lightweight friendly plastic earrings

 

 

I made these in November but didn't want to post them until after gifting the red pair. No idea if she'll ever wear them, but I had fun making them. The other pair are for me and I've already worn them a few times.

Nothing else has been made since -- just too brain dead after work to be creative so instead, have escaped watching Christmas movies and snuggling with our new dog. I'm hoping to do a better job of dealing with work stress in 2023 so I can get my life back. 

Believe,

Di

improvisational quilting, face masks and a pendant

These are the improvisational quilt squares I made the end of March. Lots of room for improvement, but all in all not bad for my very first attempts. I like the randomness of the gray one. I'll probably make pillows out of these. Then again, who knows? 

Next up are a few of the face masks I've been making the past couple weekends for friends and family. I exhausted my elastic supply and it's nearly impossible to score online, let alone locally. Luckily a friend had extra and dropped off a few yards for me today, so I can make a few more. I've heard hair ties work too, so I might have to try using them when this elastic is gone. 

Lastly, when I initially ran out of elastic, I took a sewing break and created this pendant. I'd made the front a while back, but didn't add the back and bail until this weekend. 
 
 

Friendly Plastic is still friendly

This week I got the Friendly Plastic out and experimented a bit. What a relief to find I had sealed it up well so it didn't dry out and get brittle over the last few years. These might be transformed into pendants or embellishments for greeting cards.

experimenting with lava bright silk

So I'm at the Woodsmith Store with my hubby the other day and I spot this really beautiful stick of acrylic (Lava Bright Stick). Hubby tells me it's for making pens. I think it would make cool jewelry, ask if I can cut, sand and and drill it, and when told yes, purchase it. Last night I pulled out my baby table saw and dremel attachments and started experimenting. The saw blade cut through it just fine but man oh man did it make a mess and stink beyond words. The saw blade left marks so I used the baby belt sander, which also made a mess and stunk up the whole house. The belt sander left scratches so I proceeded to use a series of dremel attachments to end up with a smooth and polished product. You can see the mess in the photo below (guess you can't actually see all the plastic shavings all over, but they're there). 

Doing some research online today, I read that wet sanding is recommended when turning the acrylic for pens. Doesn't matter. At this point, the majority of the product is in the trash. The house wreaked so bad that, even though the temp was in the teens, I had to open windows and turn on fans (in case you're wondering, yes, I wore goggles and a face mask when I was sawing, sanding, etc.). Long story short, I'm hoping to salvage the pieces I worked on and make a few pair of earrings (the acrylic really is absolutely beautiful stuff) but after that, I don't ever plan to work with the stuff again. 

The shop area of the studio is back in order (smile). 

So after that little exercise, I yearned to work with something I'm familiar with and enjoy not only the process but the results. If you guessed metal & Friendly Plastic, you're right! Here's a sneak peak of the current WIP: 

So, tell me, what new thing did you try or learn about this weekend? 

Believe, 
Di

life is a medley

The mixed media piece I started 9/15 is complete. It's called "life is a medley" and it was a good reintroduction to several techniques and mediums I hadn't used in quite a while. Not having done much in the craft studio the past year or two, I've gotten quite rusty. The old saying of "use it or lose it" rings true. Last night I ruined one of my favorite brass stencils using it with Friendly Plastic. Silly me forgot to apply a releasing agent of any kind first. Live and learn. If anyone knows how to remove FP from a brass stencil, would you please let me know? I've already spent more time on it than the stencil is worth, but they apparently don't make this one anymore. I searched online as well as our local Michael's and Joann's today to no avail. The local stores no longer carry brass stencils at all. It would seem they had to make room for the hundreds of new items they've added since my last shopping trip many moons ago. GEESH -- talk about being a kid in a candy store! I couldn't believe all the cool stuff the stores are carrying these days. I'm going to have to get busy setting up my Etsy shop in order to earn some spending money! 

On that note, I'm putting on the craft apron and heading to that side of the room. I hope you all have a glorious week ahead. If you're a Snoopy fan like me, don't forget "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" will air 7pm CT this Thursday, 10/31. Happy Halloween, everyone! 

Believe, 
Di 

glass/metal pendants & glazed FP/metal pendants

Greetings! How is the month of May treating you thus far? We had a few days of nice warm weather at the end of April -- in fact I saw a couple college students tanning themselves in their swim suits this past Sunday, and today it's snowing (and accumulating). While it's a pretty snow, as I view it from inside my comfy home, it's Spring dagnabbit, and we're ready for snow to go away until Christmas.

These are some pendants I've been working on here and there the past couple months. It's been fun getting back into the swing, but slow going, for sure. Let me know what you think of these. I've been toying with the idea of setting up an Etsy store and donating all or part of the profits to an animal charity, either locally or elsewhere. Any suggestions for pricing items like this? The local animal shelter I volunteer at is opening a boutique and thrift store this month, so I might simply donate these to their cause. 

