Welcome....

"...at its core....art is simply the language of the soul" -Robert Redford

Thanks for stopping by. Please enjoy your stay here. Have some Sweet Tea, grab a chair and sit a spell. Rekindle your SOUL, Embrace the ART and Believe your DREAMS. Stay as long as you like and come back soon. Friends are always welcome here.

Friday, October 31

2 new Advent Calendar Christmas Swags

I finished up two more of the Advent Calendar Swags. They can be purchased in my Etsy shop www.shellyraewood.etsy.com or my Shophandmade store. http://shellyraewood.shophandmade.com More are on the way!! :::smiles:::


I remember as a child the anticipation building towards the magic of Christmas, when I could view the next treasure from my Advent Calendar (which, btw, I still have). Here's a contemporary version for your family to enjoy.

Some ideas to fill your envies: A family activity for the day, A clue to a hidden treasure for that day, A piece or two of candy, An ornament, A bible verse, A trivia question, A coupon redeemable for an activity or treasure.

Custom swags are available - just convo me!! :)



This calendar features envelopes handmade from gift wrap, in rich shades of Christmas red and greens, with red/white snowflakes and red, green and white stripes There are 24 envies, each measuring 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches, numbered 1-24 with coordinating silver circles and red stick-ons. They are strung on a red and green metallic garland further embellished with complimentary tulle netting strips in red, green and white. The completed swag measures approximately 9 feet.









Each calendar is a one of a kind creation. This calendar features envelopes handmade from gift wrap, in rich soft shades of pink and blue, showcasing the Disney Princesses. There are 24 envies, each measuring 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches, numbered 1-24 with coordinating paper squares and silver stick-ons. They are strung on a blue glass beaded garland further embellished with complimentary tulle netting strips in pink, purple and blue. The completed swag measures approximately 9 feet. The envies attach to the swag using shiny silver clothespins. You just unclip each envelope, fill with your desired treasure and clip back onto the beaded strand.









Wednesday, October 29

I rec'd an award!!


My good friend Diann has surprised me with an award. I rec'd the "Million Dollar Friend Award" from her. Thanks Diann!! We have been friends for at least 13 years now!! I am so grateful that we still are!! You can check out her gorgeous and elegant style of ART here: http://diannsartspot.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

Friday, October 24

New Christmas Goodies to share.....

Wondering where I've been?? I'm working hard like one of Santa's Elves to get some Christmas Goodies ready to go into my new store http://shellyraewood.shophandmade.com/. I have 2 that I can share with you today.


First of is a set of Christmas Words Wire Ornaments. They are made from 20 gauge silver wire and glass beads. They are ready for hanging on a red satin ribbon. The set includes the words joy, peace and noel. I really think they came out cool!! They are available for purchase here: http://www.shophandmade.com/Item/6-758-H64FYYU

Custom words or names are available....just email me at ShellyRaeWood@aol.com or leave a comment here.








The 2nd Christmas item is an Advent Calendar Swag. I made tiny paper envies that are secured with silver elastic thread and vintage buttons. They fasten over the hand crocheted swag, made from 6 gorgeous fibers. Further embellishment is added using torn strips of coordinating fabrics. Each pouch is numbered 1-24 with silver stick-on numbers. They are ready to be filled with a charm, a trinket, an ornament, a piece of candy or a note. What fun for your family to count down the days until Christmas!
Each pouch measures: 2 1/2 inches square. The entire swag measures: 8 1/2 feet long.This Advent Swag can be purchased here: http://www.shophandmade.com/Item/6-758-H867TBK
Custom swags are available....just email me at ShellyRaeWood@aol.com or leave a comment here.
I have several more swags in various stages of completion and hope to share them here and in my store soon!! Enjoy!!














