Finally My Very Own Beeswax Tutorial.

As much as I love to work with beeswax I just never have gotten around to making a tutorial that shows how I like to use it best. Finally, I took the time and created the following tutorials that will show you step by step, how to make a beautiful wall hanging out of the simplest of supplies. I hope you will forgive the constant sound of the heat gun in the video but it was a very cold morning and I had a bit of trouble keeping the wax hot enough to work without it. The completed tutorial does take a little while to wacth but I hope you will find it enjoyable.

*As always, remember to pause the music below before watching the videos and enlarge the screen for closer viewing if you wish.

The Finished Piece

Corner Bookmark Bling!

Just recently I have discovered a most wonderful place just around the corner from my home (who knew!). It is The Goodwill Bookstore.

Apparently this little treasure has been tucked away in my grocery store shopping center and has gone unnoticed by me until now. Anyway, since discovering this awesome place -hardcover books old and new are only $1.99 and softcover books .99 cents-I have been reading up a storm!

With multiple books being read at once, I have been getting very tired of grabbing scraps of paper, receipts, and even...ahem...squares of toilet paper while reading on the potty (you know you do that too!) to mark my place in whatever book I am reading.

With this in mind I decided that I wanted a very pretty bookmark to hold my place but I hate the standard kind that always falls to the ground the second you open the book. Then I found this great tutorial on Youtube that shows you how to make a corner bookmark and so I made the one below for myself. Check out the tutorial and then go make yourself something pretty.

*Remember to pause the music at the bottom before watching the video...enjoy!

Don't You Dare!

"That's Right! You just try it...Go ahead, I dare you....wake me up and you just see what happens!"

This is exactly how I have been feeling this entire week that seems like it has stretched into being 3 weeks long! I know that this time of year can get a bit hectic and hard to complete our every day tasks but WOW do I feel like I have been hit by a mack truck. I knew I was exhausted when the image above caught my eye and instead of savoring the romance of it; I felt like I could just scream at the insensitive dude for waking her up!

Kids!

Kids are something else. Tell me, how are you supposed to discipline children when they are so stinking cute after they get in trouble for something? Below is a letter of apology I received from my 7 year old niece who was sent to her room for snatching a bottle of chocolate sauce right out of my hand to get a better look as her mother and I were discussing its contents.

After sitting in her room for about 2o minutes she emerged with this heartfelt and hilarious letter of apology written of her own volition! It was so hard to keep a straight face as she asked me to read it aloud and accept her apology. Lots of hugs and kisses later; we all had a good laugh.

And all this from the same child who recently wrote a note to her teacher on the back of her unfinished homework that her mother had no idea about..."I couldn't finish my homework because my mom took me shopping". !

Today Is The Auction!!

Update!! Today is the auction for Benson and Claire and we hope you find the time to stop over at A Place To Bloom to view the many great items donated by fellow artists and craftspeople. The auction will run from today 12/10 through Saturday 12/12 so if you can, please stop by and take a peak before it ends on Saturday. It has been so great to learn about this amazing family and participate in the auction as well. I am sure that it has been a great experience for all involved. If you have not already, please take the time to read about Benson and Claire below and then hop on over to The Auction and take a peak!

Many times in life the suffering of others becomes overwhelming and possibly too devastating to think about for any length of time. We tend to look the other way because it is just too painful to ponder over. We feel helpless because of the limitations of our own abilities to help. But then, every once in awhile the opportunity to help someone in great need presents itself right in front of our face and we just know in our heart that immediate action is required. And then we rejoice in the fact that here is an opportunity where we CAN help and make a difference is such a simple and joyful way! That opportunity came about for me today while blog hopping when I cam across the story of these two beautiful children in need.

"Benson and Claire were born with a rare genetic disease in which their liver produces too much oxalate--called primary hyperoxaluria. Claire's condition has progressed much faster than Benson's. She has been on dialysis since she was 3 months old and is on dialysis 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. She is now on the waiting list to receive a combined kidney / liver transplant. It is expected Benson will eventually need similar transplants. visit www.cotaforbensonandclaires.com for more information about COTA and Benson and Claire's medical journey.

Understandably, they are in great need of financial assistance for their continuing care. I understand personally the financial impact transplantation care can require.

The reason this story touched my heart so much is the fact that my own father has been awaiting a kidney transplant for several years himself. He has been strong and courageous in doing his part to stay healthy and has become very disciplined in his routine. He must dialyze every 3 hours through the peritoneal cavity at home to remove deadly toxins from his body until a transplant comes. He does this at home every 3 hours of the day and gets a short rest through the night. He has remained active and has really made this taxing routine a way of life. He goes on trips and works on many home building projects and has lots of hobbies.

Because I could relate to what these children were going through, I was so thrilled when I learned that A Place To Bloom would be holding a silent auction on December 10th to raise funds for the continuing care of these great kids! The silent auction will feature many items from fellow artists, bloggers and others who have been moved to donate as well. I will be donating the recently made Chiyogami pendant that I posted about several days ago.

If you can, I urge you to stop by A Place To Bloom for further information on how you too can help, participate or simply leave encouraging comments for the family of these two bright children. Also, another way you can help is to post Benson and Claire's blog banner on your blog or website to help get the word out. The banner is a direct link over to the family's personal website where they provide frequent updates on how the kids are doing, the things they are up to and the daily chuckles they provide for their family. I know for a fact that posting this banner makes a difference because after all, that is exactly how I came across the story of these wonderful children myself!

Paper Rose Tutorial.

I found a really neat and easy technique for making paper roses on Youtube the other night. The tutorial required a bit of folding and cutting through several thick layers of paper to get the 8 petaled flower shape that would ultimately create the rose in three layers. Because I am not the most patient of folks; I was convinced there had to be and easier way or at least a way to shorten some of the steps.

Then it dawned on me that I could just use an 8 petaled paper flower punch! I grabbed my Whale Punch from EK Success and punched out three flowers. Then I just followed the technique in the video picking up right after she had cut out the 3 flower shapes by hand. My flowers turned out a little less intricate but I loved them all the same. Click on the photo above to enlarge and see the 3 flowers I made up close. I used them for several handmade cards. I have also posted the tutorial below in case you are interested in making your own beautiful paper roses.

*As always, be sure to pause the music below before enjoying the video.

Glass Tile Pendant Panache.

I have been having a blast creating these glass tile pendants for about a week now. I purchased the white glass wafers from Etsy.com where they are readily available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. These ones are actually quite large and are about the size of a silver dollar.

Each wafer has a slight magnifying effect which beautifully enlarges whatever image you are using to create with. You can use a variety of materials to create these such as paper, fabric, and transfers.

For the blue one I used a gorgeous piece of Japanese Chiyogami Paper that I have been wanting to do something special with.

The white one was created using a scrap of handmade paper with a black backing that partially shows through giving a unique and interesting look.

The delicate rose one is probably my favorite of all and was made with a colorful rose graphic taken from an old Victorian calender. I love how feminine this one looks and I think it would make the perfect gift for the Victorian art lover.

The process involved in creating the pendants is just a tad bit involved as perfectly sizing your image can be a challenge. Once your image has been sized a liquid resin solution is applied directly to the glass and is pressed onto whatever image is being used.

Next, several layers of the resin are added to the back of the sealed pendant. In between the first and second layer of the back is when the pendant bail has to be perfectly centered so as not to give a lop-sided appearance. The final step is to completely seal the back with more resin to make it water resistant. They have been a lot of fun to create and I plan to make many more and will also put a few up for sale.