Guest Post- Petra's Creations

Hi all, it's Petra from Petra's Creations. What a weekend we had with that cross team treasury blitz! I'm very single minded and driven when I have a goal in mind, that's how I created 35 of those treasuries. However, i've no desire to create any more for a while!  

I created 2 polyvore sets from my two most popular treasuries 'get happy' and 'on neutral ground' - to celebrate. I thought I would share these with you.

get happy by petra-madill featuring a flower purse

Flower purse, €41 / Pendant jewelry, €37 / Brooch, €9,18 / Fairground, colourful, spinning, Wall art, Fine Art, Gift Idea, FPOE,..., €25 / original abstract acrylic painting, LIGHT SUN OPUS, €98 / Terrier Brooch by Lea Stein // Red Green Yellow Scotty Dog Brooch//..., €95 / Skinny-Skulptur Nr. 2, €40 / Duck Toys in Soap - Soap Art by Scentcosmetics., €4,48 / DSLR Camera strap, camerastrap, Flowers, €31 / Rofl Word Necklace, €13

neutral ground by petra-madill featuring vintage jewelry

Pins brooch, €13 / Leather necklace, €28 / Vintage jewelry, €95 / Gold hoop earrings, €11 / Slouch beanie, €31 / GWEN STEFANI Portrait Poster - Fashion Illustration - Boho - Hippie -..., €31 / Cream & Beige Fleck Aran Hand Knit Mug Warmer or Cup Cosy, €6,10 / Brown Felt Dog, €3,02 / Beach Photography - water ripples paw prints - beige peach light brown..., €25

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Guest Post- DIY Sea Glass Candle Votives

Continuing on this months theme of Summer DIY, here is a lovely little idea on how to use that beautiful seaglass that you found washed up on the beach ;)

The team is feeling all summery after our ‘holiday’ weather last week. We thought it might be fun to follow up on this months ‘getting to know you’ post (surrounding home décor) with a great little décor tip from Anne-Marie of Handmade by Amor:

Recycling Project. Candle Holder with Small Seaglass Pieces

What do you do with those little tiny pieces of frosted seaglass that wash up on the shore? I have a bunch of them that are way too small for wire wrapped jewellery and ornaments.

The colours are beautiful and it's a shame to waste them.

Most of them are fully frosted so they have probably been tumbling in the sea for decades and it's lovely to be able to recycle them. Here's one very simple idea as to how to display them by making an eye catching candle holder.

As this is a recycling project, I decided to re-use this small, glass, ramekin dish that came with a Marks an Spencer lemon soufflé. (Yummy!) At just over an inch high (c28mm) and slightly more than 3 inches in diameter (c78mm), it is the perfect size for displaying a tea light candle.

First I put the small tea light in the centre of the ramakin. After placing the small seaglass around the candle, I carefully filled the dish with water, falling short of the top of the candle by about half a centimetre.

I’m afraid my lowly photography skills, coupled with dull and dismal light today, did not help me pick up the full beauty of the seaglass glistening in the water. But they remind me a bit of those sugary, jelly sweets small kids love.

The fluted design of the dish throws gorgeous patterns of light. The candlelight picks up some soft colour from the seaglass in the water. Three of them would make great centre pieces along a table. Only two lemon souffles in a pack...I'd best go and get some more so.

You can read the original post here:-

http://handmadebyamor.blogspot.ie/2012/05/recycling-project-candle-holder-with.html

x

Guest Post- 'Art Classes in Co. Carlow with Trudi Doyle'

This weeks guest post is a a brief but intriguing mix of details:

Trudi Doyle at Bunbury art studio in Co. Carlow - a fellow teamie - has asked if we might share her blog post information on this years popular art classes, summer school and painting holidays. 

She has some very interesting choices on offer too. To surmise her blog post:
She has watercolour, oil, acrylic, watercolour masterclasses and drawing classes (workshops) that range from 1-2 days. Different dates are available.

There is also the option of a more extended painting holiday including full board, breakfast, tuition etc.


By popular demand the childrens summer school is back also. Children aged 4-11 can attend a 3 day summer school that will stimulate the imagination. 

You can read her full blog post for more details and descriptions, request brochures and even book online - interesting fact: prices have been reduced to 2001 prices too (yep, these are long standing classes!)
http://www.trudidoyle.blogspot.ie/2013/02/welcome-to-14th-season-at-bunbury-art.html

Guest post- 'Herby Ice Cubes ' by Annemarie

Herby Ice Cubes 

My Mum has a fantasic herb garden. In fact, it's overflowing with all sorts of aromatic greenery and she always gives me massive bunches of the stuff to take home. There's always far more than I can possibly use up before it goes off even though I give a lot of it away.  I often end up throwing a good bit out after it dies off.

That was, until it finally occurred to me to ask my Mum for tips to keep it for longer. I was expecting to learn the best way to dry it. I have vague childhood memories of bundles of herbs  and flowers tied upside down in the warm attic for months. I had no idea until now that you could freeze herbs in their own little ice cubes.

Simply chop them up and fill up the compartments of an old ice cube tray. Then top up with water and freeze, as for any type of ice cube.

Et voila! The ice will melt by the time I'm ready to add the tasty rosemary to my chicken dish. I'll need to chop it a bit finer but it will be as fresh as the day I froze it.

Read more about this in Annemarie's original post here

Guest post: 'Sanctury of Mine' by Petra

My work-space is my crafty sanctuary.
I've been making cards for about 10 years and jewellery for about 8. I used to have a small garden shed we converted for me when my enormous amount of craft stash threatened to take over the house in it's bid for world domination. When I began, I started out as most of us do: crafting on the kitchen table.

My little shed was great at first but after a few years I had even more tools when you factored in my jewellery making as well. Glitter gets in everything, it was such a small space that I would never try to make jewellery out there.

So, I dreamt of a space big enough for a jewellery counter and a craft station - with storage too. It was a bit of a pipe dream.

Eventually I realised I would one day need more space to get around in so perhaps this pipe dream should be more than a dream.

I scouted around for custom made sheds, work sheds and insulated workshops but even the most basic one (not that big) was quite pricey and definitely a bit out of budget! So I took my mam's suggestion to look at secondhand shed options as my dad is a DIY avocado. I stumbled across a nice 13 x 8 on Gumtree - a very sturdy one made with shipping timber.

My personal DIY expert said he could insulate it and put in counters etc.

So I bought insulation, plywood, weathershield etc. My uncle John told us his workplace was had a load of kitchen units and wood going into the skip during a big clear out, so I got a large table and shiny kitchen counters plus a large shelf unit that my dad cut in half and was absolutely perfect for my rubber stamps.

It would take time to work on it as he was working alone but dad loves a project. I kept an eye out for cheap storage in the euro store although I did splash out a bit on units for my seed beads!

Finally 4 months after buying the shed and 10 years after starting out with a glue stick I was able to move in. I had to add rain gutters after a heavy rain, it's just that big. It also still looks like it did when I set everything up! Except I did get a swivel chair for my birthday and stuck an oil heater in there (brrrr)

Read the full post on Petra's blog Petra's Creations