Mixed Media Monday - Make a Copper Rose Filagree Ring - Spellbinders Media Mixage

Isn't it amazing just how fast Monday rolls around? It's the start to another week, so why not make it a creative one?  

I really enjoy working with copper and I love the look of enamel.  So I combined both of my likes in this easy to make pendant using Copper metal sheets from the Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ line and Krylon®  spray paint to create a very summery copper flower ring.

Krylon® spray paints make it easy to achieve the enameled look.  I tend to spray the paint on just a little heavy and let it flow and set in the cracks and crevases.  I like the worn look this gives.  

Project Dimensions: Varies

Spellbinders Supplies:

MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ Machine

MD1-012 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Circles Three Die Templates

MM1-003 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Copper Metal Sheet

MB1-001 Susan Lenart Kazmer™ for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Ovals One Bronze Bezel (optional)

MD1-001 Susan Lenart Kazmer for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™   Ovals One Die (optional)

20 gauge steel annealed wire (available at hardware stores)

Wireform® Copper Wire Mesh by Amaco® 

Spray paint in color of choice - I used Krylon® Ballet Slipper

Ring base

Balled headpin

Beads of choice

Jewelry adhesive

Scissors

Nail file/emery board

Bench block or anvil

Needle Tool

Ball Peen hammer

Wooden dapping block and punch

Round nose pliers

Wire cutters

Cut one circle from the copper sheet and copper mesh using the #2 (with one being the smallest) Circles Three die template.  (you can make the flower as many layers as you like by using the additional size dies)

Poke a hole in the center of each circle with the needle tool

File edges smooth with nail file

Snip notches with scissors around the entire circumference of the circle.   Cut off the edges and file smooth

Place copper metal circle onto the anvil/bench block and hammer a texture using the ball side of the hammer

Place into the wooden dapping tool and gently tap on the wooden punch to form the circle into a domed shape flower.  Place into a deeper section and repeat creating a bigger domed effect.

Paint copper and wire mesh with desired color spray paint.

Ruffle wire mesh circle with your fingers.

Thread bead onto a balled headpin, followed by mesh circle and copper circle.

Create a loop in the bottom with round nose pliers to secure

Glue on to ring base with silicone jewelry glue and allow to dry.

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Handmade Embossed Soap + Free Tutorial

My family thinks I've gone nuts!  I've been on an eco trip lately - wanting to make everything by hand - back to the good ole days.  I have pictures of my grandma working in the yard with her wringer washer and hanging laundry on the line to dry and recently I've done the same...minus the wringer washer.  I've never ever in my life hung clothes out to dry on a line until now....but I kinda like it.....a lot.  And it's at least 40 minutes of electricity I don't have to pay for....so secretly I'm saving that money for more crafting supplies....see there is a motive to this madness - just don't tell my family.

Today in my facebook feed I ran across this tutorial from Crafts N Things for handmade soap.  I love the idea of this and I especially LOVE LOVE LOVE that they've used the Spellbinders(R) M-bossibilities folders to achieve the gorgeous embossed pattern.  The more I work with Spellbinders products, the more I fall in love with them everyday.  It's totally true.

I've used Life of the Party soap in the past and I can tell you it's easy -just a melt and pour kinda thing.
So have fun with this tutorial - you know what I'll be doing!

Click here for the tutorial



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8 of The BEST of Mixed Media Monday Video Tutorials - Jewelry, Art Canvases, Techniques and More

Today I thought I would bring you the best of the Mixed Media Monday videos.  While some of you may have already seen them, it's nice to have a place that you can book mark to come back later when you're feeling in that creative mood.

Metal vintage flowers to garden art to mixed media techniques on canvases and even jewelry making ideas.   Enjoy!!!

How to make a Patina Brass Pendant	Make a Mixed Media Art Canvas	Make A Steampunk Necklace	Make a 3-D Birdhouse Charm
Make a Quilted Bird	How to make Vintage Metal Flowers	Make a pair of Old World Copper Earrings	Make a Garden Art Fairy

InLinkz.com

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Mixed Media Monday - The Garden Art Doll with Spellbinders Media Mixage

Art doesn't have to be just inside, take your art outside with this adorable little Garden Art Fairy Doll.
In this episode of Spellbinders Media Mixage Monday, I show you how simple it is to make garden art from a blank bezel turned upside down.

With summer underway and a garden full of flowers, I wanted to take my artwork outside and thought creating plant stakes would be a great way create add a little charm to my flowers.  These little garden fairies would be a great way to spruce up your office plants too!  

How to Make the GARDEN ART DOLL

Project Dimensions: Varies depending which size bezel you select

Spellbinders Supplies:

MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ Machine

MD1-006 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Shields One Die

MB1-006S Susan Lenart Kazmer™ for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Shields One-Silver bezel

MP1-002 Susan Lenart Kazmer for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Ephemera Papers Two

20 gauge steel annealed wire (available at hardware stores)

24 gauge copper wire

Bamboo skewer

Printed words (optional)

Miscellaneous metal accents (flowers, etc.)

2 small key charms

Large 20mm bead

Decoupage medium

2-part resin (Envirotex® Light)

Tacky glue

Wire cutters

3 jump rings

Cosmetic sponge

Note:  For this project we will be working with the shield upside down with the loop on the bottom

Cut a shield using the #2 shields one die (with 1 being the smallest) from chosen ephemera paper. 

Cut out words and decoupage onto paper. 

Glue paper inside the Susan Lenart Kazmer™ for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ #2 shields one bezel. 

Working off the spool, create a teardrop shape from the 20 gauge annealed steel wire.  Bend end around to secure.  Make another teardrop on the opposite side and loop.  Repeat these steps for two wings on each side, securing with wire.  Cut wire off leaving approximately 2 to 3” extending.

