Kat's Custom Kreations

DIY Liquid Fabric Softener Update

2012-02-14T04:55:00.000-05:00

I finally made it to the store for some conditioner to make the Liquid Fabric Softener I had posted the recipe for the other day. I found some FABULOUS smelling VO5 conditioner on sale at the grocery store (75 cents each!) and rushed right home to make a batch! It turned out awesome...I am going to go try it out on my hubby's gunky work clothes! hehe

Here is the updated DIY Liquid Fabric Softener blog post link. Be sure to let me know how it works for YOU!

DIY Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

2012-02-07T16:17:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
½ cup 20 Mule Team Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (NOTE: this is NOT baking soda)
¼ cup Kosher Salt
½ cup citric acid (or 4 packets unsweetened lemon aide drink mix... like Kool Aid)

Directions:
Mix everything together.
Use 1 Tablespoon per load.
Store in a Ziploc freezer bag.

If you can't find Citric Acid locally can be purchased online here.
A 5 lb container will set you up for a good long while! Plus, it comes in handy during cold season! If you do it for colds, remember to get some Citrus Bioflavanoids to take with it so it doesn't flush through your system.
Enjoy!

DIY Tub & Shower Magic

2012-02-07T01:23:00.001-05:00

Ingredients:
• 24 oz. spray bottle
• 12 oz. of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
• 12 oz. White Vinegar

Directions:
Heat the vinegar in microwave until hot and pour into squirt bottle. Then add the Dawn soap. Put the lid on and gently shake to mix. Spray on Tub and Shower and wash clean. Tough scum may need to sit 1 hour and then rinse.

This stuff is amazing! It works VERY well on dirt, grime and soap scum.

I used the ultra concentrated Dawn that I found at Sam's Club...not sure if it makes a difference from the original or not.

DIY Wrinkle Release Spray

2012-02-07T01:22:00.003-05:00

Empty spray bottle (I used my empty Downy Wrinkle Release bottle)
1/4 fabric softener...
Fill the rest of the bottle up with water.

Yep, I paid $6 for that bottle. LOL

DIY Liquid Fabric Softener

2012-02-07T01:18:00.005-05:00

Yeild:
About half a gallon

Ingredients:
• 6 cups water
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 2 cups hair conditioner (I found some AWESOME smelling VO5 conditioner on sale for 75 cents. I, therefore, did not need the essential oils for fragrance)
• ½ cup baking soda
• Essential oils for fragrance

Directions:

1. Mix water, baking soda, and hair conditioner in a 1 gallon container (NOTE: I used a 12 quart utility tub and it barely contained the fizzing that resulted by adding the vinegar. I poured it into an empty fabric softener bottle after the fizzing settled down.); stir. Do not shake it; it will cause foaming. Slowly add vinegar it will begin to fizz. For fragrance add Essential oils.

2. Use ¼ cup in the rinse cycle or spritz it on a wash cloth and throw in dryer. Fabric softener can also be put in a Downy ball. Shake before using to make sure baking soda hasn’t settled at the bottom of container. Baking soda can be left out of the recipe.

NOTE: I use vinegar in the fabric softener compartment in the summer time...It does not linger in the clothes. Leaves them nice and fresh! So, don't worry about the vinegar -- it will be juuuuuust fine! In fact, there is no vinegar smell what-so-ever to the batch I made. ;)

UPDATE (2/13/12):
Here are a couple of pics of my personal experience of making a batch using this recipe.
See commentary below the pictures.
ENJOY! :)

I finally made it to the store for some conditioner to make the DIY Liquid Fabric Softener!

I am glad I used a larger container to mix this in than the instructions called for - this was barely big enough by the time it finished fizzing!!!

This is a 12 qt tub and it tried to overflow. The liquid itself doesn't fill it up but the fizzing from adding the vinegar sure does! Be sure to add the vinegar SLOWLY or it will erupt in a fizzing frenzy and leave your whole area smelling laundry day fresh! LOL

You can see here, behind the conditioner bottles, that the fizzing has subsided and fills less than half the tub now.

These are the conditioners I snagged at Reasor's (one bottle per batch of fabric softener) - 4 for $3 (75 cents each). I used the Shae Cashmere (far left) and it smells FABULOUS!!!!

Thanks to Szarka for providing the screen capture!

DIY Laundry Detergent (powdered)

2012-02-07T01:16:00.002-05:00

HE washer friendly:

76 oz. Box Borax
55 oz. Box Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
4 lb. box baking soda
2 small cont. of oxy clean (or generic form)
3 bars Fels-naptha soap (grate this up real fine. I then put it in my food processor with the blade in)

Mix it all up and you’re done. I put mine in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid. I use 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on how big of a load I have) in the tub (HE washer) first then the clothes and start the washer.

Note: I’ve seen recipes that say you can use any kind of bar soap you want if you don’t use the Fels-naptha bar soap. But I used the Fels-naptha when I made mine...smells nice and clean!

For those of you with sensitive skin, this should be friendly!

You can buy all of the ingredients form Reasor's there are a few Wal-mart stores that carry everything, but not all of them do.

I have read where some people are putting essential oils in for fragrance. But I haven't tried that yet. I would imagine it is easier to add it to your liquid fabric softener (DIY recipe).

DIY off topic meanderings...

2012-02-07T01:13:00.002-05:00

I thought it would be fun to share some DIY house wifey things with you all so you can enjoy them too! I will post each one separately.

Powdered Laundry Detergent
Liquid Fabric Softener
Wrinkle Release Spray
Tub & Shower Magic (or anything else around the house that is being stubborn to clean)

I just added Dishwasher Detergent too if you'd like to give that a go! :)

What has Kat been up to lately??

2011-10-08T22:08:00.002-04:00

Don't pay the ransom! I promise I am alive and still kick'n! This has been quite a super busy past couple of months for me! New thrills of adventure with exciting things happening and a bit of bittersweet agony of defeat (elbow, actually LOL)! We've been working on our jewelry then while having fun skating with the grandsons I manage to fall and fracture my left arm. Ever try making jewelry with a fractured arm? Don't try it, it is NOT pleasant! So, in the time of my healing and basically jewelry hiatus, I took on planning an arts and crafts event for our Friends of the Library (that I am the Vice President of)! I had to have something to keep me busy while I heal, right?! Well, I sure picked a doozie! In fact, even the name is appropriate "Whale of a Tale" Arts and Crafts Sale...Ironic, huh? LOL! Little did I realize what a monstrosity of coordination it would entail. But, with the insight of being a vendor in 50+ events, I think we have about every base covered with a few items added to the list for the NEXT event. I was able to take our experience as vendors and add to the planning and coordination of our event! How thrilling to come to realize that my previous experience has helped support a fundraising opportunity for our local library! The next event planning will be even better because with the groundwork being laid with this one, we will be able to delegate to other board members -- now THAT will be AWESOME! I have found that people enjoy being involved, the are just waiting for the opportunity to help!

So, if you are in the Claremore/Tulsa area this Saturday, October 15th, and would like to support local handcrafters, come on out and join us! We would LOVE to be graced with your bright shining faces!

Blissful Garden Beads June Bracelet Challenge

2011-06-25T02:35:00.002-04:00

This month I have had the tremendous pleasure of participating in my third of Heather's four challenges! I'm loving the gentle nudges of these challenges to creatively explore outside my usual "box". Had someone told me a year ago I would be making these types of pieces I probably would have laughed it off while secretly hoping they were right.

