I Love to Create: Specs Appeal Necklace

Today is the last project in our month long series revamping jewelry from The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Guide to Handmade Jewelry for our I Love to Create Column. I hope you have enjoyed all the projects: Fabric Scrap Bracelet, Shredded Junk Mail Pin Pong Ball Necklace, Wearing Your Collection Bracelet and Fabric Necklace. Today is a new spin on one of my favorite projects in the book, the Specs Appeal Necklace.



In the book I used a pair of glasses, but for the remake we are only going to use a lens. This is a fun and easy project I have made several times and always love how they turn out. I get a kick out of searching for vintage images of people wearing glasses to use in the necklace! Plus the project is super duper easy to make. Read on for complete instructions and for a chance to win your own copy of The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry.



SUPPLIES
Aleene’s Instant Decoupage
Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint (Petal Pink)
Image of someone wearing glasses
Scissors
Craft Knife
Stove
Water
Pot
Old Eye Glasses
Dremel Drill (with small bit)
Silver Chain Necklace
2 silver jump rings
Flat nose pliers
Wire Clippers
Sponge Brush



Hunt and Gather
You might be wondering; “where does one find vintage images of kids wearing a headdress and eyeglasses?”. Well the answer is you buy books at your thrift store and hope for the best or you snag some Crafty Collage Curios. Old eyeglasses are also easily found at the thrift store. Look for pairs that are plastic, have large lenses and are not bifocals.



Boil
Boil a pot of water and pop in your glasses. Let them boil for 3-5 minutes. The heat weakens the plastic frames.



Pop
Drain the water and rinse with cool water until you can touch the lenses. Apply pressure and each lens should pop right out of the frame.



Decoupage
Once you have chosen your image, make sure it will fit inside your lens. Slather the inside of the lens with Aleene’s Instant Decoupage. Squish your image to the lens. Apply more Aleene’s Instant Decoupage to the backside of your image and smooth out all the bubbles and wrinkles. Allow to dry completely.



Cut
Once your decoupage has dried go back in with your scissors and cut off excess paper. Use your fingernail to scrape off any decoupage that might have gotten on the front of the lens. Use your craft knife to trim around the edges for a close finish.



Paint
Using your Tulip® Soft Fabric Paint coat the backside of your lens with a matching color. This acts as a protective barrier and also gives your lens pendant a more finished look. Allow to dry completely.



Drill
Using a small drill with a small bit drill two holes in the top two corners of your lens.



String
Using your wire clippers snip your 18” silver chain necklace at the very center link so that it is in two strands. Using your flat nosed pliers attach the two strands to either hole in your lens using a silver jump ring.



There you have it, easy and as cute as can be! Nothing says the image you use has to be a picture of someone wearing glasses; I just love a good theme. Embellish the lens with some Tulip Glam It Up Crystals (attach them with some Liquid Fusion Glue rather than iron, duh) or perhaps some plastic flower petals.

The way you enter yourself to win a free copy of The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry is to leave me a comment. Not just any comment. The comment field about “what do you look for in a craft book” got such a good response today I thought I would ask “what do you look for in a blog how-to project”. Do you prefer step by step with pictures or do you like video? Are the instructions or the pictures more important to you? How often do you make the projects you have seen on a craft blog? Any and all comments pertaining to how-to blog projects would be appreciated! Good luck you have a week to enter.

Suggested Reading
Trendy is as Trendy Does: Sunglasses
Creative Juice - Vintage Eyeglass Frames and Funky Pins
Eyeglasses Picture Frame
Crafty Stunnas Necklace
Indie Fixx - Make Pins from Eyeglasses

Redheaded Arts and Crafts – Part 2: Crafts

Welcome to day two of our series on Redheaded Arts and Crafts. Yesterday we covered redheaded art and today we are covering redheaded crafts. Not like how to make your own Annie doll, more like crafters with red hair.

