Personally designing/upcycling shoes

With my love of fashion i have decided to come across in adding something amazing to Kasha Designs. Iam up cycling my old shoes or shoes I can get a hold of. So yeah  you can say a shoe designer. One of a kind and a friend has even asked me to upcycle a pair of her old not so pretty shoes anymore. This is going to be so much fun as I can design an outfit with shoes and accessories and have a fully complete line now. This was the first part and they turned out great. I can not wait to get started with even more.

This is the shoe before. I have had these for some time and they were just too bland for me. Also the other shoe the strap broke and I did not just want to get rid of them.

After. My mind and hands went to work and I got this now vamped up wedge. All fabric was from what I had laying in my sewing room and rhinestones add some bling to it. I really love them and will look great this spring and summer.

 Not bad for my first attempt. I'm excited to do more and will be doing themed shoes as well. I may be doing a Nicki Minaj or Katy Perry inspired shoe : ) Every so often I'll find something themed to design the shoe around.

Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns

Kasha in the Dare 2 Vogue beauty box

That's right I will try and have a Kasha Designs item in each of the monthly beauty boxes that will be released monthly from Dare 2 Vogue. The beauty boxes will have 4-10 fashion and beauty items in them and so many will be released monthly. Be sure to check out the website http://www.dare2vogue.webs.com that is where you can buy the bags. I am undecided on if I want to make balli rings or a some hair clips to fill in the very first beauty box that will be launched Feb 1st 12 am central standard time. Well I have to make my decision soon.. I am leaning more toward balli rings.

What has inspired you this summer?

I have noticed that so many things have been inspiring me this summer. I have also noticed I have been more inspired during spring/summer than I have been in fall an winter. Maybe it's because of the bright colors and blossoming flowers? Or the warm weather? I'm not sure but I have made some creative items that I am very happy to share and hopefully be able to pass on to another person to be inspired by my made creations.

What has inspired you this summer?

SHOP FOR ITEMS AT ETSY FOR KASHA FANPAGE

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KashaDsgns?ref=pr_shop

http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns

Newsletter Feature- Springfield, Missouri Moms Group

I would like to announce that Kasha Designs has been feature in the Springfield, Missouri Moms Group (https://www.facebook.com/SpringfieldMOMoms) August Newsletter. I was so excited. I was getting onto facebook just to do a last look over before I do some business paperwork.. fun .. and I saw that tag and now I'm all hyper and super excited to see who will come and shop withe me, answer questions and take request   : ) So here's the link to the newsletter and it is a great read, lots of info about kids and dealing with Autism so check that out as well and enjoy the other shops that were featured as well.

http://nannasknits.com/SpringfieldMomsNewsletter.aspx

Kasha Designs
http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Swarovski Crystal rings. Elegance at it's best

Kasha Designs is always keeping our fans and customers on their toes with new items and beautiful treasures. My mission was to start and run my own fashion business and I have done so and am very pleased. I have added more elegance and quality to Kasha Designs with a line of Swarovski crystal rings.
Each ring is wire wrapped with either all Swarovski crystals or accented with other beads. Each ring will glisten and sparkle and can be made from sizes 1-13. If you want quality, elegance and style Swarovski is the way to go.

"Swarovski (Austrian) Crystal is the finest quality, full-lead crystal made today. The crystals are faceted with tremendous precision, creating beautiful prisms. Brilliant colors and/or coatings are added to these crystals to create pendants, stones, and beads of dazzling beauty and tremendous variety of shapes and sizes. Swarovski Crystal is unmatched in quality and distinction."

SEE ALL RINGS AND MORE AT:
http://www.facebook.com/kashadesigns

Kasha Designs
kashadesigns@live.com
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Kasha has gone YouTube!!!

I am now taking Kasha Designs to YouTube!! yaya. I will try and do a video a week but if not I'll do what I can and some weeks I know I will get ahead of myself and record like twice in one day. I have some great new items for Kasha Designs such as... Oh a catalog!!! and maybe our very own lip balm.. but that's all I'm going to say about any of that lol

Check out the first video and many more to come but also stay up on the blog because I'll still be posting here as well ; )



Thank you everyone who has made all of this possible.

Krista
Kasha Designs
www.facebook.com/kashadesigns
www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Fruity Jewelry

This past weekend I had a fruity adventure. While I was going through all of my beads because I like to use everything I have and it turned out really great. Check out my new cherry earrings and lemon squeeze bracelet.