This month's challenge piece was to be a bracelet. I received 3 beads in a beautiful translucent brilliant blue with delicate pink and white roses, lavender lilacs and that oh so yummy sage green she uses for the leaves! I was so excited to hear we were to make bracelets and David and I had several design ideas, but nothing seemed to be drawing me in. I pondered and let it do what I call "marinate" then almost suddenly it all came together! The pictures in this post will take you on a journey through the creation of this bracelet. I hope you enjoy!

I started with copper sheet that was cut a nice size for bracelets. It was all nice and shiny and I had every intention of putting an end to that! LOL First I trimmed and filed the ends round for wearer's comfort. Then I added texture with a couple of texturing hammers. Cut and textured the three tabs and balled six pieces of heavy gauge wire for rivets/cold connections (learned a trick to that in the process!). Gave everything a good swim in the pickle and rinse and broke out the torch for some fun! I wanted the copper to have as much color as the beads so I started playing around with flame painting so, here comes one of my "what happens when I do THIS" moments. LOL It took a few tries, but I was finally able to come up with something I was pleased with. I am now in LOVE with flame painted copper! Next was connecting the tabs to the bracelet blank.

(click image to zoom)

Don't you just LOVE the vibrant colors given by the flame?!

Looking at the flame painted colors I thought OH! I have some beads that would go PERFECT with that!

You can bet I'll be using these in a cuff! ;)

Actually, I have SEVERAL bead sets that would go nicely w/ the flame painted copper, but I stuck with the plan to use the randomly provided beads from Heather. ;) I was pleasantly surprised to see the pinks and greens and blues in the beads went QUITE nicely with the copper! On to the next step -- securing the beads to the bracelet. I placed the beads between the tabs and marked the hole placement. Check twice and punch once! The beads are secured using three of the longer balled wire I had made earlier as pins.

hmmmm....an impending design modification in process...

I had initially intended on cutting the long ends of the tabs off but decided to do another one of my "what happens when I do this?" experiments and was liked how it worked out! Fun little surprise -- the beads now had enough wiggle room to have a tiny bit of movement...Not stationary as they would have been had the tabs been cut flush. ;)

YES!!!!

Let's see what it looks like after forming on the bracelet mandrel...

ponder ponder...seems to have too much space between the beads...

OH! Another fun discovery was that with the weight of the beads and the tabs not being soldered or snug on the cuff, there was some snazzy movement and a little tiny slave bell jingle to the bracelet when shaken! How fun is that?! However, something wasn't quite right. So, I dug out some lengths of two gauges of wire, flame painted them and added some vines to my wrist garden!

MUCH better, don't you think?!

I hope you've enjoyed learning about the design process and construction of this cuff. I invite you to visit Heather's Blissful Garden Beads Blog of the Bracelet Challenge Voting and check out all the lovely artistry! Take a good hard look and cast your vote. My entry is lucky #13!

Feel free to share with your friends and -- above all Have Fun!

Blissful Garden Beads April Earring Challenge

2011-05-01T00:30:00.003-04:00

I had the immense pleasure of being allowed to participate in Heather's Bead Challenge this month! Today was the much awaited Reveal of all the entries. I tell ya, I had always looked at challenges such as this and just shuddered at the thought of the pressure of coming up with a nice design to submit. I took the plunge in March for the necklace challenge then could not WAIT till the next one in April! One thing I have noticed is that this type of event design FORCES one to think outside the box. I've never really considered myself a "creative" person, but I'm finding that if I ALLOW myself to be, I can be! How fun is that? Took me till past the age of 40 to come to realize that, but I am really having fun, when time permits, creating! And these challenges are just the ticket for my Muse to make an appearance!

The beads I received were randomly selected. I had no idea what I was going to be working with till I received them. I love ALL of her beads so it is always a joy to open the parcel -- just like Christmas! The beads were a deep red with white daisy's and tiny pink rose buds. I let the ideas tumble around in my head for a few days. Suddenly one afternoon a design popped in my head! I grabbed a pencil and paper and quickly sketched out a rudimentary pictorial representation of what my creative mind was trying to communicate to me. A couple or three tries with wire and tools and I decided on the direction to go with it. I wanted something different than I had done in the past. After all, this is an exercise in stretching and thinking outside the box, right? I raided my Swarovski crystal stash and found some sweet clear crystal rounded bicones that worked perfectly! The way they catch the light was exactly what I was hoping for! I then found the Siam bicones for the dangles. The frames and ear-wires are made of copper then oxidized and polished to add dimension. They are amazingly comfortable to wear and SO much fun with all the easy movement! Not at all as heavy as they appear, either. So, that is a little background behind the process of these earrings.

If you have a moment, I'd truly appreciate your dropping by Heather's Blissful Garden Beads blog and taking a peek at my earring submission. If you choose to vote for my earrings, I would be so greatful!

Click image to zoom.

It just so happened that I had a set of the same beads as the earring challenge beads I received, so I made a simple necklace to go with the earrings. I made a simple single drop pendant and hung it from a loooooong chain...Long enough to slip over my head. I also learned that if you tie a knot in the chain, it gives it a completely different look! FUN STUFF! =)

I appreciate your time in reading and voting! I would love to hear back from you all!

Have a fabulous day!
Kat

800 Fan/Like Celebration Give-Away!

2011-04-09T00:33:00.000-04:00

April showers bring May flowers. On this sultry spring evening with storms looming about, it makes me think back on previous springtime experiences and fond memories: fishing with dad and grandma; fishing and camping trips with David and the kids; the first peek of color after a long bleak winter; hunting Easter eggs -- a week after Easter LOL; fresh cut roses from grandma's rose bush to wear to church on Mother's Day!

Tell us about your fondest (most fond?) springtime memory to be entered in a drawing for our give-away! You can share your comments here, but please see the Discussions tab 800 Fan Celebration thread on our Fan Page to leave your comment for official entry.

I will leave the posts open till Sunday afternoon, 4 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST). Don't know what time it is in CST? Click here for a handy converter.

Enjoy your stroll down memory lane -- I know we will!

Blissful Garden Beads' March Bead Challenge Submission

2011-03-31T19:30:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: VOTING NOW IS OPEN!

The voting will be open for 3 days.

You can vote at Heather's Blog.

Spread the word!

What a tremendous honor to be allowed to participate in Heather Davis of Blissful Garden Beads' Bead Challenge this month! Being as this was my first Challenge submission, I was a little intimidated. I had seen several Challenges I could have participated in freely, but for some reason they always seemed beyond my comfort zone. I decided to "go for it" and hopped on the first chance I had to sign up! I received the GORGEOUS handmade Artisan bead created by the lovely Heather of Blissful Garden Beads almost immediately I had a visit from my ever elusive Muse! I pondered on the design for a bit, made a sketch, then let it marinate a bit longer. By the time the actual fabrication process was put into motion, the bead seemed to speak to me in high definition! The design took on a whole life of its own. No telling what it would have turned out to be had I not gotten so busy with work and other daily routines and had time to put some thought into the chain portion. I may just have to expound on the initial submission when I have a few moments to steal away with my thoughts and a consult my Muse...keep an eye out for more on that later! ;)

At any rate, here are the photos of my submission. Hope you like it!

