Jewelry How To- FINALLY!

Subtitle: I'm baaaaaack.


Whew so it's been a crazy week. I went to my parents' last weekend (where Bailey had the most fun ever playing with my Mom's dog, Jazzy, and swimming up a storm in the pool) and then my teenage sister and her boyfriend came to visit Monday-Thursday and since it's hotter than death here my sister's boyfriend stayed up in our air conditioned offices and long story short (too late)- I've been in severe computer withdrawal. I'm also desperate for people to make concise decisions. Is that something all teenagers are unable to do?

ANYWAY- ON TOP OF THAT I can finally explain the jewelry how-to since I've been purposely trying to be vague as hell. So. One of my friends does this thing where on the year that you turn the day of the month that you birthday is on, it's considered your "Golden" Birthday and you get a corresponding number of daily presents each day of the month. Let's use a real world example, shall we? Jen is turning 31 TODAY (Happy Birthday Jen) on July 31st so all month a bunch of us gave her 31 objects each day of the month. I had two days so I gave her 31 mini cookie cutters one day and decided that 31 of anything was a lot of something and she's kind of OCD clean freak* so I wanted to give something consolidated. Like a necklace! With 31 beads on it!! Fabulous idea, n'est pas?!

Oh wait. I have NO beading jewelry experience. I did take a metals class in college but that was more bending wire and using a blow torch (which I've since probably forgotten how to do).

So the first time around I just winged it and I basically finished but broke the chain by accident and all the beads started falling off which is completely un-related to the chain breaking and related to the fact I was kinda doing it wrong. Here's how you do it right:

First I have some new tools (and found correct names for the others):
Your chain probably won't have a failed attempt at beading on it though. Also the "flat head pins" are special jewelry pins (they're not sharp) so don't go raiding your sewing kit.

I had found some translucent purple, green and white beads that reminded me of glass and the ocean so I was going for a big cluster like coral or something. If that's not your style- spread those beads out! And we begin:

Step 1: Take a pin and add your desired bead(s) on it. I sometimes had to use the small beads as a stopper because the larger beads had holes that were ever so slightly too large for the pins and some were falling off. The examples below only use the one beads though.

Step 2: Using the round nose pliers bend the pin so it's at a 90 degree angle like this:

Step 3: Keep the grip on the bead the same and using your free hand bend the wire back over the top edge of the round nose pliers making a question mark shape like this:

Step 4: Add the chain to the end of the pin. Sometimes I'd move the chain to the curve of the wire so chain would be on the left and pliers keeping it on on the right but whatever is easiest for you.

Step 5: Wrap the end of the wire to coil around itself creating a loop for the chain that will keep the bead secure. (The photo in Step 6 without the pliers in the way will show the desired result)

Step 6: Admire your handiwork.
Step 7: Once I had a couple of beads on I wanted to make sure it was staying even from left to right so I attached the clasp to the smaller jump ring and both to the chain and the larger jump ring on the opposite side. I forgot to take any photos though so read up here on the proper way to use jump rings. It's basically bend it towards you to open and backwards to close again. I'd model it on my leg and pick out a new spot for each bead.

Repeat Steps 1-6 until you have the desired look. Again- that's my leg. I'll see if I can get a photo of the birthday girl in her finished necklace so they'll be a more proper end to the post.

There you have it. I think it took one and a half DVR'ed episodes of The Closer from start to finished (after I'd taken off all the beads done incorrectly the first time and repaired the chain).

Oh-- repairing the chain. That's what the wire was for. It was the same process as 1-6 but done to both sides to create two loops which each attached to one side of the wire.

Anyway this was quick, cheap, and easy once someone told me the correct way to do it and could be a great bridesmaids gift option. OR to be even quicker, cheaper and easier- EARRINGS! If you make either or both or something similar, send me a photo and I'll get a little gallery started.


*Hi Jen! :D

Birdcage Veil How-To

Good afternoon all! I am almost ashamed to post what I am about to post because it is just too damn easy and too damn cheap. It's ridiculous. A short while ago I went down to DC to help R. with her wedding veil since I (kinda-sorta) had practice making Brandy's party veils.

To do this exactly as we did you must begin by eating scrumptious mexican food (along with pitchers of margaritas, of course), watching copious Drunk History on YouTube (1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4), and discussing the pros and tragedies ("cons" is too soft a term in this instance) of fairy/faerie-inspired weddings. Then the previously banished husband/fiance team calls up and asks how things are going and you go, "Ummm yeah. It'll just be a little bit longer" and decide you need to get started N O W.

