What??? A Silk Clock?

My friend Monica is on the board of directors of a NGO. As a fund raising effort, every year they develop a product to be sold  in few and well positioned sales venues. As an example, last year they sold a tote bag with a Romero Brito's (high profile Brazilian painter) painting silk screened on it.

We've briefly spoken about having something developed for this year's tournament. So, my partner in crime Beatriz and I brain stormed about what it could be, considering it had to be something that more or less would atract both male and female buyers. We also talked to Beatriz's son-in-law, who is a graphical designer snd suggested a clock. Hummmm.... a clock???? That's actually a pretty good idea.

These are my first 2 prototypes, still without a frame (working on that!) It is still a work in progress, so if you have any suggestions, please, pleeease, drop me a line!!!

How To Make a Silk Bookmark

You know me... I am always looking for ways to use those pieces of hand painted silk that are too small to do something with, yet too pretty to be thrown away. So I came up with these pretty, stylish bookmarks that would be perfect as a..... valentine!!! Darn! I wish I had posted this how-to last week...

I do love my Kindle, but I still enjoy a (borrowed) paper book every now and then, and I will read more in paper just to use these babies.They are really easy to make. I made them with silk because that's what I do, but you can use any fabric or paper. I have to admit, cotton is much easier to work with, but doesn't have the sheen and touch only silk has.


Material:

1 6"x2" piece of thin cardboard (even shoebox cardboard will do)

1 7"x3" piece of silk
1 7" piece of ribbon
double sided tape
1 5 3/4" x 1 3/4" piece of paper for the back (a sturdy one, scrapbooking style is better)

1 bead




1) Start by taping the doubled sided tape all around the cardboard

2) Put the fabric (wrong face up) under the cardboard and clip the four fabric corners, but not too close to the cardboard corners

 
3) Fold the 2 longer sides of the silk over the taped cardboard. You should stretch the fabric when sticking the second side, so the bookmark's front will be nice and without any wrinkles 

4) Now for the corners. Place a piece of tape over the two shorter sides of the cardboard. Then, with your scissors, tuck in the fabric on the very corner, as I am doing in the picture. Fold the fabric over.

5) Put double sided tape in one of the ribbon's end and tape to the cardboard.

6) Tape the wrong side of the paper all around and stick to the bookmark's back.

 

7) Tie a bead to the other end of the tape and voila'! your bookmark is done.

So I decided to show...

what I am working on because I haven't blogged very often... In the beginning I wasn't sure, but then it is growing on me.

Now,  I have to steam it. Then, I will decide whether I need to add something, which would probably be some texture with Shiva Paintstiks, or if this is it. In this case, I will list it and you can run to etsy and buy a brand new hand painted silk scarf.

PS: and pardon the mess in the photo's background!

Some days are just more special...

 
So, yesterday I woke up with two nice e-mails in my inbox: one telling me about a treasury a bracelet of mine was in, and the other one saying one of my scarves had been featured on a really nice blog as part of a posting regarding stores who are donating to Haiti.

Besides my personal donation, I am donating 10% of everything I sell until the end of February to Doctors Without Borders. I also donated a hand painted silk scarf  (which sold, yeeehhhh!) to Hearts for Haiti. It is an etsy store entirely of donations from other etsyans; thousands of beautiful items and 100% of the sales go to DWB as well. I bought something there as well; you shop and 100% go to DWB aid relief. What can be better?

Don't miss Hearts for Haiti... It is a real win/win situation!

  


 

Spring 2010 top 10 colors

With the Holidays sales and rush over, we start making the items for this Spring.

As I have done in the past, I went around etsy and chose some beautiful items already there to exemplify the Spring 2010 Pantone's top 10 colors.

Enjoy the view!!

1) Turquoise, a soothing hue from the blue-green family

2) Tomato Puree, this season's classic red

3) Fusion Coral, an inviting, pinkish orange

4) Violet, an intriguing purplish hue

5) Tuscany, one of the three neutrals, a warm beige hue

6) Aurora, a shimery, slightly greenish yellow

7) Amparo Blue, warmer than the typical spring navy

8) Pink Champagne, a delicate, wispy tint, is this season's newest neutral

9) Dried Herb, the ultimate green neutral

10) Eucalyptus, the eternal, practical gray

I like Christmas as much as the next guy but ...

Don't you get sick of Santas, bells and stars sometimes, or it is just me? I almost feel ashamed of saying it; it feels wrong and politically incorrect, but I do get sick of all this Christmas stuff.

To escalate the problem, here in Brazil we are at the doorstep of summer, thanks for being located in the South Hemisphere and that's why I am creating things that are the "oh... it is getting hot in here" kind. These clutches, for example, scream summer, don't they?


This one has interchangeable hand painted silk strips, so you get 2 clutches for the price of 1!