Gatsby Inspired Jewelry!

Unless a movie contains aliens or hobbits I not likely to be really excited about it but seeing the previews of the new version The Great Gatsby has me swooning, not because of any of the leading men but because of the gorgeous clothes and jewelry the ladies are wearing!

Oh the sparkle, the pearls, the art-deco lines! My inner glamour girl is in jewelry making heaven! So, when someone asked me to make a custom necklace to wear to a wedding this weekend I had to put a little Gatsby in it!

The thing I really like about this set is the clasp on the necklace. I picked up a pack of these at Joann Fabrics  they are by Blue Moon Beads and I will definitely be buying more. The neat thing about these clasps (besides the Art Deco design) is that there is a loop on the back perfect for hanging dangles from!

Beaded tassels will be a big trend I think with this move coming out, the three dangles off the clasps echos this without being too “trendy” I think. The necklace can be worn frontward or backwards, the lady I designed this for has a cute shot haircut so the clasp and dangles will be a lovely accent at the back of the neck. It is also pretty for long hair worn up.

I am seeing a lot of glass pearls and crystals being used too, some bead companies are even packaging their glass pearls with coordinating crystals. Crystals give you a lot more sparkle that regular faceted pressed glass because they are cut, not molded and those sharp flat edges reflect the light better. That is also why they are more expensive, more work involved…when you think about it beads are a bargain!

I admit the triangle earring are a little more “groovy” that “Gatsby” but I had two scraps of Tiger-tail wire left after trimming the necklace and rather than toss them out I strung on some beads and made earrings. Changing the shape and adding a millefiori bead completely changes the feel of the jewelry. See how it doesn’t take much to change the look and feel of your beadwork.

That’s all for me today! I am working on the last painting for the children’s book I am illustrating, I can’t wait to share more of this with you. I will be really excited when I can hold a copy of the book in my hands! Have a great weekend everybody and till next time happy crafting!

A Winner and a Bit of Whimsy!

Howdy folks! Man, I just love it when I can start the day giving away something! Today I get to draw a winner for the About Art Accent stamp featured in Last Tuesdays blog post and with the help pf Random.org the winner is Cindy Roberts!!! Woo hoo! Congrats Cindy, check your email for details;)

OK, last week I told you that I got a spool (French) knitter, well, it was so beautiful out the other day (too nice to be hold-op in my art dungeon) so I sat on the porch and tried it out, I made this nifty bracelet.

I used gold crochet cotton (Royale) and “E” glass beads. I wanted my first try to be with inexpensive materials in case I messed it up but still be kinda elegant if it turned out OK.

I used the 6 peg top on my Clover french knitter. I did not bother with the directions because it works just like a knitting loom. I strung on pink, champagne and white beads in the same pattern until I had a lot on there because you don’t want to run out and because 3 is a multiple of 6 so the pattern worked out. If you want a pattern just string on the beads in a multiple of the number of pegs your spool has, easy math yay!

All was almost lost though when I went to make this into a bracelet, I put the string ends through an end cone, then through a clasp and went to knot it (I could glue the knot and slide it under the cone, or so I thought!)  I made such a mess of it that the knot was too big and I could not shove it in the cone and I was all like “Epic Craft Fail!” but then I was all like, “wait, get the scissors” but I did not have enough string after cutting to use a matching cone so I got a smaller one, slipped it on, I tied it off and glued it after it was snugly inside the cone, I literally filled that cone with glue, it is never coming apart LOL! To deal with the mismatched ends I added some bead dangles and wire wrapping and slid a heart frame on to (secured with a jump ring) for good measure so it looks like it is asymmetrical on purpose.

And that’s how you deal with an Epic Craft Fail LOL! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

WOYWW: Ask a Crafter!

Howdy folks! It is time once again to have a peek at my craft desk. I have supplies to make a fresh batch of summery earrings and I am going to try covering some blank buttons and using them for post style earrings. I’ll let you know how that turns out! Why am I sharing my desk? Because it is What’s on your Workdesk Wednesday and each week the fabulous Julia hosts this super fun crafty blog hop so if you want to see more check out the full list of desks on her blog.

It’s also time for my weekly video blog! I asked you to submit any craft related questions you might have for me last week and I had quite a few on my YouTube video. Today I answer them for you. Question ranges from making rhinestone blingy beads, to craft fair display, resources for cheap craft supplies, photography and more. Have a look:

If you have a crafty question you would like me to answer next week just leave a comment either here on my YouTube video and I will address it in next’s weeks video blog! I’ll even try to slow down when I talk…I’ll try…no promises;) Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

On the Road to Shambala!

