Christmas Gifts

Posted on January 3, 2013 by studiogatz

The holidays are over…thank goodness. I was in a mad rush to finish all my StudioGatz orders and still have time to make all my family presents. My favorite gift this year was a quilted cover buttoned wall calendar I made my little sister. She has a new office and needed some “decorations.”

Quilted Covered Button Calendar

This is my first time to quilt anything. My mother is an expert quilter (check out her quilt blog I Finally Have Time), so I tried to channel her spirit while making this. In fact, I got the idea from a Zakka craft book I bought her for Christmas.

I chose this project also because my little sister had helped me make covered button earrings to sell at my Christmas craft show. She is a covered button maniac and was whipping them out faster than you can say “covered buttons.”

Here it is in her office (and changed to January):

Calendar in Office (notice the picture of Gatsby!)

I haven’t decided yet if this will make it over to the StudioGatz Store, but thought it was still fun to share.

P.S. For those wondering what’s going on with my Esty Store, well… I have no excuse, but I’ll try to sound pitiful while explaining. I hate writing descriptions and being clever and tagging and everything that goes into making a great Etsy store item. BUT It’s a new year and with that come New Year’s resolutions…So Resolution #1: Post items in my store.

Tis the Season for Shopping

Posted on December 3, 2012 by studiogatz

Yesterday Studio Gatz kicked off the holidays with its first “show.” Thanks to the lovely Marie of Kokomo Jewels fame, we were invited to share our unique treasures at a holiday party.

Studio Gatz products on display

I’m slowly adding the items to our Etsy site, so keep checking back for more unique home gifts. We thank everyone who attended the sale yesterday.

Happy Holidays!

Sandy + Gatsby

P.S. Gatsby stayed home and hung out with his best buddy Monty, but was still in the holiday mood.

Merry Christmas

Vintage Finds:Silver Hand Hammered Glasses

Posted on April 3, 2012 by studiogatz

I’ve been searching for some great “finds” at local antique fairs to add to Studio Gatz. The problem is I love everything I buy! And I want to keep them all for myself!

Like these:

They are hand-pounded silver and about the size of cocktail glasses. But I think they would be cute as home decor. Wouldn’t they be adorable on a bar tray with an old ice bucket, or on the mantel with a little garland. Possibly with an egg shaped candle in them?

There’s so much I could do with them! But alas, they are for the store. This set of six “glasses” (cups??) will be found under One of a Kind Finds starting April 16.

Favorites: Swirly Designs

Posted on March 26, 2012 by studiogatz

I am a long time fan of Swirly Designs. Today they launched their Easter/Spring collection. I’ve already purchased these:

Blue Eggs in a Nest

Veggie Garden Quartet

Paul and Lianne Stoddard make these wonderful “hand-sculpted, hand-painted polymer clay ornaments.” The husband and wife duo release their collections around each holiday season.

I hang my ornaments off my kitchen cabinet knobs and switch them out based on the time of year. I can’t wait to add these to my previous Spring time purchases! I think I have about 15 right now that I switch out all year long. It about the only holiday decorating I do…

If you are interested in polymer clay, Swirly Designs also offer how-to’s on their blog. But word to the wise, they make it look a LOT easier than it really is. Here’s my attempt at simple ornaments for Christmas:

Ornament gone wrong!

Notice the all the bumpiness :(

Trust me, after trying to make your own, you’ll definitely appreciate Swirly Designs so much more!!! Each design is sketched, sculpted (including etching every single signature swirl), painted, and varnished. (Check out the process!)

Act quickly, the most popular designs sell out fast! Make sure to sign up for Swirly Designs mailing list to get alerts of when the collections go on sale.

Pinterest Project: The Great Twisting Challenge

Posted on March 13, 2012 by studiogatz

By now almost everyone has heard of Pinterest and for many it’s become an obsession. From recipes and crafts, to clothes, scenic photographs, and funny quotes, it’s a great time-waster. I will admit that I quickly got sucked in and decided to make homemade gifts for Christmas.

My first project was to recreate this wreath. The blog post said it took about a day and I had a bunch of smutty romance novels laying around, so one Saturday I started what I now not-so-lovingly call “The Great Twisting Challenge.”

I twisted three paperbacks worth of flowers over the course of a month in order to recreate the pinned project. Apparently, I didn’t read the directions correctly or have the sizing correct on the paper rosettes. Below is my twisting timeline. Moral of the Story: Yes, you can make that amazing thing on Pinterest, it just might not be as easy as you’d expect.

After spending so much time on the wreath, which at this point I now was calling the “god-damned wreath” (and a few other choice words), I just couldn’t imagine giving it away for Christmas. So I selfishly kept it. It hangs on my condo door and already people are asking if I can make them one. “No, I cannot, but I’ll give you some smutty novels to make your own. Oh and make BIG flowers — it’s easier to play hide-and-go-seek for the naughty words!”