Waxed Linen Blog Hop Project - The Tordu Linen Bracelet

I was so excited to join in the Waxed Linen Blog Hop. I'm addicted to using linen in my designs. It just adds the right pop of color and I'm always amazed how it works with so many other types of materials. This bracelet is made with our #20 ball chain. That's big. The teeny strands of linen seem too fine to stand up to the chain, until they are wrapped and twisted around. Suddenly, they are colorful and substantial. 

This project also includes directions for making a little linen tassel. I LOVE tassels...and I love making little ones, too. I can use just about anything to make a tassel on-I've used a ruler, a scrap of cardboard, even my phone! In this case, I used a handy Sharpie marker. 

One note about this bracelet-the wrapping can make the chain a little stiff at first. After wearing it for an hour, the stiffness goes away.

I hope you enjoy my project tutorial-the full instructions, including a printable how-to, can be found here. If you are a pinner (I am!) there's a pinnable image at the bottom of this post, just for you!

I'm going to be giving away a kit to make one of my bracelets - in the color shown above - to one winner randomly selected from the commenters on this blog post. Yes, I'll ship it to you anywhere in the world! And that REALLY BIG ball chain I used in the project is 40% off this weekend only...check it out right here. 

UPDATE: Susan won the kit! We use Random.org to pick the winner. We count the number of commentators, discarding any anonymous commentators (as they can't win!) We then plug the numbers into their random number generator. Susan's number popped up! Thanks for playing. 

The other hoppers are listed below. Please visit them and check out their projects. I'm going to be doing that all weekend. 

Diana Ptaszynski (our Waxed Linen Blog Hop leader)
Kelsy Vincent
Susan Kennedy
Linda Landig
KashmiraPatel
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Vanessa Gilkes
Sandy Huntress
Kay Thomerson
Sarajo Wentling
Kari Asbury
Rebecca Anderson
Melissa Trudinger
Ann Schroeder
Shai Williams
Blanca Medina
Cheryl Brown
Johana Nunez Rivera
Lori Bowring Michaud
Kelly Morgan
Barbara Bechtel
Kristen Stevens
Heather Boardman
Janet Bocciardi
Kathy Lindemer
Lesley Watt
Susan Kolovson
Jayne Caps
Sharyl McMillan-Nelson
Michelle McCarthy
Karla Morgan
Erin Siegel
Becky Pancake
Kelly Hosford Patterson
Inge von Roos
Carolyn Lawson
Linda Younkman
Sandi Volpe
Toltec Jewels
Michelle Mach
Jen Cameron
Dorothy Winchell
Darlene Mansue

(and these ARE all links, I have no idea why some are underlined, some are brown, some are purple...Blogger is being finicky this week...just click 'em, they work!)

Waxed Linen Blog Hop Reveal TOMORROW!

I've joined in a Waxed Linen blog hop with Diana from Suburban Girl Studios. Watch this space for a fab project tomorrow...and the other hoppers! You'll love to see what everyone has done with waxed linen!

DIY Earring Bar - Not your usual cocktails!

Are you having a party for friends this holiday season? After you get the fancy cocktails planned and decide on the noshes (go with extra goat cheese, it never fails!) you will need something extra. Check out this really awesome idea from Candie Cooper - a DIY earring bar! I think this would be loved by all at my parties. I think I'll even bring a travel version to a holiday-season birthday party I'm attending later this month. Who doesn't love earrings?

Candie breaks it down with a list of all the things you need. She has a link to a video showing how to make earrings, which you could watch before the party. The only thing I would add is that you should make things really easy on yourself and download our Simple Wire Looping how-to sheet with step-by-step photos of how to make the loops on the tops of the head pins. That way you can spend as much time as you want at the fancy cocktail station while your guests make their own darn earrings.

Read Candie's whole Earring Bar how-to here.

Download our Simple Wire Looping PDF here. You can print it in color or black and white for your guests.

Swants

I am an angry knitter. This is a fact. I can't tolerate you breathing or blinking or even thinking about breathing or blinking if I am knitting. You will confuse me and I'll mix up knit and purl.

