Creating with Resin - Artbeads 20% Off Offer

 
Bracelet is Sold

This bracelet was recently created with a mixture of elements and features neutral color tones. My post today is all about creating unique and one-of-a-kind designs. The creative process is fun, exciting, but yet can also be challenging.

ICE RESIN 

Ice Resin is a product I was given to try through a blogging for beaders program that I am a part of.  and if you'd like to try it out I've attached a link to a tutorial that is available through Artbeads if you're interested in trying it out yourself. Artbeads is out of Washington State and right now they are having a 20% off sale over $60 purchase on their site.  An added bonus is that they always have free shipping with no minimum order on their products.

Before in its raw state

Here is an element I unearthed late last summer while out foraging for unique finds. I like to be creative and use different types of elements and thought this would be a fun one to try.   Since I'm not only a jewelry designer by trade, but a bonifide junker as well it was a good element for me to purchase.  It was rusty, dirty and a mess.  Here it is cleaned up, but not yet treated with a protector.

During the process with just the image attached

This is what my vision was for these pieces way back late last summer when I first came across them. However, it took many months to get myself to crack open the container and give the Ice Resin a whirl.

Do you ever buy something to create with and find yourself paralyzed with fear of destroying it? Well call me goofy if you'd like, but I have a perfectionism personality, and I tend to think things through for way too long of a time. You see, I want things perfect the first time, so I over think them and/or I don't tend to tackle the technique at all.  Needless to say, I can have a product on hand way too long before I get brave enough to give it a try.   I can't say this is totally good, but I also can't say it is totally bad. The benefits of the perfectionism comes with the finishing details I put into my jewlery designs, but meanwhile I may drive those family members nuts. I guess that’s why I'm an artist. lol You're allowed to be quirky, and people figure it goes with the territory. Are you quirky in any way? I'd love to hear about it...

During the Process - setting up

Ahhh, this is the part I don't like...the wait.  36 hours of waiting once the Ice Resin is poured, about did me in.  I wanted so badly to play with these elements long before their drying time was done.

At last the finished product... 

Necklace is Sold

You may have noticed that the image in this rusty piece is different than the one featured above, but you get the idea here. I had two of the rusty style pieces, and the one of the ivory to work with. I've also since added an African turquoise cluster of drops to the above necklace as somehow I got torn away from the creation process of this piece and than had packed it up ready to be sold. It was later when I was photographing all of my jewelry for the French Flea sale that I discovered this piece was incomplete. Alas' I finished it and it was the first piece to see of the 4 day sale last week. I lovely gal bought it, so I'm thrilled to know the new owner.

I did add some African turquoise, crystals and some other dangles from the bottom hole of this design.  I obviously had gotten interrupted in the middle of this design, came back to it and packed it up and than after I photographed the jewelry realized this one wasn't finished.  It did get detailed out, and yes, it is SOLD.

More Photos of Ice Resin

Before

During

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Jewelry Designs w/Ice Resin

Example #1:

Eiffel Tower element in this necklace is shown during the process in Photo 2.  I chose to use it as a charm dangle in the above/below necklace.   Necklace is sold.

 

The Eiffel tower focal is repeated in the charm dangle 1/2 way up the necklace.

Necklace is sold.
Example #2:

This piece has a gorgeous dome like finish. It is shown during the process in Photo 1 above.

This necklace is sold.

Example #3:

I chose to use this ice resin as a charm in a junk style necklace.  It is shown in Photos 1 and 2 above in the during photos.  This necklace is available for purchase.

  Example #4:

Photo 2 above shows a glimpse of this Eiffel Tower black and white charm.

I love the mix of metals on this necklace.

The French theme is played out throughout this necklace with the Eiffel Tower charm, and the repetitive fleur d leis.  This necklace is sold.

Example #5:  

This bracelet has wonderful texture to its overall look. I've used just one ice resin piece in it, but it really does add to its overall look.   Bracelet is SOLD.

Here is a detailed photo of the Ice Resin piece.   This bracelet is SOLD.

 

Notice this cool coffee cup charm?  This was a find my dear friends, the Junk-Fest gals found in one of their junking expeditions in North Dakota and passed it on to me to redesign with.  I just love its addition in this bracelet.  Thanks Junk-Fest friends.  Love you guys!