Hand made entirely of copper sheet and wire along with a nice chunky chain I scored on Etsy. I used 2 gauges of copper sheet and wire. Frame is hand sawn, filed and finished. The vines are solid copper wire which I balled myself (have you ever tried to ball 16ga copper?! I learned a thing or two there LOL) and fashioned into vines to embellish the bead frame. After I had the frame cut and filed to my liking, I soldered on the vines then tossed it into the pickle for a bit. While I was waiting for the pickle to do it's magic, I cut and drilled a couple of disks for the bead top and bottom and selected a piece of balled large gauge wire for the bead. After the pickle bath I gave the frame a good rinse -- it was now time to finalize exactly how the bead was going to attach to the frame. My first attempt was a fail but I took that and applied what I learned from not working and took a different approach. You'll notice that there are no holes drilled in the frame. I had soldered a ring on one corner and used the vine on the opposite corner as bale rings. For the bead, I took an end of the vine up top and made a loop, looped the bead wire and wove it into the others -- VIOLA! Bead attached! It took a little fanangling of holding my tongue just right and tweaking the vines to keep the bead from trying to flip. Then into the tumbler it went -- I went to bed for a little shut eye. After a few hours playing in the tumbler I gave it a quick dip in the patina solution, good rinse, dry, polish up the high spots. I decided to have the clasp at the pendant rather than in the back to incorporate the swirling up toward the chain and we were good to go!

I wish I'd gotten pictures of each process, but I was flying solo and doing a balancing act with the tax preparer on the phone, so, we will have to imagine the process pictures. LOL

I am tossing around name
ideas: Brambles to Blooms or; Secret Gardens or; Treasures
Within...something along those lines.

Back

Don't forget to pop over to Heather's Blog and check out all the other entries -- there are some AMAZINGLY creative folks out there! Voting will be opened tonight so be thinking about that while you peruse the pretties!

My first bead challenge!

2011-03-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

I am SO excited to have been one of the lucky few to be included in the March Bead Challenge held by Heather Davis of Blissful Garden Beads! Today is the reveal day! I will be making a post later on today with pictures of my submission...Until then, feel free to pop over to Heather's page to have a look see of all the entries!

Metalsmithing Class -- Class Project

2010-12-03T16:09:00.003-05:00

Well, things got a bit hectic and time flew! This week marked the completion of our Basic Metalsmithing class. Whew! I think it was a great experience...I believe I learned almost as much of what NOT to do as what TO do! Overall it was a productive class! We are looking forward to the Advanced Metalsmithing class that starts mid-January.

"So, what did you MAKE in that class, anyway", you ask??? Well, I made a lot of mistakes, but after all, and in and amongst, that, after much sweat, tears and even a little blood, I was able to make THIS!

Brecciated Jasper in Sterling Bezel, Copper Backplate, Brass Bale on Solid Copper Chain. All oxidized and polished for dimension and UMPH!

The project assignment was to use piercing as part of the design. I chose drilled holes and pierced decoration for the backplate. Additional design factors of mixed metals to compliment the luscious colors in the stone!

The copper backplate reminds me of tooled leather.

Backplate cut-away to reveal stone back.

Now I need a name for it! :)

Coming Soon to a New Retail Location - near you?!

2010-12-01T01:45:00.002-05:00

We are excited about our newest Retail location - Kind Kandles & Beach Kreations! We appreciate Rob and Denise for inviting and welcoming us into their store! If you are in the Erie, PA area, feel free to pop in and tell them Kat and Dave sent ya!

Kind Kandles & Beach Kreations
Holiday Store Hours:


2818 W 8th St., Erie, PA 16505 (click here for detailed map)

Monday 10 am - 6 pm
Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday 10 am - 5 pm

Service Area:
Erie ~ Buffalo ~ Ohio
Pittsburgh~New York
Pennsylvania
THE WORLD

Metalsmithing Class - Week 2

2010-09-22T22:34:00.001-04:00

Today was our second classroom session of our Metalsmithing course at the Tulsa WaterWorks Art Center. Last week was basic discussion/show and tell of tools and terminology. Today was the day to jump right into some very basic but very exciting and fun techniques! We learned different types of joints, how to properly load and adjust the blade for the jeweler's and the process of going from a piece of metal to two pieces of metal connected with solder -- design, saw, cut, file and finish ends (today was a butt joint), clean the metal properly, apply flux and solder, solder, quench and pickle.

I have already had my share of playing with all these but my first time to actually use a jeweler's saw. We typically use a scroll saw for cutting, but hadn't had a WHOLE lot of luck with it...Today, I think I figured out WHY -- not enough teeth per inch for the gauge of metal we are cutting! So, that will be the next experiment for using the scroll saw.

Come to find out, there is a standard table to determine how many TPI (Teeth Per Inch) your blade needs to be based on the gauge of sheet you intend on using it on. To have a proper TPI - Sheet Gauge ratio, you must have at least 3 teeth on the metal surface at all times. If memory serves me, the table goes something like this:

28ga -- #4/0
26ga -- #3/0
24ga -- #2/0
22ga -- #1/0
20ga -- #1
18ga -- #2
16ga -- #3
14ga -- #4
...and so on in both directions up and down the table. The smallest I have noticed so far is 8/0 (TINY TINY TEETH for some super thin sheet!!!).

David seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself! He blew right on through to make THREE different types of soldering applications! The instructor was smiling knowing he was so eager to learn!

We are really anxious to see what next week holds. I am already imagining actually being able to MAKE pieces I've had locked inside my head!

Tulsa WaterWorks Art Center

2010-09-14T19:33:00.003-04:00

What a fabulous surprise discovery!

Someone had the creative foresight to breathe new life into an old WaterWorks facility!

Tulsa WaterWorks Art Center

Tulsa WaterWorks Art Center is a great resource tucked away just outside downtown Tulsa. It is available to local artists of all ages and persuasions!

Entry and into studio

Children's Fiber Art Display

Grinding Station

Fused Glass variations displayed in work room

Pottery Studio

There is a kiln room too, but I didn't see that until we were leaving.

Interested in attending their next public display?

Enjoy "Pinwheels for Peace" art display to be held on September 21 at Newblock Park.

Metalsmithing for Jewelry Making at Tulsa WaterWorks

2010-09-14T19:00:00.004-04:00

David and I are excited about the Basic Metalsmithing for Jewelry Making class we have signed up for that begins tomorrow morning (evening class was already full!)!

Soldering Station

I'm sure it will fill in the blanks I have and introduce David to a variety of techniques. They also offer an Advanced Metalsmithing for Jewelry Making that you can be sure that we will be enrolling in upon completion of basic!

2 1/2 hours, one day a week, 12 weeks.

Blog Kick Start?!

2010-09-14T09:30:00.002-04:00

WOWZER!

Seems summer kept us so hopping there was no time for blogging! *shame shame!!!* Things have quieted down JUST enough for me to jump back into the Blog! Keep your eyes peeled for some exciting things happening here!

I trust you all had a fabulous summer and got the kiddos started back to school without TOO many hitches. LOL I am looking forward to new creative inspirations to share with you all here!

48th Annual Delray Affair

2010-04-08T02:21:00.003-04:00

We are so excited about our next event! We were accepted into the 48th Annual Delray Affair in Delray Beach, FL that is happening this next weekend, April 9 - 11!

It will be our first time to participate in this whopper of a show. We are excited about our location as we will be located near the two expo's that are new to the show this year -- The World Showcase Travel Expo and Cranes Beach House New Artist Oasis situated near the Amphitheater in Old School Square!

