More Fun with Wire!

Copyright 2006 Margot Potter for Beadalon
Copyright 2006 Margot Potter for Beadalon
(Click on images to view close-up)

Here are two exposed wire bracelet designs I made three years ago for Beadalon. I'm working on instructions so these can finally go live on the Beadalon website. It's funny to revisit designs- on many levels. Firstly you see how much you've progressed in your techniques, secondly you sometimes realize you were on to something interesting and it's worth revisiting and finally you often like your work better in retrospect. By the time I've spent a few days on a piece, I'm often rather tired of it. I can't "see" it anymore. This is why I parade my work in front of my family and ask for their honest assessments. Then I get mad and make pouty faces if they don't like what I've created.

I'm a Leo, we're annoying like that.

I'm very excited to take both of these techniques further. The first uses thick Beadalon silver plated wire and two hole spacers to create an interesting ladder effect. The focal element is a fair trade ceramic bead from
Kazuri West and it inspired a unique color palette of CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements. I think this technique could be beautiful with larger beads and longer spacers...maybe with more beads. Everytime you make a change to these tension ideas, you have to rework everything. It's the tension of the wire in the crimp beads, along with the way the spacers are suspended that makes this design stay stiff and crisp on your wrist. If the tension isn't right, it'll flip and flop and lose structure. Though they look simple, it's a lot of engineering and trial and error that goes into getting these right.

The second design opens a whole host of possibilities. This reminds me of the Cat's Cradle we used to make with string as kids. I want to keep exploring this one. What if I add more wires and weave a tube? What if I use more beads, bigger beads, smaller beads? I'm not mad for these seed beads...I think this design would look much better with gemstones or crystals. What if it was all beaded and didn't have exposed wire?

Are you seeing where my mind is heading?

The instructions for these will go live sometime in the near future. I promise to share the links.


I'm on QVC Friday EARLY in the 1 o'clock am EST hour with two items. It's a Pink Ribbon Jewelry show. Tune in if you're awake! The host and I are both in allergy/asthma overdrive so it could make for some interesting live TV.

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

Mixed Media Jewelry Project


Triple Deco Pin Copyright 2009 Margot Potter


This is a mixed media pin I did a while back for a book that didn't materialize. I really love this design. It’s got an art deco flavor and a modern appeal. I used Ranger paint dabbers in red pepper, jet and lettuce on inexpensive wooden discs I purchased at the craft store. I stamped them with Ranger dabbers in silver, snow cap and jet to create texture and interest. The pewter twig is from Ornamentea. I used Beacon 3-in-1 glue to adhere the discs and attach a pin back. It’s all sealed with a layer of Judikins Diamond Glaze.

It’s fairly easy to turn inexpensive materials into striking jewelry components. Wander the aisles of the craft stores, scrapbook stores and your local hardware stores...heck even poke around in your recycling bins. You’ll soon realize there is an endless array of cool stuff you can trick out for a small amount of pocket change.

Ten points to those of you who understood yesterday’s post. It’s from Winnie the Pooh. I didn’t suddenly forget how to spell!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo,
Madge

Recycled Jewelry Project and Madge's New Tiara

All Eyes on You copyright 2009 Margot Potter

This is the All Eyes on You necklace. I’m mad for this one. Every time I wear it, I get rave reviews. I’ve got it on in the new video, so I figured I’d give you the 411.

These are 1.75” Bazzill Basics thick chipboard circles with images from fashion magazines cut out and adhered with decoupage medium on both sides. They are light as a feather, so you can really pile them on. I used my
Crop-a-dile to punch a hole in each one so I could hang it from a 10mm jump ring. To give them a more distressed look I took a nail file to the images (gently) and then added layers of stamped flourishes in Ranger archival ink in jet black and stamped type in Ranger silver paint dabber. I sealed it all with Mod Podge Glossy using a brush to get some texture and edged each pendant with Krylon silver leafing pen in silver. They look fabulous with the Beadalon Quick Links components, very mod. I have a similarly themed project in my second book The Impatient Beader Gets Inspired taking sections of images from vintage fashion magazines and adding ironic text from the actual ad copy beneath each image. I put those in soldered microscope frames, which added another element of irony to the concept. I think it interesting to dissect the messages with which women are regularly bombarded. Plus I’m all for upcycling and there are so many great images in the mags we toss out, why not put them to good use?
The BQOTU's new tiara.
Green Acres is the place to be!

