DIY Jewelry

I got voted out last week. Sigh. C'est la vie... and all that. I can't really complain about it for two reasons. 

1) I'm still pleased as punch that I made it into the top three, third place overall is still quite an accomplishment. 

2) It was a close one again. I lost by less than ten votes. That makes me feel good about my project and that I had a great idea that many people liked. 

I really had a fun time participating in this season of So You Think You're Crafty. It pushed me out of several comfort zones. You might think that the biggest one involved painting... but really it was just putting myself and my projects out there to be judged. That's not easy, but it's nice to get so much positive feedback and to feel more comfortable sharing my ideas. 

The other great thing this contest has done for me has been to take my mind off of all the red tape bureaucratic nonsense that we've been dealing with this summer. We thought we would be moving out, getting the house fixed and moving back in before school started. Well, school starts next week and we not only haven't started packing, we're still trying to get new blueprints drawn up and approved. 

Again... c'est la vie... sigh.

Embroidered Initial Necklace

I saw this idea in a magazine last Christmas and I really liked it, but I couldn't figure out three things.

1) Why would anyone spend $75 on something that they could make for less than $5?

2) How had they mounted the embroidered piece into the frame?

3) How could you protect the embroidery from getting dirty or damaged?

It's an idea that's been floating around the back of my brain for months now, and this seemed like a good time to try it out.

I started out by tracing the size of the bezel finding I was going to cover, and then free handing an initial onto a scrap of linen. I embroidered the piece, cut it to fit and used the Glossy Accents to attach the fabric into the bezel. I covered it with another layer of the Glossy Accents and let it dry overnight, periodically checking for air bubbles and popping them as the medium dried. 

I added beads and a jump ring to create each pendant, then cut a chain to length and added a lobster clap to finish the necklace. 

You could make these as simple or ornate as you wanted to fit the personality of the intended recipient. It's fun and simple way to create a truly one of a kind piece of handmade jewelry.