An Experiment in Rust

It's no secret I love old, imperfect rusty treasures.
Of course, most people would refer to my treasures as junk!

There are many tutorials on how to speed up the rusting process on metals containing iron and they definitely work great.

But what about plastic, wood, paper and,
well, basically any surface? Can they be rusted?

Believe it or not, they can!
Not faux rust. Actual rust!

These pieces are made of plastic.

 

Modern Masters Iron Paint actually contains iron and once you paint it on your piece it can rust naturally over time or you can instantly create rust with the Modern Masters Rust Activator.

I decided to experiment with several

different types of materials and objects.

canvas and paper

(I embellished the canvas with fiber ribbon and the paper with lace.)

fabrics and lace

plastics

metals

and a few other assorted materials

(cork, wood, shell & a blob of cured resin)

I painted each object with the iron paint and let them dry completely.

(I covered some pieces completely and spot painted a few.)

Then I brushed the activator over each piece. After five minutes I applied another coat of the activator. Within a few minutes the rust began appearing and after awhile this is what I had.

The aqua fabric that I spot painted turned out kinda cool.

I loved the effect on the canvas and paper.

And the resin blob is pretty interesting. A larger blob might look cool with a vintage photo showing through the back...hmmm....must remember that idea!

Since I will most likely be incorporating these objects into jewelry I thought it would be best to seal the finish with Renaissance wax.

And since I was just experimenting anyway, I decided to

rub a few of the rusty objects with some Gilders Paste

to add even more interest to the patina.

I definitely had fun with this experiment and will be doing more.

I also purchased the Modern Masters Bronze Paint Effect but didn't realize that it takes a different activator so I will need to get some of the correct activator before I can experiment with it.

I'll be sure to share my results...good, bad or ugly!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with: Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty tuesday

Butterfly Specimen

This necklace is one of my latest creations as an ICE Resin® Creative Team designer. When I showed it to my Hubby he asked if it

was a real butterfly so I guess my design was successful!

It's very easy to make.

I first cut a butterfly image from the Belles Dames Francaise flip book and used Modge Podge to adhere it to a plexi-glass circle.

Then I stamped a swirling dot design onto

a second plexi-glass circle using black Staz-On ink.

I placed the plexi-glass pieces into a round staple bezel with

the butterfly and stamping on the inside and used

pliers to crimp the staples holding everything into place.

I then showcased the butterfly pendant

between a couple of decorative corset clasp connectors.

For the neck cord, I added some pretty blue and pink organza ribbons and wrapped them with copper wire in a couple of places.

To finish it off I added one of my

handcrafted copper hook and eye clasps.

Every now and then I create with a little

bit of fluff and femininity...I am a girl after all!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing with: Ginger Snap Crafts: Wow Me Wednesday, Southern Lovely: Show & Share, Fireflies and Jellybeans: Show Off Your Stuff, I Gotta Create!: Wildly Original Roundup, Happy-Go-Lucky: Shine on Friday, Here Comes the Sun: Fabulous Friday, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, Six Sisters' Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Not Just A Housewife: Show Me What Ya Got

 

A Creation from Friendships

Quite a while back my friend, Cathy from Ma Vie Trouvee posted about winning a "workbench stash" from Linda at Objects & Elements. Cathy had pictures of some of the items and talked about how she might design with them. There was an awesome metal disk with a "K" on it and she talked about covering up the "K". Of course, with my name being Kathy with a "K", I jokingly commented to Cathy with a "C" that I personally loved the "K". Cathy immediately emailed me and said she wanted to send me the piece. Really?! How lucky was I?! A few days later I received the piece along with some other fun trinkets all wrapped up in these super cute packages.

 As luck would have it a couple of weeks later

I won a "workbench stash" from Linda.

I combined the "K" with some of the stash goodies

and came up with a fun "Creation from Friendships".

(The only items I supplied were the neck cord and copper wire.)

I attached the "K" to a strip of metal with rivets. I drilled holes in the top and attached a metal spring. I drilled another hole at the bottom to attach a couple of dangling pieces.

I'm so happy with the way this piece turned out.
Thank you Cathy and Linda 
for providing great inspirational items
and especially for your generosity!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

My Competition

Look at what my Hubby created!

Yes! You read that correctly...my Hubby!

An amazing necklace!

And gorgeous earrings to match!

 Should I be worried? I think I should!

I'm kinda afraid that he just might take over my studio.

Not really...he assures me this is a one and only for him.

Why did he make these beautiful pieces?

His work has a fund raiser for a charity every year and I usually create and donate jewelry. However, this year I was swamped with projects so Hubby took on the challenge and I must say, he did a fabulous job!

