Fashionable Friday: In the Spirit of the Royal Wedding

After witnessing the Royal Wedding early this morning, it seemed quite natural to feature a bridal or wedding item this week from one of my fellow RNESTers!

There is a great opportunity to add a very personal touch to your big day... a custom made flower girl dress from Gock's Frocks.

Let your fun and funky personality shine through by the playfulness of the little ones in your bridal party!

These dresses are especially fabulous because they could be worn for other occasions and are machine washable! So you get funky and functional all in one!

Just contact Kristen with your wedding details and she will come up with a work of art that will make you feel like a bit of royalty yourself!

Enjoy this wonderful day!

Many wishes of happiness to all of you planning or preparing for a wedding this year!

Wednesday Wellspring: A Different View

Congratulations to #34 Teary Eyed Stars for winning the Kelley's Beading giveaway! And congratulations to Kira Arts for winning the Japan-inspired team challenge!

And bubbling up from the well this week, is A Different View! One lucky winner will receive this beautiful one-of-a-kind piece made with layered stained and clear glass, preserving natural pressed fleabane flowers. All pendants in this lovely shop are made in this manner, so no two are ever alike - as Mother Nature determines what the artist has available each season! The medallion is finished on a soft black cord, adjustable for custom length.

Chrys, the artist behind these lovely creations, can also be found around Rochester this spring at a few events:

• Library Services Craft Show, Friday, April 29th, 8 am-5 pm at the Rochester Holiday Inn Airport

• b'Zart: an event Chrys is organizing to benefit Golisano Children's Hospital. It will be at the Firehouse Saloon, 814 South Clinton, May 28th from 5-10 p.m. She'll be joined there by fellow RNESTers Sunshyne Silverwear and Softshell Crafts.
• reHatched: Female Artist Showcase at the Tango Cafe, 389 Gregory St., Saturday, June 6, 7pm - 10pm.

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to the US and Canada only.):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to A Different View, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. "Like" RNEST on Facebook.
2. "Like" A Different View on Facebook.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, May 3rd and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Treasury Tuesday: Tell Em' You Got it In Rochester!

This week's pictured treasury highlights lots of spring items from local artists. And a lot of them will be at Mayday Underground this Saturday! So come shop around for some great handmade goods, and when someone asks you "Where did you get that?", tell them you got it in Rochester!

Tell Em You Got It In Rochester! by bmegdesigns

Be sure you click on the links below and go see more treasuries that feature some of our other awesome RNEST members! (if you don't, you're missing out!)

Featuring RNEST Members:

• Angry Birds on Etsy! featuring KarenSwimmer
• Easter Egg Hunt featuring KarenSwimmer
• Spring Promises featuring aDifferentView

Curated by RNEST Members:

• April Showers by saragortiz

* If you make or find a treasury that features an RNEST member, or if you are an RNEST Member who makes a treasury, post the link on the wall at RNEST's Facebook Page. Your treasury could be featured on the next Treasury Tuesday!

Make-It Mondays: Make it to Mayday!

Hello RNESTers and visitors! No tutorials this week, because, by golly, many of us are way too busy preparing for this Saturday. From 10 am -4 pm, you can visit the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York for the latest installment of Mayday! Underground Crafts + Art. There will be 90+ vendors selling unique, handmade items in a wide variety of mediums and styles. Several of those members, including the creators of the event, are members of our team. So make it out to Mayday! and support us and all that is handmade and independent.


PS. More info can found at the official Mayday! website.

PPS. The first 50 shoppers will get a free swag bag full of goodies from the vendors!

PPPS. Bring sample size toiletries to the event as donation to Sample Soap and receive a raffle ticket for fabulous prizes!

Wednesday Wellspring: April Team Challenge: Japan/Japan Relief

With full hearts and thoughtful minds, we have some beautiful offerings for this month's Japan-inspired team challenge.

Cast your vote for your favorite on the poll in the upper, right corner of the blog.

Cherry Blossom Trees, Adjustable Silk Button Ring by buenahelena

Japan Relief Sketchbook by Soft Shell Crafts
All proceeds go to the Red Cross

Torii Gate Pop-Up Card by intertwingle
All proceeds go to the Red Cross Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Relief

Spring Japanese Cherry Blossom Plate by Love and Whiskers

Kiyomi the Geisha by Kira Arts



Cast your vote for your Japan-inspired favorite on the upper right of the sidebar! 

Treasury Tuesday: A Bean Called "Jelly"

After looking at this week's pictured Etsy Treasury by SarahGOrtiz (featuring TheQuiltedHouse and Sunshyne Silverwear), I think I might need to go out and buy myself some jellybeans! (spice ones, not the fruit ones...spice jellybeans are the best!)

A Bean Called "Jelly" by SarahGOrtiz

I hope you all have a Happy Easter!

Be sure you click on the links below and go see more treasuries that feature some of our other awesome RNEST members! (if you don't, you're missing out!)

