Reuse That Altoid (or other) Tin

Since I've already posted about the stuff I've been working on lately and I'm not ready to post anything new because I've been focusing today on my design for the Step by Step Beads Colorworks Challenge. It's almost done, but I don't want to share a picture of it until after I've heard back whether it made the cut or not. So, instead of something I've made, I thought I'd share about something I read the other day.

I have Design*Sponge on my Google Reader for general inspiration, and this little DIY project with Altoid tins was very thought provoking. I used to collect hard candy tins from gift baskets (there were always very pretty ones from England or Scottland, occasionally other countries in them), and not for any particular use, I just saved them because I'm a little bit pack-rat and a little bit magpie, I think.

I believe I have a box somewhere in the garage with quite a stash of them. I bet if I did some Googling, I'd find a couple million ideas already out there, but I'm going to go ahead and re-invent the wheel anyway.

Wouldn't small tin lids (decorated on the inside or outside) be great for all kinds of collages using the inside for tiny shadow boxes, or outside of the tin covered in fabric or paper appliques, mosaics from died eggshell chips on the top with a glaze sealant over it (now that the Easter Eggs all need to be eaten - save those shells!), glue some favorite orphan beads around the edge, add some kind of a bail to it and voilà! a pendant...do you smell smoke? I think it's my brain overloading.?

Or cover a tin with polyclay (ok, I gave in and Googled and thought that how to was really excellent - lots of pictures and clear step by step directions as well as materials list).

Maybe put a pretty fabric, knitted, crocheted, embroidered, or felt pincushion on the top and then put things like extra safety pins or hooks and eyes or tiny snaps and give to your favorite quilter or sewer. Sounds like great idea for eye pins, head pins or other small findings, too. What do you think the best way to secure the pincushion would be -if glue, what type? I can see a round tin like this one being perfect:

How about a box of little page-marking clips (here are some fancy "page points" for reference or some Cheeky Flat Clips I found at Michael's) for the avid reader in your life? You can get those in stationery stores, too, or make your own versions. I'd collage that box - maybe use bits of paperback book covers or pages in different typefaces...what else would look good on a book-clip box lid collage? I think this sliding mint tin box I got on a trip to Vegas a couple years ago, would be great for that.

Or a tin to hold post-it index tabs (which I use a lot of and constantly misplace) or those "sign here" ones - sounds like a thoughtful gift to any one who works with contracts (realtors, notaries, lots of admins, etc.), or to hold stamps (if you use snail mail, be sure to buy a bunch of "forever" stamps real soon, the price is going up again on May 11th to 44 cents).

Ok, 'nuff said - but if you've done this or have a favorite instruction post to link, please share!

Another Pleasant Evening With My Beads and Thread

Sitting down to listen to Emma and work on this necklace was a very relaxing finish to my first day back to work. It was busy enough today that I was very glad to have nothing more complicated to do tonight than pull out some beads and start stringing and tying them into a simple necklace.

Unfinished, it's 22" long, and was created from some milky, translucent, light blue pinched oval Czech glass beads, opaque light blue seed beads and light sapphire blue Czech glass druk beads. Small silver plated pewter bead caps and seamless silver beads for accent. The thread I used is white nylon Silkon.

My Christmas gift card order, a gift from my son, came from Artbeads today. It's always fun to get new things and I used the gift card to spoil myself a bit with a number of gold filled beads, headpins, eye pins and jumprings in various sizes and gauges, that I wouldn't have otherwise indulged myself with. I also bought some lovely sterling chain, three metal stamps and a tube of Magic-glos. I look forward to trying out the Magic-glos to make a small charm or pendant, although I think I'll get a UV light to cure it - the days are pretty overcast and often rainy right now to have to cure it with sunlight, as I've read is one option.

Constructing New Pieces from Sale Purchases

I've had a cold for the last several days, which makes me a bit fuzzy brained, so I haven't had enough concentration available to blog about the pieces I've been working on lately.

I saw some bracelets on sale at a department store in the mall in Fayetteville, made from large silver metal links connected by small rope patterned open links in gold metal. I didn't particularly like the bracelets, but the links gave me ideas for some jewelry I would like, so I bought four to disassemble and use the links.

This first necklace uses the large silver links, silver jump rings, and Brazilian "flashy" kyanite stones I bought back in the summer, on silver eye pins.

I also wanted a more delicate piece with the kyanite, so I made this one using the Bead Gallery silver circles as bead frames, like I did in some previous pieces, for a small round silver bead, silver eye pins connect all the bits and pieces. I really like the kyanite - it has depth and a lovely shimmer; I hope I can find more of it.

The next one uses the large silver links, some smaller silver ones I've had lying around for a while, and two gold jump rings to connect them.

This last one uses the gold rope pattern links and silver rope pattern links from Sterling Effects. I like the double chain look, although I kind of wish I'd had enough to do a triple.

Each of them were made to sit at approximately collarbone length. In my next post I'll show some gunmetal and hematite pieces I've been working on.

I'm hoping to feel better in the next day or so and do some major reorganizing of my workroom. I particularly want to create a workspace with a longer surface that I can set up some specific areas for the tools and equipment I need to start trying things like poly clay, metal clay and resin.

Giving Handcrafted Items for Gifts This Year

The current economic troubles mean hard times for a lot of people. I am going to be frugal with my Christmas spending this year, not because I'm in a crisis financially right now, but because I feel it's important to have a larger financial cushion, just in case.

