 This is the story of what happened to my Christmas tree. You may ask why is my tree is so small? So small that it needs to be placed on top of a table? Is this a fashion statement? Does she live in an apartment and doesn't have room for a larger tree? No, I don't live in an apartment. And yes, I do have room for a much larger tree. But yet, I choose not to. Let me tell you the story how I ended up shrinking my Christmas tree. We have always used artificial trees, mostly because I don't... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Monday, September 5, 2011,
In :
Crafting
In this tough economy more and more brides are looking for ways to economize on their special day, without having to compromise on the beautiful elements they want to have in their wedding. As someone who was a total Do-It-Yourself Bride, I can totally agree with this philosophy. Back then, 21 years ago,  it was not even popular or fashionable to be a DIY bride, but I knew if I gave myself the time, and planned accordingly I would be able to accomplish what I wanted, and would end up not on...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Tuesday, August 30, 2011,
In :
Crafting
I have always loved items that have that vintage travel feel. I have made several purses in the past with this theme.  This one was the first cigar box purse that I ever made with that vintage travel theme. I called it "Around the World" since I made it with this great wrapping paper I had that had maps of all over, and who knows where, and other travel motifs that I just loved. I went ahead and added some stickers, rhinestones and so forth, and I really ended loving the end product.  This ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Thursday, August 25, 2011,
In :
Crafting
For the past year and half I've been quite obsessed with cigar boxes. I had no idea how diverse and versatile cigar boxes could be until I started working with them. I've made a lot of different styles of purses, and I'm still amazed at how many different things I can do with them. In the beginning, I tried to do some simple decoupage with wallpaper remnants, magazine paper, calendar paper, scrapbooking paper, etc. Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Thursday, August 25, 2011,
In :
Crafting
By now I've made several of these statement necklaces, and it never ceases to amaze me how many different ways a few relatively mundane elements can be combined to make a glorious statement. In the beginning, I mostly used beads that I happened to have in my crafting arsenal. Things that I had bought a while back but had not had the chance to use yet. This one was the first statement necklace I ever made. I called it Bahama Fantasy. Back then I tried to get creative with my titles. I've s... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Wednesday, August 24, 2011,
In :
Crafting
That seems to be my state of creating lately. I was fortunate enough to inherit quite a collection of buttons through a friend. She knew this lady who used to do a lot of sewing projects and had collected all kinds of sewing supplies, from buttons, to fabric, to upholstery trim, lace etc. When the lady approached my friend asking if she wanted to take some of the stuff she had because she was trying to clean up her closets, my friend right away thought of me and let me have first dibs in l... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Monday, August 8, 2011,
In :
Crafting
This is a very fun metal spiral ring that came out of a slight
misfortune. I found that one of the silver bracelets I used to use for
belly dancing had snapped where the soldering used to be, and this gave
me an idea. I pictured right away a spiral ring, like the ones you
usually see in those snake like Egyptian theme jewelry items.  So I
spiraled it around, added some beads, and there you go! I purposely
left the beads loose, as to give me something to play with (I like to
fidget with s... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Monday, November 1, 2010,
In :
Tablescapes
Well Halloween is here, which just gives me an excuse to come up with a new, fun and spooky tablescape. For those of you who may have not seen it, last year I did one called " Count Dracula Gives a Dinner Party but Nobody Comes".  You can't quite tell from the dark picture but dracula's cape became the tablecloth (No
Linens N' Things in Transylvania you know), and there are cobwebs and spiders
everywhere (remember nobody came. . .get it?) In the middle of the table
he had set his favorite ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Sunday, October 24, 2010,
In :
Craft shows
Well we went, we hauled, we set up. . .but did we conquer?. . .not so much. . .Unfortunately despite great expectations, sales at the Indie Bazaar were not as expected. My sister in law Bev and I planned ahead our display of my cigar box purses and statement jewelry, and her imported jewelry and purses a week in advance to make sure we knew exactly what we were doing once we got there. But somehow people were not in a shopping mood maybe? We feel we did a good job with our display, but I d... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Wednesday, October 20, 2010,
In :
Crafting
Well it has been a while since I last posted a blog! My time flies! I've been encouraged by the sale of a few of my items through Etsy.com, so I've cranked up production lately. I've made a new collection of cigar box purses (to check them out go to http://www.etsy.com/shop/handartdesignstudios) and then decided to create some statement (sometimes called bib) necklaces to go with each of the purses I created. I've had a lot of fun making these pieces of jewelry, and I'm really happy with ... Continue reading ...
Many times we think of recycling as saving our cans, plastic bags, bottles, etc., because often times that is what we are familiar with. But we don't realize that there's plenty of recycling, reducing and re-using that we can do right at home, with what we have been putting away or storing away. Many of us who are "do-it-your-selfers" inevitably end up with a lot of left over materials from projects. There's always some new material that must be bought in order to complete a new project. ... Continue reading ...
