Mixed Medial Jewelry Give Away and Starfish Bracelet

The idea for this pin started with a small scrabble tile and took off from there. This is truly a "mixed-media" piece of jewelry. The scrabble tile has been collaged and sealed with resin. I made the fabric bead above the tile and sewed on glass and freshwater pearls over a piece of vintage lace. It's all on a webbed piece of off white material sewed to a 3 inch long kilt pin. This my friends in blogland is my offering for my giveaway. Please leave a comment and you will be entered in the drawing. If you are a follower or become a follower you'll get your name entered twice. I'll randomly draw the winner on Thursday! Good Luck!

We all have secrets, now don't we???????

Tossed carelessly upon the shore through the glimmering aqua waves the starfish wait patiently in the bejeweled tide pool for the waves to sweep them back into the ocean...... I love starfish.....such benevolent little creatures....

They were the inspiration for this cuff bracelet. The waves and starfish are cut from leather and painted. I sewed on the glass and pearl beads onto the leather waves. The base is a somewhat flexible off white webbing layered with vintage lace.

The Starfish Story

An old man was walking down the beach just before dawn. In the distance he saw a young man picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. As the old man approached the young man, he asked; "Why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?" The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. "But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish, exclaimed the old man. "How can your efforts make any difference?" The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to safety in the sea, he said; "It makes a difference to this one!"

This little story reminds me that even the tinest gestures can make a big difference in other peoples lives. Hope you all had a great Saturday!

Fabric, Fibers, Lace and Bead Cuff Bracelet Tutorial and Give Away!

I'm giving away this 8 inch cuff bracelet that I just completed. It's entitled "Winter Solstice". I created it from two kinds of vintage lace, denim, fibers, blue wool felt leaves, vintage shell button and glass beads. A snap closes it. I'll draw the winner Thursday night. Just leave a comment to be in the drawing! How cool would this bracelet look with a cream colored cable knit fisherman's sweater and a pair of jeans.....ohhhhhh, you'd be stylin' in a Winter Wonderland kind of way!
Scroll on down to learn how to make one yourself.

Cuff bracelet tutorial

First you need to go to Joanne Fabrics and get a yard of this cream colored, 1 and a half inch wide cotton webbing. The trickiest part of making this bracelet is locating the webbing in the store. You'll find a spool of it below the sewing notions (like snaps and hooks and eyes). It's $2.49 a yard. Cut about 9.25 inches of it. Turn the ends under about 1/4 of an inch and stitch with a sewing machine. I use the heavy all cotton quilting thread.

Next sew on your lace and any other pieces of material you'd like. I used a straight stitch to sew on the denim and a zig-zag stitch to sew on the lace. You can sew the lace on flat or to give it more texture crumple it up when sewing it on to the webbing.
Here I sewed it on flat. Next set a snap in each end of the bracelet. I bought the $2.99 snap setter (don't waste your money on the $23 snap setter) kit. Just follow the directions on the back of the package, keep your fingers out of the way and you'll be fine.

Now comes the hand sewing! I use the heavy cotton Americana cream colored sewing thread and I double it on the needle. Sew on fibers ( I use the crazing shaggy yarn that knitters use to make scarves) here and there. Again pile them up to create interesting textured "nests". Sew on beads and buttons with the doubled thread wherever you'd like them. I try to make little groupings.After I get the lace sewn on with the machine it takes me about an hour to sew on the fibers and beads for each bracelet. It's not a fast thing to do but the result is that you'll have a bracelet that no other person has!

Good luck! Can't wait to see what you say about this bracelet! If you make one I'd love to see it!

Wishing Upon a Retro Star.........

How would you like to sit on a star...........

If I could wish on a star and have it come true, I'd wish for a tiny studio like this one. Isn't it cute? I think my head would just clear the top of this door (I'm 5'8"), it's that tiny!
This is my newest creation.......a cuff bracelet made of material with a snap closure embellished with lace, fibers, glass beads, and antique buttons. I really like the unusual shape of the shell button.


How about that antique button that looks like a diamond? I got it with 6 others at an antique show.
More pendants in the Jingle All the Way Home Shop..................These ones have a retro feel. There's just something about those 50s and 60s Christmas illustrations that I love. You just don't get the same look in present day Christmas illustration.

Little flat backed glass marbles embellished with glitter! Are you an elf lover?

Have a happy Thursday!