DIY Chevron Paint Chip Necklace

My mom and I went to Lowes last Saturday to look for some spray adhesive (to re-line the inside of my small trunk). While we were there, we saw these Sherwin-Williams paint chips that were shaped like little houses!  

As mom and I were having fun picking out color combinations that we liked, I noticed that they reminded me of chevron necklaces. (Like the ones my friend Ashley makes at The Knotty Owl). Mom has made circle necklaces out of paint chips before, using different sized circle punches. So I thought, why not make a chevron necklace?

So today, I was feeling frisky and decided to actually make the necklace!

First, I arranged the paint chips and used a clothespin to hold them in place.
Then I put packing tape on them to hold the chips together and laminate it.  In hindsight, I would not recommend using packing tape, because of the little air bubbles. I should have used clear contact paper. You may still get air bubbles with contact paper, but they would be easier to get out than with the packing tape.  And, obviously, if you're lucky enough to have a laminating machine, go ahead and use that!

Then I cut the paint chips to the size I wanted.

So, I have this cool tool...the Crop-A-Dile.  It's for putting in eyelets.  I thought the eyelets would give the necklace a more finished look, rather than just using a hole-punch.  If you don't have a Crop-A-Dile, a simple eyelet kit would work.
(The Crop-A-Dile is mainly for papercraft projects; I wouldn't recommend it for putting functional, long term eyelets in fabric if you're making a corset or something.)

Then just put a chain through the holes and your necklace is finished!

*If you want a chevron necklace that is much more durable, you should check out the handmade wooden ones by The Knotty Owl!

You can use a long chain...

Or a short chain!

And, you could really do this with any kind of scrapbook paper, or even cover some cardstock with washi tape!

Happy Crafting!

Etsy Favorite Friday: Pinterest Rabbithole Finds

Here's a few of my new Etsy Favorites from this week!

• Spool Necklace No. 3 by ShopHollyDolly ($22)
  I feel a little bad when I see something in an Etsy shop and think "I could make that for myself!" instead of wanting to buy the item...but with all my vintage wooden spools, I totally could make one of these for myself.  An example of my "ICanMakeThat-itis".  Of course hers, with the gold chain and beads, is more elegant that what I'd probably make for myself.  I'd probably just slap a necklace chain on an artfully wound spool.  
• Coffee Create Sleep Repeat Poster by paperchat ($40)
  There was a time when this poster would not have appealed to me because I didn't like coffee.  But now, it's perfect.
• DIY Cross Stitch Pendant by RedGateStitchery ($10)
  I'm not into cross-stitch, but I like the look of a simple cross-stitch heart. 

The first two items are the result of what I call a "Pinterest Rabbithole".  While browsing the DIY/Craft section of Pinterest, I saw a pin of a hoodie that had toggles to make it look like a "military/marching band" style jacket:

  

The description said it was a DIY, so I clicked through to check out the process.  Well, whoever originally pinned it didn't pin it RIGHT (yes there is a RIGHT and a WRONG way to pin, people!)  Maybe it's because it was pinned from a Tumblr.  I so don't get Tumblr.  My niece tried to convince me that it's really cool and the best thing ever and that I should make one, but I just find Tumblr annoying and disjointed.  It seems like it's sort of like Pinterest, in that people just reblog stuff they like, but it's much less organized and harder to track down where things originated and people often aren't credited for their original work.  I know some people do use it as a blog, but I just think of it as a horrible mishmash of a terribly disorganized Pinterest board and a blog. (although I think Tumblr was around before Pinterest).  Sorry...Tumblr rant over. 

Anyway...when I clicked through the hoodie pin, it just took me to the blog and not the blog post...

• Example: Let's say you saw my Ninja Nubbin blog post and wanted to pin it.  You should click the actual blog post and THEN pin it from there so that the pin takes you directly to the post (http://kirascraftylife.blogspot.com/2014/01/ninja-nubbin-sets-listed-in-shop.html) instead of just to my main blog (http://kirascraftylife.blogspot.com).  If you pin from the main blog, if someone comes across your pin later on Pinterest, but I've done more blog posts since then, when they click your Pin, they'll have to go searching through my past blog posts to find the one you pictured in your Pin.  Make sense?  Maybe I'll do a blog post sometime with photos on "How to Pin Correctly".  Of course, I'm sure someone out there has already done it.  I can;t be the only one who is driven nuts by it.

I still haven't found the original post of the hoodie, but browsing back through the old entries of the blog is how I found the first two items for this week's Etsy Favorite Friday... so it's sort of a happy accident. (although I do go through Pinterest Rabbitholes when things are pinned correctly too...where a blog post makes me want to check out the rest of the blog and past posts.).  The Spool Necklace is from the blogger's shop, and the poster was in one of her posts that is similar to my own where she showcases a few of her favorite items.

Etsy Favorite Friday: The Knotty Owl

Presenting my new favorite necklace by my friend Ashley of The Knotty Owl!

A cool thing about the craft show/Etsy artist culture is doing trades with other artists when you each admire each other's work.  I traded a big sweater owl for this necklace.  We coordinated the trade a couple months ago, but finally were able to meet up to make the trade when we were both vendors at Mayday Underground.

I've received a few compliments of it.  But i need to ask Ashley for some of her super-cool business cards to give out, because when people have complimented me on the necklace and I try and tell them the Etsy shop name, it kind of sounds like I'm saying The Naughty Owl instead of The Knotty Owl! (oh dear!).  I always try and make sure they get the right name, but I sound a bit like a blathering idiot in my attempt to clarify.

