candiecooper, Author at Candie Cooper

DIY Painted Leather Cuffs That Will Knock Your Socks Off!

February 15, 2016 By candiecooper 2 Comments

This post brought to you by leathercordUSA.com. Candie Cooper demoing in the LeatherCordUSA booth at the To Bead True Blue All last week, I worked in the leathercord USA booth showing mixed media techniques to use with leather at the To Bead True Blue Show in Tucson. Holy cow. I painted cuff after cuff and after each one, I fell a little more in love with the process. These are some of my new friends I made as well as Michelle and Que that work at LCUSA. It is lovely visitors like these that make my job fun. If I didn’t say it at the time–thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and watching, asking questions and chatting. YOU are my favorite part of these gigs.We were hoppin’ at the LCUSA booth and people were really digging the new metallic gold and silver gecko printed and stitched leather (it really is magical looking–you get lost looking at it). The tassels were also hot sellers!If you do art shows or craft festivals, you know that displaying work can be a challenge. I overheard compliments on the frames of leather over and over in the booth. It really is a great idea.

Now onto some techniques!

If you love artsy jewelry and building up layer after layer (or making artsy messes in my world), I think you’ll find this post right up your ally because I’m going to show you some new ideas on how to paint and embellish leather.

Do you remember that post that was all about painting leather tassels? That’s one of the first leather surfaces I tried adding Ranger Patina paints on. These are a few tassels I splashed some metallic paints on with a stiff bristle brush.

Here’s a peek at my demo area in the leathercord USA booth–there’s a little bit of everything, no doubt!
Remarkably CLEAN and tidy by my standards though. I don’t trust an artist with a clean work surface 😉 Haha.
This is a detail of one of the cuffs. Believe it or not–these take about 10 minutes to create, start to finish. Tracy at Tierra Cast put the rivets on for me (thanks Tracy). I love these simple little details that add so much!

leathercord USA makes the cuffs in all different sizes and finishes. You can see them here.
Que at leathercord USA filmed me painting one. This is me talking in the video. If you like it or have questions, let me know in the comments.

Have fun! (useful supply list at end)

LeatherCord USA cuffs (wholesale order on site or ArtBeads.com has them)

Stencil1 Stencils

Sakura PenTouch gold pens

Ranger Patina paints

Stayz On Ink pad

Leather hole punch

Tierra Cast rivetables

Filed Under: Jewelry, Leather

Red Carpet Ready–A Blog Hop Featuring FAB DIY Earrings

February 15, 2016 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

Hey everybody, I’m throwing an impromptu party to celebrate the upcoming Oscars! You’re invited to add links to your DIY red carpet-worthy earrings this coming Thursday here on my blog.

I’m a big movie and fashion fan and this is one tv night I don’t miss. Join me for this hop! It’s easy!

When: Feb. 18th, 2016 (this Thursday)

How: Pop over to this page http://candiecooper.com/blog 8AM EST (or after) and insert your link!

Then: comment on others links and share on your social media channels so others can enjoy the party

Also: Feel free to use the image in your shout outs! Share with others <3!

I’ve been noticing a lot of petite elongated, designs on the awards shows and this was the inspiration for the hop. I’ll be posting my project on Wednesday night to kick the link-up party off on Thursday morning–8AM EST.

See you there, party people!!

Filed Under: Beads, fabulous

Lucky Wire Wrapped DIY Pendant

February 10, 2016 By candiecooper 5 Comments

This post is brought to you by BEADALON–makers of great jewelry findings and tools.
This pendant. I’ve worn it every other day since I made it.
This morning I was watching GMA and they were making dinners that cost $5. (or really close if you play your coupon cards right). It’s just as good, right?

Now I bring you the $5 DIY jewelry edition. You ready?
I’m using a dollar strand of beads, Beadalon’s antique brass chain, a retainer ring from the hardware store (look for it in the washer/bolt section of the store), 20g. antique brass colored Artistic Wire, a couple jump rings and that’s all.
String a row of 20 to 25 beads onto the Artistic Wire. It’s definitely better to have more so you can wrap your heart out.
Artistic Wire for jewelry making and crafts comes in every color under the rainbow. If you’re making this project with tweens, I would work with 22g. vs. the 20g. so it’s extra easy to wrap.
Here’s a closer peek at the retainer ring. This thing is made of steel so you’ll need to rub it with some beeswax or spray it with a lacquer so it doesn’t rust–I learned this from the master of steel wrangling, Brenda Schweder.

Secure your wire with a couple wraps.
Slide a bead next to the retainer ring and make a full wrap.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Each bead is separated with a full wrap of wire to help with spacing.
Anchor the wire the same as when we started with a few wraps. This is the back side of the pendant.
Use jump rings to attach the pendant to the chain.Boom.
Donesies.

A little design tip after wearing this necklace a few thousand times. Leaving it long is awesome, but if it’s too long, you can make an overhand knot so it hangs shorter–like we used to with super long strands of pearls found in grandma’s closet.
I don’t know about you, but we are in the thick of winter and I need all the instant gratification I can get. This necklace fits the bill.

Until next time, stay warm and visit Beadalon.com for the goods!