There will be live entertainment and PLENTY to see and do. Bring the family, bring the dog and don't forget to bring a blanket, a picnic lunch and your comfy shoes! Feel free to stop by our booth and take a look around. Be sure to introduce yourselves and that you found us on the web!

Hope to see you there!
Kat & Dave

David's Kreations

2010-03-25T20:39:00.006-04:00

David has been bit by the inspiration bug of late! I just love to see his creative mind spring to life! He has been able to put his many years of machining to use by making his own precision cut jump rings for Chainmaille! Another thing he is bringing into play is drawing up the designs in CAD (Computer Aided Design) to determine exact sizes, measurements and materials list.

This is the latest of his creations -- Copper Japanese 2 in 2 Chain, 12 in 2 Focal Chainmaille with Turquoise Dyed Magnesite Accent
Copper S Clasp from Magpie Gemstones

Silent Auction Donation

2010-02-25T00:27:00.007-05:00

The other day I was poking around on Facebook and happened to notice a post of someone looking for donations for an upcoming silent auction. With a little digging I came to realize that it was for an organization a cousin of mine, who is an interpreter for the deaf, is involved with. It is an annual event called Souper Sunday sponsored by TSHA (Total Source for Hearing-loss and Access) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

I was soon compelled to donate a piece to further the cause but wasn't sure where to start. Lo and behold, the typically elusive Muse stopped by for a visit to assist! Isn't it amazing how you can have coils of wire and a stash of beads and never hear any of them speak to you till the Muse pops by?! Well, it wasn't long till I there were whispers then shouts from my wire and bead corner. Before too long I was surrounded by tools, some chunky turquoise colored magnesite, big link copper chain and a couple of spools of copper wire and copper findings and was well on my way of working on a new adventure!

Magnesite & Copper chic rustic big link necklace and matching earrings.

Magnesite beads from Thunderbird Supply
Copper chain, wire and findings from Magpie Gemstones

Here it is, all boxed up with a Sunshine Polishing Cloth and Copper Jewelry Care Card, ready to ship!

My only regret is that I won't be able to be there to watch the bidding and hug the winner's neck!

Event Schedule Ramp Up!

2010-02-01T00:21:00.002-05:00

A quick post:
I've been updating the event schedule and it looks like we are going to be hopping pretty soon!
Feel free to check out the Event Schedule on our website. We have some exciting venues on deck!

Hope everyone is doing well with the new year. Take care and stay safe! Spring will be here before ya know it!

First Juried Event Application!

2009-12-18T23:20:00.007-05:00

I am sooooo excited! We submitted an application to our first juried two day event! It will be March 27th and 28th in Lake Park, FL.

The application process was nice -- submitted through a site called ZAPPlication (thanks to Jim Mackintosh for posting about it in his blog!). It is an awesome site for fellow Artisians' looking to apply to events. You fill out your profile and can upload up to 40 photos of your work and a booth photo. When you find an event you wish to participate in, you simply apply (it uses your profile information) and select the designated number of photos and a booth photo, pay via PayPal and you're done! No more filling out individual applications and sending expensive slides (I sound like their marketing director don't I? LOL).

At any rate, we are excited about the possibility of being able to participate. We are really enjoying doing events. Look out world -- I think we've got the bug!

Weather and outdoor events...

2009-12-04T02:04:00.004-05:00

Well, it was a little ironic that today's event that was canceled due to bad weather could have gone on after all. Mother Nature pitched her fit last night and it turned out to be a beautiful day today! A little chilly due to the cool front moving through, but nothing a hoodie and long pants couldn't handle.

The weather man is saying we are in for a weekend washout but we haven't heard anything about the 7th Annual Holiday in the Park two day event we are scheduled to participate in Friday and Saturday being called off. I guess we will get to live on the edge -- ride it out and see what happens! You just never really know about the weather sometimes. It can be spot on one day and miss ya completely the next. We will just have to "hide and watch" as my mother would say.

So, unless we are told otherwise, WE WILL be out there with tables adorned enjoying the festivities and conversation! We really do enjoy doing the events. We get to meet so many great folks and hang out in the fresh air for the day!

If you happen to be in the St. Petersburg/Pinellas Park, FL area Friday or Saturday, please feel free to stop by and check things out. There will be LOTS of things for children and adults alike!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend. Maybe we'll even see a few of you stopping by our tables.

See you then!
Kat

Event Cancellation

2009-12-02T14:25:00.002-05:00

EVENT CANCELLATION NOTICE

We just got the call that tomorrow's Harvest Marketplace Event has been canceled due to nasty weather in the forecast.

We will be there next week, though (weather permitting)! See you then! :)

This week's events!

2009-12-01T12:38:00.007-05:00

We are sooooo excited about the upcoming events we will be participating in!

This Thursday we return to our weekly event of the season --

Harvest Marketplace in Largo, FL.

Thanksgiving is over and the rush for Christmas shopping has begun! It should be an exciting week with cooler temperatures, live music, folks of all ages socializing and bustling about the booths!

Free Parking
- Street side parking along West Bay Dr and 1st Ave SW.
- Lot at the corner of 1st Ave SW and 2nd St SW (entrance on 1st).
- Lots on the south side of West Bay Dr (one-way entrances on 4th, 5th, and other side streets).
- Lots on the northeast and northwest corners of 4th St NW and 1st Ave NW.

Date:	Thursday, December 3, 2009
Time:	9:00am - 2:00pm
Location:	Ulmer Park
Street:	301 West Bay Drive
City/Town:	Largo, FL

Friday evening and Saturday we will be at the

7th Annual Holiday in the Park in Pinellas Park, FL

Celebrate the spirit of the holidays as the Pinellas Park Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association presents "Holiday in the Park".

This community-wide family event with a holiday theme will feature children's games, entertainment, live music, pony rides, SPCA pet adoption, crafts, photos with Santa, hay rides, children's train and much more!

Join us for the festivities and fresh air! We will have many new items plus items from our website. We look forward to seeing you there! Feel free to tell us you saw us on Facebook!

Friday, 6 - 10 p.m.
Saturday, Noon - 10 p.m.

Admission is free.

Start Time:	Friday, December 4, 2009 at 6:00pm
End Time:	Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location:	England Brothers Band Shell
Street:	5121 80th Terrace North
City/Town:	Pinellas Park, FL

Dave's adventures in wire...

2009-11-28T11:41:00.011-05:00

The adventures in wire wrapping continues to the next level of wire SCULPTURE!

David has been having a blast with his tools, wire and beads! His continual quest for learning new techniques and coming up with different ways to use them.

Here are a few of his most recent creations.

Lapis Lazuli in Sterling Silver Cuff

Leopard Skin Jasper Sterling Bangle Bracelet

Carnelian Sculptured Sterling Silver Bangle Bracelet
with Invisible Clasp

First Event

2009-11-06T23:28:00.006-05:00

WHEW!!!!!

Well, all the preparation for the first event was worth the experience and hard work. I must say that it was a fun journey which the fruits of my labor will be useful for a good long while to come.

The event was a whole other new experience -- a good one. It was one that those who do events are quite familiar with -- wake before the sun to load up and make it to the event location, find your assigned spot and get things set up...It was a BEAUTIFUL day! A long day...An overall, actually quite enjoyable, day! Watching my darling husband work the crowds was a real treat! If they don't remember anything else about us, they will remember that we were not afraid to smile and engage in pleasant dialogue with them! Having the opportunity to interact with folks was awesome. And the two buying customers (friends) made the whole process worthwhile!

