Vintage Blue Studio

Typepad...

2009-11-06T10:27:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! You may have noticed I used my blogspot to comment on your blog. My typepad user ID seems to hate me and it's easier to sign in with blogger. Please head on over to http://www.vintagebluestudio.typepad.com for my blog! Thanks and sorry for the confusion!

Farewell Blogger!

2008-01-27T18:02:00.001-05:00

It's official. I am now up and running at typepad. Please join me at http://www.vintagebluestudio.typepad.com/! I will leave my blogger up for anyone who would like to continue using any tutorials I have posted. See you at my new pad!

I'm moving...

2008-01-20T17:12:00.001-05:00

to typepad! I'm currently in the process of working on my new and improved blog on typepad. You can check out my work in progress at http://www.vintagebluestudio.typepad.com. I'm already loving the layout and color choices it offers. Until it's ready I will continue to post my work here but I hope you'll come with me when the move is complete!

Dont fight with your cusinart.

2008-01-13T19:38:00.001-05:00

That is my lesson for the day. Last Sunday I was taking the Cuisinart blade out of the dishwasher and oops! I cut my left thumb open. Dumb. I ended up with 7 stitches. The moral of the story is to look first, then reach in.

Anyway, even with only one usable thumb I've been creating. I'm currently working on some embroidered felt and fleece Valentine hearts. Pictures to come eventually. Also, until my accident I was learning to crochet. My thumb is almost healed enough to start up again. I think one more week and I'll be good to go. I also had another metalsmithing class yesterday. I took a 6 hour enamelling class. I spent some of my time just experimenting and as you can see I had some nice results and some not-so-nice results, hehe. The tiny purple and blue ones became a pair of earrings tonight. I ran out of sunlight so I'll post a photo next time. I finally had some 20 gauge sterling wire so I made my own earwires as well.

I also discovered that a Goodwill opened up about 15 minutes from me. I took a trip down there today and was somewhat disappointed. It was mostly clothing and very little jewelry. I did manage to find a wood bangle and this nut/pit bracelet. I'm deciding what to do to the bangle. I'm considering collage, painting or wrapping it with ribbon. Suggestions are welcome.

I'm off to celebrate the Giant's winning! Happy crafting!

I have returned!

2008-01-06T10:25:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! While I have enjoyed my little break I've certainly missed sharing my projects with everyone. I don't have any photos at the moment because today is cleaning day. Oh yes, this place is such a mess from the post-holiday fun that it MUST be cleaned today...no excuses.

Did anyone else feel sad when they took their decorations down? My apartment looked so empty. I ended up running out and buying valentine decorations from Michael's just so I could decorate our railing and dining room table. It is however, nice to have most of our living room space back again. But where am I going to put all these presents?

Make certain you check back later this week because I have been busy busy busy making things. The kiln has been run almost every night for the last two weeks. I have fused glass coming out my ears! We still have a bit of fine tuning to do on the kiln but Colin and I have been getting some wonderful results. I actually managed to make a few gifts for people out of our fused cabochons. I also dug out my bisque bead blanks from Bead Fest two years ago and I glazed and fired some of them. I had some nice results and I had some that looked...well...ummm....you know.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-21T16:31:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! I'm going to take the next week or so off from posting. Things are so crazy getting ready for Christmas that I need a little breather. When I come back in the new year I'll have plenty of photos to share of all the things I'm working on. I'm currently in the process of making a brooch/pendant in my metalsmithing classes. I'm also going to work on some Valentine gremlins in January and I may put one or two up for another giveaway. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year all!

And the winner is...

2007-12-15T17:16:00.000-05:00

Claire Jones! Congratulations Claire you have won a gremlin ornament and a gremlin brooch! I had a great time making these cuties and I'm so happy to send some out to a new home! Thank you to everyone who visited my blog. I hope you'll come back soon as I'll be posting more crafty goodness! Happy Holidays!

Diana

The Great Gremlin Giveaway!

2007-12-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

Update: I am extending the entry for the gremlin giveway until midnight (EST) Friday! Apprently, I have an art show and a fireman's dinner to attend that evening so everyone gets some extra time to enter! Good luck!

It's that time of year! Time for a blog giveaway! I have had such a great response to my gremlins I'm going to give two away! Post a comment between now and Friday and I will pick a winner on Friday evening. The winner will receive a gremlin ornament and gremlin brooch (not the one's pictured). My only rule is that you live in the US or Canada. I dont think these guys will make it anywhere else in time for the holidays. Good luck!
In addition to making a gazillion gremlins I took another metalsmithing class. This time I spent 6 hours enamelling. Well actually, I spent the first hour discussing my ideas and watching Sue make an example. After watching her I decided to just experiment and I'm glad I did. They came out so well!

Both copper ovals were sawed by hand then prepped for the enamel. It took me forever to decide what colors to use because she has an entire box filled with them! After several hours with the torch, I had two finished pieces. I also have a new appreciation for enamelling.

