Happy Holidays

I have been busy lately! Photo pendants have been selling like crazy in my etsy shop! I'm so excited about the busy-ness, but I'm swamped and all my free time is spent crafting.

This is what my craft table looked like yesterday.


I'm working on marble magnet sets that go in matching tins, refrigerator scrapbooks and, obviously, photo pendants. Whew!

Here are all the photo pendants. And, this was before I printed the 8 or so more that I printed that evening!


I'm pretty much done with orders before Christmas, I think. I have orders that were already placed that I need to finish and mail, but I'm only taking local orders now. I can't guarantee orders will arrive in time for Christmas.

I have changed the name of my business from Scrapbooking Made Simple to Cherry Tart Designs. I wanted something less specific since I'm not only selling scrapbooked items anymore. I don't know what made me choose Cherry Tart Designs, but I love it! Check out my new etsy shop: www.CherryTartDesigns.etsy.com. I'm working on getting more items posted, but you can at least enjoy my new banner. *grin*

I will also no longer be posting on this blog. You can follow my crafting on my new blog: www.CherryTartDesigns.blogspot.com Check me out! Stop by and say hi!

Can Christmas really be 16 days away?!

My biggest order yet

This week, I got a convo on etsy from a lady that works for Rowe Fine Furniture, a furniture manufacturer, asking if I would be interested in a big order. They have a new line of furniture by an international fashion designer and she wanted me to make marble magnets using pictures of the exclusive fabrics.

How cool is that?!

There are 12 new fabrics, so 12 magnets in each set. I was so excited to see that 12 magnets fit perfectly into the rectangle tin that I use for my refrigerator scrapbooks.


So, we chatted back and forth and she requested 55 sets (that's like 110 of my 6-magnet sets!). I told her I could have them finished in 2 1/2 weeks. Am I crazy? I'm not sure...

I've placed my order for more rectangle tins and neodymium magnets and I've bought enough glass marble gems to sink a boat. I think I'm ready.

I'm looking forward to the challenge and the sense of accomplishment that I know will come when I finish such a large order.

But my fingers may never be the same again...

Christmas Corner at Maude Cobb

The Christmas Corner Arts and Crafts Extravaganza is happening early this year! Do some holiday shopping (Halloween and Christmas) now and relax later!

Where: Maude Cobb Convention Center

When:
Friday 9-5
Saturday 9-5
Sunday 11-4

Price: Tickets are $5.

My friend, Josie, and I are sharing a booth again this year. We figure scrapbooking and pictures go together well. I'll try to remember to take a picture of our booth this year... I totally forgot last year!

We're also going to be neighbors to Alison, Janette and Amy. Check out Amy's creations in her etsy shop: Amy's Little Bowtique. Notice her bottlecap bows? Hmmm, for some reason, those amazing bottlecaps look very familiar... I love how Amy put them in her bows!

So, come out to shop, chat and sample yummy food (no food in our booth, unfortunately), and, make sure you stop by and say hi, too!

Custom Order - Dierks Bentley Bottlecap Magnets

I love getting custom orders! A few weeks ago, my brother-in-law, Kyle's cousin FaceBooked me and asked if I could make her some bottlecap magnets with photos of her favorite person, country singer Dierks Bentley.

She e-mailed me photos and I got to work. Unfortunately, the weather was rainy and I learned the hard way that the glaze I use doesn't like the humidity.

So, I reprinted them and tried again a few days ago when it was sunny. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was using a different photo paper and the new photo paper didn't like the glaze! Grrr!

But, now that I have figured the problem out, I feel much better.

And here are her magnets:


Close up:


Yes, she has even met Dierks. Check out the two bottlecaps with her picture, too. Pretty cool, eh?!

I can make bottlecap magnets out of any images you have! Just contact me for more info!

What free time?!

Somehow, I came up with this crazy idea that having both kids in school would give me free time. Free time? What's that?! I have yet to sit and read a book or go out to lunch with a friend or anything because I haven't slowed down.

