candiecooper, Author at Candie Cooper

Mod Podge Sparkle Earrings

January 7, 2014 By candiecooper 1 Comment

Being snowed in for two days makes you eat like a teenager. Chocolate. Of course! Graham crackers with vanilla bean cheesecake spread. Why not? Diet Coke. Indeed! I’ll take two. I don’t know why my face is breaking out.

Here’s a quick earring idea I wanted to share with you. Winter can be dreary at times. Beat it with a snappy project that has sparkle. Don’t fall in love with the blue components though–sadly, they have been discontinued. However, you can find lots of surfaces to use this technique on.

Simply put a dot of Mod Podge onto the surface and drop a 4mm Swarovski flat back crystal on top and wait for it to dry. It’s the first project I make in the video below.

Also, if you like the look of these earrings, I think you would really enjoy Tarina Tarantino’s new book, Sparkle Factory (Running Press). It’s a super inspiring book for jewelry makers because she shares her story from making jewelry as a child up to building her business to what it is today.Look at the cover! This book is so FUN!!It’s jam packed with ideas too including workspace organization, working with clay, adding crystals to almost anything, adhesives, mold making, necklaces, earrings, statement pieces, hair accessories, I could go on… 271 pages full!!She did a great job with the how to photos too. Very detailed.Lots of intriguing and stylish photos. I love this book. The Sparkle Factory gets two thumbs up from me!

Have a good one!

Candie

Filed Under: Jewelry

Soup Recipe Ideas for a Cold Day

January 6, 2014 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

Yesterday, we got hammered with snow. This is our backyard. It would have been a perfect blanket of snow until my husband “thought” he lost his keys out there. Just minutes earlier, life was good and he was out feeding the birds. So like a good wifey, I started skimming his path with a snow shovel to see if we could find them. Panning for keys on the snowiest day in years was a joy. Ten minutes into this hour long process, I suggested he peel off his coveralls to see if maybe they got stuck somewhere. “No, no! They’re a huge wad of keys! I would feel them!!” What do I know? It was so bad he rifled through the bird seed bag looking for them, then told me to look in there. Meanwhile, the birds were busy loading up on bird seed, flitting around to stay warm. An hour later, we were frozen and I waved the white flag. See ya in the spring, keys! I’m out. I came in to a project I’d been looking forward to for weeks: making ham and beans. Random, I know. The next thing I hear from the porch goes something like this: “Uh oh!” I already know. You already know. We don’t even need to ask. “What?” comes out of my mouth. “Nothinggg.” Clomp clomp clomp I go out to the porch, keys on the ground. “Mmmhmmm….would feel them right?” This is married life at it’s finest. Clomp, clomp, clomp back to the ham and beans.
The beans were already soaked overnight and my father-in-law saved the ham bone for me from Christmas (from Honey Baked Ham). This dish is an Indiana fave! It went together really easy and since it was snowing, I decided to be like the birds, stocking up with a pot of cream of mushroom soup (nothing makes me happier than dueling soup pots. I love soup.) I sampled it–deeelish! If you’re making it for company, I would double it because it made 4 cups exactly. It’s now in our freezer. I bought a ton of deli freezer containers on Amazon to freeze soups specifically. They’re perfect. Especially if you’re husband doesn’t love curried cauliflower soup or Moroccan carrot Soup and you do.

Here are the two links to the soups as well as my SOUP board on Pinterest plus the delic containers:

This morning we are snowed in. Literally. No traveling. We’re enjoying the view out our back window. I’ve got craft projects up to my ears, I’m guest posting on the Jesse James Beads Facebook page, and I leave for California to work with Plaid at the Craft and Hobby Show on Friday at 7AM. It’s going to be a fast week!

Stay Warm. Stay Well. And for God’s sake, don’t loose your keys in the snow!

Candie

Filed Under: Food and Drink

DIY Recycled Silk Necklace

December 27, 2013 By candiecooper 1 Comment

Here’s a necklace for my kindred fiber lovers. I made it for my Craftsy class, Beading with Wire, Chain and Leather. No matter what the trends are, ribbon is a great way to add a dramatic look to your jewelry. Admittedly, sometimes I have to say to myself, “Oh Candice, don’t be so dramatic” (unless I’m using ribbon in a design, then all bets are off). I have a small stash of this ribbon. Well, I have a stash of lots of craft supplies, but I’m especially proud of this hoard.

It is especially fabulous because it’s made from saris. I bought 6 skeins when I was at Bead and Button this year. You can buy it online or sometimes at knitting shops and bead shows. I’m an enabler.Isn’t it pretty? A big rainbow wave. A color festival all day long. I used bead caps from Vintaj to wrangle the ribbon ends.

Side note: My dog, Rocky is on my lap snoring and my husband is on the couch snoring as I write. Hello exciting Friday night. Actually, I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are recouping from the holiday. I love my family.

The last little detail I wanted to show you is this crystal and wire wrapped key. I’m obsessed with wrapping wire and crystals around skeleton keys. It can be a key to your heart, a key to life, a key to whatever you need at that moment. The crystals make rainbows in the light and I love those winks from the Universe so much.

