Animal Charms: A Quick and Personalized Gift Idea

I freely acknowledge that I tend to stay away from anything too cutsy.  I'm an adult and don't need to clutter my brain with the "my kitty" syndrome of small cute charms of animals that can adorn everything from jewelry to cell phone covers.

That being said... what do you do when someone you know has a birthday and happens to LOVE those things.  If you are an ATA Girl - you bite the bullet (or in this case the bead) and you make them a bunch of animal charms.   It was so easy - of course I had to make several... after all - who knows when I might need them.

Now who would have thought the there were so many animal "bead caps" to choose from - all with little matching bottoms.  There are bears and frogs and cats (oh my!).  I picked up a bunch of bear heads and bottoms while at the bead show and went to work.   All you need to make these is:

A multi-piece bead cap in an animal shape - make sure it has a post.

1 6 to 10 mm round or bicone crystal for each animal

E60 epoxy

toothpick

Play with the beads to see what "fits" best with your animal head and bottom. You can change the look of the animal by switching up the size and shape of the bead you will be placing in the middle. You should make sure that whatever bead you use fits over the post on the animal head.

Start with the head of your animal charm - and place a small amount of the E60 in the post and the underside of the head. This is the tricky spot... you don't want to apply so much that it will ooze all over your bead - but you do want it to hold the bead in place.  

Slide the bead in place, making sure it is seated tightly to the top, then immediately wipe away any excess adhesive.  Allow to dry for a few minutes.

Place a small amount on the feet section and place the feet on the bottom of the bead, making sure the feet are facing forward.  If the post is long enough - it will actually fit into the indentation or hole in the feet allowing you to line the two pieces up easier.  Press together until the glue sets - then let sit overnight before attaching it to anything.

Ok - -so I admit - they are cute. Maybe I need to make myself a whole zoo!   Hmmm.

~ Dani

Simple Beaded Loop Earring Pattern

I'm on a beading kick lately... and decided to expand my design collection to earrings.  I wanted to make something quick, easy but eye-catching - and this is what I came up with.  You will need:

26 gauge artistic wire in matching color

8 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

14 lime 4mm bicone Swarovski crystals

4 aqua 6mm bicone Swarovski crystals

2 silver plated findings

2 silver plated "fish hook" earring findings

You can use any color combination of crystals - this just happened to be what I had on-hand that matched the wire I had... so - in other words - you can go crazy and make dozens of these with no problem using just your current supplies.

Cut a piece of wire about 6" long. String the finding and crystals on the wire in this pattern: 1 finding, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 aqua 6mm, 1 aqua 4mm, 1 lime and 1 aqua 4mm. 

Bring the end of the wire around and back through the finding. Pull the wire tight so the crystals form a "hoop" below the finding.

 

Thread the 2 wire ends through the earring wire. Bend the 2 wires and wrap around the bottom of the earring. Continue wrapping the wire neatly around the top until you have formed a slight "ball" of wrapped wire. Slide the tightener down the earring. If necessary trim excess wire and tuck ends into wrapped wire ball to prevent scratching. 

  Place a drop of jeweler's glue or clear nail polish near the ends of the wire that are tucked into the wrapped wire ball as an added precaution against scratching.  Then go out and let them sparkle in the sun. 

I actually liked them so much - I made a bunch to use as shade pulls for my windows. - very pretty.

~ Dani

Beaded Wild Woman Pin: Part 2

The Bead & Button Show was incredible.  While I wandered the aisle checking out the new handmade beads, oohing and ahhing over the incredible jewelry creations that are more like art than something wearable, and happily fondling the long strings of pearls and gemstones available, my mind was churning with new ideas and creative ways to update old ones.  I picked up some patterns (just because I had to!) and a kit or two (again, same reason), along with - you guessed it - even more beads and pearls to add to my stash.  It was so hard to wait until I got home to unwrap everything and start to play.

