All Things Red, White, and Blue

Independence Day is a little less than a week away so I decided I'd better get this post put together before the big day has come and gone! I've been having a ball creating all kinds of fun patriotic themed gifts and tags to give to a few ladies in the neighborhood! I made earrings, baskets, key wristlets, and tags! You can read more about the details of the sewn projects HERE. 

Up first are the tags that I created to add to the ribbon when I tie everything up! I'm putting the fabric baskets in larger cellophane bags and tying them up with ribbon, and a tag is always just the cherry on top!

I bought a bunch of things from Bath and Body Works included in their patriotic line this year and I just love the gingham, so that was the beginning point for these tags. The recipients will also be getting the cards I made for the Star Spangled Summer release from The Greetery. 

Here is another shot of my inspiration 

To begin these tags, I used the A2 Stitched Scallops Die and cut the smallest size from white cardstock. I added the gingham detailing by using the Scalloped Gingham Stencil; I love that it comes with stencils for all three sizes of the Die. Once that was done, I die cut the pieces I would need for the sentiment using the Land of Liberty Die from white cardstock. I did some gradient stamping with the Land of Liberty Stamp Set.

The flowers were made using the Bitty Botanicals Stamp + Stencil and then cut using the Bitty Botanicals Die. I added the dot to the flower centers using a journaling pen and then added details using colored pencils if applicable. This was the perfect floral addition to keep in theme with the cards. I just made a simple tag shape from Pure Poppy cardstock and then added the twine through the hole.

I had leftover fabric from the baskets, so I decided to make a few key wristlets using my updated tutorial.

I also got some new labels; as much as I love the P.S I Love You labels I have used in the past, they aren't always pertinent to the project. I loved them for Valentine's Day, but I wanted something a little bit different for these.

I made some patriotic earrings a few years ago and I wanted to make a few more to tuck in these baskets. I came here searching for the post with the old ones to remember the colors and faux leather I used, only to discover they were still on my camera roll from 2020! Woops! These are the new ones I made, but I will also be sharing the 2020 ones today, too! ha ha!

It looks like Taylored Expressions doesn't sell the Designer Dangles Dies anymore, but if you have them in your stash, that is what I used!

I bought all of my faux leather from an Etsy retailer called The Art of Fabric Folding. 

I bought the handmade labels forever ago at Hobby Lobby and I'm almost out; I'll have to see if they still make them.

These are the ones I made back in 2020.

I made 4 baskets in total, but only three key wristlets because one of my friends already got one from me and she also doesn't wear earrings. 

Here is a little peek at the basket all stuffed and ready to be wrapped along with THIS card that I just love! It is perfect for the baskets!

A quick shot of one of the baskets all tied up and ready to go! 

Here is what I put in each of the baskets, with the exception of the one I talked about earlier. 

I have a tutorial for these baskets that you can find HERE. I haven't made one in so long I actually need to follow my own tutorial! ha ha!

Well, that's all for today! I hope you all have a fun and safe Independence Day! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Taylored Expressions {Knock on Wood}Designer Dangles

Hello and welcome, friends! It's always a good day when I'm sharing something I LOVE and getting to work with one of my favorite companies! I've shared quite a few of the Taylored Expressions Designer Dangles over the years, but this new release is so fresh and fun! I've given countless sets of earrings as gifts to my friends, my kids' teachers at school and church, as giveaways, etc.! They are just so much fun!

Our Knock on Wood earring composition bases come in a variety of shapes to complement our Designer Dangles dies. With drilled holes that work with our Designer Dangles Earring Wires and Jump Rings (sold separately), these laser-cut walnut wood shapes will surely inspire you to make more jewelry! Please note: the laser-cutting process leaves a thin layer of film on each base that makes it look "dirty" on one side. Peel off the film to reveal the true walnut color that can be left plain, painted, or bedazzled with glitter!

***I didn't know about this peel off film, so I didn't do that, so please note that some of my samples still have the film!***woops!

It's no secret that I'm a HUGE fan of printed faux leather and I use them A LOT with my earrings! The knew collection also includes these fabulous printed leathers that you will see throughout today's post!

The wood pieces are nice, sturdy, and THICK so you will want to make certain that you order the jump rings as well. Most of the earrings I am sharing in today's post use the jump rings, with the exception of 2.

This particular set does not require jump rings. These earrings use the new Designer Dangles "Wrap Around" dies paired with the nesting circle wood pieces (not sure on the exact name). These are by far my favorite of the release and I ended up making another pair using the extra circles that I'll share in a bit!

These are so easy and simple to create and I think they're so cute!

This particular pair is one that I didn't remove the film, so the look of the wood on these is WITH the film on. I actually really like it, so you can decide if you want to keep it on like I did! ha ha! On this particular pair, I used the half-circle wood pieces to insert into the leather for a different look.

These are the same earrings with the half-circle removed! I made these for a cute new dress I got from Amazon that ended up not fitting! LOL! I will definitely still be wearing these because I love how they turned out!

This next pair uses the new On Point dies paired with these diamond shape wood pieces. As you can see, you need two jump rings to make these earrings!

This pair uses the beautiful green and gold flecked cork that I ABSOLUTELY adore!

This next pair is fun because you can use just the dies to create the earrings or just use the wood portion at the top with the leather at the bottom, like I have shown today!

This next pair is one of the easiest of the bunch because all you are doing is adding the leather piece to the bottom with glue! The leather is cut using the In the Round dies. You can also just cut the circle piece from leather as well, so this one is versatile, too!

Well, this concludes today's earring post, but rest assured, I will be making more of these super cute designs! Thanks for fluttering by!