I hope everyone is having a great time Christmas shopping. I'm almost finished with mine but if you are still looking, here are some more Etsy sellers I recommend:
Woodmouse

http://www.woodmouse.etsy.com/

Adorable wooden toys and ornaments. I bought this cute pink squirrel and a custom ordered pink mouse.

Tulips to Kiss

http://www.tulipstokiss.etsy.com/

Clever sterling silver jewelry.

Puzzimals

http://www.puzzimals.etsy.com/

Wooden puzzils and ornaments.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Shop til you drop!

2007-11-25T19:32:00.000-05:00

I have officially made the decision not to open my Etsy shop at this time. I don't want to rush into something I wasn't fully prepared for. I would rather wait until I have the time to run it properly. Sorry to anyone who was anxiously awaiting its opening. Now on to the fun stuff...

The gremlins started as a joke and have now officially taken over Christmas! I spent 2+ weeks making the first group of gremlin ornaments, yes the FIRST group. I now have to begin work on the second group. I believe I need at least 6 more. I also embellished a stocking with a gremlin applique. I had ordered a stocking for myself online and was disappointed when it arrived so I took matters into my own hands. I'll have photos of the stocking this week.

Since I wont have my Etsy shop open for Christmas I thought it would nice if I share some of my favorite shops with you. These are just some of the places I've had a great shopping experience with:

Hidden Haven

http://www.hiddenhaven.etsy.com/

I love her unscented lotion. It's perfect for sensitive skin.

Jennifer Morris Beads

http://www.jennifermorrisbeads.etsy.com/

Amazingly detailed polymer clay jewelry.

The Funky Bag Lady

http://www.thefunkybaglady.etsy.com/

Wonderful bags and purses. My mom loved mine so much she made me to buy her one!

Humble Beads

http://www.humblebeads.etsy.com/

Polymer clay bead sets and finished jewelry. You have to check out her snowmen pendants!

Holly Jolly Holiday's

http://www.hollyjollyholidays.etsy.com/

A stocking I wasnt dissapointed with. Very well made and shipped super quick! Colin loves it!

Maggie J's

http://www.maggiejs.etsy.com/

Excellent quality metalsmithing. I gave my mom and Colin's mom necklaces from here for Mother's Day. They love them.

Join me next time for my latest adventures in metalsmithing. I had a 6 hour class today and I signed up for another on Saturday! Happy crafting and shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T10:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! For those of you going out into the craziness tomorrow, good luck and don't get trampled! I'll be doing more of my online Etsy shopping tomorrow and perhaps a trip to Michael's for more craft supplies (you can never have too many).

A quick note about my Etsy shop, it will not be open tomorrow. I made a dumb dumb and didn't realize how a Paypal seller's account worked. I'll be making a trip to the bank on Saturday to open another account specifically for Etsy.

I'm off to grandpa's now. Stay tuned this weekend for photos of my Christmas gremlin ornaments and more! Have fun everyone!

The Holiday's are Coming! Ahhhh!

2007-11-18T18:53:00.001-05:00

The holiday's are coming and I'm really trying to have the Etsy store open for Black Friday. I spent several hours photographing pendants yesterday and I think I have at least 7 pendants that are ready. I have so many more to photograph. I'm hoping when I get out of work early on Wednesday that I'll have some good lighting. If i don't make my deadline that's OK. I don't want to open and do everything wrong.

I've also been busy making Christmas versions of my gremlins. They are red and green with bells hanging from them. I have three done and at least six more to go! I'm also planning a special gremlin for my best friend and a Hanukkah (blue and white) gremlin for another. Colin's family is getting the first set of them on Thanksgiving since my parents are out in the southwest this year. Almost forgot, I'll be trading a large gremlin with a member on craftster.org for a plush she's making for me! I love trades!

I know this post is short but I have so much to do so I better get back to work. You probably have a lot to do so get back to it! Hehe!

A Busy Month

2007-11-11T16:01:00.000-05:00

November has turned out to be a busy month. At work we're trying to get all the audits done in a short amount of time due to the holiday. I've been coming home exhausted but that hasn't stopped me from crafting. I think I've made more things this month than in the last few!

As you can see above, I finished my dog pendants. For some strange reason they all came out in orange tones. I did NOT plan it this way. Maybe the fall colors finally got to me? I'm considering turning one into a beaded necklace. I have lots sterling silver wire and some nice orange agate beads that would compliment the pendants nicely.

I've also been making several stuffies and have posted photos of them on craftster.org in the toy section . There is another bunny and several gremlins. I enjoyed the gremlins so much that I'm going to make miniature ones in green and red for Christmas ornaments. I'll post those here when I'm finished with them.

