11 October 2010

Fortune Cookie Fortunes


Happy Monday Lovelies!
I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

It's no shame that I'm a fan of Chinese take-out.
At the bottom of the bag, you'll find packets of sauce
{need to turn these from blah to Tada!}
and the popular fortune cookie.

I always keep these strips of paper with the "fortune"

Well, I have a few more "fortunes" to share
because just hiding them in a drawer is blah.

Tada! Make cake decorations out of them
by attaching them to a toothpick.

The birthday boy or girl gets to blow
the candles and everyone gets to
eat cake with fortunes to match!
Double Tada!


08 October 2010

Memories of Asia


On my blog this week, it's all about travel souvenirs.
Souvenirs that you can wear but don't call out
the city where it's from.

They're souvenir necklaces that I made myself!

Blah: necklaces from a market in Thailand that
I bought almost a decade ago.

Tada! I gave them a new dimension by
joining them together with a silver chain.

These remind me of Thailand's gorgeous
beaches and fabulous shopping!

Have a great weekend and if you're
travelling, don't forget to pick up
a little souvenir!


07 October 2010

Memories of Europe


How are you doing today?
If you've been tuning in, I've been making necklaces
that remind me of my travels.

Blah: old necklaces & loose beads.

Tada!: a shiny, happy multi-layer necklace
that looks brand new and reminds me of
crystals & chandeliers found in the
palaces of Europe.

I think I can hear this necklace sparkle.
See you tomorrow!




06 October 2010

Memories of France


All this week, I'm creating new necklaces out of my
old necklaces and my inspiration: travel.

Blah: a long necklace that I bought from a
street vendor in New York City.

With a pair of pliers, I can reconfigure it
to create a new look.

Tada!: a pearl necklace that's more streamlined & formal.
It reminds me a lot of Marie Antoinette, of stylish
French women and Chanel:

Chanel Black White Pearl Necklace

When I get tired of the all-pearl look,
I can add other beads to update the
necklace once again.

Have a great day!



05 October 2010

Memories of Puerto Rico


Thanks for stopping by today!
I've got another necklace idea inspired by travel.

When I make jewelry, I like to organize my
materials in empty egg cartons. I group
beads that I think might work together.

Blah -- beads from old necklaces & a
pendant I purchased in Puerto Rico.

Tada! -- a long, single-strand necklace
that highlights the beauty of the pendant!


04 October 2010

Souvenir Necklaces


Where have you traveled lately?
I like to travel & I like keeping souvenirs ranging
from fridge magnets to inexpensive art.

I also like to make my own souvenirs that
don't scream, "I bought this in Rome" or
"I found this in San Francisco".

Some souvenirs are subtle but tell a story.

Remember this necklace?
It's a simple chain with different beads -- each
bead reminding me of a place I've visited.

This week, I'm making more of these necklaces.
They allow me to travel without having to hop on a plane!

Today's blah: these tiny people charms.
They're really earrings. I bought them in Brazil
but the shopkeeper said they were made in Peru.
They remind me of what I love about Latin America:
warm, friendly & hardworking people with very
colorful cultures and cuisines.

Here's how I turned them into a Tada!:

Instead of wearing them on my earlobes,
I attached them to a gold chain.

I added small gold hearts and pendants
that work as open lockets, too!

More tomorrow!



01 October 2010

Festive & Fragrant


Hey, hey, it's Friday.
Happy first day of October also!

We've been prettifying fabric softener sheets
all this week, and I've got one last idea:

Blah: used dryer sheets

Tada! Festive party decorations inspired
by these Mexican paper flags:


A pair of scissors is all you need to make
these random cut-outs.

{I wanted to add colors to it but the ingredients in
the dryer sheet kept from absorbing my chosen dye.}

And because these sheets are still fragrant even
after use, your party space will be
smelling good, too.

Have a great, great weekend!