I can cut-and-sew the HECK out of a sweater, though. These Swants, I may have to try. Or at least I'll read the tutorial a few more times. It's hilarious.

See, that's the problem. While I don't knit, I do like to read the blogs of several knitters. Somehow, it's recreational for me.

Read and see the whole Swants tutorial (it's kind of a fashion movement!) right here. Be prepared to be inspired. It's very recreational.

Adding words to your jewelry...

This necklace by Deb Averitt features the word 'naughty' hidden between the paper circles...read her blog post to find out why she chose that word.

This necklace would be a great entry for the Wellness Words challenge over on Tracy Statler's blog Make Bracelets!

Oh, wait, the necklace says naughty. Okay, maybe NOT such a great project for that challenge...unless that is your wellness word? Hmm...

Spring is coming...right?

This sweet thread-nest project is from my friend, Cathe Holden's blog. It uses tiny eggs and twigs to make a super-sweet little decor item.

I think these are just the thing to welcome spring. It will be spring soon, right?

This winter has been way too long for me...

Go check out Cathe's blog and this fab post right here.

October Art Bead Scene Challenge

Have you ever entered the Art Bead Scene Challenge? Each month a work of art is chosen as a starting point and participants create a piece of jewelry, using art beads, that reflects and expands on the theme and visual imagery of the artwork.

This month the chosen piece was an assemblage by Kurt Schwitters. The original work features overlapping circular shapes, bisected and transected by lines and shaded areas. The work is filled with shades of blue, green, gray and gold.

This collage shows the inspirational work at the lower right hand corner and the response work created by Lorelei Eurto. Her necklace features disc beads from Elaine Ray combined with stitching and layering. I can't imagine a more fitting interpretation of this work, but I may be a bit biased. I have been in love with those discs from Elaine since she first showed them to me this past summer. I love the piercings, the dramatic size, the way the flat shapes let the glaze speak. I also LOVE the designs of Lorelei Eurto. Lorelei is a co-author (with Erin Siegel) of an Ornamentea-favorite book, Bohemian Inspired Jewelry, a blogger and a best-selling etsy designer. Her work is always textured and layered, and worth a look. She's also the author of the e-book Asymmetry Made Easy. Check the book out, it's well worth the download if you struggle with asymmetry or 'matchiness' the way many jewelry makers do.

Do you enter contests with your work? A contest can be a great way to push yourself outside your 'usual' area, into a new color grouping, or unusual material, or make you try an unfamiliar technique. If you have been stuck in a rut entering a contest like the Art Bead Scene Challenge can help you really move forward, fast.

Give the contest a look-see and let us know if you enter!

Mis-matched earring swap!

Elaine Ray, magical bead maker, participated in a Mis-matched Earring Swap organized by Diana of Suburban Girl Studios. This swap sounded pretty exciting to me, but this time of year I can't take on any more 'extra-curricular' activities. I abstained.

I was actually pretty surprised that Elaine DID the swap. Read her blog post to find out why I was so surprised. 

Kudos to Diana for organizing the swap. I know, first hand, how MUCH work goes into planning and executing a swap. It can seem kinda thankless when you are the organizer, up to your eyeballs in charms or earrings or bead mixes. It can seem overwhelming. Diana did a fab job on this swap, however. I especially love the theme. Mis-matched earrings are super-trendy right now (yes, again!) as you can see right here on this website among others. We have super-hip 20 year olds making them at our work table every week.

What do you think about mis-matched earrrings? Are they for you? Is this a trend you'll wear or ignore?

New Tutorial and a New Designer - The Knotted Friendship Bracelet

This Knotted Friendshop Bracelet Tutorial was created just for Ornamentea by Erin Siegel. Erin is one of the authors of a favorite book here, and we love her easy-to-wear designs. She is going to be doing projects for us every month and we can't wait to see what she cooks up.

It's funny, I have designed about 90% of our projects for, well, for-EVER. When I decided to find some designers to add to the styles represented here I immediately thought of Erin's work. Her designs are so on-trend and yet still so approachable. I look at them and think 'I'd wear that' and 'I'd wear that, too!' She was super excited to create for us and I was just as excited. It was kinda like two 12-year-olds finding out they had the same gym class. I almost cried when I saw the first project. Friendship bracelets, so perfect for the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Anyhow, you should visit Erin's blog and see what she's up to. You can also shop for her designs on her etsy shop. Yes, this bracelet is available to purchase, which is good if you are too busy braiding your hair for gym class to make one.

