What to Do When You Run Out of Beads!

So you stocked up on some awesome beads you found on sale, yet you still don't have enough for your project.  It's a frustrating scenario that happens too often.  Luckily, there are ways to get around it besides turning your necklace project into a bracelet project instead.

Not only will it help you build a nice necklace that requires fewer beads, but using chain will also lay very nicely with your design.  Plus, when your curb chain is thinner in diameter than your beads, you'll actually achieve a more lengthened look for your neckline.  Since my Thanksgiving pounds have added up, I relish this thinning idea!

In my project, I realized I hadn't purchased enough of this bead blend.  Luckily, I had some gun-metal colored chain, complete with findings.  I simply added 3 inches of chain on either side of each strand and voila!  It turned out looking nice and professional.  Add this to my new blue blouse and I have a gorgeous ensemble for tomorrow's work day!

Amazing Hawaiian Cork Board

I've been wanting a cork board for a long time, but they are so plain and bland.  I finally decided I had to bite the bullet because I really need one in my craft room.  So after Googling cool boards, I decided to try a technique with scrapbook paper.  My daughter came with me to Hobby Lobby and helped me pick out the colors.

We were looking for a design that would look good with my hanging ukuleles and the vintage Hawaiian travel posters I just ordered.  Josie even reminded me of a cool way to turn buttons or scrapbook brads into tacks for our project.  We picked up the paper, tacks, buttons, and washi tape, ready to add to the craft room!

Here's what we bought:

We trimmed the paper and hot glued the buttons to the tacks (after cutting off the shanks).  I love what we have now!

Never throw away toilet paper rolls!

After my last project making color pencil organizers, I contemplated the importance of collecting rolls from toilet paper and paper towels.  Yep, I'm a crafter.  And as any crafter knows, you may not need it now, but in the long term, you'll be sorry if you toss out the *trash*!

 With 3 various junk drawers filled with tangled cords and god only knows what else, having a place where I can find a charger without a 30 minute search is such a relief!  So where does one find such a thing?

I did what any craft whore would do:  I jumped on Pinterest. There were a range of solutions, most of which involved going to the hobby store.  Normally I'm all for it, but having felt under the weather all day, I needed something I could find around the house.  And sure enough, some clever connoisseur of craftiliciousness had developed just the remedy I sought!

Armed with a shoebox, black scrapbooking paper (my kitchen appliances are all black), and toilet paper rolls, I jumped right in.

Tip:  use regular tape on the outside of the toilet paper rolls and fold the top over like you might with giftwrap.  In fact, a lovely wrapping paper would have been a much easier and decorative alternative.

Voila:

Tip #2:  when you fold up cords, make sure to put them in so the tip is showing.  This way you know what the cord is supposed to charge!

FREE Jewelry Class at Michaels this Coming Tuesday

Each month we offer a free jewelry making class at Michaels geared toward beginners.  Come join me at the Brentwood Michaels this Tuesday (October 21) to learn to make a necklace and matching earrings!  Sign up at the front or online at www.michaels.com.

With the skills you learn you can make several styles of necklaces, earrings and bracelets.  Make your Christmas gifts and save big bucks!

If you don't love the tassels, you can make the necklace without it and I will show you how to make crystal and pearl earrings.

Keep Your Coloring In Line

I love crayons, color pencils, markers, paints, and pastels.  I am still traumatized by the image of my baby brother when I received a brand new box of Crayola color markers at the start of third grade from my great-grandmother.  I had carefully placed my unopened markers in the room we shared.  Later that evening, he came toddling out, streams of red, blue, and green dripping from his saliva-covered chin.  I was not just horrified; I was absolutely INDIGNANT!!!  To an 8-year-old child of a fiscally-challenged single parent, this was sibling treason!!!

I have to come clean about my art & office supply fetish.  I may be a hot, sloppy mess in reality, but I fantasize about perfectly organized new materials, available at a moment's touch.  My daughter, who follows after my obscene compulsion for colorful and tidy objects, encouraged me to check out organizers available on Amazon.  What I found was either insufficient for all my coupon-collected colors or well outside a teacher's budget!

Wow!

When are these going on sale so I can use my Michael's employee discount?

Gorgeous!

Not enough color pencil slots!

So like any Pinterest addict, I did what I had to do.  I went online and researched.  I added hundreds of pins (because it's like shopping for FREE).  I dug through all the trash cans and recycle in my house to find paper towel and toilet paper rolls for my project.  In my passion I distinctly remember my husband saying, "Jesus, Erin, please make sure when you blog about this you don't tell people I don't give you any money !  I just gave you $500 this month!"  (BTW, I spent it on craft room furniture and supplies, no surprise!)

