Saturday Smiles

I am having fun with glass tiles.

I bought a bunch of glass marbles at a garage sale this last summer.  I had seen this really great tutorial over on houseofjoyfulnoise.com, and I wanted to try it.

And I did!

I wanted mine to look like something you would only ever find once, like nothing you'd find in a chain store. I think I've achieved that goal; however, I'm not done with them just yet...

The tutorial I read suggested Diamond Glaze, but I was using multiple papers and a few items with dimension- the ribbon, thread and glitter- so I used a Mod-Podge style glue to seal everything.

"Fly"  Collage marble

First I layered the papers and images using regular Elmer's white glue.  Then I added words and accents with Sharpies and some ink stamps.  After those were dry, I added the glitter glue and the ribbon and thread.  I waited another night until everything was completely dry and added any final touches to complete the tiny collages.  And then, I glued them onto the marbles, again using the Mod-Podge.

"Dream" Collage marble

I waited another night and then sealed them with Mod-Podge again. I admit I was shocked at how long the project has taken so far.  I think my favorite aspect of these pieces is how the marbles each add another layer to the collage.  The "Fly" pendant is clear, while the "Dream" one is so cloudy and iridescent... And the "Once Upon A Time" pendant is rather blue with a bit of shimmer to it.

My intention is to take these marbles and bezel them in my metal-smithing class this semester.  Probably with silver, which I hate using...  (I prefer the look, feel and cost of copper.)  I'll have to take them to the shop and see what looks best with each piece.  I hope to reveal the final pieces soon.

I want to do more!
I think I might just be addicted.

Getting My Craft On! - Menu Board

I admit it- I'm not crafty.  Yes, I make jewelry, but that's about it.  I rarely use scissors, glue or paper for anything other than lists or stuff for the girls to do.

But I found this amazing idea on Pinterest- it's a menu board by Sarah Potter, and it is beautiful.
Here's hers:

Isn't it beautiful?  She used an old cookie sheet and covered it with fabric.

So, I copied her idea. I found a magnetic, dry erase board at Walmart for about $5.  Then I used hot glue and covered it with fabric.  I found the cute clothes pins in the office supplies at Walmart, too.  I hot-glued my letters on the pins, then hot-glued them on the board.

Sarah's is a lot prettier, but I'm very proud of my crafty self. 

My success makes me want to try again, and do something else crafty!  Maybe I can do some things with the girls this summer.  Just one thing a week or so.  I'm not very brave or creative with the whole 'crafty' thing; however, there are FABULOUS craft ideas on Pinterest and I want to make this summer fun and more organized.  I hate getting to the end of the summer and trying to remember what we did with all that time.

Friday Art Day

I had so much fun working on projects this week and I wanted to share a little bit of what I've been doing.

I finished off the green butterfly, so now all three of them are done.  Filigree butterflies, Swarovski crystals, and flowers.  What other combo could be quite as fun?

I completed more of the little frame hearts, but I only have one picture...  Becca, Do more pictures!  These little hearts are so fun to make.  I enjoy creating the heart, and then wrapping the flowers and crystals to the heart.  My favorite touch is the little crystal butterfly dangling from the center.  The necklaces end up very simple and sweet.

Also, I've been making these wire Y-shaped flower necklaces for a while, but I'm making them a little differently now than I did when I first started making them.

New Necklaces, Summer 2012

I used to make the entire necklace out of wire, like this:

Forget-Me-Not Necklace, Summer 2009

And this:

Blue Flowers Necklace, Summer 2008

NOW, instead of making the entire necklace out of wire, I mostly make the focal/center out of wire and then attach chain.  I don't do this with ALL my wire necklaces, but I am finding that a lot of people like them better this way.  The chain and chain extensions give the necklaces more length, and they can be worn a little looser.  Most of my clientele do not like chokers, and a lot of the wire necklaces were pretty short.  I've learned to make them longer, but people like having the option of making them a little shorter or a little longer depending on their outfit.

I still make my pearl necklaces completely out of wire, but I use a chain extender in the back.  The wire foundation works better for these viney necklaces because the weight and balance of the wire and pearls gives the entire necklace a solid structure.  However the light pieces seem to work better (less bending, less damage, less kinking) when attached to chain.  The chained wire pieces are also just plain easier to make.  They take a little less time and allow me to really fine-focus the wire details.

I'm also making them all a little more sturdy- at least double wrapping the wire and sometimes triple.  I like the viney, natural feel the extra wrappings create and I like them to be a little less fragile.  They are still delicate and dainty, but they don't break easily. I'm delighted with how quickly these Y-flower necklaces have sold this summer. I can barely keep them on the table.

It's fun to look back and see that I've gotten better at what I'm doing!

Friday is My Fun Day!- Leafy Bronze Bracelets

I am delighted to show these bracelets off!
They were fun to make...

First and most importantly, I chose metal that had already been worked with and aged. Each of these pieces had been worked with and then discarded. I loved the texture and images already embedded in the metal.





Then I heated the copper to make it malleable. I chose leaves and ran the metal and the leaves through the rolling mill.
(A rolling mill is the tool I covet the most from our shop. Yes, I want a torch, but I WANT a rolling mill in a really bad way. The cheapest good one I've found was around $500. It's gonna be a while before I have one...)



Next, I soaked the pieces in liver of sulphur to age and darken the leaf impressions.
After the liver of sulphur bath, I sanded the surface to lighten the raised metal.






Then I drilled holes on the sides. After speaking to an artist on Etsy I used clear finger-nail polish to coat the backs of the bracelets. Copper has a tendency to turn skin green when worn repeatedly, but the clear nail polish will prevent the copper from touching skin.






Finally, I took them home and beaded them, which was a blast! I wanted a heavy, rich appearance so I mixed chain in with vibrant glass beads and luscious stones.








I created the green bracelet specifically for me, but the red and blue one are both for sale!


Take a peak down at Farmer's Market on College Rd. in Fairbanks or on Etsy.