First review the piles of things you've bought or in this case what people have bought and foisted upon you.
We have 4 ivory silk flower pins from Claire's, wrapped wires with beads (check around your local craft store), feathers on wire (again, craft store has told of this kind of stuff), 2 colors of birdcage veil (which sells at fabric stores for around $5 a yard), regular bridal veil (smaller holes), scissors and a hot glue gun on-hand (off screen). The silk flowers from Claire's were (I'm told) $5 a piece and if you're looking for silk flowers YOU MUST GET THESE. The reason these flowers are amazing AND why we didn't need the glue gun was they had both a safety pin AND a hair clip attached to it. And by "hair clip" I mean this:


If you have thick hair or don't think this would do the job they also sell ones just like this with grooves to lock your hair in a bit more but either way if you have a silk flowers you like that don't have clips or safety pins of them, you can get clips/pins like this and hot glue it on the back. But we didn't need to.

R. isn't entirely sure how she wants her hair to look but she does know she wants it low on her head and the veil to cover it so we played around with some looks. We decided we liked the ivory veiling (as opposed to the white) with ivory flower. Starting with the top gather the fabric from either sides to the top. This, unfortunately, looks like a giant tangle in all photos so I made a little diagram:
Pinch the fabric where there are the finger prints and bring to the top corner. In other words, create 2 or 3 pleats on each side to bring the top and bottom corners of each side together.

The photo below was a trial was one flower and many pleats to make a more bubble-like shape around the hair:


But we all ended up liking the two flowers with a more open flow-y veil, as seen below:
(These were just trials to get the look down which is why you see the ends of the veil on the right.)

Since we weren't sure about the final hair AND we were using the two flowers we decided to make an adjustable veil. I'm pretty sure we're coining a phrase there too. The Future Mrs. Darcy- Home of the Adjustable Veil!!

Anyway, we gathered up either side of the veil with a minimum number of pleats and pinned it together using the safety pin attached to the flower BUT we kept each side separate so each side of the veil is attached to a single flower like this:

To attach to R. we slide each flowers' clip in from opposite sides above her hair-do. This way we're not fixing the veil to the impromptu bun that we had her in while we were creating. We then hot glued some of the beads on the wire to the underside of one of the flowers so they could poke out with a little extra shine and texture.

Here's how it looks on:

Feathers and beads and actual (fake) birds are all optional as well. Either sew them on or hot glue it on but make sure all your work is covered (obviously) by feathers or petals or veiling. This process is all about just trying it out so maybe instead of the "make a fake dress out of toilet paper" game at the bridal shower maybe get some craft materials and let your friends and family help out on the trial and error.

So we were done... and we had all this stuff left over... and a camera out. GAG REEL!

If you have any questions just let me know! Also, all beads are a go on the jewelry How-To, I just need to find some other pliers to put on the clasp, but that is for a later date!

Distressed without the 100 year wait

My friend, R., of Harry Potter in the hizzouse fame, asked me the other day if I knew about any ways to distress wedding invitations and- shockingly- I kind of did. Two Christmases ago my husband and I got his niece and nephew Watson Scavenger Hunt tickets (which are awesome and in many cities in case you're wondering) so I decided to make it a scavenger hunt to find the tickets. I got a little overboard and found myself in the kitchen with a lighter try to figure out how much is too much singed edges and trying to find things to stain the clues.

This is not quite a tutorial since you'll still have to play around with the technique but here are the results from my first trial.

(before left; after right)

Staining with Tea
I first started with a brewed tea bag concentrating on the corners and let that sink in for about 5 minutes, and gently blotted areas that pooled too much in the center over the text with a paper towel.

To keep the staining to the corners I perched the invitation over the paper towel and let that sit. Play with this time to see how much it will stain the corners.

This was probably the best idea from the new trials. I was trying to find a way to singe the edges without lighting it on fire because that tends to streaks of ash across the front and would definitely leave ash all of the envelope. I used the flat iron when the invitation was only slightly damp but if you do a slow fanning motion you can create a stiff curl (kind of like you would if you were flipping your hair).

So here's the before and after again. It's not a style for everyone but it's nice parchment-y look.

I printed several test versions so I can keep on experimenting. I'm thinking Coke maybe the next trial since it would stain and not smell (like coffee would).

And, yes, it's a Harry Potter invite. I did it quickly for something to test with but... I'm liking it. A lot. So you'll definitely see more of it in the future.

(The paper used was Paper Source Luxe Cream Cover. I also tried their Opal Cover which had a nice sparkle to it but the tea just beaded off.)

Envelope Liner: How-to

Good morning! This weekend I worked on making envelope liners for a set of custom invitations and I figured while I was learning the process I could document it for anyone else who wants to jazz up their invitations.

