Stampin' UP

Here are two of the Christmas cards I sent out this year. The Charles Dickens is so much better after it is colored in with colored pencils and the blender pens from SU. There is glitter on the cardinal but difficult to see with the close up. This is also to remind you that SU is having a sale until the 31st and then a new sale starting January 1! Check out my site at http://www.deannshirling.stampinup.net/ for the latest updates on their sales. There are retired sets plus new sets to preview from the new catalog. It is an exciting year for SU!

The fun beads

These next few posts are about the jewelry that I have completed in the last week or so. Some have been in the works but this is one that I made last Sunday afternoon. Linda Lee helped me pick out beads after I found the main ones that I immediately fell in love with while browsing the walls of new beads. The picture doesn't do the beads justice. The light makes the bigger beads change colors and the smaller beads just sparkle and sparkle. When I wore it, she noticed it right away and was pleased with the design. It made me feel so pleased that she liked it. Now on to other beading.

ladder bracelet

This ladder bracelet it started with twisted bugle beads in the middle and then I added seed beads and crystals to the edges. This is my first seed bead loop and button as a clasp. I still have a bit to learn about that. Now I have some gold twisted bugle beads and crystals that I hope to make up before the holidays have completely disappeared. Linda Lee taught me how to do this bracelet. What a teacher!!!

caterpillar bracelet

This caterpillar bracelet is one that started out to just be a single row of beads with some fringe. It is to go with a necklace I had already made. I'll show it sometime. The bracelet looked so blah that I let it rest awhile then finally completed it the other day. Lo asnd behold, it turned into a caterpillar bracelet. So instead of going from a caterpillar to a butterfly, it reversed itself. As I think about it, it really did turn into a butterfly because it wasn't too great the first way.

Stampin' Up Demo

This last weekend I was asked to share how to make inchies at our meeting. I have made fabric inchies ever since I read the article in Quilting Arts in 2007 about them. They are so much fun but I knew I wanted to make some with paper and the Stampin' Up stamp sets. So this forced me to try my hand at it. the inchies surrounding the ATC are from the SU Merry and Bright set. The ATC is from SU Spring Song. You have to hunt for the inchie there but it is there.

Be certain to check out my Stampin'Up website: http://www.deannshirling.stampinup.net/. There are two important things to see: the Holiday Extravaganza and the Country Living Holiday Stampin' Kit.

More inchies

This is an inchie that you have to hunt for in the card. I have discovered that if you click on the card you can get up close pictures even if they are a bit blurry. This SU stamp is from the Thoughts of Father set.

These are inchies that aren't hidden in the picture so you have a better view of the way inchies actually look.

Mistakes can be changed!

This is a card that shows that when you make a mistake it can be changed into something else. I had made the card but didn't use the correct glue to make the glitter stick. I almost threw it away but then decided to try it with the inchies. It worked!

new project

I've lost my mind and started a mystery stole with a group. It is lace which I do but am not great at it as of yet. It also has beads which I've knitted with before but again I'm not great at it. So this may be slow going but I'm still excited about it along with my other WIP. I'll share the yarn and the beginning soon.

Card 2 for papercrafting

This is another card that I was able to complete as set this weekend. As I sit here working on this, I'm multi-tasking by putting together the new sets that I received Friday, finally!! I've been so eager for its arrival. Now to get the book together that I imagined while waiting for the stamps and paper to arrive should help finish this part of the papercrafting for a few minutes!!

More Papercrafting

The above cards are for my cards in a jar. These smaller ones are for that purpose. They are so much fun to make and have on hand. I've been working on these for awhile and soon hope to have enough of a variety to give the variety as gifts. All of these ideas came from my SU leader, Jeri, whose does such a great,creative job of leading us!

Papercrafting

Now onto another source of pleasure. I love to work with paper and am a Stampin' Up demonstrator. These next couple of cards are from one of their kits that you can make in just a short time. Well, maybe not such a short time but with the supplies on hand and by your side I can get several cards done in an evening.