Hmmm what else have I been making? Well, there's the batch of lip balm I made which turned out smooth but a bit greasy and kind of an ugly color. I have a revised recipe I'm going to make tomorrow.

There's also all the copper wire I've been destroying...errrr...playing with. I love the look of kilt pins but the ones at the store are all silver-plated (yuck). So I practiced on copper and after a few mistakes (can you guess which is the mistake, lol) I came out with a decent kilt-pin! I still need to finish hammering and filing the point but otherwise it's done. I think I like them better in copper than in silver.

Time to get back to creating!

(Mis)Adventures In Glass Fusing and More!

2007-11-05T16:53:00.000-05:00

(Disclaimer: This evening's post is filled with sarcasm. Read at your own risk.)

Before I show off my "fantastic" glass cabochons I thought we'd start off with my project from last night. I made "Stitches" completely by free-hand (like you couldn't tell, hehe). I drew out a pattern on some cardstock and went from there. I love stuffies and I had the urge to make one. I had no intention of finishing him right then and there but once I started I couldn't stop. "Stitches" took about two hours and was a ton of fun to make. If I have time tonight I'm going to work on another bunny but this time with a slightly different shape. If you want to make a "Stitches"-like bunny, all you need is felt, buttons, embroidery floss, a needle and some stuffing. Now on to the fusing!

Colin and I have been playing with our kiln for a few weeks trying to find out the magic formula that will allow us to have fantastic fused cabochons. The horror that originally came out of the kiln has now been replaced by pieces that cant be used but are very encouraging.

We have learned over the last couple weeks that firing at too high a temperature and for too long causes the glass to come out with sharp or uneven edges. This first batch you can clearly how some have strange edges (not to mention the horrible color combinations).

During another of our kiln runs Colin managed to make the dichroic glass inside shatter. It looks cool but the cabochon is useless. We keep all these rejects as examples so we can learn from them (it's a what-not-to-do show and tell).

After all these uglies, we finally started to see a major improvement. Now don't get me wrong, you wont see these "beauties" for sale in my Etsy site...ever. But after all the disappointment we were quite pleased to see round edges. Who would think a person could get so excited over round edges?!?

So tonight's lesson is that imperfect handcrafted bunny's are cute and if your projects aren't coming out how you expected, practice practice practice!

Adventures in Wire

2007-10-28T17:02:00.000-04:00

I didn't mean to go over a week without a post but well, I did. Last weekend I went to a juried arts and crafts fair at the Morristown Armory and ordered my wedding band and bought Christmas presents. The wedding band is being created by Finestra (http://www.finestradesign.com/). She had this fantastic gold band that I loved but I wanted white gold so she said to give her 4 weeks and she'll have it ready. I'm going to try to not get too excited since the wedding isn't until July, lol!

So besides shopping I've also been creating lately. A few weekends ago I was playing with some tiny charm blanks and made these little ladies. Once my sterling wire order arrives I'll be turning them into earrings. I really enjoy making earrings, especially as gifts. It's funny, because even though my ears are pierced I hardly ever wear earrings. My friends never get tired of receiving them.

And since I'm getting ready for my wire order to arrive I've been practicing making earwires out of copper wire. I love copper because I can mess up over and over and it doesn't cost much to replace. I also attempted to make the pin base from Sharilyn Miller's wire book. I dont think it was bad for a first try. I didn't put any beads on because I didn't want to take the time to remove them if I messed up horribly.

Well, that's all for now. Join me next time when I post about my misadventures in glass fusing!

Just because it's not Christmas...

2007-10-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

Doesn't mean you cant send your friends gifts! I finally finished the box! Stacey has been patiently waiting for a package to come from me and I had to keep telling her I wasn't finished with it yet. I have a bunch of goodies to put inside of it and a few that don't even fit in. I'm almost done with a pair of earrings for her too. I used some of Humble Beads (http://www.humblebeads.etsy.com/) wonderful polymer creations in the pair. When they're done I'll post em! Can you tell Stacey and I love the color blue?

So the nitty gritty about the box is that it was a papier mache base decorated with acrylic paints, krylon spray, ribbon, crepe paper, vintage french text, buttons and a glittery letter "S". The glitter is from the Martha Stewart collection. I normally wont buy her products but the glitter was just so sparkly (and I had a coupon).

I also attempted something other than collage and jewelry over the last few days. I made my first batch of lip balm. It's unscented with a beeswax base. It didn't come out as smooth as I'd hoped so I picked up some cocoa butter at the health food store on the way home today. I'll try my second batch tomorrow or this weekend. It does look pretty though.

And last, but certainly not least, I want to give a shout out to Hidden Haven for sending me an amazing package today! I ordered the unscented goat milk soap and lotion and she sent me a ton of stuff. Also, the bars of soap are huge! I tried the lotion before typing my blog and my hands feel so soft! So if you are looking to pamper yourself, go check out Hidden Haven.(http://www.hiddenhaven.etsy.com/)

That was fun!