This past weekend my hubby took some pics of me in a new tiara I’m hoping to teach for an upcoming special event. Here it is and here I am wearing it in a Green Acres photo op with our escape chicken and Amos, one of our pot bellied pigs. I gave my ‘Holly Would’ tiara from Sparkletastic to a very lovely woman who worked in a washroom in Chicago. She had the most gorgeous voice...forget Susan Boyle-move over Aretha...this woman was a superstar. I just figured she needed that tiara more than I did, and she was thrilled. Honestly, I think every gal needs a tiara. Even if you just wear it to wash the dishes. I think we should all crown ourselves queen of something, which is why I sometimes call myself Bead Queen of the Universe or BQOTU™.

Why the hell not? You can be anything you choose. So choose well.

“I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny, old attics; even if they dress in rags; even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't you father ever tell you that? Didn't he?” A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett

xoxo,
Queen Madge

New Lava Rock beads from Rings n Things


The folks from Rings‘nThings sent me some samples to peruse for the month of April. I’m a big fan of lava rock. I particularly like it with shiny or sparkly things, because I love the contrast. As soon as I saw these brown puffy pillow beads I immediately wanted to wrap them up in shiny wire, and so I did. Usually I like ordered wire work, but this more organic, chaotic look works well here. I’m a big fan of less is more...when I’m not celebrating more is more. I just don’t like that place in between where it’s just sort of neither more nor less.

This is a less is more idea.

Lava rock and 20 gauge Beadalon
German style wire come together to make a striking pair of earrings to complement a funky summer outfit. ‘Boho’ keeps threatening to make a serious come back and these would rock (pardon the pun) with a smock topped maxi dress, some strappy goddess platform sandals and your hair braided and curled in a Botticelli inspired updo.

They also sent some samples of the two newest CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements colors
Indian Pink and Dark Indigo. Click on the links to go see! Both are quite yummy indeed. I was going to mix it all together and I could have added a crystal or two to the wire, but less was more yesterday.

Tomorrow...all bets are off.

If you’d like a generous sampling of round and rondelle shaped brown lava rock beads and some German style wire to make your own cool jewels, leave a comment below and I’ll announce the winner next Friday. Make sure you check back, I can’t hunt you down all over the vast interwebs. If you win it’s up to you to contact me.

Cheers,
Madge

Free Jewelry Making Project!


This project from my new book Beyond the Bead is available as a free download at the MyCraftivity site until April 24th! Learn how to turn poly clay into faux metal with a fun and simple technique. I still need to make a necklace for this set...hmmm...better get on that!

I've got a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes here and hopefully soon some of it will be solidified for announcement status. At least it's keeping me out of trouble! Tom Petty was so right when he said the waiting is the hardest part!

Until next time...craft on with your bad selves.

xoxo
Madge

I do, YuDu!

Image and text copyright Margot Potter 2009
It’s been ages since we created a new The Impatient Crafter™ video. So on Saturday we hauled out the lights and the camera and got to work. Drew worked his editing magic and we posted it last night on YouTube, you can watch it below!
When the wonderful folks from ProvoCraft sent me a new YuDu home screen printing system to explore, we knew it would make a great video topic. We did this on the fly working from the instructions that come with the machine and we found it very easy and super fun. It took us about 6 hours to film since we were working in live time. I also spent about 2 hours fine tuning my sketch you see above, it took about ten versions to get to this one, and I'm really happy with it. Provo has images you can purchase and of course you can mine Dover books and other permission free sources, but I really wanted to make something from scratch. You can use this machine to screen print on a wide variety of materials and items, t-shirts are an obvious choice...but check out the YuDu site for some really fascinating ideas including book shelves, belts, shoes...

It’s an investment, but screen printed items look so much better than the decal style items you can have made online. If you've got a team or a troop or a group event or a fundraiser, why not make your own shirts? I’ve got a lot of plans for this machine...

While you’re here, please check out
my interview with the inspiring Sister Diane of CraftyPod on branding. If you’re trying to navigate the complexities of creating a personal brand, we’ve got some insights to share with you. These days, in an ever expanding sea of talent, branding is the key to standing out. Diane is a savvy lady whom I greatly admire and I was honored to be invited on her pod cast. Thank you Sister Diane!

My muse awaits...so until next time...craft on with your bad selves!

xoxo
Margot



A Peeps Bouquet


I’m so not Martha...so sue me.
Here’s my Easter week project...the day AFTER Easter! You'll recall I had planned to create a Peeps bouquet. I managed to eek this out an hour before we left for family dinner. I had to reconfigure the ribbon attachment after a small glue gun mishap, so it's a little lumpy but I fixed it after I took the pic. There wasn't really time to take a fabulous picture; we had to scoot! The car was really hot and the chocolate started melting and I had an asthma attack and was trying to take my coat off and get my inhaler and not cough into the bouquet...and I accidentally leaned over into a melty chocolate covered Peep that was lovingly arranged in the flower pot on my lap and I got a big glob of chocolate on my sweater. So we had to turn around, go back home, reboot...and we were late for dinner. Actually dinner was supposed to start at 3 and we were there at 3:03, but I guess folks got hungry because the Easter ham was down to a few slivers by the time we started filling our plates. So on the way home we stopped at Taco Bell.

