Welcome to the Tiny Tin Challenge and Blog Hop!

Everyone in this challenge received two round steel tins to decorate.  The challenge was to decorate one or both tins using any techniques or materials.  You can read more about the challenge on my previous post.

Michelle

My first tin is beaded using a technique I learned from Dustin Wedekind.  You can read about it in his book, Getting Started with Seed Beads.  I used a mix of Japanese seed beads in matte black, beige, and metallic gold.  The circles aren't perfect.  If I were to do this again, I'd be more careful about culling my beads before adding them.  There is a flat metal piece in the middle that says "Congrats."  This tin looks a bit like a beaded cupcake and would be a cute way to package a tiny gift (post earrings? charms? stamps?).

I've made beaded tins before, so for the second tin, I challenged myself to try something new.  I covered the top with newsprint-style tape from Tim Holtz. I painted ModPodge over the tape to seal it and then used Amazing Glaze to seal it in a resin-like finish.  I added the fountain pen tip to it.  I'd never tried adding an item that wasn't completely covered in resin, so I was pleased with how it turned out.  I painted the edge of the top with black paint and glued buttons around the rim.  It looks like a tiny birthday cake.  I can picture a writer using this to store paperclips on his or her desk.

Patricia L.

Everyone who posted on her blog today about her tin (or sent me photos to post) is being entered into a random drawing for a tin—either one of the tins I decorated or a new, blank one (the winner's choice).  I'll announce the winner here by the end of Friday, June 1. Congratulations, Shelley!  I'll be in touch with you about your prize.

1. Michelle - Beads & Books - Hostess - see images on this blog
   
2. Amy - Amybeads
3. Brenda - B'Sue Boutiques
   
4. Dawn - Morning Glory Beading
5. Debbie - see images on this blog
   
6. Jeannie - Jeannie's Blog
   
7. Kay - Palm Coast Art
8. Kim - CianciBlue
   
9. Mary - MLH Jewelry Designs
10. Mary Shannon - Falling into the Sky
    
11. Michelle - Firefly Visions
12. Molly - Beautifully Broken Me
    
13. Pamela - The Crazy Creative Corner
    
14. Patricia G. - My Life Under the Bus
    
15. Patricia L. - see images on this blog
    
16. Robyn - A Ponderance of Things
17. Shelley - Fabric of My Life
    
18. Terry - Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
19. Therese - Domestic Goddess Enterprises
    
20. Therese - Therese's Treasures

Inspired by Today's Challenge?

If you've been inspired by all these terrific designs, I do have one kit left in my Etsy shop.  Price includes free U.S. shipping and discounted shipping to other locations.  

Sign up for my free newsletter if you'd like to hear about any future challenges, giveaways, or other fun activities.  I send six to eight newsletters per year.

Thank you so much for visiting!

Necklace and Earring Tutorial

I have another step-by-step tutorial posted at B'Sue Boutiques. This one is titled Fun with Flat Back Crystals and Metal Pendants.  Flat back crystals are a quick way to add a burst of color to your jewelry designs. 

This tutorial was inspired by looking at photos of my craft show displays and my online shop.  I love metals so much that sometimes I don't think about adding any color to my jewelry.  An entirely neutral palette can make a drab display!

More Design Ideas

• Minimal Bling:  If you're sparkle-shy, you don't need to add this many crystals to a design!  Take a look at these Paris earrings.  I added just a single crystal to these embossed earrings to give the effect of a starry sky. 
  
  
• Reversible Pendants:  I love reversible jewelry and think it's a great selling point for cost-conscious customers.   You could easily create a different design or use a different color scheme on each side of a single pendant. 
  

• Beyond Jewelry:  You also don't have to stick with jewelry if you're feeling adventurous.  I've seen designers add these crystals to sunglasses, Christmas ornaments, shoes, lamps, journal covers, and even an ordinary office stapler!  (If you do add them to a useful object, just be sure that you don't cover hinges, switches, or other needed working parts.)  I've also added crystals to ribbon for gift wrapping.

This compass ring is one of my favorite rings.  It has a beautiful, high-quality silver-plated filigree band (a brass base covered by 99% pure silver) and tiny compass that really works! 

In writing about the ring for my Etsy shop, I  targeted specific customers, such as those who love the steampunk trend or those summer sailors looking for nautical jewelry. 

But in truth, I think this is the kind of jewelry that symbolizes what a lot of people need at one time or another.  Who hasn't felt a little lost or pulled in more than one direction at a time?  It's been a wonderful and busy week for me with the start of some new, exciting projects (that I can't quite talk about yet).  At the same, I'm really looking forward to the weekend when I'll have time to sip coffee, look out the window, and think about nothing at all.