It is nice to be able to do what I want to and not feel like I'm neglecting kids. But, at the same time, I really miss having them here. The summer was great and I enjoyed our time together. Knowing that both boys are doing great and are in just the right place for them makes it easier, though.

My etsy business has taken off with custom orders. And, two boutiques here in town have started selling my bottlecap pendants. Up In Stitches is a fun store in downtown Longview. They have a lot of "vendors" that sell their items there. I also have them at Polka Tot Boutique in north Longview, by the new Wal-Mart. This is my first month to sell with both stores, so we'll see if it goes well.

Any Longhorn fans?

Or are you more of an Aggie?

Punk Princess overload...

The other day, I saw someone with one of my bottlecap pendants on and I didn't know her, so I know I didn't sell it to her. That was way cool!!

How 'bout them Cowboys?!

My friend, Amy, is using my bottlecaps in her bows and she has done a fantastic job! All of her bows are adorable and seem to be selling really well.

Personalized with the initial of your choice.

So, that's why I haven't been blogging lately. Yes, it's just another excuse... But, it's a good one, right?!

When nothing else will do...

I began making Scrabble Tile Necklaces not too long ago. I'm really enjoying them! I had a great idea for how to disply them using stick pins on a corkboard. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any pins that turned the right direction.

So, I got out my hubby's needle nose pliers and a box of stick pins and started working. I knew exactly what I wanted, so I didn't mind the effort involved.

I started with a beautiful framed corkboard from Hobby Lobby (half off, of course). Then I used crochet string (or whatever it's called) and I began a grid.


Almost done...


Finished! Now, that wasn't too bad, was it? Um, yes, yes, it was because I wanted to make sure everything was perfectly, evenly spaced. But, I got pretty close and I was pleased with the grid.


Then I used a Sharpie marker and put a dot at each intersection on the grid.


Then, at each dot, I put a twisted and warped... um, I mean, lovingly shaped and bent push pin.


You can see it took two bends to get the shape I wanted so that the bail of the pendant would sit flat and the pendant would hang just right.


After I shaped about half of the pins, I began removing them one row at a time, adding a dab of glue, and then putting the pins back in. About 1/3 of the way through, I realized that it would have been quicker to not put them in the corkboard until I was ready to glue them down. That would've saved me an unnecessary step. Oh, well.

Here is the finished display on a beautiful easel. The easel was a splurge--it wasn't on sale!--but it was love at first sight! I even bought a cheaper one somewhere else and decided I just really wanted this one. So, I returned the first one and bought the one I liked best and we lived happily ever after.


I really think this will be eye-catching at craft shows!

I think I have one of those personalities where I get addicted to things. My life was just fine and complete until I discovered I could make Scrabble Tile Pendants and now I just. can't. stop.


I suppose I'm not really *trying* to stop...


Here are a few pretty pendants. I was taking pictures to list them in my etsy shop and I decided I liked the one in the front with the color bursts. So, it's not going to be for sale. Sorry.


But, I have lots more. And, I do mean *lots*!


Here's another favorite that I haven't quite decided if I'm keeping or selling. If you're quick, you might beat me...


Someday, it will stop raining here and I'll have some decent lighting to take pictures of the necklaces available to hang the Scrabble tile pendants and my photo pendants from. But, not yet...

A little Japanese


A little modern


A little swirly


I would say check out my etsy shop for more Scrabble pendants, but I haven't listed any yet! So, don't go check out my etsy shop for Scrabble pendants. Although, you can go check it out for bottlecap necklaces! *grin*

Bottle Cap Choker Necklaces

I was so pleased with how my niece's bottle cap necklaces turned out, that I caught the bottle cap bug and began looking for great images to use, more bottlecaps to purchase and tips on how to keep the lacquer from bubbling. I just jumped in with both feet! I come by that tendency naturally, as my mom is the exact same way!

I discovered that there are crafty people out there that sell images that are the perfect size for bottle cap necklaces! Yay! So, I spent hours poring over different images searching for my favorites.

