Silk Flower Corsage Pins

Here are some pretty and simple little silk flower corsage pins, perfect to use for... 

thank you's, and...

teacher appreciation gifts, and...

Twiggy Nest from Pudding Cup!

The nesting instinct is in full force this spring at I Gotta Create!  The spring nest series continues with this twiggy version. Make these Twiggy Nest Party Bowls for your spring gathering!

The Mother Lode Linky Party + ICW Series

*Latest Linky Party Info Here*

This week's fresh Linky Party link is up for The Mother Lode!

For each theme, all the linkups are in one place for l-o-o-o-nger exposure for your fabulous creations. I love the projects you link up, so I will continue to give your amazing projects exposure on Facebook and Pinterest. By linking up, you're saying you're cool with that! 

Drum roll please... The first interview for the Inspiring Creative Women series is posted *HERE.*  Our talented artist has been extensively published, and talks about how she stretches her imagination, the role blogging plays in that, and so much more.

Inspiring Creative Women #1: Katalina Jewelry

I'm thrilled that my first artist of the Inspiring Creative Women series is someone whom I 'met' early in my blogging. Her work caught my eye immediately, and she has been a kind and generous follower. A fantastic, published jewelry designer who doesn't tend to wear jewelry, meet Kathy Thompson from Katalina Jewelry ...Her creativity extends far beyond jewelry!

The Inspiring Creative Women series is dedicated to

in-depth interviews designed to bring the

creative process into sharper focus.

*Learn more here.*

or my Pinterest Page for appropriately attributed pins

Shake It Up Baby!  The silver caps from

salt & pepper shakers inspire this gorgeous pendant

Funky Little Teapot: Tea for Two

I love tea. It is the first thing I make when I get up each morning. 

I love to make it very strong. I top it off with a teaspoon of agave and a splash of {soy} milk. It is a comforting wakeup call without making me jittery.

I purchased this funky, whimsical teapot and tea cups at an art fair several years ago.

The teapot cracked me up with it's frumpy little bottom and... 

...quirky little spout.

I fell in love with the swirls in the teacups. Like frothy-sweet milk swirls in a latte, you just wanna lick them!

Blog Tips Cafe Feature #6

The Blog Tips Cafe linky party is open 24-7 and today I'm featuring Mindie May over at Bacon Time with the Hungry Hungry Hypo.  

Mindie May shared a great Tips For Bloggers post  that covers elements of a successful blog {honesty, connection, reliability, humor, standing out}, tips for building up followers, the reality about how much time is spent building up a blog, commenting, following, and so much more!


It's a great read, and you'll enjoy her humor and honesty!


Mindie May, you're a STAR at I Gotta Create!  You can grab the feature button code on the sidebar. <3


There are 42 other wonderfully informative links by bloggers over at the Blog Tips Cafe linky party to check out!  The cafe is open 24-7 this year, so swing on by and link up!

If you have projects to share, you can link up at the current themed linky party and have a chance to be featured in an in-depth interview as part of the Inspiring Creative Women series!

Celebrating {Mother} Earth Day

How will you celebrate Earth Day?

After sprucing up your nest, doing some yard work, attending festivities, hiking, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors, here's a refreshing idea: Make your own Lavender Cream Soda. 

Introducing: Inspiring Creative Women + Party Link

Welcome to my series that will feature YOU 

and benefit us ALL 

in a whole new way from regular linky parties.

Creative inspiration comes from more than seeing fabulous projects {although that is fun and certainly helps!}.  

Creative inspiration can come from:

• Becoming more attuned to our own creative process. 
• Discovering how to juice up flexible thinking. 
• Being able to access more of the talent residing within us.

By sharing their stories, the women featured here 

will inspire, uplift, and validate our common experiences, and spark some Aha! moments. 

Being creative is a profound approach to life. 

If you thought you were 'only' decorating a room, refinishing furniture, making a craft or cooking up a meal...

look more closely. 

I believe we are actually strengthening the 

higher part of our nature that allows us to see unique connections, take flexible perspectives, admire diversity, and embrace adventure. 

Yes, creativity is not just an act, 

but an approach that adds depth, meaning and joy to our lives. 

This series will bring that creative process 

into sharper focus.

The name of this series points two ways: 

We will hear from inspiring, creative women. 

And we will be inspiring 

creative women.

If you're reading this, you're one of them.

{ahem. unless you're a man... and in that case, we want to inspire you too!}

Check out these featured Inspiring Women interviews:

Kathy at:  Katalina Jewelry

Lizy at: Lizy B Bakes
Katie at: Creatively Living
Bliss Ranch
Laurie at: Heaven's Walk

AND:

Click the icon for the latest linky party 411

For your chance to be featured, Link Up at the latest party! You might be next as part of the Inspiring Creative Women series! 