Filed Under: Bead Love, Jewelry, Tutorials

Color Me Happy Heart Pendants with Air Dry Clay

February 2, 2016 By candiecooper 3 Comments

This post brought to you by ACTIVA Products.
You’ve probably heard me say this a thousand times, but kids love making jewelry. Here’s a quick idea you can play with that uses washable markers to make colored clay.This is the crafty ingredient list. Pretty simple! Use Hearty Clay because it doesn’t crumble and fall apart when it’s dry. #NoCraftFails 😉Grab a hunk of Hearty Clay and start coloring it with markers. It’s a good idea to stay with markers in the same color family (i.e. red and orange or blue and purple). It’s fun to twist and smoosh the clay and see how the colors marbelize. Add more color at any point–even right before you roll out for vivid results.Place your ball of clay between plastic wrap and roll out to approximately 3/8″ thick.
Cut your shapes out–you’ll need 2 identical ones.
Place a straw across the top center of the shape and dab water around the edge.
Gently press the edges together to seal.
Place the piece on top of a cup to dry.
Remove the straw. You can embellish dried Hearty Clay with all sorts of things–paints, doodles with a marker, or gems like I am here. I like using Mod Podge to attach the gems.
Push the yarn or cording through the heart pendant. If the yarn is extra fluffy, you may need the straw to help push it through.
Ready to wear! I love the possibilities with these bead-like pendants.

Here’s a link to the Hearty Clay at ACTIVA or you should be able to get it at your local craft store.

Happy Valentine’s!

Filed Under: Air Dry Clay, Get Crafty, Tutorials, Uncategorized, Valentines

Whipped Buttercream Frosting Leather Jewelry Idea

January 22, 2016 By candiecooper 2 Comments

This post is brought to you by LeatherCordUSA.com.

Leather Cord USA sent a box of goodies recently with all kinds of color palette ideas for the next few months. Sign up for their newsletter to get inspiration like this delivered right to your inbox (the sign-up box is at the bottom of their home page).

January’s pallet is all about butter and mushroom colors. I love both.

Hungry yet? Me too.

Mixing and matching the leathers, I started seeing this color combination everywhere. On bananas, when the sun hits the porch walls just right, and in this jar of crystals I’ve had on my shelf for years.This is my swirl of favorites. Yum. Swirl. This is the moment I saw buttercream frosting. Paging Cinnabon. Come in Cinnabon. Did I mention I’m trying to get off the bread and carbs? That’s another story for another day.

I’m only using the round leather cords from LeatherCord USA in 1 and 1.5mm diameters for these projects. This is the simplicity that I love when it comes to using leather in jewelry making. Pick your favorite colors and go!
The first idea I had was to make some earrings using those funky fold over end findings (get them at Hobby Lobby) and delicate shell bead dangles.Simply cut your leather so one piece is 3 and one is 3.5 inches long, string some beads and set the ends inside the finding. Use chain nose pliers to roll the ends over. Connect to ear wires and add beaded dangles. I’ve ironed out the kinks so I think you can knock these out in 30 minutes.The second idea I want to share uses the super skinny macaroni-sh shaped beads strung onto the leather to make a bracelet (also from Hobby Lobby). I really loved how this instantly gave it a chic feel. Cut the leather at an angle so it nestles nicely in the LeatherCord USA Glue and Go end finding (see foreground).Use Loctite gel to glue it in one end. Check the fit and make adjustments. Glue the second side.

Tip: Leave one or two strands out and use a toothpick to pry open a spot or two so you can put them right where you want them. DIY Leather and gold jewelry making idea using leathercordusa.com leather That’s really all there is to it. Shout out to my vintage picnic basket for making the perfect surface to shoot this on.
This set is going to get me through winter. Sunny days ahead people!

Check out LeatherCordUSA.com for more beautiful leathers and ideas.

Filed Under: Jewelry, Leather, Tutorials

I’m Teaching at Beads of Courage Bracelet Event

January 16, 2016 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

Do you live in Tucson or will be there for the big gem dance? Come to the Beads of Courage Bracelet Making Party with Katie Hacker! This is an amazing fundraiser for Beads of Courage which provides kids with beads that are battling cancer. Not heard of BOC? Watch this video about it on CBS Sunday Morning to learn more.

I’ll be teaching for one of the sponsors, JesseJamesBeads.com. Lots of my favorite jewelry supply companies are also sponsoring bracelet make and takes like Beadalon, LeatherCord USA, Tierra Cast and Sizzix.This is the bracelet you can make using Jesse James Beads.

The event is Feb. 3rd and the cost is $50 AND you get to make 5 bracelets. 5 bracelets!! Plus food and drinks are provided. I know it’s going to be a rip-roaring, good time.

I really would love to meet you in person!

Filed Under: Bead Love

Eden: Gemstone Necklace with Round Braided Leather

January 8, 2016 By candiecooper 6 Comments

This post brought to you by LeatherCordUSA.com It’s raining here today. This doesn’t bother me in the slightest when I have the joy of staying inside and making jewelry.

Yesterday was gorgeous. Today it’s overcast and drizzly. Yin and Yang.

So with this gray day, I’m presenting a piece that is lush in gems and texture.It started with a pile of this unique round braided bolo leather from LeatherCordUSA.com. I can’t tell you how much I’m intrigued with this stuff. It comes in different finishes and diameters. Really really amazing quality.I opted for the natural finish for this piece. It’s thick and perfect to support the weight of the gem section in the front. Speaking of gems…I’ve had these hanks of gemstones hanging in my studio for two years. They were inexpensive so I bought a lot. The time had come to use them and as is because the odd bead shapes together made my eyes happy. The only thing was I felt it needed a tiny bit of contrast yet something to unify the group so I added tiny copper colored rondelles to each strand.I used Beadalon gold 15 strand beading wire so it blended with the stone colors, then crimped them to a wrapped wire loop with #1 crimp beads.Then I strung the large bead cone onto the wire with a few beads and finished with a wrapped loop. Nice and tidy.Nothing but colorful goodness.Once you have the gemstone section secured, cut the leather to the desired size and glue end caps to the Glue and Go findings. I removed the clasp that came with the end findings and connected it to toggle rings which were then connected to the bead cones to create a decorative element.My plan is to wear this as a layering necklace. I will create some shorter chain and pendant pieces to go with it.