Handmade Jewelry

Before I go into my topic for this entry, I want to apologize for the lack of posts this year. This has been a very hectic and stressful year, with many changes in my life as well as in my hobbies and interests. I still have a few photography-related blogs I need to post, which was the hobby-of-the-moment in 2009. But this year, I went back to my first love, music. I'm hoping to put together some videos to share soon.

But on to subject of handmade jewelry. I have two online stores to share with you, just in time for the holiday season.



Bernardini Designs
http://www.artfire.com/users/bernardinidesigns
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pbsnaps

Pat Bernardini of Bernardini Designs is a multi-talented artist that enjoys working with different mediums and loves to learn new techniques. From her bio:

Background in fine art and photography. Compulsive crafter including furniture making, fish decoy carving, jewelry design, photoshop, quilting etc. etc. Love to learn new techniques and to create one of a kind jewelry items combining vintage components with contemporary and reproduction findings.

In her store, she sells photography prints as well as jewelry. If you read some of the descriptions of the jewelry, you'll find that she can hold on to a component for years until she finds just the right piece to go with it. The results are timeless fashion pieces with personality and soul. She is inspired by the Victorian and other classic eras, and especially by the jewelry of Frida Kahlo.



LongLocks HairSticks
http://www.longlocks.com

I've actually known of LongLocks since before I started this blog and can't believe I haven't mentioned it yet. If you are tired of trendy hairstyles and want to go for a classy, clean look, hairsticks are the way to go. Susan Maxwell makes some of the best on the 'net. Toppers can be crystals, gemstones, glass, silver, and at one point she was making her own beads out of polymer clay but I don't know if she still does. Her stick finishes almost rival the beauty of the beads. They include foiled, marbled, mineral leaf, one that looks like it's sugar-coated, and others. Most designs are one-of-a-kind and come with a certificate. If you already own a particulat design, it's possible to have it duplicated. Or if you are having them custom made for a bridal party, then they can of course be duplicated.

My hair is no longer long enough for hairsticks so I haven't bought any in a while. But you can see my collection in my gallery as well as different updo styles. (Not all the sticks are by LongLocks, though.)
http://www.loopfree.net/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=19438




Photos by khrome: (top) Victorian Black Poppy Necklace by Bernardini Designs; (bottom) Strawberry Tea by LongLocks Hairsticks

Nutcracker Greeting Cards - Battle of the Mouse King

This year, I continued with the Nutcracker theme for my holiday greeting cards, with another scene from the story - the battle of the Mouse King. I had decided last year that I wanted the next character I showcased to be the Mouse King but that was all I really knew. I made a rough sketch but as I started making the card, the design kind of evolved on it's own. The whole process was organic, much different from what I'm used to. In the end, I was happy, and surprised, with the results - surprised because I had so much doubt in the beginning.

So without boring you with my whole thought process of how I got here, here is my card and how I ended up making it. The type of card is called a View Master card, though I didn't know that's what it was called when I made it. Basically, you have a disk with images on it that is attached in the center to another piece that has a window. As you turn the disk, the image in the window changes. On the other side of the disk, I put a quote from the Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman.

Outside and Inside of the card:



The card in motion:



Materials Used:

• SU Kraft Card Stock
• SU Vanilla Card Stock
  
• SU "Sens du Temps" stamp
  
• SU "Bella Toile" background stamp
  
• SU "To the Nines" DSP
  
• SU Chocolate Chip Classic Ink Pad
  
• Gold Encore Ink Pad
  
• "Mouse King Battle" original artwork by Me
• Holiday sentiment stamp
• Gold mini-brads
  
• SU Pop-up Glue Dots
• Aileen's craft glue

Tools Used:

• Ink Daubers
  
• Fiskars Ultra ShapeExpress with circle and oval templates
• EK Success Circle Scissor Plus
  
• Crop-a-Dile II Big Bite Punch
• Tablet PC
• Injet printer
• Photoshop CS2
  
• "Starry Night" font by Laura Ashpole
  

Creating the Artwork

To create the artwork, I first made a mockup of the card so that I would know where the window would be and what part of the disk would be showing through it. Once I made my mockup, I put a pen through the window and kept it there as I moved the disk. I did this for the top and bottom of the window. From that, I determined my measurements:



Then in Photoshop, I created a file with each of the characters I wanted on the disk - each character in their own layer pairs. This was done at a higher resolution than the finished artwork because it's easier to get rid of data than to create data from thin air, should I make the graphic too small.



