Happy New Year!

 

Wishing you all a safe and Happy New Year!
May you look back on 2013 with pride and happiness, and look toward 2014 with hope and joy!

♥ Jess

Handmade Christmas: Feather Prints by Jody Edwards

One of my resolutions for 2014 is to fill my empty walls with art. I am so picky that I end up just leaving walls bare instead of throwing any ole thing up there. I always think to myself that I'll make something to fill up this space and paint something to fill up that space, but then guess what? I never do. It's just too much pressure. It's like the whole blank canvas syndrome - where to start?

So when I discovered Jody Edwards' beautiful paintings on Etsy, I felt like it was a sign! When my darling husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I showed him these feather prints and he said, "Those are awesome, let's get a bunch!" So we did, but it's only the beginning of our collection :)

Click on any of the photos to see them on Etsy:

Aren't they just gorgeous? The first four we got as 8x10 prints and the last two on greeting cards. I think they will be a beautiful start to a picture wall. Now to get some frames!

All images © Jody Edwards from http://jodyvanb.etsy.com

Handmade Christmas : Owl Fingerless Gloves

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas! I sure did - my sweet hubby indulged me with lots of awesome handmade gifts from Etsy, including these adorable grey owl fingerless gloves which were a custom request from Coco and Cocoa! I love them so much - I even wear them inside the house :)

I am excited to see that they are available in the shop now so I can share them with you!! Gloves are handmade to order so you can get them in your favorite color.

I have always loved Julie's cable knit owl hats with vintage button eyes - I've written about them before - and when I saw the new fingerless gloves she's been making recently, I thought they would be so cute with the owls on them too. Well, aren't they??

What were your favorite gifts this year?

Cyber Monday Sale!

Well it's that time of year again! How did it sneak up so quickly?? Somehow it seems December always surprises me and I realize I haven't planned ahead as much as I should have and start scrambling to figure out what I'm going to give everyone for Christmas. Luckily, there are always tons of great deals and sales all over the place to make it a little easier on the pocketbook. 

Of course I'm jumping on the bandwagon to offer my favorite people in the world (yes, that's YOU!) a great deal on some gorgeous handmade jewelry (if I do say so myself!)

My sale this year is for 25% off any purchase with coupon code "THANKS25"in my Etsy shop (Bespangled.com routes to the Etsy address until I can get my stuff together and finish building my website :) This coupon code will expire at 11:59pm CST on December 3rd, so if you've got your eye on something, get it now!

SHOP:

Necklaces // Bracelets // Earrings // Pendants // Rings // Spiritual + Yoga Jewelry

Fall Fashion Crushes

This post contains some affiliate links

There's nothing I love more than a great pair of boots with my favorite jeans and a cozy sweater to celebrate the beginning of fall in Texas. In fact, I wish I could dress for fall all year round, though the possibility of my uprooting from The Sweltering South is doubtful so I'll just enjoy it while I can :)

It's been a while since I made a styleboard, and I always have so much fun with them so I thought I'd throw together a quick set of my Fall Fashion Faves to help show off some of the new jewelry in the shop!

Get the Look:

Little Drops of Gold - Every Day Earrings

Little Drops of Gold Earrings

These sweet little beauties are new in the shop! I love the way a satin finish looks on hammered gold, and this pair of earrings is the perfect way to add a touch of golden luxury to an every day outfit. 

Pair them with a crisp white shirt, jeans, and your favorite boots and you've got a classic casual fall look. Wear them to work with a fitted blazer, ruffled blouse, and slacks. They also dress up nicely - with your best Little Black Dress and heels!

I could really go on forever - I haven't found a single thing in my closet that these perfect earrings don't go with. How can you go wrong with simple little gold drops?

Click here to purchase your next favorite pair of earrings :)

DIY Raspberry Lemon Sugar Scrub - Handmade Bridesmaid Gift Idea

Well, I promised you all some more DIY Wedding stuff! I made this delicious homemade raspberry lemon sugar scrub as part of my bridesmaids' gifts goody bags. (I'll be sharing more of those soon as well). It's a beautiful happy color pink, it's moisturizing, and it smells amaaaaaaazing (seriously - good enough to eat)! Oh, and it's super quick and easy to make!

Now of course, it's not strictly wedding related, but it's the reason it came about, so it is to me. I love the idea of using this homemade scrub for any gift giving occasion, and it's definitely great as part of a gift basket (filled with other homemade goodies, of course!) Hostess gifts, baby shower gifts, etc. etc., it's perfect, right??