Again, please let me know what you think, and have a spectacular day! 

Believe, 
Di

first WIPs for quite awhile

In case you're wondering if I'm actually creating, since my posts so far this year don't show it, here are some current WIPs as well as the chaotic state of my studio. Fun is being had here ^smile^ and I hope it's occurring where you are too. 

Believe, 

Di

yoga cards, charm swap & update on bca pendants

So, how was your Thanksgiving? Lots of good food, family time & laughter? I hope so! 

Since my last post, I've enjoyed creating two dozen cards for a custom order. It's been awhile since I've worked with paper. It was nice not to have a pressing deadline so I could take my time to enjoy the process, playing with colors & textures. Here's a sampling of the results: 

These are a couple charms for a swap going on in one of the Yahoo groups I belong to. Don't you love the depth of the colors you get with Friendly Plastic? 

Lastly, the bca pendants I shared in my last blog post are all gone/spoken for (so no blog give-away -- sorry!). They were fun to make and as always, I learned something along the way. 

I'm off now to begin decorating for the next holiday! Are you all decorated at your place for whichever holiday you celebrate next? 

Believe, 
Di 

black-n-clear/silver set

I recently lucked out with a heck of a bargain on a black & white jacket so decided to create something unique to go with it. The focal point of the necklace is a mirrored glass tile, ground down for smooth edges before being embedded into Friendly Plastic. It was then covered in gloss glaze.



"People often say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder. This empowers us to find beauty in places where others have not dared to look, including ourselves." ~ Salma Hayek

Believe,
Di

friendly plastic play date

Over the last few years on my last job, I occasionally worked with a gal whom I'd never met in person. All our interaction was over the phone or computer. Regardless, we discovered things in common and struck up a friendship. She recently left work to pursue her creative dreams and invited me to come to her studio to play sometime. Still unemployed myself, I took an afternoon off from job-hunting and finally met my friend in person. What a delight! We spent the afternoon getting to know each other a little better and playing with Friendly Plastic. She'd purchased some but not taken the time to use it so I showed her some very basic techniques. She has no fear & immediately began experimenting. Here's a photo she snapped of the results of our first play date:

I'm grateful for this "new" creative friend in my life, and look forward to our next play date. She's pursuing her dream and so willing to share herself. As Louise Hay said, "Everyone in my life has something to teach me. We have a purpose in being together."

Believe,

Di

practicing wire wrapping

Have you taken any jewelry classes online? I recently took Max Goodman's Jewelry Workshop through Craftsy.com. Max covers pearl knotting, wire wrapping, chain making & photo etching and does a good job of talking students through each step in the process. I took the class primarily for the wire wrapping and chain making and wasn't disappointed. I've been practicing the wire wrapping using wires, beads & findings I had on hand. The center item of the earth-toned bracelet below is one of my Friendly Plastic creations (love that stuff!).

Happy creating! And remember, as we learn new skills...

"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." ~ Katherine Graham

Believe,
Di

jewelry mode

The earring swap I participated in last week ignited a bit of a jewelry craze for me. Here are the latest creations.

The beautiful purple and silver glass beads in these earrings are encircled by rings made from UTEE, alcohol inks and various powders. I thought then provided an atmospheric or planetary ring quality to the glass beads that remotely look like planets.

The pendant is stamped friendly plastic, coated with gloss glaze.

"Do what's in front of you as well as possible. Keep going until you realize what you're best at." ~ Helen Gurley Brown

Believe,
Di

haiku expressions - part 4

This is the last post for the collaborative challenge Phyll & I did. Here is the piece I created, followed by two haiku she wrote to express her interpretation of it:

The black hole confounds.
Man ponders its mystery,
But what if it's white?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I cut the black hole.
A total absence of light
Reflects in my eyes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Aren't these haiku thought-provoking? I really like what Phyll did with them!

As for the art, the background is something I started nearly a year ago and have added various layers to and tinkered with off and on for months, never quite sure what I'd use it for. When it came time for me to create a piece for our collaboration, I knew it would be the perfect starting place. I toyed with making it an underwater scene of some sort, but my love of moon and sun items won and thus it became cosmic space. The sun was made from Friendly Plastic (both stick and pellets) & alcohol inks. The moon too was made of FP. The photo doesn't show it well, but there's pearl ink forming craters. While I liked it the overall piece just like that, my intent was to illustrate balance.... internal balance.... but how? The idea of something busting through intrigued me, so I pursued it, adding the mirror to reflect on the viewer and imply the internal/personal balance breakthrough. Something like that anyway.... When my hubby saw it, his initial reaction was a black hole had consumed our earth. Then he saw it was a mirror and made some wisecrack about the universe revolving around him... LOL!! I like all our interpretations, and love that the piece has a voice at an individual level. It has become one of my favorites.

My thanks go out to Phyll for her creative talents, open mind, willingness to try anything and loads of patience! You are a true gem, Phyll!

