More on Scrabble Tile Pendants

I am still working on perfecting scrabble tiles. Oh my goodness. They are so cute but unfortunately some of the pendants have kind of like a sunken middle where I used the Diamond Glaze.  Maybe I should have worked from the middle to to the outside instead of the other way round.

Then tonight....I started a few more....I found another product which is brush on.  I tried that.  It is still wet so I still see the brush strokes in my two trial tiles.  What is this stuff....let me go see to tell you....Oh it is "Triple Thick Brilliant Brush On Gloss Glaze" and it comes in a little pot.  I purchased it at Michaels.

Then I tried on another tile, a Jolly Rogers motif with "Aleene's Paper Glaze" that I found also at Michaels.  I tried putting it on the tile by filling in the middle first and then filling in the edges....I see tiny little bubbles on the edge.

Tomorrow morning I will assess the work and maybe after that I will try a trial of regular two part resin and will let you in on the comparison.

I didn't kow about Diamond Glaze until I met, Christine Hansen at a street fair. She is the co-author of the book "Making Mixed Media Art Charms and Jewelry" with Peggy Krzyzewski.  She told me she used Diamond Glaze because you didn't have to mix resin at the right temperature and it was goof proof.

Well being the want to "know more" person I am....I got on line and researched some more and realized that there were tons of tutorials and videos for making scrabble tile pendants.  All were about pouring on resin to make a rounded, slightly magnified pendant.  Was that what I wanted?  Or does a more flat organic look work more for me?....maybe both.  So tomorrow, when everything dries, I will know more.  These first efforts may meet the landfill - although they are cute...or maybe I will make a first effort charm bracelet just for me so I won't waste product.  But any which way, I will report to you, dear reader.

Learning Old Tricks in New Ways

Making Jewelry in my Jam Jams is one of my favorite blogs. Christine offers such cool tutorials and her techniques will make jewelry making so much easier.

Follow this one for making consistent and nice looking simple loops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVtAps73QSI&feature=g-upl&context=G20b1d7bAUAAAAAAAAAA.


I go in fits and starts with my jewelry making. I haven't done any wire work in a little while. I am so busy thinking about Spring that I have been looking at seed catalogs, working in the yard, etc. It inspired me to create a line of Scrabble tile pendants yesterday.  I have about 20 or 30 drying on the dining room table. They feature flowers, vegetables, gardens, and other cute garden inspired pictures - gnomes.

They are cute.  When I am finished I will take a picture to show you all.

March-ing On

We are moving forward into Spring. We have had a wild ride this month with snow, wind, power outages and whatever. In the middle of it, I placed an order for some beads from Rings&Things in Spokane and they were at more door in a mere three days.

Have you ever ordered from them? They are great.  You can find them at www.rings-things.com. They are relatively local for me...in Spokane, WA which is the eastside of the state; I am on the westside. Their products are good and reasonably priced. I received a kit for making resin pendants with everything I need for the fraction of a price if I was buying the pieces separately.

Being a person of color, I love ethnic jewelry and they have a great selection of African trade beads and that is what I bought. I have made one bracelet so far and can't wait to dive into the other beads.

Check out http://www.rings-things.com.

Colors for Spring

Yesterday it snowed and rained most of the day... and it was cold.  Today I went outside and cut back some trees that were shading my garden spot. I am a jeweler but my first "lust" is gardening...weeding...pruning....clipping and mowing.

I came in and turned on HGTV because decorating is another passion of mine.  And I was cruising around on my email (cleaning up files) and read one of my favorite jewelry blogs. 

Look at the link below:

http://www.pantone.com/pages/fcr.aspx?pg=20911&ca=4

Spring colors...how cool is that!  Now I can choose beads in the spring color palette from my stash and get to beading. Wahoo!

Funny Video

This is so true!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0aT2JA4sn9U

The dustbuster bead pick up is a great idea. I haven't tried that one yet.

Online Shopping

When I do my online browsing and shopping, I look for things that are either in my hobby interest (books, gardening, yarn, knitting, gemstones and a glass beads) or I look at clothing.  I love to drool over items I cannot afford, like anything Oscar De La Renta, or a certain Dooney Bourke bag I have had my eye on. Or I look at boots.  I love boots and have bought several pair online.

I love to  look for jewelry especially if it is handmade, vintage or antique jewelry.  I love old Mexican Taxco silver and copper pins.  I often look for something slightly quirky and unusual or something really old and often Middle Eastern or African in design.  I don't purchase many pieces, as I love to buy the components and put it together myself.  I make some for you....some for me.

Since becoming a jewelry artist, I no longer am drawn to commercial jewelry.  I still think it is lovely but I would rather have that  handcrafted piece that is "one of."  I love hammered silver clasps and chunky gemstones.  I also love edgy pieces like my "silver" washer bracelet with large silver lobster claw clasp with one red coral bead.

I still want to know your favorite online items.

Looking for Feedback

When you are shopping online what do you look for:

1.  Clothing
2.  Shoes
3.  Books
4.  Handbags
5.  Jewelry

Let me know?  I will let you know what others have said.  This is very unscientific.....just my own curosity.

TK