And if you want to make it extra special, see below for info on etching a monogram right onto the glass jar!

DIY Raspberry Lemon Sugar Scrub

DIY No Sew Burlap Table Runners DIY Wedding / Home Decor

Well I'm getting down to the wire with only 15 days to go now! I've got all the big things taken care of for the wedding and thankfully I'm finally getting to work on the fun stuff - all my DIY decorations and wedding decor.

I knew I wanted some burlap table runners but I don't sew. Well, I totally would, but I haven't bought myself a sewing machine yet, so for now I don't sew.  I do have a handful of friends who do (and my mom too, of course) but I didn't want to burden anyone with a big project so last minute (I need to make runners for at least 10 tables), so I started shopping around, thinking I could probably just buy some.

I couldn't believe the prices on some of these things! Some up to $50 each for an 8 foot burlap table runner! I don't even think I'd want to spend $20 each...So you know me, I'd rather spend the time to make something than get ripped off, lol!

So without further ado, here is my video tutorial showing the step by step process for these adorable and very inexpensive Easy DIY No-Sew Burlap Table Runners! (< click to watch the video on YouTube if you are on a mobile device or otherwise unable to see the embedded video below)

SUPPLIES & MATERIALS:

• burlap fabric by the yard (see diagram & notes below to determine how much you need)
• fusible webbing
• scissors
• sharp tool for hooking and pulling out the burlap thread
• measuring tape / ruler
• spray bottle with water
• pale colored cloth*
• iron

NOTES: 

• This technique will work for other fabrics, not just burlap. There are different grades of Stitch Witchery (fusible webbing). I used the regular weight for mine. Now, unfortunately I don't have any neat tricks for cutting normal fabric in a straight line...

• If you are using burlap, you may want to work on top of another cloth or piece of fabric - especially if you're ironing on your ironing board. Burlap leaves behind fluff as bad as a Persian cat - you'll be annoyed next time you go to iron your nice black slacks on your furry ironing board if you don't protect it :)

• *Be sure to use either a pale colored cloth or an old well washed one that won't bleed any color to your fabric below when you iron it damp!

• For the 6 foot picnic tables that are about 30" wide, I made 8 foot long, 16" wide table runners. I cut my fabric at 98" by 18", leaving myself only an extra 2 inches to fold over the edges, but you can leave more of an allowance if you feel more comfortable. Just trim off the extra after your fabric is fused - but remember to always fuse right in the crease.

I was able to get two 16" runners from one 47" wide piece of fabric that was 2.75 yards long. At my local craft / hobby stores, the price per yard was about $3.99/yd, but with my 40% off coupon that became $2.39/yd, so I spent about $3.50 per table runner (and that includes the fusible webbing)!

I can't wait to share pictures from the wedding! I'm sure everything will look so much prettier in place :)

If you want to see some of the other DIY wedding stuff I've been up to lately, check out my DIY Mason Jar Hanging Lanterns and my DIY Bridal Shoe Hack.

Also, more to come!!

Easy DIY Bridal Shoe Hack - 3 Ways! {Video}

I won't lie. I did NOT enjoy shopping for shoes for my wedding. Like, at ALL. I knew exactly what I wanted and I couldn't find them anywhere. Not even online. All I wanted was a simple open-toed strappy nude or ivory wedge heel with just the tiniest touch of something special. Is that asking too much??

No bling, no glitter, no lace, no stiletto heel, no patent leather or cheap looking satin...just something comfortable, something simple, and hopefully even something so simple I could maybe wear them again (what a novel idea!!)

Oh, and I didn't want to pay $400 either, soooo....there's that. 

After spending way too many hours scouring the internet and an entire day and a half running all over town trying on shoes until my little piggies hurt, I gave up and went to Target to see if they had any leather sandals to replace my favorite pair that broke....and to give my feet something comfortable for the drive home. 

Well lo and behold...guess what? I saw the perfect wedding shoe just sitting there on the shelf, coyly waiting for me as I turned down the aisle. Pale faux suede with a lovely curved wedge and ankle strap, just asking for a little DIY embellishment. 

Shock and awe! My size? What an amazing turn of events! And comfortable too? And under $30?? SERIOUSLY? Score. Happy dance. Smiley face. And I can guaran-dam-tee ya I'll be wearing these babies again too. I love them!

