I (Ronni) will be sharing with you our journey to adding our touches to our new home and one acer yard.  This will include home improvement projects, design projects, new products that we will be selling and more ideas for you to enjoy.

Pictures to follow.

Here is a little information about us you may not know.  Teresa and I are sisters.  We have been house mates for the last 16 years.  We currently share our home with two old english pocket beagles (Rusty & Malihini (Mali)), our brother Cary and our mother Vera.  We are both business professionals and work full weeks before plunging into our creative projects.  Teresa (T) is the foodie, I learn so much form her every day.  I have come to love trying new things with my food and I always enjoy her cooking.  She will be providng some yummy recipes and tips for entertaining.

I am the generic crafty person.  I love to draw (still working on coloring book #3), make jewelry, and make stuff out of discarded items.  I love to work with cement and tile, and frankly just about anything.  Gardening is a big favorite for me.  Working on our vegi garden this year.  I will keep you posted as we make progress in unpacking the house and create items for the house to help with organization and making the home ours.

Front of Bradford house

Side of Bradford house. The garage will be closed in and double sliding french doors will be added to the studio for deliveries.

Side of Bradford house with the dog house. This little building is going to be removed and the chain link fence will go with it.

Back of Bradford house with the garden shed on the left.

The post A New Adventure for Teresa & Ronni at CLS first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

They say that habits are formed in 21 days of consistently doing a certain thing. There are several habits that you can start today that are in the creative realm, and can help you emotionally and with your creative outlets.

1. One of the things that you can do on a daily basis is to color.  As you know, we draw imagery for coloring books and love all things coloring related.  Not only have we grown an attachment to coloring, but we have learned of the many health benefits that coloring has.  By coloring on a daily basis, you are participating in a form of meditation and therapy.  This can help you mentally and emotionally by clearing your mind and putting you in a relaxing state which will open you up to more creativity and clarity of thought.
2. Another creative habit that you can start today is trying something new every day.  If you get into the habit of trying new things, your creativity will flourish in a way that you’ve never expected, and you will love the way that you see things. Trying new things can open new doors, teach you, and inspire you.  We challenge you to try something new every day to spark your creative side.
3. One of our favorite creative habits is to do morning pages. If you are not familiar with morning pages, morning pages is something that you do every single morning, and it is a way for you to get your thoughts on paper.  You write down everything you are thinking and feeling, and it is something that you can get creative with.  It is a way that you can get your thoughts on creativity and feelings onto paper, and it can help you move past creative blocks as well and if you are not feeling the words just draw, doodle, tangle, or put color on the page.  All of these techniques will help you.
4. A very common creative habit is bullet journaling, and this is something that you can find a great deal of information about if you get on Pinterest.  Bullet journaling is a style of planning, but it is a bit more creative and fun.  If you incorporate this habit into your daily schedule, you can put your creativity to work while keeping up with daily tasks.  There are different types of bullet journals that you can find, and you can see the variations if you do a search for bullet journals online.  You can build your own journal and use it for personal tasks, tasks for your home, and work. It is a great way to get organized and to start a new habit.  Click here for a few free pages we have designed.

Having creative habits that you do on a frequent basis are going to help you to keep your creativity flowing. This will help you to ensure that you do not reach creative blocks and have a hard time staying focused on creativity. These are great ways to experiment with different things and see what works best for you and your lifestyle.

creative habits

The post 4 Daily Creative Habits That You Should Start Today first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

We all know how hard it is to come up with an idea, start planning something, and then follow through while ignoring doubt.  You likely have experienced the same thing as many others, like people around you having doubt in something that you want, or want to do, or not feeling inspired, or convinced you have a good idea.  This happens more frequently than you might think, and today we want to tell you how to ditch your creative doubt, and start doing what you want to do today to keep your creativity flowing and to keep a smile on your face.

