MAKE Eco-Jewelry!

 

Learn how to make this fun, summery jewelry!

I am teaching a class at Sea & Green on how to make jewelry from all those used up gift cards!

 Easy, fun and perfect for summer!

All supplies and tools included, make a bracelet or necklace, or a pair of earrings! Leave with instructions and a piece of jewelry!

 

Date:

There are two class times:

Saturday May 18 11am - 12:30pm

Saturday May 18 2pm - 3:30pm

 

Place:

Sea & Green, 502 Bay Ave, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

 

Cost:

$20.00 per person or Adult and child (age 8 to 12) for $35.00

Must pre-register with a $10.00 deposit.

Contact:
email michalsparks@aol.com
Call Sea & Green to save your spot! 732-701-1166
open everyday 10:30 - 5:30 Closed Tuesdays

The Things That Make Me Smile....

Here in NJ it is almost the end of April and in the 40's!!!  Today in particular is really dreary so I made a fresh pot of French pressed coffee and got a fire going and thought I would share a few of the little things that make me happy.  

These are some branches I cut and put in my studio. Every time I see them I can help but thing that spring is here. Just love the pink with the dark leaves.

I love a challenge, especially a gardening one! This poor guy was on his last leg but I got him to bloom again!Love it!!

There are few things better than a bowl of eggs fresh from the coop. My girls really out do themselves! I know it is probably wrong but I love eggs in a pretty bowl in the fridge instead of a carton!

These pansies sit on the kitchen window sill. They made it through the winter and started to bloom a few weeks ago. They make cleaning up the kitchen a little bit better!

I love the fact that my husband drinks his morning coffee from this sweet French cup and saucer. A little souvenir he picked up on a trip.

Hope these pictures brighten up your day!

One Thing Always Leads to Another...

 

 

 

So here on the farm I have many loves and a few love nots. Let's start at the beginning.

 

I love blackberries. Huge juicy ones grow really great here and actually, they are overtaking a little side garden that we have near the barn so I figured I would make a berry orchard near the chicken

garden. Then the other day this guy showed up and stole one of my hens!

 

Mr. Coyote

At first I thought he was a over sized fox because we do have foxes that are always reeking havoc on my chickens, but no, now I have a coyote problem! How is this relating to blackberries?

 Well it goes like this.

Because of Mr.Coyote I can't let the chickens roam the property so I decided to make a section of the fenced area of the coop all grass and veggie goodies. So I head to the local hardware store to get some grass seed only to find out I need pasture mix if it is for animals (chickens) to eat. OK, fine I need about 1/2 lb of seed. It only comes in 50lb bags.

But wait, back to the berries!

So if we dig rows for the new berry orchard I can use the sod, which is pasture mix, (our entire 10 acres is pasture mix) to put into the coop!!

 

Mr. Rooster,

 

This idea seems so simple!! And lucky for me my two teenagers wanted a "sick day" from school!!

So I want 6 rows that are roughly 24 feet each. We each started to dig, then I started moving sod while they continued digging.(truth be told most of the digging was my daughter Ivy!)

 

The chickens were watching every move!

One row. It does need to be a bit wider but a fantastic start!

This was a few exhausting hours later. Half of the area is filled with sod and three rows are dug.

Now I need to go dig up the blackberries and start planting but it has been pouring rain for the last few days. (which is a good thing as I am never as strong as my ideas and need the rest!)

But, Chickens are safe and soon to be clipping the grass and the blackberries are almost to a new home and the barn garden will soon be slightly under control! Whew!

As the title says, around here one thing really does lead to another, and another, and another.....

A MINI SHADOW of the Past

As some of you may or may not know.....I am a closet designer! Yes, I do have a degree in textiles and did work as a designer in NYC, (designer for someone else though) but I have never really "designed a line". The lure of fabrics, fashion, patterns, and costumes has never been too far from my mind, even when I illustrated all those little girl tea party books I always took way too much time deciding what the girls would wear to tea! Some of my best selling licenced designs were really, to be honest, fashion sketches! And lets not get started on my children's Halloween costumes. The historic replica gowns in silk and the kimono with correct amount of collars and hand dyed layers....I have issues!!

So when my daughter, Ivy, decided to take a fashion class in high school and mentioned that she didn't feel that she was really learning how to sew properly... that just flung the door wide open!!

Together we have formed MINI SHADOW! A line of children's clothing made entirely from up- cycled adult clothing! Men's oxfords, hand-me-down dresses, whatever works! Each piece is one of a kind and hand made by the two of us. I finally get to feed the designer inside and Ivy is getting a sewing education, plus we are really having fun! I am happy to report that Ivy can cut and sew a bodice quite well already!! I will be listing these dresses on my web shop, but in the meantime they can be found at Sea & Green in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

This one is called LEMON DROP

This one is MINTY ROSE

This one is WILD FLOWER

 

This last dress is HAWAIIAN PASSION.

TRANSFER ART CLASS!

My favorite way to pass the dreary winter away.....be creative!

I am teaching two classes at Sea & Green this month on Transfer Art.

 

This really fun and easy way of making art is great for all of those that claim they don't have a creative bone, I can fix that! The pieces you see here are all made with simple black and white Copyright free photos from the Internet and printed on my Dell printer. (with the exception of the rooster which is from a photo I took of one of my guys)

 

During this two hour class, I will be explaining how to transfer the images and then

 embellishing them with paint, pencil, etc.

Participants will make two 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" pieces of art.  All supplies are included, feel free to bring your own image printed from a regular printer, 3" x 3" size or I will have printed images to choose from.

 

Class: Two dates: Feb 16th Saturday 9am to 11am 

                         or: Feb 26th Tuesday 10am to 12pm

Place: Sea & Green, 502 Bay Ave, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742

Phone: 732- 701-1166

Cost: $80.00 per person

Class is limited to 5 and you must pre-register. A $20.00 deposit is required.

 

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Love Our Shore!

Welcome to 2013!
I know I have been lax at updating my blog but the last few months have been a little crazy here in NJ to say the least! We weathered the super storm Sandy with just 7 downed trees, I say just 7 because we are so lucky compared to what happened just miles from us!

Another stroke of luck was that the shop in Point Pleasant Beach was untouched! Just 1/2 mile or so is a picture not to be believed. As I write this in the end of January, there are STILL so many displaced people in the area, they are our friends, shop customers and neighbors.

My friend Becky, the owner of Sea & Green, decided to make a heart shaped ornament out of Sandy salvaged wood for the holidays and donate the proceeds to a local relief organization, Restore the Shore - Shores United. The response was overwhelming to say the least! The outpouring of volunteers and just the love and support for the project was so touching.
Becky is still at it, making ornaments! Now we wanted to keep the fund raising going so I painted a few pieces that are available on my web store, www.acleverspark.com or can be purchased in the shop in PPB or on the Sea & Green web store, www.sea-n-green.com.
Please check out the Restore page to see all the items, we will be adding some furniture and table top accessories soon made from salvaged Sandy wood.

PLASTIC SALE

PLASTIC SALE!

Fused Plastic credit card/gift card holders for all those of you heading back to class. These holders are great for id, licence, gift cards, shopping etc. I'm having a 20% off sale in my etsy shop and still free shipping on singles! That's only $8.00 for a card holder and $9.60 for a Business card holder!

Just pick a color theme, warm/cool, caution/political and enter the code GREENSCHOOL

for your discount.

Hey, going back to school isn't the best but this can help ease the pain!