Silvia’s Chalkboard Necklace

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Chalkboard necklace by my friend Silvia

My friend Silvia is so talented! She’s evolved her Etsy shop over this past year more into what she’s passionate about and I’m so proud of her for that. She’s focusing more on her zines and unique handmade items that she really passionately puts time and effort into.

So, this holiday season, instead of putting anything and everything she makes into her shop (seriously, listing and photography for a lot of items is a major chore), she’s just listing this adorable and innovative chalkboard necklace. I’ve seen it and it is seriously fab. I think as artists we get so overwhelmed why what we can make to sell that we sometimes forget to keep it simple. Not just in handmade goods but in other creative ventures like blogging. I think if we focus on making things unique and heartfelt, we will have so much more success than if we focus on quantity without direction. I don’t know if I’m making a lot of sense. I just like the idea of getting back to basics and thinking smart with intention.

So hop on over to her shop and check out the chalkboard necklace for yourself and add it to your holiday wish list. She’s offering free shipping and it comes with a chalk pencil all inside a gold pillowbox ready for gifting!

I think I may just have to get one for myself!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

My new nameplate at work and other fun stuff

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my-new-nameplate-at-work

Hey guys! Just checking in. Wanted to share with you my funny new chalkboard nameplate that is above my desk at work! Haha. People walking down the hallway see me yelling my name all day! I figure I’m the one that talks the most so it is only appropriate that I have the talk bubble above my head! I did my name in florescent orange Tulip 3D Fashion Paint.

Also, I’m now a member of “Team Create”. It’s for bloggers who blog for iLoveToCreate and use iLoveToCreate products. Admittedly, I also created the little header above for all the team members to use. I think it turned out pretty cute.

In other random news, I made shrinky dinks at Silvia’s house the other night. Kathy went with me. We had a lot of fun! We also watched Glee and were entertained by Joshua.

Here’s two of my creations pre-shrunk…
rainbow shrink

in-one-ear-out-the-other

The earrings totally turned out 2 different sizes. I must have cut them differently. That’s the bummer thing. I spent like an hour just making this one pair!

Here’s Kathy frantically finishing one of her shrinky dink earring sets with commentary by Joshua.

Hope you’ve had a great week!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Fashion Graffiti on the Fly

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This weekend, my friend Silvia (a.k.a. StudioMama) and I did a quick and easy video showing you how easy it is to use the new Tulip Fashion Graffiti products! We had a blast doing it! We just played with the product and had fun…I think part of the cool thing about this product is that it really allows you to just play and not think so much. I tend to overanalyze and think too much sometimes about what I am designing. This lets you loosen up and be free with your art and break out of that mold.

I was inspired by some various pillows I had found online (some retailing up to $70 a pop)!!

Here’s a pic of the finished product! It’s sloppy and messy…what makes graffiti so great!

Graffiti Pillow by Silvia

Here’s a whole slew of projects that we also have using the Graffiti product. We’ve compiled them in this Flickr set. Click on each project and at the bottom is the tutorial link to the project instructions on iLoveToCreate.

Look for Tulip® Fashion Graffiti™ endcap at your local Michaels! It’s also available via iLoveToCreate.com!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

I own original art!

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Original Art by Silvia Chenault

Check it out, tonight I bought canvas art from my wonderful friend Silvia Chenault! She is an amazing artist (find her work here as well) and zinemaker and she turned pages from her zines (this zine to be exact) into these large canvases!

I’m super excited about it! I’ve always wanted to buy original art on Etsy and the like, but I just haven’t done it. This purchase really makes me want to go out and buy more. I’m always seeing prints and art that inspires me, I just don’t take the time or money to invest in it!

Joshua's painting for me

And an equally cool piece of art I also got tonight? This colorful painted coloring book page by Silvia’s 5 year old son Joshua…hmmmm, I think I see another artist in the making. He has a natural talent for watercolor, I do believe!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa