BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve everyone. Hope you've had a wonderful and creative week. We've had some more wild weather by me with winds that made me look outside to see if  Dorothy's house from The Wizard of Oz was flying by! I was so productive last week that guess what? I was L A Z Y this week and didn't really make anything 😂.

I was however very honored to have my Rose Quartz Bracelet featured in Upstyle Daily's newsletter. If you're unfamiliar with the site and like DIY fashion and jewelry, you must check it out. It's a sister site, along with Foodtalk Daily, of Hometalk. 

Lots of great ideas were shared at last week's party. I love that creativity is something that will never be in short supply! Let's take a look at a few. 

These Planter Vignettes from Bluesky at Home are perfect for St. Patrick's Day and Spring. 

Living in the Southwest, how could I resist this Potted Cactus Scarf from Sew Crafty Crochet? Tonna's talents never cease to amaze me! 

Have some pretty papers on hand you haven't used (not that I'd know ANYTHING about that!) Use them to make Wine Glass and Tealight Lampshades. Simple Joys will show you how.

Finally, and there's just something about bite-sized foods, these mini Chocolate Chess Pies from The Kitchen Is My Playground are the perfect dessert for any meal! 

Thank you to everyone who linked up and can't wait to see what you've been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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BFF Open House

 

Happy mid-February Creative Peeps! I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's and/or Galentine's Day filled with lots of love. Ours was low key and just right. I thought we were headed straight into Spring when much to my surprise, being in the high desert we got snow this week! Nothing major but I do live in Southern Arizona!

This week I shared three jewelry projects. Floral and Heart Earrings, a Rose Quartz Bracelet, and Galentine's/Girlfriends Gifts. 

Speaking of Spring, there were some GREAT ideas shared at last week's party so let's take a look at a few. 

I love round-up posts like this one from Saved From Salvage: Ten Spring DIY Projects. Now's the perfect time to start! 

Likewise, The House on Silverado shared Simple Table Centerpiece ideas for Spring. 

Steph Creates, will have us running to the Dollar Tree to look for the supplies she used in this Springtime Round Wooden Hanging Floral piece she made! 

And whether for Spring or anytime, Condo Blues has a fabulous collection of Bottle Cap Projects like this stunning wreath! 

Thanks to everyone who linked up and let's see what you've been up to this week! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Jewelrymking: Galentine's Gifts

 

Best laid plans...I was supposed to have an annual Galentine's lunch with friends but work got in the way for one so we had to postpone. Nonetheless, I'll have their gifts ready for when we meet! Used up more of the two strands of Hildie and Jo Silver Beads from the earrings and bracelet I made for myself and enjoyed making things for friends that coordinate us all!anding 

Supplies:

• Hildie and Jo Silver Heart Beads (JoAnn)
• Black Czech Crystal Beads (Stash)
• Bead Landing "Fish Hook" Ear Wires
• Jump Rings and Head Pins
• Black Cardstock
• Black Organza Bags

Strung a small black bead on the headpin, a silver heart, then the larger black bead and closed the loop. Then using a jump ring, attached the fish hook. 

The process is the same for all earrings. As Makers, gift presentation is important, right? Using my Cricut Design Space subscription and my Cricut Explore Air, I cut out Earring Cards for the earrings. 

I like using 110lb cardstock for these since it doesn't bend easily.

TIP: To keep the earrings in place on the card use a piece of washi tape on the back to hold them in place. 

I wasn't quite finished! My go-tos for packaging jewelry gifts are Organza Bags. You can find them at craft or jewelry supply stores and sometimes, at Dollar Tree. 

All ready to go! 

Sharing At: 

Jewelrymaking: Rose Quartz Bracelet With Heart Charm

 

I had some silver heart beads left over from the earring project I shared and I remembered that I'd picked up a strand of Rose Quartz beads at Michaels not too long ago. They're really upped their game by carrying a much bigger selection of natural stone. Rose Quartz is a PERFECT stone to use with hearts or for Valentine's day because: 

"Rose quartz is known as the crystal of unconditional love. It's said to boost feelings of self-love and foster loving relationships with others."

And I really liked these beads because of the paleness of the pink. I'm not a super pink person but these I call "neutral pink". 