That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

Okay so about the Peeps bouquet...

One small tweak...next time I’ll work on the more even distribution of chocolate and lay the peeps on their bottoms instead of sides to cool. That and I'd start with the tape runner for attaching the ribbon and not the glue gun. Other than that I love this and it elicited a lot of 'oos and ahs'!


Everyone was also really impressed and with the ‘I’m a little black sheep™” t-shirts we created for our new video using our awesome new YuDu. That is until Avalon’s 9-year old cousin showed off the Easter dress she made herself. Sheesh. Thanks a lot, kid. Way to steal my crafty thunder.

Yeah...well...I get paid to make stuff. So there.

Ha ha.

Tune in tomorrow...we’ve got a brand new The Impatient Crafter™ video that shows you how to use the ProvoCraft YuDu machine! It’s a hoot in a handbasket, I swear!
Peeps Bouquet
Copyright 2009
Margot Potter

4 packages various colors Peeps
6 packages egg shaped gum or one large package jelly beans
1 small package Nestle’s semi-sweet morsels
1 large ceramic pot
1 ceramic dish for under pot
Thick grosgrain ribbon in festive colors
1 large silk flower
Hot glue
Fiskars tape runner
Wooden skewers
Styrofoam cut to fit bottom of pot
Aluminum foil

Tools
Scissors
Silicone spatula
Aluminum or wax paper lined cookie sheets
Hot glue gun

1. Run two lines of tape along rim of pot and adhere ribbon smoothing out any wrinkles as you work.
2. Remove flower from stem and use hot glue to attach to place where ribbon ends meet on pot.
3. Cut Styrofoam to fit into pot, leaving about 2” from top for candy.
4. Place a layer of tin foil on top of Styrofoam, sealing any gaps.
5. Pour gum or jelly beans on tin foil covering it completely.
6. Insert skewers into pot, leaving space for Peeps to fan out and not touch.
7. Melt chocolate chips on stove using a double boiler method.
8. Cover two large cookie sheets with foil.
9. Holding Peeps by their heads; swirl their bottoms into the chocolate. Use a silicone spatula to coat sides. Place Peeps on tray standing up.
10. Place trays of Peeps in fridge to cool.
11. Gently slide a cooled Peep on each skewer. Place extra Peeps on ceramic dish.
12. Eat them with gleeful abandon after soaking in the generous compliments of friends and family.

To Peep...or Not to Peep...

I would hazard a guess that Vickie Howell isn’t the only crafter to be derailed by the quasi-evil little marshmallow creatures known as Peeps. In fact the Peeps website has a crafts section and there’s an annual Peeps Diorama contest. Two weeks ago I couldn’t resist their siren song and I purchased FIVE packages. They come in a huge variety of vibrant shades now and I simply had to have every single color. Plus they were under a dollar a pack. So much joy for under a buck? Sign me up!

One package of orange rogue rabbits was gleefully consumed by my daughter, and the rest have been sitting on a shelf in my kitchen cruelly mocking me since. I don’t know what it is about Peeps. Why are we all so drawn to craft with them? I mean, if you break it down they’re actually pretty lame. It’s just a blobby drip of marshmallow rolled in super fine electric kool-aid sugar and the eyes are more often than not dripping down their faces.
Yet...they’re so...damn...cute.

I bought them with the intention of making a project. I considered leaving them out to get hard and spraying them with an acrylic sealer and making them into jewelry. I contemplated a Peeps wreath for the front door. I’m still brainstorming a Peeps-on-a-stick bouquet in a clear vase with jelly bean faux rocks to secure the stems as our dessert offering for Easter dinner. If I manage to eek that project out, I’ll let ya know. It’s not looking likely with the size of my straw pile.

