Crikey! It's Cracked! The Sequel

When I posted this, my artwork was cracked and I was thinking about how life can also be imperfect, disappointing and broken, but that there's comfort in God. Today, I'm reminded that that which is broken can be redeemed and made new. Although I could have tried to patch up the crack, I decided against trying to fix my Succulent Blossom and just made an entirely new one. A patch job just didn't sit well with me. I wanted the same design but done right. 

Likewise, but in a much more profound way, Jesus redeems that which is broken, namely our very lives. We don't have to clean up our acts to come to Him either. He takes us as we are and makes us into who we were created to be. The Bible says that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinithians 5:17 Jesus took our brokenness (what we call sin) onto Himself in dying on the cross so that we might have life in Him. He redeems us from sin so that we can live in His righteousness to the glory of God. We are made new. It's a reality that is exquisitely beautiful and of which this necklace now serves as a reminder.

Shades of Gray & Blue

Hello! I hope you're having a great weekend! We've been indoors more than we like because of windy, colder weather plus allergies but quiet weekends are sometimes the best. And being indoors afforded me the opportunity to work on some new little treasures that I've now added to my Shop. There's a definite color scheme I was loving and I hope you love it too.

Here are some new pieces...

Ice Blue & Slate Heart Hair Pins

Lil' Heart Earrings in Turquoise

Delicate Flower Earrings in Slate

And here are some favorites that are updated and back in the Shop...

Turquoise & Graphite Heart Hair Pins

Little Bloom Earrings in Turquoise

I have a few more items that I'm finishing up and will hopefully add soon. Have a great week!

Turquoise Bow Ring

After trial and error with a Yellow Bow Ring I made for my friend, I decided to try one out in another favorite color. Introducing the Turquoise Bow Ring...

Please visit my Etsy Shop for more unique accessories.

Bright & Bold

After my last post of colorfulness, I'm continuing the trend with some splashes of bright color. I have a china cabinet that I really want to paint but I can't decide if I should do a neutral like gray or white or something that stands out like the turquoise below. Which way would you go?

Simon Whitmore for Ideal Home via Bright Bazaar

Justina Blakeney's colorful wheel is actually a wooden carving board that she painted for a really fun and affordable accessory. For more pics and instructions, go here. What a fun little DIY project!

Justina Blakeney via Bright Bazaar

I was drawn to this lovely bedroom for its bold wardrobe. And the fact that it's a tad cluttered is something I can relate to. Anybody else?

Adore Magazine

Here's to a bright and cheery week!

Hearts & Flowers...It Must Be Time for Valentine's Day

I've just added a number of Hair pin sets to my Shop, just in time for Valentine's Day.

For purple and lavender lovers, I have a set for you...

Purple & Lavender Heart & Flower Hair Pins

And for those who love pink, I have a set for you...

Pink Bow Comb, Pink Heart Pin and Pink Flower Pin

And for those of you who would appreciate an alternative to traditional Valentine's Day colors, I have a set for you...

Turquoise & Graphite Heart Bobby Pins

If you would like a set in different colors or different combinations, please email me at thestripedstraw@gmail.com. Or to see more hair pin sets, please visit my Shop.

Skona Hem

Some lovely home inspiration from Skona Hem...

I'm suddenly in the mood to fashion something out of orange and turquoise. 

A Made-to-Order Day

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Ours was a very busy one. Today also has been busy but, thankfully, productive. It isn't often that we see snow coming down all day but today is one of those days, and baking cookies has kept me toasty warm. It's just the kind of weather one would order up for the week before Christmas. And when I wasn't baking, I was putting together some packages and gearing up for a trip to the post office (yet to be accomplished.) Inside one of my packages are these custom order pieces...

This necklace and these earrings have been fun to make and I can't wait to get them in the mail. If you're interested in ordering a customized item, you can email me at thestripedstraw@gmail.com or send me a note on Etsy by using the Conversation tab here (click on the heart at the top of the page.) I'd love to work on something special and unique for you.