handmade by linda

card: make a wish

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:33:00 +0000

This was a fast birthday card. I'm not sure who it is going to yet since the next birthdays coming up are dh's and mine. Although I could let dh give me this card, we'll see. :)

Supplies: paper and chipboard Imaginisce. punch, Marvy Uchida

etsy profile: Satin Doll Co

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:20:00 +0000

On Etsy there are many great sellers. I would like to feature one of those sellers, Satin Doll Co. Gaetana sells beautiful beaded creations such as jewelry, handbag and cell phone charms, and hair accessories.

Here is a little more information about Gaetana and the Satin Doll Co.

1.Tell us about yourself.
I'm a Native New Yorker living in Florida and before starting my own business and moving down south I was a successful Freelance Designer for 3 years. It's true what they say, that if you can make it there then you can make it anywhere. I love designing apparel but accessories are my true love and passion.

2. What are you currently doing besides your creative craft?
I'm currently designing and making pieces for my first collection for this Fall/Winter '08-'09 called "Tragic Romance", which will be sold on my official shop/website this coming September.

3. What do you offer in your Etsy Shop?
As of right now I currently offer one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry and accessories, which include handbag charms, cellphone charms, belts, hair accessories, and yoga/pilates mat wraps. In the coming weeks, I hope to add an array of different handbags, totes, clutches, passport covers and much more.

4. Where do you create?
I work from home and sometimes flip-flop from the living room to the dining room table.

5. Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. It could be a newspaper article, a television show, a photograph, a single bead or even a swatch of fabric. I'm inspired by life itself.

6. How did you get started in your line of business?
I'm actually as self-taught jewelry designer. When I was back in college in my last quarter of school I talked about designing jewelry and handbags but I actually started making pieces a year or so after graduating. I learned to sew from my mother, still to this day I can still remember all the dresses she made for me in kindergarten. If you look in my new shop, Paradise International (http://paradiseint.etsy.com) all the backpacks are sewn by her.

7. How do you promote your business?
I promote my shop(s) any which way I can. Business cards, postcards, flyers, word-of-mouth, newsletters, blogs, mailing lists, Myspace, Facebook, IndiePublic, WeLoveEtsy, Craigslist and many more.

8. What is one of your most important lessons you've learned since
starting your business?
Never giving up is the most important lesson I've learned. There were times when I truly doubted myself and was ready to throw in the towel but I soon realized that I was just having a bad patch. I picked myself up and worked even harder.

9. What advice would you give someone just starting out?
A business plan is key when deciding to start your own business. I wrote mine 4 years ago when I was just out of college. I go back to it time-to-time to make sure I'm still on the right path. Also great customer service and packaging are also key elements; they can make or break any business.

10. What is some of your favorite online shops on and off Etsy?
I have tons. Stoopidgirl, Morganstreet, Oktak, Huey, PixelbyPixel, SpaTherapy and so many more.

Etsy
Buy Handmade
SatinDollCo

birthday and thank you card

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:22:00 +0000

I thought this new paper form SEI was just so pretty. I kept the cards simple because I didn't want to cover up too much of the paper.

Supplies: paper, SEI. ribbon, May Arts. stamp, Stampin' Up.

Happy 4th of July!

two thank you cards

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:11:00 +0000

A couple of quick thank you cards.

Supplies: paper, SEI. ribbon, Making Memories. paper frills, Doodlebug. stickers, Joanns. punch, Marvy Uchida

layout: fall fun

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:14:00 +0000

This layout makes me happy because of the cheesey smile on ds's face and because more stash found a good home. This is from last fall when we were carving pumpkins.

Supplies: paper, paper frills and stamps, Doodlebug Designs. buttons, MOD and Making Memories. brad bars, Karen Foster Designs. journal spots, Heidi Swapp. fall embellie, American Crafts. stickers, Creative Imaginations. ink, Stampin' Up,

layout: butterflies

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:56:00 +0000

I've been digging deep into my stash again. These photos are from last summer's butterfly catch and release. Sorry for the weird glare in the lower left corner. You can see that better in the detail shot, glare free.