If you're on mobile device and can't see the embedded video, you can watch my Easy DIY Bridal Shoe Hack video on YouTube.

HOW TO:

So, as you can see, this was ridiculously simple. I just grabbed a yard of 6" wide tulle ribbon (available in tons of fun colors besides white and ivory) and doubled it over, lengthwise. Then I used it to tie around the shoe or around my ankle. Of course, repeat for the other side. Trim ends as necessary, and that's it. Under 2 minutes. Done!

The most difficult part is deciding which way I want to wear them!  My dress is a tea-length gown, so it ends about 6" above my ankle. What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinion!

And, bonus!! I found myself a pair of cute sandals (on sale) to change into as the night winds down. All in? About $50 for two pairs of shoes for my wedding that I will definitely wear again (though, probably without the tulle). I'm a happy girl.

Stay tuned for more DIY wedding stuff - I've got tons more planned. Coming soon: my bridal necklace tutorial, pretty bridal hair comb tutorial, and some DIY crepe paper rose pomanders. And if you missed it, check out my Mason Jar Hanging Lanterns Tutorial. 

See y'all soon!

I linked up at:

Easy DIY Heart Shaped Jewelry Display

Last year, just before Valentine's Day, I posted this How to Draw a Heart Without a Template Tutorial.  I had all but forgotten all about it when I saw a comment pop up from a reader who had followed the instructions to make a jewelry display for an upcoming craft show!

"Brilliant!" I thought. What a great idea! I asked if she would email me some photos so I could see them and share. And she did!

Thank you, Faye, for sending in these photos and allowing me to share your awesome idea. Wishing you every success at your very first craft show :)

If you'd like to make a jewelry display like this, start by drawing your heart shape on a piece of foam posterboard. If you don't want to freehand it, my tutorial shows you how to draw a perfectly symmetrical heart very easily!

Cut around the heart shape carefully with a craft knife.

Choose your fabric - felt, velvet, or anything you like! and make sure you have plenty of excess fabric overlapping all the edges - at least 5 inches. Attach the fabric to the heart using hot glue, stretching it tight as you go around the edges.

You can always trim off extra after the glue is set firmly. If you'd like to cover the back completely, you can cut another piece of fabric using the heart as a template, and just glue that on top of the folded over fabric.

You can cut and attach a triangular shaped piece of foamboard to the back as a stand, but something sturdier like a wooden or metal bracket might be better, especially for an outdoor show where wind might be a concern.

Thanks again, Faye, for sharing your process and your beautiful jewelry! I love these necklaces and I think they look great on this display :)

Dream Big - Build Your Castles in the Air

I love this quote from Walden. I have always heard that to reach a goal you had to have a clear vision of the outcome, and I know that's true. 

You will surely get lost on a path without a destination.

Don't be afraid to dream big! Build your castle in the sky and then come back and build the foundation and the beautiful staircase up to it. It's a lot easier to hit the target if you know where to aim. 

✧✧✧

What does your castle look like?

Hanging Mason Jar Lanterns - DIY Wedding Craft {Video}

I know I'm not the only one who has a crush on mason jars. Mason jars are huge in arts and crafts and in DIY weddings, especially right now...in case you have been living under a rock.

Ever since I saw these cute customizable mason jar save-the-dates  I knew I wanted to incorporate mason jars into my someday wedding, even though that was a couple of years ago and I wasn't actually even engaged yet... So yeah,  I totally had a crush on them first ;)

I thought it might be easier to make a video showing the step-by-step process than just take a zillion boring photos of me looping wire that may or may not really make sense. Plus, I like making videos.

For my hangers in this video, I used some electrical wire (Romex) reclaimed from the trash pile after we installed a new ceiling fan. It's perfect for all kinds of crafts, and it's solid copper! But if you don't happen to have any of this stuff lying around, you can find 12 gauge (or 14 gauge would work too) wire in your choice of metals at the craft store or at the hardware store.

I believe the mouths of mason jars are a standard size, but just for reference I am using the quart sized jars.

There's a complete list of tools and supplies after the video. (If you're on a mobile device and can't see the embedded video, you can watch this Mason Jar Lantern How To on YouTube.) Enjoy!



TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
• mason jars
• for each mason jar - 26 inches of 12 or 14 gauge wire (copper, brass, or colored craft wire)
• heavy duty wire cutters ( I use floral cutters)
• round nosed pliers

I'd love to hear what you think about this project. Leave me a note!

 I linked up at: