Down to the wire or Fair Entries 2012

July 5th is the turn in date for the county fair and I have so much to work on.  With this piece I'm hoping to win the jewelry blue ribbon.  I can't get a picture of this that shows how beautiful the stones and copper are together.  I also made the clasp.

Dragons Blood Necklace.

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Dragons Blood Donut.

The last order from Fire Mountain Gems included these stones.  When I saw the dragons blood I grabbed my tools and in an hour I had this beautiful piece.  But I didn't hang the donut correctly so I really need to fix that if I want to win.  My first year at the Fair I took first place neckiaces with a crocheted necklace.  I lost the picture but it was simular to this lovely necklace.

Silver wire crocheted necklace wih red and clear cystals.

I didn't expect to win my first time entering and there were three cases full of jewelry to compete with but I did.  The last year that I entered I only took second place in several in several jewelry catagories, not bad at all.  I'm also entering these pieces.

All of these plus a couple others I don't have pictures for.  That is one of the great things about journaling it forces me to take pictures of my work.

I'm also entering a sewing box I made from left over bookboard.  I figured out the biggest box I could make using the bookboard scraps I had and then covered it with cloth.  It is going to be a tutorial but I have to get it written.  I can't find a picure so I will have to get some.

The dragonfly pincushion got ruined by my slip of the scissors, so I need to see if  I can save it.  I'm also entering a needle case and a stumpwork picture of flowers and a butterfly.  In all 17 entries, not to bad for a year.

Today I finished a ATC but it is a surprise.  So no picture yet, actually I forgot to scan them before they were mailed.

My boyfriend found a 7 volumn set of art works from the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art in minature.  I'm going to have fun with those pictures.  They are just the right size for ATCs.  What I do is scan or copy them and then print them.  Then to keep them looking nice I spray the finished pieces with hairspray, safer to do this before making the card!  I came up with that trick when laser printers were new and without the spray toner would "pop" off the cardstock.   The hair spray technique usually works except for some handmade papers.

I also went out today and stopped at Joanne's Fabrics to get more ideas for ATCs.  While I was shopping my boyfriend bought a new computer and monitor.  Now I have some neat boxes to decorate and store crafts supplies.  So we are both happy.  I love the way that computer boxes close, nice and secure.  So todays craft is to cover a computer box and make it look great.

First thing I did was to pop open the sides of the box.  Then I started laying images on the box.  Instead I decided to use some scraps of old wallpaper.  Once it was glued I cut around the edges of the box getting any bits of left over paper.  Finally I decided on a Kabuki print and glued it to the top.  A computer box lives on to become a decorative storage box.