Liz Clechenko

Elaine Goddard

Liz Clechenko

Ashley Throckmorton

See more photos here – And let us know if you’d like to host a party of your own!

Read the Yelp review and prepare for what promises to be inspiring. Hit or miss, at $2, it’s worth checking out – I hope to be dazzled.

Location:
The Ghost Room
304 West 4th street
Austin, TX 78701

The Final Piece

You’ll need 10 lovely beads (I was fond of the bright turquoise color with gold accents and found a similar bead made from Czech glass.), 11 pieces of chain (each about 5 inches long), accent beads for either side of the selected bead and 10 cuts of wire (plus one extra piece or clasp to bring the ends together).

My Grandmother’s Necklace with Retro Plastic Beads

Prepare the 10 beaded adornments using needle-nosed pliers to create nice loops on each side. Once prepared, link the beads to the chain sections until the entire piece is completed.

For more detailed photos of the process, Check out our Flickr album.

A Closeup of the Final Project

If you have questions or are interested in purchasing this piece. Let us know!

See more photos!

Each year, in the cherub-filled hours of morning, our family would stumble out of bed and down the stairs to find a glorious table set with fresh linens, China plates, crystal wine glasses and polished silver glittering in the candlelight.

Decorative platters and milk glass pedestals were stacked high with over-sized muffins and doughnuts. Paper doilies centered our plates, scents of sugar filled the air and rich red cranberry juice filled our glasses. For thirty minutes, once a year, I couldn’t help but feel like royalty.

This year, I hope to extend this opulent scene to local Austinites as The Lead Chandelier hosts its first craft party (Top Shelf Crafts). For those of you in the area interested in the event, please let us know and we’ll happily send you an invitation. For those out-of-towners, do not fear. Top Shelf Crafts will be scheduling online craft parties later on in 2010!

Until then, enjoy the goodies I’ve begun to gather for the event. And see more Valentines party photos here!

Antique Velvet Hearts

Perfect Satin Bows

Retro Cast Plastic Flower

I’ve placed my order. And in a few short days, two sets of Bluebird feet, a Dove bill and accompanying feet and one adorable pair of Mini Duck feet will come parading into my life.

And with this long awaited order, I’ve also impulsively purchased a couple tiny little birdcages to go with my bout of inspiration. Here are some others that I might add to the list. (Find even more photos here.)

Byzantine Iron Decorative Birdcage from Save On Crafts

Antiqued Iron Decorative Birdcage from Save On Crafts

Small Brass Decorative Birdcage on Etsy

I’m not entirely sure what the end result will be, but I have some ideas. Do you?

My twin sister’s with bun and I’ve been charged with throwing a baby shower that is neither boring nor lame. Impossible? Well, maybe. But I think I can do it with a little alcohol and a lot of craftiness.

I’m currently crushing hard on two amazing shops, Emersonmade and Simple Silhouettes. They are my source of inspiration as I grapple with this beast. Take a breath, you’re about to fall in love.

Hand Made Flowers from Emersonmade

Lusty Uses of Pink from Simple Sillhouettes

See more examples of inspiration. And please PLEASE send me your ideas!

And if that’s not reason enough, do it for the stamp. Check out this knock out design (Love: King and Queen of Hearts). Order yours now in preparation for Valentines Day.

Get It Here

To promote National Letter Writing Month, all TLC card sets and special orders are 25% off this month when you order through us directly!

Now, with the big day gone and a refrigerator full of leftovers, comes creativity. For me, this means Leftovers Empanadas. The idea struck me about a month ago when hosting a dinner party. It’s easy, it’s fried and it’s delicious.

Toss diced turkey, ham, stuffing, green beans and any other leftover dish in a pan until warm. Cut approx. 3 inch circles out of store bought puff pastry. Fill with warmed leftovers and pinch closed to make a half moon. Drop in hot oil until brown flipping once to fully cook. Serve with gravy or cranberry sauce. Die happy. I cannot express how perfect and simple these treats are. If it’s not too late, give it a try.

Got your own ideas? Shoot em my way – I still have a fridge stocked with possibilities!

Reading her note, I can’t help but be reminded of the playful photo collection by Jan Von Holleben of Germany, Dreams of Flying. Read on to find your inspiration…

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

Love the site, Bregan! Arts & Crafts are a big deal in my house. I don’t play with dolls or transformers, so if Sky wants to kick it with mommy, that means we’re makin’ something. When she was just a baby I started by sitting her on my lap and holding a crayon in her hand. We’d sit and draw multi-colored circles together. Then she would sit and watch while I turned them into various creatures and objects.

The Rocketteers

Mommy also doesn’t do tag or any such running sports, so one of our favorite outdoor pastimes is to do sidewalk chalk outlines of each other. Then we turn our shapes into fairies and make giant gardens all around them.

4 year olds are pretty easy to please when they’re making a mess. I keep us stocked in plain ol’ construction paper, paints, white glue and vials of glitter. Throw in some scissors and the possibilities are endless.

The Superman

My dream is to have a studio of my own where I can add clay, a potters wheel, a kiln, canvas, glass and other such things to our arsenal. But to tell you the truth, making ‘kid stuff’ with Skylar is one of my favorite things to do. Sure it’s all very silly and only lasts through the next rain or as long as it survives on the refrigerator, but those activities still serve as a creative outlet for me too.

I have no idea who my daughter will be when she’s all grown up (though I have a few suspicions), but creativity is in her blood and something tells me that’s something we’ll always have in common.
It sounds like you share that with your mother as well.

Much love
~N

Let us know what unique crafts you’ve come up with – with your kids or on your own.