Halloween Charm Exchange....

(my charm created from a section of wooden ruler, chain, beads, stamped mother-of-pearl bead, tulle, wire, solder and jump rings)

 

Join me today for a Halloween Charm Exchange Blog Hop.

 

Thespa of Vintiquities Workshop hosted the exchange.

 

Make 15 charms and receive 15 back.

 

The variety this year was very fun!

 

Skulls. Spiders. Love Potion. Eyes...and the list goes on...

 

I don't actually plan on making a charm bracelet to wear.

 

I'm more of a decorate-with-jewelry type of gal, so these will find a home on journals, bottles, and around my office as decor. They'll fit right in with my Nightmare Before Christmas theme!

 

Thanks everyone for participating and sharing your talents!

 

Happy Halloween.....

 

 

Lexi Grezner - The Shabby Calavera

Thespa McLaughlin - Vintiquities Workshop

Kathy Thompson - Katalina Jewelry

Deb Patrick - Artziehodgepodge

Ginger Swanson - GingerJabber 

Marilou Bain - side one 

Marilou Bain - side two 

Angela Blasingame - Hopemore Studio 

Jeanne Gripp - Wildwoodsartstudio

Darci  

Lynn Stevens - Trashtotreasureart 

Sandy Babb - Quillcottage 

Heather Williams - Heathersheartnwings 

Virginia Abshire - virginiasscrappingboutique 

Dana James Designs - danasjewelrydesign

Tammy K

Halloween Charm Exchange

It's that time of year....

Time to celebrate HALLOWEEN!!!!

This year, I joined about 15 other creative women (and men?) in a Halloween charm swap.

Hostess: Thespa McLaughlin

I've seen a couple of the charms from Lexi, Ginger, Kathy, and can I just say... WOW! This is gonna be a GREAT exchange!!! Angie has kept hers a secret...and that's good, cause I like secrets!

There will be a blog hop to share the "treats" on October 30 ... so stay tuned.

We were given the option of making 15 identical charms or 3 sets of 5 charms. I made mine all the same.

Here's a peek at my creation...

WARNING:

WARNING, WILL ROBINSON....

STOP READING...

DO NOT SCROLL DOWN

if you DO NOT WANT TO SEE!!!!


secret.....secret.....secret...

do not peek!!!

do not scroll......

do not continue reading....


blah....

blah....

blah.....


empty space....

empty space....

empty space....


WHEW!!! ok....keep reading....

 

All cozy in their little glassine, sewn-shut envelopes and adorned with a little witches hairpin.

(note: I sewed these on my new circa 1939 Singer featherweight sewing machine...I LOVE that little machine!!! I would have never known about these if it wasn't for Ruth Rae telling me all about them. Thanks, Ruth! It only sews straight stitches or crazy crooked stitches in this case - this was its maiden journey with me at the helm, but I can see this little machine going places with me...)

I didn't do a tutorial, but just know, these are the swivel sections of a vintage wooden ruler, dissassembled, cut and sanded down; wire wrapped with beads, chain, black tulle, stamped mother-of-pearl bead, and then just a bit of soldering to hold it all in place!

Add a couple of jump rings and it's ready for your charm bracelet.

Perfect little vintage witch adornment...

I cannot wait to see ALL the goodness to hit my mailbox next week.....

'tis near Halloween..... I'm joining in the Halloween fun here... ALSO BE SURE TO READ THE PREVIOUS POST FOR THE E-BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!

E-book giveaways

The first two ICE Resin e-Books featuring jewelry and mixed-media artwork by the 2011-2012 Creative Team are now available for purchase.

Preview the first one, Imagine. Create. Explore. Volume 1 Mixed Media Jewelry by clicking below:

https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/239780/1/imagine-create-explore-volume-1-mixed-media-jewelry

My Beauty and the Beach necklace is featured on the cover and the method I've used is sure to inspire your creativity using a common beach find, wire, words and Resin. It is just one of my jewelry projects featured in the first book.

My fellow team members share several techniques and processes, as well.

If you like what you see, leave a comment here, and you will receive one chance to win a copy of your very own.

Share & Link Back to this post from your own blog, and a second entry will be made on your behalf. Just leave me a second comment letting me know. :-)

I will be drawing TWO winners on Saturday, October 20th, at noon PST.

Look for a secondary post for the opportunity to win a copy of Volume 2...Jewelry and Vanity where there are MORE inspired creations...

Cheers and Good LUCK!!!

ps. Kathy of Katalina Jewelry has a copy on her blog too! She's drawing on 10/12...check out her blog. She has some GREAT tutorials going on over there from the Halloween Charm Swap we are playing in over at Vintiquities Workshop.

Sailing Through September

photo credit: Hopemore Studio

As some of you may know, I was in California all last week with Phillip. A quick trip down to work a bit in the park on some enhancements. My first time "behind the scenes" after hours. Quite different than a "day at the Happiest Place on Earth" during the day.

So quiet. And, well, kind of surreal, actually, being able to drive our daily driver car onto the streets...who knew? Duh, how else do things get done in the night? Magic? I guess I just never thought much about THAT part.

We played a bit, shopping and visiting with our friends.

We laughed that it was raining in CA..seems we always get rained on in CA.

We drove through the smoke-zones...been doing that a lot lately, it seems. Smoke in Central Oregon. Smoke here at home.  Smoke in No. CA...My heart goes out to all those firefighters.

We woke up to a smoke alarm in the hotel...strike that! We woke up to the maintenance personnel removing tile in the room right next door to our room...As we were about to leave, the smoke alarm started wailing away...we grabbed our things and when we opened the door, the hallway was full of smoke... GREAT! MORE SMOKE! But not fire smoke...soldering smoke...lots of it! Obviously they were working on the bathroom...tile...plumbing...hmmmm.

****

While we were on the road, my blog friend, Angie, of Hopemore Studio blogged about some little sailboats she created... and gave me a shout-out of thanks for advice and ideas... BUT don't let her fool you, she is a woman of many talents!!!

A couple of months ago, she surprised me with the most darling little boat...

complete with a Rand McNally map section of Grants Pass, Oregon...Josephine County.

Using this map, I can almost see my house!

The little guy in the boat, is adorable. I saw him a few years ago in a Stampington publication and have loved him ever since...How intuitive Angie was to select him for my boat! He's a bit upside-down in this photo, but who hasn't had one of those days??? (I raise my hand here...my Monday after being gone for a week?)

Any way, back to Angie...she has an Etsy Shop where she sells her adorable creations...her polymer slides are gorgeous!!! The perfect amount of vintage!

I just love blogging for fun! I have met some very creative and fun women via blogging. And always enjoy exchanging little "gifts" back and forth... Thanks, Angie!