1. Realize that you can do it.  Whatever it is that you want to do, maybe you can’t do it right now for various reasons.  Maybe you don’t have the proper resources and maybe you don’t have the skill to do this thing that you want to do.  However, you can obtain the resources, and you can learn the skills.  No matter what it is that is holding you back from doing the creative task that you want to do, you can do whatever it is that is on your mind.  Take a step toward your goal.  Even if it is a small one.  Any progress is better than no progress.
2. The next thing that you need to do to ditch your creative doubt, is to realize that you can prove to your self and everyone around you wrong. Maybe there are people around you who don’t understand or realize what you are trying to do, and maybe they won’t support your decision.  Of course that is going to increase the amount of doubt that you have and make it even harder for you to believe in yourself.  Consider this, when Thomas Edison was inventing the light bulb, everyone thought he was crazy for what he was trying to do.  He made over 3000 attempts to create the light bulb as we know it today.  He proved everyone wrong though, and he conquered his creative doubt.  If he didn’t realize that he could prove everyone wrong, then we wouldn’t have electric lights today.
3. Another thing that you can do to ditch your creative doubt is to create a strategy and plan of exactly how you are going to execute the creative task.  If you need to learn a certain skill to nail down the creative task you are trying to complete, it may help to write out a plan.  Maybe you will work 20 minutes every day to learn your task.  You can plan this and put it into your everyday routine, and by having this strategy it can help you to stay on task.  Not only will this help you to gain what you need to ditch your creative doubt, but it will also give you more confidence because you have achieved a task that was on your to-do list.
4. Kick your creative doubt out the window, realize that you can prove to yourself and others, and you will be surprised at what can happen.  Of course we all have doubts and of course everything won’t go exactly as we planned.  Maybe you are afraid that you won’t be as good as someone else or that you can’t create like they do.  Guess what?  You can do even better than them, and you can do more than them.  The best part about creativity is that it can be whatever you want it to be and it can be more than you ever dreamed about it being.  You have a unique perspective and that makes you special and what you bring to the table special.  You can create something that no one has ever seen, but you can’t do it if you don’t try.  So take the doubt you have and throw it in the trash, because it is going to hold you back from doing the most amazing things.  We believe in you and your creativity.  Go create something beautiful!

How to ditch creative doubt

Once you have ditched your doubt, check out our article on unleashing your creativity http://creativelifest.wpengine.com/adult-coloring/be-inspired/be-inspired-adult-coloring-books-for-stress-relief/how-to-unleash-your-creativity/.

The post How to Ditch Creative Doubt first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Here are five ways to unleash the creativity you have buried inside.

1. Start thinking “What If” and stop thinking “I Can’t.”
   Change your mindset to remove negative barriers and start thinking about all the possibilities and potential you hold.  Manifest your own creativity.
2. Mix up your routine
   Step out of your mundane daily schedule because routines and habits can destroy creativity.  Do things that you have never done before, travel to places unknown and try something new.  Even the smallest change can elicit great creativity.
3. Let other creatives inspire you
   Creativity is contagious. When searching for creative solutions, you should read or watch biographies of creative people whom you admire, and let their examples influence you or take a class on a technique you always wanted to learn.  Being around other creative people will stimulate your creative side.
4. Immerse yourself in nature.
   Exposure to natural stimuli creates the ‘soft-fascination’ effect, where the mind able to access an introspective, thoughtful state more easily; this allows the imagination to do its magic.  So take a walk somewhere new each week, plant a garden or take up an outdoor hobby or game.
5. Daily Meditation
   Calming the mind through a variety of meditative techniques has been known to allow one to recognize their ideas and creative thoughts.  Did you know that coloring can be a form of meditation?

The post How to Unleash Your Creativity first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Recently, we met one such person, who has touched our hearts and we wanted to share his story and ask for your support.