Attach a length of copper wire to one side of the wings.  Secure around knob on bezel.  Pull tight and loop around wing to secure. The wire extension should be at the top.  Repeat for other side.  

Thread large bead over the wire and create a loop in the top to secure.  Attach jump ring

Attach keys to bottom loop with jump ring for legs/feet.

Mix two-part epoxy resin according to manufacturer’s directions and pour into bezel.  Allow to cure.   If necessary prop the fairy so that it will lie flat and level.  Attach any embellishments desired such as metal flowers etc.

Wrap steel wire randomly around the bamboo skewer and form a loop at the top – similar to a shepherds hook.  Attach fairy to hook and place her in her new home inside one of your gardens. 

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Mixed Media Monday - The STEAMPUNKED Necklace

In this video, I show you how to create a Steampunk necklace. There is something about wheels and gears and little bitty parts that fascinate me!

If you give blocks of shapes to a baby, they will play for hours!  Truth be told, if you give me blocks and shapes to play with, you’ll keep me busy for hours too!  I had so much fun combining these bezel shapes with a collection of old watch parts that I’ve saved over the years.  I’d been saving a very special piece –an old pocketwatch – that I picked up at a flea market in Paris last year.  I am happy that it found a home in this delightful art pendant.  Yes, it’s a little over the top, but it is wearable!  And if big and bold isn’t quite your style, you can still accomplish a wow piece of jewelry by incorporating just one bezel and favorite finds.

 The Steampunk Art Necklace

Designed by Linda Peterson

Spellbinders Supplies:

MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ Machine

MD1-002 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Squares One Die

MB1-002S Susan Lenart Kazmer for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Squares One-Silver bezel

MB2-004S Susan Lenart Kazmer for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Triangles Three-Silver bezel

MP1-002 Susan Lenart Kazmer for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Ephemera Papers Two

20 gauge steel annealed wire (available at hardware stores)

Air dry clay*

Acrylic paint – cream/off white color and brown

Face mold or other suitable mold of choice

Watch parts in a variety of sizes

Spinners (arrows)

Leather cording

Spiral end caps

Clasp or toggle

Tacky glue

Jewelry glue

Jewelry pliers

Wire cutters

* substitutes for air dry clay:  polymer clay, friendly plastic pellets, resin clay, fiber plaster can all be used in this project.  Follow manufacturers instructions for mixing and/or curing.

Cut a square using the #3 squares one die (with 1 being the smallest) from chosen ephemera paper. 

Roll air dry clay into ball and then press into desired mold.  Bend the mold to release and allow to dry slightly.  Paint and antique.  Glue a  few watch parts to the eye if desired.

Assemble all your parts together.  Mix and match parts into a pleasing arrangement. 

Attach bezels together by inserting a length of wire into the loop on one of the bezels.  Bend down and wrap end around base of loop.  Repeat to attach all the bezels together.

Glue paper into bezel.   Glue on face and additional watch parts where desired and allow to dry.

Cut three lengths of leather cording to the desired size.  Slip a spiral end cap over each end and press with pliers to secure. Attach toggle/clasp.

Create a spiral bail and attach to leather cording by twisting it on.  Attach pendant to spiral bail with jump ring.

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Rock out your summer with DUCT TAPE Earrings!

Summer is well underway and it's HOT! So don't throw those plastic cups away -turn them into rock star earrings.  It's easy with a little duct tape and puffy paint, I show you how to make these rockin earrings!  Grab your kids and have fun making summer time crafts!



Want more FREE DUCT TAPE projects?  I've collected over 90 of my favorites - just click the link here

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Mixed Media Monday - Create Copper earrings with old world charm - Spellbinders Media Mixage

Happy Monday everyone!!

A few years ago, a dear friend, Liz Welch gave me a very special gift - two copper tiles from the rooftop of her home in Nottingham England.  They were beautifully patina'd by mother nature herself.  I treasured these tiles and have made several pieces of jewelry from them, including the earrings in this video.

These earrings are among my favorite styles to make, because they are easy to make and by accessorizing with different charms you can make a lot of copper earrings in no time.  I love how the Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ line makes it so easy to mix and match shapes and textures so that the possibilities are really endless!.

Project Dimensions: Varies depending on how you assemble them.  Approximately 1” to 2”

Spellbinders Supplies:

MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ Machine

MMM-202 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ Raspberry Spacer Plate

MM1-003 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Copper Sheet

MD1-003 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Rectangles One

ES-005 Spellbinders® M-bossabilities™ Enchanted Embossing Folder

Hole punch

Eyelets

Jewelry findings (jump rings, links and earring wires)

Scissors

Wire cutters

Pliers

Hammer

Bench block or other hard surface

Nail file

Patina solution (optional)

How to Patina:

Use in a well ventilated area according to the precautions on the ammonia packaging.  Prepare patina solution using 1 part water to 2 part ammonia.  Add kosher salt to mix.  Lay metal onto a rising form to lift above the solution.  Cover tightly.  The fumes from the ammonia will create a blue patina.  Check back often. Remove and rinse when desired effect is achieved. Blot dry.

1. Place copper sheet inside M-bossabilities folder.  Sandwich between base plate and raspberry plate.  Pass through the Artisan X-plorer™ machine.
2. Add to patina solution if desired – see above recipe
3. Cut two rectangles from copper using the #2 rectangle (with #1 being the smallest) in the Rectangles One template collection . 
4. Remove from template and file edges smooth
5. Punch a hole in the center top of rectangle. 
6. Insert eyelet and hammer to secure.  Repeat the previous 2 steps for remaining rectangle.
7. Open jump ring and insert through eyelet on rectangle.  Attach link and close shut
8. Attach earring wire to link with jump ring. 
9. Slightly bend the rectangle backwards to give it a natural looking arch.

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