2007-10-14T16:44:00.000-04:00

I just got back from Atlantic City...literally. What a great weekend! I didn't win anything but it doesn't matter. I had fun playing some slots and doing some shopping. The Tropicana has this great shop called Farmer's Almanac. I got a sign that says, "There will be a $5 charge for whining", some tea and a stuffed turkey decoration since we currently have no holiday knick-knacks. I also bought tons of Jelly Belly jelly beans (they are soooooo good) at Sugar and some bath and body stuff at Borgata.

Since I wasn't around this weekend I didn't have time to craft but before I left I started on a surprise for my best friend. Once that's finished I'll post photos. As for the picture above, that's a piece I made before I started doing collage. It came at a time when I was starting to move away from stringing and in to wire-wrapping. It's a favorite of mine. I love the color, the beads and the texture of the entire piece. Sometimes it's just nice to take a look back.

Excuse the mess...

2007-10-07T08:47:00.000-04:00

Why is it that every time you clean a room it suddenly ends up messy again? Oh, maybe it's because I keep collecting things! For instance, last weekend I picked up some nice minerals and fossils at the Franklin show. Aren't they cool? There were vendors inside and outside the school. I had no idea that this show has been held for 51 years. We originally went to the mine because we thought that's where it was being held. When we got there, they informed us it was down the road but since we were already at the mine we could take a tour or go digging out in the dump site. We went digging. Well, it's more like picking up and dropping. It shares the old dump site with the mine up the street. These mines are "famous" for mineral fluorescence (you can learn more at http://www.franklinmineralmuseum.com/) We managed to find some rocks that glow orange and pink. We didn't find a good green one so I bought one at the show. The odd looking white rock in the back turns green under a black light.

In addition to digging in the dirt, I've been working hard at getting ready for the holiday season. I just completed my cat pendants (the photo needs work). I absolutely love these! I was inspired by the neighbors cat who always follows me around. This week I'm going to start a dog series.

With all these pendants I needed someplace to store them. Well, I just received my new pendant display in the mail. I cant wait to do my first show and actually get to use it! It holds a ton of pendants and it rotates. It's got a great vintage look which is perfect for this line of jewelry. Time for me to get back to work.

Stopping In

2007-10-05T16:36:00.000-04:00

It's been almost a week since my last post and I dont have too much time tonight to share as much as I'd like to. Last weekend I went to the rock show and I bought some fantastic little pieces. Apparently this show has been going on for 51 years! I dont have my camera with me right now so I'll be taking some photos over the weekend of the rocks, minerals and fossils I purchased. I'm also going to finish up the kitten series pendants this weekend so there will be photos of them as well. Tomorrow morning I'm heading off to an antique show at the Morristown Armory. I'm doubtful there will be anything in my price range but I think it will be fun just to go and look. Until then...

Could have been better...

2007-09-29T21:26:00.000-04:00

This morning could have been better. I went to 2 garage sales, 2 community sales and a church sale and hardly found a thing. In fact, the few things I purchased aren't even photo worthy. However, I was feeling inspired today so I began work on three more collage pendants. This set is going to be cat themed. I was digging through my image collection and found these cute vintage-style kitties I kept overlooking. Only two can be finished tomorrow because I ran out of round pendant bases. I ordered more this afternoon so I should be able to finish them by the end of the week. I'm going to work on a dog series next.

Since I don't have any good finds or new creations to show tonight I thought I'd post these brass laundry pin pendants. I was shopping on Etsy about a month ago and saw a couple sellers that had made these. I purchased a small set of 5 brass laundry pins and gave it a try. I wont be selling them since I don't think that would be right so I've greedily kept them for myself.

I have high hopes for tomorrow. The Franklin mines are having a gem and mineral show and Colin has agreed to go. He hasn't agreed to take a mine tour yet but I haven't been on one since high school and I really want to go back in. At the very least I'm hoping to get some nice pieces to wire wrap or bead around. I'll check back in a day or so and post how it went!

Something New

2007-09-25T20:24:00.000-04:00

Here are my two latest pendants! I'm so happy they came out as well as they did. I never know if I'm going to get a horrible bubble but these came out winners! The "Bunny" pendant is made from various scrapbook papers and old text. The mermaid is a combination of scrapbook paper and a loteria card.

While all this inspiration was happening, I attempted my first altered tag. This was a challenge for me since I'm use to working on a smaller scale. I'm really pleased with the results. It still needs some ribbon on the top but otherwise it's finished. It's made from scrapbook paper, vintage scraps, vintage pompom fringe, mica flakes, old text, distress ink and Swarovski crystals. I'm going to hang it in my craft space when it's finished.

