Wednesday, July 15, 2009
ArtFire Crafters for Canines
The ArtFire - Etsy Debate

Etsy sellers should welcome this new kid. Competition is not bad. It makes others step back and see if there might be some improvements they could make. There are lots of inovative projects happening on ArtFire. Perhaps Etsy will recognize that sellers respond to improvements. Monopolies become stagnant. Competition encourages companies to become the best that they can be.

ArtFire is just giving us another selling option and if it works for you, great. But if your loyality remains with Etsy, that's ok too. It's a matter of personal choice and neither site should be bad-mouthed for giving it's members an inexpensive storefront to sell our handmade creations and vintage treasures. Your comments are welcome!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Recycled Playing Cards
The next is a notepad bound with Rollabind disks. A perfect little pad to carry with you anywhere. The nice thing about both these items is more paper can be added at any time. Never discard the covers - only the used paper sheets inside!
For more information on making recycled notepads, visit my Squido lens, Re-Creative Crafting.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Recycled Calendars


For the envelope, I used a template from Green Sneakers, but you can easily make your own template by unfolding an envelope, tracing, and cutting it out from cardboard or plastic sheets. I mounted the photo page on a white paper sheet prior to cutting, as it was slightly smaller than the template. The extra lining also makes the envelope a little stronger if you are sending it throught the mail. The resulting white border on the envelope came out great. Since I had leftovers from the calendar page, I used the same picture to create a matching card. Don't worry about writing an address, just use a white label stuck on the front.
I tried using Lick and Stick glue for the flap, but it didn't stick to the glossy paper. So I'm using clear 1" stickies that I made from a clear plastic sheet and my Xyron.
I love the look of these envelopes and cards. They're fast, easy, and best of all - FUN!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Do You Squidoo?
According to Megan Casey, one of the founding members:
"Squidoo is the popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create "lenses" online. Lenses are pages, kind of like flyers or signposts or overview articles, that gather everything you know about your topic of interest--and snap it all into focus."
It's a fascinating site to browse around. I've created my own lens entitled "Re-Creative Crafting", which will focus on tips, techniques and tutorials for creative projects using a variety of repurposed materials. It will showcase more detailed information about many of my projects seen on this blog.
If you have a Squidoo lens, please leave your URL as a comment so we all can take a look.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Recycled Computer Disks

Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Recycled Postcard Notepad
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Altered Postcard Notepad
The cover is from a computer generated copy of my original altered postcard. It is laminated for protection and mounted on chipboard. The back cover is also chipboard. The binding eyelets allow the book to be folded back on itself for easy writing. The notebook measures approximately 3 1/2" X 5 1/2" and contains 35 pages of parchment paper. I'm really pleased with the way this came out and will surely be using some more of my previous projects for more journals.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Re-Use, Re-Cycle, Re-Purpose
If you'd like to see some of my newest magnets, read my post about them on All Vintage All the Time. I'd also love to hear about your recycled projects.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Senior Crafters United!
Acadienne
Crocheted items and gift baskets
Alisuns
Swarovski , gemstone, and glass jewelry
ArtbyJoan
puzzle greeting cards, Acrylic canvas paintings
ATouchofGlass
Stained glass art
ByDorothyLouise
Ceramic and vintage jewelry and collectables
CastinClay
Polymer clay art
CasualCottage
an eclectic collection of fabric items and painted porcelain
CherryTree
Ceramic sculptures
Crazywomanglass
lampwork
DLCreations-AL
gemstone and crystal jewelry
EclecticOddities
She has some of everything here: jewelry, upcycled and new, fabric art and garments, note cards… ah, go visit her studio! Hehe
Eliswoodgifts
No two items in this studio serve the same purpose. Come see!
EllaBellaMe
Vintage look jewelry, vintage patterns, baby items
Franciebagsetc
OOAK bags from fancy to casual
ImagineArt
Vintage and art supplies
KizingtonPlace
Upcycled dominoes and strung jewelry
Krschurr
custom athletic wear
Ktdesigns
OOAK jewelry
MaggiesMarket
Jewelry supply, craft supply, jewelry for you and your electronics and your wine
MySassyGlass
fused glass
Nossubgallery
Bead woven jewelery and 8strand braids
OldCroneBeadWorks
Vintage and Vintage style jewelry
Pepper
crocheted and knit items
Piscesmagick
Family (and pet) jewelry
SimplyUniqueJewelry
Her name says it all
SpiritDance
All things spiritual with beads
Storybookquilts
Her name says it all: and she personalizes
TheChicadeesNest
this n that & OOAK cards
tiedyejudy
If it's fabric, she dyes it!
VelmaGeorge
Crystal, gemstone, foil glass and more kinds of jewelry
VintageIntent
Very eclectic shop. You'll have to stop in to get a feel for it.
VintageNotionsLady
Her name says it all
WooleyCreek
Tribal and Ethnic jewelry
Zzazz
fabric housewares, especially pillows, and crocheted items
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Glazes
I love the shine of UTEE (Ultra thick embossing enamel) and it's quick hardening. Bubbles are easily removed and the resulting surface is very smooth and glass like. It can be reheated and melted again if you're not satisfied with the results. On the downside, it isn't very scratch resistant. I'm presently looking for a polyurethane or acrylic sealer to apply on top to give it a hard seal. There's also a product called UTEE Flex, a resin, which is supposed to be added to melted UTEE to give it more durability.
Diamond Glaze, on the other hand, takes 24 hours to set properly, and after a few days, it seems to be much more scratch resistant. Tiny bubbles can be a problem if you're a perfectionist like me! It's also not quite as clear as UTEE.I tried using UTEE to set the picture in place with a nice glassy coating, then applied a thin layer of Diamond Glaze for it's hardness. I wasn't completely satisfied because of the few tiny bubbles I always ended up with in the Diamond Glaze layer. (I did say I was a perfectionist!) For the present time, I'm just sticking with the UTEE. Any one have any suggestions?