I copied the file, and in the copy set up the guides for the disk, merged the pairs of character layers, and placed them around the disk. If you do this and are going to use a background color on your disk, make sure the color extends past the dimensions of the disk. This is called "bleed", and it's to ensure that if you don't cut out the artwork in a perfect circle, that there won't be any white crescent-shaped edges where the color didn't reach.



I then created the back of the disk, which has a quote from the book, shaped in a spiral. I printed the front and back disks on to Vanilla Card Stock, cut them out, and daubed the edges with Chocolate Chip ink to hide the white cross-section of the paper. Then I glued the backs and fronts together. The quote says:

Clock, clocks, whir softly, do not strike.
Mouse King is keen of hearing. Whir whir purr purr
sing him the old song whir whir purr purr,
Ring, bell, ring. Ding dong ding dong.
He won't last long.

- E.T.A. Hoffman "Nutcracker"

My Philosophy About Digital Artwork

I love drawing and painting on my tablet PC. If I had more time, I could have done a better job and made it look less cartoon-y. There has been some argument as to whether digital art is as "good" or as "real" as traditional mediums. I can tell you, having experience in both, that it is. Like anything, there is a learning curve to get over the technical aspects of computer graphics. But once using the software becomes intuitive, picking up a tablet pen is no different than picking up a stick of charcoal, or a paintbrush.

Creating the Card

I first cut my card stock in half, then scored each piece down the center. Using a plain sheet of paper to mask the left side, I stamped the Bella Toile background stamp with Gold ink. I then cut the oval window out.



I used a dauber to sponge gold ink at the corners of the cards, then cut strips of DSP and glued them to the card



I stamped clock faces on Kraft Card Stock, without including the clock hands, then cut ovals in the top half of the clock. In the story, the battle takes place at midnight, and the hands were permanently fixed at 8:17. Making individual hands would have been a pain - that's how I came up with the oval window idea to take up that space.

With a lightly-inked dauber, I used a sort of flicking motion to color the inside of the ovals. I then used a rubbing motion with the dauber to apply color to the outside edges of the clocks. This will give a nice gradient on the inside - it doesn't matter if color goes past the line because it will get covered in the next step (this only works if your next ink is opaque.)



I stamped an extra clock face and cut right along the outside edge of the circle. This circle was used as a mask. I placed the mask over the real clock, and daubed Gold ink around the edges, making sure to extend past the dimensions of where I will cut the outer circle.



I then cut out the clocks. They are looking pretty good at this point but kind of flat.



To add dimension, I used a dauber with Chocolate Chip ink to "flick" more ink along the edge of the clock.



I used Glue Dots to affix the clock faces to the cards.



I punched a 1/8" hole in the center of the disks and secondhand clock, separately, so I could make sure they were centered. And finally, assembled them with a gold brad.

Sewing Project #11: Aprons for Mom

It has been a while since I've sewn, so it was really nice get back into it with this easy apron project. This was actually a request from my mom - she had one particular apron that she really liked so she asked me to copy it but she wanted me to add a cellphone pocket on the chest. Her apron just resembles a large bib on the front and back, that ties on the side. It was so un-inspiring that I procrastinated for 6 months before making it. My friends and I dubbed it "the lead apron" because it resembles the cover they put over you at the dentist to protect you when they take x-rays. :-) I suggested to my mom a nice, vintage-style apron but she liked the practicality of hers. The back 'bib' kept her from getting the chills when she went outdoors.

I took the apron with me and had it for several months. Eventually, my mom needed it back but all I had done was write down the measurements. I had never drafted my own pattern before and thought this one would be easy. But as the end of the year came, more projects piled in and I just wanted to get it done. After searching sewingpatterns.com, I found this versatile apron pattern - Simplicity 4987. View 3 most resembled my mom's apron.

My mom's apron is shorter and has rounded corners, but I liked how the straight bottom made it look less "lead-like". View 3 is also a lot longer than her apron, so I shortened it to right below the pockets. Her apron was also unlined - the ones in this pattern are lined, which I liked. Better to keep the chill out, right? :-)

My mom had given me a cute cotton fabric with yellow print, with jugs of daisies all over. She wanted me to make two aprons but unfortunately she had the fabric cut in two 1yd pieces. Because it wasn't continuous, I could only make one. So I dug around my stash and found enough rose-patterned fabric leftover from the empire-waist dress I made (6th project.)

Aprons finally done!


