A Functional Project & Practical Tip

Practical Tip:

Line one cupboard or pantry door with cork. You can use a roll of cork, or cork tiles that are easily found at stores like Hobby Lobby or JoAnn Fabric. Use this newly corked door as a place to hang things that are important to keep at hand. It becomes a mini-office in the heart of the kitchen. We hang the school lunch menu, coupons and our take-out menu pocket. It is even a handy place to hang art work that comes home in the kids' backpacks.

Sometimes I am bound by a need to make things functional, not just pretty. I think this is an mental battle I wage: can art or craft just be for art's sake, or does it also have to be functional. It is nice to make some of our functional objects also artful.

My project for the day is a Take Out Pocket. This is where I keep all those Take-Out Menus and Coupons so that we can find them when I have the urge to order instead of cook.

The process is quite simple. I used a plain manila folder. I folded additional paper and glued it in place to close the sides of the folder and create a pocket. Then, I collaged the folder with varoius papers, letters, vintage stickers and stamps. Of course, I used a food motif. I "aged" the paper with a brown ink pad. I sealed the whole thing with a few layers of
Mod Podge. Sealing it with Mod Podge will both protect the collage, and strengthen the pocket since it may be used frequently.

Back to the idea of form versus function. Should the items in our home be only functional? Can we also improve their form with our artistic touches?


What everyday items have you put in your home that share interesting or artistic form and useful functionality?

Quick and Easy Project

In our New Year's quest to finished unfinished projects and use already purchased supplies (# 13, #17, & #19), we have found the fastest sewing project yet! Kerry found this easy kid's tote bag on Martha Stewart's wonderful website. I decided to give it a try.

Because I can never follow directions completely, I made a few changes to her well-put directions. First, I felt that the bag might be a bit small for my kids, the model shown was about 4 or 5 years old. I added 1/2 inch to the width and 3 inches to the length. If you do this, don't forget to add several inches to the cording as well.

Her directions call for a water proof nylon to line the bag, not having any nylon in my sewing stash, I decided to use an inexpensive cotton for the lining as well as the out side of the bag. This is where you can use the fun and funky prints found on the discount racks of your local craft and fabric stores. I enjoyed mixing the prints and colors.

The cording I used was a very inepensive cotton cording found in the ribbon section of my Hobby Lobby. I found 2 of the fabrics I used on their clearance racks for $2 per yard. (Nevermind that I vowed not to buy more until I used what I have. I couldn't resist-- you won't tell, will you?) On the third bag, I used ribbon loops at the bottom of the bag to anchor the straps. This is another way to encorporate more detail and color in the design. On an adult bag of a similar style it would be easy to encorporate more mature fabric patterns and a colored cording for the straps.

From start to finish, I think that each bag took about 30 minutes or less. The time and money invested is not bad for a quick and easy project. And the kids love their new totes!

30 resolutions

Inspired by other blogs we read, we have decided to make a joint list of our resolutions for 2008. We are aiming high with 30 resolutions . We feel confident we can achieve them all if we work together.

We, Kerry and Rachel, do solemnly swear we resolve.....

1. To wear our cute clothes on a daily basis instead of saving them for special occasions.

2. To light candles nightly in our homes.

3. To greet our husbands in 1950's style, with a smile on our faces and a clean welcoming home.

4. To drink more wine

5. To not complain about doing laundry and how it never ends.

6. To not complain about our children putting clean clothes into the hamper because they don't want to fold them.

7. To wash our cars more than once a year.

8. To find out and share better gossip on our friends and enemies.

9. To drink less wine.

10. To stop wasting hours looking at the internet and forwarding links to each other.

11. To eat more meals consisting solely of appetizers.

12. To find more amusing cards to send to each other.

13. To actually sew instead of just staring in awe over our fabrics.

14. To water our plants regularly not just when they turn brown.

15. To shop sales more diligently.

16. To take more pictures of our children, and less of our craft supplies.

17. To use the fabulous craft supplies we have and not save them for a "special project"

18. To make every project special.

19. To not learn another craft until we finish all the projects we have bought supplies for and never started.

20. To throw more parties.

21. To drink more fine wine.

22. To be brave enough to cut the pretty fabric and papers and not just look at them.

23. To make fabulous tote bags for every occasion.

24. To use the fabulous tote bags on a regular basis.

25. To make fantastic bags and accessories for our children so they too can have an artful life.

26. To walk more.

27. To read more blogs and to comment with witty feedback.

28. To write more witty, crafty blog entries.

29. To have more art give-aways.

30. To host an art swap with all our artsy friends and throw a party to celebrate!

Weather report

I am happy to report that the cold snap is finally at it's end here in Lafayette, Colorado. When I took the girls to school this morning it was 22 degrees , we all thought it felt great outside. That should tell you something, if 22 felt warm, it must have been really cold for a while!

