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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Another Retirement ...

A peek inside
Another co-worker in my department at work is retiring. Her retirement date is March 19, 2012.

A card idea popped into my head ... something about a bucket list booklet and since the woman is a smoker, a cigar box for an envelope.

I remember as a kid I thought cigar boxes were neat. Partly for their looks, but because they can hold "things" ... like pretty rocks, doo-dads - stuff I found appealing.

Front of envelope
Using free graphics from The Graphics Fairy and inspired by several graphics from Just Something I Made websites, I came up with a card that resembles a book and the dimensional box envelope.

Shallow depth envelope
Backside of envelope
I needed the envelope to be a shallow box, since it was made from the cigar box graphics. I only needed a very shallow depth though. I was worried it would be a bust, but with a little Mod Podge to secure the corners and a thin coat on the bottom of the "box" - it holds it shape well enough.

The card has some silly photos of things - a plump male ballerina in a pink tutu, some vintage looking photos of women with tennis racquets and women holding trophies from perhaps a beauty contest ... you know, things you might have on your bucket list.

Inside of envelope

Inside card
This is the second retirement card I've made in as many months. It makes me wonder how nice it would be to retire and spend my time doing all the things I WANT to do rather than doing what someone else wants from me.


Friday, March 2, 2012

Crochet-Beaded Bracelet

 I have a few plastic containers full of various glass, wood and metal beads - a treasure I came upon at the Valley Thrift Store a few months ago.  Someone must have decided to get rid of all the crafting supplies they had, or a family member had piled up. You never know what the story is behind such finds.

Some of the glass beads are beautiful and would be nice as jewelry. I'm partial to the blue beads.

Jewelry making is not one of the craft areas I've dabbled in much. I've done macrame jewelry in my youth, but nothing with wire and beads. I do have the supplies to give it a try ... just too much going on elsewhere to dive in.

Before I stowed away my yarn supplies - my winter craft of choice - I dug out a few skeins of crochet yarn to continue my crochet flower making. I decided to try a fellow crafter's pattern to make a wrap bracelet with some of my favorite beads.

This is what I ended up with. It can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet.