The Benevolent Postcard Society

Hello and Happy Monday!

If you'll notice on the lower right of my blog page,

I have this cute logo:

I'm part of this exclusive group where

we send and receive a postcard every month.

Isn't that a treat?

Amidst all the bills & junk mail in my mailbox,

there will be a postcard lurking there somewhere.

From someone I don't even know!

That always makes me smile.

We started doing this in September 2009

and will continue until September this year.

I relied on my postcard stash, which I've accumulated

through my travels.

But when I saw this flickr photo stream showing

the society's postcards, I thought this

was a great opportunity for some

blah to TADA!

Remember my post a few months back

where I re-purposed an old pair of jeans?

Well, I saved the denim scraps.

I trimmed it, decorated it & attached it to

cardboard using hot glue.

Tada! Instant postcard!

I had enough fabric to make another one.

If you'd like to learn more about

the Benevolent Postcard Society,

check out this link.

See you tomorrow!

Bathed in Silver

If you checked out my blog this week,

you've seen how I transformed old necklaces

into new necklaces.

I have to say, it was a lot of fun!

I still have a few beads left over from the

original batch.

However, I changed their color with

a few coats of silver paint!

Tada! Just add the good-as-new beads to a

silver chain & it's a new necklace!

Here's a closer look.

Using the same paint, I brought color to the smaller beads, too.

I poured some paint into a cup, added the beads,

swirled them around with a skewer & let these

dry on a piece of cardboard.

Once dry, I assembled a new piece

using needle & thread:

Tada!

A brooch works as the closure mechanism &

delivers some contrast & shine.

Here's another necklace, albeit

a simpler one.

Add a favorite pendant like this

pearl ball, your birthstone, an initial

or a religious medal for daily protection.

Have a superb weekend!

Adorn Thy Neck

Like me, you might have some bracelets & necklaces

that you haven't worn for some time.

It's time for a revamp, ladies!

Take the beads off their strings &

keep them in segregated containers

like egg cartons, muffin tins or

ice cube trays.

This helps you see how much you've got

and what colors to work with.

Today, I'm working with

blacks and browns.

TADA! I've assembled odds & ends

to create this bib necklace.

I sewed the beads to a piece of felt & randomly

attached the capiz pendants with hot glue.

The chain is also an old necklace & I can make

it longer or shorter depending on how I tie the ribbon.

TADA! It's a necklace I can wear for a casual or formal event.

Have a nice day everyone!

Let's Wear a Rainbow

This week, I'm creating new necklaces out of old necklaces.

Today's piece is inspired by some that I've seen

at Anthropologie:

I like the layers & flower detail of this one.

This one has such yummy colors!

Now, it's blah to TADA! time!

Using the beads from my old necklaces plus

some loose beads in shades of the ocean,

here's what I came up with:

TADA! A colorful, multi-strand neckpiece!

I made some floral brooches using

more loose beads I got from the

thrift store.

Then I added them to the necklace.

There's a pin at the back of each

brooch that allows me to move

them around this necklace or

to another necklace.

TADA! Make a statement without

saying a word!

See you again tomorrow.

I Adore Necklaces!

If you've been reading my blog for a while now,

you may have observed my obsession

for necklaces.

I've made one using empty tape rings.

I've made one using a bunch of lockets.

And I even made one using old t-shirts

stuffed with dryer lint.

This week, I'm making new

necklaces out of old necklaces.

I disassembled the old necklaces &

grouped the beads in this egg carton.

Lately, I've been liking "long & thin",

so this is how I strung my new necklaces.

Here's another version with the

bronze beads closer together.

Wear them together for drama.

And throw in a more modern piece.

Accessories that you can take

from beach to boardroom!

What's Old is New Again

Happy New Week to all of you!

Let me tell you about my necklace collection:

These are souvenirs from Asia, Africa & Latin America.

Here's what's blah about them -- I haven't worn them in years.

Maybe because I've put them on so many times, or

they don't seem to match my outfits anymore or

sometimes, I feel they are too "ethnic".

Do you feel the same with your jewelry, too?

If so, I think it's time for some blah to TADA!

Since these aren't precious heirlooms,

I decided to remove them from their strings.

{Empty egg cartons come in handy for this!}

Then I strung different beads together

giving them a new look.

This is a long red necklace

accented with two gold beads.

This one combines red & bronze wooden beads

with yellow gold Swarovski-like crystals.

I knotted a gold chain on this pendant

for a more modern look.

I can wear them individually or

mix them up.

Here's another combination.

All three necklaces layered together

can add sparkle to a simple attire.

More tomorrow!

Sweet Still Life

I hope you all had a wonderful week!

Last Monday, we went cherry picking

and we've found some TADA! ways to

use up all those cherries.

It's unfortunate that cherry season

is brief and fleeting.

So blah.

It's this reason why I decided to

bring out the paint & pick up the

paintbrush.

As a child, I liked to paint but I

never did after that.

Secretly, I think I wanted to again.

I frequented art supply stores, little by little,

buying paintbrushes & blank canvasses

because, "I'll paint again one day."

And TADA!, I finally did!

This is called, "Cherry Branch".

This one's called "A Bowl of Cherries".

I know I'm no Picasso but I think summer is

the best time to try something new.

I hope you're slowly crossing off

those exciting things on

your summer list!

Have an exciting weekend!

Cheerful Cherry Cake

Hello there!

It's all about cherries on my blog this week.

I think I got carried away cherry picking

that I've got a few extra cherries

for an easy but scrumptious recipe.

I love pancakes and I can eat them

at any time of the day.

Today, I decided to make them

special by topping them with cherries.

It's a cherry pancake, and I served it

right in the same pan I cooked it in.

A dusting of powdered sugar makes it even more special.

You can even turn it into a birthday cake

if you have no time to run to the bakery.

Have a delicious day!