Christine & Co.

Make a Birthday Card

2013-05-02T15:37:00.000-04:00

I may have mentioned before how I haven't purchased a card from a store in years. Even though I've been focusing a lot on my jewelry business, it's still something I love to do.

At one point, I attempted to sell my cards, but I couldn't compete with discount stores, and get a fair price for the work I put into them. I stopped trying to sell them, and went back to making them as gifts for friends, and family members.

It was a liberating decision.

This was a birthday card for a good friend at my school. I started with my latest favorite card to work with--kraft cards. They are so versatile--great for so many occasions. This style would be perfect for a thank you or a just because scenario as well.

The paper I used to put my flower on was a sheet of heavyweight acrylic paper. I used scrapbook tape to adhere it and found photo corners in my stash.

The flower was punched from a fancy scrapbook paper, and the stem and leaves are cut from washi tape.

The weighty feel of the acrylic paper makes the card feel expensive. High impact, artful, simple and fun to create.

You CAN make a card!

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Tray Makeover with Paper and Mod Podge

2013-02-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

We're having some lovely friends over tomorrow evening for some delicious food and wine, and plenty of laughs I suspect.

What does that mean for me? Cleaning my house and finding creative ways to procrastinate from cleaning my house. Let me show you one of them...

This is a tray that we've had for a while. Looks pretty...well pretty, right?

This is the before...kind of sad and beat up. I have been eying new trays, and talking myself out of them because I knew I could fix this one up. Or because I'm cheap. Or both.

Everything I needed for this refurbish, I had on hand. Great paper, square paper punch, and Mod Podge. Check.

Yes, I'm one of those crazy people who finds it extremely relaxing to brush on Mod Podge and place little squares of paper all over a tray. Beats doing the dishes, yes? Yes.

After my squares were in place, I mixed some mahogany stain with black acrylic paint and touched up most of the little scratches and dings around the outside.

It is company ready, and so am I. Well, almost.

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A Trunk Named Simmons

2013-01-06T11:51:00.000-05:00

I don't know exactly when or why, but I became obsessed with the idea of obtaining an old trunk. Perhaps I was inspired by the ones I had seen at crafts shows, or at least in pictures of craft show displays.

Last spring, I found my trunk. It was outside our school, waiting for the garbage truck.

Now, I'm breaking all the rules here, as this is clearly a "before" photo. But you can see why this is his name.

The inside had been outfitted to carry tools, but since I wanted this for display, I removed everything.

I scrubbed and rinsed and let it dry out in the sun. I sanded and filled in any holes that went through the sides.

Yes, I painted it black. And yes, I covered "Simmons" on the outside, but that's still his name.

I polished up all the cool metal brackets and latches. It's still rough, but that's what I like about it.

Here it is at a show I participated in last summer. My husband helped to fasten some wires along the back to display hair pins and earrings (thanks!).

I found Simmons to be very large for some of the indoor shows I did, and I ended up using it for storage in my "war room."

Right around holiday time, I discovered a new use for Simmons...

I love my Instagram, don't you? I found an excellent app called PostalPix that prints your photos for a reasonable price--and in the same perfect little square that we all love.

Add some tiny clothespins (from my stash), and I have the best picture display. Ever.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for my kind words about PostalPix. I like their service and wanted to share it with you. All opinions are my own.

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Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes

Autumn Wedding Card

2012-10-07T13:28:00.000-04:00

Hey there Friends! Long time no post.

That's the thing about life--it's busy. It's really great, but busy.

Yesterday, we attended our niece's wedding. What a great occasion and party! There is something so lovely about an autumn wedding. The colors, the leaves, the cooler weather--just makes it cozy and special.

This is the card I made for these special people...

First, I drew an outline of a heart on a plain white card. Then, I gathered some scraps of paper that had fall colors, grabbed my leaf punch, and got to work.

To apply them, I used a glue pen and alternated leaves all over the outline. I also added some to the corners. I love the way it came out--it was so simple to create, and the color scheme possibilities are endless.

A sweet card for a sweet couple!

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School Morning Focus Dry Erase List

2012-09-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

With less than twenty-four hours till the first day of school, I made a quick list for my kiddos.

My kids are 15, 13, and 10. And yes, they still need ~~a kick in the butt~~ focus on most school mornings.

Since I don't have my voice on a continuous loop, regaling them with constant reminders, I thought perhaps this list would be helpful.

I used this fantastic image from The Graphics Fairy to decorate the top of my list. I removed the original numbers and added my own little phrase to the blackboard.

