tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64240020331842860202024-03-14T03:49:19.197-04:00Stamp 4 LifeJulie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-51323440288011243952012-07-18T21:45:00.000-04:002012-07-18T21:45:27.328-04:00Embossed Metal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnuJqldqsjo/UAdjHaJtQJI/AAAAAAAAAjo/4XhvRFxVVao/s1600/tree+set.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rnuJqldqsjo/UAdjHaJtQJI/AAAAAAAAAjo/4XhvRFxVVao/s320/tree+set.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distressed Silver & Blue Tree Earrings & Necklace</td></tr>
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I stumbled upon a new technique this week & I'm excited about the possibilities! I'd seen a similar look on etsy some months back and was wondering how it was done. Then, while shopping for crafts to occupy my kids, I saw new Vintaj Sizzix Embosslits & put 2 & 2 together.<br />
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I already had tons of stamping blanks & used those with the embosslits in my Big Shot to make earrings and pendants. Then, I painted with acrylics, distressed and sealed them with an acrylic spray.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ9F4CmfmZU/UAdjA8_JlGI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/Wb0ooG1fLag/s1600/owl+set.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IZ9F4CmfmZU/UAdjA8_JlGI/AAAAAAAAAjQ/Wb0ooG1fLag/s320/owl+set.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distressed Silver & Blue Owls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfuGA0yWC_Q/UAdjBIHrKYI/AAAAAAAAAjY/qiLwmtxvkVE/s1600/rectangle+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vfuGA0yWC_Q/UAdjBIHrKYI/AAAAAAAAAjY/qiLwmtxvkVE/s320/rectangle+tree.JPG" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patina Tree & Wind Tag Pendant</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1k3cZ_dbaA/UAdjBluqMxI/AAAAAAAAAjg/V9xlJacaIRE/s1600/wind+earrings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k1k3cZ_dbaA/UAdjBluqMxI/AAAAAAAAAjg/V9xlJacaIRE/s320/wind+earrings.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patina Wind Earrings</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-82262833160027995482012-03-22T22:41:00.000-04:002012-03-22T22:41:47.731-04:00Downton Abbey Scrabble Tile Pendants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been pretty busy (4 kids, chairing a gala, kitchen remodel, yada, yada) so
haven't done too much new lately but like many of you, I caught the Downton
Abbey bug and so created these new designs featuring the Dowager Countess at her
best and other Downton Abbey-inspired sayings. Usually, I buy my graphic designs
but this time, I had to create these myself because I couldn't find anything
like them (well, maybe I borrowed a few of the sayings :) ).<br />
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</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-30785860684900396572011-10-21T22:51:00.000-04:002011-10-21T22:51:50.910-04:00Polymer Clay Jewelry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;">I know I haven't posted much this year but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy making new things! I've just been too busy I guess. Add in baby #4 and well, the blog takes a backseat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This summer I decided I wanted to try stamping with polymer clay. I've never worked with polymer clay before so I spent a month just reading & figuring out what supplies to buy. Somehow I stumbled upon an ArtBliss jewelry/crafter meetup group and learned there's an <a href="http://www.artblissworkshops.com/">ArtBliss jewelry workshop</a> near Dulles twice a year. It was my good luck that the one in September offered a class in stamped polymer clay jewelry! AND I took a class on how to photograph my jewelry (better). You can let me know if you see any improvement :-) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm really excited about the possibilities this new medium offers. Here are some of the pieces I've made thus far: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwTj6Ns69Eg/TqItkurGIKI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Q6b6tpdExLg/s1600/clay-bluegreenswirl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwTj6Ns69Eg/TqItkurGIKI/AAAAAAAAAhY/Q6b6tpdExLg/s320/clay-bluegreenswirl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used some spiral earrings to stamp into this pendant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz2m5zKkqzY/TqItmHXmglI/AAAAAAAAAho/HDIETJm9hAI/s1600/clay-flower4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jz2m5zKkqzY/TqItmHXmglI/AAAAAAAAAho/HDIETJm9hAI/s320/clay-flower4.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a mold from a really pretty button to make this pendant.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k9RC8o9ccu8/TqItnqUdbnI/AAAAAAAAAh4/wKsvy0p_kFs/s1600/clay-swirlearrings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k9RC8o9ccu8/TqItnqUdbnI/AAAAAAAAAh4/wKsvy0p_kFs/s320/clay-swirlearrings.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used a good old acrylic stamp here.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNPQkMQ4zTI/TqItm99itFI/AAAAAAAAAh0/z4DZNxW0e0g/s1600/clay-smblcrucifix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kNPQkMQ4zTI/TqItm99itFI/AAAAAAAAAh0/z4DZNxW0e0g/s320/clay-smblcrucifix.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-61655519219798658972011-07-12T10:03:00.000-04:002011-07-12T10:03:44.433-04:00Breaux Vineyards Key West Festival!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.breauxvineyards.com/public/w7229/KeyWestFest2010_Logo_SMALL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227px" m$="true" src="http://www.breauxvineyards.com/public/w7229/KeyWestFest2010_Logo_SMALL.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><br />
One of the fun perks of having a craft business is the opportunity to discover new family events. Often I learn about fairs/shows from other vendors and this weekend I'll be at one that came highly recommended, the <a href="http://www.breauxvineyards.com/">Breaux Vineyards Key West Festival</a>, for the first time. They had me at "wine". :-)<br />
