Corsages, Candles and Glitter...oh my!

Firstly, I made a happy discovery yesterday at Wal-Mart I have to share (though I may be the only one who was yet unaware of this!) In case, like me, you did not know- Wal-Mart now carries a line of Martha Stewart Craft items! I was so excited when I happened upon them. Michael's, too, has Martha Stewart Craft stuff and it's all wonderful, of course (and their selection is much bigger) but it's nice to have the option of getting some of these superb craft supplies right at Wal-Mart! They also had a number of Martha Stewart Wedding items which I loved (favor boxes, crepe paper flowers, print-your-own invitations...this type of thing). Wish they'd had them when I got married! I bought some glitter (this Martha Stewart glitter is my absolute favorite- it's beautiful, very fine and comes in lots of brilliant colors!) and a scalloped rotary cutter blade. The best part about these craft supplies? They're cute...so they look nice sitting around your studio!
Second, I made a trip to Ellis Pottery yesterday and bought some Yankee Candle votives. It's been awhile since I've looked at candles and was pleasantly surprised to find that Yankee has a whole host of new scents for summer and fall. I bought a couple old stand-bys and a couple of new scents: Granny Smith Apple, Farmhouse Apple, Cherry Lemonade, MacIntosh and Peach, and Pomegranate Cider. Typically, when I'm working I like to light a candle or something in the studio to keep things feeling fresh (and offset the smell of paint and glazes and stuff). For awhile now I've had a little scented oil burner with peppermint essence in it (peppermint is said to enhance creativity), but this week it's been all green apple. I found the Granny Smith Apple votive fit perfectly in this little footed punch glass which led me to another thought I decided to share with you. Most punch glasses are just the right size for a regular votive candle and they're pretty easy to find at thrift stores and such. Since there aren't many traditional uses for single punch glasses, they're also often extremely cheap...sometimes just a few cents! A grouping of them makes a perfectly simple tablescape...I tried them in a circle and a line and liked them both. The punch glasses with cut glass pattern cast pretty designs on the table-cloth when the candles were lit. A word of advice, though, if you're using this as a center piece for a dinner party you might want to just use colored unscented votives so they won't compete with the delicious aroma of whatever you're serving...plus, confused noses often lead to confused tasting. Also, chances are your votive will eventually end up as a puddle in the bottom of your punch glass. Fret not- just stick the whole thing in the freezer...the candle wax will come right out and you can reuse your glass for another votive or for something else!






Last but certainly not least I have a new creation for show and tell! I made this "mommy-to-be" corsage for a shower I'm helping with toward the end of the month and thought it turned out really cute! The flower is artificial so it'll last forever and I took great care to ensure everything was stable so it should stay together well. On the whole, it's also remarkably light so it shouldn't pull whatever garment it's placed on. Like it? Need one? Eventually I hope to have some pre-made and available in an Etsy store, but until then if you'd like one customized for your upcoming event (baby or bridal shower maybe?) email me: artsweetart@gmail.com and I'll email you an order form. I can tailor one to match the colors you're planning to use! This size corsage is $25, wrist corsages are $20.


Well, that's all for now- have a happy Wednesday!


Sweetly, happily, and artfully yours,

randi