I put it into a clear plastic sheet protector and added magnets to the back. With a dry erase marker, they can check off what needs to be done, and (hopefully) stay on task. Plus, I can add or remove tasks if it's necessary.

I'm not scared, I'll give you an update in a couple of weeks. Wish me luck!

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

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Organize School Papers With Monograms

2012-09-01T19:06:00.000-04:00

I was working on a special order using my Silhouette and vinyl. When I was finishing up, I decided to finally make up some quick monograms for the kiddos.

This door is metal, and we are forever tacking up permission slips, notes from school, invitations, and cross country schedules. I thought it would make sense to give each ~~joker~~ kid their own section, see if we can't stay a bit more organized.

I'll let you know how it goes. Might need a larger door.

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Craft Stick Dragonfly Magnets

2012-08-30T16:44:00.000-04:00

I think it's pretty natural to feel inspired by your surroundings, whether it's your home, or your workplace.

Luckily, I work in a place with plenty of colorful paper, paints, crayons and markers. Not to mention the creative teachers who work there.

Over the summer, we made these adorable dragonfly magnets with craft sticks and clothespins. Here's what mine looks like...

Yeah, I love him. The over sized googly eyes are my favorite part.

I started thinking about making a more sophisticated version of this magnet. This is what I came up with...

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For this fly guy, I painted the clothespin with a copper acrylic paint. For the craft sticks, I Mod Podged some cool scrapbook paper, and then trimmed it.

After the Mod Podge dried, I used an old nail file to sand down the edges. In the picture above, the left stick is the smooth after.

I glued the wings together, and then onto the pin. He's very fancy with his pearls, isn't he?

Which one do you like better?

Weekend Bloggy Reading Link Up at Serenity Now
BFF Open House Link Party at The Answer Is Chocolate

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Elegant Spider Web Tag

2012-08-26T19:26:00.000-04:00

No, I have not lost my mind. Yes, I know that technically it is still summer.

When that creative juice flows, I just go with it.

Quite the stunning spider web, eh? I found it at The Graphics Fairy.

I have a love for little tags like this. They are the perfect size to mix so many types of fibers and fun things on. I would absolutely use this image for a grownup Halloween card too.

I printed the image on this pretty gray vellum, and as soon as it came out of the printer, I sprinkled a mix of sparkle and black embossing powder on top. I shook the excess off, and set with my heat gun.

The close up shows a bit of the sparkle I achieved.

I went with some silver and black washi tapes, and fun fibers in the same colors.

Before I added anything to the tag, I rubbed some black metallic Rub n' Buff onto it. I like how it gives it a charred look to it--as if someone started to burn it, and then changed their mind at the last minute.

Yes, I can be dramatic, thanks for noticing.

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

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Snazz Up Some School Binders With Duck Tape

2012-08-23T15:12:00.000-04:00

Hang on to your wallets my friends. And I wonder why I always feel somewhat light headed and queasy this time of year.

Oh sure those little school supply lists are printed out on cheerful colored paper and typed out in comic sans. It makes no difference, they still end up making us feel empty inside.

We have a cool recycling shop nearby. Mostly it's a drop off site for local companies to donate items their companies don't need anymore. They have sturdy cardboard tubes, remnant fabric--all sorts of treasures. Including binders.

Heavy duty binders that have company logos all over them, but that also been used only once or twice. Score. Plus, they cost a fraction of price of the new ones.

Even after purchasing three rolls of tape, the cost for binders for two kids is pretty low.

Stripes by Dolly

Which leaves some cash for everything else on the list.

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Seahorse Mixed Media Canvas

2012-08-19T18:10:00.000-04:00

I was wandering through The Graphics Fairy blog, and I came across a delightful seahorse silhouette. It was perfect to upload to my Silhouette to cut out...

I layered my little 5x7 canvas with stucco effect medium that I tinted with blue acrylic paint. I did a rough mix, so there would be various shades of blue.

After I used a palette knife to spread the thick paint all over the canvas, I pressed my paper seahorse into it.

While it was still damp, I added these plastic circles--they resemble sea glass, and the colors were perfect. I also added some blue sparkly Stickles, and tiny glass beads for texture.

What do you think?

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Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy
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Make Over Your Mouse Pad With Fabric and Mod Podge

2012-08-18T11:28:00.000-04:00

Ah, the last final days of August...or as it's known to many "crunch time." I am caught between the urge to get projects done, and the fact that soon these somewhat lazy days are few and far between.

First world problem, I know.

I can cross this off my list, so that's something.

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Pretty fabric, right? It's some leftover batik that I had from another project. I would much rather look at this than what I had before...

Bye bye bird.

