Classic Blue Earrings (We're All Ears)

Blue is my absolute favorite color, and there's barely a shade I don't like. So, I was excited to find out that the Pantone Color of the Year for 2020 is Classic Blue. It is indeed a dark, primary, classic blue. And, Erin at Earrings Everyday used it as the January Inspiration for the We're All Ears challenge. I was running behind and rushed to pull together any elements that included the color, grabbing anything that fell into the range, and altering pieces that didn't.

A beautiful blue cookie tin with white and tan slashes on it caught my attention first. I cut ovals from it and textured them in an embossing folder before riveting them to distressed teardrops of a golden tin. 

From a distance, there's something reminiscent of "sailboats on the water" about the ovals. 

While I had the embossing machine out, I ran a couple of Vintaj blanks through it. 

They were colored with lapis Vintaj Patina and sanded. I then used Sailboat Blue alcohol ink to color both sides of clear buttons.

The nature of using an embossing folder means that the backs are a reverse of the fronts.

I also uncovered small plastic flower cabochons in the right shade of blue.

I attached them to small brass filigree pieces with E6000 glue. From them, I hung small rings in which hang lapis lazuli beads to continue the blue theme. 

I think these are my favorite of the three pairs I was able to complete.

While the reveal date was set for the 17th, I lost track of time and let it get away from me. However, just as soon as I realized it, I focused on busting out these designs. And, Erin left the link tool open for a few extra days for those designers falling behind like myself (Thank you, Erin!) 

Make sure you head over to the Earrings Everyday reveal post to see what Erin and the other participating artists made in this beautiful blue. 

Peek at My Week (Jan 12-18)

I thought that I would get into a routine while sitting with my grandmother during the week, but I'm still struggling to find a balance. I'm hoping to start anew with this week. After spending most of Saturday crafting, I needed even more of soul-soothing and suggested that Pat and I head to the beach for a little while on Sunday to get just that. 

He was happy to oblige. We actually started the day with brunch at Cobalt as Pat had a few gift cards that needed to be used. 

We headed down to the water after getting our bellies full. The Gulf was far too cold to take a dip, but the weather was perfect for a stroll along the water. 

Once my mood was in a better place, we took care of some business. Pat needed to pick up a few things at his studio, and I added these Valentine pieces to my booth at Southern Antiques and Accents. 

On Monday, I was back at my mom's. The weather all week was warm and weird, and our area was covered in fog.

The above picture was taken at 4:30 pm on Monday. So weird! It was on and off like that all week, finally clearing on Friday.

I hovered over my grandmother all week and didn't accomplish much other than getting a few things added to the Etsy shop. Though, I did come home each evening after seven to feed Pat and the niece. I was pretty pleased with how easy and healthy this meatless meal was on Wednesday.

Those were seven-grain meatless tenders along with roasted potatoes and broccoli. Pat and I enjoyed the tenders. Our niece wasn't as fond of them (she didn't add the barbecue sauce like we did.)

On Friday, we were able to work something out so that I could stay home to attend a funeral. I made sure to log a little time at the craft desk too.

I was working on finishing up the jewelry from my Bead Box 6 so that I could re-stock my container to have some more recent projects with me. Happily, I was able to complete all the previous designs!

On Saturday, Pat had a blacksmithing class first thing in the morning, so I was back at the craft desk while he was away. When Zoe and I headed out to check the mail, I stopped to snap some pictures of bright pink flowers to try and identify them with an app I have. While angling for a better position, I looked down and spied a few tiny mushrooms and some snails munching away on them. I couldn't resist!

After that, I began to narrow down the pieces that were going to be added to the Bead Box. 

I'm currently making the rest of the decisions about what will go with them, and it's going quicker than I initially expected. I guess the muse hit me!

With my motivation at a low this past week, I didn't spend much time looking for inspiration. And, I'm sorry about that. But, here's what I did find.

• Here's a roundup of some beautiful Valentine's Day DIY Decor Projects. 
• Y'all know I love me some stamp carving, so I was excited to find this tutorial for carving an eraser with an exacto blade. 

