Easter Egg Locket necklace

The first line in the description of the book Curious Dreams is, "It's all about creating the curious." and I have to say the book inspired me to do just that. One of the most "curious" charms is a locket and the new line Fairy Tale from Blue Moon Beads has 3 charming lockets including one of my all time favorite shapes- an egg. The egg locket and some of their other new clasps, chain and bead strands were the perfect elements to make a spring mixed media necklace inspired by one of the pieces in the gallery section of the eye candy filled book Curious Dreams.
Now this book is packed full of really cool casting and molding techniques that I am so going to try when I score some epoxy clay but right now it's the tiny fun details that have my creativity hatching.
So I wanted the egg locket to be the focal dangle and I linked it onto this great big beautiful toggle clasp. Coming off each side I used super sized chain (this is Blue Moon Bead's as well although it's from their Fashion Findings line) and on the other side I used a smaller chain and the Fairy Tail Acrylic and Metal Bead strand.

I attached each side while the lengths were long and then held it up to my neck in front of the mirror to decide how long I wanted it to hang. I used safety pins to mark each length. I opened the links on each side and then linked the two ends together since the clasp is in the front.
Since this pretty little enameled egg is in fact a locket and opens up it needed something in it like the inspiration piece had. A great source for tiny photos is the contact sheet you get when you have your photos printed. I had the perfect photo of me and my cousin from a few Easters back with our bunny ears on.
I trimmed the photo down and glued it into the egg locket on one side. I will keep my eyes out for another tiny photo or something else for the other side or to layer on top of the photo but for now your curiosity will just have to be sparked!

More about the book:
Inspired Remnants, Curious Dreams:
Mixed Media Projects in Epoxy Clay
By
Kerin Gale

"It's all about creating the curious. Inside this book, you will be introduced to 26 very unique and unusual stepped-out projects, each offering new techniques using epoxy clay. Two-part epoxy clay can be sculpted and manipulated in a variety of ways and is extremely durable when cured, resulting in amazing effects that are easy to achieve with no sculpting experience necessary! You will learn the basics of working with this new craft medium and then dive into the projects, which feature sculpted and molded epoxy clay inspired by and often combined with altered remnants. Projects include mixed-media pieces such as a small totem, curio cabinet, fish tank and lighting along with personal style and jewelry items fashioned in a curious, Victorian Gothic style.

Kerin is part mad scientist, rogue artist, goddess of software quality, teacher, writer and explorer of all things curious. When not in the studio or garage sailing, she can be found frolicking about deserted beaches seeking out windswept treasures and watching inspiring tales wafting by in a remote area of the southern Oregon coast.

Kerin loves to work with many art materials including resins, found objects, clays of all sorts and metals.

Another great love is sharing with other artists. To that end she has launched an online mixed media art site with their own etsy team, a huge collection of art images, online workshops, featured artists, book reviews and artistic challenges.

She, along with her gifted husband, Charley Slaughter, create mechanical art (automata), sculpture and jewelry and are represented in several galleries. They also teach at national art retreats as well as local venues. Kerin's work can be found in Somerset Studio magazine, Altered Bits Zine, 1,000 Steampunk Creations (Quarry Books July 2011) and 500 Pendants and Lockets (Lark Books May 2008)."

Recycled bottle lid into a broken heart charm inspired by the book Fantastic Recycled Plastic

We're trippin' the plastic fantastic today in the Plaidbunny test kitchen with some inspiration from the (as the title states) fantastic Fantastic Recycled Plastic:30Clever Creations to Spark Your Imagination.

That's right the little blue broken heart charm is made from the plastic bottle lid you see below:
All I did was warm up the plastic lid with a heat tool and start cuttin'! Then to make the "broken" zig zag line I put a grinding tip on ye old Dremel and etched the line on the back side of the heart. I switched out the grinding tip to a drill bit and made a hole. Oh and I did run the heart back under the heat tool to soften the cut lines smooth.
Off to the stash of recycled bits and some new findings from Blue Moon Beads and I give you my Blue, Blue Broken Heart Necklace.

If you are like me and love making things out of all the pretty colored plastic containers ( I had specifically saved that lid for the great clear blue-ness of it) you will be way-inspired (I sure was) by all the great projects and techniques in:

Fantastic Recycled Plastic:30Clever Creations to Spark Your Imagination
by
David Edgar and Robin A. Edgar

More about the book from Lark Books:

"Plastic is fantastic to craft with—and these imaginative, whimsical creations are out of the ordinary! From colorful canine silhouette pins and magnets and a holiday snowflake decoration to marvelous masks, they turn recycling into art.

Organized by level of difficulty, the items range from simple creations even a schoolchild can do to a fanciful, rolling biplane and a slithering, jointed serpent stuffed with lids and caps. All the necessary techniques—cutting, shaping, fastening, heat-forming, making tabs—unfold in step-by-step photos, along with clear, comprehensive instructions. Sidebars provide extra information on plastics, recycling, and more. Plus there’s a gallery of innovative international work by professional artists to inspire you.