A special thank you goes out to Duchess Erickson of Artbeads for coordinating everything she does with the blogging for beaders program.  It has been a great opportunity for me, as well as my blog to be able to try a few of these great products that I normally woulnd't of been brave enough to try.

Disclosure statement:  I have received the ice resin product free of charge from Artbeads to try and I have not been paid for any endorsement. I am giving my honest opinion of the ice resin product and the results I had with it.

20% Off Sale on Everything!!!

Time is of Essence! Sale ends Labor Day. Shop now.

One of the bead companies that I work with has a great offer for the Labor Day week-end with a great sale. Check it out! Art Beads


I have some big news to pass along that I’m sure you blog readers would want to know. Today, Artbeads.com launched their biggest sale ever for the Labor Day weekend with a 20% Off coupon that’s good on everything! This is the largest discount I have ever seen on their entire selection of beads and jewelry supplies. The only catch is there is a $60 minimum with the coupon and you have to sign up for our email newsletter to get the coupon code.

If you are not already on their newsletter, this would be a great time sign up and then pick up something special for yourselves, a special gift you're planning for Christmas or just to stock up on essentials. Please feel free to share this wonderful news with your blog readers and friends in any way you can – through your own blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter.

You can sign up for Artbeads.com newsletter HERE.

Also, I should mention that the sale is only through next Tuesday at 9am so time is of the essence.


Have a safe and great holiday week-end.

Blogging For Beaders - Paris Style Necklace (SOLD)

I purchased the wonderful Eiffel tower image from etsy, the found element of a vintage tassel was found at a local antique shop and the focal element used here is a vintage new stock optical lens with a large vintage coat button for durability backing it.


I have been fortunate to be asked to be a member of a beading community that tests products and reviews them for a couple of bead supply companies. In this necklace I have many vintage elements incorporated in its design, but have chosen to use this wonderful piece above as well in my design even though it is a new finding. The metal patina that was used in its design gives the feel of vintage as well as the choice of images used in its creation, allows me to put this element with mostly vintage pieces and it works.

This wonderful lead free pewter piece is available through Aunties Beads. The Paris Eiffel tower image sheet as well as this pewter piece can be found on this page of their extensive site HERE

as well as many other wonderful products available through their Glue-In and Glaze Components section. I really loved working with this double loop Patera raised pendant and love the fact that it is two sided. This will be shown later in the post.

This is one of the images that is available on Aunties Beads Paris collage sheet which are already created in the shapes of the Patera frames that are for sale on this same page. Love the ease of this.


Here you can see the Patera lead free frame which has the image attached and now it has been filled in with a glaze product. The glaze product shown on this page of Auntie Bead products will work for this process. Image above is while still wet.

Front side

Now, to add this wonderful Patera pendant into the mix of my vintage elements. The chain links are vintage and are sterling silver. I've used black wire to wire wrap many of the elements together, added a sterling silver antique crucifix, vintage faux glass Japanese pearls, vintage rhinestone roundels, etc.

Back side

I continued the Paris theme on the back sides of the #8 metal tag as well as the Patera double sided pendant. The Paris images on the back are from an etsy purchase of an artisan that creates these images to sell and use in ones designs.

The vintage rhinestone flower lived its former life as a scatter pin, but now is showcased in this new Paris themed necklace. I adore working with numbers in my designs. Don't you love numbers too?

Great rhinestone former scatter pin.


Not sure of the origin of these numbers I've accumulated. However, if I were to guess I'd maybe say locker tags. Love them none-the-less. Wouldn't it be cool if you were from Aurora, Illinois and the proud owner of this piece?

Focal is an Eiffel tower image from etsy.

How cool are these faceted vintage AB crystals, and what a fun tassel to top the whole design off with.

More sterling silver links and than a hand created clasp.

I made this fun piece for the Junk Bonanza event in September, but the first person that saw it, fell in love with it and bought it from my stash right on the spot. Creating and selling is the name of the game, so gotta sell when the buyer is willing. Thanks for following along with me on this design on my blog and bye for now, I need to go create another unique, one-of-a-kind, fun design to replace this one.

This is a very detailed and time consuming piece, so I usually am not able to have too many of these in my stash. They sell quickly, and I don't recreate the same piece over again. Each design has to be unique and special on their own.