So - here I am playing with all the cool stuff I picked up - and what do you think I grab.  Yup - the good old Wild Woman design.  And - tell me - do I use the beads and neat stuff I just purchased - of course not.  I grab my box of leftover goodies and start to combine things.  I did come up with a new design - so I suppose that's a good thing - but come on.. why not use all the brand spanking new pearls and crystals I now have spread over my table!

Anyway - here she is.  She's more of a mixed media type "Woman" with the inclusion of some great quilting fabric I had and multiple layers of different textures of yarn for hair.  She's on a long hat pin so could be used for multiple things.   Not sure what to call her- any ideas?
~ Dani

Wild Woman Bead Pin

Ok - -so I know it's been a while since our last posting - and I do promise to get better - but life got in the way of creation.  Now that things have calmed down a bit, I started cleaning up my artsy workspace and once more ran my fingers through the piles of colorful glass and crystal beads.  This of course has nothing to do with the fact that the Bead & Button Show is being held this week in Milwaukee.  Uh uh - nope - nothing at all. ( http://www.beadandbuttonshow.com/)  

I decided, since I was playing anyway, to break out a couple of my old designs and see if I still remembered how to make them.  Sometimes you forget how much fun something was to make until you do it again.  I went back and re-created my Wild Women series.  How fun to create these great characters with their wiry hair flinging beads and crystals everywhere.  I also made a couple of Wild Child and Crazy Lady pins to break it up a bit. I'll be adding them to the store shortly, although I have put the pattern out there already.

Who knows what I'll come up with once I've been to the show.... like I really need more beads!  

~ Dani

Crayola Cages: A Weekend Garden Project

Ok - so did you ever see something in the store and want to hit yourself in the head and say "Why didn't I think of that!!"  Well, I had one of those moments recently.  Luckily - I didn't hit myself so hard as to see stars - but I hate it when that happens.  And - I'm sure you realize by now that when that happens, I immediately have to figure out how to do it for myself, preferably without spending any money.

My story begins......Since spring has finally settled into the midwest and planting season has started, I hit the garden center. Oh the humanity!  People everywhere - getting in the way of my selecting that perfect annual or perennial to add to the garden space, or seeds to plant in the veggie spot.  As I wended my way through the crowds, my attention was captured by a colorful display.  As I moved closer to see what it was (because I'm ALL about the color - doncha know), I had my "aha" moment.  Painted tomato cages!  WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!  In bright colors of yellow, orange, red, blue and green they would make an instant statement in my garden.  Then I checked out the price tag and practically passed out.

Once I recovered and moved away, with longing glances over my shoulder at this wondrous garden accessory, I thought about my tomato cages.  Rusty brown and bent, they are all stacked together laying on an old chair out in the yard, just waiting to be stuck in the ground once more.  Oh to give them new life!  Then it occurred to me - why not paint them myself.  It's not like I don't have numerous cans of colorful Rustoleum just sitting in my paint cabinet.   With a light heart - I bought my plants and headed home to start my weekend project!

For this project - you need some old tomato cages, a rag, some colorful Rustoleum spray paint and well ventilated spot for painting.   I placed my cages in an old pot, so that they would stand up straight as I painted them... but you could also plant the stakes in the ground to keep them upright while drying.

With your rag - wipe off any loose dirt and rust until the cage is reasonably clean.  Shake the paint can well, then begin to paint.  I found that painting the inside of the cage opposite where you are standing is a great way to start.  By giving the inside a nice coat of paint first, you eliminate the chance of getting lines of paint on your arms when you go back later (my arms are streaked right now).

Let your cages dry in the sun.  If needed, apply a second coat.  I found that placing them in the sun allows the paint to almost bake on... making it stronger and longer lasting. 

So - now I have painted cages to brighten my garden and it didn't cost me anything but time.  Guess I have to go and finish the planting now.     

Have a great weekend!!    ~ Dani

Frame Up Your Weekend

No weekend should pass by without completing some kind of project.  No... don't laugh at me... I mean it.  While I acknowledge that weekends are packed with sports activities, kids, cleaning, errands and various other tasks that don't get accomplished during the week, those of us with "artsy" blood running through our veins can not let the chance to allow our creative juices flow all over the place.  It is how we decompress, relieve stress and re-energize our souls.  That being said -the question becomes what to do with all that creative energy.   So - every Friday I'm going to give you all some instructions and ideas for cool things you can make that won't take a lot of time.  This week - let's think Bedrooms!