Check out all products on our fanpage

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kasha-Designs/203336493022276

Kasha Designs
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadsgns.etsy.com
www.kashadesigns.Zibbet.com

SALE craft supplies

I have finally buckled down and started going through and making what craft supplies I want to have for sale for my followers who craft and those who want to start crafting. It will all grow once I really get started but just another section to Kasha Designs to keep all of my customers happy and keeping their creative mind running.

    Here are a few of the hand coiled beads with seed and glass beads and artistic wire that I have made. They can be strung on stretch cord and, on eye pins and the ones with the bigger diameters can but placed on chain links.

 HAND COILED SEED BEADS ON BLUE ARTISTIC WIRE 5 FOR $4

PURPLE AND GREEN ARTISTIC WIRE HAND COILED BEAD 5 FOR $4

CHECK OUT THE FOR SALES SECTION OF THE KASHA FANPAGE ON FACEBOOK TO SEE MORE ITEMS AND PLENTY MORE TO COME!!! LINK IS BELOW AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE OUR PAGE.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.217412994947959.54780.203336493022276

Kasha Designs

kashadesigns@live.com

www.kashadsgns.etsy.com

www.kashadesigns.webs.com

Sorry for the delay NEW FACEBOOK FANPAGE!!

Wow have I missed out on some blogging... not like me. Very very sorry I've been MIA. I started up some new classes. I go to University of Phoenix and there were consuming me for some time.. but I did manage to get some new crafts done that I absolutely love. I'll have to show you a few.

 What I am ever so excited about is that I have officially been revamping the facebook fanpage for Kasha Designs which you can just find it under search and type in Kasha Designs or you can follow this link ; )       

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Kasha-Designs/203336493022276            


I am in the middle of adding pictures as of right now, it was all over the place before and I think this structure is way better. Facebook is a little slow because I've been doing this since 11 this morning... yuck... but till then I will show you some items I have new and of course so much more on the way!!

 (DROP LEAF EARRING WITH RED FIRE POLISHED BEADS)

 (HAND COILED PINK AND BLACK ARTISTIC WIRE....thank you Coiling Gizmo)

 (BUTTERFLY CHARM RING...these are very popular with Kasha Designs)

(HELLO KITTY NECKLACE... recycled key chain : )  )

Krista
Kasha Designs
kashadesigns@live.com
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadsgns.etsy.com

Another contraption to make jewelry making fun and original.

I have this fun new toy that I have to thank my mom for getting. She found the coiling gizmo at our local goodwill, just like she found my first beading set and that got me into my beading frenzy. THANKS MOM!! : )

Anyways. As you can see my new toy is called the coiling gizmo and what this does , it takes traditional hand wrapping and coiling and makes it so much easier. Easier on the hands and it shortens time in hand wrapping. I hand coiled ring and it took me an hour !! I made one then with the coiling gizmo.... Not even a min to get the band coiled!! I love this contraption.
I have found some through amazon and eBay the newer gizmos come with many more attachments but mine just came with two different size mandrels to wrap your wire, and a metal U shaped bar to assit in coiling. The yellow C clamp I got at walmart for $3

As you can see on the front of the box you can become very creative with this coiling gizmo and it takes atleast half the time down from doing it by hand. I have demonstrated on how you can even make your own beads by using beads!!! How AMAZING!!

I'm doing a patriotic line right now , hence the red, white and blue. GOD BLESS AMERICA. any who, I first count out the beads I want to coil, you don't have to but I'm OCD. : ) I leave my wire on my spool. Then I take the end of the wire and wrap it around the size of mandrel I want to use. I chose the smaller mandrel for these beads. You can either wrap towards you or away from you, which ever you like more.
I then just started to wrap. Depending on the length of the bead will determine how much coil you want to show before you start pushing up your beads.

Then I started to coil my seed beads into the coil bead I'm making making sure not to hold it too taught because the beads will break. After the seed beads are all coiled I coil the same amount on the end as I started with. Snip, tuck and smooth out and ....
Tada you have just coiled your own personal bead !!

My rating for the coiling gizmo is a very good one. I really like so far what I am able to do and I've Seen some great videos of what people have done and I am defiantly going to expand in making beads and coils with the gizmo and I will be offering them for supplies to others so keep a look out for that too.




