Artists Photo Tray – CTMH Florentine

May 18th, 2012 Leave a comment

I made this artists painter tray for a Mother’s Day gift.  Those are my two little Teddy Bears – Bella and Bailee.  They are from the same litter and a  Bichon Frise – Shih Tzu mix.  Aren’t they cute?  I used Close to My Heart Florentine papers, CTMH stamps and inks, and CTMH color ready ribbons. The letters and banner were cut from Cricut’s Art Philosophy Cartridge. The tray is 7 gypsies and was purchased from Archivers (love that store). It is like a scrapbook page that you can display with depth and structure. Anything goes – they are fun to design.

 

Painters Tray CTMH FlorentinePainters Tray CTMH Florentine Close Up

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CTMH Framed Scrapbook Words of Wisdom

May 11th, 2012 Leave a comment

I love how you can use scrapbook paper to make home decor.  I made this framed scrapbook page for a co-worker this week. It was made with Close to My Hearts’ Lucky patterned paper and backed with a black 14″ x 20″ frame. The words of wisdom are from a professor at GA Tech. Good words to live by!  I made a more “girlie” version earlier in the week http://designsbydawnrene.com/2012/05/09/color-ready-ribbons/.  Which one do you like better?

CTMH Lucky Framed Scrapbook Page

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Clip Board with CTMH Color Ready Ribbons

May 9th, 2012 2 Comments

This week I made a “Words of Wisdom” clip board for a co-worker.  I decorated the clip board with Close to My Heart’s Florentine papers and embellishments. My designs are typically symmetrical, clean, and simple. I am also a color coordinated kind of gal, which is why I have always liked CTMH’s products. All the CTMH’s papers, inks, and embellishments are color coordinated.  In the Close to My Heart spring/summer catalog they released a new product – “color ready ribbon.”  I used it for the first time on this clip board project and I love it!  I can now make ribbon in any color I want to match my papers. I used a sponge dauber to ink the front and back of the ribbon.  After it dried I had beautiful Olive, Twilight, and Goldrush ribbon to match the Florentine papers!

Clip Board CTMH FlorentineClip Board CTMH Florentine Color Ready Ribbon

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Mother’s Day Easel Card – CTMH Florentine

Apr 30th, 2012 Leave a comment

I just got done making a Mother’s Day card for my mom! I had to finish it early, so I could get it in the mail. She lives in Rochester, New York – where I was born and raised.  I have been on an easel card kick lately, so that is what she is getting!  My daughter and son, Chloe and Cade, are in the picture. All the products on this card are from Close to My Heart. I hope mom likes it!

Florentine CTMH Papers
Sweet Leaf, Brown Bag CTMH Inks
With Love, Extreme Caps CTMH Stampes
Just Blooms White Daisy CTMH Flowers
Sweet Leaf CTMH Ribbon
Die Cuts from CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Wood Buttons
CTMH Easel Mothers Day Card FarCTMH Easel Mothers Day Card Side

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Handmade Personalized Earring Cards

Apr 27th, 2012 Leave a comment

I have been selling my jewelry on Etsy, but now that I have built up some inventory I want to start attending craft shows or maybe even consign with local retail stores.  So I started “display” shopping.  Shopping for displays is almost as fun as shopping for my gemstones!  There are so many great ideas and options out there. I have posted innovative ideas I found on my pinterest account (http://pinterest.com/dawnrcarlyle).  I really like the idea of decorating a clip board to display necklaces. One artist hung up silver paint buckets to display magnets.  Using shutters seems like a popular idea for displaying jewelry too.  What am I going to use to display my earrings? I found this product called “The Easy Earring Cards Punch Kit” which evenly punches holes in cards to display earrings.  When I can afford the product – I will by it.  In the meantime, I have created my earrings cards the cheap and manual way.  I printed a vertical version of my business card and manually punched to holes in the business cards.  I purchased Adhesive Earring Adapters from an Etsy shop called “In The Clear.”  Voila- my personalized earring cards!