Let the light in-

Candie

Filed Under: Jewelry

How to Make Jewelry in a Set

December 18, 2013 By candiecooper 4 Comments

This is a post that’s been on my mind lately and I think it’s time to share. It’s my latest philosophy on wearing and making jewelry and goes like this: make it go together, but not perfectly. When I was in my 20s, I refused to wear a set of jewelry. Matchy McMatcherson is NOT my middle name. I liked (and still do) contrast. These days I find myself designing jewelry that goes together….but doesn’t. Does that make sense? A similar stone, flower motif, nature theme used throughout the pieces can tie the collection all together in a sweet little package, making accessorizing a lot easier. Does that mean I’m getting older because I’m thinking about easy accessorizing? Don’t answer that. Plus, I’ve found the people who buy my jewelry love pieces that go together (but don’t) and I like making them happy. I’m not getting old. I’m a people pleaser.

If your bracelet is busy, you can balance it by wearing a simple necklace like this one with an easy, sparkly beaded bail. I’m not saying I follow this rule. Just look at my get-up in the video below! It happens…. For a variety of reasons….. Your inner gypsy called. You liked both necklaces and couldn’t say no to yourself. You thought the bracelet was the perfect complimentary color to your green sweater giving yourself another green light for more jewelry. More is more. Sleep deprivation.

How about a closer look at that bail?!? For people that are new to jewelry making, a “bail” is what connects the pendant to the necklace. They can come soldered onto the pendant or you can make your own with wire, beads, string, a twist tie… I don’t recommend the twist tie, but I was on a roll.

This bracelet carries out the subtle set look with the bird beads matching the rose pendant. The flower motif on the shell beads is so pretty! I love them. You can find them as well as the leaf charms and birds at AC Moore. The pendant and clasp are from JoAnn Fabrics. All are made by Plaid and they aren’t paying me to tell you this, but I want you to be able to find the supplies easily. See the little sparkly gold beads used throughout? Those are the same ones I used for the beaded bail. They look totally different when peppered in a design versus strung in a row. I loved creating these pieces for the video below. It’s my Jewelry Making 101 crash course I made for Plaid (and they did pay me to film that (grins)). I hope you find it helpful with all the techniques and tips! So that’s my two cents on creating a set of jewelry. How do you feel about sets? What other techniques are you working on or curious about? I hesitate to ask you questions for fear that no one will raise their hand, so I’m counting on you to chime in via the comments section. Now, let’s make some more jewelry!

<3 Candie

Filed Under: Jewelry

Monarch Wing Necklace

December 12, 2013 By candiecooper 1 Comment

Look what I found putting up the Christmas lights?! It was such an unexpected gift to remind me of a book I read a long time ago. It started out where she was walking and found a cocoon that she took back to her yard and watched through the winter until the butterfly emerged. It was an analogy of change and life (and so many things). I was going through a really hard break-up at the time. This reminder was much needed because my life is happy now. Completely different. I’m about 5 hours away from my bookshelf and memory of the title is failing me! I’ll find it when I go home.

I’m always self analyzing and thinking. Do you do that? Like the cocoon and the changes I make in this life, I go through my ugly phase, a little awkward, praying to God I come out better or more “beautiful.” Sorry to get all deep after starting a post about Christmas decorating. I just wanted to acknowledge this gift.

Here’s a necklace I made with a butterfly wing after finding that cocoon. It’s symbolic. I made the necklace for a mini jewelry class video for Plaid Crafts with their bead and jewelry products to show how to string a necklace of beads. I love this pendant. I love the polka dot beads. I love the sparkle. And I love teaching other people how to make jewelry.

The awesome thing about jewelry with symbolism is that you can design it to wear as a gentle reminder of whatever you are working on or striving for (between you and God). It can be a celebration statement. In my case: Change is possible.

Keep the Faith–

Candie

Filed Under: Jewelry

Silver and Turquoise Earrings

December 6, 2013 By candiecooper 2 Comments

Howdy dear friends! Today I wanted to share this pair of earrings. I stayed up wayyy too late cranking out earrings just like these for a trunk show tonight. Then, I proceeded to hop out of bed at 6 to help Aaron get the truck started. Ok, I didn’t hop. It was more like a zombie shuffle (vision me wearing my loud printed Cynthia Rowley PJ pants, his running shoes and his hoodie complete with hood over my head and half of my face). It’s cold and our little Ford Ranger truck engine is worn out. By the way, if you ever see a man jumping up and down on the back of a blue truck yelling, “wait, honey…..NOW!” and a zombie in the driver’s seat turning over the engine…well, don’t worry at all. Everything is completely normal. It’s just us most likely hauling something out of our 112 year old house. This time carpet from the 1960s so we can refinish the floor in the new craft room.

Back to this pair of earrings made from silver and copper hoops with little turquoise crosses. This pair of earrings ended up making their way to a scholarship fundraising benefit named after a woman who lost her life to cancer. Can I just say that I am so tired of the “C” word? I get asked a lot to donate pieces of jewelry for fundraisers and I used to think I had to give something big and grand, but then that left little room in the budget for the third and fourth parties that would come calling. That would lead to guilt. Guilt for me equals unhappiness. Do you feel this way? A couple years ago I made the decision that I will donate a pair of earrings when asked. It makes the group and myself happy. Win win. They are small tokens, but every little bit helps. And let’s also continue to PRAY for a cure.

Filed Under: Beads

DIY Sparkle Ribbon Necklace

December 3, 2013 By candiecooper Leave a Comment

This necklace has three of my favorite things: sparkle, large holed beads and ribbon. I started with the sparkle beads because I liked their rusty, smoky, hazy color way. I was on a roll with those ends in “Y” descriptors, huh? Anyone can make this as it’s just a few beads strung onto ribbon and tied in a bow. Easy is good.