The Interior Design and Drafting subdivision of HandArt Design Studio, HandArt Drafting and Rendering Services, has launched a new advertising campaign through Thumbtack.com, which also allows it to advertise through Craig's List for a limited period of time. We are hoping this new venture will help in getting the word out and also expanding what the business has to offer. We are hoping to expand and try to help small business and homes make small changes in the design/decor of their spaces wh... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Sunday, April 25, 2010,
In :
Green Design
In honor of Earth Day, which just happened, here are some very ingenious ways in which one can recycle and have fun at the same time. The Bay Area Garden Railway society created this Garden Railway for the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The level of creativity is amazing. Check out all the pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2051314&id=1013775476&l=b0db4a3e49Man's creativity is timeless! Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Saturday, April 24, 2010,
Help support my niece's school by buying this very well made and nicely priced fun jewelry. Please check it out at: If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask!! Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Friday, April 2, 2010,
Walking through the city on a sunny beautiful Spring day is a perfect way to get inspiration.   
This water feature is in San Francisco.  This one is in the Palacio del Generalife in La Alhambra
in Granada, Spain. You can sort of figure out where the SF fountain
might have gotten its inspiration from, don't you?
Nice ironwork at a Mexican restaurant.  A nice sculpture on the street.  And hey, it looks like the same artist also did the sconces on the same
building. And finally where else are you ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Saturday, March 27, 2010,
 I grew up in the small Caribbean island of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a very small island, measuring roughly 100 miles long and 35 miles wide. Being that it is such a small island, one cannot escape the effects of the salt air, the heat and the humidity. Also, since it is only 18 degrees above the equator the temperature does not change much seasonally, staying usually around a balmy 71 to 88 degrees all year round. The leeward winds come from the east and provide some relief on those ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Wednesday, March 10, 2010,
In :
Green Design
 I guess, if I were to be honest, I didn't come to realize the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling on my own. I guess you could say that fate led me to it, sort of accidentally in a way. My first exposure to the importance of the 3 R's came from my mother. Looking back I now feel she was quite a revolutionary in this regard. She was of the school of never-throw-anything-away-because-we-might-use- it-later. To this day if she sees an aluminum container of any kind, she can’t ... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Wednesday, March 3, 2010,
In :
Green Design
 Have you ever thought what a wonderful world it would be if we could indeed live as green as possible? What would need to happen for this to be possible? Is it a really feasible, reachable goal for us to have? For me the list would be quite long. First of all, utilizing the principle, “if you build it, they will come”, laws all around the world would have to be changed to mandate and give incentives to companies to create and label products which would be 100 % recyclable, and which ...
Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Saturday, February 27, 2010,
In :
Green Design
I believe
that including aesthetics as part of the considerations for green design is
essential for several reasons. First of all, aesthetics are one of the
many important considerations for design in general. A well design space
is aesthetically pleasing because it follows the principles of design and
integrates them into a cohesive plan. Because of this, a well-designed
space is not only beautiful and functional, but it is also pleasant to be
in. It beckons others to come and relax an... Continue reading ...
Creating a new look in the bathroom does not have to cost an arm and a leg. It can be done inexpensively, with a few well thought out changes. First of all, think of a concept or theme. What is this room going to say about you? What do you want it to do for you, functionally and aesthetically? Is there a particular feel you are trying to accomplish? Secondly, you have to think about what colors and color scheme will go with your concept. Try to not have more than 2-3 colors in order to... Continue reading ...
Here's a few more things from the same paper.  Did you know you can actually decoupage a candle? Here's the same paper again, plus a little raffia and a wax seal, and it turns a plain candle into something special. And with very little paper you can customize even a light switch. These clear switch plates are meant for wall paper, but they actually work with any kind of paper. 
In my efforts to be eco-friendly and to conserve resources and energy, I'm always looking for ways to use up all those little tidbits of stuff that usually cross through my fingers through the years. It all starts with a piece of ribbon, some old jewelry findings, or just some doodad that is just too pretty to throw away. I happened to find some wrapping paper that I had bought that had old world maps in it (another fixation of mine . . .) that was again, too good to waste. It fit perfectl... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Wednesday, February 10, 2010,
In :
Inspiration
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, from a very early age I was always drawn to artistic endeavors, be it making jewelry, paper flowers, drawing, and making crafts of all types. I feel I got my artistic and creative bent from my mother and maternal grandmother. My mother has always been an extremely good seamstress. She used to make all my clothes from childhood up to the time that I left home to go to college in the states. The way she could whip out a blouse out of a half a yard, no one can... Continue reading ...
Posted by Jacqueline Arroyo on Monday, February 8, 2010,
Please feel free to post any questions, comments or feedback about my work or anything else you see in this website. Continue reading ...
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