Saturday, January 28, 2012

Clay

There are days I just HAVE to create something or I think I'm going to die. I'll have these ideas running around in my head all day at work and I can't stop thinking about them until I can make them. If you are creative, I'm sure you know exactly what I mean :)
Just wanted to share with what I have been working on this week! I designed these pendants and you can see a little of my process below. I'm so glad it's Saturday so I can finish them up and get them ready to go into the kiln to be fired!

This is the sketch I started off with. I enlarged it and then cut it out.



I laid the cutout paper on a piece of rolled out clay and then cut it out.


This is the clay all cut out and drying! I'm just waiting for it to dry out completely so I can soften the rough edges.






Can't wait to get some glaze on these! I think they are going to make either great pendants for necklaces or some beautiful Christmas ornaments.

Have a happy weekend!

XO,
Cat

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Succulents

I'm going crazy over succulents. I just created this treasury full of succulents on etsy. I'm so amused by all their names. My favorite is the one called "hot lips"...such a cute name. They are so full of variety and color. I'm especially obsessed with bridal bouquets. I've seen several bouquets that pair ranunculus and succulents together and I can't get over how beautiful and unique they are. Well, I have a few ideas in my head of things I would like to try with them. I hope to share them with you soon! Enjoy and here's to hoping Spring comes soon!





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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Chai Tea for the rainy day

I found a delicious recipe for this cold, rainy, election day. This chai tea is simply amazing!

Teapot I made in college

All you need is 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of water, 1 rounded teaspoon of black tea leaves (assam, keemun or any other works fine--even 1 tea bag will do the trick), 1 rounded teaspoon of chai tea spice mix (below), and sugar to taste.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the tea and chai spice mix. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into a prewarmed mug and stir in the sugar to taste.

Chai Tea Spice Mix: in a small bowl, blend together 1 tablespoon ground cardamon, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container. With lid on container, shake to mix.

It's one of those days I want to snuggle up in my favorite quilt and read a good book. Enjoy

XO,
Cat
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Saturday, January 14, 2012

Happy Birthday!


Did you know your brain grows every time you meet new people? Yep, it sure does...at least according to  the show I was listening to on public radio. I think that's pretty cool. Well, a little less than a year ago, I met my friend Tiffany (and I guess that means my brain grew a little? Hopefully :)).


It's kind of cool how we were thrown together, since we couldn't be from more opposite walks of life. It's also kind of cool how much you can have in common with someone who has a great relationship with God. Since meeting her, she has become a very close friend. I hope today was one of the happiest of days for her. Happy Birthday Tiff!

Have a happy weekend!

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

To hip to thrift? Try these 5 tips.

We all know that thrifting and repurposing is currently very trendy. I love seeing the creative wheels spinning and all the awesome crafts that come out of repurposing. Today I have 5 tips I would like to share with those who are new to thrifting or would just like to make their time at the local thrift store a little more productive.

Thrifted plates we turned into cake plates by
gluing a glass candlestick to the bottom


1. Have a plan. This may seem like a no brainer at first, but if you want to be efficient you MUST have a plan. Have some idea what you are looking for before you go to a thrift store. For example, we made these adorable cake plates for my friends bridal shower back in the fall. I had 30 minutes to run into Goodwill and find some sweet vintage plates. So, in exactly 30 minutes, I had my three plates. I hopped back in my car and was back at work. If you don't know what you are looking for it can be way to overwhelming to walk into a thrift store and see all this junk. You can get overwhelmed or just completely blank out on what you are looking for. This leads me into point two...

2. Be open. This may seem a little contradictory based on point one, but if you keep these steps in order you may just stumble upon some treasures. Know what you are looking for keep your eyes open for the treasures you may stumble upon.

3. Sales, sales. Yes, even thrift stores have sales. My favorite local thrift store is Goodwill. At our Goodwill specific colored tags will go on sale on specific days. Know your colors :) If you are looking for something specific (say a sweater you are going to turn into a pillow) go on the day the yellow tags on are sale. Or you could just bring your Grandma on senior citizens day to get a discount.

4. Check and double check. Make sure your purchases don't have problems. Check your clothing for stains, runs, picks, holes....etc. Make sure your household items work. Check for chips, broken parts, and cracks. 

5. Have fun! This is the most important point. Don't take it too seriously. I've had the best adventures at Goodwill trying on crazy outfits with my friends. We have a Goodwill in town where you pay a dollar for every pound you buy! The bad part is you cannot try ANYTHING on, so you gotta get creative. It makes for an interesting time for sure.

Happy THRIFTING everyone!!


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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Introducing Helen and Floyd's

I am so excited to be presenting you with a new line of bracelets from a company called Helen & Floyd's. 

Beading the bracelet
My sister, Jenny, is actually the one behind this creative indie business and you will be hearing from her soon in another blog post. She makes these beautiful hand stitched and hand beaded bracelets. 
They are currently for sale in an adorable boutique called Even a Sparrow located in the Northside district of downtown Greenville, SC. 

Close up of the stitching, lace, and beading

The name "Helen and Floyd's" is really special for me and my sister because it is both my grandfather and my grandmother's name. After they passed away several years ago, we found all this gorgeous lace that my grandmother had stashed away. I will save the rest of this sweet story for later, but I wanted you to get a little peak at these gorgeous bracelets.

An example of the finished product
Just ONE more day until the weekend!
XO,
Cat
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