Archives for January 2012

Serenity Resin Bracelet

Resin jewelry

Creating resin jewelry has never been easier with Lisa Pavelka’s Magic Gloss resin that has been out for a couple of years now.  Pieces that use to take a couple of days can be finished and cured in less than an hour!  Today I am showing you my ransom letter “serenity” bracelet.

resin and paper

Serenity resin bracelet

What I love about Magic Gloss is that it is one part, so no messy mixing to deal with.  Not only that, but it cures in UV light and doesn’t harden until exposed to UV.  That means you have all the time in the world to work with it.  No more hurrying to finish in the 25 minutes or so that you have before 2 part epoxy resins start to harden.

What I don’t like about it is that it is way more expensive than Envirotex Lite and ICE resin, both 2 part epoxy resins used in jewelry making.  At Hobby Lobby, a tiny 1 oz bottle costs $10.99.  I found it on Amazon linked above for $5.88.  I can’t say exactly how many pieces of jewelry you can get from a bottle, as that obviously depends on how much resin per piece, but it is definitely pricey in my book.  Also, unless you buy a UV light you are at the mercy of the weather.  On a sunny day, or under a UV lamp of sufficient wattage, pieces cure in minutes!    This makes layering so fun and instant.

In this piece, I cut scrapbook paper to fit the circle bezel and adhered them inside the bezel with glossy accents.  Then I cut out letters from random papers to spell “Serenity”.  I adhered them with Glossy accents and let dry for 30 min.  This is important because the resin will not cure if it mixes with wet glue.

I added a thin layer of resin at a time with various sprinkled glitter, glass micro beads, metal leaf and fibers, curing between each layer using Lisa Pavelka’s UV lamp ($40 at Hobby Lobby).  It looks super cool.  I wish you could see the layer effect better in my photos.  I am very pleased with how it turned out.   I can’t stop looking at it.

Resin and paper jewelry

how to make resin jewelry

Embedding with resin jewelry

Stay tuned for more fun with resin!

Valentine’s Day Quilled Heart Keychain

Paper quilling gift

This is my first non-magazine page quilling attempt, and I am loving it.  Paper quilling is great because you can be a novice and still create some really gorgeous pieces.  If you need a meaningful, unique gift for your sweetheart that is fast and easy, you have arrived.  Today’s post is a tutorial, and free printable for the houndstooth background with “You hold the key to my heart”.

Valentine's Day Gift Idea

Supplies:

easy paper quilling project
Instructions:

  • Print off the background image linked above and cut to fit your fragment.
  • Drill hole in fragment for jump ring (I use Dremel for this)
  • Adhere image to fragment (fragment goes on top) using Glossy Accents or other clear drying, archival glue.  I am a die hard Glossy Accents fan, but Diamond Glaze and Mod Podge dimensional magic are often used to adhere paper to clear embellishments.
  • Make quilled paper heart (there are several tutorials on this… it is very simple)
  • Adhere key and paper heart to top of fragment with Glossy Accents by putting a pea sized glue dab on the fragment, then placing the embellishments.
  • I applied glossy accents liberally to the heart since it is paper and this is a piece that will be handled.
  • Let dry for 30 minutes and finish by adding keychain findings – I used a chain of 3 jump rings and a clip to make mine.

I would absolutely love to recieve a gift like this.   Are you making a gift for a love this year?Valentine's Day Gift Idea

 

Knitted Hat With Garter Stitch Brim and Flower

knit hat pattern with brim

I am crushing on this cute hat with flower embellishment, big time.  It is so fun to wear and simple to knit.  I knitted the hat last year, then crocheted the flower recently to jazz things up a bit.  It is the perfect addition and I am excited to share how I did it with you.  If you make your own, come share pictures with me, please!

how to knit a hat

***Pattern***

Worsted or aran weight yarns may be used, but please check gauge.
Gauge 17sts x 26 rows in stockinette stitch = 4 inches or 10cm
Gauge does not have to be exact, as the hat is stretchy.  This pattern makes a hat to fit most teens and adult females.

5.5mm (US #9) dpns or circular needles

If using circular needles, a length of 40 inches is recommended for magic looping throughout.

