Free Mixed Media Jewelry Project: iLoveToCreate Newsworthy Bracelet

iLoveToCreate 
Newsworthy Bracelet
Teen Crafts
Margot Potter a.k.a. The Impatient Crafter
"Mom crafted, kid approved."

Clear lucite is the hot trend this spring in fashion jewelry, but why not have a little fun with it?  These inexpensive clear plastic beads are just begging for a little embellishment.  Collage Pauge is the perfect medium to make quick work of upcycled magazine page beads.  Teens will love this idea and they can take it in so many directions.  Why not use magazine pics of their favorite celebs or printed out pics of their friends?  Use a flat surface like a microscope slide or acrylic tile, try this with glass, use old chandelier components, do this on larger clear acrylic sheets for collages you can frame...use clear plastic game chips...can you see where I'm going with this? 

Materials
Recycled Magazine Pages (text and/or images)
Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage
Faceted transparent plastic (or transparent crystal/glass) beads 
22 gauge silver plated rose Artistic Wire
6mm sp jump rings
Sp lobster clasp

Tools
Paint brush
2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters

1.  Select beads and background text or images, since the beads will flip when worn, try to use paper with text and image on both sides.  Using a bead with a somewhat flat surface on each side works best.

2.  Paint a coat of Collage Pauge on the back of your bead.

3.  Stick bead into paper and mold paper around bead.  Tear to release from page.

4.  Paint a coat of Collage Pauge on the back of the paper and allow to dry.

5.  Use your fingers to remove the excess paper from around the edges of the bead, there should be a large section of paper left on bead, seal the edges with Collage Pauge.  Allow to dry.

6.  Thread the bead on the wire, keeping the wire on the spool.  Leave a .5" tail coming out of one end of your bead.

7.  Create a wrapped loop.  Cut off excess wire.  Create a wrapped loop on the opposite side, but DON'T cut the wire.

8.  Wrap the wire around the bead two times and then around the coiled section on the opposite side of the bead twice to secure.  Cut off excess, removing wire from spool.  Tuck tail into coil.

9.  Use round nose pliers to gently bend the wires, working along each one to create tension front and back.  Take your time so you don't nick the wire. 

10.  Connect the wired beads to create a bracelet using jump rings.  The number of beads needed depends on your wrist size.  Attach a clasp to one end and a jump ring to the other.

(If you don't know how you can learn how to open and close jump rings and wrap wires on my YouTube Channel in our Crafty Quickies videos.)

iLoveToCreate Lulu's Folly Mixed Media Purse

“A well dressed woman, even though her purse is painfully empty, can conquer the world.” Louise Brooks

iLoveToCreate Lulu’s Folly Mixed Media Purse
Copyright 2010 Margot Potter
Teen Crafts
“Mom crafted, kid approved.”

I scored a few paper purses at Old Navy on clearance last Christmas. I’ve slowly been making mixed media designs with them. This can be done on any paper or wood purse blank, they have tons of choices at your local big box craft chains. These kinds of designs for me have two purposes. Firstly they tell a story about a ‘woman of substance’ from history about whom I think it’s important young women know. These women paved the way for us and they’re fascinating creatures. This purse features silent film actress Louise Brooks. I have always adored her. She is credited with being the woman who made the bob haircut popular, which back in the 1920s was a huge thing. Bobbing your hair, rolling down your stockings and rouging your knees, applying bee stung lips...these were the rebellious acts of daring young women back in their day. These were women who dared to be different and who planted the seeds of independence we are reaping today. The second purpose of these designs is exploring the fun of playing with layers of colors, inks, images and dimensional elements to make wearable art. Purses are one of my guilty pleasures as a designer because they're the sort of fashion item that can be a bit more whimsical and fun.

Teens can choose any images they like and layer colors and elements to suit their individual style. Dab, layer, drizzle, splatter, stamp and have fun with this! I love inspiring people to make things their own and explore their unique creative eye. Don’t worry about coloring in the lines and following design rules, sometimes chaos can yield surprisingly pleasing results.

Materials
Purse Blank
Image of Louise Brooks or woman you admire sized to fit center of purse (remember that if you copy and use a copyright protected image you can ONLY use that for personal use and can not resell it.)
New or Vintage Scrabble Tiles to spell Lulu or other word
Transparency of butterfly from Art Chix Studios
Colored discs from Outside the Margins (one green, one blue and one pink)
4 crow dice from The Game Store
Optical vintage acrylic cabachons
Pink sparkly rick rack or ribbon trim to frame image
Archival ink jet black and crimson
Tulip Slick Paint Poppin’ Purple and Yellow
Tulip Pearl Paint Clover Green and Glacier Blue
Tulip Metallic Paint White and Silver
Crafty Chica Glitter Silver
Tulip Glitter in Diamond
Liquid Fusion Glue
Collage Pauge Matte
Aleene’s Platinum Bond 7800 Adhesive
20 Tulip Glam it Up Crystals 3mm
Flourish stamps (Lots of great ones from Inkadinkado)


Tools
Tulip Glam it Up Heat Setting Tool
Sea Sponge
Foam Brush

1. Adhere central image to purse with Collage Pauge matte. Allow to dry.

2. Begin by applying a layer of Tulip Metallics in white and silver using a sea sponge around image to edges of purse. Allow to dry.