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Whether my husband might be willing to bring the kids to an event (& if the kids would like it!) is a major factor in deciding to do a show because I like it when they can get something out of it too. Yeah, I had my husband at "wine" too!<br />
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Located in Purcellville, this Festival has a laid-back Key West theme; come & enjoy wine tasting, kids' activities, craft & food vendors & live music in a beautiful venue!<br />
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Sat., July 16, 11am-6pm; tickets can be purchased from the vineyard's website: <a href="http://www.breauxvineyards.com/">http://www.breauxvineyards.com/</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-37104053071632580092011-06-06T19:37:00.000-04:002011-06-06T19:37:23.594-04:00Retro Othello Pendant & Mini-Scrabble Earrings Set<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BK2limtu1KM/Te1jFmdWhHI/AAAAAAAAAhA/a2-CsvJKgqk/s1600/retroset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BK2limtu1KM/Te1jFmdWhHI/AAAAAAAAAhA/a2-CsvJKgqk/s320/retroset.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this retro print! </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTmt8c2jZe8/Te1jOj8StxI/AAAAAAAAAhE/aCMuBs38Um4/s1600/retroset2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iTmt8c2jZe8/Te1jOj8StxI/AAAAAAAAAhE/aCMuBs38Um4/s320/retroset2.jpg" t8="true" width="235px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>How cute are these little mini-scrabble pieces??? They are about 1/2" square. I happened upon a travel game of Scrabble in a thrift store, came home & immediately bought three more sets off ebay (they don't make the wooden pieces in the travel games anymore). I'm also using them as simple initial charms too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n0sYXjLMacs/Te1j2MuYtGI/AAAAAAAAAhI/LOAaKd7mxZ0/s1600/mobile+may+june+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n0sYXjLMacs/Te1j2MuYtGI/AAAAAAAAAhI/LOAaKd7mxZ0/s320/mobile+may+june+001.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made this charm bracelet for a customer at a craft fair this past Saturday. <br />
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</tbody></table></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-57111600080437545582011-04-29T16:46:00.000-04:002011-04-29T16:46:30.225-04:00Patera Necklaces with Transfers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-srEky8RNDZk/TbsiTEA1zBI/AAAAAAAAAg8/Tyy6s4gxJFI/s1600/pateratransfers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482px" j8="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-srEky8RNDZk/TbsiTEA1zBI/AAAAAAAAAg8/Tyy6s4gxJFI/s640/pateratransfers.jpg" width="640px" /></a></div><br />
I've discovered a new product (for me) at Nunn Designs (where I get my premium supplies)--transfer sheets! These are really fun and easy to use--just punch or cut out, soak in water to separate the image from the backing paper and slip the image onto the surface of your pendant. For the antique copper pendant on the left, I first colored it with a pearlescent green chalk ink and heat set it. The transfers are translucent so the color shows through. Finally, I sealed them with my favorite resin. I won't be posting these in my store as I have a very limited supply but you can find them at one of my upcoming shows. :-)</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-13033070836941248842011-04-10T11:39:00.000-04:002011-04-10T11:39:51.953-04:00Vintage Paperweight Bracelets<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S3Kbwm792SI/TaHOg3fYNsI/AAAAAAAAAg4/cuCLQlK9VOY/s1600/butterflychainbracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="585" r6="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S3Kbwm792SI/TaHOg3fYNsI/AAAAAAAAAg4/cuCLQlK9VOY/s640/butterflychainbracelet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Latest designs--images from vintage paperweights made into bracelets! You can easily add your favorite charms to these chains too. I'd be happy to stamp an initial onto a small charm to personalize these.<br />
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</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-88924535581845402022011-02-18T17:52:00.000-05:002011-02-18T17:52:05.017-05:00Mimi & Mommy Custom Hand-Stamped Metal Pendants<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d_GPRbbIik/TV72RdM_KkI/AAAAAAAAAgw/qUXRkDt153c/s1600/mimipendant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" j6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1d_GPRbbIik/TV72RdM_KkI/AAAAAAAAAgw/qUXRkDt153c/s320/mimipendant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Whoo-hoo! Now in <a href="http://stamp4life.com/item_266/The-Mimi-Pendant.htm">my store</a>, hand-stamped metal pendants custom-made for moms and grandmoms! These are on 1" silver aluminum discs, which keeps them affordable, yet they polish up to be nice and shiny like sterling silver. The Mimi pendant features the initals of each grandchild, separated by family by a heart and the rhinestone is the grandmother's birthstone (uh, Happy Mother's Day, Mom! if you happen to see this :-) ) The Mother pendant can feature an optional decorative stamp--either a heart, a heart with wings or baby footprints. I love the heart with wings because it can remember or symbolize Angel Baby Sisters or Brothers watching over your other kids or a Guardian Angel.</div></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-55106921710572200582011-02-07T17:29:00.001-05:002011-02-07T17:48:04.666-05:00NEW Metal-stamped Pendants!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
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</div>You've probably seen this trendy style of pendant & since it involves stamping, I just HAD to try it myself. It involves a whole lot of new tools and supplies so it'll be awhile until I can ramp up to lots of different designs myself so for now, I'm starting simple with the Maddie Pendant. It's my little girl's birthday in February so I made one for her with an amethyst (February's birthstone). It's also my first project since returning from a self-imposed sabbatical. (We welcomed another baby girl, our fourth child, in December! So, now the "4" in Stamp 4 Life has even more meaning for me :-) )<br />