Maybe you should sit down before I tell you this. This was the first time I'd ever used Fabric Mod Podge.

Shocking, I know. By the way, it's fantastic. I spread out my fabric and applied a medium coat with a brush. I took my mouse pad and placed it on top and smoothed it out.

I flipped it over and folded the edges in like I was wrapping a gift. I applied the Mod Podge to the edges and pressed those down. Then I actually left it alone to dry (gasp!).

I cut another piece of the fabric and repeated the process on the back. "Because everyone will be definitely be looking at the back of your mouse pad, Mommo."

Hey there kiddo, I'll know, okay?

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New Coffee Sign with The Graphics Fairy and a Bit of Geek

2012-08-12T19:36:00.000-04:00

I'm between craft shows right now. It's been nice just messing around creatively--keeps things interesting.

Do you think it's a problem that my family doesn't even flinch when I grab something in the house and say "I'm going to change this up a little, what do you think?"

There isn't an iota of a reaction. It's happened, I've become old hat.

Moving on.

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That perfect percolator is from The Graphics Fairy. I saw it and had to use it immediately.

My first thought was a sign for my kitchen. That presented a dilemma. I did not want a coffee saying that everyone necessarily has heard. When I found the Star Trek one--the choice was made.

Plus, it is true.

This is what it looked like before. It's a wonderful metal sign--totally reusable. Two coats of white spray paint later, I was ready to add my image and phrases.

There it is in its original home. Good looking and geeky. Perfect!

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

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Mr. and Mrs. Mugs: A Lesson

2012-08-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Here's what happened...I pinned my first attempt at these Mr. and Mrs. Mugs on Pinterest. My pin started to get comments about how the permanent marker doesn't last through regular washing despite being baked.

This turn of events threw me into a small panic.

After some deliberation, I decided to use a detail paintbrush and black acrylic paint (that is meant to be baked) to make another set.

Now, I know the design will hold up.

I learned a couple of things. One, apparently I can write pretty well with a detail paintbrush. Two, I am very proud of myself about that (can't you tell?).

The third thing I learned, is that so far the permanent marker is holding up after the first wash, as reported by my good sport of a niece.

And finally, this is what you can expect from your crazy aunt who has a blog.

Class dismissed.

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Mr. and Mrs. Coffee Mugs with Permanent Marker

2012-08-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

I showed you the cute card I made for my niece's bridal shower the other day. Of course I had to show you what I made for part of her gift...

You may have seen these on Pinterest, actually how could you miss them? The big surprise of this project (to me at least), was that you could use a permanent marker and then bake it in the oven.

I love having the ability to hold a marker to draw, since I'm really not good at writing with a paint brush. And I'm kind of proud of myself cause I wrote these freehand.

I put them in a cool oven, set it to 350 degrees and set the timer for 30 minutes. I turned off the oven and left them inside until they were cool.

To finish, I added some chocolates.

Because nothing makes a clever gift better than some chocolates. Agreed?

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Bridal Shower Card with Flower Soft and Tulle

2012-08-05T19:30:00.002-04:00

Dear Blog,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for not paying attention to you. I still love you very much, please forgive me.

Love, Me.

Hi Everyone! As you can see, I have not been here for a while. I'm back (for now) and I have a great card for you.

I made it for my sweet niece who is getting married this fall...

Ah Pinterest, how I love thee. Just type in bridal card and the screen fills up with magical images. The card I made was inspired by pictures I saw. I didn't follow a tutorial, but I will share how I made this one.

So, who knew I was a fashion designer (kidding!). I did a quick sketch, and cut this dress out of white card stock.

I'm not sure why, but I do have some white tulle in my stash. I also found this very pretty floral vellum, which I trimmed to match the dress.

I used some tacky glue to adhere the vellum to the dress, along with the tulle. I only fastened it at the "waist" of the dress. The orange paper, was a scrap from the alcohol inked glossy paper I made.

The finishing touch on the dress, was some glue and Flower Soft in Autumn. I love the fall colors along with a bridal theme. This is one of my new favorites...

A lovely card for a truly lovely girl!

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Metal Desk Remodel {Chapter Two A Tale of Two Desks}

2012-07-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

Not only is this Chapter Two, it's also the conclusion to my short tale. Although...it didn't feel so short while I was in the garage, covered in paint, sweltering in the summer heat.

Feel sorry for me yet? Me neither.

Trust me...this is a VAST improvement. Let me prove it...

Kind of sad looking, but totally refurbish-able.

I have to share that this desk has been in Son One's room for the last year or so, while I've been deciding what to do with it. Yes, in this ugly but still functional state.

