Sweet Bead Studio Button Swap Reveal!!!

lutkaandco — Sun, 13 May 2012 08:00:34 +0000

It’s the Button Swap Reveal today!!! Hosted by Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studio. I was lucky enough to be partnered with the very talented Patty Gasparino. And here are the beautiful vintage picture buttons and mother of pearl buttons Patty sent me. She even included a couple of beautiful handmade buttons by Kristi Bowman:

And here is a bracelet I made. I used peyote stitch to make the base of the bracelet, and sewed the buttons and embellishments on:

And here is the earrings I made:

And finally, here are the list of participants to visit:

Alice Peterson and Kim Bender

Angie Blasingame and Billi R.S. Rothove

Billi R.S. Rothove and Angie Blasingame

Birgitta Lejonklou and Pam Farren

Bonnie Coursolle and Tania Hagen

Brenda Salzano and Hope Smitherman

Cat Kerr and Heather Powers

Cece Cornier and Jeannie Dukic

Celeste Thurston and Christine Damm

Christine Damm and Celeste Thurston

Christine Stonefield and Dana James

Cilla Watkins and Lori Bowring Michaud

Cindy Wimmer and Mimi Gardner *** Our Wonderful Hostess

Cynthia Machata and Julia Johnson

Cynthia Riggs and Lori Finney

Dana James and Christine Stonefield

Diana Ptaszynski and Erin Prais-Hintz

Emma Thomas and Rebecca Anderson

Erin Prais-Hintz and Diana Ptaszynski

Erin Siegel and Sharon Borsavage

Heather Powers and Cat Kerr

Holly Westfall and Sally Russick

Hope Smitherman and Brenda Salzano

Jayne Capps and Kim Dworak

Jeannie Dukic and Cece Cornier

Jenna Meyers and Kristi Harrison

Jenna Tomalka and Karen McKillip

Jenny Davies Reazor and Sandi Volpe

Julia Johnson and Cynthia Machata

Kalaya Steede and Kylie Dickman

Karen McKillip and Jenna Tomalka

Karen Mitchell and Renetha Stanziano

Karla Morgen and Mary Govaars

Kay Thomerson and Shannon Chomanczuk

Kim Ballor and Laurel Steven

Kim Bender and Alice Peterson

Kim Dworak and Jayne Capps

Kim Roberts and Partner unable to participate at this time.

Kristi Harrison and Jenna Meyers

Kylie Dickman and Kalaya Steede

Kym Hunter and Lynda Moseley

Laurel Steven and Kim Ballor

Linda Djokic and Patty Gasparino *** Me and Patty

Line Labrecque and Teri Baskett

Liz DeLuca and Lorelei Eurto

Lorelei Eurto and Liz DeLuca

Lori Anderson and Niky Sayers

Lori Bowring Michaud and Cilla Watkins

Lori Finney and Cynthia Riggs

Lynda Moseley and Kym Hunter

Marianna Boylan and Tracy Statler

Mary Govaars and Karla Morgen

Mary Harding and Stacie Florer

Maureen Baranov and Tracy Bell

Melissa Martin and Theresa Fosdick

Michelle Hardy and Peggy Johnson

Mimi Gardner and Cindy Wimmer

Nicole Valentine Rimmer and Niki Meiners

Niki Meiners and Nicole Valentine Rimmer

Niky Sayers and Lori Anderson

Pam Farren and Birgitta Lejonklou

* Pam Ferarri and Stefanie Teufel (will share their reveal on a later date)

Patty Gasparino and Linda Djokic *** Me and Patty again

Peggy Johnson and Michelle Hardy

Rebecca Anderson and Emma Thomas

Rebekah Payne and Sue Kennedy

Renetha Stanziano and Karen Mitchell

Rose Binoya and Shanti Johnson

Sally Russick and Holly Westfall

Sandi Volpe and Jenny Davies Reazor

Shannon Chomanczuk andKay Thomerson

Shanti Johnson and Rose Binoya

Sharon Borsavage and Erin Siegel

Shirley Moore and Veralynne Malone

Stacie Florer and Mary Harding

* Stefanie Teufel and Pam Ferarri (will share their reveal on a later date)

Sue Hamel and Terry Carter

Sue Kennedy and Rebekah Payne

Tania Hagen and Bonnie Coursolle

Tania Spiveyand Teresa Gagne

Teresa Gagne andTania Spivey

Teri Baskett and Line Labrecque

Terry Carter and Sue Hamel

Theresa Fosdick and Melissa Martin

Tracy Bell and Maureen Baranov

Tracy Statler and Marianna Boylan

Veralynne Malone and Shirley Moore

Thank you Cindy for a fun Button Swap!

Happy Easter 2012!

lutkaandco — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:00:13 +0000

It’s such a beautiful day today – I got up early and took some photos of my garden:

Handmade Dress…

lutkaandco — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Well, I finally finished the dress for my daughter… I have always considered myself a pretty competent seamstress, but I guess it had been quite a few years since I actually sewed an article of clothing. The execution was good, but I was way off on the dress size. I should have known better, my daughter wears a size 5/6, but after measuring her, I sewed a size 12 dress! Needless to say, it came out VERY big. My engineering mind told me to go with the numbers – numbers don’t lie. But something went awfully wrong. Not a total loss, I took the scraps and made my Blythe doll Blue, a skirt:

Good thing – My daughter and I went with a friend and her daughter to the LA Fashion District for a Prom dress, so we are covered .

