White Star Creeper

Waiting for the White Star Creeper to fill in some more space before I add the Faerie furniture!

I Love my Doc's

One of the dad's that walks his girl to school has a sweet collection of Dr. Martens. The pair he was wearing this morning made me reminiscent and prompted me to dig these out of my closet. These are my Mary Janes. I have had them for years and they still look nice.
I love how they are made to last FOREVER. They are air cushion soles. Oil, fat, acid, petrol, and alkali resistant. They are the best shoes on the planet!
I got this pair maybe 12 years ago at a Tilly side walk sale for $20. They were the floor model, hence the two tone. And the laces have been replaced many times.
I wear these often for rainy days, hiking or cold evening outings. They have outlasted all the generic shoes I ever owned.

Look how unworn the soles look!
My first memory of Dr. Martens was a lucky find at the local thrift shop.( 20 years ago) Black steel toe boots for $6! They were one size too big but I did not care, they became my life blood and made me feel invincible when I went out at night in my raver days. They were a little heavy to dance in, but I felt safer wearing them as I often imagined what damage the steel toe could do if I was ever "bothered". I think I played too much arcade Street Fighter to have those thoughts. :)
Although the boots were meant to last forever, they sadly did not. I remember my friend pulling up curbside in front of the local movie theater to let us out. He accidentally pulled forward a bit as I had one foot out. Split second later the back tire ran over the back of my foot, mutilating the boot which ended up saving my foot, since they were one extra size too big, I was able to quickly shove my foot into the front cavity of the boot.
Those boots saved my foot!
So do you have a favorite collection that has lasted the years? Do tell!

Tuesday Tutorial- "Shrink Plastic Gears"

This weeks TT is the last of the Steam Punk theme. So I thought I'd show you what I'm working on for the current swap I'm hosting. At the last sizzix whse sale, I picked up some black shrink plastic and some Tim Holtz dies! Perfect for this project! The less detail on the die, the less your shrink plastic will curl up and get stuck.
To get started you will need:

1. a gold leafing pen
2. paper towel
3. nail file
4. bamboo skewer
5. patterned embossing folders
6. die cutting machine
7. dark colored shrink plastic
8. old baking sheet
9. parchment paper or slip mat
   
10. hand held heat gun
11. I used Gadget Gears and the key hole from Hardware Findings.
    

Begin by running the shrink plastic through your machine using the die of choice. DO NOT double up on the shrink plastic as you would paper as it will not separate. It ends up being a waste of your shrink plastic. Trust me.
If you are using shapes that have cut outs like the gears, it's best to shrink the plastic by hand with a heat tool. The oven technique (on back of package) is only good for solid shapes. You can do your project on a heat safe area in the kitchen or if you like to sit (like me), protect your table with heat pads or a folded beach towel. Use a cookie sheet that you keep on hand just for crafts.
Run your shapes through your machine in emboss folders.
If you plan to use the gold leafing pen on the finished piece, you'll want to sand the shapes before shrinking. This goes for embossed shapes or unembossed.
By using parchment paper or a slip mat on your baking sheet, your pieces will not stick as they shrink. Using the skewer helps keep the shape from skittering all over the place while shrinking. Use a slow motion when holding the heat gun over the piece. A fast motion encourages "fly aways". Always start at the top and work your way down. Don't panic. Just when you think your piece will not uncurl, it does.
I experimented with bird cages and key shapes. But the detail was so precise that the shapes kept sticking to each other or curling up and not uncurling like a more solid shape might.
Here you can see the before and after of the gears.
And the key holes.
To achieve the aged gold effect, I dabbed the shrunk shapes with a bit of the gold leafing pen and quickly rubbed off the gold color with the paper towel. The color is accented by the emboss folder I used before shrinking.
So there you have it. I hope you have enjoyed this months TT! Please visit all the previous Steam Punk themed posts for this month, found on the right side bar. ---------> The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win ALL of the projects I made from this month's Tuesday Tutorials! These included. :)
Thanks!
( Please leave your e-mail address in comments or make sure your blog sign in is not private, If I can't reach you easily...you can't win)

Late night projects...

If I'm not sewing by hand while watching a late night show on the couch, then I'm usually working on some new crowns to sell in my shop. You might have noticed that my shop seems a bit bare, and this is because I am getting ready to unveil new things in "May"! Some are items I've been working on for over a year! I just can't wait!

My first Soldered bottle!

Today I happily made my first (of many to come) soldered bottles!
I just love it!
If you have wondered about soldering and want to learn, you must take a class with Vicky!
She is wonderfully patient and so knowledgeable.
I am eager to go back for other idea's! :)





Have a wonderful weekend!

