A Beaded Brooch

Howdy everyone!

Many years ago, I received this brooch from a friend. She knows me well enough as the girl who appreciates a handmade gift.

It's a pretty dragonfly made of semi-precious stones like malachite, azurite, quartz, and jasper.

Stones and crystals have caught my interest lately because of the different "powers" possessed by each and every kind. My readings from the web have led me to a description of the stones in my dragonfly:

• Malachite (green) -  is a Stone of Transformation, assisting one in changing situations and providing for spiritual growth
• Azurite (deep blue) - this stone awakens psychic abilities and helps the user to recognize intuition and spiritual guidance when it occurs
• Quartz (yellow) -  is a Golden Healer stone to help create a sense of confidence, zeal, happiness, and adventure
• Jasper (red) - is a stone of physical strength and energy; it stimulates gently and steadily, enhancing stamina and endurance, and increasing the amount of chi, or life force, in one's aura. It is a stone of health and passion, and brings the courage to face unpleasant tasks and to rectify unjust situations.

Imagine that...what a wealth of energy!

It's easy to make a brooch like this one with a brooch pin, thin-gauge wire, pliers, a wire cutter, and an assortment of beads.  

Another clever idea is to use old or broken jewelry to make something entirely new. "Blah to TADA!" is what I call it!

Halloween Treats

What are you guys up to this Halloween?

I made a few cake pops! Inside, they're devil food's cake -- is there a more evil flavor fit for Halloween?

Then I coated them with white chocolate, very imperfect, to mimic a skull.

Then I decorated the cake pops with these paper toppers. TADA!

May you all have a fun Halloween!

How To: Embroidered Shoes

Hello there! I've got a bonus post for you this week.

It begins with a pair of shoes:

I've had these for at least 7 years. They're easy to slip on and off, goes with most items in my wardrobe, and are very comfortable. Plus the company's advocacy where "for every purchase, a new  pair of shoes will be given to a person in need" is truly inspiring.

I wore it too often that a hole eventually developed.

And then I stopped wearing them. I didn't want the hole to get bigger and I was afraid I would be mocked for my ripped shoes. It's not exactly as cool as wearing ripped jeans, right? 

I thought about how I could repair my pair. How could I turn this situation from blah to TADA!

And so I drew on them.

And embroidered them.

One shoe doesn't exactly mirror the other. But the same colors and flowers were used, allowing them to still look cohesive.

The only challenges I had were: (1) too much handling of the shoe made the white pencil marks of the pattern disappear. My remedy was just to draw over. (2) Not being able to make tight knots to finish the stitch because I put the design towards the hard-to-reach toe area.

Now, I am able to wear these again. The floral embroidery instantly gave them a second life...TADA!

Please let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by!

Cats and Books

How are you today? I hope you are having a good day!

When shopping for new stuff, it's likely that they come with these tags. I can't bear to throw them away. I think they deserve a fair shot at a second life.

Armed with cat-print Washi tape, a sheet of assorted cats, a pair of scissors, and some glue, I'll transform the tags from blah to TADA! 

Here's one that I made for my "100 Day Project". It's a collage using pages from an old book and rubber stamps.

The washi tape and cat cutouts disguise the brands on these tags:

I like to use them as bookmarks for the stack on my bedside dresser.  TADA!