Adorn the Bride! 

Last summer I got to try my hand at designing wedding jewelry.  You know I love being an elf for special projects like this!  The bride was all about simple and beautiful.  What's more simple and beautiful than Swarovski crystals and glass pearls with a vintage clasp that I picked up in Venice?!?!

Beadalon findings for everything….  Shiny silver beading wire by Beadalon really lit up the transparent crystals vs. a dull gray.  I love the delicate nature of the earrings with the ball/star head pins.  Classic.  And my one wish is that this set gets handed down one or two times….like in the movies. ;-)  I think it will.
 
 

This is a wonderful recipe from Better Homes and Garden.  So colorful and fun to put in whatever you like…like my decoupaged stamp stool it's sitting on. 😉

• 1 8oz pkg saffron-flavored yellow rice mix
• 2-3 C chopped cooked turkey
• 1 C chopped tomato
• 1 C broccoli florets
• 1 med red or yellow sweet pepper chopped
• 1/3 C dried cranberries or golden raisins
• 1/4 C sliced green onions
• 2 oz. prosciutto, crisp cooked or cooked ham cut into strips
• 3/4 C bottled vinaigrette salad dressing (although I use balsamic and olive oil)
• 1/3 C sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil

Prepare rice according to the pkg directions.  Spread on baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate for 20 mins.  In a large bowl, combine turkey, tomato, broccoli, sweet pepper, cranberries, onions and prosciutto.  Add rice and dressing.  Toss.  Refrigerate 2-24 hours before serving.  Sprinkle with almonds and basil.  Makes 6, 1 1/2 C servings.

How to crisp cook prosciutto—arrange slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for 6-8 mins or until browned.  Cool and slice.
 

I love to have my windows open this time of year, listening to the rain and feeling the breeze.  But open windows equals crazy flapping, recently purchased, hemmed myself, scarlet curtains.  The answer my friend is not to let them blow in the wind, but some cheap ol' spoons.  Here's how:

Beat the round part of the spoon flat with a utility hammer–it's really loud, but empowering.  Then, punch or drill two holes in each flat spot—doesn't matter where, you just need two so they don't spin around while hanging on the wall (Harbor Freight has a great (and really huge), cheap hand punch tool, that works wonderfully fast).  Bend the handle around so the decorative side is facing outward–but not so far around that you can't squeeze the hammer in to nail them to the wall (speaking from experience there).

Decorate with paint, papers, tin, whatever!  I used trusty MOD PODGE and put the flowers directly over the holes–you'll see why in minute.  I also glued a cute little button at the base to cover where my paper started (any chance to use one of the 2.2 million buttons in my stash).  Open up the holes again with an awl while the paper is wet.

Nail to the wall with copper tacks (hardware store).  This is a normal size spoon.

And this small sugar spoon.  Both work.  You could make these for hanging coats, tea-towels, purses, necklaces, jump ropes, dog leashes…I'll stop now. LOL.   This pair took me about 40 minutes to stir up and hang.  Now that's dessert!

Once upon a time, the same lovely lady that asked me to make the charm bracelet in the last post had the idea to take old brooches of her mother's and make necklaces for her four daughters for Christmas gifts.  Can I tell you how much I love a challenge like this!?  She invited me over and I was so lucky to have the opportunity to search through her collection of whimsies and wearables to pick my focal pieces.  Three jewelry boxes later…this is the first subject-a beautiful brooch from carved jade and brass. 

The challenge was how to keep it a brooch, but stay strong as a pendant–so worried it would come un-latched!  I used a heavy jump ring to connect it to the brass chain at the top.  Then, in order to keep it securely latched, I used a rubber earring back that was snug against the catch.
 

Brass chain by Vintaj which matched the brass on the brooch perfectly, a few Czech glass beads, Swarovski crystals and some faceted pieces of jade left over from a project in my book (and don't you just love it when you can use the beads that you only have 3 of?!?) Voila!

All of my pieces have a clasp embellishment.  I think it's a fun little unexpected surprise….especially if you are standing in line behind me with my short hair—gives you something to look at, right?!?

The End.  
 
 

 
They are on my top ten favorite things to make list, amongst my gram's blueberry muffin recipe, valentines, smoothies and such……  Charm bracelets.  I love them.

 
This was a custom order for a friend's daughter—a surprise birthday gift!  Which makes it that much sweeter.  She collected odds and ends from her jewelry box to incorporate into it.  Old charm bracelets, buttons, beads, photos, clip-on earrings, pendants…  I asked about her hobbies so I knew what extra charms to add.

Photos were reduced on a color copier and then placed in pretty frames.  I used Plaid's, Mod Podge followed with a layer of Dimensional Magic. 

 
I've said it before on this blog….anything goes on a charm bracelet.  Choose your bracelet, and one or two colors that will run through it—this is what makes all those random pieces go together, lay out the pieces and then start linking! 

Last Spring, I taught needle felting at the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art's, Family Day.  Kids of all ages had a blast learning about this neat craft and trying out Clover Needlecraft's tools.  We made little pins and such just like this…

Lay out your wool and yarn scraps on a small little rectangle of craft felt…

Punch, punch, punch…(and keep an eye on those tiny fingers all the while)  After a few punches, sneak a larger piece of colored craft felt underneath and continue punching…

Trim the colored craft felt with scissors or pinking shears, glue a few buttons and you've got a felt dude…or…

Modern Art….or….

A fuzzy lobster (giggles)…or…

A very hip purse embellishment…

It's trying to be Spring here in Indiana, although the cold has caught up to us again.  This is a great way to beat that one last chilly, rainy day.

Warmly,

Candie

I spent a few days teaching kids how to wet felt last week. I’m prepping wool for this week’s session. It is all in part by the Honeywell Foundation’s artist in residency program that services 9 counties. So far, I have taught at least 400 children about felting and each has taken home a fiber collage. It has been awesome! Amazing, the music and art programs that visit the schools because of this program. I’m so lucky to be apart of it.

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