On a different note, Colin and I tried fusing some glass in our kiln the other night and well, I wont be posting the results. It was bad. Real bad. We learned some valuable lessons and hopefully our next attempt will have better results. Since those pieces didnt come out, I took some of the cabochons I made at Beadfest and attached findings to them. I wore the pink ring to work and the girls really liked it!
I have to get up early tomorrow so that's all the sharing I have for now!

Short and Sweet

2007-09-23T18:27:00.000-04:00

I'm going to keep things short and sweet tonight. I think I may have caught one of the stomach viruses going around. Forgive me for the poor quality photos, I just didnt have it in me to try real hard. In a few days I'll post some of collage pendants, tags and fused glass I've been working on. For now, I give you my antiquing and garage sale finds for this weekend.

The blue glass pitcher set I got at a garage sale on my way home from antiquing. It has no nicks or chips and my fiance actually liked it! Actually, he was the one that gave me money this morning and told me to go have fun. Who am I to say no to that? At the first antique store I also found several Wade figurines but I bought the two I liked the most; the weight lifter and the poodle. The glass salt and pepper shakers I plan on using to store German glass glitter and mica flakes in.

I also found a tiny heart charm and a glass roman-design intaglio bracelet that was in pretty good shape. It cost slightly more than I wanted to pay but it caught my eye. I also found some chandelier crystals that I will use in my collage.

My favorite find of the day was the pink depression glass. I'm not really sure what this particular piece is called so I'll go look it up in my collectors book. It was $3 and in great shape. The pink is extra gorgeous when the light hits it.

Well, stay tuned for all the lovelies I made this weekend. The kiln is going as we speak! Hey, this wasnt as short as I thought it was going to be...

Ramblings and Shrink Charm Tutorial

2007-09-18T20:03:00.000-04:00

I'm addicted to yard sailing and antique stores. Ok, antique stores more than garage sales but they are equally fun. I bought a book about depression glass last night and now I want to collect more glass dishes. Originally, I started going to antique stores and garage sales to look for cool bits and pieces that might work in my mixed-media creations. Now I go hoping to also find a beautiful dish or a piece that I can work into my display. I want my display to be shabby chic because it fits so perfectly with my collage line. It's going to be a creative challenge to work in Colin's lampworking and our glass fusing once we start to have an inventory. The lampworking and fusing colors are much more brilliant than most of my collage.

Speaking of my collage pieces, this was my first piece where I mixed collage and jewelry. It's a 7 Gypsies box pendant with two tiny collages inside. I used trading card protector on the inside since it helps prevent fading from the sun. Each time I wear this piece, someone asks to take a closer look. They always respond the same..."How did you make something so tiny?!?"

I've also been experimenting with shrink plastic over the last few months. One day, I challenged myself to make a piece using shrink plastic that looked like a designer necklace. I used (and highly recommend) Lucky Squirrel (http://luckysquirrel.com/) brand shrink plastic. These charms were made from black shrink plastic which I embossed with a rubber stamp, Krylon metallic marker and Krylon spray. Then I measured out several pieces of sterling and gunmetal chains and added some tiny key charms. Eventually, the entire piece came together. Every time I show it to someone I make them guess what the charms are made of and they always think it's some kind of metal. I really love this piece.

Detailed steps for making metallic shrink plastic charms:
1. Cut out shrink plastic
2. Heat with embossing gun
3. Use a rubber stamp on the plastic while it is warm
4. Once the plastic has cooled, use metallic rub-ons or Krylon marker. Krylon marker is shinier than the rub-ons
5. Go outside an apply first layer of Krylon glossy or matte
6. Wait 15-20 minutes and apply a second layer. I usually apply three layers
7. Allow charms to dry and then add jump rings

Sunday, September 16th...No clever title

2007-09-16T10:17:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a blast. I took $25 up to an area filled with antique stores to see what I could get. But before I go into that I want to show a few things that will be available in my Etsy store when I'm up and running.

These three pendants made it past my scrutinizing and (unless someone snags them prior) they will be some of the first items available. The Mona Lisa looks a bit funny in the photo because she was covered in mica before being sealed. I will have to work on her photography. The pendant in the center is my favorite. I don't really want to let it go but I cant keep every single thing that I make!

Also, two of these pendants will be for sale in the shop as well. Miss 1906 and Miss 1912. The center was the first one I created. I wore her to Beadfest last year on a great beaded sterling silver chain and wire necklace and it somehow ended up in the washing machine. The necklace got tangled beyond repair and she formed wrinkles! LOL! Lesson learned. Don't throw your jewelry in the wash. Oops.

Finally, we have my finds from antiquing yesterday. A milk glass bowl, some vintage lace, a tussie mussie-style brooch, old wooden ruler, a vintage Japan glass necklace with some fantastic foil beads on it. That necklace was a steal and I cant wait to take it apart!

Alright, it's time for breakfast!