To Peep...or not to Peep...that...is the question.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy a Peep...is to gobble it up head first...if I open just one little package I’ll have plenty left for my bouquet...

xoxo,
Madge

The Amazing Ms. Bernie Berlin


"Insasmuch as ye have done unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25:40

Today is all about the amazing Ms. Bernie Berlin. Bernie is a gifted artist. She creates Faberge style eggs, teaches mixed media classes internationally and has written the quintessential book on Artist Trading Cards. Beyond those impressive credentials, Bernie is a shining beacon of light in an oft times dark world. Bernie runs an animal shelter called A Place to Bark (and meow). She rescues over 5oo dogs every year, rehabilitates them and takes them to Chicago to be adopted to loving families. She takes in the dogs who would ordinarily be euthanized, nurtures them, heals them, loves them and literally changes their lives. She assists in raids on puppy mills where dogs are imprisoned in cages and forced to keep producing puppies, never walking on the good earth, never seeing the sun, never knowing the soft touch of a hand gently patting their fur. She's seen the worst of human behavior and greed, and countered it with compassion and infinite unconditional love. That is the point my friends. That's why we're here.

Bernie needs our help. She's lost funding and food sources and she's got a shelter that needs to be finished and dogs that need surgeries and food and rescuing. Without our donations, she can't continue building her dream. She's asking for 10 dollars from each of us, and for us to ask our friends and family to consider joining her fight. Please repost this information and visit her blog so you can place her widget in your blog or website to help spread the word. I've never met anyone like Bernie Berlin and I am so deeply blessed to call her my friend. You can follow this link to donate.

What's 10 dollars, really? It's a single movie ticket, it's a download on NetFlix, it's a dinner at a fast food chain...it's money we spend so quickly we can't remember where we spent it. So why not spend it somewhere that matters? Bernie isn't just a crafter, she's crafting hope. We need as much of that as we can get these days.

Love,
Margot

Siren Song Necklace by Avalon Potter

I managed yesterday to clear off the long desk in my studio that has been totally covered with crap for weeks. Most of my studio cleaning involves moving piles of crap from one spot to another spot...I guess that's what most cleaning involves when I think about it! Cleaning...is not my thing. I do it when I have to, but mostly I ignore clutter and hope it organizes itself when I'm not looking.

I’m not made of the stuff that easily organizes seemingly disparate elements into cohesive groups. I’m impatient, have I mentioned that? At some point though the chaos begins to make my brain stop functioning properly and I have to buck up and get to organizing. It’s absolutely insane how many craft tools, machines and supplies I own. Okay maybe not what since I craft for a living, but dang if it isn’t tough keeping it all organized!



While working on organizing and getting the final details of one of my TSPs* finished, my daughter Avalon was given the task of creating a necklace around an extraordinary miniature canvas pendant from the folks at Art Beads. She's my new intern, but she's far more talented than I could ever hope to be! I love the sleek simplicity of her necklace design featuring Beadalon Quick Links and chain and CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements jet black briolette pendants. Stunning! Oh and that gorgeous shell is one she just plucked out of the water in Jamaica and she insisted it be in the picture. She's a designer and a stylist! Love that kid of mine!

I fell madly in love with this artwork. It’s like a Rorschach test! When I look at it I see a large ship being engulfed by an octopus, while my husband said it looks like a tropical island with big palm trees...what do you see? There is an entire collection http://www.artbeads.com/pendants-canvas-on-wood.html of these miniature masterpieces on the Art Beads site all created by surfer and artist Charlie Clingman and each one is both stunning and incredibly inspirational. They are evocative and provocative and exquisitely fashioned.

I’ve got some podcasts pending. I’ll let you know when they go live. I’m slated for CraftyPod with Sister Diane on Thursday of this week and CraftCast with Alison Lee sometime in the very near future. They’re both interesting interviews with women whom I greatly admire. I was humbled and flattered that they each contacted me. I’m also slated to be on Reclaim U with the inspiring Sandy Fowler sometime in the near future, so look out for the 411!

I have a lot of straw to spin today so I must away! Until my most auspicious return...craft on with your bad selves!

Cheers,
Madge

(*Top Secret Projects)

Free Mixed Media Jewelry Making Project for Beadalon

Congrats to Marjorie Jumisco for winning the Beyond the Bead comments prize! Email me at theimpatientcrafter@gmail.com to claim your prize! You and your kitties are going to get a copy of my book, a promo button and a judicious smattering of CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements!
Huzzah!

My How Soft Your Lips Are
Free Jewelry Project
Copyright 2006 Margot Potter for Beadalon

My How Soft Your Lips Are copyright 2006 Margot Potter for BeadalonMy How Soft Your Lips Are Copyright 2006 Margot Potter for Beadalon
(Click on images to view close up!)

This collage necklace is a design I did for Beadalon three years ago. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I’ve been veering into mixed media since my second book The Impatient Beader Gets Inspired. When that book came out a lot of folks in the bead industry totally scratched their heads. They simply did not get where I was going, but I did. I'm restless. I find doing the same thing more than twice to be incredibly pedantic. I like to forge new pathways, make glorious mistakes and delicious discoveries and move forward...always.