For the Daisy Apron, I wanted to put lace on the outer edge, which was similar to my mom's current apron. I used a nylon lace since my mom would be in the kitchen most of the time and nicer lace would probably just get limp and ratty. I did not put lace along the bottom because both my mom and I are short, so I wanted to accentuate the vertical, not the horizontal. I used a pale plain yellow cotton for the lining, and Forest Green grosgrain ribbon to match the leaves on the flowers.

One thing I learned from adding lace is that when you get to the part in the pattern where you have to sew the side ties to the front or back, you will need to do the lace first THEN the ties. Otherwise your ties will end up on top of the lace.

My mom, modeling the Daisy Apron:


For the Rose Apron, I didn't have enough fabric for all the pockets so I used a pink fabric with faint swirls - same one I used on the Empire Dress. I thought the pink at the bottom looked too bare so I played around with some Sage satin ribbon. At first, I thought I'd put a horizontal stripe near the top of the pockets. But that whole horizontal-making-short-people-look-shorter thing kept bugging me. I suddenly had the idea to do a trellis-like pattern over the pockets. I really liked how it came out! First, I drew a diagram on graph paper so I would know how to space the ribbon. Then using the grid on the cutting board, marked on the front of my fabric where the ribbon should go. I sewed all the ribbon with the ends going passed the seam line so when I sewed the lining to the front, the ends were neatly tucked inside.

Trellis-like pattern on Rose Apron:


As far as things that can be improved in this pattern - the pattern requires you to sew the back and front seperately, outside-in, then flip it inside-out through the shoulder seam. Then you join the shoulder seam. The inside seam is suppose to be slip-stitched. i thought it was better to stitch through all layers, about a centimeter from the seam, so it has a double-stitched appearance. I thought this made it more durable by having all layers sewn together, rather than just one side machine-stitched. I also double-stitched the pockets.

In the end, I loved how the aprons came out (so not "lead-like") and so did my mom. I'll probably make her a few more, and myself one too - but the more stylish View 5 or 6. :-)

Holiday Shopping

It's that time of year again for holiday shopping! I thought I'd write about a few of my crafty friends, if you are into handmade, self-published, or making gifts yourself. I always find it's nice to give people gifts that are unique and/or handmade, while at the same time you are supporting an individual that you can actually talk to instead of a corporate store.


Steampunk Cuff Links by LilVoodoo's Curios

These beautiful steampunk-inspired cuff links were made by my guildie, Sean. Each one is one-of-a-kind and crafted from salvaged parts. One picture cannot do these little gems justice, as they change color under different light sources and angles, so I've included here a few shots of the set I bought from him.



From his site:

From steampunk jewelry to spiritual talismans, each of our pieces are hand-made and one of a kind.

Looking for something unique and don't see it here, let us know. Whether its a piece of jewelry, gris-gris bag or a little this-and-that in a bottle, we aim to please.

Be sure to click on the "Sold" link to see his past work. They sell fast, so you have to check his store often.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilVoodoo


Children's Book by Pamela Strange

"The Only Way To Get To The Backyard Is Through The House" is the first, self-published, work by my friend, Pam.

From Goodreads:
Follow the adventures of Buddie the Cocker Spaniel as he learns that there is more than one way to reach the backyard! This book, geared towards 2 to 5 year olds, teaches concepts such as "in", "through", and "around".

I bought this book for my niece, who really enjoyed it. I'm planning to buy another one for my other niece who is soon to be 2 years old.

Pam enjoys doing readings at book stores and public libraries. She loves to engage her listeners and be interactive, rather than straight reading. She periodically does signings, as well.

Pam contracted Anna Measures to do the illustrations for her book. Here are both Pam's and Anna's biographies from Xlibris:

Pamela Strange has a degree in English Literature from University of South Florida. Her career has been in Information Technology. She is currently employed by Fielding Graduate University based in Santa Barbara, CA. Pam loves dogs, and loves that they love unconditionally. She enjoys reading positive fiction, and aspires to write in that genre as well as Mysteries and Picture Books. She has had the privilege to have been inspired by many loving pets – including Buddie! To all who are young-at-heart from 2 to 102 , may Buddie´s story bring you joy and inspire you. As you find your path, it might even teach you a preposition or two along the way!

Anna Measures - Illustrator Anna Measures lives in Oxnard, California. She currently works as a designer of children´s products and is available for freelance llustration work.

