Petal Pins

Supplies:

*Clear thread
*Needle
*Scissors
*Gems (match petals)
*Petal package
*Circle pin backs
*E6000 Glue
*Cardboard

Steps:

- Follow the directions from the petal package to thread the petals and gem together.

- Glue circle pin onto back of the flowers you just created.

- Let sit for several hours on cardboard, petals first.

- Finished flower pins.

Fall-ing flowers

I find it is simpler, less expensive, more personal, and funnier to make my hair clips and pins myself. I tend to do my fabric flowers for such things. I get compliments on them all the time. The first one I ever made was more my mother, which she has pinned on her winter coat. She is always telling me how people enjoy it and give her compliments on it. Makes me feel really good knowing people enjoy them, even from just looking at them. (Still working on possibly selling some things online.) Plus I think nit gives my Mom a sense of joy to praise me and my creativity.

As the season change I like to change with them. The summer cloths get put away and the warm sweaters and blankets come out. Makes you feel more connected. One way I like to do that is have items to wear as the seasons change. I mean if my wardrobe changes, why not other things?

I know the season has passed, but its always a good time to share and teach. I made a few fall and Halloween flowers to wear at work and for my hair. I tried a few new ideas and some just didn't work at all.

These flowers are based off the same directions and template as shown in my Fabric Flower Pins post. The template is available in that post. I have sense made a few different ones on my own. I will try and get those scanned in so you can enjoy them too.

I found several fabric choices, so I enjoyed up with quite a few.

One difference from the original Fabric Flower Pins post is that I created a felt slide on that allows for the flower to be either on a head band, used as a pin, or used as a clip for in your hair.

This design difference allows for more uses and more enjoyment. You use the same directions, but instead of sewing on a pin or glueing on a clip, you sew the edges of two pieces of felt together, allowing for the head band/clip/pin to slide through. I chose to glue the edges (lightly) after I had sewn them just to make it more secure and longer lasting.

One thing I was able to do the standard template was shrink it. This allowed for me to make a more detailed flower. This picture shows a more fuller, multi-layer flower.

This is the small flower from the template that is available on the Fabric Flower Pins pos, just shrunk a little.

 

Treasures refound

The area of Colorado that my family and I live in is just up historic Ute Pass in a city nicknamed "City above the clouds." Woodland Park is a typical mountain town and we couldn't love it more. The people are so friendly and very down to earth. Just about every weekend, and this goes on for several months past summer time, there are yard sales and estate sales all over the place. My mother and I have been big believers in them, but we have recently  'sucked' my father into it. (Especially when he learned he could get tools for cheap!) Some times you get sales during the week, as was the case this week. I didn't have a super early shift, so mom and myself dragged dad out of bed (he doesn't enjoy the early hours) and went exploring. I was able to find some real treasures. Fine additions to my collection.

I LOVE camios, but they are hard to find in good condition and just hard to find period! Mom actually spotted this one. I am, at the moment, trying to work up a design. Going to try and get started on it tomorrow.

I found this clasp attached to the most UGLIEST beads I could even imagine. So naturally I got rid of the beads (donated them to the ARC stores, so I get the tax bonus) and kept the only part I DID like. The detail work on it is hard to see in the picture, but its very pretty work.

Not sure if I ever meantioned that I collect classic tins. I had them displayed in my kitchen when I still had my apartment. I have a vintage country cottage kitchen theme going and the tins are part of that. I found a two new ones that I think are very cool. My collect consists of old candy tins, coffee tins, thread tins, and even game tins.

The detail work on this next tin is what caught my eye. Its got all the characters from the comic strips.

The bonus about this tin, other than the decent condition its in, is that it contains about 30 sets of cross stitch floss inside. Twice score on that, especially since it was 50 cents!


The other day I meantioned to a friend my earring frame holder. She wanted to see a picture of it, so I'm posting it for her and I thought you all might enjoy it too.

They are SUPER easy to make. Just find any frame that you like, this one has some great gold detail work. One great place to find really interesting, but cheap frames, is the ARC stores, or goodwill thrift stores. They are marked way down and most of the time you can get them without the glass, which will save you a step. Once you find a frame you want, if it still have the glass and backing you just have to take that out and put it aside. They measure the frame, or the glass if you have it, so that you can cut out the right size chicken wire to fit inside. Take the chicken wire once its cut and staple it to the sides of the frame. Make sure that it is secure at every corner and will not sag. If you don't want to use the hanger from the frame, nail a length of chain at each end and hang it from that. Mine has a chain attached, but since I'm a semi-visitor I didn't want to put a hole in the wall to hang it. Its just leaning against the wall on top of my dresser.

One bonus is that you can have ANY size you want. Mine is a little too full to be that useful, but only because I have been making my jewerly and so I have more now. I will have to make another one soon, or I will be over run with earrings.
This can also be used to store pins and hair clips. You just have to use bigger chicken wire, or use lengths or ribbon overlapping each other. I have one of those for my bathroom, but sadly that is boxed up with everything else from my apartment. (hence all the brooches and pins at the bottom of the picture)

I sure hope that some of you will find these to be useful and will make one of your own. Happy project-ing!