Sunday, October 19

***NEW Store for ShellyRaeWood*** Shop Homemade - Shop Green - Save Money

~~~ A-N-N-O-U-N-C-E-M-E-N-T ~~~
:::Trumpet Fanfare Plays:::
Shelly Rae Wood is pleased to present
for your shopping pleasure
A NEW Store
  • you get to purchase One of a Kind ART and resupplies
  • you get to save the Rainforest 250 sq. feet at a time
  • you can even save yourself some green (moola that is)

How cool is that??

Here's the info:

Still buying gifts at expensive department stores?
Come to
ShopHandmade.com instead. It’s a very special marketplace with over 5,000 beautifully-crafted gift products to choose from this holiday season. Over 750 sellers have filled their stores with every kind of handmade, recycled and vintage item that you can possibly wish for, and we have neatly listed and carefully categorized their inspired inventories, to make your shopping experience fast and easy.
As a special treat for our customers, we are announcing a great money-saving offer in partnership with our sponsors:
Addicted To Rubber Stamps and Addicted To Scrapbooking

Yes! You get $5 Off on any one order from Addicted To Rubber Stamps or Addicted To Scrapbooking when you buy or sell an item at ShopHandmade.com! You can even combine this coupon with other sale prices*.
Using Your $5 Coupon Is Easy

Buy or sell any item at ShopHandmade.com
Pay seller via ShopHandmade using PayPal

Place any order at either of these sites
Use Coupon Code ShopHandmade by Nov 17
$5 will be deducted from your total

Right now, ShopHandmade.com is just a month old. In this short space of time, we have gained more products than the typical crafting web site offers for sale. Our customers love us for the fact that we have taken all the fine prints and hidden costs out of the buy-and-sell process. And we are excited to know that we are fast gaining a reputation for trustworthiness and dependability in the online marketplace.


So whether you are into jewelry, bamboo tiles, fine art or Christmas cards, come, shop handmade with us. Let us celebrate good art and good ideas together and make these Holidays a time for traditional, handmade gift-giving. The kind of gifts that you don’t get in expensive department stores. The kind that express your own creative impulses and come directly from the heart.

So, I have been a bit quiet here in blogger land because I have been setting up my shop. It's just a beginning....but I'm having tons of fun. Some of my items may be seen here on this blog over on the right hand column. You may also visit my shop by clicking here:

www.shellyraewood.shophandmade.com

One thing to note....EVERY purchase from MY shop saves 250 square feet of rainforest!! Now, that's Girl Math baby!!

Please come visit and check back often as I'll be listing new ART daily. Remember......Christmas is coming.....in 68 days.

I'm happy to wrap and ship your gifts for you. Also, nearly all items are available as a custom ART creation. Just email me!! ShellyRaeWood@aol.com

Please let me know what you think!! :::Smiles:::

Friday, October 17

Anyone lost their marbles?? I found some.....






....and being the good ARTist......I blinged them up!! :::smiles::: There are flat backed glass marbles that will be either magnets or pushpins. They are all for sale in my Etsy store. I've been working on some Christmas Gifts and am beginning the listing process. If you want to see them, they are here: www.shellyraewood.etsy.com. I had fun with these. I have more fun little gifties coming soon. I'm currently working on some altered Poker Chip Pendants!!


They are very simple to make:

1) Choose your image. For the Da Vinci's I used a large image that more than fit my stone. For the others, I cut the person image out and glued it, using my xyron, to my background paper.


2) Place a small amount of Diamond Glaze on the flat back side of the stone.


3) Place the stone on top of your image.....hold in place for a moment while it begins to set up or it WILL slide.


4) Let dry.....preferably overnight.


5) Take your scissors and closely trim the paper from the stones.


6) Optional: I colored the back of my stones with either Black Sharpie or Gold Leafing Pens for a more finished look.


7) Attach either magnet or Thumb Tack to back of stone using E6000 adhesive....allow to dry.


Any questions....you know what to do!! Enjoy!!






Thursday, October 16

Where oh Where has the ART gone??


Pic of the week.....I put the lid to the kitchen garbage can on the counter prior to cleaning it. My darling, "Her Royal Majesty Princess Pookie", decided it was a perfect place for her to hide!! LOL