You can order "The Only Way To Get To The Backyard Is Through The House" from:
http://www2.xlibris.com/Bookstore/bookdisplay.aspx?bookid=35568

And you can keep up to date with Pam's news at her website:
http://www.strangewriter.com/

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Make a Cedar-lined Wardrobe Trunk out of a Wine Crate

In an earlier post, I talked about the problems I ran into with the Silkstone Wardrobe Trunk and the ideas I came up with to solve them. This worked pretty well for a while but as my fashion collection grew, I ran into a new problem - the Silkstone wardrobe simply did not have enough hanging space. Not only that, but the width of the space was not enough for my "poofy dresses" and I cringed everytime I closed it, knowing that they were getting squished every which way.

That is when I thought that a wine crate would lend itself nicely to being a wardrobe trunk. Some of them already come with hinges and latches, eliminating half the work. At first I thought to line it with scrapbook paper but then decided to go with cedar veneer for several reasons.

Aromatic cedar gives off a scent that is a natural repellant of moths, silverfish, and other insects that cause damage to fabrics. It is resistant to bacteria and fungus. Wood in general also absorbs moisture yet allows contents to breathe. Given these properties, I thought a cedar-lined trunk would be the perfect place to store my growing vintage fashion collection. BUT, some websites have said that the oils from cedar are acidic and can cause fabric discoloration, so it's recommended that you hang a piece of acid-free tissue on either end of the pole to seperate your garments from the wood (which I haven't done yet. :-/ ) Cedar comes in red and white varieties. From what I understand, the red variety is more aromatic and is the type you'd want to pick if you are interested in it's bug repelling properties.

There are different types of cedar linings available. There are thin planks which are usually used to line a regular closet, and there are veneers. After determining the layout of my trunk, I decided to go with both - veneers for the side of the box and planks for the shelf. (Planks are expensive though - had I not already had some left over from my real closet, I probably would not have done the shelf. You can always go with other wood types for the shelf too.)

Wine crates also come in different shapes and sizes, and made from different woods or particle board. Some have rope handles, some have sliding tops instead of hinges and latches, etc. Most of the time they are inexpensive - I bought mine for $10 from eBay. Avoid shipping charges by trying to find one locally. I chose the particular box I got because of it's depth - it orignally held 6 wine bottles. But there are flatter ones that hold 3 bottles that would make great doll carriers. You might want to choose a box that has inserts oriented a certain way because the grooves can be used for shelves (once again, less work for you to do.)

Finally, choose your finishing touches. Woodworking stores sell decorative and functional hardware such as handles, corners, clamps, knobs, etc. I got my hardware as well as my veneer from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware.

Veneer can be applied two different ways - I used the simple method using wood glue to make an adhesive backing and an iron to adhere it. If you'd like to use the traditional method with contact cement, there are many places on the web that explain how to do it - I have not tried it myself. To make a trunk exactly like the one I did, you will need:

Materials:

• a wine crate with hinges and a latch
• aromatic red cedar veneer
• cedar closet liner plank
• Titebond II wood glue
• 3/16" wooden dowel
• varnish
• eight metal corners (match color with latch and hinges)
• handle

Tools:

• disposable sponge brush or roller brush to apply glue
• ruler
• pencil
• drill with 3/16" drill bit
• screwdriver (for handle)
• hammer (for corners)
• blade to cut veneer with (I used a drywall blade but I think you can use an X-acto #11 blade too)
• saw (to cut plank)
• iron (you will most likely get glue on the iron - if you have a really nice iron, you might want to consider getting an old used one for crafts.)
• sandpaper

1. Measure inside areas of the box and cut veneer to size. Label the back sides of the veneer so you don't forget where they go.

2. Measure width of box and add 2mm and cut dowel to that size. Varnish the dowel.

3. Cut cedar planks to fit grooves

4. Apply two coats of glue to the inside of the box AND on the back side of the veneer. Allow the first coat to dry fully. The second coat can be dry enough to be tacky to the touch to procede to the next step.

5. Set your iron setting to "Cotton". Align the veneer on the case and iron it until it adheres.

6. Measure and mark where you want the dowel. Drill only partway into the case, not all the way through. Carefully insert dowel into the holes - you may have to bend it slightly. You can apply wood glue if you'd like but I found that mine was pretty snug without it.

7. Sand edges of veneer until they are flush with the box.

8. Apply the rest of the hardware according their instructions.

And there you go! As you can see, I left the inside of the lid uncovered because I thought the text added character. But you can cover it veneer if you'd like, or put hooks to hang hats, belts, and purses, or glue a mirror on it - whatever you'd like!