Sweet Bead Studio Button Swap

lutkaandco — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:07:01 +0000

Whew! It’s been nearly a month since my last post. I have been keeping very busy with my digital pursuits. Last night, I happened to be visiting some of my favorite blogs, and noticed that Cindy Wimmer of Sweet Bead Studios is hosting a Button Swap! Today is the last day to sign up, so if you are interested, head on over there now. Last year, Michelle Mach of Beads And Books hosted the Button Swap and Cindy and I were partnered. Cindy sent me the most wonderful buttons; you can see my post here, and her post here about our swaps. I haven’t done much beading/jewelry design lately, but I’m already looking forward to meeting my Button Swap partner, and going hunting for fun and unique buttons .

Act Of Courage Beads

lutkaandco — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:19:10 +0000

I just got this in my mail today. I have been taking a break from lampwork bead making but this will motivate me to get back on the torch. Everytime I take a break, I get nervous lighting my torch. It’s just getting back to the routine of playing with fire I guess. If you want to participate, visit Beads Of Courage – It’s a wonderful cause!

The Global Genes Project 7,000 Bracelets For Hope

lutkaandco — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:28:49 +0000

The Global Genes Project volunteer team continues to collect blue jean/denim inspired bracelets for families living with rare disease, the campaign is called “7,000 Bracelets for Hope.”

To help raise awareness they are asking 7,000 jewelry designers, volunteers from the craft community and various artists to donate one bracelet to this campaign to show their support for kids living with rare disease, disorders or conditions. These bracelets will then be distributed to participating families.

As February 29, marks the fifth international Rare Disease Day, I thought I would make a few more bracelets:

I found this nice painted ceramic focal at my local craft store. I added some vintage glass beads I found at an antique store a while back:

I also found these nice ceramic beads at my local craft store - I liked the feel of the chunky beads. The bracelet is finished off with seed bead/ceramic button clasp:

This bracelet is made of a lucite flower with CZ center, and cut glass beads:

Here is a charm bracelet, ready for some personal photos to be inserted into the small frames:

A delicate memory wire bracelet with vintage glass flower bead dangles:

Another memory wire bracelet. This time with Asian ceramic beads that I got many years ago when we lived in Australia:

And finally, a lampwork focal with flowers that I made:

If you would like to participate and make a bracelet, go to 7,000 Bracelets For Hope.

Little Houses Project By Jojoebi Designs

lutkaandco — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:08:21 +0000

I do my share of looking around the blog world, and recently came across Jojoebi Designs and her Little Houses Project. My family came from Japan, so I found her blog, a western woman married and living in Japan blogging about life there very interesting. You can go to Jojoebi Designs blog to get the details of the Little Houses Project. In a nutshell, it is to make and send a small handmade house as a gift of encouragement to the survivors of the Tohoku Disaster:

Since I still have my sewing machine out from the time I started making my daughter her Homecoming dress, it was fun and easy to do. The dress on the other hand may make it for Winter Formal, or perhaps the Prom… Anyway, here is the house I made:

I added a frog for luck, and gave him my handmade lampwork lily flower and pad. If you would like to participate and make a house, go to Jojoebi Designs.

Digital Scrapbook Kit “Vintage Valentine” Freebie

lutkaandco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:29:50 +0000

I have been busy CT’ing for Created By Jill, GDS, and NDISB making layouts. It is a lot of fun but I also wanted to try my hand at designing. So when I saw this adorable vintage Valentine at our local antique shop, I decided to design a kit around it:

I took photos of items from my various collections, the plants and flowers in my garden, and added some CU elements from The Scrappin Cop. And here is the kit:

And here is a layout I made (QP included in kit):

Photo: 123RF Stock Photography

And here are the downloads (in three parts). Please note that this kit is for personal use only (PU Only). Enjoy!

December Garden 2011 – Wrap Up

lutkaandco — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:34:47 +0000

Just wrapping up my 2011 garden post for December. I took these shots, and never had the time to post them. Here is my dormant vegetable garden waiting for spring planting:

This one is of our dog Hiro under the grape vines. This year will be the first year they will be allowed to fruit – yay!

And here are our lovely avocados – delicious!

I thought I would add this one. It took me half the day to trim the pygmy date palms and New Zealand flax, and here are the results of my efforts; I can now see across the pool:

The rare color in my December garden – an ivy geranium, in my favorite color, pink!

And finally, the first crop of Mexican limes. They are tiny, but sooo juicy with a wonderful aroma and flavor:

2012: I will post about my garden, but probably not on a monthly basis. Thanks for visiting!

A New Year, New Beginnings?

lutkaandco — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:08:24 +0000

It has been over a month since I posted, or even looked at my blog. The holidays have kept me busy, but as it wound down, it also gave me time for deep reflection. So much has gone through my mind the last few weeks. Middle age, and so many unanswered questions… As 2011 was my year of “Living Artfully”, I have decided 2012 will be my year of “Spiritual Rediscovery/Renewal”. Of course, I will still continue with my artful life.

As part of this spiritual journey, we have started attending our local place of worship. One of the things I found amusing was our “words for the year”. There was a basket full of words, and we randomly picked one. My daughter got “Surrender”. Her first reaction; “OMG mom, now I have to listen and do everything you say?!” – I thought it was funny . My word is ” Enthusiasm” – very appropriate as I have been lacking it the last few weeks. So, with a renewed sense of purpose, I will go forth on my spiritual adventure. I am also planning on catching up/finishing up past projects as well :-). A Belated Happy New Year to you all!