You Guest It: Hectanooga

Welcome welcome! It's time for You Guest It! I just love this sweet series, you know? And not just because I get to be all lazy and slothful either - but also because I get to meet some really cool folks who make some pretty neat stuff. And then of course, there's the part where I get to share it all with you. That's pretty nifty too! 

Today's guest is Emi from Hectanooga. Let us see what this seriously busy woman has in store for us today...

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Video Tutorial: Stacked Paper Bead Necklace by Hectanooga

Hello! My name is Emi from Hectanooga and I’m passionate about crafting, designing, and recycling! And when I can do all three at the same time, I’m very happy! These stacked paper beads were inspired by a necklace I saw someone wearing on television. The necklace was similar in design - it was black metal - and I immediately thought: “Hey, I bet I could make that from paper!” These beads would look lovely painted black as well, but the print is a great conversation starter, and painting them would hide their origin!

Want to know how I make them? Here's the video that shows you how. Enjoy!

There are several reasons why I like to recycle. Here are a few:

1. Supplies are readily available, and there's no wasting gas going out to buy supplies! 
2. It’s free. No expense for the supplies themselves! 
3. It’s green. Making something useful from throw-aways is always a good thing! 
4. It’s a challenge. Thinking up ways to use these things is always fun! 
5. Middle-of-the-night crafting is possible. You can always find something to manipulate into something else! 
6. It’s eco-friendly. It keeps things out of the land-fill. 
7. It’s very rewarding! Making something from virtually nothing is a thrill!

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Such a simple and pretty concept, Emi. Your choice to leave them au naturel is lovely too, and what a nice complement for the black beads! Thanks so much for joining me on the blog today and sharing your tutorial with us. 

 As I mentioned up top, Emi is a do-er and a dedicated one at that. Her specialties include crochet, jewelry-making, and recycling - a woman after my own heart, eh? I don't like to compare myself to others but, honestly, I'm feeling somewhat sheepish in comparison. Not only does she have a blog, and three Etsy shops (Hectanooga, M.E.H. Art Gallery and Hat and Scarf Patterns), but her Hectanooga YouTube site boasts... you won't believe this... 595 videos. That's 5-9-5! Is that not amazing? I thought I was doing well with 3. I have some serious catching up to do apparently. So go on now and pay her a visit, won't you? I'll see you back here in 3 years.

♥M

P.S. Have an idea for an eco-craft? Consider submitting a guest-post idea to Michele Made Me's "You Guest It"! Check out the details HERE.

Juice Cap Ornament & Pendant in the Shop!

Are you thinking about Christmas yet? I am... Can you tell? At the moment, my head is aswirl with visions of tree decorations. In fact, today I added a sweet ornament tutorial to my shop. Let me tell you a little bit about it. The PDF downloadable how-to comprises 9-pages of step-by-step photo instructions to make the above juice cap ornament. You start with a juice bottle cap, some crochet cotton, a handful of seed beads and a few other odds and ends to create a unique double-sided Christmas tree ornament. The piece is finished beautifully back and front. To be a perfect tease I'll keep the back a mystery... This recycled ornament can also double as a pendant. Make the hanger longer, place it around your neck, and you have yourself a one-of-a-kind statement necklace!

I wish you the pleasantest of weekends. Take care and I'll see you again on Monday!

Drop-Dead Denim: Mi-Shell's Pendant

The whole of September here at Michele Made Me is dedicated to a celebration of the simple beauty, the ruggedness and the plain wonderfulness of that versatile material, DENIM. Specifically, the focus is on the recycling of old jeans into pretty new things. That's right baby.

The plan I've laid out for the month is HERE by the way, in case you want to know more!

You don't mind if I just jump in and get the crafts rolling do you? I mean, let's be honest, that is why we're here. So let us delay no longer. Let us DO it man.

Tutorial: Mi-Shell's Denim Pendant

You will need:

• Some jean scraps in a few different tones if you like
• Glue (I used fabric glue but PVA glue works fine)
• A dribble of acrylic paint and a small paint brush
• Fabric stiffener (I used um... "Stiffy" by Plaid. Yes. That is its name.) and a paint brush
• A pair of scissors
• A circle template (small round thing about 2" (5 cm) in diameter)
• Pen
• Needle and thread
• Jump ring
• Large sewing needle
• Cord or crochet cotton and small crochet hook

1. Cut 5 strips measuring 1/4"(6 mm) wide and about 6"(15 cm) long. One at a time apply glue along the length of a strip.