That said, I'm planning to make more gifts this year for my family and friends. I've already invested in the supplies for my crafts, so no new money will be spent. I also feel much more confident about the look and quality of my work, so giving a handcrafted piece of jewelry won't seem cheap or chintzy of me. (I hope!) The big challenge is what to give the guys on the list - I'm pretty sure they won't get much use out of a beaded necklace...but maybe I can use some of the vintage look supplies to make something for them, too, that's masculine.

Do you have any plans or ideas about holiday gifts that you'll craft rather than buy - or maybe decorations? Do leave a comment, if so!

I did finally get some beading done - here's the latest piece, made with non-magnetic hematite beads, vermeil spacers and light sapphire blue Jablonex faceted Czech glass beads. The beads are approximately 3mm, so while hematite is a dense stone, this isn't all that heavy. It's 32" in length. I'm in the process of making another one just like it, using smoky-gray Jablonex faceted beads, in place of the blue ones pictured (click image to enlarge).

In other news, I finally broke down and listed some items on eBay. It was much easier than I thought it would be. So far no views. I can only hope! And, if you ever see anything you like here in my WIP posts, email me and I'll give you a good bargain!

Gift of the Magpie

Several months ago I redeemed a Christmas gift certificate from two dear friends, MacAllister and Medievalist, for a Bead of the Month selection from any month. I think I got a "Big Magpie" certificate - although with the selection I received, it might have been "Mother Of All Magpies" - there were certainly a lot of wonderful beads in it.

Well, I've been staring at these beads since they came, trying to decide what I would do with them. I wanted the design to be extra special, since not only were the beads a gift, but the Bead of the Month club is one of Elise Matthesen's endeavors - and you know how much I love her work and appreciate her sense of color, design and whimsy.

Last night I was busy again with the organizing and arranging and *there* were *those* beads. And over *there* were these *other* beads (some favorites of mine that I bought down at Beadology in Huntington Beach back in February) - wait! They would work together really, really well, I thought. And here's what happened:

The necklace lanyard is 34" long. The Botmo beads are the three larger roundells in the center focal area and the larger tablet cut beads. In between are faceted glass rounds with a yellow/gold/olivine and opaque turquoise pattern and faceted small roundells in that same yellow/gold/olivine with faint turquoise swirls inside them separated with seed bead sized gold-plated beads. I love this one - I don't know if I'll be able to part with it!

Now I'm working on something with the aquamarine nuggets, round beads and pale watery-blue chips (glass?) to which I'm adding my own light aqua druk beads, sterling silver beads in 3 sizes and darker aqua glass seed beads. Should be able to post a picture of that tomorrow.

There are still a lot of Botmo beads left, so I'm sure I'll be mentioning them in future designs.

Thank you Mac, Medievalist and Elise!

More Red, White and Blue Beaded Badge Lanyard Necklaces Coming Up!

Once again, Google search, as seen in my Site Meter details, led me to make another red, white and blue beaded badge lanyard necklace, since someone visited here after searching Google. I can't put it up on Etsy yet because without the lobster claw clasps I need I can't photograph it. I'd hoped for delivery yesterday, but for some reason the tracking said it arrived in Oakland in the morning and went back to Oakland the same afternoon - weird. I expect the order will be delivered Monday as it's in the local shipper's location today. Too bad they didn't deliver it today - I'm getting backed up with nearly finished stuff. (you can click on all the photos to see a larger image, by the way)

Also made these two new ones, featuring clear glass beads with white details. I've had these beads for some time now but until I got the new opaque white glass beads I wasn't able to come up with a look I liked for them.

I finished a making an eyeglass lanyard using petite pink ceramic beads with a bit of a woven detail to them (they're one of my favorite beads and I bought tons of them), pink lined seed beads and 4mm opalescent white druk beads. I'd been working on it on and off for awhile, just kept putting it down to do other things.

I also have been busy getting all the stuff I think I'll need at my very first public crafting/selling adventure next weekend. I have boxes, bags, new displays (the blue and black ones used here are two of my new ones, they're covered in a raw silk material - I got several colors of them.) I'll be assembling the accessory packs and putting them in little bags, gold organza for the gold accessories and silver for the silver - the wedding aisle in Michaels had these in just the right sizes.

The weather's been quite warm here, which makes it challenging to sit and bead in my workroom - it gets a lot of sun and we don't have air conditioning. I use fans and keep the screen door open, but it still gets very hot. Nonetheless, I've gotten a lot of work done, have two more works in progress - one with a fun square millefiori glass bead and some rich orange 4mm druk beads and the other using amethyst colored glass beads. I'll probably finish tonight and post the pics tomorrow.

The Dawno's Beaded Badge Lanyard & Jewelry Notecard

I use CafePress to host some goodies for the Absolute Write site and occasionally I make stuff for myself, too. For example, back when I was in L.A. I saw this gorgeous teal colored flowering plant. I took a picture (scroll down in the post previously linked, for the picture) and it turned out pretty well. So I went and had a 2008 calendar printed out using it, which I think turned out lovely.

I also decided to make some notecards for my little beading business - to send as thank-you cards and who knows what else. They turned out pretty well - and you might recognize the photo I used.

I'm also going to, someday, make some cell phone "charms" that look like little beaded lanyards, clip them to badge blanks with my business card printed on them and give them out. Someone could use the clasp at the end to hook a little charm to, I think, so it's something that might actually be kept and used.

Not sure when I'll get motivated to do them in number, I've made a prototype and it's a bit time consuming. Also, I have to print the business card on the badge using clear labels that I stick on the blank badge stock - the cost of a card printer to do it directly on the badge stock is over $600.