Amazing Glaze penny pendant project

Wow, that was hard to type! Click on over to the very addictive blog Just Something I Made for Cathe's penny pendant project. It is lovely and very summery...

Here's the link. Enjoy!

Oh, and she didn't mention it but do be sure NOT to bake your pendant on a cookie sheet you'll cook on. This is a perfect use for aluminum foil or you can save foil take out containers and reuse them for baking dishes. Amazing Glaze is safe to craft with, but not safe to eat! We also have a template for use with images and resin right here.

Hey, Cathe and her hubby are celebrating 20 years of marriage this month, so if you visit her blog be sure to post some congrats!

(Thanks to Cathe for the lovely picture up above, it's from the blog post...)

Silver Deco Earrings

These simple-but-elegant earrings are made with silver-plated filigree endbars, small bits of chain (about 1 1/2 inch per earring) and crystal bicone beads. They have a lot of nice motion and sparkle.

See this filigree and many more here.

We're in Stringing!

Summer issue, page 52! check it out...

Four Word Self Help

Patti Digh has a new book coming out that I am pretty excited about. You can read her blog post here and very, very soon you can pre-order the book at Ornamentea.com. She'll be sitting on a tiny stool at our store this winter for a reading...early December. Details to follow.

(I am pretty sure that at least one of these Four Word Self Help phrases was written here in Raleigh the last time she came to do a reading!)

The best way to organize your tools...

Okay, that post title is kind of a tease. There is no one, best way to organize tools. However, I do like this nice portable tool organizer we have just gotten in for our class room tool kits. The organizers are smooth black leather with elastic straps that hold the kit closed. They feel like a really nice motorcycle jacket on the outside and on the inside have four pockets for your favorite beading and wire-working tools. We spruced them up with riveted brass number tags made right in the classroom. Ours are numbered 1-12, but the brass discs could fit a name or jewelry line name on them if needed.

Oh, we do sell the tool holders but you'll have to do your own tags! Click here to see the tool holders. Click here for the letter and number stamps. Click here for the metal discs we used, and here for the eyelets.

And yes, I said motorcycle jacket. I know I am the queen of Walking to Work but who doesn't like a black motorcycle jacket, maybe over a flowery dress with some chunky black shoes, silver hoop earrings and wrist of hand-hammered bangles? Very Austin, TX, circa 1990. Oops, I am showing my age!