Photo Inclusions - Part 2

A few posts back I gave some info on making acrylic photo charms. This post will show a few fun ways to get those charms into your designs. First, you can simply glue onto a hair clip base, a bail with a glue pad or a brooch base. You can also glue it directly onto a filigree with E6000 crafting glue (outdoors preferably 'cause this stuff stinks). Then you have all sorts of loops to start creating with.Another easy way to get a loop on these for hanging is with a glue on pinch bail - these are available in our shop too. Just wrap around your pliers to curve and pinch onto the charm with a bit of glue.This collage piece is a fun way to use the smaller acrylic charms - take a large blank wood piece with a hole drilled in the top then start building. I antiqued the wood a bit with some copper paint and then made a stencil from a piece of tag paper and a decorative paper punch. A blend of peridot and copper paint gives the stenciled Fleur de Lis a vintage look. Then it's all about the layering, a rhinestone here, the acrylic charm there and finish it off with a few brass stampings and a fabulous cocoa ribbon (From our vintage collection).

Twilight Fever

Yes, I know this was supposed to be a technique post, but I just can't help myself - I've caught Twilight Fever. All of you know our shops are full of Twilight inspired charms and now we are adding 6 exclusive cherry wood charms engraved with various Twilight inspired phrases and names ~~Edward, Jacob, Cullen, Twilight, Bitten, Be Safe~~

These are a Winter Rose Exclusive and for those of you also anxiously anticipating the release of the DVD this weekend we are having a fabulous sale on these new tags - buy any 6 or more of these tags this week only and you get them for a $1.60 a tag - a 25 cent savings per tag. (We will be listing them at $1.85 - So to get your offer, please convo me on Etsy and I will set up a special reserved listing for you.)

Have fun and yes...Be Safe~~~~

Purple hits the Spotlight

If you create - you could get published - it's really that simple. And Somerset Studio offers ample opportunity for artists to show their work and get a bit of promotion for their shops. If you haven't already checked out their guidelines give them a quick read over here:

Somerset Studio writing guidelines

In particular they are having a Royal Purple Challenge - Aubergine with a deadline of August 15th. If you submit to this theme post us a note so we can all join in the fun. I think I will do something with the new purple ribbons we just got in the shop. I am thinking a cuff with hand stitched beads and bits of old brass....

Photo Inclusions

So there are about a hundred ways to get your favorite snippets of art into your jewelry. There are hard ways like transfers and there are easy ways like cutting up a picture and gluing the thing down. I choose the easy way - but with flair!

This series of shots shows how to create a clear acrylic piece with a photo glued to the backside of it. These are the Tim Holtz acrylics - you can get them in our shop. I am also using the Crystal Clear glaze - it is super thick and perfect for this application.


Put a small amount in the center - don’t go to the edge - then lay on your photo and squeeze out the excess and any bubbles. Wipe the edge with a cotton tip swab and let set overnight. Seriously - overnight - do up several and then have fun in the morning.

When dry trim back the picture with your craft knife and seal the back with more glaze or a clear acrylic paint if you are in a hurry. Now you can use these in any mixed media project - they are so perfect glued on a filigree piece and used as a pendant (Next blog).

Tip: Make sure to use real photos from the photo center -Winkflash is good and cheap. I have done the figuring and it really is cheaper to have your pictures printed at a pro’s than to do it yourself -- And they look tons better.

Alice is Back

We all love Alice in wonderland - which is made quite obvious by the amount of Alice crafts and jewelry on Etsy. Personally, my tastes run towards Dark Alice...with a bit more mistchief than innocence in her eyes! Look soon for my own Dark Alice paintings in cameos over at our Etsy shop.

But for now - the classic Alice has made her way into a set of 5 pendants at Winter Rose Cameos but they are going fast - I started listing yesterday and 3 are now gone - I only made ten this batch so hurry to grab them while they are still available.

These are a fabulous deal to make up a line of Alice necklaces - like this one perhapse:

Savings on Supplies

Shipping costs on jewelry boxes and display items can run more than the items themselves - but Gems on Display is currently running a free shipping promo and they have some of the lowest prices I have found on displays and jewelry boxes. Those gorgeous brown craft jewelry boxes that are so easy to personalize - you can get some of them for as little as 10 cents each! Check it out at Gems on Display.


Quick tip - personalize your craft boxes with a simple rubber stamp image and a length of hem tape - you can find all sorts of colors of this in our shop. These personal touches are really appreciated by customers.

Ribbon Ends...

Ribbons are all the rage right now and hem tape is the best bet for jewelers. It is rayon - doesn’t ravel overly much, comes in all sorts of fabulous colors, looks vintage right off the roll - Completely fabulous.

You can tie them in - fabulous vintage feel - just add a dab of glue inside the knot for stability.

Or dress it up a bit with a crimp end - just follow the squares to a fabulous finish.

You can also use a tube bead and then crimp it flat for a nice clean looking connection - you can use this at the front to connect into your design or at the back to hook into a jump ring or chain closure seamlessly. (Personally I love a ribbon tie back - it is so feminine!)

Here is a bit more complicated design - take one of our lattice bars and cut it in half. Turn it into a ribbon crimp by carefully folding over the cut portion of the bar, inserting the ribbon and closing the finished side of the bar over the back. This way all the cut ends are enclosed and you have a fabulous looking connection.

Give hem tape a try - make something fabulous! We have nearly a dozen shades and all the brass ox supplies you see here - just visit our etsy shop.