2. Coil up the strip.

3. This makes a denim bead. Repeat steps 1-3 for the remaining 4 strips.

4. Apply paint to one flat face of 2 of the beads (or however many you'd like to paint).

5. Using your circle template, draw out 5 circles onto your denim scraps and cut them out.

6. Fold circles in half. Press.

7. Unfold a circle. Apply glue to the inside top and bottom of the circle.

8. Take a denim bead and sandwich it between the top and bottom of the circle as in #8. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with all circles.

9. Take all folded and beaded circles and hold them with their spines lined up as in #9.

10. Take a threaded needle and starting at one end, stitch your bundle together along the spine using a running stitch.

11. Stitch along the whole spine until you get to the other end. Tie off with a knot. Hide your thread end by sinking it into the spine.

11-1/2. This step is hard to explain. But I've got to try! With the help of small needle nose pliers to pull the needle and thread though the beads, start at one of the outer circles and stitch with needle and thread, through the diameter of each bead to the other side of the pendant. This will ensure that the beads stay in place within the circle sandwiches.

12. Break out the fabric stiffener and a brush. Pour some stiffener onto a plate or plastic cover.

13. Brush the stiffener generously onto and into the pendant. If necessary use a smaller brush to get the stiffener into all those nooks and crannies. Let the stiffener dry (sort of). I threw my pendant in the microwave for 30 second increments to heat it up and promote drying.

14. When the pendant is dry (sort of), shape it between your fingers to the desired shape. I was going for a shell-like shape. When I was pleased with the shape, I let the pendant dry completely. I used a LOT of stiffener so my pendant is quite hard.

15. Make a hole a one end of your pendant to accomodate a jump ring. I used a large needle to make my hole.

16. Open up the jump ring. Insert it into your hole. Close up the jump ring!

17. I crocheted a simple chain for my pendant using crochet cotton but you could use any nice piece of cord. Put the cord through the jump ring. Make a rudimentary clasp by taking one end of the cord and tying it to the other end of the cord (a few inches down from the end) with a simple knot.

18. Repeat that last sentence with the other end of the cord to complete the clasp.

19. This makes a nifty adjustable clasp. To adjust the length of your cord, simply slide the knots over the cord either closer or further from each other.

Could it possibly be done? Why yes, I think you can call that a pendant! Yippee cayay!

Take a look...

Here's the back...

It reminds one of sea critters, doesn't it?

Or brains maybe?...

Have you ever made sea creatures or brains out of denim? Tell me all about it. Or better yet, take a picture of your denim thing. And then, upload it to the Drop-Dead Denim Flickr group where I can admire it!

Diggin' This Denim: Drunkard's Path Quilt by Karen Klemme
Well, you have a restful weekend now. I will see you again on Monday!

Point of View Feature: Mich L in LA's Denim Pendant

One of the tasks that goes along with the Point of View gig is to feature one of the linked projects from the Point of View Link Party. So that's what I'm up to today! Happily, my craft of choice is Mich L. in L.A.'s Blue Jean Casual Denim Pendants. I've expressed my adoration for all things Mich L before and these pendants are no exception.

Photo courtesy of Mich L. in L.A. and used with permission

Here is a list of 10 things I fancy about this denim craft in no particular order.

The blue jean casual denim pendant:

1. is made of denim!
2. is simple enough for a child to make!
3. requires no special tools!
4. uses easy-to-find materials!
5. can be completed in minutes!
6. makes a very very tiny mess!
7. is the ideal summer accessory!
8. can be as unique and individual as you like!
9. makes a great gift (or gift embellishment)!
10. is recycled, baby!!!

I could honestly go on I could. But you get the point you do. I love this craft and its maker. And I must make one of these. Like now.

Oh lookie. What have we here? What a coinkidink. It's a few me-made versions of Mich L.'s denim pendant...

So simple. Yet pretty. A sheer joy to make. I'll be attaching these to gifts!

Pay this talented crafter and jewelry artist a visit. Check out her Shop. Check out her denim pendant tutorial. In fact, check out all the surprising and stunning goodies she conjures up regularly. For example, check this out. And this. And don't forget this. And oh gosh this. And check out how much fun she has doing it all! Guaranteed it'll bring a smile to your face.

Thanks Michelle for being a constant source of inspiration and a hoot to read. ❤

You have a great day now and I'll see you soon!

From The Land of Blog Featuring "All Things Crafty"

For the Thousand Thanks Giveaway results, check the previous post HERE!

Do you see these gorgeous little recycled plastic greenhouse earrings? Aren't they sweet? They were inspired by these right here. But I did not make them. Mieljolie did.

For today's installment of From the Land of Blog (where I usually highlight other crafters' projects inspired by some of mine), I've decided to focus. I want to dig a little deeper to see what additional treasures, besides the wee greenhouses above, we can unearth over at Mieljolie's blog "All Things Crafty". I guess you could call it an "All Things Crafty" feature.

