UPDATE, because dayum, I really needed to!

Well, I have crafted here and there over the past few months...  Where have I been these past few months?  Busy like crazy with work!

But, for the holidays, I made my coworkers all mugs. Boring right?  No! I put our school logo on them and then added their names on the back.  Forgot to take a picture of the names, but here's what the front looked like:

Clear decal transfer paper made this possible...  I made double the number you see below...

I sprayed each mug with a clear polyurethane coating to make it water resistant.  

That's all I got for now... Well, I've been selling those pallet coasters now and again.  And, my Etsy shop is over $400 in the black!  That's a big accomplishment for something I've really been neglecting, lol.

A glass wedding card box...

About a month ago, I was contacted by Sarah who was browsing one of my glass terrariums on Etsy.  She needed a wedding card box and asked if that particular terrarium would fit the bill.  Unfortunately, the terrarium has 2 large openings on either side, so it couldn't really hold the cards in.  After some back and forth, she decided to have me make a box for her!  How exciting!!  I, for one, was tremendously excited!

I started with her wedding colors, a light green and navy blue.

So, I scoured the internets, and found the closest colored stained glass I could:

Not too shabby, eh?

Then, I had to find some metal accents, which was a pain in the neck! lol, not the easiest things to find.  But here's what I did find:

And then it was time to get to work!  I was very very careful with this piece, I didn't want to do anything sloppy.  So, slow and steady, measure twice (three times, four?) and cut once!  I made the bottom first...

And then, I measured and measured to make a top that fit perfectly.  (P.S., the legs aren't attached yet, just kind propped on there).

Then, I used chemical patina to make all that shiny solder a nice dark black (to match all the metal accents).

Long story short (long story long!), here we have the finished product:

The cards can be slid into that hole you see on top... and of course the lid just slides on and comes off so that the newly weds can retrieve all of the cards :)

PHEW!  Now, off to take a much deserved movie break :)

Something I'm working on.

When shit's really... shitty, I find the need to craft things.  Not just any craft and not necessarily for a functional product, but just something time consuming and expressive.  More "art" than craft.

I am only as strong as I am,

because you guided me.

I have always said that my sister is one of the strongest and bravest people I know.  Last year, as she battled cancer with striking wit and unwavering strength, I thought to myself: "see, I was right."   An amazing mother, an adoring sister, and a spunky pain-in-the-ass, my sister has conquered any role she's taken on and made it all look so easy.

Today, I wonder if I could ever be a strong enough sister and brave enough friend to help her when she's the one who has strength and bravery in the bag.  I endlessly hope that I can be half the woman she is without her help, should she ever leave us.  It is only with her help that I have made it as far as I have anyway.

Mari, I love you.  We'll fight this together, as long as it takes and as hard as it gets.  

I can sorta draw

I thought I would inundate you with pictures!  Fun, yes?
So, pencil drawings, I suppose, are something I "make."  I wouldn't use the word "art," but I draw stuff...

This is actually only about 2" long.  

This is my original drawing for the tattoo on my foot--if you've seen it, you know it's not right :(

Doodles for an idea for another tattoo... suggestions?

I force myself to draw things I can't draw--hands for example.

TJ is a good sport and sits still for me to sketch him.

I draw a lot of silly stuff.

I also draw creepy things, lol.

and I sketch things for craft projects.  That's my first visualization of the angelfish I made out of aluminum.

Hmpf, pretty unpretty.

More silly stuff!

Little mini person.

I don't know.  It kinda looks like me?

This is up on my wall... sketches of TJ and I.

Doodles!

Working more and more on stained glass things...

This isn't quite complete, but here's where I am so far.  Also, get ready to get a lot more posts come the end of June!

I know it's been a while...

Hello all!  I know, I've been M.I.A. for a while now.  I hope you've been keeping up with my etsy shop!  There are some amazing new items that have come and gone.  Here's a taste...

This beauty I almost didn't give up, and I still regret it a bit.  Perfect working condition, sleek and sexy blue... oh man, it was a once in a lifetime find!  Why did I sell it...?

These two bird houses were all too cute.  But alas, what use have I for beautiful things?


Anyway,  back to the matter at hand!  My crafting.  It's been on hold, replaced by fun things like writing lesson plans and papers and such.  But, I carved out some time (some time I really didn't have) to craft this little gem.  Perfect for a plant or a candle, this miniature glass house is my first "artistic" piece, inspired by the green of the grass, the blue of the sky, and the white of the clouds!  Sounds deep, huh?  lol, jk.  That is how I picked my colors, but don't take more meaning out of it than I thought it'd look nice.  Comments?  Questions?  Thoughts of disgust?

 Sorry, I took the pictures with my phone, so they're pretty blurry.

My aluminum can art continues...

If you know me, you know I love insects...  and so, VOILA!:

















Also, my mom and my sister got me these beautiful flowers for my birthday!  (I combined both bouquets because I LOVE huge bouquets):

Here's a look at my latest project!

Who makes things with glass and with class?  I DO!  After a LOT of headaches and trial and error, I finally completed my very first glass house!  Excuse how dirty it is, but I need a certain chemical to clean off the flux and where it burned...  I'm too excited to wait for it to be shipped, so deal!  haha.  Anyway, this thing was a lot of work--I had to learn how to accurately cut glass (those little red glass cutters you get at home depot DO NOT cut it), I had to learn a thing or two about soldering, AND I had to learn that you can't just solder glass to glass... you need to do a lot of prep with things like copper foil and flux.

So, without further ado:

I know it's ugly and is missing things like symmetry and accuracy, but it's my first shot and I'm proud!  And, I promise to get better! :)

Finally...

 finally got my recycled aluminum can Angelfish into a frame.  I gave him a few friends and some nice scenery to look at.  :)  Enjoy!

A sneak peak...

At a new project I'm undergoing, at the request of one of my Etsy customers...

I haven't perfected my technique, but at least I've finally figured out the process....

P.S.  Use coupon code BIRTHDAY10PERCENT to get 10% off your next purchase at my Etsy shop!!

Making Coasters....

This took me quite some time because I don't have a little saw and had to use my Dremel... it was time consuming.  But first thing tomorrow I'll get buying myself a little hacksaw.

For now, here's my first mini wooden pallet coaster!  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I love how the wood in the background makes it look like a mini lumber yard :-D

CWI!

I mastered CWI a few nights ago.

What's CWI you ask?

Crafting While Intoxicated.  It's often accompanied by SATLWP (Singing Along Too Loudly With Pandora) and KHFH (Killer Hangover From Hell) the next morning.  Which is no good when it's Sunday and Sunday is my flea market day... and you gotta wake up early for flea markets!  oh man,  it was BNB that morning.  I think we all know what that means!

Anyway, I did a few things, but notably, I put together a few coasters for my Etsy shop.  Not my best work... did I mention the intoxicated part?  But the blue and cream ones are beautiful!