I Told You I Would Post It

2007-09-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

Yup, it's Wednesday. Work crawled by today. Training isn't easy since I'm unfamiliar with all the insurance lingo. I know eventually I will catch on but right now it's tough. I felt better when the other new hires expressed the same feelings. Enough about that, let me get on with the good stuff...

I finally took a nice photo of the piece I made at my metalsmithing class from Beadfest. Be nice folks, it was my first time doing something like this. The collage was assembled quickly using a bad glue stick (shame on me for using a glue stick). The collage is sandwiched between copper, acrylic and aluminum. The copper and acrylic I cut with a jeweler's saw. I cheated on the aluminum and used a pair of tin snips. It's currently being held together by a rivet I made from scratch. I would like to point out that I was the only student to make my own rivet (go me!). The brass screw was in there just to hold everything together while I was sawing. I do plan on finishing the piece...sometime.

Here are some of my butterfly collage pendants. 3 out of 4 of these are rejects. You'll have to guess which ones they are. Each has a tiny something wrong with it that most people wouldn't notice but I cant stop staring at it. When things like this happen I either wear the piece myself or my friends and family like to take them. They don't seem to mind the tiny oops. Funny how as the artist you will fixate on that one thing and yet no one else seems to notice it...

Antique Show and Tell: Part 2

2007-09-10T20:55:00.000-04:00

My bad. This weekend I chopped off 7 inches of hair, got highlights for the first time and went to 2 flea markets. I guess you could say I was being spontaneous. The first flea market I found on the way home from getting my hair cut. It was being held in the parking lot of a small church. I found a wooden humpty dumpy ($1) that needed love, some weird mini cards I can use for collage, an antique sterling salt cellar spoon, an old key, a brass tag and a hideous belt that had a bunch of coin charms hanging off of it.

On Sunday, there was a flea market down the street from my apartment. Some of the vendors from the day before were there along with cheap imports, a guy selling soy candles, some garage sale junk and one lady selling wire-wrapped jewelry. Originally, my neighbor downstairs wanted to sell her knitted scarves and share a table with me. I'm glad we didn't do this show. People were looking for cheap and they were rude about it to. I wont repeat some of the nasty comments I heard while browsing. Anyway, at this show I purchased a brand new pin-up girl cosmetics bag ($2), a vintage glass marble pendant ($1) and a vintage cobalt blue glass bunny trinket dish-thing ($3).

Back to those nasty comments by people though. It's one thing to look for a bargain, but there's no need to be rude about it. I suppose their mother never taught them that if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. And that's all I will say about the matter.

P.S. Isnt Humpty cute?

Antique Show and Tell

2007-09-07T20:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight is show and tell. Last post was about all the wonderful things I purchased at the antique co-op in Rochester, so here they are! Also, my fused glass cabochons from one of my Beadfest classes arrived in the mail. Not bad for a first try!

Here we have the hand display I got for a great deal....$12! I originally didn't purchase it and regretted it. Colin's aunt drove me back to the shop right before closing so I could grab it up. I don't know why I passed it up the first time but I'm definitely glad I went back. I think it's going to look really cool on my table display.

Next, we have some antique lace, a stack of cabinet cards and a bag full of cigar bands. The cigar bands are great for collage. I've used them for backgrounds and also as a belt when I was decorating a statue cut-out.

The little blue bottle was too good to pass up. It says "Root Bitter" on it. I have no idea what that is but I'll Google it. The blue slag glass bowl I originally passed on but when I went back for the hand I decided I must have it. Some beads might look nice in there...

If you've read my blog before you know I love glass hand dishes. Well I found some porcelain hand dishes and I bought them all! Arent they adorable?

Here are my fused glass cabochons from Beadfest! This class was a nice introduction to fused glass. Colin and I took it to see if this was something else we wanted to pursue. We had such a great time that we'll be placing a large glass order this weekend.

Well that's all for show and tell. I need to get back to work on my etsy store. I've set some goals and a timeline and I plan on sticking to them!

Party's Over

2007-09-05T19:11:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's a link to my etsy store over there. Nope, there's nothing set up yet. I had originally planned to have everything up and running by the end of August. August has since come and gone. It's not that I didn't work on it, it's just that life got in the way....again and again. I was doing pretty well working on pieces until July when I got a full time job. Since then, I find the only time I have the energy to create is on the weekends and those have been booked for the last few weeks. But summer is over and there are no more trips to go on so let the creating begin!

Speaking of trips. I went to Rochester for the long weekend and I had a wonderful time. On Saturday, Colin's aunt took me to a great antique co-op. I bought several porcelain hand-shaped dishes, some antique lace (blue and pink), a stack of cabinet cards, a blue slag glass bowl and this really cool vintage display hand/arm. I have big plans for that display hand, it's going to look great once I finally get a show table set up. I managed to spend less than $40 on everything! You cant get that kind of a deal here in Jersey unless you go far out of the suburbs. With that being said, I'm taking a few hours on Saturday and going to another antique co-op about 25 minutes from me. If I can find more cool glass dishes and bowls it will be worth it. They also have this antique fireman's hat I want to get for Colin since he is a volunteer figherfighter.