In case you were wondering....I haven' t skipped town. There really is still ART being made, albeit slowly. I'm working on some things I'll be announcing soon!! :::Smiles::: Some news, some big ideas, some tutorials and more.....stay tuned.

I've been busy working on things for my store, finishing up swap commitments and the usual housework. DH is having a crazy busy and stressful week and Son has had class all week and now works the rest of the weekend. So, it's been good/bad. Lots of time for me to play....but sometimes that translates into wandering time for me. I have SO MANY things to do I tend to float back and forth instead of focusing!!

You know.....Okay, I'm going to finish up this card for a swap.....now, where's my glue? Oh look, there's that new glitter I bought. I wonder how that would look if I embossed this paper and then used the glitter? Hmmm....now, oh there's a brass stencil I haven' used for awhile. Oh look, I'm out of wax paper....(heads to the kitchen)....gets out the wax paper, sees Pookie who wants a kitty treat. Oh, I have to put the clothes in the dryer. Looks at the freezer, hmmmm I should take out the chicken for tomorrow night's dinner. Realizes that maybe jello would be good for lunch tomorrow...stops and makes that and puts it in the frig. (Walks back to studio without the wax paper through the dining room) and thinks I should go get the mail. Goes out to the mailbox, realizes the plants need water - waters them, gets the mail. Now, oh lookie, a swap came......it's a JAM I need to go work on my part and oh lookie a swap I have to post a thank you for. Oh there's the swap list for October....better print that out and package them up. Realizes I'm thirsty and hungry....grabs a Coke Zero and a brownie. Now, back to my part of the JAM......realizes I need some text.....come back to the printer. While waiting for Print Master to load I read my email. Oh I haven't checked my blog lists today.....start reading blogs. Find 34 new techniques to try and print out the directions. Suddenly remember it's Mom's birthday today and I haven't sent her an e-card yet. Find card....and send. Suddenly remember that I'm supposed to be making a card for a swap. Go back to the studio and realize all the playing I did has made a mess. Put everything away so I can start fresh. While putting away the brass stencil remember the wax paper on the kitchen counter. Go back to retrieve and remember that the clothes are probably ready to be folded. Sit on the couch to fold the clothes and turn on Food network or HGTV. 30 minutes later put away the clothes.....head back to the studio. Decide I'm not in the mood to make a card. Decide to make some transfers to use tomorrow. Answer the ringing cell phone....It's DH. He's telling me he's on his way home. Why?? I think. Oh look....it's 4 o'clock. So, he says....what ART have you made today!! Argh!! :::hitting head on the counter::: Yeah.....THIS is my problem!! Shelly Oh look......something shiny......

Sunday, October 12

JAM - White Themed
















I've been playing in some ATC JAMs. I am having loads of fun. A JAM is a round robin type ATC project. We are doing 3 ATC's with 3 people. Person #1 does the backgrounds and sends them to person #2, who adds the focal image and sends them to person #3, who adds an embellishment and sends them back to person #1 who finished them up, keeps one and send one to persons #2 & 3. I have 5 going on currently. This is the first one I have rec'd back and completed. I was person #1 so background and finishing was my job. The theme was All White. My backgrounds were made using a brass stencil of barren trees, Versamark ink pad and gold interference Pearl Ex. Elena added the images and Eileen http://artsaveslives-paperqueen.blogspot.com/ added the embellishments. I added the vellum text and a gold leafing pen border. Hope you enjoy them!! Shelly

Tim Holtz Masks.....

....finally rec'd the Tim Holtz Masks I have been waiting for. I played with them a bit today. Here are some before and after pics of ATC backgrounds!! :::Smiles::: Shelly





Masks applied to ATC Backgrounds











Sprayed with Black Ink























The two finished cards.

Thursday, October 9

inchies, and more inchies

I've been making inchies and then more inchies for a couple of swaps I have coming up. One theme is anything goes....the other is Christmas. For the anything inchies I made "The Boys Club" using packing tape transfers on algorithm sheets, added to various neutral backgrounds, with words from my PDF sheets available here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/5537752/ART-text-words. For the Christmas inchies I used some rubber stamps, fairy dust and some clear bubble stickers. Enjoy! :::Smiles::: Shelly