Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quotes. Show all posts

Stuff I Found Online

I've been swamped with some tasks about the house and the camper, so I'm a bit behind on my bloggy-ness. Instead of leaving you with nothing from me, let me share some of the wonderful I've recently discovered online.
  • First, a creative quote I really like.
  • I'm a sucker for anything Tiramisu, so this recipe totally caught my eye.
Tiramisu Bread from The Cooking Bride

I'll leave you with that laugh for now. Have a great day!

Keep Your Head Up and Be True to You



After my Blog in Crisis post and putting some thought into the state of my blog, I realize that I simply cannot make any 'drastic' changes to it in order to gain more followers. I'm happy with my CraftyHope branding (despite my lack of crafty posts from time to time), and there's definitely not going to be any significant changes in who I am personally. I have the same interests, want to talk or take pictures of the same things, and am instinctively a fairly lazy person. As well, I recognize that I'm swimming in an ocean of social media. Blogging used to be in its own little world of social media but along came MySpace and Facebook, then the micro-blogging that is Twitter, the visual blogging that is Instagram, and the blog saving/sharing that is Pinterest, along with a sea of other social media platforms. So what if my cries to 'look at me' aren't heard above the waves, I'm not drowning. . .my head is still above the water. I just need to maybe learn a few new tricks, incorporate something fantastic into my routine. What that is, I have no clue. But I have ideas. You've already witnessed some of them, and that's a starting point isn't it?

For a little bit of refreshment from that topic, here's two of my nieces and Pat keeping their heads above the water in the Gulf.

 Isn't that lovely?

Earrings Galore

Yesterday, you got a sneak peek at the earrings I worked on last week. I thought I'd show them off a little more today. Please note that this isn't all of them for a couple of reasons; the others are either rather simple or I need to save them for a reveal. Here's a better look at the rest!
This one didn't start out from the pile of pairs I had gathered. Instead, it came straight out of my sketchbook.

It's simply moonstone and brass. Lovely.

I had a bit of a theme going for the majority of the earrings pairs I made. Here you can see it was wrapping rings, one in wire and the other in some waxed linen.

There was also a flower theme. The top row uses some vintage Lucite from my stash, and the bottom flowers are glass. Also, please note that the upper left one has button flowers dangling from it. That's important.

You see, buttons was another theme incorporated into these earrings.

Those alligators at the top are also buttons. However, the theme of this shot is washers. The copper washers up top were textured and aged and the bottom steel ones were altered with some Vintaj Patinas and a stamp. That's the last of the themes, but not the last of the earrings. Oh no. . .

These just have a fun, funky shape that remind me of a clown for some reason. The top three violet beads on each of these are from MyElements.

Next up are my favorites. I just had to show these off.

I've had those purple and white triangular beads FOREVER and just never knew what to do with them. I was down to my last pair of them so they ended up on my desk this past week. As I looked at them, I suddenly saw sails and HAD to make them into sailboats. I was absolutely giddy when these came together so perfectly. The piece on the bottom is some cultured sea glass from ZnetShows.

I don't know what it is about these earrings that appeals to me so. Perhaps it really is their simplicity. I actually only bought two of these beads with the full intention of making them into earrings someday. Their time had come. Once the wire frame was shaped around them, I kept fiddling trying to add something else to them. It finally hit me to KISS them (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I'm glad I did.

These bone beads were another pair I bought specifically to make into earrings. However, I just kept moving them around my desk. Nothing seemed perfect for them. As I sat up in bed the last night of our vacation, I was struck with the idea of putting them in a birdcage of sorts. Since I was browsing the internet on my iPad anyway, I did some research on how to do it and found very little except this Basket Case tutorial from WireWorkers Guild. I awoke the next morning ready to get to it. I know my take on the encasing is different, but I love the imperfections. This quote sums them up for me.


Yeah, that quote pretty much sums me up too!


Having Fun with Tumblr

I'm going to try something new today.
I don't think I've mentioned this, but a while back I got myself a Tumblr blog. If you go to CraftyHope.com that's what you'll see. . .my Tumblr.

When I first signed up for Tumblr, I wasn't really sure what to expect. Since I've been on there I've found it to be a lot of fun and quite inspiring. Tumblr blog posts are as simple as a picture, a quote, a conversation, maybe some text. Overall, it's just eye candy.

I've decided that I'm going to begin "Tumblr Tuesdays" and share some of the beauty and fun I found on Tumblr over each week with you here.
*The links to most of these will take to to the original sites,  but I will not vouch for the stability or character of those sites. I just want to give them their due credit link.*

On Tumblr, I've found other Etsy listings (and inspiring quotes)
Wild Air

Screen caps from some of my favorite movies (and tv shows)
Harry and Ginny

Beautiful photography images
The Beach

Yummy-looking and artful food images
Rainbow cupcake

Fantastic art
Graffiti Cathedral

Decorating inspiration
Porch swings

Other bits of fun
Reading rainbow

I even make posts myself, like the newest listings from my shop
Blooming Buttons Necklace
I've really had a lot of fun playing around on Tumblr.
If you've also got a Tumblr blog, please follow CraftyHope and I'll follow you back! If you don't have one. . .no worries, I plan on sharing some of my favorite Tumblr finds each Tuesday from now on. Of course, I'd love to hear what you think of this new plan.

Working Through It (Halloween-style TRT)

"As soon as you're born, you start dying; so you might as well have a good time"
~lyrics from 'Sheep Go To Heaven by Cake

I try to remember these words when I start feeling down about what's going on around me. They help me remember that I'm the only one who can make a REAL difference in my life. Yes, they may be morbid; but that's kinda who I am. I need to remember to LIVE and HAVE FUN doing it before I'm all out of time.

You may have read my POOR ME post yesterday, and I want you to know I'm feeling a bit better about life now. I won't apologize or give excuses for yesterday, because that's how I was honestly feeling THEN.

While I'm not all better, I realize that it was just a day. A day to be thankful for, a day I got to experience, and a day from which I can learn.

Now, to get back to the business of LIVING. . .
Here's some "Totally Random Tuesday" Halloween-style:
You getting in the Halloween mood yet??

Question: What quotes motivate you?
To end this post, let me share one other that really sticks in my mind

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
~Dr. Seuss

NEW website (and blog to go with it)

 Hey y'all!! I've got some news. It's great, but also bittersweet. After almost NINETEEN years here on Blogger/Blogspot, I'v...