Featuring RNEST Members:

• Somewhere over the Rainbow featuring TheQuiltedHouse
• Crochet Edibles featuring KarenSwimmer
• Hamburgers featuring KarenSwimmer
• Tyger featuring KarenSwimmer
• An Antique Touch With Whimsy! featuring MFvintage
• Woman In Black featuring MFvintage
• Easter is a Hop Skip, and a Jump Away! featuring MFcrafts
• Mom's Special Day featuring MFcrafts

Curated by RNEST Members:

• Midnight Wanderings by aDifferentView

* If you make or find a treasury that features an RNEST member, or if you are an RNEST Member who makes a treasury, post the link on the wall at RNEST's Facebook Page. Your treasury could be featured on the next Treasury Tuesday!

Make-It Mondays: Suitcase Jewelry Display

This week's tutorial comes from our very own Erin of Sunshyne Silverwear. If you are thinking of ways to reuse thrifted finds for displays at shows you don't want to miss it! Enjoy:

This was a very fun project, so easy too. (right up my alley) I've known for a while that at arts and crafts shows I wanted to showcase my silver spoons separately. One day while scouring for silverware at my local V.O.A., I spotted an old beat up suitcase that I knew would be perfect for the job. (and at 99 cents, I couldn't pass it up) I've seen other artists use vintage suitcases to sell their wares out of, but I've never seen one for jewelry. Well today was the day.

Materials:
* Vintage Suitcase
* 1/2 inch wooden dowels (4)

* 1/2 inch dowel caps (8)
* 1/2 inch drill bit
* Power drill
* Wood glue
* Small hand saw
* Tape measure
* Marker

First I eyeballed it and figured out where I wanted my dowels to go on the inside. I had to account for the length of the necklaces when hung to decide where I wanted the lower bar. Then I measured and marked where I wanted to drill and drilled a hole right through the suitcase. (It was surprisingly easy considering this particular suitcase feels like it's made out of a thick cardboard!)

Once all 8 holes were drilled, I measured how long the dowel would need to be and cut them to size. *Note the comfy house slippers, hey what do ya want, it's my day off ;)

I glued the dowel caps on only one end of the dowel so that I can pull them back through if needed.

Awesome finished product:

click on images to enlarge

I'm calling it 'Grandma's cupboard'.See more of my silverware creations on my web site www.sunshynesilverwear.com

Fashion Friday: Not Business as Usual

Ever lose out on a great advertising opportunity because you don't have a business card with you? These fun and very handy business card holders will make it easy to keep your cards with you at all times and since they are sold in a set of four, could be kept handy in more than one spot. You won't lose out the next time opportunity strikes for a future sale!

Michelle from The Quilted House also suggests that these would make for the perfect tea caddy! I know a few people who are always bringing their own tea bags, this would make a great gift!

Wednesday Wellspring: Kelley's Beading

Congratulations to #27 Faith's Page for winning last week's Stacey Kay Collection giveaway!

And bubbling up from the well this week, is Kelley's Beading! One lucky winner will receive a wonderful Heart Pendant Necklace kit containing materials and instructions for three heart pendants. The kit also includes one 18" silver plated necklace.

You can see more of Kelley's original designs at KelleysBeading.com. She currently has kits for beginners to learn peyote stitch, ladder and herringbone stitch and, in a Mother-Daughter necklace set, Picots! The Mother-Daughter necklace kit is to be released for Mother's Day!

Rochester-area folks can explore these kits through beading classes from Kelley at Let's Bead.

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to the WORLD!):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Kelley's Beading, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. "Like" RNEST on Facebook.

2. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, April 19 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Treasury Tuesday: Spring At Last!

Ahhhh...Spring at last!
"Our weather forecast finally looks promising! Here's to celebrating the true arrival of spring through awesome items from Mayday! Underground vendors. [many of them, fellow RNEST members!] For details, visit http://maydayunderground.wordpress.com"

Spring at Last! by BeadworkByAmanda

Be sure you click on the links below and go see more treasuries that feature some of our other awesome RNEST members! (if you don't, you're missing out!)

Featuring RNEST Members:

• Playing Hooky featuring KarenSwimmer
• You Are What You Eat featuring KarenSwimmer
• Bee's Knees featuring TheQuiltedHouse

Featuring and curated by RNEST Members:

• Lazy Daisy Days by KarenSwimmer, featuring SunshyneSilverwear

Curated by RNEST Members:

• Ophelia's Primrose Path by KarenSwimmer
• Robins and Their Blue Blue Eggs by KarenSwimmer

* If you make or find a treasury that features an RNEST member, or if you are an RNEST Member who makes a treasury, post the link on the wall at RNEST's Facebook Page. Your treasury could be featured on the next Treasury Tuesday!

Make-It Mondays: Upcycled Denim Bookmarks

This week's tutorial comes from beloved RNESTer, Michelle, of The Quilted House. She is our resident sewing/quilting expert and is sharing a project that reuses your old jeans. Enjoy!