You have no idea how excited I was to recently go and get my hair dyed red. No I’m not a real red head, the truth is out. Once a man in a restaurant remarked to my mother, sister and I: “well these lovely ladies must be your daughters because they got your red hair" she replied:”they sure are we all got it at the same place Sally Beauty Supply”. Red hair does not run in the family except in a bottle. No matter, we still wear our red loud and proud.

I always thought it was interesting how many red headed crafters there are out there and not just in my family. Sure there are more blondes and brunettes, but red heads are a rare breed so to have several in the same genera is really saying something. Every time we would film a special for HGTV and DIY Vickie Howell, Cathie Fillian and I would all be standing there with our freshly dyed red coifs ready for our close ups. Margot Potter, Stefanie Japel and I all write for North Light Books. Jenny Ryan, Erika Kern and I all are members of the Hot Babes with Gigantic Pinecones Flickr group. Is it coincidence? I think not.

Read on for a round up of some of the loveliest and most creative redheads I know.


Jennifer Stafford – Author DomiKNITrix: Whip Your Knitting Into Shape

Jenifer Rea – ½ of Team Fabrication

Jena Coray – Editor of Modish



Fredda Perkins – Naughty Secretary Club

Jennifer Perkins – Naughty Secretary Club

Hope Perkins – Hot Pink Pistol

Shannon Okey - Knitgrrl

Vickie Howell – Vickie Howell



Jenny Ryan - Felt Club

Cathie Fillian - Creative Juice

Erika Kern - My Imaginary Boyfriend



Jenifer Bryan - Lucy Blue Studios

Geraldine Newfry - Geraldine Newfry

Jean Yates - Pretty Kitty Dog Moon Jewelry

Jenny Vorwaller - Natural Historie



Margot Potter - The Impatient Beader

Jenny Mtchell - Freckle Wonder

Stefanie Japel - Glampyre Knits

I’m sure there are oodles that I forgot, but these are the first batch of ladies that came to mind. Got any suggestions for the next round of crafty red heads?

Suggested Redheaded Reading:
My Trip to Los Angeles in Pictures - More hot pinecone pictures!
I Felt Like I was Living Inside a Picturesque Snowglobe - Filming a DIY Holiday special in Vermont.
Sew Darn Cute - A review of Jenny Ryan's awesome book.
CHA Roundup in Pictures - redheads like Margot Potter and Hope Perkins!
Vickie Howell - Not Another Teen Knitting Book - An interview and book review.
Team Fabrication - I won best local accessory designer!
Modish Handmade Spaces - Take a tour of my studio.
Who's Craft is it Anyway - My mom on Craft Magazine.
The Bad Tiger Lieutenant - Hope Perkins latest art work.

Redheaded Arts and Crafts – Part 1: Arts

Today we embark on two days of redheaded arts and crafts. Tomorrow we will be featuring some of our favorite redheaded crafters, but today we are talking about redheads in art. My fascination all started with my love of Toulouse Lautrec paintings and has progressed from there.


Two redheads are better than one.
1) HELLO July by: Ashley G 2) believe in yourself by: Jess Gonacha 3) Red Haired Twins by: Art and Ghosts 4) I think Im in love by: Rosie Music


The eyes have it.
1) My Valentine-Sweet Candy Girl holds Love in a heart Box by: Pinky Toast 2) The Illustrated Girl by: The Black Apple 3) Punk Groupie by: Daily Practice 4) Cherry Bomb by: Scarlett Cat


Wind blowing through your hair.
1) Margot I - The Collection by: Liza Corbett 2) Malin by: Carambatack Design 3) Beauty by: Ola Design 4) Impatiens by: Marmee Craft


Minty fresh Pepperminte.
1) treasures by: Pepperminte 2) clementine by: Pepperminte 3) madeline by: Pepperminte 4) musical dreams by: Pepperminte


Rockin robin redheads - tweet tweet.
1) Too Shy No. 3 by: Rosie Music 2) She Was A Bit by: Number Eight 3) Litte Heart Beat and Butterflies-Root Doll Girl by Pinky Toast 4) Red Head Fashionable Chick Drawing by: Old Cake Paintings

Don’t forget to stop back by tomorrow to read our redheaded crafters round up! Know any pieces of redhead art I forgot? Trivia: Which of these 20 prints do I own and have hanging in my bedroom?