Meet fellow artist, Daniel Savage.  Daniel is a talented artist who has been working on images for his own adult coloring book for the last year.  He is also a husband to Mary and a father to two children.   Sadly, this year Daniel was also diagnosed with stage four cancer which he has been battling valiantly.  It was a dream of Daniel’s to publish an adult coloring book and it is thanks to a wonderful community of coloring book artists which we are honored to be members of that this dream has now become a reality.

A group of 30+ fellow coloring book authors banded together and formed a group called, Coloring for Daniel, to bring Daniels dream to fruition.  Several artists in the group worked their magic and transformed Daniel’s completed images into a magical adult coloring book called Gnomes.  We encourage you to look at his book  Gnomes: An Adult Coloring Book of Gnomes Throughout and hope you will consider purchasing a copy.

Coloring for Daniel also collaborated to create a tribute project for Daniel.  The project is a collaboration of thirty-two global artists and contains 35 positive, uplifting images that are ready to color.  Each author provided an image for the book and members of the group also did the digital editing and created the cover of the book.  Also, included in the book are several images drawn by Daniel’s ten-year-old daughter, Katie who is already a talented artist.  We were very honored to have our image, Sunrise Swirl, selected as the cover of this wonderful project.  The finished book is called Coloring for Daniel: An Adult Coloring Book for Hope, Strength and Healing.  Click here to see the book.

We are humbled to see the coloring community coming together to show their support for Daniel and we hope you find it in your hearts to do so too.  100% of profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Daniel Savage and his family. We are delighted and encouraged to see that the book is now #1 new release (best seller) under Individual Artists’ Books category.

We are so honored to have participated in this project and thank you for your consideration.

The CLS Creative Team.

The post Coloring for Daniel first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Teresa and Ronni Brown, the Creative Life Studio creative team, were recently approached by author Alexis Donkin, to be a featured artist and interviewee in the Intentional Writers series.

The Intentional Writers series features creatives who use words and images to make the world a better place, and while coloring books don’t have many words, excluding the occasional inspirational quote, they do affect the world through their beautiful imagery.

In the interview, Teresa and Ronni share with Alexis the story of their creative journey, what got them into illustrating and why they chose to create Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Volume 1.

Alexis starts the article by saying: “In my introduction to meditation post (read it here) I listed a number of forms meditation can take. There are many ways to meditate for all kinds of benefits from stress relief to increased mental acuity, to greater compassion. Meditation doesn’t have to involve sitting on a pillow and chanting (unless you want it to!). I’ve meditated through dance, making Christmas cards, and even cleaning my bathroom!

 Today I’m pleased to share another path to meditation for mental and emotional wellness through coloring! Sharon and Teresa are two creative sisters who published an adult coloring book. If you’re at all familiar with the adult coloring book craze – you know there’s a reason they’re so popular! Coloring is scientifically proven to have all kinds of benefits (which isn’t surprising considering it’s a meditative practice!).”

Click here to read the full article and get to know a little more about Teresa and Ronni Brown, who make up the CLS creative team.

The post An interview by author Alexis Donkin with the Creative Life Studio Team first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Be Inspired is an adult coloring book that will inspire your creativity. This book contains 30 unique illustrations inspired by nature. The book is designed to help you find relief from stress and to allow you to lose yourself in the unique world of Be Inspired. We have carefully selected each image to provide you with a stimulating and creative experience no matter your skill level. All of our hand drawn images are inspired by nature and you will see impressions of water, fire, earth, and botanicals within each image. In addition, we have selected a handful of images and paired them inspirational sayings to help you find the creative inspiration you need to relieve stress.

• 30 unique hand drawn illustrations
• 10 1/2 size illustrations
• Each coloring page is printed on a separate sheet of 60 lb paper to avoid bleed through
• Printed single sided
• Designed to appeal to all ages and skill levels
• Ideal for all coloring mediums i.e. colored pencils, pastels, gel pens, markers

No matter what your artistic skill level, Be Inspired makes the perfect gift for you or a special loved one.