Look at Friday! It's a heat wave! To celebrate the "great" weather, and to get back to business, Kerry and I plan to be open for coffee hour this Friday! Yay! We are so excited!

What, you may ask, is coffee hour? The studio is open for coffee on most Friday mornings from 9:00 - 11:00 am. Join us for coffee and a sweet treat. You can peruse, shop, visit, sometimes make your own project, and check out our latest endeavours. If you are in the neighborhood, we'd love to see you. Why don't you stop by?

So busy!

I know. I know! It's not even Thanksgiving yet! But Kerry and I are feeling the holiday push already. Are you?
We have our weeks jam packed with parties, open houses, and classes! It is so busy, and exciting too.
We finally added a studio calendar to our blog--look on the right. That should have been a no-brainer, but it took us 9 months to think of the idea. Wow!
So, if you are in the area and want to stop by, you can check it out. If you just want to see what we are up to, you can take a peek too. If you don't have time to stop by and want to get some great Milagro Jewelry, visit our website or our Amazon store and we can take care of all your jewelry gifts for the holidays.
Well, off to stamp some more invitations, bake some pies, address those holiday cards, plan a party, and make Christmas ornaments.
How are you getting ready for the holidays? How do you stay on top of it all?

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

First the good, Kerry and I received an adorable ephermera pack all the way from Canada from Altered Kat at Great Musings. She has a great blog and a really neat website with wonderful ephemera and embellishments. She does lots of giveaways and offers freebies galore. Thanks Kat, for the great packet of things. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Stop by and visit her when you have a chance.

The bad, we are offering a fabulous class next week--The advent calendar class. (see the photo) We loved making this project! So much so, that we each made two. One for December and one for the fall months. So what's bad about this? We only have two people signed up for the class. We may have to cancel!

We offered lots of classes during our first year in the studio. We pulled back a bit during our second year. Our friends and studio regulars started asking for new and different classes again, so we came up with a few. We have lots of interest and few sign-ups.

So many variables go into whether or not some one signs up for a class. the time of year, holidays, money, other time commitments, family, class topic, etc, etc.... Kerry and I haven't become mind readers, yet. Someday we'll have it down and know how to make everyone happy.
In case you're interested, here are our two classes this season. If you're not local, we're sorry. If you know someone in the area of Boulder and East Boulder County Colorado, pass along the information.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• November 8 (NEW DATE!!) Magnetic Mixed Media Advent Calendars – perfect for your home or as a special gift. Check out our samples to see the possibilities.
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $45
  
• November 27 Collaged Candles and Wine boxes – It’s your call, make as many as you like!
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $10 per item

The ugly. Sometimes customers can be tricky. We always hope that our customers are satisfied with their purchases, from Amazon, from our Etsy shop, or from our website. We make every attempt possible to make a customer happy if they are not satisfied with their order. That being said, we have come to realize that some people are hard to please. Others are, in fact, impossible. It is that occasional, impossible person that causes things to get ugly. Recently we had an order for a cute little pendant from our Amazon shop. In fact this pendant has been flying off our bench--we have to keep 4 or 5 in inventory just to keep up! It is simple, it is easy to wear with lots of styles, and it is inexpensive. This pendant is made from something called Crazy Horse Stone. Our gem and stone wholesaler describes this stone this way: Crazy Horse Stone~ A kind of limestone material (from China) exhibiting natural circles and lines of flamboyant colors and combinations. No two pieces are alike. This material mixes well with many colors. Coated with clear epoxy to provide better luster and hardness.

So here is the ugly part, one of the recent customers who ordered this pendant wrote a review (rating us 1 out of 5) that says this: "show and said stone...when real is plastic!!!" Not only that, she has filed a complaint with Amazon against us. This is upsetting to both Kerry and myself. We certainly have offered this customer a refund, but her goal now seems to cause trouble for us.

The truth is, we don't sell plastic jewelry. We don't attempt to misrepresent our jewelry or ourselves in any way. We do want our customers happy. But, how do you resolve a situation with someone who doesn't really want resolution?

So, there it is folks, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I guess we'll tough it out! We hope you all have a great weekend!

