xoxo
Madge
Showing posts with label DIY jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY jewelry. Show all posts
Glittered Tie Dye Necklace for iLoveToCreate
Jingle Bell Stamped Christmas Earrings
I've got a festive pair of Jingle Bell Stamped Christmas Earrings over on the ImpressArt blog today! You can whip these puppies up in a few steps and be ready to rock the egg nog in style! Aw, yiss.
Emerald City Necklace for iLoveToCreate
I'm guest posting over at the iLoveToCreate blog today with this Oz inspired Emerald City Necklace. You can find the step by step instructions over there. I just loved Oz the Great and Powerful, mostly because I love the message that if we believe, anything is possible.
Because, it's true.
"I don't want to be a good man... I want to be a great one" Oz
Rock and roll,
Madge
DIY Collar Necklace Guest Posting for iLoveToCreate
Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate DIY Collar Necklace
Hello, love muffins! I have been crafting like a mad woman this past week and somehow defying all logic, I managed to eek out this one last project yesterday afternoon. Yes, I spent my entire weekend making class kits and DIY projects for my clients. Can you say tired crafty lady?
Just Add Crystal...
 |
| Glue crystals to numbers, add jump rings, attach findings and chain. Shazam! |
I've been working with the Create Your Style with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS brand since my first book...way, way, way back when! In fact, I was the first American DIY industry designer to knock on their door back in 2004 to request samples for a book. That was one of the bold emails I sent out in my year of reinvention, and when someone responded I almost fell off of my swivel chair!
Squee!
Don't ever be afraid to ask. The worst thing that can happen is that they might say no. On the other hand...they just might say YES!
How-To DIY a Dali/Schiaparelli/Man Ray/Lanvin Inspired Red Lips Necklace
When I started seeing Man Ray, Salvador Dali and Elsa
Schiaparelli inspired accessories popping up in the fashion mags recently, I was tickled
ten shades of SHOCKING pink! The Impossible Conversations exhibit at the Met featuring the work of Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada obviously hit a surreal note for the fashion crowd. Schiap and
Dali created some amazing, iconic pieces together.
A Touch of Grey for BeadsDirect UK
A Touch of Grey
Margot Potter for
BeadsDirectUK
I’m a fan of big, bold, simple, striking jewelry (or if
you’re in the UK
make that jewellery.) Lots of fussy
details and gee-gaws and doo-dads don’t really float my boat. You must make jewelry that floats your
boat. So feel free to add more here,
more layers, more beads, more mesh!
Sometimes more is more, but in this case, less is more. I’ve combined soft jade green chrysotene
beads with sponge coral and added some gunmetal mesh bows to keep it from looking
to Christmas-y. I’m quite pleased as
punch with how this turned out. And you
could make a set just like this in under and hour, just in time to wear it out
on the town!
And you can find everything you need to make this set at
BeadsDirectUK online! Just follow the
links.
Finished Length:
Necklace: 18”
Bracelet: 8”
Earrings: 2.5”
Materials
20mm Chrysotene coin beads
15x29mm Sponge coral teardrop beads
15mm width Gunmetal wire mesh tubing
BeadsDirect 19 strand .015 bead stringing wire
2 silver plated lobster clasps
2 6mm silver plated jump rings
4 silver plated size 2 crimp tubes
2 silver plated coiled ear wires
4 silver plated head pins
(Optional GS Hypo
Cement jeweler’s glue)
Tools
Round nose pliers
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Flush cutters
Crimp tool
Scissors
1. These are basic
designs that are quick and easy to put together. Play with the arrangement of the beads remove
the mesh or keep it in the mix, the only rule is that it’s pleasing to your
eye! Begin by gathering your
materials. Use a bead board to plan out
the design!
2. Cut off a 20”
segment of beading wire. Attach the wire
to a clasp using the crimp tube and crimp tool.
To crimp, begin by threading the wire into the tube, through the clasp
end and back into the tube. Use the
front part of the jaw of your pliers to smash the round tube into an oval.
Separate the wires before you crimp them, the crimp creates an indentation
between the two wires. Compress the tube
in the back part of the jaw creating a heart shape. Move the tube into the front jaw with the
indentation facing forward. Fold ends
over. Cut off excess wire.