 

Handmade Hodgepodge {a little of this and a little of that}

Hello again! I got a Facebook notification that it was my friend's birthday today, and not tomorrow like I thought! Ack! This isn't a post I would normally share, but since I had talked about making caramels and such for May Day, I decided to share a few of the things I worked on today for the birthday gift! I plan on making more of the flower embellishments for paper cones and tags for May Day as well. I made 2 of everything because it also happens to be another friend's birthday as well.

I bought the Small Peony Die from The Stamp Market (and the large) when they were first released but this is the first time I have used them! They are so much fun to make and I can't wait to add them to projects in the future! I learned a few tricks while assembling these that I will share with you. I die cut 2 of the largest petals and 2 of the smaller petals, 1 center and one leaf for each flower. I used Blush cardstock and then added some Coral inkblending around the edges for some contrast. My photos aren't great today because the sun was hidden for most of the day! It came out this evening just in time for me to make my deliveries! Tip #1: Hold the petals with the ink blended side facing the table and use a pencil, or in my case, the quilling tool, to gently wrap the petals around it to achieve the curved edges. I find that it is easier for me to make the curve with the petals going in a downward motion.

I used my quilling tool to create the center portion. Tip #2: Wrap it with the "wrong" side (or side that was on the bottom during the die cutting process) on the outside. Once you fluff out the center, you will want the nicer side to show. I tried it with the nice side out, but then then the ugly side showed when I fluffed it. Hopefully that makes sense. Maybe your die machine doesn't make the back look less appealing than the front! LOL! I used a dab of liquid glue to secure the roll together.

Once that is all done, it is time to assemble the flowers. I just used a small dab of liquid glue to the center of each piece and stacked them, alternating position as I went. The center has a nice amount of glue and is just stuck right in the center. The leaf is also attached with liquid glue. I also added some sentiment strips using the Just Sentiments: Belated Birthday stamp set and the Simply Sentiments I stamp set to give them a little something extra. I spritzed them with Shimmer Spray; I usually do this after I take photos, but I didn't and that's why the black strips have a grainy appearance.

Once again, bad photos with lots of shadows, but I snapped these right before I packaged the gift up! Hopefully you can get the gist! I filled the Frosted Tin Tie bags with the homemade wrapped caramels and attached the flowers with foam squares.

Each of the two gifts included some handmade earrings. I know I've shared quite a few of these recently, but I figured I'd show these, too! These would be sweet additions to May Day baskets or cones as well! This pair was made using the Designer Dangles Pinch Me die set. These are some of my favorites to make and I have gotten the hang of how to thread the jump rings quickly and neatly! For this pair I used the Trendy Colorful Craft Leather and the Metallic Basics leather.

I made quite a few pairs of spring earrings that you can see HERE. These were made today, but are just like the ones that I shared in that post if you are interested in details, including the earring display card.

I made 2 key wristlets because I like them, I have everything on hand, and they are so fun to make! LOL! They are the perfect little gift to give to friends and families. I haven't been inside a store for I don't know how long, so the handmade gifts are working for me!

I recently purchased a new hardware set for the wristlets. It has three different types of metal: silver, this burnished gold, and an oil rubbed bronze looking one. It also came with some amazing pliers with rubber tips so that it doesn't mess up the metal when you clamp them shut! This was the first time I used it and it is so awesome!

I used one of my hoarded "P.S. I love you" tags that I only use when I absolutely HAVE to! LOL! I think it's the perfect addition to the backside of the wristlet! I hope today's post has given you a few ideas of some handmade gifts to make! I sure had fun, even though it was last minute! I'll be back again on the 25th for this month's installment of the Keeping Christmas Blog Hop! Thanks for fluttering by!

P.S. For the birthday cards, I used THESE and added the "Birthday Wishes" sentiment like I used on the flowers across the "BEAUTIFUL" sentiment to make them work for this occasion!

Springtime TE Designer Dangles

I know we're in a crazy time, but I am finding joy as I take time each day to create! It's amazing how much more I enjoy the creative process when I'm not watching the clock or living by the clock! Life is definitely more simple as we stay safe at home; no alarms, practices, appointments, or demands. This week is spring break for my kiddos which means no digital homeschool. We got it down pretty well just before the break, so hopefully we'll be able to transition back smoothly. I've started each morning by sitting down at my desk and writing out cards and getting them in the mail. Unfortunately, I ran out of postage stamps (ack!) so I decided to work on some earrings this afternoon!

It's no secret how much I love to make Designer Dangles from Taylored Expressions. With the Stay At Home orders, I decided to make some spring inspired earrings for Easter gifts. I bought some clear egg cartons from Amazon a few weeks ago and plan on filling each "section" with a different treat or gift. I bought some EOS lip balms in bulk and will fit perfectly in one of the sections.

The earrings ended up being a little too big for the cartons, but I will still add them with the gift. I will share how the cartons turn out and the other handmade gifts I make as well. 

I made 6 pairs of earrings in total and I used the Designer Dangles Go Round dies for each one. These are so easy to put together and are so much fun!

I used the Metallic Basics Craft Leather for the cork portion of the earrings; it has flecks of gold that are just beautiful when they hit the light. The floral leather selections that I used are from Etsy.

This pair uses the small gingham check leather from the Black and White Geo leather collection. It gives it a cute and trendy farmhouse look that will be perfect for Spring and Summer.

I used both silver and gold earring wires depending on the leather combination. I also bought some clear earring backs from the craft store to add to the back so they stay on the cards better. I die cut the cards using the Designer Dangles Earring Card Die in purple, yellow, and chartreuse.

These earrings are so relaxing and rewarding to make; you'll end up making many in one sitting if you get on a roll! LOL!  Thanks for fluttering by!