Krista
Kasha Designs
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadsgns.etsy.com

Double your fun.

When making a craft that you plan on selling and making a business out of it is a good idea to make at least two of that one product. Now I would personally stop at making three because if you make 15 of one product then find out that it is not a hit you are out of money and stuck with all 15 of them. But if you make one and others are asking for them you may end up working even harder trying to keep up with orders.
There are some things you buy that come in packs of two or more like pendents in jewelry making take those and make two and see how those go. Or make two different variations of that one product.
The ending note is don't just offer your customers first come first serve unless that is all you have left or all you could get your hands on from the store.
Just a little something to keep in mind to keep customers happy when you have a product that is in demand.

Krista
Kasha Designs
www.kashadesigns.webs.com
www.kashadsgns.etsy.com

Chain Sta

It has finally arrived!! My Chain Sta from http://www.artbeads.com/ it did take a while to ship but I'm sure I'll be happy with it I'm the end. It's very easy to put together and can be used instantly. 

Once you get the Chain Sta together you can see I've already got my bracelet ready to go. You can use necklaces on here as well. It makes adding charms way easier.

I am very OCD and have to have things even so I am more into counting my links rather than measuring them out. I feel ten time better that way. So I wanted to had cross charms, I counted the links to where I wanted then and with my Chain Sta got them on my bracelet with ease!! : )

Now that all my designated charms are placed, I did that first because I know how I get. I would have forgotten by the time I got to that spot and the bracelet wouldn't Of had crosses at all lol, I continued to add my brown beads and my shells beads in the order that I wanted them. : )

And tada!! Here we have my bracelet I made with the Chain Sta. I feel like I went faster in making the bracelet by having that extra hand. Out of 10 stars I will give it a 8,( no 9 it took a long time to ship, no 10 because nothing is perfect)

                             (This bracelet if for sale at http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/)

Again I bought this from http://www.artbeads.com/free shipping in the U.S. With orders over $10.
They have great products at great prices and there always seems to be a coupon available right from the site.

Happy Monday.


Krista 
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Determine your wrist size

Sometimes it can be hard making a bracelet for a friend especially if you want to surprise them with it but you do not know his/her wrist size. I have a small wrist, I can wear size 5" bracelets with no problem but that is not that average size for an adult so I have learned to make various sizes and deterime the average size that will fit most Americans. If you are just starting out then this chart I am about to link is one you should keep  handy and reference to. If you have been making jewerly for sometimes it's just something else to look at and see where most of your items fall.

http://www.onceuponaname.com/sizing.html


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/

Elegant Chandelier earrings

I was at home and I had some free time before bed and I added an extra hour of designing. I try and keep a good schedule of daily life and work(designing). Making a personal schedule like book keeping on certain days for 1-2 hours, designing on certain days 1-2 hours and then everyday activities... I'm sure you get the idea but it's a schedule that works for me. Well back to the point, I just wanted to share how I manage my time to make the items I get to make.


I came up with what I call the Elegant Chandelier earrings. I'm sure you have seen a basis of this type of earring but something about this one stuck out for me and I'd like to show you ; )


I had the following.....

Pick your style of beads you will need one good size main bead, I picked blue, and a hand full of other beads, in a smaller size and color of your choice as well as style. I went with a clear crystal/rock style bead. ( I got a long necklace from the Goodwill) I love recycling old jewelry from thrift stores. I did not count how many beads I put on each earring. I think it makes it more original; not every earring will be a like but by all means count yours if you would like.. continuing you will need a head pin to stick in your larger bead (my blue bead you see I have mine inserted that I closed with an eye) a medium jump ring and your metal earring.


You will also need a hand full of eye pins to attach to the eye of the head pin and the jump ring after you attach all three as follows.

When your earring looks like the above picture you can start adding your other beads. Using your head pins to insert through the bead color of your choice (my clear beads) start off by adding beads to the eye of the head pin and then go up to the jump ring and to the eye of the earring.

Keep going until you have a look that you like....

And here is mine : ) I hope you like it and go a head and try it out yourself. If you don't make jewelry these will be for sale on the Kasha Designs website. Happy Easter!!!

Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

New Product COMING SOON!!