The pendant is made of a faux optical lens I got from Outside the Margins, unfortunately these aren’t available anymore. You could opt to use a vintage lens (you can get them at Art Chix Studio) and collage the items on the back and then seal them with Mod Podge OR you could use a different frame. This is an image I cut out of a vintage magazine and I couldn’t resist the pun. I’m a romantic, what can I say? I love the collage work of people like Ann Taintor and Josie Cirincione. Image and text works for me since I'm such a verbally driven person. You can find similar images, optical lenses and lots of great charms at Outside the Margins and ArtChixStudios (see links below.) Aren’t these Victorian style charms adorable? The little chicks make me so happy I could just squeak.

Tune in later today to hear my interview with the creative dervish Alison Lee at CraftCast! We had a fabulous time and I’m only sorry she doesn’t live nearby because I’m quite sure we’d be stirring up creative trouble on a regular basis!

My How Soft Your Lips Are
Margot Potter for Beadalon
Copyright 2006


This saucy vintage image from an old magazine was slipped into a faux optical lens with a bit of visually ‘punny’ text and a tiny cut out heart. Old magazines are easy to find at antique shops and online or you can get images from online sources who sell them in collage sheets. If you can’t find an optical lens, use a mini frame. The chain, CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements and charms give this a very Victorian appeal.

Materials
Faux or real vintage optical lens (or mini-frame)
Vintage Magazine (or Ephemera sheets from Art Chix Studio or Outside the Margins)
Red construction paper (for tiny heart)
Printed text on white paper (Old English Text 12pt.) ‘the better to kiss you with’
6 20mm cream Swarovski pearls
4 8mm bright gold Swarovski pearls
4 6mm crystal copper Swarovski rounds
4 6mm silk Swarovski rondelles
3 gold plated metal chick charms
4 gold plated metal hand charms
3 gold plated metal lock and key charm sets
2 gold plated filigree 2 strand connectors
1 gold plated hook and eye clasp
12 gold plated filigree bead caps
25 6mm gold plated jump rings
1 20mm gold plated jump ring
1 8mm textured gold plated jump ring
2 8-link segments, 2 26-link segments, 1 25-link segment, 1 105-link segment gold plated elongated cable chain
10 ball tipped gold plated head pins
8 gold plated head pins
Beacon Zip Dry Paper Glue
Beacon 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue
3” length black satin looped ribbon

Tools
Round nose pliers
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Flush cutters
Scissors

1. Select image to frame inside of lens. (If using a vintage lens, you will need to adhere the image to the backside of the lens with decoupage medium and seal it. If using the faux lens or frame, simply slide image inside.)

2. Trace image to fit inside lens. Cut with sharp scissors.

3. Create tiny heart by folding red construction paper and cutting.

4. Print text and cut into three segments: the better, to kiss, you with.

5. Adhere text and heart to image with Zip Dry glue. Allow to dry.

6. Insert collaged image into frame and secure it closed.

7. Tie small black craft ribbon bow to loop in top of lens or on jump ring that connects pendant to necklace. Add a dab of GS Hypo Cement to secure bow.

8. Attach a chick charm on the textured jump ring to loop in top of lens.

9. Create coil topped head pins for the 6 filigree encased cream pearls (sandwich pearls between filigree before threading on head pins) and 4 copper crystals using ball tipped head pins.

10. Create coil topped head pins for the remaining beads using regular head pins.

11. Remove chain segments.

12. Create your chains. The longer chain pattern is: 105 link chain working from left to right add a hand charm on a jump ring to the 9th link using to pairs of chain nose pliers to open and close the links, a filigree encased pearl to the 17th link, a chick charm to the 24th and alternating this pattern every seven links* until reaching the last hand charm. (*Add the pendant to the center chain link.)

13. Attach this chain to the outer links of the filigree connectors using two pairs chain nose pliers.
14. Create your second chain. The shorter chain pattern is: 8-link chain, connecting jump ring with attached silk, pearl, copper crystal dangles on jump ring, 24-link chain with lock and key attached to the 13th link with a jump ring, connecting jump ring with attached dangles on jump ring...repeat this pattern until reaching the final 8-link chain.

15. Attach this to the inside loops of the filigree connectors using two pairs chain nose pliers.

16. Attach hook and eye clasp to connector ends using jump rings.

Sources
Chain, jump rings, clasp, connectors, bead caps, head pins Beadalon, hand, lock and chick charms Art Chix Studio, faux optical lens Outside the Margins, pearls and crystals CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements, Zip Dry Paper Glue and 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue Beacon, ribbon Offray, image vintage magazine.