Such Pretty Things

New Martha Stewart Yarn Collection

Oh, how I wish I could knit well.  I have tried it a number of times, but without much success.  I even began baby blankets for each of the girls, but then ended up having to have my mother finish both of them for me. :-) But just because knitting is not my forte, doesn't mean I don't love yarn - all those yummy colors and textures - what's not to love?  So, I was super excited to find Martha Stewart's new line of yarns for Lion Brand.

There are a bunch of different varieties (from Alpaca blends to Merinos), but I am especially loving her Cotton Hemp - it's almost like a thick, soft twine...

And I am crazy for the super twinkly Glitter Eyelash...

Like tinsel on a string!

If you are a "real" knitter, then I think you will love these.  Personally, I will be using them to wrap my holiday packages and treats this year (so look for them to be featured in my "Holiday Wrapping" post coming this December)!

*** I found mine at Michael's, but JoAnn's carries them as well...

Happy Tuesday!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty Shopping: The Gilded Bee

Today I thought I would share one of my all-time favorite shops with you. If you are not already familiar with Sasha North's jewel box of a shop, The Gilded Bee, than you are in for a real treat!

Sasha is an incredibly talented artist who creates the most beautiful miniature paper flower bouquets...

Aren't they stunning!

Look at Sasha's attention to detail...

In addition to her lovely paper flowers, Sasha's etsy shop stocks the most wonderful crafting provisions - from paper lace and colorful Italian trimmings to paper butterflies and candy-colored cabochons...

Sasha's work has been featured on numerous blogs and in national magazines including Martha Stewart Weddings and Bride's Magazine.

She also has her own beautiful blog, I am The Bee, so make sure to check it out!

Happy Thursday!

:-)

Jessica

Romantic Homes & Hat Box Favors

I am so delighted to have my Hat Box Favors featured in this month's issue of Romantic Homes Magazine!

I must give a huge thank you to Justine Lopez for including this project, as it is truly one of my favorites.  It was actually inspired by my love of vintage hat-shaped candy boxes from the 1940's and 50's.

These sweet candy boxes were fashioned to look like woman's hats and often came in pretty pastel shades...

They were typically adorned with ribbon bows and a millinery flower or two...

You can find the complete tutorial for my party favor version of these in the "Make It" section of the March 2011 issue...and I will also be posting a link in my sidebar soon.

This is such a fun project for Spring and would be perfect for weddings, showers, Easter, and Mother's day!

Well, I am off on a little business trip for a few days, but I'll be back soon...

XOXO

Jessica

Pretty Presents: Pom Pom Gift Wrap

This holiday gift wrapping idea is so simple, but I just love the results.  All you need is some glossy white wrapping paper (I found mine at the Container Store) and some of Martha's new Pom-pom stickers.

I just wrapped up my gift boxes in the white paper (making sure the edges were all very crisp and neat) and then stuck on the colorful pom-poms (everywhere except the bottom of the box).

The three-dimensional "dots" add lots of visual interest...

And look so cute and happy!

If you can't find pom-pom stickers, you can try making them yourself out of tissue paper or try gluing on real pom-poms from the craft store.

Happy wrapping!

:-)

Jessica

Pretty Parties: Paper Lace Favors

What do you think of this pretty paper lace?

I made it with my favorite gadget from Martha Stewart Crafts...

It's a "doily lace" punch and I am totally and utterly in love with it!  I had bought some vintage paper lace a few years back from Andrea and I thought it was just the coolest thing.

But with this fabulous punch (the guidelines are built in for perfect alignment), I can make my own paper lace in any color or texture that I want.  For example, this pink lace is just punched from regular, old scrapbook paper from the craft store...

And the mint green lace shown below is punched from a textured wrapping paper.

This paper lace can obviously be used for a million different things, but I especially like to use it for simple party favors.  Just get some small solid colored boxes (jewelry-sized ones work great)...

...fill them with some yummy treats and then wrap a length of paper lace around the box and secure it neatly on the bottom with some double-sided tape.

That's it. This is literally one of the easiest projects to do, but the result is so pretty and romantic.  Try using different colored boxes and/or different colored paper laces to match your party decor.  These are perfect as an inexpensive DIY favor for a wedding, baby or bridal shower, and of course, Valentine's Day!

:-)
Jessica

New Martha Stewart Crafts

I was in Michael's the other day and I noticed that they were clearing out the Martha Stewart section.  I immediately got a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I am a big fan of Martha's products (and packaging!) and I was worried that the bad economy might have taken it's toll.  But, fear not, my concerns were unwarranted. They were just clearing out to make room for all her cool new products!

In addition to the many new scrapbook papers and tools, Martha has come out with some fabulous new craft items.  The first is her incredible new selection of glitter and glitter kits - just in time for the holidays.

You may remember how much I loved my glitter set last year.  Well, now Martha's expanded the selection to include Iridescent glitter...



Foil flaked glitter...



How fun is this?  It looks like flakes of gold leaf!



And this fabulous tinsel-like glitter!





I am also super excited about the new flocking products.  Have you ever tried the technique of "flocking"?  I have always wanted to, so now here's my chance. The flocking powder comes in a rainbow of pretty colors.



I am also in love with Martha's new sticker collections.



The colors are beautiful.  Here are some of my favorites...



These taffy stickers look good enough to eat!



And I am crazy for these glittery confection stickers...



Finally, these sparkly photo corners are a must have for any scrapbooker!





So, have you seen Martha's new products in a store near you?  Which are your favorites?

Happy Weekend!

:-)

Jessica

Glorious Glitter

 Have you seen this??? 

It's the Essential Color Glitter Set from Martha Stewart Crafts  and it's incredible!  Look at all these pretty colors - twenty-four of them to be exact - with names like Aquamarine Crystal and Purple Saphire.  Each color of glitter comes in it's own cute little vial, already labeled and ready for your craft room. 

 

I bought mine at Michaels.  Not that I really needed more glitter. I already have some glitter. 

 

O.K., maybe a lot of glitter.  But it was on sale for 30% off, so you see, I really had to have it.   I'm sure you can understand.  

Luckily, the holidays are right around the corner, so I will be sure to find many uses for it!