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I’m really liking Custom Cool Jewelry by Melinda Barta – a nice blend of mixed media and jewelry-making, using very easy-to-find materials. There are so many cool ideas in here, like:
This adorable stamped fabric pendant! And fabric appears later in the book in the form of awesome grommeted charms.
Then we have more complex-looking things, like these poly clay pieces. Still, the steps to make them are surprisingly simple.
Charms cut from vintage tins?! Love!!
Maybe you’ve noticed by now that the projects in this book run an extremely wide gamut of materials. I love books like this – I get so much inspiration from cross-pollination.
Crazy-amazing pendants made from metal-edged paper tags. I think these are wonderful.
I’m probably giving the impression that this a pendant-making book – which is not the case. It’s actually organized into three sections: Pendants, Charms, and Clasps. The Clasps chapter is about building jewelry closures that can double as design elements, like this:
There are toggles, hooks and eyes, lariats, and more. Very cool.
Just one more pendant – because I think this combo of lace and seed beads is very sweet, And the process of making is super-cool. It’s an image transfer!
I think this is a great inspiration book for someone who has a little basic jewelry-making experience. There’s a 101 section in the back with illustrations for opening jumprings and making wire loops. The projects themselves have only text directions, but the techniques are easy and very clearly-written.
Good fodder for your holiday-gift jewelry projects!
Ooh – did I just say that out loud?
O0h! I want it!
Excellent review! :)
O0h! I want it!
Excellent review! :)
That article on Zines at CraftStylish is so inspiring that I want to make my own zine in the future (Oh no, that’s another project on my list of things to make and do). Thank you so much for that!
I’m also very happy you like my Miss Edelweiss doll, she will be sent to you at the end of the month. I’m convinced you’ll give her all the love and protection she needs after leaving her birth country. :)
About Louis, he sounds like a marvelous cat, with a new-environment-issue. And you can speak cat language, you just have to sit on your knees now and then, and just make sounds like him. And when you give him his food – this may sound pretty ridiculous, but it does help – sit next to him and pretend you eat with him. It did help with my cat when she had a eating disorder.
I used to do that with my Babooshka when she was ill and wouldn’t eat. It truly works!
Big kiss! xoxoxo
That article on Zines at CraftStylish is so inspiring that I want to make my own zine in the future (Oh no, that’s another project on my list of things to make and do). Thank you so much for that!
I’m also very happy you like my Miss Edelweiss doll, she will be sent to you at the end of the month. I’m convinced you’ll give her all the love and protection she needs after leaving her birth country. :)
About Louis, he sounds like a marvelous cat, with a new-environment-issue. And you can speak cat language, you just have to sit on your knees now and then, and just make sounds like him. And when you give him his food – this may sound pretty ridiculous, but it does help – sit next to him and pretend you eat with him. It did help with my cat when she had a eating disorder.
I used to do that with my Babooshka when she was ill and wouldn’t eat. It truly works!
Big kiss! xoxoxo
This jewelry! I love it. I love that someone does such wonderful things with materials on hand. Aren’t creative people… creative?!
Thanks for sharing this.
This jewelry! I love it. I love that someone does such wonderful things with materials on hand. Aren’t creative people… creative?!
Thanks for sharing this.
Great blog. I stumbled upon your site and I love all the things and resources you share here. I will come back again when I have more free times. Thank you for sharing.
Mei
Great blog. I stumbled upon your site and I love all the things and resources you share here. I will come back again when I have more free times. Thank you for sharing.
Mei
Wow this book is mighty impressive. I wonder how old it is. Can I still get it? When did you get it? I’ve got to get it.
Wow this book is mighty impressive. I wonder how old it is. Can I still get it? When did you get it? I’ve got to get it.
OH.MY.GOODNESS.
You’ve done it again. Another book I Have to have.
PS Can you tell I’m playing blog catch-up, lol?
OH.MY.GOODNESS.
You’ve done it again. Another book I Have to have.
PS Can you tell I’m playing blog catch-up, lol?