remnants to ruffles: for the love of reading

Electronic Readers are everywhere today. It seems as if everyone is reading on the go, and lucky for me! I have a new batch of EReader Cases all stitched up and ready to go to Vintage Hip in Alabama, and into my Etsy Shoppe as well!

{woolie love}

There is some new {woolie love} in my studio. I have just finished dyeing a new batch of roving

and the results are in...{LOVE}. {Sweet Sherbet colored rings for spring. $8.}

 {Tiny beaded centers and adjustable bands}

...they remind me of tiny beautiful nests...

{Marbled Colors beautifully needle felted together}

{A brighter shade in the name of color}

 

tutorial: gauze rosette earrings

A yummy new batch of inky vintage gauze trim just hit the etsy shop shelves and I couldn't wait to share this {SWEET & SIMPLE} earring tutorial with you all.

These charming little rosette studs are easy and quick. You will want to make a dozen pairs! They only took me a half hour to complete, including gathering my supplies...so grab some {VINTAGE TRIM HERE} before it is all gone!

First, gather your supplies. Don't worry about having each item in the photograph...as long as you have the inky vintage trim you can use anything you love or have on hand to embellish your rosette...you will need:

 *scissors
 *glue gun or strong adhesive of your   choice
 *silicone pad for creating a circle of hot glue
  * two earring posts and two backs
  * something you would like to use to cut out your leaves from.(this can be cardstock, fabric, canvas, or anything else that will give you a good leafy texture) I used a leftover prima leaf I had on hand.
  *small hole punch (size will depend on how large you create your rosette)
 OPTIONAL: tweezers, string or yarn, rhinestones, buttons, etc.

 

For my rosette earrings, I cut two 6 inch lengths of {plum pudding inky vintage trim}

and tied a small knot in the end of each piece. Trim end of knots. 

 Next, using your silicone glue gun pad, create a small circle of hot glue. 

 Make sure it is pretty thick. Squeezing gently with constant light pressure works best. 

 

Place your knot in the center of the glue and let it set for 10-20 seconds. This just helps the glue gel a little bit.

Now start GENTLY twisting and wrapping your inky gauze trim around the center know, patting it in close to the trim it is wrapped around. You want a nice tight rosette when you are finished. Continue wrapping until your trim has covered your entire glue dot and then trim with scissors. Press flat gently and peel SLOWLY off of the mat. Tack end of trim to back side of rosette.

Now take your fabric or cardstock or leaf material and cut four small leaf shapes. These DO NOT have to be perfect. Flowers in the wild are not perfect and this gives your earrings character. 

Choose two leaves and layer them until you have your desired effect. Glue them together.

Set your leaves aside and go back to your rosette. Use whatever embellishment you like here (or none if you like...the pair I wear has NO BLING or anything, just SWEET AND SIMPLE!) and add it to your rosette's center. I used some inky dyed string for my center (coming soon to etsy shop) to give my center a little nesty look. Just twist and twirl the string until you have the shape you want and tack down with a dot of hot glue. Then I added a small rhinestone with a dot of hot glue.

Now take some old leftover cardstock or thin cardboard. ( I used some recycled packaging from my rhinestones ) Punch two circles and adhere one to the back of each earring. This will help disguise all of your layers of glue and leaves and flower.

Now take your earring post and clue that to the center of your cardstock. Let dry for a few minutes or until hot glue has completely cooled.

Your beautiful {INKY VINTAGE GAUZE TRIM} has been transformed into a darling pair of rosette earrings.

More Ruffles....these are one of my favorite things!

...if I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times.......I LOVE RUFFLES.....especially WHITE ruffles...
and so this sweet ruffled drawstring bag was born....I just love it and think it will be a dreamy carryall this summer! (oh yea- I love bags, boxes, containers of any kind too- especially white ones!) Enjoy!

Sweet Ruffled Satchels

 I hope this week finds everyone rested after a long holiday weekend. My family and I were invited to the beach by a long time friend and we were blessed with wonderful weather, great company and each other. A much needed reprieve for all! It was while I was on this "mini holiday" that I realized I needed something small and light and summery looking to carry as a little "purse." I dug through a drawer deep in "carry all's" but nothing seemed right...so I survived the weekend with my Burt's Bees in my pocket and my money in my husband's pocket! Today I decided to remedy that situation once and for all. I found these adorable, plain duck cloth zipper "satchel's"{check out the beautiful tray Erin at Peony Wire Works created for me!} as my Olivia likes to call them at a local craft store. All they needed was a shabby white muslin ruffle and a twisted shabby rosette. I love the rope like handle and the overall simplicity of this little tote. It measures 6 x 9 inches. Perfect for the summer here and there's!

{check these "SWEET SATCHELS" on etsy}