Newest Completed Jewerly Projects

I have made a few new jewerly items since I was last able to get online. I don't believe I have the tutorials done, so for right now I just wanted to give you a preview for what is to come. =)


I wanted to make something kind of glitzy, so I made this rinestone chain neckless.



 One of the girls from work saw me wearing the one above and she asked for one in purple, so I made this version for her. I had to adjust it twice for her length, but otherwise it was a hit. (And easy to make)

I was going to give this bracelet coming up to my friend, but after it gave me such a hard time I desided I was going to keep it for myself. I felt I deserved it. The gemstones need two wires to be strung and it turned out to be a PAIN to get it tight enough to not show spaces when its on. Finally got it tight enough, but it is for sure NOT my finest work. I was rather disappointed in it, and most likely will not use these gems again.

Its rather hard to find cute feather earings again, so I thought I might give it a shot. It turned out ok, other than the fact that it was hotter than hell out so everything was getting sweety and sticking to me. =)

Suprisingly its very hard to find loop earings that you can slide gems onto. Took me months to find some and so I was just playing around with them. I have plans to make a set for my friend in black. Hoping to get a start on it tonight. *crossing fingers*

I had seen these flower chain earings online and I thought it couldn't be that hard to do myself.... I was very wrong. I can't figure out how they get them to drape so nicely, while mine don't drape at all. So I tossed the idea and made these instead. I don't like them very much, so I might end up doing something else with them. I'm open to suggestions.

This is kind of what I was trying to do with chain, but again it just looked funny. (sorry for the "ghetto" drawing)

 

If you should ever come across a template from Clovers called the Flower Folder, get it. It makes some really great flower bundles and makes it so much faster. I made the largest flower (in pink) from this template, and they come in  4 sizes. I used the largest.

Since I had a BUNCH of hair clips I thought I would decorate them. These do not require tutorials, as they were just glued to the ends with a hot glue gun. My mother found a bunch of embellishment flowers and gave them to me. I don't really have any need for them, so I added them to the clips to dress them up. I also had two circle pins, so I made some 'odd' pins out of these flowers.... let me know what you think.

So this is just a quick update on my projects. I hope to get some tutorials for my other projects on here in a short order.  As akways let me know what you thought of these projects and previous ones.

Thank you.

Felt Flower Ball

I found this picture on The Idea Room for felt flower balls. She found it from Design*Sponge.

Its very easy to make and can be made into other things besides a ball. Design*Sponge made a wreath with this idea, so don't feel confined to one set form.

Supplies needed:

Felt- about 16 (Hobby Lobby sells them 4 for a $1, so its about $4 in total)

Pins

Ribbon (about 8 to 12 inches)

Styrofoam ball (sizes can vary, but the larger the size the more felt you need)

Scissors (small or large depends on how much pain you want to be in)

Circle for cut out

Marking pencil (or pen)

Items I used:

I got the pencil for it, but turns out felt sucks to write on, so I used a pen to make it easier to see.

You can use a cup, or canning top. If you use black you could use a canning top and stamp it on a white Ink Stamp to leave trace cut outs. Just have to be careful to make sure no white is left once you cut it out. Same thing for me with a dark pen on the blue felt.

First take any wrapping off styrofoam ball. Keep the ball away from the felt, as the styrofoam has a way of shedding.

Second I found it easiest to fold my felt in half  horizontally and then in half again vertically. Tracing now will give you 4 circles and less work. I used a larger scissors to cut them out as it was thicker.

*Tip* Will cause pain in the hand if you use a small scissors for this part)

Once you have cut out the once traced circle you can unfold the felt. If you trace a circle in between the two cut outs on the left and right upper corners you will be able to get another 4 circles, and therefore not wasting too much of the felt.

*Tip* I cut squares out of the extra felt to use for backing on pins I create. Waste not want not. No point in throwing away good felt.

I would say do as many as you feel your hand can take. I did a about 16 at a time to rest my hand.

Take a circle and fold it in half. Then fold it in half again. This will be what is pinned to the ball.

 

Once you have folded it over twice, place a pin through the tip at the bottom and place into the ball.

Continue to do this until the entire ball is covered. Do feel that you have to cram them together. Leave a little open space, so that they felt petal (folded piecing being pinned down) can spread out a little. Just be sure to not have any of the styrofoam showing through.

Once completely covered pick a location you want to pin the ribbon from which it will hang. Then cut a section of ribbon. Mine was about 12 inches long. You can pick longer or shorter depending on how you want to hang it.

Now take on end of the ribbon and pin it to the ball. I used two on each end to make it more secure. Do this to the other end of the ribbon.
*Tip* Try going at an angle to create a more secure pinning.
*Tip* Pin as close to the over end as to not push aside the felt petals.

You now have a finished Felt Flower Ball.

Give it a shot! Let me know how it goes. I would love to see them. Don't be afraid to be creative with them. I will be doing another one in two color combos and one with glitter felt.