3. Thread beads on
the wire in the following order: 5 coral, 3 chrysotene, 1 coral, 8 chrysotene
and 5 coral.
4. Keep necklace
rounded to allow room for play between beads.
Crimp as before attaching wire to a jump ring, cutting off excess.
5. Tie a 3” segment
of mesh to the wire at the top top of the first chrysotene bead on the right
side of the design. Use fingers to pull
mesh gently into a bow shape. If you
want to mesh to keep from unraveling, dab a little jeweler’s glue along the
ends and allow to dry.
6. To make the
bracelet, cut off a 10” segment of beading wire. Attach wire to the clasp and clasp with a
crimp tube.
7. Thread beads on
the wire alternating between red and green beads, five green beads and four red
beads. Adjust length to fit your wrist.
8. Round bracelet
before crimping and attaching the jump ring.
9. Tie a 3” mesh bow
on the bracelet to the left or right of the center bead.
10. To make earrings
thread a coin on a head pin, make a coiled top dangle. Make double loop dangles with a red
bead. Attach an ear wire to the top of
your red bead. Tie a 3” mesh bow around
the center of the earring. Repeat for
second earring.
This post was sponsored by BeadsDirectUK, but Madge does not promote anything Madge does not love. So trust me when I saw, this site is fabulous!
Craft Wars Inspired I Love Rock and Roll Necklace
Craft Wars Inspired I Love Rock and Roll Necklace
Copyright Margot Potter
All Rights Reserved
I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it, like it, yes I do. I could not believe last week's Craft Wars challenge wasn't mine! Rock and Roll? Uh, fronted several post punk era bands in the Bay Area back in the 80s. Jewelry? Uh, wrote seven books on jewelry making. Do I think I could have rocked that Pop Craft Challenge, uh, yeah. The Master Challenge on the other hand, dang. That was impressive. I kind of loved both of the projects, it must have been a tough call. I will not be torching duct tape at Studio Madge, because I'm thinking that may be a little, well, toxic. Though it was pretty bad ass! And how Stephen could have said there was too much glitter was beyond me. Rock and Roll is all about excess!
I did not wish to take apart instruments or music equipment, egads! Sacrilege! Instead I spent one hour last night working with items I had at hand to make an edgy, glam rock necklace that I am LO-VING. Hammer, stamp, edge, drill and let 'er roll! I had some fun Blumenthal Lansing scissors buttons (runs with scissors, yes she does) and vintage metal wrench charms for the metal, some SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS for the glam and some ImpressArt blanks and stamps to get hammered for the heavy...add some r o c k with edged, crystallized and drilled Scrabble tiles and some 8 ball charm beads...well...it's a melange of crunchy fabulosity! Then the ribbon I found at Michaels on super clearance tied it all up nicely.
ROCK AND ROLL BABY!
(DON'T FORGET TO VISIT YESTERDAY'S POST AND LEAVE A COMMENT THERE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN BLANKS AND A SET OF STAMPS!)
Materials
4 Scrabble tiles to spell r o c k
4 Elongated heart blanks from ImpressArt to spell r o l l
2 3mm crystal ab SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS flat back crystal
6 8mm red coral SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
6 10mm crystal SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
6 8mm Czech glass eight ball beads
4 Blumenthal Lansing scissors button charms
4 Silver tone wrench charms
Heavy duty silver tone chain
Red edged ribbons
30 6mm silver tone jump rings
4 10mm silver tone jump rings
12 silver tone head pins
Krylon silver leafing pen
Ranger Alcohol Ink Cranberry
Ranger Alcohol Ink Pitch Black
Aleene's Glass and Bead Adhesive
Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers (to attach charms with jump rings)
Round nose pliers
Ranger Pouncer with Felt Pad
Brass head stamping hammer
Steel head ball peen hammer
Steel bench block
2 hole punch
1/4" 6mm lower case letter stamps
Electric drill with 1/16" bit
(Beads are threaded with head pins and a loop is turned at the top with round nose pliers, then all charms are attached as in photo using a jump ring for each charm and working left to right at the bottom of each link. Click here for a video on how to make loops.)
