Janet of All Trades

Happy New Year! Wishing Health and Happiness in the New Year! My New Years Resolutions are to post more recycle projects and updates on my creative adventures along with some interesting insights as well. Happy 2015! Enjoy!

This past weekend I participated in my third craft show and premiered my new Dominoes and Key pendants. There were over 200 Craft booths and a huge basket raffle to benefit the Ben Franklin Elementary PTA. And the best seller was my Necktie Cuffs with Key and Button embellishments. I took them at the last minute thinking they would be a good addition to my wares. It was a good show and I discovered this talented young man, creating items out of old paper,maps and frames. He is Joshua Fraass and had the most interesting items and his display. Well I can't even describe it since the photo can only do that.  He only creates items from things he can recycle and they are amazing. And his display was utter eye candy perfection. Paper and vintage together. and a little bit of burlap. I was in recycled heaven. He also sells at a two local stores, so if you are in the Western New York area, Check his creations out at Patricia's Back Barn,...

Every year I like to create a unique Christmas card and this year was no different. I started with an Encyclopedia circa 1975.  Then I started to use my new Snowflake punch and destroyed a few pages.  Then I added some card stock in craft paper brown and little strip of glitter paper. And the card was done! Simple,easy and a bit of recycling.  The Snowflakes are addicting to make.. So I had a few leftover to decorate some burlap trees. Merry Christmas!  Enjoy!

With the Summer almost over it's time to look back enjoy all the photos and mementos of the season. One of my favorite ways to do this is to create something that reminds me of places that  I have visited.   How I may not have visited all these places this summer but they are some of my favorites.  Made from a Dominoe, a bit of phone wire,old map pages,pendant bail and Mod Podge Dimensional magic and you have a souvenir from your trip or favorite city.  So easy and would be a great going away gift or Christmas gift.  Each one is Unique.  Your Favorite city.. or your hometown... Or a reminder of a Favorite trip.. Enjoy!

I like to put a little personality in my gift wrapping and card making, but I don't like to spend ton of money either. So when I found these shopping bags for .99 I thought of the perfect idea to dress them up. Then after I cut up a few old file folders, punched a few circles and made a few pomps, I was left with these two adorable gift bags. Now I needed to make two cards since these were for our Twin Nephews and each one needed to be special. So I printed a photo of each of their baby faces and added a little party attire. I love making cards and using photos. It's personal and can be funny. Such cute baby faces. I can't believe that they are Three! The cards and the bags were a hit and so simples to create! Enjoy!

We all have a few belts laying around that either just don't fit or are wore out or just not fashionable anymore. I had two such belts rattling around in my closet. I decided rather than put them in the Salvation army donation pile I would upcycle them in to something else I could wear. So with a little of this scrap fabric leftover from last weeks bedroom pillows... I created this bracelet.. With just a strip fabric about 1" wide and a snap to secure in the back and my bracelet was done in about 5 minutes. I clean up the buckle with a little silver polish and a bit of scrubbing and it shined like new. Then combined it with my rhinestone and telephone wire bracelet for a more interesting look. Looks great with my Telephone Wire and zipper bracelet too! Next I cover the other buckle with Fabric and attached a felt strap. Combined with other bracelets and I have some funky arm candy. So easy and quick that I could have a whole new set of...

I was asked by a lovely work colleauge to create a comb for her hair for her destination wedding. She gave me images of the details of the front of her dress to help me create perfect comb.  Beading at front waist and the rest of the dress is simple but very elegant. She had given a comb to use and the rest of my supplies came from my stash of beads,buttons and ribbons. I decided to sew the beads and buttons on to the ribbon first and then laid it across the comb to see how it would fit. Then I started to sew it to the comb and this was now easy task as the the ribbon is large and the teeth of the comb kept catching my thread. I had to take it apart three times just to get it to lay correctly and look nice.  But eventually it was done and delivered to the Bride to be and should could not be happier.  It was fun project since it is something that I have never create before and let me use a bit of my stash! Enjoy!

Years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Island of Capri and recently I rediscovered maps and mementos from that trip. One particular map was so lovely that I knew I need to display it. So I decided to use a little cardboard and MDF that was part of some packaging to use to create my art. I started with my Map of Capri and a few other basic road maps. Next I cut the two long pieces of MDF off and use the center piece for my large map and the two smaller pieces for my road maps. Added a little Mod Podge and basic picture hangers and my art was finished. They look great on my bedroom wall and the colors are just perfect. The remind me that there are plenty of places to see and numerous more to visit. And they make a interesting back drop for my travel inspired jewelry. Enjoy!

One of my favorite activities to keep my brain creatively thinking, is to look at discardable object and see I if I can find a use for it. Remaking,recreating or reusing has been a theme that fuels many of my craft projects,so today on Earth day, I have a few to share. I am always surprised by packaging and how a perfectly good piece of plastic may end up in the recycle bin or the garbage. For example, this Wash Bag from tide, a $5 item packaged in some really nice re-useable plastic that I knew I could use for something. Then I came across buttons at an Estate Sale for a steal and did not want to pass them up. The two were combined to create this.. My Earth Day Necklace, Recycled plastic disks and Buttons.  A little green and a little green! The next project was to use up those pesky Plastic Wine corks. Not sure why I have so many of them (ha!) but I keep everyone since I knew I would eventually find a use for them and my brain finally did. I made a ...