Here are a few of the pages you will find in Be Inspired: Volume 1 Adult Coloring for Stress Relief.

Bean Stalk

Botanical Tiles

Rising Wind

Paisley Splash

Sunflower

You can find our book on Amazon at Be Inspired: Volume 1.

For advanced notice on our next book, free pages, discounts, events, and other related information, join our Creative Life Studio VIP Club at: http://creativelifest.wpengine.com/home-page/join-the-cls-vip-club/

The post Introduction for Be Inspired: Volume 1 Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Stress Relief for Everyday Life

There are some things in life that everyone must deal with and one of those is stress.  Stress can affect us mentally, physically and emotionally and we all have varying tolerance levels for stress.

In today’s world, there are many approaches one can take to manage stress and there is much published material on the topic.  Exercise, mediation, massage, acupuncture and tai chi are just a few activities one can do to manage their stress.  But, it’s not always possible to access these activities so it’s a good idea to create a personalized, stress relief toolkit.

A stress relief tool kit is a predefined list of things or activities that help you manage your stress. Just as stress is based on our own personal perspective, so is our stress management. Some people love massage, while others hate it. Some people find classical music relaxing, while others love rock and roll.  Potential components of a stress relief tool kit may include:

• Your favorite book
• Your favorite music
• A scented candle
• A coloring kit

As professionals who balance full time jobs with running a creative business, we can attest to the benefits of adult coloring as it relates to stress relief.  Just like meditation, coloring allows us to switch off our brains from other thoughts and focus only on the moment, helping to alleviate free-floating anxiety.

The top 5 benefits of coloring for adults:

1. Your brain experiences relief by entering a meditative state
2. Stress and anxiety levels have the potential to be lowered
3. Negative thoughts are expelled as you take in positivity
4. Focusing on the present helps you achieve mindfulness
5. Coloring can allow adults to explore feelings and foster self-awareness

While there is no magic bullet to eliminate stress, there are many easily accessible and effective methods to help us manage stress daily. The trick is to find what works for you.

Introducing “Be Inspired” Adult Coloring Book

We are a two women team who have created the adult coloring book titled “Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Volume 1” to help adults with stress relief, to practice mindfulness and to unlock their creativity. This is a book is the culmination of our own desire to create a more stress free lifestyle.

We have delved deeply into the world of adult coloring and the stress relieving benefits it provides and have created a stunning 30-page book, filled with hand drawn images, all inspired by nature.

To help you get started, we’ve provided a small mandala in this article for you to color.  We invite you to join the CLS VIP club and take a few more steps into the world of adult coloring.  As a CLS VIP member, you’ll have access to insider information on the world of Be Inspired, free Be Inspired coloring pages, early notifications of new Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Books, discounts and Be Inspired events.

Let’s Connect!

 We would love to hear from you and about your story of how you came to the world of adult coloring.  Write to us at creativelifestudio@outlook.com and we may publish your story in one of our upcoming blogs.  Connect with us on social media.  We love to share and we’re always looking at how we can provide more of what you love, so be sure to let us know any suggestions you might have.  The CLS Creative Team.

Twitter  Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Google Plus

Written by The CLS Creative Team

There are affiliate links on this page, however, we don’t recommend products we don’t like and use.

The post Stress Relief Tool Kit for Everyday Life first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

The post Free Adult Coloring Halloween Pages first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

The 1st Creative Life Studio Halloween Giveaway

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

We are excited to announce Creative Life Studio’s 1^st annual Halloween Giveaway!  Entering is as easy as joining the CLS VIP club and following us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and comment using the hashtag #CLSBeInspired.

How to enter

How To Enter

Links to the contest will be on the following: Be Inspired by Creative Life Studio Facebook page: http://gvwy.io/c7hwq2z .