New Links from the Bead World

Enjoy this week's links, including the simple chandelier earring tutorial by Cyndi at Beading Arts:

Beading Arts
A tutorial for simple but elegant earrings is featured this week!

A Bead A Day
Lisa's sharing a quick and easy project using a craft store swarovski crystal strand...it's a tiara for the wrist!

About.com Jewelry Making
Tammy has some summer time jewelry tutorials for you.

Art Bead Scene
Heather shares a post about colors using bead supplies, showing monochromatic, complimentary, and analogous color selections

Beads & Books
Michelle makes over an old pair of earrings. Come see the dramatic before and after photos!

Resin Crafts!
The 2012 Diamond Jubilee inspires these new resin filled bezels.

Snap out of it, Jean! There is beading to be done!
Jean reviews Sharilyn Miller's extraordinary, not to be missed book, Arty Jewelry IV. You will agree that you must own this book when you read the review!

The Writing and Art of Andrew Thornton
Andrew kicks off his annual Spring Cleaning Destash Sale! He's got lots of amazing beads, jewelry, and more!

Whenever a piece of jewelry does not sell after a few months, I take a look at it to see if anything needs to be changed in the photos, descriptions, keywords, price, or with the item itself.  In some cases, I decide the item needs a complete makeover.

Before

These Egyptian earrings were one of the first pairs of earrings I posted in my Etsy shop.  They're the kind of easy earring that lots of people make, using a cute charm and a simple beaded wire link.  The photo is quite dark, so if I had been happy with this design, I'd probably simply retake the photo.  Sometimes a new photo can make a huge difference.

After

To create the new Egyptian earrings, I embossed a zigzag line on the Vintaj brass circle.  I thought this line would be representative of the pyramids, but when I started doing some research I found that this line is known as a chevron pattern.  It appears that this pattern shows up in hieroglyphics.  I still need to do some more research on chevrons, preferably in a book, since Google keeps wanting to tell me about the Chevron Oil Company! 

Next, I painted the lower half of the circle with Guilder's Paste.  The name of that color is Inca Gold, which amuses me.  Who says the Incas and Egyptians can't coexist at the same time? 

I really liked the color of the original Czech glass I used, but it's the kind of dark glass that's best appreciated in person, as it's maddeningly difficult to photograph.  To find a more historically significant color, I read a bit about the Colors of Ancient Egypt.  I was surprised that purple was not listed.  Somehow I associated purple with Egypt, but I think I was just confused by memories of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra.  Eventually I decided to use a bright yellow, a color, which along with gold, could represent perfection. 

To complete the earrings, I used a stack of spacers.  The ear wires are the same hypoallergenic (niobium) ear wires that I used in the original design.

Someone on Facebook asked recently about artists and designers doing production work.  That is, making the same item over and over.  Should you do it?

Ironically, I missed the start of that original online discussion because I was a little busy with a big project:

Last weekend I sent 72 handmade rustic mini books to the FOLKstore at the Springfield Extravaganza in Ohio (May 18-20, 2012) and the Beaver Dam FOLKstore in Kentucky (May 25-28, 2012).  The pop-up store will be hosted by the kind people at FOLK magazine, which is a new magazine presenting a "fresh and youthful interpretation of simple country lifestyles."

So if you just look at that number ("72"), the short answer is yes, I will occasionally do some production work. 

But like most creative people, I'm easily bored.  It's difficult to make the exact same thing over and over.  So my version of production work is making two or three of the exact same item at most. 

The book covers feature animals, flowers, games (bingo, tic tac toe), birthday cakes, seasonal motifs (pine cones, snowflakes), words (family, hope), and pretty patterns.  I made one mini book with a teacup and one with a teapot.  Some of the mini books are embossed, some are hand-stamped, some are riveted with charms, and a few are painted or tied closed with satin ribbon.  I made one mini book with stars and stripes and one that features squirrels.  (Okay, I admit, I'm very curious whether someone will buy that squirrel book.  Are there any squirrel fans in the Midwest?)  Some of the ivory card stock pages were neatly cut and others were hand torn. 

So does this work count as production work?  I honestly don't know.  I just know that coming up with all those different themes is what made this project a joy to work on. I couldn't have done it any other way.

If you attend either event, be sure to check out the FOLKshop, which will be filled with antiques and artist-made goods.  They are offering a 10% off coupon.  If you can't attend, you still might enjoy seeing some of the websites of the vendors in the FOLKbarn. (The pop-up shop where my books will be is inside the barn.)

Have a great weekend!