       

Plus...leave a comment to tell me what you'd like to hear about from fabulously creative women.

{I'm sharing my Inspiring Creative Women series news with...Monday:  Craftomaniac, Making The World Cuter, Marvelously Messy, Project Queen, The Girl Creative, The Gunny Sack, Alderberry Hill, A Round Tuit, Skip to My Lou, Cherished Bliss, Northern Cottage; Tuesday:  Not Just a Housewife, Sew Crafty, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Uncommon, Oopsey Daisy, Gingersnap Crafts; Wednesday:  The 36th Avenue, Blue Cricket Design, It's Overflowing, Nest of Posies, Savvy Southern Style, Someday Crafts, The Trendy Treehouse, Very Merry Vintage Style, What We Wore & Made; Thursday:  Shabby Nest; Friday:  Finding Fabulous, My Simple Home Life, Romantic Home, Tatertots and Jello, The Shady Porch, Thirty Handmade Days, Faith Trust & Pixie Dust, Naptime Crafters, Too Much Time on my Hands, Classy Clutter, Stuff & Nonsense, Craft Junkie Too; Saturday:  Be Different Act Normal, Funky Junk Interiors, French Country Cottage,  Sisters of the Wild West, Sew Country Chick; Sunday: Nifty Thrifty Things, Under The Table and Dreaming, My 1929 Charmer, Sew Darned Crafty}

Flower Bows for Gift Packages

Wow! Why use ordinary bows when you can top a gift package like this?!  Using silk flowers as bows is a simple idea that works well for Mothers Day, or maybe as part of a birthday party theme, like a Princess Party. Or, what about for a wedding or a shower?

A flower "bow" will cost 30 to 75 cents, depending on the deal you get on your flowering bushes. I wait until they go on sale, naturally!

Think outside the box for your packaging, too --literally!  I recycled this cylinder can... 

...by Mod-Podging it with scrap strips of beautiful papers, which makes this project a double-recycle bonanza!

Oriole Nest Vase from Plastic Bottle

We're celebrating the Oriole Nest in my Spring Nest Series. We were thrilled when an Oriole built her nest right outside our bedroom window a few years ago. 

Their nests are an amazing work of art to behold. I wish I had snapped photos of it. Instead, here's my human-made version and the tutorial: 

The Mother Lode linky party! Craft Craze 7

Feel free to browse! Click here for latest party 411

Presenting the newest Linky Party theme and a new idea for getting to know you better! 

I love the projects you link up, so I want to continue to give your fabulous projects exposure on Facebook and Pinterest.  

I am also yearning to know about you and your creative process. SO.... one lucky artist from the linky party will be featured here at I Gotta Create in an interview format.* 

I am so excited about nurturing a creative community where we inspire and learn from each other! 

Bring on the Mother Lode of creativity!  Link up the best of your blog or a current project. {limit: 3 projects per week} Fresh links open each Wednesday right here for the Mother Lode theme, and stay open all week.  I can't wait to see what you've been up to.



Grab this or the Generic Party Button; or put a text link in your post: I Gotta Create!

<a href="http://igottacreate.blogspot.com/"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3VOvKM2pW4nyrinqCeQvnCTYBKk88twaII78Paiakr00IykIylyo47ugqEaersClk0ckgqXhoggosW0S1Xamn1QgwgDrPJP3eur5Mmz7IU_2qBGMFQCW5WiVsymexwRu69jNxDLeBj0/s150/igottacreate_motherload+170.png"/></a>

*Linky party rules are here* {Be sure to link back to be eligible}

*Examples of some 'interview' questions:
Tell us a little about you and your interests.
How did you come up with this idea / your ideas?
What inspired / inspires you? When do you tend to get your best ideas?
What personal characteristics do you draw on most to keep pursuing your creative interests?
What are your goals or dreams for your creativity?

I have tons more questions, but I'm interested:

Q: What else would you want to know about another creative soul?

From Plastic Tubes to Spring Nests

Nests. They are deeply symbolic, beautiful and functional. They speak of Spring, birth, nature and renewal. They speak of hearth, home, nurturing, and comfort. Yet they also whisper of growth, flight and taking leave.

Spring is in full bloom here. With Earth Day and Mother's Day around the corner it seems fitting to celebrate with a creative series of Nests. This "tube nest" is a miniature study of the interaction of our own "Nests" and Nature. In our own homes, plastic is everywhere, so I've transformed a plastic tube into a Nest.

Using permanent inks and embossing powders in conjunction with a variety rubber stamps,  I chose a mixture of free flowing images juxtaposed with chicken wire for the back of the tube.