Boy, did I have fun making these this weekend! These earth-friendly marvels are for MayDay swag bags - the first fifty attendees at MayDay get a free bag of goodies! They are SO easy to make. If you 1. can't make it to MayDay, 2. don't make it to MayDay soon enough to get a swag bag, or 3. want bunches more for your loved ones, here's how to make your own:
1. Get some used, but clean, denim. Use old jeans, pre-spandex if you can find them so the fabric doesn't stretch a lot. Utility fabric or home decor fabric would work just as well. Your piece of denim should be between 6 and 8 inches in height and 2" by however many bookmarks you want. In other words, if you want five 6" high bookmarks, you need a piece of denim 6" by 10" (2" x 5 bookmarks = 10").

Step 1: Old jeans

2. Cut a piece of cotton fabric and a piece of batting the same size as the denim.

Steps 1 and 2: Denim, cotton, and batting cut to size

3. Adhere fusible webbing to the wrong side of both the cotton fabric and the denim.

Step 3: I like to use Heat n Bond fusible webbing, but any kind will work.

Step 3: Follow the webbing manufacturer's directions
to fuse webbing to fabric.

4. Make a quilt sandwich: cotton backing fabric (with fusible side up) + batting + denim (with fusible side down.

Step 4: Quilt sandwich

5. Using an iron, fuse all three together - you will probably have to iron on both sides of the sandwich the be sure that both the cotton fabric and the denim are fused to the batting.

6. Quilt away! You could skip this step if you wanted to. It doesn't alter the function, it just adds beauty.

Step 6: Random all-over quilting stitches

Step 6: Completed quilting

7. Measure and cut at every 2 inches to make your individual bookmarks.

Step 7: Cutting individual bookmarks

8. Finish the edges with a zig zag or other decorative stitch.

Step 8: Zigzagged edges on finished bookmarks

To make a no-sew version, make sure to use ultrahold fusible webbing in step 3 and skip steps 6 and 8. Have fun!

Fashion Friday: Home Sweet Home

Spring is awakening all of my senses and inspires me to create fresh spaces in my home and in me! I love to actively participate in the newness of spring!

This refreshing domino pendant from In My Head Studios sings to me all that I have been yearning to do: clean out my house, my closet and get to work in the garden!

The birds have been visiting our window, we hear them singing and getting ready to welcome their new arrivals come warmer weather and that is exactly what this pendant inspires in me!

Vickie has created a beautiful pendant and if you have a special memento that would make the prefect keepsake gift, she can create a one of a kind pendant for you!

There is nothing finer than a gift like no other.

Wednesday Wellspring: Stacey Kay Collection

Congratulations to #46 RaeoLight for winning last week's Merv And Dolores giveaway!

And bubbling up from the well this week, is Stacey Kay Collection! Stacey made this unique necklace using a vintage wooden domino game piece. She painted the front of this domino pendant with a beautiful silver paint and added a rock and roll logo and two music notes on top. Sparkling rhinestones add the perfect accent to this unique piece. This necklace is on a 3 mm flat neckwire with a slide latch in the back.

And now for the rules (This giveaway is open to the US and Canada!):

MANDATORY ENTRY #1: Go to Stacey Kay Collection, heart the shop, and then leave a comment here telling me your favorite item.

MANDATORY ENTRY #2: Become a follower of this blog and leave a comment letting me know- or if you are already, leave a comment saying you're a loyal follower.

BONUS ENTRIES (leave a separate comment for each):

1. "Like" Stacey Kay Collection on Facebook.

2. "Like" RNEST on Facebook.

3. Tweet and blog about this giveaway and leave a comment here with the link.

The winner will be chosen using the random number generator on Tuesday, April 12 and will be announced in the next Wednesday Wellspring.

Treasury Tuesday: Mad About Saffron

Hello Treasury lovers! This week's pictured Etsy Treasury is curated by SarahGortiz and features BeadworkByAmanda. It's a sunny saffron...um...souflee`? (Try saying that three times fast!) Yet another treasury that tells you that we are yearning for those sunny spring days.

Mad About Saffron by SarahGortiz

Be sure you click on the links below and go see more treasuries that feature some of our other awesome RNEST members! (if you don't, you're missing out!)

Featuring RNEST Members:

• Wandering Girl featuring Buenahelena
• Geeky Greats featuring BeadworkByAmanda
• Seaside Spring featuring SarahGortiz
• Hint of Red in Spring featuring aDifferentView
• Saturday Fun featuring KarenSwimmer
• Fierce featuring KarenSwimmer

* If you make or find a treasury that features an RNEST member, or if you are an RNEST Member who makes a treasury, post the link on the wall at RNEST's Facebook Page. Your treasury could be featured on the next Treasury Tuesday!

Make-It Mondays: Help!

I'll make this short. Make-it Mondays is having a hard time making it. This summer I will be turning this series over to another team member as I begin my full time teaching career. Until then I would like to continue "Studio Visit" interviews and share tutorials from RNEST members. Contact me through Ning if you would like to share :) I'll be back next week with a tutorial from the fabulous Quilted House! ~Buenahelena