Do you love rock and roll as much as I do? Check out Craft Wars Vet Andrea Currie's FABULOUS mosaic guitar project she made for her hubby Cliff on their anniversary!
And that's it, cuz I got a rock and roll heart! Here's a pic of me at the Keystone Palo Alto back in the day!
iLoveToCreate Tori Spelling Inspired Pin This Necklace
Margot Potter
“These are your
grandmother’s crafts...ya gotta problem with that?”
My design process is a very intuitive one. I see things, they spark ideas and off I go
to figure out how to turn the ideas into reality. Not everything works out the way it is in my
mind, but that’s part of the fun of design.
These vintage wooden clothespins were part of an Estate Sale haul from
several years back. I knew there was a
design in these, but what, I didn’t know.
Watching Craft Wars, I’ve been utterly charmed by Tori Spelling’s large scale
whimsical necklaces. This week I was
going to make a Pop Craft Challenge inspired Dog Toy box, but honestly I was
running out of time and feeling stressed until I stumbled on these clothespins,
pictured Tori’s jewelry and it all came together. My vintage craft magazines are filled with
found object jewelry like this and I find it all such fun. I am seriously smitten with this design. I
can not wait to wear it to the big Craft and Hobby Association show I’m
attending this week. You could do
something similar using clip style clothespins or golf tees would make a
smaller scale but equally delightful design.
Materials
11 ½”x4” vintage wooden clothespins
8 10mm crystal SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS rounds
2 sterling or silver plated dapped French ear wires
2 sterling or silver plated EZ Crimp ends
2 silver tone or black size 2 crimp tubes or beads
.018 49 Strand Beadalon wire
2 metal loop topped craft screws
10.5” segment gun metal textured cable chain
Gun metal lobster clasp
Crafty Chica Paints: red, black, white
Tulip sponge brush
Aleene’s Spray Acrylic Sealer matte finish
Aleene’s Turbo Tacky Glue
Tools
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Mighty crimp tool
Flush cutters
Electric drill with 1/16” bit
Marker
Make a small hole in the center top of two clothespins;
these will be threaded with the loop top screws to create the earrings.
Thread 9 clothespins on the wire alternating colors. Thread wire into a second EZ Crimp end. Use chain nose pliers to grasp and pull wire
through end pulling the clothespins taught, but not too stiff. Use Mighty Crimp tool to secure wire, use
flush cutters to cut off excess wire tail.
Thread a second wire into the lower hole opening on the outermost
clothespin. Thread on one of your crimp
tubes, use chain nose pliers to compress tightly.
Slide a bead on the wire, thread into the next pin and
repeat this process until you reach the final bead. Thread the wire into the 9th
clothespin, add a crimp tube, tighten wire to remove any slack and compress
tube with chain nose pliers to secure.
Cut off excess wire with flush cutters.
Attach a jump ring to one of the EZ Crimp ends. Repeat on the other side, adding the
chain. Finish by attaching a jump ring
to the open end of your chain and add the clasp before securing closed.
Crystal in Bloom Jewellery Set by Margot Potter for BeadsDirect UK
Crystal in Bloom Jewelry Set
Margot Potter for
BeadsDirectUK
Lovely Lucite flowers in a panoply of pastels dance and
swing around the neck, wrists and ears while prisms of light refract from
faceted SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS in this decidedly feminine, flirty and
(retro)fabulous design. Inspired by the
chain and charm costume jewelry necklaces popular in the 1930s, Author and
Designer Margot Potter adds a new twist with copper wire and findings to a
lovely effect. All of the components to
make this simply stunning jewelry set can be found at BeadsDirectUK.
Materials
15 large multi-color pastel Lucite flowers
63 small multi-color pastel Lucite flowers
63 4mm SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS crystal rounds or bicones in various
coordinating pastel shades
Double link copper tone double loops link chain (cut a 16” length, 7” length, 2 4
double link lengths)
Copper toggle clasp
2 copper earwires
63 copper headpins
35 copper jump rings
Tools
1. Each large Lucite
flower has a headpin threaded into the center with a smaller flower and a 5mm
crystal. The colors are arranged as you
wish; this is meant to be an intuitive process.
Create a coiled and looped dangle at the back of the flower.