Do you have art to share?

Patti Digh, a wonderful author I've written about before, is putting together a new book. The Geography of Loss will be a collection of essays by Patti and she's looking for artists to assist in the illustration of her book. If you want to participate, visit her blog to get the details. If you have read her previous books, Creative is a Verb, Life is a Verb and Four Word Self Help, you know Patti always illustrates her books with art from her readers. The art work in her books is a powerful as the words on her pages and you, dear friend, can contribute.

So, go, do, now!

Penny for your thoughts...a great charm project

This sweet penny pendant project is from Cathe Holden's Just Something I Made blog. Cathe creates lovely craft projects and the most amazing free printable labels, stickers and other goodies. If you don't already subscribe to her blog, you should do so.

This project uses a penny and one of my favorite quick-craft ingredients; Amazing Glaze.
You can punch holes in the penny with any kind of metal punch...and I love Cathe's great idea for a 'riser' to lift the penny up while baking it.

Check out the project directions here.

I wonder what Cilla is sending me...

This is the super-helpful (itallics implying sarcasm intended) photo that my Bead Soup Blog Party swap partner, Cilla Watkins, posted on her blog.

Hmm...thanks. I'll start planning now.

I'm not as secretive as Cilla. I just forgot to take a photo. I'll tell you, though. I sent her a nice box filled with something, and some-something else. Also a bit of something. And two yards of something-or-other.

Yeah, it's nice.

If you want to see what we make, tune in on July 28th for the project reveal. I'll do a post and a video...

Find all the rest of the swappers here on their blogs:

 Hostess, Lori Anderson, PrettyThingsBlog.com

Alice Craddick,  Alice's Beads and Baubles

Alicia Marinache,  All The Pretty Things

Amanda Tibbetts,  Amanda Made

Amber Dawn Goldish, Inventive Soul

Annita Wilson,  AW Jewelry

Beth Emery, Stories by Indigo Heart

Beti Horvath, Stringing Fool

Birgitta Lejonklou,  Create With Spirit   

Candida Castleberry,    Spinning Spun Sugar

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Cassie Donlen, Glass Beadle

Cheri Reed,  Creative Designs by Cheri

Cheryl McCloud,  One Thing Leads to Another

Cheryl Roe, BeadRoe

Christina Hickman, Vintage Treasures Jewelry

Christine Hendrickson,  Clamworks

Cilla Watkins, Tell Your Girlfriends

Cindy Wilson, Mommy's Dream

Cindy Wimmer, Sweet Bead Studio

Cory Celaya, Art With Moxie

Cory Tompkins, Tealwater Designs

Cris Peacock, Cris' Page

Cynthia Deis, Shiny Little Things

Cynthia Machata, Antiquity Travelers

Cynthia Wainscott, Exotic Peru

Dana Hickey, Magpie Approved

Dana James, Dana's Jewelry Designs

Dana Lang, Tumblestone Handmakery

Debbie Price, Green Shoot Jewellery Designs

Denielle Hagerman, Some Beads and Other Things

Diane Valasek, Dragonfly Close

Doris Stumpf, Glaszwerg

Dyanne Everett-Cantrell, Dee-Liteful Jewelry Creations

Eileen Snyder, Dorset Hill Beads

Elaine Robitaille, Too Aquarius

Eleanor Burian-Mohr, The Charmed Life

Enikö Fabian, Perl-eni

Erin Prais-Hintz, Treasures Found

Heather Davis, Blissful Garden Beads

Heidi Post, Ex Post Facto Jewelry

Hilary Frye, FryeStyle

Ilenia Ruzza    Ilenia's Unique Beaded and Painted Jewelry

Inge von Roos, Inge's Blog

Jami Shipp, Celebrating Life

Jayne Capps, Mama's Got to Doodle

Jean A. Well, Jean A. Wells Handcrafted Artisan Jewelry

Jean Yates, Snap Out of It Jean! There's Beading to Do!

