Bracelets and Journals

Paper Bead Bracelets Made at the Pleasantville Middle School Earth Day Fair

Paper Bead Bracelet

Paper Bead Bracelet

Paper bead Bracelet

Paper Bead Bracelet

Paper Bead Bracelet                                                                

I had a great time with the students at Pleasantville Middle School showing them how to make paper beads.  They made a couple of beads then strung them with a few other beads on hemp to make a very special bracelet..

Paper Bead Bracelet

Below are a few more new journals, all made from snippets of magazines, books and maps.  The journals make great gifts for recording thoughts, recipes and trip sights and special memories.  And what a great way to recycle old magazines! What do you think?

Journal Covers

I have several other styles on my Etsy site.  Please check them out.   They are all bound books, various sizes all made with archival paper.

Journal Backs

Be sure to check my Etsy site, annemadethis.

I will see you all soon,

anne

Monday Morning

Happy Birthday Tori!

Greetings to all,

I have to start today with happy birthday wishes to my sweet daughter, Tori.  She has helped me immensely with  annemadethis, so special thanks and love go out to her this weekend!

And here is a new bracelet, Tori designed and I created.  It is three strands of leather closed with a toggle clasp.  Porcelain and paper beads embellish the leather cords.  if you make this bracelet, be sure that all of your beads have holes large enough for the leather cords to pass through.  You can use a combination of  leather, hemp or even a ball chain to add some variety to the bracelet.

Tori's Bracelet

Journals with hand decorated covers is another great use for recycled paper and embellishments.  It makes a great project for groups of all ages and I thought might work well with some of spring workshops.  The journals start with inexpensive hard cover composition books or sketch books.  You can use any size for this project.  Magazine scraps, colored paper, fabric and even fibers are glued to the covers until you get a pleasing design.  Be careful not to get glue on the inside pages.  Stamping, buttons, beads, ribbons, paints and pastels can be used for finishing touches.  Sometimes I even decorate the first page or add a cute bookmark, just for fun!  Then I put a few generous coats of Triple Thick acrylic gloss to protect it all.  I'll be making a few of these journals for my Etsy shop, if you'd like to take a look.  Here are some examples.

So please stop by my shop annemadethis, I'll be adding some new things.  And like my Facebook page!  If you have any questions about this post, or any others please feel free to contact me.

Thanks for checking in,

anne

Pretty Things to Make

Tori wearing my new scarf

Here's a picture of my new scarf.  I knitted it on #50 needles, it took about two hours and one skein of Mo'Puffs yarn by U. Knitted Nation.  Great yarn and great scarf right! Locally the yarn is sold at Flying Fingers Yarn Shop in Tarrytown, NY.  So... this morning I wore my new scarf to the Farmer's Market.  The first comment I got was from a guy who really thought the scarf was an homage to the brussel sprout!  His family loved brussel sprouts, that is what he was buying at the Farmer's Market.  The scarf reminded him of his little cabbages of goodness.  And even though I love brussel sprouts too, really?

Next a woman came up to me and asked if she could take a picture of the scarf for her blog.  Ellen Margulies is a knitter and writes a fiberarts blog.  She will have a picture of me wearing the scarf at the Farmer's Market on her blog.  Hope I look good.

Memory Wire Bracelet

I have a few jewelry workshops planned locally during the school winter vacations.  This project is a memory wire bracelet especially designed for middle school children.  They will make a few paper beads crafted from recycled cereal  boxes.   They will roll, glue and glaze the beads, just like I do.  While the glazed beads are drying, they can choose from various sizes and colors of seed beads to complement their paper beads and design a unique one of a kind piece.  I will help attach charms and other adornments or if the student is familiar with using jump rings and head pins they can complete their own.  You can contact me directly for more information.

I got my first international sale last week!  Yahoo!  Hope to see you soon on my Etsy site.  New Valentine's Day gifts for your sweetheart!! 

Talk to you soon,
anne