Salvaging Broken Jewelry

Sometimes you just end up with a crapton of broken jewelry.

Or maybe that's just me.

Whether you buy it for crafty purposes, someone gives it to you, or you just stockpile things you have that break, it can accumulate!  While I'm certainly not a hoarder in most areas of my life, my craft stockpile can sometimes beg to differ.  I find myself having to clean out and re-organize all of it every 2 months or so just to sort of ferret through and ask "am I *really* going to do this project?" or "is this something I have the time and energy to finish?" so that it doesn't take over...well...everything.

At any rate, in case you are the type of person who also ends up with a lot of broken jewelry or weird odds and ends, then this post is for you!  Maybe you'll have the same pieces here or maybe you'll be able to use this for some sort of inspiration!  :)

Now, I don't have any 'before' photos, but this metal cabochon thing had had the jump ring, bail, or whatever had belonged to it broken off, the stone was loose and had a silver paint on the back, and it was bizarrely wrapped in some sort of odd, iridescent fabric that was all bunched up underneath.  That had to go.

I pried up the prongs, ripped off the fabric and carefully used a razor blade to scrape the silver paint off of the back.  Not all of it, though, and you'll see why.

I wanted to put a photo under the stone before putting it back in, but without all the bunched-up fabric under it, it just didn't sit right, so I used some Loctite to glue some flat beads in there.

Once I had the proper level, I was able to trim the photo I wanted to use around the "stone" and set it into the little bevel...wait...is that even the right damn word?

Anyway...

I put the "stone" back on top, then closed the prongs....You can sort of see here how the silver I left gave it that 'damaged old mirror' look.  It looks better in person...

Now, the aforementioned bail.  It didn't really have one, I just did't know what the proper term for they-glued-it-directly-to-the-chain was.  Still don't.  Either way, I took a small, flat, ugly charm I had lying in my jewelry supplies and used the Loctite to affix it to the back of the whole ordeal.

And now we have a really cool, sort of goth pendant that needs a matching chain!

For that, I used a plain chain and then added some drapes to it using a different style of chain to break up the monotony.

Then, I attached the little dangling parts which are actually those little metal things you're supposed to put around round beads.

I am so full of terminology today I shock myself.

Awful fucking terminology or not, I'm very pleased with how this turned out!  It took me about 20 minutes (not including the glue-drying time, of course) to take this pile of trash and make something pretty and unique!  Score one for repurposing!

<3 WW

FOOD PORN!!

Yep, time for another random photo post!  I really need to get more craft projects done!  I have a ton I'm working on, but have sort of hit 'burnout' mode for a bit so, while I still have plenty to post, I'm trying to sort of space them out a bit and, besides, random photo posts are fun!!

On to the food porn, then!

Mmmmm, gelato.  That 'Cappuccino' thing was actually chocolate.  *.*

Breaded chicken, spinach, and ranch wraps.

TAMALES!!

Mozarella sticks with a breadcrumb coating from pinterest...Highly bland and unremarkable and the breadcrumb coating just...eew.  Do not recommend.

Hot chocolate and marshmallow hot chocolate spoons I made for Yule years and years ago...

Random donut box that I thought was just too cute!

I hope you're having a lovely week!

<3WW

Listening to: "Bad Apple" - Gakupo Kamui

DIY Window Clings

This post will be a quick, yet really, really fun craft!  I saw this one forever ago on pinterest, but have no idea what happened to the actual pin.  Anyway, I was very skeptical, but it actually worked and I was stoked!

Step 1: tape some wax paper around a cutting board, picture frame, cookie sheet, or whatever other flat thing you can get your hands on.

Step 2: draw designs onto it with puff paint!  Since the cookie sheet is transparent, you can even slide a coloring book underneath if you need to!

Step 3: Let dry.  I'd advise letting them sit somewhere for about 24 hours as the thick or 'solid' ones take quite a while to dry!  After that, be careful when checking them because some of mine even needed to dry for two days.  Once they are completely dry, you can peel them off!

I made a TON of these for every holiday and occasion and will probably make more.  I just love them!

The glow-in-the dark puff paints came out amazing, particularly in the spiderwebs.

Once I got comfortable with the paints, I began to marble a few and such!

...and best, they really DO cling to slick surfaces!

Quick and easy!  The longest part is the dry time!

<3 WW

Random Photo Post!

Since I've done quite a few projects since I've been gone that I was entirely too lazy to do tutorials for, I figured I'd share a few pictures of some of them so you guys can feel a bit more caught up.  While there are tons of tutorials on the way, I'm about half-way through my cup of coffee, so I figured that photos would do quite nicely today!

Barefoot sandals!  I've made a few pair of these lately, and I hope to start selling them soon.  If only I can remember to pick up the rest of the materials when I'm out...

My mixer.  I hand-painted the strawberries and stripes, then sealed it all.

A necklace I made for a friend...

...and another...

...and yet another.

This little bat I made for the Wookie and I want to make several more.

I sewed pipe cleaners into his wings and into his little toes so that his wings articulate and he can hang from things.

What have you been crafting?

<3
Wookie Wifey

Christmas in July! - DIY Ornaments

So, these don't really need too much of an explanation.  Our Yule tree is very much nerd-themed, so I figured we needed some new ornaments since the salt dough ones I made got eaten by mice in the storage room.  GRRR MICE!

All you'll need are some cheap ornaments (I used plastic, because, cats), tulip fabric paint, a pencil, and a sharpie (camera shy).

I free-handed the designs on with a pencil.  You have to be more careful on the glitter ones, but on these flat ones, they erase right off if you fuck it up and need to start over, which I did about 20 times on some of them.

Then, all that's left to do is just trace over your lines with puff paint and/or sharpies!  Just remember that the tulip paint will tend to spread some, so I used sharpies for the more detailed ones like the Moogle, here.

The rest is just photos of the ones I made for us with descriptions, so get inspired and have fun!

Vault 101 and Vault Boy.

STAR TREK!!

Mario 'shrooms.

Assassin's Creed.

Mario!

Santa belts...not so nerdy, but I just thought they were cute.

Crimson skull (Misfits)

Sims plumbob

Walter's white tulip.  (Fringe)

Cerberus (Mass Effect)

Fullmetal Alchemist

Global Dynamics (Eureka)

Horde (WoW) - this one is just glittery and you can't see the sharpie lines really IRL, but the camera flash was throwing all kinds of middle-finger at me.

Jack!

Enjoy!  As usual, I'd love feedback on any of the stuff posted here that you decide to try!! :)

<3WW

Listening to: 'After Lifeless Years' - Sylosis