Well that's all I have for now. Besides, I need to get back to work on all the things I was supposed to have done by now!

Bead Fest Withdrawl

2007-08-28T20:06:00.001-04:00

Bead Fest is over and I'm already wishing it was next year. My fiance and I had a wonderful time. We each took a class on Friday and then we took a glass fusing class together on Saturday afternoon.

I had taken a photo of the results of my metalsmithing class but they will have to be redone...too blurry. Speaking of the metalsmithing class, Cheryl Strait was an excellent instructor and helped make me feel comfortable using the jewelers saw for the first time. I can proudly say I was the only student to make my own rivet. After class was over I was really frustrated with my results, but after a good night's sleep I thought I did pretty well and I cant wait to order more metal and try some more.

After our fusing class on Saturday afternoon I shopped hard. I bought mostly tools but here is a photo of the beads I purchased. This is my third year attending Philly Bead Fest and each year my bead purchase shrinks while my tool purchase grows. Just a few of the tools I added this year were a ring mandrel, metal letter and number stamp set, new files, replacement nylon jaw pliers, molds for polymer clay/resin.

When our finished fused glass cabochons arrive in the mail I'll be certain to post them with re-done photos of my metal piece.

On my way!

2007-08-23T16:53:00.001-04:00

I'm off to Beadfest! I shall return this weekend and when I do I'll make certain to post photos of the show and of my creatons from Creative Metals 101. I'm so excited! I couldnt get through work fast enough today. As soon as Colin gets home from work we are packing everything into the car and heading off! Until I return...

Getting closer!

2007-08-20T21:10:00.000-04:00

This week needs to go faster! I'm leaving for Beadfest on Thursday night and I'm super excited! Each year I make a piece of jewelry to wear to Beadfest to show off. The first photo is my work in progress when it was half-way done. Of course that is one of my collage pendants and the stones are prehnite and kyanite. I currently have half of the other side finished. I believe it will be finished tomorrow night and then I'll photograph the finished piece.

I'm finally moving away from using pre-made clasps and findings. The pendant hanger and the clasp I created from sterling silver wire. I used Sharilyn Millers, "Bead on a Wire" book as a guide for the clasp. It's definitely the best wire book on the market. Her instructions are so clear and easy to follow that it only took me one practice run with copper to get the clasp right.

In other news, I still need a banner. I havent decided yet how I want it to look. There are some ideas floating around in my head but I have yet to attempt them. The next two weekends are so packed that I cant really work on it but when I return I'll put the pedal to the metal! Also, if anyone has any suggestions for a tag line for my site I'd love to hear it. Until we meet again...

Ramblings

2007-08-15T18:11:00.000-04:00

Yes! I love using my glass hand collection in my photos. I have two more antique hands on the way and I cant wait till they arrive. Now I just need to perfect my photography. So this has been one of those weeks at work which has sucked the creativity right out of me. I've stayed late the last few days to help the team finish up a project that is due sooner than we'd all like. Unfortunately, when I come home all I want to do is eat dinner and surf the Internet. At least I made some collage pendants and started a pair of earrings this past weekend. Those photos are coming soon! Now for the good stuff...

The pendant above is double-sided but I like this side the best. It's actually a coin holder that I put a collage on one side and a metal watch dial on the other. The side above is also accented with a Swarovski crystal (love those!) and sealed with Ranger Glossy Accents. Ranger makes the best stuff!

In other news, Philly Bead Fest is fast approaching and I'm super excited. I'll be taking Found Object Jewelry/Creative Metals 101 by Cheryl Strait (http://www.cherylsstudio.theshoppe.com/). This will be the first time I've used a jewelers saw and I'm hoping I don't cut myself! In addition to the class I'm taking, my fiance will be taking a borosilicate lampworking class. He normally works in soft glass but he's been drooling over boro lately. I'll be certain to post photos when it's all over.

Well that's all for now, I think I need a nap.

BFF

2007-08-10T20:53:00.001-04:00

So it's not the best quality photo but that's ok. These earrings are currently on their way to North Carolina for my best friend. She likes simple earrings so I thought she'd enjoy these. They are sterling silver, kyanite and lapis lazuli. Alright, the truth is I was supposed to mail something to her months ago and I kept forgetting. As an "I'm sorry I'm a goof", I asked her what I could make for her and she said simple blue earrings. A simple story for some simple (but really cute) earrings.

Setting Goals

2007-08-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

I havent written in a few days and I'm feeling guilty about it. It's my goal to try and post at least every other day but I suppose that isnt always going to happen. I just started a new job, renfaire season has begun and Philly Bead Fest is almost here. It's an exciting and busy time of year! I'll keep at it and do my best to meet my goals.