After I refinished Son Two's desk, I was inspired to work on this one, so it had to be dragged back downstairs. Oh well.

Since this desk is metal, I figured spray paint was my best choice. Since it's placement in the room was across from his dark blue (think NY baseball team...) accent wall, I went with as close a color as possible.

Four cans later...

I may or may not have hallucinating from the fumes, but I called it done. The chair was also painted with said spray paint.

Let's talk about this nasty desk top. Yes, we have to, but I'll make it brief.

I thought through some options, and then reconsidered when I remembered I was finishing this for an almost teenage boy.

My husband priced out glass to go on top after some decoupaged paper action. They wanted $25 for the size we wanted. That's not bad, but I was feeling particularly ~~frugal~~ cheap. He then found pressed hard board (Masonite). That was $6. Score.

Glued down with Gorilla Glue...we're friends now.

The added bonuses were that is was easy to trim and smooth down, AND I think it looks great with the blue.

What have I learned from this tale of two desks? Well, I've learned that my neighborhood has excellent curbside saves for one. Also, that some spray paint brands are far superior to others. (Email me and I'll share--I don't want to bash)

I've also learned that I am very cheap when it comes to DIY projects. Hey, who isn't?

Thanks for joining me...

What Are Little Boys Made Of? at seven thirty three
Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed

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Wood Desk Remodel {Chapter One-A Tale of Two Desks}

2012-07-08T18:53:00.000-04:00

Lately I've been posting on Facebook about how I've been a painting machine. I finally stopped inhaling paint fumes long enough to blog about a couple of projects I've completed. Yay me.

It's a continuing story, about two desks that found their way into my garage, and then (eventually) into our hearts (and more importantly our home)...

My dilemma? Do I blog about the desk I found first but refinished last? Or the desk I rescued last but finished first? Today, I will share about the latter...

Hello Handsome!

Truth be told, he wasn't too shabby when I picked him up from the side of the street.

See? It's very sturdy and well made, but I thought it could use some paint... I chose to use the leftover paint from the accent wall in Son Two's room, a dark chocolate brown.

Great, now I'm hungry.

I'm digging the flip top on this desk. I painted the inside with the same color of his other walls.

These deep shelves on the sides are the best! I went through my vast collection of scrapbook papers, and found four different ones that were in the same color scheme.

I trimmed them to fit, applied some Mod Podge, and used my handy brayer to make sure they stuck to the back walls.

On a side note, the chair was also a curbside save. I spray painted it with a camp green color that I had from another project. I think it works quite well with the brown, don't you?

That concludes chapter one of my tale. Stay tuned for part two, won't you?

What Are Little Boys Made Of? at seven thirty three
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French Label Calendar Block Set

2012-07-01T20:29:00.001-04:00

Hello July. Hi. I hope this post finds everyone enjoying their summer so far. I have been so busy working on projects--it's been pretty wonderful.

I have my first outdoor {gasp}, two day {yikes} show coming up at the end of the month, where I will be sharing a booth with my talented and sweet friend.

This is one of the calendar sets I made, so far.

Oooh-la-la!

This was an experimental project, so I went with the flow and only took pictures at the end.

I painted my plain wood blocks with white paint and let them dry. I chose two french labels from The Graphics Fairy, and printed them on regular copy paper.

To keep the images from smearing from the Mod Podge, I sprayed them with clear acrylic sealer first. I punched out squares from the labels, and decoupaged them with Mod Podge. I mixed a smidgen of the white paint with some Mod Podge, and went over them again to "fade" them.

I chose a french-y font for my black numbers, and then Mod Podged those babies on.

I love when an idea works out, don't you?

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My Bathroom Curtain Re-Do

2012-06-26T15:04:00.002-04:00

An excellent alternative title could be "What Took Me So Dang Long?"

Without further ado, here's the reveal...

Here is the before...

This is the sad little curtain that we put on the window when we moved in almost eight years ago. I didn't love it then, and it never grew on me.

Something that draped and fell longer than the window, was what I had always pictured for this window. I also wanted to keep the curtain white, since the trim and fixtures were all white.

Finding a fabric that was just right, was a challenge. I knew I didn't want lace--it's just not my style. Then I came across this pretty fabric that had a paisley pattern, white on white--very subtle. Mission one accomplished.

Since, my curtain was going to hang lower than my window, I needed a tie back. Again, I wanted something white, but the ones I was finding were too...modern.

I came across this "antique" key hook on clearance (woo hoo!), but it originally looked like this...