Prizes

We have two prizes for the giveaway:

• Halloween Coloring Package 1 – Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Vol 1. by Creative Life Studios, Spellbinding Images: A Fantasy Coloring Book of Witches (Volume 1) by Nikki Burnette and Luna Jayne Glitter Pens

Coloring Package 1

• Halloween Coloring Package 2 – Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Vol 1. by Creative Life Studios , Spirit of Halloween: A Stress Relieving Adult Coloring Book by Suzy Joyner and Dreamcatcher Gel Pens

Coloring Package 2

Contest Dates

The contest runs from October 16, 2016 at 12:00 am PST through October 22,2016 at 12:00 am PST.  Winners will be announced in the 48 hours following, via our website and email.

As always, we invite you to have fun with coloring and release your creativity!

The CLS Team

The post Creative Life Studio’s 1st Annual Halloween Giveaway! first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

You can be the cover artist!

The post Be Inspired Vol. 2 Mini Coloring Contest – You Can Be The Cover Artist! first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

The DreamCatcher Gel Pens is one of my new go to products.  I love the way they go on and I can use pencil over the top or below with no issues.  In the Botanical Tiles page I used only the neon shades and while it is not reflected well in this scan the shades are so bright they just glow.

Botanical Tiles From Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book Volume 1

The below two images I used Prismacolor Coloring Pencils only.  On the first image, I colored the interior of each leaf with the color I wanted to be the most vivid and I worked my way out toward the edge of each leaf.  Then I went over each leaf with a light green to blend the colors together.  My two favorite things about Prismacolor Pencils is the rich colors and the superior blending ability.  In addition, I can get completely custom colors by blending multiple colors together.

Leaf Wind From Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book Volume 1

For this image (Sunrise Swirl) everything was about blending.  I wanted a gradual flow from color to color.  In some cases I used the previous color as either a highlight or for shading and white was my go to blender.  This gave me an almost glowing effect on some of the darker areas without losing the vibrancy of the colors.

Sunrise Swirl From Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book Volume 1

I have yet to do an image with just Staedtler Fineliner Markers.  I just love these bright colors and I always use them under pencils to add richness to my pencil colors.  The below image I colored entirely with Staedtler markers first and then I went over the top with Prismacolor Pencils.  This just makes the colors brighter. I loved the effect and I was able to get a really interesting result with the woven background by using this technique.

Woven Tendrils From Be Inspired: Free Giveaway

The below image I used 100% Faber-Castell Polychromos Pencils.  I colored the darker shades first and then applied the lighter color over the top.  This gave me a very nice blending effect.  I like to blend a lot so with these oil based pencils this technique works really well and doesn’t take a long time to get good results.

Zendoodle From Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book Volume 1

Good luck with your coloring and send us some pictures so we can add them to our Gallery.

Also note: I have not had a chance to try out the Art n Fly Gel Pens, but here is a great review on them.  http://2old2color.com/reviews/art-n-fly-gel-pen-perfect-for-adult-coloring-books/.  I have heard good things about them and for the price I think they are a good choice.  Unfortunately the DreamCatcher Gel Pens in the article are no longer available at Amazon.  I will find another source for this, but the Art n Fly Gel Pens may be a good alternative.

Update: DreamCatcher Gel Pens are now available at Amazon again, I have updated the link in the article, I have ordered a packages of the Art n Fly Gel Pen.  I will update this post with my review.

The post Product Recommendations for Adult Coloring with Pens, Pencils, and Markers first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I am a closet artist, meaning I am very artistic and do lots of creative things, but I don’t do it full time or as a living.  I work in the information technology department at a national telecommunications company.  My ultimate goal is to live that creative life. This blog is one of many tools to help me and my sis (Teresa) do that, but I never knew that my scribbles would be another tool.

My sister has been constantly nagging me that I could do an adult coloring book with some of my drawings, so we are taking a shot and seem to be getting a good response.  We have shared a few of the drawings with a some of the adult coloring communities on Facebook and received a positive response.

Today I will provide you with a small sampling of some of the pages for the coloring book.

Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Vol 1 – Sunflower-Live-What-You-Love

Be Inspired: Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Vol 1, Autumn Wind

Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Aqua Splash

Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Sunflower-Mandala

This one is partially finished but looking like we may use it for the cover.

Be Inspired Adult Coloring Book for Stress Relief Sunrise Swirl

I hope you enjoy the pages.  Look for an update to this post for the link to our new book.

Link to the book. http://bit.ly/BeInspiredVol1

The post Who knew…Adult Coloring Books #BeInspired first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

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Step 1:  Write a business plan

The business plan must include your goals for the business. The goals of the business will help you make the right decisions about the legal structure, deciding if you need an EIN, what the tax year will be, financing, and so much more.  I will have additional posts to address each one of these items in detail at a later date.

Step 2: Register your business

Typically you register your business name with either the state or county.  The registration of your business name provides some protection (more on this later) that another business cannot use your name.

Step 3: File your business entity

To register your creative business you will need to know what form of business entity (legal structure) your creative business will take.

Legal Structures

• Sole Proprietor
  • A sole proprietorship is the most basic type of business to establish. You alone own the company and are responsible for its assets and liabilities.
• Partnership
  • There are several different types of partnerships, which depend on the nature of the arrangement and partner responsibility for the business.
• Limited Liability Company
  • An LLC is designed to provide the limited liability features of a corporation and the tax efficiencies and operational flexibility of a partnership.
• Cooperative
  • People form cooperatives to meet a collective need or to provide a service that benefits all member-owners.
• S Corporation
  • An S corporation is similar to a C corporation but you are taxed only on the personal level.
• Corporation
  • A corporation is more complex and generally suggested for larger, established companies with multiple employees.

Step 4: Obtain your business license

Each state, city, and county has different requirements for running a creative business in their jurisdiction. Do some research in your area by going to the State Attorney Generals Office.

Step 5: Decide on a location

Deciding on a location is one of the key success factors for a new creative business.   Location, location, location…if you have never heard that before I can tell you it is very critical to do the research especially if you will have a brick and mortar creative business.

Primary resources for this post:

• http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Starting-a-Business
• https://www.sba.gov/category/navigation-structure/starting-managing-business/starting-business/choose-your-business-stru

The post First 5 Steps To Take When Setting Up A New Creative Business first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Never thought I would be doing a baby shower.  Most of my friends are having grand babies.  I didn’t see this one coming.

So my sister (Ronni) comes home from work to tell me her boss’ boss is having their first baby and she was asked to help plan a baby shower.  To give you an idea of the criteria…here is what I have to work with….IT group primarily of men mostly introverts.  The baby is due June 26th, 2015 and they want the shower to happen in five days.  I will be updating this post with the plan and pics. Wish me luck!!

UPDATE Day 2: So we have a plan….the team is not comfortable with a traditional shower (like we would do that with a bunch of guys), so we are doing the following:

Menu

• Potluck with sloppy joe sliders (beef and vegi)
• Fruit kabobs with honey cream cheese dip
• Macaroni salad
• Queso dip and tortilla chips
• Cupcakes (Italian blueberry and chocolate, to cover our bases)
• White chocolate dipped pretzels
• A candy bar (not as in one to split between everyone, but multiple jars of different candies coordinated with the shower colors (baby seahawk colors blue and green mellowed, which is tough coming from a couple of Bronco fans))
• And whatever anyone else brings (can you say 10 sets of chips & dip, and grocery store cookies)

Gifts & Table Scape

• A print my sister is drawing of an elephant (and possibly a giraffe) with balloons so the guys can write small blessings/wishes for the new baby and sign their name on the balloons.
• A pamper kit for the new mom that includes tea, chocolates, a candle, and lots of yummy spa products to pamper herself before and after.
• Jungle play mat we picked up off the register.  We used this as the inspiration for the colors and theme of the shower.
• For the table, we are including a diaper cake in the shape of a tricycle done in blue, green, & white.
• The candy bar to include bags and scoops so the guys can take a hoard of candy to their desks
• Simple white table cloth with blue & green runner
• Gerber daisies & mums in blue, green, and white (just a few) in canning jars with blue & clear marbles in the bottom
• White porcelain serving dishes tiered for interest and height (thank goodness we saw them at pottery barn last year when they were 40% off because they are perfect for this)

Supplies stacked all over the kitchen and dining room.