New Album: Barbie Photography

I have added a new album at My Gallery - it's for my Barbie Photography. Read more about it in the album description. Here is a little sampler of what you'll find there:

Taking photos of Silkstone Barbies was somewhat challenging. With only 6 points of articulation and lack of ball joints, I had to get creative in other ways so the dolls wouldn't look like they were "just there". My goal was to make the dolls look alive, not like inanimate objects. What I found was that this was easier to do with some Silkies than others. With the right facepaint and limb structures, certain dolls lent themselves to a variety of good angles. And especially through facepaint, conveyed personality and attitudes when photographed from certain angles.

Silkstone Wardrobe for the Obsessive Compulsive

When I first got my Silkstone Wardrobe Case, I ran into a few issues regarding space and organization. In this blog, I list the problems I encountered and the solutions I came up with to fix them. I didn't do an indepth how-to like I usually do for my blogs, partly because it would be too long, and partly because I don't think anyone really wants to know. Of course, if you do have a question, you can leave a comment and I'd be glad to explain something in detail.

None of these ideas require you to make any modifications to the case itself, if you are worried about harming the collectability and value.

EDIT: If you are a BFC Member, I posted detailed instructions on how to make these at barbiecollector.com in the Doll Customization forum. I'll add them here later when I have time.

Lined Jewelry Drawer



Problem:
I didn't like the jewelry scratching against the wood bottom of the drawer, getting mixed up and tangled.

Solution:
The velvet fabric is actually glued to a thin piece of cardboard, cut to the size of the drawer, not glued to the drawer itself. The cardboard keeps the fabric from bunching up.



Sundries Organizer



Problem:
Stockings and gloves would get mismatched and sometimes it was hard to keep things from popping out of the drawer while closing it.

Solution:
I made this organizer out of balsa wood. It's made up of 2 large strips (they form an "X" from corner to corner) and 4 smaller strips which intersect each leg of the "X". I notched the strips so that they all interlock with each other. A Dremel is a good tool to have for this project.



Shoe Rack



This is what the shoe rack looks like out of the drawer


Problem:
I used to keep the shoes just standing in pairs in the drawer but I tended to knock them over when taking them out. When they got mixed up, it was hard to tell which pairs went with what, especially with the black shoes. I ended up having to dump them all out each time.

Solution:
These shoe racks are also made of balsa, and notched to interlock, similar to the sundries organizer. I was kind of experimenting with numbers which is why the drawer on the left holds six pairs of shoes and the one on the right holds eight. As you can see, the heel takes up less room than the front of the shoes, so I should have made these off center to make better use of space.



Extra Garment Rack and Shelf



Problem:
I ran out of space on the original rack, plain and simple.

Solution:
Since I only need one doll slot, I decided to turn the other one into more storage space. I made a structure that would fit the space exactly which would hold the pole, and the top could serve as a shelf. The structure is made of basswood and the pole is a 3/16" wooden dowel. Other tools you will need: a saw, wood glue, paint, drill, paper to line it with.

You can also make a tall structure which could hold two poles, or one with many shelves - whatever configuration you need. If you don't need to carry your doll in the case, you can convert both doll sections to storage. One thing to note is that the depth of that side is not as big as the left side of the case, so that side is not good for poofy dresses or skirts.




Hat Boxes



Babs, holding her hat boxes

Problem:

Like real hats, I wanted a way to store hats so they wouldn't get smashed, and without tossing them into a drawer or out in the open on a shelf

Solution:

I made these hat boxes from round paper mache boxes, eyelets, scrapbooking paper, acrylic paint, and yarn. Measure the circumference of your hat, buy the appropriate size box, and then use a Dremel or saw to cut it down to the right height. The yarn is woven through the eyelets in such a way so that it tightens on the lid when the handle is pulled.

Garment Bag

Can you believe there are four petticoats in this garment bag?

Problem:

Petticoats took up way too much room on the garment rack.

Solution:

After being frustrated with petticoats, I put them in a ziplock and hung them with a clip-style hanger. That worked out so well I decided to design a simple garment bag. It is made of one piece of fabric for the back, two for the front, and a zipper. You do not have to hang the petticoats on the hanger inside of the bag - just simply put them in the bag itself. If I were to do it over, I would make the bag longer (mine is 6.5") because then you can overlap the petticoats all the way down the bag. That will make the bag take up less room, width-wise.