Anyway, go check out her shop!  She has some awesome work!

Button Rings!

I got these cool button rings last week from my friend & fellow RNESTer, Erin of Sunshyne Silverwear.  She's the one who made my recycled spoon pendant necklace (which you can see a bit in the picture below) and she's recently started making these wire-wrapped button rings.  And we know how much I LOVE buttons!  I had to have one! (or two!)

Erin had shared the tutorial on her Facebook page last month and my DIY tendencies were tingling, telling me I could make some myself, since I had access to the tutorial...but I just am not much of a jewelry maker and wasn't interested in dealing with buying the wire and the tools involved and messing with the wire-wrapping.  And Erin was already making them and had some I liked, so I decided it would be SO much easier to just get one from her!  

Plus, I found that Erin was interested in doing a trade!  So we did a swap!  Even if she hadn't been interested in trading, the rings are very reasonably priced at $8.

*Photo courtesy of Sunshyne Silverwear

Here's a look at some of the other rings she's done.  You can actually see the two I have (both are the second from the right...one in the first row, the other in the third row).

She isn't selling them in her Etsy shop yet, but she told me that they will be available at her booth at craft shows.  Here's her show schedule for the year so far if you want to catch her.  You should also check out her website and sign up for the newsletter she's recently started if you're interested in any deals, coupon codes or specials she's running (she has one right now that involves the button rings!)  Go "like" her page on Facebook too!  She just hit a milestone of 600 fans! (I'm halfway behind her with 300!)

Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

We took my mom out to a belated Mother's Day dinner tonight.  

And I was finally able to give her the spoon pendant I got for her!

Back when I bought my own pendant from Sunshyne Silverwear, Mom told me the pendant I got was the one she would have chosen for herself.  So I had the idea to commission Erin to make a similar one so I could give it to Mom as a Mother's Day gift.  I had her make it purple, since Mom wears a lot of purple.

Lilac Festival 2012: My Favorite Booths

I usually am too busy enjoying the experience of going to a craft show to take a lot of pictures, but I was able to take a few yesterday when I went to the Lilac Festival! (next weekend is the last weekend this year!)

First up is my friend and fellow RNEST member, Erin of Sunshyne Silverwear!  I really love her recycled spoon pendants!  If you go to the Lilac Festival this weekend, you should check her out! (as well as RNESTer Francesca DeCaire, who makes beautiful lampworked beads & jewelry!)

I bought another pendant for myself.  It's made from a spoon handle.  I have a thing for the leaf skeleton design.  I also like the pieces she has with feathers embedded in the resin.

These are some spoons my mom gave to Erin (FYI: Erin gives discounts on her jewelry when you give her spoons!  Especially if they're real silver!)

This silver spoon is my Dad's "birth record spoon".  Mom is having Erin make her a pendant out of it.  I can't wait to see how it turns out!

This booth (I think the company name is Blue Gecko?) is one I go to every year to buy my annual summer dress.  I like the tie-dyed smocked dresses.  I wear them all summer.  I used to buy sarongs until I had acquired too many and decided I really liked the dresses!  The hardest part is deciding which one to buy!  The lady recognizes me every year (since I am usually wearing a dress I've bought there!) and usually gives mom and I some sort of deal on what we buy, since we are annual repeat customers.

(FYI, they are not in the "craft show" section of the festival.  They are in the Commercial/Not-for-profit section across the park, closer tot he food vendors.)

Handmade Accessories by Fellow RNESTers

Last week, I finally bought my first spoon pendant from my friend and fellow RNEST member, Erin of Sunshyne Silverwear!  I've wanted to buy one from her for awhile, but had a hard time deciding which one to get.  But I recently decided on this blue leaf skeleton one.  

She does such great work!   You can find Sunshyne Silverwear's website here, her Etsy shop here, and her blog here.

 I love getting cool, handmade accessories from my fellow RNEST peeps!  I love that when people comment on them (which happens a lot with my feather hair clips), I can direct them to the artist that made them!  I've started keeping my friends' business cards in my wallet so I can give them to people when they compliment me on my pretty hair clip/spoon necklace!

My feather hair clip is from my friend Casey of PeachesProducts.  I traded her one of my Owl Nubbins for it. (yay for artist trades!) You can find her Etsy shop here.

Jewelry I Dig

I feel like I've been in a creative schlump lately. But I think it's mainly because my workspace is a mess right now. But one thing I have been doing is making necklaces. I found some cool ceramic donut beads at the store (I don't remember if it was Joanne's, AC Moore, or Michaels) and made myself another necklace.

It's so simple to make...the hardest part is putting the clasps on the end of the leather cord (I opt to just tie my own), but I think the charm is in its simplicity. And it has such satisfying results that I have been making more of them as gifts for friends. I've already given away 3 of them this month for friends' birthdays. Now I need more beads (I love these donut beads!). I guess it's off to the craft stores tomorrow! (before my coupons expire!) I may start selling them in my Etsy shop as well.

Speaking of jewelry and Etsy shops...these are some cool jewelry pieces I saw on the Etsy Gift Guide...

A Boy Named Sue bracelet by monaco

Woodgrain Ring by honeybee

Rock On custom necklace by J2Jewelry