Restocking the Eco Chique Boutique Shelves!

Yesterday after doing my Saturday morning errands (LOVE our local Farmers' Market!) I spent some time taking pictures of all my upcycled drink can brooches and restocking my Etsy shop's virtual shelves. After church today I'll take pics of badge reels and if time permits will get some of my oodles and oodles of upcycled paper embellishments posted. I kind of got carried away making all those die cuts out of assorted food and tissue boxes, wallpaper samples and security envelopes. Here's a few of the new brooches just listed in Eco Chique Boutique.

T-shirt Transformed into Jazzy Ruffled Purse

I've been seeing a lot of ruffles around lately.... ruffles on blouses.... ruffles on headbands.... even ruffles on greeting cards! While making a ton of upcycled t-shirt totes for the Farmer's Market and upcoming craft shows I found myself with a pile of strips left over. So what's a girl to do with all that great t-shirt fabric? Why.... ruffle it of course! Here's what I came up with:

It has been quite a struggle NOT to just pile all my stuff in it and carry it around, but I convinced myself that there was a future owner out there somewhere who just couldn't live without this fun purse. Maybe I'll have to make another one soon! This project is also linked at the Passionately Artistic linking party
where you can find a ton of really awesome projects from yummy recipes, to colored glass jars, hand-sewn quilts and well, you name it it's there!

Free SVG file for 3 x 5 Spiral Notebook cover

Yesterday I created a file to cut out covers for 3 x 5 spiral notebooks on my Cricut. I know many people have purchased a special machine to do the cutting and insert the spiral binding, but I'm kind of a cheapscape when there's a way to do something without another piece of equipment to find room for in my overcrowded craft room. If these turn out to be big sellers at Farmer's Market, craft shows and Etsy then maybe I'll reconsider, but for now I'm sharing my poor-woman's file with you so you too can decorate your common little spiral notebooks. The picture I'm sharing is of the upcycled Twinkie and cereal box covers. Today I'll make some out of decorative cardstock with embellishments and will post pics after those are done. Hopefully you can dowload the file by clicking on the green picture below or using this link http://www.box.net/shared/tcycvjb2eb.  If not please holler at me and I'll send the file to you directly. Oh yeah, blogger's comments are being persnickity, but if you click on the contact me form I'll get your note. Enjoy!

I actually removed the spiral binding and replaced the front cover with what you see below. Aren't these little cowboys and waving wheat squares just the cutest things? We don't normally have Twinkies in the house, but dh "got them on sale" and I couldn't resist using those boxes! The back cover is such a nice sturdy chipboard that I left it there and will adhere the decorative cover to it. If you don't want to remove the spiral binding you can always cut slits above each hole and use your fingernail or other object to slip the cover on. Oh and you'll want to round the corners to match the existing covers and paper. I use the small Stampin Up corner rounder and it's absolutely perfect! If you're really good at manipulating files you can probably alter the file to make rounded corners, bit since my paper punch was perfect I decided not to mess with it. Here's what I made yesterday.

Part of my organized craft room

This wall display is one of the areas of my craft room that stays organized no matter how the rest of the room looks. It holds all my punches, crimper and some ribbon. My makeshift clip-it-up sits below it. Isn't that plant lovely? I have several plants in this room and find them to be inspirational and calming.

Here's my reality... a perpetually messy desk with that tinsy winsy little spot for creating. Can't you just hear my desk crying, "help me I've disappeared and can't find myself!"

I have been invited to participate as a guest designer for Fresh Brewed Designs in June and also as a featured artist in July for Scrapbook News and Reviews, so the next couple of months will be very busy for me. I'll post more details about both of these exciting projects as they happen, so stay tuned. In addition to those fun projects I continue to get ready for Farmer's Market and Top City Thursdays. Now if only I didn't have to work for a living 8 hours a day and could put all my focus on creating....