My Crystal Forest Fairy Earrings and Pendant

While on our trip up the coast we stopped at a tiny gift shop just filled with beautiful things.  Many of the items where from local crafts people. I just love it when local items are sold in local shops.

For Breakfast we ate at a very nice little hometown coffee shop , named Naveen's.  The food and service was great.  And in the parking lot I spotted this beautiful rose.

Then we headed to the gift shop. There was a section filled with lovely beads.

Here are the treasures I purchased at the little gift shop. I bought enough to make a pair of earrings and a pendant.

I started with the larger pieces and made wire wrapped bails for all three.

Next I added the rest of the crystals to eye pins along with some bead caps from my stash.

Here are the three pieces almost finished.  

For the pendant I used a long filigree piece I had and bent it to fit over a black velvet cord. to create an interesting connecting bail.

I named the set Forest Fairies because they reminded my of the surrounding forest where I bought them.

And here is the finished set.  The colors are actually gold and green and blue with sparks of lavender.

Happy Crafting!

Trip up the Coast

We spent a couple of days on the North Coast.  Actually about a six hour drive from home to visit family and friends.

That is one of the most beautiful sections of highway in California through the giant redwoods that have been growing since before the birth of Christ.  They are huge, enormous. I mean really, really large.  There is actually one that cars used to drive through.

I captured this photo in the car as we suddenly came around a corner and there they were.

And then around another corner there was a Big Foot Store.  This area is well known for it's Big Foot sightings.  So, of course, someone had to open a store to sell souvenirs.

We passed an old drive in theater.

And as the sun was going down we where nearing our destination.

The second day we want to the beach and had the best weather, sunny and not too hot.  Just perfect.

This was a gorgeous beach, protected from the wind.

Major fishing area.

Fresh water river flowing into ocean.

Sand dunes covered in yellow flowering ice plant. 

I love the California coast, so many different types of beaches along our approximately 840 mile (1,350 km) long shore. This area is rugged and rocky.

Happy Travels!

Golden Honey Bears

I am sure you all recognize ye olde honey bear. As a kid I always loved having my honey in a cute little bear.

But what to do with the bear when the honey is gone.  He is just too cute to be thrown away.  So I thought and thought and then it came to me.  I will make him into a vase but not any vase,  gold vase.

So, how to make him gold.  Paint just wouldn't be enough gold. And gold leaf would be too expensive.  I know I will use those candy wrappers I save every year from the Christmas Candy.  You know the one that comes wrapped in gold foil and in the little brown paper cups.  Initials of the candy are F R with hazelnut inside. I guess you could also buy new gold candy wrappers if you needed to.

The first thing I do is to place the wrapper on a flat surface and carefully flatten out the wrinkles as much as possible.  My glass top stove is a really smooth surface for flattening the foil.

Then I spread Mod Podge on the bear and carefully smooth the foil to conform to the bear.  Then I used the rounded end of a small paint brush to carefully press the foil into the features of the bear being sure not to press too hard and tear the foil.  I continued this process until the entire bear is covered, including the bottom and just inside the lip at the top so none of the plastic bear is visible.

Below you can see two that I have finished.

For their crowns I cut a piece of gold lace trim and hot glued to the top of each bear.

close up view

When the Mod Podge is dry I give the outside a thin coat of Mod Podge to seal everything.

front and back

And here is the cute little finished bear vase filled with flowers.

Happy Crafting!

Water Lily and Dragonfly Vase Redo

I came across this large pottery vase at a second store.  They were having a 50% off sale so I only paid $2.00.

The colors where terrible but I bought it anyway hoping I could do something with it.  The vase is about 14" tall by about 4".

I love dragonflies and lily pads.  But, oh no, the color was all wrong and poorly done.

There was even a registration number on the bottom but no label.  I couldn't discover anything about it's origin.  No matter, I was repainting to match what I like.

The first thing I painted with acrylic paint was the background color.  In order to achieve the effect I wanted I double loaded my brush with bronze and gold paint.

Then I completely covered the background moving in horizontal strokes and slightly blending the colors leaving the dragonfly and lily pad unpainted until the background was dry.

It already looks better with the golden bronze finish.

Now came the fun part of painting in the details.

For the dragonfly I base coated the body a dark blue and highlighted with aqua, teal and orange.  On the wings I painted them white first then blended an aqua very lightly and finished with a clear pearl paint.

The lily pads got a base coat of a golden yellow with several shades of green blended over top.  The  blossom also got a base coat of white then a light pink was used to highlight the petals, those where also top coated with the clear pearl paint. The seed pod where painted with the same golden yellow and dots of several shades of green where added before the coat of pearl paint.

When the lily pads where dry I went back in and added blue dots in several shades of blue and a few blue rhinestones.

After the blue dots where dry I used Glossy Accents on each dot to make it shine.  And lastly I gave the entire background a coat of acrylic varnish to help protect it.

And here is it's new home atop my bookcase with a flower arraignment that includes a water lily.   It goes great with the water lily picture I have hanging on the wall.  Who knew the ugly thrift store piece of ceramic could become this gorgeous vase.  So for $2.00, a little paint and a little time I have a stunning piece on the bookshelf.  No one would ever believe it only cost me $2.00.

Happy Crafting!