Bring on the bling! Today I have a fun jewelry making project I whipped up inspired by a beautiful design in The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making. And speaking of The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making, want to score yourself a free copy? Leave a comment in today's post or add a link to your latest favorite craft post at your blog using the red Linky tool at the bottom of the post (it's soooo easy!) by midnight ET on Wednesday, April 6, 2011 and you are in the running.
In The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making there is a great tutorial on how to make an all metal heart with arrow pendant, and I thought I'd try it with some recycled plastic.
I ran a piece of a plastic bottle through the Sizzix die cutter using the smallest heart.
It was a bit plain so I thought I'd stamp a pattern on it. I used an all over skull rubber stamp with StazOn ink. I did heat set it with the heat gun but only because it was raining and I wanted to keep working!
For the arrow, I used a clock hand/game spinner from the Tim Holtz finding collection. I made two slits in the heart and poked it though. I punched a hole in the top of the heart for the jump ring.
Then I linked up a big beautiful pendant from Blue Moon Beads and linked it up using one link from one of their chains to two strands of tiny chain. The rest of the necklace was a big fat chain and hook to stick with the proportions of the heart and rhinestone focal pendants.
As you see in the photo, I also die cut and stamped a "heart shaped" link. I haven't decide what that's going to be used in yet, but I promise to share when I do!
So if you like making jewelry with all sorts of elements then I bet you will love this technique-packed book!
The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making
by
This book is a comprehensive how-to book about all aspects of jewelry making. It serves as a reference and technique guide for all the common methods and styles of jewelry: beaded jewelry, wire, crystals and gems, polymer clay, PMC. The organization provides easy access to information with step-by-step directions and 600 full-color photos for clear understanding. Easy projects allow the reader to try the techniques in each section. Galleries of jewelry by a various artists offer the reader examples and inspiration to pursue the hobby for themselves.
Tammy Powley is a writer, designer, and teacher. She has been a long time crafter working in all kinds of media from fiber arts to glass. After spending eight years on the art show circuit selling her jewelry designs as well as supplying small boutiques with her work, she began writing about her crafting experiences and focused on teaching others how to make jewelry. She is the author of numerous jewelry making books, has an extensive background in writing for the web, and has been About.com’s Guide to Jewelry Making since 1998. Tammy has her Ph.D. in Texts and Technology, and as her "day job," she teaches college English, primarily composition, literature, and technical communications. Visit her web site at http://www.tammypowley.com.
Don't forget to leave a comment or link to your blog to be in the running for a copy of The Complete Photo Guide to Jewelry Making.
