Hello kiddos!  Just passing a note from my pals at Plaid about a fun craft challenge.  It's called "Trick Your Pumpkin" and you can check out the details here.  There are cash and crafty goody prizes galore!  I hope you'll give it a go… Happy Crafting!

I have been creating a blog for Simply Screen the past month.  Simply Screen is an easy screen printing stencil system that has cute, reusable, designs. 

These are silk screened wood scrap blocks from my grandpa's garage.  Isn't it a beautiful thing to make something from nothing?  There is a tutorial if you want to see how they were done. You could decoupage and glue little buttons on them as well.  Fun. Simple. Good.  I hope you like them!
 

 
of sweetness!  Spoon pendants.  I make and sell these like crazy!  I've even had people give me some vintage family silverware to make special pendants for them.  A version of this project was first published back in 2005 in Simply Beads magazine by me.  Ah!  I found a picture!  Here it is…

 
It's always fun to visit my "old self", traveling back in time through my creations.  Strange and happy to see how I've grown and changed—I find this can happen with art, recipes, fashion (oh Lord, does it happen with fashion!). Our tastes change… I've always loved nostalgia, but now I want the antiqued chain, with delicate brass parts and wrapped wire loops, contrasting textures and layers to make it interesting.  I'm still the same…but not.

These are simple to make.  I've shown my metalworking students and told a few (smarty) husbands who help their bead lover wives how to dismantle a spoon in seconds!  Here's how:

Cut the spoon handle off with a jewelers saw (or hack-saw even!).  File the end so it kind of arches.
 Use a center punch and #55 drill bit and drill front to back.  De-burr around the hole with sand paper and touch up the curved top of the pendant too.  Now you have an instant pendant that you can leave alone or bead up one side and down the other…

*On a side note, I use Beadalon's silver plated chain dipped in Liver of Sulphur to hang my spoon necklaces on.  
 

The scene: Scarlett and Strapless.  The goal:  To double as everyday jewelry.

Easy!!  I used all BEADALON findings…  I love their Quick Links (TM) (like especially the hammered ring here).  I used a finer chain for them to hang on and then connected a 1.5" piece of larger chain to the end.  Snap! Makes them adjustable.  Here's a closer look at the pendant…

Love those crystals!