Ready? Let's delve...

Oh look, I took a half-step and already I've found something! It looks remarkably like a hat. Yes, most certainly, that is a hat. Or is it? NO. No, it's actually a cereal box expertly transformed into this dashing hat. The eyes doth deceive. Oh that Mieljolie, she's a wily one.

Oh... and feast your eyes on this... She made this scary-beautiful witch boot almost entirely out of recyclables. In fact, she has created a whole series of one-of-a-kind witch boots from cereal boxes, newspaper, toilet rolls, masking tape and 20-year-old wall-paper paste! Do witches dress this fashionably? I was grossly misinformed.

But Mieljolie isn't the only one in the family with a boot-full of talent and a penchant for recycling. She teamed up with her husband to create this steampunk time-turner necklace from broken clock parts mostly, with striking results. The fact that they can work together and still both be alive is pretty striking in itself.

Inspired by the plastic Calico Critters Manor Dollhouse, Mieljolie's husband, who's majoring in architecture, also built this breathtaking cardboard dollhouse for their 8 year-old daughter. What a lucky little girl. The dollhouse is stunning inside and out! You must check out all the details. It's cardboard... cardboard!

Is that enough to get you going? Because this little tour is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to discover at "All Things Crafty". Not to mention that Mieljolie has two whole other blogs on top of that! One in particular is a special treat that I will let you discover all on your own. All I'll say is that it is unbelievable what some people do with recyclables. It is genius. Click HERE to have a look!

Thank you Mieljolie for sharing your talents with us on your blogs. You are artist and an inspiration. ♥

Now YOU have a great weekend, and I'll see you Monday!

All photos are by Mieljolie and were used with permission.

A Finish: Soft Cuffs for Craft Hope Kids

First off, I just want to say thanks so much for your amazing response to the giveaway. Holy mack. I'm beside myself with glee! And I had no idea of the widespread love of cerulean. Question. What is cerulean? Yes, I know it's a colour. But from which end of the spectrum? Is it a red? A green? A yellow? I literally have no idea. Research will be required for this one. I have a ceru-ious gap in my crafty knowledge. Tee hee.

Anyway, as you can see, the boy and I are finished the dozen bracelet/cuffs pledged for Craft Hope's Project 12! Remember these? We started them here with the boy's designs...

We did an update and tutorial here (in case you want to give them a go)...

And FINALLY, we put our finishing touches on them today, and sent 'em off! Joys!

Oh and in case you're wondering about Craft Hope's Project 12, all the details can be found at Craft Hope. This is a lovely opportunity to get kids involved in helping other kids. Check it out.

Now have yourself a super-day. I'll be back Friday to announce the lucky giveaway winner!

Kid Craft: Box Chain Pendant and Ring

The boy stayed home from school again yesterday. He has a cold. I don't like sending him out amongst the other children when he's phlegmy and sneezing and carrying used tissues in his hand all day. I don't want him to contaminate people. Except me. That's what mothers are for.

So he stayed with me. And you know what happens when he stays home from school... He asks - nay begs - for a craft. Though the begging isn't necessary. I never say no to crafting. Ever. And since getting your responses to the letter from Kapila, I've been thinking about those box chains and just how I would use some of your brilliant ideas. Today was my chance.

The boy and I selected only the finest of junk mail for the job along with some scraps of coloured construction paper. We cut these into 1/4 inch (6 mm) strips, and built some tiny box chains. It was a great craft for the boy (who's seven by the way); a little, but not too, challenging. He picked up the concept quickly and really enjoyed watching each little chain grow.

Note: I'm assuming you know how to make these little box chains. Do you? Maybe I should never assume. We all know what happens when I do that... Okay, so you take two strips of paper, glue the ends 90° to one another, and start folding the strips over each other one at a time maintaining perpendicularity always. Perpendicularity. That is the key. You know this.

We turned the finished chains into small wreath shapes as the talented Melissa suggested. As soon as he saw these, the boy knew what he was making: jewelry for his best little girlfriend. And for himself too.

We made rings and pendants. For the rings, we glued the ends of a chain together. To make the pendants, we glued 2 of these rings (one small, one large) to a circle pendant made from a cereal-box-cardboard-circle-on-a-string.

I think the jewelry idea turned out famously. So sweet. The junk mail makes for really pretty multi-coloured chains.

Warning: Expect more box chain crafts. I have a whole list to get through yet. One suggestion was a skirt, right Maya? That should be most interesting. But I can now strike necklace off the list. Pendant is the same as necklace wouldn't you say? Think so.

Okay then. Have a great day. I'll see you again real soon!