Garter Brim Hat

free winter hat knit pattern

Cast on  72 sts.  Join in the round, place marker for end of round.

BRIM:

Rows 1-8:  Begin working in stockinette stitch; knit one row, purl one row – for the brim of the hat.

BODY:

Rows 9-40:  Change to stockinette stitch (knit every row) and continue until the hat measures 6.5 inches from the cast-on edge (about 40 rows).

CROWN:

Decreasing for crown:  (switch to DP needles when necessary)
Row 1:   *K6, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 2:    Knit (on this and all even numbered rows)
Row 3:   *K5, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 5:   Knit across all stitches
Row 7:  *K4, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 9:  *K3, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 11: *K2, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 13: *K1, K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 15:  *K2tog*  repeat to end of row
Row 16:  Knit across.  Break yarn leaving a tail for securing.

Run yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight to secure.   Weave in ends.

FLOWER (CROCHET)

free knitting patterns

Using Crochet hook size H, and the same yarn used for the hat:
ch 5. Join ch with a sl st
forming a ring.
Round 1 (right side) Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), work 21
dc in ring, join round with a sl st in 3rd ch of begin-
ning ch-3—22 dc.
Round 2 Ch 6 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), skip next
st, *dc in next dc, ch 3, skip next dc; repeat from * 9
times more, join round with a sl st in 3rd ch of
beginning ch-6—11 ch-3 lps.
Back row of petals
Round 3 *Work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in next ch-3
lp; repeat from * around, join round with a sl st in
first sc. Fasten off.
Front row of petals
Round 4 With right side facing, join CC with a sl st
in any skipped dc of round 2, ch 3, *sl st in next
skipped dc, ch 3; repeat from * 9 times more, join
round with a sl st in first sl st—11 ch-3 lps.
Round 5 *Work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc) in next ch-3
lp; repeat from * around, join round with a sl st in
first sc. Fasten off.
Front row of petals
Round 6 With right side facing, join CC with a sl st
around post of any dc of round 1, ch 2, sk next 3 dc,
*sl st around post of next dc, ch 2, sk next 3 dc, sl st
around post of next dc, ch 2, skip next 4 dc; repeat
from * once more, join round with a sl st in last
dc—5 ch-2 lps.
Round 7 *Work (sc, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, sc) in next ch-2
lp; repeat from * around, join round with a sl st in
first sc. Fasten off

FINISHING
Weave in all loose ends and sew to hat.

Dollar Tree Heart Garland

dollar store garland

Garland is one of my favorite things about seasonal home decor.  I adore whipping it up from paper and dollar store finds to keep my home decor in sync with the holidays.  That is why I was so excited when I saw these heart doilies at my local Dollar Tree.  They come in red, white and pink (not pictured) and you get 24-30 for a buck.

Valentine's Day Garland

I layered the hearts, using foam square stickies for a pop out effect.  For the front most little heart, I used old paper and a scalloped heart punch.  Then I strung twine through the holes already in the biggest heart doilies and that is that.  I still have tons of hearts left over, which I am sure you will be seeing in various projects around here.  I still have over a month before Valentine’s Day…

Papercraft Garland

handmade garland

how to make garland

Valentine's Day decorating

 

Saftety Pin Beaded Bracelet

Safety Pin Bracelet

I can’t get enough of upcycled jewelry projects.  This one is as old as oxygen, but new to me, and a great way to use up some of those members of my bead soup stash.  Also, it couldn’t be much easier to make, and looks great with casual and dressy attire.  This would be a great girls night craft!

Upcycle jewlery

To make, I strung 12 beads on each safety pin and ran elastic cord through the top and bottom of each safety pin, kotting the end of each cord.  I alternated beaded safety pins with empty safety pins, flipped vertically.  That simple!  Careful not to stick yourself.

Safety pin jewelry

Paper Pinwheel Home Decor

How to make a PinwheelMost things deemed party decor, I love to have up all the time.  Makes sense I guess.  What is not great about festive accents?  Enter pinwheels.  I see these around wedding receptions and other parties and have had them on my to do list for ages.  It occurred to me they are the perfect accent to replace the Christmas theme.  They are quick and easy to make, and with all the gorgeous scrapbook papers out there, they are easy to coordinate with any room.