But now my beautifully grouped color pencils are now at rest in their new homes!

Caveat:  I didn't make this one.  My organizer is a messy comic book decoupage, but I stole this one because it's prettier.  Thanks to this awesome crafty mom at https://thepartyevent.wordpress.com/2013/05/

Six Tips for Securing a Clasp on Your Necklace or Bracelet

Over time I've made enough mistakes to discover how NOT to add a clasp to my jewelry.  When you first add your crimp beads to your jewelry wire, it's a cinch!  But when you get to the end, it gets complicated. I used to sweat every time I had to finish a piece.  Now I feel much more confident!

Tip 1:  Use the Proper Pliers
I improvised this weird way of trying to bend wire into shape using round-nose pliers.  It was a disaster.  One day I realized it wasn't just my technique that made finishing a piece so sketchy.  It was the pliers!  I switched to regular long-nose pliers and it's gotten instantly easier!  Hook nose also work great.  Both are shown in this photo.












Tip 2: Give Just a Little Wiggle Room
If you are like me, you have strong tension.  This makes for very tight bead weaving and stringing.  Loosen up for Pete's sake!  When you get to the end and put your crimp beads on the wire, give yourself a little space between the crimp bead and the clasp.  Make sure you can move the wire a little around the clasp so that it doesn't lock up when it's worn.

Tip 3: Watch that Wiggle Room!

Before you crimp, make sure you don't have any major gaps in your work.  There's nothing more irritating than having to take apart your project and restring it because you failed to detect the extra wire or thread in some area of your work.  On the other hand, you want to make sure the necklace or bracelet doesn't bunch up.  Before crimping the clasp on, bend it into the shape in which it will be worn.  Remember that saying, measure twice, cut once!

 

Tip 4: Double Crimp
Many people who come to me for repairs do so because of a failed crimp bead.  Having your project fall to pieces as you wear just stinks, especially when you've just told someone your one-of-a-kind necklace is your artisan creation (synonym for homemade).  Add two crimp beads to each end to keep it secure.

Tip 5:  Know Your Clasp!
Obviously you need the right clasp for your work.  A magnet clasp might not support the weight of your necklace.  Some clasps tarnish when worn.  Your clasp should be sturdy and the right size as well as strand accommodation for your project.  I've recently begun using a sealant on certain clasps that I know will turn color from use.

Tip 6: Close a Locking Clasp First
Certain types of clasps lock into place.  For this reason, it's possible to put one end of the clasp on backwards, especially if you are in a rush or perhaps just tired from a long day at work.  I recommend putting the clasp together right before attaching the wire or thread.  This way you are sure to attach it correctly.  It is so frustrating to discover only too late that half the clasp is backwards.  From this point you usually have to restring the entire project!  Yikes!

I hope these tips are useful for you!  Feel free to hit Follow or Subs

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Faux Sea/Beach Glass by Fimo Polymer Clay

As I virtually flipped my way through my digital copy of The Polymer Arts, I hit an ad that solved a problem I had given up on.

I love the look of sea glass and tried to emulate it with translucent polyclay.  Mine turned out disappointing.  It wasn't at all as transparent as it needed to be.  I didn't want to waste more time and effort, so I moved on to another project.  But today I saw an advertisement for an app I didn't even know existed.  Best yet, it was compatible with my android phone!

 The Staedtler-Fimo app has all sorts of cool projects, including making faux beach glass!  How cool is that???

The interface is a little weird at first, but on the home screen you have three options:


1.  Choose the type of clay you are working with.




2.  Select the type of project you want.



3.  Choose the level of difficulty.

Without much trouble I found the project I had wanted. (Don't worry, the home screen will be in English.)

You can also e-mail the tutes from the app or post them on Facebook!  Very cool!

The Ease and Beauty of Digital Magazines

After admiring the artwork displayed on The Polymer Arts Facebook page, I found that there is actually a polymer clay magazine.  Better yet, you can purchase digital issues for just $6.  The printed mags cost more ($10)  and take much longer to receive via snail mail.  Who doesn't love instant gratification?

I purchased two compelling issues that feature light and translucent clay's possibilities. It's almost as exciting as creating octopodis (yes, I must insert a gratuitous photo of the latest purple-based model, Remi)!

Expanding the Octopus Pendant Line

Today I felt especially inspired to clay.  Even though the new Starry Nights octopodis turned out great, the new red one stole my heart!  I know, I'm a little obsessed with this project, but luckily many others are sharing my sea lust!