Thanks Aunties Beads for supplying me with some great products to mix in with my vintage redesigns.

SOLD

Vintage Redesigns - August

Chunky Vintage Necklace
Design #103
$69
(SOLD JB)

This is one of those designs that just flowed together from the start. It began with this wonderful chunky chain. The vintage pocket watch piece has been treated with an accent product which was featured in my last post and is the glossy accent product to give it the feel of a glass cover. The vintage rusty keys coordinate beautifully with the vintage time piece. The story I could tell about harvesting this vintage cash register #02 is a blog in and of itself. Just put it this way, patience, perseverance, a very good friend with a generous husbands trusty workshop along with their help is how this register # came to be available to use in this design. The addition of the two foreign coins in the brown tones, really pulls this design all together.

Wonderful vintage pocket watch used for the focal.

Two lovely rusty vintage skeleton keys added to the one side. Treated with a product to keep the rust from coming off onto your clothes.

Fabulous .02 vintage cash register tag.

1954 foreign coin with stag.

Love the foreign coin with the bird on it.


Opulence Necklace
Design #104
$59 / SOLD

This is a stunning and impact kind of necklace. The lovely vintage belt buckle is brass toned with some silver/black showing through with vintage rhinestones set into it. There are five strands of chain that make up this piece. Two of them are baroque vintage glass pearls and three are of a gold ornate style of chain. Lovely focal front clasp attaches the belt buckle to the chain portion of the necklace.

Focal detail of the vintage belt buckle.

The five strands of chain portion. The baroque pearls are a warm ivory color and have a few areas of chippiness on a few of them which just add to its patina.

These photos do not do this necklace justice. It is quite stunning in person.


Floral Locket
Design #105
$44

Available

I have been hoarding this wonderful vintage enamel locket for years, and have finally forced myself to use it in a design. I just love how it has such a pretty painting on it.

The locket is vintage and quite old. There is room for pictures inside. I've paired it with black wire and 3 vintage green/clear glass beads to connect it to the pearl chain portion of this design.

Pearl chain is vintage and thus shows the patina of a vintage pearl chain. Again, this just gives a wonderful authentic vintage look to this design.

A hand wire wrapped clasp has been added to this design.

The entire necklace design.


Brass Tag 200/500 Necklace
Design #106
$39 (SOLD - JB)

I found a small stash of these wonderful brass tags, and have decided to make a few JUNK style necklaces with them. This first one has a silver/gold combination which seems to be quite popular right now. The chain is silver tone in color. There is a brass oval tag with the number 200/500 which has been layered with a gold colored "N" with a crown. The silver portion of the design has a tassel with a rhinestone ball, a Fleur d leis and a drop with vintage clear glass crystals and a rhinestone roundel.

Oval brass tag.

"N" insignia with crown.

Silver cluster.

Entire necklace.


Brass Tag #180/500 Necklace Design #107 $39

(SOLD - JB)

Brass tag, vintage skeleton key, red/brass enamel vintage button with monopoly game piece car. We're you ever the one that always had to have the car when you played monopoly? Then this is a necklace for you.

Vintage button

Monopoly car game piece.

Chain has these sections of heart cut out connectors in it.

Entire necklace.


Brass Tag #189/500 Necklace
Design #108
$39 (SOLD)

Brass tag, brass star, vintage rhinestone element, vintage key, Sterling Silver Fleur d leis charm and vintage clear crystal with rhinestone roundel charm.

Key, Fleur d leis and charm drop.

Vintage rhinestone element.

Silver tone chain has rhinestone balls set into the chain.


Aqua/Silver Rhinestone Necklace
Design #109
$54 (SOLD - FF)

This fabulous vintage clear and aqua rhinestone focal element is truly amazing. I fell in love with the moment I saw in an antique store locked case. It is truly a unique piece.

A vintage religous medal is used in this portion of the necklace along with vintage aqua Czech glass and this vintage Swarovski AB Aqua bead droop.

The two strand necklace lays just perfect and really makes a statement.

This photo illustrates the way it lays and how the two strands look when wearing. I just love how the grey tone of the chain goes so nicely with the metal on the vintage rhinestone focal piece. A truly one of a kind design.