Our location was not exactly ideal, but we have been assured that next week we will have a prime location -- this week was a very effective trial run. Learned a few lessons (VELCRO is our FRIEND! LOLOL) that we will use to make the NEXT event better. I was SO glad I went ahead and purchased the wall kit for the canopy because it came in handy right off the bat...The "breeze" was quite GUSTY which of course does not play nice with necklace boards/displays (refer back to VELCRO comment above). LOL

Our setup itself was attractive. There were more jewelry vendors there than I was told would be allowed. And apparently the supposed handmade only requirement -- turned out to not exactly be the case. There was lots of "re-sell" items on the other tables. I can say, with pretty confident certainty, that, we and one other couple, had real gemstones, sterling silver items and were actually hand made (the other couple went a step further than us and hand cut and polished their own stones. In fact, two of our wrapped pendants were stones we bought from them at the same market last year.). We had many, many compliments from those that did make it to the back side of the property and visited our tables. And we passed out a TON of cards. Several ladies have custom pieces they are going to be contacting us with and one lady is bringing in a stone to have us re-wrap for her that she had previously purchased from someone else!

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, even with the given *minor* hurdles associated with participating in an outdoor event. All of the vendors that we met were quite pleasant and ALL of the folks that stopped by were awesome to have had the opportunity to meet! Major kudos to the event coordinator -- she did a fine job! And we were SO GRATEFUL for the lunch and endless supply of fresh cold bottled water!

We are looking forward to next Thursday!

Preparation -- busy busy!

2009-10-26T00:59:00.006-04:00

Here I go again -- seemingly silent on the blogosphere. But, don't you worry! I've been busy, busy, busy over here!

Not only is our day job business picking up (slowly but I think I can, I think I can assuredly!) but I have been scurrying about preparing for the upcoming events! All the research and purchases along the way in preparation of doing events seems to be coming together quite nicely. I had purchased the banner, canopy and door/walls back in the summer (made sure and got the commercial vented top canopy I REALLY wanted rather than what was at the local hardware store); we made the canopy leg weights from PVC pipe caps and rope; found some nice black, vinyl top, fold in half, folding tables at Walgreens (via a lady in the table aisle in Sam's no less LOL); made the table skirting and found some lace for table runners; AND scored some glass blocks and folding chairs from freecycle (http://freecycle.org to find your local branch); then got a black shelf for it; signed up for a merchant account so I can accept credit card payments...LOTS OF PREPARATION! Not to mention working on inventory to fill the tables! LOL! I had ordered an old fashion type knuckle buster credit card imprinter (nice one that even takes a 5 line name plate) so that I could give the customer a receipt and have record of their information and signature to prevent back-charges but there was a little hiccup that occurred which had to be remedied (ordered online and the company failed to catch that I had ordered long slips with a short slip machine -- lovely), but that is in the process of being resolved. AND the credit card swipe machine has been shipped and will be here in plenty of time for the first show! Now, if I can get wireless internet with the laptop we will be in business - literally!

Of course there are always the last minute things to take care of, but I think this is probably the first time in my life that I have prepared enough in advance that if there ARE any other hiccups they should be minor (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!!!!! LOL).

Here is a pic of the practice setup of the booth...

I have already made some adjustments to it: I took a VERY nice suggestion from a fellow local wire wrap jewelry artisan for adding more interest and functionality to the display by adding a shelf supported by glass blocks -- turned out fabulous! And I finished the lace table runners to go across both tables and the new shelf. I am VERY pleased with how it is coming together! I will update this post with a new pic when we do the first event and have everything set up. :)

So, as you can see, things have been quite busy over here - in stark contrast to the crickets and silence. LOL

Be sure to keep up to date on scheduled events by regularly checking the Event Calendar on our website. We have several weeks of events scheduled and would love to have you pop over to say hey and maybe even find something you just can't live without!

Dragonfly Lapel Pin work in progress

2009-10-16T01:20:00.007-04:00

I thought it would be neat to share the journey in progress in photo format of how the Dragonfly Lapel Pin came to be.
I hope you enjoy seeing the progress!

The pieces for the body and wings were measured and cut of sterling wire.

The wire ends of the body at the head were balled which will later become antenna...wings were soldered on.

Now that everything is assembled, pickled, finished out and polished, time to begin weaving!

The first wing took FORRRRRRRRREVERRRRRRRR...

First wing finished and moving on to the body...Antenna formed into shape.
The second wing went MUCH quicker...WHEW!
You probably wouldn't believe how much wire was actually used in this little guy!

Perched upon a shell rose...A lovely place to rest after all that work!

Sterling, Garnet and faceted fiery Labradorite Dragonfly

2009-09-08T17:26:00.013-04:00

Front

Back

May I present to you -- the latest of my Muse's inspirations! A dragonfly made of 20ga, 28ga and 30ga sterling silver that has been cut, bent, balled, soldered and FINALLY woven...This was a fun exploration of new techniques and tools.

The initial intent was for it to be a necklace pendant but I believe this one will be more suited as a pin and one of heavier gauge wire for the body be fashioned as a pendant. This is nice and lightweight and would work perfectly as a pin...How to attach the pin finding (without glue of course!) will be the next challenge. :) *see update below!*

Dimensions: 2" from top to bottom x 3" wingspan

Click here to see more information on this piece.

Oh! By the way, I also made the flower the dragonfly is sitting on. It is made from shells I collected from our beach. :) If you would like one of your own, I have them for sale in my mom's store in Claremore, OK. It comes complete with a poem I wrote -- the roses symbolizing our walk with Christ and our lives as broken shells.

UPDATE! I am very pleased to say that the dragonfly is now a PIN! I sat down this evening with wire and tools and was able to fashion a pin back and successfully wrap it onto the back side of the body. Nice and tidy! PERFECTO!!!

Beading Storage Dilemma

2009-09-04T19:36:00.013-04:00

Front

I had recently been involved in a thread/conversation of a wire wrap jewelry Yahoo group regarding the dilemma of storage and organization of beads, tools and materials. I shared my roll around beading station with them and several thought it was a great idea so I thought I'd share it with you all here!

It all started with my sister showing me her roll around cart. It was a simple project that morphed into what you are about to see. I just can't leave well enough alone.

I took a trip to the local Target and picked up a nice heavy duty Rubbermaid type 4 drawer roll around cart style cabinet...after I loaded it up with all my stuff I quickly realized that rolling it on the tile with all that weight the wheels literally came off...so off to Harbor Freight we went and picked up a light duty furniture dolly to set the cart on. I had a couple of sheets of pegboard that was just behind a door that held strands of beads, findings, etc. for a few months. I screwed one of the pieces of pegboard to the back of the cart (not only had the wheels fallen off but it became "rickety" from rolling across the tile) which gave it immediate stability! Since the pegboard was taller than the cart I also had storage on the back side of the pegboard (seen standing in front of the cart) for more storage. I then drilled holes on both sides to hang my bead bins (aka hardware storage bins usually found in a garage for screws and such) and hung one on each side of the cart using pegboard hooks. To make it easier to roll around, since the furniture dolly is slightly wider than the cart, I screwed a cup hook on each end of the furniture dolly exposed top and one into the end of a stick long enough to use as a handle... :)

TA DAAAAAAAAA!!! Works perfectly as a roll around cart that can be stashed away in a corner (note...clean out corner to store cart in. LOL).

