Lovely Reclaimed Lace Pendant

From a distance it is hard to see what this pendant is made from.

Yesterday I showed you a piece of vintage distressed lace that I am head over heals for.


I decided to see what a small portion would look like behind glass. I have had these glass flip top frames for years. I just knew they would be needed for a special project some day.


I placed a small portion of the lace/tatting between two pieces of glass and slid it into the frame. I choose to use a mirror back for the pendant. This way the pendant has more than one use and the lace is on an opaque background. All I had to do was choose the necklace. I have about 3 yards of this pearl and crystal wired strand and have used it several times to showcase a pendant. It sure is a fast way to finish something!

Another lovely addition to my "saving and reclaiming" collection!

Distressed Vintage

I could live to be 200 and would not be able to duplicate the beauty I see in this old vintage lace and tatting. It was attached at one time to blue silk and even the way that is unraveling is beautiful to me.

I am thinking of ways to really preserve this.

New One Inch Buttons

In North America we usually see monkeys with these well known gestures: see no evil, hear no evil and say no evil. I found this beautiful Asian series on a vintage postcard which says in English:
Mother says, I must neither
Talk, Listen nor Look.
Hmmmmmm. I think I like the principal of what the monkeys meant better.
But I prefer these pictures!
I have them in my web store, with a few other new designs as one inch buttons!

I Love Hot Pink

Capturing my reflection in a window.

Packaging some dolls to mail out. The hint of hot pink makes me smile.

Happy Holidays Bezels

On a pretty Sunday morning the last thing you may want to think about is the Christmas rush.

But, as a card maker, I think about Christmas all year round.

These are new bezels. They were copper and I spray painted them gold and filled them with these vintage holiday images.

Happy Holiday is my favorite saying!

Now, here are my Sunday links to the Beading Gang!

About.com Jewelry Making Rock clubs rock, literally, when you are looking for inexpensive, local jewelry making classes.
Art Bead Scene Tired of your liver of sulfur going bad? Check out this - Patina Gel!
Beading Arts The second part of Cyndi's tutorial on using CopprClay to create a necklace.
Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi introduces a vintage walnut to rhinestones.
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva Cindy takes on heavy metal in the studio. No, you won't need to cover your ears - just your hands!
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Melanie takes some time to show off a few new resin and brass collage pendants!
Jean Campbell Jean visited Chicago and discovered a new beading technique using pleather and Conso.
Katie's Beading Blog Take a sneak peek at Katie's newest beading book!
Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei makes a fun Owl swap with a blog friend.
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean is wowed by Denise Peck's recent earring book, 101 Step by Step Wire Earrings! Get it and make some for YOURSELF!
Strands of Beads Melissa curls up with a few good books from Rings & Things
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton After cleaning the studio, Andrew finds (and finishes) a long-lost PMC Floral Link Bracelet.

A Little More Resin

Here are a few more resin filled wooden beads.

Perfect card embellishments now!

I Finally Used It!

I bought this teeny bezel (1/2 inch) at least five years ago at a workshop with Susan Lenart Kazmer. Because it was handmade...it went into the (you guessed it) too good to be used pile.

Not anymore. I filled it, poured in the resin and finally finished it! I just need to think of something worthy to attach it to now......

Nuttiest Pendant Yet

Isn't this pendant gorgeous?

Clearly painted wood, it's edges are so perfect and you couldn't create a more interesting opening if you tried. I hung it on a very pretty velvet necklace.

But where is the pendant from you ask? Where can I get one?

Well, its a long shot but you will need to locate a cup like this one.

I found it in an antique store. Handmade. Glued together. All walnuts.

Can you believe that? Someone carefully sawed all these walnuts centres. I thought they were so beautiful that I bought the cup. The glue holding it all together was so strong...that when I tried to separate them....I heard a crack. So I went online. "How do you dissolve glue from wood?" is the question I asked google.

