iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Spring Flowers Felt Make-Up Bag

Avalon Potter for iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts
Spring Flowers Felt Make-Up Bag
"Teen crafted, mom approved."

Avalon has a small collection of make-up all mixed up in a cluttered drawer, so this was a perfect way for her to get it all organized. This project was all her idea, I just helped with some advice and am posting the instructions! It is so easy to turn a few pieces of craft store felt and some ribbon into a delightful decorative pouch using Aleene's Tacky Glue. You can style this however you choose, I love the chocolate brown with the pops of orange and fuchsia Avalon selected.

Materials
Brown Craft Felt
Hot Pink Craft Felt
Fuchsia Craft Felt
Genevieve Gail Boho Felt Flowers (1 die cut orange and one solid yellow)
3/8" Fuchsia grosgrain ribbon (Offray)
5/8" Medium rick rack orange (Simplicity)
1 Tulip Glam-it-up blue metallic crystal
Aleene's Super Thick Tacky Glue
Layered flower die
6 grommets

Tools
Die Cutter (I used a Sizzix Big Shot)
Grommet setting tool (I used a Crop-a-dile)
Scissors

The body of the bag is a full piece of brown felt folded in the middle. The bottom flowers are pre-cut, use die cutter to cut the layered top flowers. Glue and stack flowers.

Add grommets to sides and center of pouch on both sides using grommet setter. Glue edges of pouch together, add flowers and rick rack ribbon trim with glue. Attach crystal to center of flower with glue. Place something inside of pouch and on top of flowers to prevent glue seepage and lay under a large book and allow glue to dry.

Add ribbons. Tie ribbons through grommets at both sides, you can secure this with a dab of glue and optionally add Aleene's Stop Fraying to ribbon ends. Tie a knot in a 6" segment of ribbon and thread into grommet in center, repeat for opposite side. This will allow you to tie pouch closed.

Enjoy!

My Fourth and Final DIY Project for National Craft Month for Fiskars! Mais oui!

L'Invitation by Margot Potter for Fiskars

Here's my fourth and final DIY project for National Craft Month for Fiskars!  You can get the instructions for all of my projects for Fiskars here.  It's a party invitation featuring a vintage French language card.  I really LOVE this edge punch with the daisies.  Just silly good stuff.  It was a true honor being a Guest Designer for the fine folks from Fiskars. 

Avalon has a SUPER CUTE project for iLoveToCreate tomorrow, so do stop back!

xoxo
Madge

Springtime Scarflet by Vickie Howell

Howdy Campers!

Busy week ahead! Exciting stuff I can't talk about.

Yay!

This is a scarflet I managed to finish...finally...designed by the lovely and talented Ms. Vickie Howell. She hosted a Crochet-along on Facebook and Ravelry. It ends today, but you can still join the fun any time!

I am really quite happy with how this turned out. I'm also quite happy with all of the stitches I've learned so far. I had to work and rework this, even got half way through one and realized I'd done the stitch wrong, but I like that version too and will share when it's finished.

Not so bad for a newbie!

Tune in tomorrow for my final project for National Craft Month for the fine folks from Fiskars.

Until then...craft on with your bad self!

Cheers,
Madge

Chop Wood, Carry Water

"Verily, Margot, the more understanding one possesses, the less there is to say, and the more there is to do." The Universe

Well heck and howdy doody, I really kicked off a firestorm yesterday! Do forgive. As the title said, I was just thinking out loud. I am not running away to join the circus or giving up my craft career, I'm just taking stock of the things that are and are not working. The bottom line is, as of late, aspects of what I do are not working. I need to adjust them and integrate some of the things I love that are missing back into the mix. I'm not going away and things won't really be very different around here. We're building a new site, I'm working on some new professional directions, opportunities are unfolding...there is all kinds of good stuff happening at Studio Madge.

I am going to take the pressure off of myself. I'm going to get back to being who I am and doing what I feel. There may be a project, there may be a rant, there may be a post like this where I am just sharing my journey. There may be a kooky video with me singing in it because...I can. There may be a few days or a week when I don't post at all. I am going to do what makes me happy and if folks dig it, fabulous and if not, screw it. They can read another blog.

There is a Zen saying that is apropos at times like this. The crux of it is that we are in this physical world and we have to do the physical things. We have to eat, work, sleep, pay the bills, take out the trash, walk the dog...and no matter how enlightened we become, the dog will not learn to walk itself. And these mundane things we do each day are part of the deal. We can even find grace and joy in the doing of them if we look hard enough.

So, I leave you with this.

"Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water."

I'm off to chop the wood and carry the water. Thank each of you for your kind words yesterday, I am deeply blessed.

Love
Madge

Something Starfishy Around Here...

Starfishy Copyright 2012 Margot Potter

Happy Spring! Flowers are popping up all over the Smokies and the trees are starting to sprout leaves, this is my favorite time of year. I LOVE SPRING! Alas and alack, spring does not love me.

Snerg.

Dog Days Copyright 2012 Margot Potter

I made this jewelry with the plastique beads I bought in Tucson from The Beadin' Path and I've added a judicious smattering of SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. I adore working with plastic. It's big and bold and light weight, you can pile it on and it won't weight you down. Try making a necklace with bubble gum sized gemstones, far too heavy!

I am currently loving these saturated colors. Kelly green, bright yellow, orange...very citrusy. Light and summery and fun, yes? I added red to the bracelet which really gives it a vintage vibe. You may remember the bracelet from an earlier post when I mentioned wanting to add one more element, so after some thought I decided on some vintage gum ball machine charm scotty dogs. Let's face it, put a scotty dog on it and it's instant cute!

These are for me to wear to some upcoming events. I would love to make a line of jewelry like this...but I'm not sure who would buy it. Thoughts? Who do you see wearing this big, bold, playful jewelry, well...besides me?

And with that I am back to the grindstone at Studio Madge. Have a craftacular day! Be a Crazy Craft Lady! Hooray! "T'aint nobody's business if you do!"

xoxo

Madge