Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Pledge Handmade this Holiday Season



I hope everyone this season takes this pledge. Buy local! Buy from your local crafter or artist! Go to your local neighborhood indie craft festival [not the craft shows in the mall]. Support hardworking artists and crafters right here at home in the USA - as opposed to spending hundreds of dollars on cheaply made stuff from China.

I'll quote my crafty friend Amanda Marks, who says this perfectly...

"Christmas should be memories and traditions (Great Grandma Mimi's Pork Pies), not about how much money you spent on stuff that will be in the trash six months from now. Every artist and crafter I know takes their time and a part of themselves is in each piece they create. It doesn't roll off an assembly line it is made with love by hand. Whether you purchase an item on Etsy, ArtFire or from a craft show you are helping the economy here. Dying for that new sweater from J. Crew check out Etsy. I am sure you will find something that was made by hand.

Involve your children or grandchildren in creating something from the heart. I have made and bought many things for many people. The things I created or children helped create are held much more dearly than anything I have ever purchased. Need an easy gift for a teacher? How about an eye mask with bath salts?


If you have children create traditions with them whether it is building Gingerbread Houses (ours were sort of a failure but it was fun), salt dough ornaments, hand prints (grandma and grandpa love anything with hand prints)."

So think outside the box this year and start a new handmade holiday tradition.


Saturday, October 22, 2011

Some Halloween and Fall Favorites...



Here's some more goodies for your Trick & Treat pleasure in this Etsy Treasury by Etsian jcbabycakes!

SalonD'Arte's Witch Hat and Card are featured in this with some fantastic haunted treasures. I am so in love with the cat eye ring!!! Sb

Thursday, October 20, 2011

A Happy Handmade Etsy Halloween!



It's feeling a lot like Halloween with this Etsy Treasury by Etsian CreationsByAngel!

My spooky cute matching Witch's Hat and Card are featured along with this menagerie of haunted treats - enjoy! Sb

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Some news to share...

I haven't been blogging so much lately since I have been spending most of my free time working the summer craft shows, making ornaments, tweaking my display and preparing the for upcoming big holiday craft shows {the first of which was last weekend}. But I have also been feeding my creative muse by having some play time and trying out some new things...several months back I became part of the Unscripted Sketches Design Team...and...drumroll please...

I have super awesome news!!!

I am proud to announce that I have been selected to be part of an awesome group of artists & crafters! It is beyond words to explain how happy I am to be part of this group of talented stamp artisans. WOW! This is an awesome adventure that I am setting off on and I invite everyone to come along for the ride.

Viva Las Vegastamps is excited to introduce you to our new Design Team for the next 6 months... This team will be post projects on the Viva Las Vegastamps blog on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. Please stop by to check it out and leave comments. Check out their online store, too - there are stamps for everything and every occasion.

I will still be doing graphic design and printing by day - and my ornaments and unique paper crafts, too. This is a FUN thing for me that is truly an adventure. I am not a traditional "Stamper" by any means and I am excited to be chosen to play over at VLVS.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Custom Mini Journal Project

Hi Everyone! I know it's been a while since I've posted much lately - I have been working the day J.O.B. and spending the evenings & weekends preparing for my upcoming craft shows. How do you like the new background? A little goody I came across searching the web for some stamping technique ideas.

Did you know most everything at SalonDArte's shop on Etsy can be customized?

I received a request for a custom order of my popular "Altered Schoolbook Journal". You never know where inspiration comes from and I am always ready when it comes my way. The request was to make an Italy travel theme word search. Laura, my new client, sent me a list of words for the background word search and I was off and running...

Here is the final product which is merrily on it's way to Alabama. Hope you like it. I will have one more of this available in the shop, soon.

Thanks Laura for the fresh and fun inspiration. I hope your sister loves the special handmade gift! I enjoyed playing while making something new.

Friday, July 22, 2011

SalonDArte vending at Beat Cup Craft Fair July 31st

Sorry I haven't been blogging too much lately. I been working really hard, making things and preparing to get into the local Indie craft show scene. Been doing one, Dada Bazaar, the past three months and it been great - especially to get my feet wet.

Great news!!! I Just got the call, it's official... drumroll please...

Save the date...I'll be at the Beat Cup Craft Fair in Delray Beach, Florida in a week with handmade ornaments, lanterns and other artsy goodness. I have a lot of work to do to get my display in order this weekend. I have some very artistic art in which to hang the ornaments...and a couple surprises, too. Looking forward to it, love music and artists painting in plein aire...maybe I'll do that once the weather cools down a bit. See you there : )


Looking forward to it. There will be art, live music and even artists painting in plein aire...maybe I'll do that once the weather cools down a bit. See you there : )

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Dada Bazaar photos and OWH Bloghop
Winner Announced!!!