Spring is the best time for refreshing any old room - and nowhere needs it more than the bedroom.  That space which is meant to be a haven of rest most often becomes the room where all the junk collects.  Take a weekend and do a quick and easy bedroom re-do that will give you the space you've always wanted.

Use wicker baskets to put away items that would normally lay out on a dresser. Make use of the space under the bed by placing some plastic containers with covers on the floor.  Change the bed linens from the warm flannel to cooling cotton sheets.  Keep it simple. Once you've eliminated the clutter, and it starts to look like a room again, that's when you can get creative.

Create your own wall art and eliminate the miscellaneous pictures standing on the dressers easily with just a few materials.  Empty out your old wood frames of all the photos and glass.  Cover a table with paper and paint the frames any color you'd like.  For example, try different colors if you want a "funky 60's" type look or paint them all black or white if you want something more formal. You can even mix and match the black and white for an "art deco" look.  Your choice, be creative.

Once all the frames are painted and dried, lay them out on a table so that you create a 3D effect. Put some on top of others.  The trick is that they should touch on at least 2 sides.

Get out some short nails or screws and your hot glue gun.  Wherever the frames touch, you should put a small amount of glue, then nail or screw the frames together, making sure that the heads of the nails or screws rest flush to the frame.  Continue until all the frames are connected together.  Now comes the fun part!

Flip the unit upside down.  In random sections, replace the glass and add photos back into the frames, fastening them normally. In some others, add mirrors or just plain solid backs.  Place nails or hangers into the wall at various intervals to hold the unit in place.  Carefully flip the unit up and hang on the wall.  Add additional fasteners to the wall where needed to secure it.  Once hanging solidly, fill the solid and mirrored sections with extra photos or mementos.

This is a great way to use up those extra frames and get some extra space on the tables, dressers or nightstands.

Another great idea for some instant art is using scrapbook paper.  Pick up some inexpensive frames and insert your favorite patterned paper.  Keep the tonal values all the same, but mix them up.  If you eliminate the glass, you have mini shadow boxes that are easily hung together in sets of 3,6 or 9 and can hold small items while still giving a classy look.
~ Dani

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Themed Shadow Box: Fill Er Up

Ok -- I freely admit I'm on a homemade decoration role lately - but this one I "borrowed" from a show on PBS and upgraded.  I wanted something different - and when I saw this project demonstrated - I thought to myself  "Self - I can do better!"  So here goes.....

I took a deep black-framed shadowbox in a standard size and removed the back. I measured the back dimensions and found a mirror that would fit inside perfectly.

I made a mark on the inside of the frame where the mirror would rest and screwed a couple of "stops" on each side of the mirror to hold it in place.

I wanted to be able to put flowers in front of the mirror, so I found a plastic tube that would hold a single stem of a flower and held it up so that it would reflect in the side of the mirror.  I made a mark at the appropriate height, then screwed a large hook into the inside of the frame so that the tube would be held by the hook. 

Since I didn't like the look of this green plastic thing... I, of course, broke out the beads and covered the entire tube with multiple shapes and sizes of beads, all in the same tonal family.  I had some shiny thin ribbon that I glued on the top to finish it.

Knowing me by now - you KNOW that I couldn't leave it at that!  I pulled out some different wood die cuts and colored beads and went to work again, completely beading the cut-out (I did the triple heart first - shown here).  I found some heavy duty magnets and attached them to the frame where the new beaded decoration touched the sides as well as to the back of the decoration itself.  Since I have a bunch of different shapes, I can change the outside decoration to match the season or my mood!

To finish it, I installed the mirror, replacing the back of the frame and fastening it in place.  While I could hang this on the wall, I kind of like having it sit on a shelf or table.   What do you think?
~ Dani