I have another one for my soldering/fusing and miscellaneous out in the Florida room - pool side! :)

Top

Side

Back

More goodies!

2009-08-31T13:21:00.007-04:00

Kambaba Jasper

I tell you what, I don't know when I have been so pleased with a bead order as I have with the last order I received from Magpie Gemstones! I have had the most fun just going through the beads over and over and riding the resulting wave of inspiration! I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my next order!

I have added a couple of new bracelets to the website. This design is proving to be quite comfortable as well as attractive. My husband, David, says that the Kambaba Jasper bracelet is his favorite! The patterns in the Kambaba Jasper is absolutely breathtaking. It's a shame that I can't seem to capture the patterns effectively with the camera. I am in constant awe that these beads originated from the earth! What amazing and precious gifts they are to us. And to be able to adorn our bodies with them is all the more exciting!

I hope you enjoy the fruits of my favorite past-time...gazing deep into a tray of beads!

Silver Needle Agate
Apricot, rich taupe and white

Silver Needle Agate Sterling Wire Wrapped Bracelet

2009-08-28T17:37:00.004-04:00

This bracelet is the latest creation of my newest bead shipment...I just LOVE this stone - Silver Needle Agate. It has so many beautiful colors and patterns in the same strand. The two different size barrels gave inspiration for this bracelet. It is so beautiful on! And coordinating a ring with it - soooooooo pretty! Even if I do say so myself! LOL If you work in an office, this bracelet with a coordinating ring would brighten your day just getting to look at them all day while you type!

If you are interested in purchasing this bracelet it can be found on my website (click here) as well as the coordinating ring selection (click here).

Rings, rings and more rings!

2009-08-21T00:39:00.005-04:00

Rust Web and Brecciated Jasper
I have been making product detail pages for the new rings the past few days! Some of the rings shown on the New Rings gallery page are sneak preview photos but about half of them have their product detail pages set up. I have also added a few more rings! I still can't believe how beautiful these are turning out! I am going to be making multiple configurations to accommodate a wider range of ring sizes (which is why some of the detail pages are not finished, YET...) this weekend. It is like I've found a hidden treasure and my imagination is just going wild with ideas for it all! I just seem to be stuck in ring mode right now...Which is perfectly alright with me! I needed some fresh new styles! :)

Seems like any time I get close enough to the tray of beads, wire and my tools I am cutting more wire to wrap up more rings! TOOOOOOO FUN!!!!

Botswana Agate Rondelles

Oh boy, oh boy, OH BOY!

2009-08-14T00:12:00.013-04:00

Can you tell that I am sooooooooooooooooo excited?! I received another yummy bag of goodies from Magpie Gemstones today! I do believe my muse is rolling around giggling in a pile of beads tonight!!! I am in full on ring mode!

Brown Opal

Silver Leaf Jasper

Rust Web jasper

Kambaba Jasper

Mica

Brown Opal

African Turquoise Jasper

Silver Needle Agate

YouTube Début!

2009-08-03T15:33:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, I have been pretty busy over here lately! We have had family in town - it has been quite a lot of fun getting to bead and hang out with my sister and her family. I have been wanting to put some pieces on YouTube to expand my base but didn't know how to go about it. So, while my sister and her family was in town my niece, Kurstin, taught me how to make a video of my jewelry photos. Kids are so smart now-a-days!

Kat's Custom Kreations - YouTube Jewelry Video Presentation

Feel free to check it out if you have a chance! I hope to be putting together more to post so subscribe if you'd like. :)

Fun little afternoon project...

2009-07-21T23:36:00.003-04:00

OK...so I've been eyeballing a bin of what was labeled at the bead shop as"Crab Fire Agate" (some call it "Spiderweb Carnelian") for a while now...Trying to conjure up a design for them. I spotted a herringbone focal bead bracelet yesterday and thought -- THAT'S IT! The beads are a smooth nugget but none of them are uniform or drilled in a fashion that would lend itself to how I normally construct a piece...so these made me have to think a little deeper than I normally would...It is a good thing!

The photos below are the outcome of my contemplation. I showed it to some ladies I meet with at the beach on Tuesday evenings and they all loved it! What do you think??

Crab Fire Agate (Spiderweb Carnelian) nuggets wire wrapped with a herringbone weave in sterling silver
Handcrafted double linked chain made of handcrafted sterling silver jump rings
Handcrafted clasp to complete the design

Measures approximately 9" (chunky nuggets call for longer length) but can be adjusted to fit

If you wish to purchase this item, please click here to be taken to the listing.

This afternoon's muse visit...

2009-07-19T23:57:00.012-04:00

The muse popped her head in this afternoon...She's been hiding out lately, but today's visit was quite fun! I never know what she has in store for me! It seems she was standing on her head when she came up with this one...I tell ya, she is a twisted soul! LOL

Focal bead is wire wrapped with a wire wrapped pendant below.
What is normally used as a wire wrapped pendant's bale is used as the pendants bale below.
I told ya she was twisted!
:)

Focal bead is wire wrapped with a wire wrapped pendant below.
What is normally used as a wire wrapped pendant's bale is used as the pendants bale below.
I told ya she was twisted!
:)

33mm Scene Jasper focal bead wire wrapped in 20ga dead soft square Sterling Silver
Freshwater Pearl Pendant wire wrapped in Sterling Silver.

Necklace strand:
Sterling Silver spacer beads
Scene Jasper puff coins
6mm Swarovski Crystal Pearls strung on SoftFlex Premium Flex Wire

Handcrafted Sterling clasp

Necklace measures 20" from clasp to catch.

If you are interested in purchasing this necklace, please click here.

Look what my twisted Muse came up with this time! Double Bail Lace Agate Pendant...

2009-06-08T12:15:00.003-04:00

I just LOVE Lace Agate! Don't you?? We picked up several a couple of weeks ago. We are having fun wrapping them!
This is something I dreamed up yesterday...It was quite an adventure trying to figure out how to make the design in my head become reality. LOL It took a couple of tries but I finally got it. I hadn't ever seen a double bail wrapped pendant before -- till now! Whew! I will come up with a necklace for it...I'm thinking something strung. hmmmmmmmm :)

Lace Jasper Pendant, Yellow Jade, Aquamarine and Wood Jasper

2009-06-06T22:25:00.006-04:00

My latest necklace showcasing one of the pendants I wire wrapped last weekend.

Freeform 28mmx19mm Lace Jasper wire wrapped in Sterling Silver wire
Sterling Silver chain
Wood Jasper twist and heishi beads with Sterling spacer beads
Picture Jasper puff disks

Yellow Jade and Aquamarine chips
Sterling lobster clasp and .925 tag

Overall dimensions:
Pendant 1 7/8"h x 7/8"w on an 18" long chain

Interested in purchasing this one of a kind necklace?
Lace Jasper Pendant, Yellow Jade, Aquamarine and Wood Jasper

Midnight oil...Freeform Brecciated Jasper Pendant

2009-06-05T00:13:00.008-04:00

Well, it seems my muse is a night owl!
This is my latest attempt at wire wrapping a freeform cab.