Serving Dishes

Results of shopping

Cupcake decorating tools

Pretzel dipping supplies and tools.

Once we came up with the menu and color scheme chaos ensued…eight stores and 5 hours later we are almost ready to start preparations.  Tomorrow let the cooking and creating begin…look for my next update.

FINAL Update: The shower was a big success (pics will get better I promise, taking a photography class in a few months).  I had to modify the menu slightly due to supply limitations (the fruit I wanted for the fruit kabobs was not good enough to hold up on the kabobs).  I made a watermelon and strawberry salad instead (recipe to come).

While the regular sloppy joes were good the vegi sloppy joes were amazing (I will post the recipe at a later date).

We also had to modify the print with the elephant & giraffe as we got to it so late we didn’t have time to draw the animals, but I think the interpretation came out great.

used a high quality watercolor paper cut to size.  At the bottom of the print, in my best handwriting, I wrote “Wishes for baby!” with a flower flourish, I shadowed the words with colored pencil to add some dimension.  Each balloon had a different wish for baby Zander (love, joy, imagination, adventure, fun, etc.).  I will have a separate blog on this later.

I hope you enjoyed this post.  See the remainder of the pictures below.

Shower Gifts

Blue & Green Hydrangeas

The post Guess Who is Doing a Baby Shower first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I will be doing another version of this and I will try a different type of chain.  Look for an update later.

In the meantime, I will finish this one and then make notes on how I want to improve the design.

The post Denim Lapis and Chain Bracelet first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

Wave bracelet

How to make this wave bracelet (see supply list below).

Using the 24 gage wire create a loop on one end of the wire then measure 1-1/4 in or a little more if you want some room to work (I make mine a little longer).  Make 9.

Cut the curb chain into ten 5-3/4 inch lengths (count your links to be sure you have the same number for each length of chain).  To start I straighten my chain removing all twists and kinks and lay it out in front of me for the next step in assembly.  Remember the length is not necessarily important.  For this design you have to calculate the number of links in the chain to get the look you want.  My segments are 7 links, 15 links (8 times), 7 links.

Before assembling the bracelet take each bead and make sure it will fit on the 24 gage wire.  I have found that many beads are inconsistent in the size of the hole…to big and it will wobble, too small and it won’t move correctly on the bracelet or won’t even go on the wire.  Set the too big ones aside for another project and ream out the too small ones to fit your wire. The beads should easily fit on the wire and spin but not wobble. Once you have tested/corrected each bead, place your 5mm beads in a small container so it is easy to pick them up one at a time.

Now you are ready to start building your bracelet.  You will assemble one column at a time.  Starting  with column one, pick up one of the wires with a loop and thread it through link 7.  Keep the chain straight.  Add a bead then the next Chain.  Add Another chain then a bead.  Continue this pattern until you get to the last chain.  Note for column one there are two chains between each bead except for the first and last chain (see diagram below).  When you get to the last chain, snug up all the items you threaded onto the wire and then tie off the wire with a loop.  Don’t make it too snug as you want the bracelet to have a little movement.

Column 2 has only 4 beads.  The pattern is as follows. From the link (don’t count this link) that is threaded through your first wire, count 15 links and thread the first chain in link 15 onto the wire making sure to keep the chain straight. On the second chain count 15 links and then twist the chain 1/2 turn and thread the wire through the 15th link.  Always twist the chain in the same direction.  The twist gives the chain a wave effect.  If you don’t want this effect don’t twist the chain.

