It's All About Texture

¹tex·ture noun \ˈteks-chər\

: the way that something feels when you touch it.

Straight from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary. 

As humans we love to touch and feel things. It heightens our sense of satisfaction whether it be fabric, food, nature. Our sense of touch is one of the things we were blessed with.

This month Miriam's Crafting Blog challenge is all about texture. We want to see you create things with different textures in a project. For my inspiration project for you, I created a no-sew glasses case complete with an outside pocket. Perfect to take to the beach or pool to hold your sunglasses, driver's license and a couple of dollars to buy a refreshing drink!

Supplies:

(sorry, a bit blurry, taken on my phone)

Burlap (in your desired size) - available through Miriam's Crafting Supplies
Chenille Fabric (large enough to create the pocket on one side of your project)
Wide Ribbon (for accent strip on pocket)
Seam Binding
Twine
Glue Gun
Glasses Charm - available through Miriam's Crafting Supplies

Step 1. Fold your burlap in half and seal your edges, leaving the top open, with the glue gun. The nice thing about burlap is there is no wrong side to it!

Step 2. Create a braid of twine to serve as your pull string. Make sure it's long enough to go around the entire top of bag with extra to knot off a bit outside.

Step 3. Place your braid around the edge of your bag about 1/2" down from the top and glue the middle just on one seam.

Step 4. Fold over the top edge creating the drawstring area (about an 1" to an 1-1/2"fold) then carefully glue the edge down. Be careful not to get the braid caught in the glue.

Step 5. Turn it right side out and knot your braid ends together so it doesn't slip through.

Step 6. Cut your chenille to the size of the front of your bag leaving about a 1/4" seam allowance, for sides and 1/2" seam allowance for top and bottom.

Step 7. Glue the seam allowance down on the sides (1/4"). Repeat on top and bottom (1/2"). 

Step 8. Cut a strip of your wide ribbon about 1"longer than the width of your chenille piece. Fold over the front and glue the edges to the back side.

Step 9. Proceed to glue the entire chenille piece with attached ribbon to the bottom of your burlap bag. DO NOT GLUE THE TOP AREA DOWN. This creates your pocket.

Step 10. Glue your seam binding to the edges of the bag (folded over the front and back to actually cover the seam).

Step 11. Tie a little knot on each side of the glasses with twine (you could use pearls or rhinestones if you prefer). Glue to the front of your pocket.

I put my keys and the pen in just to show the pocket :)











That's it! Another quick and easy project but with lots of touchy-feely goodness to it. Come join us and create your idea of textured art. Enter to win this months challenge and win a prize from Miriam's Crafting Blog!

Love ya,
~Deb~

A Challenge for You!

Miriam's Crafting Blog is hosting her 8th monthly challenge. The theme this month is flowers as I mentioned in my lotus flower post. As a design team member, we get to provide inspiration for you all to help motivate you for the challenge.

Since I was having so many issues with my ISP I kept my project for this post simple. I created a tag.

I also did a video on the process I used.

The supplies are as follows:

1 Bronze tone flower embellishment
1 Wooden button
1 - #8 Shipping tag
Ivory Satin Ribbon
Image from Gecko Galz
Pan Pastels
Glue
Feathers
Baby Wipes and other applying tools
Stamps

I really hope you will head over to the Challenge Blog, see all the inspiration from my fabulous DT sisters and enter..the rules are simple:

1. The project must have something to do with flowers.

2. You may enter up to four projects for the month.

3. You must tell on your blog or Facebook page that you are in this challenge with a link back here to Miriam's Crafting Challenge. If your entry is on your Facebook page rather than a blog the privacy of the picture MUST be set as Public and shared to our Facebook page.