Freeform 42mmx18mm Brecciated Jasper wire wrapped in 20ga dead soft square Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver chain
Tiger Eye Rondelles with Sterling spacer beads
Picture Jasper puff rectangles
Yellow Jade and Picture Jasper chips
Sterling lobster clasp and .925 tag

Overall dimensions:
Pendant 2 3/8"h x 1 1/4"w on a 20" long chain

Interested in purchasing this one of a kind necklace?
Brecciated Jasper Pendant, Tiger Eye, Yellow Jade and Picture Jasper

New Classes!

2009-05-07T00:25:00.003-04:00

Quick post...
I talked with the local bead shop earlier today about setting up some classes on the bridal jewelry. I'm excited! I will post days and times when they are established.

Blushing Bride - Crystals and Swarovski Pearls Earrings

2009-05-05T01:09:00.007-04:00

I am so pleased with how these turned out! I have GOT to figure out how to put multiple photos of each listing on the website...Anyone care to kick some pointers my way??

Blushing Bride - Crystals and Swarovski Pearls Earrings

Are Spring Nuptials in your near future? If so, these glorious cluster earrings will be sure to put the finishing touch to YOUR day!

Petite sterling silver chain dripping with crystal chips and Swarovski Pearls carefully wire wrapped with sterling silver. All metal components (excluding chain) are personally hand formed in sterling silver. Clusters gracefully sway 1 1/4" below ear wires.

Coordinating Blushing Bride Crystals and Swarovski Pearls Necklace also available.

Bridal Jewelry!

2009-05-02T21:41:00.008-04:00

I just added a BRIDAL JEWELRY section to my website! I am so excited! The muse seems to have returned from her extended hiatus. I have so many ideas racing through my head -- I just gotta let it out! LOL

Keep an eye out for the exciting things happening in this new line.

I hope everyone is enjoying the springtime...Summer will be upon us before we know it!

Community Concert!

2009-04-26T02:09:00.003-04:00

Well, tomorrow is the day we have been practicing for! The Largo Community Chorus' Concert is tomorrow!

Man, I am here to tell ya! I have been singing lead and harmonizing (by ear) my entire life and this is THE most challenging singing experience I have EVER had...It is a good thing though! Almost like learning a new language -- expanding those horizons! I am seriously considering taking voice and sight music reading lessons. I use to take piano lessons so sight reading should be the next logical vocal step, right?? LOL Singing by ear and singing composed music are two entirely different ball games!!!!!!!!! I can do it though! I've committed and tomorrow is the day! YIPPEEEEE!!!!!! LOL It has been fun, but way more challenging than I ever dreamed it would be...Hopefully the voice and sight reading lessons will help make next fall's choir rehearsals easier....LET'S HOPE!

Besides getting ready for the concert, volunteering at the hospital on day a week, building a website, working on various work and home improvement projects and singing at a volunteer banquet, we've been working on the necklaces for the ladies in the choir to wear during the concert! BUSY BUSY!!!!!!!!!

I have a couple of things I need to post once we get through the concert...So, keep on the lookout! :)

Anybody seen Kat lately??

2009-04-14T23:04:00.004-04:00

I know, I know...I've been way tooooooooooooo quiet over here, haven't I?

It seems I've been sucked into a black hole the past week! But, never fear, I've been around -- working on the new website. Thanks to a few folks offering their feedback and tech support I think we're getting closer to where I want to be! Although, there may be a big hurdle (said learning something new LOL) to clear soon with learning HTML and such...I'm all for learning something new...Learning it while having a day job - that makes it a little more interesting. LOL We'll get there though and learn a few things on the way!

A quick update - Thanks to tech support the IE issue (images not loading properly) has been resolved! :)

Feel free to pop over and have a look http://katscustomkreations.com/

Caught in the swishing waves...pic update

2009-04-09T23:59:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that there has been a new pic added to the Caught in the swishing waves... post. :)

Oh, and to share this
awesome sunset!

What's more fun than a box of rocks...?

2009-04-09T23:05:00.007-04:00

...DIGGING through a box of rocks!

We stopped in at a vendors market today that someone was telling me about the other day...Come to find out it had been going since at least November and their last day to be open is April 30th...I guess we need to leave the house more often!

There were a couple dozen tables set up that ranged anywhere from produce stand to personalized candy and stuff to candles and artwork and jewelry. We stopped at one table that had some sterling and stones and a tub of polished stones. I am like a kid in a candy store digging and digging! I picked out some and happily sauntered away with our little bag of goodies!

I asked her to write down what the names were so I could look them up to identify later: Lace Agate; Fancy Jasper; Red Moss Agate; Ocean Jasper; Lake Superior Agate; Brazilian Agate; Turrella Agate; Montana Agate...and one "mystery stone". LOL If you can find and identify it, let me know! :)

These should make some great pendants! What fun!

Website crash course...

2009-04-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

Wow, I'm beginning to see why people pay someone to set up their websites -- there's a lot of work in it! LOL
I do believe it is meant to be a work in progress (kinda like housework -- it's never really FINISHED). That's a good thing though because you always have the chance to add to it and improve upon it.
Keep checking in on how it's coming along. I realize that I'm going to have to eventually learn HTML and set it up how I REALLY want, but for now I think I've got it to the point I can start adding more products to it. :)

http://katscustomkreations.com

Adventures in metal cutting...continued

2009-04-06T02:01:00.003-04:00

This weekend was interesting! I did manage to work on a piece that the director of the community choir I am in asked me to work on for the ladies of the choir to wear the night of the concert. It still has some time to go in the tumbler, but it is coming along quite nicely!

Our NEW WEBSITE!!!

2009-04-06T01:55:00.004-04:00

Whew!!!!!! Between trying to learn some new things and having to replace both of my monitors, this weekend has been a bit interesting...But we sailed right through it!

Now, for the newest development - I have been setting up our new website this weekend. I am so excited! Man, there is a lot of work in doing that! I'm sure it will be a work in progress, but I think I have enough on there to start letting people know it's out there to be seen. If you happen to get a chance, pop over and check it out...Maybe even leave us some feedback! :)

http://katscustomkreations.com/

Adventures in metal cutting...

2009-04-01T23:05:00.003-04:00

Boy oh boy! Ok...I'm one of those girls who likes to get tools for her birthday, so it's no surprise that I'm excited about our "new" scroll saw acquisition! I had mentioned that I'd like to have one for cutting sheet metal and DH found one on CraigsList for a steal! It is exactly what we wanted...even has adjustable speed! I have been giving it a spin tonight on some 20ga copper and it seems to be working out quite nicely! (Can you tell I'm excited by all the "!" ?? LOL) I am using it to work a piece for a new sales opportunity that I've been blessed with! I'll have to tell you about it when I post the work in progress...STAY TUNED! :)

Caught in the swishing waves...

2009-03-29T23:41:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we took a little walk down the beach at Pass-a-Grille and picked up several shells. One in particular was speaking to me which set my mind to reeling on how to capture it in wire. It was not all that pretty at first. It was bleached out but underneath all that scale was much hidden potential. I gave it a tumble in some polishing grit which revealed a bit of it's glory, but when I threw it in the shot to harden the wire is when even more of the beauty was discovered!

Being a newbie at the wire wrapping/sculpting, this was probably MUCH too challenging a task for me to bite off...but I was determined! LOL The picture doesn't really show it all that well, but the swirls at the bail remind me of how the waves look as they are breaking as the top tips forward and tumbles onward!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Captured in 20ga square sterling silver.
Measures approx. 2 2/4" from bottom of shell to top of bail.