My envelope liner documentary starts at the Paper Source where I bought: paper for the liners, chip board, double sided tape, and a bone folder. Combine this with the box cutter, ruler, pencil, and cutting mat that I already owned and you get this:

Quick overview of the process: Using the envelope that you're lining make a template from the chip board. With the chip board template cut liner shapes out of the paper. Insert paper into envelope, fold at flap crease and tape into place along the flap. Repeat.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box... just kidding. I couldn't resist. Open the envelope that will be lined and trace the shape onto the chip board. I recommend using the edge of the chip board instead of placing the envelope in the center-- less cuts means less chance for errors.

Yes. I am that pale.

Step 2: Using a ruler cut the traced shape out of the chip board.

Step 3: Once you have the exact shape of the envelope cut out of the chip board, trim the chip board 1/4 of an inch all the way around, again using the ruler.

Step 4: Test the trimmed chip board template in the envelope. Make sure the seal of the envelope isn't covered by the template.


Step 5: Using the chip board template begin cutting shapes from the liner paper. The chip board is thick enough where you don't need to use a ruler as well with this step BUT the chip board isn't infallible. In the process of making 160 envelope liners, I had to create 2 new chip board templates after the one I had been using got ragged or cut. The chip board was $2 for a pack of 10 sheets so this wasn't a big deal. If you are using Paper Source envelopes they do sell plastic templates that go along with their envelopes but since I didn't use their envelopes and I couldn't use their templates I can't say whether the plastic was more durable. And again, use the edge of the paper so you can make less cuts.

I usually cut 10 or 20 at a time before I moved to the next step but for the first time go through the entire process just to ensure everything works out fine.

Step 6: Insert the liner into the envelope. I usually left a 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch below the seal of the envelope just to allow for a little shifting when it's folded.
Step 7: Using your non-dominant hand hold the paper in place and fold the flap over with your dominant hand. Or do it however feels comfortable. The only reason I specify is that I'm left handed so this may look backwards to you. I know I had a tendency to get confused when I looked up knitting instructions online because they were always done right handed so just trying to be clear. :) Since I couldn't take the photo showing both hands I added on the photo where I'd hold the liner in place when I folded it.


Step 7: Using the bone folder, run the edge along the fold of the flap to get a crisp fold. This time I usually would hold the paper at the flap so I could keep both the flat and folded parts of the liner in place. I bought a plastic bone folder because we were using light colored envelopes but an employee at the Paper Source told me that if you're using darker envelopes to get the most expensive (possibly teflon) bone folder so it doesn't leave a sheen on the darker envelopes.


Step 8: Open the envelope flap leaving the liner still folded and apply double sided tape along the edges. The "double-sided tape" I used was more like thin glue that rolled off the dispenser, so it was very thin and you couldn't see outlines when it adhered. I used Therm O Web Memory Tape Runner which worked great EXCEPT the Paper Source near me apparently never has refills available. I hear that's not the case in most stores but just to save yourself some trouble, when you buy your dispenser-- check they have refills or you'll end up having to buy another dispenser just to get more tape like I did.


Step 9: Things may have shifted when you were applying the tape so re-center the liner left to right in the envelope and make sure the fold of the liner is against the fold of the envelope and then re-fold the envelope over the tape and press gently over the envelope flap to seal the two together!

Step 10: Re-open envelope flap and admire your handiwork.


Re-fold the envelope flap and stack envelopes closed to keep the nice crease in the envelope and liner.

So ta-da! Lovely lined envelopes adding a nice touch to your invitations. With most DIY projects the steps are easy but do take time. To create 160 liners and then add the invitations, it took around 6 hours. Spread out over 2 days it wasn't so bad but just something to keep in mind while you're planning.

Lastly, as I said before, these envelope liners are for custom invitations. I'm sure the bride doesn't want her info splashed all over the internet so I'm trying to think what couple the invitation should be called from here on out. The inspiration we started with was "seaside eleagance...the reception site is really beautiful and elegant, so I don't want any of those casual beachy wedding invitations that I keep seeing." At first I was thinking Odysseus and Penelope since Odysseus had quite the long sea voyage although lately I think Ferdinand and Miranda would be a better match but, honestly, I bet most people's first thought reading that was "I thought Miranda was with Steve..." We are both correct because the Miranda I was thinking was from the Tempest (which I happened to see at the Globe Theatre in London in the rain [it's an ampitheatre] with Vanessa Redgraves as Prospero) not Miranda from Sex in the City (who was with Steve). And Jack/Kate/Sawyer from LOST doesn't really tap into the "elegant" aspect so does anyone have any more seaside couples they want to suggest?