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Now available in my webstore: "The Maddie Pendant makes a special gift for a little (or big) girl in your life. Choose a name or initial to be stamped onto a 16mm vintage classic silver-plated disc. You may also add one birthstone. If a name can't fit straight across, it will curve around the edge of the pendant. The pendant comes with a silver-plated ball chain."<br />
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Stay tuned for new designs for Mommies & Mimis!</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-80127839426497325112010-11-10T10:36:00.001-05:002010-11-10T10:41:45.114-05:00Christmas Fairs are Here!This weekend begins the whirlwind of Christmas shows for the season. I've been busy this fall with new designs for the holidays & now it's time for me to rest and gestate (baby #4 is a-coming in the next couple of months--I tend to go early so all bets are off :-) Here are some samples: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dv8jU6I/AAAAAAAAAgM/g2XdPHMTIYE/s1600/tealblacknewcross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img <="" border="0" height="400" img="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dv8jU6I/AAAAAAAAAgM/g2XdPHMTIYE/s400/tealblacknewcross.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stamped Teal/Gold Celtic Cross Large Mah Jong Pendant (my new favorite!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dRibwuI/AAAAAAAAAf8/zVP_9M2Scd0/s1600/square-rings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img <="" border="0" height="150" img="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dRibwuI/AAAAAAAAAf8/zVP_9M2Scd0/s400/square-rings.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Square Stamped Bananagram Game Piece Rings</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dYaJp1I/AAAAAAAAAgE/hj5sEcRy1ks/s1600/snowflakeoth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img <="" border="0" height="400" img="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TNq6dYaJp1I/AAAAAAAAAgE/hj5sEcRy1ks/s400/snowflakeoth.jpg" width="355" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stamped Snowflake Othello Game Piece Pendant</td></tr>
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Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-68410526566407926992010-09-13T14:33:00.000-04:002010-09-13T14:33:50.977-04:00Little Critters Scrabble Pendants<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TI5s-CYlttI/AAAAAAAAAfw/byU7k8y91Ps/s1600/critters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TI5s-CYlttI/AAAAAAAAAfw/byU7k8y91Ps/s640/critters.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Critters: Mouse, Puppy, Two Chicks, Turtle, Kitty & Bunny<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Had to share these new "Little Critter" pendants I made using the cutest stamps! They are stamped directly onto the Scrabble (or Sudoku) tile in black. Then, I hand-colored them using chalk inks (so I can customize the colors to match someone's pet if they want). The sky & grass are pearlescent colors, which make them reflect light very prettily. I'm confident kids will like these because mine kept trying to take them (even my boys)!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-18732991937647903882010-08-19T13:13:00.000-04:002010-08-19T13:13:52.374-04:00New Pendant Designs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TG1hEEiR5BI/AAAAAAAAAfg/fxtH_qFQu7Q/s1600/013_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="580" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TG1hEEiR5BI/AAAAAAAAAfg/fxtH_qFQu7Q/s640/013_crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #073763;">New Pendant Themes: Vintage Dogs, Horses & Cats, Irish Fun, Pregnancy, Funky Trees, Madonna & Child, Matryoshka & Yoga</span></em><br />
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<div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I apologize for being so remiss on my blog postings; it's been a long summer! In early 2011, I shall be changing my profile to read "SAHM of 4!" (& hence the belly love pendants ;-) ) Anyway, I tend to get pretty sick when I'm pregnant so I haven't had much energy to do anything but gestate, lol. Also, the resin I use for my jewelry is toxic before it cures, meaning I have to wear a ventilator to avoid the fumes. It's pretty hard to breathe easily in the mask & when you feel like throwing up anyway, well, it's easy to see how this is the first batch of pendants I've made since May. </span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">I picked out these new themes some months ago but wasn't able to motivate myself to do the final resin & glue steps until this past week. I've had lots of requests for dogs and yoga and am happy to finally have some in my inventory! I also thought the Madonna & Child images would be perfect for the upcoming Christmas season; I used a fun new gold shimmer paint spray on them to add to the icon look.</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><span style="font-size: small;">In general I've got some fun new toys (shimmer paints & accent inks) & stamps I'm excited to start using, so stay tuned :-) This fall I'm slated to do a couple of holiday craft fairs, </span><a href="http://www.chickspicksbyhillary.com/"><span style="font-size: small;">Chicks Picks by Hillary</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> boutique shows & am taking reservations for home jewelry parties.</span> </div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-12592269133997473512010-06-20T19:46:00.000-04:002010-06-20T19:46:03.434-04:00Card Suit Necklaces<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've had these card suit "stones" for awhile now--found them at a thrift store. They have a hole through the middle already so I all I had to do was put an eye pin through them and add a dangle bead & bail to complete the necklace. I used my usual alcohol ink & embossed image to decorate them & sealed with a waterproof epoxy resin. Here are my "Queen of Spades, Clubs & Hearts" necklaces:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6npMDc21I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/frWhsUniyf8/s1600/queenofspades.