Very nice, but I knew I was painting it white. I used Martha Stewart acrylic paint and a brush. I wanted some of the texture to show through, and not the perfect coat that spray paint gives you.

Friends, when I tell you that the curtain was easy to sew, that's saying a lot. I sewed two super basic straight lines, and used the existing tension rod. Would I invite you to come and take a closer look?

No, no thank you. Well...maybe just you guys.

What do you think of my re-do?

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Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage

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Make a Gift Card Box Better

2012-06-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

The last day of school is drawing to a close. It was a great day, complete with tears, giggles, and lots of hugs.

I knew that I wanted to get my younger son's teacher a gift card to a book store, and I waited until the very last possible minute to purchase it. Cause I love living life on the edge like that.

When the nice lady at the bookstore asked me if I would like a gift box for the card, I replied yes, knowing full well I wouldn't leave it alone.

Here's how it came out...

This is what it looked like before...

This was so easy to improve too. I used half of one sheet of scrapbook paper that had a coordinating back. I trimmed the paper to fit the box, put it on with double stick adhesive tape.

I used a small scrap of the paper and had my Silhouette sketch the words for me, and then put that onto a tag I had in my stash.

To finish it, I tied a piece of muslin around the box and tied a bow.

A gift card is such a great gift--but I love a beautiful presentation! Don't you?

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Happy Father's Day!

2012-06-17T12:41:00.002-04:00

What's on tap for you today? A BBQ, a special dinner out? Whatever it is, I hope it's special.

Image from The Graphics Fairy

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School Bus Card

2012-06-14T13:57:00.000-04:00

What's the count? For me it's six days till school is out. Seems like everyone is ready--the kids, the teachers...

We have a wonderful friend who will not be returning to our little school next year. While we are sad to see her go, we are very excited about her future.

I made this card for her. Rocco (my Silhouette) helped out. The bus was cut from a template that I downloaded. I used various papers from a coordinating paper stack.

I used yellow brads to give the wheels some dimension, and 3D foam squares to make the bus stand off the card.

The little framing pieces were actually scraps from the bus paper. I love how they are angled just so--it works somehow.

This would also be a fantastic end-of-the-year, have-a-great-summer card.

Hang in there!

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Why Cleaning My House is Dangerous {Mixed Media Mail Center}

2012-06-10T17:09:00.000-04:00

I revealed to the world (on Facebook) how dang lazy I was a couple of days ago. Apparently, I was really just recharging in order to do some major house cleaning yesterday.

Quick! Come by and see it...oh, sorry, too late.

I have this cool pub-like mirror in my entrance way, and any mail that needs to go out lands there. I knew The Graphics Fairy had wonderful postage images...

This was a complete stash busting project, which always makes me happy.

I had all of these wood pieces kicking around...

I printed some old letters and stamps onto card stock. I only painted the largest piece of wood. I Mod Podged my choices onto all of the blocks...

Before I glued the smaller pieces onto the larger one, I sanded the sides down so they would be really smooth.

So now the bills look fabulous before they hit the mailbox. Fabulous!

Brag Monday@The Graphics Fairy

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Gin Bottle Turned Flower Vase

2012-06-03T17:54:00.001-04:00

I know, I know, I had you at "gin bottle." I'm a wine drinker myself, but this bottle was too sexy to throw away...

After I cleaned off all of the labels, I went to The Graphics Fairy to find the perfect label.

And of course I found it! It's shape is fantastic for the way the bottle narrows in the middle. Karen even played with different colors to give her readers various options. This one was great for the green color of my bottle.

I printed it, trimmed it to fit, and Mod Podged it to the bottle.

It's a keeper.

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

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Shutters as a Craft Show Display? Yes!

2012-05-31T17:44:00.005-04:00

I did a craft show a couple of weeks ago that proved to be less than spectacular. Let's be real-- it was a dud, a waste of my effort and time.

There were many talented and friendly vendors at this event. Meeting them was truly the highlight of this lousy day.

A beautiful warm Saturday, paired with a tucked away location (among other factors) made for a terribly slow, unattended show.

My display, however, looked fantastic--at least my Facebook buds got to see it.

This part of the display was new...

I have another one that displays my earring pails and ring holders...

The clips (that the tags were hanging from) were at one of my local craft stores, and they have come in very handy for displays.

My table, complete with the shutters. (Please pardon my not-so-sharp phone photo.)

This last show drained my positive energy, which does not mean that I am giving up. It does mean that that I will be more particular about the shows I participate in.

So let's hear it for keeping things fresh in the display department, having faith in ourselves, and NEVER giving up on our goals...

Stay tuned.

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