Supplies: 

• 12MM Rose Quartz Beads (Michaels)
• Stretch Cord
• Silver Heart Bead 
• Headpin
• Black Crystal Beads
• Crystal Cup Charms
• Jewelry Plier 
• Jewelry or Super Glue

 

If I have a "signature" it's adding charm dangles to my stretch bracelets. It started with one and became a habit. So that's the first thing I did using the same process I did to make my earrings. 

I used one of the heart beads and two more black crystal beads strung on a headpin. 

After stringing the Rose Quartz beads on the stretch cord to fit my wrist, I tied off the cord with a simple knot and then added a dot of Super Glue, let dry, then tied another overhand knot. 

I opened a jump ring and added the charm to it.

To finish, add the dangle to the bracelet. I also added a Charm A Long crystal charm because I'm blingy like that. 

Like the earrings I made, it doesn't scream "Valentine's" to me but something that can be worn whenever. 

Sharing At: 

Jewelrymaking: Filigree Silver Heart Valentine's Earrings

 

I often buy supplies for my stash without having a specific project in mine. In this case, JoAnn was having a great sale on beads when I bought the silver heart beads I used in this project. Something like 70% off during one of their sales last year. So when I decided I wanted some Valentine's themed earrings...into my stash I went!

Supplies:

• Silver Heart Beads (JoAnn or Bead Stores)
• Head Pins and Jump Rings
• Black Crystal Beads 
• Hammered Links (Bead Landing,Michaels)
• Floral Charms and Earring Backs for Clips
• Jewelry or Strong Bond Glue 

Since these beads were such a great deal on sale, of course I bought two sets! I chose the filigree design for my earrings. Since I wear clip-on earrings, I chose some floral charms (Shipwreck Beads) big enough to accommodate my clip earring backs. 

I like the Loctite Gel Superglue. It's low odor and holds as strong as jewelry glue. Put a little dab on the earring back and then position on the back of the floral charm. If you have pieced ears, skip this step and use a fish hook ear wire. 

I love these little clamps I found at Dollar Tree which are the perfect size for small projects. I always clamp my glued earring backs to ensure the strongest bond.

Next, I grabbed a couple of pins from my supplies, along with some black Czech glass beads. I strung the black and heart beads on the pins and made a closed loop.

To put things all together, I used some hammered silver links and jump rings I had on hand to connect the earring clips and the heart pins.

Connect the jump ring to the link and then using regular jump rings, attach the heart pins and floral sections.

The best part is, these don't scream Valentine's Day to me so I can wear them whenever but they also work for V-Day!  Come back to see what  I did with the remaining beads! 

Sharing At: 

BFF Open House

 

Happy Friday Eve, and Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! After almost 32 years of marriage, we don't do a big thing. I'll probably still make a nice dinner and dessert but I've kinda outgrown it. That's not being a Debbie Downer for anyone who does it up big. For us, it's about the day-to-day love we know we have for each other. The little things that you do just because. But am I ever not going to celebrate a day in which chocolate features so prominently? Hello! 

I do love making special Valentine's cards to send to friends and family. I shared those here: Black White Gold and Pink Valentine's Cards In recent years, I've enjoyed celebrating Galentine's Day with friends. I made some special gifts I'll share next week. 

Thanks for another great party. Seeing the link-ups is a weekly treat for me. Let's take a look at a few of the wonderful ideas shared so this week, I'm featuring treats that are perfect for Valentine's Day. 

Claire Justine shared Heart Shaped Recipes to make for Valentine's Day and isn't this gorgeous?!

Then there are these Kahlua Mocha Parfaits from The Kitchen Is My Playground. So much chocolate...so little time! 

If you're not into chocolate (*GASP*...just kidding I know not everyone is or people have allergies etc.) then this Lemon Cheesecake With Lemon Curd and Blueberry Sauce would be lovely! From Scratch Made Food For Hungry People. 

Finally, couldn't resist these Fancy Pigs In A Blanket from Homemade On A Weeknight. This hits on so many levels: childhood memories and adult appetizers. Comfort food. Perfect if you're celebrating with kids but want to make them feel fancy. You name it! 

Now, onto this week's party! 

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