Earring Card SuppliesEarring Card AdaptorHandmade Earring Cards

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Hemp Cord and Jewelry

Apr 23rd, 2012 Leave a comment

I bought these beautiful agate beads at a bead show in Atlanta last month. Their earthy and outdoorsy colors – hunter green, dark brown, and tan –  remind me of nature. So when I sat down to start designing a pair of earrings and bracelet with the stones, hemp cord or twine came to mind because of its color and texture.  For the bracelet, I tied the agate beads and dark green jade beads on the hemp cord. I decided to use a silver lobster clasp as a closure for the three strand bracelet to make it a little bit more formal.  For the earrings, I used the hemp cord to make a tiny bow.  I think the hemp cord compliments the beads well!
Bracelet - Dyed Brown Agate with HempEarrings - Brown Dyed Agate Hemp Bow

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Mother’s Day Sale – 25% Off at Designs By Dawn Rene!

Apr 16th, 2012 Leave a comment

Mother’s Day is coming up fast! What are you getting your mother? Don’t get the same old same old – flowers? Find fun and affordable jewelry and cards in my online shop at http://designsbydawnrene.etsy.com. Enter promotion code MOTHER12 at checkout to get 25% off. Hurry up – don’t delay!

Card Bookmark - Mothers Day

Necklace - Jasper Pendant

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CTMH Masculine Easel Card

Apr 15th, 2012 Leave a comment

My dad’s birthday was a couple weeks ago.  I always make my parents handmade cards. However, after all these years of scrapbooking and card making – I still find it difficult to create masculine cards!  I feel like every year – my father gets a card made from the same stamp set.  So this year, instead of making a “Happy Birthday Dad” card – I thought I would create an easel card which he could keep and display.  My dad is a winemaker and he recently won a gold medal at a competition. So I used an older CTMH stamp set called Bon Appetit to create this easel card for my dad’s birthday!  I used a second generation stamping technique for the grapes. It is the first easel card I have made and I love it!

CTMH Stamps - Bon Appetit
CTMH Inks – Outdoor Denim
CTMH Die Cuts – Art Philosophy Cartridge
CTMH Paper – Lucky
CTMH Outdoor Denim Buttons, Ribbons and Brads

CTMH Easel Card FrontCTMH Easel Card Side

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Making Jewelry For Men

Apr 4th, 2012 Leave a comment

I have never given much thought to making jewelry for men. Last week at work, a co-worker and loyal customer was showing off a piece of jewelry I had made for her to a male co-worker. He asked if I made jewelry for men. Hummmm – I guess I can! I went through my bead stash to find some potential masculine looking beads. Some options – hematite, black crackle agate, dark green jade, black onyx, black obsidian? I recently made a necklace with a black wooden guitar pick. So I decided to create a couple necklaces with the guitar pick and some of these “masculine” stones. Here is what I came up with…. What do you think?

The first handmade necklace has a guitar pick, hematite, and black crackle agate stones. The second handmade necklace has a guitar pick, black agate stones, and bamboo wood beads which I painted black. Both necklaces close with a lobster clasp.

 

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Wire Wrapping Tools?

Mar 26th, 2012 Leave a comment

One day I was on Etsy looking for some simple silver earrings that I could wear to work. Then it hit me – I can make my own!  I have done some free form wire wrapping on pendants. I really enjoy wire wrapping.  But I have never done anything with fancy designs or earrings where both pieces need to be exactly the same! I bought this tool I saw in Micheal’s – a Thing-A-Ma JIG. I guess it will take some practice to know how to use it properly. I made the two pairs of earrings below… not too bad for a first attempt. But, one thing I noticed is I have plier marks everywhere on the spiral earrings. I will need to put tape on my pliers to protect the metal. Then I had to go out and buy a new pair of “wire looping pliers.”  I am excited to try them out. I might end up doing the wrap wrapping by hand vs. using the Thing-A-Ma JIG.

Earrings - Practice Silver Wire Wrap

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