Falling Leaves

Hi Folks!

 The feel of fall in the air - cooler nights, leaves turning color and flocks of birds preparing to fly to warmer climes.

It's one of my favorite times of year for decorating. I love the mix of colors! This year I'm making a fall leaf spray to hang on a door. 

I'm using stiff felt (Kunin Friendly Felt) and Gwen Studios ribbons. I'm cutting the leaves using my Sizzix Big Kick and a leaf die from Tim Holtz. If you don't have a leaf die, head outside and pick up a few leaves for patterns and cut them out freehand.

In order to make the flat leaves more dimensional, I folded them in half and sewed a line down the back.  If you don't have a sewing machine, hand stitching will work, too.

I used hot glue to tack the leaves together.  I cut a total of 24 leaves for this spray.

Then, I cut off the tails on one of the pre-made bows.  I undid the second one and added the length to make longer tails.  I also added lengths of grosgrain ribbon in red, yellow and brown and hot glued them to the back.

I added a hangar at the back of the bow.  I used a paper clip, but you can use a loop of narrow ribbon or string. Although I made a spray to hang, these look great as a centerpiece for your holiday table.  Intertwine the leaves with colorful ribbons.

You can find Gwen Studios ribbon at your local craft and hobby store (Joann's) or at Walmart or on Amazon.

Look for these ribbons:

Brown Plaid Burlap Ribbon

Grosgrain 3/8" Ribbon

Look for more fun ribbon ideas using Gwen Studios ribbons on the Designer Crafts Connection.

(I receive the Gwen Studios ribbons as part of the perks of being a member of the design team.  They have a wide variety of high-quality ribbons, which I am very pleased to use and recommend.)

Last Minute Gift Idea: Leaf Earrings

Hi Everyone!

Are you ready for the holidays?  Do you need a last minute gift idea for a friend or family member?  You've come to the right place!

We invite you to join the Last Minute Gift Ideas blog hop with a great group of talented designers.  Hop from blog to blog and find easy, fast and amazing last minute gift ideas.

You can also win a great prize!  Visit all the blogs participating in the hop, leave a comment, and you can win a $100 Visa gift card!

Earrings are always a great gift.  Here's some mixed media ones that will be sure to be a hit.  Leather is such a popular jewelry medium right now, and all you do to create the leaf is use a die cutter.  You can find the tutorial here.

Leather Leaf Earrings

 
While I really like these in tan suede and dark red, I wanted to try a different color to show how versatile this idea is.  Here's a necklace I made using turquoise leather.  For more on this necklace, go to this link.

Blueberry Tassel Necklace

Blueberry Tassel Necklace Close-up

As you can see, it's a very versatile design idea.  With so many colors and textures in leather and suede, it's easy to create your own version for any occasion. 

More ideas - try a different die cut, use leaf or other fancy chain, use pre-strung dangle chain, add a smaller leaf, a filigree stamping or other layer in between the leaf and the chain.

You have plenty of chances to enter to win a $100 Visa gift card each day of the hop, on any of the participating blogs.  Everyone is eligible to win whether you're in the U. S. or international.  The prize winner will be announced on Christmas, December 25, on einatkessler.com

Here's the hop list:

Ola Khomenok
Patti Hodder
Kathy Clement
Alexandra Morein
Sandy Trefger
Gloria Stengel
Pam Bray
Einat Alagem
Keren Tamir
Terry Ricioli - YOU ARE HERE!
Katelyn Grosart
Einat Kessler
Susan M. Brown
Steph Ackerman
Eileen Hull
Rita Barakat
Mahe Zehra

In order to win, leave a comment answering the question - "What is your favorite 'can't live without' craft supply or tool?"
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Creating and Happy Holidays!

Terry

Live, Laugh, Love Wall Hanging

Hi Crafty Friends!