I'll upload another picture when the sealant dries.

*A Craft Room of One's Own

After many sessions on Pinterest and Google Images, I finally envisioned the way to set up my craft room.  It was a hodge podge of folding tables with materials stuffed in an overpacked closet.  Finding what I needed when I needed it had become tricky.

I was not willing to spend thousands on quality furniture.  Mine was an Ikea-sized budget.  Luckily, inexpensive, cubby-inspired pieces are even on Martha Stewart's radar.  A few trips to Lowe's and Home Depot yielded just the materials I needed to make my space much more manageable.  I love how it turned out!

The best part is the fabric bins, which hide the chaos of spontaneous crafting.  Plus, it frees up my desk so I actually have space to work with my polymer clay or string together a necklace.

I also discovered Harbor Freight, a store for usually known for it's inexpensive tools.  I discovered that the $40 organizer I'd admired at the craft store could be purchased for just $14.  The only difference is that it's construction-worker yellow.  It's the perfect place for crucial findings, like jump rings, clasps, and chain.

I keep it on the floor next to my desk for easy access.  Plus, it's portable so I can just grab it and go when I need to teach a jewelry class at Michaels.



*Virginia Woolf elevated women's role in writing by suggesting that women need the space and material with which to craft their art.

Bead class!

Boho Chic Necklace Class

Have you ever wanted to take a beading class to try something new?  How about just take a couple of hours to hang out with other cool people who share your interest?  Join me at Michaels on Lone Tree (the boarder of Antioch and Brentwood) to try your hand at a soon-to-be classic BoHo necklace with matching earrings!  Just go to the store or go online at Michaels.com and click on the jewelry class to sign up:  https://classes.michaels.com/OnlineClasses/control/main?firstVisit=firstVisit. 

Also, there will be a free Jewelry 101 class Tuesday, September 23rd, at pm.  Sign up before all spots are taken and get a 10% off coupon for supplies!

Perfect Beading Storage!

What looks like a book but stores your beading supplies perfectly?  Craftmates Lockables!  I've tried many different types of storage systems and encountered all the problems each one poses.  What I love about the Craftmates Locakables is that you can swap out compartments if you want to transfer one to another storage area.  Also, the compartments are locked, so there's no need to sweat over spilling beads.  This also makes it fantastic for moving one type of bead out of one compartment and into another.

These can be expensive, so watch out for coupons!  While they can sell for $25 and up on Amazon, you can use a coupon to Michaels and get one for less than $15!  Of all the storage solutions, this is the one I find most satisfying!

BTW, I don't get any kickbacks from products I review.  It's all trial by error for me!

Product of the Month!

Fall is creeping in, but with this 90 degree weather, it's hard to tell!  August's product of the month seems to overpower Mother Nature herself!  G-S Cement for bead stringing is amazing!  It holds beautifully, like Locktite, but unlike that type of Super Glue, it has a needle tip that helps direct the adhesive to the exact spot you need!  Less mess and more accuracy!

This is especially useful for illusion necklaces if you want to forego crimp beads for a more illusory effect!

Support this artist!

Another Octopus Charm from Polymer Clay with Matching Buna Clasps

The obsession continues!  As I was forming this octopus, my co-worker commented on the color.  I told her it was just scrap clay from an ugly cane and I'd be covering it up with a skin (a thin layer of a specially blended pattern).  "No!  I like how that one looks now!" she protested.  So all I did was add a matching skin to the head so that it looked a little more finished and matched the tentacles better.  Also, I used an aged bronze metallic pigment to give it a little shimmer and pizzazz.

The first octopus features a glossy glaze, but on this one I used Modge Podge clear acrylic matte finish instead.  It still has a little shine but isn't ridiculous.  I think I'll stick with it.

I tried making this one smaller, but I really need to work on my proportions.  Maybe next one will be more petite!

Glass Statement Necklace, Sparkly!

Sometimes I buy a set of beads because I just can't put them down!  But then I get home and wonder what on earth I'll create with them.  Sometimes I'll have them up to a year when suddenly I'll see something I like and realize the beads would be perfect for it.  That's what happened with the larger glass beads in this design.  I was lucky to find the smaller matching ones at a sale recently, so I had just what I needed!