I hope the muse and motivation I've found these past several days stick with me throughout the week. And, hope you find some too. Have a great week!

How to Use Buttons in Jewelry

I am, admittedly, bonkers about buttons. I work them into many of my jewelry designs and even into some of the art I create. I've had to stop buying them as I have nowhere else to store them. But, there's no reason you can't start collecting them too. You may just need some inspiration as to how best to use them. As such, I've created this tutorial on using buttons in jewelry design.

 In particular, I'm sharing my method for wire wrapping a button.

The materials are basic.

You'll only need a button, wire, pliers, and wire cutters.

To actually see my process in action, please watch the Using Buttons in Jewelry video. But, I also have complete instructions and examples of other ways to use buttons in jewelry below.

To get started, you'll insert the end of the wire about an inch into one of the buttonholes and bend it along the rest of the wire.

From there, cross the short wire across the long tail.

Before proceeding, you may want to make sure the long tail end is angled up from the button to make it easier to wrap the short end.

Then, begin wrapping the short end of the wire around the long end. Remember that the more times you wrap, the longer the wrap will be.

Trim away any excess wire on the short end and secure it using your chain-nose pliers.

After that, you'll go through the regular steps to make a wrapped loop. Begin by bending the wire at a right angle directly above the wraps.

Use your round-nose pliers to form a loop with the wire. 

Wrap your wire around and over the original wraps.

Once you have wrapped the wire around to your satisfaction, trim away the excess wire and secure the end.

You've now created a button charm. However, if you would like to make it a connector, repeat the process on the other side of the button.

Of course, this is only one of the many ways you can incorporate buttons into your designs. Here are a few other examples of ways I've used buttons in my jewelry pieces.

Simply slip jump rings into the holes of the buttons. This works best if the buttonholes are near the edges of the button.

Use waxed linen cord to tie the buttons to one another like in these Button Bracelets. (link goes to my tutorial)

Here, you see how I used the same method as above to make a chain of buttons.

Use buttons as they were intended and sew them onto fabric incorporated in your design.

Heavy gauge wire was used for the buttons in this piece in which simple loops were formed above and below each of the buttons. 

And, here's another example of button connectors used in a chain with beads to make up a necklace. 

There are still plenty more ways to use buttons in your designs. I hope I've helped you learn something and get those ideas flowing. 

So, how's your button stash looking now?

Peek at My Week (Jan. 5-11)

In anticipation of knowing I would be spending most of the week away from the house, I was determined to make the most of the time I had at home throughout the week, and most of it wasn't photographic. But, I'll share what was.

Pat and I met his brother and sister at The Bone and Barrel on Sunday to celebrate their birthdays. It was a nice day so we sat outside. I was tickled by the sign on the back of the building. 

Later, we headed to the beach as Pat had a photoshoot with the members of one of the bands he's in. So, Zoe and I walked around the duck pond while they did their thing.

 

I woke up early on Monday and was drawn to my craft desk to start creating. 

That's basically as far as I got, and where that project stayed all week.

I spent most of the week with my grandmother as the strokes have left her confused and just not herself. 

She had appointments on Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, she had a Doppler Test, and we followed up with her doctor on Friday.

When I got home on Monday, I found that Pat broke out the watercolor supplies I had given him for Christmas.

That chicken is too cute!

After spending the days at my mom's, I spent the evenings getting dinner made and working on household chores. I forgot how hard it can be to juggle getting all that done with a day job. But, being away from home for over 12 hours each day does complicate things even more.  In any case, by Saturday, I was desperate to be creative. 

I spent most of the day at my craft desk creating several Valentine's Wall Hangings. The weather here was supposed to be super rough, but we were fortunate that it didn't get too bad. In any case, we had no plans to leave the house, and that suited me just fine. I even played with my bead loom for a bit while some of the art layers were drying. 

I hope you found some time to be creative this week. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to find and share inspiration, except for a couple of items.

• I've never considered using wired ribbon for jewelry, but here's a Wired Ribbon Bracelet tutorial from Jewelry Making Journal that has me rethinking that. 
• Lately, I've been playing around a bit with watercolors. This Agate Diptych Watercolor technique looks pretty easy for a beginner like me. 