Taking a Spin

Safari Mini Book

This weeks theme for The Robins Nest is "Safari". I used their line of wild animal print papers to create a fun mini book!

The base of the book was a plain ascending scalloped chipboard album that I found at Michaels craft store. I traced the blank chipboard onto the safari papers and carefully cut out using precision scissors. I recommend to use precision scissors for detailed cutting as they are easier to maneuver around the shape or design you want.

I cut up some cake mix boxes to make additional pages. After adhering the patterned papers to my chip boards, I used black ink to distress the edges.

Assorted dew drops helped add some dimension and a little flair.

Safari Clippies and glittered journal cards also helped complete the theme.


See more of the Robins Nest idea's including fun Video tutorials here on their blog!

Valentine Corsage Swap

Last month I participated in a Sweet Goodness Swap. The theme was a Valentine Corsage. This is what I made to send. All made completely by hand including "dusting" the roses with vintage glitter.
I wanted to make something special for my partner Tami, something to cheer her up as she is battling cancer.
And here is what she sent me. Yummy peppermint candy's,
A cute ceramic baker bear,
a heart magnet and a special bracelet she created with inspirational words.
I hope for her the speediest recovery!

Tuesday Tutorial- "Organization"

If you truly love to make SteamPunk inspired ornaments or other types of jewelry, the only way you'll be successful is through organization. All my jewelry making supplies are sorted into these compartment boxes. The top box holds my findings, bails, clasp, chains, ring and hair clip blanks.

The bottom box holds my pendants, lost earrings, old jewelry for remakes, and vintage inspired beads.
I have whole compartment boxes for each color scheme. Here in the blue box, is a assortment of vintage glass, ceramic and costume jewelry beads. On the right side where you see a larger compartment, I use that space for the "plastic" beads.
This box is still in the works. I'm using it for warm colors. But this could change as I "sort" more of my stash... ;)
"Pink" is \probably my favorite box. The left side is all my plastic pink beads, great for a last minute little girl Crown. A majority of the other beads are from taken from old jewelry when I made this Bracelet.
Just some bezels and trinkets for future soldering projects. Now that I'm into soldering, I think I'm going to need a bigger box! :)
Here is my wire wrapping box. In here I store all my birds nest pendants, wire wrapped rings, mini crowns, little odd ball crafts. Some are for fun, some to keep on hand for a surprise gift or for custom orders.
More goodies to solder and make into SteamPunk treasures. If you sort your items clearly, you'll have a better mind for creating later.
These are not all my beads. The seed beads are the hardest to store because they are so tiny and scatter easily. I save little canisters and tubes just for them, and then keep them in a hand held scrapbook tote. I would love to hear your idea's in how you store your SteamPunk and jewelry making supplies!

My giveaway for this week is a 3"x4" zip lock bag filled with a assortment of jewelry beads and trinkets from my collection to help inspire you!
For a chance to win, please leave a comment here and on any of the previous Tuesday Tutorials for this month.
You can find them on the right side bar. ----------------------------------------->

Next week will be the last of my SteamPunk themed posts.
I'll give you a hint...it involves soldering. :)
On the 1st Tuesday of the following month a winner will be randomly drawn via # generator.
The winner will receive ALL 4 projects made from the previous month.
( Please leave your e-mail address in comments or make sure your blog sign in is not private, If I can't reach you easily...you can't win)
Thanks, and good luck!
~Michelle Cummings

Water Faerie

Easy as 1 2 3 - Roasted Salmon

We love Salmon.
So much in fact we eat it every other week.
Sale or not.
Not only is it good for you, but it tastes Wonderful!
Hot or cold.
Easy as 1 2 3, here is how to roast Salmon.
Preheat oven to 450*
Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Lay your salmon on the sheet. (I buy ours pre-boned)
If the Salmon is two long, cut it in half and place it as I did here.

Sprinkle your Salmon with coarse kosher salt.
As much or as little as you like.
Sometimes I put extra near the tail so it can crisp up in the baking for a salty snack.

Roast until opaque throughout. About 15 minutes.
If you are not sure, pull sheet out of oven
and use a fork to break apart salmon to check for completion.
Feel free to put sheet back in oven a for a couple minutes longer.
When done, turn off oven and pull out baking sheet.
Serve with salad or eat alone.

I like to also put tartar sauce on top, store bought or homemade.

Here is my personal recipe, easy to make in a pinch!

1 Cup mayo

2 Tablespoons dill relish

1 teaspoon sugar

a couple of grinds of fresh pepper

Juice of one lime

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.

• Refrigerate for at least a 1/2 hour.
• Enjoy!