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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Winter 2011 Handmade Gift Exchange [Craftaholics Anonymous]

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the Handmade Gift Exchange hosted by Linda of Craftaholics Anonymous.  I joined and Yay!  I have a new friend who also love to make jewelry among other things.

I made her a bracelet made with brass plated chain and lampwork beads.
A locket and a blue briolette was added for that extra charm.


My partners favorite color is purple and green - great combo!
Hope she likes her gift.

100% Handmade.

I am lookig forward to the next gift exchange.  Thanks for adding me, Linda!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Mixed Media Art Jewelry [Floral Pendant]

Hello friends!
Don't you love mixed media in your jewelry?
I made this floral pendant from polymer clay, a washer and gold wire.

The flower was made using a combination of antique gold and alizarin crimson.  Gold mica powder was added for accent.   Turquoise polymer clay was likewise mixed with a hint of antique gold.
Finally, gold wire was added to complete the piece.
The pendant measures a 2 x 1.75 inches and hangs from a 16 inch 2-strand leather necklace.

Handcrafed with love.
Proudly Made in America.

All Polymer clay, mica powder, and paint were Made in the USA.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Give Thanks [Thanksgiving 2011]

What does this photo remind you of?
Yes, the colors of Autumn / Fall and Thanksgiving.  
Table arrangement by my talented sis-in-law
Today is Thanksgiving Day in America and there is truly a lot to be grateful for.
You may want to read a BLOG that I wrote in 2010 when I celebrated my very first Thanksgiving in the U.S.

As of this writing, we are busy with preparations for dinner.  Being Filipinos, we have a wide varitety of food... such a gastronomic feast!  There will be turkey, fish, chicken, beef, vegies and a wide selection of desserts.  We will be singing songs and share about God's faithfulness.  To burn the calories, we will have a wii sportsfest and play mind games, probably cranium or scrabble.

I made these chocolate dipped peanut butter filled vanilla wafers for our giveaways. 
Yummy!

From our family to yours,
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Enjoy!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Pearls and Metal

Don't you just love mixed media jewelry?
I love the look and feel of metal jewelry combined with elegant, feminine touches.

This bracelet's focal piece is the Vintaj copper ID bracelet blank that was embossed and finished to bring out its' luster. 
Faux pearls and german crystals were added to add a charm and elegance to this seemiingly rugged bracelet.


The bracelet has a hook clasp which makes it easy to wear.
Picture yourself pairing this with your power suit or your neat white collar shirt and jeans.
Enjoy!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Craft heaven on 11-11-11

Today is 11-11-11 and I am back to crafting after several days of being preoccupied with family health issues.  It's a challenge to be creative when our minds are somehwere else.  Do you think so?

I love adding texture in my cards; feeling the raised surfaces make me happy.  Today, I felt like Dry Embossing using my Martha Stewart's Kit.  It comes with 2 metal plates with various designs and borders, a stylus, cards and envelopes. 

You will need a table lamp to make tracing easier.  A glass table with a light underneath would work well too.  If it's bright and sunny outside, you may try taping your stencil on your window and emboss - just be mindful of your neighbors who might find you a bit odd.

I added Ranger's distress ink in Antique Linen to the border and highlighted the
design using colored pencils.

The design was layered on a green mat and finally on an ivory colored cardstock.
A punched out vase adhered by dimensional adhesive completes the design.

This card is for an 80+ old lady who will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow. 

Accents were added using Tombow ABT markers.

Happy weekend!
Enjoy!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Galena and Vintaj [Metal Art & Melt Art Workshop]

In the quest of knowledge, we took a 2.5 hour drive northwest to the beautiful city of Galena. IL. 
 It was my second time to visit the place, this time with my husband.  I love the vibe of the city, full of history, art, beautiful architecture and one of a kind specialty shops.


Photo credit:  http://www.visitgalena.org/


 It reminded me of Sausalito in California and Stanley Bay in Hongkong.

Photo credit:  http://www.visitgalena.org/

It was an exciting day of workshop with Vintaj:  Metal Art and Melt Art Techniques. 


I was so thrilled to meet our very talented teacher, Ms. Jess Italia Lincoln. 
She taught us many techniques that produced stunning accessories.

This weekend was just awesome!  We were blessed with great weather, a pleasant trip, wonderful people and a ton of inspiration.

Happy crafting!
Enjoy!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Handmade Gift Exchange

Hello friends!
It's that time of the year when we make and wrap our gifts for that special someone.

Join Craftaholics Anonymous' Handmade Gift Exchange and bring joy to a fellow crafter.
 

It's my first time to join and I'm very excited about it.
You can read more details HERE.

Happy crafting!
 Enjoy! 

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Tutorial: Making Perfect Wire Loops

When I started making jewelry, I hated making wire loops.  My teacher made perfectly round loops that looked so easy but mine were always oblong with dents on the wire from too much uncoiling. 
My beginner loops were never perfectly round.
Practice... practice... practice... (not to mention callouses on my fingers).

Tools and Materials
Flat / Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutter
Wire or headpins -  I used 1 inch head pins
Beads -  Make sure that your bead/s leave enough wire for you to work with

Steps (kindly refer to the photos):

Insert the bead/s into the wire then with the chain nose pliers, create a right angle bend.

With the round nose pliers held in the horizontal position, grab the wire leaving about 15 mm and twist to make a circle around the jaw of the pliers.  You may adjust the size of the loop by adjusting the pliers (narrow tip and broad base).

When you read the halfway point, reposition the round nose pliers to a vertical position and complete the loop.
Insert the chain, connector or whatever before completely closing the loop.


It entails one smooth wrist movement.  With practice, you will make perfect loops and when you do, you will be addicted to it.

There are days when I just want to make loops and it really becomes handy during times when I am in a hurry to finish a project.


Loop away!
Oh, don't forget to wash your hands after handling too much wire and moisturize those creative hands.

Happy crafting!
Enjoy!