It's Heating Up! Step 6 - JA project for June

Yes, I've fallen off the wagon a little bit. My last project of my JA (Jewel-aholics Anonymous) 12-step program was March.

I completely missed April and May but I'm back at it with June.

You can find my original challenge to myself here.

It's been chilly and rainy the last few days so I'm trying to give the sizzlin' summer weather a boost with a series of necklaces I'm calling, "It's Heating Up!"

Notice the center?

 I've been picking up these needle and dial type thermometers at thrift stores for the past few months. They're super inexpensive - I never pay more than a dollar for them.

To make the necklace above, I chose a thermometer

and a vintage pin that I could use as a surround.

I did a Google search to make sure it was safe to cut the stem off - I certainly didn't want any hazardous substance or dangerous liquid oozing out. I found out that the dial and needle style of thermometers are just two different metals that heat at different rates to cause pressure on a spring which in turn causes the needle to move.

Bottom line - safe to cut! I used a jeweler's saw.

(The thermometer pictured is a much larger one than the one for the necklace.)

I hammered the center of the pin a bit to create a bigger well for the thermometer to sit in and then used an epoxy glue to secure the thermometer at the center of the pin. (I applied the glue pretty thick to make sure it would hold well.)

Once that was cured, I glued a small length of chain around the edge to cover the glue. I also placed a small rhinestone at the center bottom. Once that cured I wired the chain together where they met to secure and attached small rhinestones to the tails.

I drilled holes at the top and attached a handcrafted chain from dark annealed steel wire, glass beads and a couple of small vintage jewelry pieces. Finally, I added a strip of muslin and some purchased chain and finished it off with a handcrafted hook clasp. To learn how to make a link and a clasp, check out my tutorials.

Here is a look at another necklace I made for my

"It's Heating Up" series.

Below is where you can check out my previous

JA (Jewel-aholics Anonymous) projects.

January - "Snowflake"

February - "Tin Heart"

March - "Good Luck Wishes"

July - "Golden Dreams"

Bonus Project - "Masquerade Mask"

My thermometer necklaces were featured at Knick of Time

Sharing with: I Gotta Create!: Wildly Original Party, Fireflies and Jellybeans: Show Off Your Stuff, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, COM: Craft-O-Maniac Monday, Knick of Time: Knick of Time Tuesday, Ginger Snap Crafts: Wow Me Wednesday, Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got

 

On The Road Again!

Those of you who check in on my blog every once in a while might remember this mixed media necklace I created last year called

 ROAD TRIP

I created it from - what would be considered - unusual jewelry components. You can find out what those components are

and the process behind the creative journey here.

I'm thrilled to say that somewhere along the roadside

this unique piece was picked up and hitched a ride into the 

Summer Issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry.

This issue is packed full of interesting jewelry articles including one by my good friend, Cat Kerr. Cat and her sister collaborated together to create a heartfelt necklace called

"A Sister's Bond"

Linked to: Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday

Thanks for stopping by!