Suggested Arty Reading:
There is Something in Your Hair
Two Heads are Better Than One
Hells Bells I'm Feeling Cells
36 Pieces of Art I May Not be Able to Live Without
Should I Quit Making Jewelry and Start Booking Art Shows?

Soaps That Look Good Enough to Eat & Soap Queen TV

I love to hear from past Craft Lab guests. This weekend I received a lovely smelling package from season 1 guest Anne-Marie Faiola of Brambleberry and now of Soap Queen TV. Starting in May every Thursday on You Tube you will be able to catch Anne-Marie hosting a free Do-It-Yourself soap making series. I can hardly wait!


Soap Queen TV is Coming Soon! from Soap Queen on Vimeo.

I'm looking forward to June 18th and the Candy Soaps episode! I love soap that looks good enough to eat.



1) Peace, Love and Soapyness by Soapy Love 2) Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Soap by Lily Bay Soap 3) Ice Cream Soap by Love Lee Soap 4) The Lollipop Guild Soap by Grumpy Girl 5) Peachy Jello Bundt Cake by Sapone Soaps 6) Sweet Mini Doughnut Soap by Love Lee Soap 7) Peaches and Creme Pie Glycerine Soap by Suds n Bubbles 8) Fruity Lollipop Soap by Love Lee Soap

MORE SOAPY GOODNESS
Soapcicles - Learn how to make soap popcicles on Craft Lab.
Mold and Pour Soap - Check out Anne-Marie and I make soap on an episode of Craft Lab.
Quit Your Day Job: DennisAnderson Takes the Plunge! - Etsy soap maker Dennis Anderson profiled in the Storque.
Soapy Love: Soap You Will be Tempted to Wash Your Mouth Out With - Read an interview I did with Debbie Chiatlas.
Cupcake Soap with a Cherry on Top - How to make cupcake soap!

Wanna See My Costume Jewelry Collection?

Love the look of vintage costume jewelry, but don’t have the patience to dig through antique shops to find it? Don’t worry I’ll do the hard work for you. That is what our entire Les Classiques section is about. All the pieces rings, pins, purses, bracelets and necklaces are vintage costume jewelry some of it signed! Yesterday we added 10 new vintage necklaces to Naughty Secretary Club ranging in age from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. Take a peek and treat yourself.

As an added bonus I got to thinking about my own stash of vintage costume jewelry I have around the house and thought you might like to take a closer looksie. You have seen some of these pieces before in the How Ya Hanging Jewelry Display post and if you took the virtual tour of my entire house on Apartment Therapy things might look familiar, but these are all new pictures. Hope you like!

I Love to Create: Eco-Friendly Ping Pong Ball Necklace

Today on I Love to Create we are going to be talking a little table tennis. Playing with ping pong balls, just without the paddles. Instead of bouncing across a table these ping pong balls are going to be used to create a jumbo necklace. Sounds crazy right? Trust me, the necklace is cute. I used to make and sell them on Fred Flare.



As you know I like my jewelry big, I mean really big. Beads just don’t come in a size big enough for my taste so I had to improvise and create my own, hence the ping pong balls. For this I Love to Create project I cross bred my Ping Pong Ball Necklace with the Shredded Junk Mail Necklace in The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry. If you want to learn how to create your own Eco-Friendly Ping Pong Ball Necklace and win a copy of my book keep right on reading!



