Compass Necklaces

I recently saw someone wearing beads in a color combination like this - lots of neutral browns, whites, and blacks with a couple of pops of green, red, and light blue. I wouldn't have imagined these colors would work together, but I think they really do. Not my typical colors - but I love them. I'm calling this my "compass" necklace because the colors will let me go in a lot of different directions in how I match it with my clothing.


I made a short and longer version so I could mix and match. I can even hook the 2 necklaces together to make one long strand.

And here is the "hanging around" webcam view.

Inside the Postcard Train Case

So are you curious about what is inside?


So I've seen several blogs that show how they use vintage train cases to store all their craft goodies - here and here. So I organized my tangled mess of jewelry findings (should have taken a "before" picture, it was bad!) - wire and clasps and charms and tools - into this beautiful collection.


The top tray lifts out, and there is more underneath. I can easily find everything instead of digging through piles of little plastic bag. Plus, it just looks cute! It certainly makes my jewelry making easier when my supplies aren't in a mess! You can check out all of the suitcase photos here at Flickr.

Postcard Train Case

Ever since seeing these train cases covered with a collage of vintage papers, I have been searching for old train cases at the goodwill store. I finally found a couple last fall. Here is one of them - bland and beige. It sat for several months while I waited for the right inspiration - I finally decided to scan my vintage postcards to use to cover it. I thought it would go along with the map collage suitcase I made a while back. I printed them in sheets in a 2 x 3 inch size using a laser printer (so the colors wouldn't bleed). All of the postcards represent places that I have traveled to.


I cut them into sections and applied matte Mod Podge with a brush to adhere them to the suitcase. After that dried, I covered the entire surface with several coatings of Mod Podge.


Tada! The end result:




Tomorrow I will show you what is inside!

Pasta Presto

Here's a quick way to make a fresh tasting pasta sauce.


Start with a 24 ounce can of chopped tomatoes. I like to find some good Italian San Marzano chopped tomatoes - I think the flavor is brighter.


Chop 1/2 an onion. (Add chopped red pepper if you wish.) Saute for about 5 minutes until softened. Then add the canned tomatoes and a clove of chopped garlic. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, dried Italian herbs, and fennel seeds. Cook for a few minutes more, until warmed.


Add your favorite cooked pasta.


Top with fresh parsley and basil. Sometimes I even add some chopped spinach so I can get in a few more healthy vegetables. Finally, put some shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Ben and Jerry's Cinnamon Buns Ice Cream

I am often tempted by Ben and Jerry's interesting ice cream flavor combinations. I usually don't buy ice cream, but when I saw some of their latest inventions, I just had to try them. Their "Mission to Marzipan" ice cream was ok, but the "Cinnamon Buns" flavor is a winner!!


Caramel flavored ice cream - mmmmmm.....


Cinnamon roll dough chunks - kinda like cookie dough without the chocolate chips - double mmmmmmm.......


A ribbon of cinnamon streusel - triple mmmmmmm. Somehow it keeps the sugary texture and I found myself digging to the bottom of the carton to get to all the streaks of cinnamon.


And someone else thought it smelled pretty good, too!

Eiffel Charm Necklace

Over the weekend I bought a new soldering iron and did a little more experimenting with making the soldered charms. The new soldering iron made a huge difference! I'm getting a little better at it, but certainly don't have the technique mastered. Yet!


One of the fun parts of doing these charms is that you can design something different for both sides. One one side I put part of a postcard of the Eiffel Tower.


On the other side some red and blue fabric. I added a little curl of wire at the bottom and hung some beads. Kind of fun. This is made from a microscope slide and is about 3 inches long. I wonder if it will be easy to crack the glass on the slide. We'll see......

Vintage Travel Postcards

Well, I just spent 90 minutes scanning most of my vintage travel postcards for a clever little project that I am working on. When I go to antique stores, I look for old postcards showing places that I have actually visited. I like the ones with the antique amber and blue colors (and they actually inspired the colors of my office). Here are a few of my favorites:

Bacharach, Germany - the prettiest town on the Rhine

Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska

The Falls at Artist Point in Yellowstone National Park

Mount Rainier - no place is prettier when the lupines are blooming!

I will share my project when it is done - and I don't think it is what you are expecting! And if you'd like to see all my postcards, here is the set at Flickr.