The necklace above was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to make a charm necklace incorporating several techniques. The large washer and circle are both from sale jewelry I bought at the mall. They had marked it down so much they were practically giving the pieces away! I stamped the washer with StazOn ink and let it air dry. The tube bead is made from plastic tubing with some stamped vellum inside of it. I used pewter (or are they sterling? I don't remember.) end caps and seed beads to pull it all together. The blue glass beads are from a vintage necklace I pulled apart. The spiral charms were made with non-tarnish wire. There is also a pewter coin charm on there but it's kind of hidden.

Now I need to go back to debating what I'm going to make to wear for Bead Fest. Every year I spend a few weeks trying to figure this out and this year is no different...

What's old, isnt always!

2007-07-31T21:55:00.000-04:00

I started my first day at a new job yesterday and when I got home I wanted to do something fun. I spent the evening playing with my camera and I think this photo came out pretty well. Actually, I like it so much I might use it for my business cards. We'll see...

The necklace is one of my original collage pendants. Some of the charms are vintage and some of them I pulled off of jewelry that I didn't like. I always find it fun to take something I'm not crazy about and turn it into something I love. Never count out marked down jewelry at the mall. Take it home and take it apart!

It Works!

2007-07-29T21:35:00.001-04:00

At 9:00 PM the computer finally decided to play nice. So here they are, the charms all packaged up and ready to be sent out. I used a tag punch and some pretty scrapbook paper. Then I glued each tag to some white cardstock and put my information on the back.

I love getting things in the mail and I wanted each person to feel like they got a little gift. I'm planning on make more of these and turning them into earrings next time.

Practice Practice Practice

2007-07-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

I originally planned on showing some other photos tonight but the computer was being rude. Sometimes things dont go as planned and that's alright.

I took the photo above today while experimenting with my digital camera and photobox. I refused to get a digital camera for the longest time and clung to my 35mm. When I was finally given a digital camera as a gift I realized it was a wonderful thing and now I'll never go back! I'm having a great (frustrating) time with the digital and photobox. However, I do think that over the last few days my photos have improved and I expect that with more practice they'll keep getting better.

Practice makes perfect.

Washer Charms Tutorial

2007-07-26T11:34:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the instructions for making those cute washer charms. Photos will be added once my light box is fixed (I dropped one of my halogen lamps...oops!).

Materials:

Washers
Two-Hole Metal Punch (available at Fire Mountain Gems & Rio Grande)
Diamond Files
Krylon Spray (I used glossy but you can use matte if preferred)
Alcohol Inks (Ranger or Pinata/Fiesta inks)
Ranger Alcohol Ink Stamper
Felt (for the stamper)
Collage Paper/Ephemera
Tweezers
"The Ultimate" Glue
Diamond Glaze/Ranger Glossy Accents
Toothpicks (for applying glue to tiny spaces)
Wire (I used non-tarnish artisans wire)
Beading Pliers
Wire Cutter
Small Circle Punch
Scissors

How to create the charms:

Punch holes in washers using two-hole metal punch.
File rough edges using diamond files.
Decorate washers with alcohol inks.
Spray washers (in a well ventilated area) with Krylon spray and let sit for 15 minutes, repeat.
Create tiny double-sided collages. Use the small circle punch for cutting out backgrounds.
Glue the collage to one washer using "The Ultimate", let sit for 15 minutes.
Apply Diamond Glaze/Glossy Accents to front of collage. Let sit until dry.
Glue on the second washer using "The Ultimate" and let dry.
Apply Diamond Glaze/Glossy Accents to back of collage and let dry.
Using beading tools and wire, make a wrapped loop or attach a jump ring.
Show off your charms to your friends!

Charming!

2007-07-24T21:40:00.000-04:00

I belong to Atcards.com (Artist Trading Card Forums) and I recently entered the Altered Small Objects Charm Swap.

Each charm is made from two washers. They are decorated with alcohol inks and have a tiny collage/picture on each side that I sealed with Glossy Accents.

These were so much fun to make! When I make my next set of them for friends and family I'll post a tutorial so everyone can enjoy them!

There's a first time for everything

2007-07-21T16:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! This is my first time ever trying this so please bear with me. Eventually, this site will be filled with photos of my jewelry and collage creations. I'll also be featuring some tutorials and possibly hosting some swaps.

Here are some tidbits about me:

I'll be in my late-twenties next month.
I live in the Garden State.
Collage, making jewelry, juggling and reading (especially historical novels) are just some of my favorite pastimes.
I collect beads (and anything else I think I can turn into jewelry).
I love beads so much that I got engaged at a bead festival last year!
I have a B.A. and I double-minored in Anthropology and Asian Studies.

Well enough of that, I'm going to get to work on taking some photos and creating the banner so this blog and my etsy shop can get up and running! Until next time...