How to make a Pinwheel

Supplies:

  • Decorative paper; Scrapbook 12×12 inch used here
  • glue stick
  • craft wire or twisty ties

Instructions:

  • Fold pleats along the width of your paper at about 1 inch increments.  Do this with 2 sheets of paper then crease each pleated sheet in the middle.

TIP:  To make pinwheels in different sizes, just vary the width of the paper.  The width (the direction in which you are folding the pleats) will be the diameter of the pinwheel.

  • Glue center edges together and fan each sheet out to a semicircle.   Attach each semicircle with craft wire as shown…Pinwheels
  • Pinwheel

 

  • Glue abutting edges using glue stick…

  • Let dry and place as desired.  How to make a Pinwheel

How to make a Pinwheel

 

Thrifty Thursday Week 56

ThriftyThursday

Featured

Happy New Year, everyone.  Thank you for stopping by and partying here at Thrifty Thursday.  If it is your first time, welcome.  If you are back, you like it here.  Yay!   So glad you are visiting.

How it Works: No giveaways, shop or links to your main blog, please. That way we know when we come to Thrifty Thursday, we will only encounter DIY projects and not end up sifting through a bunch of other links. Entries not related, or to main blog pages/shops/giveaways will be deleted.
Other stuff:
*Please add a text link or my button to your post!
*I will choose 2 participants to feature the following Thursday, Please drop by and love on the features! Their links are in the post where their projects are featured.
*Please visit the at least the 2 blogs above you and shower them with comment love.
*Leave me a comment and let me know you were here. I love hearing from you.
*Have fun and be inspired!
*Stop by and say hello to my crafty friend Nikki and link up to her thrifty party too…
thrifty decorating 019 button 3 Thrifty Thursday Week 55

Featured Projects:

dresser makeoverMap dresser makeover from The Space Between Blog

wine bottle decorationA Creative Princes made this pretty winter wine bottle decor

PARTY TIME

Paper Tealight Candle Village

papercraft template house

Paper tealight village

I picked up a papercrafting book recently called Papercrafting in No Time by Clare Youngs.  As soon as I saw her paper houses used as tealight “holders”, I knew I had to make something similar.  The book is full of paper projects that I am excited to try.  The author is far more patient than I.  She cut out her houses by hand.  Using her template as my inspiration, I created a cut file for my cricut in Photoshop, and cut mine out of watercolor paper.  It is so stinking cute, and only took about 10 minutes once I had the cut file ready to go.  I love this project!

papercraft ideas

You are free to use the .jpg file I created to cut your own village.  Then just fold between the houses, and the doors, windows and roof details as shown. To download the template, click the thumbnail below and save the full res file that appears to your computer.  For my Cricut, I just open Sure Cuts A Lot and click the image icon, then choose the jpg below, and cut.

Paper VillageTemplatePut a tea light candle behind each house for a charming, warm glow.

papercrafting

Papercraft village

Recycled Magazine Page Butterfly

Recycled Paper Craft

A butterfly from magazine pages?  That is right.  For this creation, I used a cookie cutter I found at Hobby Lobby to shape the butterfly outline, then coiled pages to fill in the shape.  Super easy.  Just wrap a folded strip around the cookie cutter’s outer edge.  Depending on the size of your cutter, and the lengths of your strip, you may need more than one strip, like I did here.  Just overlap the new strip’s beginning with the previous strip’s end.  Reinforce with a dab of glue.  Let that dry, remove the outline from the cookie cutter (just slide it off) carefully so that you maintain the shape, and create your filler coils.
For tips on making strips from magazine pages, see my earlier post.

Recycled Paper Craft

Coiled Magazine Page CraftsCoiled Magazine Page Crafts

 

Valentine’s Day Printable Wall Art

Valentine's Day Printables

It is time to clear out the Christmas decor and what better to replace it than love themed prints?  These three 11×14 inch frames stay up year round, and I change the prints with the seasons.  I stick to black and white, which I have printed at Office Max for $0.20 per 11×14.  I spent a whopping $0.64 on these three.  I have provided them for you to download over at printable decor.  Get your free Valentine’s Day printables now.

Free Valentine's Day Printable

Free Valentine's Day Printable

Free Valentine's Day Printable

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