Garnet Glitz

I've decided to try my hand at making more jewelry this year. You could say it's a kind of New Year's resolution to practice some jewelry making techniques. So to start, I'm making a garnet bracelet and earring set for January. I got the idea for this bracelet and earring set from a craft magazine and decided to make a few changes to it to use findings and materials I had on hand. If you didn't know, garnet is January's gemstone.

Here's a picture of the finished bracelet all shiny and pretty. To complete this project, you'll need some silver chain, 4mm and 6mm jump rings, garnet colored glass beads, a toggle clasp, jewelry wire, crimp tubes, and some pewter findings.

First things first, cut your chain into 10 lengths of 2 and 1/8 inches. 5 pieces of chain get slipped onto a 4mm jump ring, and then another jump ring is added to the opposite side of the chains. You do this twice to make two sets of dangly chain pieces.

Next, add the toggle clasps, one to each chain set with a 6mm jump ring. On the opposite side of one of those sets, loop jewelry wire onto the 4mm jump ring and set with a crimp tube. Then you'll thread a bicone, a pewter finding, a bicone, a pewter finding, and finally another bicone, onto the wire. Finish the bracelet off by making another loop around the unused chain set and secure with another crimp tube to the unused chain set.

Done! This was a great way for me to start my beading practice because there was just enough technique involved to make it interesting but no crazy wire wrapping to make me frustrated. Check out our blog next week for the next installment; we're finishing up this set with a pair of matching garnet glitz earrings.

Thanks for reading!
Puna @ Enchanted Lake

P.S. If you're thinking that this would make a great Valentine's Day gift, you're really on top of things. Scroll down to see today's episode of Crankin' Out Crafts featuring a fun Valentine's idea.

I Twine All the Time

You know what I love? TWINE! Yes, twine, because twine is so versatile. You can use it to hang things or string things, or even to cover things. That's what we did today, see?

Yep, we just started carrying this 100 yard spool of twine at our stores. That's a lot of twine! We used it to wrap around these bottles and jars, AND a large ornament, AND had some left over. Do this with twine, it's so easy, and you'll have some lovely decor pieces when you're done.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Fill Up a Frame

Are you looking for great gift and decorating ideas for the soon to be upon us holiday season? What about a new, stylish frame?

These extremely affordable shadowbox frames are perfect for gift giving and decorating. Fill the shadowbox section with almost anything, then insert a picture and you're done.

For fall, here is a colorful leaf filled frame. You could also fill with raffia, small pumpkins, or even candy corn for a festive fall feeling.

 

If it's Christmas you're decorating for, fill the shadowbox with jingle bells, snow, pinecones, or peppermints. It's a fun, playful way of framing that special photo.

Thanks for the read!

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Clever Christmas Countdown

Yes, I know that many of you think it's too soon to be thinking about Christmas. I mean, we haven't even gotten to Halloween yet, right? But, if you want to be on top of your homemade Christmas, now is the time to start.

On that note, today's blog topic is this fast and easy "Days Til Christmas" counter. For the project you need either a plastic plate or a ready-to-decorate wood frame, chalkboard paint, multi-surface paint or acrylic paint, ribbon, scrap paper, Bistro chalk markers, chalk, double-stick tape, and a hot-glue gun.

This version has a spot for your favorite picture at the top. I painted the edges of the frame with Americana multi-surface paints, and the part with the counter, with the chalkboard paint. Around the picture is a frame of printed scrap paper and under it a quick bow. Use Bistro markers to write a more permanent "Days til Christmas" at the bottom of your chalk board, and the chalk to write in your daily count down. As of today, we have 80 days til Christmas.

Our second counter is on a plastic charger plate that we have in specifically for Christmas this year. Paint the chalkboard paint on the flat, center part of the plate. The cute bow at the top is simply hot-glued on. A note on the chalkboard paint: follow the directions closely. The paint will take 24 hours to cure before you can write on it with the chalk. The "Days til Christmas" saying is again written with the more permanent Bistro marker, and the countdown is in chalk.