The design and work is all his. I gave him a few suggestions and a quick lesson in wire working and then left the studio and let him soar!

I made a sign for his display at the charity event. His name is Rick but at work he is often referred to as Ricardo so it seemed appropriate to label his work the Ricardo Collection.

Pretty impressive work from Hubby!

I may just have to head out to his woodworking shop and see what I can create in his world! Or then again...maybe not!

Thanks for stopping by!

Fabulous Fibers

I've recently discovered how fun it is to incorporate fibers into my jewelry and mixed media art projects so imagine how excited I was to be the lucky winner of these fabulous fibers! 

They were a generous gift from

Kathleen at Modern Nature Studios. 

I love the blacks and grays. The pom pom fringe is super fun!

The creams are always a favorite of mine.

 Of course, the purples, blues and greens are gorgeous too!

I can't wait to use them!

Thanks, Kathleen!

I hope you will hop over to Kathleen's blog 

and check out some of her beautiful jewelry creations.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Jewelry Affaire x 2

I'm so excited to have - not just one - but two articles

published in the summer issue of Jewelry Affaire!

Notice the "from SHOES to JEWELS" caption on the cover?

That's one of my features... not exactly a cover photo

but it's as close as I've ever been!

The "Shoes to Jewels" article features designs from my

"A Girl and Her Shoes" series which include,

Biker Chic, Geometry, Butterfly and Spider.  

Remember my salt & pepper shaker necklace?

It also has a feature in the article "Shake It Up".

This is the first time I've had my work featured in Jewelry Affaire

and I have to say I'm pleased with both articles. It's such

a beautiful magazine! I had the good fortune of meeting

Beth Livesay, the managing editor of Jewelry Affaire,

earlier this year at an art camp retreat and she is just the

nicest person! Thanks, Beth, for adding my designs alongside

the beautiful work of so many talented jewelry designers!

Thanks for stopping by!


 

Fun To Wear Hardware

What do you get when you pair a
rusty piece of hardware with a vintage bottle cap?

Jewelry, of course!

 I found some cool old hardware at the thrift stores and from a fellow blogger who just happens to have a store only three miles from my house. Barbara Jean at Treasures From the Heart has some of the best rusty, chippy pieces of anything and everything.

I found some bottle caps from another blogger friend.
Linda at Itsy Bits and Pieces had a fabulous collection of them
and I was lucky enough to snag a few.

The first step was to hammer the bottle cap. I used a regular carpenter's hammer to lightly tap around the edges of the cap.

I continued working my way around the cap

until the edges had curled up.

Then I hammered the center area with the ball end of a ball-peen hammer to create a concave area or a "well".

The cap looked like this once I finished hammering it.

I filled the "well" with ICE Resin®. I rubbed the hinge with wax and buffed it. And then once the resin was cured I used

an epoxy glue to adhere the cap to the hinge.

I glued a piece of brown suede to the back of the pendant to cover the glue that showed through the holes on the back.

And then the fun began!

I embellished the hinge with wire and gemstones.

I added a black suede cord and finished it off

with a handcrafted hook and eye clasp.

I've designed several more of these Fun To Wear Hardware pieces but I have plans for them and I will have to keep them a secret for now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sharing With: I Gotta Create!: Wildly Original Roundup, Lil Pink Pocket: Show & Share, One Artsy Mama: Shine on Fridays, Too Much Time On My Hands: Get Schooled Saturday, Funky Junk Interiors: SNS, Knick of Time: Knick of Time Tuesday, Here Comes the Sun: Fabulous Friday, DIY Home Sweet Home: More the Merrier

Want to be on the ICE Resin® Creative Team?

ICE Resin® is searching for designers for their 2012-2013 Creative Team.

WAIT!

Before you say to yourself,

"No one knows who I am.

Why would I ever have a chance at being chosen?"

Remember, I said the same thing last year when I heard about the opportunity. I went for it anyway...what did I have to lose?

And here I am, a member of the 2011-2012 Creative Team.

  Here is a short description from their blog post

of what they are looking for.

You might wonder what we are seeking in a Designer; we are looking for someone with not only a keen eye for design but also a strong understanding of trends as well as individuals with the ability to think outside of the box while remaining cutting edge, trendsetting and true to their own style. Keep in mind while we are seeking artistically minded Designers we are not necessarily narrowing our vision to those who are widely known in the industry. Rather, it is our hope to create a team of Designers with various skills and design aesthetics.

 You can find more information

along with the application form on their blog.

Be Brave...Go For It!!

Good Luck!