Terry Ricioli Designs

Hi Crafters, Have you seen the magazines from Stampington? Without a doubt, they have some of the most beautiful magazines I've seen. Their gorgeous layouts and photography make me want to live between the covers. Recently, I sent something off to one of their jewelry magazines and was delighted to be accepted. Jewelry Affaire is filled with intriguing designs that will inspire you to create. And, isn't that what it's all about? Here's the necklace I created. I found a wonderful old brooch in a second-hand shop, and it seemed perfect for a Victorian-style necklace. It was missing the pin back, so I attached it to a round filigree with wire. Then, I picked up the shapes and elements of the brooch in the strands of the necklace. What have you found second-hand, at a flea market or garage sale that inspired you? I have several more brooches that I picked up that day that I want to re-style. And, there's a couple of necklaces that I wore...

Hi Crafters, I love to design children's crafts. It's fun for me to take something that will be thrown away and turn it into something useful. I suspect it is because I didn't have too many materials as a child and was forced to use what I could find. And, having Depression-era parents contributed to the general thriftiness. It's not a bad way to grow up. I think it encourages imagination and inventiveness. As a kid, I used to hunt for bits of broken glass to make mosaics and once made a curtain for my bedroom door with strings of rolled beads cut from can labels. So, when recycling and re-use became popular, I was already there. The magazine, Pack-o-Fun, has always been a favorite of mine. And, when it folded, I was afraid that 50-year old children's craft magazine was gone forever. But, it's not! Yay! It became a section of Crafts 'n things ! I have a couple of crafts in the pack-o-fun section of April's magazine. This Posey Pin is one of them. It'...

Hi Crafters, This month our topic is weddings and I can tell you that the wedding season has already begun this year. We went to an evening wedding just last night, so here is a look at one of this year's events. The wedding took place in Sonoma at one of the oldest wineries in California-- Buena Vista . It's a beautiful location with ivy-covered stone buildings dating from the 1800's. The great thing about having a location like this is that half the decorating is done for you in the beautiful setting. The ceremony took place outside in the cobbled courtyard against an ivy-covered wall. (Luckily, the rain held off until today.) The stone fountain was filled with flowers and the chairs had large bouquets along the aisle. To give you an idea of the amazing floral displays, here is one that I was privileged to take home. The bride looked lovely in a satin ball gown in a two-tone comination of cream and tan. The bridesmaids had dresses in the same tan with black lace over the ...

Hi Crafters, Today it's the beginning of another super blog hop. You may have noticed the blue button at the left of my blog. This button will take you on a tour of a host of designer blogs where you will see fabulous designs and read about the latest in crafts. This month, we will be talking about the trends we saw at the Craft and Hobby Show in January. And, as you hop around the blogs, look for clues. Yes, it's a blog hop and a treasure hunt! And, the prize is--ta da! A Cricut Expression! Now, that is a prize worth hunting for! This prize is offered by Julie McGuffee , well-known designer and TV personality. You can find out how to hunt for the clues to the Cricket Expression on her blog. She also provided the photos that I will be using as I discuss some of the trends I saw at the show. These photos are provided for information only and contain designs under copyright. Overall, I saw a continuing trend toward nostalgia and vintage in crafts. We want to get back to that id...