Thoughtful Thursdays: How Be A Penny Pincher!

How many tee shirts can one person own from vacation spots they've visited over the years, right? I mean... at one point I owned more tees than there were days of summer! So what's a girl to do? Switch gears and start collecting pressed pennies! They're fun to collect, they don't take up much room (a whole lot less than a shirt!), and they only cost 51¢. But then I had a box full of squished pennies... so now what?

Well, I decided to show off my souvenir savvy by creating a fun and whimsical bracelet with many of the pennies I had collected over the years. It was great choosing which ones to use because they all had special memories and I got to re-live each trip as I sifted through them.

And since I am a collector of "things" I had lots of goodies to use as charms including vintage Cracker Jack toys, beads, brass stampings, findings and so on. I love my new bracelet and I'm on to collecting more pressed pennies for the next one... that's the other fun part!

Want to find out more about collecting squished pennies? Check out the Penny Collector Website. Want to know where all the penny machines are? Check out this list, divided by state and country.

Diving Right In...

So... I'm finally getting a chance to make stuff and I'm diving right into making jewelry. I'm kind of going back and forth between vintage repurposing, mixed media creations, and detailed beadwork.

I was totally inspired by some gorgeous mermaid pendants I had purchased a while back... and am enjoying outfitting them with the perfect colors and combinations of freshwater pearls, vintage beads and Vintaj natural brass findings, chain, charms and wire.

I fell in love with these chocolate brown freshwater pearls and they really worked perfectly with this sea-inspired piece. With a mix of faceted vintage beads that have a hint of metallic sheen, everything just kind of fell together...

The filigree bead caps really lend an edge of sophistication to any bead... even oddly shaped vintage glass notions or freshwater pearls...

And a sweet little hook and oversized jump ring make the perfect duo for a closure on this refined yet whimsical piece.

It's funny but, it took a little while for me to get back into a comfortable rhythm of jewelry making again. Kind of like riding a bike. You get back on and you're a little wobbly, but then you ride around the neighborhood a couple of times and you're like... "oh, yeah... I've got it now!"

This piece is available on my Etsy shop.

Mixed Media Tutorial: Adding Charm! How To Attach A Hollow Embellishment

Did you ever wish you could attach a cute little 3D embellishment to your project but were reluctant because it was hollow in the back with only a very thin edge? I know I've asked myself, "how can I do this and be sure it's going to stay put?" Well, I'm going to share with you my special method, so... here we go...

Step 1: Grab your embellishment and protect your work table with a non-stick surface. Here I'm using Ranger's Non-Stick Craft Sheet.

Step 2: Tear up small pieces of paper towel. Paint one piece with a gel medium on both sides. Make sure it's nice and saturated, but not drippy. I'm using Claudine Hellmuth Studio Multi-Medium, also from Ranger.

Step 3: Next you're going to take your gel medium-soaked piece of paper towel and "stuff" it inside your embellishment. You can use a toothpick to make sure it's pushed into all the little nooks and crannies.

Continue painting your pieces of paper towel with gel medium and pushing them into the back of your embellishment until they are even with the back edge of the charm (you can even turn it over onto your non-stick surface for one final "push" to make sure the paper towels are nice and even). Let this dry overnight.

Step 4: So now your embellishment is ready to securely be added to whatever surface you like. Here is the necklace that's waiting for it's little brass kitty cat. Put a glob of gel medium onto the backside of your "stuffed" embellishment and put in place. Don't press it all the way onto your piece too hard. Place it so that there is just a wee bit of "breathing room" for the medium. You'll get a much better hold that way, as all your glue won't squish out from underneath your charm.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this process as I know I did when I tried it. Opens up a whole new set of possibilities!

Free Space...

Don't you just love the FREE SPACE in the middle of a Bingo game? You get to start playing with an advantage. One step ahead. Everybody else has it. But it doesn't matter... it still feels good. It's the same game, but no one else has the same numbers you do. Yours are different. And they could be just the right combination to get you that win... just this once...

It kind of reminds me how it feels to be on my own as an artist. There are so many talented and creative people out there, you wonder... how am I going to fit in? But every once in awhile you have to remind yourself that no one else has the same vision that you do. Your vision is different. And it could just be the right vision to lead you to that sense of accomplishment... and not just once... Bingo!

How'd she do it: The pendants featured here have been created with the faux enamel technique using Tim Holtz Alterations Bingo Embossing Folder from Sizzix and Metal Canvas Blanks from Vintaj. These and more will be featured at my booth this Sept. 11-12 at the Asbury OysterFest.

Cheshire Cat For Tea...

I'm late... I'm late... for a very important blog post! Hello from down the rabbit's hole... where I concocted this dreamy necklace using lots of fun and frivolity from Vintaj! Beginning with this argyle-inspired embossed metal piece I created a few weeks ago...
It was just begging to be cut apart into strips and made into a choker of some sort. I sanded the edges first. Then I rounded each piece using a rubber mallot and... of all things... a spaghetti sauce jar! So they'd fit together like this...
The holes to attach the pieces together were made with the Crop-a-dile... and the same tool set the eyelets (LOVE!)...
The back was finished with a classic Vintaj clasp and tiny butterfly. Absolem, is that you?
Hope you enjoyed my latest Adventure into jewelry-making... who knows what kind of mixed media merriment will come next!

Something Of Note...

Up on the lookout... what's there to see? Beyond the reeds... why it's a little birdie! I must say that once I embossed this Vintaj 3" x 3" metal blank using a Cuttlebug design, I knew exactly what I wanted it to be... a Field Notes journal! Of course adding a some flair with Vintaj embellishments and blanks.
I hand ripped paper from an old journal I had to create the pages for this book... using the Crop-a-Dile for both the paper and the thick metal cover! Gotta love that! 2-for-1.
The back cover I embossed using one of Tim Holtz' new Sizzix Embossing Folders. Even the reverse pattern on the inside back looks awesome! I lightly sanded this Distress-inked bird illustration to bring out the pattern and bring it all together. Fun!

Patterns and Colors and Textures... Oh My!

What's next? Something different but the same... of course! I've been playing around with the faux enamel technique again... using the Cuttlebug embossing folders on blank metal sheets from Vintaj. Dropping Adirondack Alcohol Inks on top... and then sanding the patterns to bring back the metal. I think I'm going to make a journal and possibly a necklace out of these two beauties. Experiment begins... now!

Me, Described...A Faux Enamel Booklace...

While attending the Winter 2010 CHA Trade Show, I was really inspired by the wonderfully creative people at Vintaj. Recently I was playing around with some of their unusual techniques and impulsively created this faux enamel booklace. For the cover... I embossed a sturdy piece of metal... dabbed on Adirondack white acrylic paint... randomly dropped multiple colors of Alcohol Inks on top... and then sanded to bring out the pattern. Top it all off with a thick coat of Glossy Accents, and that's it!
For the pages inside... I tore small pieces of watercolor paper... then stamped images... and collaged snippets of words and definitions that describe who I am. I love this technique so much that I want to try it with different colors and patterns! Too many passions... not enough time...

Thanks to all the wonderful ladies at Vintaj for turning me on to this technique. I'm addicted!

Bird Nestlace...

I switched it up a bit this time. I wanted to play around with some of the pieces I created in Stephanie Lee's class. I found the bird text and decided to make a nest. Originally, I had tried Spanish Moss for the nest, but found it too bulky. And then I remembered that a real bird nest had fallen out of a tree in our yard recently. So I took a piece from that... added some freshwater pearls... and added a pair of earrings recently acquired at a flea market.