Bleach and a Snow Day

 If you've ever been to a show where I'm set up, you know that I use table covers that have bleach designs on them. A couple years ago I went nuts drawing with bleach on everything! Today is a snow day. My plans were cancelled so I decided to have some fun. After I took a nap. So - here's a tutorial on how to make your own bleach designs....

 Put some cardboard inside your t-shirt to make it a nice tight canvas. 

Fill a syringe (or a craft-store alternative) with a gel bleach. I use Soft Scrub.

 Start doodling (unless you have a definite design in mind.)

Below shows how I hold the syringe. Keep the needle away from your eyeballs.

 doodle some more....

 ...and some more...

 eat some lunch and when you come back your design appears!

 Originally I was going to just draw on the side like below...

 But, it's a snow day and I kept doodling. Perhaps it's overkill, but I like it.

Another Bug Cuff

This weekend I bought an iPad thinking it would be great for taking photos and blogging on one item. I thought it would be great for etsy and Facebook too... We'll see! Meanwhile I finished this bug cuff. 

If anyone has pointers on posting from an iPad I would love to hear them! 

Eventually...

 these become these...

 another of these:

 this is a custom order piece...

eventually.

Working On A Chain, Gang

After taking Stephanie Lee's Essentials of Metalworking class, I've been making lots of chains and pendants and am now putting them together.

I love the rusticness of it all.

This is a little shrine-like bezel I made. I wanted it to look like there were little flowers at the bottom. I'll keep working on that.

A rough little fresh water pearl found it's way into one of my scrappy bezels - added a bead I made and there you go...

Much of what I've been doing involves rough cut stones and rosary-style chains like this flourite necklace I finished yesterday.

got it.

Here's a quick peek at some of the custom orders I did this season...

These two necklaces were favorites of mine. Particularly those giant diamonds in little pipe bezels!

Here's a couple of 'belt loop clips' I made for some little boys. Isn't that a fun idea (not mine - the customer's)

Yes. I glittered my head off this year. I had so much glitter stuck to me, I looked like an old-stripper.

Hey.

Maybe it's one of those "use it or lose it" situations... I can't upload pics. Since I'm pretty sure no 'reads' my blog for my infinite wisdom, I'll wait to post again until I can go back to illustrating what I'm trying to say. PS happy new year.