Halloween Goodies

I spent a little time in the studio yesterday, getting in the Halloween Spirit. I love Fall and all the things that come with it: changing leaves, chrysanthemums, asters, cool nights, pumpkin patches, apple cider, jack o' lanterns, Halloween, family gatherings, roast turkey, pecan pie, and Thanksgiving.

I made a Halloween candle to go in the guest bathroom. The bathroom is decorated in black and white, including vintage photos (which I should show you) and a few silhouettes that are just beautiful. I wanted the candle to be black and white, too. The Halloween cats are from a vintage postcard. I added the pumpkins as a splash of color. I am pleased with the result.

I also took my first stab at making Artist Trading Cards. I have never made any ATC before. I love the size and the openness of the medium - anything goes. I have been held back because I don't know what to do with them! What is their function? Do they need a function? What do you think?

Anyway, here is my first endeavor into the world of ATC. I am fairly pleased with the result.

Oh- not many people have signed up for our goodie bag give-away. Look at Monday's blog to sign up! Good luck!

Puttering

As I mentioned, we have been puttering in the studio. I decided to make door tags for my girls' rooms. It was purely an experimental project, not too difficult, but I didn't really know what the end result would look like when I started. I just wanted to get my hands working with some of our new materials: papers, letters, and stickers. The frilly yarn, clips, and rubber stamps were ones we already had.

I assembled the tags using Mod Podge as a glue and sealer. The papers came from a large paper stack (on sale) at Hobby Lobby, and ones we had ordered last year from Oriental Trading Company. The stickers are new ones from one of our favorite catalogs, 7 Gypsies. The letters are a pale sparkly green from the dollar section of Target.

The girls were pleased with their new door signs, which made me proud of my work.

Don't forget to sign up for our great giveaway. Check out Monday's blog for the details.

Quote of the Day-

--on creativity

"So you see, imagination needs moodling [sic] - long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering."

Brenda Ueland
writer

We have been doing lots of dawdling and puttering with new projects. What have you been working on?

Collections

Actually this relates to the studio tour...Kerry and I are collectors. We collect all sorts of supplies for collage and other art projects. (I won't even mention the fabric we have collected for our sewing endeavours. There are enough bolts for a separate blog!)

We collect yarn. Our most exciting time collecting yarn, was when the local Big Lots sold yarn for $1 a skein. No kidding! The same yarn was being sold at the next door Hobby Lobby for $6 a skein and more!

We also collect paper. Obviously paper is the prime ingredient in decoupage, which is a favorite of ours. We have found paper at lots of sources. Our favorite for unique and interesting papers, but perhaps the most expensive, is Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. But our best deals have been found at Oriental Trading Company. Who knew-- they carry paper!

We also have a fascination with letters. (Or maybe that's just me. No, I actually think Kerry has caught my fascination--no make that addiction or maybe obsession--

with letters. It wasn't hard to convince her, since we both studied English in college.) We collect all types of letters. Letter stickers (note the upper right hand corner of the paper photo), letter paper, letter tiles, chip board letters, and letter stamps.

Our most recent, exciting find came from the Target dollar section. You would never believe what you can find there. And being the thrifty gals that we are, we jumped on the opportunity! We found packages of cardboard letters--they came in colors, patterns and even sparkly green. They were just $1 per package! And if you have done any scrapbooking or letter-related projects, you know what a deal that was.

What collections do you have for your art projects? How do you keep them organized? Sometimes that's the biggest challenge of all!

note: I re-read this, so nice, I can make us sound like collectors, instead of the hoarders we probably really are. ;)

Studio Tour....continued

We have visitors and friends come to the studio on a pretty regular basis, so we need to display our jewelry and other art items in a pleasing way. We have tried lots of different ways to provide an appealing presentation. So far, our latest is my favorite. On the wall we mounted a jewelry display board. This is actually a re-purposed item.This is the top of an old drafting table. We disassembled the table, wrapped the top in batting and then a burgundy fabric. With a coordinating ribbon, and upholstery tacks, we make loops from which we could hang our necklaces and earrings. It has been a useful fixture in the studio. Just this summer, we mounted the display on the wall, rather than using the table stand. Below we have an old cedar chest and some bookshelves to hold our candles, a lamp from our friend Linda, and our clearance items. Above, we hung our F and H collages.
Another of our display pieces is the bakers rack. We found the bakers rack at a local flea market. We spray painted the metal portions black and changed the knobs. We use the bottom portion to hold our art and craft library. The drawers hold pouches and small fabric items we've made. The upper portions hold various jewelry displays, including my favorite wood ones that Kerry's dad made for us.
Our other challenge is to be able to sort and contain all our our art materials, supplies and tools. That will be the topic of another blog....stay tuned.

