads YET. But I'm close to breaking. My mom only makes bracelets. She doesn't have pierced ears so she has no interest in making earrings. And the bracelets she does make are simple - no clasps. She only has partial use of her left hand so it's hard enough for her to just string beads on a piece of wire & tie a couple of knots. She can't do anything fancy.

But I could.

Both pictures are bracelets my mom has made. If SHE ...... she who shunned crafts of any kind for the first 60 years of her life .... can make these, then I can too. The question is, do I want to start another hobby?? Can I start another hobby? Do I have time for another hobby? Ok, I already know the answer to that last one. 

Stay tuned.....