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6npMDc21I/AAAAAAAAAfQ/frWhsUniyf8/s320/queenofspades.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6niLHCxqI/AAAAAAAAAfI/ZzLAjtwNIaQ/s1600/queenofclubs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6niLHCxqI/AAAAAAAAAfI/ZzLAjtwNIaQ/s320/queenofclubs.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6nurF_w6I/AAAAAAAAAfY/4da3vayHAOc/s1600/queenofhearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TB6nurF_w6I/AAAAAAAAAfY/4da3vayHAOc/s320/queenofhearts.jpg" /></a></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-64409562239948488152010-06-08T20:10:00.000-04:002010-06-08T20:10:02.041-04:00Glitter Glue/Alcohol Ink Storage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TA7ZFCIgnnI/AAAAAAAAAe4/5q0ebWGfNAY/s1600/070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" qu="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TA7ZFCIgnnI/AAAAAAAAAe4/5q0ebWGfNAY/s640/070.JPG" width="640" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TA7ZJ4oXU-I/AAAAAAAAAfA/n6SZRdHlrys/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/TA7ZJ4oXU-I/AAAAAAAAAfA/n6SZRdHlrys/s640/071.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just thought I'd share this cool & inexpensive storage solution I found through a stamping forum. I already had the acrylic frames (can be found at an office supply store). You want the kind that stands straight up. Then, buy a roll of sticky back velcro. I bought a 1" wide roll and just cut it in half (cheaper). You can see through the back how I just laid a strip of one side of the velcro across the frame in four rows. Then cut little strips of the other side of the velcro and attach to the backs of your bottles. They say Glitter Glue should be stored upside down. I have a second frame filled with my Alcohol Inks (NOT upside down!) You can use up both sides of the frame too.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-30041384799483599652010-05-04T15:50:00.000-04:002010-05-04T15:50:07.895-04:00Mother's Day Shimmery Rose CardsI wanted to make some Mother's Day cards to sell along with my jewelry at <a href="http://www.celebratemama.com/">Celebrate Mama</a> this past weekend, plus I needed a new technique for our last technique club of the year so I borrowed this technique from <a href="http://www.pattystamps.com/">http://www.pattystamps.com/</a> who also used the rose from Fifth Avenue Floral in her samples. It's kind of like watercoloring on steriods--I love it! I don't know the name of it so I'll dub it "Juiced Watercoloring" hee.<br />
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First, stamp the rose in white craft ink on shimmer white cardstock. Sprinkle on clear embossing powder and heat emboss. Mist the flower with water until it puddles. Then take a drop of re-inker (I kept them handy in a little palette tray) with your aquapainter and drop in the puddles. The color won't stick to the embossed part so the flower outline still shows. I used Razzleberry, Pink Pirouette & Bashful Blue (without rhyme or reason). Trim the flower & use as a pretty focal point. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S-B5YB4S9xI/AAAAAAAAAeo/JpqeMZOgavc/s1600/mothersdaycards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S-B5YB4S9xI/AAAAAAAAAeo/JpqeMZOgavc/s640/mothersdaycards.jpg" tt="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S-B5aZrG3JI/AAAAAAAAAew/7ZCg3tW3lRY/s1600/mothersdaycloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="582" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S-B5aZrG3JI/AAAAAAAAAew/7ZCg3tW3lRY/s640/mothersdaycloseup.jpg" tt="true" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Btw--the four cards I made all sold in the first hour!</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-32201987349529402712010-04-20T18:27:00.000-04:002010-04-20T18:27:00.654-04:00Busy, busy, busy! & Gala Table SignsBusy is good. I've been so busy with various family, volunteer & jewelry business, I haven't had time to post for awhile. But that's good too! I've got quite a few shows coming up in the next month. Next weekend I have two at the same time! <br />
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A friend of mine told me about <a href="http://www.chickspicksbyhillary.com/">Chick's Picks by Hillary</a> and thought I should check it out because my jewelry would fit in. So I emailed her (she features local artists in frequent boutique shows in her own home), showed her my stuff & she wants me in her next show! It's the same weekend I'll be at <a href="http://www.celebratemama.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=67">Celebrate Mama</a> in downtown Bethesda but luckily all I have do is drop my stuff off and she sells it for me. So I've been dividing up my inventory--man, I've got a lot of stuff.<br />
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Then, on May 7, I'm doing a Japanese Culture Festival Craft Fair at Fox Mill Elementary in Herndon. On May 15, it's the <a href="http://www.wineandcraftfestival.com/">Virginia Wine and Craft Festival</a> in Front Royal, VA. <br />
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On top of that, I'm organizing the auction display (bid sheets, checkout) for our church/school's annual gala this weekend--131 items & most of them are in my living room. You try keeping a 3 year old out of huge baskets filled with games, toys & candy. Oy. The fun thing for me has been getting to use my stamps & paper again to help make table signs and decorate posters, etc. Our theme is "Night on the Orient Express" so I found a retired travel set & went to town with embossing. The table names are stops on the route. I think they're a cross between a ticket & a passport page with stamps (at least that's what I was going for!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S84pJmpz-XI/AAAAAAAAAeg/iy1XZqQQ-xY/s1600/017_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S84pJmpz-XI/AAAAAAAAAeg/iy1XZqQQ-xY/s640/017_crop.jpg" width="640" wt="true" /></a></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-60320748150341085712010-03-31T20:55:00.003-04:002010-03-31T20:58:16.092-04:00More Resin DiscussionA reader sent me some good questions about Magic Glos vs. Colores Doming Resin and doming effects so I thought I’d address resin a little more.<br />