This was a short and whirlwind week and I participated in the Dada Bazaar on Thursday night at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, Florida. This is a monthly event with 15-20 vendors and live music at this restuarant that resides in a historical house. I have to admit I feel quite at home at this venue with it's laid back atmosphere, porches to lounge on and it's cool, artsy vibe.

I'm so happy it's the weekend again so I can catch up on my ZZZ's and take some time revisiting some of my new crafty friends I met online last weekend. If you have some free time, check out last weekend's Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop for great cards, and how to's.

Now to announce my blog candy giveaway from 67 comments left on the last post....

selected by Random.org ... a DRUMROLL please...
Blogger
Redonna said...

Great card. I know your sister had to love it. Send my heartfelt appreciation to her and her husband for their service to our country. TFS, Redonna

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I am packing up an assortment of crafty goodies to ship out on Monday! Can't wait to hear from you Redonna...thanks so much for visiting during the OWH bloghop.

: ) Sb

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Swimming in the Tropics for Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop



Welcome to this stop on Operation Write Home's Memorial Day Bloghop 2011. This is my third year participating...thanks so much for joining us in celebrating!!! Our family is so proud and grateful for all of our men and women serving in the armed forces. My brother-in-law was deployed to Afghanistan in April. So we are keeping ourselves busy making cards and sending care packages.

I have gone TROPICAL with this "Miss You" card. My "LITTLE Sister" was married Christmas of 2009 in Hawaii and is now officially part of Hawaii's Army National Guard unit. Since this is a 5 x 7 card, I mounted it to foldout pocket card that I stitched pages into. I sent this off to my Lil' Sister so she can write a special something to send to her hubby overseas. We actually got to spend Christmas with them and our whole family this past Christmas in Chicago. I describe more in length about this card later in the post...


My Little Sister is 10 years my junior and nearly a foot taller than me. This photo is from her deployment ceremony that was in Fort Lauderdale last January. A last minute surprise and change of plans by her unit -AND- it was so wonderful I was able to see her off from where I live.

**BLOG CANDY** I will be having a RAK giveaway of goodies from comments left between now and June 1st. Good luck!!!

Keep on hopping! The next stop is
with Laura at
Scrappin' Daphne


Have a happy & safe Memorial Day Weekend! If you have ended up here in the middle of the hop, click Operation Write Home Memorial Day Bloghop to get back to the top of the hop!!!

{{ artful hugs }} : ) Sb

ABOUT THE CARD...

I have recently joined the Design Team over at Unscripted Sketches. This is one of my favorite creations to date using Sketch it Saturday's sketch #106. I have been excited to use this Stampendous "Sushi Bowl Party" stamp set I got on clearance, and have left it out on the dining room table to remind me & this sketch was the perfect use. I combined this with flourishes from a tropical stamp set and sentiment from a dollar stamp set from one of the craft stores.

I stamped the fish bowl on patterned water paper and added more depth with markers blended with water brush pens. I also stamped images on recycled film {acetate} with Staz-on and colored the flourish with marker. I layered this on top of the blue fishbowl for depth. Between the layers is a fish and heart on hook from the same "Sushi Bowl Party" set. I added black embroidery floss coming out of the bowl to the top of the card.

The pineapple patterned paper is Basic Grey and is so fun and tropical. The stamped flourishes are accented with pink marker. This card just screams "PINA COLADA"!!!

SalonDArte at upcoming event June 2, 2012

SalonDArte will be at the Dada Bazaar on June 2nd at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, FL. To keep up with Dada Bazaar events click here. See you there!!!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Dada Bazaar - May 5, 2011


Our very first INDIE craft show was May 5 at Dada Restaurant in Delray Beach, FL. My best friend Chelsea joined me and helped set up my display. She was my "display designer" and I think she did an awesome job setting up my Objects D'Arte!!! We'll be there again on June 2nd...all are invited to come and check it out. Great art, music and food all in one place. Aside of the mid-evening downpour...it was a great night : )

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Exciting things this month....

Starting off with getting a real website!!!

Coming soon - http://www.SalonDArte.com !!!

I have a web guru working on this right now since I'm up to my ears in making ornaments for a craft booth I'll have on March 26 at the 54th Annual Youth Day Festival in Oakland Park, Florida.

I'm soooo excited!!!

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