Love This! Valentine Heart Clay Earrings

This week the Designer Craft Connection's blog hop theme is "Love This!"  We were asked to share projects featuring something we love - a product, tool, technique, etc.   I'm sharing a project featuring several products I love, and a few techniques too!

Be sure to follow the Designer Craft Connection link in the column on the right to see what other creative projects the designers are sharing!









Materials (A few that I LOVE!):

Makin's Clay® - White & Red
                         - Clay roller, Heart Cutter Set
Connie Crystals - red and clear
Beacon® Adhesives 527
JudiKins French Script rubber stamp
Clearsnap® Ann Butler's Crafter's® Ink -
Silver French earring wires, silver flat head pins
Jewelry pliers

Instructions:

Mix small amount of white and red clay to swirl and create shades of pink.  Roll thin (approximately 1/8" thick.  I love blending clay and leaving it slightly swirled - I think the effect is so pretty and each piece is totally unique. 

Ink script stamp with red ink and stamp into rolled clay.   Use medium heart cutter to cut 4 hearts.  Let dry (should only take an hour or so since clay is rolled so thin).  I love to rubber stamp Makin's Clay® - you can stamp it when it's wet or dry - use the stamp to make impressions in wet clay, etc.  Endless creative options!   And this JudiKins French Script stamp is truly one of my must have stamps - I've used it on so many projects I've lost count! 

Cover back of 2 hearts with Beacon 527.  Place flat head pin with head at base of back of heart.  Place second heart on top to seal pin within.  Let dry.  Beacon's 527 is one of my "go-to" adhesives - it works on virtually anything, is super strong, and dries clear! 

Add clear crystal bead and then red crystal bead.  Create loop at top of pin.  Add to earring wires.  Connie Crystals are a great embellishment for many projects - I love having them in my creative stash to go to for not just jewelry, but paper crafts, mixed-media and more! 

Holiday Ornament Gift Box

A 3” Smoothfoam ball is the base of this ornament which also serves as a gift box for a small treasure.

 Materials: 

Smoothfoam 3” ball
Plaid Mod Podge
Connie Crystals - blue, red
Silver wire
Foam brush
1/4” Ribbon
Spoon
Reindeer paper from BasicGrey Blitzen Collection
Westcott Premium TrimAir Titanium Paper Trimmer
Westcott Craft Titanium Bonded Non-Stick Scissors
Westcott Craft Hobby Knife
Red felt
Velcro Brand Sticky Back Fasteners

Instructions:


Carefully cut ball in half with craft knife.

Use a spoon (grapefruit spoon makes it easier as it has a grooved edge) to hollow out inside of both halves of ball.

Cut 1/2”  x 2” strips of patterned paper and Mod Podge onto top and bottom outsides of ball, overlapping each piece slightly.  Let dry. 

Cut 1 1/2” strip of wire, add small blue crystal bead and medium red crystal bead and insert through bottom center of ball.

Cut 4” strip of wire, add medium red crystal bead, medium green crystal bead, and small blue crystal bead.  Insert through top center of ornament.  Create loop at end to attach ribbon.

Cut felt to fit in bottom of both halves, mount.  Cut strips of felt to fit around inside of balls, mount against base piece of felt in each half.

Cut ribbon to wrap around center of ornament.  Glue ribbon in place on bottom of TOP of ornament,
extending downward so it will cover the edge of the bottom half when the ornament is “closed." 

Mount 1" strip of ribbon vertically along back center of ball (this will be your “hinge").


Mount small piece of sticky backed Velcro to inside center front of box to hold ornament closed. 


Creating hand-made ornaments each year is part of our family tradition - why not start your own tradition, and collection, this year? - Cindi

Industrial Chic Blog Hop - "Love Is" Book Pendant

The minute I opened my surprise package for the Industrial Chic Blog Hop, I knew I wanted to create a book pendant with these great metal hearts!   For a tutorial on how to create a heart-shaped book pendant of your own with these fun pieces from the Industrial Chic collection, view my latest episode of Creatively Crafty with Cindi Bisson here. 

This fabulously inspiring blog hop has been packed full of projects in July and beginning again on August 10th, and the next several days are no exception!   For a look at the pieces created by the artists participating this month, visit their blogs:

> 10 Barbe St. John http://barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com/
> 11 Cheryl Bodkin Waters http://blog.artsyfindings.com/
> 12 Cindi Bisson http://fatcatcreations.blogspot.com/
> 13 Gretchen McHale http://www.studio320jewelry.com/blog/       
> 14 Jenny Barnet Rohrs http://www.crafttestdummies.com/
> 15 Kari McNight http://backporchartessa.blogspot.com/
> 16 Lindsay Obermeyer http://loops.typepad.com/
> 17 Seth Apter http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/
> 18 Suze Weinberg http://suzeweinberg.typepad.com/
> 19 Tami Bayer http://www.tamibayer.com/
> 20 Theresa Cifali http://theresacifali.com/
> 21 Tracie Stivers Lampe http://www.radicalrecycks.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=7528
> 22 Traci Bautista http://kollaj.typepad.com/
> 23 Jen Crossley http://amarkintime.blogspot.com/
> 24 Eileen Hull http://www.eileenhull.blogspot.com/
> 25 Pam Carriker http://pamcarriker.com/blog/
> 26 Sandy Martin http://sweetpeajewelry1.blogspot.com/

If you missed any of July's projects, you'll find them here! 

> 6 Ken Oliver http://vertigographic.com/TurnHeads/projects-and-blog/
> 7 Vicki O'Dell http://www.vickiodell.com/
> 8 Cindy Cima Edwards http://www.cindycima.com/
> 9 Elena Lai Etcehverry http://thetravelingprincess.blogspot.com/
> 10 Jen Osborn http://www.themessynest.com/
> 11 Wanda Eas http://craftymule.blogspot.com/
> 12 Terri O http://www.supersimplewithterrio.com/
> 13 Susan Weckesser http://mysweetearth.blogspot.com/
> 14 Tracy Weinzafel http://www.tracywburgos.typepad.com/

I hope you enjoy the projects in the hop and are inspired to get creative yourself!  Industrial Chic products are found at Michael's stores and the selection is truly eclectic and amazing!