80 days left til Christmas. Are you ready?

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Introducing...Project Life!

Pirate Party layout using the Project Life "Honey" basic kit

Have you got Project Life in YOUR life? Our Ben Franklin stores just started carrying this new approach to scrapbooking and I've got to say it's got all of us in tizzy.

Treasure Chest Birthday Cake layout also using the "Honey" basic kit

If you've never heard of Project Life before, one "Google" will pull up a ton of info supplied by the many, many addicted scrapbookers who are already loving it. Essentially, it's a way to scrapbook your life, one day, one week, or one month at a time. All you need to start your Project Life scrapbook is an album, a basic kit, pocketed page protectors, and a pen. Any additional embellishments are optional and completely at your discretion.

Wake Up layout in the Project Life "Kraft" basic kit

The best, best thing about Project Life is that it's so simple to do. You just slide your pictures and the pre-cut papers from the kit into pockets and poof! Instant, incredibly cute scrapbooks. In fact, it's so easy that many scrapbookers have started to do something called Project 365 which is scrapbooking for every day of the year. Don't worry though if that doesn't appeal to you, most people will opt to do a page a week or a page a month, whatever they can handle. It's wonderful because it's really all up to you.

Drop by to see our Project Life samples on display and ask any questions you might have about this ingenious scrapbook system.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake

A Pallet-able Project

There are a lot of people out there right now on Pinterest and all over the web who are making astounding things out of pallets. Of course one thing leads to another and the love for making things using pallets has turned into simply a love of pallets. To help spread a little more pallet love, today's blog topic concerns making something into a pallet. Well, making popsicle sticks into a mini pallet coaster, to be exact.



If you want to make this pallet project for your own home, you're going to need a few things first. Popsicle sticks are the main ingredient but you'll also need something to cut them with and something to stain them with. I used some heavy duty tin snips and Tim Holtz's Distress Stains respectively. To round the project off, you need a length of balsa wood - square shaped, not circular - a hot-glue gun, and an Xacto or utility knife.

I then cut both ends off of the popsicle sticks to give them straight edges. You can also find popsicle sticks ready made without the rounded ends, but I used what I had on hand. I also cut the balsa wood into pieces that were roughly the same size as my popsicle sticks. Then I used the Distress Stain to give the wood pieces a rugged, weathered look. Last, I hot-glued the popsicle sticks to three pieces of balsa wood.

Keep in mind that these coasters are supposed to look raw and used, just like those life-sized pallets. Don't worry if your popsicle sticks hang over too much or if a couple of your pieces have some rough edges. In fact, you want these cuties to look as imperfect as possible. The less refined the better, I think, and they're great for adding a fun, rustic touch to your home.

Drop by our Enchanted Lake store during July for demonstrations on how to make some pallets of your own.

See you soon,
Puna @ Enchanted Lake

Up-Styled Frame

Looking for a quick, instant gratification craft? I made this frame in 30 minutes! Actually, about 10 minutes of that was waiting for the spray paint to dry so ... I made this frame in 20 minutes! Plus, I'm really loving the up-styled, elegant look of it too.

If you want to make this on your own, get a cheapy frame, like the one on the left, and spray paint it a nice metallic color. I went with a Montana spray paint in silver but I think gold or copper would've been equally awesome. Wait for the paint to dry (seriously the hardest part about this DIY), then take some glass tiles and some E6000 adhesive and stick those tiles all over the frame. The E6000 will stay pretty loose for a bit, so it makes it really, really easy to move the tiles around to place them just where you want them. In a couple of hours the E6000 is set enough to stand the frame up. After about a day the E6000 will be permanent and you'll have a beautiful new decor piece.

Try it right now! You can make a ton of these in like no time. Maybe even small ones as wedding favors? Ooooh I'll have to try it.

Puna @ Enchanted Lake