Busy, Busy...

Since getting approval for my three ideas for the Holiday Sale at 212 Arts Center, I have been juggling quilting classes, mailing model horse orders for Shelby, canning (yes, we still have pears, apples, sweet potatoes, beets, and pumpkins to finish!), and my pojects for the sale.

So I began my own assembly line for my encaustic Christmas blocks...

Today I hit a sale at the Saline Senior Center and nabbed several old necklaces to use for the fobs on these ornaments.

I am so excited to be included in this sale.  This is a first for me.  The bonus is the fact that I get to create something everyday!  Even if today that something is called Pear-Cherry Chutney!

Clasp Dilemma

I am loving the way my short story and collage bracelets are unfolding....but the closures have become a stumbling block!  As much as I love finding a use for recycled items, the closures are another matter. I am concerned that the current closures (read: hair ties and buttons) will wear the edges of the bracelets through prematurely, so I am researching the possibility of a magnetic clasp similar to this bracelet that I purchased at Von Maur.

Here are two of the finally embellished collage bracelets that I am reworking to find an appropriate clasp solution.  Any ideas?  Please message me at: stacey.harper.35@facebook.com

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Another Short Story Bracelet

In honor of Oxford Bound Bakery, I've created one of my short story bracelets especially for Shelby (Alexandra) to inspire her during all the hard work she is about to embrace! I call it, "England was calling her home".

What's really fun about these handmade, grunge-style, mini art pieces is that they are collages made from dog food bags and other upcycled materials; including labels from bags of oranges, old unappreciated art pieces, bits of leftover beads and lace...you get the idea.

I have quite a few started for various members of my family.  Each is unique to the intended individual, as the short story must be something significant to their life in 4-6 words.  I made one for myself called, "I am my daddy's girl".  It is still in the flat stage which is what I refer to them before stitching, beading, padding, and embellishing.

Shelby has requested some general short story bracelets to sell at the market.  Although they shall be a bit less personal, read: less meaningful, they are cute and quirky and hopefully as interesting to potential shoppers as they are to me!

Bracelet blanks.  Here you can get a better idea of the recycled bits; from dogfood bags, calendar pages, dictionary pages, and slide transparencies to name a few.

Here are three blanks that I turned into collage bracelets.