And, that's it for my week. I'm looking forward to finding a routine with this new change. I hope you're finding ways to fit in time to be creative as well. 

Thrifty Thursday (on Friday)

I absolutely meant to share this post yesterday, but caring for my grandmother every day has had me a bit distracted. As a result, you're getting Thrifty Thursday on Friday. Lucky you! I did get a tiny bit of thrifting done as well as found several deals over December. But, the bulk of my attention was taken up with Christmas.

In fact, everything got put away before I could snap any pictures, and I had to steal the above photo from my video. Oops! In any case, at least I remembered to get the video recorded so you can see some of what I hauled home. Take a look at my December Thrifty Haul.

So, did you find any deals in December?

January Challenges and Inspirations

I know, I know! I just posted yesterday, but my blogging schedule is all out of wack compared to my calendar. I'm hoping this will help me to get in back on track.

Each month, I like to use challenges and inspirations to kick-start my creativity so I always keep my eye out for any. I share them so that you might be inspired to participate too. They are all art-related, some for specific mediums like jewelry, but are all ones that I would consider joining. I hope you do as well.

• The Allegory Gallery Design Challenges facebook group has issued another calendar of daily challenges for January to jump-start your designs in the new year. There's still plenty of time to catch up or pick and choose the challenges you want to use. There's no pressure at all in this group. 
• Classic Blue is the color chosen by Pantone as the Color of the Year and Erin at Earrings Everyday has selected it as the theme for this January's We're All Ears Inspiration. So, break out those blue beads and join in the earring fun. The reveal date is January 17th. 
• Each month, Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry shares the photo inspiration her husband Eric has given her for the Honey Do List Challenge. This month it's a beautiful owl. Sarajo will have the linky tool open on Jan 27th. 
• The January Theme Challenge from Karen at Art Elements is Berries. This challenge is open to any medium, but you must sign up for it by commenting on their blog post. The reveal and blog hop is set for January 30th. 
• PaperArtsy has a topic to springboard your creations. Their first one for the year is Love is in the Air. I didn't see anything about any deadlines, but they welcome you to share your creations on their social media. See their post for more info.
• Art Bead Scene has issued their Art Journey #1: The Art of Aubrey Beardsley. For this challenge, you need to use an art bead in your creation and can submit your contribution(s) anytime before Feb 14th. 

And, I think that's it for this month. If you know of any other inspiration or challenges that I've missed, please let me know. Happy creating!

Peek at My Week (Dec. 29-Jan. 4)

There's something about starting a new year that fills you full of hope and aspirations. I wrote down a couple of things I want to accomplish, and I was trying to be realistic about it. Instead of lofty, long term goals, I thought more about what would be attainable and planned for a few short-term intentions that could be accomplished within the month: organizing a few areas of the house that have gotten out of control, begin shopping for cabinetry that would help organize the craft room, and working on developing a better morning routine. I've even gotten one of those checked off the list! However, things don't always pan out as you plan, and you have to roll with the punches. But, I'm getting ahead of myself, let me give you a look at the week.

On Sunday, I knew I wanted to get as much in order as possible for the new year so I worked on cleaning and got the craft room in some semblance of order. I even organized all my art journals and discovered the vast abundance of ones I have in progress!

That evening, I met one of my best friends for dinner and had a nice night out with her and a couple of other friends. 

I had planned to spend Monday at my mom's house with my grandmother since Tuesday and Wednesday were holidays. But first, I started the day with a new-to-me practice.

Though I already have far too many art journals, I received this little planner in a gift basket for Christmas as decided that it would make a nice little daily warm-up. So I added a little watercolor to each date and plan to do a little doodling each day. This was inspired by the work of CeeCee of CreationsCeeCee on YouTube. You can see that I started on Monday and have actually made it work each day.