SUPPLIES
Collage Pauge Instant Decoupage (Sparkle)
Aleene's Paper Glaze
Junk Mail or Old Magazines
Paper Shredder
7 Ping Pong Balls
Dremel Drill (with small bit)
7 long gold eye pins
8 large gold jump rings
Flat nosed pliers
Wire clippers
Round nosed pliers
Length of chain



Shredding
Choosing the right paper to shred for this project is crucial. You want to use colorful slick paper that is why junk mail and old magazines are perfect!

Covering Ping Pong Balls
Since I used confetti style ping pong balls I had a little more give with my coverage. Using sparkly Collage Pauge coat your ping pong balls with your shredded paper. Apply collage pauge to your balls, add paper, add more collage pauge. There is no right or wrong way to do this, the more random the strips are applied the better. Allow to dry thoroughly.



Top Coat
Once your balls have dried completely cover with Aleene’s Paper Glaze to seal and protect. Allow to dry.



Drilling
Using a small drill with a small bit drill two holes in each ball on opposite sides. I just eyeballed this step, but you could get technical and measure if you wanted to.



Wire Wrapping
Insert your long eye pins through your holes and using your pliers wire wrap so that there is a loop on either side.



Connecting
Using your jump rings connect the balls to make a chain.



Wearing
Using another large jump ring attach a length of chain in any color or material you choose to the last two balls. Make the necklace as long or as short as you like. Wear out on the town and let the compliments come rolling in!



I loved all the comments we got on the Fabric Scrap Bracelet about what Eco-Crafts people enjoy making. Today I’m hoping you will fill me in on where you get your ideas for these crafts from. Do they come to you naturally? Do you have a favorite blog? Do you have all the back issues of Scrap Craft Magazine? Eco-Crafts are such a hot topic I’m curious where your inspiration comes from. Leave me a comment and you could win a free copy of The Naughty Secretary Club: The Working Girls Guide to Handmade Jewelry.

More Decoupage Jewelry
DIY Network - Check out the charm necklace and bracelet I made on a holiday special.
Show Pony - Using some Decopatch I whipped up a show pony necklace!
Michaels - Make the Sparkle Charm Bracelet I made for a Michaels ad.
Recycled Fabric Bangle - Another fantabulous eco-friendly I Love to Create project.
Flickr - Take a stroll through some of my past decopauge creations.
Cupcake Topper Necklaces - Use them on top of a cupcake or make them into a necklace!

Earth Day Contests

Dear Figs and Ginger,

Please humbly consider this my entry into your first annual Earth Day Giveaway. I covet all your fawn adorned jewelry so when I learned that by merely planting a tree I could win a free pair of Fawn Post Earrings I grabbed a loquat cutting and headed outside. Well actually I made my husband Chris plant the tree, but I took the pictures so that will hopefully count. My husband has a green thumb and loves loquats. We have a huge tree full of fruit in our front yard that he planted. Each year he makes us loquat cobbler and loquat ice cream with the fruit. He also starts little saplings from the loquat seeds that we have in various pots around our backyard. When I heard of your contest I thought what better way to celebrate Earth Day and score myself some spiffy new earrings than to plant one of those saplings in our yard. You can never have too many loquats. As you can see even our dog Ella thought it was a great idea.

Sincerely,
Jennifer D. Perkins











Honorable Earth Day Mention
Threadless – Buy a tee and they will plant a tree.
Toms Shoes – All year long when you buy a pair of shoes they give a pair away to someone in need.
Modish - Modish has teamed up with Cosa Verde to giveaway 45 items donated by 30 talented artists.
Craft Stylish - Enter their Crafty by Nature contest to win a free YuDu!

Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up

My how things can change over the course of just 1 year. Above is a picture of me at the Lone Star Rod & Kustom Round Up show last year. Below is a picture of me at the same show this past weekend with my little fam. I’m standing in front of the same car in both pictures, my favorite a leopard print Mercury. The big difference in the picture is that I switched out the can of Lone Star Beer for a baby in a sling.