Knitting Joy

This is my for fun Montego Bay scarf that I can take to work to knit. It is a repeat of 4 rows so I can usually get a few rows done even with interruptions. Love that sea silk. It doesn't photgraph well but it is going to have such a nice drape to it. It feels good to have a pattern go as it should and doesn't kill my brain. :)

EZ rib warmer in process

The last couple of days I've been working on either completing or trying to get projects completed. This is not the completed EZ rib warmer vest but I am working on it. My visualizing still isn't working properly for I am not certain how I am going to connect the back and the sides. My hope (faith) is that the closer I get the more of an ah-h-h moment will happen.

Still learning to blog

One learns new things every day and one I have finally learned today is to work on getting into my blog. I guess I have short term memory loss :)! Anyway, I think I have it down now and will try to add more to it on a regular basis.

Right now I'm knitting on an Elizabeth Zimmerman vest and will try to finish it before the Olympics are over. One side is almost done!! I will take pictures tomorrow and add them to the site. I'm doing this with someone else and she has helped me with the pattern. It makes sense after reading it LOTS of time. This is for the Ravelry, a knitting and crochet group. If you do either, go look for it. There are so many great ideas etc. I'm still working on socks and hope to have some to show you soon.

More from my stash

The first Spin club arived today and do I love the colors. We are to make socks from these beautiful skeins of yarn.

new sock stash

This is the yarn for a new pair of lace socks. Just starting the socks and really like the pattern. Hope to soon have a sock or at least the sock with the pattern showing soon.

button bouquet

Some us gathered to make button bouquets. Using wire and wrapping a lighter wire around the straight wire, we added buttons where we wanted them. So have "dodads" hanging out to give them a different look. We make them for the change of the season too.

This is a completed button fairy. It is for a swap. The other two are not completed yet but I will add more buttons when I have a minute. Time does have a way of getting away. I haven't been able to knit as much as I want but that hopefully will happen this weekend.

Button Fairies

These button fairies are some that I made for a swap. It always amazes me what people come up with to make and the different things that we can use. It is fun to go through some old buttons I have and find some treasures.

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This is the beginning of my cupcake mitts that I started at The Studio retreat. Karen was our teacher and taught us lots in a short time. :)

Icicle dolls

These are icicle dolls that were made for a swap in one of my yahoo groups. They were so much fun to design and dig through my embellishments. If I had taken a picture of my crow that was also in a swap, I would have included that one too. I wasn't certain that I could show the one that I received but it was awesome. I always enjoy seeing how everyone's swap is so different.

I love this bracelet that is done in sterling silver. Again influenced by another friend, I love the way that this goes with anything.

Though I have shown mainly jewelry there are many other things that I enjoy doing. Look further!

this one is more difficult to see as the pastel colors are light and it was difficult to get the highlights just right. It is called a bubble bracelet that another friend showed me and I made mine smaller than hers. I love the pastel colors but will not use a magnet on a bracelet again. It was lost the first time I wore it but my dear husband found it after the snow had melted! What a man!

More Jewelry

This necklace and earrings were a result of a friend that made one out of copper also. I loved the chain and the use of using copper for I mainly work with silver.

These are our two rescued schnauzers that give us many laughs. The pure black one is the oldest, Casey, and he is the big brother in many ways. He has taught the youngest one, Smokey, how to not be afraid. Smokie came to us so thin and afraid of his own shadow. Now he lets the world know he is here. They both play with each but fight just like real brothers. They are about a year apart.

This is a quiltie that I made for a swap in one of my Yahoo groups. We make a quiltie every month and I always let is get away before I take a picture but I think I'll just add it to my blog each month then I can have a record of it. It is made using many stitches from my machine plus couching some of the ribbon and chenille that I have. I love the heart that came in a monthly package I receive.

Jewelry

In one of my blogs I mentioned that I liked to make jewelry. This is a piece that I completed not long ago. It is using black and gold triangles. It gives the look of the gold triangles but the black is the predominant color.

Another piece is a coraling necklace that is red and made for the month of February. I used many seed beads and some of the neatest hearts that I found at the bead shop.