Cosy Jane - Craft Blog

Saturday, 19 October 2013

Paper Hearts & a New Name

After much deliberation my Etsy shop now has a new name: Ocean & Fern. Hurrah! And along with my name, comes new packaging :-) I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, and I feel like I can really focus now on actually making jewellery instead of spending all day worrying that my name doesn't suit me. I ended up going with my old home Florida & my new home England, Ocean & Fern. Which also is my style as well, mostly beach-style with pale blues, seafoam greens, and swirly wirework, with pink berry beads and deep greens.

I've also been busy rustling up more paper heart earrings. I have dozens of different patterned paper hearts all over the craft room right now, and I have had to take a break from wearing nail polish because my fingers are constantly stuck together with PVA glue. I love the polka dotted pastel coloured ones because they remind me of ice cream and sweet shops and are just so girlie. And I have been trying out bird & woodland themed ones as well. I want to also try out some necklaces once I get going.

I recently went to the Newbury show a few weeks ago, and happened upon an amazing jewellery maker called Sarah Brook-Hayes who had her stall, Oberon Jewellery, set up. She was incredibly inspiring and I literally wanted to buy her *enitre* stall. Here is a link to her shop: www.etsy.com/shop/OberonJewellery. The photos don't do it justice. Every charm she makes is so pretty, hand made from silver clay. I ended up buying a Christmas present from her, and also a bangle for myself with a little bird flying on it. I wear it every weekend and I love it so so much. All of the stalls just made me really want to try out a Christmas fair!

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

San Diego

Just wanted to share some recent holiday pics.... I've been away this September, our first trip to San Diego, CA. We spent the first couple of days in Los Angeles and then drove down through La Jolla, down to San Diego. It was absolutely beautiful and I can never quite get over the laid back feeling over everything. Having grown up in Florida it makes me homesick a little bit. There is something about California and the coast that is so so beautiful, and so free.

Underneath the pier at Manhattan Beach

Santa Monica

La Jolla Shores

Kayaking on La Jolla Shores Beach

The Botany Museum in Balboa Park, San Diego

At the San Diego Zoo. She is so beautiful!

The Converse shop down the road from Santa Monica Pier. How amazing is this!? I loved this store. Inside, they had a Converse Ink Bar, where you could create your own custom pair of Converse.

Dreamy holiday.... swoon! Is it Thanksgiving time yet...?

Monday, 26 August 2013

Paper Mod Podge Jewellery

Today's crafty creation! :-)

I've been itching to try out some Mod Podge jewellery pendants lately. For anyone who doesn't know, Mod Podge is an all-in-one glue, sealer, and finish that is used in decoupage. You would use it as if it were PVA glue, except because of the additional ingredients and the sealant it gives your work a really nice shiny (or matte) finish and doesn't yellow over time. The great thing about Mod Podge and the reason I love it so so so so much :-) is that it can be used on ANYthing, wall art, jewellery boxes, light switch covers, necklace pendants, shoes... the list goes on! One of my fave blogs online is http://modpodgerocksblog.com, which is full of tutorials on all things Mod Podge. It's where I found these two tutorials:

http://www.crafterhoursblog.com/2012/12/feather-earrings-tutorial.html

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/make-pie-chart-paper-pendants.html

I was so excited to try these just because of my many failed attempts at making necklace pendants. I've been through a bit of trial-and-error trying out different methods of making pendants. I've always tried covering a wood or metal base with paper and PVA glue or Mod Podge. I started out creating a wooden base freehand from wood (hubby down in the cellar sewing tiny hearts out of wood - have I told him lately that I love him? :-), and glueing origami paper on top. Then I tried wooden hearts already pre-made in a packet from Hobbycraft. And then, after playing around with these tutorials a bit, realised I didn't need a backing at all.

Both of these tutorials make pendants using only paper. I love love love the feather earrings in the first tutorial but I didn't have the die-cut. I only have a simple heart one. So I used some pretty patterned card stock instead. These tribal inspired earrings were the result, and I'm SO pleased with how they turned out! :-) I think they need a bit of a double layer of mod podge for a shiny finish but that is something I think I can get on the next pair I make. The pie chart earrings are finished with a final layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (Diamond Glaze) to give it a resin type finish. So I might try that as well.

