I bought a kit and knitted a bracelet. Then I went crazy and bought different cords and number 6 seed beads in every color I could find. The original was gold, and the second was hot pink. The third was silver-lined crystal knit on silver cord. I lost interest, or a life thing came up, and I never added a clasp.
Today, I found that silver bracelet bagged up with its leftover beads!
I found it in this pink gift bag, and inside are at least a dozen other zipper bags with beads and matching cords!
Freshly baked from polymer clayThe skewered one is a hand sculpted mushroom. The rest are from molds.I used jump rings for shanks this time. The others have holes.
No, they’re not chocolate! They’re polymer clay buttons! Some are shaped from molds and some are molded by hand. (the acorn, the zuni bear, and the mushrooms, for example)
They need sanding and staining and sealing. Coming soon to a bracelet near you!
Thank you Tracy Proctor of TierraCast!Tracy provided the materials and taught us this technique at the JTV Experience in Knoxville, TN, this past October.
I’m making shanks from copper wire using bailing pliers.The yellow molds I made myself. The others are commercial. The little mushrooms and courage bear are hand sculpted.
These flowers will need to be trimmed down before becoming buttons. I’ll also highlight the details with mica powder before baking.
Laura and I were lucky enough to attend the JTV (Jewelry Television) Experience in Knoxville, TN!
We’ve been back over a week and I’m still grinning!
Covid had interrupted the in person event for the last two years, so it was extra special to be back in Knoxville. The 2022 edition was moved to October, in peak leaf season!
The Jewel School portion of the event began on Wednesday, and we drove over from Asheville on Tuesday. The day was overcast, causing the colorful leaves to glow. I drove, so I only got one picture at the rest area.
I vow to buy a dash camera before my next road trip! (Ordered!)
Back to the excellent adventure!
Wednesday was a Welcome Luncheon and registration and shopping at the JTV Gemstore. At the luncheon, we met up with ladies I knew from the online live chat during Jewel School. Our table was shorted a tea. The waiters were wearing light colored shirts and circulating throughout the room. So was JTV’s CEO! He stopped to ask was there anything we needed. One of the ladies said, yes an iced tea.
After he brought Laura her tea, he stayed at our table asking what we liked about the new JTV Experience? I offered the fall date and told him our drive was glorious.
Later in our meal, Robert Thomas, one of the JTV show hosts, paid us a visit. These are the folks at our table.
At the table, L-R; Kiersten Adney, Robin Lynn Baden, Me, Laura Sheaffer, Anne Jageler Macheski, and Debbie Rogers, standing, L-R; Trish Ditto, Kathy Gatza, Mira Barks, and Robert Thomas
Mira presented Robert with a bracelet she had made for him. He’s sporting it proudly in the photo. I’m grinning like that because I had salad in my teeth.
I knew Mira from the 2018 Experience, and I talk to her frequently in the Jewel School live chat. I have also talked to Kirsten, Kathy and Anne. Debbie Rogers is the much loved founder of The Beady Bunch, and I have known her since I joined in 2017.
There’s more to share, but that will have to wait. It’s very late.
10:00am, today, The phone rings. “Nana, I still need wings and a halo.”
“But you’re not going to the Squish Meet, you’re going to soccer.”
But after soccer, there’s a block party.”
Vivi and her bestie had planned to go to the local Squishmellow Swap Meet as a devil and an angel. Then their soccer coach invited them to play with the older girls’ team.
‘What time is the block party?”
“Three.”
I went right to work. We’d bought a white headband and iridescent pipe cleaners earlier in the week, so I started on the halo.
My little model was playing soccer, so I did the best I could with what I had.
Not great, but passable. On to the wings…
For the frame, I gathered 2 white wire clothes hangers, heavy duty wire cutters, and masking tape. I reshaped the hangers and cut the hooks off. I sacrificed another pipe cleaner to wire the two together. Then, I covered the connection with lots and lots of masking tape.
Vivi has a room set up in my “grandma house” where I also store fabric and yarn. I went in to look for some white chenille yarn. I found it AND a ruffled white satin pillow case that was once my mom’s. It was being used as a baby doll blanket in my old bassinet, filled with baby yarn.
I stuck the frame into the pillow sham and used another pipe cleaner and the white chenille yarn to gather and secure the middle.
I added more iridescent pipe cleaners to the middle of the wings, to match the halo and add sparkle.
Now, how to attach them? Vivi had finger crocheted several 3’ lengths of the chenille yarn to use as Squishmellow clip holders. I took two of them and added to the inside of the gather, attaching them in the middle, with good old pipe cleaners, so they could be used as underarm ties.
Then, I tried it on my poor old model.
I tied it on me with bow knots, wrapping the extra lengths of yarn around my back and waist for extra support.
I took the wings and halo off and grabbed the white fuzzy vest in the background, then headed for the block party!
2:40pm, I arrived at the block party, and there was just enough room in front of the barricades to pull over. I cut on my blinkers, and Vivi met me at the end of the street.
The best part was when I pulled the costume out of the car! “Are those my wings, Nana? They’re beautiful!”
I got her in her wings and halo out of harm’s way, just off the intersection. People went by and smiled. One guy rolled down his window and said, “Great costume!” 😄