After I had made about 200 or more bottlecaps, I decided I ought to make the choker necklaces for the caps to attach to. So, I learned, through trial and error, what to use for the necklaces.

Then I went back and forth with a few ideas, trying to think of how to display the necklaces and bottlecaps at craft shows. I have come up with one favorite idea, although I'm open for any brainstorming anyone else can come up with, and I thought I'd share my idea for how to store and display the necklaces.


So far, I have black, white, bright pink and pale pink. I haven't been able to find other colors, but, really, those are the most common colors in my bottlecaps.


I'll probably have the jars sitting on the table with the lids off. And maybe have a few out of the jar?


The magnets on the back of the bottlecaps attach to the metal wahers.


You can mix and match chokers to bottlecaps.


Side view of the way the cap snaps onto the choker.


Back view.


A few samples of the necklaces I've been busy making. Tinkerbell galore!


"boy crazy" with some bling


You can wear more than one choker at a time for a layered look.


"Drama Queen"


Cinderella


Mix and match chokers


"You want thing-a-ma-bobs? I've got twenty!"


I have skateboarders, fun phrases, sports, cheerleading, you name it, I either have it or I can find it. I'm very excited to see how these sell!

Princess Party Gift

My niece had her 6th birthday recently and I was invited to her Princess Party. I was honored! I wanted to make something special and wanted something different than the items I have made before. I remembered that my crafty friend (and neighbor) had made some bottle cap necklaces for party favors for her daughter's birthday and I decided to give it a try!

I had leftover bottle caps from years ago when I decoupaged some for a scrapbook layout of my sons' birthday party, so I pulled them out. I wanted to make princess caps because it was a princess party. I remembered a set of mini playing cards that I had picked up probably years ago in the Wal-Mart check out line that had all the Disney princess on the back. Yay, I hadn't thrown them away!

So, I got to work. It was trial and error, but I was super pleased with how they turned out.


For the record, although I might not be well versed in all things girly, I do know that Tinkerbell isn't technically a Disney princess. But, she is super cute and she fit perfectly with the girls. *grin*

I included magnetic pink and white choker necklaces that are interchangeable.


I packaged the necklaces in a tiny little Chinese take-out box.


Then I made a quick card using a clear princess stamp and my copic markers.


I was very pleased with how everything turned out and the Birthday Princess seemed to like them, too.

And, here's my sweet niece, Julia, who invited me to her princess party (actually, my sister, Christy, really invited me) so I could leave my three boys at home and enjoy some girl time with pink, purple, sparkles, make up, dress up and giggling.


And they all lived happily ever after...

Finally, a new pendant!

I have been wearing a photo pendant with a picture that is at least a year old! It's okay if the kids aren't with me, but if they're with me, you can tell they've changed a lot. Mainly, Russell has his glasses and that changes his whole look!

So, after a fun day at Sci-Port, the boys and I enjoyed some time at a beautiful waterfall across the street and I got the perfect picture!


I had already decided I wanted a tall pendant, so I just needed a tall picture. I am so, so pleased with the final result and I've been wearing it all the time!


I get lots of compliments on it. This shape is very eye-catching.


For a look at all the photo pendant sizes available, check out my etsy shop!

Congratulations, Graduates!

My mom wanted some simple, can be for a boy or girl, no school colors, graduation cards, so I made a set of 10 in an assembly line style.


I did 5 red and 5 blue. The images were stamped in black ink and colored with copic markers. If you look closely, you can see that I pierced a little curly-q thingy that makes it look like the hat just flipped. At least, that's how it's supposed to look.


After printing, cutting out and mounting the words, "Congratulations" for the inside, I realized that I probably have a stamp that says that. Oh, well. At least it all matches since I didn't have a stamp for the phrase on the front. And we all know matching is best, right?! :-)


Simple, but I was very pleased with how they turned out.

Congratulations, Graduates! Or is that Congradulations, Gratuates?...