The results were some wood working sites which I have never been to. Someone recommended vinegar....which I had, so I soaked the cup in vinegar over night.

And it worked!!! I was shocked in the morning to pull all these amazing walnuts apart so easily.

Since I am already working outdoors spray painting, I took some of the pieces and a few other hand cut wood beads and spray painted them gold. So pretty!!

Here is a glammed up version of the walnut pendant with a dangle. I added a bail to make the pendant easy to hang.

This is my rhinestone walnut necklace. Nut meets glam. My funnest little tutorial so far!

When Things Don't Get Used

Part of why my studio got so filled up was because I have kept so many vintage items in their original packaging. That puts them in the "too good to use" category and the stock piling begins from there.

No longer. I am taking things out or off their packaging. These buttons are an excellent example. When I finally took a closer look at them I realized that there were stunning designs on the buttons in several metallic shades. They are a perfect addition for one of my altered books. I can even make a mold of one if I want to keep using it. They are all off the backing board now.

One of a Kinds

Even though it is totally not cost effective, I just have to make some really special one of a kind card embellishments. These four will go on a special set of papers. They are a wood bead I filled with resin to create the circular space for the Asian paper and butterfly. Hopefully the card recipient will keep this item.

ITS ON SQUIRREL!

Do you know what this is?

It is what was left of the perfect strawberry I meant to enjoy Sunday morning.

I have been watching it for a few days and it was just perfect.

Till my husband saw the squirrel get it.

He didn't even do a good job taking it!

These are the next two berries I am waiting for. If I have to cage this basket I will!

Postcard From Spain

Can you imagine making these post cards?

The detail is unbelieveable.

This postcard from spain is now a favorite.

I might make a few cards similiar to it...if I have the time. It will feel like playing with Barbie.

Here's what the beaders were up to this week!

A Bead A Day Can a piece of jewelry create a feeling of calm and happiness? Check out Lisa's starry bracelet made with "new jade" stones.
About.com Jewelry Making How has your web store experience been? Are there too many 3rd partry sites to sell or buy jewelry these days? Take the poll as a sell or buyer.
Art Bead Scene ABS Editor Heather is on the road. Check out her quick project!
Barbe Saint John Barbe reviews Simply Gemstones book.
Beading Arts Cyndi shows you the steps to making a simple but sparkling necklace from CopprClay!
Carmi's Art/Life World Rub-ons and leather - a cool combination for this cuff sample.
Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva Check out Cindy's new project in the summer edition of Step by Step Wire!
Drawing Dilemma Jean asks her friends about what drawing programs they use for beading illustrations
Earthenwood Studio Chronicles Lights, Camera, Action! Melanie tells a tale of her Beads, Baubles, and Jewels televison taping experience.
Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei is giving away a necklace and a copy of Creative Jewelry!
Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean discusses finishing up the challenge "Use the Muse II" which was thought up by Scarlett Lanson, Rainbows of Light.com and Artbeads.com. She enjoyed it very much, particularly because it made her think!
Strands of Beads Melissa shows off a new variation of her lunar phases toggle.
The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Busier than a bee, Andrew shares fifteen new jewelry designs.

Rub Ons Plus Leather Equals a Cuff

I have a new bracelet! It is light as a feather.

It all began when I pulled out my Dove of the East Rub on sheet. I carry all the Dove of The East products in my web store, but sometimes I forget to use them for myself. I also have the matching clear stamps for the Russian theme I love.



As you can see, I used my rub-on sheet and one of the stamps (on #2 and #4) on these leather medallions. The rub-ons were a little tricky to work with...leather doesn't really provide them with an easy surface to cling to....but I made it work.


I realized I would have to protect the rub-ons somehow. So rummaging through my glues I found a very old bottle of Simple Solutions for fabric. This glue was designed to work with Luminarte's pigment powders. When I applied the glue to my medallions...I had to run away. It was so bubbly that I was sure I had ruined them.

