Happy New Year... finally!

Well, the new year is here and I  for one, am excited.
I hope you are too.
The year has been interesting.
Thank you so much my dear friends for staying for the year, for sharing your love and your hearts, and for giving me a reason to keep writing.
I am better for knowing all of you!
Thank you!

I have been playing with some new things. New year, new things, I started early. 
I thought these were very fun and I thought you might like to try too.

This is like scrapbooking jewelry... woooooooooooo whoooooooo.
I knew my boatloads of fun with Jodi would lead to something like this.
I also like it because it is one of the bib necklace findings I just loaded in to my HoardersCloset Etsy store here for gold,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88706811/vintage-metal-gold-tone-brass-bib
and here for silver,
http://www.etsy.com/listing/88644235/vintage-metal-silver-tone-plated-bib

That is the finding right there in the background above with no decorations on it.
I have had these for years and I have added clay to them and that is fun, but this is cool because I can use all of my newly collected scrapbook and paper supplies on these too.

Here is a pic of some of the things I used on the necklace, plus some scrap book paper.
Yes!

You will need:
1 brass or silver tone crescent
Chain necklace with clasp and jump rings
Scrap book paper 
Gel medium- soft gel
1/4" flat brush
jewels and metal bits
glossy accents
scissors
glue
glitter glue
Distress inks
foam applicator
clay pieces
assorted goodies and beads
brads
Distress ink
paper doilies
Glass rhinestones and cabs
Ribbon
Anything else you think might look wonderful on here

I started with one of the brass crescents   

Cut a piece of paper that is bigger than the crescent.

Glob on gel medium, with flat brush, on to the front of the crescent.

Turn over the crescent and place it on top of the paper.
Pick up the both of them and press the paper on.
The gel will squish out around the edges
Set this aside and let the gel dry for a little bit.

Cut off the paper below the loop on the crescent.

Like so. Do both sides.

After it has dried a little cut the excess paper around the crescent.

It should look something like this.
I go around the edges and press the edges to the crescent.

Now I cover a paper doily with metallic ink and let it dry or heat set it with a heat gun.

Now I distress the edges of the paper on the crescent with walnut stain Distress Ink.

This colors the edges of the paper so they are not stark white besides giving the paper on the front a nice soft antiqued look. I love this ink!!

I love the way this looks.

I place the doily over the crescent to see where I want it to go and then cut a section out.

Cut a section to go on one end also, I liked it like that.

I put a layer of gel on to the end where I am going to place the piece of doily and then paint the gel on the back of the doily and place the piece where I want it to go.

Place gel on the back of the other piece and place it where you want it.

Put gel on top of that one.

I set it aside and let it dry on the crescent. Because of the curve of the crescent I lift it upon something (scissor covers) so the edges down.

When dry cut, away the excess doily.
Like so.

With Crafter's Pick Ultimate or E-6000 Glue on your bits.

I had to throw in some clay. I only use a little glue in the centers of the butterflies the glue seems to press out to the edges when I press them down on the paper.

At this point I just start filling up the base with stuff, rhinestones, flowers, keys and other assorted things.
I haven't finished this but I will post it when I do.



Have fun with this. I would love to see what you do.
Have a great 2012, much prosperity, health, and peace for us all.
Blessings all over you all.

401st post! Unknown give away! That makes the 18th

Wow, what a way to end the year. Good friends, good food, and my 400th post.
This is the 401st.
I for one, am very surprised.
I didn't even want to do this blogging thing. I needed to find a way to promote myself and my hubby's store with out spending gobs of money. I needed to get back into the swing of things after several hits to my heart and ego. I had to find the self that I had lost and find new people to believe in and trust again. I have gained so much more.

It has been a long journey, this blogging road. It has been interesting, the people I have met are very unique and so very talented. I ended up making friends, many of them. Kindred spirits with light in their eyes and so much to share with others on the same path. It feels good. I don't mean to get maudlin, but I need to do this, I need to see how far I have come, because to tell you the truth, when you are I am standing in the midst of your my own life, the everyday caca can sometime swamp you or I should say me. I call those Sh_t tsunamis. Standing so close to everything it is hard to see anything but a huge wave of it.

I got to have this forum on my terms, posting the things I want to post, with the products I want to use and do the projects I want to do. I did it my way ;-D, right or wrong.

All in all it has been very rewarding now that I look back at the year. I guess this why we do this at this time of year, to take stock of all the events positive and negative to see what we can keep and what we can toss, to make the next year better than the last. I am wondering if I should even label them positive or negative? Some of the things that I thought were positive have turned out different and vice versa. So maybe I should just call them speed bumps or even just events and remain as detached from any outcome as I possibly can. Not to judge but to just be there for all of it.

Baring unforeseen events, I can move forward in to the rosy future.

I feel I have grown, I have been scared a lot of the time, felt that I had no net most of the time, and found out that all I need is inside. I have tools. I have learned new things, one day at a time, I am still learning and I want to keep going. This is good, this is very good!

I am so sorry if I haven't been by, I have an almost 2 year old that runs my life now. I drop by every once in a while and read, maybe comment, but everyday I think of you and I am grateful for you. I am hoping some day I will get this kid thing all figured out, I mean after all, I did it before. I am just a lot older and she is just really smart and really busy, a good girl! She says "Hi".

She smiles at me and says "gamma, hand" and I have to put mine in hers and go. To follow where she leads and to see the world through those bright young eyes!

I am going to have a quick giveaway before One World One heart comes at the end of this month, so if you want to win something (I haven't decided what yet) put your name in this post.
I will get the rules up later, I just want to say thank you and Have a wonderful New Year all of you!
Know that I think you are all perfect and you have something beautiful inside of you!
Share that with those you love.
We will all be better off for it.
And please keep sharing with me. I am better because of all of you.
Thank you!

I am going to leave you with something one of my new blog friends said to me. It rocked my world.

"Create your life like you create your art - you have that power. -Donna, the Woodwife"

10th giveaway- new decade, new year, new thought, new life, and new approach to art!

I thought this might be fun for the 10th giveaway, it is a chance to win your own angel, made for you, by me, with your specifics and input.
Here is the frame I will be using, she is dated 08, she has been waiting for you!

Want to give it a whirl?

I had a chance last year to make some custom goddesses and I loved the experience and things I learned and realized. I want to do more, they are calling me.

Follow your bliss and the door opens!

You have to be willing to give me some info about you, tell me what you like, what makes your heart sing, what colors do you pick all of the time, what makes you feel good, leave a comment on the blog here under words of wisdom (I use that instead of comments) and wait for her and I to be finished.

Can you do it?? Will you??
Happy New Year my pretties, may it be the best you have ever had.

I will close this drawing on the 28th of January at 6 pm.