What a great way to get creative…while saving the earth, too!

A former arts administrator and associate professor of art, DAVID EDGAR worked as a production artist on the EPCOT Center and Tokyo Disneyland projects for the Walt Disney World Company. David’s artwork is represented internationally in corporate, institutional, and private collections. Find out more about David at www.plastiquarium.com.

ROBIN A. EDGAR writes profiles, art reviews, and features for national, regional, and local publications. She travels throughout the United States as a keynote speaker and workshops facilitator, teaching reminiscence writing techniques based on her two books, In My Mother’s Kitchen: An Introduction to the Healing Power of Reminiscence and Personal Legacies: Surviving the Great Depression. Find out more about Robin at www.robinedgar.com."

Die cut, stamped and shrunk deer Christmas necklace made with inspiration from the book Beyond The Bead

This is my Christmas necklace for this year:

I am still going with the reindeer as my theme (I did reindeer last year too).
I have learned lots of new techniques this year and have been working with lots of traditional and non traditional materials has become one of my passions.

A book that really exemplifies this is
Beyond The Bead: Making Jewelry With Unexpected Finds
a wonderful book by Margot Potter

It is packed full of wild and crazy and cool designs that are made from practically every material under the sun.
Not only that, it includes great step-by -steps so you too can make these fun projects.
I pulled a little from a whole bunch of projects in Beyond The Bead: Making Jewelry With Unexpected Finds and this is what I made.

First I die cut a piece of shrink plastic in the shape of a heart with wings by Sizzix.
Then I stamped the shrink plastic with one of my new deer stamps from www.iloverubberstamps.com and inked the edges a bit.

Then I shrank it.
Then I added some silver with an Elmers Painters pen and then coated the top with some Judikins Diamond Glaze.
Then all that was left to do was link up some chain and beads from my Blue Moon Beads stash and I have some new bling!

More from the Publisher about
Beyond The Bead: Making Jewelry With Unexpected Finds:

"Written in Margot's humorous voice, Beyond The Bead leads readers through a series of techniques for creating unique mixed-media jewelry. Step-by-step instruction is provided for all the techniques including working with glass, resin and plastic, polymer and metal clay, felt and fibers, hardware store goods, paper art supplies and even odds and ends from around the home. A gallery of finished pieces that utilize those same techniques fill each chapter, inspiring readers to create pieces all their own. Focuses on teaching techniques versus the traditional format of step-by-step projects by demonstrating a variety of techniques then showing a gallery of finished projects using them in different ways. About the Author: Margot Potter is an author, designer, TV spokesperson, blogger, consultant and gal about town. Better known as The Impatient Beader, Margot is the author of the very successful Impatient Beader series and her work is frequently featured in Simply Beads. She appears on QVC as a jewelry expert and her blog, www.margotpotter.com, receives more than 6,000 hits daily."

A necklace and bracelet made from the same Blue Moon Beads pendant with a how-to video

Bling!

After producing a million episodes of how-to TV shows I am now on the other side. Yup that's me in those Craftside videos and now you can see my hands and hear my voice in these cool new how-to videos with Blue Moon Beads! Check them all out there are project ones and technique ones.




I love their stuff! I design with it all the time. In the video you can see a cool necklace with the giant round Manor House rhinestone pendant. And here is another photo of the bracelet I did using the same components. They really are flexible.

Faux Scrimshaw polymer clay technique from the book Enchanted Adornments by Cynthia Thornton

Did you know that "live" backwards is "evil"? Well if you didn't now you do. Mixing things up is what mixed media is all about. The above necklace that I call "Evil bunny on the move" and the one below "Shot like a bat outta h*ll" are the necklaces I made combining the cool technique from the book Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal, Clay, Wire, Resin & More, new beads and charms from Blue Moon Beads and a few recycled bits from the stash.
Click on the images to enlarge if you need a closer look.

So with the book open to my inspiration technique I decided to get my texture with rubber stamps, the directions suggest drawing in the clay but I'm not the best at that so rubber stamps it was. To get my outside shape I used cookie cutters.

I did a whole bunch because I figured that would give me lots to play with. I really didn't have a clear plan as I was trying this cool technique of filling in baked polymer clay with a second round of clay so the more I had to work with the better.

Here is the bunny filled in but before sanded down.
Now that I had a cool polymer clay charm I gathered up a bunch of bits and things to make a necklace with it.
I liked working with in two different color pallets simultaneously. It was really an efficient way to work because it saved time in the supply gathering.

There you have it, make a new cool element and then incorporate into a new necklace, all in a day's crafting in the Plaidbunny test kitchen.

Well if like your craft books to cover a wide variety of techniques and materials, then you will really like this book it is truly packed full of mixed-media, I know I do!
Enchanted Adornments: Creating Mixed-Media Jewelry with Metal, Clay, Wire, Resin & More
By
Cynthia Thornton

From the publisher:

Presented in the style of an artist’s journal, this remarkable handbook uses an informal, conversational approach to teach a wide variety of innovative mixed-media jewelry techniques.