But they dried beautifully! Inspired I pulled out some of the powders and decided to make some fabric paint so I could add some tiny details. This was a fun addition and made me feel like I was really adding my own flair to each piece.

I found this leather belt attachment in my sewing drawer. I thought it would make the perfect bracelet addition.

I threaded my finished leather pieces onto a thin strip of leather and then sewed the ends in place to the black belt. HMMMMM. Love it. But It needs just one more thing.....

Rhinestones!

I have a rhinestone setter so I finally got to use it! I added these gold rhinestones since they picked up the colours nicely.

The cuff looks so pretty when I wear it.

This is the matching paper to the rub-ons I used.

My Russian paper inspired cuff was a very relaxing project. I will use these techniques for some card embellishments next.

No Room at the Inn

There are so many projects on the go!

I am almost out of table top again. Time to move into the card making zone.

Almost Missed It

I've been going through my post card collection looking for some new images to work with. I loved this illustration, but for the life of me do not understand the words "Dinna Forget."

Is that another way of saying "don't forget me?" Perhaps if is a foreign card? Does someone recognize the word "Dinna?"

The reverse is written in English, American to be specific. I was wondering about the title and then my eyes finally focused on the actual note. Don't you love reading someone else's mail?



The message reads:
"Only the wave washed pebbles are bright."
I like that. I'm not sure I understand how it would make "cousin" feel.
Here's hoping he was a bright.

Busy Busy

Here is a little image describing me in the studio right now. I am one busy beaver!

The image is a vintage war poster. It was an ad to buy war bonds.

Not sure how that kept Canadians busy, but I do love the symbolism.

Dried Flower Tiles

I have this whole new experiment with resin to play with!

After my resin disaster week, I was worried about starting something new.

But these turned out great.

I was inspired by this 70's pendant I bought last weekend at the outdoor antique market. It was such a pretty way to display dried flowers that I went to my drawers and pulled out the dried flowers I had already been collecting for some time.

Each tile is in two layers. A white base covered by clear resin.

They are a little too thick for card embellishments so they will probably go on my altered books or I might make a necklace with them. So many options!

Thank you resin gods! (I'm back!)

Now. Here's a look at what the beading gang highlighted this week!

A Bead A Day Lisa’s “Swarovski Summer Picnic” project is progressing. The only thing missing are the crystally butterflies!!

About.com Jewelry Making School's out for summer, but is it really? Nope, not when you can take one of these free jewelry making e-courses.

Art Bead Scene Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge painting for July is the Lascaux Cave Paintings. Get your stash of beads out in ivory, red and brown to match the color palette of these ancient drawings.

Beading Arts Wonderful wonderful wonderful new CopprClay! Cyndi is so excited about this new material that she can't stop playing with it!

Carmi's Art/Life World Carmi attempts to create a necklace after a resin pouring disaster.

Cindy Gimbrone aka Lampwork Diva Cindy shows off some new chain and realizes one should never shop for jeans on her lunch hour.

Humblebeads Check out the 2009 Bead Cruise design contest winners!

Jean Campbell Ink: Eureka! Jean Campbell finished off her new LeTemps Necklace design which marries bling to grunge. Hurray!

Lorelei's Blog: Inside the Studio Lorelei has busted out of the studio and into the Museum of Art for a trunk show.

Snap out of it, Jean! There's beading to be done! Jean reviews a different, colorful, and inspiring book called Glass, by Marlene Blessing and Jamie Hogsett

Strands of Beads Melissa talks about where to find reliable information on copyrights - the U.S. Copyright Office, of course!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton Challenging himself with a smaller scale, Andrew tackles doll jewelry. Check out five new designs with dolls in mind!

Card Embellishments

I have been working away on new card ideas for the Christmas show. These new pieces have been fun because I spray painted everything gold before I added images and final clear coat glazes. They are small card board ornaments.

So many of my card embellishments use finding that are traditionally for jewelery.

I guess I must just want to spend more time at my jewelery table than I thought.