4. Sorry, but no back linking.

5. Use linky tool to link up by the end of the challenge, this challenge runs through December 31st at 11:55pm.

6. Like our Facebook page and you can get an extra entry into the challenge (make sure to let us know you did this).

8. Become a follower of our blog by clicking the RSS feed link on the top right.

9. Have fun!

Love ya,
~Deb~

The Beauty of Lotus Flowers

I love Lotus Flowers, also called water lilies. Maybe it comes from my obsession with water and its calming affect on our minds and bodies.Maybe it's just the shear beauty invoking a guttural response. I don't really know why but I love them. So when Miriam asked us to use the theme flowers for this month's challenge at Miriam's Crafting Supplies, I knew my first project as a member of her DT had to be a lotus. I needed to figure out how to use her supplies to make this happen. Well that wasn't hard! Her metal embellishments are flexible and can be manipulated in so many ways to create differing effects. I took her flat metal embellishments and an acrylic crystal and I was off and running. I created the first video tutorial of 2014 for her team so please watch it below, and after read on for some important things I discovered after making it.

So after trying this for the first time, I discovered that hot glue just doesn't hold well on these. I think because there is no porousness to them. The E6000 worked great but you do need to let it dry 24 hours so I ended up using glossy accents for stability while I waited for that to dry because glossy accents dries faster. Glossy accents isn't element proof though so for maximum impact and staying power use both.

I can't wait to show you the next project that I will do using this gorgeous flower. I'll publish that Wednesday so stay tuned.

I also think I'm going to make one and paint it so it really resembles the whole look of a lotus. Have to get more supplies first though. 

Head on over to Miriam's blog so you can see the challenge rules and create something beautiful of your own to show us. It's all about flowers this month and what could be simpler?

Love ya,

~Deb~

Let the Wind Blow!

Hi Everyone! Yesterday was my turn to post the challenge for The Bling Chronicles. I hope you've all signed up so you can join in the fun of making one. They can be made out of anything but you must use at least 1 recycled item. If you make a chime and enter it over on the challenge page, you will be entered to win a surprise goody bag.

Did I peak your interest? Here's what I came up with for mine...

I even did a video on it (stupid camera quit right near the end but I completed it with text). Total cost for the project was $10.30. Cute, personalized, and fun to make!

Come on and play!

Love ya,

~Deb~

Color Challenge!

I am still in wedding mode (and will be for a while so bear with me)

I have a niece getting married in November that I am helping with some decorations and then my daughter is getting married in April. With that in mind, for the Color Challenge over on the Bling Chronicles this month I made a Money Dance Box. For those who don't know what that is...at a formal wedding people pay a dollar, or whatever they want in bills, to dance with the bride or groom. This was a tradition started many years ago with the intent of helping the young couple get started. Here is a bit of it's history... 

Traditions - Money Dance History 

The "Money Dance" is alive and well, and it's a very popular custom at many wedding receptions all over the world.

The money dance is traditional in several different cultures. In most cases, it is a dance where the male guests pay for the privilege of dancing with the bride, although in today's weddings, the female guests also pay for the privilege of dancing with the groom. Each person who dances with the bride (or groom) gets just a few seconds before another guest cuts in. The money is for spending on their honeymoon.   

My daughters in-laws to be have never heard of such a thing. They are Baptist and as such are not supposed to dance. I think that may be why but I could be wrong.  Is this a tradition in your family? Have you heard of it? I'd love some feed back because according to them I'm crazy but hey, we've always done that at weddings where I'm originally from.     

So here is the box I created out of a wood treasure box. It has a lock though I haven't attached it in the photos.

Here's the colors and info for the challenge if you'd like to join us!

You have until AUGUST 25th to post your entry to the challenge

Your entries should be posted in the PHOTO SECTION and as a reply to this forum thread. Label the photo August Challenge for Angela Holt

This months Challenge is a "Color Challenge"

You must use 3 or more colors presented in the image below in ANY TYPE OF PROJECT THAT YOU WANT TO CREATE!!!

You can enter more than one project if you want but that IS NOT a requirement.

THIS CHALLENGE IS OPEN TO US AND CANADIAN PEEPS ONLY!!!

I will choose a winner of the challenge to receive a grab bag of goodies from me as well as be the featured Challenge Crafter for the entire month of September here on the ning and my other social media sites.

Then you will have at that time more challenges to participate in!!!

Let me know if you have any questions!!!

Good Luck and Happy Crafting!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/theblingchronicles/

http://www.shopangelaholtdesigns.com/

Love ya,

~Deb~