Believe...
Di

haiku expressions - part 1

To challenge each other & ourselves, my online pal Phyll & I decided to try a collaboration. We each wrote a few haiku & the other person chose one and created a 5" x 7" representation. Here's the haiku I wrote & the beautiful representation piece I received from Phyll:

sweet nectar sustains

hovering so gracefully

blink and she is gone

The Friendly Plastic hummingbird is stunning! She's really taken FP places I haven't ventured yet. And isn't it cool how she incorporated an eye into the piece? Details! Art is in the details! Thank you, Phyll!

I'm mailing my piece to Phyll tomorrow, so will post a picture in the next few days.

Believe...

Di

1st photos in the light box & fp/glass pendant

I set up the light box last night and experimented a bit, then changed some things around this afternoon and experimented some more. I'm sure I'll be tweaking things a bit as it gets more use, but it will definitely get more use. Thank you, Chris, for sharing your inexpensive option.

Here are a couple photos of the altered Friendly Plastic pendant. I used a Dremel to grind down a mirrored glass piece (by Diamond Tech) and a craft iron to remove enough fp from the original fp piece to accommodate the glass. The back of the pendant is embossed pewter. Everything but the top of the glass and the bail is sealed with glaze. I like the results and am anxious to create more fp pieces. Have you tried this fun medium yet?

wip ~ altering blue fp pendant

I decided the blue Friendly Plastic pendant shared in my last post needed something more (in addition to a bale).... something to make it truly unique. The idea came to me this past weekend. The process began Sunday and I've done a smidgen each evening. Tonight the back went on. Once I get it all sealed I'll share the results. For now, here's a peak at the back...

And lest I forget, a warm welcome to the new "followers" that have joined since my last post. Thank you for your interest!

fp tutorial

First & foremost, I want to welcome a couple new "followers" to my blog. Thank you for your interest! Please let me know if you have questions, comments or suggestions. I love hearing from people.

I'm trying something new today and posting a tutorial. I don't know that this is my forte, but I indicated in a November post I would share the process I used to make the purple Friendly Plastic pendant, and today's the day. Today we're making a blue FP pendant.

Start with a bargain piece of costume jewelry. I'm using a silver clip earring. Cut a piece of FP slightly bigger than the earring and choose a stamp (I'm using one from Fancy Pants). Unmounted stamps work best if your piece isn't totally flat. You can use a stamp that's smaller than your piece, but I'm not good at placing them in the center so I just use oversize stamps to eliminate that problem.

Lay the FP over the piece & melt it with a heat gun.

When it's nicely melted, prepare your stamp by pressing it into a watermark stamp pad (I use VersaMark) and then pressing it into the FP. Use your fingers to press everywhere to ensure full contact. Experiment with the pressure for different looks. Firm pressure will reveal the metal underneath, which may or may not be your intent. That's what I did for the purple piece, but for this blue piece I chose to use less pressure.

When you're confident the stamp isn't going to lift from the FP, place the piece in a cold water bath to solidify the FP.

After a few moments remove the piece and carefully lift the stamp from the FP. The edges might be a little jagged, as you can see here.

Place a nonstick craft sheet (I use Ranger's) on a griddle and heat the griddle to 275. Lightly touch/drag the edges to melt/smooth them. Once cool, add your preferred glaze/sealer (I like Triple Thick by DecoArt) and a bail. Thread on a cord or chain and you're set!

purple fp pendant

It was a stellar day last week when I found a forgotten gift card in my wallet. Without missing a beat, I trotted off to that store & found a beautiful purple shirt, crying out for a custom-made pendant. It was so much fun creating this pendant last night, I'm making matching earrings tonight! This Friendly Plastic is a tad addictive {smile}.

Thanks for coming by! Don't be shy if you have a question or comment. I'd love to hear from you.

fp & metal pendants

Here are my latest Friendly Plastic & metal pendants. Boy, are these fun to make.

Here's a shot of the backs, along with a penny to show their size. I like embossing the back so it looks nice, just in case the pendant flips on my neck.

And in case you're wondering what the heck I could wear the blue, aqua & orange one with, well, I wasn't thinking of it at the time I made it, but it goes great with one of my favorite shirts....

Thanks for coming by! Drop me a line if you have a question or comment. I'd love to hear from you.

experiment, practice, learn!

When you're creating, do you strictly follow product instructions and/or lessons learned in classes? I like to know the rules mostly so I can determine which ones I want to break.

I've been experimenting more with Friendly Plastic lately. Most of my efforts have been rather hideous, but eventually something worth saving results. This pendant is an example. It's FP on copper I added texture to then heated to warm the color. The entire piece is sealed with gloss glaze. The glaze is fine, but I'm going to the store today to buy some EnviroTex Lite and see if it will provide a nicer finish on future pieces. If you've used EnviroTex Lite and have any tips you'd like to share, I'd welcome them!

1.25" x 1.5" pendant

Friendly Plastic on textured, heated copper