3. Use archival inks in black and red to stamp flourishes across edges of purse and around image. Allow to dry.

4. Adhere butterfly to bottom right corner of image with Collage Pauge. (Don't paint any medium on top of transparency.) Allow to dry.

5. Use a foam brush to apply various layers of Tulip Pearl in Clover Green and Glacier Blue and Tulip Slick in Poppin’ Purple and Yellow and a thin coating of Tulip Glitter in Diamond. Allow to dry.

6. Run a thin bead of Liquid Fusion around edge of image and adhere rick rack trim. Adhere colored dics and add optical or glass cabachons. Allow to dry.

7. Glue scrabble tiles to left side of image and allow to dry.

8. Use Glam it Up wand to adhere crystals to tiles.

9. Run a thin bead of Liquid Fusion around edges of purse and butterfly and sprinkle with silver glitter. Shake off excess and allow to dry. Add small sections of Tulip diamond glitter to left side of image using same process. Allow to dry.

10. Glue four dice feet to bottom of purse using 7800 Adhesive and allow to dry.

iLovetoCreate Teen Crafty Rockstar Necklace

Teen Crafty Rockstar Necklace copyright Margot Potter for iLoveToCreate

iLoveToCreate Teen Crafty Rockstar Necklace
by Margot Potter
"Mom Crafted, Teen Approved."

Fall is upon us and winter isn’t far behind. I was thinking about fall friendly jewelry for teens and this idea popped into my head. I love the unexpected addition of soft blue with the traditional fall colors. You could easily make this same idea in other color palettes, but I really liked these earthy tones. My daughter Avalon thought this was super cool, and I trust her sense of teen style implicitly. And just for the record, I’d sport this myself in a hot second...in fact I may just sport it today!

Think about this for Christmas with holiday themed charms and papers...

...I’m just sayin’!

Materials
Traci Bautista’s Collage Pauge Glossy
Aleene’s Liquid Fusion Glue
Crafty Chica Little Paint Pack Paints Red and Yellow3 Tim Holtz Acrylic Fragments charmsDie Cuts With a View The Rockstar Stack
8 frosted orange Lucite leaves (The Beadin' Path)
5 frosted green Lucite leaves (The Beadin' Path)
8 8mm olive green moonglow vintage Lucite rounds (The Beadin' Path)
2 frosted orange Lucite flowers (The Beadin' Path)
6 6mm cracked blue Czech glass rounds
Silver plated rolo chain
Silver plated swivel lobster
13 silver plated head pins
3 10mm silver plated jump rings
21 6mm silver plated jump rings
Flourish stamp

Tools2 pairs chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire cutters
Foam brush
Paint brush
Pen or pencil for tracing shapes




Place pendent over segment of paper you desire and trace. Repeat for all three pendants.
Cut out papers. Spread a thin layer of Collage Pauge on pendants and adhere paper. Gently press on the back to remove any air bubbles. Paint collage pauge on back of tile. Allow this to dry for several hours.

Mix a small amount of red and a much larger amount of yellow Crafty Chica paints to create a warm pumpkin orange. Stamp into paint and stamp flourish on edges of your pendants. Allow to dry.


Attach an orange flower and a blue bead on to the top left corner of the largest pendant using Liquid Fusion. Allow to dry.

Create coil topped dangles for your blue and green round beads. Thread a blue bead, a flower and a green leaf on a head pin, then coil the back and bend it flush to the back of the leaf to create a small pendant for the back of your chain. (See this video for a quick and easy head pin coiling how to!)



Attach the largest pendant to the center of an 18” length of rolo chain using a 10mm jump ring. Move over 4 links and begin to attach elements on every other link using 6mm jump rings for beads and leaves and 10mm jump rings for the pendants, make sure they’re all falling to the bottom of your chain. The pattern on both sides is: orange leaf, green bead, green leaf with blue bead, green bead, orange leaf, pendant and the same pattern established in the first section of beads and leaves. (For a quick and easy tutorial on opening and closing jump rings see this video how to!)

Attach a lobster clasp to one end of your chain using a 6mm jump ring. Attach the flower pendant you created to the opposite end using a 6mm jump ring.

(Most of the products used in this design were donated for promotional purposes with the exception of the scrapbook paper and the rubber stamp.)

iLoveToCreate Teen Room Decor: Patchwork Paper Wall Letters

iLoveToCreate Teen Room Décor
Mixed Media Patchwork Paper Wall Letters
Margot Potter Teen Crafts
“Mom crafted, teen approved.”

