Dusting off the old blog

I have a new cork doormat design in my etsy shop. I dyed some corks so they look wine stained and then I wove a diamond pattern into the doormat.

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/570410795/wine-cork-doormat-diamond-pattern-22x34?ref=shop_home_feat_4

It looks simple but for me to arrange to have the lacing I use to put the doormat together never show gets quite complicated.

This custom doormat had three different shades of corks. I work the doormats from the center out and believe me this messes with your brain! I had to go back and redo my lacing several times to get the design to work out just right.  Here is the finished doormat.

I no longer make my doormats using wire. I instead use nylon lacing. It is easier on my hands and is just as strong. Once I lay out the pattern using the actual corks I can figure out how much lacing I need. It is usually around 13 yards depending on finished size and lacing this many corks together with 13 yards of cord can be tricky. That's why I start in the center wrapping half the lacing into a bundle to keep it out of the way as I assemble the other half. The goal being to use one single strand of lacing to create a stronger long lasting doormat.

Man do I love WREATHS

I have always loved making wreaths. I have tried every way possible. Creating my own wire forms, Using store bought wire forms, straw forms, Styrofoam forms, grapevine forms. I even made one out of an old bike tire once. I have made some real nice wreath forms using pool noodles from the dollar store!I have made dozens by twining grapevines around themselves, doing floral wreaths using florist tape, using evergreens held together with florist wire. I have glued all sorts of things to these wreath forms using all sorts of glue.  Long before I ever owned a glue gun I would use elmers and wait days! I have made wreaths using every day items and special items. They are a great way to showcase collections. Do you collect Christmas ornaments? adding all of one theme to a wreath is an adorable way to share them. A wreath of Tinkerbell ornaments, a wreath of Amy Brown Fairies, a wreath of small booze bottles lol heck anything can be made into a wreath. I once made a wreath using small toys my kids had collected over the years. One of my favorite wreaths was a grapevine I made into a wreath. It still had grapes on it and the birds loved it. I have one I made using all the sea shells my family and I had collected over the years. We have one that is made out of rocks! all sorts of rocks from all over the world.  I usually have a few wreaths in my etsy shop.

Of course I have cork wreaths.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/80678561/custom-recycled-cork-wreath-with-grapes?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112362744/stunning-cork-wreath?ref=shop_home_feat_3


and I have a bottle cap wreath that weighs about 8 lbs

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112546742/bottle-cap-wreath?ref=shop_home_active_7



I have this beautiful fall colored acrylic crystal wreath 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/165516839/fall-colored-crystal-wreath?ref=shop_home_active_24


and my most recent endeavor BUTTON WREATHS!

 Here is an all white one

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/210622881/white-button-wreath?ref=listing-shop-header-1

 a smaller vintage multicolored one

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/210625247/small-vintage-button-wreath?ref=listing-shop-header-2

 and  a HUGE 16 inches wide covered on both sides wreath

https://www.etsy.com/listing/210624639/large-vintage-button-wreath?ref=listing-shop-header-0

I have opened a new shop on etsy for all my recycled cork stuff. Over the last five years, since I made my first cork doormat, I have tried to come up with different things to make with corks. I try everything and keep the ideas that I love to make.
 https://www.etsy.com/shop/SarahrachaCorks?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I have some cute new monogrammed necklaces in two different styles and two different fonts.

I have my cork wreaths.

 and my number one seller My cork doormats.

 Mushrooms
                                      

Today I went to a few garage sales and bought some picture frames to make some smaller home office sized cork boards. something I have been resisting but I do like them in pretty frames painted up shabby chic and not huge. I know in my studio I have to keep my cork board small so it doesn't become a clutter magnet.

this one is still in the process.

I have also been playing around with sliced corks sewn onto felt to create coasters. I love the way it looks and it is an easy thing to work on while I watch movies.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/204146935/cork-and-felt-coasters?ref=shop_home_active_1

Anyway I would love it if you could visit my all corks shop, sarahrachacorks.etsy.com share it with friends, give it a heart, maybe even buy something!

Wind Chimes made from recycled items

Crocheted scrap yarn GIANT blanket

I have this habit of buying yarn at yard sales and rummage sales. I really have to stop I took all the blues and greys and crocheted them into this giant blanket. It covers a cal king!

Moxie enjoys lots of pillows!

Recycled Plastic card quilt

Been working on this for a while now. Its made out of recycled credit cards, hotel key cards and gift cards. The frame is a mattress spring from my kids crib which we bought 30 years ago. It has been used as a pea trellis in the garden. I cut the cards in half so they would fit into the spaces. Drilled holes in each end and wired them to the frame. Took me a while because my fingers would get raw from twisting the wire. I just love it!

                                    I added a copper pipe frame to it to make it easier to handle
                                          so I could enter it into the Marin County Fair.

                                                       Here it is on display at the Marin County Fair

                                                      I named it "Same as it ever was"

                                        And here in the center is my other recycled plastic piece I entered.

                                   This ones called  "And she could hear the highway breathing"

Shopping bags made from Fabric Sample Books

I have been making a bunch of these. Love having pretty bags for shopping.