I thought I'd take this little guy down to the beach and get a pic of it looking more at home! A much happier shell, indeed!

His Promises - Salvation Plan

2009-03-27T15:07:00.005-04:00

This is a custom piece I made for the upcoming birthday of a friend's daughter.

Each color represents an element of Salvation's Plan:
BLACK-Sin
BLUE-Gifts of the Spirit
CLEAR-Forgiveness & Grace
GREEN-Promise of Eternal Life
GOLD-Streets of Heaven
VIOLET-His Hours of Suffering
PINK-Promise of a New Tomorrow
RED-Blood of Jesus

Cross is hand formed of 16ga SS, wrapped in 24ga SS, 16ga ring showcasing Swarovski Crystals wire wrapped with hand formed SS balled head pins. SS chain and toggle clasp complete the piece.

Necklace measures 18" plus 1 3/4" pendant.

Netting...Bending wire and my patience! LOL

2009-03-23T18:18:00.004-04:00

Well, I have been seeing some beautiful netted pendants lately and thought I'd give it a whirl...I managed to finish this one without throwing it out the window. HA! I don't think it turned out too bad considering I was figuring it out as I went and the 4' of easily coiled and kinked 30ga dead soft sterling was testing my patience. I have determined that 30ga is entirely too fine and have some 28ga ds on order (as of this morning!). I think I'll keep it to see how much I improve. =)

Some of David's Creativity!

2009-03-23T18:08:00.005-04:00

Well, I must say, for a man who says he has no eye for style, my husband has outdone himself with wire wrapping! Here is a pendant he made over the weekend - isn't it stunning?!

My first wire wrap attempt...

2009-03-19T00:22:00.005-04:00

OK...So, tonight I took the plunge - I asked my husband, David, to instruct me on how to wire wrap a stone. All I had was half hard 20ga so I had a bit of trouble with the bail but I think once the soft square I ordered comes in that will no longer be an issue! I think for a first attempt it turned out quite nicely! What a great teacher he is!

The stone is 25mm x 35mm Red Fossil Coral that I picked up at a shop in Winter Haven, FL when my mom, sister and I went to Orlando last month. I wrapped it in Sterling Silver.

Mother, Daughter Creation...

2009-03-03T23:40:00.008-05:00

This is a choker that mom assisted me with while she was here last week! We are quite pleased with how it turned out.

Thanks Mom!

Crochet sterling silver wire, various round gemstones, ribbon.
Sterling silver: chain; heart clasp; Bali style cones; spacer beads.

Weekend projects...

2009-02-15T19:54:00.018-05:00

I had a quiet morning this morning so I thought I would wrap up a couple of projects I've had lurking around my soldering/tumbling station!

This first pin is one of my Swirling Energy Chakra series. It is made of balled sterling silver wire, soldered construction and has been tumbled to a high polish. The design is a modified Celtic symbol called the Spiral of Life.

The Spiral of Life was found in the remnants of an old temple from the Bronze Age in Ireland. The sign is drawn in one single line without beginning or end.

The circle, spiral and wheel are all powerful symbols representing the cycle of life, death and rebirth, including the seasons of the year.

This second pin is also part of the Swirling Energy Chakra series. It is a sister piece to the Swirling Energy Pendant Necklace and is designed as a lapel or scarf pin - for those who prefer a pin rather than a necklace. This pin was used in making the CD cover graphic for Elle's CD -- "Toning...A Journey toward Self-Discovery".

It is made of twisted and balled sterling silver that has been tumbled to a high polish. It has a simple twist pin fastener.

Then I decided to try my hand at making the heart pin in the March 2009 Art Jewelry edition. I made my pin a slightly smaller scale than published but I think it still turned out well!

It is made of wire wrapped sterling silver and has been oxidized and hand polished. I will most likely use this to build on my next Chakra series to go with Elle's second CD that I had the pleasure of being a part of -- "A Heart Centered Sound Experience".

Creativity other than with pliers and wire...♦

2009-02-11T08:24:00.004-05:00

It looks like now is the time to have creativity spilling over into the house...My mother and sister are coming to visit later this month so we are renovating the Florida room to accommodate guests. It has been nothing but a storage area since we purchased this house 2 years ago. Between painting the walls, laying tile and making new sheer grommet hung window coverings, that room will be an entirely NEW space! My husband solved a dilemma I've been trying to come up with a solution to -- how to hang 16' of window coverings (on one wall!)...He came up with the idea of using copper pipe as a curtain rod (how kewl was that?!). I found copper grommets to match! Everything will turn a nice patina in time rather than RUST like everything out there seems to be doing. LOL

We are excited about it all and fortunately work is quiet enough to allow us to dive into this project. We painted the ceiling and walls Sunday and last night was taping and priming the trim. Hopefully today we will be able to get the trim painted and put the paint cans and equipment away so we can start laying tile! It will be close and a lot of work, but I think we can make it and be glad we did! The colors are nice and bright yet airy and will be great with the pool and palms in the back yard as the backdrop! I'm excited!

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An update to the Florida Room progress!

This was the state of the space when we purchased the house (2 yrs ago)...kinda sad! We ripped out the carpet and busted out the tile (throughout the entire house)...this was definitely what one would consider a "fixer-upper"...

Well, here is the outcome of our efforts! I think it is the nicest room in the house so far!

Here is a nice night shot...You can see the pool and palms all lit up. I can't wait till summer!

I'm a Daisy!

2009-02-09T12:11:00.011-05:00

I am a
Daisy

What Flower
Are You?

"You are just a sweet person. When a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, you are happy to offer yours with a box of tissues as well. Once in awhile, you wish you could be a little more dramatic but then sensibility sets back in and you know that you are perfect the way you are.

"Well, that was a fun little distraction! It's nice to know that someone thinks I'm perfect just the way I am...Even if it is computer generated warm and fuzzies. LOL It pretty much hit the nail on the head! Try it out and see what it says. If nothing else, you'll be amused by the choices you have to select from in it. LOL

Auction Donation!

2009-02-08T23:41:00.004-05:00

I was recently approached about contributing a piece for a package Elle had put together to donate to a silent auction fund raiser. I was so honored to have the opportunity! I made up a swirling lapel pin of twisted sterling wire. It was a simple piece but turned out quite nice! I didn't get to go to the auction but hope to hear how everything went sometime this week. I will try and post a picture in the next few days.

Inspirations - Elle's Energy Swirl

2009-02-08T09:54:00.006-05:00

Lately, my jewelry pieces (many still in progress) have been inspired by the movement of energy I experience through Toning. Toning uses ancient tones focusing on the seven energy wheels (Chakras) located down the length of the spine to the top of the head.

Elle's Energy Swirl was inspired by a dear friend of mine, Elle. Each week Elle leads a collective group of individuals in Toning -- each person on their own Journey Toward Self-Discovery. Tones for Living is held every Friday at a local hospital chapel. For more information on weekly group meetings or booking a private consultation with Elle, check out her website and calender.

You can also see my Google Profile for more information on the CD I had the pleasure of being a part of with Elle -- "Toning...A Journey toward Self-Discovery".

A new chapter in my journey...

2009-02-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to have my own blog...now I feel like I need a tutor despite my being pretty confident in most things to do with computers...Many have gone before me and done a fine job so I should be able to figure this out, right?? LOL Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer for me!