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To answer her question on whether I tried it on paper as opposed to just over Diamond Glaze--I did try just the magic glos on a paper item about 5/8" in diameter. I had to do several layers to get the thickness and "dome" effect I wanted. I don't remember bubbles being a problem with that but I still felt like I had to babysit it--maybe I'm just paranoid. However, it eventually cracked! I've never had Colores crack on me.<br />
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There should be time to catch initial bubbles if you first work in the shadows before moving into the sun--but once in the sun, magic glos does cure fairly quickly. John Golden has a good video up on youtube using magic glos & he had bubble issues--it's interesting to watch his system--he also has a video on using Easy Cast Resin.<br />
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She wanted to know if I had to do several layers with Colores to get the doming effect. I only do one layer, one last check for bubbles (blowing lightly through a straw will take care of most of the bubbles), cover with a box to keep out stray particles & leave overnight to cure. I usually mix 15 or 30mm worth of resin (1/2 or almost 1 medicine cup respectively) & do a bunch of jewelry pieces at once to save on the cups, sticks & gloves. You can definitely make more pieces for your money with Colores than with the magic glos. Of course, if you only plan to make a few items for gifts, personal use (not necessarily to sell), then it might be more of an investment since Colores only has a shelf life of six months.<br />
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But back to the doming--I personally think the doming works better on flat surfaces. Everyone always asks me how I keep it from running over. The short answer is: surface tension. As long as you add a little at a time (and you’ve mixed it well and with two equal parts), you can bring it to the edge and it won’t go over. If you use a bezel cup you have to keep adding more to get the dome-- to the point where you think you're about to spill over--but you really won't because of surface tension if you're careful. That said, don’t be surprised if your “cup runneth over” a few times before you get the hang of it!<br />
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<div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:76828ed7-38d4-48a8-a0be-2443a3a9f896" style="display: inline; float: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div>If you really love the big bubble look, I’d recommend finding bubble glass (can be found on etsy) to put on top because you really won’t get THAT much height with a doming resin.Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-52151767678379090752010-03-23T12:58:00.000-04:002010-03-23T12:58:51.893-04:00Easter Bunny Scrabble Tile PendantIn honor of Easter (& because someone requested a "bunny or egg or something"), I made a special <a href="http://stamp4life.com/item_241/Bunny-Scrabble-Pendant.htm">Easter Bunny Scrabble Tile Pendant</a>. Isn't he cute??<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://stamp4life.com/images/easterbunnyscrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://stamp4life.com/images/easterbunnyscrab.jpg" /></a></div>Since I discovered I could color my wood Scrabble tiles (my last post), it made it a lot easier to be able to create this right on the tile as opposed to on a piece of cardstock, punch it out, seal it & fit it securely on the tile. First I colored the whole tile in a white chalk ink (drying with a heat gun between about three layers of ink). Then I stamped the bunny in black Staz-On. To get the blue sky and little bit of green grass, I just used a Fantastix dipped in chalk ink. Then I added the little Swarovski crystal and my Colores resin on top. I couldn't seal it with Mod Podge like I would with paper because it smudges the chalk ink I've found. But the resin doesn't seem to <a href="http://stamp4life.blogspot.com/2010/02/versafine-vs-staz-on-vs-chalk-ink.html">affect chalk ink like it does alcohol inks</a>.<br />
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By the way, if too much ink gets on the side of your pendant, rubbing alcohol should remove it.Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-60461636302305405512010-03-15T18:08:00.000-04:002010-03-15T18:08:59.767-04:00Game Piece Charm BraceletsI made a great discovery a few weeks ago--You can color wood with alcohol inks! I can't believe it took me this long to try it. The results aren't as bright as paper or plastic, but I liked them enough that it gave me the idea of using scrabble tiles colored that way as a bracelet focal point. I simply glued earring bails onto both sides to connect the bracelet chain. Regular bails would work too. I also made some using small dominoes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56t9Z94YTI/AAAAAAAAAc8/nfKMqSxY5-Y/s1600-h/scrabblebracelet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56t9Z94YTI/AAAAAAAAAc8/nfKMqSxY5-Y/s320/scrabblebracelet.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uF_Ft0II/AAAAAAAAAdE/6Ttw4hly1WQ/s1600-h/blueblackburstbraceletwrist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uF_Ft0II/AAAAAAAAAdE/6Ttw4hly1WQ/s320/blueblackburstbraceletwrist.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uN8_zAMI/AAAAAAAAAdM/IbGF9MPbECo/s1600-h/bluewavesbraceletwrist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uN8_zAMI/AAAAAAAAAdM/IbGF9MPbECo/s320/bluewavesbraceletwrist.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uifXWIGI/AAAAAAAAAdU/yoEUqdtswIM/s1600-h/purplesmdombraceletwrist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56uifXWIGI/AAAAAAAAAdU/yoEUqdtswIM/s320/purplesmdombraceletwrist.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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And one last pic--my favorite mini domino ring to match the blue wave bracelet--all to be posted in my shop soon:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56vPr_nt5I/AAAAAAAAAdc/CQGrS8lWfOw/s1600-h/bluesilverwavedomring2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S56vPr_nt5I/AAAAAAAAAdc/CQGrS8lWfOw/s320/bluesilverwavedomring2.jpg" /></a></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-54028914490810735812010-03-04T14:46:00.000-05:002010-03-04T14:46:21.320-05:00I Like Big Rings & I Cannot LieInspiration can find me in the strangest places--the latest one came in the ER when I took my youngest in over a weekend for an ear infection. The nurse had a big mama-jama ring on her finger & it looked so cool & funky, it made me want to make a bigger ring. I've been keeping it rather conservative with 5/8" round rings.<br />