You will repeat column one 5 more times alternating with 4 repeats of column 2 ending in a column with 5 beads.

Once you have completed that you are ready to attach your clasp and add some detail.  I used the 28 gage wire and the sleeping beauty turquoise 2mm beads to add an additional element to the bracelet.  On each side of the threaded wire on the bracelet I attached a single bead by looping the wire through the 24 gage wire loop on the ends threading on the bead and then tying off the end.  I added one of theses to each loop in the bracelet and I also used this same technique to attach the clasp to the bracelet.  I Recommend using the 24 gage wire between the bracelet and the clasp for durability.

Supplies

1. Sterling Silver Curb chain 1.5 to 2 mm, 10 lengths 5-3/4 inches long.  My bracelet is 7 inches long finished.
2. 24 ga sterling wire half hard, 9 lengths 1.5 in long minimum.
3. 1 sterling clasp that will accommodate 1-1/4 in width for the bracelet and five tie offs.
4. 28 ga sterling wire, 19 lengths .5 in long (don’t pre cut lengths).
5. 6mm sleeping beauty turquoise beads, 41 ea.
6. 2mm sleeping beauty turquoise beads, 28 ea.

Tools

1. Round nose pliers
2. Wire cutters
3. Bead Reamer
4. Bead Tray/Mat

Swag bracelet

I like the draping.  This has a lot of movement.

Clasps are eluding me today.

The post Sleeping Beauty Turquoise Chain Bracelets first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I have to clean up the soldering, polish, and set the stones to finish.

I will post an update later.

The post Sapphire Stacking Rings first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I love pearls, so I adapted a tutorial I bought to use just pearls.   I created this bracelet from a tutorial I got from Eni Oken with a few minor changes.  I still need to design a clasp for this.

I want this bracelet to be center stage, so designing the clasp is going to be tough.  My inclination is to do an amazing design to draw attention to the clasp, but this time I want the bracelet to stand out, so I will have to re-think my typical approach.  This is going to be a fun challenge.

This will make a beautiful handmade wedding bracelet.

I will post an update later.

The post Pearl Bracelet first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

The post Simple Redesign of a Clasp Catch first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I started out with a couple of mint leaves, some silver clay (I’m using PMC Pro), sterling wire, and silver chains.  I rolled out the clay to the desired thickness (I like them quite thick 5 to 8 cards) and then did a final roll with the leaf laid on top.  Make sure you don’t let the leaf crinkle when you roll it onto the clay.

I then poked a hole a couple of millimeters from the edge centered. I then filed the edges and did a little sanding on the overall surface.  I have a little more cleanup to do and some polishing.  I will be adding a ring to hang the pendant on the chain.  I’m going to patina Michael’s so it is black (top one), I am going to leave Andrea’s bright silver.

The post Wedding Remembrance Tag/Pendant first appeared on Creative Life Studio.

I drew this image from the discussion we had and marked it with a date so I would be motivated to finish it.

I then cut out the shapes from the sterling sheet I had on hand.  Then I worked with a bunch of tools to try and figure out how to make that interesting texture she likes.   I still need to cut out the pear shape on each of the two ends but I think I want to solder it together first before I cut it so I don’t have to cut it twice.   A small part of me wants to use that as an opportunity to add another technique and make it pop, but I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet.  She also likes some of the pendants they have around with the diamonds in a star cluster like orion or something…not sure I could incorporate that  here, but maybe I can.

I have created the bezel for the ruby, I want to add some additional detail to the underside of the bezel to show an interesting design…I want to include an element that reflects my sisters taste/style…hum…maybe a pierced version of a small sunflower on the bottom of the bezel so when the pendent twists over there is interest on both sides and you can still see the ruby.

Preliminary look at what this pieces will look like when assembled….I will post and update to this later.

The post Plum Ruby Pendant for My Sis first appeared on Creative Life Studio.