She Believed She Could So She Did

She Believed She Could So She Did – Typography Print 8×10

“She Believed She Could So She Did” – is by far one of my favorite quotes. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I was inspired to create this typography print. I designed it in honor of a special women in my life who is currently battling breast cancer and I decided to share this on the blog in hopes that other women might benefit from this empowering message as well.

Feel free to pin or share, but please be sure to credit dabblearts.com and if you wish to have a print, just send me an email ( dabbledigital @ gmail.com )

What’s New for 2010- Handbags and Greeting Cards!

Happy New Year Crafters!

I am excited to start this new year for many reasons, the first and most exciting reason is that I am expecting my first child- sometime in February!! I am also excited because I finally have time to get my handmade items up for sale on etsy! I think it is going to be a great year and I can’t wait to share my adventures with you!

Here are a few items that have just been posted on sale in the DabbleArts etsy store. If you don’t have an etsy account, don’t worry, these items will be up on the website soon and I an a verified paypal vendor so you can safely purchase online.

Happy New Year!

Jeni

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BONNIE MAE QUILTED LILY TOTE $65

Bonnie Mae Quilted "Lily" Tote Bag

This retro & trendy tote bag is a perfect carry-all handbag, diaper bag, travel bag, or shopping bag! It has 4 pockets, 2 large pockets on the outside of the bag and 2 slightly smaller pockets inside the bag which are perfect for cellphones, pacifiers, or any other small items that you don’t want to lose! The black & white retro floral fabric is accented with a vibrant fuschia cotton fabric that lines the top of the bag and the entire inside. The straps are made from a solid black cotton fabric and measure approximately 12″ high and are reinforced with extra stitching for stability. Find it here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39574676

VINTAGE BLACK & WHITE NOTECARD SET $16

Vintage Black & White Notecard Set

This set of handmade cards comes with four different black & white vintage patterns. The cards measure 4×6″ and are made from black pearlized card stock which are then covered with the black & white vintage cardstock.  The cards are blank inside for you to personalize. Find them here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=39579943

Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas

With the tough economical situation this year, money for the holiday gifts is tight, but a popular solution to this dilemma is to make handmade presents. If you aren’t feeling crafty, or have no idea where to begin, you can find some fabulous handmade items for sale on sites like http://www.etsy.com. Etsy offers a variety of handmade gifts that will suite any budget. However, if you do want to try something crafty, here are a few ideas that are easy to make and won’t break the bank.

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HANDMADE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT:

Ornament Stuffed With Gold Ribbon

Plain glass ornaments can be found at your local craft store. I got a box of 4 for $2. With a little time and a few simple embellishments, you can turn them into beautifully decorated ornaments that will make a perfect gift for a friend. The ornament in the picture above I made by stuffing it with gold ribbon and then I wrote Merry Christmas on it with a metallic god pen.

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HANDMADE GREETING CARD SET:

Variety Set of Handmade Cards

You can get a set of blank cards at almost any craft shop and personalize them with stamps, speciality paper or scrapbook items. I decided to make a set of cards to fit a few different occasions. I made a few happy birthday, get well, thank you, and congratulation cards that I plan to give as a gift set to a few of my family members.

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KIDS CRAFT BOX:

DABBLE Craft Box for Kids

This gift is perfect for a child, or even a novice crafter. Get a shoe box, or a pastry box and put a few uncompleted craft projects in the box. Just make sure you’ve included all the parts for the craft kit. For instance if you’re giving wooden projects to paint, include the brush and the paints. I created a few craft boxes (like the one pictured above) that I sold through Dabble Arts & Crafts. For $15 I have included a wooden frame, ornament, paints, brush, and fun dough.

OTHER CRAFTY IDEAS:

A DATE IN A BOX:

I gave this gift a few times and each time I do it a little bit differently and I try to cater it to the couple I am giving the gift to. It’s pretty simple, get a large shoe box, or a cake/pastry box (you can find a variety of boxes at Micheal’s for $1 or less). Decorate the outside of the box with decorative paper and the couple’s name. Inside the box, you can put all the items they will need for a romantic “date night”. Some ideas are: a bottle of wine, a blockbuster gift card, a bag of popcorn, dessert mix or chocolates, a massager, oils, basically anything that will fit in the box and can be used on a date!

COOKIE INGREDIENTS & RECIPE IN A JAR:

This crafty gift has been around forever, but I just love it because who doesn’t love cookies? You can usually find a set of empty mason jars at your grocery store, fill them with all the dry ingredients you’ll need to make your cookie recipe. Type up the recipe instructions and print it on decorative paper then glue it to the jar. Wrap a ribbon around the jar with a gift tag adn your done!

HAND-PAINTED WINE OR MARTINI GLASS:

I have seen a ton of these at small boutiques from Maryland to California and I decided to try some of my own. It’s an easy way to personalize a gift not just for Christmas, but also for bridal showers, birthday parties and more. I found the cheapest set of glasses at Linens N Things, or Bed Bath & Beyond because you’ll get more for you money. They cost about $12 for 12 glasses. However, you can buy a single glass at places like Home Goods, or Ross.

Once you’ve picked the glass you like, you then need to get special gel pens that will write on glass (at your local craft store of course). Have fun and decorate the glass with the recipient’s name, the event, flowers, etc.. To set the paint, you will usually have to bake the glass for about 10 minutes or so after you decorate it (the instructions on the pens will tell you if you need to do this or not). If you’ve decorated a martini glass, it’s neat to also attach a favorite martini recipe to the glass with a special tag.

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There you have it, a few simple crafty ideas to use for gift giving this holiday season. Hope you enjoy making your handmade gifts and have a happy holiday season!

-Jeni

Dabble Arts & Crafts

http://www.dabblearts.com

No Excuses

Little Apple Bay, Tortola, BVI

The sky was filled with millions of sparkling flecks lit up by a full moon that blanketed a shimmering glow of light over Cane Garden Bay. The moored boats, scattered across the bay, gently shifted from side to side. It was midnight on the small island of Tortola. The warm Caribbean tide gently lapped onto the shore while reggae beats billowed out of Quito’s bar and I danced at the water’s edge. I was in heaven. I had never felt so free–so beautiful–so calm in my own skin. I felt every grain of wet sand tickle between my toes–the warmth of the water and the warm breeze in my hair as I danced to the rhythm of the island beats. It was then that Jose (nicknamed the crazy Puerto Rican) walked up to my husband and I and struck up a conversation about the magical island.

We quickly learned that Jose grew up in poverty in Puerto Rico, but at a young age was able to start his own video rental store. He made it his life’s goal to one day retire and sail around the world. He was currently living out that dream. The island of Tortola being his favorite destination awarded him a wealth of friends that we too would soon meet.

I didn’t know it then, but our conversation with Jose would stick to my brain like glue, guiding me as a life lesson never to be forgotten. Jose made it clear to us that no matter what our dreams or ultimate goal was in life, we could never give up and never make excuses for how we lived or the choices we made. If we wanted something to be, it would be as long as we lived by these two simple words –“No Excuses”. It was those words that ring true in my head today. When I am feeling the weight of anxiety pressing at my chest I go back to that night and to that moment and I feel calm. I know that I am the champion of my success and as long as I don’t live a life built on excuses I will make my dreams come true.

Memory Box Makeover

So I have a problem, I like to save things. It causes clutter and it drives my husband crazy, but there are just those things that I don’t want to get rid of- things that remind me of a great trip, a romantic dinner, a thoughtful card… you get the idea. Anyway, I had this ugly shoebox holding most of those types of random things from when my husband and I started dating– 7 years ago.

THIS IS THE UGLY SHOEBOX BEFORE:

I finally decided to do something about the ugly box when I was cleaning up the office, and I had an idea of a way to do a simple “makeover” without spending a lot of time or money. So here it is, the memory box makeover. Simple, Quick, and Cheap!

AFTER:

Here’s what you’ll need:

* Shoebox

* Roll of Contact Paper (I found mine at Home Depot, for $7)

* Scissors

* Construction paper, tape, & any type of embellishments to decorate your finished box.

Before you begin, here’s a little tip about the contact paper, it’s not super tacky which is great because you can peel it up and reapply it if you lay it down crooked, or if you see an air bubble. The most frustrating part of this project for me was the air bubbles. Just go slow when you are adhering it and make sure to smooth it down as you go to avoid air bubbles.

Step One: Measure the box base and cut the contact paper to fit. (Use the handy guides on the contact paper to make straight cuts).

Cut the contact paper to fit the size of the box from the base up to the sides.

Peel the protective paper off and pull up the sides to adhere it to the box. Be sure to smooth the paper as you apply it, otherwise you will end up with a bunch of air bubbles!

To fold the corners over, make a small cut right at the edge of the corner, then fold the contact paper to the inside of the box.

Now that the base is finished. Repeat the same steps for the top of the box.

Cover the top of the box, then cut small incisions into the corners to fold each flap in.

Close Up of Edge Cut

Fold the edges into the box top.

Your finished with covering the box. Now for the fun part, decorate it with a stamp, sticker, or any embellishments you may have lying around. I chose a MEMORIES sticker ($1) that I adhered to a piece of blue construction paper.

Memory Box Makeover Complete!

DABBLE Crafting Party

Dabble Scrapbook Frames

In lieu of posting a project this week, I thought I would take a minute to talk about my trip to AZ and the DABBLE craft party.

I had such a great time  in Arizona. Not only did I get a chance to catch up with family and friends, but I also got to teach a DABBLE party “She’s Crafty” at Britta’s house.  The idea behind my DABBLE crafting parties is simple, you gather your friends and I arrive with all the craft supplies to teach everyone how to make a unique craft. The parties are a fun way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning doing something creative while socializing with your friends. For Britta’s DABBLE party, we decided to do the “scrapbook inspired frames”.  

I was excited to teach a new technique on how to make scrapbook inspired frames. In my first attempt at making the frames, I used the decoupaging  like the one I posted here under “scrapbook inspired frame”, but I figured this technique would be to involved to teach for a 2hour class. I eventually figured out a different way to create these fabulous frames and I think they came out better than I had even expected! By simply gluing paper onto the frame and sanding it off, each dabbler made a unique frame that reflected their own personal style and showcased their creativity. I was thrilled to see that everyone was having a great time and was really enjoying making their frames. It reminded me of why I created DABBLE Arts & Crafts, to inspire creativity by providing fun & easy craft projects that anyone can do. The best part of the party was that everyone seemed truly happy with what they created and inspired to do more!

Britta and Amy's Frames