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So, I came up with making rings with my mini-dominos! I hope they fill a need for people who like big rings :-) They're 1/2" x 1"-- so not ginormous, but still a little more funky.<br />
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A few samples now in my store:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANfqGvAGI/AAAAAAAAAc0/gNbOh7Lnw-g/s1600-h/silvermedalliondomring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANfqGvAGI/AAAAAAAAAc0/gNbOh7Lnw-g/s320/silvermedalliondomring.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANdK0GJcI/AAAAAAAAAcs/N-HzvkQW9po/s1600-h/irishbrowndomring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANdK0GJcI/AAAAAAAAAcs/N-HzvkQW9po/s320/irishbrowndomring.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANa_aMF5I/AAAAAAAAAck/PS46lJZLP8s/s1600-h/blacktapestrydomring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S5ANa_aMF5I/AAAAAAAAAck/PS46lJZLP8s/s320/blacktapestrydomring.jpg" /></a></div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-37082519433003827462010-02-25T13:02:00.000-05:002010-02-25T13:02:44.204-05:00Versafine vs. Staz On vs. Chalk InkRecently, I ran into a problem getting a good image and sealing a jewelry project that mixed types of inks. I have all kinds of different ink pads, as you can imagine, & I've been using black Staz On for most of my jewelry projects but I ran into some problems using it with some keychains lately. <br />
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I was trying to stamp a larger stamp image in Staz On over some Chalk Ink but when I pressed hard to make sure the whole image came through, I found it "dug into" the chalk ink, sort of removing some of the chalk ink. Plus the image wasn't as clean as I like it. Then, when I covered it in resin, it also ran a little. Normally, I don't have that problem, but I'm guessing it was because the chalk ink wasn't completely dry & the image is larger than I usually work with. You can see below how the top line is a little smudged & I had to color in the "eis" with a sharpie because the Staz On didn't give me the best image (I didn't want to press too hard & mess up the chalk ink as I'd been doing in numerous other tries).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a0RiSkesI/AAAAAAAAAcE/prDd8oSkH-A/s1600-h/gonefeisn1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a0RiSkesI/AAAAAAAAAcE/prDd8oSkH-A/s320/gonefeisn1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I've also found that Staz On runs when you try to use a spray sealer instead of resin. I tried sealing with Mod Podge first but that also removes the chalk ink. Mod Podge will work fine with Staz On by itself or with alcohol inks & then you can spray or use resin with no ink running. So, I set about finding either a sealant that worked with both Staz On and chalk ink or finding a replacement for the Staz On.<br />
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What I found was Versafine, a pigment ink, by Tsukineko. I read somewhere it was good for detailed images so I decided to check it out. First off, I was very happy to see that it gave me a complete image on the very first try and didn't take off any of the chalk ink at all! Then, I made a VERY cool discovery--when stamped onto Staz On ink, you can wipe it off taking the Staz On ink with it and get a resist embossed effect without even embossing. It doesn't dry on non-porous surfaces so it can wipe off or you can emboss with it. The first pic shows the crisp image it made over chalk ink. The second pic shows the resist embossing on Staz On.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a4S1yx6aI/AAAAAAAAAcM/pjRH95ogaaw/s1600-h/gonefeisn5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a4S1yx6aI/AAAAAAAAAcM/pjRH95ogaaw/s320/gonefeisn5.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a4g8wE1zI/AAAAAAAAAcU/NF4jGjcD83Y/s1600-h/gonefeisn4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a4g8wE1zI/AAAAAAAAAcU/NF4jGjcD83Y/s320/gonefeisn4.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, yeah, I'm a huge fan of the Versafine!! I'll still need Staz On for stamping on Staz On (I did try clear embossing the Versafine on Staz On but it muted the black color). But for Chalk ink, the resist emboss effect, & regular embossing, Versafine is the way to go. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By the way, these keychains are on the back of crayola dominos I found in a thrift store.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a6VnRoW9I/AAAAAAAAAcc/fUnis_09sF8/s1600-h/backof-crayondomino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S4a6VnRoW9I/AAAAAAAAAcc/fUnis_09sF8/s320/backof-crayondomino.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-62414416634986644662010-02-18T20:03:00.000-05:002010-02-18T20:03:11.199-05:00American Girl Doll Matching PendantsFor my daughter's 6th birthday last week, we got her her very first American Girl doll, not an investment to be taken lightly, I might add. We ended up getting her Lanie, the doll for 2010 because well, she's so pret-ty! Plus, our Maddie is an outdoor kind of girl and so is the Lanie character.<br />
