Nail Art is Hard

Bert and Grover

This is my first try at character nail art. I have not painted since elementary school. Moreover, I have the tiniest nails imaginable; not a great canvas. As such, I am thrilled they turned out as well as they did, especially considering it was my first time making the effort.

•Bert and Grover turned out the best. Oscar was decent, too.
•Ernie did not work out... at all. He's a sad mix or orange and black smudges on my pinky (situated next to Bert).
•Snuffy was less of a disaster, but not photo worthy.
•Cookie Monster actually turned out well, but I did not get a great photo. I was especially pleased with Cookie since that sweet-toothed devil is on my right hand. (Quite hard to do this with my left).
 •Poor Big Bird never got past the idea stage.
 •I got Telly's features correctly, but he ended up looking more like Mimi from the Drew Carrey Show.
 •And to my surprise, Kermit actually ended up looking pretty okay, too, especially for my right hand.


         

Oscar

If I am not saying "yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" like a Muppet, why did I post my work? Here is the lesson: sometimes, when starting a new hobby, whether it's crafting, learning a new instrument or what-have-you, we are unsatisfied with the results. So it goes. It is a challenge, but keep working at it. This serves as a reminder.
I hope to get back to all of you with better looking character nails                                          in a few months. I will try to work out a few other things, too.

Kermie!

10 Minute Necklace

  I had a few agate beads left after making my agate beaded stretch bracelet. What could I do with 3 beads? I made a great necklace. It probably took me less than 10 minutes, and I love the result. Simply thread the beads on the cord, knot them on either side, then do a simple slip knot in lieu of a clasp. It is a great solution to a few leftover beads. Try it when you have a material surplus!

Store Launched!

I'm on Etsy! :D

I am so excited to announce that I have created an Etsy store! If you liked the items in Beaded Peaces, you can find them there. I will be adding more in time. Thank you so much for continuing to read my adventures in crafting.

Shop Link

Beaded Peaces

 I found these little peace tags and had to work with them. I love having an armload of bracelets, especially during spring and summer. They are perfect for the ever returning bohemian aesthetic. Now if only spring would come back to us...

Ring Around the Washi

I have a lot of ribbon tape. The little individual rolls are messy to store once you have opened them. I found a brilliant revamp online recently. I cannot find the link, but someone had taken a multi-rung pant hanger and used it for their ribbon tape/washi tape collection. I was in awe.

When I could not find a budget-friendly pant hanger and did not have one somewhere in my own house, I decided to see what I could throw together. The results were wonderful. First, I sought out shower curtain rings. The cheapest ones I could find at Target were $1.24. I nearly bought them, but decided to check Dollar Tree instead. I thought that saving 24 cents would not be worth my time. I was wrong. They must have been having a close out, because the same type of shower curtain rings I almost bought for $1.24 at Target were 1 cent. That's right, I saved 124%.

The result did not look as nice as if I had used a multi-tiered pant hanger, so if price is no object, get one of those. They are still not very expensive. If you want something functional which costs as little as possible (only a penny in my case) this works very well. It is functional and space saving, and now, safely in my closet.

First Reader Submission

An earring holder made out of a bookend and wash tape.

Pardon my use of exclamation points. I know they are not proper; I avoid them even in casual blog writing, but I cannot contain my excitement. I have received my first reader submission! (See, if you have to do something inappropriate, do it at the most appropriate time. I believe I have done so).

Made from a bookend, Ashley's earring holder truly captures the spirt of "reuse, revamp, upcycle." I love it. Check out Ashley's adventures in craftiness and travel.

Live Every Week Like it's Shark Week

 Will everyone who is already missing 30 Rock raise their hands? Oh, I see. Just as I suspected; everyone does.

One of the best shows in the last decade may be over, but we can still keep learning from the time-honored lessons of the great sage, Tracy Jordan.

That's right everyone, "Live every week like it's shark week."

I think this needs another coat of Modge Podge Dimensional Magic, but I could not wait to post. The pendant on the left does not have the cording yet. Below is the cord with a sliding knot. If you missed my last entry on this, check out Lilly Ollo's Tutorial. It is an extremely convenient way to finish a necklace.

It may not be Shark Week right now, but we can still live as if it is.