Nautical Necklaces

This is another part of my order I sent off to the Cane Garden Bay Surf Shop this past week.

Fun and colorful is what they were asking for - and I had some playful ideas for necklaces.

Some that were simple

Some that were silly

Some that were a little snarky

Some that were a little dark

And last but not least - my message in a bottle - complete with a tiny fish hook, baby shells, AND - a handmade 'treasure map' - my favorite thing to make as a child. Wait... and still is - does this mean something? ;)

Have a great weekend!  Liz

Surf's Up Greeting Cards

Here the cards are - all completed - I just sent the whole box of goodies off today. 

This was the first style of cards I had sent out.

The second style of card had a bit more movement - you can see what the wave shape of the rubber stamp does for the card.

 These were fun to create.

 And of course the great photos help

 Then I had to match up pages to the cards - to make the envelopes!

 Some I love - some I think are just OK - but that's the way with any artist isn't it?

We are sometimes our worst critics!

let's go surfin' now, everybody's learnin' how - come on and safari with me, with me, with me...

until then, Liz

Color on Color

I am working on the preliminary stages of my surf cards and I thought I would show how one color of ink - looks so unique on different colors of card stock. 

This set shows neon pink ink on bright pink and orange cards.

Bright blue ink on kelly green, pale green, lime, and turquoise stock.

Yellow ink on pale yellow and school bus yellow stock, as well as pink ink on coral and school bus yellow stock.

A variety of inks - silver, blue, and multi-hued on the violet/purple family of card stock.

I have already combined the large magazine page (that will become the envelope) with these cards.  Now to find images that coordinate or contrast - for a layering effect over my stamped 'wave'.  I'll share those with you later!

Until then, xo, Liz

Smells Like Fall

Sweet Annie - it always smells like Fall to me.

There are a lot of Artemesia's in the herbal world - Silver 

Queen, Silver King, are just a few. These are a pale gray

perennial and they have their own distinct, but mild scent. 

Sweet Annie is also in the Artemesia family - Artemesia Annua. It gets it's name from it's sweet scent, (it smells like Fall to me!), and, because this plant is an annual - (Annie). It is the only annual in this family - luckily for us, it reseeds itself.

Years ago, when I was doing some huge juried craft shows, I would drive to a pig farm over in West Virginia and literally harvest an entire pick-up truck load. I would make tons of everlasting - arrangements, wreaths and 'trees' out of it.

This plant - unlike many herbs - loves rich soil; and so - it loves my 'smallish' pasture out behind our house, where Sweet Pea, my pony, and Donkey, my donkey reside. It is much nicer to spend time out there with them - harvesting this herb, than having to drive all that way! 
And company they are.  Sweet Pea walks right up to me and wants to see what I'm doing.  Donkey does this little 'stealth' trick.  He sort of comes near me...and then s.l.o.w.l.y. backs in to me until his back end is up against my leg.  Of course they both LOVE to be petted and scratched.
Sweet Annie is an attractant for two FABULOUS garden insects - Lady Bugs and Praying Mantis. Lady bugs, in the early stages, are a tiny, long and narrow black and red critter. I tell everyone who purchases bundles of the herb, that the baby lady bugs are more likely to come along in your package - just shake them outside - your garden will love you! 
Because Praying Mantis are larger to start with - I usually spot them before they get packed up. 

Here I am weighing out 2 half pound pre-orders that I shipped off yesterday. Boy are those boxes fragrant when I take them up to the post office!

These little yellow buds are what is so fragrant. This plant makes beautiful bases for herb wreaths, smells good when you put a tiny bit in your vacuum cleaner, and looks pretty in fresh floral arrangements too!
Sorry there isn't a scratch and sniff component to the computer - it smells like Fall to me!

Until then... xo, Liz

The time is NOW!

Please VOTE for ME!!
http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/elizabeth-pickett-1008# 

Sometime in August I saw a post on Etsy's blog? about a contest called American Made sponsored by Martha Stewart.  And I entered...

This was the product I started with - my Patriotic Ribbon Wreath -  but I also included

My Colors of Nature Ribbon Wreath

Polka Dot Daisies Ribbon Wreath

White Chocolate Ribbon Wreath

Spring Green Nest Ribbon Wreath

Pleated Skirt Recycled Envelopes Card

Bow Tie Recycled Envelopes Card

FistiCuff Men's Tab Top Cuff

and my Tab Top Key Chains

The voting starts today - September 7th and ends September 24th.
Vote early and share 'viral' ly - thanks!!

http://americanmade.marthastewart.com/profiles/elizabeth-pickett-1008# 

Love ya, Liz

Make your own Rubber Stamp

Also could be sub-titled: Don't throw that away - I can use it!!

I am currently working on 4 different projects  - all a collection of items which will be sent off to the Cane Garden Bay Surf Shop in the British Virgin Islands.  I have a whole stack of surf magazines - where as you can see - it is all about the photo.  These magazines are all eye candy when it comes to waves, ads, etc...  Needless to say - that means these magazine pages make great envelopes and cards.  My first set of surf cards all had the same type of look - so I wanted to change it up a bit for this next order.
I have looked everywhere - for some time now - for a wave stamp.  A stamp that was big enough to cover an A2 sized card. Nothing. So what to do?? If you're me - you make your own!

A fellow paper enthusiast gave me a bunch of rubber pieces that had been trimmed from rubber stamps.  They knocked around here for a while - but it finally got to the point where I had to make the stamp. 
I took the pieces and just followed the edge with my scissors - the lines and curves that were already there.  I mixed up small batches of epoxy - and started to 'lay out' my wave. We are not exactly talking a 'pretty' stamp here - but it is certainly functional.

And as you can see - it almost has a linoleum or wood block print look to it. This will be my background to the next set of surf cards that I make.  They will be more 'collage like' with this inked under layer. 

So the next time you need something - and can't find it out there on the WWW - do what I would do - make it!  

Good Luck  :)  Liz

When you are self employed - there really is no such thing as a vacation Part 3

We had finally had enough sun, so on Friday - a gray day anyway - we did the staging for all of our goodies purchased at the 'Park and Flea' and other places.  I also had Ginna model all of the clothing.

Here she is in one of the cuddly vintage robes  :D.

First we started the day with a yummy breakfast - blueberry pancakes, bacon, and fruit salad.

Another soft robe - this one has an Asian motif - and is short, where as the pink one was longer.

A very cool 60s button down maxi skirt, all sort of 'business like', and a polyester, vertical striped shirt that reminded me of my Dad's referee shirts.

A wildly, wild synthetic jumpsuit - in neon paisley.

And an amazing dark gray with black trim day dress.  Fabulosity!  And I have to ask again - how does she manage to fit in all of these things???

Back to School - cool desk lamp, alarm clock, microscope, suede handbag, and some 'wise' owl jewelry.

Some wonderful housewares - a Bakelite meat fork and fondue fork, Ocean City salt and pepper shakers, some small pedestal bowls, a fab deer cross stitch.

Some bar paraphernalia - of course I had to buy the Jim Beam ceramic bottle - saluting the Elks!

We found some time to visit the Island Library and take a look at their new addition.

But did they know that all the spindle are upside down???  Oops!

A last stop at the beach on Saturday - it started raining at 5 pm - and continued so hard through the night that we couldn't go out to get our last ice cream treat.

Yards turned into duck ponds!  Before we knew it - we had to leave.  A brief week and it was all over except the memories.  We stopped by the 'Park and Flea' on our way home - because of the rain it was less well attended than last week - and sadly we could not say goodbye to Ethel - because she was unable to make it.  Goodbye for another year - maybe more...

xo, Liz