Series 5: Halve a Circle #3 - Dragon Tail Necklace

"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father."

Roger von Oech

I love making stuff. And trying things. And letting whatever happens happen. No judging. No criticizing. Just fun and play. That's where this little series comes from. A ton o' play.

Do you play? If not, drop everything; this is your chance. Let's have a little fun right now, okay?

Tutorial: Dragon Tail Necklace

You will need:

a scrap of vinyl

cardboard circle template (~2 inches or 5 cm in diameter)

cord or shoelace (~ 4 ft or 1.2 m long) which isn't round but is flat and about 1/4 inch (7mm) wide

pair of scissors

pencil

sewing machine

contact cement (glue)

clothes pins

spring loaded fastener

Using your cardboard circle template and a pencil, trace out several circles onto the back of your vinyl (I made 17 circles, a random number). Cut out all circles. Cut each circle in half.

Go to your sewing machine. Place a half-circle down on the sewing surface. Place the cord down flat along the center of your half-circle starting at least 12 inches (30 cm) down the cord. Place another half-circle on top. You're constructing a half-circle sandwich with a cord in between. Yummy delish. With your sewing machine, stitch down the center of your half-circle sandwich along the cord.

Repeat with the remaining half-circles. Your necklace should now look like the photo below.

Apply a little contact cement to the corner of one of your half-circles.

Pinch the two corners together and clamp with a clothespin.

Repeat for the other half-circle in the pair as below.

Glue and clamp each pair of half-circles. Let dry for a few hours.

Create a necklace by threading both ends of the rope through a spring-loaded fastener. Trim the rope to a length that is right for you.

Note: This necklace is quite long. For a shorter, smaller necklace, simply decrease the number of circles you cut out at the start and reduce the length of your cord.

There it is! One completed dragon tail necklace... You like? I like.

Enjoy!

Now you have a great day. It'll be play-time again shortly!

See Part 1 of the "Halve a Circle" Series here. See Part 2 here.

To find out who won the Spacey Stitchy Giveaway, check out the previous post.

Linking to Tater Tots and Jello!

Series 4 - The Candy Wrapper Chain #4

Happy Tuesday!

I welcome you today to Series 4 - The Candy Wrapper Chain#4, the finale! To see previous posts, check out Series 4 on the Series page.

As usual, today's craft, the cracker box bracelet, comes to you straight from the recycling bin, the best place to shop for craft supplies in my opinion. As its name suggests, it is made from a cracker box, plus I've given it a little "je-ne-sais-quoi" by topping it with painted egg carton bits which you may or may not recognize from here.

If you want to take a cracker at it, look no further!

Tutorial: Cracker Box Bracelet

I used the same method outlined here to create the bracelet chain. Only, instead of telephone book pages or junk mail, I made the links out of a painted cardboard cracker box. The links are also significantly smaller: 3/16" (4 mm) wide and 2-1/4" (5.6 cm) long.

Note: I must tell you that this bracelet was not easy to put together. If I were to make another one, I would think twice before using cardboard. Because each link is so small, its thickness and rigidity when folded makes it hard to work with. The bracelet material should remain flexible even when folded on itself. I suggest making your links out of junkmail or some such recyclable paper, folding each link the way Gary Dushl does with gum wrappers in his video tutorial.

That said, the cracker box did make a very solid and pretty bracelet. The niftiness of its construction becomes quite apparent with the use of the thicker cracker box cardboard too. It's just a bit challenging to link together and definitely requires patience.

Here's the finished band.

Now to make those egg carton doo-hickies:

1. Cut out the center square bits of your egg carton using an Exacto knife.

2. Trim the edges of the cut-out bits.

3. Smoosh the corners of the cut-out bits between your fingers.

4. Repeat 1-3 a few times. In the end, I used only three egg carton cut-out bits.

5. Give your cut-out bits a primer coat. I used gesso but white acrylic paint would do the trick nicely. Let dry.

6. Paint them with orange liquid acrylic paint - or whatever colour you wish - all over. Allow to dry. Apply a second coat of paint. Allow to dry.

7. (not shown) Paint the edges with a few coats of metallic acrylic paint. When dry, glue the egg-carton doo-hickies onto the bracelet. To make your bracelet super-strong and long-lasting, coat it a few times with varnish or Mod-Podge.

And there you have it, your very own, cracker box bracelet!

A dandy thing about this bracelet is that, to a degree, it is elastic! When I slip it over my hand, the links will lengthen. But I can then tighten it up around my wrist again by pushing the links close together once more. Isn't that sweet?... I say!

Now please, enjoy your day, and I'll see you again soon!

Linking to Get Your Craft On!