Jennifer Cameron, Glass Addictions

Jennifer Pottner, Rock Candy Beads

Jennifer VanBenschoten,  Jewelry, Art and Life

Jenny Davies-Reazor, Jenny Davies-Reazor

Jenny Vidberg, Shyme Design

Jessica Dickens, My Jewelry, My Life, Me

Jessica Klaaren, Beadful-Things by Jessica

Jill Holland, Jill's Jems

JJ Jacobs, Coming Abstractions

Joan Williams, Lilruby Jewelry

Judith Johnston, Judith Johnston

Judy Riggs, Rigglettes

Judy Turner, Silver Rains

Julie Anne Leggett, The Peaceful Bead

K Hutchinson, Jumbled Hutch

Karen Meador, Dreamcatcher Ranch

Karyn Bonfiglio, Plus Size Bangles

Katherine Gale, Terra Beadworks

Katja Benevol Gabrijelcic, Slovonske Technobe

Kayla Potega, The Eclectic Element

Kelli Jacobson, Creative Moon

Kelly Ramstack, Adventures with Kelly

Keri Lee Sereika, Pink Lemonade

Kim Ballor, Vitamin C... A Daily Dose of Creativity

Kim Bender-Hora, KimmyKat

Kirsi Luostarinen, Kirsi Luo Korut

Kitty Bozzini, Kitty Lampwork

Laura Demoya, The Bead Therapist

Laurie Hanna, Laurie's Jewelbox

Leah Curtis, Beady Eyed Bunny

Lesley Watt, The Gossiping Goddess

Linda Inhelder, Must-Haves Jewelry

Linda Landig, Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings

Lisa Liddy, Metal Me This

Lori Dorrington, Lori's Adventures in Etsy Land

Lori Poppe, Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean

Mallory Hoffman, For the Love of Beads

Marge Beebe, Rock Creek Creations

Marianna Boylan, Pretty Shiny Things

Marion Simmons, Shade Tree Studio

Marla Gibson, Spice Box Design

Marta Weaver, Marta Weaver Jewelry

Marti Conrad, Marti C's Clay Blog

Maryse Fritzsch-Thillens, GlassBeadArt, Lampwork Beads

Melanie Brooks, Earthenwood Studio

Michelle Hardy, Firefly Visions

Mikala Coates, Maybe Just Perhaps

Mowse Doyle, HoCArt

Nan Emmett, Spirit Rattles - Spirited Earth

Nancy Boylan, Snazzy Doodle Designs

Nancy Peterson, Beading From the Heart

Nicole Rennell, Nicole Rennell Designs

Niki Meiners, 365 Days of Craft

Niky Sayers, Silver Nik Nats

Norma Turvey, Moonlit Fantaseas
Pamela Gangler, She Always Loved Pink

Patricia Johnson, Patricia L. Johnson Glass Art

Patti Vanderbloemen, My Addictions ... Handcrafted Jewelry by Patti

Perri Jackson, Shaktipaj Designs

Raida Disbrow, Havana Beads

Renetha Stanziano, Lamplight Crafts

Shannon Hicks, Falling Into the Sky

Shannon LeVart, Miss Fickle Media

Sharon Driscoll, Right Turn Art Werks

Shelby Foxwell, Sundown Bead Designs Rhetoric

Shelley Graham Turner, Fabric of My Life

Sherri Stokey, Knot Just Macrame

Shirley Moore, Beads and Bread

Skylar Bre'z, Brising Beads

Stacie Florer, Soul to Substance

Stacie Stamper, Park Avenue

Stacy Alderson, Iridal's Attic

Stephanie Haussler, Pixybug Designs

Stephanie Stamper, Rainy Day Designs

Sue Hamel, The Bottle Cork and Crystal

Sue Kooiman, Black Tassel Bazaar

Suzette Bentley, Ellie's Bijoux

Szarka, Magpie Gemstones

Tammy Jones, Jewelry Making Daily

Tania Tebbit, Glass, Craft, & Artful Goodness

Tanty Sri Hartanti, TJewellicious by Tanti

Terry Matuszyk, Pink Chapeau

Theresa Buchle, Bead-Mused

Tina Bosh, Every Good and Perfect Gift

Tracy Bell, Copper, Glass and Recycled Trash

Vonna Maslanka, Just Vonna

P.S. -I made this, a shoe-redo!