Teens love to personalize their rooms and this is a fun and easy way to do that in a flash. You can make an entire word to fill a wall or just an initial like I’ve done here for a door. I really fell for these retro themed papers, but you can use any papers you like including recycled scrap stash papers, wrapping paper and magazine pages. You don’t have to save this idea just for your teen’s room; these would be adorable anywhere in your home. I love the idea of seasonally themed words done in this patchwork style. Avalon squealed when she saw this, so I'm pretty sure it’s a winner!
MaterialsWood letter or letters
K&Company Carolyn Gavin Scrapbook paper (or other paper of your choice)
Liquid Fusion Glue
Traci Bautista’s Collage Pauge medium in matte finish
Vintage or new coordinating button
Tulip clear crystal to fit inside of button
Wired tinsel
ToolsPaint brush
Scissors
Exacto knife
Pencil


1. Select your papers. Place your letter on the paper, hold it down firmly, trace and cut with your Exacto knife. (If there’s a little overlap you can trim it later.)

2. Cut the accent papers (I made a small border with a coordinating paper and cut out a coordinating paper flower.)


3. Adhere the papers using an even coat of decoupage medium and paint a coat of medium on top. I love using a brush because it gives you texture, but you can opt for a foam brush if you prefer. If you get bubbles, wet your fingers and gently work them out. (Don’t fret, they will deflate when the medium dries. I promise!) Allow medium to dry.
4. Paint a second coat of decoupage medium over surface and allow to dry.

5. Run a thick bead of Liquid Fusion along the edge of the letter and above your borders and adhere the tinsel wire. IMPORTANT: Do not smash the wire into the glue or it will flatten and lose its dimension and sparkle. Just gently lay it into the glue bead. For the longer pieces you can place something small (like small glue bottles) on each end and the center until they’ve tacked into place and then remove them and allow the tinsel to dry overnight. This is kind of like using hot glue without worrying about the heat melting the tinsel or burning your fingers.

6. Attach a button to the center of your flower using Liquid Fusion. Attach a Tulip crystal to the center of the button with Liquid Fusion. Allow to dry.

I Love to Create Recycled Magazine Mixed Media Decoupage Bangle Bracelets

Designing Diva Pattie Wack had a super fun make it/take it for I Love to Create at CHA Summer and on the last day of the show I sat down with her and created a one of a kind decoupaged mixed media bangle. I ran out of time and had to leave it unfinished...and fast forward to yesterday morning when I decided to make a similar project and finish the first one.

I adore these wooden blanks from DIY Bangles and I’ve been playing with images from magazines since my second book The Impatient Crafter Gets Inspired. I’m particularly fond of using a section of a fashion image and adding layers on it to see how far I can take it while still being able to tell what the original image was. If your teen has a pile of fashion or teen mags sitting around gathering dust, this is a great project for them to do and to personalize with images and embellishments they love. The base layer is made from thin tissue or handmade fibrous paper.

This same idea would be fab for frames or other room décor items...so don’t be afraid to take it to a bigger scale. Think how cool a dresser would be layered up like this!

So...without further ado...let’s get started!
Recycled Magazine Bangles
Margot Potter for I Love to Create Teen
Copyright 2009

Materials
Wooden bangle
Recycled magazines
Fuzzy yarn
Patterened and solid tissue paper in coordinated colorsTulip Iron-On Crystals in 2 sizes
Traci Bautista’s Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™ in glossy
Traci Bautista’s Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage™ in sparkles
Aleene’s Quick Dry Tacky Glue™Jet Black Archival Ink
Flourish rubber stamp
ToolsFoam brushTulip Cordless Heat Setting Tool
Scissors

1. Tear small pieces of your tissue paper and adhere to the wooden bangle. Spread a thin layer of Collage Pauge glossy on the back of the paper with a foam brush and use your fingers and the brush to apply to the bangle. It’s okay if there are some wrinkles. Spread a thin layer of medium on top of the paper as you work.

2. Cover the entire bangle inside and out with collaged tissue. Allow to dry.


3. Cut out images to fit the flat oval surfaces on your bangle. I pressed the image on the surface and used my pointer finger to press it along the edge, then removed the paper and cut along the indentation I made so the image fit the surface.

4. Adhere images with a thin layer of Collage Pauge glossy and allow to dry.

5. Put a thin smearing of Extreme Paint in Paradise Pink on the front of each image. Allow to dry.

6. Paint the entire bangle inside and out with Collage Pauge sparkle. Allow to dry.

7. Stamp images using archival ink and a sparsely detailed flourish stamp.

8. Run a thin bead of glue along a length of yarn and work your way around the bangle wrapping and adhering the yarn to the spaces in between the images. Allow to dry.

9. Use heat setting tool to adhere crystals to images. I used two sizes and two on each image, alternating their placement.