Supplies: paper, Scenic Route and Chatterbox. orange flowers and journal box, My Mind's Eye. title, American Crafts. paper frills, Doodlebug. Prima flowers. Stickles. quote, KI Memories. punch, Martha Stewart.

best friends forever mini album

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:15:00 +0000

I like mini albums and I have bought a lot of blanks but never did anything with them. It sounds silly but I never knew where to start. I finally told myself to get to getting and came up with this cute flower shaped book.

Supplies: papers, fibers and stickers, Chatterbox. word and fuzzy stickers, Making Memories. chipboard flower book, Creative Imaginations. key ring

fun etsy finds

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 01:13:00 +0000

I like looking around Etsy for fun items. I especially like looking at all the jewelry, so many beautiful things. These two pieces caught my eye from the Satin Doll Co.

This first piece is Sugar Sweet Handbag Charm. I like the mix of reds and pinks.

These earrings, Nottingham also caught my eye. I like the texture and the antique feel to them.

black and red birthday card

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:32:00 +0000

I made this card a couple weeks ago and thought I had posted it but it turns out that I didn't. So here it is now. :)

I used a Cuttlebug embossing template and heat embossed the stamp for texture.

Supplies: stamp, Stampin' Up. template, Cuttlebug. ribbon, American Crafts.

bookmarks

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:46:00 +0000

I bought a laminate cartridge for my Xyron and thought it would be fun to make some bookmarks.

Supplies, paper, Die Cuts With a View. die cut, My Mind's Eye. stamp, Stampendous. ribbon, Michaels.

layout: dinosaurs

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:34:00 +0000

I got another one done of my ds. He has a bunch of the Imaginext dinosaurs that he likes to play with and one day he decided to have his big T-rex attack and eat his cars. It really was too funny. And notice he is wearing his dinosaur shirt, which says "Big trouble in a little shirt." If the people who made that shirt only knew.

A close up of some of the detail.

Supplies: paper, Karen Foster. journal block, Heidi Swapp. Stickers, Colorbox.

layout: play football

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:16:00 +0000

The scrapping bug has hit me again. These are from last September where we were just throwing the football in the yard. I found a lot of good stuff in my stash that really needed a good home.

A couple close up shots of some of the details.

Supplies: paper, Basic Grey. buttons, Autumn Leaves. Star, Heidi Swapp. Clear envelope, Creative Imaginations. paint chip, Daisy Ds. play accent, JoAnna. sport accent, Scrapworks. green mesh and paper raffia.

a quick tag

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:56:00 +0000

I've been tagged by Tilda. So here are 7 random facts about me.

1. I really like rainbow sprinkles on my ice cream.

2. I still don't understand everything on my new computer.

3. I like to watch the wildlife in my yard.

4. I enjoy watching Ice Road Truckers.

5. One of my other hobbies is cross stitching.

6. My favorite household chore is laundry.

7. I don't like my dogs licking my face.

And I'm going to tag who ever would like to play.

summer reading

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:57:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about summer is that I seem to have more free time to read. I just finished The Secret Lives of US Presidents by Cormac O'Brien. I saw that Tina was reading it and I thought that it looked interesting and it was. I didn't realize how many of our leaders liked their women and how corrupt government was.

I just got Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich yesterday. I started reading it this morning and it is true to form. I was already cracking myself up on page 4. The Stephanie Plum series is a fun read. If you haven't read any of them then definitely start with One for the Money.

I also picked up Chasing Harry Winston: A Novel by Lauren Weisburger. She wrote the Devil Wears Prada, another good book. I'm going to start that one after I finish Fearless Fourteen.

Then I need to be on the look out for some more good reads. We are going to Myrtle Beach next month so I am going to need something to do in the car and while I am sitting on the beach.

project: jewelry box

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:04:00 +0000

I embellished this 2 drawer box I found at AC Moore for a gift for my oldest dd's friend. I have a ton of classic Chatterbox papers and their light weight makes it easier for me to work with when using Mod Podge.