Today I'm sharing my latest project with JOY Iron-on letters.  In this design, I used some of the funky neon letters with black letters in another font.  Then, I cut some flowers with my Sizzix Big Kick and added buttons and floss.  It's so easy with these letters to create your favorite motto or saying.

Live, Laugh, Love Wall Hanging

You can find all the instructions on the Creating with JOY blog.

You can find these letters in Hobby Lobby or Michaels, or on the website if you don't have a store in your area. 

Happy Crafting!

Terry

Leaf Coasters with etchall®

Hi Crafters!

Did you know that etchall® etching creme works on slate?  Well, you do if you remember my post from last December when I created an etched slate heart. Yes, that was a while ago!  Today I'm getting back to that batch of slate I bought, and I'm creating a set of slate coasters with etchall® etching creme.  I really like the way etched slate looks and it's so easy to do!

Here are the coasters before etching:

Slate Coasters

Since it's almost fall, I thought I'd create a set of leaf coasters.  I have a Sizzix Big Kick and a Tim Holtz® Tattered Leaves die that I'm using to cut my stencil, but you can use any die you have or cut your own leaves.  Since this die is designed for cutting leaves and not stencils, there is not much of an edge around the leaves, so I used extra tape around the stencils.

I cut a piece of stencil material and ran it through the die cutter.  Since there are three leaves on this die, I cut them apart.

Stencil Placement

After removing the backing, I placed the leaf stencil diagonally on the coaster and rubbed it down so that all the small indentations of the leaf were stuck to the slate.  Since slate has a rough surface, take your time and make sure it adheres everywhere.  The etchall® squeegee does a good job of getting air bubbles out and adhering the stencil to the surface.  Then, cover all the edges with masking tape.

Applying the stencil

Apply the etching creme and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Gently scrape as much of the creme as you can and put it back in the bottle (it's reusable!).  Then rinse thoroughly before removing the stencil and tape.  Since the slate is rough, the stencil picks up pieces of it, so the stencil is not reusable.  

Adding etchall® etching creme

Here are the finished coasters:

Etched Leaf Coasters

Tie them up with a piece of raffia or twine and add a tag.  These make a great hostess gift - tuck them into a basket with a bottle of wine, a couple of (etched) wine glasses and some pretty napkins!

Happy Etching!

Terry

PS  Do you want to try etching with etchall®?  Follow the bee on my sidebar to buy all your etchall® needs.  (I get a small percentage if you order through my site, and as an etchall® ambassador, I receive payment for this post.  All opinions are my own and I would not be a member of the team if I didn't like the product!)

Designer Crafts Connection - Favorite Products

Hi Crafty Friends!
Welcome to the Designer Crafts Connection on the first Monday of 2015!  Today, we're sharing our favorite products.  

I had several that I worked with last year that I really enjoyed.  The first one is probably not new to a lot of you scrapbookers and card makers, but it is new to me and I am having a great time learning all the ins and outs of it.  I bought a Sizzix Big Kick and a few dies and embossing folders and, for the first time in many years, I made my own Christmas cards.  Here's a few I made:

  I added torn edges and some copper ink along with thread.  I'm excited to try this machine with embossing on metals of various kinds especially recycled pieces from packaging.

Another new product that I tried this year was the fun and innovative Totem Poppets and Lace-Ups from Eye Connect Crafts.  There are just so many ways to add these to your artwork!  Here's a wreath I made with the Owl Poppet this year:

I received the Totem Poppets from Eye Connect Crafts to use in my design work.  I'll also be working in the booth at the Craft and Hobby Show, so look for us in the New Vendor area if you attend the show!  As part of the Poppet package, I also received an eyelet setter from Fiskars.  It is the best tool for setting eyelets that I have ever used.  It sets eyelets consistently and easily.

I've got a few more things on my work table that I haven't tried yet and with all the new products at the Craft and Hobby Show in just a few days, I'll have a lot to share in the New Year! 

Happy New Year!  And, here's to a great year of crafting!

Terry