Polymer Clay Octopus Pendant with Matching Clasp

There's nothing like Pinterest to get me all fired up to craft!  I've fallen deep into polymer clay as I realize how many possibilities this medium affords.  Like my other favorite hobbies, there's seemingly no end to the crafty artist ideas.  No other medium can replicate cloisonne, glass, plastic, acrylic, metal, and so many others quite like polyclay!  And the amazing thing is that it's so easy to do!

I ran into some really cool octopus designs and suddenly I am absolutely taken by this subject.  Here's an example of my first one, and allow me to say that I was so surprised it turned out so well!  A little big, but still awesome!  I also found a great tute on making buna cord clasps out of polymer so I could stick with my color theme--notice I even threw some little suckers on it.

Here's the result:

Easy, elegant floating crystal necklace with FREE tutorial!

I found myself on curious.com one day looking at a tutorial on beaded crystal bracelets and ran across a tutorial by the O'Neil sisters.

Most jewelry works by hiding the wire in beads, but this one is a fast, simple necklace that actually emphasizes the beauty of the crystals by showcasing the wire as part of the necklace.  Really pretty!

Again, I can't emphasize how fast and easy this project is.  Go check it out: The O'Neil Sisters Floating Crystal Necklace Tutorial

I believe the first lesson is free when you sign up.

Nearly done!  This photo really shows the colors in the crystals.

Done!  So hard to get a good pic off crystal!

Get Organized: Favorite jewelry wire/thread organizing tool.

For a spastic jewelry maker like me who loves trying all sorts of new media and techniques, I find I spend a lot of my beading time just organizing my stuff, especially after a big clearance sale.  One of my biggest obstacles was keeping wire and thread untangled in my drawer.  It was a constant irritation.

One day, while shopping in a discount retailer, I saw a tiered pants hanger and thought, EUREKA!  That's the solution!  I only paid a couple bucks since it was being cleared out.  Not only is my wire and thread contained easily, but it's easy to see what I have in stock and what I need to purchase.  Plus, it hangs in the closet, so it doesn't have to look gorgeous.

Stamp Jewelry

I was digging through our arts and craft cabinet when I came across a bag full of old stamps I had gotten in the mail.  Knowing one day it might come in handy, I shoved them under some cardstock and forgot about them.

One crazy thing about  jewelry making addiction is that pretty soon, anything becomes fair game.  As I pawed through the stamps, I realized there were some really interesting and gorgeous fare for making jewelry!  It was like free material!

Knowing they'd be too vulnerable to stand on their own, I rolled out some polymer clay on the largest setting of my Amaco pasta machine.  With a 1/8th hole punch (the same used for making shrink plastic jewelry), I punched holes in the stamps, laid it on the clay, cut out the clay, and then used a small metal dowel to make holes in the clay.  After cooking the clay, I used Mod Podge Gloss to adhere the stamps.  Once that was done, I sprayed a Mod Podge finish on and allowed them to dry over night.

Today I used larger oval jump rings to create links in the stamps and then used two jump rings each to connect the stamps.  With chain, jumprings, and a magnetic clasp, I finished it up and voila, a gorgeous stamp bracelet!

Tip:  For large stamps like these, be sure to connect the bracelet for a somewhat snug fit.

Glues, Adhesives, Finishes

When walking down the craft aisle for adhesives, your mind may become boggled in the broad choice offered.  Which is best for sticking polymer to plastic?  Which will give a nice finish to paper beads?  Which is going to stick its middle finger in the air to all that hard work by warping everything in its site?  These were my questions.

The other day, I found a used stamp collection in the craft bin that I had totally forgotten existed.  These things are going to make great jewelry, I thought, and began Googling possibilities.  I knew I had to stick them to something and then find a way to finish them.  As anticipated, there were many possibilities:  glass slides, bails, polymer, wood, or cardstock to name several options.  Since I already had wood, polymer, or cardstock, these seemed my best choices.  But I began to experiment to see which media would give the best results.

My criteria:
Warping
Expense
Shine/Overall Appearance
Time
Ease of Use
Problems with Bubbling

I used several adhesives and finishes:
Diamond Glaze
White Glue
1/2 Glue 1/2 Water Mixture
Mod Podge Gloss
Mod Podge Spray (Matte)

Testing was completed on cardstock.

Results:
Most of the adhesives warped.
The shiniest was the Diamond Glaze, but this was not the best result.
The best results came from the Mod Podge Gloss (sealer, glue & finisher).  Whether used to adhere & finish, it came out best.  Also, using it in conjunction with the Mod Podge Matte to seal also worked well.

Below I scanned in images from the results.  Unfortunately, the scanner did too good a job making everything look good, so it's hard to tell the difference in photos.