I painted the entire box with 3 coats of white paint, letting each coat dry in between. Then I adhered the papers to the box. Then I sealed the box with 3 coats of Mod Podge, also letting it dry in between coats.

I debated about lining the inside of the drawers and finally decided to do it since we figured it would make a nice jewelry box. I measured the inside and cut 2 pieces of felt. I adhered the felt to the bottom of the box with Fabri-tac.

One of dd's hobbies is beading. She likes to make her own jewelry, especially earrings. So she is making some jewelry for her friend. The following are 2 of the earrings she has already made. For the first pair she was inspired to make a pair using all of the colors in the striped paper.

This pair is all pink since that is her friend's favorite color.

hot pink birthday cards

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:17:00 +0000

Lately I have been using a lot of pink when I have been making things. Maybe it is the summer heat, I don't know. This is a set of birthday cards made from the Butterflies and Blooms mat stack. I trimmed it down to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". For the butterflies I punched them out from white cardstock, applied glue and then stuck them into my container of Diamond Dust. That was a lot less messy than pouring the Diamond Dust on top of the punches.

Here is a close up of the butterflies.

Supplies: paper, Die Cuts With a View. punch, Martha Stewart. stamp, Savvy stamps. Diamond Dust

island girl journal

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:29:00 +0000

I've had these Target notebooks sitting in my drawer for a few months now. I stocked up to use them for kit club dt projects. But now that I no longer need them for that purpose and I have too many for me to use, I'm going to sell a few of them at my Etsy shop.

For this one I used up some scraps from a few of the summer layouts that I made a couple months back. The journal is 4 1/2" x 6".

Supplies: paper, Flair and Reminisce. ribbon, Micheals. journal, Target.

happy father's day

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:28:00 +0000

Some Father's Day cards that I made. The first one is for my dh.

Supplies: paper, KI Memories. stamp, Hannah Stamps. pencils, Prismacolor. labels, Dymo.

This one I made for the auction.

Supplies: paper, Scenic Route. rubons, Making Memories. die cut, Sizzix

And I'll post later with the card I made for my dad. I still need to take a photo of it.

card: crazy about you

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:49:00 +0000

This is a quick card featuring that silly monkey Changito. I think he is too stinkin' cute.

Supplies: paper, Paper Adventures. stamps, Stampendous. ribbon, Making Memories. Punch, Marvy Uchida.

thank you cards

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:59:00 +0000

I made these thank you cards last week. The first one went into the auction box. For this one I mixed some old and new Making Memories items together. I was lucky enough to find the all new on clearance for 50% off at Target.

Supplies: paper, frame, flower, sentiment tag, Making Memories. rhinestone brad.

For this one I punched out a butterfly and then applied white flock to it. It was quick and easy to do and really not that messy.

Supplies: paper, Chatterbox, token, KI Memories. punches, Marvy Uchida and Martha Stewart. fun flock, Stampendous.

fun news

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:44:00 +0000

I was browsing the forums over at Etsy this weekend and found a out that Clean Home Journal is looking for craft submissions for their monthly show and tell section. This month's submission is to make any craft project using flowers, real or artificial, or seeds on a project. If you are interested, they are accepting submissions until June 20th.

So I submitted this card I had made awhile ago because I thought it was a good fit and they accepted it! I'm pretty excited about that and if you would like to check it out you can see my card here.

Not much else is happening here. The Clay Classic went well even though it was extremely hot and it still is. At 10am it was 92*...blech! It is so hot that the girls are getting out 3 hours early today. After lunch we are going to hit the library and get all of the kids signed up for the summer reading program.

Stay cool everyone!

baby cards

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:58:00 +0000

Here are a few of the baby cards I made for the auction.

This is one for a boy.

Supplies: Paper, Die Cuts With a View. Stamp, Stampendous. tag, Making Memories

One for a girl.

Supplies: paper and stamp, 7 Gypsies. die cut, Sizzix. punch, Fiskars. rhinestone

And a generic one for a baby shower.