Accompanied by fairytale introductions and augmented by watercolor illustrations and design sketches, the 20 unique projects featured, ranging from the delightfully simple to the exquisitely ornate, are infused with personal meaning. Projects make use of various newly popular techniques in mixed-media jewelry, including the creation of resin pendants, PMC clasps, polymer clay beads, and more. All basic techniques are made clear by step-by-step photography.

Cynthia Thornton is the designer for the popular bead-making and jewelry studio, Green Girl Studios. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

Polymer Clay Candy Corn Beads Hot out of the Oven made using a "recipe" from the book The Polymer Clay Cookbook

Could this book be any cuter? Do you like to make tiny things out of polymer clay? Then you will love this book.

The Polymer Clay Cookbook: Tiny Food Jewelry to Whip Up and Wear
By
Jessica and Susan Partain

This being October and Halloween fast approaching this candy corn tutorial looked like the perfect project to try first! So off to the Plaidbunny test kitchen and away I went!
I followed the absolutely wonderful photos and directions. As you can see there are lots of pictures!
My plan was to use these on a bracelet so I poked a hole vertically through each candy corn before baking. (The book includes great directions for making post earrings.)

So after baking them I gathered up a bunch of my Blue Moon Beads Noir black beads and findings and some from my recycled stash, I happen to have some funky polka dot beads that I thought would tie in nicely with the graphic nature of the candy corn beads.

I played around a bit and here is my final chunky candy corn bracelet with little skull links.

I can't wait to try making some of the other projects from the book, there are ones perfect for all the holidays or just for a good giggle.

A bit about the book from the publisher:

The Polymer Clay Cookbook celebrates favorite foods with 20 tiny, deliciously realistic food charms to make from polymer clay and fashion into unique jewelry. Styled as a cookbook for the beginning miniaturist "chef," the introductory chapters discuss the "basic ingredients" and techniques used for polymer clay and jewelry-making. The remainder of the book offers 20 "recipes" grouped by category: fruits, breakfast, lunch and dinner, sweets and snacks, and holiday foods. Each recipe has a list of "ingredients," step-by-step directions with photographs, and suggested variations. Each piece is presented as a particular finished jewelry item, such as a necklace, but readers are encouraged to adapt the piece into any type of jewelry they choose. Each chapter also includes one of the authors' own cherished recipes for real food, including Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls, Grandma's Pasta Sauce, Decadent Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes, and Mom's Holiday Sugar Cookies. Throughout, the authors--who are sisters--share their enthusiasm for family, sisterhood, and the tradition and feelings surrounding our favorite foods.


Jessica and Susan Partain are sisters and are both crafters. In spring 2006 they founded Inedible Jewelry, which they sell at local markets and craft shows and in a variety of boutiques across the US, Canada and the UK.

Wanna see how to make it your way burger check out this video:

A Buzzing Beaded Bead Bail using a wonderful tutorial from the book- Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson-Smith

This is what I made today:
Close up and wide shot.
Ironic since I just had to wipe out a wasp nest under the awning of my front porch. Isn't it buzzzz-arre how things work out like that? I know baaaad.
If you haven't been to your local Michaels, JoAnns or craft store and checked out Blue Moon Beads newest lines of baubles, run, don't walk!
One of my biggest beefs with the big box store's products was they looked nothing like what was being sold in the stores that carried off the rack jewelry.

Well, problem solved. These findings are hot! Armed with some cool beads and things I went to my latest jewelry making book for some inspiration:

Seed Bead Fusion: 18 Projects to Stitch, Wire & String
by
Rachel Nelson-Smith

This book is packed full of amazing projects with great directions, mostly they are intricate bead weaving designs like ones on the cover but there are some great wire-working projects like the beaded bead I made using the great photographed instructions from Seed Bead Fusion.

(I did add my own touch by swirling the remaining wire on the front of the pearl)

All that was left to do was to link up all the fun elements from Blue Moon Beads.

Another two details I want to point out:

I used two hooks instead of a hook and ring for my clasp, I did this on another necklace I made and I kinda like it.

And to further dress up the back of the necklace I linked some scraps of chain off of the big hooks and added a small pearl that was the same color as my focal pearl.

Bee happy and make yourself something new!


More about Seed Bead Fusion:

"Featuring 18 exciting projects presented with detailed step-by-step photography, color variations, and practical illustrations, this fresh approach to seed bead jewelry teaches crafters how to combine materials, techniques, colors, inspiration, and design ideas for jewelry with a contemporary edge. Inspired by a wide range of sources—from Indian Punjabi folk costumes to Native American beading—the designs in this inventive resource fuse materials such as silver, copper wire, seed beads, Czech glass, and crystals into these traditional arts in order to achieve a unique outcome. All of the basic beadweaving stitches, wirework, and stringing techniques are explained and illustrated.

Rachel Nelson-Smith is a teacher and a jewelry designer whose work has been displayed at the Milpitas Museum, Santa Cruz Metro Center, and other locations in the California Bay Area. A number of her original projects have appeared in Bead & Button and Bead Style. She lives in Santa Cruz, California."