Ooooweeeooohhhoooo…ya ya ya ya ya …we’re on the road to Shambala today as we make some fun Shambala style macrame bracelets!

This bracelet is constructed of square knots and beads using cord. You will need:

6 feet of 2mm rat-tail cord (or cord of your choice)
2 feet of hemp cord (or any fairly stiff cord that you can slide your beads on to)
7 large hole beads (lampwork glass or furnace glass beads are perfect but see what you have, the holes need to be big enough to slip on the hemp cord)
A clip board (or scrap of wood/cardboard) and binder clips
super glue (or clear nail polish)
A lighter (or lit candle) for melting the cord ends (grown-ups only!)

Watch the video for complete instructions!

Once you get the hang of it you can make these bracelets in 15-20 minutes. This is the same technique (minus the beads) that are used to make the popular parachute cord (paracord) bracelets too! I think these bracelets can be worn by a man, woman or child however when I asked my husband if he wanted one he said they were too girly, I said that her must be thinking of the wrong one, I was talking about the knotted one with the beads and adjustable dangles on the end and he said “anything with a ‘dangle’ is girly” Well, folks, there you have it;) Other than a wedding ring my hubby is not a jewelry wearer

That does it for me today, we have a busy school break planned with lots of fun so if I don’t manage to get a blog post up every day this week it is because I am having too much fun with the kids! If I do manage a daily post it will be because I have convinced them to craft with me! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

I’m Having a Lawrence Welk Moment…DIY Bubble Wand Necklace Tutorial!

Happy Monday folks! Have you ever had so much fun making a project that you make, say 20? That’s what happened to me Friday when I decided to make a wire and bead bubble wand:

These really work too! I got the idea from the Jewelry Making Journal but I made mine longer and instead of pricier copper wire I used 18 gauge aluminum from the Hardware store (because it won’t rust) and acrylic (That’s a fancy word for plastic) beads because I love the sparkle and they are lightweight. They can also handle being dipped in bubble liquid over and over again!

Watch this video to see how I made them:

Wouldn’t they be awesome party favors or even wedding favors (way better than the tiny plastic bubble bottles!) You could even put a bowl of bubble solution in the center of each table at a party and folks can blow bubbles whenever the mood strikes!

One thing I will mention about the hardware store aluminum wire is that there is a thin film of oil or something on it. It’s not a big deal but after making 20 of these suckers my fingertips were black with the grease. It washed off and I could not see it on the wands because it was such a small amount but if you are thinking of making jewelry out of this stuff I would wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to remove any grease first.

I hope you give this project a try, it was a lot of fun and a great way to practice your wire wrapping skills. I’ll leave you with a few more photos of these whimsical wands. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

The Rainbow Collection…

Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side….I have had that darn song stuck in my head all afternoon! Well, it’s no wonder given my latest experiment:

Rainbow string jewelry! When I spied a skein of Royal rainbow crochet thread for .99 cents at Mardens (an awesome Maine discount store) I immediately thought “Ah-Ha, rainbow tassel earrings!!!” yes, with 3 exclamation points, if you must know, and I think they are just FAB (and so did my daughters because they promptly confiscated them along with the bracelets and I must say they look even better on.

The bracelets were an experiment (hence I am using plastic beads rather than glass) and I like them OK but I think I might have to delve into Macrame for this one. I am really liking the feeling on the macrame cord these days (notice another pipe knot pendant) so I’ll have to keep you updated on this rainbow bracelet experiment.

I crocheted a simple chain to hang the pendant on, I like it!

Tonight I am going to refine my tassels while sitting in front of the TV catching up on Red Dwarf on Netflix, yep, another wild Saturday night at Lindsay’s… and I might have a video for ya when the said tassel is refined (oh joy!) but I thought you might want to see a prototype, I usually share my projects after I have fixed them up a bit and here you can see the wobbly beginnings, we all have them, especially when we are trying something new. The process is fun even if the end result needs a little work. We all have to start somewhere, remember that

Well, so long for tonight, it’s time to get the smeg of the computer and go work on that couch dent. Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

a Pipe Knot Pendant and Spiral Wire Earrings!

I learned a new skill today! I was idly drinking my coffee this morning and I decided to see if there was anything new to learn in the realm of you-tube jewelry tutorials and indeed there was…pipe knots!

So I watched this video, grabbed a spool of macrame cord and a Pandora style bead and went to town!

It was quick and easy, my type of project, I will totally be whipping up a bunch of these for the craft fair! I made a pair of simple spiral earrings to match. Nifty!