2. Grasp wire tail
with round nose pliers. Bend to a 90
degree angle. Wrap headpin over pliers
until it can’t move further. Bend pliers
½ turn and finish loop. Bend pliers
another half turn. Grasp wire tail with
chain nose pliers, wrapping tightly around bottom of loop to top of bead, be
gentle as you can break the flowers or crystals if you rush. Cut off excess wire and gently tuck tail into
bottom of coil with chain nose pliers.
3. Gently press
coiled loop flush to back of bead, this will allow the flower to hang flat
facing forward when the necklace is worn.
Repeat this for all of your large flowers. There are six on the bracelet, seven on the
necklace and two matching flowers for earrings.
4. Make coiled top
dangles with your small flowers. Thread
a crystal on a head pin into the center of your bead. Make a coiled and looped dangle leaving the
coil straight up and down so the flower will hang straight down from the
chain. These are hung in groups of
three. There are three on the earrings, eighteen
on the bracelet and twenty four on the necklace.
5. To put it all
together, attach a toggle clasp to the necklace ends, bar on one end and toggle
on the other using jump rings opened and closed with two chain nose
pliers. (Watch the Crafty Quickies Jump Ring video to learn how to properly open and close jump rings with tension, no
one likes to lose their dangles.)
6. The dangles are
attached every fourth link (three open links between each dangle.) For the necklace, begin from the center. Attach a large flower on the center link
using a jump ring. Attach a group of
three small flowers on jump rings on both sides of the flower skipping three
links. Repeat alternating between large
flowers and groups of small flowers until you have seven large flowers and eight
groups of three small beads. (When
attaching dangles to chains, be sure all dangles are falling from the bottom of
each link group. Keep the necklace flat
while working to ensure this.)
7. For the bracelet,
skip the first four links and add three flower dangles, skip three and add a
large flower and repeat alternating between large flowers and small flowers
until you reach the sixth large flower.
8. Attach a toggle clasp to the bracelet ends as with the necklace before using jump rings.
8. Attach a toggle clasp to the bracelet ends as with the necklace before using jump rings.
9. To make the
earrings, hang the smallest chain segments on a jump ring attached to the
bottom of each ear wire, thread three beaded small flowers on each jump ring
before securing closed. Attach a large
flower to the bottom of each small chain segment using a jump ring.
10. Check back
through the pieces to be sure all jump rings are properly closed. Toss on a pretty sundress, a cardigan, some
espadrilles and head off into the world feeling like the fabulous flower you
are, Buttercup.
iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Mini-Frame Pendant
iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Mini-Frame Pendant
Margot Potter
"These are your grandmother's craftshttp://www.margotpotter.com/collections/yourgrandmotherscrafts, ya gotta problem with that?"
Making these miniature wearable paper artworks is easy peasy and a ton of fun. Old book pages make great collage backgrounds and you can find images in Dover Books titles or do this with upcycled new magazine pages for a more modern look. No matter how you do it, Aleene's Dry Adhesives and Jewelry Glue make this a breeze!
The Craftabration Continues! Day two of Margot Potter: Live Handmade! I'm sharing a project I created for iLoveToCreate. These are my collage jewelry frames. I make them for myself, family and friends and they're just divine. I can not claim to have invented this art form, but I can tell you it's a ton of fun making these mini-collages. The images I use are from vintage pre-1940 magazines I found at a flea market in Paris...and soon...my little crafty chickadee...you will be able to buy them as PDFs from my new site! YAY! I'm still working on the logistics of that, so until then, here's a little project to whet your whistle with a free vintage image for you to use! We've got lots of old book pages for your collage backgrounds at the new site...I'm just sayin'.
(This image is sized to fit in a 1.5x1.5" frame. For personal use only.)
Miniature Frame (HHH Enterprises)
Tiny metal Tim Holtz idea-ology flower
4mm crystal AB SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS round
Old book page
Red construction paper
Artistic Wire mesh black
Aleene's Tacky Tape Runner
Aleene's Tacky Sticker Sheets
Aleene's Jewelry and Metal Glue
Chain
Clasp
Jump rings
Tools
Chain nose pliers
Small scissors
Pencil
Trace background paper to fit frame and cut with small paper scissors.