Sadly, although I wanted Diamond Glaze to be the end-all panacea of finishing my pieces, I've just not enjoyed the success I get with other products.

Beading: The Creepy and the Downright Odd

Beading:  The Creepy and the Odd

People’s tastes vary in the extreme when it comes to creative jewelry making.  In my case, I don’t want to put time into a project that I wouldn’t want to wear, even if I’m making it for someone else.  As I was thumbing through beading books and online artist galleries this week, I came across many designs I didn’t exactly love, but these pieces seemed particularly uncanny!

1.        I see you…and you, and you, and you!  This oddball eyeball necklace comes from Lucy Chalmers and is called “Lucy’s Pearls.”  Makes you kinda wonder who this Lucy person is and who had the misfortune of last laying eyes upon her.  Yes, stupid pun intended.

2.        Betsy Youngquist’s collection of eye necklace pendants seemed a little disturbing also, until I found her other works.  Do yourself a favor and Google her work.  Your morbid curiosity will thank you.

3.        Wow.  Just…no.  Why?

4.       Many designs are inspired by nature, but this one's a little seedy.  Get it?  Seedy?  Seed bead snake?  Nevermind.  Anyway,  Patty Haberman’s “Theif Necklace and Brooch” crosses the boundaries of extended metaphor and symbolism in all the wrong ways.  What would the Freud say?

You have to admit though, the idea of a necklace connecting to a brooch was clever!

5.       There’s a fine line between mysterious and downright creepy.   This necklace by Margie Deeb, called “Veil,” throws off the shackles of the enigmatic to embrace…well I’m not sure what… oppression of women by the Taliban? The sheik’s conquering of his favorite new concubine? Middle Eastern human trafficking?  Yikes! 

6.        If you’ve ever seen The Princess Bride, this necklace may conjure up an image of the albino in Count Ruben’s torture chamber.  It’s like they’re twins.  In the words of Westley, “Dear God, what is that thing?”  I was a little relieved when I read Jennifer Vanbenschoten’s comment on her necklace that she calls “Lady in the Lake”:

"When I created Lady in the Lake, I was more concerned with telling my story articistically instead of making a necklace that could be worn every day" (BeadingDaily.com).

But then I began to think about it a little more.  So by making something you wouldn’t wear every day, does that mean she’s saving it just for special occasions?  Like creepy séances or pillaging the local cemetery at a midnight meeting of Satan worshippers?    And what the heck kind of a story brings this kind of inspiration…forgetting to take your Risperdal when picking out the focal piece?  Ooh girl, hit the Kaiser pharmacy with a quickness!

7.        When I first saw this I was taken aback, much like the Aztecs when Hernan Cortez rode up onto the scene.  Are we supposed to worship this bird-god or sing along with it?  Evidently, the spread double talon is the inspiration for Felieke Van Der Leest’s “Peace Parrot.”   I'm guessing it's a pendant???

Speaking of peace, or pee anyway, Van Der Leest has many unique beaded creations, such as this one:

8.       To give the artist the benefit of the doubt, maybe my interpretation is wrong.  Because if that really is a golden stream, what on earth is happening in the back??  Whatever it is, the horse looks as surprised as I am.

Feast your eyes on more of his, eh…unique creations here:  http://klimt02.net/jewellers/felieke-leest

9.       This is Dixie Gabric’s “Do You Really Know Me?”  While I do admire the concept of hiding behind a mask created solely for public acceptance,  maybe I would have chosen something a little less reminiscent of a puss-filled, yeasty eye infection.  Ew.

10.    Wow, look at those spikes!  Can you believe women used to sleep in these things?  

So here's my question:  is this a comparison of the agony of the crucifixion to the pains of fitting into society’s notions of beauty?  Nah.  Juan Riusech de Haro probably just ran out of beads and was suddenly inspired by (desperate to find supplies) his wife’s stash of pink curlers.  This lovely crown of thorns also doubles as a necklace.  Goody.  

(Be a pro and read Goody sarcastically while knowing it's also a brand of hair accessories.  Yes, I know, my puns and allusions need professional help.)

 Bonus:  “The Monkey King” brooch by Jeannie Bench.  While I’m not exactly sure what message the artist is giving with this piece, I do know I’d feel a little weird wearing this partially disembodied simian-man out in public.   Maybe like Jacob Marley in “A Christmas Carol,” he’s a spirit of admonition:  “I say, children, heed the doctor’s warning:  No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”

 Well, that's it!  Stay tuned for a less snarky look at unusual jewelry pieces!