After I made the pendant I knotted the loose ends under the bead but it looked too gaudy (and I should know!) so I untied it and decided to secure my bead with my trusty Gorilla Super Glue…That bead is going nowhere!

I made an adjustable knot cord for the pendant to live on. I have a video tutorial here. and everything was fine-and-cherry-wine So, what did you learn today? Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend and til next time happy crafting!

Birds Nest Jewelry Video tutorial!

Darn it, every time I go to put away my beads I end up making more stuff! To add to my wire wrapping obsession of making trees I am now making nests.  These nests are quick and easy, it take less than 10 minutes to make one and they are so cute:

You can use the nests for rings, pendants, pins, earrings-you name it! This is a great use of natural stones such as turquoise, jasper, pearls and other semi-precious stones that can otherwise be dwarfed in a jewelry design. It is also great for using up leftover beads for other projects.

Here is a video to show you how.  I went on the hunt for inexpensive, good quality wire (my current obsession had me using my wire stash up like it was going out of style!) and I found some deals. I talk about that, and review types of wire and tools a bit at the start of this video so if you know all that and want to get strait to the tutorial skip to 3:00.

Easy huh? Be warned, this is addictive! I am planning to sell these at the local spring fair this year, I think they will be lovely Mother’s day gifts. I will sell them for $5-$15 depending on the cost of the beads I used

Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

WOYWW: Altered Glass Jewelry in Progress & a Video Tutorial!

Happy Wednesday folks! That’s right, it is time for What’s on Your workdesk Wednesday hosted buy the fabulous Julia at the Stamping Ground. This week I have been playing with flat backed clear marbles from the dollar store, nail polish, foil, paper scraps and my soldering supplies (I treated myself to a new soldering iron and tips last week!) Here is my desk in all it’s glory. I found a wonderful sheet of vintage stamp designs and I wondered if hot glue would be clear enough to adhere a marble to the image so I put a dab on the marble and squished it quickly to the paper so it made it really thin. It seems to be fine! And no waiting, then I trimmed around them with scissors. I’m not sure if they will become Jewelry or magnets…maybe some of each! The odd contraption made of an applesauce cup and a suction cup dart is supposed to be a “bead spinner” apparently I am too chea…er, resourceful to go and spend $3 on a proper one so I thought I would raid my recycle bin (and my son’s toy box) instead. I have tried it out with some seed beads but I think I need a stiffer needle. I think this might be just the ticket for some bead crochet I am planning….

Here are the finished nail polish/foil/paper beads. For the foil I am using colored candy wrappers from papermart I really like the way they turned out. The beads with the nail polish and foil look very much like Dicrho!

I soldered jump rings on some and glued some to ring blanks or bails.

Some have Guinea feathers!

I’ve kept you in suspense long enough, wanna see how I did it? It’s quick and easy and I made a video to show you how:

I plan on selling the pendents at my yearly crafty fair (hey, do you notice how I am not waiting til November to make product…neat huh?) so I have simply cut ATC sized rectangles out of old book pages or maps and placed them in a baseball card size baggie (papermart sells them too, I love these because they are food safe and crystal clear for packaging cards and jewelry too! They come in a pack of 1000 so you might want to go in on an order with some friends and get a few sizes to share!)

I apologize, this was a bit long for a WOYWW post so I won’t blame anyone who just came to see the desk but I hope I gave you some fun ideas on making beautiful and super inexpensive glass jewelry ..now I have to get me some more flat clear marbles, it is addicting! BTW I made pushpins with the smaller flat marbles, paper scraps and brass thumbtacks and used them to pin my homemade earrings to my display boards at last months craft fair and people kept trying to buy them! Another great gift of bazzar idea too! What’s better than saving money on crafts? Making money with your crafts! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!

Honey, you should see me in a crown…

Howdy folks! Just a quick post tonight to show you the finished microscope slides I soldered 2 weeks ago…

I thought I better show you know because I got a new soldering iron and tips and my soldering looks much more elegant now so if I don’t put these out there I never will LOL! Of course these pendents pay homage to Doctor Who and Sherlock…yes, I am a nerd (in case it was ever debatable.)  I found lots of great quotes from the shows online by doing a google search for Doctor Who Quotes and Sherlock Quotes, printed them out, and collaged them with scraps of patterned paper and sandwiched them between microscope slides (I think I need to find a medical suppler to get them cheaper!) then copper foiled and soldered around the edges and added a jump ring. Easy peasy! Thanks for stopping by and til next time happy crafting!