Cut out and adhere tiny collage elements using Aleene's dry adhesives.
Use Aleene's Jewelry and Metal glue to attach flower and crystal. (Be sparing, a little goes a long way!)
iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: iLoveMom Glass Vial Necklace and Earrings
iLoveToCreate Teen Crafts: iLoveMom Glass Vial Necklace
Margot Potter for Avalon Potter
“Mom crafted, teen approved.”
I’ve used these glass vials in a variety of jewelry making projects over the years. They’re like miniature works of art. You can put all sorts of things inside of these, beads, glitter, printed messages...whatever makes you smile. This is the perfect way to tell Mom how much you love her with a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted wearable work of art! It’s so easy to make these with Tulip Fashion Glitter and Aleene’s glue; you’ll find yourself looking for reasons to make more! I made some matching earrings using some smaller glass vials using the same techniques for a fun, fast and fabulous jewelry set just for mom.
Materials
Miniature glass jar with cork top
Thin ribbon for accent
One large puffy and four small flat felt hearts in pink and white
Tulip Fashion Glitter in multi medium crystal
Screw eye
Ball chain necklace
2 ear wires
2 jump rings
Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue
Aleene’s Stop Fraying
Aleene's Collage Pauge Matte
Tools
2 small paintbrushes
Chain nose pliers
Scissors
Computer and printer
(Blogger was compensated for this post.)
iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts: Sparkletastic Easter Earrings!
Sparkletastic Easter Earrings
iLoveToCreate Retrofabulous Crafts
Copyright Margot Potter
“These ARE your grandmother’s crafts...ya gotta problem with that?”
From McCall's Needlework and Crafts 1968
I have been toying with making a pair of sparkly Styrofoam earbobs for a while now. There are endless variations on this idea in my stash of vintage craft magazines. They’re also made of cork and wood...I’ve even seen these made of crumpled aluminum foil. The idea is to suspend a round ball on a thin chain for a pair of swingy earrings. Remember that these are styrofoam, so they weigh almost nothing, but if you like a more delicate silhouette, feel free to use smaller balls. I like my jewelry big and bold. These would be perfect for a teacher, young mom or if you’re feeling cheeky, to sport to the family Easter dinner. I’d make a matching necklace and wear this out and about just for fun, but I’m not afraid to be noticed.
Take this idea wherever you like, add sequins, seed beads, rhinestones. A splash of glitter gives it a little sparkle and the sparkly rick rack trim immediately evokes Easter eggs. I’m of the mind that life is short, so have a little fun now and then. What could be more fun than pink sparkly Styrofoam earbobs?!
Materials
2 1.5” Styrofoam balls
Sparkly silver rick rack trim
2 2” head pins
2 matching beads to secure headpins
2 ear wires
2 1” segments of thin chain
Aleene’s Foamtastic Glue
Crafty Chica Little Paints in red and white
Crafty Chica glitter in pink
Craft wire for painting and drying balls
Styrofoam block for drying balls
Tools
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Flush cutters
Foam brush
Scissors
Insert a 5-6” segment of craft wire into each Styrofoam ball. Mix red and white paints to make hot pink. Use a foam brush to pounce pink paint on surface of ball. Sprinkle glitter on ball and shake off excess. You will probably have to go back in for a second coat to hit any spots that aren’t fully covered, if you repaint make sure to re-glitter. Allow to dry, inserting wire into Styrofoam block. Keep ball on wire. Run a bead of Aleene’s Foamtastic glue along rick rack trim. Wrap trim around center of ball. Insert back into block and allow to dry.
When glue is dry, GENTLY thread a beaded headpin into the center bottom of your ball and thread to the center top. Make sure pin is straight and take your time. Bend wire at a 90 degree angle using chain nose pliers. Cut to 1/4” with wire cutters. Grasp end of wire with round nose pliers and CAREFULLY turn into a loop. Open loop to add chains using chain nose pliers.
Cut chains and thread on open end of loop. Use chain nose pliers to secure closed. Use chain nose pliers to attach earring wires to top of chain.
Optional: Add a beehive, tiara and a pair of cat eye glasses...hee.
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