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Anyway, I came up with this idea of making matching pendants for Maddie & her doll. I'd gotten a shipment of mini-dominos in that weren't like my usual ones--I was able to break them in half! I can't use them for mini domino pendants of course but serendipitously, the half-domino is the perfect size to be a mini "Scrabble" pendant. Very cool. For the bail, I found these cute flower charms to glue on. Since the chains had to be a smaller size, I chose ball chains that can be easily cut to any length you want and used simple connectors for the clasp. (The doll's chain is 9" and the girl's chain is 14"). I was even able to use the same color rhinestone in large & mini sizes. I've officially added them to <a href="http://stamp4life.com/item_210/American-Girl-Doll-Matching-Monogram-Pendants.htm">my webstore</a> now :)<br />
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Maddie chose her background paper, I stamped the monograms in black and here you go:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S33hRkAGXSI/AAAAAAAAAbs/3cx7JScIjk0/s1600-h/americangirlpendants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S33hRkAGXSI/AAAAAAAAAbs/3cx7JScIjk0/s320/americangirlpendants.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maddie & her doll:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S33hiqNLVdI/AAAAAAAAAb0/cm2hKdDgwTM/s1600-h/IMG_5588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S33hiqNLVdI/AAAAAAAAAb0/cm2hKdDgwTM/s320/IMG_5588.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">She happened to have a similar dress as Lanie already--kismet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-44839484612693147022010-02-10T20:25:00.001-05:002010-02-10T20:26:13.662-05:00Looking for Celtic Stamps??So we've been snowed in for let's see...6 days now. Today I was out shoveling the driveway so my husband could make it into the garage okay & it literally felt like I was in the Arctic--howling wind blowing snow in my face. I live in Virginia..riiiiight.<br />
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Anyway, so I've had lots of time to putz around--today I completely re-arranged my craft area work space to be more geared towards jewelry-making instead of scrapbooking (which I hope to get back to someday). Then, I've been shopping online for fun. I'll be vendoring at my daughter's Irish Dancing School's Feis (dance competition) in a few weeks so yesterday I called <a href="http://www.highlandercelticstamps.com/">Highlander Celtic Stamps</a> to place an order for more, what else, celtic stamps, because I was having internet issues and it was so nice to reach a human being.<br />
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I'm usually not very chatty with strangers, despite being from the tourist mecca of Williamsburg, VA, where we all grew up doing service industry jobs, but I couldn't resist telling the woman on the phone that I make jewelry with their stamps. Well, it turns out I was talking with the designer of the stamps herself and it's a family-owned business. Her husband is an <a href="http://www.tewatsononline.com/">award-winning children's author</a> who writes Scottish stories (I *heart* Scotland--studied there for a spell). She actually visited my website while we talked & it was cool to be able to share what I do with her work--I hope it gives her the kind of satisfaction I get when I see someone wearing something I made. Here's a scrabble tile pendant I made with her Irish Dancer stamp:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S3NaATIbRII/AAAAAAAAAbk/KqieWP2oJ-E/s1600-h/marbledirishdancersrab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_k1TRSGQu2dA/S3NaATIbRII/AAAAAAAAAbk/KqieWP2oJ-E/s320/marbledirishdancersrab.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Can't wait to get my new stamps!! 'Course, I'd be happy just to get the mail & newspaper too in this snow.Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-82830163894270290712010-02-02T13:02:00.000-05:002010-02-02T13:02:37.333-05:00Adventures in Starting a Small Business Pt. 3Time to wrap up my "Adventures"-- in summary, I came to the conclusion over the course of a year to become "legit" and then started a website. The other things that needed to come together were letting the government and people know I was "legit" :-) This part is where I had to do research because as I've mentioned before--I've never taken a business class (hence the "adventures" part)! Because of that fact, I was intimidated but once I started reading (first stop--the Virginia State Government's website), it really wasn't too bad. There are books out there to help you with all this, of course. I even bought one specifically on starting your own jewelry business and using etsy, but it turned out I was already doing most of the things it said to do (yay me) so it just served to reassure me that nothing was falling through the cracks.<br />
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Different states may have different guidelines so go first to your state's website. You'll also need to find out if your county/town has any permits or licenses you need to have. I was lucky in that I called the VA tax department and a nice lady clarified what was really necessary for me to do. It made my day that I actually got things done on the phone with the government! How 'bout that?<br />
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The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to be a sole proprietorship or if you want to incorporate. I'm not going to have any other employees so I'm a sole proprietorship doing business with my SS# as my tax ID. In my state and county (Fairfax), I needed to go to the County Courthouse and register a DBA ("Doing Business As") name (which is "Stamp 4 Life"). A DBA name allows me to open a business checking account under that name and thus, accept checks written out to "Stamp 4 Life." My bank only needed my DBA certificate--the manager said many people don't realize that. By the way, registering the DBA took 10 minutes and $10--not a big deal at all--I even had my 3 year old with me and it was like a field trip for him!<br />
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The other money-related thing I decided to do (kind of a no-brainer) was to accept credit cards. Just like with website hosting, there are lots of credit card merchants out there. I ended up choosing Propay because they're known, not too expensive and I can use my phone to accept credit cards (necessary when you're doing craft fairs!) I also bought a "knuckle-buster" manual credit card imprinter & forms off ebay. It's important for me & customers to have a cc receipt in case they contest the charge when their statement comes. I could rig my website to accept credit cards directly through ProPay but I decided to just stick with PayPal & Google Checkout.<br />