I am so excited to share this amazing website I found today. It is www.artbeads.com, this is next to Hobby Lobby the mother of art stores, well for me at least ; ) I have come to announce that I have some new items coming in that I want to show and then when they come in, trust me you will hear all about it: ) I PROMISE.


Well first off I am getting from artbeads.com a Chain Stä,
As you can see from the picture it holds chain links for you. May it be bracelets or necklaces when you are trying to add charms with head pins, eye pins, loops etc I always seem to wish I had a third hand and with the Chain Stä I can have that third hand. While the chain is hung on the stand I can add charms and pendents straight to the chain link and even do wraps way easier.

(www.artbeads.com Chain Stä $12.07 it will be free shipping over $10 :) )




Then I have bought some watch faces that support breast cancer with the pink ribbon in the middle. I'm really excited to get those made because I have been running a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and % of proceeds each month have been going to them. My brother is running for them in the Chicago Marathon so wish him luck!!!

(Martell in the Chicago Marathon 10-10-10 twitter @MartellCBolden)


While I am trying with all of my might to hold my containment I am going to go make some baby/toddler blanket sets I have been dreaming about for days See you later in the blog.




p.s. If you shop at artbeads.com I was given this code to get 10% to share with my friends so have fun. ZZ-FRIEND10


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Pricing your items guide

I just read this great blog, I mean it's fantastic for those who are looking to make their crafts a real business. You want to make a profit off of it but you also want to get paid what you are worth. If you do just make crafts as a hobby and just make a few extra dollars besided covering for the supplies that is fine. But read this blog, subsrcibe to the blog and download the free ebook that is offered on pricing you itmes. it's a great read and helpful for your business

Art Bead Scene Blog
"Pricing & Value"

http://artbeadscene.blogspot.com/2011/04/pricing-and-value.html



Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Read up on your craft

Anyone can make crafts, if you are self taught or went to school or took classes. Most crafts are really simple to catch up on but I would always reccommend that you read up on your craft. There are many things that you can teach yourself and be taught but there are even more things out there that can be learned and so many books that I have learned new techniques from that I did not know about. Do not think that you know everything there is to know because everyday someone could be coming up with something new.
Check out the amazon link to books and search for your craft and always feed your mind to keep your customers happy and your art unique.




Kasha Designs website
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Great blog for entrepreneurs to read

This is a blog that I read on etsy.com It was so great that I just had to share it. I will be taking the advice that is given in this blog and put it towards Kasha Designs because I love what I am doing and only want to see it grow. I can say that I too have put myself in a job field that I thought I always wanted. I go there and now I see I need to stop pushing it and do what my heart is telling me.

Enjoy,
Krista - the link is below

"Quit Your day job: Snapcrafty"

http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/quit-your-day-job-snapcrafty-12552/?ref=sell_blog_post


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/
http://www.kashadsgns.etsy.com/

Inspiration

Alot of things inspire people to want to do something. Mine I think is a bundle of many things, people around me who want to see me do something with my life, parents and siblings and my son are most likely my main inspirations. Well with personal inspirations comes outside inspirations. I grew up in a home with a mother who is what I call the queen of crafts. I do not know one thing she couldn't fix, make or figure out. Every creative string in me came from her. Well getting to the point every Sunday morning I would wake up to shows a long the lines of Sewing with Nancy.
After time, i would pick up on what the shows were about when it came time for me to make something; of course with a lot of help from mom. When I was growing up Nancy did a lot of clothing but now the show shows crafts around the house and quilting which I would recommend this show to any creative mind that is out there, but just don't be surprised if it's a lot of quilting talk.
What I'm saying is dont just be inspired by your surroundings go out and find outside inspiration. From shows like Sewing with Nancy or this new show called beads, baubles and jewels. This show is on weiu(PBS) through direct tv showing every Sunday 1:30 (central standard time) I'll try and find a showing on sewing with nancy if needed. But beads, baubles and jewels has a website if you do not own direct tv at beadsbaublesandjewels.com Honestly I really dont know how new this show is I just caught wind of it this year, I dont watch too much tv.
There are other tools that I use to get new ideas or learn how to do things that I can not quite pick up. Youtube is very good for that. Now all of the videos can become very overwhelming but, if you take the time and look you can find some really great videos. I'll have to make a blog list for you for the top 5 videos that I found that have made me better at making the crafts that I love.


Krista
Kasha Designs
http://www.kashadesigns.webs.com/