At my mom's I found my grandmother easily confused and simply not herself. On Tuesday, I made her an appointment to see her doctor at his first open spot - on Friday. I also knocked out as many chores as I could so that I could welcome 2020 with a clean(er) slate. We went to a party that broke up before midnight and celebrated the New Year at home.

When I went to add more birdseed to my feeder the next morning, I found that the old bird food had sprouted. I thought that the little plants were a wonderful symbol for the new beginning of a year. 

We spent the afternoon watching Alabama win their last football game of the season then I made a traditional New Years Day dinner of pork (ham), black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread.

On Thursday, I worked on finishing a custom order for an Instagram friend with one of the soldered baubles I made a few weeks ago.

I also tackled one of the bothersome areas: the bedroom desk that was buried under mail and miscellaneous papers and office supplies. It took hours, but it's such a relief to have that done!

That evening, my niece and I headed to the library to meet a friend and her daughter for a bookbinding and bullet journaling class that was packed to the max. I rushed my project but enjoyed the process. We met our husbands for dinner at a nearby favorite restaurant. 

I've since fixed my messy book!

On Friday, Mawmaw and I went to see her doctor and have an MRI.

We learned that she's had two small strokes and will need some more tests to determine the best course forward. Her confusion has now robbed her of some of her independence, and I'll need to spend more time with her while my mom and step-father are at work in order to help her in her day-to-day for the time being. 

This diagnosis means that I'll need to alter how I work and accomplish the initial goals I set. But, I want what's best for her and am lucky that my schedule can be flexible. It'll be an adjustment for the whole family. As I pondered all of this on Saturday, I worked in my art journal to process those feelings.

 It was a rough week. But, each new day comes with new challenges no matter who you are. It's just about learning to roll with them. I'm learning. 

Here's a bit of brighter note to end this post - some inspiration:

• The future of art is here and Nany Liang's Gifs are perfect examples of technology and art combined. 
• If you're still working on those goals and resolutions, here are 10 Ideas for Creative People. 
• Sometimes it's so easy to focus on the bad things, I love this list of 99 Good News Stories You Probably Didn't Hear About in 2019.
• Check out the murals from Izzy Izvne that look like 3D portals.  
• I mentioned my husband's recording studio the other week. He recorded a short video of himself playing a guitar solo for one of his clients. I really love it!
• Here's a tutorial on how to make wire wrapped pearl hoop earrings. 
• This roundup of 35+ Glass Bottle Crafts shows a wide variety of ways to upcycle bottles rather than throwing them in the trash!
• Though this post is from 2010, I adore the wire, button, and found object birds from House Inside Out. 
• Though I already use old cookie tins in my jewelry, I'm smitten with repurposing them with old maps into these suitcase-looking decor containers. 
• If these photographs of harvest mice from Dean Mason don't bring a smile to your face, I don't know what will. 

I hope your New Year started with much fun and continues with much joy. And, remember, "Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day."

Art Journals in December

It's that time of the year when I should give you some lists: my most popular posts, goals for the new year, etc.; but I'm still trying to wrap my head around all that. I'll get back to you on it. What's the rush? For now, let me share some of the art journaling I did on the CraftyHope YouTube Channel that you may have missed.

There really wasn't that much as I let the month get away from me in the holiday rush. First, I continued to share pages from the Small Junk Journal series I had been working on. However, these are the last two in that series as I've been wanting to not be bound to a single journal and would rather work in whichever one is calling to me. Yet, these last two did turn out pretty great. (Clicking on them should take you to the videos.)

Small Junk Journal Page 21

Small Junk Journal Page 22

I also participated in a YouTube hop during advent as part of the Live Art Journaling and Self Development Facebook Group. I was day 6 of the hop and was asked to share a quick tip or technique. I chose to focus on using inexpensive erasers as stamps. In the video, I shared how to carve an eraser into a stamp.

Making Stamps with Dollar Store Erasers

As well, I showed how an eraser could be used as a stamp without even having to carve it. 

And, that was it for the art journaling I shared last month. I'm looking forward to exploring this medium even more in the coming year and would be happy to help you do that too. If you have any questions about my process, materials, or anything else; please don't hesitate to ask. 

Happy New Year!