It's all in the details

Kerry and I hosted a garden party last Saturday. We decided to have the party primarily to launch our new line of jewelry. We also wanted to thank our former customers for their past business. And, we both enjoy throwing parties.

We tried to think of all the details that would make that evening special: printed invitations, candles, decorations, wine, nice cheese, and of course, goodie bags.

We filled each "Swag bag" with handcrafted items. Kerry painstakingly cut, folded, hole-punched and tied each bag. We choose the familiar brown paper bag for our container, that way we could spend more on the contents. Each bag was tied with a colorful, printed ribbon and had a hand stamped tag to express a wish. All in all, the bags were an interesting addition to our decor. Hopefully each guest enjoyed the things we put inside, too.

Putting yourself out there

Did you ever have the dream that you are giving a speech, naked? Have that anxiety before the first day of school? Have you put yourself "out there" only to worry about the consequences?
This seems to be the current theme of my life. Last week was the first week of school for my 1st and 3rd graders. Molly, my first grader, was (and still is) worried about making friends on the playground. "What if they run away when I ask them to play?" And sadly, that is what first graders do, when they don't know what to say. Mary, 3rd, was worried about getting the new teacher. I am sure the new teacher was just as worried about her class full of young eager faces.
My out on a limb experience came in the form of an art project. As you may have read in our springtime blogs, Kerry and I occasionally give each other assignments. It was my turn, and I chose wooden boxes as the controlling form. We decided to make it a multipurpose project and choose one of the the listed themes from Stampington, so that if we liked our project we could submit them for their Somerset Studio publication. The theme we choose was GREEN. My box was a study of Luck and Envy. Envy on the outside, luck on the inside, with depictions of what others may be envious of and what some may find with simple luck.
When it came time to send in our projects for the publication, we reached a block. First, we couldn't find the address. The next time we tried to ship, we didn't have the right boxes and packing material. Finally, we got it together and packed and shipped the projects. We have no idea if they will ever be used. But putting it out there to be judged was a bit scary.
I guess that's how it is with life. If you put yourself in a position to be judged and assessed, that can be a bit frightening. It might be as simple as cooking a meal for a new friend, reconnecting with an old friend, or throwing a party. There are always the lingering questions, have I done it right? It could be as life changing as applying for a new job or quitting an old one and the question is have I made the right decision?
In the end, I hope that I have done the best I could with what I have. And, I hope that others have done the same.

Under Construction

Our studio is currently under construction.... nothing too major. Kerry and I wanted to get organized. We also needed to clean! For the most part, we close the studio during the summer to be with the kids while they are out of school. While the studio is closed, it is hot. There is no air conditioning in the tiny building that was once used as a school for coal miners children. Imagine that... the little room filled with hot, sweaty, rambunctious children.

Instead, we had creepy, crawly bugs move in during our absence. Mostly harmless spiders and a few box elder bugs (which our children affectionately call Love Bugs). After lots of sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping, we feel much better. Our space is, once again, ship-shape!

As an added project we decided to install a new ceiling. And by "we" I mean that "we" asked my husband, Jeremy, to do it. The first photo shows the installation process. Jeremy said it looks a little like Denver International Airport. But the finished result is beautiful!

Now that school has started and fall is fast approaching we are back to work. We have been working hard to rev up for the Fall Launch Party in September, and our Fall Art Sale on October 19 and 20. The first peek for the "public" will be this Friday at our Coffee Hour from 9 - 11. Stop by for a cup of Joe!

In Spite of It All...

Summertime is crazy! It has been a whirlwind of art camps and trying to escape the heat. With four kids (combined) at our respective homes; Kerry and I have little time left for ourselves, much less our business. Summer perhaps should be our busy business time, but it is in fact, our busy family time.

In spite of it all we have managed to keep our Amazon storefront and our Etsy storefront updated.
We have still found time to make more jewelry, plan our fall line (you will love it!), and clean out the studio. (Check out our etsy store for great craft items!)
Next month we will launch our participation in a fundraiser for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. A worthy cause, indeed. Stay tuned for our special jewerly that will help to raise money for research.