I have written here before about the glory that is P.S. -I made this. That fab blog is filled with super cool ideas that you can make. I especially love this shoe dress-up idea from an April post. Hmm...now to go fix up last year's wedges!

(hey, click that link above to see the original post, it's awesome!)

Organized for the summer...

I'm already thinking about our summer plans here. I'll be in the garden, of course, and there will be hours at the library (the BEST a/c,) movies, long afternoons at the art museum. There will also be a bit of travel, to and fro, for errands and trips to visit friends. There may be unexpected long car rides, and times when quiet stillness is called for. My two girls are mostly self-sufficient when asked to wait; one pulls out a book to read, the other a pad of paper to draw on. Still...sometimes the wait can drag on too long and the book gets finished, the drawing looses its appeal. I love this idea from the Lark Crafts blog. It's a shopping list organizer, but I think that with a bit of tweaking this could easily be a great little organizer for a small writing pad, a few colored pencils, some crosswords or mazes or word searches. Slips of paper with writing prompts could be tucked in that pocket, or a few photos or a sheet of stickers.

A thing like this, properly stocked, could result in a few extra minutes of quiet waiting time and making these books would give me a bit of joy.


Read the full directions here. If I manage to make a few I'll post pictures. If you make one (either tweaked or the original version) please send me pictures to share.

Jon Pitts featured in Raleigh On The Rocks

Jon Pitts, our favorite local-boy wood carver is featured in a nice article over at Raleigh On The Rocks. This blog is one of my favorites; it brings back memories of those distant days when I had a regular bars-and-live-music habit. The posts are chatty and sometimes a bit rough, but I'm a big girl and I can take the occasional 4-letter word.

Click over here to read about Jon's work and stop in the store to see some of his newest items. There is a caffeine-molecule pendant that is calling my name...

Free Images - The Vintage Workshop

I love this image of a little girl with her sled that I found at The Vintage Workshop. Amy has so many incredible images that could be used in charm swaps or artwork...

visit the Vintage Workshop by clicking here.

join our Lucky Charm Swap by clicking here.

(and I'm hoping we have a teeny bit of snow here in North Carolina today! my fingers are crossed!)

Suburban Girl Studios design team needs YOU!

Aren't those beads pretty?

If you like them, and you are a bead designer and bead blogger you could be part of Diana's Suburban Girl Studio's Design Team. Click here for the info and good luck...

http://vintagebluestudio.typepad.com/vintage_blue_studio/2012/02/new-bead-design-team-seeking-members.html

Charming Inspiration - Lucky Charm Swap

Our charm swap due date is coming up fast. Because you have an extra day this year (it's a Leap Year, so there is an extra day in February, get it?) I know you are really working on an amazing swap. You probably don't even need any inspiration, do you?

Well, just in case:

Amber Dawn's amazing blog with the sweetest, teeniest charms (and she just might be joining our swap!)

Just Simply Charming a blog by the authors of A Charming Exchange (great book!) with 1,000s of ideas

the Art Charms Yahoo Group where you can see and post a 1,000,000 pictures of charms

the Salvage Studio blog with loads of great, found-object charm ideas (and I love, love, love that fork charm hanger necklace idea!)

The Graphics Fairy with amazing, copyright-free images for you to use on your artwork...

Now, some of these blogs and sites were set up for specific swaps or books or events, meaning that the most recent post may be a bit old. Don't let that deter you. There are still lots of great ideas on these sites...click away!

Upcycled Valentine Garland

Cathe over at Just Something I Made shared a way to turn bits and pieces of boxes into a sweet garland. I know she thinks this is a Valentine's day thing but honestly, I would keep this up most of the year. In my house, red is the neutral!

Check out the complete post...here.

Braided Linen Bracelets from Honestly...WTF

Erica, of Honestly...WTF (our favorite fashion DIY blog) has a new waxed-linen bracelet tutorial that we love. Check out the full instructions here.