Blog Debris Day

Blogger announced there will be five new template layouts they will be adding to use on our blogs and you can read more about it here.

This is an exciting and fresh new approach that I think will add more fun to blog reading.  There are pros and cons to each of them but what I like is that you can view older blog posts at a glance without having to scroll back from page to page.

I personally like the flipcard, sidebar and snapshots the best and find the other two slightly confusing.  I  want to keep our blog simple and easy to read but fun as well.

Click on each of the links below that I set up for the different views of this blog and let me know which one(s) you prefer:

Flipcard

Sidebar

Snapshot

Mosaic

Timeslide

Maple Leaf Buttons

Here are more buttons I made for Dianne Jansson from Di-Versity Quilting Supplies.  While making these, they reminded me of the maple leaf cream-filled cookies!  I used one of Helen Breil's texture sheets to give them that funky swirl design and then accented them with inks.

These buttons are quite large and will make a gorgeous accent piece on a bag, sweater or jacket.  I will be listing these in our Etsy shop soon.

Di-Versity has such a wonderful selection of beautiful fabrics and I couldn't resist buying these pieces by Caryl Bryer Fallert to make a bag.  I'm thinking one of these leaf buttons would look great on it.  I'm still deciding on my bag design and can't wait to use it this spring.

Seashells

Our buttons are now available for sale at Di-Versity Quilting Supplies in Pritchard.  It is a real priviledge to work with the owner and world renowned quilter, Dianne Jansson in creating specialty buttons to coordinate with her quilting projects and classes.

I finished some sets of assorted seashell buttons for a beach-themed class she will be teaching soon.  These were fun to make and I can not only picture these on a quilt but also on a sweater or jacket.

Faux Turquoise

Turquoise is one of my favorite stones and after a lot of practice, I have developed my own faux turquoise from clay.

I generally like to make a large batch at a time and then use it straight or create veneer sheets for covering.  I start by mixing in real dirt and paint with my clay and can look like a real mess!

It is hard to believe that it eventually turns out like this:

The beauty of making your own is you can create pieces in any shape or size imaginable.  These are some of our latest jewelry pieces.

Blog Debris - Color Scheme Designer

Here is a fun site that you can play with and explore the color wheel and color combining.  It is called the Color Scheme Designer and you can drag your mouse to select the colors in the wheel as well as all other kinds of settings.

If you are really into Pantone colors like I am, check the tab at the top that says "color space" and click on "Pantone colors".  The colors adjust to the pantone shades and when you hover your mouse over all the colors it will give the Pantone color swatch numbers that match. 

Clay Veneer Sheet Storage Tip

I was reading a clay book some time ago and the writer had suggested storing clay veneer sheets in plastic page protectors.  I wasn't really sure how well that would work but I was keeping them stored in containers and wasn't really happy with that system.  I would forget what was in the box and had to pull everything out to find what I was looking for and some of the sheets would start to dry out and crack.

I had several types of sheet protectors and decided to test them out to see if they would react with the clay.   I would check them every day and after several weeks there was no reaction with the plastic whatsoever. so I proceeded to fill them with my clay veneer sheets and pieces I had stored.

I liked the clearer type protectors as I could see through them much better and went with those.  I cut down the one side leaving the bottom seam still attached.  I could then fill the sheet up with all my clay pieces easily and then "reseal" it again.

It is really cool how the clay sheets stick to the plastic sheet keeping it sealed and you can turn the pages in the binder without them falling out or moving.  It also keeps them nice and clean and dust-free.

This is such a handy way to keep them and I store them in the same binder as my Clay Color System Recipes, etc. so everything is all together.

Tutorial - Making a Large Bead into a Fan/Light Pull

I've been asked how we attach the wire to the ball chain in the large textured tube beads in my Textured Tubes & More tutorial.

To make a ceiling fan/light pull you need some ball chain, couplings and adapters (in silver below right) that provide a way to connect your wire that is attached to your bead to the ball chain.

  

We had a difficult time finding the adapters and so I improvised a little and will show you a method that I use.

Supplies needed:

* A large bead with a large hole or one that you can drill a hole in at the top
* Ball chain
* Heavy 18 or 16 gauge wire in the same color to match your chain
* Two couplings that fit the ball chain
* Strong metal bead or bead cap
* Round nose pliers
* Wire cutters (heavy duty type)
* Drill bit - 5/32" or 4 mm (optional)


1.  Cut a piece of wire long enough that will go through your bead plus extra for finishing at the bottom end.  With your round nose pliers, make a small loop at the one end like you are making an eye pin.  You want a nice tight loop that will fit inside one of the couplings.  It doesn't have to look pretty as it won't be seen afterwards.

2.  Insert your wire into one of the couplings from the inside going out as shown:

3.  Attach the ball chain to the opposite end of the coupling

4.  You can make a large hole at the top of your bead before baking or drill it larger afterwards, whichever you prefer.   Make sure the hole is only large at the top part of your bead and not all the way through.  It should also be deep enough to hide the coupling end of the ball chain.

5.  Insert the wire through the top of the bead so the wire comes out the bottom end.

6.  Pull it all the way through until the coupling is hidden inside the top making sure it is nice and snug.

7.  Add a bead or bead cap to the bottom and then loop your wire.  The bead acts as a "washer" to anchor your wire and your bead on.

8.  Hang a decorative bead or dangle from the wire loop to finish it off.

9.  Attach the other coupling to the opposite end of the ball chain and your fan/light pull is ready to hang!

 Have fun and enjoy!