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When you register with your state as a sole proprietorship or whatever, then you'll be responsible for paying sales tax (depending on your state I guess). Now I collect sales tax online only for Virginia (because that's where my business physically resides) and I incorporated it into my prices for in-person sales such as home parties or fairs in Virginia (didn't want to deal with the change!) Since I'm new, I have to file & pay monthly (which I can do online). After a while, they'll let me do it quarterly. Now that I have a "Sales & Use Tax" certificate, I'm able to buy from wholesalers too--pretty cool.<br />
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Finally, of course, I need to keep track of all income and expenses for my annual tax return. I've done that since I became an SU! demo so that's not any different--I still use my basic Quicken to record everything. The only other thing I have to watch is my income--if it looks like I'll make certain amount in a year, I'll need to register for an actual business permit in my county. <br />
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Hope this encourages someone else that they can start & own a small business too!Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424002033184286020.post-66496723868207442612010-01-22T14:30:00.001-05:002010-02-02T13:03:43.466-05:00Adventures in Starting a Small Business Pt. 2: The WebsiteIn early December, I started researching how to start a website. At my craft fairs people would ask if I had one & I'd have to explain yes, I have an etsy store but not much is posted on there etc. I knew I needed a place for people to find me again if they liked what they bought from me so it was time for a stand-alone website.<br />
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The first thing I did was buy my domain name...now there are TONS of places where you can buy a domain name from & then you can usually pay extra for them to host a site for you. There were lots of different packages depending on what kind of site you want. I just found the cheapest legit place & bought my domain name there without anything extra.<br />
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I was trying to figure out a way to have a free website but also be able to use my domain name plus have a shopping cart. Mal's E-commerce is a free shopping cart service so I wanted to find a way to incorporate that into a free site. I looked into Wix.com (free flash websites) but I'm just not tech savvy enough to integrate the cart into a site on my own. Then, I found their interface/templates rather confusing too. I'd have to pay to use my own domain name & have an e-commerce site with them. So, I moved on to ecrater.com which is a marketplace kind of like etsy, but not all handmade. I learned I could "mask" my url so that people going to my domain name would be directed to my ecrater store instead. Apparently though, that can cause problems with search engines finding you? Anyway, after trying to get a store started there I quickly realized it doesn't give you much flexibility in terms of organizing your store, having descriptions as long as you want or giving discounts. Sigh. So, I realized I needed to just suck it up & actually PAY for something! lol.<br />
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I'd been ordering handmade bags from <a href="http://www.momoftwoboys.com/">Mom of Two Boys</a> for a few year now & since it was a "mom-epreneur" site too, I looked into her hosting site <a href="http://www.merchantmoms.com/">Merchant Moms</a>. I decided to cancel my Stampin' Up! website and use the money to do my own site with Merchant Moms instead for about the same about of money. Merchant Moms allows me the flexibility to organize my store the way I want, add pages, and have discounts & online parties. They don't have tons or fancy templates but I wanted to keep it simple anyway. So, I just picked a template, uploaded my logo & after a learning curve, started filling in all the content. If you're completely new to websites or html, it can be daunting but I know enough to know I DON'T know enough, if that makes sense. So, I knew which code I shouldn't mess with & when I needed to ask for technical support. Merchant Moms templates already have the Mal's E-commerce shopping cart integrated so figuring out the cart is another learning curve. THEN, you have to integrate the cart with the methods of payment you accept--(for me: Google Checkout & Paypal). THEN, you also learn that you have to let Google know about your site & products if you want to turn up in search results. Some sites, like ecrater "submit" your info for you so you never have to worry about it (well, except to make sure the language you use is "acceptable" to Google--but there are whole Forums of people discussing that so I'll just move along) but with Merchant Moms, I have to upload/submit my products periodically to Google--I probably spend a whole day figuring that one out!<br />
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Finally, I spent maybe an hour of sheer panic ("What have I gotten myself into???) and then a good week just wrapping my head around all of it before I could start to stock the store. Now that I've been working with it for over a month, I'm pretty comfortable with it. Just to give you an idea of the process....if I want to add something new to my site, I log into Merchant Moms, then I just click on "Products" then "Add" & fill in the blanks, upload a pic, assign a category & hit Save. If someone buys something from my site, it's Google Checkout or Paypal that lets me know. This has been a very hands-on learning experience for me & I wasn't sure if I'd like it (boring data entry & all that)...but, when it's your OWN site, it's a whole different story & now I'm glad I jumped right in :-)Julie O'Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627454715468406210noreply@blogger.com3