Supplies: paper, Chatterbox. stamps, A Muse and Stampendous. punches, Marvy

another auction, another card box

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:04:00 +0000

I have been ignoring my blog (and pretty much everything else) this past week in an effort to finish making cards and a card box for a charity event that Outback is sponsoring this weekend. And this time we are all going to help work the event. I'll be selling raffle tickets and the kids will be looking after a golden retriever puppy that will be auctioned off. I'm going to try my darnest not to come home with another dog. Two is enough, no matter how cute it may be.

I embellished another Basic Grey lunch pail this time I used papers from the Blush collection. I think I had all of the papers from that collection and only cut into 3 of them. Now I only have one full sheet left, plus a bunch of scraps for cards and it felt really good to use it up. I think this one is my favorite one I have done so far.

These are the dividers.

Supplies: paper, stickers, lunch pail, Basic Grey. assorted ribbons.

Tomorrow I will try to post some of the cards I have made and do some blog surfing to catch up with everyone. Thank goodness for Google Reader.

how my garden grows

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:33:00 +0000

This past weekend dh and I worked on our yard, a work in continual progress. There was a lot going on in our yard when we first moved in, lots of over grown plants, lots of over grown invasive plants. When managed properly I guess things would look good but the previous owners let things get out of control or maybe they liked the over grown look, who knows. All we know is that we didn't like it so much.

So when I came back from taking 2 of the kids to a birthday party I found dh cleaning out the bed that was along the walkway. He was just taking out the weeds. So I went up to him and said what if we just turned this bed into grass? He had been wanting to do this for awhile now but thought I liked the flower bed. After 2 years of having it look like crap and not knowing what to do with it, I have given into the less is more idea of gardening. And with that the bed was been cleaned out and turned into grass.

The before photo of our front yard. It is hard to see the weeds and other odd flowers growing along the walkway.

This is the almost after photo of the front yard. We took out several of the foundation bushes which were too big for the 3 foot space that is between the house and the walkway. And sadly the rhododendron is going to have to come out. It covers half of the path. Look at the nice clean patch of dirt.

Here is a closer view of part of the flower bed. I really hope the grass grows.

So on Sunday we continued with cleaning the front yard. This time we focused on this bed because I got annoyed with the other bed by the walkway, which I will show you next. So this is how it looked 2 years ago.

And this is it now. We had cleaned the bed out last year and then I transplanted some daylilies from the backyard to fill it in but that looked like crap this year. So we dug them up and cleaned everything out and now we are growing grass in this area too. I'm thinking next year I might dig out those little bushes from under the tree.

Here is another view of the front of the house. The single bush that is there we got rid of shortly after this photo was taken. Why they put this lone bush in the middle of the yard along the driveway, I can not say. A lot of the choices made in the landscaping have me and dh shaking our heads.

The bed that was giving me a fit is on the left. It is part of the long bed that we first cleaned out. It also contains 6 azalea bushes that really have no business being there. So after having a big fit about cleaning out the weeds, I asked dh if he would have a problem with getting rid of those bushes and he said no they look like crap.

So about 45 minutes, one cracked shovel and 2 tired and sore people later we have this.

The plan is to grow grass here too but we haven't raked out the weeds and roots. I'm hoping to work on that Saturday. We are so glad that this is done. I really like plants but I am finally coming around to dh's minimalist way of thinking about the yard, less is really more. And if you think that the front yard was something wait until you see the photos of what our backyard looked like. I'll start posting some of those photos soon.

thank you card set

noreply@blogger.com (Linda) — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:40:00 +0000

Today I am heading to ds's preschool. It is the day we go back and clean the classroom. Not something that I am looking forward to but since it is a co-op and I don't want to be a slacker...off we go.

When we get back I am hoping the weather will be nice enough to get some photos of the yard. I was looking at the before photos that I took 2 years ago and I just can't believe all the work we have done so far. I think we are at the half way point of how we want things done...not bad!

I have been working on some card sets for my etsy shop. Just keeping it simple, they are easy to make.

Supplies: paper, American Crafts. stamps, Stampin Up. white embossing powder.