Tray Project, Part 2

Okay, here are the directions for making the tray. Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to get back to you. Happy crafting!
Supplies:
-1 wooden tray, tissue box, keepsake box or other item to decoupage
-Hand written messages (you could use color photos or copies of other original art however I would recommend having them color copied with a non-smudge ink at your local copy store)
-1 large jar Mod Podge (I chose gloss finish)
-1 foam brush
-Colored paper scraps, (I used an assortment of handmade papers ordered from the Oriental Trading Company; if you choose standard colored tissue paper, check to see that it is colorfast, most isn’t)
-A Bone Folder or Flat Popsicle stick

Step 1 -Develop a plan for where to lay out your memorabilia. You can lay them on your tray (with no Mod Podge) to see if they will fit; do any trimming now.
Step 2 -Choose colored paper scraps for your base layer, be sure that they are the size, shapes and colors that you need. You can use lots of smaller ones for a more collaged effect.
Step 3 -Begin adhering the paper to the tray. I generally coat the back of the paper with a thin layer of Mod Podge and lay it on the tray. I press to smooth out any bubbles. A bone folder is helpful in this step; or use my favorite tool: fingers. Repeat this step until you have one surface covered in paper.
Step 4 -Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge over the covered surface. You may see some air bubbles at this point. Use your fingers to smooth them; most of them will resolve when the Mod Podge is dry.
Step 5 -Let the surface dry until no longer wet, it may be slightly tacky to the touch.
Step 6 -Repeat steps 3 – 5 until all the tray surface are covered with paper and sealed. Then adhere the messages or memorabilia in the same way the paper was applied.
Step 7 -When you are satisfied with the look of your item, apply a thin, even layer of Mod Podge over the entire surface. Let dry. Repeat. I would suggest 2 – 3 coats in for an item that may be handled. You can apply multiple layers for a more durable surface.

The Mod Podge will be dry to the touch in a few hours. It will take several days to “cure.” The surface can be cleaned by wiping with a dry or slightly damp (not wet) cloth.
I hope you enjoy this project. I enjoyed making it, and I know the teacher enjoyed receiving it. Let me know if you give it a try!

Tray Project, Part 1

The end of the school year is jam packed with so many activities, my head is spinning. Regular field trips, end of the year field trips, literacy night, the learning fair, teacher appreciation week, and the other culminating activities are enough to make kids, teachers, and parents batty. Then you throw in the nice warm weather, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day we all end up with spring fever!

This year, I was the parent coordinator for the teacher appreciation gift for my eldest daughter’s 2nd grade teacher. I liked the project so much; I thought I would share it and the directions, so you could do this project, too. It would be a great gift for a teacher or grandparent, or even a wedding or baby shower.

I made a decoupage tray (actually 2 trays, one for the teacher and one for the student teacher)and tissue box. In order to get ready for the project, I had each student write a message to the teacher. I provided an artist quality paper, cut in a 3 x 3 inch square and some archival, non-smudge, fine tip markers and pens. Each child had to think of their message, use their best spelling and handwriting, and sign their name.

This was a wonderful part of the project. Each child put their best effort into thinking and writing something wonderful to their teacher. One child even wrote “You changed my life!” It can’t get much more heartwarming than that!

When I took the messages home, I began assembly of the tray. Check back in tomorrow’s blog for step by step instructions.

...brought to you by the Letter H

Have you ever given yourself homework? Kerry and I gave ourselves an assignment in our art studio: Make a collage to represent the F and the H of FH Design. I have the H, since my last name is Hanson. As part of my thinking process, I thought of as many H words as I could: home, homemade, happy, helpful, hamburger, hotdog, hog, hen, hinge, hook, hardware, house, handy, hand, heel, hot, hop, hang, heart, heartache, heartbreak, happy, husband, herbs, harvest, hope, ....
The list goes on and on. Can you please send me any interesting H words you can think of to help me with my project?
Stay tuned for photos of our completed work!

Mundane is Beautiful

It's Wednesday morning. I am listening to the (joyful) sounds of the kids eating their breakfast. Today they go back to school after a week and a half long spring break. (My spring breaks were only one week long, but I guess that's the topic of another blog)

We had a good time over spring break: a quick road trip to Utah, a fabric shopping spree, our annual trip to Casa Bonita (a real treat! also a topic of another blog), gardening, jumping on the trampoline, visits to the park, and play dates with friends.

Perhaps the busyness of vacation shows us how wonderful our everyday lives really can be. Sometimes mundane is beautiful! Now I am ready for ROUTINE! I want to get back to work, to create, to walk, to talk with adults, to do all the things I normally do. So, on this lovely spring morning, I want to share this daffodil from my garden.

The Prettiest Earrings!

Kerry made these--they are the perfect earrings for Spring!