Hip Hip Horrahh for Modpodge!

Sunday, 4 August 2013

Recent Makes: Autumn Stamps

Drumroll......my first autumn batch of stamps!!!! Hurrahh!!

Autumn is not far away and I am feeling really inspired by all of the bright vintage-y colours I've been seeing about this summer. I was really inspired too by Geninne's Making Impressions book on stamps, and visiting her blog I'm just brought to life by all of the bright vivid colours and the crazy swirliness and the calmness of the quirky birds.

I sketched and carved these stamps from photos of flowers in my house and in my back yard:

This one I sketched from a picture of Mexican Golden Poppy I thought was really pretty:

And these are the cards I made with them:

I've been trying out different methods of colouring the images. I've been trying Hero Arts dye inks and Tsukineko's VersaCraft inks. VersaCraft wins by FAR for this type of stamping. I'd bought these Hero Arts dye inks in a summer palette:

They are really nice colours but because it is dye ink it is very thin and bleeds very easily when stamped on to normal card paper. I can see now (being the newbie stamper that I am) why these are only good for use on glossy paper and for detailing.

The Versa Craft Inks I bought were these shades in: Cherry Pink, Poppy Red, and Chocolate:

They are really nice and creamy and rich, and oh-so-dreamy to use. They can be stamped on to fabric as well and ironing the ink on to the fabric makes it permanent (although I've read it's still not colourfast; I'm going to try this out). It makes a nice, clear, solid image (you can see the teal ink is a different brand, and it's not stamped as well as the others). Definitely going to be using VersaCraft from now on! :-)

I used Tsukineko StazOn Jet Black ink for the outline of the Mexican Golden Poppy and LOVED this ink too. It's so bold and this can be used on glass, plastic, metal, and ceramic too. It dries almost instantly and is permanent so it doesn't smudge if you wipe water over it afterward. I used watercolour paint for the golden yellow and I really liked how it turned out and how crisp it looks.

Not too bad for a first attempt!! Anyone else use VersaCraft? What are your thoughts?

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

New Book! Making an Impression, by Geninne

I *love* getting new craft books. Whether its in the mail, or from the library, there is something cosy and exciting about snuggling up on the sofa and opening the pages to what you know will be a massive source of projects and a haven of inspiration.

I picked up my latest find from the post office on the way to work last week (and then had to spend the rest of the day reeeally wanting to to go home so I could read it!). Making an Impression, by Geninne Zlatkis:

It's such a beautiful book, and whereas usually I only see one or two things I want to make myself in books, I turned the pages in this one wanting to quit my day job and make EVERYthing.

My fave project ideas:

Love the idea of taking all of the stamps in your collection, theming the colours of ink, and making a piece of artwork for the wall.

This bird cushion is beautiful. I love the colours. I think they would be really nice as a picture on the wall as well (ooh, matching?!)

There is also a cool little section too about design and what makes up a great stamp. It's something I'd never thought about before and I feel like I can graduate now to more themed sets of images on my stamps.

Will show you my attempts once I get started!!! :-D

Friday, 19 July 2013

Stamp out the heat!

Brriiing on the heat of the summer. We are hitting a high of 31C this week and I am wondering if I really am in England or have entered some weird parallel universe. Who knew it would be the middle of july and I'd be looking forward to going to work?! One bonus to sitting in an office 9 to 5? Air conditioning! :-D

I've taken a bit of a break lately from writing because a) I was a bit discouraged about blogging and b) after getting back from holiday my mind has been abuzz with Etsy shop-opening and an obsessive desire to find my *one true* craft. I've made up my mind (after opening 2 shops, applylane.etsy.com & lemonadeletterpress.etsy.com) that I. just. like. everything. And. I. can't. stop. making. things. Ever. And I can't stop trying new things.

My new new attempt this week is more stamp-making! Tee hee! Which ties hand in hand with my recent card making attempts. I have ordered this new book on stamp-making to hone my skills:

It has some really good techniques on carving stamps and I can't wait to try it out, and to make some bright colourful summer stamps.

There are so many great stamp shops on Etsy that I've also been drooling over. A few of my faves: